 When my family and I were about to head to Florida for our family vacation a couple of weeks ago, we stopped by a restaurant for lunch. As we waited for our table, we noticed the various signs and wall decorations that hang all around us, and my husband noticed a sign in particular and took a picture of it, thinking this quote provides a good idea for a lesson. As you can see from the picture, the sign says, " No matter how far you've gone down the wrong road, turn around!" This sign is true in many ways, especially when it comes to our own spirituality.
God, through His Infinite Grace and Mercy, allows us to have free will in this life, where we either choose to follow Him, or follow the world. "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps." (Proverbs 16:9). If we follow God, then He will reward us with Heaven, however, if we choose to follow the world instead of God, we sin against Him and cannot enter into Heaven. "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: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matthew 6:19-21). What if a Christian falls away from God, and follows Satan down the "wrong road" of sin? Can a Christian ever turn back, and be saved again? The answer to this question can be found in various places in the Bible. For example, the apostle Peter, who loved Jesus and was a faithful follower of Christ, ended up denying Jesus three times before the rooster crowed, just as Jesus said he would do in Luke Chapter 22. Once the rooster crowed, however, Peter realized what he had done and "wept bitterly" (v. 62). Peter would go onto become an elder in the church of Christ ( I Peter 5:1) , and outside sources state that Peter died for the cause of Christ by being crucified upside down. In fact, in John 21:15-19, as Peter re-affirmed his love for the Savior, Christ makes it clear that Peter would suffer a death of giving his life for the Most Holy Cause of Christ. Earlier, the apostle Peter went down the wrong road of sinning against Christ, but "turned around" again by repenting of the wrong he had done. Instead of allowing the sin to bring him down permanently, Peter flourished as a Christian and defender of the faith until his death. Like the sign at the restaurant we visited states, no matter how long we have been in sin, we can always turn back to God. God will receive us with open arms, and forgive us of our sins, IF we repent. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” ( I John 1:9). The key to a happy life, however, is to not waste time living your life for yourself, but living it for God. Only true and faithful Christians can know what it means to have the best lives here on the Earth (John 10:10). However, if you are a Christian, and you have drifted from the Way into an unholy life of sin and have fallen away from God, you can turn around and get back on the right path to eternal salvation through repentance of your sins and showing the fruits meet for repentance (Matthew 3:8). In order to show the fruits meet for repentance, you must show that you have changed, and have turned completely away from the sins you have committed. In order for Christians to know if we are on the right road to Heaven, we must know God's Word through daily Bible study (Psalm 1, II Timothy 2:15), regular worship service attendance (Hebrews 10:25), a healthy prayer life (I Thessalonians 5:17), and being in the habit of self-examination to make sure that there is nothing amiss in our lives (II Corinthians 13:5). Everything that we can do here on the earth to make sure that we are not going down the "wrong road" is worth it when it comes to the wonderful bliss we will experience in Heaven! Do not ever feel that you have gone too far from the Lord to turn back! You CAN turn back!
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 So far, we have discussed the first two types of celestial beings we will meet in Heaven one day, which are the Angels and Cherubim. There is one more type of celestial being that we will meet in Heaven, and that is the Seraphim!
The Seraphim are first referenced in the Bible in Isaiah chapter 6. In this chapter, the Isaiah describes these celestial beings in this way;“Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” (Isaiah 6:2-8). We see from this passage that the Seraphim love us and want us to have forgiveness of our sins. They represent the light of God. Over the course of the last few articles, we have seen that all three of the celestial beings that reside in Heaven were created by God. All are similar in that they are created by God, and that their wisdom and knowledge is greater than ours. This is because they are spiritual beings that live in the spiritual realm and do not have finite, earthly bodies and minds like we have. They differ in their appearance, as well as in the jobs that they have been given to do by God. Angels act as messengers to the faithful, the cherubim act as guardians, and the seraphim work to praise and proclaim the Word of God. Angels, cherubim, and seraphims, are all wonderous and amazing creations of God to think about, and their true essence, appearance, and purpose is above our ability to understand while we are still in our earthly bodies. That is why it is truly exciting to think about how one day, if we continue to live a faithful Christian life unto death, that we will be blessed to see all of the holy angels, cherubims, and seraphims, and know fully the impact they have made upon our lives here on earth and in eternity!  June 24, 2022 will go down in the history books as a wonderful day for women’s rights, especially unborn women! There is nothing more innocent and defenseless as a baby, and the Supreme Court has ruled in favor of protecting unborn girls and boys from being mercilessly slaughtered by their cold-hearted mothers and the professional “hit-men” and “hit-women” who they hire to perform the murders.
