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” (Psalm 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” (Ps. 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.

– Al Behel

Baptism is for the unsaved (Mark 16:15-16)

Baptism is for one who has heard and understood (Acts 18:8)

Baptism is for one who has been taught Truth (Matt. 28:19)

Baptism is for one believes what he has heard (Acts 8:37)

Baptism is for one who has repented of sins (Luke 13:3-5)

Baptism is for one who’s penitent over his/her sins (Acts 2:38)

Baptism is for one who is a man or a woman (Acts 8:12)

THEREFORE:

Baptism is Not for INFANTS/BABIES

God bless

Jess Whitlok

A tiny but dignified old lady was among a group looking at an art exhibition in a newly opened gallery. Suddenly one contemporary painting caught her eye.

“What on earth,” she inquired of the artist standing nearby, “is that?”

He smiled condescendingly. “That, my dear lady, is supposed to be a mother and her child.”

“Well, then,” snapped the little old lady, “why isn’t it?”

I’ve seen some of that “modern art,” so I can relate. But it makes me stop and wonder: Does the same thing ever happen spiritually in my life? I’m “supposed” to be a Christian, a child of God, a person whose life dedicated to serving God.

Peter reminds me: “You ought to live holy and godly lives.” (2 Peter 3:11)

But is there anyone who looks at my life and says, “I know what he’s supposed to be, so why isn’t he?”

“Father, please forgive me for those times I have let you down, those times I have not set an example of holiness that You intend for me to. Please strengthen me in my desire to live in such a way that others around me will have no doubt that You come first in my life.”

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

“The signs” are a thread that run throughout the gospel of John. It is the signs observed by Nicodemus that brings this Pharisee to Jesus by night to speak with Him. He is a member of the Sanhedrin (7:50; 19:39), which is what John highlights by calling him a “ruler of the Jews” (cf. 7:48). The Sanhedrin, from the Greek word meaning “seated together,” was “a council in Jerusalem that functioned as the central judicial authority for Jews” (Myers, Eerdmans, 912). Yet, while that group will notoriously and constantly oppose Jesus and plot His death, Nicodemus approaches Jesus as a believer. He says, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him” (2). Who is the “we”? We are not told, but we do know that faith in Jesus is already beginning to spread.

Jesus, however, controls the direction of the conversation. He responds by teaching Nicodemus about the necessity of one being born again (3ff). This intrigues and mystifies that respected teacher. In this starlit classroom, Jesus lays the groundwork for a truth which future students like you and I also need to grasp.

The new birth is essential (3-5). Jesus says one must be born again. One must be born of water and the Spirit. Without this new birth, one cannot see or enter the kingdom of God. Paul is going to call this the “washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).

The new birth is spiritual (6-8). Nicodemus is trying to understand Jesus’ teaching from a physical perspective, wondering if He meant literal rebirth–which he knew was impossible. Jesus contrasts that fleshly idea with being born of the Spirit. He likens this rebirth to the wind, something real but not something observable. We can see someone being baptized, but the cleansing of the soul and becoming a child of God is something actual which God sees but which we accept by faith.

The new birth is understandable (9-15). Now, Nicodemus is struggling to make sense of it, but Jesus says that is because he is thinking in earthly rather than heavenly terms. Those signs Nicodemus marveled at were designed to verify the truths He was teaching. All of it was meant to create faith in open hearts. To aid his understanding, Jesus asserts that He had come down from heaven to be “lifted up” (14). He refers this Old Testament scholar to an event during the wilderness wandering, when the brazen serpent was put on a pole to save the sinful Israelites who had complained and been bitten by serpents (Num. 21:9). Those who trusted in this remedy God provided to save their lives and looked on the pole did not die. Those who did not believe and look died. Jesus ties God’s grace and man’s obedient faith together to teach the new birth.

The new birth is providential (16-21). Simply put, God provided the new birth as part of His eternal plan. Jesus came to earth to teach that plan, but also to enact that plan. He was like the brazen serpent. He would have to be lifted up (14). He would have to be “given” (16). It was because men would not believe this that they would act in violence to kill Him, ironically facilitating God’s eternal plan of redemption (18-20). Jesus was going to expose the evil of men’s deeds, and they would hate Him for it. But Jesus, referring to Himself as Light (five times from verse 19 to 21), was illuminating the path of righteousness for those who believe (21).

I wonder what went through Nicodemus’ mind when he left Jesus that night. How many times did he review this lesson in his mind, pondering the weighty truths Jesus shared with him? What about when he tactfully defended Jesus when the Sanhedrin doubtfully disputed about Him (7:50-52)? What about when he helped fellow-Council member Joseph prepare Jesus’ body for burial after His crucifixion (19:38-39)? However that went, Nicodemus was taught one of the most important, yet basic, truths of all. He was faced with embracing it, and so are we. A place in God’s kingdom, eternal life, salvation, and coming to the Light are all blessings of being born again! It is an awesome thought that Jesus not only invites us to that, but gave His life to make it a reality.

Neal Pollard

On the morning of July 2, 1881 Charles J. Guiteau shot President James A. Garfield in a Washington D.C. train station. Immediately he was apprehended as doctors rushed to tend to the wounded President. These trained doctors proceeded to probe Garfield’s wounds with their unwashed fingers and unsanitized surgical instruments. Over the next eleven weeks this practice would continue and, unsurprisingly, infection set in resulting in the President’s death on September 19, 1881.

When Charles Guiteau was finally brought to trial his appointed lawyers entered an insanity defense. But Guiteau would contend with the court that he was not guilty, saying, “The doctors killed Garfield, I just shot him” (http://www.pbs.org).

It is interesting how some people refuse to recognize the truth. Garfield’s chief physician, Dr. Doctor Willard Bliss boasted, “If I can’t save him, no one can” (Mark A. Lombardi, The Garfield Observer). Most today acknowledge this as an empty boast.

When John spoke of Jesus as the embodiment of truth, a truth that will endure through all generations, it was not an empty boast (John 1:14). Jesus also makes that claim, a claim He can easily back up (John 14:6). You can trust Him. You MUST trust Him (Acts 4:12)!

– David Bragg

OK, all of you who are getting older, can we all agree to not be the kind of older Christian who torpedoes the zeal and love of young Christians?

Sure. Stand for biblical truth.

Also, sure, provide the wise advice that should come from an older Christian.

But can we please draw the distinction between biblical truth and things that simply don’t matter in eternity?

There is nothing that destroys the spirit quite so much as being that older person who threatens to leave a church because the pews are too far forward, or someone forgot to include aunt Jennie in the bulletin sick list, complain about the image on a power point, or the attire of a young man at the Lord’s Supper.

The young person will listen to your tirade, will not verbally respond. Then, beloved, he will leave the church.

In the name of all that’s good and holy, is that what you want?

It seems crazy to have to say this to older Christians, but, please, grow up!

The Bible insists that we are supposed to grow up. “Speaking the truth in love,” the Apostle declares, we are to “grow up in every way” (Ephesians 4:15). “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ,” Peter says (2 Peter 3:18). Please note that growing in Christ is a command. Of course it takes time to mature. But that is exactly the point. By the time I have been a Christian forty years or more, I should have matured!

And yet, there are those who are chronologically old, but not mature.

I am not talking about abandoning biblical teaching on baptism, singing in worship, or biblical leadership. If we want our young people to take up the baton of faith when we grow weary and infirm, then we will need to foster growth on their part, not stifle it.

And, for whatever it’s worth, I fall decidedly in the range of elderly, not youthful saint. If we want our young people to behave in a considerate and helpful manner, perhaps this behavior could be modeled by those of us who are mature. We have worked too hard to build the church, too hard to provide our children with faith to subsequently destroy it by disillusioning them.

Please ask yourself, is it possible, is it conceivable, that I am that older Christian who has disillusioned or discouraged someone else by raising petty criticisms or demanding actions that are extra biblical?

The Lord took the Jewish leaders to task for holding the “teachings of men” over the “commandments of God” (Mark 7:3-8). Do not assume that we are immune from human tradition. Furthermore, take care not to disillusion a young person over that tradition. As always, back to the Bible is the wisest and most sound advice. For the sake of Christ and his church, let’s live up to that ideal.

Stan Mitchell

In the book of Job, God asked Satan where he had been. He told God, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it” (Job 1:7; 2:2 NKJV). Peter indicated Satan walks “about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Have you seen evidence that Satan has ceased his search for souls?

The world seems to be filled with evidence that Satan still prowls about the earth. We, as Christians, ought to be on guard so we are not tricked by his devices. Satan has more experience deceiving us than we do at overcoming temptation. The devil is not fearful; rather, he is cunning, brave and deceptive. He uses any means at his disposal to conceal his actions as he stalks his prey. Since he is a capable adversary, what can we do to evade him?

Peter instructed, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (1 Peter 5:8-9). Notice the instruction:

1. Be sober – Think clearly,
2. Be vigilant – Self-controlled,
3. Resist – Withstand or to oppose,
4. Steadfast – Be established, and
5. Understand you are not the only one Satan is attacking.

In order to be found faithful, we must fight against the devil as he seeks our destruction. Paul reminded the Ephesian brethren that they were in a spiritual battle. Today, we fight that same battle, and we will continue to fight it until Jesus’ return. Let us be established in our faith and unwilling to yield to Satan!

Ralph Clevinger

The apostle John wrote, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life,” (I John 5:13). This is John’s purpose statement for writing this little book. Christians can have confidence that they are going to continue to have eternal life when they die! Throughout the book John gives numerous ways Christians can be assured that they will have a home with God in eternity.

First, the debt of our sin has been paid. One biblical description of sin is that each time one sins the “debt” of sin becomes greater. That debt had to be paid so that we could be declared saved or free from the debt of sin. John assures Christians that has happened. “He Himself (Christ) is the propitiation (payment) for our sins,” (I John 2:2). When one takes the steps necessary to have the debt of one’s sins paid, one is saved. Therefore, the sins of one’s past life will not be held against him.

Second, God has given us eternal life in His Son. Eternal life is a gift from God and not based on the work that we do even though there are commands we must obey (Hebrews 5:9). Just before giving us his purpose statement, John also said, “The testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son,” (I John 5:11). Notice that for one to have eternal life he or she must be in God’s Son. One must believe that Christ paid the debt of sin and then he or she must get into Christ where salvation is found. Paul explained how one gets into Christ. “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life,” (Romans 6:3-4). Being baptized by immersion is the only way one can get into Christ where eternal life is promised.

Third, the condemnation of one’s present sins are forgiven. Although each of us should try to live perfectly, we cannot. John explains how the sins we commit are forgiven. “If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one anther and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanse us from all sin,” (I John 1:7). The word “cleanse” is a present tense verb in the Greek and it means that the blood of Christ continually flows to keep us clean. Therefore, if we are trying to the very best of our ability to walk in the light of God’s word, Christ’s blood flows to constantly wash away our sins. That blessing is based on another condition. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” (I John 1:9).  As a Christian realizes he or she has sinned, one must confess that sin to God and ask for forgiveness.

Fourth, the one who obeys the will of the Father will continue to have eternal life. Everyone faces two great choses in life – the lusts of the sinful world or obedience to the Father. One can know he or she has eternal life if the choice is to obey the will of the Father. “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever,” (I John 2:15-17). As long as we are striving to the best of our ability to obey the will of the Father, we have assurance we are saved.

Fifth, we know that we have eternal life if we love God and mankind. In I John 4:7-21 John explains to us what love is. As he begins to draw this topic to a conclusion he writes, “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love,” (I John 4:16-18). Notice that if we have the proper kind of love, we will have confidence in the day of judgment.

Conclusion: Children of God ought to be able to say with confident, “I am saved.” If a child of God cannot say that, then he or she needs to correct whatever keeps that one from being saved. God wants the whole world to be saved (2 Peter 3:9), and He has given instruction as to how to be saved. If one follows those instructions, he or she can say with confidence, “I am saved. I have eternal life.”

Wayne Burger

What are we doing with our lives? Are we so attached to our luxuries and our physical interests that we don’t have time for God? Are we living for our own pleasures or do we realize that the best is yet to come?

The apostle Paul wrote about this struggle between the physical and spiritual, but his emphasis was on the spiritual. For many, this might be difficult to comprehend because we are so attached to what is going on here and now. For Paul, the goal of life was to be ready for eternity.

“We know that our body—the tent we live in here on earth—will be destroyed. But when that happens, God will have a house for us. It will not be a house made by human hands; instead, it will be a home in heaven that will last forever. But now we groan in this tent. We want God to give us our heavenly home, because it will clothe us so we will not be naked. While we live in this body, we have burdens, and we groan. We do not want to be naked, but we want to be clothed with our heavenly home. Then this body that dies will be fully covered with life. This is what God made us for, and he has given us the Spirit to be a guarantee for this new life.” (2 Corinthians 5:1-5 NCV)

Although we know that our life and our body won’t last forever, too often people live as if this is all there is. Yet this isn’t all there is to life. In fact, this really isn’t what life is about!

We should be looking forward to a better body and home. Can you imagine a body that isn’t subject to the aches and pains that so many live with each day? God is going to provide a body and a home that will last forever. No more moaning, no more burdens, no more death. For many, this may seem to be a utopian dream, but this isn’t talking about life as we know it here on the earth. This is about real life, eternal life. This is not only what God wants for us, but this is what God has made for us.

How can we be certain about this? God has given us a guarantee, his Spirit. When we are united with Jesus in baptism (Galatians 3:26-27) we not only receive forgiveness but we also receive the Holy Spirit as a gift (Acts 2:38) as we are clothed with Jesus. Although as Christians we have the Spirit in us, do we live in recognition of this? Or do we ignore how God wants us to live and resist the Spirit’s influence in our life?

“So we always have courage. We know that while we live in this body, we are away from the Lord. We live by what we believe, not by what we can see. So I say that we have courage. We really want to be away from this body and be at home with the Lord. Our only goal is to please God whether we live here or there, because we must all stand before Christ to be judged. Each of us will receive what we should get—good or bad—for the things we did in the earthly body.” (2 Corinthians 5:6-10)

What do we base our lives on? Is it just what we can see around us? Or do we have our hope – and our lives – fixed on Jesus, on what we believe? Do we really want to leave this life so we can spend eternity and be at home with him? What is our goal in life? Or do we even have a goal beyond existing day to day?

Paul’s emphasis is that we live not for now but for Jesus. We live with the realization that we will have to answer for how we live our lives here. We will receive eternity based on what we did during our lives, whether good or bad.

Our goal in life should be simply to please God. Can you imagine how different life would be if all Christians would live this way? This isn’t easy because it goes against the current of what most around us are doing. No wonder Paul wrote twice that we must “have courage”.

May we have the courage to live for Jesus so that we can eternally be at home with him.

Jon Galloway

On numerous occasions Jesus stressed the importance of our willingness to forgive others for their trespasses against us. The tendency among men is to harbor resentment toward anyone who maligns us. Vengeance is the only accepted response in the minds of many. Brooding over personal injuries and injustices received at the hands of other can only make us bitter and rob us of the joy that can otherwise be ours in Christ (Matt. 6:12-15, Luke 17:1-4). Here are two stories to ponder.

The first comes from the Civil War era. That war had left not only an aftermath of destruction across the south, but a spirit of bitterness, hatred, and resentment in America. Although the guns had quietened and the swords had been laid aside, the anger raged for decades following that horrible battle of brother against brother. Many simply refused to forgive. It has been said that Robert E. Lee urged reconciliation between the North and the South. He knew that the war was over and that it was time to put the past behind and move forward. To the day of his death, the “Gray Knight” was never heard to speak an unkind word about those who had been his enemies. He even opposed the erection of Confederate monuments because he thought they would only serve to keep wartime passions alive. In his book, Lee: The Last Years, Charles Bracelen tells of a time after the Civil War when Robert E. Lee visited a woman who took him to the remains of a grand old tree in front of her home. There she cried bitterly that its limbs and trunk had been destroyed by Union artillery fire. She waited for Lee to condemn the North or at least sympathize with her loss. Lee paused, and then said, “Cut it down, my dear madam, and then forget it.” Good advice from a man who knew the horrors of war and suffered the pain of defeat.

The second story comes from an interview with Pete Peterson who served as the US ambassador to Vietnam. Mr. Peterson’s appointment was ironic because he served six years as a prisoner of war in the dreaded “Hanoi Hilton” prison camp. Now he would return to the land where he was held captive-returning not for revenge, but to represent the United States. When asked how he could do such a thing after years of starvation, torture, and inhuman brutality, he replied, “I’m not angry. I left that at the gates of the prison when I walked out in 1972. That may sound simplistic to some people, but it’s the truth. I just left it behind me and decided to move forward with my life.” The apostle Paul recognized the importance of cutting some things down and forgetting them. He wrote: “Brethren, I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before. I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14). Beloved, are you harboring resentment toward a brother who has wronged you? If he repents, forgive him. But if he does not repent, do not let his stubbornness make you miserable. Forget the offense, and stand ready to forgive him when, and if, he finally seeks your forgiveness.

By Tom Wacaster

Upon seeing the name, “Jesus,” what is the mental image that is painted in your mind? Is it the Catholic portrayal of a cartoonish man with long brown hair and a nicely trimmed beard? Maybe the modern-day media sight of a Caucasian man, robbed in white who looks to be fairly ordinary? It seems that everyone has their own mental picture of Jesus readily available in their minds. However, Revelation chapter one has quite the description for us concerning the Son of Man and it may be a different sight than what one is accustomed to.

Upon receiving the revelation from Jesus, John was first admitted into spirit form (1:10). From that point on, John was about to experience an incredible journey with Jesus. Not long after being in the Spirit, John begins hearing a voice. He looks to see who it was and his description is as follows:

• One like a Son of Man
• Clothed with a long robe
• A golden sash around His chest
• The hairs of his head were white, like wool or snow
• His eyes were like a flame of fire
• His feet were like burnished bronze
• His voice was like the roar of many waters
• In His right hand, he held seven stars and from his mouth came a two-edged sword
• His face was like the sun, shining in full strength

Now, that’s probably not what you had in mind when picturing Jesus. On the contrary, there is a significant fact to be had concerning this mental image we have from John. This is a portrait of Jesus in His heavenly glory. The Revelation description bears some resemblance to the transfiguration accounts in Matthew 17, Mark 9, and Luke 9. When Jesus came to earth, He humbled Himself greatly; forfeiting a lot of His heavenly features (Phil. 2:6-8). However, once ascended back to His heavenly realm, Jesus was brought back to glory.

So what do we do with this mental image? How is it a benefit? For John, there was no other way to respond than to fall down before Him (1:17). The Son of Man is far greater than any other figure we have ever come in contact with. He is powerful, mighty, and glorious. Perhaps we can share in the comfort John received as Jesus spoke to him after his initial sight, “fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”

Tyler King

A bumper sticker recently viewed said: “I’m not religious, I just love the Lord”.  What in the world does that mean!?!

This strange expression probably is a reaction against the hypocritical conduct of lots of so-called Christians and many of their pretentious leaders. You don’t have to be terribly perceptive to realize that there are a lot of folks out there in the religious world who “say and do not” (Matthew 23:3). These are the sort who received Jesus’ strongest condemnations. He called them “hypocrites” , “blind guides”, and “whited sepulchers which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones” (Matthew 23:15,16,27).

But shall we delegate the word “religious” to the realm of ‘dirty words’ simply because there are those who act this way?  Absolutely not!  James 1:27 speaks of “pure religion and undefiled before God”. The verse goes on to describe this type religion: “to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world”.

Now, think about the bumper sticker again – “I’m not religious, I just love the Lord”. Taken literally, this means that the car owner which displays this logo does not “visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction”, and does not “keep himself unspotted from the world”. Gets a little crazy doesn’t it?  The dictionary says that to be religious is to be “pious, devout, godly”, and thus it is impossible to truly “love the Lord” without being “religious”!  Think!

– by Greg Gwin

Jesus has a precedent for his scathing denunciation of the religious leaders in Matthew 23. The Lord condemned the leaders of Israel as shepherds who failed to feed the sheep, Ezekiel 34. This chapter falls in the latter section of the prophet’s book that looks toward the restoration of God’s people, Ezekiel 33-48. Before the nation can be reclaimed, its leaders must be changed.

The true shepherd will take action.

I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice (Ezekiel 34:15-16 ESV).

Let us notice some of the emphases of this text.

First, those who grew “fat and strong” off the sheep, God’s people, he would destroy. There is no planting and harvest without the clearing of the ground first. Salvation and judgment go hand in hand. From the first to the last, both are works of God.

… God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels (2 Thessalonians 1.6, 7).

Man’s ongoing conflicts reflect his greed and ambition. We will always have wars and the rumors of wars. And God also is engaged in continual warfare, but for a different purpose and with a different ending. He did not begin it, but he will end it. By his victory he will free us. This is the great conclusion of the book of Revelation.

Some of man’s wars cause extreme destruction and loss of life. Think of the American Civil War and World War I, to name a few. Other human wars were over quickly with little loss of property or life.

Spiritual warfare may seem long and hard to us. But not for our Lord. No opposition presents any real threat to his sovereignty. Remember 2 Thessalonians 2.8?

“And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.”

With only a puff of air, our Master does away with the enemy. Resistance to his power is futile. His good will wins over evil. This above all things is wonderful news.

Second, the Lord emphasizes what he himself would do: “I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down.” This is his personal action. He is intimately involved.

Yes, he has shepherds below him. He sets his servant David (a probable reference to Jesus) to guide the flock, vv. 23-24. David best epitomized the care of God for his people. Another like him would come. But the Lord himself is always near.

God is so interested in us. In me. We were created for his pleasure, for his love. When we cut and ran, he did not give up on us. Some people used to think of God as the great winder-upper of the world who then turned and walked away. But he is not distant nor disinterested. He comes near to us.

Third, in his intervention to restore his people, the Lord declares his intention in detail. The first phrase is especially noteworthy: “I will seek the lost.”

God has always been the seeker of the lost. Early on, he sought Cain who was lost in his anger.

The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it” (Genesis 4:6, 7).

Even in the midst of judgment, God shows his ultimate goal, overcoming the evil one and undoing his harmful deeds (Genesis 3:15). The story line of the Bible follows his seeking of the lost and his restoration of people to his presence.

God’s people, if they are indeed his, are lit with the same fire of speaking and seeking. Jesus came to seek and save the lost, remember? (Luke 19:10). His apostles burned with the same mission in their hearts, as Paul expressed it:

I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings (1 Corinthians 9:22, 23).

All the servants of the Lord know this truth. James understood it.

My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins (James 5:20).

Does this not sound just like the Lord in Ezekiel 34? Jude gets it, too.

And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh (Jude 22, 23).

If we are attentive, the mission of God is not reduced to a few verses of the Great Commission, but permeates the whole Bible. God seeks the lost. Those who are his do the same.

Today’s stories, books, and films often do not have a happy ending. We live in the age of pessimism and despair. But a glance at the God who seeks the lost, who is personally involved, and who restores by means of judgment ought to revive our hopes and fire up our dreams. And cause us to be deeply thankful that we have in Christ such a God and Savior.

1. A. Neale

Jesus faced a lot of people who disagreed with Him in His time on the earth. It goes to show that no matter who you are, no matter how good of a message you have, and no matter how pure your motives are, there are people who will still disagree with you. However, there is something to be learned through the Son of Man as He handled such intense difference.

Jesus Listened in Love (Luke 7:9)

As Jesus entered Capernaum, news was delivered that a Centurion’s servant was near the point of death. The Centurion sent Jewish elders and friends to Jesus, for he didn’t think himself worthy enough to have Jesus under his roof. When the Christ listened to everything being spoken to Him, He was impressed with the their faith and healed the Centurion’s servant. Despite Jesus and this man being on political contrasts (as a roman commander), He still listened in love.

Jesus Looked Through Love (Luke 7:13)

Jesus’ ministry led Him to a town called Nain. As He was entering, He saw a widow suffering the loss of her only son. Looking to her, Jesus felt compassion and sought to comfort her. The Lord proceeded to raise the son back to life and returned him back to his mother. Notice how this woman was not a close friend to Jesus, was not from the same town, nor was she asking for His help. Yet seeing opportunity to show love, He eased the pains of this woman.

Jesus Spoke by Love (Luke 7:48)

the recorded story of Luke 7:36-50 is incredible. A Pharisee approaches Jesus and asks Him to share a meal. Jesus agrees and reclines at the table with the man (already inspirational considering Jesus paused what He was doing to eat with a Pharisee). A sinful and mournful woman approaches Jesus, and begins cleaning His feet with her tears and her hair. Her conviction was clear as she recognized the greatness of the Christ. The Pharisee speaks up and notes her sinful condition. In a proverb-like manner, Jesus pauses His attention on the woman, teaches the Pharisee a simple lesson in forgiveness, and resumes to speak love to the woman in distress by forgiving her sins.

In all three of these circumstances, Jesus could have easily rejected the other party. He could have brushed off the centurion, ignored the funeral in Nain, and belittled the weeping woman. Yet in every circumstance, we see Jesus choosing the option of love, and because of that, life is produced. While the world around might seem like it’s dying, we have the same opportunity to reflect the one who lived out love. Your actions just might have the opportunity to produce life.

Tyler King

There are some bizarre definitions of faith in the world. One of the most prevalent seems to be that one only believes in Jesus, and that automatically confers salvation on that person.

Not even John the Baptist, however, agreed with that prevalent idea. In John 3, in a discussion by John with his disciples, the cousin of Jesus said, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him,” (John 3:36 NASB).

Many translations don’t correctly render the verb in this verse. It is the only time in the New Testament that this verb occurs. It is the verb ἀπειθέω and means “does not obey.” Only the American Standard and New American Standard versions use the phrase, “he that is disobedient to the Son will not see life.”

This translation is consistent with James’ description of faith in how works of obedience are an integral part (James 2:14-20). Even the renowned Greek scholar A.T. Robertson in his Word Pictures of the Greek New Testament, verified that disobedience to Jesus means ‘a person will not see life.”

David Lipe, in his commentary on John, wrote, “John used an affirmative followed by a negative: the individual who continues in an obedient faith has eternal life, which the one who continues in disobedience will not see life.”/1

Belief without obedience isn’t faith. Only faith that produces works of obedience is the kind that saves people. Obedient faith has always been God’s standard.

1/ Truth for Today Commentary: John 1-12 (2019) Resource Publications: 150-151.

by John Henson

Raising the Dead

He did not say, “Bring out the dead.”

“Lazarus, come forth,” the Savior said.

And had he not thus specified

All the dead would have complied.

One day he will give that command,

And, from all parts of sea and land

The dead from all time past will come,

No longer blind or deaf or dumb.

Each then will speak in his own voice,

Admit and verify his choice

Of how, in what way he would live

And what of self to God he’d give.

Each then will hear Lord Jesus say,

“Come with me now,” or, “Go away.”

“With or without me you will be

Both now and in eternity.”

Not only Lazarus, but me

From death the Savior Christ did raise.

With countless others He has saved

From hell I lift my voice in praise.

Two and sixty years have passed

Since I, dead then in sin,

Was called to life again by Christ,

My war with Satan thus to win.

With my defending Savior Christ

Beside me I choose not to flee.

To my soul’s enemies he says,

“To own him you must conquer Me.”

Now dressed in armor God supplies

And with Lord Jesus close beside,

Not dreading death or any foes

I in my Savior’s love abide.

To His memorial supper He

Invites, and makes a place for me.

How could I dishonor and reject

The one who saved and made me free?

To spurn his invitation now –

Has gratitude now grown so dim? –

Would be dishonor, more to me

Than it could ever be to him.

God help me honor Your dear Son,

My Savior Lord, through whom I pray,

And in eternal servitude

Give the tribute I am glad to pay.

– Gerald Cowan

If you have paid attention to the headlines during the last twenty years, you are probably aware of stem cells. A popular understanding of stem cells, at least, what I have understood, is that these early embryonic cells hold the potential to transform into every different type of cell an organism will possess.

However, as these cells divide and the embryo grows, stem cells begin to become specified as a particular type of cell. As this transformation occurs they lose the ability to become alternative cell types. Eventually, they fill a particular niche wonderfully, but have lost the ability to become a radically different type of cell.

Stem cells can serve as a metaphor illustrating a powerful idea regarding Darwin’s proposed mechanisms for evolution. Research reveals that random mutations and natural selection do transform species, however, at a surprising cost.

Before exploring what research is revealing about Darwin’s proposed mechanisms for evolution, a word or two about metaphors in general and my stem cell illustration in particular. A metaphor’s purpose should function to illustrate an idea, not prove it. Additionally, most metaphors can be pressed into extraneous details where they no longer accurately relate to what they are supposed to be illustrating.

Accordingly, my use of stem cells does not take into account what current research may have revealed about them, nor any other type of cell. Rather, my only desire is to tap into a commonly shared idea regarding stem cells and use that understanding to communicate an idea regarding random mutation and natural selection.

Earlier in 2019 a biochemist professor published a book documenting and expounding upon various research projects. He also contributed his own research findings and observations. What might catch us by surprise is that his conclusions can be paradigm shifting.

Citing various studies from finches to bacteria, he affirms that Darwin’s proposed mechanisms have been documented in enabling species to adapt to specific environments, even creating new species. What is enlightening, however, is that the research reveals this adaptation comes at the cost of degrading genes, not creating new viable DNA capable of manufacturing new functioning proteins.

In other words, think of what happens with stem cells (my illustration, not his). Although stem cells start with great potentiality, as they repeatedly divide and progress toward becoming a specific cell type, they lose the ability to be transformed into other cell types. If you will, stem cells are transformed into functioning exquisitely in a dead end, a particular type of cell. Hence, nerve cells have no capacity to become skin cells.

What this book suggests is that the research reveals the process of evolution entails a similar narrowing of options. Bears, birds, fish, wolves and so forth can evolve into adapting to specific environments. Polar bears are adapted to an icy environment and are capable of consuming a fatty seal diet. Finches have adapted to harsh environments or to a particular type of food source. The jaws of some cichlid fish change depending on their food source. Bacteria can gain the ability to reproduce much faster. And of course, we are all familiar with the great diversity of dogs whose canine origin can be traced back to some type of wolf.

What makes this adaptation possible at the biochemical level is that random mutations are predominately breaking functioning genes, while natural selection will favor these broken genes when such brokenness conveys an advantage. How could breaking genes give an organism an advantage? More about this in a second. The result is organisms experience evolutionary drift into becoming more adapted to their environmental niches at the cost of losing previously functioning genes.

It would seem life is not evolving upward. It survives by devolving to its environment.

Such evolution can lead to new species which are better suited to a specific environment than the parent species. However, such evolution predominately comes at the cost of damaging functioning genes.

For example, it appears that a polar bear’s white fur coat and ability to eat a fatty seal diet, which would normally cause heart disease and high cholesterol, result from genetic damage to the LYST and APOB genes. In other words, a bear with faulty LYST and APOB genes would be favored for survival in the arctic more than a brown bear possessing fully functioning LYST and APOB genes.

Polar bears are not on a path to becoming a different type of animal with new genetic information. Rather they are becoming bears trapped in the icy cold.

Among the professor’s various observations, another resonated with me particularly strong. He repeatedly points to our human imagination as empowering our acceptance of the Darwinian story.

Years ago I expressed a similar thought in an article, “The Naturalistic Imagination”:

Our ignorance fuels our ability to imagine the impossible and the absurd. … If life did not arise by naturalistic impulses, today’s naturalistic imagination of how life arose or how new kinds of animals came to be will always seem feasible given our current level of ignorance.”

In my viewpoint, to acknowledge our ignorance is a wonderful characteristic of humility that promotes learning and discovery. Furthermore, avoiding a speculative imagination would seem to be helpful, not only  in evolutionary biology, but also in theology. How many well intentioned, but erroneous ideas have begun with, “I feel that …” or “I can imagine that …”

Not going beyond the evidence. Priceless.

 Barry Newton

Have you ever entertained the thought that there may be something in the Bible that you are failing to understand properly that could have eternal ramifications for you? Admittedly, there are some rather complex and difficult passages in the Bible, even the apostle Peter said so, himself (2 Peter 3:16).

So, here is my question, “What are the top five most worrisome verses in the Bible that you find to be worrisome?”  While you’re thinking about that, allow me to share mine:

• Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37).
• Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39).
• Pursue holiness (Hebrews 12:14).
• Abhor what is evil (Romans 12:9).
• Preach the gospel to everyone (Mark 16:15).

If you’ll notice, my top five worrisome passages are not passages that are difficult to understand. They don’t have anything to do with the “mark of the beast,” the identity of “the man of lawlessness,” how the Holy Spirit indwells the Christian, the present and future state of the dead, or whether those “Styrofoam” wafers included in those individual communion packets are really unleavened bread (my apologies for throwing in the last one).

No, my top worrisome passages are easy to understand. That’s what makes them so worrisome to me. I can’t say, “But Lord, I didn’t understand what that passage meant. Had I properly understood it, I would have been obedient…” My list of worrisome passages is worrisome to me, not because of their difficulty to understand, but because of their clarity. The difficulty is not in understanding them, but in obeying them.

Maybe it would serve us well if we would spend less time on some questions and more time on others. What do you think?

by Steve Higginbotham

My former roommate from college sang a song with a quartet about excuses: “Excuses, excuses, you’ll hear them every day, / The devil will supply them, if from church you stay away.”/1 Unfortunately, even the people of God can be good at inventing excuses and justifications.

The prophet Haggai dealt with excuses and reversed causes. This short book packs a powerful punch against illogical thinking and unwilling hands.

The post-exile people excused themselves from obedience by saying, “The time for rebuilding the Lord’s temple has not yet come” Haggai 1.2. But they had plenty of time to build fine homes for themselves. How can that be right, points out the prophet: “Is it right for you to live in richly paneled houses while my temple is in ruins?” v. 4.

Excuse number 1: It’s just not a good time to do the Lord’s work.

The reasons get piled on to prove the point. But go back and look at the Great Commission. How many escape clauses did Jesus include?

• Go and make disciples, until you start to be persecuted, Matthew 28.18-20.
• Go into all the world, unless it gets expensive, Mark 16.15.
• Proclaim repentance for the forgiveness of sins in his name to all nations, except when you have to pay the pulpit minister, the youth minister, the involvement minister, and college minister, Luke 24.47.
• Go on the mission (“sending”) of Christ, as he was sent by the Father, until you start missing folks back home, John 20.21.

It is no little irony that congregations have built multi-million-dollar buildings and centers and now 99% of them have been empty of saints for months, because of a virus.

The Lord of Heaven’s armies then says to Israel, Think carefully about what you are doing. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but are never filled. You drink, but are still thirsty. You put on clothes, but are not warm. Those who earn wages end up with holes in their money bags, vv. 5-6.

Why did this occur? The Lord explained, “… my temple remains in ruins, thanks to each of you favoring his own house! This is why the sky has held back its dew and the earth its produce” vv. 9-10.

But the people got it backwards. They reasoned, When the Lord blesses us then we can build! They took the consequence of their disobedience for the cause of the inaction.

Fortunately, they repented and got to work.

They believed the promise:

“And take heart all you citizens of the land,” decrees the Lord, “and begin to work. For I am with you,” decrees the Lord of Heaven’s Armies” Haggai 2.4.

Haven’t we received a similar promise, capping off the Great Commission? “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” Matthew 28.20.

Do we all live in the Show-Me State, where seeing is believing? Or will we believe in the Lord and his promise, obey his order, and preach the gospel to all the world, so that he can bring forth a bountiful harvest?

Let us sweep away the excuses, and see the real reason for the lack of our harvest — we’re devoted to our own houses, both private and religious, and have left off from building up the Kingdom of God.

Oh, and Haggai makes one more point. The people remembered the glory of the first temple, recognizing that they could never build anything like Solomon’s glorious construction project, Haggai 2.3. Sometimes we get starry-eyed about the first-century church and sad that the church doesn’t grow now like it did then.

But the original promise still stands, Haggai 2.5. And, even though miracles have passed, the power of God still works, vv. 6-8. We will experience greater things than before, v. 9. We will do greater works than Christ himself:

I assure you that whoever believes in me will do the works that I do. They will do even greater works than these because I am going to the Father, John 14.12

We enjoy, of all ages of the world, the most advantageous position of all. We have been chosen, Haggai 2.23. We have God’s authority to do this work. We have the Lord Almighty. Let us rise up and build.

1/ Apparently, it originated with The Kingsmen.

by J. Randal Matheny