Our beloved cat, June-bug, returned home recently. He had been absent for over a year. We assumed he was dead. Yet, the “power of love” drew him back to the house. Oh, no, it was not his love for us. He could sense a female that has entered estrus. And that is why he is back. Will he stick around? We shall see. However, I cannot help but notice the toll his “prodigal living” has had on him in the interim. Before his departure, he began having irritation in his left eye. It wept a lot. It would sometimes seal his eye shut. He now looks like a human with ptosis (i.e., drooping eyelid). Frankly, that is how I was able to identify him since his coat is darker and matted.

Otherwise, he seems as if he has eaten well. He was always a good hunter. The earlier generations of cats that took up with us were better hunters. These newer cats have become so accustomed to humans providing food that I wonder how well they would fare if on their own. The saddest part of June-bug’s return is noting how feral he has become. Previously, June-bug liked when we pet him. Now, he will not come near us, despite acting as if he still faintly recalls us.

Have you ever encountered a brother or sister now living prodigally? It can be heartbreaking, correct? Sometimes the toll sin has had upon them is obvious. Hard-living might make them look haggard and aged beyond their years. The Bible paints this picture as well. What happened to the “original” prodigal? Given his hunger, we might infer he had become gaunt. He was so desperate that he was willing to eat pig slop (Luke 15.14-16). His poverty likely reduced his apparel to rags. What sight must he have presented to the awaiting father?

And what does Solomon elsewhere say of the drunkard?

“Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long over wine, Those who go to taste mixed wine.” (Proverbs 23.29-30 NASB1995)

“Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.” (Proverbs 20.1 NASB1995)

Yes, sin can often devastate on this side of eternity as well. Things like substance abuse will alter a person’s demeanor, cause them to injure themselves while in a stupor, or pick fights with others.

Beyond the physical difficulties encountered because of sin, we must likewise consider the psychological toll, particularly guilt. The psalmist refers to a sinner’s inability to stand within the assembly of the righteous (Psalm 1.5). While their lifestyle would strip them of their desire to be within the Christian community, their guilt would not permit them to endure such association for long. Seeing others striving to walk in the Light(1 John 1.7) would remind them from whence they had fallen.

Yes, a prodigal can be a sad sight to beyond, whether a cat or especially a human being. The Father shows us how to treat those humans who have strayed. Once they have repented, we show them love and acceptance (Luke 15.20-24). It is the extension of the same grace we would all hope to receive under similar circumstances. It is not our place to punish the erring brother or sister for the time they have wasted in the far country of sin. We need to create a pleasant home environment in which they will desire to remain. Then we can all enter into the joys of our Master.

Brent Pollard

“While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the market-place day by day with those who happened to be there.” (Acts 17:16-17)

Athens of the first century was not as politically influential as it had been hundreds of years earlier, but it was still regarded as a great center of learning, philosophy, and mythology. It was the latter that distressed Paul when he arrived in Athens on his second trip proclaiming Jesus.

The statement that “the city was full of idols” was not an understatement. Pliny recorded that there were more than 3,000 public statues – or idols – of gods, demigods, and heroes.  One Roman poet remarked that it was easier to find a god in Athens than a man. Barclay in his commentary on Acts of the Apostles wrote: “there were more statues of the gods in Athens than in all the rest of Greece put together” (1955: 141).

This gives you a flavor of why Paul was so distressed as he walked around this city. When tourists visit Athens today they are in awe at the art and architecture – Paul saw this for what it was: idolatry.

He had discussions with all that he could, including the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers (Acts 17:18). In order to learn more from Paul they finally took him to the Areopagus. Luke tells us what it was like to be in Athens at that time. “All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas” (Acts 17:21). From what is recorded elsewhere, the common greeting of the day in Athens was: “What is new?” or “What is newer?” They lived to learn the latest new idea and philosophy. So when someone came along with something that sounded “different” they wanted to know more.

Paul spoke to them about a shrine he had seen, one that was dedicated to “the unknown God” (Acts 17:23). It would seem they were afraid of leaving any “god” out so they had shrines to “unknown gods” just to be on the safe side. Paul took his cue from this: he would tell them about the “unknown God” which they were trying to worship but doing so without knowing anything about God.

The God Paul served was different from the gods of Greek mythology. He is the Creator of everything. In fact he doesn’t need temples and shrines because he can’t be contained in them. He doesn’t even need offerings of food. Instead of relying on humans for his support, he is the one who gives all people life and everything they have. Statues or pictures cannot accurately portray him. And this God wants to have a relationship with people – we need to seek him because he is not far from any of us. What God wants is for all people to change their lives because there is a coming day of judgment by a man that God has appointed. He has proven this by raising this man from the dead.

This is not only what the Athenians needed to hear, this is what people need to hear today. Are those around us far different from those in Athens? Aren’t people attracted by the latest, newest idea and teaching? For some reason people think what is new must be better than what we find in the “old” Bible. They embrace the latest ideology, no matter how illogical it may be.

The message for people today is the same message that Paul gave those in Athens: all need to change their lives and serve the God who created all things. We all need to be ready for the coming day of judgment. May we seek God and help others to seek and find him.

www.forthright.net

“Take heed, and beware of covetousness…” (Luke 12.15)

In the Bible, idolatry is primarily thought of as an Old Testament, Israelite problem. It seems on the surface that the New Testament has comparatively little to say on the subject.

Yet, there is one New Testament passage that has long caught my eye – the very last verse of 1 John. It reads:

“Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5.21).

It is an interesting way to end a letter in which the subject never previously seems to appear.

One might notice that Jesus says almost nothing explicit on the subject of idolatry. One of the reasons for that is probably because the prevalent form of idolatry for which the Jews were noted in their earlier history was no longer the pressing concern of Jesus’ day. Seventy years of Babylonian captivity seems to have “cured” most of Israel of their Canaanite fetishes.

However, since idolatry is – at its core – an issue of the heart, Jesus most certainly dealt with idolatry regularly. He was surrounded by it and found it in the hearts of those with whom he dealt every day.

For example, some of his contemporaries idolized political influence. They were almost entirely secularized members of the Jewish community. They no longer believed in spiritual realms or realities, like angels, or the resurrection of the dead (Acts 23.8).

On the other end of the spectrum, some idolized asceticism and self-flagellation, largely for fear of ever angering God again to the degree that he would abandon the nation.

Some even idolized the Law – so much so that they created traditions to aid the common people in obeying it, in hopes that God would become overwhelmingly pleased by their efforts at its implementation, and thus usher in the age of the Messiah (Matthew 15.1-9).

Some idolized Greek philosophy and thus abandoned the moral and philosophic compass of the Scriptures.

Even among the twelve, there were idolatrous inclinations. On the night Jesus was betrayed, several disciples engaged in an argument over who should take the seats of honor in the soon-to-be-initiated kingdom of Israel (Luke 22.24).

And speaking of the betrayal of Jesus, Judas idolized sordid gain (John 12.6).

According to Paul, the root of idolatry is covetousness (Col. 3.5), which is to desire that which is not permissible to have. Of such an attitude, Jesus offered the double-warning: “Take heed, beware…”

Back to the Old Testament, we are inclined to chuckle a little when the Israelites tossed their jewelry into the fire and Aaron crafted for them a golden calf (which Aaron claimed randomly “came out” of the fire on its own, Exodus 32.1-24).

Yet, if we’re honest, it becomes apparent that we are all more adept at crafting our own idols than we realize.

We are not nearly as different from those Israelites after all. Our golden calves are just easier to hide.

by Rick Kelley

When the Titanic went down in 1912, eleven millionaires went down with it. They had an estimated $200,000,000 in wealth. On this night, their money would become worthless to them. Major A. H. Peuchen was also a very wealthy man. In fact, in his room on the Titanic, he was storing an estimated $300,000 worth of money, jewelry, and stocks. As Peuchen was sitting down for dinner, reports came in that the boat had struck an iceberg and people were evacuating. Even though he doubted the Titanic would sink, he decided to head back to his cabin to grab all his wealth. On a whim, he stopped and decided to go without it. Peuchen recalled, “The money seemed a mockery at that time. I picked up three oranges instead.” By the time Peuchen got into a lifeboat, it became abundantly clear that the Titanic was going to sink. His decision to leave his wealth and grab the oranges very likely saved his life (William Brown, Illustrative Incidents For Public Speakers, 164).

It’s hard to say how much of a role the oranges played in Peuchen’s survival, but they certainly helped much more than his money ever could have. His money would have become a burden and an inconvenience. The oranges were at least smaller, more maneuverable, and could provide sustenance. As the story goes, the way Peuchen got into the life raft was by grabbing a rope, swinging off the ship, and then sliding down 25 feet to the lifeboat (Encyclopedia Titanica). Certainly, this would have proved much more difficult with all his wealth and possessions if he would have made it to the lifeboat at all.

It’s not often we face a life or death situation. However, in the times when people have had to do so, their money becomes pointless. Anything that will help us stay alive becomes substantially more valuable. If lost in the desert, water is more precious than diamonds. If lost in the mountains, food and shelter are more valuable than gold. If our house is on fire, even as kids we are taught to get out right away, leave all valuables, and never try to go back in after them. The bottom line is, our lives are worth far more than all wealth.

There is a problem though. An inevitable fact of life is that we will die unless Jesus comes back first (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). No amount of wealth can change this. No stockpile of jewels will keep save us from death (Luke 16:19ff). Every penny of wealth we collect here will be lost.

Jesus told a parable about a man who was focused on becoming wealthier, but what he didn’t realize was that he was going to die that very night. God calls him a fool for focusing on such pointless things – “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:16-21).

God would call us foolish if our focus is on physical wealth and possessions. While we have time, we must focus on being “rich toward God.” We must store up our treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20). We must focus on our relationship with the Lord and obeying His commands. This is far more valuable. It is more valuable than all the wealth in the world (Matthew 16:26). The reality is, our physical “ships” are sinking. Will we hang on to our wealth, or will we grab on to the Lord?

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21)  What do our lives say we treasure most?

Brett Petrillo

“So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.” (Nehemiah 6:15 NASB2020)

At first glance perhaps this doesn’t have much impact on us. But when we consider what they were doing, we realize what a great achievement this statement represents. In under two months the Jews who had returned from exile to Jerusalem had rebuilt the wall that surrounded the city.

This was not a one-stone wide wall. For me, one of the impressive sights in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem today is seeing the foundation of the wall that Hezekiah had built for Jerusalem’s defense. It is seven meters (23 feet) thick and at places preserved to a height of 3.3 meters (almost 11 feet). It is thought that its real height was around 8 meters (26 feet). It may be that this stretch of wall is mentioned in Nehemiah 3:8-9. That is not a wall that could be built in a day or very quickly! It wasn’t just this one section but a rebuilding of the wall that surrounded the entire city of Jerusalem.

This was accomplished through what seems to have been almost constant opposition and threats from those who lived in the area. They tried any means they could to get Nehemiah and the Jews to stop work on the wall – and all without success. Nehemiah was not to be dissuaded from the task before him.

How did a group of people who had been exiles manage to accomplish such a Herculean feat in such a short time? The answer to this question is simple and applicable to us today. This is what was recorded as they were working on the wall.

“So we rebuilt the wall, and the entire wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.” (Nehemiah 4:6)

Much can be accomplished when a group of people decide to work together to get it done. I’ve witnessed this over the past week as we moved out of our house. Our house sold much more rapidly than we anticipated (we did not even advertise). The problem we had was that the buyer needed to get out of his house and our new house is not completed. From the offer to purchase to moving out was around four weeks. How were we going to accomplish all that needed to be sorted through, packed, stored, and the house cleaned in such a short time? We had a group of people helping us who had a mind to work. After cleaning years of accumulation, packers came in and packed everything is just over a day. They then moved our belongings to a storage facility in a day. Then a group of Christian friends came to help us and we cleaned the house from top to bottom in a day.

Within a congregation this is what needs to be happening as well. If people have a mind to work much can be accomplished.

From my observation there are at least three types of people in a congregation.

• There are those who complain that nothing is being done – and they are also doing nothing (it is always someone else’s responsibility!).
• There are those who do something but think everyone should be doing exactly what they are doing.
• Then there are those who are willing to use the abilities with which God has blessed them to complement the abilities of others.

It is this latter group that gets the work done. Like those in Nehemiah’s day, all worked but everyone did what they could do best. Like those helping us move, all didn’t do the same thing but by all working together the job was done.

As Solomon looked back over his life when he was old, he reached this conclusion: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). If we would only learn this simple message and develop a mind to work, to do what we can in the Lord’s service, more could be accomplished.

Photo by Jon Galloway: Hezekiah’s wall, Jerusalem, January 2018.

Jon Galloway

Who is this God who invites us to profoundly reorder our lives to their very core? After all, the call to discipleship is the invitation to radically align our allegiances, beliefs, values and behaviors according to God’s character and word.

By revisiting the stories of Moses and the Israelites, we can learn something about this God who desires to transform us. Step with me back into the sandals of Moses as he approached the burning bush. Remember, even from a distance Moses had realized this fiery bush was unusual. The fire blazed on yet it did not consume.

Notice that before God spoke one word to Moses about going to Pharaoh or leading the Israelites out of Egypt, before God began reshaping Moses’ life, God first revealed something of himself. As Moses approached the burning bush, God spoke to him thereby causing Moses to realize he stood in God’s presence. There could be no doubt.

Furthermore, God revealed he had heard Israel’s cries because of their sufferings. He also promised to rescue them and he identified himself as the God of Moses’ ancestors. God provided all of this before asking Moses to lift a finger. Moses’ service would not be built upon a blind faith.

Nor did God seek for either Israel or Pharaoh to trust without good reason. God provided Moses with signs that he could perform for Israel and Pharaoh. God’s activity preceded any call for faith or action.

By the time Israel reached Mt. Sinai, they had seen God’s power demonstrated in nature through the plagues, the dividing of the Red Sea as well as God’s provisions of water and bread in the wilderness. And so when God invited Israel at Mt. Sinai to serve him, Israel had good reason to trust and obey. No leap of faith was required.

In fact, the same is true today as well as when Jesus walked the earth. With the start of his ministry, Jesus performed signs and wonders providing good reason to accept his life-altering message. We are being called to live as Jesus’ disciples after God has first raised him from the dead.

Who is this God who would reorder our lives? He is a God who acts first in order to give us good reason to trust and obey.

Barry Newton

Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him. 

Matt. 26:14-16 (ESV)

It is the most egregious betrayal of all time. Judas, one of the most trusted followers of rabbi Jesus, the Son of God, sells off his Master to the religious establishment who will do whatever it takes to kill him. The betrayal is bad enough. However, a closer look at one detail just adds injury to insult: the thirty pieces of silver.

At first blush readers may not think much about it, but Jewish readers probably would have picked up on the significance rather quickly. In Exodus 21:32, God spoke the following law through Moses. “If the ox gores a slave, male or female, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.” Do you see it? Under Mosaic Law, the restitution rate for a slave was thirty pieces of silver. Judas betrayed the King of Kings, the Son of God, for the price of an ordinary slave! I have to believe the priests were smiling as they though to themselves, “We’re getting great deal here!” As for Judas, he was so blinded by his greed that he was willing to give up an invaluable relationship to satisfy a temporary craving. And what did he get for it? Grief, regret, depression, and suicide. What was a great deal for the priests cost Judas everything.

It is easy for us to wag our heads and shake fingers at Judas. He is, in many ways, the ultimate villain. Yet, maybe Judas’ tale should also serve as a warning for you and me in those times we consider turning our backs on Jesus. Those times when sin is beckoning to us to give in and sell out. The computer in the bedroom. The TV show when no one else is home. The bar night when you are traveling. Lying to avoid getting in trouble or having a necessary confrontation. The list could go on.

