Some of Jesus’ statements are quite attractive: statements like, “God so loved the world…” and “Judge not…” are generally beloved by most people.

His actions draw crowds still today. He called out hypocrites and spent time with outcasts. He upheld the little guy and pulled down the crooked establishment.

But this is where the admiration should end. So Jesus defied some conventions and said some pretty things, does that make him special?

Hitler is attributed with the saying, “Anyone can deal with victory. Only the mighty can bear defeat.” That sounds like something to put on a motivational poster with a sun setting behind a snow-capped mountain overlooking a lake of glass.

The Belgian priest known as “Father Damien” defied conventional medicine and wisdom. He moved to an isolated leper (Hansen’s Disease) colony in Kalaupapa, Molokai, and served there for 16 years. He did what no one else would do: he lived in their environment, advocated for them, taught them, gave them fellowship and sacrificial love. He eventually contracted the disease and died at the age of 49.

Many people have defied conventions and said inspiring things.

What makes Jesus so different? Moreover, what makes him any better?

Jesus did not just do unconventional things and say inspiring things, he said downright crazy things.

Like, “I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Um, excuse me?

Or, “Not everyone that says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 7:21).

I’m sorry, what?

How does Jesus get a pass here? Why do people follow him? Because Jesus said and did inspiring things, should we just overlook all the crazy things?

Imagine if I began this article this way:

“Just a reminder to all my readers that I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. Thank you.”

You’d have me sedated, picked up in a wagon, and probably admitted to an institution.

And this isn’t the only statement like this that Jesus makes. Not by far. Repeatedly throughout the gospels Jesus states explicitly or implies that he is God. In the flesh. That he was alive before Abraham was born (John 8:58). That he came from heaven (John 3:13; 4:10). That he is – basically – God’s favorite person ever. That he is going back to heaven and that no one can come with him unless they bow down and worship him.

What??

In the gospel of John alone, there are hundreds of such references. In fact, the gospel seems to have been written just to highlight these kinds of statements (John 20:30-31).

Some years ago this author studied the first 17 chapters of John specifically for this purpose: to determine just how often the deity of Jesus was spoken of specifically or implied, by him, by a friend, or a by an enemy. Of all the verses – over 700 of them – nearly 3 out of every 4 verses was a statement about him being God.

You’d have to be blind not to see it.

It’s crazy talk.

C.S. Lewis came to this same realization when he said that Jesus did not leave us the option that he was just some great moral teacher. Not at all. He claims to be so much more than that. Over and over and over he claims to be something else, something more. And that makes the gospels about as crazy as anything you have ever read or will ever read.

It also makes the gospels easy to dismiss. There are those who believe the gospels were written by amateurs well after the life of the man purported to be Jesus, and then it was elaborated on and edited in the ensuing centuries.

But I must say, what a terrible job they all did. They have succeeding in giving humanity the most ridiculous character in all of literary history.

Jesus is worse than the deities of the pantheon – much worse. From Rome to Greece and back through history to Mesopotamia, to African and South American legends, to Aboriginal legends. These gods made no pretense of perfection. They are just grandiose expressions of humanity, at best, full of vice and caprice and inconsistency. They were all just placeholders for our lack of understanding about the natural world.

Jesus is surely far worse than Mohammed. Mohammed made no claim to be God, he just claimed to receive a vision or visions from an angel. Delusional? Deceptive? Likely. But at least he didn’t claim to be Allah.

Jesus is worse than all the mystic religious leaders, none of whom claimed to be the one true God of the universe. They have merely suggested that following the path they have followed will bring an ultimate state of mind.

Perhaps I should revise my opinion of the gospel writers then: what an amazing job they did. They have succeeded in giving humanity the most ridiculous character in all of literary history.

But why? Why would they do this? What motivation would they have to take a person, who may or may not have lived, and preserve some scant few of his words and then add hundreds – thousands of others, the combination of which would make him out to be the most ridiculously self-aggrandizing, condescending, arrogant person who ever lived?

Oh, and while we’re at it: how did they convince the world that he was meek and gentle and loving and just and kind and good? How did they inspire people – literally hundreds if not thousands of years after the fact – to write beautiful songs like “Jesus Loves Me,” compose unparalleled symphonies, like Handel’s “Messiah,” and craft some of the world’s most breathtaking art, like Pieta?

Why are we giving this obviously crazy person – or the crazy people who concocted him – any attention AT ALL?

And why would the authors – the original propagators of the nonsense – all die for it?

And why, why would the subsequent followers of that phony nonsense go to their graves, brutally, as martyrs, and consistently for over 250 years with that name – the name of this crazy, deranged, whatever he was, charlatan? literary invention? – on their tongues?

Unless, in fact, he was telling the truth.

Do you have a better explanation?

Rick Kelley

1. Worrying will lead you away from the Word of God (Luke 8:14) — One of the greatest antidotes to rid worry and anxiety in this life is to close the world and open the Word. It is in this passage of scripture that Jesus teaches the lesson of the various soils. In His effort to warn His disciples, He explains there are three things that can ultimately steal God’s message from your heart; worrying being one of them. The polarity of worrying is growing your relationship with God.

2. Worrying will distract you from Jesus’ presence (Luke 10:41) — Martha and Mary were both thrilled at the presence of the Lord. However, while Mary sat at His feet, Martha was concerned with her preparations and service. The Messiah responded, “you are anxious and troubled about many things.” Sometimes the best service we can give to our Savior is attention to His presence. There are few places that are greater to be than the feet of Jesus.

3. Worrying will rob your confidence in God (Luke 12:11) — While we live in different times than the First Century and how the Holy Spirit engages our speech, we are witnesses of the divinely-inspired scriptures. Jesus encouraged His disciples to not “worry” about what they would say in the midst of a synagogue. Contextually He is speaking of their confession and acknowledging Him as Lord. When we worry about how others will receive us, we lose our grip on the confidence that God gave us.

