Historical Posts
Be Thankful
Recognise your blessings and be thankful.
Paul wrote: “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Genuine gratitude must be expressed. When we are truly grateful, we cannot help but say so. But, often we don’t say “thank you” enough. Be thankful and express it.
We should be thankful to parents for the love, nurture and direction they gave to us as we developed into mature adults. We should be thankful to teachers who patiently taught us the fundamentals of reading, writing, and arithmetic, the building blocks of education. We should be thankful to loving mates who have stood by us through thick and thin offering encouragement and support. We should be thankful to employers for the opportunity to work and provide for our families.
We should give thanks for the “little things” without which we could not survive. Are you thankful for the air you breathe? The sunshine? The rain? The changing of the seasons? Rather than complain about the weather, we should stop to give thanks.
We should be thankful for the people who have blessed and enriched our lives. It may have been a simple smile or an encouraging word, but it made a difference. Did we give thanks?
Most of all, we should be thankful to God who is the giver of all. For “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17). As Paul also wrote: “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of God? Of who hath been his counselor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever” (Romans 11:33-36 KJV).
We are ever in His debt. We should give thanks daily for His blessings! This nation may pause once a year to express thanksgiving, but those who truly understand will not let a day pass without giving thanks to God.
Are you thankful? Would you like to know more about His blessings?
Salvation: Hear - Believe - Repent - Confess - Be Baptized - Live Faithfully
Personal Bible Understanding
Christians are to be careful Bible students and gain personal Bible understanding.
Like Timothy we are to study to show ourselves approved before God (2 Timothy 2:15). We should be like the Bereans and search the Scriptures daily to make certain that what we are taught is what the Bible teaches (Acts 17:11). Our failure to know and do what God’s word demands will lead to disastrous consequences (Hosea 4:6).
I am reminded of the story of a Mexican bank robber in the days of the Old West. He terrorized small towns all along the Texas-Mexico border. Finally, a town appealed to the Texas Rangers for help. Sure enough one crafty Ranger tracked the robber down and cornered him in a saloon where he was retelling the clientele of his latest escapades.
Cornered and helpless the once-proud robber cowered at the gun-toting lawman. “I’ll give you one chance,” said the Texan. “Where did you hide the gold?” Since the Mexican spoke no English a local translated the statement to him. Beaten, the robber spilled his guts to his translator. The gold was hidden at the base of the old dry well just outside of town. With this the translator turned to the Ranger and said, “He’s a proud man, Ranger. He’ll never talk! You might as well shoot him!”
There are those who argue that we are incapable of Bible understanding without expert assistance. According to them the average man on the street is no more able to understand the Scriptures than that Ranger was of understanding the robber’s confession. They are wrong. We have the word of God in our own language. Its message is not shrouded in secrecy, but clearly and concisely set forth. The vast majority of the Sacred Text is not the least bit difficult to understand. There are some difficult passages in the Bible, but not many and those which are most difficult are least important to our salvation.
There are two reasons why many find the Bible a strange book. First, they spend no time with it. Convinced that they Bible understanding is beyond them, they don’t try. Second, they go to the text only to discover that what they have been taught is contradicted by what the Bible says. They assume the problem is an inability to understand, when the real problem lies in an inability to reconcile false beliefs with the truth.
I urge you to study the Bible.
Spend time with God’s Word. You can read it yourself and gain Bible understand that will bring you to salvation!
Salvation: Hear - Believe - Repent - Confess - Be Baptized - Live Faithfully
More Thankful
Decide To Be More Thankful – With Thanksgiving, Let Your Requests Be Made Known To God
Many years ago I heard a story about two young men riding a motor cycle up a hill when the motor suddenly died. At that very moment a truck crested the hill headed straight for them. It was clear the truck would not be able to stop, and they had no time to get out of its path. One of the boys screamed at the other, “Pray, John, Pray!” But John shouted back, “I don’t know how to pray!” “Just say what your dad always says when he prays,” his friend cried. And so John prayed, “Lord, help us to be more thankful for what we are about to receive!”
