Author: Tim

Most of us are not usually very happy with our politicians, regardless of which side we are on. One of the principle reasons for our displeasure with them is they often say something today that directly contradicts what they said last week, last month, last year or maybe years ago. It’s just difficult to fully trust someone who anywhere from occasionally to frequently, 1s saying something different and presenting it all as truth.

The fact that almost everything they say is recorded allows us to “fact check” what they say. So many of them, it seems, are unfazed by their lack of consistency. It’s just difficult to believe them at times.

I know as humans we sometimes change our opinion of things. Usually we can give a reason for doing so, if for no other reason than to justify in our own minds our desire to change.

It is a shame that so many people put so much emphasis on and trust in someone who has proven to have problems telling the truth and so little importance on what the one Being who “cannot lie” (Hebrews 6:18) has to say.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8); For I the LORD do not change (Malachi 3:6); the word of the Lord remains forever. (1 Peter 1:25). We would do well to listen to, believe and obey the abiding word of God. It is His truth that saves. His words are truth (John 17:17). Let me encourage us to “fact check” the word of God. We’ll find His plan to save man has not changed. The Gospel message for salvation 2,000 years ago is the exact same message preached today for the saving of man’s soul.

We are in a time referred to as cancel culture. Cancel culture is the act of destroying someone’s life over the fact they disagree with popular opinion. The Christian, however, should have a different take on “cancel culture”

 

Notice, for example:

• We should cancel negativism pessimism.
• We should cancel prejudice.
• We should cancel immoral thoughts.
• We should cancel sin.
• We should cancel false doctrine.

Rather than focusing on destroying others’ lives, let’s focus on improving our own by doing such we will be doing our part to make the world better…And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:24-25)

Via… Bulletin Digest

At the end of Paul’s instruction to the Ephesian Christians to put on the whole armor of God he gives these closing words… “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,” (Ephesians 6:18) As William Hendrickson noted in his commentary on Ephesians Paul uses the word “all” four times. Let’s note how that may benefit us today.

Praying at ALL times” – to pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:16), to pray in all the seasons of one’s life, all conditions, all situations. Some will be good and some may not. Does not matter.

Pray at all times with ALL prayer and supplication” – every type of prayer should be lifted up to God. Prayers of petition, thanksgiving, praise, calling on God for His forgiveness, grace and mercy. Seeking His help and providential care with ALL perseverance” again, “pray without ceasing”.

Remember Jesus told us to keep on asking, seeking and knocking. (Matthew 7). Giving up should not be in the Christians character. We keep taking everything to God in prayer because we know He hears us and will answer for ALL the saints” – it is easy to minimalize our world and focus only on those things and people who are near us.

Remember the church is spread throughout the world and we need to pray “for All the saints”. Some are living in very difficult situations, some are struggling to maintain the faith, some need to repent, others need to be encouraged to keep spreading the gospel and for a myriad of other needs and reasons we must continue to pray at all times

God’s word is truth (John 17:17) and when we are all grounded in the truth of God’s word unity will be the result (Ephesians 4:1-15).

Truth does not cause division because truth is constant. Division comes when someone blows the winds of false doctrine and topples Christians who are not grounded in truth. They are “carried about by every wind of doctrine” because they have no roots. False teachers use trickery, cunning craftiness, and deceit to cause division in the church (read the passage above).

There is much division in the religious world today. Why? There are two reasons: First, false teachers come into a church and draw away disciples after themselves (Acts 20:29-30). They are more interested in promoting themselves than in teaching God’s truth. Second, Christians who are not grounded in the truth follow the false teachers. Their ears have been tickled by the cunning craftiness of the false teacher and they are drawn away after their own lust (2 Timothy 4:2-4).

False teachers and itching ears always result in divisions and “new churches” spring up. But truth always brings unity among those who hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matthew 5:6).

Via Bulletin Digest

The worst enemy of man is Satan. His goals are wicked; his ways evil. In the Bible the devil is called “a roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8), and “that old serpent” (Revelation 20:2). Do we know how he works? The Bible says he works by:

1. Telling lies (John 8:44). Satan told Adam and Eve, regarding the forbidden fruit, “Ye shall not surely die” (Genesis 3:4). An example of Satan’s lies today is, “He that believeth and is not baptized shall be saved. ” The Lord said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:15,16).

2. Perverting the scriptures. In Matthew 4 Satan took a passage out of context, thus twisting its meaning.

3. Organizing his churches. Not all religious groups are approved of God. Revelation 3:9 speaks condemningly of “the synagogue of Satan.”

4. Thwarting God’s purposes (1 Thessalonians 2:18).

5. Appearing as “an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). Good appearance can be deceiving. Religious cranks, denominationalists, cults and charlatans fool many with their errors.

Beware of the workings of Satan!

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“Make sure you see what you are looking at” This was a recommendation handed out to all drivers at Federal Express one morning. The new safety division had decided that this bit of advice would help us avoid an accident. The common thought among all the drivers, though, was that we were paying somebody a lot of money for coming up with silly slogans.

Yet I couldn’t get this thought out of my mind that day. And for the next few days, I realized how many times I didn’t see something that was right in front of my nose. How could I have missed it? I could have had an accident and would have wondered how it could have happened. It was becausel did not see what I was looking at.

I wonder how many times this happens with our relationships. Is it possible that most of our conflicts happen when we fail to “see” where the other person is coming from? Can problems be caused by our failure to “see” things from the other person’s point of view? Could it be that many times we refuse someone else’s interpretation of things?

A major ingredient in all healthy relationships is understanding. Being willing to “see” things from the other person’s point of view. Paul says it this way: “Therefore, as God ‘s chosen people…clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another” (Colossians 3:12-13).

Relationships are too important to our well-being to risk losing any of them. And the way to build and maintain them is to be willing to see the things you are looking at, maybe from another person’s point of view.

Just as understanding God will build your relationship with Him, understanding those around you will do the same for those relationships.

Via Bulletin Digest 

Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. (1 Peter 2:16) A.J. Mason observed that no Christian “should mistake the nature of his Christian liberty so as to dream of an exemption from obedience either to God or man.”

Two sources of authority to which man must give an answer are God and governments ordained by God God, the ultimate source and power, deserves our complete and full surrender to His holy will. Man, as appointed by God, is deserving of our obedience so long as his law does not contradict the law of God.

B,C, Caffin noted that “The meaning of this verse is that Christian freedom must show itself, not in license, but in willing obedience to constituted authorities.”

Christianity has always been the friend and promoter of liberty….To spread the gospel in its purity everywhere would be to break every yoke of oppression and bondage, and to make people everywhere free. (Albert Barnes)

Some of these Jews to whom Peter directed this “used their liberty for a cloak of maliciousness – for a pretext of rebellion, and by it endeavored to vindicate their seditious and rebellious conduct.” (Adam Clarke). In doing so they were never really free. (cf. Romans 13:1-5)

The ones who were truly free were those “living as servants of God”. These were free from sin in the blood of Jesus, living obediently and faithfully to God and as such were being subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution whether it be to the emperor as supreme, “or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.” (1 Peter 2:13,14)

Freedom is not a license for doing evil. It is the responsibility to do what is right – to obey God, to live as a servant of God

(Acts 19:38-41) If therefore Demetrius-and the craftemen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. But if you seek anything further, sl it shall be settled in the regular assembly. For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.” And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.

The inappropriateness of the present ad hoc assembly is made evident in v. 39 when the clerk says that if there is anything further the crowd wants to know, it must be settled in the legal assembly. [Riots and Roman Law, Acts 19:21-41, Underground Network, Apr.14,2016] 

Rome was not likely to pass a blind eye over an unlawful assembly, and so now the clerk turns the tables on the crowd. If there was an unlawful assembly the City could be charged with “stasis,” that is, with acting seditiously, creating factions in the Empire, rioting. The terminology the clerk uses here at the end of his speech is legal and correct. His point is that if questioned, the Ephesians could give no legal justification for this particular meeting, and so would be suspected of, and, as v. 40 puts it, in danger of being charged with, subversive activities. (ibid)

The providence of God? Certainly. A leader with the ability to diffuse an ugly situation? Looks like it. 

Whichever, either or both, may God help us today. Burton Coffman opines. “One has to admire the intelligence, tact, and ability by which the town-clerk achieved a dispersal of such a mob. First, he pointed out that the whole city might be “in danger” for tolerating such an illegal uproar; but then he softened his reference to the riot by calling it a “concourse.” This indicated that he was willing to convey some semblance of legality to the mob by naming it a concourse instead of a riot; then, moving still further to legalize the outrageous gathering, he “dismissed THE ASSEMBLY”! In context, that town-clerk’s actions bore the stamp of genius. Once more, the providence of God had preserved the life of the dauntless apostle, saving him and protecting him, without his so much as opening his mouth. How wonderful are the ways of the Lord”. (Commentary on Acts)

Rioting is ugly. Turns illegal, Needs to be stopped. May God give us leaders today who can and will lead as the town clerk did in Acts 19.

“Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD; and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate” (Psa. 127:3-5).

 

What an awesome blessing, as well as responsibility, rearing children is! lf only more fathers and mothers had a greater appreciation of this gift and took more seriously their God-given roles as parents (cf. Deut. 6:1ff; Pro. 22:6; 31:1f, Eph. 5:22ff 6:4).

“Father’s Day’ is a day set aside each year to honor our fathers for a job well-done. In addition, it is a day to remind fathers of the influential impact they have on their children as well as society. It is true, “as the home goes, so goes the nation (society).” A strong nation is comprised of strong godly homes; homes led by strong and faithful fathers who..

1…love the Lord (Mark 12:30; Mat. 6:33).
2..love their wife (Eph. 5:25-26).
3..love God’s Word and shares it with family (2 Tim. 2:15, Eph. 6:4; Acts 10:33).
4…are faithful to the Lord and His church (1 Cor. 15:58; Rev. 2:10).
5..communicate well (Jam. 1:19).
6. ..provide for their family (1 Tim. 5:8).
7..pray fervently and without ceasing (Jam. 5:16; 1 The. 5:17).
8. .non-abusively discipline their children when necessary (Pro. 13:24; 22:15).

 

May all men strive toward these teachings of scripture, and thus build strong homes and a strong nation!

The title of this article is a question of no little importance. And when we reflect upon Jesus’ own words that “many” will choose to walk the way of eternal destruction and that “few will ultimately make it to the gates of Heaven (cf. Matthew 7:13-14), this question becomes even richer in significance. While our busy schedules might often prevent us from doing so, we should actually reflect upon His return every day! Could it be that the Lord has chosen tomorrow as the day of His return? If that be the case, in what condition will you find yourself to be in the day after tomorrow? Only the wise will bother to seriously ponder this thought.

We all need to live every day as if we actually had access to information that told us that Jesus’ return was imminent; that it could occur at any moment “in the twinkling of an eye.” But it is most interesting to consider the fact that in a very real way, that is actually true. Ne know that Jesus promised us that He would return, and we know that we are closer to that day than any day that has yet dawned upon this earth; but we also know that this very day could be that day!

The world is nearly 2000 years closer to His return than it was during His earthly walk when He often spoke of that fateful day involving His impending return. “Watch” was the word of caution that Jesus often used when He spoke of that inevitable day of His assured return. Later today, we will close out another day on earth (Lord willing!). Each of us will then welcome the dawning of a new day. May we all be living our lives as if we knew for a guaranteed fact that tomorrow would be that final day of mankind’s existence in this rapidly passing world.

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (Matthew 25:13).

Via. Bulletin Digest