One of the most surprising statements in the Bible comes from the mouth of Pharaoh. It was during the 10 plagues that God brought upon Egypt. Pharaoh could take no more, so he asked Moses to intercede on his behalf and ask God to remove the plague of frogs.  Moses agreed and told Pharaoh to state the time when he wanted him to intercede for him.  Then Pharaoh said it… “Tomorrow” (Exodus 8:8-10).

Tomorrow!?  Why tomorrow?  Why not now? Why spend another night with the frogs? It doesn’t make sense. But it makes about as much sense as we sometimes use.

• Do you need to apologize to someone? Why wait until tomorrow when you can do it today?
• Do you need to express thanks to someone? Why wait until tomorrow when you can do it today?
• Do you need to sever ties with some bad influences in your life? Why wait until tomorrow when you can do it today?
• Do you need to repent of some sin that you have been concealing?  Why wait until tomorrow when you can do it today?
• Do you need to be baptized into Christ? Why wait until tomorrow when you can do it today.

Pharaoh’s response to Moses was foolish and resulted in him needlessly suffering through another night with the frogs. But if we’re honest with ourselves, we might have to admit that Pharaoh is not the only one “spending another night with the frogs.”  Give it some thought!

by Steve Higginbotham

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard, Even Aaron’s beard, Coming down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the Lord commanded the blessing-life forever” (Psalm 133:1).

The Hebrew word translated “together” means “unitedness.” It carries the idea of a community working together. Perhaps you have seen the video going around on social media of the Amish community moving a barn – by hand! It is an excellent testament to what can be achieved when a group works united as one. It also helped me to see that this is a common practice among the Amish people.

The Psalm gives two illustrations of the real blessing of unity. The first is that of the oil poured on Aaron’s head running down all over his body. The second illustration is the dew coming down from Mount Hermon, the tallest mountain peak in the Middle East. Though the dew may fall on the summit, it comes down to refresh and invigorate all that is below.

In like manner, togetherness and unity must begin at the top. When it does, it trickles down to the entirety of a group, allowing great blessings to be the result.

• When a marriage is united together, the whole family is blessed with unity (Mt. 19:6; I Cor. 7:5).
• When church leadership is united together, the whole congregation is blessed with unity (Acts 2:1, 44-46; Eph. 4:11-16).
• When a congregation is united together, the individual members are blessed with growth (Phil. 4:1-3; Heb. 10:23-25).

The final line of this Psalm declares the Lord blesses where unity is maintained. Our world and nation see disunity and bickering continuously. Even among followers of Jesus, there is seemingly more and more division. What an example we could be if we worked together in unity. What a beacon of light we could be to our communities who have long grown tired of discord. We will never be able to effectively communicate the Gospel of Peace until we become peacemakers. Conversely, when we work together in love and unity those blessings from the top will flow down!

Corey Sawyers

Now listen, you who say, today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast and brag.  All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, to him it is sin” (James 4: 13-17).

In this passage we are being warned about sin. But what is the sin being condemned? Is it making plans for today? Is it making plans for tomorrow? Is it moving to another city? Is it being there for a year? Is it doing business there? Is it making money? No, it would not seem so from the Bible.  There is nothing necessarily wrong with any of these things. In fact, the Bible condemns sloth and laziness as just “a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest” (Proverbs 24:30-34), saying that suddenly poverty “will come on you like a bandit” (NIV).

What then is the wrong if it is not the planning? It appears to be leaving the Lord’s will out of the planning! Those dreams, hopes, and plans for today, tomorrow and the future need to be guided by God’s will at the center of our lives. It can “completely outfit” or “thoroughly furnish” us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It is “everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). Whatever plans we make, then, have to take into careful consideration whether they are at odds with the Scripture. And if we do not then we are sinning because we are being guided by something else, by our own wisdom, instead of applying the Lord’s wisdom to our lives. James says it is a form of boasting and bragging, and it is evil.

With some thought we can see how this is true:

• Mom and Dad are sending their boy off to college. They know it’s a good school but have no idea about the character of the nearby congregation…
• Here’s a young girl considering a proposal of marriage. She knows he’s handsome and has a good job and money, but not much about him spiritually…
• A family is considering a move to a town for Dad to have a better job, but it is a very worldly place…
• An older couple is going to move down south to a lovely retirement community, but don’t know if a congregation is near…

What is needed in each of these situations? It is a genuine concern for the Lord’s will from a heart that will put His will into the practice of their everyday life.

