issues and opinions

Questions To Make You Think

About Instrumental Music and Worship to God

#1. Can we worship God by singing religious songs and using an instrument while we are located within our church buildings?

#2. Can we worship with Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual songs with instruments if we gather outside our church buildings?

#3. Can our youth groups gather on Saturday night at the church property and sing Spiritual songs with     instruments?

#4. Does any worship to God go on at our Wednesday night gatherings? Can We use instruments There?

#5. Is it possible to worship God, other than in our church assemblies?

#6. Can you worship God if you are alone?

#7. During the times we worship God when we are alone, do we still have to follow the pattern with authorization for what we do?

#8. Can we worship God with instruments if we are alone when we do it?

#9. Does worship to God in “Spirit and Truth” involve feelings and emotions as well as obedient truth?

#10. Do Spiritual songs with instruments create feelings and emotions about Spiritual things?

#11. Why do so many people at Gospel Music concerts raise their hands and point their fingers toward the sky?

#12. Is that an effort to praise God with these feelings about this music?

#13. The feelings that you personally get from Spiritual Songs with instruments, is it worship?

Read these questions

And answer them in your mind.

Then ……

Read Carl O. Cooper’s book:

Gospel Music, Religious Music With Instruments

Is this Worship or Entertainment

After you read the book, please point out any errors in logic and list your view of the proper explanation.

Be sure that you use logical exegesis and details only

But there is no point in using the argument that worship only occurs at a planned designated time and a planned designated place, using Abraham and Isaac as an example because that argument has been disproven long ago. Read that in the book. 

The Miracles of Demons

By Carl O. Cooper

            Have you ever wondered what you would have done if you had witnessed Jesus performing one of the many miracles He did? Would you have believed that the words He spoke were approved of God?

            Many times I’ve questioned why most of the people in Jesus’ day refused to believe in Him even though they were witnesses to many of the miracles He did. How could it be that they could see these miracles and still not believe He was approved by God? What do you think you would have done if you had been there with them? For years I vowed that I would have been different. I always questioned how anyone could have witnessed these miracles and not been convinced that Jesus was approved by God. And yet many were not. Why?

            Well, things are not always as simple as they appear. Sometimes study will reveal things that you did not know and have not considered. And that’s the way it was for me. As I gained information through study I realized that there was a reason why many people were confused and unsure about what they saw Jesus do.

            Not only was Jesus teaching a different and new doctrine about religion which He said was something new and approved by God, He actually claimed to be God’s son. Jesus’ new teachings would change the religious doctrines that their ancestors had observed for many hundreds of years. This alone is hard enough for someone to accept, but there was more to confuse the people than this. Jesus was not the only one who could perform miraculous and supernatural wonders.

            Demons could perform supernatural, miraculous wonders too.

            It took me a long time to notice the fact that demons had this power in my study of the Bible. But it was there all along. No one seems to mention it and I think it is because there is a common understanding in the church that has unclear definitions of miracles. And this teaching is mixed with a desire to discredit the denominational groups who have false claims that they can speak in tongues and perform miracles themselves. There seems to be a hesitation among Bible teachers to admit anything about miracles that does not fit the accepted definitions and perimeters that have long been established and set. But the fact is, the Bible clearly has examples of several demons that could do supernatural, miraculous things.

            One such example is found in Acts 16:16-19.

                        This is a story that I’m pretty sure you will remember. This is the story of a slave girl who had the ability to tell fortunes and her masters sold this service to the people for money. We are told in the text that this ability was because she was possessed with a spirit of divination.

Paul and Silas cast this demon out of the girl and she no longer had the ability to tell fortunes. And when her masters saw that their source of income was gone, they were so angry they took Paul and Silas to the authorities.

This Slave girl fortune teller could do Supernatural miraculous things.

Acts 16:16

 Now it happened as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit                divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune telling.

 Acts 16:19

But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.

            There is another example of a demon being able to perform supernatural, miraculous things. It is found in Mark 5:1.

            Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart and the shackles broken in pieces.

            A man can only break shackles and chains by miraculous power. This man had miraculous, supernatural strength. He could do this by the power of the demon.

            So it was not so easy to determine if a miracle was produced by God or a demon.

            This is why the Pharisees put a spin on Jesus’ miracles and said they were from Beelzebub the prince of the demons. They said this To Discredit Jesus.

Matt. 12:24  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

            Now I don’t know about you but I suspect that if either one of us had lived during Jesus’ day and witnessed the miracles done by Him we would probably have went to the religious authorities of the day to ask their opinion of what we saw. After all, it was not out of the ordinary to see miracles preformed by demons in those days as well. Now the religious experts in those days were considered to be the Pharisees, the Priests, the Sanhedrin and High Priest. If you had asked them their opinion as to whether or not Jesus was from God, they would have told you He was a demon. What do you think you might have done if you heard that explanation?

            I wonder what I would have done.

            One thing we don’t have to wonder about is whether or not demons have the power today to work miracles and do supernatural things. The Bible tells us that this power ended when Jesus died on the cross. Look at this information about that in Zach. 13:1

1. “In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and uncleanness.

2. “It shall be in that day,” says the Lord of hosts, “that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall be no longer be remembered. I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirits to depart from the land”.  

            This is talking about the day that the fountain of Jesus’ blood would be opened in Jerusalem for sin and uncleanness. This is saying that in that day (the day that Jesus died on the cross) prophets and unclean spirits will depart out of the land.

            And that is exactly what happened. The Bible is clear, we know that demons do not have the power to work miracles today.

            Demons have “faded from the land”.

No one on earth, and that includes demons, has the power to perform miracles today.

This does not limit God when He answers prayer.

See my article

Have All Miracles Ceased?

By Carl O. Cooper

Carl O. Cooper

Gambling

            Immoral Associations

            As a boy, I understood that there were many families who were being hurt and kept in poverty by the action of the parents. Even at that young age I could see that some of the families I knew were being hurt by the immoral places the parents hung out and the immoral activities they were engaged in. Some of these people were drawn to the back rooms and joints where the beer flowed and the gambling was common. Not to mention the other immoral activities that went along with it. In these places gambling and alcohol went together with other immoral activities.

            And even as a boy I saw gambling as being bad because of the things it created with the families. A person can be caught up in a gambling game and before he knows it the money he had to support his family is gone. There is ego involved as to how someone thinks he looks in front of his peers and crony’s, and he may keep betting and playing until all the money for his family is squandered. When this happens, he cannot always bring himself to stop until all is lost, even things needed for the survival of his own children.

            Also, with this comes the element of addiction. Some personalities are easily addicted to gambling. To some people gambling is like a drug. They just cannot stop. We know that this type gambling is a sin because of 1 Cor. 6:12.

                        ¹² All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 

            This is not trying to say that sinful things are lawful. This is not the context of this verse. What it is saying is that it is sinful to be “under the power” or addicted to anything.

            Today the gambling industry fully understands the personalities of those people they want to entice into gambling. They don’t even try to hide the odds and fully explain that you cannot win and beat the house, and yet people gamble anyway. The thrill is there even when the gambler is winning or losing.  There is that addictive quality about this thrill and there will be some who cannot step away from it. And in the major casinos, there will be the other sinful activities available as there always are. Alcohol will be plentiful and sometimes free and the shows and the crowd will be there to tempt you to sin in many other ways.

            But you might say, what is the harm if I gamble and don’t go to these places and I don’t spend money that is needed by my family? And I would answer like this:

            What do the pillars of your church have to say about gambling? What do your church leaders say? Do they support you in this or are they against it? If you engage in gambling, will it be against their convictions? Would you announce your intentions to gamble to your church congregation? Would you be rebellious against the convictions of your church friends and leaders if you gambled anyway? Do you think this would be a good thing to do? I would dare say that your gambling in spite of this would be a rebellious act that would go against the leaders of your church congregation.

            And would your gambling cause some other person to follow you and do the same? Is there any way for you to be sure that this person would not become addicted to gambling and ruin their life? Would that person ever abuse their family with their gambling? If that were to happen, do you think you would have any part of their sinful behavior? I feel sure we all know the answer to these questions.

            Some churches have raffles and raise money for the church or for charities this way. And Governments prey on a citizen’s desire for gambling and raise money by using lotteries and alcohol sales. But we know that the proper way for a Government to raise money is by taxes and the proper way for a church to raise money is by free will offerings by the members. We are to “give as we have been prospered on the first day of the week” (Paraphrased)

            But what about punch boards and raffles and contests that require the player to pay a fee to play in order to win a prize?

