Fundamental Idea: Poking one’s nose where it doesn’t belong.

• • II Thessalonians 3.11 – “We hear that some of you are idle, not busy working, but being busybodies.”
    • This person is more likely to accept charity than contribute to the good of others (cf. 3.7-11).
    • Some at the Thessalonian church were confused about the second coming and may have stopped working (2.1, 2).
    • Not being occupied with providing or pursuing the work of the church leaves one vulnerable to pursuit of ungodliness.
  • I Timothy 5.13 – “Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going from house to house – not just idle, but a gossiper and busybody.”
    • Paul is warning about the potential danger of financially supporting young widows (as opposed to older widows) who could be taken care of by family. Those who don’t look out for their own have “denied the faith and are worse than unbelievers” (5.8).
    • By having little to occupy their time, they may end up intruding into things they shouldn’t.
  • Acts 19.19 – “And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all…”
    • Magic arts is the emphasis here, surprisingly. An interest in unhealthy subjects is the same word as busybody.

Being occupied with things that aren’t our business or are spiritually harmful is considered sinful! While we should be vigilant to take care of our spiritual family, we should pursue balance by not having an unhealthy interest in others’ affairs and by filling our time with cultivating godliness.

Who can name this lovable busybody from TAGS?

Gary Pollard

“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; he who loves Me will be loved by the Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him,” (John14:21).

Let’s look at a few aspects of a lifestyle of obedience this morning. First, as our trust in the Father grows, we get a confidence that comes from believing that the Lord is who Scripture says He is. Our Bibles tell us that He is good as well as faithful to keep His promises. (see 2 Corinthians 1:20; Psalm 86:15). These verses call Him merciful, gracious, loving, and slow to anger. His character remains unchanged by difficult to understand circumstances. “Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever,” (Hebrews 13:8). Next, we have to develop an ever-deepening ability to “wait on the Lord.” In a society when we have instant answers at our fingertips, delays are not a part of the way we look at things. With that, we need to resist that temptation, and learn to “wait on Him,” rather than running ahead on our own. Third, we must all commit to obeying God. Why? Without this resolve, we may vacillate at decision time or allow fear to prevent us from choosing His way instead of struggling and plodding along. We must allow our obedience to be the foundation of Him guiding us.

 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm119:105).

Yesterday we began this two-part study about an obedient lifestyle with three basic concepts. First was that our trust in God must grow, remembering that He is good and keeps His promises. Next was that we develop an ever-deepening ability to wait on the Lord rather than trying to run ahead of Him. Lastly we were to make a commitment to obey God, always choosing to follow His way. Today’s verse shows us another way to develop an obedient lifestyle. The verse indicates the importance of God’s Word in our lives, and that our study of Scripture must become consistent. The Bible reveals God’s priorities, commands, and warnings, as the Word acts as a light to illuminate His chosen path for us. It acts as a light that will reveal the obstacles and dangers along life’s way. Without it, we are like someone who walks in a forest at night without a flashlight. Becoming a Christian does not mean that obedience to God is automatic. That is why the term “lifestyle” is in the title of this lesson. Obedience to God is a life-long process that includes our trust in Him and our patience in waiting on Him before acting on our own. This commitment needs to be a steadfast one. With being steadfast in our obedience, we can say no to ungodly choices, and yes to God.

Mark Seim

Since Weezie and I are new to living in the New England area, we are enjoying learning a little history about the area. Five miles from us is the little town of Bethlehem with a population about 2,500. On Christmas day, 1799 the name “Bethlehem” was decided upon for their village which consisted of 33 families and that name was officially recognized on Dember 27 of that year. It soon became a boom town and tourist destination having over thirty hotels and five train depots with seven trains a day rolling into this little village. It attracted visitors from all over, including Robert Frost, the poet, and five United States Presidents.

We find all that interesting, but there is another town named “Bethlehem” which also has an interesting history. It is the little town of Bethlehem, Judea. One learns several interesting facts and lessons from this biblical town by reading Luke 2. Basically, the whole world knows that Jesus was born in this village.

    First, with Jesus’ Birth in Bethlehem, We See God’s Providence at Work. Joseph and Mary came to be in this village where Jesus was born because “In those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth…and everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city,” (Luke 2:1, 3). About 700 years before the birth of Christ, God said in Micah 5:2, “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.” But, Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth, eighty miles to the north. Had it not been for Caesar Augustus’ decreed, Jesus might have been born in Nazareth. The census was called just at the right time for Jesus to be born in the city of David!

One can tell that Joseph and Mary were poor by the sacrifice they offered (Luke 2:24). We also learn from Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth that wise men brought gifts to Joseph and Mary (Matthew 2:12ff). Because of the danger of Jesus’ being put to death by Herod, Joseph was told to take the young child to Egypt. How could Joseph afford that trip? Only because the providence of God brought them money they needed to live in Egypt several months, maybe even a year.

It is also providential that Bethlehem was a place caravans going to Egypt formed. How handy for Joseph, Mary, and the young child to be able to get to Egypt! There are several major events which occurred around Bethlehem where God worked out the details by working through natural events to fulfil His will. Let’s not forget that God still works in our lives through providence, even though we do not live in Bethlehem, Judea!

    Second, Jesus’ Birth Was First Announced to Shepherds Keeping Their Flocks Near Bethlehem, (Luke 2:1-20). Early in biblical history, God’s people were known for being shepherds. The biblical scholar, William Barclay, says that by the time of the New Testament, shepherds had a bad reputation. Even though they took care of sheep, they were usually not the owners of the sheep. They had such a bad reputation they were not allowed to testify in legal court. Remember, Jesus spoke of the shepherds who were hirelings and not really interested in protecting the sheep (John 10:12). Shepherds of Jesus’ day were outcast from society.

    “In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people, for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior who is Christ the Lord,’” (Luke 2:8-11).

Isn’t it interesting that God saw fit to call upon those outcasts to be the first to announce the most important birth of all time? God has always taken special interest in those who were outcasts and those who were poor and mistreated.

Those shepherds went to see Jesus and “when they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds,” (Luke 2:17-18). Here, the outcasts of society were the first to announce the birth of the Savior.

God still has a soft heart for those who are outcasts in society. If you feel like you are an outcast from society, rest assured, God wants you! You can be part of His family! Often, those who are Christians are looked upon as outcasts. They are looked upon as being “odd” and out of step with the world’s views. The world thinks we are foolish for believing there is salvation through a cross (I Corinthians 1:23-24).

    Third, Jesus Is Special, Just Like the Sheep, the Shepherds Guarded Were Special. It was only about six miles from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. At the temple in Jerusalem the priest offered a lamb to God as a sacrifice every morning at 9:00 and every afternoon at 3:00. Those were special sacrifices, and those special sheep were kept in the fields of Bethlehem.

Jesus was born right where those special sheep were kept! That is no surprise when one realizes that Jesus is the most special Lamb that has ever been offered. Peter reminds us, “You were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ,” (I Peter 1:18-19). Those special lambs had to be offered everyday for 1,500 years! Jesus’ blood was offered once for all. It is no wonder that when John saw Jesus he cried out, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” (John 1:29).

    Fourth, Bethlehem Means “House of Bread.” How appropriate that Jesus was born in a town with that meaning! Jesus truly is the bread of life! “Jesus then said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven,  but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world…I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst,” (John 6:32-33, 35). He went on to explain that one partakes of that bread as one feeds on the words Christ gives (John 6:63, 66-68).

Concluding Reminders

There are several questions each of us needs to ask ourselves: (1) Are we eating the bread of life? We can only do that as we follow closely the Word of God. (2) Have we received the benefit of Jesus’ sacrifice as the Lamb of God? That has not happened unless we have been immersed in water in order to die to self and be forgiven of our sins which is obtained by reaching His cleansing blood (Romans 6:3-4). (3) Are we announcing to the world around us, the message that Jesus is the Savior of the world, as the shepherds did? If not, why not? Have we learned the messages from Bethlehem?

Wayne Burger

In John’s Gospel, we see some insights into the ministry of Jesus that we do not see in the other three accounts. In particular, when we focus in on the last few chapters before His arrest, we see some principles that should be true of how we all minister to others.

1. We should love individuals (11:3).
2. We should be concerned with glorifying the Lord (11:4, 40-42; 12:28).
3. We should love families (11:5).
4. We should develop friendships (11:11).
5. We should encourage others (11:23).
6. We should sympathize and empathize with others (11:33).
7. We should show our emotions (11:35).
8. We should spend time with people (12:1-2).
9. We should go back and visit again after the fact (12:1-2).
10. We should allow others to minister to us (12:7-8).

• We should be willing to do what the Lord expects of us (12:24-27, 30-33).

12. We should be teaching (12:44-50).
13. We should love other ministers (13:1).
14. We should humble ourselves (13:4-5, 13-14).
15. We should serve (13:5).
16. We should help people try to understand (13:7, 12, 17).
17. We should be real (13:21).
18. We should serve all equally (13:22).
19. We should encourage love (13:34-35).
20. We should encourage (14:1).

Whether you are a preacher, an elder, a minister, a teacher, a deacon, or “just” a follower of Jesus, we all are called to minister to others. May we all do so with the love and purpose shown to us by the Master Teacher!

Corey Sawyers

1. The Bible was written by 40 different writers.
2. The Bible was written from 3 continents: Asia, Africa, & Europe.
3. It was written in 3 ancient languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, & Greek.
4. The original manuscripts making up the cannon contain 611,000 words.
5. The longest book is Jeremiah.
6. The shortest book is 3rd John.
7. The Bible contains around 185 songs.
8. The Bible records around 21 dreams.

The Bible is more than just fascinating trivia. It is the only book God ever wrote. Let’s make sure we’re spending time in His Word daily.

Dale Pollard

For everything there is an appointed time, and an appropriate time for every activity on earth…a time to keep silent, and a time to speak (Ecclesiastes 3:1,7 NET).

There is just so much noise. Twenty-four-hour news channels, talk radio, and social media provide a ceaseless surge of sound. Unfortunate news is twisted, amplified, and replayed into an unremitting feedback loop. To add to the noise seems almost like pouring a cup of water into the Pacific. I long for silence.

In the midst of all that noise, there are moments of deafening silence. There are occasions when voices must rise and cut through the clamor, speaking with clarity, conviction, and compassion.

When should we speak and we should we be silent?

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger (James 1:19).

People like to talk. We all believe our opinions are correct, else we would have different ones. Furthermore, we generally feel like others should share our opinions. After all, they are the correct ones.

It seems most people only listen to speak, not to understand. We all want to contribute to the conversation, so we either anxiously wait for our time to speak, or we lift our voice and make it our time. Rarely do we actually hear the person. In this regard we are quick to speak.

Our personal experiences are naturally limited. Wisdom demands listening to others to understand.

In this way, silence is a sacrifice of our desire to be heard. It is a sacrifice of our pride. We willingly sacrifice our voice, so that others may be heard, and that we may learn.

Job’s three friends sat with him in silence for seven days and nights. The only sound they shared was weeping as a greeting (Job 2:11-13).

But there is a time to speak.

When told to be silent about Jesus, Peter and John responded, “for it is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). They had a mandate from God to share the objective truth about the Christ.

Speaking the truth will cause some to be offended. Jews accused Stephen of “speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God” (Acts 6:11). Speaking the truth cost Stephen his life. Being silent would have cost him much more.

Paul was compelled to preach the gospel, “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (2 Corinthians 9:16). Paul was imprisoned, beaten, and stoned, and still he spoke. He was the target of spiteful slanders, and still he spoke. His life was threatened, and still he spoke.

When it is time to speak, silence is a sacrifice of principle, character, and dignity. Silence, in moments where speech is demanded, costs us far more than we should want to pay.

When should we speak and when should we be silent?

Scripture and wisdom should dictate what our duty is in each situation. As Job’s friends demonstrated, silence is always preferable to speaking foolishly. Keep silent and learn. As our Lord and his servants demonstrated, the truth must be spoken. Speak it with love and grace, but speak it you must.

Perhaps this rule of thumb will help. If it is your opinion or your experience, hold on to it longer than you would like, and listen longer than you desire. If it is a word from the Lord, speak it as you would want to hear it, undiluted and with as much love and grace as you can offer. If you do this, you will neither sacrifice your character, nor the dignity of the one with whom you are speaking.

Lee Parish

A teenager took a rope and hanged himself in the family’s shed, depressed about his relationship with his girlfriend. A two year old is beaten with belts, her head repeatedly dunked into cold bath water, and is thrown to the floor because she doesn’t consistently say “please” and “thank you.” She dies from her injuries.

These examples of troubled hearts are extreme, but frightening familiar. Most people don’t take their frustrations out in such violent ways. They may become depressed, have difficulty sleeping, eat too much, or turn to substance abuse to numb the pain. They may react in anger or internalize their stress. They are still very troubled, nonetheless. They have lost their sense of balance and meaning.

We are told that everyone has a breaking point though few of us reach it. We ask how it could happen and why we didn’t see it coming. Could we have prevented it? What would have made a difference in the outcome? King David found the answer when he confronted his own enemies. He said, “In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears” (Psalms 18:6). He went on to tell of God’s powerful response in delivering him.

Depression and despair that is borne of anger is like a brain cancer that eats away our peace. David continued, “Yea, you light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness” (18:28). The darkness of despair is made bright as day when we place our confidence in God. Unfortunately, many people never come to know the peace God provides.

Where do you go when you are discouraged or troubled in heart? Do you turn to destructive actions or become bitter? Or do you sit quietly and call on the Lord? Do you lift Him up in your heart and listen to His voice? He will lift you up.

By Al Behel

What’s mine is mine, and what’s yours is yours. We live in a world today where that is very much the rule of life. With houses, cars, boats, and $400.00 coffee makers, people living in this country understand they work hard for that they have, and others do the same.

But do we share our stuff with Christians? Acts 4:3 says, “…those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them.” This does not sound like the church today. Now, let’s understand that there are no commands in this passage. BUT there is a good principle to put into our lives. “Do you share your stuff?”

I have a beautiful 2012 Chevy Silverado 4-door. I love my truck. We use that truck for everything. We even have two car seats in the back for my sons. But I’ll tell you the truth about something. I don’t think I’ve ever handed the keys over to a Christian that needed it for something. If I have it has been very few times.

The passage later says in v.34, 35a, “For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles’ feet.” Do we have needy Christians today? Yes, we do. Really stop and think about what this passage is saying. There was NO needy person among them because Christians were taking care of Christians by sharing what they had!

What we can learn is to share our stuff. Ask Christians if they need something done this week. In my case, find a Christian that needs a truck for something and let them use it. This principle is Christians taking care of Christians with their stuff. Let us start asking brethren what they need and fill that need.

Devin Guillams

Jesus cited Isaiah 6.9-10 to explain why people didn’t understand his parables. Paul cited the same passage, and Luke uses it at the end of Acts, to explain the rejection of the gospel by the Jews.

What catches our attention about the Isaiah passage is that it follows directly the account of the prophet’s vision of God’s holy glory and his calling to go speak to the people.

He said, “Go and tell these people: “‘Listen continually, but don’t understand. Look continually, but don’t perceive.’ Make the hearts of these people calloused; make their ears deaf and their eyes blind. Otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, their hearts might understand and they might repent and be healed.”

We have often emphasized, and rightly so, the place of hearing in the plan of salvation. Without it, there will be no understanding of the message and no salvation by Christ.

