Have you ever had a problem with someone, or known of a problem between two friends? What should our perspective be in that situation? The book of Philemon is a letter that shows us the perspectives of three people involved in a problem. Onesimus was a slave who ran away from his master, Philemon. He was eventually imprisoned, where he met Paul. The apostle taught the runaway slave the Gospel. Once he obeyed, he knew he had to go back to Philemon. Paul writes this letter to Philemon to help smooth things out between two brothers in Christ. Note three perspectives of a problematic situation.

First, there is Paul’s perspective. He didn’t owe anything to either of them. Philemon owed Paul (vs. 19). Onesimus owed Paul for the same reason. When Onesimus came to him, Paul could have told the runaway to deal with it himself. Paul could have thought, “Mind your own business.” He could have reminded Onesimus of his problems. Though Paul had nothing to do with the situation, he helped his brothers. He did what he needed to do to make things right. He was even willing to take on the debt of Onesimus (vs. 18).

Second, there is Onesimus’ perspective. He was a runaway slave though we don’t know why he left. He was taught the gospel and obeyed. He realized he had a debt to pay and must go back. However, he was afraid of what might happen. A runaway slave’s uncertain future might include being killed or having to serve a longer sentence. He could have kept running and ignored what he needed to do. He could have not cared about anyone but himself. Instead, he went to someone for advice and tried his best to make things right.

Third, there is Philemon’s perspective. He was a master who was wronged. He was hurt because of someone whom he knew personally. He was looking for Onesimus. He could have hunted the runaway down. He could have killed him after Onesimus returned. Philemon could have been brutal. We don’t know what happened, but Paul trusted Philemon would do right (vs. 21).

No matter who you are, you are in one of these situations. You are Onesimus. You have done wrong towards someone and don’t know what to do to restore the relationship. Go to someone for advice and figure out how to make amends. You are Philemon. You’ve had someone wrong you. You hesitate to forgive and restore the friendship because you don’t want to get hurt again. Forgive and help restore the relationship to what it was. You are Paul. You know people who aren’t getting along. Maybe you don’t know what to do. Maybe you’re afraid to help. Start by praying for them (vv. 4).

There are relevant lessons we can learn from the book of Philemon If we take the time to apply them to our individual lives and relationships!

Garrett Sawyers

“Life Is Tough and Then You Die,” was the opening line from the old TV series, Makepeace, and Dempsey. It was only on for two seasons, 1985-1986 and here it is over thirty years later, and the words still come to my mind from time to time.

Of course, you know it is true, life can be difficult. Every family, every person, regardless of where they live, and regardless of their situation in life, there are problems. It could be related to work, personal interactions with others, or it might be financial. It could be a health issue, either your own, a family member, or a friend. I think you can see my point; we all must deal with difficulties each day.

As a Bible reader, most people, if not all, know the story of Job and the difficulties he faced. Of course, there is Lot. Life was so difficult where he lived, that he was  to leave the city where he and his family were living. Then remember King David and all the problems he had. He had, as you know, difficulties with Saul, with governmental things, and family issues, just to mention a few.

Then as you read the New Testament, there are many issues that faced the Christians of the day as they lived their daily life. There were basic needs that were met by the collective support of other Christians. There was also, persecution from both the government and, religious leaders of the day. There was even imprisonment and death just for following Jesus.

     Now, let me say, too, that it doesn’t matter if you are a Christian or not  everyone has problems and difficulties from time to time.

But here is good news, as a Christian, a child of God, you are never alone, and never without help. Note just a few passages from God’s Word that provide us with words of encouragement.

Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your  God.”

Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Matthew 28:20 “Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Romans 13:5 “Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Matthew 19:29 ” And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.”

Romans 8:35-39 “35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake,we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

No doubt you can think of other passages that make the same point, that we are never alone regardless of the difficulties we are facing. So as it is stated in the opening line of the old TV show, “Life Is Tough, and Then You Die” But the good news is that God is always by our side and knows precisely the struggles we are facing, and at the end of this life there is eternal life.

Remember God knows and is always there to help as are your brothers and sisters. 

Dick Brant

Almost no one ever looks at ‘waiting’ in a positive light. Patience is rare and it’s seldom enjoyed. Perhaps the reason is because one would rather come to a conclusion than wait for a better outcome. If you’re anything like me, then you were the kid who snuck to the Christmas tree days before Christmas to take a “peek” at the presents. It goes to say that even from a very young age, we naturally gravitate toward the fastest route to achieve a specific goal. Meanwhile, the best result typically comes with waiting.

A story is told about a young boy who woke to his parents sitting next to him on his bed. His first sight was the bright smile and cheerful eyes of his mom and dad. In their hands held tickets to the infamous Disney World. The amount of happiness paired with the abrupt awakening had the boy at a loss of words. Months later, they finally arrived at the amusement park. As the boy looked around he saw flashing lights, heard wonderful music, smelled delicious pastries, and felt the energy produced by such an atmosphere. What he didn’t realize is they were still standing in the concessions line; things got much more vivacious when he got to the other side.

So often, we settle for much less than what God has in store when we try and jump to our own conclusions. Various psalmists record their experience in waiting for the Lord. From observing the wisdom found within the Psalms, I believe we can move our disposition of waiting from a negative to positive.

