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Luke 24:13-35 Have you ever “packed it in”? Your were convinced that there was no good reason to continue with something so you just picked up the pieces and left. We might be referring to a fishing trip when they weren’t biting and the weather turned sour, so you just packed everything up and went home. Maybe we’re talking about a business you started, but it just never got off of the ground. Everything you tried just sort of fizzled, so you finally “packed it in.” Sometimes this happens with faith in God. A person starts out trusting the Lord, and things are going along pretty well. Then some big problem comes along or tragedy strikes. Things don’t improve. They might get worse. There seems to be no relief or hope in sight. Trust in God wanes. His promises seem empty. After a while, this individual just “packs it in.” They see no reason to continue believing in this God who has disappointed them so much. This is what happened with the two disciples who had “packed it in” and were leaving Jerusalem. (Please read our text.) They had been convinced that Jesus was the one to “redeem Israel,” and when the chief priests delivered Him up to Pilate, and He was crucified, this was too much for them. They had “packed it in” and left town. Now what we don’t ever want to do is give up on God. If we truly believe His promises to us, “packing it in” is not an option. If we believe He loves us; if we believe that He rules over all the earth and spirit world; if we believe that with Him all things are possible, then we will never give up trusting in our God. Things in life can get very dark at times. Circumstances can be very grim and near to unbearable, but don’t give up on God. He is always working, and He is right there with you in the middle of your trouble. And just when you think that it’s time to “pack it in,” He will send a blessing which you never saw coming! Just ask those two who were on the road to Emmaus whose eyes were opened, and that flame ignited in their hearts again. Such are the ways of God.

Mark1 5:6-15 To some extent or another, all of the gospel writers include this in their account of Jesus’ trial before Pilate. His custom had been to release for the Jews during the feast of the Passover one prisoner whom he had been holding. This was to demonstrate his good faith toward them and thereby help keep them pacified. When Jesus was brought before Pilate, the chief priests stirred up the crowd against Him. When Pilate asked whom they wanted released, they shouted for Barabbas. (We are told he had committed murder in an insurrection and was a robber by trade.) Pilate knew that Jesus had done nothing worthy of death, but after much insistent shouting by the crowd, he gave in to their will and released Barabbas. The crowd chose Barabbas over Jesus. They chose a murderer over a Man who had given life to many. They chose a man of the world over a Man of God. They chose a robber over a Man who had freely given of Himself. They chose the person that others had told them to choose rather than the Person which their own common sense, rational thinking, and conscience should have guided them to choose. As Christians, we are all challenged on a regular basis to make similar choices. It’s called temptation in all its subtle forms. Do I choose to smile or wear my normal grumpy look? Do I choose “St Mattress by the Springs” on Sunday morning or the assembly of the saints? Do I choose to go to “that” website or shut it down? Do I choose to offer my help or look the other way? Do I choose to reply with loud, harsh words or with something calm and measured? Do I choose wisdom or foolishness? Do I choose the evil or the good? Do I choose Jesus or ???

Ephesians 5:15-17 While I was cleaning out some old files, I ran across this article which I wrote a good while back. Although it was not dated, I am sure it was from the 1990's. Little has changed; in fact, things have probably gotten worse! I saw a strange sight the other morning while I was on my exercise walk. Well, maybe it isn’t such a strange sight these days, but it struck a chord in my mind. A lady stopped her car at a stop sign. A young girl in the passenger seat was busily eating. She wasn’t eating a snack food; she had a spoon and was eating something out of a bowl. Since this was around 8:00am, I assume it was her breakfast. The thought came home to me: “Is this what life has become?” Every segment of society screams for your time. At work, the boss always wants a little bit more of your day. Volunteers are always needed to help with children’s organizations. Phone solicitors call you at home, even on Sundays now. Sale papers tell you to “Hurry” or you’ll miss out–“Limited Quantities.” We have so much packed into our days that we don’t have time for what truly counts: our families and our Savior. Wherein lies the fault for this great demand on our time? Well, you can slice it twenty ways, but the fault is ours. We have bought society’s pitch that REAL LIVING is when you and your kids are involved in EVERYTHING, and that a person can’t possibly be happy or fulfilled (or normal?) by STAYING HOME and ENJOYING YOUR FAMILY or HELPING SOMEONE ELSE. Cut those cords! Say “NO!” “...do not be conformed to this world...” - Romans 12:2. I’ve read that the basic meaning of this phrase is not to be pressed into a mold like the world. Doesn’t that just irk you a little that Satan is trying to squeeze you into another little figure he can put on his shelf? Are you eating breakfast in the car? ><>Jeff

