Would Jesus Have Wanted to Eat with You?

I saw that question earlier, and my mind at once scattered into so many different directions and to all the many lessons that could be taught starting with that one question. I thought about Luke 19 and the story of Zacchaeus, the tax-collector Jesus spotted and to whom He said, “Come down immediately. I must stay at your house today” (vs. 5 NIV). The crowd’s only interest was that Jesus had chosen to dine with a sinner. Then, I thought about Luke 16 and the “rich man, clothed in purple and fine linen who feasted sumptuously every day” (vs. 19 ESV). It is clear that the victor in this lesson was Lazarus, the man covered with sores, who desired to be fed with the scraps that fell from the table of the rich man (vss. 20-21). I thought about all the lessons we can learn concerning humility and that Jesus is interested in saving sinners, not entertaining the “righteous.” Maybe your answer is found above, but when I thought a little more, I found my own answer. If Jesus told me to stop what I was doing immediately, that He must come to my house to stay today, I’d be worried that all of my clothes weren’t hung, my floors weren’t swept and I have dirty dishes in the sink. I thought about the possibility of feeling overwhelmed because of all the work I have piled up I need to do. My “to do” list is often large, and to …

Kill Me Now

“God, please just kill me now!” Does it surprise you that the sentiments behind this statement, if not the exact words, were uttered by at least four of God’s Old Testament prophets? Why would Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah and Jonah make such devastating statements? What was God’s response? How does any of this apply to you and me today? The Statements Numbers 11 records one of many occasions the children of Israel grumbled and complained as they wandered in the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land. This time, the Lord destroyed some of the people by fire for their complaining. However, God’s children did not learn their lesson. They complained about the food God provided for them. The text records: Then Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent; and the anger of the LORD was greatly aroused; Moses also was displeased. So Moses said to the LORD, “Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child,’ to the land which You swore to their fathers? Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep all over me, saying, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ I am not …

Encouraging One Another During This Trying Time

What can we do to encourage one another during this time of the coronavirus pandemic? We can call, write notes, send cards or postcards, etc. What have you done to be an encourager? One sister in Christ sent postcards to every member of her congregation since the lockdown because of the virus as encouragement to her brothers and sisters in Christ. I am not sure how many are in attendance there, but I am sure this was not cheap. Glory be to God for her thoughtfulness. There have been a lot of women from churches making masks for those of us who do not sew. In our congregation, we had at least two ladies making masks for anyone who needed them. This was thoughtful. They did not take any money for doing this good deed. Others provided the material. This was their part as they do not or cannot sew. So, you see these are encouraging things that can be done. You can take food to older people or to those who are sick. You do not have to go into their houses. Just knock and leave the food on the porch. Then, they can come out without any contact. If you do not want to take the food, you can call a restaurant that delivers in their area and have a meal delivered to them. What else can we do to encourage each other? How about the use of Facebook? This is a very good way to keep in …

It Depends in Whose Hands It Is

I heard a similar topic on the Internet the other day. I used the same title, but the comparisons are different. I am using sports in which I am interested. If I hold a baseball in my hands, it might be worth $3.00. If I put a baseball in the hands of Joey Votto, who plays for the Cincinnati Reds, it is worth about $21,000,000 a year. It depends on who holds the baseball. If I hold a football in my hands, it might be worth about $11.00. Now, if this football were placed in the hands of Ben Roethlisberger, the quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, it would be worth about $87.4 million a year. It depends on in whose hands the football is. If I hold a hockey puck in my hands, it might be worth $2.00. Now, if I place a hockey puck in the hands of Sidney Crosby, who plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins, it is worth about $8.7 million a year. It depends in whose hands the hockey puck is. If I hold in my hands a golf club, it is worth about $50. Putting golf clubs in the hands of Tiger Woods resulted in career earnings of $800,000,000. It depends on who holds a golf club. If I hold five loaves of bread and two fishes in my hands, I might eat the two fishes and a small amount of bread with some left over. With five loaves and two fishes in the hands of …

We Can’t See the Picture When We Are in the Frame

The title of this article is by no means original with me. I was immediately captivated recently when I read this statement in a devotional thought taken from Revelation 3:17. A devotional writer made this observation. “We can’t see the picture when we are in the frame. Likewise, we do not know who we truly are until the worldly things we have come to depend on for comfort and security are taken away. At that point we will know if who we thought we were is really who we are.” Revelation 3:17 reads, “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.’” Jesus said they did not know, and therefore, they never saw this starkest, most scathing reality check coming! Jesus used five of the bluntest and most graphic descriptions imaginable to Christians in His condemnation of their shabby spiritual state. The church at Laodicea was the only one of the seven churches of Asia that Jesus outrightly condemned for who they thought they were. They imagined they were a people who were rich, abundant in possessions and in need of nothing. Jesus said to them in Revelation 3:15-16, “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot, I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth.” They were lukewarm, self-satisfied, felt self-sufficient and were …

Little Samuel’s Coat

But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. (Samuel 2:18-19) Looking closely at this passage, we see several important things. Primarily, we see Samuel was serving the Lord in the Temple at a very young age. Other passages about the life of Samuel tell us how Hannah prayed earnestly for him and vowed to give him back to the Lord if He would grant her a son. Samuel’s birth, training and life were the direct results of Hannah’s love for God and her faithfulness to that vow made several years before. Not only do we see Hannah’s love in training her son for that purpose, but we also see a further demonstration of a mother’s love in her yearly gift of a coat when she came to offer sacrifices with her husband at the feast. Samuel wore an ephod, as did the priests with Ahimilech (1 Samuel 22:18). There is no question but that the ephod was at least closely associated with the priesthood. Apparently, it was not limited to the high priest. Later in Samuel’s life, he was a judge, a seer and a prophet, but not a priest at this age. However, as a descendant of Levi through Kohath (1 Chronicles 6:38), the same tribe through which Aaron was descended, Samuel was the …

Gossip

Why do we as humans feel the need to always be speaking about something new or interesting and have itching ears that long to hear some alluring piece of information? Maybe that is a question for psychology, but it certainly plays a part in our spiritual walk on this earth as God’s people. One cannot go through a checkout aisle without seeing the gossip magazines the media produces. Maybe as Christians, we are not concerned with that type of gossip as much as the everyday hearsay of a coworker, neighbor or a fellow Christian. Many times, we can get caught up in what others are saying about someone or a particular situation involving another, and even if we do not have all the facts, we feel compelled to give our “two cents” worth. How often do we stop before we speak to think: “Will this help or hinder?” “If the person in question were here, would I say this to his face?” “Am I trying to be sincerely helpful or unfairly judgmental?” In other words, before we join in a conversation about another person who is not present, we need first to examine our own motives. How we use our tongues every day reflects upon the church of which we are a part and the God whom we serve. The Dictionary of Bible Themes defines gossip as, “Idle talk, which foolishly or maliciously spreads rumors or facts” (“5000-HUMANITY”). Webster’s Dictionary explains it as “information about the behavior and personal lives of other people.” Gossip …

God’s Declarations of His Lordship

The author of the Truth for Today Commentary on the Book of Isaiah made a strongly thoughtful statement on the numerous prophecies of God’s judgment on nations other than Israel and Judah. He wrote, “We must look closely to see the practical value of these predictions for the twenty-first century reader. How can they help us? …As we read them, let us watch for pictures of God’s nature, depictions of His mercy, implications of His involvement in the lives of all people, and the declarations of His Lordship over His creation.” Adam and Eve were the first of God’s creation to feel the full weight of His lordship. After their disobedience in eating of the forbidden fruit, Genesis 3:22-24 reads, “Then the LORD God said, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever’— therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.” God’s irrevocable lordship was declared. When men began to multiply on the earth, the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thought of his heart …

Building Our House

How would you build a house? Would you build on sandy ground or on solid ground? A foolish man builds his house on the sand. The wise man builds his house on a rock, a solid foundation. We are told in Matthew 7:23-26 to build on a firm foundation. How would you build your house—everything all at one time or one stone, brick or board at a time? When building a physical house, we want it to be on a firm foundation. We should want the same with our spiritual house. When we become Christians, we build our lives one step at a time on Jesus and His Word. Jesus is our standard—not anyone or anything else. Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 11:1 to imitate him as he imitated Christ. This is how we build a house on a solid rock. Let us build our houses on the Rock of our salvation. We are to build our lives on Jesus and His Word. Jesus is the pattern to be followed, just as a builder has a blueprint to erect a house. If the plans are not followed exactly, the dwelling will not come out right. If we do not follow the plan of salvation as has been set before us in the Scriptures, we will not be saved. The pattern is to hear the Word of God (Romans 10:17), to believe it (John 8:24), to repent of our sins (Luke 13:3, 5), to confess Christ as the Son of God …

With Freedom Comes Responsibility

With the abundance of information in the news and on social media of late surrounding the coronavirus, a great debate also wages concerning the freedoms imposed on by the government, especially in America. I have no intention here of discussing my political views on the subject. However, the debates and arguments on this topic of freedoms has brought to mind a spiritual application that deserves consideration. The Freedom to Choose Since the beginning of time, God has always allowed man to make his own choices. Adam and Eve were given instructions about the available food in the Garden of Eden, and it was up to them to make the right choices when picking fruit to eat (Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-6). The people of Noah’s day had the choice to repent after hearing Noah preach as he built the ark (Genesis 6; Hebrews 11:7; 2 Peter 2:5). Daniel and his three friends had choices to make while in captivity (Daniel 1:3-21; 3:1-18; 6:3-11). Jonah had a choice to make when given an assignment by God (Jonah 1:1-3). Joshua presented one of the best-known choices to the Israelite nation as it prepared to enter the Promised Land. “Choose ye this day” (Joshua 24:15). Many examples of men and women making choices abound in the New Testament, also. Consider the choices presented to the men Jesus called to be His apostles (Matthew 4:18-22; 9:9; 10:1-4; John 1:43-51), the woman caught in adultery (John 8:2-11), Pilate at the trial of Jesus (Mark 15:1-15), the three …

The Challenges of Young People

Today’s young people are overwhelmed by the humongous number of choices before them. What is one of those choices? Sin, in its various forms, is a serious choice confronting young people (Galatians 5:19-21). Youth is a time of explosive exploration, and thus young people must be given the right guidance and tools in order for them to be successful at overcoming temptations that may ultimately lead to sin (1 Timothy 4:12). Technology has and is continuing to advance, and the average child is hooked on it. We are all well aware that there are always advantages and disadvantages to things. If you give your child an electronic device from the time he or she can walk and talk without proper management and supervision, most likely 13 years later, it would be practically impossible for you to get that child to put away that device. “The rod and rebuke give wisdom, But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother” (Proverbs 29:15 NKJV). Parents must exercise their duties in a timely and trustworthy manner. Children should not be exposed to toys, habits and situations that would cloud the choices they make later in life. “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). The pivotal role of parents becomes strategic in the lives of youths, specifically teenagers. Ecclesiastes 12:1 reinforces that turning to God when one is young is more beneficial and advantageous compared to …

We Are Sheep

According to The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the first time the word “sheep” is used in the Old Testament as a metaphor for people is Numbers 27:17. In verses 12-14, God told Moses that he would die in the Wilderness of Zin because of his disobedience. Verses 15-17 read, “Then Moses spoke to the LORD saying, ‘Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.’” The first time the word “sheep” is used in the New Testament is Matthew 9:36. In reference to Jesus, it says, “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” From my very limited understanding of the behavior and the nature of sheep, the worst condition in which they could ever be is to be without a shepherd or some person to daily take care of them. According to actual shepherds and people who have had sheep in their care, sheep are perhaps the most docile animal God created. As I looked at some of my books and articles on sheep, my attention and curiosity were peeked to learn that sheep are: Despite these deficits, by nature their good traits are: This is the metaphor God …

Nothing New Under the Sun

Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 1:9-10, “That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which it may be said, ‘See, this is new?’ It has already been in ancient times before us.” Solomon further declared in Ecclesiastes 3:15, “That which is has already been, and what is to be has already been; and God requires an account of what is past.” Simply for contrast, the New Living Translation of Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 says, “History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Sometimes people say, ‘Here is something new!’ But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.” Verse 15 reads, “What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again.” [No endorsement of the New Living Translation is herein intended any more than a commentary to which one may turn. ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor] Denny Petrillo wrote the Truth for Today Commentary on Ecclesiastes. He made these observations on the fact that “there is nothing new under the sun.” “First, one might consider it proof of a hopeless monotony in life, seeing life as boring, unchanging, and wearisome. Second, one might find the concept that ‘there is nothing …

Prayer

We have been reading The Domino Effect by Tim Lewis in our Sunday morning Bible class. In a nutshell, the book’s central focus is that if we choose to base every decision on God, then that first decision—or domino—will lead to more good decisions. Doing so does not mean one will have a problem-free life, but it does mean we can place our hope in something eternal. Our discussion today touched on some tender places in my life, and I would like to take a moment to share some of my thoughts. I have loved many people, some of whom have chosen to believe in life after death and some who have not. I want to first say that I do not believe “unbelief” means a person will struggle more than a believer in this lifetime; however, I know from experience that not having hope in something eternal when trials come makes the effort to overcome seem much more futile. I have lived in both worlds, and I cannot imagine ever going back to a life in which I have no Savior Who has overcome the grave. In our Bible class, the focus over the past couple of weeks has been on the avenue of prayer. We’ve discussed how this is one of the greatest resources we’ve been given; yet, we often only use it during difficult times. I firmly believe that if we were more dedicated to what we’re told in 1 Thessalonians, our hope would be more concrete. “Rejoice always, …

Ready, Set, Grow!

