There is one body, the church (Ephesians 4:4; 1:22-23). The Holy Spirit, working through earthly proclaimers of truth, causes people to be baptized into the one body (1 Corinthians 12:12-13). All of us recognize that the human body has many members, with each having a role to play, like tongue, ear, finger, toe, etc. “For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,’ is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,’ is it therefore not of the body?” (1 Corinthians 12:14-16). The answer to both questions is clearly, “No!” Every member of the physical body plays an important role that would be sorely missed if not present. The spiritual body of the church similarly has many members within it, and each has a role to play. Paul said each member of the church or body fulfills an important function. “If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be?” (1 Corinthians 12:17-18). Different functions must be performed by various members of the body to have it working as a harmonious whole. The …

Families are sometimes disturbed by those members who have turned to drugs, alcohol or mannerisms to the point of addiction. The Bible contains warnings for us to be cautious around such people, though they may be relatives (Proverbs 22; 1 Corinthians 5). How may we guard ourselves because those concentrating simply on self often become those who cheat, steal and commit fraud against even their best friends as well as family members? 1. Always take an inventory of what you have and where you place things, including money, jewelry, assets of any kind, such as lawnmowers, weed eaters, gas cans, etc. 2. Don’t be a helper for the addicted person to get away with taking advantage of your valuables. The addicted simply turn to those who buy stolen goods and sell for the money to get more drugs, alcohol or films and fashions to satisfy briefly the addiction. 3. Spiritually pray for all involved. Encourage the addicted to ask, seek and find a tie with Jesus more than yield to the addiction.

How many of us are enjoying something we recently received as a gift? While it is new, we are enamored with it. However, as adults, we know the routine all too well. The new thing is pleasing at first, but gradually our interest wanes. New things so quickly become old things. Eventually, they are cast aside. This is not said to suggest that we abandon all of our things. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with enjoying legitimate possessions. Nevertheless, we are calling for a bit of perspective – a perspective that can bring more meaning to our lives. Paul would have us “look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). This terra firma, along with all of its physical contents, will one day be destroyed by its Creator. At the Lord’s return, the “heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). Now consider carefully Peter’s concluding point. “Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness?” (2 Peter 3:11). Since these “things” are one day to pass away, what really matters in this life is holy living. The story is told of …

I love planting season! The joy of putting seed in the ground, watching it grow and gathering a harvest – it’s wondrous! In a spiritual context, it’s always planting season (2 Timothy 4:2); however, seeds don’t plant themselves! Our duty is clear: plant and water, and then, God will give the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6). Read the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23). Notice: (1) Wayside Soil, which equals the Hard Heart! (2) Stony Soil, equivalent to the Shallow Heart! (3) Thorny Soil, the Crowded Heart! (4) Good Soil, which represents the Good Heart! The Seed is the Word of God (Luke 8:11). We must sow the seeds of faith (Matthew 17:20). It is necessary to walk by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7), to live by faith (Galatians 2:20), to sow the seeds of hope (1 Peter 3:15) and to work by faith (James 2:18). We must sow the seeds of hope (1 Peter 3:15). Hope is defined as confident expectation, firm assurance! Hope stabilizes the Christian (Hebrews 6:19), and hope fortifies endurance (1 Thessalonians 1:3). We must sow the seeds of love (John 13:34-35). Love is a command (v. 34a)! Furthermore, love is a result of following Jesus’ example (v. 34b)! Love is a demonstration of discipleship (v. 35)! Each of us needs to ask himself or herself, “Am I a spiritual seed sower? What kind of seed am I sowing? Am I satisfied with the harvest? If not, what should I do?” The more seed we sow, the greater the harvest will be! The harvest …

I have donated blood often in my life. I know some are afraid of needles and don’t donate at all, however, blood is always in demand. Often we hear that the Red Cross or United Blood Services is in short supply of blood because of a large-scale crisis or because not enough blood has been donated. Sometimes, the Red Cross will give out statistics on blood and blood types to read while one gives blood. Here are some percentages of those who have different blood types. O Positive 39%A Positive 34%A Negative 7%B Negative 2%AB Negative 0.5%Unknown 17.5 % AB Negative is the rarest of all blood types with only 0.5% of the population having this blood type. The blood collectors love to see me in the blood bank. Why? I happen to be AB Negative. Yet, in an emergency, AB Negative is not there when it is needed. We read in 1 John 1:7, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” It was the death of Christ, the shedding of His blood, that satisfied the demand of a holy God as restitution for our sins (Hebrews 9:12-22). So now, whenever someone obeys the plan of salvation (faith or belief, repentance, confession and baptism), that person obtains salvation by the blood of Christ. Jesus gives us salvation when He takes away our sins. I am so …

