They Keep Watch Over Your Souls                   January 19, 2024

“Obey your leaders, and subject to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account.  Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this will be unprofitable for you.” (Hebrews 13:17)

Obey Your Leaders.  We live in a world that does not like to be told anything by anyone.  Such thinking leads only to trouble and conflict and it is especially dangerous when it creeps into the minds of Christians.  As members of the Lord’s church we are told to obey the Godly instruction of the leaders of the church.  In the text above  I believe it is referring to the Godly leadership of the elders.  We are to obey their instruction and guidance.  If we reject them we reject God who has placed them in charge of His church by their meeting the elder’s qualifications listed in I Timothy 3:1-7.

Be Subject to Them.  This implies one’s willingness to be guided, controlled or ruled by something or someone.  The head of the church is Christ, not me nor you.  Since it is His church then His design for leadership needs to be obeyed and followed.  If one refuses to subject to His leadership then they are, in fact, disobeying Him.

Elders Keep Watch Over Your Souls.  Shepherds protect the flock from anything that will harm them.  In the church they keep watch over every sheep within the flock.  Their presence is to make sure the members are safe from danger and they will do anything to protect them from harm and from getting lost.  They are watching you.

They Will Give An Account About You to God.  God will enable elders to remember the details of their leadership and your response to their leadership.  That account will either be joyful or with grief and disappointment.

An Elder’s Account About You Will Either Be Profitable or Unprofitable For You.  No one will want to stand before God and learn that their life as a sheep in the Lord’s church brought grief to the shepherds of that flock.  It will not be a good time for that individual.

Take Advantage of Being Under A Godly Eldership.  Do whatever you can to support the choices the elders make for the church.  When they say it’s time to meet for Bible study then be there.  To wilfully neglect doing this simply says that you’re unwilling to subject to them and that would be unprofitable for you before God.

Brian Thompson

No Deposit, No Return                                       January 12, 2025

If I gave you the phrase, “No deposit, no return,” some of us would immediately connect with that phrase while others would not.  This phrase has its history in the bottling industry.  Before plastic bottles and plastic containers became part of our lives, glass bottles were considered very valuable.  Bottlers & grocery stores encouraged consumers to return the bottles when they were finished with the product and they would be given a small amount of money for what they returned.

When I worked at a grocery store while in high school and college, customers were given ten cents for every bottle that was returned.  That may not seem like a lot of money, but in the late 1980s and early 1990s you could save money on your soft drink purchases.  If you returned 8 bottles which were considered a carton, you would be paid $.80 which would cause your new purchase of a carton of 8 of your favorite soft drink to be $.80 less.  Instead of paying the full amount of $3.00, you now would pay $2.20.  All you had to do was keep up with your glass bottles and return them to receive the benefit.  Returning the bottles was your deposit or contribution and you would be rewarded!  Instead of saying, “No deposit, no return,” you could then say, “Make a deposit, get a return.”

You see the spiritual application.  In Galatians 6:7, Paul reminds us that God is not mocked – whatever we sow, we will reap.  If we invest in good deeds, kindness, and faithfulness, we will reap a harvest of God’s blessings.  But, it is more than that.  This verse says: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”  Paul’s reference to “reaping” is a reference to the blessings of eternal life (rather than to temporal blessings) that the believer will “reap” as the result of “sowing” his life to the Spirit.

If we invest in sin, we lose our life.  If we redeem the time as God would have us to, we avoid the trappings of the world.  Ephesians 5:16-18 says, “redeeming the time (making the most of your time), because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.  And do not get drunk with wine, in which is dissipation (being lead into evil behavior); but be filled with the Spirit.”  We know wine controls the mind, ruins judgment and a sense of propriety, leading to debauchery, in contrast with this, being “filled with the Spirit” leads to self-control along with other fruits of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness” (Galatians 5:22-23).  Making a deposit in our relationship with Christ does not ensure a perfect life, but a fulfilled one which leads to an eternal one!  How we spend our days is how we spend our lives.

Consider the “deposits” you’ve been making lately.  Are you sowing to the flesh and investing in the world?  When we have our sins washed away through baptism, we understand forgiveness.  When we walk with Christ, we understand restoration.  Investing, making a deposit and giving our time to our relationship with Christ is not motivated by instant & earthly gratification, but rather a desire for an eternal destination.  What returns are you getting on your investments?

