: 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

: 6 , 13, 20, 27

: 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

And so another new year begins. We will mark its arrival with various forms of celebration. Among members of the Lord’s Church, we will observe it without drunkenness and excessive partying, and as a result our celebrations will be unmarked by folly, sin, and regret that goes with such behavior. Some of us will gather with friends and share good company, good laughs, and good food. Others will watch TV to see “the ball” drop in New York. Many will stay up until midnight to embrace loved ones and sing Aude Lang Syne. And still others (like this author) will probably fall asleep before 10:30. While it may be a night to remember the past year, we celebrate the potential of the year to come.
And yet like most of the holidays in our calendar, New Years Eve is an arbitrary day selected to honor a principle important to men and is an observance that has its roots in the dim obscurity of man’s pagan past. Celebrating the New Year on January 1st is a relatively new innovation. Among ancient Europeans, the end of the year came on October 31st, and the New Year did not begin until February 1st. The months of November through January were known as the “dead time, or “days of the dead.” Groundhog Day is a sort of light-hearted nod to this old tradition. The Roman Catholic leadership adopted elements of this pagan tradition and renamed the February 1st holiday “First Candlemas.” Nearly every ancient culture (and even some current ones) had varied New Year celebrations and observed those celebrations on different days. However, what seems to be consistent about all of those celebrations is the universal urge among men to bring closure to the past year, whether full of triumph and blessing or rife with burdens and sorrows, and to welcome another year with hope, eagerness, and resolution. Unlike the pagans, we know that the nature of the coming year does not depend on the caprice of non-gods, but on the will of the Living God and the cooperation of man. Viewed in this light and when practiced without sin, New Years celebrations are healthy and commendable.
Tonight, we will look back at 2006 and remember that for the saints at Tomlinson Run, it was a difficult year in terms of hard times and deaths. At the same time, it was a year in which our burdens were mixed with blessings from God -- a number of souls were born into the family of God and a number of babies were born into our families. Tonight we will also celebrate the potential of 2007. We are anticipating others being baptized into Christ and expecting more babies to grace our number with their beauty and innocence.
Will we also remember that the nature of the New Year also depends on two things: the will of Almighty God and the resolute cooperation of His people? We cannot fathom the purposes of God; they are too wise and wonderful for our limited reasoning. However, we can exert a great impact on the coming year by our cooperation with God’s will, whether by accepting the hard times with grace, dignity, and contentment, or by magnifying the good times with diligence, dedication, and gratitude.
The secular man uses grand, sweeping gestures to make mundane and tawdry resolutions for the coming year -- he will work for a promotion, she will lose weight, he will lower his cholesterol, she will watch less TV. The spiritual man uses the quiet stage of his heart and soul to make profound, substantive resolutions this night -- “This will be the year I will grow in grace and knowledge and in favor with God and man.” But he will not stop with just making a great resolution out of the emotional fervor of New Years observances. Such promises are like piecrust -- easily made, easily broken.
Instead, the faithful child of God knows that if he is to succeed in keeping his resolutions for the coming year, he must remember the lessons of the past year and build upon them in the New Year. He must be humble enough to be aware that he needs to include God in his plans, and he must pray daily that the Lord will help him keep his promises. He must be self-aware enough to realize that the emotion of the New Years celebration will not motivate him on January 2nd; he will need more than a good feeling at 11:59 PM on December 31. He must be wise enough to know that his New Years resolution must be remembered and remade every morning of the coming year. And he must be practical enough to make a plan.
Which resolution is more likely to bring results: “I will read the Bible through this year,” or “I will read five chapters of the Bible every evening after supper this year.”? Which one will work: “I want to bring someone to the Lord this year,” or “I will ask my friend to come to services with me this week.”? Make a plan and work your plan, and the New Year will realize its potential. Otherwise, resolutions will be little more than shallow emotional promises arbitrarily made on a randomly chosen evening.
Make your New Years resolution tonight, pray for help to keep it, make a plan for daily implementation of that plan, and then get up every day this year remembering your promise to make 2007 a good year. If the Lord wills and you work His will, it will be.

“The Lord is my Shepherd”
(That’s relationship)
“I shall not want”
(That’s supply)
“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures”
(That’s rest)
“He leadeth me beside the still waters”
(That’s refreshment)
“He restoreth my soul”
(That’s healing)
“He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness”
(That’s guidance)
“For his name's sake”
(That’s purpose)
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death”
(That’s testing)
“I will fear no evil”
(That’s protection)

We are deeply grateful to the Lord for helping us to get safety through 2006, in spite of all of its hardships, and for bringing us near to 2007, in soundness of mind, soul, and spirit. Many who were around prior to the nineteen seventies remem¬ber vividly that not all that profess to be part of the body of Christ made it to 2006 in spiritual safety. The apostle Paul said, “Some shall depart from the faith” (1Tim. 4:1-4). They chose to follow the allure of liberalism rather than be led by sound words revealed by the Holy Spirit.
Today we have a generation that did not witness with grief and terror the many souls that departed the faith, and they have heard only vague echoes of the battles fought for the sake of truth and right. They do not know or understand why we have no fellowship with some professed churches of Christ. They do not realize that liberal churches of Christ are not part of Christ, but rather are traps for the weak in faith and young in understanding. The task we must willingly undertake is to explain plainly why, when asked, “Why can’t we worship with that (liberal) congregation?” They need to be shown from the word of God what a sound church is.
“Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus” (2Tim. 1:13). The New Testament uses the word “sound’ numerous times (Luke 15:27; Acts 3:16; 1Tim. 1:10; 2Tim. 1:7, 13, 4:3; Titus 1:9,13, 2:1, 2, 8). In each case, the object being described as sound carries with it the characteristic of being “whole, complete, uncorrupted, unadulterated, of a substantial and enduring nature” (Vines Expository Dictionary, Webster’s New World Dictionary). Therefore when one speaks of sound judgment, he means judgment that is competent, complete, and valid. When one speaks of sound reasoning, he would mean reasoning that follows a systematic pattern without defect in logic and reasoning, both whole and wholesome. When one speaks of sound doctrine, he refers to teaching that is complete, uncor¬rupted, of a substantial and enduring nature, again -- whole and whole¬some. And when one speaks of a sound church, he is talking about a congregation that follows the teachings of Christ in a thorough, valid, uncorrupted, wholesome pattern without defect in truth. Simply put, a congregation that carefully, faithfully practices what the Bible authorizes, not more, and not less.
A sound church is organized the way that Christ has authorized. Each congregation has its own elders who oversee that work and that work alone. They are responsible to see that sound doctrine is taught and that no unauthorized practice is introduced (Titus 1:9). They labor so that souls might be saved, and Christians might be built up in the faith. Deacons are assigned the task of being of service to the elders, assisting them to the end that the elders might be freed from material affairs to properly focus on spiritual leadership. The members are subject to the elders with a spirit of submission that will facilitate the work of the Lord in that church.
A sound church does the work Christ assigned it. In the New Testament, we learn that the church is instructed to teach the lost, to edify the saints, to discipline the rebellious, and to relieve weak and needy Christians. Christ has limited the church to these tasks, giving the church a pattern to follow in carrying them out.
A sound church worships according to the “pattern of sound words” also. We are not permitted to introduce into or remove from worship anything Christ wants there. To do so would make our service unacceptable (Gal. 1:6-10; Rev. 22:18-19). A church that does not follow Christ’s instructions is not sound, and faithful saints are to shun them: “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph. 5:11).
According to the word of God, there are some characteristics of a church practicing sound doctrine that make it distinct, even unique, when compared to liberal churches of Christ and denominations of men. Look for these identifying marks in the congregation you worship with. If they are not there, you need to admonish the brethren of that congregation to return to the pattern of sound words.
1) In a church practicing sound words, Christ is the supreme authority. His doctrine, whether spoken by Him or His inspired writers is the only doctrine taught and practiced in a sound church. Human reasoning and innovations, suppositions on the silence of scripture, and “a new hermeneutic” are not acceptable sources of authority. Christ is the head of His church (Eph. 1:22-23), and his word is law (Col. 3:17; 2John 9-11).
2) In a church practicing sound words, the duties of the church as a collectivity of saints and the duties of Christ¬ians as individuals are carried out with no blurring of the roles and responsibilities. The church recognizes its work as revealed in the New Testament and does not attempt to do the work assigned to individual saints. In 1Timothy 5:1-16, Paul speaks of widows that are to be supported by the church and those that are to be cared for by godly children, clearly pointing out a difference between works assigned the church and duties assigned to individual Christians. A sound church sees the difference and abides by it in order to be well pleasing to Christ.
3) The church that practices sound doctrine is a church that recognizes itself as a spiritual body with a spiritual work. A sound church sees its mission to be the same as their Lord’s -- seeking souls bringing to them words of salvation. The Lord wants His church to teach the lost, to help Christians to grow, and to care for needy saints. Christ did not assign His church the task of relieving world hunger, but rather to feed it spiritual food; nor to educate the world with human wisdom, but rather with the word of God; nor to become a community entertainment center, but to be the epicenter of gospel proclamation (Eph. 4:11-16; Acts 11:28-31).
4) The church that practices sound words recognizes that it is autonomous and independent of other congregations in worship, work and organization. The sound churches in the New Testament were organized under the oversight of their own elders. Each church performed its own tasks with no organization larger or smaller than the local church. When Peter told elders in 1Peter 5:1-4 to “feed the flock that is among you,” he did not say “among you” incidentally or accidentally. Christ desires that each church work alone. Organized this way, if one church falls prey to error, it won’t bring others down with it. Organized this way, the early church preached the gospel to the known world in thirty-one years (Col. 1:6, 23).
5) The Church that practices sound words recognizes that it is alone sufficient to do all of the works Christ assigned it to do. Churches in the New Testament did not need humanly devised organizations and institutions to reach the lost or build up the faith of the saints. Without missionary societies, the gospel was preached to the whole world; without benevolent institutions, those in need were cared for; without fellowship halls and gymnasiums, sinners were drawn to Christ and His church. We don’t need them today, either.
These are just a few of the things that help us to identify a sound church. It is our heart’s desire that we be found faithful upon the Lord’s return. One of the ways we can maintain our faithfulness is to help the church remain pure in doctrine and in love. Have no fellowship with those who teach error, but rather teach them sound doctrine. “Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son” (2John 9).

Since my folks are school teachers, for years I have always enjoyed the story of the mother who brought her child to class and then told the teacher, “Now Johnny is very sensitive. So if he gets in trouble, just hit the child next to him and he will get the idea.”
This always brings a smile to my lips but the other day I got to thinking if some members of the church weren't just like the way this mother told the teacher to be. They get mad at someone or another and then of all things, they take it out on God.
To show you what I mean: a man and his wife have a fuss so they don't come to church. Or someone gets mad at the elders, preacher, or someone else and they quit the church. Quite frankly, that makes about as much sense as my getting perturbed at George and hitting John. It just doesn't make sense at all!
Think about it a long time the next time you get upset about something some man has done before you take it out on God. You know, really you won't be hurting anyone but yourself.

When we or someone we love has been hurt, thoughts of revenge may dominate our minds. But we won’t ever be able to “get even.” Dr. Lewis Smedes, a professor of theology, wrote extensively about forgiveness in Forgive and Forget, saying: “Revenge never evens the score, for alienated people never keep score of wrongs by the same mathematics. Forgiveness is the only way to stop the cycle of unfair pain turning in your memory.”
These insights help us understand why Paul wrote with urgency: “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger… be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another… forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph. 4:31-32). Paul knew that a spirit of forgiveness was essential for the Ephesians’ spiritual survival. His appeal was based on God’s forgiveness of them.
Smedes said that forgiveness is not forgetting, excusing, or smoothing things over. Instead, forgiving breaks the cycle of revenge and “creates a new possibility of fairness by releasing us from the unfair past. Forgiving is love’s toughest work, and love’s biggest risk. To forgive is to move to the beat of God’s forgiving heart. It is to ride the crest of love’s strongest wave. To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” (via Daily Bread)

As 2006 ends and 2007 is about to begin, we look back on a year filled with hard times, both for us at the local level and the rest of the world on an international basis. Misguided persons might suggest these difficulties are signs of Christ’s second coming. Others will assert that they evidence of God’s wrath and judgment on mankind’s sin. Instead, they simply seem to be the results of natural and social forces inherent to living in a physical world.
Whatever may be your way of explaining troubling events, we need to see them with a long term view. Throughout the millennia since creation such things have happened again and again. People pass away, natural disasters happen, and human beings inflict barbaric suffering on others.
Consider just one episode in history, the fall of Rome in AD 455 as described by a religious leader: “Our citizens have given up believing in the future, especially those living in the poorest parts of the city. They have no work, little food, and no opportunity to better their lives. In some quarters of the city, riots have broken out, but for the most part there is too much despair to riot. Surely Christ will hear our cries and come soon.”
That was written 1551 years ago! In every age, conscientious believers look at the suffering around them and view it as signs of the end and cry out for the Lord to return. Natural disasters and man’s inhumanity to man will continue until Jesus returns. We long for that time when He comes again because He will make all things right. Meanwhile, we will persevere until He does.
Philippians 1:23-24 - “For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith.”

