Whenever I find myself wading through the pity pool, whining about how hard I have it, how unfair life can be, I am reminded of a phone call that took place several years ago. My cousin, my best friend since childhood, was in the Army, and he and his wife were expecting their second child. After getting word of the birth, I waited a day, then two, then three—but no word from him. So I phoned and teasingly asked, “Well, Bubba, just when were you gonna call and share the good news with your little brother?” The pause was deafening. His response was crushing. “Matthew has Down Syndrome,” he said. I choked my tears and said, “I am so sorry, Bubba. Can I do anything to help?” His response humbled me beyond belief and gave me cause to again look at him with great respect. He said, “God saw me through the death of Mom, Army training, combat in Iraq, the deaths of several friends and the loss of my dad. My Heavenly Father would never burden me with more than I can bear. [See 1 Corinthians 10:13.] I will gladly shoulder my cross and continue to praise Him.” “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” (James 1:2-3).

“For, Behold, the Kingdom of God is within you!” (Luke 17:21) Of all the concepts Jesus Christ ever talked about, this one, perhaps, was more baffling and confusing to not only the religious leaders of the day, but His own followers. “What do you mean the kingdom is within us? We thought you were going to actually build something and actually put us in positions of power!” To men like the Pharisees, who failed to understand this notion, it was a threat of being removed from their positions. “What! A new kingdom—without us?” For such, they sought to kill him, loving the chief seats among the people. Yet, if He said it once, He said it a thousand times, His kingdom is not a physical thing, but spiritual, that will not “come with observation.” Think about it in some more mundane terms. Each of us has or at least has ridden in a car. As you are riding along, you do not see the vital fluids of that vehicle coursing through the metallic, venous system to lubricate and cool the engine, do you? Of course not! To disturb it would be to interrupt the functioning of the vehicle. Yet, it is essential. No oil, no go! You can put it on the outside of the engine all you want, where it can be observed, but it will only smoke smell and—well, your engine will burn up anyway. It is that simple. The same is true with the kingdom of God. …

As my wife and I with our family taught the Gospel in Tehran, Iran, we lived on the second floor of a house with the church meeting place on the ground floor. One could see for miles around from the picture windows of the kitchen on two sides. My wife, Sylvia, drew great comfort and security, confidence and hope, looking north toward the big El Bourz Mountains. Down below, almost coming up under a balcony porch off the side of the house, a shepherd daily brought his flock of sheep to drink in a brook running past our house. She often marveled at the gentle way he led them, talking to them and even singing. As they reached the water, he generally reclined on the bank in a position to see them all. At times, he even would sit under that balcony where he could lean against our house, keeping an eye on his sheep. Frequently—almost always, one at a time the sheep would come to him. He would scratch their ears and around behind their ears or pat them on the head, always saying something in a soothing tone, allaying any fear or uneasiness they must have felt. A number of different sheep would come to him each day, and each would seem to have its own story or problem it confided to him. As they were filled, he rose and slowly walked away. He did not command them to follow; he merely walked on, and they followed. Sylvia commented to …

For the most part, we are a reasoning people. Our children are encouraged to use their reasoning ability in working out assignments in school. Even in our everyday life, we are confronted with situations in which we use our reasoning faculties. For instance, at the market are items that we want and need. One is a brand name, while the other a generic. One is more expensive than the other. We use our daily reasoning ability to determine which one would best serve our purpose. Having used our thinking processes, we make our choice. A question: Why cannot we be a reasoning people when it comes to the Word of God? Why are there four hundred or more denominations in our country when the Word of God states that there is only one, true church? The Scriptures plainly teach that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, and that He is truly God Himself. (cf. John 1:1-3). We do realize, however, that there are some religious cults such as the Islamic religion, the Mormons and those who call themselves “Jehovah’s Witnesses” who deny the true deity of Jesus of Nazareth. Some believe in the so-called prophet Mahomet, while others of these groups believe that the God of the Bible was once a man and simply evolved into a god, and they follow the writings of a false prophet and a book he wrote, while another group published its own “translation” (false as it is) so that it could …

Soon after Angi and David’s sixth wedding anniversary, the couple’s home burned to the ground. Angi’s first act, when they were allowed to hunt through the blackened remains, was to search for their photo albums. When she went to tell David that the pictures had indeed survived, she found him carefully placing in a box some charred, folded pieces of paper—their courtship love letters. “As I watched David kneeling there in the ashes,” she says, “I was overcome with the certainty that we were meant for each other. There, in the face of our greatest tragedy, our first thoughts were not of our material loss but of the potential loss of these precious parts of our life together. As I knelt to help him with the letters, I was certain that we hadn’t lost anything that mattered after all.” “Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted” (Albert Einstein). So what counts? What matters most? In one word: relationships. In three words: friends, family and faith. In Philippians 3, the Apostle Paul enumerates many of the accomplishments that he attained as a Jew (vs. 4-7). However, at the end of the list he wrote: “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ” (v. 7). Then he explained his new priority: “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as …

A recent study by the Family Research Council offers encouragement for both the home and the faith. Doctors Nicholas Zill and Phillip Fletcher found a “startling discrepancy between children who live with both biological parents and attend religious services weekly, and those from broken homes who worship less frequently.” Using data from the National Survey of Children’s Health, they found “students from intact, churchgoing families are five times less likely to repeat a grade. Less than 21% of these parents were contacted by their school for behavior or achievement problems, compared to 53% whose children were not living with both parents and not attending services regularly. The more frequently a family worships together, it seems, the less anxious moms and dads are about their children’s school performance.” Even more surprising is that these differences held true even after considering family income and poverty, parent’s education level, race and ethnicity. As the report stated, “Children thrive, the family bond strengthens, school success skyrockets, and the nation reaps the reward.” Church and family seem to be the “perfect prescription” for many social problems faced in our nation today. This data just confirms what so many of us realize about the importance of both the home and the Lord’s church. We are created by God, and He knows best what it takes for us to live an abundant life here and now. Solomon advises us, “Buy truth, and do not sell it, get wisdom and instruction and understanding” (Proverbs 23:23). The importance of …

“Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.”  The previous quotation is couched in Psalms 119:89 and was written by the sweet singer of Israel, King David, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  Psalm 119 is a Psalm of David, which no doubt was written during his darkest hour.  King Saul was consumed with jealousy, making every effort to find the young man to destroy him, for the people’s love of David was greater than their love for King Saul. Psalm 119 is permeated with warnings and exhortations for us to consider soberly when facing adversity.  David was facing his darkest hour and the one place where he could find peace and solace was in the law of God.  David said “teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments” (Psalms 119:66).  Facing trials and difficulties in this life demands that we consult God and His revealed Word.  David also said, “thy law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver” (Psalms 119:72). This young man was wise beyond his years, attaching great value to the law of God and showing that it superseded “gold and silver”.  People often exhibit a marked lack of value for the Word of God, and far too many in our modern age fail to take advantage of this great artesian well of truth.  David frightfully said, “the wicked have waited for me to destroy me, but I will consider thy testimonies” (Psalm 119:95). This young man, facing his enemies and fearful of his …

I am a drop of blood. I feel myself fall onto a face. I slither down into an eye, and tears drive me out to flow on down to the tip of a nose. Then, I begin a seemingly endless fall that seems to speed up as I see the ground approaching. Suddenly, it is as if I slow down into slow motion, and I see a man approach the One from whom I fall. In a moment, it is no longer one drop of blood, but a flood of blood drops mixed with water that pour unbound into a puddle at His feet. I find myself being assimilated into the spilt blood, and know that I will soon be absorbed into the dry ground upon which I have fallen. Yet, I cannot help but wonder, as my fate begins to play itself out: Don’t they know who we are? Why has no one brought a container to catch each precious drop as we have fallen? Don’t they realize the power that is contained in us? If my brothers and I held the cure for some horrible disease, wouldn’t they be trying to save us? If we could make someone wealthy, wouldn’t they be scrambling to try to be that one who collects us? However, instead, they simply ignore our plight in their thirst for His blood. Soon we will be gone. I cannot help but think of how ironic it all is. These other blood drops and I are …

A close friend of mine who is a preacher was telling me recently at lunch about a sister he knew who made homemade pies for every man in the church on his birthday. One year she made pies on 220 days! That’s a lot of pies!She explained that it was her ministry. It caused me to think about all the people I have known through the years who minister to others. In Ephesians 4, Paul speaks of equipping the saints for ministry.We sometimes have the misguided idea that ministry is only for professionals, you know the paid guys.The truth is that ministry is for everyone. The verb, “minister,” comes from a Greek word (diakoneo), meaning to serve. The noun, “minister,” (from the Greek diakonos) means servant or minister.Jesus made it very clear that anyone who wants to be great must be a minister (Matthew 20:26). Then, our Lord began teaching His followers how to serve one another (John 13). Our Lord performed the ultimate act of ministry when He gave Himself on the cross for us (Mark 10:45).If we wish to be like Him, we will be willing to give of ourselves to others (Philippians 2:5-8). I remember seeing a church sign several years ago that said, “Minister—Every Member.” If every Christian is ministering to others, all of God’s people will have what they need most.It has been my experience over the years in my personal life that I am happiest when I am serving others.It has also been my …

The inspired writer of the Book of Hebrews gave an exhortation in Chapter Two, encouraging those early Christians to “…give more earnest heed to the things that were heard, let haply we drift away from them.” There is a constant need to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and sound doctrine to every generation. There is the danger of the untaught not learning and of the taught drifting away from what they have learned. The apostle Peter felt it necessary to remind his brethren of those essentials that they already knew (2 Peter 1:13; 3:1). Paul warned Timothy about a time when certain ones would no longer “endure the sound doctrine,” thus the need to “preach the word” continuously (2 Timothy 4:1-4). There is presently a yearning among many in the church to learn ‘new things.’ Of course, we should not extol traditions to a position of inspiration; personally, I’m not interested in propagating mere tradition. However, there are objective truths revealed by the Holy Spirit that are essential and must be studied, examined and proclaimed. The desire to imitate other religious organizations in practice and teaching has caused many people to frown on the old ways of safety and security. Others, not studying the Holy Scriptures, are led away by “every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men in craftiness, after the wiles of error” (Ephesians 4:14). Often, when one expresses a desire for ‘new things,’ it is simply a rejection of ‘old truths.’ Presently, there is a …

A dispute, to quarrel, wrangle I guess it’s pretty common for siblings to squabble. When our two daughters were young, they never seemed to enjoy a vacation. As we drove through some of the most beautiful parts of America, they occupied themselves by squabbling. While I was stationed in Germany and before my wife Shirley was ready to return home to the USA, we were able to tour some of Europe. We drove through Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy, returning via a different route, and you guessed it! The two girls squabbled. Now, I don’t want you to think they quarreled all the time, but enough times that, as their parents, we should have a degree in fight management and counseling. Squabbling is not limited to children; adults participate in such things all too often. Martha and Mary It seems that Martha was absorbed and cumbered with much serving. Maybe she fretted somewhat. This could lead to irritation and annoyance. Just like all of us, too many times we are guilty of the same. “Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha, received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help …

In the sixty years we have been reading the Bible and hearing preachers proclaim the Gospel of Christ, we have heard many comments made on the fact that Christ is the Head of the church. With this statement no man who calls himself a Christian should disagree. However, without exception, all those who have spoken on the subject in our hearing have spoken as if the meaning of the phrase was practically exhausted when one thinks of the head as a sort of director of an organization. Or, if they want to go half a step further, they cap the climax by saying something like, “As my head directs my hands and feet, so Christ, the head of the body, directs every member of the body.” With all my heart (or head—or whatever) I believe that Christ is to direct every member of the church, the body of Christ, but aside from the little technical fact that my head does not really direct my hands and feet, but the head itself is directed by the brain to move, turn, etc., just as the hands and feet are, it is my conclusion that those allusions to the “head” of an organization directing it and the head of a man directing his body do not do justice to the meaning that the Holy Spirit would like to transmit to us through His Word. I am not arrogant enough to assume that I will now do justice to it, but if I can …

When Jesus finished His explanation of the Parable of the Tares and had given His disciples three more parables, the last of which was the Parable of the Dragnet, the Bible records in the 13th chapter of Matthew that He asked His disciples the important question, “Have you understood all these things”? The disciples answered in the affirmative! Matthew recorded, “Then He said to them, Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old”(Matthew 13:52). In this statement Jesus talked about two important classes of people, scribes and householders. These two classes of people could possibly be the same person, but a scribe by strict definition, was a man who made his living making copies of the Law of Moses. However, Jesus is using the term in a more general sense in this passage and refers to those who taught as scribes, because that is another thing scribes often did. Hence, He has reference there to His own apostles, prophets and evangelists who would be teaching His Gospel to the world. We know this because He referred to them as being “instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven.” Hence, Christ spoke of something that would be expected of His “scribes” when they went out to preach His Gospel to the Jews and Gentiles. Then, He likened every “scribe” to a householder. His reference here is to one who was an owner and manager of property, as well …

Satan has a number of weapons to wage spiritual warfare against humanity. One is false teaching. False teaching results in false ideas, false beliefs, false convictions and false practices. Satan has no interest in God being either fairly or accurately represented. He is the master of distortion and misrepresentation. The objective Satan has in view is to drive a wedge between men and God, thus breaking man’s fellowship with God. The ultimate aim is the destruction of every man, woman and young person. Jesus praised the Ephesian church in Revelation 2 for properly identifying false apostles. John warned about the seductive work of the anti-christs who had withdrawn themselves from God’s faithful children. John urged his brethren further to test the spirits in view of the fact many false prophets had gone out into the world. God has never been the authority behind the deceitful working of the false apostles, false prophets and anti-christs. While many today apparently think false teachers are as rare as an animal on the listing of endangered species, their actual numbers are legion. John Calvin’s third major tenet is known as the “Limited Atonement” doctrine. The idea put forward by John Calvin is the atonement made available by the suffering and death of Jesus Christ is limited exclusively to those Mr. Calvin identified as “the elect.”  According to the doctrine, Jesus did not come to die for the “non-elect.” As a result, the benefits of Jesus’ shed blood cannot even possibly be applied to a …