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Genesis 7:8-9 Most of us were taught the story of Noah and the ark in Bible school, and one of the things we remember about that was that the animals went into the ark “two by two.” This, of course, reflected the need for the male and female to procreate following the flood. If we reflect upon scripture and God’s created order, we find groups of two everywhere, some complementary and some in contrast: •Male and female •Husband and wife •Light and darkness •Day and night •Left and right •Broad way and narrow way •Good and evil •Right and wrong •Body and soul •Flesh and spirit •Truth and falsehood •Righteous and wicked •Life and death •Sheep and goats •Heat and cold •Yes and no •Saved and lost •Clean and unclean •Wise and foolish •Strong and weak •Free and enslaved Such pairs represent God’s wisdom in His creation, but also reflect the severe reality of good and evil which is present in the world. So, keep your eye open for “twos.” They are everywhere.

Amos 4:6-13 One often hears the expression: “You can’t out-give God.” This is certainly a true statement. He is generous beyond degree and lavishes gifts on all people, especially those who belong to Christ. Such generosity finds its root in His love. Many of God’s gifts are easily seen: rain, snow, sunshine, plants, animals, food, rainbows, sunsets and sunrises, cool breezes, family, marriage, children, friends, a job, etc. Beyond things such as these we have the incomparable gift of the Holy Scriptures in which truth and wisdom are found and which tell us of the grand epic which God is working out on the earth. The gift of the Holy Spirit is well beyond our comprehension. And, of course, Jesus the Christ of God stands remarkably at the center of it all. We praise God for His priceless gifts. On the other hand, there are the “gifts” of God which are not so easily discerned. In fact, sometimes we do not see them as gifts at all but as nothing but trouble. Let’s consider our scripture. Israel had become a wayward nation: moral depravity, oppression of the poor, injustices all around, false and hollow worship. She was far removed from what the Lord wanted her to be. So He sent some “gifts” designed to bring her to repentance and back to Him. There was the gift of famine (v 6). If Israel had an empty stomach would she return to God to be filled? He sent the gift of drought (vv 7-8). If Israel became truly thirsty, would she look to the Lord to give her drink? There were the gifts of blight, mildew and caterpillars (v 9) upon their gardens and orchards. Would Israel realize that it was their God who kept such things away? There was plague, war and destruction (vv 10-11), but even these gifts from the Lord were not seen by Israel as good things to cause them to return to the Lord their God. So remember the diverseness of the gifts of God. If we begin to wander from His ways, straying away from Him, and set up idols in our hearts, God will send “gifts” designed to bring us back to Him. Let us see such gifts truly as the gifts which they are.

1 Peter 1:22-23 Love is at the heart of Christianity. The scriptures teach us that “God is love,” and we are taught throughout the Bible to become like Him and demonstrate that love to those around us. Yet, for many reasons we often fail to do this. We are sinners, of course, and still fail at our calling. But another reason we fail is that our understanding of love is tarnished, the word having been twisted with corrupt connotations by the world. Many have tried to define love, but even the Bible yields no definition but provides some characteristics (1 Corinthians 13:1-8) and many examples of love. We attempt to provide no definition here, but recently on a television program (Can anything good come out of TV?), I heard something which is helping me better understand what real love is. It was on a “Hallmark” movie (Hmmm?), and a bride was expressing her personal words to her husband to be. She said, “You make me a better person.” And I thought to myself: “That’s exactly what love does.” When we love someone, we want them to be a better person, and we will do things to help them become a better person. So, what would helping someone else become a better person look like? ... •Praising them for a job well done •Helping them discover and use their talents •Comforting them in times of grief •Praying for them •Helping them overcome their weaknesses •Setting an example for them of Christ-like living •Assisting them to grow in Christ •Treating them with respect and honor •Forgiving them and asking them for forgiveness •Showing them every kindness •Being patient with them •Treating them as a person made in the image of God These are some of my thoughts on this. What do you say?

