Roots by the River

Here are five biblical passages on joy: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness” (Galatians 5:22). “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (Habakkuk 3:17-18). “The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you” (Psalms 51:12-13). “The seventy-two returned with joy and said, ‘Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.’ He replied, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have give...

"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 ago* ...

Dear Mary, Your good letter arrived today, and I thought it need an immediate reply. I am glad to see that you really saw the change in Susie’s relationship with her parents when she took the action she took of writing letters of respect and love to them. Then you said that you did not take that same action, and in fact, you were not sure that you wanted their love. And the more you prayed for them, the less you felt attached to them, and this included your whole family. Well, you are doing things backwards. You do not want their love, you pray for them, and you feel less attached to them. Listen, God did not give you those unloving feelings. The enemy gave you those unloving feelings. Since God did not give them to you, and you decided to have them from some other source, you are going to have to repent of those feelings. Repent of your not wanting their love. You will not be able to grow in the Lord without taking this action. You might learn more, and you might not get really ...

“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). Of the many talks I frequently give, those which have received the most favorable response and the most fruitful application among young and old alike are “How to Be Free from Bitterness” and “Relationships with Parents.” Right now, I am sitting in a study room at the Illinois Street Residence Hall at the University of Illinois. Last week, at Urbana ’93, I conducted a workshop on relationships with parents. Only about 50 students attended the workshop. The shock, the incredulity, the rebellion, and the impossibility of putting this teaching into effect showed in the tears, the questions, the comments, and the follow-up conversations. That is why I am here writing it down. I would first like to draw your attention to two passages in the Old Testament. I will comment on them, then make a few suggestions for applying these Scriptures in your life. “You shall not ...

The 102 nd Psalm has some wonderful truths: “Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD” (v. 18). We are one of those future generations. “In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them, and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end” (vs. 25-27). Isn’t this wonderful? The heavens are going to wear out like old clothes which we throw away or give to Goodwill.   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.

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). Notice the alls in the sentence: ·        all grace ·        all things ·        all times ·        all that you need Pay attention also that all grace abounds and that you will abound in every good work. This is either true or false. If true, then thank God! “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21). We cannot write a check on God’s bank account that He cannot cover. His checks do not bounce. This post coordinates with today's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If...

As we celebrate the many wonderful stories of Olympic triumph and victory,* I am reminded of God’s teaching about attitude and triumph. “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God” (2 Cor. 2:14-17). Paul teaches an amazing truth! He says that God always (not sometimes or even most of the time) leads us in victory. This is what our attitude should be. This is how we can “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thess. 5:17). Just as the Olympic athletes overcome adversity to compete and triumph, God does not want our circumstances to ...

Today, I am giving an assignment. You do not need to turn in your homework or papers for grading. It is an open-book assignment. 1. Read chapters 1 through 3 of Ephesians several times, listing everything that the believer has in Christ . Thank God for each of them. 2. Do the same thing with Colossians 1 and 2. 3. After you are fortified with all of this wonderful truth and are rejoicing in it, then read Ephesians 4-6 and list all of the commands. 4. Repeat with Colossians 3-4. You will find that the commands are not impossible because of where you are in Christ. 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.

Douglas Wilson Credenda Agenda Vol. 10 No. 2 Rumor thrives in two environments. The first is obvious. When men who love to wag the tongue are so undisciplined that they refuse to confirm what they pass on, the ninth commandment is clearly broken. The environment is that which is established by the lying tongue. The world has always contained many who have loved to live in this way—and Christians condemn all such gossip, slander, libel, and wild speculation, particularly when it has to do with a "ruler of your people" (Acts 23:5). But another breeding ground for rumor exists as well, and this is why we have seen such a remarkable explosion of astounding reports in recent years. This environment for rumor is created when the courts of justice have been hopelessly compromised and corrupted, and have been turned aside from their ordained and appointed use. When this happens, it means that those who have reasonable grounds to make an accusation are prevented from doing so b...

When we read rumors and stories on the internet, we do not know if they are true. Here are my comments. First, the Scripture: “ One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (Deut. 19:15). “Surely God is good to Israel,      to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;      I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant      when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles;      their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from common human burdens;      they are not plagued by human ills. Therefore pride is their necklace;      they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts comes iniquity;      their evil imaginations have no ...

“ In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed ” (Dan. 7:13-14). When Jesus calls Himself the Son of Man, He is referring to this person. The Jewish leaders knew what He was saying and did not like it. “ Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory ” (Matt. 24:30). “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoe...

