Judges 2:10b-12a “. . . another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel. Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals; and they forsook the Lord God. . .”

My family admits to being dressing-snobs. Just what is that? A dressing-snob is a person who turns their nose up on all Thanksgiving dressing or stuffing apart from their family’s own, unique recipe. It’s hereditary, so I take no shame in it. I am a third generation dressing snob who raised a fourth generation of snobs. And this past week at our Thanksgiving table, I observed a fifth generation emerging.

It is believed our Mama Watts crafted our recipe, but possibly she received it from her ancestors. Because we hold this recipe dear, if the generation to follow is to enjoy Mama Watts’ dressing, the intricate process of adding just the right amount of sage and balancing the ratio of cornbread to white bread must be handed down. Otherwise, those coming after will be destined to “take-out” stuffing.

Today’s theme verse speaks also to the importance of passing on to the next generation, yet it references something much more precious than a recipe. Throughout the life of Joshua, God’s loud voice and strong arm had been ever present. Following Joshua’s death, a new generation emerged who knew not God, nor His mighty works, nor His loving protection. Have you ever considered just what Israel had never shared with the younger generation?

They did not share the story of creation, so they knew nothing of God’s power, love, and forethought.

They were never told of Noah, so they did not understand the importance of faithfulness to God.

They had not heard of the Tower of Babel, so there was no awareness that God detests prideful hearts.

They never knew of Moses nor their bondage in Egypt. They were never told of the ten plagues nor the parting of the Red Sea, so they knew nothing of God’s love and promise of mighty protection.

They spoke nothing of Joseph’s unwavering faith in God, nor the blessing of his generous forgiveness.

They had no knowledge of Rahab who bore evidence of God’s desire to redeem broken lives.

Sadly, scripture records, “They did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel. . .They forsook the Lord God.”

If we are convicted beyond a doubt that God is holy, sovereign, and loving, we cannot help but share Him. If we fail to teach the next generation, we will find history repeating itself and there will come after us a generation who knows not our Lord (nor how to make Mama Watts’ dressing).

Father God, may our faith run deep and may we share you through all the moments of our life.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane

Audio lecture.

“Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.”

1 Thessalonians 3:1-3

Some months ago, my husband, Carl, taught a Bible class series on the Thessalonian letters. When our study through chapter 3 lead to the above scripture, it immediately inspired some self-examination. In this section of Paul’s letter, he and the other apostles are unable to personally visit the Thessalonian congregation. So, instead, they send Timothy. Let’s take a look at three important thoughts to ponder here.

First, notice Paul’s confidence in Timothy. Paul and the other apostles depend on Timothy to fulfill challenging and important tasks in Thessalonica. Without hesitation, Paul writes, “we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ” (v2). Timothy’s capability and willingness to help fellow Christians is so evident that Paul happily chooses Timothy to visit Thessalonica on his behalf. Knowing that Timothy is up to the task, Paul says they were “willing to be left behind” (v1). Paul even refers to Timothy as “God’s coworker!” If that doesn’t speak for Timothy’s dedication, I don’t know what does.

Second, take a look at the tasks assigned to Timothy for his visit with the Thessalonians. He was sent to “establish and exhort” the church. The word establish here means to “strengthen.” The word for his second task, “exhort,” means to urge/encourage. Timothy is sent to give the Thessalonians a spiritual boost, to remind them of their hope in Christ and to encourage them to keep abounding in the work of the Lord as they have been. The Thessalonians are experiencing trials from all sides through persecution, the prominence of idol worship, and temptation of the immoral culture. Timothy is there to fan the flame of their faithfulness to God and ensure that their faith is still thriving in the midst of trials.

Third, compare yourself to Timothy for a moment. Do you eagerly plunge into opportunities to encourage and strengthen fellow Christians whom you see undergoing trials? Would your name come to Paul’s mind when he’s looking for an uplifter to send on his behalf? Could Paul rightfully describe you as “God’s coworker”? Timothy, although presented with outstanding responsibility, proved himself worthy of the task. Could you do the same? Would you even be willing to do so if called?

Every Christian has low points in his/her journey through this world. The blessing a child of God has is in knowing that we do not walk alone. Are you trying to make the pilgrimage to Heaven alone? God intends for us to travel, not just with Him, but with as many of His children as possible. He has provided us with an incredible support system, and He expects us to actively take part in each others’ lives. Sometimes, we may be the ones who need to be strengthened and exhorted, but we must ALWAYS be making opportunities to offer that same support to our fellow Christians. This week, ask yourself this question: “Would Paul send me?” Be on the lookout for ways to establish and exhort others!

Emily Moore

A young woman came into a store wearing clothes that showed her body all too well.  The shop owner, being a wise, older man, took a good look at her, and asked her to sit down.  He looked straight into her eyes and said something she would never forget for the rest of her life.

“Young lady, everything that God has made valuable in this world, is covered up and hard to see or find. For example: Where can you find diamonds?  In the ground, covered and protected. Where are pearls found?  Deep in the ocean, covered and protected in a beautiful shell.  Where can you find  gold?  Underground, covered with layers of rock, and to get there you have to work very hard and dig deep.”

He looked at her again, and said, “Your body is sacred and unique to God. You are far more precious than gold, diamonds, and pearls.  Therefore, you need to be covered, too.”

Then he added: “If you keep your precious minerals like gold, diamonds, and pearls deeply covered, a reputable mining organization, with the necessary machines, will work for years to mine those precious goods.  First, they will contact your government (family). Second, they will sign professional contracts (marriage). Third, they will professionally extract those goods, and tenderly refine them (married life), to enhance their value even more.”

“But if you let your minerals find themselves on top of the earth’s surface (exposed to everyone), you will always attract many illegal miners who will come to exploit, and freely take those riches and leave you without the precious goods God gave you.”

“Remember, You are too valuable to be wasted illegally.  Class is more desirable than trash.”  (Author unknown).

When I have discussions with ladies about modesty, the conversation usually ends up with some wanting to specify items of clothing as modest or immodest. That can be done with some clothing, but not everything. For instance, an evening gown might be modest; but it wouldn’t be modest in the Lord’s assembly. The reason is it is not appropriate attire for the situation.

The definition of modest according to The New Oxford American Dictionary is,

“dressing or behaving so as to avoid impropriety or indecency, especially to avoid attracting sexual attention (typically used of a woman): (of clothing) not revealing or emphasizing the figure.”

Based on this definition, you can see why an evening gown would not be appropriate to wear to worship. It would draw attention to the individual wearing it.

When we begin to measure our items of clothing by this standard, many will begin to justify what they are wearing by the event rather than the article of clothing. So, how do we decide? Let’s look at Scripture for our guide. We could go to First Timothy 2:9 for some direction, but Paul is speaking in this text about proper attire in the assembly. However, if it was the appropriate attire in the assembly, it is certainly true for women’s attire in general. We can’t say we must be modest in worship but not in daily life.

Let’s look rather at one of the first sermon’s recorded by Jesus. Matthew 5 is the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. Verse 8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” That verse says it all. There is no need to discuss specific items of clothing or explicit events. If a woman has a pure heart, she will know what to wear and what not to wear.

Later, Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). If the Christian woman desires the treasures of heaven, she will want to keep her heart pure, and she will want to convey that to the world in her dress, her speech, and her way of life.

Paul told Timothy, “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (Second Timothy 2:22). If we analyze what we wear by our desire to have a pure heart, will our choices be any different?

When Jesus was teaching about adultery later in Matthew 5, He said: “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (verse 28). It is likely that the Pharisees put their emphasis on the literal act of adultery. However, Jesus makes it clear that even the looking at a woman to arouse lustful thoughts is committing the act in the heart. By having lustful thoughts, they violated the seventh commandment.

Now to the question we as women need to consider. If the man will be judged for thinking lustful thoughts, how much less will the woman be judged for causing the lustful thoughts?

So, what is the reason you want to wear a particular item of clothing? Is it to look sexy? Is it to draw attention? Is it to seduce? Is it to fulfill the command to have a pure heart? Only you can answer.

Sandra Oliver

Psalm 139:5 “You have hedged me behind and before, and laid your hand upon me.”

It was a delightful girl’s getaway until it wasn’t. It didn’t matter that my daughter was technically an adult, she was still my child and my mother’s instinct told me something was wrong. So, there I stood at our pre-arranged meeting spot, long past our pre-arranged meeting hour, and became more anxious by the moment. Where could she be?

Too much time had passed. Due to poor planning, I did not have my phone. Panic set in as I watched couples walk hand in hand, families push baby strollers, and bicycle riders come and go, all oblivious that I stood there on the verge of tears.

My daughter was missing.

As the minutes ticked away, I paced, took deep cleansing breaths, and wrung my hands till they were red. Yet, no sign of her.

After what seemed a lifetime, I approached a man sitting quietly on a bench bordered by a long, tall hedgerow. I explained to him my crisis, and taking pity on me, he graciously handed over his phone. But before I could press the first digit, my daughter called out to me from somewhere on the opposite side of the hedge. She had recognized her mother’s voice. Soon from around the far end of the long hedgerow she emerged and neither of us took thought to those who witnessed our reunion of laughter and tears.

It seemed we had been searching for each other from opposite sides of a massive hedge. And although we stood only a short distance apart, the long, tall, and thick hedgerow kept us from finding each other.

My mind reverts to that day every time I read Psalm 139 where the psalmist writes, “You (God) have hedged me behind and before, and laid your hand upon me.” The writer knew what my daughter and I learned; how long, tall, and thick a hedgerow can grow.

What a great metaphor of God’s care of His children. Like a massive hedge, God’s thoughts and ways tower high over us. The width of His love cannot be measured. The length of His truth guides and protects all generations. His love surrounds us.

So next time you see a mighty hedge, stop a moment to reflect on God’s loving presence. (And should you be searching for someone, prior to panicking, remember to look on the other side of the hedge!)

Father God, may we see your mighty hedge surrounding us.

Rita Cochrane

This is an audio study from a woman’s lecture by Pat Surles.

studies on First Corinthians at Lord Let Me Grow.

PLEASE, MAKE ME A SERVANT

“As a man was driving his car, he saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road. He saw she needed help. So, he stopped his Pontiac near her Mercedes and got out.

He smiled while he was approaching her, but still she was worried, since nobody had stopped for hours. He did not look safe. His appearance was so poor and shabby. He could see how frightened she was, so he tried to calm her: ‘I‘m here to help you, don‘t worry. My name is Bryan Anderson’.

The tire was flat, so he had to crawl under the car. While changing the tire, he got dirty and his hands were hurt. When the job was done, she asked how much she owed him for his help. Bryan smiled. He said, ‘If you really want to pay me back, the next time you see someone who needs help, give that person the needed assistance. And think of me.’

At the same evening, the lady stopped by a small cafe. The place looked dingy. Then she saw a waitress, nearly eight months pregnant, wiping her wet hair with a towel. The waitress had a sweet, friendly smile, although she had been on her feet the whole day. The lady wondered how someone, who has so little, could be so kind and giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan.

The lady had finished her meal and paid with a hundred-dollar bill. The waitress went to get change.  When she came back, the lady was gone. She left a note on the napkin: ‘You don‘t owe me anything. Somebody once helped me, just like now I’m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, do not let this chain of love end with you.’  The waitress found four more hundred-dollar bills under the napkin.

That night when the waitress went home, she was thinking about the lady and the money she left. She was wondering how the lady could know how much she and her husband needed it, especially now since the baby would soon arrive. She knew that her husband worried about that, so she was glad to tell him the good news. Then she kissed him and whispered, ‘Now everything will be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson.’”

At least five people are called “a servant” by God—Abraham, Moses, Caleb, Job, and Zerubbabel. None of them were called a servant specifically because they did some act of service like the people in our story. They were servants because of how they lived.

The New Oxford American Dictionary defines servant as “one who performs duties for others; a devoted and helpful follower or supporter.” There is more to being a servant that just performing an act of service. It is an overall attitude of a submissive spirit. It is total compliance to God and His Word.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said it this way. “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”

Each of the men mentioned were servants because they obeyed God and lived each day doing the things He instructed. They all sinned, but their lives are remembered for their striving to live lives pleasing to God.

Being a servant is more than stopping on the road to help a stranger or leaving a big tip. It is about seeing a need and using your obedient faith to make life better for those around you.

Though the good Samaritan is a parable, it is a story obviously possible both during the time of Christ and on into the present. When you look at some of the New Testament passages of Scripture, we can see what God had in mind for us.

Jesus said, “Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you” (Matthew 5:42).

 Paul told the Galatians, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:7-8).

 The writer of Hebrews reminds us that we need to keep serving. “For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do” (Hebrews 6:10). Also, in Hebrews 13 the writer says, “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

Our aim in life should be to live with the purpose to be a servant, to show mercy and kindness, and to make a difference. We can accomplish that by living each day in obedience to God and His commandments. Serve. Be His representative to the world. Be salt and light to everyone we meet.

Sandra Oliver

That’s a great question! We often hear of the importance of being able to forgive ourselves, but is that actually in the Bible? We’re commanded to forgive others in multiple passages, but where is there any mention of forgiving ourselves?

While there isn’t a verse that states “you should forgive yourself,” it is certainly implied.

First, let’s make sure we understand how we’re using the word “forgive.” When God forgives us, He is removing the guilt of our sin. He is wiping away our sins (1 John 1:9). When we forgive others (or ourselves), we are not doing that. Only God can do that. When He asks us to forgive others, He is not asking us to take away the guilt of their sin. That’s His job. He is asking us to not harbor ill will toward them, to let go of our anger or any grudges, and to offer that forgiveness from the heart (Matt. 18). So when we forgive ourselves, we’re not saying we have the power to forgive our sins. That’s God’s role only. But we are saying we can release the burden we carry because of it. We can trust, from the heart, that we can let it go.

Second, consider Paul’s example. He had a “former life” he wasn’t proud of (Gal. 1:13). If we’re supposed to forgive ourselves, why doesn’t Paul say anything about forgiving himself? He may not come right out and say it but it seems like he does describe it. Paul wrote about “being anxious for nothing” and praying for the “peace of God that passes all understanding and guards your hearts and minds” (Phil. 4:6-7). He said even though he “persecuted the church,” he wanted a “righteousness of his own…through Jesus Christ.” How? By “forgetting what is behind and reaching for what is ahead.” That is the perfect definition of what it means to forgive ourselves (and others, for that matter). He then goes on to say “all of us who are mature should take such a view of things” and “join together in following my example” (Phil. 3:6-17).

Third, consider Peter’s example. Jesus told him that Satan was going to go after him and he was going to give in. Peter replied, “I’m ready to die for you!” Instead he denied Jesus. “When Jesus looked straight at Peter…he went out and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:31-34, 54-62). How that must have weighed on him! But somehow he went on to serve as an elder in His Lord’s church (1 Pet. 5:1) and serve on mission trips (Acts 9 & 10). When struggling with forgiving self, it can be very helpful to read 1 & 2 Peter with Peter’s denial of Jesus in mind. “Grace and peace be yours in abundance” (1 Pet. 1:2). “Cast all your anxiety/ worry on Jesus because He cares for you…and the God of all grace will make you strong, firm, and steadfast” (1 Pet. 5:7,10). Peter was able to move forward because he trusted God’s grace. And that gave him peace, strength, determination.

Fourth, what would NOT forgiving ourselves look like? It would involve hanging on to the burden of guilt and being weighed down by it. Or not being able to let the shame go. Perhaps it would include being unsure of our own salvation because of it. But it seems like all of the reassurances that God gives of His complete forgiveness are to remove those very feelings we might struggle with (Heb. 8:12; Micah 7:18-19; Psa. 103:12 and so many more!). He wants us to have faith and confidence in our salvation (1 John 5:13), in our cleansing (1 John 1:7-9), and in our righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). Forgiving ourselves just means that we take to heart God’s promises and assurances. We reach for that with both hands instead of dragging remnants of our past behind us.

Finally, why is it important to forgive ourselves? Paul wrote to Christians about how to treat a brother who had seriously messed up. He said, “forgive and comfort him…reaffirm your love for him.” Why? “So he will not be overwhelmed with excessive sorrow.” He went on to give another reason, “If there is anything to forgive, forgive…in order that Satan might not outwit us” (2 Cor. 2:5-11). Forgiveness is so important to the spiritual wellbeing of others and their ability to move forward and stay strong. Those same reasons are no less true when it comes to the importance of forgiving ourselves. Another reason it’s important to forgive ourselves is because it changes how we live, think, and act. There’s an observable conduct that points others to God’s mercy. Paul mentioned this when he called himself the “chief of sinners.” He said finding mercy allowed him to show others what Jesus is like (“longsuffering”) so others may believe in Him (1 Tim. 1:15-16). One more reason it’s important to forgive ourselves is that it will affect how we treat others. “Love keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Cor. 13:5). One might argue that this involves how we love ourself, too (Mark 12:31), but it’s perhaps more important to note that how we handle our own past mistakes could impact our ability to love others. We need to let go of them (in essence, forgive ourselves) so that we can offer that same love and grace to others as we’re commanded.