Obviously, the incident didn’t really happen, but it still serves to illustrate one of the sad realities of life. Some people only turn to God in times of desperation! Sadly, then it is often too late.
If we want to be able to look up in times of difficulty, we need to be looking up when things are going well. The apostle Paul admonished the Christians in the city of Thessalonica to “Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18).
If we talk to God when life is good, those lines of communication will be open when life comes crashing in around us. Problems come in every life, but the blessings far outweigh the burdens. We should count our blessings, be more thankful, and give thanks! God has been good to us. We live in comfortable homes, wear nice clothing, and have more to eat than we need. But even more importantly, He has met our every spiritual need through Jesus. It is no wonder, then, that Paul exclaimed, “Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15).
Take time today to count your blessings. Being more thankful will give you a new appreciation for life, and a new outlook on the future. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).
No Compromise – Be a Daniel
Be a Daniel – No Compromise
“…he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime” (Daniel 6:10).
Daniel was one of God’s finest Old Testament servants. His enemies could find no fault in him, so they persuaded Darius to make a decree which they knew Daniel could not obey. For thirty days a prohibition was placed on prayer. Predictably, Daniel could not live with such a prohibition. It was his custom to pray three times a day facing Jerusalem. Not even the king’s command could stop him. He went to his window to pray as he had always done. They captured him, convicted him, and cast him into a lion’s den. But, God spared his life!
Daniel was a man of no compromise. He could have hidden and prayed privately. No one one would have known or been the wiser, but to have done so would have compromised his commitment to God. What a powerful lesson he is to Christians today.
Of all the pressures brought upon God’s people, the pressure to compromise is one of the greatest. We are told we must compromise modesty for style, virtue for acceptance, morality for freedom, and doctrine for unity. As a result of this compromise, pulpits which once condemned immorality, infidelity, and doctrinal impurity now sanction them. Attitudes toward drinking, dancing, divorce, and many other matters have changed drastically. This has happened, not because of new revelations from the Almighty, but because men have compromised the truth.
If we learn anything from Daniel, surely it ought to be that God’s people cannot compromise. No compromise where God has spoken. We must be loyal to the Lord regardless of the cost. When we are, God will be with us.
Oaths – As Good As His Word
Let Your Yes by Yes and Your No be No.
Jesus taught, “…you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,” and your ‘No,’ be ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one” (Matthew 5:33-37).
Oaths Were Meaningless and Deceptive.
Oaths were common in our Lord’s day. So common were they that they had become worthless. Two serious problems arose in connections with them. First, there was the practice of frivolous oaths. They were used for the most insignificant matters, and therefore became meaningless. Then there was the more dangerous practice of deceptive oaths. The Pharisees (a leading Jewish sect) were especially gifted in their use. Jesus strongly condemned them for their deception (Matthew 23:16-22).
Don’t Use Oaths. Be True to Your Word.
Jesus’ disciples were not to use oaths. He expected them to always be true to their word. Christians tell the truth, keep their word, and honor their promises. When they say “Yes,” they mean “Yes,” and when they say “No,” they mean “No.” A man is, after all, only as good as his word!
Here is a message our world desperately needs. Speak the truth! Honor your word! Do what you say! There is not a segment of society which does not need to be reminded of this. Politicians, preachers, and people from all walks of life need to rediscover the importance and power of the simple truth.
Choose a Good Name.
Many a man’s reputation has been destroyed because he was loose with the truth and unwilling to keep his word. Often, financial or material gain is the motive for such deception. But, remember the words of Solomon, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold” (Proverbs 22:1). No man can have a good name if he is not true to his words!
Are you interested in developing a good reputation?
Keep your word!
The Age of Tolerance
Some Behave Line There is No Other Sin but Lack of Tolerance
If I had to describe this period in our history in two or three words I would say we are living in the “Age of Tolerance.” I believe there are vast numbers of people who are convinced that the worst sin in the world is the sin of intolerance. In fact, I am convinced that there are some who believe there is no other sin but lack of tolerance!
Judge Righteous Judgment
These are the people who are always quoting the words of Jesus, “Judge not that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1), while ignoring another of His statements, “Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24). I hasten to point out that the two statements are not contradictory. In the first He was confronting the hypocrisy of one who condemns others while being guilty of the same or greater sins himself. In the latter, His statement was an indictment of those who were quick to condemn Him as a law breaker for healing on the Sabbath, yet found no fault with circumcising a baby on the Sabbath. The Sabbath law did not prohibit doing good on the Sabbath. Judgment should not be hypocritical.
We Must Make Judgments
There is not an area of life where we do not have to make judgments. We must make judgments in the voting booth, the grocery store, the car lot, and even the clothes closet. We understand the need to make such judgments in every area of life but religion. Here we are told by socienty that it really doesn’t matter what religion we choose, and we dare not be critical of and must be have tolerance for the choices of others. Further, it is argued that moral and ethical matters are all relative. To suggest anything else is to be labeled as lacking tolerance and being judgmental.
Jesus Warned of False Teachers
If that is the case, then Jesus was was judgmental and lacked tolerance. He warned of false teachers whom he labeled “wolves in sheep’s clothing” (Matthew 7:15). He then urged his disciple to examine their “fruit” to determine the validity of their message (Matthew 7:16-20). One cannot do that without making judgments. These judgments are not determined by our will, but by God’s word. When I say that adultery, fornication, and homosexuality are sinful, I am not judging! I am only repeating what God’s Word says (1 Corinthians 6:9, 10). Cries for tolerance (acceptance) of sin will fall on deaf ears when we are attuned to the word of God. I am certainly not advocating that sinners be abused, maligned, or discriminated against. I am simply pleading for them to abandon their sin and embrace the Savior. Call me intolerant if you like. I have no problem with that label when it comes to sin. As Christians we must hate sin while loving sinners.
Ye Must Be Born Again
Nicodemus, a Pharisee, came to Jesus one night. He said, “Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him” (John 3:2). Jesus responded: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again” (John 3:7). Nicodemus thought only of a literal birth, but of course that was not what Jesus meant!
What is the New Birth?
Whatever the “new birth” is, it is clear that it is essential to our spiritual and eternal well-being. Do you remember a few years back when there was so much talk about “born again” Christians? I should point out that there is no other kind of Christian. In fact, the phrase “born again Christian” is redundant. It is impossible to be a Christian in the New Testament sense without experiencing the new birth!
The new birth signifies the beginning, not the consummation of our response to Jesus Christ.
The process is clearly illustrated in the conversion of Saul of Tarsus (Paul). He underwent a change in thinking from doubter to believer! He demonstrated a change in conduct from persecutor to preacher! He experienced a change in relationship from being a religious Jew to that of being a Christian! The elements of this birth are water and the Spirit.
The new birth consists of two elements – water and the Spirit.
Water can have reference to but one thing – BAPTISM! No honest and fair-minded person has trouble connecting the new birth with baptism given the emphasis in the New Testament on the subject (Matthew 3:13-17; 28:19-20; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Romans 6:1-6; etc).
The Spirit here has reference to the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit’s role in bringing about the new birth. Conversion is a process involving faith derived from the Word leading to obedience (Romans 10:17). Peter acknowledges this to be true when he wrote of our being born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, through the word of God (1 Peter 1:23).
The Lord’s command to Nicodemus is as relevant now as ever.
I cannot improve on Jesus’ own words: “Ye must be born again!” The new birth necessitates an immersion, or baptism, in water for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). That’s what the Bible teaches. Will you accept it?
Salvation: Hear - Believe - Repent - Confess - Be Baptized - Live Faithfully
Are You Ready to Die?
“And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
Approximately every twenty-two seconds someone in this country dies. In the time it will take you to read this brief message more than two hundred deaths will have occurred worldwide.
Death is one appointment we will all keep – we will all die.
