Rehoboam received the throne to a great kingdom. His grandfather had subdued the enemies around the land, and his father was one of the wealthiest people to ever live. All he had to do was not mess anything up. Sadly, the very first thing he did upon taking the throne was to mess everything up. His people came to him with a request to lighten their workload. Rehoboam did the right thing in seeking advice; he just happened to choose poorly. The advice he took was not only to ignore the plea of the people but also to threaten them with harder labor and more severe punishments. A civil war resulted where he lost most of the kingdom, and then, the Egyptians attacked him, and he lost all his wealth. Had he taken the advice to listen to his people, he would have enjoyed a great kingdom, but his pride cost him everything. Learn from the mistake of this king—be humble.

It is always a good time to be reminded that Christians are charged to handle the Word of truth “accurately” (2 Timothy 2:15 NASB). Handling accurately (“rightly dividing” KJV) the Word is something that takes time to learn to do and is something that should never be taken for granted. There have always been calls to ignore the Bible in favor of some other document or to just ignore it all together, supposedly because it is wrong or outdated. We cannot afford to fall in those traps, no matter who tries to lure us or for what reason someone tries to lure us. A person might try to lure us away to accept a doctrine not taught in Scripture or something that perhaps Scripture teaches against. Some may try to lure us into thinking that God really does not know best what is good for His creation today, trying to convince us that His laws are outdated. The reason for the call of diligence is that sometimes people will attempt to use the Bible to justify false teaching; this is why Bible study is so important. Keep studying so that you may handle the Word of truth accurately and to never be fooled by anyone with an agenda.

Imagine you’re walking in the woods. You come to an area where there is a steep descent, and you begin to look around for a way down. You notice a couple options, but one stands out in particular: a set of stairs, complete with a handrail. The woods are full of natural trails, but this is not one of them. Someone made this trail, or at least this part of it; someone designed this for ease of access. Where there is design, there must be a designer. The world in which we live is full of design: the water cycle, the seasons, the food chain and our bodies, to name a few. Our planet, itself, exhibits a number of designs, like its average distance from the sun, its tilt on its axis and the composition of its atmosphere. Design demands a designer, and the evidence is overwhelming that our world is no accident, but instead, it is the result of an Intelligent Designer. Personally, I have no choice but to conclude that, “In the beginning, God made the heavens and the earth,” (Genesis 1:1). [Editor’s Note: Everything that man did not make owes its origin to a supernatural Designer and Creator. “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they [men and women] are without excuse” (Romans 1:20 NKJV). ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]

The second and third chapters of the book of Revelation feature short letters addressed to seven cities (churches) in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). All of them were offered encouragement as they faced the various trials that come with daily life but also the extreme challenges that particular time period presented. Of the seven, however, five were also told they had some problems that needed to be addressed, or else. Or else, what? What does that mean? Simply put, if these churches did not fix their particular problems, they were going to have to answer to Jesus in a manner of judgment; in other words, they would fall from grace. This is why it is so important that we look out for one another and encourage each other as we travel the road of life on our way to the other side. There are many detours that can be taken and many different obstacles in our paths. However, don’t give up, and don’t get sidetracked. If you find yourself fighting a particular problem, fix it!

How much is a 5-dollar bill worth? What if it is old? What if it is dirty? What if I crumple it up, throw it on the ground, step on it with my shoe and grind it into the ground? What if it has a few small tears in it? Though its looks change, it still remains worth the same amount as before. In life, we will grow old, get dirty, get bruised and cut up, become sick, and get stepped on and ground into the dust. These circumstances do not change our worth. Our worth is not diminished one bit. Our worth has already been determined by God, and we need to remember that. Our value changes only in the eyes of people. Sometimes, we will be valuable and important to them, but sometimes not so much. In God’s eyes, however, our worth never changes. How much are we worth to God? Read John 3:16 and remind yourself.

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

What comes to mind when you think about Peter? Do you associate him with his lows or his highs? Jesus did have to pull him out of the water, but never forget that Peter actually had the faith and the courage to step out of the boat in the first place (Matthew 14:28-29)! Peter did deny Jesus three times, but he was able to bounce back, and he is the one recorded doing the majority of the preaching in the first few chapters of Acts, including preaching to the very crowd that crucified Jesus (Acts 2)! I want to be more like Peter. There are things I want to accomplish and steps I need to take that are outside of my comfort zone; I want to have his faith, boldness and courage. I know that things will not always go as planned, and there will be times I fall on my face. I also want his ability to bounce back after failures and defeats. I want to meet life head on and succeed. I want to be a little more like Peter.

A man had two sons. He told the first to work in the vineyard, and the son said he would, but never did. The father told the second son to go work in the vineyard and the son said no, but later he repented and went to work. Which did the will of his father? Jesus explained this parable (Matthew 21:28-32) by telling the chief priests and the elders of the Jews that tax-gatherers and harlots would enter into Heaven before they would. John came to the people in righteousness, and the sinners heard John and repented, but the religious leaders refused to take heed, even after seeing the sinners repent. The warning stands today, 2000 years later. Don’t count on your own piety and righteousness to save you. Be humble, be teachable, and trust in Jesus and His power to save (Mark 16:15-16; Romans 1:16).

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

On occasion, I can be an overthinker. Sometimes an issue can come up, and I spend a great deal of time thinking about various ways to approach it. I try to play out in my mind several scenarios and attempt to evaluate the best course of action. This isn’t always a bad thing, but sometimes, it can be. If we are not careful, we can waste a good deal of time worrying about simple things. One place where I have overthought is in preaching. Preaching and teaching should take time and thought, but they also should be very organic and simple. Consider the preaching in the book of Acts. The preaching of the apostles was not rehearsed and recited, and neither was it complex or fancy. The speakers preached what they knew and related to their audiences that Jesus is King, that He has been raised from the dead and that He offers freedom from and forgiveness for sins. Consider these points the next time you want to share the Gospel with someone, especially if you are an overthinker and get distracted or worry and wonder how it will be accepted. Jesus and the apostles preached to everyone but did not reach everyone. They just sowed, and that is all we can do. Plant, water and let God take care of the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6). [Editor’s Note: For many years, I spent too much time trying to decide what to preach, which left less time to make the actual preparation

Being a follower of God has never been easy. Abraham was afraid for his life because of how beautiful his wife was, and so, he lied about their relationship (Genesis 20). Joseph maintained his integrity and resisted temptation but still wound up in prison and was left there for two years after he should have been released (Genesis 41:1). Job was faithful and righteous, but Satan was allowed to test him to the max, and then, he was accused of evil and unrepentant sin. Israel escaped Egyptian bondage, and after three days found no water (Exodus 15:22-23). The prophets of God were hidden in caves during the time of Ahab and Jezebel (1 Kings 18:4). The people Jesus came to save betrayed Him, and one of His close followers betrayed Him, too. The book of Acts details a number of times Christians were arrested, beaten, threatened and even martyred. The apostle Paul had his own list of times he experienced various dangers (2 Corinthians 11:24ff). Life is not always going to be fair or easy, so when the tough times come, how much are we willing to trust God (Romans 8:18)? [Editor’s Note: The statement and sentiment of the three Jewish youths facing a fiery furnace ought to be demonstrated in the lives of Christians today. “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar… our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O

Life is full of choices. The most important of these choices is to choose God. It cannot be overemphasized that being a follower of God is a choice. Even the nation of Israel, which God rescued from Egyptian slavery and which entered into a covenant with Him, still encountered choices it needed to make on multiple occasions. Especially twice God called upon His people to make the most important of all choices. “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19 NKJV). “‘And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, 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.’ So the people answered and said: ‘Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods’” (Joshua 24:15-16). Sometimes the Israelites made good choices while at other times they chose poorly. The book of Judges chronicles the cycles of Israel’s faithfulness and unfaithfulness. Fast forward 1,000 years to the time of Jesus, and God still presents this same choice – whether or not to “choose life.” He never compels any to believe and to be baptized. “He who

Kindness might be one of the most important traits that is missing in many Christians. Real, biblical kindness isn’t about being nice to people you like or to people who are nice to you. Neither is kindness helping people when it is convenient. Going an extra mile (Matthew 5:41) includes doing things for people you may not like and doing tasks you’d rather not do. Loving your neighbor is great, but Jesus told us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). Jesus left us examples by healing someone who was literally out to get Him (Luke 22:51) and later prayed for the forgiveness of those who crucified Him (Luke 23:34). The world does for those who do for them; Christianity is about doing for those who cannot repay (Luke 14:12-14). The world counts the cost and calculates its own benefit before considering helping others; Christians are called to be selfless. The world expects and enjoys being served; Christians are to take joy in serving others (John 13). In a world where you can be anything, be kind and shine the light of Jesus (Matthew 5:14).

The issue of authority is one of the more important foundational topics that is frequently ignored by much of the religious world. However, I am glad to say that it is changing. More and more, people are considering the issue, and so, here are some things to share with others on why we should do things Jesus’ way instead of in our own ways. First, Jesus is Creator (John 1:1-10); as such, naturally, He has the authority to set law and tell us what He expects and desires of us. Second, Jesus is our Redeemer (Galatians 3:13). Since He gave His life for us to free us from sin (Galatians 1:4), we honor Him by doing things His way. Finally, Jesus is our Judge (John 12:48). He declared that there is one path to God, and it is through Him (John 14:6). Therefore, there is no other way but Jesus’ way!

In the days of Noah, God warned of a flood that was going to come and consume the world. There was a way to escape the flood; God instructed His servant Noah to build a boat, which could be boarded. Salvation was simple: Get inside! A millennium later, God told Moses to carry a message to Pharaoh, but Pharaoh didn’t heed the message. Subsequently, he and his people suffered the ten plagues. The last plague was the death of the firstborn male, but people in Egypt were told they could escape the plague by covering their doorways with blood. Salvation was simple: Get inside! The Bible declares that one day we will stand before God and give an account of our lives, and if we are not saved, we will be cast out. The Bible also declares that those who are baptized into Christ and who remain at home with God will spend eternity in God’s presence. Salvation is still simple: Get inside! [Editor’s Note: Comparable to Noah’s ark – figuratively, of course – the Lord’s church is the ark of safety, today. Get inside! On the birthday of the church in Acts 2, believers were told to repent and to be baptized for the remission of their sins (vs. 37-38; cf., Mark 16:16). That day about 3,000 souls submitted to Christian baptism (v. 41), and Jesus added them to His church (v. 47). Get inside! ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]

I read an Internet article last week where the author was commenting on how baptisms have become extremely non-traditional. I don’t know the author or the author’s religious background, but it is clear that there is a great deal of misinformation about baptism in the religious world. I cannot possibly cover all of the problems and misunderstandings in a single, short article, but here are some of the bigger takeaways that we need to share with our friends and family. Baptism is a burial in water by the authority of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins (Romans 6:4; 1 Peter 3:21; Acts 2:38). Candidates for baptism are teens and adults who recognize the need. Where someone is baptized and who does the baptizing are things that do not matter. A person wearing casual clothes baptized in a pool by a friend is no less saved than a person wearing a baptismal robe who is baptized in a church baptistry by a minister or an elder. Our concern should not be how traditional a baptism is but how biblical it is. [Editor’s Note: Traveling around the world to distant and often remote interior destinations with the Gospel message presents a variety of variables that differ from American traditional trappings. Over a hundred years ago in the USA, too – predating contemporary American church amenities and traditions – baptismal robes and baptistries in modern buildings did not trump the immersion in water of penitent believers for the remission of sins. The conversion of

The number one reason people leave a job is because they feel underappreciated. Employees who continually feel like their good work goes unnoticed are not likely to stick around. With that being said, I want us to think about two things. First, be an encouraging presence wherever you are. It costs nothing and takes very little time to be kind and offer up encouraging words to people. Strive to be a Barnabas (Acts 4:36; 9:27). Secondly, how often do you show appreciation to God for all the blessings in your life? How often do you take time to acknowledge your blessings? Let us always consider that what we have are gifts from God, and let us always show appreciation for the blessings in our lives. [Editor’s Note: Don’t forget that the greatest blessings we enjoy as Christians are not tangible. We cannot embrace them with the five senses because they are spiritual, and hence, they are intangible. Thank God, first of all, often and heartily for our spiritual blessings – namely the forgiveness of sins and a relationship with Deity – via the sacrifice of the Son of God and known to us through the Gospel. ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]

I read something the other day that I had never considered. It’s an idea that is glaringly obvious once it is read, but I never thought about it until I read it. In Acts 2, when Peter and the others were preaching on the day of Pentecost, just 50 days after the crucifixion of Jesus, some Jews became convicted at the message of Scripture being fulfilled before their very eyes; they had realized that they had crucified the Messiah. They, then, asked a very simple, yet an important question, “What shall we do?” They knew and understood that they were guilty and outside of the covenant, but they wanted to get back into a covenant relationship with God. Therefore, they inquired what needed to be done. Peter, therefore, gave them the answer. “…Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” (Acts 2:38 NKJV). When they received their answer, there was no retort about John 3:16, Romans 10:9-10 or Ephesians 2:8-9. Why? Because those passages had not been written yet. Similarly, when Ananias told Saul to be baptized (Acts 22:16), there was no argument; he did as he was instructed. Keeping that in mind, now think about the next 40 years as the New Testament was being written, and notice baptism is cited as uniting us with Christ in His death (Romans 6:3), is where our hearts are circumcised (Colossians 2:11-12), is how we clothe ourselves with Christ and

Moses was a Hebrew son who survived the massacre commanded by Pharaoh. He was raised as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter in Egypt but wound up fleeing to Midian and becoming a shepherd. God found him in the wilderness and commanded him to bring a message back to the king of Egypt: “Let my people go.” Exodus 5:2 records Pharaoh’s response to Yahweh’s charge, which is the title of the article. What follows in the next few chapters of Exodus is a brief introduction to who the Lord is. In particular, He (Yahweh) is the True Sovereign. The Lord is the One in control of nature. The Lord is more powerful than any god the Egyptians served. Yahweh was able to protect His people and defeat their enemies. Thousands of years later, these truths remain steadfast. God is still in control. He is still Sovereign. He is greater than any god anyone could worship because He is the True God. God is able to protect us and defeat our enemies. This is who the Lord is and why we should obey Him. [Editor’s Note: This article by brother Baxley is merely a brief account of what the entire Bible and the existence of the Bible itself reveal why we ought to obey God. Certainly, the Exodus account featuring the escape of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery demonstrates why we ought to obey the Lord. ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]

“Because I said so” is a phrase I thought I wouldn’t use as a parent. When I was a child, I hated hearing that from my parents; I thought I deserved an explanation. So, I told myself that I’ll always tell my kids why. As you can probably guess, my mind changed; as a parent I have used the phrase multiple times for multiple reasons. My children will not always understand my reasoning, and I know they will not always like it. Yet, it’s important for them to trust me that I know what’s best for them and have their best interests at heart. It’s the same way with God and us. We will not always know the why behind what He says, but it’s important for us to trust Him. He most definitely knows what’s best for us, and God has our best interests at heart. When the Bible speaks, we should listen and follow its instructions, regardless of how difficult or unpopular they might be. Trust God. Stand your ground.

“If baptism is where sins are forgiven, how many times do I need to be baptized? Do I need to be baptized after every time I sin?” This is a frequently asked question, and so it is good for us to have an answer ready. The simple answer is found in Acts 8, the story of Simon the Sorcerer. When Philip preached the Gospel and worked miracles, he convinced many, including Simon, and they were all baptized (12-13). When Peter and John came to give the miraculous portion of the Spirit, Simon attempted to buy power to pass on the gifts and fell into sin in the process (18-19). Peter immediately confronted Simon about his sin and warned him not that he needed to be baptized again to forgive this sin but to repent and to pray for forgiveness (22). Once we are baptized into Christ (Romans 6:4; Galatians 3:27), our sins are continuously forgiven as long as we walk in the light (1 John 1:7).

Over the last two years, I have given a great deal of thought to my health and nutrition. My weight began to climb higher and higher until I decided to do something about it. I started exercising, and my weight began to come down, but the greatest loss didn’t come until I took control of my nutrition. Diet is 80-90% of being healthy; understanding and accepting this has helped me improve my fitness tremendously. This is an area of life that translates well into spiritual parallels: growth as a Christian requires a healthy diet. Just as nutritional needs vary from person to person, spiritual dietary needs can vary as well. Infants need milk to grow; young Christians need milk, too. Young Christians don’t need to be delving into deep studies of atonement theories or studying the so-called church fathers. Their time is better spent reading the Bible and learning the books, characters and themes found in Scripture. As children age, they take on more and more solid foods to help them grow stronger, but they need to be eating quality foods to maintain good health (Hebrews 5:12). For Christians to grow in the faith, they must move beyond milk and focus on quality studies so that they may maintain a healthy faith. Leave the junk food of worldliness behind, and hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6).

There is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9), so the times in which we live are nothing that haven’t been seen before. In particular, the polarizing that has happened over the last decade, which evolves into hatred and violence, is not new. In fact, it can be successfully argued that hatred and violence against those who are not like us is one of Satan’s oldest tools. Still the question lingers: “What can we do against such hate?” “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ ‘But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven’” (Matthew 5:43-45). On another occasion, a scribe heard an interchange between Sadducees and Jesus, and recognized that our Lord had answered them well. The scribe asked Jesus, “Which is the first commandment of all? Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:28-31). If more of us will play the part of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37), then we can begin

Your relationship with God is exactly that — your relationship. That is, you are responsible for your own soul. This is not to say that you save yourself, but simply, the decision to be faithful to God or not is entirely yours. Where you spend eternity is going to be decided by what you choose in life. The faithfulness of your family and friends can only help you so much; it can only carry you so far. Ultimately, the faithfulness of others cannot and will not carry you all the way. The faithfulness of your Bible school teachers, youth ministers and preachers can carry you a long way and help you a great deal, but they, too, have their limits. Judas, Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11), and Demas (2 Timothy 4:10) are all New Testament examples that show just how important it is to make good choices and to keep one’s priorities straight. Being in a covenant relationship with God is a choice that we must make daily (Luke 9:23). The way of the world and the way of the cross are set before us. Choose wisely. Choose life.

There are quite a few who regard the Bible as an important book but not the end-all that it truly is. Islam acknowledges the importance of much of the Bible, but Islamists falsely claim that the Bible has been corrupted and the Koran is the superior. Mormons have the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrines and Covenants in their lineup. Catholicism as well as Protestant denominations believe the church’s interpretation of the Bible is more important than the actual Bible text. Other groups have priests or prophets who claim to receive direct revelation from God, while still others claim to receive the revelation themselves. So, what do we do? Who is correct? With all of these ideas circulating, how can we know what the truth really is? This is why we must continually emphasize that the Bible is not just “an” important book, but it is the book; it, and it alone is the standard. This is the only book that will teach us who God is and what His plan is; it is the only road map to heaven. [Editor’s Note: It is eternally dangerous to either ignore the Bible or to alter it in any way. “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his

As Christians, we are to be godly examples to the world and to demonstrate that we are servants of Jesus. Everything we say and do should be guided by the principles Jesus taught and lead us to speak and to act according to His will. At home, in public or on social media, we must always be aware of the fact that we represent Jesus. Therefore, we should conduct ourselves in an appropriate manner. This also means that our priorities should be kingdom matters. There are far too many who busy themselves with the concerns of the world over the concerns of our Lord’s kingdom. It is okay to worry about the government, but it is not okay to spend more time arguing about politics, and perhaps being ugly about it, than loving God and loving our neighbors. Christians, please, take time to do a self-evaluation from time to time to check and to make sure you are still walking the correct path (Matthew 7:13-14). Be concerned about government and other things, have hobbies, work hard and love your family, but be a Christian first.

