A stranger approached Jalonta Freeman and her family to try and sell a sparkling new $800 iPad for the wonderfully discounted price of $200. With the holidays just around the corner, this seemed like a deal Jalonta and her family couldn’t pass up. She handed over the money and watched as the man drove off. Excited about their good fortune, they opened the box, pulled out the Apple product and quickly discovered the so-called “iPad” was actually a mirror carefully wrapped up as an iPad. They had been cheated (Huffington Post).

Sometimes people are gullible. From silly childhood jokes to elaborate business frauds, people become the victims of deceit all over the world. Sadly, the religious world is not exempt. Jesus warned in Matthew 7:15, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” What a scary thought! False teachers do not announce they are wolves. Instead, they talk sweet and act soft and cuddly (1 Peter 2:1-3; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 1 Timothy 4:1-3; etc). How can we protect ourselves from this spiritual deception? Let’s examine three defensive barriers.

Barrier #1: Stand on Scripture (Galatians 1:6-9). We must follow the Bible’s words above all others. This should be the constant standard and ultimate rule-of-thumb when determining what to believe. God’s message in Galatians is for Christians to follow the Bible’s teachings above any religious leader or even an angel! Therefore, if anyone teaches something contrary to Scripture, it is false doctrine and the person could be a “wolf.”

Barrier #2: Test For Truth (1 John 4:1-6). Science has discovered the laws of nature, cures to illnesses, and many other incredible feats. These conclusions were verified through testing. The same must be true when determining false teaching. The church in Ephesus was praised for putting evil men, claiming to be apostles, to the test and finding them to be fakes (Revelation 2:2). The way this is done today is by filtering a person’s teachings through the perfect truth of the Bible. If any teaching does not match, then it has failed the test.

Barrier #3: Investigate Actions (Matthew 7:16-19). Immediately after Jesus’ warning about the wolves in sheep’s clothing (vs. 15), He says to “look at their fruits.” In other words, take a close look at the person’s works, actions, teachings, and lifestyle. Are they busy doing God’s work or pushing their own thoughts and agendas? Do they teach God’s words or something else? Do they cause unnecessary division or foster unity? Much can be determined about people by observing their actions.

Keep in mind our God is not a God of confusion, but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33). Our Lord did not establish hundreds of confusing denominations and religions; He established one church (Ephesians 4:4-6; Acts 2:38-47). There are many fake, false, and ferocious teachers in the world (wolves in sheep’s clothing). They are trying to deceive us. We cannot afford to be gullible in matters of eternity.

A young woman sat in my office, hurt and scared. Her husband had abandoned her. She had two small children, no job, and an education that had been interrupted for that marriage and those kids. What would she do?

I said the things preachers say, read a Scripture and prayed, but felt I had been inadequate.

Afterward, however, I began to think. I knew another woman in the congregation, an older woman, who had suffered something similar. I phoned the other woman and asked: “Can you do me a favor?”

This woman, in her 50s, had been similarly abandoned as a young woman. She had raised three great kids, however, became a business owner, and somehow kept her sanity and her faith.

The next Sunday I saw the older woman walk across to the broken, frightened younger woman and call her aside. They sat on a pew, holding hands the way two women do. They spoke for some time.

But what I will never forget is what the older woman said to me. Of course she could say what I could not say: She could say, “I know exactly how you feel.” And she could say, “You can survive this. I did. You can, too.”

But these were the older woman’s words: “I finally realized that my suffering was my gift to her!”

Please understand, I would never wish suffering on anybody. Nor do I expect you to respond to suffering immediately with a philosophical “I know what I’ll do, I’ll help others!”

But when you’ve recovered from you setback or heartbreak, begin to ask: “How can my suffering be of assistance to others?”

A cancer survivor can give precisely this gift to someone who has been diagnosed with that dreaded disease; a victim of bereavement can mourn with one who has just lost a loved one; someone who has lost a job can console one who has just been laid off; the victim of disillusionment could benefit from one who has seen a hero fall himself.

We are urged to weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15). We are told that those who mourn are “blessed” because “they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). We are to “share” in each other’s “suffering” so that we can also “share” in each other’s “comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:7).

Suffering is neither pleasant nor wanted, of course. But we will all suffer, probably more than once in our lives. When you come out of the other end of your suffering, could you please consider offering your suffering as a gift to someone else?

Stan Mitchell

Enduring incredibly difficult situations is nothing new. Yet, one seems insufferable. Trying to live without hope.