There will be no cancellations. We’re going to die, and it could happen at any time. It could be soon, or it could be years away, but one thing is sure, there will be no escape! Yet, most of us live as though death will always be something that happens to others, but never us. Death is not just a possibility, it is a certainty. Our preparation for it should be the highest priority of life. As a matter of fact, we cannot really begin to live until we are ready to die.
However, there are skeptics who would have us believe that this life is all there is.
Their philosophy of “eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die” is followed by millions. They bow at the altar of evolution and worship the god’s of humanism and modernism. They would have us believe that this is it. “You only go around once, so you better grab all the gusto you can get!” Those who subscribe to this philosophy live for themselves and they die without hope.
Jesus Christ came to offer something better.
He came that “we might have life” and that we “might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). He came to show us the way to God (John 14:6). He came to tell us that there is life after life, that God’s gift is eternal life through Him (Romans 6:23). He offers salvation to all them that obey Him (Hebrews 5:9). He gives us a reason to live, and hope in death. “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).
Are you ready to die?
Death is certain, but so is eternal, life for all who are ready to die (2 John 2:25). Study God’s word! Believe it! Obey it! Live it every day!
Salvation: Hear - Believe - Repent - Confess - Be Baptized - Live Faithfully
Perspective
Use Wisdom From Above To Keep Your Perspective
As I have gotten older, I have come to realize more than ever how important it is to keep things in perspective. We cannot allow our circumstances to determine our attitude. Our attitude determines how we relate to our surroundings. Paul found contentment, not because of his environment, but often in spite of it.
The apostle Paul wrote, “…I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:11-13).
The problems of this life are either beyond our control, or they are within our power to change. If they are beyond our control, then we are powerless to do anything about them. Acceptance is our only choice. However, if they are within our power to change, we must move forward to bring about change. Our only problem is in separating what cannot be changed from what can be changed and how to go about it.
It was Dr. Reinhold Niehuhr who first prayed: “God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.” This is where a careful study of the Bible comes into play. If the Bible is the inspired WORD OF GOD, and it is, then it provides the only instructions which enable us to distinguish the one from the other (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
The only problems I have any control over are my own. What I cannot change I must accept. Where I can affect change, I must work to bring it about. And, I must look to God’s word for the wisdom to keep things in perspective. Therefore, I will not worry about that which is out of my control. Nor, will I be anxious about those things which are within my power to change. I will be too busy changing them to have time to worry.
Non-Denominational Christianity
Non-Denominational Means Unity
Non-Denominational Christianity means no factions. It means Unity. The acceptance of denominationalism has done more to prevent Christian unity today than any other single factor. The word denominationalism implies division. It is a disposition or mindset toward the formation of factions.
The whole spirit of denominationalism is contrary to the spirit of New Testament Christianity. Jesus fervently prayed for unity among believers (John 17:20-21). The apostle Paul condemned denominational tendencies in the church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:10-13). He pleaded with disciples to be non-denominational. He wanted them to “speak the same things,” and that there would be “no divisions” among them (1 Corinthians 1:10). Now just the opposite philosophy prevails.
The major causes of denominationalism are twofold. First, division stems from a failure to study the Bible. Religious ignorance often characterizes the religious. We should be asking, “What saith the scripture?” (Romans 4:3). However, the question often is: “What does your preacher say?” The word of God, not the words of men, should be the final authority! Unity is impossible when the basis for non-denominational unity is ignored.
Second, division results from a refusal to accept what the Bible says. Often, those who know it refuse to accept it. Just for the sake of illustration, look at what the New Testament says regarding baptism. No honest Bible student would deny that baptism always involved an immersion in water as the appropriate response to the demand of Jesus and His disciples (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38). Yet, the practice of sprinkling or pouring water upon someone and calling it baptism is widespread. Why is this? Even though the Bible is clear on this subject, what it says is ignored. Denominationalism results, not from an inability to understand the Scriptures, but from a refusal to accept them.
Churches of Christ are non-denominational. We have no head over the church but Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:18). We have no law to govern us but the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We wear no name but His (Acts 11:26). We are not Protestants. We are not Catholics! We are not Jews. We are Christians. We desire to be nothing more or less than that which we are called to be in God’s word.
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Antiquated or Outdated?
Is the Bible Outdated or Antiquated?
Times have changed since Jesus walked the paths of Galilee. How could his message be relevant in a modern, technological society? The Bible is outdated! You’ve heard the arguments before. At first these assertions sound plausible, but look more carefully. Is the Bible outdated?
Things aren’t that much different.
Sure, we’ve made enormous technological advances, but people are still the same, and we still have the same problems.
- From an Egyptian letter dated 256 B.C., someone wrote:
“I am in difficulty both summer and winter about my salary.” - Cicero, an astute Roman statesman (106-46 B.C.) observed:
“The first of June and nothing done by the Senate.” - Socrates (470-399 B.C.) complained:
“Athletics have become professionalized.” - And, one of the most interesting comments of all was made by Emperor Diocletian when he wrote:
“Who has not seen with his own eyes the present spirit which forces up the price of commodities to such a degree that human language cannot find words to express the transaction?”
The Bible is a book about men, not machines.
The Bible is a message from God to man. It addresses the one problem that has plagued every generation since Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit. That problem is SIN! Science and technology cannot solve it. But, Jesus offers a solution. He was “made to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). The world may have changed since Jesus traveled the roads of Palestine, but people are still the same.
As we enter a new age of technology in the 21st century, man must still confront the “age-old” problem of sin. The only solution will still be Jesus. He is “the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
Some may ask, “If the Bible is still relevant, why is there so much sin in the world, and why does it seem that religion has failed?” The answer is quite simple. The solution to a problem will only work when it is followed. The message of Christ is ignored by millions. Many of the major denominations make no effort to be governed by the Bible and its authority. They have succumbed to the pressures of compromise, but God’s word is uncompromising.
Christ, His Word, and His Church are as relevant as ever.
He is every generation’s only hope. Today, and every day, we must remember him.
Salvation: Hear - Believe - Repent - Confess - Be Baptized - Live Faithfully
Self-Examination
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). The implication from the text is that there is a time for everything. The list the author provided was not intended to be exhaustive, but representative. There is a season for everything, and a time for every purpose under heaven: birth and death, planting and harvesting, war and peace, all have their appointed time.
Perhaps it is time for us to take personal inventory and do some self-examination.
The apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth and commanded self-examination: “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Prove yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?–unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Perhaps it is time for us to take personal inventory.
- Are we in the faith?
- How do we know?
- What standard do we use?
Some answer these questions with: “I feel it in my heart!”
But, can we trust our feelings? Didn’t Saul feel he was doing God’s bidding when he persecuted the church? He said, “Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth” (Acts 26:9). He was wrong, and later self-examination shows that!
Others seek to determine whether or not they are “in the faith” by comparing themselves with other Christians.
That won’t work either, because the standard is flawed. We are all imperfect. Again, Paul warned: “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves; but they measuring themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” (2 Corinthians 10:12). Our self-examination must use a reliable standard.
Only one reliable standard exists for determining whether or not we are “in the faith.”
That standard is the word of God. Jesus said, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).
Where do we stand in respect to the commands of the Almighty?
How do we compare with the perfect standard – Jesus Christ? Where do we need to do better? Remember Jesus’ warning: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Now you know why we place so much emphasis upon the Scriptures.
Salvation: Hear - Believe - Repent - Confess - Be Baptized - Live Faithfully
And He Died…
He died…
“And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died” (Genesis 5:5).
Seven times in the fifth chapter of Genesis we read the words “and he died.” Someday the same will be said of each of us. Therefore, some observations are in order.
Death is certain.
“For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away” (1 Peter 1:24). One man reportedly had these words inscribed on his tomb stone: “Remember this as you pass by, where you are now so once was I. Where I am now so soon you’ll be. Prepare for death and follow me!” The man was right. We will all die.
Death is uncertain.
As Isaac said to Esau, “I know not the day of my death” (Genesis 27:2). None of us know when we will die. Nothing in life is more certain than death, and nothing more uncertain than the time of dying. Life can end in an instant. Borrowing from the words of King David, “there is but a step between us and death” (1 Samuel 20:3). In that regard, I would remind you that it is not how long we live, but how we live that really matters. Are you prepared for death? If not, it’s time to get ready (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Death is no respecter of persons.
Of the grave Job said, “The small and the great are there” (Job 3:19). “One event happeneth to them all…one event to the righteous, and to the wicked…” (Ecclesiastes 2:14; 9:2). There is no escape. “It is appointed unto me once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
Death is final.
Jesus said, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4). This life offers the only opportunity we will have to prepare for death and judgment. We cannot afford to face death unprepared.
Someday it will be said of each of us “and he died!” Are you ready for that day?
Freedom
Value Your Freedom
Today (7/4/15) our nation celebrates Independence Day. I am grateful for the holiday and what it represents. I have difficulty imagining what it would be like to grow up in any other environment. It is the longing of the human heart to be free.
But, there is a freedom even more precious than that we know as citizens of the United States. It is the freedom we find in Jesus Christ. He said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).
Apart from Christ, all men are enslaved to sin. Sin is the great burden of man’s heart. We are helpless to remove it. We are condemned by it. Its consequences are both immediate and eternal. Paul cried out, “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? (Romans 7:24). And then he proclaimed, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:25).
Today is the Lord’s Day. Christians will gather around the world to remember His sacrifice and the freedom it made possible – freedom from the condemnation of sin. “There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death” (Romans 8:1-2).
The cost of freedom is never cheap. The blood of many a native son has been shed to provide and maintain our freedom. Even now our young men and women in uniform are putting themselves in harm’s way and giving their lives that we might be free. Yet, to secure our deliverance from sin required an even greater sacrifice – the blood of God’s own Son.
The freedom we enjoy as citizens of the United States is ours by birth. The freedom we have in Christ is ours by choice. It is truth, believed and acted upon, which secures for us the freedom Christ provides. Have you been set free from the bondage of sin? Do you believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God? Have you repented of your sins? Will you confess His blessed name? Will you be born again (baptized)?
As the bells of freedom ring throughout our land may they also remind us of the greater freedom we have through Christ.
Salvation: Hear - Believe - Repent - Confess - Be Baptized - Live Faithfully
Heaven’s Heartbreak
Let us not be the cause of God’s Heartbreak
The story of Hosea and his heartbreak is one of the most insightful in the Bible. Hosea married Gomer. To this marriage three children were born: Jezreel (the Lord sows or scatters), Loruhamah (no mercy), and Loammi (not my people). This marriage was used as a symbolic representation of God’s relationship to Israel.
Sometime after the birth of their third child Hosea’s wife left him for other men. Though he suffered heartbreak, Hosea still loved her. He searched for his wife, found her, and brought her back.
There was never any doubt that Hosea loved Gomer. To see his wife turn to a life of adultery and prostitution must have broken the prophet’s heart. Yet, Hosea still loved her and when she had lost her appeal to other men, he took her back into his home and loved her anew. Israel, like Gomer, had played the part of a prostitute. Over and over again Israel had broken God’s heart by embracing the gods of her neighbors. Still, God loved her and would take her back, if only she would return to Him.
How could Israel be so unfaithful and cause such heartbreak? What would lead them to deliberately break God’s heart? The prophet provides some answers to our questions.
First, they were ignorant of God’s will (Hosea 4:1, 6; 8:12). God had written unto them the great things of His law, but they ignored them. Thus, they were destroyed for lack of knowledge. We cannot please God if we do not know His will, and we cannot know His will if we will not spend time with His word!
Second, their hearts were filled with pride (Hosea 5:5; 7:10). They didn’t need God. They could go it alone. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? Isn’t it sad that many never acknowledge their need for God until life tumbles in around them? How God’s heart must ache to see His people so full of pride they no longer feel they need Him.
Third, worldliness had crept in (Hosea 7:8). Whether we are willing to admit it or not, the world has a strong attraction. When we give in to the demands of the world it breaks the heart of God. Christians are called to live distinctive lives of service and not to conform to the world (Romans 12:1-2).
We can do nothing which would cause God to stop loving us, but there are many things we may do or fail to do which will break His heart. Let us strive every day not to let that happen.
An Easy Job
Fault-Finding is an Easy Job
Someone has written: “Nothing is easier than fault-finding; no talent, no self-denial, no brains, no character are required to set up in the grumbling business.” Fault-finding is an easy job because it requires no preparation and little effort. Yet, many have made it their life’s vocation. They become so wrapped up in the faults and failings of others that they are blind to their own glaring shortcomings.
Paul admonishes Christians to be more concerned with self-examination (2 Corinthians 13:5). This is not an easy job, but is desirable. One who can see his own shortcomings will be far less critical of the faults of others.
There is a lot of good and a little bad in most everyone. But, we tend to focus on one or two negative things. Then, we ignore dozens of positive ones. No, I’m not suggesting that we ignore the negative. But, I’m not advocating that we highlight it either! Why do we find it so much easier to be critical than complimentary?
We have enough critics in the world.
We need not join the ranks of critics. We have enough critics in the world. Judith Crist said, “To be a critic, you have to have maybe three percent education, five percent intelligence, two percent style and ninety percent gall and egomania in equal parts.” Some of us may be overqualified for this easy job, but that’s no excuse. Any dummy can find fault!
Lest I be accused of being too critical of the critics, I do want you to know that they serve one important function. They show us exactly what a Christian should not be. Remember, “it’s better to say a good thing about a bad fellow than a bad thing about a good fellow.”
On those occasions when we do find it necessary to be critical of others, we should make sure that our criticism is constructive and helpful, not damaging and debilitating. The Golden Rule always applies, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matthew 7:12).
Jesus, An Accurate Picture
We need an accurate picture of Jesus in order to be like him.
According to the thinking of some religious people, Jesus found fault with very little in society. He only found fault with the fault finder. He only criticized the critical. He had intolerance only for the intolerant. As a result, we may be lead to believe that those who follow Him must be open and accepting to all kinds of sin and perversion. After all, Jesus said, “Thou shalt not judge!”
Such a view of Jesus could not be further from the truth. Yes, He came as the champion of the downtrodden. He associated with sinners. And, He was criticized for it. But it should not be inferred from His association with them, that He approved of them as they were. That is not an accurate picture of the situation.
On one occasion Jesus dined with a large number of tax collectors and sinners in Matthew’s house. When the scribes and Pharisees saw that He ate with such a crowd, they were very critical. It was then that Jesus said: “They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17). From that statement, and others like it, the conclusion is drawn that the church is a place for sinners to gather in a non-judgmental setting. Jesus, it is argued, was accepting, not condemning. That is not an accurate picture.
How is it possible to read passages like the one just noted and arrive at such a conclusion? Why did Jesus associate with such people? Because He loved them (John 3:16-17). Because He loved them, what did He do? He called them to repentance! That is an accurate picture of Jesus. He did not accept sinners unconditionally. He challenged them to change. That is what repentance is all about.
The church must carry on the work of Jesus in this world. We must reach out to sinners like He did. Our message, like His, must be a call to repentance not acceptance. That is an accurate picture of the church.
Salvation: Hear - Believe - Repent - Confess - Be Baptized - Live Faithfully
Choices
Our most important choices are regarding Jesus.
A young man applied for a job on a farm. The farmer had one question for him. “Are you willing to work hard?” The young man assured the farmer that he could count on him to do an honest day’s work, so the farmer hired him.
