If I Had One Wish
Jesse Phillips
If I had the power to change one thing, it would be very hard to choose. There would be many things that I would like to change. I would like to change the way people talk to others - not the accent, but the foul language. I believe that the world would be much better if there were no curse words. I would also like it if there was no world hunger, so there would be many more people to help build up our communities to a better standard. I would also like it if people would use the Bible correctly and did not confuse the word “Christian” with the denominations of the world. The word “Christian” actually is found in the Bible as the only name which God’s people carry, but the world has “wrested” (1 Peter 3:16) the word of God to fit what they want.
Here is a thought: If man changes the word of God to fit his wants, it is then flawed, which means God could not have given it, which also means that it is false. If a man claims to add onto the word of God, it has to be false. All of mankind consists of imperfect beings. If man adds to the Scriptures, it has to be flawed. Also, it is written that man is not supposed to add to the Scriptures nor take from the Scriptures (Revelation 22:18-19). This means that people just cannot do whatever they want and still get to heaven. They must follow the Scriptures. They also must have authority from the Scriptures for whatever they are doing in worship services.
There is only one church, not one church building, but one church as in the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:4). This means that all of the churches in the world today cannot be true. Jesus said, “Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). The word “church” is singular, which means that there is only one.
Most people today (not all) say, “Well, the Bible did not say I can’t use instruments of music in the church.” The Lord also did not say that man cannot use ham and eggs on the Lord’s table. If we go beyond the silence of the Scriptures, we will get into all kinds of trouble. Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18). Jesus told us what we have to do, and that is all we are told to do. We cannot find in the Bible where it commands us to use musical instruments in worship other than our voices (Ephesians 5:19), and it does not say that we are allowed. It makes as much sense as telling a kid to go to the store and get a bottle of milk. The kid goes and gets some French fries, a burger, some soda, and then milk. He did get the milk after he did what he wanted. The world today is doing the same thing. They do whatever they want in worship services, and then they do what they are told to do in the Bible … maybe.
The Bible has been twisted to fit the wants of man. All men are imperfect. If man did not sin, then Jesus did not need to die on the cross. In fact, if man did not sin, we would not need the Bible. The real problem is that people do not care what the Bible says anymore. If I had one wish, it would be that people would follow the Bible correctly. –PO Box 176, Belington, WV 26250.
(Editor’s note: Jesse is the 14-year-old son of Michael and Kim Phillips. They have two other children, Jacob and Jenny. Jesse is in the 9th grade and wrote the above article for his typing class. He preaches every 5th Sunday for the church of Christ in Philippi, WV.)