Principles for Good Christian Living - Ben Bailey

Principles for Good Christian Living

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” (1 Thess. 5:16-22).  To encourage Christians in their faith, Paul concludes his letter to the Thessalonians with some final admonitions for Christian Living.  Notice these 4 principles for good Christian living.

Principle #1: Be Joyful (1 Thess. 5:16).  Joy should be a hallmark characteristic of every Christian’s life.  Paul encouraged us to “rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice” (Phil. 4:4).  Everyone wants to find joy and having joy always makes a person’s life better.  Solomon taught us in the Book of Proverbs that a happy spirit is good for the soul.  He said, “A merry heart does good, like medicine” (Prov. 17:22).  If we are going to win the world to Jesus, we need to show people the joyous life of a Christian.

Principle #2: Be Prayerful (1 Thess. 5:17).  Isn’t it great to know you are not in the fight of faith alone (1 Tim. 6:12; Phil. 4:13)?  As a child of God, we have one of the most powerful spiritual tools you could ever imagine—We can communicate with the All-Powerful Creator of the Universe, and we know He hears us and knows our needs.  The Apostle John said, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (1 John 5:14).   Remember, “the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man overcomes much” (James 5:16).

Principle #3: Be Thankful (1 Thess. 5:18).  Eli Wiesel once said, “When a person doesn’t have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity.”  How true this statement is for a Christian!  God wants us to have a thankful heart.  Do you remember the haunting question Jesus asked the one leper who returned to give thanks?  “Where are the nine?” (Luke 17:17).  A thankful person will always make a greater impact on the world, the lost, and in the kingdom of God than one who simply takes things for granted.  We could all learn a lot from the word of Zig Ziglar on ingratitude, "Be grateful for what you have and stop complaining -- it bores everybody else, does you no good, and doesn't solve any problems." 

Principle #4: Be Careful (1 Thess. 5:19-22).  In this section of Scripture Paul mentions 4 areas in which the Christian must be careful.   Be careful… (1) Not to quench the spirit (vs. 19)—don’t put out the spirit’s fire in our lives (Jer. 20:9) (2) Not to Reject the Word of God (vs. 20)—Don’t stop listening to God’s Word (Heb. 4:12) (3) To test everything (vs. 21)—Be like the Bereans and search the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:11) (4) To Abstain from every type of evil—Hate what is evil cling to what is good (Rom. 12:9).  

In a world that is filled with so much hypocrisy and so many things that are for lack of a better word “fake” let’s be the real thing!  Let’s put these 4 principles for good Christian living to use and be the best Christian we can be every day!                    --Ben Bailey

God Hates Strife in the Body - Ben Bailey

God Hates Strife in the Body

The Psalmist issued a challenge to all of God’s people when he said, “behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity” (Ps. 133:1). In the New Testament Christians are encouraged by Paul to “endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). While unity and peace is God’s ideal standard, sometimes, Christians don't act the way they should and strife is created. What is it that causes this strife and how do we deal with strife in the body of Christ?

One of the chief causes of strife among God’s people is evil or perversion in one’s heart. Since sin is a heart problem, it should come as no surprise that strife is generated in the heart of man. The Proverbs writer said, “A perverse man sows strife…” (Prov. 16:28). When someone is not following the Spirit of Christ in their life, strife is going to come.

A failure to control the tongue is another cause of strife. In fact, this may be the chief reason for strife in the body of Christ today. Solomon said, “A fool’s lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating” (Prov. 18:6). When we are so busy talking that we forget to think about what we are saying, chances are we may be saying things we shouldn’t.

How then do you stop strife? People who are always belittling or making fun of others must be silenced. The Proverbs writer said, “Cast out the scoffer, and contention will leave; Yes, strife and reproach will cease” (Prov. 22:10). To avoid strife—mind your own business! The Bible says, “He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own Is like who takes a dog by the ears” (Prov. 26:17). To stop strife, gossip must be stopped. Scripture says, “Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases” (Prov. 26:20).

Another main cause of strife in the Body of Christ is pride. When people think they are better than others and look down on or belittle other people to make themselves feel better, it is guaranteed to create strife. The Wise sage said, “By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom” (Prov. 13:10).

May each of us remember that God hates it when people cause strife in His church. “These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren” (Prov. 6:16-19). Just as Jesus prayed for unity in His church, may we make it or aim to only say and do those things that build up the body of Christ (John 17:20-21).

God's All-Sufficient Grace - Ben Bailey

God’s All-Sufficient Grace

            Like many of us today, Paul had a “thorn in the flesh”.  This was a trial of some kind that gave him much grief.  This “thorn in the flesh” bothered Paul so much that he prayed to the Lord three times to remove it.  To Paul’s request, God responded by saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor 12:9).  Instead of removing Paul’s infirmity, God reminds Paul of the all-sufficiency of His grace.  This same strength that God promised Paul should also apply directly to us when we face difficulty.  Instead of dwelling on our problems, we should be able to look beyond those problems to the grace and love of God.  Here is how we can do just that.

            Look beyond your problems.  The Apostle Paul eloquently stated, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18).  Instead of getting discouraged and down about our problems and difficulties, we need to realize that our problems are not even a drop in the bucket compared to the beauty of Heaven.  Too many times we focus on the physical world of suffering and forget that we are headed to Heaven.  Let’s move beyond our physical problems and see the joy of Heaven.

            Look above your problems.  The brother of the Lord reminded us of the benefit of suffering when he said, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4).  Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of suffering, we must be able to look above our problems to the good they can bring us.  Imagine how closely attached to this world we might be if there were no suffering.  James reminds us that we must be able to rejoice at the difficulties we have because they help us grow as Christians.  

            While trials are going to come to each of us, we must remember that God’s grace is sufficient to help us deal with our trials.  When we remember that Heaven will be worth it all and that suffering helps us grow, we can overcome our suffering with God’s grace.  May God give us the strength to remain faithful to His all-sufficient grace.

God Never Changes! - Ben Bailey

“Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.

They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end” (Ps. 102: 25-27).

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

            The world we live in is filled with constant change and never-ending updates.  The moment you buy a new computer or phone there is a better one out.  The first time you turn on your new computer there are multiple new updates that must be installed.   At an annoying rate, things are constantly changing in our fast-paced world.   Amid all this change, there is some really good news—God Never Changes.  The unchanging God is our Rock we can always trust in to be exactly the same—no updates, no newer models or additions…just the same all the time.  To a Christian, this should be really encouraging news!

            The Psalmist reminds us of the eternal and unchanging nature of God when he contrasts the creation with the Creator. The Psalmist uses a vivid illustration to help us understand this point.  Doesn’t everyone like having a new outfit to wear every now and then?  How long does that new outfit stay “new”?  Not very long.  You can buy a  new pair of jeans, wear them and wash them a few times and before you know it they are faded with holes in them!  Clothes just don’t stay new looking very long.  God is not that way. The Psalmist says, “…you are the same and your years have no end” (Ps. 102:27).  When I think about this idea it fortifies my faith and trust in Almighty God!

            Along with the fact that God never changes is the wonderful idea that our Savior does not change either.  Remember, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb. 13:8).  One of the things that teach us is that God’s plan in Christ Jesus is not going to be amended or abrogated.  From the moment I first trust in Jesus to the moment I draw my last breath, He will be my Savior who I can always lean upon.  He will never leave you nor forsake you so that you may boldly say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not fear, what can man do to me?” (Heb. 13:5-7).  The Christian can find great confidence in the solid nature of Jesus Christ!

            As each of us moves through different phases of our lives and as we look at how the world has changed so drastically in just the last couple of years, we can each find solace in the fact that God never changes.  The same God people prayed to and put their confidence in for salvation in the 1st century, is the same God we put our hope and faith in today.  May God help us to continue to be faithful to him until death so that we can have the crown of life (Rev. 2:10)!

Keeping Focus - Jamie Oliver

But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God”. Not many have had the experience of plowing a field today unless they grew up on a farm. Have you ever passed a field and wondered how they made the lines so straight? A point must be found ahead of you, and you must focus on that point all the way from the start of the row to the end of the row. If you turn even slightly to one side your line is going to get off. Christ is telling us we must focus on Him; we can’t let the world divert our focus. 

We see in Genesis 19:1 and 12-16 two angels came to speak to Lot to warn him of the destruction that was coming to the city. He was warned to flee the city with his family and to not look back. Their focus was reaching the city outside of the plain, but Lot’s wife faltered, looked back, and turned into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:23-26). This was such an important lesson he returns to it when speaking to his disciples in Luke 17:32 to “Remember Lot’s wife”. He is telling them they have started this work and not to look back now, there is more to look forward to. We don’t know when He will return and if we are caught looking back instead of looking for Him, we will miss Him. Just like the five foolish virgins in Matthew 25:1-13, we must be prepared for His coming. Those five who were not prepared came back and cried to be let in, but He told them He did not know them. In Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me. ‘Lord, Lord, ‘ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” How do we know what His will is? Solomon spent his life trying everything under the sun and compared it to trying to catch the wind and vanity. He sums it up well in Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Let us hear the whole conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.” 

Jesus also tells us to watch what we put value in as we see in Matthew 6:20-21 “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” We can’t have the best of both worlds, just like the church of the Laodiceans who were lukewarm, neither hot nor cold and were spewed out. God wants our focus; he doesn’t want us to be divided between Him and the world. We must choose a side.

Let’s look back to some biblical examples of choosing a side: 

1. In Genesis 22:1-14 we read about Abraham choosing to focus on God’s promise given to him in Genesis 12:1-3. Abraham knew even if God had to raise Isaac from the dead (Hebrews 11:17-19), He would fulfill His promise of making him a great nation from his seed.

2. Israel flops back and forth all throughout the Old Testament between God and idol worship. We see Joshua’s strength as he stands up to Israel and tells them to make a choice. “…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

3. I love the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal in I Kings 18:19-39. Elijah did not allow his focus waiver from God, but the people did. He asks them in verse 21 how long they were going to falter between two opinions. The choice of the true God was obvious as we see in verse 39.

4. In John 12:42-43 we see even some among the rulers believed in Jesus, but “they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”

5. Ananias and Sapphira wanted to appear as all in for God but wanted to keep some back for themselves. (Acts 5:1-11)

So often we can get discouraged when we lose our focus on God and find ourselves on the wrong side of the fence. Thankfully God offers us opportunities to either come to him for the first time as we repent of sins, confess the name of Jesus and that He is the true son of God, and are baptized for the remission of our sins or we can come back to Him after we have strayed just like the father looked for the return of the prodigal son in Acts 15:11-25. We need to surround ourselves with those who can influence us for the good and will help us in keeping ourselves focused on His word. John warns us in I John 2:15-17 about loving the world. We need to find things of God to fill ourselves up with. Our focus can remain true with spending time in His word, with His church, and with Him in prayer.

Should Christian Teens Dance? - Amy Lawrence

As a teenager, I was pressured severely concerning the senior Prom. I had friends, peers, and a boyfriend who was going. My friends assumed my decision to not go was based on domineering parents who disallowed it. They offered to help me sneak out of the house and get me ready at a friend’s house. My peers assumed I just couldn’t dance. My boyfriend continually reminded me that he would be the only guy there that didn’t bring his girlfriend. How would that look? My parents were in part responsible for my decision, but not because they were cruel and demanded that I commit social suicide. Their part resided solely on the Christian education they had given me up to that point. That begs the question: how would a Christian education affect my decision concerning the Prom?

Let’s start with the basics:

What is the Prom? The term “Prom” is an abbreviation for “promenade”. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “promenade” as: “to take or go on a promenade, to walk about, in, or on.” It is synonymous with “parade”. The idea behind the word itself is the action of purposely displaying oneself to others. Putting oneself before an audience is not wrong in and of itself. It’s what we’re doing that is making people look that determines the morality of the situation. The gentlemen wear a tux, the young ladies wear a beautiful dress and spend quality time and money making their hair and features more beautiful than ever. The entire point of these things is to be seen, to “promenade”.

What does one do at the Prom? They get all gussied up to just...stand around and talk? No. The most prominent feature of a senior Prom is the dancing.

I. What is so wrong with dancing?

Let’s look at some world views...

- In an article published by the Sydney Morning Herald, December of 2005, Alok Jha of London wrote, “It’s true; dancing does lead to sex.” His article addressed the scientific approach to explaining why dancing was sexually appealing. “Charles Darwin was the first to suggest that dance was a courtship signal in animals, but there had been no studies of the relation of dance and genetic or physical quality in humans until now,” he continued.

“Scientists have confirmed what fans of John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever have known all along: men with the best dance moves have the most sex appeal.”

-A more recent article written by Kristen Sollee in February of 2017 titled “4 Study-based Links Between Dancing and Sex” used scientific evidence to come to conclusions about the correlation between dancing and sexual lust. She wrote, “A new study published in Scientific Reports asked subjects to analyze and rate different digital avatars that were mapped from the dance moves of real women. Both male and female raters judged dancing with greater hip swinging as more attractive, as well as moves that incorporated asymmetric thigh movements and intermediate levels of asymmetric arm movements.” She also mentioned a study cited in Psychology Today that addressed how women danced differently based on the changes of hormones before and after their menstrual cycle. The article further addressed how women view dancing men. “You can tell a lot about a potential lover from the way they dance. According to a survey of 2,000 women by The Daily Mail, 80 percent said they experienced a direct correlation between a man's performance in the club and in the bedroom.“

- According to Dr. Peter Lovatt, a renowned dance psychologist, men with higher testosterone levels dance differently. Men with lower levels favor smaller movements, but men with higher levels of testosterone dance with more vigorous, flashy movements.

- Famous Paris fashion designer Christian Dior once admitted in an interview: “For the first time, I have done away with corsets even for dance dresses. I have often heard men complain that in dancing they could not feel a living form under women’s corsets.”

-Louis Guyon, once a proprietor of Paradise, a Chicago dance hall, said, “In over thirty years in this business I have come to the strong conclusion that dancing is just the beginning of other evils. Sex being the one most often led to, and I believe that this is what makes dancing nviting...thousands of boys and girls dancing in this very way who do not realize they are doing anything out of the way, and whose fool parents look on complacently.”

No matter the innocence one claims, dancing is documented by both the world as well as scripture as an intimate action.


II. What does the BIble have to say about…?

1.) dancing

2.) two people of the opposite sex being within such proximity to one another

-Let’s not forget John the Baptist’s beheading. Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great and brother of Herod Phillip I, watched his niece (Josephus calls her Salome, daughter of his brother Herod Phillip I and Herodias) dance in view of everyone at his birthday party. He enjoyed it so much that he was willing to give her whatever she asked, up to “half the kingdom”. (Many suggest that Herod was drunk, and it is likely, but the context only tells us that he held a feast for the nobles and prominent men of Galilee, Mark 6:14-29. Mark wrote that it didn’t just please Herod, but also the others who sat with him, vs. 22.) What would move Herod to make an oath to this young woman to give her anything she asked? Lust can make a man do funny things.

-The Bible uses a word to describe situations such as the Prom; places where there is loud music, dancing, and maybe even the occasional spiked punch. The original Greek word is κῶμος (komos), “revelry”. Even hundreds of years ago, they had parties with dancing, loud music, and drinking. It was trouble then and it is trouble now. No sane person dips their toes in shark-infested waters and thinks they won’t get bitten. No sane Christian walks straight into the devil’s snares with their eyes wide open and expects not to get caught. We cannot be ignorant of his devices, 2 Cor. 2:11.

-Consider the Proverb of the seductress. Proverbs 6 and 7 warn of a woman who has a talent for seduction. Not all women are out to ensnare men, but let’s look at the means by which this woman catches what the writer calls a “young man devoid of understanding” (Prov. 7:7.):

>. A flattering tongue

>. Lustful beauty

>. Mannerisms/attire of a harlot

>. Enticing speech

Let us equally consider the young man. He:

>. Took the path to her house. He chose to be in a place where he knew temptation would be found.

>. Was in the wrong place, at the wrong time - in the twilight, evening, black and dark night. The setting itself denotes a desire to find trouble.

>. He had a heart that was easily snagged.

All of the above is a recipe for disaster. That’s a bit drastic, Amy, you might say, calling young women harlots when it’s completely innocent that they only want to dress up and have fun. Just to be clear - I am not calling young women that go to the Prom “harlots”. I am not even suggesting that they think of nothing but sex in reference to the Prom. Do young women engage in activities such as the Prom with their minds focused on sexual encounters? Some do, but most do not. Most young women are excited about the opportunity to dress more fashionably than usual and be doted upon by young men. Do young men engage in activities such as the Prom with their minds focused on sexual encounters? I myself being female cannot with any honesty answer that question from my own perspective…but I do know and have talked with males concerning the subject. They have all stated the same: sex doesn’t start out at the forefront of their mind, but by the end of the evening it is most certainly there. I have had young women give voice to their being offended by the mere suggestion that they become a temptation for young men in situations such as the Prom, as if such suggestions label them as promiscuous. I am doing no such thing. We as females want to be seen as beautiful. Sometimes, though, that desire clouds our judgement. We forget to consider the perspective of the males. Most males will admit that it IS a temptation. We, both males and females, will be judged by the example we set and the influence we portray, Lk. 17:1-5.

The writer of the Proverb uses the phrase, “Can a man take fire into his bosom and his clothes not be burned?” (Prov. 6:27) Paul Southern wrote, “it’s like lighting a fire under a tea kettle and daring the water to boil.” It matters where we are and what we and those around us are doing. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “…Evil companions corrupt good morals.” (1 Cor. 15:33) Paul wrote to Timothy, “FLEE youthful lusts.” (2 Tim. 2:22) Scripture should matter to every Christian. Its application keeps us out of trouble.

One of the biggest nets Satan uses to catch us are those stages in our childhood society calls “rites of passage”. The Prom is labeled as such a stage. It’s a tradition in a teenager’s transition from school years into adulthood. Many have been called odd (among other things) because they would dare speak against traditions such as the Prom. There is insurmountable peer pressure surrounding the event. (The article “Peer Pressure” is also available to read.) To miss one’s Prom is to “miss a once-in-a-lifetime event”, as they say. To speak against the Prom is to commit social suicide. Most choose to follow the world. Scripture tells us that he that makes himself a friend of the world is the enemy of God, James 4:4. We will never influence the world by trying to be just like it, and the more we look like the world, the less we will be recognized by Christ, Mt. 7:23. 


1 John 2:15 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

1 John 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

There is hope. We can choose Christ. He offers not just a life, but an abundant one, Jn. 10:10. Don’t buy in to the YOLO attitude. You don’t just live once. But how you live this life determines where you end up in the next, Heb. 9:27, 2 Cor. 5:10. Choose Christ.

~Amy Lawrence

Is There Anything Worth Dying For? - Parker Webster

Propaganda photographer and fashion icon, James Jebbia released a rare set of home decor with the skateboarding brand “Supreme” in December 2017. Jebbia is known by the fashion industry to be a controversial giant. Many of his photos are looked down upon by the art and fashion scene due to political and ethical content. So, when this collection of home decor was released, many designers raised eyebrows. One obscure item of his collection was a welcome mat. Usually placed at a front door, this mat had a picture of a gun with a description reading, “there is nothing here worth dying for.”

This year, our nation exceeded spending one trillion dollars on electronic devices alone. America has a problem with spending. We are constantly caught up in owning the latest and greatest. We put so much emphasis on earthly possessions that we may forget what our focus should be. Perhaps materialism affects man today more than ever. We have to have the latest apple product and drive the newest car to be “cool.”

Although I rarely ever endorse or agree with anything in the fashion industry, as a Christian, I think Jebbia’s “rug saying” holds SOME truth. If we were to look in the book of Mark we read, “what does it profit if a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul” (Mark 8:36)

Ultimately, there is nothing physical worth dying for. People break their backs and go into debt just to possess the items of this world. The rich young ruler couldn’t follow Jesus because of his great possessions. (Luke 18:18-23) The world was worth dying for to this young man. We need to make sure we are focusing on banking in heaven (Matt. 6:19-20), rather than dying for Wells Fargo.

Johnny Ramsey used to say, "It's all just going to be burned up anyway." With that in mind, ask yourself, “Is there really anything worth dying for?”

Contributed by
Parker Webster

Minister, Carriage Oaks church of Christ
Bossier City, LA

An Unhealthy Home - Amy Lawrence

An Unhealthy Home

In order to come to an understanding of what constitutes an unhealthy home, we must first define a healthy one. God describes the tools needed to establish a healthy home in Ephesians chapters 5-6; how husband and wife should behave toward one another, how children should behave toward parents, and how parents should behave toward children. In Jeremiah chapter 35, Jeremiah tells us of a family known as the Rechabites. God contrasts the disobedience of Judah to the obedience of the sons of Jonadab. Jonadab had taught his sons how to respect authority and be obedient, whether it be toward him or God. God commends Jonadab and his sons, concluding that his household will always have a man that will stand before God. Abraham was given the same commendation (Gen. 18:19). We see in this a healthy home. 

An unhealthy home is created when those in the home do not follow the instructions given to us by God Almighty - whether knowingly or out of ignorance. This creates conflict in the home and an atmosphere for negative influence to become an issue.  Let’s look at some Biblical examples of this:

-Eli’s family in the book of 1 Samuel shows how a lack of restraint can do harm (1 Sam. 3:13). Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were corrupt. As priests, they had the responsibility God placed upon the descendants of Aaron to uphold the statutes of the sacrifices (Ex. 27-31). Eli was supposed to teach his sons to fear the Lord, but according to 1 Sam. 2:12, they “knew not the Lord”. Hophni and Phinehas, never having been taught to be in submission to their father, had no respect toward Eli. All of Israel suffered because of Eli’s failure to stand up to his sons and rebuke them for their sin. 

-The family of Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Esau (Gen. 25-27) reveals the kind of turmoil that is found in a family where there is favoritism (Gen. 25:28). Jacob used his brother’s lack of self-control to gain the inheritance that was due his brother (Gen. 25:29-34). The favoritism carried over into Jacob’s family as well. Jacob favored Joseph over his other sons (Gen. 37:3). This created enmity between him and his brethren, and they later sold him into slavery.

-Solomon was warned of what would happen if he chose to marry foreign women (1 Kings 11:1-3). Like so many, Solomon allowed the influence of someone he loved to turn his heart in a direction that took him away from God. 

Our spiritual education begins at home, Deut. 6:4-9. It is a place where we should feel the most comfortable, and where the most important stages of our growth happen. But is the soil of your home healthy…or unhealthy? If you answered unhealthy, then look to scripture in how to make it healthy.

-Is there love in your home? 1 Cor. 13

-Is there daily Bible study in your home? 2 Tim. 3:14-15

-Is there order in your home? Eph. 6:1-4

It’s a place to start. When God rules the home, then and only then will you find a healthy home.

The Magnificence of the Christian Covenant - Ben Bailey

The Magnificence of the Christian Covenant

“But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises” (Hebrews 8:6).  One of the main points of the book of Hebrews and the New Testament is the Superiority of Christ and the New Covenant.  Notice a couple of ways the Book of Hebrews illustrates the Superiority of Christ and Christianity. 

A Better Offering

            Under the Old Testament system, the priests were commanded to take offerings of animals and grain (Lev. 1-5).  Yet, with these sacrifices, there was the ever-present reminder that they could never take away sin.  Of this, the Hebrew writer says, “But in those sacrifices, there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.  For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:3-4).  The great thing about the priesthood of Christ is His offering is once for all.  Of Jesus it is said, “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:12).  Imagine what it would have been like to live under the Levitical sacrifice system. If a man sinned (and all did!—Rom. 3:23), he would go out to the field and get a spotless bull from the flock take it to the door of the tabernacle and kill it before the Lord.  Then, the priest would slaughter the animal placing its blood on the altar and its entrails as a burnt offering for sin (Lev. 4:1ff).  And, if he sinned the next day, the whole process started all over again.  How thankful to God we ought to be that Jesus is the once for all sacrifice for sins!  Why would anyone want to go back to an inferior system of sacrifice that could never really save?

A Better Priestly Order

            It is impossible for Jesus Christ to be a Levitical priest on earth today (Heb. 8:3-4).  He does not fit the divine pattern for the Levitical priest.  He came from the wrong tribe (Heb. 7:14).  His parents were not of the proper genealogy.  His priestly service would have begun and ended at a certain age (Heb. 7:3).  Thank God Jesus is a High Priest according to a better order.  As God said, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Ps. 110:4).  This order far exceeds the priestly order of Aaron because it is not dependent upon genealogy (7:3), has no beginning or ending point (7:3), and is superior to Levi from its inception (7:1-10).  And, since Jesus is of a “better” priestly order the Hebrew writer says, “For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law” (Heb. 7:12).  This idea of a change in the priesthood necessitating a change in the law naturally turns the Hebrew writer’s attention to the “better” covenant.

            How wonderful it is to live in the New Testament Age!  Friend, have you taken advantage of the great salvation that can only be found in Jesus?  If not, you can do so today. You can do so very simply by believing in Jesus as God’s son (John 8:24), repenting of your past sins (Luke 13:1-5), confessing him as Lord (Rom. 10:10; Matt. 10:32-33) and being baptized in water for the remission of your sins (Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16).                                                                 --Ben Bailey

The Marvelous Mercy of God - Ben Bailey

   “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).  One of the great themes of the Bible is God’s loving mercy toward sinful man.  As the Apostle Peter noted, if it were not for God’s mercy we would have no hope in this life.  Notice some of the great statements about God’s mercy found in the Bible.

          “God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ…” (Eph. 2:4-5).  Isn’t it wonderful to know that the King we serve is abundantly wealthy?  Yet, even greater than God's wealth is His Abundant mercy He bestows on His Children. As Paul reminded Titus, “trough the Lord’s mercy we are saved” (Titus 3:5).

          “The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy” (Ps. 145:8).  What makes God’s nature so wonderful is that he is not a capricious and vindictive God. While God does get angry with the wicked (Ps. 7:11), his mercy toward those who love and obey Him far outweighs His anger.  In reality, if each one of us got what we deserved we would be lost in Hell for all eternity.  As the Psalmist pondered this he said, “He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Ps. 103:10-12).

          The Christian owes a great debt of gratitude to Almighty God for his marvelous mercy.  May we show our appreciation for God’s mercy by humbly submitting to His will.  Friend, have you received the mercy of God?  Have you obeyed the gospel?  If not, you can obey God’s will today by hearing God’s word (Rom. 10:17), believing in Jesus as the Son of God (Jn. 8:24), repenting of past sins (Luke 13:3), confessing Jesus as Son of God and Lord of your life (Rom. 10:10), and being baptized in water for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  May each of us constantly be reminded of the marvelous mercy of Almighty God!

Inward Spiritual Struggles—Good or Bad?

Do you ever feel like you need to do more for the cause of Christ?  Does the feeling that you just aren’t everything you need to ever trouble you?  Maybe these feelings are something you struggle with every day.  I have a friend who constantly struggles with this problem.  He would often get discouraged by the feeling of imperfection and deeply distressed over the fact that he just didn’t feel like he was doing enough in the kingdom.  As I thought about his situation and the inward struggle that each of us faces, I wondered “Are these feelings of imperfection a good or bad thing”?  The more I thought about this matter the more I realized this truth: It’s not the people who have these struggles and feeling of imperfection that I worry about, it’s the ones that don’t that bother me.  I know this is correct, for Paul expressed this to the church in Philippi saying, “not that I have already attained” and “not that I have already perfected” or “I do not count myself as apprehended” (Phil. 3:12-14).  In essence, Paul was recognizing the fact that all of us face the inward struggles of imperfection and incompetence.  And, if we use those feelings correctly they are not bad.  How can these feelings help us?

If these feelings of imperfection motivates us to do more, they have been beneficial to us.  In view of his own inward struggles Paul said, “I Press on” (Phil. 3:12).  Instead of getting discouraged, Paul used his inward struggle as a motivating factor.  As one faces these struggles, maybe a little introspection would be in order.  Paul said, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves” (2 Cor. 13:5).  In times like these, we should each look for more ways to serve God faithfully and stay busy in the kingdom!

If these feelings of imperfection keeps us on our toes, they have been beneficial to us.  Maybe these feelings are simply a correct response of a good conscience seeking to help us do more and be more for Christ (1 John 3:20; Rom. 2:15).  Rather than growing stagnant and becoming lukewarm, they remind us to stay busy and fruitful in the kingdom.

While a person can take these feelings to the extreme and allow them to affect his spiritual life negatively, if used correctly they do have a positive spiritual benefit.  Remember, the Apostle Paul said, “Not that I have already grasped it all or have already become perfect, but I press on if I may also take hold of that for which I was even taken hold of by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:12).                        --Ben Bailey

"What is Forgiveness?" - Amy Lawrence

We as the fallible humans that have been made in the image of God often have conflicting ideas concerning forgiveness. Our sinful nature would have us to hold grudges and forgive but never forget. Scripture teaches, however, that we can control that sinful nature and bring it under subjection to the law of Christ (Romans 7-8). The words of forgiveness Jesus spoke while in agony on the cross are the words that ring in the life of a faithful Christian that would forgive the way God forgives. What does scripture say about how God forgives? Let’s see.

The Prodigal Son

Each stage of forgiveness can be seen in Luke’s account of the Prodigal Son. He tells us of the son who left home to dive headfirst into prodigal living (Lk. 15:11-32). Following are the four stages of forgiveness:

Sin = riotous living. The prodigal son engaged in prodigal living as soon as he had acquired the inheritance from his father. By asking for his inheritance before his father had passed, as was the cultural practice then and now, the son in essence was telling his father that he was dead to him, vss. 11-13.

Repentance = “came to himself”/ went to his father. God told the Israelites that if they “come to themselves AND repent”, that He would hear and forgive (1 Kings 8:46-50). The prodigal son “came to himself”, vs. 17, and reasoned. He knew how his father treated even his servants, caring for all in his household. He humbled himself, debasing himself to the position of a servant with the intention of returning to his father and asking for a servant’s share. But it didn’t end there with just good intentions. He returned, vs. 20.

Prayer = the request the son made as a servant and not as his son. This denoted humility. God places value on a humble heart. David wrote, in his psalm concerning his adultery with Bathsheba, that the Lord will not despise the sacrifices of a broken spirit and a contrite heart (Ps. 51:17). 

2Chr. 7:14 “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Our prayer must be made with the knowledge that we tried our way, and it didn’t work. It’s time to do things God’s way. 

Forgiveness = the prodigal son was lost and is now found. 

Matt. 18:12 “ “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?

Matt. 18:13 And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.” “

Sin

To understand forgiveness, we first have to understand sin.

The Bible is incredibly descriptive of sin, but there are four different terms scripture uses, and each one has a slightly different meaning: sin, trespass, transgression, iniquity. Three are found in Ex. 34:7. Ex. 34:7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

All communicate the same idea of what sin is - a departure from the will of God. 

Sin - “to miss the mark”. This can be done against God or against a person (Ex. 10:16) and include sins of commission (1 Jn. 3:4) or omission (James 4:17, Mt. 23:23). Sacrifices under the Law of Moses included sins committed in ignorance (Num. 15:27). Sin is used generally as anything that falls short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). It is also used to describe the fleshly nature of mankind (Gen. 3:6-7, Rom. 5:12). Unchecked, it leads to a “reprobate mind” (Rom. 1:24). Our innate sinful nature tends to gravitate toward selfishness, envy, and pride. even when our intentions are to do good. Paul wrote of this in Rom. 7:18. 

Trespass - going beyond a line drawn, whether with spontaneous intent or unintentionally. It can also mean falling away after being close by. Peter trespassed in denying Jesus (Luke 22:34, 56-62). It is most common in the habitual sins, i.e. thought, word, or attitude, and is used in Mt. 6:14-15.

Transgression - choose intentionally to go beyond, disobey. Samson intentionally touched a dead lion and later allowed Delilah to cut his hair (Num. 6:1-5, Judges 14:8-9; 16:17), willfully breaking his Nazarite vow. The Pharisees intentionally transgressed God’s word in order to hold to their traditions (Mt. 15:3).

Iniquity - a more deeply rooted form of sin. It is a premeditated sin that is continued without repentance. David, in his attempt to hide his original adultery with Bathsheba, premeditated the murder of Uriah the Hittite (2 Sam. 11:3-4, 2 Sam. 12:9). David acknowledged it as such (Ps. 51:2-3) Micah the prophet wrote, “Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand.” (Micah 2:1)

Repentance

Now that we have an understanding of sin, let’s get into repentance.

God has the ability and willingness to forgive any type of sin. But something must take place on our end first: repentance.

2Chr. 7:14 “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Ezek. 18:30 “ “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord GOD. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin.

Ezek. 18:31 Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel?

Ezek. 18:32 For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord GOD. “Therefore turn and live!” “

2Pet. 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

Acts 8:20 “But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!

Acts 8:21 You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God.

Acts 8:22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.” “

Acts 2:37  “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”

All paint the same picture - repentance is a change of the mind that results in a change of action.

If my wedding ring is stolen and I know the thief and confront them, and then the thief comes and asks me for forgiveness, am I obligated to grant forgiveness? Yes. Jesus said to His disciples, “seventy times seven”, using an exaggerated number to denote that we are to grant forgiveness as many times as it is asked. Am I obligated in that granting of forgiveness to also include they keep the ring? No. Forgiveness does not dissolve the consequences of sin (2 Sam. 12:13-14). If I demand that they return the ring and they refuse, is that repentance? 

Are they sorry because they want to do right, or are they sorry because they got caught? 

2Cor. 7:9 “Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.

2Cor. 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”

John 8:39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

Luke uses the phrase “fruits worthy of repentance” in his gospel (Lk. 3:8). What does this mean, exactly? In the context of Luke 3, John is preaching the baptism of repentance in the wilderness of Judea. There were some that had come to be baptized, but John made clear that there was a prerequisite: works of repentance. When they asked, “What shall we do?” John responded with the answers (vss. 11-14). Paul used a similar phrase in Acts 26:20, “works meet for repentance”. A person that is truly repentant is a person that shows such in their choices and actions.

Prayer

Our requests are made known to God through prayer (Phil. 4:6, 1 Jn. 5:14-15). The Christian has this access through the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:26-27), and through prayer forgiveness is received (James 5:15).

But there are some prayers that God refuses to hear.

Prov. 28:9 “One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.”

Is. 59:1 “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear.

Is. 59:2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear. “

1Pet. 3:12 “For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.”

So the question is, if we ask for forgiveness without the repentance, without the intention of stepping away from the sin, will we receive forgiveness? 

Forgiveness

There are two perspectives to forgiveness: 

-lateral - forgiveness between two persons

Luke 17:3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.

Luke 17:4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

-verticle - forgiveness of God to man

Acts 5:31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

When Jesus gave His disciples the model prayer in Mt. 6:9-13, part of that prayer was forgiveness - both lateral and vertical: “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors”.

But is forgiveness conditional?

In chapter 18 of Matthew, Jesus gives the parable of the unforgiving servant (vss. 21-35). God tells us that if we don’t forgive others, He won’t forgive us (Mt. 6:14-15). In that same chapter, Jesus gives parameters as to how we should deal with offenses (vss. 15-17):

-The offense has to be addressed between the offended and the offender alone. 

-If the first step does not solve the problem, then one or two witnesses are required. 

-If the problem continues to be unsolved, it is put before the church and addressed.

-If the offender will not be persuaded by the church, then church discipline is required. 

The best course of action is God’s course of action, not our own. We are human and have emotions that would persuade us in another direction that God would not have us follow. Jeremiah wrote, “The heart is deceitful above all things...” (Jer. 17:9) There are times when our current emotional state cannot be trusted. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “Be angry, and do not sin...neither give place to the devil.” (Eph. 4:26-27) Anger is a natural emotion, one of the easiest to feel and hardest to control.  Everyone has a story of a bad decision made in anger. It is also an emotion that has a 0% success rate in the forgiveness department. Before forgiveness can occur, the anger has to be replaced with another emotion - compassion. Often, communication is the barrier that prevents such an exchange. God commands that the offense must first be addressed between the offender and the offended through communication. I cannot count how many times the offense between myself and another was simply a miscommunication. So many offenses I’ve had in relationships were solved with just step one. Most people are willing to talk. Some let fear keep them from doing so. 

When all steps are followed and the offender does not ask forgiveness, are we still obligated to forgive? The Bible gives an example of such a scenario. Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth tells us of a man who was involved in sexual sins that were known to the congregation, chapter 5. He admonished the church there for not addressing the sin and putting it out of their midst, verses 1-5. Church discipline was practiced. The man was disfellowshipped. In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, the same man is mentioned - but as one showing repentance and seeking forgiveness (2 Cor. 2:6-8). Paul assures them that the discipline inflicted had the results desired; it brought back the brother lost. He goes on to mention the emotion found in forgiveness: “love toward him.” When such a repentant one seeks forgiveness,  they should be welcomed back with open arms, “ for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” (Lk. 15:24) All in heaven rejoice, and so should we! (Lk. 15:7,10)

If one literally considers forgiveness, only God has the power to forgive (Mk. 2:7, Lk. 5:21). He knows, however, the connection forgiveness creates and/or keeps in human relationships. Our hearts were not built to hold anger, and that is one reason why forgiveness is a benefit for the forgiver as much as the forgiven. Sometimes forgiveness is not asked and we have to forgive anyway so that our hearts do not become damaged. Stephen forgave, even when it wasn’t requested (Acts 7:60). In forgiveness, we should remember the passage found in Luke 7:41-48:

“There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”

Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” 

And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

We are all debtors to Christ - and we are all in need of forgiveness. To assume that we do not owe another forgiveness is to forget the price that was paid for ours. 

Conclusion

As I studied for this article, I gained a deeper understanding of forgiveness. There are many factors to being a good forgiver; love, humility, gratitude, thankfulness, patience, understanding, and above all an ability to admit faults and grow from them...and to accept that others may also be growing. A heart that holds all of these is a heart that can forgive like God forgives. 

*Contributed by Amy Lawrence - McMinnville, TN

"Does it Really Matter?" - Ben Bailey

 The question, “Does it really matter?” is becoming the motto for our modern society.  We used to have moral beliefs, but “Does it really matter anymore?”  At one-time people had a strong conviction about ungodliness and sin but, “Does it really matter that much?”  In the past, we had faith in the Bible and its teaching but, “Does the Bible really matter anymore?”   To God, IT REALLY DOES MATTER A LOT!  Notice several areas in which it does matter.

            Does it matter if I believe in God or Evolution?  Yes!  The downward spiral that society is facing is due in large to the effects of evolutionary thinking.  For example, the increasing suicide rate is a direct result of evolution.  If there is no God and life ends at death, then why not end your life if you are not happy with it.  In addition, the current rise of sexual immorality is a direct result of evolution.  If there are no standards for marriage (Gen. 2:18-24), then I can marry or live-with whoever I want for however long I want and there are no repercussions to this lifestyle.  Friend, can you not see that it really does matter that there is a God?

            Does it matter what church I am a part of?  Our society tells us to choose the church of our choice and God will be happy with that.  Is this biblical thinking?  No.  The bible teaches that Jesus only built one church (Eph. 1:21-23; Eph. 4:4).  That one church must call itself by a biblical name (Romans 16:16).  When Jesus spoke about the church, He called it His church (Matt. 16:13-18).  Therefore, we also should call the church Jesus purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28), the church of Christ.  The Bible teaches that Jesus will deliver a singular “kingdom” or church back to the father at the end of time (1 Cor. 15:24).  If you are not a part of the church that Jesus built, then it really will matter!

            Does it really matter if I am baptized for the remission of my sin?  Many are teaching today that all a person must do to be saved is believe in Jesus and say the sinner’s prayer and you will be saved.  Is this really what the Bible teaches?  No.  In fact, the Bible teaches the exact opposite of this belief.  James said, “You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.”  I often hear people ask the question, “Is baptism really that important?”  Let’s let the Bible answer that question for us.  Jesus said, “He that believes and is baptized will be saved…”  (Mk. 16:16).  Peter proclaimed, “Repent and be baptized every one of you for the remission of your sins…” (Acts 2:38).  Jesus also said, “Unless a man is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven” (Jn. 3:3-5).  Ananias told Paul, “Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins calling on the Lord’s name” (Acts 22:16).  Friend, from these passages baptism for the remission of sins really does matter to God.  

            If you are swayed by the popular philosophy that it really does not matter, please come back to the Bible, and see that it does.  It matters what you believe and how you live your life to God.  It also matters what church you are a part of and how you became a Christian.  John sums it up by saying, “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God.  He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son” (2 John 9).  Friend, it really does matter to God!                                                                                  --Ben Bailey

How to Overcome a Sinful Past - Ben Bailey

Sometimes in our Christian life we really mess up don’t we?  We know what the Bible says.  We know what we ought to do.  Yet, there are times when we do just the opposite of what is right and we sin.  When a person really messes up, how do they overcome that sinful past?

He must recognize and admit the sin in his life.  Unless we are willing to says, “I have sinned”, we cannot be forgiven by God (1 Sam. 12:21ff).  The beloved Apostle John said, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9-10).  Someone has properly stated that to know yourself diseased is half the cure.

A person must also be ashamed of their sinful past.  Too often, people who have lived a life of sin go around bragging about the “sins” they used to commit.  Sin should be something that causes us great shame, not gives us an avenue to boast (Rom. 6:21).  How sad it is when we reach a point that we can no longer blush over sin (Jer. 8:12).  

To overcome a sinful past a person must deal with sin in a God-approved way.  The only way to deal with sin properly is through obedience to Jesus Christ (Matt. 7:21; Heb. 5:8-9).  Jesus made it clear that to deal with sin one must believe in Him (Jn. 8:24), repent of past sins (Luke 13:3), confess Him as Lord (Rom. 10:10), be baptized for the remission of one’s sins (Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16), and be faithful to death (Rev. 2:10).

Finally, to overcome a sinful past one must put the past behind him and move forward.  The Apostle Paul said, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14).  To overcome the past, we must put the past behind us and look forward to the future.  If God has forgotten our sins (Heb. 8:12-13), can’t we?  It has been aptly stated, “Those who live in the past are doomed to repeat its mistakes.”

All of us have made mistakes in life that we are not proud of.  The difference between a person who has overcome sin and one who has not is very simple--Jesus Christ.  Have you dealt with sin a God-approved way?  If not, why not?  Why not do that today?  May God help each of us to deal with sin in a God approved way!

The Steadfast Love of the Lord - Ben Bailey

The Steadfast Love of the Lord

The Book of Lamentations has often been referred to as Israel’s funeral sermon or eulogy.  In this Book, Jeremiah laments the ultimate destruction and death of Israel as they go into captivity for their sins.  Yet, during this sad and depressing time, we find some incredibly beautiful verses about God’s love.  In one passage, the Holy Spirit gave us these beautiful and encouraging words, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.   “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (Lam. 3:22-24).  These words would not doubt serve as an encouragement to the faithful remnant of Israel who stayed true to their God.   Notice what we learn about God from this passage.

You cannot plumb the depths of God’s love, mercy, and faithfulness. They have no end! Towards his faithful people, God will never stop loving them. Just like the sun that comes up every morning, the mighty mercy of God is available for His Children. This verse reminds us of the beautiful words of Paul in Romans 5:6-8. Paul said, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Since the depths of God’s mercy and love are limitless, it is our privilege to exclaim—God is my portion and my hope! To say the Lord is my portion is saying, I belong to Him! Since Christians do belong to God, he truly is our hope and comfort. The apostle John said, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him” (1 John 3:1). Just like the faithful of Israel needed encouragement during times of spiritual darkness, Christians need to be reminded that God’s blessing are limitless, and it is a privilege to belong to and serve Him!

--Ben Bailey

The Blood of Christ - Ben Bailey

The Blood of Christ

By Ben Bailey

The Holy Spirit says, “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins” (Heb. 9:22).  The Old Testament Levitical system was a very bloody system (Lev. 1-5).  For every sin of every kind there was a blood sacrifice to be offered (Lev. 4:1-12).  Yet the Scripture records that the blood of all those bulls and goats could never really take away sin (Heb. 10:3-4).  How thankful we should be that Jesus was willing to shed His blood once for all for sin so that the sin problem would have a permanent solution (Heb. 10:12).  Notice just how important the blood of Christ is to our salvation.

Jesus’ blood removes sin from our life.  When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper He said, “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Mt. 26:28).  When Jesus was on the cross “…one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out” (Jn. 19:34).  It was at this point in time when a fountain was opened for cleansing sin (Zech. 13:1). Without the shedding of Jesus’ blood we would not have forgiveness (Rom. 6:1-4; Acts 2:38).  

Jesus’ blood redeems us to God.  The Apostle Paul said, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7).  Paul later wrote that we are brought near to God through the blood of Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:13).  The word “redeem” literally means to “buy back.”  Before Jesus shed His blood we were enslaved to sin (Rom. 6:17-18).  Jesus paid the ransom price to free us from sin.  Paul said of Jesus’ sacrifice, “who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (Gal. 1:4).  Only through the blood of Christ could we be bought back into a right relationship with God (Jn. 14:6).  

Jesus’ blood brings us into a peaceful relationship.  Because of sin, the relationship with God and man had been severed (Isa. 59:1-2; Ezek. 18:4; Rom. 3:23).  Yet, how wonderful it is to hear Paul tell the Colossian Christians that Jesus made “peace through the blood of His cross” (Col. 1:20). Through the blood of Christ we can have the peace of God which surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:6-8).

Jesus’ blood is also essential to becoming and remaining a faithful child of God.  The Scriptures tell us that Jesus loves us and is willing to wash us from our sins in His own blood (Rev. 1:5).  At what point do we contact the blood of Christ?  When do we receive that washing of our sins in the blood of Jesus?    We contact the blood of Christ in the watery grave of baptism (Rom. 6:1-4; Eph. 5:26; Heb. 10:22).  Paul was told to “arise and be baptized and wash away your sins calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).  Since it is the blood of Christ that cleanses our sins, then we must conclude that baptism is the point at which we reach the blood of Christ (Acts 2:38; Mk. 16:16). Furthermore, in light of the fact that we can lose the benefit of Jesus’ cleansing blood as a child of God (Heb. 10:24-26), we must continue to walk in the light as Jesus is in the light, and we must continue to confess our sins as His children so that the blood of Jesus can keep on cleansing us from all sin (1 John 1:7-9). Thank God for the precious blood of Jesus that not only makes us pure, white, and whole in God’s sight, but maintains our purity in His sight so that one day we can “see God” for eternity (Isa. 1:18; Mt. 26:28; 5:8).  

Into the Depths of the Sea - Ben Bailey

Into the Depths of the Sea

Being a child of God has many blessings that come with that privilege but one of the richest is the forgiveness we receive through Christ.  Sometimes I wonder if we really understand the remission and removal of sin that occurs in the mind of God.  The Prophet Micah gives us a very graphic picture of how God removes sin from our lives.  Micah says, ““He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19).  To understand the complete removal of sins that occurs when one obeys the Gospel it would be profitable to explore Micah’s words a little more in depth.

The average depth of the ocean is about 14,000 feet or around 2.5 to three miles deep.  . The deepest part of the ocean is called the Challenger Deep and is located beneath the western Pacific Ocean in the southern end of the Mariana Trench, which runs several hundred kilometers southwest of the U.S. territorial island of Guam. Challenger Deep is approximately 36,200 feet deep or about 6.5 miles deep.  While these numbers help us to understand this depth a little, 6.5 mile is still a little hard to fathom.  To understand this maybe we could use these images.  Imagine an underwater depth that is higher than the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France which is 1,052 feet or the Empire State building in New York which is 1,472 feet. It could take 5.4 Empire State Buildings in order to reach the bottom of the deepest ocean - the Mariana Trench. Better yet, the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest (29,141 feet), would be covered by over 1.25 miles of water.  

With these figures and images in mind one can see how completely God is willing to remove all our sins from us.  As the Hebrew writer said, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Heb. 8:12).  How wonderful it is know that when God forgives, God also forgets.  This is why Paul could rejoice when he said, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17).  The Lord Jesus Christ reminded us of the beauty of forgiveness when He said, “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Mt. 26:28).  When we think about the wonder of God’s forgiveness it should make each of us live faithful until death (Rev. 2:10).  And, if one has never obeyed God’s plan of salvation he should take advantage of this forgiveness (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38).  If as God’s child my life has not been lived faithfully, I should be willing to repent and pray (Acts 8:20-22).  

Article - Prayer, the Essentiality, Manner, and Understanding

In the Gospel accounts, Jesus teaches His disciples about prayer.  He was asked a question regarding how to pray, and He answered like this:

“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.“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 6:9–15, NKJV)

It is interesting to notice the elemental priorities and attributes of this prayer.  When it is broken down into basic grammatical statements, we find the following items to consider.

• "In this manner" - The phrase "in this manner" shows that prayer is to be purposeful, and meaningful.

• "Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name." - The element of the term used to describe the location of the Father in heaven is very significant.  This gives us a certainty that God exists and there is a place in which the faithful and obedient will one day live in glory!  If God is described as being in heaven and Jesus says in John 14 that "I go there to prepare a place for you," then we must know he means heaven and that place prepared is there and not on this earth or a figment of imagination!  The second part of the statement shows honor, respect, and reverence.  Some who pray may consider this to be a patterned statement, but it should be more of a characteristic of the humility in which we enter prayer.

• "Your kingdom come" - This phrase has caused many an argument in religious discussions.  The reference here seems to be the kingdom in which the church is today.  With that said, Matthew 16:13, Mark 9:1, Luke 7:27; 24:46, Acts 1-2 all indicate that the kingdom has come and it is truly the church, therefore, when Jesus gave this "model" language, we must realize that this part of His prayer has come into fruition and not necessary to be prayed.

• "Your will be done."  - Let us always remember that no matter what we ask for, even when Jesus tells His disciples to ask for things in His name (Matthew 21:22), let us realize that we are asking amiss if we are asking for our own benefit and not the will of the Father. (c.f., prayer in Gethsemane)

• "Give us this day..." - Notice that there is sort of a disclaimer here.  "Give us THIS DAY our DAILY bread."  (emphasis JF) When we pray asking, let us not ask for things for the future, but more so for things of today.  It is imperative to remember this in our prayer life because this will also give us an indication of how often we should pray...not weekly with the assembly, but at the minimum daily in order to give thanks for our many blessings!  Matthew 6:25-34 shows that we can expect to be cared for each day, not worrying about the 'morrow.

• "Forgive us our debts....as we forgive others."  - Another conjunctive type of clause is found here. Notice that we should ask for forgiveness each time that we pray.  Also, note the emphasis, however, that Jesus says "as we forgive others."  Does this imply that if we ask for forgiveness, but are unwilling to forgive that we won't be granted?  God can only answer that, but the idea seems to be that we must be willing, and praying that we can do just that should give us the courage, boldness, and desire to seek, ask, and to offer forgiveness.  In the last part of the teaching of prayer we see that balance given and an emphasis placed.

• "lead us not into temptation, and deliver us from the evil one."  - How can we overcome sin?  Ask for help.  The Bible states that no man will be overtaken by a sin that God has not given a way of escape (1 Cor 10:13).  It would seem sort of challenging if this were a prayer that Jesus would offer for Himself as he asks to deliver from temptation; however, if you think about the setting of the temptations that Christ endured and overcame, He always references back to God the Father and His word.  Some like to think that the phrase heard "guide, guard, and direct" comes from this idea, and maybe so.  The emphasis is that we need help to overcome evil and that help comes from God...and we need to focus on asking for that help and not just expecting it.

• "Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen" - Closing out with another point of reverence and realizing the "net worth" of the avenue of prayer should be an essential part of our prayer life.  God is the grantor of all blessings (James 1:17).  His power is seen in the creation and in the world in which we live (Job 26:7-14).  He is worthy of our praise, honor and glory (Revelation 4:11).

We hope that this discussion on prayer will help each of us to understand the significance - essentiality and manner - of a good prayer life with God the Father through Jesus Christ.  Prayer can be vain and it can be mundane if we are not careful.  Our prayer life needs to be such that when we ask as we have been told, that we give the reverence and thanksgiving due to our God and Father in all things for His glory.

Joey Ferrell

Article - Is It Wrong To "Mark/Note" Christian Individuals And Congregations Of The Lord's People? (part 1)

When discussing with fellow Christians the idea of “marking” or “noting” a Christian or congregation, some Christians get very offended and speak of how Christians should not practice such (Proverbs 16:25). However, our authority is not in man but in Jesus and the New Testament (Matthew 28:18; John 12:48; Colossians 3:17). The Bible mentions the importance of “marking/noting” individuals and congregations. Furthermore, it authorizes the practice of noting faithful individuals and churches as patterns for other Christians and churches to follow (1 Corinthians 11:1; Philippians 3:17). Paul noted/boasted about the Macedonian churches because of their wonderful ability in giving as a way to exhort the Achaian church (2 Corinthians 8:1-2). He especially emphasized that “no church,” other than the Philippian church, “shared with” him “concerning giving and receiving” (Philippians 4:15). Jesus through the writing of John publicly circulated the fact that the Smyrna church and the Philadelphian church were faithful (Revelation 2:8-11; 3:7-13). Paul wrote publicly about the faithfulness of Epaphras, Tychicus, Onesimus, Silvanus and other Christians (Colossians 1:7; 4:7-9; 1 Peter 5:12). John “marked” Demetrius for his good testimony (3 John 1:12). Therefore, the Bible is clear that it is not wrong to mark/note individuals and congregations for their faithfulness in the Lord. There are several reasons why this should be done: (1) It encourages surrounding congregations and individuals (Philippians 1:12-14). When other Christians heard of Paul’s faithfulness and persecution, it led them to greater boldness and faithfulness in their work; (2) It reminds Christians that there is just one true church with many congregations (1 Corinthians 12:20); (3) It is a way to keep in contact with one another; to pray, edify, and help each other get to heaven; (4) It is a wonderful encouragement to look to other faithful brethren as good examples and follow their sound leadership; (5) It reinforces what the pattern is.

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Article - Unlawful Sexual Activity Will Land Your Soul in Hell

Hollywood has glamorized unlawful sexual activity (fornication) to the point that much of society has accepted pre-marital sex, homosexuality (including lesbianism) and adultery as morally right for those who so choose. It is not uncommon for young people to view unlawful sexual activity before marriage in a similar light as kissing, hugging and holding hands. The idea of “trying someone out” or “shacking up” to determine if you are compatible before making a formal commitment to marriage is popular. Furthermore, speaking against homosexual and lesbian acts supposedly makes one a biased homophobe - and it is a seemingly forbidden thing for anyone to consider using Scripture to determine if the various divorce and remarriage cases are adulterous or not. All the while thousands of souls, young and old, are dying on a daily basis in these sinful conditions because no one is loving enough, “judgmental” enough, or “brother's-keeper” enough to warn these precious people that unlawful sexual activity will land your soul in hell. Give heed to God's righteous judgments on the subject: “Marriage is honorable among all and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4); “...the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God....Neither fornicators, ...nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10); "whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery"(Matthew 19:9); “sexually immoral...shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone” (Revelation 21:8).

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This material is copyrighted by The Gospel of Christ and its authors.  This information is free to use in its entirety without further consent, however, modifications should not be made without contacting mail@thegospelofchrist.com for permission.  Any and all images contained herein are believed to be free for all distribution and content.