1. Have confidence in your waiting – David knows those who wait on God won’t be put to shame (Ps. 25:3). He also recognizes God is the only source of true hope (Ps. 39:7; 62:5; 130:5). Confidence dwindles when we look only to ourselves. By waiting, we shift the burden from us to Him. “none who wait for the Lord shall be put to shame”
2. Have communion in your waiting – Communion is not a word that only describes the Lord’s Supper. It is a time where two come together to share mentally or spiritually. Just because you have to wait does not mean God forgot you. Seize on the opportunity of idleness in order to strengthen your relationship with Him. Chances are, whatever it is you’re waiting on, it will bring a new responsibility once you have it. Furthermore, that means you are currently void of the responsibility until possession. That creates an opportunity to walk with God more diligently (Ps. 25:5; 37:7; 37:34). “Be still for the Lord and wait patiently for Him”  
3. Have comfort in your waiting – God does NOT work strictly on your time table. And you had better be thankful for that. One thing we can know for sure, is God inclines His ear to the righteous (Ps. 40:1). Whatever it is that you’re waiting for, God is working on it and He’s waiting for the right time to present it to you. He Hears, He knows, and He blesses (Ps. 38:15). “I waited patiently for the Lord; He inclined to me and heard my cry”

   Tyler King

Talk about a quarantine. According to the title, Psalm 142 was written at a time when David found himself all alone (perhaps this reflects I Samuel 22). If it was Adullam (or even En Gedi), David would have been surrounded by Saul and his supporters, knowing if he left the cave, he could potentially lose his life.  Though the Psalm does not tell us which cave David was in, it does tell us that in this time that David was alone, he was not alone. He recognized that God was with him, and so it was to the Almighty that the psalmist turned. Notice how he prayed during his cave quarantine.

His Cry (1-2).

David cried out, and the word used is one that means to call out loudly in anguish. In so doing, he is begging the Lord to take pity and be gracious to him. When he says his complaint is poured out, it does not mean he is complaining to God. Instead, the word here is a lament of anguish. He is just honest with the Lord about how he feels in his present situation. I love the way the psalmists are so sincere and candid with their feelings as they pray. In fact, “poured out” implies the idea of completely emptying his feelings before God. He is telling all his troubles to the Lord’s face (“before Him”).

His Condition (3-4).

He is so discouraged his spirit is without strength. And while he is buckling under the despair, David is confident God knows his way. This is more than just knowing the path David is taking. The Hebrew word means to have experiential knowledge, meaning the Lord is there with him on that path. Saul and the adversaries have a trap laid for him, and he has no one on his right, the side where strength would typically be found. Not only is no one there, David feels as if no one cares about his desperate situation.

His Confidence (5-7).

It is because of his current condition that David again cries to the Lord. The Almighty is his place of shelter, not the cave. It is not true that he has no help. The Lord is his portion (all he needs) while he is alive. So he prays that the Lord would answer his cry. While he had cried to Him in verses 1, 2, and 5, this is a different word. This one is a shout of pleading that carries the idea of rejoicing. Only the Lord can turn pain into praise. He alone can deliver David from this situation from which he cannot deliver himself. The cave in which he has been “quarantined” is to him a prison. However, when the Lord delivers him from it to be again with the righteous, David will praise God in thanksgiving.

Point To Ponder – Desperate time call for desperate prayers. In a time of economic hardship, physical sickness, and worldwide pandemic, where could we go but to the Lord? What better time than this in which we are alone at home (with more time on our hands) to pour out our requests and feelings to the Almighty?

Point Of Action: Today, take the time to rewrite Psalm 142 in your own words. Be sure to include your feelings – all of them. Are you sad, worried, distressed, afraid, bored, or experiencing cabin fever? Tell the Almighty. Are you thankful for more time at home, with your spouse, with your children, with fewer distractions? Thank the Lord! Are your thoughts on sickness, the economy, your family’s health, or having needed supplies? Ask for God’s help. Once you write out Psalm 142 in your own words, pray that prayer! Spend some time each day in specific, completely honest prayer. Cast your cares and burdens on Him, for He cares for you! In so doing, be reminded that while you may be quarantined, with God, you are never alone!

–Corey Sawyers

We often don’t realize what damage we do when we argue. What we say can damage people and even damage those not part of the argument but are just listening to the exchange. Three times in a few verses Paul reminded Timothy that how we use our words can harm people.

“Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen” (2 Timothy 2:14 CSB).

Arguing over words. It is so easy to get drawn into arguments and sometimes over what a word means or what word should be used. Paul wrote to Timothy that this was pointless. The only thing it accomplishes is to ruin those who hear us. After all, if we are arguing over something of no value, who will listen to us when we talk about spiritual matters of great value?

“Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly” (2 Timothy 2:16).

Godless chatter – talking about things that really do not matter and that have nothing to do with who we are as God’s people. This would undoubtedly include talking about sinful things, as Paul said that those who indulge in this become more and more ungodly themselves. How many times do we get pulled into worldly conversations that are not building us up but tearing us (and perhaps others) down. This just leads us away from Jesus.

“Flee from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. But reject foolish and ignorant disputes, because you know that they breed quarrels. The Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, and patient, instructing his opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance leading them to the knowledge of the truth. Then they may come to their senses and escape the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:22-26).

How many arguments do we get into that are just foolish because they are about things we do not and often cannot know? Positions get taken, people become entrenched, and long quarrels begin. This is the opposite of what we are to be as a servant of Jesus! Our society seems to live on quarrels and tearing people down, which leads to animosity, even between Christian brothers and sisters.

Instead, we need to be gentle and patient. Yes we instruct, we teach, but we do it with gentleness. We aren’t trying to win a fight. We are trying to get people to come to the truth and follow God.

We must not use the truth to club someone over the head so that we can show how knowledgeable we are or to show how wrong they are. We must learn to gently teach so that they will accept what we say – not because we are saying it, but because it is the truth, the word of God.

In this way, we will be helping those who hear us and lead them to live godly lives.

If Christians could look at what they are doing from an eternal perspective we might be more effective in reaching the world for Jesus.

Jon Galloway

Room to turn around

“Lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears” (Hebrews 12:16-17 NKJV).