It is when life seems darkest, we need to remember who our God is.  God is not limited by what is possible for us.

When Sarah laughed at the notion that her husband at the age of 100 and she at 90 would have a child together, God interrupted the doubt with a question (Genesis 17:17-18; 18:11-14). “Is anything too difficult for the LORD?” A year later, this elderly couple was staying up late at night with the cries of their new born son.

When the unstoppable super power of the day had swallowed up all the surrounding nations and destroyed every fortress with only Jerusalem remaining, God promised that the invading king would not shoot a single arrow against Jerusalem’s walls (Isaiah 37:33). The following morning Assyria’s army lay dead.

When our lives have been broken and destroyed by sin, God’s power can achieve what we cannot do for ourselves. God can make us alive with Christ giving us spiritual life and an undeserved future inheritance (Ephesians 2:3-7). In fact, God is able to do far more abundantly within the life of a believer beyond all that we might ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).

As long as we possess life, hope lives for what God can do in our lives. Hope exists because of who God is. And for those who die in the Lord, the greatest of hopes then becomes reception.

Barry Newton

“Tests of Faithfulness”

A prospective customer walks into the automobile showroom and inquires about an automobile.  After obtaining the details he “test drives” the car to see if it is to his liking.   Another might walk into the local Best Buy and inquire as to the details of a computer, or an HDTV.  He may “beat out some keys,” or “flip through the channels” before purchase.   Then there are those who take a walk up and down the isle of the local Sam’s Club, sampling the “snacks” available for testing, before making a purchase of some featured item.   When I travel to Russia or India I exchange dollars for rubbles or rupees, and the banker “tests” my $100 bill to determine if it is genuine.   We could go on, but I think you get the point.   Why is it that so few seem to care whether or not their religion is genuine?    Did not Paul tell us to “prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thess. 5:20)?   The New Testament repeatedly warns us to “test” what we hear lest we be led astray to the loss of our soul (Matt. 7:15; 2 Cor. 11:14-15; Rom. 16:17-18).   In 1 John the beloved apostle tells us that he wrote that epistle “that our joy may be made full” (1:4), “that ye may not sin” (2:1), to warn of those who “would lead you astray” (2:26, 3:7), and “that ye might know that ye have eternal life” (5:13).  The entire epistle is polemical in its nature, written to help us recognize some of the dangers that would lead us away from God.  The epistle abounds with such words as “truth,” “love,” “light,” “born of God,” and “abiding in God.”  There are at least three “tests” that John sets forth by which we may determine the authenticity of our faith.

First, there is the test of obedience.  Simply stated it is:  “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1:7).   Elsewhere the apostle wrote, “And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments” (2:3).  Any attempt to lay claim to knowing God while failing to keep his commandments brands us as a “liar,” void of truth and walking in darkness (2:4).   There may be occasions when we sin; to deny this is equivalent to making God a liar (1:10).   But if the tenor of our life is one of submission to God’s will, those little “bumps in the road” will not derail us from our journey toward that heavenly home.  How are you doing with regard to the “test of obedience”?  Do you attend services faithfully?  Are you reading God’s word on a regular basis?  Do you shun every appearance of evil (1 Thess. 5:22)?   Do you reign in selfishness and focus on being a servant to others?   Do you love the things of the world or do you love God supreme?  (cf. 1 John 2:15-17).   What about the name you wear religiously, the things you engage in while worshipping God, your moral behavior, or the very words that proceed from your mouth?  You see, obedience to God covers a wide range of behavior.  The person who “walks in the dark” is of the devil, but obedience to the will of God is evidence that he is a child of God.

Second, there is the test of love.  “He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother, is in the darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him” (2:9-10).   The love of which John speaks is not the emotional, better-felt-than-told emotional twinge that rushes upon one in the heat of passion or infatuation.  The word John uses for “love” is ‘agapao,’ and is “wholehearted, unconditional, devoted” love (Mickelson’s Enhanced Strong Dictionary).  One bother commented, “It appears that many of the Christians [to whom John was writing, TW] were tempted by the false teachers, the Gnostics, to a loveless arrogance of the kind referred to by Irenaeus: ‘They tell us that they have sublime knowledge on account of which they are superior to others.”  How are you doing when it comes to the test of love?  Do you weep with those that weep?  Do you genuinely miss those who miss services week after week? Do you pray for them? Visit them?  Do you seek to serve others, or do you desire to be served?  You see, beloved, there is something unique about our love one for another; so much so, that our Lord told us, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35).  Are you passing the test of love?

Third, there is the test of belief.   More specifically, this test focuses upon what we believe.   There were evidently some of the Christians who had been influenced by the Gnostics, and had come to question whether or not Jesus was real.  The “antichrists” had arisen, and “gone out from” the faithful (2:118-19) drawing disciples away after themselves.   Their particular error appears to be that they denied that “Jesus is the Christ” (2:23).  Having turned away from the truth, they were leading others astray.   It would appear from 1:2 that some of the Christians had been persuaded that Jesus had not come in the flesh; that He was an aberration, or some kind of “illusion.”  This would explain why John begins his epistle with these words: “That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen without our eyes, that which we beheld, and our hands handled, concerning the Word of life.  And the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare unto you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father…that which we have seen and heard”  (1:1-3).  Those who had been influenced by the Gnostics believed in something – but they did not believe the TRUTH!  There are multitudes who believe in something; but they do not believe the truth!  It is the truth that makes us free (John 8:32-34).  When a man believes and embraces error, he is not free; he is still a bondservant to sin.   How many unsuspecting souls with whom we associate every day have been taken captive by the Devil for no other reason than the fact that they believe error?  Borrowing from the author of Hebrews, “time would fail us” if we were to list the false doctrines that have infiltrated the body of Christ over the past five decades and destroyed those once faithful followers of Christ.   What we believe and practice in matters of religion is a test of genuine Christianity.

How do we fare when it comes to the “tests” of genuine Christianity?  Will your faith sustain you in the trials and tribulations of life?  Will it see you through the judgment to that glorious home that awaits the faithful?

The battle of Jutland turned the naval aspect of WWI in favor of the Allies.  The H.M.S. Lyons was one of the Britain’s finest battleships. When she returned to port, escorted by tugs, she had no bridge, guns or mast, only gaping wounds in her side.  Out of the crew of 1100 only 25 were left to accompany her on deck as she entered the port.  But, there they stood, solidly erect, saluting what remained of the Royal Ensign still flying.  Alan Redpath witnessed that remarkable return, and wrote:  “There was a terrific welcome for that ship, that old battleship, who had ‘stood her ground.’”  When this life is over, and we have sailed our last voyage, fought our last fight, and finished our course, will we receive the victor’s crown?  Will it be said that we “stood our ground”?  Will we have passed the tests mentioned abouve?   The same apostle who wrote the epistle from which we have gleaned the truths for this article wrote: “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lord shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, chosen, and faithful” (Rev. 17:14).  In short, they are the ones who will have passed the test and gained entrance into that heavenly abode.

by Tom Wacaster

David had been fighting the Philistines to protect his fellow Israelites. King Saul should have been focusing on the very same thing, instead of pursuing David to kill him. David and his men had camped in a village called Ziklag when the men left to pursue the Philistines.

Yet, the Amalekites took advantage of the men being distracted and they raided and took Ziklag and burned it with fire. They did not kill the women and children but they did kidnap them. The Amalekites looted the city as well.

When David and his fighting men returned to Ziklag, they were completely distraught. Don’t we tend to think that bad things shouldn’t happen to good people? We read in 1 Samuel 30:4: “Then David and the people who were with him lifted their voices and wept until there was no strength in them to weep.”

To show the point that even David was touched by the catastrophe, the historian tells us that his two wives, Ahinoam and Abigal were also kidnapped. Plus, David’s own people thought about stoning him to death because they were so upset apparently at David’s behavior and choice to leave the women in Ziklag while they fought the Philistines. Hindsight is 20/20 as they say.

Then we have a remarkable statement found in 30:6: “But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.”

There are times when we have to “strengthen ourselves” in the Lord. Jonathan was not around to encourage David as he had done in 23:16. Abigail was not there. Apparently there was no one who would speak up for David’s benefit. So, he had to engage in some “self-talk,” some self-cheerleading, a little mental dialogue.

Part of that encouraging self-talk involved prayer as the text tells us two verses later: “David inquired of the Lord.” So, when we have to engage in “self-encouragement,” prayer is a good place to start. But then when we pray, we have to trust God to do what is right for us. After David prayed, God gave him an answer and then the text said, “So David went…” (vs 9), that is, David trusted what God had told him to do. If you are going to pray, then you need to trust.

Knowing other aspects of David’s life, work, and personality, we know that David also wrote poetry and/or sang those poems and surely that was a way to “strengthen himself in the Lord.” Just as James writes to Christians, “Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises” (5:13). If you need to be cheered, maybe singing praises will help.

Finally, when we read through David’s psalms, two aspects of his singing come to mind. First, David reflected on the nature of God in his singing. That ought to encourage us when we need it. Secondly, David reminded himself of God’s past actions, works, even miracles. David had Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Joshua, etc., in order to be reminded of what God had done for His people in the past. Thankfully, we also have Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, etc.

When there are those times when you find yourself alone but needing encouragement, here are some ideas that could help you “strengthen yourself in the Lord:” pray, trust, sing, remember.

Paul Holland

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.”

The Challenges of Prosperity

No one can dispute that we live in the most prosperous time in history. In fact, ours is the most prosperous nation in the world and we are the most materially blessed people of all time. No other group of people – living or dead – has ever enjoyed the advantages we possess. Lesson one: be thankful!

The problem, of course, is that these blessings of money, material possessions, leisure time, and personal liberties will become our spiritual downfall. Consider some of the challenges that are presented by our prosperity:

a. It is easy to become consumed by the ambition to obtain more and more. Solomon, perhaps the richest man in the history of the world, wrote: “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity” (Eccl. 5:10). With abundance comes an increased appetite for even more.

b. This desire for more worldly goods presents a whole new array of temptations. Paul warned that “those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil . . .” (1 Tim. 6:9,10). Our news is filled with reports of corruption at the highest levels of government and business. The underlying cause is the “love of money.” And, note that you don’t have to be rich to suffer these temptations – you only have to “want to get rich.” Many have suffered the “ruin and destruction” – both physical and spiritual – of such desire.

c. As the pursuit of riches and possessions continues, men invariably allow God to be crowded out of their lives. Many a Christian has neglected his spiritual duties while salving his conscience with the excuse: “I must earn a living.” God, on the other hand, has promised that if we put His kingdom first, “all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6.33). May we all have the faith to trust Him in this way.

– by Greg Gwin

Where would you like him to be?

Worship is well under way when it begins: A restless child has been thwarted from some contraband he craves, and he begins to cry. It begins low and soft and crescendos into a full-blown wail. Somehow, the preacher, with his mature lungs and microphone cannot compete with the little fellow’s howl. Neighbors stir restlessly. Surreptitious glances are cast his way; when will he stop? Will his overwhelmed mom be able to handle this?

Can I make this point as clear as a bell? I want junior to come to church. I want him here! What better place is there for the little fellow to be? Jesus wants him there too: “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14).

That mom, struggling with one, two or more tykes needs to know the ruler of all the universe wants her child here, in worship. She also needs to know that the majority of people making that surreptitious look in her direction are smiling with understanding and compassion. Most of them are parents and grandparents. They know, and they are on your side.

But can I say something delicate, please? She must also be conscious of training him to be in worship. Training implies doing something consistently, over and over again, until character is formed.

Some practical ideas for training junior, or his sister:

• When you must take them outside, make their time outside less pleasant than inside. You don’t want them to learn the “valuable” lesson that making a ruckus brings the reward of playing with toys in the nursery.
• Start on Saturday. Lay out clothes for next day, prep a simple healthy breakfast (not donuts or sugary cereal), get the whole family to bed so all are rested in the morning.
• Talk about what worship is and your expectations of each child according to age before you get there. A 2-year-old can be quiet and stay in your pew; a 4-year-old can wait until the sermon to look at books or color; a 7-year-old can open a hymn book and write something about the sermon or copy a Bible passage.
• Pack a church bag that they only get in to at worship. Keep it up and away so it has things that are not “old.” Include such things as Bible coloring books and Bible puzzles. A little snack for small ones, especially on a Sunday morning, help them keep quiet.
• Be firm but merciful. Don’t make church become a battleground but also help them learn to respect God and others. Don’t let them turn around and “entertain” the people in the rows behind.
•  Daily family devotions are good practice for corporate worship. In that setting, you can correct some things that are bound to come up in worship.

I don’t know about you, but my children and grandchildren are by a galaxy the most precious things I have; I want them to learn to worship God. Mom, I know you do, too. Let’s accomplish this together.

Stan Mitchell

Pressing on

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Philippians 3:12).

At one of the seminars I held in South Asia, a preacher told me of the money his congregation was saving for a modest church building. They needed about $1,500 and had accumulated almost half of that over two to three years of effort. He knew it would still take considerable time to complete the task, yet his joy and enthusiasm at their progress so far was palpable.

We live in a culture of immediate gratification. People are overwhelmed with debt because they are unwilling to wait for what they want. Why watch an old-style television when one may charge a big flat screen HD set to his credit card and begin watching immediately? It is only after struggling to pay out of control bills that we learn that waiting may have been better after all.

There are blessings available to those who place their trust in Jesus which may be enjoyed as soon as they become obedient to his word. Freedom from guilt and shame, the fellowship of loving Christians, access to God through prayer – these are but a few of the “Every spiritual blessing[s] [which are] in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). These, and others, are bestowed without delay.

Much of the Christian’s reward, however, is not immediate. Jesus exhorted his followers to “store up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:20). To store up suggests investments or deposits which will produce dividends in the future. Faith, obedience, and righteousness now will be rewarded by eternal salvation in the end (Romans 2:5-10).

Paul spoke of such delayed gratification in Philippians 3:1-16. He gave up much from his former achievements as a Jew and Pharisee in order that he might gain more in Christ. But he insisted that he was not yet finished in his quest and had by no means attained his full reward. He was still diligent in his efforts in order to finally “win the prize.”

There are important rewards to such diligence. First, there is the reward of hope. Life is always enhanced by the expectation of progress. When we see no promise of better things ahead we become discouraged, depressed, and convicted of failure. That is fatal physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Only when we live with confidence in the future, based not on ourselves but on God’s promises, can we continue to face difficulties with confidence.

Secondly, continued efforts to achieve take our attention off of past failures. Try, try and try again is not just a platitude. Thomas Edison famously said of his many failed experiments to produce a light bulb, “I now know 10,000 ways it cannot be done.” To him, an effort without positive results was not a failure. There was always something to be learned.

Thirdly, when we join others in similar efforts we benefit from shared strengths and experiences. After Paul first described his search for perfection he then said, “Join with others in following my example and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you” (Philippians 3:17). We are not the only ones who face strong challenges. We are not the only ones with problems. Many others have faced similar difficulties and have succeeded. We are comforted and made stronger by their companionship.

It is humbling to face the reality that we are not perfect. It is encouraging to realize that others also have faults but continue to try to improve. As the little boy was said to have pleaded, “Be patient, God is not finished with me yet.”

Michael Brooks

There are some basic facts about the Bible that are commonly agreed upon by believer and skeptic alike. I have been thinking about them lately and why some of them provide really strong evidence for the Bible being from God (and really prove His existence at the same time). This list comes from www.allaboutgod.com/bible-facts.htm:

• over a 1500 year span (from 1400 B.C to A.D. 100)
• over 40 generations
• over 40 authors from many walks of life (i.e. – kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, poets, statesmen, scholars)
• in different places (i.e. – wilderness, dungeon, palaces)
• at different times (i.e. – war, peace)
• in different moods (i.e. – heights of joy, depths of despair)
• on three continents (Asia, Africa, and Europe)
• in three languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek)

The unity of the Bible in its theme, characters, and storyline are quite remarkable when you think about the aforementioned facts. What skeptics call inconsistencies are easily dismissed and often show a grasping at straws for those who want to deny the holiness of Scripture and the God who delivered it to man.

It is simply amazing that a book written over 1500 years by at least 40 authors in different places, times, continents, and languages can be such a unified document. Sixty-six different agreed upon books in the Canon of Scripture. The vast majority of the writers never met, yet the story stays focused and book after book builds upon one previously written. Yet, modern day journalists have trouble writing a complete story without errors or inconsistencies.

The unity of the Bible is remarkable in light of my experiences with talented doctoral students who struggle to keep their dissertations consistent and flowing in the same direction over 125-150 pages. This is even though they are the only writer and they do the research and writing over 1-2 years.

Let’s recap some of those Bible facts: 1500 years, 66 books, 40 writers, three languages, three continents, one consistent thread running from Genesis to Revelation. Don’t bother trying to convince me that the Bible is not true and it is not from God. I do not need to be convinced any further.

Timothy Gunnells

We are the Israel of God

One of the images God used for his people, the nation of Israel, was that of an olive tree which he had planted.

“The LORD once called you ‘a green olive tree, beautiful with good fruit.’ But with the roar of a great tempest he will set fire to it, and its branches will be consumed. The LORD of hosts, who planted you, has decreed disaster against you, because of the evil that the house of Israel and the house of Judah have done, provoking me to anger by making offerings to Baal.” (Jeremiah 11:16-17 ESV)

This image is taken from Psalm 52:8, where David describes himself as a green olive tree in the house of God. In Hosea 14:6 the nation of Israel after being restored to God following captivity is described as a beautiful olive tree with its shoots spread out.