Matthew 25:35 Visiting a church on Sunday morning where we are “strangers” isn’t something which we relish doing. We don’t know anybody, and we’re unfamiliar with the surroundings. To some extent we don’t know what to expect. It’s a strange feeling which I’m sure you’ve experienced. But for various reasons (and there’s always a reason), people choose to “visit” a church where they are strangers. Jesus teaches us about care for the stranger. “...I was a stranger and you welcomed me” or “you invited me in.” When you were a “stranger” somewhere, what things were done for you which relieved your anxieties and helped you feel welcome? Did you ever visit anywhere that you didn’t really feel welcome? Let’s consider some things which we should do to truly help visitors feel welcome in our midst. > Greet visitors with a smile. This should be done not just by the “greeters” at the door or the preacher or the elders. Everybody should be keenly interested in greeting visitors. > Help them find a seat; even invite them to sit with you! > Learn their names. Take an interest in them and why they came our way. They have come to be with us for a reason. > As necessary, tell them the location of the classrooms, restrooms and the lift. > Ask if they are familiar at all with our worship. Explain what will be happening. Answer their questions. > Tell them about the Bibles, the DVDs and literature which are available if they have an interest. > Encourage them to be sure and get a bulletin which will contain the information about our media outreach. In short, we should do whatever we can to welcome visitors and help them feel at home. Our aim should be that when they leave they would not feel they were strangers any more and would feel very comfortable in returning. ><> Jeff

Ecclesiastes 12:11 Today, we present more quotes and sayings from my collection. May these be a source of inspiration and insight for you. > Confession without repentance is just bragging. > Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game. > The gospel message doesn’t end with the cross precisely because the cross was not the end of Jesus. – Jim McGuiggan > Coincidences are simply situations in which God chooses to remain anonymous. > Do we look for excuses to stay away or reasons to get involved? > A lot of what I thought was my personality was just sin. – Andree Seu > If you follow Jesus, you will never get lost. > How you view things can profoundly affect what you see. – Paul Bauer > There’s something wrong if you’re always right. If Christ is not raised, nothing matters. – Jaroslav Pelikan ><> Jeff

Galatians 5:17-24 In the last two years, I’ve made more trips to doctor’s offices and hospitals than I have all my years prior. While sitting in waiting rooms, I usually observe the other people who also have come to be examined, treated, tested, etc. Some look as if nothing is wrong (perhaps there isn’t), while others are hobbling, coughing, wincing in pain, breathing with difficulty, etc. It is marvelous how the Lord has made our bodies to let us know when something is wrong. Even though we rarely consider it from this perspective, God has also made our soul (spirit, heart) to function the same way. Considering our text, we would observe first that if we are involved in deeds of the flesh, something is wrong. Our soul is “sin sick.” When you are having impure thoughts, something is wrong. When you are screaming obscenities at someone, something is wrong. When you are constantly arguing with your spouse, something is wrong. When every little disagreement sets off a loud torrent of yelling something is wrong. When you are “green” with envy over another’s blessing, something is wrong. It means the flesh is in control of your actions. On the other hand, when we are not exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit, something is wrong. We are not being led by the Spirit of God. Our soul is “sin sick.” When we are not showing love in our lives but selfishness, something is wrong. When we do not have the joy of the Lord but a continual dismal outlook, something is wrong. When we are not at peace but constantly on edge, something is wrong. When we are impatient and snap at anything and everybody, or when we are being unkind and hurting others, something is wrong. When we are being unfaithful and not keeping our word to God and to others, something is wrong. When you have lost your self-control and something or someone else is controlling you, something is wrong. When we detect that something is wrong, we need to come to the Great Physician for healing. If you delay, it could be fatal. ><> Jeff

Hebrews 2:14-18 If you truly want to solve a problem (admittedly, sometimes we don’t!), you must face it head on and deal with the real causes. Too often, we don’t do this either, but God always goes right to the heart of a problem to get it resolved. This is what He did with the death-bringing sin problem of the human race. How do you solve humanity’s sin problem? Should it just be ignored as if it weren’t really a problem at all? Should God simply grant general amnesty because He is “such a loving God”? Should God devise a series of religious rituals and/or list of good deeds to be performed which He will accept as penance for sins? None of these, as you can see, really get to the real issue: the human race sins, continues to sin, and sin brings death. This is inescapable. So what was God’s solution? Face the problem head on. Please take the time to read our text. First we see that Jesus, the Son of God, became a human being, sharing “in flesh and blood.” Sin had to be faced in the shoes of the sinner! Jesus was “made like His brethren in all things.” He faced up to the devil and his temptations in the wilderness and did not sin. Through His betrayal, sham trials, denial, scourging, mockings and crucifixion, He faced the wickedness of the human race, Jew and Gentile, friend and foe - all without sin. His body was laid in another’s tomb. He was dead. He faced Death head on, looked it in the eye and took everything it could throw at Him. He spent time in Hades. But on the third day, He was raised - never to die again! He had conquered death. Death could not hold Him. He was raised because He was without sin. It was “through death” that Jesus broke the devil’s power because now a human being had lived a life without sin, and death had no power over Him. Now Jesus, thanks to the grace of God, has offered the blood of His death as a “propitiation for the sins of the people.” Our sins can now be truly forgiven through Christ’s sacrificial offering. The devil has lost. Death has lost. Through Jesus’ death, we win! Praise our God! ><> Jeff

Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” If you don’t believe this very first verse of scripture, your view of life and the world will be totally out of kilter. In this verse is the true view of life and the very foundations upon which anything and everything exists. Three primary truths explode out of this verse. 1) God is the Force behind the universe. He is the Power, the Mind, the Designer of the heavens and the earth. As such, we would expect to see the imprint of His character and wisdom stamped upon everything. The evidence for God will be readily apparent, and the evidence for the attributes of God will also be easily seen in the heavens and the earth. 2) Our world had a beginning. Space, matter and energy have not been around forever. God brought them into existence at a point in eternity which the Holy Spirit calls “the beginning.” Not only is this the beginning of the heavens and the earth, it is also the beginning of time as we know it. 3) The heavens and the earth were created by God. The word “created” here carries with it the ideas of “initiating something new,” and “bringing into existence.” Thus, we understand that what God did was to bring something entirely new into existence. He did not take some available materials and form or reshape them into something else. He brought the material (matter, energy) into existence out of nothing and then formed it into its various entities. Understanding that God created the heavens and the earth, we should acknowledge that they belong to Him to accomplish whatever purposes He has intended for them. It is the responsibility of the creature (that’s us) to seek His purposes for ourselves as found in His word. If we fail to see that God is Creator of all, we will surely miss the purpose for which God made us, and our lives will have been wasted, lost. Investigate carefully. ><> Jeff

John 8:31-32 “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’” If we do not believe in truth, we will not understand its importance. If we do not understand truth’s importance, we will not learn to love it. If we do not love the truth, we will not seek it. If we do not seek the truth, we will not find it. If we do not find the truth, we will not know it. If we do not know the truth, we cannot follow it. If we do not follow the truth, we will not be free. If we are not made free, we will serve the devil until we die. If we serve the devil until we die, we lose everything. “Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?’” “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” – John 14:5-6 “Buy truth, and do not sell it...” –Proverbs 23:23 ><>Jeff