The Christian life is not an easy one. The life of discipleship is a life of discipline – a life of denying self and living according to a higher standard. Christians were never promised this would be easy. Jesus often warned that to follow Him would lead to persecution, and He instructed those who showed interest to count the cost. The Christian life is not an easy one, but it is the most fulfilling life that can be lived, and it alone awaits the greatest reward. One need to look no further than Saul of Tarsus who gave up his aspiring life in Judaism to become a disciple of Christ. Not only did he give up his old life of being a notable figure within Judaism, but he also gave it up for the life of persecution of which Jesus warned. Yet, no matter how hard things got or how much he suffered, Saul (Paul) kept looking forward, knowing that the end would be far better than anything he could imagine (Romans 8:18). Discipleship is not easy, but there is nothing more rewarding than being a disciple of Jesus Christ!

Renowned atheist Bertrand Russell was asked what he would say to God if he had the chance, to which he responded, “Why did you make it so hard to find you?” Is God really that hard to find? People often announce that they’ve “found God.” However, is He really hiding? I submit to you that God is not hiding and that evidence for Him is all around and overwhelming. Yet, we simply must be honest to see it. For example, why does life only exist on planet earth? Is it luck as atheists claim, or is it by design of a supreme, supernatural being (God)? Why is it that only our planet is the perfect distance away from the sun, has the perfect rotation speed, perfect axis tilt, has the perfect atmosphere, etc.? How many “perfections” do there need to be before men for them to be willing to admit that this goes beyond luck and is designed? The evidence supporting Genesis 1:1 is present, but we have to be honest enough to admit it (Romans 1:20). Thomas Baxley is a young Gospel preacher, a husband and a father. He serves the Highway Nine Church of Christ in Piedmont, Alabama, USA.

Christians are good people. You can be a good person and not be a Christian, but you cannot be a Christian and not be a good person. Christians love their neighbors as themselves (Matthew 22:39; Luke 10:25-37), they speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), they serve one another (Matthew 25:31-46) and they behave properly (Galatians 5:19-21). People can do good or kind things in unloving ways, just as one can speak the truth in unloving and unkind ways. If we do good things with wrong motives, we are fooling ourselves if we think we are honoring God. Our goal as Christians is to do the will of God with good motives, including being good persons. Thomas Baxley is a young Gospel preacher, a husband and a father. He serves the Highway Nine Church of Christ in Piedmont, Alabama, USA.

The world has not gone crazy. It’s been that way for 6,000 years, and it shows no sign of changing. So, what are we as Christians supposed to do when the world is in such a mess? First of all, remember that God’s kingdom is not going anywhere (Daniel 2:44). The Christian’s citizenship is in Heaven. Therefore, don’t get too discouraged with what goes on down here. Secondly, our duty as Christians does not change with the shape of the world. We are called to be the lights of the world and the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13-16). We are sowers tasked with sowing the seed (Matthew 13:1-9). We are to care for widows and orphans (James 1:27). We are to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, take care of the sick and visit those in prison (James 2:14-26; Matthew 23:31ff). Regardless of the state of the world, never forget that this world is not our home. Never stop loving God, and never stop loving your neighbor as yourself. Thomas Baxley is a young Gospel preacher, a husband and a father. He serves the Highway Nine Church of Christ in Piedmont, Alabama, USA.

What is the will of God for me? God’s will for me is the same as it is for you, your neighbor, your family and everyone else on the planet. God’s will is for all to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). God has done all He can do to accomplish this. Jesus came and died on the cross for our sins, rising on the third day as the Scriptures foretold (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). This event, as well as how to respond to it, was recorded and preserved for us today. It really is this simple; to find out God’s will for you, all you have to do is read the Bible. The real question is whether or not you will follow it. Humanity has taken something simple and contorted it beyond recognition – both by adding to what God said in some places and taking away from His Word in other areas. It’s our duty as Christians to help those in the dark to find their way into the light so that they may learn and obey God’s will. Thomas Baxley is a young Gospel preacher, a husband and a father. He serves the Highway Nine Church of Christ in Piedmont, Alabama, USA.

Let’s take a second and be honest about something: Doing good can be very hard. This is not to say that it’s hard to know what “good” is, but simply that doing good things can be challenging. It’s hard to find motivation to do a good job when the rest of your team doesn’t care and doesn’t try. Unfortunately, you constantly get lumped in with everyone else’s bad work. It’s tiresome doing things for people who never say, “Thank you,” and never return the favor, especially when you have gone out of your way to help. Times like these are when character and integrity are important. We do good because of who we are, not because of the people for whom we do good. As Christians, we represent Jesus. We work hard and we serve others because of who He is and what He has done for us. What we always need to remember is that when we work, we do so for the Lord (Colossians 3:23), and when we serve others, we are serving Jesus (Matthew 25:31-46). Don’t grow weary in doing good. Keep things in perspective and keep moving forward. “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9 NKJV; cf., 2 Thessalonians 3:13).

Years ago, I taught that there was nothing that could ever separate you from the love of God except yourself. I would look at passages like Romans 8:35ff and show that there was no external thing that could pry you away from God but then turn around and show that Christians absolutely could fall from grace (Galatians 5:4). The problem is that though Christians can fall from grace, as a number of other passages clearly demonstrate (like virtually the entire book of Hebrews), God never stops loving us. The whole point of Romans 5 and Ephesians 2 demonstrates this perfectly. God’s love is magnified in that while we were dead in sin, He (through Jesus Christ) still loved us enough to come and die for us. It is important to note this distinction because while we can never be removed from God’s love (no matter how hard we try), we can be removed from His salvation — they are not the same thing. Both are never-ending, but God loves us unconditionally while His salvation is conditional on us being in Christ (Ephesians 1:3) and continuing to walk in the light (1 John 1:7; Acts 8:22).

I was sitting in my car looking at my side view mirror, thinking that I needed to adjust it so I could see better, but then, I remembered I was not sitting upright. When I sat in the seat properly, I could see clearly in the mirror. The same thing has happened with my rearview mirror. I thought it needed to be adjusted, but really, I was the one that needed to adjust. Then, I really got to thinking. Life really is about perspective; how we choose to look at things really makes all the difference. Paul’s thorn in the flesh was meant to keep him humble, but it reminded him of the strength of God instead of his own weakness (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). Every cloud has a silver lining, even if we cannot see it right away. The challenge for us, then, is to try and change the way we look at things. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Christians have to be on guard constantly against sin. In 2 Timothy 3:2-5, Paul told of a time coming when men would be “…lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; and avoid such men as these.” Something in this list I have not thought much about before is ingratitude or “ungrateful.” Most would not say that ingratitude is sinful, though perhaps they would pronounce it rude and bad manners. Paul said it’s more than that; to be an ungrateful person is to be on the same plane as the other things listed in the passage, things we would not hesitate to announce as sinful. As we go about our lives warring against the ways of sin, let us always be grateful for the blessings in our lives and not let ingratitude bring us down!

Christians have the responsibility of choosing to be a lifelong follower of God. There are examples in the New Testament of people who at one time chose to be followers of Jesus, but at some point, they drifted from that path and chose different gods. Those are negative and seemingly hopeless choices. However, there is the possibility of coming home to God. Throughout both testaments of the Bible, some people made poor choices, but there are also examples of people learning from their mistakes and coming back to God. For instance, the prodigal son willingly left his father’s house for the far country, but when that choice fell apart, he went home. Hoping to be made a servant, nevertheless, his father reinstated him as a son (Luke 15:22-24). Likewise, after Peter denied Jesus three times, hope was not lost for Peter. He repented and played a major role in the early days of the church. Consider also that when Simon the Sorcerer wanted to buy the ability to confer the Holy Spirit, Peter and John told him he needed to repent (Acts 8:22). Wherever you are and whatever you’ve done, as long as you live, you have the chance to come home to God. He is waiting. Come home.

Over the last several weeks, I have heard and seen discussions take place that attempt to relate the COVID-19 pandemic to the Bible. On one hand, some have suggested this is similar to the plagues of Egypt, and God has taken away the things we worship: Hollywood, athletes, money, etc. On the other, some are outright saying this is a sign of the end of time. While the first idea has more credibility than the second, neither are true. First of all, this virus is attacking the entire world, not just one small section. The entire world is not consumed with the things mentioned earlier. It is one thing to say that we can reflect on what has been taken away and re-prioritize now that distractions have been removed, but it is entirely different to matter-of-factly say that we are being punished. Second, people really need to stop trying to predict the end of the world: this is about the 10th end-time prediction in my lifetime alone. After discussing the fall of Jerusalem and the Temple, Jesus said no man would know the day or the hour (Matthew 24:36) when the world would end. God can and does still act in our world today, but let us tread carefully when we speak of God’s actions and always support it with book, chapter and verse from God’s Holy Word. [Editor’s Note: Only indirectly, as far as man can know today, is God in any way responsible for any disease or catastrophe in

Jesus likened the kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed and leaven (Matthew 13:31-33). The mustard seed is incredibly small, smaller than many other seeds, yet it grows into one of the largest plants in the garden. When making bread, very little leaven is needed. Reaching back to the Book of Daniel and thinking of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the statue was destroyed by a stone, but that stone grew into a great mountain and filled the earth. Looking through the New Testament we can see this came to pass. John the Baptist and Jesus came preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is near.” Peter was given the keys to the kingdom, the church (Matthew 16:18-19), which he used to open the door to Jews (Acts 2) and Gentiles (Acts 10). By the time of the writing of Colossians, the kingdom, whose coming arrival was preached in Judea, had come and had been preached in the rest of the world (Colossians 1:3-6). So, remember that when we evangelize, it is rare to convince people immediately. Rather, we plant a small seed inside their minds, and, if watered and tended, it has the potential grow and to transform lives.

