Month: March 2021

By Ron Bartanen

Among the many witty and thought-provoking bits of wisdom that has come my way on the Internet recently was this observation: “The truth is that most of us decide what lies we want to believe.” Prejudices abound in such realms as politics, culture and religion. True objectivity in separating fact from fiction is hard to find. We are universally affected by our backgrounds, friends and environment. A truly subjective seeking after truth in a multitude of areas of life is difficult, if not entirely impossible, to find. The result is a divided society, often resulting in chaos and even war. Life, thereby, becomes a burden upon mankind as each seeks his own way. The natural inclination of man is to seeka way that will harmonize with his own prejudices and preferences. The problem is rooted within our own degenerate hearts, which the Bible describes as deceitful in all things, And desperately wicked” (Jeremiah17:9).

God’s answer to man’s predicament is a person-His own Son, Who declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Through Jesus, God has reconciled believers to Himself, through the crucifixion of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18-21), uniting us with Him who is the embodiment of truth. While our minds and hearts seek to feed us an assortment of lies, in Christ we are afforded the totality of truth, as He declared to His disciples: “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:32). (continued on inside of bulletin)

That truth affects every facet of the believer’s worldview and conduct. We open our hearts to Satan’s lies if our hearts are not guarded by this truth, as Paul declared of those who did not love the truth, “For this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12). The choice is ours.

(Via Bulletin Gold)

By Ron Thomas

 

None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to Goda ransom for him (For the redemption of their life is costly, And ii faileth for ever), (Psalm 49:7-8, ASV) We live on this earth with the prospect of making our lives pleasant and easier than the generation before us. We know that we don’t always achieve what we set out to accomplish, but it does not stop us from trying. In this trying there is hope of success.

None of this is new to us. Unfortunately, as we set about to do this, we come nearer to the end of our individual lives before we accomplish it or think that we do. We then think about how we have lived our lives and wonder if we were (are) a blessing, a help, or a hindrance to others in the way we have lived. More than that, we think about our lives and wonder about the Lord’s response to the way we lived. “Have I done enough to be pleasing to the Lord?” and Will He receive me into His kingdom?” eternal Some of us are fortunate to have accumulated some means, some wealth. “Surely, if the Lord was not with me, I would not have what He gave me we think.

We transfer that thinking to “It must be the case the Lord is pleased with me, for how else can my wealth be explained?” never thinking it might be from the world (cf. 2 Cor. 4:4) this of god The passage in Psalm 49 is a reminder that no matter what a person accumulates, there is no wealth available to a person that is satisfactory in redeeming (purchasing) a person from the throngs of Hell.

Equally important on this theme is: no matter how gracious a person is, how charitable to others a person is, without the Lord Jesus directing their life in faithful obedience to His will, all is lost, even one’s soul.

Via Bulletin Gold

By Greg Gwin

At your weakest moment, that’s when Satan will tempt you to sin. Our adversary is no fool. He’s not going to waste time and effort by working against your strengths. He will attack you when you are the weakest and where you are most vulnerable. Here’s an example: Someone has had harsh words to say about you. They have assumed the worst. impugned your motives, jumped to false conclusions, spread rumor and innuendo about you. How will you react? You are angry. hurt, insulted, disgusted. The strong temptation is to strike back, to get even, to put this person “in his place”. But. you must not submit to the temptation.

God’s word says. “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone… Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:17,21), It’s hard to follow this instruction at the moment, because you are weak and vulnerable. But this course of action is best- the Lord says so, and our Own experience bears this out.

During such times of weakness and vulnerability, we should pray as David did, “Set a guard, 0 Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice deeds of wickedness with men who do iniquity; and do not let me eat of their delicacies” (Ps. 141:3,4). We’ve been warned that Satan has many “devices” (2 Cor. 2:11). Chief among these is his ability to detect our weaknesses and attack us there. Please realize that you must work hardest during your weakest moments, because that is when Satan is at work against you.

Via..Bulletin Digest