DID JESUS HAVE A WIFE?

We continue having to defend the life of Christ and rumors about Him.  The picture above comes from a piece of papyrus thought to be from the 4th century A.D.  In it there is a line which reads, "Jesus said to them, 'My wife...'".  So the question that is now being circulated throughout the world (again) is, "Did Jesus have a wife?"  But I believe a better series of questions should be directed at the piece of papyrus, i.e., "Is this an authentic rendering of the first century life of Christ?"  "Where did this come from?"  "Who is its author?"

Harvard Divinity School historian Dr. Karen L. King has been the driving force in sharing this piece of papyrus to the world.  But even though she has fueled the excitement fire, she is quoted to say, "that although this may be the first source from humanity’s distant past to mention Jesus having a wife, the text was most likely written long after Jesus had lived. Though exciting, the document is not proof that Jesus had a wife" (Prachi Gupta - Historian decodes ancient papyrus that says Jesus had a wife -  www.salon.com/topic/jesus).  Craig Blomberg, Denver Seminary's distinguished professor of New Testament said "(The papyrus,) even if a genuine 4th-century document, is likely a deliberate invention and distortion by an unorthodox Christian group 400 years later" (Electa Draper - Denver theologians weigh in on meaning of "Gospel of Jesus' Wife" - www.canoncitydailyrecord.com).

Before going any further I have provided the line by line translation of the papyrus.  Each line is designated by a hyphen.

- not [to] me.  My mother gave to me life
- the disciples said to Jesus
- deny.  Mary is worthy of it
- Jesus said to them, My wife
- she will be able to be my disciple
- Let wicked people swell up
- As for me, I dwell with her in order to
- an image

(http://www.hds.harvard.edu/faculty-research/research-projects/the-gospel-of-jesuss-wife)

Do you notice that there are no complete sentences or thoughts.  We have no way of knowing what the original author had in mind.  What is presented to the world is only a small section of a much larger document.  But I cannot help but continue the questions: Was the writer actually talking about Jesus Christ the Savior?  Was this author an unbeliever that maybe wanted to stir people up?  And on and on I could go.  When we understand that these questions are impossible to answer we must therefore turn to another source that is complete to remedy the proposed dilemma.  The only logical place to look for trustworthy remedies to these and all other inquiries about Jesus Christ is the inspired Word of God.

As I turn the pages of Scripture, I find not a single verse that even gives a hint to the idea that Jesus was married.  What I do see is the purpose of Christ coming to this earth, and it was not about being married.  The purpose of Christ coming to the earth was to "seek and save the lost" (Luke 19:10).  He did not come to start a physical family with a wife called Mary.  He does have a spiritual family called the church.

He came to be the ultimate sacrifice for all mankind.  All the prophecies of a Messiah, in the Old Testament, point to the purpose and life of Christ.  Isaiah wrote,  "Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors" (Isaiah 53:12, ESV)  One of the best known verses in the New Testament reads, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16, NKJV).  Again, I don't see any mention of the wife that some want to convey on Christ.

This notion of Jesus being married is not new in our secular society.  One of Hollywood's best selling movies, “The Da Vinci Code" put this issue in the minds of skeptics.  The atheist, the agnostic, the unbeliever, the deceiver and the deceived will prolong this knavery of Jesus' life.  This ancient papyrus has started the discussion once again.  But when we are focused on God and His word as truth, then we have the way to put an end to all of this.  Conclusion: Jesus did not have a wife!

IT IS TIME TO RESTORE THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

Some 2000 years ago in the town of Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, the church of Christ was born.  In Acts 2, it is recorded for us that Peter preached a gospel message like none other.  He told the people in attendance about Jesus the Christ.  He preached unto them about Jesus' death and resurrection (Acts 2:23, 24).  Peter might have literally pointed his finger at the people when he said, "let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ" (emp. jer Acts 2:36).  Finally after all of this their hearts were "cut."  This means that their spiritual hearts were pierced and they now believed.  Their response was humbling as they cried out "men and brethren what shall we do" (Acts 2:37).