In Romans 11, Paul used this same metaphor to explain the relationship between Jews and Gentiles with God. The illustration is that there are two olive trees, a cultivated one (God’s people, Israel) and a wild one (the Gentiles). God has broken off some of the branches of his tree and grafted in branches from a wild olive tree.

“But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’ That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you” (Romans 11:17-21).

This illustrates how God looks on all people. God selected the descendants of Jacob, the Israelites, to be his people. When the Messiah came, the majority of the Jews refused to accept him. As a result, God cut those “branches” off of his tree because they were no longer producing fruit. God then grafted in the wild olive branches, the Gentiles, who did accept Jesus. Those who are part of the tree are God’s people, Israel.

One of the points that Paul was making was that the Jews were not totally rejected – if they would accept Jesus they could be grafted back into God’s tree and once again take their place in God’s tree. This shows both the kindness and the severity of God.

“Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree” (Romans 11:22-24).

We can see from this illustration how important it is to become a Christian and be part of God’s tree. If we are not part of God’s tree, we will receive God’s severity. Cut-off, dead limbs serve no purpose but to be burned.

Sometimes we hear of Christians being referred to as “the new Israel.” I’ve searched through the Bible but cannot find this phrase ever used. What I do find is that when we become a Christian we are grafted into God’s Israel. We become God’s people, just as the nation of Israel was at one time. We are the Israel of God.

Jon Galloway

“O LORD, do save, we beseech You; O LORD, we beseech You, do send prosperity! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD; We have blessed you from the house of the LORD” (Psalm 118:25-26 NASB).

The words of Psalm 118 are important because they are almost word-for-word what the Jews in Jerusalem said to Jesus only short days before his crucifixion.

More than 100 years before Jesus was honored as a conquering king, the Jews greeted Simon Maccabaeus in an almost identical fashion, waving palm and willow branches crediting him with saving their nation.

Days later, however, the crowd’s voice changed. Instead of proclaiming his innocence before Pilate, they cried, “Crucify him!” (Matthew 27:22). The change in the crowd is odd for more reasons than the obvious.

The Jews’ rulers had gone to the crowds and incited them against Jesus (Matthew 27:20). The rulers probably appealed to the people’s love of Jewish nationalism and changed their minds. Whatever the reason, it is particularly interesting that the crowd, some of whom probably had called for Jesus’ enthronement as a king, now called for his blood.

The crowd’s statement, “His blood shall be on us and upon our children” (Matthew 27:25) is particularly interesting. For if these people wanted salvation from their sins, they would necessarily need his blood on them.

We need the blood of Jesus on us if we want to be saved from sin to serve God. Unless that blood is on us, we will never be saved (Hebrews 9:13-14). That blood is contacted through baptism (Romans 6:1-7; Ephesians 1:7).

Have you been washed in the blood of Jesus?

John Henson

I heard about a story about a man whose wife wanted to buy a pet monkey.  The husband protested strongly.  He said, “Where will the monkey eat?”  She said, “He’ll eat at the table with us.”  He said, “But what will he eat?”  And she said, “He’ll eat the same thing we do.”  He said, “But where will the monkey sleep?”  She said, “He’ll sleep in bed with us.”  He said, “But what about the smell?”  She said, “I got used to you, I reckon he will, too.”

So often when we think about the need for change, we are quick to think of ways that somebody else needs to change.  We are much more hesitant to recognize that there are problems in our own life that need to be dealt with.  But Christianity is a growing process, a process by which we are constantly looking for those things that need to be changed and improved, and then taking steps to do just that.

I think there are three areas that we need to focus on — we need to KNOW the will of God better, we need to DO more of the work of Christ, and we need to BECOME more like Christ.

Knowing, doing and becoming — I really think those are the three pillars of the Christian life.  I believe that’s what Christianity is all about.

“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:9-10).

Do you see the ideas of knowing, doing and becoming in Paul’s prayer for the Colossians.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

Welcome home

“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel” (Hebrews 12:22-24 NKJV).

The U.S. Immigration Service has made a recent change which I like very much. On at least some flights into the U.S. from Asia (and maybe other continents as well) one now clears customs and immigration at the port of departure rather than upon arrival in the U.S.

When I cleared that process in Doha, Qatar on a recent flight, the U.S. immigration officer who stamped my papers looked up and smiled at me and said, “Welcome home.” I must say that was a surprisingly good feeling. Though I was still facing a 15 hour flight, for legal purposes I was already on home soil. It felt really good.

The question of exactly when one may claim to be saved is a difficult one. Certainly, when we turn to Jesus in faith and obedience we receive forgiveness from sin and the assurance of salvation (Romans 10:13; Acts 2:38). Yet, as long as we are on this earth there is the possibility of sin (Galatians 6:1; 1 Corinthians 9:27).

The Hebrew writer repeatedly warned about the danger of neglecting one’s salvation (Hebrews 2:3), falling away (Hebrews 6:6), sinning willfully (Hebrews 10:26), and falling short of the grace of God (Hebrews 12:15). All of these warnings are addressed to those who have been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come (Hebrews 6:4-5). That is, these dangers are faced by those who are truly Christian.

Given that eternal salvation is promised to “those who overcome” (Revelation 21:7, but see the letters to the seven churches in chapters 2 and 3), it is clear that in one sense salvation is achieved permanently and fully at the final resurrection and judgment (Revelation 20:11-14). It is then the righteous will hear, “Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).

Yet the assurance of salvation may be perceived and enjoyed even in this life. John wrote, so that “you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). The Hebrew letter proclaims, “We are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken” (Hebrews 12:28). Paul affirms that we have already been “conveyed . . . into the kingdom of the Son of his love” (Colossians 1:13).

Just as one who has cleared the process of immigration is welcomed home, though he is thousands of miles away, so those who are cleansed by the blood of Christ are already saved, and already enjoying the blessings of eternal life, though not yet actually in the physical presence of God (see Revelation 21:3-4; 22:3-4).

Yes, they may later deny their faith and reject their inheritance, but unless and until they do, they dwell in God’s spiritual presence and receive his blessings. They are already at home.

Michael Brooks

Did You Know?

While Jesus was on earth, He was called a “man” in two different ways. Obviously, Jesus was a male, and as such was called a “man” by His cousin, John the immerser (John 1:30). The Greek word for a male is aner. (Interestingly, every time the word “husband” appears in the New Testament, it is the same Greek word).

But Jesus, while on earth, was also a human. He frequently identified Himself as “the Son of man,” or more literally, “the Son of a human.” You’re probably more familiar with this Greek term (almost always translated as “man” or “men” in the New Testament)—it is anthropos (as in anthropology).

But now Jesus is in heaven at the right hand of the throne of God. So, is Jesus still “man” in either way? 2 Corinthians 11:2, Paul tells the church that he has espoused (betrothed) them to one “husband,” Jesus Christ. The Greek word there is aner, a male. So Jesus is still described as a “man” in that way, even though He is in heaven. But what might surprise you is 1 Timothy 2:5: “There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” In this verse, Paul describes the current role of Jesus as Mediator in heaven. And there, by inspiration, Paul says Jesus is human (anthropos). Jesus, though ascended and glorified in heaven, still retains His humanity so He can be our perfect mediator with the Father.

-Bradley S. Cobb

Of all the accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, the Gospel of John arguably provides the most evidence of His Divine nature, and probably none more so than the seven “I AM” statements Jesus makes about Himself. Each of these seven declarations gives insight into the Godly character of Jesus as the Son of God. Each of these statements declare for anyone with ears to hear and with eyes to see that Jesus was… no mere Prophet of God, He was literally what His prophesied title of Immanuel meant: He was “God with Us” (Matthew 1:23).

1. “I AM the Bread of life” (John 6:35 [RSV]). Jesus was the Manna from God, but He also is the Living Word that sustains mankind (Deuteronomy 8:3; John 1:1).

2. “I AM the Light of the world” (John 8:12 [RSV]). “God is Light and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5 [RSV]). Can it be any clearer Who Jesus is?

3. “I AM the Door” (John 10:9 [RSV]). Jesus is the passage to the Father that all must pass through for salvation from their sins.

4. “I AM the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11 [RSV]). “The Lord is my Shepherd” wrote David in Psalm 23:1. Jesus is that Lord!

5. “I AM the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25 [RSV]). Only those in Christ will be resurrected to eternal life, something only God can bestow.

6. “I AM the Way, and the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6 [RSV]). Jesus, and only Jesus, is the pathway to the eternal truth of God and life in Him.

7. “I AM the True Vine” (John 15:1 [RSV]). Any other vine is false and will lead to utter and eternal destruction from God’s Presence.

Perhaps the most compelling statement of His Divinity came when Jesus forthrightly declared in John 8:58 [RSV], “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” Anyone could make such a claim, but only Jesus could back it up. The miracles He performed culminating in His resurrection proved He was, indeed, Divine. Jesus was and is the Living God Who took on human flesh!

May the Living God bless you and your family!

By David R. Ferguson

Not feeling at home here

Someone said it well: During the Great Depression many Christians sang of heaven, but we don’t do that so much anymore because we have it so good right now, on earth.

Think for a moment of the many songs of heaven that came from that difficult era: “An Empty Mansion,” (1937); “Beyond the Sunset,” 1936; “Heaven Holds All for Me” (1932); “In Heaven They’re Singing” (1937); “No Tears in Heaven” (1935); “Paradise Valley” (1935), and so on.

One song writer expresses it this way: “Sometimes I grow homesick for heaven” (F.M. Lehman, “No Disappointment in Heaven.”) It’s an interesting, yet true thought to be homesick for a place we have never actually seen.

Have we lost that deep longing for heaven our forebears once had? Have the material possessions we have dulled our spiritual appetite?

It was Albert Brumley who wrote in his song “This World Is Not My Home” the refrain: “And I can’t feel at home in this world any more.”

It reminds us of the Patriarchs, wandering the Promised Land: “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on earth” (Hebrews 11:13).

How could they be so dedicated to a land they never owned on earth? The answer is that God had “prepared for them a city” (Hebrews 11:16).

I have just one question for you: What will we do if, God forbid, we suddenly lost the material wealth we so enjoy today? What if we undergo another great depression? Is that what it will take to force us once again, to long for heaven?

Have we become too comfortable here on earth? Do we feel at home on this earth?

Stan Mitchell

Are You Near-sighted?

In the year 2000, the CEO of an up and coming company, offered to sell his company to Blockbuster for $50 million dollars.  The executives at Blockbuster not only rejected this offer, but nearly laughed this man out of their office.

The company they turned down was Netflix. Today, Netflix is valued at over $56 Billion dollars. The executives of Blockbuster, who filed for bankruptcy in 2010, are probably not laughing now at their missed opportunity.

If one could spend $50 million dollars to receive $50 billion dollars in return, would he not do so?

But here’s an even better question to consider.  If one could spend his life in service to God, and in return receive Heaven for eternity, would he not do so? Give it some thought.

by Steve Higginbotham

One of the stories I remember hearing my dad tell on many occasions is about a family who went to church one Sunday morning. After the worship service was over, while the family was going to their favorite restaurant, the mother and father began critiquing the worship service.

The Father started it off by saying, “Didn’t you think the Bible class teacher this morning was shallow? I’d bet he didn’t spend more than 30 minutes in preparation for his class.” The Mother, not to be outdone, said, “Well if you thought he was bad, what about the preacher? Was that not the worst sermon you’ve ever heard?” The Father replied, “Oh, and why do we need a song-leader anyway? It sure must not be to keep tempo, because the singing was sooo slow! And the prayer…” and before he could comment on the prayer, the Mother interrupted and said, “I know…12 minutes and 34 seconds long!” Listening to all this from the back seat, their little boy wanting to be a part of the conversation chimed in and said, “I didn’t think it was all that bad of a show for a dollar donation.”

Friends, while this is intended as a caricature, I’m afraid that it closely mirrors what actually takes place in our cars after we leave worship.  Have we forgotten that we are not the audience, but the participants in worship? Cornelius had it right when he said to Peter, “we are all present before God” (Acts 10:33). In other words, Cornelius recognized that God is the spectator and we are the participants.

Next time you go to worship, make sure that’s what you do…worship, and leave the critiquing to God. Give it some thought.

by Steve Higginbotham

• In the beginning there was nothing. And suddenly for no reason nothing exploded and created everything. You expect me to believe that?
• At some point, by chance the right chemicals happened to float together at just the right moment to be struck by an electrical charge and become life. You expect me to believe that?
• Somewhere two non-human mothers each gave birth to a human child. They were born at the same time and in the same place, one was male and one was female. These two new “humans” gave birth to the human race. You expect me to believe that?
• One of the descendants of these first humans was born with a knowledge of right and wrong. No longer driven by instinct, this person suddenly was making decisions based on a morality for which there is no real explanation. You expect me to believe that?

I’m sorry. I don’t have that much blind faith. It’s all just too farfetched to be anything more than a fairy tale. I can’t believe intelligent people claim it is “science” (cf. I Timothy 6:20).

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1: 1). I can believe that without stretching my imagination.  The universe was created by an all-powerful, all-knowing God. That I can believe

– by Phil Grear