Hearing, however, like faith, is not a one-time action. It is a continuous process. This is seen clearly in the calling of Isaiah. He was an Israelite, one of God’s people. He did what Israel refused to do, in the preceding verse:

I heard the voice of the Lord say, “Whom will I send? Who will go on our behalf?” I answered, “Here I am, send me!” v. 8.

The Lord spoke to Isaiah. He heard his voice and responded to it. The Lord’s question points up the need, his will and desire, the importance of speaking the message of God. And this man, sensitive to his sin in the presence of God, steps forward.

You and I aren’t going to be privileged to see a miraculous vision of God’s throneroom and hear the booming voice of the Lord. It’s not going to happen.

But we have been privileged to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ, who left that glory and became a human being, who lived as one of us and witnessed to glorious truth, who submitted himself to the will of God and humbled himself to the point of death — and death on a painful cross.

When we stand before that cross, we ought to hear the voice of the Lord say, “Whom will I send? Who will go on our behalf?”

And we ought to say, like Isaiah, “Here I am, send me!”

You and I who are the saints of God stand in the same position as the person who is hearing the truth of Christ for the first time. God speaks. The gospel and the calling are one and the same. We are saved to save.

Refusal to hear God and respond brings to both groups the same condemnation. He who refuses to hear the plan of salvation will not be saved. He who refuses to heed the call of Christ to go will not save others and he himself will be lost.

If the plan of salvation is precious to us, why is the call to go not as precious?

The American church is shrinking. It is shrinking for a single reason. Because it has refused to hear the voice of God.

It is time to wake up and listen. For God will cast her aside and find people willing to hear and to go. And the passage of Isaiah 6.9-10 will close another sad chapter in the history of the church, when his people refuse his word and find themselves excluded from the Kingdom.

J. Randal Matheny

The kit comes with everything you need to raise your very own Sea Monkeys. I remember the very first batch of these strange creatures I grew when I was a young boy. A small package of tiny brown eggs are dumped into purified water and then after two weeks they’ve hatched into real swimming organisms. That change is fascinating and it’s almost mesmerizing to watch them all dart around inside their aquarium. In the animal world the process of metamorphosis is very common and we’re not too surprised when it happens. It’s interesting and exciting, but it’s expected. We aren’t confused when a tadpole turns into a frog or when a caterpillar turns into a butterfly, because it’s natural.

In Romans 12:2 we read that as Christians we are to undergo a drastic spiritual transformation by the “renewal of the mind.” The Greek word used for “transformation” here is where we get the word “metamorphosis” from, and that’s very telling. The idea is that the transformation process we are to undergo is not a small change like getting a haircut or getting contacts, but a dramatic and radical change. We are to have an entirely different mind, heart, and outlook on life. We have been transformed into someone and something entirely different. In the animal world there is an essential process involved in metamorphosis. If the caterpillar never spins a cocoon, then it could never hope to sprout wings. If the caterpillar leaves the cocoon too soon then it can’t expect to be as developed and healthy as it needs to be. There is a natural time allotted for the change to occur. Christians are expected to grow but not to be completely transformed overnight; we, too, have a process. This shouldn’t be used as an excuse to not be proactive in growing our faith, but it should be a reminder that if we’re not working toward this transformation we will remain in the same state in which we are now. That is unnatural.

Why does that caterpillar slowly climb that tall tree or take the time to painstakingly wrap itself in that cocoon? Because it knows it wasn’t meant to be a caterpillar forever. The work it takes to be transformed and to sprout the wings of a great and mature faith is a difficult process, but it’s worth it. That’s what God expects from us and He has the power to help us make this amazing change. Our prayer lives and our time spent in His Word are crucial to our development. We should let the end goal be the motivation to press on and allow ourselves to be completely transformed. One day that effort will show when we see our new bodies (Philippians 3:21) and we’ve reached our final glorious destination. We will live forever with the Savior who transformed us.

Dale Pollard

Someone (unknown to me) relates this story:

When my grandmother was in her eighties, she decided to move to Israel.  As part of the preparations, she went to see her doctor and get all her charts.  The doctor asked her how she was doing, so she gave him the litany of complaints — this hurts, that’s stiff, I’m tireder and slower, etc., etc., etc.

He responded with, “Mrs. Weiss, you have to expect things to start deteriorating.  After all, who wants to live to 100?”

My grandmother looked him straight in the eye and replied, “Anyone who’s 99.”

It’s so true.  No matter how old we are, there is the desire to live at least one more year.  Even Christians who look forward to being with their heavenly Father sometimes have a hard time letting go of life in this world.  But Jesus’ death (and resurrection) truly makes all the difference in the world.

“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death — that is, the devil — and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” (Heb. 2:14-15)

Satan holds the “power of death,” but praise be to the One who gives us hope because He holds the “power of life”!

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

“The Lord said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’ He said, ‘A staff’” (Exodus 4:2 ESV).

Anthropologists and other scientists tell us that the two physiological features that most clearly differentiate human beings from the rest of the animal kingdom are the size (and complexity) of their brains and the unique capabilities of their hands, especially because of the opposing thumbs that only humans possess. These hands allow for the efficient use of inanimate objects (i.e., tools) which almost infinitely extend the power and efficiency of human endeavors. Note that the ability of the hand to grip and use tools is paired with the ability of the brain to invent and adapt their use.

