The Christian Woman’s Spiritual Clothing

By: Beth Johnson All Christians (men and women) should be adorned inwardly and outwardly with only what is fitting for one of God’s children. Our outward appearance should never shame the name of Jesus or our Heavenly Father, nor should we have moth-eaten clothes or nakedness instead of the spiritual clothing God has intended. We know that man looks on the outward appearance while God looks at the heart. “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’” (1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV). So where should our focus be? Should we think only about our outward appearance? Why do we spend so much time thinking and “worrying about clothing” (Matthew 6:24–34)? What should we do? Why? Christian women know we brought nothing into this world, and we will take nothing out. “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition” (1 Timothy 6:7–9). Most women want durable clothing, but what is it, and how do we get it? We know that only eternal things will …

If God Were the Coach, Would You Make the Team?

This past week, I spent time with my daughter and her family. Her husband coaches the JV basketball team at Mars Hill, and so, I heard quite a bit about his team. One of his team members had an unhappy mother because he was asked to sit on the bench rather than to play, and she thought that was unfair and that her son should be out on the court. My son-in-law explained to her that her son was not putting in the effort that the other players were. He had potential, but he did not want to put in the work. What do you think God would say about you? He sees where our priorities are, and He sees where our efforts are. He knows our potential. He sees the time we actually put into winning souls and serving others (Matthew 6:21). Are we more concerned about worldly things and activities when there are souls dying all around us every day? Are we neglecting our most important responsibilities and expecting to hear “well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21–23 NKJV) when this life is over? God does not tolerate lukewarm Christians. Revelation tells us He will ‘vomit them out of his mouth’ (Revelation 3:15–16). Yes, God sees our efforts and so do those around us. Let’s make sure our efforts match our words so others will be able to see whose team we are really on. One day, we will either be told to “depart from Me” (Matthew 7:23) because …

The Lost Sheep

The shepherd had one hundred sheep,But one had gone astray.He left the ninety and nine aloneTo search back along the way. Back through the wilderness he searched.He called for his sheep by name.The sheep heard his master calling.To the shepherd he came. The shepherd was filled with joy.Gently he picked up his sheep.He laid it across his shoulders,And carried it up the mountain steep. As nearer and nearer home he cameHe called his friends to gather round.Back into the fold he put the sheep.He cried, “Rejoice with me. My sheep I have found.” The poem is about the lost sheep from the parable in Luke 15:3-7. There is joy in Heaven when those who have gone astray in the wilderness of sin, repent and enter into the fold again. The 23rd Psalm beautifully portrays the shepherd’s love and care for his sheep.

The City of Light

Lighted by the Divine’s presenceIt is a wonderful city of lightWhere all fears and foes are goneAnd there is no night. There is the river of lifeThat runs in the streetWhere the redeemed of all nationsOn the shores shall meet. The tree of life standsOn either side of the riverBearing twelve manner of fruitsYielding its fruit forever. From the river of lifeComes the shining lightThat shows the gloryOf the heavenly life. It is beyond imagination to realize the grace and bliss that shall pervade the heavenly city.

Am I a Martha? Are You a Martha?

I’m always thankful for the opportunity to speak at a Ladies’ Day or to write articles. They are humbling experiences for me. I hope and pray that readers get as much learning from Martha and Mary as I had in preparing this lesson. I have learned so much from these two sisters for my everyday life. I want to be as spiritual as I believe they were. What herein is an article was first my presentation at a Ladies’ Day hosted by the Wildwood, Florida Church of Christ. I appreciate and love the ladies from the Wildwood congregation. They are a very special group of Christian workers for the Lord. From the first day Louis and I put our membership there, the church welcomed us as family and made us feel special. Let’s make this lesson very personal. Only you can answer the questions I ask. Are you a Martha? Yes, ladies, I am Martha! I am a Martha in more than one way since my name is Martha. Sometimes, I am cumbered about with much service like Martha of old. Other times I work hard for the Lord as best I feel I can, as Mary did in our lesson today. I do believe that over the years Martha has gotten a bad rap. She really thought she was doing right, or she would not have gone to the Lord asking Him to tell Mary to come and help her. Let’s read Luke 10:38-42. Now it happened as they …

The Young Preacher Family

When one young couple decided to make a commitment to each other, and to God, they selected their wedding rings and had them engraved. The message inside read, “Together for HIM,” plus the date they were to make their vows. What did all that mean? It meant that they were committing their lives to each other and to God for His work. The rings were a testimony of their intentions. The young man had long wanted to preach the Gospel, and the girl had dreamed of being a preacher’s wife. Goals had been set; plans were being made. Each had adjustments to make in order to meet expectations. They knew there would be hardships, but they were willing to face those obstacles together. They knew there would be criticism (though they had no idea how much!), but they were willing to face that, too. As a preacher’s family, they knew they would live in the proverbial “glass house,” but they knew the rewards would far outweigh the temporary, earthly sadness. When they considered what was really important in life, they wanted to be pleasing to the Lord by reaching out to His other disciples and to the lost, but they also had to keep the success of their own marriage in mind. What would God have them do that would enable them to keep their eyes on the mark He had set for them? “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the …

Rejoicing in Our Role as Women

Introduction What are some of the roles that we’re expected to fill as girls and women,? What are some roles that are not typically thought of as women’s roles? How do people perceive women when compared to men? How do you feel about this? Have you ever thought it would be nicer to be a man than it is to be a woman? Usually, women are perceived as the weaker sex. We’re the homemakers and the childrearing people, while the men are commonly given more prominent roles as breadwinners and leaders. Women in the last century have balked at this arrangement – demanding equal rights. So many women are rising to the top in the workplace, in leadership roles and in positions of authority. Gender lines have blurred, and so, we’re seeing more and more women take roles in traditionally men’s work. What does God say about these things? Why has God given both men and women specific roles to fill, and how should we view our role as women? Remember God’s eternal purpose for us: to be conformed to Christ’s image so that we may reign with Him eternally. No doubt you have studied what our purpose is in this life: to have the heart of Christ so that we can be eternally faithful, as well as wise servants now (Romans 8:28-29; 2 Timothy 2:11-12). God tries our hearts. “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the Lord tests the hearts” (Proverbs 17:3 NKJV). Remember …

Which Lady of Proverbs Are You?

The book of Proverbs is full of wise sayings on many respects. The difference between the foolish and the wise, the peril of trusting in riches and how to use one’s tongue for good are just a few of the topics covered in the book. The overall theme of Proverbs is, of course, wisdom – not wisdom of the world but wisdom according to God’s Word as is mentioned throughout the book (“the fear of the Lord…” Proverbs 1:7; 9:10; 14:27; 19:23; 23:17 NKJV). Proverbs 8 portrays wisdom crying out, “Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, and from the opening of my lips will come right things; for my mouth will speak truth” (Proverbs 8:6-7). The book implies that there are two “ladies” calling out to us throughout our lives. One is from God, lady wisdom whose words are righteousness (Proverbs 8:35). The other is from the evil one, the immoral woman whose words cast one down to hell (literally, Sheol, where the wicked dead await, Proverbs 7:27). All women will give ear to one of these “ladies,” and the decision made will determine their fate. One will lead us down the path to true life, while the other leads us down the path to death. The question every woman must ask herself is which type of woman portrayed in the book of Proverbs is she – the sinful woman (Proverbs 7) or the virtuous woman (Proverbs 31). “With her enticing speech she caused him to yield, with …

What Does the Bible Say About Abortion?

It is amazing to me that some Christians believe taking the life of an unborn baby is okay under certain situations. Many are unaware what the Bible teaches about abortion since the word “abortion” does not appear in our English Bibles. Let’s examine some Scriptures. In Genesis 1:28-30, God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful, to multiply and to fill the earth. The following Old Testament Scriptures pertain to the question, “What does the Bible say about abortion?” Darkness and light are the same to God. Covered and uncovered are the same to God. David was in darkness and covered while being formed by God in the womb. He was in light and uncovered after birth. The baby in the womb and the baby after birth are the same to God! New Testament Scriptures likewise are pertinent to the question, “What does the Bible say about abortion?” The Greek word “brephos” means an infant. The same Greek word refers to before and after the birth of a baby. The baby in the womb and the baby after birth are the same to God! “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12). [Editor’s Note: Remember, under Judaism in the Old Testament, taking the life of an unborn baby was a capital offense (Exodus 21:22-25). Yet, 73 million babies worldwide die by induced abortion each year. Nearly a third of all pregnancies terminate because of abortion. Proverbs 6:16-19 lists seven sins which are …

Hope

Remain steadfast in the Lord.Place no hope in this worldly horde.Things of this world are frail.They will fail.This world is not my home.The Scriptures I will comb.Its truths are what give hope,Providing ways to cope.Help me daily life’s path alongthat in your care I will forever belong.

God’s Beauty

Oh the beauty of the skies of various blues!Proclaim praise to God for His gorgeous hues.God is the greatest of all.Even though man took a fall,He provides abundant blessings.My heart with all its might glory sings!The fresh snow on the earth is whiteWith my eyes its beauty finds delight.It serves as a reminder of the labor of laundressesWho take joy in the cleanliness of shirts and dresses.Our Lord has given us the love of His blood on the crossThat our souls may be cleansed of their sinful dross.The snow covered fieldsReminds of the cleansing His blood yields.Never forget the beauty of God’s creation,The blues, yellows, reds bring mankind into celebration.

Fig Leaves Are Back in Style

Summer is here! Gone are those ole bulky winter clothes and all those layers! The ultra freedom of summer clothes surrounds us again. This summer, women will go to the beach wearing bikinis or something even skimpier. Probably that same woman would never consider parading around on the beach wearing only a bra and thong-type underpants, but I ask, “What is the difference in the amount of body she would be revealing?” None! The only difference is in the fabric used to make the garments! It would be scandalous to go out in public dressed only in one’s underwear – wouldn’t it? Leaving the beach scene of near-nudity, look at the offering for relaxed outings: the briefest of stretch pants, topped with a knit, spaghetti-strap shirt. Another possibility is a one-piece stretch top that will barely cover the torso – breast down to upper thighs. Oh, this blueprint is better; it’s a little longer, and at least it does have spaghetti straps! Then, there is the blue knit top, also with the spaghetti straps. Of course, the degree of immodesty is the choice of the wearer: will it be a top that is loose and exposes only the upper part of the body, or will it be three sizes too small so that it is stretched like a second skin? Then, there is a subdued choice: a black straight skirt. Should we wonder what folks will see when the wearer sits down or bends over? Another offering are shorts for …

What Do You Smell Like?

We all enjoy things that smell good, and we do our best to avoid anything that smells bad. We buy things based on how they smell and make many decisions using our nose! No one, to my knowledge, prefers bad odors to the pleasant ones. The Bible mentions fragrant spices and oils used to make things more tolerable to the olfactory senses. Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with a costly oil that filled the house with its fragrance (John 12:3). At the burial of Christ, John further records that Nicodemus provided the mixture of spices bound in the linen around His body (John 19:39-40). We are told this was the Jewish custom. The women also brought spices to the tomb on the first day of the week (Luke 24:1). We understand that dead flesh stinks, and these spices help to mask those odors. However, the body of Jesus did not stay in the tomb long enough to amass much smell since He rose from that grave! Physically speaking, much of our lives are concerned with the odors our senses encounter, but what about our spirituality? What do we smell like? How Christ Smells Ephesians 5:2 tells us that Christ smells good to God: “And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma” (NKJV). Those thousands of sacrifices over the centuries that were “a sweet aroma to the Lord” (Leviticus 1:9) all pointed to Jesus. …

The Christian Woman’s Spiritual Clothing

All Christians (men and women) should be adorned inwardly and outwardly with only what is fitting for one of God’s children. Our outward appearance should neither shame the name of Jesus or our Heavenly Father, and nor should we have moth-eaten clothes or nakedness instead of the spiritual clothing God has intended. We know that man looks on the outward appearance while God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’” (NKJV). So, where should our focus be? Should we think only about our outward appearance? Why do we spend so much time thinking about “what we shall wear”? What should we do? Why? Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet …

“…Rejoice Because Your Names Are Written in Heaven” (Luke 10:20 NKJV)

Is my name written there?My destination is where?Each day of the week, yes seven,Mark my daily journey to heaven.No amount of braggingNo foot draggingNo denialNo trialWill improve my odds,As this journey requires many foot trods,To reach this life’s destination.I am on my journey to my heavenly nation.With God to help me all along the way,I will joyfully arrive in Heaven one day.

Abraham Obeyed God Early in the Morning

How much time do we allow to lapse before or if we choose to obey God? Are we waiting to confer with flesh and blood? What is it that restrains us from immediate obedience? We have an example of God giving a command to Abram in Genesis 12:1-4, which was the first time God spoke to him. Verse 1 reads, “Now the LORD had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you’” (NKJV). The first part of verse 4 reads, “So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him…” We are given further insight into Abraham’s unquestioning obedience on this occasion in Hebrews 11:8. “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” Would we have done that? Genesis 21:1-14 is the account of Abraham and Sarah becoming parents to Isaac when Abraham was one hundred years old, and Sarah was ninety. Abraham had fathered a child by Hagar, an arrangement made by Sarah, since Hagar was her bondwoman. Ishmael was fourteen years old when Isaac was born. Genesis 21:9 says, “And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing.” Sarah was very distressed and told Abraham to “…Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with …

What Is Sin?

The reality of sin has become distorted in the minds of many individuals in this ever-increasing humanistic world. Many souls do not understand what sin is. You can see it in such statements as, “He was a good person; now he is in heaven” or “I’m not as bad of a person as she is.” The reason for this misunderstanding of the nature of sin is due to the fact that the majority of people have drifted away from God’s Word. Many have grown up without being taught the Truth. They no longer look to the Holy Scriptures for answers to man’s greatest problem – sin. Indeed, many do not know that there is a problem! Because of this, we along with the prophet Hosea can say, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” (Hosea 4:6 NKJV). Instead of letting the culture around us define sin, let’s look at what God’s Word says about this subject, which affects all of mankind. What is sin? First John 3:4 states “sin is lawlessness.” The Greek word for sin means “to miss the mark” (to be mistaken, to miss the target, to lose the way) (Koehler). Psalm 51, written by a penitent, inspired David, contains some synonyms for sin – “transgressions” and “iniquity.” Sin is rebellion against God and a perversion of what He has set forth. We have the complete Word of God (1 Corinthians 13:8-12). By it, we can know what is good and what is evil. All people today are …

Run!

Have you ever been in a situation and thought, “I have got to run away!”? Maybe it was some kind of danger you encountered or an aggressor was approaching and running is all that you could think of at that moment. Some view running away as cowardly and think that one must always put up a fight. When we think of fight or flight, regarding spiritual matters, there are times for both. Christians are in a spiritual warfare, and thus must be hard, fighting soldiers (Ephesians 6:10-17; 2 Timothy 2:3-4), but at the same time, there are situations in which those in combat just need to run! The New Testament is full of warnings and admonitions for Christians to guard against going back to the old life of sin (Romans 6:5-14; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; Galatians 5:16-21; Colossians 3:1-11; Hebrews 10:19-31; James 1:21-27; 1 Peter 4:1-3). In so doing, the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul used strong terminology at times. He directly told the church at Corinth, “flee fornication” (1 Corinthians 6:18). This command came after rebuking Christians there for not disciplining a brother for this very sin (1 Corinthians 5). We see that there were sexual addiction problems in the 1st century similar to what we see today in society. (It is seemingly worse today due to the fact that TV and the Internet have allowed people immediate and private access in their homes.) Fornicators in the church! May it not be! Sadly, we know all too well that even God’s people do not …

Thankful for Settled Conviction

It was recently brought to my attention the power of possessing settled conviction. The Bible is literally filled with hundreds and thousands of statements of settled conviction from those who were devoted to Almighty God and those who were diametrically opposed to Him. Daniel 3 gives us the account of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and the three Jews – Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego. The king made an image of gold, “whose height was sixty cubits [about 90 feet] and its width six cubits [about 9 feet]” (Daniel 3:1 NKJV). The king ordered every official with any standing in the province of Babylon to fall down and worship the image when the symphony of all kinds of music played. A herald cried aloud that whoever did not fall down and worship would be cast immediately into the midst of a burning, fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego were reported to the king when they refused to bow down. The king in rage and fury commanded that they be brought before him. He stated the ultimatum once again, and the three Jewish men once again refused. The king even asked them who was the god who would deliver them from his hands. Their response is one of true settled conviction. Daniel 3:16-18 declares, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us… from your hand, O …

Loving Them to Death

The phrase “Love you to death” is common in American vernacular. It is used to convey the utmost love for another – until death do us part – if you will. It has become a light-hearted idiom that is often stated with no real thought behind it and even while saying something negative afterward. One example is, “I love him to death, but he makes me so angry.” I was thinking about this expression one day and realized that spiritually, we are loving people to death! As Christians, we are letting those whom we know are lost pass us by in this life without teaching them the truth. We avoid talking with erring brethren, never reminding them of what the Word says and never pleading with them to return to God. We claim to love them, but in reality, we are letting them stay on the path to spiritual death. Why is this, and what can be done? Sadly, the world around us has become increasingly more tolerant of sin. So much so that if you speak out against it, you are labeled “judgmental” and “intolerant.” Ironically, those who do such name-calling are being judgmental and intolerant. This has crept into the Lord’s church, and now, some have “grown-up” in the church never having heard certain truths from God’s Word because elders or preachers didn’t want to offend anyone in attendance. Many have never witnessed church discipline conducted properly when there is a member in need of being corrected. Several Christians …

Protecting Our Purity

In Scripture, not one account of sexual relations outside of marriage has a happy ending. Shame is heaped upon the parties who willfully participated in fornication. Lot’s daughters chose wrongfully – to their shame, and thus they brought about two nations who were at odds with Israel (Genesis 19:30-38). Sarah encouraged Abraham to take a second wife, and it brought about strife within the family, which brought about another nation that would trouble God’s chosen people later (Genesis 16). Shechem fell in love with Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. He took her and had relations with her outside the bond of marriage. This act brought about his death and that of his father and all of the men of his city (Genesis 34). One widely known narrative is that of King David with Bathsheba. He saw her; he desired her, and he took her. The end result was a man murdered and a child who died in infancy (2 Samuel 11:1-12:23). I could go on and on. God has made it clear from the beginning that the sexual relationship is a special one which should be treated as such. Read Deuteronomy 22:13-21. Were the woman and her parents to be prepared to defend her claim of purity (Deuteronomy 22:15-17)? Once false charges were proven as false, was the husband allowed to do this to her again at some time in the future (Deuteronomy 22:18-19)? If the charges were proven to be true, what would happen to the woman (Deuteronomy 22:20-21)? Why? What …

Christian Culture

As a whole, diverse cultures are good. From observing the created world around us, it is evident that the Creator likes variety. He intended for mankind to spread all over the globe (Genesis 9:1), and He knew that they would eventually have their own separate manners and culture. Indeed, when men disobeyed God’s command to fill the earth, the Lord made the different languages to confuse them and scatter them (Genesis 11). Surely, the various languages influenced the people groups even more to develop their own distinct civilizations. Today, studying different cultures is interesting and can enrich our lives as we learn how others view certain perspectives. However, there are many areas of our cultures that, as Christians, we must ask ourselves where do we stand on these issues? Christianity has always been countercultural. Christ came in human flesh at a time when Rome ruled the known world. Most people proclaimed Caesar as lord. First-century Christians proclaiming that Jesus is Lord clashed with their counterparts in all aspects of life, and it is no different today. Or, is it? I fear many Christians love the world and the things here more than the Lord Who they claim is their Master (1 John 2:15-17; James 4:4). Many of us are looking at self (or others like us) – seeing a reflection of ourselves and our own self-imposed, worldly standards instead of looking to God’s Word – the Standard – to see what we should be. The Sermon on the Mount is …

Who Has All Authority,and Who Gave It?

The theme for our Vacation Bible School this year was “The Power of Jesus.” One night, the minister’s class covered the power and the authority of Jesus. He gave the class one of the definitions of authority from Vine’s Dictionary, which is the right to act. I was employed as a secretary by the Health and Human Services Agency for the County of San Diego, California for a number of years. One of my bosses instructed me on how to interact with community leaders when I would call asking for certain information. If that information was not forthcoming, she would tell me to ask to speak with someone in a position of authority. This always resulted in my getting the information, or the person would speak directly to my boss. The Bible tells us God has the ultimate authority in all things and over all creation because He spoke everything into existence. Genesis 1:1-31 reveals that God spoke eight times and created all which exists – including humanity. Genesis 2:1 states, “Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished” (NKJV). The Bible also reveals that God is Sovereign over His creation. God has the right to rule, and His rule is always right. King David declared God’s sovereignty in 1 Chronicles 29:11. “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, The power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and …

Refuse to Stay Silent

Some time ago, I noticed a bumper sticker on the car ahead of me while driving to work. I do not know what agenda the sticker intended to promote, but a biblical application readily came to mind. The sticker read, “I refuse to stay silent so you can stay comfortable.” Consider for a moment the responsibilities of those who know the Word of God. In Ezekiel 33:1-6, God instructed the prophet to speak to the Israelites about the duties of a watchman. If a man assigned to watch for an approaching enemy warned of an eminent attack, those who ignored the warning were responsible for any negative consequences they endured. However, if the watchman neglected his duty to sound a warning, he was held responsible for any who suffered. In verses 7-9, God made a spiritual application based on the physical example. So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. When I say to the wicked, “O wicked man, you shall surely die!” and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. (NKJV) If Ezekiel remained silent …

Fighting Against God

In Acts 5, after being imprisoned for teaching Jesus, escaping from that prison by the assistance of an angel of the Lord and then being brought again before the Jewish council, the apostles were ever resolved to “obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29 NKJV). At that council, one man named Gamaliel showed wisdom in reminding his Jewish brethren that others claiming to be somebody had risen to power for a short time, died and their followers consequently scattered. In stating his conclusion, Gamaliel said, “…if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it – lest you even be found to fight against God” (Acts 5:38-39). Indeed, the book of Acts bears out over and over that the Jews did fight against God. The first century church mainly suffered persecution from Jews early on rather than from the Romans (Acts 21:27; 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16). Jesus warned of this attitude exhibited in the majority of Israel and the consequences of rejecting His will (Matthew 23-24). From the beginning of Christ’s ministry on earth to the end, the Jews continued to reject the will of God (Luke 7:29-30; 23:35). Israel did not recognize Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah of which their Scriptures prophesied. With every miracle that they saw Him do, every teaching that they heard and every prophecy He fulfilled, they turned a blind eye to it; they fought against God! The evidence that Jesus …

The Mystery of God

When we think of the word “mystery,” many define it as something that cannot be understood – that which is shrouded in incomprehensible ambiguity. The Word of God, however, does not predominantly use it in this manner but rather as something which was hidden or secret (although the clues were there) and was later brought to full understanding. There are things kept hidden or dimly lit throughout the Old Testament concerning man’s salvation that have been brought to light – revealed completely in the New Testament. The “mystery of God” is a central topic of the New Testament. What exactly is this mystery? Background of the Mystery The Old Testament contains records of prophecies that the Lord spoke through various ones (prophets) who, many times did not fully understand the very message they were given and instructed to tell others. One such prophet, Daniel, admitted as much in Daniel 12:8 as he received visions of the latter days (Daniel 10:14). God’s answer to him was “the words are sealed till the time of the end” (Daniel 12:9 NKJV). A reading of the whole of chapter 12 gives us the details that were revealed to the prophet concerning “a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation… when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered… and the abomination of desolation is set up…” (Daniel 12:1, 7, 11; cf., Daniel 9). Students of the New Testament do not have to speculate about Daniel’s vision. The …

Here Am I! Send Me

The prophet Isaiah witnessed the God of Glory on His throne in a vision (Isaiah 6). Imagine this majestic scene. In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew and one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.(Isaiah 6:1-4 NKJV) As the Lord of hosts gave Isaiah a glimpse into His heavenly temple – observing the multi-winged creatures, the doors shaking as the message rang out and the encompassing smoke – it caused him to reflect upon some things. What can we today learn from this vision? Who God Is This scene truly showed Isaiah Who God is (verse 3). Like the prophet, we also need to recognize the Lord’s nature. This takes study and application of His complete Word (2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16; 2 Peter 1:3). From a similar vision given by our Lord Jesus to His servant John, we learn God is holy and worthy of honor and glory (Revelation 4:8-11). The One, True, Holy God demands our reverence because we were created by Him (1 Peter 1:14-16; …

Me, Myself and I: Serving God in a Self-Serving World

The culture at large has become increasingly self-centered. This is no surprise, since from the beginning, Satan has succeeded in tempting mankind to serve self by doing what we think is best and doubting God’s Word (Genesis 3:1-7). Throughout history, Satan continued to corrupt what God had made good. At times, Israel doubted, “Will God really deliver us?” “We can just worship this golden calf as our god” (Exodus 32; Numbers 14). Just within the last few hundred years, especially with the acceptance of Darwinism, man has questioned whether the Genesis record can be trusted. “Did God really make the earth in six literal days?” Today, we live in the age of thinking, “Does God really exist?” and we are seeing the fruits of atheistic reasoning. Man is his own god (2 Timothy 3:1-5)! Therefore, in such a humanistic culture, we see the serving of self in the world every day. The media parades the philosophy of self before our eyes every time we turn on the TV or computer. Ads are full of beautiful and handsome (but often indecently dressed) individuals persuading us that we need whatever product in our lives, and many times we think to ourselves, “I could look like that and be happy like them if I bought the product.” Technology today allows us instant self-gratification. We order things for next day delivery; we download and upload whatever we want; everything is at our fingertips. Slogans such as Cbelieve in yourself,” “do what makes you happy” and “have …

God Will Hear the Poor

“This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, andsaved him out of all his troubles” (Psalm 34:6 NKJV). A little book of sermons, Mr. Jones Meets the Master, by Peter Marshall was edited by his wife, Catherine. One of the stories in that book, “By Invitation of Jesus,” tells of a magnificent banquet where limousines were sent to fetch the guests, while fine food was served by butlers carrying silver trays covered in white linen. People of the streets, even from the gutters and institutions, were invited, and each was perplexed about the purpose. Each received his invitation to the event with the simple little note, “By invitation of Jesus,” and each was curious what that could mean. Written for the world as well as for Christians, this account acts as a mirror for those who would despise the poor. The lesson is based on Jesus’ words in the book of Luke. Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” (Luke 14:12-14) God’s poor have little or no wealth and few if any possessions; they lack financial or other resources to make their …

All Things

I forgot my Bible! My husband and I had loaded the car with some things at my parents’ house, and I, in the hustle and bustle of moving things, had laid my Bible on a table and then placed something on top of it. Those things on top of my Bible were not coming with us, and thus, I forgot my Bible and left without it. This Bible is a wide-margin, note-taking Bible with lots of verse references with which I do most of my study, and as circumstances would have it, we were not at my parents’ house again for several months! Now, I was not without a Bible for those months since I have other Bibles at home, but it bothered me that I had laid something on top of God’s Word and consequently forgot it was there. Since then, I try not to lay anything on top of a Bible! This made me think about how often we let things obscure our vision of the Word. The cares of this world are on top of our Bibles instead of the other way around. If we are forgetting to read and study the Holy Script, then we are most likely distracted by the things of this world. More times than we often realize, our culture and worldly influences (money, our appearances, and entertainment choices) preoccupy our time rather than thinking on spiritual matters. This leads us to wonder about our underlying attitude toward the Bible. Do we really believe it …

God Hears the Penitent

“But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands” (Jonah 3:8 NKJV). Jonah at Nineveh is a good example of God hearing the penitent. The Lord, through an inspired penman, directs our attention to the Old Testament prophets. “My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord – that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful” (James 5:10-11). Highlighted is patient suffering in order to obey God. James noted Job as an example of suffering affliction and patience in that suffering. Then, James observed Elijah, another prophet who is a great example from which to learn. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. (James 5:16-18) Elijah was subject to discouragement like all of us. When Jezebel sent messengers to tell Elijah she planned to kill him, he …

From a City in Thailand to Collierville, Tennessee

What does a city in Thailand have in common with Collierville, Tennessee? At first glance, most would say, “Very little, if anything.” However, a man visiting the Collierville church of Christ proved the two cities have a great deal in common. The Voice of Truth International (VOTI) is a magazine of religious articles published quarterly. It is distributed in many countries around the world. The magazine is also translated into several languages for use in non-English speaking countries. Recently, a visitor arrived for Sunday services with a copy of VOTI in his hand. The gentleman retired several years ago and moved to the country of his wife’s birth, Thailand. When he attended a local church of Christ there, he discovered that no one in the congregation spoke or read English. However, when members realized he spoke English, a brother retrieved a couple copies of VOTI to give him. Later, this Christian man read through the magazine and recognized something from home. At the end of one of the articles, he noted the biographical information indicated the writer of the article resided in Collierville, Tennessee, a city near his hometown. Collierville also happens to be next door to the town where a congregation of the Lord’s church produces a radio broadcast this man is able to hear in Thailand. The gentlemen determined to visit Collierville the next time he travelled home to visit his grandchildren. He did just that this past Sunday. With a copy of The Voice of Truth International in hand, brought …

The Obedient Wife

I have some questions, ladies. What kind of woman was Sarah? Was she a devoted wife? Did she obey her husband, Abraham? Did she obey God? Are we following Sarah’s example of being an obedient wife as God would have us to be toward our husbands? In Genesis 12:1, God told Abram to take Sarai (and his nephew, Lot) and go to a land away from his family; God would show him the way to go. Now, let us suppose that Abram came home and told Sarai to pack up their belongings so they can move. Sarai might have asked, “Where are we going?” His answer might have been, “I do not know.” Then, maybe, Sarai asked, “How long will we be gone?” Again, he may have answered, “I do not know.” Her next question could have been, “Well, who told you for us to move?” Abram may have replied, “God did.” Then, she may have said something like this, “Well, okay, then!” She immediately went to prepare for their journey. What would we have done? Would we have been as willing wives to go on a journey, not knowing where we were going and how long we would be gone? I really doubt this would happen today without many more questions and answers. It seems to me that Sarai was more obedient and submissive than most of us today would have been. What do you think? Later in life Abram and his family lived in Palestine. Genesis 12:10-20 records …

Bible Wardrobes and the Christian Woman’s Spiritual Clothing: The Sackcloth Wardrobe

“But as for me, when they were sick, My clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; And my prayer would return to my own heart” (Psalm 35:13 NKJV). Often in Scripture, we read of those who were clothed in sackcloth, humbling themselves before God so that their prayers would be heard. The city of Nineveh not only clothed the people in sackcloth but also the animals to show their contrite hearts (Jonah 3:8). If David’s prayer in Psalm 35:1-28 were for Absalom and the traitors who conspired with him to remove David from the throne, then it has heavy implications. If it were for King Saul or some other enemy, we can only imagine its depth of meaning. David contrasted the enemy’s conduct with his own. He talked of his past life and about the acts of kindness that he had shown in times of trouble, as more deeply marking the evils of his enemies’ conduct now. David begged the Lord to plead his cause and to fight against them that fight him. He said, ‘Stand for me! Confuse the enemy! Blow them away like chaff! (Psalm 35:2-5). He even begged the Lord to make their way dark and slippery; David pleaded that his enemies would fall into their own pit that they had dug to snare him (Psalm 35:6-8). David had given up on saving their souls though he apparently had tried many times in the past. These were men (or women) who were bound to David by …

Shall We Cry for Deliverance?

When the people of God fail to keep their part of the covenant He has made with them by falling into sin, God disciplines them with the rod of men. Many accounts in the Old Testament Scriptures – given for our learning (Romans 15:4) – show this very pattern. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. “When you beget children and grandchildren and have grown old in the land, and act corruptly and make a carved image in the form of anything, and do evil in the sight of the Lord your God to provoke Him to anger, I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you will soon utterly perish from the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess; you will not prolong your days in it, but will be utterly destroyed. And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you. And there you will serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 4:24-29 NKJV) The Israelites were by no means in the same position as God’s children today, especially because of their perpetual disobedience and always hardening their hearts’ (Hebrews 3; …

A Speck and a Plank

Matthew 7:3-5 reads as follows. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, “Let me remove the speck from your eye”; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (NKJV) In place of “plank” in the NKJV, the ESV uses the word “log.” The familiar KJV uses the word “beam.” A “beam” brings to mind the massive, squared trees used a century ago for the interior skeletal structure inside huge dairy barns. We are to look and to examine ourselves before we concern ourselves about others. We need to look at ourselves before examining how others are living. “Therefore, you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things” (Romans 2:1). What is a speck? The dictionary says a speck is a small discoloration or a spot especially from a stain or decay. It is small like a very tiny spot or a dot. Sometimes we get something like an eyelash in an eye. It is tiny and very painful. What is a plank? Its definition is a heavy, thick board. It is impossible to fit in one’s eye. What do these objects, a “speck” or a “plank,” in one’s eye …

Sight: Physical and Spiritual

“And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9 NKJV). Even though the magnificence of the Garden of Eden does not exist today, the world around us is still breathtakingly beautiful to human eyes. Should we love the beauty we see in the world? What do the Scriptures say will happen to this physical world one day (2 Peter 3:10-14)? Are we wise when we love something that will be burned up? Should we divide our love, our hearts and our time between both worlds, or should we give ourselves totally to the eternal? What does the Lord say in Colossians 3:1-2? “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” We get a brief glimpse into the spiritual world from Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:25-26. “At that time Jesus answered and said, ‘I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.’” By this and similar passages we understand there are two kinds of sight, and that spiritually blind …

Friendliness

What is a friend? A dictionary definition says a friend is “one attracted to another by affection or esteem, a favored companion.” My definition of a “friend” is one on whom I can depend – one to whom I can tell personal information and know she will not tell anyone. A friend can be someone you do not see very often, but when you get together, you pick up right where you left off. It is just like you were never separated. Proverbs 18:24 defines a friend thusly, “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (NKJV). Not everyone has a person on whom she can rely. This is so sad. Everyone needs someone. There may be reasons people do not have friends. If we cannot show ourselves to be friendly, why would we think we should have friends? We must put ourselves out to others to make friends, rather than to just sit back and let them come to you. Though you may be timid, take the first step by introducing yourself to others. You can do this if you set your mind to it. Remember God is on your side, and He will give you the strength to do the Christian thing that needs to be done. If one is mean or snobbish, he or she cannot expect to have someone befriend him or her. On the other hand, sometimes one who is very shy, afraid …

How Can We Deceive Ourselves?

Some time ago, I heard this sermon, “How Can We Deceive Ourselves?” When I heard the title, my ears perked up. I felt this was a lesson I really needed to hear and learn what to do to not deceive myself. I knew it was something I must put into my daily life. I am afraid we all at times deceive ourselves, and I know I do. We want to believe we are better people than we really are. We say we have not done or said anything wrong, but what about our attitude toward others? The Scriptures teach us to take heed lest we fall in 1 Corinthians 10:12. This means not to think more highly of ourselves than we should. Therefore, we must be able to think of ourselves as we really are. What do we think of ourselves? It is bad when we are deceived by others. When we are misled by others, we may be excused once. There is a saying that goes something like this, “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.” We must stay alert and follow God’s Word. We are told in 1 Peter 5:8 that the devil is always going about seeking whom He can devour or con, either by ourselves or by others. He wants us to believe a lie and to be deceived, just as he conducted himself in the Garden of Eden when he interacted with Adam and Even. The devil told Eve a …

Humility

The ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome believed in a multitude of immortal gods and goddesses who interacted with mortal men and women. The gods and goddesses had expectations for human behavior, and they punished those who broke the rules. One common theme throughout Greek and Roman mythology describes the punishments given to those who committed the worst offense – excessive pride or hubris (Edgar 2). Hundreds of years before the Greek and Roman civilizations, God’s inspired penmen addressed the human condition of excessive pride. “For You will save the humble people, But will bring down haughty [prideful] looks” (Psalm 18:27 NKJV). “The LORD lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground” (Psalm 147:6). “Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, And before honor is humility” (Proverbs 18:12). God considers excessive pride an abomination (Proverbs 6:16-17). Notice in the verses above that pride is contrasted with humility. The Old and New testaments praise those who are humble (Proverbs 15:33; 22:4; Matthew 18:4; Luke 14:11). Multiple verses command God’s servants to demonstrate humility (Colossians 3:12; Romans 12:16; James 4:10). Humility Defined Several Hebrew words in the Old Testament and several Greek words in the New Testament translate into our English words “humility” or “humble.” These words can also be translated into the English words “meekness,” “gentleness” and “subdue” in addition to phrases like “bring down” or “bring into subjection” (Strong’s). The general idea of humility or humbleness is an attitude of self-control, submission and an awareness of …

I Turned Away from Him

I turned away from HimBackslid from the Holy OneWent back to my lifestyle of sin I now talk, think and behave like the worldI easily blend inBy the world’s charms I am thrilled I take pride in my achievements and possessionsAfter all who wouldn’t?Accumulate material goods without question Life is all about everything I seeMy heart takes delight in physical pleasureMy motto is: just let me be The preacher and the elders come to my homeThey are in concern for my soulI wish they would leave me alone “Fall from grace?”I cruelly scoffEven at the look of sorrow on the preacher’s face “Impossible!God will let me in the pearly gatesThe idea of apostasy, inconceivable!” They all claim I’ve trampled the Son of God underfootDespised His holy bloodBut I shut out their input Then I show them the doorPractically push them outTheir pleas for repentance I ignore But hey! It’s all goodGod’s grace covers meAs it very well should And I have plenty of time to repentMy life is full of numerous daysOn my conscience God’s Word can’t even make a dent I head off to workMoney now my goalOn my face there is a smirk When bam! I am hit head onBy a drunk driver weaving in and out of trafficNow my fragile life is almost gone My lungs fill with bloodA coherent thought won’t comeThe paramedics have done all they could Wait! I’m not ready to die!Give me one more day!Oh, why did the drunk driver hit me? Why? …

Redemption: The Central Point in the Christian’s Journey

Redemption, simply put, is deliverance by payment of a price. In the New Testament, redemption refers to salvation by Christ’s sacrifice from sin, death and the wrath of God. In the Old Testament, it refers to kinsman deliverance, rescue or ransom, and it was applied to property, animals, persons and the nation of Israel as a whole. Almost always, it was freedom from obligation, bondage, danger and distress from liability to any evil; this was attained by a price, a bribe, labour, satisfaction, a sum of money paid to attain freedom, favor of reconciliation or other means. Men may redeem property, animals and individuals (slaves, prisoners, indentured relatives) who are legally obligated to God or in bondage for other reasons. God alone, however, is able to redeem from the slavery of sin and the power of death. The New Testament emphasizes the tremendous cost of redemption – the precious blood of Christ. Believers are encouraged to remember the price of their redemption as a motivation to enhance their personal holiness. The Bible also emphasizes the result of redemption – freedom from sin and freedom to serve God through Jesus Christ. Redemption always speaks of the purchase back by the payment of a ransom or a price paid for something that had been lost. For our redemption, the debt is not only canceled but fully paid as a satisfaction to divine justice. It means believers have been bought with the price of blood and have been redeemed from sin, Satan and the misery of sinful self. …

My Bibles

Have you ever read a passage in your Bible that made you stop, read it again and again, and then highlight it because it touched you in such a profound way? Later, when you ran across that same passage, you might have wondered why you had highlighted it in the first place. Or, maybe you had written in a cross reference that was meaningful at the time but looking at it again made you wonder what the two verses had to do with each other. My Bible has been the object of such scrutiny over the years as I read and read again (Luke 24:32). It is my treasure, my life history, my diary of thoughts and dreams, and my journal of progress on the road to salvation (Psalm 51:10). My first Bible had very few highlighted passages. I remember it vividly as a very soft, easy-to-carry, KJV published by Nelson Publishing Co. However, at the time it was given to me, I was a rebellious teenager, not wanting to be forced to read as punishment. Unfortunately, when my mother rebuked me, she often forced me to go to my room and read (nothing specific, just read), and those times were “in my craw” so to speak. The wear and tear on that Bible was mostly to the beautiful Moroccan leather cover and to one or two torn pages after our first son was born. The Bible itself was not to blame, but parents of strong-willed children should remember such …

Divine Dining – No Fast Food

The Bible overflows with the commanding message of seeking after and searching for God. Knowledge of divinity is eternally imperative. When Moses asked God the question about His name, He said, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14 NKJV). From that timeless declaration of God’s divine identity, He has continued to declare that He is the LORD, the Great I AM. Since we are the highest of His creation, God wants us to know who He is. He wants us to know why we are here, where are we going, how will we get there and when will this happen. The short answer is that we are here to prepare ourselves to spend eternity with God and teach others to want to do the same. God has provided the answers to all these questions in His Word, the Bible, and these answers take time to study and learn. When we become God’s spiritual children, we will spend the remainder of our lives in His divine dining room with His Word. Are we willing to invest ourselves in the study of the Bible to learn Who God is and to understand His expectations of us as His children? Do we realize that time invested is crucial to our relationship with God while the fast food mentality is useless? If so, we will conclude that time spent with God is always time well spent. In her book, Impossible, Casandra Martin writes, “The Bible is a catalog of the Possible. From the opening words to the closing Amen, …

But If Not

Three young, Hebrew men were brought in before King Nebuchadnezzar for refusing to pay homage to the golden idol that the king had set up on display for all to bow down in worship of it. Consequently, the monarch of Babylon angrily addressed them with the threat of being burnt to death if they dared to resist again. Daniel 3:16-18 gives us their response to that prideful king. …O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up. (NKJV) Notice the faith of these Jews in the phrase of verse 18, “but if not.” In the face of imminent death, they not only informed the mighty king of the most powerful empire at the time that the God of Israel could deliver them from the fire, but also, that since their God is All-Powerful and All-Knowing, He may allow their lives on this earth to end in that furnace. Either way, they would not bow down to false gods, and the One, True God would be glorified! We must ask ourselves if we have faith as displayed by these Israelites. The world is still full of idolatry to which …

Holy Marriages

Through my recent studies of God’s Word, I’ve come to a fuller understanding of how God views marriage. Unfortunately, I think the church has failed to understand this concept, at least during my lifetime. Churches are filled with divorce, cohabitation and unlawful marriages. Yet, many, including some elderships, believe this is okay. However, does God believe it is okay? “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4 NKJV). God created marriage in the very beginning. Now, here is what many miss; from the beginning, marriage was a foreshadow of God’s relationship with man. Adam was put to sleep, his side was opened, and he woke up with a bride (Genesis 2:21-25; 3:12). Sound familiar? Maybe not. Think about how Jesus went to sleep, had His side opened up, and then he woke up to obtain a bride – His church. The world tells us that marriage should be happy and perfect. God tells us marriage should be holy and complete us in our service to Him. People are so concerned with being happy that they honestly believe it is a commandment from God! If this were the case, the church never would have grown. Think about all that Paul endured for the bride of Christ. He was abused to the point of death and was then later put to death. I don’t think I would be “happy” according to worldly standards going through those difficulties. Based on extra-biblical church history, all but one apostle was murdered for Christ’s bride. …

Purity in Our Lives

Introduction Matthew 7:18-20 reads, “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them” (NKJV). Do you really know someone the first time you meet her? Of course not. It takes a while to become acquainted with a person. Sometimes we meet someone who seems to be what we would want in a friend, but later we find out she is not at all the person we thought her to be. Other times, we seem to have hit it off right away, and we have made a sound judgment. This woman is what we would call the real deal. It is amazing to me how many people are watching us. We go about our lives not thinking about who we are influencing for good or for evil. Let us look at Molly for instance. She was a devout Christian wife. She took care of her husband when he had cancer until she had to finally resort to hospice for help. The nurses saw how lovingly she cared for him. One day the nurses were talking among themselves, and a male nurse who had only seen Molly and her husband a few times described her as a unique and impressive woman. Her purity was shining through as the beautiful sun to others who did not even know her. She was demonstrating how …

Obedience to the Faith

The following passages were brought to my attention by one of the sisters in a recent ladies’ Bible class. I had mentioned the necessity of living in obedient faith to the will of God. Her comments made me realize that in all my years of striving to teach God’s Word, this phrase in these two passages of the declaration “for obedience to the faith” had completely eluded me. Romans 1:5 says, “Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name” (NKJV). Romans 16:25-27 says: Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began, but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith – to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen. What does obedience to the faith look like? How is this done? In the Gospel Advocate Commentary on the New Testament Epistles: Romans, David Lipscomb made these observations on Romans 1:5. Obedience which springs out of faith as its moving cause. No act of obedience is acceptable to God which is not prompted by faith in him who performs it. This shows that there is something in faith to be obeyed. This obedience is rendered not simply by believing; for that is to exercise the faith, not to obey …

How Can I Help the Church to Grow?

We must work on improving ourselves. What do I mean by this statement? I mean, we need to grow as Christian ladies. The more we grow, the more we will improve, and we will be able to do more for the congregation of which we are members. There are many ways in which we can improve ourselves and grow in the service of the Lord. We can grow by studying by ourselves or with Christian ladies in a group. I enjoy being in a ladies’ class because I get so many ideas of ways to make myself a better Christian, because ladies have many great ways for all of us to grow in the Lord. We can learn more Scriptures, learn to pray, learn to meditate on God’s Word, memorize verses of the Bible and many other ways to grow. How can we teach others if we have not studied the Bible other than to know how and why we became Christians? Our ultimate goal is for a person to be taught what is needed for her to become a child of God. It is wise to go into a Bible study knowing where the Scriptures are found before trying to teach others the way of eternal life. In 2 Timothy 2:15, we are told to study the Scriptures, rightly dividing the Word. How can we rightly divide the Scriptures if we do not know what the Bible says? We can’t! This does not mean we need to know everything …

For Your Good Always

Introduction In his book, Renewing Your Spiritual Life, Aubrey Johnson addresses “A Study of Deuteronomy: 13 Simple Steps for Maximum Spiritual Growth.” In the introduction to the background of Israel, he makes these observations. “When Israel was preparing to enter the Promised Land, Moses revealed a secret that would guarantee the people military victory, economic prosperity and spiritual vitality. That secret was to honor God’s covenant. Those who follow Moses’ advice find that it still works today! Simply put, renewal is the result of committed love for God and obedience to His Word.” In Deuteronomy 4-30, Moses told Israel to listen to the statutes and judgments, which he taught them to observe, so that they might go in to take possession of the land that the LORD God of their fathers was giving them. Moses’ “aim was not to provide a new and distinct body of teaching different from what he delivered earlier at Sinai. Rather, his intent was to restate the same law and urge the Israelites to reaffirm it” (Johnson 10). The focus of this article is what God did for the Israelites for their good and what He continues to do in the lives of 21st century Christians for their good. Selected passages in Deuteronomy, along with other noted Scriptures, deserve special attention, and Job is the stellar example of God always working for the good of His children. Deuteronomy Moses cautioned the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 6:10-25 against disobedience. He told them how to respond when their children asked what …

It Is an Imperative Choice

Over the years, I have bought and have been given many devotional Bibles with 365 daily Scripture readings with devotional insights. This year, I just happened to hear about one that I did not have. I was immediately interested in where to obtain one as quickly as possible. When I mentioned it to a family member, it “magically” appeared in my mailbox two days later! The title of my article is taken from a statement made in the Devotional Daily Bible – NKJV – Signature Series. For March 9, part of the devotional insight is Be A Responsible Follower – Numbers 16:1-3.      “Churches, organizations, marriages, and homes all can be affected by murmuring, by rebelling against those whom God has appointed to lead. Great blessing and joy and guidance come from turning such feelings over to God and obeying Him and those whom He has designated. It is an imperative choice.” Hebrews 13:17 was selected as Today’s Thought: “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.” God’s Word is peppered with imperative choices, and not one of them is to be taken lightly or considered out of hand – ever. God says what He means and means what He says, and as students of His Word, we know that sometimes He only says it once. That is all that is needed. After all, we …

As a Woman, How Can I Help the Church to Grow?

Cannot Do Public Works(During Worship Services) Many women want to know how they can teach and help the Lord’s church to grow. I have heard the statement, followed by the question, “I am a woman; I can’t do things such as preach,lead singing, lead public prayers, pass the communion trays or pass the collection plates. I cannot make any announcements during the public services. So, what can I do to help the church to grow?” There is much more to do than just these few public works that occur during the worship or midweek Bible study. Some ladies are leaders, while others are followers. Some sisters in Christ are outgoing, and some are not; some women are shy and followers. Other ladies are very outgoing, and these women are usually leaders. We each must decide what kind of a working Christian lady we are. One’s personality does help to decide how and what we can do – within what the Bible permits. We can all do behind the scenes work. We can do bulletin boards, help our children to learn the books of the Bible, sing children’s songs and memorize Scripture. As a side note, while helping children learn memory verses, we will also learn these verses. If papers for the classes need cut out or some other project for class requires preparation, these are behind the scenes works, too, that any of us can do. Are We Going to Obey the Lord? If a shy or a new Christian …

What Causes God to Laugh?

Three times in Scripture, God is depicted as a laughing God. How can the words “God” and “laugh” go together in any sense? God has given us all the ability to laugh. We all have a laugh that is distinctly ours. We laugh at countless people, places and things. God is not remotely in this category! The three times that God is depicted as a laughing God are in the Psalms, and the occasions are grave indeed. The first passage that tells us what causes God to laugh is Psalm 2:1-4. David, the Psalmist, asked a very pointed question followed by a very pointed statement. He, then, revealed God’s response. “Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.’ He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision” (NKJV). According to this passage, the people of the nations of the world vainly decide to fight against God. He laughs and holds them up to contempt, disdain and scorn! Tom Wacaster in his commentary of The Songs and Devotions of David, Volume 1, Psalms 1-24, cites these comments from W. Forsyth, Pulpit Commentary: The Book of Psalms, Volume 8. “Mark the quiet dignity of the Omnipotent One, and the contempt which he pours upon the princes and their raging people. He …

Do You Practice Righteousness or Sin?

Webster’s College Dictionary offers one of the definitions for “practice” as “to follow or observe habitually or customarily: to practice one’s religion.” The question is not, “Does anyone sin?” All accountable people sin. Jesus Christ was the only One Who was sinless. The question is, “Do you practice righteousness or sin?” How is righteousness practiced? The apostle John wrote in 1 John 3:7-8, “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (NKJV). In his book, Words of Wisdom for Everyday Christian Living, Dr. James E. Thompson, DD states, “Righteousness (right doing) enhances all embracers. One cannot go wrong embracing what’s right. When ‘doing right’ is absent in our lives, sin or evil is in control. ‘All unrighteousness is sin’ (1 Jn 5:17)” (51). How is evil practiced? We must go back to virtually the beginning of human existence. Genesis 6:5 reads, “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” In Fortify Your Faith, Wayne Jackson wrote about “The Wrath of God.” The starkness of sacred wrath, in part, is “the intense and sustained disposition of God towards evil and those who abandon themselves to it.” The Bible is the standard for defining what is right and what is wrong. …

A Horrible Past, A Great Present and A Wonderful Future

This title was taken from a statement made in answer to a question that was sent in to one of the Sunday morning TV programs sponsored by the churches of Christ. The question was, “Can a horrible person who has done horrible things be saved?” The short answer is, “Yes.” Both the Old and New testaments record the lives of many such people. How can this be? Again, the short answer is, “Jesus Christ.” When Jesus died on the cross, He died for the sins of the whole world throughout the ages of planet earth! Colossians 1:21-23 speaks directly to this biblical fact. “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and irreproachable in His sight – if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I Paul, became a minister” (NKJV). King Manasseh of Judah has been described as the prodigal king of the Old Testament, who seemed to have been a man of policy. He had a policy of idolatry, immorality, persecution and destruction. The introduction to Manasseh in 2 Kings 21:1-2 and 2 Chronicles 33:1-2 are virtually identical, the exception being his mother’s name is mentioned in the Kings account. “Manasseh was twelve years old when he became …

Bear One Another’s Burdens

We live in a culture that teaches us to hide our weaknesses and failures. We are told not to interfere with people’s lives, and they should not interfere with our lives. Children express the sentiment well when they say, “It is none of your business.” It breaks my heart to see how many Christians have allowed this idea and cultural response to disrupt Christian relationships. It is an absolute contradiction to the example set forth in God’s inspired Word. Ten years ago, my family faced a life altering experience. We had made poor choices that led to other poor choices. Without realizing it at the time, sin was at the heart of the whole matter. As our actions bore forth their consequences, we truly regretted what we had allowed our lives to become. By God’s amazing providence, we had recently started attending services with a congregation who understood love and bearing with one another. This congregation took us from two broken Christians who had fallen away while sitting in the pews for years to where we are today, in ministry. Without the love, support and forgiveness of this congregation, we would not be here today. The eldership, ministers, deacons and members came to us with open arms, asking us how they could help put our broken family back together. Piece by piece, they used God’s love and His Word to change us. We have no doubt that our lives would not be the same without this group of individuals. In …

What Legacy Are We Leaving?

Of all the myriad of items or objects that we could leave our immediate and extended family, friends, neighbors, coworkers or any other earthly relationships, none can surpass the gift of an unwavering example of faith, trust and obedience to Holy God Almighty! In retrospect, the most important thing that my daddy left me was the Bible teachings about the Lord’s church. Acquiring that knowledge as an adolescent set me on a path that I continue to follow. I was very thankful that I had the opportunity to let Daddy know that before he died. I attended his funeral with no regrets. Every day that God allows me to still be here, I am reminded in some of the most profound ways from my vantage point – that life is fleeting, unpredictable, tragic and ever changing. Some of our best days have somehow been marred by life happenings! One of our ministers brought a lesson several years ago on the brevity of life and where our real focus should be for the breadth of time that we are here. He read some thoughts from an e-mail entitled, “Countdown of Life – How much time do you really have left?” This countdown was based on a person living for 78 years. It touched on the various things that a person could do, and the life remaining to spend the way most people want to live was 9 years and 6 months! When the children of Israel were about to cross over into the …

The Trampoline of Life

A recent Facebook meme equated the teaching profession to a child falling on a trampoline and trying to get back up while the other children continue to jump. After some reflection, this feeling of helplessness is often present in the lives of Christians, as well. The world in which we live is filled with wickedness. Sin and temptation seem to be everywhere we look. Frequently, it appears the ones who turn their backs on God prosper while those who strive to obey God suffer. How can the Christian get back up when the world continues to jump on life’s trampoline? First, the Christian must lean on God. Many times, we try to relate to the world around us through our understanding of the circumstances. However, Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” We cannot substitute our understanding of matters for God’s wisdom. Jesus taught His disciples to take their strength from Him. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Many passages express the help and strength God will provide in times “of trouble” (Psalm 9:9; 20:1; 37:39-40; 50:15; 138:7; …

Givers and Takers

“There are two types of missionaries – givers and takers,” my late husband Bob often said. What did he mean by this statement? He was talking about missionaries going into different parts of the world to spread the Word of God, and their supporters. The givers are those who can and will financially help support missionaries and their families in foreign and stateside missions. (When going into these areas, we need to teach brethren to support themselves in their local works as they become able.) Because of Bob, we were givers. We would help support missionaries and some of our younger brethren and their families going to preacher schools. We were very fortunate in that we supported those who remained true to the Word and are still working for the Lord today. Without the givers, these men could not be takers. After marrying Louis, we are now – takers – doing mission work. I love being a taker as we go into the countries of Guyana, South America; Singapore, Myanmar (Burma) and India in Asia. This has really been a wonderful privilege, made possible by the help of those supporting us financially. Without the givers, it would be impossible for Louis and me to go to these countries for our Lord with the Gospel. In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus told the apostles, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…” We call this the Great …

Jesus Was Prophesied to Be the King of the Kingdom

“I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14 NKJV). What does Matthew 28:18 say? “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.’” After Jehovah gave Jesus (the Son) all authority, He sent the Holy Spirit by Jesus. According to the prophecy in Daniel 7:14, who would serve Him? All people, nations and languages should serve Him, which would be the church throughout the world. Now consider the words of Gabriel when it was time for Christ to come into the world (Luke 1:30-33). Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Comparing the Old …

Do Not Forget All of God’s Benefits

We have once again entered that time of the year when our attention turns particularly to thanksgiving. For Christians, every day is to be a day expressed in thanksgiving. God’s blessings are effectively innumerable for all of us! Psalm 103:1-2 declares, “Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” (NKJV). How do we bless the LORD? We bless the LORD by affectionately and gratefully praising Him. How is this done with all that is within us? We worship and praise the LORD with all the energy and forthrightness that our spiritual maturity can possibly express. Through prayer, we enter God’s gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. How do we bless His holy name? We give God what He is rightfully entitled as our Creator. God is entitled to honor, reverence, glory, adoration and thanksgiving. How do we avoid forgetting God’s benefits? Every day, we must realize the trappings of this world are all Satan’s lures to harden us through the deceitfulness of sin. Sadly, too many expect God’s benefits without any thought whatsoever of Him, not to mention expressing thankfulness to Him. Every breath we take and every step we make is because God continues to say so. When this stops, we pass from a point in time into eternity! Psalm 103:3-5 brings into the sharpest focus just Who is behind all our benefits. These blessings, benefits or advantages are all …

It Is an Abomination to God

Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words has several definitions and three major categories that describe an abomination. An abomination is a loathsome, detestable thing. First, it defines something or someone as essentially unique in the sense of being dangerous, sinister, and repulsive to another individual. When used with reference to God, this nuance of the word describes people, things, acts, relationships, and characteristics that are ‘detestable’ to Him because they are contrary to His nature. Things that are related to death and idolatry are loathsome to God. People with habits loathsome to God are themselves detestable to Him. Second, it is used in some contexts to describe pagan practices and objects. In other contexts, it describes the repeated failure to observe divine regulations. Third, it is used in the sphere of jurisprudence and of family or tribal relationships. Biblically speaking, exactly what is an abomination? There are numerous passages that define and cover the scope of this treacherous behavior and mindset.  Proverbs is a treasure trove of revealing definitions. Some of these definitions may be startling, shocking and even surprising to us. An introduction to Proverbs from the Apologetics Press Defending the Faith Study Bible offers these most insightful thoughts. “A ‘proverb’ (root meaning = ‘comparison’) in Hebrew usage is a moralistic pronouncement about everyday life… Proverbs very practically point people down the pathway to successful living. They cut through the façade and complexities that we humans so typically conjure up in our lives by pinpointing how to live a …

This Too Shall Pass – When I Drink It

We as followers of Jesus Christ must bring every thought into captivity to God’s will as Jesus did. Our Lord suffered incomprehensible agony as He faced the cross! In Matthew 26:42, He prayed, “…O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done” (NKJV). Did we get that? Is this submission to the zenith? There are virtually countless lessons for us to learn from the example of our Lord and Savior before, during and after His crucifixion. He said on one occasion in John 8:29, “And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” We mortals will do well to embrace that statement of eternal truth by faith and stand more in awe of our Lord and Savior! When we are made to come eyeball to eyeball with our own readiness to submit to the will of God, how do we respond? We sometimes take the approach that we are fine in our relationship with God and Christ and there is nothing else to do. This attitude serves no worthwhile purpose. It stunts our spiritual growth, resulting in spiritual deformities. The only way out is through, and that way out is through Christ. Romans 8:37 declares, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” What ‘cups’ of continued spiritual discipline are being put to our lips that we have yet to sip – not to mention drink? …

What Is Success?

What is success? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “success” as “favorable or desired outcome; also: the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence.” What does the word “eminence” mean? Merriam-Webster says of “eminence,” “a position of prominence or superiority.” We all want to be successful. Unfortunately, the success we want could be the best education at the best university for ourselves and for our children, the best job with the most pay, wealth, a new car, the biggest house with all the amenities, boats, a vacation home or any material gain we can think of to make things nicer for ourselves. I agree that it is pleasant to have nice material things, but this is not the success to which I am referring. I am talking about our success spiritually. Success spiritually is worth more than any silver, gold or other worldly possessions we can accumulate. We are told in Matthew 6:19-20 to lay our treasures in Heaven, not on the earth where moth and rust decay and where thieves break in and steal. So, you see, our priorities often are in the wrong place. We are told in the parable of the rich fool found in Luke 12:17-19, “And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So, he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods …

Sing with Understanding: Wonderful Story of Love

As part of New Testament worship, Christians are commanded to sing (Ephesians 5:18). Colossians 3:16 further explains that the songs should teach and admonish. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul addressed the misuse of miraculous gifts in the worship service. He stressed that God provided those gifts for the spiritual benefit of Christians; however, no one would benefit if there was no understanding. Included in the discussion is the statement, “I will also sing with the understanding” (1 Corinthians 14:15). Though Christians do not have miraculous gifts today, the principle remains applicable. To ‘sing with understanding’ and to ‘teach and admonish one another’ in our worship services, Christians should recognize the meanings behind the words and the phrases in the songs they sing. Consider for a few moments some pertinent words and phrases from the song, “Wonderful Story of Love.” Verse 1 “Wonderful story of love: Tell it to me again;Wonderful story of love: Wake the immortal strain!Angels with rapture announce it Shepherds with wonder receive it;Sinner, O won’t you believe it? Wonderful story of love.” The first verse of the song introduces the idea of a wonderful story of love that people should want to hear over and over again. It depicts the angels announcing the birth of Jesus to the shepherds (Luke 2:8-10). The phrase “wake …

What If Everyone Were Like Me?

Third John is a wonderful, one-chapter book filled with lessons for us today. It was written by the apostle John to a man named Gaius. Two other men are mentioned in this book, Diotrephes and Demetrius. Gaius and Demetrius were commended, but Diotrephes was rebuked. Gaius must have been special to John. John says of him, “Whom I love in truth” (3 John 1 NKJV). This seems to identify Gaius as one who walked daily in the truth of the Gospel. John referred to Gaius as “beloved,” and he used this expression several times. This man was a fellow Christian, which created a special bond between them. John wished for him physical health to match his spiritual health. Gaius’ spiritual health must have been strong, and John wanted his physical health to match it. What if God blessed our physical health to equal our spiritual health? How physically healthy would we be? Gaius’ spiritual health was measured by several things: (1) He walked in the Truth; (2) He was faithful to show hospitality to brothers and to strangers; (3) He sent them on their way “in a manner worthy of God” (3 John 6). Diotrephes, on the other hand, was not commended for good works. He was rebuked both for the things he did and did not do. It seems that Diotrephes put himself first above everyone else, and he did not acknowledge the authority of the apostles. This man had spoken evil things against the apostles, refused to welcome …

All of This Is Mine

Random House Webster’s College Dictionary defines “mine” as “a form of the possessive case of I as a predicate adjective; that or those belonging to me.” We have no problem understanding the meaning of “mine” when something or someone belongs to us. Somehow, that is totally lost in our understanding when God Almighty declares to all of us what is His possession. Jehovah God began declaring early in His interaction with His people that they – everybody and everything – belong to Him. That is still an irrevocable divine truth. However, humanity with breakneck speed and determination is doing everything in its power to live and to act as though all belongs to it. How tragic! This mindset is totally unsustainable and doomed to failure. The passages used for the purpose of this article do not begin to touch the hem of the garment in terms of the number there are in which God essentially says, “It is Mine.” The ones cited are but a few in which God has spoken directly or through one of His prophets. Note the following. Exodus 9:29 – “So Moses said to him, ‘As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD; the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, that you may know that the earth is the LORD’s.’” Moses spoke to Pharaoh in further answering his question about the identity of God. Exodus 13:1-2 – “Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying …

Is One Item of Worship More Important than Another?

My question is, in the five items of worship that are taught in the New Testament, which is the most important? These acts of worship are commanded to be done during the worship service on Sunday, the first day of the week. We are to sing, pray, preach or teach, observe communion and give of our means or money. Singing, praying, teaching or preaching and giving can also be done at other times as well; one can read of these acts of worship occurring on days in addition to the first day of the week. However, the Lord’s Supper is authorized in the New Testament for observance on the first day of the week. Let me explain why I say giving can be done other times, too. If a person needs help on Monday, do you tell him or her to wait until Sunday because that is the only day of the week I am allowed to give? Of course not! This is silly. When Christ taught in Matthew 25:32-46 about dividing the sheep from the goats, He used the example of the needy that those on the right hand or the sheep helped. Nothing in this parable says anything about the first day of the week. We are commanded to give on Sunday by collection in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2, but that is not the only day we can give to the Lord. We are told to give cheerfully as we have been prospered in 2 Corinthians 9:6-8. [Giving that …

No Fear – Just Faith

Can you imagine being in prison, knowing that your death is imminent, and writing a letter of encouragement to a young man on the outside? This was a first century prison; it did not resemble in any way, shape, form or fashion the prisons of today in the USA. That is exactly the situation Paul was enduring when he wrote his letters to Timothy. In 2 Timothy 1:1-5, Paul began by acknowledging he was an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God and stating that Timothy was his beloved son in the faith. Then, he told Timothy that without ceasing he remembered him in prayer day and night. Would to God that more of us had steadfast members of the church praying for us day and night! Paul remembered the spiritual heritage that was instilled in Timothy by his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice. There are not enough words to express how precious and priceless biblical teaching and upbringing is in a child’s life! In verse 6, Paul reminded Timothy to stir up the gift of God that was in him to spread the Gospel message. He also told him that he would face persecution from authorities as well as dissension and deception from within the church. Then in verse 7, Paul wrote, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound [disciplined] mind.” Since God has not given us a spirit of fear, from where does …

Measuring Sticks

If you were going to measure the distance between your house and your favorite store, would you use a measuring cup or a ruler? If you wanted to find out how much you weigh, would you use a measuring spoon or a yardstick? At your annual performance review at work, does your boss only compare you to other employees? These are, of course, absurd examples. You would use a device to measure miles to find the distance to your favorite store, a scale to find your weight and your boss should use a set of standards for your job description. There is a correct measuring stick for each of these situations. Likewise, there is a correct measuring stick we must use in spiritual matters. Consider for a moment the parable Jesus gave in Luke 18:9-14. Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous while despising others. Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men – extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.” And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” I tell you, this man went down to …

Do We Live Our Lives Cold, Hot or Lukewarm?

How are we living our lives; are they obedient, disobedient or indifferent? If we are living our lives for Christ and His church, we are living an obedient (hot) life. If we are living a lukewarm life, we are not living our lives for Christ. We are trying to live for Christ and for the devil at the same time, but this is impossible. If we are living cold lives, we are living of the world, and we have little or no interest in serving Christ. We are children of the devil. Now, of course, there are those of the world looking for the truth. I believe those who are truly looking for Christ and His church will find it. We can only live one of these aspects of life at a time. If we are living lives that are hot, we are truly trying to be the best Christians we know. We are studying (2 Timothy 2:15), praying (1 Thessalonians 5:17), doing good deeds (Galatians 6:10), setting the right example for others (1 Timothy 4:12), keeping our temper under control (Proverbs 14:29) and are kind to others (Ephesians 4:32). There are so many other things we could add to this list. We can learn much from Matthew 6:21-24, which reads: For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your …

A Lesson From the Life of David

For the past month, I’ve been studying the life of King David. While David may be famously known for slaying the giant Goliath or committing adultery with Bathsheba and trying to cover it up, his words in 2 Samuel 24 stuck with me. After David disobeyed God by numbering the people (2 Samuel 24:1-9), Gad, a prophet of the Lord and David’s seer, came to the king with a message from God, giving him three options of punishment (2 Samuel 24:11-13). David answered Gad and said, “Let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man” (2 Samuel 24:14). Matthew 10:28 immediately came to mind. God gives righteous judgment to all. Any punishment we receive is rightly given. God’s punishment is still far more merciful than what man can do to us. David, I believe, understood the unconditional love and mercy God has for us, which is why God’s just punishment is far better than anything man could ever do to us (Psalm 145:8-9). Judgment is no stranger to our culture today. Sometimes we give it, and other times, we receive it. Most times, we don’t have all the facts needed to make the right judgment call, but God does. He has all the facts, and when the time comes, He will make the right judgment call for each individual (Romans 2:2).

Consider Your Ways!

Within the pages of the Minor Prophets in the Bible, the Book of Haggai could easily be overlooked. Yet, this miniature book had a mighty message for the nation of Israel, as well as powerful principles for us today. In 538 B.C., the Jews had returned from Babylon to Jerusalem after spending 70 years in captivity. Under Ezra’s leadership, they began to rebuild the Temple, but opposition from their enemies caused the work to cease (Ezra 4:23-24). God sent Haggai to prophesy to the Jews in the second year of King Darius, which was 520 B.C. Haggai’s message was direct and concise. “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins? Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Consider your ways!’” (Haggai 1:4). He then told the Jews that they were eating, drinking and clothing themselves but never had enough. They were earning wages to put into a bag with holes. Then in verse 7, Haggai again urged, “Consider your ways!” The Jews had neglected the house of God for over 15 years and were more concerned with their own material wealth and wellbeing. In 1 Timothy 3:15, Paul referred to “the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” What about you? Have you been guilty of neglecting the house of God? Is your first priority found in eating, drinking and clothing yourself? Jesus commanded in Matthew 6:31-33, “Therefore, do not …

Friends with Daggers

An interesting email caught my eye on March 15. “On this day in 44 B.C., Julius Caesar died surrounded by friends. Unfortunately for him, his friends had daggers.” Following this eye-catching statement, the advertisement promoted fiction and nonfiction works about Julius Caesar. After some reflection, I noted the Bible addresses friendships by providing examples, instructions and warnings. Examples First Samuel 18:1-4 describes the beginning of a close friendship between David and Jonathan. The two remained steadfast friends despite knowing David would one day become king instead of Saul’s son, Jonathan (1 Samuel 23:16-17). The friendship even survived many attempts King Saul made on David’s life (1 Samuel 19:2; 20:17-23). After Jonathan’s death, David kept his promises to show kindness to Jonathan’s family (1 Samuel 20:14-16, 41-42; 2 Samuel 9). Jesus had many friends. John 11 indicates Jesus shared a friendship with Mary, Martha and Lazarus (see also Luke 10:38). When Jesus met with Elijah and Moses at the transfiguration, He took with Him Peter, James and John (Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-36). In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus took these same three a little farther into the Garden before He went even deeper into the Garden to pray (Matthew 26:36-46). On the cross, Jesus placed His mother into the care of John, “whom He loved” (John 19:26). Though Jesus loves everyone (John 3:16), these verses indicate He had a special friendship with some individuals while on earth. Instructions The Book of Proverbs provides many insights into friendships. Friends love …

The Prodigal Son

Over the last couple of months, I have been conversing with one of the sweetest Christian ladies I have ever met, and we were talking about her adult sons and their faith. Both of her sons have struggled with their faith. I have been searching for some wise words of God to share from the heart of a young, foolish woman to the heart of an older and wiser woman. One day, we were texting about nothing in particular, and she mentioned how much she still loves to spoil her “boys,” even though they are grown men. I thought back to some of our previous conversations and thought about how this is a recurring theme. She loves to do things to show her sons how much she loves them. Then, it occurred to me that her actions, while they were intended to show love, were probably one reason why her sons have struggled with their faith. It reminded me of a similar situation in my family. Despite being raised in the church, this young man rebelled. He was frequently found to be drinking, smoking, using profanity, having sexual relations and doing drugs. While not all these events were known at the time, they were all present. This young man had more than one run-in with the law over these behaviors. However, the loving family was always there for him. They were willing to bail him out. They paid for a good lawyer. They did every enabling thing short of buying …

