INTRODUCTION: History of some churches shows faction, division, anger, separation. It was
that way even in the first century—Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians. But that is not what
Jesus wanted.

I. PEACE – PEACE – PEACE — A key Bible concept. The word is used over and over, again and
again. John 14: 27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world
giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” See also
Rom. 5:1; 8:1, 6; 10:15; 12:18; 14:17, 19; 15:13; I Cor. 7:15; Gal. 5:22; Eph. 2:14-15; 4:1-3;
Phil. 4:7; Col. 3:15; John 14: 27

• Jesus made great statements about Peace—He preached the gospel of peace; He sent
peace; He brings peace. Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers, Matt. 5:9. He is the
PRINCE OF PEACE, Isa. 9:6

• I want it too. I want it to be said the folks in the Lord’s church, here, are PEACEFUL AND
LOVING. That they are gracious, kind and loving. Not divisive, hateful, spiteful, rude and
unkind (Don’t do it, don’t permit it, do not allow it.) We are warned against unreasonable
people, II Thess. 3:1-6; Matt. 7:6.

• Conflicts will come, but VERY FEW…if we remember to be PEACEMAKERS.

II. Resolving Conflict— We’ve got to first work on the vineyard…on the flock…on each of us.

• The first, the most important one in this church is JESUS, Matt. 6:33; Col. 1:18.

• The second most important person in this church is…? Who? Guess? Surprise—it is YOU (love neighbor as self, Matt. 19:19). Yes you…to get this right see that we seek God first, Matt. 6:33.

• If everyone in this church were just like me—what would this church be? Heb 10:25.

• Each member should examine him/herself, II Cor. 13:5; I Cor. 11:28.

• Love your brother or sister, John 15:12-13; I John 3:11-12.

• Remember, the Prince of Peace, Jesus, who is the most important person in the church,
said peace be unto you; blessed are the peacemakers —SETTLE IT.

III. When conflicts come, let’s handle them biblically• See Matt. 18:15-20 and Titus 3:9-10 and Rom. 16:17. When you have a problem with
another Christian, go to the person alone, if not resolved, then with two or three, then to
the elders-church. If that doesn’t work, then reject the divisive person(s), do not put up
with divisive, factious people! • Rebuke, when repents, forgive, Luke 17:3-4.• Paul and Barnabas disagreed, but continued working for the Lord, Acts 15:36-41.

CONCLUSION: Remember, JESUS PRAYED the night before he died THAT WE MIGHT ALL BE
ONE, John 17:17-23. The apostle Paul also demanded that we be united and that there be no
divisions among us, I Cor. 1:10-16. Paul begged us to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond
of peace, Eph. 4:3. REMEMBER Jesus is our Prince of Peace,” Isa 9:6. —Ivy Conner

The entire fiasco started with one poor choice. Danielle Shea decided to drop out of her college, Quinnipiac University. There was nothing inherently wrong with this decision, except for the fact that she lied to her family about it. So, her mom continued to send thousands of dollars to Danielle for college while her family continued to think she was studying hard at school.

The lie became much harder to continue when it was time for Shea to graduate. In an attempt to deceive her family, she secured a cap and gown and even showed up to the graduation with her mother. When her relatives noticed her name was not on the list of graduates, Shea became desperate and had to resort to extreme solutions.

In an effort to cancel the graduation, Danielle made two bomb threats. All her threats accomplished was a 90-minute delay to the graduation while they changed locations. This allowed the police enough time to trace the calls right back to Shea’s phone. She was soon in cuffs and this growing lie finally met its end (Yahoo News).

It’s terrible to see just how big a lie can become when not taken care of immediately. Hiding, deceiving, and adding additional lies only makes it worse. One of the most memorable examples was with David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11). His initial moment of lust ended up producing adultery, lies, deceit, and even murder.

It’s possible to hide sin from other people, but not from God. Hebrews 4:13 explains, “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” There are no secrets kept from God. There are no sins hidden from His sight. We will have to answer for the things we say and do, even the hidden ones (Ecclesiastes 12:14).

Let’s keep in mind that our words, thoughts, and actions are never truly secret. God is watching (Proverbs 5:21:23). When sins creep up in our lives, let’s take care of them right away. Let’s never allow sin to grow and fester into something much worse like in the cases of Daniel Shea and king David.

Brett Petrillo

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:26, 27 ESV).

After speaking into existence all that we see and all that we cannot, the Ultimate Being spoke into existence his ultimate creation. But we were not just to be the last in a line of similar living things. God elevated humanity by making us in his image.

As priests under the Law of Moses were to bridge the gap between man and God (Hebrews 5:1, 2), humans bridge the gap between the rest of creation and the Creator. We are caretakers of the world, not just inhabitants (Genesis 1:28). We were elevated in value, not of our own virtue but of the volition of the Divine.

While we share many similarities with the animal kingdom, we stand apart from and above it. We are imago Dei, or the image of God.

How is man made in the image of God? Certainly not physically. God is “spirit” (John 4:24). He “does not dwell in houses made by hands” (Acts 7:48). Rather, he dwells in “unapproachable light” (1 Timothy 6:16), and “inhabits eternity” (Isaiah 57:15). We must look to something outside the physical to explain our similarity to the Sovereign One.

The two prime characteristics of man that relate to the image of God seem to be an immortal soul and a complex mind. Man is not eternal in the sense that God is, for Deity has no beginning. However, each human being’s soul will live on for eternity. Thus we have no true end. We are immortal.

