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Counting the Cost
Have you ever wanted to build a new house? Did you ever wanted a new car? After the decision was made to buy or build what was the next question? Most likely it was: what is the cost of building or buying? If the cost was too high then there might be other options were thought of or sought that might be available. The Bible talks about this same thing when considering discipleship. Luke 14:25-33 reads thusly, “And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, If any man come...Continue reading
Where Are You?
This is an important question on many levels. One must know where he is to know where he is going, in other words one has to have a starting point to have an ending point. Try to go some place with Google maps. You must have a starting point before it can give you an ending point. GPS is the same. To know where we are going spiritually we must also know where we are! Goals are very important to have as we journey also. They help us to know our progress as we journey....Continue reading
Every Member Matters!
In the twelfth chapter of the book of 1 Corinthians one finds the church compared to the physical body. Within that chapter one will find the foot, the hand, the ear, the eye all mentioned. The Holy Spirit through Paul states that all of these are necessary. What if the body were made up of a foot? What if the entire body were a hand, or an ear, or an eye? How would such a body function? Each and every part of the physical body is important, and each member of the church, the Lord’s...Continue reading
Charge!
When we first hear this word there may be different mental pictures develop within our mind. Paul uses this word with Timothy a number of times. There are different Greek words Paul uses that are translated “charge” in our New Testament but they have basically the same meaning. The meaning is “command.” Now go back to our pictures developed in our minds, with this meaning. A man might think of the command to charge an enemy. A woman might think of a plastic card with items to purchase. It is still a command! With this...Continue reading
The Great Physician
Jesus has been called the “Great Physician.” There is a song by that title that has very good sentiments. Seven hundred and fifty years before Jesus set foot on the earth, Isaiah prophesied, “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4-5). Peter quotes this passage (1 Peter 2:24) and does not apply...
Judas
Character studies of Bible personalities are beneficial studies. There are those whom we have studied over and over again. We glean new insights to their lives and lessons to be applied to our lives each time we study them. Application of these lessons to our lives is really one of the purposes of any Bible study. We all like to study those individuals who will encourage us in our daily walk toward heaven. There is a time when we need to study those individuals who have a negative life. The purpose in studying these individuals...Continue reading
Gambling with Sacrifice
The chicken and the pig were discussing what sacrifice means when considering the breakfast meal for humans. The chicken did not think that sacrifice was such a big deal, but the pig did. To the pig it meant total commitment but to the chicken it was just giving. Parents make sacrifices for their children. Some of those sacrifices may never be know to the children. Some sacrifices may become known later in life when the parents talk lovingly of the child’s upbringing. If those sacrifices were despised, it would subordinate them in the minds of...Continue reading
Flu Shot
This is the time of year when many get their flu shot. The doctors warn many whose health is questionable to partake of this shot every year. There are those that are young who need it. There are those who are middle aged who need it. And there are those who are more mature who are to get this shot. It will do well to take this shot so that one will not get the flu. Likewise there is a flu shot for apostasy. Listen to what Paul discusses with Timothy, “If thou put the...Continue reading
Restoring the Joy
Are you unhappy with the church? Are you disappointed in the worship? Have you gotten to the point where you just attend once in a while? When you try to motivate yourself to come, does the whole process feel like sheer drudgery? And when you are here, do the lessons seem kind of boring? Has the Lord’s Supper lost some of its flavor? Do brethren appear to ignore you? And have you started wondering how many things you could buy with the money you put in the contribution?Cheer up! You’re not the only one who...Continue reading
Preach the Word
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lust shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:2-4). These words were given at the end of one man’s life. Paul knew he would not be long for this earth. He knew that death and the pale horse was on their...Continue reading