Life for the Christ-followers had certainly been tested. Their Lord was hung on a cross until death claimed his precious breath. The pious religious leaders with their soldiers, a few faithful followers, and Mary, His mother, stood on the hill and witnessed it all. With His final exhale, the very earth Christ helped speak into existence shook so violently with fury, its rocks split. Overwhelming grief of the Father extinguished His heavenly light and wrapped all creation in darkness.

But Blessed Hope returned, for no grave could ever conquer the Son of God. He rose to walk again among them before returning to the glory from whence He came.

As the book of Acts opens, the disciples have gathered with one mission: replace Judas. The magnitude of choosing the wrong man weighed heavily upon them as they considered the harm inflicted by their traitor. One would assume the discussion at that gathering centered around the criteria for their new appointee. Did they speak of someone with power and prestige who might help dispel persecution? Did their discourse revolve around an educated man capable of debate against the relentless religious scholars? Perhaps they considered men of wealth who might elevate their reputation. On the contrary, scripture records none of these were considered. Tossing human logic to the wind, the disciples prayed for a man with one criterion: a heart belonging to the Father.

Scripture reveals a God whose desire for us is often in contrast to what we humans admire. If we treasure outward appearances, our hearts will be found among the shiny things of life. If we hold dear our position, our hearts will be found among the ranks of hierarchy. If we cherish material possessions, our hearts will be lost in a world that will one day return to dust, for neither position, nor looks, nor popularity, nor station in life impresses God. So, if we seek what the Father seeks, social media will not consume us. The quest for perfection, looks, and popularity will not define us. Power and wealth will not drive our ambitions. Today Sisters, live life in pursuit of what really matters: a heart belonging to our Heavenly Father.

Father God may our hearts seek you.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane

audio study.

In Acts 5, after being imprisoned for teaching Jesus, escaping from that prison by the assistance of an angel of the Lord and then being brought again before the Jewish council, the apostles were ever resolved to “obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29 NKJV). At that council, one man named Gamaliel showed wisdom in reminding his Jewish brethren that others claiming to be somebody had risen to power for a short time, died and their followers consequently scattered. In stating his conclusion, Gamaliel said, “…if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it – lest you even be found to fight against God” (Acts 5:38-39).

Indeed, the book of Acts bears out over and over that the Jews did fight against God. The first century church mainly suffered persecution from Jews early on rather than from the Romans (Acts 21:27; 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16). Jesus warned of this attitude exhibited in the majority of Israel and the consequences of rejecting His will (Matthew 23-24). From the beginning of Christ’s ministry on earth to the end, the Jews continued to reject the will of God (Luke 7:29-30; 23:35). Israel did not recognize Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah of which their Scriptures prophesied. With every miracle that they saw Him do, every teaching that they heard and every prophecy He fulfilled, they turned a blind eye to it; they fought against God! The evidence that Jesus is God’s Son, Deity in human flesh, is overwhelming. (What mere man could perfectly fulfill over 300 prophecies written hundreds of years before his life?) Sadly, many continue to fight against God by rejecting Jesus as God in the flesh (Hebrews 1:1-3; 1 John 4:2-3).

There are various ways we, too, can be found fighting against God. First, we fight against Him if we reject immersion in water for the forgiveness of sins. If the Jews in Jesus’ days resisted God’s will by not submitting to John’s baptism (Luke 7:30), how much more spiritually fatal is it to reject the commandment of Christ (Mark 16:16)? Immersion is where God cuts off our sins, as we die to self, and He raises us up a new creation in Christ (Colossians 2:11-12). The Lord is doing the work! We simply submit to Him in faith. Peter, inspired by God, in Acts 2:38 clearly states: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” If baptism is not for the forgiveness of sins, then one must show where the Scriptures state that. However, the New Testament says the very opposite! “There is also an antitype which now saves us – baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21). With Ananias let us proclaim, “Why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).

We fight against God when we do not take church discipline seriously. The Lord’s church, made up of imperfect humans, will need to deal with sin. That is just a fact. It is when we do not handle those situations as God laid forth in His Word that the problem multiplies. Jesus spoke on this subject briefly, laying out the procedure to address sins (Matthew 18:15-17). The previous verses in Matthew 18:1-14 speak of the seriousness of sin (vs. 6-9 – causing others to sin and vs. 10-14 – despising the lost one). Our Lord is concerned about that one stray sheep, and so, why aren’t we? Christ wants His bride (the church) to remain pure and holy (1 Peter 1:15-16; 1 Timothy 5:22). The apostle Paul gave specific commands to congregations on how to deal with sinning brethren (Romans 16:17; 1 Corinthians 5; 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15; Titus 3:10-11). Are we following these principles in our respective congregations? We must not think that the purity of the Lord’s body is a trivial matter. We fight against God if we do!

Another way we can fight against our Creator is when we do not submit to our God-given roles. The world, under Satan’s influence, is waging war on the roles of men and women. We must look to our authority on the subject – God’s Word. In the beginning, God created the man first (Genesis 1-2). He could have created the male and female human pair simultaneously, but He did not. There may be multiple reasons for God making man first. One of them could be that He was showing Adam (specifically at that time) and mankind (generally in the future) that the man is to be the leader. In 1 Timothy 2:13, Paul referred to this creation order (across time and culture) for the reason women are not to teach or have authority over a man (1 Timothy 2:11-12). Prior to this command for the women, Paul told the men that they are to “pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting” (1 Timothy 2:8). Furthermore, in Titus 2, the apostle gave instructions for men and women. Notice a reason for living in our God-given role is “that the word of God may not be blasphemed” (Titus 2:5). Many in the world have derided Paul for these statements, but Peter said the same in his epistles (1 Peter 3:1-7) – again to both women and men. Of course, Paul and Peter were both inspired by the one Author. Why do some struggle with the fact that submission is not inequality? God created both male and female in His image (Genesis 1:27), and both stand equal before their Judge in need of salvation (Galatians 3:28). God knows best, and He has told us that He desires men to lead and women to assist them – working together bringing glory to Christ. Satan wants conflict between men and women and between humans and their Creator. We are on the adversary’s side fighting against God when we do not submit to the role that He has given for us.

We fight against the Lord when we do not uphold the sanctity of marriage. Again, Satan has declared war on the home, and sadly, many Christians have invited him in to set up camp! Marriage is a beautiful picture of Christ and His bride, the church (Ephesians 5:22-33). The husband is to love his wife as his own body – nourishing and cherishing her (vs. 25-29), and the wife is to respect her husband, submitting to him (vs. 22-24, 33). This means we show love and respect to our spouse even when we don’t feel like it and during conflicts. “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4). Are we teaching young people how special marriage is? Are we teaching and helping those who are married how to stay married? A husband and wife should be a powerful team working with God against all worldliness and evil.

Another way we fight against our Maker is when we claim to love Him, but we hate our brethren (1 John 4:20-21). God has commanded us to love others. When we do not love, we are not keeping His commandments (1 John 5:2-3). Love is a distinguishing feature of Christianity to the world (John 13:34-35). The world despises Christ and His followers when they see us take our fellow brother to court (1 Corinthians 6), treat our neighbor poorly (Romans 13) or speak evil of our brother or sister. (This is a big problem on social media, James 4:11.) James further stated “that friendship with the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4). We are fighting against God when we do not love people created in His image.

God’s Word stands. It will not be made void (Isaiah 55:11). All attempts to fight against God are futile (Psalm 2). May we all “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10) and never be found fighting against Him.

Emily Fisher

I have recently finished reading a book called Church Reset by Jack Wilkie. His purpose in this book is to pull Christians together to be the family God intended us to be. It’s about being like the church in Acts 2.

Jack just finished a gospel meeting with us a few weeks ago, and his message was clear—we are a family; and we need to act like a family. Church is more than a place to go when we have nothing else to do or when it is a special holiday.

If you think about it, the church has a lot of the issues families have. Sometimes we disagree; sometimes we argue; sometimes we hurt one another. However, we should support one another, feel the pain of our brothers and sisters, rejoice with one another, and identify sin in one another. This is true if we really want to be a family.

Sadly, we tend to associate mainly with certain members. Some members we hardly know, if at all. When someone new moves to our area and identifies with our congregation, they may have a difficult time “fitting in”. Sadly, we are often not accepting of new people. There is no intention to hurt them, we just don’t take the time to get to know them; and, because of that, they don’t feel a part of our church family. When they don’t feel a part, they probably won’t “take part” in the work of the church.

When people don’t participate, they become a “church customer”. So, what does it mean to be a church customer? A church customer, according to Brother Wilkie, is one that sits and wants to be fed. If they like what they get, they might come back. They are not loyal; because, if they don’t get their way, they complain all the time or leave. They expect to be recruited, and they want the church to work to keep them. Their participation is limited so they don’t get involved.

The church customer is like the rich young ruler in Matthew 19. He wanted a list of things he needed to do to get into heaven. So, Jesus gave him a list of commandments from the law. Remember that they were still under the Law of Moses. The young man was trying to do only what he had to do to meet the requirements. Jesus was concerned about his heart, not doing the minimum needed. This young man saw eternal life as being about what he could do from a list. We all want to go to heaven, but there isn’t a check list. Christianity is about being more like Jesus. When we are working to be more like Jesus, we will obey the commandments; but we will do them because we are serving God from the heart not out of necessity. Paul said in Galatians 2:20 that we no longer live for ourselves, but we show Christ living in us. Our “god” is not self, but God working within us (Colossians 1:28).

So, what should the church look like?

It should be like the church of the New Testament. It should be a family that exhibits “gladness and sincerity of heart” like the church of the first century (Acts 2:46).

It should be a family of disciples devoted to worship (Acts 2:42).

It should be a family of committed disciples drawn together by the Word of God. It is not a social club.

It should be a family of committed disciples determined to carry out the mission of the church regardless of what the world says (Acts 4:18-20).

It should be a family of committed disciples dependent on the Holy Spirit and prayer.

It should be a family concerned about the needs of each other, both physical and spiritual.

The big question is, what would the church be like if everyone was just like me? Would it be a church of customers instead of family members? It is up to each one of us to decide which we want to be.

Sandra Oliver

A young friend is trying to study the scriptures on her own and has requested information about the rivers that met in the Garden of Eden.

We are all familiar with the verses in Genesis 2:10-14.

·  Genesis 2:10-14 KJV And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. 11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. 13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. 14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

We can read that “the whole land of Havilah” is mentioned in other verses such as Genesis 10:7, Genesis 10:29, Genesis 25:18, and 1 Samuel 15:7.

References for “the whole land of Ethopia” are Genesis 10:6 and Isaiah 11:11.

The third area that is mentioned is “the east of Assyria.”  References for that area are: Genesis 10:11, Genesis 10:22, and Genesis 25:18.

Finally, the fourth river is Euphrates, a familiar name even today. References for this river and its area are: Genesis 15:18, Deuteronomy 1:7, Deuteronomy 11:24, and Revelation 9:14.

One interesting fact mentioned in Genesis 15:18-21 is the nations that lived around the Euphrates river.

·  Genesis 15:18-21 KJV In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: 19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, 20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, 21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

Now to my friend’s question: Are these rivers the same as we read about today? Is there a map that shows these together?

I might add that several friends have also been studying the flood mentioned in Genesis 6:17.

·  Genesis 6:17 KJV “And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.”

We know that the earth was greatly changed by that event. Does anyone on this list know if there a reliable study that might compare the paths of the rivers after the flood?

Beth Johnson

Chennai Teacher Training School

Women’s Studies

Muliebral Viewpoint

Articles and Books by Beth Johnson

STAY WELL, DO GOOD AND SEEK WISDOM. ALSO REMEMBER: 1 John 2:4-6

Ezekiel 6:7 “You shall know that I Am the Lord.”
Ezekiel 6:9 “Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations where they are carried captive…”

As I remember the many sacrifices made for my country, I also remember the sacrifice my heavenly Father made for me. In Ezekiel’s time, the memory of God’s faithfulness had all but vanished. They had forgotten it was Jehovah who blessed Abraham as the Father of all nations. They had forgotten it was God who preserved His people as He placed Joseph in the seat of Egyptian power. And they had dismissed a God who unleashed His mighty power to part the mighty sea.

The book of Ezekiel is far removed from a Hallmark “feel-good” moment. The destruction Ezekiel pronounced upon Israel as their hearts forgot their loving and protective God must have spread an impending sense of calamity. But on the heels of their doom, a merciful and loving Jehovah unexpectedly reached out and beckoned Israel to remember His faithfulness and return to Him. If they could recall the past goodness of the Great I Am, they would rediscover the God of hope for their future.

Perhaps, we too, should pause today to REMEMBER. Yes, we pause in gratefulness to the Brave who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. But let us also pause today in gratefullness to a loving God who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our salvation.

As we reflect on His goodness, take a moment to remember the times God granted you spiritual healing, and discover hope for future wounds. Look back at the peace God provided in the midst of your trials and grief so that you might confidently reach out and travel rough roads with others, knowing God will sustain. And, remember today how God showed-up in your fiercest confrontations of the past and let that memory fill you with courage to mend any broken relationships in your future.

Peace can reside in our future if we remember our past. That precious gift of Hope brought down from heaven and lovingly laid in the manger assures us of our future eternal inheritance (1 Peter 1: 3–5 NIV). And recalling the many ways God has revealed Himself in our lives allows us to trust in His promise to redeem us (Ephesians 1:7). Friend, remember, God’s past faithfulness remains the same as God’s faithfulness in our future.

Father God, may we never forget your faithfulness to us. May we connect Your goodness in our past to Your promises of goodness in our future.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane

(audio study).

God blesses us with everything we need;

the much needed rain to make everything grow,

the warm rays of sunshine

that makes everything sparkle and glow.

And the sheep are in the sheepfold;

the cows are in the pasture.

The world keeps turning and turning

and life goes on day after day.

We can all be happy to be alive and

that God has richly blessed us in every way.

And the sheep are in the sheepfold;

the cows are in the pasture.

God will give us the strength and courage

to make it through all obstacles we face.

No matter how bad our trials may be

He will bless us with His loving care and grace.

And the sheep are in the sheepfold;

the cows are in the pasture.

We can be happy and be at rest.

Our hearts can be fully at peace

knowing we are bountifully blessed

and all of our worries can cease.

And the sheep are in the sheepfold;

the cows are in the pasture.

James 1:17 – Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning.

Debora Robbins

I don’t know about others, but I have often used this expression, especially with my children. When I could sense danger in something they wanted to do or in a new friend, I would say, “I see red flags.”  Those red flags are sometimes apparent to parents but not to the children. We can see them because of our experiences. The children are only looking at the immediate pleasure in what they want to do or the person with whom they want to be involved.

Such was the case with Samson. The situations in which he found himself came with many red flags. He just didn’t see them or heed them.

He was conceived after an announcement to Manoah and his wife that they would have a son. He was to have a special role in the lives of God’s people. He was to never cut his hair, and he was to live under a Nazarite vow for life.

The Lord blessed Samson.  Judges 13:25 says the Spirit of the Lord began his work with Samson. This means God’s Spirit began to apply a miraculous strength to Samson. Though God gave him this strength, Samson had free will to use it at his discretion.

Samson had an eye for the women. Unfortunately, his first love was found among the Philistines, the very people he was chosen to destroy. At their wedding feast, Samson posed a riddle. He made a wager with his companions at the feast that they could not solve the riddle. They accepted the challenge from Samson and then sent the young bride in to persuade him to reveal the meaning of the riddle. She cried and pressured Samson into telling her the meaning of the riddle. When the young men told him the meaning of the riddle, Samson became so angry that he killed thirty men to get the changes of clothes he promised as a reward. Samson left his young bride for a time; and while he was gone, she was given to one of his friends. When he found out, he caught three hundred foxes, tied their tails together, put firebrands between their tails, and turned them loose in the Philistines’ corn. Of course, everything burned to the ground.  The Philistines retaliated by burning Samson’s wife and father.

In chapter 18, we find Samson enamored with a harlot in Gaza. The Gazites instigated a plot to kill him; but at midnight he left the harlot, took the gates of the city and the posts that held them in place, and carried them away to a nearby hill.

Did you see any red flags in those two stories with the enemies of God? Of course, but Samson didn’t learn a thing. Samson had developed a sense of pride in himself and the strength he possessed.

Once again his eyes turned to a woman outside his own people. He found himself in love with a woman named Delilah. The Philistines having still not recovered from Samson’s strong-arm tactics, devised a plan. They went to Delilah and promised her a lot of money to find out the source of Samson’s strength. Four times she tried, and three times Samson lied to her. On the fourth try, Delilah used her womanly wiles, “If you loved me you would tell me”; and Samson told her everything. The Philistines came and cut Samson’s hair, bound him, blinded him, and carried him away. They made sport of him, displaying him before the Philistine nation, mocking him, calling him names, and making fun of him. What a sad ending to a man chosen by God.

While in captivity, Samson’s hair began to grow, and God gave him the strength to push down the pillars that held the house together where the Philistines partied. In the end, they were all destroyed, even Samson.

What were the red flags? There were three women, all heathens, none of which should have been of interest to an Israelite living under a Nazarite vow. There was a misuse of the powers God gave Samson. Those powers should have been used for the destruction of the Philistines. Samson was prideful about the powers he possessed. His aim was not about fulfilling God’s purpose but showing off his strength.

Though Samson often ignored the red flags, at the end of his life he accomplished what God had planned for him—he destroyed the Philistines. The writer of Hebrews mentions him in Hebrews 11:32. He, with others, “through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.” Samson and the others mentioned served God’s purpose in spite of many mistakes.

We, like Samson, have and will ignore those every-present red flags. We will make mistakes. It is important that we learn from those mistakes and remain faithful till death. Let us constantly pray for God’s guidance and strength as we strive to serve Him.

Sandra Oliver

Acts 1:24 “And they prayed and said, ‘You, oh Lord, who knows the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen.’”

Life for the Christ-followers had certainly been tested. Their Lord was hung on a cross until death claimed his precious breath. The pious religious leaders with their soldiers, a few faithful followers, and Mary, His mother, stood on the hill and witnessed it all. With His final exhale, the very earth Christ helped speak into existence shook so violently with fury, its rocks split. Overwhelming grief of the Father extinguished His heavenly light and wrapped all creation in darkness.

But Blessed Hope returned, for no grave could ever conquer the Son of God. He rose to walk again among them before returning to the glory from whence He came.

As the book of Acts opens, the disciples have gathered with one mission: replace Judas. The magnitude of choosing the wrong man weighed heavily upon them as they considered the harm inflicted by their traitor. One would assume the discussion at that gathering centered around the criteria for their new appointee. Did they speak of someone with power and prestige who might help dispel persecution? Did their discourse revolve around an educated man capable of debate against the relentless religious scholars? Perhaps they considered men of wealth who might elevate their reputation. On the contrary, scripture records none of these were considered. Tossing human logic to the wind, the disciples prayed for a man with one criterion: a heart belonging to the Father.

Scripture reveals a God whose desire for us is often in contrast to what we humans admire. If we treasure outward appearances, our hearts will be found among the shiny things of life. If we hold dear our position, our hearts will be found among the ranks of hierarchy. If we cherish material possessions, our hearts will be lost in a world that will one day return to dust, for neither position, nor looks, nor popularity, nor station in life impresses God. So, if we seek what the Father seeks, social media will not consume us. The quest for perfection, looks, and popularity will not define us. Power and wealth will not drive our ambitions. Today Sisters, live life in pursuit of what really matters: a heart belonging to our Heavenly Father.

Father God may our hearts seek you.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane