I believe that God exists. I believe that He communicated with His creation by direct contact, messengers, and a series of ancient texts. I believe that He wants His human creation to be with Him after they die. I believe that He expects those who claim to be His to act within the guidelines He set in those ancient texts. I believe that there is life after death and that where we go depends on whether or not we follow this God.

Why do I believe this, though? What reason do I have to believe in something I cannot experience with my senses? I was not there thousands of years ago when the prophets and Hebrews talked to God. I was not there when God came here to teach. I was not there when the authors of the original texts delivered their writings to the early church. The ancient texts translated into English sometimes do not effectively communicate the emotion of the words and concepts in the original language. So why do I believe these things? Why do you believe these things?

Think about this carefully. From Genesis to Revelation the message is clear: God wants His people to exist with Him after time is destroyed. This message was communicated to an impossible variety of people, sometimes separated by hundreds of years, thousands of miles, culture, kingdom, race, and language. There are tens of thousands of manuscripts of these ancient texts in many, many different languages. There are some 25,000 New Testament manuscripts or fragments that are separated by about a thousand years, at least 8 different languages, thousands of miles of geography, and many different cultures. Yet, they are at least 95% accurate to each other. The remaining 5% do not contain a single contradiction; rather, they are spelling errors, slips of the pen, writing on the wrong line, or minor variances (“God said” vs. “He said” or “and” vs. “but”).

Of the rich libraries we have of ancient literature, none can hold even the dimmest candle to the profound accuracy and unity of the scriptures. They could not have been produced by man alone. There had to be Someone not confined by time supervising each person as they wrote. Keep in mind, these ancient cultures did not have the advantage of modern communication. They were almost totally isolated from each other and would have known little of the others’ existence, much less what they experienced or wrote from God. Our Bible has supernatural origins and its contents reveal the nature of our Creator. What I believe comes from this book because I know it is God’s message to mankind. I encourage those who have not already done so to do an in-depth study of the origin of scripture. It is one of the most faith-building studies anyone could undertake. When you know with certainty that what you are reading contains the actual thoughts and desires of God, it bolsters your faith in ways I could not begin to adequately describe.

Gary Pollard

A few years ago, someone graciously gifted me a great sitting, crimson (Roll Tide) couch for use in my office. I won’t deny that I was quite excited to add it to my office décor. After all, who doesn’t love having a comfy couch available to them? However, my new acquisition brought with it a different problem. Namely, that my office now had that cramped feeling of clutter. I simply had too much furniture in my office. How would it be remedied? Naturally, something would have to go. Which piece? Needless to say, I eventually figured it out.

Clutter tends to sneak up on us a little bit at a time. A little here…a little there. Then one day you look up to realize you can barely maneuver through it all. It is troublesome enough in our houses and cars, but it is especially ruthless in our spiritual and emotional lives. Abstract clutter can cause immense levels of stress, pain, and anguish, making life more difficult than is necessary.

The Word of God speaks of the burden of clutter and the need to remove it from our lives.

• Hebrews 12:1 – Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. . . .

• Colossians 3:8-9 – But now you must also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds. . . .

• Mark 10:21 – And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

It is certainly hard to declutter our lives of certain things. Yet, if we desire to live up to the potential that God sees in and expects from us, it behooves us to figure out how to get rid of those things which get in the way.

Happy Cleaning!

Cory Waddell

Repentance means to change your mind, do an about-face, to change direction. In the context of salvation, it refers to changing one’s mind about sinning, turning from sin, and turning to God. It is prompted by a guilty conscience (Acts 2:37-38) and is attainable through the goodness and kindness of God (Rom. 2:4). But for repentance to be accepted by God, it must be genuine and sincere. It is here that I fear Christians sometimes abuse repentance.

It is possible, for example, to use repentance as an escape hatch for “planned sinning.” That is, a Christian might knowingly commit sin, thinking that they can “always repent later.” Or, one can go through the motions of repenting, without understanding or intending to comply with the changed life which it demands. After all, repentance has fruit, John the Baptist said (Mt. 3:8). Peter commanded his hearers to “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out…” (Acts 3:19). And Paul told Agrippa that he “preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds” (Acts 26:20).