Christians are kind people (Galatians 5:22). People today are so unkind to one another, especially those who have differing political or religious views. This should not be the case with Christians. Our kindness to others does not depend on their kindness to us (Matthew 5:43-48). Christians have been called to the higher standard of the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12). We are to treat others the way we want to be treated. This means everyone, whether we agree or not, whether they like us or not and whether they deserve it or not. Christians have the opportunity to change the world (1 Corinthians 12:31b), and it starts with being kind. People don’t care about how much you know until they know how much you care.

There is a video of a man and woman walking outside after a rain, and they come upon some puddles. The man jumps in the puddle in front of him and makes a splash. The woman jumps into her puddle and winds up chest deep in a hole! Another picture shows two dogs who have been walking through mud. One little dog had mud up to his chest, and another much bigger dog had mud barely up his legs; the caption for the photo says, “How deep is the mud? Depends on who you ask.” The video is more humorous than the photo, but both teach a very important lesson. While it might look like we all go through the same things, beneath the surface there may be more with which someone is dealing than with which you had to contend. On the other hand, even if someone is going through the exact same thing as you, you might be better equipped to handle it. Whatever the case, let us always be slow to judge and quick to offer aid and comfort when we can.

Interpreting the Bible is an in-depth subject that can’t adequately be covered in a brief article, so here I will just remind us of a few principles to remember so that we can make the most of our Bible studies. First, consider the original audience. Though the Bible was written for us, it was not written to us. Therefore, not everything will apply to us directly. For example, we are not required to build an ark like Noah, build a tabernacle like Moses or to have the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit like the first century church did. We still need to read those parts of the Bible and apply the principles found where possible (i.e., obedience, faith, service, etc.). Second, consider the timing. Some things were permitted or commanded under the Old Covenant that are not permitted or commanded under the New Covenant. For instance, the Old Testament commanded certain feast days to be kept and foods from which to abstain, while the New Testament gives no command for feast days or abstinence from food (except blood, Acts 15:29). Also remember that the accounts in the Gospel records took place under the Old Covenant; this is why the thief on the cross is not a valid argument against baptism, as some think, since neither had the church been established yet (Acts 2:47) nor had the Great Commission baptism been implemented yet (Mark 16:16). Third, consider the unity. The Bible was written by men as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2

John 16:12 might be one of the most important principal verses to remember when it comes to personal evangelism. Jesus told His disciples, “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” In this context, Jesus explained that He was going away, and the Comforter would come in His place. However, the point is this: Jesus had much to tell the disciples about what was going to happen, but He knew they were not ready for it. Therefore, He did not burden and overwhelm them. When it comes to evangelism, we feel like we need to teach everything all at once, and that is a huge mistake. When we teach, we need to have a plan, and we need to keep it simple. We have a lifetime to teach about the church functions, the home, gender roles, end times, church history, etc., but those are things that can wait. So, let’s focus on the most important things first: Establish the principles of authority and obedience. Take a biblical account like Noah, Naaman or any number of others and show (don’t tell) that to be saved we must do what God says the way He says to do it. Then, show in the New Testament what God said to do to be saved. [Editor’s Note: The “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) cannot be presented in a single occasion of Bible study. Yet, there are fundamentals of which a prospective candidate for conversion must be aware

Christmas and Easter are both manmade holidays that carry religious significance. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus, and Easter is the celebration of our Lord’s resurrection. I fully acknowledge that the Bible says nothing about either of these days, but I want you to think about why Easter should be much bigger than Christmas in the eyes of those who do view these days as religiously significant. As important as the birth of Jesus is, the resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of Christianity. The Bible is crystal clear on the subject: If Jesus did not raise from the dead our faith is useless because we are still in our sins (1 Corinthians 15:17). Encourage others to think about this monumental truth and what it means not just one day a year but every day. [Editor’s Note: While brother Baxley did not recommend recognizing Christmas and Easter as religious holidays for Christians to embrace, he did make an appropriate emphasis on the resurrection of our Lord from the grave—the precursor to His ascension to and coronation in Heaven (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 2:7). ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]

Christians are people of self-control (Galatians 5:23). Christianity is about disciplining oneself, and being in control of one’s thoughts, words and actions. This means that we have to fight against our own minds by taking every thought into captivity (2 Corinthians 10:5), bridling our tongues (James 3:1-12) and knowing that we are not free to do what we want and when we want (Galatians 5:19-21). Being a Christian means not only denying self (Luke 9:23) but dying to self (Galatians 2:20). Being serious about one’s relationship with Jesus and bearing good fruit means we strive to live our lives by the higher standards to which He has called us, the life of true and real discipleship where we strive to be like Him.

The biggest deception Satan plays against humanity is the illusion of time: we all think we will live to really old ages, thus having plenty of time to fix things later. The deception or illusion comes in with the very notion of “later.” None of us really know how long we have. This past Wednesday was the 18th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks where more than 3,000 people lost their lives, and many more later due to complications or injuries. The day before and the morning of the attacks those people were going about their routines, thinking they had all the time in the world to do what they needed to get done. However, sadly that was not the case. Here is the reality that we all need to face and help others to face as well: there is a 100% chance that we will all stand before God, and no one knows when that will be. Don’t fall prey to Satan’s lie; don’t put off till tomorrow what should be done today. Get in and stay in a right relationship with God.

Acts 7 gives the account of the stoning of Stephen, one of the original deacons chosen in the previous chapter. At the end of the chapter, there is a passing reference to a man named Saul, who was present at the stoning. He was holding the coats of those stoning Stephen and watched with approval. Saul then continued to persecute the church, which led him to the high priest to request official authority to persecute Christians (Acts 8-9). Saul was on the road to Damascus when he encountered Jesus, after which his life changed forever. He immediately began proclaiming Christ in the synagogues, and then Saul began traveling throughout the Mediterranean world preaching Christ and Him crucified. In so doing, he endured countless hardships and dangers along the way. Saul went from being Christianity’s biggest enemy to its biggest envoy, which serves as a powerful apologetic point. His education in Tarsus and Jerusalem as well as his status as both a Jew and a Roman made him the perfect missionary to carry the message of the Messiah to the world, both to Jews and Gentiles. His influence is still with us to this day because of his contribution of several New Testament epistles as the apostle Paul.

Bodies are composed of many members with differing functions (1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12), and this is true of the Lord’s body—the church—as well (Colossians 1:18). Ephesians 4:11 states that some were given as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists and some as pastors. No one alive today meets the qualifications to be an apostle (Acts 1:21ff), and prophesy was a miraculous gift of the 1st century and as such is no longer present. (Only apostles could pass on the miraculous gifts, Acts 8:18). This leaves us with evangelists and pastors. The evangelist is the one who proclaims the Gospel, and pastors are the ones more commonly known as elders (Acts 20:17, also known in Scripture as shepherds or pastors, Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2). Deacons are important to the body as well, but their task is a different one. According to their establishment in Acts 6, their purpose is to meet physical needs while the leadership focuses on the spiritual needs. This doesn’t make one role more important than another, just like one part of your body is not more important than another. What this means is that for bodies to function properly, the different members need to be present and working together to bring glory to the Head—Jesus.

The context of Acts 8:26 tells of Philip preaching to an Ethiopian eunuch who had visited Jerusalem to worship, but he was on his way back home. As Philip approached the eunuch in his chariot, he found him reading from the prophet Isaiah, specifically the passage of the suffering servant (Isaiah 53). The eunuch admitted he didn’t understand what or about whom the prophet was speaking. Therefore, Philip began to preach Jesus to him. As they traveled along, they came upon some water, and the eunuch requested to be baptized, to which Philip consented and baptized him. Why didn’t the eunuch just wait until he got back home? I submit it’s the same reason the 3,000 did not wait in Acts 2, why the Philippian jailer did not wait in Acts 16:25-34 and why Paul did not wait after Ananias came and told him what He needed to do (Acts 9:5-6; 22:16). There is no salvation without forgiveness of sin, and there is no forgiveness of sin without immersion into Christ (Acts 2:38).

We know that when Jesus died, His body went into the tomb, and His soul descended into Hades. On the third day, He arose from death and emerged from the tomb. It is important to remember that Hades and Hell are not the same place, according to Luke 16:9-31. What happened while Jesus was in Hades? We don’t have a detailed account of what He did while there, but one thing we know is that the trip was necessary in order to fulfill prophecy (Psalm 16:10) and also to take death captive, which included acquiring the keys to death and Hades. Ephesians 4:8 (ASV) states that He lead captivity captive. Picture a victorious general returning to the capital and being led by his prisoners. When Jesus ascended, He conquered death, and it became His captive. Finally, note how Jesus described Himself in Revelation 1:17-18. “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.” This is why the resurrection is the day that changed the world!

One thing that has hindered my evangelism in the past is getting sidetracked with questions that are not particularly pertinent. When a person asks a question, I want to give an answer, but that often leads to more questions. So, we quickly get off track and get lost chasing rabbits, which accomplishes very little. Looking at Jesus’ ministry style has helped me see that I don’t have to or need to answer every question immediately or directly. Often in Jesus’ ministry when He was asked questions, He would not answer the questions directly. For example, in Luke 10:26 when a lawyer asked Jesus about inheriting eternal life, Jesus responded by asking him what is written in the Law and how he understood it. At the end of Mark 11, Jesus’ authority was challenged, and instead of answering questions directly, He asked about the authority of John’s baptism. Since Jesus didn’t feel the need to answer every single question directed to Him, we don’t need to feel like we have to answer every question directed to us either. Often, it is better if we don’t. We will fare much better in evangelism if we don’t. Do not permit extra questions to derail you from your task; don’t get lost chasing rabbits. Stay focused on your task, and after a foundation has been laid, then you can take more time to answer one question at a time.