The first morning he was put to work chopping wood. The farmer told him what he wanted done and then went off to do his own chores. He returned at noon to check on his new employee, and to his surprise, found the wood all chopped and neatly stacked. What should have been an all day job had been done in four hours.
That afternoon the young man was put to work painting the barn. That, too, went smoothly and much faster than the farmer had expected. The job was completed by the weekend.
The following Monday morning the young man was put to work sorting potatoes. Some were for market, some for the farmers’ table, and some were for planting. This involved making choices. After showing the new hand what was expected, the farmer again went off to do his own work. To his surprise, when he returned later that morning, he discovered that the young man had made no progress. “What happened?” he demanded. “You were such a good worker last week!” Embarrassed, the young man replied, “I told you I was a good worker, but I didn’t say I could make decisions.”
When it comes to faith, it seems the young man has lots of company. At Mount Carmel Elijah chided Israel: “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him. But the people answered him not a word” (1 Kings 18:21).
The most important choices we make are the ones regarding Jesus. Are we with Him or against Him? There is no neutral ground. There are only the two choices: we are either on His side or we side with the devil (Matthew 12:30). We have made a choice. Have we made the right one? Remember, time is running out!
Salvation: Hear - Believe - Repent - Confess - Be Baptized - Live Faithfully
A Good Example
A good example says more about us than what we say.
The apostle Paul wrote to two young preachers. Both were encouraged to set good examples. Timothy was admonished: “Let no man despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). Titus was challenged: “In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you” (Titus 2:7-8).
The challenge of the gospel is to live life imitating the example of Jesus Christ, being a good example. He left us an example that we should follow in his steps (1 Peter 2:21). We are to walk as He walked (1 John 2:6). A mature disciple is one who can say with Paul: “For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:19-20).
The effects of a good sermon are destroyed by bad living. The best parental advice is overruled by a bad example. Children imitate what they see and hear. Imagine the frustration of a child who is punished for smoking the cigarette butt his father threw away, or has his mouth washed out for saying a word he learned from his mother. Jesus warned regarding the Pharisees: “Therefore whatever they tell you to observe that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do” (Matthew 23:3). Sadly, the Pharisees are not the only ones to have their influence destroyed by living a bad example.
It’s impossible to place too much emphasis on the importance of a good example. What we do says more about us than what we say. Edgar Guest wrote: “I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day. I’d rather one should walk with me than merely show the way. The eye’s a better pupil and more willing than the ear. Fine counsel is confusing, but example’s always clear. And best of all the preachers are the men who live their creed. For to see good put in action is what everybody needs.”
Make the Most of Today
Make the Most of Today
Dale Carnegie observed, “One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.” In a sense, the Psalmist said the same thing. He wrote: “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24, KJV).
Someone else has written: “Today is the day I have been looking for. All my life has been spent in preparation for it. Yesterday and tomorrow are faraway nothings – the one a faint memory, the other a vague promise. But this is my day. It offers all that God has to give, and I’m a laggard or a coward if I fail to make the most of it.” We need to make the most of today. We cannot afford to spend all of our time regretting the past or daydreaming about the future. If we do, we miss out on the present. Nor can we afford to live today in fear. Life is too brief and time too precious for us to do that.
Yet, there is a sense in which all of us must be vitally concerned about both the past and the future. A relationship with Christ will take care of both and enable us to make the most of today, to live today. Through obedience to the demands of Jesus Christ we can have all our past sins washed away (Acts 22:16). In this new relationship with Him, we can also live with heaven before us (John 14:1-3). As long as we walk in the steps of Jesus our future will remain secure (1 John 1:7). With the past forgiven, and the future secured, the present takes on greater significance. Jesus came so that we could live an abundant life (John 10:10). As a Christian we can face each day with confidence. With a smile on our face and a song in our heart life becomes an adventure. Each day offers new joys, rewards, pleasures and opportunities. Life is worth living and we can make the most of today.
But, if we remove Christ from the picture there is no hope and no forgiveness. The past will haunt us and the future will frighten us. The good news is that Jesus can make a difference, if we will let Him.