I have heard people say it time and time again, “If I could go back, I would do things differently.” Just like most people, I hate thinking about the sin that has been in my life. I hate knowing that I ever hurt or disappointed other people. I also hate knowing that I sinned against my God. On a good day, when I think about the things of the past, I stop and praise God that I am no longer living the kind of life characteristic of me in the past. However, on the bad days, when my faith is shaken, I can find myself dwelling in the past and in regret. I believe there is something that we all need to remember when we find ourselves dwelling in regret. As Christians, we need to remember the God Who we serve and the forgiveness He so graciously offers. I know there are those who try to escape any personal responsibility for sin, and I hope these individuals will repent and come back to the Lord. Yet, we also have many of our brothers and sisters in Christ who struggle with regret and guilt even when they have done everything that they need to do in order to be forgiven. I think we all, and especially those who struggle with things like this, need to remember that we do not have to live with guilt. While there may be things for which we were once guilty, for which, therefore, we may …

We all know the account in Exodus 14 where Pharaoh had finally let the children of Israel go out of their captivity. Then, though, he had a change of heart and had his army pursue the Israelites. Needless to say, the Israelites were scared beyond belief when they saw the army of Pharaoh approaching, and they cried out to Moses, “It had been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness” (Exodus 14:12). They were wishing they were still Pharaoh’s servants! Moses told them, “Don’t be afraid. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord…the Lord will fight for you.” They were fleeing from the Egyptian army right behind them, and they were on the bank of the Red Sea, so they couldn’t go forward. Moses told them to “stand still”! Then, God told Moses to let them go forward and He divided the Red Sea so they could pass through it on dry ground. We know that Pharaoh’s army was destroyed by God in the sea. Yet, can you imagine telling these distraught people who were fleeing for their lives to “stand still”! Just wait on God! We all get caught up in the process of daily living, and it’s easy to be distracted from what is important. There are so many things going on around us and many of them involve us. We have to make time for God. Of all the characters in the Bible, I believe that David was the …

The purpose of the Gospel of John was to give proof that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God. Jesus Himself stated, “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). The author of this Gospel narrative began it by proclaiming the deity of Jesus. He wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:1-4). Then in verse 14 of this same chapter he stated, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” As a fitting close to his Gospel account, John emphatically stated, “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30-31). The writer of the Book of Hebrews, by inspiration, claimed: God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, …

The life of David, the King of Israel, was often filled with difficulty—the affairs of state, the continual wars and unrest, and threats against his kingdom. To further complicate the matter, David had a weakness for women and would, in turn, father many children. Still, they would not receive adequate attention from their father because of the previously mentioned difficulties. As a result, there was not always a good relationship between David and his sons. Surrounding David were many power-hungry advisors and political leaders who influenced his sons in the wrong direction (Jonadab, 2 Samuel 13:4; Ahithophel, 2 Samuel 15:12). Amid all these struggles, what can often happen in the life of a family is that one child begins to do wrong, and no one corrects him. According to 1 Kings 1:5-6, this is precisely what happened with Adonijah, the brother of Absalom. “Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, ‘I will be king‘; and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. (And his father had not rebuked him at any time by saying, ‘Why have you done so?’ He was also very good-looking. His mother had borne him after Absalom).” Solomon, a son of David who observed his brothers’ attempts to overthrow David, would write this wisdom to his son: “Chasten your son while there is hope, And do not set your heart on his destruction” (Proverbs 19:18). There is importance in expeditiously handling wrongdoing. The correction postponed can become an encouragement …

“…Now it is high time to awake out of sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11b). This remarkable phrase from the apostle Paul creates wonder in the reader. How it struck the Roman Christians, we can only imagine. However, how it creates in us the sense of urgency and excitement for the return of Jesus is powerful. Reading this, it is easy to think, “Perhaps today!” We know that Simon Peter said that time was relative with God (2 Peter 3:8), but we also know that Jesus said to watch, because you do not know when that day will be (Mark 13:31-37). The fact we are closer now to that day than when we became Christians means that date really is on God’s calendar. We are, every day, every year, getting closer to it. If there is no other reason to rejoice in another sunrise, certainly this suffices. If there is no other reason to praise God for another opportunity for service and praise, then this in itself grabs the heart, fills the spirit and directs us heavenward. We are that much closer, that much nearer and closer than ever before!

God told His people Israel to repent of their sins, especially that of idol worshipping, in order to continue to enjoy the blessings of the Promised Land. However, they declined! He promised to scatter them among all the nations of the world for 70 years (Jeremiah 25:11). “A dog that will be lost,” the aphorism says, “will not listen to its owner’s whistle.” That was what happened to the Jews. First class violent and peak immorality characterized the Jewish nation, aside from widespread injustice and unrighteousness. Prophet Amos, a servant of God from Tekoa, cried out, “But let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream” (Amos 5:24). By around 721-722 B.C, the cup of God’s vengeance for the Northern Kingdom (Israel) had overflowed. God permitted the Assyrian Empire to whisk Israel away into captivity, leaving behind the Southern Kingdom (Judah). If only Judah were wise, she could have turned fully to God and been obedient to His commandments. Judah was hell-bent in sinning. God allowed King Nebuchadnezzar to carry them into captivity in 586 B.C. If Israel and Judah had been wise, they would not have suffered great reproach and terrible shame in the hands of their foes; many of them would not have died also at great spiritual loss. Merciful God turned His back on Judah to be recklessly treated and murdered. What God decreed to do, that He would do! Are you wise? You should seek to be wise! Wise people, read the Bible …

We are Americans. Our heritage, culture, morality and laws stem from Judaic-Christian principles. The Bible, both Old and New testaments, is the source for our moral concepts. Our forefathers did not glean or seek guidance from other so-called sacred books. They recognized the superior nature of the Bible. The Hindu writings, the Zend-Avesta of the Zoroastrians, the Confucian texts, the Buddhist writings, the Koran (the Code of Islam or Mohammedanism), etc. did not meet the lofty ideals of the Bible and setting of standards and laws for our western culture, such as in the United States of America. It is interesting to note that our founders and other western culture leaders understood that law was rooted from the Bible. Notice the following motivating quotation. “…Morality rests upon Law. Law is subject to the Authority of Morality; Law is the Basis of Morality, but yet Morality is the Standard of Law. Law is fixed for the moment, and Morality supposes its fixity, but Morality is a supreme and eternal Rule, which Law must recognize. Law must always attempt to conform to Morality” (Page 331, Article 461, Vol 1, The Elements of Morality, by William Whewell, 1857). Many of our government officials and lawmakers are struggling with the great changes in our society: same sex-marriage, gay rights, abortion, on and on we could go. If the anything-goes crowd, the moral individualism standard seekers, the atheism system and the dishonest loophole seekers in our Constitution take a firm hold on changing the law, we …

Members of the Lord’s church need to feel true compassion. Evangelism has too often grown a harsh edge in our thinking and actions rather than being an act of compassion. We need to teach the truth firmly and clearly without fear or compromise. However, we sometimes seem to have forgotten the underlying reason to practice evangelism. It is important to note that the Scriptures often mention Jesus felt compassion (Matthew 9:36; Matthew 14:1). At one point, Jesus observed the city of Jerusalem: Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” (Luke 19:41-44 NKJV) Interestingly, in the verses following this passage, Jesus went into the Temple and very emphatically cleared it of the moneychangers. That action did not negate His compassion and concern, but rather His action was guided by His compassion. Jesus cared about the people of Jerusalem, and yet, He recognized the destruction that would come to it less than 40 years from the day that He spoke those words. He …

John 16:12 might be one of the most important principal verses to remember when it comes to personal evangelism. Jesus told His disciples, “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” In this context, Jesus explained that He was going away, and the Comforter would come in His place. However, the point is this: Jesus had much to tell the disciples about what was going to happen, but He knew they were not ready for it. Therefore, He did not burden and overwhelm them. When it comes to evangelism, we feel like we need to teach everything all at once, and that is a huge mistake. When we teach, we need to have a plan, and we need to keep it simple. We have a lifetime to teach about the church functions, the home, gender roles, end times, church history, etc., but those are things that can wait. So, let’s focus on the most important things first: Establish the principles of authority and obedience. Take a biblical account like Noah, Naaman or any number of others and show (don’t tell) that to be saved we must do what God says the way He says to do it. Then, show in the New Testament what God said to do to be saved. [Editor’s Note: The “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) cannot be presented in a single occasion of Bible study. Yet, there are fundamentals of which a prospective candidate for conversion must be aware …

Surely you mean “the patience of Job.” Or, perhaps, you meant to write “the patience of God.” You can’t possibly mean “the patience of Satan.” Even though it sounds a bit absurd, that is exactly what I meant to write. Better yet is the need for us to understand the working of Satan in our lives. This past week, Cathy and I were in Illinois celebrating her parents’ 65th wedding anniversary. One of the activities we enjoy whenever the family gets together is our time of worship with the church there. It was during a visit with one of my brothers that we spoke on the frustrations and discouragements that come our way as children of God. I repeated to him a thought that had been shared with me several years ago by a local preacher that frustration and discouragement are tools of Satan. There was agreement with the statement, and then he responded with the following, “Satan is very patient.” I have allowed that thought to captivate me for the last several days. We are quick to point out the patience of Job and the patience of God, but we fail to recognize that the work of Satan may very well be in a field all its own. We know that “…the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). I don’t picture a lion giving up after one failed attempt. Maybe you have never watched a lion size up its prey before …

On January 22, 1973, the United States Supreme Court made a fateful decision allowing abortion. Since that day, over 50 million babies have been murdered legally. That’s 1,210,000 per year and 3,322 per day. To put this into perspective, that’s more casualties per day than the number victims of the 911 terrorist atrocity. Yet, this horrendous crime against humanity is portrayed as a human right. Medical science has improved greatly since 1973. We can now cure diseases that were once terminal. Our knowledge of biology has increased greatly over the years. Research into the development of human embryos has proved undeniably that they are separate biological individuals, which means they are not a part of the mother’s body. They are separate beings, growing within the mother and, as such, have a right to life. At ten weeks after conception, the developing baby has fingers, toes and a heart that beats. To quote Dr. Bernard Nathanson, a doctor who personally carried out 75,000 abortions and now deeply regrets it: “As a scientist I know, not believe, know that human life begins at conception.” He continued: The study of fetology (the study of the early stages of development of a baby within the womb) makes it undeniably evident that life begins at conception and requires all the protection and safeguards that any of us enjoy. Why, you may well ask, do some American doctors who are privy to the findings of fetology, discredit themselves by carrying out abortions? Simple arithmetic at $500 …

Health and fitness are popular these days. There is a lot of discussion about the need to exercise and be careful about what we eat. The Bible speaks of the need to treat the body properly. Paul noted that there is some profit to bodily exercise (1 Timothy 4:8). It is a good thing to take care of our physical temple and to do what we can to be good stewards of the bodies that God has given to us (1 Corinthians 4:2; 6:19-20). However, let us be sure that as we eat, exercise and diet for the good of our physical bodies that we do not neglect what is most important—our spiritual lives (2 Corinthians 5:1). God has a workout plan of His own, and we would be wise to heed the things that He says so we will be spiritually fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62). Stretch for Heaven It is always wise to be sure to stretch before engaging in any athletic activities so that a muscle is not pulled. Those who start running or lifting weights without first stretching run the risk of hurting themselves. Paul speaks of reaching forth for the things that are before (Philippians 3:13 KJV). The ESV says, “straining forward to what lies ahead.” The word translated reaching forth or straining forward (epekteinomai) means to stretch forward, try hard or to strain toward something. As we labor toward our heavenly inheritance, we should be sure to stretch for it and …

Quite a few people use the greeting, “What’s new?” It is their way of opening the door to any conversation an individual might want to have. It is also a good question for God’s people to ask. God has made and will make things new for us. He sent Jesus to be the Mediator of a new covenant (Hebrews 12:24). This covenant enables God’s children to come before His throne (Hebrews 10:19-20). We become a part of that new covenant when we are made new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Christians look forward to new heavens and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13). In that realm, the faithful will be with God and will be designated as His people. The Father will wipe away our tears. Death, sorrow, crying and pain will be no more (Revelation 21:1-5). God’s people should make sure they are made new for God. Paul wrote, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation” (Galatians 6:15). We cannot allow the world to fit us into its mold, but we must renew our minds daily (Romans 12:1-2). The physical man will continue his path toward death. The spiritual man should be renewed daily (2 Corinthians 4:16). What’s new? It is everything God has prepared and will prepare for His people. We must be sure to be a people who emphasize being made new for God.

Anything and everything can change in the blink of an eye.Fear not, because the eye of God will never blink. You have overcome great challenges before.With God’s help, you can overcome greater challenges still. Life is a learning experience. God has given life to you. Live it,be strong, be courageous and learn what God holds for you. Not having all that you want can be a true blessing for you.Let God show that He will bless you in ways you can’t yet imagine. Allow yourself to have some fun. Let God bless you with restand relaxation amid the toil and strife of a busy life. Being kind to yourself is good for body, soul and spirit.He was being kind by giving you the world in which you live. The negativity of others toward you is none of your concern.God is aware of it. He can and will handle it. There is always something for which to be deeply thankful.Let God rule in your life. He will reward you immeasurably.

I did not realize how much I missed the autocorrect feature on my texting app until all of a sudden, for no perceivable reason, it quit working. Texts that used to take a fraction of the time now take much longer because my app no longer anticipates what I will say next. The most disturbing thing is that “Jesus” or “Christ” is no longer a default option. When I used to text the letters “Jes,” autocorrect would supply “Jesus,” or when I used to text “Chr,” autocorrect would supply “Christ.” Now, “Jesus” is not even one of the three options. Instead, autocorrect supplies “Jesuit,” “Jesu” or “Jesup.” Likewise, the choices for “Chr” are “Christmas,” “Chris” or “Christian.” Hopefully, my autocorrect feature will “retrain” itself. An even more serious observation is our present culture’s attempt to autocorrect biblical morality, even to the point that some Christians are accepting it! God’s Correct Standard If God exists (and He does), and if the Bible is the inspired Word of God (and it is), then whatever moral standard the Bible teaches as applicable today is true and binding on all people. Due to the limited length of this article, space will not be taken to prove that God exists and that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, but be assured that such can be proven. Since the Bible is “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every …

When Jesus lived on earth, the Pharisees and the Sadducees were the two most popular religious sects among the Jews. They felt threatened by Christ’s plain and truthful teaching. So, they often tried to embarrass Jesus by posing ensnaring questions to Him. They were always scheming with how they might entangle Jesus in His talk. Therefore, they would often bring to Him very tricky and mischievous questions with such intentions. Jesus, however, refuted their arguments each time and reduced them to silence. On one occasion when Jesus had silenced the Pharisees by giving a very fitting answer to their question, we read: The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, saying, “Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother. Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh. Last of all the woman dies also. Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her.” Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven. But concerning resurrection of the dead, have you not …

Another Super Bowl has come and gone [2016], celebrating the 50th one that has been played. Over the years, approximately 4.5 billion dollars have been spent on the commercials shown during the game, and a large contingent of viewers watch the game for the commercials more than the actual game. Each year the ads try to grab one’s attention, presenting products in a way that both entertains and fixes them in the viewer’s mind. One commercial for this year’s game was presented by Doritos, and it showed a husband and wife having an ultrasound of their unborn child. Part of the comedy used in this commercial was the child’s interaction with what was going on with the parents. While meant to be entertaining and funny, and to fix the Doritos brand in people’s taste buds, one group claims to have been insulted by it. NARAL, a pro-abortion group, tweeted they found the ad offensive because it promoted the “humanization of the fetus.” What an interesting way this group chose to voice its opposition, referring to an unborn child as such. If the child in the womb is not human, then what is it? Nature reflects the order God instilled in creation from the beginning, with everything producing “after their kind.” Have men and women produced anything other than humans? I know of no woman giving birth to a dog, a cat, a monkey or anything other than another human being. It is rhetorical nonsense to speak of an unborn child …

Several years ago, I read and appreciated The Optimist Creed, penned by an unidentified author. As the year passes on and the new one arrives, perhaps the author’s thoughts are worthy of our adoption. Promise yourself…to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind; to talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet; to make all your friends feel that there is something in them; to look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true; to think only of the best, to work only for the best and expect only the best; to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own; to forget the mistakes of the past and to press on to the greater achievements of the future; to wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile; to give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others; to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble. Though filled with lofty ideals, The Optimist Creed should genuinely motivate us to think anew about our spirit, direction and priorities in life. May these thoughts bless us all as the years pass by.

Christ, who is all knowing, told us that many people are going to be lost in eternity. In Matthew 7:13-14 He said, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (NKJV). According to the Bible, the majority of people will be lost. We must take this warning seriously. The Lord said that only a few people will be saved. How few can be saved? In 1 Peter 3:20 we read, “…when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water” (KJV). The conservative estimate of the number of people on the face of the earth in the days of Noah is two hundred million (200,000,000). Yet, only eight (8) of the estimated 200,000,000 were saved. This is not very good odds. Even though the Bible says in 2 Peter 3:9 that the Lord is “not willing that any should perish,” Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14 concerning eternal life in Heaven that “there are few who find it” (NKJV). The vast majority of people will spend forever and ever in the eternal fires of Hell that will never be extinguished. Mankind cannot comprehend how horrible that Hell is going to be. There are only two …

Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, could have been a man of greatness, but he perverted God’s way and became a ringleader in sin. We may think of the religion he began as a type of all manmade religions and get lessons that will help us to be on guard against such in every generation. First, we may note that it had its origin in the human heart. “Jeroboam said in his heart” (1 Kings 12:26). There are only two types of religions in the world. One has its origin in the will of God, and the other is in the will of man. Isaiah 55:8 says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways,” and this has always been so. Jeremiah 17:9 reads, “The heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.” Out of the heart of man can never come a system of religion that meets the demands of God or the needs of the human soul. We constantly need to be aware that not only anything opposite but any deviation from or substitute for what God wants is presumptuous and rebellious. The advice of Proverbs 3:5 is still so valuable for us. “Trust in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not on thy own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct thy paths.” A strange question that faces us is this: Why would a person want to worship God at all if he was not sure …