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James 2:14-24 Ever since the NFL players began kneeling for the National Anthem, I have been upset. Now I realize that we have the right to protest, and that there are many situations in our country right now which deserve to be protested. However, I am in total disagreement with kneeling during the Star Spangled Banner as a way to protest whatever it is you’re wanting to protest. When one does this, it is a protest against everything American, our whole history, our Constitution and those who defend it. This goes too far and truly solves nothing. In addition, the NFL has provided no satisfactory remedy for this disrespectful behavior. Therefore, I have not watched any NFL football for two years now. (Actually, it’s been a blessing.) Since I have begun this personal boycott, the subject of NFL football has come up in numerous conversations. “Well, it looks like the Browns might have a team.” “Did you see the Steelers pull that one out yesterday?” When I share that I no longer watch the NFL because of the kneeling during the anthem, virtually every person responds with something like: “Oh, I agree with you.” However, it’s quite apparent that they still watch the games thereby continuing to show their support for the NFL and its teams. This puzzles me. James had a word for this kind of behavior: faith without works. If we believe something is right, we should support it, praise it, pray for it, participate in it, etc. If we believe something is wrong, we should not be supporting it, validating it, participating in it, etc. But this piece isn’t about the NFL. (That’s your choice.) But it is about whether or not we believe what is written in God’s word. Go, make disciples. Do we? Love your wives. Do we? Abstain from every form of evil. Do we? Love one another. Are we? Abide in my word. Do you? Resist the devil. How hard do we try? Pray ceaselessly. Do you? Grow in grace and knowledge. Is that you? It’s one thing to say we believe, but quite another to put that belief into action. “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead...”

Romans 6:1-11 The Bible contains many paradoxes and difficult teachings which the student must learn to sort out and interpret. “The last shall be first and the first shall be last.” “I did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” Here we want to consider that “he who has died is freed from sin” (Romans 6:7). On the surface, we can easily see that a person whose spirit has left his body and whose corpse has been placed in a grave would be free from sinning. He or she is unable to function and can do neither good nor evil. On the other hand, if we understand the teaching of the Word, we are reminded that the judgment follows death at some point, and we are to be judged by the deeds done in our body. Therefore, a dead person is not free from the responsibility and thus consequences for his sins. So, we conclude that Paul is not discussing physical death. Freedom from sin would not be accomplished by diving from the roof of the nearest tall building. So, how else can a person die? Well, what has Paul been discussing? Please read our scripture. What is in view is a death with Christ, a spiritual death, if you will. He says that those who have been baptized into Christ have been baptized into His death. Jesus shed His blood in His death on the cross for the sins of all people. When we are baptized into Christ’s death, we are washed by His blood - the only effective means to remove sin and thus receive forgiveness! (Acts 22:16) Also, we see that this baptism is a burial, a submersion in water which mirrors Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. The person who believes in Jesus willingly submits to be buried (baptized) with Him in the likeness of His death and raised out of the water like He came out of the tomb. But note, this is not mere symbolism. Paul says that we were “buried with Him” and we were “crucified with Him.” This is spiritual reality - how a person dies in order to be freed from sin. Sprinkling or pouring of water won’t do. We must die and be buried with Christ in order to live. Remarkable!

Matthew 25:41 Commonly held misperceptions and myths often cloud our understanding of the Bible. One such fallacy concerns the devil and hell. “All hell broke loose” or “the forces of hell were set against them” are expressions which imply that evil forces or the devil himself were behind an event. Hell, in other words, stands for evil and the devil’s powers. Written and artistic depictions of hell in which the devil is master of the domain, and he and his angels torture the poor souls sent there are common. Such ideas stem from a misunderstanding of the Bible’s teaching about hell and Satan. Nowhere in Scripture is Satan seen as ruler of hell. No reference is made to the devil’s tormenting condemned people in hell. One scripture in particular has probably led to more of this wrong thinking than any other. When Simon Peter had confessed that Jesus was the Christ, Jesus responded in part by speaking about building His church (Matthew 16:18). He said that the “gates of Hades” would not overpower it. Some translations (especially older ones) erroneously put “hell” for “Hades.” Hell is the place of “gehenna” fire. Hades is the place of spirits of the dead. Jesus was not saying that the devil would not prevail against His church (although that is true). He was saying that even death would not prevent the building of His church. This is exactly the truth given to John by the resurrected Jesus (Revelation 1:17-18) when He said that He had “the keys of death and of Hades.” And because Jesus overcame death, members of His church will one day do the same! This inaccurate view of the devil and hell is quite opposite of the truth. Not only does the devil not rule in hell, it was prepared for him and his angels as a place for their own destruction! Listen to Jesus’ words to the goats in this judgment scene: “Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.” Just wondering who is behind this twisting of truth? Hmmm?