Hebrews 13:5-6 Just about every one of us has thought of winning the lottery. You know - the BIG ONE! Hundreds of millions of dollars. Many people dream of winning it. A lot of people try to win the lottery. As a Christian, we even speculate about how much good we could do with that kind of money. We could support all kinds of charities - good causes. We could help some people whom we know are struggling to pay off some bills. We would even give a large percentage to the Lord - you know, maybe 50%. (Is that before or after taxes?) Well, maybe 25%. Hmmm? We have read articles and heard stories about people who have won the lottery and their lives were ruined. In a few years, many had spent it all or were even broke. For various reasons, that huge sum of money didn’t produce a good outcome. We, of course, would be able to handle it. We would be different. We wouldn’t let the money get hold of us. Right? Let’s ask this question: Would winning the lottery be your downfall? Be careful how you answer. We need to carefully reflect on how many warnings God gives in His word about trusting in money and about greed and covetousness. Paul writes to the Ephesian church (5:3) that greed is not even to be named among them as being improper for saints. He writes to Timothy (1:6:10) about the love of money being the root of all sorts of evils. Probably the most dangerous of those evils is that people begin to trust in it instead of in God. Usually when there are admonitions about the dangers of money, there are also exhortations to be content with what we have and to trust God to take care of our needs. Our Hebrews scripture is one of those. Consider: If we are engaged in trying to win the lottery or have begun to seriously fantasize about winning it, we have probably already grown discontent with what we have and are no longer trusting God to take care of us. What do you think?

Luke 10:25-37 When Jesus was questioned by a lawyer about what he should do to inherit eternal life, Jesus asked him what was written in the law about it. His answer was correct in that he cited the commands about loving God with all of one’s being and loving one’s neighbor as yourself. Then the lawyer revealed his misunderstanding by asking who was his neighbor. Jesus then related the story of the good Samaritan and told him to “Go and do likewise.” Prior to this, I have often thought that this lawyer was trying to trap Jesus by asking “And who is my neighbor?” I’m not so sure about that now. I believe he was stuck in the trap of mere law-keeping which we would expect from a “lawyer” rather than understanding the spirit of the law. Paul warns (2 Corinthians 3:6) that “the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” So how would this work? In this case, the lawyer would probably be thinking that his neighbor would be someone who owned an adjacent plot of ground or lived in a house on either side of him. Perhaps he would expand his definition of “neighbor” to anyone in his family or clan, or maybe even a close friend. This is what living by the letter of the law looks like. First, there is an effort to establish boundaries in minimums or maximums (depending on what’s being considered). Then, there is an effort to live by those minimums or maximums. In this way, the individual can justify themselves by keeping within whatever boundaries they have established.

The world can “beat us up” quite badly at times. A person can start out in the morning with enthusiasm, energy and confident expectations but by the end of the day they can be crushed, worn out and thoroughly disappointed. Life can do that to us. If you hold down a job, all sorts of things can happen in the work place. Maybe you have a “run in” with your boss or even a co-worker. The workload kept piling up. You didn’t get that raise. Maybe it was just a long, grueling day. Then the work schedule came out, and you’re on it for Saturday - again. Things begin to well up inside: tension, frustration, anxiety. What do you do? If you’re on the “home front,” similar things can happen. The kids were just royally rotten. You think one of them is getting sick. You burned the lasagna. Is the oven going bad? The credit card bill came, and it’s a lot more than you thought. The car is making an odd “whirring” sound. The lawn mover won’t start. Things begin to well up inside: tension, frustration, anxiety. What do you do? Well, the one thing that you don’t want to do is to unload everything on your spouse as soon as you see him/her at the end of the day. Do not let these things define your daily reunion! That should be a time of smiles, hugs, kisses and rejoicing. You are back together once again. This is about two things: maintaining perspective and having self-control (Proverbs 25:28). Focus on the blessings which God has given you and your family. You are loved and have someone who loves you. Life is good. God is good. You are one of His children, and He has promised to be with you in all of life. One mental exercise which you may want to learn is to put all of the day’s troubles in a “box” and put it somewhere before you see your spouse. Leave it on the porch, on a shelf, in a cabinet, etc. Then when you have enjoyed some time together, and you are settled down, you can open the box together along with God. Give it a try.

Matthew 10: 32-39 Jesus taught some things which are difficult (not impossible) to understand. Jesus taught some things which are difficult (not impossible) to accept. Jesus taught some things which are difficult (not impossible) to do. Our text here is one such teaching. The basic thrust of this teaching is that Jesus must be first on our lips, first in our love and first in our lives. He allows for no rivals and refuses to share first place in our hearts. The confessing which He mentions is not a person’s “confession” before being baptized. This would be the every day confessing of a Christian in which Jesus is acknowledged as one’s Lord and given credit for the great and good things which happen in a person’s life. I wasn’t “lucky,” and I didn’t “catch a break.” It wasn’t me, alone, that did that kind deed, but the Lord working in me. The love which Jesus calls for is one of devotion. We are to love family and others in our lives, but we must be devoted to Him first of all. If my family is drawing me away from Jesus, I must deny them. If my family is failing to follow Him, I must be strong for Him to call them back. His name is above every other. The life which I live must be devoted to Him. This does not mean that I must be a missionary, a preacher or a Bible class teacher. It does mean that my thoughts, words and actions must be tempered by the Word of God so as to bring Him glory and further His kingdom. Jesus must be first in hearts and in all parts of our living because He is first! He is the Anointed One (Christ) of God, the firstborn from the dead, the last Adam, Head of the church, King of kings and Lord of lords, Ruler of the kings of the earth, Redeemer, Savior, Master, High Priest, Son of Man, Son of God... There is no other! Through such devotion, such love for Him, Jesus will consider us worthy of Him. Now that is something I find difficult to comprehend.

2 Corinthians 11:12-15 It is one of the major strengths of the devil - his deceitfulness. Paul tells us that he even disguises himself as an angel of light! So he writes that we should not be surprised that those who serve the devil and the flesh also engage in similar stratagems. Those who traffic in evil deeds and wicked activities will always try to downplay the bad by presenting pleasant-sounding arguments and euphemisms to attract the uninformed and unsuspecting. Consider that what used to be called a bar or beer-joint is now smoothly labeled a pub or lounge. They might even dish up good food. Such places have “happy hour” and serve drinks with attractive names such as margarita, black Russian and pink lady. Magnanimously they encourage you to “drink responsibly” and try to blame shift by preaching “friends don’t let friends drive drunk.” But never is mentioned the associated hang-overs, OVI’s, broken homes, battered wives, lost jobs, traffic injuries and deaths, addiction woes... And certainly no word is ever breathed that drunkenness and revelry are sins which will cause a person to forfeit eternal life. Similarly, gambling of all sorts now parades under the banner of casinos, gaming resorts and race tracks. We are told such ventures provide jobs in the community, and the lottery (run by the state) provides money for seniors’ programs, schools, etc. Why, you might “hit it big” and have all of your own financial problems taken care of. “You can’t win if you don’t play!” Recently, betting on sporting events has been legalized. So now instead of rooting for your favorite team to win, you might be hoping they lose so you can win money! How’s that for twisting things up?! Broken homes, hungry children, unpaid bills, bankruptcies - these are never mentioned. The world knows how to “sell” greed and the love of money. We could cite others. Just beware! When something is being made to look and sound really good, too good, take a closer look and listen more carefully. You will probably hear the hiss of a serpent.

Acts 16:11-15 We tend to avoid “sticky” texts. By that I mean those texts which don’t easily allow a straight forward explanation, and may even seem to contradict other texts and some of our own interpretations of other parts of scripture. Lydia’s story is one such. We find her among the women in Philippi who met on the Sabbath to pray. The text says she was “a worshiper of God” which means she was a Gentile who had come to believe in and worship the Lord God. Paul and his companions who were looking for the usual place of prayer down by the river found themselves among this assembly of women. Paul begins speaking to them, and from the context we conclude that his subject turned to the gospel of Christ. The text tells us that Lydia was listening to Paul’s teaching. So far, so good. This is the usual way things happen with the gospel. A person hears it taught, believes and makes the decision to obey (or not). But there is a “sticky” part to Lydia’s story. We are told by Luke that “the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.” All of the major translations have “opened.” What do we make of this? Did this violate Lydia’s free will? Was this the direct operation of the Holy Spirit apart from the word of God? What actually did the Lord do with her heart? To seek an answer, let’s look at Luke 24:45. After Jesus’ resurrection, the Lord was trying to explain what had happened with Him, but the disciples are having a hard time “getting it.” So we read that “He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures...” They wanted to understand but were having trouble doing so. So Jesus provides help for them to understand. No overriding of free will here. The key is that they wanted to understand and needed help to do so. Lydia evidently is trying to grasp the gospel presented by Paul but can’t quite understand it. So the Lord supplies the understanding which is needed. She then makes the decision to be baptized. This explanation seems to fit. What do you think?