While looking for a place to eat lunch in Dhaka we found ourselves on a divided boulevard with concrete barriers separating the north and southbound lanes. When we reached the restaurant we had chosen we could not turn in because there was no break in the barriers. We had to drive a considerable distance past it, then turn and come back. Since we had already driven more than six hours to get to Dhaka, then another hour plus of city traffic jams, we were not pleased at the extra time and distance.

Life often presents us with situations from which it is difficult to retreat. The result is regret, guilt, and problems in our relationships. The late Marshall Keeble, in speaking of resolving personal differences, compared saying “I’m sorry” to the reverse gear (he called it “the back-up gear”) in an automobile. Keeble stated, “I wouldn’t own a car without a back-up gear in it.” Most of us would readily agree with him, yet find it very hard to admit fault and ask for forgiveness, even when we really know that we have done wrong.

The Hebrew writer used Esau as an example of one who could not find a place for repentance. Note that the problem was not his father’s willingness to forgive. If you look at the original story in Genesis 25 and 27 it is obvious that Isaac was as eager to bless Esau as the son was to receive the blessing. But the primary blessing had already been bestowed, to Jacob, and could not be retrieved.

Some in New Testament times were very complacent about sin, thinking that since grace is abundant, sin is easy to be forgiven (Romans 6:1). Even if that was true (and Paul corrects their error beginning in verse 2), it would not remove the physical consequences of sin. A drunkard may repent and change, but harm done to his health will almost always remain and cause suffering, not to mention the reputation he has acquired and the relationships that may have been destroyed. Similarly, a thief may reimburse his victim, but how can a murderer restore the life he has taken?

I have learned that while driving in cities it is wise to plot one’s route so as to allow for turning around. The same lesson pertains to our lives. Always be willing to recognize a wrong path, an incorrect turn, and change directions while there is time and place. James points out the way: “Confess your sins one to another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16).

The apostle John reminds us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). But we must act while there is time, or room.

Finally, Jesus gave two illustrations of timely repentance: “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny” (Matthew 5:23-26).

Michael Brooks

How well can you do on this brief, five-question quiz?

• Who was rebuked by Jesus for caring more about temporal things than eternal things?
• To whom did Jesus offer “living water” that would cause one to never again thirst?
• Which disciple was given a second chance to follow Jesus after denying him?
• Who postponed obedience to Christ by procrastinating for a “more convenient season?”
• Who was the captive who gained his freedom in exchange for Jesus’ death?

If your answers were (Martha, the Samaritan woman, Peter, Felix, and Barabbas), give yourself partial credit. But none of those answers are what I was looking for. However, if you answered each question with your own name, then give yourself full credit!

Okay, so the quiz is a “trick,” but if you go back and re-read all the questions, you’ll see that your name is a perfect answer to every question. The purpose of this little quiz is just to remind you to internalize the Scriptures. The Bible is a great book, but if we don’t make personal application of its truths, it will do us no good. Give it some thought.

by Steve Higginbotham

“Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21 NKJV).

As the world’s population increases and manufacture of goods continues to rise, the problem of where we put the garbage becomes a most pressing issue. The environment cannot continue to absorb millions of tons of waste annually without harm. Something major is going to have to be done, or else the earth will perish.

Long ago God perceived a similar problem in the spiritual realm. The sin committed by Adam and Eve in the Garden led to a universal fall as every human who has lived since them has also sinned (Romans 5:12-14). Sin is everywhere; it is a burden borne by everyone (Romans 3:23). And it too has devastating results: “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Not only will every person die, but they will also face judgment under condemnation of spiritual death (Revelation 20:11-15). Just like dealing with material trash, something major is going to have to be done, or else all will perish.

In the spiritual realm, we are not talking about garbage that will decompose. Sin is the issue, and it is incredibly abundant.

“There is none righteous, no not one; . . . There is none that does good, no, not one. Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:10, 12b-18).

Sin is also eternal. Once we have rebelled against God we cannot escape our guilt. Good works do not make up for evil. Only God can forgive sins, and he can do so only in ways consistent with his own nature, that is with his justice. That is what made it necessary for Jesus to come to the earth and become the perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 2:10-14).

Once we have obeyed the Gospel of Christ, however, we must then begin to deal with the garbage that threatens our salvation. We must resist temptation and “abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Or, as James put it, “lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness.”

Sin is universal; we all violate God’s will. But while it is inevitable that we do sin (1 John 1:8, 10), it is not true that we are helpless against temptation. We can resist, flee, and fight against Satan’s attempts to defeat us. God will forgive those sins we commit, if we are in Christ (Romans 8;1) and truly repent of each sin, confessing them and asking forgiveness (1 John 1:9).

Most of us will not willingly live in a house with an accumulation of molding, rotting, stinking garbage. We take out the trash regularly that we might have a cleaner, more healthy environment. We should adopt the same practice spiritually. Let us remove bad habits of speech, attitude, and practice. It’s time to take out the trash.

Michael Brooks

We live in a world where it is an unforgivable sin to be intolerant of others. Those same people who are quick to point out that someone is “intolerant” are themselves incredibly intolerant of others. They seem to be tolerant of almost anything except Christian values. As soon as someone says they are a Christian or they attend church, there instantly labeled as intolerant.

I think we need to define this word “tolerance.” The worldly definition of tolerance seems to be “accepting all views as true.” [1] Whereas, Oxford’s dictionary says “showing tolerance (of a plant, animal, or machine), able to endure specified conditions or treatment.” [2]

Is tolerance really about just accepting their views as correct? Does God really expect me to just accept someone’s view as true, just because it’s someone’s view? Truthfully, I can hold to all kinds of ideas about all kinds of things, but just because they are my views does not make them right. Obviously if I hold a certain view I believe it to be right, but am I really correct?

