My wife, Julia, dropped this little piece of wisdom on me the other day, “Diamonds don’t do dishes.”

I was doing the dishes at the time and stopped to chew on the value of her statement. Diamonds are not this girl’s best friend, a husband who helps is!

We like stuff. It’s neat, especially when it is new. You can get a dopamine rush when shopping for or receiving something. Have you ever viewed an “unboxing video”? They are everywhere. We like to share in the excitement even when it is not truly our own.

Stuff can be good, even necessary, but service is invaluable.

“Through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13a).

Husbands, serve your wives. Wives, serve your husbands. Christians, serve your brothers and sisters, and your community. Small acts of kindness go a long way.

Husbands are to dwell with their wives in an understanding way (1 Peter 3:7). Men must make an effort to understand what their wives need. In like fashion, Christians are to consider one another (Hebrews 10:24), that is we must give thought to how we can help stir each other up to love and good works. We consider each other when we weep and rejoice together (Romans 12:15), when we please not ourselves but our neighbor (Romans 15:1-2), when we help those who are caught in sin (Galatians 6:1), when we bear burdens that seem overwhelming (Galatians 6:2), and when we encourage each other and build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

Diamonds might sparkle and money might spend, but what service have you offered to another? Diamonds are not forever. They will outlast you, but one day all things will be dissolved (2 Peter 3:10-11). Serving others in the name of Christ is a currency that will not depreciate.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

The value we place on what we give and receive reveals the dwelling place of our hearts. If my heart is consumed by the physical, I am trusting in the transient.  By turning my gaze heavenward (Colossians 3:1ff), my life on earth produces real and lasting value.

The next time you are scrubbing the bathroom, folding laundry, calling a sick friend, cleaning the gutters, or getting your hands wet in the kitchen sink, remember that diamonds don’t do dishes, but servants do.

Lee Parish

Several years ago, one my of young kiddos started getting fussy. I took him out into the foyer and eventually had to step outside because the Lord’s Supper was being held in the foyer on this particular Sunday. As I stood outside, I realized that I had never been outside of the building when worship was taking place. It was a very unique experience.

First, I was able to hear beautiful singing. Even though I wasn’t inside, I could hear voices harmonizing together and the wonderful melody pouring out of the open windows. I was even able to pick out certain voices because of the conversations and fellowship I’ve had with these individuals.

Second, I noticed several distractions outside. The street was busy with passing cars and people traveling to one destination or another. My son (who loves cars) watched every vehicle until it was out of sight. Every time a car passed by, the singing was drowned out by the road noise. These distractions quickly cut off any connection I had with the worship inside.

Third, I saw the faces of the people in the cars. Even though worship was taking place and there was beautiful singing to be heard, not one person looked over at the building or heard the praises being sung. Car after car simply drove on by, ignorant of this place of worship. The faces I saw told of people who were focused on their lives, their plans, and their destinations. These people were locked away in their cars, blocked out from God, and likely engulfed by the world. It was sad to see people so near to a place that teaches the truth about God and yet seemingly so far from accepting that truth. While it’s entirely possible not all the people I saw were lost souls, their actions and attitudes certainly pointed in that direction.

Seeing all of this outside brought me to this conclusion: It is a tremendous blessing to be able to worship with the saints. We have no fear of persecution or punishment for our actions. We can open the windows and let our singing be heard by all. Anyone can find where we will be and the exact times we will be there. Also, there are tremendous bonds and connections with those we worship with. When we worship, we can shut ourselves out from the world and surround ourselves in worship (Romans 12:2).  While worshipping, we can put all distractions aside and focus on the Lord (Luke 10:38-42).

Worshipping the Lord is so wonderful! This is why it’s so disheartening to see people pass by who don’t know about this blessing. This is also why it is so horrifying to think of those who DO know of this privilege yet choose to skip out anyway.

Hebrews 10 summarizes this thought incredibly well: “Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus…let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith…Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (19, 22-25).

When the next appointed worship time comes, let’s make sure we are there and invite others to come share in this privilege.

Brett Petrillo

The other day, my friend told me a story about a time his wife (who happens to be afraid of spiders) saw a spider up on their bedroom wall while getting ready for bed. Upon seeing the spider she proceeded to announce that she would be sleeping on the downstairs couch for the evening. That same woman, my friend tells me, was staying at a friend’s house another night and woke up at 3 in the morning to see a spider running across the floor. She immediately got out of bed, got in the car, and drove an hour and a half home because she couldn’t bear the thought of a spider being in the same room as her while she was sleeping.

Fear is a very powerful thing. It can greatly influence the decisions we make in our life for good and for bad. It can also be the driving force behind us making decisions we would have never made otherwise. Hearing these stories got me thinking. What should we fear more: Spiders or God? And more importantly, does our life reflect that?

There are many biblical stories that show us we should definitely fear God:

• Uzzah (2 Samuel 6) was killed for touching the Ark of the Covenant to stop it from falling when he was told not to.
• Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5) lied about how much offering they gave and were struck dead.
• Lot’s wife (Genesis 19:26) became a pillar of salt for looking back at Sodom and Gomorrah.

Along with these stories, the Bible also tells us explicitly to fear God.

• Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction”
• Matthew 10:28 “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
• Ecclesiastes 12:13 “The conclusion, when all has been heard is fear God and keep His commandments because this applies to every person.”

