For weeks, a florist was quite bothered by some ants. They were getting into his seed storage and causing some significant problems. To get rid of the ants, the florist put a meaty bone nearby, which the ants soon discovered and deserted the seeds. As soon as the bone became thickly inhabited by the little creepers, the florist tossed it into a tub of water. After washing off the ants, the bone was again used as a trap. Seeing how effective this bone was, the florist thought he would save some trouble and placed the bone in the center of a sheet of flypaper, thinking the ants would get caught on the sticky flypaper while trying to reach the bone. However, the ants were smarter than this and quickly worked out a solution. Each ant brought a grain of sand, placed it on the flypaper and let the next ant do the same. For hours the ants worked.  Once the path was completed, they made their way across the flypaper one their newly made path and continued to feed on the bone.

It’s interesting how similarly this situation parallels our own. We too were once blocked from the prize by sin and unfaithfulness. Then, one Man prepared the way for us (John 14:6), while using the apostles and prophets as well (Ephesians 2:20). As long as we stay on this path of light (1 John 1:5-7), we could keep away from the stickiness of sin.

The secret to staying on the path lies in the ant. Their unity. Their teamwork. Their work ethic. Their dedication. While only playing a small part, they work together to reach the prize. God knew what He was doing when He built the church. It is meant to be an incredible force to keep each other faithful. And when done right, it accomplishes this.

Let’s look to the ways of the ant, as Solomon did (Proverbs 6:6ff). Let’s put others above ourselves (Philippians 2:3-4). Let’s encourage each other (Hebrews 3:13). Most of all, let’s reach the prize together (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Brett Petrillo

Lying in a bed for three and a half months will make you feel icky. You can only bathe with washcloths. Some nurses loaded those cloths with water and got me wetter than an Anglican baptism. Those “baths” made me feel better. However, before being discharged, I finally took a shower. That was the best. I felt refreshed. The only downside was seeing my hair come out in clumps as I washed my hair. It seems I am fated to look like the Stooge, Larry Fine.

Where do you find your refreshment? Is it in a cool drink on a sultry day? Is it standing by a fireplace in winter? Such actions reinvigorate us. This result is what refreshment accomplishes. The sinner can find refreshment in obedience. In his second recorded sermon, Peter says:

“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3.19 NASB1995).

This refreshing comes from being immersed in Christ (cf. Acts 22.16). I would encourage any who have not yet clothed themselves in Christ to allow their faith to lead to this total submission, in which one joins the Lord in His death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6.3-5). No, it is not a work, nor is the power in the water. It is where we symbolically contact the blood of Christ and express a clear conscience before God (1 Peter 3.21). It is a necessity for salvation.

Yet, there remains refreshment for the Christian as well. Paul speaks of his desire to meet with the brethren of Rome in Romans 15. He tells them to join him in prayer so his arrival will refresh him (Romans 15.32). That is an interesting word choice. In fact, this is the only time this word, συναναπαύομαι, appears in Scripture. The word means to rest along with, but here implies a spiritual refreshing.

I like that idea of “resting with”, though, especially as it applies to Christian fellowship. We spend our weeks in the world and get beaten up by the forces of the adversary. How refreshing is it when we pause and rest with our brethren in worship and Bible study? I know I have gone to services feeling poorly, physically, only to find myself reinvigorated on my way back home. It has the same effect mentally and, most importantly, spiritually. Unfortunately, my recovery prevents me from joining the brethren currently. Still, you better believe that I eagerly await the day I can rejoin them even more than when I wished for a shower.

It is sad when brethren find excuses to avoid refreshment since it is one of the blessings we receive in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1.3). Earthly diversions cannot reinvigorate the spirit as can God. Oh, it might bring temporary happiness, but the participant of earthly delights is left feeling empty, needing entertainment and diversion yet again. Services are not a chore when one comes seeking to worship God and rest beside their brethren.

“And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10.24-25 NASB1995)

Don’t you want to find your refreshment?

Brent Pollard

Psalm 54

Have you ever felt betrayed? Have you ever been betrayed? You had someone you thought was a friend, you did things with them even, but then when “push came to shove,” they weren’t present to be of help to you? Even worse, perhaps, they stabbed you in the back and took advantage of you. Maybe they had some bad things happen to them and rather than taking responsibility for their own actions, they blamed you?

One of the worst acts of betrayal in American history was that of Benedict Arnold. Benedict Arnold had graduated from West Point but then in 1780, in the heart of the American Revolutionary War, he tried to surrender West Point to the British. Now there is a plaque in Old Cadet Chapel where Benedict Arnold’s name use to be. But his name is scratched out. Our family visited West Point a few years ago and you can tell it was Arnold’s name.

David writes Psalm 54 in the midst of the feeling of betrayal. The story is told in 1 Samuel 23:19-32. I think we also can find some points for our encouragement when we are stressed from Psalm 54. Let’s feed our spirits on the words of this psalm this morning…

GOD HAS THE POWER TO SAVE AND TO HEAR – verses 1-3:

For God to save “by His name” means that God would save consistent with His name, or consistent with His nature. We should not and dare not ask God to do something that would violate His nature.

If we are dealing with false accusations, we should pray and ask God to vindicate us, to reveal in some way to our persecutor – whether it is family or friend or stranger – that we did not mean any harm and that we were not trying to do anything wrong.