When we give in to such temptations, we are more like Judas than we might want to admit. We betray our loyalty to Jesus for Satan’s “dark money.” Think of what it says about our view of Christ. That he is less valuable than what? A few minutes of satisfaction? How long will that pleasure last you before you need to find something else? Furthermore, in these moments we are so blinded by our desire that we jeopardize that which is priceless. Is your pleasure worth your marriage? Is the lie worth losing your trustworthiness? Is the betrayal worth endangering your relationship with Christ? In such times, I have to believe the Devil is looking on with a wicked grin, thinking, “Boy, I’m getting a great deal here!” What costs Satan so little could cost us everything.

Jesus calls us to absolute loyalty, but our weak flesh puts that to the test regularly. Every day we must choose to stay true to him or betray him. To choose betrayal always costs something, but that deal is never as good as it seems in the moment. However, remaining at the side of the Master is always worth the cost. The end is grace, fulfillment, and eternal life. And that is a great deal!

Cory Waddell

It was a fabulous little 1965 Ford Mustang Coupe. My friend’s father was a retired Ford employee and a Mustang guy. He would find a car, spend the next year or so restoring it, then sell it at his cost to family and friends. The next one was mine! But there was this girl… She was also fabulous. She was so fabulous, that I was concerned that if I didn’t get an engagement ring on her finger, I might miss out. On the same day, I called the Mustang guy to cancel the purchase and called another friend who happened to own a jewelry store. Never having been accused of being overly bright, this was an extremely bright thing for me to do! We have now been happily married for almost 33 years. By the way, we still call the ring “The Mustang”.

Setting priorities is a constant exercise in our lives. We find ourselves pressed on all sides by a myriad of opportunities. Whether school, work, church, family or hobbies, there is no way to fit everything or everyone in! Deadlines, requests, perceived emergencies, and responsibilities jockey for our attention. We seem to live in a perpetual state of guilt, rarely having been able to satisfy the demands of the day and the people in our lives.

In light of those realities, I recently had breakfast with a friend who reminded both of us about the importance of setting priorities based on God’s perspective. Our discussion centered around Romans chapter 12. The words of that letter encourage a number of things. First, we should live sacrificially (it’s not always about us). Second, we should stop measuring our lives using a barometer of superficial values and worldly customs; and think differently. We should mature to the point that our lives focus on Godly values and priorities. Third, we should humbly use the unique abilities we have been given by God to benefit one another. Last, we should be devoted to one another with a genuine and active brotherly love. Our approach should be one that prefers one another! We should look out for one another, share the good and bad with one another, and we should live together in peace.

So, how do we prioritize one another? Do we see our responsibility to our brothers and sisters in an equal or greater way to all of the other demands we have in our lives? Do we make the effort to leverage our abilities to help one another? Do we intentionally give of ourselves to each other, even when it isn’t convenient or when it is hard? How do we view each other in the pecking order of our lives?

Here are a few ways we might be able to “prefer one another” more today and tomorrow than yesterday:

·      Schedule the time. Pick specific windows that will be dedicated to growing a relationship with a brother or sister.

·     Be open. Other brothers and sisters might reach out to you. Be ready to spend time with them.

·     Be honest. There might be real reasons you can’t make a request work, so suggest an alternative.

·     Be realistic. We are family. Family can be challenging. (Don’t kid yourself, you can be pretty tough to live with too!)

·     See each other through God’s eyes. God sees us as cherished family. He wants us to see each other that way too.

Dean Murphy

One of my preaching mentors was Jack Reed who preached in Manchester, Tennessee for several years. He and his wife, Sue, had a nice bit of banter before arriving at a worship service or a revival. She would say, “What will you preach on?” He would answer, “Sin.” She would ask, “For it, or against it?” He’d always answer, “Against it!”

The inspired Psalmist declared where God stood on the subject of sin. It is plain and simple. The psalmist wrote,

“The Lord pays attention to the godly and hears their cry for help. But the Lord opposes evildoers and wipes out all memory of them from the earth,” (Psalm 34:15-16 NET).

Isaiah 59:2 teaches that it is the sinfulness of human beings that separates them from God. Since God is complete righteousness, he is opposed to sinful conduct. Those who think a relationship with God is possible while not abandoning sin are mistaken. If they die in that condition, they will be eternally sorry.

A relationship with God is possible but first one must learn to oppose sin as much as God does. If your hands are stained with blood and your fingers with sin as Isaiah described, God will reject you from any relationship with him (Isaiah 59:3).

In Romans 6:3 the apostle Paul asked, “How can we who died to sin still live in it?” Though this question still lives in holy writing, its force is denied by people who believe they can claim membership in a church and yet never give up the practice of sin. Evidently, they haven’t realized such is not possible.

God loves everyone but he won’t have a relationship with those engaged in a life of sin. The writer of Hebrews demonstrated this truth when he wrote, “we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely,” (Hebrews 12:2 NET).

Obey the gospel today and have a close relationship with God by ending the practice of sin.

by John Henson

Many emotions run through different individuals when faced with the loss of a loved one or dealing with intense pain. These emotions can present themselves as questions:

• Confusion: “Why did this happen?”
• Sadness: “How will I go on?”
• Anger: “Who allowed this to happen?”

Who can answer these questions?

Who can provide comfort?

Who can guide your heart through the heartbreaking moments in life?

Is it not the Creator?

