Last week we discussed seeking to look at the turbulence of this world from a different perspective, a faith perspective. Today we will briefly explore some other helpful strategies for facing uncertainty in an unstable world and even in our unstable lives. Here are just a few such “things.”

1. GOD. We turn to God because He doesn’t turn, neither is there a mere shadow of change in Him (see James 1:17). God is who He is and who He will be. He is the essence of stability. He is our rock and He is the rock. It is “in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). When we cling to Him we find a measure of peace and stability even in the face of great turmoil and difficulty. When we cling to Him, we can’t be washed down stream because He simply does not move. God will not let you down.
2. LOVE. Love never ends and it endures forever (see 1 Cor. 13:7-8). Love is vital to every relationship we have and is a part of the solution for every problem we encounter. As Paul says, “Let all that you do be done in love” (see 1 Cor. 16:14). When the seas around you rage, don’t give up on the kind of unselfish, sacrificial, enduring love that Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.
3. THE WORD. Peter, quoting from Psalms 40, describes our lives as fading, but the word of the Lord is enduring (see 1 Peter 1:23-25). At first that may not sound encouraging, but the words of the Lord, as Peter confesses, are “the words of eternal life” (Jn. 6:68). Though the outer man is perishing, the inward man can be continually renewed (see 2 Cor. 4:16). God’s Word is seed that doesn’t merely provide life in the here and now, but gives birth to eternal life. This assurance of hope (see Heb. 11:1) provides a solid basis for our lives, an anchor of the soul (see Heb. 6:19).
4. DOING THE WILL OF GOD. The wise man builds his house on the rock (see Mt. 7:24-27). We may think of the children’s song that is commonly sung at VBS, but this is not merely a concept for children! Building our lives on a solid foundation involves being sure to be doers of His will, so that we can remain strong through the turbulence of life. The storms will come! Never stop giving yourself to the Lord and His service. Practice the attitudes and the righteousness of the kingdom that God sets forth in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5-7). Surely Jesus had these things in mind as He concludes the sermon in chapter 7. Not only will that please God to “be a doer of the word” (James 1:22), but the very things set forth there, like humility, being a peacemaker, keeping anger in check, naturally lead to stability in life.

The nations will rage (see Ps. 46), life is fragile (James 4:14), and difficulties will come (James 1:2), so hold to things which cannot be shaken. Always focus on God, love, the Word, and doing the will of God, and you can find greater stability in an unstable world.

Daren Schroeder

“GOSSIP” is idle talk or rumors about others. The word can also be applied to the person who initiates or repeats such idle talk.

Many jokes are made about gossip. Some seem to view gossip as a harmless exercise – an annoyance or nuisance at worst.

Christians should realize that gossip (slander, tale bearing, being a busy body) is sinful and carries with it the potential of much heartache and devastation. The sinfulness and seriousness of gossip is clearly illustrated by its effects which are listed in a number of scriptures.

1. GOSSIP MAKES A FOOL OF THE ONE WHO PRACTICES IT. “…he that uttereth a slander is a fool”, Proverbs 10:18.

2. GOSSIP CAUSES DEEP WOUNDS, “The words of a tale bearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly”, Proverbs 26:22.

3. GOSSIP WILL SEPARATE CLOSE FRIENDS, “A forward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends”, Proverbs 16:28.

4. GOSSIP BRINGS SHAME UPON THE TALE BEARER. “Debate thy cause with thy neighbor himself; and disclose not a secret to another: lest he that heareth it put thee to shame and thine infamy turn not away”, Proverbs 25:9-10.

If you are tempted to gossip, work on purifying your heart (because evil speech proceeds from the heart, Matthew 15:18-20), increase your love for others, and learn to use your speech “to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers”, Ephesians 4:29.

– by Tom Moody

Words are important.  They are the vehicles of thought.  Without words (spoken, written, or “signed”), we cannot fully and effectively communicate with others.  God used words to communicate His will to us (I Corinthians 2:11-13).  Contrary to the thinking of many, it is not just the thoughts of the Bible that are inspired, but the very words by which the inspired writers penned the autograph (original) manuscripts of the various documents (books) that constitute the Holy Scriptures (II Peter 1:19-21; et al).  So important are the very words of scripture that Paul made an important argument based on the singularity of a noun (Galatians 3:16).  In the English language this was the difference in whether a single letter (an “s”) was used or not!  God’s ultimate communication to mankind was in the person of Christ who in His eternal and pre-fleshly state was designated as “the Word” (John 1:1-3, 14).  It was He who spoke words that were “spirit and life” (John 6:63), the One who had “the words of eternal life” (verse 68).  His apostles, along with the various inspired prophets of the New Testament era, spoke words by which their hearers could be saved (Acts 11:14). By our words we will be justified or condemned (Matthew 12:37), and by the collective word of Christ and His apostles as set forth in the New Testament all of us will be judged (John 12:48).

Words are easy to misuse.  The comedian Norm Crosby made a good living with his malapropisms.  “Sir Isaac Newton discovered the law of gravitation.” “Women’s function is to proculate the human race.”  “Cleopatra walked up to Caesar, courtesied to him, and asked him if she could make him a salad.” “These are proved fallacies.”  “My wife is a very auspicious woman…she don’t trust nobody!”  “Entertainment that is so collapsible and perfunctory.”    “We can milenniate all the trouble in the world.” “Even a good articulator like me has trouble renouncing his name.”  “His rise to fame was vitriolic.”  “A serious performer, he should be raised to a pinochle.”  “President Johnson declared war on puberty.”  “My wife has extra-sensible perception.”  We all got a laugh out of Norm and his misuse of words.