David’s request from God is: please turn your head and listen to me; hear the words of my mouth.

These were godless men; they had no scruples, no moral qualms at all. It is hard for us sometimes to grasp the fact that there is evil in the world and sometimes evil is found in the hearts of people who are closest to us.

GOD IS THE HELPER – verses 4-5:

“God is my helper.” We say that often, don’t we? How much do we believe it? Do we believe that God is our helper? That God will do good for us? That God will work things out for our good?

“The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.” This illustrates how important it is for me to walk with God myself, to have my own relationship with God myself.

God is the one who will take revenge. God has told His people from the very beginning not to take vengeance in their own hands. In Deuteronomy 32:35, God tells Israel: “Vengeance is Mine, and retribution” (see Rom. 12:19-21).

Pray that God will bring about justice at the right time and in the right way.

David still recognizes that all truth flows from God and David does not see everything and he does not know everything. God knows all truth and all God’s behavior is consistent with truth, so we too need to pray that in whatever way God answers our prayers – especially if it comes to vengeance – that God needs to do so in a way that validates and supports truth.

WHEN GOD HELPS, WE WORSHIP – verses 6-7:

First, note that David’s worship is freewill worship.

Secondly, David sacrifices to God. This refers to animal sacrifices.

Thirdly, David praises God’s name – that is, His nature, His character, His reputation. We ought to regularly thank God for Who He is, not just for what He does for us.

The reason why David worships is summarized in verse 7. David saw that God had conquered David’s enemies, if not in reality, at least by faith. David trusted God so much that David knew that if he prayed to God in truth and faithfulness, God would respond and God would deliver David from His enemies.

This statement is similar to Jesus’ statement about faith in prayer in Mark 11:24: “all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.”

When you feel betrayed, the Lord is your helper. When you are delivered, respond with worship.

Paul Holland

I heard about a farmer who was detained for questioning about an election scandal.   The attorney asked him, “Did you sell your vote?”

     The farmer said, “No sir, not me.  I voted for that there fella ’cause I liked him.”

The attorney said, “Come, now, I have evidence that he gave you fifty dollars for a vote.”

The farmer said, “Well, now, it’s plain common sense that when a fella gives you fifty dollars you like him.”

I suppose that’s one way to define a friend.  In fact, Solomon said, “Many entreat the favor of the nobility, and every man is a friend to one who gives gifts.” (Proverbs 19:6).

But, a true friend involves a depth of relationship.  It’s someone you enjoy doing things with, someone you enjoy talking with, someone you wouldn’t hesitate to turn to in times of need.  I like how I once heard someone describe a friend as someone you could call at 2:00 a.m. if you needed something.  Solomon lets us know how important friends are in the difficult times of life:

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.  For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.  But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.  Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?  Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.  And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

Give thanks to God for the friends who are a blessing in your life.  And let those friends know how special they are to you!

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

Our prayers are important to God, though there are those whose prayers sometimes target human ears, not God’s.

It seems absurd in the extreme that some people pray to be seen and heard by others when prayer is specifically for God. The Lord Jesus talked about this type of person in Matthew chapter 6. He told his listeners that prayer should not imitate “the hypocrites.” The word “hypocrite” in the New Testament hearkened back to the days of Greek theatre. Actors would wear a mask depicting their character. A hypocrite is someone who wears a false face.

In every age, there have been those whose prayers are not meant for God’s ears but to impress a listener. In his commentary on Matthew, Sellers Crain wrote, “The hypocrites love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. The Jews often prayed while standing and looking up with the arms outstretched to heaven.”/1 This was an acting performance for other people and not a humble prayer to God.

Sometimes people use God for their purposes. Jesus said, “Do not be like them” (Matthew 6:8). God doesn’t care for an effort to impress others when we should humble ourselves before him. God knows our hearts and minds like no one else (Acts 15:8).

God wants us to express our thoughts and desires to him in prayer. We should be careful, however, not to use the privilege of prayer to impress others. Instead, our prayers must be genuine attempts to communicate with and please God.

1/ “Truth for Today Commentary, Matthew 1-13” by Sellers S. Crain Jr. Resource Publications, Searcy AR.

by John Henson

What is it, or who is it that steals our thankfulness away? I know for a fact we don’t wake up in the morning and think to ourselves, “today, I will make the executive decision to be ungrateful for everything in the world.” Therefore, since it is not an intentional problem, there must be some underlying factor that steals away our ability to be thankful. Sometimes it can even be seen in our prayers. One of my struggles that I strive to extinguish is the typical generic prayer of thanks – “Lord, thank you for all the many blessings.” God has gone above and beyond in providing for me and I need to take more time to be grateful for the details. I believe the underlying problem of ingratitude is simply entitlement. Let me explain through the example of Ahab in 1 Kings 21:1-4.

Ahab was your typical king (save your comments about the author of this article). He felt like he was entitled to practically everything. In 1 Kings 21:1, he saw that there was a vineyard next to his palace. He obviously left his manners elsewhere because he approached the owner and demanded “give me your vineyard…because it is near my house” (1Kings 21:2). The owner responded and told the king it would violate the law of God to give up this vineyard according to Numbers 36:7. The King’s response was as expected. According to 1 Kings 21:4, the king went to his room, pouted on his bed with his face turned away and refused to eat food. Even adults are not immune to throwing tantrums.

