Jesus said: “These signs shall follow them that believe” (Mark 16:17).

(This article is part of a continuing series. The previous article can be found here).

Are miracles still occurring today? That is not the same question as, “Do people still claim to witness miracles today?” People claim to witness miracles regularly. But a claim must be substantiated.

This is a somewhat touchy subject because if you say, “God is no longer working miracles as He did in the first century,” people might hear that as, “God is not active in people’s lives,” or, “God is no longer capable of performing a miracle,” or, “God does not provide healing at all,” or perhaps worse, “God doesn’t care about us.”

But these inferences are not necessary at all. God can be active in people’s lives, fully capable of performing miracles, provide healing, and care about us, without ever performing a miracle (you might reference this previous article in which we argued that, for the most part, practically no one has ever witnessed a true miracle).

But in order to answer the question of whether miracles are still happening today, we must first uncover the purpose of the miracles. Then, we must understand what, if any, limitations were associated with biblical miracles.

What was the primary purpose of the New Testament-era miracles?
In Mark 16:17-18, our key text for this series of articles, Jesus promised his followers that certain “signs” would follow those who believed. But while many focus on what the particular signs, or miracles were, that is actually not the most important element to consider. The most important aspect is the designed purpose for which the miracles were done:

“And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following” (Mark 16:20).

The phrase “confirming the word” is a statement of purpose. It lets us know the design of the miracles. They were to confirm the word. There was a reason, indigenous to the early church, why “the word” needed miraculous confirmation at this time: it was incomplete.

When Christianity began, the only revelation from God was the Old Testament (OT, Genesis-Malachi). But once Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice for sins (Hebrews 10:11-14), Christians stopped carrying out the dictates of the Law (though, questions about previous rites like circumcision did persist, re: Acts 15:1-24).

Why? The old covenant was brought to fruition in Christ (Matthew 5:17-18). It served its purpose (Galatians 3:24), and Jesus removed it through his cross (Colossians 2:14). That doesn’t mean the OT is not instructive or useful, but the rites are no longer binding to those in covenant with Christ. Why? That covenant was inferior and replaced by the greater lawgiver, priest and sacrifice: Jesus Christ (for further study: Hebrews 7:22-27; Hebrews 8:6-13; Hebrews 9:13-16).

Consequently, the first Christians – while they used the prophetic evidence in the Law to corroborate their testimony of the resurrected Jesus – still had no written covenant for themselves. This new revelation of God came via apostles and prophets of the New Testament (hereafter, NT) era (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:1-16; Ephesians 3:1-5).

However, an apostle couldn’t just start telling everyone what to do. He needed definitive proof that what he said was from God. This is why, as the gospel message spread around the world, miracles came along, “confirming the word with signs following” (cf. Acts 2:43; Acts 4:30; Acts 5:12; Acts 8:13; Acts 15:3; Romans 15:19; Hebrews 2:4). These are even called by Paul “the signs of an apostle” (2 Corinthians 12:12).

Implications

The designed purpose of the NT era miracles was to confirm new revelation from God. If they are still occurring today, then new revelation from God is still occurring, and some argue that this is so.

Unfortunately for that argument, the NT itself claims to have been once delivered to the early church in the first century (2 Peter 1:3; Jude 3). As W.E. Vine stated:

With the completion of Apostolic testimony and the completion of the Scriptures of truth (‘the faith once for all delivered to the saints,’ Jude 3, RV), ‘that which is perfect’ had come, and the temporary gifts were done away” (Commentary on First Corinthians, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1951, p. 184; qtd. in Wayne Jackson, “Can Christians Speak in Tongues Today?“).

Of course, some allege that miracles are still occurring today. But it is not enough to make allegations. According to the purpose for miracles, if they are occurring today, we should be adding to the body of NT books.

One can disagree with the idea that miracles only accompanied new revelation and the temporary, apostolic ministry if they choose, but one must provide evidence from the Bible that supersedes the evidence of Mark 16, which teaches that miracles were designed for that purpose alone.

Furthermore, personal experience (witnessing/experiencing an alleged miracle) that contradicts the Bible’s teaching on this subject is not admissible, as it is entirely subjective and cannot be tested.

In the next article, we will consider even further limitations of biblical miracles.

Rick Kelley

ONE NIGHT AT a Hard Rock nightclub in Hollywood, Florida, the legendary slugger Jose Canseco was supposed to be fighting in a celebrity boxing match.

A former outfielder for the Oakland Athletics and the Texas Rangers, Canseco had been the center of much controversy for steroid use in baseball.  His published books Juiced and Vindicated were among the first to “name names” concerning those who were also taking performance enhancing drugs to compete in major league baseball.

As a way of making money after his baseball career ended, he decided to take up mixed martial arts, and in particular, boxing.  But as Canseco’s fans showed up to cheer on their hero in the boxing ring at that Hard Rock nightclub, they were met with a scandalous realization.  The man in the ring was not Jose Canseco.  It was his identical twin brother, Ozzie.

If not for Ozzie’s distinctive tattoos, the brothers might have gotten away with it.  Ozzie had fooled others before, appearing at book signings for his brother in order to earn cash.  This fight was simply another deception.

Disgusted with the bait and switch, the fight promoter immediately took Canseco to court in an attempt to get his money back.  Dudley Rutherford, “Resuscitate A Dying Faith,” God Has an App for That, 91

“For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he may gain much, if God takes away his life?  Will God hear his cry when trouble comes upon him?”  Job 27:8-9

Mike Benson

“I came down from heaven” (John 6.38)

(1) an unbeliever who denies historicity of Jesus
(2) an unbeliever who accepts historicity of Jesus
(3) a believer in Jesus who denies accuracy of the gospels
(4) a believer in Jesus who accepts accuracy of the gospels

Category 1 is unreasonable: Jesus is historically verifiable (not exploring in this article).

Category 2 is at least understandable: Someone could objectively examine the evidence and become convinced that Jesus lived, without having any interest in what is said of him in Scripture.

Category 4 is reasonable: Based upon the historicity of Jesus, it is not unreasonable that someone would study the Scriptures, and come to believe them to be the particular revelation of Jesus Christ, and come to faith in him.

Category 3 is the most unreasonable of all: This is the person who accepts the historical Jesus, claims to be a believer, but not in the gospel version of Jesus.

Category 3 is not only the most unreasonable position, but the most convenient as well. This person gets the best of both worlds: the joy of Jesus, in just the form they like. They get to keep what they like, and toss what they don’t, and no one can stop them.

Isn’t this the most dangerous position of all? If not the Jesus of the gospels, why Jesus at all? We might as well call our god George Washington, or Genghis Khan. Without the Jesus of the gospels, there really is no Jesus at all.

So, if you’ve ever wondered why so many so-called, professing Christians believe so many different things about Jesus – about what he actually said, or didn’t say; what he condemned, or didn’t condemn; or what he did or didn’t do – perhaps this will help you understand.

Professing “Category 3,” Christians have taken a page from the Hindu playbook: rather than finding the true God as revealed in Scripture, they have just taken the liberty to create 1,000,000 others they like better.

The only difference is, they’ve named them all “Jesus.”

Unfortunate, but not far-fetched for a self-serving, pseudo-tolerant, pluralistic society.

Rick Kelley

It took the Israelites three months to reach Mount Sinai after leaving Egypt (Exodus 19:1). During this time God had shown that he was with his people and that he would take care of them.

Besides leading them out of Egypt after the last plague with the plunder they had been given, he led them through the Red Sea when it appeared they were boxed in and had no where to go (Exodus 14). When they needed fresh water, God provided (Exodus 15, 17). When they needed food, God provided quail and manna (Exodus 16). When enemies attacked them, God gave Israel the victory (Exodus 17). Whatever they needed the Lord provided.

When they arrived at Mount Sinai, they saw the power of God in the form of thunder, lightning and a very loud trumpet blast when he descended on the mountain (Exodus 19). They heard the voice of God speak to them the Ten Commandments, which so terrified them that they no longer wanted to listen to such a voice – let God speak to Moses and Moses would relay the information to the people (Exodus 20).

After all God had done for them and all that they had seen and heard, you would think that this was a group of people who would never turn their back on the God who had delivered them from bondage as slaves.

Sadly, just a month and a half later, they were asking Aaron to make idol gods for them. “When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, ‘Get up, make us gods that will go before us. As for this fellow Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him!’” (Exodus 32:1 NET).

Perhaps even more surprisingly, Aaron did it! The man who had performed signs in front of the Pharaoh (Exodus 7:8-9) by the power of God was willing to build an idol and credit the golden calf that he made with leading the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery.

When asked by Moses why he did it, this was his incredible reply: “Do not let your anger burn hot, my lord; you know these people, that they tend to evil. They said to me, ‘Make us gods that will go before us, for as for this fellow Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’ So I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, break it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out” (Exodus 32:22-24).

The result that day was that 3000 Israelites were killed by the Levites, who rallied to defend God and God sent a plague on the people. Rather than Israel becoming a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6), the Levites became the tribe of priests in place of the nation.

As Christians, today we are the kingdom of priests that God had wanted Israel to be: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). We are these things for a purpose: to proclaim God to those around us.

May we never forget who we are because of God’s mercy (1 Peter 2:10) nor forget who led us out of the bondage of sin.

Will you show your thankfulness in worship this weekend?

Jon Galloway

Year ago, on the mighty Mississippi River, two tugboat captains who had been friends for years, would always cry “Aye!” and blow their whistles whenever they passed each other.

A new crewman asked his boat’s mate, “What do they do that for?”