Abortion was first legalized in the ruling of Roe V. Wade on January 22, 1973, despite nothing in the United States Constitution permitting abortions. In fact, the United States Constitution does the opposite, protecting life. Since 1973, the murder of innocent children has been upheld by the government of the United States, and more lives have been lost than any other war that the U.S. has been involved in combined. We understand from God’s Word most importantly that no matter how early on the mother is expecting, a person is a person from conception, so there is not a time that is acceptable for an expecting mother to murder her baby, because ending the life of any person, no matter how young or old is wrong (Psalm 51:5, 139:16; Luke 1:36, 41; James 2:26). “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,”(Proverbs 6:16-17). Romans 13:19 says, “Thou shalt not kill,”. As a mental health counselor, I spoke with several women who chose to have abortions in the past. Most were unmarried women who felt as if they could not mentally and/or financially handle the child. I would rebuke a mother such as this by saying that instead of ending her child’s life, she should have given her child a chance by either deciding to raise that child, or at the very least, though she should have carried on the work of a mother toward the child, she could have allowed another family to adopt that child. Of course, the main trait that all of these women possessed was a keen sense of selfishness. It takes a selfish and cold-hearted woman to decide that her child should be murdered, no matter how soon after conception has taken place. Even in the case of rape and incest, the baby is innocent of the mistakes of his or her parents, and should not have to pay the ultimate price for these mistakes. Rape and incest are both horrible acts that are committed upon women, and a woman who has conceived a child through rape or incest should focus on having the perpetrator punished for his wrongdoing, rather than punishing her own innocent child with death! Therefore, I am so grateful unto God for allowing Roe v. Wade to be overturned, so that we can finally see states that have governments that care about God and all lives work to protect more babies, and so that we can see more people standing up for what is right in this world, rather than following Satan. This is indeed a wonderful day, not only for young girls and women of all ages today, but for the future of all mankind. I hope that this text has helped you think about how horrible the idea of killing innocent children is, and how wonderful it is that the highest court in the United States has made it unlawful to commit murder on our precious little ones!  The Bible speaks of celestial beings known as the Cherubim. Popular culture will make you think that cherubs are “baby angels,” and they are often depicted as babies with wings on their backs, This is not the case, however, because the prophet Ezekiel describes the Cherubim in Ezekiel Chapter 1, verses 4-24 in this way:
“And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass. And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings. Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward. As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning. Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces. The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went. As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four. And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above. And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies. And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.” Ezekiel identifies the amazing creatures that he sees as the cherubim in Ezekiel 10:1-2. The purpose of the cherubims as we can see from Scripture is to praise God and do what He wants them to do. In Revelation Chapters 4-6, the apostle John sees beasts that are most likely the cherubim. Unlike the popular idea that cherubim are little baby angels with wings, the depiction that Ezekiel and John gave of the appearance of the cherubim was a creature that had the head of a lion, the head of an eagle, the head of an ox, and the head of a man. Each head of the cherubim represented the Supremacy of God. For example, the lion is the “king of the jungle,” so to speak, the ox is the superior of all of the work of animals, the eagle is the superior of all of the birds, and mankind is superior to all living creatures upon the Earth. The cherubim are also depicted as having four wings, two of which covered their bodies, and two were outstretched. They also had four human hands underneath each wing, as well as feet like calves’ feet. Most notably, they had four wheels, and these wheels were described as a “wheel within a wheel.” These wheels allowed the cherubim to move around without turning around, which is symbolic of how God is every where at all times. Also, each wheel had many eyes, which is symbolic of God being able to see everything, and how He is ever watchful of the things going on upon the Earth! These wheels obviously do not refer to UFO’s and aliens like some think. The cherubim were also used as guards in the Bible, such as when Adam and Eve are cast out of the garden of Eden, God placed cherubim wielding flaming swords in the eastern part of the garden, to keep them out. Genesis 3:24 makes this clear with these words, “So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” Depictions of cherubims are placed in either side of the ark of the covenant which was located in the most holy place in the temple as we see in Exodus 37. Now, before I close this article and our time of study together, I want us to reflect in looking back on Ezekiel’s vision about which I referred earlier. Above the cherubim was placed a crystal-like “firmament” which was in the shape of a throne, and on the throne was the figure of a man who was clothed in a bright light with a rainbow above His Head (Ezekiel 1:25-28). Ezekiel states, by inspiration of God, “This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.” Also, Ezekiel 2:1-4 identifies this One as the Lord God. How wonderful it will be when we will be able to see these images for ourselves in Heaven! Let these thoughts motivate you to live every day for the Lord and to not “grow weary in well doing” (Galatians 6:9).  All Christians have the Hope of being in Heaven one day. We look forward to being in the presence of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit for all eternity. We long for the day that we will see our loved ones who have passed on before us, as well as all of the faithful men and women who lived since the beginning of Creation.
Another wonderful thing that we have to look forward to is getting to witness the wonderful celestial beings that also reside in Heaven which are mentioned in the Bible. Over the course of three articles, I want us to focus our hearts and minds on these amazing beings, created by God. We will start with the group of them that seems to be the most familiar to people, yet about whom there are many misunderstandings. Then, we will look at two more groups about which there is not as much familiarity. Can you think of the group that is most familiar to people? This group is known as the angels. Let’s look at this type of celestial being in more detail.
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).  This past Monday was Memorial Day, where our nation stopped to honor those in the military who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom. Even though it is wonderful to do this, we must also remember the greatest sacrifice that ever took place on the Earth, and that is the sacrifice Christ gave on the Cross for the remission of our sins.
The practice of crucifixion was common during Jesus’ time on the Earth, especially in the Roman Empire. For example, in 71 B.C., following a slave revolt in Rome, 6,000 recaptured slaves were crucified on the Appian Way leading to the city. This form of execution was also employed by the Persians, Greeks, and the Jews. Alexander the Great was said to have 2,000 men, and the Jew Alexander Jannaeus crucified 800 Pharisees who had been involved in a revolt. Crucifixion is said to be the worst way to die, which is why it was typically used for criminals. The person who was to be crucified was first subjected to a beating with a three-thong whip made of leather with pieces of bone or metal attached to it. The victim was stripped naked and then was secured with leather ties. He was then beaten from his upper hack to the lower extremities of his legs. The flesh would be separated from the muscle during these beatings. Eventually muscle could he shredded from the bone. The bones of the back, including the spinal column, was often exposed during these beatings. It was not uncommon for these beatings to be fatal. It is said by historians that such a beating would have most likely left Jesus in a physically critical state, even before the crucifixion took place. After the beating, Jesus was required to carry the cross to the execution site. It is said that the upper crossbar of the cross would have weighed 120 pounds, which easily explains why Jesus needed assistance carrying it after the previous brutal beating (Luke 23:26). Once He had reached to place where He would be crucified, Jesus’ wrists would have been nailed to the cross. It is a common belief that Jesus’ palms were nailed to the Cross, but this would not have been so because a nail through the palm of the hand would not have been able to hold up the weight of the rest of the body. Therefore, the Romans would place a nail through each of the wrists of the person being crucified. The Greek word for “hands” (cheiras) such as was used in John 20:27 also referred to the wrists. Jesus’ feet were nailed as well. In 1968 the first remains of a crucified man was found in Jerusalem with a 7 inch nail pierced through his heels. A criminal who was subjected to crucifixion was left hanging until they died from extensive blood loss and suffocation. Many people lived for days in this manner, however, Jesus only lived 6 hours. Jesus’ crucifixion was prophesized a thousand years before He came to the Earth. In Psalm 22:14-18, King David, who was a prophet himself, wrote the following: “I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint: My heart is like wax; It is melted within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; And my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; And thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: A company of evildoers have inclosed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. I may count all my bones; They look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, And upon my vesture do they cast lots” Other prophecies of Jesus’ crucifixion include Isaiah 50:6 which foretold Jesus’ back being beaten, Psalm 22:16 foretells Jesus’ hands and feet being pierced, and His clothing being divided, Psalm 69:21 foretells how Jesus was given vinegar and gall to drink. Although it was often the case that those crucified were not given a burial, but left out in the open to rot or be eaten by animals, Christ was given a tomb by a wealthy Jew, and this was prophesized in Isaiah 53:9). All of these prophecies show the divine origin of the Bible. The reason Christ died such a horrendous death on the Cross was to fulfill God’s Plan of Salvation. He had to die in such a manner that He shed blood, so that we could have remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22). God’s Plan was that His Son would offer His life in exchange of mankind’s (I Corinthians 15:3). Jesus, Who was innocent, died in the same manner that was bestowed upon the guiltiest of criminals, so that we, who are guilty of sin, could have eternal life. We can also be buried and raised up with Christ in baptism, and have remission of sins. (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-4). During His time on the Cross, Christ spoke eight sentences before finally fulfilling His mission here on the Earth. These seven sayings were as follows: 1. “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) 2. “Verily, I say unto thee, today thou shalt be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43) 3. {To His mother, Mary, regarding the apostle John} “Woman behold thy son” (John 19:26) 4. [To the apostle, John, regarding His mother, Mary] “Behold thy mother” (John 19:27). John, from that point, took Mary into his own home. 5. “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, my God, why hast though forsaken me?”(Matthew 27:46) 6. “I thirst” (John 19: 28) 7. “It is finished” (John 19:30). 8. “Father, into thy hands, I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46). We should take time out of every day and think about the great suffering and sacrifice that Jesus endured so that we can have eternal life in Heaven. God wants all of us to be saved, however it is our responsibility to choose to be saved. None of us are worthy of Heaven because we are all sinners (Romans 3:23), however, through the great Mercy of God, and the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, can we have a home in Heaven, if we are faithful and obedient to His Word (Jude 13:21). Whenever we are tempted to follow the ways of the world, let us take time to think about the horrible suffering and death that Christ endured so that we can be saved, and let us all be grateful to Him for this sacrifice. We are given a wonderful gift that we do not need to squander away by trying to “fit in” with the ways of the world. May we all strive to work every day to be the best Christians we can be, so that we can honor Christ in our thoughts, actions, and appearance! When others look at us, they should see more of Christ than they do of us! It is only in this way that we can shine our Christian lights into the world and influence others to follow Christ.  Everyone has different opinions about how things should be in this world, and how others should think, feel, and act. That is why I would say that every adult living today has faced some criticism at some point in his or her life. Some of this criticism may have no basis in truth, and therefore, we should not internalize it because the criticism given is only meant to hurt us. The Bible speaks against those who wrongfully criticize others, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29).
However, there is such a thing as “constructive criticism” which is designed to help a person grow rather than hurt you. Constructive criticism is given to a person who is doing wrong in an attempt to help that person see the error of his/her way and grow. Christians may see fellow Christians doing something wrong in the Sight of God, and try to teach that person better. It might also be given to someone who is doing right, but who could do even better. We are commanded to help one another grow spiritually, and that can sometimes involve giving one another constructive criticism. “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.” (Luke 17:3). “This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;” (Titus 1:13). Have you ever received constructive criticism from a fellow Christian? That person may have seen something that you were doing which was spiritually wrong, and you may have thought you were doing the right thing. How did you handle the criticism? We are to receive constructive criticism, and apply it to our learning and spiritual growth, even though we might perceive it as hurtful at first. “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” (Hebrews 12:11). There are 3 ways that most people handle constructive criticism. See if you know someone who falls into one of these categories:
Instead of becoming angry with the messenger, many people who heard the preaching of the Gospel were pricked in their hearts, and asked Peter what they needed to do to be saved (v. 37). Unlike those who stoned Stephen, who were said to be “cut to the heart” (Acts 7:54), and then proceeded to gnash on him with their teeth and stone him, these people of Acts 2 were cut or pricked to the heart, and responded appropriately by asking what to do to be saved. Peter replied with the following: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (v.38). These people had humbled themselves and allowed themselves to hear Peter’s message from God which meant that they were spiritually wrong. They “that gladly received his word were baptized,” and 3,000 souls were baptized that day (v. 41). Consider how many souls would be saved today and how many faithful Christians there would be if everyone was as open to the Truth as these people! To grow spiritually, we have to be open to constructive criticism, even though it may not feel good to us in the beginning. We do not always see the error of our ways, and we can learn from the wisdom of others, “A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.” (Proverbs 17:10). We can also learn from daily Bible reading: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” (I Timothy 3:16, Psalm 1:2, II Timothy 2:15). Likewise, if we are the ones giving constructive criticism to an erring brother or sister in Christ, we should be mindful of the 3 reactions we may get in return and prepare ourselves to handle them accordingly. Remember, too, that sometimes constructive criticism is given to those who are doing right, but who could do even better. If we can focus on being the best Christians we can be, and help others do the same, then we all can spend an eternity in Heaven together!  In this life, there is a certain view that many people of the world have of what makes a person a success. Most people in the world consider having great riches makes a person a success. Others may think that being famous makes you a success. Still others may say that living life the way you want to live it makes you a success. But what does it mean to really be a success in life?