There are a plethora of lessons that can be learned from the chapter, but rewind and go back to 1 Kings 21:2. King Ahab tried to barter with the owner of the vineyard and told him, “I will give you a better vineyard, or its value in money.” Obviously Ahab wasn’t lacking in his wealth. The king had COMPLETELY forgotten what he had in his possession because he was so focused on obtaining this one thing.

So often, our sense of entitlement steals away our ability to be grateful for the people and blessings around us. I think entitlement is subjective to the stage of life you’re in as well. I don’t know your personal situation, the ins and outs of your life, but if you sit down and be honest with yourself, what are some things that you feel entitled to? A job? Waking up? A spouse? Friends? This entitled mindset often becomes the antagonist of the brightness that comes from God’s current blessings.

Tyler King

“The highway of the upright is to depart from evil;

He who watches his way preserves his life.”

(Proverbs 16:17)

The story is all too common.  A fatal car accident takes the lives of all the inhabitants.  Authorities surmise that the driver missed the sign about danger ahead or failed to navigate the turn.  Frequently the story ends with a word of caution: Be careful!  Be on the alert!

Sadly, many do not know that there is a spiritual highway as well.  Each of us are cruising down that highway.  If we are in Christ, then we are the “upright” that Solomon mentions here.  The upright are those who have determined to live according to God’s divine standards.  Their goal is to serve Him and to be obedient to His word.  Their decision to put on Christ in baptism (Galatians 3:27) meant that they are now on the path of light (1 John 1:7).  Yet it would be a serious (read: fatal) mistake to think their lives are now on cruise control.  There are warning signs that there are evil men ahead.  The upright notice the sign.  They are “watching their way” and make sure they stay on the highway that steers clear of these evil men.  (Note: “evil” men are those who have no regard for God or His word.  They live for self, doing all that which is abhorrent to the holy God).  Consider the powerful lessons from this verse:

First, our lives are a journey.  We are on the “highway” of life.  Every highway has a destination.  Which highway are you on?  Hopefully it is on the highway “of the upright.”  You get to choose which highway.  Choose wisely!

Second, there are dangers ahead.  Certainly we are not naïve to the fact that every road has its dangers.  So also is this the case with the highway of life.  There are evil men ahead and we must depart from the road that would lead us to them (Psalm 1:1).  What kind of evil dangers are on the road ahead?  They might be found in the movies we choose to watch or the music we listen to.  They could be in sinful activities or being with sinful people.  The spiritual clearly see the sign: “danger! Avoid!”

Third, the spiritual pay attention.  Peter told the first century Christians to “be on the alert!” (1 Peter 5:8).  Jesus also taught that we should “be on the alert” (Matthew 24:42).  In this proverb the upright person “watches his way.”  He knows there are potential dangers ahead and is looking for them.  He will not be caught by surprise or will be unprepared.  Paul would say that the upright have prepared themselves for the dangers ahead by equipping themselves with the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17).  Paul issued a warning in 1 Corinthians 15:33: “Do not be deceived: evil companions corrupt good morals” (1 Corinthians 15:33).  How many have failed to heed that warning?

Fourth, paying attention saves lives.  Solomon said that the upright, who steers clear of evil and watches where he is going “preserves his life.”  Judgment Day is coming and we will give an account for the road we chose (John 5:28-29; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:11-15).  If we have lived upright lives and avoided evil, we will hear God’s welcome into His presence (Matthew 25:34).

The fool will not heed the wisdom found in this proverb.  They “despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7). Let us be wise and consider carefully the spiritual road we’re on.  Is that road bringing us to where we want to go?

Denny Petrillo

Drives returning home after Wednesday evening services are typically uneventful. Last Wednesday was vastly different than what I typically experience on my commute from mid-week Bible study. The tragic experience I came upon made me ponder a few things of spiritual importance.

As I was topping a hill on the way home, I saw a motorcycle laying in the ditch. Just a bit further down the road, there was a white car that had wrapped itself around a tree. Since my eldest son typically drives himself and his brothers to and from church in his car, my concerns were immediately raised. He too, drives a white vehicle.

As I pulled over to look at the car, it became apparent that this was not my son’s vehicle (much to my relief!). I walked to the vehicle and enquired of those standing around the pinned driver, “Are you all aware of the motorcycle that is in the ditch at the top of the hill?” Their relatively calm response to the car wrecked at their tree line turned into sheer panic as I and three others ran to the top of the hill to see what had happened.

When we approached the location where the motorcycle wrecked, I braced myself for what we might see. It became apparent that the rider was thrown some distance from the wreckage after the car, now embedded in the tree line, had hit him. I tried to check for a pulse and called out to the man several times, but there was no response.  He was dead.

To compound the tragic nature of these events, I later learned that he was hit and killed right in front of his home. A few seconds earlier or later, and he would have been safe and sound in his home. It is amazing what a short amount of time might mean in the grand scale of things.

As we go through our daily routine, we must keep in mind that we have one day less to accomplish certain things. The book of James speaks about the brevity of life. James 4.13-17 says,

“Go to now, ye that say, To day or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

For a moment, it would serve us well to consider the words of James as they pertain to time and serving God. To put it succinctly, we do not know what tomorrow holds, time is short, boasting about the time we have is arrogant, since we do not know how much time we have left, we must “do good” while we have opportunity.

