Difficult Days, Bigger Measures.

Heb 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
Heb 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Heb 3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
Heb 3:15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

These are perilous times in which we live. The perils for the western believer come not from persecution, but from the subtle onslaught of false worldviews.
The average active lifespan of Christian service has become so minuscule that drastic measures need to be taken to ensure enduring service of believers.

One thing that is very beneficial is accountability. The deceitfulness of sin permeates our lives. It is the lion's mode of devouring believers. But accountability can keep these evil deceptions in check.

Here the writer has this to say, "But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."

Let me ask you, do you have a good Christian friend whom you can exhort daily and who will do the same for you?

If not, ask God to lead you to that special person who will keep you on track. Imagine the blessed benefit of such a relationship.

Heavy Duty Christianity

II Tim 2:1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

The second chapter of II Timothy is not for weak-kneed or wishy-washy Christians who have prayed the prayer and feel they are “good to go.”

This chapter could be summed up in the phrase, "If you do not bear the cross, you cannot wear the crown."

For those who think Christianity is a party, this chapter is a wake-up call. Prosperity preachers, the “name it, claim it, blab it, grab it” crowd leave chapters like this alone.

This chapter shows that believers are not promised a rose garden, but an all out warfare.

Consider the following exhortations from the old grizzled soldier, Paul to his son in the faith, Timothy (and to those who would volunteer to become a soldier of the cross:

1. Be strong in the grace of Jesus, vs 1
2. Pass the faith along, diligently teaching other true disciples, vs 2
3. Endure the harshness of the battle, this is what good soldiers do, vs 3
4. Don't get bogged down with the unnecessary things of life. vs 4. Imagine a soldier engaged in battle on a foreign field pausing to play a round of golf!
5. Obey your orders! vs 5
6. You will suffer and be slandered. vs 9
7. You've got to endure for the sake of those who follow your faith, vs 10
8. Death is a possibility, vs 11
9. Deny the Lord, and risk Him denying you, vs 12
10. Speak the truth, no matter the consequences, vs 14
11. Master the Word, vs 15
12. Give no place to wickedness, stay on the straight and narrow, vss 19-22
13. Fight the good fight with love and meekness, knowing the stakes, eternity! vss 24-26

Those who are in it for the blessings, rather than the service are in for some hard times. Unfortunately, most of them will not endure when the battle heats up.

As our friend Johnny Flanagan said in his song, “It’s a battle field brother, not a recreation hall, a fight and not a game, I don’t know what you came to do, but I came here to stay.”

What's in a Name?

2Ti 1:15 This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.
2Ti 1:16 The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain:
2Ti 1:17 But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.
2Ti 1:18 The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.

Here we have 3 individuals with whom Paul had dealings. 2 did him wrong and one was a tremendous blessing to him.

Of those in Asia who forsook Paul, chief were Phygellus and Hermongenes. Their names befit them well.

Phygellus: Fugitive, run away. To shun.

Hermogenes: Born of the Greek deity, Hermes.

And then the faithful servant of the Lord and Paul, Onesiphorus: Bearer of Profit.

This was a good brother who often times refreshed Paul, no doubt, by being so profitable to the ministry.

Sad, the number of fellow laborers who turn on the true servants of God, or forsake them entirely, especially in time of need.

But, how wonderful the men and women who you can always count on to be a blessing.

May God increase the tribe of Onesiphorus.

Simon Says, Go to the Chief Priests

Mat 26:6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,
Mat 26:7 There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.
Mat 26:8 But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?
Mat 26:9 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.
Mat 26:10 When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.
Mat 26:11 For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.
Mat 26:12 For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.
Mat 26:13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.
Mat 26:14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,
Mat 26:15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
Mat 26:16 And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

One of the disciples was incensed that this woman used this extremely pricey ointment on the Lord. In fact, it ticked him off so much that he went to the religious leaders to sell out the Lord.

You know who that betrayer was. It was the treasurer, Judas. But do you know that this took place in his home? Did you realize that Simon, the leper who had been cleansed, was Judas' dad?

Imagine, Simon had a death sentence. Even though he was a mighty big man, he was cut down to size by leprosy. He had been banished by this disease. Now, he got his life back, his family, his status. How could Judas be so ungrateful?

What a tremendously bizzare occurance in his own home!

Vine Dressers Local #101 Up in Arms Over Itinerant Preacher's Wage and Benefit Package!

Mat 20:1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
Mat 20:2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
Mat 20:3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
Mat 20:4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
Mat 20:5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
Mat 20:6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
Mat 20:7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
Mat 20:8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
Mat 20:9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
Mat 20:10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
Mat 20:11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
Mat 20:12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
Mat 20:13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
Mat 20:14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
Mat 20:15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
Mat 20:16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

Employers have no right to abuse employees, but when a good faith agreement is struck, it ought to be binding. That is, unless one party wishes to go beyond the agreement. That is, if an employee wishes to go the extra mile, or if the employer extend extra benefits, then so be it.

The key here is that it is lawful for the employer to do with his own what he will. And if they choose to be kind to an employee, other employees have no say in the matter.

Soft Spoken?

Mat 21:12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
Mat 21:13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.


Jesus was one tough dude when he needed to be. We have a lot of namby-pamby preachers these days who feel called to "reflect" in their homilies. I just can't imagine that Jesus was using His "inside voice" on this occasion.

Indeed, there are those times when the man of God must "cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet and show my people their transgressions."

Jesus gave the money changers what for. I don't think He was speaking the truth in love either. It "shows to go ya" that there are times when the direct approach is called for and pleasantries have to be laid aside.

As we look at the ministry of Jesus, we see that those occasions include:
1. When religious leaders are taking people to hell.
2. When God's holy house is transformed into a den of thieves.
3. When children are abused or exploited.

I am telling you, the Lord is very patient, but you DO NOT want to make Him angry!

Do Ask, Do Tell

Mat 9:30 And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.

We often read Jesus' admonitions to those He healed. "Don't tell anybody."

I believe the main reason is that the danger in doing so would produce more misery in their lives than they experienced by their diseases. The religious crowd hounded and persecuted those whom Jesus touched.

By testifying, they were inviting scrutiny and possibly banishment.

But, as it should be with us, they just can't hold the good news in, "Jesus saves!"

We don't face much persecution and therefore, the proclamation of the Lordship of Jesus should hold no fear.

Go, tell the world of the love of Jesus.