Matthew 7:3-5 reads as follows.

And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, “Let me remove the speck from your eye”; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (NKJV)

In place of “plank” in the NKJV, the ESV uses the word “log.” The familiar KJV uses the word “beam.” A “beam” brings to mind the massive, squared trees used a century ago for the interior skeletal structure inside huge dairy barns.

We are to look and to examine ourselves before we concern ourselves about others. We need to look at ourselves before examining how others are living. “Therefore, you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things” (Romans 2:1).

What is a speck? The dictionary says a speck is a small discoloration or a spot especially from a stain or decay. It is small like a very tiny spot or a dot. Sometimes we get something like an eyelash in an eye. It is tiny and very painful.

What is a plank? Its definition is a heavy, thick board. It is impossible to fit in one’s eye.

What do these objects, a “speck” or a “plank,” in one’s eye mean? A speck is something very tiny and a plank is something exceptionally large. Christ used these objects in the Sermon on the Mount. When Christ taught lessons, He used things about which people knew so they could understand what He was teaching. He used simple and easy words so He would not be misunderstood. The people did not go away and say, “I wonder what that Jesus meant by what He was saying.”

What is a hypocrite? He or she is a person who puts on a false appearance of religion or a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feeling. In other words, a hypocrite says one thing and lives another. Hypocrites want people to think more highly of them than they really deserve. Christ used the word hypocrite in Matthew 23:13-15, 23, 25, 27, 29 when talking to the Scribes and Pharisees. We are taught in the Scriptures that our sins will catch up with us, and they will be found out. If not in this world, but for sure in the Day of Judgment our sins will surface if we have not sought forgiveness.

I have heard and thought to myself, “I hope such and such is listening to the sermon.” Instead of thinking of others who need to heed to a Gospel sermon, I should have been examining my life and my heart, not pointing a finger at others. This is what it means to be hypocritical. I do not need to worry about anyone else until I get my life right with the Lord. I need to get the “beam” out of my eye first.

A beam in my eye is much too large for me to see others. I need to work on my own sins and not worry or try to fix someone else until I have made my life right with the Lord. If I have my life right, then I can help others along the way on their journey to Heaven.

Brethren, we need to try to get to Heaven and take as many as we can with us! We cannot be hypocritical and do this work to help others if we ourselves are not right with God. Remember, actions speak louder than words!

Martha Lynn Rushmore

ATHEISM

More and more I am seeing and hearing of people who no longer believe in God.  Many young people are walking away from pseudo-religion, where all is glitter and glitz, showmanship, loud bands and flashy speakers.

I heard of a fourteen-year old girl last evening who know longer believed in God.  How sad to hear those words coming from a young person.  And the numbers are growing across all age groups.

Can you imagine the apostle Paul in such a set up or our Lord?

The simplicity of the Gospel draws people to Him, not the glitz and glamour.  For once it has been tried over and over, it loses its effect and people drift away.  But I fear many are drifting into skepticism.  It is a sugary sweet, candy-coated poison, though it may not be the only reason many are becoming skeptics.  It is alarming to watch it happen.

“I look at my watch, knowing that every tick is more than a tick of time, that it is a tick to the genius of its maker – for it never made itself.

As the light from the incandescent lamp drives out the darkness, I know the bulb never made itself – it shines to the glory of its inventor.

I turn on the television, and I know it is the product of a manufacturer, that it never made itself.

Neither did my house evolve.  It’s the work of a builder.

“For every house is builded by some man; but He that built all things is God.”     (Hebrews 3:4)

In keeping with the same common sense, our text gives this explanation for the origin of man:  God created him; he never made himself.

“This is reasonable.  And therefore, as long as watches, light bulbs, televisions and houses are unable to make themselves – they have to be made by a superior power – just that long I must hold to the idea that man is the creation of a Higher Power.”      ~ Leroy Brownlow

“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.”       (Genesis 1:27)

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”      (Genesis 2:7)

Only God can fill the heart, but it is up to us to read and study that Word so we can know with assurance He created man, and that He sent His only Son to die for the world’s sins.

No amount of entertainment or programs will ever be able to fill the heart.  These are nothing more than candy, and pretty soon one grows tired of the sweets and wants meat and vegetables.  Nourishing food for the soul, but for the soul to grow, it can only come from His Word.  All else is just a sickening, filled with sugar diet.  God made our souls.  Only He can fill the soul.

It’s time to get back to the basics and it starts with His Word.