I’d like to “read” to you the 73 rd Psalm. Surely God is good to Israel,      to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;      I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant      when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles;      their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from common human burdens;      they are not plagued by human ills. Therefore pride is their necklace;      they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts comes iniquity;      their evil imaginations have no limits. They scoff, and speak with malice;      with arrogance they threaten oppression. Their mouths lay claim to heaven,      and their tongues take possession of the earth. Therefore their people turn to them    ...

We are approaching the time of year when we give special attention to the events that took place 1,970 years ago. This attention is given by Christians at this time because by these events we have received forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among the sanctified. The three events were Jesus’ crucifixion, His burial, and His resurrection. “From that time on, Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ‘Never, Lord!’ he said. ‘This shall never happen to you!’” (Matthew 16:21-22). “When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.’ And the disciples were filled with grief” (Matthew 17:22-23). Peter rebuked Him, then later...

God’s kind of righteousness is not passive. It has a positive effect on society. “You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13) and “you are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). Righteousness is not to be ineffective. Salt that is not salty is good for nothing. Light that is hidden is not light. Men do not praise God for bad deeds in the lives of Christians. These are principles which I would like to amplify further in a more radical way. There are two events in biblical history which take these truths to two opposite extremes. One is the destruction of Sodom, and the other is the minor defeat of Israel at Ai. The stories are found in Genesis 18-19 and Joshua 6-7. In the first case, God had promised the safety of a very wicked city if there were found in the city ten righteous people. In the other case, God allowed the defeat of a righteous nation by a wicked city because there was one unrighteous man in the camp. Thirty-six other men were killed because of this man’s unrighteou...

Dear Joe, Before I continue, I want you to know that I have always loved you and respected you. This love and respect have been separate from your performance; nevertheless, it is real. The following are perceptions of mine. I do not think they have been automatic causes in your slowing down in your journey toward God, but they have had some effect. ·        You are competitive. ·        You have been a perfectionist in the past. ·        You have been a subject of flattery in the past. ·        You have had a desire for wealth in the past. ·        You were not spiritually ready when you got married, nor did you catch up after you got married. If these perceptions are true, so what? You and your wife have had thousands of incidents in your life together that seem more important than these six thoughts. Whether she wanted...

“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 water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church” (Eph. 5:25-29). Note the last verse. The KJV says “nourishes and cherishes.” In Ephesians 6, Paul says that children are to be nurtured and admonished . Wives are to be nourished and cherished . Children are to be nourished and admonished. You must admonish your children. You must cherish your wife. You may not admonish your wife. If there is some moral infraction on her part, then you should handle it in the light of Galatians 6:1: “Brothers, if someone is caught in...

Some time ago, I received this question: “Why did you start your own church when you moved to Moscow? I am working in ministry in my church, but I am considering being a pastor. How do I know if I should leave this church to start my own or stay and keep trying to minister to the people here?” We came out to Idaho from Michigan to spy out the land in February 1971. In October ’72, fifteen months after we arrived, I was asked to substitute at the Grange church, which my family had been attending. In the meantime, we had been holding an afternoon house church in our home. In 1976, we shut down the afternoon house church because we did not want to compete with Community Evangelical Fellowship, the Moscow church that we started from the Grange in September 1975 because the congregation there was growing. The Grange grew and divided/planted again in 1976. I pastored both churches in Pullman for one year until another pastor was able to join us. The other church I pastored until I retir...

“This is what the LORD says: ‘Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” (Jeremiah 17:5-8). “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicke...

“Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns” (Jeremiah 4:3). The Lord’s instruction to Judah through Jeremiah was spiritual instruction. He wasn’t speaking about farming. The Bible is wonderful in its clarity, and we can be awfully obtuse in our understanding. We do not operate like good farmers. We are like a three-year-old child who plants a bean and digs it up every day to see if it is growing. We have a Jack-and-the-Beanstalk view of sowing. We expect a giant plant the next morning. We are impatient for the harvest, so we are impatient in our sowing. We sow in unplowed, undisced, and unharrowed ground. We sow in weeds. We sow in the rocks and on hard ground. We wonder why no harvest. The harvest is dependent on sowing, which is dependent on us. It is also dependent upon the ground. The kind of ground is, in a sense, dependent on us. “Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among the thorns” speaks of the need for cultivation. Good, soft ground with no rocks and no...

“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. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:1-4). It looks as if the time has come. The sound doctrine that cannot be endured is simple, basic, true, and shows up in verses like the following: “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:...