The Only Way Out Is Through

Our Lord suffered incomprehensible agony as He faced the cross. Luke 22:44 gives us a graphic word picture. “And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Another vivid description appears in Hebrews 5:7-8, “[W]ho, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” The glorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ followed His suffering. In Matthew 26:42, He prayed, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” Did we get that? Is that facing reality to the zenith? Jesus knew, understood and accepted what it meant to rest His will in the will of His Father! The following passages reveal our Lord’s commitment to God’s purpose for sending Him into the world. Before His crucifixion, Jesus told His disciples in Luke 9:44, “Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.” Luke 9:51 says, “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.” He said in John 12:27, “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, …

Remodeling in Progress

Have you ever seen a sign at a business that reads something like, “Please excuse our mess. Reconstruction (or remodeling) in progress”? On the way to work over the last several weeks, I have seen a sign on a church building with a similar message. Whether the sign was meant literally or figuratively I do not know, but I did think of a spiritual meaning. The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” No one who lives on the earth today is perfect. However, those who choose to obey the commands of Jesus and become Christians become new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17) when they are baptized into Christ (Romans 6:3-4). God does not expect new Christians to instantly be perfect in their behavior and knowledge of the Scriptures. Consider 1 Peter 2:2, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” Just as newborn babies cry for milk on a regular basis, Christians both new and mature in the faith should yearn for God’s Word. Immersing oneself in God’s Word promotes growth, just like a baby grows from drinking milk. Also like the growth of a young child, a diet of only milk will not satisfy for long. Eventually the child needs to eat solid food. Christians also must progress to “solid food.” The Hebrew writer stated in chapter 5 verses 13 and 14, “For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word …

Satan’s Challenge: Is There a God?

I wake in the morning to the consciousness of the presence of God. My heart words thankfulness to Him that while I slept He continued to be watchful and loving, caring for all the parts of life that required His attention. Satan trails a thought through my head. “You haven’t seen God. Suppose He is, as the skeptics say, only a crutch in your head. What then?” In willingness to be fair and open-minded, I try that concept. What then? There is blankness in my heart. The warm love I had directed toward God dries up at its source. My feeling of security disappears. I no longer have an anchor and a certainty to life. There is no longer a sense of direction about where I am going, ultimately. With nothing greater in my head than myself, no purpose greater than the demands of today’s physical existence — because tomorrow may not come, and there is no eternal existence on the horizon — blankness, and then fear and futility flood every crevice of my mind. Without God, it is worse than, “Nothing is left.” It is, “I still exist, and all of the challenges of this world still exist, and yet I face this existence with the acceptance of the dead fact that I have no help. There is no one greater than this frightened self to turn to.” I marvel that suicide is not imminently on the horizon for all of those who lose faith in a Higher Being. …

It Is an Acquired Taste

Among numerous eternal truths from Matthew Chapters 5-7, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). This righteousness that Jesus spoke of is found in the Bible only. We have got to spend some time reading the only book that God ever wrote. “Have you not read…?” was a question that Jesus asked several times during His earthly ministry. A familiar slogan for some of us comes from Cracker Jack, “The more you eat, the more you want.” Many of us may remember the TV commercial for Quaker Oats to promote their breakfast cereal, Life. Three little boys are sitting at a table looking at the bowl of cereal. The two older boys are pushing the bowl back and forth between the two of them as they are saying, “I’m not gonna try it — you try it!” Speaking of the youngest boy, one says, “Let’s get Mikey, he hates everything!” To their utmost surprise, Mikey begins to eat heartily the cereal, to which they exclaim, “He likes it! Hey, Mikey!” Do we have memories of foods and drinks that we once hated? Now over time, and tasting, and finally eating, we really enjoy some of those foods and drinks. I remember most vividly my first experience with black olives. I thought they were huge delicious grapes! What a shock as the flavor of that olive connected with my taste buds! UUGGH! It was years before I ever tried them again; now …

Elders – Are You Qualified?

Does each elder within a congregation have to meet every qualification? Is a man qualified to serve as an elder as long as he meets most of the qualifications? Are the qualifications for elders to be followed strictly or are they mere suggestions? If all the qualifications are met by the sum of all the elders, is that sufficient? Before we answer these questions and look at the individual qualifications for elders, consider the following passages outlining the Lord’s purpose and duty of elders within His church. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. (Acts 20:28) Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. (Hebrews 13:17) The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. (1 Peter 5:1-3) From these verses, we learn that the elders are to …

What Do You Want Me to Do for You?

Matthew 20:29-30 reads, “Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, ‘Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!’” The multitude warned the men to be quiet, but they cried out all the more. Verse 32 says, “So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’” Verse 33 tells us how specific these men were in their request. “They said to Him, ‘Lord, that our eyes may be opened.’” Verse 34 states the Lord’s reaction and the result of their request being granted. “So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.” Luke 17:11-19 gives the account of ten lepers. These lepers’ request of Jesus was very much the same as the two blind men. Verses 12-13 says, “Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’” When Jesus saw them, He told them to go and show themselves to the priest, and as they went, they were cleansed. One, who was a Samaritan, when he saw he was healed, returned and with a loud voice glorified God, fell down at Jesus’ feet and gave thanks. Verse 17 states, “So Jesus answered and …

The State of the Children

The conversation in my classroom one day went something like this. Teacher: This is the chess set my dad used to teach me how to play chess. That is a chess set like you buy today… Student 1: Is that the same Dad that is with your mom overseas right now? Your real Mom and Dad? Teacher: Yes, my parents. They have been married for 38 years. Student 1: (Facial expression shows amazement/disbelief) Student 2: They didn’t get a divorce? I thought you were supposed to get divorced after a couple of years. Yes, both of these students were completely serious. None of the other students indicated they disagreed with the statements made by the first two. Do you understand what happened? Six students, ages 12-13, find it uncommon for a couple to be married 38 years and believe marriages are supposed to end in divorce on a regular basis! Why is this such a big deal? Consider the following ideas. First, divorce and remarriage is so common in the United States that many do not realize God’s plan. In Genesis 2:24, God instituted marriage with these words, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” When Jesus taught during His earthly ministry, He repeated this statement to the Pharisees when they questioned Him about divorce. Matthew 19:1-9 records this encounter and includes further information on God’s plan. Verse 9 states, “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, …

How Are You Worshipping?

While endeavoring to acquaint Churches of Christ with our mission efforts, Louis and I visit one or two different congregations each Lord’s Day. Thus, we have opportunities to see firsthand how the Lord’s church worships throughout this country and abroad. One of the things I have noticed is the lack of interest in worship among some of those in attendance. The old adage “actions speak louder than words” certainly is evident during our worship to God. When we pass notes, send text messages, talk, fail to sing and habitually sleep during the assembly, we portray an attitude of disinterest in worshipping our Lord. This behavior exhibits “going through the motions,” rather than a desire to worship our Heavenly Father. John 4:24 states, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The word worship means “to fawn or crouch to, i.e. (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore)” (Strong’s). When we properly worship God, we show reverence, respect and adoration to our Creator! The word “spirit” means “mental disposition” (Strong’s). We may worship in truth, but if our attitude is not correct, our worship is unacceptable to God. What are our actions during worship showing? Are they showing an attitude of indifference, I really do not want to be here, I am bored, or can those who observe us see we that we are worshipping God “in spirit and in truth”? It is disturbing to watch adults exhibit such a lack …

Knowledge of and Adherence to the Bible

The question was asked in a sermon recently when people hear our names, what is the first thing that comes to their minds? Was it our looks? Was it our money and possessions? Was it our power and position? Was it our education and social status? Was it our stand on politics? What was it that identified us in the minds of others? We were challenged to look at what battles against God that defines us, to relinquish whatever that was and replace it with Jesus Christ. We were called upon to accept heaven’s definition of who we are because nothing else will matter when we come to the end of life’s journey. As I thought later, all I could think about was what identified us as Christians should be our knowledge of and adherence to the Bible as God has revealed it. That is our strength as individuals and as the church. If either of these two factors is missing, our lives as Christians fall into full-blown disarray! Our effectiveness becomes virtually nil. What glee for Satan! Our spiritual identification is daily on display. People in the world are watching; other members of the church are watching; our families are watching; our neighbors are watching. Paul told the church at Corinth, “You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of God, not on tablets of stone …

Such a Savior!

I think it is an interesting commentary on the religions of the world that all of them are willing to admit that Christ can be followed as a spiritual leader, but at the same time, the broad statement is made that anything, everything in religion is all right as long as it is covered by the canopy of “love” or “sincerity” or “honesty.” So, while other leaders teach their own religious doctrines, they lack the courage to deny completely the right and authority of Christ in the spiritual realm. There has been only One Man who has ever walked the face of the earth who has allowed room for no other authority and Who has had the audacity to make the claim, “I am the way, the truth, the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” That is a claim with which every human being must deal. A man may choose to live in ignorance of it; he may ignore it after he knows of it; he may ridicule it; or he may find peace and security in it — but every man has to face that claim and react to it in some way. For myself, I have faced it and accepted it as truth, because I cannot deny the mountainous evidence that supports it. For yourself, you can ignore His claim and hold yourself in willful ignorance of its veracity. Nobody can make you do otherwise. Of all the desire in the heart of someone …

The Wrong Fruit

After God created the world, He planted the Garden of Eden for Adam and Eve. Within this Garden God caused every tree to grow that was pleasant to the eyes and good for food. Also two unique trees – the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil – were planted there (Genesis 2:8-9). Then, God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden with the following instructions, “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die’” (Genesis 2:15-17). God ensured that food was plentiful for His created beings. Every fruit within the Garden was available to Adam and Eve with the exception of the fruit from one tree. It should have been an easy task to avoid the fruit from the forbidden tree, as there was an abundance of fruit throughout the Garden waiting to be plucked and to be eaten. However, Satan decided to meddle with God’s perfect world and His perfect creation. The Devil encouraged Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, telling her that she would not die as God had instructed them. Unfortunately, Eve chose to listen to Satan rather than to listen to God. She ate the forbidden fruit, and then she gave some to Adam. Adam and Eve ate the …

God Wants Us to Be and Stay Changed

In recent years there have been TV programs featuring extreme makeovers of face and body. These programs can be thrilling to watch when we see the “before” and “after” transformations. Some family members and friends are virtually speechless with joy and amazement when they see the “new” person emerge from behind the curtain! God wants that kind of change in us spiritually. God wants us to be changed — to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Ephesians 4:23-24 says, “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man [self] which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” R.C. Bell who wrote Studies in Ephesians made this statement: “No portion of the Bible draws the contradiction between fleshly and spiritual men more fully, or portrays the depraved, wretched, natural man in more colorful terms than Ephesians does.” We must have the desire to develop that biblically conscious way of thinking that will change our thoughts, words and actions that are contrary to God’s will. Jesus said in Luke 9:23, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Dying to self is the grimmest and most distasteful funeral we will ever attend. Many of us are in love with ourselves and our self-serving, self-seeking ways and attitudes. What we commonly refer to as The Beatitudes of our Lord in Matthew 5:1-12 are the basic groundwork of the change in our thinking …

What Does it Mean to “Pray Without Ceasing”?

“That’s just a figure of speech. Of course, we cannot pray all the time!” My father and I liked to build things together. He was the lead, and I was the helper. I thought I was going right up that ladder of competency until he passed away, and then I discovered that I was a very good follower, bereft of my leader, but we made a good team. Of course we did a lot of talking and serious planning about our projects before we started, and then, as we worked, we discussed the suitableness of the materials, we checked measurements, we did the cuts, the gluing, the nailing, the sanding, varnishing – the whole works, and then we sat back and admired the finished product. It was a good feeling of accomplishment, shared between our hearts. As we worked, though, sometimes we talked, sometimes we discussed the project or a problem, sometimes we worked in silence. However, always our thoughts were together, and always we were conscious of the other’s presence and of what the other was doing, as well as what we were doing together. To me, that is what that beautiful verse has come to mean, as I have puzzled over it and have gone deeper into what it is saying about our relationship with our spiritual Father. God and I are in a great building project together. He is the lead, and I am the helper. He talks to me through His Word. I talk to Him …

Murmur

Usually when one considers the term “murmur,” we immediately think of complaints or one who complains. However, the term “murmur” has a slightly different meaning. The second definition of an English dictionary gives the following definition for the word murmur, “a mumbled or private expression of discontent.” While murmuring is complaining, it is done quietly and often privately, thereby causing an undertow of discontent among those influenced by the murmurer. Vine’s Dictionary gives the following definitions for the Greek words meaning murmur or murmuring: A. Verbs 1. gonguzo, “to mutter, murmur, grumble, say anything in a low tone”…the word “murmur” itself, is used of the laborers in the parable of the householder, Matt 20:11; of the scribes and Pharisees, against Christ, Luke 5:30; of the Jews, John 6:41,43, of the disciples, 6:61; of the people, 7:32 (of debating secretly); of the Israelites, 1 Cor 10:10 (twice), where it is also used in a warning to believers. (Moulton and Milligan, Vocab.). 2. diagonguzo, lit., “to murmur through” (dia, i.e., “through a whole crowd,” or “among themselves”), is always used of indignant complaining, Luke 15:2; 19:7. 3. embrimaomai is rendered “murmured against” in Mark 14:5; it expresses indignant displeasure. Note: For stenazo, James 5:9, RV, “murmur,” see GRIEVE, No. 3. B. Noun. gongusmos, “a murmuring, muttering” (akin to A, No. 1), is used (a) in the sense of secret debate among people, John 7:12 (as with the verb in v. 32); (b) of displeasure or complaining (more privately than in public), said of Grecian Jewish converts against Hebrews, Acts 6:1; in general …

Is God a God of Wrath?

Vine’s Concise Dictionary of Bible Words defines wrath as “heat, rage, anger.” “Most of the usage involves God’s ‘anger.’ His ‘wrath’ is expressed against Israel’s sin in the wilderness. In God’s dealing with Israel He was jealous of His Holy name, for which reason He had to deal justly with idolatrous Israel by avenging Himself.” Is God a God of wrath? In a word, “Yes.” Is God a God of love? In a word, “Yes.” How do we know this? The Bible answers both questions in the affirmative repeatedly throughout Scripture. Virtually every soul acquainted with Christianity knows what John 3:16 says about the love of God. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” We see it everywhere. We hear it quoted often. How many people know what Romans 1:18-19 says about God’s wrath? “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.” There is no question that God is a God of love. This is stated forthrightly in 1 John 4:7-8. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” However, in order for us to have …

The Kingdom: The Message of Separation

When John the Baptist came preaching, what was his message? When Christ began to preach, what was His central theme? When His disciples were sent out, what were they told to preach? When the disciples went into all the world preaching the Gospel, what was their message? Acts 8:5 and 12 define the message for us: “…Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them… When they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.” Again, what had Jesus preached? “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). In the Gospel accounts, how many times was the kingdom — the coming of the church — the core of the message? Jesus said, “…theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3, 10), and “…you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (20). He commanded, “But seek first the kingdom…” (6:33). “Not everyone…shall enter the kingdom of heaven” (7:21). “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom” (Matthew 9:35; 4:23). The Gospel accounts show that Jesus proved Himself to be the Messiah by the works He did through the power of the Holy Spirit, but His message of words was not so much on the subject of Himself as on the kingdom! He was preparing His listeners for the day when He would begin to draw …

An Elder’s Children

Who or what are the elders? Consider how the qualifications and work of an elder would be one of the best influences a child could enjoy. Elders were associated with James in Jerusalem in the local church’s government (Acts 11:29-30; 16:4-5; 20:28-32; 21:18) and, with the apostles, in the decisions of the early church (Acts 15:1-35). Elders were also appointed in the churches established during the apostle Paul’s first missionary journey (Acts 14:23). Paul addressed the elders at Ephesus (Acts 20:17-35). Elders played an important role in church life through their ministry to the sick — both physical and spiritual (James 5:14-15). They also were teachers in a local congregation (1 Peter 5:1-5). In addition to ministering to the sick, their duties consisted of explaining the Scriptures and teaching doctrine (1 Timothy 5:17-20). The elder’s child would have the benefit not only of his own father’s influence in the home, but also the influence of the entire eldership to train him. We know that John was an elder (2 John 1; 3 John 1) and as such had faithful children. Timothy was told to count those elders who ruled well worthy of double honor and not to receive an accusation against an elder except at the mouth of two or three witnesses (1 Timothy 5:17-19). Timothy was also told to ordain elders in every city (Titus 1:5). The qualifications specified for becoming an elder follow in the next three verses (Titus 1:6-9). An elder should be “One that ruleth well his …

Hannah

Most of us looooove little babies; many young women get ‘baby fever’ after they have been married for a while. Hannah did! She longed for a baby. To make matters worse, she was the second wife of Elkanah, who had children by his first wife, Peninnah, who rubbed it in and made life miserable for Hannah. No doubt, Peninnah was extremely jealous because Elkanah loved Hannah and showed it. (I feel a little sorry for Peninnah, as well.) How blessed we are to be under the law of Christ and do not have to deal with several wives for one husband! Elkanah, as husbands today, thought he was better than ten sons but Hannah knew better. When one longs for a child, then a husband cannot fill that void. The love God gives us for a child is different from the love He gives us for a husband, though both are wonderful. So Hannah cried, and cried, and cried and did not eat and prayed, and prayed and prayed. At Shiloh, the principle place of worship in those days, Hannah prayed silently, lips moving, tears streaming in anguish, begging God for a child and even trying to make a deal with God. She promised that if God would give her a son she would never cut his hair, like the vow of Sampson’s mother, and she would give him back. Eli, the priest, observed her strange behavior, thought she was drunk and reprimanded her, until Hannah became alert and explained that she was …

All I Want to Hear Is “Well Done”

My 30-year-old younger son recently said to me, “Mom, the older I get the more I realize that all I want to hear is “well done.” I was so impressed that he being so young had come to that conclusive realization in his life — it made me so thankful and so proud! What will happen when Christ returns to reward His servants is depicted in Matthew 25:14-30. “Well done, good and faithful servant…” is what the Lord will say to those who have lived their lives in faithful, submissive and humble obedience to Him. Those first two words of the Lord’s final verdict to the obedient could not have greater eternal consequence and magnitude! Mid McKnight, one of the long time Gospel preachers in several Texas cities, said in a sermon years and years ago, “Anybody can go to heaven that wants to go to heaven more than anything else in the world! And until you want that more than anything else in the world, you are as close to heaven right now as you are ever going to get!” This is the cost to follow Christ! Jesus said in Matthew 10:37, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” To be worthy of Christ is to have an allegiance far stronger than marriage and family ties. To be worthy of Christ is to understand that nobody and nothing comes before allegiance to …

The Church: The Glorious Culmination of God’s Plan of the Ages

Satan is the vigilant, never-resting enemy of God. The Scriptures clearly state that before the creation, God knew that man would fall, and He made the complete plan for his redemption: through “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). What would the death of Christ accomplish? It brought together His followers, in one body, as they are called out of the world and born through the waters of baptism into the family of God, which He calls “the church” (John 15:19; Ephesians 1:10; John 3:3,5). Colossians 1:18 declares, “And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” The book of Ephesians is rich with definitive statements of what it means to be “in Christ.” Certainly, there is no salvation outside of Christ, and Ephesians 1:22-23 underscores the statement made to the Colossians: “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” God’s plan from before the creation was to call people out of the world, washing them clean of their sins in the blood of His Son, and bringing them by that birth into the body of Christ — the church of Christ — separate from the contamination of the world. The oneness and the glory of that sanctified body fill the remaining pages of …

Abraham Commanded His Children

“For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him” (Genesis 18:19). God made a covenant with Abraham. In that covenant, God made specific promises if he would keep his part of the covenant. Abraham’s part was to walk before God and be perfect (Genesis 17:1), and to circumcise every male child born in his house (Genesis 17:10-13). God promised Abraham:

How Will I Be Remembered?

Two weeks ago, my mother passed from this life into eternity at the age of 83. When my siblings and I met with the funeral director to make the final arraignments for her funeral, some of the questions he asked us were: Trying to answer all these questions brought back a lot of memories. Some of the things she enjoyed changed over time while others remained constant throughout her life. One of mom’s most enjoyable pastimes was reading – that never changed. Mom was an avid reader up to a week or two before her death. Perhaps our daughter, Rebecca, gets her love of reading from her grandmother. My niece and I spent several hours viewing, scanning and making a DVD of pictures of mom and family members to show during the viewing and funeral. Looking at those pictures brought back a lot of memories as well. As aunts, uncles, cousins and family friends gathered with us at the funeral home, I often overheard discussions of memories of mom. One of the visitors to the viewing was an older lady who grew up in the same small community as my mother. Mom had not lived there for many years, but when this lady saw the obituary in the newspaper she remembered her. She told me that she informed several of her friends and neighbors of mom’s death, and none of them remembered mom. Thinking back to that conversation, has prompted me to wonder, “How will I be remembered when I …

How to Put and Keep God First

Most of us are familiar with the Lord’s commandment of Matthew 6:33. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” In what has become known as the Sermon on the Mount, the teachings of Jesus the Christ are such that we will be challenged by them all of our lives! How do we obey the command of Matthew 6:33? First, to put and keep God first we must come to recognize that God does not and will not ever take second place to anybody or anything! He stated that candidly to the children of Israel in Exodus 20:1-3. “And God spoke all these words, saying: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.” What are some of our modern day gods or idols? The list is practically endless because it could and most times does vary from person to person. For the purpose of this writing, only a few can be mentioned. Some people have family members as their gods. Some have members of the church as their gods. Some have friends and coworkers as their gods. Still others have their money, pleasure, entertainment, jobs, sports, careers, school/college, homes, cars, lands, clothes and on and on we go with the gods and idols of this world! God still says none of those relationships or material possessions can come before Him and …

Is A Woman Inferior to a Man?

Some people say that a woman is nothing more than a servant to a man, even though he is her husband. She is good only to bear children, to keep the house and to prepare the food. Some religions teach that a woman cannot be saved in the body of a woman. She must be first reborn as a man. In rejection of this thinking, the Women’s Liberation Movement, which has swept through the developed nations of the world, declares that woman is in every way the equal of man. Not only does this movement seek to establish equality, but its ultimate goal is to gain power for the women of the world to overset the established authority of men. This attitude has created a sense of competition between women and men that results in enmity, bitterness and broken homes. Our concern is to learn what God has to say about the role of woman and her relationship to man. Neither the pagan view nor the Liberation Movement is directed by God. When we turn to the Bible, we can clearly see the work, the role and the position of woman as God intended it to be. Is woman inferior to man? In the first book of the Bible – Genesis – we see the answer to this question. God had created animal life and, last of all, He made man. Then, He “brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living …

God’s Children Will Be Like Him

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). When 1 John 3:2 says we are the sons of God, John appears to be speaking of the resurrection. The only indication of being like Him was something John had never seen. John had seen the heart of Christ, and therefore, the Father (John 14:1-8), so he is not talking about growing in the heart of Christ in this verse. We must settle on the alternative idea of being like Him in the resurrection. Paul had his hope set on the resurrection. He first described the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:37-44, and then, he made the contrast between Adam and Christ very clear. We have been born in the image of the earthly in the fact that we are in Adam’s physical image (1 Corinthians 15:49). We are in the form of man (Philippians 2:6-8). Paul then noted there will come a time when we will be in the image of the heavenly (1 Corinthians 15:49). The image of the heavenly was in full context of the resurrection. Paul also noted that Christ was the first fruits of our resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:19, 23). Jesus’ resurrected body is glorious (Philippians 3:21). On the road to Damascus, Paul saw the resurrected Christ in a marvelously glorious body that was …

