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

“I’m following the leader, the leader, the leader; I’m following the leader, the leader of the band!” As young children, most of you probably ran around chanting that song, either following someone or pretending to follow someone. It was an enjoyable thing to do as we were expressing happiness at following the one who was leading the procession. In a word, we were copycats as we tried to do what the leader was doing! What happiness that could turn out to be for us as we follow our leader, Jesus Christ! In fact, Christ invited us to follow Him as He said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24 NKJV). Yet, He didn’t stop there. He went on to say, “Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (v. 25). Indeed, we must decide whether we want to follow our own “pernicious ways” (KJV) or “destructive ways” (NKJV) (2 Peter 2:2) and lose our souls or follow Christ, keep His commandments and gain eternal life. To me, that doesn’t sound like a difficult decision, but there are many who choose to ignore Jesus Christ and His promise of eternal life and opt out to do their own “thing.” Let’s look at a few of the things the Holy Scriptures teach that the faithful must follow. The apostle Paul told the Thessalonian brethren “always pursue

“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV). From this, we quickly understand that one must guard his heart from evil because the Wise Man said that if one thinks about evil, he will be evil. One can’t be consumed with evil within and not have it come to the surface and affect his life and the lives of others. In his teaching on love, the apostle Paul instructed brethren that when one loves the way he ought to love, he “thinks no evil” (1 Corinthians 13:5). The love and respect that one has for God and for others will cause him to keep not just his actions but also his thoughts pure. In keeping with this thought, David asked God for help as he said, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14). When we think godly thoughts and strive to live godly lives, there will be no room for the bad thoughts and actions that Satan uses to lure those who will follow him. God won’t leave us to our own devices in this matter of what we think, say and do. He will always be there for us if we put Him first in our lives. Just look at what he told Jeremiah. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future

At some time, probably all of us have had someone say something to the effect that they don’t understand the Bible or parts of it. Sometimes, that lack of understanding is valid if a person does not have a background in Bible knowledge or does not have a history of having studied the Bible. There is really no excuse for the lack of understanding, for God didn’t give His followers rules and guidelines to know and follow that were too difficult to comprehend. If that were the case, all of us would be worshipping Him in vain. It is God’s will that we understand His message, for we read in 1 Timothy 1:4 that God “…desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (NKJV). God loves those things and beings He created as stated in Genesis 1:31, which records, “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” He was proud of His creation and planned for all of men’s needs to be met by the things He provided for them. We know the account in Genesis 3 where Eve listened to “the serpent” – the Devil – and partook of the forbidden fruit and then shared it with Adam. The serpent even sort of warned Eve as he tempted her when he said, “…You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat

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),

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

I’ve been a Christian for 54 years. I met Alice when I was a university student, and I began going to daily campus devotionals with her and attended worship and Bible study classes with her, too. As a result, I was converted. I grew up in a very active religious family that was of the Pentecostal faith. My folks were good people and lived good, clean lives. They were hardworking dairy farmers who were the kind of neighbors we would all love to have. I loved them dearly, but they wouldn’t listen to what the Bible said! They could read and understand, but they just wouldn’t change and practice religion the way God said. Since I became a Christian, I’ve seen many types of religious materials on how to convert more folks to Christ, and some of these are good. I just always remember the saying my five uncles who served in WW2 said many times: “Never sign anything while the band is playing.” Perhaps they had learned that the enthusiasm of the moment might not be the time to make a decision. There is a lot to be said for not allowing ourselves as Christians to be overcome by emotionalism or enthusiasm that is sometimes conveyed by some of these written materials that are available. “Mission statements” come and go. There is only one mission statement for Christians, and it comes from God’s Word. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father

One can’t help but notice that we are in the very midst of an awakening. Although we had a very mild winter, nature had her winter rest and sleep, and now, “the hills are alive with the sound of music” (Hammerstein). It’s always fascinating to see how quickly the earth comes forth from dormancy. One day there’s a tiny blade of grass here and there, and then, a few buds on some trees, etc. Alice is a flower gardener, and we see spring happen quickly at our house because some things spring forth, then others and then others. Every bit of it comes forth with energy, ready for the growing season. God made this promise in Genesis 8:22, “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease” (NKJV). God arranged the order of the earth, He will always be in charge of it, and it will function at His will. Be thankful to Him for the beauty that now surrounds us. The awakening that is more important is that of our souls coming to life for the glory of the Lord. Christians must not feel the need for Christian work only at this time of year, but they should feel the urgency of being about the Lord’s business with all our beings every day with which we are blessed. Too often, we seem to go into a deep sleep and can’t wake up. It’s just easier to stay relaxed

“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21 NKJV). Faithful Christians must always try to walk in the steps of Jesus, but no one will ever fully succeed. The reason is that Jesus is perfect. Just look at verse 22 that follows the above Scripture. “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth.” Hebrews 4:15 says of Jesus that He was “…tempted as we are, yet without sin.” No matter how hard we try to please God, we, though Christians, will still sin. God knew that before He created us, and that is why He provided a Savior for us. Yet, that doesn’t diminish our need to live the way God has told us to live. Not only did He give us a pattern to follow in the steps of His perfect Son, but He gave us the most beautiful book ever written, the Bible! Because of that book, we cannot plead ignorance in knowing what God expects of us. We cannot say that we weren’t given an opportunity to walk in the steps of Jesus. When I was a child and when we were blessed with snow, whenever an adult walked through the snow in front of me, I tried my best to walk in his footprints. Many of us have done that. We didn’t do that because we despised the snow, because we loved playing in the snow,

Many of us “old timers” grew up with a saying of “waste not, want not.” We were taught that if we took care of our resources (even though they might have been meager), we would always have enough to get by. As youngsters, we didn’t have all the available and easy-to-get merchandise that is available today. Nowadays, we may waste more in just a few days than we may have had during a whole month in days gone by. Times are different. The feeling of prosperity and plenty has caused us to not be nearly as careful to protect our means as we were a few years ago. We sorely need to remember and apply the “waste not, want not” mentality. From the beginning, God gave man work to do to keep him busy and to protect his God-given livelihood. “Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it” (Genesis 2:15 NKJV). Had Adam not kept (that is cared for) the Garden and what it was to produce to provide life, he would not have had the means of survival that God had planned for him. God did not create a mass of disarray for “…God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good…” (Genesis 1:31). All of God’s creation was made for a purpose and was orderly and productive. He intended for mankind to take care of it, and that still applies today. We

Recently, Alice and I saw a sign that said, “Life Rules,” and the rules were named in this order: “Take chances, follow your dreams, risk it all, fall in love, believe in yourself, ask questions, let go, make mistakes, start over, speak the truth, take responsibility, find happiness, live for today.” I’ll agree that some of these are very good rules for daily living if being done for the right reason. Follow your dreams! There’s an old saying, “When one dreams dreams, some of them are bound to come true.” If people before us hadn’t had a vision for the future, many of the comforts and even necessities would not be available to us today. The same is true for those to follow after us. Those dreams cause us to believe in ourselves. If we didn’t dream and believe in ourselves to accomplish those dreams, we would tread water, getting nowhere in life. And ask questions! We’ve all had small children at our feet, asking questions faster than we could answer them. Don’t take someone’s word just because they said it; delve into the truth of the matter and see what makes things “tick.” The next life rule was to let go! This is something that must be taken with the outlook that letting go could be detrimental, not only to ourselves but to those around us. Are we sure we want this to happen? We must always maintain some control over our feelings, attitudes and words. We all have and will continue to

When we start out on an unfamiliar road trip, we must have a map or some kind of directions to know where we are heading. Otherwise, we could get lost or end up in unfamiliar territory where roads are closed or other issues with which to deal. Most of us don’t want to end up in a lost condition when we can get some direction or instruction to keep us from getting lost. Years ago, when Alice’s paternal grandmother passed away in Mississippi, we made our way there for the funeral. Usually, it’s hard for me to get lost. However, I met my match on that trip as I was unfamiliar with the roads we were traveling in the dark, and we ran into heavy road construction. We wandered aimlessly until we could get direction from others on how to get to our destination. We needed guidance to go the right way. Just so, we need guidance on how to go the right way to reach the goal of Heaven. We can’t live on earth and take part in its sinful activities and expect to receive God’s blessings. Therefore, we must have a road map to teach us the right way. God didn’t leave man guessing what he must do; He provided the Bible, which is the Christian’s road map to Heaven. First, we must understand that to go in the right direction, we must admit that we are going in the wrong direction. There is Someone Who has all

Moses was given God’s law on Mount Sinai, and that law included what we commonly refer to as the Ten Commandments. In Exodus 20:1-17, we read, “And God spoke all these words, saying:” Thousands of years ago, God gave these commandments to Moses. The wondrous thing is that, even though we are no longer under the Law, all but one of these commandments is still given for God’s people today! Let’s examine that thought. Sometimes we say that the Old Law was given to those folks a long time ago. True, it was but the teachings of the Old Law still apply in almost everything that we do today. Thank God for His continuing laws of goodness! [Editorial Note: The New Testament replaced all of the Old Testament, including the original Ten Commandments (2 Corinthians 7:7-13; Romans 7:6; Ephesians 2:15; Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 8:8-13). However, essentially, nine of the Ten Commandments have been given again in the New Testament; we follow them, not because they were in the Old Testament – which is no longer authoritative – but because they are in the New Testament. ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]

The holiday season is in full swing! This time of year brings some happy times, and it brings some sad times. The sadness comes from seeing how the season has been so commercialized and how businesses capitalize on ways to take your dollars away from you. During the season, there is also so much conflict between secularism and religious matters. This week, I saw a cartoon with Santa Claus with his sleigh, gifts and reindeer along with a new-born Jesus in a manger with the supposed scenery of his birthplace. The two just don’t seem to go together. Nowhere in the Bible is mention made of the exact date that Jesus was born, and history cannot confirm the precise time. Men have chosen the day to celebrate as our Saviour’s birth date. The Bible does give us the beautiful story of Jesus’ humble birth, and if the date had been important, it would have been provided. The Bible means what it says and says what it means, and we are told in 2 Peter 1:2-3, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” (NKJV). All things that we need to know have been provided for our learning, and the birth date of Jesus was not one of those things. Don’t get me wrong!

A characteristic of a real hero is that he or she blossoms when things get bad. Just when it seems there might be no hope of correcting or living through a bad situation, a true hero comes to the front and tackles the situation. In other words, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” We probably don’t see this played out any better than in our extreme military situations. Soldiers will risk (and often sacrifice) their lives to do whatever it takes to save a fellow soldier or others who are in danger of hurt or death. They stand up for each other. Another instance of the bravado of others is when their children are in danger. Just about any of us would give our lives to save the lives of our children. We stand up for those we love. An amazing story is that of Abraham to whom God gave a son in his old age. Abraham had lived 100 years without being blessed with a son who would be his seed through Sarah. We know that Abraham loved Isaac greatly after waiting all those years for his arrival. God spoke to Abraham about this and told him, “…Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you” (Genesis 22:2 NKJV). Abraham went about to obediently do as God instructed

It’s that time of year again! November 4th is voting day and time for each one of us to have the opportunity to speak our minds on candidates and issues. For the first time ever, on the ballot there will be a spot to mark your X as to whether you want the sale of alcoholic beverages to become legal in the whole state. If you take the local newspaper, you’ve seen quite a bit about this matter from both sides of the issue. Perhaps you’ve already made up your mind how you are going to vote. Alice and I chose to vote early, and so our ballots are cast. We’ve all heard the pros and cons of how making the state “wet” will either hurt or help our county. Most folks who have voiced their opinion either way have made it sound good for their side. You know, when it comes down to it, it really does not matter which way we feel about this issue. What matters is how God feels about it. Let’s look at His Word to see how He feels. Early in the book of Genesis, we already see God having to deal with men’s desire for strong drink. Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

Sometimes the word “work” seems like a “dirty word” to us. Although some of you won’t be old enough to remember it, there was an old TV show in which the character of Maynard B. Kreps considered “work” to be a bad thing; every time the word was mentioned, he went ballistic! Hopefully, none of us is that bad about work, but some of us do object to certain types and amounts of work. A good biblical example of what good old elbow grease [figurative expression for hard work] can accomplish is found in the Book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah was a Jew and waited on the king of Persia as his cupbearer, which was a position of means. When Nehemiah heard of the distress of his people in Jerusalem, he couldn’t conceal his sadness but admitted that he “had never been sad in his presence before” (Nehemiah 2:1 NKJV). The king asked him what was wrong, and he answered, “Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire?” (v. 3). Not only did the king grant permission for Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem to repair the city, but he gave Nehemiah letters to neighboring peoples to give him safe passage on his way to Jerusalem. Nehemiah also asked for the king to give him a letter to the keeper of the king’s forest that he might be able to get timbers from the forest to help

In simple terms, our courts of law consist of two sides. The prosecutor’s job is to prove to the jurors beyond a doubt that the accused is guilty of whatever he is accused. The other side is the defense attorney, whose job is to convince the jurors that the accused person is innocent of the accusation. If the accused has committed a heinous crime, we certainly want a prosecutor who will dedicate himself to the work at hand and come up with a conviction to keep the accused incarcerated or punished by death, if that is the case. We surely don’t want that person to be turned loose to go back to his old ways. Sometimes, rehabilitation is a great way of making productive citizens out of those convicted, but sometimes, not so much. On the other hand, if someone is accused of a crime that he didn’t commit, he wants the best defense attorney available. Oftentimes, people go to great lengths to hire someone who comes with a big price tag, hoping that the well-known defense attorney will live up to his established reputation of being successful at his job. People will go to great lengths to gain freedom from what they are accused, even if guilty. I couldn’t help but think of the fact that people worldwide have the best of both of these beings. Every one of us has a prosecutor because every one of us has “sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans

According to Young’s Analytical Concordance, the word “ungodly” only appears in the Holy Scriptures 26 times. This is a very harsh word with such definitions as “worthless, without value, perverse, wrong, wicked, irreverent.” These are all words with bad definitions, and we can easily get the picture that ungodliness is evil and, therefore, something undesirable. To be ungodly is to be without God! In short, the Epistle of Jude uses the word “ungodly” six times. This small epistle is a warning against false teachers. It applied to those false teachers of the time it was written and still applies in today’s Christian teachings. Jude didn’t mince words as he spoke of “ungodly men who turn the grace of God into lustfulness and deny… God and our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 4). He cut right to the heart of the matter. To deny is to reject. These people rejected (that is, despised) God! Paul had something to say about this very matter. “…to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work” (Titus 1:15-16). It is such a sad commentary to know that there are those today who still say they are true believers of God but in their works, they deny His very existence. In verse 15, in speaking of old prophecies, Jude truly was inspired as he spoke of the return of our

Back when I was teaching school, a new school building was built, but there were no sidewalks yet to take students and others from one building to another. I remember someone questioning the superintendent, Al Whitten, about the lack of sidewalks on which to get around. I distinctly remember Mr. Whitten’s reply. He said, “When you see where students are going to walk, you build sidewalks.” Whoever would have thought about letting the students determine where the sidewalks were going to be! To me, that was a good bit of wisdom and insight. Every one of us has been where there were sidewalks on which to walk, but people created their own walkway, which was usually the quickest and shortest way to get to their desired destination. Those walkways were usually bare because the grass was trampled so much. When God created the earth and all that is in it, “He saw every thing that He had made and, behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). God created only good, but He did have one exhortation for Adam and Eve as he said, “You shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die” (v. 17). God’s walking plan was perfect and simple. He had one rule, and He expected Adam and Eve to stay on the sidewalk. However, that old serpent, the devil, knew how to tempt Adam and Eve to get them to sin, and

What do folks today care about? We know that we all care about our families, and that’s as it should be. After all, they are the ones who come from the same blood line and were begotten with the same flesh. Biologically, the familial genes and chromosomes are the same. It’s something we don’t have a choice about, but we care anyway. Many care about the world situation and our nation in particular. Again, that’s as it should be, because our nation was paid for at a great price, and we need to guard and to protect it to maintain the freedoms that we enjoy here. Our military personnel go to great lengths to do what is necessary to protect and to preserve our free nation, and may it ever remain so! Most people care about their homes, jobs, friends, sports, clothing, good times, etc. These things, too, are all good if we don’t let them push eternal things out of our vision. Jesus addressed this very issue as we read in Luke 11:42-43, “Woe unto you, Pharisees! You tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought you to have done and not leave the other undone. Woe unto you for you love the uppermost seats in the synagogues and greetings in the markets.” Jesus condemned what the Pharisees were doing because they were leaving things undone that should have come before their tithing and because they were desiring praise

So often, something will happen, and someone will exclaim, “Did you see that?” It may have been something extraordinary and could have been important, but someone may have been concentrating on something else or some other kind of distraction may have captured one’s attention. While one of the people saw it as something very exciting, dangerous or unusual, at the same time, the other party didn’t see it at all. We’ve all seen blinders on horse’s eyes to keep them looking straight ahead so that they won’t be startled at some unusual or strange sound or something they see off to the side. Those things become distractions and cause them to hinder their ability to keep going straight forward. People are like that too. Even Christians may need blinders to keep them from reacting to distractions along the way. Those things can cause us to lose sight of our destination of Heaven. When we react to and give in to sin, we lose our concentration on the heavenly goal. Jesus spoke of this very thing in Luke 9:62, where He said, “No man, having put his hand to the plough and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” We must set our eyes on the heavenly goal and not keep looking back, whereby we are tempted to participate in all those old sins we gave up to become followers of Christ. So, what kinds of blinders do Christians need to keep them on the straight and narrow path?

Due to the widening of a local road into five lanes of traffic, we see a great deal of road construction when we leave our house, no matter whether we go north or south. Needless to say, we will be glad when the road construction is completed, but then, we dread the noise and speed at which some of the traffic will go; we live only about half a mile away. However, for now, let’s talk about some of the road construction signs. Of course, with new construction, we will nearly always see a sign that reads “Warning, Road Construction for next so many miles.” That’s just the way life is. Likewise, we must heed the warnings from God’s Word because our lives are under construction for however many years we will be granted. God created man with a purpose in mind for He said, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28 NKJV). God told the first man how to construct his life and also gave him the commandment not to eat of “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). From the beginning, man could not follow directions that were simple and easy. Adam’s sin in the Garden brought death to all after him

This past week, I heard someone on TV make this statement: “There is no God. What happens to us, just happens to us.” These are probably among the saddest words I have ever heard come out of someone’s mouth. It’s so pitiful to think that anyone could ever believe such a thing, much less to broadcast the fact of their pitiful condition. You see, it is pitiful to think that someone could feel that way and deny God’s existence and any hope of eternal salvation they may have had. By saying, “What happens to us, just happens to us,” leads me to believe this man thinks the world just came to exist from nothing, all on its own. It seems to me that anyone with any common sense can’t possibly believe that the heavens, this beautiful earth and all that dwells therein just came out of nowhere. To me, that is a preposterous concept. If one believes that life “just happens to us,” that person is in a sad condition, not only in this present world but respecting the one to come after the Judgment. I wonder whether that person believes he could stand on a railroad track with a train bearing down on him and he couldn’t do anything about it. If one just stands there, he is going to die. Somehow, I can’t imagine that scenario as I believe that person will do his best to remove himself from harm’s way if he has any mind about him.

Things get used up and worn out. Our clothes get old and sometimes have holes, tears, etc. for which they must be thrown away; they are no longer fit to be worn. Food that is stored has a shelf life on it, and sometimes the food gets old enough that the taste makes one sick and that food must be discarded. Tools get broken and used up, and what was once a valuable tool asset is no longer worth anything. As Alice and I made a trip this week, we noticed several houses that were falling down; some appeared to be maybe 100 or more years old. They wore out and fell in, and they were no longer of any use. More than all these material things, our own bodies wear out. When we’re young, that lifetime before us seems to be forever, but before we know it, we’re getting old and wearing out. That happens more quickly than we ever want to think! Job said, “You shall come to the grave at a full age, As a sheaf of grain ripens in its season” (5:26 NKJV). Just as the corn and other grains of the field come of age and must be harvested or die, so it shall be with man. Some don’t get to make it to a ripe age, but whenever one dies, he has lived to his allotted time, so that is his season. All of God’s earthly creation will come to an end. We know

“I don’t need to apologize. I did nothing wrong!” Not only have I thought these words myself, but I have heard other Christians express these same sentiments. Could not such thoughts lead us to feel justified in waiting for the other person to make the first move? What happens when each person perceives “I’m right,” and so both sides wait on the other to take the first step toward reconciliation? Claiming “I’m innocent!” can place us in a passive mode toward mending broken relationships. However, a long hard look at the cross lands us firmly on another and better path. God was certainly innocent. We were the ones who broke the relationship by sinning, and, yet, it was God Who took the first step toward healing our relationship. Furthermore, although He was entirely without guilt, Jesus bore the penalty for our sin by suffering a humiliating death upon the cross. God made the first move. God placed greater value upon restoring our relationship with Him than avoiding suffering an injustice, and, so, Jesus died for us. In a world of court litigation and demanding justice, Paul’s challenge to Christians remains stark, but born out of a Godly concern for relationships. He said, “Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?” (1 Corinthians 6:7 NKJV). To walk in this path requires placing a restored healthy

Joshua called upon the people to “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”  (Joshua 24:15 NKJV). The people said they would not forsake the Lord and serve other gods, but Joshua further warned them, “If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good” (vs. 20). As then, even today, we have to choose whom we will serve in all things religious. We must decide if we will do things according to God’s instructions or if we will choose to be like the world and do it the way we want to and not the way God said. Everyone who knows the Word of God understands the importance of putting God first always. In Moses’ later years, God sent him to deliver the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage. Moses didn’t go willingly at first. In Exodus chapters 3-4, Moses made several excuses for his unwillingness to choose God: (1) “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11). (2) “…when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent

We all know the account in Exodus 14 where Pharaoh had finally let the children of Israel go out of their captivity. Then, though, he had a change of heart and had his army pursue the Israelites. Needless to say, the Israelites were scared beyond belief when they saw the army of Pharaoh approaching, and they cried out to Moses, “It had been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness” (Exodus 14:12). They were wishing they were still Pharaoh’s servants! Moses told them, “Don’t be afraid. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord…the Lord will fight for you.” They were fleeing from the Egyptian army right behind them, and they were on the bank of the Red Sea, so they couldn’t go forward. Moses told them to “stand still”! Then, God told Moses to let them go forward and He divided the Red Sea so they could pass through it on dry ground. We know that Pharaoh’s army was destroyed by God in the sea. Yet, can you imagine telling these distraught people who were fleeing for their lives to “stand still”! Just wait on God! We all get caught up in the process of daily living, and it’s easy to be distracted from what is important. There are so many things going on around us and many of them involve us. We have to make time for God. Of all the characters in the Bible, I believe that David was the

The early church made its way in a social world that parallels life today in many ways—an era of widespread confusion, unrest and decay. Rome imposed its military will over an empire including widely different peoples. Political and social privilege was granted only to a small minority. The religious scene was one of chaos and decay. Life went on amid the debris of old regional religions, superstition and the hollow practices of the state-supported emperor cult. New religions from the East with secret rituals attracted some and offered escape from the rigors of daily life. Competing beliefs and practices jarred and clashed. Paganism, which would take a long time dying, was entering its last stages. In this environment, sexual perversion, infanticide and brutal forms of entertainment cheapened the value of human life. Men and women found themselves living meaningless lives, powerless victims of forces beyond their understanding or control. For many, life was marked with a deep sense of despair and helplessness. It was into this confused setting that Christianity appeared and under these harsh conditions that Christianity spread throughout the ancient world. Christianity was neither a set of magical rites nor an assortment of private beliefs. Christianity was a fundamentally new understanding of all reality—God, the universe and human existence. Unlike the religions in which morality did not play a major role, Christianity was a new way of life. Early Christianity spread not only because of the convincing nature of the message but also because of the compelling power

When we want to accomplish something, we must set our mind’s eye on the desired end we want to see; we must fix our eyes on our goal. This begins at an early age in our lives. Babies in arms see people walking around them upright, and they want to accomplish that goal. It may take some falls, bruises, aches and pains, but the goal is normally accomplished. This repetition occurs throughout our lives as we set our eyes on the goals we want to accomplish. There are even literal “goals” that people have mastered. For instance, the Harlem Globetrotters are probably the most well-known ever for mastering the art of putting a basketball through the goal. They can make the goal from long distances, from strange positions and with seemingly little effort. They practice a lot, but the main thing they had to do to succeed at the game was to keep their mind’s eye on the goal. Some of them could make the goal from a backward stance. How? Because they knew exactly where the goal was in relation to where they were on the court, and they concentrated on that fact. At this writing, I am scheduled to see a neurosurgeon about my back problems and a possible aneurysm on the aorta that have caused me to cease a lot of my activities. When I see that doctor, I don’t expect him to pick up a scalpel and start carving on my body to try to find the problem. I expect

…A certain man made a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, “Come for all things are now ready.” But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, “I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.” Another said, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go test them. I ask you to have me excused.” Still another said, “I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.” (Luke 14:16-20) Excuses! At some time, every one of us has been guilty of making an excuse. It’s human nature. According to the dictionary, an excuse is “a real or pretended reason or explanation given to make one free from blame or punishment; to seek exemption or release for; to overlook or let off with only disapproval, etc.” The list goes on, but we all get the meaning of the word. We want to be freed from whatever commitment we may have made that we don’t want or intend to keep. We wish for that to be done without having to dread any repercussion. Sometimes we offer excuses when they are not in our own best interest. Alice and I have often mentioned this when thinking of our sister Reba Moore when she was told in the doctor’s office that she had to go immediately to the hospital

In listening to the news this week, part of the time it all seemed like “doom and gloom.” There were stories of murder, corruption and mayhem. One story that particularly struck me was about a man driving off the street and down the sidewalk, intentionally running over people. He gunned his vehicle and headed straight at his victims, killing one person and injuring eleven others. There seemed to be no connection to him or any of the people who were his victims. When the newsman was preparing to show the clip of the tragedy, he cautioned that people watch with care because of the horror of viewing it. I believe that some of those folks, particularly the adults, had plans not only for things they were planning to do during the rest of their day, but they also had plans for what they wanted to do tomorrow. Yet, because of this man’s actions, plans went awry, and one life was cut short. The Wise Man said, “Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1 NKJV). What a truism that is! An old saying that we’ve all heard is that “the best laid plans of man often go awry.” We all make plans and look ahead to what we need or want to do with our time tomorrow, and there’s nothing wrong with that. James handled it this way: “Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is

In our cupboards or pantries are items that state “pure” on them. For instance, vanilla flavoring is “pure,” and the only ingredient listed for sugar is “sugar,” so it is pure. We all know that means there have been no changes to the original product—no additives such as preservatives or coloring. The product is what it says it is; it is 100% pure and free of alterations. This is always good for people with allergies to know because some additives stir up allergies when ingested. However, most of us don’t have to fret over such a thing as purity, that is, until it comes to our spiritual well-being. In that light, any changes, alterations or additives become a thorn to our spiritual lives. Christians must guard against foreign matters of any sort that will separate them from God’s favor. From the beginning, God’s people were to remain pure and free from inter-marriages with other people. He said in Leviticus 20:24, “I am the Lord your God Who has separated you from other people.” Why did God do such a thing? Listen to why: “Neither shall you make marriages with them…for they will turn away your sons from following Me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you and destroy you suddenly.” God demanded purity in order to keep the people true in service to Him, for their own good, too. God still expects that of Christians today. “Come out from among

Remember the old saying that “you can complain about the weather, but you can’t do anything about it”? This is an example that one of the dictionaries in our office used, and I quote: “The general word ‘complain’ means to express discontent with something; an example is that ‘he is always complaining about the weather.’” No complaint will “fix” the weather. Sure, every one of us at some time has complained of being too hot or too cold, too wet or too dry, but that doesn’t change a thing. God had a reason for all seasons of the year. Listen to what the “preacher” wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, that to every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven: a time to be born, to die; to plant, to pluck up; to kill, to heal; to break down, to build up; to weep, to laugh; to mourn, to dance; cast away stones and to gather stones; to embrace and to refrain from embracing; to get, to lose; to keep, to cast away; to rend, to sew; to be silent, to speak; to love, to hate; a time of war and a time of peace. I believe that almost every emotion and feeling that humans can experience are included in some form in this. That’s the human side of life! Perhaps many of us have felt like the psalmist when he said in Psalm 77:1-3, “I cried to God and He gave ear to me.

All of us are interested in learning more about our heritage. Who were our ancestors? What kinds of things did our ancestors pass on to us? Do we look like some of them? Perhaps some still own family lands from generations ago. I am a genealogy buff. I love learning more about my ancestors. Not only have I researched my background, but I have explored Alice’s also. I have several notebooks of family history for both of us. I’ve traced my family back to where family on my mother’s side left England on the good ship Francis to come to America, approximately in the year 1634. I’m the 12th generation from there. The traveling manifesto even states that a young girl who was not a family member came to this country with them. There is no indication who she was. I’ve often thought maybe she was a household servant, but who knows? My interest in genealogy has been so strong that when our grandchildren were small and we were out driving, when we’d come to a cemetery, they’d say, “Pa-pa, we are not going to go there are we?” We’ve walked through lots of cemeteries and looked and taken pictures of lots of headstones. Not only am I interested in familial history, but I’m also interested in our Christian heritage. From where did we come? Who were our ancestors? What are we doing here? Where are we going? How is this all going to come to pass? Perhaps you, too, have posed

“I don’t have time to _____________.“ “I have to hurry; I have a deadline to meet and I’m running out of time.” “I don’t have enough time; I have an appointment, and I’m going to be late.” As we get older, we often hear, “There are some things I want to get done, things I want to see and do and I’m running out of time.” Why are humans so wrapped up in time? We humans are so wrapped up in time because as an old song said, “there’s a time to live and a time to die.” Men realize that from the time of birth until the time of death is such a short time compared to eternity. A dictionary defines “time” as “all the days that have been or ever will be; the past, present and future.” I came across the following article by Frank Chesser about time, and I want to share it with you. From out of the bosom of eternity came time. God “Inhabits eternity” (Isaiah 57:15) while man dwells in time. Eternity gave birth to time as a temporary arrangement for transient humanity. “One day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8). This was Peter’s way of saying that time means nothing to God. God was neither younger when time began, nor will He be older when time ends. “In the beginning” marks the commencement of time, the universe and man (Genesis 1:1). At time’s inception, there was no

Satan is alive and well! We see so much evidence of that being the case. Recently, three teens in Duncan, OK murdered a young baseball player who was out running. The triggerman said they killed the runner because they were “bored.” Also recently, two teens had their “fun” by killing an 88-year-old World War II veteran by beating him to death. After this last murder, I heard a news commentator say that these teens had no moral sense or structure in their lives; they had no role models and no one to teach them right and wrong. I believe he got it right. When most of us were children, the majority of the folks around us believed in God and knew the difference between right and wrong. Not all people professed to be Christians, but they still tried to honor what is right. Today, what is honored is “what makes you feel good.” That brings me back to the point of how evil such a thought is. How could anyone “feel good” by shooting a runner for fun? How could anyone “feel good” by beating an 88-year-old man to death? It’s sick to think that someone could actually find enjoyment in doing those things. That takes us back to the news commentator saying these teens had no moral sense or structure in their lives. No one bothered to teach them the difference between right and wrong. Our nation is in distress because no one is bothering to teach young folks

“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

As another year has closed, we need to look back and evaluate the previous year. In addition, we also need to make the year ahead a better one to the glory of God. We certainly should not linger on things past but to concentrate on the future. A good example of looking back to one’s own detriment is Lot’s wife. God had commanded that Lot’s family not look back upon the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah “But Lot’s wife looked back from behind him and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26). When we disobey today, we will not become pillars of salt for looking back, but we will be punished for looking back to the enjoyment of past sins and continuing therein. Only repentance followed by righteous, faithful living can save us from punishment. Jesus dealt with looking back as He said, “No man having put his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). Once you make the change to become a Christian, you and your life belong to the Lord. If not, your Christianity is a farce. Jesus taught in Matthew 6:24, “You cannot serve God and mammon” (that is riches, wealth and evil). You or I will serve one or the other. We must always learn from our mistakes and change our ways where necessary to please God. We must look ahead because there is no future in looking back. Isaiah told the people of his time

“He who sows sparingly will reap sparingly and he who sows bountifully will reap bountifully, so let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). From this, we understand that Christians must give of their means to the Lord’s work and service. “Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by in store as God has prospered him” (1 Corinthians 16:2). From this Scripture, we understand that our giving is to be done upon the first day of the week when regular worship (that is study, singing, praying, fellowship and the Lord’s Supper) occurs. We should be thankful that the Lord has specified this time as the time to make our offering because it is so convenient for the giver. Many lessons have been preached and Bible class lessons taught on the subject of giving. There are some differences of opinion about the matter, but for me, God is specific enough about “giving” that I don’t see how anyone could question it. One of the best lessons I ever heard on this subject was a sermon on the Gospel of Christ television program. Brother Ben Bailey taught the lesson on “Motivations for Giving,” and I want to share some of his thoughts with you, and I quote: What is our motivation for giving? What should cause us to want to give to the cause of Christ? I want us to look at

A statement I often make is, “Living a Christian life lets us enjoy the best of what this life has to offer and the best of the one to come.” Let’s examine the truth of this biblical principle. I believe that Paul revealed this truth in 1 Timothy 4:8, when he wrote, “Bodily exercise profits little but Godliness is profitable to all things, having the promise of the life that now is and of that one which is to come.” Paul was not just beating the air; he was encouraging the young preacher and teaching him a valuable lesson as to why it is so important to live the Christian life. That lesson applies to our living today as well. One can put his whole effort into exercising his physical body, and he may end up with a healthy, strong physique that is admirable, but when it comes to eternal matters, his physical body will count for nothing regardless of its appearance. Regarding the life that is to come, it’s the strength and condition of the soul that matters to God. When a Christian has done what it takes to strengthen his spiritual life and has dedicated his life to God, not only will he have what it takes to cope with the evils and disappointments of daily living, he will have confidence of looking forward to an eternal home in Heaven. Paul voiced that confidence when he said, “We know that all things work together for good to those

Those who study such things, namely psychiatrists, tell us there are five basic drives in life: (1) to live, (2) to be with others, (3) to love and be loved, (4) to excel and (5) to believe in something everlasting. It’s no small wonder that these desires are of what a man’s life consists, for they are all found in the early pages of the Bible as we recount the story of the creation. To live In the beginning, God said, “Let’s make man in our own image” (Genesis 1:26), and He did so, thereby giving man the will to live. To be with others God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will create a help meet for him” (Genesis 2:18), and He created Eve, the first woman, to give Adam the company God said he needed. Thereby He fulfilled man’s desire to be with others. To love and be loved Not only did Eve fulfill Adam’s need to be with like kind, but since she was created out of Adam, he said, “This [that is Eve] is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh…therefore a man shall cleave to his wife and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 2:23-24). God placed man and woman together to satisfy their need for companionship and love. To excel “God said: ‘Be fruitful and multiply; replenish the earth and subdue it and have dominion over it” (Genesis 1:28). Here God instilled in His creation the drive to excel! To believe

No doubt about it, we live in a very busy age with so many things to be done that sometimes 24-hour days are not long enough. How quickly we can become “swamped” by the multiplicity of jobs to be done, people for whom to do things, taking care of ourselves (and often we truly neglect this one) and etc. How easy it is to push some things, even important ones, to the back burner just to get through the day. Case in point: We just did this very thing because of the stress and pressure of getting through our days at the hospital while the staff was trying to determine what needs to happen with me. My wife and I nearly always have our daily devotional and Bible reading just before bedtime, but while hospitalized overnight this past week, it just slipped by us. We had the Bible with us, and the hospital even provides one. It was just the concern, “busy-ness” and stress of being in a different place that apparently took precedent. It just so happened that when we got home I picked up a copy of The Spiritual Sword publication to read, and the Editor, Alan Highers, had used as his editorial: “The Danger of Forgetting God.” It sounded like it was directed at me! Some of his comments follow: Every life has priorities. By priorities, we mean those things that matter most. With some, it may be making money. This does not mean being industrious or hard-working, but it encompasses

Recently I heard this little quote: “For evil to win, good must do nothing.” I don’t remember where I heard this, but it stuck with me as I realized what a truism it is. Let’s examine the thought. Too often, when evil becomes an overpowering force, we don’t see anyone standing up to fight the evil. It’s just too easy for good people to stand idly by and do nothing. Sometimes, this occurs because they feel too outnumbered, unprepared or just simply don’t want to get involved in whatever is happening. There are many excuses why Christians don’t step up to the plate and swing at the fast ball. Yes, Satan is fast in performing his evil and trickery. Peter described Satan as “a roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). A hungry lion is loud, overbearing and vicious. He threatens and intimidates everything around him and devours his prey quickly. Peter said the solution to Satan’s evils is to “Cast all your care upon God for He cares for you…be sober, be vigilant. Resist Satan steadfastly in the faith…the God of all grace will make you perfect, establish, strengthen and comfort you” (1 Peter 5:7-10). I submit to you that being sober and vigilant is to guard against the sinful practices of the world and not to allow them to separate one from God’s care. There are people in the world who have only evil agendas. They teach and spread evil contamination and filth.

A little boy said to a playmate: “When I get older, I want to wear glasses just like Grandma wears. She must have a special kind of glasses because she can see much more than most people. She can see when folks are hungry, tired or sorry, and she can even see what will make them feel better. She can see how to fix a lot of things to have fun with, and she can see what I meant to do, even if I didn’t do it right. She can see when I am about to cry, and she knows what to do to make it feel better. I asked her one day how she could see so good, and she said it was the way she learned to look at things as she got older. So, when I get older, I want glasses just like Grandma’s so I can see good too!” The above article was published in Bulletin Gold. It’s a cute piece to read, but consider how much wisdom is in this short story. It does take a special kind of heart to perceive and to respond to the needs of others. Many people want to turn their heads (and eyes) away from the needs of others because they simply don’t want to get involved or expend the energy and resources that might be required to relieve the hurt. What if Jesus had demonstrated this attitude? We should be so thankful that He came to minister to the needs of

Recently, I mentioned briefly to you about the “each one bring one” concept in regard to bringing others to hear the Gospel preached from our pulpit. There are so many folks “out there” who don’t attend worship at all. The field is ripe for harvest. We just need to become the machines to make the harvest! Teaching others the truth of the Gospel is never an easy task because there are so many worldly beliefs and obstacles to overcome. Yet, we must start somewhere! So many of the older congregations around us are just like ours; the numbers are dwindling, and, in many cases, worship services have been discontinued altogether at some congregations that at one time were dedicated centers of worship to God. That is so sad because, at the same time the congregations have ceased to meet, the population has increased, and modes of transportation have improved to make it much quicker and more comfortable to get around and to get to the Lord’s house. I want to challenge you to start this program of “each one bring one.” Please consider that each one who is a Christian has the same direction from God to “Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations baptizing them into the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19). None of us is exempt from this directive. I ask that you begin thinking of a particular person who you might get to come to worship services with you. Please,

For quite some time now as Alice and I have been driving, we’ve been noticing and making note of the names that people have placed on their church signs and buildings. Here are a few of the names that we’ve recorded: Lifesong Church, God Family Church, Living Word Church, The Church Alive, Victory Life Church, River of Life Church, Cowboy Church and, if you can believe it, Whatachurch. It’s amazing! Folks have really gotten creative, and I can only guess that the effort is to try to establish individuality. That seems to be a really big ego booster today, and I know of no other reason anyone would attempt to put a name on an entity that God Himself already named. Some of these “church” names might interest someone enough that he or she would be curious enough to just go there to see what else was being offered. Someone might be enticed to become a member because of the newness and the excitement found there. However, what about the Truth? One must always be concerned that the truth of God’s Word is the number one priority in a body of people who claim to be His children. We’ve all heard the old question, “What’s in a name?” Does it make any difference anyway? Of course, it does! How do you think a husband who married the wife that he loves would feel if she took another man’s name rather than his? Some might say they wouldn’t care, but don’t you

This injunction is a safety measure. When approaching the enemy, good soldiers are on the alert. Evil is out there. Always. In our own lives, the best way to overcome evil is to foresee it and flee it. Keeping away from the mire is wiser than wading through it. Years ago, a bedraggled drunkard decided to straighten up. And he did. But he continued to tie his horse to the hitching post outside the saloon. You guessed it! In time, he was back on the inside, drinking and reeling. He failed to foresee the danger of where he was tying his horse. It is useless to pray “deliver us from evil” while we park our car just outside the door of it. Let us pray for the insight to recognize evil and the foresight to see it before we get there and the will to turn back. “A prudent man foresees the evil and hides himself; but the simple pass on and are punished” (Proverbs 22:3). “Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that does keep his soul shall be far from them” (Proverbs 22:5). The above article was published in Thoughts of Gold by Leroy Brownlow. How true these words ring out! This made me think of a song that we often sing that goes this way: “Tempted and tried we’re oft made to wonder, why it should be thus all the day long, while there are others living about us, never molested, though in the wrong.”

In discussing God’s Word with folks, I’ve sometimes had them say that they don’t read it much because it’s too hard to understand. I’ve never accepted that as a legitimate excuse because God didn’t give His Word to men as the means by which they can know how to avoid Hell and get to Heaven, and then make it too difficult for them to understand. If that was so, what good would it do for those who say it is too difficult? That’s not God’s will for men because He affirms that He would have “all men come to a knowledge of the truth and be saved” (1 Timothy 2:4). The definition of knowledge is “full discernment.” Discernment means comprehension or understanding. If God’s Word is too difficult to understand, men would not have a chance of full discernment. The Inspired Word speaks of those who don’t come to a knowledge of God’s Word by saying they are “ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). In the previous verses in front of this Scripture, God said these people are “lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, without self-control, fierce, despisers of good, traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying the power of God, ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” What

The years quickly fade away, and another one will soon be complete. As each one looks back on the year past, he or she must determine whether it was a good or a bad one. Because of the many distractions and temptations around us, it’s difficult to always keep God uppermost in our minds. Day-to-day living is not easy. It has always been this way. Look at what Jacob told Pharaoh in Genesis 47:9. “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are l30 years; few and evil have the days of the years of my life been and I have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.” Did Jacob think he had been given a “raw deal”? That’s what “few and evil” days sounds like. Too often, we probably feel the same way that Jacob did. We rush here to get something done, and we can hurry there to get something else done. It is not an easy thing to keep God and Christianity at the forefront of our thoughts. The evils that we witness are the same as observed by our parents, grandparents and even back to Jacob’s time. However, if you can, imagine how far we’ve come since Jacob’s time! The more people there are, the greater propensity for more and varied evil. Jacob’s world was literally small compared to our world today. Yes, the earth was the same size, but it was not

Sin is always with us. Since the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve violated God’s commandment, sin has been dominant on the earth. It will always be dominant because Satan tempts people with sin in such a way that makes it much more attractive to people than righteousness. He tempts with the attitude of “feel good” actions. When people sin and it causes them to feel good, they want more and more of it. Remember, Satan doesn’t tempt people softly and gently. He comes “as a roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). He presents temptations with enough vim, vigor and vitality that he makes sin hard to resist. So much of our attraction to sin comes from being “in a rut,” and Satan is aware of that. He knows just how to get to those who are looking for something more to make them feel good. Everyone wants to “feel good.” However, the physical “feel good” is what separated man from God in the Garden. When Satan tempted Eve in Eden, she succumbed because she “saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree to be desired to make one wise” (Genesis 3:6). Eve was sure that it would make her life much better. How wrong our desire to sin can be! Remember that Satan is “more subtle” (Genesis 3:1) than any other being. He knows how to get to you, and he’s crafty

A sacrifice is defined as “the giving up of one thing for another.” This happens when someone perhaps has two goals to accomplish as a public servant and cannot serve in both capacities. Therefore, he has to sacrifice one dream to succeed at the other. A sacrifice is also defined as “a loss brought about by getting rid of something below its value.” This occurs rather frequently when someone selling a home has a buyer “in hand” who offers less than what is being asked, and the owner sells at the lower amount because he needs the money now. Another definition of sacrifice is “destruction or surrender of something valued or desired for the sake of a higher object or more pressing claim.” In other words, someone might choose to give up what he really wants in order to accomplish something that would be of more value overall. Our military really doesn’t want to go to battle, but it is willing to do so and stand in harm’s way because it is more concerned for its families and country. Most baseball fans know what a “sacrifice hit” is, but for those who don’t know, it is a bunt or fly ball that enables a base runner to advance a base although the batter is put out. The batter doesn’t do that for himself, for he’d rather hit a homerun. However, he does makes an out for the overall good of the team. Do you realize we are describing the actions

We know that David, “a man after God’s own heart,” diligently sought and worshipped God. David’s charge to his son, Solomon, was, “You, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts. If you seek Him, you will find Him but, if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever” (1 Chronicles 28:9). David instructed his son to serve God willingly with pure intentions. He told him that if he would seek to know God, he would find Him, but he must never forsake God because the consequences would be to his detriment. How does one find God and know what He wants? When a child doesn’t know what parents expect of him, he doesn’t know how to please them. When a student does not know what the teacher expects of him, he can’t please the teacher. In order for an athlete to do what makes the coach happy, he must know what the rules are and what is expected of him. The rules have to be shared so that everyone knows what they are. The same is true with our relationship with God. In order to serve Him better, we must get to know Him better and to know how to please Him. He didn’t leave us ignorant as to what He expects of His children. The best way for one to

Today is a special day as we honor our fathers for all that they have done for us. Fathers have so many roles to play. In most families, the father is the primary “breadwinner” in the family. Because he is masculine, he does things that most youngsters want to copy; he is strong, so he excels in sports and athletics, and what young offspring doesn’t like to play ball, go fishing, etc.? A father normally knows about mechanical, electrical and electronic things, so by his expertise, he impresses his children. Being a father is a wonderful experience. Being a good father is an even greater joy. However, being a Christian father who honors God by the way he lives and cares for his family is the greatest joy of all. In order to be the best father possible, a man only has to look to God’s Word for the guidance he needs. After all, in that Word, we read of the most wonderful Father ever, and that is God, the Father. We have a Father who “knows what things you need, even before you ask him” (Matthew 6:8). In this same chapter, we go on to read, “Don’t be anxious, saying, what shall we eat or drink or with what will we be clothed… Your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things.” God knows our every need, and all He asks is that we “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these

At some time, we’ve all witnessed a baby taking his or her first steps. Is there anything more dismaying than to see the face of that “toddler-to-be” trying to take that first step? I say “tries to” because most often the first attempt at that first step is not successful. Oftentimes, it ends with a verbal reaction which lets everyone know that it didn’t work out. Yet, the victory comes when with repeated trials the infant is able to take that first step and stay upright, though sometimes only for a moment. However, that’s usually enough to encourage the infant to try again. Likewise, just as there is often a verbal response of crying to the failure of the first attempt to walk, when the very first step is successful, the infant giggles or has a happy smile. It’s a confidence builder! How like Christianity that is. When a person accepts Christ as Lord of his or her life, he or she might soon stumble and fall. Just as other successful ventures in our lives, Christianity has to be accepted and learned, and with the learning comes better obedience, comparable to the walking infant’s better success. Neither the infant who wants to walk nor the person who desires to practice Christianity will succeed instantly. In both cases, the one involved must be active in acquiring the desired result. Just because the infant falls doesn’t mean that he will stay down. He’ll get up and try again and again until he

Are Bible classes a waste of time? Some people think Bible classes are not important and may consider them to be just “a waste of time.” What should our attitude be toward Bible classes? Why do we have Bible classes? Do we have them just because others do? Do we have them just so we can say we are doing something? Until we come to understand the significance of Bible classes, we will not appreciate them. If we appreciate them, attitudes and attendance will change for the better. Bible classes are significant because (1) they help promote the work of the church, (2) they help provide a way “to feed” the flock, (3) they help produce tomorrow’s elders, deacons, preachers and teachers, (4) they help prevent unfaithfulness in the church and (5) they help prepare one for eternity (Jerry Joseph). I appreciate brother Joseph’s comments on Bible classes, and the article brought other things to mind. Often Bible class attendance is faltering, and I encourage each one to make every effort to be present for those classes. Bible classes not only help us to grow spiritually, but they also encourage us in our daily living and the way we deal with life and its problems. Mid-week Bible class is like “a shot in the arm” to help one get through the rest of the week. When we have Bible classes, we are with others who want to know God’s will so they can more capably do His will. Bible classes

In a recent Bible study class, brother Floyd Denton made the comment that “we [Christians] are not to be weary in doing good but must strive to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” That’s what the apostle Paul told the brethren in Galatia when he said, “Let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we will reap if we don’t faint” (Galatians 6:9). Do you sometimes get weary and disgruntled because you feel that you’re not accomplishing anything in your service to God? Christian, be assured that in truly living as Christians have been instructed to live, you are doing something for the Lord! When you are living as God has instructed Christians to live, you are being observed by those who are not living godly lives. Jesus instructed His disciples that “I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15). In this particular context, Jesus was demonstrating humility by washing the disciples’ feet. However, in everything that He did, Jesus left us the best example that could possibly be. The apostle Paul told the young preacher, Timothy, “Be an example of the believers in word, in manner of life, in love, in spirit, in faith and in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). Paul instructed Timothy to be a Christian example by the words that came out of his mouth, by the way that he lived, by the way he showed love and care to others, by his

We live in a busy world! To some, that may sound like an understatement. Due to modernization and the proliferation of fast (and faster!) modes of transportation, mankind can get around at a high rate of speed. My wife says she can visualize the day when we each have our own little “pod” in which we can zip around in the air to where we want to go. I tell her I don’t want to see that day and don’t want to be part of it—it sounds very dangerous! Yes, in our lifetimes we have seen tremendous strides in modes of transportation that travel at high rates of speed. Not only have we seen rapid advancements in the arena of transportation, but consider the areas of technology, science and you name it! You get the picture. While these advancements have taken place in our lifetime, progress in these areas has always been made in ages past; they just weren’t what we peg as “modern” advancements. Sometimes with modernization comes the feeling that we have done something very special and that men of a particular span of time were or are highly intelligent to have accomplished the advancements mentioned. We think there is no end to what mankind has or will continue to accomplish. We tend to want to take credit for the modernization of mankind, and we want to leave God out of the picture. However, God is the One responsible for all of these things. We read in Genesis

In speaking of the hot weather, we’ve probably all heard someone say that “it’s hot as blue blazes!” That term came from blacksmithing where the blacksmith got the forge extremely hot to work with his material to accomplish the desired result. The extreme heat enabled him to work with the iron to shape it into what he wanted it to be. Usually in today’s world, when we hear that exclamation, we assume people are speaking of the weather. We’ve almost been to that extreme the latter part of this week as we’ve experienced very hot temperatures with heavy moisture in the air, which makes it seem even hotter. To state it simply, it’s almost “too hot to breathe!” You know as I was thinking of this, it made me want to tell folks “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!” Strangely enough, when I tried to Google “ain’t” to check for correct spelling, the word was not in the file, so it is not accepted as an appropriate word. I’m quite sure that at some time every one of us has said “ain’t,” but perhaps not in this context. For those folks who don’t believe and obey the Word of God, they “ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” Of course, there are those folks who have died without ever having heard the Word. That becomes a problem for Christians to whom Jesus said “go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost; teaching them

There are always jobs that are messy, and when the job is finished, there may be debris, clutter, parts, plain old dirt, fuzz, etc. that must be cleaned up. The job may have required a lot of elbow grease and have been messy itself, but the cleanup job is always the worst of the dirty work. It’s a strange thing that no one wants to do that job! I taught vocational agriculture in high school, and you can believe that, after completing an assignment, teenage boys (no girls in Vo-Ag back then) can turn out a lot of dirty work that has to be cleaned up. There were never volunteers to do that job. I had to say “you” and “you” take care of that. In our homes, there are dirty-work jobs for which no one volunteers. From household repairs that require cleanup, to commodes failing and overflowing, to picking up trash or a house pet having an “accident,” there is dirty work to be done. Again, there may be no volunteers to rush forward and get the unpleasant task done. Sometimes people who can afford to do so have hired helpers to take care of their dirty work. Many times people just don’t want to get their hands dirty. We are seeing more and more of this in our young folks as they see the older ones not wanting to do unpleasant tasks and passing them on to the next generation. When I was growing up, everyone had to

A call this week from a sister in Christ prompted the particular thoughts of this article. She was visiting in the “north” country, but the things she spoke about that are happening in the Lord’s church there are also happening around us. We’re seeing more and more ways that Satan is enticing Christians to get further and further from the truth of the Gospel of Christ. She spoke of immodest dress in the church as young girls were attending worship service scantily clad in short-shorts and halter tops. There is a sense in which one’s clothing doesn’t matter as long as one’s heart is right with God. However, one can dress in such a way that he or she causes those nearby to have a problem in approaching God in true, pure worship; that is a problem. The apostle Paul warned the young preacher Timothy of such problems as he said, “women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety” (1 Timothy 2:9). Modesty is defined as “not calling attention to or exposing too much of one’s body; decent.” Dressing in such a way as to interfere with the worship of others should make one ashamed. Further, let’s be reminded that it’s not always females who violate this teaching but males often do so when they dress inappropriately and call attention to their physique. In addition, this teaching does not apply just to how one dresses for worship services; it applies to how a Christian must always present himself

What brings happiness to someone may bring no fulfillment at all for another person. That’s because we are such a diverse people. The dictionary defines happiness as “a feeling of contentment coming from being and doing well or of satisfaction at having got what one wanted.” We’re all made up of different genes and chromosomes so we can’t possibly all want the same thing. We’re reared in different homes, states and countries, and we witness so many changes in values and upbringing from a family level to a national level. Standards and values can vary greatly in just a small area. Beginning in the home, much more may be expected of one child than what is expected of another one in the same family. Educational facilities may expect more from some students than from others. Some cities, counties, states and countries may require more of its citizens than others do. We get the idea. Because of all these variants, it’s difficult to pinpoint “happiness.” We do know that happiness is a state of mind that causes us to feel good at least temporarily. Every one of us has had that feeling at some time, and it may have come from a personal interaction with someone, a feeling of accomplishment, having received praise for a job well done or just personal satisfaction. This list of what makes one happy is certainly not meant to be complete, but these things give us food for thought. I submit to you that there is

“You are the ones who think you are the only ones going to Heaven.” All members of the Lord’s church have probably been accused of that at one time or another. Faithful Christians do have the expectation of entering that heavenly home. Let’s look at some of God’s teachings on the subject of heaven and that eternal peaceful rest. We read in John 3:16, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” It is an elemental fact that to have eternal life one must believe in the Savior. God loved His creation enough that He sent His Son to be sacrificed and to shed the blood that could take away “the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). Jesus Himself came to earth, teaching about the fate that would come to all men. To the faithful He said, “Come, you blessed of My Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” To the unfaithful He said, “These shall go away into everlasting punishment” (Matthew 25:34ff). From the beginning, God has taught that the faithful will be rewarded and the unfaithful will be punished. That’s what most parents teach their children as they begin to learn and to understand what is expected of them. It’s really a simple teaching. The offspring must decide whether they want to be rewarded or punished and act accordingly. Jesus taught this same lesson

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). God created the light, the firmament of heaven, the earth and seas, day and night, living creatures in the ocean and air, living creatures on the earth and saw “that it was good.” Yet, there was something missing, and He created “man” to fill that void. Not only did He create man, but He created man in His own image. The creation of man was His crowning glory, and following it, God said “It was very good” (v. 31). When God created man, He blessed him and said, “Be fruitful and multiply, replenish the earth and subdue it, have dominion over the fish of the sea and fowls of the air and over every living creature” (Genesis 1:29-30). From the beginning, it was God’s intent that mankind produce offspring after his kind, and He gave men a brain unlike any other of His creation so that man could think and reason to be able to meet God’s mandate to replenish and subdue the earth and exercise dominion over the rest of God’s creation. God created man because He chose to do so. He didn’t need man to do anything for Him because He is quite capable of doing all things for Himself and for all others. He created man to take care of the rest of His creation and to worship and serve Him. We’re told in Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Fear God and keep His commandments for this is the whole duty

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). God created the light, the firmament of heaven, the earth and seas, day and night, living creatures in the ocean and air, living creatures on the earth and saw “that it was good.” Yet, there was something missing, and He created “man” to fill that void. Not only did He create man, but He created man in His own image. The creation of man was His crowning glory, and following it, God said “It was very good” (v. 31). When God created man, He blessed him and said, “Be fruitful and multiply, replenish the earth and subdue it, have dominion over the fish of the sea and fowls of the air and over every living creature” (Genesis 1:29-30). From the beginning, it was God’s intent that mankind produce offspring after his kind, and He gave men a brain unlike any other of His creation so that man could think and reason to be able to meet God’s mandate to replenish and subdue the earth and exercise dominion over the rest of God’s creation. God created man because He chose to do so. He didn’t need man to do anything for Him because He is quite capable of doing all things for Himself and for all others. He created man to take care of the rest of His creation and to worship and serve Him. We’re told in Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Fear God and keep His commandments for this is the whole duty

In this New Year, we need to look back to the years gone by and learn lessons from them. Sometimes people caution us to never look back, but that would be disastrous because if we didn’t look back, we would never realize or admit the mistakes we made. We should rather want to look back to remember things we didn’t do right or things we should have done better. Hopefully, we can look back and find satisfaction in knowing that we admitted the mistakes and did our best to correct them. God expects us to do that. In His Law to the children of Israel, we read God’s instructions to them to “remember all the way which the Lord God led you these forty years in the wilderness, to humble and prove you and to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commandments” (Deuteronomy 8:2). From this, we see that God not only intends for His people to look forward, but He also expects them to look back so that they may learn from what has happened in the past. In other words, God’s intent is that we learn from our mistakes and become better people in His service. Frequently when we ask someone about something or talk about something that happened, we hear, “I can’t remember.” A good deal of this lack of remembering comes from the aging process when our minds become more limited, and they are so full of things from

This time of year, we hear so much being said about resolutions. Almost everyone makes some sort of New Year’s resolution and probably almost all of those are broken shortly thereafter! We forget about what we resolved to do, and we’re tempted to do things that are contrary to our determination to do something in particular. Alice and I made a New Year’s resolution to not let a day go by that we don’t take time to pray and read the Bible together. Of course, we pray together every day anyway, and more often than not, we study the Bible together. So our resolve was not something totally different from our previous way of life, but now, we want to make sure that, no matter what, we share a time of study, discussion and prayer together. The definition of “resolution” in the context we are using is “to resolve” or “to determine.” In teaching the Corinthian brethren, Paul said, “The foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25). Whatever the world has to offer can’t be compared to the wisdom and strength that faithful Christians can find in the Lord. Paul went on to say, “I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). Paul recognized that His strength came from God, and he resolved that, no matter what, he would continue to teach and preach Jesus Christ. Was Paul’s

When we receive a gift, we decide what to do with it. It may be a special gift that you want to show off so you place it in a prominent place where it can be seen. It may be a very practical gift and not so pretty, but you know exactly what you will be using it for and can’t wait to use it! It may be a token of a special relationship, and you vow to renew that relationship that you’ve let flounder. There are other types of gifts that we receive and things we can do with those gifts. Yet, the beginning of a new year is a true gift from God, and we each decide what we will do with it! It’s my hope that each one of you will have a renewed sense of dedication to and love for God in the New Year. My hope is that you’ll not allow anything to come between you and Him – not only in this year but in all your years to come if you are granted more years. After all, He is the single most important Being in your life! We read of different kinds of years in the Bible. Jacob spoke to Pharaoh of his years when he said, “Few and evil have the days of the years of my life been” (Genesis 47:9). That is a sad commentary on a life. He was not a happy person. There’s a cure for that! Jacob had

“Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay your vows to the most High” (Psalm 50:14). As we are looking ahead to our Thanksgiving Day celebration, these are words by which to live, but notice that the Psalmist didn’t just say to offer thanks. He extended that exhortation to include being faithful to keep our vows (promises) to God. We can’t expect God to continue blessing us when we fail to be honest and true to Him. Thanksgiving must be twofold: we are to be thankful for that with which we’ve been blessed by God, but we must also do what will demonstrate our faithfulness to Him. You can’t just say that you are thankful, but you must also show your thankfulness by what you do. We all know how our country’s national day of Thanksgiving came to be. It was begun by a free people who fled from oppression in the Old World. Sometimes I think that we forget what this day represents and are only interested in the big turkey dinner with all the trimmings, the family get-togethers, etc. Yet, as we prepare to celebrate this Thanksgiving Day, let’s not forget why we are celebrating this day, and let’s be truly thankful for what God has provided for us. Let us show our thankfulness by living godly lives and sharing the message of the Gospel with others. Other than our beautiful country and the freedoms we enjoy, we have so much more for which to be thankful. Paul was thankful

Let’s look at some of the things that function within each individual that makes us “tick.” Psychologists tell us that there are five basic drives in each of us. They list those drives in this order: (1) to live, (2) to be with others, (3) to love and be loved, (4) to excel and (5) to believe in something everlasting. Certainly the most elemental drive man has is “to live,” to maintain life itself. When one’s life is endangered, he will go to almost any length to be able to keep breathing. Sometimes people will even do or agree to do things that are totally out of range of their normal reasoning just to survive. That’s because life is precious. God created it that way when He “formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). Man became God’s crowning creation. The apostle Paul affirmed that “God gives to all, life, breath and all things” (Acts 17:25). Since God created man by breathing into him the breath of life, it is that precious life that we always want to protect and preserve, because when one’s physical life is gone, it can’t be retrieved. When God created Adam, the first man, and placed him in the Garden of Eden “to dress and keep it,” He said “it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make a help-meet for him” (Genesis 2:18).

Many people deny the existence of God. The following article by a Christian brother helps put the assertion that there is no God in its proper perspective. If there is no God, there is no final accounting for all that exists. Mankind has always sought to understand the ultimate origin of the universe, often with a determination that bordered on fanaticism. How did the world and all it contains come to be? How do we account for the vast heavenly expanse of stars and planets? Where does man himself come from? The answer will never be known if the idea of a creator God is rejected. As there has always been in the past, there will indeed be many new ingenious theories to explain origins. But, like their predecessors, these will eventually be rejected as irrational, disproven by a law of science or remain forever as an unproven theory. Without God, man will be forever doomed to uncertainty, left to wonder in ignorance about the beginning of all things. If there is no God, there are no real moral standards to live by. We speak of right and wrong, good and evil, wise and unwise in the absolute. But if God does not exist, these concepts are just creations of the mind. Any kind of behavior would be justifiable. All morality would be subjective. Jean-Paul Sartre, a French philosopher, understood the colossal consequences of rejecting the existence of God when he said, “If there is no God, everything is permitted.”

Bullying is defined as “intimidation of a weaker person or the process of intimidating or mistreating somebody weaker or in a more vulnerable situation.” For some time now, there has been a national effort to reduce bullying. Bullying may be a cyber-attack, a racial attack or it might even be a schoolyard prank. However, there is another way that people are “bullying” others, and it may be the most common and widespread means of intimidating others. Bullying has become a means by which some attack those who believe that sin is wrong. These “bullies” oppose those who speak out against the homosexual, alcohol and drug agendas. These “bullies” don’t agree with the right to “freedom of religion.” It’s beyond my comprehension as to why people stand up and speak out so quickly to eliminate bullying in the schoolyard and then do an about-face while they themselves bully those who as a matter of conscience and morality speak out against sin. (Don’t get me wrong. I don’t believe in schoolyard bullying either.) Yet, these who oppose righteousness speak up loudly and clearly because they think they now have the majority position of strength. They think that “situation ethics” will be their crutch in gaining moral support from those around them regardless of their sins and transgression against God and their bullying of Christians. For centuries, mankind has accepted the concept that homosexuality is an abomination and goes against all righteousness. This is quite evident in God’s Holy Word as we read

“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. In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 2:10, 25 NKJV). Does this not describe the present United States of America? We are living in an “anything goes” society. The dismantling of America’s Christian heritage is taking place before our very eyes, and it has been for the last 50 years. American culture had for 185 years been friendly toward Christianity, but no longer. America was once considered a Christian nation, but this is quickly fading away. For the last 50 years, the forces of humanism, atheism, evolution, liberalism, pluralism and “political correctness” have been aggressive in their assault on the Christian religion. They have gradually dismantled many of the moral and spiritual principles that once characterized our society. America’s religious, moral and spiritual foundation is literally disintegrating before our very eyes! We are presently in an all-out, casualty filled, spiritual war. The central issue of this war is God and the Bible. Social and political liberals from Hollywood and even many in our nation’s capital are hostile toward God, and they are very open about it. Friends, we are facing perilous times! The apostle Paul declared, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to

Many of God’s gifts are like wild flowers. We can take some flowers out of a field and enjoy their beauty in other places. Many other gifts from God are like flowers in a special garden. The owners invite us into their garden to enjoy an abundance of rare and glorious flowers. However, they do not let us take any of these flowers away. As long as we are in the garden, we can enjoy the beauty of all the flowers. Consider God’s free gift of eternal Life. Some people have reasoned this way. “After a person has received eternal life, he cannot lose it. If a person could lose eternal life, it was not really eternal.” That statement contains a mistake about location. Eternal life is always located in one place – in Christ. Before God made our temporary world, before time began, He prepared eternal gifts for all who would choose to love Him and come to Him. He put His gifts of saving grace and eternal life in Christ. He ”…has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ…” (2 Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 1:3). The Holy Spirit tells us how to enter “into Christ.” When we are in Christ, we have eternal life now, because we are in the location where God placed eternal life (Romans 6:3-4; 8:1; Galatians 3:26-27; see Acts 2:38; 8:36-38; 22:16; 1 John 5:11, 20). A saved person can choose to leave Christ, but he cannot take the gift

Most of you know that since brother Mack Lyon retired that brother Phil Sanders is the primary speaker on the Sunday morning presentation, “In Search of the Lord’s Way.” Although I didn’t hear all of his sermon that particular day, the title above came from a closing that Phil Sanders recently made on his Sunday morning TV lesson. I couldn’t help but think how simple but how profound that statement was. Let’s consider some of the ramifications of that advice. When we think of “giving up,” let’s consider a long distance runner in a race in which he could receive a big reward. That reward might be monetary, a trophy or simply recognition as being the best in the race. Whatever the reward, that runner will do everything within his power to prove to himself and to those around that he can endure and finish that race. He won’t easily give up, even at the expense of perhaps suffering physical issues. Consider that during the race the runner may develop severe pain in his extremities, or he may get too hot and exhausted. Perhaps he feels that he just can’t go on and feels he is too “given out” to continue in the race. Again, even if a runner doesn’t win or place in the race, most athletes will continue in the race just for the satisfaction of proving to themselves and others that they can run the full course. We’ve heard or witnessed runners “give in” at the end

We read in Genesis 1:4, “God saw the light that it was good.” Further, “God called the dry land Earth and the gathering of the waters, He called seas and God saw that it was good” (verse 10); “The earth brought forth grass and herb yielding seed after his kind and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good” (verse 12); “God made two great lights – the greater light to rule over the day and the lesser light to rule the night…and God saw that it was good” (verse 16-18); “God created great whales and every living creature that moves…after their kind and every winged fowl after his kind and God saw that it was good” (verse 21); “God made the beast of the earth…the cattle…and every thing that creeps upon the earth…and God saw that it was good” (verse 25). In conclusion of God viewing His good creation, we read in verse 31, “God saw every thing that He had made and, behold, it was very good.” Can we read about the creation and God’s satisfaction with His creation and think that it was anything less than good? The dictionary describes “good” as “best, having the right qualities,” “excellent,” “right” or “as it ought to be.” God used the highest standards for His creation; there were no flaws. Think about this; there is only one “o” that keeps “God” and “good” from being the same word. God created only good. So what has gone wrong? We

Hope is a “four-letter” word that means so much. When we have hope, we have a feeling that what we desire will happen or that what we want will come to pass. Hope causes us to expect a good outcome. It causes us to desire what Abraham Lincoln said in speaking of the American Civil War. “Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away.” He hoped for something that did come to pass and we’re all blessed for it. Alexander Pope, an 18th Century English poet, made a statement that we’ve all heard at some time: “Hope springs eternal in the human breast.” The explanation for his statement is that he believed people would always continue to have hope, and we do! Even though we may have sufficient evidence that things cannot possibly turn out the way we want them to, we still have hope that something will happen to cause things to turn out the way we want. In a sermon at one of the meetings he held here, brother Dean Fugett defined hope this way: “Hope is the confident expectation of something that has been promised.” When one is told or believes “it will get better,” there is an earnest expectation for that to happen. The apostle Paul frequently spoke on the subject of hope, helping us to understand what hope is. He said, “Abraham, the father of us all, who, against hope believed in hope, that he

There are some things one needs to carefully consider as one engages in a study of the Bible. This book which we are studying is not an ordinary book. It may affect us in one of two ways: (1) properly studied and applied, it will affect us for good in time and eternity, and (2) improper study of it will cause one to lose his or her soul. The Bible is every man’s book. It is not intended for some special group. However, not only is the Bible every man’s book, it is written for the average person. Scholars may study it, but it is not written necessarily with scholars in mind. No one ever outgrows the Scriptures. The more one studies them, the wider and deeper they become. The Bible is a book that enables one to look into eternity. The best evidence of the inspiration of the Bible is to be found between its covers. No one will ever be a useful Christian unless one is a student of the Bible. Matthew Henry said, “The scriptures were written, not to make us astronomers but to make us saints.” It is no wonder that Paul urged Timothy to study the Scriptures, “rightly dividing” or handling aright the word of truth that he might be an approved workman before God. The Bible is the greatest book in the world. It is the most accessible, and in it, one finds truth that can be found in no other book. The Bible

“I never made a fortune and it’s probably too late now, but I don’t worry about that much. I’m happy anyhow. As I go along life’s journey, I’m reaping better than I sowed. I’m drinking from my saucer because my cup has overflowed. I remember times when things went wrong, and my faith got a little thin. Yet, then, all at once the dark clouds broke, and the sun peeked through again. So, Lord, help me not to gripe about the tough rows I hoed. I’m drinking from my saucer because my cup has overflowed.” Some of you may recognize this as a partial recitation that was written by Jimmy Dean, country music star and “sausage maker.” Alice and I are country music fans, and we’ve watched old programs where he recited this very piece. It is most humbling to hear him repeat it. The words of the whole writing give cause for thought. How, though, can we make application to ourselves? David had no trouble understanding how to apply such words to himself. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want… Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for Thou art with me… my cup runs over” (Psalm 23). David said bad things might happen to him, but he knew that whatever came his way, God would be with him. He felt rich because of the blessings God had provided him, so much so that he could say his blessings

We had friends (husband and wife) visit with us. Mind you, though, they are not just “friends, “but they are “friends!” Like me, he is a preacher, and the reason for their visit was not a good one as he was here to preach a funeral of another friend. However, it gave us a chance to remember “the good ole days.” These friends were like family. (1) We worked together. At one time, he and I owned a used car lot together; we worked and served in the Lion’s Club together; we worked for the Lord side by side. (2) We played together. As we’ve gotten older, we don’t do much “playing” any more, but at one time, about once a week or so, several friends would all get together to play games, eat meals or treats and visit. (3) We shared good times together. As kids growing up and traveling around together, we had friends and acquaintances in common, etc. (4) We shared bad times together. We cried together at the loss of family and friends; we shared disappointments when things didn’t go so well; we ached together as we struggled with health problems, etc. In a word, we shared all things in common. That’s exactly what Luke said of the early Christians in Acts 2:44ff, “All who believed were together and had all things in common. They sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every one had need. And, continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to

The word “father” is worthy of note in the Bible because of its frequent usage. According to Young’s Analytical Concordance, the word is used 1,041 times in the Bible. The definition for father is “a male parent,” “a person who is like a father,” a “forefather,” “a person who helped to make something” and most importantly, “the God of Heaven.” From all of these definitions, we realize that a “father” is important in so many ways. Fathers are important to the health, safety and well-being of their offspring. Most of us think of fathers as strong and capable of performing any job. Some consider their father as a “playmate,” enjoying the wrestling and tumbling they do with him and the good times they share together, and he usually likes athletics! Some are impressed by the wisdom of a father and often seek his advice when making decisions. In any case, most earthly fathers are depended upon, respected and looked up to by their offspring. Truly, there are some bad fathers who do not in any way fit these expectations, but thankfully, they are an exception. Most fathers love and cherish their offspring and expend their effort in (1) loving, (2) caring for and (3) training their children. (1) Love That’s exactly what God does for His children. The apostle Paul made the statement that “In Him [God] we live and move and have our being… for we are His offspring.” The love of God for His children is the greatest love ever to

I drank for courage and woke up night after night horrified. I drank for sophistication and became crude. I drank to find peace and ignited a war within myself. I drank to be friendly and became argumentative and nasty. I drank to be sexy and turned people off. I drank so that I could relate to others and I babbled. I drank to put down loneliness and found myself retreating more and more into my shell. I drank to relax and woke up tense. I drank to be entertaining and became an obnoxious clown. I drank to live more fully and contemplated suicide. I drank for adventure and discovered disaster. I drank to be more honest and insulted my friends. I drank to quiet my nerves and woke up with hangover jangles. I drank to feel better and ended up sick and throwing up. I drank to have fun and passed out in the middle of the party. I drank to pep myself up and ended up exhausted. I drank to feel successful (a big shot) but ended up a failure. I drank for security and became afraid of my shadow. I drank to feel better about myself and ended up hating me. I drank to prove I could handle alcohol and ended up knowing it controlled me. A friend said to me “But surely, now that you’ve been sober for a while, it would take a lot of alcohol to put you back in that condition.” “Just one drink,”

We get used to seeing blood at an early age. When a little one scrapes a knee, cuts a finger, etc., the blood oozes. As one gets older, more severe injuries occur and the blood sometimes flows freely from a body. The dictionary describes blood as “the liquid in veins, arteries and capillaries of vertebrates. Blood is circulated by the heart and carries oxygen and digested food to all parts of the body and takes away waste materials.” From this definition, we understand that blood is essential to maintaining life. I myself am a living phenomenon. On October 8, 2005, I suffered a ruptured abdominal aorta aneurysm and I “bled out.” An average-size man’s body contains approximately 10-12 pints of blood and I was given 33 units to get me going again. Statistics show that only about 10% of people who have an “aaa” survive, so I understand how close I came to losing physical life and know how very much God has blessed me. Yet, that’s not the intent of this recap; the aim is to help us understand how very vital blood is to life. This was so from the beginning of time. The first mention of blood in the Bible is in Genesis 4:9. “The Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel your brother? …The Lord said to Cain, What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries to Me from the ground.” These words were spoken following the act of Cain killing Abel. Then,

“The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handy work” (Psalm 19:1). Nothing proves this affirmation more than the beauty of the fall that surrounds us. Alice and I had made two trips in search of fall color and were disappointed, seeing only slight color in a few places. Then, with the forecast of a possible frost Wednesday night that would surely cause many more leaves to fall, Tuesday we decided to take one more trip in quest of fall beauty. We were not disappointed. We went from Mountain View up to Harrison and on to Branson. We came back through part of the Mark Twin National Forrest in southern Missouri and on to Bakersfield (my stomping grounds of growing up years). In some places, looking far off across the mountains, the view was just almost breathtaking. If you are looking for a fall color treat and still have a desire to go searching for it, we can attest that Harrison was the prettiest town we went through and the mountains of southern Missouri provided the most color. As we made our drive and witnessed such beauty in nature, I wondered just how anyone can declare that an “explosion” created all of it. It’s beyond me for people not to see the orderliness and glory of nature and not accept that it took a Higher Being to organize and present it and to tend and keep it that way. From time to time, every one of

“Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it are the ultimate results of life” (Proverbs 4:23). What an order! According to Young’s Analytical Concordance, the meaning of the word “keep” here is to “watch.” Watch over what enters your heart and guard it diligently because it is what enters the heart that determines what you do with your life. The “heart” is described as “the seat of moral life”; so the statement in Proverbs is more understandable with that definition. It makes perfect sense that what enters the heart is what exits in one’s daily living. Regarding this verse, the commentator Burton Coffman, says: “The heart, as the word is used in the Bible, means the mind which is the center of human intelligence, emotions and will. The fact here stated is that the whole moral conduct of human life and its every action, attitude and purpose are determined by what one thinks and believes. The great corollary of this is that ‘thought control’ is the prerequisite of all moral rectitude and uprightness.” I thought about this subject as I was watching TV this week, and I saw an advertisement for an adult “fashion show” that was to be shown on prime time Tuesday evening. It amazes me to see how times have changed just in my lifetime. There was a time when things such as this were done in private and not talked about openly. Now, it’s all open to the public eye. In fact, even those of

“Gloom, despair and agony on me; deep down depression, excessive misery; if it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all. Gloom, despair and agony on me.” Did you recognize this as one of the customary songs on the TV show Hee Haw? Or did you recognize it as the way you or someone you know claims to feel sometimes? It is true that, because of circumstances or our own attitudes, we all get into the doldrums sometimes. It is human nature but it is the dark side of human nature, and we can look to God for the help that we need to keep us from having these feelings. We all know of those who have dwelt on their problems so much that they actually do become miserable and downtrodden. That does lead to gloom and despair and has actually brought some to the point of taking their own lives to escape the issue of having to deal with whatever is making them miserable. How can people escape these feelings of desperation? I submit to you that God is the answer to all of the issues of human living, and that includes the worst, self-imposed destruction that anyone can think of bringing upon oneself. Listen as the psalmist spoke of this matter: He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty… Because you have made the Lord, even the Most High, your habitation, no evil shall befall you…

Some trends are developing in worship services in the Lord’s church today that are aimed at pleasing those who are proposing to be worshipping and not to serve as worship to God. God didn’t leave us “in the dark” about what He expects of us, and that includes our public worship services. These modern “added” trends in the Lord’s church are not very far from us. My wife and I attended a service of the Lord’s church within 25 miles of here and we had our eyes opened. Teenage girls stood at the back of the auditorium and led the public singing along with a group of young men. There was handclapping and so much disorder from the young folks that we looked up elders after the “service” was over and attempted to talk with them about it. Basically, we were told to mind our own business. These modern trends are popping up in congregations all around us. So many seem to want to express their worship by handclapping, foot stomping, swaying and much loudness. They are expressing their emotions by their spirited display of worship. I certainly want to worship God in the proper way, that is, in the way He has directed, and I don’t find any of these things demonstrated in details of the way early Christians worshipped nor do I find them commanded or demonstrated in the New Testament at all. Those who do such things in worship seem to be doing it for show to draw attention