4. Worrying will redirect your focus (Luke 12:22) — Jesus preached God’s providence often. God has provided for His people for the length of history and He won’t stop now. Yet even with the acknowledgment of that we need the sobering reminder, “do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.” Rather our focus should be on our communication to God in His will to “provide our daily bread” (11:3).

5. Worrying will provide a futile effort to extend life (Luke 12:25) — Sometimes we forget that this life is not a means of survival. It ought to be a means of a spiritual revival. When we are spiritually awakened we recognize that the greatest treasure of all is our communion and reunion with our God. It is when we lose our life in Christ that we find life (9:24).

6. Worrying will consume your thoughts (Luke 12:26) — I am frequently reminded that the best teachings of Jesus are the simplest. In the same section as chapter 12, He states, “if you are not able to do as small a thing as that (12:25), why are you anxious about the rest?” Worrying becomes a spiderweb of processes that eventually lead us to being entirely consumed.

7. Worrying will leave you abandoned in Christ’s return (Luke 21:34) — In His dialogue concerning the judgment day, Jesus mentions the individuals that will be woefully unprepared for His return. Included in that category are those who are burdened down with the worries of this life. What do any of the temporal entities matter in the grand scheme of eternity?

   Tyler King

“The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” Mark 4:26-29

I’ve tried for several years to plant a productive garden, some years more successful than others. The best attempt was probably our last summer in Tennessee. A raised bed properly fertilized and well-watered yielded more tomatoes, cucumbers, and melons than we could eat. I built an arbor that arched about seven feet overhead and have great memories of seeing the tomato vines grow up to the pinnacle.

During that summer, I’m sure along the way I bragged to someone, “You should see the garden I’ve grown this year!” Upon reflection, that could not be further from the truth. I made nothing grow…God did.

Don’t get me wrong, I worked hard in that garden, tilling the soil, pulling weeds, irrigating, and choosing a spot where it would have sufficient sunlight. However, all this work did not force the transformation of molecules locked inside those tiny seeds. My actions did not draw water through the roots or turn sunlight into food through photosynthesis. God is the one who put all those things in motion.

Jesus’ parable above draws on this agricultural reality, but his application is that of our faith. We often speak of growing our faith in God, yet the process for doing so is much like growing a garden. None of us can actually explain how faith grows because God is the only one who can make it happen.

Our job is to create an environment conducive for the growth. Working the soil of our heart, planting the seed of the word through study, fertilizing and watering it with prayer, worship, and interaction with Christian family. We pull the weeds of bad habits and sin, while choosing to plant ourselves in circles that promote growth.

To be sure, this is hard work that must be purposefully engaged in daily. Yet it goes to show the reciprocal nature of our relationship with God. It is important to give credit where credit is due. While we devote ourselves to disciplined spiritual work, don’t take credit for the things God brought about. Without him, all the work in the world would never produce faith. We don’t grow it…God does.

Cory Waddell

1. Stick with the Word

Some saints want to show themselves to be intelligent by dabbling in the philosophies of the world, the theologies of the denominations, or the politics of the nations. But the world has more than enough of these. Our message has to distinguish itself clearly from all these. We preach an almighty God whose love encompasses all of history and who glory has revealed itself in terms we can grasp. From creation we move quickly to the Book of Life, whose final author knows us better than we know ourselves. The Bible is the best argument for God’s existence. His power lives in it and from it people can be convicted of the truth.

How do we stick with the Word?

• Read it often, memorize its pages, live its truths.
• Be taught by God’s teachers, don’t miss a single opportunity to study.
• Teach it at every opportunity to those in Christ and to those outside.

It’s the Ezra approach: “Now Ezra had dedicated himself to the study of the law of the Lord, to its observance, and to teaching its statutes and judgments in Israel” Ezra 7.10.

2. Be the people of God

The world is full of hate. The people of God show a superior path, where love reigns and where each looks to the interest of others. The doctrine of love is what the world must hear and see first. Not even denominations who profess to be the church can show love because, to exist, each one must proclaim its superiority over the other factions.

Christ’s followers must distance themselves in every way from such groups. We must do whatever necessary to avoid even looking like them. First impressions are important. People often will not give us a second chance. Our best foot forward is the acceptance in Christ of every single human being, whom God welcomes with open arms, when one shows faith and obedience. Otherwise, the walls of sin remain to block access to God. But the invitation remains open. Humility insists with gentleness urging repentance.

We are better than none, but we have an exclusive word from the only true God. We speak of him boldly.

We have no right to criticize any system of belief and to urge the reception of grace, if we do not live our faith and live in community for which we were purified from our sins, 1 Peter 1.22. That means that there is no question where we will be on the Lord’s Day. We will be at the Lord’s Table with the Lord’s People.

3. Declare yourself

The real Christian cannot hide his faith. A hidden faith dies quickly, just as a flame without air is soon snuffed out. It matters not what is going on around us, the message must be proclaimed. Every single Christian received from the Lord the task of the News. Not only can the silent saint not save others, he himself cannot be saved in his disobedience.

If we flinch before the fight, we are not worthy of the Kingdom of God. If we flee and hide in the “caves, thickets, cliffs, strongholds, and cisterns” of this world (compare 1 Samuel 13.6-7), we will have no part in the victory of the faithful.

Several of the New Testament books were written in part to embolden the saints in their task as they faced persecution.

• Jesus warned us about it not infrequently. The “confession” he declares to be so necessary is, in context, the preaching of the gospel in the public square, Matthew 10.32-33.
• Peter told the Christians to keep speaking about their faith in the midst of challenges and pressures, 1 Peter 3.15.
• The writer of Hebrews warned against giving up in the “struggle against sin” — that is, when the “opposition … by sinners” appears — the sin of abandoning the faith, Hebrews 12.3-4.

4. Focus on the One Thing

A big temptation is to get involved in social and political issues of the day. The Christian belongs to the heavenly country. He is not to be involved in the affairs of this life, 2 Timothy 2.4. We are not Democrats or Republicans. We have no party or earthly affiliation. We wear a single name: Christian. We represent one “cause,” the Kingdom of God.

If we want to save others by the blood of Jesus Christ, we must not alienate by taking sides in earthly conflicts. We have a single message, the cross of Christ. We are a single-issue people: God created man for his love and offers it in his Son. We do not concern ourselves with the nation’s Supreme Court, but with the judgment to come when all will appear before the Sovereign Judge of all mankind, Acts 24.25. If we speak of earthly things, we are not reflecting the concerns of the Holy Spirit, John 16.8-11.

What is the One Thing of our message?

• Jesus the Just
• Jesus the Reconciler
• Jesus the Sacrifice
• Jesus the Lord and Savior (in that order)
• Jesus the Example
• Jesus the Judge
• Jesus the Revealer of the Will of God

And that’s just for starters.

5. Start where people are in order to get to salvation

What a challenge to be sensitive to where each person is in his belief system! Because we must start where people are. Today, more than ever, Christians bump up against a wide range of beliefs. Not only must we deal with people who believe in denominationalism and atheism, but rampant sexual deviation, witchcraft, anarchism, environmentalism (one of the most extreme religions out there), scientism, socialism, and selfism, to name just a few. Such a gamut of beliefs sounds a bit like the first century, doesn’t it?

It does no good to talk about the evils of denominationalism to a person involved in Wicca. The atheist isn’t interested in immersion for the remission of sins. Both subjects are important, but those can’t be our starting points with such people.

So to be a Christian in a topsy-turvy world, we must be flexible when dealing with people. We have one gospel that is able to save all people, but to get to the point of salvation, we must often start at different points, just as the proclaimers in Acts did, depending upon their audience.

Not only possible, but necessary

God made the faith for every century, with every certainty. He is able to keep us faithful and to make us capable for service and proclamation. We think our times are tough, and well may they be. But God is sovereign. He works in the hardest situations. And he uses his people in the fire of the furnace and in the den of lions to pluck from the mouths of the unbelieving a confession of his glory.

So feel the breath of the beasts and the smell of the burning and praise God that you can be a real Christian in such a world as this.

J. Randal Matheny

The Statute of Liberty was a gift from France. They planned to have it arrive in time to celebrate America’s one hundredth anniversary, but it arrived ten years late, in1886.  Its flaming torch has welcomed immigrants to our great country ever since. The famous inscription at the base of the statute was from a sonnet written by Emma Lazarus and attached to the stature in 1912.  It reads;

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore.  Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me; I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”

The Christian’s Statute of Liberty was a gift from God and arrived on time (Ga. 4:4). It is a wooden cross standing on a rocky hillside. It has offered freedom to sinners for 2,000 years (Jn. 8:36). Our symbol of God’s grace is a crown of thorns, our “flaming torch” of freedom the saving gospel message.   The inscription which draws the huddled masses here is; “Come unto me all you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Mt. 11:28).

-Dennis Doughty

(note: for all my Spelling Bee winners out there, according to my Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary,  “tost” is an acceptable, albeit seldom used today,  past tense form of “tossed”.)

What do these beautiful songs have in common?

“An Empty Mansion” (1937), “Beyond the Sunset” (1936), “Heaven Holds All to Me” (1932), “Never Grow Old” (1930), “I’ll Live in Glory” (1936), “In Heaven They’re Singing” (1937), “No Tears in Heaven” (1935). “Paradise Valley” (1935), “This World Is Not My Home” (1937), “Won’t It Be Wonderful There?” (1930).

First, it is easy to see, they are songs about heaven. They express the deepest longing, anticipation, and hope of the Christian heart. Second – did you see it? – these songs were all written at about the same time period, about 1929-1939. Are you following this still?

These beautiful songs of heaven were written during the Great Depression. Have you seen those black-and-white photos of mothers wearing threadbare dresses, children in rags, hunger etched in the bones of their faces? When the nation suffered economic collapse, businesses were boarded up, millions of workers were laid off when hunger and destitution ravaged the land: In those desperate times, it seems, people turned their thoughts to the hope of heaven.

Heaven, a place of permanence, hope and plenty. Can you see them in your mind’s eye singing in simple church buildings, eyes closed, singing of their homesickness for heaven?

Interestingly, we hear far fewer songs written these days about heaven. Is it because we feel more secure economically? We have it so good in the present that we don’t long for heaven as we once did.

We should probably not put such stock in the current good economic times. Experience and Scripture tell us how faulty such a premise that is!

The greatest missionary who ever lived would say that “to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). And the writer of Revelation could exult in a place where there were no more tears, the Lord was the light, no hurtful, mean or violent person would be present, and where the sweetest people who ever lived would sing in exultation to their God (Revelation 21:1-10).

In times of distress, I suppose, it’s easier to remember that this world is distinctly not our home. It’s when times are good that it is harder to draw this distinction. And yet, beloved, our hearts should still long for heaven.

Stan Mitchell

“Where no oxen are, the manger is clean,

But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.”

(Proverbs 14:4)

When I was in High School a friend of mine told me his summer break story.  He was a city boy through and through.  He wanted to know more about farm life.  So, he offered to spend a couple of weeks working for a farmer.  The result?  The farmer had him cleaning out the barn every day.  He said he became an expert at shoveling dung.  As you can imagine, it wasn’t exactly the great experience (and education) he had envisioned.

I suspect my friend would have considered a clean barn a good thing.  Perhaps he would have been fine if the farmer had reduced the number of animals so that the barn didn’t become so messy.