In an article entitled, “7 Questions about Once Saved, Always Saved,” Joe McKeever asks, “Can you unfry an egg?” He then goes on to confidently state, “Then, after being saved—genuinely forgiven and accepted and transformed by the Holy Spirit of God into something far different from what you were, more than any hen’s egg ever dreamed possible—you cannot undo it. Once saved, always saved. To say otherwise, and to preach it, might be something akin to insulting the Holy Spirit.” Mr. McKeever goes on in the article to make a positive case for eternal security, explaining the biblical case for why this is true and should be believed. While you cannot unfry an egg, a Christian can most certainly lose salvation if not careful. “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries” (Hebrews 10:26-27). [Editor’s Note: Illustrations are great and useful only if they correctly and accurately illustrate a biblical truth. Illustrations of themselves and by themselves do not prove anything! As brother Baxley indicated, the fried egg illustration above is cute, but it does not represent biblical truth. ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]

According to Dictionary.com, authority is defined as, “the power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle issues or disputes; jurisdiction; the right to control, demand, or determine.” When it comes to matters of religion, from where do you derive authority? What is the precedent or source to which you look that governs how you worship? While the religious world will answer in various ways, there is only one answer for those who wish to be pleasing to God. Since Jesus is the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) and the Mediator of the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:6; 12:24), and since Jesus was given all authority (Matthew 28:19), our authority must come from Him. So, how can you know what Jesus expects or demands? Jesus told His apostles that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth (John 16:13), which they and other inspired writers wrote (2 Peter 3:2, 15)—the New Testament. This means that the New Testament is where we get our authority for matters of New Testament worship, rather than from visions and dreams, extra revelations or testaments, or tradition. When it comes to pleasing to God, we need to find what the New Testament says and do it.

Understanding that design demands a designer and that law demands a lawgiver are great, but the question is why should we recognize the God of the Bible as that Designer or Lawgiver? Apologetics are valuable, but they have their limitations: arguments from design point to a designer but cannot lead directly to Yahweh. To establish Yahweh as Designer, Lawgiver, Supreme, King, etc., we must examine the only book that reveals Him: the Bible. The Bible unequivocally declares Yahweh as Sovereign, but is there evidence to corroborate that? Put the Bible on trial and you will quickly begin to see all the different evidences that point to it being divinely inspired. For instance, it was written over a period of 1500+ years by numerous authors in three languages, and yet, there is not one legitimate contradiction. The Bible contains numerous examples of scientific foreknowledge and prophecy, which point to Yahweh’s ability to tell the end from the beginning. Finally, the Bible has yet to be found historically inaccurate. Everywhere that it has been challenged or tested, the Bible’s accuracy has prevailed. The Bible has also been used by archaeologists to discover certain sites. Knowing things like these helps us understand why we should be serious about what the Bible says. This is especially true since it is the only book that can prepare us for eternity.

John the Baptist is an extremely significant biblical character for a number of reasons. First of all, he represents the first message from God to His people in about 400 years, going back to the return from exile. A lot happened between Malachi and the time John came on the scene, especially the unfolding of the prophecies in Daniel, but God had no new messages for His people during that time. Secondly, this messenger from God was in fulfillment of prophecy in at least two ways. Isaiah said that one would come and be a voice in the wilderness (Isaiah 40:3; Matthew 3:3), and Malachi said that Elijah would return before the great and terrible day of the Lord (Malachi 4:5; Matthew 11:14). Finally, the content of John’s message revolved around two things: the kingdom of God was near (Matthew 3:2) and that Jerusalem’s judgment was fast approaching (Matthew 3:7-12). When Jesus began His ministry, He preached the same truths as John, building on the foundation that John laid, all of which was based in Scripture.

After the period of the Judges came the period of the United Kingdom. Saul’s reign was not one characterized by a seeking after God, nor much military conquest, like it was during the day of Joshua and the taking of the Promised Land. However, all that changed with David. David was by no means perfect, but he did more to honor God and bring glory to Israel than any of the other kings of the united monarchy. It was David who brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, something that had gone completely forgotten during the reign of Saul. It was David who first desired to build a permanent house for God and the Ark. It was David who subdued Israel’s enemies, paving the way for peace and prosperity for his son. It was David who became the image of what the Messiah would be like, the conquering king who would shepherd His people (Ezekiel 34:23-24; 37:24; Hosea 3:5).

Noah is an important figure to the Bible record for a few reasons. First of all, he demonstrated the fact that faith and obedience go hand-in-hand. God told Noah a flood was coming and what he needed to do to survive the flood; he did it and preserved his life. Second, Noah shows that what is popular is not always right and what is right is not always popular. Noah preached for decades, but in the end, only his family heeded the message he preached. The rest of the world perished. Finally, Noah serves as a warning to all of God’s people to watch themselves. Nobody is immune to sin and temptation. Coming off the boat where his life was spared, he made an altar and sacrificed to God. Not long after this event, Noah planted a vineyard and got drunk. Noah, the man who was perfect in his generation and walked with God, still had faults.

Especially noteworthy Bible characters introduced after Noah are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. These men are often known as the Patriarchs, the fathers of the Israelite people. Abraham in particular deserves special attention. The Patriarchs are important because they are the ones who received the promises of inheriting the Promised Land, of numerous descendants and the ones through whom all nations of the world would be blessed. What is even more momentous about these men receiving these promises is when they received them. These covenants were made before the Law was given. The reason this is so significant is because it demonstrates what can and does happen apart from the law (Romans 4). Of all the many things that could be discussed about the Patriarchs, there is one more thing I want to mention here. All three had multiple sons, but not every son received the same blessings. Abraham had Ishmael, Isaac and 6 more sons by Keturah, but only Isaac received the promises. Isaac had Esau and Jacob, but only Jacob received the promises. Bloodlines mattered for the purpose of bringing the Messiah into the world, but now that the Messiah has come, the only bloodline that matters is spiritual (Galatians 3:26-29; Romans 9:6). “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28 NKJV).

 For many years, God’s people were physically descended from the line of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; to be outside of this lineage was to be outside of the kingdom of God. This was not always to be the case, however. God promised Abraham from the beginning that through his seed all nations of the earth would be blessed, not just one family or one race of people. We see this throughout the Old Testament prophets, most clearly, though, in Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:1, which describe the mountain of the house of the Lord being raised up and all the nations streaming to it (cf., Hosea 1:10; 2:23; Romans 9:23-26). In Acts 2, we find Jews from every nation under heaven being converted to the Gospel, but there was still the matter of the Gentiles, those not of the physical lineage of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This is addressed in Acts 10 where Cornelius became the first Gentile convert to the Gospel, breaking forever the barrier dividing Jew and Gentile, for all are one in Christ (Galatians 3:28).

Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability they gave of their own accord, begging us with much entreaty for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. Consequently we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well. But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also. I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. … Therefore openly before the churches show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you. (2 Corinthians 8:1-9, 24)

We are in the midst of an unprecedented cultural revolution in the United States. We are discussing many things now that never would have been dreamed of even thirty years ago. One of the big issues in the revolution is egalitarianism for sexes. Women have more rights now than ever before. Our society has moved in the right direction in this case: at this point in history women have the right to vote, own property, hold top positions in companies, serve on the front lines in the military and a host of other privileges long denied them. Here is where things will get interesting in the next few years: What is the church to do about this? The Bible declares that there are roles that only men are to fill. Will the church remain faithful to the teaching of the Bible, or will we yield to the demands of culture? The answer is both. Those who understand that the Bible is not the opinions of men from 2,000+ years ago, but rather the directives of God (2 Peter 1:20-21), will stand firm on the truth. However unpopular it may be with the current culture, faithful Christians will stand firmly upon Bible teachings. On the other hand, those who believe that truth is relative will readily compromise and go with the flow of the culture around them. The time has come for us to make big decisions. The question is whom do you serve – Christ or culture? 

There is a character in the New Testament whose name is Gamaliel. There is not much said about him except that he was Paul’s rabbinical teacher (Acts 22:3) and that he was a well-respected member of the Council (Acts 5:34). Acts 5 further records the time when he gave advice concerning the apostles as to what should be done with them. He reminded the council of two who had come prior to the apostles and had drawn crowds after them. Both men were slain, and there followers disbanded after their deaths. Gamaliel advised to let the apostles alone. If they were acting of men, they would be overthrown, but if they were acting for God, then they could not be overthrown. If it were the latter, the Council should not want to fight against God (38-39). I say all of that to make this simple remark: I wonder if Gamaliel ever got it? After hearing the preaching of the apostles and seeing by the time of his death the apostles had not yet been snubbed out, I can’t help but wonder if he ever came around. The Bible never records one way or another, so it is useless to speculate. What I want to point out is this. There are many who are just like Gamaliel. There are many who are very close to the kingdom of God, perhaps even right on the edge. We need to be sowing the seed everywhere, but we especially need to look for those

“If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners in shedding the blood of the prophets.” This is a line that Jesus quoted that the Pharisees and scribes had been saying as He concluded His “woes” against them (Matthew 23:30). This is what they said, but their actions spoke otherwise. They lived in the days of John and Jesus and their disciples, and they mistreated them all. They said they would not mistreat the prophets of old, but killed the prophets of their own day, including their Messiah! How blind they were! It’s easy for us to do similar things; it’s an unfortunate part of our human nature. We all say one thing with our mouths, but our actions speak otherwise. When it comes to spiritual matters, where do you fall? Are you one who confesses Jesus with your mouth, but deny Him with your actions? Are you killing the prophets?

We are first introduced to Timothy in Acts 16:1. We are told that his mother was a Jewess, and his father was a Greek. We are also informed of the fact that he is a disciple and well-spoken of by the brethren in the surrounding areas. While we are not told much of anything about how Timothy became a Christian, we do know that his faith first lived in his grandmother Lois and in his mother Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5). It is a very simple question, yet quite profound: Where would Timothy be if his mother had not taught him, or if his mother was not taught by her mother? Think about all the lives Timothy impacted as he travelled with Paul and later as he did his own work in Ephesus. Where would all those be if Timothy had not been guided in the faith by his mother and by his grandmother? Influence can never be fully measured, but we know that it is quite powerful. Perhaps the greatest influence of all is that of a godly mother. 

Growing up I thought that God would rather us be antagonistic to Him than apathetic; that is what I thought Revelation 3:15-16 was about. I understood “hot” to mean “on fire and full of zeal” and “cold” to mean “no desire for a relationship at all, or even being against God.” I thought “lukewarm,” then, was just an apathetic Christian, someone who named the name of Christ but never did anything, someone who never bore fruit of any kind. I still hold to the same definition of “lukewarm,” but my understanding of “hot” and “cold” have changed. I have learned that on one side of Laodicea were good, cold drinking waters, and on another side there were mineral hot springs, good for health. The waters flowed and converged in the area around the city of Laodicea and became lukewarm – good neither for drinking, nor for health. Jesus knew the deeds of the Laodiceans, or rather the lack thereof. They were not bearing fruit of any kind; their faith, having no works, was dead, which is why Jesus was going to spew them out of His mouth. If we don’t show our faith by our works, the same will happen to us.

Some are under the impression that people are born into a religion; that is to say that we are born as Christians, as Muslims, as Buddhists, as Jews, as atheists, etc. It’s quite easy to think in those terms, but the more correct understanding is that we are born into families (Christian families, Muslim families, etc.). No one is born into a particular religion. No one is born as a believer or as nonbeliever. Though one may be born into a family that thinks and believes a certain way, we are not obligated to continue in that thought or belief. Take the Israelites for example. When they had conquered the Promised Land, Joshua assembled all the people together and told them that they had to make choice of whom to serve. Joshua encouraged the people to put away their idols, but ultimately he left it up to them who they would serve – the gods of their fathers, the gods of the Amorites or Jehovah (24:14-15). That choice still has to be made today. Remember that Jesus said that the one who would be saved is not the one born to believing parents, but rather the one who believes and is baptized (Mark 16:16).

According to Hebrew law, a slave could permanently bind himself to his master if he so desired. Upon making the request, the slave would then be brought to the door post where his ear would be pierced with an awl, signifying to all his devotion to his family and his master (Exodus 21:5-6). “Pierce My Ear” is a song that highlights this ancient ritual, and it serves as a reminder that (1) we have been bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23), and (2) of the dedication and devotion that we are to have toward God. May we constantly remind ourselves as Christians that we have been crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20). We have crucified the flesh with its passions (Galatians 5:24). Through the cross of Christ the world has been crucified to us, and we to the world (Galatians 6:14).

Same-sex marriage is now legal in the state of Alabama. Many are hailing this as a victory, a victory for love. They feel that we are moving in the right direction as a nation, and that those who oppose this are on the wrong side of history. To be completely honest, I have no idea what people mean when they say that I’m on the wrong side of history for saying that same-sex marriage is not approved by God. To be completely honest again, I’m not at all concerned about being on “history’s” side, but rather being on God’s side, since that is the only side that matters. So what can I do now that same-sex marriage is here? First of all, I can continue to educate others on what God says about the marriage relationship. Second, I can continue to love and to minister to those who struggle with sin of any kind. Third, I can pray that people realize that true love wants others to go to heaven and would never compromise that opportunity for selfish desires.

Some people never learn. They neither learn from history in general, nor do they learn from their own past. Take the nation of Israel, for instance. Even by the time of David, the vast majority still had little faith in God. In 1 Samuel 17, the armies of God were fighting the Philistines. Each army was encamped on a mountain with a valley between them, and each was waiting for the other to go down into the valley first. As the armies were working themselves into a frenzy, the Philistine behemoth of a man, standing (conservatively) anywhere from 9-9.5 feet tall, challenged any of the Israelites to single combat. The winner of the fight would be the winner of the war. For 40 days this giant from Gath, named Goliath, challenged the armies of God, and for 40 days his challenge went unaccepted. Goliath was quite a large man, thus very intimidating, but it seems that, once again, Israel forgot how big God is. Despite all the thousands of soldiers that Saul had under his command, the challenge was accepted by a young shepherd boy who remembered the past, specifically his own. This boy remembered that God delivered him from the paws of the lion and the bear, and he trusted that God would deliver him from the hand of this Philistine. If we will remember that God is bigger than any giant we could ever face, who knows what we could accomplish!

Though it started out as a daytrip for David, his episode with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11) turned into something far worse. David saw a beautiful woman bathing, but instead of averting his eyes or leaving the roof, he sent for her, even when he found out that she was married to one of his mighty men, no less. Perhaps he thought that since her husband was far away that he would never find out. Whatever the case, something unexpected happened; Bathsheba became pregnant. As the account unfolded, Uriah (Bathsheba’s husband) was brought home to be with his wife, to cover things up. David underestimated his loyalty. Uriah refused to go home to his wife, so he slept at the gate of David’s house. Finally, David sent Uriah back to the front carrying his own death warrant. David got rid of the problem the only way he knew how. Do you think David ever thought his one-night stand would ever end up with him murdering one of his mighty men? If David knew that his daytrip would turn out this way, do you think he would have ever started down that road? [Editor’s Note: Of course, we can learn something from that old-time soap opera whereby we can guard our paths through this life to eternity. ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]

Luke 15 tells the story of a young man who approached his father and demanded his inheritance. The son left his father’s house and traveled to a far country where he squandered his inheritance with loose living. Doubtless, the young man thought he knew it all already, but the sad truth is that he learned far more in that far country than he ever wanted to know. He learned what it meant to be in need (14). He learned what it meant to be hungry (15). He learned all about shame and guilt, too. He was embarrassed to return to his father’s house, but he decided to go anyway to be made a servant even though he was a son (17-19). The truth of the matter is that sin is a master teacher, but it specializes in heartache and despair. Education is important, but the price of this school is far too high.

Samson loved to flirt with danger, and he loved to play with fire; eventually he got burned. Samson loved a woman named Delilah, and the Philistines offered to pay her a great price to discover the secret of his strength and how they could overcome him (Judges 16:4ff). Samson would tell her various things, and then the Philistines would come to capture him. He would break his bonds and defeat his would-be captors, only to repeat the same scenario several times. Samson thought he could handle it; Samson thought he was in control. Samson was toying with sin, and then, it was time for sin to toy with Samson. He finally broke down and told Delilah the truth about his strength; she shaved his head and the Philistines captured him. When the time came for Samson to pay up, he found it was much more than for which he bargained. He lost his strength, his eyes, his freedom and his honor, all in a flash. Samson was the strongest man who ever lived, yet all his strength was not enough. Sin still got the best of him. [Editor’s Note: How close dare we allow ourselves to come to sin? What is worth risking being overcome by sin (Matthew 16:26)? The wages of sin is terminal (Romans 6:23). ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]

The song, “Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross,” is really a plea. When we sing this song, we plead to be reminded of the salvation that flows so freely from Calvary’s mountain, and we plead that we remember that in the cross alone do we have reason to boast (Galatians 6:14). The cross of Jesus (and through His resurrection) was where love and mercy won the day, paving the way for anyone who desires to enter the blessed light of the bright and morning star. May we never forget that God took on flesh (John 1:1-14) and ransomed Himself for us (1 Timothy 2:6). May we ever live our lives walking in the shadow of the cross!

What comes to your mind when you hear the word “prophet” or “prophecy”? You might think of a prophet as a teller of future doom, or a prophecy as a mysterious message filled with frightening and terrible imagery. When it comes to biblical prophets, this is not entirely accurate; yet, it is not too far off the mark, either. A prophet would occasionally tell of a future doom, but there was more to his message. The coming doom would be in response to the wickedness of the people. Therefore, the prophet, as God’s spokesman, would issue warnings either to submit to the coming enemy (as was the case in Jeremiah) or to repent (as was the case with Jonah). Sometimes the message would be veiled and elaborate (like Zechariah’s preaching), while at other times it was simple and straightforward (like Haggai). Jesus fills the role of Prophet as God’s spokesman by declaring the will of God to us. He announced at His first coming that the kingdom of God was near and that it was time to repent (Mark 1:15). In His preaching, He also gave warnings concerning the future. He foretold that Jerusalem was to be destroyed, and He warned all who would listen to leave the city when they saw Jerusalem surrounded by armies (Luke 21:20). He gave another future warning, this one concerning eternity: “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those

What is the difference between a priest and a prophet? In college I heard someone put it this way: The duty of the prophet was to represent God to the people, whereas the priest represented the people to God. Prophets were sent to preach repentance, but priests were continuously serving in the Tabernacle and in the Temple. It was the priest who administered the sacrifices on behalf of the people. The priest, then, and especially the high priest, was a mediator to God for the people. As Christ, this is another one of the major roles Jesus came to fill. He came to serve as our Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 8:6; 9:15; 12:24) and our High Priest (Hebrews 2:17; 4:14-15; 5:10; 6:20; 9:11). However, instead of offering sacrifices on a daily or on a yearly basis, He offered Himself once for all (Hebrews 7:27), having entered the Holy Place once for all. Jesus Christ obtained eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12). As Christ, Jesus is the perfect and eternal High Priest.

And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war. And His eyes are a flame of fire, and upon His head are many diadems; and He has a name written upon Him which no one knows except Himself. And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Revelation 19:11-16) The message of the New Testament is not “try Jesus.” The message of the New Testament is “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ – this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36).

“I need Thee, O I need Thee; every hour I need Thee! O bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee.” This is the chorus to the 19th century hymn, “I Need Thee Every Hour.” One question I want us to consider is, “Is this true?” In other words, do we really need the Lord every hour? Or, do we just need Him when we are in trouble? Too many of us are like the nation of Israel in the Book of Judges; the only time they needed God was when they were attacked and enslaved by a rival nation. After God delivered the people, however, they went back to their own way, which didn’t include God, until the next time they were in trouble. If we sing with the understanding, then when we sing this song, we understand that God is not a crutch to be used only in times of trouble and trial, but rather in God “we live and move and exist” (Acts 17:28). When we understand this, then can we truly sing, “Come quickly and abide, or life is vain.”