I think this gets to the real problem most have with tolerance.. We live in a world that does not want anyone to tell them they are wrong. Friends, the Bible I read says that I cannot just accept everything as true. God expects His followers to question all things (1 Thess. 5:21) and hold to the good. The very words good and bad imply that something’s are right and others wrong. To make matters worse, the world’s use of tolerance violates a simple law of logic. The law states that if we have two contradictory statements there are only three viable options. One is right and the other is wrong or both statements are wrong. We cannot have all contradictory views being correct. If Jesus is not the only way to heaven (John 14:6) then what is the right way?

So are you intolerant of another’s belief simply because they differ from yours? Excuse me but I thought we lived in a country where having an opinion was OK or even desirable. The Bible is very clear on this. I must differentiate between what is good and what is bad. But in the process I cannot forget that the same Bible tells me to treat people fairly, to love them, and to try to help them find the truth about God and salvation.

True tolerance does not require you to be ignorant and blind to the truth.

Footnotes:
[1] Ted Cabal, Chad Owen Brand, E. Ray Clendenen, Paul
Copan, J.P. Moreland and Doug Powell, The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight
Answers, Stronger Faith (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2007). 1882.

[2] Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson, Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 11th ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004).

– Jeff Arnette

Spiritual inertia

The one talent man did not commit adultery, embezzle or murder. All he did was to bury his talent (Matthew 24:25).

It was the easy thing to do.

God’s call is not to rest, retire or retreat; it is to resist and to grow, to fight on, to overcome obstacles. Significantly the Christian life is compared to a long distance race (Hebrews 12:1-3), and spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:10-12). I don’t know of a Christian retirement plan. Oh, of course there’s our hope of heaven, but when do we retire from serving God in this life? I am fascinated by those who say, “The time of my teaching or serving is over.” Just about the time a saint has learned the hard lessons of life he decides to hang up his spiritual spurs?

“Inertia” is defined as the tendency to do nothing, or remain unchanged.

Forgive me for saying so, but that definition describes a whole throng of church attendees!

It’s easy to hold a grudge; it’s hard to forgive. It’s easy to remain the same; it’s hard to grow. It’s easy to enjoy the benefits of church membership; it’s hard to contribute our time and effort. It’s easy to stay home; it’s hard to go take the Gospel to other nations.

God calls on us to repent, grow and go (Luke 13:3; 2 Peter 3:18; Matthew 28:19,20). He never calls on us to jog in place, to tread water. An object that is inert is usually mistaken for dead.

And there, beloved, lies the deadly danger. If we don’t grow, we die.

Stan Mitchell

People keep saying it, but it just is not accurate. It is expressed in a variety of ways. “The church isn’t meeting right now.” “We aren’t having worship services.” “We aren’t assembling right now, but we hope to get to again soon.” The idea being expressed is that the quarantines and stay-at-home orders have suddenly brought a halt to the church’s assembling for worship. Nothing could be further from the truth.

There is nothing wrong with a building and we have examples of the First Century Church meeting at buildings outside of their home. Nevertheless, you will also note that they quite often worshiped in other places. In Acts 16, Paul and Silas were headed to “the place of prayer” (16). Where they were heading was Lydia’s house (15). In someone’s home, worship was planned to take place.

As you keep reading, you see that Paul and Silas were eventually arrested, beaten, and put into jail. There, “quarantine” might not be the right term, but they were undoubtedly put under a “shelter in place” order and not allowed to leave. Note what they did under these far worse circumstances than ours. They worshiped. They were praying and singing hymns to God (25). The result was that those around them heard, and at least one man and his family came to Jesus (27-34).

Think about the possible results of families choosing to worship at home on their own. Husbands, fathers, and sons will have to prepare a lesson, lead in prayers, in communion, and in singing – many of them for the first time, perhaps. How much personal growth will come from that? In homes where there are no men, ladies will prepare lessons. Families will not be sitting across a gymnasium-sized room from each other. Sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on the couch, children will hear their mother sing hymns, their daddy word prayers, and see their brothers pass the emblems. Think about how special those intimate worship services shared among only a few will bring them together. Think of the influence on our neighbors when they see and hear of our doing such.

Please do not misunderstand me. I miss getting to go and see those I love as I choose. I miss getting to see all my brothers and sisters in Christ on a routine basis at the building. Yet, this time in which we should be staying at home is also a blessing in so many ways. It is only so if we choose to use it as such. I love getting to worship the Lord in the quietness of our home surrounded by the family with which He has blessed me. Make no mistake about it. The church is meeting, assembling, and worshiping. We are just doing it temporarily as so many others have in the last 2000 years: daily from house to house.

Today of all days, we remember that the Lord is not dead. Neither is His church. The world, Satan, nor Covid-19, can not stop her from assembling in small groups and homes to worship our God!

Point To Ponder: Read back through Acts 16. Make a list of all the reasons for which Paul and Silas had to worship God in their situation this chapter details.

Point Of Action: Now, make a list (individually or as a family) of all the reasons you have to praise God on this Lord’s Day, no matter where you might be.

Corey Sawyers

BLESSING OR BAD LUCK?

The story is told of a man who was walking across the road when he was hit by a car.  The impact knocked him on his head which caused him to be in a coma for two days before he finally regained consciousness.

When he opened his eyes, his loving wife was there beside his bed.  He held her hand and said to her:

“You know, Judy, you’ve always been right by my side.  When I was a struggling college student, I failed again and again.  But you were always there with me, encouraging me to go on trying.”

She squeezed his hands as he continued:  “And when I got out of school and went for all of my interviews and failed to get any of the jobs, you stayed right there with me, cutting out more classifieds for me to check on…”

“Then I started work at this little firm and finally got the chance to handle a big contract.  But I blew it because of one little mistake, and yet you were there beside me all the way.  Then I finally got another job after being laid off for sometime.  But I never seemed to be promoted and my hard work was never recognized.  And so, I remained in the same position from the day I joined the company until now… And, through it all, you were right there by my side.”

Her eyes brimmed with tears as she listened to her husband:  “And now I’ve been in this accident and when I woke up, you’re the first person I see. There’s something I’d really like to say to you….”

She flung herself on the bed to hug her husband, sobbing with emotion.

He said, “Judy, I think you’re just plain bad luck!”

Our attitude makes a big difference in how we see things, doesn’t it?  As the saying goes, we can either see the glass as half full or half empty.  We can either appreciate the good during our times of adversity (the faithfulness of God, greater opportunities to develop our faith, the blessing of good friends to see us through it) or we can moan and complain about our “bad luck.”

The apostle Paul is a great example of someone with a marvelous attitude. Through all of his trials, God had been right there by his side.  But never once did he blame God for his misfortune.  Instead, listen to the positive attitude in Paul’s words as he sat imprisoned for preaching the gospel:

“But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel.” (Phil. 1:12)

No moaning, no complaining.  Just a marvelous attitude that brought joy to his life.  May it serve as an example to you today.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

To see our faults

One of the most common problems people have is an inability to see their own faults.

It’s just like the man who always met the preacher at the back of the church on Sunday and said, “You really told ‘em good, preacher!” This went on several Sundays until one day in February when a deep snow fell and the only one in church was that man. The preacher thought, “Well, now’s my chance!” After a lesson designed to point out the man’s faults, the man met the preacher at the back of the church and said, “If they had all been here, you would have really told ‘em good, preacher!”

The Pharisees were great at demanding others obey the law, but not themselves. They expected God to pardon their “minor” faults, but condemned what they saw as grievous sin in others. Jesus told them, “go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:13 NKJV). The Pharisees knew what Jesus meant when he told them to “go and learn.” Each of them used that same phrase when correcting their students.

These teachers of the Law of Moses, however, refused to see themselves as having any need to repent because they thought they were not sinners. Near the end of the Lord’s human life, Jesus pronounced a woe on these same men, saying they had “neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith” (Matthew 23:23). Jesus said the Pharisees were very good at straining to magnify the small sin of others while they ignored their own (Matthew 23:24).

Like the man who met the preacher at the back of the church, we humans sometimes are not very honest with ourselves. It is easy indeed to look into the mirror of our souls and see what we want to see instead of what is really there.

John Henson

Objections overturned

Critics have discounted the Bible’s historical reliability at a number of points. Additional discoveries, however, continue to discredit their nay-saying. Here are a few well known examples where everyone agrees the critics were wrong, as well as a challenge or two toward current conventional incredulity.

At one time critics denounced the Bible’s historicity claiming that the Bible had invited the Hittites. This ended when the Hittite capitol in Turkey was unearthed. We now know that their powerful empire rivaled that of ancient Egypt.

Much more recently, some have claimed king David never existed. Furthermore, it was asserted that if any Israelite identity did exist in Jerusalem at that time, it was nothing more than a local tribal chieftain with minor influence.

Then the Tel Dan Stele, buried in secondary usage beneath an 8 century B.C. stone wall, was unearthed containing Hazael’s boast about defeating the “house of David.” It also contains the phrase “the king of Israel.”

Furthermore, using Biblical descriptions as her guide, archaeologist Eilat Elazar began digging in Jerusalem’s City of David where she understood the text to identify the location of David’s palace. She has since uncovered the remains of massive 10th century B.C. stone walls befitting a palace for a substantial kingdom. These are not the buildings belonging to a mere tribal chieftain.

Because an archaeologist did not find the expected Cypriot pottery in ancient Jericho corroborating its destruction with a biblical chronology, she shifted Jericho’s destruction 150 years later to fit the evidence she possessed. This new date also amended the date when Israel would have invaded the rest of Canaan.

It continues to be common for critics to claim that the biblical chronology is inaccurate for the Exodus, Jericho’s destruction and the conquest of Canaan’s cities, such as Ai which was burned. Furthermore, an explosion in the number of permanent dwellings from 1200 to 1000 B.C. within the hill country would seem to support this redating of Canaan’s conquest to the 1200’s. The resulting popular conclusion is that the biblical chronology is inaccurate and the Bible’s story regarding Ai’s destruction is wrong.

Yet, a subsequent archaeologist did find Cypriot pottery among artifacts collected from Jericho indicating that the fiery destruction of Jericho IV does correspond with the biblical timeline. Additional details, such as storage jars full of charred grain indicating a recent harvest and the quick fall of the city since the inhabitants did not have time to eat the food supply during a long siege, further corroborate the biblical account.

The site of Ai is uncertain. While, Et-Tell is commonly associated with Ai, it neither contains a burn destruction layer nor does some of its topography fit the biblical description. However, another nearby site (Khirbet el-Maqatir) was burned at a time congruent with the biblical timeline for Joshua’s conquest of Canaan and does fit all of the biblical topography.

In addition to Khirbet el-Maqatir containing pottery fragments dating to the traditional date of Canaan’s conquest, an Egyptian scarab belonging to the time of Amenohotep II (1455-1415 B.C.) has also been uncovered. Since the Bible records only three cities being burned by Israel and since the date of this scarab would suggest this city was destroyed a little after Amenotep II, these details converge suggesting this is the ancient site of Ai and its destruction corresponds with the biblical chronology.