            I think no one can disqualify these activities from being in the same category as all other types of gambling. You might try to make the case that they are on a more harmless scale for the player, but they are still the same basic thing. I would suggest that we need to apply the same basic rules and the same litmus test to these activities as we do to any type of gambling.

            1. Would this influence anyone to become associated with gambling and hurt their lives                          and their families?

            2. Could this ever lead someone to addiction because of a “harmless game”?

            3. What would the church leaders say about this?

            4. Would you have to rebel against your church to participate?

            Romans 14 tells us that any activity is a sin that is stubbornly participated in that causes another brother to stumble.

            There are many other reasons not to gamble. But if you have rejected them, I ask you to consider the logic in what I have said.

Carl O. Cooper

The definition of the Hebrew word “Shekar”

Deuteronomy 14:25-26 (KJV)

25 Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto     the place which the LORD thy God shall choose:

26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou    shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine            household,  

            These verses have been a struggle for Bible students for hundreds of years. If you read these words for face value and have no regard for all the other verses in the Bible that condemn the evils of drinking alcohol it appears that these verses give the “green light” of approval to drinking “strong drink”.

            I’m afraid these verses say exactly what a huge segment of the religious population want them to say and this is a good reason why the majority of Bible translators have not corrected the wording to give the proper message these verses are trying to give. And I say the “religious population” because the non-religious people in the world who want to drink alcohol could not care less about what the Bible has to say about social drinking. Only people who claim a religious connection to God have a desire to make the Bible approve drinking alcohol. But don’t allow yourself to be fooled by the wording here. These verses do not approve “strong drink” in spite of what the translators have tried to make them say. I intend to show you in a clear and logical way what these verses really say and why they do not support drinking alcohol.

            The words in question here and the words that have created a tremendous misunderstanding among religious people for many years are the words “wine” and “strong drink”. And regardless of what English words are used to translate these Hebrew food products, it is obvious that they are meant to be consumed. But if these words are properly translated from the Hebrew to English then this literally flies in the face of every other verse in the Bible where drinking alcohol is condemned.

            The first word in question is “wine”. Now I know the meaning of the English word wine and you do too. In English, wine always means “an alcoholic drink”. But here is something you probably didn’t know and very few people take the time to reason this out. The word “wine” is never used in the original Bible; No, not even once. Wine is an English word and the Bible was not written in English. The translators decided the English words to use in place of the Hebrew and the Greek. And for the most part they did a very good job in the words they chose, but using the word “wine” in place of the Hebrew and Greek words was not a good choice.  In this case the original Hebrew word that was used here was, “yayin”.  Yayin is a generic word, like the Greek word “oinos” which means anything “having to do with the grape”. 

            The translators of the KJV used the words “wine” and “strong drink” and these words are not proper choices because they change the meaning of what is being said in these verses. But as strange as it may seem, if we left these words as they are, they would prove that this word translated “wine” could not be alcoholic. Isn’t that strange? But look at the sentence and what it was translated to say. It says “wine” and “strong drink”. Now I don’t think the translators noticed what this said and it’s for sure not many people see this in these words but if this translation were to be correct then it would indicate a clear difference in “wine” and “strong drink”. Now this was not intentional and the English words are not good choices, but there really is a different meaning in the original Hebrew words here. However, just to be clear, neither word is referring to drinking alcohol.

            Like William Patton, in his book “Bible Wines”, published in 1871, I have full confidence in the translators of the Bible from Hebrew and Greek into the English language. I think they were honest men but were nevertheless unintentionally influenced by the philosophy and the usage of their day. And once their words were inserted into the Bible text it becomes like sacrilege for someone to question and to change the meanings and the words used. You will find other translators and Bible dictionaries using the same meanings and words other translators use. William Patton goes on to say; “We would not distrust much less weaken, confidence in the word of God. We would, however, remind the reader that at times we must consult the text of the original language; that no translation, much less no mere human interpretation, is the ultimate authority. (Page 48)

            So the word “yayin” is the Hebrew word in the original text used in Deuteronomy 14:26. And the meaning of yayin is generic and is anything having to do with the grape. This is like the word “oinos” used in the Greek. (See generic words in “Bible Wines, William Patton pages 48-50). Yayin can be alcoholic but it depends on the context to decide the correct meaning. You must never, never “assume” that the meaning of yayin is alcoholic.

            The same is true with the word translated “strong drink”. The Hebrew word here is “shekar”. Once again you could find a tremendous amount of research and scholarly information in; (See generic words in “Bible Wines, William Patton pages 48-50).  But let me assure you, “shekar” is a generic word like oinos and yayin but it is sweet fruit other than the grape. So like yayin is anything associated with the grape, shekar is anything associated with sweet fruits other than the grape.

            Down through the years shekar has been almost universally translated strong drink. The vision that comes to most people’s mind is a drink like “whisky”, “gin” or “vodka” and not wine. Using the words “wine” and “strong drink” gives the impression that a stronger type of alcohol than wine is included. But just a minute here, there is something overlooked in this understanding. Whisky, gin, and vodka had not been invented in the days Moses wrote the book of Deuteronomy. Well now, that makes a difference doesn’t it?

            So there you have it. The words translated wine and strong drink are not alcoholic at all in the original Hebrew language and are actually the generic words yayin and shekar. Only the context would determine if these words were to be referring to an alcoholic drink.

            Now there is another big question about these verses in Deuteronomy 14. We won’t go into this question in this article but I invite you the reader to ask this question, Why were the Israelites who were not Levites eating the tithes set aside for God? I bring this question to your attention just to show that every verse of Scripture needs your attention when you study the Bible. We should never take Scriptures for granted without thinking carefully about what they mean.

Deuteronomy 14:22-27 (KJV)

22 Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.

23 And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his       name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy          herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.

24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too        far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the          LORD thy God hath blessed thee:

25 Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto     the place which the LORD thy God shall choose:

26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou    shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine            household,

27 And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor          inheritance with thee. 

Carl O. Cooper

For a Failed Life

The plight of the alcoholic and the addicted

Many times a person ignores God, forsakes the church and lives a life of sin. That person usually has no thoughts of how these sins are impacting his life unless and until the tragedy strikes. The alcoholic, the sexually perverted, the addict, and the unfaithful spouse sooner or later finds that his lifestyle leads to a failed marriage or a life of calamity that becomes more than he can endure. Some of these people turn to the church for relief and assistance in turning their life around. This is the right thing to do. If there is any relief and if there is any assistance with their troubles it will be by turning to God and trying to live a redeemed and Godly life.

            But Christian results happen by living a lifetime of Christian living. It is not very likely that you will find sudden comfort and help for a marriage break up because of a life devoted to cheating on a spouse or the failed health of a life of alcohol abuse just because you suddenly decide to go to church. The help to hold marriages together comes with a lifetime of living the Christian life to prevent these problems from happening to begin with. Many times people in grieving situations come to the church to look for a solution to the problems they are facing in their lives. This is the right place to start and there can be comfort in being surrounded with people who care. And the beginning of a long journey must start with the first step. There can be no help without a beginning at some point, but considering the stage where your life has evolved will determine the time it will take for recovery. And sometimes recovery is not completely possible. You may not be able to undo a failed marriage or deteriorated health.

            If you encounter a person who comes into the church in these situations, they need to understand that the church fixes their everlasting life and gives comfort to those struggling with the problems of this life, but the results of accumulated sin and poor health do not usually have a quick fix. The Gospel is not a “social Gospel” that has as its purpose, to “fix” the problems and the struggles of this life. As much as we would like for God to fix the problems we have in this life, even Christians have their struggles too. In so many cases I have seen this type person get started trying to begin a Christian life only to fall away in a very short time. What they thought would happen just did not materialize as they thought it should. My question is, how can we help these people not to fall away?

            We do know that the “type of ground” these people are will determine how they receive the Gospel and how long they will likely continue to try to hold on to what they hear. We learn that from “the parable of the sower”. (See Luke 8:5) We also know that the devil will try to discourage new converts from being able to “hold on”. It is not possible to “force” a person to be a faithful Christian. How they accept and receive the Gospel will depend on how their own “programs” are “wired into their hearts”. Everyone has their own “biological computer formats” wired deep into their own sub-conscious personality. This program, or this world view, will determine how a person reacts to receiving the Gospel and to how he handles life in general. This is “the ground” referred to in the parable of the sower. This pre-programmed format of a person’s subconscious personality is created by several things working within a person’s life. Environment plays a part and so does personal experience. There is also a genuine influence in a person’s behavior from a biological genetic affect that may or may not be classified as a “disorder” of sorts. Some disorders are real and genuine and some disorders are self induced.

