Paul preached the Gospel in Antioch of Pisidia, and he said something interesting about David. “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers…” (Acts 13:36). Apparently, God didn’t let David die until His purpose for him had been completed. What was God’s purpose in David’s life? David brought many of the Israelites back to God. He returned the Ark of the Covenant to the tent of meeting. He started the kingly lineage of Jesus Christ. He designed the first Temple of God. David produced a God-fearing son, Solomon, to take over the kingdom. David also produced prophesies and songs that spoke of Jesus and His death. God has a purpose for all of us in our generations (Philippians 2:13; 2 Timothy 1:9). Some of us may have several things to accomplish or just one or two remarkable deeds—maybe famous or quiet and unknown acts. Regardless, the kicker is to stay in God’s light all the way to the end, so that whatever God’s purposes that we finish, we’ll enjoy great and exciting rewards! Note purpose in the lives of Elijah, Jesus, Paul, Peter and James (whose beheading caused the spread of the Gospel outside of Judea). God allowed evil Pharaoh in Moses’ day to rule so God could prove His own reality to the world. God purposefully creates us in the womb, and we won’t die until we have served God’s objective in our generations. Some of …

Some things hinder our walk with God. For instance, too many business cares can hinder our walk with God. It is right and necessary for people to be engaged in the business activities of life. People cannot care for their own without being involved in business affairs (1 Timothy 5:8). However, it is entirely possible for a person to become so engrossed in the business life that he forgets God. A person can rob God of the time and worship that so rightly belongs to Him. Too many social engagements hinder many Christians in their walk with God. Time that should be spent in soul winning or personal work is hindered because of “other” personal commitments. These are things that ordinarily would be fine to engage—except when they interfere with one’s walk with God. Worldly pleasures also sometimes keep us from walking with God. Vacationing, golfing, fishing, sports, etc. are fine unto themselves, but in excess, they can interfere with a Christian’s walk with God. Jesus took time for Himself, but He did the will of the Father and walked with Him first.“Two cannot walk together, except they have agreed” (Amos 3:3). When an individual spends too much time and money on worldly pleasures, he is not in agreement with God. A person cannot walk with God while not in agreement with Him. Fleshly lusts and passions remove one from fellowship and communion with God. People do not generally take this step first. Usually, they become involved with social life …

Matthew 1:21 states, “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” His name is Jesus, and He has quite a story. One of His twelve closest companions denied Him. Another betrayed Him to His enemies. Yet another refused to believe in His resurrection and doubted until he could see with his own eyes. After His church was established, one congregation lost the love it had at the beginning. Another congregation claimed to be alive, but it was dead. Another congregation made Him so sick, He wanted to throw up. Yet, millions have followed Him through persecution and death. His name is beyond all others and none other can save. His name is Jesus. He is the Christ. He loves you, and He died to save you. Isn’t it a shame that some seem to be so ashamed of Him that they call their religious bodies after someone or something else? It was He who said, “Upon this rock I will build my church.” It was He who also said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Do you believe in Him? Have you been baptized for the forgiveness of your sins? Are you a member of His church, or are you a member of some manmade denomination?

In Luke 10:30, we begin reading the account of a man who unfortunately was robbed and left on the side of road. He had been beaten, stripped of his clothes and left for dead. As time went on, a priest passed by, but he would not stop to help. A Levite also passed by, but he too would not stop and help. Thankfully, there was one more traveler who passed by this poor, beaten man. A Samaritan stopped by the side of the road and had compassion for this man. He bandaged his wounds and took him to an inn. The Samaritan not only cared for this man, but upon his departure the next day, he made sure the man would be taken care of and that all his expenses were paid. In some sense, we have all been the man on the side of the road. We have all been overtaken by sin in our lives. We were lost, alone and in desperate need of help. Jesus Christ came and helped us in our most desperate time of need. He paid the price for all of our sins and provided the way for our eternal healing. As Christians, we have all seen the need to submit to God and obey His will. We recognize that through faith and obedience we can come in contact with the healing Jesus Christ offers to all those who are lost and on the side of the road. As we Christians continue down that …