2 Timothy 2:2 As you recall, we began our “Men’s Group” with our first two sessions last fall followed by two more sessions in the winter of this year. We met on Saturday morning, which was fine, but that had some disadvantages, namely conflict with work schedules and other activities usually reserved for the weekend. So, we’ve made a change. We’re going to schedule our Men’s Group on the fifth Sunday of every month which has five Sundays. This should avoid most of the scheduling conflicts just mentioned. It will also spread the sessions throughout the year and provide better continuity. This will replace our fellowship time usually scheduled that particular evening. We can vary the start time for any session depending on the desires/needs of the group - 4:00, 5:00, 6:00pm, etc. The format will be basically the same: two parts with a break in between. As usual, we will have some snacks and beverages available. Paul wrote Timothy: “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” With leadership in the home and in the church having been entrusted to faithful men, it is imperative that we supply the basic teaching about this leadership and help develop the heart and skills necessary to be godly husbands and fathers; elders and deacons; preachers and teachers. To be able to lead in prayer and serve in other parts of the worship. In short, to become men of God made in the likeness of His Son. We read in Proverbs (27:17): “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” We experienced this in our previous sessions, and it was very encouraging. As we learn from Scripture, are led by the Spirit and draw upon the experiences of one another, let us grow together into the men of God which our Lord wants us to be. Our next session will be scheduled for September 29. Please keep this in your prayers, brothers and sisters as well. If you have suggestions for subjects to be covered, please see Jeff.

Proverbs 3:1-8 When we were children (Can you remember that far back?), our parents used to teach us, train us and warn us about the good and the bad in life. In short, they imparted to us their wisdom, and it came in many forms about many things. Drink your milk. Be careful of stray dogs. Brush your teeth. Don’t play with matches. Stay off the railroad tracks. Come straight home. Don’t fight with your brother. Tell the truth. Having your memory jogged you can recall others especially meaningful to you I’m sure. If we were blessed to become parents (even grandparents), we in turn passed on our parental wisdom to our children and continue to do so. Taking this thought into the realm of our spiritual lives, we are reminded that we are our heavenly Father’s children, and that He continues to instruct us to the end of our days. Too many people, though, think that when they “become adults” and get out on their own that they no longer need guidance. Such thinking is a severe misunderstanding of the human condition and leads to numerous heartaches and problems as well as forfeiture of eternal hope. God instructs us through Solomon (see our text) not to forget His teaching and to keep His commandments. He says that kindness and truth should be written on our hearts. Our trust must be completely in the Lord and not in our own understanding. We must acknowledge God in all our ways, fearing Him and turning from evil. As children, we didn’t always listen to our parents, and we usually paid the price in more ways than one! My grandmother always said: “If they won’t listen, they’ll have to feel.” Hopefully we all learned from what we felt! As children of God, He promises us great blessings if we follow His wisdom: years of life, peace, favor with God and man, and straight paths (relatively smooth and direct) as we travel through life. Learn to listen to your Father’s wisdom. It will keep you from feeling much of the evil that’s in the world.

Matthew 27:46 It’s been another long and difficult night; four in a row. Wakeful. Strange dreams. Tears. Feelings of dread. No peace. You still can’t believe it happened. It doesn’t seem real. When you got the news, it was like a punch in the stomach. A stab in the heart. Energy drained right out of you. Your mind could not focus. Your life would no longer be the same. Questions still swirl. Why did this happen? Could I have done something to stop it? Where was God? Why didn’t He stop it? What should I do now? How will I be able to keep going? With dawn showing in the East, you decide to take a walk. Get some fresh air. Try to clear your head. Pray a little. It’s a cool morning, good for a walk, and the steady rhythm of your stride seems to calm you some. But you keep rehearsing everything in your mind. Before you head back, you decide to grab a coffee. As you approach the door of the convenience store, a voice comes from the bench in front: “Morning. How are you?” For some strange reason you decide to answer the young man truthfully. “Not so good. It’s been a rough few days.” “Want to talk?” The tone of his voice sounds genuine, and you are drawn to sit beside him on the bench. Before you know it, you are telling him everything that happened and all the questions in your mind. “I’ve had some rough patches in my life, too,” he offers. “And there was one time when I thought everything was over.” “How’d you get through it?” “My father took care of me.” “Well, my father can’t do much about this...” “Oh, I think He will,” he offers as he gets up to leave. “By the way, what’s your name?” You tell him yours, and then you ask, “What’s yours?”