Blessing of Heaven - Blog

"They Need to Talk About God"

11/25/2019

My oldest daughter who is 5 years old, enjoys watching old episodes of Barney and Friends. One day, while she was watching an episode, she looked up at my husband and said “Daddy, the people on this show don’t know about God.” My husband asked my daughter why she thought that the people on the show did not know God, and her reply was “because they don’t talk about God. They need to talk about God.” She went on to say that "We know God." My husband responded to her by saying, "Yes, we know God!"
My husband and I talk about God and read God’s Word on our own, to each other, and to our children every day. Do you talk about God every day? Do you read His Word every day? If not, then how will others know that you know God? How will you be able to teach others about God’s Word if you do not read His Word and talk about Him each day? II Timothy 2:15 tells us to study God’s Word everyday; “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” We are to always put our focus on God. We should always have our minds on His Word. “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success (Joshua I:8).
Through the innocent words of a 5 year old little girl, we can learn much about where our heart should be. God should always come first in our lives. We all spend our time discussing topics that we consider important. If God is where He should be in our lives, which is First and Foremost, then we should show this through our words and actions. “ Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:” (Matthew 6:19-20).

How Can the Church Take in Money to Carry Out Church Works?

11/20/2019

Imagine you are out of town on a Wednesday night, and you and your family want to find a sound congregation of the church of Christ with which to attend Bible study. You do some research and you find a local congregation that looks suitable. Bible study begins at 7 PM, and you drive your car into the parking lot at 6:45 PM. As you pull into a parking spot, you notice that there is a large line in front of the entrance to the church building. As you make your way toward the group standing outside, and take your place behind the next person in line, you notice that there are two men on either side of the building’s entrance. You ask the person in front of you who those two men are, and you are told that they are two of the elders of that particular congregation. As you draw closer, you see that the two elders are asking each person in line to give $5 in order to be able to enter the building and attend the Bible study hour and the Bible classes that will be taking place. You see that a large group has already paid their way into the building, and a large group is still waiting to pay outside.
Do you think that these elders were acting in accordance with the Scriptures? To answer this question, I would like for you to consider the following explanations regarding these matters. First of all, I would like to discuss Bible authority.
What is Bible authority? How is something authorized by the Bible? An act or event is considered authorized by the Bible when the Bible teaches that such act or event is accepted by God. If the Bible speaks about something as good, then that thing, act, or event is acceptable by God. Likewise, if the Bible speaks about a thing, act, or event as something negative and to be avoided, then we know that it is not acceptable by God. How do we know this? Because the Bible is the way that God reveals unto mankind His will today, in which He shows us how to be faithful unto Him. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. ” (II Timothy 3:16-17).
No matter what we do in this life, we must do it according to God’s Will. Colossians 3:17 states “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” The Bible is very self-explanatory and specific about how God wants us to handle certain situations. It is not our job to try to find “loop holes” within the Bible in an attempt to justify doing something that the Bible does not say we can do. Everything we say and do is to be condoned by the Bible, and when making a decision about how to handle a something, we should be searching the Scriptures about what they say regarding the situation. What we should not do, however, is to use our fallible and very limited minds to try and “fill in the blanks” of what is not said in order to fit our agendas. Of course, when looking at Bible teachings, it is important to remember that we are no longer under the Old Law as it is nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14). We are now under the New Law (Galatians 6:2).
Also, even if the Bible does not speak about something directly as being acceptable or not acceptable, this does not mean that we are to do it anyway. This is true for the various aspects of our lives, including as it relates to how the government, home, and church functions. We must follow God’s authority in the area of the acts of worship, for example. Even if God does not say to do this or that in a worship service, this does not mean that we have free reign to do whatever we want in our worship to God. This would be “adding to” God’s Word, and we are not to “add to” what’s already written, nor should we “take away” from what is written in the Holy Scriptures. We are to live our life and conduct ourselves and how we worship solely according to what the Bible says. “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” (Revelation 22:18-19). We cannot present another Gospel (Galatians 1:6-10). We are to conduct every aspect of our lives according to what is authorized by God as found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
So, back to the scenario I gave at the beginning of this article. Was the eldership at that congregation authorized by the Bible to charge people money to attend a Bible study class ? To answer that question, let’s look at what forms of giving that are authorized by the Bible for the church.
The Bible speaks about giving and how we are to give of our means to support church works. We are to give of our monetary means on the first day of the week (I Corinthians 16:2). We are also to give cheerfully of our own free will, and not begrudge the money that we give. “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” (II Corinthians 9:7). Also we are to not give because we have to, which is what the word “necessity” means in this verse.
If we are to give according to how we have prospered to promote church works, then what is considered an actual work of the church? Any spiritual work that is overseen by the elders or men of a congregation in the absence of Elders is considered a church work. This would include Gospel Meetings, Bible Classes, Lectureships, worship services, and the like. Since we are to engage in “free-will” offerings on each first day of the week, this means that there is not Biblical authority for the elders or men overseeing a congregation in the absence of Elders to use anything, BUT free will offerings to fund church works. Whether it be a Gospel Meeting, Lectureship, Bible Class, or some other church work, only free will offerings can be used to fund these things.
Why can only free will offerings be used? Because that is the only way in which the church has been authorized through which to take in funds. By saying that an Eldership can collect money through any way foreign to Scripture is without Scriptural precedent. For example, we do not change the singing by adding mechanical instruments of music to this singing. Why is this? We are not authorized to do so in Scripture. There is no authorization for us to do this in the New Law. God did not tell us to do it, therefore we cannot do it. He told us to sing (Ephesians 5:19). Now, as it relates to another act of worship, giving, we, likewise, cannot say that the church can take in money through any way other than free will offerings. Why is this? God did not tell us that we could, therefore we must respect his judgment as should every eldership. Therefore overseeing elders or men of a congregation who are requiring a certain amount of money to be paid as a necessity of being able to participate in a church work are not acting in accordance to II Corinthians 9:7 and certainly not by the authority of the Scriptures! Doing something that goes against Bible authority is a sin, and this sin rests upon the elders or men of the congregation who are taking in the money, not those who are paying to hear the Gospel.
Some have made the comment that it is not unscriptural for an eldership to require those who wish to participate in a worship service, bible class, etc, to pay a certain amount of money in order to be admitted so that the elders could pay for the venue and costs attributed to the event. Those in support of this state that the eldership is not making a profit from charging those who are participating at the event, and they are not charging people to attend services on Sundays, and the people are coming to the spiritual event of their own free will.
Let’s put this argument into perspective. What if the eldership of a congregation decide to have a yard sale in the parking lot of the church building. Each item would be sold, and the money collected would be earmarked to help a specific person in need, or a specific work. The elders would not gain any profit from the yard sale, and no one would be required to come and buy anything from the yard sale. Likewise, let’s say that the elders of a congregation decide to have a fellowship meal at the church building. The fellowship meal is for members of that particular congregation as well as members of other congregations of the churches of Christ. These same elders decide to charge each person $5 in order to be able to eat at the fellowship meal. The elders would gain no profit from the money acquired at the fellowship meal, and no one would be required to attend. Instead, all of the proceeds would go to a specific person in need or a specific work. The money acquired would also help in paying for the food at the fellowship meal.
Under these circumstances, would it be acceptable for the eldership of a congregation to have a yard sale or charge money at a fellowship meal in order to help others or cover the costs of the event? No! There is no example in the Bible of churches in the first centuries having church yard sales, and there is no example of them charging for fellowship meals or “love feasts” in the first century. The two scenarios I have just given are no different than when elders choose to charge willing participants a required amount of money in order to participate in a spiritual activity. The only difference may be as to whether or not the event takes place in or around a church building or at another location.
Does the Bible specifically speak against the practice of elders requiring people to pay a certain amount of money to be allowed admittance into a Bible Class, Lectureship, worship service, Gospel Meeting, etc? No, it does not, but that does not make it ok. Many people in denominations use the argument that the Bible does not specifically speak against using mechanical instruments of music in the worship service, but that does not make it ok to use musical instruments in this way. Once again, it all goes back to the need for Christians to only speak where the Bible speaks, and to be silent where the Bible is silent.
What about Christian universities, Bible Colleges, Bible Camps, and the like that do charge a certain amount to learn about the Bible? All church of Christ affiliated universities, and Bible Colleges of which I am aware of are overseen by a Board that is separate from the eldership of any particular congregation of the church of Christ, and thus, is not considered a work of the church, because it is not under the oversight of elders of a particular congregation. Many Bible Camps also operate under the oversight of Boards, such as many of those nearby to us. You see, in the founding of these, they determined that they could not function as a work of the church under the oversight of Elders and still charge tuition. They rather operated these separate from the work of a particular congregation. Any university, Bible College, Bible Camp or the like that might be overseen by an Eldership, who charges admission into their program do not have Biblical authority to do so.
What if a Bible Class, worship service, Gospel Meeting, Lectureship, etc is being held at a different venue than a church building, and there will be many people attending this event? There is still no example in the Bible that says that elders of a church can charge people an admission fee to attend a church work, no matter the venue, and no matter what the cost it is to have the event. The ONLY example stated in the Bible of the type of income that a congregation can accept in order to perform the works of the church is free will donations that are either given during the Sunday worship service, or at some other time.
So, if an eldership of a particular congregation wants to have a large-scale Lectureship, Bible Class, Gospel Meeting, worship service, or some other church work that will have the ability to teach a large group of people, how can they cover the huge expenses associated with such events in a way that is authorized by Scripture? One way they can do this is to make admission to the Lectureship, Bible Class, Gospel Meeting, worship service, etc free to everyone and ask those who attend to make a donation of money to help with the costs, if they would like to do so. They could also ask other congregations of the churches of Christ to donate money from their church treasuries to help with the cost. Various communities in our country have enjoyed area-wide Gospel Meetings or seminars held in large facilities, that were rented for such usage, yet congregations banded together to fund the renting of such a facility, sending funds to the host congregation’s elders. When Christians work together, the things that can be accomplished are great! Lastly, the eldership could look into either lower-cost venues, or having smaller scale events that are affordable without charging people a certain amount of money to be able to participate in the church work. Even though the event will be smaller in scale, many people could still be reached if the event is streamed online via social media and other internet outlets such as YouTube for free. Attempting to do a good work, but going about it in the wrong way hurts the purpose of doing the good work altogether.
We must always have Bible authority in determining what we should and should not do in this life. Bible authority is especially needed when it comes to works of the church, and members of the churches of Christ should always make sure that all aspects of an event that is considered a church work is authorized by God. We can do this by looking only at what the Scriptures say, not at how many people are attending or at how popular the event is. We should always be more focused on following God, and less focused on following the crowd, because the crowd may not always understand fully God’s Will in every situation.

Do Ghosts Really Exist?

10/23/2019

  Halloween is the time of year where people often like to talk about ghosts, haunted houses, and other topics that they consider “spooky.” Most people have stories about things that have happened to them which cannot be easily explained away. Many people blame these unexplained situations on the existence of ghosts, or spirits of the dead which they believe still interact with the living in various ways. Ghost stories have been around for many years, and according to a very recent survey, 45% of Americans believe in the existence of ghosts. However, do ghosts really exist? Let’s consider what the Bible says on this subject.
First of all, what happens to us after we die? We are made up of both soul and spirit. Our soul is eternal, and is either rewarded with Paradise or punished with Torment right after death until the Day of Judgment comes, when our souls will be sent to Heaven or Hell. Our spirits, or our “life force,” goes back to God. The soul and spirit of a person are very similar, but the Word of God separates the two. An example of this can be read in Hebrews 4:12; “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
In Ecclesiastes 9:5, King Solomon, through the inspiration of God said, “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.” This verse does not mean that a person who has died has no knowledge of anything, but that they have no knowledge of what is happening here on the Earth. The dead are very aware of their surroundings after death, just as the rich man was in Luke chapter 16. “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom (v.23). They have recognition as well as a memory of events and people here. Also, we have the ability to recognize people who we have not met while on the earth in eternity.
It is also important to note in the story of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man was not permitted to cross the “gulf” that was between the realm of torment and the realm of Paradise, nor was he allowed to go back to the earth due to this gulf. “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence” (Matthew 16:23-26). No one from the dead were permitted to go back to the Earth and warn the rich man’s brothers (verses 27-31). If the rich man was told that no one could pass from Torment to Paradise and vice versa due to a “great gulf,” and that no one from the realm of the dead would be allowed to go to Earth and warn the living, then why would souls of the dead be allowed to cross that gulf and enter back into the realm of the living today?
The answer is, they simply cannot do this. The Bible is very clear that the dead no longer interact with the living in this life. If we are able to go to Paradise upon our death, we will see and interact with our faithful loved ones again, who have passed away, as well as those who have gone on before us that we did not know. Upon the Day of Judgment, those in the graves will be resurrected.   On this day, we will either see these people in a joyous reunion in Heaven on the Day of Judgment or meet in a place of pain and agony in Hell. "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” (John 5:28-29).
So how can I explain the strange occurrences that many people have witnessed during their lifetimes, or the things that go “bump in the night?” I can only say that there are indeed things that happen in our lives that we cannot explain, and that we are not meant to know in this life. If we were meant to know these things, God, would have told us about them. We do know however, that angels are spirits who are involved in our lives in ways that are not totally known by us, but this is in the providential realm. They do not appear to people today as the age of the miraculous has ceased, since we have all things that we need to know in this life in order to go to Heaven was completely given in the Holy Scriptures in the First Century (I Corinthians 13:8-10, II Peter 1:3, II Timothy 3:16-17). Miracles then fulfilled their purpose of giving the Word of God and of confirming it to be from God (Hebrews 2:3-4, Mark 16:20).
What do angels do when they become involved in the lives of the faithful today? We do not know exactly! We do know that they have an interest in the lives of Christians today (I Corinthian 11:10, I Timothy 5:21). We do know that they are involved in our lives in some way from the verses given. All of what is entailed in the ministering to Christians by the angels is not revealed in Scripture, but is within God’s Providential work. Unaccountable children also have angels that help them in various unknown ways, “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10). This is another verse to meditate upon when thinking of the possible work role of angels. “But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”(Hebrews 1:13-14).
So whenever you hear a chilling ghost story, please remember what the Bible says about how souls of the dead can no longer interact with, nor have any knowledge of what is going on in anything done under the sun. If you, yourself, have had unusual things happen in your life that you might be tempted to blame on the existence of ghosts, please remember what the Bible has said on this subject. We cannot fall into the devil’s trap of believing that we will have another chance on this earth after our death. Some who believe in ghosts think that the souls of the dead remain on the earth to take care of “unfinished business.” This is the same as saying that a person will be given a second chance at doing the right thing before facing God’s Judgment. This, friends, is simply not true. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” (Hebrews 9:27). I hope I have helped you understand how the belief in the souls of the dead roaming the earth as “ghosts” is a false one.

Why We Should Attend Gospel Meetings

10/20/2019

Since our Gospel Meeting is coming up at Campaign church of Christ this Sunday (October 26th), I wanted to talk about the importance of supporting and attending Gospel Meetings. These meetings are designed to help “revive” our love of God’s Word and to make us even more excited about worshipping Him. It is also a great way to meet other church members and to hear new speakers. I have always loved attending Gospel Meetings! I remember telling my husband when we would attend these meetings together while we were dating, that going to Gospel Meetings was “like a field trip.” The only difference to me between a Gospel Meeting and a field trip, however, is that a field trip is only temporary fun, but a Gospel Meeting helps me feel happy here and helps me find Eternal Happiness through God’s Word.
It is important to attend Gospel Meetings for several reasons. Two big reasons are to edify ourselves and others. By attending a Gospel Meeting, Christians can “recharge their batteries” through listening to God’s Word during the week. A typical week can become overwhelming at times, so getting a chance to hear a good sermon is an effective stress reliever! It allows the mind to focus on our Eternal Reward rather than the small issues we have here on Earth. It is easy to become discouraged when we face challenges in life. Attending a Gospel Meeting helps us remember that the real reason we are here is to serve the Lord, rather than focus on day to day problems that really do not matter at all. One does not have to wonder why they are here or the “meaning of life.” The meaning of life is to glorify God and to keep his commandments. Leviticus 22:31 states; “Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD.” A Gospel Meeting is a wonderful reminder of this fact! “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9).
Not only can we edify ourselves, but we can also edify others. Just as others can be a source of comfort for us during trying times, we can be a source of comfort for them as well. Gospel Meetings typically draw a large attendance, and a person can see many people they usually do not see on a regular basis. Since we do not always have the ability to know what is going on in another person’s life, we should always make a point to be cheerful and friendly to others when attending a Gospel Meeting. This is especially true for women, who are usually seated while some of the men are standing at the entrance to the church building as visitors come in. Women should greet both men and women, but make a point to focus on making visiting women feel welcome. Women enjoy talking to other women, and I know that I always feel even more welcome when women from a congregation I am visiting talk to me. When a person walks into a Gospel Meeting, he or she may be facing many challenges in life, and have come to find comfort. We, as women, are nurturers by nature, so we should be willing to show ourselves to be friendly. Who knows, but ours may be the only smile a visitor sees that day! “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
Being hospitable to others not only means being pleasant and friendly but also attending to their physical needs as well. A visiting preacher always enjoys good fellowship and a good meal so he can feel energized and able to keep preaching the Word. Many congregations either have fellowship meals at the church building each night of the Gospel meeting, or individual members help feed the visiting preacher. This shows the Gospel preacher that he is welcome and appreciated by the congregation. When I was a child, my grandparents would let a visiting preacher and his wife stay at their house the entire week of the Gospel Meeting. The visiting preacher and his wife would eat breakfast and lunch at my grandparents’ house, and on each night of the Gospel Meeting, the church would hold a fellowship meal. This is the way visiting preachers were often treated years ago, and some congregations and its members still hold to this tradition. I think it’s a great way to show the visiting preacher the love that Christians should have for one another. “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10).
Another reason to attend Gospel Meetings is to teach others. The Gospel preacher holding the Meeting teaches us about the Bible and helps us keep our mind focused on God. We, too, can teach others how to be better Christians through our examples. We should invite as many as we can to the Gospel Meeting! Phone calls, cards, and handing out flyers are great ways of doing this! If we invite others to attend a Gospel Meeting, we are showing them that living the Christian life is very important to us. If we do invite others to the Meeting, we must be sure to attend ourselves. I have seen cases where visitors will come to a Gospel Meeting and say that a certain person invited them, but that person was not there. This does not leave a good impression on those who are either not baptized or just babes in Christ. By attending regularly scheduled church services, supporting your home congregation’s Gospel Meeting, and Meetings held at other congregations, we are showing our love for God and for each other
Let’s all help ourselves and each other by attending Gospel Meetings! We do not have to attend every meeting held at every church of Christ, but we should want to at least support our home congregation! In doing so, we are helping ourselves and each other reach our reward in Heaven!
Everyone is invited to Campaign church of Christ's 2019 Gospel Meeting being held beginning next Sunday, Oct 27th! and lasts through Wednesday Oct 30th. Please see flyer below for more details. Hope to see you all there!

New Book Announcement!!

10/14/2019

I have been blessed by God to have my third book published, and I give Him all of the Glory for this! It is entitled, A Quiver Full of Arrows: Accepting the Blessing of Children. This book discusses how children are viewed as blessings by God, rather than how they are viewed by some in society today, which often is negative. In this book, I use the Bible to discuss how children are gifts from God, as well as how to raise children up in the Lord. This book was published by Cobb Publishing, which is a church of Christ affiliated publishing company. It can be purchased through the publisher's website, www.cobbpublishing.com, or from Amazon. Amazon also offers a Kindle ebook edition of this book.

The "Fruits" of Repentance

9/9/2019

The act of repentance is a wonderful avenue of forgiveness that Christians are given by God. For those who have sinned after they have been baptized, they must repent. However, is praying for forgiveness or having someone else pray for your forgiveness the only thing necessary to do in order to be truly repentant?
The act of repentance must first take place prior to baptism. All who wish to be baptized for remission of sins must do so by following the Plan of Salvation. The Plan of Salvation involves 5 steps which include: hearing the Word (Romans 10:17), believing the Word (Mark 16:16), repenting of past sins (Acts 2:38), confessing that Jesus is the Son of the Living God (Matthew 10:32), and being baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 22:16; I Peter 3:17-22). These are the steps to become a Christian and to be added to the church of Christ by the Lord Himself (Acts 2:38, 47). Then, upon becoming a Christian, a person must remain faithful unto death (Revelation 2:10). Once you complete all of these steps and become a Christian, you have many blessings and benefits that non-Christians do not have.
One benefit is that you have an ability to speak to God through the avenue of prayer. We are commanded to pray to God every day, and for any need that we have. “Pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17). We should send prayers unto God many times a day, thanking Him, praising Him, and asking for His Help in times of need. If we are faithful, then He will answer our prayers. “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them" (Mark 11:24). We should also give thanks through prayer before we eat our meals (I Timothy 4:4). All prayers must be uttered in Jesus’ Name, because He and the Holy Spirit intercede for us in our prayers to God (Romans 8:16, 34).
It is through the avenue of prayer that we, as Christians, receive forgiveness from God for our sins when we repent of those sins and confess those sins through what is known as the “second law of pardon” (Acts 8:22, I John 1:9). If we have committed a sin that is only known to us, we can pray a private prayer unto God for forgiveness. If we commit a sin that is public and therefore known to others, then we must ask for the prayers of the church for forgiveness so that others know that we are remorseful for the wrong we have done and are turning back to God, thereby making a change.
However, once we have repented and have prayed ourselves or had others pray for our forgiveness, our duty to God doesn’t stop there. Once we have received forgiveness of sins through repentance, we must bring forth the “fruits meet for repentance” (Matthew 3:8). This means that, although we have prayed for God to forgive us of our sins, we are not truly sorry or repentant of those sins if we do not make efforts to change and show others that we have changed. For example, if we have done someone in particular wrongfully, we must repent and go to that person and apologize. If we have stolen something from someone, we must repent and return that thing which we have stolen. If someone has committed murder, then that person should repent and go to the victim’s family to apologize and to offer help in any way. If a person chooses to get an unscriptural divorce from his or her spouse, then that person must repent and make attempts to reconcile with that spouse. If the spouse agrees to reconcile, then the couple should remarry. If the spouse refuses to reconcile, then both spouses in the unscriptural divorce would have to remain single for the rest of their lives, since in God’s eyes they are still married. Showing others that you have changed is vitally important. This step cannot be ignored!
It is essential for Christians to realize that true repentance is not just going up to the front pew during worship service and asking prayers for forgiveness. It is not just having someone pray for your forgiveness of sins, and then you’re done. No! True repentance is showing change! It is showing that you are taking the steps necessary to make reparations for whatever wrong you have done. So, true repentance is more than a one-step process. True repentance involves showing God and others that you have changed, and making every effort possible to make all of the wrongs you have done right again with others! “But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance” (Acts 26:20).

"Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham." Luke 3:8

How to Sleep Well At Night

8/17/2019

Nighttime is usually a designated time for sleep and the recharging of our bodies and minds after a long day of work and other activities. Many people, however, have issues with sleep, and these issues are sometimes caused by thoughts of fear and worry. We have probably all heard of someone who often wakes up in the middle of the night worrying about something that is troubling him or her, and those who lose valuable sleep over these worries. Likewise, many have had trouble sleeping for fear of someone breaking into their home, or some other negative event taking place during the night. If you or someone you know has issues with fear or worry during the night, there is a solution to this problem. The solution is prayer!
I make it a priority to pray at various times during the day, and the time before bed is no exception. After all of the children have gone to sleep, and before I lay my very tired head down, I pray to God for protection for myself and my family as we sleep. No matter what happens during the night, I know that God is always there to help us, and has the best for us in mind. This prayer, like all prayers, gives me comfort and a feeling of peacefulness, which helps me in going to sleep because I know my Heavenly Father is watching over us always. These prayers help me from being afraid, which is like what King Solomon said in Proverbs 3:24-26, “When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.” Also, in Psalm 4:8, King David wrote, “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.”
Prayer can also help us during the night when it is a temptation to wake up and worry about various problems that we are facing or are anticipating in our lives. Worry is a symptom of a lack of faith in God’s ability to take care of us, therefore, we should not worry at any time. Instead, we should lift our burdens up to God in prayer, even in the middle of the night. The Psalmist says in Psalm 119:62, “At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.” When we lift our prayers to God, and lay our problems at His feet, we can go back to sleep having that sense of peace and relief that only faithful Christians can have, knowing that our God will take care of things in ways that are best for us. “I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me” (Psalm 3:5). “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
So, instead of spending the night covered in worry and fear, take a little time to say a prayer or two to God for help, and He will help you! Of course, you have to do your part and trust in Him to take care of you. Saying a prayer for help, but not trusting that God will help you will not get your prayers answered. God always hears the prayers of obedient Christians, and He always gives an answer in the way He sees best. “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (I John 5:14-15).
Even if you just have trouble sleeping for other reasons that do not include being fearful or worrying, pray to God for help with that issue, too! We should pray for everything of which we feel that we need help, no matter how little or big the situation is! Our Father always wants to hear from His Children! Sweet dreams to everyone, and may God bless you all richly as you serve Him! Good night!

Keeping Your Word

6/23/2019

   Doing what we say we are going to do is so important in living the Christian life. Part of being a faithful Christian is honesty. “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;” (Colossians 3:9).
   How many people do you know will say that they will do this or that for someone else but never actually do it? They may come up with some excuse as to why they did not do the thing they said they would do, but unless they are hindered by sickness or some emergency, these excuses do not hold up. As Christians, we need to do what we have promised others we would do, no matter how convenient or inconvenient it may seem.
   As Christians, we are held to a higher standard than the rest of the world, because we are not to be like the world. We are to be keepers of our word no matter what. For example, if someone asks you to fix his car, and you say that you will do this, then you must fulfill your promise. You cannot come up with some excuse whenever the subject gets brought up, just because you no longer wish to do what you said you would do. This is dishonest, and goes against what is commonly known as the “Golden Rule. “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets” (Matthew 7:12). When we are tempted to not do something that we have told someone else we would do, we need to reflect on Matthew 7:12 and think about the situation in terms of would we want the same thing done to us? For instance, if you told your friend that you would go to his child’s school program, but the program is scheduled to take place at the same time that your favorite ball team is to play on television, it would be beneficial to think about what you would want someone to do for you in a similar situation. Would you want your friend to skip your child’s program that you specifically asked him or her to attend in order to watch a ballgame? Probably not!
Also, we should mean what we say. James 5:12 says, “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.” This verse means that we should not say one thing to someone and then change our minds later. Of course, if we become unable to fulfill our promise due to sickness or some emergency, then God understands. However, it is best to ask the person’s permission to be excused from keeping our word before not doing it. Once again, this goes back to the “golden rule” where we have to treat others like we want to be treated.
   Keeping our word to others and doing what we say we are going to do helps others to trust and depend on us. If we back out on other people for no good reason, then we are not trustworthy, and that goes against God’s command to be honest in all things. “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much” (Luke 16:10). Our goal as Christians is to be as much like our Heavenly Father as we possibly can, and God is always Honest! “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19) We should always work to be shining lights to the world, and not be like those who are following the world instead of God! “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Do We Have Guardian Angels?

5/23/2019

The subject of angels is a very popular topic among Christians and non-Christians alike. Images of angels can be seen everywhere, and they usually have the same or at least similar appearance; which is that of a person draped in a white or some other color robe, with large, outstretched wings. The topic of “guardian angels” has been in debate for a long time and this idea had been made even more popular through television shows and movies. Many people wonder if angels have any involvement in our daily lives, such as protecting us from harm and “watching over” us. There are many ideas out there of the origin of angels, how they look, and how and if they interact with us today. Let’s see what information is given in the Scripture about these spiritual beings.
Where do angels come from? Angels are created beings because they were not in existence before the world was made. They are not a part of the Eternal Godhead. They were created by God sometime during the six day of creation. They were possibly created early on during the creation process because the book of Job speak of how they were already in existence when the “foundations of the earth were made” (Job 38:4,7). Angels are a heavenly order of beings, but they are not deity. In order words, they should not be worshipped. Angels worship God as we do. “And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith ‘And let all the angels of God worship Him”(Hebrews 1:6). Angels are above the level of humans, but below the level of God. “Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:” (Hebrews 2:7).
The purpose of angels can be found in their name. The world “angel” comes from the Greek word meaning “messenger.” The role of angels are to deliver messages and do God’s Work among humans. There are many examples of angels taking on physical forms and delivering messages to people in the Old and New Testaments. Likely the most well-known example of this is when the angel Gabriel delivered the message to Mary that she would give birth to Jesus (Luke 1:26). Although angels have appeared to humans in physical form in Bible times, they do not operate in this way today. The practice of angels appearing in human form was a miracle, and miracles do not happen today because we now have the completion of the revelation of God unto mankind through the Bible (I Corinthians 13:8-10, II Peter 1:3, II Timothy 3:16-17). This does not mean, however, that angels no longer any kind of work that they did in Bible times. Angels still work “behind the scenes” so to speak in the lives of all the faithful today. “But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” (Hebrews 1:13-14).
What do angels do when they become involved in the lives of the faithful today? We do not know exactly! We do know that they have an interest in the lives of Christians today (I Corinthian 11:10, I Timothy 5:21). We do know that they are involved in our lives in some way from the verses given. All of what is entailed in the ministering to Christians by the angels is not revealed in Scripture, but is within God’s Providential work. Unaccountable children also have angels that help them in various unknown ways, “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10). This is another verse to meditate upon when thinking of the possible guardian work role of angels.
We do know that angels take the faithful who pass away into Paradise as Luke 16:22 teaches. As we experience death, there are those loving angels to comfort us. They take us into our Paradise home.
Although we are lower than the angels, we have the hope of being more like angels when we reach Heaven! Those who pass away do not become angels, as angels are spiritual beings that are separate from humans. “For in the resurrection they neither marry, not are given in marriage but are as the angels of God in heaven” (Matthew 22:30). We will be among the angels when we reach a home in Heaven, but we will not be angels. We will, in fact, be transformed upon the Day of Judgment as this mortal body is transformed into a resurrected body that will live eternally with God and His angels! “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (I Thessalonians 4:16-17).
Angels are truly wonderful creations of God! Knowing that angels are among us in our lives here on Earth is a comforting thought. The fact that God uses angels to assist and help us in our lives in unknown and wonderful ways shows His great love for us! Faithful Christians and unaccountable children have angels who help them in various ways that we cannot know or understand in this life. We do know, however, that God is using His servants to help us on our journey through this life as we work toward reaching our final destination which is Heaven!

How to Be In the World, But Not of the World

5/2/2019

A major goal in being a faithful child of God is to be different from everyone else in the world who are not faithful Christians themselves. This means that we are to abstain from sinful practices that the rest of the world partakes in. “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” (I John 2:16). At the same time, we must live in this world around those who are not conducting themselves according to God’s Word. So, how do we live in this world but remain not “of the world”?
One way is to love God more than things of this world. This involves such practices as studying your Bible every day instead of allowing worldly things to take time away from reading the Scriptures. II Timothy 2:15 states, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” In order for you to teach others about God, you must know the Scriptures well enough to answer questions that might be asked of you. Another way to strengthen our faith is to pray daily and often! Saying one prayer a day is not enough, because we must pray many times a day! “Pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17).
Likewise, if you allow any secular activity other than sickness to take the place of attending worship services of your home congregation of the church of Christ, this is also a sin and it makes you more like the world rather than more like Christ. Would Christ work a secular job while a worship service is taking place? No! Would Christ participate in a ballgame or go to a family member’s ballgame instead of attending worship service? No! Would Christ choose to only attend worship service on Sunday morning rather than at any other time that His home congregation met if He was physically able to do so? No! That is because Christ is not of this world, and we are to follow His example. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).
Another way that we can be in the world but not like the world is to monitor the company that we keep and the activities that we participate in. We should always strive to have other Christians as friends, and we should also strive to convert as many souls as we can for Christ. Those that we come into contact with on a frequent basis can hold a lot of influence over us, so we should work to be around the best influences possible. Likewise, we should be good influences on others, showing that the light of Christ is in us. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). We should guard our influence and the influence we give to others by being cautious about the places we go, the activities we participate in, and the sources of entertainment that we choose to use.
Activities such as social drinking, public dancing, using foul language, participating in fornication or promiscuity, as well as other sinful acts causes us to sin, and it hurts our influence on others. Likewise, even if we are not actually participating in these sinful acts, if we give the impression that we condone these things, then this hurts our influence. Christ used every opportunity to teach, and so should we. We should take time to teach those committing public sins how to come out of those sins. “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;” (Philippians 2:15).
Lastly, focusing more on attaining luxuries and material possessions in this world than on your spiritual well-being will not get you a home in Heaven! Putting our jobs before God will not get you into Heaven, as well as putting making money over performing our God-given roles in life will not get you into Heaven. God gave men the role of breadwinner in the family, while He gave women the role of keeping the home and caring for the children (I Timothy 5:8; Titus 2:5). Just as it is required by God for a man to go out and earn money to support his family, it is equally required by God that a woman take care of her children and the home in which the family lives. If a woman neglects her children for money, then she goes against God’s role for her, and is no different than a man who refuses to provide for his family.
Someone might ask, “What about women who want to work outside of the home while their children are in school?” When her children have reached the age to attend school, it is certainly okay for a woman to work a job outside the home, as long as it does not take time away from her children when they are at home. A mother should be there for her children before they go to school in the morning and when they come home. Children need stability in their lives, and having a mother that they can rely on to be there when they wake up and when they come home from school will help them feel secure and better able to succeed in life. We can learn from the example of the virtuous woman in Proverbs Chapter 31, who Solomon described in this way; “Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her” (Proverbs 31:28).
These are just a few ways in which we, as Christians, can be different than the world and yet still live in the world. I encourage you to think of other ways as defined in Scripture to be more like Christ than those I have mentioned here, as I have just named a few. The world we live in today is corrupt, and Christians face many temptations and persecutions throughout our lives. We must always strive to do as Paul says in Philippians 3:14 and “. . . press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”