No person knows what will happen in the future. Unlike what some would have us to believe, there is no such thing as one who can tell the future. As God’s people, some certainties regarding time are provided in His holy writ. We know that we will one day pass from this life unless Jesus returns first. Hebrews 9.27 says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”  These are two appointments we must keep, and no person can escape from them. The only thing we can do about time is to prepare ourselves. We know the Master is coming back, so we must always be ready for His return.

To this, we would add that the Bible teaches that time is very short. This is something that Job understood. Job 14.1-2 says, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.” If we have lived for any length to time, we understand the words of Job. Job further informs us that those few day are “full of trouble.” The fact of the matter is, this world is not were we really want to be. We become so enamored with this oblate spheroid that we forget how beautiful and care-free Heaven will be. Ultimately, this earth is not where we should want to be.

Since time is short and uncertain, it is arrogant to boast about what we will do in the future. Reasonable people plan on not being here tomorrow. We buy life insurance policies to take care of our families when we are gone, because we know that one day we will die.

We should use the same logic in obeying the gospel and being about the work of the Master.

“For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” 2 Corinthians 6.2.

For whatever reason, people always believe they will have more time to obey God’s word. Of all things that one might chose to procrastinate on, obeying the gospel should not be one of them!

Since time is uncertain and fleeting, we must “do good” while we have the opportunity. Every day moves one closer to his eternal destination. While we have time to engage in good works for the benefit of others, we must be willing to do so. The only things that will last and endure beyond our death are spiritual in nature. If we have friends or loved ones that we want to study the Bible with, we had better take advantage of it while we have opportunity. Those opportunities will one day vanish away.

By Johnny O. Trail

Betrayal is difficult to overcome. Perhaps a close friend has lied to us. Or someone we trusted deceived us. It could be that the spouse we loved and trusted betrayed that trust. Close friends sometimes turn against us.

In the case of Joseph it was that his brothers sold him into slavery. They had wanted to kill him but settled on getting rid of him. Can you imagine what it would have been like all those years in bondage, then in prison, and then as the second most powerful ruler in Egypt, your new country?

It is of note that Joseph never tried to communicate with his family back in Canaan after he was in a position to do so. Although there was not a postal service as we have today and travel was much more difficult, it wasn’t that it was impossible to do so. As the second in command to the ruler of Egypt, Joseph would have had the means at his disposal to pretty well do what he wished. But he didn’t. I get the impression that he didn’t trust his brothers and, not knowing whether his father was still alive, he wasn’t willing to make contact with them.

But when he saw his brothers appear before him to purchase grain during a famine he could barely contain himself. Despite all they had done to him they were still family! But he didn’t trust them and put them through a series of ‘tests’ to see if they were still the same brothers who had sold him into slavery or if they had changed over the years.

When they made the second trip to Egypt and had brought his full brother Benjamin with them, it was all he could do to contain himself. He saw from the way they treated Benjamin, undoubtedly his father’s favourite once Joseph was gone, it was time to reconcile.

“Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, ‘Make everyone leave my presence!’ So there was no-one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it. Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am Joseph! Is my father still living?’ But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.” (Genesis 45:1-3 NIV)

Can you imagine how his brothers felt? That they felt guilt for what they had done can be seen in their conversations during their earlier visit. Now the brother they had treated so badly ended up being the ruler they had been dealing with who had treated them so harshly. What would he do to them now? No wonder they were terrified!

Joseph, of course, was not seeking revenge. In fact, he saw everything that had happened to him as being the hand of God who was taking care of his family (see verse 8). He was now in a position to rescue his family from the famine and he immediately made arrangements for them to come and live in Egypt.

Reconciliation is difficult, especially when you have done something wrong. Yet this is what God wants from his people. It takes that first step of one being willing to talk to the other and apologize for what they have done. It is amazing what can happen from there!

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

This is why Jesus came: to provide reconciliation. When we are reconciled to God through our sins being forgiven, we then have a basis to be reconciled with the people around us.

Be willing to take that first step and correct the wrong we have done. As Joseph’s brothers discovered, the benefits are worth it!

by Jon Galloway

In Exodus 33:12-23, Moses reaches a critical point in his relationship with God while making intercession for the rebellious Israelites. In a profound statement of faith (and gumption), the prophet requests, “Please show me your glory” (18). In other words, “God I want to see all I can of you. I want to be awed by the wonder of your presence.” The LORD honors Moses’ request, but with some critical amendments. According to God, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live” (20). The alternative is that God would place Moses in a crevice of rock and shield his eyes while passing by. “Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen” (v. 23).

Have you ever wondered why it is that God’s face cannot be seen by men in this context? Traditionally we have explained it as God’s presence being too overwhelming for human eyes, and that is most likely a true reason. However, would we suggest that God’s back is somehow less glorious? Is it accurate that the omnipotent, omnipresent YHWH has a less powerful direction that humans can tolerate seeing? Perhaps the anthropomorphism of Exodus 33 has another purpose.

Gregory of Nyssa, a 4^th century theologian, saw a connection between this account and Jesus’ call to “follow me” (Mt. 4:19, 8:22, etc.). He writes:

But when the Lord who spoke to Moses came to fulfill his own law, he likewise gave a clear explanation to his disciples, laying bare the meaning of what had previously been said in a figure when he said, If anyone wants to be a follower of mine and not “If any man will go before me.” And to the one asking about eternal life he proposes the same thing, for he says, Come, follow me. Now, he who follows sees the back. [emp. added]

So Moses, who eagerly seeks to behold God, is now taught how he can behold Him: to follow God wherever he might lead is to behold God [emp. added]. His passing by signifies his guiding the one who follows, for someone who does not know the way cannot complete his journey safely in any other way than by following behind his guide. He who leads, then, by his guidance shows the way to the one following. He who follows will not turn aside from the right way if he always keeps the back of his leader in view.[1]

 Gregory’s point is that the only way to truly behold God’s glory is to humbly, submissively follow Him as our ultimate guide. Standing face-to-face with God (in this idea) is tantamount to obstinance or defiance. And frankly, anyone who tries to go toe-to-toe with God is going to lose that battle. Or, to put it as the LORD did, “for man shall not see me and live.”

However, falling in line behind God and gazing at His back means we are allowing Him to lead the way. Through humble obedience we will experience His as fully as our feeble minds can. We will behold Him and all His goodness, ironically, not face-to-face, but by viewing God’s back.

[1] Gregory of Nyssa: The Life of Moses. Trans. by Abraham Malherbe and Everett Ferguson. 1978, Paulist Press: New York. 119

Cory Waddell

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“Reacting to Ridicule“

Nehemiah 4:1-6

Be assured that whenever you endeavor to promote the Lord’s Kingdom, ridicule and resistance will arise from somewhere, sometimes within the church, sometimes outside the church.  Satan and his legions incited worldly people to nail to a Cross the greatest, most powerful, loving preacher that ever has been, or ever will be.  Jesus even warned His disciples, “A servant is not greater than his Master; if they persecuted Me, they will persecute you” (John 15:18).

Consider:  (a) Jesus was about to raise a young girl from the dead, and we are told, “They laughed and ridiculed Him” (Mark 5:40). Who do suppose was behind the laughing and ridicule?  (b) At His trial, the men held Him, blind-folded Him, made fun of Him, beat Him, and mocked Him (Luke 22:63-65).  Who do you suppose was behind all this?  (c) While hanging on the Cross, they laughed saying, “He saved others, but He can’t save Himself!” (Matthew 27:42).  Who do you suppose was behind all this?

How did Jesus handle these situations?  He just endured it.  There is no secret formula for getting rid of the pain caused by ridicule — we just endure it.  What did Nehemiah do when ridiculed?  He just endured it like a man of God. Likewise, Paul admonishes us to, “Stand firm in the faith, be strong, act like men” (1Corinthians 16:13).  In Psalm 37:12-15 we read, “Tho the wicked plot against the righteous, the day is coming when the Lord will laugh at the wicked and their sword will pierce their own hearts.”

When people have a mind/heart to work, things will get done (Nehemiah 4:6).  Satan may throw the prospect of danger, debt, discouragement, or even division in our path, but, if the people want to do the Lord’s work, they will do it.  However, be assured that Satan will not just sit back and watch us build up the Kingdom/church of our Lord in any community.  Keep in mind tho, that Satan is an “already defeated enemy” (cf. Matthew 25:41).  Therefore, don’t let ridicule, threats, fear of rejection, etcetera, from an already defeated opponent, turn you away from doing the Lord’s work.  “Let us rise up and build” (Nehemiah 2:18).  If the Lord’s Kingdom is going to grow in your community, it will be because those who have faith in God will make it happen.

–Toby Miller

“The highway of the upright is to depart from evil;

He who watches his way preserves his life.”

(Proverbs 16:17)

The story is all too common.  A fatal car accident takes the lives of all the inhabitants.  Authorities surmise that the driver missed the sign about danger ahead or failed to navigate the turn.  Frequently the story ends with a word of caution: Be careful!  Be on the alert!

Sadly, many do not know that there is a spiritual highway as well.  Each of us are cruising down that highway.  If we are in Christ, then we are the “upright” that Solomon mentions here.  The upright are those who have determined to live according to God’s divine standards.  Their goal is to serve Him and to be obedient to His word.  Their decision to put on Christ in baptism (Galatians 3:27) meant that they are now on the path of light (1 John 1:7).  Yet it would be a serious (read: fatal) mistake to think their lives are now on cruise control.  There are warning signs that there are evil men ahead.  The upright notice the sign.  They are “watching their way” and make sure they stay on the highway that steers clear of these evil men.  (Note: “evil” men are those who have no regard for God or His word.  They live for self, doing all that which is abhorrent to the holy God).  Consider the powerful lessons from this verse:

First, our lives are a journey.  We are on the “highway” of life.  Every highway has a destination.  Which highway are you on?  Hopefully it is on the highway “of the upright.”  You get to choose which highway.  Choose wisely!

Second, there are dangers ahead.  Certainly we are not naïve to the fact that every road has its dangers.  So also is this the case with the highway of life.  There are evil men ahead and we must depart from the road that would lead us to them (Psalm 1:1).  What kind of evil dangers are on the road ahead?  They might be found in the movies we choose to watch or the music we listen to.  They could be in sinful activities or being with sinful people.  The spiritual clearly see the sign: “danger! Avoid!”

Third, the spiritual pay attention.  Peter told the first century Christians to “be on the alert!” (1 Peter 5:8).  Jesus also taught that we should “be on the alert” (Matthew 24:42).  In this proverb the upright person “watches his way.”  He knows there are potential dangers ahead and is looking for them.  He will not be caught by surprise or will be unprepared.  Paul would say that the upright have prepared themselves for the dangers ahead by equipping themselves with the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17).  Paul issued a warning in 1 Corinthians 15:33: “Do not be deceived: evil companions corrupt good morals” (1 Corinthians 15:33).  How many have failed to heed that warning?

Fourth, paying attention saves lives.  Solomon said that the upright, who steers clear of evil and watches where he is going “preserves his life.”  Judgment Day is coming and we will give an account for the road we chose (John 5:28-29; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:11-15).  If we have lived upright lives and avoided evil, we will hear God’s welcome into His presence (Matthew 25:34).

The fool will not heed the wisdom found in this proverb.  They “despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7). Let us be wise and consider carefully the spiritual road we’re on.  Is that road bringing us to where we want to go?

Denny Petrillo

Does this look familiar to anyone? Yup, it’s an eye chart that your eye doctor uses to test your vision. Can everyone see the top row? How about the second? Third? Fourth? How far down can you go before you just can’t see anymore? The letters on the page never changed but, the further away you got, the less clearly you could see things.

But, then comes the good part. The doctor starts adjusting those lenses until your vision becomes clearer and clearer and you breathe that big sigh of relief because you can finally see the whole picture! But, albeit briefly, when they take away the lenses that gave you such clear vision so you can put your glasses back on, things may become unclear again.

As time passes for many, if not most, your vision begins to change again, your eyes start to lose focus, and you have to go back to the Doctor and let him help you to see clearly again. Some may only need a little adjustment because their vision isn’t too far off, while others may feel like they’re starting all over because their vision is worse than it was before!

Well, you visit your Doctor on a regular basis to make sure you can still see clearly. But, after a while you begin to go less and less until one day you can barely see anything clearly enough to even see where you’re going.

So you finally decide you need to go back so the Doctor can get you back on track but, when you get to the office, the door is locked! You don’t understand what’s going on!

You KNOCK yet, no one opens the door for you!

There are others getting the same help you SEEK but, you can’t find anyone willing to help you!

You call and ASK for help but, they just won’t give it to you!

So you start looking around. Finally you see a note on the door. It reads:

“Dear Mr. Smith,

I’m sorry to inform you that I will no longer be caring for you. You knew you were supposed to follow my directions and come back as scheduled to keep your vision on track. Yet, you chose to ignore my instructions and now your vision is so bad you may never see clearly again. From now on you must visit a different doctor to take care of your needs because I am tired of trying to help you when you keep making the same mistakes over and over again by not listening to me. Goodbye and good luck.”

You can’t believe it. Your doctor turned his back on you? Just because you failed to follow his prescription here and there? What do you do now…?

Let me tell you something friends…

THE WORLD IS OUR EYECHART. Things can get fuzzy from time to time. Sometimes so much so that you may feel you can barely see at all.

THE BIBLE IS OUR GLASSES. As long as we focus on it regularly, our vision can stay a lot clearer than it will if we only make occasional visits now and then.

BUT, THE BEST NEWS IS JESUS IS OUR DOCTOR! No matter how many times you make a mistake, as long as you do your best to follow His directions, you will never find the door locked when you need Him.

If you just don’t see things clearly in all directions, make an appointment with the Doctor NOW and let Him take care of your needs.

If you are already a patient, when your vision starts to get a little fuzzy, DON’T WAIT! Go back to the Doctor to get things back in focus as quickly as possible! If you don’t, you may find yourself with an appointment you scheduled for later, but later never comes…

I recently watched an episode of a National Geography series, Welcome to Earth, in which Will Smith goes 1000 meters (more than 3200 feet) deep in the ocean in a submersible. Now it is important to understand that 1000 meters down is really pretty shallow at the oceans go. The deepest part of the ocean, The Challenger Deep off the coast of Guam is more than 10 times deeper (+11,000 meters or 36,200 feet). Most commercial aircraft fly around 35,000 feet. That means the next time you are in an airplane look out the window, down to the ground, and you can get a sense of how deep our oceans can be.

As Smith and the scientists with him descend deeper and deeper the light gets dimmer and dimmer. Colors fade as more and more wavelengths of light are not strong enough to penetrate the depths. At approximately just 200 meters down, roughly 650 feet, there is no light at all. Roughly 80 percent of their journey to their target depth of 1000 meters is in total darkness. At these depths there is no sunlight to heat the water which remains a pretty constant 39F (4C). At depth, the sub will be subjected to over 1400 psi. Every inch of the sub is experiencing more than 1400 lbs of weight pressure and the sub creaks and moans under the strains. Yet even in this cold and under these pressures, life is abundant. Many of these creatures would earn starring roles in most sci-fi movies these days. Most look like aliens from other worlds, like the “headless chicken monster” as they have nicknamed one such creature (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-T8mebeJuI). It is no doubt a strange and somewhat alien environment.