In 1872 in the town of Caruthersville, Missouri, there was a school with a class of students that no teacher had been able to handle. Two or three teachers had been run off from this school in one year by the unruly students. A young man, just out of college, heard about the class and applied to the school. The principal asked the young man, "Do you know what you are asking for? No one else has been able to handle these students." The young man looked at the principal and said, "Sir, with your consent I accept the challenge. Just give me a trial basis."
The next morning the young man stood before the class. He said to the class, "Young people, I came here today to conduct school. But I realize I can't do it by myself. I must have your help." One big boy, they called Big Tom, in the back of the room whispered to his buddies, "I won't need any help. I can lick that little bird all by myself." The young teacher told the class that if they were to have school, there would have to be some rules to go by. But he also added that he would allow the students to make up the rules and that he would list them on the blackboard.
This was certainly different, the students thought! One young man suggested "NO STEALING." Another one shouted "BE ON TIME FOR CLASS." Pretty soon they had 10 rules listed on the board. The teacher then asked the class what the punishment should be for breaking these rules. "Rules are no good unless they are enforced," he said.
Someone in the class suggested that if the rules were broken, they should receive 10 licks with a rod across their back with their coat off. The teacher thought that this was pretty harsh, so he asked the class if they would stand by this punishment. The class agreed.
Everything went along pretty good for two or three days. Then Big Tom came in one day very upset. He declared that someone had stolen his lunch. After talking with the students, they came to the conclusion that little Timmy had stolen Big Tom's lunch. Someone had seen little Timmy with Big Tom's lunch! The teacher called little Timmy up to the front of the room. Little Timmy admitted he had taken Big Tom's lunch.
So the teacher asked him, "Do you know the punishment?" Little Timmy nodded that he did. "You must remove your coat," the teacher instructed. The little fellow had come with a great big coat on.
Little Timmy said to the teacher, "I am guilty and I am willing to take my punishment, but please don't make me take off my coat." The teacher reminded little Timmy of the rules and punishments and again told him he must remove his coat and take his punishment like a man.
The little fellow started to unbutton that old coat. As he did so, the teacher saw he did not have a shirt on under the coat. And even worse, he saw a frail and bony frame hidden beneath that coat. The teacher asked little Timmy why he had come to school without a shirt on.
Little Timmy replied, "My daddy's dead and my mother is very poor. I don't have but one shirt, and my mother is washing it today. I wore my big brother's coat so that I could keep warm."
That young teacher stood and looked at the frail back with the spine protruding against the skin, and his ribs sticking out. He wondered how he could lay a rod on that little back and without even a shirt on. Still, he knew he must enforce the punishment or the children would not obey the rules. So he drew back to strike little Timmy.
Just then Big Tom stood up and came down the aisle. He asked, "Is there anything in the rules that says that I can't take little Timmy's whipping for him?"
The teacher thought about it and agreed. With that Big Tom took his coat off and stooped and stood over little Timmy at the desk. The teacher began to lay the rod on Tom’s big back. After the whipping, he heard a commotion and looked up to find not even one dry eye in the room. Little Timmy had turned and grabbed Big Tom around the neck apologizing to him for stealing his lunch, begging Big Tom to forgive him, and promising that he would love him till the day he died for taking his whipping for him.
Aren't you glad that Jesus took our whipping for us? Romans 5:6-10 - “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Of a good, honest, sincere man it was said: “He brushed his teeth twice a day with nationally advertised toothpaste. The doctors examined him twice a year. He wore overshoes when it rained. He slept with the windows opened. He stuck to a diet with plenty of fresh vegetables. He relinquished his tonsils and took his vitamins faithfully all year. He golfed but not more than 18 holes at a time. He got at least eight hours of sleep every night. He never smoked, drank or lost his temper. He always did his daily dozen exercises. He was all set to live to be a hundred. The funeral will held Wednesday. He is survived by ten specialists, four health institutes, six gymnasiums, and numerous manufacturers of health foods and antiseptics.” He made just one mistake! He forgot God! He lived as though this world were all there was to live, and he is now with those who say, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.”
The millions of footprints left by humanity in every generation bear testimony of the futility of seeking paths that lead only to this life. Death becomes a dead-end for those who seek to find everything in life and never find God. It is like a road that leads to nowhere. Jesus warned, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). Life is not about here; life is about there.
Living life with God takes our journey beyond the vale of death. Our path of life never ends but continues in the hope of eternal life. Living with God brings peace and security in the answers men seek. “Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever mine. I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, because I have observed Your precepts” (Psalms 119:98-100). The word of God guides us from where we came from, why we are here and where we are going.
Living with God comes from knowledge of Jesus Christ. Man cannot live without Jesus Christ. To acknowledge Him is to believe in Him as the Son of God. This belief is what tenders our lives with the obedience of His word. Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him” (John 14:6-7). The reason that men live without God is they will not accept the Son of God. There is only one way to find life after death and it is through Jesus Christ. The more we come to know the Son, the more we come to know the Father.
When you look at your life, what is the focus of your day to day living? Do you spend endless hours pursuing the things of this world with its glory and accolades of honor? Is life one achievement after another as you move into retirement from work and plan for the golden years of life? Does your road end in death or is there a bridge over the valley of the shadow of death leading to a street paved with gold extending throughout the eternal ages? Life is not about what we possess; life is about what possesses us.
“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that’” (James 4:13-15). That is living with God!

I resolve to keep my mind clean,
And pure and good.
For a mind that’s clean, can only say
The words a Christian should;
I’ll try to never say,
The words that hurt another.
And always say kind things
About a sister or brother.

I resolve to be more faithful, to my
Lord and Savior dear,
And to pray more and more each day,
To keep Him ever near;
To always, if I’m able,
To lend a helping Hand,
And try to be more thankful,
That I am blessed as richly as I am.

I resolve not to love,
The pleasures of this life,
Nor wear the kind of clothing,
That for a Christian is not right.
To be the kind of Christian,
God would have me to be.
To truly live so others,
Can see Christ living in me.