Here’s a quick reminder to help give those who are dealing with loss and tragedy some perspective.

Though “end” is a very human term,

100 years from now I’ll be alive and so will you. 150, 200 years from now I’ll be alive and so will you.

Since we are made in the image of God, that means…

1. When God breathed into you the breath of life He gave you a piece of Himself called the soul which will live forever…somewhere.
2. When God created you in a more intimate way unlike the beasts of the field and the birds of the air He gave you free choice.
3. He gave you the ability to reason.
4. He gave you the ability to contact Him and be contacted by him.

How sad and how tragic it would be to live your life with no hope. God offers wonderful and comforting news even at times where such news seems to be missing.

God loves you more than anyone can.

God loves you more than you can comprehend.

Though many cry for and with you when you hurt, that love falls short of the one who expresses His love in a way that’s perfect and unfailing.

You will and perhaps you currently experience feelings you can’t put into words, but God feels them and understands them.

God can walk you through the hurts. Life doesn’t have to be impossibly tragic and void of purpose.

God created the heart. He can heal yours. God created the mind. He can sort yours out. God made the soul. He can save yours. God created the body. He can give you rest. God created the eyes. He can wipe your tears away. God created the shoulder, but His are the only shoulders capable of bearing the weight of all those who lean on them.

Dale Pollard

Horst Schulze, former president of the Ritz Carlton Hotels company, is known for his masterful ability to create a culture of first-class service. Under his leadership, his companies have received some of the highest awards their industry gives. When asked, “How did you build this culture,” Horst can literally give you hours of discussion on the things that shape an environment of friendly, helpful service.

Part of establishing that culture involves teaching every employee that it is “your responsibility” to take care of needs, questions, and concerns customers bring to you. Shulze describes this like going to your mother’s house. When you visit momma’s house, she wants to take care of everything. In one interview, Shulze mused, “Mom never called the manager when there was a problem. She said, ‘Come here, I’m here for you.’” In his experience, a top-notch service culture is created when every employee purposefully takes the time to handle any problem and see its solution all the way to the end.

Christians can learn a lot from this philosophy. A lot of Christians have developed a habit of passing on struggles that brothers and sisters share with them. We say, “Well, maybe you need to talk to the preacher or the elders.” Don’t get me wrong. There is certainly a time and place for that. Yet, some do it as our default response to practically every burden shared. Consider God’s encouragement on this matter…

• 1 Thess. 5:14 – And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.
• 6:2 – Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
• 15:1 – We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

No doubt, it takes a very focused effort to change a habit of “passing-on” burdens. It requires that we focus on learning how to address burdens. Much of that training, though, comes through the experience of being there for people. We need to learn to say, “I’m here for you,” instead of, “Let me find the manager.” If Horst Schulze can do it with a company like Ritz Carlton, certainly we can do it as the family of God.

Cory Waddell

“God said to Jacob, ‘Arise and go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.’ So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, ‘Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel’” (Genesis 35:1-3, ESV).

Jacob, whose name God changed to Israel, had a history with the place called Bethel. It was there, on his way to Padan-Aram to seek a wife and to escape from the vengeful Esau, that he slept using a stone for a pillow. During the night he saw a vision of a ladder or stair case going into heaven, with angels ascending and descending and God at the top. When he awoke he declared the place to be “the House of God” (Genesis 28:16) and named it accordingly. In Hebrew the name was “Bethel” whose meaning is “House of God.”

In Padan-Aram Jacob married the daughters of Laban (Leah and Rachel, and also their servants Zilpah and Bilhah) and they bore to him twelve sons and one daughter. Twenty years after his departure from Canaan Jacob returned with his family, servants, and possessions. It was then that God called him to revisit Bethel and worship him.

There are conditions to be met if one desires to come into the presence of God. John states, “God is light and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” (1 John 1:5-6). Many hundreds of years before John’s time, Jacob understood those conditions. When he was called to God’s House he gave three commands to his family and servants.

First, “Put away [your] foreign gods.” The patriarch anticipated the lessons of Jesus with this command. The Lord taught, “No one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:34). On his previous stay in Bethel twenty years earlier Jacob had vowed, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God” (Genesis 28:20-21). At the time of the story in Genesis 35 God had kept his word; now it was time for Jacob to hold up his part of the covenant. God, the Lord, the God of Abraham and Isaac, was to be Jacob’s (Israel’s) God exclusively, with no idols or false gods to be tolerated.

Christians today trust in one Lord, one Spirit, and one God (Ephesians 4:4-6), rejecting all other gods (1 Thessalonians 1:9). In order to come into God’s House, the Church (1 Timothy 3:15) genuine faith in God (Hebrews 11:6), and his Son as Lord (Romans 10:9) is required. Idolatry in any form is sin and separates such worshippers from the living and true God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

Second, Jacob commanded his family to “purify yourselves.” In everyday activities there is much which will defile and stain, rendering fellowship with God impossible. Some 400 years later Jacob’s descendants would receive the Law of God delivered through Moses. That law contained specific rituals designed to purify the children of Israel so that their worship would be acceptable.

Today, under the law of Christ, Christians receive purification through the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:10) and through baptism (Acts 22:16), repentance, and prayer (1 John 1:8-10). Only Jesus can take away those things that defile us (Romans 7:24-25; 8:1). To enter into God’s spiritual house we also must purify ourselves.