The mate looked surprised and replied, “You mean that you’ve never heard of… an aye for an aye and a toot for a toot?”

<<insert groan here>>

I suspect that few of us would admit to living by the motto, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” (Matthew 5:38), but let’s be honest — there is something instead us that enjoys the idea of getting revenge.  Some of the more popular movies throughout the past years have been those that opened with someone being mistreated.  We spend the rest of the movie anxiously waiting for the hero to get the opportunity to exact his revenge — and then we cheer!

It’s not much different on a personal level.  I suspect that whenever somebody does you wrong, the temptation is there to immediately start thinking of what you can do to get them back.  But, if you find yourself tempted to take revenge, may I suggest two things:

(1)  Resist the temptation to exchange evil for evil.  That temptation will always be strong and we need realize that it will be there.  But we also need to remember the emptiness and hollowness of revenge and resentment.

(2)  Show your enemy kindness.  Abraham Lincoln was once accused of being too nice to his enemy.  He was told to be firmer; he must destroy his enemies.  He replied, “I do destroy them when they become my friends.”

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” (Matt. 5:43-44)

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

In Matthew 25 Jesus tells three stories about the need to be ready for judgment, although the third looks to be giving us information about what will happen more than it is a story. Contextually, these are connected with his teaching about Jerusalem’s fall from chapter 24. But there are good lessons for us as we live our lives today.

The judgment scene in Matthew 25:31-46 is one which probably raised some eyebrows when the disciples heard what Jesus said. From the emphasis we often have – or don’t have – in our lives, perhaps it should raise some eyebrows today, as well!

In this scene of judgment, all nations have assembled before his glorious throne. He then separates the people, as a shepherd would separate sheep from goats. It is the sheep on the right who are blessed by the Father and will inherit the kingdom. The goats on the left are sentenced to eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.

If we were the one telling this story, I am sure it would have had some different details. We would probably have those on the right being there because they had been baptized, had been faithful in attendance at worship, and had read our Bible daily – or something like that. I say that because this is what is so often emphasized among Christians. And I’m not saying that these are not important – they are – but in many ways, these are the basics, the foundation, that we need to building our lives on.

Notice why the sheep would inherit the kingdom: they had fed the hungry, they had taken in strangers, they had clothed those who were in need, they took care of the sick, they visited those in prison. Jesus put this in terms that this is what they had done for him. And on the other side the “goats” were lost because they had not done these things.

And don’t you just love the answer of the “sheep”? “When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?” (Matthew 25:38-39 NET). Jesus’ reply: “I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me” (Matthew 25:40).

If Jesus were here today, most Christians would be more than willing to do these things to help him. But we often struggle to help those around us. Jesus, in essence, is saying that if we won’t help those around us who are in need, we wouldn’t do it for him, either.

What is the lesson for us? It isn’t that we don’t need to become a Christian, worship with our fellow Christians, or read the Bible – the sheep were on the right-hand because they were Christians and faithfully following God. But to be a faithful follower requires more than occupying a seat on Sundays. What we learn from our Bible study must be seen in our lives. We will learn to have the same compassion Jesus had for people and we will take care of them, helping to meet the needs that we see.

We often struggle with the concept of eternal punishment, although we don’t seem to have any problem with eternal life. Notice that the exact same word is used for eternal fire, eternal punishment, and eternal life. Jesus indicated that they are all of the same duration.

I don’t know about you, but I want to be a sheep! So what are we going to do to help those around us?

Jon Galloway

The term, “carpe diem” means to “seize the day,” and that’s exactly what this quick thinking Private did. But here’s the thought for the day. How well have we been taking advantages of opportunities to advance the Kingdom of God? Have we been “seizing the day” in speaking a kind word for Jesus or doing an act of kindness in the name of Jesus?

Friends, let me challenge you to not let opportunities pass you by. Be thoughtful, mindful, and attentive to the cause of Christ and “seize the day!”

Steve Higginbotham

In the upper room, Jesus gave the apostles a new commandment, to love each other. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35 ESV).

This new commandment is echoed throughout the letters written by the apostles and writers. John expands on it in his first letter, telling us what love is and what love is not.

In the middle of a lengthy discussion about the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, Paul talks about the need for love (1 Corinthians 13). You can speak in all the languages known by men (or even angels), have God’s word revealed so that you understand and know everything, and even live a sacrificial life to the point of giving your physical life, yet if love isn’t present then these things count as nothing. They are worthless! Love is that important!

But what does this love look like? This love is seen in our lives, in how we live everyday and especially in how we treat each other. Notice how Paul described the love we are to have as Christians.

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

No wonder Jesus could say that if those around us saw us living this way, they would know that we are his disciples! But how many Christians do you really see that are like this? My experience is that there are very few.

When there are problems in congregations, it almost always goes back to a lack of love. Christians frequently aren’t patient, especially with each other. How many times have we seen problems because individuals insisted on something having to be done their way? Do we know Christians who are irritable or resentful? How many times have we been happy when someone failed or did something wrong? Do we always rejoice with the truth?

The last four qualities that Paul lists probably hits us all. Do we really bear all things? Or do we get angry when someone does something different? Do we really believe all things? Or do we treat what Christians tell us with suspicion? Do we really hope all things? Or do we think nothing good will ever happen and are against anything someone suggests? Do we really endure all things? Or when things don’t go our way we end up becoming angry, irritable, and resentful?

The type of love Paul described that we are to have never ends. And this is the love we are to have for each other as Christians.

Do we really want peace and harmony in the family of Christians where we are? Then we need to learn what love, true love, is all about. It isn’t about people being nice to us. It is about how we treat those around us. It is about being like Jesus. “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Jon Galloway

Is it wrong to prosper?

“Woe to you who are at ease in Zion, and trust in Mount Samaria. Notable persons in the chief nation, to whom the house of Israel comes! Go over to Calneh and see; and from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory?” (Amos 6:1-2 NKJV).

When I make reports on my work in undeveloped nations a very common response is “That sure makes us appreciate what we have doesn’t it?” Others will say, “We sure are blessed.” Behind such comments is an inference of guilt. Are we wrong to have so much when so many have so little? I believe a lot of sincere American Christians ask that question, and fear the answer.

Though the Bible warns of the dangers of greed (Luke 12:15) and the difficulty of salvation for the wealthy (Matthew 19:23), there is no condemnation of wealth nor any indication that righteous or godly people cannot be rich in material possessions. On the contrary, Old Testament Patriarchs were usually men of great riches (Genesis 13:2; 26:12-14). The wealth of Solomon was legendary and was attributed to God’s blessings (1 Kings 3:13; 4:20-28).

In the New Testament commands are given to the rich as to how they are to use their possessions, confirming that not all Christians were of modest income (1 Timothy 6:17-19). Men like Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus (John 19:38-39) are generally believed to have had some wealth and, while not called disciples, showed signs of righteousness and of faith in Jesus.

Yet, on the other hand, there is much evidence that wealth may be a hindrance to godliness and that many who prosper are displeasing to God. Amos’ strong condemnation of the upper classes of Israel (Amos 6:1-7) reveals several ways in which prosperity may cause God to judge us.

First, we commit sin when we trust in ourselves and our possessions rather than God (Amos 6:1). Wealth may contribute to our comfort and to our ability to help others, but it is not a source of security. Only God can preserve us. Israel was invited to go to great cities of the past which had perished and asked, “are we stronger (or better) than they?” The answer was clearly, “No.”

Second, we sin when we gain or use our wealth selfishly for mere physical pleasure and comfort (Amos 6:3-5). The prophet was indignant at the idle wastefulness of the rich in Israel. That was clearly not the purpose of their possessions and it was a wrongful use of that which God had given (see Luke 12:16-21).

Third, we sin when we neglect those in need (Amos 6:6-7). Amos had previously condemned the social injustice of the leaders of Israel (Amos 2:6-7; 5:10-13). God defends the poor. Jesus identified with the hungry, naked, and imprisoned (Matthew 25:35-40). John defines love by how one helps those in need (1 John 3:17). James gives a similar interpretation of true faith (James 2:14-17).

God does not promise prosperity to every Christian, but neither does he forbid it. Some will be given the “gift of giving” (Romans 12:8) which has to imply that they will have the means to be generous. One Christian writer put it like this: “You have money? That’s good. Money has you? That’s bad.” I believe Amos would have heartily agreed.

Michael Brooks

“…if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also” (John 8:19)

The notorious atheist Christopher Hitchens (1949-2011) once argued in a debate that having an “eternal Father” is one of the most detestable things he could imagine, and it was one of the worst constructs of the Christian religion.

Can you imagine, he argued, a person never being able to leave his father’s home and become his own person? He claimed that it severely stifled humanity’s maturity and growth (and by maturity and growth, he meant getting completely away from all religious pursuit and aiming entirely for humanistic pursuits).

Hitchens might have been right, if he wasn’t so wrong.

His illustration fails because his frame of reference is biased. He imagines only earthly fathers, full of faults, and full of evils. He was right: generally speaking, children must leave their parents and grow their own wings in order to thrive. But that experience is not identical to man’s relationship with the heavenly Father.

One of the purposes of Jesus’ incarnation was to illuminate the difference between the relationships of inferior fathers (and their children), and the superior fatherhood of God Almighty:

Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:9-11, ESV).

An older preacher friend (his children were my age) and I were discussing parent-child relationships some years ago, when my oldest children were quite small. He said to me, “When they’re young, you have to discipline and correct them. When they get older, it changes. Now, my son and I are the best of friends.”

That’s what Jesus wants for us. Once we submit ourselves to God as our eternal Father, our relationship grows, we grow (2 Peter 3:18). We grow closer, and we become the best of friends (James 2:23).

Hitchens was right: we must leave the nest, as it were, to grow and mature. But a child of the heavenly Father cannot grow and mature unless he is drawing closer to the eternal Father, and his heavenly home (cf. John 14:1-3).

Rick Kelley

There is a remarkable story recorded in 1 Samuel 23 that illustrates to us the interface between a faithful child of God, prayer, and God’s response to prayer. David is trying to keep his distance from King Saul, who wants to kill him but, at the same time, fight the Philistines in order to keep his own people safe.

It is reported to David that the Philistines are fighting against the town of Keilah and looting it. So, “David inquired of the Lord” (underline that statement in your Bible). God responds to David’s prayer. Apparently David shares God’s message with his men because they express some hesitation in trusting God. They respond to David: “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the ranks of the Philistines” (vs 3)?

So, “David inquired of the Lord once more” (vs 4; underline that statement in your Bible). This time, God promises to give the Philistines into David’s hands. So, David responds to God and has success in driving the Philistines out of Keilah.

But then, King Saul hears that David has holed himself up in Keilah, “a city with double gates and bars” (vs 7). Notice Saul’s message to his own men: “God has delivered him into my hand…” There will never be an end to people who think and believe and act as if God is on their side. God was not on King Saul’s side. Saul was deceiving himself. The only way to know if God is on our side is to make sure we are on God’s side!

Be that as it may, David heard that King Saul knew they were in Keilah and that King Saul was intending to ambush Keilah and take/kill David. So, as David was in the habit of doing, he prayed to God (note verse 10). “Will Saul come down just as your servant has heard?” (vs 11).

God responds to David’s prayer: “He will come down.”

David pursues that line of thought: “Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” (vs 12).

God responds to David’s prayer: “They will surrender you.”

So, David takes his 600 men and leaves Keilah and this particular event concludes with the statement in verse 14: “God did not deliver him [David] into his hand [Saul’s].”

What we have illustrated here is that there is an “alternate reality” that parallels the lives we live. David’s “alternate reality” was being delivered by the men of Keilah into the hands of Saul. God told him it would happen! But, David responds to God’s message and it doesn’t happen. Everything God predicts does not happen, in the sense that it might (as in this case) depend on man’s response.

The reason it didn’t happen, the reason “God did not deliver him into Saul’s hand” is because: 1.) David prays to God; 2.) David responds to God’s answer. The “alternate reality” could have / would have happened if David had not: 1.) Prayed; 2.) Responded.

Now, God does not violate His will or His nature in answering David’s question. The “alternate (undesirable) reality” was a possibility but it did not happen.

When we pray, we are asking God to close the door to “alternate (undesirable) realities” and show us the way to go by opening the door to the desirable alternative. Prayer is not asking God to violate His will nor His nature. He can change our future without changing either of those invariables.

Yes, prayer changes things.

Paul Holland

“Then he said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine has stopped here while on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him.” Then he will reply from inside, “Do not bother me. The door is already shut, and my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything.” I tell you, even though the man inside will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of the first man’s sheer persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs” (Luke 11:5-8 NET).

How many of us have friends like the one Jesus talked about? Or, maybe more personally, how many of us are like the man who was already in bed when his friend came to knock on his door? He really didn’t want to have to get back up to find some bread to give to his friend. But he seems to have realized that his friend wouldn’t go away unless he did get up and give him what he needed to meet his needs.

Have you been awakened in the middle of the night with someone at your door? Has the telephone woken you up? When we answer it, I’m sure we would rather still be asleep! I heard about a man who was awakened from sleep, answered the phone, and was asked, “Did I wake you up?” To which he replied, “No, I had to answer the phone anyway.”

I hope when we are woken in the middle of the night and it is a friend in need that we are there to help them. People have helped me in this situation and have been a real friend. But this isn’t Jesus’ point, as good as that might be. Notice what Jesus went on to say.

“So I tell you: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, although you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:9-13).

Jesus’ point is that God is not like our friends. He is always there, ready to help when we ask, seek, or knock. Unlike our friends in the middle of the night, God wants to help those who are his children and ask him for what they need.

Are we fearful to ask God for those things that concern us most? Do we pray in general terms but never get around to asking for what is really important? I heard a Christian once say that he never asks God for anything – he would just tell God the problem and let God figure out what to do. Although that might sound “spiritual” it is the opposite of what Jesus said we are to do.

Our children ask us for what they want (although sometimes they may not need it). When they ask, as parents we try to fulfill their request. We definitely don’t give them something that would be harmful to them. We do this because we love them.

God loves us and wants the best for us. Are we asking him for what we need most?

Jon Galloway

David Verwey was talking with his grandson, Joey, and Joey’s father, Alex, when he noticed a hornet fly in and hover about a foot in front of Joey’s face.  It was a Japanese Giant Hornet, and it was not backing away and could sting him at any moment.

David knew he must act quickly.  He knew some things about the Japanese Giant Hornet from some research done on the internet.  He had learned that although not normally hostile, the Japanese Giant Hornet can be aggressive if provoked and can sting a victim multiple times.  Its venom, which is injected by the 6.25 mm (quarter inch) long stinger, attacks the nervous system and damages the tissue.  The sting can be very painful, highly venomous and may require hospitalization.  The potency of the sting is due to the relatively large amount of venom injected.

One sting can be lethal for people who are allergic and suffer from anaphylactic shock.  The sting can also be lethal to people who are not allergic, provided the dose is sufficient.  Multiple stings would likely require immediate medical attention and could cause renal failure.  Annually thirty to forty people in Japan die after having been stung by bees, wasps or the Japanese Giant Hornet.

David had recently removed some hornet nests from around the buildings of the Japan Mission, so he and his co-workers had been keeping a can of wasp and hornet killer handy as they worked at the Mission.

Now one of these hornets was flying dangerously close to David’s grandson.  David immediately crouched down beside Joey while grabbing a can of hornet killer and sprayed the hornet.  It fell to the ground.

Later reflecting on this incident, David wrote, “My quick response surprised me.  I had just been stung a couple of days before, but I knew exactly where I had put that can of spray.  My love for Joey and the desire to protect him from this hornet drove me to instinctually step up next to him, just [a foot] away from this hornet.  If Joey was not there, approaching this hornet would have been crazy.  I should have rather retreated.  However, the fact that this hornet was hovering so close to my beloved grandson’s face and knowing that he could be moments away from being stung, made me take this drastic action.”

David also gained from this experience a glimpse of a glimpse into the perfect and unconditional love that God has for us: “Jesus did not hesitate to put Himself in harm’s way to protect us from the ‘sting’ of death.  Why?  Because His love for us was so deep and profound!”

“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

David shared this insight: “It is hard to fathom the depth of God’s love for us.  It is because of this boundless love, that Jesus did not hesitate to come into this world to shed His blood for our sins, so that we may be saved from certain destruction!” *

Because Jesus endured the “sting of death” on our behalf by dying on the cross for our sins, we can be saved from sin and receive the gift of eternal life.

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  He will continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7).

“O Death, where is your sting?  O Hades, where is your victory?  The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).

Jesus loves YOU so much that He endured the sting of death for you.  Won’t YOU accept His offer of salvation and eternal life on His terms?

— David A. Sargent

* Source: Article by David Verwey of Japan Mission entitled “The Japanese Giant Hornet.”

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39, ESV).

Several years ago, I researched and presented a paper on the deity of Jesus in John’s gospel. Although all the gospels help develop this subject, John’s gospel was written with this specific matter at the heart (John 20:30-31), and does so to a degree not achieved by the others.

I developed an arbitrary (yes, I made it up) research method to quantify just how much of the language of John’s gospel was dedicated to making this presentation. Here’s how it worked:

1) Any time John wrote a sentence, or even used a phrase that implied or directly affirmed the deity of Jesus, I gave that phrase a point value of 1. For example, “All things were made by him” (John 1:3). 1 point.

2) Also, any time Jesus, or a disciple, or any other witness to his deity, or even enemy uttered such a phrase, I followed the same procedure. For example, here is a statement by Jesus with a value of 1: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19).

3) Of course, there are numerous times that one sentence contains several phrases that affirm or imply the deity of Jesus. For example, in John 3:13, Jesus speaking of himself said, “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.” The first two phrases work together, and have a value of 1, and the last phrase is distinguished enough from the first two to qualify for a value of 1 as well. This sentence gets a point value of 2.

After doing this for every chapter through 17 (I ran out of time to do any more before the presentation, and I’ve never finished the latter chapters of the book), I took the total amount of instances in each chapter, and divided that by the number of English verses in the chapter, and acquired a ratio of phrase-to-verse.

Using this method, the results astonished me. Of all the verses that make up the first 17 chapters of John’s gospel, over 2/3 of them (about 68%) include phrases and/or sentences, made by John, Jesus, or other witnesses, that either explicitly state, or imply the deity of Jesus. There were several times that the number of references to Jesus’ deity in a given chapter actually outnumbered the number of verses in that chapter.

Once again I stress, this was a purely arbitrary assessment. But still, I don’t think it’s unfair to say that the results point in the right direction. John’s gospel, as many have discovered, and as John stated in his purpose statement (John 20:30-31) is supremely rich in its presentation of the deity of Jesus.

Have you ever done anything similar?