I resolve to tell others,
About the Wonderful Gospel of Christ,
So that they too,
May know the richness of this life;
That they may learn to live,
The life of truth and love,
And someday meet up there,
In Heaven up above.

A certain businessman was notorious for saving almost everything that came across his desk—especially correspondence. Consequently, the files in his office were bulging. One day his secretary asked if she might dispose of all the old, useless material. The man was reluctant, but finally said, “Well, all right, but be sure you make a copy of everything before you throw it away.”
That’s the way some Christians handle their sins. They know that Jesus paid the penalty, but somehow they can’t let go of the guilt. It’s as if Christ’s suffering was not enough, and they must contribute some of their own anguish by continually lamenting their failures. They want to keep copies of everything they’ve done wrong. How foolish!
The apostle Paul wanted nothing of this. He accepted as an accomplished fact the removal of all his guilt before God because Christ’s death had marked PAID IN FULL over his account. The memory of earlier days remained vivid, but it didn’t weigh him down.
Everything that happens to us is retained in that remarkable filing system called “memory.” A wise forgetfulness based on Christ’s atoning sacrifice can keep guilt from cluttering up our lives.

Praise loudly; blame softly.
Many men know how to flatter, few men know how to praise.
A refusal of praise is a desire to praised twice.
Those who are greedy of praise prove that they are poor in merit.
He who sincerely praises God will soon discover within his soul an inclination to praise goodness in his fellow man.
Praise is the rehearsal of our eternal song.

This phrase is found several times in the New Testament scriptures. Paul seems to be rather fond of it (1Cor. 16:7, 4:19; Acts 18:21; Heb. 6:3). It is quite common today to hear people qualify statements by adding or stating, “if the Lord will.” They are known to say I will perform some act or go somewhere “if the Lord wills.” One of the reasons for these few comments concerning this phrase is that so often it appears that the thought might be over worked and becomes more of a show of piety rather than true devotion and confidence in God. We fear that some people almost use these words without really thinking of their true significance.
Observing The Phrase:
It is proper and right to use it. James states that we ought to say, “If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that” (James 4:15). The isolated phrase may be grammatically questioned, but not scripturally! What we say should be said with meaning and with the proper application to our lives. So many times, we may be guilty of uttering words that mean nothing as far as the consistency of application is concerned. Of such a demonstration of false piety, the Christian should ever beware! The words affirm that God has a will and He does not permit or sanction everything. God respects man’s volitions and He does not force anyone to do His bidding. When we meet the phrase, it is spoken by those, who at the least indication of anything being contrary to God’s will, they would deny doing it. To the Corinthians, Paul wrote: “But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power” (1Cor. 4:19). It seems that he was saying if the Lord did not will it, he would not will to do to the contrary. He respected the Lord’s will and was not seeking exemption from it.
The Lord’s will concerning matters of our soul’s salvation are revealed in His word (Rom. 1:16; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Rom. 10:17; John 12:48). We have His word to follow in being saved and acceptable in the sight of the Lord (Acts 10:34-35). However, it appears that James in James 4:13-15 is referring to the Lord’s will as it providentially affects His children in this life. James mentions a man planning for the year; moving to a city; staying there a year; buying and selling that he might get gain. This one is vain for he leaves God out of his plans as did the rich farmer whom God designates as “thou fool” (Luke 12:20). His planning, moving and dealing in commerce were not wrong. His error involved the vainness of making no provisions for the Lord’s will in all of his plans and arrangements. In a case similar to this, how are we to determine or ascertain what the Lord would will in such a situation? I personally confess that determining God’s will in matters such as this has given me considerable thought through the years. When we are confronted with determining God’s will in such matters, it might be good in a prayerful attitude to ask ourselves: Is this move or decision selfish or will it be to the glory of God? Are we violating or reflecting upon God’s revealed law in so doing? Will the decision be conducive to our spiritual health? In this regard or in matters pertaining to such decisions, if we are truly concerned about the Lord’s will, we will certainly be considering, as far as our finite minds can comprehend, what would be most pleasing to God in serving Him.
The Phrase Is Often Misapplied:
“If the lord wills, I’ll obey the gospel.” Where is the reasoning here? The Lord wills that all men obey the gospel (1Peter 4:17-18). The Lord does not hinder anyone from obedience. So many times, the real meaning is concealed by the phrase, “if the Lord wills.” The real meaning is that they are waiting with Felix for a convenient time which will never come (Acts 24:25).
“If the Lord wills, I’m going to be at services.” Again, this seems to be shallow reasoning, or else I’m missing the thought! The Lord wills that His children worship Him and never forsake the assembly (Heb. 10:25). I have known individuals to make the statement and fail to be at service. Their explanation for being absent was something like this: company came; had a headache or the sniffles; had to work, etc. Are we to contend that God was not willing for them to attend? I fail to understand from the scriptures that such would be in keeping with the function of God. Some years ago, I recall a preacher, who often used the phrase, “if the Lord wills.” On this particular occasion, he remarked that “if the Lord wills”, he would attend a service of the meeting where I was preaching. He didn’t make it and later volunteered the explanation that his wife had something else planned for that evening. This individual’s problem was that his wife wasn’t willing… NOT THE LORD.
As you have doubtlessly concluded, I believe we need to be careful in using the phrase, “if the Lord will.” When Paul stated “if the Lord will,” he was considering that God might have something more important for him to perform at the time. He was not pleading for an exemption of duty! We know things arise that we have no control over and this is what some people refer to as being providentially hindered. Yet, are we to conclude that such was the Lord’s will that hindered us or that the hindrance was directly sent from the Lord? Let us think about the proper use of the phrase and not be guilty of abusing it. We need to always submit to His will (Matt. 7:21).

Standing inside the portals,
Standing inside inside.
Knowing that with the Angels
Ever we shall abide.
Jesus is there awaiting,
His arms are open wide.
“Enter my child”, He’s saying,
Come on, come, come inside, inside.

Come on, come on inside
Where the Angles abide.
Where no demons can hide,
For we are inside.
What a beautiful picture of the satisfied.
Standing, standing with Jesus.
Standing, standing inside, inside.

Standing inside with Jesus,
his loving hand to hold.
Caught up in all His glory,
Standing on streets of gold.
There is no need for sunshine,
For Jesus is the Light.
There are no demons lurking,
For we are inside, inside.

There is a crown awaiting,
For the faithful few.
I want to be in that number,
Now how about you.
The Angels await our coming,
The door is open wide.
Oh! What great rejoicing
Standing, standing inside, inside.

“A generation has arisen that does not know the Berlin Wall, who have taken the collapse of communism as a simple fact of societal development, who did not witness the civil rights conflicts, to whom the Khymer Rouge sounds like an exotic face powder, and to whom the cold war sounds like a winter military exercise. Freedom isn't taken for granted by them; they have known nothing but freedom. They are not to be blamed, for they are the blessed beneficiaries of hundreds of years of struggle, suffering, and strife in the battle for freedom in this world. We have won the war against unreasonable oppression by government. But, as Alexis de Tocqueville warned in his dissertations on American democracy, those who have never known the hardships endured to obtain freedom will eventually suffer the loss of that freedom, as they do not have a true appreciation for it. Learn the history of your nation; it is essential to preserving it.” (AP)
So it is in Christ. Know trials and conflicts borne by those who labored to bring us liberty in Jesus Christ, lest we forget and lose that freedom. Remember what others have suffered to bring you liberty in Christ, so that you will treasure that freedom and engage yourself in the struggle to preserve that freedom in your life, and labor to bring that same freedom to the rest of the world.
What did the prophets go through to bring freedom to you? Hebrews 11:36-40 - “Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented-- of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.”
What did the Savior go through to bring this freedom to you? Isaiah 53:4-6 - “Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
What did the apostles and writers of the inspired word of God go through to communicate this freedom to you? 2Corinthians 4:8-12, 15 - “We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed-- always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you… For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.”
What have those who have preached the gospel or served as shepherds in the local church gone through so that you can enjoy freedom in Christ? Philippians 2:30 - “Because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me.” Hebrews 13:7 - “Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.”
The Savior, the prophets, the apostles, elders, and evangelists have labored, often sacrificially, so that you can have the opportunity to live in the liberty that is in Christ Jesus. You are under obligation to remember their struggle and to continue the struggle to preserve that freedom. Do not forget or take for granted the blood, sweat, and tears that were shed on your behalf to bring you freedom from sin and death, or you will lose it.
Galatians 5:1 - “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” John 8:32 - “’And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ They answered Him, ‘We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.’”

Webster defines the word adorn as follows: “To deck with ornaments; to embellish, to beautify.” Paul says in Titus 2:10 that we are to adorn the doctrine of God our Savour in all things. I believe that means in our lives, in all that we do and say, to deck it with ornaments, to embellish and to beautify. Not decking with ornaments literally, but to live our lives as Christians beautifully so that the world may know we truly do believe the doctrine of God. It will show in our lives if we are living godly, leaving a good example of what we believe. We can make the doctrine of God look beautiful so that others will want to adorn themselves with it also, and that to the saving of their Souls, and ours.
If I adorn myself with new clothing, I wear that clothing. Why not do the same with the doctrine of God? To wear it, to wrap ourselves in it, as a garment. The garments protect our bodies from the elements, so, the doctrine of God worn constantly will protect us from the evils of the world.
We must keep it spotless, as it was given to us, as it is pure by the blood of Christ. We must keep it as pure and beautiful, never let become dull or take second place in our lives. Let us adorn the doctrine of God as a bride adorns herself for her husband, pure chaste, unspotted, beautifully adorned.

He who would be a mover of the world must not be moved by the world.
More men fail through lack of purpose than through lack of talent.
Achievements ordinarily follow in due course when a person, after planning his work, works his plan.

Going to church is not like it used to be. Church services have turned into places of entertainment and frolic and high pitched computer generated displays of excitement, energy and temporal feelings of self worth. Auditoriums are filled with choral groups arrayed in splashing displays of sparkling gowns with sound systems that generate twenty-seven million decibels of sound reverberating through the expanse of overflow crowds riveted with spiritual fervor. Bands fill the sanctuary with guitars, drums, brass, string and a host of instruments gauged with the onslaught of entertaining the masses. Power enthusiasm is the order of worship.
Going to church is not like it used to be. Church services have turned into places where you can “come as you are.” The dress code for worship is whatever makes one comfortable. Bare feet are now acceptable, shorts and tee-shirts and casual apparel as if one is going to the ball park, fishing or relaxing around the house. Church services are created to be as “dressed down” as possible.
Going to church is not like it used to be. Church services have turned into places of social fellowship where one can find spaghetti, cake, hamburgers, hotdogs, fried chicken, sweet tea, pies, fruitcakes and pizza. The incense of coffee wafts through the halls with enticing appeal to doughnuts and sweet rolls. Crowds are appealed to through conversion of the stomach with fork in hand.
Going to church is not like it used to be. Church services have turned into places where preaching the Bible is replaced with preaching the “feel good about yourself and no one sins anymore” kind of sophistry lacking conviction and devotion on any level. The grit of scripture is replaced with a veneer of soothing enticements to indulge the peaceful hearts filled to the brim with worldliness and covetousness.
In the days of Jeroboam king of Judah, "the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold and said to them, ‘It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem’” (1Kings 12:28). What Jeroboam was afraid of was the people of the Northern tribes would go to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple, their hearts would turn against him and the people would rise up and kill him. To keep the people under his rule, he set up two calves of gold in Bethel and Dan for them to worship. It became convenient and more appealing to the people. Who wants to trudge all the way to Jerusalem? This religion of ease was to make the people happy and enjoy worship to “God.” How convenient they would not have to be bothered by anything as tedious as going all the way to Jerusalem. They wanted to enjoy life and have fun and be entertained.
The spirit of Jeroboam abounds today in modern religion. Everyone wants to have things convenient for them. Power enthusiasm, come-as-you-are dress codes, food in abundance and feel good religion has turned the Bible into nothing more than a dusty library of sixty-six books out of date and out of time with modern man. Leaving the Bible, modern religion worships at the altars of Bethel and Dan. We need prophets like Ahijah who will declare the pure message of God (1Kings 14). Anything less is rebellion. “But go now to My place which was in Shiloh, where I set My name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of My people Israel” (Jer. 7:12). “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord! Lord! shall enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven” (Matt. 7:21).

A Moments Wisdom
Give what you have; to some it may be better than you dare to think.
The virtues of being punctual are largely offset by having to wait for people who aren’t.
Worry pulls tomorrow’s cloud over today’s bright sunshine.
It is never too soon to be kind, for we never know how soon it will be too late.
Joy is not in what we own; it’s in what we are.
Be cautious. Opportunity does the knocking for temptation too.
Patience is the companion of wisdom.
Wouldn’t it be nice if people flashed as many smiles as they do credit cards.
If you haven’t any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.

Asked to address a group of teenagers, a distinguished gentleman decided to tell them his thoughts on life, dwelling on those things that young people would yet have to experience. What he told the youths follows: “Having passed the first two-score and ten years of my life, and realizing that the more sand that has escaped from the hour glass of life, the clearer we should see through it, I find myself more prone to meditate and philosophize. My life has been rich. But there have been regrets, regrets which you too will experience in time. These regrets can largely be grouped as “things I wish I had known before I was 21.”

I wish I had known what I was going to do for a living, and what my life work would likely be.
I wish I had known that my health after 30 was largely dependent on what I had put into my stomach before I was 21.
I wish I had known how to take care of my money. I wish I had known that a man’s habits are hard to change after 21.
I wish I had known that the harvest depends so much upon the seeds sown.
I wish I had known you cannot get something for nothing.
I wish I had known the world would give me just about what I deserved.
I wish I had known the folly of not taking the advice of older, wiser people.
I wish I had known that Dad wasn’t such an old fogy after all.
I wish I had known that everything Mother wanted me to do was right.
I wish I had known what it meant to Mother and Father to raise a son.
I wish I had known more of the helpful and inspiring parts of the Bible.
I wish I had known the tremendous value of the opportunity and the joy of serving a fellow man.
I wish I had known that there is no better exercise for the heart than reaching down and helping people up.
I wish I had known that the “sweat of my brow” would earn my bread.
I wish I had known that thorough education brings the best of everything else.
I wish I had known that honesty is the only policy, not just in dealing with my neighbors, but also in dealing with myself and with God.
I wish I had known the value of truthfulness in everything.
And today I wish I knew the formula for impressing you and other young people that life is mirror which will reflect back to you what you think, say, and do into it. (Author Unknown)

A Moments Wisdom

To get to heaven, turn right and go straight.
Money can buy people, but not friendship; money can buy sex, but not love; money can buy a vacation, but not the journey to heaven.
Try to understand before trying to be understood.
The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention.
The best thing you can spend on your children is time.
Truth has only to change hands a few times to become fiction.
Gossip: letting the chat out of the bag.
The difficulties of life are intended to make us better, not bitter. An obstacle may be either a stepping stone or a stumbling block.
No brook is too little to seek the sea.
People who fight fire with fire usually end up with ashes.
A truly contended person enjoys the scenery along a detour.
He who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.
If you have a hill to climb, waiting won’t make it smaller.
Life is too short to remember slights and insults, to hold grudges that rob you of happiness, and to waste time doing things that are of no value.
There is a lot to be said for patience. In time, even an egg will walk.

Perfect Love Is…

Slow to suspect; quick to trust
Slow to condemn; quick to justify
Slow to offend; quick to defend
Slow to expose; quick to shield
Slow to reprimand; quick to forbear
Slow to belittle; quick to appreciate
Slow to demand; quick to give
Slow to provoke; quick to conciliate
Slow to hinder; quick to help
Slow to resent; quick to forgive

“Be Steadfast and Immovable”
(Wednesday Night Song Service - 11/1/06)

I. "In this world you will have tribulations"
a. 473 - Father Along
b. 245 - In the Hour of Trial
c. 111 - Yield Not to Temptation
d. John 16:20-33
II. "Thanks be to God who gives us the victory"
a. 478 - The Hollow of God's Hand
b. 573 - I Shall Not Be Moved
c. 110 - Ready
d. 1Cor. 15:49-58
III. "Reaching forward to the things that are ahead"
a. 531 - Nothing Between
b. 330 - I'll Never Forsake
c. 95 - The Last Mile
d. Phil. 3:12-21
IV. "Pray that we may be delivered" (2Thes. 3:1-3)
a. 104 - For You I Am Praying
b. 31 - Watch and Pray
Invitation: 637 - Will Jesus Find Us Watching?

In 1John 1, John describes his fellowship with God as one dependent upon his walking "in the light" of God's truth. He had learned of Christ first hand, and then wrote this truth for our benefit; so that we may have the same kind of fellowship he had, i.e., fellowship with God. There is no fellowship with God for those who walk in darkness - error and sin.
But in 3John (verses 9-10) John tells us of some of his brethren (evidently folk who had fellowship with God) who had been cast out of the church. Diotrephes had severed fellowship with them, and forbad others to have such fellowship. This was wrong, undoubtedly; but the fact remains that it could and did happen. This is a case where God maintained a fellowship which men refused.
The opposite is true in 1Corinthians 5. Here, a member of the church in Corinth (whom we conclude to have had fellowship with God at one time) now lived in immorality. According to 1John 1, (and implied here) this man had now severed his fellowship with God. He walked in darkness. But the brethren in Corinth continued to keep fellowship with him. This too, was wrong - but it did happen. Men maintained a fellowship which God refused.
Thus, two types of fellowship are apparent - that with God, depending wholly upon our walking in truth; and that with men (even brethren), which is subject to man's approval or disapproval. Saying we should approve only that which God approves (with which I agree) does not change facts. Brethren sometimes approve that which they should not - or disapprove that which they should accept. God knows the difference, and judges accordingly; but the 'party' doesn't always act as God would have it act.
As we individually obey the gospel we pledge ourselves to serve God. To Him we must individually give account when life is through (Matt. 16:24; Rom. 14:4, 12). Following this agreement of allegiance, and subject to these obligations, we join hands with others to work and worship together in a local fellowship, or congregation. God commands this union; the ties of this association are grand and its obligations real; but it remains the means of serving the Master, and must never become our Master.
Fellowship of men with men is an earthly tie which has an acceptable religious significance only when it complements our service to God. It is given Divine regulations, but men do not always follow those regulations. One who counts on the outward bond of 'church' fellowship alone to guarantee his spiritual redemption, leans on a broken reed. No, I do not depreciate the importance of the church. I seek to emphasize the meaning of the true church, as God's people, we do God's work in God's way - praised for their allegiance and service to God, rather than for their faithfulness to the 'party'.
Brethren who are primarily interested in keeping their fellowship with God intact, will be drawn to one another by his common interest, and find a congregational fellowship that forecasts the sweetness of heaven.

Night Watch

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside. “Your son is here,” she said to the old man. She had to repeat the words several times before the patient’s eyes opened.
Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man’s limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.
The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man’s hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile.
He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night