In a world of ever increasing doubt and skepticism, it is only a matter of time before the idea of questioning whether Jesus really lived surfaces again, and this time with more force. With the availability of the Internet, especially social media, it is likely that the issue will surface sooner rather than later. Therefore, we need to be prepared to give an answer. How can we know that Jesus of Nazareth, who is the Christ, really lived? How do we know He is not just a literary character used to teach a moral code? Is there any proof of Him outside of the Scriptures or outside of early Christian literature? The answer is, “Yes.” There is material that refers to Jesus outside of the Bible and early Christian literature, and it comes from the end of the first century. There are a number who could be cited, but the most prominent is Josephus, a Jewish general who fought in the war with Rome. Yet, later he was adopted into the Flavian family when he predicted that Vespasian would become the Emperor. Thus, Josephus is both a Jewish and a Roman witness to Jesus. Neither the Jews nor the Romans, if you remember, were exactly on good terms with Christians. Josephus wrote about the days when Pontius Pilate was Procurator of Judah, “Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works –

Jonah had one job – go preach to Nineveh. However, Jonah did not want to go. Instead, he decided to board a ship and head to Tarshish, thinking that he could escape the presence of the Lord. While on the sea, God hurled a great wind and brought up a great storm so that all the sailors became afraid. They began tossing the cargo into the sea and praying to their gods, but Jonah was asleep. They cast lots to see whose fault it was that they were in the midst of this great storm, and the lot fell to Jonah, who then instructed them to throw him overboard to stop the storm. The Lord then appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and there he stayed for three days and three nights. Jonah’s trip to the far country (cf. Luke 15:11-32) did not turn out to be as he had hoped, which is typical of sin. Often, we start down the road because we want to see what it’s like; we want to test the waters. However, once we get started on the road of sin, exits and U-turns are hard to find. Soon enough, we find ourselves encompassed and engulfed (Jonah 2:5). [Editor’s Note: The youthful pleasures of sin (Hebrews 11:25; 2 Timothy 2:22), if we are not careful, can last a lifetime. The Bible provides every student of it the opportunity to view the outcome of alternate paths through life that lie ahead. Thereby, one can conscientiously and

There are some who attempt to argue that it is impossible for a Christian to fall from grace. They will further argue that those who have fallen from grace have not in-fact fallen because they were never saved in the first place. The problems with these lines of thinking are many, but space permits only a short response. Both of these problems can be answered by a single verse – Galatians 5:4. In this letter that Paul wrote to the churches of Galatia (1:2), he stated quite unequivocally that anyone who wants to be justified by the Law of Moses has been severed from Christ and has fallen from grace. First of all, if it is impossible to fall from grace, was Paul wrong (and by extension, was God wrong, 2 Timothy 3:16)? Secondly, for something to be severed it first must have been attached, and to fall from somewhere necessarily implies being there previously. Falling from grace is a very real danger about which the New Testament warns over and over again. This is why it is imperative that we walk by the Spirit and not by the flesh (Galatians 5:16-24).

It is inevitable that in life you will come across people who don’t like you very much, and you won’t like them very much either. These people will be a part of your daily life, but getting along with them is nearly impossible. What are we supposed to do? How are we supposed to handle ourselves in these situations? First of all, we have to remember that we are children of God, and we have been commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves (Luke 10:25-37). This includes not only loving those who love you, but praying for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:43-48). When was the last time you prayed for those you did not count as friends? Secondly, take encouragement from the Master. Think about Jesus on the cross for a moment. Luke 23:34 records Jesus pleading with the Father to “forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” The Master not only taught it, but He lived it. Anytime we feel discouraged, or that we simply cannot do it, remember the One who died for you. Remember also why He died for you (Romans 5:6-8).

Matthew 7:1 is one of the more well-known verses in the Bible. Most people, even if they know next to nothing about the Bible, can usually quote this verse. It’s quite a popular defense for people to use when someone tries to point out a fault. The problem is that most people who use this have no idea what Jesus was actually discussing. Thus, this Scripture has also become one of the more misused verses in the Bible. Satan wants us to think that this verse means that we cannot point out anyone’s wrong, especially since we all have our own skeletons in the closet. All of us have shortcomings, and sometimes even the most righteous people commit sin (Romans 3:10, 23). As a matter of fact, a popular tagalong verse is John 8:7 where Jesus said, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to cast a stone at her.” Satan would love for us to think that we should never point out a wrong since we are not perfect ourselves. He would love for us to idly watch our brethren drift off the straight and narrow to head straight for spiritual death (Romans 6:23). So what does Matthew 7:1 mean if it doesn’t mean that we cannot point out error? Consider the context of the Sermon on the Mount – it’s all about attitude. Verse 2 really is the key. Do we want to be condemned by those who practice their righteousness to be seen of

The incident reported in the first 11 verses of John are an attempt to trap Jesus into breaking Mosaic Law or Roman law. Mosaic Law stated that those caught in adultery were to be put to death (Leviticus 20:10). However, the Romans stripped the Jews of the right to perform their own executions. If Jesus condemned the woman according to the Mosaic Law, she should be stoned, but if He did then He would be turned over to the Roman authorities as an insurrectionist. On the other hand, if Jesus did not condemn her, than He would have broken the Mosaic Law, and thus He would have been a false teacher. Whichever way Jesus took would be a win for the Pharisees, because He would either be executed by the Romans or He would be discredited. However, Jesus saw through the ploy and knew there was something fishy going on. The Pharisees were right when they spoke of the law commanding her to be stoned, but the law also taught that the man was to be stoned as well. If this woman was really caught in the act as they claimed, there should have been two standing before Jesus, not just one. When Jesus said, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her,” He acknowledged that He was on to their scheme, and that they were just as guilty, if not more so, than the woman. Jesus never condoned her sin,

 What was Jonah thinking? The word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city, and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.” But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. (Jonah 1:1-3) What in the world would possess a prophet of God to think that he could hide from Him? What would make Jonah think that he could simply run from God to any place and expect God not to be there or be able to find him? Jonah was contemporary with Amos, but Jonah might not have read what Amos wrote (9:2-4). However, he did have the words of David (Psalm 139:7-12), which is more or less the same message that one cannot hide from God. There is nowhere anyone can go that God is not there or that He cannot see you. None can escape God, and there is no hiding place that will ever fool God – not even in the belly of a ship destined for a foreign land. God is there!

The Internet age has brought with it a lot of wonderful opportunities, and also it brings a lot of terrible ones. There are more and more ways to facilitate sin, as well as to cover it up. Lest we ever think that we can now do as we please with no consequences, remember that God knows and will hold us accountable (Ecclesiastes 12:14).

How many people want things and never get them because they do not ask? How many people need things and never get them because they do not ask? Jesus tells us very plainly in the Sermon on the Mount that as God’s children we do not need to be hesitant to ask God for the things we need. As humans, being the fallen creatures that we are, we know how to give our own children the things that they need. We provide for our families and give them the things that they need, so how much more can God provide for us if we just ask? We need to make sure we understand that Matthew 7:7-11 is not a blanket statement that God will give us everything for which we ask. Many people get so upset because God does not give them everything they request; the reality is that He has never promised to give us all of our wants. We know this is true in this section especially by the example given: bread and fish. When a child asks his father for things that he needs, like food, it will be given to him. When we ask our Father for the things that we need, like food, clothing and shelter (Matthew 6:25-34), He will provide them for us. The Lord will provide (Genesis 22:14). [Editor’s Note: Yes, God provides, but there is some truth to the old adage that “God helps those who help themselves.” Man must do his part.

Have you ever put something together wrong because you didn’t read the instructions? Have you ever failed an assignment because you didn’t read the syllabus? Have you ever lost a game because you didn’t know the rules: either you broke a rule or your opponent took advantage of a rule you didn’t know about? How many of life’s problems, big and little, could be solved if we just took the time to read the instructions? There might be times in this life when we can get away with not reading them, but in preparation for the next life we cannot. God has provided us a written revelation of His will for us and what we need to do to be in fellowship with Him. The only way we can know what it takes is for us to take the time and read His instruction book – the Bible.

 It is accepted and agreed upon by all who name the name of Jesus that it is His blood that cleanses us and saves us. The great debate seems to fall around when and where we contact that blood. Some contend that nothing is required of us, but His blood automatically has saved all. Others argue that the blood is applied only through belief or acceptance (sometimes accompanied by the sinner’s prayer). Still others affirm that the blood is only appropriated through obedience to the Gospel. What does the Bible have to say on the subject?  Jesus shed His blood inHis death (John 19:33-34). We are baptized intoHis death (Romans 6:3). Jesus shed His blood forremission of sins (Matthew 26:28). We are baptized forremission of sins (Acts 2:38). Jesus shed His blood so we could havea clean conscience (Hebrews 9:13-14). Baptism is an appeal for aclean conscience (1 Peter 3:21). Jesus shed His blood so we could be washed from our sins (Revelation 1:5). We are baptized to be washedfrom our sins (Acts 22:16). [Editor’s Note: God, through the inspired Bible, makes the inescapable correlation between the saving blood of Jesus Christ and immersion (Colossians 2:12) in water for the remission of sins. Hebrews 5:8-9 declares that Jesus Christ saves obedient souls. The penalty for not obeying the Gospel is “flaming fire,” “everlasting destruction” and eternal separation “from the presence of the Lord” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9; 1 Peter 4:17). Obedient souls will comply with our Lord’s instruction (Luke 6:46) to believe and to

Why do we wait until the last minute to do our Christmas shopping? This is one of the great mysteries of life. We know that Christmas is always December 25th, and we also know that the longer we wait the more we will pay in shipping costs (which are high enough already). So, next year why don’t we go ahead and get our shopping done early, and save ourselves some money and headaches? The greatest mystery of life, however, is why do we wait so long to obey the Gospel? We know that a day is coming when we will stand before God in Judgment (2 Corinthians 5:10). We know that heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people, and we know that hell is a prepared place for an unprepared people (Matthew 25:36, 41). The only thing we don’t know, then, is when our time will be over, and our chances to prepare ourselves will be up (James 4:14). If we wait too long to obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, it will cost us so much more than a headache and extra money. It will cause us eternal heartache. Don’t wait (Acts 22:16)!

The title for this article comes from the Christmas carol, “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.” The song warns little boys and girls to be good because, “he sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake; he knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake!” According to Christmas tradition, good boys and girls get toys and presents while bad boys and girls get lumps of coal. Since Santa always sees and knows, you had better be good! Many Christians forget that this applies to God, since He is the one that truly sees you at all times and knows all about us, even the number of the hairs on our heads (Luke 12:7). Too many seem to think that we can live our lives by our own terms, and we can still be acceptable to God, so long as we remember to act good at the right times. Take, for instance, the example of Hophni and Phinehas. These two boys were sons of Eli, who was a judge in Israel, and they were priests. These boys were lousy, despicable men (1 Samuel 2:12-17). When Israel was defeated by the Philistines, they brought the ark from Shiloh into the camp, and Hophni and Phinehas came with it. Israel was excited about the ark coming, and it scared the Philistines, but Israel was defeated, the ark captured and Hophni and Phinehas were killed (1 Samuel 4). The Israelite camp was fooled by the priests carrying

Christmas is in the unique position of being an entirely Christian holiday, yet entirely without biblical support or precedence. On the one hand, Christmas is, once again, an entirely Christian holiday, as evidenced by its very name, “CHRISTmas.” Right or wrong, like it or not, the holiday was established over a millennium ago to celebrate the birth of Jesus; there is no getting around or ignoring this. On the other hand, however, the Bible not only fails to give a command, example or implication of the New Testament church remembering and celebrating the birth of Jesus, the Bible does not even tell us on what day His birthday falls! The Bible is silent on the matter of remembering His birth (which does not save us), but it does speak concerning His death, burial and resurrection (which does save us). When we assemble together on the first day of every week (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2), we partake of a memorial feast in which we proclaim the Lord’s death (1 Corinthians 11:26). This holiday season will present us with many opportunities for teaching; let us make the most of them and spread the true good news about Jesus (Romans 5:7-10).

Tradition holds that the first Thanksgiving was held in 1621 by the Pilgrims of Plymouth Rock. The previous winter had been very hard, and they did not have enough provisions to last them much longer. The hero of the story is a native named Squanto who taught the settlers to fish and helped them grow crops, and they celebrated a good harvest and friendship with the natives. Of all the things for which we should be thankful, the greatest is life. We should be thankful for our physical lives, but more than that, we should be thankful for our spiritual lives. Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. (Romans 6:16-18)

Halloween is now over. It is time for Christians to take off their costumes. I’m convinced that with most of Christendom, that is mainly what Christianity is—a costume. Often, many Christians dress up in their costumes for Sunday mornings, and as soon as they get home, they take off their costumes and won’t give them another thought until the next Sunday. They are not real Christians, they are only pretending, much like my son was pretending to be Woody this past year, and imitating a pumpkin the year before. Those costumes are not who he really is, nor are most who claim to be Christians really Christians. Most of us are worldly folks in disguise on Sundays—trying to have the best of both worlds. We want the blessings that come with being in Christ, but at the same time, we absolutely refuse to give up our worldly pleasures. This cannot be. As Christians, we have died to the world, and the world to us (Galatians 6:14). When will we understand that there is no such thing as “having the best of both worlds”? James makes it abundantly clear that this is impossible. He warns, “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (4:4). [Editor’s Note: Frequently, even the most respected brothers and sisters in Christ reflect more of the material prosperity of the western world and many of the vices

In Judges 4, the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud died, so God gave them over to their enemies, into the hands of Jabin, king of Canaan. Deborah was a prophetess and was judging Israel during this time, and God commanded Barak through Deborah to go up against Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army. Barak refused to go unless Deborah went with him. Because of this, the honor of defeating Sisera would not be his, but it would fall to a woman. We continue reading and learn that it was Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, who killed Sisera while he slept. God has a plan, and it will be done. Pharaoh tried to prevent God’s plan in his day, and his country was left in utter ruin. Barak was afraid, so God raised up someone else to do His bidding. This lesson should resound with all who claim to be faithful followers of God. God has a will, and it will be done. Let us always have the courage to repeat the words of Isaiah, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8).

The simplest teaching of Christianity is also the most unpopular: not all paths lead to God. To be the people of God, we must be on the right path (i.e., the narrow one). Jesus told us in Matthew 7:13-14 that there are two paths, a broad one that leads to destruction and a narrow one that leads to life. Only one of these leads to God; the other leads away from Him. This is becoming more and more unpopular to teach by the day. Every day that passes sees some new attempt to destroy the truth and lead countless droves away from God. There is no way around it, and there is no alternative. There is only one path that leads to God. There is only one way that leads to everlasting life with the Father, and that is through submission to Jesus Christ. It is not merely calling on Jesus to come into one’s heart, but rather obeying His words and accepting His free gift of salvation on His terms. We all have a choice to make. Are we going to listen to Jesus and teach the truth, or are we going to be intimidated by those living in error who are trying to take as many as they can with them? When are we going to stand up for the truth? [Editor’s Note: The narrow way about which Jesus taught is inclusive and exclusive. Irrespective of what man wishes were the case, only the saved walk that narrow path only. ~ Louis Rushmore,

After the U.S. Supreme Court made a decision that legalized gay marriage, my Facebook news feed exploded, and very little of it was positive. There were two things that primarily disappointed me (other than the decision itself), one more so than the other. The first thing that disappointed me was the number of “Christians” who were in favor of the court’s decision. The Bible is very clear on the subject: those who practice unrighteousness will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). What disappointed me more than that, however, was the response by “Christians.” Saying that God does not approve of homosexuality does not make you a bigot or homophobic. However, the manner in which you reveal your disgust and abhorrence does. I was embarrassed seeing the posts of many who claim to follow Jesus because they were full of anger and hatred. These “Christians” jumped all over the hating the sin, but they completely forgot to love the sinner. How many who struggle with homosexuality looked at Facebook, or any other social media site, and became disgusted with Jesus because of His followers? How many bridges did we burn in our “righteous anger”? How many opportunities did we lose because we did not apply passages like Proverbs 15:1 or 1 Corinthians 13? We absolutely need to call sin, sin, but we also need to consider the manner in which we do it. Though we have been guided into all truth, if we don’t have love, we are nothing. Please

Many are arguing, and have been for years and years, that Christianity and the Bible are becoming less and less relevant to modern society. In one sense, those who argue irrelevance are absolutely correct. Look around. Stop and listen. Read articles in the newspaper and on the Internet. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you find? What is happening is a mass exodus; the Bible is being forced out of culture and being replaced by anything and everything else. The airwaves are filled with all sorts of obscenities and lewdness, and anything that is remotely wholesome and challenges modern society’s hedonism and self-centered theology is run out of town. As Christians, we have a huge challenge set before us; we have been called to show the world that the words of Christ still matter, and that one day they will be the only thing that matters (John 12:48). If we are to show the world that the words of Christ still matter, then they must first matter to us. [Editor’s Note: Brother Baxley’s concise article is exactly accurate and much needed, especially in view of the legal abdication of all that is right, wholesome and godly in a once greater nation that was established on biblical principles and the freedom to worship without restrictions. That “The wicked shall be turned into hell, And all the nations that forget God” (Psalms 9:17 NKJV) is God’s eternal truth – irrespective of what any judge or panel of judges, legislatures, or

There is a lot of confusion in the religious world about the church: what it is, what it represents, its significance, how many there are, etc. All of the questions and problems cannot be addressed in a single, brief article, but this is a start. Here are five things Christians need to know about the church of the Bible – and what they need to teach to others. [Editor’s Note: Brother Tom concisely and plainly brought to the forefront five New Testament doctrines with which no true Bible believer can dispute. Friend, Dear Reader, if any of the simple statements above trouble you, then you may need to ask yourself, “Why am I troubled with the Word of God?” ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]

Motivator – Mom always had a way of getting me going and making me do right. Many times it was with the help of a belt, but the Lord disciplines those whom He loves (Proverbs 3:11-12; Hebrews 12:5-6), and so does a good mother. Observant – Mom always seemed to know what was going on; she was quick to correct, but she was also quick to praise. Therapist – Whenever I had a problem, I could always tell Mom about it. She would listen and give council, though she never got paid for it. Healer – I can still remember getting hurt, and my first response was that I wanted Mom. I don’t know why that is, but I always wanted her to know. Somehow she made me feel better; somehow she made me better. Educator – Though mom did not teach in schools or have degrees in education, I learned lessons from her that I never could learn in school. She raised me from my youth to fear God, to be respectful and to take care of my family. I am still continuing my education as I learn to be a parent; I will learn how to teach my child (Proverbs 22:6). Real – Mom told me how it was, and she still does. She tells me what I need to hear, not necessarily what I want to hear. She does not try to deceive with flattering words, but rather she speaks the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

Most will immediately recognize these words of Jesus that came from the cross, as recorded by Matthew (27:46) and Mark (15:34). What many may not realize is that Jesus is not the only person to ever utter these words. In fact, I believe Jesus, while in agony from His separation from the Father, was not saying these words for His own grief. Rather, I believe He was making a last attempt for people to open their eyes and open their hearts. Many may not realize this, but Jesus was calling to the attention of the Jewish witnesses Psalm 22 where David opened with these very words. It is unclear in what situation David was when he wrote these words, but the parallels with Jesus’ crucifixion should open our eyes. Compare verses 6-8 with Matthew 27:39-44 and Mark 15:29-32. Also, think about verses 14-18. Dislocated joints and severe dehydration were common side effects of crucifixion. Piercing of the hands and the feet were common ways to secure a criminal to a cross. A way to speed up death was to break the legs; if they could not push themselves up, they could not breathe. However, remember that Jesus died before that could happen to Him (John 19:31-37). When Jesus had been crucified, the soldiers cast lots for His clothing (Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:23-24). Jesus called to mind words written 1,000 years prior that were coming to pass before their very eyes; let us not miss it as