Following are some pairs and groups of words that are often confused and used wrongly.  How well can you define each word and know the proper way to use it?  (And for those who ask, yes, I have often used the wrong word.  I recalled preaching a sermon in which I was discussing the number of containers to be used for the Lord’s Supper in serving the fruit of the vine.  I mentioned a church that believed in only one container, as opposed to a large number of individual containers.  Yet that same church, I said, had “two large ‘gobblers’ on the Lord’s Table, one for each side of the auditorium.”  A good brother, Dr. Wentworth Morris, Chairman of the History Department in the local university, said to me after the sermon, “Hugh, I think you meant to say ‘goblets’ instead of ‘gobblers.’”  Indeed, I did!)

Check yourself out on your use of the following twenty pairs/groups of words.  The dictionary is still a very valuable book to consult.

* Past/Passed

* Regimen/Regiment (I have heard the latter used where the former was the correct word)

* Affect/Effect

* Your/You’re

* Fixated/Asphyxiated (I have heard the latter used where the former should have been used)

* Sew/Sow/Sow (the first two sound exactly alike but with entirely different meanings, the third word has a different sound and is a barnyard animal)

* Inflection/Deflection (again, I have heard the latter used where the former should have been used)

* Alter/Altar

* Extended/Distended

* Straight/Strait (which is used in the KJV of Matthew 7:13-14?)

* Compliment/Complement (I frequently see these misused)

* Prerequisite/Perquisite (similar in spelling but a big difference in meaning)

* Sight/Site/Cite

* Prophesy/Prophecy

* There/Their/They’re

* Counsel/Council

* Led/Lead/Lead (the last two words are spelled the same but pronounced differently and with different meanings.  The last word has the same sound as the first word in this group but with a completely different meaning.  Is it pencil “led” or pencil “lead”?)

* Systemic/Systematic (I have seen newspaper articles where the second word is used when the first word should have been used)

* Principal/Principle

* Capital/Capitol

* Symbol/Cymbal

To paraphrase the New Testament writer James, “If anyone does not sometimes use the wrong word, he is a perfect man” (James 3:2). And, of course, no one is!

Hugh Fulford

Three Irishmen, Paddy, Sean and Shamus, left the pub a wee bit late one night, and found themselves on the road which led past the old graveyard.

“Come have a look over here,” says Paddy, “it’s Michael O’Grady’s grave, God bless his soul. He lived to the ripe old age of 87.  Good blood, those O’Grady’s!”

“That’s nothing,” says Sean.  “Here’s one named Patrick O’Toole, it says here that he was 95 when he died.  Aye, those O’Tooles are a hardy bunch, they are!”

Just then, Shamus yells out, “Forget him, here’s a fella that lived to be 145 years old!”

“What was his name?” ask Paddy and Sean.

Shamus stumbles around a bit, awkwardly lights a match to see what else is written on the stone marker, and exclaims, “Miles, to Dublin!”

Signs are valuable, but only if we understand what they were intended to mean.  I am reminded of a time when some Jews came to Jesus looking for a sign:

“Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.  He answered and said to them, ‘When it is evening you say, “It will be fair weather, for the sky is red”; and in the morning, “It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.”  Hypocrites!  You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.’ ” (Matt. 16:1-3)

What were the “signs of the times” that the Jewish leaders could not discern?  I think they were the signs — the miracles — Jesus performed. They said that they wanted a sign, but they had already been given many. And even when they were given the greatest sign of all — the resurrection of Jesus Christ — they would fail to understand its significance.

We have the signs of Christ written down to point us to the fact the he was indeed the Son of God (John 20:30-31).  Read the signs carefully.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

Have you ever watched a home renovation on HGTV and wondered how the spokesperson could look as crisp as the crease in a sergeant major’s uniform? If any of we mere mortals attempted the same thing we would be covered in sweat, sawdust, and grime. Yet there he is smiling into the camera, fresh as a daisy.

This is the difference between fantasy and reality. Preaching is distinctly an exercise in the latter.

Doing “church” is a lot like house renovation. The fantasy is that working with people is all sweetness and light; The reality is that working with people, real, problem-plagued human beings, is messy.

I once heard a discouraged preacher say “I’m tired of holding people’s hands.”

I am a preacher. I understand his frustrations.

But working with the church requires hands-on work. Babes in Christ are messy. Members of many decades remain nonetheless immature. Criticisms always look bigger than expressions of gratitude.

But the work must be done. Renovating people’s hearts is too important for quitting.

Those who lead may carry out responsibilities thanklessly. Criticisms abound, solutions and offers to assist are rare. Church members make mistakes, even commit sin.

But renovations can only occur in the chaos, dust, and noise of construction, and growing churches cannot be built without grit and deep determination. Behind our sunny spokesperson with the beautiful smile are workmen with callouses on their hands. Service is Christianity in blue-collar clothing. Anyone can demolish; it takes hard work and skill to build, and considerable sweat.

Now that’s reality.

“From now on therefore we regard no one according to the flesh,” Paul declared (2 Corinthians 5:16). There is an old teacher saying: “I reach into the future: I teach.” Well, I reach into eternity. I preach. It’s worthwhile work. The reality is that the results are eternal. Heaven is also a reality, and it surpasses fantasy considerably.

By the way, the hard work does not go unnoticed; the Lord himself sees it all (2 Peter 3:12).

Stan Mitchell

The war in Ukraine is tragic, with loss of life in the several thousands already. Families have been displaced. Untrained civilians fiercely resist invasion. NATO can’t make up its mind, leveling sanctions as though at war, but not declaring war formally. This – among other factors – is escalating an already volatile situation. A great many feel as though we’re at the brink of WWIII.

