Roots by the River

Did you know that God the Father is described as the God of hope, the God of all comfort, the God of peace, and the God of love? Here are some of the texts. May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace in believing so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom. 15:13) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction. (2 Cor. 1:3-4) The God of peace be with you all. (Rom. 15:3)  Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess. 5:23) Now the God of peace who brought you up from the dead, that Good Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good… (Heb. 13:20)  The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace w...

During a recent Sunday School class,* we were studying 2 Peter 3:8-12: “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends; with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.” I want to focus on two elements that this passage seems to be indicating. First of all, since Peter is writing this letter to Christians, he indicated that God is patient with Christians , as well as non-Christians, when it comes to fulfilling His promised return. ...

Early in my Christian experience, before I knew the definition of apologetics, I sensed the need for an adequate apologetic for every accusation against, and question to, the Christian faith. There were so many people who did not know God, and there were so many questions that seemed to stand between them and God. If their questions could be answered clearly, rationally, intelligently, and kindly, these students would then stand convinced and would become believers. I set myself the task of getting the right answers. Before I became accomplished in this pursuit, I began to have doubts. The doubts arose as I began to practice my growing knowledge in face-to-face encounters (arguments) or large bull sessions. It was great fun arguing. It was more fun winning the argument. But there weren’t any results. Part of the problem was that I found it difficult to be kind while I was being methodically rational and clear in my presentation. There was another problem. It seemed that most of the...

“So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life” (Acts 11:18). “ I am sending you to them to open their eyes 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 26:17-18). “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” (Acts 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 wo...

“He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord” (Acts 11:24). This is speaking of Barnabas. The preceding verse tells us that "he was glad and encouraged them all.” In chapter four, we find that his name means son of encouragement . We also find that he "sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet." When he was with Paul, he was not the chief speaker (Acts 14:12), although in Acts 14:1, we see, “There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed." Barnabas was good, full of the Holy Spirit, full of faith, glad, encouraging, generous, and unashamed to speak the gospel. The result was that great numbers were brought to the Lord. If we are not seeing great numbers turning to the Lord, it may be that we are lacking the other characteristics which were in Barnabas’ life.   Written October 1990. This post coordinates with today and tomorro...

I would like to draw your attention to a man named Stephen, whom we meet in the Book of Acts. “Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3). “They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5). “Now, Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people" (Acts 6:8). “These men began to argue with Stephen, but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by which he spoke" (Acts 6:9-10). "All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15). Stephen started his defense with the God of Glory and ended his message in this manner and with these words: “But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see heaven open and the Son of Man sta...

One of my co-workers once spoke of the effect of light on different kinds of insects. Moths fly to the light, and cockroaches run from it. He was simply saying that light attracts and light repels. It is the same light in both cases. The title of this post comes from the seventh verse of the first chapter of John: “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.” However, the definition of light is found two verses earlier. “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” (1 John 1:5-6). God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all . Some of us have been in places where there is no light at all. Even for those who are not afraid of the dark, after a short while they begin to get scared. However, none of us...

You may be aware that more and more Christians are being killed today for their faith in Jesus Christ than in all generations prior to this one. We do not know how many have denied their faith in order to stay alive. In my 71 years as a Christian, I have seen many who have not denied their faith and many more who have confessed their faith under persecution. Over the years, I have asked many Christians if they wanted to be godly. It is an embarrassing question. They do not want to answer it. If they answered no, it wouldn’t sound right, even though it would be the truthful answer. They don’t want to answer yes, either. It would not be truthful, and if they said yes, God might help them be godly! They would lose most of their Christian friends. In Luke 9:23, Jesus said, “Take up the means of your own execution and follow Me.” So many Christians have compromised on little things. I am not sure how they would fare in a life-and-death decision. Written January 23, 2018. This post...

“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 praying was ou...

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! When He came to earth as a baby, Jesus 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, “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.

“We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children…. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory” (1 Thess. 2:6-7, 11-12). Did you know that the Apostle Paul likens himself to a gentle , nursing mother and like a father who encourages and comforts ? Are you that kind of a father to your own children? Are you that kind of father to your spiritual children?   Written March 1994. This post coordinates with today's reading in the Same Page Summer 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.

According to the dictionary, joy and happiness are almost synonyms. Since Christians live in the English-speaking world, they are largely influenced by the world’s definitions. The cover story in the most recent issue* of National Geographic Magazine is “The Search for Happiness.” The subtitle is, “What we can learn from Costa Rica, Denmark, and Singapore—the most joyful places on the planet.” In each of these “happiest” places, the government has provided for people’s salaries, living, healthcare, and other physical provisions through high taxes. In other words, “happiness” is not having any responsibilities to be anxious about. That is the world’s view. There is a biblical solution to anxiety which is entirely different, and which the world cannot understand. It is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These words are in the world’s vocabulary, but anybody who is not a Christian cannot have any of them as part of his life. I...

This is a post for those who are getting old or considering themselves old, from 65-100. Right now, I am 91.* I will be 92 in October. I have my own house, but I cannot live in it alone because of my physical inability to move around. One of my sons lives with me. All of us will have to make some adjustments. That includes money, relatives, your own ability and willpower to stay independent, etc. My advice is if physically and financially you can live independently, you should certainly do that. If you do, you will still need to have visits from your family frequently. You need your family. Even if you don’t need them to take care of you, you need them for the fellowship. The more fellowship you have, the longer you’ll live. If you can stay independent do it, but only if friends and relatives can see you often. In my case, I can’t walk, and I can’t do much physically. So, whether I like it or not, someone else has to get me up, get me showered, and get me dressed. I am blessed to have ...

  Several passages of Scripture have been in my meditation the last few weeks.* “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:34b-37). “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6). During the last few months,* I have been conscious that my words have not been always gracious. Apparently, my heart has not been stored with good things, or the overflow would have been gracious words. I have confessed and now want to store my heart so full of good that the overflow will be always good.   * Written November 1988. This post coordinates with ...

  "Since you died with Christ…” (Colossians 2:20). "Since then you have been raised with Christ…" (Colossians 3:1). "For you died…" (Colossians 3:3). Although these sentences were written to the new church at Colossae, we believe they apply to all Christians, if they are true. They are either true or false. If true, they are past-tense certainties . They are not future, or conditional, or perhaps or maybe . They describe something that has already happened in us, and the commands that follow are predicated on those certainties. If Christians have trouble with the commands, it may be because they have trouble believing that they have died with Christ, or it may be because they have not died with Christ. (In other words, they are not Christians.) All future obedience is based upon the complete work of Christ which has taken place in us. Read Romans 6 a few times.   Written January 1989. This post coordinates with tomorrow's reading in the To the Wo...

What wealth of meaning and blessing when the words are combined: holy in Christ. Here is God’s provision for our holiness, God’s response to our question, “How can we be holy?” When we hear the call, “Be ye holy, even as I am holy,” it seems as if there is, and ever must be, a great gulf between the holiness of God and man. But in Christ is the bridge that spans the gulf—or better still—His fullness has filled it up. In Christ God and man meet. There the holiness of God has found us and made us its own, has become human and can indeed become our very own. To the anxious cries and the heart-yearnings of thousands of thirsty souls who have believed in Jesus and yet know not how to be holy, here is God’s answer: Ye are holy in Christ Jesus. Only listen to these words and believe. Repeat them, even a thousand times, until God’s light shines, until your heart is filled with joy and love and the words echo back: Now I see it. I am holy in Christ—made holy in Christ Jesus! - Andrew Murra...

This morning,* Bessie and I were reading John 15:15-21: "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. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.” We were impressed again with the either/or of belonging to Christ or the world. And it is the world that recognizes the difference and takes action. The question is, does the world recognize you as someone to love, or to hate? *Written November 1987. 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.

  "On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink’” (John 7:37). "Jesus answered her, 'If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water’ …. Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life’” (John 4:10, 13-14) This spring of water is an artesian well, a flowing well, “welling up to eternal life.” Welling up has a sense of leaping up . This well provides living water in quality and abundance so that streams of living water will flow from within the Christian. Notice in both texts that the person does not drink from this well. He does not have the well until after he drinks. "Indeed the water I give him will become in h...

  A few years ago, I was talking with a young woman, and I asked her what she thought of Jesus. Her reply was a good answer but qualified with this phrase: “but I don't think he was very polite.” The more I read the Gospels, the more I am convinced her qualification is a true one. Her problem was that, to her, politeness was a high virtue, and since Jesus was not polite, He was not perfect. Many of us, like this young woman, interpret the Scripture in the light of our cultural mores . We do this because obedience to the text as it is might mean crossing or offending our Christian and secular friends. In our society, we have compromised for so long we think we are following Christ when in reality we are following the evangelical American culture. This time, as you read through your New Testament, pay attention to the hard sayings of Jesus. Here is a plan to follow for the summer. Written February 1987.

  "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 good work. In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage, with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 3:16-4:2). "Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching" (1 Timothy 4:13). There was a time when there were very few Bibles, even in cultured lands. There were no printing presses, and most of the people were illiterate. If people received the Word, it was through the public reading of Scripture by people who could read and had the Scriptures. Now in the church today in this country, we can read, and we each own at least one Bible. A year ag...