I am going to ask you a few questions that only you and I can answer for ourselves. Have you thought about putting Christ on in baptism so you can be a child of God? If not, why not? Have you been baptized for the remission of sins in the name of Jesus (Acts 2:38)? Are you a babe in Christ? Have you been a Christian long enough to be off the milk of the Word and on the meat of the Word? Are you willing to work for the Lord and His church? Can you help the church to grow spiritually and numerically? If, so, then, ready, set, grow! In order to become a child of God, one must hear the Gospel. “So then faith comes by hearing, and by hearing the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). Secondly, you must believe the Word of God. In Mark 16:16, we are told to believe and be baptized. Then, in Luke 13:3, 5, it says we must repent of our sins or we shall perish. What does the word repent mean? To repent, one changes his actions and not just his mind. Repentance is sometimes called a U-turn. Marshall Keeble, one of the great old-time preachers, compared repentance to a train backing up. It was going forward into sin. It then began to back up out of sin. Next, we are to confess Christ as the son of God (Romans 10:9-10). Lastly, we are to put Christ on in baptism. In Romans …

Generations

Several weeks ago, as the Sunday morning Bible class I was teaching was about to begin, the door opened to admit a visitor. Realizing the age range of my class, the adult bringing the child to class left to bring the young girl’s brother. The young visitors were escorted to class by their grandmother, who was no stranger to me. Over a decade ago, this grandmother (with her husband and two children) was a member of my congregation before her family moved to another state. For several years, while members of the same congregation, I taught this woman’s daughter in Bible class. Now, I was going to teach her daughter’s children. After class, I was able to greet the children’s mother and discover the reason for the visit. The great-grandparents of the children live in town and are fellow members of the congregation. The visitors were traveling through the area and decided to spend the night in town the previous evening to surprise the oldest generation at services on Sunday morning. The travelers would continue the journey home later in the afternoon. The family settled several rows in front of me for the morning worship service. As the announcements were read, I observed four generations of one family gathered to worship God. Since I frequently read on social media about happenings in the lives of the three younger generations, I am aware that this is a family of faithful Christians three generations strong, with a fourth generation in training. This …

20/20 Spiritual Vision

Several weeks ago, I had one of the most disconcerting experiences with one of my eyes. I had looked in the mirror, and when I looked back a few minutes later, one eye was full of blood! I became very alarmed and was just waiting to see when the blood would start to flow down my cheek. It did not; it stayed in my eye and began to spread. I called my son and two or three other members of the congregation. It was 5:30 a.m., and reaching someone was not forthcoming at that point. Finally, one good sister, who is a retired nurse, said it sounded like a ruptured blood vessel, and I should call my ophthalmologist. His service told me to call after 8:00 a.m. for a same day appointment; my doctor confirmed that it was a ruptured blood vessel. He also showed me pictures of those who had experienced the same thing; some looked worse, some better. His bottom line was it would take 10-14 days for the blood to clear without any treatment. After he had allayed my fears he said, “Next year will be the year of the ophthalmologist.” I didn’t understand his meaning. With this broad smile, he exclaimed, “20/20!” What does it mean to have 20/20 vision? According to the American Optometric Association: 20/20 vision is a term used to express normal visual acuity (the clarity or sharpness of vision) measured at a distance of 20 feet. If you have 20/20 vision, you can …

Things the Gentiles Seek

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (Matthew 6:31-34) Today, we see so many in the church working long hours or even more than one job, sending the wife out to work and often the older teenagers. We have to wonder if they truly are trusting God. They drive the newest cars or SUVs, have a new multistory home and even a boat or camper in the backyard. They have parties and go to all the sporting events and clubs. Then, they worry about losing all they have mortgaged or charged to the credit cards. Judging from Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:31-34, the Gentiles (in the figurative sense) were deemed to be destitute of the true doctrines of religion and unacquainted with proper dependence on God—heathens in every sense of the word. According to the passage, they made it their chief anxiety to seek food and clothing, whereas Christians, who have knowledge of the Father in Heaven, who know that He will provide for their needs, should not be …

How Often Do We Crucify Christ?

I have been thinking a lot lately on the crucifixion of Christ. He was beaten, had to carry His own cross, mocked as being King of the Jews, had a crown of thorns placed on His head, spit on and given gall mixed with vinegar to drink while on the cross (John 19:1-3). Our Lord was mistreated and humiliated for all the world. His death on the cross was so all could have the forgiveness of sins and the reward of a heavenly home. Christ was perfect, but He took our sins with Him to the cross (1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:5). The scourging was not just a normal beating. When an individual was to be scourged, he was stripped of all his clothing; he was completely naked. This way, his entire flesh was exposed and entirely uncovered for the beating. The victim was bound to a two-foot-high scourging post. The person’s hands were tied over his head to a metal ring, and his wrists were shackled to the metal ring to keep the body from moving during the scourging. Our Lord would have been a bloody mess after the beating. Do you think the enemies of our Savior took time to clean the blood from His body before making Him carry His cross to the Place of the Skull, also known as Golgotha? I doubt this very seriously. It was predicted in Isaiah that no bones of Jesus would be broken (Psalm 34:20; John 19:46). Jesus was already dead …

Growing in Grace and Knowledge

As we look back over this past year, and all the years of our Christian lives, how would we evaluate our spiritual growth in grace and knowledge? Has it occurred daily? Weekly? Monthly? Or any? When we look at the life of the apostle Peter, we get a picture of his growth pattern. Peter’s growth is striking when we note a few of the events of his life. In the early period of Peter’s walk with our Lord, we read of him rebuking Jesus after He told them that the Romans, at the insistence of the Jewish leaders, would kill Him. Later, we read how impetuous Peter was when he cut off the ear of Malchus in defense of our Lord being arrested. When Peter cursed and swore, denying Jesus, we are appalled. Our hearts ache with Peter when our Lord turned and looked at him, after which he went out and wept bitterly. Yet, Peter stood boldly with the greatest clarity of conviction on the Day of Pentecost and delivered that first Gospel sermon, which culminated in three thousand souls being added to the Lord’s church that day! Sometime later, Peter preached to Cornelius and his household, and they became the first Gentile converts to the faith. Peter made one more recorded misstep when he played the hypocrite with the Galatian brethren, at which time Paul withstood him to his face. By the time Peter had written his two letters, he was an elder in the Lord’s church. Peter …

When They Knew God

God’s Green Earth Joyce Ann Geyer Awesome sceneryTrees, earthy scent, fresh waterRiver flows downstream Gentle river flowsSlips over rocks, still swirlingRhythmic to your eye Clear foaming waterStreaming, gushing over hillSlate, shale jagged rocks Gentle falls flowingSerenity and peace foundNature’s hypnosis Scenery aboundMirrored water imagesSky, trees, colored blue Peaceful silent placeClear skies, bright sun, cooler nightsGod created earth. Haiku Poetry, May 2005 Even though the Haiku may not have been written by a Christian, there is little doubt the author knows God created the earth and all its fullness. According to Romans 1:19, that knowledge is the first truth that must be known before a person can acknowledge that he personally belongs to the One who created him. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, …

God’s Giving Is Unsurpassed!

The schools in my part of the world were still segregated during my first two years of high school. There was a choral class that many of us, especially those of us who had singing voices, were required to attend. One of the songs we were taught was, “You Can’t Beat God’s Giving.” The lyrics were such that they still resonate with me some 50+ years later. You can’t beat God’s giving, no matter how you try.Just as sure as you are living, and the LORD is in heaven on high;The more you give, the more He gives to you,Just keep on giving because it’s really true.That you can’t beat God’s giving, no matter how you try. This is the time of year once again that thoughts turn to the Thanksgiving holiday. This is always a good thing because we experience in many instances people who are kinder, gentler and more sensitive to others. We see sections of numerous retail stores stocked with cards for mailing and giving over the holiday. These cards express messages of thanks for family and friends. Those who recognize and bow in submission to Almighty God the Creator, Sustainer and Master of the universe give thanks to Him every day, virtually all day. Why? Psalm 90:2 tells us. “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” God’s giving is a 24/7—365/366-day action. We would literally cease to exist if …

My Life If I Diligently Serve the Lord

There are two things that we must know to serve our God diligently. One is to believe that God exists. Two is to know that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. We must be workers for the Lord and His church. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV). The benefits of seeking God are evident in Psalm 23, which is quoted at many funerals because it is comforting. There is so much we can learn from these six short verses about our Loving Chief Shepherd. God Is a Rewarder Verse 1: David wrote, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” The sheep have blessings as we also have blessings in the Lord. This is a day in the life of a shepherd. He was talking about taking care of sheep. They knew he would always be there for them. These sheep would follow always. We should be willing to follow our Great Shepherd. Verses 2-6 teach how the shepherd cared and tended for his sheep. In comparison, these are blessings we have in Christ Jesus our Chief Shepherd. He provides for His sheep peace, safety, restoration, guidance, comfort, preparation, caring, a good life and eternal life. Verse 2: “He makes me to lie down in green pastures.” This speaks of peace. The sheep enjoy the peacefulness of the green pastures. We should …

God Stepped in When They Stood Up

The Bible overflows with examples of people and the numerous situations they had to face who were ordinary people just like us. What set them apart from the masses was their absolute and unwavering faith and reliant trust in God to see them through! As one good preacher stated, “These examples are not in our Bibles just to make them thick.” Hebrews 11 is the “go to” chapter for the unprecedented examples of faith and trust. For the purpose of this article, the focus will be on relatively familiar accounts. The details will help us to develop that same capacity of reliance on God Almighty. The account in 1 Samuel 17 of David’s encounter with Goliath is perhaps one of the best known in Scripture. David was the youngest of the eight sons of Jesse, and he was a shepherd of his father’s sheep. There was a fierce war going on between the children of Israel and the Philistines. Jesse’s three oldest sons had gone to follow King Saul to the battle, but David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep. Jesse told David to take his brothers food and to bring back news of the battle. Upon his arrival at the camp, Goliath was once again challenging the army of Israel to send a man out to fight him. This had been going on for forty days! The stakes could not have been any higher. Goliath cried out if a man of Israel prevailed against …

Zeal Brainstorm

We want to be peculiar people zealous of good works (Titus 2:14). We are to be like our Master, of Whom it was said, “The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up” (John 2:17). Things that Dampen Our Zeal Things that Increase Zeal Zeal must be according to knowledge (Romans 10:2), not of our own hearts and imagination about what we think we should be doing or our own motivation (such as hypocrisy for the praise of men, money, power, etc.). Examples of Zeal “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity. I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,) That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth” (1 Corinthians 16:13-16).