He Departed for a Season

And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering …

A Way with Words

Years ago, many school children received a special visit each year from a certain character. An individual dressed as a bear wearing the uniform of a forest ranger spoke about the dangers of forest fires and how many such fires start with a single, small spark. This Smokey the Bear character used the slogan, “Only you can prevent forest fires.” James 3:5-6 also speaks of great fires, but instead of fires started by a spark, the fires James speaks of are started by the tongue. “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.” The word “matter” in verse five comes from a Greek word that indicates a forest or grove of trees (Biblesoft’s). Just like a small spark can start a forest fire, a small word can cause a great deal of problems. The verses preceding James 3:5 describe how small things can control large things; James uses the examples of a bridle controlling a horse and a rudder managing the movements of a ship. The tongue is a small part of the body, yet it greatly influences the actions of the rest of the body. How many arguments between individuals and nations have begun with just a …

The Power We Give the Devil

What is the power that we give the devil? Some of us give him the power of our love for money and wealth. Some of us give him the power of our love for position. Some of us give him the power of our love for possessions. Some of us give him the power of our love for prestige. The list is virtually endless. There are a lot of ways and means for us to be tempted. We give the devil power in our lives through the world’s three gateways. The devil is on the prowl 24/7 in an attempt to gain a way into our hearts to cause us to sin in thought, word or deed! The apostle John tells us not to love the world or the things in the world. For all that is in the world (1) the lust of the flesh, (2) the lust of the eyes and (3) the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world (1 John 2:15-16). It may surprise some of us to know that every sin we can name falls into one of those three categories. Satan used them with Eve, and through his deception, she fell into transgression. She and Adam lost their paradise home. The whole world was plunged into sin! He used these categories of sin with Jesus Christ and failed miserably (Matthew 4:1-11)! If there were more ways to cause us to commit sin, iniquity, trespass and transgression, John would have told …

Jesus Went About Doing Good

Virtually every member of the Lord’s church knows exactly what Acts 2:38 says: “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” How many of us have ever focused our attention on what Acts 10:38 says? “…God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” Luke 13:17b says, “…all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.” Jesus speaking in John 8:29 said, “And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” None of us will ever be able to truthfully make that statement. However, we must understand God is counting on us to go about doing good. His expectation is that our entire lives are lived in righteousness and holiness. Paul tells us we must “…be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:23-24). One of the many definitions of the word “good” in Vine’s Dictionary is being morally honorable, pleasing to God, and therefore beneficial, that which is ethically right and noble. Have we ever given any serious thought to the fact that going about doing good is part of …

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses

At some time in our lives, each of us has made excuses for not doing something we should have done or to deny responsibility for an action. Children are especially good at coming up with excuses for failing to complete assigned tasks. The “the dog ate my homework” excuse has been used by children for many years. However, the art of excuse making has been around from the beginning of time. After Eve ate of the forbidden fruit that Satan enticed her to eat, she blamed Satan for her downfall (Genesis 3:13). When God questioned Adam about his behavior, he tried to blame God, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate” (Genesis 3:12). Adam and Eve were not willing to accept responsibility for their actions. Moses continued the practice of excuse making when God instructed him to go to Egypt. Moses’ first excuse was, “…Who amI that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11). Moses was saying, “Why should I be the one to go.” His next excuse was, “…Indeed, whenI come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What isHis name?’ what shall I say to them?” (Exodus 3:13). Here, Moses proposed that the children of Israel do not know God; thus, he does not need to go. Moses’ third …

Go Back to the One Who Made Us

When our cars, computers/copiers, appliances, etc. break down, we are not always able to fix them. If we cannot put them back in working order, we sometimes will call people we know. If they cannot help us, we may go to a repair shop. In some cases, we may even take or send the product back to the manufacturer for a refund or a replacement. This concept is known, accepted and practiced by virtually all of us in our day-to-day living. God knows and understands more about us than we will ever know about ourselves! We will die not fully knowing what “made us tick”! How many times have we been asked the simple question: “Why did you do that?” or “What made you do that?” and our response is, “I don’t know.” So when our spiritual, emotional, intellectual or physical well being starts to break down, no matter by whom or what, we need to go back to the One who made us! Sadly, for far too many of us, this is a fundamental unknown. We are all ignorant, just on different subjects. To be willfully ignorant of Who God is as He has revealed Himself to us in Scripture, and how it is that He deals with us, could not have a more tragic, eternal outcome! There are countless differences between God and us – between the way He thinks, talks, sees and acts, and the way we think, talk, see and act. Isaiah 55:6-9 makes this profound truth unmistakably …

The Fool Says God Does Not Exist

As my thirteenth year of teaching draws to a close, I think I am beyond being surprised at the places evolution shows up in the school setting. Just a few weeks ago, I pulled out an English worksheet on adjectives, only to find each sentence made a reference to dinosaurs that lived “millions of years ago.” References to evolution appear in almost every textbook I use with my sixth grade class. At the heart of the idea of evolution is the concept that God does not exist. Psalms 14:1 and Psalms 53:1 both begin with, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” The original Hebrew word fool in these verses means stupid, wicked, impious or a vile person (Strong’s). These verses are not describing the person who loudly proclaims to the world with his words that he does not believe God exists. Notice, this person makes that claim in his heart. Jesus condemned the Pharisees in Matthew 15:18-19 for what was in their hearts. The word heart in these contexts refers to man’s mind or thoughts. Our outward actions begin with our inward thoughts. Those who reflect in the privacy of their own thoughts that God does not exist begin to show these thoughts in their actions. Consider the man described in Psalms 49:10 and Psalms 92:6. The man in these verses does not believe that God exists or that there is an eternal reward or punishment. The goal of this individual is to gather wealth …

So, You Went to the Prom?

Over the past few weeks, Facebook has been “the place to go” for photos and comments from teens and their attendance at local high school proms. This led to several posts rebuking teens for participating in the prom, as well as chastising parents for allowing their teens to attend these dances and commenting on the cuteness of the immodestly dressed young ladies highlighted in the photos. I, too, am dismayed with the number of Christian teens joining in this immoral and ungodly behavior. Some of these posts are from friends who I know have been taught better. I do not intend to go into a lengthy discussion as to why high school proms are inappropriate behavior for Christians. I will simply state that dancing (the type found at proms) is a sin, and the typical dress worn by young ladies at this event is immodest. This is written for those who agree that there is a biblical standard of modesty and that dancing (in most circumstances) is a sin. So, why are many of our teens attending, then broadcasting their attendance at the school prom? I believe that the answer is two-fold. One, we have failed to teach about the sins associated with dancing, and two, elders have failed to properly handle the prom situation. Bible class teachers and preachers should periodically teach against the sins associated with dancing. This teaching should begin before the child is old enough to go to the dance, and continue with repeated lessons and more details …

The Most Disconcerting Experience

We hear so often how short and unpredictable life is. We need to understand that the only requirement for death is that we be alive. We forget or fail to realize that God holds every breath we take in His hands. In the ESV, Psalm 39:5 reads, “Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!” There is a most sorrowful and disconcerting experience for the faithful child of God. That experience is to be subjected to the funeral or memorial service of a person who was unprepared to meet God! Nothing can be more disturbing as you reflect on the lost condition of that person!The feeling that parallels that agony is to watch and hear those attending these services who are fully convinced the deceased is in the bosom of Abraham! In every sense of biblical faithfulness, those who are members of the Lord’s church understand exactly what the Bible says on the subject of how to get and stay saved. One of the most alarming passages of Scripture that addresses who will ultimately be in heaven is Revelation 21:27. It reads, “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” Diligent students of God’s Word do not misunderstand a passage this plain. Another passage that is penetrating to the core of our spiritual …

True Contentment

I have a Bible that was a gift from my parents on my sixteenth birthday. That Bible has been with me through many Bible studies at college, worship services, Sunday and Wednesday Bible classes, devotionals, personal studies, and even on mission trips in two different countries. As the years have passed, I have made notes in the margins or other blank spaces. Some of these notes refer to other verses that have related topics. Other notes are summaries, outlines, cultural or historical notes relating to the verses under discussion at a particular time. One such outline and list of related verses stands out on the page at the end of Philippians. Paul wrote the Book of Philippians while a prisoner in Rome. At the end of the book, Paul takes time to address the generosity of the Philippian Christians toward him. In that discussion of generosity, Paul also addresses the subject of contentment. Matthew 6:25-34 tells us not to worry. Verses like Matthew 6:33 and Philippians 4:6-7 tell us that worry can be taken care of by putting God first and turning to Him in prayer for all of our needs. Another tool to deal with worry is contentment. Consider for a moment Philippians 4:10-13. But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, …

I Really Do Not Want to Write This

I really do not want to write this. I really do not want to post it. I really do not want to face this problem again. I would like to just go along and be able to smile at everyone and feel good about the way things are. Yet, my heart and mind cannot let me do that. I feel compelled to do this because my love for those in the world makes it so that I want to see them, and everyone they might influence, get to heaven. So, please know that if we truly love each other, we will try to be the people that God expects us to be. If that means we have to remind or correct each other along the way, then that is a very minor price to pay. I want any of you to come to me to correct me for things I say or do that will harm the cause of Christ; if you truly love me and want to see me get to heaven. So, here I am facing the truth that every year. As it turns from the cold, shivering season to the warm, sunshiny season, we are faced once again with the problem of how little people want to get away with wearing. Ladies, we are responsible to God for what we wear. We are responsible to God for what we allow our children, both male and female, to wear. Gentlemen, you are responsible to God for what you, …

God Is Never “Next”

God gave Moses the Ten Commandments for the children of Israel in Exodus 20:1-17. The time had come for God to reveal to them exactly what His expectations would be for them as His chosen people. The Ten Commandment law was unprecedented. It was the foundation for the 613 commandments that were to follow. These laws would cover the moral, ceremonial, civic and social needs of God’s people. In verses 2-3, God emphatically declared, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.” God told them right then that He would never accept being “next”! When Jesus was asked by one of the scribes in Mark 12:28b, “Which is the first commandment of all?” Jesus answered him in verses 29-30. “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.” Jesus reiterated that God will never accept being “next”! If we are seeking to be pleasing to God, and a worthy disciple of His Son, we must realize that God never comes “next.” God is always first! God does not take second place to anyone or anything! Seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness as Jesus commands in Matthew 6:33 is just that – a command – not a suggestion, a recommendation or …

Be Not Many Teachers

James instructs us in 3:1, “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.” In the timeframe of James writings, the Jews looked at those who were teachers as a place of honor and respect, and many new Christians desired to be teachers in order to receive prestige among their brethren. It was common in the synagogue to allow anyone an opportunity to stand up and teach those gathered at any given time. The New Testament disciples frequently used this practice to teach Christ and His church to the Jews. This custom may have been a factor in the problem at the Corinthian church that Paul addressed in 1 Corinthians 14 when addressing the misuse of spiritual gifts, admonishing the brethren to do all things decently and in order. James cautioned Christians about their desire to teach, warning them that they will be held accountable for what they teach. Essentially, he said, “Make sure your reason for teaching is that you know the truth and want to share that truth with others. Do not teach to be seen, heard and praised. Only teach if you have the ability to proclaim God’s Word in a manner for others to understand and apply the lesson to their lives, and always be prepared.” Burton Coffman made the following observation “In saying, ‘Be not many teachers,’ James did not seek to discourage any who might have been qualified for such work.  As Harper suggested, ‘His words …

God and Christ Relent When We Repent

The Old Testament contains the history of God calling His people to repentance. From the dawn of creation, He has been calling the human race to repentance. When He asked Adam where he was, He was extending His hand in compassion. He was giving Adam the opportunity to acknowledge his sin and repent. Instead, Adam blamed Eve; Eve blamed the serpent; the serpent didn’t say another word – he had said too much already – and God punished all three of them! When Cain murdered Abel, and God asked him where his brother was, He was again extending His hand in compassion. He was giving Cain the opportunity to acknowledge his sin and repent. Instead, Cain became angry and defensive and left God no choice but to punish him! Disobedience and rebellion were the hallmark traits of the children of Israel. When God finally had His fill of their foolishness and ingratitude despite all He had done for them, He made them wander in the wilderness for forty years until they all died! Numbers 14 gives the sordid details of the Israelites’ refusal to enter Canaan. The consequences of disobedience and rebellion started with the ten spies that brought back the bad report. Moses had prayed on behalf of the entire congregation. In Numbers 14:19 he said, “Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.” Verses 20-23 show just how far …

How Shall the Young Secure Their Hearts?

