The value of implicit trust in God cannot be accurately measured. It is demonstrated for us numerous times throughout the scriptures. One such example is Joseph. He was the young son of Jacob (later renamed Israel) who endured great trials, temptations, and perils. It all began as a young boy who was loved by his father but hated by his brothers. The dreams of grandeur and prominence didn’t help him either. Things continually got worse until finally, the brothers decided to kill him. If it hadn’t been for the dissenting words of Reuben they would have executed him and left his body in that well. Instead, they took him out and sold him to Ishmaelite’s as a slave. But this was no ordinary teenager; he was wise beyond his years and trusted God completely. Continue reading “The power of trust.”
For Christians to be successful in this life of faith, we must learn to endure the hardships and difficulties that come our way. Continue reading “Learning to endure.”
The intelligence of Satan for being able to defeat unwary Christians is frightening. In all honestly, it should cause us to pause and pray every time we think about it. His skills are many, they are varied, and they are always cleverly disguised. He doesn’t attack the strongest points of our life, instead, he attacks the weakest points of our life. Satan will prey on our weaknesses and go for the place that we are struggling. It’s kind of like trying to push down a mighty oak tree. Continue reading “No Victory without God’s Armor!”
“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”
(2 Timothy 3:12–13, ESV)
Every person who has made the good decision to become a Christian; every person who tries to live a godly life, will eventually face persecution for their faith. It is inevitable, sad, but inevitable. Continue reading “Don’t underestimate your enemy!”
In addition to true faith, a right choice, and a firm, unyielding purpose, every winning Christian “soldier of the cross” needs to look forward to the reward. Life as a Christian is hard and it can be overwhelming at times but if we focus on the reward that is promised to us, it will help motivate us to stand strong. Continue reading “Focus on the reward.”
How Deep the Father’s Love
By David A. Sargent
It’s a fascinating story that comes out of the 1989 earthquake which almost flattened Armenia. This deadly tremor killed over 30,000 people in less than four minutes. In the midst of all the confusion of the earthquake, a father rushed to his son’s school. When he arrived there he discovered the building was flat as a pancake. Continue reading “How deep the Father’s love”
That the Bible nowhere says, “Accept Jesus as your personal Savior?”
That the “Rapture” is not mentioned once in the Bible?
That no one in the N.T. was ever told to “Ask Jesus into your heart” in answer to the question, “What must I do to be saved?”
That every verse in the New Testament in which baptism and salvation appear together everyone lists baptism prior to salvation?
That no where in the New Testament is there a command or example for a baby to be baptized?
That “faith only” is mentioned just once in the Bible, and then it says, “not by faith only” (James 2:24)?
That Peter was not a pope and that he had a wife (Matthew 8:14)?
That there is no example or command in the Bible for preachers to wear special robes, clothes, or to have special titles?
That everyone that has put Christ on in baptism is a “saint” (Ephesians 3:8; 4:12; 5:3; 6:16; Philippians 1:1; 4:2)?
That there is nothing in the Bible mentioning or even suggesting that you can be brought out of or prayed out of purgatory?
That denominational churches did not exist in the first century?
That you can be saved without ever “joining” a denominational church?
A little girl, being asked by a priest to attend religious instruction, refused, saying it was against her father’s wishes. The priest said she should obey him, not her father. “Oh! Sir! We are taught in the Bible to “Honor thy father and thy mother,” she replied.
“But you are to call me father,” was his answer, to which she replied, “No, for the scriptures say, ‘Call no man your father upon the earth for one is your father, which is in heaven.”
The priest was not anxious to lose a religious discussion to one so young, and he said, “You have no business reading the Bible.”
Then why did Jesus tell me to “Search the Scriptures?” she asked? He replied by saying, “But that is only for the clergy. You understand that a child cannot know the Scriptures.”
“Then why,” she asked, “did Paul write to Timothy, ‘from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures’?”
Surely there was some way to get the best of this young upstart. So the priest said, “Timothy was being trained to be a bishop and he was taught by the church authorities.”
“No sir,” said the little girl, “He was taught by his mother and grandmother. At least that is what Paul wrote.”
The priest turned away and someone said they heard him mumbling something about, “She knew enough Bible to poison a whole parish.”
(Big Clifty Church Bulletin, Vol. 32 No. 33 – Aug. 16, 2009)
It is my hope that we too know too much Bible to be led astray.
We live in a world where it is an unforgivable sin is to be intolerant of others. Those same people who are quick to point out that someone is “intolerant” are themselves incredibly intolerant of others. They seem to be tolerant of almost anything except Christian values. As soon as someone says they are a Christian or they attend church, there instantly labeled as intolerant.
I think we need to define this word tolerance. The worldly definition of tolerance seems to be “accepting all views as true.” [1] Whereas, Oxford’s dictionary says “showing tolerance (of a plant, animal, or machine), able to endure specified conditions or treatment.” [2]
Is tolerance really about just accepting their views are correct? Does God really expect me to just accept someone’s view as true, just because it’s someone’s view? Truthfully, I can hold to all kinds of ideas about all kinds of things, but just because they are my views does not make them right. Obviously if I hold a certain view I believe it to be right but am I really correct?
I think this gets to the real problem most have with tolerance. We live in a world that does not want anyone to tell them they are wrong. Friends the bible I read says that I cannot just accept everything as true. God expects His followers to question all things (1 Thess. 5:21) and hold to the good. The very words good and bad imply that something’s are right and others wrong. To make matters worse, the world’s use of tolerance violates a simple law of logic. The law states that if we have two contradictory statements there are only three viable options. One is right and the other is wrong or both statements are wrong. We cannot have all contradictory views being correct. If Jesus is not the only way to heaven (John 14:6) then what is the right way?
So are you intolerant of anothers belief simply because they differ from yours? Excuse me but I thought we lived in a country where having an opinion was ok or even desirable. The bible is very clear on this. I must differentiate between what is good and what is bad. But in the process I cannot forget that the same bible tells me to treat people fairly, to love them, and to try to help them find the truth about God and salvation.
True tolerance does not require you to be ignorant and blind to the truth.
Footnotes:
[1] Ted Cabal, Chad Owen Brand, E. Ray Clendenen, Paul
Copan, J.P. Moreland and Doug Powell, The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight
Answers, Stronger Faith (Nashville, TN:
Holman Bible Publishers, 2007). 1882.
[2] Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson, Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 11th ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004).
Central Haywood Church of Christ 