Finally Jacob instructed his family to “Change your garments.” Under the Law of Moses, those who entered the Tabernacle (the “House of God” at that time) were required to take off their normal clothing, wash themselves, then to put on the special attire of the priesthood (Exodus 40:12-15). Those articles of clothing were to be worn only in the tabernacle and for the purpose of their priestly ministry.

Why Jacob wanted his people to change clothing is not revealed, nor the nature of the clothes they took off or of those they put on. It is significant however that Jacob made this demand. Approaching God requires careful preparation. Some things in our lives and in our outward or physical aspects are not appropriate for divine communion. Even Adam and Eve, after gaining the knowledge of good and evil, recognized the need to change or conceal their appearance when meeting their creator (Genesis 3:7, 10).

New Testament writers impose a “dress standard” not of physical clothing, but of character and good works (1 Timothy 2:9-10; 1 Peter 3:3-6). One who would draw near to God must be adorned with modesty, humility, and “a gentle and quiet spirit” among many other characteristics. One who has come to God in faith and obedience to the Gospel cannot live as he or she did in the past nor as people of the world live, but must be transformed (Romans 12:2) and live a life that is righteous and holy (Ephesians 4:24).

Just as Jacob recognized the importance of faith in God alone, purity, and appropriate appearance, so we today must prepare ourselves to remain continually in fellowship with our heavenly Father. We also must put away all that competes for our allegiance, must be cleansed from our sins, and must live outwardly in a manner acceptable to God.

Michael Brooks

When I was in elementary school, we had a teacher who taught us how to properly write a letter. Miss Crews, my fourth grade teacher, told us it included the heading, greeting, body, complimentary closing, and signature. Isn’t it interesting what we retain (or fail to retain) from childhood?

Applying that basic analysis to the New Testament epistles, we are greatly helped. In addition to reading who the epistle of 1 Corinthians is from (1:1) and who it is to (1:2), we have a heading (helped by the information in verse 2), greeting (1:3), body (1:4-16:18), complimentary closing (16:19-20, 22-24), and signature (16:21). It is also in this first section of the letter (1:1-17) that we find the purpose of the letter. Notice some key aspects of these first several verses.

PAUL REMINDS THEM OF WHO THEY ARE (1:2-3)

In the daily grind, I can be apt to forget exactly who I am and who God has called me to be. It seems this had happened to the entire congregation at Corinth. Paul starts out this letter by reminding them they belong to God, set apart, and recipients of grace and peace.

PAUL TELLS THEM WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR THEM (1:4-9)

Except for Galatians, Paul begins with a prayer, blessing, or thanksgiving. Here, Paul reminds them of how blessed they are–with grace (1:4), riches (1:5), confirmation (1:6), various blessings (1:7), hope (1:8), and fellowship with the Father and Son (1:9). I don’t know about you, but I often need to be reminded of how mindful the Lord has been of me. I need to reflect on my blessings so I won’t obsess over my problems. Paul is going to be addressing a serious problem in their lives, but he starts by centering their focus on their spiritual treasures.

PAUL URGES SOMETHING OF THEM (1:10-17)

One of the ways a New Testament writer indicated the purpose of his writing is through petition verbs. While Paul actually uses a petition verb three times in this letter (1:10, 4:16, and 16:15), there’s no doubt that his first one sets the tone for the rest of the letter. They have a big problem at Corinth: division. We can see this in greater detail as we walk through the letter, but their division was seen in their allegiance to men instead of Christ, in their worship services, in their exercise of spiritual gifts, in their exercise of their Christian liberties, in their view on various sins, and more. So, Paul brings them into focus here.

• He urges them to be complete, by being of the same mind and judgment (1:10).
• He urges them to see the true nature of Christ (1:11-13).
• He urges them to focus on the gospel and the cross (1:14-17).

Keep in mind, as you read through this entire letter, that God had something He wanted Corinth and all subsequent churches and Christians facing the same general struggle to understand. It requires us to keep sight of our identity, blessings, and purpose. Otherwise, we open the door to division which can be the gateway to “disorder and every evil thing” (Jas. 3:16).

Neal Pollard

When we think seriously about our roles, we realize that we have very little time with our kids before they leave home. The time we spend together as a family is but a passing vapor.

They will be gone before you know it.

DADS, WALK WISELY – 5:15:

We must have God’s wisdom if we want to lead our families to heaven; otherwise, they will self-destruct in a heartbeat. In an airport terminal, you can have one plane that is heading north to Detroit while another plane is flying west to San Francisco. The waiting areas might be right next to each other, but their destinations are thousands of miles apart.

Unfortunately, most people don’t stop to evaluate where their wisdom is leading them, but God’s word tells us: Proverbs 14:12.

DADS, MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TIME – 5:16:

Americans have been busier than ever nowadays. We live in the information age but having a computer in the form of a phone has made us busier than ever.

Look up the words to the song “In Pictures” by the country music group Alabama.

Of course, how we use our time is impacted by our priorities. Dads, make the most of your time, because they will be gone before you know it.

DADS, THE DAYS ARE EVIL – 5:16:

The church of Christ grew and thrived during the decline of the Roman Empire because the church in the 2nd-4th centuries lived the Gospel in their lives. While the Romans were suffering from a high rate of divorce and immorality and adultery and abortion and a lack of respect and appreciation for children, the church grew. When the Roman Empire collapsed, the church grew and thrived and still exists today.

