We have allowed our current culture to cripple and politicize the content and even the style, in some cases of our preaching. We have succumbed to our societies’ weak, watered down, politically correct, non-offensive approach to how we preach. In this vein, it is not uncommon to hear a preacher apologize for what he has just read or preached out of the scripture itself.
 
Why would a preacher apologize for the text of the Bible he was reading or quoting? Why is there so much apologizing in classes and sermons?
 
Apologies are being given for direct commands from God.

• “Jesus said it I didn’t…”
• “Paul wrote it, I didn’t”
• “I’m sorry for being negative here…”
• After naming a specific sin (naming sins is rare today) “I know that’s not anyone here…”
• “I don’t mean to go dark here…”

 
Is one who is making apologies for the Word of God he is preaching implying that he does not agree with what he is quoting?
 
Could it be that the cancel culture that is permeating our society partly to blame for men who fail to take responsibility for what they are preaching? For a long time sin has been masked; hiding behind words that are less offensive and more accepted among people in sin.
 
Should we hide behind Jesus or Paul, and “lay the blame at their feet,” so to speak?  The Apostle Paul was not ashamed of the words of God as he told Timothy to follow the same path:

• Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do (2 Timothy 1:8-12).

 
Our Lord Jesus Christ, who was a preacher Himself, said:

• For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels (Mark 8:38).

 
Every gospel preacher should be striving to please God by speaking in love “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) without apology.
 
Our work is to please God, not man.

• But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ (1 Thessalonians 2:4-6).

 
Steve Miller
 

     “It doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you are sincere.”  Wow!  This statement is so broadminded, tolerant, unprejudicial, unbiased, and politically correct.  There is one problem with it:  it’s irrational!  Our culture assumes that: Truth is relative; We cannot know truth; There is more than one way to God; Everyone is entitled to his own opinion; Man legislates his own morality; Moral values are relative; We must look out for number one; The church must keep up with the times; The Bible is irrelevant to modern life.  In answer to these societal beliefs, God’s Word offers the following: Truth is absolute (Psalm 119: 160).  God's Word is truth (John 17: 17).  Jesus is the only way (John 14:6).  Man’s opinions are often wrong (Proverbs 14:1 2).  Man cannot legislate his own morality (Jeremiah 10:23).  Moral values are absolute (Romans 12:9).  We must put others first (Matthew 22:37-40).  The divine side of the church cannot change (1 Peter 4:1-5).  The Bible is timeless (1 Peter 1:23-25). 
     The problem with what culture says, what society says, what conventional wisdom is, or what I sincerely believe, is that it keeps changing. God speaks about “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). Man is not to add to or take away from or modify the Word of God (Revelation 22:18-19).  God’s Word does not change! 
     We can be "established in the present truth" (2 Peter 1:12; 1 Pet. 1:22-25).  Like Paul, we can be "teachers…in faith and truth" (1 Timothy 2:7.  We can understand the knowledge of the apostles (Ephesians 3:3-5).  We can know the truth like the early saints did (1 John 2:21).  By our conduct we know if we are "of the truth" (1 John 3:18-19).
     It is a common held belief that goes like this:  “since none is infallible then none can be certain of any doctrine; and since none can be certain of any doctrine we cannot conclude someone else’s beliefs and practices are wrong…”  When applied to biblical teaching, there are those who conclude that baptism for remission of sins is not essential.  That the use of mechanical instruments of music in the worship is a matter of opinion. They use the same reasoning to teach that  individuals can divorce and remarry for any cause (Matthew 19:4) It is a mindset many use to try to justify those who teach salvation by faith only (Matthew 7:21).  Bottom line:  People have a problem with truth because it is absolute.
     If we say we cannot be certain of God’s truth, then: We indict the power of God to communicate His will (Deuteronomy 30:11-14; Romans 10:6-8).  There is a denial of the power of truth (2 Timothy 3:5-7; Romans 1:16).  One Implies that Bible study is ultimately futile (2 Timothy 2:15).  The implication is made that we cannot know whether we have gone beyond the doctrine of Christ (2 John. 9; Galatians 1:8-9).  It would make giving an answer for our hope an arrogant exercise (1 Peter 3:15).
     Samuel Thompson, stated in Modern Philosophy of Religion (1956),
"Although religion requires sincerity, sincerity is not enough, for belief needs also to be true.  The sincerity with which a person holds a belief, maybe some indication of its truth, provided he who holds it is a person, of knowledge and integrity, on the other hand sincerity and false belief may equally well expose the frailty of the mind which holds it. The only sound reason to advocate that a religious doctrine be accepted is to be found in its truth." (90-91).  
     What is going to be the authority for my life?  What’s going to be the basis for my beliefs and my behavior?   What’s my compass?  What’s going to be the standard by which I evaluate my life?   It will be either the world or the Word!

Steve Miller
 
 
 
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A new year brings brand new possibilities and opportunities.
     12 months. 52 weeks. 365 days. 8,760 hours. 525,600 minutes. 31,536,000 seconds. What will you do with all that time?
     A great opportunity…

• For new beginnings.
• For new challenges.
• For new opportunities.
• For new potentials.
• For new friendships.
• For new expansions to your life.
• For new changes you have been wanting.
• For new adventures you have long sought.
• For new good that you can serve up to others.
• For new accomplishments that will contribute to a fuller and more meaningful
•      life.
• For new works you can accomplish for the Master.

“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves” (2 Cor 13:5).
 
 
Steve Miller

(If you have been reading Trending Topics for very long, you have probably noticed references from denominational sources that use the term “pastor” to refer to the minister or preacher in the local congregation. As a discerning reader, you know that the general meaning behind such use in articles from sources outside the brotherhood are referring to the preacher and not an elder.  A preacher can serve as an elder if qualified and if the congregation supports that arrangement, but in general, the preacher is not a “pastor” in the biblical sense).


     It would be considered an unusual week for the church office not to receive a call from someone asking to speak to a “pastor.”  The titles of “reverend” and “pastor” are liberally applied when someone speaks to a preacher.  What's the problem?  Most people seem to believe that they are showing respect to those who minister on a full-time basis.  Is it being too critical to call attention to the fact that the terms “reverend” and “pastor” are misused and misapplied (Matthew 23:8-10)?  Where is the New Testament passage authorizing use of the term “pastor” or “reverend” being applied to preachers of the gospel?  We should be interested in calling Bible things by Bible names and that includes using the appropriate, Scriptural designations.  
     Three passages contribute to a clarification on the use of the term “pastor.” “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28, NASB).  “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers” (Ephesians 4:11, NKJV). “So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly” (1 Peter 5:1-2, ESV).

• A shepherd, one who tends herds or flocks (not merely one who feeds them), is used metaphorically of Christian ‘pastors,’ Ephesians 4:11.  Pastors guide as well as feed the flock; Acts 20:28, which, with verse 17, indicates that this was the service committed to elders (overseers or bishops); so also in 1 Peter 5:1, 2, ‘tend the flock...exercising the oversight,’ this involves tender care and vigilant superintendence.(1)  

     The noun poimen (pastor) has a corresponding verb, poimaino (shepherd) in Acts 20:28. The one who does the work of feeding/shepherding is a poimen (i.e., the one who does the work of shepherding is a shepherd or pastor).  Who is it that does the work of “shepherding the flock”?   The elders, shepherds/overseers in the local congregation of the church of Christ.
     J. W. McGarvey addressed this misunderstanding back in 1870.  

