“Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city’” (Acts 18:9-10 NKJV). It is easy for us to come together with those of like precious faith (2 Peter 1:1) who share the same worldview, hope, peace and love to open our lives and talk about matters that are important for the salvation of humanity. It is easy, amongst ourselves, to point out that there are horrible things taking place in the world – babies being killed to harvest body parts, children being stolen and sold as slaves, poverty, despair, and so on. It is easy to see all this, make comments, and then say something like, “Well, what are we going to do?” or “People just don’t change” or “We are just a small church. What could we do?” The expectation of God is that we speak out and not hold back. It is that simple. Now, to whom did Paul speak? If you start back in Acts 17, you find that Paul spoke to anyone he met, whether they liked it or not. He spoke, and it mattered not if they were great philosophers, lowly slaves, Jews, Romans, men or women. You see, all men and women need the Gospel, and part of why we gather together is to strengthen one another so …

When we’ve had nothing else to talk about this summer (2012), we’ve had the weather! This summer is compared to the one of 1953 which forecasters say was the last drought of this magnitude. The simple explanation is that we haven’t had the normal amount of moisture, and that started back in the winter when we had no winter weather. Many thought that was a good thing at the time, but it turned out not to be so good as the dryness continued into the spring and summer months with, not only a lack of moisture, but also higher than normal temperatures, which only contributed to the drought. What is a drought? The dictionary simply says a drought is “a long period of dry weather; continued lack of rain; lack of moisture; dryness.” Especially farmers will suffer a big financial loss this year because of the extreme weather conditions brought about by the drought. However, when the farmers suffer, the rest of us suffer with them. That occurs sometimes because some products become almost extinct for a period of time, and others just become so expensive to buy because there is so little of the product (whether produce, meat, etc.); the loss of the farmers is passed on to those who use the products. Also, exports are still being sent abroad, animal stock still have to eat and so on. During the time of Haggai (the 10th of the minor prophets and the first to prophesy after the Babylonian Exile), …

There is a statement in John 12:20-24 with far more profound implications than most of us realize. No doubt Jesus was talking about His own death, but the principle of which He spoke touches almost every aspect of life. The Greeks had come to Philip saying, “We wish to see Jesus” (John 12:21 NKJV). Doubtless, they wanted to do more than merely look at Him with the natural eye, for they would not have needed to ask Philip about that. We could probably better understand our Lord’s response to them if we understand that their philosophical ideals were embodied in those like Apollo, Hercules, Ulysses and others endowed with beauty, strength and self-sufficiency. He wanted to impress upon them and all mankind that it was by dying that great things were produced, not by self-gratification, human wisdom and philosophy. When He used the simple, natural, self-evident truth about the grain of wheat, He was emphasizing principles that are broad and deep in their implications and applications. The seed looks no more alive than a stone, but it has within it the mystery and the power of life. Man cannot make a seed with the germ of life in it. Yet, in it is a paradox. It appears to be dead or non-productive because it has not died (been planted). It must die in order to live. It must be buried in the earth where its outer form decays before the life within it can be manifested. Note another paradox. It …

In order to be good at anything, one needs to practice. We have all seen number one teams in the nation lose. There are very few teams that remain undefeated throughout a whole season and conclude it with a championship win. Have you ever heard, “Practice beats talent when talent won’t practice”? Teams and individuals who demonstrate a lackadaisical work ethic but are highly talented struggle to live up to their potential. Less talented teams and individuals have won many contests. How many underdog stories have you heard? John compared walking in darkness (living in sin) with walking in the light (living in service to God) in his first epistle. Notice, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” (1 John 1:6). The idea behind “do not practice the truth” refers to a hearer not doing the truth – not living according to the truth. James urged in his epistle, “…receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:21-22). Jesus taught, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). Christianity is not a religious set of “thou shalts” and “thou shalt nots” with which we strictly comply dull-mindedly. The Bible describes Christianity as a lifestyle that honors God and shuns evil. This means we must practice biblical teaching. The commands of Scripture …

“For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another” (Romans 14:17-19). Peacemakers are invaluable. They defuse, calm, quiet and soothe. They do not stir up conflict but work to minimize it, if not to negate it. The wicked are not so. They are determined to rule or ruin, typically to no good purpose. They delight in war that they may rule over its ruins. To be a peacemaker demands courage, for you may have to stand between the violent and the victim. It takes wisdom, for knowing when to listen and when to speak is all important here. One must be caring, even about those who do not care except about themselves. Part of being the salt and the light that the Lord demands of us (Matthew 5:13-16) is certainly to help make peace in a war-torn world. It is proclaiming the truth to overthrow the lies. It is offering a better way than the way of hate. May the Lord bless us here with peace, a peace that we cherish so much that we must share it. “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men” (Romans 12:17).

Many people fear the creation of a one-world government. Some conspiracy theorists claim that secret organizations, like the Freemasons, Illuminati or the Men in Black, seek to take over our lives. Yet, biblically aware Christians understand that there is already a one-world government, and it was established many centuries ago with all authority and legitimacy by the Lord Jesus Christ. He said in Matthew 28:18, “…All power is given to Me in heaven and on earth” (NKJV). Every human being who has ever lived or who will ever live will be subject to His judgment (Matthew 25:31-46). The Bible tells us of the coming of the High King, the ruler over all powers and principalities. In Daniel 7:9, the prophet saw the great King. “I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire.” This is a passage where we read of His glory in a way we can only partly comprehend. In Acts 1:9-11, we read of the fulfilment of Daniel’s prophecy as Christ the King enthroned as rightful ruler of the Earth. Paul wrote that Jesus “…must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:25-26). Death still stalks the world; therefore, Christ still presently reigns until the end of all things. One …

Dear Lord, we want to thank youFor helping us through this year,Guiding us through the many trials,The struggles, and the fear. Thank you for your blessingsFor our families and every friendJust one more short messageTo you we want to send. You have blessed each one of usAs each day slipped slowly by,Giving us times of laughter, andBeing with us when we cry. Thank you Heavenly fatherFor your love and tender careMay the New Year bring blessingsThat everyone of us can share. Happy New Year to all!Wishing you and your loved onespeace, good health, happiness andprosperity in the coming New Year!

The brother and his wife were about to leave our house when I said these words to my Christian friend, “You smell like sheep.” You see, he and his wife have been helping to buy some of our groceries since the spring of 2020 when the pandemic began in our nation. My brother in Christ is one of our six shepherds who serve and lead our congregation. I could safely say that all of our shepherds smell like sheep. The reason I make that statement is that I have observed them visiting the sick, staying with families in the hospitals when a loved one is in surgery and visiting the sick – whether in their homes, in nursing homes or in hospitals. I know they have carried in their cars the sick to doctors locally or in another city. They also encourage weak members to be more faithful to the Lord. They will also visit those who have fallen away from Christ and His church to encourage them to repent and to come back to the Lord. To smell like sheep, you have to be among the sheep to lead, protect, feed, keep watch over them and endeavor to know them. There are other terms in the New Testament regarding the work of those who are chosen to care for the flock that is under their oversight. They are elders (presbyters) and overseers (bishops), in addition to shepherds (pastors). Here are a couple of passages of Scripture in which we find these …

Christianity is a religion in which we are commanded to grow (2 Peter 3:18). We cannot remain stagnant and be pleasing to God. We come into Christ as babes, but we must grow and progress from that point (1 Peter 2:2). We will not be pleasing to God if we remain in spiritual infancy for too long (Hebrews 5:11-14). We need to graduate from the milk of the Word so we can produce the fruit that God desires we cultivate. Therefore, it is wise for us to take inventory of our spiritual progress (Proverbs 27:23). We should look to ourselves and determine if we are stuck in neutral or pressing toward the mark (Philippians 3:14). As it relates to spiritual growth, our speed is not as important as our direction. We may not be growing at the rate of some, but we should not compare ourselves to others. God wants us to examine ourselves, develop our talents and grow in our faith. The question is, “How can we do this?” How can we fulfill the command to “grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ”? Read Scripture Daily How many times have you heard this in sermons and Bible classes? We need to be reminded constantly that we are to be a people of the Book. We will not grow close to God apart from growing close to His Word. While we have often heard of the need to read the Bible daily, how many times have we failed to …

In the mid 1800’s, Hans Gustafson, a well-known glass blower from Germany, became alarmed at the number of homes that were being destroyed by fires during the Christmas season. In an age prior to artificial trees, people used live trees that were cut down and placed in homes for Christmas decorations. These trees were adorned with candles to make them light up in the late evening and nighttime hours. As a result of the tree continually drying, the trees would sometimes catch fire and destroy entire houses. Gustafson sought to provide a remedy for this serious problem. He determined that glass could be blown into globes and placed on trees as decorations. The issue he had to address was the weight of the glass globes that he created. Gustafson created a process whereby the globes could be blown and designed in such a way that the glass was extremely thin and lightweight, making it easier to hang on a Christmas tree. Today, an original Gustafson hand-blown ornament is worth millions of dollars and is much sought by collectors. At this point, the reader needs to know that the previous two paragraphs were entirely made up. The words were fabricated to make a point about research and taking someone’s word for fact without any investigation. If I had not revealed the falsity of the first two paragraphs, some might have shared this information with others and claimed it to be true based on simply trusting the writer. To be fair, I make every …

Our foe is strong and mighty. He is full of lies and deceit. He fully intends to make you into his slave. He will be successful if you do not arm yourself for the fight and then actually engage in the fight. Sounds sinister, doesn’t it? No, we are not talking about some carnal fight against our government’s representatives, even as wicked and corrupt as they may be. However, as the saying goes, they are “small-fry.” They can do nothing unless it is allowed by the God of Heaven Whom they apparently hate. Just like God used Judas in His plans to carry out the death of Christ for our salvation, so it is altogether possible that He may be using these corrupt and lying people for marking and identifying, for all to see, those who follow their pernicious ways. Also, just as Judas went “to his own place” (Acts 1:25 NKJV), the Scriptures assure us that such traitors also have a place to which they shall go (Matthew 22:11-13). Lest one should say that we are judging, read Revelation 21:8, which says in part, “…and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” The enemy of whom we speak is “that serpent of old who is the Devil and Satan.” Peter warned his readers about him and aptly described him. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom …

The Parable of the Prodigal Son is a well-known account in the Bible. A younger son took his inheritance and wasted it. He came to his senses and decided to return to his father. He did not return expecting to be accepted as a son. Instead, he intended to ask his father to make him a slave. At least, he would have something to eat. He had become so poor that he had nothing. On his return, his father gladly welcomed him. He made a big celebration for his son. He was so happy that his son had returned. The older son was not happy that his brother had returned. Luke 15:28 says, “He was angry.” This word translates a Greek word that means a long-held anger. This was not just a rush of emotion. This older brother had disliked his brother for a long time. In addition, he had not loved his father properly for a long time either. This anger finally came out on this occasion. The older brother refused to go into the celebration. The father came out and talked with him. In verse 28, we read, “Therefore his father came out and pleaded [“intreated” KJV] with him.” The word “intreated” is in a tense that means the father asked him over and over. The father knew that this son was lacking love. He knew that this son had an anger problem. Yet, the father continued to plead for his son to make those things right in …

I know why we keep baking soda in the refrigerator – to keep the stench out. However, for as long as we’ve been married, we’ve had a box of baking soda in our shower. For the last few years, I guess it never registered with me, but a few months ago, I started to wonder why. Here was this box of baking soda that had always been in our shower, and I had no idea why. I couldn’t figure anything out on my own. So, I Googled it – and apparently, no one else keeps baking soda in the shower. As a last resort, I had to ask Alesha the reason for the baking soda in the shower (a last resort because I didn’t want her to know that I didn’t know the reason). It turns out that she uses it to get something out of her hair (I think). I guess there’s a good use for it after all. Are there spiritual things that you treat like I treated that box of baking soda? You know they are there, and that we do them or don’t do them, but you don’t really know why. Maybe it’s something to do with how we worship God or why we do certain things in a certain way. Maybe there are things that you’ve always done but never really investigated. Today, would you decide to make the extra effort and start investigating the things you don’t understand? Would you stop acting like those …

In the greatest chapter in the Bible about the bodily resurrection at the end of time, Paul opened, “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you – unless you believed in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:1-2 NKJV). Paul reminded them what he had already taught them. The word “gospel” (from euangelion) literally means “good news” (1 Corinthians 4:15; 9:12, 14, 18, 22; Romans 1:16). The word translated “preached” (from euangelizo) is actually the verb form of the word “gospel” and means to bring the good news, preach the good news, preach or proclaim. It is also translated “bring… glad tidings” (Luke 1:19; 2:10; Acts 13:32; Romans 10:15; 1 Thessalonians 3:6). The Gospel’s Salvation As Paul plainly declared, the Corinthians had been saved by that Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:2a). However, they needed to continue in the Gospel if they were to remain saved (1 Corinthians 15:2b). People are saved only when they ‘receive’ the Gospel and “stand” in the Gospel. The term “hold fast” [“keep in memory” KJV] (from katecho) means to keep, take, possess (1 Corinthians 7:30; 11:2). Obviously, this teaches that salvation is conditional (Philippians 2:12; 2 Peter 1:10; Revelation 2:10). The denominational doctrine of “the perseverance of the saints” or “once saved always saved” is false! Not continuing in the Gospel will result in people ‘believing in vain.’ The word “vain” means for nothing, …

When the Israelites came out of Egypt, God told them that all the firstborn belonged to Him. However, He redeemed them with the Levites who would become His special tribe. Then the LORD said to Moses: “Number all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and above, and take the number of their names. And you shall take the Levites for Me – I am the LORD – instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the livestock of the children of Israel.” (Numbers 3:40-41 NKJV) To the children of Kohath, Merari and Gershon – the sons of Levi – God gave responsibilities unique to them. He also gave them inheritances of cities throughout the land of Israel. Among those responsibilities was the care of the Tabernacle in the wilderness and in Canaan. “These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari…” (Exodus 6:16). “The duties of the children of Gershon in the tabernacle of meeting included the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the door of the tabernacle of meeting” [“congregation” KJV] (Numbers 3:25). “And the leader of the fathers’ house of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. Their duty included the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, the screen, and all the work …

Joshua and his generation knew the Lord and witnessed the way He worked to force Pharaoh to release them. They saw His care in the wilderness. Joshua’s generation remained true to God’s will. However, they seemed to have failed to tell the next generation of the Lord’s powerful deliverance (Judges 2:7-10). The nations Israel failed to drive out were polytheists. They had no problem worshiping the true God and their false gods at the same time. Israel was to forsake all other gods (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 6:10-25; 13:6-18). Israel failed, though, to see the danger. She is described as laying down to prostitute herself with false gods (Judges 2:11-13). Israel committed spiritual fornication – sinning against God, its husband (Hosea 2:2-13). God had to punish such wickedness to remain righteous (Psalm 89:14). He delivered Israel into the hands of enemies who took the spoils of its land (Judges 2:14-15). Yet, the Almighty did not cease to love the Israelites. He sent judges to deliver them when He heard their groaning (Judges 2:16). They enjoyed the blessings of deliverance but went right back into idolatry when the judge died, which resulted in God becoming angry with them (Judges 2:17-23). We are blessed far beyond physical Israel (Ephesians 1:3). We should make it a point to emphasize those blessings to our children (Ephesians 6:4). Teach them the will of God (2 Timothy 3:15). Help them recognize the blessings to be found in Christ. We must demonstrate the love of God in all …