Maybe we are. Humans tend to show their very worst or their very best in times of crisis. When the pandemic started, millions forgot their humanity. Fights broke out in grocery stores, people forgot what patience, selflessness, and compassion were, and hoarding was the name of the game. Besides all that – as if we needed another polarizing issue – families, friends, and neighbors bitterly fought about masks and vaccines and social distancing.

But for many (most?) other people, it brought out their best. People checked on each other regularly. Personal feelings were put aside to accommodate the apprehension some felt. Resilience and benevolence was/is strong. The church was heavily invested in each others’ lives.

War is a tragic part of the human experience. Some may be fought for good reasons, but war itself is never good. We all hope the conflict in Europe will be resolved soon and with minimal loss of life. It might not, though. So what will we do?

• Train the Brain – Determine to respond with levelheadedness and compassion, period. If it comes to war, we won’t forget our humanity. We will look out for others and act rationally. Our conditioned response will be, “How can I help other people?”

• Be Like Jesus – He didn’t exploit weakness to gain an advantage. He didn’t stockpile supplies to the detriment of others. He wasn’t concerned about maintaining his standard of living. He fed people, healed people, gave them counseling, and gave them hope. That will be our response, whatever the future holds.

• Be Cool – We might get scared, but it’ll never override our desire to look out for each other. We’ll demonstrate genuine faith in the creator by not acting like people who are controlled by fear.

Those are easier said than done. But we can do them, and I’m confident that we will. If the threat never exceeds high fuel prices or inflation, we’ll have made the best of a bad situation. If the threat becomes war, we’ll make the best of a bad situation. Dark days make it that much easier to shine God’s light. So that’s what we’ll do!

Слава Україні!
Gary Pollard

People can misunderstand

The transfiguration of Jesus must have been an amazing sight for Peter, James, and John. Still, the significance of the event could be misunderstood.

Jesus told his disciples not to tell anyone until after he was raised from the dead (Matthew 17:9). Why weren’t the other disciples to know? Why keep the knowledge from them?

The reason was probably simple: people can misunderstand.

The Jews had been fighting the Romans ever since appointing John Hyrcanus II as ethnarch around 47 BC.

When the Idumean Herod was crowned king by the Romans he also faced rebellions from the Jews. One major uprising was led by a man named Hezekiah who was executed.

After Herod’s death, a series of revolts were led by Judas, Hezekiah’s son and two others: Simon of Perea and Athronges, a shepherd. In AD 6, Judas and an army of Zealots rebelled against the Romans.

The Jews were convinced God was going to drive the Romans from their land and give them their freedom. Much of this belief centered around the coming Messiah who, they thought, would restore the land to them.

The Jews believed they would begin to realize their dreams when Elijah appeared as they thought Malachi’s prophecy said (Malachi 4:5-6). They believed that before the Messiah appeared, Elijah would come to “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.”

The Jews made the mistake of thinking the Messiah would create an earthly kingdom in which he would restore Israel and rule. Those militant Jews, like the leaders of the several plots to overthrow the Romans, mistakenly thought they were doing God’s will.

Jesus, the Messiah, did not come to the world to create an earthly kingdom. He came to build a spiritual one, the church (Matthew 16:15-16). His purpose was not to create a limited national Israel. His purpose was to seek and to save all those who are lost (Luke 19:10) and save them eternally.

There are still people even now who believe Jesus is coming back to create a physical, earthly kingdom and will reign here a thousand years. They believe this even though Jesus told Pilate he had not come to do any such thing (John 18:36).

People can misunderstand many things. It was important for the disciples to wait until after the resurrection, so they could understand the whole picture. Then, they would not make any mistakes but would understand the plan much better.

God sent John, Jesus’ cousin, to prepare the way for his son. In that sense, John was the Elijah that Malachi predicted. The Jews did not recognize him, although in appearance he looked remarkably like Elijah. Herod had him executed (Matthew 14:10) and Jesus would also be executed by a Roman governor, Pilate.

Jesus’ mission on earth was to seek and save the lost eternally. The Bible does not teach about some future earthly kingdom. It teaches about a heavenly one.

The apostle Paul wrote, “For our momentary, light suffering is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen in eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NET).

John Henson

Several years ago, I received the following message:

“You have just received the ‘West Virginia Virus.’  As we ain’t got no programming experience, this virus works on the honor system.  Please delete all the files from your hard drive and manually forward this virus to everyone on your mailing list.

Thanks for your cooperation,

West Virginia University Computer Engineering Dept.”

(incidentally, feel free to substitute the state of your choice when you pass this on to your friends)

I thought this was humorous and passed it along to several of my friends. Shortly thereafter, I received the following brief message from one of them:

“Done.  Is that all?”

The thought that someone might take the above joke seriously and follow its instructions caused me a moment of concern.  Fortunately, she didn’t erase any files and was just having fun with me in return.

But that caused me to think about the many people who make the same mistake spiritually.  Solomon speaks often in the book of Proverbs about the need to listen to the advice of others.  He says that a fool is someone who refuses to listen to others.  But, Solomon also calls a man a fool if he believes everything others say without evaluating the truthfulness of what is said (Prov. 14:15).  The Bible refers to this process of evaluating as “discernment.”

John warned, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (I John 4:1)

As we move along our life’s path, we find ourselves constantly faced with issues of discernment.  The construction of “new lanes” is never-ending on the “information highway.”  Our daily challenge, as Christians, is to know which exit to take.

My prayer for each of you is the same one that Paul offered on behalf of the Philippians:  “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment…” (Phil. 1:9)

Have a great day!

Alan Smith (and Kelly Breece)

Jewel Shuping grew up with sight, but she has almost always dreamed of being blind. Yes, you read that correctly; she wants to be blind. At 6 years old, the thought of being blind made her feel more comfortable. As a teenager she started wearing thick glasses. At 18 she bought her first cane. By 20 she was fluent in Braille. Years later, she finally found a psychologist who was willing to help her fulfill her dream by putting numbing drops into her eyes to blind her, but it didn’t work. Shuping explained, “When I woke up the following day I was joyful, until I turned on to my back and opened my eyes – I was so enraged when I saw the TV screen.” A year later, the drops did finally take effect and eventually caused her to go blind. Shuping says she suffers from something called Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID), which is when able-bodied people think they are meant to be disabled (AOL)

It’s tragic Jewel Shuping was never able to receive the proper help to keep her from doing this.  There is no telling how many blind people would love to have sight.  Wanting to be physically blind is sad, but it’s even more tragic when some want to be spiritually blind. What’s especially heartbreaking is the majority of our world wants to be spiritually blind (Matthew 7:13-14). Jesus explains, “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed” (John 3:19-20).

See, the reason we have so much sin in our world and culture today is because people want to sin. They love darkness. They want their sins to remain hidden. They want to be spiritually blind and don’t want to be told what is “right” and “wrong.”  This is why the very things God has clearly condemned are now labeled as “intolerant” or “rights” or “choice.”

If Christians aren’t careful, we can walk right out into spiritual darkness as well.  Let’s never let ourselves get to the point where we like being in the dark and want to blind ourselves from God’s light.  So how can we keep ourselves out of the darkness?  Jesus continues, “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God” (John 3:21).  Let’s make sure we come to the light, walk in the light, and stay in the light (1 John 1:5-7).  We already have too many spiritually blind people guiding and giving directions.  It’s time to follow the true light and guide to our lives, God’s Word (Psalm 119:105).

Brett Petrillo

During the months and years following the Day of Pentecost the apostles had the ability to do miraculous signs. We need to keep in mind that these were for a purpose. Yes, they did good through what they did, whether it was a healing or even a resurrection from the dead. But there was a greater purpose.

The gospel of Mark ends with these words: “They went out and proclaimed everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through the accompanying signs” (Mark 16:20 NET). Did you notice the purpose of the signs? It was to confirm the word that the apostles were telling others.While we may think that miracles took place throughout the Biblical narrative, a closer reading will show that they centered on just several time periods. When God gave the Law to Moses, there were miraculous signs, particularly as the Israelites left Egypt. When God gave his word through Elijah and Elisha there were miraculous signs. And during the days of Jesus and the apostles there were miraculous signs.

What is the common thread running through each of these time periods? God was revealing his word – through Moses, through the prophets, and through Jesus and the apostles. The miracles were signs to confirm that the word spoken was from God.

We see this just after the Day of Pentecost. Peter and John were going to the temple at the time of prayer. A man who had never walked, who was lame from birth, was at the ‘Beautiful Gate’ of the temple begging money from those going in to pray and worship.

“When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple courts, he asked them for money. Peter looked directly at him (as did John) and said, ‘Look at us!’ So the lame man paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, ‘I have no silver or gold, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, stand up and walk!’ Then Peter took hold of him by the right hand and raised him up, and at once the man’s feet and ankles were made strong. He jumped up, stood and began walking around, and he entered the temple courts with them, walking and leaping and praising God.” (Acts 3:3-8)

The man received far more than he had expected. Notice that this healing was total. Normally when we are immobile for a time we have to strengthen our limbs to be able to use them again. This man had never walked. Yet his feet and ankles were strengthened to the point that he could walk and jump. And his balance was there, too! The healings in scripture are total with no need for any rehabilitation.

Although this was a wonderful thing to do for a man who had never walked, there was more. This miracle attracted a crowd (see Acts 3:9-10). They recognised the man as the lame beggar yet now he was walking. How did this happen?

Peter took advantage of this opportunity. He explained that they did not have the power to make the man walk – it was Jesus who did it. This was the same Jesus they had rejected and killed but God raised him from the dead. They were witnesses that this had really happened. All needed to change their lives by turning to the Jesus, the Messiah (Acts 3:11-26).

We, too, have opportunities to speak a good word for Jesus. Sometimes we can even create these opportunities. But do we use them? Or are we afraid of what someone might think of us?

Although we don’t have miraculous signs today, we have God’s word which has been confirmed by the miraculous signs of  Jesus and the apostles. We need to take advantage of the opportunities that we have.

photo: Beautiful Gate and Solomon’s portico in model of first century temple in Jerusalem

Jon Galloway

61% of Americans claim to have done it. Research by the University of Texas links it with depression, loneliness, self-regulation deficiency, and obesity. What is it? Binge-watching televisions shows! Binge-watching is the practice of watching a lot of TV in a short amount of time, typically just one show. It has become particularly popular with the rise of online streaming services like Netflix. Might I suggest this week or weekend you try binge-reading the Bible? After all, if you look at the categories on Netflix, you will see how many blockbusters could be made from the Bible!

Popular on Netflix

Remember Me (Deuteronomy)

Justified (Romans)

Recently Added

Visions (Revelation)

Soapy TV Shows

I Love My Beloved (Song of Songs)

Scandal (I Corinthians)

Coming Home (Philemon)

TV Dramas

Judging Israel (Judges)

Name of Thrones (I & II Kings)

The Man Who Lost It All (Job)

Singing The Blues (Lamentations)

The Family Feud (Philippians)

Documentaries

Gone (Exodus)

Law and Order (Leviticus)

The King and I (I & II Samuel)

Going Home (Ezra)

The Meaning Of It All (Ecclesiastes)

The Preacher (I & II Timothy)

Comedies

Gomer Rile (Hosea)

Women Who Rule The Screen

The Time Is Now (Esther)

The Mother-In-Law (Ruth)

Action and Adventure

Lost (Numbers)

Crossing Jordan (Joshua)

Better Call Saul “Paul” (Acts)

Family

Adam’s Family  (Genesis)

DIY Wall Builders (Nehemiah)

Boy Meets Worldly (Daniel)

Feel-Good

Do The Right Thing (Proverbs)

Hooking A Big One (Jonah)

Everywhere is Signs (John)

The Inheritance (Ephesians)

Raising Hope (I Peter)

Critically Acclaimed

Top 150 Hits Countdown (Psalms)

I do not mean to be disrespectful to the word of God, but rather, I am trying to make a point. The Bible is not merely a list of things to do and not to do. It has action and adventure, love and romance, politics and power, upsets and victories. It is the most beautiful story ever told of God’s love for you and me. It is not only enthralling reading, but it is also eternally valuable!

“But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither;  And in whatever he does, he prospers” (Psalm 1:2-3).

Corey Sawyers

Crown of Rejoicing

What is your hope? Perhaps you have hopes for your family and friends. You might even carry within your heart the hope of an eternal home in heaven with God.

What is your joy? Do you have joy in that which is pure and good and holy? Do you have joy in the sight of Christian families raising their children to love the Lord?

Paul wrote, “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy (I Thessalonians 2:19-20).” Paul’s crown of rejoicing would be seeing his beloved fellow Christians in the presence of Jesus Christ as His  coming. Let us rejoice not only in our own salvation, but also in the salvation of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

This powerful statement from Paul expressed a deep love for brethren. There is no doubt he wrote these words in sincerity and conviction. What do you suppose could bring Paul to have such strong love and concern for fellow Christians? Is it just that God commands us to love our brethren (I Thessalonians 4:9-10)? No doubt that is part of it, but that love becomes deeper, stronger, more devoted and more committed when we pray for our brethren, fellowship our brethren, and in particular when we serve our brethren.

Paul poured himself out in his service to fellow Christians (1 Thessalonians 2:14-18). Paul came to the people of Thessalonica with sincerity, with the truth, without seeking glory, and without making demands. He served these people with gentleness and affection all while exhorting comforting and charging them as a father does his own children. This kind of dedicated service to fellow Christians increased the depth of Paul’s love and devotion to them. The more we learn to serve others, the more we will love them.

Let us grow in the strength of our love for one another by serving one another. Let us look for ways to lift one another up and push each other forward. Let us be able to say with heartfelt conviction that our hope, joy, and crown of rejoicing at the coming of Christ will be to see our Christian brothers and sisters with the Lord. May God bless you! To God be the glory!

By  Kevin Rutherford

J. D. Tant (1861-1941), a preacher of the New Testament order of things, and Ben M. Bogard (1868-1951), a Missionary Baptist preacher, engaged in eight debates with each other over the course of many years. (Each man engaged in many other debates with a number of other opponents). The last of the eight debates between Tant and Bogard took place in the Lone Star community, a few miles east of Greenwood, Arkansas in the fall of 1937.  The proposition debated was that baptism of a penitent believer is for (in order to) the remission of past sins.  Brother Tant affirmed the proposition and Mr. Bogard denied it.

With reference to I Peter 3:21 which affirms that baptism saves us, Bogard argued that baptism is just a figure or picture of our salvation from sin.  In one thirty minute speech he took up his entire time trying to prove that there are two figures (pictures) in I Peter 3:21.  He insisted that Noah and his family were saved by faith and then pictured their salvation in the water of the flood.  Similarly, he argued, the sinner is saved by faith, and then pictures that salvation by being baptized in water.  He dwelt at length on the fact that one cannot have a picture without first having the substance of the thing or person pictured.  He told of having a picture of his mother and how highly he prized the picture, but said he could not have a picture of his mother without first having a mother!  His Baptist brethren seemed elated with this argument and felt that it could not be answered.

Brother Tant came to the podium for his follow-up speech and said, “Now Ben says that baptism is just a picture, but that does not help Baptist doctrine at all, for it was Jesus Christ Himself who said in Mark 16:16, ‘He that believeth and gets his picture taken shall be saved.’  And when those wicked people on the day of Pentecost asked Peter what to do to be saved, Peter replied, ‘Repent ye, and get your picture taken, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins.’  And when Ananias came to Saul of Tarsus, he said to him in Acts 22:16, ‘Arise and get your picture taken and wash away your sins.’  So you can see, Ben, you, too, will have to get your picture taken or you can never be saved!”  (From the account of the incident as related in J. D. Tant—Texas Preacher, by Fanning Yater Tant, son of the biographical subject, pp. 466-467).

It now comes as a disappointment—to say nothing of a shock—to learn that some among the churches of Christ (or who once were members of the church) are now making the same contention as Mr. Bogard—that baptism is not a condition of being saved from sin, but only a sign or symbol of one’s salvation from sin.  I have been told by a former faithful gospel preacher that baptism would be an affront to the cross of Christ if it were actually necessary to salvation and not just a symbol of salvation. I have been told that baptism is a work and that we are not saved by works.  It is true that we are not saved by human works of righteousness (Titus 3:5).  Yet, that very verse says that God by His mercy saved us “by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.”  What is the washing of regeneration by which God saves us?  Perhaps Acts 22:16 and Ephesians 5:25-26 will help one to see the answer to that question.

Jesus said, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent” (John 6:29). Thus, belief or faith itself is a work ordained of God with which the sinner must comply in order to be saved.  Is faith an affront to the cross of Christ?  Is it an unnecessary work?  Can one be saved without believing?  Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16).  It is alleged by those who have been influenced by denominational doctrine that belief IS necessary (and is NOT a work), but that baptism is NOT essential and IS a work, being only a sign or symbol of one’s salvation.

What about repentance?  Jesus commanded repentance (Luke 13:3,5), and the apostles preached “repentance and remission of sins” (Luke 24:46-47).  Can one be saved without repenting?  According to the Scriptures, it is a work that one must perform in order to be saved. Is repentance an affront to the cross? In repenting of one’s sins is one being saved by works?  Peter joined repentance and baptism for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38).  It is a strange quirk of logic that asserts that repentance is NOT a work and NOT an affront to the cross of Christ, but that baptism IS a work and IS an affront to the efficacy of the cross!

In the Old Testament rite of circumcision the male foreskin was cut off.  By the spiritual circumcision that Christ performs when one is buried with Him in baptism, one’s sins likewise are cut off (Colossians 2:11-12).  It would be foolish to assert that the male foreskin was removed BEFORE the circumcision took place rather than AT THE TIME of the circumcision and that the circumcision itself was just a symbol of the removal of the foreskin!  But such would not be any more foolish than to say that one’s sins are removed BEFORE being buried with Christ in baptism and not AT THE TIME of one’s baptism, and that baptism is just a picture of the removal of sins!

Paul clearly showed that baptism is a re-enactment of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (Romans 6:3-4).  Christ came back to life AFTER He had been buried (the resurrection came after the burial).  But, according to the notion of baptism being only a sign of one’s forgiveness of sins, Christ came back to life BEFORE He was ever buried, because, according to the false doctrine being exposed in this essay, one is saved (given spiritual life) BEFORE being buried with Christ is baptism!  According to this twisted doctrine, one is resurrected to walk in newness of life BEFORE he is ever buried in baptism!  Here we have a clear demonstration of what Peter had in mind when he referred to the writings of Paul and how some twisted Paul’s words to their own destruction (II Peter 3:15-16).

Every text in the New Testament dealing with baptism shows it to be a part of the overall faith process by which one is saved from sin.  This process includes believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, repenting of sins, and being baptized for the remission of sins.  It is faith believing, faith turning, and faith obeying.  Read the following passages and see what God Himself has said about the role baptism plays in one’s salvation from sin: Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; Acts 22:26; Romans 6:3-6; Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 5:25-26; Colossians 2:11-12; Titus 3:5; I Peter 3:21.

Those who deny what the Bible teaches about the place of baptism leap to an unwarranted assumption and assert that baptism is only a picture, a figure, a sign, or a symbol of forgiveness.  None of the Bible passages dealing with baptism affirm any such thing.  Every one of them shows that baptism itself is a condition of salvation from sin, never just a sign or symbol of such!

Of one who was arguing that baptism is only “an expression of what had already happened in the heart,” Dr. Cecil May, Jr. incisively and correctly noted: “He argued these passages cannot mean what they say based on a prior assumption he made, not on the meaning of the text” (Preacher Talk, as cited in the bulletin of the Calvert City (KY) Church of Christ, February 13, 2022).  But, the salvation of our soul is too important to base it on unwarranted assumptions rather than on what the word of God itself plainly teaches.

Hugh Fulford

Here I am

When burdens bear down, burden-bearers are needed. When opportunities arise, volunteers are requested. Yet many times when work calls, silence is the only answer.

When the LORD calls, the faithful answer.

When God called the great patriarch, he answered, “Here I am” (Genesis 22:1 ESV). In faith, Abraham obeyed the command of God, trusting in God to provide all that was needful, even the resurrection of his unique son (Hebrews 11:9). We are called to trust in God to provide all that is needful (Matthew 6:33).

The great law giver answered the Divine call, “Here I am” (Exodus 3:4). While at first with trepidation, soon Moses faithfully fulfilled Jehovah’s commands, shouldered great burdens, and enjoyed great blessings. We are called to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and to follow after him (Luke 9:23).

The prophet, Isaiah, was at first overwhelmed at the staggering vision of God. But once strengthened by the cleansing of God, he responded to Jehovah’s invitation, “Here I am! Send me” (Isaiah 6:8). The prophet functioned as both a forthteller and a foreteller, calling an obstinate people back to God, and proclaiming their coming punishment until all was desolate and the people received justice (Isaiah 6:9-13). We are called to go out into a lost world, live in it with hope, and share that hope with all who will listen (1 Peter 3:15).

But here’s the twist. God does not just call, he answers. If these broken people of Isaiah’s day turn their hearts to God and call to him, “the LORD will answer,” and he will say, “Here I am” (Isaiah 55:9). God is ready to be sought, he is ready to be found (Isaiah 65:1).

The hope found in Isaiah resounds through the ages. God wants us to seek him, he wants us to turn to him, he wants us to call to him, he wants us to find him.

To those who are not called by his name, the Savior on the cross pleads, “Here I am, come to me.” To those who have wandered away, the loving and patient Father implores, “Here I am, come back to me.” To those who are struggling, the Master Teacher stands and declares, “Here I am, learn from me.” And to those whose hearts are breaking, the “Father of mercies and God of all comfort” opens his gentle arms and lovingly says, “Here I am, lean on me.”

Where is God? He’s always been right here. He remains faithful (2 Timothy 2:13). How about us?

by Lee Parish

Difficult decisions

“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels” Hebrews 13:2 NKJV).

We are all aware of the importance of hospitality in the Christian life. There are many commands to practice love towards Christian brothers and sisters (Hebrews 13:1), neighbors (Luke 10:27), and even our enemies (Matthew 5:44).

