God is, of course, the only Being in the universe who is, inherently, good.

    When the rich young ruler came to Jesus to ask Him about getting to heaven, Jesus commented that there is only One who is good (Matt. 19:17). In Mark’s account (10:18), Jesus says “No one is good except God alone.”

    Because God is light (1 John 1:5), He shows us the way to be good. Paul writes in Ephesians 5:9 that “the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth.” So, walking in the light of God’s nature, God’s love, God’s truth, is going to produce goodness in our lives: good behavior, good thoughts, good words.

    Do you remember the story of Mary and Martha having Jesus over to their house and Martha was fretting over getting the house cleaned and straightened up but Mary wanted to sit and listen to Jesus talk? The event is told at the end of Luke 10. When Martha asked Jesus to tell Mary to get up and help her clean the house, rather than listening to Jesus teach, Jesus gave Martha a mild rebuke and said, “Mary has chosen the good part…” (10:42). The teachings of Jesus are “good” and that’s what produces goodness in our lives. The more we live with Jesus, the more we walk with Jesus, the more “gooder” we’re going to be. 

    When Paul tells Timothy that the Holy Spirit has given us the Bible by guiding its writers (2  Tim. 3:16-17), he says that this is done so that the “man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” In Hebrews 13:19-20, the writer tells us that Jesus our Lord will equip us in every good thing to do His will.

BE GOOD INDISCRIMINATELY:

    In Matthew 5:45, Jesus tells us that God, our Father in heaven, causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, He sends rain on the just and the unjust. When Paul was talking to the Jews in Lystra in Acts 14, he told them that “God did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave them rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying their hearts with food and gladness” (14:17).

    Look at all the goodness God showers on the evil, the atheists, the unbelieving. God does not discriminate in showing goodness to others and, of course, that is a revelation of God’s grace. So we need to do good to others indiscriminately. We don’t need to wait and see if they deserve for us to be good to them. If our hearts are good, in fact, then that goodness is going to flow and show in all of our actions toward everybody.

    Be indiscriminate in your goodness. Paul told the Christians in Galatia: “While we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Gal. 6:10). 

GOODNESS FLOWS FROM OUR HEARTS:

    Jesus said in Matthew 7:17-18 that “every good tree bears good fruit, and the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.” 

    The good heart is going to produce good words. Jesus critiqued the religious leaders of His day, asking them: “How can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil” (Matt. 12:34-35). Ephesians 4:29: “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” 

    So if our heart is good, the words we use are going to be good words. If the words we use are not good words, and we need to be listening to ourselves talk, if the words we use are not good words, that’s a clear indication that something is not right in our hearts. Our hearts are not good as they ought to be.

    Let us live by the Spirit, showing goodness indiscriminately in our lives toward others. Put our agape love into action!

Paul Holland

Today I walked in on someone purloining. I was scared and confused because honestly…I don’t even know what purloining is.  Does this word confuse you? Well you’re in luck.  This article is dedicated to defining the word “purloin.” You may be thinking to yourself, “self, why would I read an article on the word purloin?” And to that I would say, “because there isn’t another article I’ve seen on this topic, and no one knows what it means.”

The Bible is our most valuable possession we have here on earth, so our goal should be to understand what it says. There have been times that I’ve read verses that have used some confusing words, and instead of trying to understand what it means, I just skipped over it and kept reading. But there are some valuable insights that we can gain from looking more in-depth at these words. Let’s define purloining as it is seen in scripture.

Titus 2:10 says, Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things” (KJV). Purloining here is the Greek word “nosphivo” which is only found 3 times in New Testament,  and only translated as purloining in one verse.  The Greek word is translated as, “to put aside for oneself, to keep back, to steal.” This word originally was used as a descriptor of what the Roman soldiers would do when they were looting. They would be tempted to hold back treasure for themselves as they plundered cities, rather than giving the full amount to the Roman Empire. They would steal and hold back, and that’s exactly how Paul uses this word in Titus 2:10.

Going back to this verse, how is this term used in context? Verse 10 is the launching point for the rest of Paul’s point in chapter one.  When he says “purloining” he’s referring to bondservants and their attitude towards their master.  Rather than pilfering and stealing, they should show faith in God to take care of them. In essence this verse is an appeal to live in accordance to the teachings of God in everything. Servants who were not Christians would steal and cheat from their masters any chance they could get. As Christians we are to have a faith in God to provide for us, not stealing and being dishonest.

In summary, if you were to use this in everyday conversation, you could say something like, “I have never purloined in my life, “Purloining is wrong” or, “I’m going to teach my kids to be honest and not run around purloining.” Or you could just say “steal” or “withhold” instead.  Although a few translations chose to use an interesting word to convey this idea of stealing, the point is still very valid for us today. I challenge each one of us to have faith in God to provide, to trust that His commands are in our best interest, and to rely on God to take care of our needs rather than purloining. I also challenge each one of us to use this word as many times as possible this year.