As is true for all data, the appearance of an increase in stone dwellings must be interpreted within a framework. While it is possible to interpret the appearance of these buildings as indicating Israel appeared in the land corresponding to the revised chronology, it is also possible to interpret this explosion of permanent housing as being compatible with a conservative biblical chronology.

Scripture records God’s promise that the Israelites would occupy the houses of the nations before them. This suggests a time interval would pass before any material evidence of their own construction would appear. How long would it take for them to outgrow the available extant housing?

On the other hand, the Bible indicates that after Canaan’s conquest, Israel and other peoples in the land continued to live in tents (Joshua 22:8; Judges 4:17; 7:8; 8:11; 20:8; 1 Samuel 13:2; 2 Samuel 20:1; 1 Kings 12:16; 1 Chronicles 4:41; 5:7). How long did it take for larger numbers of Israel to switch to stone dwellings? The appearance of increased stone dwellings from 1200 to 1000 B.C. can be interpreted as being compatible with both chronological timelines. The conservative timeline remains viable.

This tends to be the track record of criticisms against the Bible’s historicity. Time reveals it is best to not bet against scripture.

Barry Newton

I once read an imaginary story about Pilate in his old age. He was now retired and congratulating himself on the apparent success of his political career. As the story unfolds, Pilate is visiting with some of his guests, and one of them asks the former governor about an itinerant preacher by the name of Jesus, who many years previous had caused a considerable amount of commotion in the city of Jerusalem. The guest specifically asks Pilate if he could tell them something about this ‘Jesus of Galilee.’ Pilate supposedly leaned back and quietly mused, and then said: “Jesus! Jesus? No, I don’t remember.”

Legends and fables often distort the facts for various reasons. Rather than present an accurate picture of how things really are, the story is embellished and exaggerated. The imaginary story makes for interesting reading, but in such cases, history tells a different story. Pilate did not retire with honors. He was deposed by Lucius Vitellius and was sent to Rome less than a decade after his conviction of Jesus and died shortly thereafter around 39 A.D. On a side note, archaeologists uncovered a ring bearing the name of Pontus Pilate in the 1960. But it was not until recently (2018) that researchers, analyzing those objects with advanced photography, were able to decipher the ring’s inscription. It reads “of Pilates,” in Greek letters set around a picture of a wine vessel known as a krater and is said by archaeologists to be only the second artifact from his time ever found with his name.

Pilate is probably best known for his involvement in the trial of Jesus, which trial ended in the Lord’s crucifixion. When Pilate realized that he could not pacify the crowd’s demand for Jesus’ crucifixion, he “took water, and washed his hands” (Matt. 27:24). That act was a symbolic gesture by which Pilate thought he could exonerate himself from his pathetic behavior and judicial indecision. He thought that he could simply be indifferent toward Jesus and thereby sooth his conscience. In this, he made a fatal blunder.

No man can ignore the Christ, for in so doing, he makes the same fatal mistake that Pilate made. It is not a question of whether men are ignoring Christ, but whether they can ignore Him without serious repercussion. Jesus said, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other” (Matt. 6:24). The Lord was not giving men a choice void of serious consequences. When a man rejects Christ the spiritual void in his life will be filled with something, for no man can live in a vacuum. Pilate was granted his position by the grace of God (John 19:11). With that blessing came the responsibility to render fair and equitable justice. Evidently, Pilate thought he could rid himself of giving answer to the Almighty by merely washing his hands in water. Pilate may have cleared his conscience by rubbing his hands under water, but what he failed to understand is that the conscience is not properly cleansed unless it is properly regulated by the divine will. When one grasps that truth, he will treasure a good conscience above all the promises that might come with compromise. History is replete with examples of those who so treasured their conscience, and who would be willing to die rather than “wash their hands in water.” Here are some examples of such godly men.

“Racoon” John Smith was one of the giants in the restoration movement of the 17th and 18th centuries. When he learned the truth, he made a clean break from Calvinism. His friends told him that he would lose his farm and go hungry. Smith replied: “Conscience is an article that I have not brought into the market; but if I should offer it for sale, Montgomery County with all its lands and houses would not be enough to buy it, much less that farm of one hundred acres.”

Barton Stone was another pioneer preacher who would not sell out his conscience. Though some of his close associates left the restoration movement to go back into denominationalism, Stone maintained his integrity and loyalty to the truth. He refused to “wash his hands” in order to maintain favor in the sight of God.

Moses Lard is said to have been in financial straits most of his life. He once refused to write for an annual fee of $5,000 because it would call him away from his work as a preacher.

T.B. Larimore once said about his former teacher, Tolbert Fanning, “He preached as if he believed the temporal and eternal salvation of the whole human race and all the holy angels depended upon the discourse as then and there delivered.”

Abraham Lincoln is credited with having expressed his sentiments like this: “I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have.” Don’t you wish politicians today had the same convictions as Mr. Lincoln? How sad that so many government leaders in this 21st century have “washed their hands” at the fountain of compromise and worldly lusts, thinking that they, like Pilate, could excuse themselves from their great responsibility by simply running a little water over their hands.

I will close this article with the following quote attributed to the late T.B. Larimore: “Some sweet day I will breath my last. When you tell the world I am gone, please tell them I was ready, willing, and anxious to go; that I dreaded not death; that I fought and fell believing I was on my journey to the best and brightest place. My conscience is clear always – never an exception. While I have often come short of duty’s demands, and frequently gone beyond the limits of right, I have never done so intentionally. I have never done what I believed to be wrong, never refused to do what I believe duty demanded. Without a clean conscience I could not endure to live, and I could not dare to die” (as quoted by Bobby Key, Four State Gospel News, August 1995).

All such noble men have one thing in common. They refused to wash their hands at the fountain of compromise and cowardliness.

