During the first century, a runaway slave fled from the city of Colossae all the way to Rome, more than 1300 miles away.  Apparently, he didn’t want to get caught! It was while he was in Rome that he happened to hear and be converted by the imprisoned, Apostle Paul.  In a letter that Paul wrote to Philemon, Onesimus’ former master, Paul entertained the idea that this entire event (i.e. Onemisus running away, running all the way to Rome, meeting Paul, and becoming a Christian) was all a part of God’s providence. Was he certain of it?  No, but he said, “perhaps” (Philemon 15). What an amazing set of circumstances, and possibly all orchestrated by God!

But let me remind you of something.  God’s providence is as active in today’s world as it was in the days of the apostle Paul. God still works good on behalf of those who love and seek him.

Enter Ron and Zona Hogan. Ron and Zona are good friends of mine who live the in the remote town of Kotzebue, Alaska (take the time to look it up on a map). For years, Ron and Zona have faithfully worshiped in their home, inviting others in their small community to join them. Recently, a couple named Precio and Joseline, moved to Kotzebue from the Dominican Republic. Ron and Zona struck up a friendship with them, despite the language barrier (Englsih/Spanish).  Joseline, who was already a Christian and her husband began worshiping with and studying with Ron and Zona. Last week, Precio told Ron that he wanted to be baptized into Christ. Ron contacted a Spanish speaking friend in Texas and had her translate the words he was going to say prior to baptizing Precio.  So, Ron was able to speak to him in his native language and hear Precio say, “Jesucristo es el Hijo de Dios.” (Jesus Christ is the Son of God).

Now, what are the odds that Ron Hogan, from Kentucky, would meet Precio, from the Dominican Republic, in Kotzebue, Alaska? Is this any less amazing than Paul’s unlikely meeting with Onesimus? Not at all.  Was this the providence of God at work today? I’ll answer that question as Paul did 2000 years ago, “Perhaps!”

by Steve Higginbotham

Nosiree, I didn’t commit a typographical error in the title. A litotes* is a figure of speech, and a common one at that. It is, according to a Webster clone, an “understatement for effect”, especially when expressed by a negative to the contrary. In plainer words, you use a negative when you mean a positive.

An example: You say, “I have not a few regrets.” You mean, “I have many, many regrets.”

Another example: You say, “That’s not bad.” You mean, “That’s really good!”

A third example, and I’ll get to my point. You say, “He’s no dummy.” You mean, “He’s quite intelligent.”

The Bible uses litotes as well, as we might expect.

We know that when the angel says to Mary that “with God nothing will be impossible” (Lk. 1:37, NKJV), he means to say that with God all things are possible.

Paul calls his hometown of Tarsus “no insignificant city” (Acts 21:39, NASB), meaning quite an important city.

To the Galatians, Paul says, “You have not injured me at all” (4:12, NJKV), and he wanted them to understand, “You treated me very well.”

So this contrary understatement shows up not infrequently (oops! another litotes, there) in the Bible.

I suspect Romans 13:10 brings us another case.

“Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

Paul had a reason for putting this in the negative. He has just cited several of the ten commandments, “Thou shalt not.” So Paul continues the idea of the negative when he sums up. But the studied apostle knows that the commandments just cited aren’t mere “don’t-do” orders. They go beyond the prohibition to give life to how one is to love neighbor as self.

So his “do-no-harm” affirmation is understatement. Between him and his readers, everybody understands that love does much more than refrain from injuring others.

There are plenty of people who will tell you God must like them because they don’t steal, murder, rape, or set fire to the neighbor’s yapping poodle. Aren’t they wonderful people? (Especially the last class.)

Love is a positive. Love not only does no harm to one’s neighbor, but actively promotes his good. Love searches for ways to serve, is on 24/7 guard duty for opportunities to do a fellow right. Love is good will in action.

But you didn’t need a litotes to tell you that, now did you?

*Most people pronounce it LIGHT-uh-tease.

A. A. Neale

Some of Jesus’ sayings and parables are baffling at first glance. When we first hear Jesus characterize citizens of his kingdom as impoverished, sorrowful, happy-to-be-persecuted beggars, we might be confused. When he told people to eat his flesh and drink his blood – a metaphor for absorbing Jesus’ life and teachings into themselves – many followers were disgusted and left him (John 6:66).

How do we comprehend these things? How do we better understand Jesus’ words?

1) The simplest explanation is usually the right one. While on earth, Jesus chose things like dirt, weeds, and flowers to teach some of the greatest truths (Matthew 6:25-33). Jesus kept it simple. The common people – the average person – “heard him gladly” (Mark 12:37). They comprehended him easily. The spiritual elites believed the average, unlearned Israelite was incapable of understanding God’s word (John 7:49). Who was right?

2) Jesus meant to be understood. Though Jesus kept his teachings veiled from those who meant him or his disciples harm, ultimately, he meant to be understood. This was prophesied (Psalm 78:1-2; Matthew 13:14-15; cf. Isaiah 6:9-10). The most important truths of Scripture are not hard to grasp. There are curiosities we may never have answered, but the truths we need to know are plain. Isn’t it reasonable to assume that Jesus intended to be understood?

3) Hearing is a heart issue. We can listen with our ears, but hearing is a spiritual exercise. It is a discipline. When one is convinced Jesus is the resurrected son of God, he will seek to understand Jesus more, rather than balk at the difficulties sometimes inherent in his words. If we complain about Jesus’ words being too difficult, could we be revealing our own heart problem?

Do you understand dirt and weeds? Flowers and grass? What about ovens, salt, light, and taxes? One of the great questions we can ask ourselves is, “Do I really want to know?”

Far more difficult than comprehending the words of Jesus is applying them.

Rick Kelley

If an all-powerful being desired to reveal itself to a lesser, more finite group of people, how would he do so? There are a myriad of different ways to demonstrate power and strength. Typically, when I think of power I think of the ability over a subject. Such a case can be found in someone like the president or war leader. Certainly an act of domination would suffice to prove power. For example, my parents would often remind me, “I brought you into this world, I can take you out of it too.” There was no doubt in my mind concerning who had power over me at particular moments in life.

Think with me for a moment. Put yourself in a deified position – how would you prove your power to mankind? Would it be through world dominion? Perhaps even obtaining an undeniable amount of riches? What about forcefully subjecting mankind to grant your every wish? I believe God to have the best approach to the scenario. He revealed Himself through His Son and the miracles that followed (Heb. 1:1,2; John 14:9).

The gospel of John records only a small amount of Christ’s life and what He accomplished (John 20:30). However, this written account does a brilliant job of laying out the miracles that Christ performed. Listed below are just some of those miracles:
– Providing at the wedding (John 2:1-11)
– Reading of the Samaritan woman’s heart (John 4:7-26)
– Healing of the child (John 4:46-54)
– Healing of the sick man (John 5:1-17)
– Providing food for the thousands (John 6:10-14)
– Walking on Water and eliminating fear (John 6:16-21)
– Giving sight to the blind (John 9)
– Bringing life to the dead (John 11:1-16)

Which of those miracles were a selfish display of power? And which of those miracles failed to validate God’s power? Jesus perfectly balanced power and charity through the acts of His miracles. Of all the ways and opportunities that Christ could have shown absolute power, He chose love over self.

When I look at the miracles, I see God’s goodness. The climax of His revelation to man was done through the avenue of absolute selflessness. Sometimes, we can get so caught up in the physical aspect of miracles without recognizing or admiring what Jesus was really doing. From the miracles, I have gleaned these three lessons:

1. No matter who I am or where I am, I can show love.
2. Power requires responsibility, but God demands charity.

God is SO good in what He has done for me, and what He has done for others.

Tyler King

Their hearts burned within them

Can you imagine what it was like for Cleopas and his friend as they walked home from Jerusalem on the Sunday after Passover? Both men were disciples of Jesus, yet their teacher had been executed over the weekend. As they began the two-hour walk back to their village they began discussing what had happened that holiday weekend.

The discussion they had became quite emotional and possibly even heated. And then a stranger joined them and asked, “What is this dispute that you’re having with each other as you are walking?” (Luke 24:17 CSB). They stopped walking and looked sad and discouraged.

“The one named Cleopas answered him, ‘Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that happened there in these days?’ ‘What things?’ he asked them. So they said to him, ‘The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet powerful in action and speech before God and all the people…’ (Luke 24:18-20).

He went on to tell how the Jewish leaders had handed Jesus over to the Romans and he had been crucified. They believed that he was the promised Messiah and had put their hopes in him – but now he was dead. But that hadn’t been the end of the matter. Earlier that very day, the third since his death, some of the women of their group had shocked them by finding Jesus’ tomb empty! They also said that they had seen angels who said that Jesus was alive. Some of the men went to the tomb and confirmed that it was empty. They didn’t know what to think.

At this point, the stranger entered the conversation. He began going through the Jewish scriptures, from Moses through all the Prophets and explained how they applied to the Messiah. Wouldn’t you love to have heard that conversation!

When they arrived at their village they invited the stranger to come with them – they wanted to hear more. Food was brought out and they took their places together around the table.

“It was as he reclined at the table with them that he took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, but he disappeared from their sight” (Luke 24:30-31).

They then recognized that this was Jesus – alive! And just as they recognized him he disappeared – vanished from sight! They had been with Jesus for the last few hours but had not recognized him [the text tells us “But they were prevented from recognizing him” (Luke 24:16)]. They immediately went back to Jerusalem to tell the others that Jesus was alive and they had seen him.

Notice what they said about the time they had spent with Jesus: “Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32). Their time with Jesus had made a difference even though they had not recognized him.

Does our time with Jesus make a difference to us? When we study the Scriptures, either alone or with other Christians, does our heart burn within us as we consider Jesus and what he has done for us? Or have we been so desensitized by the world that when we read and study God’s word it has no impact on us?

May we approach the Scriptures with open eyes and longing hearts as we seek to know Jesus better.

Jon Galloway

How often are problems caused because people want to be the one in charge, the one telling others what to do? This is not only a problem today, but one that Moses had to deal with. Keep in mind that Moses did not want to be the leader of the Israelites, but God had selected him and got rid of all his excuses at the burning bush. God selected Moses’ brother Aaron to be his spokesman and later to be the high priest for Israel in the worship of God.

A couple of years after leaving Egypt, the Israelites arrived at the border of the Promised Land. After sending twelve men to get the lay of the land, they were so disheartened by the strength of the inhabitants that they refused to conquer the land. This led to a number of problems including challenging the leadership of Moses and Aaron.

“Now Korah the son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men. And they rose up before Moses, with a number of the people of Israel, 250 chiefs of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, well-known men. They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, ‘You have gone too far! For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?’” (Numbers 16:1-3 ESV).

The leader of this rebellion was of the tribe of Levi, the tribe God had selected to be holy. Those rebelling said that they were as much leaders as Moses and Aaron were.  In reality they were challenging God’s authority.

Moses told the rebels that God would indicate who was to be their leader. Each of the 250 leaders, along with Aaron, were to bring their censor filled with burning incense. God would then let them know who his chosen leader was. Although they initially refused to come, they showed up at the tent of meeting the next morning. They came, but they had stirred up the entire congregation against Moses and Aaron.

“So every man took his censer and put fire in them and laid incense on them and stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron. Then Korah assembled all the congregation against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And the glory of the LORD appeared to all the congregation” (Numbers 16:18-19 ESV).

God does not take rebellion lightly. After warning all the Israelites to get away from the rebellious Levites, God showed his ultimate authority.

“And as soon as he had finished speaking all these words, the ground under them split apart. And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods. So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly…And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men offering the incense” (Numbers 16:31-35 ESV).

How do we respond to leadership among God’s people today? Although we have very detailed descriptions of the character that those who lead must have (see 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-11), often those who do not meet this criteria want to be the one to lead. Even today God wants a very specific type of person to lead his people. And he wants his people to follow them.

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you” (Hebrews 13:17 ESV).

Rather than rebelling, we need to respect and cooperate with our leaders. In this way we not only make their responsibility easier, we are also being obedient to God.

Jon Galloway

Angry at God

As a young man C.S. Lewis was angry at God. His mother had died when he was still a boy; he had been sent to a boarding school, which in the long and undistinguished history of English education was “horrid.” Then he had fought in World War I, in the filth and mud of the trenches of France.

How, he angrily wondered, could a good God allow such pain and suffering? How could a powerful God not do something to stop such suffering?

The angry young man became an atheist.

The question of a good God and the realty of suffering is a challenging one for any person of faith. The biblical book of Job seems entirely dedicated to the question. David, in numerous laments, wonders whether God is acting in a just and righteous manner. Jesus’ plaintive cry from the cross, an echo of the same question asked by the Psalmist is the cry of many puzzled, frustrated humans: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1).

I grew up and did mission work in southern Africa. I have seen plenty of evidence that this is a cruel and harsh world. Most of the suffering I observed, interestingly, had been caused by human beings; war, dictatorship, lawlessness, all contributed to the suffering of the ordinary citizen. In a world where humans get to choose to serve God or serve themselves, many humans choose badly. At least at some level, it needs to be said, the suffering we witness in our sad, tired world is caused by ourselves, not by God.

But, of course, the question still remains: If that is so, then why does God not simply force all humans to choose well. If there was no more sin and cruelty in the world, that would eliminate war, oppression and suffering.

These are not simple questions, of course, but one thing is clear: an existence in which humans are controlled so completely by God that they always choose well would be a very different world from the one in which we live. Being forced to choose the good is, by definition, not a choice. Being forced to love God is, as you can see, not genuine love.

The next time you observe (or experience) something and you say, “I wish that had not happened,” remind yourself that God is saying exactly the same thing. God’s love is steady and undying; his heart breaks, I assure you, far more deeply than our limited hearts do, at suffering in our world.

I always think of the shortest verse in our English Bibles: “Jesus wept” (John 11:35).

Beloved, be assured of this: he still does.

Lewis’ began the long journey back to faith in God when a thought came to him unbidden: “How can I be angry at a God,” he wondered, whom I do not believe exists?” (Surprised by Joy, 115).

We cannot count on getting our way all the time; not even God gets his way all the time. We can, however, count on his love. In hard times that may not seem like much, but I believe it is enough.

Stan Mitchell

The medical ethicist’s ethics

A friend who runs an Alzheimer’s support group told me about a seminar in medical ethics he attended. The speaker used this analogy:

“You are on the bridge above a railroad track and see a train coming, as well as five individuals on the track who cannot see the oncoming train. The five do not know they are moments from being hit by a speeding train. The man next to you is fat. If you throw the fat man into the path of the oncoming train, it will slow the train and the five people on the track will be saved. Do you sacrifice the one, in order to save the five?”

The speaker’s position is yes!, throw the fat man under the train to save the five. His argument being “the greater good”. But, we don’t know that throwing the one under the train to save the five is the greater good. What if, unknown to us, the five were Hitler and his henchmen and the fat man were Ghandi, before he got skinny?

A man who will throw another person under the train to save five others will throw an entire ethnic group under the train to save a nation. It’s the same thing, and we call it “crimes against humanity”.

Let’s rewrite the analogy.

You are on the bridge above a railroad track and see a train coming. There are five individuals on the track. The man next to you is our speaker on medical ethics. If you throw the man who came up with this scenario into the path of the oncoming train, the five people on the track will be saved. How will the medical ethicist react to his humanity being stripped from him and being sacrificed in order to save the five?

Let’s make it personal. Will the speaker on ethics want done to him what he suggests is done to the fat man? He has no choice as to whether he lives or dies. You have deprived him of choice; his life, liberty and pursuit of happiness are in your hands, not his. His humanity taken from him, he is reduced to a sack of meat.

Let’s change the analogy again.

You are on the bridge above the railroad track, and see a train coming, as well as five individuals on the track. The five do not know they are moments from being hit by a speeding train. The man next to you is a powerfully built man, whereas you are rather portly. If you are thrown into the path of the oncoming train, the five on the track will be saved. The man next to you reduces you to a mere object, sacrificing you, the one, in order to save the five.

Do you want someone to take away your choice and decide you must die in order to save other folk who could very well be the most evil men alive?

When you hear folk say things like: “You can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs…” Run! You can bet when he looks in a mirror he sees the cook. When he looks at you, he sees the egg. Hitler and Mengele are not dead, they are teaching ethics at medical seminars.

On the other hand, Jesus teaches voluntarily surrendering ourselves for others. Jesus said, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). The ethical difference? Christ’s call to self-sacrifice is voluntary and noble; the ethicist’s call to sacrifice others is coercion.

Scott Wiley

Lilo and Stitch was a blockbuster hit in 2002, making over $270 million in the box office. The movie tells the story about a young girl who develops a friendship with a strange alien named Stitch. At first glance, Stitch is a character who is rough around the edges. He has a temper and a burning desire to blow everything up. However, throughout the movie Stitch develops a gentle attitude and becomes one who is caring and loving. I believe there is a lesson to be learned from the fluffy blue alien.

As an introductory foundation, Jesus starts His sermon by talking about the individuals that God approves of. Jesus starts each of these personas by stating, “blessed is the.” Another way of translating “blessed” is “God approved.” When Jesus taught on these beatitudes He was shaking the pillars of 1st Century philosophy. In the midst of the beatitudes Jesus states, “blessed are the meek.” In that time of history, meek meant weak. There was practically nothing good about the person who was gentle or submissive. Obviously there are some parallels even in today’s world. So why is it, that we ought to strive to be gentle/humble?

Three thoughts to consider in the text of Matthew 5:5

1. God approves of such behavior – This should certainly be one of the first motives. The ideology of the first century and the centuries to follow has always classified the meek as weak. The fact is gentleness does not promote weakness. If anything, it is the opposite. It takes great strength to put yourself last and care for the needs of the individuals around you.
2. You might be the answer to someone’s prayer – In one scene of Lilo and Stitch, Lilo is found in her room praying for a friend. Often times, prayers consist of “Lord give me comfort” or “give me strength.” Is it too far fetched to believe that God could be providing such things through you? We as individuals have the ability to carry out the work of God if we are willing. Certainly Paul’s words ring true as he stated, “do your best to come to me soon” when he was facing severe danger in 2 Timothy 4:9.
3. You have the opportunity to be a benefit, not a deficit – The world needs more gentle-minded individuals. Certainly was the case as Jesus taught this. When you read through His sermon, you’ll start to recognize Christ encouraging His listeners to become better people all around. Ain’t a soul out there who loves to be around someone who is harsh, degrading, and belittling. Being gentle is a great way to be a benefit in this world.

Though Stitch didn’t start out as a calm-natured, caring individual, it’s what he grew to be. It doesn’t matter if you’re starting from a rough position. What matters is the destination. At the end of the movie, Stitch found his family because he was able to put himself last. He understood that being part of a family was a better life than being self-reliant and egotistical. Be gentle and kind and you’ll benefit God, the people around you, and yourself.

Tyler King

In Acts 18:12 the book of Acts speaks of Paul being dragged before Gallio, whom Luke describes as “proconsul of Achaia.” Skeptics railed at this description, pointing out that there was no record of such a man governing the province at that time.

Of course, the reader should understand two things. First, we don’t know everything. There is a host of governors and leaders in ancient times about whom we have no record. As it turns out, we don’t know everything. Rather than saying “records of a proconsul named Gallio don’t exist,” it would be more honest to say, “We don’t yet have a record of Gallio outside the Bible.” Second, the purpose of doing archaeology is to try to fill in those gaps in knowledge. Otherwise, why do it?

Achaia was the southern-most province of Greece, including Corinth (where Paul was at the time) and another town named Delphi.

In the 1960’s an inscription was found at Delphi. It was written on a stone that apparently formed the sign of an Oracle (something like a crystal ball reader) who boasted that she was so popular even “Gallio the Proconsul of Achaia” had consulted her! It would be interesting to know what he asked her, though no record of that is known.

The inscription is dated around A.D. 52 and allows us to place Paul at Corinth at about that time because proconsuls served in a province for a period of two years. This helps biblical scholars to date Paul’s second missionary journey. Once again our faith in the biblical documents is strengthened; unlike modern news outlets or documentaries, the Bible is a book whose details can be factually verified.

Stan Mitchell

WHEN “ONE” MEANS “MANY”

“There is one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were

                        called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith,

                        one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all,

                        and in all.”   (Eph. 4:4-6).

     In ancient time the study and use of “numerology” was much used, even among the Jews.  Three was significant number and became associated with the Godhead.  Four, because it represented the different directions.  Seven was the complete.  Twelve was perfect.  But the number “1” receives very little attention.

By Definition:  The dictionary almost ignores number “1”.  While much is said about other numbers, “one” is defined as : “single in number”.  That’s it.  Maybe the thought was that since “1” is so much used, and simple, that surely everyone understands what “1” means!  But is this so?

One is a confusing number.  Man has great difficulty understanding its meaning.  There are times and things, when all know that one, “1”, means one…single, not more!  Yet there are other times when man says that one “1” means many, several, a multiplicity!

     When one really means one.  To the believer of the Bible, “One God”, means one God. (Eph. 4:6).  From Exodus 20:3, to the close of  Revelation, there is One God!  I don’t know of any Bible believers who teach that one God means many.

But in religious teaching today, the list of the use of one that really means one, is very short.  The number “1” has fallen on “hard times”.  Not many know what it means today.  When we look at a few of the Bible uses of the number “1”, we shall see that to many, the number “1” is a confusing number.

Christ is the One Mediator between God and man.  “For there is one God, one mediator, also between God  and men, himself man,  Christ Jesus.”  (I  Tim. 2:5).  Now what does one mean?  How many mediators are there?  In much of the religious world, one mediator really means many.  The “priest” stands between man and God.  The “Saints” (by their definition of Saint) mediates for man.  “Mary” is yet another.  So the statement in I Tim. 2:5; One Mediator—to them, really means many.

In Eph. 4:4 the Bible tells us there is one Faith.  Jude 3 tells us to contend earnestly for the Faith.  Now what does one  mean?  In the religious world today, one obviously means “many”.  You hear them ‘thank God’ for the many faiths.  Everyone can believe the one he wants, your faith…my faith, one faith is as good as another…thus to them one means many!

Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth, and the life; no one cometh unto the Father, but by me.”  (John 14:6).  How many Jesus’ are there?  What does one way mean?  If we  follow the logic of man, then one way or the way, means many.  Man says, ‘you go your way, I’ll go mine, it doesn’t make any difference,  because we are all going to the same place.  One way is as good as another!  Does one way, really mean many?

Why has man changed one to  many?  We have seen several examples where man has changed one to many.  How do they attempt to justify this?  Because they have little or no respect for what the Bible teaches!  It is either ignored, or it is denied.

One Is The Lawgiver!  (James 4:12).  One is single, it can never mean ‘many’.  Men get together and ‘vote’ on what they want to believe, or not believe.  Every time man changes God’s Law, he is setting himself  up as ‘lawgiver’.  When man changed God’s “one” to ‘Many’, he is trying to take from God the authority of Lawgiver.

Man would like to eliminate the One Lawgiver, One Judge, and One Standard, then he could be judged to suit, and to please himself.  When will we learn that one really means one!

Frank Briscoe

One day he came home and was greeted by his young daughter, Minnie, whose legs were paralyzed. He was about to carry a package from the mail upstairs when Minnie said, “Daddy, I will carry that package upstairs for you.” The preacher replied, “Minnie dear, how can you carry the package?” With a smile on her face, Minnie said, “If you will give me the package, I will hold it while you carry me.” This sweet gesture from his daughter reminded him of the the way God wants to help us with our own burdens.

God is fully aware of the stresses and burdens we bare. He also wants to help us with them. In the book of Isaiah, God gave Israel a reminder, “Even to your old age I will be the same, and even to your graying years I will bear you!  I have done it, and I will carry you; and I will bear you and I will deliver you” (46:3-4).

The stresses of life can become extremely heavy and burdensome. We don’t have to bear all of this alone. He cares when we are stressed out. Let’s remember that God is willing to take the load for us (Matthew 11:28-30; 1 Peter 5:7). What a loving God we serve!

Brett Petrillo

Cream of Bacon Soup

    Rachel was cutting out coupons the other day and came across Campbell’s new cream of bacon soup. Cream of bacon soup!? When I heard that, I thought, “Why haven’t we thought of that before!?” Could you imagine being the man or woman who woke up one morning and said, “Wow! Cream of bacon soup!” We’ve had cream of chicken soup. Cream of mushroom soup. Cream of broccoli soup. We even have cream of celery soup; why, I don’t know. But why hasn’t mankind ever thought up cream of bacon soup until 2018? Who thought up cream of asparagus soup before they thought of cream of bacon soup?

    You know, man could not have and did not imagine God’s plan of salvation. When you look at religions created by man, you see that man thinks to pay for the penalty of sin, you have to flagellate yourself. Think about the religions of the world: Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism. These and other religions teach that to atone for sins, you must be punished; you must punish yourself. Even in America, when man thinks up his own “plan of salvation,” it comes out to something like trying to “balance the scales” of justice. As long as your good works outweigh your bad works, you can be saved. That’s man’s idea of salvation.