When Moses argued with God that he was a poor choice for the leadership and delivery of Israel from slavery in Egypt, God drew attention to his hand and the tool which it held. The point was perfectly clear – Moses already possessed all that God would need to use him as deliverer of God’s chosen people. He was not unique, maybe not even “special.” But he was human and God chooses to use humans to accomplish his purpose within humanity. He always has, and so long as creation continues, he always will.

His question to Moses is no different from what he might ask any one of us who shrinks before a spiritual responsibility. What is in our hands? That is, what resources do we already have that God may use in order to achieve his purpose?

Moses held a staff. This was at least one of his primary tools as a shepherd. It could be a weapon to fight off predators, or an aid to steady or rescue vulnerable sheep from peril. As the shepherd of God’s people this staff would continue to be his principle implement.

In his service to Israel and its God, Moses would lift up his staff to turn water into blood (Exodus 7:14-24); part the waters of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:16); bring water out of a rock (Exodus 17:5-6); and assist Israel in battle against her enemies (Exodus 17:8-13). During forty years in the wilderness many of God’s miraculous acts of deliverance began with the instruction, “Take in your hand the staff. . . .”

Today God uses ordinary people with everyday resources to do great things. Peter and others of the Twelve Apostles were fishermen, handy with nets. Jesus told them, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men” (Luke 5:10). They did not need elaborate new equipment to serve God’s son. They continued to think like fishermen and to redirect their tradecraft toward the Lord’s mission.

We in the Church today tend to think of special gifts and skills as being necessary for any significant role in the Lord’s business. Like Moses of old, if we are not polished speakers (Exodus 4:10), or highly accredited scholars we feel inadequate for most offices or tasks. But we have hands which can use tools and minds which can direct that use. Paul spoke of all of our individual resources when he instructed: “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them” (Romans 12:6).

Our gifts include material resources, general abilities, refined skills, and opportunities. As the song teaches, “There is much to do, there’s work on every hand.” Jesus reminds us, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Luke 10:2). Every member of Jesus’ body is called upon to help in that harvest (Ephesians 4:15-16).

Perhaps we all need to answer the question, “What is in our hands?” What are our tools? How have we learned to use them, and how can we adapt that skill to the Lord’s work? Moses finally came to recognize that he was not as inadequate as he had believed. Great things resulted. God can use us in much the same way as he used the ancient Hebrew. But first we must learn to think of ourselves “as we ought to think” so as to appreciate our gifts (Romans 12:3).

Michael Brooks

“There is no one righteous, not even one, there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, not even one. Their throats are open graves, they deceive with their tongues, the poison of asps is under their lips, their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood, ruin and misery are in their paths, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:10-18, NET).

During decades of travel in many parts of the world, I have frequently been shocked at the amount and intensity of corruption and violence which prevails in places I have visited. I have been tempted to rate locations as to which was most corrupt, or most dangerous. However I have come to the realization that those qualities exist everywhere I have been, and am now convinced that they are truly universal. Wherever people live there are bad people with evil intent.

This is borne out by the teaching of inspired Scripture. In Romans 3 the Apostle Paul summarized his previous assertions that “Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin” (Romans 3:9) by quoting from several Old Testament passages both to describe the evil nature of sin and to prove that all are under condemnation because of it. This leads finally to the verdict, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

This Biblical doctrine is not the same as the modern false doctrine of total corruption. Man was not created evil. Sinfulness was not and is not an inherited quality, passed down from Adam. Human flesh is prone to sin, but it is not innately and inescapably evil. “So then, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all people because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). Note that man is not guilty because of Adam’s (the one man’s) sin, but because “all sinned.” Each person’s guilt and condemnation to death is a result of his or her own sin; it is not inherited.

As we consider the extent of evil however we may lose sight of the fact that there is also much good wherever we are. Evil may be everywhere, but it is never all that is there. In every location there are honest people, generous people, loving people. There may or may not be as many of those as there are their opposites, but they exist.

Equally, there is beauty, joy, and every kind of goodness throughout this world in which we live. They do not eliminate the ugliness, pain, and sorrow caused by evil, but once again those elements exist. The message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is about the presence and availability of good in this world – good which can be attained even by those who have been evil, that is those who have sinned (Romans 5:8).

So the Apostle asked, “Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:24)!

The question of the universality of evil is to a degree a matter of defining “universal.” Yes, evil is everywhere, all over this humanity inhabited world. Yet evil is not everything! That is, it is not the only quality that exists. There is also good, everywhere in this world. Our challenge is to choose the good, resisting the evil.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent of praiseworthy, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).

There are lovely, pure, commendable things and it is those which deserve our attention. Let us never become discouraged and overwhelmed by the negative perception of others. There is much else to which we may cling.

Michael Brooks

Have you ever struggled with the idea that you aren’t “cut out” to live the Christian lifestyle? Have you ever struggled with the notion that you aren’t “good enough” to be a Christian? These thoughts or questions may have never even crossed your mind, but there are some who may be struggling with sin in their lives to the point where they feel so hopeless and so helpless that these types of destructive thoughts creep in.

Fortunately, God provides us with a number of examples of sinful people, who are also followers of Him, that we can look to for hope as we deal with sin in our lives.

It is important though that we don’t try to compare the severity our sins to someone else’s. We must be careful that we don’t justify one sin over another, or say that one sin is better than another; but it is important to understand how God used “prominent” sinners in the Bible to do His work.

1 Tim 1:8-15 – Paul lists a number of qualities that the Law (Christian principles) can be used for. But he also goes on to talk about how God was able to use him to be of service, even though he was a persecutor of the church. In verse 15, he would go on to proclaim himself foremost of all sinners. You see, even though Paul was a violent aggressor of 1^st century Christians, God was still able to use him to a great extent in the furtherance of the gospel.

Again, we have to be careful when we start to compare our sins against someone else’s, for God hates all sin; but Paul’s conversion begs the question, if God can use someone like Paul (a persecutor of the church), then what can he do with me? Or perhaps better stated, what can a sinner like me do for Him?

If the despair of your sin brings you to a place where you think you’re “not good enough” to live the Christian lifestyle, remember how God used the apostle Paul and other prominent figures from scripture.

Peter denied Jesus – Mat 26:69-75

David and Bathsheba – 2 Sam 11:4

Solomon’s many foreign wives – 1 Kings 11:1-8

Noah drank wine and slept naked – Gen 9:20-21

All have sinned – Rom 3:23

Lastly, remember that you are not alone in your struggles with sin. We are all sinners and are all struggling with something. Don’t be afraid to reach out to another brother or sister in Christ for encouragement. We have a responsibility to our fellow Christians to help each other through our struggles (Gal 6:1-2), and in doing so, bring glory to God.

Paul Wolf

The statement that “there are good people in all churches” is usually made as a defense of the existence of the many different conflicting denominations. Certainly there are good people in all the churches. There are good people OUT of churches. There are good people who are infidels. But the question is not are they good, but are they saved people?

It is good to be good but it is not good enough. One cannot save himself by just being good. He must obey the gospel of Christ (2 Thess. 1:7-9) to be saved. Cornelius was a good man but he was a lost man! (Acts 10:1-6; 11:14). The good people in human churches are lost people, not because they are not good moral people, but because they have not obeyed the gospel of God. This is why we appeal to good people to leave their human churches and obey the gospel. There is no other hope for these good people.

– by Earl Fly

“I know where you live!”  Uttered by the wrong person, those can be pretty intimidating, even frightening, words.  Sometimes when they are uttered by the right person they can get your attention; especially if you have been doing something you should not be doing.  When they are uttered by Jesus Himself, the Righteous Judge, they can be terrifying for the sinner.  But wait a minute!  Isn’t this supposed to be a message of encouragement?  Yes, it is!

On one particular occasion, Jesus made the statement, “I know where you live” to a group of Christians who very much needed encouragement.  The church of Jesus Christ in Pergamum, Asia (the southwestern-most province of Asia Minor, now Turkey) was in a difficult position.  Pergamum was the seat of the Roman government in that province.  Very likely the pressure on Christians to engage in emperor worship was greater there than in any of the other cities of that area.  Faithful Christians refused to worship any other god but Jehovah God and many paid the ultimate price for their faith.  In fact, in the same verse (Revelation 2:13) Jesus praised the brethren of the church in Pergamum for not denying the faith, even in the face of death.

Jesus said, “I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.”  One of their number had already been killed and still they remained faithful.  They were to be commended and Jesus did just that.

Do you ever feel like Satan lives right next door?  Or maybe he is renting out a room in your own house?  I don’t mean that you have invited him in; it just seems that he is always around.  He is always right there with another temptation.  He never lets up.  It’s pressure, Pressure, PRESSURE!!!  Sometimes you just want to give up and scream.  You wonder where God is.  Where is that “way of escape” He promised in 1 Corinthians 10:13?  Well, it’s there.  He did promise it and you can bet it is there if you look hard enough.  One of the reasons it is so hard to see, is that Satan makes these temptations so attractive that it is hard to really take our eyes off of them long enough to find the way of escape.  But do not doubt for a minute that it is there.

Sometimes the temptation is so attractive, the pressure to succumb is so great, that it is like the sound of a mighty, rushing wind, the sound of which drowns out all other sounds.  You cannot hear the warnings of friends and loved ones; you cannot hear your own conscience.  You are being dragged kicking and screaming against your own will (or so it seems) into the pit of sin and destruction.  You cry out, “God, where are You?”  If you really want to hear it, there comes an answer.  “I know where you live!”  He knows where you are.  He can sympathize with what you are suffering right now (Hebrews 4:15).  He has been there.  He has suffered through the same agony.  In fact, He has made the same cry (Matthew 27:46).  Our Father in heaven was in the same place for His Only Begotten Son when He cried out on the cross as He is when you and I cry out.  He knows where you live!  He knows what you are suffering.  He hurts when you hurt.  He hurts more when you give in.

Don’t give in!  Hold fast, stand firm keep fighting!!  Our brothers and sisters in Pergamum did not deny the faith, even when one of their own was killed.  Others of that congregation of the Lord’s church may very well have died, but the faithful did not give up the faith.  Jesus promised them something if they would overcome the temptation to quit.  He said that to the one who overcomes, He would give some of the hidden manna (spiritual food that would make them even stronger); He would give a white stone (a symbol given to slaves who had been freed to show they were free) and upon that stone would be written a new name which no one knows but the one who receives it.  The new name might be the name of Jesus, Whom no one really knows except those who belong to Him.  It really does not matter what the new name is.  He said no one would know it but the one to whom it was given and that is good enough for me.  The point is this:  if you will remain faithful, God knows all about it, even if no one else does.  He knows where you live; He knows what you are suffering.  And He promises to be there for you no matter what, if you will simply remain faithful to Him.

What a lovely thought!  What a comfort to know!  I hope that thought gives you some comfort today and throughout this week as you serve Him and suffer through the temptations and trials of your life.

Donnie Bates

Did you hear about the teacher who was helping one of her kindergarten students put his boots on?  He asked for help and she could see why.  With her pulling and him pushing, the boots still didn’t want to go on.  When the second boot was on, she had worked up a sweat.  She almost whimpered when the little boy said, “Teacher, they’re on the wrong feet.” She looked and, sure enough, they were.

It wasn’t any easier pulling the boots off than it was putting them on.  She managed to keep her cool as together they worked to get the boots back on-this time on the right feet.  He then announced, “These aren’t my boots.”

She bit her tongue rather than get right in his face and scream, “Why didn’t you say so?” like she wanted to.  Once again, she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting boots off.  He then said, “They’re my brother’s boots. My Mom made me wear them.”

She didn’t know if she should laugh or cry. She mustered up the grace to wrestle the boots on his feet again. She said, “Now, where are your mittens?” He said, “I stuffed them in the toes of my boots…”

As I read that, I thought about how many of our frustrations come about as the result of having to do something over and over.  Let me give you an example.  A number of years ago, I was having some back trouble and the doctor told me I needed surgery.  I counted down the days until I could find some relief.  The surgery went well (in fact, I went home less than 12 hours after surgery), but the recuperation didn’t go as planned.  Instead of getting relief, I found myself back under the doctor’s knife six weeks later.

I remember that the greatest source of frustration wasn’t the surgery itself.  It was the fact that I thought I was getting better, but I had to start all over again.  Just when I thought I was making progress, I encountered a setback.  I was able to easily muster the emotional strength to face the first surgery, but it was much tougher the second time.

I’ve seen the same thing happen in a number of different areas.  I suspect you have, too.  Maybe you were hoping to get bills cleared up only to be hit with an unexpected dentist bill or car repair.  Maybe it’s harsh criticism you’re dealing with, a situation at work that’s making it difficult to maintain your Christian standards, or perhaps the struggles of dealing with a rebellious child.  You think, “I can handle the difficulty I’m going through as long as I can see the light at the end of the tunnel”.  Only just when you’re about at the end of the tunnel and you have taken about all you can take, you realize that there’s more adversity ahead and the light is barely visible.  I understand; I’ve been there.

The Christian life is long and sometimes difficult.  There are times we feel we just can’t take it anymore and we want to give up, especially when we’ve had to face the same adversity over and over and over again.  May this passage serve as a source of comfort and strength to you:

“He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” (Isa. 40:29-31).

I pray that your strength will be renewed this day as you wait upon the Lord.  Hang in there!

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

I find the term believer fascinating. Some of these intriguing facets include the frequency of its usage and its obfuscating usage.

If someone were to ask you, “What is the most common word Christians use to identify a follower of Christ?” What would you say?

My experience is that “believer” trumps Christian, disciple, saint, or any other New Testament designation for Jesus’ followers.  Would it surprise us that at best it is relatively rare (about eight times) and at worst it never appears in the New Testament?

In the original language, pistos is an adjective that means faithful. When faithful refers to a man or woman, translators might render it as “believer.” Thus, “the son of a faithful Jewish woman” might become “the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer” (Acts 16:1).

What is happening is that in order to facilitate an easy English some translations will express pistos as a noun (“If you consider me to be a believer in the Lord,” Acts 16:15). Other translations will adhere to its adjectival nature (“If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord” ESV).

Still yet, some translations will insert believer into the text to facilitate an easy flow in the English translation without that idea existing in the original text. For example, “them” might become “believers” (Acts 16:4; 20:2).

By way of contrast, consider the frequency of the adjective agios (holy) in the New Testament when it refers to those in Christ.  Like pistos, it too might be translated as a noun, namely “saint” (Colossians 1:2; Acts 9:13). Whether expressed as “saints” or “holy people” to designate God’s people, agios occurs over 40 times in just the epistles! Yet, how often have you heard someone call a Christian either holy person or saint?

So why does our usage invert the frequencies of “holy people/ saints” and “faithful people/ believers” as found in the New Testament? I suspect a popular contemporary theology as well as the desire to evade a holier than thou criticism play significant roles.

Another fascinating aspect about the term believer is its facility to support the fallacy of equivocation. What is equivocation? Equivocation occurs when someone shifts the definition of a word from one meaning to another meaning. This is an informal method of reasoning that contributes to supporting false conclusions.

What does this have to do with the term believer?  First, when used in reference to Christ, by definition believer means the designated individual believes in Christ.

Here’s the rub. If someone believes Christ is who he claimed to be, does this automatically make that person a follower of Jesus? No! John 12:42 clearly points this out. And let’s not forget that the demons have no doubt about who Jesus is!

To be a follower of Christ involves more than just being confident that certain things about Christ are true. A belief in Christ resulting in a person becoming part of the body of Christ requires relying upon Christ. This is so much more than mere belief.

Now notice the sly shift in definition that can occur. Sometimes when people identify others as believers, what they mean is that those people are Christians, members of the body of Christ. Thus merely believing becomes equated with belonging.

While this might support one theological perspective regarding how people become followers of Christ, scripture describes becoming a disciple and becoming a saved child of God in Christ as requiring us to rely upon Christ through baptism, an act of faith (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Galatians 3:26-27; Colossians 2:12-13).

Believer. Yep, it is an interesting word.

Barry Newton

The world isn’t much concerned with doing right. It prefers to do what feels good. People look for immediate gratification rather than adhere to a standard and enjoy the fruit of righteousness. Opinions then become an individual’s guide and the arbitrator of what is good and right. This explains a major part of the mess the world is in.

Those who have decided to be right about what God’s message is, and to get right with God, can then be certain of doing right. They then have the possibility of doing right.

Being right and getting right are the framework within which any doing must possess in order for us to do right. That means that two people can perform the same actions, and one will be doing right and the other will be doing wrong.

The author of Hebrews calls the gospel “the word [message] of righteousness” Hebrews 5.13. He may mean that it is the word that God uses to make us right with him. Several versions understand it to mean, however, that it is the word which informs us about what is right-doing.

• NLT: “For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right.”
• GW: “All those who live on milk lack the experience to talk about what is right. They are still babies.”

The importance of doing right appears early in the Bible. After the Fall, Cain faces the great choice of all mankind since. His sacrifice is rejected. What now? God appears to him in all kindness to point the way:

Is it not true that if you do what is right, you will be fine? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it, Genesis 4.7.

God chose Abraham on this same basis. While the choosing was an act of grace that kicked off the marvelous plan of salvation, it came with conditions. He said about the patriarch:

I have chosen him so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Then the Lord will give to Abraham what he promised him, Genesis 18.19.

People these days talk about “doing church,” quite the odious phrase. But the Bible does talk, if we read it literally, about us “doing righteousness” (see ESV, NASB, NRSV). That would never be a popular phrase among religious folk today—much too restrictive. Abraham “did righteousness” because he was certain that “the judge of the whole earth [would] do what is right” Genesis 18.25.

At the bitter waters of Marah, the people of Israel learned what would be to them a bitter lesson because they refused it.

He said, “If you will diligently obey the Lord your God, and do what is right in his sight, and pay attention to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, then all the diseases that I brought on the Egyptians I will not bring on you, for I, the Lord, am your healer” Exodus 15.26.

The healer heals those who do what is right in his sight. And so it is today.

Where do we discover what is right in God’s sight? You know where I’m going with this. Straight to the Scriptures. And the Bible needs no editor. God requires submission, not erudition that cuts and pastes and redefines. He requires “diligent obedience” of all his statutes (see Matthew 28.20), not a pick-and-choose process that puts human intelligence above the Word of God.

It took Peter a while to come to the right conclusion, but finally, finally, as he looked upon Cornelius and household, he declared,

I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism in dealing with people, but in every nation the person who fears him and does what is right is welcomed before him, Acts 10.34-35.

His statement still stands as a fine inspired description of the person that God welcomes in his presence.

J. Randal Matheny

“Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah. The sons of Noah: Shem, Ham and Japheth” (1 Chronicles 1:1–4 NIV).

Names. Genealogies. People who lived long ago.

These usually don’t mean much to us. In fact, we probably think these are the most boring parts of scripture and perhaps we even skip over them when we read them. The Reader’s Digest Condensed Bible left them out as being irrelevant.

Although we may struggle to become excited about these lists of names, what if it were the names of our ancestors? My family tree is in the photo above – at least my parents, my siblings, my children, and my sibling’s children. I can get rather excited about these names, even going back several generations. The difference, you see, is that these people mean something to me. They are my family. They are my loved ones.

We need to realize that the lists of names found throughout scripture are the ancestors of God’s people, Israel. And some of them would even be our ancestors – in faith at least, if not in life.

Most of the people who are listed in the genealogies we know nothing about. They are but a name. But there are a few who were outstanding for doing good and there are a few who are infamous for doing evil.

Perhaps this should prompt us to consider our lives. What will people remember about us 100 years from now? 200 years from now? 500 years from now? – providing that the Lord delays coming that long. Will we be remembered for anything that we did? And if we are, will we be remembered for doing good and our faithfulness to the Lord?

Moses had this same sentiment when he wrote the following in the only Psalm attributed to him:

“All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. If only we knew the power of your anger! Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due. Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:9-12).

Our lives are short. Even seventy or eighty years seems to be short the older that we get. But are we using what time we have wisely? Are we seeking to serve God? Are we diligent in applying his word to our lives so that we can gain wisdom?

As we begin to read the Chronicles we begin with lists of names, Israel’s ancestors. There are nine chapters of these lists, leading us from Adam to Abraham to Jacob and then his sons and their descendants. Maybe it isn’t exciting reading to us, but we do find the ancestry of King David, which is also the lineage of Jesus the Messiah. Some of these names, then, should have importance to us.

While this may not be exciting to read, look out for recurring names as well as places of significance. See how many names you do recognize. Notice the brief details that are given about a very few of these people.

And as you read, be asking yourself how we can better “number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Jon Galloway