By: Chris Perry Brian Davis was, and still is, a relatively unknown golfer who had never won a PGA tournament. However, at Harbour Town Golf Links on April 18, 2010, he was in a playoff with Jim Furyk and found himself in a position to win. While attempting to play a shot out of the hazard, he thought he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He then called a golf official over, who confirmed his worst fear: Davis had struck a “loose impediment” (in this case, a piece of a reed) during his swing, a violation in the USGA rulebook that carries a two-stroke penalty. After the penalty, Davis was essentially out of contention, and he conceded the tournament to Furyk, along with the $1.026 million check that came with it. It is worth noting that the infraction was virtually unnoticeable except in super slow-motion replay; thus, had Davis chosen not to point out his error, no one would have noticed, and he could have conceivably won his first PGA match. Instead, his integrity and honesty cost him a victory. How often do we see such character from our professional athletes today? In the midst of adultery, drug use, illegal possession of firearms and a host of other criminal or immoral behavior, what Brian Davis did shines brightly as an indication that virtue is not completely lost. Let’s put aside professional athletes for a moment. How often do those professing Christianity exhibit such honesty and integrity? Do …

By: Royce Pendergrass OMG! How often do we hear this term these days? Enough so that even small children know what these letters mean. What it means to me is that people who use the term are using God’s name in vain. Recently, I watched a news story on TV, and perhaps some of you saw the footage also. A tremendous fire was raging on a high rise building and fireman were on tall extension ladders trying to rescue a man from near the top of the burning building. A woman was watching and recording the incident on her cell phone and repeatedly screaming “Oh, my God!” That’s all she was saying, and it got her an interview with the network. It was sickening. The man was successfully rescued from the burning building before it collapsed but no thanks to this lady! Using this language is a sign of the times and reveals just how far we, as a people, have erred in lack of respect for our Creator. Oftentimes, even Christians express themselves in just such a way, not understanding that they are using God’s name in vain. When God gave the 10 Commandments to the children of Israel, the first 4 went like this (Exodus 20:3–7 NKJV): (1) “You shall have no other gods before Me.” (2) “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under …

By: David Myers Have you ever been amazed by the conversion of someone you thought was beyond conversion, beyond God’s power to save? This reminds me of the time when Jesus healed a paralytic man and the people who witnessed the event were amazed. He also proved to the scribes that He had the power and authority to forgive the man’s sins as well (Mark 2:1–12). A reading of the Gospel of Mark reveals over a dozen times people reacting in a similar way to the words and miracles of Jesus. The word translated as “amazed” in Mark 2:12 means “to be astonished” and “carries the idea of being thrown into a state of surprise or fear or both01” (David McCasland). This same word is used in Mark 6:45–46 when the disciples saw someone walking on the water towards them and at first, they thought the Lord was a ghost. Verse 51 says, “Then He went up into the boat to them and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure and marveled” (NKJV). There is another example of this type of amazement when the people of the country of the Gadarenes saw a man delivered from a legion of demons by Jesus, and Mark 5:20 says, “and all marveled.” Why? Did they think the man was beyond God’s power to save? Do we feel the same way when God saves certain people? God is not bound by our limitations or expectations. He speaks and acts …

By: Kevin L. Moore From earliest times, the Jews gave attention to the public reading of God’s Word (Exodus 24:1-7; Joshua 8:30-35; Nehemiah 8:1–9; etc.). In the first century A.D., public reading was a regular part of synagogue gatherings (Acts 13:15, 27; 15:21). Jesus customarily attended synagogue meetings and participated in the communal reading and exposition of the sacred writings (Luke 4:16–22). The prevalence of illiteracy in the first-century Mediterranean world made public reading indispensable. In the earliest New Testament document, James charged his audience to be doers of the implanted word and not just “hearers” (James 1:21-25). At the end of the New Testament, the apostle John pronounced a blessing on “the one reading and those hearing the words of the prophecy, and keeping the things having been written in it…” (Revelation 1:3, author’s own translation). Paul commended the Holy Scriptures to Timothy, charging him to “preach the word” (2 Timothy 3:16–4:2) and “to give attention to the public reading” (1 Timothy 4:13). At that time, in addition to the Old Testament, the writings of Luke were already regarded as “scripture” (1 Timothy 5:18), and within a comparable timeframe so were Paul’s epistles (2 Peter 3:15–16). In the apostle’s earliest writing, the directive was given, “I solemnly charge you in the Lord, that this letter be read to all the brethren” (1 Thessalonians 5:27). Paul intended for his writings to be circulated rather than to be kept isolated in their respective localities; “and when this letter shall be read …

