Joe and Sam were talking one day.  Joe said, “My wife asked me to buy organic vegetables from the market garden.”

“So were you able to find some?” asked Sam.

“Well when I got to the market, I said to the gardener, ‘These vegetables are for my wife. Have they been sprayed with any poisonous chemicals?’  The gardener said, ‘No, you’ll have to do that yourself.’ ”

There are some things in life that you have to do for yourself.

Your parents can’t do them for you, nor can your spouse or your best friend. Only you.

Whenever people try to point out the “contradictions” in the Bible, they will frequently point to Galatians 6.  They say, “Paul contradicted himself within just a few short sentences.”  He said in verse 2, “Bear one another’s burdens” and then shortly after that, in verse 5, he said, “For each one shall bear his own load.”

“There, that proves that the Bible is contradictory!”  Nonsense!

Giving it just a small amount of thought will cause you to realize that while there are many areas where we need to help carry the load of our brothers and sisters in Christ (being there in times of sickness or sadness, for example), there are other areas where we cannot do that.

We can help carry the burden of difficulties this life has to offer, but we cannot carry the burden of responsibilities we each have.

In regard to salvation, for example, I can’t be saved for you.  I can teach you, I can encourage you, but I can’t do anything to save you.

That’s a load that you must bear.

In like manner, I can’t fulfill your responsibility to live morally, to visit those in need, or to give as you ought.  In areas of responsibility, you must carry your own load and I must carry mine.

“But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.  For each one shall bear his own load.” (Gal. 6:4-5)

As the gardener put it so well, “You’ll have to do that yourself!”

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

I was recently reading again the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians. I was preparing a sermon on finding some joy during the holidays when it’s hard.

Although I’ve read this little letter many times, it occurred to me to see it through the eyes of painful experiences. Paul is in prison, not because of a crime. He is concerned about how people are talking about him, using his imprisonment as a source of gossip and profit. He’s concerned about how unjust this situation is. He is thinking about two women in the church who are not getting along – women he thinks highly of and wants to urge to mend their fences. Other things are on his mind also.

So here we are. A time of year when the world sings sentimental songs, has family gatherings, and offers gifts to others …. many are left behind in sadness and discouragement. Whether it’s death, financial loss, relationships crumbling, mental health debilitating, or failing physical health -those are the kinds of things that do not care if it’s Christmas or not.

It’s important to me to share some thoughts from a fellow struggler during this sometimes extra difficult time. All references are from the book of Philippians, found in the New Testament.

1. Let memories bring joy. (1:3)

2. God isn’t through yet, hang on. (1:6)

3. Bad experiences are not the end of the story. (1:12)

4. The prayers of others are a comfort. (1:19)

5. No matter what happens, hang on to Christ. (1:20)

6. Whatever happens, conduct yourself as Christ would. (1:27)

7. We are not alone in our suffering. (1:29-30)

8. How can you serve others? That will get the focus off of self. (2:4)

9. Recovery is an ongoing process. (2:12-13)

10. Minimalize conflict with others. Set boundaries. (2:14-15)

11. Realize that joy can be found even in suffering. (2:17)

12. Look out for others. (2:21)

13. In losses, find the gain in Christ. (3:7-8)

14. Remember Christ suffered as well. He knows. (3:10-11)

15. Nobody’s perfect. You don’t have to feel pressure to do this well. (3:12-14)

16. Try to move forward. (3:16)

17. Turn from anxiety to prayer. (4:6)

18. Expect unexpected peace. (4:7)

19. Choose to think about the right things. (4:8)

20. You are going to make it, friend. (4:12-13)

21. God will meet our needs. (4:19)

22. God’s grace will calm your spirit. (4:23)

Remember to read each of these as written from the hands of someone in pain and loss, constricted from the life he would have liked to live. And I hope that if this is a sad Christmas time for you, you will find a little relief, hope, even joy, in spending time in this letter from Paul to his friends in Philippi.

__________________________________

Links

Encouragements For Strugglers Available Online at:

https://johndobbs.substack.com/p/22-encouragements-for-strugglers

Link to Sermon: When The Holidays Are Hard

https://forsythesermons.substack.com/p/when-the-holidays-are-hard

John Dobbs

The Bible very clearly declares that obedience to God’s will is essential to one’s salvation (Matt. 7:21). If one is deceived or led astray, he cannot render that obedience; hence the warning of the text: “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.” The importance of this subject is also seen from 2 Timothy 3:1, 13.

DECEPTION IS NOT INEVITABLE:

The text implies that much. In John 7:17, Jesus says, “If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.” He also says in Matthew 13:12: “For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”

WAYS AND MEANS OF BEING DECEIVED:

Sin can be deceptive. In Hebrews 3:13, the writer encourages us: “encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” In Revelation 12:9, we see this is the primary modus operandi of Satan: “And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” Then in Romans 7:17, Paul writes: “So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.”

The serpent, finding occasion through the commandment, beguiled Eve, and through it separated her from God (Gen. 3:1ff; 2 Cor. 11:3). Sin is, indeed, deceptive.

Riches are deceptive. In Matthew 13:22, Jesus tells us: “And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” Also, in Mark 10:24-25, we read: “The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Riches promise many of the same blessings that God does. A trust in riches renders impossible a complete trust in God. Therefore, the claims of riches are deceitful.

False wisdom is deceitful. Paul discusses this in Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” He offers similar warning to the Christians in Ephesus: “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience” (Eph. 5:6). He also warns the Christians in Rome: “For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting” (Rom. 16:18).

Finally, people who misuse Scripture (Rom. 16:18) deceive the simple-minded. In 2 Corinthians 4:2, Paul writes: “we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” There are those who “adulterate the word of God.” Back in 2:17, he had already written: “we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.” This is like a peddler who adulterates his goods or puts the best on top so as to deceive.

Yes, Satan will use any means at his disposable to deceive us (cf. 2 Thess. 2:3).

HOW TO AVOID BEING DECEIVED:

By exercising personal care (Matt. 24:4; 15:14) and by listening to and searching the Scriptures (Acts 17:11-12). Finally, by manifesting the proper attitude toward the truth: loving it and believing it (2 Thess. 2:10-12).

It is not the will of God that anyone should perish (2 Peter 3:9) and it is certain that He will not permit His trusting child, who is doing his best, to be led astray (1 Cor. 10:13).

the late Wayne Holland
from a sermon preached:
Hiawassee, GA (1/22/1984)
Roxboro, NC (11/18/1990)
Henderson, NC (4/5/1998)

Lots of things experience dormancy. Many species of plants for example. Look out your window at the deciduous trees (the ones that have lost their leaves for the winter). They are dormant. Many animals also experience dormancy, and it comes in a variety of forms. Hibernation is a sort of dormancy. Dormancy means that an organism stops growing, stops developing and largely ceases activity. Dormancy results when adverse conditions occur and a plant or an animal recognizes that to survive, it must cease normal “life” and put the brakes on growth, development, and activity. Dormancy comes in a couple of ways. Predictive dormancy happens when the length of days shortens, temperatures lower or water is limited. The organism reacts to signs like these and goes dormant prior to adverse conditions. Consequential dormancy happens after the fact. After unpredictable environmental conditions worsen, the plant or animal reacts by going dormant.

Dormancy happens to people too. It even happens to Christians. Think back to this time last year. You were growing in God’s Word (Ephesians 4:13-16), developing your thinking and behavior to mirror the qualities listed in Galatians 5:22-23 and 2 Peter 1:5-8, and you were actively sharing God’s word through your words and actions (Titus 2:7-8). Then a sort of consequential dormancy occurred, starting in the spring of 2020. Our unpredictable environment did what it is prone to do, and was, well, unpredictable. Dormancy has its place. For a period of time, it allows us to protect ourselves and limit damage that might come from adverse environmental conditions. But here’s the thing…dormancy has to come to an end. Ideally, the plant or animal comes out of dormancy in a position to THRIVE!

This is the question I suppose. Are we ready to exit a dormant state and thrive in this new year? Maybe our willingness to stop being dormant is a result of taking a new perspective on the environmental conditions around us. If we stop focusing exclusively on our worldly environment and consider that our spiritual environment is incredibly stable and predictable, we might feel better about making changes that allow us to thrive.

Remember these things. God is still God (Isaiah 45:1-7). God is still on His throne, he loves us and he continues to be in control of this world (Isaiah 55:8-9). The sacrifice of Christ still stands (Hebrews 10:1-18), and as a result we have an expectant hope of one day finding ourselves in the environment of heaven. It’s time to thrive…

Dean Murphy

We often associate the word, “yes,” with a positive mood. That simple word is the entrance for opportunity, the fulfillment of service, and the optimists’ answer. It has been ingrained in our minds that we do good by saying “yes” in our life. We believe that any other alternative is to suggest and promote a substandard spirit. Saying “no” truly is an art that one has to master. It isn’t used often, nor should it be, but needs to be expressed in the right situation.

Despite our natural tendency to say “yes,” we see the Messiah offer an attitude of “no” on several occasions. Here are two quick points in which Jesus rejected the plan at hand to stay true to God’s plan. While there are many other scriptures to infer Jesus’ opposition of a situation, these two examples serve as overarching areas in our life in which we need to tell others “no.”

Jesus Said “No” To The Crowds (Mark 1:35) – Prior to this passage, Jesus is seen healing many people. One great example that our Lord offers us is the departure from good deeds in order to nurture His personal relationship with the Father. Our inability to tell others that we aren’t available or we can’t help can sometimes stand in the way of our communion with God. Once more, Jesus was one who was consistently active in good deeds; though that didn’t stop Him from refusing the crowds at times.

Jesus Said “No” To Worldly Temptation (Matthew 4:1-11) – There’s a lot to be said in James’ sage wisdom of “resisting the devil and having him flee from you” and this example of Jesus fits that exhortation perfectly (James 4:7). Jesus resisted Satan three times and he eventually fled. Unfortunately, we are too eager to say “yes” to temptation, and the Devil seldom needs a second chance to persuade us into our desires. We can be entrapped by the temptation of sin where we think our only option is to say “yes,” but we must be resilient in our remembrance that “no” is always an alternative.

I believe we can learn a lot from Jesus’ approach in how he handled His time. He was often seen with His disciples as they ministered to those in need, but He also made sure to take time for His connection to God. In addition to that, Jesus resisted the devil and by doing so, was able to offer a perfect sacrifice for humanity. Can our “yes” take us away from God or completely burn us out of performing good deeds? Can our “yes” not only entangle us in sin, but also lead others to the doorpost of Satan as well? We must be diligent in our responses to this life, and not agreeing to a situation just to have the mind of an optimist or an opportunist.

Tyler King

To get your concealed carry permit for a firearm in Kentucky, you can expect to undergo a background check, complete gun safety training, and pay a fee. There is a minimum age requirement, and there are other conditions to meet while holding a permit (which can be revoked or suspended). Did you know that in 2020, there were over 68,000 permits either issued or renewed? Since 1996, well over one million have been issued and renewed here. What does all that mean? It means that there are a lot of people you run into on the road, in the store, and just about any other public place who are carrying and you don’t know it.

I do not mention any of this to induce or participate in a Second Amendment debate. There is a different type of “concealed carrier” which Jesus does not approve of. He preaches about it in His sermon on the Mount. He says, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Mat. 5:14-16).  Jesus exhorts His disciples not to conceal the light of their influence.

It is impossible for a true disciple to conceal their influence (14). Truly, one can claim to be a follower of Christ in an affirming environment like at church services or around Christians. Yet, if we can be around people away from these “easy” situations and no one knows, from our speech, action, attitude, and presence, that we are a Christian, how much of a disciple are we? Jesus says it should be totally obvious to everyone!

It is unprofitable for a disciple to conceal their influence (15). What good is it to be a disciple if those characteristics are suppressed and concealed? A lamp might as well be a piece of furniture if it is covered up. All the knowledge of who Jesus is and what He means is useless if we do not apply that by sharing Him in our daily lives!

It is dishonorable for a disciple to conceal their influence (16). Our “light” is connected to doing the good works of a disciple and others glorifying the Father by witnessing the fruits of our influence. If seeing Christlike influence at work honors God, what does the opposite do?

God needs us spreading the influence of Christ every day and everywhere. There is no “secret service” branch in the Lord’s Army, and He doesn’t want any “concealed carry” light-bearers! No, not practicing your righteousness to be seen of men. Instead, practicing righteousness openly and without shame as you conduct yourself among the world.

Neal Pollard

“Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me” (Isaiah 49:16 ESV).

Almost everyone has times of despondency and depression, periods when it seems that everyone and everything is against us and nothing is going right. The prophet Isaiah spoke at a time when the people of Jerusalem felt abandoned by their God. “But Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me’” (Isaiah 49:14).

God’s inspired response to their plea was two-fold. First, if a woman cannot forget her nursing baby, God cannot forget his people (verse 15). Secondly, Zion and its inhabitants were written on God’s hand – that is, always in his care and on his mind.

The idea that there is a heavenly list of the righteous and faithful permeates Scripture. We think most often of the “Book of Life” which will be open at Judgement (Revelation 20:12-15) and which contains the names of those who will be saved eternally. This book is mentioned at least seven times in Revelation (3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; 22:19).

In the Old Testament Moses demanded that God take his name out of “your book that you have written” (Exodus 32:32) if God did not forgive sinful Israel. David prayed that God would punish his enemies: “Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous” (Psalm 69:28).

Isaiah’s description of God’s people, represented by the city of Jerusalem, being engraved on his very hand is somewhat more personal, more intimate. The verb used is suggestive; translations vary from “graven” (KJV) to “inscribed” (NKJV, NASV) or “engraved” (ESV). The idea is of words being “carved into” the writing surface, not just put onto its outer layer. All of these renderings depict a permanence to the writing, and a process demanding effort and care.

At least one preacher has used this verse as the text for a sermon, giving it the title, “Does God Have a Tattoo?” Far from being frivolous or disrespectful, that idea hits home. Just as humans have written the names of loved ones into their own bodies as reminders and symbols of their affection, so God has written into his person the name(s) of that (or those) which he has chosen.

In the immediate context of these words, those whom God chose and engraved were specifically the city of Zion (Jerusalem) and its inhabitants. Yet, later verses in the same chapter expand the meaning to include the nations (Gentiles) who will come into fellowship with God and his people (Israel) (Isaiah 49:19-23). It does no injustice to Isaiah or to the teaching of the Bible at large to include all the righteous within this promise made to Zion.

A visit to any cemetery containing graves from the early twentieth or even nineteenth century will reveal that names engraved on a tombstone may be eroded to the point that they are illegible or absent. Engraving is much more permanent than surface writing, but that does not mean it can never be removed. Moses’ conversation with God included the possibility of a Divine “blotting out” of those no longer to be granted fellowship. But so long as those written are loyal to him, that will not happen.

Are we forgotten, deserted, or forsaken by God? Far from it. Just as ancient Israel and Judah sinned and were punished, so we today fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). But we do not fall from his love and care, so long as we trust in him and seek penitence and obedience. If we sin God will forgive us when we confess our sins (1 John 1:8-10). But whatever we do God loves us and seeks to bring us to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). We are inseparable from his love (Romans 8:39), engraved on his hands.

by Michael Brooks

Conditioned response describes a person’s reaction to stimuli or situations. Those of you who watch The Office are probably already thinking about Jim Halpert’s famous prank on Dwight involving Altoids.

Conditioned response is also used in defense training. It’s developed through training and repetition. With enough preparation, a person can automatically respond to life-threatening situations with optimum safety and precision, regardless of inevitable panic. It’s basically autopilot for extreme situations.

God expects us to develop a conditioned response, too. He described it (through Paul) in I Corinthians 4.11-13.

Our conditioned response to physical beatings: nothing (4.11). Paul was punched a few times and likely did nothing in retaliation. Context reinforces this understanding of his silence on the subject.

Our conditioned response to being insulted should be to compliment the offender (4.12). If not verbally, we should mentally wish them only the best and mean it.

Our conditioned response to harassment should be acceptance with patience (4.12). Our conditioned response to character defamation should be gentle appeal (4.13).

This doesn’t come naturally at all. We’re taught to stand up for ourselves and not let people run over us! There’s a time and place for self-defense, but those times are, thankfully, quite rare.

What better way to show we genuinely love people than instinctively responding the way Paul did? Jesus made that a part of who He was, and we get eternal life because of it. We can actually help others find eternal life by instinctively reacting with love!

Gary Pollard

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.” (Ephesians 5:25). The basic idea behind the word “love” in this text is that of wanting what is best for one who is loved. Husbands must want what is best for their wives. They must seek the well-being of their wives. Husbands who obey this command of God will not hurt their wives, nor will they want anyone else to hurt their wives. Further, if a husband is desiring what is best for his wife he will be doing what he can to help her spiritually so that she will live eternally in heaven.

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.”  (Ephesians 5:25). Men, we must love our wives in the same way Jesus Christ loved the church when He gave His life for the church (cf. Acts 20:28). This is a love that will cause a husband to put the needs of his wife above his own. The husband who obeys this command is willing to make sacrifices for his wife. When a man spends so much time with hobbies and friends that he is neglecting his wife, he does not have this kind of love.

“So, husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself” (Ephesians 5:28). Typically speaking, men do not deliberately harm their own bodies. It is normal for a man to avoid receiving pain and injury to his body when possible. We are not to deliberately inflict injury upon our own bodies, but rather we are to be good stewards and take care of them. When a man loves his wife as he does his own body, he will never ever beat her, and in fact will seek to defend her should someone else try to harm her.

“So, husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself”  (Ephesians 5:28). Did you notice that it says, “their own wives”? When sitting in a classroom during an exam, one will likely hear the teacher say something to  the effect of “keep your eyes on your own page.” Do the same with marriage, men. Don’t develop relationships with other women that go too far. Treat other women with respect and kindness, but don’t treat them in such a way as to develop a relationship with them that is closer than it ought to be. The love a husband has for his wife must be unique. His relationship with her must be special. He is not to give that relationship or love to any other woman.

“Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your payers may not be hindered” (1 Peter 3:7). Dwell with your wife. Live with her. Your life with your wife must be intertwined. You need to be with her. You need to spend time focused on her so that you can live with her in an understanding way. We don’t want to develop an antagonistic relationship with our wives. We don’t want to develop a relationship that is simply tolerant of the marriage. We want a living relationship with our wives that involves a commitment to communication, with an effort to listen carefully.

“Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your payers may not be hindered” (1 Peter 3:7). The word “honor” translates a Greek word that can be used in different ways depending upon the context. Some of the ideas discussed by Thayer’s Greek Lexicon that fit this context are; that which is of a great price, highly valued, or precious. In other words, men, we must treat our wives in such a way that shows they are very special and important to us. This we are to do as to the “weaker vessel”. The picture here is of someone taking that which is precious and valuable and treating it with great care because it is also that which can be broken or damaged. Treat your wife in such a way that is befitting of one who sees his wife as precious and as one he does not want to see get hurt. The term “grace” can carry with it the idea of joy. Joy that comes because of a special gift. The special gift we have is the relationship with our wives. The joy of the gift of a life together comes from a very special relationship that is precious to us.

“Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your payers may not be hindered” (1 Peter 3:7). Men, if we do not treat our wives in the manner here described, God will not hear our prayers. Our prayer will be hindered by our own attitudes. Our prayers will be hindered by the ruining of our relationship with our wives. Our prayers will not be heard by God if we are not going to treat our wives as He has commanded. God is, in essence, telling us that if we don’t treat our wives right, He is not interested in hearing what we have to say to Him. Therefore, a man must have his relationship right with his wife before he can have his relationship right with God.

By Kevin V. Rutherford

For ages, people have wondered what was on the ocean floor.  On August 15, 1934, Otis Barton and William Beebe came closer than ever before. On that day, they descended to a depth of 3,028 feet into the dark ocean, a record that remained unbroken for 15 years.

The way they achieved this was through a spherical deep-sea submersible called a bathysphere. This submersible was made from very thick cast steel. The most amazing part of this journey was when they went down and turned on the lights. What did they see?  Fish!  These fish were just roaming around as free and careless as ever. How could the fish do this? They simply compensate for the pressure outside by having equal pressure on the inside. These fish did not need thick cast steel to swim around; they were just made that way by God.

In our world, there is an unfair amount of pressure on people. This pressure comes in all forms from almost every angle. Sometimes the pressure of this life is truly enough to break someone. So, how can we handle such pressure?  The answer is not to become thick-skinned. It’s not to become cold and unfeeling. The way to handle the pressure of this life is to compensate with the right power on the inside.

Many great figures in Scripture understood this so very well. David said, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?” (Psalm 27:1).

The Lord often reassured people as well during times of great pressure. Noticed what he told Isaiah: “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God, I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

Whatever pressures we are facing, know that, as Christians, the power in us is greater than any pressure of life (1 John 4:4).

Brett Petrillo

Much of today’s theology is an effort to emulate the practices of those who were closest to Christ in the first century. Finding true Christianity begins at looking at the life of Christ and those who were first-hand witnesses of Him. It is through observation of these lives that one can come to an appreciation and a realization of how important Jesus was in the life of those who were touched by His actions.

One of the most important practices in the life of a Christian is the time spent participating in the Lord’s Supper. In fact, it is so important, that the Lord’s Supper was the basis for the early Apostles to make time in their chaotic agenda to be with the Christians and partake of the meal (Acts 20:7).

Unfortunately, the Lord’s Supper is often seen as just another checkbox in our worship rather than a time of meditation and reflection. Wayne Burger infamously stated, “people often think we come to the assembly to hear a sermon, but in reality we are here for our remembrance of Christ.”

Our world is fast-paced. We get impatient if shipping takes more than two days, if our food takes longer than 5 minutes, and if our drive to work takes an extra 5 minutes due to traffic. Yet in the midst of all this rush we have somehow become okay with expediting our time at the Lord’s table. The general command of Jesus in His installment of the Lord’s Supper was “do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). In an effort for us to draw a deeper relation to the Living King, consider some of these thoughts to meditate on in taking the Lord’s Supper:

• How do I remember Jesus from the scriptures? Even from the events outside the crucifixion?
• Can I remember the time I first believed in the Christ and how that changed everything?
• Who was Jesus as a man, and how was He perceived? What all did He accomplish?
• Who was Jesus as God? How has He been as my Master?
• How has Christ influenced people I know?
• What has Jesus given me?

By directing our attention and focus back on Jesus, we realize that the Lord’s Supper is a time for us to commune with our God. It’s a monumental experience for us to deepen our relationship and re-calibrate our minds.

Tyler King

It’s tempting to run with Jesus’ words in Matthew 24, “But of that day and hour no man knows…only the father.” We might think we’re all set or that he won’t come in our lifetime. I Thessalonians 5.1-3 reinforces the surprise nature of his return. II Peter 3 says the same. For sure, we won’t know when, but it’s good to be reminded that we aren’t promised tomorrow.

The Patriarchal Age lasted roughly 2500 years, the Law was in effect for around 1500 years, and we’ve been in the last age for nearly 2000 years. No one can point to a day, but there’s nothing wrong with living as if He’s coming back in our lifetime.

“Since all of these things will be destroyed, what kind of people should you be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hurrying God’s return?” (II Pet. 3.11).

“Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape” (I Thess. 5.1-3).

Gary Pollard

“The Lord told Jeremiah, ‘Go and buy a clay jar from a potter. Take with you some of the leaders of the people and some of the leaders of the priests. Go out to the part of the Hinnom Valley that is near the entrance of the Potsherd Gate. Announce there what I tell you.’” (Jeremiah 19:1-2 NET)

The Hinnom Valley. In Jeremiah’s time this was an area associated with one activity: idol worship. And not just any false gods were worshipped here but what would seem to be the worst ones, the ones when children were sacrificed. Jeremiah described what went on in this valley to the south of Jerusalem through the words of God himself.

“Look here! I am about to bring a disaster on this place that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it ring. I will do so because these people have rejected me and have defiled this place. They have offered sacrifices in it to other gods that neither they nor their ancestors nor the kings of Judah knew anything about. They have filled it with the blood of innocent children. They have built places here for worship of the god Baal so that they could sacrifice their children as burnt offerings to him in the fire. Such sacrifices are something I never commanded them to make. They are something I never told them to do! Indeed, such a thing never even entered my mind.” (Jeremiah 19:3-5)

You can hear the anguish of God as he described what went on in this valley. Children, innocent children, were offered as sacrifices. From what we know, children were burned alive as sacrifices to Ba’al as well as Molech. Descriptions of Molech worship tell us that the idol was of metal, a fire was lit within it, and infants were placed on the idols superheated outstretched arms to then roll into the fire. Such a thought as this is revolting. It was just as revolting to God – “such a thing never even entered my mind,” God said.

Yet these practices had been going on for years in the shadow of the God’s temple. King Ahaz, Hezekiah’s father, had sacrificed his own son (2 Kings 16:3). Manasseh, Hezekiah’s son, did the same and even worse: “Furthermore Manasseh killed so many innocent people, he stained Jerusalem with their blood from end to end, in addition to encouraging Judah to sin by doing evil in the sight of the Lord” (2 Kings 21:16). What was God’s reaction to all of this?

“The time will soon come that people will no longer call this place Topheth or the Hinnom Valley. But they will call this valley the Valley of Slaughter!’…Now break the jar in front of those who have come here with you. Tell them the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘I will do just as Jeremiah has done. I will smash this nation and this city as though it were a potter’s vessel that is broken beyond repair. The dead will be buried here in Topheth until there is no more room to bury them.’” (Jeremiah 19:6, 10-11)

God was aware of what they were doing and he was about to take action.

Jesus used this valley as a picture of hell – Gehenna (Matthew 18:5, et al). Although we often are told of a burning garbage dump, Jesus was using a more abhorrent picture for hell, that of child sacrifice which took place in this valley. Hell is not a place that we want to be near, let alone spend eternity.

The good news is that Jesus came to deliver us from such an eternity. Temptation is there, but we need to turn to Jesus for strength to resist as well as forgiveness. God does not want anyone to perish but for us all to change our lives and serve him.

The Valley of Hinnom today, Jerusalem, by Jon Galloway, 2019.

Jon Galloway

The main image of the sickle or scythe that people have is the caricature of death coming to reap (take away) life. Death is called the Grim Reaper. It is a popular image today among gamers. The sickle is an implement with a crescent-shaped blade attached to a short handle, used for cutting grain or tall grass.

In the book of Revelation, it is not Death personified, but an angel of God who wields the sickle. It is in his hand. The hand, in the Old Testament, is that part of the body “that carries out a person’s will” (Richards 324). John shares that perspective. Here, the angel is carrying out the will of God. Frank Cox noted that this angel is in the central part of seven in this part of chapter from verses 6-20 (Cox 90). It is a key section, then. This is an important moment and key action in the book.

This angel with the sharp sickle in his hand acts on cue from another angel who comes out from the temple — the habitation of God. Yet another angel comes out from the altar, representing the prayers of the saints, Revelation 6.9; 8.3-5. God is acting because the saints have prayed!

In Revelation, the hand plays an important role. See this incomplete list elsewhere.

The angel with the sharp sickle in his hand acts. “So the one seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped” 14.16. Apparently, all it took was a single swipe and the deed was done, judgment was performed.

Contrast this story of God’s judgment with Demetrius’s accurate summary of Paul’s preaching that “gods made by [human] hands are not gods at all” Acts 19.26.

The angel with the sharp sickle in his hand reminds us of several lessons:

1. God judges and does so in his time.
2. God’s judgment is swift and sure.
3. God judges and gives his people victory.
4. God’s judgment is moved by the prayers of the saints.

The judgment mentioned in Revelation 14 was on the Roman Empire. God will do more judging still. Let us watch for the hand of God and pray that he moves on behalf of his people.

WORKS CITED. COX, Frank L 1956. Revelation in 26 Lessons.  Gospel Advocate. RICHARDS, Lawrence O. 1985 Expository Dictionary of Bible Words. Zondervan.

R. Mathney

Sold

Is there anything that you own that you wouldn’t sell if the price was right? From cars to couches, from books to broaches, there is a price that you would consider if someone were willing to pay.

The tragedy of Judas is well-known to us. One of Jesus’ twelve, Judas was able to spend more personal time with the Word who became flesh than almost every other human being ever. He was present for Jesus’ public teachings. He listened to the Master teacher’s sermons. He saw the mercy of the Son of Man. His feet were washed by the Son of God.

Judas was given power over unclean spirits, and he could heal every disease and affliction (Matthew 10:1). He was given a position of responsibility as he had charge of the moneybag (John 12:6).

But Judas loved money. He “used to help himself to what was put into” that moneybag (John 12:6). John describes him bluntly as a “thief.”

To Judas, everything had a price, even his integrity.

Judas was not the first to put a price on that which should not be sold. Esau sold his birthright (Genesis 25:29-34). The nobles and officials sold their kinsmen into slavery (Nehemiah 5:7, 8). Ahab “sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the LORD” (1 Kings 21:20, 21). The people of Israel followed the example of Ahab, and “sold themselves” (2 Kings 17:17).

It is this selling of oneself that has the most disparate of outcomes. Jesus once asked, “what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? (Matthew 16:26).

No matter what a man gains in the selling of himself, he always comes out a loser.

It seems fair to assume that Judas’ love of money had a part to play in his betrayal of Jesus. He was already used to selling himself. Why not put a price on someone else? Judas knew that the chief priests wanted Jesus dead, but they needed to apprehend him quietly. Judas knew where Jesus went to be alone. He sold out his Lord and his own soul for 30 pieces of silver.

This son of destruction sealed his fate when he ended his life. Unlike the other disciples who departed from Jesus but repented and returned, Judas left no avenue for forgiveness. Sin collected on his debt.

We should be careful not think too lowly of those in Scripture and too highly of ourselves. While we have certainly never sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, I wonder to what paltry sum we have agreed?

Perhaps we’ve sold Jesus for our life, as Peter thought he did (Luke 22:54-62). Perhaps we’ve sold Jesus for our possessions as the rich young ruler did. Perhaps we’ve sold Jesus for pride like Diotrephes, or for passion like Demas. No matter the perceived gain, we will always lose that transaction.

We will sin (1 John 1:8, 10). But remember that when we sin, we have an advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1). The One we betray or deny is the One who will speak for us when we repent. Jesus valued us so highly that he redeemed us from sin (Titus 2:14), giving up his life for us (1 Corinthians 6:20).

He will never sell us.

by Lee Parish

In writing to the saints at Corinth, the apostle Paul said, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (I Cor. 6:19-20). Paul reminds the Corinthian saints of something we need to be aware of as well: that theirs was and ours is a holy and dignified calling. Our bodies and spirits belong to God – we’re not our own. It’s not for us to take our bodies and use them only in the way we desire. In the final analysis, they don’t belong to us; they belong to God and we ought to use them for His glory!

In John 15, verses 5&6, Jesus says, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.  6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” Jesus has already declared in verse 1 that He is the True Vine, but He hadn’t before declared that every disciple is a branch of the Vine. We need to understand that this message is addressed to members of His one body, not to denominations, as some would pervert the text.

A branch’s main purpose is bearing fruit.. It may be weak in itself, but it has a living relationship with the vine and can be productive. To abide in Christ means to be in communion with Him so that our lives please Him. The disciple, without Christ, can do nothing. Paul declared, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phil. 4:13).. Christ is our strength.

A Christian is a branch in Christ and I has the responsibility to bear fruit. He or she can’t get by on the fact that other branches are fruitful, each Christian must be bearing fruit in whatever way they’re capable. In addition to being a branch, a Christian is also:

A stone in the building. “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.  6Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded” (I Peter 2, verses 5 & 6). Brethren, are we telling others about that “chief corner stone?” Are we doing what we must in order to spread the message of Christ? I can’t get by on the fact that the other stones fit into their places and do their work well in supporting the building. I have to do my part as well.

A Christian is a candle on the candlestick and must personally shine. “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5, verses 14-16). This is perhaps one of the more powerful Bible passages about our responsibility to teach and evangelize others. We must let our light shine, that doesn’t mean we shine it in the face of others to blind them or force our beliefs on them. We let it shine so that it can be seen by others and be used to lead them to Christ. That’s the purpose of letting our lights shine. We’re to do it before men. Not in a way that will draw attention to ourselves just for the sake of having others see us (Matthew 6:1), but so that those who need to be led to Christ can see our light and find Him. Christ is the light, you see, and we’ll reflect His light if we walk in it.

According to Matthew 25, each of us has at least one talent, and we have a personal responsibility and an obligation to use what we have for the glory of God.

– R. W. McAlister

The Tennessean, Nashville’s daily newspaper, in a front page story on Monday, April 15, related the recent rift in the United Methodist denomination between the liberals and the conservatives. Last week’s “Hugh’s News & Views” was already written and in the mail pipeline when the newspaper report appeared, so an article—this one—that the story prompted had to wait until this week.

The first four paragraphs of the newspaper article capture the gist of the story. They were as follows:

“The United Methodist Church losing a quarter of its churches in five years is just the start.

“The proposed budget to the upcoming UMC General Conference—the denomination’s top legislative assembly, which meets every four years—is $23.8 million less than the last spending plan.

“The proposed budget recommends 17 fewer bishops, so that one of the denomination’s seven general funds doesn’t run a deficit. Meanwhile, the regional conference staff that those bishops oversee has already faced cuts and a consolidation of administrative duties.

“The upcoming UMC General Conference in Charlotte begins April 22 for a long-awaited and unquestionably consequential summit. The international delegation is meeting for a regular session for the first time in eight years, a time in which conservatives led an exodus out of the United Methodist Church following disagreements about theology and church policy, including dealing with LGBTQ + rights.”

Please note: The budget for the UMC calls for seventeen fewer bishops and a consolidation of their administrative duties. What if all Methodist bishops were eliminated? What if the entire Methodist hierarchy were dismantled? What if the United Methodist Church quietly closed all its church building’s doors, turned some of them into shelters for the homeless, and homes for the widows, the orphans, the neglected? What if the remaining properties were sold and the proceeds given to the poor? If the United Methodist Church folded in its entirety would that be the end of the Christian faith? I dare say no one would answer in the affirmative. The world could do without the Methodist Church and still have the religion of Christ. After all, we had Christianity and the church that Christ established for seventeen hundred years before the Methodist Church was ever conceived!

The Methodist Church arose in the first half of the eighteenth century out of the efforts of John and Charles Wesley to reform the Church of England. The Wesleys sought to bring a greater degree of piety to the cold, formal Church of England and to infuse it with stricter methods (hence, “Methodists”) of prayer, meditation, and ways of ministering to the poor, the imprisoned, etc. At first there was no intention to start another denomination, only to reform the Church of England (in America, the Episcopal Church). But another denomination was born when the first Methodist Society was formed at Kingswood, near the city of Bristol, England in 1739. But we had had Christianity and the church of Christ from the day of Pentecost (c. A.D. 30) as recorded in Acts 2!

I sometimes ask when teaching and preaching on church history what would happen if we started with the last denomination that was established, quietly closed it down, and moved back through history, closing down every protestant and Catholic denomination on the face of the earth? Would the closing of the most recently established denomination be the end of Christianity? Which denomination is necessary for the existence of Christianity? Can you tell me? Would the obliteration of all denominations mean the end of Christianity? Not at all! If every denomination quietly “folded up its tent” and went away, we could still have the church our Lord purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28). All who had been members of a denomination could repent of their sins, confess their faith in Christ, and be baptized (immersed) into Christ for the remission of their sins, and added to the one church that Christ established (Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:47; Romans 16:16; Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 4:4). (Study also John 17:20-21; I Corinthians 1:10-13; Ephesians 4:1-6; et al).

Read and study your New Testament. Absorb the teaching of Christ and His apostles concerning the church. You will discover that the people of God are to exist solely as independent, autonomous churches, each under its own plurality of elders (also know as bishops, pastors [not preachers, but elders], shepherds), without any local, national, or international headquarters, and without any hierarchical structure (no conventions, conferences, synods, Presidents, ruling Bishops, District Bishops, Archbishops, Cardinals, or Popes, etc.). Apostolic Christianity and the original church was simple in its organizational structure. It was undenominational and non-denominational. It was produced by the preaching of the gospel of Christ and obedience to the gospel (Acts 2:22-47).

That same church exists today. “The seed is the word of God” (Luke 8:11). Wherever that seed is sown/preached in its purity and obeyed in its simplicity undenominational Christians and undenominational congregations/churches of Christ come into existence. This is Christianity pure and simple. This is Christianity without the multiplicity of denominations (and the hierarchical systems necessary to sustain them) that came later down the stream of time, the first protestant denomination being the Lutheran, established in c. 1521.

Do I dislike denominational people? Do I dislike the Methodists? Not in the least! My paternal grandparents were Methodists and died in the Methodist Church. My father was sprinkled into the Methodist Church at the age of nine. One of his brothers preached for Methodist Churches in south Georgia for many years. But in his early thirties my father learned the truth about Christ and His church and obeyed the gospel. And he never looked back!

It is not the people who are members of denominations that I dislike. It is the system of denominationalism that I abhor (see Psalms 119:104; Romans 12:9) because it is not approved of God or sanctioned by the Scriptures. I wish the entire system, all the way from the Catholic Church with its multiplicity of unbiblical doctrines and practices to the latest protestant church that has been formed, could be dismantled and obliterated from the face of the earth. I wish that all the members of all the denominations could be brought into the one body/church of Christ on the basis of the Scriptures, bringing with them a high commitment to walk in the truth of God’s word (III John 4; cf. John 17:17).

Hugh Fulford

You might be known in your hometown. Perhaps you are known across your state, province, or territory. It is unlikely you are known around the world. Have you considered if you are known in hell?

During the two years that Paul was in Ephesus, “God was doing extraordinary miracles” by the apostle’s hands (Acts 19:11). Seeing the great work that was being done in the name of Jesus, some fake exorcists tried their hand at it.

“Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, ‘I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims’” (Acts 19:13)

When the seven sons of the Jewish chief priest Sceva attempted this, they were rebuked, beaten, and humiliated. Listen to the rebuke by the evil spirit to these imposters:

“Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize; but who are you?” (Acts 19:15).

This demonic being knew Jesus by experience (from the Greek: ginosko), and was acquainted with Paul (from the Greek: epistamai). They knew Jesus and knew about Paul, but they did not know these foolish men.

The result was humiliation for these seven, but glory for God.

“And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled” (Acts 19:17).

The true power of God placed against the fake magic arts convinced many to leave behind their pseudo religion and trust in the word of the Lord (Acts 19:18-20).

Let’s consider two implications and a probing question from the statement made by this evil spirit.

Demons know the authority of Jesus

In the country of the Gerasenes lived a man with a violent unclean spirit. He could be tamed by no one. But when he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and cried out, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me” (Mark 5:7).

This was not an isolated incident.

“Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God’” (Mark 3:11).

The demons not only recognized Jesus but they were afraid of him (James 2:19). They were afraid because Jesus came to destroy the power of the devil (Hebrews 2:14).

Demons recognize the power of Paul’s preaching

The work and words of Paul resounded far and wide. Paul and his companions were accused of turning “the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). Paul did not preach as one full of suggestions, but he spoke with authority (see Titus 2:15). In Ephesus, Paul “spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God” (Acts 19:8). His preaching reached the ears of all the residents of Asia (Acts 19:10).

When Paul reminded the Ephesian elders of his work in their city, he said he “did not shrink from declaring” to them “anything that was profitable,” as he taught publicly and from house to house (Acts 20:20).

Felix was a vicious man who trembled at Paul’s powerful preaching (Acts 24:25), and when he could not oppose the message of righteousness, self-control, and judgment, sent the apostle away.

Is your work known in hell?

While we do not have discussions with demons nor cast them out, our work can be known in the depths.

We may be insignificant, but we proclaim a mighty God! Let us so act that the devil pays attention.

• May the world know we serve the risen Savior (Luke 24:46-47).
• Do not be ashamed of God’s message of reconciliation (Romans 1:14-17), but daily live it out.
• Find those who have wandered from the truth and speak a word to them; we may just bring them back (James 5:19-20).

We can be a faithful Christian without the world knowing our name. But if we want to live forever in heaven, they need to know who we are in hell.

by Lee Parish

Introduction:

It happened at the airport in Greensboro, North Carolina. I was on my way to conduct a conference, was hurrying to catch my plane, and had arrived at the security checkpoint. I placed my briefcase on the conveyor belt and was just stepping through the metal detector when I happened to look down, and there at my feet on the airport carpet was a crisp, new, one-hundred-dollar bill. Because it was hidden by the frame of the metal detector the security guard did not see me pick the money up. I looked quickly in front and behind me and realized that, in the hustle and bustle of the crowd, no one had noticed what I had done. So there I stood, with a one-hundred-dollar bill in my hand. What do you think I should have done next?

I was traveling through Jackson, Mississippi when I stopped at a McDonald’s to buy my breakfast. The cashier was obviously a new recruit, and she had trouble getting my order right. Then, when I paid for my meal, she confused me with the unorthodox way she counted out my change. I was sure that I had given her a ten, but she gave me change for a twenty. She slammed the cash register shut, said “Next!”, and I stood off to the side, looking at the money in my hand and trying to figure out what she had done. What do you think I should have done next?

One Saturday afternoon I stopped by the post office downtown to drop a package in the mail slot. The service counter inside had long since closed, and the lobby outside was as quiet as a tomb. As I walked to the mail slot I happened to glance at the table in the lobby, and there I saw a fat, black wallet, obviously placed there and then forgotten by someone who had been examining their mail. There were no postal workers to be found; in fact, there was not another soul in the building. What do you think I should have done next?

The Eighth Commandment is clear enough: “Thou shalt not steal” doesn’t seem to leave any wiggle room, to allow any equivocation. But the lure of larceny is such a basic temptation that all of us will find ourselves in uncomfortable situations. No one is exempt from this struggle, not even children! Kent Hughes describes an incident in the four-year-olds class of his church’s Sunday school:

At story-time the Story Lady, Mrs. Teune, donned her hand puppet, Ladi, and told the children the story of Ladi’s visit to the family doctor for a checkup. While there, Ladi spied a big red pencil just like the one she had always wanted.

As Mrs. Teune dramatized at some length Ladi’s fixation on the wondrous red pencil, the entire group of forty-five preschoolers assumed an unnatural quiet – especially as she described Ladi’s inching closer and closer to the scarlet pen while the doctor’s back was turned – and then reaching out and touching it – and finally grasping the pencil, which she then quickly hid under her dress!

But, alas, the doctor had seen the theft, for in a deep voice he said, “You must not take what doesn’t belong to you”. Mrs. Teune was obviously connecting with the four-year-olds, because one little boy raised his hand, waving it insistently, and said, “Mrs. Teune, Mrs. Teune, will you tell the story again?” And she did! – in exact detail, line by line until the fatal filch, while every child again sat motionless. (Kent Hughes, Disciplines of Grace, page 139-140).

Can’t you just picture those four-year-olds, mesmerized by the terrible tale of theft unfolding before their eyes? And you know why little Ladi’s impulsive grab of the doctor’s red pencil struck a chord: because those little children had a truly personal acquaintance with that temptation, understood how it felt to see a classmate’s shiny new Sesame Street toy, or luscious-looking cookie, or enticing Pokemon pencil box; they comprehend, deep in their heart, the experience of wanting to appropriate their classmate’s possession for themselves. From a very early age every one of us has felt the lure of larceny, the temptation of taking what doesn’t belong to us.

And unfortunately, all of us have experienced the outrage of discovering that some faceless felon has filched our favorite bracelet or sweater or wristwatch. Oh yes, the temptation of STEALING is common: all too common! When Jesus died, he was crucified between – two thieves! There are two different words used in the Bible to refer to a person who steals:

Kleptes – thief Lestes – robber

The THIEF operates under the cover of darkness, and specializes in sneaky, clandestine pilfering; on the clever fraud; or the midnight breaking and entering: READ NEWSPAPER ARTICLES.

The ROBBER operates in broad daylight, and relies on force and violence. In Rome we learned that the Italians despise the Gypsies in part because of their rampant dishonesty. RELATE STORY of children pickpockets at the Roman forum – I have never seen such brazen thievery!

The Eighth Commandment is clear enough: “Thou shalt not steal.” Even a child understands that stealing means to take what doesn’t belong to us, or to keep what truly belongs to another. Yet dishonesty is so pervasive in our society, and the temptation to steal is so fundamental to human nature, that it can assume an infinite variety of forms. I am convinced that this commandment, like all of God’s “TOP TEN,” finds its complete fulfillment in the moral teachings of the New Testament, and unless we understand the proper perspective taught there we just might fall short of the integrity that is demanded by Jesus. After all, there are so many areas in which we can convince ourselves that we aren’t really taking something of value. STEALING can be as straightforward as “breaking and entering” or as sophisticated as computer fraud (and I do hope God has a special place in hell for computer hackers, especially those who create nasty viruses!).

Stealing can be as blatant as a midnight “mugging,” or as indirect as a congressman who takes a bribe, and in effect is stealing the public’s trust and selling it to the highest bidder.

The automobile dealer who runs back the odometer on a used car is a thief, and so is the tourist who “takes” a souvenir when no one is looking.

Stealing can be done by employers who fail to credit their workers with the wages due them: James condemns some employers of his day, saying “Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty” (5:4). God is concerned about the workingman, and the Law of Moses contained special provisions to make sure he wasn’t cheated (cf. Deut 24:14-15, Lev 19:13)!

Or it can be done by the employees who fail to give their best effort! 1 in 3 workers admits stealing on the job, costing businesses more than $25 billion a year. The average American worker admits in confidential interviews that he or she spends more than 20 percent of their time at work goofing off, which amounts to a four-day work week. (Hughes, page 145)

The storekeeper can steal by putting the rotten vegetables in the bottom of the pack, by “accidentally” overcharging, or by putting 15 oz. in a 1-pound package (cf “unjust weights” – Deut 25:13-15), and the customer can steal by not paying his bills: every year merchants have to “write off” millions of dollars of uncollectable debts.

Parents can steal when they lie about their children’s age at the movie box office to get a discount, and taxpayers can steal when they shade the truth on their 1040 form.

The prophet Malachi even warned people rob God when they fail to give their tithes (Malachi 3:10), so that they stole the gifts that rightfully are His.

And preachers can steal: I have seen my own writings published by other preachers under their own name, so that, in effect, they stole my ideas!

Conclusion:

Speaking of preachers, you’re still wondering what I did with that $100 dollar bill, aren’t you? Well, in the interest of full disclosure, let me tell you the “rest of the stories.” None of those situations was as easy as you might imagine, but not necessarily because of the Eighth Commandment!

Take that wallet, for instance. It was obvious what had happened: someone had placed their wallet on the counter while they sorted through their mail, then walked off with their mail on their mind. And I really wasn’t tempted by the money that was in it. But what should I DO about it? I thought about turning it in, but the post office was closed. I considered just leaving it there on the counter in the hope that the owner would come back, but what if someone else came along after me in the meantime who wasn’t as honest as I am? I checked quickly to see if I recognized the name and address, but I couldn’t find one. What did I do?

I headed straight for the police station, where the first officer I saw was Jeff Stinson. I handed the wallet to Jeff, told him where I’d found it, and said “This is all yours – you take care of it”!

What about the lady at McDonalds? When clerks have given me too much change, I have always tried to call it to their attention and correct the mistake. In this case, however, I couldn’t figure out what she had done with my money, and I wasn’t absolutely sure that I had given her a ten, and she had already shut the cash drawer and was waiting on another customer. I knew that if I brought the subject up she would just get all flustered again and then the manager would get involved, so I just gave up, put the money in my billfold, and left. Was I right or wrong? I don’t know.

And that $100 dollar bill? I might as well admit, the first thought that flashed through my mind was “Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers.” And the second thought that I registered was, “There’s no way that I’m going to give this money to the security guard, because he’ll just keep it for himself.” But I also knew that realistically a $100 dollar bill could not have been laying there in plain view for very long, so I held it in my closed hand as I asked the guard, “Did anyone drop their money here just a few minutes ago?” He pointed to a lady about twenty yards up the corridor and said, “Yeah, that woman dropped her money clip.” So he and I together caught up with her, and when she checked her pocket, sure enough, her money was missing. We returned the money to its rightful, and extremely relieved, owner, and I hurried on to my plane.

In every case, I had to make a difficult decision. In every case, my behavior was guided by a clear command of God. In every case, however, my guideline was not the Eighth Commandment. The command that helped me the most in each situation was the one found in Romans 13.

READ Romans 13:8-10

In each case my behavior was guided by a simple response: how would I want someone else to act if they found my wallet, picked up my $100 bill, or were unsure about my ability as a cashier? You see, when we focus only on things, and on our own response to them, we are missing the point. The Eighth Commandment is ultimately not about POSSESSIONS, but about PEOPLE:

• the rightful owners of the property I covet – to steal would be to sin against them;
• the way I would want other people to treat me – to steal would violate the “Golden Rule”;
• the kind of person I want to be myself –
to steal would be to make myself dishonest.

The opposite of the Eighth Commandment is the “Golden Rule,” because stealing is ultimately a sin against people, not possessions.

Dan Williams

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

I have always believed that some of the best psychology ever written is found in Paul’s letter to the Philippians. We must remember that this letter was written by Paul while he was imprisoned in Rome and awaiting a trial. One of the themes that recurs throughout the letter is found in the expression, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Phil. 4:4). Throughout the letter Paul constantly reminds us to have the mind of Christ, to keep our priorities straight and to press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:14).

One definition given for the word “worry” is to give way to anxiety or unease; allow one’s mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles: “he worried about his soldier sons in the war”; a state of anxiety and uncertainty over actual or potential problems: “her son had been a constant source of worry to her”; synonyms: fret · be concerned · be anxious · agonize · overthink.

Many of us may have The Serenity Prayer embroidered on a pillow or hanging on a wall in our house. The Serenity Prayer is the common name for a prayer written by the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971). The best-known form is:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can,

And wisdom to know the difference.

Niebuhr, who first wrote the prayer for a sermon at Heath Evangelical Union Church in Heath, Massachusetts, used it widely in sermons as early as 1934 and first published it in 1951 in a magazine column. The prayer spread both through Niebuhr’s sermons and church groups in the 1930s and 1940s and was later adopted and popularized by Alcoholics Anonymous and other twelve-step programs.

We may also remember a song released twenty-nine years ago. “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” is a popular worldwide hit song by musician Bobby McFerrin. Released in September 1988, it became the first a cappella song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a position it held for two weeks. The song’s title is taken from a famous quotation by Meher Baba. The Indian mystic and sage Meher Baba (1894–1969) often used the expression “Don’t worry, be happy” when cabling his followers in the West.

The idea of not worrying is not a disguise for ignoring our responsibilities. God expects us to go to work and to provide for our own needs and the needs of our families. However, we can most successfully accomplish this when we remember the words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt. 6:33). Don’t be anxious. Be thankful and spend much time in prayer to God.

Scott Gage