• The evidence that this term designates the overseers or elders is conclusive and may be briefly stated. The Greek term for shepherd is poimeen, and the verb poimaino means to do the work of a shepherd. Now, he to whom this verb applies is a shepherd, just as he who sows is a sower, he who reaps is a reaper, he who speaks is a speaker, he who sings is a singer, etc., etc. But Paul exhorts the overseers in Ephesus “to be shepherds to the church” Acts 20:28, and Peter exhorts the elders of the churches to which he writes, “Be shepherds to the flock of God which is among you, and promises that when the 'chief Shepherd' shall appear, they shall receive a crown of glory. They then, were shepherds and Christ the Chief Shepherd.”  The term pastor, the Latin for shepherd, has come into common use from the influence of the Latin version of the Scriptures. There is one all-sufficient reason for preferring our own Anglo-Saxon term 'shepherd'. It is found in the fact that 'pastor' has become perverted by sectarian usage, and designates in popular phraseology, an entirely different office from the one to whom it is applied in the Scriptures. It has become a synonym for a settled preacher, and is often used for the purpose of distinguishing the preacher from those who are scripturally called the 'pastors' of the church. It will perhaps be impossible to recover the term from this abuse, and therefore, it is better to throw it away. Another good reason for preferring 'shepherd' is, that its primary meaning is familiar to the most illiterate reader, and the metaphor by which the overseer is thus styled is perfectly intelligible to every one; whereas, the term 'pastor' is known to the masses only in its appropriated sense (2) 

     It is one thing for individuals who are ignorant or indifferent to the teaching of the Scriptures on the meanings of words as meant to be used by God to call a preacher “reverend” or “pastor” and quite another when members of the church who should know better than to utter these titles when referring to a preacher of the gospel.
   
Steve Miller

1.  Vine, W.E.  Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words.
2.  McGarvey, John William. A Treatise on the Eldership: A Series of Editorial Articles Originally Published in the Apostolic Times. Cincinnati: Bosworth, 1870. Repr., Murfreesboro, TN: DeHoff, 1956, 14-15

A worldview is “The Christian’s ability to think Christianly about every topic, every question, every decision requires that he or she develop a generally correct knowledge of reality” (Edward M. Curtis, Transformed Thinking, 5).
 
Included would be anything about which it is possible to have a belief; for instance: God, human life, gender, freedom, the meaning of suffering, marriage, family relationships, morality, and even politics, etc.. So, a worldview is the basic perspective we use to understand the world around us and our experience of it.
 
It is important to have a worldview that is consistent and aligned with the Creator of this world and of mankind.  The reason is found in Psalm 100:3: “Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture” (ESV).
 
A biblical worldview is the only avenue to understand our true beginning, purpose, and future.

"A worldview has been compared to a pair of glasses through which we see the world. Without these glasses, the world would appear as an unfocused, meaningless blob. The glasses not only allow us to see, but to make sense out of what we see. Everything we perceive must come through these glasses. If such glasses have “Christian” lenses, then everything we observe will be “tinted” Christian. We will explain the universe and life’s events from a Christian perspective. The same is true for those who wear Atheist glasses or Buddhist glasses. They will “see” the same world, but it will be understood differently. Their “glasses” (worldview) do not shape reality nor do they ensure a correct perception, but they do determine a person’s explanation and interpretation of life and the world.a perspective that sees everything through the “glasses” of Scripture. Rather than allowing culture or experience to determine a worldview, it allows the Bible to make that determination" (Phillips, W. G., Brown, W. E., & Stonestreet, J. (2008). Making sense of your world: A biblical worldview (2nd ed.). Salem, WI: Sheffield, 4, 16).

We are in a spiritual and cultural warfare where life, marriage, and America’s biblical foundations are under attack. Daniel Webster, in 1820, commented: “Lastly; our ancestors established their system of government on morality and religious sentiment. Moral habits, they believed, cannot safely be trusted on any other foundation than religious principle, nor any government be secure which is not supported by moral habits” (America’s God and Country, 669).
 
The role of Government is cited in the Bible (Romans 13:1‐7; 1 Peter 2:13‐14; 1 Timothy 2:1‐4). Civil governments are established by God to bring many benefits to human societies. The civil government should not govern “the things that are God’s” (Mark 12:17).
 
The tide has been turning for a long time.  Albert Mohler warned back in 2012 of the seriousness and far-reaching implications of rejecting biblical principles and foundations in the moral fabric of our society:
​
"We are not looking at minor matters of political difference. We are staring into the abyss of comprehensive moral conflict. Christian voters can escape neither the consequences of their vote, nor the fact that our most basic convictions will be revealed in the voting booth come November. Christians cannot face these questions without the knowledge that God is the Giver of life, who made every human life in his image. We cannot consider this election without the knowledge that our Creator has given us the covenant of marriage as the union of one man and one woman as the demonstration of his glory and the promise of human flourishing" (https://albertmohler.com/2012/09/06/the-great-american-worldview-exercise-the-2012-election).

As we enter the voting booth in elections, our commitment should be to God first, not party, social status, race, economic standing, or gender. 
 
There is wisdom in the following regarding our individual role in being a responsible citizen as well as living our lives in faithful Christianity:

"Do nations turn around, once they have started a slide toward moral chaos? Tragically, they almost never do. Not even the great nation of Israel could be salvaged by the persuasion of the prophets. It took an Assyrian conquest and a Babylonian captivity (of seventy years) to bring the Hebrews to their knees. Even then a terminal judgment finally came in the form of the Roman destruction of Judaism in A.D. 70 (cf. Mt. 22:7). I am certainly no prophet. I do not know what lies in America’s future. I can, however, follow the flow of human history as such is revealed in the Scriptures. And what I see in that does not make me comfortable about our nation’s prospects. I know this: Each Christian, consistent with his/her abilities, has a three‐fold responsibility. 1. We must commit to lives of personal goodness as a savoring influence among our peers. 2. We must teach forcefully the positive truths of moral conduct. 3. We must oppose the teachings of the immoral vermin who would destroy this nation" (Jackson, Wayne. "America--A Nation Out of Control." ChristianCourier.com. Access date: October 20, 2020. https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/90-america-a-nation-out-of-control).
​
Our focus should major on policies and the implications of their plans and platforms. Some become blinded and fail to grasp that it is the issues that are of utmost importance in voting.  We must remember that our vote for an individual on the ballot does not mean we think they are faithful in all things or the greatest human being. It may mean that they are better than the opposing candidate. Our goal should be to vote for the best stance on the policies that we deem important to us and the welfare of our great country.  We would do well to consider questions like, “what does the team stand for?” and “are they equipped to lead in the best interest of the people?” Several issues come to the forefront in this election: Abortion vs murdering the innocent in the womb; law and order vs defunding the police; freedom of religion vs repressing freedom of religion; second amendment rights defending my life and family vs gun control and the outlawing and confiscating of firearms of citizens; appointment of conservative judges (who respect and uphold the Constitution and the Bill of Rights) vs liberal judges, etc., al. 
 
Let each of us prayerfully consider the various issues, policies and platforms and vote in a way that we believe will best reflect His will. Remember, elections have consequences. 
 
Steve Miller
 

​Our attitudes profoundly influence those who observe us. Do we want those we influence to develop our attitudes? Of course, if our attitude is right and proper, positive and godly, we will do well.  We should answer “no” if our attitude and disposition is bitter, prideful, difficult to get along with, quick tempered, opinionated, or just generally unpleasant? If we are unhelpful, uncaring, stingy, lazy, too busy for others, unfriendly, pessimistic, and negative, what kind of a community might we be guilty of promoting?  What an unfair burden it would be for a child, our neighbor, our spouse, our parents, our friends, our co-workers, our fellow-Americans, our brothers and sisters in Christ, to inherit those kinds of attitudes.
     May the following Scriptures remind us of our responsibility to change and conform to Jesus and His Gospel in every area of our lives, including our attitude.
 
Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16).
 
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10::5).
 
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23).
 
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:31-32).
 
Do all things without grumbling or disputing (Philippians 2:14).
 
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful (Colossians 3:15).
 
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
​
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you (James 4:10).