In the US military, and I believe through much of American professional circles as well, we are particularly good at criticizing ourselves. No matter how well an operation or job goes, we dwell on the mistakes and faults. This is typically done from a perspective of improving ourselves and not from ill intent but does tend to keep us focused on the negative. This also creates a culture where we tend to provide more criticisms than compliments to those around us. Even when we do praise someone, it has a critical side: “You have done a great job this past week, but you could have done even better if you….”

We must learn to complement our people, let them know how much we appreciate them and their contributions….and leave it at that!

As I grew through the ranks of the Army, I did my best to pay attention and realize the value in complimenting those who worked for me and give them credit and recognition for a job well done. I have several scriptures that became my favorites in inspiring me to recognize and compliment those around me, either in private or public.

Proverbs 3:27, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it” was particularly meaningful to me as a military leader. I recognized that my position gave even greater impact to complimenting a soldier in my command. Who doesn’t like being praised by their boss?

We have an adage in the military that I learned early and did my best to apply: “Praise in public, reprimand in private”. I correlated that with Ephesians 4:29, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” A person’s ego is a fragile thing and can be irreparably damaged if done so publicly. On the other hand, a compliment given publicly builds up the recipient, as well as the person who gives it, in the eyes of those who witness.

Finally, another lesson I learned in the military is never take credit for the achievements of your organization. Your boss will know who is responsible. If you are part of a successful team, make sure you remember that success comes with each member contributing. Philippians 2:3 says, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

As Christians, we interact with others every day. The opportunities to see the good works someone else does and praise them for it are many. During my time in the military, I developed a habit of looking at myself in the mirror, usually while shaving, and thinking, “You are going to say something positive to and thank at least six people today.” It was my way of holding myself accountable to complimenting the people that I loved being around. Giving a compliment is easy, costs us nothing but a few moments, and can have immeasurable benefits to the recipient, the giver, and to others who may overhear.

Make a commitment each day to praise and build up our brothers and sisters around us!

Bill Rose

The following story sounds like an “urban legend,” but it’s true:

Roy Collette and his brother-in-law exchanged the same pair of pants as a Christmas present for 25 years – and each time the package got harder to open.

It all started in 1964 when Collette received a pair of moleskin trousers from his brother-in-law, Larry Kunkel. Kunkel’s mother had given her son the pants the year before. He wore them a few times, but they froze stiff in cold weather and he didn’t like them. So he gave them to Collette. Collette didn’t like them either, so he wrapped them up and gave them back to Kunkel for Christmas the next year.

The friendly exchange continued each year until one year Collette twisted the pants tightly, stuffed them into a 3-foot-long, 1-inch wide tube. And so the game began. The next Christmas, Kunkel compressed the pants into a 7-inch square, wrapped them with wire and gave the “bale” to Collette. Not to be outdone, the next year Collette put the pants into a 2-foot-square crate filled with stones, nailed it shut, banded it with steel and gave the trusty trousers back to Kunkel.

The brothers agreed to end the caper if the trousers were damaged. But they were as careful as they were clever.

Kunkel had the pants mounted inside an insulated window that had a 20-year guarantee and shipped them off to Collette. Collette broke the glass, recovered the trousers, stuffed them into a 5-inch coffee can and soldered it shut. The can was put in a 5-gallon container filled with concrete and reinforcing rods and given to Kunkel the following Christmas.

Kunkel installed the pants in a 225-pound homemade steel ashtray made from 8-inch steel casings and etched Collette’s name on the side. In turn, Collette found a 600-pound safe and hauled it to Viracon Inc. where the shipping department decorated it with red and green stripes, put the pants inside and welded the safe shut. The safe was then shipped to Kunkel, who is the plant manager for Viracon’s outlet in Bensenville.

One year, the pants were trucked back to Collette in a drab green, 3-foot cube that once was a 1974 Gremlin with 95,000 miles on it. A note attached to the 2,000-pound scrunched car advised Collette that the pants were inside the glove compartment. And so it went until 1989, when the pants were finally damaged in an attempt to encase them in 10,000 pounds of jagged glass. They have now been turned to ashes and sit in an urn on Kunkel’s mantle.

I imagine more than a few of you receive some presents at Christmas that you didn’t really want, and would like to have the opportunity to ship them back. However, we can’t say that about the gifts that come from God.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights…” (James 1:17)

God’s gifts are as wonderful as they are bountiful. I hope that you’ve taken the time to thank him lately.

Have a great day.

Alan Smith

In answering this question, many in the church will tell you to “fulfill your purpose.” While this is true, serving God and proclaim Him to others will bring happiness, there’s a very important foundation that is a driving point for our Christianity.

While it is true that we have been given the opportunity to tell others about the gospel, and we no longer have to worry about what we should be doing with our lives, what happens if we try to fulfill this command without love?

True happiness is built on the foundation of loving God. Now before you start thinking that this is one of those “easier said than done” articles, notice a few verses with me. Just saying that we love God won’t bring happiness. We must have a true sacrificial love for Him. To help us make this goal more attainable we must ask ourselves, “Why do I love God?”

I Love God because…

He deserves to be loved. Think of all the ways He has blessed us. Forgiveness, Heaven, and every earthly blessing we have. God deserves to be loved by His creation, but even more than that,,,

He commanded us to love Him. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5).

Loving God isn’t a suggestion. If we claim to be His children, we must love Him the way He has told us to love Him. This means we love Him with all our:

Heart (center of emotion). It is not only an external action, but an internal affection that influences all our actions. He wants a heart so filled with love that it is shown in secret as well as in public.

Soul. The immortal part of our being is thoroughly filled with a love for God. It’s deeper than the physical.

Might. Our thoughts, speech and actions should all be influenced by a love for God.

Loving God means we love others. In Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:5. “And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Not only do we love God with every aspect of our being, but we love those created in His image. Jesus goes on to say that all of the law and the prophets hangs on these two commands.

We serve God because we love Him. We fulfill our purpose because every part of our being is consumed with a love for God. Do you want to be happy? Love God, love His creation. Build a foundation of love and your faith and service to God will have no limits.

Carl Pollard

Reading through the gospels, one cannot help but notice the variety of experiences and responses people had to Jesus’ ministry. Perhaps the two most notable responses are genuine belief versus sign seekers. In John 4 we see a great contrast of the two mentalities.

Jesus’ interaction with the woman at the well in Samaria (of all places) resulted in the first largescale, genuine response to His Messianic identity. He did not have to qualify His message or use grand, miraculous works. They saw, they processed, and they believed. However, a few days later He found quite a different response in Galilee. There, the people had heard of His great works done in Judea and they remembered the water-to-wine miracle done in Cana. When an opportunity arose for Jesus to heal an official’s son of a deadly illness, the man and crowd were met with a rather sharp rebuke. “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe” (John 4:48). 

The frustration expressed by Jesus seems to be rooted in the fact that those who should have been keenest to accept HIM, were more interested in being impressed by wonders. They were thrill seekers, not Messiah seekers. Their loyalty was only going to hold out as long as Jesus was willing to keep them astounded. In so doing, they completely missed the point of the signs…to substantiate the fact that true spiritual healing is available through Jesus, alone.

Indeed, there are many today whose loyalty is just as shallow. If things are going well, if they are being impressed by the preacher, if they are getting what they “need” (perhaps better said, “want”), they will hang around. Yet, as soon as the thrill is gone, so are they. They do not really want Jesus, just His signs.

May our faith go deeper than that! May we be people who are seeking the Messiah for who He is. May the satisfaction we crave be more than just superficial thrills. May we truly seek Jesus…not signs.

Cory Waddell

“The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” Mark 4:26-29

I’ve tried for several years to plant a productive garden, some years more successful than others. The best attempt was probably our last summer in Tennessee. A raised bed properly fertilized and well-watered yielded more tomatoes, cucumbers, and melons than we could eat. I built an arbor that arched about seven feet overhead and have great memories of seeing the tomato vines grow up to the pinnacle.

During that summer, I’m sure along the way I bragged to someone, “You should see the garden I’ve grown this year!” Upon reflection, that could not be further from the truth. I made nothing grow…God did.

Don’t get me wrong, I worked hard in that garden, tilling the soil, pulling weeds, irrigating, and choosing a spot where it would have sufficient sunlight. However, all this work did not force the transformation of molecules locked inside those tiny seeds. My actions did not draw water through the roots or turn sunlight into food through photosynthesis. God is the one who put all those things in motion.

Jesus’ parable above draws on this agricultural reality, but his application is that of our faith. We often speak of growing our faith in God, yet the process for doing so is much like growing a garden. None of us can actually explain how faith grows because God is the only one who can make it happen.

Our job is to create an environment conducive for the growth. Working the soil of our heart, planting the seed of the word through study, fertilizing and watering it with prayer, worship, and interaction with Christian family. We pull the weeds of bad habits and sin, while choosing to plant ourselves in circles that promote growth.

To be sure, this is hard work that must be purposefully engaged in daily. Yet it goes to show the reciprocal nature of our relationship with God. It is important to give credit where credit is due. While we devote ourselves to disciplined spiritual work, don’t take credit for the things God brought about. Without him, all the work in the world would never produce faith. We don’t grow it…God does.

Cory Waddell

There was a strong word of condemnation expressed by Zephaniah concerning individuals who believed God to be one who remains idle and inactive in this world (Zeph. 1:12). Not only is it doctrinally false to take on this belief, but it becomes an overwhelming burden to perceive God as distant. The New Testament emphatically reminds us that God seeks to be near to us. This is especially seen with Immanuel being born (Matthew 1:23), the Spirit being sent to dwell with us (Eph. 1:13; Eph. 4:30), and the prodigious promise of eternal life with Him and His heavenly host (Rev. 21,22). How then do we embark on an interactive experience of God? Consider the great words and inspiration of Psalm 34:

What God Does For Me:

• He answers us (34:4)
• He delivers us (34:4,7,17,19)
• He provides direction (34:5)
• He hears us (34:6,17)
• He saves us (34:6)
• He remains objectively good (34:8)
• He provides a refuge for us (34:8)
• He exemplifies strength and power before us (34:9)
• He sees us (34:15)
• He avenges His own (34:21)
• He remembers His servants (34:22)

When looking at all the ways God interacts with mankind we can’t help but praise His name. In addition to our praise, we naturally seek avenues in which we can nurture such a relationship with an awe-inspiring God. David also considers how we interact with God:

What We Can Do for God:

• Bless and Praise Him (34:1)
• Boast of Him/proclaim Him (34:2)
• Exalt Him/humble self (34:3)
• Seek Him in good times and hard times (34:4,10)
• Draw near to Him (34:8)
• Fear Him (34:7,9,11)
• Abide in holiness (34:13,14)
• Take your tears to Him (34:17-19)
• Serve Him (by serving others (34:22))
• Find shelter in Him (34:22)

You can glean ample information from someone’s hands. The hands of a mechanic will differ from those of a seamstress; the hands of a gardener will differ from those of a welder. But no matter your profession or obsession, your hands must be useful to the Lord.

Jesus’ hands were magnificent.

In his hometown of Nazareth, Jesus’ teachings were met with skepticism.

“Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands?” (Mark 6:2).

The mighty works done by his hands were miracles of healing. These were undeniable. In Capernaum, a day’s journey from Nazareth, Jesus healed a man with an unclean spirit (Mark 1:21-26), and the resulting fame spread all over (Mark 1:27, 28). In Capernaum he healed Simon’s mother-in-law (Mark 1:29-34), cleansed a leper (Mark 1:40-45), gave a paralytic the ability to walk (Mark 2:1-12), and restored a man’s withered hand (Mark 3:1-6). Here he gave a woman relief from a decade-long ailment (Mark 5:25-34), and gave a dead child back to her father (Mark 5:23, 35-43).

Yet his neighbors could not get over what his hands had been trained to do. “Is this not the carpenter?” they asked. They knew his mother, his brothers, and his sisters. His hands were those of a skilled craftsmen, not those of a “holy man.” Instead of belief, they took offense.

The Nazarene carpenter had a new profession, the Great Physician (Luke 4:23). His hands were healing ones. Note carefully the compassion that Jesus demonstrates with his hands. The leprous was to be put out of the camp (Numbers 5:2). This contagious disease was controlled by quarantine. A leprous person could go the remainder of their lifetime without human touch. Jesus was “moved with pity” and “stretched out his hand and touched him” (Mark 1:41).