And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few. (Acts 17:10-12) Before we embark on a discussion of why these were “more noble,” we need to decide who the “these” are. It is evident from verse 10 that the “these” are Jews who were living in Berea. We have more information, however, as to why the people that were “more noble” were Jews. When Paul would go into a new area, he would first teach the Jews in the city before going to the Gentiles. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16). Why were these Jews from Berea more noble? The answer is in verse 11. They received with all readiness of mind and they searched the scriptures daily. Readiness The words “readiness of mind” indicate zeal and eagerness. These Jews were not close-minded people. They were willing to humble themselves and accept the hard truth that there may be more to the Scriptures than they had realized. They understood the …

The longer I live the more convinced I am that one of the reasons for the greatness of the Bible is its wonderful balance. This balance is so remarkable in many cases as to be paradoxical. Jesus’ teaching is filled with such examples. The way up is down. The way to save life is to lose it. The poor are rich. Jesus is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, but the Lamb of God. By grace we are saved (Ephesians 2:8), but we shall be judged according to the deeds done in the body, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10). We are to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), yet each man must bear his own burden (Galatians 6:5). The fact that the words for burden are different does not negate the fact that there are two facets of truth, and balance must be achieved if one is to understand and practice the truths of God. We must “contend earnestly for the faith” (Jude 3), yet not be contentious (Romans 2:8). Those who sin are to be rebuked before all (1 Timothy 5:20), yet we may hide a multitude of sins (James 5:20), and love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). The failure to properly appreciate and practice the balance taught in such verses has caused untold damage to the cause of Christ and resulted in a perverted and emasculated form of Christianity. Solomon expressed many such apparently contradictory truths. “Answer not a fool according to …

If we ask each Christian the question, “Do you love Jesus?”, everyone will give the answer, which is a very easy, “Yes.” However, there is one thing we should notice. We need to determine whether our answer comes from the very bottom of our hearts or whether we are giving a very hypocritical answer. In Matthew 26:33 Peter said,“Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away,” and in verse 35, Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” Then, all of the disciples said the same.Here we find Peter using very extreme words, “never” and “if I must die with you,” to express his love. Yet, in the last verses of the very same chapter we find Peter’s denial of Christ. In John 21:15-17, we find the conversation of Jesus and Peter about love. Actually, Jesus was questioning Peter how much he loves Him. After Jesus asked him three times the question, “Do you love me more than these things?”, Peter was grieved because he recalled the moment he denied Jesus. Likewise, in our lives, especially while we are in good conditions, it is very easy to say, “I love God, I love Jesus, and I am faithful to Him.” However, we have no guarantee that we will never face a difficult situation. To our surprise, we might also deny Jesus like Peter if we face a similar situation, especially if our claim to love Jesus is …

Maybe you have not thought too much about Christianity as a universal religion. Since the world is full of an assortment of religions, some have concluded that one religion is just as good as another. Presently, the world community is being pressed to bow to Islam or else. The else could be your head being removed or other bloodthirsty deaths by the Muslims demanding you accept and bow to Sharia law. A religion that demands acceptance or death could not be a religion that is received universally. Informational Note: The religion of Islam is a combination of Paganism, of Judaism, of apostate Catholicism and of Sensualism (Hutto-El Dareer Debate). A Universal Religion Must BeAble to Appeal to All PeopleRegardless of Their Culture Let us consider the following: The word “universal” was not new; it occurs in Polybius, Philo, and elsewhere. But as an epithet of a religion, or of a religious body, it was entirely new. All religions previous to Christianity were national or state religions. Each tribe, country, and government had its own gods and its own forms of worship. Religion, so far from drawing nations together, kept them more sharply divided. It was an additional barrier to be surmounted or swept away before union was possible. No doubt one people sometimes borrowed a deity or a ceremony from another; but that no more created a religious union between the two than the reception of refugees created a political union. In the very nature of things it is impossible …

In relationships, individuals bring particular skill sets or talents. This dynamic naturally leads to individuals taking on specific roles within the relationship. Healthy relationships have healthy roles. For example, a godly wife (Ephesians 5:22; 1 Peter 3:1-6) and mother (Proverbs 31) demonstrates healthy roles in her relationships. The God-fearing woman is able to build genuine self-worth, identity, security and achievement. In this healthy relationship, “her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her” (Proverbs 31:28), which leads to a mutually beneficial and balanced relationship. Relationships, however, can become unbalanced when individuals develop unhealthy ways to nurture their feelings of self-worth and identity based on the problems of another person in the relationship. This creates a codependent/dependent relationship, and these relationships are always unhealthy. This often occurs when one person in the relationship (the dependent) continually demands extra attention and allows someone else (the codependent) to constantly sacrifice his or her own needs to meet the other’s desires. The dependent displays negative traits, such as narcissism, addiction, manipulation or abusiveness. Consequently, the codependent always attempts to appease or enable the dependent. This overwhelming attempt to meet the dependent’s unreasonable demands causes the codependent to lose his or her individual identity and healthy value, as well as to become identified merely by one’s relationship with the dependent. The codependent places a greater value on meeting the demands of the dependent for so long that the codependent takes on the role of martyr, a role by which he …

