Part and parcel of establishing and building stronger relationships in every aspect of life is spending time with others. As kids when we made friends in school, we always wanted to spend as much time with our friends as we possibly could. Before we even think about getting married, we spend much time with the prospective spouse. In our marital relationships, we grow closer together by spending time together. Regarding our children, we should desire to spend as much time as possible with them while we can, because eventually they will grow up. Then, they will move out, and we may very well look back and realize we did not spend as much time with them as we possibly could have. What about God? Do we need to spend time with God? The answer is, “Yes.” God is Spirit (John 4:24), and He is in Heaven. Therefore, we cannot literally spend time in the physical presence of God, but the fact of the matter is that we can and must spend time with God in order for us to establish and maintain the right relationship with Him (Hebrews 11:6). What are the ways in which we spend time (and must do so) with God? We spend time with God in study of His Word. Christianity is a taught religion. One must learn of God before he can enter into a covenant relationship with Him (John 6:44-45). One must come to knowledge of God and His will before he can be born

One of the most beautiful hymns ever composed (and a personal favorite of mine) is the hymn “All the Way My Savior Leads Me.”This hymn was written in 1875 by Fanny J. Crosby and Robert Lowry. The message of the hymn is the blessings and rewards that come to one who chooses to hear and follow (i.e., obey) the voice of the One who is both Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Both the appellations of “Savior”’ and “Lord” affirm that Jesus Christ is the Leader that all should (and must) follow in order to receive blessings from God in the here and the now as well as ultimately in eternity. “Savior” denotes the fact that Jesus Christ is the only One who can lead us out of sin (Matthew 1:23). “Lord” denotes that Christ must direct or govern our lives (Luke 6:46). Yet, there is a third great appellation applied to Christ which affirms that He is the perfect Leader for our lives, and that term is “Shepherd” (John 10:11ff; Psalm 23). The Bible describes us, as human beings, metaphorically as “sheep.” This is an apt description because sheep are creatures that cannot lead themselves; they need guidance. Sheep need a shepherd to guide them. The same is true of us as humans. The Bible plainly declares that it is not in man to direct his own steps (Jeremiah 10:23). Man needs guidance, spiritually; man needs a shepherd. Thanks be unto God that He has provided us with the perfect

I am a soldier in the greatest army of all – the army of Christ (2 Timothy 2:3). I enlisted by accepting the terms of enlistment – hearing the Word of God and believing it (Romans 10:17), repenting of my sins (Luke 13:3), confessing my allegiance to the Captain of the army (Romans 10:9-10) and being baptized into Him for the remission of my sins (Acts 2:38). I have enlisted for life (Revelation 2:10). I am involved, not in physical, but spiritual warfare (1 Timothy 1:18). I am faced with a cunning enemy that I cannot afford to underestimate (1 Peter 5:8). I am equipped, not with physical, but spiritual weaponry (2 Corinthians 10:4). I have the best weaponry one can have because it was designed and provided by my Commander, God Almighty (Ephesians 6:10-19). I receive my orders from Christ, the Captain of my salvation (Hebrews 2:10). I must not be deterred from fulfilling my duties as a soldier of Christ (2 Timothy 2:3-4). I am in a battle in which victory is assured if I am but loyal to the One into whose army I enlisted (1 John 5:4; Revelation 2:10). I am a soldier in Christ’s army, which is the church of Christ (Matthew 16:18; Romans 16:16).

One of the scariest thoughts that can come to one’s mind is the possibility of God simply giving up on people. There is no argument or doubt that God loves all (John 3:16) and that He desires the salvation of all (1 Timothy 2:4), but there can also be no argument or doubt that God will simply leave men to their own sinful devices and “give up” on them as it were. Romans 1:17 through Chapter Three deals with the sin problem man has from the perspective of both the Jew and the Gentile. In the context of chapters One and Two, which deal with the sins of the Gentile world, the reader should take note that within the latter portion of Chapter One the phrase “God gave them up” or “God gave them over” (KJV) is used three times. In this article we will examine the significance and seriousness of this phrase as employed in the text to show to each of us the fact that there indeed comes a time when God gives up on people and leaves them to their own selfish and sinful vices. God Gave Them Up to Uncleanness (v. 24) The context notes that these individuals under consideration “knew God” but “glorified him not as God” (v. 21) and possessed “vain imaginations” and “darkened” hearts or minds. Further, the text reveals that they considered themselves wise, but in reality they were fools (v. 22) because they had attempted to change the uncorruptible, unchangeable God

Highways (or roads) take us to many different places. Sometimes they take us to where we want to go. Sometimes they lead us to unexpected places. Sometimes they lead us to dead ends. The one thing every highway has in common is that they all lead somewhere (and for each of us personally, hopefully to the destinations we are trying to reach). Each of us has traveled on many highways in our lives. We take specific highways in order to reach our desired destinations. Sometimes (and really many times) proper directions are needed to get us to where we want to go. Hence, road maps and GPS are handy tools to use in finding the right highways (or roads or interstates) to take in getting to where we want to go. A failure to heed the directions will result in us taking the wrong highway and winding up somewhere we never intended to be. In this life, each of us is traveling towards that unknown thing called eternity. Each of us will be somewhere in eternity, either in heaven with God or in hell with the devil. The choices we make in this life will determine where we will live in eternity. We must make the choice of which highway we will take into eternity. In His great sermon on the mount, Christ plainly declared there are two roads (“highways”) through this life, and every individual (then and today) will travel one of these two roads. However, these two roads

Influence is a two-edged sword. On one side, influence can be and is a powerful tool for good. However, on the other side, influence can be and is a powerful tool for evil as demonstrated by the moral and spiritual condition of the nation in which we live. As Christians, we are in the world, but not of the world (John 17:12-16). We belong to Christ after having obeyed His Gospel. Therefore, we live in a Christ-like manner. We will not be conformed to the world, but we will transform ourselves into the image of the Christ our Savior (Romans 8:29). As Christians, we have been called out of the world of darkness of sin and into the marvelous light of Christ by the Gospel. Because we have answered the call of the Gospel, we are to make a difference in this world. We are to exert an influence for good in this world of sin and wickedness. Let’s examine some terms that describe the actions and power of Christian influence. First, our influence as Christians must be positive. It is possible for our influence as Christians to be negative or harmful. Our influence—positive or negative—is manifested by how we conduct ourselves in words, actions and dispositions toward others. It is possible to turn people away from the Gospel of Christ simply by conducting ourselves toward others in an un-Christ-like manner. There is no excuse for men rejecting the Gospel, but let it be also said there is no excuse for