At one point, after they reach the bottom, they turn off their lights to experience the total darkness arounds them. The darkness is daunting to say the least. Then, they flash the lights a couple of times and only for a moment. What happens next is astonishing. The darkness comes alive with lights. It turns out the most creatures at this depth have bioluminescence. Much like fireflies, the creatures in darkness of the oceans use light to communicate and attract food. They look like fireworks and spirals. They strobe and flash. The sub becomes surrounds by thousands of creatures that shine in the darkness.

At the end of the episode, Will Smith makes a powerful statement about God – “He put light beyond the darkness.” Everywhere we look we see that power of God in the Creation. BEYOND THE DARKNESS, GOD PUT LIGHTS for us to find. Creatures that we wouldn’t discover for thousands of years, God placed in the oceans for us to find one day (Gen 1:20). On the show, they estimate that 99% of life on earth lives in our oceans and state that only ONE PERCENT of our oceans have been explored!! What else will we find that God placed there? What other amazing creatures will testify to the power of our God. I can wait to see them! Praise the Lord for His incredible Creation!

Romans 1:20 – “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made…”

Michael Hite

Several years ago, a young teenage girl in the congregation where I was preaching was feeling a lot of pressure to join in with her peers. Her eighth grade class was planning a project that she did not feel she could participate in as a Christian. She told her teacher that she would not be able to participate. Some of her peers thought she was a spoil-sport who didn’t want to have any fun and would ruin it for everyone else, too. The things that were said to her were painful. The victory she won by holding to her principles was a painful one and she was very discouraged. It struck me at the time that Matthew 5:10-12 was an appropriate passage to share with her: Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 

Jesus says, in effect, when people say those kinds of things to you because of your faith, you are in good company. The young lady I described was encouraged by God’s Word and received the grace she needed to help her in her time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

Christians are assailed from every direction today, including from within the church herself. We want to offer encouragement; a reason to hope and to feel that we are on the winning side of the Good Fight, and not on the losing side.

The apostle Paul asked, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) That’s a question every Christian should consider. His point in asking was to say, “No one can overcome us, if we remain faithful to Him!” Paul went on to say, “In all these things we overwhelmingly conquer!” (Romans 8:37) Notice what “things” from verse 35: Neither tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword can separate us from the love of Christ. In verses 38, 39 he says that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing can separate us from the love of God. Know this: God knows you and He knows how to rescue the godly from temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Peter 2:9).

Donnie Bates

“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn-bushes, or grapes from briers.” (Luke 6:43-44 NIV)

My wife and I are in the process of purchasing a new house. The opportunity presented itself to buy a house just being built in a new housing scheme in a village on the edge of the countryside. To us this was our dream come true.

In purchasing a new house, we will be planning what the ground at the back of the house will be like. We want grass for our grandchildren to play on, but we also want to plant some fruit trees. There isn’t anything much better than being able to eat an apple picked off your own tree.

When we plant trees, how will we know they are apple trees? Some who are more knowledgeable than I am could probably look at the bark or the leaves and tell you what kind of tree it is. I need to look at the fruit. As Jesus put it: “each tree is recognized by its own fruit”. If we plant apple trees we expect to get apples and not figs, pears or grapes.

We also want the trees to be healthy. A good, healthy tree will produce good fruit. If the tree is not healthy it won’t produce good fruit.

When Jesus talked about fruit trees he really wasn’t talking about trees. He was using fruit trees to illustrate our lives.

“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” (Luke 6:45)

If we are good people – and the idea here is someone who is faithfully following God – then we will be storing up good in our heart, in our lives, and our lives will show the good that we have stored there. But if we are not good people and are storing evil in our heart then what is it that our lives will produce? They will produce evil.

Have you listened to the conversations that most people have? Sadly, not only are the words they use offensive, but what they talk about is often offensive and crude. Why do they use the language they do and talk about things that would make a sailor blush? Jesus explains it: this is what their hearts of filled with. When a person fills his life with foul language and crude stories, that is what comes out.

Have you noticed that even young children now use the same foul language? Why do they do this? Where do they learn such words? Obviously, from those around them.

What is the lesson for us from this? The question for us is: with what are we filling our lives? If we expect to have a faith-filled life, then we need to be filling it with God’s word. If we want to be able to encourage others in their walk with Jesus, we need to be filling our lives with God’s word. If we are surprised at what comes out of our mouths we need to look at what we are allowing into our lives.

Photo by Jon Galloway, October 2019.

Jon Galloway

Today’s seed for thought is short.  It’s a motto going around:

ALWAYS GIVE 100% AT WORK:

12%  Monday

23%  Tuesday

40%  Wednesday

20%  Thursday

5%  Friday

As much as we may hate to be reminded of it, Christians ought to allow their Christianity to affect their performance on the job.  I truly believe that Christians should be the best workers an employee has.  After all, can you picture anybody coming back to Jesus the carpenter complaining about shoddy workmanship?  The words Paul wrote to servants in Colossae have just as much meaning to us no matter where we work:

“Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God.

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:22-24).

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

You might accuse the older brother in the story of the Prodigal Son of many things, but laziness is not one of them. In fact, notice what all he does as Jesus introduces him to us:

• He came and approached the house (Lk. 15:25)
• He heard music and dancing (Lk. 15:25)
• He summoned a servant and inquired (Lk. 15:26)
• He became angry (Lk. 15:28)
• He answered and said to his father (Lk. 15:29-31)

In fact, throughout the parable, he’s constantly saying or doing something regarding the situation of his broken brother who had returned home. However, for all his activity, nobody admires him. Instead, we are disgusted by his behavior. That’s exactly what Jesus wants us to get out of this, since this brother represents the Pharisees and the scribes (Lk. 15:1-2).

When we remind ourselves that this son never left home, we do well to let him cause us to examine ourselves if we are “faithful Christians.” When others offend me and sin against me, do I have the Father’s disposition of heart? Am I eager to receive and forgive? I may be tempted to get my mouth, my attitude, and my actions involved in such a way that’s active, but actively opposed to peace and reconciliation. Maybe it’s slandering that brother or even the Father. Maybe it’s actively working to hurt and punish the penitent. Maybe it’s holding a grudge that we refuse to let go. Maybe it’s nurturing resentment.

If we are “mature” and “spiritual,” won’t we make sure that we do right no matter what our prodigal does or doesn’t do? Galatians 6:1 governs our actions. We must guard against being “in the right,” but being wrong! Let’s channel our energies and efforts toward what serves the Father’s purposes. We are to work in His vineyard, accomplishing His agenda! We cannot be too actively engaged in that (Gal. 6:9; 1 Cor. 15:58; 2 Cor. 4:1).

Neal Pollard

Why was Peter left in prison for seven or more days, Acts 12.1-11, when the Lord could have sprung him at any time? We could ask, of course, why Peter was allowed to be imprisoned to start with. Or, from the other side, why was James allowed to be beheaded and Peter saved? So many questions, once we start to ask!

But let us return to the original question. God left Peter in prison when he had the power to get him out on the first day, or when he had the power to keep him from going to prison in the first place. But the Lord waits until the eve of the day of execution! What purpose did this delay serve?

Such questions have no answers from a human standpoint. God has his reasons and works within his own time. Speculation is useless.

Moses wanted to keep the Israelites from wondering about how and when they might be subjected to the punishment their leader had just warned them against:

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those that are revealed belong to us and our descendants forever, so that we might obey all the words of this law. Deuteronomy 29.29.

Of one thing we may be sure: God is wise in his providence. He acts for our best interest. He makes no missteps. His timing is perfect.

We must remember this when we or our loved ones are in straits. When others do damage. When pain or sickness or death enters the door. When the Kingdom seems to suffer setbacks.

What we must do at such moments is to obey the Lord and pray, as the saints did during Peter’s imprisonment. And perhaps be a bit less surprised when the Lord answers our prayers.

What good was done by Peter’s extended stay under lock and key and double guard? Can we find any statement of blessing or growth because of Peter’s long imprisonment or his miraculous release? None whatsoever. (Peter leaves and goes to another place, Acts 12.17, basically, his exit from the story.) But God knows what serves his purpose. He knows when to act and when to refrain from acting.

The whys of the present will give way to the praise of the providence of God. Often as not, what people consider as last-minute salvation in the nick of time is perfect timing in the eyes of Heaven.

So, today, and every day, is the great Faith proposition in the ways of God.

by J. Randal Matheny

The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, 

But the stomach of the wicked is in want” (Proverbs 13:25)

We live in a world of malcontents.  The lust for more is seen everywhere.  People are getting themselves deep in debt, and then have to work two (or three) jobs just to pay the bills.  In addition, this pile of debt requires both the husband and the wife to work.  Their marriage suffers, their children suffer and most importantly, their relationship with God suffers.

How do people get themselves in this downward spiral?  Solomon answers the question in this verse.  Notice several important observations:

First, the righteous have appetites.  This is an important point to make.  One would miss the power of this verse to say “of course the righteous are content! They have all they need!”  However, this is not at all the case.  The righteous have “appetites,” like all people do.  There is nothing wrong with wanting things.

Second, the righteous have enough.  This is not at all suggesting that the righteous have an abundance.  There is no indication that they are rich.  The point is that the righteous are content.  The apostle Paul said that he had learned the key to being content in whatever situation he was in.  He was content with much; he was content with little (Phil. 4:11-12).  Paul would later teach that “godliness is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment” (1 Tim. 6:6).  He proceeds to remind Christians that “if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content” (v. 8).  That verse reveals the key.  Those who are godly are satisfied with what they have.  It is a choice to be content.  This describes the righteous man in Proverbs 13:25.

Third, the wicked have appetites.  Solomon is not making a distinction between what the righteous wants and the wicked wants.  Both have their desires.  The important difference is how they handle those desires.

Fourth, the wicked is in want.  Notice the contrast with the righteous.  They are satisfied.  Meanwhile, the wicked is anything but satisfied.  Is that because they don’t have anything?  Of course not.  The problem is that they are not content with what they do have (unlike the righteous).  Herein lies the problem of our modern society.  Materialism has changed our focus off of God and on to things (cf. Matthew 6:24).  The desire for more impacts them deep down, into their “stomach.”  Their craving is like an empty stomach that longs for food.

There are many things that separate the righteous from the wicked.  Their approach to material possessions is one of those separators.  Do we consider ourselves to be righteous?  If so, does the way we spend our time and money indicate this?  Are we seeking first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33)? Perhaps an honest assessment is that our focus is really not on God, but on obtaining more (1 Timothy 6:17-19).  If this is the case, it is time to get back on the right path: the path of contentment.

Denny Petrillo