Any prayer to God for forgiveness which leaves a mental loophole for continued sinning is no repentance at all. Such mental finagling is an attempt to mock God, which Paul says cannot be done (Gal. 6:7). Have you really changed your mind about your sin, or are you trying to have it both ways? Remember, the Lord already knows the answer.

– by Jim King

Many differ about who Paul was talking about in Romans 7. He could have been speaking about himself as he was a human being who dealt with temptation and sin (as is seen in his other letters). He could have been talking in general terms about the human condition.

I am sure we can all relate to trying to deal with sin and temptation as is described here. How often have we never considered some sin only to be tempted by it when we read about it, whether in God’s word or elsewhere? How often do we want to do what is right but keep failing? We can relate to the struggle Paul describes here.

“For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I do not do what I want—instead, I do what I hate. But if I do what I don’t want, I agree that the law is good. But now it is no longer me doing it, but sin that lives in me. For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do the good, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but I do the very evil I do not want! Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer me doing it but sin that lives in me.” (Romans 7:15-20 NET)

We want to do what is good and right but too often we succumb to temptation and do what is wrong and sinful. When this happens, sin has taken up residence in our lives, in essence taking over and controlling us. It isn’t that we have no control over what we do but that we have invited sin into our lives. We are allowing sin to deaden our conscience as we give in to doing what we know to be wrong. It is as if we are powerless to stop!

What is the problem? The problem is that we allowed the temptation to develop into sin. We did not turn to the one who can give us strength in these situations. I am thankful that when sin presents itself to us God also presents an alternative.

“So let the one who thinks he is standing be careful that he does not fall. No trial has overtaken you that is not faced by others. And God is faithful: He will not let you be tried beyond what you are able to bear, but with the trial will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:12-13)

There is a great promise here: God will not let you be tried beyond what you are able to bear. This tells us that when we give in to a trial or temptation, God is not the one to blame. Not only is a temptation or trial presented to us, God provides the way out as well. Our problem is that we have to decide which we are going to take.

Jesus came to rescue us from sin. He paid the penalty for our sin and offers forgiveness. When we are in Jesus, we are no longer condemned and we have been set free from the law of sin and death.

“Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 7:24-8:2)

by Jon Galloway

There are just too many voices in the world today muddying the waters when it comes to 21st century Christianity. In fact the term, “Christianity,” doesn’t mean much the average person. In fact, the average person will most likely have several friends who carry this title and they know based on their morals— they’re not really different. Sadly it’s a description that doesn’t describe much, other than an individual that believes in God. That’s really it! This word has been tragically stripped of what we understand to be the most rewarding life you could possibly live. There’s simply no higher calling, there is no greater purpose in life, and you just can’t beat the retirement plan.

Now let’s do something to help the seeking world out.

Let’s make it our priority to understand the church in such a way that we can simplify her mission and her origin.

Here are two terms that will help:

1. The term “restoration” may sound similar to “reformation”, but the two terms could not be more contrary to each other. Restoration is an attempt to return the church to the pattern we find in the New Testament, while reformation is a changing of what currently exists. It’s a modification or addition which creates something new entirely. The Old Testament is filled with the pleas of the prophets for the people to restore their relationships with God.
2. The definition of the word “denomination” is evidence that restoration is not only possible, but needed. Denomination, in the religious world, describes a branch off of an  original. Any branch coming off of the New Testament church, is simply not it.

Five Facts About The Lord’s Church

1. The New Testament church was established by Jesus, not Luther, Henry the 8th, Calvin, Smith, or Wesley
2. The New Testament church was established in Jerusalem, not Oxford, London, or Amsterdam
3. In New Testament times people were told to believe in Jesus, repent of their sins,  be baptized by a total immersion of water, and to live faithfully (Acts 2:38, 16:30-31, 2:16, Mark 16:15-16; Romans 6:1-4; Revelation 2:10)
4. Christians in the New Testament met on the first day of the week to partake in the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7)
5. The New Testament church was a united church, while denominationalism is, by its very nature, divided.

If the church you are a part of can say the same, you can be confident that it is the church that Jesus established. If this is not what the church you are a part of teaches and practices, then perhaps this will be some information that will help you begin a life-changing search to find God’s will for your life.

Dale Pollard

If we take a step back, it’s easy to see we have become incredibly knowledgeable over the years.  If we displayed just how smart we have become on a graph, perhaps it would look something like this.

• Up to 1845 = 1 inch.
• 1845 to 1945 = 3 inches.
• 1945 to 1976 = the height of the Washington Monument.
• 1976 to Current = the height of the Empire State Building.

(John McArthur, tape on Ephesians 5:15-17, expanded)

Without a doubt, our advances in technology, medicine, and the overall understanding of life have made us incredibly smart.  However, there are still so many aspects of this life we are clueless about.  In fact, the smarter we become, the more ignorant we realize we actually are.

Compared to the people of the past, we have become quite smart, yet overall we are still extremely clueless.  No matter how intelligent and advanced we become, we will always pale in comparison to God’s knowledge.  As Isaiah 55:8-9 describes it, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.’”

In times past, people became arrogant in their knowledge.  This arrogance has lead many into thinking they don’t need God, and what a tragic misunderstanding this is.  God is the all-knowing creator and sustainer of this life.  No matter how smart we become, we will always need Him.  Therefore, let’s elevate Him to His proper place, and humble ourselves to ours (James 4:6).

Brett Petrillo

“Before Abraham was born, I am.” (John 8:58)

A lot happened before Abraham was born…

• The great builders, built.
• The Great Deluge had come and gone.
• Iron tools and weapons, and many musical instruments were invented.
• Men lived hundreds of years at a time.

Speaking of Abraham, when he visited Egypt, the pyramids were already there; some were almost 1,000 years old.

Yet, Jesus – who walked several thousand years after the pyramids were built –  said he lived before Abraham was born.

In nearly the same breath Jesus also said that Abraham was looking forward to his (Jesus’) “day” (John 8:56).

How? How did Jesus exist before Abraham, but Abraham was also looking forward to Jesus’ arrival?

The Bible also claims that Jesus is both the descendant (son) of David, and the root (origin) of David (Revelation 5:5). Why, or how would David call his son his ruler?

There are only two natural possibilities to this mysterious language: (1) Jesus was invented and this is incoherent nonsense; or (2) Jesus was real but crazy.

But there is a third, supernatural possibility: (3) Jesus was real, and spoke of himself both as human and divine.

If Jesus is not invented or crazy, then we are left only with the supernatural possibility (it is not within the scope of this short article to argue against the first two points).

As divine, he antedated Abraham and David.

As human, he came after Abraham and David, as their earthly descendants.

The only feasible solution to the claims of Jesus involve his being both human and divine. This is the only lens through which all what is recorded of him makes sense.

Rejecting this explanation, one is left with the arduous task of discrediting either the sanity of the authors, or the sanity of Jesus.

Ockham’s razor would suggest these are both failures in comparison to the Bible’s clear claim:

Jesus, the man, is God.

by Rick Kelley

I read recently that one of the fastest growing business is storage units, closely following the Dollar General Stores. People have more ‘stuff’ than places to put them.

In our house, we have storage units we like to call  ‘Junk Drawers’. If we have an unexpected visitor we’ll do a swipe of stuff into the nearest drawer to hide all remnants of our ‘clutter’. I recently performed an ‘uncluttering’ and found some interesting items I forgot still existed.

Items included:

• 10 old TV remote control batteries that I hoped would regenerate but found that it wasn’t meant to be.
• 62 ink pens, each representing one of our many banks in the area.
• A 5 year old receipt from Auto Zone on a lawn mower battery with a 24 month guarantee.
• Some eclipse glasses from our big one 3 years ago. We have to be ready for the next one.
• A receipt from Jim Fuqua Appliance Repair dated 1987. Although we don’t have the washing machine and Jim has since retired, a lifetime guarantee was promised and I holding him to it.
• And finally, a love letter from my fiancé from 1972. After 48 yrs of marriage, She was disappointed to find it was in the junk drawer, but is now happy to have it framed and hanging on our bedroom wall.

You know, it’s hard to throw away old stuff and our old ways.

Eph 4:21-24 says to get rid of the Old Self and to put on the New Self.

Col 3:9-10 says to lay aside the Old Self and put on the New Self.

It could be that the drawers represent our lives. What we put in the drawers or leave in the drawers is up to us. We have the freedom to fill our lives with ‘junk’ or rubbish or with whatever the world gives us, or we can make sure we put  ‘in the drawer’ The things of Christ.

Paul, in his letter to the church of Ephesus, pointed out some things that may be in the drawers of our lives, that we need to make a conscious decision to avoid, to lay aside, and to clear out. Look to Eph 4:17-32. Especially clear out  deceit, falsehood, anger, unwholesome words, bitterness, wrath, slander, and malice. But what happens if we just clear out the junk and then put the drawers back into the cabinet, empty?  How long will that cabinet stay empty?

A 17th Century philosopher wrote, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in every person that can only be filled by the Creator and He is made known through Jesus Christ”.

So, we just can’t leave the drawers of our lives empty…because something or someone or specifically the devil is always ready to creep in and fill it up again.  First Peter 5:8 reminds us to be vigilant against that adversary waiting to devour us.

Find the open, self-explanatory solutions to our ‘Junk Drawer’ dilemma in Col. 3, 8-17.

• Verse 8…To put them aside.
• Verse 10..To put on the new self.
• Verse 12..have a new heart.
• Verse 13..To forgive.
• Verse 15..Let the peace of Christ rule your heart.
• And especially, “Beyond all things, Put on Love”. The perfect bond of unity, doing all things in the name of The Lord Jesus (Col. 3: 14-17).

Dale Wiley

Matthew 5:14-16 says, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

My grandmother was a good example of letting her Christian life shine. The lives she had an influence on are still evident today even though she passed on over 20 years ago. Growing up was always Sunday morning, evening, and Wednesday nights. We would leave home and always swing by and pick up my grandmother. She was most of the time standing outside waiting for us to pick her up. She never had gotten her driver’s license and my grandfather never attended church, so she rode with us.

She was apparently the spiritual leader of her house when my dad and his brother and sister were growing up. My dad, as long as I can remember, was a deacon or elder and remains an elder today. That is not likely to have happened without Christian upbringing.

You could tell my grandmother was a Christian by her actions and hearing her talk. She was always singing hymns around the house and reading her Bible. She was on the phone with people who missed services. I spent a lot of my childhood around my grandparents and I don’t recall her saying anything bad about anyone. She had her health issues but was always happy and loved her family very much.

Later on, after Amy and I were married one Sunday morning I noticed my grandmother didn’t come in the building with mom and dad. Not long after, she came in with a smile on her face and my grandmother came in behind her. He was probably 80 years old at the time. I don’t remember him missing church on Sundays after that day. My grandfather obeyed the gospel a year or so later. I will never forget that day.

I never knew the conversations they had about his salvation, but my grandmother had always let her light shine and lived a good Christian life. She planted a lot of seeds in her life. Some took longer than others to germinate, but she had a Christian influence on a lot of folks. I guess my point in this is that we can all have influence on people by the way we live our lives. The old saying is that there is always someone watching.

I am so glad my grandfather finally became a Christian. It is my opinion today that my grandmother’s Christian example is still reaping benefits. Her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren are all Christians. I know that life is more fast-paced than it was back when my grandparents were raising a family but we still have plenty of opportunities to let our Christian light shine in all we do.

Todd Dickerson

In the Old Testament, when God promised a thing, he would put the promise in the past tense. If he said it, it was a done deal. If he promised, you could count on it being done.

On the banks of the Jordan River, Moses recounted to Israel the work of God among them. When King Og of Bashan came out with his whole army against the nation, the Lord said to Moses:

“Don’t be afraid of him because I have already given him, his whole army, and his land to you” Deuteronomy 3.2a.

Happy connections are seen during Bible readings. This morning, I read that chapter, shortly after reading Mark 11 and Jesus’ word to his followers about prayer — it impressed me so much I used it for the “Verse of the Day” over on The Fellowship Room.

He said, “For this reason I tell you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” Mark 11.24.

This is not, of course, a blanket promise. We must ask according to the will of God. The Lord is sovereign and knows how best to answer our prayers. Even in this context, Jesus mentions the condition of forgiving others, Mark 11.25. But such qualifications should never keep us from appreciating the surety of God’s answers to our prayers.

So much so that the Lord Jesus puts it in the past (aorist) tense. “Believe that you have received it.”

A few versions insert the word “already” to reinforce the idea: “… have faith that you have already received whatever you pray for” (GW).

Yes, it’s a rhetorical device, a hyperbole, that Jesus uses. And he does it for emphasis. Truly believe when you ask! The Gospel of Mark emphasizes the necessity of faith. And when faith is present, one may be sure of God’s answer.

As when God gave King Og into Israel’s hand, God answers the prayer of his faithful saints. It’s a done deal when we pray that

• the gospel may find open hearts;
• the church may grow;
• we may resist temptation;
• God may forgive us of our sins;
• peace and unity may reign among us;
• the truth may overcome error;
• God may be glorified in us.

Dear brother and sister, pray with faith. Ask God in full assurance of receiving. Do not doubt in any way that the Lord will hear and answer prayer. To the heavenly Father, before you ask.

J. Randal Matheny

How do you feel when you stand before a crowd with all eyes on you?  Do your palms get cold and clammy?  Do you become nervous and anxious?  Do you blush, tremble, shake, or get nauseous?  Multiple sources indicate that 90 percent of all people deal with some level of stage fright (Vijai P. Sharma).  So chances are pretty good that you deal with some degree of stage fright.  However, this article is not about overcoming stage fright.  Even though 90% of people deal with this issue, there is at least one stage where the vast majority of people feel no fright at all – Social Media.

Not long ago, Facebook has reached 2.6 billion active users, YouTube reached 2 billion, and Instagram with 1 billion (Sprouts Social). This means there is potentially a massive number of people able to watch you and see exactly what you say and do. Are you feeling a little bit of that stage fright coming back?

Most people are very careful in front of a crowd but may not so much on social media. Something we would never say before a crowd, we boldly proclaim at the keyboard.

God has always called His people to be different from everyone else (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 2 Timothy 2:21; etc).  The question is, are we still different on social media?  Here are several categories to consider:

What Do We Say and Post? Are we ugly and argumentative? Do people see more of our political identity than our Christian identity? Are there any words on our accounts that reflect a less than Christian behavior? Could someone look at our profiles and see bad language, gossip, slander, or other forms of crude and crass speech (2 Corinthians 12:20; James 3)?

What People and Activities Do We “Like” (Support)?  Do we “Like” celebrities, athletes, artists or other people with trashy reputations?  Do we support movies, music, TV shows, video games, or other things that are not Christ-like (Romans 12:2)? Do we “like” things that are clearly sinful?

What Pictures Are On Our Profiles?  Do any pictures show us engaging in sin or other less than godly behaviors (Romans 13:13-14)?  Do any pictures show us hanging with people or in places a Christians should not be (1 Corinthians 15:33)?  Do any pictures of us or anyone else on our profiles display immodesty or promote lust (1 Timothy 2:9-10; Romans 13:13; Matthew 5:28)?

In Matthew 5:14-16, God has called us to be a light in the darkness. There is nothing further and more contrasting to darkness than light. Do we dabble in darkness on social media? What kind of conclusions will people make about us? Will they even know we are Christians?

We must always be careful to be Christ-like in all parts of our lives. Whether it is out in public or online, may we always live by Colossians 3:17, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus…”

Brett Petrillo

Although we realize that God is different from us and so much more than we are, often we place our human limitations and thoughts in how we think of him. Two verses that should bring us back to our senses are found in 2 Peter 3.

“Now, dear friends, do not let this one thing escape your notice, that a single day is like a thousand years with the Lord and a thousand years are like a single day. The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8-9 NET)

There are two thoughts here that radically distinguish God from humans.

The first is that God does not view time as we do. For most of us when we were young time seemed to go by slowly, but as we get older it seems to accelerate and go by faster and faster. But God is eternal. From his perspective, time becomes a bit more relative: “a single day is like a thousand years with the Lord and a thousand years are like a single day”. (By the way, this is not a formula for calculating prophecies – and if a day is like a thousand years, don’t forget the corollary: a thousand years are also like a day.)

What does this say about God? If nothing else it tells us that he looks at time differently than we do. Which leads to the second thought: because God doesn’t view time as we do, his speed in doing things may be regarded by many as being slow.

Rather than slowness, we are reminded that it is God being patient. Do we really want him to act quickly when someone does something wrong? We might think the answer to that is ‘yes’, but do we want him acting quickly every time we do something wrong? We realize the need to correct what we do – we want time to change. This is what God extends to all people.

God does not delight in people dying in their sin. He wants all to “come to repentance” – he wants them to turn from their sin and choose to follow him. So it might seem from our perspective that he is taking too long to right some wrongs. But from God’s perspective, he is showing his love in giving people time to change their lives. Sadly, too many have no interest in changing. But God is still patient.

Rather than fretting over why God, in our opinion, takes so long, we need to be looking to ourselves. We need to “strive to be found at peace, without spot or blemish, when you come into his presence. And regard the patience of our Lord as salvation” (2 Peter 3:14-15).

Rather than worrying about what others are doing and what God is or isn’t doing, our concern should be to make sure that we are ready to be with the Lord. “Without spot or blemish” refers to Israel’s sacrifices under the Law. These sacrifices had to be the best, without any defects. This is what we should be concerned about: living for God so that we can present our lives to him as a perfect sacrifice.

We realize that this takes time. It takes time for others to change. It takes time for each of us to get our lives straightened out. We should regard the Lord’s patience as salvation – as providing time for us all to get ready to be with him.

No wonder Peter ended his letter this way: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the honor both now and on that eternal day” (2 Peter 3:18).

by Jon Galloway

“And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’” Luke 9:23

Have you ever asked yourself, “What does it look like for me to deny myself?” To help us consider self-denial, Dewey Howard, compiled the following list.

• Denying self-life means turning my back on human standards for success or the “good life,” and instead taking up the cross of God’s standards for real life.
• Denying self-life means turning my back on human ideas of what pleases and glorifies God, and instead taking up the cross that truly brings a smile to God’s face and represents him well to others.
• Denying self-life means everything in life – whether perceived good or bad, success or failure, pleasurable or uncomfortable – is viewed as an opportunity to bring glory and praise to God.
• Denying self-life views possessions as a way to bring glory and praise to God rather than as (a) a substitute for the Giver, and (b) a means to preserve and glorify self.
• Denying self-life revisions trials, difficulties, and challenges as a way to bring glory and praise to God rather than as circumstances to be avoided at all costs.
• Denying self-life means that ultimately my reputation is unimportant. All that is important is God’s reputation through me.
• In taking up my cross, I turn my back on things that this world insists will bring happiness, joy, comfort, security, etc., and instead turn into the mission for which God has placed me on this planet.
• In taking up my cross, physical Death is no longer the enemy and therefore is not to be feared. Spiritual Death is to be avoided at all costs by living all of life on the path that Jesus travelled.
• In taking up my cross, I can expect challenges to be the rule of life, not the exception, because I follow Jesus and share in his life, death, and reward.
• When other disciples experience difficulties because of Christ, I encourage them with evidence of their following Christ rather than minimize the challenges, or explain them away, or hope that life will somehow treat them better.
• When discipling others, I hold these words of Jesus out to them rather than conceal them with a promise of pain-free, self-serving religious experience.

As humans we tend to be selfish, so self-denial certainly isn’t easy. However, Christ tells his followers to practice it every day. Let us pray, asking God’s guidance and strength to obey this command.

Larry Hays

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

Frank Buck was a true adventurer. He lived in 1900’s and would travel all over the world bringing back all kinds of exotic animals. What set him apart from others in his profession was that he didn’t shoot the animals and bring back their stuffed skins. In Frank’s mind, anyone  could gun them down, but who would dare bring back a lion or a rhino—alive?

Frank Buck  probably didn’t know it, but he was very scriptural in his approach. Jesus sent us out to seek and to save the lost, not to destroy them. It seems as though some may have forgotten that key element. That infamous Wild West poster we see in movies reading, “WANTED! DEAD OR ALIVE” doesn’t fit the biblical model for evangelism.

