Roots by the River

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12). We know this command applies to us today because the Great Commission says, "teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." We are to be taught to obey , and we in turn are to teach to obey . The command here is to "rejoice and be glad." My personal experience in contact with other Christians is probably wider than most Christians, but still limited. Keeping this in mind, I know very few Christians who count themselves blessed when they are insulted and falsely accused of evil because of their stand for Jesus Christ. I do know Christians who get angry and want to fight back. Let us make decisions now that will determine right actions if and when this occurs.   Written July 1990. T...

The last sentence in Ezekiel is, “And the name of the city from that time on will be: THE LORD IS THERE." What a wonderful name for a city! Jesus, when he came to earth as a baby, fulfilled the prophecy recorded in Matthew 1:23: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel (which means 'God with us’).” Then in Revelation 21:3, there was “a great voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God himself will be with them.’” Finally, we have the promise in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you." At least three of these texts are speaking of God's close relationship with His church. They speak of His faithfulness in His imminence. Thank God!   Written November 1990. This post coordinates with today's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan, please join us at Toth...

In the last few days,* my time with the Lord has been in the Psalms. Psalm 145 made me pay attention this morning. Here is part of it: "Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness” (vv. 3-7). “They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made” (vv. 11-13). Notice that no one can fathom God's greatness. That is an ...

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” (Isaiah 5:20). This has been going on since Isaiah wrote this in the eighth century B.C., and probably before. However, now in universities across the land it has reached pandemic proportions. And Christians are involved. It started out with euphemisms where bad actions (sins) were described in words that sounded not so bad: adultery = having an affair, promiscuous fornication = sleeping around or sexually active, male homosexual = gay. These words that were once not so bad have now become good, and political correctness has made those people who are critical of homosexuals into the bad guys. In other words, evil has become good and good evil.   Written March 1994. This post coordinates with today's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan, please join us at TotheWord.com . We wo...

"And they began to accuse him, saying, ‘We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.' So Pilate asked Jesus, 'Are you the king of the Jews?' 'Yes, it is as you say,' Jesus replied” (Luke 23:2-3). The accusation against Jesus was a combination of truth and falsehood. Jesus did not oppose paying taxes to Caesar, nor did He subvert the nation. However, He was the Christ, a king. Pilate picked up on the truth, and Jesus confirmed it. Jesus was crucified because of truth, not because of lies. "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:11-12). Persecution against Christians may be justified by lies, but it happens because of the truth.   Written October 1991. This...

"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 14:11). This truth is also found in Philippians 2:3-11: "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and th...

  Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied of Jesus. “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us—to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days” (Luke 1:68-75). Notice he came to rescue us and enable us . This enabling was so that we could serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. Isn’t it wonderful that He empowers us to be holy all our days? This post coordinates with today's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan...

“We write to you about the Word of life, which has existed from the very beginning: we have heard it, and we have seen it with our eyes; yes, we have seen it, and our hands have touched it. When this life became visible, we saw it; so we speak of it and tell you about the eternal life which was with the Father and was made known to us. What we have seen and heard we tell to you also, so that you will join with us in the fellowship that we have with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:1-3). “And we have seen and tell others that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever declares that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him, and he lives in God” (1 John 4:14-15). This is the Christmas story in 1 John. It is wonderful in itself; however, the Incarnation is not the only truth here declared. Notice verse 2: “so we speak of it and tell you about the eternal life”; verse 3: “we tell to you also”; verse 14: "and tell others"; verse 15: ...

“In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God” (John 16:26-27). In recent years, I have found that “Christians” have views of the Father that are foreign to Scripture. These views are so awful that the same people ignore the Father and put all of their focus on the Son. This focus is not so that they can come to the Father but so that they can come to the Son only. These are evangelical, trinitarian Christians. However, their views of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are so different in character that it would be impossible to have these three be one deity. Here is a suggested exercise. Go through the Gospel of John and mark every reference to the Father. I think it will be surprising to you, both in how many references there are and what they say. Remember at this Christmas time that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son,...

This post is taken from the booklet An Invitation, Not a Challenge , by Everett Wilson, brother of Jim Wilson. Nothing We Can Do So in verse 21 Paul stops talking about our earning and starts talking about God's giving. He takes us from a miserable Monday in February to Christmas morning, in one leap. On workdays, we earn; on holidays, we give and receive. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. In this righteousness apart from the law, God intends to set us right, not put us in the wrong. While law establishes justice in the world through rewards earned and punishment deserved, this righteousness apart from the law is a transforming gift. We are set right by God, not by anything we do or say or pray. There is nothing we can do. The alarmed response to that assertion comes faster than a speeding bullet. "Now wait a minute. There is too something we can do. We can believe. The next verse says that t...