By Allen Jones (Adapted)

Taking Inventory                                     January 5, 2025

Some states and some locations within states collect inventory tax.  At year’s end a store or other business might deliberately deplete its inventory to avoid some of the tax burden.  Taking inventory can also help a business see where it has done well and what areas need improvement.

I recommend taking a different kind of inventory.  No government entity will tax these things, but we can take a candid look at progress on which we can build as well as weak areas we can strengthen.

God has our complete inventory every day; He knows us better than we know ourselves!  King David marveled that God knew his very thoughts: “You understand my though from afar off” (Psalms 139:2).  Not only that, but God knew David’s every word: “For there is not a word on my tongue but, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether” (139:4).  Taking inventory of our thoughts and words will indicate the condition of our heart, for “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34), and “out of the heart proceed evil thoughts” (15:19).

David also knew the ever-present, all-powerful God was worthy of his worship.  “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalms 139:14).  What do you find when you inventory your worship habits?

David valued God’s word: “How precious also are your thoughts to me, O God!” (139:17).  How valuable is the Bible to you?  Does its value show in your reading and study?

Finally, David pleaded, “Search me, O God, and know my heart … and see if there is any wicked way in me” (139:23-24).  We wish our inventory of sin would find none.  Realistically, though, let’s ask: Are they the same sins we found a year ago?  Five years ago? Ten?  Are we striving against sin, or marking time, or just floating along with the current?

It’s time to take inventory!

                                                                   By Joe Slater

New Year’s Resolutions December 29, 2024

“I have chosen to be faithful; I have determined to live by your laws” (Psalm 119:30).

The term “resolution” (as we often think of it) basically means “firm determination to take a course of action.” With each new year people all around the nation make their new year’s resolutions. With some it is to quit smoking; with others its to go on a diet or to get more exercise (etc.). Though intentions are usually very good, for many it seems that their determination loses steam in just a short while.

The same kind of frustration can be seen in our spiritual lives. It’s not good enough to just talk the talk, we must also walk the walk. There is little good in making noble plans if we will not put those plans into action and see them through.

God (our most perfect example) says of Himself, “…Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it” (Isaiah 46:11).

Let me encourage you to follow God’s example. And let us not only resolve to do the Lord’s will, let us actually do it.
Aaron Veyon, Fredericktown Church of Christ, Fredericktown, OH

Tis the Season                                                  December 22, 2024

We are rapidly approaching the time of year when many of our friends and the world in general thinks about Jesus.  In particular, the baby Jesus.  Nativity scenes are displayed, special services are held, and we see the billboards proclaiming, “Jesus is the reason for the season.”  How do we respond to this?  What do we say when we are asked about our “special” Christmas services?  Let’s look at this from a Biblical perspective.

It must be understood that nowhere in the Bible does God give us any definite date for Jesus’ birth.  Only two of the four gospels even mention His birth (Matthew and Luke).  We are told that He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14) and that was to be during the reign of the Roman emperor Augustus Caesar (Luke 2:1).  Other than that, we are given no time of year or even the year itself.  This should tell us that the actual day is not that important.  We have already been given “everything that pertains to life and godliness” (II Peter 1:2-3).

Contrast this with the death and resurrection of which we are told the time (Passover) and the day (15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan).  We also note that the early church, led by the inspired apostles met on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7) to worship and partake of the Lord’s Supper.  Nowhere in the Bible do we ever read about any special celebration for Jesus’ birth.

So, what does the birth of Jesus mean to us?  It is the fulfillment of God’s promise to man to send a Savior (Romans 8:3; Ephesians 2:4-8).  It means the delivery of God’s word to mankind (Hebrews 1:2; John 1:14).  It opened the door to salvation for us (Romans 16:25-27).

Someone may ask, “What does it hurt to pick out a special day to celebrate Jesus’ birth?”  God has given us instruction on how to worship Him.  He has set out a pattern (Hebrews 8:5; II Peter 3:1-2).  It includes singing, praying, observing the communion (Lord’s Supper), giving and teaching.  If we add to this “special days” are we not telling God that we think we have a better way than He has given us?  Jesus cautions us to “do the will of the Father” (Matthew 7:21-23).  Paul warned us about “self-made” religion (Colossians 2:20-23).

