There are many good people in the world who are honestly mistaken, but when a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, one of two things must happen: he will cease to be mistaken or, he will cease to be honest. If he does not obey it, he will no longer be honest. If he does obey it, he will no longer be mistaken. Honesty and error must separate when truth comes along. No man can be honestly mistaken if he has heard the truth.

– by Eugene Britnell

“Paul Gustave Doré, a renowned artist, lost his passport while traveling in Europe. When he came to a border crossing, he explained his predicament to one of the guards. Giving his name to the official, Doré hoped he would be recognized and allowed to pass. The guard, however, said that many people attempted to cross the border by claiming to be persons they were not. Dore’ insisted that he was the man he claimed to be. ‘All right,’ said the official, ‘we’ll give you a test, and if you pass it we’ll allow you to go through.’ Handing him a pencil and a sheet of paper, he told the artist to sketch several peasants standing nearby. Doré did it so quickly and skillfully that the guard was convinced that he was indeed who he claimed to be” (Tim Shen Illustrations).

People can claim to be whatever and whomever they want, but at some point, they will have to prove it. Doré’s artistic work proved his word. Today, there are an estimated 2.43 billion claiming to be “Christians” (CSGC). Oddly enough, the vast majority of these people’s works do not match their words. In fact, the evidence they present is typically in clear opposition to Christ’s teachings.

Consider what Christ said about this, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). Jesus’ message is both clear and bold — few people are actually on the right path. Sadly, 1.8 billion are claiming to walk on this narrow way, but the reality is much different from their claim.

Jesus continues to identify true Christians by saying, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

Many religious people are praise God (“Lord, Lord”) but are walking on the broad path leading to destruction. The clear identifier of those who are true Christians is found in the phrase, “he who does the will of My Father.” If a person follows God’s word, this person is a true Christian. If a person doesn’t follow God’s word, this person isn’t a follower of Christ.

It is an incredible tragedy how few true Christians there are. However, we can make sure that we are different. We can make sure we are true and authentic followers of Christ. But we must make sure we are “doing the will of the Father.”

The question is, have we been? Are we who we say we are?

If so, keep walking the right path! If not, there is time to change.

Heaven hangs in the balance.

Brett Petrillo

I found an old commercial promoting kudzu for groundcover while researching my family’s history on Newspapers.com, an Ancestry.com extension. Given the plant’s current status as an invasive species plaguing the southeastern United States, this revelation made me laugh. This year, particularly, has seen a remarkable increase in the kudzu crop.

Looking through historical documents, I discovered that kudzu first appeared on American soil in 1876 during the Centennial International Exhibition. This exotic vine proudly displayed in the Japanese pavilion at the World’s Fair in Philadelphia, captivated spectators so much that it was quickly renamed the “Jack and the Beanstalk vine.”

Early twentieth-century newspapers like The Boston Globe recommended kudzu for backyard gardeners, praising its rapid growth, pleasant aroma, and low maintenance requirements. By the 1950s, however, the federal government was forced to acknowledge the drawbacks of kudzu’s rampant spread, a species they had promoted for decades for erosion control. The USDA designated kudzu as a weed in 1970 and was redesignated as a “noxious weed” in 1997.

This story of kudzu—initially celebrated, then reviled—resembles the Parable of the Mustard Seed, which appears in Matthew 13.31–32, Mark 4.30–32, and Luke 13.18–19. Jesus uses The mustard seed in this parable to demonstrate the profound potential that can emerge from humble beginnings.

In the parable, Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven, God’s divine rule, to a mustard seed. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, when planted, it grows into the largest of garden plants, even becoming a tree. This tree then becomes a haven for birds, providing shade and a place for them to nest in its branches.

The mustard seed’s growth, from small to great, signifies how God’s kingdom begins as a tiny seed in our hearts and develops into a powerful influence. Similarly, kudzu started as a tiny seed in the United States and grew into a major ecological force. Instead of providing a haven, it became an uncontrollable pest, engulfing large areas of the southern United States.

So, what can we learn from the Parable of the Mustard Seed and the story of kudzu? Both teach us about the potential consequences of small beginnings and remind us to consider the possible long-term impact of our actions. We have the free will to choose our efforts. Let’s aim to plant excellent seeds that enrich our environment through activities that align with the divine and benefit the world (as taught in Luke 8.11).

Brent Pollard

On Tuesday I learned of the death of one of our beloved 15-year-old youth group boys back in Tennessee. This news is tragic on so many levels and it is really difficult to wrap my mind around. Death is one of those realities we avoid or take for granted until it hits us square in the nose. While I understand that reality, I am presently and acutely aware that it is good to purposefully think about the uncomfortable things (like death) from time to time so that we are not caught completely off-guard when we cross it. With that in mind, here are a few thoughts in light of the tragedy of death.

1) Life is indeed a vapor (James 4:14). We all have those great plans of what our future is going to be like. We dream of vacations, long careers, family dinners, and great adventures. Simultaneously we have a tendency to procrastinate on various duties of life because, “I will have time to get to that later.” The truth is that we do not even know if we have tomorrow. Should that knowledge affect how we live today?

2) “This was in God’s plan” is not a wise thing to say to the grieving. The sudden tragedy of death leaves us searching for something to say, ideally something that comforts and acknowledges God. However, one of the biggest mistakes we can make is telling a grieving family, “It was just part of God’s plan.” For starters, we cannot possibly know that to be true. Such insight has not been given to us and we should not claim to have it. Perhaps more importantly, it seems to me that scripture paints a different picture concerning the will of God. While it is true that he has called servants throughout history to very specific jobs (i.e. Moses or Isaiah), the bulk of humanity falls under the bigger picture. God’s will is to reclaim humanity, restore his creation, and unite all things together in Christ. Our role in that is to trust and follow him as long as we have breath. When we walk every day and make our decisions rooted in faith, then we know that God is working in all things to bring about the good of his ultimate will (Rom 8:28).

3) The hope of resurrection is so much more than a fantasy. One of my professors recently remarked, “When we say we believe in the resurrection, it causes us to say and do things that are contrary to the rest of the world.” This would include the way we think about death. This fleshly, fallen life cannot be seen as the pinnacle of our existence! Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we confidently know that it is not (1 Cor. 15). Our expectation is that, after death, we will stand again, be clothed in a new and better body, and live forever in the presence of our God. I cannot tell all of what that means or what it will look like, but I know it is far better than the existence I have here. I know THAT will be the pinnacle of my existence. Armed with that conviction, I can look death in the eye and say, “Do your worst! Because your worst is nothing compared to the power of my God!”

Death is a hard thing to cope with, but especially when it comes on suddenly and tragically. Please, take the time to reflect on it before the tragedy strikes. I know it is awkward and uncomfortable. I also know that such reflection will not remove the pain if (and when) you are forced to face it. What is will do is prepare you better to cope and endure so that you can say with Paul…

O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?

1 Corinthians 15:55

Cory Waddell

This short series of lessons is not only for the purpose of learning what the Scripture says about different topics, but also how we can do honest Bible study to insure we understand it correctly. With that in mind, please give attention to the following.

KEY WORDS AND PHRASES: 

Here are some of the key words that can be searched in a concordance to see what is said about our subject for today: miracles, signs, hands, prophecies, tongues, Holy Spirit, gifts, cease, perfect.  Incidentally, the more familiar you are with the NT, the easier it will be to come up with key words and phrases pertaining to this or any other subject.

GOOGLE “HAVE MIRACLES CEASED?”

Doing such a search will bring up articles on this subject that you can use to help identify other relevant passages. (I do this all the time. I rarely take the time to see what they say about the subject, but simply use it to identify passages I have forgotten to include.) Using this procedure, here is what we find…

WHAT THE NEW TESTAMENT SAYS

1. Mark 16:20 – “And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.”
2. John 20:30-31 – “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
3. Acts 2:4 – “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
4. Acts 2:22 – “while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.”
5. Acts 8:18 – “Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,”
6. Acts 19:6 – “And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.”
7. 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 – “Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part,  but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”
8. Ephesians 4:7-13 – “But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.’ (In saying, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth.  He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”
9. Hebrews 2:4 – “while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.”
10. James 1:25 – “But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”
11. Jude 3 – “Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”

OBSERVATIONS:

1. The main purpose of God using miracles was to create belief and confirm His message (see Mk. 16:20; Jn. 20:30-31; Acts 2:22; Heb. 2:4).
2. These miracles began with the apostles being filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts 2.
3. The apostles could pass this ability on to others through the laying on of their hands (see Acts 8:18; 19:6), yet we have no indication that anyone else could do that.
4. It is clear that God’s design for miracles was not for them to be a continuing part of the church but to cease after the entirety of God’s will was revealed and confirmed (see 1 Cor. 13:8-12; Eph. 4:7-13; Jam. 1:25; Jude 3).

1. These miracles would have naturally come to an end after the death of the apostles, as they would not be able to be passed on any further.

It is amazing how Bible study is simplified by using the right procedures!

Daren Schroeder

I am unaware of the original source of the following story:

As a sergeant in a parachute regiment I took part in several night time exercises. Once, I was seated next to a Lieutenant fresh from Jump School.

He was quiet, sad, and looked a bit pale so I struck up a conversation.  “Scared, Lieutenant?”, I asked.  He replied, “No, just a bit apprehensive.”

I asked, “What’s the difference?”

He replied, “That means I’m scared with a university education.”

It really doesn’t matter what word you prefer to use; we’ve all been there at some point. Afraid of what might happen. Afraid of what might not happen. Afraid of what the future holds.

Jesus lets us know that the remedy for “fear” is “faith.” Listen again to this familiar Bible story:

“Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.  And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves.  But He was asleep.  Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, ‘Lord, save us!  We are perishing!’  But He said to them, ‘Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?’  Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” (Matt. 8:23-26)

There was a calm not only in the wind and the waves, but also in the hearts of the apostles.  Fear will drive out faith, but faith will drive out fear.

Whatever it is that frightens you today, may you find a “great calm” in knowing that your Savior is near.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

    “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.” (1:3-5).

    The substance of Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving is their participation in his efforts to spread the gospel. This participation is a Greek word you might have heard before: koinonia which means “co-operation” or “joint participation.” 

    Paul likely has in mind their financial support; look at 4:15-18: “You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account. But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.”

    This phrase “giving and receiving” is an accounting term and very likely refers to receiving financial help from other churches and funneling those funds to Paul to support his mission efforts. Paul refers to their gifts as “a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.”

    When Rachel and I received “care packages” on the mission field, it was a joyful time. Rachel received a box with hand lotions and perfumes from the South Green Street congregation in Glasgow, KY that every woman would enjoy. Whenever I received a package slip that we had a package at the customs office, I would go to the customs office with my passport, pick up the package, and bring it home before I opened it. The girls called it a “happy package.” It thrilled them to receive “happy packages.”

    Once, I picked up a box from a family in Walnut Grove, KY that felt so light, I wondered if there was anything in it. All the way home, about a 30-minute walk, I wondered what was in that box that was so light! Someone spent $13-14 to get that box to us; but it felt like nothing was inside. When I got home and we opened the box… someone had spent $13 to send us a $3.50 bag of Ruffles brand potato chips! That was a special gift! It was not quite a “fragrant aroma,” but we enjoyed our potato chips! Rachel bought some pork and we slow cooked it in BBQ sauce; we had a package of Ranch dry mix that Rachel made into a dip and we bought a 2-liter of Coke and we had a little picnic with that very expensive bag of potato chips!

    That is, in its own way, participation in the gospel. Paul says that what he did with the funds sent by the Christians in Philippi was a “profit” for them, increasing to their account.

    Their participation also included suffering for the sake of the gospel, along with Paul. Take a look at 4:14: “Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction.”

    It included them praying for Paul; see 1:19: “I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.”

    Whomever you support on the mission field, participate with them in any way you can. The encouragement they receive is immeasurable.

Paul Holland

“And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ So they said to him, ‘We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.’ And he said to them, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ ” (Acts 19:1-3, NKJV).

Prepositions are often overlooked as small and insignificant parts of a sentence. They are typically little words which lack the impact of the more impressive nouns and verbs on which we focus. Yet they give essential details to our communications. Without them, and especially without precise understanding of them, our messages are often misunderstood.

The picture accompanying this article was taken of a baptism in Dharan, Nepal which took place in the dry season. When the young lady expressed faith in Jesus and a desire to be baptized for the remission of her sins, a search began for water in which that could be accomplished. The river bed outside town was dry – not even small hold-over pools could be found. No one in the church there had any kind of pool or pond which could be used. Finally, a used and empty plastic drum was located and partially filled with water. Thankfully, she was small and agile, able to easily fit into the barrel, where her obedience to the gospel was quickly accomplished.

Into what was she baptized? Why, obviously, into a barrel, right? Well, not really. The vessel holding the water is simply a convenience – necessary of course, but of no spiritual significance. She, as all repentant believers must be, was baptized into Jesus Christ, being buried with him (Romans 6:3ff) and putting him on (Galatians 3:27). By doing so she was cleansed from her sins (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:6), was raised as a new creature to walk in a new life (Romans 6:4), was added to the Church which Jesus built (Acts 2:47), and received the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38-39; 19:5-6).

The twelve believers in Ephesus whom Paul located had been baptized previously, but not into Jesus (i.e., “in the name of the Lord Jesus” Acts 19:5). As a result, they did not receive the blessings which baptism into Christ confers. Only when they obeyed “that form of doctrine to which [they] were delivered,” was salvation accomplished.

People today are often baptized into many different concepts or ideas. Some are baptized into a particular church. Others are baptized into a symbol of their salvation which they believe has already been bestowed. But only that baptism which is “Into the Lord Jesus” is effective toward salvation from sin and fellowship with Christ. Into what were you baptized? Or have you been baptized at all? Until you follow the example of the twelve in Ephesus (and millions of faithful since) you cannot “taste the heavenly gift” or “become partakers of the Holy Spirit” (Hebrews 6:5).

Michael Brooks

Remember that Paul is pressing on and he suggests that those who are mature in Christ will have the same attitude as he does, as they seek to attain the resurrection that is to come!

In our text for today, Paul addresses a particular threat to the spiritual well-being of the Philippians. His words are powerful and assist us in retaining our heavenly citizenship. Read the text: Phil. 3:17-4:1.

OUR CITIZENSHIP (3:20-21)

This concept of “citizenship” would resonate well in Philippi whose residents were acquainted with the special privileges and rights they enjoyed in this Roman Colony.

The Christians’ true citizenship is in heaven (see 1 Pt. 2:11-12). Here we are pilgrims (or, sojourners). We are camping for a little while before going to our eternal home not made with hands in the heavens! (see 2 Cor. 5:1).

When the Lord returns at a day and hour that “no one knows” (Mt. 24:46), our lowly, fleshly, corruptible body, will be transformed. Our bodies, from that moment on, will take on a spiritual form, like the Lord’s body, which we shall live in eternally! (see v. 21; also 1 Cor. 15:42-49).

Until the Lord comes in the air (see Acts 1:8; 1 Thes. 4:17), we impatiently wait for our Savior, Jesus Christ to return! The idea is that we long for that day, the day that we take up the residence of our true and abiding citizenship, in our home prepared by the Lord Himself for our eternal dwelling (see Jn. 14:1-6).

DANGERS TO OUR CITIZENSHIP (3:18-19)

We observe here that there was a threat to the heavenly citizenship of the Philippians. Sadly, this threat came from those who had become enemies of the cross. There is little doubt that Paul has in mind those he has just spoken of earlier in this chapter, who were Judaizing teachers (see vv. 2ff).

Notice their four-fold description in verse 19:

1. “Their end is destruction.” Paul says in Galatians 5:4, that those who seek to be justified by the law, “have fallen from Christ”! The destruction here can hardly refer to anything but the eternal destruction they will suffer at the end of this life (see Jude 7).
2. “Their god is their belly.” This expression may have reference to insisting upon certain dietary practices of the OT, or could have reference to simply being governed by one’s physical appetites. Peter speaks of false teachers in 2 Peter 2:14 as being “insatiable for sin.” They never get their fill!

3. “They glory in their shame.” In other words, they pride themselves in their sin and filth!
4. They have their “minds set on earthly things.” Surely this is the underlying problem!  These men have only considered their temporary citizenship. Citizens of the heavenly kingdom, set their mind on things above, “not on things that are on the earth” (Col. 3:2).

Paul shares these matters to warn the Philippians of the dangers that these men pose to their faith. We, likewise, should be warned!

BE IMITATORS (3:17)

Rather than follow and imitate these wretched men, Paul suggests that they imitate him, and others like him who are sincerely following the Lord. Paul is not being arrogant, but rather sparing them from following those who are! Paul knows that he is not perfect, that’s why he continues pressing onward! The Philippians know the spiritual emphasis and fervor of Paul.

The word “example” is a word that suggests a pattern or type. In intently observing the character and manner of life of mature Christians, the Philippians will have a solid model to follow. Paul calls on them to follow his example, and the example of others, as they follow Christ. (See also 1 Cor. 11:1.)

(John also notes the importance of being wise in whom we follow – see 3 John 9-12.)

STAND FIRM (4:1)

Notice a final plea here of Paul who loves and cares for his brethren so much. Tucked away in the midst of this deep affection is the tender plea for them to “stand firm thus in the Lord.” He is begging them to remain loyal to Christ, and truly following Him in the midst of these false teachers and other trials.

John, who was often referred to as the apostle of love, says in 2 John 3-4, “For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

CONCLUSION 

Christian, you are a temporary resident of this earth on your way home to heaven. Stay the course and remain firm in the faith by imitating mature Christians as they follow Christ. Let nothing and no one distract you from your eternal home. Recommendation: Begin every day thinking: “I’m on my way home!”

Daren Schroeder

I have sympathy for Zechariah and Elizabeth. Here is how we are introduced to them.

“During the reign of Herod king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah, and he had a wife named Elizabeth, who was a descendant of Aaron. They were both righteous in the sight of God, following all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. But they did not have a child because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both very old.” (Luke 1:5-7 NET)

I don’t think we could find two better people than these. They were faithful to God, following all God’s commandments as perfectly as anyone could. The Holy Spirit recorded, through Luke, that “they were both righteous in the sight of God”. That is the highest praise anyone could have!

Yet I get the impression that they didn’t feel they had a fulfilled life – they were not able to have children and were now very old. There could no longer be the hope of their being able to have a child.

I know the joy that my three children have given me and now the joy of having grandchildren. This is something this righteous couple could not experience. Our hearts go out to them. No wonder Zechariah reacted as he did when the angel Gabriel appeared to him and told him that he was going to be a dad.

“But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son; you will name him John. Joy and gladness will come to you, and many will rejoice at his birth…’ Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is old as well.’” (Luke 1:13-18)

I think I would have asked the same question: how is this possible – how could they have a child in their old age? His question showed that he didn’t really believe Gabriel. As a result he was made mute, unable to speak, until he had a son. For the next nine months he could not say a word.

And it happened, just as he was told. After returning home “his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and for five months she kept herself in seclusion” (Luke 1:24). We are not told why she secluded herself – perhaps it was to make sure she was pregnant before they announced it.

Nine months later Elizabeth gave birth to a baby boy and there was great rejoicing. As he was a Jewish boy, he was circumcised on his eighth day of life. This seems to be the time sons were formally named as well. Zechariah still could not speak. Although Elizabeth kept telling them that he was to be called ‘John’ the consensus of those present was that he should be called after his father, as ‘John’ wasn’t a family name.

So they asked Zechariah. He wrote on a tablet, “His name is John” – and at that moment he was able to speak again. The first thing he did was to praise God. He was filled with God’s Holy Spirit and prophesied that God was now redeeming his people by raising up “a horn of salvation” from David’s lineage – an obvious reference to the Messiah. But it wasn’t his son who would be the Messiah although his son also had a role: “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High. For you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins” (Luke 1:76-77).

John grew up and became spiritually strong and lived in the wilderness until it was time for him to take center stage.

Don’t we serve a wonderful God? At the right time he brought everything together to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah, beginning with a baby born to an old couple. May we have the same trust in God that Zechariah expressed!

Photo of Judean wilderness by Jon Galloway, November 2019.

Jon Galloway

Everyone loves to find the solution to a problem. That was not the case for me in high school math. I avoided math like it was the plague (and perhaps that idiom is very much relative today). However, as I get older and a little bit more mature, I find myself addicted to finding solutions. That very truth is what leads me to constantly buy fixer-upper projects like old motorcycles or cars. This past year alone, I have fixed up three motorcycles and a Ford Mustang.

With all that said, I don’t think I’m the only one who enjoys finding solutions to problems. At first I didn’t understand the craze behind buying puzzles around the holidays; but now I get it. This has convinced me even more of the fact that people enjoying problem-solving instead of problem-abandoning.

Micah was a prophet who was active in the times of notable kings such as Ahaz and Hezekiah — also putting him in the timeline of Isaiah. Within 21 years, both the Northern kingdom and Southern kingdom fell subject to captivity. Micah’s message had several different tones, but one of those was a lesson of hope. Toward the end of the seven-chapter book, we have a great gem of a solution.

Micah 6:8 simply states, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with you God?” Simple in text, but difficult in application. Here, we have a divine solution to avoid spiritual failure: (a) pursue justice, (b) love kindness, (c) walk humbly with God. Often times, we typically succeed at one or two of those things, but obtaining all three can prove to be difficult.

If I learned anything from my extraordinarily limited exposure to high school math, I know that an equation is much more solvable if all of the pieces are present. Otherwise you must involve the alphabet and that’s where I start to tune out. This Biblical equation is simple enough, but the solution will not be present until all three variables are summed together. Thankfully for us, the scripture of Micah has been preserved through the years for our understanding and benefit.

Tyler King

The Pharisees asked Jesus questions sometimes trying to catch him in one of their traps. They attempted this in Matthew chapter 22 with a question about taxes. The Herodians were with them for their purposes.

If Jesus said he was in favor of taxes, then the Pharisees could accuse him before the people for being pro-Roman. If Jesus opposed taxes, then the Herodians would report his disloyalty to Herod Antipas, who was Rome’s authority.

But after Jesus answered their question, he gave them one of his own. It was not designed to catch them in disloyalty to Rome nor was it designed as a trap. Jesus was trying to teach them something.

The Lord asked the Pharisees who the Messiah is and whose son he is. It seems as though the Pharisees didn’t need time to consider their answer. They replied, “The son of David” (Matthew 22:21).

Ah, but the instruction was in the next question Jesus asked about Psalm 110:1, written by King David. “If David calls him Lord, then how is he his son?” Jesus said. The question revolves around the word, “Lord,” or in the Psalm. The first use of the word is the “family” name of God, Yahweh, the name the Hebrews would not pronounce out of respect for God.

What was the second “Lord?” W. Terry Varner wrote, “Psalms 110 shows the Messiah had a two-fold nature, human and divine. The royal sonship of Christ from David’s line is in Matthew 1:1-8 and his human sonship through David’s line to Adam is in Luke 3:23-38.”[i]

The lesson was that they were not just looking at a human being, but a divine one, too. It also showed them that this two-fold being they were addressing had enemies. The Pharisees were supposed to be his subjects obedient to him, but instead, they were disobedient. Jesus was trying to help them see the truth.

Many do not believe Jesus to be the Son of God. Many have struggled with this, but the struggle doesn’t have to continue. What is needed is a study of God’s word. The gospel is God’s power to salvation (Romans 1:16). If you need to understand the truth as taught by Jesus, you can.

Jesus wants to teach you something. If you don’t believe him as the Son of God, he has a lesson or two for you. Just start studying the word of God. That is where the truth is.

[i] “A Homiletic Commentary on the Book of Matthew, Garland Elkins and Thomas B. Warren, editors; Getwell Church of Christ, Memphis, Tennessee; Sain Publications, 1988.

John Henson

The beginning of an undertaking is thrilling. The difficulties have not yet appeared and all the promise awaits. Jesus’ calling of his disciples is quite captivating.

Two sets of brothers kick off the disciples’ walk with Jesus.

Andrew’s invitation to Peter, “We have found the Messiah” (John 1:41) carries with it all the expectation of the Old Testament and all the hope for the future. Jesus gives Cephas a new name, “Peter,” which previews the confession he would make three years later.

James and John, sons of Zebedee, leave their father and their business to follow Jesus. Later they would request seats at the right and left hand of Jesus (Mark 10:35-37).

The next day, Philip is called to follow Jesus. Like Andrew with Peter, Philip finds Nathanael.

“We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (John 1:45).

Nathanael’s response is pointed, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). Nathanael was from Galilee (John 21:2). The reputation, such as it was, of Nazareth would have been known to him. Certainly other Jews were skeptical of Jesus’ provenance (John 7:52).

While we cannot hear the tone of Nathanael’s counter, we can assess the honesty of it. After Philip invites Nathanael to investigate, Jesus gives one of the greatest compliments paid to a son of Adam, “an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” (John 1:47).

With deceit was how the Jews sought Jesus (Matthew 26:4; Mark 14:1). With deceit was how Elymas the magician opposed the truth (Acts 13:7-10). Deceit was one of the many sins attributed to the Gentiles who did not acknowledge God (Romans 1:29).

Nathanael did not fellowship with those in their deceit. Rather, his company is perfection. Jesus “committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth” (1 Peter 2:22). Jesus knows the hearts of men, and his judgment is without error. He knew Nathanael inside and out.

Nathanael’s response to Jesus also indicates the honesty of his heart. “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” (John 1:49).

Nathanael was dubious about Jesus, perhaps even prejudiced against Nazarenes, but his honest heart overcame it all. “Honest inquiry is a sovereign cure for prejudice.” /1

Whatever our preconceptions, misconceptions, or incomprehensions, the answer is an honest heart willing to diligently examine the evidence.

That honest discovery is where we meet the Son of God, and begin our walk with him.

Will you be a Nathanael?

by Lee Parish

1/ F.F. Bruce, The Gospel and Epistles of John (Grand Rapids: Erdmans, 1983), 60.

The angel said of John the Baptist, “For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord” (Luke 1:15a). Throughout the centuries figures in history have been given the title of “Great.” Greece had Alexander the Great, Russia had Peter the Great, and for Germany, it was Frederick the Great. We could add dozens, if not hundreds of names to this list. But when I consider the “Greats” of this world, it tells me that men have a far different concept of greatness than does God. I think the late Billy Graham was much closer to the meaning of true greatness: True greatness is not measured by the headlines a person commands or the wealth he or she accumulates. The inner character of a person – the undergirding moral and spiritual values and commitments-is the true measure of lasting greatness (azquotes.com)

William Shakespeare is credited with having said, “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” I am probably writing to an audience that realizes that greatness is not found in those things that are “of this world,” but rather it is to be found in one’s relationship to and usefulness by God. John was of that makeup. James Hastings hit the nail on the head with these words: More profitable would it be to determine wherein true greatness consists, for then it would be found that much that is called great is little, and that the lowliest path leads to the summit. Vain are the strivings, vain the jealousies and emulations of those who press and struggle for the highest places, for the Divine path to greatness lies in quite an opposite direction (Hastings, 27).

John captured the essence of greatness throughout his entire life. When the time came for him to herald the coming Messiah there were those of small minds and arrogant expectations who asked John, “Art thou the prophet?” (John 1:21), to which John plainly said, “No!” John’s light would shine bright, but his radiance was only the dim moonlight that would introduce men to the Day Star from on high. When he could have stepped forward and claimed the limelight, he instead confessed regarding the Christ, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). It seems to me that the genuinely great man is the one who is completely unaware of his own greatness. He never seeks the spotlight, but rather is embarrassed when it so much as casts a flicker in his direction. Show me a great man (a truly great man) and I will show you someone who ignores his own achievements and marches onward to the reward that awaits him. John was just such a man. No wonder the angel said of John the Baptist, even while John was still in the womb of his loving mother, “For he shall be great!”

It would be impossible to exaggerate the influence of those genuinely great men who have marched across the landscape of time and left their footprints in the sands of human history. Included in that list would be men like Abraham, David, Noah, and Moses. It would also include the multitude of men and women whose names are not known, and whose influence has not made a ripple in the ocean of human affairs when considered among the earthly “greats” of this world. I would include those unsung heroes in India who preach in the villages and cities that are crowded with lost souls. In that list of great men and women would be those restoration pioneers who blazed the trail from one end of our country to the other, in times of difficulty, discomfort, and danger, to take the Gospel to those souls on the ‘Western Frontier’ and to expand the boarders of the kingdom so that the truth of God’s word could go forth in its purity and simplicity. These are what someone called “the beacon lights of the race, set there for the inspiration and guidance of mankind.” It would be easy to get lost in the shuffle, and if not lost at least feel that we have not made an impact in life; that we somehow missed being truly great. Just remember this. John was called “great” by God; and this is all that mattered.

By Tom Wacaster

I am the Lord, the God of all mankind.
Is anything too hard for me?
—Jeremiah 32:27

There are three doxologies in the New Testament that begin by saying that God is able:

“Now to him who is able to strengthen you” (Rom 16:25).

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Eph 3:20).

“To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault” (Jude 24).

If these verses aren’t working in your life, it isn’t because you haven’t read the right book or attended the right seminar—it’s because you haven’t tapped into the right power.

“Ah Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you” (Jer 32:17).

Reach out and lean in.
God is able

–Source unknown

The Ephesian church was troubled from the start (see Acts 19) and continued to experience challenges both typical and atypical to infant New Testament churches (see 1 & 2 Timothy and Revelation 2:1-7). The apostle Paul invested two years personally ministering to this group—developing a close, special relationship with them, while also foreseeing some of their future problems (see Acts 20:13-38).

One problem in particular was the challenge of harmonious assimilation for all into that new concept of a multi-ethnic faith community that the church was. This community in Ephesus was largely made up on non-Jews, but the long shadow of God’s covenant relationship with the Jews remained. The non-Jews were having a difficult time accepting their placement within the church due to not previously having that covenant relationship—exacerbated, no doubt, by many Jews who had the same difficulty for them for the same reasons. So Paul speaks to this; speaks to placement and position for all in God’s community.

Choseness (1:3-14)

Paul uses language such as “chosen,” “predestined,” “adopted,” and “included” to underscore his point about placement—about how God specifically planned for non-Jews to join the Jews in covenant with him. Furthermore this was God’s decision before creation—to one day create a multi-ethnic faith community, which was brought about by Christ and sealed by the Spirit. It was to be a community that would mirror the unity of God himself. Everyone within this community, the church, would become “God’s possession.” History did not matter, in that; God’s adoption now trumped it. The non-Jews in Ephesus had the same access to the promises and blessings of God as the Jews, who came to him in faith through Christ. They were chosen. They belonged.

God is Able. You are Able (1:15-2:10)

Next Paul speaks about power and empowerment. The city of Ephesus was an epicenter of religion in ancient Rome, where in most, superstition and magic played a major role. Lots of gods to possess, impress, appease and appeal to for favors, but for the Ephesian Christians that was supposed to be all over. Christ supplanted and exposed all of that through the power of his resurrection—the same power available to the Ephesian Christians to enable them to live out their placement in the kingdom (something Paul would explore more in 4:17-5:33).  No need to return to the “ways of the world” along with behavior related to that. Their life in Christ was alive with power beyond what they could imagine (3:20-21). Being placed thusly and empowered accordingly, God had specific plans for them as his “workmanship.” God was able and so were they.

Peaceful Reconciliation (2:11-122)

In this section Paul reinforces the idea of placement, while also emphasizing the need for peace, harmony and unity in the new multi-ethnic faith community. His words also speak directly to identity. Formerly the non-Jews were excluded from the covenant—“foreigners” is the term he uses. But Christ changed that. He demolished the barriers of separation inherent with the Law in order to create this new community—the church. Hostility should no longer be the defining force between the Jew and non-Jew in this community. Instead peace and reconciliation would. This would call for new thinking about identity. No one is an alien, stranger or foreigner anymore. Everyone who comes to Christ in faith belongs as “citizens”. Paul imagines it as a kind of new temple with Christ as head and foundation—with all others being an integral, connected part of the building. For this to be realized, Jews would have to no longer primarily self-identify as Jews. The same would be true for non-Jews. Their primary identity would be as citizens of God’s kingdom. This then would allow the hostility to end and a united community of peace and harmony to emerge emphasizing reconciliation instead of hatred and division. Truly a place of belonging! Paul would urge even more specifically this kind of unity in 4:1-6 and ask them to “make every effort” to bring it about.

But it would not be easy. Generations of suspicion, prejudice and hatred would have to be overcome. These feelings ran deep and the transformation into self-identifying primarily as a Christian—even before ethnicity—would take time. And this not just in Ephesus, but in almost every New Testament church. Yet it was completely necessary if the church was going to make an impact.

The Good News that they preached—centered of course on Jesus—included reconciliation; becoming part of a community where the old ways of thinking, identifying and behaving were replaced by a new paradigm. Here everyone-regardless of race, background, social status, gender was welcome to follow Jesus equally together with the same access to the Father through the Spirit. Former identities would be replaced and redefined through Jesus. Accepted cultural pressure points and social conditioning that brought division would be overcome by the grace of Jesus lived out in the community. Everything would change—all relationships—between Jews and non-Jews; slave and free; men and women; husband and wife; children and parents. Destructive personal behavior would be put away and be replaced by healthy, others-centered behavior. People would be “made new in the attitude of your minds” in order to “put on a new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (4:23).

This was God’s plan. To this they were chosen. Through Christ they belonged completely without reservation. He empowered them in this process and through his Spirit to be able to actually live reconciliation out and create this community of peace and harmony. And what a witness it would be! It would literally change the world.

A Witness Still Needed

The parallels between Ephesus and us are numerous. We continue to live in a world intent on hostility, where peace and reconciliation are drowned out in other, louder, destructive and hate-filled voices. The challenge of self-identifying first and primarily as citizens of the kingdom remains. It often runs headlong into cultural conventional thinking. But the call remains—we are to be made new, completely, not partially new. While the world seeks to divide, our message and actions are about reconciliation, peace and acceptance. We cannot afford to “follow the ways of the world”—allowing that to set our agendas. We must make “every effort” to maintain unity. We need to be open for the power of God to work within us in ways we cannot ask or imagine. What a transforming force this beautiful multi-ethnic, welcoming, united faith community can still be—a place where everyone can belong! I pray we are up for this wonderful challenge.

Danny Dodd

Angels are not the dainty, long-haired Western Europeans they’re often depicted as being. In Matthew 28, their appearance was like lightning and they had white clothes. Evidently their appearance was other-worldly enough to frighten these soldiers almost to death (28.4). Whether this was some cardiac event or simply shock we cannot know. But to frighten someone that tough to that extent would take something pretty crazy.

But some of these same guys still went straight to the chief priests and took a bribe to keep quiet and spread disinformation (28.11-15). After what they had just seen and experienced, you’d think they would run to a therapist and not the chief priests to help perpetuate something they knew to be false.

We can be tempted sometimes to think that evangelism requires more than just showing someone the word. We might think the miraculous or incredible could persuade even the most stubborn non-believer. The power of our job (making disciples) is in the Word and in faith. The Bible has many accounts of people seeing incredible feats of supernatural power with their own eyes and still rejecting God. Abraham informed the rich man in Luke 16.29-31 that God’s Word is what saves; if that is rejected, no miracle will change this.

If we place our faith in the power of the Word and work to deepen our understanding of the Word, we have all we need to show the power of Jesus.

Gary Pollard

The eighty-year-old was tired. His hands were weary. Victory or defeat were in the balance. He needed help.

God chose Moses, a man who doubted his own abilities, to lead his people out of captivity. But Moses did not do it alone. His brother, Aaron was by his side, his strengths compensating for Moses’ weaknesses. God’s power was demonstrated through the words and actions of these men.

But the challenges Moses faced did not all drown in the sea. Different difficulties arose with the freedom of this newly forged nation. Food and water were lacking, and the people’s trust in God seemed tenuous in the best of times.

One crisis led into another. Moses’ concerns went from sustenance to violence. The Amalekites arrayed themselves for battle against Israel (Exodus 17:8). Joshua’s first mention is as the battlefield commander against Amalek. However, it wasn’t Joshua’s skills as a warrior which determined the outcome of this battle, it was the strength of Moses’ hands.

Moses held the “staff of God” in his hand (Exodus 17:9), and “whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed” (Exodus 17:11). Without God this makes no sense. God went to great lengths to ensure that people understood that he was the cause of victory. The people fought under the banner of Jehovah (Exodus 17:15), and Moses was holding up Jehovah’s banner.

The problem is that Moses’ hands grew weary (Exodus 17:12). Under the strain of holding up the banner of God, Moses became weak. He needed help. Beside him were Aaron and Hur. They sat Moses upon a stone and held up his hands, so that Moses would be “steady” or faithful (see the NET notes). This resulted in Joshua overwhelming the Amalekites (Exodus 17:13).

The victory came from Jehovah. Amalek lifted up his hand against the throne of God, and God declared he would blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven (Exodus 17:14). Yet God only empowered victory when Moses held up the staff.

God has gained the victory through Jesus, yet he expects us to be steady in holding up the banner of God.

Like Moses we can become weary. That is why God has given us a family to lift us up. Paul urged the Thessalonians to, “admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all” (1 Thessalonians 5:14). God instructed the Galatian Christians to “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

While it is wonderful to have Aarons and Hurs by your side to lift you up when you are weary, the Psalmist understood God as the strength of his people (Psalm 28:8). After God delivered David from his enemies, he began his Psalm, “I love you, O LORD, my strength” (Psalm 18:1). While Saul was still seeking David’s life, in the 59th Psalm, he addressed God twice as “O my Strength” (Psalm 59:9, 17).

When times are difficult and weakness creeps in, remember the promises of God. To the rebellious Israelites, God promised judgment at the hands of the Assyrians and Babylonians. Yet God would be gracious, and he would return his people home. Then a king would reign in righteousness (Isaiah 32:1), the glory of the LORD would be seen (Isaiah 35:2), and salvation would again come from God (Isaiah 35:4). He would place a highway in their midst called the “Way of Holiness” (Isaiah 35:8), and those who walked upon it would have everlasting joy (Isaiah 35:10). We live in these very days!

These promises of a now fulfilled kingdom of Christ should cause weak hands to be strengthened and trembly knees to be firm (Isaiah 35:3; Hebrews 12:12).

The victory belongs to God. Take heart, Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33). No matter what happens, keep those hands up.

Lee Parish

My grandparents live on a dairy farm in Kentucky. Across their front porch my grandmother has hung a several hummingbird feeders. On any given summer day you can sit on the porch and watch hummingbirds zip back and forth between the feeders. Sometimes they fly so low you wonder if they’re going to play darts with the side of your head. It’s quite entertaining, and relaxing, to sit back and enjoy God’s world at work.

Once my grandparents were enjoying this sight when something caught their eye. Just below the awning was a big male hummingbird with bright green feathers and a beautiful red chest. Unlike the rest of the birds, he was simply hovering in one place apart from the feeder. Looking closer they discovered that he was caught in a spider’s web. What’s more, the tiny spider had already wrapped new web around his leg and was starting on his wings. Pappaw, who at the time was roughly 6’3” and 250 lbs., quickly got up, and with his enormous farmer’s hands released the hummingbird from his imminent death.

I can imagine that hummingbird looking at the spider and her web and thinking, “This is so small compared to me. Surely I’m stronger than this!” Yet it wasn’t until he was caught in the web that he realized his own weakness against something that was much stronger than him.

Like the hummingbird, we often look at certain sins and say, “This is so small. Surely I’ve got the strength to just try this one time then walk away.” Or, “Yeah, I do this sometimes, but I can quit doing it whenever I want to.” What we don’t realize is that even the smallest sin (which we lessen by calling them “minor vices”) are so much stronger than us. Even if we do nothing more than dabble in them initially, there’s a real chance we will find ourselves one day so tangled up that we can’t move. Solomon wrote in Proverbs 5:22, “The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.” Unfortunately, we often don’t learn this lesson until the spider has us wrapped up. If we find ourselves in this state, what can we do to fix it?

Truth be told, we can do nothing, because our own power is not enough. What we need is a “6’3” 250 lb. Pappaw with enormous farmer’s hands. In other words, we need someone who is bigger than both us and the sin. The hummingbird’s salvation came only because the enormous hands of my Pappaw wrapped around him and pulled him out of the web. In the same way, we can only rely on the enormous hands of our God to pull us out of death. David realized this concept well in the Psalms.

“Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry! For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am a man who has no strength, like one set loose among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand…O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.” (Psalm 88:2-5; 30:3)

Only God has the power to give us a new lease on life. Are you caught in the web of sin, waiting on that spider to finish spinning her death grip around you or can you proclaim like David, “He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.”  (Psalm 40:2)

Cory Waddell