This country is only as good as its citizens. For the country to be better, its citizens must become better citizens. If we expect to stand the test of time, this nation must work toward making this country morally and physically strong. Likewise, the church can and will become better if the individual members begin the process with themselves. Therefore, to make the church better, each member must realize that he or she is important to the work of the church. The body cannot function properly without each of its members contributing (1 Corinthians 12:20-26). Our Lord expects all of us to do what we can to strengthen and nourish the church. “From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, makes increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:16). Each member must be willing to help the church grow. After you realize your importance to the church, you must then start to do something for the church. The obligations of the church can most easily be placed into three categories: (1) Evangelism – teaching the Gospel to the lost. (2) Edification – encouraging the existing members and (3) Benevolence – helping the needy to get those necessary things for everyday living. To that end, each member can contribute in a multitude of ways. Perhaps the easiest thing to do is to “be kind to one another,

What is the Gospel? The apostle Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one who believes” (Romans 1:16). The Gospel is the “good news” or “tidings” of Jesus Christ. It is teaching the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, the only begotten Son of God. It is the truth that everyone has sinned and violated the will of God and is without hope until he is reconciled (Ephesians 2:16) to God by the blood of Christ. What is the extent of this Gospel? We see this in Matthew 24:14, “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations.” This was a statement that our Lord made during His earthly ministry, and the apostle Paul confirmed that this prophecy did actually occur as stated in Romans 10:18, “Their sound went into all the earth and their words unto the ends of the world.” The Gospel is for all and, in order to be saved, everyone must have an opportunity to decide whether to obey the Gospel message, so the Gospel was carried to all of the then-known world. Today, it is the job of Christians to take the Gospel to those who do not know Christ or have not accepted Him as their Savior. Paul was instrumental in converting the young preacher Timothy, and he instructed Timothy, “The things that you have heard, the same commit to

It has been awhile since I have broached the subject of attendance; however, our little number in Bible study on Wednesday evening caused me to reflect on the subject. Upon leaving the building, Alice and I began to discuss the small crowd and the obvious lack of interest in spiritual things. We both agreed that it had helped us to be there. On one hand, we both felt as if we had gotten a tremendous “boost” by having been there to read and study God’s Word and by sharing thoughts and feelings with like-minded people. On the other hand, by looking into God’s Word and sharing together with others, we not only gained something from the meeting ourselves, but hopefully encouraged others who were present. So, just as the Bible study served a two-fold purpose for us by giving energy to our own faith and giving strength and encouragement to others, we can hope and pray that others present received the same benefits. We all know that the saints are commanded to not forsake the assembly on the Lord’s Day but to be present to worship as they take the Lord’s Supper, to study God’s Word, to give of their means to the work of the Lord, to commune with God in prayer and to sing and make melody in their hearts to God. However, what about the rest of the “assemblies”? Many seem to think that, if they assemble on Sunday morning, they have done their “duty,” and the

When children are small, we often see one of them eagerly desiring to play with or have a toy just like his playmates, and oftentimes, this desire turns into an argument or a tumble. Often we see a teenage boy who wants “wheels” just like those his friends have. A teenage girl may really want to have a date with her best friend’s beau. A woman may want a beautiful house just like her neighbor’s. A man would truly love to have a fancy motorcycle just like a coworker has. The scenario goes on! You know the story. What makes people desire what others have? Is it human nature to want something as good as or better than what others have? Can a person do anything about those desires? Let’s examine God’s teaching on “covetousness.” Covet means “to desire selfishly and eagerly something that belongs to another.” Covetousness is defined as “greed.” Covetously means “with a strong or inordinate desire to obtain and possess.” The word “inordinate” itself means “much too great; excessive, unrestrained.” We can all readily see that the definitions of these words are certainly not to be part of a Christian’s life. The first clue we have is that to covet is to selfishly want something that someone else has. This is far removed from the servant-hood commanded for Christians as Christ taught: “Whosoever of you would be first among you shall be servant of all for even the Son of man did not come to be

I do believe that the winter past was the mildest one I have ever witnessed in my lifetime. Like us, most of you did not even have to take the heavy clothes and coats out of the closet or put heavy blankets on the bed. Our fuel bills were even down considerably. We saw a few flakes of snow one time but there was no accumulation. Hot temperatures have arrived early, and we are already looking for ways to relieve ourselves of the heat. The big problem is that the temperature is beginning to rise and the clothes are coming off! Not only is this happening at swimming spots, but on the streets and in all public places. It is almost a disgrace to walk down a street, go to a park, etc. You get the picture! You see the same exposure I see. The prophet Jeremiah spoke of such a time as this in Jeremiah 8:12. “Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed and neither could they blush.” As people are exposing their bodies in public, they fail to realize how this may affect others in so many ways, and this goes for the male populace as well as the female. There have been times when I have actually had to turn my head away from some publicly exposed body. There are just some parts of our physical make-up that are private and not for public exposure. If these people would

A precious new baby is born and taken home from the hospital, and other siblings in the home begin to show animosity toward the newborn. Two young girls are out shopping with their mother who buys one of them a beautiful new dress. Three sons who all love sports are excited about an upcoming ballgame, but the father says only one of them can go with him to the game. A husband is out for an evening with his wife, and they run into a friend who seems to be flirting with his wife. All of these and many more situations have inspired jealousy since the beginning of time. The result is what we know as jealousy, and it often creates huge problems. What is jealousy? The dictionary describes it as being “fearful that a person one loves may love or prefer someone else.” It is a fear of being rejected and another being accepted. We all want to feel that no one else is loved or preferred above us by someone else. It brings about a feeling of loss and being “left out in the cold alone.” Jealousy has broken up families, caused people to murder and commit all sorts of heinous crimes. The Bible addresses such jealousy in Proverbs 6:34, “Jealousy is the rage of a man.” Rage throws a person into violent anger, and he acts upon it. The wise man said that “Jealousy is as cruel as the grave” (Song of Solomon 8:6). These reactions to

Since the beginning of time, mankind has been unwilling to take credit for his own actions when there was a question of right and wrong and the wrong was chosen. If an action is not right, we want to blame someone else. Of course, that is not true when good may come of a decision, because we are quick to jump out front and take credit for that action. However, let us look at Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God had given strict instructions (Genesus 2:17; 3:3, 17) for them not to eat of nor even touch the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which grew in the midst of the garden. Yet, we all know the story. Satan came and convinced Eve that she would not die if she disobeyed God and ate of the forbidden tree. Contrarily, the Devil convinced her that she would become as a god if she ate of it. Therefore, she succumbed to Satan’s temptation and did eat it. She then saw that it was good for food and gave it to Adam, and he ate it also. There is no indication that he even questioned about where the fruit came from. He just ate it, but when God came to them and questioned them, Adam said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me gave me of the tree and I did eat” (Genesis 3:1). Not only was Adam quick to blame his woman, but in the

Recently, I came across this little piece of wisdom, and I quote: “Men do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself but because it contradicts them.” I do not even know who made this statement or when and why it was made, but I do know that it is a “jewel” of wisdom. The word “contradict” means to “say the opposite of what has been said”; “to be contrary to or disagree with”; “to declare untrue” or “to speak against.” We often hear someone quote two different Scriptures from the Bible and affirm that they are contradictory to each other. How foolish! God is perfect, and He did not put into His Holy Word something that would “speak against” or “say the opposite” of something He said somewhere else. Only men are capable of doing that. Men are just not willing to accept the Word as perfect, and they themselves want to change the context or meaning of Scriptures so that they can salve their own consciences about the falsehood they are peddling. There are those who sometimes just set out to create confusion and cause others to question the validity of what is said. When Paul preached at Antioch to a Jewish audience, he made quite a stir and the Gentiles asked him to preach the Gospel to them on the next Sabbath. Following their request, we read in Acts 13:44, “The next Sabbath day, almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. But,

As we begin a new year, we see many ideas on how to make our lives better: exercise more, eat healthier, silent meditation, laugh more, maintain a positive attitude, etc. All of these ideas (and others not mentioned here) are probably really good ideas and may accomplish some good outcomes for our health, so don’t disallow them. In fact, you may see fit to put some of them to good use! However, in most cases where I have seen a “to do” list for better living, nothing is mentioned about religious and eternal matters. This is usually the result of what we call “political correctness.” Those presenting the material are afraid they might offend someone by mentioning religious matters because there are so many in the world who do take exception to anything spiritual, and so they do not want to hear it. However, let’s talk about some religious matters that can create a more productive life for us and make our day-to-day lives happier and more peaceful. Even those people who take offense at religion may find some good pointers here. There is so much contention and dissatisfaction around us. Tempers flared and patience was especially short during the holidays, and one did not have to listen very hard to hear some harsh words spoken. What a waste of our tongues! We read in 1 Peter 3:10-11, “He who will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips that they speak

Albert Einstein was what we call a “genius.” He had the ability to study and comprehend how things worked and the results that would occur when certain things were altered or challenged. The Einstein equation expresses the relation of mass and energy and the Einstein theory is that there is no absolute motion but that all motion is relative. Does that sound profound? It does to me! He was a deep thinker but he did not let that get in the way of his understanding that his intelligence was not of himself. He knew that there was an outside force. He made this famous quote: “Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better.” He also said, “We still do not know one thousandth of one percent of what nature has revealed to us.” Not a great deal is known about Einstein’s religion, and it is true that these declarations from him about nature are not full admissions of him believing in “a greater power,” but at least he realized he could become more intelligent by observing and learning from God’s creation. Is it not notable to know that sometimes even “great” minds do not rule God out? Too often, people who make a scientific “break-through” of some sort want all the accolades that go with the discovery. They believe they are the brains and are so smart that they do not need to depend on someone else for anything. The Wise Man said, “don’t be wise in

As so often happens, an incident happened this week that I just could not get past for a while. The result of the unintentional incident was that one of the parties almost began to rail against the other. It was totally unnecessary and uncalled for. There was no basis for the “railer” to react in such a way. I realized that this person has a penchant for railing and causing contention and is one who takes exception to almost everything that is said or done. Do you know people like this? Probably so and it makes you realize that they do not understand anything about The Power of Positive Thinking, a book that was written by Norman Vincent Peale many years ago. Although Dr. Peale made some very good points in his book, all we need to do to eliminate the negative and accentuate the positive is to look to and obey God’s Word. The “wise man” said “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). So the way to do away with the negative, mean, hateful things is to fill our minds with positive, gentle, loving thoughts and attitudes. A person is capable of controlling his/her thoughts and actions. One cannot let outside influences make decisions for him about what and how he will think and act unless he is obeying God in those matters. If God is allowed to control your thoughts and actions, what does He say? What He says is “Put off anger,

We have had some extreme weather events this summer and, not just here, but all across the country. In February, we had 7” of rain that did quite a bit of damage. The two-lane gravel road from our house to the highway was flooded so badly that we absolutely could not get out without a boat (thankfully we did not have to!). The later spring brought more heavy rain and flooding that has brought woe to area farmers. Then, there were all of the spring killer tornadoes that devastated some areas that are still trying to recover from them. Now, the extreme heat is plaguing us. The temperature on our back porch (in the shade) was 114 on Wednesday this week. Never in my lifetime have I seen a temperature that high. My wife and I made a trip this week, and as we traveled, we were talking about all the trees that were dying after having been struck by lightning. She made the remark that the lightning had gone straight to the roots (the life of the trees) and had killed them. Even though sometimes trees die in stages because of wind, disease, etc., that is not the case when lightning strikes head-on. Occasionally, a tree will get struck only slightly and may live, but when the lightning goes to the roots, the tree will not survive. This made me think about how much this is like sin. When Satan strikes, he goes straight for the vital spiritual organ