Toast is Preferred

I absolutely adore buttered toast, at any time of the day. It has a satisfying, mouthwatering flavor and aroma. I did some research and found out about the Maillard Reaction. A French chemist named Maillard first explained this delicious, toasted flavor back in 1912. My fabulous toast is a reaction between amino acids (main elements of proteins) and sugars seared together in quick, hot temperatures. This brought a spiritual parallel to mind. God explains to us many times that He puts all souls through hot temperatures to destroy dross, which is scum, impurity or something that is inferior (Isaiah 1:24-25; Ezekiel 22:18), to burn out weaknesses (1 Corinthians 3:11-15) and to make us sweet smelling aromas (Ephesians 5:2; Philippians 4:18; James 1:2-4). Everyone on earth goes through quick, hot temperatures in this life (problems, trials, tragedies). If we have been gathering spiritual proteins and spiritual sweetness, then when we endure quick, hot temperatures, we’ll pop up as marvelously delicious saints each time, behaving as souls that are desirable to be around (Luke 2:51-52; Acts 2:37-47). If we have not collected spiritual proteins and sugars, then the hot temperatures will just burn us out, reduce us to sludge or ashes. What’s great is that we can change. If we have been “burned,” and we didn’t come through it successfully—and we’re still breathing—then, we can determine to start over, gathering spiritual proteins and sugars, latching onto them, ingesting them and making them a part of our living. Then, when the hot fires of troubles …

Prayer… It’s Special

I’ve been prayingEver since I was littleAnd I never thought much about it.I just spouted my words right out thereAnd I figured I’d done what I needed to doAnd everything would be okay. Well, I must have prayed for the wrong thingsOr maybe in the wrong wayBecause some things justDidn’t turn out right.And then I grew up a little moreAnd listened to more Bible school lessonsAnd one day…The words from one of those lessonsFinally made it to my brain cells,And prayer has never been the same since.Let me tell you in my little kid wayThe way I see prayer now. It’s like “Wow”Do you know who you are talking toWhen you bow your head,Close your eyesAnd say,“Dear Father in Heaven”?Well, let me tell you thatYou just opened the communication line.You’re talking to God!The one and only Lord God Almighty,The one and only God. The God Who made the earthAnd everything in it and on itThe Creator Who made youAnd everyone else there ever was, is or will beAnd He really is now listeningTo little ol’ you.What are you going to sayTo this one and only powerful Being? I look up at night and see the stars.The One you’re getting ready to talk to…He made all those starsAnd our moon too.Talk about power!Wow! He’s got it!And a new baby,Wow! He made that baby inside its momma.You hold a baby and you are holdingSomething God just made! Seems like there ought to be a better word than just“Wow!”Maybe our knees ought to …

Know the Bible: It’s an Open Book Test

“The Bible does not begin with an argument about the existence of God. It actually begins with an affirmation about God: ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’” (Genesis 1:1 Into the Abundant Life – Truth for Today World Mission School). Who is God? We must open the Bible; we must read, study and embrace what it says to know who God is. The first verse of the Bible, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” is reiterated by God Himself in Isaiah 48:13. “Indeed My hand has laid the foundation of the earth and My right hand has stretched out the heavens; when I call to them, they stand up together.” Psalm 19 is an embodiment of Psalm 119 which is a must read. It is the Psalm that reveals the Law of God, His Word in virtually all 176 verses. God’s intelligent, controlling and governing power over His creation including His purpose and design are revealed concisely in Psalm 19. Certain verses have been selected for the purpose of this article; however, all 14 verses are another must read. It is one of the many Scriptures that “recognize the everlasting, all powerful, all wise, ever present, all righteous nature of God” (Know Your Bible by Frank J. Dunn). Speaking of the heavens, verses 1-4 declare: The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament [expanse of heaven] shows His handiwork [the work of His hands]. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals …

God Gave Us Talents; Do We Use “Em” or Abuse “Em”?

I used this topic many years ago at a Ladies’ Day in Cameron, WV. I thought it would be fitting for an article for “Christians” today. Sarah Gudshinsky said, “God has a slot in His total eternal plan for each of us. The slot is exactly the shape of our heritage, experiences and life, and God expects us to fill it.” Someone else has said, “What you are is God’s gift to you, and what you make of yourself is your gift to God.” So, in these two statements, it makes me wonder how we are using the talents we have been given. Are we glorifying God, or are we falling into Satan’s trap? Part of our purpose in life is discovering our God-given talents (gifts from God) and giving back to our Heavenly Father. We are to use our talents to glorify God, Christ and His church. We need to work as if everything depends on us and pray as if everything depends on God. If we work as we should, we will be honoring our Great God in Heaven. God gave us a mind and common sense, but we have a choice how we use them. In Matthew 25:1-13, we read of the 10 virgins—five who were wise and five who were foolish. They were called to the wedding of the bridegroom; five used their common sense to prepare for an unforeseen problem and five did not. When the bridegroom was coming, the foolish unprepared virgins asked for oil from …

Wouldn’t It Be Nice?

One day, you stroll from your car to the bank on the corner of State Route 9 and Highway 30 in Hanoverton, and a couple of people run up to you and start begging you to let them worship God with you next Sunday! You stand there in shock, staring at them. People just don’t do that! Why not? Back in the day of a Jewish high priest named Zechariah, about five hundred years before Jesus Christ lived on earth, God told His people that if they would make the effort to love truth and peace in both their government and personal lives, then they would become such a beautiful blessing for the world that folks from every nation would grab them in the streets and beg them to be allowed to worship Jehovah God, too. Why? Because they would have heard that a real nice God lived with the Jews! In our day, if we and our family, our church, our neighborhood, our city and our country would make the effort to love peace and truth and also behave like we really do love peace and truth, then people from around the world would beg to live around us and worship Jehovah God with us; peace and truth would be evidence or proof that a real God is among us. Wouldn’t it be nice if, when we’re in town, people would feel the need to grasp our hands and beg to come and worship God with us? People did that in Acts 2 when they saw the happiness and good changes in …

Faithfulness to God Is Rewarded through Adversity

The Bible is punctuated repeatedly with faithful servants of God who remained true to Him despite the adversities they encountered. They understood that any and all adversities had to be rightly endured, and complete faith with the strongest trust in God was imperative. King David is one of the most colorful servants of God in all the Bible. His life from being a young shepherd through his 40-year reign as the second king of the United Kingdom involved one dramatic event after another. It may be that David’s encounter with the Philistine giant Goliath is best known and loved from the youngest to the oldest among us. The entire chapter of 1 Samuel 17 reveals the blow-by-blow account of the confrontation between the two men. David was the man faithful to God Almighty and Goliath had his loyalty to the idol god Dagon. For this writer, the question David asked Saul’s army was rich to the gold level concerning Goliath and who he thought he was. First Samuel 17:26 records, “Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, ‘What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?’” David’s staunch, crystal clear faith and trust are solemnly declared in verse 46. David said to Goliath, “This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head …

Rejoice in the Lord

Having joy in our God and in the salvation He offers is a theme throughout Scripture (1 Samuel 2:1; Nehemiah 12:43; Psalm 2:11; 5:11; 9:2, 14; 32:11; 100:2; 118:24; 122:1; 126:3; Mark 4:16; Romans 12:12, 15; Galatians 5:22). The Holy Spirit through Paul commands Christians to “rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4). “Joy” and “rejoice” are keywords in the Book of Philippians (1:4, 18; 2:2, 16-18; 3:1, 3; 4:1, 4, 10). It is a noteworthy topic to consider and have as a reference to easily look up in your Bible. In your Bible beside Philippians 4:4 write, “Command—why? (Luke 1:14, 47).” Turn to Luke 1:14 and write, “Rejoice because Christ has come making salvation possible (Acts 13:32-52).” Turn to this passage in Acts and write, “Salvation for all peoples (Acts 15:3).” Next to Acts 15:3, write, “(1 Peter 1:3-9).” Here, write, “Greatly rejoice because Christ’s resurrection gives us a living hope (Romans 15:13).” Next to Romans 15:13 write, “Joy comes in believing (obeying) Christ (Acts 8:37-39).” In Acts write, “Joy follows repentance and immersion for the forgiveness of sins (2 Corinthians 7:9-10).” Here, note that Paul rejoiced when the Corinthians had Godly sorrow, which produced repentance. Write, “(3 John 3-4)”. In 3 John, write, “Walking in the truth brings joy (Matthew 5:12).” In Matthew write, “When persecuted—rejoice (1 Peter 4:12-16)!” Here, write, “Rejoice in trials because we share in the sufferings of Christ (Acts 5:41-42).” Here, note that the apostles rejoiced and kept right on teaching Jesus. We must do …

Christian Behavior towards Other Christians and Neighbors

What is included in good basic morality and Christian living? We must put off the old man with his deeds (Colossians 3:5-9). We must “mortify” (kill) these ‘members, which are upon the earth.’ These things bring about God’s wrath. Of course, we once walked and lived in these things. We must put on the new man (Colossians 3:10-14). The new man is after the image of the Lord. These are all parts of the love of God, the divine nature. If we are truly living the Christian life, how will we treat others? The Golden Rule tells us to do unto others as we would have them to do unto us (Matthew 7:12). In James 1:19-20, we are told to be “swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” In all relationships, we are told to put on the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:1-8). Do we have humility of mind, and do we esteem others better than ourselves? Do we look out for our own things, or do we look out for the things of others? “Look not on your own things, but on the things of others” (Philippians 2:4). Christ humbled Himself, served others and was obedient to God to the point of dying on the cross. What if we are attacked verbally when a disagreement arises? We know “a soft answer turns away anger” (Proverbs 15:1). We should bridle our tongues and speak only good things (James 3:2-12; …

Biblical Joy: Triumphant over the Seven T’s

Joy is a fruit of God the Holy Spirit. Biblical joy has been described as that life-giving fruit bearing sustenance of the Word that flows through us. God expects it to be developed in the lives of Christians. Our joy is not dependent on the absence of trouble; our joy is dependent on the presence of God. This joy is that deep abiding sense of spiritual fulfillment that no (1) tribulation, (2) trial, (3) test, (4) trouble, (5) turmoil, (6) trauma or (7) tragedy can smother! Since my husband’s death on June 2, 2013, I have become painfully aware of the seven T’s this article will describe. God be glorified and magnified for abundantly blessing me on my journey from mourning to joy. Some abbreviated definitions from Webster’s are listed for the purposes addressed. James tells us we are to count it all joy when we fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of our faith produces patience (James 1:2-3). The patience that biblical joy produces has several definitions. For the focus in this writing, biblical joy produces patience defined as unmistakable tolerance under provocation and strain. Genesis 39:19-23 records the provocation and strain that Joseph endured at the hands of Potiphar’s lust-filled wife. As a result of her lies, Potiphar put Joseph into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. Verses 21-23 record: But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. …

The Grand Revival

Raising the dead to life, both spiritually and physically, proves to be God’s favorite hobby. He must have relished showing the prophet Ezekiel the fantastic vision of dry, human bones coming to life in Ezekiel 36. God created a masterly production of a supernaturally weird experience, just like our ultra-modern science fiction movies. Human skeletons plugged up this valley. He plopped Ezekiel, the Israelite priest, down in the middle of a monstrous scene of horror. Then, the Lord told him to stand, face the bones and preach—preach to millions of bones that couldn’t hear anything. Well, Ezekiel obeyed, and while he preached, the skeletons gradually reformed themselves into bodies, sinew by sinew, organ by organ. Then, God ordered him to preach the breath into them. Ezekiel kept preaching, and suddenly, the bodies moved and stood up. They lived! He now stood among thousands of people who had been dead a few minutes before! Ezekiel discovered God’s passion, making something out of nothing, transforming horror into joy, bringing the dead to life, with just His words! God’s words alone, preached from man’s tongue, can bring life into the calcified dead. “But God being rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” (Ephesians 2:4-7). Most humans choose to live a lifeless, dry-bone-life instead of living, moving and having our being in the God who has such a …

From Moses to Me

We should remember Christ both on Sunday morning and all week. When I hear, “Remember Christ,” the first word to come to mind is gratitude. For what are we grateful? We are grateful for what we have and for the promises of God. Mostly, I think I’m grateful that God does not change, because that consistency is why I don’t live in fear. Note three things God has always done. #1 God has always taken care of His people. Deuteronomy 2:7 says, “For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your going through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing.” Forty years, and yet, they lacked nothing. What about in the first century? Matthew 6:31 says, “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” What about the twenty-first century? When I was little, we didn’t have a lot of money, and we wore hand-me-downs. We didn’t have birthday “parties;” we simply had birthdays. Yet, I can’t remember ever going hungry. God has always taken care of His people. #2 God has always had promises and conditions. In Numbers 13-14, Israel camped outside Canaan. Moses sent in 12 spies, and when they returned, ten said, ’There’s no way we can take this land. They …

Nourished in the Words of Faith

Paul, writing to his son in the faith regarding what the Holy Spirit in 2 Timothy 4:1-5 said in verse 6, “If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.” The Truth for Today Commentary on 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus was written by David L. Roper. His observations are so plainly stated on verse 6, help would be needed to misunderstand his point. When we consider God’s Word as nourishment, many thoughts come to mind. To be nourished by food it is not enough to look at it or examine it. The food must be chewed, swallowed, and then digested. Even so, to be nourished by God’s Word, it is not enough to do a casual reading of a few verses now and then. We need to read the Bible, study it, meditate on it, and apply it to our lives. In this way, we show that [we] have digested the words of faith. What is faith? It is defined in Hebrews 11:1. “Now faith is the substance [realization] of things hoped for, the evidence [confidence] of things not seen.” Is faith necessary? Hebrews 11:6 answers with a resounding, “Yes!” “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Nourished in the words …

Christians in the Home

Husbands “Love your wives and be not bitter against them” (Colossians 3:19). It will take time for wives to grow in submission, but husbands need to remember that the command to obey is for the wife to submit and not for the husband to force her to submit. Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it and to love their wives as their own bodies (Ephesians 5:25-28). Putting yourself, your work or anything else ahead of her is not consistent with this command. The goal is to encourage (not demand) the wife to grow to be holy and without blemish (spiritually). This love requires time, attention and a sincere concern for her physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. The wisdom that is from above is gentle, peaceable and easy to be entreated (James 3:17). God told Abraham to listen to Sarah. Changing one’s mind is not a sign of weakness (Genesis 21:12). Wives Obey your husbands as it is fit in the Lord (Colossians 3:18). What is “fit” is for wives to be subject to their husbands “in everything” as the church is to Christ (Ephesians 5:22-24). The only exception would be if he commanded her to disobey God (Acts 5:29). The husband’s authority is in matters of judgment. Submitting only when you agree with him or think he knows what he’s talking about is not submission. A woman merely having short hair is a dishonor to her husband (1 Corinthians 11:5). How serious, …

Attitude of Thankfulness

A wise, older preacher once told me, “Your attitude determines your altitude.” The older I have gotten, the more I understand this. What we think in our minds affects our actions and our lives. Many days end well or badly depending on our mindset that day. Many situations could have turned out differently if an attitude check had preceded the event. The overall mindset we possess in life will ultimately determine where we end up. This applies in the physical realm with our careers and earthly endeavors, but also and more importantly, it applies in the spiritual realm—where we will be in eternity. One important characteristic of God’s people is an attitude of thankfulness. God’s Word stresses the importance of having a disposition of thanksgiving. As we keep that attitude, we will not forget the love of God shown toward man, take blessings for granted or forget the sacrifice Christ paid for us, thus “setting our minds on things above” (Colossians 3:2, 15; Ephesians 4:23-24). With thanksgiving at the center of our minds, we will have the attitude of the Psalmist (100:4), spend more time in God’s Word (Matthew 5:6) and live Spirit-filled lives as commanded in the New Testament (Ephesians 5:15-21). Having an attitude of thanksgiving means we will think about and be thankful for Christ’s sacrifice every day (not just on Sundays). Have you ever contemplated what it would be like in this world if He had not made that sacrifice and fulfilled all righteousness? Without His death, burial …

What Did the Holy Spirit Actually Say and Do?

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14). “For in Him [Christ] dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily [in bodily form]” (Colossians 2:9). “For there are three who bear witness in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one” (1 John 5:7). These three passages reveal that Divinity encompasses God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. They are different in authority and function but one in purpose—the redemption of mankind. The Bible is punctuated repeatedly with “and God said, and God did” “and Jesus said, and Jesus did.” What about the Holy Spirit—what did He say and how did He say it? What did He do and how did He do it? What exactly does Scripture reveal about the title role of the Holy Spirit? The Bible declares in 2 Peter 1:20-21, “knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation [or origin], for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” Guy N. Woods wrote the Gospel Advocate Peter, John and Jude commentary. He made these most pointed thoughts on this passage. Men spake from God, and those who thus spake were moved by the Holy Spirit…The prophets are thus declared to be passive instruments in the hand of God, being directed in what they wrote …

What Is the Relationship between Scholarly Research and the Supernal God?

God and Research The God of the Bible is the manufacturer of all things. John, the beloved disciple wrote, “Through [Jesus] all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3). When the world and the things that inhabit the world are studied, the findings reflect the mind of the Creator. As scholars stare into the face of evidence with scrutiny in one hand and a pen in the other, forthright research declares the irrefutable existence and dominion of a supernatural force operating from outside the terrestrial, closed system. However, not all people regard the earth as the work of God’s hands. In this case, aspirant scholars seek to understand the intricate mysteries woven into the universe in attempts to unveil glimpses or hints at potential cosmic origins. The embarrassing reality is that the most advanced research consistently points to an outside force imparting life to the earth in a singular episode. Maintaining a firm comprehension and acceptance of the biblical account of the confirmed beginning relieves Christians of engaging in a directionless search for a genesis and, by subsequent implication, a purpose. For the Christian, embarking on academic investigation presents the opportunity to divulge the unmissable truth that the God of the Bible deliberately designed the earth and everything in it to bring about His divine purpose. Spiritual Impact of Research Questioning observable processes and conducting measurable research affords limitless opportunities to grow in faith. However, the researcher and the reader must decide on …

The Sport of Wisdom

“Doing wickedness is like a sport to a fool; and so is wisdom to a man of understanding”  (Proverbs 10:23). We each are famous athletes, playing in one of two international sports, either wickedness or wisdom! Every day, we choose which game we play, and some of us cross back and forth often, hopping between the two, but the sport to which we’re loyal the majority of the time is what counts in the final score. Wickedness and wisdom are totally opposite, have nothing in common and have extremely different results. The athletes in the sport of wickedness are called fools, and those in the sport of wisdom are called understanders, much like car racing has racers and football has football players. The sport of wickedness is played using a variety of equipment called polluted living, physical or sexual pleasure that is against God’s sense of morality, worship of manmade gods or of people, sorcery, hostilities, jealousy, outbursts of anger, quarrels, divisions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, coarse joking, murdering, stealing, lying and all sexual perversions (Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 5:4-5; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:8-10; Revelation 21:8; 22:15). The sport of wickedness is what the majority of people love to practice, and those athletes always win destruction (Matthew 7:13). Whenever the ancient people turned into professional fools, God killed off the majority of them. Those who died in the flood of Noah’s day practiced all wickedness until they became like our Olympic gold medal professionals. God destroyed them at their peak …

Our God-Given Ability to Talk

Over ten years ago, I suffered a TIA, commonly referred to in the medical field as a mini-stroke. When my husband made calls to inform family, the first question from one of my sister’s was, “Can she talk?” He assured her that I could, and her response was, “Then she will be alright.” I could have taken that one of two ways, but I knew exactly what she meant. The focus of this article is the positive aspects of the God-given ability to talk. Like everything else that God has given us, the ability to speak ranks high on the list of priceless blessings. Those of us who can talk cannot imagine not being able to speak. Even an occasional bout with laryngitis causes us much stress and frustration. Talking is as natural for us as breathing. The Psalms and God’s wisdom Book of Proverbs calls our attention to some of the beauties of the ability to talk. James 3:1-12 indicts us on the use and misuse of the tongue in our ability to talk. We need to read these 12 verses every day because we talk every day. Talking is a byproduct of our thinking. Jesus said, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34b). Also referring to the words we speak, Jesus said in Matthew 12:37, “For by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned.” Notice Jesus said by our words, not somebody else’s words, not what somebody …

Blessed in Unnumbered Ways

As the days ebb swiftly by,Sweet memories fill our minds,Of wonderful people both young and old,Who touched our lives through time. God has blessed us in unnumbered ways,Throughout the years gone by,With wonderful friends and family,Who walked lovingly by our side. Know that you were one of these,And feel special in your role.You influenced, encouraged and loved us,Your kindness kindled our soul. We wish for you a fulfilling year,Of blessings great and small,Having a thankful remembrance,That our Father grants them all.

From His Hand to Our Mouths

Psalm 67 was the basis for a recent sermon at the congregation I attend. This Psalm has only 7 verses, and very pointed observations were made during this sermon from every divine declaration in each of those verses. Verse 6 reads, “Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, our own God, shall bless us” (NKJV). The ESV reads, “The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us.” Verse 6 tells us that God gives the increase from the ground for life. He gives life to the planted seed. The preacher then said, “We all live hand to mouth—His hand to our mouth.” That really got my attention. As I reflected on the statement, even while he was still speaking, passages that speak to that reality began to flow through my mind as I began to take more notes. When the children of Israel were delivered from Egyptian slavery, God gave them the land of Canaan. Moses commanded the people to be careful to observe all of God’s commandments, statutes and judgments in the land they were to possess. Moses said in Deuteronomy 6:10-12: So it shall be, when the LORD your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, houses full of good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant—when you …

What Is a Forever Friend?

Throughout life, we meet many people. Some are just acquaintances, some are fly-by-night friends, some are just faces you recognize, and some are closer than our family members. This article is very personal to me. It is about our Forever Friend. Yes, some of us have very close friends. What is a friend? Webster says a friend is “(1) one attached to another by affection or esteem,“ such as, “she’s my best friend.“ Also “(2) a favored companion,“ someone with whom you enjoy spending time. My idea of a true friend is someone who exhibits loyalty, faithfulness, truthfulness and respect. Such a friend will tell you the truth even if it will hurt your feelings, but with love and tenderness. Another way you can tell that you have a true friendship is if you do not see one another for a long time, but when you do you pick up with each other, it is as if you were next door neighbors. When you can do this, it is a real sign of friendship. Have you ever met a person and right away you fell into a close relationship? I did with one girlfriend the first time I went to her house. I walked about six-blocks with my three sons—two walking and holding onto the stroller and the youngest in the stroller. She did not expect us. When I knocked on the door, she was surprised. She had us come in even though she had been doing laundry all day. …

Don’t Forget Your God

Deuteronomy 8:11-20; 32:18 We have all been overlooked, ignored and forgotten at one time or another. The glaring sign of being forgotten is that we are alone, abandoned and not noticed; it creates anger and disbelief. We try and contact the forgetful ones to let them know they forgot us. If the forgetful ones are genuinely sorry, we happily forgive them. However, if they behave like it wasn’t a problem, then we have justifiable anger, and we never trust them again. We might even leave them behind and move on to other friends and family members. God made us in His image, so He feels this same emotion when we forget about Him. When God finds Himself miles away from our thoughts, He pretty much reacts the same way we would: hurt and angry. He’ll contact us to remind us about our appointment (Matthew 21:33-45). If it was an accident, He forgives us gladly, but if we leave Him behind on purpose, because something more interesting came along, God will be angry. He will, in turn, leave us behind and eventually avenge Himself on us. Why would God’s people forget Him? Men forget God  because of a lack of interest in keeping God’s law, because of the deceitfulness of luxury and wealth or because of problems and tragedies. We forget that we didn’t create ourselves and that we have no control over this life or nature. We forget God because of our own self-seeking lusts. We cannot honestly expect to …

Being about Our Father’s Business

The account of Joseph and Mary leaving Jesus behind in Jerusalem when He was 12-years-old is familiar to many. They thought Jesus was among their relatives and acquaintances, and the group had gone a day’s journey before Joseph and Mary realized Jesus was not with them. As any conscientious parents would be, they were frantic until they found Him three days later. Any parent who has experienced that horror can identify with Joseph and Mary’s fear and the potential dreaded outcome! Luke, the physician, is the only inspired writer who records this event (Luke 2:41-52). When Joseph and Mary found Jesus in the Temple, He was sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. All were astonished at His understanding and answers. When they saw Him, Joseph and Mary were amazed, and she said to Him as recorded in Luke 2:48-49, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” Can you feel their chill? Jesus’ reply is priceless and precious. “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” From Jesus’ perspective, what exactly was His Father’s business? Before the foundation of the world, God’s eternal purpose and plan was for its redemption through His Son Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of His will. The Gospel of John states this goal repeatedly in a variety of passages. John the Baptist declared most emphatically in …

The Prodigal Son and the Older Brother

My question is, “Which brother sinned more?” (Luke 15:11-32). The younger brother went to his father and asked for his inheritance. This was rude and wrong. He treated his father as if he were dead. Inheritances come after the death of a parent. He left and went into a far country. He lived a riotous life— partying, drinking and wasting his inheritance. After the younger brother wasted all his money, there came a famine in the land. He had no one to which to turn because his so-called friends turned their backs on him. They used him for a good time. He ended up feeding the hogs. If he was fortunate maybe, he ate some of their food. This young man finally came to his senses. He thought of his father and the hired servants. He knew the hired servants were treated well by his father. So, the prodigal decided to go back home and ask his father if he could be treated as a hired servant. As the son was heading home, his father saw him a long way off and ran to meet him. He threw his arms around his son. The father told the servants to bring a robe and a ring for his son. He also told them to go out and get a fatted calf and prepare it for a feast in honor of his son’s return. He was lost, but, then, he was found. There was much rejoicing in that home. The older brother …

Soul-Adversaries

“O Lord…Bring my soul out of trouble! And…cut off my enemies, and…destroy all the adversaries of my soul…” (Psalm 143:11-12). Adversaries are opponents, challengers, rivals, enemies, foes or antagonists. What are soul-adversaries? Jealousy, prejudice, hatred, murder, cowardice, ungodly language, laziness, brutality, cheating, stealing, lying, slander, gossip, lusting for any kind of self-gratification that God says is bad (e.g., like alcoholic drinking, sex outside of marriage, power, money), and putting anything on this earth (e.g., sleeping, people, hobbies, sports, jobs) above God and His commands. All things like these have the mission of keeping our souls from living in the Land of Light and Life (Heaven). The weird thing is that we give in to them every day! What is wrong with us? Most people put up with bullies, including whole towns and nations—until someone stands up against them, even if it means death. Behaving like Abel, Joseph, Daniel, Elijah or Jesus (who all obeyed God rather than humans) is a huge risk most of us won’t take. Jesus wants to rescue us from our soul-adversaries. However, we have to have the guts to allow Him! This coming week, make a list of your own soul-foes. Throw them into God’s hands (1 Peter 5:7). Make serving Christ every day and the entire year your primary goal (Matthew 6:33).

Twelve Givers of the Bible

I found this sermon outline on Louis’s bulletin board and recognized it immediately. I knew it was a sermon my late husband Bob Noland preached many times. So, I decided it needed to be put into an article. What kind of giver are you? Are you a giver for your reward from man or for your reward from the Lord? Let’s be givers for the Lord.

Please Keep Upright

I have a bulk, plastic container of dish soap with a sticker boldly requesting, “Please keep upright.” It is plainly said, implying dire consequences if the large bottle is not kept upright, which would be soap leaking over the counter, the sink and the floor. The soap company sweetly warns us against the dire consequences. They don’t need to come and to demonstrate the dire consequences to each customer. Anyone with elementary reading skills would be foolish or thoughtless not to obey the instructions! The soap container warning has a spiritual slant. God is upright, just, sinless, faithful and perfect (Deuteronomy 32:4). David was upright and warned Solomon to be upright, too (1 Kings 3:6; 9:4). Job was upright, blameless of evil doing, and he feared God (Job 1:1, 8). Since God invented uprightness, He can instruct people about it, and His instructions are in the Bible with plenty of examples (Psalm 25:8). God doesn’t leave the dire consequences to our imagination. He explained that if we tip over and spill our souls out over the earth, there won’t be anything left of us to get to Heaven. He, like the soap company, doesn’t have to come to each of us and demonstrate the consequences. It’s in the Bible. People who don’t keep upright are called perverted, evil, walkers in darkness, perverse, crooked and devious (Proverbs 2:6-15). God created humans upright, but we like to find ways to tip over (Ecclesiastes 7:29). Wise people seek to practice walking upright, but …

Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil!

In most cases, this saying is used with three little green frogs or small monkeys. They cover their ears, so they cannot hear bad language or dirty jokes. They cover their mouths, so they will not say anything bad or nasty. Lastly, they cover their eyes, so they cannot see anything evil. Hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil! These little frogs or monkeys are very good examples for us to follow. We are told in 1 Corinthians 15:33, “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits’” (NKJV). Therefore, we do not want to be with those who speak evil, do sinful things and enjoy hearing evil talking. We must be careful with whom we spend our time. We should try to pick our friends from among those who are trying to live as Christ wants us to live. It is much easier for those who do evil to influence us than for us to influence them for good. Look around at those who have become Christians and now no longer attend worship services. With all the converts over the years, our church buildings should be full and overflowing instead of evidencing dwindling attendance as they do now. Some congregations used to house over 300, and now they are fortunate if they have 100 in attendance on Sunday morning; the evening service and Wednesday Bible class have fewer than that attending. These words “Hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil” are not quoted …

Daily Bible Reading: Proverbs—A Two-Fold Blessing

In his Preface, Proverbs, Wisdom for All Ages, Thomas L. Seals wrote: Proverbs is truly wisdom for all ages. It is the one book in the Old Testament which gives practical advice on how to live godly lives in the midst of a changing world. It has no equal aside from the small epistle of James in the New Testament. For this reason, we have undertaken the task of writing this book in order to equip the man and woman of God with the wisdom of Proverbs. Through the application of such wisdom, in our daily lives, we can be made better men and women of God and thus make a better society. I most certainly attest to these thoughts because God’s wisdom is second to none and far superior to the deepest thinking minds of any age! How could man have any good and honorable concept that God forgot or overlooked? Have you ever considered Proverbs for daily Bible reading? Neither had I until it was suggested in an article or a tract that I read at least 30 years ago. To my regret, I did not write down the name of the article or the tract, not to mention the author or the year of publication, but the suggestion was well taken. At that time, it was a most welcomed suggestion because then I was still struggling to make reading my Bible a daily reality. I have done what I could to encourage those who have expressed the desire …

If I Died Last Night

I heard a saying, “There are two important days we should think about; they are ‘this day’ (today) and ‘that day’ (Judgment).” We should only be concerned and working on these two days. How are you and I doing to have a great reward on Judgment Day? We do not need to worry about yesterday as it is gone, and we do not need to worry about tomorrow because it is not here yet. I heard this sermon a while back, and I thought it was very timely for all of us. If I died last night, where would my soul go on Judgment Day? Will I go to that eternal, heavenly home where Jesus built a mansion for me, or will I go into eternal punishment that God has prepared for Satan and his angels? Will I hear these great words from my Jesus, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant enter in to the joys of your Lord,” or will I hear these awful words from my Lord, “Depart from Me, ye cursed, I never knew you.” My goal is to go to Heaven and to take as many with me as I can. Do you think that you and I can go to Heaven alone? Maybe, but if we do not try to take someone with us, I believe it will be hard to gain our heavenly home. We are told to go! Does “Go” in Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 16:16 mean for all to go teach …

Controlled by Fear

Who or what is it that causes us to fear? Why do we sometimes allow this emotion of faithlessness to rule our days, weeks, months, years and virtually our lives? The July/August 2010 Christian Woman magazine featured an article, “God Is in Control” by Diane Mauck and Janet Jenkins. They pointed to Jeremiah 18 to serve as a reminder of the One Who is in control of this world. In that chapter, the potter’s expert hands spun the clay, marred the clay, and then reformed it into a usable vessel. In the concluding paragraph of that section, sisters Mauck and Jenkins wrote, “God’s eternal existence, His control of history and time itself, is reaffirmed over and over in Scripture and is so designed as to allay fear. And yet, there is unrest and even fear among many today concerning the future of our nation.” That observation is as true today as it was in 2010. For Christians, Psalm 9:19-20 must be embraced and trusted. “Arise, O LORD, do not let man prevail; let the nations be judged in Your sight; put them in fear, O LORD, that the nations may know themselves to be but men.” One other reflection on the plague of controlling fear comes from James M. Tolle in his book, Living Without Fear. He wrote: No enemy of mankind has caused more misery and unhappiness than fear. In its devastating destruction and disintegration of personality and character, this major sin of humanity has plunged innumerable souls into a veritable [real …

The Lesser of Two Evils?

Webster defines “evil” as “morally wrong or bad; immoral; wicked; harmful; injurious.” Vines defines “evil” as “destructive, grievous; in the moral or ethical sense, wicked; depravity; maliciousness.” The lesser of two evils. What does that mean? In the eyes of the masses, it generally means an acknowledgment that two choices are as wrong as two left shoes, but one is less offensive to our integrity than the other. This compromise opposes our core values and beliefs. Evil has been sanitized, accepted, tolerated, ignored and legitimized. The late Mack Lyon delivered a lesson, “Deliver Us from Evil,” on the longtime Sunday, weekly TV series, “In Search of the Lord’s Way.” Publishing Designs, Inc. made this broadcast available in booklet form in February 2002. On page 11 Mack Lyon said: My friend, for too long we have denied the reality of evil in our world. For too long we have labored in vain to make right that which is evil in the sight of God. For too long we have been silent about what God has said is evil. Evil does exist. If we didn’t know it before, we should have learned it on September 11. Still the accommodative mind tries to rationalize the events of that day as a possible good—we shouldn’t hold anyone accountable for it, because it’s debatable. But how big or disastrous or destructive must evil be before it fits our definition of evil? Is the reckless, brutal murder of one person evil? Or must the number be three thousand? Or …

The Church of Your Choice– Except the Church of Christ

We have heard for many years, you can go to or worship with the church of your choice. We hear this on the radio, on the television, by word of mouth and of course, in the newspaper. My question is when we convert someone with the Gospel, and the Lord adds them to His church, why do these same people become hostile and even disown their own family who become members of the Church of Christ? Subsequently, many families are separated for the cause of Christ. If we are alike and all going to Heaven, as often is mouthed, then why do these families not continue to be loving and caring families for their own? I believe there are many different reasons or excuses why this happens. We in the Church of Christ follow the Bible. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock [your confession] I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Jesus said, “My Church,” not my churches (denominations). He used the singular of establishing only one church. In John 15:1-8, Jesus stated He is the Vine and God (His Father) is the Vinedresser. In these verses, Jesus talked to the individual apostles, not to whole congregations. He told them they were to abide in the Vine, and if they did, they could and would bear fruit. Also, Jesus told them if they did not stay in the Vine, they …

Gods

I once read an article in a well-published biblical archeology magazine that expressed disgust with God, because He doesn’t tolerate other gods! The writer didn’t seem to know the difference between Jehovah and the other gods. Because humans have to worship something, we’ll make all-knowing, all-powerful beings out of anything: nature, sex, war, drunkenness, death, stars and moons, animals, and even heroes (dead or alive). Manmade gods are limited to certain territories, cities or cultures. They can be stolen by other groups. Many demand horrible human sacrifices, self-mutilation and prejudice against females (even still today). Those gods practice all of the human evils. Their writings are full of error, which means they either lie to their worshipers or they don’t know the truth. Out of the millions of gods that humans know, there’s only one that stands out. He says He is the only real God, and He claimed this thousands of years ago. Let me briefly introduce you to this unique Lord (Lord means master). • His actual name is I Am Who I Am (Exodus 3:4); the Hebrew word for “who” can also be “what, that, because, why.” • He has no beginning and no end (Revelation 21:6; John 1:1; Psalm 145:13). • All of His revelations are accurate in every way (Psalm 119). • He doesn’t live in a house or a city made with human hands (Acts 7:48; 17:24). • He says He’s the God for all individuals, not prejudiced against any nation, sex, territory or …

Can a Wife and Mother Work Outside the Home and Be Pleasing to God?

I am an engineering student, studying computer science/software engineering. Is it wrong for a daughter of God to go into such a predominately male field? I want to be a homemaker and a good wife and mother if God blesses me with a family. The above question was posed by a young lady two years into a program of study for her chosen career field. In other comments not included above, she expressed an admirable desire to be obedient to God’s will, even if it means abandoning her last two years of work. As in all religious matters, one can only know the will of God by studying His Word (2 Timothy 2:15). The young woman’s question concerning the appropriateness of her working outside the home probably arises from reading Titus 2:5. “To be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed” (NKJV). The word “homemakers” is translated as “keepers at home” in the KJV and “workers at home” in the ASV. The larger context of this verse, Titus 2:1-10, reflects the instructions that the apostle Paul wanted the young preacher, Titus, to give to his fellow Christians. Notice that men and women, young and old, as well as slaves were directed how to conduct their lives. Paul also provided the reason for such conduct: “proper for sound doctrine” (v. 1), “that the word of God may not be blasphemed” (v. 5), “showing yourself to be a pattern of good …

What Good Is Achieved in Affliction?