The mind of man is profound. Most of God’s creatures have a brain, a control center that processes information and controls functions. The mind of man goes far beyond these tasks. While man’s mind produces and processes emotion, it goes beyond even that. God has given man the ability to look out beyond himself and to look deep within himself.

Extrospection is essential to seeking answers to the fundamental questions of life: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going? Introspection is imperative to perceive the need for those questions, and to formulate the response those questions demand.

God placed within man “eternity” (Ecclesiastes 3:11), and seeking after God fills that eternal-sized hole (Ecclesiastes 12:13). God gave man a yearning to “seek God” so that we might “feel [our] way toward him and find him” (Acts 17:27). We view the expanse of heaven and compare that grandeur to our existence and contemplate, “What is man?” (Psalm 8). This is accomplished by our mind.

The mind is not intellect. While the intellect informs the mind, it cannot be said that it is the mind. Those whose abilities to reason never progress are still made in the image of God. Those whose abilities have been damaged by the ravages of time or disease are still made in the image of God.

The mind is not cultural. Those who were raised in a different environment or instilled with different values are as much the image of God as you.

The mind is not physiological. Those whose physical appearance or prowess differs from yours are as much the image of God as you.

That all humans hold equal value before God should be all the more obvious when we see that Jesus, the perfect image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), and the exact imprint of the nature of God (Hebrews 1:3), came in the flesh and died for all (2 Corinthians 5:14, 15).

The value of each individual, and the necessity of treating each one with sacrificial love, is seen in the sacrifice of Christ (Romans 14:15; 1 Corinthians 8:11). When we sin against one who is created in the image of God, and for whom Christ died, we sin against Christ (1 Corinthians 8:12).

Having the image of God carries with it responsibility. We must seek out and find God. We must learn about him and have faith in him. We must deny ourselves and follow him (Luke 9:23). We must not be conformed to this world with its strife and hatred, but we must be transformed by the renewal of our minds (Romans 12:2).

The next time someone says or does something you disagree with, use the wonderful mind God gave you and speak with love and act with grace, for you know that they are imago Dei. The next time someone abuses another, speak with love and act with justice, for you know that they are imago Dei.

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8).

Lee Parish

When we think of the apostle Paul, most would think of a great man of faith. He was someone who put God first in his life and tried his best to live the life he called on others to live, a life worthy of the calling we have in Jesus. But as he begins his first letter to Timothy we get a different view of Paul, one which is his view of himself.

“’I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:12-17)

Did you catch that? He considered himself “the worst of sinners.” If he were talking to us we would probably try to persuade him differently and tell him that it wasn’t all that bad. But in reality, it was bad. And Paul knew it.

Notice why he had this assessment of himself: “I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man.” Before he was a Christian he spoke against those who were following Jesus as the Messiah. But it wasn’t just talk – he put what he believed into practice and hunted down those who were Jesus-followers. We know of what he was doing when Jesus stopped him on the road to Damascus: he was going “so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem” (Acts 9:2).

But it wasn’t just arresting them, he wanted them dead. “On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them” (Acts 26:10). Can you imagine what went through his mind those three days he was blind after seeing Jesus? He had discovered that what he had built his life on wasn’t true and the very one he spoke against turned out to be the Messiah! He had all these deaths on his hands. No wonder he didn’t eat or drink anything!

Because of what he had done, he was thankful that God had shown him mercy – because he acted in ignorance and unbelief – and had poured grace on him abundantly. He had been a sinner yet God showed him mercy and gave him grace, forgiving him of his past sins. To him the reason God allowed him to serve Jesus was to show that God could save anyone – there was nothing anyone could do that God could not forgive. After all, he was “the worst of sinners”!

Sometimes we may feel that our sins are worse than the sins of anyone else. Of course, to us they are because we did them. But Paul shows us that forgiveness is available to anyone. We know what we have done. We try to live each day for Jesus but are acutely aware of our failings. But God extends to us the same mercy and grace that he gave to Paul.

That God forgives us should cause us to join with Paul in praising God: “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen!”

Jon Galloway

Daniel’s Secrets – Daniel 1

In Romania, it was common practice, when you rented an apartment or house or bought an apartment or house, you signed two contracts with the owner or seller. One contract was for the amount of money you actually spend and the second was for the benefit of the owner or seller, for a lower amount, so the owner or seller could pass less in taxes. This practice is so widely practiced that even lawyers assume you are going to do it.

When we first moved to Romania, we rented an apartment and negotiated hard with the owner on that point. He wanted us to sign two contracts and we refused. Eventually, we paid, I think, $60 / mo. more in rent just so we would not have to sign two contracts. But, we had to apply for our visas to stay in the country every six months, which meant we had to negotiate our contract for our apartment, every six months.

After the third time, I was tired of that hassle and realized that my wife and I, with some help, could buy an apartment. Once the money was wired to us from the US, we went to a lawyer, with a  Romanian friend who could speak English, and we started signing the paperwork to buy the apartment. Then the second contract was set in front of us. For a second, the thought went through my mind – “If I sign this contract this one time, I won’t have to be put in this situation ever again.” And I signed it.

There was some other paperwork that was not completed at that time; I don’t remember what it was or why. But when Rachel and I got back home, we talked about that second contract and Rachel said, “That’s not right. We can’t do that. It’s lying.” I woke up in the middle of the night with my conscience bothering me and we went back to the lawyer the next day and said, “We’ve got to tear up that second contract. We are not going to sign a false statement.” The lawyer tried to persuade us: “Nobody will know.” “God will know,” we said.

If we were going to be trying to convert people to the gospel, we had to live the gospel first in our own lives. I failed the test at first, but with Rachel’s support and encouragement (and we could have lost the apartment and that would have put us into a serious bind) but we eventually made the right decision.

Integrity is making the right decision when no one is watching. Let’s take a look at the man named Daniel…

In Daniel 1:5, the text says that the king ordered these men to be served “the king’s choice food and wine which he drank.”

But notice in verse 8 that “Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself.…”

These men were in a tight situation. There could have been a problem with them refusing to eat the king’s meat. Many times we sin because we find ourselves in situations that are out of the ordinary. These men were in a foreign land. They were separated from their families, from their priests, from their people, from their temple. But in spite of this situation, they still had the goal of staying faithful to God.

So in spite of the people these men were around, they still did not sin.

Let us make up our minds to stay faithful to God and have the courage to follow through. If we do, God will be with us and bless us.

–A preacher

A man is in bed with his wife when there is knocking on the door.

He rolls over and looks at his clock.  It’s half past three in the morning.

“I’m not getting out of bed at this time,” he thinks, and rolls over.

Then, a louder knock follows.  “Aren’t you going to answer that?” says his wife.

So he drags himself out of bed, and goes downstairs. He opens the door and there is a man standing at the door.  It doesn’t take the homeowner long to realize the man is drunk.

“Hi there,” slurs the stranger, “Can you give me a push?”

“No, get lost, it’s half past three.  I was in bed,” says the man and slams the door.

He goes back up to bed and tells his wife what happened and she says “Dave, that wasn’t very nice of you.  Remember that night we broke down in the pouring rain on the way to pick the kids up from the baby-sitter and you had to knock on that man’s house to get us started again?  What would have happened if he’d told us to get lost?”

“But the guy was drunk,” says the husband.

“It doesn’t matter,” says the wife. “He needs our help and it would be the Christian thing to help him.”

So the husband gets out of bed again, gets dressed, and goes downstairs. He opens the door, and not being able to see the stranger anywhere he shouts, “Hey, do you still want a push?” and he hears a voice cry out, “Yeah, please!”

Still being unable to see the stranger, he shouts:  “Where are you?”

The stranger replies:  “I’m over here, on your swing.”

There are times we all need a little push from one another.  In fact, that’s one of the reasons that we gather together in worship.  We could praise God alone, but we have the opportunity to encourage one another every time we meet together.

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Heb. 10:24-25)

It’s not just reserved for Sundays, though.  Know anybody that needs a push today?

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

The movie War Room came out in 2015. Movie critics did not like it but it ended up grossing $74 million worldwide, including $67.8 million domestically. The movie revolves around a couple, Tony and Elizabeth, who have a daughter named Danielle. Tony is a pharmaceutical salesman, a high pressure job that keeps him away from home, his wife, and his daughter. He is verbally abusive and is thinking about cheating on his wife.

Elizabeth is a realtor who comes under the influence of a Miss Clara, an elderly woman who believes in the power of prayer. Miss Clara encourages Elizabeth to fight for their marriage by praying for Tony. Miss Clara has a special “inner room,” a closet which she dedicates to prayer – it is her “war room.”

Miss Clara states: “in order to stand up and fight the enemy, you need to get on your knees and pray.”

The movie ends with Tony giving Elizabeth her favorite dessert while he gives her a foot massage and Miss Clara now lives with her son, praying in the still of the night.

Giving to the poor. Praying. Fasting. Here, we’re going to spend time with Jesus’ instructions from the sermon on the mount relative to these three spiritual disciplines. Let’s turn to Matthew 6.

RIGHTEOUSNESS TO BE NOTICED – 6:1:

Jesus had just said in Matt 5:14-16 that we are to allow our lights to shine on a hill, allow our lights to be visible, so that others may see our good works, and glorify the Father in heaven. So, what is the difference?

The difference is found in the motivation between the two texts. In Matt 5:16, the motivation is to bring glory to God, to draw people’s attention to Jehovah God. But the motivation in this passage is to be noticed by men.

This human urge to be praised by men, or at least accepted by men, is a very strong urge and it is universal. Paul wrote in Galatians 1:10: “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.”

GIVING IN SECRET – 6:2-4:

“Give to the poor…” is all one word in the original language. It is from the same word family as the word “mercy.” Notice its use in Acts 3:6; 9:36; and 10:2, 4, 31.

So God expects us to give charitably to others, not necessarily so no one sees us but our motivation should be to bring glory to God. Jesus says these are hypocrites, that is, they are insincere. They have deceived themselves into believing that if they give liberally and get praised by men, then God is also pleased with their behavior.

PRAYING IN THE INNER ROOM – 6:5-8:

First, Jesus is not condemning public prayer. Nor is He condemning audible prayers in public. Jesus and the church both prayed publicly and prayed audibly. But, again, the challenge is to pray not to be seen of men. Even when we pray publicly, we don’t need to pray in such a way as to encourage people to be impressed with our Christianity, with our theological depth, or our biblical knowledge. Prayer is us talking to God and if we are talking to God, we have no basis for praying in a “showy” way. God cannot be impressed with us and we should not try to impress Him or to impress others.

The fact of the matter is, our words themselves will not compel God to respond to our prayers nor is it our body posture that can compel God to respond to our prayers. It is our relationship to God through Jesus Christ and God’s perfect love for us and perfect knowledge of what is best for us that compels God’s response to our prayers.

FASTING UNOBSERVED – 6:16-18:

Jesus, other than during the temptation, never fasted. The Pharisees criticized Jesus for not fasting in Matt 9:14-15 and in that context, Jesus suggests His disciples will fast, at least during the few days Jesus was dead. In OT times, of course, the Jews would put on sackcloth and sit in ashes.

But Christ’s disciples, if they fast, need to anoint their head and wash their face: clean the body, so that no one will notice they are fasting.

Let us make sure that the good works we do are done to honor our Savior, and not to draw attention to ourselves.

Paul Holland

Go, labor on!

“Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:38).

“Now it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, King of Judah, that this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying: ‘Take a scroll of a book and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel, against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah even to this day” (Jeremiah 36:1-2 NKJV).

Work just isn’t what it used to be. At least that is often the case in the U.S. and other developed nations. We are used to machines and tools which make difficult tasks much simpler. Dirt is moved by tractor or back-hoe and dump trucks. Few jobs which require more than a few wheelbarrows full are done with shovels or man-power.

That is not the case in much of the world however. In Asia, Africa, South America, and elsewhere much of the agricultural and construction work is still done without the assistance of heavy equipment. Labor is still essential, in the most basic meaning of that word.

Of course in ancient times there was no powered equipment and all things were done with simple tools and much effort. But I wonder how well we really understand how much was involved in even the simplest tasks.

Consider God’s instructions to Jeremiah to write his messages into a book. We realize there were no typewriters, computers, or printing presses in Jeremiah’s day (about 600 years before the birth of Jesus). But that is not all that was lacking. There were no manufactured pens, ink was primitive, and there was no paper as we know it. Jeremiah probably wrote on papyrus sheets using something like a quill. He wrote in the light of a window or, if at night, by oil lamp or candlelight, dipping his quill in the ink every few strokes and sharpening it frequently. Look at the book of Jeremiah in your Bibles. Containing 52 chapters it is the third longest book of the Bible (after Psalms and Isaiah). To write it by hand under those circumstances was quite a project, to say the least.

It is my observation that most of us have decided that religion should be convenient. If we have to go too far, sit too long, endure discomfort, or expend too much effort, then God is just not being reasonable in his demands. Somehow we have convinced ourselves that God does not expect very much of us. We should be able to fit “his business” in among the extra time and resources that are not required in our own affairs. If we cannot, then surely he will understand and make allowances. After all, what we do for ourselves is really important.

One only needs to read for a short time in the Bible to see the fallacy of this argument.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:20-21).

It is what God wants of us that is truly important, and God’s business is worthy of our greatest efforts. When we read carefully about the lives and ministries of the prophets, apostles, and other early Christians, we are shamed at how little seems to be required of us. When Paul traveled to preach to those who did not have the Gospel he walked or sailed in wind- or oar-powered ships. He was subject to shipwreck (it happened at least four times to him), bandits, and great hardship. We complain about day-long flights on air-conditioned planes where meals and snacks are served regularly.

Jeremiah was required to live a celibate life as a message to his people. Hosea was commanded to marry an unfaithful woman. Ezekiel was a captive in Babylon, serving other captives. Peter and John and their brothers gave up their family businesses to follow Jesus. And these are just a few whose stories we know. How did they feel about such sacrifices?

“So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name” (Acts 5:41).

Michael Brooks

At this very moment hundreds of thousands of our fellow-Americans are looking for a church (or, as some express it, “a church home”). They are looking (1) because they have recently moved to a new area, (2) because they had drifted and are now ready for a renewal of religious interest in their lives, or (3) because they have become unhappy with “their old church.”  What are they looking for? What do they hope to find? What do they feel they need?

THE ANSWERS

1. Some are looking for a church that is like the former church they were affiliated with, most for no other reason than tradition or custom. They don’t want any change from the religion they have become accustomed to.
2. Some are looking for a church (building) that is convenient to where they live, one that is within easy driving distance. They don’t want to have to drive very far to get to “the services.”
3. Some are looking for a church made up of friendly people who will make them feel welcome and wanted. They don’t want one whose members seem cold and formal.
4. Some are looking for a church that will give them a sense of belonging and of importance. They don’t want a church whose members just never seem to accept them, who do not give them a sense of self-esteem.
5. Some are looking for a big church because they prefer to just blend in with the crowd. They don’t want a church that is so small that they can be missed at services and that they have to take some active role.
6. Some are looking for a small church because they want to be able to know all the members and because “smaller churches are usually friendlier and more like a family.” They don’t want a church that is so big that “you can’t tell the members from the visitors.”
7. Some are looking for a church that is engaged in doing a lot of “good works.” They don’t want a church that isn’t into solving “world problems” and committed to “social reform” and “community improvement.”
8. Some are looking for a church that sponsors a lot of youth activities and family affairs. They aren’t interested in a church that doesn’t have parties, picnics, dinners, suppers, games, teams, clubs, scout troops, exercise and health programs, classes for hobbies and crafts, etc.

WHAT’S MISSING IN THESE ANSWERS?

Now, if you will, look back over that list. There is in it not a word about God, or Christ, or the Bible, or the gospel of Christ, or salvation from sin, or soul, or heaven, or eternal life. People need to open their Bibles, and read the New Testament, and find out why Jesus built His church (Matt. 16:18), and find out what a congregation of God’s people is supposed to be, and to teach, and to do. Churches existed in the New Testament for the purpose of ministering to the spiritual needs of men, for the purpose of glorifying God, for the purpose of teaching God’s word, for the purpose of saving the lost and edifying the saved (Eph. 3:20-21; 4:11-12; I Tim. 3:15). When a group of Christians constitutes a church, they do not have to wonder what God wants them to do. The lives they are to live individually, the organizational arrangement they are to have, the doctrine they are to teach, the collective worship they are to engage in, the collective work they are to do are all clearly defined in the New Testament.