Now this is the point at which 2000 years later the religious world goes off the beaten path.  Some say that Peter's answer to them was "do nothing but believe."  Others claim that he said to them, "grace alone will save you."  Still others argue that Peter's response was not complete and another testament of Jesus had to be written.  But when I read the scripture here in Acts 2:38, I see revealed to me this response from Peter, "Repent and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

I could stop there and it would be enough because it was God through the Holy Spirit who gave these words to Peter.  But the next verse shares even more with us about what we should be teaching today.  Peter tells the people not only what to do but who is to do it and for how long it would last.  In Acts 2:39 Peter says, "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."  This is essential to understanding the length of time and to whom God was speaking.  This message, the gospel saving message, cannot change.

We have far too many denominations, and religious groups that have somewhere in the last 2000 years veered off the Gospel path and onto the unauthorized path of creeds and beliefs.  The apostle Paul saw divisions happening when he wrote, "Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgments" (1 Corinthians 1:10).  This is the plea to restore the church back to the original.  Back to its spiritual roots.  In an outstanding article written on this subject the author wrote, "calling for a return to the Bible, for abandonment of denominational names and creeds, and for obedience to the authority of Christ" (Alan Highers, "Our Purpose and Our Plea," The Spiritual Sword, vol. 28 no. 2, January 1997).  We must become exactly what God wants the church to be.

Who will join this restoration plea and drop all denominational names, creeds and everything else that Christ has not authorized?  Let us once again become the New Testament church!  I will be writing more about just how we all can become part of this restoring effort.

Minister with this message!!!

CONVENIENT CHURCH

Thirty minutes or less... Have it your way...  Next day service guaranteed....  These are just a few of the modern conveniences that we hear come across our TVs.  But have you ever heard of "convenient church?"  In our churches today we are hearing more and more of this.  But what is "convenient church?"  This is when we "don't have time" for worship services on Sunday or Wednesday so we sing a couple of memorized songs, read a quickly picked out verse in the Bible and finally say a little prayer then go on to our "whatever" activity.  This is being practiced more and more by those claiming to be Christians.  But what is this type of attitude saying to God?  It says that we have more time for us then we do for Him.  I know the argument, "but I am doing my part and worshipping God."  Are you really? 

Worship to God is being presented like it is an option in our lives, rather than a necessity.  What happened to the Israelites in the Old Testament when they gave the left overs to God.  Was He happy?  No He was not!  Look at the following from Malachi 1:6-8; "“A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the Lord of hosts To you priests who despise My name.  Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’ “You offer defiled food on My altar, But say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’  By saying, ‘The table of the Lord is contemptible.’  And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil?  And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?” Says the Lord of hosts.  When we participate in "Convenient Church" we offer to God our blind as a sacrifice.  We have defiled and despised the name of God.  

So, God is not happy today when we give Him our left over time on Sunday because it would be too inconvenient to go to worship Him.  "You know, we have basketball games, fishing tournaments, golf outings, family visiting,"  and on and on and on the argument goes.  I am very disappointed in our Christian family today.  They don't care about God anymore.  Oh, they will say they are dedicated to God.  But this is only lip-service.  

What if your spouse treated you like you do God?  What if you treated your jobs the same way you treat God?  What if one day you look for your children in worship and they are gone?  You ask them where were they and they say, "oh dad, Johnny had a basketball tournament on Sunday so we said a few get-by prayers."  Ken Hamm wrote a book entitled, "Already Gone."  In it he details the modern teenager in the pew.  He proves that many teens in the pews today are "already gone" from God.  Why?  One reason is that their parents have handed them the example that God, church, worship and everything else that is spiritual, is only an option and not necessary.  