Jesus “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil” (Acts 10:38). His hands were not idle, but in kindness, were deployed for man’s benefit.

These same skilled, gentle, and powerful hands had nails driven through them. The same hands which removed the curse of leprosy, and held formerly diseased and dead children, held the Lord of Glory to the accursed tree (Galatians 3:13).

But this also was an act of love, a mighty act of healing. The nails really didn’t hold Jesus to the cross. The one who controlled nature, time, disease, and death, could certainly overcome his creation’s attempt on his life. When Jesus confessed, “I am he,” the band of soldiers assembled to arrest him fell to the ground (John 18:6). No one takes Jesus’ life from him, but he lays it down of his own accord (John 10:18).

In agony, he allowed his body to be broken, his breath to be taken, and his blood to be spilled. His hands held him to that cross so that the Father would be glorified and so that man could be forgiven.

His hands speak of his perfect love and selflessness.

Your hands might hold children or handle mail, they might make loans or organize books, they might change oil or stock shelves. Whatever they do, make sure they do it to the glory of God. Have compassionate hands that serve others.

What do your hands reveal about you?

Lee Parish

A bumper sticker reads: “In case of the rapture, this car will be driverless.” The Rapture refers to an event that will allegedly occur at the “first second coming” of Christ. Its basic features are as follows:

• Jesus will initially return secretly and hover above the earth.
• At this appearance, only the righteous dead will be raised.
• He will take up the raised saints with the living ones (drivers, pilots, secretaries, etc.) into the clouds to be with Him for a period of 7 years.
• Afterward, Jesus will descend with His saints and establish His earthly kingdom in Jerusalem.

To those enthralled by dispensationalism premillennialism (perhaps 98% of Protestantism), the Rapture is the next pivotal event on God’s prophetic calendar. Is the Rapture Biblical fact or theological fiction?

First, the Bible knows nothing of more than one return of Jesus Christ, or of various “phases” of His return. It is a one-time “coming again” (John 14:3), at which time all of the material universe will disintegrate (2^nd Pet. 3:4-10) and the universal Resurrection and Judgment will occur (John 5:28-29; 1^st Cor. 15:22-23; Matt. 25:31-46; 2^nd Thess. 1:7-10).

Second, the Bible says nothing of a “secret coming,” known only to the righteous. Rather, one of the passages f the Rapture advocates try to claim refutes the “secret coming” theory. It declares that the Lord’s coming will be accompanied with “a shout, with the voice of the arch-angel, and with the trump of God” (1^st Thess. 4:16). When He comes in the clouds, “every eye shall see Him” (Rev. 1:7). These words describe anything but a “secret” coming!

Third, the Bible speaks no more of a two-phased resurrection than it does of a two-phased second coming. Jesus will raise the dead “at His coming” (1^st Cor. 15:22-23; 1^st Thess. 4:16). This resurrection will include both good and evil at the same hour (time) ~ (John 5:28-29).

Fourth, the Bible mentions nothing of a seven-year “holding pattern” of the righteous with Jesus in the clouds. Again, the very verse the Rapture advocates try to claim (1^st Thess. 4:16) refutes their doctrine. The righteous will not go to be with the Lord seven years, but to “ever be with the Lord” (emph. DM)> This passage speaks of our going to Heaven for eternity, not floating in the clouds for seven years (cf. 1^st Cor. 15:22-24)!

Fifth, the Bible knows nothing of an earthly kingdom of Christ. (John 18:36).

Sixth, the Bible does not contain either the word Rapture or the concept of that theological scheme.

Dub McClish

IMPORTANT!!!!!  READ THIS!!!!!!!

I know this guy whose neighbor, a young man, had a few stiff drinks at a party, and the next morning he awoke in a hotel bathtub full of ice and he was sore all over.  When he got out of the tub he saw a note on the mirror saying that HIS KIDNEYS HAD BEEN STOLEN by Bill Gates, and he could only get them back by dialing 9-0-# and forwarding 5000 emails to a dying girl at Disney World.

