“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me” (Psalm 139:7-10). God is anywhere and everywhere, but does He sometimes feel far away from you? If so, I hope you realize that it has nothing to do with God and everything to do with us. I can be as close to God as I want to be. I can start each day in prayer, or I can neglect it. I can fill my mind and thoughts with Scripture, or I can choose to think about any number of other things. Our lives can become spiritual wastelands due to our neglect of God. If we feel distant from Him, it’s something we—only we—can correct.

Recently I received a questionnaire from the investment company where I have my IRA. One section dealt with “Investment Time Horizon.” In other words, how many more years do I plan to live and invest in my IRA. The choices ranged from “0-2 years” to “more than 20 years.” First of all, I have not invested any monies in my IRA in several years. I have been doing the opposite. I have been receiving the much-needed funds to supplement my Social Security income. Well, I am approaching my 82nd birthday, the Lord willing, in the month of May. So, how many years should I select, if I plan to do any investing in my IRA? By God’s grace, providence and “by reason of strength,” I have surpassed the “four score years” mentioned in Psalm 90:10. My cardiologist, at my last checkup, said, “I will see you next year.” Yet, he did not give me a guarantee when I asked him if he would. He then said, “Has God ever given you a guarantee?” When you consider the facts, as found in the Word of God, you know that death is no respecter of persons. “The living know that they shall die” (Ecclesiastes 9:5). “It is appointed for men to die once” (Hebrews 9:27). Life “is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). Furthermore, death is no respecter of age. During the month of February, 2017, two young men of my acquaintance died …

I have grown up in a world where technology is the norm. From the time that I was born until this very day, I have never known a time without technology. Now, that does not mean that my parents did not insist that I go outside. In fact, most summer days were spent outside working, running and playing ball. Yet, the stories one hears of days before technology took over the world are not my stories. They are stories I have been told by people who lived in a different period than myself. They are from people who have experienced life differently than I ever have and probably differently than I ever will. If you were to take somebody that lived one hundred years ago and compare him to somebody living today, you would see a lot of differences in their life experiences. The advances in industry, machinery, medicine and technology have been astounding. In many ways, the advances of the modern era have revolutionized the entire world. However, is there a down side to so much technology? Our world is more connected than ever. Phones, Internet, social media, airplanes and cars have improved so much that just about anything a person wants to do and anywhere he wants to go can be done quickly. With all of those things being said and true, I still have some questions. With all of the connectivity why are we as people, living in our culture, so disconnected? Are we as Christians using …

Micah 6:8 reads “He has told you O man, what is good; and what the Lord requires of you but to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah presents us with a lesson to be well learned. Here are eight ways we can follow the words of the prophet. This is not only a suggestion from the prophet Micah, but it is expected of each of us by our Lord, Master, and Creator God. “He has told you O man…” Are you listening?

There are opportunities Felix had to neglect to remain lost (Acts 24:22-27)! Felix’s problem was sin; thus, his greatest need was the forgiveness of sin. He neglected the remedy. Notice the many opportunities Felix was given to be saved, and yet, he neglected them all. Felix was in the right place at the right time (v. 24a). The right place is here, and the right time is now (2 Corinthians 6:2). Felix heard the apostle Paul preach (v. 24b). Paul was a powerful preacher. However, the power is not in the man, but rather, it’s in the message—the Gospel message (Romans 1:16). Felix heard the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ from a dedicated servant of the Lord! Felix heard a sermon adapted specifically to him (v. 25). Paul preached about three of the most important things in the world: righteousness, self-control and coming Judgment. Felix had an emotional response to the Gospel message (v. 25). Change is, to a certain degree, emotional. However, emotion is far too unbalanced to use as a spiritual foundation. Faith is the rock upon which salvation is built, and the rock is Jesus (Matthew 16:13-19; 1 Corinthians 3:18). Felix had a second chance (v. 26). Jonah (3:1), Simon (Acts 8:20-24) and David (2 Samuel 12:1-13) were each given an opportunity to change and get right in God’s sight. Felix called for Paul often, giving him many opportunities to change. Felix neglected so many wonderful opportunities to be saved. He neglected them to remain lost. Let that never be said of …

The ancient Egyptians believed that a flat world rested on four pillars of stone. The ancient Hindus believed that a flat world rested on the back of a huge elephant. The elephant stood on the back of an enormous turtle, and the turtle stood on an immense coiled snake! Such “flights of fancy” are, at best, man’s imagination. Moses, though, was different. By inspiration of God, Moses (who was educated in Egyptian schools) wrote the creation account in Genesis. He gave us the true, God-breathed account in words of simplicity, matchless beauty and exquisite accuracy. “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.” (Adapted from Fred J. Meldan) However, such a true statement might have a puzzling question with it. “What was going on before the creation of the heaven and earth?” Some young child may ask this, and perhaps we have pondered this ourselves. Evolutionists will tell us all sorts of theories and ideas about the universe and how it was created. Yet, the truth of God’s precious Word reveals to us what was really happening. The Lord stated in John 17:5, “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” Proverbs 8:23 states, “I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.” From 2 Timothy 1:9 we read, “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to …

Another year has gone, and that is another reminder of just how fleeting our time on earth is. As James said, “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). The brevity, the frailty and the uncertainty of life ought to check the vanity and presumptuous confidence of every individual. However, almost all people go about with the evident expectation of continued living in this passing world, without realizing that the human life is like a vapor that appears for a while and then vanishes away. We may plan what we intend to do in the next few weeks or months, but anything may happen to prevent us from doing that. The point is that we have no certainty of life. We know nothing of tomorrow, and certainly not of a year into the future (Proverbs 27:1). While man’s physical life is uncertain (1 Peter 1:24), his spiritual life is certain. Having been created, in the beginning, in the image and after the likeness of God, His Creator (Genesis 1:26-27), man is destined to live forever, like His Maker. The end of physical life for man on earth is not the end of man’s existence. There is no power on earth that can obliterate man’s spiritual existence. The physical life of man vanishes away as to this world, but there is a life that will continue in the other, spiritual world. Yet, since this life is so …

When Satan finally got Eve to seriously doubt both the goodness of God and His instruction to eat of every tree in the Garden of Eden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he said to her, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5). Satan explained that Eve would not actually die, contradicting what God said (Genesis 2:16-17). Satan went on to explain that God did not actually want good for Eve. After all, according to Satan, God knew the benefits she would gain from the fruit, and He did not want her to have anything good. Adding to the deception, what Satan explained seemed to be true. Adam did not physically die until over 500 years later (Genesis 5:5). Adam and Eve did become like God, in the sense that they did know “good and evil” after eating that fruit (Genesis 3:22). However, what Eve thought was a bargain did not work out very well (Genesis 3:6-24)! She and Adam were taken by the Satan explanation! We must not let anyone talk us out of what the Bible plainly teaches, whether it be on salvation, the necessity of baptism, church organization or marriage-divorce-and-remarriage. Most Bible doctrines are very easy to understand. We need help to misunderstand—and plenty of that kind of help is available. However, let us stand on God’s Word and …

One of my joys is my garden and my blueberry patch, which produce vegetables and fruit. After cultivating, planting, fighting weeds, watering and feeding my plants, it is nice to see some of that hard work pay off. This is the reward for working so hard with these plants—to get to the point of harvest. The goal of the Christian life is to grow to the point where we are bearing godly fruit. In Matthew 12:33, Jesus stated, “a tree is known by its fruit.” The illustration Jesus used causes us to understand that His followers are to produce fruit or works that show that they are living for Him. In Matthew 7:18, Jesus reminded that “a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit.” Therefore, Jesus expects His followers to do good and to not do evil. The apostle Paul continued to use this word picture of fruit bearing in the Christian life by describing it in Galatians 5:22-23 as the fruit of the Spirit. Most Bible translations translate the Greek word, karpos, as “fruit.” However, the NEB translates this word as “harvest,” the “harvest of the Spirit.” So, those who “live by the Spirit” will harvest or produce the fruit of the Spirit in their lives. In other words, the Christian will bear fruit or have a character that looks like Christ in his life, which is: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Just as a tree is known by its fruit, so will Christians be known …

