Most of us know someone who demands respect and praise. They are usually self-centered and egotistical. Many times those two traits make them be the last person to whom we want to give respect and praise. God, on the other hand, is deserving of our continual praise.

David was awed in the presence of God.

“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad” (Psalm 34:1-2).

The shepherd king urged others to join him. “And let us exalt His name together” (Psalm 34:1-2). Another singer of Israel urged his brethren to remember the deliverance that came from the Almighty.

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy” (Psalm 107:1-2).

Christians have been delivered from the far greater bondage of sin. God deserves continual praise because of that deliverance. King David expressed it in song.

“I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed” (Psalm 34:4-5).

All are guilty of sin and ought to be ashamed in the presence of the holy God who has delivered us from guilt by the sacrifice of his Son.

David spoke for all the redeemed, saying,

“This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them” (Psalm 34:6-7).

Paul similarly spoke for all those redeemed from sin when he wrote,

“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25a).

The Philippian saints were urged by Paul to, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).

Continual praise is owed to the Almighty because he is good. “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” (Psalm 34:8). The realization that the very one against whom we have sinned is the same one who sent his Son to die for our deliverance magnifies his goodness. Another song paints a vivid picture.

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by. I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me. He shall send from heaven and save me; He reproaches the one who would swallow me up (Psalm 57:1-3a).

When we fear God, though others may be in want, we will find our Father provides all we need (Psalm 34:9-10). Paul reassured the Christians of Philippi, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

Men may desire our honor and praise, while totally failing to earn either. Our loving Father is great. He delivered all who are in Christ. He is good, as can be particularly seen in his bountiful provision for all our needs. Praise God for ever and ever!

by Gary Hampton

Have you ever tried to learn a new language? I like to pretend that I am learning Spanish, but I could hardly call myself committed. I use a free app on my phone to study for 5 minutes a day, and from that, I can confidently use words like agua, si, and baños (mas importante!).

Although I have somewhat limited experience with new languages, I have come to understand that if you are a native English speaker, learning a new language will teach you almost as much about English as it will the second language. Even if I knew that nouns and verbs had to agree, it’s not something I gave a lot of thought to until I had to be intentional about it. I can look back on how I learned English and now apply what I understand better, but my English was at least serviceable before I tried to learn Spanish.

This illustration, this little quirk of life, has a pretty close application to our spiritual life. Have you ever tried to convert someone who wasn’t going to church at all? When I was in college, I met a girl (who went on to become my wife) that was not going to church. As we dated, we started to study the bible together, and she, being much more intelligent than me, started asking some tough questions. What ended up happening was, through this process of studying together, I was learning as much or more about my faith than what I was teaching her.

Why was I learning? I was the one who had been a Christian for a long time. I was the one who had studied from when I was a child. Well, just like learning Spanish, I was now forced to be intentional about something I had taken for granted. I hadn’t abandoned the faith, and I was still active in the church, but now I was exercising my beliefs in new and challenging ways. I was able to see the Gospel through the fresh eyes of my wife. The outcome of this story is terrific. Instead of one person imparting bible doctrine to another, two people built their faith together.

Why do English speakers even study Spanish in the first place? It certainly opens up doors to speak to new members of the community and makes travel to some countries easier. It might come with a certain level of prestige or lead to better work opportunities. In addition to all of that, however, it makes you a better English speaker.

Why do we share the Gospel? Just like learning a new language, there are many reasons. The primary reason is that there are souls at stake. Have you ever considered that there may be more than others’ souls at stake? Have you recently had your faith tested and exercised by reasoning with a true seeker? If the answer is no, consider following the command to teach others, but be prepared to learn a lot along the way.

Brian Ketchem

Believers love to hear stories of prophets and missionaries who answer God’s call to carry his message to lost souls. One of the more inspiring examples is that of Isaiah, when the Lord pondered, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” To which Isaiah boldly replied, “Here I am! Send me” (Isaiah 6:8). This moment is so inspiring that we even have a classic hymn memorializing his response as a call to evangelistic action, Here Am I, Send Me! Have you ever paid attention, though, to the mission Isaiah was being sent to execute?

And he said, “Go, and say to this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” (Isaiah 6:9-10)

It is strange that his mission is not as chipper and hopeful as our hymnals encourage us to be. Instead of the expected calls to repentance and peace in YHWH, Isaiah’s task was to preach so that their ears would be heavy and eyes blind. He was to let them know that God’s patience had run out and imminent judgment was upon them. Yet, despite this how did Isaiah respond? He still preached. He knew that many of the people would ignore the warnings of God. But he still preached. He knew the result would be bad for them and he would be troubled because of those consequences. But he still preached.

What we find, then, is that Isaiah’s motivation was about the message from God, not the results.

In a performance-driven world, it is natural to look at the mission of Jesus and ask, “What’s the rate of return on our efforts? Am I going to get the desired results from investing myself in God’s mission?” Unfortunately, too many of us avoid getting fully involved in the mission of the God’s kingdom because we cannot know that the results will be favorable. Which leads one to wonder, “Are we motivated by results or by the message?”

Results can make us feel good and accomplished. They can give us a measure of whether or not our resources are being wisely utilized. None of this is bad in itself. However, being driven primarily by results can lead to weak loyalty. “What have you done for me lately?”

Conversely, being motivated by the message allows us to not worry near as much about the results, but focus on the One who sent us. When people ignore what we say, we still preach. When we know the consequences will be bad, we still preach. When that preaching falls on the ready heart and fruit is born from our labors, we still preach. We do this because our motivation is the message and the One who gave it. Whatever may happen…Glory Be to God!

Today, the call still goes out, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”  Will your response be for love of results? Or for love of the message?

Cory Waddell

In God’s eyes, holiness is the goal. Without it, we are nothing and can go nowhere, spiritually. “Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, for without it no one will see the Lord” Heb 12.14. Holiness is the basic condition for seeing the Lord. It arises out of Christ’s sacrifice for us, so it is not strange to read this statement in the book of Hebrews. The Lord makes the effort effective. But without the effort there is no change and no chance of a future with him.
“Seeing the Lord” is an expression that means to participate in his eternal life, a “gift of the end-time” (Thompson 1971, 168). The author of Hebrews may be echoing Jesus’ words, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” Mt 5.8. This future vision “metaphorically refers in this case to being admitted into intimate and blessed fellowship with God in His future kingdom” (Taylor 1967, 163).

Holiness means to be like God. The great message of Leviticus, carried forward to the New Testament, is, “I am the Lord your God and you are to sanctify yourselves and be holy because I am holy” Lev 11.44. Peter quotes it, Like obedient children, do not comply with the evil urges you used to follow in your ignorance, but, like the Holy One who called you, become holy yourselves in all of your conduct, for it is written, “You shall be holy, because I am holy” 1 Pet 1.14-16.

In the same way, Peter associates God’s virtue with man’s, in his second letter. After mentioning the Lord’s “glory and virtue” 2Pet 1.3, virtue is the first characteristic mentioned that Christians should add to their faith, 2Pet 1.5. By this connection Peter indicates that our virtue is a reflection and imitation of God’s and of Christ’s.

Virtue is moral excellence or moral courage. It is being what one should be. In God’s case, it is his glory, majesty and sovereign activity (Donaldson 1988, 993). In man’s case, he should be in the likeness of Christ (Green 1983, 64).

Pursuing holiness is the way to fellowship with God. Anything which interferes with this goal must be discarded.

R. Kent Hughes’s comments about lust in King David’s life can be extended generally to sin in the life of the follower of Christ.

When we are in the grip of lust, the reality of God fades. The longer King David leered [at Bathsheba], the less real God became to him. Not only was his awareness of God diminished, but David lost awareness of who he himself was—his holy call, his frailty, and the certain consequences of sin. This is what lust does! It has done it millions of times. God disappears to lust-glazed eyes (Hughes 2001, 25).

If we want to see God, the passions of this life must be abandoned.

References
Donaldson, T. L. (1988) “Virtue,” in Geoffrey W. Bromiley, gen. ed., International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. 4, p. 993. Grand Rapids MI: Eerdmans.
Green, Michael (1983) II Pedro e Judas: introdução e comentário. Cultura Bíblica. São Paulo: Mundo Cristão e Vida Nova.
Hughes, R. Kent (2001) Disciplines of a Godly Man. Rev. ed. Wheaton IL: Crossway.
Taylor, Richard S. (1967) “The Epistle to the Hebrews,” in Ralph Earle, ed., Beacon Bible Commentary, vol. 10, pp. 17-183. Kansas City MO: Beacon Hill Press.
Thompson, James (1971) Letter to the Hebrews. Living Word Commentary. Austin TX: R. B. Sweet.
J. Randal Matheny

“How blessed are those whose actions are blameless, who obey the law of the Lord. How blessed are those who observe his rules, and seek him with all their heart, who, moreover, do no wrong, but follow in his footsteps” (Psalm 119:1-3 NET).

Psalm 119 lies almost in the center of our Bibles. The actual middle chapter is the two verse Psalm 117, which is also the shortest chapter in the Bible. Psalm 119 is the longest with 176 verses.

You might wonder why such a long psalm? His psalm was written to be one psalm. We know this from the structure. In Hebrew, this psalm is an acrostic poem. The Hebrew alphabet had 22 letters. This psalm is divided into 22 sections of 8 verses each (giving us a total of 176 verses). In the first section (verses 1-8) each verse begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet: alef. The next eight verses in Hebrew all begin with the second letter, bet. And on it goes through the entire alphabet.

This psalm also has a definite theme: it is talking about God’s word. Various words and phrases are used: “the law of the Lord,” “his rules,” “your precepts,” “your statutes,” “your commands,” “your just regulations”…and these are just the phrases used in the first eight verses in the NET Bible (Psalm 119:1-8). Almost every verse contains something about the importance of God’s word. Most of those who don’t contain something about his promises or his judgments.

What can we learn from this psalm? The need to know God’s word comes through over and over again. The psalmist asks God time and again to “Teach me, O Lord, the lifestyle prescribed by your statutes, so that I might observe it continually” (Psalm 119:33) – or simply, “Teach me your statutes!” In order to follow God’s commands we first need to know them.

Just reading the words of God’s law was not enough; the psalmist realized his need to “meditate” on them. “I will lift my hands to your commands, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes” (Psalm 119:48).

Meditation is not something most Christians spend enough time doing. This word means “focus one’s mind for a period of time for religious or spiritual purposes” and to “think deeply about (something)” (Oxford English Dictionary). Silence usually accompanies a time of meditation. We contemplate, in our minds, what God’s word means. Health practitioners today recognize the value of meditation to be part of a healthy lifestyle.

The psalmist states that he meditates on God’s word throughout both the day and the night, realizing the benefit of God’s word. “O how I love your law! All day long I meditate on it. Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for I am always aware of them. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your rules…My eyes anticipate the nighttime hours, so that I can meditate on your word” (Psalm 119:97-99, 148).

Perhaps the most known verse in this psalm is this: “Your word is a lamp to walk by, and a light to illumine my path” (Psalm 119:105). A companion one is this: “Your instructions are a doorway through which light shines. They give insight to the untrained” (Psalm 119:130).

If we want to walk in the light (1 John 1:7) we must be living by God’s word.

Jon Galloway

There is a story about a father building his daughter a wheelchair from the ground up after she got paralyzed in a car crash. Her father was willing to do all the research and put all the time in to building a wheelchair for his daughter who he loved so much. I don’t think I would trust my dad to make me a wheelchair, but this father demonstrates the love he has for his daughter and the lengths he would go to to keep her safe. We are told in multiple different ways how deep the Father’s love is. As the song goes, “Why should I gain from His reward I cannot give an answer.” I want to share just three points with you tonight why we gained from his reward.

The first one is that His love is so deep that He created us. Genesis 1:27 says that God created man in His image. Since we are made in God’s image, we are His special creation. In return for Him to love us so much we need to love Him and obey Him.

Then when we messed up God loved us so much that He gave His only Son for our sins (John 3:16). He was willing to do anything for us as His children. I know this is a point that is used a lot. Would you give your son? Not just your son, but your only son. Now I don’t have children but I’m sure that if I did that I would not be willing to do that. If you go on to verse 17 it says that He did it so that we might be saved. If we do what is commanded here on earth we will have an eternal home.

The third point we gained from his reward was because he loved us so much that He wanted us to have an eternal home with Him. Go back to John 3:16. It says that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. Now going back to the example I gave just a moment ago. I don’t think I will ever love anyone enough to give my son. Now let’s back up for a minute and ask ourselves why do we not love each other that much? We are all God’s creation so we should love others like God tells us.

Thinking back to my childhood when my dad would get mad at me I failed to realize that he loved me enough to help me do right. God loves me enough to give me the opportunity to stand up here and give this devo. And God loves everyone of us enough to give His only Son for our foolishness.
And now our job is to love Him so much to obey his laws.

Kason Eubanks

When the storms of life descend on us, sometimes our faith turns to doubting. When all looks dark and without hope, what do we hold on to? The apostle Paul went through storms in his life, not only mental and emotional but physical ones as well.

In Acts 27 we have one of the most detailed accounts of a storm at sea from the first century. Historians such as William Ramsey have pointed out the authenticity of what Luke recorded.

“Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. ‘For the last fourteen days,’ he said, ‘you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food – you haven’t eaten anything. Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.’ After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. Altogether there were 276 of us on board. When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.” (Acts 27:33-38)

Can you imagine being in a storm at sea for two weeks? Having crossed the ocean twice on ocean liners when I was a child, my family and I experienced storms at sea. I can still remember the queasy feeling and the seasickness that came as a result when the ship we were on was being tossed this way and that. You didn’t feel like eating anything. It was such a relief when the storm was gone the next day!

Paul and those with him were on a much smaller ship and the storm lasted for two weeks. No wonder he had to urge them to eat – I’m sure they hadn’t felt like eating with the ship being tossed about by the storm.

Notice Paul’s faith and hope in all of this. “Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head” he told them – but they needed the strength to survive. Where did Paul get this calm assurance to face this storm and to encourage others?

His faith and assurance was because of his trust in God. Earlier he had encouraged them to keep up their courage.

“But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.” (Acts 27:22-25)

You might point out that we aren’t the apostle Paul and should not expect an angel to arrive to give us courage – and that is true. But I would suggest it wasn’t the angel as much as God’s word that gave him courage: he had been told that he would stand trial in Rome before Caesar; for that to happen he had to survive.

We have assurances as well. Remember what Jesus told the apostles before he ascended back to the Father? “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). The first part of that verse emphasized that they were to teach those they immersed to obey what Jesus had taught the apostles. That would include the teaching that Jesus will be with us no matter what we go through.

Jesus will always be with us. We should not lose heart but continue to be strong and faithful – even courageous – and be an encouragement to those around us when they are going through their storms of life.

Jon Galloway

There is a growing trend among religious people that is troubling. The common belief is that a person can have God, Jesus, and salvation without ever attending church. For some reason, people have grown to see church attendance as something that is unnecessary. So, I wanted to write a brief article and simply let the Bible speak to this question. Consider the following passages:

·     1 Corinthians 10:16-17; 11:33 — we assemble to share in the Lord’s Supper together. The Bible describes the Lord’s Supper as a memorial meal where Christians share in the body and blood of Jesus. If someone is not assembling with Christians, they can’t share in the memorial with the rest of the church.

·     1 Corinthians 14:26 — we assemble for the purpose of edification (building each other up). If one does not assemble, they can’t build up nor be built up.

·     Ephesians 4:11-16 — the church is designed to be self sufficient. God designed the church in such a way that each member contributes according to their gifts, for the purpose of building a solid foundation for the church to grow from. The result of this is a group of mature Christians that will not be shaken from their faith. If someone neglects to invest in the local church, they neglect this building up towards maturity, not only for themselves but also for the rest of the church.

·     Ephesians 5:19 ; Colossians 3:16 — we assemble to sing to each other. The Bible describes singing as two-directional. We sing to God, and we sing to each other. While someone can sing to God from home, they can’t sing to other Christians from home. If a person is not assembling with Christians, that person is not singing to others nor being sung to.

·     Hebrews 10:24-25 — we assemble to encourage each other towards love and good deeds. When Christians do not assemble together, they are not able to stir up love and good deeds within each other. When one neglects to assemble with Christians, they neglect to build up Christians and be built up by Christians.

There are a number of passages that bring out the necessity of assembling together. Not only does it violate God’s instructions to not assemble with Christians, it takes away a persons opportunity to benefit from the mutual building up provided by God’s people. Lack of church attendance is detrimental to a person’s faith. A Christian that is never around other Christians, is a Christian that won’t stay faithful long.

It must also be noted that in the age of “online church” a serious problem emerges for these commands. You can’t share in a memorial meal, build up someone, sing to each other, use your gifts to build up the church, or encourage each other by watching other people assemble online. While there are benefits of watching a sermon online, online church does not satisfy the commands of God to carry out these things in our assemblies. The bottom line is, Christians need other Christians if they’re gong to stay faithful. God designed the church this way for our sake, and we have grown to neglect it.

Perhaps you’re reading this and you haven’t attended services in some time. I want to encourage you to come back. You will be surprised at the love shown to you, the encouragement given to you, and the excitement of others to have you back. You will be built up because God designed it that way.

Kolton Balance

Are there sinful habits you’d like to break? Here are seven Bible-based techniques for breaking sinful habits:

Technique #1: Pray  Don’t overlook the power of prayer. James tells us that the “effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (Jas 5:16). The word “effectual” comes from the word “energeo” from which we get the word “energy.” James is telling us to pray actively and with energy. The first and perhaps most potent technique for overcoming sinful habits is to ask God for help.

Technique #2: Overcome Evil with Good  Paul says in Romans 12:21 to “overcome evil with good. “When you feel the urge to give in to an evil habit, do something good instead. Write a letter of hope to a friend, call and encourage a brother, or visit someone who is sick. In other words, replace your sinful habit with a good work.

Technique #3: Surround Yourself with Good People  We’re told “bad company corrupts good morals” (1 Cor. 15:33). The opposite is also true: “good company corrects bad morals. If you have a sinful habit you’re trying to break, then seek out the company of good people. Let their “goodness” rub off on you.

Technique #4: Confess Your Faults  James 5:15 says “confess your sins to one another.” Admittedly, confessing your faults and sinful habits will be difficult. You may be embarrassed by the prospect of others “finding out” about your weakness. But when you confess your failings to others, then they can help look out for you. They can counsel and comfort you as you work to overcome your bad habit.

Technique #5: Make Habits Impossible  You may fall back into your sinful habit simply because sin is so accessible! Overcome sinful habits by eliminating or reducing your access to sin. Matthew 18:9 says, “And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee…” If you’ve got a bad habit, make it harder to feed the habit! Look for ways to make sinning inconvenient rather than easy.

Technique #6: Think Good Thoughts  The urge to feed a bad habit starts in the mind. Fill your mind with righteous thoughts and you’ll reduce the chance that evil thoughts will blossom into sin. Follow Paul’s advice: “whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Phil. 4:8).

Technique #7: Take One Day at a Time  It takes only two weeks to develop a habit, but it takes months to break one. Don’t despair! Rather than thinking how long it will take and how hard it will be to break the habit, learn to take one day at a time. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Work to stop your bad habit today for “each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matt. 6:34).

– by Matt Hennecke

1. The wandering Albatross is the biggest flying creature on earth today.
2. It’s lifespan can be over 60 years.
3. They can go years without ever touching the ground.

Did you know? 

Many people today haven’t decided that God is the answer to the void we have in our lives. For this reason, James will give us the following instructions to help us in our prayer lives.

He writes,

“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1.6 

God wants His children to trust Him, and He is ready to reward the evidence of our trust in Him.

The Evidence 

We show God our faith in Him in two major ways based on this verse and its original context.

1. God’s where we go when we need wisdom (verse 5).
2. We’ve decided and are convinced that God is the answer by praying to Him without doubting His ability to aid us.

Unlike the albatross that wanders for years without touching the ground, we’re not commanded to drift through the air without landing. We’re expected seek out the truth, land, and stay there.

Maybe you’ve wandered off and you’re starting to see the signs. Signs like constant panic, unrest, anxiety, and feeling a loss of control. These can all point to a spiritual problem that you’re no longer grounded.

God is always the answer and we can prove to Him that we believe this truth by letting Him take the lead.

Dale Pollard

Conclave

The Roman Catholic Pope has died. We sincerely offer condolences to his devoted followers as they mourn his death. However, more than a week later, the pope remains sealed in his tomb, while the tomb of Jesus remains empty. We rejoice that Jesus, the head of the New Testament church, is alive and sitting at the right hand of God (Acts 2:23). No papacy mentioned, or needed.

A conclave is to be held in Rome to fill a position that is not open and to give authority that they do not have.  Jesus remains the “head of the body, the church…that in everything He might be preeminent” (Col 1:18), as He alone has been given “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18). Christ’s position is neither vacant nor up for a vote.

Jesus promised, “I will build my church” (Matt. 16:18).  That promise was kept after His resurrection in AD33, on the Day of Pentecost, in the city of Jerusalem, at 9 am on a Sunday morning, when all the apostles spoke as” tongues of fire” sat upon each of them (Acts 2:1-4). No conclave was needed as the church of Christ followed in the “apostles’ doctrine, and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42).

-Dennis Doughty

Around our house, my wife has pictures with different sayings, like – “In this kitchen we lick the spoon”, “Blessed”, “Gather”, and “Give Thanks”. As much as I make fun of these light-hearted sayings, one of them caught my attention this week. It says:

“In this house we – say please and thank you, never give up, love one another, show respect, think good thoughts, say I’m sorry, give second chances, sing out loud, try to do better, give hugs, are a family.”

I couldn’t help but think about how this not only applies to my personal family, but to my church family as well. Obviously we could take each one of these phrases and spend time comparing them to our church family, but I want to spend time on just a few.

#1: Love one another and show respect.

John 13:34-35 says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Loving one another is a command from God and acts as a type of evangelism to the world. We should love in this family.

#2: Say I’m sorry and give second chances.

In Luke 15:20-24, we read about this happening in between the prodigal son and his father. In verse 21 it says, “And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’”

Not only did the father forgive his son, but he gave him a second chance. Verse 24 says, “For this my son was dead, and now is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to celebrate.”

The church family should be one where we feel comfortable enough to say we are sorry and humble enough to give second chances.

#3: We are a family.

Acts 2:44-47 gives a perfect picture of what the New Testament church family should look like. These new Christians were helping each other, spending time together, and praising God with one another. They were a family, just like we are today.

If you aren’t apart of this family yet, now is the time!

Nick Dubree

Great Truths About Life That Little Children Have Learned (author unknown)

* No matter how hard you try, you can’t baptize cats.

* When your Mom is mad at your dad, don’t let her brush your hair.

* If your sister hits you, don’t hit her back.  They always catch the second person.

* Never ask your 3-year-old brother to hold a tomato.

* You can’t trust dogs to watch your food.

* Reading what people write on desks can teach you a lot.

* Don’t sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.

* Puppies still have bad breath, even after eating a tic tac.

* Never hold a dust buster and a cat at the same time.

* School lunches stick to the wall.

* You can’t hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.

* Don’t wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.    No matter how cute the underwear is.

* The best place to be when you are sad is in Mommy’s or Daddy’s lap.

Pretty good advice, huh?  For a child, there is no place for comfort that compares with the lap of a parent.  But what about when you grow older and no longer fit in their lap?

“There is no one like the God of Israel, who rides through the skies to help you, who rides on the clouds in his majesty.  The everlasting God is your place of safety, and his arms will hold you up forever.” (Deut. 32:25-26a).

The best place for a Christian to be when he is sad is in his Father’s arms.  May those of you who are hurting and sad this day take comfort there.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

We will not take the time to talk further about the four keys to interpreting Revelation; I invite you to listen to the first lesson on Revelation, on our website or YouTube page. Let’s get into the study itself…

THE BEAST ARISING OUT OF THE SEA – 13:1-10:

What if…” The federal government decided under the auspices of “civil rights” to require doctors and nurses to perform gender reassignment surgery (or feminizing hormone therapy or abortion) or assist in them, or at least sign a statement saying they would if the hospital administration required them to. Imagine… That the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department wrote a letter to our local hospitals (Hurley, McLaren, and Genesys) and informed them if that they did not require all their doctors and nurses on staff to sign a statement to that effect, the federal government would cut off all Medicare and Medicaid funds to that hospital? What would our Christian doctors and nurses do? What if…?

Who is this beast that John sees coming up out of the abyss?

Notice that this beast looks very similar to the devil himself from 12:3 – seven heads and ten horns. Since these horns have diadems, we except them to refer to some kind of civil authority. In other words, this beast symbolizes the state, the government. But not a government as Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 that exists to make sure Christians can live a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. Rather, this is the type of government, like the one Daniel lived under, which wants to persecute the people of God. In John’s case, we’re talking about Christians.

Satan’s “kingdom” is also as universal as Christ’s kingdom – he has authority over every tribe, people, and tongue and nation. There is no nation on earth that is more godly than the United States of America – as wicked as we are becoming. There is no nation where Christians will escape persecution by Satan and his beasts. Notice in verse 8: “All who dwell on the earth worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.”

THE BEAST COMING OUT OF THE EARTH – 13:11-18:

I remind you that one of the key messages that the letters include that are found in chapters 2-3 is that the Church must not compromise the truth of the gospel. Jesus criticizes several of those congregations because they were compromising the truth of the gospel. But we will overcome if we do not compromise the truth of the gospel!

Notice that this beast has some characteristics like the picture of Jesus, the Lamb, in the book of Revelation. This beast has the appearance of a lamb. But he spoke as a dragon – Satan. He has the authority of the first beast. In fact, he makes the earth to worship the first beast. In the first and second centuries, this religious beast would be the Roman pagan religions but also the perversions of Christianity evident among those churches of Christ that had compromised with their culture. There can be no compromise with people who pervert the gospel of Christ. We are not going the same direction. You have to be faithful to all of the teachings of Christ or you are not faithful to Christ (Acts 20:27).

In an imitation of God the Creator who breathed the spirit into the nostrils of Adam, here this beast breathes life into the image of the beast. Through his efforts, those who do not worship the image of the first beast are killed. God might not protect us from the physical harm of our faithfulness to Him but He will protect us from the spiritual harm which it could bring.

In Revelation 19:20, John sees yet another vision and this time, the two beasts are thrown into hell – the eternal lake of fire. Yes, if we stay faithful to Christ, we will win!

Christians will be victorious over the beast (the secular government) and the false prophet (false religion, including perverted Christianity) if we stay faithful to the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Paul Holland

A friend of mine once told the story of the first overseas mission trip he ever took. It was to the Caribbean island of Trinidad. The team’s objective was to establish a church in the mountains outside the capital city, Port of Spain. One afternoon he and his companions took a break and went to a movie, an old Randolph Scott western. However, they found themselves spending more time watching the people instead of the movie. What struck them the most about that experience was that everyone laughed at the wrong things! They roared with laughter when the “good guy” got shot! In one scene a woman was slapped and the crowd erupted with laughter, clapping, whistling and cheers! As good, Christian, southerly gentlemen, you can imagine this was a very strange scenario indeed.