Do you ever look at yourself in the mirror? When I was younger, I looked at myself in the mirror all the time. In fact, I used to look in the mirror so much that people who knew me best would pick on me about always staring at myself. I’ll admit it, sometimes I was looking in the mirror because I was vain. I was younger, thinner and for a brief period of time, I actually had hair. Pride and vanity have definitely impacted my life, but not always in the obnoxious, arrogant kind of way. I’ve also had times in my life when I was looking in the mirror because my confidence was low, and I wanted to see if I fit or measured up to the worldly standard of how a young man is supposed to look. Pride and vanity impact you even if you are not acting arrogant or obnoxious. People with low self-esteem can often think everything is about them but just in a negative way. People with low self-esteem often put the focus on this life and find themselves looking for satisfaction and fulfillment in all the wrong places. Does this mean that looking in the mirror is always a bad thing? Of course not. It’s good to put your best foot forward. It shows self-worth as well as care and can help one have and show a healthy level of confidence from day to day. However, we need to be sure that we are not valuing …

Thanks be to God for keeping us and allowing us to have another year. In the last few days, many have greeted us with a Happy New Year, and likewise we have said the same to so many people. Certainly, we all are looking forward to having a happy and blessed New Year, but to make a happy new year, there must be a proper use of time. Someone has pointed out, “Dost thou love life? Then waste not time, for that is the stuff that life is made of.” The apostle Paul wrote, “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16 NKJV). Someone else has rightly said, “Nothing is more precious than time, and those who misspend it are the greatest prodigals.” Character may break to pieces and be built up again. Health may be lost and regained. Silver and gold might be lost but time can regain them. However, time itself cannot be recalled. The brevity and uncertainty of time emphasizes our responsibility in the way we should use it. True, nothing is more precious than time. To redeem the time means taking advantage of the available time or to buy back the neglected opportunities. When the children of Israel were heading to the Promised Land – when they came near it, just before entering –  Joshua who was leading them cautioned them by saying, “That you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before” (Joshua 3:4). …

Jesus told a parable in which two men built houses. One built his house on a foundation of sand, whereas, the other built his house on a foundation of stone. The rain fell and winds blew against both houses. The house built on sand collapsed, while the house built on stone withstood the storm. Jesus said that if we hear His words but do not act upon them, then, we are like the foolish man who built his house on the sand. However, if we hear His words and do them, then, we are like the wise man who built his house on the rock. The rains will come, and the winds will blow – regardless of where we build our house or how it looks. Therefore, let us be sure to build on the solid foundation of Jesus so that we may weather the storms of life.

“Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!’ But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men’” (Matthew 16:22-23 NKJV). During the ministry of Christ, expectations were high for the coming of the Messiah. Those expectations were wrapped up in political desires of a leader who would defeat the Romans and establish Israel as a dominant power again. He would take care of everyone’s needs, including dietary, protective, financial and everything else. You can imagine, then, the excitement of so many when Jesus healed the sick, fed the multitudes, cast out demons and raised the dead. Perhaps this idea was expressed best at the feeding of the 5,000, where John recorded the people as saying, “…This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world” (John 6:14), and “Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king” (John 6:15). So, when Jesus revealed to the apostles that being the Messiah meant “He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed” (Matthew 16:21), Peter responded vehemently that this would not happen. After all, it went against everything he and the Jews believed about what it meant for One to be the Messiah. …

An old Saxon king put down a rebellion. After the victory, he put a candle over the archway to his castle. He announced through a herald that all enemies who would surrender and take an oath of loyalty to him would be spared. However, his offer of clemency and mercy was limited to the life of the candle. This is true of all the offers of life. They have their candle limitations. It is true of the greatest offer ever made, the offer of eternal life through Christ Jesus. Our text is Isaiah 55:6-7. It is one of the greatest invitations ever offered. “Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon” (NKJV). Let’s take a closer look at our text. First of all, it asks us to seek the Lord. Many spend their time seeking fame, fortune, husbands, wives and a thousand other things that will fail, betray and disappoint. People are seeking after anything and everything except God. We must seek after God while He is near. Acts 17:27 tells us that God is not far from each one of us. God has always been calling men to come to Him. Jesus cried out, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will …