    The problem is that you will never know if your good works “outweigh” the bad. If one commits murder, how many poor people does he have to feed before he atones for the murder? You can never know. This illustrates what man imagines when he thinks up a “plan of salvation.”

    Which illustrates how unique the real plan of salvation is. It is outside of man’s thinking and imagination. No wonder the apostles had trouble accepting everything Jesus was teaching them. A crucified Savior? God in the flesh, taking upon Himself, the sins of man? Who could have thought of that?

    Paul dealt with this type of thinking in 1 Corinthians 2:1-9: “And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”

    Let us be thankful, very thankful, for the plan of salvation as God has revealed it to us through the Spirit’s words (1 Cor. 2:10-14) and not ever change one item in it. It reveals God’s wisdom.

Paul Holland

There is an interesting anomaly that took place while David was king. It is found in the list of the men who were his advisors or, perhaps we might say, his cabinet.

“So David reigned over all Israel, administering justice and righteousness for all his people. Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was court historian; Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was court secretary; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief officials” (2 Samuel 8:15-18 CSB).

You may have missed it in that reading, but there are two men who were designated as “priests” – these men were both, at that time, serving as high priest. You might wonder how that happened. This seems to be the story.

The Ark of the Covenant was captured in battle by the Philistines, while Eli was high priest and a judge of Israel, but eventually, it was sent back and ended up in a home in Israel. As we read in 2 Samuel 6, David began to move the Ark to Jerusalem but it ended up in another home before eventually being properly carried to Jerusalem.

Although there was no Ark, the Tabernacle continued to be the center of sacrifices. After Eli’s sons were killed in battle and Eli died, there seems to have been no one to serve as high priest and it wasn’t until Samuel grew up that he took on this role until the next in line was able to serve. The next priest was Ahitub, son of Eli’s son Phinehas and grandson of Eli – this may be the same child as the one born as his mother died when learning the news of the capture of the Ark, whom she named Ichabod (1 Samuel 4:21).

The line continued through Ahimelech (identified as “the son of Ahitub”) – he was the high priest at the time of King Saul when the King had him executed for helping David (see 1 Samuel 21-22). When we arrive in the time of David, there ended up being two serving as high priest: Zadok, son of Ahitub, and Abiathar, son of Ahimelech.

There were then two places of worship: one in Jerusalem, near David, and the other in Gibeon, where the Tabernacle was set up. Zadok was assigned to be the high priest in Gibeon at the Tabernacle “to offer burnt offerings regularly, morning and evening, to the Lord on the altar of burnt offerings and to do everything that was written in the law of the Lord, which he had commanded Israel to keep” (1 Chronicles 16:40). With Zadok were other priests and Levites to serve as gatekeepers, musicians, and to assist with the sacrifices.

It would seem that Abiathar was the high priest at the Ark of the Covenant in its tent in Jerusalem. Although he isn’t listed with those serving at the tent, he is always mentioned as being with David so this would be a valid conclusion. There were other Levites assigned to serve in this tent.

Although an anomaly in Israel’s history, we can see two important lessons for us. The first is the need to worship according to what God wants. David had Zadok at the Tabernacle to do just this.

The second is the need to consult God. David wanted access to the Ark, representing the presence of God, knowing his need to rely on God to be a good ruler. We need to have this same reliance on the Lord. We can know what God wants us to do because he revealed it through Jesus to the apostles and writers, who wrote it down – ultimately for us. May we come to rely more and more on God as we better know his will.

Jon Galloway

When it comes to how we live, we tend to either be like thermometers or thermostats. In no ambiguous terms, the New Testament informs us that we should be similar to the latter and not the former.

As we all know, thermometers react to their environment. They do this by internally responding to how hot or cool their surroundings are. Thermometers announce to the world in no uncertain terms what the temperature is around them.

On the other hand, thermostats seek to regulate the temperatures around them to be what they should be. While they too are aware of their environment, they are set to an ideal temperature. Is it getting too hot? The thermostat will turn on the air conditioner.

When someone mistreats us, our natural inclination can be to simply react by lashing out. When someone cuts us off in traffic, perhaps suddenly our blood pressure resembles a thermometer peaked to explode as the attitude, “I’ll teach him” takes over.

Rather than merely reacting to our environment and perpetuating the work of the evil one, Jesus counseled a different way, the way of the thermostat. We know his words well.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer. But whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well.  And if someone wants to sue you and to take your tunic,  give him your coat also. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two“ (Matthew 5:38-41).

In fact, Jesus pointed out that if our character fails to seek to regulate our environment toward good, how are we different from the rest of society? “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don’t they?  And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don’t they?“ (Matthew 5:46,47).

Paul would echo Jesus’ teachings when he taught that we should not allow the evil done to us to overcome us, but rather we should overcome that evil with good (Romans 12:21). This would require blessing those who persecute us, giving our enemy drink and food, and not repaying anyone evil for evil (Romans 12:14,17,20).

God’s people are to make a difference for God in the world, a difference that brings a blessing and orientates our environment toward wholesomeness, love and peace. By keeping our eyes on this goal, we are less likely to be thermometers and more likely to God’s thermostats.

Barry Newton

realize that many others do not and are searching for answers on the web.

Look at the following 20 questions and the adjacent number of fairly recent internet searches.

If we are a Christian, we are in the presence of at least some who want answers to things we already know.  Will we speak up or not?

1  What is love?    3,350,000
2  What is the Bible?   1,830,000
3  Who is Jesus?   1,500,000
4  What is the church?  1,000,000
5  What is the Salvation Army?   1,000,000
6  Who is God?   823,000
7  What is meditation?   673,000
8  What is evolution?   673,000
9  What is the Big Bang?   673,000
10  What is the Catholic Church?  450,000
11  What is a Christian?  450,000
12  What is heaven?   450,000
13  What is sin?  450,000
14  What is hell? (hades)   368,000
15  What is reality?  368,000
16  What is the gospel?   301,000
17  What is salvation?   301,000
18  What is prayer?   301,000
19  What is the Lord’s Prayer?   301,000
20  What does God look like?   301,000

There are aspects of our personalities that we keep separate when we get married. We never, we should never, stop being our own person. But when you get married, and the longer you are married, the more you each bring out aspects of the other’s personality that are similar to yours. But often times, it is those aspects of our personalities that are not similar, that don’t change that can cause friction between us. Inevitably, there will be friction. There will be disagreements. There might even be arguments.

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day and I would like to share some principles from God’s word that will help you strengthen your marriage or, if you are single, it will help you strengthen your relationships with your friends. I have 10 principles, so I give 5 today and 5 tomorrow.

KNOW YOURSELF:

In 2 Corinthians 13:5, the apostle Paul writes: “Examine yourself whether you are in the faith.” There are half-a-dozen times when the psalmist would say to God, “Search me,” or “Try me.” The psalmist knew himself and was calling to God to examine him as well, to be sure his life was proper in the eyes of God. Know yourself.

It is important for each of us to know who we are, what we want out of life, what our weaknesses are, and what are strengths are. We need to know ourselves. We need to pay attention to how we respond to the words and actions of others.

CHERISH YOUR MATE:

Read Ephesians 5:28-30. That word translated “cherishes” meant, at one time, to “warm.” It is used one other time in the NT, at 1 Thess. 2:7 in the context of a nursing mother tenderly caring for her own children. “Tenderly caring” is the same word as “cherish” here. So, Paul is telling husbands to “tenderly care” for your wife.

#3 – MAKE A UNIT OF YOURSELVES:

We are all familiar with God’s teaching Adam and Eve that when they got married, they were no longer two but “one flesh” (Gen. 2:24). It was based on that principle that Jesus forbids the dissolution of a marriage and the beginning of a second marriage except for sexual immorality in Matthew 19:1-9.

When you get married, don’t leave yourself tied to your parents. Do not leave yourself tied to your friends either. Form a new bond with your spouse.

#4 – ACQUIRE THE ART OF PHYSICAL LOVE:

A good sexual adjustment in marriage makes a strong marital bond. Let’s read Song of Solomon 2:3-6. Song of Solomon that illustrates how important the physical relationship is in a marriage. God designed the sexual relationship as a gift to men and women and we can enjoy it within the relationship which God has authorized – marriage.

#5 – PREPARE YOURSELF FOR PARENTHOOD:

We might go through an apprenticeship for 5 years, or we go to college for 2 years or 4 years, sometimes even longer. We prepare ourselves for a job so we can provide for our families. But how much preparation do we put in to being a parent?

Every child is a gift from God and every child deserves to be prepared by his or her parents to go back to God. Talk to your parents about child-rearing. Talk to your grand-parents. Talk to your peers about child-rearing. Read good books. James Dobson and John Rosemond are two of my favorite authors on child-rearing.

Paul Holland

Fear destroys. Fear is Satan’s tool. Faith is God’s weapon. Paul would warn us that if we think we are standing firm, we need to be diligent that we do not stumble.

Paul would also remind us to learn from Israel’s history. Look beyond just reading the story of God opening the Red Sea. Imagine standing with those Israelites. Only then, will we be more prepared to heed’s Paul’s warning in facing our life situations.

After Israel witnessed God’s power in the ten plagues, God split the Red Sea enabling Israel to walk through on dry ground. Clearly, God is powerful.

With walls of water on either side of them and a misty cloud above them, Paul envisioned their passage through the water as a baptism (1 Corinthians 10). Hence, all Israel was baptized.  Furthermore, he says that all of them were nourished by Christ because of the water and food God provided.

For Paul and his Corinthian readers, this language of baptism and being nourished by Christ would have provided proof that God had delivered all of Israel into safety. Through Israel’s history Paul had provided a parallel story to the liberation a Christian experiences from sin through Christ. In other words, those ancient Israelites were like his Corinthian readers who had been baptized and sustained by Christ. God had rescued them.

Yet, Paul shocks the reader. God was not pleased with most of Israel! In fact, their bodies were strewn throughout the desert. Why? Paul provides several answers that involved sin. Among these is some grumbled.

Imagine waking up in a wilderness and not having food to eat or water to drink. As the sun beats down stomachs rumble. Fear grows. “What are we going to drink today?” Maybe a little bit of water and food is found. However, the next day repeats the same experience. Fear grows stronger.

Fear breaks out into grumbling and complaining. Fear is Satan’s tool.

Instead of manifesting fear, God calls us to trust in him. Trusting God to provide in a wilderness devoid of food and water takes faith. Yet, God taught Israel that they could trust him in this matter too.

Where does fear lurk close to us? In what areas or situations, have we not yet learned to trust God? Taking this lesson to heart can spare us the destructive consequences of fear.

 Barry Newton

Through the years, I have stood at the head of many caskets, and I have heard many comments made to grieving families that made me cringe.  While the intent was not to harm or add pain, in reality that is what they did.  Like Job’s friends, they would have better served as comforters if they would have just remained silent.

I think most people share a common fear of saying the wrong thing to one who is grieving, or simply not knowing what to say.  Because of this fear, we often withdraw from people at a time when they need us the most.  The apostle Paul said that since the God of all comfort comforts us in our tribulation, then we should comfort others (1 Corinthians 1:3-4).  The following suggestions are offered in hopes of equipping us so that we may effectively minister to those who are grieving.

Give them your presence.  Don’t allow a person to suffer alone.  Understand that you don’t have to say anything.  Just be there.  A hug; an expression of sorrow; and a reaffirmation of your love for them is all that you need to say.  Your presence is what will be remembered and treasured, not your words.

Don’t stress over words.  No words can fix the situation, so drop the burden of feeling you must come up with the “perfect thing to say.”  There is no sage advice to offer at this moment that if they do this or that, it will all be better.

Be there when the dust settles.  We often inundate the grieving family with support during the immediate time of loss, but who is ministering to this family two months later?  Determine to be the person who is ministering two months, four months, six months after the funeral.

Remember dates.  Mark your calendar and make note of birthdays, anniversaries, and especially the anniversary date of the person’s death.  I assure you that the anniversary of a person’s death will not be overlooked by loved ones we are left behind.  Let the grieving know that we remember too. Such remembrances are treasures by those who are grieving.

Do good.  Don’t simply offer to do good, actually do it.  Sometimes we find ourselves saying, “If there’s anything you need, just let me know.”  This offer may salve our consciences, but it is rings hollow and is an offer that will rarely be acted upon.  Instead, if you really want to offer your help, say something like, “Would you rather me run to the store and get some groceries for you, or would you rather have me do the dishes for you?”  This wording is much more likely to receive a positive response and allow you the opportunity to minister.

Let people grieve.  A widow once told me that whenever she started to cry, a close relative would tell her to stop crying and be strong.  Don’t encourage a person to suppress grief.  Crying is not only a human response to grief, but it’s healthy.

Avoid empty platitudes.  Trite phrases that do not comfort and some of which do not even  accurately reflect biblical truth, need to remain unspoken.  Saying things like, “I understand exactly how you feel,” or “God must have needed another angel,” or “it was God’s will,” or “at least you’re young, you can marry again/have more children” are either hurtful, insensitive, or do not reflect the truth.  If you struggle for words to say, then simply say these, “I’m sorry.”  “I’m praying for you.”  “I love you.”

If we follow these suggestions, we will be better equipped to comfort others the way God comforts us (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

by Steve Higginbotham

Ah yes, life’s unexpected surprises. Just when you feel like you’ve just about seen it all, life pops up and slaps you in the face with an octopus. Or at least, that’s what happened to one particular kayaker from New Zealand. He and some friends were on the water watching some playful seals darting around their kayaks. Out of nowhere, one particular seal swam up to the kayaker, popped out of the water holding an octopus and proceeded to whip the eight-limbed creature around, planting one of those octopus arms straight into his face (Watch It Here).

Life just doesn’t prepare you for a seal slapping you in the face with an octopus. But perhaps that’s kind of the point. Life is unexpected. Even in all of our planning, our routines, our habits, and our practices, surprises turn up and throw all of our preparations out the window.

In James 4, a similar discussion is taking place about the unexpected. James gives an illustration of some businessmen who seem to have it all figured out. They are arrogantly planning to go to a city, do business for a year there, and make a profit (vs. 13). However, there is one major factor they have left out–God. In all of their planning, in reality, they have no idea what the future may hold (vs. 14).

There is no possible way we can prepare for every possible situation and scenario. Nor should we even try. The righteous person is one who plans while understanding the shortness of life, while respecting that God may have other plans, and while ensuring the Lord is involved throughout the process (vs. 14-15).

We don’t know what’s around the corner. We never really know what’s lurking in the seal’s mouth beneath the water. We don’t know what the Lord’s will is for us tomorrow. But that’s ok. Let’s work hard for His name. Let’s prepare for the future. But let’s keep the phrase, “If the Lord wills,” continually in our words, our prayers, and our plans (vs. 15).

Brett Petrillo