Practicing love is not something to do only when it is easy or comes in “feel good” situations. John defines love as extending charitable help in times of need, whether or not it is easy or convenient to the giver (1 John 3:17-18).

That love of neighbor may not be convenient, and is not always directed to those to whom we are close Jesus made plain in his parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37). The Samaritan interrupted his journey, exposed himself to possible danger, and went to some expense in order to help a stranger who would likely have rejected his efforts with contempt had he been able. But he was “neighbor” to the man in need and showed love for him in the most practical way possible.

As I traveled through a part of the U.S. with which I was not very familiar recently I passed a sign which read, “The person hitchhiking on this road may be an escaped prisoner.” Obviously, there was a prison nearby, and escapes were not unknown.

I was struck with the observation that the sign did not say “Do not pick up hitchhikers.” Anyone so inclined needed to be aware of possible risks, but the authorities did not choose to forbid a practice which might lend assistance to one genuinely in need. I found that interesting and encouraging.

When we offer hospitality to strangers we definitely risk making ourselves and our possessions vulnerable to those who may not be what we expect them to be. At the same time we give ourselves an opportunity to do something truly special, which will bless us forever. We may, as some in ancient times did, entertain angels.

Let us not always focus only on the risk. We should also at least be aware of the possibility of great reward.

Michael Brooks

A compass points toward the earth’s magnetic north. However, the true geographic north pole lies several hundreds of miles away.

Kenny, a friend of mine, recently told me about an international trip where his flight passed between the North Pole and magnetic north. At such a place, if someone were to use a compass to locate the geographic north pole it would point in the exact opposite direction! If we can assume the compass would even function.

To accurately use a compass to discover true north, you must also know your latitude. In other words, to navigate the earth requires both good instruments and the knowledge about how to use them well. For the church to reliably chart its path through difficult scenarios requires understanding how to use well the tools God has supplied for his people. In 1 Corinthians, Paul tacked a rough situation by providing some of these reliable tools for the journey.

Paul’s letter arrived at a church floundering in the divisiveness of “‘I am with Paul,’ or ‘I am with Apollos,’ or ‘I am with Cephas,’ or ‘I am with Christ’” (1 Corinthians 1:11,12). They lacked a clear course forward.

In the opening chapters of this letter, Paul sought to correct this problem by prescribing two over-arching principles. Then he fine-tuned this guidance system with three practical instructions. These apostolic principles can guide both today’s disciple and church in many situations.

We can summarize his first two great principles as:

1. Do not fixate upon the inconsequential, rather
2. Center upon the significant.

In their particular situation, various church members had become enamored with different personalities. Paul knew that the messenger was inconsequential. He worked hard at helping them to realize they should not exalt humanity nor its wisdom.

He questioned what the wise man and scholar had to offer, since God had made human wisdom foolish (1 Corinthians 1:19-20). In fact, Paul was sent to preach the gospel without using human wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:1,13)!

Further evidence that the guiding focus for the church should not be various personalities, God often works contrary to human expectation and reasoning (1 Corinthians 1:26,27).  At best, God’s messengers are servants of God who will be held accountable for their ministry (1 Corinthians 3:5-4:1). Thus, people are neither the source nor do they create the standard for determining what is valuable, useless or destructive (1 Corinthians 3:10-17).

Conversely, the church at Corinth needed to rally around what is truly significant.  In just a moment, we’ll consider how Paul attempted to shift their focus toward God. First, however, consider a listing of some additional significant, unifying and guiding truths for the church:

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you too were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:4-6

Returning to 1 Corinthians we hear Paul assert that not only does God’s wisdom triumph over human wisdom, moreover the preaching of Christ crucified unleashes his power to save (1 Corinthians 1:18,21). This wisdom of God was set in place before time began (1 Corinthians 2:7).  Furthermore, not only does God assign the tasks and cause the church to grow (1 Corinthians 3:5,6), he also provides the standard for determining what is valuable, useless or destructive (1 Corinthians 3:12-17).

Paul seems to anticipate our need to fine tune this compass in order that it might point toward true north.  So he concludes this initial short lesson on how to reliably chart a course forward with three specific and practical guidelines.

1. Regard the messenger as a steward (1 Corinthians 4:1).
2. Realize our thinking does not determine what is good or bad (1 Corinthians 4:4-5). Perhaps a quick observation is in order. Most people probably understand the prohibition against judging as teaching us that we should not sit in God’s seat to determine what should be condemned. This is true. Equally true is that the command to not judge also prohibits us from sitting in God’s seat to determine what is valuable and approved!
3. Recognize the danger of speculation; stick with the scriptures (1 Corinthians 4:6). Given the context, Paul’s emphasis might be upon evaluating different ministries.

Whether as disciples or as a congregation, God’s people need to know how to navigate the shoals and dangerous situations confronting us. The compass Paul offers us provides reliable guidance in setting our journey toward true spiritual north.

Barry Newton

Dick Brant

No one ever said forgiveness would be easy. In my years of ministry I have been betrayed.  Unjust criticism has been leveled against me.  I have felt the disdain of those who should (and are) commanded to love me. I’m sorry; I’m far too human, and when I recall these events, I can still feel the sting of tears in my eyes, the ache in the heart. Yet we are commanded to love our enemies: “But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

Now that’s hard. Forgiving is hard.

Yet we are commanded to forgive. Repeatedly.

Jesus says that if we don’t forgive others, God will not forgive us (Matthew 6:14; Mark 11:25). God will not forgive us? The stakes could not be higher! The parable of the unmerciful servant elegantly demonstrates that the debt we owe each other is far smaller than the one we owe God (Matthew 18:23-35).

The real question is, how? How do we forgive? Thankfully, we have that answer, too: We forgive “as” Christ has forgiven us: “Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). “Bearing with one another in love, and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must forgive” (Colossians 3:13).

Oh, you thought it was easy for Christ to forgive you? Perhaps you believed the level of his caring for those whom you hurt was shallow? Perhaps he is not capable of feeling disappointment and hurt as much as you?

• None of us was worthy of Christ’s forgiveness.
• Nothing we could do would earn his forgiveness.
• He need not have forgiven any of us. Ever.
• And yet he does. Over and over again, certainly in my case!

Can I draw a distinction here? Often it is pointed out that the Lord demands repentance of the one who sins before he forgives. Therefore, some say, we should wait on the offender to repent. The difference is this: When God forgives, it is to save that person’s soul. When I forgive, no soul is saved (except my own), because I do not have the power to save souls. Only God has such power. The distinction is not subtle!

I forgive in order to expunge the stench of anger, the blackness of resentment from my heart. In many ways, I forgive for my benefit as much as for his. This is a case of not being overcome by evil (it is so easy to be consumed with anger and resentment) but to “overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

That is why, and how, we should forgive each other. We the forgiven, forgive. We the mercy-given offer mercy; we, the beneficiaries of grace, offer grace. We only have two options, forgive each other or have no relationships. And when we fail to forgive, the Lord is clear, we lose a relationship with him, the most consequential relationship of all.

Yes, it is hard to forgive and those we forgive are undeserving (that’s why they need to be forgiven, they have erred, sometimes gravely). Spend a moment to revel in the warmth of Jesus’ love, given so freely and undeservedly, then, my beloved, forgive your brother.

Stan Mitchell

No matter how bad the weather, I don’t ever remember in multiple thousands of hours of flying ever being diverted to another airfield because the weather was too dangerous to land. Even when the weather was so bad you couldn’t see a thing; there was the GCA.

GCA, that stands for ground-controlled approach and is the oldest air traffic technique to fully implement radar to service a plane. The system was simple, direct, and worked well, even with previously untrained pilots. It requires “close communication” between ground-based air traffic controllers and pilots in approaching aircraft. Only one pilot is guided at a time (max. 2 under certain circumstances). [great citation is needed] The controllers monitor dedicated precision approach radar systems, to determine the precise course and altitude of approaching aircraft. The controllers then provide verbal instructions by radio to the pilots to guide them to a landing. The instructions include both descent rate (glide path) and heading (course) corrections necessary to follow the correct approach path until you are low and over the runway.

In our spiritual life and our plan to spend eternity in heaven is also a Ground Control Approach as you consider your destination. Just as in landing the aircraft, you must listen carefully to the air traffic controller and comply with the instruction you are given to land safely.

Starting with God’s plan of forgiveness, it is clearly outlined in His Word. Now in a way reading or listing to His Word written almost 2000 years ago by men you have never met, is like listing to the air traffic controller. You have never met the controller, yet you are willing to follow his words because you believe he will guide you to a safe landing. Your life was indeed in his hands.

Of course, you can choose, for whatever reason, not to follow the controller’s directions. Now as far as following God’s word that too is your choice. Let me note, however, if you choose not to follow the instructions of the controller you may-or-may-not land safely.

However, a failure to follow God’s GCA that leads to heaven will always end in disaster. He established His plan before the foundation of the world as recorded in Ephesians 1:4 “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love.”

Again, it is His plan; it is His heaven, it was His Son that died once for all. Just follow His Plan. In Mark 16:16 we have this information, “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved, but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.”

Then from Revelation 2:10 we are reminded to be faithful unto death, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

As you read His Word, you will find guidance for every area of your life. He doesn’t want any to be lost. But you do need to live under His direction.

Note with me too it is not enough just to be religious. Just these few examples make that point clear.

   Acts 9 and Acts 22 make it clear that Saul/Paul was religious, but lost.

   Acts 10 and Acts 11 make it clear that Cornelius was religious, but lost.

As for the Jews of the first century, keeping the Old Law, you would have to say they too were religious, but lost.

So, to arrive safely use the GAC system.

GCA ground control approach when you can’t see the runway.

GCA God’s Caring Approach you can’t see heaven.

Dick Brant

Years ago, some men were talking after a church fellowship lunch about the news headlines. One man read about some government employees who went to jail convicted of conspiracy to defraud after filing false expense records.

The man said something that struck me in a way I’ll never forget. He said, “I hope these men get the maximum sentences for their crimes.” He didn’t stop there. “I can never forgive anyone for defrauding the government,” he said.

Recently, a Dallas jury convicted a former officer of murder in the shooting of a man. According to published reports, she said she fired because she thought a stranger was inside her apartment. During the sentencing phase of the trial, the victim’s brother said he forgave the officer and would not hold his brother’s death against her. That young man was a Christian, indeed.

Jesus taught his disciples to forgive those who sin against them (Matthew 6:14-15). This means that we must forgive fully and freely, just as Jesus has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32). If we do not forgive others, God will not forgive us (Matthew 6:14-15).

Jesus raised the bar on forgiveness. It is probably too high for that man who couldn’t forgive anyone for defrauding the government. Christianity is about higher standards. It always has been. Living the Christian life is not easy. It requires sacrifice and even pain and suffering.

But if you can release vindictive feelings toward others, you will find a wealth of peace for your soul you’ve never known before. Imagine how blessed the apostle Paul felt when Jesus forgave him of killing Christians (1 Timothy 1:15).

Can anyone say they deserve forgiveness for sins? None can. God, in abundant mercy, forgives those who turn to him in obedient faith.

The most excellent example of forgiveness is seen in Jesus as he, dying, said, “Forgive them, father; for they know not what they do.”

John Henson