Being a true success in life doesn’t require you to have a lot of money. It doesn’t require you to have a high-paying, high-profile job. It doesn’t even require you to be famous. What makes us a true success in life is living our lives as faithful Christians and going to Heaven when we die. If we fail to do either of these things, then we are failures in life. King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 12:13 says; “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Our whole purpose for being on this earth is to fear God and to obey Him. If we do these things throughout our lives and are able to have a home in Heaven after we die, then we are a true success! Likewise, we are a success if we teach our children to be faithful Christians. Most parents are focused on making sure that their children make a certain letter grade in school, learn as much as they can about the various subjects taught in school, or acquire that academic or athletic scholarship. Unfortunately, many parents place these things above this children’s spiritual training. There are many children who do very well in school, but who have never been to a worship service of the church. This is so sad because these parents are setting their children up for failure. Yes, they may do well in this life, with jobs that allow them to make enough money to have as many temporary luxuries as they want. However, when it’s all said and done, and their lives are over, these children who were taught to base their entire focus and identity on earthly things, will have no place in Heaven, which is solely for spiritually minded Christians. Parents, if you fail to do your duty of training your children to be faithful Christians throughout their lives, then you are a failure in life. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6). We have to measure ourselves with God’s Measurements, not the measuring stick that the world uses, because the world only focuses on the “here-and-now.” Our minds should be always fixed on eternity, and when we do this, the various troubles and cares of this world will seem more like the “small stuff” in comparison. The “big stuff” in life have to do with spiritual matters, not matters of the world. We cannot let our jobs, families, friends, hobbies, or anything else take priority above serving God and obeying Him. If we allow worldly things to take first place over spiritual things, then we are making the world our home and not Heaven. “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: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21), If we lose Heaven, we have lost everything and everything we have done while on this earth will be for nothing. “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). So, do not worry about how much or how little you have accomplished in this life. If you are living the life of a faithful Christian, you are a major success in this life! It does not matter what the world thinks of you, it is what God Thinks of you that matters! If you are not living faithfully to God’s Word, I encourage you to start doing so now! Your eternal soul depends on it!  As Christians, we are to examine our own spiritual lives and make sure that it lines up with God’s Word in the Bible. We are commanded to examine ourselves in II Corinthians 13:5. “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” The word “reprobate” in this verse means “unapproved” by God. So, in order for us to remain faithful Christians from the point at which we are baptized to the point of our death, we have to take the time to think about how we conduct ourselves from day to day and determine if there is anything amiss in our lives.
To help you examine your spiritual standing with God, here are a few questions that may help. Ask yourself these questions to help determine if you are still living the life of a faithful Christian:
Did you know that the Earth contains 352 (352,000,000,000,000,000,000) gallon-sized milk containers of water? And yet, Isaiah 40:12 says that God can measure all of the water on the Earth in the hollow of His Hand.
Did you also know that the Earth weighs over 13 septillion (13,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000) pounds? Yet Isaiah 40:12 goes on to say that God can calculate and measure all of the dust of the Earth, the mountains and hills. The universe stretches out more than 200 sextillion miles (2000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000). Yet God can measure the universe by the width of His Hand. Scientists claim that there are over 100 billion galaxies, and each galaxy has over 100 billion stars. Yet Isaiah 40:26 says that God who created the stars, can call each star by name. So, if our God can hold the ocean in the palm of His Hand, if He can consider the weight of the dust of the Earth, if He can measure the width of the universe with the span of his hand, and he can call each star by its name, then He can most assuredly handle the problems and difficulties of our lives! ““Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest”(Joshua 1:9). There is nothing that God cannot do, for with God, all things are possible! (Mark 10:27). Therefore, seek God’s Help in times of trouble through the avenue of prayer, and God will be with you, if you are obedient and faithful to Him! This is the only way that we can have the peace that passes all understanding that the apostle Paul speaks of in Philippians 4:7. The life of the faithful Christian is truly the best life we can have here on the Earth because we have God on our side no matter what happens to us in this life. May we all work every day to be more like Christ and less like ourselves so that we will be able to have wonderful lives here, and even better lives in eternity!
On February 26, 2022, I gave a lesson on "The Home" during a Ladies'Bible Class held at Tennessee Bible College during their annual "Renew" Lectureship. Please click the "Play" button below to hear the lesson! A lesson on what God expects of the home is a much needed topic for discussion in today's day and time. I hope you enjoy this lesson and gain some knowledge from it that will help you draw closer to God and His Word!
Campaign church of Christ will be having thier annual Homecoming this Sunday, March 27, 2022 beginning at 10AM for Bible Class, 11 AM for the first worship service with a fellowship meal following the 11 o'clock worship service, and our last service will be at 1:30! All are invited, and there are classes for all ages!   In today’s time where the divorce rate in America has only slightly lowered due to the fact that more couples are choosing to just live together rather than marry and where children are raised without ever being taught about the Lord, more teaching about what makes a Christ-centered home is vitally important.
God created the home in Genesis 2:18-24. Since God created the home, He intends for every home to be a Christ-centered one. The home can only be a Christ-centered home if husband and wife have a Christ-centered marriage. This means that both husband and wife should be faithful Christians. Being faithful Christians means that both the husband and wife must work to help one another go to Heaven every day. They should also worship God together, and attend worship services together regularly. They must also show Christ-like love for one another like that mentioned in I Corinthians 13:4-7, which states, “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own,is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” In my work as a counselor, I did various marriage counseling sessions, and the root cause of many of their problems was a lack of Christ in their marriages. When and if children come into the home, it is the husband and wife’s responsibility to raise them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). This involves making sure that their children attend worship services regularly, and that the whole family attend worship services together. There are many cases that I have seen in my work as a counselor where more than one generation of a family have never set foot in a church building, and as a result, their lives are chaos. So many children are being raised to believe that God is not real, even at the youngest of ages. How horrible that must be as a child to not have the hope of Heaven! Satan is trying his best to destroy our homes, because if he can control a home, he can keep that many more precious souls out of Heaven. That is why it is so important that whether we are married or not, we should know how to keep a Christ-centered home that will help ourselves and others go to Heaven. May we all strive to always put Christ first in our lives, for our own sakes, and for the sakes of our spouses and children. If we lean on Christ for help, we will have the Christ-centered homes that will be like a slice of Heaven here on the Earth!   If you want to start the new year right, you need to study your Bible every day! A great way to learn more about the Bible is through Bible Correspondence Courses! For years, I have used Bible Correspondence courses to teach others about the Word of God. I am currently using 2 Bible Correspondence Courses; "Studies In the Bible" Correspondence Course, which teaches basic information about the Bible and it's teachings. The second Correspondence Course I am offering is "Foundations of Faith," which focuses on lessons concerning strengthening your faith in God. Both sets of Correspondence Courses are completely free to participate in! If you are interested in participating in one of these Bible Correspondence Courses, please email me your name, mailing address, and which correspondence course you would like to participate in. Once I get your information, I will send you your first lesson to complete and send back to me for grading. After I have received and graded your work, I will send your graded work to you, along with the next lesson to complete until you have competed all 30 lessons in the course. After you have completed all 30 lessons of one course, you can begin the next correspondence course for free and complete all 30 lessons of that course. Once again, both Bible correspondence courses are free! I hope that you will make 2022 the year that you grow closer to God by digging into His Word! You life will improve greatly if you do this! "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15).  As Christians, we are blessed immensely. We have the best lives here on the earth, and the promise of a home in Heaven when we die, or when the Day of Judgment occurs. Although we may face many challenges during our lives, we still have the best life because we always have God’s Favor and God’s Help, if we are faithful to Him at all times. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7).
What about the times in our lives when things have been going really good for a long period of time, and then we begin to face a challenge, or a series of challenges all at once? Does this mean that we are now fallen out of God’s Favor, or that He is punishing us for something we have done wrong? The short answer to this question is “not always,” but an examination of Scripture can help us understand this topic even more. In the book of Exodus, we see the Israelites who have been wandering in the wilderness for many years. During their time in the wilderness, the Jews complained to Moses and Aaron about being hungry, and regretting leaving Egypt. As a result, God blessed the Jews with food directly from heaven. “Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no. And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.” (Exodus 16:4-5). This manna was a very easy blessing of which to partake. It fell out of the sky like dew in the early morning, and all the Jews had to do was pick it up off of the ground and eat it. This is an example of a blessing that was easily given and easily received. God provides many blessing to us that are easily given and easily received if we live faithfully to Him. But what if certain blessings cease to come? This happened to the Jews. By the time the Israelites had reached the borders of the “Promised Land” of Canaan, Moses was dead, and Joshua the son of Nun was their leader. The land of Canaan was the land promised to the Jews by God, and it was where the Jews would prosper for many years. But let’s read what happens just before the Jews receive this huge blessing. Joshua 5:10-12 says, “And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho. And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day. And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.” How does the manna ceasing for the Jews apply to Christians today? The manna was a blessing from God that helped the Jews get through their lives in the wilderness. God gives us many blessing to help us through our lives as well. But notice what happened right before the Jews received a huge blessing of a home in Canaan, the blessing of the manna stopped. This tells us that for those who are faithful to God, He may stop some blessings from coming, or from coming as easily as they did before, but this only means that He has something bigger and better planned for us! God will never leave us “hanging” so to speak. Whenever God closes a door in one area of our lives, He will open another door for us, as long as we cling to Him and stay faithful. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10). God knows our past, present, and future. He knows what is best for us, and He knows what blessings will benefit us the most according to what He has planned for our lives. God’s Plan for us may not be the same as our plan for ourselves, but it is the Best Plan. He always has our best interest in mind, and His Mind is so much greater than ours. Therefore we should examine ourselves frequently (2 Corinthians 13:5) and make sure that we are truly faithful to God in ALL aspects of our lives. If we do find ourselves truly faithful, trust that the challenges that we are facing are not due to being punished by God, but because God has something even greater planned for us! For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)  The life of a Christians is the best life that we can have on this earth. Not only do we have the promise of a home in Heaven, but we have the rewards that come with living a faithful life here on the earth. Being a faithful Christian causes us to have to face persecution and challenges at various times throughout our lives, but God will always see us through the storms, and help us on our journey to Heaven.
God speaks about how He helps us get through this life in the best way possible. “ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” (Jeremiah 29:11). However, we must do our part and be faithful to God, and He will reward us. We must make sure that our lives are free from sin in order to be able to partake in God’s Deliverance. I am reminded of those faithful people who are mentioned in the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11. This chapter mentions at several points how God delivered those who are faithful out of the challenges they were facing, and due to their steadfast subjection to Him, He gave them the ultimate deliverance, which is a home in Heaven. Those who were delivered by God had faith that He would help them in their times of need. For example, in Hebrews 11, we are given the example of Abraham’s faith in God to deliver his son, Isaac from death, after being commanded to offer him as a sacrifice. “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.” (Hebrews 11:17-19). The apostle Paul speaks about God’s deliverance of those who are repentant and faithful in Romans chapter 8. At the time of the writing of the book of Romans, the Old Law, which is the law that those who are mentioned in Hebrews 11 were under, had ceased to be after the death and resurrection of Christ (Colossians 2:14). Paul mentions this fact in Romans 8:2-3;” For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:” So according to these verses, God has delivered us from having to follow the Old Law. We are now under the New Covenant, as Colossians 2:14 says. Paul goes onto to speak about how we can work to obtain God’s Deliverance. Romans 8 teaches us that we must keep our bodies and minds out of the world and focused on spiritual things in order to be able to win a home in Heaven. “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Romans 8:4-6). Having a worldly mind makes us enemies of God (Romans 8:7). We must always strive to be spiritually minded and to live as much of a spiritually clean life as we can. No one is perfect, and we all make mistakes. We are so blessed to have a God who is Merciful and Patient towards us despite our many flaws. May we work to serve Him each and every day so that we may have deliverance from an eternity in Hell. By living faithful Christian lives, we can have a home in Heaven with God for all eternity. These thoughts should motivate us to continue to “press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God “(Philippians 3:14).  As Christians, we are required to teach salvation and help to bring sinners to repentance through the Bible, which is the inspired Word of God. “All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” (II Timothy 3:16). It is a wonderful feeling to see unbelievers repent and become baptized, and to know that you helped them reach this wonderful goal.
Even the smallest of gestures can have a profound effect on someone, and make them realize that they need to become a Christian. Just recently, my husband and I delivered a fruit basket to a man who had just been diagnosed with cancer. We knew that this man was not a Christian, so we made a point to talk with him about becoming a Christian when we delivered his fruit basket. A few days later, a fellow preacher, called my husband and told him that my husband had really impressed the man that we had talked to about his salvation, and the man was asking the preacher, who worked with the man, various questions about the Bible. The following Wednesday night, this man showed up at our congregation for Bible study, and was baptized the week after that. He still attends with our congregation, and since his baptism, he has been doing so well with his chemotherapy treatments, that his doctors are amazed! This example shows that something as simple as giving a fruit basket to someone can help lead them to Christ! But what happens when that Christian falls away from God? We are to go to that person and try to get them to repent. Galatians 6:1 reads, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” Once we go to the erring Christian and teach them the reason why they need to repent, it is a joyous occasion indeed when that person turns back to God. Just like the example of the fruit basket, it sometimes does not take much for a person to repent of their sinful ways. However, this is not always the case, and we can see this in the book of Lamentations. To backtrack a little, in the book of Jeremiah, the prophet of the same name had been prophesying to the children of Israel for forty years. God came to Jeremiah with His message to the Israelites when Jeremiah was only a child (Jeremiah 1:6). [1] God tells Jeremiah about His Plan to punish Israel for their wickedness, and encourages Jeremiah to deliver this message to the Israelites, even though they will not listen. “Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. Judah. For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.” (Jeremiah 1:14 19). Jeremiah pleaded with the Israelites to turn away from idolatry and to change their wicked ways, but they would not listen. The Israelites, namely the inhabitants of Judah which consisted of the tribes of Benjamin and Judah, had been spiritually decaying for many years since the ten tribes of Israel was destroyed by Assyria in 750 B.C. Although there was a small resurgence of righteous behavior under the rule of King Josiah, this did not last. Finally, it was time for God to punish His children for their wrongdoing, which they continued to do despite Jeremiah’s warnings. In around 600 BC, God used King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, to punish the Israelites by looting the temple, stealing the gold, and putting many Israelites in captivity. Those Israelites who remained in the city were ruled by King Zedekiah who was just as wicked as Nebuchadnezzar. The Israelites who were ruled under Zedekiah faced severe famine and poverty (II Kings 24:10-20). A few years later, King Zedekiah rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, and Nebuchadnezzar came back and besieged Jerusalem for 18 months. During this time, people were murdered by the Babylonians, and the house of God was destroyed, the wall of Jerusalem was broken down, and all of the palaces were burned to the ground (II Chronicles 36:17-21). Jeremiah witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of the Israelites by the Babylonians, and the book of Lamentations is full of Jeremiah’s sorrow for the plight of the Hebrew people, as well as the sorrow that the Hebrew people felt being in captivity. When a Christian falls from grace, he or she may face punishment for their sins in this life, as well as the next life. I know from my experiences as a counselor, that many people who commit wrongdoings have many challenges in their lives that they would not be facing otherwise, and they deal with a lot of sorrow and sadness because of this. The same situation, although to a much greater extent than I have seen, happened to the Israelites in Babylonian captivity. Once a great nation of God’s People, the book of Lamentations shows the Israelites as a broken people, who now see the error of their sinful ways. “The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity. I called for my lovers, but they deceived me: my priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city, while they sought their meat to relieve their souls." Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death. They have heard that I sigh: there is none to comfort me: all mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done it: thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called, and they shall be like unto me. Let all their wickedness come before thee; and do unto them, as thou hast done unto me for all my transgressions: for my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.” (Lamentations 1:18-22). Jeremiah, who has remained faithful throughout his life, is also facing persecution; however, he has hope in God to deliver him. “The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him” (Lamentations 3:24). The other Israelites, however, finally see the need to repent of their ways, and finally do so in Lamentations chapter 5. “Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old” (Lamentation 5:21). Sometimes it takes a major event to “wake up” a Christian to repentance. Christians who fall astray can be dealt with more firmly than with unbelievers because Christians know better than to commit sin. Hopefully an erring Christian will repent before they have to face punishment of any sort, but it is especially important that they repent before they face eternal punishment. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). A Christian has too much to lose, even more than the Israelites lost during their captivity, to risk dying in sin or being in sin when the day of Judgment comes. We must be like the prophet Jeremiah, and continue to teach those Christians who are in sin, no matter how many times we are rejected. “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12). We must do this in hopes that they will repent before it is too late. “For God [is] not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister” (Hebrews 6:10). By helping others reach the goal of Heaven, we are also helping ourselves reach that goal. We must be persistent like the prophet Jeremiah, and hope that our persistence pays off. If a person who is an erring Christian does not listen to your pleas for repentance the first, time, go to them again, and again when necessary. Sometimes it takes several visits with a person before they are willing to change. May we work every to help others and help ourselves be more and more like Christ each and every day! [  “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Philippians 4:6). We as Christians are commanded by God through the apostle Paul in such passages as Philippians 4:6 to “be careful for nothing” or to not worry. In times like these, with the Delta variant of the Covid-19 pandemic on the rise, it is a temptation for many to become worrisome about contracting this serious virus and/or spreading this virus to their loved ones and others. There are many who have already had this virus and who are dealing with the effects of having Covid-19 now. No matter what category you fall in, this past year and a half has been like nothing we have every seen in our lifetimes. That is why it is important to try to remember what Philippians 4:6 says, and not worry. For some, this is easier said than done. For those of you who are reading this and who might be struggling with worry and anxiety over the pandemic, or over any other challenge you are facing in life, here are some ways to overcome the temptation to worry.
A new episode on "Obeying God, Even in the Face of Adversity" can now be heard on the 5 Minutes of Faith on Friday Podcast! https://anchor.fm/brandi-gann. Click the link here, or click the "Play" button in the upper right hand corner of this blog page!  A new episode on "Staying Motivated As A Christian" can now be heard on the 5 Minutes of Faith on Friday Podcast! https://anchor.fm/brandi-gann. Click the link here, or click the "Play" button in the upper right hand corner of this blog page!  There is a growing trend among some churches of Christ to have what is known as “Baby Dedication Ceremonies.” In these ceremonies, a baby is brought forward before the church assembly by his or her parents, and the parents promise to raise the child in the Lord. I have heard of one congregation of the church of Christ do this in a town close to my hometown, and I wonder how many more are having these ceremonies also. No doubt the parents of these babies have very good intentions in “dedicating” their child to Christ before their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, but it is important to look at this from a Biblical standpoint.
Everything we do must be done with all authority from God. These baby dedication ceremonies where parents come forward and “dedicate” their children to the Lord have many similarities to the practice of “infant baptism” that the Roman Catholic Church performs. The practice of infant baptism is unscriptural because babies are completely innocent and without sin. They do not inherit “original sin” which is the false doctrine that the Roman Catholics have that we are all born with sin, since that time that Adam and Even sinned against God. This is simply not true. Babies have no capability to follow the Plan of Salvation which would lead to a scriptural baptism. Babies cannot hear and believe the Word of God (Romans 10:17;Mark 16:16), and they cannot repent of their sins, because they do not have any (Acts 2:38). Also, they are not able to talk and confess that Jesus is the Son of God, which is another step to the Plan of Salvation (Matthew 10:32). Since babies cannot follow the first four steps to the Plan of Salvation, then they are certainly not qualified to be baptized (Acts 22:16; I Peter 3:17-22). Of course, “baby dedication ceremonies’ do not require the infant to be sprinkled with water like the Catholic ceremony, which is not actually baptism at all, however, both ceremonies require that the parents come forward with their babies and profess their belief in Christ and “dedicate” them to the Lord. In an article from Simply Catholic called “Why Baptize Babies,” John Salza says, “Parents bring their babies to the waters of baptism by professing a belief in Christ on behalf of the child, and promising to raise him or her in the faith.” Besides the actual act of sprinkling the baby with water, both the church of Christ ceremony and the Catholic ceremony are identical. Not only that, but various Baptist churches have baby dedication ceremonies which are identical to the ones that some churches of Christ are having. According to an essay written by R. Scott Clark called “A Contemporary Reformed Defense of Infant Baptism,” the author talks about these “baby dedication ceremonies” held in the Baptist church. Regarding these ceremonies, Clark says; “Many Baptistic churches also allow the practice of baby dedication. It would appear that this rite substitutes for baptism of the children of believers. Why? Because believers instinctively know that they need to present their children to God. Like the altar call this is a human substitute for divinely instituted covenant signs and seals of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is the sign of entrance or initiation into the visible Covenant assembly (church). Baby dedication fulfills this function.” If members of the church of Christ still want to set themselves apart from the denominational world, then participating in baby dedication ceremonies is a step in the wrong direction! But a person might say “If the baby isn’t baptized, then what is wrong with having the dedication ceremony.” One thing we must consider is why are churches of Christ having “baby dedication ceremonies” in the first place? Everyone who becomes a Christian is required to raise their current or future children in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). No ceremony is needed for parents to raise their children in the Lord, it is a commandment from God. Secondly, a person cannot “dedicate” any other person to the Lord, especially babies who are completely innocent. “And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3).” Baby dedication ceremonies are just one tiny step away from the infant baptism ceremonies of the Roman Catholic Church, and that is a step too close! If we want the youth in our congregations to be raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, parents, and all members of the church of Christ can pray for the youth to be trained as they should and become faithful Christians. This can be done in private, and it can also be done during the worship services of the church. Our youth are the future of the church, and we need as many faithful members of the church as we can to carry on the service of the Lord’s church! By looking at these points, it appears that “baby dedication ceremonies” are foreign to the New Testament, and they show how some congregations of the church of Christ want to infiltrate some denominational ideas into the church while still wanting to appear separate and apart from denominations at the same time. Fellow Christians, we cannot do both! “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). We have to either stand with God and only do what the Bible commands us to do, or we stand with mammon (the world) and follow any “popular” trend that some brethren in the church try to implement without Biblical authority. In cases like these we need to make sure that we are studying our Bibles enough to know when wrong is being done, and have the courage to stand against it! A new episode on "Attributes of God" can now be heard on the 5 Minutes of Faith on Friday Podcast! God to https://anchor.fm/brandi-gann, or clicke the "Play" button in the upper right-hand corner of this page!  