The question posed in the title of this article must be asked on a congregational level. “Is the congregation of which I am a member stagnant?” When something is stagnant, it is sluggish, motionless and inactive. A congregation can become an assembly of run of the mill, pew warming, keeping the lights on, non-active Christians. Jesus rebuked the Laodicean church, which had become like many churches today—lukewarm in service to the Lord (Revelation 3:14-22). That ought to be a clarion call to modern Christians. Clearly, God has expectations for His churches that ought to be our goals and objectives, too. Consider some reasons for stagnation, results from stagnation and remedies for stagnation. Although each situation and every Christian are different, let us be so bold as to suggest a few things that could easily cause stagnation. In the first place, laziness very well may be the cause for many inactive members of the local church. It is much easier to let someone else do the work! Paul spoke of the lazy man as being one who was undeserving of food (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Is the lazy Christian any different than the lazy man who was afraid of the cold and would starve in the harvest (Proverbs 20:4)? Sadly, many lazy Christians are the very ones who wonder why the church isn’t growing today as it once grew. A second problem may be apathy. The Laodiceans seemed to be apathetic about their service, and as a result, they were very distasteful …

“The soul is a citadel which no enemy can storm without consent.” Yet, brethren give way to the devil. James gave a double warning against being “double minded” (1:8; 4:8). Such is a good description of a worldly church member who needs to be converted (4:8; 5:19-20)! Three things stand out in our text to help us in our confrontation with the devil. First, the devil is our foe. He is a personal foe. He tempted Jesus, entered Judas, desired to have Peter and hindered Paul! So is it with us, too. The devil is a powerful foe. This is demonstrated in several ways. Note the names by which the devil is known: Apollyon, Devil, Satan, Prince and Beelzebub. Observe the creatures with which Satan is associated: Serpent, lion and dragon. See the accomplishments of the devil: moral depravity and ruin of the whole human race. Therefore, divine intervention is needed to subdue him (1 John 3:8). Satan is a prowling foe (Job 1:6-7; 1 Peter 5:8). He is no mythical or cartoon character in a red jogging suit. The devil is not a personification of “evil”—with a “d” added. He is no shy, backward being (Job 2:1; Matthew 4:1; 2 Corinthians 11:14). We must fight or “resist.” What does it mean to resist? To resist is to stand against, to withstand, to argue with, reason with or plead with. Preparation is needed for such an undertaking (Ephesians 6:10-16). Other imperatives or steps needed in resisting include: You submit to God; be in subjection. You draw nigh unto God; enjoy close communion (Hebrews 10:22). You cleanse …

Hatred is evil, because it continually abideth with lying, speaking against the truth; and it maketh small things to be great, and giveth heed to darkness as to light, and calleth the sweet bitter, and teacheth slander, and war, and violence, and every excess of evil; and it filleth the heart with devilish poison. And these things I say to you from experience, my children, that ye may flee hatred, and cleave to the love of the Lord. Righteousness casteth out hatred, humility destroyeth hatred. For he that is just and humble is ashamed to do wrong, being reproved not of another, but of his own heart, because the Lord vieweth his intent: he speaketh not against any man, because the fear of the Most High overcometh hatred… (Ante-Nicene Fathers. Vol. 8, page 29) Scholars believe the author of above was a Jew who was converted to Christianity. This unknown writer sought to convince his fellow Jewish countrymen to become Christians. This writing is placed about A.D. 192 or earlier. “The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity” (Psalms 5:5). “These six things doth the Lord hate; yea, seven are an abomination unto him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discard among brethren” (Proverbs 6:16-19). “That there is nothing evil in ‘hate’ per se …

This injunction is a safety measure. When approaching the enemy, good soldiers are on the alert. Evil is out there. Always. In our own lives, the best way to overcome evil is to foresee it and flee it. Keeping away from the mire is wiser than wading through it. Years ago, a bedraggled drunkard decided to straighten up. And he did. But he continued to tie his horse to the hitching post outside the saloon. You guessed it! In time, he was back on the inside, drinking and reeling. He failed to foresee the danger of where he was tying his horse. It is useless to pray “deliver us from evil” while we park our car just outside the door of it. Let us pray for the insight to recognize evil and the foresight to see it before we get there and the will to turn back. “A prudent man foresees the evil and hides himself; but the simple pass on and are punished” (Proverbs 22:3). “Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that does keep his soul shall be far from them” (Proverbs 22:5). The above article was published in Thoughts of Gold by Leroy Brownlow. How true these words ring out! This made me think of a song that we often sing that goes this way: “Tempted and tried we’re oft made to wonder, why it should be thus all the day long, while there are others living about us, never molested, though in the wrong.” …

Self-Control is one of the key elements of the concept of Christian living. Someone will control us. Either we will control ourselves, or others will control us. Spiritually, either God or Satan ultimately control us. The Psalmist pled with God for help in controlling himself. Lord, help me control what I sayDon’t let me say anything bad.Take away any desire to do evil.Keep me from joining the wicked in doing wrongHelp me stay away from their feasts.If good people correct meI will accept it like a warm welcome. (Psalm 141:2-5 ESV) There are four areas that need controlling alluded to in this passage. Control My Mouth. The Scriptures are replete with passages that teach the danger of the tongue. We will be judged by our words. Yet, the tongue, according to James, is very hard to control. It tends to lead us instead of us controlling it. We need to strive to not “say anything bad!” We need to refrain from profane and dirty words, but we must also refrain from words of gossip and words that will hurt or destroy others. We should pray for God’s help in controlling our mouths. Control My Desires. We all struggle with the desires of the flesh. Eve experienced this struggle in the Garden. We must work not to desire to do evil. Sin is attractive and provides “pleasure…for a season” (Hebrews 11:24). We need to fill our minds with ammunition against sin and evil; “thy word have I hid in my heart that I …

The news carried the story of the unthinkable. It seems that U.S. soldiers were under attack. Several grenades had been rolled into the tent that housed many soldiers, and when they ran out of the tent for their lives, the perpetrator routinely shot them. The unthinkable; this was not an enemy soldier but one of our own who did this. Fratricide is defined as the killing of a brother (or sister). It describes “one who kills his brother.” We understand why one kills an enemy, but to kill a brother, comrade and partner is difficult to understand. Yet, many do it routinely—no, not in the military, but in the Lord’s church. Whether unknowingly or otherwise, we can be guilty killing—spiritually maiming or even killing a brother. We must be careful because these kinds of “grenades” can kill spiritually. The grenade of false accusation kills. Whether it comes in the form of gossip, slander, half-truths or some other form, the improper use of the tongue can be deadly (James 3:2-12). Instead of lobbing grenades, let’s follow the instruction of God: “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another” (Ephesians 4:31-32a). The grenade of suspicion kills. Love is eager to believe the best, but suspicion is produced by something far less noble. The brother, who, with raised eyebrow and jaundiced vision, views another with suspicion based on his associates or mannerisms, will kill or wound, perhaps for no reason …

We love our children dearly, although on occasion, burdens and heartaches sometimes come our way because of the misadventures of this next generation. There are several biblical responsibilities that we must fulfill as responsible parents. With such emphasis, someone may possibly fail to observe that the divinely appointed task of the church to provide spiritual direction and development for humanity (1 Corinthians 15:58) also places a measure of responsibility upon the church to positively impact the lives of its youth. Though the home has primary responsibility in providing spiritual direction for youth (Ephesians 6:1-4), the church should cooperate with parents in addressing spiritual matters related to youth. May we, as parents and as members of the body of Christ, work together to guide our youth unto spiritual perfection. The previous generation so guided many of us. Jesus said, “freely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8). The potential benefits to the next generation are indeed without measurement. May we, therefore, heartily endeavor to teach our youth so that the next generation will be pleasing to God.