And our society is reverting back to what the Roman Empire was during the days of the apostle Paul.

DADS, UNDERSTAND THE WILL OF THE LORD – 5:17:

Paul clearly teaches here that we can understand the will of God. When you read the Word of God, as the Holy Spirit directs your heart toward God, you should ask from a text: Is there a command to obey? Is there an attitude to show? Is there a promise to embrace? Is there a sin to avoid?

Rachel and I were visiting with my younger brother and his wife and children recently  along with our sister who came up from Florida for my niece’s high school graduation. My brother plays some golf and one of his daughters played golf in high school and a boy friend of another daughter plays some golf. I was almost locked entirely out of that discussion! But, one thing my brother pointed out is that you always have to focus on the next shot, regardless of what happened with your last shot.

You and I can get so hung up on what has happened in the past, what sins we have committed or what silly or stupid decisions we have made in the past, that we forget to live in the present and concentrate on what good we can do right now.

If we want to leave a spiritual legacy of core spiritual values in our children’s lives, we have to understand the will of the Lord and live the will of the Lord in our lives each day. Because we only get one shot; they’ll be gone before we know it!

Walk wisely; make the most of your time; the days are evil; walk in the will of Jesus Christ

Paul Holland

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We all struggle with aspects of prayer in our lives at times. Sometimes we aren’t sure how to pray or what to pray for. Sometimes we feel guilty that we just don’t pray enough. It seems that we are not alone in the struggle. The disciples saw Jesus praying and asked Him to teach them how to pray ( Luke 11:1). Jesus gave them a model to follow (Luke 11:2-4). It is not that we are to simply say these exact words, but what Jesus taught them can and should guide our prayer life as well.

Father – We need to approach God as a child would approach a loving father. We should talk to Him as His son or daughter and share our needs, wants, hopes, and trust.

Hallowed be your name – God’s name should be holy (set apart) in the lives of His children. He is the head of the family. We aren’t asking for His name to be hallowed. It is whether we submit to it or not! We are asking for His name to be holy in our lives! We are to pray that His name is holy TO US and that we live in a manner that shows His name is hallowed in our lives.

Your Kingdom come – This is not an allusion to the future coming of the church (see Luke 11:20), but rather we are to ask God to reign in our lives. We are to pray for His kingdom to come into our lives. Matthew’s account clarifies what Jesus said by including, “Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:10). When we pray for His Kingdom to come, we are praying for His will to be done on the earth. More directly – that His will would be done in OUR lives. We spend an awful lot of time building our own kingdoms in our lives. We have to seek His kingdom (Luke 12:31), pray for it to come into our lives, and then allow Him to reign.

Give us this day our daily bread – We need to ask God for what we need. He gives good gifts to those who ask (Luke 11:9-12). Do we trust that in our lives? Do we ask God to provide the things we need? If we do, then why do we worry about them (Luke 12:13-29)? We can trust that if we hallow His name in our lives and subject ourselves to His Kingdom (reign) as a loving father, He will give us what we need. We need to live our lives trusting in that – depending on God rather than ourselves to provide what we truly need (Luke 12:22-30).

Forgive us our sins – We need to ask God to forgive us knowing that He will if we repent (Luke 11:32). We are indebted to the Lord. We were dead in our transgressions and sins, but Jesus made us alive by canceling the “certificate of debt” (our sins) having nailed it to the cross (Colossians 2:13-14). If we will hallow His name in our lives and seek His kingdom – He will forgive us. And because we are forgiven, we should be those that forgive others as well – “For we ourselves also forgive everyone indebted to us” (Luke 11:4). We cannot ask God to forgive us and not be forgiving to others – that does not hallow His name. That is not submitting to His kingdom in our lives.

And lead us not into temptation – the actual wording here would be more “let us not be led into temptation. We aren’t praying that God wouldn’t lead us into temptation as much as we would not be led by anyone (including ourselves) into temptation. Read Luke 11-12 and see all the temptations the people of Jesus’ day had fallen into; dividing God’s house (11:17), refusing to repent at the preaching of the kingdom (11:27-28), making it about themselves rather than God (11:43). Just to name a few. We should pray that we will not fall prey to the same temptations that have ensnared so many in the world.

So what is the point: We need to pray that we would hallow God’s name in our lives – that His name would reign above all names in our lives. WE need to ask Him to bring His Kingdom to us as humble subjects willing to seek His reign and rule in our lives. If we will do that – we can ask Him for the things we need and trust He will provide them. He will meet our physical needs (daily bread) as well as our spiritual needs (forgiveness and protection from temptation). If we put this model prayer into practice in our lives, our prayer life can be transformed, but more importantly, our lives can be transformed as well.

Michael Hite

My wife, Julia, dropped this little piece of wisdom on me the other day, “Diamonds don’t do dishes.”

I was doing the dishes at the time and stopped to chew on the value of her statement. Diamonds are not this girl’s best friend, a husband who helps is!

We like stuff. It’s neat, especially when it is new. You can get a dopamine rush when shopping for or receiving something. Have you ever viewed an “unboxing video”? They are everywhere. We like to share in the excitement even when it is not truly our own.

Stuff can be good, even necessary, but service is invaluable.

“Through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13a).

Husbands, serve your wives. Wives, serve your husbands. Christians, serve your brothers and sisters, and your community. Small acts of kindness go a long way.

Husbands are to dwell with their wives in an understanding way (1 Peter 3:7). Men must make an effort to understand what their wives need. In like fashion, Christians are to consider one another (Hebrews 10:24), that is we must give thought to how we can help stir each other up to love and good works. We consider each other when we weep and rejoice together (Romans 12:15), when we please not ourselves but our neighbor (Romans 15:1-2), when we help those who are caught in sin (Galatians 6:1), when we bear burdens that seem overwhelming (Galatians 6:2), and when we encourage each other and build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

Diamonds might sparkle and money might spend, but what service have you offered to another? Diamonds are not forever. They will outlast you, but one day all things will be dissolved (2 Peter 3:10-11). Serving others in the name of Christ is a currency that will not depreciate.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

The value we place on what we give and receive reveals the dwelling place of our hearts. If my heart is consumed by the physical, I am trusting in the transient.  By turning my gaze heavenward (Colossians 3:1ff), my life on earth produces real and lasting value.

The next time you are scrubbing the bathroom, folding laundry, calling a sick friend, cleaning the gutters, or getting your hands wet in the kitchen sink, remember that diamonds don’t do dishes, but servants do.

Lee Parish

Several years ago, one my of young kiddos started getting fussy. I took him out into the foyer and eventually had to step outside because the Lord’s Supper was being held in the foyer on this particular Sunday. As I stood outside, I realized that I had never been outside of the building when worship was taking place. It was a very unique experience.

First, I was able to hear beautiful singing. Even though I wasn’t inside, I could hear voices harmonizing together and the wonderful melody pouring out of the open windows. I was even able to pick out certain voices because of the conversations and fellowship I’ve had with these individuals.

Second, I noticed several distractions outside. The street was busy with passing cars and people traveling to one destination or another. My son (who loves cars) watched every vehicle until it was out of sight. Every time a car passed by, the singing was drowned out by the road noise. These distractions quickly cut off any connection I had with the worship inside.

Third, I saw the faces of the people in the cars. Even though worship was taking place and there was beautiful singing to be heard, not one person looked over at the building or heard the praises being sung. Car after car simply drove on by, ignorant of this place of worship. The faces I saw told of people who were focused on their lives, their plans, and their destinations. These people were locked away in their cars, blocked out from God, and likely engulfed by the world. It was sad to see people so near to a place that teaches the truth about God and yet seemingly so far from accepting that truth. While it’s entirely possible not all the people I saw were lost souls, their actions and attitudes certainly pointed in that direction.

Seeing all of this outside brought me to this conclusion: It is a tremendous blessing to be able to worship with the saints. We have no fear of persecution or punishment for our actions. We can open the windows and let our singing be heard by all. Anyone can find where we will be and the exact times we will be there. Also, there are tremendous bonds and connections with those we worship with. When we worship, we can shut ourselves out from the world and surround ourselves in worship (Romans 12:2).  While worshipping, we can put all distractions aside and focus on the Lord (Luke 10:38-42).

Worshipping the Lord is so wonderful! This is why it’s so disheartening to see people pass by who don’t know about this blessing. This is also why it is so horrifying to think of those who DO know of this privilege yet choose to skip out anyway.

Hebrews 10 summarizes this thought incredibly well: “Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus…let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith…Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (19, 22-25).

When the next appointed worship time comes, let’s make sure we are there and invite others to come share in this privilege.

Brett Petrillo

The other day, my friend told me a story about a time his wife (who happens to be afraid of spiders) saw a spider up on their bedroom wall while getting ready for bed. Upon seeing the spider she proceeded to announce that she would be sleeping on the downstairs couch for the evening. That same woman, my friend tells me, was staying at a friend’s house another night and woke up at 3 in the morning to see a spider running across the floor. She immediately got out of bed, got in the car, and drove an hour and a half home because she couldn’t bear the thought of a spider being in the same room as her while she was sleeping.

Fear is a very powerful thing. It can greatly influence the decisions we make in our life for good and for bad. It can also be the driving force behind us making decisions we would have never made otherwise. Hearing these stories got me thinking. What should we fear more: Spiders or God? And more importantly, does our life reflect that?

There are many biblical stories that show us we should definitely fear God:

• Uzzah (2 Samuel 6) was killed for touching the Ark of the Covenant to stop it from falling when he was told not to.
• Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5) lied about how much offering they gave and were struck dead.
• Lot’s wife (Genesis 19:26) became a pillar of salt for looking back at Sodom and Gomorrah.

Along with these stories, the Bible also tells us explicitly to fear God.

• Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction”
• Matthew 10:28 “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
• Ecclesiastes 12:13 “The conclusion, when all has been heard is fear God and keep His commandments because this applies to every person.”

So the question is…

Why will we not sleep in our bed out of fear of a spider but not change aspects of our life that need changing out of a fear of God?

I’m not suggesting we’re all “off the deep end.” Most reading this are Christians who have obeyed His gospel. But what in aspects of our life do we demonstrate less of a “fear in God” than others? What movies or music do we still allow ourselves to listen to even though they are unsavory? What gossip do we partake in with our coworkers or family members? What language do we use when we’re not around our Christian brethren? How much time a week do we spend focusing and meditating on Him? Should we fear more about missing a TV show we like or not getting in His word?

Let’s not forget that our God, although loving, should absolutely be feared. Let’s use this fear to help steer ourselves towards being a better Christian every day.

Jeff Wiant