John 1:14-18 You will forgive me, won’t you? I am jealous. We are well aware that the scriptures teach we are not to be jealous of others (there are some exceptions), but I heard a song a few weeks back which put these thoughts into my head, even my heart. So, as I reveal these thoughts please be patient with me, and hopefully you’ll see what I’m talking about. Perhaps, you’ll become a little jealous, too. I am jealous of those who saw Jesus. There, I said it. I am jealous of those who sat there on that hill on a warm sunny afternoon and listened to Jesus expound upon the kingdom of heaven. What did His voice sound like? The inflections? The firmness? The clarity? The tenderness? The earnestness? The authority? The reassurance? I am jealous of those who saw Jesus heal, who were there in that house when they heard the people on the roof. When they saw the hole being made in the ceiling and this paralyzed man being let down into the room. To hear Jesus commend their faith and proclaim forgiveness for the man’s sins and then to see him just get up and walk away! What would that cause you to think? I am jealous of those who were present when Jesus raised Lazarus. His sisters were in deep mourning. He has now been in the tomb for four days. Jesus arrives. Compassionate. Tearful. Determined. Without hesitation. “Take away the stone.” “Lazarus, come forth!” We wait with both doubt and anticipation. Then the sound of scuffling. A figure appears wrapped in grave clothes. It’s really Lazarus. How can it be? Incredible. So, who is this, anyway? I am jealous of those who heard Him rebuke the wind and the waves. I am jealous of those who heard him read from Isaiah that day in Nazareth. I am jealous of those who sat with him at night and just listened to all He had to say. I am jealous of those who heard him rebuke the demons and send them into the pigs. I am jealous... Some day, my jealousy will be gone, for I shall see Him myself. That will be a great day. Are you a little jealous?

Revelation 22:17 “All are welcome” was one of the central thoughts at the latest men’s retreat at Round Lake, and Don brought this to our minds a couple of weeks ago. Truly, all are welcome. Jesus invited: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden...” (Matthew 11:28-30). That message is echoed in our Revelation passage and elsewhere in scripture. Have you ever paused to consider the backgrounds of all those who throughout history have followed God? There was... ...a man of unknown background who built an ark ...a Mesopotamian from Ur ...a couple who played favorites with their kids ...a scoundrel who became a breeder of sheep ...a dreamer who governed Egypt. ..a prince who became a shepherd and then a law giver ...a man who was found hiding for fear of his enemies ...a womanizer with lots of strength but little wisdom ...a judge with impeccable credentials but whose sons were failures ...a young shepherd whose father would not even have him considered for an honor along with his other brothers ...an extremist who lived in the wilderness ...some smelly fishermen ...a tax collector who collaborated with hated Rome ...a nationalistic terrorist ...a woman possessed by demons ...a woman with a tawdry marital history ...a eunuch from Ethiopia ...a Hebrew who was a persecutor of the church ...a Roman centurion ...a business woman who dealt in purple dyes ...a jailer who was intending to kill himself You can probably think of more. Truly, all are welcome!

Isaiah 46:8-13 In what kind of world do we live? Is it one which is purely driven by laws of nature in which everything can be explained by forces and currents, by pressures and temperatures, by chemical reactions and electromagnetic pulses, etc.? This is what the naturalist, the secularist, the evolutionist would have you believe. Or is it a world in which there are powers and beings existing outside the visible realm, but who interact with it to affect the course of events? Let’s begin with God. He certainly exists outside this visible world, but scripture says that He is the one who raises up and puts down kings. He directs the affairs of men to accomplish His will. He uses the natural laws at times to do this. What of the Holy Spirit who dwells in the Christian? Scripture teaches that He sanctifies us and provides power in the inner person. Is this not supernatural? What of the devil? Is he a real being who goes about trying to destroy all that’s good, or is he just the idea of evil? What of angels? Scripture says they are spirits sent to minister for those who are to inherit salvation, so they must DO SOMETHING! They certainly exist outside this natural world. What about prayer? When you pray, don’t you expect your words to be heard by God in heaven? Is that not in itself a supernatural thing? Think about it. You want a connection between yourself in this world and the Sovereign God in the heavenlies! Is that not something supernatural? Then, you expect God to answer your prayer, don’t you? You probably want Him to do something to change the course of things. You want Him to intervene in this world! Isn’t that supernatural - outside of the natural? Certainly all of creation is governed by natural laws, but laws which were established by God. But scripture teaches a supernatural element to all this world with God superintending and intervening to accomplish His will for good. Let us not only never forget the supernatural aspects of life, but learn to live by them.

Luke 6:46-49 Sadly, it happened again, just as it happens in nearly every situation in which flood waters are involved. Everyone has heard the warning: Don’t drive through flood waters. Engines can stall out, and both vehicle and occupants can be stranded. Or the vehicle can skid off the roadway into even deeper water. Or rising and moving water can carry a vehicle away into even more hazardous and life-threatening situations. It happened most recently during hurricane Florence. Some people were driving through flood waters. Many vehicles were stranded and became total losses. Some motorists drowned when what they were driving was picked up by the moving waters and carried away. What causes people to ignore a warning which has proven to be valid time and again? Let us offer some suggestions. Pride could easily be a factor. You know, it’s the old “This won’t happen to me” thing. “I’m a good driver; very careful.” Experience may play a part. Maybe they drove through flood waters before, and all was well. Perhaps they’ve seen others do it. Then there are those who don’t believe the authorities. They think they are being overly cautious and just trying to control people. Finally there are those who just don’t pay attention. They live in their own world and are oblivious to what’s going on around them. We can make similar application to our spiritual lives. Jesus warns us in several places about listening to His voice and doing what He says to do. And with Jesus, we know He’s telling the truth, and His words will come to pass just as He says. However, many just don’t listen to what He teaches. Others don’t believe Him. Many purposefully ignore Him. Still others half-heartedly do some of what He says. When Jesus speaks, we need to listen. Whatever He says to do, we should do it. After all, He knows what He’s talking about. Jesus is the Word of God.

Mark 10:17-31 Automobile insurance companies are some of the most prolific advertisers on television. They are all saying you can save more by switching to their product. Another message used to get customers is to stress that you can get the “minimum coverage” with their company so you can drive legally. Minimum coverage would generally cost you the least in premiums (which is what many drivers are looking for), but it may not be sufficient for your particular vehicle, driving habits or location. When it comes to serving God and being a disciple of Jesus, many people are looking for “minimum coverage” - doing only what is absolutely necessary to receive eternal life. The rich man who came to Jesus (see our scripture) appears to have been such a person. He asks what sounds like a good question on the surface, but as the conversation unfolds we can see that he was really asking about the least he had to do to inherit eternal life. When Jesus had told him to keep certain of the commandments, his heart probably leapt for joy since he declared that he had kept these from the time he was young. But following the ways of God has always been about more than keeping commandments, and Jesus takes the young man to the next level- above the minimum. Jesus tells this man that he lacked one thing and needed to go sell all he had, give to the poor and come and follow Him. Then, he would have “treasure in heaven.” The young man became disheartened and went away sorrowful for he had much property. His possessions possessed him - not the other way around! When it comes to having faith in God and following Jesus, there are no minimums. We either serve Jesus or we don’t. We are either for Him or against Him. We either listen to His voice or we don’t. We’re either all in or we’re not.

Deuteronomy 1:1-8, 19-40 Set rather conspicuously at the beginning of the book of Deuteronomy is this rather matter-of-fact statement: “It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea” ( v 2). At first inkling, one might think Moses was simply noting another leg of the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness, but as we read further, we discover that the Israelites were not then at Kadesh-barnea but on the east side of the Jordan River in the land of Moab (v 5). So what is the Holy Spirit doing by inserting what seems to be a purely informational note? Israel was now poised to cross the Jordan and begin taking possession of Canaan.Their journey of forty years (v 3) was over. Their wandering resulted when God had led them to the southern border of Canaan where they sent twelves spies to investigate the land. All of the spies reported that the land was indeed rich and bountiful, but ten spoke of giants and well-fortified cities. Only Caleb and Joshua believed they could defeat the inhabitants and take possession. However, the people listened to the bad report of the ten and complained against Moses and God. As a result, God refused to allow that generation to enter the land, and He caused them all to wander in the wilderness until that generation died off. Now that time of wandering was finally over - forty years of eating manna, living in tents, moving from place to place to place, watching the sun sink into the parched desert every evening - forty years of watching a generation die off. So, why does Moses point out that eleven days’ journey from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea? Horeb is Mount Sinai. After receiving the law at Sinai, Israel went directly to Kadesh-barnea to begin conquering Canaan. It was from there that they had sent out the twelve spies! Because of fear and unbelief, what should have been a journey of only eleven days turned into forty years of wandering. Surely there are lessons in all of this for us.

Acts 9:1-19; 22:6-16; 26:9-18 It was now the afternoon of the third day, but nothing had changed. Everything continued dark: he still could not see. None of those who had accompanied him had come to see him. He had been offered food and water by someone but refused. Whatever this was; Whoever this was - it was too serious a time for food. Not that he was hungry, for it was the bright light and the Voice of three days before which filled his mind. And then another vision about someone named Ananias who was coming so he could regain his sight. And his prayers - feeble, grasping, struggling. “How could I have missed Him? How could I have misunderstood?” These thoughts pulsated in his over-worked mind. “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” “Indeed I was. Those poor defenseless people. Lord, can you ever forgive me? But now I know why they joyfully submitted and even gave their lives. Now I know. You are alive. Alive!” “I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.” “Jesus of Nazareth, the carpenter. The preacher, the miracle worker. The One who rattled and dumbfounded both the Pharisees and Sadducees. The One who was crucified by Pilate - He is Messiah. How could I not have seen all of this?” “...for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness...rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.” “Yes, Lord, people must hear that you are alive from the dead. People need to be brought out of their darkness into your blazing light. People need to hear that forgiveness of sins now comes through faith in you. The world needs to know...” A knock on the door. “Brother Saul? My name is Ananias...”

Proverbs 1:5-6 Much of life is about learning. If one isn’t inclined to learn, he is doomed to bring upon himself much disappointment and trouble. Learning is available most everywhere, but especially are we counseled to learn from God and to live by His wisdom. Allow me in this little piece to share some of the things which I’ve learned over the years. Perhaps you’ve learned some of these same things. I’ve learned... ...that if you smile, things just go a lot better. ...that if you pay your bills, they won’t shut off your service. ...that sin influences us so easily and in such subtle ways. ...that if you attend to the small things, the big things get handled. ...that God answers prayer in ways you’d never dream of. ...that sometimes God helps you open your mouth, and sometimes He helps you keep it shut. ...not to put labels on people; they are almost impossible to get off. ...that help will come from the most surprising places. ...that if you aren’t doing it for Jesus, you’re wasting your time. ...that zeal for the Lord is catching. ...that you can overstay your welcome; you can talk too much; and you can over eat at the “all you can eat” buffet. ...that every person has a story. ...not to overlook anybody. ...that if someone volunteers, say “Yes!” ...that old ways of thinking and of doing are hard to change. ...to pray - a lot! ...that Jesus is truly the answer to everything. ...that God is always there - no matter what.

Genesis 2:7 The Genesis account of the creation of man ought to give us more than a hint about what is needed to sustain human life. And knowing about the many parallels between physical life and spiritual life given in scripture, we can also learn from this about what is needed to sustain life for the soul. The Lord God is at work making Adam out of the dust. So it’s easy to see that God is the Creator and the One orchestrating the entire affair. But this isn’t our main point. Picture the body of the man being formed in the hands of God. Every component is carefully considered, designed, created and put into place. Finally, the body is complete, but there’s still no life. Just an unanimated body. This is our point. It isn’t until God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” that man became a living soul. The breath of life came from God which means it came from outside of the man. This theme is carried out in the functioning of our bodies to this day. Our bodies do not have life within themselves. To have life, our bodies must have things which are external to our bodies. We need to breathe oxygen from the air. We need food and water from the surrounding environment. When we do not have a regular intake of these things, our bodies falter and die. We die. The same holds true for the soul, our spiritual selves. Since each one has sinned, we are already dead (Ephesians 2:5). “The soul who sins will die” (Ezekiel 18:4). To have life (meaning “eternal life” since the soul is in view), we need something outside of ourselves to give us that life. Eternal life is not within ourselves. Enter the grace of God through Jesus Christ to give us life. Through His conquering sin in the flesh, His death for our sins and His resurrection from the dead we can now have eternal life. Buried with Him in baptism, our sins are washed away, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit of life. It is now Christ who dwells in us. He is our life! (Galatians 2:20) Praise God for the life of Christ!!