Ever wonder why Solomon said to “remember your Creator” as opposed to remember your “God,” your “Lord” or your “Savior”? Certainly, we should think of God in those other terms. Yet, we also must not lose sight of remembering Him as our Creator. Notice what this does. It reminds us of His power over us. It is especially important for “youth” to remember this. The strength of youth can cause arrogance and pride. God has done what no other being can do—create. The power involved in such an act is beyond our comprehension. The Creator always is superior to what has been created. It reminds us of His knowledge of us. As our Maker, God thoroughly understands us (Psalm 139). He knows how we “tick,” and even why we tick! As Solomon continued in Ecclesiastes 12, he noted how our bodies break down and eventually die. God certainly knew this would happen, and He created us so it would happen. Bodily breakdowns should remind us to trust in our Creator. It reminds us of His future plans for us. Thinking of God as “Creator” instills hope that He can and will re-create. Solomon noted that after the body perishes, “the spirit goes back to God who gave it” (v. 7). Christ brought “life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10). Therefore, we’ve been given more information on our creation (2 Peter 3:13). God created in the past. He will create again. Yes, we need to remember God (not like Jeremiah 2:32). …

The children’s song, “The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock,” encapsulates the poignant simplicity of Christ’s teaching at the end of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:24-27). The one who both hears and does (and not hears alone—cf. James 1:22-25; Romans 2:13) is like one who built on solid rock so that his house would withstand rains, winds and floods. The difference between him and the one who built on the shifting sand is that the latter does not do the things that he heard. No one of knowledge wants to build a home without a well-laid foundation. One must dig deep into solid ground, make rock (concrete) and only after that is completed commence building. The spiritual seeker must first dig deep. Before he can do the things he has heard, he must hear those things. Thus, Scripture declares that faith can only come through the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Diligence is required in its study (2 Timothy 2:15). The precious light of God’s Word (Psalm 119:105) must be transmitted from the ink on pages to the memory of one’s heart to guard against sin (Psalm 119:11). One must learn the Word of God. This takes hard, old-fashioned study. Laying a foundation has never been easy, although modern machinery speeds up the time. There is no invention that cuts down on the need for having one’s mind consistently and persistently in God’s Word. Time coupled with effort is the only means. Salvation must be accompanied …

Jesus called Satan “a murderer from the beginning” and the father of liars (John 8:44). He referred to the incident recorded in Genesis 3 when Satan deceived the woman. There are some important lessons for us in this tragic story. Satan focused on the prohibition instead of the provision (Genesis 3:1). He subtlety got her to focus on the only fruit in the garden she could not eat. Today, there are those who whine because of what they do not have. We need to focus on giving thanks instead (1 Thessalonians 5:18). After all, God has given us the greatest possible gift (2 Corinthians 9:15; Romans 8:32). Satan denied the reality of the curse of death (Genesis 3:4). The father of lies called God the Father a liar (Genesis 2:17). Some live today as if there were no death, much like the rich man in Jesus’ parable (Luke 12:16-21). Everyone needs to realize that even with the great advances in medicine, each has an appointment with death (Hebrews 9:27). Satan denied God’s loving kindness by saying God denied man access to something good (Genesis 3:5). We need to recognize God is good and the source of every good gift (Psalm 136:1; James 1:17). God and His Word have been charged with being anti-woman when He actually made her the crowning act of creation (Genesis 2:22-23). The virtuous wife is praised, and husbands are commanded to love their wives in the strongest of terms (Proverbs 31:10; Ephesians 5:25-28). Satan said man …