By Tom Wacaster

“Drifting Away” (Hebrews 2:1-3a)

   There are times when something “bad” happens to a believer, they blame God, and boldly and defiantly decide to stop serving God.  However, that is not how the majority of Christians spiritually die.  The majority who fall away do so very gradually.  They themselves usually don’t even notice it, they just gradually drift away from spiritual things.

In July 2005, I went to a doctor for blood work. My triglycerides, cholesterol, and blood sugar were at levels that the doctor expressed surprise that I was still alive!  I still felt pretty good; felt healthy, and if anyone (other than a doctor), told me I wasn’t healthy I would have heartily disagreed with them!  But, when put to the test, I failed.  I completely changed my diet and began a disciplined exercise program.  As soon as I began to do this, I could tell I wasn’t in very good physical condition, and I wondered, “When and how did I drift so far out of shape?!”  Though it was hard to accept, I believed the doctor, followed his orders, took off all my flabbiness, and got my health restored.

Analyzing my situation, I realized that I had paid no attention to what I asked my body to digest, and kept convincing myself that I didn’t have time to do those things necessary to stay in good physical condition.

I wonder how many discipline themselves to take the time in our busy world to exercise spiritually.  How many claim to “fear God” (Luke 12:4-5), yet pay no attention to what they “digest,” have become spiritually “flabby,” and don’t even know it?  They feel good; they feel healthy; and if someone tells them their spiritual health is deteriorating they would heartily disagree.  But, if put to the test (2Corinthians 13:5), they would fail.

The Hebrew writer urges us to take “earnest heed lest we drift,” because drifting away from spiritual things will lead to eternal spiritual death.  If you are “drifting,” you need to let down the only Anchor for your soul: Jesus, who is the Christ (Hebrews 6:19-20).

–Toby Miller

The hour the sun comes up is an excellent time for me to pray. I ask God for help, and I pray for many people. However, the break of a new day is also a beautiful reminder of why I should praise and trust in the Almighty.

David wrote the Third Psalm as he fled from his son, Absalom. It is a psalm of trust in which his opposition is recognized, his dependence on the Lord is declared, and vindication is begged (Olbricht). Through it all, the Psalmist reminds his readers that the Lord God will rise and deliver!

DAVID’S CONCERN (1-2)
Notice how David refers to God in making his appeal: Lord and God. He not only has supreme power but also has a relationship with the ousted king. David felt alone and outnumbered, and almost seems to ask, “Are you hearing how they talk of you God? Do You want to jeopardize Your reputation by not helping?”

DAVID’S CONFIDENCE (3-4)
Notice the military man using a military word, “Shield” –  a word he will often use to describe the Lord’s protection. He also calls Him the lifter of his head. When strength has been lost before, the Lord has been there! So, he cries out to the Lord because of his pain. The Lord answered from the Holy Mountain (Mt. Zion, the place of the Ark of the Covenant).

DAVID’S CONTENTMENT (5-6)
How does one lie down and sleep without trust and faith? How does one face an uncertain tomorrow without a sure and sound foundation? Knowing God loves us brings peace. David will not let fear paralyze him. The righteous always have many enemies, but they serve a God who cares.

DAVID’S CONCLUSION (7-8)
David may be remembering past events in which God delivered him. More likely he is so confident that he speaks as if the Lord’s deliverance already happened. Salvation belongs to the Lord, and David trusts He will save him from the present crisis.

I find it both exciting and comforting how David puts it in verse five. In essence, he says, “I slept, but the Lord did not.” When we sleep, He is ever awake and watching. When we are weak, He is strong. When we are unsure, He is stable. When we are confused, His truth remains. What a blessing it is to begin a new day knowing we have a Lord in Whom we can put our trust. To adapt the words of Henry Johnstone’s prayer,

“Now I rise up from my sleep.

The Good Shepherd watched o’er His sheep

If this be the last day I wake,

Then may I live it for His sake.

If I should live until tonight

I trust God will let me sleep tight.”

Corey Sawyers

Uzzah and the ark

The Ark of the Covenant had been captured when Samuel was a boy. Although the Philistines returned it to Israel, it ended up staying in the home of Abinadab near Kiriath-jearim.

David was concerned at the beginning of his reign as King over Israel that he have access to the Ark of God. He said, “Let’s move the ark of our God back here, for we did not seek his will throughout Saul’s reign” (1 Chronicles 13:3 NET). It is a sad statement on Saul’s reign that the Ark was not consulted to discover what God wanted of him as king at any point during his forty years reign.

To bring the ark to Jerusalem, David’s new capital, he had a new cart built to carry it. They loaded the Ark onto the new cart and the procession started out. “Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart. They brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab on the hill. Ahio was walking in front of the ark, while David and all Israel were energetically celebrating before the Lord, singing and playing various stringed instruments, tambourines, rattles, and cymbals” (2 Samuel 6:3-5). It had to have been a grand parade!

But there was a problem. It was how they were transporting the Ark of the Covenant. In Numbers 4 God gave instructions as to how the Israelites were to transport the Tabernacle and all of its furnishings including the Ark. They were to cover the Ark with the screening curtain, a cover of goatskin (or leather), and over it was to be a blue cloth. The Ark was then to be carried with poles that were kept in the rings on its four corners. It was to be carried by Levites from the sons of Kohath. It was vital that they not touch the Ark: the penalty was death (all of this information can be found in Numbers 4 and Exodus 25).

As they set out in the procession, with the Ark riding in the back of the cart, the oxen stumbled. Uzzah, apparently fearful that the Ark would fall out, put out his hand to steady it. “The Lord was so furious with Uzzah, he killed him on the spot for his negligence. He died right there beside the ark of God” (2 Samuel 6:7).

It would seem that some sort of poles were in place when they lifted the Ark onto the cart because no one died then for touching it. But they were transporting the Ark in a cart without the sons of Kohath. The problem was they were not following what God had commanded.

We don’t know if they had consulted God’s law, the Torah, to determine how to transport the Ark. If they had not, we might argue that they didn’t know. But the problem was that God had still given commands with penalties attached. Whether they had consulted the law did not negate God’s command.

Isn’t this a lesson for us? Sometimes we like to think that ignorance is an excuse. But ignorance of the laws of our country is not a valid defense in court, nor is ignorance of what God has said an excuse for us. God wants us to obey him.

This is why God gave us his word: so we can know what he wants of us. Ignorance of God’s word didn’t save Uzzah and it won’t save anyone today. May we spend time each day with God’s word so that we know what he wants of us.

Jon Galloway

The story is told about a king who had a close friend. This friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) by remarking, “This is good, God knows what is best.”

One day, the king and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the king, but he had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, because after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off. Examining the situation, the friend remarked as usual, “This is good, God knows what is best.” To which the king replied, “No, this is NOT good!” and ordered his soldiers to put his friend into jail.

About a year later, the king was hunting in an area that he should have known to stay clear of. Cannibals captured the king and took him to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to it. As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone who was less than whole. So after untying the king, they chased him out of the village.

When the king reached his palace, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend. “You were right” the king said, “it was good that my thumb was blown off.” And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened. “I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this.”

“No,” his friend replied, “This is good, God knows what is best.”

“What do you mean, ‘this is good’!  How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?”

The king’s friend replied, “Remember that God Almighty knows best and if I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you on that hunting trip.”

The story isn’t true, but the message is. How we need a faith that truly believes that we have a God who is in control. A faith that can say, as Joseph did, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” (Genesis 50:20)

A faith that we can say, as Paul did, “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God…” (Romans 8:28)

A faith that we can say, as James did, “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials.” (James 1:2).

It is so easy to look back over our lives and see how God has been there every step of the way, how He has taken care of us and provided for us. But how difficult it is to see God at work in the midst of our pain and suffering. God, increase our faith! Help us to see you in all that we experience and to truly believe that “God knows what is best!”

Have a great day!

By Alan Smith

Sometimes popular opinion is built upon good reasoning and evidence. At other times it has upheld foolishness. Within the last 150 years some of these latter embarrassments have been: Belief in the theory of ether; The promulgation of human zoos by the educated elite; The confident assertion that Urey’s and Miller’s amino acid synthesis experiment confirmed the naturalistic feasibility of life arising from non-organic material.

What this suggests is that what “everybody knows to be true” cannot be a reliable standard of truth. To discover what is most likely true requires examining the available evidence, and not merely absorbing popular ideas. So what are popular assessments today regarding the Bible’s reliability? Where does the evidence point? Here’s a brief sampling of what we know.

The Bible is a collection of documents written over a vast period of time. As the following examples reveal, its stories contain details revealing that its authors were familiar with the historical events they recounted. In some cases, if writers had tried to fabricate these stories at a much later time, they would not have known these details.

1 Samuel 13 depicts events in the 11th century B.C. In 1 Samuel 13:21, the Hebrew text uses the word pîm in association with the sharpening of tools. Archaeological digs have revealed that pîm, two thirds of a shekel, were only used for about 150 years. What this means is that to have known about pîm, the author(s) who wrote about king Saul and king David needed to have lived within that ancient historical window, not hundreds of years later.

Going even further back in biblical history to the era of the patriarchs in Genesis, these stories are filled with names and the suffixes of names we know were common at that time, but which ceased to be common at later periods of time. The names we find in Genesis fit the historical context of their timeframe.

Even the story about the Garden of Eden correlates with a discovery within the last decades. Scripture provides some geographical landmarks placing the Garden of Eden somewhere near Kuwait or Iraq. Genesis 2:10-14 describes four rivers associated with Eden and says that the Pishon river began where there is much gold. Satellite imagery now confirms a dried up riverbed running beneath the sands of Arabia from “The Cradle of Gold” (Mahd adh Dhahab) to Kuwait. It dried up sometime between 3500 and 2000 B.C. No one inventing this story in even 1500 B.C. much less 800 B.C. would have known such a topographical detail.

Furthermore, ancient monuments, clay seals, cylinders, and tablets attest to the names of kings, prophets and other highly significant individuals mentioned in the Bible. In some cases, we even possess stories told from both a biblical perspective as well as the viewpoint of a foreign power.

Isaiah 36-37 recounts how the Assyrian king Sennacherib laid siege to Lachish and then prepared to attack Jerusalem during king Hezekiah’s reign. A wall mural in Sennacherib’s palace depicts the overthrow of Lachish, while the Taylor Prism preserves the Assyrian record of his assault on Jerusalem. While Sennacherib boasts on his prism that he shut up Hezekiah like a bird in a cage, the Bible explains why this powerful king’s attack on Jerusalem was limited to being an unsuccessful siege. In one night, before Assyria could launch its assault, the LORD killed 120,000 Assyrian soldiers thus causing Sennacherib to break off the siege and go home.

Until 1961 A.D. no archaeological evidence corroborated Pontius Pilate’s existence. Then, an engraved stone with his name upon it was discovered in Caesarea’s ancient theatre. A ring discovered at the Herodium decades ago, but just recently cleaned, also appears to bear his name.

Neither the Bible nor archaeology can tell us everything that happened in the past. However at times they do overlap. What we discover is that biblical narratives contain details that correlate with what we can ascertain about ancient history, culture and geography. It is reasonable to understand that the Bible’s stories depict events occurring within those ancient historical time frames. We have good reason to believe the stories in the Bible recount historical events.

 Barry Newton