Vine’s Expository Dictionary lists multiple meanings for the word “affliction.” For this article’s focus, only a few will be used. Note: (1) to suffer ill, adversity, hardship or misery; (2) to be mistreated, tormented or troubled; (3) sufferings due to the pressure of circumstances, or the antagonism of persons; (4) anything which burdens the spirit; (5) tribulation, distress, persecutions, calamities. God being who He is knew before He created us precisely what we needed to function effectively in our physical bodies. We can all be eternally grateful for our five senses—hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting and feeling. The sensation of feeling is essential to our health and well-being. Untold millions have made the adjustment to the loss of seeing, hearing, smelling or tasting. The loss of touch or the sensation of feeling would lead to our demise. Damage beyond repair, and in many cases, death would be certain without the sensation of feeling. This writer served three years in the military in the 1960’s, and I remember asking one of the other clerks which of her five senses would she not want to be without. We both agreed that we would not want to be without sight. We, then, asked one of our administrative officers the question, and she said the sensation of feeling was the most important because virtually every function of the body was related to being able to feel. My coworker and I were much too young to understand what a profound statement the lieutenant made. It makes perfect …

The Numbers Incident

During the wilderness wanderings, Moses’ sister Miriam grew old watching her baby brother lead a great nation and her other brother, Aaron, work as the highest spiritual leader of the new nation of Israel. At some point, when Miriam should have been displaying the wisdom of age, she made a bad decision. Maybe she became jealous of her brothers. After all, she did help save Moses when he was just a baby. She did lead the women, and people called her a prophetess. Or, maybe she felt unhappy about Moses marrying again, to a woman from Cush, more than likely with dark skin! Of all the nerve! Now, this new woman would get all the attention! Whatever the reason, Miriam managed to convince Aaron to go along with causing trouble in the camp. Aaron could serve as the great leader! Moses was just the baby of the family! Miriam and Aaron, each well over a 100-years-old, began chirping louder and louder, when unexpectedly—God came for a visit. The Lord moved near with His cloud and scolded the two badly-behaved senior citizens for their terrible sins of jealousy, backbiting and treason (Numbers 12:1-15). Since Miriam was the ringleader (remember the golden calf incident, Aaron had no backbone), God righteously punished only her with full-body leprosy—a white blob of oatmeal-with-clothes-on! Miriam’s brothers immediately begged God’s mercy for her. The Lord said she must be punished for seven days! What an ego-buster! God visually displayed the disgust He has for envy and spiritual …

Ten Hurdles to the Death of Self

It has been noted by this writer that the most difficult funeral we will ever attend is the death of self. The purpose of this article is to be very specific about at least ten hurdles or barriers that we will face in the death of self and our desire to look more like Jesus. If any of us are wondering if these or similar expectations will be on God’s final test, be assured they will be. Why? They are all based in Scripture because He has spoken. To borrow a thought from one good brother who is literally fighting for his life: “One of the richest, most encouraging, stabilizing promises ever found is Jesus’s statement of the purpose of His coming. ‘I am come that they might have life and have it more abundantly’ (John 10:10). We misread when we falsely conclude this promise eliminates daily problems, difficult moments, unavoidable sicknesses, uncomfortable settings, upsetting scenarios, along with the ten-thousand other things that clutter an otherwise most enjoyable life.” The death of self is a process that we who want to go to Heaven will be striving to achieve to a much fuller degree as long as we live. Even though we are in these weak, worn and wayward bodies, we can and do have the victory through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.

Modesty

Christian men and women, we are to be modest. What does that mean? Modesty is an attitude of propriety and decency in dress, grooming, language and behavior. If we are modest, we do not draw undue attention to ourselves. Instead, we seek to “glorify God in [our] body, and in [our] spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). “In like manner, also that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with braided air, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becomes women professing godliness) with good works. Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection” (1 Timothy 2:9-10). We women are to act like Christ who is our best Christian example of compassion, meekness, strength and obedience to our Father in Heaven. We usually think of being immodest as one not wearing enough clothing. When I was in school, one of my classmates wore five or six necklaces and five or six bracelets. By the definition of modesty, she was immodest because she brought undo attention to herself. Now to the other side of the coin. If a woman can be immodest with little clothing, then why are men left out of being immodest when running around with no shirt or very short shorts? If the Bible talks of immodesty for women, does it also apply to men who are immodest? Teen girls and older women look at guys, too. If a man can be in public with no shirt, then, does it not imply that …

Break Forth in Song!

Singing helps one focus on God. Such was the case in Scripture. Singing was a natural response when the Almighty defeated the enemies of His people. Moses and the children of Israel sang after the Egyptian army was drowned in the sea, as did Miriam and the women (Exodus 15:1-21). Deborah and Barak sang when God defeated Jabin, king of Canaan, and his forces (Judges 5:1-31). Singing was also the response of God’s children when He blessed them. The children of Israel sang when they arrived at the well in Beer where God had promised to give them water (Numbers 21:16-18). Those who returned from captivity sang when they began to restore the Temple (Ezra 3:11) and at the dedication of the rebuilt wall (Nehemiah 12:42). Christians rejoice in Christ’s victory over death. “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). His victory should be celebrated, especially since it assures that we, too, can overcome death (1 Thessalonians 4:14). Singing is somewhat natural when we experience victories. However, when we’re going through trials, it may be more difficult. Jesus sang a hymn with His disciples before going to the Garden of Gethsemane, with full knowledge that soon one of His chosen twelve would betray Him, and He would be arrested by the mob he led (Matthew 26:30). God’s people sang during times of trial. Paul and Silas were seized, dragged into the marketplace, accused of wrongdoing and beaten with rods, creating “many stripes on them” …

Mary and Martha

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42 NKJV) The focus of this passage is not that people should be unconcerned with household chores, but that the proper attitude toward Jesus is to listen to Him and to obey His words. A sharp contrast was portrayed between the two sisters. Mary sat and listened to Jesus, while Martha prepared for a meal. The phrase only “one thing is needed” (Luke 10:42) refers to listening to Jesus’ words, which Mary had chosen to do. The same theme is seen in Luke 8:1-21. Mary and Martha were sisters to Lazarus. They lived in the town of Bethany. Jesus came to visit. Martha was preparing the meal for their guests. Martha was just like us. Friends visit, and we want everything to be just right. However, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to Him, and on another occasion, …

Servants Do Not Wear Crowns

Every song that we sing in worship to our God that speaks of us wearing an eternal crown is in the future tense. Can we become worthy to wear that crown now? From where would it come, and more to the point, who would be adequately worthy to give it to us? The only one who had the right to wear a crown while on earth, but never did, was the Lord Jesus Christ. He gave up the glory and honor that was due Him to come to this sin-cursed, fallen, broken world to be our Redeemer (Philippians 2:5-8). It pleased God to crush Him and put Him to grief (Isaiah 53:10). Does that single thought cut us to the core of our spiritual understanding? He left the indescribable glories and riches of Heaven and became the servant of all. Isaiah wrote, “He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:11). Acknowledging God’s statement, referring to His Son as His righteous Servant, should bring us to our knees in remorseful submissiveness. Jesus speaking of Himself in Mark 10:45 said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” The only crown He got was the twisted crown of thorns! Three of the Gospel writers gave the accounts of this outrageous brutality. Matthew 27:29 records, “When they …

God Never Threatens —He Always Warns

Psalm 19:7-11 captured my attention recently in a way that was deeply convicting. The first part of verses 7-9 is God’s revelation of His Word. “The law of the LORD is perfect; the testimony of the LORD is sure; the statutes of the LORD are right; the commandment of the LORD is pure; the fear of the LORD is clean; the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.” The latter part of those verses reveals the eternal power of God’s Word. The law converts the soul. The testimony makes wise the simple [naïve]. The statutes rejoice the heart. The commandment enlightens the eyes. The fear endures forever. The judgments are righteous altogether. Since all Scripture is God breathed, He gives these particular words their supremacy. Verses 10-11 declare why these words are beyond value. “More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.” Psalm 119:162 says, “I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure.” Note that the fear of the LORD is priceless. God’s Word implants reverence and moral respect in the minds of those who embrace it. They can then experience the joy, that deep abiding sense of spiritual fulfillment,  that cannot be smothered, and the peace which surpasses understanding. Psalm 103:10-11 says, “He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He …

Who Is Jesus to You?

Do you know what your name means? For instance, in one dictionary, my name “Martha” means, “lady, mistress of the house.” In Hebrew, my name means “bitter.” There are many different forms of my name: Maarva, Marfa, Marhta, Mariet, Marit, Mart, Marta, Marte, Martella, Martelle, Marth, Marthe, Marthena, Marthine, Marthini, Marthy, Marti, Martie, Martina, Martita, Martje, Martta, Marty, Martyne, Martynne, Marva, Mata, Matha, Matti, Mattie, Mirtha, Pat and Pattie. There are 33 different forms of my name. If you would look up your name and its meaning, you might be surprised; I was! Jesus has many names in the Old and New testaments. He is called Wonderful, Counsellor, Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Son of Man, Son of God, Messiah, Savior and many other names. Jesus is our Chief Shepherd, which is what we want to emphasize in this article. Psalm 23:1-6 reads: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord …

The Immeasurable Treasure of Psalm 119

When I became a writer for Gospel Gazette in 2003, I had occasion to reference Psalm 119 in some depth for the ladies’ class I was teaching. During that time, I was and continue to stand in awe of the divine riches revealed in that Psalm. Every letter and syllable disclose the endless value, scope and focus of the Word of God. “The scriptures are shallow enough for a babe to come and drink without fear of drowning and deep enough for theologians to swim without ever reaching the bottom.” This is a quote from Jerome of Stridonium in All Christians Are Leaders! by Charles B. Hodge, Jr. (page 15). There are eleven words used in Psalm 119 to describe the infallible Word of God that we need to understand as we strive to gain spiritual knowledge, wisdom, understanding and discernment. Ten of these eleven comprehensive words employed to describe God’s Word are in Studies in Psalms by Robert R. Taylor, Jr. (pages 72-74). These terms are: We live in a cursed and fallen world that is drunk on sin! It is of the greatest comfort to have the blessed assurance that God’s Word is true, unswerving, unchangeable and forever. It was a fact before we got here, it’s a fact now, and it will be a fact when we are dead and gone. It will be a fact when this world will be on fire! Why is that? God’s Word solemnly declares that fact in just two of the numerous passages asserting His ultimate …

One of Those Days

Have you ever had one of those days that no matter how hard you tried to do things right, nothing worked out right? Of course, you have. All of us have had those days some time or another. I read on Facebook about a friend of mine who had “one of those days.” She is a Christian wife, a mother, a teacher and a helper to her husband on the farm—and it is a large farm. This is what wrote: Today was one of those days where a few kind ladies in the grocery store told me, “Don’t worry, they won’t be like this forever.” Locked my keys in the car—check. Had the loudest kid in the store—check. Got all the ingredients for 28 dozen NHS truffles—of course not! Got the pigs loaded while it was still light out—not even close. Going to survive tomorrow’s teacher’s detention—to be determined. She had many encouraging words from family and friends. I picked out one that was quite thought-provoking. One friend told her, “I call these kind of days ‘growing experiences.’ They remind you that God won’t give you more than you can handle, but he does like to shake things up a bit to get you better prepared for the next battle. A few months ago, when I had one of those days, you told me that tomorrow is here. Well, put your dress on (remember what you told your phych class) and get in there.” I had always thought this quotation …

The Root of Sin

Could it be said that putting our wants and desires above the wishes of others is the root of all sin? Since sin is a biblical subject, we will observe a few passages from the Bible to reach a God approved answer to this question. First, we must define sin. Sin is the “transgression of God’s law” (1 John 3:4). We sin when we fail to fulfill any or all of God’s laws. One can sin in thought (Matthew 5:22, 28; 1 John 3:15), by actions (Romans 2:32) and by words (Colossians 3:8-9). All sin falls into these three categories of our lives. The apostle John stated, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:16). All sin is a product of the world and cannot be associated with our heavenly Father. Several New Testament passages list the sins in which one might engage. Theses verses outline the types of behavior that is unacceptable to God (Romans 1:29-32; 1 Corinthians 5:11; Galatians 5:19-21; 2 Timothy 3:2-4; Revelation 21:8; etc.).

Satan Is Still in the Sifting Business

Jesus speaking to Peter in Luke 22:31-32 said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” Being sifted carries the idea of being examined, selected, scrutinized, sorted, gone through or to be put through a strainer. As disconcerting as Jesus knew this would be for Peter, He told him that He was praying for him that his faith would not fail. It doesn’t get any better than that! “But he said to Him, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death’” (Luke 22:33). Peter was bold and brash. He was staunch in his declarations of loyalty and commitment. Jesus called him out and said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me” (Luke 22:34). His lack of courage in the face of a most undeniable truth–that he was a disciple of Jesus–would bring him to his knees. Peter’s sifting was inevitable because Jesus had forewarned him of what was about to occur. Satan had already sifted Judas through the strainer of his insatiable greed for money and had ground him to powder! Luke 22:1-6 records this treacherous plot among the chief priests, the scribes and Judas. The chief priests and scribes were hunting for a way to kill Jesus, for they feared …

Are We Like Little Children?

Jesus said in Matthew 18:3 that we are to become as little children. He did not mean to be immature, but we are to be loving, kind and forgiving as little ones are. We are not supposed to stomp our feet and throw fits as little ones sometimes do. We are to forget about those things we do not like as quickly as children do, and we are not to hold grudges. Have you ever watched children playing? One of them would get mad and say, “I am going home, and I am never going to play or talk to you again!” Within a few minutes these children are playing and having a great time again. Of course, we have all seen this action or something similar many times. To be childlike, we must be loving. Jesus said we are to love one another. In John 13:34 we read, “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” Do we follow Jesus’ command as little children? If not, why not? Children are kind to one another when they are young. Unfortunately, we as adults teach them to be unloving, unkind and unforgiving by the example we set. In being kind to one another, we should not speak badly of others. How often after worship on Sunday morning on your way home from services do you have “roast” preacher, song leader, elders or whomever for what he did …

From Wanderer to City-Dweller

In Genesis 11:27, Lot is introduced into the biblical record. He was the son of Haran, the nephew of Abraham. Between Genesis 11:31 and 13:4, the Bible account tells of the nomadic life of Abraham and his family, including Lot. In verses 5 and 6, the text describes the great wealth of both Abraham and Lot. “Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together.” In order to preserve peace in the family, Abraham proposed a separation and offered Lot first choice of available land (13:8). Lot took note of the well-watered plain of Jordan and “pitched his tent even as far as Sodom” (13:12). At this point, Lot was still in the tent of a nomadic herdsman, but he was living close to the city of Sodom. Verse 13 notes that “the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord.” In Chapter 14, one reads of Lot being captured in a battle between two groups of kings. Note that Lot was captured while he “dwelt in Sodom” (14:12). Apparently, Lot was no longer living in a tent near Sodom, but he had moved into the city itself. After he was rescued by Abraham (14:13-17), Lot once again returned to the city of Sodom (19:1). As already noted, Genesis 13:13 records that the men of Sodom were very …

My Heart’s Desire and Prayer to God

The apostle Paul said in Romans 10:1-4, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” What is our heart’s desire and prayer to God for this new year? Is it something physical, material or spiritual? When our heart’s desire and prayer is of the caliber of Paul’s for Israel, success is assured! When we pray in genuine, obedient faith, we are calling down the power of God, and He will give us the desires of our hearts when we delight in His Word. How do we know that? David forthrightly declared it to be a fact in Psalm 37:3-5. “Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” These promises are ours when we submit our lives to God. Psalm 103:1 exclaims, “Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!” What does that mean, and how is that done? To bless …

Worry?

We as humans worry about so many things. We worry about this and that. We worry about our children, our grandchildren and our great grandchildren (no matter how young or old they are), our spouses, our jobs, our health and anything else. We can worry if it is going to be rainy, snowy, warm, cold or sunny. We have no control over the weather, no control over our grown children, our spouses and especially the weather. We worry about what others think of us. Some of our worries may be valid, but most of the time, we have no control as to the outcome—good or bad. Unfortunately, if we do not have anything over which to worry or fret, we then get ourselves all worked up because everything is going so well. We wonder when the other shoe is going to drop and something bad will happen. Our anxiousness is over much ado about nothing. We are told in the “Serenity Prayer”: (1) to change the things we can, (2) to accept the things we cannot change and (3) to know the difference. In other words, if I cannot change the situation, let it go. God is in control. We are told in Matthew 6:25-32 that, we are not to worry about what we are going to eat, what we are going to wear and where we are going to stay. God takes care of the birds, flowers and grass. We are much more important than these things. God will …

A Mind to Work

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah depict the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple of God by the remnant returning from captivity. First, the Temple was rebuilt. Many years later, the walls around Jerusalem remained in ruin (Nehemiah 1:3; 2:3). Nehemiah gained permission from the king and returned to Jerusalem. He motivated the people to rebuild. With everyone working together, the wall was repaired around the whole city to half of its needed height. Nehemiah stated the work occurred because “the people had a mind to work” (4:6). Jesus Had a Mind to Work Like the people rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, Jesus demonstrated a mind to work. The Gospel accounts record the work of Jesus from the beginning of His ministry following His baptism (Matthew 3:13-17) until after His death, burial, resurrection and ascension (Matthew 27:35-28:20; Acts 1:3-11). Jesus spent these three years traveling around the region, teaching the need for repentance and preparing all who would listen about the coming of the church. He told His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:37-38; see also Luke 10:2; John 4:35). Jesus wanted His disciples to work in the kingdom. The job He wanted them to do was the same job Christ had while on earth, “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). The Early Church Had a Mind to Work Like Jesus and the people …

Go, Plant, Water and Let God Give the Increase

In Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus taught the parable of the workers in the vineyard. The owner of the vineyard went out early in the morning and hired workers. He told them he would pay them a denarius for one day of work in his vineyard. These men agreed to this and went to work. The third, sixth, ninth and eleventh hours, the master of the vineyard went out and hired more workers. He told them each time that he would pay them what is right. They all agreed and went to work. Then, at the end of the day, the master started paying the workers from those hired last to those who started working first. Since those who started working at the eleventh hour got a denarius, the first men hired thought they would receive more in wages. When they received their money, they complained against the landowner. ‘You paid those who started working later than us the same thing you gave us.” The master said to them, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong, did you not agree to work for a denarius for the day’s wages?’ He told them to go on their way. It was his money to do with as he decided. Those who become Christians at an early age will receive the same reward as persons who become Christians in their old age. If you have been a member of the church for 50, 60 or even 90 years and are faithful at death, you will …

Faithful Endurance through the Traumas of Life

Vine’s Concise Dictionary of Bible Words defines endurance as “abiding under; bearing up courageously under suffering, persecutions, temptations, tribulations, and griefs. To wait patiently; to tarry; to hold up; to remain under; to be steadfast.” Our lives are filled with shocks, upsets, disturbances, ordeals and sufferings of all kinds. Why? We live in a sin-cursed, fallen, broken world. In God Moments for Women by Carolyn Larsen, she writes in “Rolling with Life” (page 12): How many times have you seen your life or someone else’s change in just a split second? An accident, a diagnosis or someone else’s choice changes everything. While changes can be disconcerting or even upsetting, they do not have to mean the end of relationships, careers, friendships or families. They only mean that things have changed. You have to roll with the punches… adjust and accept. How do you do that? Don’t forget that God is in the process. Remember… the only real constant is that God does not change. He is in control. He loves you. He has a plan. So, go with the flow and hang on to God for the journey! “A bend in the road is not the end of the road—unless you fail to make the turn” (Anonymous). The Book of Hebrews is filled with warnings against the danger of falling away from the harbor of salvation. Chapter 11 is chockful of faithful men and women who endured atrocities the likeness of which we can scarcely envision. Their faith was taxed to the breaking …

Unwrap God’s Gift of a New Day

My question is how do we “unwrap” our new day? Do we pray or just jump out of bed and hit the floor running by ourselves? Who will be our guide for the day, God or Satan? Do you realize before you open your eyes at the start of a new day, the devil is on the prowl (2 Peter 5:8)? He tries to put things in our way that would keep us from starting out our day with God in prayer. We should never forget to start our day with prayer. I know sometimes we have good intentions to pray every morning, but we do not always, which makes Satan very happy. Satan knows if we begin our day with God things will run smoother for us through the day. This is not to say we will not have any problems, but with God on our side, we can handle what is put in front of us. In Philippians 4:13, we are told that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We need to thank God for giving us a good night’s sleep as well as the ability to be able to see, to hear, to breathe, to arise out of bed and to be able to walk. What great gifts from God for us to unwrap every day with His blessings! The blessings are innumerable with which to begin a new day. We need to begin our day with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. …

Who Is Jesus?

First Corinthians 10:1-4 is very graphic and calls Jesus’ name as being with the Israelites in the wilderness 1,550 years before He was born physically. I know there are many indications that Christ was with the Israelites during the exodus from Egypt, but when the question arises about whether Christ existed from the beginning, before His physical birth, here is a good answer. John 8:56-58 reads, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” Keep this in mind as you read. “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). Do we have eternal life if we do not know the true God and His Son, whom He sent? Jesus was with God and the Holy Spirit in the beginning and is one with Them (John 17:20-21). He was with God in the creation of the world, and He will be the “Bridegroom” of the church for all eternity. If people study and believe Scripture at all, they believe this truth. At the creation, God said, “Let Us make man in Our image.” (God is not physical, and so this has to be the mind, heart and soul). In the Old Testament, God defined Himself as “I am that I am” (Exodus …

Lemonade

“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” This is one of my favorite sayings. In life, we all have trials and temptations. Many times, we are handed sour lemons. What we do with these lemons is very important. I can sit and mope or I can find a way to make something good from the bad that happened to me. Consider one situation with which I am familiar. A friend passed away. It was a very sad time for the family. Remember, look for something good out of a bad thing that happened. This elder in the church died, and the very next Sunday, his grandson was baptized. This boy was 18 or 19 years of age. He knew what he needed to do, but he also thought he had plenty of time to become a Christian. Yes, death was hard on the family; however, this young man become a Christian because of the loss of his grandfather. Losing his grandfather made him very aware of what he needed to do. This made something good out of the bad. Now on a more personal note, Louis lost Bonnie, the love of his life, to cancer in May of 2015. I lost my best friend and the love of my life to cancer in December 2015. Yes, we were both handed very sour lemons. I believe that when we put God first in our lives (Matthew 6:33), in time, our lives will be filled with love and happiness again. It does …

God’s Plans and Purposes

God’s plan and purpose is never more evident than seen in the Book of Esther. His providence is clearly manifested, and yet, His name is not mentioned one time in those ten chapters. Only the Self-Existent One, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe could do that! The entire Jewish nation was under what seemed to have been an irrevocable decree of complete annihilation; just the opposite occurred. Only God could do that! Following a series of divinely orchestrated events, the king of Media and Persia sent out a command and a decree for a new queen. Mordecai, a certain Jew, of the tribe of Benjamin had been carried away captive from Jerusalem by the king of Babylon (Esther 1-2:6). Esther 2:7 reads, “And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.” In the course of time, Esther was chosen to replace Queen Vashti. Esther 2:18 reads, “Then the king made a great feast, the Feast of Esther, for all his officials and servants; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces and gave gifts according to the generosity of a king.” Esther had not revealed her family and her people as Mordecai had charged her; she always obeyed him. In those days, while Mordecai sat within the king’s gate, two of the king’s doorkeepers became furious and sought to …

But As For Me…But As For You…

But as for Me… “But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Many of us recognize this famous line of commitment to God even if we don’t readily remember where it is in the Bible, who said it or why it was said. We see it referenced at the end of emails; we see it on plaques, bookmarks, Bible covers, calendars, in picture frames, etc. Following the death of Moses, Joshua became the leader for the Israelite nation. A long time after God had given them rest from all their enemies, Joshua was an old man. Joshua 23:2-3 reads, “And Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers, and said to them, ‘I am old, advanced in age. You have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations because of you, for the LORD your God is He who has fought for you.’” Joshua told them they were to be very courageous as well as to keep and to do all that was written in the Book of the Law of Moses. He told them they were neither to make mention of the name of the gods of those nations nor to serve them nor to bow down to them. He told them to hold fast to the LORD their God, as they had done to that day (Joshua 23:6-8). He then told them in Joshua 23:9, “For the LORD has …

Building on a Firm Foundation

How do you build a house? Do you build on the sand or on a firm foundation? A foolish man builds his house on the sand. The wise man builds his house on a rock. We are told in Matthew 7:24-27 to build on a firm foundation. Jesus is our firm foundation. We are to build our lives on Jesus and His Word. The biblical blueprint is to be obeyed, just like when a builder has a blueprint to erect a house. If the plans are not followed exactly, the dwelling will not come out right. If we do not follow the plan of salvation, to hear (Romans 10:17), to believe (Acts 2:38), to repent (Luke 13:3, 5), to confess Christ (Romans 10:9-10) and to be baptized for the remission of sins (Mark16:16), we have not built on a firm foundation regarding salvation. Lastly, we must remain faithful (Revelation 2:10). So, are you building on the firm foundation of our Lord Jesus Christ? Or, would you say that your life is built on the sand?

Ugly Arrogance

Arrogance is defined as an offensive display of superiority or self-importance; overbearing pride; haughtiness. Several references are made in Scripture to arrogance or being arrogant. None of these references reveal a good outcome. All of them serve as a warning against this most self-destructive, brash behavior. The phrase “ugly arrogance” caught my attention in an article I read recently, which is the incentive for this article’s title. God always met ugly arrogance with the consequence of severe discipline or punishment. The first revealed example occurs in God’s confrontation with Cain after he had murdered Abel. Genesis 4:9 records, “Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Where is Abel your brother?’ He said, ‘I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?’” Cain is the first person to tell a lie as he tells the Creator and Sustainer of the universe that he does not know the whereabouts of his brother! His question to the Almighty, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” is ugly arrogance to the zenith. Cain’s punishment was dreadful. God told him that the voice of Abel’s blood cried out to Him from the ground. Further, God told Cain in Genesis 4:11-12, “So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.” Cain said his punishment was greater than he could bear, but bear it …

Surrender Is to Relinquish

To surrender is to submit willingly, giving up control, to renounce or to forsake. It is an act of relinquishing control or possession to somebody or something. For Christians, this means God is fully recognized as the One and the only One in control. They come to accept wholeheartedly, “O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). Through obedience to the Gospel message of salvation from sin—the good news—Christians declare their allegiance to His Son, Jesus Christ. This commitment culminates in baptism and is adhered to until death. The hymn “I Surrender All” is convicting every time this writer sings it. The question was posed to the congregation by a preacher who challenged us with this question: “Are we singing this song with an exclamation point or with a question mark?” All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give,I will ever love and trust Him, in His presence daily live. All to Jesus I surrender, humbly at His feet I bow,Worldly pleasures all forsaken; take me, Jesus, take me now. All to Jesus I surrender, Lord, I give myself to Thee;Fill me with Thy love and power, let Thy blessing fall on me. I surrender all, I surrender all, all to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all. It is perhaps the most difficult, distressing and heart-wrenching song for this writer to sing because I know it is not …

Stepping Stones to Authority in the Church

We all have someone to whom we must answer for things in our lives. Employees must answer to their bosses in the workplace. Children must answer to their parents in the home. Students must be held accountable to their teachers. Even the President of the United States is held responsible to the people. In this world in which we live, everyone is liable to someone in authority. The same is true in the church of our Lord. There are two levels of authority for Christ’s church. First, Jesus is our final authority (Matthew 28:18). All men and women answer to God’s Word. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God…” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Of course, we have a choice to obey God or not, but when judgment comes, we will reap our reward or be condemned to punishment (Matthew 25:31-46). Second, Christ has granted authority to elders of each congregation of the Lord’s church. Elders are to be selected to rule the church (Hebrews 13:7, 17) and feed the flock (Acts 20:28-31; 1 Peter 5:1-2). A brother who is being considered to be an elder must meet certain qualifications before he can be appointed for the work (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). We are to have multiple men in the eldership (Acts 11:30; 14:23). The elders can make decisions that are not covered in the Scriptures as matters of opinion, such as what kind of songbooks to use or what color of carpet will be in the church building. Also, …

The Faith of the Remnant

The eleventh chapter of Hebrews is well-known for its discussion of faith. The first verse of this great chapter reads, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The word “faith” describes our conviction in the truth of God’s Word. This faith is produced in us when we hear God’s Word (Romans 10:17). Many faithful servants of God are presented in Hebrews 11 as examples for the Christian. Consider for a moment another example of faith found in the Book of Ezra. The Babylonians conquered Judah as divine punishment for their rejection of God. Jeremiah prophesied that the captivity would last for seventy years (25:12; 29:10) before a remnant would return to the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 30:1-10). As the Book of Ezra opens, King Cyrus sends over 40,000 Jews back to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple and take up residence in the land. God’s people had been away from home for seventy years. Many of those relocating to Jerusalem had never been there before. They had never seen the grand temple built by Solomon. Yet, this new generation moved to Jerusalem to build a temple where they could worship God “as it is written in the Book of Moses” (Ezra 6:18). When the foundation for the new temple was laid, there were two different reactions. The aged men, ones who had seen the original Temple, wept. The younger people shouted for joy (3:12). Both groups of people showed great faith in the promises …

If

“If” is such a small word, but it is one of the biggest words in the English language. “If” is such a big word because of the consequences that may follow our decisions and actions. We must really think before opening our mouths. Sometimes we say things we do not really mean, but depending on with whom we may be, we go ahead and do what we have said just to save face in front of peers. We surely do not want to be made fun of by our equals or our friends. Another thing we do with the word “if” is that we go back in time and wonder if I had done this or if I had done that, things might have been different in our lives. They may have been different, but these same things we are talking about might have come out a whole lot worse. Sometimes we as parents say, “I wish I could go back and do things differently with rearing my children.”  Would we really want to go back in time? We probably would have made the same mistakes that we made the first time. We hear people say all the time, “If I only had a million dollars, I would do this or that.” Why can we not do some little thing to do good? Why does it always have to be a great thing to help those in need? Jesus said that just a cup of water in His name is a worthwhile …

Funerals Speak to the Lives of the Deceased

During the month of April 2017, for the first time this writer experienced losing two members of our congregation on the same day. These faithful sisters took their heavenly journey within hours of each other. It left us reeling because one was “expected,” but the other was not. Death is the great equalizer. It happens every few seconds all over the planet. Yet, it is a subject some of us will do almost anything to avoid talking about and facing that irrevocable new reality. Our lives are never the same; perhaps that is why denial seems the only way we are able to cope. Funerals, memorials, graveside services and scattering of ashes are the ways the majority of us have chosen to deal with saying our final and formal goodbyes. One of the most detailed accounts of a funeral and a burial was the death of Jacob as recorded in Genesis 49:28-50:1-14. Shortly before his death, Genesis 49:1-2 records, “And Jacob called his sons and said, ‘Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days: Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob, and listen to Israel your father.” In Genesis 49:3-27, Jacob pronounced his individual blessing upon each of his 12 sons. Verse 28 records, “All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them. And he blessed them; he blessed each one according to his own blessing.” In Genesis 49:29-30, Jacob instructed his sons to bury …

Let Your Light Shine in the Community

As Christians, how can we let our lights shine in our communities? Have we put Christ on as The Light of our lives? We cannot be the influence that we ought to be as long as we have not become Christians. Therefore, we must follow God’s Word to become children of God. Let us find out how a person becomes a child of the King! First, one must hear the Word of God as stated in Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” Secondly, a person must believe God’s Word as quoted in Mark 16:16, “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved. But he who does not believe shall be condemned.” Thirdly, one is required to repent of his or her sins. There must be a change of heart (mind) and a change of actions. Luke 13:3, 5 say, “I tell you, no, except you repent you will perish.” This must be essential as Christ spoke these words twice as emphasis that one—not should—must repent. Fourthly, it is necessary to confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Romans 10:9-10 reads, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Lastly, a penitent believer must be baptized into Christ, and then, He adds him to …

Walk Worthy of the Calling

The apostle Paul laid out a charge for all Christians in Ephesians 4:1-3. This lifelong pursuit is God’s expectation to those striving to make heaven their eternal home. “I, therefore, the prisoner of the LORD, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Walk worthy of the calling—what does that mean? According to Vine’s Concise Dictionary of Bible Words, “It is the Christian walk as it should be; assisting servants of God in a way which reflects God’s character and thoughts. It is a manner of life in accordance with what the gospel declares. A manner as befits those who bear the name of “saints.”’ Have we ever done any real meditation to understand and to embrace what Christians are called to do in just these three verses? Paul said that he was the Lord’s prisoner. Though he was in a literal prison at the time, Paul was not bothered that his physical location would hinder him in any way in keeping true to his Lord and Master. He was bound by chains of love and complete submission to Jesus Christ. What about you and me? We too are, and always will be, “prisoners” of the Lord as we make the daily commitment to die to self and to follow Christ. Paul said he was begging the church in Ephesus …

We Sin against God First, #2

The focus in the February article on this subject was Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Sodom and Gomorrah, Joseph and his brothers, and David and Bathsheba. Three additional accounts point to the realization that all sin is first committed against God. Scripture reveals that sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). This separation means eternal condemnation. The holiness of God demands that sin be punished or atonement be made so that it can be forgiven. “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Psalm 32:1). The Request of the Children ofRueben and the Children of Gad Numbers 32 details the request of the children of Reuben and Gad. They asked Moses, Eleazar the priest and the leaders of the congregation to let the land they occupied be given to them as a possession. They did not want to cross over the Jordan (Numbers 32:1-5). Numbers 32:6-7 reads, “And Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Rueben: ‘Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here? Now why will you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD has given them?’” Moses reminded them of the LORD’s anger with their fathers who had returned from spying out the land of Canaan with their evil report. God swore that none of the men who came up from Egypt from 20-years-old and above would see Canaan, except Joshua and Caleb because they had wholly …

Living for Christ Modestly

When we become Christians, we are saying to the world that my life is to be for Christ and not for Satan. I am going to live and act differently than I did before I put Christ on in baptism. How do you live for Christ as a Christian woman? Maybe you are a daughter, a wife, a mother, a mother-in-law or a grandmother? As Christian women, we can be more than one of the above at any given time. We must remember how we live and act lets others know if we want to live for Christ or for Satan! We are being watched by our families, friends, acquaintances, neighbors and even by others that we have never met. Let us think, act and live more like Christ. Living for Christ as a teenage young lady is hard because one wants her classmates and especially the boys to like her. Sometimes we let wanting to be popular with our friends lead us down the wrong path of life. We dress or should I say undress, go places and do things that are not becoming of Christians. We should be a better influence on our friends instead of letting them lead us to be more like the world. Unfortunately, our dress can be revealing with low cut tops, spaghetti straps, exposed midriffs, short-shorts or miniskirts. At other times, we may wear pants that are so skintight that there is nothing left for boys and men to imagine. Unfortunately, this applies to ladies …

We Sin Against God First

Adam and Eve From the time Adam and Eve disobeyed God, the human race continues to sin against Him. Rather than listen to God, Eve chose to listen to the serpent; Adam chose to listen to Eve. Through that choice, sin entered the world. S-I-N is why we are in the perpetual mess that plagues each of us daily throughout our lives. Cain and Abel The first time the word “sin” is used in Scripture, God was talking directly to Cain. When he realized that God had no respect for his offering, Cain became very angry and his face fell (Genesis 4:5). Genesis 4:6-7 reads, “The LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it’” (ESV). Then, Cain spoke to Abel, and when they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel and killed him. When God asked Cain where was his brother, Cain lied and said, “I do not know.” He compounded his lie with arrogance in his question to God, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9). First John 3:11-12 tells us why Cain committed this despicable act. “For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why …

Biblical Ignorance—Deadly!

Nobody wants to be described as, referred to or believed to be ignorant. Yet, we all are ignorant—just on different subjects. However, ignorance of the teachings of the Bible is deadly because of the irrevocable consequence of eternal punishment. The nature of this everlasting disaster defies our comprehension. Psalm 119 is God’s revelation of how imperative the Word of God is to the world. In this Psalm, it is described, exalted and adored. These descriptions are made known through God’s (1) word, (2) commandments, (3) precepts, (4) testimonies, (5) law, (6) way, (7) truth, (8) judgments, (9) righteousness and (10) statutes. Studies in Psalms by Robert R. Taylor, Jr. gives definitions of these divine aspects. How deadly is ignorance of God’s Word? Vine’s Concise Dictionary of Bible Words defines ignorance in several ways. It is “want of knowledge or perception.” It includes “the idea of willful blindness.” It is “unwitting error.” It is “to be unknown; not to understand.” Several accounts are addressed briefly of these various forms of ignorance. Paul addressed the men of Athens at the Areopagus [Mars Hill] in Acts 17:29-31 by saying, “Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he appointed; and of …