Living Faithfully in a Wicked Land

No matter where in the world one lives, there can be no doubt one lives in a wicked land. Problems with crime and immorality abound. Political and social unrest compound the situation. However, such is not a new state of the world. Since the first sin in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3), mankind has lived in a wicked land. For a few moments, consider some of God’s faithful servants, the wicked land in which they lived and the lessons we can learn today. Noah in Prerecorded History From an historian’s point of view, Noah lived prior to recorded history. Therefore, the only written record of the wicked land of Noah’s day is the Bible. Genesis 6:5 reads, “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” More detail appears in verses 11 and 12. “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.” In the tenth generation from Adam, the land was so wicked that God found only eight righteous souls (Genesis 5:29; 6:8; 7:7, 13; 1 Peter 3:20). Noah lived faithfully in this wicked land. The Bible records, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. …

The Bible Is as Silent as the Tomb

“We speak where the Bible speaks and are silent where the Bible is silent.” That statement has been made in numerous printed materials produced by churches of Christ and in countless sermons and Bible classes. God has provided a book that is called the Bible, a book that can be held in one hand, within it everything that pertains to life and godliness. We are told in 2 Peter 1:2,  “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.” That is proof enough for the existence of Divinity. Who but God could give us all things that pertain to life and godliness? No, we have not been given everything we would like to know, but most certainly the Bible provides everything we need to know to make Jesus our choice for eternal life. There are several biblical accounts about which we really would like to know more, but like everything else, anything God has chosen not to reveal, we will never know, discover or uncover. Moses told the children of Israel shortly before they crossed over into the Promised Land, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29). That passage is as relevant …

Woe Is Unto Me

Woe is unto me if I proclaim not His name,If, of Him, I am ashamed. Woe is unto me if I share not His Word,If the Gospel, from me, is unheard. Woe is unto me if I don’t value souls,If His truth I don’t sow. Woe is unto me if Him, I don’t obey,If any sin, to me, is ever okay. Woe is unto me if my cross I don’t bear,If I’m caught in Satan’s snare. Woe is unto me if I’m ever lukewarm,If of spiritual danger, I don’t warn. Woe is unto me if from Him I turn away,How then will I be ready for that great day? Woe is unto me if I ever fall from grace,Don’t endure this faith race. Woe is unto me if Him I don’t serve,Don’t give Him the love He deserves. Don’t let it be woe is unto me.So, share the Gospel as often as I can,And through faithfulness reach that Promised Land.

Becoming as Little Children

I found this sermon outline in one of my late husband’s books. It was written by Tom W. Butterfield, who passed away many years ago. He was one of the great preachers of the Upper Ohio Valley. He spoke the Word plainly and simply as told us in Scripture. Even young children understood the lessons he taught. Little children are innocent. Jesus would have not used little children as examples if they were guilty of sin. He would not have used them in Matthew 19:14 if they were anything except pure. Jesus taught the disciples in Matthew 18:1-3 that they were to become as little children in order to enter the kingdom of Heaven. This applies to us today. Children are blameless until they attain the age of accountability, knowing right from wrong. We are not born in original sin. This is where false teachers say we are born as sinners, bearing the guilt of the sin of Adam and Eve and thereby inheriting their sin. We are born innocent at birth. A little baby only knows three things. He knows if he is hungry, if his diapers needs to be changed or if he hurts. Since babies cannot talk, they cry to let us know they need something. How can these babies believe that Jesus is the Son of God (Mark 16:16; 9:23)? How can they repent of sins (Luke 13:3, 5)? Can they confess Jesus is the Son of God (Romans 10:9-10)? Can these little ones choose to be …

The God of Our Salvation

Two words for the purpose and context of this article must be defined – “God” and “salvation.” First, what does God say in self-revelation of Himself? There is a catalogue of passages. In Isaiah 43:10b–13 God declares, “‘Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the LORD, and besides Me there is no savior. I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, and there was no foreign god among you; therefore, you are My witnesses,’ says the LORD, ‘that I am God.’” Psalm 90:2 declares, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting You are God.” Second, what does “salvation” mean? According to Bible Words and Theological Terms Made Easy by Wayne Jackson, “Salvation” is the result of having been “saved.” “It could signify to deliver, to heal, to liberate, to preserve, etc., depending upon the context. Most prominently in the New Testament, salvation has to do with deliverance from the guilt and ultimate consequence (spiritual death) of sin. Ultimately, salvation is from God; no sinful creature has the ability to save himself (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-5).” We must realize and be eternally grateful that our salvation is a divine achievement – not a human accomplishment. None of us can save ourselves no matter how remorseful we may be for our sins! No matter how long we would pray to be forgiven, without the sacrifice of Jesus our righteousness is …

It’s How, Not If

I heard a song on the radio recently that caught my attention. The lyrics considered the idea that the important thing about life is how someone will be remembered instead of if an individual will be remembered. Though the song considers common facets of the physical life, the topic creates an impactful spiritual question for consideration. Will you be remembered for… Sweet or Bitter Words? The Bible is full of instruction on the type of words we should use. “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24 NKJV). “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20). James instructed Christians to control the tongue (James 3:1-12). His conclusion of the matter states, “Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so” (v. 10). Jesus said our words will judge us (Matthew 12:36-37). Our words will also be remembered. What kind of words will others remember from you? Building Up or Tearing Down? Ephesians 4:29 encourages Christians to use their words to edify others. In Galatians 6:2, Paul commanded Christians to “Bear one another’s burdens.” In 1 Timothy 5:13, he condemned women who spend their days stirring up trouble as busybodies and tattlers. Proverbs 18:8 explains the harm done by talebearing. “The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts …

How Do You Measure Up?

How do you measure things? Do you use gallons, pints, cups, teaspoons, tablespoons, ounces, pounds, tons, inches, feet and miles? These are the kind of measurements we use in the USA. Other parts of the world use the metric system. These are meters, liters, kilograms, grams, and kilometers, etc. I do not know much about the metric system. Different countries have different ways of measuring. It can be confusing to someone new visiting. If I were to bake a cake, I would need to know what standard to use. With God’s Word, we have one standard and one standard only, the Bible. Isn’t it wonderful, we have one standard with the Word of God, the Bible? Even though it was written thousands of years ago, it is still timely. It took 1,600 years to write the whole Bible, the Old and New testaments. There were approximately 40 writers. Amazingly, there are no contradictions in the Scriptures. God gave us His Word, and He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. God’s Word does not change, and neither does He! Unfortunately, man does change and has also tried to change the Bible. Therefore, we must be careful which translation we use. There are many so-called Bibles that teach false doctrines (e.g., Good News for Modern Man, NIV, paraphrases). Be careful to choose a reliable translation of the Bible (e.g., KJV, NKJV, ASV, ESV). Those from the Reader’s Digest magazine went through the Bible and cut out what they did not want in it. So, …

Realizing the Importance of the Moment

Our lives were changed forever in March of 2020. I was listening to a Bible TV program one Sunday morning, and one of the minsters mentioned realizing the importance of the moment in connection with the point he was making. Being a writer, I instinctively write down phrases, sentences and thoughts that I hear from any number of sources. March 8, 2020, my family was at my home for our usual gathering for lunch each week after morning worship services. This was a practice that was started just a couple of weeks after my husband went to glory seven years ago. I can count on one hand how many times there were none of us at that lunch date. On that afternoon, my younger son and I and all four of my grandchildren were in my backyard. My son decided to take a picture – a candid shot of the four of them. Like so many other pictures of the four of them, I loved this one as well! I have pictures of them all over my house. I have already told my family I will have that picture enlarged and hung on a wall because it is so special to me! However, the following week and every time I look at that picture, it has taken on more significance as the days turned into weeks and now months since the nine of us have been together for any reason. We did not realize the importance of the moment in time when my son …

Pure Religion: Bridling the Tongue

If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:26-27) Pure religion requires bridling the tongue as well as helping the needy. We see in the verse above that “if any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain” (James 1:26). There should be no time our speech is not controlled with grace and salt. “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man” (Colossians 4:6). This kind of speech will not necessarily please the world, but God is pleased with such speech. Our speech should never include anything that would be a shame to Christ. “…Sound speech that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you” (Titus 2:8). It takes a heavy bridle to stop speech that the world loves. “Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks” (Ephesians 5:4). The speech we have should be building in the heart of those who hear. “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, …

Worship

In Acts 20:7, “Upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them until midnight.” Paul made sure he was with brethren to worship his God and commune with the church and remember the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 10:25, we are told not to forsake the assembling of ourselves for worship. We have been told by our government not to meet in crowds larger than a certain number (the specified number varies with local and current circumstances regarding the pandemic). We are told to obey the laws of our land if they do not go against the Word of God (Romans 13:1-2). What can we do to worship our God? We can and should meet in our homes with our families during this time of lockdown. There are many congregations airing their Sunday morning services. There are also 5-minute devotionals, lessons for Sunday evening and Wednesday night services. We have no excuse for not worshipping our God. Also, we can do our own services and have one of the men teach a lesson during our services in the home. As we have been going through this lockdown because of the Covid-19, have we worshipped our God? Yes, we cannot meet with the brethren, but we can provide the communion items for our family to worship and commune with our God in remembrance of our Lord giving His life on the cross for our sins. We can sing …

Who Really Decides?

Everyone has an opinion about who should run the country, but did you ever wonder what God’s opinion is? The only way to know is by reading the Bible. During the time of the Old Testament, God appointed kings to rule over His people in Israel and Judah, but some of the kings began to worship manmade idols. God sent many prophets to warn them to turn away from their idolatry, but they would not listen. Because of their disobedience, the city of Jerusalem was destroyed, and the people were carried away to Babylon by the cruel king Nebuchadnezzar. Among those taken to Babylon was a young man named Daniel. Many years later, he told Nebuchadnezzar “that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses” (Daniel 4:25). In the New Testament, the apostle Paul told the Christians who lived under the authority of the evil Roman emperors, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority, except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God” (Romans 13:1). When elections are over and the ballots are counted, some will be glad, and some will be sad according to the outcomes. But no matter who wins, it is ultimately God Who decides who will rule. Let us remember that God is in control and He gives it to whomever He chooses. [Editor’s Note: Truly, God is in control. Yet, that does not excuse Christians from doing their …

Be Thankful and Stay Thankful

Only God knew what the year 2020 was to bring. However, we are still thankful to be alive. In his book, Always Near – Listening for Lessons from God, Bill Bagents wrote this about being thankful. In every situation, there are blessings to be found. It’s always healthy to see them. In every situation, at least on some level, there are reasons to be thankful. If nothing else, we can be thankful that things aren’t worse or that the challenges didn’t come earlier. There’s great wisdom in choosing to be grateful that things are as well as they are. We can be [emphasis mine] thankful that we never face trouble alone (Heb. 13:5-6). We stay [emphasis mine] thankful that God’s ultimate deliverance is just as certain as His grace, mercy and love (2 Cor. 4:17-5:8; 2 Tim. 4:6-8). Psalms for Women – God’s Gift of Inner Beauty, Peace, and Happiness contains topics with passages from Psalms. One topic is entitled, “Our Thankfulness and Praise to God.” It states in part: We should open all our prayers with the praise and thanksgiving that are God’s due. When we wake in the morning and before we fall asleep at night, praise and thanksgiving should be our first and last thoughts. For whatever our circumstances may be, God has in fact given us the gift of life in the here and now and the promise of life everlasting in the future. We must be thankful and stay thankful for God being on His throne reigning over His creation. He is in ultimate control …

The Biggest Two-Letter Word — If

In his book, Know Your Bible, Frank J. Dunn wrote about the occasion and the purpose of the Book of Deuteronomy. “The review of the law was necessary because the former generation had perished in the wilderness and a new generation was ready to enter Canaan. It was not a new law or a mere repetition of the law given at Mt. Sinai, but rather an application of the law in view of the conditions Israel would meet in Canaan.” He further wrote, “In no other book are the ways of obedience and disobedience more dramatically contrasted… In Deuteronomy 28, the fearful consequences of disobedience are foretold… The subsequent fulfillment of these predictions in the tragic history of the Jews is one proof of the divine inspiration of the Bible.” Aubrey Johnson wrote, Renewing Your Spiritual Life – A Study of Deuteronomy: 13 Simple Steps for Maximum Spiritual Growth. One of the chapters is entitled, “Renew Your Happiness; Let Happiness Pursue You.” Chapter 28 of Deuteronomy contains two major thoughts: Blessings on obedience (verses 1-14) and Curses on disobedience (verses 15-68). On this chapter brother Johnson wrote: Moses longed for his people to find happiness in the new land. Just before his death, he shared with them the secret of real and lasting joy. Those who obeyed God would be blessed. Covenant faithfulness was the only path to genuine happiness. God is the source of life and all that makes it abundant and meaningful (Deuteronomy 30:20). Happiness, therefore, is only possible by …

Are We All Going to Be Lost Because We Are All Sinners?

Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Thus, we are all sinners. Since we are all sinners, let’s look into the Word of God to see if there is any way to miss the Hell that is waiting for those who obey not the Gospel (1 Peter 4:17). We have learned since childhood, those of us who were raised in the church, that there are five steps to becoming a Christian. First, we must hear the Word (Romans 10:17). When we hear God’s Word, we will then believe it as stated in Mark 16:16. The third step is repentance of wrong doings (Luke 13:3, 5). Then, in Romans 10:9-10, we are told to confess that Christ is the Son of God. The last step before we become a Christian is to be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). After doing these five things, a person becomes a Christian. Now that we have brought Christ into our lives, we must work for the Lord. We all have different jobs to do. We are a part of the body of which Christ is the Head (1 Corinthians 12:12-31; Colossians 1:17-18). These verses also compare to the human body. The head is over the body, but there are many parts of the body such as the arms, legs, ears, eyes, feet, etc. As Christ has different parts to His body, these parts have different jobs. Some of the jobs in the body of Christ …

The Godhead

Scriptures show that the Godhead consists of three separate beings. The description in John 1:1-2 of the relationship between the “Word” (which is Jesus) and God (the Father) shows that the two are separate beings. John 1:1-2 reads, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” The word “with” indicates alongside of or in the company of. Therefore, the Word and the Father are indicated as separate beings. A plural noun was used in the creation account, showing involvement of more than one being. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and earth.” The Hebrew name used here for God (Elohim) is a plural noun indicating that the word God represents more than one being. The plural pronouns used in the following Scriptures show that there is more than one being in the Godhead. In Genesis 1:26, “God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.’” Genesis 3:22 reads, “Then the Lord God said, ‘Behold the man has become like one of Us.” In Genesis 11:7, the Lord said, “Come let Us go down.” In Isaiah 6:8, the Lord said, “…who will go for Us?” The Father, Son and Holy Spirit were manifested as being separate at Jesus’ baptism. Matthew 3:16-17 records that after being baptized, “Jesus came up immediately from the water,·and behold, the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” Here we see, at one …

God’s Family Plan

  Jesus Said Peter Preached Other New Testament Writers Hear Matt. 7:21-27;Luke 6:46-49 Acts 2:14-36 Rom. 10:8-15 Believe John 8:24; Mark 16:16 Acts 2:37 demonstrated Acts 8:37; Rom. 10:13-14 Repent Luke 13:3, 5 Acts 2:38 Rom. 2:4; 2 Cor. 7:10; 2 Pet. 3:9 Confess Matt. 10:32-33 Acts 2:37 demonstrated Acts 8:37; Rom. 10:10 Baptized John 3:5; Mark 16:16 Acts 2:38-41 Acts 8:35-38; 10:47-48; 16:25-34; 22:6-16; Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:26-27; Col. 2:12; 1 Pet. 3:21 Result Saved, Mark 16:16; Sins remitted, Acts 2:38 Added to the Lord’s church by Jesus Christ,Acts 2:41-47 Sins washed away, Acts 22:16; Rejoicing, Acts 8:39 When one completes the steps above, the Lord adds that person to His church (Acts 2:47). This is the church Jesus promised to build (Matthew 16:18), the one He purchased with His blood (Acts 20:28), the church that is the body of Christ and He is the Head of the church (Ephesians l:22-23; Colossians 1:24). There is one body (church), one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all (Ephesians 4:4). Acts 4:12 reads, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” The name referred to here is Jesus Christ of Nazareth who was crucified for our salvation, whom God raised from the dead. Ephesians 5:23 says, “Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.” The church is subject to Christ (Colossians …

Studying through Revelation

Revelation is a book people often avoid because of its apocalyptic language and imagery. However, John’s language and the revelation given to him by God (Revelation 1:1-2) make this book one the Christian should be eager to read. Here are a few things I learned while studying this beautiful volume. One, worship is important. In Chapter 4, John gave a beautiful image of God’s throne, surrounded by majestic creatures who worship God day and night (Revelation 4:8-11). Immediately, John was in the spirit (Revelation 4:2). What a beautiful image for the Christian who desires to worship God for all eternity (Psalm 86:12). Two, God wins. Suffering and hardship are inevitable, but for the Christian, these are not forever. Being washed in the blood of the Lamb assures the obedient that God will have the final say for their good. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice (John 10:11, 15), and He will make sure His sheep do not suffer forever (Revelation 22:3-5). Revelation is not the easiest book to understand, but it cannot be ignored. It should be valued (Proverbs 30:5). It guarantees a happy ending for those who believe in Jesus and obey His will (Revelation 2:10).

Forgotten Men of the Bible: Barabbas

There are many Bible characters about whom we know much. Such people are the subject of frequent studies and may even have whole books or chapters of books devoted to them and the lessons we can learn from them. There are other people, though, mentioned in the Bible about whom we know little. These people may only be mentioned in passing or are found in only one or two places in the Bible. Often these people are overlooked, and yet they appear in our Bibles for a reason. John 20:30-31 tells us that Jesus did many things that were not recorded in the Bible. The things that were recorded are to strengthen our faith. Second Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that everything in the Bible is from God and is for our learning. With this in mind, there can be no doubt that these little known, forgotten men and women of the Bible can teach us valuable lessons today. Many people are familiar with the trial of Jesus that led to His crucifixion. However, who has considered Barabbas, a man whose life was changed as a direct result of that trial? All four Gospel accounts record something about Barabbas. In Matthew 27:16, one reads that Barabbas was “a notorious prisoner.” Mark and Luke record that Barabbas was a rebel and a murderer (Mark 15:7; Luke 23:18-19). John adds that Barabbas was a robber (18:40). One last reference is all the Bible reveals about this man. Acts 3 details an account of Peter and …

Communication — Hearing, Speaking and Listening!

Communication is an essential quality we need in our daily lives. Communication as found in the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary means “to convey knowledge of or information about: to make known.” We talk to our spouses, our children, our friends, our coworkers, our acquaintances and even others we do not know. They talk to us. Now, the questions I ask are, “Do we hear what they are saying, and are we really listening?” Is it possible you are thinking of what to say in response before they are done speaking? This happens very often. When Louis and I first got married, we would be talking about something completely opposite. After 10 or 15 minutes would go by, one of us would look at the other and ask, “What are you talking about?” We were not even close in what each other was speaking about. Then, we would get together on the same topic. Hearing and listening are very important aspects of communication. Lack of successful communication is the number one problem in most marriages. Another time, I thought I understood what I was talking about (it was the same subject), just to find out I was not even close to what I was told. Another miscommunication from the day before. I misunderstood what I had been told about some power button on our car. Well, I did not know anything about it; I heard wrong or I did not listen to what had been said. Communication is a huge part of our lives. We …

The Text Does Not Stop There

One of the panelists on a recent segment of a religious TV program made a comment that immediately caught my attention. In referencing his remarks on a passage, he said, “The text doesn’t stop there, but often our reading does.” How true! Some of us, including yours truly, stop reading or listening before God has finished talking. Every time we do that, we are certainly missing something vital to our spiritual understanding, since there are no wasted words in Scripture. Due to space restraints, just a few of the more familiar passages will be cited. We would do well to slow down and look more closely at the countless passages we have chopped up for years. We have heard them so many times and put our personal interpretations on them. We fail to realize we are missing not only words but complete thoughts of inspiration given to us by the Holy Spirit. God help us. “For He knows our frame, He remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:14).

God Is IN Control, THE Control and in FULL Control

We have probably never heard so many people utter, “God is in control,” as we have in the past several months. This article is dedicated to the proclamation of that irrevocable truth. Our part is to just watch God work His redemptive plan since it all belongs to Him, and He is running it! He was in control before any of us were here, and He will be in control after we are all dead and gone. God has sovereign control over all the earth, the world and the universe. He has forthrightly declared that immutable, eternal truth of truths. In Job 41:11, God speaking to Job stated, “Who has first given to Me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine.” Now that is control!

A Balanced View of God

In Exodus 7-12, we read about the plagues that God sent throughout all of Egypt because of the stubbornness of Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. Many skeptics might read about this account and wonder, “How could a loving God destroy His own creation (Colossians 1:16)?“ More often than not, God is misunderstood as the God Who wants to condemn people as soon as they mess up. However, in Exodus 34, we get an accurate image of Who God is. He is a compassionate and gracious God Who is slow to anger and abounds in faithful love and truth, willing to forgive every one of his or her iniquities, but He will not let the guilty go unpunished (Exodus 34:6-7). Just like any good father would, God rebukes those whom He loves when they do wrong (Proverbs 3:12; Hebrews 12:6). He is not a God Who wants to condemn everyone to Hell (2 Peter 3:9), but rather He is our holy and righteous Father Who is ready to forgive, to show constant mercy and to bestow unconditional love (Psalm 145:8-9).

What Brings God’s Calamity?

Many if not all of us have heard passages virtually all our Christian lives taken out of context to make a point in a sermon or a class lesson. Sometimes passages are not read in complete context. When this happens, we are left with spiritual misunderstanding and perhaps the inability to rightly divide the word of truth. At times, this misunderstanding becomes solidified in our thinking and becomes difficult if not impossible to change. It is like trying to pull a tooth that is not loose! Case in point, speaking of Himself in Isaiah 45:7, God said, “I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things.” Such a stark biblical concept begs the question, “Why would a loving, all-caring Father bring calamity on anybody for any reason?” It falls into the same category as why would a loving, all-caring Father allow suffering? The short answer is sin. Why do we suffer calamities? Calamities are defined as disasters, catastrophes, casualties, adversities, tragedies and shocks. We suffer calamities because of the sin of disobedience by turning away from God in numerous ways! King Ahab was one of the vilest kings in the northern kingdom of Israel. He was married to Jezebel, the evilest, appalling and most horrifying woman depicted in Scripture! She had a totally innocent man murdered because he refused to sell his family vineyard to Ahab (1 Kings 21:1-13). God sent His prophet Elijah to tell Ahab that he …

A Hoary Head Is a Crown of Glory

October already! One of the distinguishing marks of autumn is aging plants with their browning edges and “age spots” on the leaves. They show the marks of survivorship, but no one admires these badges of courage. The bug-bitten, missing chunks of leaves; the dry, bent stems and the faded blooms are never met with appreciation for what the poor plant may have experienced. Inside each of these seemingly ugly old specimens is a story of its life in the garden. Sometimes, it also holds a seed, bulb or rhizome of a new plant that will strike wonder in our hearts next spring. We rarely look beyond the homely surface, though. A few of my irises developed a disease and had to undergo surgery to remove the diseased parts. Then, they were left to dry completely. A couple weeks ago, I found some of the dried-out roots and planted them in pots. Later, I almost mistook them for empty pots before I saw the sad little iris root near the top of the soil. As with the elderly, these shriveled roots hold a beautiful life within, but they sure don’t exhibit this at first glance. A young lady of my acquaintance insists that she does not like being around old people. “They smell. They look strange. They dress weird.” Those flamingo pink, polyester, elastic-waist pants paired with the teal shirt may not make it onto the cover of Vogue, but underneath that peculiar exterior may reside a soul that has grown from …