“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”   ~ Voltaire

Eileen Light

2 Chronicles 20:17b-18a – “Do not fear or be dismayed: tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you. And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the Lord worshipping the Lord.”

This very morning you opened your eyes, filled your lungs with fresh air, drank in some life-giving water, (perhaps infused with eye-opening caffeine) and right now, you are accessing technology. So, question: Did you stop to thank God for these blessings? Perhaps not, for if you are like me, once the alarm sounded, it was a race of gigantic proportions and all “non-emergency” functions were left behind in the dust.

We, humans, without realizing it, get so caught up in the blessed life God provides us that we totally crowd Him out of it. So, for a dose of gratitude inspiration, let’s head to the Word where we find an example of a grateful life.

The story of King Jehoshaphat could just be that shot of inspiration we are looking for. This humble king stood transparent before Judah as he spoke with fear and uncertainty over an imminent attack. In the presence of all the people, Jehoshaphat admitted his inabilities and lack of vision as he cried out to Jehovah,

  “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

King Jehoshaphat knew solutions did not lie in earthly wisdom nor in the power of his kingdom, but in Jehovah God. And for this display of trust, Jehovah responded with,

  “The battle is not yours, but God’s.”

Upon receiving God’s claim on the battle, we could assume the king quickly gathered his army, inventoried his weapons, and immediately called his commanders to strategize. But not so, for with God’s proclamation of victory, Jehoshaphat’s gratefulness trumped it all and this mighty king halted an entire nation for worship and praise.

As my grandmother would have said, Jehoshaphat “put the cart before the horse” by worshipping God for the victory of a battle not yet fought. What an example of grateful trust this king demonstrated!

Might we, sisters, find inspiration from this King of long ago? Do we often overlook thanking God for all the ways he protects, loves, comforts, and surrounds us with His love after we have received and used these gifts? If so, we most likely overlook gratitude for God’s goodness yet to be given.

During this season of thankfulness, may we place the praise-cart before the horse as we trust enough to worship God for the blessings He has yet to bestow. May we rise in joyous pre-praise for a loving Father’s daily goodness.

Father God, thank you for the blessings yet to come.

Rita Cochrane

At the top of Lookout Mountain near Chattanooga, Tennessee, is a tourist attraction called Rock City. During the Civil War, a nurse that was living on Lookout Mountain said, “From this point, on a clear day with a good glass, I think you can see seven states” (lookoutmountain.com).

Lookout Mountain is located in both Georgia and Tennessee. They, along with Alabama, are approximately 25 miles away. North Carolina is 50 miles away; Kentucky and Virginia are 120 miles away.  South Carolina is 80 miles away.

With the high-powered binoculars provided at the highest point at Rock City, you are supposed to be able to see the 7 states named above.

The Grand Canyon has 278 viewpoints, the highest of which is 8,934 feet. You can see various things from these viewpoints: mountains, the Colorado River, layers of rocks, wildlife, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and amazing views of stars and planets.

Imagine standing on the top of Lookout Mountain or a viewpoint at the Grand Canyon and being offered everything you can see. You are told that everything within your view will be yours. We are all smart enough to know that such an offer is not possible.

Matthew 4 relates such an offer to Jesus from Satan. One of the ways in which Satan tempted Jesus was to take Him to “an exceeding high mountain.” He showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, and he said he would give all of them to Jesus if He would just fall down and worship him. Jesus wasn’t hesitant to tell Satan that God is the only one to be worshiped. The offer was a lie. Satan didn’t own the kingdoms of the world, and he was not one to be worshiped.

When we read about the ways Satan tempted Jesus, we see that He was tempted through lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, and the pride of life. This is the same way he has tempted everyone who ever lived. His resources are limitless. He is not ignorant. He knows what works!

Do you realize that the devil fell because of his lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life? John says that he sinned from the beginning (First John 3:8). He has nothing to do with truth (John 8:44). He wants us to follow in his footsteps, but he is not all powerful. We have the ability to stand against his lies.

It is amazing that we read about the temptations which have led man away from God, yet we fall for the same temptations. Here are just a few:

• Eve believed that she wouldn’t die. We live as though we are going to live forever, and we postpone “living right” because of that attitude.
• Cain believed he could get away with murder. There are those who do that today when they take the lives of innocent babies.
• King David believed he could take another man’s wife. Just think about the people you know that are divorced, living together but not married, or are involved in other immoral sexual relationships.
• King Ahab wanted another man’s property. Many think what belongs to someone else is theirs for the taking. They riot and destroy property, steal, and cheat people out of everything from property to cash.
• The Jews wanted to worship God and idols. Today, man worships possessions, power, and fame.
• Judas sold out his friend for 30 pieces of silver. Some today will do anything for money.
• Ananias and Sapphira wanted to look important to the other Christians. There are those today who want to be recognized for every good deed they do.
• Simon wanted to buy the apostles’ gift so he would look important. Some today teach one can buy his way into heaven through good deeds or by contributing to a cause.

These are only a few, but you can see these sins all fit into one of the three catagories—lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life. They all prove that the devil is the adversary of mankind. He is destroying our homes through immorality. He is destroying the minds of our children with teachings that are contrary to God’s Word. He is destroying our nation with left-wing ideas. He is trying to destroy the church with the introduction of modernistic views regarding worship and entrance into the kingdom.

We can know the truth. All we have to do is read God’s Word and obey it. When we do that, we can stand on the top of any mountain and look out at the beauty of God’s creation. We don’t have to bow down and worship the devil to have all the kingdoms of the world. The only kingdom that we need to possess is heaven.

Sandra Oliver

The book of Proverbs has an abundance of helpful life advice. And conveniently, there are 31 chapters..perfect for one each day of the month! (And on short months, we can double up on some days). This is also a great start for those who are trying to make daily Bible reading a consistent habit. Instead of just checking off a to-do list each time a chapter is read, there are many benefits of reading and re-reading to really soak up all that is being said. Distractions aside, find a comfortable place and pray for guidance and wisdom. Ask that God will help you to apply what you are reading to your own life, as He would have you. Take notes, highlight, and really get into and I believe you will find that your love for the Bible and God will grow and grow.

Some of my favorite verses from the book of Proverbs:

“Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold.”

Proverbs 3:13-14

“The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.”

Proverbs 16:21

“Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.”

Proverbs 4:13

“Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.”

Proverbs 4:25

“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.”

Proverbs 12:25

“When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”

Proverbs 16:7

“My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.”

By Janelle Pollard

I heard this question from someone last week: “Do you really think that taking children to a second worship service on Sunday in a congregation where you don’t regularly attend should be a priority over spending quality time with a close family member?” I’ve thought about that a lot.

The answer is “yes.”  A simple yes. Quality time in corporate worship of the One who sustains us is always more important than spending that time with any human being or in any material effort. But the important and overarching truth is that children need consistency. They need to see consistency in our ordered lives for the Lord, above all. They need to see, over and over and over again, that every single time the saints are assembling at regular times, we are there. They need to expect this and they do not need to see exceptions made for schedules that can easily be altered to accommodate the consistent pattern they’ve come to observe in our families. It takes something pretty big for our families to give consent to miss school, tournaments, performances and activities that have involved a lot of financial investment. How much more should parents take advantage of this extremely tangible and obvious display of devotion to God? As a matter of fact, when they see us making an extreme effort to be at every service or make a provision for a worship time when traveling, in lieu of the one we are missing in our home congregations, they are even more impressed at how important the spiritual things are in our hearts. They understand that every relationship pales into insignificance compared to the one we have with the Father we adore. They understand that every activity is in the background of, and is influenced by the commitment we have to our older Brother. They come to know that, in a world that rushes and presses our schedules, “there’s a place of quiet rest near to the heart of God.”  They know. They see.

My friend Shelby Camp had a tiny newborn in the NICU on a ventilator on a Sunday morning last spring. She and her husband Billy made the decision to go to worship God on that day instead of going to the hospital. She said this: “Why would we go to the hospital, where we can do nothing, when we can go and worship the One who can do anything?”

She said it all.

Going to worship as a matter of course is not extremism. It’s Daniel praying in the window toward the holy city. It’s a staunch commitment to never change the course of our sanctified lives because there’s an inconvenience or even a threat. Daniel could have reasoned it was way more important to continue his work for God’s people, in a land given over to idolatry than it was to bow in front of the window. He could have hidden to pray in an inner chamber. But it was matter of course and his example still talks, from a den of lions, to our families today.

Cindy Colley

I Peter 3:12 “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers.” NKJV

A previously obscure piece of technology known as Zoom has recently been catapulted into a common household feature. Business meetings, family celebrations, and church services now rely on this popular tech-craze to keep us connected. In the process, a new phrase has been coined: “You’re on mute!”

You’ve seen it happen! Perhaps you’ve done it! Certainly, you’ve been frustrated by it. Someone on Zoom continues to chat away with animated facial expressions and numerous hand gestures, the entire fiasco comical when void of sound. All the while, the speaker presumes everyone is listening.

And so, your charades begin:

“You are on mute!”

“We can’t hear you!”

“Unmute yourself!”

How frustrating to assume others are hanging on our every word only to discover no one hears. But Zoom is not the founder of muting. Having our words and thoughts silenced has been an issue since the beginning of time. In I Kings 12, words of advice from the elders of Israel fell upon the deaf ears of King Rehoboam. These elders spoke wisely of the need for a godly leader. But King Rehoboam muted their words, choosing instead to heed the foolish advice of his peers.

Our words too can be muted even though we speak face to face. We can verbalize aloud our hurts, our hopes, our dreams and our deepest desires. We can pour them out to our friends, our spouse, our co-workers, and our family only to have them fall on deaf ears; unvalidated, unimportant, and unheard.

Sisters, rest assured, never will we find ourselves muted before our Heavenly Father. He desires to hear us and cherishes the words we utter. As our Creator, He comprehends our most secret dreams; the ones dwelling deep within us that we dare not verbalize. To top it off, it pleases Him to respond with goodness and grace.

The God-head three (Father, Spirit, and Son) collaborate to make sure every thought, dream, and desire of our hearts is received, heard, and validated. We can rest in the assurance we will never be muted before the Great I Am.

Father God, thank you for hearing every thought we have. Thank you for loving us in spite of them.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane

GROWING CHILDREN LIKE JESUS

When I was a young mother, a lady in our congregation was raising her little girl by “Dr. Spock.” This meant that when the little girl threw herself in the aisle during worship, her mother watched her roll around in the floor; and we all heard her scream at the top of her lungs. Eventually, the little girl would get up, and the service could continue. The parents offered no discipline, and there were many such events during the time I knew them.

We seem to be back in that era of no discipline, or very little. Parents won’t spank their children in public. They could be accused of child abuse. Even if they want them to stop doing something, they tell them over and over again, usually without the results they want. Even Christian parents seem to have adjusted to the culture in which we live by adopting this general attitude toward raising children.

I love thinking about Jesus as a child. I wonder how His brothers and sisters reacted to Him as they were growing up. I wonder what He created as He worked with His earthly father. I wonder about what He played with the other children. I have also been thinking lately about what it would be like to raise a child like Mary and Joseph raised. I decided to take a look at the things the Scriptures say about Jesus and think about what would have brought Him to feel, act, and think the way He did.

We don’t have to look any further than eight days from Jesus’ birth to see the first example this couple set for us. They followed the law by circumcising their son, and Mary was obedient in subjecting to the days of purification (Luke 2 and Leviticus 12). When those days of purification were ended, Joseph and Mary took their child to the temple to offer sacrifices, which were also commanded. Though those things are not commandments today, the example is that beginning at birth, Mary was obedient to God’s laws concerning her Son. If you are growing a child to be like Jesus, are you a Christian? Jesus was raised by parents that were devoted to God. They wouldn’t have been chosen had they not been.

Worship was very much a part of the Jewish lifestyle. This family attended services at the synagogue (Luke 4:16) and made yearly visits to Jerusalem for feasts (Luke 2:42). We can see the results of this training in Luke 2:41-47 when Jesus stayed behind at age twelve to talk with the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Those that saw Him were amazed at His understanding of what the doctors were saying. He had obviously also been taught at home. Remember that the command from God was to teach the children all through the day, constantly reminding them of God’s commandments (Deuteronomy 6:5-9; 12:19-21).  Do you attend worship services with your children? Do you teach them at home? Do you spend time with your spiritual family? To bring up a child in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, parents must take them where the Scripture is taught.

After Jesus’ parents found Him in the temple, Luke says that Jesus went home and was subject to them (Luke 2:51). Are your children subject to you? Paul tells us in Ephesians 6 that children are to obey their parents. They are to honor their father and mother. Fathers are told not to provoke their children to anger, but they are to teach them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Fathers (and mothers) are to deal with their children in a prayerful way, teaching them what God expects of them.

Verse 52 of Luke 2 tells us the result of all the teaching and instruction Jesus received as a child. “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.”  Jesus grew up in poverty and an environment of manual labor. He grew up in a place far away from teachers and schools that would have been available in Jerusalem. In spite of these circumstances, He learned. He learned about prayer, forgiveness, how to serve, and how to love. He learned that life exists for heavenly things like worship, doing for others, showing hospitality, obeying God’s commandments, learning Scripture.

Jesus exhibits a perfect example of dealing with temptation. Matthew 5 relates the devil’s attempt to defeat God’s plan by tempting Jesus. This was not the only time Jesus was tempted, but this shows us how Jesus dealt with temptations. With each temptation, Jesus quoted Scripture. He knew it. He had it memorized. Do you encourage your children to memorize Scripture? Knowing the Scripture, being familiar with those same verses Jesus quoted, and knowing how to find verses in the Bible will serve your children well in resisting the temptations they face day after day. The devil won’t tempt them just once, either. He will tempt them as long as they live.

The results of His earthly teaching are seen particularly in two places, both occurring while He was on the cross. The love and respect He had for the mother who bore Him, taught Him, and loved Him is seen in His relinquishing her care to the beloved disciple, John (John 19:26-27). The other is His moving prayer to His heavenly Father, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

Would it not be wonderful to see that kind of love and compassion exhibited in our children? We know there are no guarantees that they will never sin. There is so much influence from outside, but that gives us more reason to consistently do the things Joseph and Mary did so that our children will always know that obedience to God is the way to heaven.

There is nothing in the doctrine of Dr. Spock or the modern culture of child rearing that can compete with the Bible for raising children. I often hear people say, “Children don’t come with instructions.” That is simply not true. They come with the best instructions known to man, the Bible, instructions directly from God our heavenly Father.

Sandra Oliver

I’m just going to say one more time that, in a society that has lost its moral way, Christian women today have to be more than a little different in our entertainment choices. Entertainment is optional. I can go to heaven without watching a single movie or attending a single play. Thus, if the language, portrayal of sex and the blasphemy in a movie or play is antithetical to the Biblical values system, Christians should choose some other form of entertainment.

I go online and read reviews of movies or plays—reviews often written by people who have no practical religious affiliation—and find that a certain play or movie is at best littered with and, at worst, saturated with language that Christians should be working to keep from their minds rather than inviting into their hearing while paying money to do just that. Secular commenters are sometimes appalled by the same show that Christians applaud on Facebook. The non-Christians are shocked by the amount of inappropriate (i.e. sinful) language, while the Christians are applauding the wonderful evening enjoyed while ingesting it!

I know all the repeated criticisms of those of us who keep saying it. “Everyone has to make the judgment calls about entertainment.” …”Who are you to be the media police?” …”Just because I am sitting there watching the real world, history, fantasy, etc., doesn’t mean that I am approving of every thing about every scene.”… I have also witnessed a generation of children grow into adults who can see little difference between the church and the world: in how we dress, behave, speak and entertain ourselves. They cannot recognize holiness (separation from the defilement of the world) and so they, in disillusionment do not see the choice to follow God as a clear and distinguishable path to be with Him. Christianity becomes, to the observant teen, a sort of hamper to staying within societal norms, rather than a full-scale rejection of sin and the father of lies and a hatred for the things that are of the world.

Evangelism is diluted by the near-absence of any call to repentance—the crux of the salvation plan. People who are invited to become a part of a church that demands no holiness, of course, see no need to change sinful practices and life-styles. Conviction and the putting away of sin—the hardest part of the salvation plan—is the part about which that the candidate for baptism has little understanding. In other words, evangelism by those who are watching, dressing and speaking just like the world is relatively empty of conviction to change upon becoming a “disciple.” It’s important to remember, though, that a “Christian” is literally a “follower of Jesus.”

So WOULD you follow him into the theater or into your living room to see, for instance, these movies that many of those who claim allegiance to him are/have been posting about seeing in the past couple of years? Is this where Jesus would lead the new Christian?

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8503618/parentalguide

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1745960/parentalguide

These are just two examples of many from which I could choose. But let me be clear. People who need the gospel see our choices. Our children, who need the gospel, see our choices. We take them to Bible class, where they are exposed, at least, to the concept of holiness. They hear the readings and learn some of the verses.

Be ye holy as a I am holy.

Come ye out from among them and be ye separate, says the Lord

Whatever is true, just, pure, lovely, of good report—if there’s anything praiseworthy or virtuous, think on these things.

Let no filthy communication proceed from your mouth.

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. …

Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

I can hear some already: “But my Jesus ate with sinners.” Yes. He did. But your Jesus did not go to the arena of his day to be entertained by filth, to laugh at sexual humor and the taking of His own name in vain.  Those  who wear His name, but who try to put Jesus in an arena of being entertained and gratified by those who are mocking God, using impure and base language and applauding sinful sex, know better. They are not honest with the Scriptures. They are reaching to try and justify the gratification of their own desires for ungodly entertainment.

Cindy Colley