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE!!!  My uncle’s friend heard this story from his neighbor who got it from a guy who used to work for the American Cancer Society in a major city.

Well, the poor guy immediately tried to call 911 from a pay phone to report his missing kidneys, but upon reaching into the coin-return slot, he got jabbed with an HIV-infected needle around which was wrapped a note that said, “JOIN THE CREW.”  He was so distraught at this point that he went into the nearest theater and bought a ticket.  It was then that he felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder blade.  The people behind him got up laughing and tossed a wadded-up paper ball at him as they ran out.  When he uncrumpled the paper, it said “WIN A HOLIDAY.”

THIS IS NOT A JOKE!!!  I have a friend who works next door to the police department of a major city and he heard it from his elderly aunt.

The poor man, having no kidneys and infected with a dread disease, stumbled into a nearby Neiman-Marcus cafe and ordered a plate of cookies.  He asked for the recipe and was told that it would cost “two fifty.”  When he received his bill, there was a charge for 250 dollars! Furious, he fired up his laptop and tried to send an email to his lawyer. Unfortunately, he first downloaded a message titled “IT TAKES GUTS TO SAY JESUS” and it wiped out everything on his hard drive.

So anyway, the poor guy tried to drive himself to the hospital, but on the way, he noticed another car driving along without its lights on.  To be helpful, he flashed his lights at him and was promptly shot as part of a gang initiation in a major city.  He died before he was able to make it into the hospital.

THIS IS NOT A CHAIN LETTER!!!  Please forward this urgent message to every one you can, and spread the news that the Make-A-Wish foundation will donate a pair of Nike sneakers to everyone at Disney World, but only if you send it to 1000 people.  Don’t be a thoughtless jerk – it only takes a minute of your time to spread this message, and it could be true!

Chances are you have been the recipient of some of the hoaxes mentioned above.  I wonder what it is that makes us so gullible when it comes to e-mail messages.  Intelligent, rational people in every other aspect of life will often fall victim to mindlessly believing anything and everything that comes through their e-mail account.  And then, they will pass it along to all their friends without taking five minutes to verify its validity.

Gullibility regarding Internet messages isn’t nearly as serious, though, as gullibility in religious matters.  Many people are guilty of doing the same thing in regard to religious teaching.  They will believe whatever a friend or a preacher says (after all, he spent years in a seminary studying the Bible) without bothering to take the time to check and verify the truthfulness of what is being taught for themselves.

When it comes to the salvation of our souls, we dare not trust anyone merely on the basis of their word (not even me).  God’s Word must be used as our sole standard of judging truth and error.

“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)

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

It was a sunny Saturday morning, and Joe was beginning his pre-shot routine, visualizing his upcoming shot when a voice came over the clubhouse loudspeaker – “Would the gentleman on the woman’s tee please back up to the men’s tee, please!”

Joe was still deep in his routine, seemingly impervious to the interruption. Again the announcement – “Would the man on the women’s tee kindly back up the men’s tee!”

Joe had had enough. He shouted, “Would the announcer in the clubhouse kindly shut up and let me play my second shot!”

I am very familiar with not being as far down the golf course as I am expected to be after my first shot!  🙂  And sometimes, I’m not as far along spiritually as others think I should be.  There are some others who are not as far along spiritually as I think they should be.

What is to be our attitude toward these “weak” brethren?  Sometimes the situation calls for some words of gentle rebuke (Heb. 5:12-14). Sometimes the situation calls for patient forbearance (Rom. 14:1).  In all things, our goal is to encourage and build up.

“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.  Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.” (Rom. 15:1-2).

May be truly encourage one another as we live our Christian lives, with those who are strong helping those who are weak.  We need all the help we can get!

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

Let us come before him with thanksgiving.
—Psalm 95:2

Paul advises us to season our prayers with thanksgiving: “By prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Phil 4:6).

A dominant attitude eliminates a conflicting attitude because the two are incompatible.

For instance, gratitude eliminates worry because gratitude and worry are incompatible.

How grateful are you for the following? Test it by putting a dollar value on them:

• Your eyesight – $__________
• Your spouse – $__________
• Your child – $­­­­__________

Can’t do it, can you? But you get the idea. Counting the worth of what you have buries worry under layers of gratitude.

Author Anne Lamott seeks help and gives thanks in what she calls her two main prayers:

“Help me, help me, help me,” and
“Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Have you ever made a promise to someone and didn’t keep it? Remember how you felt the next time you saw that person?

Peter and his friends had been fishing all night and caught nothing (John 21:3). The next day, Jesus was standing on the beach. The disciples didn’t know who he was but they heard a voice saying, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch,” (John 21:6). When the net came up with so many large fish and it only came to the surface with much effort, John said, “It is the Lord.”

Soon, Peter was standing face-to-face with the man he had promised never to deny. Can you imagine how he felt? Peter jumped into the lake, but somehow the disciples got to shore first with Peter pulling the net ashore.

The Lord didn’t rebuke Peter for denying him. He just told his disciples to come and have breakfast.

Afterward, Jesus had a conversation with Simon. The Lord didn’t address him as Peter. Jesus asked three times: “Do you love me more than these?” The question must have crushed Peter. No longer is there the bravado of the man who said, “Even if I must die with you, I will never deny you,” (Matthew 26:35 NET). All Peter could manage was “Yes, Lord. You know that I love you.”

Grief welled up in Peter (John 21:17). Imagine how he relived that night outside of the high priest’s house. But Peter needed to face the truth. He had once committed himself to Jesus. Could he remain faithful to that promise? Jesus’ questions hit the mark. Peter was a changed man. He would stand on Pentecost without fear and preach the gospel.

What about you? Have you promised the Lord something and failed to live up to it? The Lord wants you to try again. You may have to answer some difficult questions about your commitment to the Lord, but they are worth answering. Why not come back to him today?

John Henson

A teenager took a rope and hanged himself in the family’s shed, depressed about his relationship with his girlfriend. A two year old is beaten with belts, her head repeatedly dunked into cold bath water, and is thrown to the floor because she doesn’t consistently say “please” and “thank you.” She dies from her injuries.

These examples of troubled hearts are extreme, but frightening familiar. Most people don’t take their frustrations out in such violent ways. They may become depressed, have difficulty sleeping, eat too much, or turn to substance abuse to numb the pain. They may react in anger or internalize their stress. They are still very troubled, nonetheless. They have lost their sense of balance and meaning.

We are told that everyone has a breaking point though few of us reach it. We ask how it could happen and why we didn’t see it coming. Could we have prevented it? What would have made a difference in the outcome?

King David found the answer when he confronted his own enemies. He said, “In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears” (Psalm 18:6). He went on to tell of God’s powerful response in delivering him.

Depression and despair that is borne of anger is like a brain cancer that eats away our peace. David continued, “Yea, you light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness” (Ps. 18:28). The darkness of despair is made bright as day when we place our confidence in God. Unfortunately, many people never come to know the peace God provides.

Where do you go when you are discouraged or troubled in heart? Do you turn to destructive actions or become bitter? Or do you sit quietly and call on the Lord? Do you lift Him up in your heart and listen to His voice? He will lift you up.

– Al Behel

Baptism is for the unsaved (Mark 16:15-16)

Baptism is for one who has heard and understood (Acts 18:8)

Baptism is for one who has been taught Truth (Matt. 28:19)

Baptism is for one believes what he has heard (Acts 8:37)

Baptism is for one who has repented of sins (Luke 13:3-5)

Baptism is for one who’s penitent over his/her sins (Acts 2:38)

Baptism is for one who is a man or a woman (Acts 8:12)

THEREFORE:

Baptism is Not for INFANTS/BABIES

God bless

Jess Whitlok

A tiny but dignified old lady was among a group looking at an art exhibition in a newly opened gallery. Suddenly one contemporary painting caught her eye.

“What on earth,” she inquired of the artist standing nearby, “is that?”

He smiled condescendingly. “That, my dear lady, is supposed to be a mother and her child.”

“Well, then,” snapped the little old lady, “why isn’t it?”

I’ve seen some of that “modern art,” so I can relate. But it makes me stop and wonder: Does the same thing ever happen spiritually in my life? I’m “supposed” to be a Christian, a child of God, a person whose life dedicated to serving God.

Peter reminds me: “You ought to live holy and godly lives.” (2 Peter 3:11)

But is there anyone who looks at my life and says, “I know what he’s supposed to be, so why isn’t he?”

“Father, please forgive me for those times I have let you down, those times I have not set an example of holiness that You intend for me to. Please strengthen me in my desire to live in such a way that others around me will have no doubt that You come first in my life.”

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

“The signs” are a thread that run throughout the gospel of John. It is the signs observed by Nicodemus that brings this Pharisee to Jesus by night to speak with Him. He is a member of the Sanhedrin (7:50; 19:39), which is what John highlights by calling him a “ruler of the Jews” (cf. 7:48). The Sanhedrin, from the Greek word meaning “seated together,” was “a council in Jerusalem that functioned as the central judicial authority for Jews” (Myers, Eerdmans, 912). Yet, while that group will notoriously and constantly oppose Jesus and plot His death, Nicodemus approaches Jesus as a believer. He says, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him” (2). Who is the “we”? We are not told, but we do know that faith in Jesus is already beginning to spread.

Jesus, however, controls the direction of the conversation. He responds by teaching Nicodemus about the necessity of one being born again (3ff). This intrigues and mystifies that respected teacher. In this starlit classroom, Jesus lays the groundwork for a truth which future students like you and I also need to grasp.

The new birth is essential (3-5). Jesus says one must be born again. One must be born of water and the Spirit. Without this new birth, one cannot see or enter the kingdom of God. Paul is going to call this the “washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).

The new birth is spiritual (6-8). Nicodemus is trying to understand Jesus’ teaching from a physical perspective, wondering if He meant literal rebirth–which he knew was impossible. Jesus contrasts that fleshly idea with being born of the Spirit. He likens this rebirth to the wind, something real but not something observable. We can see someone being baptized, but the cleansing of the soul and becoming a child of God is something actual which God sees but which we accept by faith.

The new birth is understandable (9-15). Now, Nicodemus is struggling to make sense of it, but Jesus says that is because he is thinking in earthly rather than heavenly terms. Those signs Nicodemus marveled at were designed to verify the truths He was teaching. All of it was meant to create faith in open hearts. To aid his understanding, Jesus asserts that He had come down from heaven to be “lifted up” (14). He refers this Old Testament scholar to an event during the wilderness wandering, when the brazen serpent was put on a pole to save the sinful Israelites who had complained and been bitten by serpents (Num. 21:9). Those who trusted in this remedy God provided to save their lives and looked on the pole did not die. Those who did not believe and look died. Jesus ties God’s grace and man’s obedient faith together to teach the new birth.

The new birth is providential (16-21). Simply put, God provided the new birth as part of His eternal plan. Jesus came to earth to teach that plan, but also to enact that plan. He was like the brazen serpent. He would have to be lifted up (14). He would have to be “given” (16). It was because men would not believe this that they would act in violence to kill Him, ironically facilitating God’s eternal plan of redemption (18-20). Jesus was going to expose the evil of men’s deeds, and they would hate Him for it. But Jesus, referring to Himself as Light (five times from verse 19 to 21), was illuminating the path of righteousness for those who believe (21).

I wonder what went through Nicodemus’ mind when he left Jesus that night. How many times did he review this lesson in his mind, pondering the weighty truths Jesus shared with him? What about when he tactfully defended Jesus when the Sanhedrin doubtfully disputed about Him (7:50-52)? What about when he helped fellow-Council member Joseph prepare Jesus’ body for burial after His crucifixion (19:38-39)? However that went, Nicodemus was taught one of the most important, yet basic, truths of all. He was faced with embracing it, and so are we. A place in God’s kingdom, eternal life, salvation, and coming to the Light are all blessings of being born again! It is an awesome thought that Jesus not only invites us to that, but gave His life to make it a reality.

Neal Pollard

On the morning of July 2, 1881 Charles J. Guiteau shot President James A. Garfield in a Washington D.C. train station. Immediately he was apprehended as doctors rushed to tend to the wounded President. These trained doctors proceeded to probe Garfield’s wounds with their unwashed fingers and unsanitized surgical instruments. Over the next eleven weeks this practice would continue and, unsurprisingly, infection set in resulting in the President’s death on September 19, 1881.

When Charles Guiteau was finally brought to trial his appointed lawyers entered an insanity defense. But Guiteau would contend with the court that he was not guilty, saying, “The doctors killed Garfield, I just shot him” (http://www.pbs.org).

It is interesting how some people refuse to recognize the truth. Garfield’s chief physician, Dr. Doctor Willard Bliss boasted, “If I can’t save him, no one can” (Mark A. Lombardi, The Garfield Observer). Most today acknowledge this as an empty boast.

When John spoke of Jesus as the embodiment of truth, a truth that will endure through all generations, it was not an empty boast (John 1:14). Jesus also makes that claim, a claim He can easily back up (John 14:6). You can trust Him. You MUST trust Him (Acts 4:12)!

– David Bragg

OK, all of you who are getting older, can we all agree to not be the kind of older Christian who torpedoes the zeal and love of young Christians?

Sure. Stand for biblical truth.

Also, sure, provide the wise advice that should come from an older Christian.

But can we please draw the distinction between biblical truth and things that simply don’t matter in eternity?

There is nothing that destroys the spirit quite so much as being that older person who threatens to leave a church because the pews are too far forward, or someone forgot to include aunt Jennie in the bulletin sick list, complain about the image on a power point, or the attire of a young man at the Lord’s Supper.

The young person will listen to your tirade, will not verbally respond. Then, beloved, he will leave the church.

In the name of all that’s good and holy, is that what you want?

It seems crazy to have to say this to older Christians, but, please, grow up!

The Bible insists that we are supposed to grow up. “Speaking the truth in love,” the Apostle declares, we are to “grow up in every way” (Ephesians 4:15). “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ,” Peter says (2 Peter 3:18). Please note that growing in Christ is a command. Of course it takes time to mature. But that is exactly the point. By the time I have been a Christian forty years or more, I should have matured!

And yet, there are those who are chronologically old, but not mature.

I am not talking about abandoning biblical teaching on baptism, singing in worship, or biblical leadership. If we want our young people to take up the baton of faith when we grow weary and infirm, then we will need to foster growth on their part, not stifle it.

And, for whatever it’s worth, I fall decidedly in the range of elderly, not youthful saint. If we want our young people to behave in a considerate and helpful manner, perhaps this behavior could be modeled by those of us who are mature. We have worked too hard to build the church, too hard to provide our children with faith to subsequently destroy it by disillusioning them.

Please ask yourself, is it possible, is it conceivable, that I am that older Christian who has disillusioned or discouraged someone else by raising petty criticisms or demanding actions that are extra biblical?

The Lord took the Jewish leaders to task for holding the “teachings of men” over the “commandments of God” (Mark 7:3-8). Do not assume that we are immune from human tradition. Furthermore, take care not to disillusion a young person over that tradition. As always, back to the Bible is the wisest and most sound advice. For the sake of Christ and his church, let’s live up to that ideal.

Stan Mitchell

In the book of Job, God asked Satan where he had been. He told God, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it” (Job 1:7; 2:2 NKJV). Peter indicated Satan walks “about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Have you seen evidence that Satan has ceased his search for souls?

The world seems to be filled with evidence that Satan still prowls about the earth. We, as Christians, ought to be on guard so we are not tricked by his devices. Satan has more experience deceiving us than we do at overcoming temptation. The devil is not fearful; rather, he is cunning, brave and deceptive. He uses any means at his disposal to conceal his actions as he stalks his prey. Since he is a capable adversary, what can we do to evade him?

Peter instructed, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (1 Peter 5:8-9). Notice the instruction:

1. Be sober – Think clearly,
2. Be vigilant – Self-controlled,
3. Resist – Withstand or to oppose,
4. Steadfast – Be established, and
5. Understand you are not the only one Satan is attacking.

In order to be found faithful, we must fight against the devil as he seeks our destruction. Paul reminded the Ephesian brethren that they were in a spiritual battle. Today, we fight that same battle, and we will continue to fight it until Jesus’ return. Let us be established in our faith and unwilling to yield to Satan!

Ralph Clevinger