SOME SUGGESTIONS

Permit me to offer some suggestions:

1. Look for a church that respects the sovereignty of God and the authority of Jesus, the Son of God.
2. Look for a church that respects the Bible as the inspired word of God and the gospel of Christ as the power of God unto salvation.
3. Look for a church that strives to be like the churches you can read about in the New Testament – in designation, in worship, in organization, in teaching, in work.
4. Look for a church that is concerned about lost souls and eternal destinies.
5. Look for a church that ministers to the spiritual needs of men, that is more concerned about giving men what they need than about giving men what they want.
   • by Bill Crews

_____________________________________________
 

Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).

Off the coast of Greece, since the days of Plato, free divers have been plunging to depths of 50-100 meters with no breathing apparatus at all to harvest sea sponges. Others do this kind of diving for sport.

But it is extremely dangerous.

In 2013, Nicholas Mevoli died after performing a dive. He resurfaced, signaled “OK,” then lost consciousness, and died. In 2015, Russian free-diver, Natalia Molchanova, who held 41 world records and earned 23 gold medals, plunged into the Mediterranean darkness off the coast of Spain for a recreational dive, and failed to resurface. After a few days, rescue efforts ceased.

Free-divers must learn not only the physical techniques of free-diving, but also how to switch off their primal instincts. They do this through rigorous physical and mental training. They learn to silence their primal responses when breathing slows and oxygen levels decrease.  However, this switch off, while necessary for the task, can also be the reason for failure. Learning to ignore one’s fears can and does result in serious injury, or even fatality.

This is true of our spiritual selves. We are spiritual beings. Some overcome spiritual fear by ignoring or denying that they are spiritual beings at all. Though it be ignored, the soul of man is quite real (see: 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 4:12; James 2:26).

The spiritual self can, like the diver’s primal instinct, be switched off through sheer will power. The conscience can become numb (1 Timothy 4:2).

When Jesus said, “Fear not,” he meant for us to find peace and hope for our soul through obeying his gospel (Romans 1:16). He did not intend for us to switch off our soul in hopes that it would go away.

Unfortunately, many are free-diving, having shut off the spiritual intuition with which they were endowed by their Creator. They are sinking. The longer they stay submerged, the less likely it is they will resurface.

Rick Kelley

One of the ways our family often studies together is by marking the keywords of a book. We take a word and follow it through to see how it is used in the text. In the book of Job, “know” is such a word. It is often used, 87 times in fact. However, what is most interesting in the book is how it is used.

When tragedy strikes Job’s household, this conversation begins between the man and his friends. What they “know” (or think they know) is very much at the forefront. Job will argue that he doesn’t know why this is happening because he has done no wrong. His three friends contend that they know Job must have committed some great sin. All the evidence they need to see is in what has happened thus far.

Job answers that indeed he does not know what he has done. Still, he does know one crucial fact. He knows God is in control and that He is faithful (see 19:25; 31:6, et al.).

After several rounds, a fourth friend (Elihu) stands up. He has heard enough. He rebukes these four old men for running their mouth and not doing what is right (32:6-7). This young man just knows he has it all figured out (32:10, 17; 33:3; 36:4, et al.).

Then God speaks. He never answers Job nor the friends’ question of why this all happened. He simply challenges them. If they know so much, let them give some knowledge to the Lord God (38:2-5, 12, 18, 21, 33; 39:1-2; 40:6). In 40:1-6, Job answers the Lord. He says, “I know nothing but You. You teach me.”

The book of Job is all about how the righteous can deal with suffering. So, what can we know?

That we do not know the why of suffering.
That we can make suffering worse for someone when we presume to know.
That the only thing we need to know when it comes to suffering is the One in control.

I may not know what tomorrow may bring. I may never know why I endure certain things. All I need to know is the Lord God. He knows all, is all-powerful, and cares for me and you.

Corey Sawyers

We have all been stung by criticism. It hits us blindside, a wallop seemingly out of nowhere. Perhaps we assumed that all was well, that our hard efforts were appreciated, and then it came: someone suspects our motives, someone takes work that was profoundly meaningful to us and tore it to shreds.

We stumble outside, sit on the steps and try to take it all in. Were they right? Did we truly, deeply wrong others?

At some level we know we are not perfect, so there is the distinct possibility that some of this is true. There is usually a grain of truth to the criticism, and it is worthwhile, following the initial hurt, to contemplate where we might have gone wrong.

But not all criticism is fair, or offered from the perspective of someone who cares either about us, or the truth. Often critics care little for accuracy, the facts, or the survival of their target. It makes me think of Jesus’ commentary on the fickle nature of people: “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge and you did not mourn” (Matthew 11:17).

There was, it seemed, nothing one could do to make them happy. No action, no words would meet their approval. He faced the classic double bind, he was condemned if he did, and condemned if he did not.

So how can you tell if a criticism was genuine or not?

• Ask yourself if he or she came directly to you, as opposed to spreading it to others, or the elders, or social media first.
• Ask if he has also borne your burdens as Paul suggested he must (Galatians 6:2).
• Ask yourself if, even if exaggerated, there might be a grain of truth in his critique from which you can learn.
• Note whether he offered, along with the criticism, a solution.
• Note whether he offered to play a part in helping to make things better.

It is possible that he is wrong. He might not know you, or he might simply be a negative person whom you will never please. In that case kindly but firmly let him know that his words were not helpful.

Really! Eventually someone should stand up to a bully. Don’t lower yourself to his level, of course, don’t respond with a tit for tat insult, but simply say: “I’m afraid you don’t have all the facts,” or even better, “Why don’t you volunteer to make that situation better?”

Above all, don’t allow criticism to stop you from serving the Lord. “Let us not grow weary of doing good” (Galatians 6:9). No one wins when the victim of criticism gives up.

Stan Mitchell

Mankind has a tendency to play the blame game with God. Refer back to Adam when he realized the sin he committed in the garden. Do you remember his initial reaction? “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree and I ate.” Adam was very quick to include everyone in his fault. People of today’s world blame God for the tragedies that take place. They claim that an all-loving God would not watch on standby while the world hurts.

Many skeptics target God as a corrupt being for the countless lives He took in the Old Testament narrative. The flood is perhaps one of the most well-known and extravagant manslaughters recorded in history, especially since Noah and his family were the only survivors from the entire population of the earth. How could God, the origin of love, do such a thing?! Here are some observations to consider:

1. The intentions of man were evil continually (Gen. 6:5) – We can try and grasp that concept, but I’m convinced we’ve never experienced a culture of wickedness to this degree. If God let that generation continue on, violence would have escalated until man’s extinction became a reality.
2. God made a choice – He had a couple options at this point in the timeline. He could have wiped out everyone, including Noah. Noah was a righteous man and therefore could have received his reward after facing death. This would have, and could have been the ending for mankind. But He didn’t. He allowed Noah to live, and because of that choice, we are here today.
3. God gave man a choice – Verse 14 is an incredible illustration of grace. He waited patiently until Noah finished the ark. Not only that, but He allowed Noah to preach a message of repentance to the people during this time. God did everything within the realm of free moral agency to get the people to turn from their ways.
4. The intentions of God were good continually – God knew He would eventually have to send His Son to a cross and watch the painstaking event of crucifixion unfold. He knew there would be more souls who would reject Him. He knew pain would ensue if He let man continue on in their existence. So why did He save Noah? Because of love. Love is not just a feeling, it’s a commitment to proceed forward no matter the joys or pains that wait in the future.

While many look at God as a corrupt being who is okay with killing man, we have the opportunity to praise a God who is gracious, merciful, and loving. Look at the pain of this world, the decay of it, and the death of it. But don’t stop there. Look at the sunrise of the next life to come, and you’ll see a Savior waiting to embrace you. The flood is one of the biggest stories of love that we’ll ever know.

Tyler King

We are all seeking something. Some seek after affirmation, others after wealth, power, or prestige. Still others are seeking simpler things, such as daily food and clothing. Whatever we seek, it has the power to become our lives, to consume us entirely.

Knowing this, Jesus instructed those who would follow him to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33 ESV). If you are like me, you probably read that with an emphasis upon the word “first.” We say we are to seek FIRST the reign and righteousness of God. Thus leaving the impression that God’s reign and righteousness are first among almost equals.

But the emphasis is not found in the order but in the object. The seeking of God’s reign and righteousness, in contrast to that of the Pharisees seeking their own (Matt. 5:20), should be stressed.

Might we even be misrepresenting Jesus when we say we must put God first before others? Consider the Holy Spirit’s declaration in Colossians 3:4 “When Christ, who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

Christ is not a part of our life. In reality he cannot be but a part. He must be our life. Instead of seeing a list of priorities, where God is placed at the top, we ought to think of our lives more like a wheel, with God at the center and all other aspects are the spokes. No matter what spoke is currently at the top of the circle, the hub is always at the center. God permeates into all aspects of our life, and in this way, he is our life.

Every word that we speak, every decision that we make,  every action that we take, should be done with God’s will at the center of it all (Colossians 3:17, 23; 1 Corinthians 10:31).

The key to making Christ our life is denying ourselves. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).  Pride and selfishness seem to be at the root of all sin. Self-denial is not easy and we cannot accomplish it alone. In picturing the process of the new birth, Paul states that he had been “crucified with Christ” and that “Christ lives” in him (Galatians 2:20). That new birth is accomplished by God making us alive (Colossians 2:12, 13).

Yet, those who had already died to sin were told to “put to death therefore what is earthly in you” (Colossians 3:5). Even though we have been born again, even though we have been crucified with Christ, we must continually decide to deny ourselves and follow Jesus.

There are many things which compete daily for your attention, any one of which could become your life. But only Jesus can give you life eternal. Who is your life?

Lee Parish

Last week I began the final edit of a book for a friend. It’s a delight to read and an easy work to revise. He has the gift of words and, specifically, of writing. If I weren’t a servant of God, I’d be tempted to envy. He makes reading a joy, and learning a pleasure.

Not everyone has such a gift, and that’s a fine thing, since it’s God’s plan. But some people have what might be called an anti-gift.

Proverbs 26 enlightens the reader about the actions of fools. Among them is the use of a proverb in the mouth of fools. They are not only inept, their bad usage screeches against the ear.

Like legs that hang limp from the lame, so is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard, so is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

Proverbs 26.7, 9

The fool makes listening painful. Not only does he not make sense, he makes nonsense. He causes pain.

Such grating use of words and of the proverb makes your average Joe ask how he can avoid such foolishness. Here are some paths to pursue.

First, recognize the need for wisdom. The proper creation and use of a proverb demands it. A proverb is a pithy expression of wisdom. One does not create them from air, nor can they be used without proper understanding. See wisdom’s value. “How much better it is to acquire wisdom than gold; to acquire understanding is more desirable than silver” Proverbs 16.16.

Second, learn by listening. Hear the words of the wise. Observe what they say and how they speak. Much listening must occur before one gains the knowledge and the right to speak. It all starts by “making your ear attentive to wisdom” Proverbs 2.2.

Third, ask God for help. “But if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him” James 1.5. The author’s context is trials of one’s faith. Fools have no idea how to consider life’s afflictions. They come up with all sorts of twisted explanations.

Fourth, consult the source of wisdom, the Bible. Read it often. Memorize it. For all the talk about the Bible, few actually give it the serious study it requires. This lack of attention is true foolishness. In Scripture is the best kind of wisdom, that leads to salvation, 2 Timothy 3.15.

Fifth, prepare ahead of time. Proverbs may look simple, but they can contain complex thoughts. Boiling down a truth into a proverb isn’t for weak stomachs. Here, the hard pursuit of wisdom applies. “… seek it like silver, and search for it like hidden treasure, then you will understand how to fear the Lord, and you will discover knowledge about God” Proverbs 2.4-5.

Don’t be a fool when it comes to the use of proverbs. Be wise, and the proverbs will roll off the tongue with a blessing for all who hear.

J. Randal Matheny

A fisherman had a strange habit. He kept the smaller fish he caught but threw the bigger ones back. One day after having just tossed back a monster fish, his friend couldn’t resist asking. “Why in the world did you throw back that huge fish?” The fisherman replied, “Well, I only have a 12-inch frying pan. If the fish is bigger than that, I have to throw it back.”

Whether it’s with something trivial like fishing, or something essential like our spiritual lives, it’s silly to place unnecessary limitations on ourselves. Tragically, we’ve become very skilled at limiting ourselves when God is involved.

“What could God do with someone like me?”

“I just don’t have the ability.”

“I don’t know enough.”

“_______ could do it better than me.”

There are a whole host of doubts and limitations we place on ourselves when it comes to spiritual achievement. In essence, what we are doing is limiting God. In most cases, the Lord isn’t going to force us to do or become something we don’t want.

So what would happen if we removed all our doubts, all our concerns, and all our self-imposed limitations? What could God do with us? There is no limit — “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen ” (Ephesians 3:20-21).

Point To Ponder – Right now, how big is your spiritual frying pan? If you removed all of your doubts and limitations, what could God shape you into? What could God do with you?

Point Of Action: This week, do the following for your personal study:

1) Read about the Bible character (Listed below).

2) Write down what limitations were self-imposed.

3) Write down what God was able to accomplish through them (here and/or later on).

4) Write down how this situation change them.

5) Write down what limitations you have in common.

6) Write down what you can improve in yourself after study through this.

• Monday– Gideon (Judges 6-7)
• Tuesday– Moses (Exodus 4)
• Wednesday– Jonah (Jonah 1)
• Thursday– Abraham (Genesis 20)
• Friday– Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:1-10)
• Saturday– Saul & The Soldiers – Contrast With David (1 Samuel 17)

Sunday – The 12 Spies – Contrast With Joshua & Caleb (Numbers 13-14)

Brett Petrillo

I have often thought about Christians who left the faith. I’m certain they didn’t plan to leave. Circumstances, or the unexpected, simply overwhelmed them. But you, my dear reader, can probably name a score of people who left. Paul saw the danger and urged us to “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

When I see a Christian fall away I am anguished. How I wish I could have prevented it! How I wish I had known the right thing to say. Often, however, by the time they contemplate leaving, it is too late. Perhaps, I have often thought, I could tell them some things before the crisis sweeps in, so they will know what to expect: So, with that in mind, here are some things that I have always wanted to say:

• Determine at the start that you will serve God for life: Jesus called on us to deny ourselves, take up his cross, and follow him (Matthew 16:24). Right now you need to determine to live and serve Christ for life before the hard times come.
• Never underestimate the power of loneliness: A young woman’s husband cheated on her. She left him. I understood. A year later, however, she was living with another man. “Was he a Christian?” I asked. “No.” “Any prospect of my studying the Bible with him?” “No.” What happened, I asked. She admitted, “I was just so lonely.” Dear reader, there are worse things than being alone. What we need instead is to nourish our loneliness with a closer relationship with God.
• Don’t forget who you are, and who you serve: We are “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20). There is no higher calling!
• Someone in the Church will disappoint you; that does not give you the right to disappoint others. In other words, two wrongs do not make a right. It doesn’t matter if someone else is hypocritical; that has no bearing on your commitment to Christ.
• If you are tempted to cheat on your spouse, remember, it was not God who suggested that this other person was a “soul mate.” The wise man depicts the lips of an adulteress as “dripping honey” (Proverbs 5:3,4). A woman declared: “When I’m with (this other man), he makes me happy, and doesn’t God want me to be happy?” Let me reassure you, a nice person does not break up a marriage.
• Still, it will be hard. Expect that: We are encouraged to “run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). Sometimes hard times and opposition seem to emerge as a harsh surprise to Christians. Yet the Bible never promised us a rose garden. In fact, it suggests that we will have to struggle at times to make it.
• Without question, the Christian life is worth it: At the end of your life, you will be able to look back and say that serving Jesus was worth it.