The expression, “He will have to stand on his own two feet” is one that has been around for a long time. While the exact words are not found in the Bible, the thought can be found in the words of Paul in Galatians 6:5. “For each man shall bear his own burden.” In short, there are some things that others cannot do for us. We have often watched a small child making every effort to take the first few steps in the process of learning how to walk. Then, there is the young man who has taken to himself a new bride with all the responsibilities. Also, an inexperienced person is placed in a position for the first time that demands making decisions constantly. We can help the child keep his balance, give advice to the newlywed and render assistance to the person having to make so many important decisions. However, there comes a time when each person will have to stand on his own two feet. In Christianity, the principle is certainly true as Paul stated in Galatians 6:2, “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” When a brother’s load becomes too heavy for him to carry, we are to lend a helping hand. Young Christians need special attention as they “grow in the grace and knowledge” of Christ (1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 3:18). Also, “we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak…” (Romans 15:1). However, there comes …

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily’” (Exodus 16:4). The Israelites had moaned and groaned about their captivity and how horrible it was, which was true. Then, after being released from that captivity and on their way to the Promised Land (which their own faithlessness caused to be delayed for 40 years), they began to moan and groan again. And they journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt. Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” (Exodus 16:1-3) It had been one and a half months! Already they had forgotten …

Jesus Christ is at the center of our religion. He is the focal point, and so He must remain. Notice how central He was in the early church. He was the message. When Christians scattered after Stephen’s martyrdom, they went to Antioch, “preaching the Lord Jesus” (Acts 11:20).Paul preached Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 1:23). He preached the good news of our Lord’s death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Likewise, Jesus must remain the content of our preaching—the main point of our Gospel. He was the One to whom people converted. In Antioch, those who heard about the Lord Jesus believed and “turned to the Lord” (Acts 11:21). Paul remembered how the Thessalonians had turned to God (1 Thessalonians 1:9). Sometimes, one will ask another, “When did you become a member of the church?” True, we become part of the Lord’s body, the church, when we become Christians (Acts 2:47). However, it might be better to ask, “When did you turn to the Lord?” When a person becomes a Christian, he establishes a relationship with Jesus. He is the One to whom we turn. He was the Person to whom Christians gave their allegiance. Barnabas encouraged new Christians in Antioch to remain true to the Lord (Acts 11:23). A Christian’s loyalty is pledged to Christ. He is the flag around which we rally. We are only loyal to sound doctrine and to God’s people because we are loyal to Christ. If we are unfaithful to the truth or to the church, we are …

“Dead flies putrefy the perfumer’s ointment, And cause it to give off a foul odor; So does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor” (Ecclesiastes 10:1 NKJV). Dead flies are the best kind, if you ask me. The live ones buzz around, irritating us, making us reach for the flyswatter. The ancients didn’t like flies either. I wonder: Did they have flyswatters, too? While dead flies are usually welcome, there are certain places we wouldn’t want them. Solomon offered an example—in perfume. Imagine reaching for a bottle of your favorite perfume, ready to apply a little, and you notice, floating there on the top, a big (but very dead) fly. Still want to put some on? Suddenly, that perfume doesn’t smell as good. As a matter of fact, that perfume stinks! So, what was Solomon’s point? He was noting a fact of life: A relatively small defect can ruin a good thing. This proverb is a call for clearheadedness. It is a plea for us to think—think about what we do and think about what we say. The fact is, one careless word or deed can quickly ruin a lot of good and wise actions. Solomon noted, “…so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor.” One fly ruins a big bottle of perfume, and one foolish act ruins a lifetime of wise and honorable acts. This demonstrates just how powerful foolishness is. Therefore, let us walk carefully. We must use God’s Word as our lamp and …

A broadcaster was giving reasons why he thought a person was not qualified for an office he was seeking. He included, “He doesn’t believe in evolution.” The unstated conclusion he expected us to draw was, “He is ignorant, uneducated and, therefore, unfit to hold any office.” The statement, “He doesn’t believe in evolution,” regarding most people, is not true. Evolution is a common occurrence. Every educated person “believes in it.” It accounts for different breeds of dogs, for Angus beef cattle and Jersey milk cows, etc., and on that scale, within species and “kinds,” it is readily observable. What the accused person likely did not believe, as I do not, is that evolution is sufficient to account for the great diversity of plant, animal and human life, where supposedly something came from nothing. That theory of evolution supposes life was accidentally produced by non-life, and for instance, something so complex and perfectly designed as the eye came into being by accident. The eye alone would take hundreds of beneficial accidents all happening at the same moment. Intelligent design is more reasonable, and therefore, it is more scientific than the theory of evolution as an explanation for the existence of anything. That the complexities of the universe and life all happened accidentally is more of a religion than a scientific theory.

Are you confused about same-sex marriage, man-boy sex relationships, polygamy relationships, normalization of homosexual lifestyles, a drive for a secular nation and libertarian views elevated? The “anything goes” crowd thrives on confusing people! There has never been a time in the history of the USA that “way out ideas” of right and wrong have made such fast inroads in our society. The redefinition of marriage, the rewriting of our founders’ intent, the changing of our national heritage and modification our society in general has reached an epidemic level. People are confused! “Who are you to say what is right or wrong?” This question is designed to confuse, setting a barrier before us, numbing our judgmental capacity. What will happen when we lose our compass in comprehending what is right moral behavior? Have we reached this chaotic state? Past generations were not confused. Our founding fathers were not confused. The vast bulk of Americans years ago were not confused. They all grasped the concept and understanding of right/wrong, good/bad, fair/unfair, stable/unstable, law/lawless, moral/immoral and truth/error. Proverbs 16:9 reads, “A man’s heart deviseth his ways.” Yes, we are responsible for what we think, contrive, plan and invent. The Word of God is the only true and sound standard for right thinking. Let’s regain our compass in our determination of what is right. “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8).

Jeremiah was a prophet of God. He spoke to the people of Judah. He warned them of Divine punishment if they did not return to God. In Jeremiah 22:29, we read, “O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord.” Notice the word “earth” is repeated three times. Repetition by God gives emphasis to His words. All God has to do is say something once. Attention should be given to anything He says. However, sometimes He repeats certain words to let people know that they must pay attention. In this context, God was saying, through Jeremiah, that the earth needed to listen. He was not speaking about the physical globe of the earth. He was speaking to the people of Judah and to all the people of the world. The people of Judah were being told that they were going into exile. The people of the world were being told about the punishment of Judah. The fact that God was willing to send His chosen people into bondage and slavery should be a warning to us. The people of Judah were supposed to obey God. They had given their word that they would obey Him. When they broke their promise, God punished them. Today, Christians are God’s chosen people. Christians promise to obey God. However, if a Christian does not obey God, then that Christian will not be with God in Heaven. The person who does not obey God during his or her life will be eternally punished by …

Understanding that design demands a designer and that law demands a lawgiver are great, but the question is why should we recognize the God of the Bible as that Designer or Lawgiver? Apologetics are valuable, but they have their limitations: arguments from design point to a designer but cannot lead directly to Yahweh. To establish Yahweh as Designer, Lawgiver, Supreme, King, etc., we must examine the only book that reveals Him: the Bible. The Bible unequivocally declares Yahweh as Sovereign, but is there evidence to corroborate that? Put the Bible on trial and you will quickly begin to see all the different evidences that point to it being divinely inspired. For instance, it was written over a period of 1500+ years by numerous authors in three languages, and yet, there is not one legitimate contradiction. The Bible contains numerous examples of scientific foreknowledge and prophecy, which point to Yahweh’s ability to tell the end from the beginning. Finally, the Bible has yet to be found historically inaccurate. Everywhere that it has been challenged or tested, the Bible’s accuracy has prevailed. The Bible has also been used by archaeologists to discover certain sites. Knowing things like these helps us understand why we should be serious about what the Bible says. This is especially true since it is the only book that can prepare us for eternity.

When Jesus spoke of the rich man and Lazarus, He wanted to drive home some important points about eternity (Luke 16:19-31). Sometimes the question is asked whether Jesus was telling a parable. Since Jesus never used parables to teach something false, it does not matter if the account of the rich man and Lazarus is a parable. The information contained therein is truth. Jesus records no words from Lazarus, but there is an exchange between the rich man who was in torment and Abraham, the great patriarch. Notice the lessons we can learn from a man who was suffering in torment. Some Pleasure Is Temporary The rich man begged for relief as he was tormented in the flame, but Abraham assured him that he had good things in his lifetime (Luke 16:24-25). Moses was wise enough to know that the pleasures of sin only last for a season (Hebrews 11:25). Most people are getting their reward in this life, and they will be disappointed in eternity (Matthew 6:2, 5, 16). If we gain the entire world and lose our souls, we have made a horrible exchange. The man in torment teaches us that pleasure is not a bad thing, but we should seek the lasting pleasures that continue in eternity. Death Seals Our Fate While in torment, the rich man could not pass from torment to paradise to have his tongue cooled (Luke 16:26). There is no such thing as purgatory, baptism on behalf of the dead or any other …

