Roots by the River

“Dear children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). You would think this should not be a difficult piece of advice to follow. The voice of God thundered from Sinai in the second command. “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, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments” (Exodus 20:4-6). Within the month, the people of Israel were busily building an idol, a golden calf. It did not last long. Rachel, Jacob’s wife stole her father’s household gods. All of the sons of Jacob had idols. “So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, ‘Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes….’ So t...

One of the great self-declarations by God concerning Himself was the one given to Moses on his second trip up the mountain in Exodus 34:6-8. “And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.’” We see here the truth that upset Jonah: “But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. He prayed to the Lord, ‘O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love , a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live’” (Jonah 4:1-3). God was not angr...

If Charlie Kirk’s death and his memorial service have you thinking about Christianity, church, or the Bible, then this post is for you. Here is what Christians believe: “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved… For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also…” (1 Corinthians 15:1-8). The good news, the gospel, is defined here in terms of who Jesus is and what He did. 1. He is the Christ. 2. He died for our sins accordi...

Dear Friend, When I was with you recently, I heard several references to the phrase “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” We didn’t talk about it at the time, but I thought it merited a few special comments. That is reason for this letter. The first time the sentence occurs is in Exodus 21:23-25: “If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” The actual context is in reference to men who are fighting and, in the process, a pregnant woman is hurt, and she has a miscarriage. This is in the law that God gave to the people of Israel the same time He gave the Ten Commandments. This is not teaching vengeance; it is a law given for judges. It is putting upper limits on what a judge can do in sentencing. It seems very harsh, but in reality it was humane. If a man lost an eye in a fight, vengeance would say, “I will kill him.” Even an unjust judge might allow f...

“Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (Psalm 90:1-2). “But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children” (Psalm 103:17). God’s everlastingness has been extended to us who believe. It includes everlasting joy and everlasting kindness. “His love endures forever.” Thank God! 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 have you reading with us.

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). “This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God” (2 Cor. 9:12). “All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God” (2 Cor. 4:15). These three verses have something in common. It is prayer . James 5:16 tells us of the quality of prayer or, rather, the quality of the man who prays for healing. The next two verses tell of the quantity of men who thank God. 2 Corinthians 9:12 speaks of God’s people who are grateful, having had their physical needs met by those who had given. This results in “overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.” 2 Corinthians 4:15 is speaking of the salvation of more and more people. This causes “thanksgiv...

If you are not a Christian, you have a nature that is prone to sin. In order to get rid of it, you need a new nature. You cannot get one by yourself. It can be done only by God. If you want to be a Christian, here is your part: 1. You need to want to be set free from the guilt and judgement for your sins and from the pow­er of sin. 2. You need to know that you are helpless in this want. You can’t set yourself free. 3. Know that being good and not be­ing bad will not set you free, nor will any other means of self-effort. 4. Know that God has already accom­plished this deliverance by sending the Lord Jesus to earth to die for you. “You see, at just the right time, when we were still pow­erless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom. 5:6). Three days after this death for our sins, the Lord Jesus rose from the dead in order to make us righteous. “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justi­fication” (Rom. 4:25). “Now, brothers, I want to remin...

Today, I want to bring to your attention several related passages that are clearly directed to individuals or households , not to the whole church. “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land” (Deuteronomy 15:11). “But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” (Luke 14:13-14). “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27). “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?” (James 2:15-16). We have managed to evade these clear teac...

This post was a ministry letter from Barb Friedman. Originally written November 2003. About two months ago, I met a mother and her blind and autistic son, his younger sister, and his baby sister. This family had previously been in America and had returned to their homeland. Now they were back in the States for their son’s sake. The schools in their homeland were not equipped for children with disabilities like his. The family knew that in America their son could get the help he needed. America attempts to make it possible for those who are handicapped to live as if they were not. The mother asked me if God was punishing her because her son was born bind and with autism. Immediately I thought about that Jewish man in John’s gospel who was born blind: “As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’   said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that th...

When it comes to living as a Christian, there is a difference between being and doing . “God is love” (1 John 4:8). That is who He is. “God so loved the world that He gave…” (John 3:16). That is what He did. God did out of who He is. Like God, we also do out of who and what we are . “For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). When we put the emphasis on what we do instead of what we are , we have things backwards. Jesus said, “ Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt. 5:48). That is a “be” command, not a “do” command. Here is another “be” command: “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). The model for being perfect and being holy is God. This being precedes our doing.

Dear Sam, Your friend told me of the visit you had together. He said that you were very busy with classes and in getting involved with your job. I know he appreciated it, but was concerned as I am that it might take time away from two very important things—private time with God reading in the Scriptures, and fellowship with other believers. This fellowship includes such things as private one-on-one fellowship with another Christian, and certainly a good church. If you have not read the New Testament, I really encourage you to read it through, covering about 3 to 4 chapters a day. By reading 4 chapters a day you will finish the New Testament in two months; two chapters a day—a little over four months. But the months go by anyhow, and you might as well have read it all. Your faith will increase. Your anxiety will lessen. It will be very good for you. If you have read the New Testament through already this year, I encourage you to do something like this: take one of the books, prefe...

Dear John, I have thought of you fairly frequently in the last few months. I have thought mostly of our telephone conversation. The conversation bothered me, and I have wanted to write to you for some time, but I also wanted my letter to be received by you—so I probably put it off for that reason—afraid that it wouldn’t be received. I am thinking of the second letter of Peter where he writes, “Therefore I intend always to remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have” (2 Pet. 1:12). Certainly I believe that you have since long ago been established in the truth, and the things I share will be a reminder, not new thinking. What concerned me in the telephone conversation was that you said that you had never needed anybody, and your wife needed to be needed. That’s probably pretty close to true. What isn’t true is that you don't need anybody. We all need each other. We are part of the Body of Christ, and the family is a...

“I’m having trouble finding joy, mainly because I just feel like my prayers haven’t been answered. I pray to be a better Christian, but my introspection is getting worse. I start to be afraid that maybe there is not a God answering my prayers, and all my joy disappears. I’ve read How to Maintain Joy and the article on introspection in How to Be Free from Bitterness , but I still feel empty. I am praying for help, but I still feel like I am going downhill. I just want my joy to return.” Dear Friend, Reading something is not the same as applying it. If you have read the article on introspection, you know from experience and from the article that introspection is accusatory and a downer. The devil is the accuser. The Holy Spirit is the convicter. You are asking for what you are getting when you introspect. It is not a godly practice. When you are tempted to introspect, turn from it like any other temptation. Come into God’s presence as Isaiah did in chapter 6. “In the year that Kin...

“But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:16). “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). The Lord showed His unlimited patience for one person, the apostle Paul, in order to bring him to Himself. His patience continues, not for one person, but now for everyone in order to bring them to Himself. 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.

  This post is an excerpt from How to Be Free from Bitterness .  “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). A woman was made by God to be loved, protected, provided for, and made secure. However, there are reasons a woman may not feel loved, protected, or secure. Security is often a combination of objective truth and subjective feeling. What I mean by that is that some women have lost their parents, their husbands, their children, their food, and their clothing. Objectively they have a reason to be insecure, but subjectively they might not feel insecure. At the same time, it is possible to feel insecure and imagine what is objectively necessary to fill this need. Here is an example: Suppose a woman feels insecure. The feeling is so strong that she is convinced that it is also objective truth. A woman’s great need is to fill up that emptiness. She thinks that a man will fill it. That is partly true. However, the need...

“And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, 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 Tim. 2:24-26). Look back at verse 22: “Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” Verse 23: “Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.” I used to love to argue. That didn’t last long. I found from this verse that I wasn’t supposed to. Another reason it ended was I discovered that I could win an argument, but I would not win the person I was arguing with. The servant of the Lord must not quarrel (v. 24, NKJV). This post coordinates with today's reading in the Same Page ...

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God” (2 Corinthians 1:20). God has promised. The promises are fulfilled in Christ. We say Amen to the promise and the fulfillment in Christ. This is all to the glory of God. What about the promises we make? Let’s look at the next verse: “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Corinthians 1:21). That is how we keep our promises. He does it. He makes us stand firm in Christ. He anointed us. He set his seal of ownership on us. He put His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. The Holy Spirit anoints, seals, and guarantees (see Ephesians 1:14). 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...

“Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (James 3:15-17). Wisdom! Two kinds from two places with two very different characteristics. One kind of wisdom: of men, wisdom of the world, wisdom of this age. The place: earthly, of the devil. The character: bitter envy, jealous, unspiritual, selfish ambition, boastful, denies the truth, disorder, every evil practice, eloquence, “wise” and persuasive words. The second kind of wisdom: God’s secret wisdom, the wisdom of God. The place: heaven. The character: pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, good fruit, impartial, sincere, simple, powerful, not sophisticated, expressed in preaching the cross, humility, spiritual...

Dear Joe, In my years of personal evangelism mostly with university students and faculty, I realize that there are two major problems: one is intellectual, the other is moral, and they go together. The major problem is a moral problem, but it certainly is influenced by the intellectual. And you know from Romans 1 that the gross immorality it describes seems to be the result of a wrong theology. There are certainly a lot of “conservative evangelicals” who are not living godly lives. However, the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, meekness—are certainly more in evidence in those who hold an authoritative view of Scripture and have a close, personal relationship with God. The needs that people have are intellectual and moral, and they go together. People are willing to admit that they have intellectual problems, but they are unwilling to admit that they have moral problems. But Jesus Christ primarily died for immoral people, not for intellectual doubters. The gr...

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:6-10). Jesus and Paul both taught on attachment to money. The passages above are two examples of their teaching. In our wealthy evangelical society, where wealth seems to b...