Let’s instead use the opportunity to talk to people about Jesus and God.  It is one of the few times when lots of people even think about Jesus.  Invite them to a worship service, engage them in a Bible study, tell them the real way to celebrate Jesus’ birth is by taking advantage of His sacrifice by becoming a Christian and have Him make a difference in our lives each day of the year.                            By Randy Shouse (Adapted)

Nothing Comes From Nothing                     December 15, 2024

As Maria (Julie Andrews) sang of her love for Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s hit musical, “The Sound of Music,” she stated what ought to be an obvious truth: “Nothing comes from nothing; nothing ever could.”  She was expressing her belief that there had to be a reason behind their love for each other, though she couldn’t pinpoint just what the reason was.

The truth that nothing comes from nothing applies in other contexts, too.  For example, there must be a reason the universe exists.  Many “scientists” maintain that it originated in a gigantic explosion.  Guess what exploded?  If you said “nothing,” you got it!  That’s so absurd on the face of it: the “singularity.”  But of what does “the singularity” consist?  Nothing.

Though it is called the “Big Bang Theory,” it really fails the test of being a theory at all.  By definition, a theory can be tested and must be capable of being falsified.  How would one test whether “nothing” can become “something”?  Big Bang adherents acknowledge that no human was there to observe the Big Bang.  Likewise, no one has observed “nothing” become “something.”  At best, it’s the “Big Bang Hypothesis,” and it really isn’t even a very good hypothesis.

Reasonable people know that nothing comes from nothing; nothing ever could.  But the fact is, “something” exists (the universe, including us).  The scientific laws of thermodynamics show that matter is not eternal.  The universe had a beginning.  Therefore, something or someone non-material must have brought the universe into being.  That someone or something must be eternal, existing prior to the beginning of the universe.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).

By Joe Slater

What Were You Taught?                                           December 8, 2024

In Finland, the public schools teach logic before they teach factual classes.  When I read that recently it reminded me of something I read many years ago about American public schools, “Today in American schools, children are told what to think rather than being taught how to think.”  Sadly, I’ve seen a lot of evidence that confirms that assessment.

This American approach to education is precisely the opposite of what true education should be, but more importantly, it is the opposite of what God calls us to do.  In Isaiah 1:18 we see God’s call to mankind: “Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool,” (NASB).

Did you catch it?  God, Himself, is calling us to “reason” – the very act of using our logic to understand something (rather than merely being told what to think).  The specific subject in this passage is understanding the forgiveness of our own sins, but the call to use our reason (logic) is clear.

Some of the brightest men in history have, indeed, used their reason and logic to recognize God’s word as truth (as Jesus said in John 17:17).  Even Anthony Flew, (1923-2010) once known as the world’s foremost debating atheist, changed his mind about the existence of God, the one who built the universe and created man.  His last book was entitled, “There is a God: How the World’s Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind.”

From creation in Genesis chapters 1 & 2 to the details about the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus, we must use our logic.  From the birth of the church in Acts 2 to details about Paul’s church plantings, we must use our reason to understand what God wants us to know.  We, as His people, must read and understand God’s word, and never, ever, apply our human interpretation.  “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (II Peter 1:20-21, NASB).

So we must not apply our human ideas to scripture, but let scripture guide our understanding of scripture.  It comes from God and is not spun by man.  Yes, God gave us a book we can, indeed, understand.  But we have to read it!  As Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:4-5 (NASB), “By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit.”  God gave us a book we can understand.  He calls us to read it and not to make up human interpretations, but rather take Him at His word…again, John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them in truth, Thy word is truth.”

Then and only then can we ever hope to “not go beyond what is written,” which was God’s command through Paul’s pen in I Corinthians 4:6.  Let us take God at His word, not go beyond His written word, and continue to read and understand as we let His word guide our hearts and our minds into obedience to Him.

By Ray Wallace

Truancy (Chronic Absenteeism)              December 1, 2024

You aren’t suppose to call it truancy anymore.  It’s “chronic absenteeism.”  Most schools don’t have truant officers anymore.  Now they’re “Professional Student Advocates.”  The new title supposedly helps parents to be less defensive when approached about their children’s non-attendance at classes.  I feel better already!

I read that in Connecticut a student who misses 18 or more days out of 180 (ten percent or more) is considered chronically absent.  Hmmm.  What if we used that kind of standard for church attendance?

A typical year has 52 Sundays.  How many of us miss fewer than 5 of them?  I shouldn’t have to re-state the obvious, but to prevent any hurt feelings let me make it clear: this has nothing to do with absence due to health or other legitimate reasons.

Absence by choice has been problematic for as long as I can remember and has only grown worse post-pandemic.  In far too many cases absenteeism far exceeds ten percent, and that’s if we count only the Sunday morning assembly.  Add the Sunday evening service and Bible classes (as we should) and the picture is even more dismal.

“Professional student advocates” are focusing less on enforcement and more on determining why children are skipping school and then remedying the issues.  I can only imagine the reasons they’re hearing: Johnny doesn’t like his teacher, Susie doesn’t enjoy Biology; the cafeteria doesn’t serve what my children like.  Truth be told, they probably don’t understand the importance of education.  Maybe their parents don’t either.

Why are some Christians chronically absent?  I’ve heard a freight car load of excuses with abundant finger-pointing and blaming.  But the bottom line remains the same: failure (or refusal) to see the importance of it.  What about you?       

By Joe Slater

Promises, Promises!                                             November 24, 2024

Beginning at the second plague (frogs) Pharaoh promised repeatedly, “I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the Lord” (Exodus 8:8, see also 8:28 & 9:28).  And every time, “when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart” and went back on his promise (8:15, see also 8:32 & 9:35).  The king considered himself to be, if not a god at the present time, at a god in the making.  He had no respect for the God of his Hebrew slaves and evidently felt no compulsion to be honest.  Like a true politician, he said whatever he needed to say at the moment of crisis.  But when the pressure was off, his promise wasn’t worth the time it took to make it.

Let us rejoice while praising our God because He consistently keeps His promises!  “I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father” (Genesis 26:3).  “I am the Lord.  I speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass…I will say the word and will perform it” (Ezekiel 12:25).

The God of truth has always required His people to be truthful like He is.  David, by inspiration, commended the person “who swears to his own hurt and does not change” (Psalms 15:4).  Yes, keeping our promises can be painful!  But Jesus Himself said, “Let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes,’ and your ‘no,’ ‘no'” (Matthew 5:37).  Mean what you say!  In most circumstances you shouldn’t even need to swear an oath.

When Pharaoh broke his promises, he was simply taking a cue from his master, Satan.  Jesus said that the devil “is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44).  When people of the world lie, we shouldn’t be surprised.  But let us carefully keep our word, for “all liars shall their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).

                   By Joe Slater

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Does “Church” Feel Routine?

If you don’t want “church” to feel routine this weekend,

then approach it differently:

1. Pray before you leave home.

2. Sing in the car on the way.

3.  Arrive early at the church building

4. Invite someone to attend with you.

5. Bring your Bible.

6. Take sermon notes

7. Talk to people.

8. Sing loudly.

9. Serve.

10. Live out the sermon

The Peace That Surpasses All Understanding       November 17, 2024

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!  Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men.  The Lord is near.  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7)

Why do the hearts and minds of Christians need to be guarded (protected, kept secure)?  Because they are easily affected by the negative influences and circumstances that Satan puts them in from time to time.  When Paul writes these words of encouragement he is in prison for the cause of Christ.  It is here that he shares with us how he has learned to be content in all circumstances (4:11).  His arrival at contentment and peace came when …

He Rejoiced Always In the Lord.  Even when one’s situation is difficult and even sad Paul was able to find reasons for rejoicing.  It’s interesting that Paul emphasizes this twice which may be to re-instate that yes, Christians always has reasons for joy even in sorrow or while going through troublesome times.

He Let Others Know How He Handled Difficult Situations.  The guards looking after Paul would see a different person than they saw in other prisoners.  Instead of hearing a disgruntled, cussing prisoner they saw one who was unaffected by the  circumstance he was in.  In fact, they witnessed a person who was kind, humble and in every way like Christ.  He was positive in a negative situation and the way he handled that situation was known not only to the guards, fellow-prisoners but also the authorities who imprisoned him as well as his church family.

He Realized That God’s Nearness Was Not Barred By Prison Walls.  Wherever he was Paul knew God was right there with him.  He was never alone as long as He kept busy for God in whatever way he could (John 8:29).

He Was Anxious For Nothing  & Always Prayed With A Thankful Heart.  He was determined to not worry but remained focused on the joys of the Christian life.  With such an attitude he then experienced this amazing peace that continued to fuel him for the rest of his Christian life unto eternity. That same peace is available to all who put their faith and trust in God in all circumstances as Paul did (Philippians 4:13).                            Brian Thompson