Carl Pollard

Have you ever heard of Jesus Christ? Some might call that a foolish question. It would be difficult if not impossible to have lived in the world for the last 2,000 years and not know that name.

Here’s another question: how well do you know Jesus Christ? Some people would immediately dismiss the question as absurd. Many insist they do. As to how well they know him is another question.

Do you think his disciples in 30 A.D. knew him? One might think they most certainly would have. Would it surprise you to find they didn’t know him well at all?

Just before Jesus’ trial and crucifixion, Jesus told his disciples, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” (John 14:6). To this statement, Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father.” Jesus looked at his disciple and told him that for all of the time he spent with Philip, “you have not known me.”

Yes. Many people think they know Jesus but, like Philip, they don’t know him very well at all. Even those who consider themselves his disciples don’t know him. They think they do but then they obey the false religions created by men. They refuse to obey Jesus’ word and yet they still think they know him.

Jesus told Philip, “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own initiative, but the Father residing in me performs his miraculous deeds” (John 14:10). Jesus told Philip that if he didn’t believe him, he should believe the miraculous works Jesus had done.

This weakness of faith was something all of the disciples of Jesus shared. When the Lord was arrested by the Jews the disciples ran away (Mark 14:50).

So, do you know Jesus? If not, you should get to know him by studying the Bible. It will help give you the faith you need to obey the gospel and live your life dedicated to him. Why not obey him now?

John Henson

At my age, if someone said, “Who’s your daddy?” I’d probably reply with my father’s name. Now, it is a slang expression in the form of a rhetorical question. Mostly, it is a boast intended to dominate the listener and possibly elicit laughter.

In John chapter eight, the Pharisees initiated a contentious conversation with the Lord Jesus that could have the title, “Who’s your daddy?”

Jesus had just told his listeners, “If you continue in my teaching, you are really my disciples and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” The Pharisees took issue with this statement claiming they were never enslaved to any person (John 8:33). What a short memory they had! They forgot their bondage to several nations during the days of the judges. They had forgotten they were in bondage to the Babylonians and others between the Old and New Testaments. And even at the time of this conversation, the Jews were subject to the Romans.

Still, they continued to claim they were the freed sons of Abraham. Jesus knew they were physically descended from Abraham but then told them that their conduct was inconsistent with Abraham’s behavior.

When examining our behavior, are we proving God is our father, or do the facts say otherwise? If God is our father, our behavior should attest. Is there a more important issue here? Yes, Jesus said.

The Jews didn’t realize the worst taskmaster they had was sin. They were in bondage to sin and Jesus was trying to free them. He said,

“If you are Abraham’s children, you would be doing the deeds of Abraham. But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do this!” (John 8:39-40).

Each person should examine themselves to see whether they are in bondage to sin or servants of God. Which father do we resemble? Who’s your daddy?

by John Henson

I’m thankful to God to have a comfortable home to be confined to.

I’m thankful the Lord gave me a pleasant companion to be confined to home with.

I’m thankful he provides multiple means of communication to communicate with, pretty much anywhere across the world.

I’m thankful to take advantage of modern means of food distribution, and not have to go foraging or hunting to survive.

I’m thankful to have clean water piped into my home, instead of carrying a bucket for miles — or even from the backyard.

I’m thankful to be able to meet with the church, even under the lockdown, and be a present and active member of the Lord’s family.

I’m thankful to have ink-and-paper books to read and other digital reading material, most important of which is the Word of God to hold and meditate on.

I’m thankful for the option to ignore the fear-mongering news and to concentrate on the Good News of Jesus Christ.

I’m thankful to have work I can do in spite of present circumstances.

I’m thankful the Lord gives me a thankful spirit, because the natural man has none of this.

I’m thankful through and through!

by A. A. Neale

Dear High School Me,

It’s only been six years since being at Douglas County High School, but boy do I remember the flood of thoughts that encompass those days. I remember the anxiety of figuring out where to fit in. I can recall the panic of not knowing where I’m headed in the future. I can recollect the feeling of confusion and loneliness at times. Dear, high school me – it’ll be okay.

No one is going to remember the raggedy hand-me-down Broncos shirt and high-water jeans you’re wearing. No one cares that you don’t have your future perfectly lined out; most college students haven’t made it that far. Stop trying to fit in various cliques. I know the jocks are where the people gravitate to, the preppy kids are where the money’s at, and the brainiacs seem like they have life figured out.

Here’s the deal. Only a small percentage of the jocks will go on to play college ball while the rest settle back into the “normal” way of life. The preppy kids will get humbled by a thing called “tuition.” The brainiacs may seem like they have life figured out, but I’m convinced that’s relatively impossible for anyone. So where does that leave those who become successful? Any one of those categories has opportunity for success regardless of their background or persona. It all boils down to two principles – kindness and truth.

Solomon in all of his wisdom told his initial reader to keep these two characters bound around their neck and written on the tablet of their heart (Pr. 3:3 NASB). Why? Keep reading; “so you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.” If you practice kindness and seek truth, you’re winning both parties; man and God. I don’t care where your career takes you, I don’t care what state you move to. As long as you are remaining in favor with man and God, you’re excelling more than you can imagine. People will remember you by what you practice daily.

Still, even six years later, you remember those kids who were kind to you. You’ve forgotten the kids who were mean and egotistical and the chances are likely that others have as well. Not only that, but you will come to greatly appreciate those who have given you pure truth – it’s a hard commodity to come by in the world. So here’s the takeaway. Forget about the worries and stresses of the future because you’ve got a God much bigger. Be kind and show love to those around you and you’ll be surprised at how many people will remember it in the future. Seek and speak Truth because it’s likely the most pure ambition we have in this world. Most importantly, just be you. God didn’t create you to be someone else, He had intentionality in crafting you and He could really use you.

I know it’s easier said than done, but don’t let the anxiety and stress of high school cloud you too much. Enjoy the rent-free life with the blessings of friends and family in one central geographic location. Compliment your mother’s cooking because it’s leagues better than the cereal you’re fixing to eat in the near future when you’re out on your own. Do what you can to preserve your close friends but don’t be afraid to detach from toxic friendships. Be consistent and prayerful and everything will be a-okay.

Tyler King

Truth is something that we cannot ignore and successfully escape. It is something we must search out — understand — obey — uphold. It is something that is worth losing all to find and yet, it is something that we have a tendency to let slip by as we busily engage in the time consuming work of ”making a living.”

Jesus told Pilate that he came to the world to bear witness unto the truth (John 18:37). He had earlier identified “truth” as being the word of the Father (John 17:17). There are things that are “truth” in many areas, but the truth of which I speak is that regarding man’s spiritual being, well-being and destiny.  One of the tests of true discipleship to the Lord Jesus Christ is one’s knowledge and continuing in truth (John8:31-32). Yet some men say that truth is unattainable and that there is no such thing as TRUTH. Could be we are trying to justify our refusal to search out truth and stand for it.

What is your attitude toward religious truth? How hard are you seeking to find it? How firmly do you stand in the defense of it? How earnestly do you oppose all that opposes truth? In 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 Paul speaks of those who do not believe the truth and who do not love it. He points out that God will thus send them a strong delusion and that they will be damned because of this! They didn’t love it — They didn’t believe it!

In Romans 2:8 Paul points out that God will punish those who do not obey truth. This same thing is taught in Galatians 2:14 and 5:7. Thus the importance of knowing truth and obeying the same cannot be over emphasized.  God would have all men to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:1) and be saved. Souls are purified when men obey truth (1 Peter 1:22). We should clearly see the need to search out, understand, obey, and uphold God’s word (TRUTH) in all things. Are you doing that?  – by J. F. Dancer

“For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with persistence” (Romans 8:24-25 NKJV).

The apostle Paul listed as three abiding virtues, “faith, hope, love, these three” (1 Corinthians 13:13). Modern skeptics often dismiss one of these, hope, as nothing more than wishful thinking and at best a delusion. One hears the promise of eternal life derogatorily called “pie in the sky by and by.” The emphasis of the world is upon immediate gratification – obtaining what one needs or wants right now without delay.

What exactly is hope, and how is it different from faith? Both place trust in the unseen and expect future fulfillment of promises.

Faith, as used in the New Testament, refers primarily to trust in God. It is the assurance that God will provide whatever is necessary that man himself cannot do (Hebrews 11:6).

Hope is the confident anticipation of God’s future activity. Webster defines it in part as “desire accompanied by expectation.” That precisely fits Paul’s discussion in Romans 8:24-25, “Why does one hope for what he sees? … We eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”

The final words of the Bible are significant: “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen” (Revelation 22:20-21).

The entire Bible is the story of Jesus and the salvation which he brought to fallen humanity. First in prophecy, then in the record of his life and death, and finally in the ongoing history of his church, Jesus’ sacrificial story is proclaimed. An emphasis of that proclamation is that his story is not yet ended. He lives, he reigns, and he is coming again (Matthew 28:18-20; John 14:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:20-26).

It is that return which empowers Christians to overcome sufferings and disappointments in this life (1 Corinthians 15:12-19). Paul’s assertion that a resurrection is certain leads to the emphatic conclusion: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most miserable.”

This is not a negative assessment of the life that Christian’s live. It is rather a tribute to the power of hope and the greatness of our eventual transformation to be with God and Christ. The early Christian’s confidence that life in eternity was certain and would be spectacular beyond comprehension gave them the ability to face derision, imprisonment and even death for the sake of their faith.

But how is that reflected in today’s church, almost 2,000 years after the ascension of Jesus into heaven? Do we still possess that “desire accompanied by expectation?” How often do we hear prayers that Jesus would “come quickly?”

Fifty years or more ago sermons on Heaven, Hell, and Judgment were frequently heard from our pulpits. How often is that the case today? I am not aware of any repudiation of the Biblical truths about those subjects among us, but neither do I hear or read much on the subject. How many modern Christians can be described as “eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body?”