In 1 Timothy 6:3-10, Paul warned Timothy of the ungodly actions of false teachers. There were some who were teaching false doctrine and refusing to accept sound doctrine (6:3). They proved that they were proud and knew nothing (6:4). Destitute of the truth, they believed that “godliness was gain” and their love for money was evident (6:3, 10). Exposure to false doctrine and sinful conduct will negatively influence an otherwise godly individual (1 Corinthians 5:6; 15:33). For this reason, Paul instructed Timothy to respond in a positive and productive way. Paul established a stark contrast between Timothy and false teachers with these words, “But thou, O man of God, flee these things” (11a). Though false teachers were involved in all types of sin, Paul instructed Timothy to keep on “fleeing” from sin. The word translated “flee” means “to shun, avoid, run, escape.” Too often Christians dabble in sin and dismiss their conduct as insignificant and of no consequence. Paul, inspired by God, commanded, “Shun sin! Have no part in it!” Like Joseph, Christians should not allow themselves to be seduced by the pleasures of sin; rather, they should flee from them (Genesis 39:7-12; 2 Timothy 2:22). However, Timothy was not to constantly be in flight without any direction. Paul instructed Timothy, “and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness” (11b). Timothy was to “flee,” but he was also to “follow.” The word translated “follow” means “to pursue, hunt.” Timothy was to pursue “righteousness” which means to do that which …

When we are faced with hardships, trials or unexpected misfortunes, it is easy to lose sight of the Lord in the midst of the storm clouds that plague us. In situations of distress, it is tempting to take the easy way out and give in to the pressures of the world. When confronted with our stresses, temptations and problems, it is hard to imagine anything worse than what we are going through. Sometimes, instead of resisting temptation and choosing the right path, we justify ourselves and choose the wrong path. Each temptation we face becomes the greatest temptation imaginable because in that moment it is the only one, the biggest one we can see. Paul encouraged the church at Philippi, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:5-8). One of the greatest temptations Jesus faced was being God. The Book of Matthew records Satan’s temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. First, Satan told Jesus, who had been fasting for forty days, to turn stones to bread so that He could eat (4:3). Next, he suggested Jesus preform an undeniable miracle before the worshipers …

John Donne, a famous poet, once wrote, “No man is an island entire of itself…” One of the major tragedies of modern society is that many people have forgotten this simple need of humanity, the need to have a circle of friends and family upon whom we can depend. This desire that people have to be “lone wolves” has even infiltrated Christianity. Many Christians today have forgotten that we are to be a “family in Christ,” connected to each other, helping and supporting each other in our Christian lives. They seem to have taken on the “Lone Ranger” mentality, not surrounding themselves with their brothers and sisters in Christ, and instead surrounding themselves with the evil influence of the world. This is a dangerous risk to take spiritually, for in the Bible there is no such thing as “The Lone Christian,” and for good reason. The church is the “body of Christ” (Ephesians 1:22-23), and we are supposed to look upon each other as members working together for the good of the whole body (Romans 12:3-10; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27). Yet, many today have forgotten this essential and significant element of being a Christian, and they cut themselves off from their base of Christian support. Many don’t attend worship services and congregational functions like they should. Even many of those who do attend somewhat regularly have no contact with Christians other than during those services. This leaves us open to the temptations and to the attacks of the devil! Peter described …

 For many years, God’s people were physically descended from the line of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; to be outside of this lineage was to be outside of the kingdom of God. This was not always to be the case, however. God promised Abraham from the beginning that through his seed all nations of the earth would be blessed, not just one family or one race of people. We see this throughout the Old Testament prophets, most clearly, though, in Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:1, which describe the mountain of the house of the Lord being raised up and all the nations streaming to it (cf., Hosea 1:10; 2:23; Romans 9:23-26). In Acts 2, we find Jews from every nation under heaven being converted to the Gospel, but there was still the matter of the Gentiles, those not of the physical lineage of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This is addressed in Acts 10 where Cornelius became the first Gentile convert to the Gospel, breaking forever the barrier dividing Jew and Gentile, for all are one in Christ (Galatians 3:28).

Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability they gave of their own accord, begging us with much entreaty for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. Consequently we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well. But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also. I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. … Therefore openly before the churches show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you. (2 Corinthians 8:1-9, 24)