“And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him” (Genesis 4:3-8)

This is the first recorded murder in the Bible and even worse, it was between two brothers. Cain killed his brother because of his jealousy over God accepting Abel’s offering, but not his own. Notice the question that God asked Cain. “And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Gen. 4:9).

That’s an excellent question to ask ourselves today: Are we our brother’s keeper? Do we have a responsibility to love and care for one another?

As we study the Bible, it becomes very clear that the answer is “yes.” In fact, there are many passages which emphasize our responsibility to one another.

The Old Testament teaches the principle of being a “watchman” in several places. In Ezekiel 17:3, God appointed Ezekiel a watchman over Israel. “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.” In general, the watchman was to look after the well-being of others.

The Bible teaches us that we are to love one another. In fact, Jesus Himself commands it in John 13:34 & 35: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

Now, think about how deep a love this is. Jesus wants us to love one another as He loved us, and we all know what He did for us, even though we didn’t deserve it. When we love each other like we’re supposed to, it makes Christianity very attractive to the sinner.

Notice what Paul has to say about this in Romans 13:8: “Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” Also in I Thess. 4:9: “But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.”

Peter also has some instructions for us regarding love. He writes in I Peter 1:22: “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently…”

This word “fervently” means “intensely” and suggests that we should love one another with our whole heart. The apostle John, who has been called the apostle of love, writes, “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.  12Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous” (I Jn. 3:11 & 12).

You see, if Cain had possessed the kind of love that we are to have for one another, he would’ve never even considered killing his brother. Instead he would’ve been happy for him that God accepted his offering. This is the kind of thing that happens when we start replacing love with jealousy, rage, or bitterness toward our brother or sister in Christ. Now, we may not get to the point of killing someone, but we can certainly find ourselves thinking evil of them, which will lead us to sin. John says in I Jn. 4:11: “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”

Dear Reader, we are our brother’s keeper and we must love one another. Think about it this week.

By R.W. McAlister

Recently I was on “A Bible Answer,” a Bible question-and-answer program broadcast regionally in the Mid-South and on the Gospel Broadcasting Network. One of the questions I was assigned to answer was twofold. “How were the books of the Bible selected and compiled, and how were the decisions made as to what would be distributed as the Word of God?”

These are a few of the questions we deal with when we look at the Canon of Scripture. “What books belong in the Bible?” “How do we know?” “Who decided, and when did they decide?” “Can we know that we have the right ones?” When we are talking about the “canon,” we are talking about a transliteration of the Greek word, which means “a rule or a standard.” So, we are asking, “Is there a divine standard to which the 66 books in the Bible have met? After all, many claim other books should have been included. Some doubt the validity of the ones that were.

How did we get those 66 books? There is a Biblical principle that guided people in the days of old and should guide us today. In Exodus 24:4-7, it says, “And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. … Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” Why would the people accept what Moses wrote as the words of the Lord? It is because of the principle mentioned above. Moses was recognized as a prophet of God because of the many things he had done, which could only be done through the power of God. When one who was accepted as a prophet wrote, what he wrote was immediately acknowledged as the word of God. This principle is repeated throughout the Old Testament.

• Josh 24:26
  • “And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. …”
• I Sam 10:25
  • “Then Samuel … wrote them in a book and laid it up before the LORD.”

Joshua and Samuel proved to be prophets of God by the deeds God did through them. When they wrote, their writings were immediately accepted as the word of God. Daniel 9:2 is especially insightful along these lines. “(I)n the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.” Daniel (who was a contemporary of Ezekiel and Jeremiah) immediately accepted what Jeremiah wrote as the word of God. During Old Testament times, every time a man identified as a prophet wrote, his writings were accepted immediately as the word of God. No councils and no voting was necessary.

Then, we have the intertestamental period in which there are no prophets. Nevertheless, we do have writings from that time. I Maccabees 4:46 says they were waiting for a prophet. In 9:27, it says there was great tribulation like there was in the times that prophets had appeared to them. In 14:41, it says they appoint Simon as their leader until a faithful prophet should arise.

Josephus said their history had been written but was not worthy of equal credit because of a lack of an “exact succession of the prophets.” He also wrote about accredited books. When you examine them, you find they are the same 39 Old Testament books we have today.

The same principle used to accept books of the Old Testament is the same used for the New Testament writings. Note Matthew 16:19; 18:18; John 14:26; 16:13; Acts 2:42; 2 Pet. 3:2; I John 4:6; II Thes 2:15; and Col. 4:16.

For example, in I Timothy 5:18, Paul says, “For the scripture saith,…” and then quotes Luke 10:7. Luke was written about ten to fifteen years before I Timothy. Yet, it was automatically accepted as “scripture.” In II Peter 3, he is writing about the epistles of Paul. Peter lists those in with “the other scriptures.” Both Paul and Luke were affirmed as prophets of God. So, their writings were accepted as scripture.

Despite the evidence, there are still those who try to plant disbelief by discrediting scripture. Yet, when we dig deeper, we find that God’s people have always known what was and was not His word. When we recognize that, we realize it must be believed and obeyed!

Corey Sawyers

Throughout human history nations have used hard power to take lands or to influence behavior. We’ve all seen the horror of the war in Ukraine. By engaging in hostilities, Russia is using hard power in an attempt to accomplish certain goals.

Hard power can be brutally effective for achieving political or military objectives. Victors of wars claim lands, and those with power subdue the actions of people.

Scripture details the efficacious use of hard power. God used hard power to free his people from Egyptian captivity. His plagues were designed to coerce the actions of Pharaoh and were, of course, successful. The conquest of Canaan was a master class in hard power. The Israelites did not spend decades changing the culture, they used force to displace the inhabitants in short order.

The judges used hard power to free the Israelites from subjugation, but some judges also influenced the actions of the Israelites through their power and position.

Hezekiah and Josiah, both good kings, used their position to destroy the high places, to punish idolaters, and to encourage people to obey God.

The Assyrians and Babylonians used military force to conquer lands, inflate their power, extend their influence, and enrich their coffers. God used both nations to punish his people when they turned completely away from him.

While hard power may be used to satisfy certain objectives, it has limits.

God didn’t change the heart of Pharaoh. After acquiescing to God’s demands, the Egyptian leader reconsidered. He sent his army after God’s people, and perished in the doing.

The judges didn’t change the minds of the Philistines or the Moabites. Neither did they truly change the hearts of the people. After Gideon’s death, the Bible says, “As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god. And the people of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side” (Judges 8:33, 34 ESV).

Josiah led the people in a great restoration. He read the “Book of the Covenant” before all the people, and led them in making a covenant with Jehovah (2 Kings 22:2, 3). He did so “with all his heart and all his soul” and he “made all who were present” join in it (2 Chronicles 34:31, 32). Outside of Hezekiah, Josiah’s work was unprecedented:

“Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him” (2 Kings 23:25).

His power and influence positively impacted the actions of the people, “All his days they did not turn away from following the LORD, the God of their fathers” (2 Chronicles 34:33). But did they do so with all their heart? Jeremiah spoke the words of God to this people, promising that God would allow them to stay in the land, “if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another…” (Jeremiah 7:5-7).

Josiah truly followed God, but he couldn’t force the people to do so.

Hard power has limits. It does not and cannot touch the heart; it does not move the soul. As we’ve seen with the conflict in Ukraine, the Russian autocracy may — through brutality — subdue a country, but they will not win the hearts of the people.

While we are not in control of armies, and cannot exert coercive military or economic power, there are some thoughts that bear upon our daily life.

While force can control people’s actions, it cannot change their hearts. Only love can do that. Parents can make their children obey them outwardly, but they cannot force their children to love them. Parents can make their children do what God says, but they cannot enforce spiritual fidelity.

Discipline must be born out of love. The motivation must be to cultivate the heart not merely control the action.

Jesus expects his disciples to make disciples (Matthew 28:19, 20). We do that, not by political force, but through teaching people about Jesus, and showing what a Christ-led life looks like.

Get the heart and the rest will follow.

by Lee Parish

The following story is reported to be true, but cannot be verified:

After the “Cold War” was over, a squadron of Russian pilots was invited to participate in tactical war games at a U.S. Air Force base.

A gala dinner was planned by the Base Commander.  Thinking to relax the guests, he offered a WW II toast to open the meal.  Smiling, he lifted his glass and said, in Russian, “Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you may die.”

The Russian pilots became very quiet and they hardly ate; most left quite early.  Thinking they didn’t care for the food, the Commander asked a Russian pilot what went wrong.

“Well, comrade commander,” he said, “I thought it was going well until your toast.  I don’t know what you were meaning to say, but what came out was ‘Feast, drink and make happy, for tomorrow we will kill you’.”

No matter how you translate it, it doesn’t make for good advice to live by, though it certainly fits in with our culture’s view of the purpose of life. “Live it up!  We’re all going to die soon, and you can’t enjoy anything beyond the grave, so just focus on bringing yourself pleasure without regard to what is right or wrong.”

It sounds very modern, but it’s been around a long, long time.  In fact, Paul said it was a philosophy that might make sense if there was no hope of a resurrection for us.

“If the dead do not rise, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!'” (I Cor. 15:32b)

But knowing that there will be a resurrection and a judgment and an eternity to follow, we know that there has to be more to guide our lives than just the satisfaction of personal pleasure.

So go ahead and eat and drink (and even make merry), but be careful not to take God out of the picture, for tomorrow you may die.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

A study was conducted by Psychology Today where they asked 1000 people how many lies they’ve told in the last 24 hours. The average answer was two lies, but 75 percent of men said they would lie if they were talking about their social status. 80 percent of women said they have lied about their weight.

The average person we come in contact with has no problem lying to us. Whether it’s at work, in school or to friends and family, the majority of people feel that it’s morally okay to lie.

Ephesians 4:25 says, “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.”

“Therefore” is a grammatical tie to previous verses. Each time we read this word we should see it as a finger pointing up to the previous verses. Contextually Paul is saying, “Therefore, since we have put on the new self, lay aside falsehood.”

If you’re a Christian reading this verse, you have put on the new self. So we are commanded to stop lying and be truthful in our interactions with others.

Paul commands us to tell the truth. This seems like a simple command, yet sadly we get caught up in telling lies. We want what’s easiest. Many are tempted to take what seems to be the easy way out.

But there is something to keep in mind the next time we are tempted to lie:

Our reputation is ruined by dishonesty. If people catch us lying, why would they believe us at all? The boy who cried wolf is a prime example of this very fact. We all know how this story goes, and the bottom line is we lose our credibility if we lie. When we are honest and choose to tell the truth, people will trust us, and God’s Word has a better chance of reaching the lost.

When it comes to our Christianity, we want people to trust us. When we lie we lose our credibility and our ability to proclaim the gospel is harmed. Telling the truth in every situation is an attribute we are to have in our new walk with Christ. Plus, nobody wants to be friends with a liar.

Carl Pollard

Over the past few months, our church building has been targeted.

We’re unsure who is doing it. Perhaps it’s some person from the surrounding neighborhood. Perhaps it’s just a random person who drives by. It could also just be a teenager from the High School down the street.

We’re unsure what the motivation might be. This person might be angry at God. This person might have been slighted by a religious institution. This person might not have any motivation other than “fun” at our expense.

What we do know is glass shards have flown. On at least four occasions this person has driven by the building and fired BB’s at our glass door. One time it left the doors shattered, sending shards down a hallway some 30 yards away. Even now the door sits with 8 shatter marks from BB’s.

As I have contemplated this issue and this person, several lessons have come to mind:

1)    God sees and knows (Hebrews 4:13). While we have involved the police and have security cameras up and running, we’ve yet to identify our shooter. However, even if we never catch this person, he/she has never been hidden from God’s sight. God knows exactly who this person is and every inner detail. And, unless this person repents, God will bring vengeance for such actions (Romans 12:19).

2)    Souls are involved (Matthew 28:19-20). One point we’ve considered is, “Will we do if we catch this person?” Will we press charges? What if this is some teenager? Do we want this to become part of a permanent record? No matter what the future course is, we are acutely aware that we are dealing with a soul. It’s possible that forgiveness from us could display the love of Christ and lead this person to Him. While we don’t know what we will do if we catch this person, we do know that we care much more about the person’s eternal soul than we would ever care about the broken door.

3)    It’s just stuff (2 Peter 3:10). The glass can be replaced. The door can be repaired. At the end of the day, our building is just a structure, and this structure will be a part of the great bonfire on judgment day. Thus far all of our people are safe and that is what truly matters.

One way or another, this issue will be resolved. In the meantime, please be praying for this situation. Be praying for wisdom. Above all, be praying for this person’s soul.

Brett Petrillo

I remember the darkest day of my preaching life.  And frankly, I don’t want to dwell on it.  Still, there may be some benefit in remembering the time when I most needed encouragement and remembering the fact that I got through it, through no fault of my own, except that I put my trust in the only place left…my Friend Who laid down His life for me.

Without revealing too much, let me just say that I had never in my life seen Christians attack one another the way I did that day.  I was one of those attacked, but that did not happen until I tried to interject some calm reasoning into what I perceived was a situation getting out of hand.  I loved them and hurt for them and tried my best to help ease the pain and bring Christian brethren closer to God.  What I accomplished was to merely refocus the attack on myself.  I understand the noble concept of self-sacrifice and in some situations would gladly offer myself, but that was not my intention that day.

All of us have been in frustrating situations.  I had been before that day, but never had I been so shocked by the behavior of men who called themselves Christians.  Nor have I since, “by the help of the good Lord” (as my dear departed friend and brother Aubrey Chalmers used to say).  For the first (and only) time in my preaching career, when Sunday morning came around, I wanted to find a hole, climb in, and pull it in after myself.  I did not want to go to church.  I did not want to preach.  How could I preach?  How could I stand in front of those same people?  Every ounce of credibility I thought I had before, had been destroyed, it seemed to me.  Honestly, the only reason I went to church that day and preached the sermon I had prepared before this incident took place was because I could not think of a way not to.  It was not courage that took me to church that day.  It was surrender.  I had reached the end of my ability to handle the situation.  I was out of answers.  The only thing I could do was place myself in the hands of God, take a deep breath and preach.

Some might ask why I would describe such a painful episode in my life in an article that is supposed to be about encouragement.  Well, I’ll tell you.  It is hard for me to imagine than any one of you has been through anything as bad as my worst nightmare.  By the same token, you probably do not think mine is as bad as your worst experience.  Regardless of whether or not you or I have suffered as much as the other, God takes care of us.  I am so very glad verses like Psalm 139:11, 12 are in my Bible:  If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night,” even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day.  Darkness and light are alike to You.  God saw me in my darkest hour.  When I had no more answers, He was just starting.  He was in control all along.  He was faithful not to allow me to endure more temptation than I was able to endure (1 Corinthians 10:13).  You had better believe that I was tempted to cut and run.  I don’t mean move to another congregation; I mean cut and run that day.  But I didn’t.  I dejectedly surrendered myself to the will of God and preached the Gospel.  As it turns out, that was just what I was supposed to do.

I still, from time to time, get myself into trouble.  Sometimes (usually, it seems) it is my own fault; other times it’s not.  In any case, my Heavenly Father is always there for me.  There is nowhere I can go where He is not.  You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it (Psalm 139:5, 6).

Do you ever find yourself facing a situation you simply cannot see how to overcome?  There is just no way out.  You cannot go forward; you cannot go back.  There is just no hope of winning this one.  Thanks be to God, there is a way out.  It will not look like a way out, perhaps, but God’s way is a way out!  School yourself to remember Psalm 139.  Train yourself to look for God’s way out.  Know that God is with you and will not forsake you.

Donnie Bates

1. Do to others as you would have them do to you (Matthew 7:12).
   

2. Do the will of the Father who is in heaven (Matthew 7:21-27).
   

3. Do this (eat the Lord’s Supper) in remembrance of Christ (I Corinthians 11:23-26).
   

4. Do good to all men, especially to those of the household of faith (Galatians 6:10).
   

5. Do all things without murmuring and disputing (Philippians 2:14).

6. Do the one thing that will enable you to move forward in life with confidence (Philippians 3:12-14).

7. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord (by His authority and to His glory) (Colossians 3:17).
   

8. Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men (Colossians 3:23).
   

9. Do not forget to do good and to share (Hebrews 13:16).
   

10. Be doers of the word and not hearers only (James 1:22).
    

11. Do those things that will enable you to have an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (II Peter 1:5-11, note verse 10).

12. Do the commandments of God (Revelation 22:14).

In the event that you have never been saved from your sins and become a Christian ask yourself, “What shall I do?” and do what the Bible says in answer to that question (Acts 2:37-38; cf. Acts 10:1-6, 48; Acts 22:10-16).

As long as you have life it is never too late to do the right thing, but one day it will be too late.

Hugh Fulford

The typical response when first hearing of tragedy or hard times is, “oh no. I’ll be sure and pray for you.” I have been on the receiving end of that response, but have also been on the offering side of it as well. Truth be told, I’m sure I have let down a lot of people when it comes to my prayer life.

Prayer is such a divine privilege and often gets taken for granted. Before Christ, going before God was done through a priest. Even kings couldn’t do such a task without a priest; consider the pride and fall of king Uzziah (2 Chron. 26:18). There have also been times in the Old Testament scriptures where God has told individuals, “do not lift up a prayer for this people” (Jeremiah 7:16). God wanted to hear prayers of only the contrite and faithful. The same theology can be found in the New Testament as well (John 9:31). Luckily for us, we have Jesus who takes the spot as High Priest and allows us to go before the throne despite our flaws (Heb. 4:14-16).

Personally, I’m trying to do better about flippantly saying, “I’ll be sure and pray for you.” That kind of statement ought to carry a great deal of weight between the three involved parties; the receiver, the requester, and the listener. There are few more comforting thoughts in this world than to know that someone is kneeling before God’s mighty throne, having a divine conversation with my name included in the dialogue. That type of action is a responsibility that I, as a Christian, am obligated to do for others.

The problem comes down to a finite memory and simply remembering those who need prayers. You’ll find your prayer life becoming more consistent when praying for others instead of self constantly. Here are some practical ways to help our weak minds remember those in need:

1. Prayer Journal – Among the other ways to keep track of prayers, this is my favorite method. Perhaps the coolest aspect of a journal is the ability to look back through time and become a witness of how God works through prayer. Find a journal no larger than your cell phone or wallet in order to keep it on you.
2. The Echo Prayer App – If you have a smart phone, put it to use. There’s a handy app called “Echo Prayer” which utilizes your phone to create a prayer journal. I’ve used it before and have enjoyed my experience with it.
3. Good old fashioned bulletin – maybe it’s a product of being a “secretaries kid,” but I find the Sunday bulletin to be an invaluable method of keeping people in your prayers. This can also be found in digital form in your email.
4. Simply mean it. When you tell someone you’re going to pray for them, consider it an eternal reliance on you. You’ve got a job to do, so do it. You’ll find yourself growing closer to God and His people with each prayer.

   Tyler King

Two men were talking about marriage. The first one said, “Every time we get into an argument, my wife gets historical.”

The second man said, “I think you mean she gets ‘hysterical'”.

“No,” said the first, “I mean she gets historical. She dredges up every mistake I’ve ever made in the past.”

As a long-time marriage counselor, I can testify that both men and women can be guilty of becoming too “historical.” There’s a reason why, when Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 is describing the nature of love, he says that love “keeps no record of wrongs” (verse 5). When husbands and wives constantly dwell on their partner’s past faults, it not only makes their attitude sour, but creates a negative “filter” that prevents them from seeing the good in their mate.

Simon Peter, who knew a thing or two about making mistakes, gives this excellent advice:  “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).

Dan Williams

“Overtime” can be one of the most exciting moments for your favorite sports team. As is the case with many activities, overtime is when sudden-death becomes implemented; meaning, whichever team scores first is the team that gains the victory. The moments of overtime have kept viewers and fans on the edge of their seats for decades. However, not nearly the amount of enthusiasm is gleaned when a church service runs overtime. You’d almost think it was sudden-death for the member attending the assembly when worship exceeds five minutes of overtime.

Trust me, I’ve been there. Whether the song leader decided to sing every verse of every song or the preacher didn’t know how to land the plane and gives several false conclusions. There comes a time when you try to nonchalantly look down at your watch to see how many minutes have gone beyond the designated 11:00am mark. Irritation and grumbling can then become bi-products of church overtime. Tensions rise and people begin to check-out, whether it’s mentally or physically.

However, every time I find myself in the position of overtime grumbling, I have to realize that Matthew 6:33 is a verse that is far from me. In reality, 6:33 should be very near to us, especially since our Lord told us to seek the Kingdom as a top priority. To be a part of the true assembly of God is a blessing far beyond our knowledge. It is a designated time for us to step away from the world and the worries of it, and fellowship with common souls who have a common God.

To the Jews of Jesus’ time, “church” was a pretty foreign concept. While attendees of synagogues would gather together, there was a large concept of community missing. People went on with their lives, letting the world distract them from the family of God. When Jesus started teaching about this Kingdom, it was different than what they were used to. This was the beginning of a time where a new relationship would form between God and man (Jer. 31:31). He was going to be the King, and His followers would be the kinsmen. Involvement, gathering, fellowship, friendships, and common bonds would hold this family tighter than any other organization in the world (Matthew 16:16-18; Acts 2:14-47).

Here’s the deal. It’s usually the secular priorities that create my grumblings when worship runs long. Don’t let the outside world distract you from the church. Let the church distract you from the outside world. How many times throughout the week have you thought, “man, I really can’t wait for worship on Sunday?” Probably not a whole lot. Yet, how many times during Sunday service have you thought, “good grief, this worship has gone on forever. I really need to get to such and such place?”

Obviously there needs to be some rationality in how we go about worship. The services shouldn’t be aimlessly long without a purpose. Rather, they should be filled with purpose and no time restraint should ever handicap that very purpose. So the Lord’s Supper went a bit longer – do you think our Savior minds that? Maybe we sang a couple extra songs or verses – do you think the Father is upset with that sound? Perhaps there were some responses to the sermon – do you think those people could use your time and attention?  We ought to be a respecter of time – Respect the day that God has blessed you with by detaching from the world and enjoying the haven of the church. Don’t let the secular voices drown out the harmony of Christians gathering together.

Tyler King

I get it. Being the father of four children who have filled diapers with the best of them, I understand the unending, insatiable need for diapers. The thought of stealing diapers, however, is about as petty as it gets. Nevertheless, a few years ago the Diaper Bank of North Carolina had 13,000 diapers stolen. Apparently, the thieves weren’t even planning to put them to, well, “good” use on their own children (if they have any). The diapers began showing up at garage sales and on the streets for $4 per package, bringing a potential profit of $24,000 from the stolen diaper packages (Fox News).

It’s sad to think about how low and how trivial the sins people commit are. These thieves have continued to endanger their eternal souls by stealing, of all things, diapers! These crooks are apparently willing to throw heaven away just to make a few bucks and possibly cover a few baby bottoms (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

Sometimes a little perspective is in order. Are stolen diapers worth eternal punishment? If this sounds completely and utterly ridiculous, then you get the point. Let’s make no mistake though, absolutely no sin is worth going to hell for (compare Luke 16:19-31).

It’s easy to get caught up in the heat of a tempting moment (James 1:14-15). We can lie and convince ourselves the silliest and ridiculous sins are worth it. We can persuade ourselves into thinking the sin isn’t all that bad. No matter what we tell ourselves, there is never, ever a sin that is worth risking the eternal reward of heaven for.

Brett Petrillo

They were safe. Positioned behind a raised bank and double wall structure, the city was nearly impregnable. For hundreds of years, it had been so. From the ground level below the outer wall, to the top of the inner wall at the crest of the embankment was roughly 45′. From the perspective of a potential invader standing and looking up, 45′ must have seemed like it reached to the sky! (Deuteronomy 9:1) So, maybe there might be another way to take the city. Surround the city and lay siege to it! However, one of the main reasons the city was located here in the first place, were the fresh- water springs in and around it. Meaning, that the city had a sustainable water supply. When the fallen city (roughly 1400 BCE) was excavated, container after container of grain was found among the burned rubble. The fatal blow came not long after harvest and the city had much food stored. A siege was obviously not the answer. The answer was unconventional at best. God’s people would march, blow trumpets and yell and the fortified walls would fall. Excavations as late as the late 1990’s support the Biblical account of this conquest of Jericho. (Joshua 6)

It is interesting how much time we spend, trying to make our world safe and secure. We struggle to make our surroundings ordered and predictable. Our main goal is to get through each day with as little difficulty as possible. We work to secure our national borders, our public schools, our large venues and our homes. We watch as random violence against those around us, undermines our sense of wellbeing and comfort. With each collective failure to maintain a secure environment, our discomfort grows. Like Jericho, we can’t seem to build the walls strong enough.

Maybe we miss the point entirely. The search for safety and security in this life is an impossible goal and likely a goal that is counter-productive to our spiritual growth. You see, it is when our world seems unsteady and we reach for a handhold, that we find the hand of God. Adverse circumstances and unsettled days can cause us to live in a conscious dependence on God. Trouble can highlight our awareness of Him, and the darkness of adversity can illuminate the radiance of His face. Remember that there is great value in maturity and endurance that comes as a result of various earthly difficulties! (James 1)

Dean Murphy

As the primary preacher, sermon preparation takes up a very large percentage of my work week. This must happen because Sunday morning comes every seven days without fail. Whether I am ready or not, God’s people will assemble for worship. Somewhere in that assembly, I will stand before the congregation and deliver “the message of the hour.” There will be a beginning, a middle, and an end. As we leave, I may get a little feedback, positive and negative (I appreciate both), and we will call it a day.

Let me bring you in on a little secret, though. The preacher’s sermon is not the only message delivered in the assembly. In fact, when he stands up to preach it’s not the beginning, nor is it the end of the message when he sits down. If anything, what he provides is the middle. You see, the message begins the moment Christians walk through the door.

In Colossians 3:16, the apostle Paul says that we are to “let the word (message) of Christ dwell in [us] richly…” In Matthew 15:18, Jesus taught the principle that “what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart.” It stands to reason, then, that when the message of Jesus dwells inside of us, whatever comes out of our mouths is, in effect, the message of Christ.

When Christians enter the building on Sunday morning, our interactions with one another are the beginning of the message of the day: our warm greetings, asking about each other’s weeks, celebrating victories, grieving over the losses. All of these are communicating that Jesus binds us together into a spiritual family that cannot be taken away.

Furthermore, Paul goes on to say in Colossians 3:16 that the message of Christ is communicated when we “[teach] and [admonish] one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” When we sing during our assemblies, we are all engaging in a mutual “message of the hour.” We horizontally educate and encourage as we vertically lift praise and adoration to God. Consider also what he says concerning the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11:26. In partaking of the memorial feast we are communally proclaiming the salvific death of our Lord! We are communicating the power of his sacrifice. By the time the preacher gets up, the message is not beginning…it’s been going strong for quite a while.

In a consumer-driven world, it’s easy to slip into a pattern of thinking that churchgoers receive a single message during the hour of worship on Sunday. However, it is much more accurate to say that the sermon is merely a specific part of a much larger message that ALL Christians are proclaiming. When you pull into the parking lot on Sunday, or tune in to the livestream, pause for a moment and remember, the sermon is not the only message of the day. The message starts when you walk through the door.

Cory Waddell

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Mark 4:9, ESV)

Hearing is a natural phenomenon. We don’t even have to try. It just – happens.

Yet, the physical act of hearing might as well be a miracle. There are so many things that have to be in place, so many things have to go right for it to happen, that it is a wonder we can hear anything at all. Think of how it works, and all of the things that can go wrong.

An object makes a movement. It could be a butterfly wing, a voice box, a falling tree branch, a doorbell. Air molecules are disturbed. These molecules then bump into billions of others. Whether or not the disturbance of those molecules ever reaches you is a matter of numerous factors, like: the mass of that object, the velocity with which it was moving, any other objects with which it might have collided, and our distance from it. That’s why the vibrations of an ant crawling on the floor next to us are essentially undetectable, while we hear the siren of a fire engine from across town. If we are close enough and the mass of the object is great enough, we will “hear” the sound. Well, maybe.

We must also be capable of detecting the frequency of vibrations that object has made. Frequency basically describes the distance between these ripples in air molecules, and is measured on a scale called Hertz (Hz). You might have seen it digitized in software in the form of waves. We hear it as pitch, like the varying notes on a scale. An “A” note – the standard musical tuning note – is 440 Hz. The extreme ends of human auditory range are between 20 and 20,000 Hz. Dog whistles begin around 20,000Hz. So only if the sound is more than 20 and less than 20,000 Hz humans can “hear” it. Maybe.

Even more can go wrong. These “waves” still must be physically captured (by our pinnae, the outer, visible flaps on the side of our heads) and drawn into a little funnel-shaped hole (ear canals) in either side of our heads. Any obstruction or malfunction of those physical capabilities will alter, dampen or obstruct hearing.

But, even if the waves reach this funnel-shaped hole our head, in order to experience all there is to experience, both of them must function properly. Our left and right ears function essentially the same, but because the vibrations they detect are processed by different hemispheres of the brain, the end product is different for each. Don’t believe it? Listen to your favorite song through only one ear bud or headphone, and then the other. If both ears aren’t functioning properly, or if only one is available to receive the particles smashing through the atmosphere, the result will be a distortion of sorts.

Yet, suppose that both ears and hemispheres of the brain are functioning properly. There are still things that can go wrong. There are numerous parts to the working of the inner ear, the ear drum, vestibule, and cochlea. Then there are the ossicles (commonly called the hammer, the anvil and the stirrup) – the three smallest bones in the human body. They work together to create an amplifier. They do this by increasing the pressure on the cochlear fluid to create a signal that is translated into nerve impulses that are then translated by the brain. Any interruption in this process means no signal gets to the brain via the auditory nerve. Or, it could be that the Eustachian tube is inflamed or clogged because of allergies, or a “head” cold, or a tumor could be compromising some aspect of these functions.

Even more things can go wrong. For example, other vibrations can be – in fact, always are – clashing through the air at the same time. What you thought you heard wasn’t one sound; maybe it was three or four sounds blended together.

If all that works, we’ve only begun to deal with the issues that inhibit hearing. There is the matter of the tricks our brains play on us. Brains are sophisticated things that, for reasons not completely known, and without the decent courtesy of asking our permission, tend to make a few things up as they go. Especially in the processes of sight and sound, our brains learn over time to recognize certain visual and auditory patterns and “block them out.” It keeps us from having to process every single thing as a new experience. Our brains label some patterns we see, and some noises we hear – however important they might have been – as irrelevant background stuff.

Of course, this all says nothing of emotional blockades. Perhaps someone is talking with whom you do not have a particular emotional connection, or they are talking about something you don’t like or care about (like, let’s say, pattern-making for dog garments). Or, perhaps grandma has told you this story before. This time, you consciously choose to ignore it, or at least relegate it to the “background noise” bin.

Hopefully, the spiritual parallels haven’t been lost on at this point. When it comes to physical hearing – with all of its nuance and complexity and moving (and non-moving) parts – so much can go wrong.

Should we be surprised if spiritual hearing – listening to God – would be equally, if not more precarious?

The creator of hearing and sound said:

“Pay attention to what you hear” (Mark 4:24, ESV), and

“Take care then how you hear” (Luke 8:18).

Indeed, friends, take good care, for so much can go wrong.

Rick Kelley

US military uniforms display a variety of insignia that detail the wearer’s rank and different qualifications that he or she may have. In 2005, the US Army mandated the wear of the United States flag on the right shoulder of the combat uniform at all times. Before this, the flag was worn on the uniform only when soldiers were deployed out of the country to identify them as US soldiers. The Army Chief of Staff wanted all soldiers to wear the flag whether at home station in the United States or when deployed to an operational or combat theater so it would serve as a constant reminder that the US Army was an expeditionary force at war, always ready to serve any time and any place.

Christianity is remarkably similar to this. One chooses to follow God and makes the decision to repent from the ways of the world and put on Jesus Christ as his or her “new uniform”. From that time forward, it is up to the Christian to “wear” his faith each day, to openly show that he is a follower of God and the Bible, and to serve in such a way that pleases the Lord and inspires others. Matthew 5:16 says: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” In doing so, our reward will be great. Jesus says in Luke 12:8: “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God.”

Living our lives as Christians is a service that is rewarding and fulfilling, pleases God, and brings others to Him. Just as soldiers are proud to be part of the US Army and wear the uniform and flag with pride, we can be proud of our affiliation with our Lord and openly show our love for Him each day!

Bill Rose

Being industrious and hardworking is a quality that Solomon knew was needed if a person is to be truly wise. In Ecclesiastes 2 we see some of what he did, while in Proverbs he wrote about not being lazy.

The word we find in most English versions of Proverbs is ‘sluggard’. This is defined as “as lazy, sluggish person”. The idea seems to be that because they are lazy they are slow; they don’t want to do what is needing to be done.

Rather than working, the sluggard finds any excuse not to work. “The sluggard has said, ‘There is a lion outside! I will be killed in the middle of the streets!’” (Proverbs 22:13 NET). It might sound foolish that someone would use such an excuse to get out of doing something, but some of the excuses we offer could be just as bad!

Sometimes it is just too easy to put off doing what needs done. Solomon was writing in an agricultural society. Planting and harvesting were necessary if a person wanted to survive and support their family. Yet someone who is lazy will find any excuse not to do the work.

“The sluggard will not plow during the planting season, so at harvest time he asks for grain but has nothing.” (Proverbs 20:4)

“I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of one who lacks sense. I saw that thorns had grown up all over it, the ground was covered with weeds, and its stone wall was broken down. Then I scrutinized it. I was putting my mind to it—I saw; I took in a lesson: ‘A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to relax, and your poverty will come like a bandit, and your need like an armed robber.’” (Proverbs 24:30-34)

Isn’t that so true to life? When someone never gets around to plowing, planting, and harvesting, they end up having nothing. But farming requires more than just planting and harvesting – the fields also need to be taken care of. Notice that Solomon passed a field and he could tell the person who owned it was lazy because of the neglect: the plants growing were weeds and thorns and the wall surrounding the field was broken down. Not only could nothing useful grow, but without a wall animals could also get in and eat any growing crops.

Solomon analyzed the problem: the person spent too much time in bed. If all a person does is relax they will never get anything accomplished. The result of this is poverty. Yet the solution would seem to be clear: get to work!

Solomon also identified the type of person we need to be. Rather than being a sluggard we need to be righteous.

“What the sluggard desires will kill him, for his hands have refused to work. All day long he has craved greedily, but the righteous person gives and does not hold back.” (Proverbs 21:25-26)

Wanting, yet refusing to do anything to fulfill our desire, can lead to great frustration. But notice the contrast: the righteous person, because they are industrious, has more than enough to give to those who are in need.

We could make the same application spiritually, as well. What about the person who wants to be a mature, respected Christian, yet refuses to spend time with God’s word, God’s people, or helping others. There will be no spiritual growth.

Whether physically or spiritually, we must learn the importance of doing what we can. When we do all we can, we will be satisfied physically and will grow spiritually. Perhaps Paul expressed this best when he encouraged Christians to live lives that are pleasing to the Lord: “Awake, O sleeper! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you!” (Ephesians 5:14).

Photo by Engin_Akyurt from Pixabay 

by Jon Galloway

?” How long is God going to delay comforting David in his discipline, showing David His love and grace?

RETURN AND RESCUE – 6:4-5:

In this small paragraph, there are three imperatives that David gives God: “Return (#1), Jehovah! Rescue (#2) my soul! Save (#3) me because of your lovingkindness!” Here is that beautiful word from the Hebrew language that cannot be translated by one single English word: lovingkindness, love, grace, loyalty. God had made a promise to David that God would bless David and David’s family for generations. But when you get disciplined, disciplined severely, you wonder if God is going to change His mind. David calls on God not to change His mind because God is loyal to His covenant. That’s the idea behind this word: “lovingkindness.”

David fears death, perhaps even death at the hands of God! There is not in death memory of God. In sheol (the unseen world equivalent to “hades” in the NT), who, David asks, “will praise God?” Now, there are those religions who do not believe in consciousness after death, especially in hell. So, they point to verses like this and say, “See, there is no memory of God in death.” But, this is poetry and David is not making a theological statement about life after death. David is lamenting that if he is dead, he can’t worship God.

I MAKE MY BED SWIM – 6:6-7:

“I am weary,” David says, “with my groaning.” This is audible sighing from pain, from frustration – not just being worn out physically but being worn out emotionally. David is such an emotional person. He is so scared. He is so upset at what he has done to God to cause God to discipline him, that he cries – all night long. He can’t sleep at night in his bed because he cries. So he gets up and sits on the coach or the recliner but he can’t find any comfort emotionally. He cries there just as much, so much that he dissolves the couch with tears.

THE LORD HAS HEARD AND RECEIVED – 6:8-10:

In this paragraph, even while David is “smarting” from God’s discipline, he turns to his enemies and challenges them to leave him alone. Why?

“Because Jehovah has heard the voice of my weeping.” When you hurt, I can’t always give you the answers. But I can assure you, if you are a faithful Christian, that God hears you. God hears your weeping.

“Jehovah, my prayer, He took.” Jehovah God receives David’s prayer. Will you picture that for just a moment? David sent his prayer to God in heaven and God took it. God holds David’s prayer in His hands. What’s He doing with it? He’s examining it. He’s evaluating it. God is deciding how He is going to answer that prayer in David’s best interest. Why? Because of God’s lovingkindness and loyalty and grace and mercy!

David is in pain. He has been touched by his enemies, which he interprets to be God’s punishment. But David understands it to be discipline. He refocuses his heart on God. He knows God hears his prayer and he challenges his enemies to leave him alone. He has a Father who cares.

There is biblical truth in the statement, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” As we see in the account of Job, God restrains Satan from destroying us. God will not allow Satan to overwhelm us beyond our ability to refuse. Trials and temptations can make us stronger. They can make us better quality Christians. They can make us more determined to follow our Master.

Sometimes, again Job is a good example, we can’t explain why we experience what we experience except to say there is sin in the world and Satan is the prince of the powers of darkness.

But when we do suffer, we need to know that we have a Father who is in heaven to whom we can call out for grace and mercy.

Paul Holland

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! For his mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from the hand of the enemy” (Psalm 107:1-2 NKJV).

When I first began traveling to Nepal almost 30 years ago I was told that, until recently, there had been no word for thank you in their language. After exposure to western vacationers following the opening of the country in the 1950s, someone coined the word dhanobhad to translate the English term “Thank you.”

Words express ideas or concepts and denote objects and actions familiar to those who speak a given language. If a society uses something, they generally have a word for it.

In Bangladesh homes have little furniture and even now often lack chairs. Historically they did not use that particular item. If there is a word for chair in Bangla, I have never heard it used. They have simply adopted the English word as the object has gradually become more common.

All of that is to point out that saying “Thank you” is not a habit or custom in all cultures. And if they do not have a word for it, one doubts that the attitude behind the phrase (i.e., gratitude) is of value to them. Gratitude is a virtue that is encouraged, and even commanded, in the Bible and has become a standard part of Christian character. But when one travels to areas where the Bible is not known, outward expressions of gratitude are much less frequently heard.

The Psalmist of old recognized that not everyone thinks to express thanksgiving to God, and that such thanksgiving should be abundant. God is good. Those who have received the fruits of his goodness should tell others, as well as God himself, about his goodness.

That even many of the redeemed (that is those of Israel whom God had brought back from captivity, see verses 4-7) did not proclaim God’s goodness is manifest in the Psalm. Four times in the poem he states: “Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men” (Psalm 107:8, 15, 21, 31). His plea implies that ingratitude (or at least the failure to express gratitude outwardly) was the attitude of the vast majority.

The first two pleas are justified by acts of God’s goodness for which they should be thankful.

“For he satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness” (v. 9).

“For he has broken the gates of bronze, and cut the bars of iron in two” (v. 16).

The other pleas are followed by suggestions as to how gratitude should be expressed.

“Let them sacrifice the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing” (v. 22).

“Let them exalt him also in the assembly of the people, and praise him in the company of the elders” (v. 32).

When Christians worship together they not only express their devotion and thanksgiving to God himself, they also proclaim his praises (1 Peter 2:9) to all in attendance. In any assembly there may be unbelievers, those suffering from doubt or discouragement, or others who need to be reminded that our God is good and that we all are recipients of many blessings from that goodness.

Over the years I have heard many defend non-attendance of worship assemblies with statements such as, “I can worship God at home by myself; I don’t need to be with others.” To them I answer, “Yes you do; that is simply not true. And, further, others need you to remind them of God’s goodness and blessings.”

The infinite glory of God cannot be fully perceived or expressed by human tongue. But what we can perceive we must share with others. “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.”

J. Randal Matheny

Parents who wanted their children to have what they were deprived of often discover it growing among the toys and privileges.

Christians who help the poor sometimes see it in the scowls at the same time the hand is extended.

Friends who share the amazing gift of God’s grace with their loved ones see it in the face of those who find salvation a small thing.

Ingratitude.

It comes in many shapes and forms.

• The quality of devaluing the preciousness of a gift.
• The trait of despising the love that shares freely.
• The attitude that sees privileges as rights.
• The selfishness never content with what it has.
• The hardness that nothing is ever good enough for me.

And wherever it raises its head in my life, it deserves a solid stomp. For it’s a last-days sin. Though there’s nothing in the law books about it, God’s list of horrendous crimes against divinity includes it.

“But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For me will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; and avoid such men as these” (2 Timothy 3:1-5, NASV).

The ingrate says, “Can’t you do better than that? I deserve that and much more! Why did you take so long? I want something different.”

Or he yawns, “Yeah, okay. Set it right over there, with the other trash.”

The ingrates pockets are full, and his heart is empty.

How does a person put away ingratitude to learn to be thankful? The best way is by standing at the foot of the cross. And by sitting around the table of the Lord. Eating the bread of Christ and drinking the blood of the covenant among a grateful people of God.

If that doesn’t move me into the grateful category, nothing will.

“Generous God of heaven, I don’t deserve a single thing. But you keep on giving and blessing. Let my lips speak praise and thanksgiving. Let my eyes see your goodness. Let my heart be touched at every turn by your grace. I know Jesus is the greatest, most wonderful gift of all. Amen.”

A. A. Neale