            And let’s not forget that people are enticed into “the pleasures of sin”. This is the way the Bible describes sin. Look at how the Bible describes what happened to Moses when he was in Egypt.

Hebrews 11:25 (KJV)

25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures     of sin    for a season; 

            Many times sinful behavior starts out as a personal choice to engage in what seems to deliver great rewards to a person’s emotions. The devil uses these emotions to defile you and capture your life. There will likely come a time when a “threshold” is crossed and the escape from a life of sinful behavior becomes harder and harder to do. But sooner or later these choices can deliver the difficulties in a person’s life that causes a desperate need for a change. Let me warn you. It may not be easy. There are so many things that are addictive and hard to escape. Gambling is like that and so is alcohol and drugs. Pornography, sex, and homosexuality are sins with tentacles wired deep into the personality and the brain and the devil uses these to control people just about like he did with the poor man called legion that Jesus healed from an unclean spirit.

Mark 5:1-3 (KJV)

1 And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.

2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with    an unclean spirit,

3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 

            Now we don’t expect to find people today with unclean spirits as was in Jesus’ day but let’s not minimize the effect the devil still has on the people of this world. Drugs, alcohol, and addictions in the life of a person who may be dealing with a mental or personality disorder has the same effect as what was described in Mark 5:1-3. Unfortunately there is no one to correct this with a wave of the hand or a spoken word as Jesus did for legion.

            If you are involved in any of these sins that I have described, even if it is “only in a limited way”, please escape while you can. There will come a day when there will be a “reckoning” and the devil will have his tentacles wrapped around your life in such a way that there may be no escape for you and proper happiness could elude you the rest of your life. Not everyone who smokes gets cancer, and not everyone who drinks alcohol becomes addicted and every person who is addicted to pornography does not have a failed marriage. But trust me friend, the odds that disaster and unhappiness can come on these lives is almost guaranteed. Don’t live your life with a sword over you hanging by a small thread. That is the frailty you have when you have alcohol and these other sins in your life.

Carl O. Cooper

Habakkuk 2:15-16 (NKJV)
¹⁵ “Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor, Pressing him to your bottle, Even to make him drunk, That you may look on his nakedness!
¹⁶ You are filled with shame instead of glory. You also–drink! And be exposed as uncircumcised! The cup of the Lord’s right hand will be turned against you, and utter shame will be on your glory.

            This passage sets up a dilemma for Jesus if he made alcoholic wine at the wedding of Cana. If the wine Jesus produced was alcoholic, then Jesus would have been guilty of giving “drink to His neighbor”. This would have pronounced this woe described here on Jesus. This would have been true regardless of the alcoholic content in any alcoholic wine Jesus could have produced.

            But we know that Jesus did not produce “wine” at the wedding of Cana, as we know the definition of the word today. Our modern definition of the word “wine” is describing an alcoholic drink. To some people it is “religious and romantic” but, alcoholic none the less. Jesus produced “oinos”, which is the word translated wine in the Bible, and only the context of the scriptures can tell you if oinos is alcoholic or not. The Bible translators chose to translate this word “oinos” to “wine” in John, Chapter 2 and not to attempt to make a distinction as to whether it is sweet, pure grape juice or alcoholic wine. We are left to decide that part on our own. And many people choose to call it alcoholic wine and never consider the consequences of what that does to Jesus. Some do this because they do not understand that the New Testament was written in Greek and translated into English and Greek words can carry many meanings just like some English words do. Others see the word “drunk” in verse 10 and think that means that the wedding guests were drunk on this wine Jesus produced.

John 2:10 (KJV)
¹⁰ And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

If you were not careful here, you might conclude without thinking this through, that Jesus produced wine that was capable of making men “drunk”. This conclusion would be disastrous for Jesus because it would have Jesus participating in a drinking party where people are expected to get drunk. This would be sinful and just cannot be. But a study of the text will show us once more that these words are poor choices by the translators and they have translated the Greek word “methyo” into the English words “well drunk” when a better translation would have been “filled” or “satisfied”. If you substitute the word “filled” for “well drunk” look at what this does for the perception of the context.