So the question is…

Why will we not sleep in our bed out of fear of a spider but not change aspects of our life that need changing out of a fear of God?

I’m not suggesting we’re all “off the deep end.” Most reading this are Christians who have obeyed His gospel. But what in aspects of our life do we demonstrate less of a “fear in God” than others? What movies or music do we still allow ourselves to listen to even though they are unsavory? What gossip do we partake in with our coworkers or family members? What language do we use when we’re not around our Christian brethren? How much time a week do we spend focusing and meditating on Him? Should we fear more about missing a TV show we like or not getting in His word?

Let’s not forget that our God, although loving, should absolutely be feared. Let’s use this fear to help steer ourselves towards being a better Christian every day.

Jeff Wiant

Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy fine-dining. However, there are those nights where nothing can beat a nice cold bowl of cereal. You’ve seen it on Instagram and Facebook; those aesthetically pleasing healthy bowls of cereal with oats and fruit all tidied up in a minimalistic bowl. While that’s all good and fine, it’s not what I like. Give me the fruity pebbles, cocoa puffs, and cookie crisp.

I’ve gotten a lot of flak for my taste in childish cereal over the years. My inventory of cereal is typically displayed on top of my fridge and is one of the first things you see when entering my kitchen. Friends of all backgrounds have blatantly pointed out my “flaw” of cereal variety, accusing me of having “unhealthy” eating habits. To end the dispute, I purchased a box of, supposedly healthy, Frosted Mini Wheats and compared them with my trusty Fruity Dyno Bites.

The Fruity Dyno Bites (which also don’t contain artificial flavors or sweeteners) include 160 calories, 1g of fat, 220mg of sodium, 36g of carbs, and 18g of sugar. IN CONTRAST, the Frosted Mini Wheats contain 210 calories, 3g of fat, 50mg of sodium, 48g of carbs, and 16g of sugar. I understand that Frosted Mini Wheats aren’t the healthiest choice either, but I’ve never heard of anyone catching flak for eating them, especially when they are comparable to Fruity Dyno Bites.

So what’s my point? Sometimes fake news originates from our very own minds. While I’m no dietician, the labels on the backs of these cereals tell a similar story to each other. I’m also mindful that the children’s cereal includes 4 sets of vitamins that are not included in the adult cereal, such as vitamin B12, B6, A, and D. It really goes back to judging a book by its cover, or in this case, a cereal by its box. *I’d love for a proper dietician to confirm or deny my rationale in this – I’m certainly speaking in an area that is out of my expertise.

The wise man in Proverbs instructs his listener to “lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). Of course, that statement comes after “trust in the Lord with all your heart.” In simple terms, we can get ourselves into a whole lot of trouble with doctrinal truths if we start making assumptions and failing to fact-check those ideas. Along with that, Paul encouraged the readers of 1 Thessalonians to “test everything and hold fast what is good” in regard to prophecy and revelation (5:21). It is our duty as Christians to test our own beliefs, reject the errors, and embrace the truths. While something may look right/wrong at first glance, we must do our part in testing it.

The main lesson for these passages must be applied spiritually first. With that said, it seems that this can also be a relevant lesson for the media that is being broadcasted our way on a minute-by-minute basis. With election season right around the corner, there will be a lot of false statements floating around, accompanied with a lot of truthful statements. I’d encourage you check them with reputable sources instead of believing everything that is headlined on the phone/computer screen. There is great reward in having a confirmed truth, for it allows us to process the next steps needed in our own lives.

Tyler King

In 2015 Disney released a really neat movie called Inside Out. The movie depicted the emotions (Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness) of a young girl dealing with many changes in life.

Unlike young people, who most often have no filter between what is inside their head and what they show on the outside, adults often look much differently on the outside.

The Pharisees wanted people to see one thing, but inwardly they were something different altogether.

Jesus said that they cleansed “the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside [they were] full of greed and wickedness” (Luke 11:39).

They wanted people to see their righteousness. What they failed to realize was that the inside was important as well. In fact, the inside should have held priority.

“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others” (Luke 11:42).

Jesus does not dismiss the importance of the outward, but he emphasizes the inward, calling justice, mercy, and faithfulness the “weightier matters of the law” (Matthew 23:23).

When educating children, we do not give equal time to all subjects, for not all subjects are of the same weight. All of God’s law is important, but it is not all equal in weight. Not everything can come at once. A house must begin with a foundation.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls people to look inwardly. Sin and righteousness are both born in the heart and manifest themselves outwardly.

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’  (Matthew 5:21, 22)

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  (Matthew 5:27, 28)

When the outside and the inside are at odds, the result is often hypocrisy. A hypocrite is a man pretending to be something he is not (see Matthew 6:2, 5; Mark 7:6).

However, it is possible for us to look better on the outside than we do on the inside and not be guilty of hypocrisy. As we struggle to develop holiness, to be devoted to justice, to bestow mercy, and to live faithfully, we may have moments of turmoil inwardly.

Do not be satisfied with the appearance of goodness. Do not be satisfied with what others can see. Allow the words of the Spirit to shape your inner being.

It is also possible for us to have outward moments that are not reflective of our inward nature. As we struggle to be shaped into the image of the man of heaven, the image of the man of dust is not easily dismissed. Do not give up when your outward form fails to live up to the inner ideal.

Start on the inside, give proper weight to things, and be amazed what your outward life looks like.

Lee Parish

We would all like to improve in many ways, but many of us are also well aware of the flaws we feel are holding us back. Those shortcomings tend to get in the way, slow us down, or even prevent us from achieving the quality of life that we desire. While there is plenty of room for improvement in my life, I have found that there is a simple way to clearly envision where I am currently, and also plan for where I would like to be in the future.

It’s true that our burdens often come from our blessings. For example, the blessing of having a car may result in the burden of expensive bills that follow a mechanical issue.

I believe that there are five major buckets of blessings that we all must give our time and attention to. They are the five categories that, if purposefully tended, help our lives to be wonderful. On the other hand, if neglected, we find ourselves in a head-spinning spiral of worry and anxiety.

These buckets are:

1. Faith
2. Mental maturity
3. Physical health
4. Relationships
5. Work

If one of those buckets isn’t filled with the proper content, the effects, I’m sure you’re aware, are negative. If these crucial categories are filled correctly, our quality of life will only improve.

God is the Creator of life itself which makes Him the leading authority on the subject. Consider how He can help you in each of the five areas listed here.

Faith

By denying self, our focus is diverted away from our negative self absorption. Putting God and others first can give you a better, fresh, and positive perspective.

Acts 20:35

Mental maturity

When we seek to understand our own minds and what makes us tick, we’ll be able to identify where these negative thoughts and reactions originate.

Philippians 4:8

Physical health 

Poor health habits like fast-food diets, lack of physical exercise, and sleep deprivation only make dealing with stress all the more difficult. God designed your body to function properly when properly taken care of.

Luke 1:37

Relationships 

Every relationship, whether in marriage, friendship, family, coworkers, or the church, all have one thing in common—they were made by God. Thankfully, God wrote a book to help us understand who we are to be to each individual that make up those groups.

Romans 12:16

Work

God built us to work— He expects us to. Some choose to be lazy, and they suffer. Others choose to constantly work to the neglect of the four other areas mentioned. There must be a balance, and God knows that.

Psalm 128:2

While there’s a lot more to be said concerning these five categories, I hope this simplifies things and helps refocus on what really matters.

Hopefully, looking at life through His divine lens is a reminder of Who we should turn to for everything. He has given us the ultimate assurance— and He is willing to give us the ultimate assistance.

Dale Pollard

A few weeks ago, I had lunch at the Village Inn. Now regardless of when I go to Village Inn, I have breakfast. So, I ordered the 2-2-2, that’s two eggs, two strips of bacon and two pancakes with sugar-free syrup.

In just a few minutes my order arrived with the syrup, and it was labeled Smuckers sugar-free Breakfast Syrup. Making a little joke with the young waitress, I said, “This is Breakfast syrup, is it ok to have it with Lunch?  “Well, looking at the bottle, then looking at me, and a bit confused she said, “I think so.” It would be interesting to hear her tell the story; “I had this old guy the other day that said ———,”

It is true syrup is syrup, and it doesn’t matter, it is the same breakfast, lunch or dinner, even though the label clearly said Breakfast.

So, what is the point? You would be right to think, it is not, a lesson on syrup. It is a lesson on the use of the word, Breakfast. Even though the word, “Breakfast” is used on the label, it is meant to include all meals, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, even though each word means something different.

Of course, the word usage doesn’t matter in dealing with a meal, but that is not always the case. Note with me the subject of baptism, and some word usage, thoughts, and ideas.

Some religious groups pour water on a person as a method of baptism. If this were the method, Jesus had intended He would have used the Greek word, βάλλει, (the English spelling is ballei) and in the English language, the word means to pour. As in John 13:5, “He poured water into a basin.” This is not the word Jesus used when he spoke of baptism.

It is also true that some religious groups sprinkle water on a person as a method of baptism. Again, if this were the method Jesus had intended, in this case, He would have used the Greek ραντιζω, (the English spelling is rhantizo) and in the English language means to sprinkle. As noted in Hebrews 10:22, “having been sprinkled clean.” This too is not the word Jesus used when he spoke of baptism.

In regards to the words of Jesus, He states clearly in Mark 16:16, “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved.” This Greek word is, βαφτιστεί, (the English spelling is Baptizo)  but in this case, the word is not translated only given an English spelling. This is the same situation every time a form of this Greek word is used,  it is not translated, just given an English spelling. You will hear that this word has been transliterated, meaning to give it an English spelling. Can you imagine if of all of the Greek words were only transliterated? The reader would not understand anything unless they know the Greek language of course.

From Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance you find the following definition. From a derivative of bapto; to immerse, submerge; to make whelmed (i.e. Fully wet); used only (in the New Testament).

Let me note a few places the word is used.

NASB                           Greek                  Word   Strong’s                 Origin   

Baptized MK.16:16        βαφτιστεί            907: to dip, sink                   baptó

Baptized Act 2:38          βαφτιστεί            907: to dip, sink                   baptó

Baptized Act 22:16        βαφτιστεί            907: to dip, sink                   baptó

Baptism  Rom. 6:4        βάπτισμα             908: Dipping/sinking             baptó

Now while it is true, because of the context, the Greek form of the word hasa different spelling, (ending) it is also obvious there is no mention of these Greek words meaning Sprinkling or Pouring. I think if translators, translated the Greek words rather than only giving them an English spelling there would be a better understanding by many.

So, it is not like Breakfast syrup good at any meal; the word is baptize means to fully immerse, submerge. Nothing less will do.

What’s in a word?  In this case, God’s forgiveness.           

Dick Brant

A minister considers a move to a new congregation and says, “I know the congregation has problems but I really think that once I move there things will get better. It has great potential”

A young man interviews with a company in a major city. He says, “They offered me the job. I am very dissatisfied with the salary but it will all work itself out. After all, this company has potential.”

A single woman is dating a guy and is getting serious. She says, “He is a great guy. He doesn’t go to church. He is not exactly the spiritual leader I had hoped but it will all work out. He is going to change some things once we get married. He has great potential.”

I have had conversations with a variety of people in each one of these situations before they made the decision. Unfortunately, I have also had conversations with many of these people who were later frustrated with the decision they made.

“I can’t believe we moved here to work with this congregation. We can barely pay our bills. What a mistake! What was I thinking?”

“Yea, I took that job and within two weeks, I knew I had made a mistake. What was I thinking?”

“I finally married him. Time passed and he never really made the changes I had hoped. We had children. Yet, to this day, the children and I got to church each week by ourselves. I am the only one that provides any sense of spiritual leadership for our family. What was I thinking?”

You are not alone. Many of us have made decisions that we later regretted.

What happened?

1. We rationalized and justified a decision that we wanted to make. We looked for friends or anyone who would in some way affirm the decision that we wanted to make in the first place.
2. We got emotionally involved and we begin to bond emotionally with the object of our decision. I have seen ministers do this with congregations where they were interviewing. Before they even learned very much about the congregation, they decided that this was the place they wanted to move to. A person can do the same when interviewing with a company. Maybe this person has always wanted to work for such a company and so agreed to accept an offer, knowing it was too low.

A man can marry a woman rationalizing that everything is going to eventually fall into place. Right now, he rationalizes, she is the way she is but that will change. He is convinced that eventually she will change. Of course, if the couple is having a sexual relationship, the emotional bond is even more intense which can make it even easier to rationalize and not make the wisest decision.

Bottom line:

1. Godly discernment is critical. Pray for the long term. If this situation remains just as it is (this church, this job, this young woman you are serious about), what does this say about your future? What will your future look like in five or ten years if nothing changes? Can you live with this?
2. Beware when you are keeping critical information from those who love you most. You may be a minister who is considering moving to serve a new congregation. Yet as you talk about this offer to your closest friends, you are leaving out significant information. Could it be they might say something you don’t want to hear? Could this be a red flag?
3. Don’t make a commitment to something knowing that you will only be content if this situation or this person changes. Commit to what you have right in front of you — not to perceived potential.

Jim Martin

God’s prophets to Israel and Judah had a difficult task. Their message was not a popular one and many refused to believe them. There were also competing messages from some who called themselves God’s prophets. No wonder the people were confused!

As the nation of Judah headed towards eventual exile in Babylon, God had his prophet Jeremiah enact what was going to happen. Early in King Zedekiah’s reign God told Jeremiah to make a yoke, like oxen would use to pull plows and wagons (many would more likely use horses today). The yoke forced the animal to serve its owner by pulling.

Jeremiah was to wear this yoke to symbolize that Judah would submit to the “yoke of servitude” of the king of Babylon and he was to announce that Judah would have to submit to Babylon (Jeremiah 27:1-11). Later that year Jeremiah ran into opposition from another prophet. 

“The prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon, spoke to Jeremiah in the Lord’s temple in the presence of the priests and all the people: ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says, “I will break the yoke of servitude to the king of Babylon. Before two years are over, I will bring back to this place everything that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took from it and carried away to Babylon. I will also bring back to this place Jehoiakim’s son King Jeconiah of Judah and all the exiles who were taken to Babylon.” Indeed, the Lord affirms, “I will break the yoke of servitude to the king of Babylon.”’” (Jeremiah 28:1-4 NET)

There were now two messages being proclaimed by two prophets, both claiming that their message was from God. This would have been confusing to the people who heard them. How could they tell who was telling the truth and what the message from God really was? Notice Jeremiah’s wise counsel.

“Amen! May the Lord do all this! May the Lord make your prophecy come true! May he bring back to this place from Babylon all the valuable articles taken from the Lord’s temple and the people who were carried into exile. But listen to what I say to you and to all these people. From earliest times, the prophets who preceded you and me invariably prophesied war, disaster, and plagues against many countries and great kingdoms. So if a prophet prophesied peace and prosperity, it was only known that the Lord truly sent him when what he prophesied came true.” (Jeremiah 28:6-9)

How could people tell who was God’s real prophet? It was the one whose prophecy came true. It really was quite simple.

So often people seem to think that ‘might makes right’ – and Hananiah seems to have been such a person. He didn’t like Jeremiah’s response so he took the yoke Jeremiah was wearing and broke it, saying the Lord would break the yoke of servitude to Babylon in the same way.

Jeremiah’s response to Hannah was short and to the point: “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord did not send you! You are making these people trust in a lie. So the Lord says, ‘I will most assuredly remove you from the face of the earth. You will die this very year because you have counseled rebellion against the Lord’” (Jeremiah 28:15-16).

So who was the true prophet of God? When Hananiah died two months later (Jeremiah 28:17), Jeremiah was shown to be God’s true prophet.

This isn’t too different from situations in which we may find ourselves. There are those who proclaim a different message. How do people tell the difference?

Today we have God’s word in written form. So the question is: which message can be backed up by what God says? The people of Berea were commended for “examining the scriptures carefully every day to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11). Can anything less be expected of us?

by Jon Galloway

“How are you?”

“Doing fine, how about you?”

“All good here.”

How many of these sorts of conversations have you had? Pleasantries exchanged, nothing real, nothing significant and nothing helpful. Look, I know we don’t want to run down the list of all of our issues in every conversation, with every person we encounter. That being said, there should be a different sort of communication that we can engage in with those brothers and sisters within our spiritual family. The idea of sharing highs and lows with one another is a biblical principle (Galatians 6:2, Romans 12:15). So, the question is, why don’t we share more, with those folks who understand the challenges of life from a spiritual perspective? Here are just a few potential reasons:

• Yep, that sounds ugly, but let’s face it, our own arrogance can be a barrier to sharing our lives with our fellow Christians. Maybe we have painstakingly forged a persona and that persona doesn’t allow for admitting spiritual/physical/emotional challenges. Our self-esteem will be impacted if we show a crack in the armor, our persona damaged. It takes courage to allow others to see our struggles.

• This can be a pretty long list. Fear of being judged harshly. Fear of a self-righteous response. Fear of our issues “getting out”. Fear of how we might be perceived going forward. Fear of being misunderstood. There are any number of fears that we equate with personal risk, but some risks might be worth taking.

•  More specifically the lack of them. Building a level of trust that allows us to be able to share our challenges/concerns with others, requires intentional time and effort. Relationships don’t just happen, they are created. Trust is wrought.

• You know how this might go. If I share things with someone, they might do the same with me! Now we have created a situation. We now have a degree of responsibility to be helpful to the person that we initially were hoping to get some perspective from to help ourselves. The idea of reciprocating is fundamental to creating good relationships. It can’t always just be about me.

• Why would I need anyone to lean on, any other perspective, someone to pray for me, a sounding board to bounce ideas off of? We are a self-sufficient lot aren’t we? We typically feel that we can do it ourselves, whatever “it” is. Overconfidence is self-limiting. By only relying on ourselves, we build a tight box around our potential.

• We have been fooled. Somehow, we have bought into the busyness that defines our society. We struggle to find the time to do all of the things expected of us professionally, in school and in our community. Even worse, those things are ever in front of us and demand a daily response. In many cases, taking time to be with our Christian family has become something we only work into our calendars when we can. Loving one another is an action. Action requires our time.  (John 13:34, 1 John 3:18)

Life is difficult. Life is challenging. Life is wonderful. God has established a spiritual family, to encourage, to support, to cheer and to cry… together. The opportunity to serve one another by participating in each other’s lives (Galatians 5:13) is unlimited. Work to grow closer through the lens of God’s word. Prefer one another. (Romans 12:10)

Dean Murphy

The clouds above squeezed out a raindrop. Below this little droplet set a house at the peak of a mountain. This house wasn’t sitting on just any mountain though. It was sitting at the peak of a mountain on the Great Continental Divide. As all the other droplets hit the roof, they were sent to one side of the divide or the other. Some would fall off to one side of the divide and began heading to the Pacific Ocean. Other drops fell off the opposite side and headed for the Atlantic Ocean. The little water drop continued to fall and was just about to hit the peak of the roof.  It looked as if it was going to end up on the Atlantic side. Just then, a little puff of wind came. This gentle breath of air caused the little droplet to change directions, landing it on the Pacific side. At just the right moment, this little puff of wind changed the raindrop’s path. This small wind resulted in a massive change in direction.

We see people every day. Going about their normal lives. Doing the things they normally do. Sometimes we talk with them. Sometimes we joke with them. Maybe at times we even develop friendships with them. These people are currently heading towards one of two spiritual destinations (Matthew 25:34, 41). What we do with the people we meet can drastically change their eternal end.

With some people, it may take just a little puff of wind to change their direction. This could be a brief conversation about God. This could come by answering some simple questions about the Bible. This could come by handing out an article or other religious material. This could come through a simple invitation to a Bible study. This could even come through an invitation to worship.

The worst possible thing we can do is nothing. What we might view as a small or insignificant act could very well change someone’s eternal direction. As Christians, our job is simply to spread the seed (Matthew 13) and bring people to Christ (Matthew 28:19-20).  It may not happen right away, but that little “puff of wind” could result in a person finding eternal glory in heaven. There is nothing greater!

Brett Petrillo

Even though we live in the “information age” it has not led to certainty, but uncertainty. The “information age” has not led us to truth, but to the belief that there is no absolute truth. Instead of leading us to trust, it has led us to doubt. Instead of leading us to an authority, it has led us to believe there is no authority. Instead of leading us to unity, it has led us to anarchy. It was not too many years ago that people looked to God and His Word as the authority, but since we have gotten into the “information age,” many have lost their faith in God and especially in His word as being the authority to guide our lives. To save ourselves and our nation we must return to the Word of God which is only revealed in the Bible!

We must return to the Word of God because it came from heaven, the throne of God, and it offers certainty to calm our confused minds. The psalmist said, “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven” (119:89). The literal meaning of “settled” is “stands firm.” His Word is not going to change. We can always depend on it to give us certainty and trust. It is interesting to note the many ways that the Bible describes the Word of God and with each description one finds a blessing. It is called…

The Word of Truth (Colossians 1:5). We may doubt that the word in the “information age” is truth because it comes from man, but God’s word is truth (John 17:17). It is God’s truth that sets us free from information from human ideas (John 8:32).

The Word of Grace (Acts 14:3; 20:32). The blessing is that we do have to earn it – we cannot earn it! God recognizes our weakness and made up for that weakness by sending His beloved Son. We can receive God’s grace if we are obedient to the word that tells us about God’s grace.

The Word of Reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:19). Even though we cannot keep the Word of truth perfectly, when we follow the Word of grace to the best of our ability, God enables us to be reconciled to Him by our obedience to the Word of reconciliation. Our sin had separated us from God (Ephesians 2:12) and we were wandering in darkness (Ephesians 5:6) as aliens from God. But, the love of God gave us the Word of reconciliation so that we could have fellowship with Him (I Corinthians 1:9).

The Word (message) of Salvation (Acts 13:26). God blesses us in our daily life, but the “bottom line” is salvation for eternal life. God wants fellowship in eternity with those whom He has created. Therefore, He has given us the Word of salvation so that we can prepare for eternity.

The Word of Life (Philippians 2:16). During His personal ministry Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Jesus did not come to make life a burden. He came so that we can have life in abundance. That thought could be expanded to help us understand all that entails. Paul used the phrase “word of life” as to what Christians ought to offer a dark sinful world. “So that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights to the world, holding fast the word of life” (Philippians 2:15-16). God’s word tells us what life is all about – both on earth and in eternity.

The Word of the Gospel (Acts 15:7). After thinking about the other phrases involving the “Word of God” it is surprise that it is called the Word of good news! “Gospel” is a great summary of all that the Word of God brings to men.

Those of us who have absorbed the Word of God have experienced all the blessings that Word brings. We need to bring to this dark, unstable, confused world, the Word of God. They need what God wants to give them!

Wayne Burger

HE STILL SERVES

He’s in his mid-70’s.

He goes out to the cemetery and neatly mows and trims a grave with his own mower and weed-whacker.

He’s a veteran. He served three tours in Vietnam. T-h-r-e-e.

The grave he cares for in Resthaven Cemetery/Duncan, OK is that of another veteran; a veteran of WWII.

Mind you, he doesn’t do this only on occasion; he does it regularly. In fact, he couldn’t imagine not doing it.

Whenever he goes, he takes a friend with him. Doesn’t that make you smile? “Many hands make light work.”

Oh, and one more thing … the veteran has no feet.

No. Feet.

And he uses a push mower.

So why not just go and do likewise? On Sat., May 27. At 10 AM. And beyond.

Bring a push mower or trimmer. Pick up wind-borne trash and fallen limbs.

Volunteer. Do good. With a smile. Show respect for our veterans.

Whether or not you have feet.

Serve.

David Smith

A Chinese legend tells of some cultured gentlemen who often met to exchange wisdom and drink tea.  Each host tried to impress the guests with the finest and most costly teas.  When it came time for the most esteemed and respected one of the group to entertain, he served what appeared to be a truly exquisite tea.  He showcased a small golden box.  Glistening in the light, the host opened the lid and carefully measured out the tea leaves.  After drinking the tea, the guests praised the host for this most exceptional tea.  The host smiled and said, “The tea you have found so delightful is the same tea our peasants drink.  I hope it will be a reminder to all that the good things in life are not necessarily the rarest or the most costly.”

What a great reminder!  Truly all of the greatest parts of this life are free because the greatest parts are the ones that come from God.  Take Romans 6:23 for example, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Consider Ephesians 1:6-8 as well, “to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us…”

The eternal life, grace, redemption, and forgiveness God offers us doesn’t cost us a dime.  These gifts aren’t even rare since they are offered to everyone on earth.  We don’t have to scour to the ends of the earth to find these incredible blessings.  We don’t have to complete some impossible tasks.  God freely gives them.

What does make these gifts rare, however, is the fact that so many in this life reject them (Acts 4:11-12).  It seems the Lord’s precious gifts have the opposite effect as in the story above.  The Lord’s box isn’t flashy and expensive-looking.  Instead, it appears simple and meek (i.e. Christ), yet it contains the greatest parts of this life.  Many do not see the tremendous value found in Christ and His gifts.  What a tragedy this is.

Let’s remember how little we had to pay for God’s incredible gifts to us.  Let’s accept these gifts through obedience to God (Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3:21).  Above all, let’s praise the Lord for giving us far beyond what we deserve (Romans 6:23).

Brett Petrillo

Each time I mull over and meditate on the verses within this chapter, I try to treat them as though they’re new to me—as though I’ve never read them before.  I’ve been trying not to bring my prejudices and preconceptions to the text; I just want the Word to teach me.  Here’s what I’ve gleaned thus far:

1. The context of the chapter is miraculous; Paul mentions gifts of tongues, prophecies, faith and knowledge (v. 2).

1. Chapter thirteen is actually sandwiched between two other chapters concerning miraculous gifts. Chapter twelve addresses the number and MANIFESTATION of gifts, chapter fourteen addresses the use and REGULATION of gifts, while chapter thirteen addresses the DURATION of gifts.

1. Each member of the Corinth congregation who possessed a gift was able to exercise it of their own free will and volition (cf. 14:32). Unlike many Pentecostals today, there was no out-of-control, frantic behavior by those who had received an endowment.

1. Not everybody who exercised their miraculous gift did so with the right intent. Some used it with selfish, proud and arrogant motives rather than for the edification of the church body at large (v. 3). “Look at me! Look at the gift I possess!” The underlying problem that permeated Corinth was division (cf. 1:10ff), and ultimately what created the division in the first place was a lack of love.

1. Agapē love is based upon a decision as opposed to a feeling.

1. Love (vv. 4-8a) is expressed by what it does positively (e.g., patience, kindness, bears-believes-hopes-endures all), as well as by what it doesn’t do negatively (e.g., envies, parades, puffs up, behaves rudely, seeks its own, is provoked, thinks evil, rejoices in iniquity).

1. It is possible to understand, from an historical perspective, how the lack of love hurt the church at Corinth and still act in an unloving fashion today.

1. The apostle made a clear distinction between those gifts which were temporary (e.g., miraculous) and the gifts that were permanent (e.g. faith, hope and love). See #2—and remember DURATION.

1. Paul distinguished between that which was “in part” (v. 10b) and that which was “perfect” (v. 10a). The Word was being received in part/fragments—while the finished, finalized (Jude 3) Word would be perfect/complete (cf. Eph. 4:11-13).

1. The miraculous gift period of the early church was child-like and immature because it did not possess the finalized, entire Word of God (v. 11). It only had bits and segments of the whole, divine revelation.

1. The miraculous gift period of the early church was like looking into a cloudy, brass mirror (v. 12). But when God fully and finally revealed the totality of His Word in the latter part of the 1st century, the church’s insight would no longer be obscured, and she would be able to see and understand the Father’s will from a sharper and richer perspective (i.e., “face to face”).

1. Paul couldn’t have been talking about the return of Jesus when he said, “When that which is perfect is come,” and I don’t need a degree in Greek language to know that: a)  If “that which is perfect” refers to Jesus at His final coming, THEN ALL MIRACULOUS GIFTS ARE PRESENT IN THE CHURCH TODAY.  But Paul didn’t say, “These twelve…”, he said, “these three” (v. 13), and b) If “that which is perfect” refers to Jesus at His final coming, THEN WE DO NOT HAVE THE COMPLETE, FINALIZED WORD OF GOD TODAY.

1. Even though miraculous gifts are no longer employed in the 21^st century, love must continue to be practiced.

Mike Benson

As Christians we are called to love like God (John 13:34). If we are to love each other in the same way that God loved us we need to ask how God shows His love? People claim that there are generally five love languages that every person relates to:

• Words of Affirmation
• Quality Time
• Gift Giving
• Acts of Service
• Physical touch

Each one of us feels love in different ways. Your love language may be different than mine, and your spouse’s love language may not be the same as yours. God has shown His creation that He loves us by speaking and interacting with us using all five languages.

Words of affirmation. When we use words of affirmation we think of phrases like: “You’re the only one for me baby” or “You mean so much to me” or even “Let’s go get Krispy Kreme.”  We use words of affirmation to show our love to our significant others. God has done the same for us. In showing His love God said to us, “For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you” (Isa. 54:10). God uses words of affirmation and has told us that His love will never depart from us. Even when we deserted Him and chose to live a life of sin, God still kept His word. He loved us even when we were corrupted by sin (Rom. 5:8). Words of affirmation are a way to tell someone how you feel. God opened up to us through His word, and He revealed that He loves us more than we will ever be able to understand.

Quality time. God desires nothing more than to spend quality time with His creation. In the beginning God spent quality time in the presence of Adam and Eve. He longs for this to be the case again in heaven. Sin ruined any chance of spending quality time with Him. But God showed that He loved us. And He looks forward to the day when He can dwell with His children for an eternity. 1 John 4:16 says, “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” I can’t think of a better way to spend quality time with God than by having Him abide in me. He loves us and He desires to spend quality time with you and me.

Gift giving.  God has clearly expressed His love to us through gift giving by giving us someone that is invaluable. “God showed His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). Want to see God’s love? Look at what He has sacrificed for you. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” God expressed His love by giving a gift that has the power to eternally change our spiritual outcome. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). There is no denying that God has expressed His love to us through gifts.

Acts of service. A person that feels loved through acts of service enjoys acts such as: cleaning out the garage, washing the car, doing the dishes, or folding the laundry. They feel loved because they recognize that their spouse cares enough about them to make their life easier. It’s love that is felt when a spouse sacrifices their time and energy to do something for you. God has shown His love to us through several different acts of service. Christ took on the sin of the world so that we wouldn’t be condemned by it. Christ illustrated this in the flesh when He washed the disciples’ feet (John 13). What does this say about God? It says that He loves you more than you love yourself. It says that the God of the universe is willing to place Himself below His own creation. It says that God’s love is so perfect and strong that He will grab a rag and wash the feet of imperfect men. There’s no denying that someone loves you when they are willing to humble themselves and serve you. This is exactly what God has done for us.

Physical touch. A person that feels loved through physical touch is looking for connection. They feel love when they are close to their spouse, they experience love through the physical side of their relationship. While God doesn’t physically touch us today to show His love, He has done it in the past. Mark 1:40ff, “And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.” Leprosy was a disease that immediately made you an outcast. If you had this disease you were considered unclean and you were forced to live in isolation from everyone else (Lev. 13:45-46). The leper was forced to live alone because this disease was spread through physical touch. This is what makes what Jesus did even more incredible. Jesus didn’t have to touch the leper, but He went above and beyond by physically touching him. God expressed His love through the physical touch of a compassionate Savior.

We serve a God that has displayed His love to us perfectly. He has shown it to each one of us, and we will never deserve the love that He gives. Thank God for His love!

Carl Pollard

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

“Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, ‘Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread’” (Matthew 15:1-2, NKJV).

Few things are more polarizing and divisive than tradition. One group will say, “That is our tradition so we must do it.” Opponents will counter, “That is just your tradition, it has no validity or authority.” To conservatives, traditions seem sacrosanct. To those of a more liberal or progressive nature, to label something as “tradition” is to condemn it to obsolescence and irrelevance.

Those working in other cultures may often be frustrated by unbreakable traditions. An Asian woman may cook with unhygienic and inefficient methods, but if that is the way her mother and grandmother cooked, good luck with getting her to change. In every nation, things continue to be done in accordance with time-honored principles which are rarely or never examined critically. It is simply “the way we do it here.” That attitude is often a barrier to constructive change.

The scribes and Pharisees of New Testament times were by no means the first traditionalists, nor were they the last. I once was a part of a congregation which closed every service with a song following (not preceding) the final prayer. They had no concept that this was a mandatory order from Scripture, but it was their habit and they had no need or desire to change it. Neither did they insist that other congregations adopt their practice.

In Bangladesh most (maybe all) congregations will pass the emblems of the Lord’s Supper, with each participant holding his or her piece of bread or cup of juice until all have been served, then they will eat or drink it together at the same time. There is a sense of fellowship which accompanies that shared partaking that gives special meaning to the observance. That is a local tradition which I can appreciate without any necessity to bind it upon anyone else.

Frequently, however, traditionalists have confused their preferences with eternal truth, as did the Jewish leaders who complained to Jesus. I once encountered a family which had ceased attending the services of the Church because the congregation had changed the order of worship. To them, things should proceed in a certain order without variation. Anything else was wrong.

The Pharisees had elevated the opinions of former Rabbis to the status of Law. Part of their commitment to the Law was to follow all of the traditions (written applications) of the elders (scholars of the past) as perfectly as was possible.

Their zeal for the Law was admirable; however, they took it even further. They used their own devotion to the traditions as a standard by which to judge others. It was no longer enough to state, “God says;” one must also be aware of what the elders had said on any given subject. To violate their interpretation was to sin, whether that interpretation had clear Scriptural authority or not.

Jesus responded emphatically to their criticism of his disciples. “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition” (Matthew 15:3)? He then gave an illustration which proved his accusation true (cf. verses 4-6).

Tradition or habit is ethically and doctrinally neutral. A thing is not right or wrong just because it is or is not traditional. Sometimes change refreshes us and helps us to focus on what we are doing. Sometimes familiarity generates comfort and security, enabling us to endure difficult circumstances.

One should not continue to do the same things in the same ways only because “that is the way we do it here.” Neither should one change “just for the sake of change.” Let us live thoughtfully, with purpose, embracing those things from our past that are true and helpful, while also accepting new ideas and methods that are the same.

Michael Brooks

A woman accidently locked herself out of her car. A man was passing by and noticed the woman’s distress. “Are you locked out?” he asked. She indicated she was and so the man ran off to get the standard tool for such a problem – a coat hanger. He returned, fashioning this hanger into the appropriate shape when he asked, “Wait, are you positive this is your car?” The woman looked more closely and started to notice a few subtle differences. The truth was starting to dawn on her. “Oh no! This isn’t my car.” (SermonIllustrations.com, adapted).

It always pays to do a little questioning, searching, and investigating. This especially makes sense in our world of dramatic and diametrically opposite opinions on, what seems like, every topic. Religious truth is no exception. While it is more important than ever to search for the truth on current topics, searching for spiritual is absolutely vital.

Back in the First Century, the Bereans were known for their diligent search for religious truth. Acts 17:11-12 says, “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men.”

With so many different religions and beliefs, it can be extremely difficult to figure out which one is true (Matthew 7:15-23; Ephesians 4:4-6).  However, the truth can be found!  In fact, God has promised us that those who seek the truth will find the truth on spiritual matters (Matthew 7:7-8).  However, like the Bereans, we have to diligently and eagerly search the Scriptures in order to find the truth.

Let’s never blindly accept something without support, especially spiritual matters.  Let’s adopt the Bereans love and eagerness for truth and constantly investigate the Scriptures to make sure the things we believe are right and true.

Brett Petrillo