We have all been stung by criticism. It hits us blindside, a wallop seemingly out of nowhere. Perhaps we assumed that all was well, that our hard efforts were appreciated, and then it came: someone suspects our motives, someone takes work that was profoundly meaningful to us and tore it to shreds.

We stumble outside, sit on the steps and try to take it all in. Were they right? Did we truly, deeply wrong others?

At some level we know we are not perfect, so there is the distinct possibility that some of this is true. There is usually a grain of truth to the criticism, and it is worthwhile, following the initial hurt, to contemplate where we might have gone wrong.

But not all criticism is fair, or offered from the perspective of someone who cares either about us, or the truth. Often critics care little for accuracy, the facts, or the survival of their target. It makes me think of Jesus’ commentary on the fickle nature of people: “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge and you did not mourn” (Matthew 11:17).

There was, it seemed, nothing one could do to make them happy. No action, no words would meet their approval. He faced the classic double bind, he was condemned if he did, and condemned if he did not.

So how can you tell if a criticism was genuine or not?

• Ask yourself if he or she came directly to you, as opposed to spreading it to others, or the elders, or social media first.
• Ask if he has also borne your burdens as Paul suggested he must (Galatians 6:2).
• Ask yourself if, even if exaggerated, there might be a grain of truth in his critique from which you can learn.
• Note whether he offered, along with the criticism, a solution.
• Note whether he offered to play a part in helping to make things better.

It is possible that he is wrong. He might not know you, or he might simply be a negative person whom you will never please. In that case kindly but firmly let him know that his words were not helpful.

Really! Eventually someone should stand up to a bully. Don’t lower yourself to his level, of course, don’t respond with a tit for tat insult, but simply say: “I’m afraid you don’t have all the facts,” or even better, “Why don’t you volunteer to make that situation better?”

Above all, don’t allow criticism to stop you from serving the Lord. “Let us not grow weary of doing good” (Galatians 6:9). No one wins when the victim of criticism gives up.

Stan Mitchell

Mankind has a tendency to play the blame game with God. Refer back to Adam when he realized the sin he committed in the garden. Do you remember his initial reaction? “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree and I ate.” Adam was very quick to include everyone in his fault. People of today’s world blame God for the tragedies that take place. They claim that an all-loving God would not watch on standby while the world hurts.

Many skeptics target God as a corrupt being for the countless lives He took in the Old Testament narrative. The flood is perhaps one of the most well-known and extravagant manslaughters recorded in history, especially since Noah and his family were the only survivors from the entire population of the earth. How could God, the origin of love, do such a thing?! Here are some observations to consider:

1. The intentions of man were evil continually (Gen. 6:5) – We can try and grasp that concept, but I’m convinced we’ve never experienced a culture of wickedness to this degree. If God let that generation continue on, violence would have escalated until man’s extinction became a reality.
2. God made a choice – He had a couple options at this point in the timeline. He could have wiped out everyone, including Noah. Noah was a righteous man and therefore could have received his reward after facing death. This would have, and could have been the ending for mankind. But He didn’t. He allowed Noah to live, and because of that choice, we are here today.
3. God gave man a choice – Verse 14 is an incredible illustration of grace. He waited patiently until Noah finished the ark. Not only that, but He allowed Noah to preach a message of repentance to the people during this time. God did everything within the realm of free moral agency to get the people to turn from their ways.
4. The intentions of God were good continually – God knew He would eventually have to send His Son to a cross and watch the painstaking event of crucifixion unfold. He knew there would be more souls who would reject Him. He knew pain would ensue if He let man continue on in their existence. So why did He save Noah? Because of love. Love is not just a feeling, it’s a commitment to proceed forward no matter the joys or pains that wait in the future.

While many look at God as a corrupt being who is okay with killing man, we have the opportunity to praise a God who is gracious, merciful, and loving. Look at the pain of this world, the decay of it, and the death of it. But don’t stop there. Look at the sunrise of the next life to come, and you’ll see a Savior waiting to embrace you. The flood is one of the biggest stories of love that we’ll ever know.

Tyler King

We are all seeking something. Some seek after affirmation, others after wealth, power, or prestige. Still others are seeking simpler things, such as daily food and clothing. Whatever we seek, it has the power to become our lives, to consume us entirely.

Knowing this, Jesus instructed those who would follow him to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33 ESV). If you are like me, you probably read that with an emphasis upon the word “first.” We say we are to seek FIRST the reign and righteousness of God. Thus leaving the impression that God’s reign and righteousness are first among almost equals.

But the emphasis is not found in the order but in the object. The seeking of God’s reign and righteousness, in contrast to that of the Pharisees seeking their own (Matt. 5:20), should be stressed.

Might we even be misrepresenting Jesus when we say we must put God first before others? Consider the Holy Spirit’s declaration in Colossians 3:4 “When Christ, who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

Christ is not a part of our life. In reality he cannot be but a part. He must be our life. Instead of seeing a list of priorities, where God is placed at the top, we ought to think of our lives more like a wheel, with God at the center and all other aspects are the spokes. No matter what spoke is currently at the top of the circle, the hub is always at the center. God permeates into all aspects of our life, and in this way, he is our life.

Every word that we speak, every decision that we make,  every action that we take, should be done with God’s will at the center of it all (Colossians 3:17, 23; 1 Corinthians 10:31).

The key to making Christ our life is denying ourselves. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).  Pride and selfishness seem to be at the root of all sin. Self-denial is not easy and we cannot accomplish it alone. In picturing the process of the new birth, Paul states that he had been “crucified with Christ” and that “Christ lives” in him (Galatians 2:20). That new birth is accomplished by God making us alive (Colossians 2:12, 13).

Yet, those who had already died to sin were told to “put to death therefore what is earthly in you” (Colossians 3:5). Even though we have been born again, even though we have been crucified with Christ, we must continually decide to deny ourselves and follow Jesus.

There are many things which compete daily for your attention, any one of which could become your life. But only Jesus can give you life eternal. Who is your life?

Lee Parish

Last week I began the final edit of a book for a friend. It’s a delight to read and an easy work to revise. He has the gift of words and, specifically, of writing. If I weren’t a servant of God, I’d be tempted to envy. He makes reading a joy, and learning a pleasure.

Not everyone has such a gift, and that’s a fine thing, since it’s God’s plan. But some people have what might be called an anti-gift.

Proverbs 26 enlightens the reader about the actions of fools. Among them is the use of a proverb in the mouth of fools. They are not only inept, their bad usage screeches against the ear.

Like legs that hang limp from the lame, so is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard, so is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

Proverbs 26.7, 9

The fool makes listening painful. Not only does he not make sense, he makes nonsense. He causes pain.

Such grating use of words and of the proverb makes your average Joe ask how he can avoid such foolishness. Here are some paths to pursue.

First, recognize the need for wisdom. The proper creation and use of a proverb demands it. A proverb is a pithy expression of wisdom. One does not create them from air, nor can they be used without proper understanding. See wisdom’s value. “How much better it is to acquire wisdom than gold; to acquire understanding is more desirable than silver” Proverbs 16.16.

Second, learn by listening. Hear the words of the wise. Observe what they say and how they speak. Much listening must occur before one gains the knowledge and the right to speak. It all starts by “making your ear attentive to wisdom” Proverbs 2.2.

Third, ask God for help. “But if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him” James 1.5. The author’s context is trials of one’s faith. Fools have no idea how to consider life’s afflictions. They come up with all sorts of twisted explanations.

Fourth, consult the source of wisdom, the Bible. Read it often. Memorize it. For all the talk about the Bible, few actually give it the serious study it requires. This lack of attention is true foolishness. In Scripture is the best kind of wisdom, that leads to salvation, 2 Timothy 3.15.

Fifth, prepare ahead of time. Proverbs may look simple, but they can contain complex thoughts. Boiling down a truth into a proverb isn’t for weak stomachs. Here, the hard pursuit of wisdom applies. “… seek it like silver, and search for it like hidden treasure, then you will understand how to fear the Lord, and you will discover knowledge about God” Proverbs 2.4-5.

Don’t be a fool when it comes to the use of proverbs. Be wise, and the proverbs will roll off the tongue with a blessing for all who hear.

J. Randal Matheny

A fisherman had a strange habit. He kept the smaller fish he caught but threw the bigger ones back. One day after having just tossed back a monster fish, his friend couldn’t resist asking. “Why in the world did you throw back that huge fish?” The fisherman replied, “Well, I only have a 12-inch frying pan. If the fish is bigger than that, I have to throw it back.”

Whether it’s with something trivial like fishing, or something essential like our spiritual lives, it’s silly to place unnecessary limitations on ourselves. Tragically, we’ve become very skilled at limiting ourselves when God is involved.

“What could God do with someone like me?”

“I just don’t have the ability.”

“I don’t know enough.”

“_______ could do it better than me.”

There are a whole host of doubts and limitations we place on ourselves when it comes to spiritual achievement. In essence, what we are doing is limiting God. In most cases, the Lord isn’t going to force us to do or become something we don’t want.

So what would happen if we removed all our doubts, all our concerns, and all our self-imposed limitations? What could God do with us? There is no limit — “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen ” (Ephesians 3:20-21).

Point To Ponder – Right now, how big is your spiritual frying pan? If you removed all of your doubts and limitations, what could God shape you into? What could God do with you?

Point Of Action: This week, do the following for your personal study:

1) Read about the Bible character (Listed below).

2) Write down what limitations were self-imposed.

3) Write down what God was able to accomplish through them (here and/or later on).

4) Write down how this situation change them.

5) Write down what limitations you have in common.

6) Write down what you can improve in yourself after study through this.

• Monday– Gideon (Judges 6-7)
• Tuesday– Moses (Exodus 4)
• Wednesday– Jonah (Jonah 1)
• Thursday– Abraham (Genesis 20)
• Friday– Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:1-10)
• Saturday– Saul & The Soldiers – Contrast With David (1 Samuel 17)

Sunday – The 12 Spies – Contrast With Joshua & Caleb (Numbers 13-14)

Brett Petrillo

I have often thought about Christians who left the faith. I’m certain they didn’t plan to leave. Circumstances, or the unexpected, simply overwhelmed them. But you, my dear reader, can probably name a score of people who left. Paul saw the danger and urged us to “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

When I see a Christian fall away I am anguished. How I wish I could have prevented it! How I wish I had known the right thing to say. Often, however, by the time they contemplate leaving, it is too late. Perhaps, I have often thought, I could tell them some things before the crisis sweeps in, so they will know what to expect: So, with that in mind, here are some things that I have always wanted to say:

• Determine at the start that you will serve God for life: Jesus called on us to deny ourselves, take up his cross, and follow him (Matthew 16:24). Right now you need to determine to live and serve Christ for life before the hard times come.
• Never underestimate the power of loneliness: A young woman’s husband cheated on her. She left him. I understood. A year later, however, she was living with another man. “Was he a Christian?” I asked. “No.” “Any prospect of my studying the Bible with him?” “No.” What happened, I asked. She admitted, “I was just so lonely.” Dear reader, there are worse things than being alone. What we need instead is to nourish our loneliness with a closer relationship with God.
• Don’t forget who you are, and who you serve: We are “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20). There is no higher calling!
• Someone in the Church will disappoint you; that does not give you the right to disappoint others. In other words, two wrongs do not make a right. It doesn’t matter if someone else is hypocritical; that has no bearing on your commitment to Christ.
• If you are tempted to cheat on your spouse, remember, it was not God who suggested that this other person was a “soul mate.” The wise man depicts the lips of an adulteress as “dripping honey” (Proverbs 5:3,4). A woman declared: “When I’m with (this other man), he makes me happy, and doesn’t God want me to be happy?” Let me reassure you, a nice person does not break up a marriage.
• Still, it will be hard. Expect that: We are encouraged to “run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). Sometimes hard times and opposition seem to emerge as a harsh surprise to Christians. Yet the Bible never promised us a rose garden. In fact, it suggests that we will have to struggle at times to make it.
• Without question, the Christian life is worth it: At the end of your life, you will be able to look back and say that serving Jesus was worth it.

I once knew an elderly gentleman, a faithful Christian, who was deaf. At his funeral I was able to say, “The first words Curtis Hendrix will ever hear will be the words of his Lord saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21). Hearing those words will be worth it. Don’t quit!

Stan Mitchell

In chemistry, He turned water into wine;

In biology, was born without the normal conception;

In physics, denied the law of gravity when He ascended into heaven;

In economics, He multiplied five loaves and two fishes to feed 5,000 people

In medicine, healed the sick and the blind without administering any drug dose;

In history, He is the PRINCIPLE, MEANS and the END;

In government, he was called Wonderful, Counselor, Prince of Peace, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.’’

In religion, He is the way, the truth, the life and no one comes to the Father except through Him.

So, Who is He?  He is Jesus!  Let us celebrate Him; He is worthy.

–Selected

Wake up! These are two words which can annoy us, startle us, or return us to reality. When we are woken up in the middle of the night by a person, our telephone, or even the alarm, we can be annoyed or even startled. What about falling asleep in a class or during someone’s presentation? Or perhaps we have just ‘drifted off’ and need to be called back to reality.

Jesus used these two words to try to get the Christians in Sardis to see the need to return to a real life of following him.

“I know your deeds, that you have a reputation that you are alive, but in reality you are dead. Wake up then, and strengthen what remains that was about to die, because I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.” (Revelation 3:1-2 NET)

The problem these Christians had was that they looked like they were faithful – they were active as Christians. Although this was their reputation, the reality was that they were dead! They were just going through the motions of serving Jesus.

The Christians in Sardis well reflected the city they lived in. Sardis was both wealthy and easily defended. It was built on Mount Tmolus, around 1000-1500 feet in elevation with three sides surrounded by precipitous cliffs. There was only on path up and it was easily defended. Despite their secure surroundings, it was conquered twice: by Cyrus (549 BC) and Antiochus the Great (214 BC). Because they felt secure they had not bothered to post a guard on a difficult to find path going up. The path was found and the attacking army entered under the cover of darkness and had the city secure by morning.

It would seem that both of these problems had infiltrated the lives of the Christians. When people are satisfied with their material wealth, spirituality often is lost. When Christians think they have it so good and begin to believe what others say about how faithful they are, they fail to grow in their faith. After all, haven’t they arrived? Jesus’ message to them was to the point.

“Therefore, remember what you received and heard, and obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come against you.” (Revelation 3:3)

They needed to remember what they had been taught and start doing it again. They needed to repent, to change their direction, to get back to doing what they knew they should be doing in serving Jesus.

If they failed to wake up, Jesus would come like a thief. Thieves don’t send announcements that they are coming. They come when we least expect, when we have dropped our guard and are unprepared.

There were some in Sardis who had remained faithful, “who have not stained their clothes”, who were not involved in the sinful activities because of complacency. Jesus said of them, “they will walk with me dressed in white, because they are worthy” (Revelation 3:4).

Those who thought they were the examples that everyone needed follow needed themselves to look to the example of the ones who were really faithful! If they would get back to living the lives they had been taught to live, they would have this same hope. “The one who conquers will be dressed like them in white clothing, and I will never erase his name from the book of life, but will declare his name before my Father and before his angels” (Revelation 3:5).

When everything is going good for us, it is easy to become complacent. When this happens we need, like these Christians, to wake up – and get back to an active life of serving Jesus.

“The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 3:6)

Jon Galloway

Ignatius of Antioch is an incredible example of the earliest of Christian faiths. Historical writings identify him as a direct disciple of the Apostle John and a close acquaintance of Peter. His devotion to God is worthy to be noted and the modern-day Christian can gain an immense amount of encouragement and inspiration from his life. When reading through accounts like this, we witness a faith that is simply bigger than life itself. Tradition records his death to be in October of 107AD. He became a martyr when he faced the wild beasts in the arena under the reign of Emperor Trajan.

Below, is a small excerpt from his writing to the early church:

“Even now as a prisoner, I am learning to forgo my own wishes. All the way from Syria to Rome I am fighting with wild beasts, by land and sea, night and day, chained as I am to ten leopards (I mean to a detachment of soldiers), who only get worse the better you treat them. But by their injustices I am becoming a better disciple, though not for that reason am I acquitted. What a thrill I shall have from the wild beasts that re ready for me! I hope they will make short work for me.

I shall coax them on to eat me up at once and not to hold off, as sometimes happens, through fear. And if they are reluctant, I shall force them to it. Forgive me — I know what is good for me. Now is the moment I am beginning to be a disciple. May nothing seen or unseen begrudge me making my way to Jesus Christ. Come fire, cross, battling with wild beasts, wrenching of bones, mangling of limbs, crushing of my whole body, cruel tortures of the devil — only let me get to Jesus Christ! Not the wide bounds of earth nor the kingdoms this world will avail me anything. I would rather die and get to Jesus Christ, than reign over the ends of the earth. That is whom I am looking for — the One who died for us. That is whom I want — the One who rose for us. I am going through the pangs of being born. Sympathize with me, my brothers! Do not stand in the way of my coming to life — do not wish death on me. Do not give back to the world one who wants to be God’s; do not trick him with material things. Let me get into the clear light and manhood will be mine. Let me imitate the Passion of my God. If anyone has Him in him, let him appreciate what I am longing for, and sympathize with me, realizing what I going through.”

Ignatius of Antioch, Letters, in Early Church Fathers, ed. And trans. Cyril C. Richardson: New York: Macmillan, 1970. 104-105

Tyler King

Being a follower of God has never been easy. Abraham was afraid for his life because of how beautiful his wife was, and so, he lied about their relationship (Genesis 20). Joseph maintained his integrity and resisted temptation but still wound up in prison and was left there for two years after he should have been released (Genesis 41:1). Job was faithful and righteous, but Satan was allowed to test him to the max, and then, he was accused of evil and unrepentant sin. Israel escaped Egyptian bondage, and after three days found no water (Exodus 15:22-23). The prophets of God were hidden in caves during the time of Ahab and Jezebel (1 Kings 18:4). The people Jesus came to save betrayed Him, and one of His close followers betrayed Him, too. The book of Acts details a number of times Christians were arrested, beaten, threatened and even martyred. The apostle Paul had his own list of times he experienced various dangers (2 Corinthians 11:24ff). Life is not always going to be fair or easy, so when the tough times come, how much are we willing to trust God (Romans 8:18)?

[Editor’s Note: The statement and sentiment of the three Jewish youths facing a fiery furnace ought to be demonstrated in the lives of Christians today. “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar… our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up’” (Daniel 3:16-18 NKJV). ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]

Thomas Baxley

A while back I was doing some reading in the writings of Solomon, especially the book of Ecclesiastes and, judging from the things he talks about, I was reminded of a Country/Western song entitled “Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places.”  I don’t remember who performed it, but that’s immaterial anyway.  So, if you’ll bear with me for a few minutes, hopefully I can explain my connection between that song and the writings of Solomon.

You know, when you think about it, probably no one on earth was more blessed by God in material ways than our man Solomon.  If you recall, he was extremely wealthy to the degree that God said that he would surpass all other kings before and after him in wealth and power.   (1 Kings 3)   Basically, Solomon would be the greatest and wealthiest king to ever be on earth.

But, if you recall, Solomon did not ask God for wealth.  He asked Him for “wisdom” and “an understanding heart.” Because of Solomon’s attitude, God did bless him with “wisdom,” but then added all the other blessings to it.  Solomon became known worldwide for his “wisdom” and his great wealth.  So much so that the Queen of Sheba heard about him and had to come see for herself.  She did so and left saying that all the greatness she heard about didn’t make up even half of what she’d heard.  Sort of like saying that the things she’d heard didn’t come close to the real truth of his glory.

I think that it’s hard for folks today to comprehend the true greatness of Solomon, especially when you include the other parts of his life such as his political power with the other nations of his world.  But, I think that we can look at his life and understand that he could have anything on earth that he desired and from his writings, it appears that he pretty much desired everything and got everything.

Several times he says that “I got me” and then mentions whatever the thing was that he got.  Let’s look at some of them.  He “got” himself a lot of things that he thought would make him happy.  Things like “great works,” and “great houses.”  He says that he made himself “gardens, vineyards and orchards.”  He created “pools of water.”  He “got” many “servants and maidens” and great herds of livestock.  Above all of that, he “got” tons of “gold and silver.”  He had numerous entertainers to amuse him.  And he said, “So I was great..” in the ownership of all the pleasures of earth.

We also know that he amassed a great number of women in his life.  The Bible says that he “loved many strange women” (1Kgs. 11:1) and it makes me wonder how the word “strange” applies here.  According to Strong’s it can mean either “foreigner” or “outlandish” so you take your pick.

My point is, from the totality of the things he had and the things he “got” it seems that he wasn’t happy.  He said that all of this was just “vanity,” meaning they were “unsatisfactory” or “transitory.”  And that’s my tie-in to the song – he was looking for love in all the wrong places.

What, with all his wealth, power and, especially wisdom, he was simply searching in “all the wrong places.”  Everything he tried, and according to him, he pretty much tried it all, he couldn’t find any earthly “thing” that would satisfy him.  Sort of like the “highs & lows” of life.  It would work for a while, then didn’t last.  A new garden, a new house, a new wife, would be OK for a time, but then the “low” would come and he’d have to try something else.

Well, what did all of these attempts at gaining earthly pleasure bring him?  They brought him to the realization that they were all “vanity.”  Basically, “worthless.”  But, they also brought him to the point that he wrote the following passage.  “The conclusion, when all has been heard is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.  For God will bring every act to judgement, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”  (Eccl. 12:13-14)

When we read that passage we can see that Solomon’s “wisdom” won out over all the other blessings of his life.  All of his wealth and substance was worthless in the end.  But, his “wisdom” allowed him to understand that there are three things most important in a person’s life: “Fear God” – “keep (obey) His commandments” & understand justice will be administered at the end.

“Fear God.”  If one doesn’t “fear” (reverence) God then all other sins just fall in line.  I direct your attention to what Paul writes in Rom. 1:21-22 and I think you’ll see the evidence of what I just said. “For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Claiming to be wise, they became fools.”

“Obedience:” Solomon serves as a prime example of someone not following his own wisdom.  That’s why he can look back over his life and tells us, don’t do the things I did, obey God because that’s the only thing that counts in the end.  Because justice follows immediately.  We’ll be judged according to what we’ve done and not by what we have accrued in life.

We seemingly have a large portion of society today that scoffs at God.  That have made power and material things foremost in their lives.  Just remember the lesson we learn from Solomon and to “look in the right places” for the love of God.

Ron Covey

A recent email came to me regarding prayers for our brethren in Ukraine. Christians, as well as all others in that region, are in a detrimental situation as Russia invaded their land. The images of war are unsettling, unnerving and show us just how fragile peace and harmony in life can be. While we are praying for Ukraine’s safety and protection, especially those of the household of faith, there are spiritual lessons to be learned from war.

War Is Destructive!

Most objective observers can clearly see that Russia invaded Ukraine without provocation. Simply because of who the Ukrainians are and because of who Russia is, destructive war was inevitable. For simply being in Ukraine, people are being uprooted, maimed, killed and emotionally changed forever. Many will likely flee to other countries to sojourn in places that are not their homes. Spiritually, the application is valid. Simply because of who we are as Christians and who the devil is as our enemy, we are in a daily spiritual war that is devastatingly destructive as well. Sometimes God’s people ask, “Why me?” We must understand that darkness hates light (1 John 3:19-20) and, as such, Christians are always at battle with spiritual wickedness (Ephesians 6:12). We are not home as we fight this daily battle here on planet Earth (1 Peter 2:11-12). Our home is in Heaven (Colossians 3:1-3), and this place of sojourn is merely a battlefield to defend the Master’s cause (Matthew 28:18-20). Sadly, we must understand that this spiritual battle, like physical battles, brings destruction. There will be casualties, and we all will suffer some degree of pain and hurt. Yet, our spiritual battle is a battle we must fight despite the destruction we face!

War Is Illustrative!

The war in Ukraine illustrates the fact that war brings out both the best and the worst in people. Stories of bravery and heroism stir our hearts as we hear of the valiant efforts to defend liberty and justice by the Ukrainians. Yet, a dictator’s brutal attempts to gain territory and conquer a nation sickens us. Spiritually, the same holds true as well. As we defend the faith (Jude 3), it thrills our souls to hear of others in all parts of this world who are doing the same. It encourages us in the battle as we know that there are others, just like us, who are fighting this war, too (1 Peter 5:9). However, sadly, we also hear of some soldiers who have given up and quit. We are repulsed when we hear of soldiers turning away from the manual on warfare (2 Timothy 2:18). We are repulsed when we see a soldier stop fighting, and even worse, when soldiers flee to the other side and join forces with the enemy.

War Is Collaborative!

Ukraine has no chance of victory unless it collaborates with others who support it in the fight. The forces against them are great, and therefore, Ukraine must learn to fight against its dictatorial enemy by all being on the same page and following the same plan to defend freedom. There is but one agenda in Ukraine right now – to defend freedom! What an illustration spiritually speaking as well! Christianity will never prevail against its roaring enemy (1 Peter 5:8) unless Christians all join together and have one goal and one agenda – to defend freedom in Christ! Politics, opinions, diseases, personal agendas, ignorance or anything else that often separates us must be laid aside for the battle to lead to victory! Christians have but one agenda – to glorify the Captain and win the war for our immortal souls (Matthew 5:13-16; 2 Timothy 4:6-8). Remember, there is just one letter placement of difference between united and untied, but the eternal difference is much more!

Cowards do not stand and fight, but brave soldiers carry the battle (Revelation 21:7-8). It is high time that brave soldiers of the cross take up arms and engage our enemy with faith and with truth to be victorious. Our spiritual battle is a battle for eternity, for your children and mine, for our neighbors and loved ones, and yes, even for our own souls as well. As we face our adversary head on, there will be times when we feel the battle is too great and the enemy is too strong, but our Captain reminds us daily, “…He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4 NKJV). While our prayers ascend for those in Ukraine, we know that our brethren there will be victorious in the end. Their victory may not be in defending their soil but faithfully defending their souls! “These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:14).

[Editor’s Note: Pray also for our Russian brethren who find themselves adversely affected, too – some even who have been or may be conscripted to fight against their wills in Ukraine. Don’t forget to mention in prayers brethren in other especially dangerous places in the world (e.g., in nations that have state gods such as in Hinduism or Buddhism, Islamic controlled countries and nations engaged in civil war or widespread unrest). ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]

Rodney Nulph

Galatians 1:3-4 reads, “Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age [“world” KJV], according to the will of our God and Father” (NKJV). To a greater or a lesser degree, every age since sin entered into the world has been a “present evil age.” However, there have been several occasions throughout history where sinfulness resulted in a tipping point with God, whereupon He exacted widespread retribution upon sinners. A tipping point is “the critical point in a situation, process, or system beyond which a significant and often unstoppable effect or change takes place” (“Tipping Point”). No one can deflect God’s wrath when He determines to react against an “evil age.”

Some Significant Historical
Tipping Points with God

A staggering percentage of 100% of humanity at the time – Adam and Eve – were banished from the Garden of Eden for their sin of disobedience (Genesis 3:23-24). Hundreds of years later, nearly 100% of humanity was killed in the universal flood of Noah’s days (Genesis 7:21-23). “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually… The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence” (Genesis 6:5, 11). God, therefore, “condemned the world” (Hebrews 11:7), sparing only “eight souls” (1 Peter 3:20). The sin of homosexuality (Genesis 19; Jude 7), rampant in Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim (Deuteronomy 29:23), was “very grave” (Genesis 18:20) and reached a tipping point with God so that He destroyed those cities with “brimstone and fire” (Genesis 19:24-25).

Hundreds of years later, the Israelites traversed the Sinai peninsula and repeatedly reached a tipping point with God, whereupon He punished the nation again and again. Finally, God sentenced Israel to 40 years of wandering in that desolate place as a penalty until everyone – except Joshua and Caleb – 20 years and older who had departed Egypt died (Numbers 14:29-33). About two generations of families perished before God allowed a new generation to enter Canaan. Then, the whole period of the judges was a collection of tipping points with God because of sin, whereupon He permitted enemies of Israel to subdue it only to be freed later by a judge God raised up; a series of fifteen judges aptly denotes the rise and fall constantly over hundreds of years.

There was not a great improvement after the establishment of the monarchy in Israel, but following the division of the Israelites into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah, greater tipping points with God occurred. Almighty God allowed the Assyrian kingdom to overthrow Israel because of its sins, chief of which was idolatry (2 Kings 17:5-12, 23). Later, God permitted the Babylonians to overthrow Judah also because, like the northern kingdom, the southern kingdom also practiced idolatry (2 Kings 24-25; 1 Chronicles 9:1; Zephaniah 1:4). This initiated the 70 years of captivity for Judah that God’s prophets had forewarned would occur unless the nation repented and turned back to God (Jeremiah 25:1-12; 29:10). God’s chosen people (Deuteronomy 7:6-7; 14:2) became as much a part of an evil age as the balance of ungodly humanity.

The Present Evil Age

Some Christians muse from time to time that one reason that Almighty God may delay the destruction of planet Earth preceding Final Judgment (2 Peter 3:7) is because of the large number of New Testament Christians today; after all, the Lord agreed to Abraham’s bargaining not to destroy Sodom if there were ten righteous persons living in it (Genesis 18:32). Is it possible that the children of God constitute one reason that stalls the inevitable fiery end of the world and Final Judgment? Of course, the apostle Peter penned that the “longsuffering” of God – extending time for sinners to repent (2 Peter 3:9) – explains why God has not already brought about the destruction of the created universe. Nevertheless, the world and time itself will end, as well as Final Judgment must happen – without warning and when we do not expect it (2 Peter 3:10). Consequently, the children of God need to always be ready (Matthew 24:36-44; 2 Peter 3:11).

No godly person would deny the obvious debauchery characteristic of the “present evil age” in which we live today. Sins are hardly “secret” today (Psalm 90:8), no matter how despicable they may be. Moreover, even the vilest sinners who are guilty of disgraceful deeds are not the least embarrassed. “Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed; Nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time I punish them, They shall be cast down, says the Lord” (Jeremiah 6:15).

Homosexuality’s pride parades, defenders of abortion from protesters to world leaders, gross immodesty, pornography, shacking up “and the like” (Galatians 5:19-21; cf., 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Revelation 21:8) represent clearly noticeable specimens of “this present evil age.” Unfortunately, Christians and the Lord’s church are not immune to the prevalent immorality typical of the ungodly world all around us. Besides all this, lawbreakers abound in every degree, including the more violent offenses of robbery, assault, murder and wars. Hardly can we imagine that the wickedness and violence for which God deluged the world (Genesis 6-8) were any worse than the same in “this present evil age.” There are, though, more than eight souls – Noah and his family – today worshipping and serving Almighty God. There are more than ten souls worshipping and serving God than there were in Sodom.

Living in the World
but Not of the World

The word “age” (NKJV) or “world” (KJV) in Galatians 1:4 is translated from the Greek aion, which means “…properly, an age… by implication, the world” (Biblesoft’s). “These words [Galatians 1:4] cannot mean created nature, or the earth and its productions, nor even wicked men. The former we shall need while we live, the latter we cannot avoid…” (Adam Clarke’s). Though the children of God have no choice but to live amidst wicked humanity, they are called upon by God through the Gospel of Jesus Christ to distinguish themselves from impenitent sinners. Regrettably, however, many Christians do the same things as ungodly people and somehow suppose that God will ultimately overlook their willful sins. “Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. …do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?” (Romans 2:1-3). Willfully practicing sin dispenses with the only redemption available – Jesus Christ. “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a [any other or an] sacrifice for sins” (Hebrews 10:26).

Christians ought to be different from unrighteous and worldly people, often including family members, friends, neighbors, coworkers and acquaintances. We are God’s “special” (NKJV) or “peculiar people” (KJV) (Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:9). Jesus noted the contrast between the children of God and children of the world. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:19). “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:14-16). Imitating Jesus distinguishes Christians from the ungodly and worldly people surrounding us at every turn.

Our Lord used the Greek word kosmos, translated “world” in these passages. Kosmos is used in the same ways we used the word “world,” sometimes referring to the planet on which we live and at other times referring to humanity. Jesus referred to ungodly humanity in contrast to God’s “special” or “peculiar people.” However, Christians can only be and remain “special” and “peculiar” as long as they do not assimilate into the world. “…Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).

Sadly, many Christians have developed a spiritually unhealthy relationship with the world, about which an inspired half-brother of Jesus warned. “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity [hatred] with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4). The apostle John, likewise, cautioned Christians about worldliness. “Do not love the world or 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, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15-17).

Conclusion

Christians once, before their conversion, many times were among the most committed and diligent sinners, but they were “washed,” “sanctified” and “justified.”

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

Christians are not who they were formerly.

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. (Ephesians 2:1-3)

Indeed, we live in a “present evil age,” but faithful Christians live their lives noticeably differently from the world around them – not trying to be different but attempting to emulate the model Christian depicted in the New Testament. Christians don’t do some of the things the world does; neither do they go some of the places that ungodly people frequent. True Christians don’t talk like the world around them. The children of God have a completely unique worldview that has as its goal a heavenly, forever home. “Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you” (1 Peter 4:4 KJV). That unique worldview, though, indirectly condemns the world around us (Hebrews 11:7), to which the world pushes back. “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). If the ungodly world hasn’t pushed you around at all, it may not even know that you profess to be a Christian! Is there enough evidence to convict you of being a Christian?

Historically, the children of God often became as much a part of an evil age as the balance of ungodly humanity, and the same observation may be applicable to many churches of Christ in our time, too. Are you and I different from the world around us, or do we admire and approve of sinfulness (e.g., drinking and reveling, Galatians 5:21; fornication; adultery; immodesty; indecent language; pornography, Matthew 5:28; etc.). “Who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them” (Romans 1:32 NKJV).

The world around us is motivated and animated by Satan. “Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Who is motivating and animating you – Satan or Jesus? “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).

Works Cited

Adam Clarke’s Commentary. Electronic Database. Seattle: Biblesoft, 2006.

Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Electronic Database. Seattle: Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, 2010.

“Tipping point.” Merriam-Webster.com. Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster. <https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tipping%20point.> 27 Jun. 2022.

Louis Rushmore

“As he passed by, he saw a man” (John 9:1 ESV).

It is not difficult to recruit people to go on a mission trip to Nepal. Everyone knows about “The Rooftop of the World,” the home of much of the Himalaya Mountains. We are all fascinated by mountains, and that fascination increases exponentially when Mt. Everest and other Himalayan peaks enter into the discussion. The scenery is awesome, the sense of adventure overwhelming. One returns from a visit to such places with a tremendous feeling of accomplishment.

But there is much more to this remote, densely populated nation than magnificent vistas. More than 30 million people inhabit its approximately 57,000 square miles (roughly 1/3 larger than the state of Tennessee). More than 90% of the population claim Hinduism or Buddhism as their religious faith. Taken together, these constitute the world’s largest current polytheistic and idolatrous religion. In the New Testament Paul spoke of his joy over those who turned “from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9). He regarded them as having escaped bondage to enjoy freedom in Christ Jesus.

The great commission given by Jesus to his followers challenges us to focus our vision. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Some scholars suggest a proper application of Jesus’ words is “As you go …” That suggests that evangelism is not only a purposed activity requiring a special itinerary, but something that Christians are alert to do wherever they are and whenever opportunities arise.

As Jesus traveled through Galilee, Samaria, and Judea he constantly met and interacted with people. On one occasion his attention was directed to something inanimate: “his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple” (Matthew 24:1). He responded to the effect that these were only temporary. “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down” (Matthew 24:2). It was barely more than forty years later that the Roman army fulfilled his prophecy in the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70 A.D. Jesus’ attention was almost exclusively upon people, whom he came “to seek and to save” (Luke 19:10).

Buildings erected by humans, beautiful forests, even immense mountain ranges are all material and destructible. God promises, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (2 Peter 3:10).

All that God has created will be done away with except for human souls. “So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable” (1 Corinthians 15:42). The mountains we treasure will not last. The people we teach and bring to faith will live eternally. Let us look at more than beautiful scenery – let us see those who are longing for truth and help them to know and believe in Jesus.

by Michael Brooks

A Parallel Revolution

In poor health and unable to attend a celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson penned his final letter. Reflecting upon their bold rebellion he wrote, “May it be to the world, what I believe it will be, the signal of arousing men to burst the chains under which monkish ignorance and superstition had persuaded them to bind themselves, and to assume the blessing and security of self-government.”

With remarkable similarities the Restoration Movement of the 1800’s paralleled the American Revolution. In seeking the truth of God’s word religious leaders of the same era burst the chains of spiritual ignorance that bound them. They cast off a clergy system of synods and presbyteries to assume the blessing of self-government by the scriptures. Their spiritual revolution became a signal to the world that God’s Word alone should rule and instruct men (2 Tm.3:16).

In Jeffersonian tones Thomas Campbell wrote in 1809, “We are persuaded that it is high time for us not only to think, but also to act, to see with our own eyes, and to take all our measures directly and immediately from the Divine standard.” With such words these men returned to the freedom of God’s word.

-Dennis Doughty

Made for man

“And he said to them,’The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath’” (Mark 2:27, NKJV).

On one trip into the mountains of Nepal to preach among the villages, we took a Nepali cook who was a practicing Buddhist. Over the course of the two weeks we traveled, we spoke to him several times about his religion and about the Gospel. One comment he made has stayed with me. “I am tired of the priests’ extravagant demands – for everything there must be a sacrifice and I must always pay.”

His attitude and experience are by no means unique, nor are they restricted to any one religion. Many have fled from the apparent greed of religionists who seem to place their doctrines, practices, and institutions above every other need of humanity. It is easy to argue that for many faiths, man seems to have been made to serve the religion, not vice versa.

When Jesus healed on the Sabbath, Jewish leaders were offended (Mark 3:1-6). Similarly, when the disciples picked grain from the stalks on a Sabbath day, and ate on their way through the fields, the Pharisees accused them of violating one of the Ten Commandments (Mark 2:23-26).

That prompted the Lord’s response that man was not created to observe the Sabbath. Rather the Sabbath day was declared holy for the benefit of man. Presumably God in his wisdom saw man’s need for respite from his labors and provided a weekly “day off” in order to meet that need.

It is so easy for us to lose sight of that priority. Religion is not enslavement. It is not designed to be a hardship to already burdened humanity. We have enough problems without God loading us down with troublesome obligations. And God is neither vain nor in need of our service (Acts 17:24-25). He has nothing to gain by placing odious duties upon those who come to him.

Christian faith is about meeting the needs of sinful humanity. God gives us comfort through our prayers, songs, and study (2 Corinthians 1:3-7). Jesus came to save sinners, not to condemn them (Luke 19:10). The church is designed to build its members up, not to break them down through excessive demands (Ephesians 4:11-16). Its worship, though it is praise offered to God, also serves to edify all those who are in the congregation (1 Corinthians 14:1-5). The works which Christians do in the name of God are expressions of gratitude for his grace (Ephesians 2:8-10).

When one asks questions like, “Do I have to go to Church every Sunday?” he or she is missing the whole point. Our relationship with God is a great privilege by which we are blessed. True Christianity makes life easier, not harder. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

His invitation to suffering mankind is very plain on this point: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30).

When we perceive God’s will as overly demanding or impossible to obey, we have grossly misunderstood him. He wants us to have a good life (1 Timothy 2:2-3), at peace with him and with one another. His laws were designed for our benefit. They are a great blessing for which we should be grateful (read Psalm 119).

Michael Brooks

Life gives us many problems.  Some believe Christians are not as afflicted as others, but this is not the case.  The difference between Christians and the world is as night and day. Christians have the avenue of prayer to His throne, to address their deepest worries, concerns and heartaches.   Never think Christians are exempt from troubles.  Far from it.

Troubles come to us when we least expect them, and some lessons are very hard to learn.  Sometimes the problems seem insurmountable, but for the faithful child of God, we are only a prayer away to seek His help and comfort.  When we have passed through these afflictions, we to can then say as the psalmist:    E.L.

“It is good for me that I have been afflicted;  that I might learn Thy statutes.”    Psalm 119:71

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore will not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.”      Psalm 46:1

“Because it’s only when you’re tested you truly discover who you are.  And it’s only when you’re tested you discover who you can be.  The person you want to be does exist, somewhere on the other side of hard work and faith, and belief and beyond the heartache and fear of what life has.”      ~ Unknown

“Here are some time proven remedies for handling trouble when it comes:

Pray to God.   If we want Him close, pray and draw near to Him; then He will draw near to us.  He has promised.

Let us accept misfortune as a proving period from which we emerge bigger and stronger than ever.

Take our mind off our distresses by giving thanks to God.  Tell of His wondrous works.  It will surprise us to see what God has done.

Hold to the blessed promise that God can hide us in time of trouble and can set our feet on a rock.

Never lose confidence in the eventual winning of integrity and righteousness, which – with God’s help – can preserve us.  Troubles may force a detour and a delay, but they make the destination all the sweeter when we arrive.

Sometimes we reach the point where all human answers fail and all our resources collapse.  Then the only thing left is to turn the misfortune over to God, and say to him, “My times are in Thy hand.  And this is victory.”     ~ Leroy Brownlow

“The Lord gets His best soldiers out of the highlands of affliction.”     ~ Spurgeon

Eileen Light

Catherine Michaels was her name. She was a lonely, elderly, Christian widow who lived on my newspaper route when I was a boy. It was my practice when I delivered the newspaper to hand-deliver her paper and talk with her for a few moments to break the monotony of her day.

One day when I delivered her paper, she informed me that she was moving to California to live with her daughter. She thanked me for my visits, told me how much they meant to her, and tearfully told me that this would be the last time we would speak to each other in this life.

As I left her home that day, I said “Goodbye,” and when I did, she sternly told me to come back in her house. I didn’t know what I had done or if I had offended her. Then she explained. She said that she was not going to allow “goodbye” to be our final words.  She said that Christians will be together throughout eternity. Then she said, “You can say, ‘See you later,’ but you can’t say ‘goodbye.'”

So, as I left her house that day, I said, “See you later,” and these were the last words I ever spoke to her. I also left her house that day with a permanent impression on my mind of a truth I would never forget.

There are many reasons to be a Christian, but never having to say, “goodbye” must be one of the more compelling ones. What do you think? Give it some thought.

by Steve Higginbotham

What do we make of our experiences?

I suspect if we were to share stories about our experiences, the details might differ, however common traits would emerge. Here’s a few examples of what I have seen.

• As a lady walked toward a spiritist center, a seasoned missionary asked her, “Why are you attending tonight?” She said, “The last time my husband was unemployed I went to the spiritist center. The next day he got a job. I am going, so that tomorrow my husband will have a job.”
• An atheist, viewing that he was living his life on the edge of oblivion, described treasuring each moment. He concluded that living with this heightened intensity provided a superior life to what theism offered.
• Standing on my front doorstep, the truck driver admitted that he did not go to church. However, he quickly followed this up by claiming that he felt his relationship with God was good because life was going well and he was a basically good guy.
• Feeling like she was at the end of her rope, she decided to attend a faith-based meeting that began with worship. Because she found hope and encouragement, she concluded everything about this group aligned with God’s will.

Although these stories differ, they share a common characteristic. In each case, people navigated life by believing their experiences revealed truth. In other words, if something seemed to work, it must be good and true. Perhaps one expression of this impulse is captured in those old lyrics, “It can’t be wrong when it feels so right.”

What do we make of our experiences? If something works, do we regard it as true?

Hmm.  Because of what I read in scripture, I have concluded that our experiences do not provide us with reliable compasses. Consider for instance Jesus’ statement how God expresses his love toward all people. “He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:43).

Should the unrighteous conclude that because the sun rises on them and they enjoy rain that their ways are right? Does experiencing blessings mean that the universe approves?

Scripture puts it even more bluntly in Deuteronomy 13:1-13. God warned Israel against embracing ideas just because they worked. If an idea contravened God’s word calling God’s people to chart another path, it was to be rejected regardless of its success.

In fact, God announced that sometimes he would allow what was false to succeed in order to “know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him” (Deuteronomy 13:3,4).

In general terms, our experiences can often be helpful. Touch a hot stove; it burns. Learn the lesson to not touch it again. However, scripture reveals that our experiences are not the gold standard for truth. If we want a reliable source for navigating life, we need to digest and then live out God’s word.

“Your word is a lamp to walk by, and a light to illumine my path” (Psalm 119:106).

Barry Newton

Delving deeper into faith

What is faith? This probably sounds like a silly question – but only if we have given it no thought because we assume we fully understand it. Consider one small sampling of the evidence.

In the second and third centuries before Christ, Jewish scholars translated their Hebrew Bible into Greek. We call their work the Septuagint. Interesting questions might be: When they used the Greek word pistis (faith), what Hebrew words and ideas were they trying to convey? Was their understanding of faith broader, the same or narrower than ours? Take a look.

Here is a list of the Hebrew words whose concepts the Septuagint translators chose to render into Greek by using pistis:

‘emun – trusting, faithfulness: Deuteronomy 32:20; Proverbs 13:17

‘emunah –  faithfulness, trust and truth because it is reliable as something that is firm and steadfast: 1 Samuel 26:23; Psalm 33:4; Proverbs 12:17,22; 2 Kings 12:15; 1 Chronicles 9:31; 2 Chronicles 31:15; 34:12; Jeremiah 5:1; Hosea 2:20; Habakkuk 2:4

‘amanah – faith, support.  Hence, a sure or reliable covenant: Nehemiah 9:38

‘emet – firmness, faithfulness: Proverbs 3:3

‘aman – made sure. Hence, if something is not made sure then it fails: Jeremiah 15:18

When the Septuagint translators encountered Hebrew words conveying trustworthiness and faithfulness, they chose to use the Greek word pistis to convey these ideas. It would appear their core understanding of pistis revolved around the idea of something or someone being reliable, embodying trustworthiness or exemplifying faithfulness through actions.

What is intriguing about their usage of faith is that its core idea was not limited to being an inner conviction or belief. Rather, their notion of faith revolved around being reliable – which could also be seen through action.

How does such an understanding compare with our ideas about faith? Can our view of faith embrace action or is it limited to the realm of inner convictions and beliefs?

Were they wrong to use faith in this way? Does the New Testament usage of faith also encompass faith as action? If our understanding of faith limits it to being a confident belief, are we in agreement with how the New Testament’s uses faith?

If we assume that faith means just believing, we will obtain a message from the New Testament. However, will this entail comprehending the authors’ intending meaning and hence achieve an author-centered understanding? Or will it merely be an echo of our own assumptions, thus confining us to a reader-centered understanding?

It has been said that unexamined assumptions are the most dangerous ones. The reason for this is assumptions wield tremendous power influencing our lives. Unexamined assumptions thus wield that power without us realizing we are being controlled by them.

Barry Newton