On March 25, 2022, #2 Texas played #16 Texas Tech. The game went into extra innings after Texas Tech tied the game at four runs. In the bottom of the tenth inning, Aaron Nixon walked Kurt Wilson. After a walk and a sacrifice bunt, Wilson made it to third base. Nixon proceeded to strike out the next two batters. He had two strikes on the batter when Wilson stole home for the win. How did Wilson steal home on a right-handed pitcher? Every time Nixon got a sign from the catcher, he would look at the ground for roughly three seconds. Nixon’s loss of focus allowed Wilson to rush home. Wilson was so prepared to steal home that Nixon looked up in time to see him slide across the plate. Three seconds looking at the ground earned Wilson a loss for the game. How often do we lose focus on our spiritual walk with the Lord? It is so easy to get wrapped up with everything going on around us that we take our eyes off Jesus. Notice the encouragements given in the New Testament. “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:14-15 NKJV). “Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for …

Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:7-8 NKJV) While studying recently for a series of lessons I am presenting at our congregation, I ran across some research that was done among teenagers who left the church after they reached college age and moved off to make their way in the world independent of their parents’ influence. The study gave a lot of facts and figures, but one figure just floored me. Based on this study, over 60% of all the kids that were part of some church or youth group in their teens would end up leaving those pursuits behind by the time they reached college. The same study said that only about 35% would return to some religious mooring during the remainder of their lives, and fewer would return to the church of their fathers. As the researchers began to dissect the results, what they found, as far as reasons for why there was so large a trend of departure from faith, was that the fundamental disconnect between what parents believe and how they act was a significant factor in children deciding to leave. In other words, the rate of failure to retain and actually live out the Christian life on an ongoing …

In Genesis 3:9, God asked the curious question, “Where are you?” The context of the question appears in Genesis 3:7-9, which says: Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” (NKJV) Have you ever wondered why God asked this question? Were Adam and Eve able to hide from an omniscient God? Would it be possible for one to win a game of hide and seek with God as a player? The student of God’s Word might ponder the implications of this question. The question “Where are you?” required an admission of what they had done. Genesis 3:10 says, “So he said, ‘I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.’” Prior to this they had no reason to be afraid of God’s presence. It seems that man and God enjoyed full fellowship with one another prior to Genesis 3. Furthermore, Adam and Eve had no prior understanding of what nakedness entailed. Hiding meant they knew what transgressing God’s commandment meant (Proverbs 28:1). The question “Where are you?” forced Adam and …

Earlier this year [2014], there was a news story about a snake handler who had been bitten and had subsequently died. This man, Jamie Coots, was actually being paid for his snake handling as he was on the cast of a National Geographic TV reality series called “Snake Salvation.” The man was one of two pastors from a Pentecostal church in Middleboro, Kentucky who were featured on the show about snake handling at a sect of Christian churches in Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia. The worshippers believe that their faith will protect them from venomous snake bites. Mr. Coots was bitten on the hand by a snake, and though medical personnel tried to get him to go to a hospital for treatment, he refused. He said he had suffered serious rattlesnake bites two times before and refused treatment for the excruciating bites in both cases. His statement was, “It’s a victory to God’s people that the Lord seen fit to bring me through it.” His faith must not have been strong enough the third time! I can personally tell you that venomous snake bites are no fun. When I was about 5 years old, I was running barefoot across a field on our farm and got on a snake that retaliated. When Dad got to me, I was already throwing up and deathly ill, but the doctor was five miles away in Bakersfield, Missouri. We had to travel poor roads to get there, and time was of the essence. My father was crying …

“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14 NKJV). The need to be holy is present throughout the entire Bible. So, the need to understand the concept and how to attain it is vital to our standing before God. The meaning of holiness is “special to God” and “set apart from common use to be employed for God’s use.” Sanctification is the process by which this holiness is attained. Therefore, to be sanctified is to be made holy for God’s unique possession and purpose (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Peter 1:14-16). As with other salvation concepts, holiness is both a statement of fact in relationship to God and also a goal to which those in such a relationship are to strive to complete. There is no accomplishment of perfection in holiness this side of Heaven. Yet, there is the sanctification every Christian possesses simply because one is in Christ, a perfection in relationship that is obtained by faith which God acknowledges (1 Corinthians 1:30). In this relationship, the gift is to be so precious and endearing to us that we work to make it, not just promise, but real in our own application. Such is the process or pursuit of holiness that every Christian must fulfill (Philippians 3:12-15; Hebrews 10:12-14). As we see in Hebrews 12:14, to fail here is to lose what we had claimed to love.