Now this is the commandment, and these arethe statutes and judgments which the Lord your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it,that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you — a land flowing with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord isone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:1-9) The above passage emphasizes the necessity of teaching our children the laws of God. Moses instructed the Israelites to learn the laws …

A Plate, a Platter or a Tabletop

Time management is perhaps one of the most gigantic challenges of the modern race! Many years ago, a sister in the faith gave me two magnets that I have displayed on my refrigerator to this day. One of them says, “Before you go to bed, give your troubles to God. He will be up all night anyway.” The other one says, “God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things — Right now, I’m so far behind, I will never die…” The sentiments of those two statements sum up very well the exclamation we make or hear so often: “You have a lot on your plate!” I recently made that statement to a family member, and she replied, “My plate has turned into a platter!” A short time later, a close friend said, “My plate has turned into a tabletop!” In September 1993, I attended the annual Palomar Mountain Ladies’ Retreat in California. The bookstore that was provided by one of the congregations was one of the features of the retreat that I looked forward to every time I attended. That year, I bought a book entitled, Time Management for Christian Women by Helen Young and Billie Silvey. In the 17 years since then, I definitely find myself in need of reading that book again in its entirety. It is an excellent book, and I thought at the time it was just what I needed to help me get on track in putting first things first. The examples, the personal …

Happy New Year

H – HARMONY of the brethren. God expects us all to get along well with one another. We are to be one as God and Christ are one (John 17:20-23). A – ADORATION for God – it is reverence. We are to revere God by putting Him first in our lives (Matthew 6:33). P – PRAY to God for friends, family, self, for the sick (spiritually and physically), the leaders of our country and many other things. The trouble with prayer is it is so much easier to talk about, but it is not easy to do. We say I will pray for these things, but we don’t take time to pray as we should (1 Thessalonians 5:17; Colossians 4:2; 1 Timothy 2:8). P – PRAISE GOD from whom all blessing flow. One of the great side effects of praise is that we begin to realize the precious nature of our relationship to God (Hebrews 13:15; 1 Peter 4:11). Y – YIELD not to temptation, for yielding is sin. One of our sins is stubbornness. Let us turn to God for help and He will help us overcome anything. God promised us a way of escape, if we look for and accept His help (1 Corinthians 10:13). N – NOT TO FORSAKE THE ASSEMBLY OF THE CHURCH. All services and Bible studies are important to worship and praise God, not just Sunday morning. We need the mid-week service for spiritual food and growth (Hebrews 10:25-26). E – EVANGELISM – the Great Commission says, “Go into all …

Living for Christ in an Anxious World

It’s hard to believe, but 2010 is over and a new year is just beginning. This is the time of year when many people reflect on the past and make plans for the future. Along with the plans, people frequently wonder what the new year will bring. Sometimes thoughts of the future come with fears and anxieties; at other times, peace and contentment accompany thoughts of the future. How should Christians view the coming year? In general, the world is anxious. Frequent television commercials advertise medications for anxiety and depression. People fear war, economic changes, illness, loss of homes or jobs, problems in education and various other events or circumstances. Should Christians be a part of this worry? The Bible speaks about the presence of anxiety in our lives. Consider Matthew 6:25-34. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon …

Making a List and Checking It Twice

It’s that time of the year when perhaps we will be hearing the song with the title of this article as the lyrics to one of the lines in the song. It’s a lot of fun when we are playing make believe with the young ones in our families. Children delight in the world of fantasy, nursery rhymes, stories and fairy tales. They can listen for hours as their imaginations become their reality in a sense. Unfortunately, some adults have that childlike mentality when they begin to give any real thought to their relationship with God. They feel that as long as they have their list of righteous deeds and moral goodness that they check from time to time, they can “remind” God about it, and all is well. They want God to “check” their list, which in their minds assures them when they die they will be saved because all good people go to heaven. They fail to understand that God already knows all of us are naughty by nature and “nice” is not even a Bible word. They have never understood that when a person obeys the Gospel, he or she has been saved for good works, not by good works. First Timothy 6:17-18 says, “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share.” …

Prayer

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. (James 5:13-18) In the above passage, pray, or a form of the word, is mentioned seven times in these six short verses. James emphasized the importance of prayer in our lives by listing various times that it is good for a Christian to pray – when suffering, when sick, to repent and pray for the forgiveness of sins, and James encourages us to ask others to pray on our behalf. After telling us when to pray, James instructed us why we should pray. A diligent, active prayer of the child of God gets results. This inspired writer, then, gives a biblical example of the power of prayer taken from 1 Kings 17:1-18:46. Jesus also referred to this great example …

The Women’s Liberation Movement Is Actually the Exploitation of Women!

There was a time not so long ago — in my early years — when a woman was treated with deference and respect. “Ladies first” was the rule, as doors were opened for them, and they traditionally walked in front of men. A man stood up and gave a woman his seat. Even a rough man would refrain from the use of bad language in the presence of women. A slur spoken against a woman could cause a fight in defense of her good name. A woman was shielded and protected from the harshness and dangers of the world, insofar as was possible. That is not to say that there were not hardworking, courageous women who struggled alongside their husbands with the challenges of life. There were certainly cases of abuse of women, men who took advantage of their physical weakness and of their inability to protect themselves legally, emotionally and physically. There were bad women, and there were bad men who made life miserable for the women under their power. However, the majority of women were protected and deferred to as the “weaker sex.” They and their children lived in the security of a husband who stood between them and the world. Legally, not much in the line of “rights” was defined because the very culture itself safeguarded the majority of women. “Woman’s Suffrage” had brought freedoms and recognition in areas that were just and fair: women had gained the right to vote and to inherit property. Working conditions …

Preserved by God —What Does that Mean?

A sister in the faith recently spoke at the 75th Ladies’ Day program of a local congregation. In her biographical sketch, she stated that her favorite Scripture was 2 Timothy 4:18. This verse reads, “And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!” Upon reading this verse, it brought to mind Psalm 40:11, “Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O LORD; let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.” W.E. Vine’s Concise Dictionary of Bible Words defines “preserve” as guarding, protecting and keeping. When those verbs are used to describe the actions of Jehovah God, they express the ability and power of the Father of mercies and God of all comfort beyond what we can ask or think. However, God’s guarding, protecting and keeping us is predicated upon our willingness to surrender our desires, our emotions, our intellect and our will to His divine and sovereign control! What does it mean to be preserved by God? For the Almighty to guard, protect and keep us, some of the things we must do are: Throughout Scripture, the blessed assurance we have of God’s guarding, protecting and keeping us is overwhelming. David expressed his ever-present trust and confidence in God’s power to preserve in Psalm 5:11-12, “But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those also who love Your name …

Stand Fast

Approximately 3,000 years ago, Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, conquered the kingdom of Judah and took captive young men – probably late teens to early twenties – to serve in his palace. These men were descendants of royalty, handsome, well spoken of by their peers, smart and capable of learning the Chaldean language and sciences (Daniel 1:3-4). For three years, these young men were to be served a portion of the king’s meat and wine ending with their meeting and spending time with King Nebuchadnezzar for his evaluation of their appearance and training. Daniel determined that he would not eat the meal provided (Daniel 1:8). Albert Barnes describes this food as: The word “meat” here means “food,” as it does uniformly in the Bible, the Old English word having this signification when the translation was made, and not being limited then, as it is now, to animal food… means delicate food, dainties; literally, food of the father, i.e., the king; or, according to Lorsbach, in Archiv. f. “Morgenl.” Litt. II., 313, food for idols, or the gods; in either case denoting delicate food; luxurious living. …And of the wine which he drank] Margin, “of his drink.” Such wine as the king was accustomed to drink. It may be presumed that this was the best kind of wine. From anything that appears, this was furnished to them in abundance; and with the leisure which they had, they could hardly be thrown into stronger temptation to excessive indulgence. In addition, it is possible …

A Pagan America?

Cultures, ways of thinking and national behavior are formed largely by predominant religious teaching. The old statement, “East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,” is a declaration of the tremendous differences in thinking between large sections of our world. In times past, not many Americans personally knew “foreigners.” Today, newcomers from other cultures live in practically every small town in the States. What is the result? First, there is curiosity about the new people and meeting them, they may seem likeable, or they may seem aloof. Getting past the strangeness in dress and the heavily accented English, it then may seem that they are not so “foreign” after all. However, in the majority of cases, if the acquaintance is developed to any depth, there will be an unfolding of differences of thinking and values that will seem incomprehensible to the Christian mind. The feeling of being up against a thick wall will often arise in conversations, a feeling of helplessness in the efforts to really penetrate and understand the thinking. The longer the acquaintance continues and the deeper it becomes, the more of the subtle differences one will discover. These are not because of the geographical differences in birth places, but because of the religious-cultural differences that have molded our thinking and values as well as theirs. The following quotes are statements, headlines and doctrines in pagan lands: “A man may have four wives, if he provides for all of them equally…” “Don’t trust …

This Is All About God — We Are the “With”

In the most forthright way Solomon states 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.’”  What is he telling us? Nothing is fresh; everything is a repeat performance – just with different faces in a different span of time. Think about lives, events and the activities of this world like a movie. In a movie, we see the title in big, bold letters, and in some cases this title ends with an exclamation point! We then see the names of the stars, co-stars, producers, directors and writers. Then, we see this “with” column and numerous names are listed there. Do we remember or ever mention any of the names in the “with” column when we talk about that movie at a later time? Sometimes we cannot even remember who starred. In this life production of events and activities, God is the Producer/Director; Jesus Christ is the Star; the Holy Spirit is the Writer, and we as human beings are the “With.” Unlike manmade productions, the principles in creation will never change. However, those of us in the “with” column are returning to the dust every few seconds of every day! When one of us, a “with,” dies, God’s world design does not miss a beat; it does not …

From Wise to Foolish

Solomon, the second son of David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12), was the wisest man to live upon the earth (1 Kings 3:12). After Solomon was ordained as the third king of Israel, God appeared to Solomon in a dream, saying, “What shall I give you?” Solomon requested of God, “…an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” (1 Kings 3:4-9). God was pleased with Solomon’s request and readily granted it and more (1 Kings 3:12-14). However, the duration of some of the promises God made to Solomon were contingent upon remaining faithful to God. Solomon soon put into practice the wisdom God bestowed upon him when two women came needing a judge to decide the mother of an infant. Two women, living in the same house, each gave birth to a son three days apart. While they slept, one child died in the night. The mother of the dead son switched her dead infant with the living son of the other woman. Upon examining the two infants in the morning light, the mother of the living son knew without a doubt the babies had been switched while she slept. The two women came to Solomon to decide the fate of the living child. The King instructed that the living child be cut in two giving each mother half a child. One mother cried out, “O my lord, give her the living …

The Soul and Its God

Humans define the dividing line between humanness and other life forms as the “awareness of self.” A better wording would be the “awareness of soul.” The “self” that is enwrapped in the physical body, invisible to the physical eye, yet is the core existence from which all that is human emanates, can be none other than the soul — the inner man, the spiritual essence of our dual being. This consciousness of the invisible self is the bedrock of fact — not of “question,” not of “supposition,” not even of “faith” — but the bedrock of fact that the unseen spirit world is real, that the soul springs from a parent spirit Being Who gave it existence and life, and toward Whom it reaches as though bound by invisible cords. When the soul has not been paralyzed by deliberate training in rejection of its Creator’s existence, universally and historically man has believed in the reality of the Creator and the unseen spirit world (Romans 1:20-22). He has rightly worshiped that Being as the One deserving of homage, even of sacrifice. He has been overwhelmed within himself with the eternal majesty and greatness of God in comparison to himself. In moments of extreme joy, when the spirit within man seems to swell in happiness to the point of almost bursting the confines of his physical body, worshipful words of “Oh, God!” wing heavenward. In moments of deepest anguish, when the spirit within man seems crushed with agony to the point of …

Mammaw, Is Pappaw Through Saying Words?

Several years ago in the ladies’ Bible class, the discussion was that even as adults, sometimes our focus and attention in the assembly is less than God’s expectation to worship Him in spirit and truth. Several comments were made about how difficult it can be also at times to keep our children and grandchildren quiet during worship. When they are very young that is all we wanted them to do so we could truly engage ourselves in proper and acceptable worship to our God. One of our former elders’ wives shared this comment from one of her grandchildren who was three- or four-years-old at the time and had become somewhat weary in the services. Her husband was doing the preaching that day. Their grandson asked her, “Mammaw, is Pappaw through saying words?” She said she almost laughed out loud! Coming from a child that young, virtually all of us would have laughed! Those of us who have children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are constantly amazed at the things they say at the most inopportune times! We do all we can to minimize and stifle such comments as best and as fast as we can! The worship services have been the place we have heard some classics: “I’m glad this is almost over!” “I don’t want to stay; it’s boring!” “Can we leave now?” “How much longer?” “I’m out of here!” In Acts Chapter 2 on the Day of Pentecost, Peter preached the first Gospel sermon. Verse 40 of that chapter says, …

Mrs. Jeroboam — Deliverer of a Message of Doom

1 Kings 14:1-18 Like many of the characters in the Bible, the life of Mrs. Jeroboam ended in tragedy. The only mention of her is in 1 Kings 14, and those verses reveal heart-wrenching events that will not be overcome. As with the study of any individual, especially a married person, one must look at the overall context and family relationships. First, we will give an overview of the life of King Jeroboam and the events leading up to Chapter Fourteen of First Kings. Upon the death of King Solomon, his son Rehoboam became King. When Jeroboam heard of the death of Solomon, he returned from hiding in Egypt (1 Kings 11:40). Jeroboam and the assembly of Israel approached the new king with a request to make their burdens lighter than that of King Solomon. These men promised King Rehoboam, if the king fulfilled their request, they would faithfully follow him as their king. Rehoboam not only refused to lighten the load upon the people, but he created heavier burdens for them (1 Kings 12:12-14). The ten northern tribes of Israel chose to appoint Jeroboam as king over them. The tribe of Judah chose to follow King Rehoboam (1 Kings 11:34-36). (For treatment of the use of biblical numbers relating to this passage, and the technical treatment of the actual tribes ruled by Jeroboam versus those ruled by Rehoboam, see Keil & Delitzsch.) This was fulfillment of the prophecy of Ahijah that God would take ten tribes from Solomon’s son and …

How Do We Obey God? Very Carefully!

God gives us life, breath and all things because He is God. God has always protected and provided the best for those who obey Him because He is God. His generosity is unequaled! We are made aware of just how loving, generous and protective God was and is from the earliest existence of mankind. After God created Adam, Genesis 2:15-17 reads; “Then the LORD God put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’” Eve, as she was talking to the serpent said, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die’” (Genesis 3:2-3). God always allows the most and restricts the least. This is evident in the days of the week that He has given humanity. God has given us six days to do whatever we feel we need to do to make an honest living, taking care of family, socializing, vacationing, etc. However, He has commanded us to worship on Sunday, the first day of the week. What if He had commanded work for one day and worship six …

The Whole Armor of God

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” (10). Paul is finishing his letter to the Ephesians. In closing, he tells them to “be strong in the Lord.” The word strong can mean grow in strength. Paul tells the Christians to grow in their strength by leaning on God’s power and strength. “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (11). Notice, we are to wear the whole armor, not just part of it. This is the Greek word for panoply (even used in at least one song we sing). The word “stand” can indicate, “hold up.” We are to “hold up” against the devil. The “wiles of the devil” means the ways he tempts us to follow him and forsake God. First John 2:16 tells about the “lust of the flesh,” “the lust of the eyes” and “the pride of life.” These are the three ways Satan gets us to leave God. Every temptation we face will fit into one of these categories. James 1:13-15 further explains how this works. The devil places before us the things of this world that we want. When we give in and partake, the temptation turns to sinful actions, and unrepented sinful actions lead to spiritual death. The armor that we are to put on allows us to protect against the devil’s methods. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, …

Forgiveness Is a Beautiful Thing

One Sunday night in March of this year, a 19-year-old girl obeyed the Gospel at the congregation where I attend. One of the deacons walked up, and as he put his arm around me, he said, “Forgiveness is a beautiful thing. If you don’t give it, you don’t get it. There are thousands of folks that don’t understand that.” I smiled in agreement and said to him, “Forgiveness is our greatest spiritual blessing because it is our greatest spiritual need, because without it there is no relationship with God.” When we obey the Gospel, our sins are forgiven and our relationship is restored. We cannot be right with God until He forgives us! Romans 5:10-11 says, “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” The Scriptures are flooded with commandments, examples and the actions needed to obtain God’s forgiveness, which results in this spiritual reconciliation. In one of numerous commandments Jesus said, “And whenever you stand praying if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses” (Mark 11:25-26). Until we come to the absolute realization of this divine directive in submissive obedience, we are as close to heaven …

Mary or Martha?

Are you a Martha or a Mary? Luke 10:38-42 records the account of Jesus visiting in the home of Martha. On this occasion, Martha was busy serving her guest while her sister Mary sat listening to Jesus. Martha went to Jesus complaining that she was doing all the work and requested that Jesus send Mary to help her. Instead of Jesus sending Mary to assist with the food preparations and serving, He gently rebuked Martha for her misplaced priorities. Jesus stated, “Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42). Martha was concerned with the physical while Mary was focused on the spiritual. Jesus commended Mary for her interest in spiritual matters and gently rebuked Martha for her focus on the physical aspects of life. Other Bible passages show that Jesus was interested in the physical well-being of humanity. There are numerous examples throughout the Gospel records of Jesus healing the sick and feeding the hungry (Matthew 8:1-4, 14-15; Luke 6:17-19; Mark 6:35-44; John 4:46-54; etc.). Many individuals believed on Jesus because of the miracles He performed (John 2:24). John 20:30-31 gives the reason Jesus performed these miraculous events, “…that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” Jesus healed the sick and fed the hungry for the purpose proving His deity. Jesus …

Do Not Be Afraid Nor Dismayed

Fear is one of the greatest enemies of our faith. Some of the definitions of fear are (1) terror (2) dread (3) horror (4) fright, (5) panic and (6) alarm. This type of paralyzing fear is a tool of Satan, intended to divert our focus away from God and Christ. In the beginning, the emotion of fear was foreign to the first couple. The first time we see the word “afraid” in Scripture is in Adam’s reply to God when asked where he was. Adam answered God by saying, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10). When Adam ate of the forbidden fruit, this act of disobedience was the pivotal turning point in his relationship with the Creator! The ramifications were beyond his calculation! It was time for Adam to be afraid because at that point he knew he had disobeyed God’s one and only commandment to him and Eve! Since the Garden, God has repeatedly commanded His people not to fear and not to be afraid. God told Abram to leave his family and all that he had and go to a land that He would show him (Genesis 12:1). Abram did exactly as God commanded him. The word of the LORD came to him in a vision saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your exceedingly great reward” (Genesis 15:1). When God spoke to the people on Mt. Sinai, they cried out to Moses as they trembled …

It Does Not Get Any Better Than That!

The Bible is overflowing with passages of Scripture expressing and describing God’s gifts of love that He has extended to us. These passages are superlative in their context. They are unequaled, unrivaled, incomparable, unmatched, supreme, unparalleled, consummate and untouchable. They reveal the relationship God is seeking with His ultimate creation through His Son Jesus Christ. If only we could understand everything God does and allows is because He is God and He is always pursuing our salvation through Jesus Christ! Titus 2:11-13 says, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” It does not get any better than that! God has given us life, health, provision, protection, forgiveness and a host of other incomprehensible blessings because He is God! What a different world this would be if we all understood in humility and obedience that every blessing is because of who God is, not because of who we think we are, who we know or who knows us! James 1:17 plainly states, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” God is the eternal source of good; He is forever faithful, and He never changes. It does not get any better than that! Life is …

If…

Throughout the Bible, God promises His children wonderful blessings—IF we obey Him. Leviticus Chapter 26 is one of those instances. Verse One begins with God demanding total allegiance to Him—and Him alone. The Israelites were warned not to make graven images of any size. Furthermore, they were to keep the Sabbath Day and revere the Tabernacle. Then, God gives the conditional phrase, “If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, then I will give…” (Leviticus 26:3-4). The Israelites were promised: rain when needed, crops would flourish, plenty to eat, safety in the Promised Land, no fear at night, God would rid the land of evil beasts and their enemies would fall before them with the sword. God would renew the covenant made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and He would walk among them because He was their God. What a wonderful life God promised His children! They had no worries—they had food in abundance, plenty of children raising them up to be a great nation and no fears from wild beasts or enemies. The life God promised the Israelites was a foretaste of heaven. On the other hand, IF the Israelites failed to keep God’s laws, they would experience terror, wasting diseases and fever; enemies would eat that which they sowed; their enemies would defeat them, and the children of God would serve those who they hated. The wild beast would return and take their children and their livestock away (Leviticus 26:14-21). God made one more promise to the …

Achan

The hope for the long anticipated Promised Land flowing with milk and honey was finally realized. Ending the forty-year-long trek in the wilderness, the Israelites crossed the Jordan River and headed toward Jericho (Numbers 20:21-21:3). The bitter experience with Edom’s refusal to allow them passage through their borders was now behind them. Moses and Aaron had been gathered to their people rather than enter with Israel into Canaan because of the incident at Meribah (Numbers 20:10-11, 13). Aaron was stripped of his priestly garments and his son Eleazar took his place. Moses and Aaron died, and God himself buried Moses (Deuteronomy 34:5-6; Numbers 20:25-28). “And Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities” (Numbers 21:2). God’s promise of victory over their enemies was conditional on keeping themselves from the accursed thing. We remember the account of the men going to spy out the land and how Rahab hid them rather than betray God’s people to the enemy. Because of her faith in God, they made a covenant to take her and her family out of Jericho before destroying it utterly (Joshua 2:18-20; 6:17). Before the battle, God had instructed the Israelites to march around the city once each day for six days and finally march around the city seven times on the seventh day before blowing the trumpets for battle (Joshua 6:3-20). Their obedience brought down the walls, and every person and …

The Compassion of Jesus Christ

The Lord Jesus Christ exhibited to the ultimate every positive human emotion because He was perfection personified. One of those emotions was His compassion for the ones whose lives He touched. Vine’s defines compassion, “To have pity, a feeling of distress through the ills of others; to suffer with another; to show kindness or assistance.” Webster says it is, “A feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for someone struck by misfortune, accompanied by a desire to alleviate the suffering; mercy.” Compassion may very well be the acid test of our emotions. We are living in a world that now takes a lot to be moved with compassion. It has to be a distress, a calamity of a suffering of some magnitude to get our attention. Some of us have witnessed personally or seen in the media people being robbed, raped, driven over, beaten, murdered, kidnapped, and on and on. Sadly, many of us are jaded to these occurrences. In many cases, not a move is made to render help or even contact authorities! Horrifying as it is to hear and witness these notorieties, in some cases, authorities are present and do absolutely nothing! What has happened to cause such ruthless, callous, cynical and heartless attitudes and actions in our society today? What would Jesus think, say and do if He were to personally visit one of our cities for just one day to witness the lack of compassion? How would He feel when He observed these same kinds of worldly …

The Great Lawgiver

Bible students, young and old, can tell you the account of Moses’ mother hiding him in a basket and placing that basket in the Nile River to save him (Exodus 1:15-2:11). Most Bible students know that God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on tablets of stone (Exodus 31:18; 32:15-16; 34:1-4). Many Bible students remember hearing of God speaking to Moses from a burning bush (Exodus 3). Some Bible students can tell you that Moses struck the rock and water poured out of it (Exodus 17:1-6; Numbers 20:1-12). These are just some of the biblical accounts of Moses’ life recorded in the books of Exodus and Numbers. Having knowledge of biblical stories is needful to the child of God, but more importantly, one needs to apply lessons from these stories to one’s life in order to become a better child of God. Listed below are a few characteristics gleaned from the great lawgiver, Moses. Moses was impatient (Exodus 2:11-12) Moses was curious (Exodus 3:3). Moses was prone to make excuses (Exodus 3:11; 13; 4:1, 10, 13). Moses eventually had great faith (weak faith Exodus 2:1-5:23; growing faith throughout the balance of the books of Exodus and Numbers). Moses had a temper (Exodus 32:19; 34:1; Numbers 20:10). Moses suffered the consequences of his sins (Numbers 20:12; Deuteronomy 34:1-7). Moses was pleasing to God (Deuteronomy 34:1-7; Matthew 17:1-5; Mark 9:1-8; Luke 9:28-36). Following are two major lessons we can learn from this great man. Moses’ faith and trust in God grew over …

We Must Come Out and Stay Out of the World!

In 1 John 2:15-17, the apostle solemnly declares, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” Perhaps the best known and most quoted verse in the Bible is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Our Lord continues in verse 17, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” As Jesus prayed for His apostles shortly before His death, He said, “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world” (John 17:14-18). How do we reconcile these passages, which seem out of harmony? The message …

Mrs. Job—A Tool of Satan

Character Study A study of Mrs. Job must involve a look at those close to her life and the complete context of the verses surrounding references to her in the Bible. Thus, even though Mrs. Job is not mentioned until Chapter Two of the Book of Job, we will gather some background information from Chapter One. We find in the opening verses of the book that Job “…was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil” (Job 1:1). Job was blessed with seven sons and three daughters (Job 1:2). Furthermore, Job was a rich man, owning seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys and a very great household (Job 1:3). He was considered the greatest of all the men of the east. Satan challenged God stating, “…Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face” (Job 1:9-11). Knowing Job would withstand the test, God accepted the challenge, telling Satan to do as he wished with Job with one exception. Satan was not allowed to touch or harm the physical body of Job (Job 1:12). A messenger rushed to Job, telling him that thieves stole all his oxen …

Knowing Who God Is and How He Deals with Us

The Bible is punctuated repeatedly with who God is and how He deals with us. God has been revealing Himself to His creation and making His expectations vividly clear since the Garden of Eden. Moses was the first to have the question about God’s actual identity answered. God was quick to tell him. Exodus 3:13-14 says, “Then Moses said to God, ‘Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?’ And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Exodus 5:1-2 reads, “Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’ And Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go.” On the surface, Pharaoh’s response seems irreverent. God being God allows Pharaoh the benefit of his ignorance. God then proceeds through Moses and Aaron to enlighten Pharaoh of precisely who He was. Sadly in Pharaoh’s case, he was not a willing learner of who God is and how He deals with us. Pharaoh’s elevated opinion of his status, power and importance …

Here Am I

The phrase “here am I” is used sixteen times in the Bible (KJV) with all the passages appearing in the Old Testament. These words were used to answer when called. Sometimes, mankind spoke to an individual and that person answered, “Here am I,” and other times God called to an individual and that person answered, “Here am I.” Genesis 22:7 is the first reference to this phrase. Verse one begins with God telling Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice upon the altar. Three days later as Abraham and Isaac neared the appointed spot, Isaac said, “Father.” Abraham answered, “Here am I, my son.” Isaac wanted to know the location of the sacrificial lamb. Abraham told him “God will provide.” A few verses later as Abraham raised the knife to slay Isaac on the altar, God called, “Abraham, Abraham,” and Abraham answered, “Here am I.” God stopped Abraham from slaying his son and provided the appropriate sacrifice. Esau answered Isaac “here am I” in Genesis 27:1. Jacob used the phrase “here am I” when he deceived Isaac into giving him the blessing instead of Esau (Genesis 27:18) and two other times when replying to the call of the Lord (Genesis 31:11; 46:2). Joseph answered, “Here am I” to his father Jacob, when called to check on his brothers (Genesis 37:13). Moses said, “Here am I” when God called to him from the burning bush (Exodus 3:4). The Book of 2 Samuel twice records the phrase “here am I” with both …

More Time Behind Us than in Front of Us

For those of us who have lived a few years, it seems as though we have just blinked a couple of times and the first ten years of this new millennium are now history! One of the many definitions of time according to Vine’s Dictionary is “a signified, fixed or definite period, a season, any period fixed by nature.” The year 1999 had so many “last” things and times to consider and acknowledge. Now we are referring to that time period as “back in the ‘90’s.” Very early in the year 2000, my husband made this statement to me: “Honey, we have got more time behind us than we do in front of us, so we have got to make the rest of it count.” I remember being ever so thankful to have still been alive in the year 2000. Without a doubt it was a momentous occasion for all of us old enough to appreciate what we were witnessing—the beginning of a new millennium! However, as the year 2000 approached, virtually the whole world was consumed with what was then being referred to as the Y2K Bug. This was the bug in all computer software that programmers had not realized to be a major shortcoming. It was the widespread practice in all computer software using two digits for representing a year rather than all four digits. This year representation between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 1999 could have been calculated as 100 years rather than 1 day. Almost everybody raced around to …

Are You Satisfied?

We live in a society that wants something other than what we have. It is common for women with curly hair to spend time and money to straighten their hair. Individuals with straight hair pay to have their hair curled. Light skinned people use tanning beds or lotions to darken their skin, and creams are available to lighten dark skin. People living in small houses long for larger houses, and those living in large houses frequently moan about the maintenance of larger houses and wish for smaller ones. Newer and better products entice us to discard useful, properly functioning items and replace them with the latest, greatest gadgets available. During the summer months, we complain it is too hot, and during the winter months, we are cold and wish for warmer weather. Humanity is constantly longing for something better. Unfortunately, many Christians are caught up in this mentality, forgetting the words of the apostle Paul, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11). McClintock and Strong Encyclopedia gives the following definition for contentment: (autapkeia, 1 Timothy 6:6; “sufficiency,” 2 Corinthians 9:8) is a disposition of mind in which our desires are confined to what we enjoy without murmuring at our lot, or wishing ardently for more. It stands opposed to envy (James 3:16); to avarice (Hebrews 13:5) to pride and ambition (Proverbs 13:10); to anxiety of mind (Matthew 6:25,34); to murmurings and repinings (1 Corinthians 10:10). …

We Own Exactly Nothing

God speaks most emphatically through David the Psalmist and declares, “For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is Mine, and all its fullness” (Psalm 50:10-12). Do we believe and understand that? Three passages from Psalms of the many in Scripture are meant to give us complete understanding of who owns what. Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.” Psalm 89:11 says, “The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; the world and all its fullness, You have founded them.” Psalm 104:24 says, “O LORD, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions.” Do we believe and understand that? We often sing the song, “This World Is Not My Home.” Solomon, speaking of mankind, states in Ecclesiastes 5:15, “As he came from his mother’s womb, naked shall he return, to go as he came; and he shall take nothing from his labor which he may carry away in his hand.” Do we believe and understand that? In the life of Job, God first allowed Satan to kill all ten of his children and destroy all of his possessions. He had no understanding of why. Chapter 1:20-21 reads, “Then Job arose, tore his …

Tis’ the Season

December is the time of year when most people celebrate Christmas. Many celebrate December 25 as the birth of Christ. Thus, throughout what is considered the Christian world, religion is moved from the backburner to the forefront of thoughts and actions. Generally, individual attitudes toward the less fortunate change for the better. Television programs seem to be more family oriented. Families make time to gather for parties and good times. Yes, the Christmas season seems to have a positive influence on the lives of many individuals. For many children, Christmas is Santa Claus bringing gifts of whatever their hearts desire at any given moment. Individuals spend much time shopping for gifts for loved ones, making the retail industry pleased with the profits gained during this time of year. The only day of the year that many businesses close and lock the doors is Christmas Day, thus giving their employees time to spend with family and friends. All government offices close on December 25 as it is considered a national holiday. For most people, Christmas is a festive fun time of year. Many Christians ask the question, “Can a Christian celebrate Christmas and be pleasing to God?” I recently heard a Gospel preacher adamantly condemn anyone who would celebrate this holiday in any shape or form. He and his wife go on vacation during Christmas so that they “will not be caught up” in the festivities of their friends and co-workers. I also know many Gospel preachers who openly celebrate Christmas. …

There Is No Such Thing

Even though sin is what separates us from God, is there ever a time when it is o.k. to sin? The way we think, speak and act at times, we may have the idea that most things are not wrong and are certainly not to be characterized as sin. However, we must realize that any and all wrong in thought, word or deed is sin, which breaks and violates God’s law. In God’s sight there are no such things as: sin that is insignificant sin in moderation sin without consequences sin with a palatable name sin that is ever necessary Sin never comes for a mere visit – it comes to take over, to take control and to captivate! Paul tells us, “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16). Based on Isaiah 59, the nature of sin is to separate us from God, dominate our lives and humiliate us constantly. The power of sin leads us from one sin to another. God’s justice and divine holiness demands that sin be punished and Christ suffered that punishment for us on the cross. “In His humiliation His justice was taken away…” (Acts 8:33a). Jesus suffered the humiliation of being lied about, mocked, spit upon, beaten, slapped and nailed to a cross to deliver our wretched souls from the fires of hell! When we become …

Mrs. Noah, A Stedfast Helpmeet

Character Study Genesis 6:18 God created a perfect world. Unfortunately, His children chose to listen to Satan. God surveyed the world and was heartbroken with the behavior of His people. “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). The perfect world transformed into total wickedness in approximately 2,000 years. God regretted (human terminology accommodating communication with mankind despite the Omniscient, changeless nature of God) creating the world and determined to destroy all living things upon the earth. However, Noah found favor in God’s eyes because he lived a righteous life. Although not stated in the Scriptures, Mrs. Noah lived a righteous life as well. We know this because Genesis 6:18 says, “But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee.” God would not permit any unrighteous individual to enter the ark. Noah and all his family members were righteous. Genesis 7:7-13 Noah built the ark while he preached to the wicked people. The ark was a barge 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet tall with one window and one door. The inside of the ark was divided into three floors. God told Noah to gather food for his family and for all the animals to eat while on the ark (Genesis 6:15-22). Finally, one hundred twenty years …

Be All You Can Be with Love

The English word “love” is used in many different ways. Someone might say he loves his family, God, a favorite sport, a television program, a certain food or his best friend. In many of these cases, the word “love” represents a stronger version of the word “like.” How does the Bible use the word “love”? The word “love” appears 214 times in the New King James Version of the New Testament. It is translated from two very distinct Greek words. One of the words is phileo. This word means affection for someone else. It is a brotherly love as used in Romans 12:10, 1 Thessalonians 4:9 and Hebrews 13:1. This form of love is a feeling that is not necessarily commanded. The second Greek word for love is agape. This word is more than a feeling; it is an action. Agape love requires putting one’s own needs and wants after the needs and wants of another person. First Corinthians 13:4-8 provides a wonderful description of how agape love acts. “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Unlike phileo, agape love is commanded in several places. Luke 6:27 commands individuals to love their enemies. Ephesians 5:25 and 28 command husbands to love their wives like Christ loves the church. Christ provides the best …

The Word Didn’t Take

What happens to a person who was brought up in a godly family and who ends up “going in the way of Cain?” What happens to a person who was brought up in a family with siblings who remain faithful, but he or she does not remain faithful? What happens to a person who was brought up hearing the truth of the Gospel, but never becomes a child of God? Look to the lives of the apostles. John 17 records how heavily they were on the mind of Christ as He faced the cross. As He prayed for them He said, “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word” (John 17:6). “Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are” (John 17:11). Then there is Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed the Lord. What does Jesus say about him? “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled” (John 17:12). Jesus had prayed all night before He chose the twelve apostles (Luke 6:12-16). Verse 16 says Judas …

Mrs. Potiphar, Persistent in Unrighteousness

Character Study Genesis 39:1-20 Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. Potiphar, an officer of the Pharaoh of Egypt, purchased Joseph. This young, teenage boy was a good worker and conscientiously fulfilled his duties as a slave. God watched over Joseph and caused him and Potiphar’s house to prosper. Eventually, Potiphar raised Joseph to a position of authority to the extent that Potiphar turned complete control of maintaining the house, fields and finances to Joseph. Potiphar’s complete trust in Joseph allowed Potiphar to say that “he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate” (Genesis 39:6). This young Hebrew was a handsome man, taking after in his mother, Rachel (Genesis 29:17; 39:6). Mrs. Potiphar noticed this Hebrew slave and was impressed with his beauty. She invited Joseph to “lie with her.” Joseph refused her offer, explaining he had been given authority over everything but her and to accept her offer would be an insult to Potiphar and a sin against God. Mrs. Potiphar was not dissuaded from her evil desire; she daily begged Joseph to sleep with her. One day when no other men were in the house, Mrs. Potiphar grabbed Joseph’s coat and demanded that he sleep with her. Joseph refused and ran from the house, leaving his coat in her hand. To hide her shame and humiliation, Mrs. Potiphar screamed out to the others, with Joseph’s coat in her hand as evidence, and accused Joseph of attacking her. Mrs. Potiphar then …

Faith Won’t Pay the Bills!

When we as Christians try to talk to some people about their half-hearted relationship with God, and how they need to have faith in His ability to take care of them, they respond sometimes by saying, “Faith won’t pay the bills!” This statement on the surface sounds reasonable enough; therefore, they feel justified in their state of unfaithfulness to God. However, it reveals a faith in one’s self and not a reliance on God. Faith won’t pay the bills? Oh, but it does! It depends on what kind of faith is being referenced! There is a vital distinction that must be made between natural faith and trusting faith. Every day all rational people engage in activities exercising natural faith. We take medicine, drink water, drive our cars, and hundreds of other things exercising natural faith. We take medicine exercising natural faith; we don’t know all the ingredients that are in the pills, but we believe they will make us feel better, so we take them. We drink water exercising natural faith; we don’t know what is in the water, but we believe it is safe, so we drink it. We drive our cars by faith; we believe that they will take us to our destinations, or we would not get in them. People exercise natural faith in their abilities to work and make money to pay their bills. Most people believe they can do the job they were hired to do; otherwise, why would they go to work? In taking …

Mrs. Peter, A Faithful Companion

Note: I was privileged to attend the 2008 Polishing the Pulpit lectureship; one of the topics presented by Kathy Pollard was about “Mrs. Peter.” My first thought was, “What can we learn from her since she is not mentioned in the Bible.” Sister Pollard presented a thought provoking and insightful lesson that challenged me to take a closer look at many of the Scriptures. I thank her for her in-depth study and willingness to share that knowledge with others. Some of the points listed in this lesson may have come from her. Character Study Matthew 8:14; Mark 1:30; Luke 4:38 Three of the Gospel records document the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law. This fact proves that even though Peter’s wife is not mentioned in the Scriptures, he was married, and we can glean useful knowledge about her from the context surrounding Peter and his mother-in-law. Let us begin with the backdrop of Matthew 8:14, Mark 1:30 and Luke 4:38. According to the Book of Matthew, at the conclusion of the “Sermon on the Mount” Jesus left the mountain and entered into the city of Capernaum. This city was located on the northwest corner of the Sea of Galilee. Capernaum was the home of four of the original twelve apostles (Peter, Andrew, James and John), and it appears that Capernaum became the home city of Jesus as well (Matthew 4:13; 9:1; 17:24). The Book of Mark adds that Jesus was in the synagogue teaching prior to entering the family home of Peter …

In Charge, But Not in Control

In one of my devotional Bibles, this statement is made about the control God has over His creation. “The human race operates and all activity occurs within the predetermined parameters set by God.” Passages that declare this are throughout the Bible. Psalm 33:8-9 makes the universal supremacy and sovereignty of God perfectly clear. “Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” Paul proclaims in Acts 17:26-27, “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” God made all things and controls all things in order to show us that we must be constantly seeking Him. God said through Jeremiah, “Am I a God near at hand, says the LORD, and not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him?’ says the Lord; do I not fill heaven and earth?’ says the LORD’” (Jeremiah 23:23-24). We are currently living during a time when some are not too sure that God is still on the throne in control of everything and everybody. Those of us who believe …

The Winter of Life

Every congregation has at least one, while larger congregations have several. We observe them at every gathering of the Lord’s church. You know who they are. We all know them by name. I am referring to the members of the church who never miss a service. They seem to follow the Postal Creed of “neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night” when it is time for services at the local congregation. If, by chance, they were not present, everyone would ask about them. If no one knows of their whereabouts, someone will call to check on them. If they do not answer the phone, someone will drive to their homes to see that they are alright. When these individuals are out of town, they call an elder or the preacher to inform someone of their whereabouts. In their minds, “being up in years” or “simply not feeling well” is not an excuse to stay home. Not only do these individuals attend all the scheduled services, but they continually serve God to the best of their abilities. Retirement from secular work does not mean retirement from God’s work. They continue to teach Bible classes, visit the hospitals and shut-ins, reach out to the lost, assist with cleaning and maintaining the meetinghouse, etc. They will not let age interfere with serving God. These individuals attend all the worship services, work sessions and fellowship gatherings. You can count on them to be present when the “doors are open.” Perhaps these …

Trying to Pull a Tooth That’s Not Loose

In a conversation with a sister in the faith, she expressed her frustration in trying to get people to see, understand and obey the truth of the Gospel. She said this is especially difficult when the religious convictions that they hold are so strong, even though those convictions cannot be validated in Scripture. She talked about how people can be shown Scripture after Scripture; they can read Scripture after Scripture; they can hear Scripture after Scripture, yet they remain in unbelief! Then she said, “It’s just like trying to pull a tooth that’s not loose!” I had never heard it put quite that way, but it started me to thinking about what God’s Word has to say about such an attitude. There are at least three R’s in unbelief – resistance, rejection and rebellion. The tragedy of unbelief appears time after time in the Bible. This was especially true of God’s chosen people. In spite of everything God had done for the Israelites and promised them, they refused to believe the truth He presented right before their eyes! Speaking of their unbelief, disobedience and ultimate rebellion, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:5, “But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.” Hebrews 3:17-19 says, “Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in …

Mary and Martha

Mary and Martha: Martha and Mary.Two sisters are they yet their views are contrary.One sister sits at the Master’s feet.The other one worries, what will her guests eat! Mary and Martha: Martha and Mary.Two sisters are they- one is calm one is weary.One sister scurries about in a rushThe other one listens in the still silent hush. Two sisters trying to put forth their best.One is so busy and one is at rest.One sister wants to make her home so cleanThe other wants wisdom from Jesus to glean. Two sisters whose views of both I can see,One sets the table and gets water for tea.The other puts spiritual things ahead of the restTwo differing views, yet which sister was blessed?”

I Want You to Be First, After Me!

One of the ministers in the brotherhood that my husband and I have known since the late 1970’s writes to us from time to time. His letters, if you can call them that, are not the typical ones relating what’s happening in his family or his travels as a minister or things of that nature. They are mini sermons, and we have told him they should be put in a book, and that he really needs to write before the Lord calls him home. He has thought about that to some degree, but to date, there is no book in the works as far as we know. In a recent letter, one of the thoughts he comments on is, “I want you to be first, after me.” When my husband read that sentence to me, I was intrigued by the concept, so this article takes shape around that premise. We live in a world that is bombarded with the promotion of self-interest. We naturally tend to focus on ourselves rather than on others. After all, the Bible says, “For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church” (Ephesians 5:29). The higher calling for us as Christians is to seek balance in the fact of that truth against “me, myself, and I.” During His earthly ministry, Jesus had to deal with this problem of “me first” among His apostles regarding who would be first or who among them would be …

A Woman’s Place

The other evening as I was listening to a talk show, a man called in to explain his views on “a woman’s place.” He thought women should stay at home and see that all her family’s needs were met. That was the extent of “a woman’s place.” He probably was not a Christian, but I believe many Christian men and women feel that a Christian woman’s place is very limited. There is no question that God does limit it, but neither in the degree nor manner than some think. I feel that the Bible is very clear that a concept which limits women to the home is not accurate. When or if we have been taught that, many of us have either accepted it and spent our lives trying to please our families without regard to other activities that may be equal in value to that task, or we may reject the idea, turning in the opposite direction and neglecting our God-given duties to our families for other pursuits. We should like to present what we believe to be a more balanced and biblical view of the matter. One of the most outstanding examples of women who served God and man outside the home is Deborah, who was the only woman judge. She was apparently quite effective as a judge, for she judged God’s people for 40 years. Her courage and faith were demonstrated when she accompanied Barak to take the army of Sisera (Judges 4). Not many of us …

Being Patient and Waiting: Who Wants to Do That?

We live in a microwave–“make it happen” yesterday society. Virtually all of us have experienced having to be patient and to wait when it was the last thing we wanted or felt we needed to be doing! I will share three such nerve racking occasions. My husband and I waited for three hours to receive a service. When it finally became our turn, we were told we had been directed to the wrong line. The service we needed could have been taken care of two hours before then! I waited in a drive-through pharmacy for one hour when there were only four vehicles ahead of me! I waited 35 minutes on a plane and watched at least 15 planes leave before we were finally cleared for take-off! We are thrilled beyond words when God answers us within minutes or even seconds. What about those times when we are left to be patient and wait for hours, days, months and sometimes even years? It is hard to be patient and wait, especially when we do not understand what God is doing. Sometimes, we lose sight of Who our God and Father is and how He deals with us. We forget that He can and will respond to us with something far better than we ever imagined at times, if we have the faith to be patient and to wait. Job 14:14 says, “If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, till my …

All You Have to Do Is Believe—Really?

The words of Jesus, in His conversation with the Jewish leader Nichodemus in John 3:16, is perhaps the most well known and most quoted verse from the Bible. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Unfortunately, the words of Jesus as He continues in John 3:17-21 are too often ignored. In the religious world today, we are hearing more and more that all you have to do is believe in God, take Jesus into your heart as your personal Savior and you will be saved. Is this the truth according to Scripture—really? Is there a passage or passages of Scripture that say belief only is all that is required or imply belief only is all that is required to be saved—really? The way God dealt with His people in the Old Testament is something to behold. Those of us who are attentive to God’s Word are keenly aware of the fact that His commands were not only to be heard and believed, but also to be obeyed. Carefully following the commands was the expectation, and in many instances, any deviation from obedience to those commands was met with immediate death! Many of us are familiar with the immediate death of Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10:1-7 when they offered profane fire before God, which He had not commanded them. God had told Aaron their father how incense was to be burned on the altar in Exodus …

Selfishness Versus Selflessness

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines selfish “1: concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself : seeking or concentrating on one’s own advantage, pleasure, or well-being without regard for others 2: arising from concern with one’s own welfare or advantage in disregard of others ‘a selfish act.’” Selfishness is the noun form of the adjective selfish. Synonyms for selfishness include self-centered, self-interest, self-will and egotism. Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary states “SELF-WILL: The act of stubbornly and arrogantly insisting on one’s own way, as opposed to following the will of God.” Selfishness is a character trait all Christians must erase from their lives in order to be pleasing to our God (2 Peter 2:9-10). The Bible is full of examples of individuals who succumbed to the sin of selfishness. Some of these individuals died in their sin while others repented. The angels of God commanded Lot and his family to flee Sodom. When they tarried with reluctance, the angels took the hand of Lot, his wife and his two unmarried daughters and led them out of the city. Once they were safely away from the city, the angels instructed them not to look back so as to be saved from the destruction of that wicked city. Lot’s wife selfishly looked back at all that she left behind: children, friends and possessions. God turned her into a pillar of salt (Genesis 29). Her selfish act led to the sin of drunkenness and incest. On two separate occasions, the two daughters fed wine to their father, then, slept with him so as to bear a son in …

The Righteousness of God, Or Moral Goodness?

The “righteousness of God” is a phrase that occurs numerous times in Scripture. How many times have we read the phrase “moral goodness?” The vast majority of people have mistakenly equated their moral goodness with a definite and clear passage to heaven. The statement was made that mass murders and murders of children and the like would go to hell, but God was just going to give the rest of us a “stern talking to.” Nothing could be further from God’s divine plan of salvation for our redemption than our moral goodness. What is this fatal flaw in the thinking of so many people? Perhaps more than anything else it is the misguided notion that God is a God of love and He is not going to do anything to hurt anybody. Where in the Bible does it say that? We don’t seem to understand that we begin to sin against God as adolescents, so accountability to Him looms early in our lives. Shortly after Noah and his family came out of the ark, God said in Genesis 8:21b; “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.” Psalm 25:7 reads, “Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; according to Your mercy remember me, for Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.” Proverbs 20:11 tells us, “Even a child is known by his deeds, whether what he does …

The Value of a Soul

We have recently been informed that the United States has a 1.2 trillion dollar deficit! This amount of money in any economic sphere staggers the mind in grappling to comprehend the grave significance of that dollar amount! However, the value of a single soul, the eternal aspect of mankind created in the very image of God, cannot be calculated in dollars and cents! How do we know that? Jesus said in Matthew 16:26, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” We could never have enough money or get enough money to buy back our souls once they were irrevocably lost! What did Jesus want all of us to understand? In the sight of God, all the bail out money is cheaper than the value of one soul! Take the 1.2 trillion dollar deficit, multiply it by any dollar amount, and one soul is still worth more! Nobody knows what the world is worth, so nobody knows what one soul is worth. It would not matter if we did know; one soul is priceless! It does not matter if the soul resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue or Skid Row; in the eyes of God both souls are of equal value because Jesus Christ died for us all! Some of the words that describe valuable are “expensive,” “costly” and “priceless.” Immortality is the value that a soul has that causes the value of this world and the things in it to pale …

Words on a Piece of Paper

The Bible is without parallel in its scope and eternal message for our lives and the unalterable destiny of our souls. We have heard for years that the Bible is the number one best seller. According to one source, the Bible tops the best seller lists every year. World sales of the Bible are more than 100 million every year! From a personal perspective, this fact reveals several most frightening truths. (1) For untold millions the Bible is a book just like any other book or it has become a mere text book; something to be analyzed and scrutinized like a historical document. (2) It is in countless homes on a bookshelf gathering dust or used as a decoration on a coffee table. (3) For the vast majority, the thought that the Bible is to be read and obeyed has never invaded the privacy of their thinking capacity. For them divine Scriptures are simply words on a piece of paper! Those of us who are faithful members of the Lord’s church know all too well that the Bible, the Word of God, is the center and core of our existence! However, there are times even in our lives when we allow doubt, fear, worry, guilt or any other number of negative emotions to creep into our thinking and weaken our faith. It is at these times that God’s Word for us can become mere words on a piece of paper! Our faith or belief in Scripture is our passageway to God. Our faith or …

Starting Anew Is Realized Only in Jesus Christ

Most of us can remember some of our life experiences that have caused us to cringe in guilt, vexation and embarrassment. Most of us would give almost anything to recall that moment in time to decide and act differently! Several years ago, a visiting preacher to a congregation asked the question, “Have you ever messed up and your ‘make up’ never quite measured up to your ‘mess up’?” At another Gospel meeting at the same congregation, the visiting preacher read the poem, “The Land of Beginning Again” by Louisa Tarkington. The one preacher told about an opportunity that he let slip through his fingers when asked to preach the Gospel to another village of lost people on a missionary trip. He decided he didn’t really have the time to go to another village on that trip. When he returned the following year, he searched long and hard to find the man who had asked him to come and preach in that village, but he never found him! The other visiting preacher read the poem, “The Land of Beginning Again,” and it begins by describing this wonderful place: “Where all of our mistakes, and all of our heartaches, and all of our poor selfish griefs, could be dropped at the door like a shabby old coat and never put on again.” The body of the poem addresses the greatest injustice, all the things we intended to do but forgot—little praises unspoken, and little promises broken. Perhaps the greatest line in the …

The Defilement of Denominationalism

Years ago, I worked with a lady who lived nearby my home. Our place of employment was located quite a distance from our homes, and therefore, the two of us agreed to take turns carpooling to work. The two of us had some interesting conversations on our lengthy drives to work. On one such occasion, we began a discussion on religion, and she politely asked me, “What denomination do you belong to?” I explained to her that I did not belong to any denomination, but that I was simply a Christian, a follower of Christ through reading and obeying God’s Holy Word. Frustrated, she stated that her religious party “pretty much did the same thing too,” but they called themselves by another name. She continued to insist that the group of people I worshipped with had a name other than Christian. She wanted me to tell her a name of some denomination so she could get an idea of my religious views. I took the opportunity to teach her what I could about the church for which Christ died. As I concluded, she added that though we differed on some points, we were basically the same! Could it be that two could differ such as this and be the same? Is it true that Jesus died so that people could walk separately? It has been my experience that many people take great pride in identifying themselves with their religious denominations. Just as a lengthy career title can often make one …

I Had No Choice

How many times have we heard that statement? How many times have we said, “I had no choice?” We always have a choice! The only question to be answered is this: Are we willing to accept personal responsibility for the choices we make no matter what? It is those mind-numbing, life changing consequences of our choices that are sometimes almost impossible for us to face and handle! When God created Adam and Eve, He gave them the freedom of choice. Since He placed them in the Garden of Eden, the human race has been confronted with making choices between right and wrong, good and evil. We make choices every day God gives us. Some of the choices we made when we were younger are affecting our lives to this day! Some of the choices we are presently making will impact us until our lives end! We begin to make some of these major life directing choices early in life. We make the choice to graduate from high school or college. We make the choice to struggle through those years of high school and college for several years, or we make the choice to drop out of high school or college and struggle, in many instances, for the rest of our lives. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 7:8; “The end of a thing is better than its beginning; the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.” Making the choice to stay in school is not an easy one, especially today with all the pressures …

Keeping It Real

I wrote the article “Account for Life” for Gospel Gazette in January of this year. That article was based on some of the minister’s remarks made at the funeral of a sweet sister who went to glory in November of 2007. At that service, one of the relatives of the deceased made this comment to me, “Marilyn, I have always liked you because you keep it real; you always know where you stand.” I called and asked her exactly what she meant by that comment. She sent me a note; this is what she said. “That means you are the same and you change not in any situation. You are a nice person and appear to be a godly person. Someone will always see the good traits in you and will always speak good words concerning you. Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light shine that men may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ Marilyn, continue to do this. Be encouraged.” Her remarks about me always being the same, brought to mind a statement a relative had made years ago. She said, “Marilyn, there’s one thing I have always liked about you; no matter how long it has been since we have seen you, you are always the same.” Years before that a good sister in the faith said to me, “Marilyn, we always know where we stand with you; we may not like it, but we always know where we stand.” These three women never met. They did …

If Everybody in the Church Were Just Like Me

The article entitled, “Check Up for Church Members,” was in a recent church bulletin. These questions were adapted from that article. How many morning services would we have if everyone stayed home when I do? How often would there be Bible classes if others would attend only when I do? How much Christian instruction would the children of my community receive if other parents would pay only as much attention to it as I do? How many neighbors would be invited to services and welcomed if others would invite and welcome only as many people as I do? How many prayers would be offered for the minister, my neighbors and the church if others would pray only as much as I do? How many statements would be made about Christ if others only spoke out for Him as much as I do? What kind of church would the church be if every member were just like me? Another article entitled, “What If…,” was in a church bulletin several years ago. These were some of the questions asked: What if everyone knew what you know about the Bible and studied it as much or as little as you do? Would they know what one must do to become a Christian and then remain faithful as a child of God? Would they (like you) be maturing and growing spiritually, or would they be on a decline? What if everyone sang during worship as you do? What if everyone sought to be involved in the Lord’s work (or escape …

There Is No Right Way to Do Wrong

There is no such thing as (1) an optional command, (2) sinning in moderation, (3) it ever being necessary to sin, (4) an insignificant sin or (5) a right way to do wrong. However, the Bible gives us example after example of people who tried the best they knew how to behave in an “acceptable” sinful manner. This is painfully apparent in the account of Solomon, his son Rehoboam and Jeroboam. God has told us repeatedly this cannot not be done and remain pleasing to Him.     The Bible says when Solomon was old and his many wives turned his heart after other gods, his heart was not loyal to God. “Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David. So the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods, but he did not keep what the Lord had commanded” (1 Kings 11:6, 9-10).     Because of his continued rebellion and disobedience, God told Solomon that He would tear the kingdom away from him and give it to his servant, but not while he was alive; however, He would tear it out of the hand of his son. God told him, “However, I will not tear away the whole kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of …

The Basket in the Collection Tray

“Momma, what is the basket for?” the little girl asked her mother one Sunday morning. “It’s for the children,” answered the mother. That answer satisfied the little girl until some 60 years later the basket was gone.    What was the story of the basket that had always been in the collection plate at that congregation of the Lord’s people? Every time the little girl attended worship in the little country church building in East Texas, the basket was there. Then, one Sunday it was gone. Her mother had passed on to eternity, as had her grandparents. Only one aunt remained who had the answer to “What is the basket for?” Why was it there? In no other assembly had she seen the basket—only in that little East Texas congregation where her parents and generations before had worshipped.     The answer lay in the wisdom of a decision made by an elder of that little congregation in the early 1900’s. In those days, the orphan train children came to live with members of that congregation. In those days, the beginning of an orphans’ home was established. In that little congregation, two sisters had a strong difference of opinion. One opinion was held strongly that families should take orphans into their homes and raise them. Both sisters had done just that.    A second understanding of the Scripture, James 1:27 came about in the establishment of children’s homes. Those establishing the homes asked for individuals and congregations to provide the funds for those homes. One sister was so …

The Christian and the Church

Think in your mind of someone you love very deeply. This someone is extra special to you. You love to spend time with this person and would do anything for him/her. Isn’t that right? Now let’s say that there was going to be a gathering to honor this special someone of yours. Would you be there? Certainly, you would! Morning, noon or night you would make certain to do whatever was needed to arrive at this honorary gathering of your special loved one. Now let’s say this someone you love very deeply is Jesus, and the gathering to honor Him is when the saints assemble. Are you there?     Erroneously, some believe one can be a faithful Christian without the church. The Hebrews writer stated Christians are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some (Hebrews 10:25). Through inspiration, the message clearly states Christians are not to skip the worship, Bible classes and gathering of other Christians like some people were doing. Acts 2:42 states of the first century Christians, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” These Christians were faithful in hearing the preaching and teaching of the apostles, in fellowshipping with one another, taking the Lord’s Supper and praying. This idea of steadfastly here means “to give constant attention to a thing” (Thayer 547). Inspiration records the frequency of that constant attention: “On the first day of the week when the disciples came …