This lack is what we may call a sin of neglect. It is not like actually committing a sin as when we lie or steal or hate. It is one in which we omit or neglect to do something that we ought to do, like speaking up for the truth, or sharing what we have, or loving our neighbor as ourselves. In the case of such examples as we suggested – as with all of life’s serious choices – we should look at the Scripture to see its principles and precepts for the situation at hand (1 Peter 4:11), and then pray for wisdom to deal with the choices we have (James 1:5).

James says such planning is a good thing to do! He said why earlier: “Receive with meekness .the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:21-22).

– by Robert Hines

Church Discipline Works!

The scriptures plainly teach the concept of church discipline. “And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed” (2 Thess. 3:14). “. . . with such an one no not to eat” (1 Cor. 5:11).

There are always those who complain that this discipline will not work. “It drives people away,” they claim. And, because they do not believe the process will work, they often refuse to participate in it – continuing to freely associate with the one who has been withdrawn from. Sometimes they will even openly oppose the disciplinary action and work against it.

Wait a minute! Who are these people arguing with anyway? Not with us! They are arguing with God! These folks need to be taught, and the teaching needs to begin with the very basic concept of faith in God’s word and confidence in His plan.

The truth of the matter is that church discipline, when properly administered does work. In fact, when done correctly, it always works! 1 Corinthians 5 serves as an interesting study of the benefits of church discipline. Notice how it:

A) demonstrates to all that sin can not be tolerated (vs. 2)

B) proves our commitment to God and His will (vs. 4)

C) shows the erring brother that we love him and are concerned for his soul (vs. 5)

D) protects the rest of the congregation from a damaging influence (vs. 6-13)

If anyone still doubts the effectiveness of this approach, please note that the actions described in the text above had the desired effect – the erring brother was restored! (2 Cor. 2:4-8). This is God’s plan, and it works. We must have enough faith to employ it.

– by Greg Gwin

A young man seemed surprised to learn recently that Jesus came to earth to die. He asked if God worked from a timeline, if he accomplished everything within a timeframe that he had set. Yes, God had an eternal purpose and plan and he fulfilled it “when the appropriate time had come” Galatians 4.4.

That plan was set before the creation of the world. (See Ephesians 1.4; 1 Peter 1.20.) So in the Old Testament we can see the Lord making promises and predictions of what — and who — would come. There are so many predictions that prophecy fulfilled in Jesus Christ is one of the great evidences for the inspiration of the Bible.

Psalm 22 contains several verses that pertain to Jesus’ crucifixion. (It is the most cited Psalm in the New Testament.) Verse 18 is one of these verses.

“They are dividing up my clothes among themselves; they are rolling dice for my garments.”

John’s gospel states that this is exactly what happened at the cross.

Now when the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and made four shares, one for each soldier, and the tunic remained. (Now the tunic was seamless, woven from top to bottom as a single piece.) So the soldiers said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but throw dice to see who will get it.” This took place to fulfill the scripture that says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they threw dice.” So the soldiers did these things, John 19.23-24.

This was not an event that could have been staged by Jesus or by his disciples. It shows that God knew what would happen. It reveals that God took human cruelty and injustice and from them brought forth human salvation in the cross. It reminds us that God is sovereign — he is in control of all things. He does everything to accomplish his will and bless as many people as possible.

At the foot of the cross, people are still gambling for illicit gain. They are still untouched by the blood that freely flows from Jesus’ side. The continue to carry on as if God had never entered history and had left mankind to its own devices.

While people are dividing up clothes and nations and families, Jesus is uniting them. In John 19.24-25, Jesus unites his best friend John and his mother. Jesus offers forgiveness and freedom from greed and selfishness. Jesus offers the way back to God.

This is what Jesus came to earth to accomplish. And he finished what the heavenly Father gave him to do. “It is finished.” Now, God’s timeframe is for us to confess him today and obey him forever.

J. Randal Matheny

This is a scenario every preacher and elder knows: A family has been missing from worship. When a church leader notes this, he goes to their home to determine if there is anything he can do.

During the visit the family throws a number of accusations at the church. This church “doesn’t feed me,” this church “doesn’t have a good youth program,” someone in the church “said something insensitive,” and, my personal favorite, “there are hypocrites in the church.”