The House of God must be a place of comfort, not discomfort; a place of truth and justice, not of cliques and divisions; and welcoming to those who literally do not have a prayer. There are far too many places where folks are jumped on and read the riot act because they don’t reach the standard of a dictatorial member, a member who has forgotten the caution of Paul, when he said, in 1 Corinthians 6:11, “And such were some of you.” It must be understood that a congregation that is cold will attract no one. A self-righteous, prideful attitude repels, and the active presence of a sister or a brother who thinks himself or herself to be better than others will kill a church stone dead. For these reasons, it is imperative that a congregation examine itself for evidence of the above negative, un-Christ-like characteristics and nip them in the bud. If these things are allowed to grow, they will turn a church of Christ into a church of man just as much as any false doctrine. People will not see the love of God but rather the disdain of hypocrites in such places. In 1 Peter 4:17, the apostle wrote, “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” Once saved always saved? Not according to Peter. He said that judgment …

The Book of Hebrews teaches us that in the past, God spoke to His people in various ways (Hebrews 1:1). Sometimes God spoke to individuals directly (Genesis 17:1). Other times, He communicated with priests through the Urim and Thummim (Exodus 28:30). There are instances when God appeared to His people in dramatic visions (Isaiah 6:1-4). However, Moses is described as having had a unique relationship with God (Exodus 33:11). God declared that He spoke with Moses in a way He did not speak to anyone else in the Old Testament (Numbers 12:5-8). After Moses’ death, there was never another prophet like him who knew the Lord face to face (Deuteronomy 34:10-12). While there is much to appreciate about Moses’ relationship with God, there are several important lessons we learn from the very first encounter that Moses had with God. Moses grew up in the house of Pharaoh, but eventually, his faith led him away from Egyptian prestige and into the wilderness (Hebrews 11:24-27). While Moses kept the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, he came to Mount Horeb, and Moses was never the same (Exodus 3:1). He met God at the burning bush for the first time and learned some lessons that every one of us must learn as well (Exodus 3:1-6). God Is Holy Moses stood before the burning bush, which was a manifestation of God’s presence. There, Moses was told, “…Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is …

The account of Ruth is a great one. It demonstrates God’s providence, His care and concern for all nations (not just Israel). Further, it teaches the value of hard work and many other great lessons, both theological and practical. Most lessons based out of Ruth focus on her, and rightly so. She is the main character and heroine of the biblical record. For this lesson I want to briefly contemplate what kind of woman and mother Naomi was. As the book of Ruth begins, she and her husband had journeyed to Moab because of a famine in Canaan. Their two sons selected wives from among the Moabites. Later, all three of the men died. Subsequently, Naomi encouraged her daughters-in-law to return to their families. What I find very interesting is that both expressed a desire to stay with Naomi (Ruth 1:10). There are many details we don’t have, but what we know is that Naomi was the kind of person and the kind of mother people wanted to have and to be around. It is because of this that we have the book of Ruth.

“…Be holy, for I am holy” (l Peter 1:16 ) and “For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy…” (Leviticus 11:44) are two commands by God that are very difficult to obey. Yet, there they are in God’s Word. The question by many who read such passages is this, “But how can I be holy like God?” The Bible tells me that the reason why I must trust and obey Christ is because I’m not holy. “All have sinned,” Paul wrote in Romans 3:23. So, how can I ever think about being holy as God is? One of many ways to pursue being holy as God is holy is to notice the list that Jesus offered in Matthew 5. To be a holy person, living a kingdom style kind of life, will result in having a blessed and happy life. Both go hand in hand. Walk each day in these steps and you will perfect your walk with God and be closer to Him in holiness and happiness.

We must all continually humble ourselves before God and His Word. We need to check the condition of our spiritual lives, always making sure that we are not letting pride, arrogance, complacency or any other sin get in the way of us being the humble servants that we ought to be. “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:10 NKJV). God can do amazing things in our lives and in the work of the church, but we must remain humble servants who are constantly looking into the Word and relying on God to give the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). Like Paul, let us all “…press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14). It does not take special events for us to realize the need for spiritual renewal. Let us all be renewed day by day as we dive deeper into the Word of God. [Editor’s Note: Somehow, introspection (2 Corinthians 13:5) doesn’t occur to us as easily as examining the lives of others (Matthew 7:3-4). ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]

Proper consideration for God’s clear instructions would have prevented transgression in the Garden of Eden. Then, who is there who has not been deeply touched by the righteous consideration of Queen Esther, who put her life on the line as she entreated the King for her people the Jews (Esther 4)? In this moving disclosure of the providence of Almighty God, we see righteous principle rising victoriously over the wicked schemes of evil men. It still does, today! The prophet Haggai exhorted the stiff-necked and self-satisfied Jews of his day , “…Consider your ways” (Haggai 1:5, 7). He made that declaration because the people were eating, drinking and striving for personal gratification, but they were never satisfied. While they were pursuing what pleased them, they were satisfied to allow the House of God to lie in ruins before their very eyes. In essence, the prophet Haggai asked them, ‘Don’t you know why you are eating and drinking, but are never filled? Can’t you discern why you are always empty and unfulfilled? It is because you are always pushing God out of your lives! You disregard Him!’ The result is always the same where there is not proper consideration of God’s Holy Word! That is disrespect for the holy commandments of God and the failure to love and consider others and their needs. In his delightful book, Mule Musings, Brother Basil Overton told of an old redneck who rode into town on his mule while his wife walked a few paces behind. …

Moses was a great leader of God’s people, keeping them aware of God and His will for their lives. Joshua succeeded him, and he also led the people in the way of the Lord. Under the leadership of these two men, Israel was freed from slavery in Egypt, led across the Sinai desert and ushered into the Promised Land of Canaan. However, when Joshua died, a great change took place in Israel. “When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel” (Judges 2:10 NKJV). God had convincingly led Israel through one of the darkest periods of its history. Yet, they did not know the Lord. Why did they not know Him? Why did their parents not tell them? Hardly had Israel left Egypt when they began to complain and to forget what God had done for them (Exodus 15:23; 16:1; etc.). In reflection, the psalmist wrote, “They soon forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel, But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, And tested God in the desert” (Psalm 106:13-14). The potential threat of forgetfulness is as real today as it was for the Israelites. In order to minimize the threat, each member of the Lord’s church must get involved. Not only are we told to “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God…” (2 Timothy 2:15), but we also have the responsibility to continually remind ourselves …

One of the many “exceedingly great and precious promises” (2 Peter 1:4 NKJV) that God has given us is in Romans 8:1. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” Although in the ASV the expression, “who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit,” is here omitted, it is in verse 4, and it is inherent in the meaning of “in Christ Jesus.” We may have allowed the false doctrine of the impossibility of apostasy to cause us to react in denial of it in such a way that we lose sight of some grand truths that are affirmed here and in other places. I believe in the security of the believer and have no intention of allowing some perverted teaching to denude me of that wonderful truth. It is our considered judgment that we have sometimes done the same thing with other mountain peaks of God’s revelation. The great truth of salvation by grace through faith is not simply a doctrine that we should talk about negatively in denial of false doctrine. A winning team does not simply take the opponent’s rebound when it misses the goal and dribble down the court with the ball, making all its points primarily on the other team’s missed ones. In all probability, part of the rash of articles in the last few years by those who seem to have discovered as a new …

Grace, love and mercy are inherent in the very nature of our Heavenly Father, God Almighty! Two Scriptures have these attributes mentioned regarding our God. They are Ephesians 2:4-8 and Titus 3:4-7. Please read the first passage in Ephesians 2 and observe what is written about mercy, love and grace: “rich in mercy,” “great love,” “exceeding riches of His grace” and “For by grace you have been saved” (NKJV). Now read the passage in Titus 3 and observe what Paul wrote about love, mercy and grace: “Love of God our Savior, but according to His mercy He saved us” and “justified by His grace.” God’s grace is greater than our sins. “…He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9). “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7). Our iniquities demanded God’s justice, but instead, He extended His unmerited favor to us so we could be redeemed by the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ His beloved Son! “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13). “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). In our finite minds, we will never be able to comprehend the “width and length and depth …

Sometimes (many times), change is hard. My wife tells me I don’t like change. This may be the way it is with most people. Solomon knew we may make choices in life that are hard to change. One area that is hard to change is the people with whom we associate. It takes wisdom for a person to determine to no longer associate with unspiritual people. There comes a time when one must honestly admit that others influence him more than he influences them. Solomon didn’t beat around the bush. He identified clearly the kind of people he wanted his son to avoid, “…the man who speaks perverse things; From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness; Who delight in doing evil And rejoice in the perversity of evil; Whose paths are crooked, And who are devious in their ways; To deliver you from the strange woman, From the adulteress who flatters with her words” (Proverbs 2:14-16 NASU). These may all be, overall, nice people. They might be funny, entertaining and even charismatic. Yet, wisdom screams that we should get away from such. They all have the tendency to turn others into being like them – people who have no relationship with God. If we are wise, we will find good people and make them our true friends. Solomon said to his son, “So you will walk in the way of good men And keep to the paths of the righteous” (Proverbs 2:20). …

One reason God “gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers” was “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13 NKJV). We know that miraculous gifts ended with the completion of the New Testament by the end of the first century (1 Corinthians 13:8-13). Thus, the term “perfect man” (“mature manhood,” ESV) refers to spiritual maturity. While there is a sense in which fictional Peter Pan’s philosophy of never growing up is legitimate (1 Corinthians 14:20), so far as spiritual maturity is concerned, it is displeasing to God when those who should be mature are not. Remember the Hebrews writer’s words, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe” (Hebrews 5:12-13). This is one reason the Corinthian church was in danger. Paul said, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and …

If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, In which you trusted, they wearied you, Then how will you do in the floodplain (“swelling” KJV; “thicket” ESV) of the Jordan? (Jeremiah 12:5 NKJV) God’s Challenge: CanYou Run with the Horses? [Editor’s Note: The primary ‘can do’ passage for Christians is, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Remember, God became angry with Moses when he offered a series of excuses (Exodus 3:14). Certainly, we do not want God to become angry with us because we offered excuses instead of faithful service (Hebrews 9:14; 12:28). ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13 NKJV). It is undeniable that being in the presence of Jesus, observing His ministry, hearing Him teach, how He interacted with people, both believers and nonbelievers of Him as the Messiah, had made an indelible impression on the apostles. They believed Him to be the Son of God during His ministry (Matthew 16:16), but it was the resurrection that cemented their faith in Him. How life changing was it to them, having been with Jesus? The religious authorities threatened them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:18). Before the resurrection, those words would probably have struck fear in their hearts. Now, however, they responded, “…Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20). From great fear to great faith was what being with Jesus can do. In our era, the name of Jesus is commonplace, and few realize and understand what it means for Him to be the Son of God. It should be life altering. He is the firstborn from the dead, our promise that we too will rise one day and have eternal life in Him (1 Corinthians 15:20-21). It can only happen for …

I want people to see in me compassion, a willingness to forgive and dependability, to name a few attributes. Faithfulness is another characteristic I hope people see in me. I want people to think of me as a faithful or loyal friend. I also want to be known as one striving to live faithfully in my relationship to God. Faithfulness is required of those outside of Christ (Hebrews 11:6). The source of faith is in hearing “the word of God” (Romans 10:17). A careful study of God’s Word causes me to see repentance is an essential element of the required faith (Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30). Repentance must be followed by appealing to God to clean one’s conscience in baptism (1 Peter 3:21). Faithfulness is also required of Christians. Their faithfulness will compel them to teach others (2 Timothy 2:2; Mark 16:15). God’s people are humble servants, planting and watering while waiting for God to give the harvest (1 Corinthians 3:5-7). Those who fail to warn others will be punished (Ezekiel 33:7-9). So, Paul told the Ephesian elders, “Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:26-27 NKJV). The faithful will be rewarded. Those who have been entrusted with things belonging to another are required to be faithful (1 Corinthians 4:2). The five-talent man and the two-talent man, both of whom had gone out and gotten more …