By: Kerry Duke The amount of alcohol consumed in this country is staggering. Americans spend over 200 billion dollars a year on alcoholic drinks! We can hardly go to a grocery store without seeing someone load down a shopping cart with beer. Drinking is a national pastime, and money is only a small part of the price our country pays for it. Solomon said, “Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a brawler, And whoever is led astray by it is not wise” (Proverbs 20:1 NKJV). After all the misery alcohol has brought upon the world for thousands of years, man still has not learned this lesson. Millions continue to pour it into their bodies at every opportunity, ignoring another warning of the wise man, “Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine” (Proverbs 23:29–30). What good is this product, except perhaps for medicine? Back in the days of prohibition, a speaker who was opposed to the use of alcohol was addressing a large crowd. He said, “If any man here can name an honest business that has been helped by whisky, I will spend the rest of my life working the liquor crowd.” A man in the audience spoke up and said, “I consider my business honest, and it has been helped by whisky.” “What is your business,” the speaker …

By: Sunny David Christ Jesus came into the world that the world through Him might be saved, that a door of salvation might be opened for all and whoever would might enter in by it. The golden text of the Bible is, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 NKJV). The next verse reads, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” This is the good news to a convinced conscience, that Christ, our Judge, came not to condemn but to save. God not only sent Him into the world, but He gave Him up to suffer and die for us, as the great propitiation or expiatory sacrifice. No man could have died for all men to be the propitiation for the sins of the world or humanity. Only God Himself, in the form of man, could have done it (John 1:1, 14). “In this the love of God was manifested toward us,” says the Bible, “that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:9–10). The gift of God’s only begotten Son was the highest possible manifestation of love, …

By: Aaron Cozort “While it remained, was it not your own?” Underpinning Peter’s declaration to Ananias in Acts 5:4 is a significant truth. God has placed into each person’s hand (or life) something over which he or she is a steward. For one person, it might be possessions, while for another it might be time or abilities, and for another, children. What remains true across the board is the reality that we are all stewards. Every person should recognize stewardship as fundamental to God’s expectations for our lives. Jesus spoke of stewardship in Luke 12. Verses 42–44 read, “…Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has” (NKJV). Jesus spoke those words to Peter after delivering a parable about the coming of the Lord and declaring, “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Luke 12:40). Everything in creation and even the very breath in our bodies belongs to God. All of the particles of the universe down to the lowest level belong to God. They are His creation. Hebrews 1:1–3 reads, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, …

By: B.J. Clarke It is ironic to consider that Jesus required more than the legalistic Pharisees, and yet, His way was easier. How could this be? The Pharisees required the performance of certain things without considering whether those external actions were motivated by hearts given over to God. They were more concerned with external actions than they were with the inner attitude of the heart. Jesus required more than external actions. He required that these external actions be motivated by changed hearts. Paradoxically, this requires more but is easier. It is not an oppressive and burdensome thing. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments and His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). Why are His commandments not burdensome? Because we obey them in love. A song from a few years ago entitled, “He Ain’t Heavy; He’s My Brother,” comes near to expressing the thought. I’ve got to carry my fallen brother, but it doesn’t seem like such a burden because of the relationship we have. If I were given the choice of carrying around a 10-pound sack of potatoes or my 30-pound grandson through an amusement park for 6 hours, I would surely choose my grandson. Although he is heavier and demands more care and attention, he seems lighter because of my love and affection for him. When we serve Christ out of a sense of legalistic duty, we torment our consciences. However, when we serve Him out of a “faith that worketh by …

By: Howard Johnson Do you believe in a God who can save your soul? Are you willing to believe that He gives us a pattern or a path that is complete? Can we trust God’s Word? There are some today who suggest that we can no longer fully trust the Bible as inspired and that it is not suitable for the growth of the church. They further state that its doctrine is archaic and out of touch with the maturing/evolving body of Christ. Listen to this statement from many years ago. “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls”(Jeremiah 6:16 NKJV). Jehovah God spoke to those of a rebellious Jerusalem through His prophet Jeremiah saying they must keep to the old path or pattern in order to have rest for their souls. God never changes. You must believe that. He is the same God today that was the Lord of Adam, Abraham and David. God, through the voice of His prophets, has resounded over and over again that He is the way to eternal life. Jesus came to earth to live the pattern (John 1:1, 14; 14:6–7) and to pass on to His disciples the way to Heaven. There is a pattern of doctrine that is able to free us from sin. Consider further, “But God be thanked that though you were slaves to sin, yet you obeyed from …

By: Gary Hampton True worship stirs emotions. A song may touch our heart, resulting in tears of joy. A prayer may bring forth praise and thanksgiving. A Bible reading or a sermon may yield sorrow over sin and a desire to be cleansed. Isaiah demonstrated the power of his worship experience in feeling awe in the presence of God (Isaiah 6:1–4). Remember, “The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him” (Habakkuk 2:20 NKJV). One of Israel’s singers declared, “O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!” (Psalm 8:1). Immediately after Isaiah saw the glory of God, he exclaimed, “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5). His sinfulness was magnified by God’s purity, to which he referred when he described the Almighty as “the Holy One of Israel” 29 times, as opposed to 6 times in the rest of the Bible. David’s response to his sin is expressed in Psalm 51:1–4. Isaiah felt the release for forgiveness of his sins (Isaiah 6:6–7). The Ethiopian nobleman went on his way rejoicing after he found forgiveness in the waters of baptism (Acts 8:39). The Philippian jailor felt a similar joy after he and his household were baptized (Acts 16:33–34). The …

By: Jody Apple “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments” (KJV). This magnificent verse contains within it three vital principles that we need to apply to our lives every day. When we begin to use them in our daily affairs, we will be that much closer to living a Christ-like life. First, we must prepare our hearts to seek the law of the Lord. It is easy to realize that in order to be a doctor or a lawyer a person needs to go through extensive preparation. Years of study and dedication must pass in order to reach the goal. Why, then, do we as Christians so often fail to prepare spiritually for the Lord’s service? Is it because we do not believe it to be important enough? Surely, if we are willing to spend thirty years to buy a house, four or five years to buy a car and several months or even a few years to buy furniture for our homes, we would be willing to spend time in preparation of heart and mind to learn the Word of the Lord. We all have Bibles to study. Within them we have the law of the Lord. Let us all begin to seek it more diligently. Second, we must begin to do the things that God wants us to do. It is not enough to know when something needs to be …

By: Ernest S. Underwood Text: Luke 23:33–49Subject: ChristologyProposition: To examine the words “There They Crucified Him” as found in the text.Objective: To bring the hearer to the actual realization of the events at Calvary.Introduction:

By: Tony Clay Most spiritual decline does not begin with a public failure. It begins quietly. A person does not usually wake up one morning and decide to become hard, worldly, dishonest or distant from God. The change starts earlier and deeper. It starts in the heart. That is why Hebrews 3:12 gives a serious warning: “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God” (ESV). Notice the order. The writer does not say the fall begins first in conduct. He says it begins in the heart. Before the feet go elsewhere, the heart has already moved. This matters because many of us judge ourselves mainly by visible things. We ask whether we attended, served, gave or avoided obvious sins. Those things matter. Scripture, though, keeps pressing deeper. God is concerned not only with what we did but with what is happening inside us while we do it. A heart can drift while a routine stays intact. A person can still show up to worship and slowly lose tenderness toward God. A Christian can still say the right things and begin to feed private resentment, pride, envy or unbelief. Someone can still look steady while becoming less teachable, less grateful, less honest in prayer and less eager to obey. That is why the warning in Hebrews is so important. We are told to “take care.” That means pay attention. Do not assume the heart stays healthy …

By: Therman Hodge (Genesis 18:23-33) Introduction: