Roots by the River

“‘Haven’t you read,’ he replied, ‘that at the beginning the Creator “made them male and female,” and said, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh”? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate’” (Matthew 19:4-6). The marriage service says that marriage is a “holy estate.” The Christian marriage is more than physical, economic, cohabitating and child bearing and rearing. It is a spiritual fellowship; it is a picture on earth of Christ and His body, the Church. “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with w...

“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matt. 6:7–8). Why do we need to pray when God already knows what we need?     First, we should pray because God commands us to. We are to obey Him. “Rejoice always, pray continually , give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:16–18). “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests . With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people” (Eph. 6:18). The quality of our obedience is inextricably linked with the closeness of our walk with God. A major component of that walk is prayer. For a strong Christian life, look to the Lord continually. Seek His face. Pray the prayers of Scripture.      God has chosen us to fulfill His will. He taught us to pray...

“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). There is a unity in the Spirit. We become part of that unity at the instant we are born of the Spirit. “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:4-5). This unity is a reality! We are to make every effort to keep it. We cannot establish it. It is true already by virtue of our being born into the body of Christ. Here are few of the ways we destroy this unity: ·        We become men followers (1 Corinthians 1 & 3). ·        We seek followers for ourselves (Acts 20:30). ·        “ We have the best church government.” ·        “ We have the best form of worship.” ·        “ We have the best doctrine.” ·     ...

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (1 John 5:14). Much of prayer is wishful, hopeful, anxious, or desperate praying. This text and the ones below are God’s conditions for answered prayer. “ Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, with prayer and petition, with thanksgiving , present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name . Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” (John 16:24) “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit— fruit that will last . Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other” (John 15:16-17). “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt , because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tosse...

by Chris Schlect I was recently* involved in a conversation regarding two distinguished, voluminously-published theologians. Both are divorced; their wives left them because they spent so much time reading, writing, and teaching that their families suffered from neglect. I was also disappointed to hear of a pastor who wrote a rather helpful book on child discipline, yet has a rebellious child. All three of these men know their Bibles very well, but their lives have not demonstrated practical godliness. Practical godliness lies at the heart of the Christian life. Knowing good and evil is important, but it is not enough. Good must be practiced. The Scriptures speak of a difference between milk and solid food . Milk is for the immature, and solid food is for the mature. We often associate milk with simple, basic truth, and solid food with lofty theological concepts. But Scripture denies any necessary correlation between godliness and vast Bible knowledge. The men mentioned above cou...

Walking with God: A Puritan's Perspective Excerpted from "A Christian's Daily Walk" by Henry Scudder, c. 1640 To live by faith and to walk with God are all one. Enoch was said to have walked with God (Gen. 5:24). What was this else, but to rest and believe on God, whereby he pleased Him? (Heb. 11:5-6). The moral actions of man’s life are fitly resembled by the metaphor of walking, which is a moving from one place to another. No man, while he liveth here, is at home in the place where he shall be (Heb. 11:5-6). There are two contrary homes, to which every man is always going, either to heaven, or to hell. Every action of man is one pace or step whereby he goeth to the one place or the other… First, you are commanded to walk as Christ walked (1 John 2:6); and it concerns you so to do, if you would approve yourself to be a member of His body: for it is monstrous, nay, impossible, that the head should go one way, and the body another… Secondly, it is all which the Lord re...

Many years ago, my wife and I heard a message that we took very much to heart. It was preached at our wedding. The message had been given first more than 3,000 years earlier to a people who did not take it to heart. It was part of Moses’ final talk to the new generation. "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth" (Deuteronomy 11:18-21). There was very little application of this teaching by the people of Israel in the Old Testament. I have also observed hundreds of Christians, senior to me, contemporary to me, and junior to m...

As much as possible, follow up on the letters by spending time with your parents. Show them with your attention that they are valuable to you. When you go home, express affection to your parents physically. Don’t do the polite hug. Get into it. Really give them a squeeze. Maybe even a kiss! Just rock the old man. Surprise your mom. You may receive a favorable response to your letters. If you do not receive a response, do not think that you did something wrong. Be patient and keep on giving. Some cultures (e.g. those of Northern Europe) are not expressive with their emotions, except for lost tempers. This kind of expression from you may be embarrassing for your parents. But they still want and need to receive this expressed love, even if they do not know how to return it. If your parents are still alive, it’s not too late to do this. One man I know who is in his late fifties wrote this kind of letter to his father. His mother replied, “I have been married to your father for sixty...

“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure” (1 John 3:2-3). “After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18). “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20). You may have wondered what my eschatology is. I do not often speak about it. These few words from the text summarize my anticipation: Hope Purifies Encourage “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” This keeps me from differing with the saints on the order of events at the end time. This post coordinates with today's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading ...

Here are some suggestions for how to go about either reestablishing relationships with your parents or making them better. First, write two letters home. Do not write, “Dear Mom and Dad.” If you write that, who answers the letter? Mom. Dads are illiterate when it comes to answering letters. In many cases, the father thinks that any communication is between mom and the kids. He doesn’t think he ever gets a letter, even if it is addressed to both Mom and Dad. So, write a letter to your father and a separate one to your mother. Make them very clearly separate. Put on the outside “Dad Only,” “Mom Only.” (Yes, I am suggesting sending actual letters in the mail. It will mean more than an email.) When you write to your father, include at least five things. [1] I recommend covering one element per paragraph as follows: 1. Tell your father how much you respect him. If you do not respect him, do not write the letter until you do respect him. You must not be hypocritical. But not respect...

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. (Exod. 20:12) Our country is full of broken families. Whether you are a Christian or not, from a broken family or a whole one, God calls you to honor your parents. The apostle Paul tells us this “is the first commandment with a promise—‘so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth’” (Gal. 6:2-3). Your relationship with your parents affects your relationships with your spouse and children. If you are not yet married, a good way to prepare for those future relationships is to reestablish a good relationship with your parents. The Ten Commandments give us two statements that relate to this. The first is the Exodus quote above. Here is the second: You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God,...

Based upon the Word of God, if you are in a homosexual relationship, you are either a very disobedient Christian, or you are not a Christian. Things that would indicate that you are not a Christian are the complete absence of a sense of guilt and your current manner of life. The points for being a Christian are your conversion, if you have had one, and any previous record of Christian living. Galatians 5:19-23 gives us two lists: the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. “The acts of the flesh 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. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Which list de...

  by Bessie Wilson Victorious Christian living means walking in obedience to God in all areas of our life. Obedience is something not many Christians are interested in. We dismiss the commands of Scripture with spiritual words and nuanced arguments of why we don’t need to obey a command that seems difficult, instead of simply asking, “How do I do this?” If we want to live a victorious life, we must be committed to obeying God with everything we are: physically, mentally, morally, socially, and spiritually. Physically. Physical obedience means recognizing God’s ownership of your body. This relates to your marriage as well. Are you withholding physically from your husband? What if it’s hard? You don’t love him anymore, or you’re tired, or you’re just not in the mood. “I can’t; not tonight.” I come up with the same excuses, and the Lord used a verse about the man with the withered hand to show me the way. One Sabbath, Jesus went into the synagogue, and there was a man with a with...