by Phil Sanders

This material is originally from Thomas Brooks (1608-1680 AD).

Beware false prophets (Matt. 7:15-23)

1. False Teachers are men pleasers (Gal. 1:10; 1 Thess. 2:1-4; Isa. 30:10; Jer. 5:30-31). Such smooth teachers are sweet soul-poisoners (Jer. 23:16-17).

2. False Teachers are notable in casting dirt, scorn, and reproach upon the persons, names, and credits of Christ's most faithful ambassadors. (cf. Num. 16:3; 1 Kings 22:10-26; 2 Cor. 10:10; Matt. 27:63).

3. False teachers are [in]ventors of the devices and visions of their own heads and hearts. (Jer. 14:14; 23:16).

4. False teachers easily pass over the great and weighty things both of law and gospel, and stand most upon those things that are of the least moment and concernment to the souls of men (1 Tim. 1:5-7; Matt. 23:23; 1 Tim. 6:3-5).

5. False teachers cover and color their dangerous principles and soul-impostures with very fair speeches and plausible pretenses, with high notions and golden expressions (Gal. 6:12; 2 Cor. 11:13-15; Rom. 16:17-18; Matt. 16:6-12; 7:15).

6. False teachers strive more to win over men to their opinions, than to better them in their conersations (behavior). Cf. Matt. 23:17.

7. False teachers make merchandise of their followers (2 Pet. 2:1-3; Rev. 18:11-13; Jer. 6:13.

Now by these characters you may know them, and so shun them, and deliver your souls out of their dangerous snares.

Be on the alert!

Several of Forthright's columnists attended the Freed-Hardeman University Lectures earlier this month. I asked them for their perspective of the lectures. If we receive more of their comments, we'll post them. If you participated, we invite you to add yours below as well.

Very Pleased Mike Benson

I was very pleased with this year's lectureship. Informative, dynamic (at times), very practical.

Wayne Jackson's lesson on the Holy Spirit's relationship to Jesus was insightful and in-depth. Jerrie Barber's lessons on managing change in the church were excellent. A+ stuff. I've heard positive remarks about Dan Winkler's presentations on the Gospel of Luke. Jim Bill McInteer had one especially helpful point in his remarks on resolving conflict between preachers.

Attendance was good during the week. Weather was a mixture of rain and cool temperatures.

I recommend this year's lectureship book. David Lipe did a tremendous job with this year's lectures.

Firm, Loving, Sound! Tim Hall

To some, the mention of "sound doctrine" invokes images of scowls and pointing fingers. Maybe that's why the subject is not raised among some; they'd rather put the emphasis on love and joy. But soundness in the New Testament sense (a word that actually means health or wholeness) does not exclude love and joy; it leads to such.

Evidence of this truth could be seen at last week's Freed-Hardeman University Lectureship. An annual event that draws thousands, this year's edition focused on the book of Acts. Instead of being a dry rehearsal of commands and examples, the subtitle said it all: "Opening our eyes to Jesus: From darkness to light in Acts."

True, there were sessions in which alarms were issued regarding disturbing trends emerging in churches across our land. But the overall tenor of the lectureship was positive. The focus was continually placed on Jesus as Lord of lords, the One worthy of our imitation. Active involvement in bringing people out of darkness to the light of the gospel was a constant message heard.

In this lectureship the Bible was the unquestioned standard of authority. But devotion was not urged to the Bible per se; our devotion was urged to God, a process that can only be known through His word the Bible.

Uncertain sounds are being heard from various quarters in our brotherhood. Thankfully, the sounds from Henderson, Tennessee continue to be faithful. May we be sure to let our gratitude for this be expressed to the appropriate persons at Freed-Hardeman.

by J. Randal Matheny

"We cannot seek happiness in things exterior to ourselves, so we must seek it within humanity."

So said the psychiatrist Saturday night as he sat across the table from me at the birthday party of a mutual friend's daughter.

How sad he must be, I thought, looking for the wrong thing, and in the wrong place.

How can one believe in the evolution of humanity after the wars and suffering of the 20th century? This man, like so many others, is clinging to a myth in the face of overwhelming evidence of humanity's growing evil.

But, like the psychiatrist, we are tempted to cut God out of the picture and paste it over with human hopes and helps. With man we can count dollars and (war)heads. With man we can negotiate, barter, dicker, and deceive. With man we manage to maintain a semblance of control. With man, we can measure ourselves and still find a scale that puts us on top.

Not with God. With God, faith pokes out the eye. With God, the powerless wins. With God, no counter-offer turns his head. With God, our finger on the button withers before his sovereignty. With God, all scales to measure worth drop to zero.

Man has nothing to offer. "Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?" (Isa. 2:22, ESV). He's a consumer, not a supplier, and a bad one at that. He confuses right and wrong, miscalculates distances, and generally leaves a mess behind him.

But not God. Moses had it right in his last words to Israel: "Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, the shield of your help, and the sword of your triumph!" (Deut. 33:29).

The search for happiness is selfish and thus can never find its fulfilment. Neither can I make myself happy, for what little knowledge I have of myself leaves me discontent with my failures and shortcomings. Only when I search for God and find in him the answer to my needs will I discover that which I gave up seeking. But now it is the happiness of possessing God, or rather, being possessed by God.

As one psalmist knew, "It is better to take refuge in the Lord that to trust in man" (Psa. 118:8, ESV). But my psychiatrist friend won't admit it. The question is, will I?