What you laugh at is very revealing! It speaks to what your heart truly feels and what your deepest convictions are. The things that make you laugh will tell those around you something about your true inner self. Perhaps you have never taken the time to ponder this, but I promise you it is true. And there are consequences which come along with our laughter.

For one, you cannot rebuke or condemn something you have laughed at. Outwardly expressing amusement at an action or statement is going to be equated as approval in the eyes of those who witnessed your laughter. Romans 1:32 reminds us, “Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” One does not have to practice or perform a sinful activity to bear a measure of guilt associated with it. Giving hearty approval of (being entertained by) that sin is just as wrong.

Note also that laughing at the wrong things inflicts pain upon our Lord. Solomon wrote in Proverbs 17:5, “Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.” It does matter to God what entertains us.

As men and women seeking to live pure, holy lives before our Maker and Savior, let us make sure that joy and humor are not found in the improper things which displease His.

Cory Waddell

— I have been a member of the Church for over seventy years. Here is why I love the Body of Christ.

1. She Feeds My Soul. A politician sees me as a vote. The store sees me as a customer. But who cares for my spirit? The Church does. Among Christians we are not a thing—noticed for what benefit we contribute.
2. She Reminds Me Who I Am. Once I was an enemy of God. Now He is my friend. I go to worship to be reminded of who I was and who I have become. The Church keeps me grounded.
3. She Tells Me Where To Find Forgiveness. Two men were talking. One of them said, “I love my family. I love my neighbor. That is my religion.” The other man asked, “What does your religion do when you fail to love?” The Church shows me how I can be forgiven.
4. She Holds Me Responsible. The world is filled with selfish people. What they get is what they keep. The Church is different. She says, “We are what we owe.” She leads me to share.
5. She Is The People Of God. It is often said, “I believe in God but not in the Church!” But the Church belongs to God. How can we love the one and hate the other? His Church is His people.
6. She Teaches Truth. Folks want their religion to be neutral. Yet the Church stands for what is right. Is His truth negotiable? Are the commands of heaven to be added to or taken from? The Church teaches the will of God—no more and no less.
7. She Knows The Lord. The Church is a group of people who believe “Jesus is Lord.” Therefore, she obeys His word. She does what He says. The Bride of Christ is the place to be if one wants to know the Savior.
8. She Labors For Eternity. We invest our time and give our money to the Church. Why? The Church is permanent. I will die. She will live. My contributions to the Body of Believers will make a lasting difference.

I marvel at those who are not part of the church because of a bad experience. Do they stop eating because they have had a bad meal? Of course not! Why, then, stop loving the Church?

BY ED MATHEWS

In June of 2006, Warren Buffet announced that he would donate 85% of his 44 billion dollar fortune to five charitable foundations. In response to questions about his generosity, Buffet said: “There is more than one way to get to heaven, but this is a great way.” Unfortunately, Mr. Buffett is not the first to presume there are many paths to an eternal reward with our Heavenly Father. However, the Bible is quite clear that there is only one Way.

In John 14:6, while trying to comfort His disciples, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” That final phrase “through me” is significant. Throughout John’s gospel he noted the importance of “through Jesus.” The little Greek preposition is sometimes translated with other English words. Still, “through Jesus” is vital because:

1. Creation was through Him (1:3, 10, 14).
2. Grace and truth came through Him (1:17).
3. People believed through (because of) His word (4:41).
4. We can believe through (because of) His works (14:11).
5. Salvation comes through Him (3:17).
6. We can live through (because of) Him (6:57).
7. We find protection, salvation, and nutrition through (by) Him (10:1-2, 9).

John was not alone in his teaching the importance of the Way. The New Testament that peace (Acts 10:36), forgiveness (Acts 13:38), salvation (Acts 15:11), righteousness (Rom. 3:22), justification (Rom. 3:24), eternal life (Rom. 5:21), victory (I Cor. 15:57), redemption (Eph. 1:7), acceptance (I Pet. 2:5), and a host of other great blessings come only through Jesus!

There are many paths by which man will claim we can make it to eternal life. Jesus and the inspired writers of the New Testament assure us there is only one Way:” Jesus. We must go through Him. Galatians 3:36-27 and Romans 6:3-4 tell us how to get into Him. Jesus doesn’t just show us the way, He is the way! So come to Him, follow Him, and go through Him today!

Corey Sawyers

John, in penning his final inspired letter, wrote to the seven churches of Asia concerning the impending persecution from the Romans and God’s victory through the tumultuous oppression. The terminal letter of John is one that is intrinsically spiritual while also remaining carnal practicality. The revelation was to remind the Christians that their spiritual endurance contains the ability to prevail over the physical death of this world.

In the opening verses of this letter, John rapidly reminds the Christians of their status with God. Notice the reminders these faithful Christians needed to hear according to Rev. 1:5,6

1. Jesus Loves You (1:5) — Perhaps this statement in and of itself has lost its gravity over time; not because the reality of Jesus’ love has shifted, but because we have misplaced its power. Jesus, the “faithful witness, firstborn from the dead, and ruler of kings on earth” loves you. The greatest being who will ever exist has sought the unlovable and made us His own. I recall the imperfections in my life, the sins I’ve committed, the shortcomings I’ve crafted, and the goodness I’ve neglected, and yet Jesus’ love has never departed from me. When the world seems entirely against you, the sustainer of the universe embraces you for all that you are. We NEED that reminder.
2. Jesus Freed You (1:5) — Sin is what revoked our privilege of Eden. Iniquity is what pushes God out of our life. Rebellion from God is what entangles us, causing us to drift from the very roots of our origin. We become slaves to this wickedness, imprisoned by its constant bait. Jesus, through His love, took the sin of the world upon Himself as the perfect sacrifice and loosed us from that captivity of sin. Our savior gave us an opportunity to be runaways from death.
3. Jesus Made You a Kingdom (1:6) — Kingdoms of the world are arbitrary. Individuals have their own kingdoms, nations claim royalty, and earthly ideologies broadcast power. There is only but one kingdom that matters, and that’s the principality of Jesus. Daniel prophesied this kingdom to be the only one that would remain eternal, while every other power would fall victim to the follies and ruins of this world (Daniel 2:44,45).
4. Jesus Made You Holy (1:6) — Priesthood is something that is objectively foreign to the Western mind. It’s difficult to wrap our culture-saturated minds around the idea of becoming “spiritual set-apart” entities, but this is what Jesus had in mind when pulling you from death. The expectation that you would no longer by wholly devoted to the world, but be holy loyal to Him. Peter would explain this priesthood as something that pushes us to “proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9).

Few introductions are nearly as powerful as the one found in John’s final letter. It is here where we can find a place to focus our mind, identity, and spiritual status with God. We may never face the type of persecution the church saw in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Centuries but we can find the same level of encouragement they received from the loyal Apostles.

Tyler King

Below are excerpts reported to be from U.S. and British officer performance reviews:

Actual (?) lines out of U.S. Military OERs (Officer Efficiency Report):

— Not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

— Got into the gene pool while the lifeguard wasn’t watching.

— A room temperature IQ.

— Got a full 6-pack, but lacks the plastic thingy to hold it all together.

— Bright as Alaska in December.

— Gates are down, the lights are flashing, but the train isn’t coming.

— So dense, light bends around him.

— If brains were taxed, he’d get a rebate.

— If he were any more stupid, he’d have to be watered twice a week.

— Was left on the Tilt-A-Whirl a bit too long as a baby.

— Wheel is turning, but the hamster is dead.

Actual (?) excerpts from Royal Navy and Marines officer fitness reports:

— His men would follow him anywhere, but only out of curiosity.

— I would not breed from this officer.

— He has carried out each and every one of his duties to his entire     satisfaction.

— He would be out of his depth in a car park puddle.

— This young lady has delusions of adequacy.

— Since my last report he has reached rock bottom, and has started to dig.

— She sets low personal standards and then consistently fails to achieve     them.

— He has the wisdom of youth, and the energy of old age.

— Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat in a    trap.

— This man is depriving a village somewhere of an idiot.

It may be that the comments above are an indication of the intelligence of the men involved.  But I suspect rather that they reflect the attitude of those men.  You see, whether we want to admit it or not, the attitude that we have in the workplace makes an impression on others.  And if we give only a half-hearted effort, or show disrespect for those in authority over us, then it not only leaves a negative impression of us, but of the Christianity we claim to believe and live.

Paul speaks in Colossians 3 to slaves of the first century, but his words apply to all Christians in the workplace:

“Slaves, obey your masters in all things.  Do not obey just when they are watching you, to gain their favor, but serve them honestly, because you respect the Lord.  In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people.” (Col. 3:22-24)

In all that you do at work, it should be the very best you have to offer!  May that be the motto of every Christian in the workplace.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith