More Than Milk

[443 words] There are several passages in the New Testament that admonish Christians to mature. They need to mature in several facets of their spiritual lives. The one we look at today is the need for growth in their study and understanding of God’s word. There is no other way to mature in all aspects…

Wedding Vows Are to Be Honored

[357 words] “Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife…through sickness and health, until death do you part?” “I do.” “Do you take this man…until death do you part?” “I do.” “Before God and these witnesses, I now pronounce you man and wife.” Of course, you have heard or spoken similar words…

Following at a Distance

[371 words] “And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes. 54 But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire” (Mark 14:53-54).…

Prison Ministries

[448 words] “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’…

What Should We Do About Sin?

[485 words] If you, as a Christian, know for a fact that your brother or sister is living in sin, what are you to do? Depending on the sin, you might say. If it is a private matter, Matthew 18:15 and following give the prescription for the matter. If the brother or sister refuse to…

True Forgiveness

[441 words] “For if you forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15).”Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins…

Life Isn’t Fair, But It Isn’t God’s Fault!

[387 words] The atheist would argue that the reason life isn’t fair is because there is no God. The agnostic would say that life’s “unfairness” is “evidence” of why he or she can’t make his/her mind up about God. The apathetic, religious person would point to life’s lack of fairness as the reason why he…

Why Do You Go to Worship?

[300 words] Praise the Lord! I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation” (Psalm 111:1). We gather and worship on a different day than those spoke of in the passage above. Yet, God’s people have always been commanded to worship Him in a prescribed…

Are We Being Consistent with Sin?

[404 words] My son is in school at Bear Valley Bible Institute. He told me of a student that went to the president of the school with an idea that might be too controversial. The president okayed it because it raised a tremendous point. This student was to bring a lesson in one of his…

Benevolence: A Great Responsibility of the Church

[370 words] We are commanded as a group and individually to help others. There are people who are truly in need and we are to be God’s “hands” in these situations.“Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from…

Trickle Down Economics?

[430 words] Although I do believe the theory of “Trickle Down Economics” in finances is legitimate, I could hardly attach that mentality to God’s blessings. They do come “down” from above (Ephesians 1:3; James 1:17), but we certainly couldn’t call the amount of blessings He sends a “trickle.” Many of us take for granted the…

Jump Start!

[361 words] Recently I was shopping at our local dollar store and there was a young woman and her two very young daughters in the store. They were traveling and their car had broken down in the parking lot. It was very cold and I went out to have a look. It seemed her battery…

Is the Young Man, Absalom, Safe?

  [368 words] The question above comes from 2 Samuel 18:32. Absalom, David’s son, had tried to wrest the kingdom from his father. He had slept with the ten concubines (wives) of his father. David had to flee his home when he heard Absalom was staging a coup and left these women to tend the…

True Idol Worship…Here!

[369 words] It would be foolish to believe that there hasn’t been any worship of graven images, statues, etc. in this country. It has usually been kept very private. We’ve always preached that in this country, our idol worship is material things; activities; money; etc. But now, true idol worshipers have become very public in…

They Just Won’t Listen

  [388 words] “Then He said to me: ‘Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. For you are not sent to a people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, but to the house of Israel, not to many people of unfamiliar speech and of hard…

The Biblical Way of Dealing with a Brother Who Has Sinned Against You

[338 words] “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be…

What is the Standard for Our Morality?

  [376 words] “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! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5:20-21). It seems since the beginning of…

Biblical Meditation: The Cure for What Ails You

  [392 words] “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and…

God’s Word Waits for No One

  [444 words] “Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.’ Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. But Paul insisted that they should…

Four Commands We Must Live By

  [367 words] “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by…

Let God Handle It

  [412 words] “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will…

Benevolence, or Enabling Bad Behavior?

[401 words] “For even when we were with you, we commanded you this; If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever“ (1Timothy 5:8). There…

How to Lose Your Kingdom

[399 words] “So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. But he did not inquire of the Lord; therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son…

Another Act of Pure Evil

[357 words] The tragedy in the Floridian public school saddens the nation.  As we look on as Christians, we know the root of this evil act and that is Satan. Sin came into this world through his trickery and Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God. Since then, horrible disease, evil acts, death, etc., entered the…

Enabling Bad Behavior is as Sinful as the Behavior

[324 words] You’ve probably watched a few programs on TV. or heard of them where families make interventions for a loved one who has an addiction problem. Years of coddling a child, friend, or loved one who has an addiction, only adds to the problem. It seems that the sooner a person hits rock‐bottom the…

It’s Hard to Give it to God

[364 words] Sometimes when we go through tough stretches (often made by our own hands!), we procrastinate about turning to God. We think that because we make dumb decisions that we must always figure out a way on our own. God would help us if we would tum to Him. At least if we turned…

Do Non-Christians and Christians Stand on Equal Footing with God?

The Bible seems pretty clear about this question. We can read for ourselves the answer. The real question is: Do we accept the answer? The world doesn’t see the difference at times. Sadly, there are some within the church who can’t tell the difference either. Let me start with a scripture. Galatians 6:10 reads, “As…

Paul’s Test for What’s On Your Mind

[333 words] In Philippians, Paul gave us a litmus test, so to speak, for what should be on or in our minds. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue…