As Jesus was nearing the time of His propitiatory death, subsequent resurrection and ascension to Heaven, He told His disciples, “’And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.’ Thomas said to Him, ’Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?’” Jesus said to him, ’I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’” (John 14:3–6). Jesus was going back to the Father, God, from where He had come to accomplish the will and plan of God for human salvation from sin and to make them suitable for Heaven. He was, from the beginning, with God in Heaven, and was God Himself, as we read, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14). The last verse of chapter 5 in the epistle of 2 Corinthians reads, “For He made Him Who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Jesus had come to the earth to make man righteous. Only the righteous are …

“Praise God from whom all blessings flow;Praise Him, all creatures here below;Praise Him above, ye heavenly host’Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.” “For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations” (Psalm 100:5 NKJV). His mercy is everlasting. Nothing I build is everlasting. Nothing I purchase is everlasting. Things wear out and decay. Men’s governments rise and fall. The world and all worldly things will one day pass away. Absolutely nothing in this world is everlasting except a person’s soul, which one day is to go to its “home of everlastingness” (Ecclesiastes 12:5 Adam Clarke Commentary reference). God’s mercy is everlasting! One can neither exhaust it nor outlive it. In fact, one could not even exist without it. The Psalmist wrote, “Great are Thy mercies, O Lord” (Psalm 119:156 NASB). Over thirty times in the psalms you will find the expression, “For His mercy endures forever.” Throughout the Mosaic period, from the giving of the Law of Moses in Exodus to the close of the Gospel records in the New Testament, the Jews were kept aware of the wonderful mercy of God. His laws have always been tempered with mercy. In the Tabernacle, and later in the Temple, the gold lid or cover of the Ark of the Covenant beneath the wings of the gold cherubim was called the “Mercy Seat” or “kapporeth.” This word means “propitiation” or “appeasement.” The Ark was located in the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle first and later in …

If you were to ask Sarah, she would be excited to show you her container of sea glass. Recently, on our mission trips to Guyana, we have gone to the sea wall in the Georgetown area and walked along the beach, whereupon she found a lot of sea glass. As a side note, just talk to those who have gone on the mission trip and ask them about the “beach” in Guyana. Because this glass is found on many beaches around the world, it is also known as beach glass or washed glass. Most of the sea glass that is found are bits of colored glass that are shattered glass bottles. Originally, the glass you find on the beach had a purpose, but then, it was casually (indifferently, carelessly) thrown away and became broken. If the discarded glass ends up in an ocean, its journey is just beginning. As it is constantly tossed about by currents and tides, its jagged edges are ground down by the sand and waves, and eventually they are smoothed away and rounded off. The result is something beautiful. The jewel-like sea glass has found new life and is treasured by collectors and artists. Like broken glass that is in the ocean and then eventually turns into a beautiful piece of broken sea glass, is it possible for a broken life to be renewed when it is touched by God’s love and grace? In the Old Testament, it is stated that when the prophet Jeremiah watched …

The story is told of a lady who walked into a pharmacy and asked the pharmacist if he had a cure for the hiccups. The pharmacist said, “I sure do,” and immediately and unexpectedly yelled, “Boo!” at the top of his lungs. Well, this nearly scared the lady half to death! She looked at the pharmacist and asked, “Why in the world did you do that?” The pharmacist said, “Because a good scare will rid a person of hiccups.” The lady then said, “But I don’t have the hiccups. My husband does, and he’s out in the car!” Oops! Now, there’s an illustration of how we can get in trouble by making assumptions. Assumptions can be costly. However, the greatest cost regarding assumptions occurs in the spiritual realm. How many people assume they are believing and practicing the things that please God while having no certain knowledge that they are? How many people believe things they have never read and studied for themselves? We need to stop trusting our feelings (Jeremiah 17:9). We need to stop using our favorite preachers as authority for what is right or wrong (1 Kings 13:18). We need to stop looking at what others are doing and deciding on that basis that it must be fine (Exodus 23:2). Instead, we need to ask, “What do the Scriptures say?” (Romans 4:3). We need to obey Paul’s instruction and “prove all things and hold fast to that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:22). We need to make …

As a preacher and teacher of the Bible, it is my considered judgment that we should make a clear-cut distinction between the exegesis of a particular passage of Scripture and what we think is good advice. Paul did this in 1 Corinthians 7:25–26. In the first place, we need to make that distinction because our listeners need to know the difference between what the Bible actually says and what we think about any matter. In the second place, our listeners need to know that God is not usually simply giving good advice but tells us how and what to do, and sometimes when and why to do it. A case in point is a statement of Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:22 in which we find, “Abstain from all appearance of evil” (KJV). For more than 50 years, I can remember hearing preachers talk about that, saying something like this: “As most of you know, the Bible plainly teaches in 1 Thessalonians 5:22, ‘Shun the very appearance of evil.’” One well-known preacher and educator spent about 15 minutes of a sermon explaining that it very clearly taught, “Stay away from anything that appears to be evil.” The truth of the matter is that it does not. That is probably good advice, in general, although Jesus may not have always done it, for he ate with publicans and sinners, and that no doubt ‘appeared to be evil’ to some. One problem is in the different meaning of “appearance” as we use it in English. If we …

There are few people who are unacquainted with the suffering of Job. The New Testament writers expected their readers to know of Job’s suffering and his patience (James 5:11). As we read the forty-two chapters that make up the book of Job, many of our questions about suffering are answered and many others are not. We know that Job was an upright and righteous man (Job 1:1). We also know that Job tried to do the right things in life in relation to his fellow man and his God. Still, Job did not escape suffering; suffering still found its way into the life of righteous Job. Though we may walk in the light of Christianity, suffering will find its way into our lives as well, and we should be prepared (1 John 1:7). Many have claimed that the book of Job provides answers to human suffering that it does not. Still, others have failed to read and learn the lessons that can be derived from the book. Let us notice a few things that the book of Job clearly teaches us about suffering in order to be better equipped when the hour of trial comes upon us. God Has Confidence in Humanity While Job probably never knew about the events in the first chapter of the book, we do. We know that Satan walked into the presence of God and was looking for something to do (Job 1:6–7). God expressed confidence in Job and offered him up to be tested …

Exceptions may be good or they may be bad, depending upon how they are used. One of the main reasons, if not the primary reason, that the English language is so difficult to learn is because it is full of exceptions. Almost every rule in the English language seems to have an exception, maybe even numerous exceptions. In this case, exceptions make life more difficult. On the other hand, we come across a few exceptions in God’s Word. Fortunately for us, these make life easier, and they make our lives worth living. Without these exceptions, our lives would truly be miserable. Let us notice a few of these exceptions. Jesus stated, “…Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3 KJV). The rule is “ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Why is this so? Because of man’s problem with sin, he cannot come into the presence of our holy God (Isaiah 59:1–2). However, our gracious God offers an exception: “Except ye be converted and become as little children.” Those who manifest a humble spirit, a forgiving attitude and a simple trust in God, as little children do, will be exceptions to the rule. Sin will not bar these from entering into the kingdom of Heaven. It is a sad reality that most in this world will choose to adhere to the rule rather than to the exception. Another exception offered by our Lord is this: “Except ye repent, ye shall all …

In First Corinthians 7:12–16, Paul discussed Christians being married to non-Christians. In such cases, it is the unbeliever who determines whether or not the marriage will continue. That is, if the “wife who does not believe…is willing to live with him,” then the believing husband is not to “divorce her” [“leave him,” KJV], and if the “husband who does not believe…is willing to live with her,” then the believing wife is not to “divorce [“leave,” KJV] him” (1 Corinthians 7:12–13 NKJV). The faithful Christian has already determined to follow God’s Word in all things, including marriage (Matthew 6:33). However, if the unbelieving spouse insists on departing the marriage, then Paul says, “Let him depart,” and then adds, “a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases” (1 Corinthians 7:15). “Not under bondage” does not give license for the believer to remarry at the mere departure of the unbelieving spouse (cf. 1 Corinthians 7:11). Rather, Paul was teaching that because the unbelieving spouse left the marriage does not mean the Christian spouse must also leave the marriage—two wrongs do not make a right (cf. Matthew 5:31–32)! When such tragedy happens in marriage, the Christian spouse is not to live in fear and guilt because his or her non-Christian spouse left the marriage. A Christian can acceptably serve God regardless of his or her marital or social status. This is what 1 Corinthians 7:17–24 concerns. The General Principle of Contentment Paul began this section, “But as God has distributed …

Well, it’s that time of year again. It’s time to spring our clocks forward by one hour. I know there are people out there who really dislike the time changing because we lose an hour of sleep, but outside of the little adjustments we have to make to get used to things again, there are some really wonderful things seen in the spring of the year. On the ideal spring day, you can hear the birds chirping, the sun is shining and an assortment of flowers are all in bloom. The world basically wakes up from a long winter nap, and new life can be seen all around us. Our spiritual lives can be like a new spring day every day. With each day with which the Lord blesses us, we have new opportunities and new moments to choose to live for Him. Joshua in Joshua 24:15 made it very clear Who he and his family were going to serve when he said, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” New days and new moments give us the same opportunity to choose God and can spring us forward into a life that is pleasing to Him. For those who are outside of Christ, each day is a new opportunity to get one’s life right with God. As we can see in 2 Peter 3:9, the Lord wants all people to repent and to come to Him. Each day we live is another opportunity to repent …

A balanced life is not the same thing as a life where everything goes smoothly. It is a life anchored in Christ, steady enough to face good days and hard days without falling apart. Most of us know what it feels like to get pulled off center. Stress rises, patience runs thin, and we start reacting instead of thinking. We can try to manage those moments with sheer willpower, but lasting change comes from a heart that is being shaped by the Lord, and there is no quick fix for this. Scripture reminds us that this kind of stability is possible. James tells us to “let patience have its perfect work” so that we can become mature and complete (James 1:2–4 NKJV). Paul added, “…and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7). Those are not empty slogans. They are promises about what God can produce in a person who keeps turning to God. This is how spiritual balance works in real life. It’s seen in the choices we make every day. “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32). True strength isn’t just about what you have the ability to do or to achieve. It’s about what you can control inside. It also means choosing not to let your words hurt others. “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, …

When opening the New Testament, one is soon introduced to its central figure, Jesus. He is addressed in several ways, but what do those names and titles mean? Who was Jesus of Nazareth? His Heritage Jesus of Nazareth was a real person who lived in first century Israel. He was born to Jewish parents (Mary and Joseph) who could trace their heritage back to the twelve tribes of Israel. Matthew’s record of the Gospel begins with the genealogical record. “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1 NKJV). Luke’s record also demonstrates Jesus to be the descendant of both Abraham and David (Luke 3:31, 34). These records serve two purposes. First, they show that Jesus could be traced to the two men who were prophesied to be the ancestors of the anointed Messiah of God. Abraham: “I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). David: “‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth’” (Jeremiah 23:5). Second, they serve as validation of the fact that Jesus was a real historical figure who could be connected to other real historical figures. When Mary was pregnant with Jesus, she and Joseph had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem in order to participate in …

Sardis was 35 miles southeast of Thyatira on a plateau at the foot of Mt. Timolous. Three sides of the plateau were perpendicular cliffs, so the inhabitants thought they only had to defend one side. The church in Sardis had a reputation of life, vigor and great spiritual strength. No false doctrine had taken root, but there was a heartless holding of truth. Her works looked like beautiful clothes to men, but the Lord saw them as grave clothes disguising a corpse, reminiscent of Jesus telling the spiritually dead to bury the physically dead (Revelation 3:1; Matthew 8:22). Sardis was defeated in 549 and 218 B.C. when the cliffs were left unguarded. Jesus told an overconfident church to be watchful. Their lamp was growing dim and would go out if they did not act quickly. They needed to pump the bellows to rekindle the fire because the embers were ready to die. God had not found their works filled full or perfect. They were an empty shell that God wanted filled with His purpose (Revelation 3:2). The Lord tried to put life back into a dead church by urging them to remember the excitement and joy that came when their sins were first washed away (Acts 2:41; 8:39; 16:33–34). He wanted to prick their consciences and rekindle their joy. They needed to lay down their inactivity and take up diligent watching since the Lord was going to come unannounced and unexpectedly for some (Revelation 3:3; Matthew 24:43). Those who faithfully do …