John 2:10 (KJV)
¹⁰ And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men are     filled, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

            No, Jesus did not produce alcoholic wine at the wedding of Cana in John 2. He produced good, pure, grape juice of a very good quality. Not watered down, not weak or soured, not some type of “low alcoholic content”, but good, sweet, juice of the grape. He produced this from water and it was a miracle of great significance that had the desired effect on the people around Him.

Carl O. Cooper

1 Peter 3:21

There is also an antitype which now saves us–baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

            If we look at the phrase, “baptism now saves us”; there is no way to deny that the purpose of baptism is to save us from our sins. This Scripture tells us in no uncertain terms that “baptism now saves us”. But the rest of verse 21 gives us more information about the process of salvation during baptism.

            If we stopped with just the first part of the verse we could capture people and dip them into the water and they would be saved. We could save whole villages of people just by capturing them and forcing them to be baptized.

            But there’s more to baptism than just the physical act. There is something that has to go on in the “heart” as well. Baptism is the result of a repentant heart or “the answer of a good conscience toward God”.

            There is nothing magical about the water to “remove the filth of the flesh”.  In order for Baptism to have the power to save there must also be “the answer of a good conscience toward God”.

Miracles

                There are respected scholars within the Church of Christ that for years have been able to recognize doctrinal errors taught by the denominational world and have been able to explain how their doctrines are wrong and give good and simple teaching to show the fallacies of these errors. One such error taught by many protestant religious groups is their incorrect understanding of miracles in the early days of the church when inspired men were alive on this earth; and the so called miracles of today. Many denominations including Pentecostals and Holiness groups as well as the Catholic Church have declared to the world that they have documented cases of confirmed miracles that have occurred and are occurring today. We know this teaching to be false. Many respected men within the church of Christ have written and taught about this error for years and this teaching has been proven without doubt to be false. However, like we do so many times in our zeal to combat false teaching, men almost always carry the explanations to a point beyond where they need to stop.

                We all know that in the first century during the beginning of the church the apostles and men to whom they gave specials powers had the ability to perform miracles and heal the sick and even raise the dead. The Bible tells us that these signs and miracles were for the purpose of confirming that the teaching of these men was indeed coming from and endorsed by God Himself. And we also know by the inspired words of the Holy Spirit that these special powers would cease when the Bible was written and completed. There are many, many books and articles explaining this information and the purpose of this article is not to re-teach this information which has been settled long ago. The purpose of this article is to clarify what God is doing in our lives today. Is He still active in our world in a Divine way, and does He still change events and make things happen that only happen because He causes them to happen? I contend that, indeed, He does.

                In our zeal to combat the claims of Pentecostals groups who claim miraculous ability to heal the sick and speak in tongues and do many miraculous things we have, unfortunately, left the impression that God does not have any active part in any Devine intervention in our world today. But don’t be too quick to discount God’s part in the world we live in and our personal lives today. God is still sovereign in our world today and He is the ruler of this universe and he places governments and kingdoms in power. He rules times, places, and events according to His own good pleasure. He answers prayer as He sees fit, He causes things to happen in ways that He decides is right, He knows the names of children many years before they are born, He plans the future according to His sovereign will, and in General He plans and intervenes in our world in Divine ways that the feeble mind of man could never comprehend or understand. God has an active part in our lives today.

                Now we know full well that none of us have miraculous powers today. We can’t heal the sick or speak in tongues or have special visions and knowledge and revelations from the Holy Spirit. But just because we cannot do those things, don’t make the mistake to think that we have no help from God to modify and influence our lives and our world in a divine way today. God answers prayer. What powerful influence a Christian has with God today to think that an all powerful God would allow us to ask Him for help and God would actually do it. How great is that? Is that Divine intervention? You bet it is. God is sovereign and His will is always done as He sees fit, but He allows us to come to Him in prayer and ask Him for things we want to happen. Sometimes He alters the natural order of events and gives us what we ask. That’s divine intervention but it does not mean that we have miraculous power, it means, instead, that God is all powerful and works in the lives of men today. We thank God for the love He has to involve Himself in the lives of His creation to the point that He takes care of us in many ways.

                God does things that are beyond our understanding. He still does things today that are beyond our understanding. How do you define these things today when God manipulates times, events, and interventions? What definition do you use and what terminology is appropriate to describe these indescribable works of an almighty God? We really haven’t invented an appropriate word to describe this as of yet. Does this fall under the accepted definition of a miraculous event? Perhaps not, but don’t be too hasty there. You certainly can’t describe how God does these things and you might be grasping at straws to try to make the case that all of the events that God causes to happen are merely accomplished through natural means. Even if God used natural means to accomplish His purpose, it would take the great and mighty power of God to make everything come together to allow natural means to happen. Many prayers can go up for God to cure someone’s cancer and when the cancer is cured we might be able to describe the cure using natural means but how many indescribable things did God have to make happen that are to mighty and too complex for us to understand in order for the natural means to come to pass? And suppose a forest fire was almost ready to engulf your house and suddenly, by the power of God, a strong wing blew the fire in another direction. Natural means, right? No doubt, the wind is part of the natural laws of this universe. But tell me, can you explain the way God caused the wind to change direction? Would this intervention be natural or supernatural? The truth is, you can’t describe it and neither can I. And for that matter, neither can any man explain how God caused this to happen. Frankly, our explanations and terminology for these events where God uses His divine power to cause and manipulate circumstances on this earth are far too complex for us to understand and I doubt that we ever will in this life.

                So the conclusion is this. We do not have the power to work miracles on this earth today. No man has this power today. In times past, men had special gifts of the Holy Spirit and could speak in tongues and cause miraculous things to happen but those days came to a close when the Bible was completed and the need to confirm God’s message was accomplished through the inspired words of the Holy Spirit through the Bible. But don’t limit the power and Sovereignty of God by limiting God’s divine intervention in our own world today. God still works in our lives today in ways that are too mighty and too complex for us to even begin to understand. And whether we call this intervention miraculous or providence it is still done by a supernatural power that far exceeds our human minds to comprehend.

Carl O. Cooper

When The Devil Rules

By Carl O. Cooper

In the not too distant future, in the world that’s yet to be,

Came the Devil and his henchmen, and he gave a gift to me.

He said vote for me for office, and this is what we’ll do,

I’ll take money from these rich folks, and distribute it to you.

I’ll make the water crystal clear. I’ll create a clean blue sky.

And I’ll give all females freedom, as we let their unborn die.

I’ll renew the laws of Sodom, and we’ll change the marriage rules.

And those churches and their preachers we’ll just call a bunch of fools.

We will change our father’s country, it’s the one for which they died,

And we’ll wipe their names from history books as though our teachers lied.

And we will teach the races hatred; they will hate each other sore.

And though it takes a little time, it’s sure to come to war.

We will share our country’s bounty. Everyone will have a share.

We will fund this life with taxes on the rich as they can bear.

And when all the wealth is used and gone and the heart to work’s no more,

We will confiscate the factories and we’ll force men through their doors.

When the people get too old to work and all their strength is lost,

We will call it humane extinction and that will save us from their cost.

Our government becomes our God, though ruled by just a man.

And the land that our fore fathers knew lies buried in blood and sand.

You have a choice, oh man, I say don’t let it slip away.

You can’t just wait and let it happen; you have got to act today.

Don’t hide your eyes from evil that’s out there lurking for your vote,

But use the sword of God, my friend, the book that Christians Quote.

The answers lie on every page and it tells you what to do.

The Bible’s filled with good advice and it’s always just and true.

You can turn to it for guidance and if you love your fellow man,

You will make the good and proper choice to save our hallowed land.

Practice Using Your Logic

Can We Modify God’s Instructions?

            Now here is an exercise in logical reasoning. Can we modify God’s commands and slightly redesign them to meet and satisfy situations that we might find ourselves in?

            But before we start, let me say right up front that there is a huge majority of our country and within the church of Christ as well that make most of their decisions using their emotions and not with logical deduction. To these people, and there are many, it is more important to “tolerate” and “accept” than it is to defend the truth of God’s word. To tolerate is to prevent conflict. Conflict leads to disagreement and criticism of the person who dares to disagree. Today it is more important to be “politically correct” by many than it is to be “religiously correct”.  

            Here is an example I heard used one time. We all know that the Bible condemns drunkenness as a sin. But just suppose you find yourself in a remote location with no medical supplies and you need to have a leg amputated. Would it be OK to drink enough whiskey to make yourself “dog drunk” in order to undergo surgery? Wow, now that takes some special thought for a situation like that. Can you answer it? It sure is tempting to authorize drunkenness our self, even if we can’t find it authorized in the Bible. And if we can’t find it in the Bible it sure is tempting to try to find some other way, any way to get the Bible to authorize it.

            Now here’s another one. This might be easier for some people than others and granted, this situation requires you to deal with a very emotional event. Many people are tempted to disobey God and to create their own rules regardless of whether or not they have any knowledge that God approves of what they are doing when their emotions tell them to do so. For many people, satisfying their own emotional will is more important than trying to study what God has authorized them to do. Many people will disregard God’s commandments and replace them with their own actions as though they were approved by God when their emotions tell them to do so.

            Suppose you had a relative whom you care a great deal about and this person is 85 years old and bed ridden and very sick. Now suppose this person suddenly decides he wants to obey the Gospel and be saved. But he is too weak to be baptized by immersion under water. Do you feel like you could override God’s commands and baptize this person by sprinkling or pouring water over his head? Many people would do just that. What would be your logical decision about having the authority to change the way God has instructed us to administer baptism? Would you feel like this situation calls for you to disregard God’s design and allows you to design your own plan of salvation for just this one situation?

             It’s easy for someone who does not have a close relationship with this person to decide this dilemma, isn’t it? But what about a son or a daughter? This requires a strong commitment to obedience to God’s Word to follow what the Bible tells us to do.

            There are many situations that give us difficult choices and challenges to obey God’s instructions found in the Bible. And some require a strong and  firm commitment to make good logical decisions and obey what God has told us to do.

            Suppose your daughter is married to a man who is lazy and can’t hold a job? He has little respect for her needs and spends most of his time watching sports on TV or spending time with his “buddies” on their boat. Your daughter is lonely and feels like her needs are being ignored. She wants a divorce from this man and a new life where she feels she can be happy. How do you feel about this?  If there is no sexual misconduct by either party, should your daughter get a divorce? Unless she finds another husband her happiness is not likely to improve. Do you feel like this situation merits you to advise her to get a divorce? Do you feel like God would allow you and empower you to speak for Him in this special case?

            Suppose we have a family in the congregation that is very skilled with musical instruments and they give concerts and sing in many locations and they would like to sing and play for us on Sunday. It is reasoned by many that this would enhance our spiritual experience in our worship. What’s more, this is a prominent family with many relatives in the church and they will go somewhere else if we don’t let them perform. Is there not some way that we can authorize them to perform? I don’t have to tell you that this scenario is being played out in many places already. People are taking it on themselves to authorize this to happen. 

            Now if you conclude that it would be OK for you to authorize drunkenness or instrumental music yourself if the situation called for it, then you might use the same logic to authorize some of the elder’s children to be “unbelievers”. All we are told by the Bible about an elder’s children is that an elder‘s children must be “pistos”. In other words, the Bible says they must be believers. But what will we do if all of them are not believers? Will it be OK to authorize elders to serve anyway? Can we authorize that situation ourselves?

            If we can authorize these things ourselves then the next step in logic would be to authorize anything we choose if the situation calls for some kind of modification of God’s written instructions. Perhaps a young mother needs money for her children. Would that situation call for her to enter prostitution to get the money she needs? Can we authorize and excuse actions like that even though the Bible would call them sin? Can we take it upon our self to claim that God would authorize this? Do we have such authority that we can “set on the throne of God” and decide what we want to be authorized without any instructions from God?

            A well known method used to claim authorization and authority to set aside something God calls a sin and claim authority to allow it anyway, is the teaching of the Catholic Church concerning the sale of “indulgence”. Almost everyone has heard about this sinful abuse by religious people and almost everyone agrees that no such authority exists by anyone on this earth to override God’s laws.

            If we have the authority to decide for our self when we can modify God’s commands and allow behaviour that is listed as sinful (unless we decide it is not), then nothing would be a sin. There are always extenuating circumstances that can be named as to why we feel the situation we are in would merit and allow us to change God’s rules to suit ourselves. And don’t think this is far-fetched. Look at the number of religions in the world today, all teaching different and contradicting doctrines and claiming to be obedient to God’s will. They have no trouble in modifying God’s instructions if it suites their behaviour and design.

            But this is not us. We know better. Situation ethics has always been a false doctrine and still is today. No matter how bad we want something, we cannot modify God’s word to make it OK.

Carl O. Cooper