For many of us, life here on earth is very good. We are in no hurry to depart; in fact we dread missing something good if we should die “prematurely.” However, almost any time would seem to be too quickly for us. Whenever our lives end there will be things unfinished which we will leave reluctantly.

Yet anticipating the return of Jesus is significantly different from a “death wish.” His return will be a glorious event which those alive at the time will be blessed to experience (1 Thessalonians 4:12-16). And there will be no continuation of life on earth after he comes – nothing for us to miss out on.

Jesus’ return will be the culmination of creation. Paul said, “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19). All the universe was made for the ultimate return of Christ. Let us join the inspired apostle in praying, “Come quickly!”

by Michael Brooks

“But godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6.6 ESV).

Recently, the battery of our 2014 Chevrolet Impala died while I sat in the local hospital’s parking lot. Of course, we did not realize that it was “just” the battery at the time. The problem seemed worse. As my dad and I were in a difficult situation, stranded in the hospital parking lot, we had the car towed to our local mechanic. Luckily we thought to facilitate everything through our local auto insurance agent, including our car rental. That choice certainly made things smoother. While our mechanic repaired our Impala, we rented a 2020 Toyota Corolla. I will be honest. I really liked the Corolla. I was a little disappointed when the mechanic called to let us know we could pick up our car.

Isn’t that odd? There is nothing wrong with the 2014 Impala. Cosmetically, it looks good. It has low mileage. It is like one of those mythic cars that little old ladies only drove to church on Sunday. Yet, the Corolla had cool little bells and whistles. An alarm sounded if I drifted over the middle line or the line on the shoulder. (I heard that sound a lot, taking the many curves as I went over the mountain. It can be hard not to approach the middle or shoulder of the road when the road is curvier than it is straight.) The rental also had some driver-assist feature coupled with the cruise control that turned the wheel according to the road surface marking detected by its radar. Consequently, it handled curves well and had a good fuel economy. The only “negative’ was that road noise seemed more significant in this lighter automobile.

Here is the question. From whence did my sudden discontentment arise?  It is not as if there is a need for a new automobile. Yet, driving a new car for a few days made me feel like I was missing out on something. It may be, too, that I was subconsciously acknowledging my desire to change something (anything) in my life. However, the problem with that thinking is that it reflects a lack of gratitude for my current blessings. Were I to go and buy a 2021 Corolla tomorrow, my happiness would be short-lived. Those elated feelings might last a few months or a year, but the pleasure would fade. What’s worse is that I would end up making myself more miserable by saddling myself with new debt as I paid off the car over several years. Indeed, discontentment is not a problem solved by material gain.

Our emotions are complex. Indulging the lust of the eyes and flesh and the boastful pride of life may act as a placebo, obscuring the underlying problem. Still, there is no cure for discontentment besides gratitude and acceptance. As Paul reminds us, God supplies our every need (Philippians 4.19). Thus, we should be content with food and covering (1 Timothy 6.8). Should God bless us with more, it is a sign He expects more from us (Luke 12.48). And we are to be looking out for the interests of others (Philippians 2.4). Therefore, “while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Galatians 6.10 NASB1995).

When you realize you are a citizen of another country and have your provisions as you make your way home, you, too, will feel contentment. It will certainly give you greater peace of mind. Then comes the realization that salvation and a loaf of bread are worth more than all the gold in Fort Knox. Yes, “godliness with contentment is great gain.”

Brent Pollard

until then we encourage you to visit a sister blog, https://www.lordletmegrow.com/freebiblestudy

The Bible can be described in various ways. It is a light (Psa. 119.105), a seed (Lk. 8.11), and a sword (Eph. 6.17). It can also be viewed as a gift. In Jn. 17.14, Jesus said, “I have GIVEN them Your word. In 2 Tim. 3.16, Paul wrote, “All Scripture is GIVEN by inspiration of God.” In 2 Pet. 1.3, Peter wrote, “…His divine power has GIVEN to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.” Since this is the holiday season, let us consider how some of us might treat gifts that are given to us during this time. Let us notice six similarities between the Bible and a gift.

The gift must be opened to be used. A child knows that! The Bible is the same way. It must be opened to be used. To gain from its pages we must be like the godly man in Psalm 1. We must delight in it and meditate in it day and night!

Some like the gift’s pretty package, but they get upset when it is opened because it is not what they expected. Some react to the Bible in the same way. They are excited to study it and learn until they read something they are not willing to accept. In John 6.66, many of the disciples left Jesus. The context reveals that He was teaching them a hard saying and they would not accept it.

Some play with the packaging of the gift more than the contents. Some treat the Bible that way. They may purchase one with an attractive cover, carry it so others will see them with it, and even put it in obvious places around the house to be seen; yet, they do not practice opening it to get the benefit of reading and applying it to life. Jesus said, “If you KNOW these things, blessed are you if you DO them” (John 13.17).

Some use the gift briefly and then put it away. The Bible is often treated in much the same way. One is curious. He looks in the Word for what he wants. When he finds it he quits looking. He misses what God says in a multitude of other areas. James said, “But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does” (1.25).

Some gifts are given that make both the giver and the one who receives the gift happy. That has to do with the attitude of both the giver and the receiver! The Bible is just such a gift. The giver (God) certainly has the right attitude. The receivers (us) must have the right attitude in order to receive the happiness found therein. Psalm 144:15 says, “Happy are the people who God is the Lord!”

Some truly appreciate the gift, noting that it is the thought that counts and not the price. While many truly appreciate the Bible, it ought to be said that both the thought AND the price matter with God’s Word! The thought of the gift comes from a loving Father Who sacrificed His Son for us (John 3.16). The price of the gift comes from a loving Son Who shed His blood for the new covenant (Mat. 26.28).

Think about it!

Kevin Williams

Some form of the word “prepare” is used 161 times in the Bible. Some form of the word “ready” is used 89 times (“be ready” – 13 times). Many times these phrases are used in what I would call an “incidental” fashion. In other words, the use is not theologically significant. Our focus in this study will be on a few of the important uses of this word, so that we can better understand the kind of readiness and preparedness that the Lord desires and requires of us.

PREPAREDNESS FOR JESUS AND HIS KINGDOM

From the outset of the New Testament, John’s mission was to prepare mankind for Jesus and His coming Kingdom (see Lk. 1:17). His message involved the necessity of turning to Jesus in repentance and baptism (see Mk. 1:4) in preparation for receiving the eternal kingdom (see Dan. 2:44). This kingdom is also referred to as the church (see Mt. 16:18-19).

Today, mankind must prepare for the kingdom through turning from sin and being baptized for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). At this point, the Lord adds one to His glorious kingdom (see Acts 2:41, 47; Jn. 3:3, 5; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27).

This is the beginning of preparedness!

PREPARED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK

The New Testament indicates multiple times that God’s children ought to be ready for good works. While some minimize the need for good works, James describes the Christian without good works as living by a dead faith (see James 2:14-26).

Instead, Paul said that Christians are “created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Eph. 2:10). The word “for” here denotes that good works are the purpose of the Christian life. Thus, Paul told Titus to remind the brethren “to be ready for every good work” (Titus 1:3).

Christians, who are saved by the righteousness of God, strongly desire others to obtain that salvation, and are willing to engage in the work of the Lord toward that magnificent end (see Titus 3:4-5)! Ultimately the works of the Christian are toward an eternal end, or else they are no better than the good works of any other humanitarian organization. Jesus came to “seek and save the lost” (Lk. 19:10). His mission is ours!

PREPARING FOR FUTURE SERVICE

While there are always things Christians can do in the Lord’s service, the Bible also speaks of preparation to make oneself more useful to the Master. Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:1, “If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task” (or, a good work). Yet, as we read the qualifications that follow (along with those in Titus 1), we observe that this is a work that has been prepared for. The same may be said of the work of deacons. In fact, the text says in verse 10, that they are to “be tested first.” In other words, they have faithfully prepared themselves for this position and now meet the divine qualifications.

The truth is that every Christian ought to be in continual training for better and further service in the Lord’s kingdom. Growth in grace and knowledge (2 Pt. 3:18) ought never to be minimized, as it aids in one’s service in any and every area of God’s kingdom.

Hebrews 5:11-14 indicates that some Christians have had plenty of time to be teachers of God’s Word, but they are not because they are “dull of hearing” (v. 11). Sincerely feeding on the Word of God produces good Bible teachers (see 1 Pt. 2:1-2).

Next week we will conclude this brief study concerning our preparation as God’s servants. Let us remain prepared in the kingdom of our Lord by retaining penitent hearts, being ready now for good works, and exercising the discipline needed for greater service in His Kingdom.

Daren Schroeder

With about 620,000 fatalities, the American Civil War caused more American deaths than any other war. Thousands fell on battlefields under Union or Confederate rifle fire. The death toll eventually rose to about 2% of the American population, which would correspond to some six million out of America’s population today.

Only a fraction of those deaths resulted directly from battle wounds inflicted by the enemy, though. In fact, about two-thirds of Civil War deaths were attributed not to wounds but to infection and disease. You might not think of infection as a major war-time killer, but in the 1860s doctors and scientists were just beginning to understand the role microorganisms play in disease. It was only that very same decade that Louis Pasteur was conducting his ground-breaking microbiology experiments, and the germ theory of disease had not yet been developed.

So looking back from the vantage of modern science, we can see that the Union and Confederate forces were both fighting an invisible enemy: germs.  Unbeknownst to the human combatants, billions of microorganisms proliferated inside their bodies and spread unchecked to other humans. The pathogens caused life-threatening diseases like pneumonia, typhoid fever, dysentery, and malaria. Some of these diseases could have been reduced by practicing basic hygiene, but at that time people simply realize the nature of their invisible enemy or how to fight it.

As Christians, we too are fighting an invisible enemy. That enemy, the devil, is actively seeking to destroy us (1 Peter 5:8), but we never see him in physical form. Paul described our spiritual foe as “the rulers,… the powers,… the world forces of this darkness,… the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12, NASB). Thankfully, the apostle also gave some guidance on how we should engage in spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:10–17). God provides a set of armor perfectly designed to protect us in mortal spiritual combat. We are invulnerable to the attacks of the evil one when we have taken up truth, righteousness (v. 14), the gospel (v. 15), faith (v. 16), salvation, and God’s word (v. 17).

Today, most of us can hardly imagine being exposed to a deadly infection without taking deliberate steps to protect ourselves. How much more ought we take care to don our God-given armor to protect us from the devil’s deadly attacks against our souls? Let’s be always mindful of the spiritual war that rages around us, and let’s take full advantage of God’s armor so we “will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm” (Ephesians 6:13).

Peter Yukich

The clear voiced country singer, Willie Nelson, was recently honored by his peers on his ninetieth birthday. Now I would not hold Willie up as a role model for anyone,  but I will confess to liking many of his songs. In a recent interview this Nashville rebel said, “Live everyday like it is your last, and some day you will be right.”

While I may like his voice and enjoy his songs, when the last day comes for the guitar strumming Texan, I would not want to be in his shoes. I know what Willie means in this statement, but it is not the right approach to life.  It is as Isaiah said of Israel’s lifestyle, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die” (Isa. 22:13). Both statements reflect the idea of enjoying the pleasures of the world to the max before you die, with no regard to what awaits you at death.

As Christians we say, “For to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phi. 1:21). We live our life “in the world, but not of the world.”  Our lifestyle is not to seek the pleasures of the world but to “seek first the Kingdom of God (Mt. 6:33). We do not follow the fatalistic view of Job that “Man, who is born of woman, is short-lived and full of turmoil (Job 14:1), but that “This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psm. 118:24). We live everyday ready, if it is our last, to go home to be with the Lord, “which is far better.”

-Dennis Doughty

Rick Waggoner began driving his morning bus route just as he had for the last ten years. He was forced to pull over when his bus broke down. Three young men approached the bus and savagely proceeded to shoot Rick twice in the chest, once in the hip, and also stabbed him in the arm. Amazingly, the two bullets that hit his chest were stopped by none other than Rick’s Bible! He had a habit of keeping a Bible in his shirt pocket. Even though Rick said it felt like he had been hit with a sledgehammer in the chest, he was alive  Rick was then able to wrestle away the gun and knife from the young guys and chase them off.  Rick was saved, quite literally, by his Bible.

Even though this Bible saved Rick from physical death, this is not the main purpose of having a Bible, of course. The Bible provides other benefits which are exponentially more valuable. Billions of Bibles have been sold around the world. Billions of people own a Bible. And yet, how many of them actually know about the eternally saving power contained in this book? The number is tragically small.

The Bible tells us how to receive this eternally blessing from God, “Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’ Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:37-38).

Yes, apparently your Bible can stop a speeding bullet; maybe even two. However, the true benefits of the Bible reach well beyond this life and into eternity. Are we keeping our Bible close to our hearts or is our Bible dusty, forgotten, and perhaps even lost? Only when we study and apply the Bible to our lives can we be spiritually saved by this wonderful book.

Brett Petrillo

My childhood preacher died this past week. Even reading that sentence as I write it, I don’t like the word “died.” I could have said “passed away” or “went home,” but it wouldn’t change the reality of it.

I have some special memories of Terry Broome. My family moved to South Georgia when I was 3.5 years old. We attended Forrest Park Church of Christ where Brother Terry ministered. I recall knocking doors with him before I was school aged. One Sunday night he was preaching and the power went out. He went right on preaching. This was before the days of iPads or smartphones with flashlights. He knew his stuff well enough to plow on in the darkness. I could share many more, but suffice it to say that my earliest impressions of ministry came from observing Terry Broome.

Thanks to the influence of several older Christians in my youth, I know firsthand the blessings of the generational mentorship we find in Scripture. Men like Terry Broome were my “Paul” and I was to them “Timothy.”

I once heard a respected professor make a statement about how we would be remembered. He said the preachers in the Restoration Movement that we remember are those who wrote most prolifically. It’s true that today, if we “know” someone who lived more than a generation before our time, it’s probably because we’ve read about that person or read their own writings.

As important as writing can be, I believe one of the greatest ways we live on is by mentoring others in the faith. One of the key focuses of Jesus’ ministry was the discipling of the apostles. He mentored them and then promised to aid them through the Holy Spirit once He completed His earthly work (cf. John 14:26).

Mentorship is a key element of biblical Christianity. So, dear Christian, look around you. Do you have a “Paul” in your life, whom you look to as an example and spiritual mentor? Do you have a “Timothy” whom you can encourage and guide by example?

If you do it right, someday someone might remember you the way I’m remembering Terry Broome. I can think of no higher compliment.

Clay Leonard

When God decided that He wanted to create man, He also knew that the Word would have to become flesh in order to pay the penalty for the sins which man with a free-will would commit. Consequently, before Jesus could come to earth, there needed to be chosen:

A woman – Mary

A nation – Israel

A land – Palestine

A Law – Law of Moses

The main idea I want to consider is the role of the modern nation of Israel in God’s plan for saving man…

This aspect of Premillennialism believes there will be:

1) A future restoration of the Jews to the land of Palestine;

2) Their subsequent (mass) conversion of Jews to Christianity.

To word it another way, “Premillennialism” believes that the Jews are still God’s chosen people and they still have a role to serve as Jews in God’s plan to save mankind.

Here is the Bible’s response to this:

The Jews had inherited the Promised Land:

One of the core components of the “covenant” God had made with the fathers (see Gen. 12:1-3) is the land of Canaan in which to dwell. As I have already stated, that promise was repeated dozens of times to Israel to motivate them to stay faithful to God as they entered the Promised Land and to never take for granted that wonderful blessing.

But, we need to observe that God said He had fulfilled all His promises relative to the “land promise:” Deut. 4:25-27; 28:58-66; Joshua 21:43-45; 23:14. And it was fulfilled in its entirety: 1 Chronicles 18:3; 2 Chronicles 9:26.

Of course, Israel had to obey God to remain in the land: 2 Kings 17:1-23; 24:1-20; 25:1-21.

There is a promise of a return, but it is a return from Assyrian and Babylonian exiles: Jeremiah 29:1-14; 30:1-3; Ezekiel 36:24, 33; 37:15-22. That promise of return was fulfilled as well: Ezra 1:1-4. There are no unfulfilled prophecies for the Jews of any future blessings in Palestine, or any other country.

We know that the “Jews” living today are not God’s chosen people because:

1) The Law which created the Jews has been nailed to the cross: Romans 7:1-4; 2 Corinthians 3:4-11; Galatians 3:23-29; Ephesians 2:11-22; Philippians 3:2-6; Colossians 2:13-17; Hebrews 8.

2) Physical circumcision has no spiritual significance at all anymore: Romans 2:28-29; 4:10-12; Gal. 3:27-29; Col. 2:11-12.

3) Terms used of national Israel are now fulfilled in the church: Galatians 6:16; 1 Peter 2:9-10; Rev. 1:6.

The church of Christ is the spiritual Israel of God; it is our task to share the message of the Kingdom with those around us.

Paul Holland

Texting is all the rave these days. But you have to be careful to send the message you really want to send, especially if your phone has autocorrect. For instance, someone observed that thanks to autocorrect, 1 in 5 children would be getting a visit from Satan last Christmas. Some other wag texted, “The guy who invented autocorrect for smart phones died today. Restaurant in peace.” Then there was this exchange between a mother and her son:   * Mom: Your aunt just passed away. LOL.   * Son: Why is that funny?    * Mom: It’s not funny, David! What do you mean?   * Son: Mom, LOL means Laughing Out Loud.   * Mom: Oops! I thought it meant Lots of Love.

Whether all texts convey what the sender really means to say or not, texts are flying off our fingertips and out of our phones. Statistics on texting are staggering. Some 81% of Americans text regularly. Over 6 billion texts are sent daily. Over 180 billion texts are sent every month. 27 trillion texts are sent every year. America is responsible for approximately 45% of the world’s text volume. Adults under 45 send and receive 85+ texts every day, on average. Adults 18-24 years old send and receive over 128 texts every day. Adults 18-24 years old send and receive 3,853 texts a month. I can’t go on with this except to note that texting, like just about every other technology, is a mixed bag. It can be so helpful, but also so harmful. If used reasonably it is a useful tool and can even be fun. But if allowed to, it become a tyrant that turns in to an addiction. Like other potentially dangerous activities, maybe there should be a warning to texters that says something like, “Text responsibly.”

Now that I’ve said all that, let me print out the greatest text that has ever been sent, and it was sent almost 2,000 years ago, before anybody on earth ever thought of “texting,” let alone sending one on a smart phone. That “text” is found in what always polls as the most famous and favorite verse in the Bible — John 3:16. It reads this way in the New King James Version: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  No single verse in all the Bible more effectively captures the heart of what we call the gospel or good news of God’s love and desire to save mankind from sin than that 25-word text! It is the most frequently quoted, used (and we might add, misused), and preached verse in the Holy Scriptures. Consider this from Bible scholar of past years B. C. Goodpasture. He wrote, “Forty men engaged in writing the Bible over a period of 1,500 years (1,400 B. C. to 100 A. D.). They wrote as moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21) and not in words of human wisdom but in words given by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:13). The Bible contains 3,566,840 letters; 773,746 words; 31,173 verses; 1,189 chapters; 66 books (39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New).”

He goes on to say, “We cannot be far off the mark when we insist of all letters, words, verse, chapters and books in the Bible, none more effectively and comprehensively captures in a single statement of Scripture the Good News God brings to mankind that    the statement in John 3:16.” Amen, Bro. Goodpasture! John 3:16 is simply the greatest text ever sent!

Dan Gulley, Smithville TN

Do you ever find yourself wanting to question God? If so, you are in good company; the psalmists do the same:

Why doesn’t God do something about the prosperity of the wicked?

Why doesn’t God do something about the misery of the afflicted?

I have just finished reading Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s book The Gulag Archipelago, about the Communist concentration camps in Russia. The barbarity with which men can treat other human beings can be astounding. And not just physical torture either… within the last 100 years, millions have lost their homes, jobs, possessions, families, and even their lives because of the ruthless actions of wicked people. It’s not necessarily people who claim to be Christians who are persecuted. I’m speaking in broader, more generic terms; often good people, who just want to live their lives in peace, are abused by people in power.

Throughout the OT and even into the NT, God has expressed a special concern for widows, orphans, and the helpless. Often times, those who are righteous simply do not feel God’s presence…

QUESTIONING GOD 10:1:

If I am a child of God, a Christian, then why do bad things happen to me? And we still allow our hearts to believe that God is punishing us for something we have done. And that’s just not a biblical belief.

REJECTING GOD 10:2-11:

What one believes determines how one lives; the wicked say:

“There is no God” – 10:2-4.

“I shall not be moved” – 10:5-8.

“God doesn’t see me” – 10:9-11.

TRUSTING GOD – 10:12-18:

How do we know that God will bring about justice for the afflicted? Because He has a history of helping the orphans (ver. 14). That’s why the righteous commit themselves to Him.

God sees what is going on (ver. 14).

God judges sin (ver. 15).

God is king (ver. 16).

God defends His people (ver. 17-18).

The Lord hears the desires of the humble.

Paul Holland

“Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.’ And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.’ 5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6 And the Lord said, ‘Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.’ 8 So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.”

(1) ONE LANGUAGE? (v. 1)

Chapter 10 mentions “languages” (see vv. 20, 31). The sometimes perceived contradiction here lies in that we anticipate a chronological account, but that is not what Moses provides. Chapter 10 is the genealogy of Noah which extends many generations after the flood (see v. 32). Verse 25 (of that chapter) is a reference to when the confusion of languages occurred (“for in his day the earth was divided”). Chapter 11 does not pick up at the end of the genealogy, but goes back to that time when there was but one language.

(2) THE REBELLIOUS OBJECTIVE OF THE PEOPLE (vv. 2-4)

The descendants of Noah selected a land they intended to “settle” in (v. 2). The burning of bricks was to make them very strong and durable (long-lasting). They wanted to erect a city that would unite them. This sounds good, but unity has never been the ultimate objective of God’s people. True unity must be found in the Lord’s will, not in rebellion to it! In this case, they were seeking to make a name for themselves (v. 4) and were seeking to keep from being dispersed. (See also Dt. 1:28.) Not only were the aspirations of the people rooted in arrogance, but they were in direct opposition to what God had told mankind to do: “fill the earth” (see 8:17; 9:1, 7).

(3) THE LORD’S OBSERVATION (vv. 5-6)

Human characteristics are given to the Lord in Him “going down to see” what was going on (v. 5). Of course, God knew what was going on! The people being unified in arrogance was a catastrophic condition that would lead them to a similar place as before the global flood (see 6:1-6).

(4) GOD’S ACTION (vv. 7-9)

The phrase “come let us” (that the people use twice in verse 7) is interesting in at least two regards: (1) The Lord uses the same phrase in verse 7. God’s “let us” trumped their vanity and rebellion! (2) Secondly, the “let us” here takes our minds back to the creation account when God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…” (1:26). The Godhead was involved in creation and the Godhead would be involved in the situation at Babel.

God’s approach was to confuse the one language into many. Obviously, this caused an insurmountable problem with the construction of this city and brought it to a sudden halt. At this point the Lord dispersed the people over the face of the earth.

The word “Babel” meant “gate of God” but there was a very similar sounding Hebrew word (balal) that meant “confused.” Instead of Babel being the gate to heaven, it became the gate to earthly confusion.

The Genesis account proceeds from here to the call of Abram and the three-fold promise God makes to him. God is patient and has richly blessed us through the seed of Abraham!

Daren Schroeder

Pope Francis recently stated that he believes in hell, but likes to think of it as “empty” because of God’s mercy. That is a change from what he believed in 2018 when he told a friend that he didn’t believe hell exists!

This leader has millions of followers, so hopefully they don’t agree with Francis. In fact, they might do him a favor by quoting the Bible:

“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, ye curse, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his an- gels” (Matthew 25:41).

And they need to emphasize to their Pope that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, even gave some statistics regarding how many would occupy hell, comparing it with heaven’s occupants:

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  Be cause strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

Wayne Price