This post is taken from the booklet An Invitation, Not a Challenge , by Everett Wilson, brother of Jim Wilson. A Gift from God One reason why people have such a hard time accepting salvation as a gift is that they have been trained to think of work as the way to reward. Then, when we become rich or are otherwise rewarded, we comfort ourselves that "we worked hard for it." Who wants the teacher to give the class goof-off an A, when the class grind had to work so hard to earn it? Who wants to see thieves and cheats rewarded with the spoils of their crimes? The goof-off doesn't deserve an A, so he should not get one. The thief has no right to another person's property, so should not be allowed to keep it. The trouble with these comparisons is that they have nothing to do with the gift of eternal life. Law is useful when it measures distinctions between right and wrong, good and bad. The justice system may straighten out a car theft by returning the car to its owner...

This post is taken from the booklet An Invitation, Not a Challenge , by Everett Wilson, brother of Jim Wilson. An Invitation, Not a Challenge The gospel comes as a gift, not as a bill for payment. C. H. Spurgeon told a parable about that: A minister called on a poor woman in order to bring her a gift of money. He knocked and knocked, decided no one was home, and went on his way. Later he saw the woman at church and told her how he had called and not found her at home. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said. "When was that?" When he told her, she said, "Was that you? I was in the house but I didn't come to the door because I thought it was the man coming for the rent, and I didn't have it to give him!" Ministers, youth leaders, and Sunday School teachers all know what that is like. Week by week we come offering the gift of the gospel, the gift of eternal life, but many do not listen because they’re afraid we have come to take rather than to give. In the...

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:6-7). Years ago, a friend of mine told me that he was not into evangelism because the more converts he had, the more backsliders he had. Of course, that is not a reason to hold back on evangelism, but it makes us wonder why it sometimes seems to be so. Here is a major reason. The new Christian often is not taught to live the Christian life the same as he was taught to receive Christ . He is taught a different way of living than he was taught of receiving. That is why he falls. The new Christian received Christ by grace through faith. He did not receive Christ by trying or by effort. He is not to live by trying or by effort. He is to live by grace through faith. In other words, the Christian life should be like being born again every day. Written February 1985. This post coord...

There are many things in the life of the Apostle and his associates I can identify with. However, there is one aspect I wish I could identify with even more. It is their life of prayer. “Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you , that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis” (Col. 4:12-13). “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to...

Have you ever thought about who does not enter the kingdom and why? Here are a few explicit examples. “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21). “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). “And he said: ‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven’” (Matthew 18:3). “In reply Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again’” (John 3:3). It is easy not to enter. The first example is things to do. The next three examples a...

This is what the apostle Paul prayed for new believers: “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light” (Colossians 1:9-12). We believe this was a prayer inspired by the Holy Spirit and therefore answered by God. Let’s enumerate the requests. 1. To fill you with the knowledge of His will 2. Through all spiritual wisdom and understanding, in order that… 3. You may live a life worthy of the Lord 4. And may please Him in ev...

“Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness” (Hebrews 12:10). The first verse tells us that out of reverence for God we will not touch the unclean, we will cleanse our bodies and our spirits, we will perfect holiness. The second verse tells us that God's goodness toward us disciplines us toward sharing in his holiness. His goodness and our reverence result in our perfect holiness.   Written November 1994.

“While Paul was waiting for them in Athens he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols” (Acts 17:16). The Apostle was not in awe with the beauty of the Parthenon; he was distressed. Some of us have been to parts of the world where there are beautiful minarets, Shinto gates and shrines, and beautifully carved statues housed in ornate temples. Do we think like the Apostle? If not, is it because he saw things as God sees them, and we see them like the rest of mankind? May God help us to be distressed with false gods.           “In vain with lavish kindness the gifts of God are strown;           The heathen in his blindness bows down to wood and stone.”           (Reginald Heber 1783-1826) This post coordinates with tomorrow's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan, please join us at TotheWord.com. We would love to hav...

“So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life” (Acts 11:18). “And turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Acts 26:18). “I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds” (Acts 26:20). “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing God's kindness leads you toward repentance” (Romans 2:1). “When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you by turning each of you from your wicked ways” (Act 3:26). “Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:25-26). The above verses have been going through my head in ...

The time and place of public prayer does not seem to be commanded in Scripture, but times and places do occur in Scripture. “One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer, at three in the afternoon” (Acts 3:1). "One day" makes it look like there was daily prayer at three in the afternoon. There is no indication that it was limited to the Sabbath. Here is another occurrence in Acts 16: "On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer… Once when we were going to the place of prayer…” (vv. 13, 16). These statements sound like they went to the place of prayer daily, including the Sabbath. In the first Scripture, the place was the temple in Jerusalem. The second was a riverside in Macedonia. In these two recorded instances something wonderful happened. In the first, a crippled man was healed and two thousand people were converted. In the second, Lydia and her household believed and were ba...

“When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified…. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power” (1 Corinthians 2:1-2, 4-5). “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-4). These two texts bring us back to first priorities: preaching the cross and praying for kings. Both of these texts have to do with the salvation of men. God in his wisdom decided that proclaiming and pr...

  "But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy'" (1 Peter 1:15-16). “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). There are several common things in these two commands. First, they are not suggestions. Second, they are "be" commands, not "do" commands. Third, they are in each case related to the holiness and the perfectness of the Father. We can assume that God does not command us to be something that He will not provide the means to be. Therefore, we should not think that these commands are impossible. If we think that way, then we do not believe or obey God. We are following the suggestions of the enemy. We can start by believing and wanting to be holy.   Written February 1993.

"Then the Lord said to him, 'Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure’” (Genesis 15:13-16). This text was fulfilled in the time of Joshua. It also gives us a reason for the conquest of Canaan by Joshua. The sin of the Amorites had now reached its full measure. “After the Lord your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, ‘The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.’ No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is going to drive them out before you. It is not because of yo...

“And He said to them, ‘You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God, in order to keep your tradition’” (Mark 7:9). Rather than dwell on the specific instance mentioned by Jesus of evading the commandment, I would like to draw attention to His admiration of their abilities when He says, "You have a fine way." J.B. Phillips translates this, "It is wonderful to see how." Jesus may have been speaking in sarcasm, but regardless of how He spoke, He was pointing to the sophisticated effort the religious people made in order to disobey. Jesus quoted Isaiah: "This people honors me with their lips but their heart is far from me. In vain do they worship me," teaching as doctrines the precepts of men. Non-religious people do not need sophisticated reasons in order to disobey. They deliberately disobey, or remain ignorant of the commandments, or do not care. Religious people not only come up with involved reasons to make their own wrong look right, but...

“I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the Gospel that I may share in its blessings” (1 Cor. 9:22-23). St. Paul’s versatility was a versatility of choice, decision. He gives the reason for his decisions: “to win as many as possible” verse 19; “to win the Jews” v. 20; “to win those under the law” v. 20; “to win those not having the law” v. 20; “to win the weak” v. 22’ and finally, “that I might save some” v. 22. His decisions were made in order to identify with the people he sought to win. He identified with opposites, and he did it without compromise. This post coordinates with today's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan, please join us at TotheWord.com. We would love to have you reading with us. Written August 1984.

A pure, clear conscience is a wonderful thing. A guilty conscience is an awful thing. We desire the one and do not want the other. However, there are guilty consciences that are filled with false guilt instead of true guilt. There are also seemingly clear consciences that are clear only because the conscience does not record; it has become seared. Even when a conscience is working well and is clear, that does not mean it is working perfectly according to God’s standards of right and wrong. The Apostle Paul said it this way: “My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God” (1 Corinthians 4:4-5). A person may say that his conscience does not hurt, as if that were proof that he was innocent. It does not hold. The conscience...

"We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:3-7). "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:24-25). I selected these two very clear expressions from the writings of John and Peter because in a succinct way they tell us about God—w...

"No man can redeem the life of another, or give to God a ransom for him. The ransom for a life is costly; no payment is ever enough, that he should live on forever and not see decay… But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself” (Psalm 49:7-9, 15). This is a wonderful expression in the Old Testament of God's redemption as opposed to man's inability to redeem. Please consider the following and become students of the Old Testament: "These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come” (1 Cor. 10:11). "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope" (Romans 15:4). "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every g...

''T he gifts and sacrifices being offered w ere not able to clear the conscience” (Heb. 9:9). "How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God" (Heb. 9:14). ''Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Heb. 9:22). "Just as a man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgement, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him" (Heb. 9:27-28). "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1 Cor 2: 2). The first verse tells us of the inadequacy of Old Testament sacrifices. They were a shadow, not the reality. They did not work. The next three verses tell us that the death of Christ i...

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). “It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace” (Hebrews 13:9). “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). We know that we were saved, justified, by grace. That was an event in the past that started our Christian lives. Grace, however, did not cease at that time. The three verses above represent the continuance of grace in the life of the believer. James 4:6 tells us that “He gives us more grace .” Grace is what we need for any inadequacy, weakness, or sin. This grace increases according to the needs. We cannot overdraw on the bank of grace, for “where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” Grace is really like a clean, life-giving river that never runs dry. We just need to stand in the river. "From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another” (John 1:16).   Written December 1989.

“But in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence; and keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are abused, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame” (1 Peter 3:15-16 RSV). Keep your conscience clear. It sounds like, “Keep your powder dry.” In both cases, it is a means of being ready for battle. A clear conscience is a means of shaming those who revile good behavior. A conscience is kept clear two ways: 1) Obeying God. 2) Confessing sin when disobedience occurs. I find that obedience is the simpler of the two. When I sin and my conscience is not clear, it is harder, because of pride, to confess my sin.   Written July 1984. This post coordinates with Friday's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan, please join us at TotheWord.com. We would love to have you re...

"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me" (John 15:18-21). The world is not sweetness and light; it is darkness against light. It is hatred against light. This is because of Jesus Christ coming into the world. "The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world" (John 1:9). "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light...

Jesus made a statement recorded in Matthew 23:12: “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” This is following a teaching that we are not to be called master, father or teacher. He said approximately the same thing in Luke 14:11, only in this case He said everyone instead of whoever . It was the conclusion of a command not to take the place of honor but to take the lowest place at a wedding banquet. Again in Luke 18:14, the same conclusion: “ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted .” This time it was the conclusion to a parable of a man who considered himself more righteous than another man. There seems to be more than one way to exalt yourself. They all seem to be evident in today’s society. They are evident because we can see self-exaltation in other people , but we do not see it in ourselv...

“Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?” (1 Cor. 5:2). "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope” (1 Thess. 4:13). There are things about which we should grieve and things about which we should not grieve. In the first category is sin in the body, the church. In the second category is the death of those who die in the Lord. Like many things, we have these backwards. Sin in the body should cause the whole body pain. “ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it ” (1 Cor. 12:26). Let us ask God for a conscience that reflects the sin of the whole body, not just our own private sin. Let us also ask for a great joy for those who go on ahead to be with Christ.   Written September 1984.

“The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason, God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness” (2 Thess. 2:9-12). Whoever the “lawless one” is, he is identifiable in that his coming will be in accordance with the work of Satan. His characteristics are then spelled out: counterfeit miracles, signs, wonders—every sort of evil that deceives. Satan has always worked this way and is working this way now. The first three look good to almost everyone, and the fourth, every sort of evil, doesn’t look bad because by very nature Satan is deceptive. Jesus said, “When he lies he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the fa...

  “In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God” (John 16:26-27). In recent years, I have found that “Christians” have views of the Father that are foreign to Scripture. These views are so awful that the same people ignore the Father and put all of their focus on the Son. This focus is not so that they can come to the Father but so that they can come to the Son only. These are evangelical, trinitarian Christians. However, their views of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are so different in character that it would be impossible to have these three be one deity. Here is a suggested exercise. Go through the Gospel of John and mark every reference to the Father. I think it will be surprising to you, both in how many references there are and what they say. This post coordinates with tomorrow's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Ch...

  “Several days later Felix arrived with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgement to come, Felix was afraid and said, ‘That’s enough for now: You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you’” (Acts 24:24-25). Remember, Felix was the governor and Paul was the prisoner; yet it was Felix who was afraid. Perhaps it was the subject of the discourse which frightened Felix: righteousness, self-control and the judgement to come. Over in the Gospel of John, Jesus spoke of the coming of the Holy Spirit. “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgement” (John 16:8). It is easy to come to three conclusions: 1) Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit. 2) Fear is one of evidence of conviction of guilt. 3) The Holy Spirit will convict the world through the speaking and living of His own peo...

“In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and earthenware and some for noble use, some for ignoble. If anyone purifies himself from what is ignoble, then he will be a vessel for noble use, consecrated and useful to the matter of the house, ready for any good work” (2 Tim. 2:20-21). “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16). We, as Christians, want to be prepared and equipped for any good work, and every good work. It looks as if the preparation takes place first by cleansing—a pure life, a holy vessel—and second, by the Word of God. A cleansed vessel and inspired Scripture—wonderful means of preparation. Written in 1983.

  In the history of the world there have been successive empires, including the Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Grecian, Roman, Frankish, Mongolian, Muslim, Byzantine, Ottoman, Napoleonic and Nazi regimes. These had a few characteristics in common with each other: 1. Absolute authority 2. Required loyalty to the sovereign 3. Required absolute obedience The leaders of these empires were not noted for humility, kindness, or love. Submission was largely out of a fear of the consequences. They used the weapons of this world. Although these men had great authority, their empires lasted an average of only 250 years (Napoleon’s and Hitler’s lasted much less). Jesus said, “ All authority in heaven and on earth has been given unto me” (Mt. 28:18). That is a lot of authority. He required obedience, but not out of fear . His leadership was one of love, humility, sacrifice, and spiritual power. Many of his followers have lived their lives and deaths in obedience to and imitation of Ch...

  As you read the Bible, I trust you will see that the great purpose of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is the salvation of men and of all creation along with them. In this message, I have included a few passages of Scripture that will draw your attention to this truth. “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time” (1 Tim. 2:3–6). God is described as being our Savior and wanting all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. Jesus Christ is described as the one mediator who gave Himself as a ransom for all men. “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in orde...