Rick Kelley

Serious talk. Guys, I’m a little bit scared. When my elders announced we would be resuming class at the church building on Wednesdays, of course I was excited. BUT—and here’s what I debated sharing publicly because I’m embarrassed—there was a part of me that was disappointed about “having” to be at the building Wednesday again.

Disappointed.    Why? Because it’s been over 3 months since the church met together for Bible study. I’ve grown accustomed to coming home from work, eating dinner with the family, and then relaxing in the living room watching some sort of canned Bible study on my TV (with my family). I’ve officially gotten out of the habit of the family getting ready for Bible class and driving to the church building on Wednesdays. So there was a part of my heart that was actually disappointed—bummed—over the “burden” of going back to Bible study – and that scares me.

Of course I’m taking my family back. That’s not a question. I’m excited!  There’s no danger of me or my wife “falling away.”  I’ve just gotten out of the habit. And psychologically, my mind has grown accustomed to it. I don’t like this about my heart. And in my prayers, I ask God to rid my heart of sinful desires like this (like the desire to stay home when I can assemble, which is a heart problem).

Here are some other scary thoughts to me:

• What if I was 18? That time was an impressionable time for me. I look back, and I sometimes think I could have gone one way or another with my faith. I would have been vulnerable to this if this happened to me then. I NEEDED the assembly—every assembly.
• What if I was 5? Or 10? Or 13? Kids that are that age are going to remember this. And we have deprived them of assembling with the saints in some major, important ways.
• What if I was a new Christian? What if I was a weak Christian?

If I felt disappointment in my heart, think what others may be feeling at the thought of “going back to church.”

I still think the churches, collectively, did the right thing in postponing their assemblies for a number of weeks. But elders did this to better assess the situation. At first, because of the unknowns, the virus was a major concern. And it still is a concern. But over 3 months later, at what cost?

This virus isn’t going away any time soon. At some point, we need to think, “What is the end game?” Am I willing to be absent from the assembly of my church family for another month? Three more months? Six? 2021?  (Why even go to church anymore? Let’s sell the building and do everything online! Is that what some of us are good with??)

At some point, we have to ask: what’s a greater threat to the church: a virus? Or the effects “scattering” is having on the church after months of isolation?

I don’t want to oversimplify things. But if your conscience isn’t as burdened over this anymore, then—I say this kindly but bluntly as your brother in Christ—you have a heart problem. The virus is no longer the biggest danger in your life.

God designed His church to be an ASSEMBLING church. Online “worship,” while I’ve been thankful for it, will never be a substitute. His people need to be willing to take a little bit of RISK to follow His plan and ideal. We need to have a little bit of FAITH—not that God will miraculously protect us from getting the virus—but that assembling with His people is more pleasing to Him than cutting ourselves off from the church.

Let’s take safety measures. But I need “church.” I need to be in relatively close proximity to my brethren. I need the friendships. I need the encouragement. I need the congregational singing. I need the classes. I need the accountability. I need to hear YOU—in person—push me to keep going, “and all the more as we see the Day drawing near.”

Let’s not give Satan one more inch.

– by Ben Giselbach

“You formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made …” (Psalm 139:13, 14).

Roe versus Wade, 1973: It’s been over forty years since this law was passed. You have read and heard a plethora of observations on the issue of abortion. One of the most common is this: “It’s a woman’s body.”

I am fairly well acquainted with anatomy. I am aware that when it comes to a uterus, men are anatomically challenged. So yes, the baby is lodged in a woman’s body.

But here’s an observation, as obvious as a nine-month distended belly: There is always a father involved in this transaction, too.

I am the father of a daughter. She is smart, intuitive, compassionate, funny, and most of all, a Christian. Had her mother considered (she most decidedly never did) aborting our child, I would have liked to have been consulted! This was my child, too. When did fathers have this deep privilege of parenting taken away from them? When were we consulted? Where did we ever get the idea that losing a child was not devastating for a father?

My daughter is currently carrying my grandson. I don’t have the words to describe how I feel about all of this. But I know that boy’s father feels strongly about his son’s survival.

Christianity elevates the value of life: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his own soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).

Selfish is the society that thinks only of their own well-being and not that of others, particularly the most helpless others in society. It’s time fathers stood and with steady gaze spoke out in favor of life.

Stan Mitchell

My girls recently modified the game of Slug Bug in order to make it more exciting and faster-paced. A couple of months ago, with the whole family in the car, we were introduced to it when we heard the words “grocery bag in a bush” shouted three times in rapid succession followed by “wow! three in a row” from one of the other girls.

The modification was simple. Instead of calling out VW Beetles, we all began to call out grocery bags that were snagged up in a bush alongside the road. We would also accept “tree.”  A grocery bag caught in a tree was also acceptable. Turns out, “Grocery Bag In A Bush” is much more exciting and fun than Slug Bug. Tons more action! I’ve never seen so many grocery bags in my life! And you should hear the squeals and laughter when one was spotted so far up in a tree that we all knew that it wasn’t coming down until the tree did.

Good times.

I’ve thought about Grocery Bag In A Bush many times since that day, and have made many observations about it. I’d like to share three of them.

Observation #1
The grocery bags have always been, and will always be, there. I just never “saw” them before. I don’t recall seeing a single slug bug while playing Grocery Bag In A Bush, even though they were probably there.

Conclusion #1
I will see that which I look for. Matthew 7:7-8 says,  “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

Observation #2
Grocery Bags don’t belong in a bush or a tree. It’s not what they were created for, but somehow they have found themselves hopelessly ensnared. They will most likely remain ensnared until someone cares enough to pick them up, or a violent storm rips them away from the unreachable limb where they are trapped. And if no one stops and picks them up, they will most likely drift away until they find themselves ensnared in another bush.

Conclusion #2
While we may excel at “stopping to say hello” when a brother is in the way, we should not let the business of “rolling our gospel chariots along” keep us from our responsibility to the lost to “stop and pick them up”.

Observation #3
We all financially support a vast army of sanitation workers through taxes and fees. We even personally pay for these services out of pocket so that they will come by our house each week to take our trash, and grocery bags, to where they belong. And yet, the grocery bags are everywhere.

Conclusion #3
Christianity cannot be outsourced. It’s not enough to pay for, or support others, to do the work for us. This world is not our home, but it becomes a more beautiful place when each of us can see those around us who are ensnared in sin, and gently help them get to where they belong.

Feel free to make your own observations from this parable. It’s not perfect, and I’m certainly not equating those trapped in sin with trash. But before we start asking God to provide us with more opportunities, we might first ask ourselves if we are really in the  game. Because once you know what to look for, the opportunities are everywhere.

Scott Phillips

Writing

In Exodus 34:1-3 Moses is recorded as writing (for the second time) the commandments of God on Mount Sinai. Many skeptical scholars in the 1960s pointed out that although the Bible records both God and Moses writing, there was no evidence that humans had learned the technology of writing at all by the time of Moses (about 1400 BC). No civilization had a system more complex than hieroglyphics, they declared, a picture system, rather than a symbol system complete with vowels, consonants, and grammar.

The first thing we should note is the logical fallacy in play. To say that writing did not exist in the day of Moses is an inadequate statement. To say that we know of no instance of writing in Moses’ day would be more accurate. Do we know everything about the ancient world of the Bible? Of course not! There are gaps the size of Mount Sinai in our historical knowledge of the era. The reason we do archaeology is to attempt to fill in some of those gaps.

Since then, however, archaeologists have discovered clay tablets containing cuneiform (a Sumerian alphabet) in southern Iraq that dates to 3,500 BC, demonstrating writing to have been in existence 2,100 before Moses. Think about that for a moment. The writing technology had been around for a little more than two millennia when Moses is recorded as writing the Law of God. Think about it from our perspective; two thousand years before our day the Lord had not yet begun to walk the face of the earth. The temple of Herod had not yet been built. The Jews were an independent nation under the Hasmoneans. Rome was not yet in control of Palestine. Two thousand years is a long time for a technology to be around, and there is no question that it was well developed by Moses’ day.

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Cut for yourself two tablets of stone and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke’” (Exodus 34:1).

Stan Mitchell

Our actions often tell the world more than we want to reveal. The attitudes behind our behavior will be leaked to the world regardless of our intentions.

“For as he thinks in his heart so is he” (Proverb 23:7, NKJV).  A mind or soul that is sick will produce foul fruit (Galatians 5:16-21).

A congregation once met for midweek Bible study. Gathering in the auditorium for a period of devotional time before going to class, the preacher delivered the invitation and two teens came forward to be baptized (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-4).

Yet, the euphoria of the preacher was short-lived.

Afterwards, two Bible class teachers wanted to express their serious frustration that the baptisms had delayed their classes!

Such moments leave you speechless.

Whatever the reason, their behavior was abominable and they should have repented publicly.

It’s very likely that they spread their anger to their class, friends and family. Criticizing someone who has just put on the Lord in baptism can help doom a soul for eternity.

When we place our own goals, desires and preferences above the Lord’s, we’re in very dangerous waters. Satan will be eager to push us over the edge into apostasy and use us to rattle the faith of others (1 Peter 5:8).

The work of the Lord is difficult enough without such behavior from inside the Church (1 Corinthians 1:10).

We must be very busy glorifying the Lord (Ephesians 3:20-21; 1 Peter 5:11). Nothing matters more than his mission. We don’t want our Lord to say to us, “Get behind me Satan” (Matthew 16:23).

Our personal baggage must be jettisoned so we can exalt Christ in his kingdom. Our biases, prejudices and conflicts have no place. All they do is endanger souls.

We always want to be on the side of the Lord because being against him is a terrifying place to be.

Richard Mansel