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2 Timothy 3:14-17 From time to time, Shirley and I like to visit one of those mega book stores offering club memberships, complete with coffee bar and stocked with puzzles, games and all sorts of things associated with reading. Books tend to get me excited like shotguns, nine irons and torque wrenches do other guys. But when you walk into one of these stores, there they are - row upon row upon row. Shelf after shelf after shelf. Books! Every conceivable subject and some inconceivable! Vegetable gardening, flower gardening, square foot gardening, travel (to anywhere), cooking (pasta, beef, barbecue, low fat, low carb, low cal), world history, ancient history, American history, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, novels (of every ilk), science, science fiction, Scientology, and, yes, even golf, guns and garage mechanic. You get the idea. The thought always comes to me when I’m standing in the midst of all those titles: “Where should a person begin reading?” If I’m, say, a young person just starting to wake up to life, what books should I pick to read? Which ones are “an absolute must?” Which ones are “worth your while?” Which ones “a waste of time?” Certainly, numerous books are worth our while, and many are must reads. But there is still only one book which is an absolute necessity! That would be the Bible, the collection of God’s sacred writings. In no other volume can we find the truths about life, death and the hereafter. About our beginnings and the planned end. About God and us. About the vicious battle raging between good and evil. About Jesus Christ who came to rescue us from Satan and the power of death. No other book contains these truths - period! God authored only one Book, and it is a perennial best seller. I wonder, however, if it is a perennial best read? How many people own a copy of God’s book but have never read it cover to cover even once? Can you imagine? The only book which tells us about all of those “life and death” topics lies closed on the shelf. Imagine that.

Luke 1:5-25 Zacharias was doing his priestly duty as, I’m sure, he had done for many years for he was “an old man” as he himself said. He was burning incense in the temple of the Lord, and the multitude of the people were outside in prayer while he was attending to the altar of incense. Another time for prayer. Another time for burning incense. It had happened hundreds of times before. Worship ritual. Show up. Pray. Go home. But this time, something changed. God showed up! He showed up in the form of the angel Gabriel, and things would never be the same again! “Zacharias, your prayer has been heard, and your wife will have a son, and you will name him John. He will be great in the sight of the Lord and will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. He will make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Zacharias is so stunned he doesn’t believe Gabriel’s message and so is made mute until after the child is born. When he exits the temple, he must make signs to the people to try to get them to understand he has seen a vision. When his course of service is over, he heads home, but home will not be the same again. He can’t speak. That must have been an interesting adjustment for him and Elisabeth to make. How did she take the news from Gabriel? Shortly after, she becomes pregnant! It must all be true! Soon there will be a little boy in their house. Things will never be the same again. And as we know, this John becomes the Baptizer who becomes the voice of one crying in the wilderness to prepare the way for the Lord. God showed up in the person of John the Baptist. Things will never be the same again! Has God ever showed up in your life? In a powerful message from His word? In a man or woman of great faith? In a moving event or a glorious blessing? You will never be the same again.

Ephesians 1:3 When we reflect upon our blessings for which we are thankful, we tend to think of such things as food, clothing, warm house, good health, etc. - all wonderful blessings from God. Paul rejoices in our God and Father who has blessed us with “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” How many spiritual blessings can you name? Some of them... ...forgiveness of sins ...freedom from guilt ...adopted sons of God ...eternal inheritance with Christ ...gift of the Holy Spirit ...member of the body of Christ ...prayers answered ...freed from sin ...joy of the Lord ...wearing of the name Christian ...guidance and instruction from the Word of God ...love and support from my church family ...freed from the grasp of Satan ...eternal life ...leading of the Holy Spirit ...peace of God ...genuine hope ...promised resurrection from the dead ...receive the righteousness of Christ ...redemption of our body ...constant shepherding of Christ Himself ...suffering with Christ ...eternal glory ...share in the Lord’s table There are others...

Proverbs 30:6 Ned, Tillie and Warren were enjoying a game of Monopoly one evening. Now things weren’t going well for Warren. He had been able to buy only a few properties, and Ned and Tillie already had some houses on some of theirs. Warren’s money was dwindling. Then he landed on one of Tillie’s holdings with three houses. “I can’t pay that much rent,” he growled. “Well, you’ll have to mortgage, advised Tillie. “Even that won’t be enough,” snapped Warren. “I guess I’ll rob the bank.” “You can’t do that!” laughed Ned. “Why not?” shot back Warren. “The rules don’t say I can’t” And with that he grabbed a handful of $100 dollar bills from the bank. Needless to say, the game rapidly deteriorated after that. We smile at this little episode and heartily concur that Warren was not right in taking money from the bank even though the rules did not say that such a thing could not be done. All of the legitimate bank transactions were spelled out in the rules. With those being written, the illegitimate transactions did not have to be noted (which could, in fact, fill page upon page and become quite cumbersome). This story illustrates one of the primary principles in the interpretation of Scripture. Sometimes God specifies what not to do. More often, He just tells us what to do. When the word teaches us to do something, it does not have to tell us all the things not to do. For example, the Word teaches that the Lord’s Supper is observed using unleavened bread and the cup (fruit of the vine, wine). The Holy Spirit does not say: “Do not use donuts, melon slices or raisin cakes. Do not use milk, apple juice or iced tea.” What is specified is only what is authorized. Our text warns us not to add to God’s word. We must exercise great diligence in rightly interpreting God’s word and not add anything to it thereby putting words in God’s mouth.

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.