Soul-winning is about leading others to Christ. It’s not about winning the argument or flexing our vast amounts of knowledge. It’s not about proving someone how ignorant and wrong they are. It’s not about showing others how impossible we are to defeat in the match of verbal fisticuffs. It’s about saving their souls. Jesus is looking for those gutsy followers. The ones who are willing to take action and get out there! The Greek word “ZOGREO” only appears twice in the New Testament, as far as I know. The word literally means, “to take alive.”

In Luke 5:10 the word is used to express one being taken alive for God. In 2 Timothy 2:26, Paul would used the word when talking about those who have been taken captive by the devil. These two verses remind us that all will be taken somehow. Some from life to death, others from death to life. Matthew 28 is the Great Commission, our permission to baptize people for the remission of their sins. You can be that gutsy follower since Jesus said He’s going to go out with us, “even to the end of the world.” Let’s get out there and bring ‘em back alive.

Dale Pollard

In John’s Gospel, we see some insights into the ministry of Jesus that we do not see in the other three accounts. In particular, when we focus in on the last few chapters before His arrest, we see some principles that should be true of how we all minister to others.

1. We should love individuals (11:3).
2. We should be concerned with glorifying the Lord (11:4, 40-42; 12:28).
3. We should love families (11:5).
4. We should develop friendships (11:11).
5. We should encourage others (11:23).
6. We should sympathize and empathize with others (11:33).
7. We should show our emotions (11:35).
8. We should spend time with people (12:1-2).
9. We should go back and visit again after the fact (12:1-2).
10. We should allow others to minister to us (12:7-8).

• We should be willing to do what the Lord expects of us (12:24-27, 30-33).

12. We should be teaching (12:44-50).
13. We should love other ministers (13:1).
14. We should humble ourselves (13:4-5, 13-14).
15. We should serve (13:5).
16. We should help people try to understand (13:7, 12, 17).
17. We should be real (13:21).
18. We should serve all equally (13:22).
19. We should encourage love (13:34-35).
20. We should encourage (14:1).

Whether you are a preacher, an elder, a minister, a teacher, a deacon, or “just” a follower of Jesus, we all are called to minister to others. May we all do so with the love and purpose shown to us by the Master Teacher!

Corey Sawyers

On July 21st, I will have had my learner’s permit for one year. As a new driver, I often end up taking the wrong turn along the road. Even on roads I’ve driven many times before, sometimes I will still make a mistake. Wrong turns often aren’t fun or planned, but they can always be fixed so you can get back on the right track.

God has given commands for us to follow a “path” to go down. Psalm 16:11 says, “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” The Bible is filled with directions, things we need to do as servants of God. As Christians, we choose to walk down this path, but sometimes we can stray from this path and begin to go our own way.

A good example of this is Jonah. Jonah was a man who went against God because of his own reservations and ends up following his own path. Because of Jonah’s arrogance, he is cast into the ocean and swallowed by a large fish. When Jonah chose to take a wrong turn, the consequences were not far behind. One of the most important things about Jonah’s story is when he decides to follow God’s commandment. “So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them” (Jonah 3:3-5).

Jonah had directly disobeyed God, and yet when he changed direction, many were saved because of his actions. Jonah is not the only example of this happening in the Bible. Noah, Moses, David, and many other figures we often consider role models all took a wrong turn along their path with God. Nevertheless, they were all able to get back on the right path and enact a large amount of good for God’s people in the long run. Deuteronomy 4:29 says, “But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find Him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.” These people sought the Lord and were reunited with Him, changing their ways no matter how largely they had messed up.

If you’ve ever taken a wrong turn when driving, where did you end up? Were you stuck on that road forever? Most likely, you found a place to turn around and continued on to your destination. Sometimes in our Christian walk, it seems like there’s a point of no return when we veer too far off the path, but with God’s grace, there is always a way back from wherever you’ve been. If you’ve found yourself today on the wrong path, one headed away from God and his people, find a place to turn around, because there’s always a way to get back to him.

Jackson Davidson

God is long-suffering. For this reason, He wants people to repent (Romans 2:4; Ezekiel 18:23, 32). He wants everyone to be saved (2 Peter 3:9, 15). He demonstrates His long-suffering by forgiving sins (Rom. 3:25).

Examples of the long-suffering of God: We see it in the days of Noah (1 Peter 3:20), to the Israelites (Psa. 78:38; Isa. 48:9), and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Matt. 23:37), as well as towards Paul (1 Tim. 1:12-16).

God’s people should also be long-suffering, because God was and is long-suffering towards us (Matt. 18:21-35). As God’s elect, they put on long-suffering (Col. 3:12; Eph. 4:2). They must practice long-suffering (2 Tim. 3:10). Love suffers long (1 Cor. 13:4). It is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22).

the late Wayne Holland
from a sermon preached in:
Hiawassee, GA (2/23/1986)
South Boston, VA (2/16/1992)
Roxboro, NC (9/22/2002)

We know that the water can be metaphorically muddied rather quickly when there are countless faulty interpretations of books like Revelation, Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and other prophetic or apocalyptic literature. Typology is another misunderstood, and often misapplied, method of Bible study. I’m convinced that if we can spend some time studying the different “types” found in scripture, we can see God’s message for mankind more clearly and have a more profound grasp of His Word. This also happens to be a great way to grow our knowledge of scripture more quickly!

So first, let’s try to clarify exactly what Typology is.

Summed up in one sentence it’s referring to Old Testament things which are prefigured or symbolized by events and characters of the New Testament.

This may sound a little confusing, but let’s look at a few examples.

1. John 3:14 says that just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of man must be lifted up (Num. 21:9). The Christ “type” is the bronze serpent. We know because of a specific New Testament reference.
2. 1 Peter 3:20: “…God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built, only a few people, 8 in all were saved through water,” This illustrates how in the same way baptismal water saves those who submit to Christ today.

Typology is not some mystic Bible code where we are free to translate events and characters in scripture as we please because God tells us exactly what He intended to say.

1 Cor. 14:33 says that God is NOT the “author of confusion.” He has a message for us all— and it’s a message of hope.

Are you interested in learning more about typology? The perfect book for you to study would be the book of Hebrews as it makes more Old Testament references than any other New Testament book. By diving into Hebrews you will appreciate and understand both the Old Testament, and the Bible as a whole.

Dale Pollard

Doritos are a favorite of many people. These potato chips come in several strong flavors, and the crunchy snack is often eaten at  cookouts or on road trips. But can you imagine giving up your freedom for a bag of those tasty chips?

That’s what a huge pig in Highland, California recently did. The pig, which was described as being the same size as a mini-horse, got loose and was wandering the streets of that community. It seems that this pig has a way of doing that from time-to-time, so some of the local police are used to calls about this particular animal. Knowing that, one deputy had a bag of Doritos in her lunch bag, and  simply made a small trail of the crunchy snacks, which the pig followed right back to its pen, where it was secured again.

This pig was free but gave it all up for a crunchy snack. We can laugh at that, or we can see a deeper picture about ourselves. How often do  we trade so many great blessings in this life for things that are fun or enjoyable but of far less value to us? How many people trade a lifelong commitment with a spouse for a few moments of intimate pleasure with another? How many trade a reputation and  integrity for a night of drinking and partying?

The Bible makes it clear that sin has pleasure attached to it (see Hebrews 11:25), but that the pleasure is only passing; it is only “for a  season.” After the moments of enjoyment comes the entrapment of sin. The addictions. The damaged reputations. The harmed relationships. The wasted money. The time that is no longer available. Above all, the sting of a marred relationship with our heavenly Father.

When we think about it that way, that pig on the West Coast seems a little more like us. He got a few minutes of pleasure from those potato  chips but ended up right back in the pigpen where he started.

Maybe it is time we start looking past the temporary excitement that seems to accompany sin and start looking at where it will lead us in this life and, ultimately, in eternity. When we do, we will not trade our freedom in Christ for something insignificant.

“Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover – up for evil, but living as servants of God.” (1 Peter 2:16)

– Adam Faughn