So, in case you haven't noticed, I'm sticking with the theme I established in my last blog of addressing hard, but important questions that Christians are often asked. So, yeah, "Why do I follow Jesus?" It's a question I feel we, as Christians, can sometimes take for granted. I'm guilty of this myself. I had an experience not too long ago where I was participating in a small outreach project, and I discovered that I didn't have a great answer to this. As a very logical thinker, I often view things from what "makes the most sense" when all of the evidence is considered. I still feel that for some, this is a very valid way of both viewing and spreading the Gospel (perhaps a topic for another blog). However, a lot of people don't want to have a logical debate as their first introduction to Jesus. I realized at this event that I didn't actually have a great "emotional appeal" for Christ. I couldn't really answer why you should follow Christ outside of "this is why it makes sense" or "this is what the Bible says." So, this encouraged me to take a step back and take a look at the reason for my faith. How is it that Christians are able to look at a world full of deceit, unrest, illness, and death and somehow find a loving God over all of it? Why are we willing to go through the persecution that we so often face for our beliefs and not back down? I'd like to share what I've found. Maybe it will help you find Jesus, or maybe it will remind you of why you already did. After my soul-searching, I came to one conclusion before anything else. I follow God because of who He is. Who is God? That's a loaded question that no one can fully answer, but Christians do get to know God through His word. Before anything else, we know that God is love. Not that God is loving. God IS love (1 John 4:8). I follow God because He is the pure embodiment of love. Everything that He has ever done is out of love, in one way or another. He created mankind in His image so that he can share His love with someone. He did this already knowing that we would fall short. He knew that if he gave us free will, many would turn away from him, and many would curse Him and try to write Him out of history. He knew this, but He made us anyway. He knew before He made the world that mankind would need a savior. He knew that if He created mankind, He would need to sacrifice His only son, Jesus, in order to save us (Revelation 13:8). Yet, He still created us. Why? Because He loves us. He loved us before we were ever born, and He loves us to this day. Our savior Jesus Christ embodies this same love. Jesus gave up His privileges in Heaven in order to come down to earth, become a human, and die. He knew from the outset that this was His fate if He came to earth. He lived a perfect life. He taught us to love each other, even our enemies. He taught us that we have a loving Father who is watching over us even now, and will guide us every step of the way if we let Him. He committed no sin, hurt no one, cheated no one, lied to no one, and was killed out of jealousy and fear. Why? Because He loves us that much. One of my favorite stories of Jesus' love is found in Mark 10: 46-52. Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, knowing that His death was coming. He was about to be betrayed by one of His own disciples and be handed over for a brutal death that He did not deserve. While He's walking he hears the voice of a blind man named Bartimaeus, who is calling out to Him for healing. Jesus, with (almost literally) the weight of the world on His shoulders, takes a moment to stop, talk to Bartimaeus, and heal him. Jesus loves us all that much. That He is willing to stop and help us with our problems when the future of the entire world is on His mind. He loves us so much that He was willing to go through a brutal death on the cross when He had the power to stop it at any moment because He knew that's what was necessary to save us. After all of this, God has every right to demand anything and everything out of us. We have a debt that we have no ability to repay. Yet, what does Jesus ask of us? “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another" (John 13:34). Yes, there are commandments and a lifestyle that we are called to live by. But, in the end, it boils down to loving each other as God has loved us. What more can I say? How can I look past the evil that's in the world? How do I get through the pain and loss that comes with being human? I know that God loves me. I know that it all serves a purpose. I know that the reward at the end of it all far outweighs the troubles of today. I know that God will help me get there. Why do I follow Christ? I follow Christ because I love Him. I love Him because He first loved me. He loved me before I was ever born. He lived a perfect life to set an example for me to follow. He died for me. Now, He still loves me, even after all of my sins. He guides me and comforts me every day of my life. For all of this, all He asks is that I turn away from the world, be baptized, and live by His example (Acts 2:38) (Romans 6:1-14) (1 Peter 2:21). If I do those things, I will spend eternity with Jesus. Why would I ever want anything else? Jesus loves you in the same way, whether you follow Him or not. It doesn't matter what you've done, or how far gone you think you are, He has this same boundless love for you as he does for anyone else. He has a place set for you at the banquet table. There's only one question that will keep you from Him. Do you love Him? (John 14:21-23). Ryan Zumpano is a member of the Shadyside Church of Christ. He's a Freshman at West Liberty University, majoring in Computer Information Systems. He is also the 2022 Valedictorian of Shadyside High School.

Ecclesiastes 12:11 Over the years, I have collected over 600 quotes and sayings from various places and people. These have been thought provoking, inspiring, insightful and challenging. From time to time, I want to share some of them with you in this piece. > You were saved to serve. > Don’t make the mistake of doing nothing because you can’t do everything. -- Edmund Burke > You just don’t see a funeral hearse pulling any U-haul trailers. > Every once in a while, remind yourself that you are not the General Manager of the universe. > Some people are so open-minded their brains fall out. -- Rick Warren > If God is your co-pilot, you better change seats! > To make little of sin is to make little of the Master. -- Jim McGuiggan > You are only young once, but you can be immature forever. > People talk and don’t act. God acts and doesn’t talk. – Haitian proverb My hope is that these words of wisdom will be as helpful to you as they have been and continue to be to me. ><> Jeff

Ezekiel 18:21-24 Our God is truly, as the song puts it, an awesome God. We may consider God’s “awesomeness” from dozens of differing perspectives, but in this piece we want to consider His mercifulness which is obviously tied to His love. God is merciful, and we humans need to begin to praise Him without ceasing for His mercy for without God’s mercy no one will be saved. To hear some people talk (even preach), God is out to get sinners. His holy indignation burns against wicked men, and God can’t wait to unleash His wrath against them on the last day. Our text, however, reveals something different about God’s whole position on the wicked. God says that if the wicked turns away from all of his sins and keeps God’s statutes that he will live. God says that (note this well): All his transgressions which he has committed will not be remembered against him. All of them. Every last one. No matter how heinous, evil, disgusting, vicious, underhanded, abusive, destructive... No matter how many times. God’s door of mercy is wide open. Today, of course, this requires faith, genuine repentance, and obedience to the gospel of Christ. Is God holding this position reluctantly? Is He being coerced against His will, or just trying to make Himself look good? Listen to these words: Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked...rather than that he should turn from his ways and live? God desires for people to repent and turn to Him for life. He has no pleasure in seeing people die in their sins and face the terrible consequences at the judgment. God is truly merciful. Isn’t it time that the church started to see the wicked this way, too? Shouldn’t Christians be praying and working for the repentance of the wicked rather than looking for their death and everlasting destruction? God sent His Son to die on a tree so people might be saved. Jesus gave His life so we all might be forgiven and receive life. This must be the main message of the church. It is the gospel. ><> Jeff