In this unique proverb, Solomon notes that the “manger is clean” because the farmer has “no oxen.”  On the surface, the clean manger might be a positive.  It might be a reflection of diligent work of the farmer.  He likes to keep things clean! Yet the truth is revealed: no animals, no mess.  When you’re trying to be productive, that is not a good thing.  The farmer would easily trade the clean manger for the “strength of the ox.”  With these animals at work, the farmer will enjoy “much revenue.”

I compare this with a clean desk.  I know, it’s a stretch, but I’m going with it anyway.  If my desk was clean it would indicate that not much work is being done.  When one sees my desk, with books, pens and paper scattered everywhere, they frequently say “Wow!  You must have a lot going on!”  Yes indeed.

In God’s kingdom we have work to do.  When we’re busy with the Father’s business (cf. Luke 2:49) there are certain things that will take second place.  If a church has lots of people, things are going to get dirty and broken.  So, would it be better to not have the people so the building stays clean? Of course not! We are called to be diligent students of God’s word (2 Timothy 2:15).  Serious Bible study involves your Bible, maybe even several translations, pen and paper, perhaps some language tools.  There goes your clean desk!

Here is the point, and it is a lesson about priorities.  What is most important to us?  When we are “seeking first the kingdom,” (Matthew 6:33) other, less important things will slip down our priority scale.  It is a trade-off, but it’s worth it.

Denny Petrillo

The first and last times a word is mentioned in the Bible may not be doctrinally significant, but I find them fascinating nevertheless. Indulge my fascination for a moment.

In Revelation 19.13 appears a description of Jesus with the word “blood” — our theme for this month. It is the last occurrence of the word in the Bible.

We usually associate blood with our cleansing from sin, and rightly so. John takes a different tack here.

He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.

In this segment of Revelation Jesus is the victorious Rider on the white horse, leading heaven’s armies, also seated on similar steeds. An angel has just told John not to worship him, being a fellow servant. Now charges into the scene one who is worthy to be worshiped.

He is worthy because he is clothed in a blood-soaked robe. Is John thinking here of Joseph, whose robe was dipped in animal blood by his brothers and shown to their father, the great Lie to justify their familial betrayal? Because of this, Joseph went on to fulfill the promise of Abraham, to a degree, by saving the world of that time, at the moment, as God lead him and exalted him to a position of power. Joseph never again wore that robe, but Jesus does, for the blood is the sign and means of victory. His robe proclaims the great Truth, which he came to testify to, that man needs forgiveness, that Jesus’ death provides reconciliation, and that his resurrection is the great victory over evil.

In this segment, the Rider aggregates to himself all sorts of powerful names: Faithful and True; The Word of God; King of kings and Lord of lords. These besides “a name written that no one knows but himself” v. 12. In the Old Testament, God was proclaimed as being the one true God, but no one name appeared to be able to contain or express him, so many are given to him. Is this what’s happening here with the Rider clothed in a robe dipped in blood?

With the mention of the robe comes the name: The Word of God. Possibly, the two are joined, because the Word reveals, creates, judges, and cleanses. John loves Jesus as the Word, because as a word expresses a thought, so Jesus is intimately involved with, and in communion with, the Father, as he expresses the divine thought or plan (see Isaiah 55).

Were the issues involved in the Catholic-Protestant fight about the priority of the church or the Bible not so critical, it would be comical. Christ is the Word is the body is the church is the victory. It all starts with the Rider clothed in a robe dipped in blood. Or, we might say, it all ends with him.

Note that the Rider was the victim of violence. He himself spoke not a word, raised not his hand against anyone, in fact, he healed a man’s ear loped off by Peter’s sword. During his earthly work, he healed the sick, restored the possessed to sanity, raised people from the dead, fed the hungry, stilled the tempests and quieted fears, and taught the truth to a society steeped in religious tradition and hypocrisy. And when it came time to die, he did — nothing. Ah, but mere hours before he did the greatest thing of all; he delivered himself up to the will of God.

By such a decision to allow himself to be stripped naked and hung on a cross, he also allowed himself to be clothed in a robe dipped in blood, which brought forgiveness and victory to all those who believe and are faithful to him.

And shortly he will wield the rod of iron and strike down the enemies of God who seek to throw down the Kingdom. “He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty” v. 15. This is not violence, but divine justice. Already, the Rider is moving. Already, his forces are gathering. Already, the Word is speaking, and the lake of fire that burns with sulfur has been prepared.

This is the last time the word “blood” appears in Scripture. It is when the Word of God has the last word. It is victorious blood, seated on a white horse, riding to put down all resistance.

This one, and not the gods of society, is the one who is worthy, worthy, worthy, of worship.

J. Randal Matheny

*While searching through my library, I came across some documents that I was given when my grandpa passed away a few years ago. It was a small collection of his sermons and bulletin articles. I found them to be of excellent quality and even greater value. I doubt he expected his writings to be on the World Wide Web as he wrote with a typewriter in years past, but here we are! Finding these writings is simply another example of how our spirits continue to live beyond the timeline of our earthly bodies.

The apostle Paul was fond of using vivid picture analogies to illustrate the Christian life. Several times he used the picture of a soldier, a farm, and an athlete to represent the Christian. Two examples of this may be found in 1 Cor. 9:7; 24-27 and in II Tim. 2:3-6.

In our world of continuous war we know about soldiers: we understand battles, sacrifice, agony, defeat, and victory. In our sports oriented society we know about athletes: we understand training, dedication, competition, losing, and winning. In our agricultural pursuits we know about the farmer: we understand tilling, weeding, irrigation, crop failures, and bumper crops.

We get excited about war, sports, and bumper crops. We can put ourselves into these efforts with sweat, toil, and tears. In the same way, as Christians, we catch the spirit of joy and excitement – the intensity of our spiritual battle – realizing we are in God’s army, on God’s team, and plowing on God’s farm. He is God: big, powerful, glorious, unconquerable! The whole world is His! We live and walk in his army, His team, His vineyard! “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it” (Ps. 24:1,2; 1 Cor. 10:26; Ps. 50:10-12).