One of my great grandfathers on my father’s side was a very poor man. He worked cutting timber most of his life, and he and his wife and children lived in what my grandmother would call a “tar paper shack.” The shack did not even have a door when my grandmother was small, just some tar paper and quilts placed over the entrance. Later on, when my father was a child, my great grandparents lived in a house owned by the company my great grandfather worked for, and it was located in the middle of a lumber yard. In his later life, my great grandfather managed to gather enough money together to buy a few burial plots for his family at a local cemetery in our town. After he had bought these plots, a very wealthy business owner came to my great grandfather saying that he was going to move all of my great grandfather’s burial plots to another part of the cemetery because the section in which my great grandfather chose to buy plots “wasn’t meant for poor people.” Obviously this made my great grandfather very angry, and to this day, that side of my family does not patronize that man’s business, even though both he and my great grandfather have been dead for many years. We, as human beings, cannot imagine what it would be like to exist outside of this physical body and this physical world. That is why it is so easy for some people to focus too much on the money and material possessions that they have. This can be at the expense of their souls. “For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:25). This verse does not say that it is impossible for a rich person to go to Heaven, but it can be more challenging, because the more money a person has, the more that he or she is focused on making money rather than on God. Money can also change how some people treat others, such as in the example I gave in the beginning of this article. We are to treat everyone with love and respect, no matter what their social status is in life. “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). God is the One who gives us what we have, and it is only through Him that the rich acquire their riches. “The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up” (I Samuel 2:7). Being poor also does not mean that a person is automatically going to Heaven. Sometimes those who are poor are so focused on improving their financial situation that they forget God. Too much focus on making money and acquiring luxuries in this life at the expense of spiritual salvation can cause anyone from any economic status to be lost. “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (I Timothy 6:10). God does not care how much money we have. Thankfully, God only sees us for who we really are rather than what we have. He is not going to treat some people who have more money better than those who have little money, as some people are prone to do. We must avoid making earthly possessions our idols before God. We can do this by focusing more on spiritual matters than the temporary cares of this world.“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: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”. (Matthew 6:19-21). By the way, the story that I told at the beginning of this article has a happy ending. It turned out that my great grandfather was able to keep the burial plots that he had already purchased, and he, my great grandmother, and other members of their family are buried there today.   When I was a teenager, I remember always enjoying watching the self-proclaimed “psychic,” Sylvia Browne, when she would make frequent appearances on The Montel Williams Show. I did not watch The Montel Williams Show, but whenever I would flip through the T.V. channels and see Sylvia sitting there, I just had to see what she was up to!
On these shows, there would be several people from the audience who would ask Sylvia questions about their future. Some would ask about who they would marry, others would ask about possible career paths in the future. The saddest situations would be when guests would ask about whether their missing loved ones were still alive or not. Sylvia Browne would give these guests her thoughts about what their future would look like, and where their missing loved ones might be. I remember one episode in particular, where two parents from the audience were asking Sylvia to give them the identity of the person who murdered their teenage daughter. The parents did not reveal how their daughter died. Instead of giving them an exact description of the perpetrator, Browne began talking about how she believed their daughter had been murdered. She began talking about how the young girl who was murdered was drowned by the perpetrator and how she could see water in the young girl’s lungs. After hearing this, the mother began shaking her head. The father then revealed that their daughter did not die by drowning, but from a gunshot wound to the head. Browne has also been reported to have told parents that their abducted children were dead, only to find out later that these children were alive. Cases like this show how fraudulent so-called “psychics” really are. God condemns anyone who practices this form of witchcraft. Witchcraft is spoken against in the Old Testament in such verses as Exodus 22:18; “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live,” and Deuteronomy 18:10-12; “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.” Clearly, professing psychic abilities is a sin. There are so-called “psychics” out there who claim to “talk to the dead.” I remember a famous man by the name of John Edwards who claimed to do this, and even had his own show Crossing Over with John Edwards. Souls of those who have died do not connect with those who are living. “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. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6). Another example of how talking to the dead is really not possible is in I Samuel chapter 28. When asked by King Saul to bring up the spirit of Samuel (v. 11), the witch of Endor, who claimed to be able to conjure up the dead, “cried with a loud voice” when she saw the spirit of Samuel before her (v. 12). If the witch of Endor really could bring up souls of the dead before her paying customers, then she would not have cried out in fear when the spirit of Samuel really did show up! That is because it was only through the Power of God that Samuel appeared and not by the witch of Endor. These verses show that “talking to the dead” cannot be done, so anyone who claims to do this in exchange for money is a fraud! What about astrology, numerology, and the like? These things can be classified as witchcraft as well because they have to do with foretelling of the future. No one knows the future except God. By basing our daily living on what our horoscopes say, we are trusting in something else besides God, thus making these things our idols. “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: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:19-21). We are to seek God First in all aspects of our lives. We are to trust Him to take care of us today, tomorrow, and every day. If we do this, we will not feel the need to seek reassurance about our future from mortal men and women who have no control over it. We should seek the assurance and peace that only God can give us, because, just as the spiritual hymn says, He Holds the future in His Hands! Check out the new episode on "Pride" that is now available to listen on the 5 Minutes of Faith on Friday Podcast! Go to https://anchor.fm/brandi-gann to listen, or click the "Play" button in the upper right hand corner of this page. Hope you all enjoy! |