I once knew an elderly gentleman, a faithful Christian, who was deaf. At his funeral I was able to say, “The first words Curtis Hendrix will ever hear will be the words of his Lord saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21). Hearing those words will be worth it. Don’t quit!

Stan Mitchell

In chemistry, He turned water into wine;

In biology, was born without the normal conception;

In physics, denied the law of gravity when He ascended into heaven;

In economics, He multiplied five loaves and two fishes to feed 5,000 people

In medicine, healed the sick and the blind without administering any drug dose;

In history, He is the PRINCIPLE, MEANS and the END;

In government, he was called Wonderful, Counselor, Prince of Peace, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.’’

In religion, He is the way, the truth, the life and no one comes to the Father except through Him.

So, Who is He?  He is Jesus!  Let us celebrate Him; He is worthy.

–Selected

Wake up! These are two words which can annoy us, startle us, or return us to reality. When we are woken up in the middle of the night by a person, our telephone, or even the alarm, we can be annoyed or even startled. What about falling asleep in a class or during someone’s presentation? Or perhaps we have just ‘drifted off’ and need to be called back to reality.

Jesus used these two words to try to get the Christians in Sardis to see the need to return to a real life of following him.

“I know your deeds, that you have a reputation that you are alive, but in reality you are dead. Wake up then, and strengthen what remains that was about to die, because I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.” (Revelation 3:1-2 NET)

The problem these Christians had was that they looked like they were faithful – they were active as Christians. Although this was their reputation, the reality was that they were dead! They were just going through the motions of serving Jesus.

The Christians in Sardis well reflected the city they lived in. Sardis was both wealthy and easily defended. It was built on Mount Tmolus, around 1000-1500 feet in elevation with three sides surrounded by precipitous cliffs. There was only on path up and it was easily defended. Despite their secure surroundings, it was conquered twice: by Cyrus (549 BC) and Antiochus the Great (214 BC). Because they felt secure they had not bothered to post a guard on a difficult to find path going up. The path was found and the attacking army entered under the cover of darkness and had the city secure by morning.

It would seem that both of these problems had infiltrated the lives of the Christians. When people are satisfied with their material wealth, spirituality often is lost. When Christians think they have it so good and begin to believe what others say about how faithful they are, they fail to grow in their faith. After all, haven’t they arrived? Jesus’ message to them was to the point.

“Therefore, remember what you received and heard, and obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come against you.” (Revelation 3:3)

They needed to remember what they had been taught and start doing it again. They needed to repent, to change their direction, to get back to doing what they knew they should be doing in serving Jesus.

If they failed to wake up, Jesus would come like a thief. Thieves don’t send announcements that they are coming. They come when we least expect, when we have dropped our guard and are unprepared.

There were some in Sardis who had remained faithful, “who have not stained their clothes”, who were not involved in the sinful activities because of complacency. Jesus said of them, “they will walk with me dressed in white, because they are worthy” (Revelation 3:4).

Those who thought they were the examples that everyone needed follow needed themselves to look to the example of the ones who were really faithful! If they would get back to living the lives they had been taught to live, they would have this same hope. “The one who conquers will be dressed like them in white clothing, and I will never erase his name from the book of life, but will declare his name before my Father and before his angels” (Revelation 3:5).

When everything is going good for us, it is easy to become complacent. When this happens we need, like these Christians, to wake up – and get back to an active life of serving Jesus.

“The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 3:6)

Jon Galloway

Ignatius of Antioch is an incredible example of the earliest of Christian faiths. Historical writings identify him as a direct disciple of the Apostle John and a close acquaintance of Peter. His devotion to God is worthy to be noted and the modern-day Christian can gain an immense amount of encouragement and inspiration from his life. When reading through accounts like this, we witness a faith that is simply bigger than life itself. Tradition records his death to be in October of 107AD. He became a martyr when he faced the wild beasts in the arena under the reign of Emperor Trajan.

Below, is a small excerpt from his writing to the early church:

“Even now as a prisoner, I am learning to forgo my own wishes. All the way from Syria to Rome I am fighting with wild beasts, by land and sea, night and day, chained as I am to ten leopards (I mean to a detachment of soldiers), who only get worse the better you treat them. But by their injustices I am becoming a better disciple, though not for that reason am I acquitted. What a thrill I shall have from the wild beasts that re ready for me! I hope they will make short work for me.

I shall coax them on to eat me up at once and not to hold off, as sometimes happens, through fear. And if they are reluctant, I shall force them to it. Forgive me — I know what is good for me. Now is the moment I am beginning to be a disciple. May nothing seen or unseen begrudge me making my way to Jesus Christ. Come fire, cross, battling with wild beasts, wrenching of bones, mangling of limbs, crushing of my whole body, cruel tortures of the devil — only let me get to Jesus Christ! Not the wide bounds of earth nor the kingdoms this world will avail me anything. I would rather die and get to Jesus Christ, than reign over the ends of the earth. That is whom I am looking for — the One who died for us. That is whom I want — the One who rose for us. I am going through the pangs of being born. Sympathize with me, my brothers! Do not stand in the way of my coming to life — do not wish death on me. Do not give back to the world one who wants to be God’s; do not trick him with material things. Let me get into the clear light and manhood will be mine. Let me imitate the Passion of my God. If anyone has Him in him, let him appreciate what I am longing for, and sympathize with me, realizing what I going through.”

Ignatius of Antioch, Letters, in Early Church Fathers, ed. And trans. Cyril C. Richardson: New York: Macmillan, 1970. 104-105

Tyler King