In Psalm 50:14-15 God says (paraphrased) what I want from you is:

(1)   Your true thankfulness

(2)   Your promises to me fulfilled

(3)   Your trust in me; acknowledgment of your dependence on me. Then I will deliver and rescue you and you can honor and glorify me!

It’s wonderful to be a spectator in the great drama of human events – watching the course of history unfold just as God wills it. But more than spectators, praise God, we are privileged to participate in the action as God’s soldiers, athletes, and farmers. We submit to the toil, the training, and the discipline so that we might attain the victory – our heavenly goal! After the effort of our Christian lives we will know the joy of heaven’s victory – and the greater the struggle the greater the joy!

~ Yours for eternity,

Leland King

A homeowner was flipping a home to sell. One evening, vandals broke in and decimated the house. Doors were busted in. Windows were shattered. The drywall was ripped apart. They had even busted the pipes and ripped the wiring out of the wall. The house was a complete disaster and, to top it all off, it had foundation problems. The man no longer had the budget to remodel the home again.

In an attempt to cut his losses, the man decided to sell the home, but the condition scared away buyer after buyer. For months the home sat. Finally, a prospective buyer came to check out the house. In a desperate attempt to sell, the homeowner offered to put thousands into the remodel to help get the buy started. The buyer responded, “I’ll take the house, but forget about the repairs. I don’t want the building; I want the site. If I start from scratch, I can create the most beautiful home in the neighborhood.”

Far too often in life, we have tried to repair ourselves. But like many before us, Satan has found a way into our lives and caused great damage. Perhaps we’ve tried to fix it ourselves. Repairing the cracks and leaks. Looking to the world for answers to our foundation problems. In the end, we come to the inevitable conclusion that we need help. This remodel is impossible by ourselves. Too much sin. Too many flaws. Not nearly enough to fix everything.

Then someone comes with an offer. He can fix everything. But it requires a complete tearing down. Building everything from scratch. If we will let Him, He will transform us into something truly magnificent. Paul explains:

“For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf…Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15, 17).

Christians are the ultimate renovation. At one time we were rotten, stained, and tainted. We were broken and worthless. Our foundations were in terrible shame. Thankfully, God saw the value in us and bought us (1 Corinthians 6:20). He tore down the old disgusting and sinful home we had made for ourselves. He gave us a new foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11). He then transformed us into something wonderful (Acts 2:38).

How awesome it is to be a Christian! Let’s never forget about the pitiful state we were in, and let’s praise God for giving us a new life in Him!

Brett Petrillo

I once heard an older preacher speak some of the most practical, yet difficult pieces of advice I have ever heard. He told those of us in the room, “When you don’t take things personally, it will change your ministry forever.” These words were spoken in the context of the various grumblings, mutterings, and criticisms that have become stereotypical of ministry.

Truth be told, any role we accept is going to be fraught with grumblings and criticisms…whether that be a job, marriage, parenting, volunteer, Christian, etc. Unfortunately, too many people today have been conditioned to internalize these criticisms as all-out assaults. Such response causes them to spend so much time nursing the pain of wounded pride that they are incapable of figuring out if there is something to be learned which can better their work and person. However, by learning to get past the hurt feelings and not internalize such comments, our effectiveness can skyrocket because we wind up growing and proving ourselves to be above the accusations (see 1 Peter 3:16-17).

Consider these suggestions of how we can begin moving toward this kind of character strength.

1)    Remember that you don’t know what their full circumstances are. Oftentimes criticisms come from those who are having their own turmoil or doubts. They also tend to come when something the criticizer holds dear has been violated, somehow. Taking the time to try and understand the frame of mind or thought process behind the comment will increase the chances that resolution can be found.

2)    Understand that it may not be about you. Like it or not, there are times when we take out our frustrations on those who have nothing to do with the source of that irritation. Occasionally you might have happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, finding yourself in the way when someone’s frustrations boiled over.

3)    Look past the harsh words and consider the critique. As stewards of ministries, and managers of people, we must develop the art of sorting through the junk to find the usable information. A person’s harshness does not completely invalidate a good point they may be making. If you can learn to sort through the emotion and get to the valid critique, you may very well find that little nugget which makes your ministry better.

Again, criticism is going to come, and sometimes it will be harsh. It is foolish for me to tell you that it won’t hurt. But I can tell you that it is possible be the kind of leader who does not take them personally. It’s hard to live out, but great advice to listen to. “When you don’t take things personally, it will change your ministry forever.” God bless you, your families, and your ministries.

Cory Waddell

we encourage you to visit our sister blog – https://www.lordletmegrow.com/freebiblestudy

Faithful defiance

One of the characteristics of a faithful Christian life is submission.

As our perfect example, Jesus submitted to the Father (John 6:38; Philippians 2:5-9). As Jesus submitted to the Father, the church must submit to Christ (Ephesians 5:23-24). Christians submit to each other (Ephesians 5:21), by subordinating our own will for the needs and desires of others (Philippians 2:3). We should submit to shepherds (Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 5:5), as they watch out for the souls of the sheep. Wives are to submit to their husbands (Colossians 3:18), slaves to their masters (1 Peter 2:18), and all Christians to the government (1 Peter 2:13).

It matters not if we like the decisions that are made. There is no room for prideful disobedience to these commands, for we have completely submitted ourselves to the Father of spirits and to his law (Hebrews 12:9; Romans 8:7).

Yet this submission also demands a type of defiance, a faithful defiance.

We find an example of this in the life of Nehemiah. The former cupbearer to the king turned governor had many enemies. Sanballat was greatly displeased “that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel” (Nehemiah 2:10). He accused Nehemiah of rebelling against the king (Nehemiah 2:19), and jeered at the Jews (Nehemiah 4:1). He tried to lure Nehemiah away in order to harm him (Nehemiah 6:2). When that failed he paid Shemaiah to convince Nehemiah to seek shelter in the temple (Nehemiah 6:10; see Numbers 18:7). Nehemiah’s response is one of faithful defiance, “Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live? I will not go in” (Nehemiah 6:11).

He would not run from the threats, for he was God’s man. He would not enter the temple, for that was sin. His piercing question reverberates to this day, “Should such a man as I run away?”

Nehemiah would not abandon the LORD or his people, but would stand in faithful defiance of those who would entice him to sin.

We stand in faithful defiance when we heed the words of Paul to Corinth, “be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13). We stand in faithful defiance when we “stand firm and hold to the traditions that [we] were taught” (2 Thessalonians 2:15).

Elders stand in faithful defiance when they “hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught,” so that they “may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9). There are those who are “empty talkers and deceivers” who must be “silenced” (Titus 1:0, 11). Shepherds are God’s men for the task.

Preachers stand in faithful defiance when they “teach what accords with sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1). Paul’s warning to Timothy that there would be those who will not endure sound teaching (2 Timothy 4:3-4), is fulfilled with each new generation. And the solution to such a problem remains the same, “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2).

Christians stand in faithful defiance when we cling to God’s glorious word in the face of “false teachers” who bring in “destructive heresies” (2 Peter 2:1). We stand in faithful defiance to the pride and selfishness of the world, when we “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18), and become more like our Lord.

In 1955, William F. Buckley, Jr. stated that his new magazine’s task was to stand “athwart history, yelling Stop, at a time when no one is inclined to do so, or to have much patience with those who so urge it.” At the risk of mixing the holy with the profane, I say we stand in faithful defiance when we stand athwart the truth, yelling stop to those who would exchange her for a lie.

Those who submit to God must resist the devil (James 4:7). It may be that we feel we are alone — we are not. It may be that people have little patience for our plea. But the man of God will — with all love and faithfulness — fight the good fight of the faith (1 Timothy 6:12).

Like Nehemiah before us, let us pose this question, “Shall people such as us run away?”

by Lee Parish

Meeting together is a part of who we are as Christians. Church means assembly or meeting. Without the physical assembly of saints, we are not church.

The assembly appears everywhere in the New Testament. One commentator describes some of the elements of the church’s worship in Paul’s letter to the Colossians, in his comments on chapter 4, verses 7-18:

Elements of worship in the Early Church are also revealed. The met in their own homes (15). They sang hymns and gospel songs (3:16). They read the Scriptures (16), offered fervent prayers (12), and ministered to each other within the Christian circle according to their abilities (8, 14) (Nielson 424).

The letter does not mention all the acts of worship of God’s people. (We need the whole of the New Testament for that.) The Colossian Christians had received personal instruction from the apostle on what to do in their meetings. But this window offers us a good view of the warm meetings guided by the commandments of Christ and his holy apostles.

Let us see some of these elements in more detail.

1. Worship in homes was the almost universal practice of early Christians, 4.15. The home provided an ideal place for the family of faith. It was a factor in the fast growth of the church. The coronavirus has pointed up that many saints today are so tied to buildings that they have little concept of the nature of worship. May we all learn this profound truth again.
2. They sang, 3.16-17. Singing is a one-another activity. Preachers have long insisted that all sing. Home viewing via the internet frustrates this and other mutual edification activities in the church. So do instruments of music. We sing together because we live and worship “in the name of the Lord Jesus,” by his authority.
3. They read Scripture, 4.16. Apostolic writings are authoritative, along with the other Scriptures, 2 Peter 3.15-16. Some churches have dispensed with public reading of Scriptures, except for when the preacher does it. (Another evidence of preacher-centered faith.) But see Revelation 1.3. Who aspires to be a Bible reader in worship? Frequent and repeated public readings place Scriptures in the center of our faith and practice, 1 Timothy 4.13.
4. They prayed, fervently, 4.2. They were devoted to it. No rote phrases here. No mumbling or putting only those who couldn’t preach to do the job. A big part of prayer was thanksgiving. The church is a grateful people, who know how richly they are blessed. Prayer always remembered the mission of the Good News, 4.3-4.
5. They served one another, 4.8, 14. Those who failed to serve got called out, 4.17. Service was done in honesty and truth, 3.8-10. Love and forgiveness undergirded their relationships and expressed their love, 3.12-14. Serving was done together, for the Kingdom of God, 4.11. The end of prayer for other saints is their maturity and confidence, 4.12.

As we see in other books of the New Testament, the letter to Colossians indicates that the meetings serve to unite the family of faith, strengthen brothers and sisters in Christ and prepare them to fulfill their mission in the world. This picture informs and encourages us to be the church of the New Testament.

Let us so structure our meetings that they are truly spiritual moments. Let us give them proper value in order to be, in truth, the people who please the Lord.

1. Randal Matheny

NIELSON, John B. 1965 “The epistle to the Colossians” em A.F. Harper, ed., Beacon Bible commentary, vol. 9: 355-430. Kansas City: Beacon Hill.

Paul wrote to the Roman Christians and said, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death?” (Ro. 6:3). Paul was one hundred percent sure that “All” Christians in Rome had been “baptized into Christ.” All means ALL!

Paul wrote to the Galtian Christians and said, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Ga. 3:26,27). Again, Paul was positive that all who had become “sons of God” were “baptized into Christ” through faith. If “All” does not mean “ALL” then what does it mean?

It means that “all” who were a member of the church, who were “sons of God,” who had “clothed” themselves with Christ,” had done so through baptism.  Not “All” who had only believed, or “All” who had said a prayer, or all who had made a confession, but “All” who had been baptized. Would this teach that baptism was not necessary for some? Would an honest heart say that “All” does not mean “All”? Again, this time to the church in Corinth, we read, “For by one Spirit we were All baptized into one body” (1 Co. 12:13). Are you a part of the “All” who have been baptized, or a part of the “none” who have been taught otherwise?

-Dennis Doughty

One of the things writers hate to do is write about themselves. Pointing out the faults of others is fine, just don’t write anything in the first person. This article will violate that maxim.

More than 50 years ago, a very nice girl and I were seriously thinking about marriage. Then, her old boyfriend arrived on our college campus. I made things difficult. Jealousy makes a person see things that aren’t there, and I thought he was stealing my girl. I told her it was going to be either him or me. Turned out it was him.

In John 11, the chief priest of the Jews made a similar statement in reply to something one of his men said. The underling said that if Jesus kept performing miracles like raising the dead from the grave, the people will believe Jesus and abandon Jewish rule the Romans used to maintain order (John 11:48). Then, the Romans would take away Jewish rule.

Caiphas, the High Priest, said something very telling. “You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is more to your advantage to have one man die for the people than for the whole nation to perish” (John 11:48b-50). Either Jesus would have to die, or the Pharisees faced ruin. It was either Jesus or them.

Of course, when the Jews demanded Jesus’ death, the Romans obliged. Then, the Lord rose from the dead and changed the world forever. Seventy years later, Jerusalem lay in ruins, and its religion died. Jesus built his church on Pentecost, people obeyed the gospel and became Christians.

One man died for the people so that a whole nation could be saved. That nation is the church Jesus built (Matthew 16:15-16).

Have you obeyed the gospel, and are you a part of that nation? It is a simple choice. We can choose salvation or we can choose self and sin. What will it be?

by John Henson

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.” (Luke 10:13-15)

One of the highlights of our last visit to Israel was walking the streets of Korazim (the Chorazin of our text), which is now a national park in Galilee. As I walked the streets I couldn’t help but think: “this is where Jesus walked – Jesus walked these streets and saw these houses”. Yet we don’t know much about Chorazin from the accounts of Jesus’ life except that he was there, did miracles there, and undoubtedly taught there. But the people of this village rejected him and his message. How sad!

Chorazin sits on the hillside above the north of the Sea of Galilee – you can just see the lake in the distance. As we approached the site we could see ruins of buildings jutting out from the hillside. I thought that would be a nice place to visit, not knowing what I was looking at – and we did spend some time walking these streets and looking in the ruins of the buildings.

When you enter Chorazin you are immediately drawn to the black basalt synagogue, some of it reconstructed, while other parts had been put back in place. We walked the streets and could see where the houses would have been with the original stones of the walls of the buildings. On the outskirts of the village were buildings for storage and other types of work.

Chorazin wasn’t the only town to reject Jesus, even after seeing the miraculous signs that he did. Jesus mentioned Bethsaida as well as Capernaum. Capernaum was where he centered his work in Galilee. People in these places heard Jesus and saw what he did but still rejected him.

Victor Guerin, an explorer, wrote about Chorazin in 1875:

“Its synagogue has more than once heard the word of God out of His mouth and witnessed the miracles He performed. This is why all Christians should cherish the ruins of this building. We know that in the time of Eusebius the town was deserted, the Messiah’s curse had struck it, and as witness in their deliberate disregard of His loving grace, the synagogue lay in ruins.” (from a sign at Korazim)

Is that not a lesson for us today? Many hear God’s word and through that word see what Jesus did when he lived on the earth. Perhaps they claim to follow Jesus. Yet how often does his teaching fail to penetrate lives so as to make the needed changes?

We despair at times when our teaching seems to fall on deaf ears. Sometimes we think it must be us or what we are doing. Yet people even rejected the Messiah himself when he was here and was doing miraculous signs!

Sometimes we might be tempted to change the message, to water it down so that people might more readily accept it. Yet Jesus himself did not do that when they rejected him. He continued to teach the truth of God’s kingdom.

We must do the same.

by Jon Galloway

“He who withholds his rod hates his son,

But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.”

(Proverbs 13:24)

I remember well my father “taking me to the woodshed.”  I had done something foolish, and he was going to drive that foolishness right out of me (cf. Prov. 22:15).  I should have known better, since I witnessed the same happening to all of my older siblings.  Nevertheless, I didn’t learn the lesson via observation.  I was going to have to learn it via application.

The book of Proverbs speaks frequently of using “the rod” (cf. 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14).  It notes that children “love being simple-minded” (1:22), and their childishness can have serious consequences.  “For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them” (1:32).  One “tried and true” method of removing the foolishness is corporal punishment.  The text given above (Proverbs 13:24) provides several valuable lessons.

First, the home is the place for discipline.  God expects the parents to do the training, directing and, when needed, the punishing.  Such must not be left to others (Proverbs 1:8; 2:1; 3:1; 4:1).  The Bible says that God disciplines His children (Proverbs 3:11-12; Hebrews 12:5-11), and so earthly fathers are following His example.  The home is the place that is able to provide the perfect balance of strictness and compassion, example and instruction (4:3, 4, 11).  In 13:1 the father pleads with the son to accept his discipline.

Second, fathers should not withhold the rod. Corporal punishment is something that has been a part of life since the begetting of children.  In the ancient world it was assumed.  One ancient text, dating around 200 B.C., read “He who loves his son will whip him often, so that he may rejoice at the way he turns out” (Sirach 30:1; also known as Ecclesiasticus – not to be confused with the biblical book of Ecclesiastes).

Third, fathers who withhold the rod “hate” their son.  Herein lies the paradox.  Does spanking a child look like an action of love?  Modern “experts” scream “no!”  Rather, they maintain, that using the rod is an indication of an angry out-of-control parent.  God, however, says otherwise. He says that a failure to discipline is an example of hate.  How can this be?  When one chooses not to take action, when action is required, it is a sign of indifference and apathy.  That apathy is a form of hatred.  Few would argue that fathers literally hate their children.  But a failure to take action is paramount to hatred.

