The statement above (or one similar to it) has perhaps been communicated by most everyone at one time or another. An expectation was placed upon us that may have been too high to attain, and so we fell short. Then, the giver of the task was upset or disappointed, and so we respond with, “What do you expect from me?” To “expect” means to, “think or believe fully that something will come to be or happen,” “to look forward with reason or confidence.” Some synonyms are “to anticipate, require or assume.” We know that not everything we expect comes to be or happens. Not everything we expect becomes a reality. Yet, this does not mean that there should never be expectations! The apostle Paul wrote to Titus to encourage him, to direct him and also to tell him what was expected of him. As a preacher or proclaimer of God’s Word (or as a Christian), there are expectations. Let’s consider Paul’s instruction to Titus in the second chapter of his short letter. Paul began his letter with a common greeting, introducing himself as the writer and also showing the love and personal relationship he had with Titus, “my own son in the common faith” (1:4). Paul then explained the purpose of Titus being left in Crete. It was not for a vacation or to have some alone time, it was to “set in order things that were lacking” among them, to “ordain [designate, appoint] elders in every city [church or congregation]”(v5). Paul then gave some of the …

4, 8, 19, 27, 34, 10. Do those numbers mean anything to you? What about $1.6 billion? Perhaps that one will ring a bell. Those are the winning numbers and the dollar amount for the “Powerball” lottery that have been filling up every news channel this past week. We probably have friends who drove to Georgia in hopes of winning that prize. If only the people in our community and around the country would flock in that manner and with that enthusiasm to a place where there are guaranteed winnings – the kingdom of God! Speaking of earthly treasures, Solomon said: I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts. So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 2:8-11). Solomon had way more riches than what the lottery could offer, …

Words are often powerful (Romans 1:16). They bring to mind scenes that may lift one’s soul to wonderful heights or cast one down to depths of despair. “A broken spirit,” these words, perhaps in a measure unique, do both for me. These words remind me of the spirit that is joyfully broken as one penitently responds to the grace of our Lord. They also bring to mind the spirit that is wounded and sorrowful because of the weight of the burdens of life and the challenges entertained therein. The Psalmist said, “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit” (Psalm 34:18 KJV). Yes, the Lord establishes and strengthens His fellowship with those who allow the Word of His grace to break, ever so painfully, the bands and bonds that hold us apart from Him as we have been overcome by the power of sin. Similarly, the Psalmist added, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Psalm 51:17). I trust that our spirits are mutually lifted and encouraged as we contemplate the positive, divine response to our penitence and full obedience to His will. The above cited passages speak of a broken spirit in a positive manner. They lead us to seek out such a spirit so that ultimately we would be spiritually healed and secure in Christ. They demand that we be broken in …

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. (Hebrews 12:1-3) A group of climbers set out to scale a large mountain in Europe. The view boasted a breathtaking peak of snowcapped rocks. On clear days the crested point reigned as king on the horizon. Its white tip jutted into the blue sky inviting admiration and offering inspiration. On days like that the hikers made the greatest progress. The peak stood about them like a compelling goal. Eyes were called upward. The walk was brisk. The cooperation was unselfish. Though many, they climbed as one, all looking to the same summit. Yet on some days the peak of the mountain was hidden from view. The cloud covering would eclipse the crisp blueness with a drab, gray ceiling and block the vision of the mountaintop. On those days the climb became difficult. Eyes were downward and thoughts inward. The goal was forgotten. Tempers were short. Weariness was an uninvited companion. Complaints stung like thorns on the …

The account of the crossing of the Red Sea is found in Exodus 14 and 15. Can you imagine the worship service the Israelites had when they crossed safely over the Red Sea? The children of Israel had seen God’s awesome power first-hand and had been delivered from the Egyptian host. They had just seen God save them from a watery grave, a death that seemed to be certain. The Israelites were blocked on one side by the Red Sea and the approaching armies of Pharaoh were on the other side. Relentlessly, the armies in their chariots had chased them down (Exodus 14:5-9). The Israelites cried out for help in their desperation (v. 10). The situation seemed hopeless. The Lord parted the waters, allowing the people to cross (v. 16, 21-22). However, when the Egyptians rode onto the dry seabed, God caused the water to crash in on them (v. 28). That is when the celebration started! With great joy, the people praised God for His strength and salvation (Exodus 15:2), His great power (v. 6), His greatness (v. 7), His holiness (v. 11), His mercy, guidance and redemption (v. 13), and His everlasting reign over them (v. 18). In praise, love and adoration, they poured their hearts out to the God of their deliverance. Did you notice the many attributes for which Israel praised God? Now think about why we praise God in our lives and what He has done for us. We are to honor Him in our …

“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’” (Exodus 5:1-2 NKJV). Moses was told by God to go and tell Pharaoh to let God’s people, the children of Israel, go from their slavery and bondage. After many excuses and missteps on the part of Moses, Moses and his older brother Aaron (ages 80 and 83) did as God commanded. However, Pharaoh did not let the Israelites go. In fact, Pharaoh asked a very contemporary question, “Who is God?” This is an old question, and it has been asked by lesser and greater men and women, even in recent history. In the late 1800’s, Friedrich Nietzsche proclaimed that God is dead. On April 8, 1966 the cover of Time magazine asked the question, “Is God dead?” The debate over the existence of God has been ongoing, and it is still going in many forms. You may remember when Ken Ham of the Creation Museum fame and Bill Nye, “The Science Guy,” debated the existence of God and the age of the earth. A couple of years ago Kyle Butt debated Dr. Bart Ehrman, a debate entitled, “The Pain and Suffering in the World Indicate that the Christian God Does Not Exist.” …

The Book of Nehemiah is one of my personal favorites in the Old Testament. It is the inspired diary of the man who oversaw the rebuilding of the wall in Jerusalem after the return from captivity. The rebuilding of the wall was a feat not often seen because of the ways and means by which it was accomplished. People from all walks of life were working on the project. In Chapter 3 there is an extensive list of the builders of the wall. They were rulers and common men, priests and craftsmen, people of Jerusalem and families from the outlying towns and villages, men and women. All came together to work on this great project, and the whole wall was built in a mere 52 days because the people had a mind to work (Nehemiah 4:6; 6:15). However, within that list of workers in Nehemiah 3 there is one very interesting statement made by the author. He recorded in verse 5, “And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord.” Of all the people in the region, and of all of those listed as physically assisting with this project, the Tekoite nobles are the only ones stated to have refused the work of building the wall. The reasons for their actions could be many, but the excuses are not enumerated in the text. What is important is that when the time came for the work to be done, they …

As I write this article (1987), I am overlooking the beautiful harbor of Singapore. Lying at anchor in that harbor are more than 150 ships of different sizes and shapes. As I have sat here from time to time and observed them, it is interesting to watch how each ship faces the tide. If the tide is coming in, they face the ocean; if it is going out, they face the mouth of the Singapore River. However, because the ships are securely anchored in the harbor, they remain in their respective places. They are neither washed aground nor out to sea by the moving tide. Why? Because their anchors hold them in their places. The writer of the Book of Hebrews had something to say about an anchor. He wrote, “…that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast…” (Hebrews 6:18-19). Let the storms of life come to tempt us, bringing in their sorrow and doubt; let the false prophet attempt to lead us astray with his great swelling words of false doctrines. Neither will be able to move us who have that anchor both sure and steadfast. It will keep us safely moored. Shall we cast off our moorings and be cast against the rocks and crags on the shores of …

Introduction It is no surprise to us when we read or hear atheists and agnostics attacking the Word of God, but when the attack comes from those who claim to be Christians, it can take us by surprise. There has been an increasing amount of attacks upon the Bible as God’s infallible and inerrant Word over the past few decades. Many in Christendom are falling prey to a very liberal reading of Scripture, and some are even attacking its inerrancy, using the very same arguments that the unbelieving use. Supposed Contradictions and Errors It is very common when reading books by people like Bart Ehrman and Dan Barker to come across statements like, “The Bible is full of errors and contradictions.” In fact, this is extremely common to hear from those who have never even read the Bible. Some, in an attempt to prove the Bible contains contradictions, will point to the number of horse stalls that Solomon is said to have had in 2 Chronicles 9:25 (4,000) and 1 Kings 4:26 (40,000). They claim that this is a clear contradiction and proof that the Bible contains errors. Is this really a contradiction? For those wishing to disprove the Bible it is, but this may simply be an issue of copyist error (Geisler and Howe 180). The Scriptures, along with all ancient documents, were copied by hand until the printing press was invented, and there were times when copyists would make mistakes. Yet, this may not be a copyist error …

God the Father chose to provide four accounts of the life and death of His beloved Son. Mark records the time of the Lord’s crucifixion. “And it was the third hour, and they crucified him” (Mark 15:25). In our manner of time keeping that was 9:00 in the morning, on Friday. Luke provides the fact that from noon till 3:00 p.m. there was darkness over the land (Luke 23:44). During these six hours upon the cross, seven sayings Jesus spoke are recorded. Consider the first. “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Several points can be observed from this. (1) Jesus practiced what He preached. He taught His disciples to “…pray for them that despitefully use you” (Luke 6:28). See also Matthew 5:43-48. Stephen admirably followed the Lord’s example (Acts 7:60). How do you and I treat our enemies? (2) His murderers were still guilty of sin, even though they did it in ignorance. Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them,” and yet, where there is no sin, there is no need of forgiveness. He also said, “They know not what they do,” indicating their ignorance. “The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent” (Acts 17:30). Don’t expect ignorance to be your ticket into heaven. No such ticket exists (Luke 12:48). (3) How was His prayer answered? After His resurrection and Ascension, the apostles preached His message to the Jews. “Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus… ye by the hand …

The young salesman was disappointed about losing a big sale, and as he talked with his sales manager he lamented, “I guess it just proves you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.” The manager replied, “Son, take my advice. Your job is not to make him drink. Your job is to make him thirsty.” So it is with evangelism. Our lives should be so filled with Christ that they create a thirst for the Gospel. The Christian’s duty is to make those who we encounter thirsty for the Gospel. The Command from above (Mark 16:15) In the verse, Jesus gave the marching orders for every Christian. Notice Jesus’ authority (Matthew 28:18-20), Jesus’ assignment (Matthew 28:19-20a) and Jesus’ assurance (Matthew 28:20b). The Greek verb “go” in Matthew 28:19 is not a command but a present participle (“going”). The command in the entire Great Commission is “teach all nations” (“make disciples”). Jesus was saying, “While you are going, make disciple of all nations.” Wherever we go, we should seek to win others to Christ (Acts 11:29-21). The Cry from beneath (Luke 16:27) The Rich Man developed an evangelistic fervor, but it was too late. So, he cried to Abraham to send someone from the dead to convince his brothers. However, even a risen dead person would be less convincing than the prophets. Thus, the cry from the eternally lost is motivational to evangelize the living. The Caution from before (Ezekiel 3:17-21) The watchman stood on the city wall guarding against external or …

Ed Sullivan was a very early television personality. His TV variety show started in 1948 and ended in 1971. In 1948, most folks did not own a television set. As time passed, television became the entertainment center for the average family. I remember on the Ed Sullivan show a fast-talking entertainer by the name of Al Kelly. His routine was to double talk. Double talk is defined in part as, “Meaningless speech that consists of nonsense syllables mixed with intelligible words; gibberish, deliberately ambiguous or evasive language. Furthermore, called doublespeak.” Another interesting word that is used to describe a type of double-talking is jangling. Jangling is found once in the King James Version of the New Testament as follows. “Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling” (1 Timothy 1:5-6). Other versions of the New Testament translate the end of verse six as “vain talking” (ASV) or “vain discussion” (ESV). Our English dictionary defines jangling in part as, “To talk idly; to quarrel verbally; to utter or sound in a discordant, babbling, or chattering way.” We all can understand that jangling is idly conflicting speech that is designed to mislead the hearer. I have heard a lot of double-talking in the political world and in the religious arena also. How about you? Without beating up this subject, let us in a simple way say, what …

How many hundreds of times we have sung, “There’s a beautiful place called heaven. It is hidden above the bright blue”! We are probably allowed a great deal of “poetic license” in our singing, for it is doubtful that any preacher or author could make a serious statement that the Scriptures teach that heaven is hidden “out yonder somewhere beyond the stars” without being called into question. Yet, today I want to examine the thesis that the thing that is described in Revelation 21 is a place at all! Do not misunderstand me! I cannot conceive of heaven not existing in some place. Neither can I conceive of the church not existing in some place. However, surely any student of the Bible knows that an adequate description of the church is not a description of the place in which it meets. One may say, “The church is the place where the saved worship God” but does not mean by that some geographical locality, but a spiritual relationship. Note first that the description we are about to read in Revelation 21 and 22 is that of “the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:20). Verses 8 and 10 show clearly that John is about to see a vision of the “bride, the wife of the Lamb, the holy city, New Jerusalem.” Now, is the “bride” a place or a people in a place? Assuredly, we have only one serious answer to that! Of all …

Economists tell us our country operates under a market-driven economy. This is in contrast to those societies that are communistic or socialistic where the state sets the tone of the economy rather than the consumer. With our free enterprise system, the consumer often does dictate the ebb and flow of goods and services, and thus, the vitality of the economy itself. Certainly, foreign trade, government policies and other factors help determine the marketplace, but the goods and services we buy and sell play an important part in determining how our standard of living fares. This consumer-oriented philosophy permeates much of life, including religion. One author made the observation of how the marketplace has affected us spiritually. “The market-driven philosophy currently in vogue says plainly that Biblical truth is outmoded. Biblical exposition and theology is seen as antiquated and irrelevant. ‘Churchgoers don’t want to be preached to anymore,’ this philosophy says. The baby boom generation won’t just sit in the pew while someone up front preaches. They are products of a media-driven generation, and they need a church experience that will satisfy them on their own terms.” This is really nothing new, as there have always been those who viewed the church as a “what do I get out of it, what’s in it for me” experience. The truth is, there is much we get and much we receive, but only when we put God first and submit to His will. The greatest blessings belong to those who become servants of …

We are in the midst of an unprecedented cultural revolution in the United States. We are discussing many things now that never would have been dreamed of even thirty years ago. One of the big issues in the revolution is egalitarianism for sexes. Women have more rights now than ever before. Our society has moved in the right direction in this case: at this point in history women have the right to vote, own property, hold top positions in companies, serve on the front lines in the military and a host of other privileges long denied them. Here is where things will get interesting in the next few years: What is the church to do about this? The Bible declares that there are roles that only men are to fill. Will the church remain faithful to the teaching of the Bible, or will we yield to the demands of culture? The answer is both. Those who understand that the Bible is not the opinions of men from 2,000+ years ago, but rather the directives of God (2 Peter 1:20-21), will stand firm on the truth. However unpopular it may be with the current culture, faithful Christians will stand firmly upon Bible teachings. On the other hand, those who believe that truth is relative will readily compromise and go with the flow of the culture around them. The time has come for us to make big decisions. The question is whom do you serve – Christ or culture? 

There is a character in the New Testament whose name is Gamaliel. There is not much said about him except that he was Paul’s rabbinical teacher (Acts 22:3) and that he was a well-respected member of the Council (Acts 5:34). Acts 5 further records the time when he gave advice concerning the apostles as to what should be done with them. He reminded the council of two who had come prior to the apostles and had drawn crowds after them. Both men were slain, and there followers disbanded after their deaths. Gamaliel advised to let the apostles alone. If they were acting of men, they would be overthrown, but if they were acting for God, then they could not be overthrown. If it were the latter, the Council should not want to fight against God (38-39). I say all of that to make this simple remark: I wonder if Gamaliel ever got it? After hearing the preaching of the apostles and seeing by the time of his death the apostles had not yet been snubbed out, I can’t help but wonder if he ever came around. The Bible never records one way or another, so it is useless to speculate. What I want to point out is this. There are many who are just like Gamaliel. There are many who are very close to the kingdom of God, perhaps even right on the edge. We need to be sowing the seed everywhere, but we especially need to look for those …

“If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners in shedding the blood of the prophets.” This is a line that Jesus quoted that the Pharisees and scribes had been saying as He concluded His “woes” against them (Matthew 23:30). This is what they said, but their actions spoke otherwise. They lived in the days of John and Jesus and their disciples, and they mistreated them all. They said they would not mistreat the prophets of old, but killed the prophets of their own day, including their Messiah! How blind they were! It’s easy for us to do similar things; it’s an unfortunate part of our human nature. We all say one thing with our mouths, but our actions speak otherwise. When it comes to spiritual matters, where do you fall? Are you one who confesses Jesus with your mouth, but deny Him with your actions? Are you killing the prophets?

A boy was knocking on doors. He knocked on one door, and a woman answered it. “Do you know Jesus?” the boy asked. The woman, unaccustomed to being quizzed about her faith, was a little befuddled. “I go to church every Sunday,” she told the boy. “Yes ma’am, but do you know Jesus?” he asked again. How well do you know Jesus Christ? Is He real to you? Philippians 3:10 reads, “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (NKJV). Note verse 10 says, “that I may know Him.” How does one get to know Christ? Not by observance of the Mosaic covenant. Not by fleshly alliances. The apostle Paul would have been saved already as a Jew if the Mosaic Law or earthly circumstances were how one knows Christ; note Paul’s advantages (4-6). As a Jew, Paul did not know Jesus. How may we know Jesus better? We must make much of God’s Book. Psalms 1:1-3 teaches that happy is the man who is acquainted with God’s Book. We must take time for meditation. We need a quiet time when we can let God speak to us through His Word. By studying the Bible, we get to know more about Jesus (2 Timothy 3:14-15; Luke 24:44; Acts 18:28; 8:35). We need to get back into the Bible. We must magnify the daily habit of prayer. Jesus taught much about prayer. He taught that we should pray for …

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

A call this week from a sister in Christ prompted the particular thoughts of this article. She was visiting in the “north” country, but the things she spoke about that are happening in the Lord’s church there are also happening around us. We’re seeing more and more ways that Satan is enticing Christians to get further and further from the truth of the Gospel of Christ. She spoke of immodest dress in the church as young girls were attending worship service scantily clad in short-shorts and halter tops. There is a sense in which one’s clothing doesn’t matter as long as one’s heart is right with God. However, one can dress in such a way that he or she causes those nearby to have a problem in approaching God in true, pure worship; that is a problem. The apostle Paul warned the young preacher Timothy of such problems as he said, “women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety” (1 Timothy 2:9). Modesty is defined as “not calling attention to or exposing too much of one’s body; decent.” Dressing in such a way as to interfere with the worship of others should make one ashamed. Further, let’s be reminded that it’s not always females who violate this teaching but males often do so when they dress inappropriately and call attention to their physique. In addition, this teaching does not apply just to how one dresses for worship services; it applies to how a Christian must always present himself …

The people of the world are known for wearing as little clothing as possible during bare season [not to be confused with “bear season,” comparable to “deer season.” ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]. Women and girls go into public places wearing shorts and the briefest of tops. Some assemble with the saints wearing short skirts and low cut blouses. Men and boys work in their yards or go to softball fields or the fitness center in brief shorts without even a shirt. Both genders go to beaches in attire that is only appropriate in the bedroom. There seems to be little thought given to modesty and the effect our dress can have on others, or on our positive Christian example. As Jesus taught, lust is a problem men must avoid. “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). Women can help their brothers by being chaste or pure and dressing in a way that does not call [inordinate] attention to themselves, especially in gatherings of the saints (Titus 2:3-5; 1 Timothy 2:8-9). Women also struggle with lust, who now comprise the fastest growing group viewing porn on the Internet. God instructed priests in His service to be sure to be properly clothed. He had Moses write, “Nor shall you go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed” (Exodus 20:26). The covering of Aaron’s sons was to “reach from the …