Our visitor leaves their home crestfallen and discouraged. To begin with, he is disappointed because a family he cares about appears to be out of his reach. Secondly, he is aware of his own limitations. He is not perfect. Neither is his congregation. If the family was expecting perfection, he knows, the church had lost them from the start. Like a twenty-foot goal in a basketball game, it was an expectation too high for a church to achieve.

It is interesting that in these interactions, it’s always the church’s fault. The church is too easy a target.

Statistics prove that 100% of churches are comprised of … human beings.

Some are new Christians whose behavior reflects their spiritual immaturity (1 Peter 2:2). Others are Christians who have warmed a pew for a long time but have not matured spiritually as they should have (Hebrews 5:11-14). And, because I know one very well indeed, preachers are not perfect either.

But I have a question that rarely seems to be asked: Is there ever a sufficient reason for leaving Christ and his church?

As it turns out, people who have done wrong have been making excuses for their behavior for a long time. Apparently they believed their extenuating circumstances excused their behavior: Adam blamed Eve for his sin; Eve blamed the serpent (Genesis 3:12,13). Cain was not certain his brother was his responsibility anyway (Genesis 4:9). King Saul believed the pressure of those around him accounted sufficiently for his mistakes (1 Samuel 15:15,21).

What I am getting at, beloved, is there is never a good reason to do a wrong thing; two wrongs still do not make a right. Even when it is someone in the church who fails us, we must still continue to serve God. If everyone left the church because someone disappointed us, mark this, there would be no church left.

Jesus was wronged, historically wronged, yet he did not use this as an excuse for wrong in return (1 Peter 2:23). We can thank God that Jesus did not use our mistakes as his reason for abandoning us.

Stan Mitchell

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

“Thanksgiving” is a theme that runs throughout the Bible. In the NASV, some form of the word “thanks” is found 139 times. Being unthankful is a sin. Paul encourages the Christians in his letter to Ephesus to be thankful (Eph. 5:4). In 5:20, Paul says our song service should express our thanksgiving to God and Jesus Christ. Paul also begins his letter of Ephesians with a prayer of thanksgiving for the Christians in Ephesus, which is what I want us to study together.

PAUL’S MOTIVATION FOR PRAYER – 1:15:

“For this reason…” – For what reason? Paul has identified the Christians in Ephesus as “saints” in verse 1, where he says they are “faithful in Christ.” They have been chosen “in Christ” (vs 3). They were offered forgiveness of sins through Christ (1:7)  and, after listening to the gospel message (1:13), they obediently believed it. Then, they were given the Holy Spirit as a pledge of their inheritance (1:14). It is because they have been forgiven of their sins and been added to the church of Jesus Christ that Paul gives God thanks for them.

He mentions their faith and their love. Faith in Christ without love for fellow Christians is dead or incomplete; love for the saints without faith in Christ turns the church into just a social club. In 4:2, Paul tells Christians to walk with “all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love.” We need to “walk in love, just as Christ loved us” (5:2).

PAUL’S PRAYER OF THANKS – 1:16-19:

The substance of the prayer:

“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you:” Calling God the “Father of glory” (the only place God is so called) tells us that it is God who gives glory. God’s glory in the OT was often seen in miracles which He performed. For you and me, that glory is seen in what He does for us, beginning with saving us through the blood of Christ but culminating in taking us to heaven, even when we have not earned that opportunity (cf. 5:25-27).

Here’s what Paul prays that the Father of glory will give to the Christians in Ephesus:“a spirit of wisdom” (cf. 3:3-6) and “and of revelation in the knowledge of Him” (cf. 4:15-16).

Paul continues the substance of his prayer in verse 18: “[that] the eyes of your heart may be enlightened,” The tense of the verb “enlightened” tells us that this enlightenment happened at a specific time in our growth of knowledge. It occurs, of course, when it finally dawns in our minds and hearts that Jesus really is the Son of God and that we ought to put our souls into His hands (cf. 4:17-20).

In the next three phrases, Paul will add some focus or precision to this prayer, and specifically, to the desire for the Ephesians to increase in their knowledge…

“[for] you to know what is the hope of His calling,” Our hope is a conviction that is rooted in God’s faithfulness to His own promises.

“…what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance among the saints,” That promised inheritance offered to the Israelites is opened up to both Jews and non-Jews alike.

“…what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.” We notice in this phrase, the very next one, and the last several verses (20-23), that there is a piling up of words to express that there is no power like God’s power.

PAUL’S BASIS FOR PRAYER – 1:20-23:

“which He brought about in Christ,” The basis for Paul’s prayer, the hope behind Paul’s prayer is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If the death of Christ illustrated the love of God, then the resurrection of Christ illustrates the power of God…

“when He raised Him from the dead” – There is no example of the power of God that is greater than the Father raising the Son from the dead (cf. 2:1-7).

“and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places” We live in a physical world but God rules from the spiritual world.

“above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named,” Pagans believed there were powers, the powers of the gods, behind their nations. But there is no power that exceeds the power of Jesus Christ.

“not only in this age but also in the one to come” – Paul simply wants to be as comprehensive as possible. No one and nothing is more powerful than Jesus Christ!

“and He put all things in subjection under His feet” (cf. Matt. 28:18).

“and Him (emphatic) He gave as head over all things to the church,” – To say that Christ is the head of the church is to say that Christ has authority in and over the church but it also says that Christ provides the growth for the church and Christ is the One who holds the entire church together.

“which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” God, through Christ, fills us Christians, the church, with everything we need. The church is Christ in the world: His mouth, His hands, His feet. We wear His name and carry His message. We show Christ to the world. That is how important the church is in God’s plans. Paul began this prayer by saying in 1:15 that his motivation was hearing about the Christians’ faith and love. It is that faith and love that compels Christians to live like Christ, which illustrates the church is the fulness of Christ, so Paul has come full circle back around to praising the church for being the church of Christ.

Let us be thankful for Christ’s church and pray for her (each other) on a regular basis.

Paul Holland

Has worship become stale? Do Sundays sometimes leave you wanting? The solution is not to jazz up the worship assembly but to reassess your attitude toward God. Perhaps you just want to get more out of worship. An adjustment in action may be warranted.

Worship is primarily about God. But in His wisdom, God made worship beneficial to us as well. We should all want to make worship mean more. But how?

Worship begins far from the meeting place. Every day helps to shape the next. Every decision informs the subsequent choice. Weekly worship of God is modeled after our daily devotion to him.

Every person who has ever had direct interaction with Deity has felt the weight of Jehovah’s greatness and the weakness of his own sinful condition. Isaiah was lost (Isaiah 6:5), John “fell at his feet as though dead” (Revelation 1:17 ESV), Daniel lost all strength, fell into a deep sleep, and awoke only to tremble on his hands and knees (Daniel 10:8-10).

We do not have similar experiences today. Instead we must cultivate the feeling of awe. Day by day, we must remind ourselves of God’s greatness, holiness, and majesty. We must immerse ourselves in his revelation, and lose ourselves in his creation.

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:28).

When we do that, our hearts cannot help but be humbled. We will recognize that life generally, and worship specifically, is not about us. Pride has no place in worship. Was the song sung off-key? Was the sermon too long? Was someone in your favorite spot? Just remind yourself that you are in the “presence of God” (Acts 10:33).

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you (1 Peter 5:6).

And when we draw near to the throne of grace, let us do so with a big bucket. The first-century Christians “devoted themselves” to worship (Acts 2:42). Worship requires devotion, devotion requires preparation. The more appropriate our preparation, the bigger our bucket. General preparation refers to the daily growth of a Christian in reverence and humility. Specific preparation relates to the little things we do leading up to worship.

May I suggest a few things to help your bucket grow? Rest up on Saturday night. If you can help it, do not approach God worn out from a late night. Arrive early, without rushing. Your heart will bless you if you set your alarm 30 minutes earlier and arrive 15 minutes earlier than normal. Sit near someone, preferably in a different area than your regular seat. Promote unity, closeness, and love in your assembly, and watch others reciprocate.

Now to fill that bucket up. No one needs to leave the assembly feeling empty or unfulfilled. While you worship God, be engaged. Focus your mind and open your heart. Interact with the word, sing joyously, pray fervently, give generously, and remember Jesus’ death solemnly.

While different seasons of life present specific worship situations, we all can leave our assemblies with a full heart. I pray your heart is full each Lord’s day.

Lee Parish

I recently read of a family who lived in Nebraska.  They decided to take a vacation to the west coast so their six year old son could see the Pacific Ocean.   Upon seeing the ocean, the son was awe-stricken.  The next day he took a jar to the beach, filled it with sea water, and put a lid on it.  The father asked him what he was going to do with it.  The boy said, “I am going to take it home and show my friends what the Pacific Ocean looks like!”

While that is humorous, I think it illustrates, at least in principle, human wisdom trying to understand the magnitude of God’s Grace.  If you are worried, afraid, or even concerned that God’s Grace cannot sustain you through your present trials and dilemmas, perhaps it’s because your faith is trapped in a little jar.

Toby Miller

Are you addicted to distraction?

When was the last time you looked at your phone? How many times have you unlocked your phone this hour? This day? This week?

If you are like a large portion of society, you are addicted to distraction. Studies differ in precise numbers, but they paint a similar picture: we 1) consume too much media, 2) are on our phones too often and for too long, and 3) fail to realize the extent of our addiction.

According to Nielsen, the average American adult spends over 11 hours per day consuming media. If the amount of time lost doesn’t shock you, a study from Ofcom shows the average person in the UK checks their cell phone every 12 minutes.

Not all distractions are sinful. Jesus dealt gently with Martha, even though Mary made the better decision (Luke 10:38-42). Within a specific time and context, Paul referred to marriage – a holy institution designed by God – as a possible distraction (1 Corinthians 7:33-35).

But distractions can be deadly. Jesus, by way of parable, describes distractions as thorns which choke the word from one’s heart (Matthew 13:1-23). Note the description of the distractions, “but worldly cares, the seductiveness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it produces nothing” (Mark 4:19 NET).

Is the solution to abandon all technology and practice a monastic lifestyle? Should we lament our age and long for the “good old days”?

No, friends. The solution is far bolder and more fundamental. We must change ourselves. We must cease serving the creation, and worship and serve the Creator (Romans 1:25).

Here are four practical solutions to our daily distractions:

1. Look Up. Lift up your eyes and look beyond the digital world. We are to see the power of God in the magnificence of his creation (Romans 1:20). Gaze up to the stars and be amazed. But those sparkles of light are not as bright as those little eyes that may meet yours as you look up. Oh, how we have neglected God’s little ones in our pursuit of distraction! They long for your undivided attention. Give it to them, before they find satisfaction in other, less-godly, pursuits.
2. Think About Things Above. Now that you have raised your eyes, concentrate on what you see. Contemplate man’s place in God’s world (Psalm 8). Find pleasure in learning of God and concentrating on his laws (Psalm 1). Fill your down time with prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
3. Live With Purpose. We were made for far better things than likes and shares. We are restless, and so we look to earthly and immediate remedies, but our restlessness remains. As Augustine said, “Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.” Paul told the Athenians that they were made to search for God and find him (Acts 17:27). We cannot be fulfilled through, nor can we fulfill our purpose by, endlessly scrolling Facebook.
4. Practice Self-Control. Change is not easy. Breaking bad habits and establishing new ones requires great effort. Self-control is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23), and is a quality of faithfulness (2 Peter 1:6). But self-control is futile if there is no love. I know you love Jesus, and you know he loves you. Won’t you let that love control you? (2 Corinthians 5:14).

God made us to be totally infatuated with him. Life is so much more fulfilling when we put down the phone, turn off the television, and allow Christ to be our life (Colossians 3:4).

By Lee Parish

Two brothers, John and Richard, lived in the same town — John with his 12-year-old cat, Richard with their 88-year-old mother.  John’s whole life was his cat.  He never went anywhere without her.  One day he was faced with a terrible decision.  He had to go to England on business for his company and he couldn’t take the cat into England with having to quarantine her for 14 days.  He wouldn’t do that so he was faced with either losing his job or leaving his cat.  Finally he decided to trust his brother with the cat for the week he would be gone.  He gave Richard detailed instructions, schedules, food, etc.  He flew to London and called Richard every day to make sure Gracie the cat was OK.

On the fifth day when he called, John asked Richard how Gracie was and Richard told him.  “Gracie is dead.”  Well, as you can imagine, John nearly had a heart attack.  When he recovered, he said to Richard, “That was the most cruel thing I ever heard.  You know how much I loved that cat.  Why couldn’t you have broken it to me gently?  You could have something like, “Well, she’s OK, but she’s up on the roof.”  And then when I called the next time, tell me, “Oh oh, bad news, she fell off the roof and she’s at the vet.”  And then the next time break the news that she passed away.  At least I would have been a little prepared for the bad news.”

“Yes, you are right John. I apologize for being so heartless.”

John accepted Richard’s apology for being so uncaring, and then said, “Oh, by the way, how’s Mother?”

Richard said, “Well, John, she’s OK, but she’s on the roof!”

There are some pieces of information that we just shouldn’t even try to hold back.  Talking about Jesus falls into that category.  I think of Peter and John who were told to stop preaching about Christ and they said,

“We cannot keep quiet.  We must speak about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20, NCV)

Paul said, “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” (I Cor. 9:16b)

You can feel the urgency in their voices.  I believe that we need to use tact in talking to people about Christ.  But sometimes, we are so worried about offending people that we never get around to saying anything at all!

Break the news.  And break it gently if you wish.  Just be careful that your message is not so “gentle” that it’s of no value at all.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

An incredible process begins when a foreign material, or a parasite, makes its way inside the shell of an oyster and begins causing damage. The intruder can threaten the life of the oyster, so something must be done. To protect itself, the oyster seals off the threat by using the same material that lines the inside of its shell (called nacre). The oyster cannot spit out the intruder, so it covers it with many layers of precious material, thus making it into a pearl. In other words, the producing of a pearl is a defense mechanism. The result? The painful intruders are turned into the beautiful pearls we have today.

There is much we could learn from the oyster. Too often, people intrude into our lives with qualities like discouragement, lies, insults, and anger. There is no doubt these cause damage. There is no doubt these can destroy relationships. However, when we respond in a kind and loving way, we can take someone who intended to do harm, respond in love, and transform that person into something beautiful for the Lord. Incredible changes can take place when we slowly respond to such intruders with layers of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

As sad as it is, hurtful words and actions are going to enter our lives, but how we react to them is completely up to us. Peter said it best:

“To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:8-9).

Brett Petrillo

Wang, a Chinese woman from Nanning, was surprised when a bus seat was offered her, with smiles from everyone around her. Someone finally showed her the note taped to her back: “Please take care of this pregnant lady.”

Wang recognized the handwriting of her husband, who must have stuck it to her back before she left home.

We in Christ show the same care for one another. We seek to ease the burdens of those weighed down by their cares and struggles.

So said Paul, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” Galatians 6.2, ESV.

Even when they themselves cannot carry the burdens of the weak, Christians still search for means to help others, with the creativity of the Chinese husband concerned about his wife.

This is why I am grateful to be a part of a brotherhood that practices fraternal love, that develops daily that care for the brother who needs a hand, that understands that “church” means a community that lives in peace, harmony, unity, and forgiveness, under the benevolent guidance of Christ.

I have often had the sign, “Please care for this burdened soul,” stuck to my back. I have often been offered a seat of rest, scarce in a world of selfish people. I have been given the knowing smiles of well-wishers who, aware of my burden perhaps more than I, have more than smiled to lift up my name to the great Inviter of the Light Burden.

In turn, I want to be a burden-bearer myself, for someone coming up the trail behind me.

Wang and I, then, have much in common.

J. Randal Matheny

We often take others for granted. Be it our parents, our spouse, a co-worker or a neighbor, far too often we do not sing their praises as we should. Of course, it is not always nefarious reasons that cause us to do so. Many times it is because we merely have not taken the time to notice all they do. This causes us to become unsatisfied with them and our relationship with them. The same is true in our relationship with the Lord. When we stop and think about all He has done for us, we cannot help but praise Him! After all, He satisfies all of our needs!

That was the sentiment written in Psalm 63 by David in the wilderness of Judah. The Psalm is about seeing God in difficult times and praising Him even in those difficult times, realizing only with Him can we be truly satisfied. It seems to have a “See and Say” pattern. That is, he talks about what the Psalmist has seen of God and how each of those attributes/actions cause him to praise God by mouth. Notice:

PRESENCE AND PRAISE (1-2). He SAW God’s glory and PRAISES Him. In a desert, he is thirsting for God. In times past, he has been to the place of worship and praised God. Though in a position that would seem to be the exact opposite, he still desires to praise God because of what he has seen.

LIFE AND PRAISE (3-5). He SEES God’s faithfulness and PRAISES Him. The loving kindness or faithfulness of God is better than anything in this life. After his life has been turned upside down, after those he has loved has turned against him, the Psalmist knows the only sure thing in life is the Lord. So, he praises the Lord. He does so by giving his life to God (see Romans 12:1). Even though he has neither, being able to trust in the Lord is as good as being filled with the finest of foods. Thus, he will praise the Lord in times of want, for with the Lord he has no wants.

PROVISION AND PRAISE (6-8). He SEES God provide for his needs and PRAISES Him. At night, when he is most vulnerable, God protects him. What a great blessing to drift off to sleep by thinking of all God has helped him through. He is under the protection (in the shadow of wings) of the Lord. He praises Him. He will cling to God. The word is the same as in Gen. 2:24 (husbands are to cleave to their wife). It means to be glued to something. God’s power is what upholds him.

FUTURE AND PRAISE (9-11). Through the eyes of faith, he SEES God’s eventual judgment and PRAISES Him. The enemies of David will ultimately be taken care of by God. His mouth will continue to praise God, and the enemies will no longer be using their mouth.

Corey Sawyers

“Then someone from the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator between you two?’ Then he said to them, ‘Watch out and guard yourself from all types of greed, because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions’” (Luke 12:13-15 NET).

Two men came to Jesus with what one of them considered to be a problem: he didn’t think he was getting a fair share of the inheritance. We don’t know the circumstances of his complaint, but it could have been as simple as the way inheritance laws were set up in God’s Law. The firstborn son would receive a double portion of the inheritance (see Deuteronomy 21:15-17). If that is the case here, the younger son might be complaining that the inheritance was not split equally and was hoping Jesus would change the inheritance law so he could have more.

Jesus could see what the real problem was: greed. So he told them a story.

“The land of a certain rich man produced an abundant crop, so he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to myself, “You have plenty of goods stored up for many years; relax, eat, drink, celebrate!”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded back from you, but who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’” (Luke 12:16-20).

This story was about a man who wanted more. And in this case, he had more. He had a bumper harvest of crops, so much that his barns could not hold everything. As wealth was often calculated in crops, this man was rich! What a problem to have, we might think! What would he do with all he now had.

His problem was that while there was so much good he could have done with this newly acquired wealth, he could only think of himself. As you look at the conversation he had with “himself” you discover that he was the only person on his mind. In the few sentences of this conversation, he referred to himself at least twelve times. He had “I” trouble! All he could see was himself.

Aren’t we often like this? When we suddenly have more of this life’s wealth all we can think about is what we can do for “me.” Yet we, like the man in the story, could do so much. We could help those trying to take the good news of Jesus to new areas. We could help those who are less fortunate than we are. There are so many good things that we could do instead of spending it to make ourselves happy.

Often many see what they have as security. Yet they fail to realize that the blessings we are fortunate enough to have now can just as easily disappear. And then what do we have?

Let us realize the truth that the man in the story didn’t understand: “Watch out and guard yourself from all types of greed, because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Real security is not in what we have but in preparing for eternity. Jesus made this application: “So it is with the one who stores up riches for himself, but is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:21).

Where is our security?

Jon Galloway

to resume on November 8^th.  As we take this fall break, we encourage you to follow the new posts on a sister site, https://www.lordletmegrow.com

Please don’t squeeze the bonbons!

At the check-out at the bread store, I saw this little sign above a basket of goodies: “Please don’t squeeze the bonbons.” I asked the cashier what that was about.

“Oh, you wouldn’t believe how many people squeeze them — not just children either — the adults do, too!” she said. (Is this just a Brazil thing?)

So why would an adult squeeze a bonbon? Are they resisting temptation to buy one? Are they checking for freshness? Or do they have some secret hatred of humanity, trying to destroy the enjoyment of a bonbon by others?

In some shops full of breakable merchandise, signs are posted: “You break it, you buy it.” Rough handlers abound in the world, apparently.

#1. Squeezing the gospel

Some people in the world treat the gospel in a similar fashion. They mishandle it, squeeze it here and there, and force it into shapes it was not meant to assume. Warnings abound in both Testaments about changing God’s revelation. Paul urged Timothy,

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” 2 Timothy 2.15.

Handle with care! Don’t squeeze the word of truth into the wrong shape!

#2. Squeezed into the world’s shape

Christians also must resist being squeezed into a worldly shape. The NTE echoes J.B. Phillips’s translation of Romans 12.2 this way,

“What’s more, don’t let yourselves be squeezed into the shape dictated by the present age. Instead, be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you can work out what God’s will is, what is good, acceptable and complete.”

In the best sense possible, the Christian must push back against the pressure to conform. That is done by allowing God to transform us more and more into the Lord’s image. Only by doing this can we realize in our life God’s will.

#3. A good squeeze, by God

Then, again, we must acknowledge that the Lord does his own squeezing, but in a good way. In Psalm 139, David recognized that God is sovereign and ever-present in our lives. In verse 5 he says, “You squeeze me in from behind and in front; you place your hand on me.”

The word translated “squeeze” has been understood in various ways. It’s certain that God has us surrounded. He exercises his sovereign will in our lives.

In the Lord’s case, of course, he has every right to squeeze. We may object and say,

• “Please don’t squeeze me this way or that!”
• “No, that hurts!”
• “I’d rather you not do that in my life!”

But however the Lord may squeeze, he operates within his will and for our good. He has a benevolent intent, that of protection and blessing.

Who knows why an adult squeezes a bonbon. But the reason behind squeezing the Bible out of shape and the world’s squeezing of the Christian to conform is clear. So is the Lord’s squeezing of his people. Let’s provide him ample space to do his good work in us and resist those who would pressure us to go along.

J. Randal Matheny

Higher vision

The stressful onslaught never seems to end. Someone’s holiday’s plan offends another. Failure of others to social distance or wear a mask increase nervousness. Uncertainty increases thus threatening future security. Need I continue? And this might just be the small stuff.

Scripture provides a remedy for such anxious living. Our tendency when encountering stressful situations can involve narrowing our focus. That might be good if we were a big cat focusing upon a gazelle on the savanna.

However, if we narrow our vision so that the horizons of our mind are preoccupied with this world’s worries we will lose our greatest source of hope. Biblical stories abound where some people allowed their minds to become overwhelmed with the here and now, while others persisted with a greater vision.

For ten of the spies who explored Canaan, they became fixated upon walled cities and tall warriors. On the other hand, Joshua and Caleb embraced a larger perspective where the God of Israel promised to deliver the land into Israel’s hands.

The swelling rumors that the kings Pekah and Resin had joined forces to squash Ahaz, king of Judah, terrified him causing him to shake like a leaf. While Ahaz became consumed with impending armies, God’s message through Isaiah revealed God would overthrow the enemy, if Ahaz would firmly trust in God (Isaiah 7:2-9).

Jesus told a parable about a man who taught God’s word to others. For some who heard the message this world with its cares and worries strangled the good news causing it to become impotent in their lives. However, others who lived under the same stresses chose a higher vision. They did not limit the horizon of their focus to the immediate problems. They relied upon God, his power and love to impact and shape their lives for his purposes. We call this story the Parable of the Sower. God’s message bore fruit in their lives.

From the beginning of time until now, human life has experienced a myriad of stresses and concerns. Time has not changed this. Lives however can be forever changed, if people will open their vision to allow God to be at the center of life.

A few scriptures jump to mind:

Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth.” Colossians 3:1,2

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18,19

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20,21

Life will always present ups and downs. It is our choice whether we choose to center our focus solely upon the problems at hand or whether we allow our vision to perceive the Creator.

Barry Newton

History tells us the great philosopher Socrates was arrested and tried for denying the Athenian gods and for corrupting young people. Some writers suppose Socrates was arrested and tried because he criticized politicians and disliked the election system.

The real reason why Socrates was arrested, tried and executed was that the people of Athens (including the politicians) didn’t like the method of cross-examination he used. Socrates revealed their poor reasoning and foolish assumptions. He challenged them to explain and define what it was they believed.

Jesus died at the hands of the Jewish leaders and the Romans, but for a completely different reason. The Scribes and the Pharisees hated him for no reason at all. The hatred of Jesus was foretold in Psalms 69:4.

Jesus traveled Palestine curing people of their diseases and helping them. He never told anyone to oppose the government. The Lord never incited anyone to rebel against the Romans. He never violated one single law even though he stood accused by the ones that hated him.

And then they nailed him to a cross even though the Roman governor could find no fault with him (Luke 23:4).

Isn’t it odd that people still try to find fault with Jesus? They doubt he ever lived although Roman historians wrote he did. They deny he is the son of God although everything he did testified to the truth of his deity.

Isn’t it interesting that of all the people who have ever lived in the history of the world, the name of Jesus still drives people’s minds?

What do you think of him? Find out more about him in the pages of the New Testament. You can also read about him in the Old Testament. Learn more about him, and you’ll find he loves you very much and he wants you to live eternally.

John Henson