Fourth, fathers who use the rod “love” their son.  True love means making the hard decisions and taking the difficult actions.  It is easy to let unruly behavior slide.  It is easy for parents to justify “looking the other way” as patience and compassion.  Yet true love acts.  True love reaches for the rod.  It is the way the child can be molded into the type of person every parent dreams.  God’s word says:

“Do not hold back discipline from the child,

Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die.

You shall strike him with the rod

And rescue his soul from Sheol.”

(Proverbs 23:13-14)

Denny Petrillo

The internet is a dangerous place. In the last couple of years I have noticed a steady increase of spiritual-based conversations built on the foundation of something like “I was watching YouTube and heard someone talk about…” or “the podcast I listened to told me…” While there is nothing inherently wrong with listening to some of the other voices, the problem arrives when those voices become louder than the Word of God. Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this reality is how easy it can be to wander from the inspired scriptures and let those outside voices become the new authority.

The internet is a dimension where gatekeepers are absent, imagination is rampant, and egos are famished for attention. Spirituality is no longer viewed as sacred and holy, but is being monopolized for self-promotion. Deconstruction, EXvangelicalism, postmodernism, new hermeneutics (or existential hermeneutics), QSpirit (or queer spirituality), New Ways ministry, Mysticism and so on are all examples of voices that are being streamed though millions of screens right now. While some theologies are clearly outlandish, there are those that are deceivingly convincing. Influencers are taking the stage and replicating the Lord by proclaiming their own version of “you have heard it said, but I say unto you” in an effort to promote a new theology.

This isn’t exclusively a 21st century problem though. It’s been a problem for a long time. The Talmud was the Jewish literature that, even though had some good intents, enforced traditions. Jesus condemned those who allowed the Word of God to be washed out because of such resources, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition” (Mark 7:9). One of the most nourishing practices we can involve ourselves in is that of good, authentic, concentrated Bible study. Put down the commentaries for a moment, amputate the phones, close the laptops, and open the Word. When we familiarize ourselves with scripture, the YouTube theologies become easier to identify as false.

I love the account of Josiah in 2 Kings 22. In the historical narrative, the writer established the devastation Israel was gazing upon. Corrupt government, apathetic spirituality, widespread idolatry, and war-torn landscapes were all things Josiah had to deal with (and became king at 8 years old nonetheless). Josiah sends Hilkiah the high priest to go collect funds to start construction on the temple. When Hilkiah goes to the house of the Lord, he comes across the Law and brings it to Josiah. Immediately a sequence of events took place that led Josiah to totally reform the land (2 Kings 23). There’s an interesting principle gleaned from 2 Kings 22 — truth is obvious when God’s Word is present. When voices outside of scripture start reigning, truth becomes subjective and doctrines become plentiful. Passages such as 2 Timothy 3:16 invite us out of the treachery of man’s mind and into the safety of God’s wisdom.

Tyler King

Leslie H. Sabo Jr. was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio. He graduated from high school in 1966 and his life was not unusual until 1970.

On May 10, 1970, Sabo was a rifleman in Company B, 3rd Battalion, 506th Infantry of the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. Army. On that date, Sabo was in a battle in Cambodia. This Youngstown boy whose life was otherwise unremarkable defended his fellow soldiers at the cost of his own life in the Vietnam War.

It took 42 years for his widow to receive the Medal of Honor from President Barak Obama. Until 2012, many people had never heard of him. Even many who had known him in Youngstown probably didn’t think there was anything special about him. His fellow soldiers knew. Some of them kept prodding the Defense Department to give him the award posthumously.

The people living in Nazareth when Jesus was alive didn’t realize who he was. They had known him as the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon (Mark 6:3). They said, “Is not this the carpenter?” He was just another face in the crowd to them. Not even his miracles caused them to think of him in different terms.

Even some disbelieve him today because they don’t believe he was any different than anyone else who has ever lived. The Jews are not the only ones who have not believed in Jesus, the miracles he performed, and the truths he taught. His hometown folks turned their backs on him.

Have you turned your back on Jesus? If so, take another look. He is the only human in history who genuinely healed the blind, cured the deaf, and raised the dead. Isn’t it time you gave him another chance?

by John Henson

The young, new preacher had just called on the telephone to ask for help on interpreting a passage. After about a 15-minute discussion and as the conversation began to draw to a close, I simply said, brother let’s pray before we hang up. After praying briefly, we said our goodbyes and ended the call. About a year later I was blessed to work alongside this same young preacher at a summer youth camp. At some point our conversation turned toward prayer and he confessed to me that on the occasion when we had prayed together over the phone that at it had made him somewhat uncomfortable. Later he realized that his discomfort had stemmed from fact that he simply wasn’t accustomed to doing so (i.e. praying over the phone), but once he began to think about prayer in the light of scripture it became a major point of comfort for him knowing that even after an ordinary conversation someone would take the time to pray for him and his work.

The very act of approaching God on behalf of others will encourage them beyond measure. We obviously don’t pray to be seen of men (Matt. 6:5-6), but in praying with others we are sending a message that God is our source of strength, and that he is the one who will see us through our trials and tribulations (Ps. 18:1-6). Just as the apostle Paul received strength and encouragement from the Philippian brethren during his imprisonment at Rome (Phil. 1:19), we today can likewise help others who are imprisoned by worries and pain by simply offering a prayer in their presence.

Over the course of my life-long ministry, I’ve never had someone turn me down when I offered to pray with them. Most understand the comfort that prayer provides and are often eager to have you pray for them and are likewise often waiting for you to lead them.  Prayer is a powerful tool in the hands of the Christian, and when we pray together it’s amazing to see what doors the Lord might open (Acts 16:25-27). The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16).

John Moore