Some may not recognize the difference between translation and transliteration, but it can be a very important matter. To translate a word means to select a word from the other language that has an equivalent meaning. Sometimes translators prefer, for whatever reason, to transliterate a word rather than to translate it. Perhaps there is no equivalent word in English, and so they prefer to bring the word into an English format through transliteration. How does one transliterate a word? One takes the letters of the word in the original language, and then matches, letter-for-letter to the word in the target language. Next, one modifies these transferred letters to fit within the convention of the target language by smoothing the term into a word that appears to be English. For example, if you were transliterating into English, the smoothing process would be called Anglicizing, but if German, the process would be called Germanizing. An important passage to see that baptism is not a translation but rather a transliteration was pointed out to me by Wayne Jackson. Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and bring it to the tabernacle of meeting. The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the Lord, in front of the veil of the sanctuary. And the priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of meeting; and he shall pour the remaining blood of the bull at …

Timothy may have heard Paul preach through the ruckus that accompanied the apostle’s first trip to Lystra and Derbe (Acts 14:6-20), but the entrance of the young servant into Paul’s life would come in Paul’s second appearance (Acts 16:1-3). This young disciple had been trained in Scripture (2 Timothy 3:14-15), apparently by his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5), and had a good reputation in his area (Acts 16:1). Paul was inclined to take this man on the journey of mission work, but something needed done first. Being the son of a Jewish woman and a Greek man made Timothy an outcast in the eyes of many of the zealous Jews. Paul “took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region” (Acts 16:3). There is an indication of commitment. A young adult male was willing to have painful surgery just so the Gospel he was carrying would be more appealing to the folks to whom he was preaching. He did not want to be a stumbling block to Jews who still believed it was necessary (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). Dedication further characterized Timothy’s life. He was with Paul off and on through remaining journeys (Acts 17:14-15; 18:5; 19:22; 20:4; 2 Corinthians 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1). He was characterized by Paul as one who worked for the Lord (1 Corinthians 16:10) and as a son in the faith (1 Timothy 1:2; 1 Corinthians 4:17; Philippians 2:22). Paul lauded him for …

Once a year, one Tuesday is known in some parts of the country as “Fat Tuesday.” A preacher from Florida learned about this day through an interesting experience. Several years ago, he and his family lived in Louisiana, along the banks of the Bayou Teche. One Wednesday night, he stopped by the grocery store as he often did on the way home from midweek Bible study. As he was waiting in line to check out, he saw an acquaintance, who had a black smudge across his forehead. The preacher debated within himself whether he should say something or just let it slide. Finally, he put himself in the place of his acquaintance, figuring “whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them” (Matthew 7:12), and determined to say something. The preacher said, “Excuse me, sir, you seemed to have brushed up against something dirty that left a spot on your forehead.” The older man answered angrily, “Don’t you know this is Ash Wednesday?” The preacher thought, “Ash Wednesday, what in the world is that?” Then, he investigated. Ash Wednesday:Immediately Follows Fat Tuesday As the preacher investigated, he learned that, according to Roman Catholic tradition, “Ash Wednesday” is the day that “Lent” begins. “Lent” is a forty-day period of “penitence and restraint” on bodily appetites that ends at the beginning of “Easter week.” It turns out that in the case of the preacher’s acquaintance, the Roman Catholic priest had to smear ashes, a sign of remorse and penitence, …

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save” (Isaiah 59:1). The expression “hand of God” is found often in the Scriptures and is also used in many of our hymns. God’s hand is seen in so many marvelous ways. The Hand of Creation. The hand of God created the world in which we live. We are living in an age of atheism and infidelity. The Bible account of creation is denied in leading newspapers, magazines and even in the textbooks of our schools. From where did the world come? There is but one answer: God’s omnipotent voice spoke, His hand moved and the universe came into existence. “Of old You founded the earth and the heavens are the work of Your hands” (Psalm 102:25). The Hand of Providence. The hand that made us is also the hand that sustains us. “In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:10). Of a certainty, we may know that God’s hand is in it all! The hand of providence is a hand of blessing and protection. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in time of trouble” (Psalm 46:1). “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow” (James 1:17). His hands have repeatedly opened the windows of Heaven and poured forth abundant gifts to mankind (Malachi 3:10). The Hand of Salvation. Man rebelled …

The tires screamed an awful wail as the drunken driver at the last moment sought vainly to avoid a head-on collision with the other car. The preacher, who stood over the mangled body of the innocent baby whose life was thus prematurely snuffed out, tried vainly to comfort the anguished parents with these words: “Find strength and comfort in submitting yourselves to the will of God, and rejoice in the fact that God took your precious baby. We cannot see any purpose in it, but we can be sure that God always has a purpose in these things.” I am frank to confess that I am disturbed by apparently well-meaning but ignorant people who blame God with the sins of a drunken driver. The plain Bible truth is that not everything that happens is according to the plan and the purpose of God. John Calvin may have assumed the false doctrine that all things, including the salvation or damnation of all men and angels, are predestined of God, but that many Christians, and occasionally a man we think of a “Gospel preacher,” express a doctrine, which so nearly approaches blasphemy, is disturbing. Surely, we do not have to be a theologian and read or write a learned treatise about the difference between God’s “intentional will,” His “circumstantial will” and His “ultimate will” to know that from Adam’s time to now men have been doing things contrary to the will of God, which causes the innocent to suffer. One may say, “God took him” …

Everyone, at least among those professing Christianity, seems to be in favor of winning souls. There may be disagreement on doctrinal and practical aspects of Christianity, but in this field of endeavor, unity seems to prevail. Yet, despite the perception of unity, many souls are lost, and our personal motivation may be lacking. So, what shall we do? Here’s my response: Love the Lord with all your heart (Matthew 22:37). Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39). Focus on the spiritual dangers facing mankind (Ephesians 6:10-13). Focus on the vast number of lost souls (Matthew 7:13-14). Focus on our inability to save self (Ephesians 2:8-10). Focus on the need of more workers to evangelize (Matthew 9:37-38). Focus on our limited opportunities to win souls (Matthew 25:14-30). Focus on the grace of God in our lives (1 Timothy 1:13). Focus on the power of God to change lives (Romans 1:16). Finally, focus on a positive and confident attitude as we labor in the vineyard of the Lord (Philippians 4:13). Will these points of focus guarantee that we will win a soul to Christ? No. However, such focal points will guarantee that each one adopting these will be better motivated for an enduring effort to evangelize the world, regardless of what others may do.

God speaks today through His Son (Hebrews 1:2). Jesus assumed authority after His resurrection when He brought about the beginning of a new age of God’s dealing with man (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:34-36; Colossians 2:14). The message is important as is seen in God sending His Son to deliver it to man. God made the worlds by Him and He will rule over the nations (Psalm 22:22-27). They will show their subjection to Christ and honor Him by worship. Jesus was God come down to earth. His glory was testified by the Father and the Holy Spirit at His baptism (Matthew 3:13-17). He shines forth with the glory that is the glory of the Father and is God’s “express image,” like the exact imprint of a seal in wax (Hebrews 1:3). Neil Lightfoot said “upholding all things by the word of His power” is a reference to Jesus’ responsibility for the “providential government” of the universe and His direction of its destiny. Jesus is also our Redeemer (John 3:16-17). Our old lives of sin are put away when we are baptized in the likeness of His death, burial and resurrection, which is the beginning of our new lives (Romans 6:3-4). Jesus “purged” or “cleansed” (NKJV margin) our sins. He did this by offering His own blood as a sacrifice for our sins (Hebrews 9:11-14). He was sacrificed one time to take upon Himself the punishment that was due for the sins of mankind (Hebrews 9:28). The Savior told His disciples …

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). In one congregation where I served, there was one individual who had convinced herself that what she wanted was what should be no matter what, and that everyone should make sure it happened for her. An example of this regarded her attitude toward an older member, who had Raynaud’s Phenomenon, which affects blood flow to the arms and legs in reaction to cold. Even in summer months, she had her coat and gloves with her, and many times had to sit in the entry way to the building, that the sun might shine on her to help her be warmer. This younger member, who layered the clothes she wore beyond what was either fashionable or reasonable, demanded the thermostat be set to 60 degrees for her comfort. When it was pointed out everyone else would basically freeze, and that this older member would be unable to worship with us under such conditions, her response was, “I don’t care about anyone else! This is what I want!” Even though most everyone knew her selfish disposition, it was giving verbal expression to it that was shocking. A lack of love and concern for a fellow Christian, simply to accommodate oneself, and one’s sense of fashion, seemed outrageous. However, it shouldn’t …