Parents, brethren, WAKE UP!!!  You are going down a dark path that does not have a happy ending.  This is satan's pathway.  Jesus said that there are two roads in this life, one that leads to everlasting life and the other that leads to everlasting destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).  Worship is not an option for the Christian.  And until we see it that way, we will continue down the path of destruction.  So what if Johnny does not play basketball at Kentucky.  So what if you are not able to win that prize at the weekend fishing tournament.  And so what if you can't go golfing with your "buddies."  If you are the right example then Johnny might just go to heaven and so will you.

Minister your message...

SETTING UP A BOOTH AT THE COUNTY FAIR # 2

I want to continue my thoughts about setting up a successful county fair booth.  Far too often these booths go unnoticed or passed on by.  So with the experience of others you can make your booth spiritually successful.

3) Get people to sign-up for Bible Correspondence Courses.  We live in a time where people do not want to be bothered with the word of God.  They believe that they are ok in their walk with God and don't want you and me interfering.  But we have to find a way to break through and reach their hearts.  I have tried different methods over the years and have found a few that worked and some that did not.  One way was in having a give away.  Those that would pass by would be drawn by the sign that said, "Free Bible Give-away."  All they had to do was sign a card with their name, address and a phone number.  This was not a raffle.  No one gave us any money for the "chance" at a new Bible.  But on the card we also placed an area for them to sign up for a in home Bible study, Bible Correspondence Course, and/or looking for a new church.  They might not have thought about wanting to participate in a study before, but given the opportunity they sign up anyway.  Sharing with people that come up to your booth that you offer such things as this is also very helpful.  We do not want to run people off with a high pressure type of attitude, but we are in this to win the lost to Christ.

4)  Information to give away.  Never miss the opportunity to give people reading material on salvation. But there are some important things to always remember;  first, get up-to-date looking tracts.  The worst thing that a church can do is give out tracts with pictures of people from the 50's on the front.  These are not very attractive and can draw people away from.  The best set of tracts that I have found come from House-to-House Heart-to-Heart.  You can view a list of these as well as order them from housetohouse.com.  Another great give-away is from the World Video Bible School (WVBS).  They have outstanding DVDs on salvation, evil/pain/suffering, along with a host of other material to draw people in.  Many people today will watch a DVD rather than read a tract, so have this option as well.  If you buy these DVDs in a somewhat larger quantity the price is drastically lower.  Many work out to only $1-$2 per DVD.  There website is wvbs.org.  Finally, make sure that people know where your building is located.  Have a map showing its location or a tract about the congregation with a map placed on it.  Do also have times of services and the church phone number.  It is not beneficial to have the minister's home number.  I have found this to be problematic.  My number is already in the public phone book.  If you have a favorable contact then give them your card.

5) Volunteers at the booth.   Having members for the congregation is an essential part of your booth.  Never underestimate the talent that you have at your disposal.  The members know the people that are walking by and can sometimes relate better than the minister can.  But there are some things that the local church must set up in the way of rules for your volunteers.  First, never argue with those that come to your booth.  Far too often people just want to see if they can get you angry.  If questions arise at the booth then have the following exchange with them, "That is a great question.  If you would like we can set up a Bible study either in your home or at the church building."  This disarms the person that just wants to fight and if the person does want to study they have the opportunity to sit down one-on-one.

Second, tell your volunteers to be very positive.  This is not the place for gossiping, trash talking the other denominations and especially not the place to say anything negative about the church.  If someone hears these things you possibly could lose the chance to teach them the Gospel.

Finally, make sure that those who work the booth are dressed modestly.  This is the worst first impression from those of the church.  I prefer no shorts but due to the temperatures sometimes this is not possible.  If you must include (or allow) shorts, then set the rule for knee length.  But if at all possible suggest that no one wear shorts for the booth.  Look around, the other booths of businesses have volunteers without shorts (for the most part).  Again, our best foot forward.

There are many other things that could be said about setting up a booth at the county fair, but this will get you started and help make for a successful experience.  Don't forget to pray about this effort before you begin.

With a booth at the county fair we can Minister our Message....

SETTING UP A BOOTH AT THE COUNTY FAIR # 1

Tis the season for county fairs all over the country.  Some county fairs are going on with one major presence missing, the church.  The church must be very active in the community.  One outstanding and easy way to accomplish that goal is to set up a booth at your local county fair.  I want to give you some ideas that have helped me over the past 20 years.

1) Plan, plan, plan and plan some more.  You will fail in attracting people to your booth if you have no idea what you want to do.  The main focus for a booth is to reach people with the gospel of Christ.  And let me be the first to tell you that there is so much that can be done in that arena.  Your planning must have the focus on the goal of reaching lost souls.  It is essential to have your times of services but you must try to reach out to their hearts.  It is great for the community to meet your preacher but the main goal is for the community to meet up with Christ.

One of the first steps in planning is to find out what sizes are available at you county fair.  It is a waste of money if you have too much space and no plans to fill it.  It is also difficult to get your word out if your space is too cluttered.  Many booth sizes are six to eight feet standard.  Let's say yours is six feet.  Somewhere back at the building, set up a six foot table with all the information that you want to give out.  Get others in the congregation to give input as to the look of the table.  Ask them, "if you were passing by a booth like this would it attract you or repulse you."  Have them write out suggestions and place them in a box.  Then look through all the suggestions and (with an open mind) make the table better.  Go to the fairgrounds early and locate where you booth will be set up.  Make sure that if you need something plugged in that you have a power source nearby.  Take measurements of the space to make sure you have the right size that you paid for.

2) Pick a theme for your table.  You might be asking, "I thought that the gospel is the theme?"  The gospel is what you are trying to spread.  But if you have a theme then you will draw people to your table quicker.  Each year we have an overall theme to our booth.  Two years ago this theme came from our VBS, which was from Apologetics Press about the days of creation.  So we painted large boards as a back drop that had the days of creation on them.  We also were able to get some dinosaur eggs from Oriental Trading which the kids went crazy over.  This year our theme is "Walking with Jesus."  We are planning on giving out necklaces with "I love Jesus" on them.  Also, we have bags with "Walking with Jesus" printed on them.  I mentioned that we ordered stuff from Oriental Trading.  This is a great place to buy in bulk.  But as with anything, watch the prices.  Discount stores such as Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Ollies and the like might have similar items cheaper.  But no matter what having a give-a-way is a great way for people to remember you and the booth.  If possible place a sticker on the back of everything that you give out.  On this sticker have the name of the congregation, the address of the church building, a contact number and the times of services.

In the next article, I will discuss how to get people to sign up for Bible Correspondence Courses.  


To be continued... minister your message daily...

Are You A True Friend?

I cannot even begin to count all the many blessings that God has given.  One of the great blessings is that of friends.  When I mention friends I do not mean those that you have on Facebook, although some might be your true friends.  The kinds that I am discussing are those like Jesus.

How do I know when someone is a true friend or how can I be sure that I am being true friend to someone else?  We know that we are friends of Jesus if we do that which Jesus commands.  Jesus said, “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you” (John 15:14).

I have come up with a simple way to help you know if you are a true friend.

A true friend is one that:
    F orgives wrongs (Colossians 3:13)
R equires truth (Proverbs 12:22)
I mitates God (Eph. 5:1)
E ncourages at all times (Phil. 2:3-4)
N ever speaks evil (Matthew 5:22)
D esires to share the gospel (Romans 10:15)

Continue ministering your message.

THE DISCIPLINING FATHERS

I am a Christian father with two children.  I have a son who is a teenager and a daughter who wants so much to be but is only a pre-teen. So before I get yelled at for not understanding what I am talking about, let me clear up that issue. Let me clear up another issue, my wife and I are not our kids BFFs. We are our children's parents. That is our position in their lives and we take the God given position and  responsibility very seriously. We are not perfect and have learned many things, sometimes by trial and error. But we have learned how to be a father and a mother, and not exactly from other parents but from our heavenly Father.

Paul wrote, "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4). Discipline has to do with boundaries and correction.  I give guidelines to my children and if they go beyond the boundaries that are set, then correction is warranted.  This correction is not done out of a lack of love for my children, but just the opposite.  I love my children and God has given me the responsibility to direct them in the way they should go.  As Father's Day is approaching we must remember that as fathers we are to be engaged in the home.  To be engaged means that we are the ones that administer the discipline.  We are to be the spiritual leaders.  We are to protect and even die for our families.

Far too often fathers have left the home without even moving out of the dwelling place.  What do I mean?  Well, some fathers do not take a stand and guide the family in the right direction.  The direction that leads his family to God.  Remember what the wise king Solomon wrote, "Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him" (Proverbs 13:24 ESV).  The rod of the shepherd in the Old Testament was used for two purposes when it came to his sheep.  First, this rod was used as a guiding tool.  If the sheep would stray from the fold or start to tread into a dangerous place, then the shepherd would give the sheep the needed amount of force with the rod to redirect it.  So, as a Christian father when my children go in the wrong direction or start to tread in dangerous waters, I redirect them with the tools at my disposal.  This does include spanking, grounding, timeouts, etc.  Of course father must never cross the line and physically abuse the child.  The punishment that is used is for guiding them back to a God-lead direction.

Second, the rod used by the shepherd was also a tool to protect.  If a wolf or other dangerous animal wanted to do the sheep harm, then the shepherd could use this rod to strike the intruder with enough force to protect his sheep.  The fathers in the home must also do whatever it takes to protect the spiritual and physical well-being of his children.  Use of the rod in this case can be the teachings of the Bible that give direction to the children.  The rod of protecting them from evil speech, immorality at school (such as the public dances), and the humanistic teachings that continue to be expressed in the public school systems.

Whatever goes on is the world around us fathers, just remember that we have the God given duty to protect our children with the discipline that God ordained.  Continue to minister the message of God...

HYPED-UP WORSHIP?

I have started to hear this term being thrown around a little these days.  But this term is not a new one.  What "hyped-up worship" means simply is that a church must make their worship so exciting that everyone that comes leaves worked up "for Jesus."  This type of worship is not limited to praise bands and the like, but also to what is called a "spirit filled" sermon that "rocks" the crowd.  According to dictionary.com, "hyped-up" means, "intensively or excessively stimulated or exaggerated."  These worship services become a place where the person gets intensively stimulated or overly excited.  What is wrong with that?

The problem with this type of mind set is that they change the focus of worship from all about God, to some about God but mostly about them.  You see the worship is not "good enough" unless I get all worked up about it.  Does this make biblical sense?  Is this what God had planned for us in our worship?  Now don't get me wrong, if I leave the worship service excited about service to God then I am blessed.  But my worship is not about me.  This "hyped-up worship" is a me-centered worship rather than a Christ-centered worship.

If I don't have the best singing in worship, then it was not good enough.  If I didn't have the sermon that made me just jump out of my seat and run out the door screaming about Jesus, then it was not good enough.  Jesus said, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (emp. jer John 4:24).  Does the modern day "hyped-up worship" fit with this pattern?  Some will try to pull the word "spirit" out of its context and define it as such.  Ok, let's define the word in this passage and see.

 Wayne Jackson writes, "True worship must be in spirit. Genuine worship involves the plunging of one’s spirit into the act (cf. Romans 1:9; 1 Corinthians 14:15) in a humble and sincere way (cf. Joshua 24:14). This disposition eschews the superficial, the ostentatious (cf. Matthew 6:1ff), the self-centered (Luke 18:9ff), and the hypocritical (Matthew 5:23-24; 15:7-9)" (christiancourier.com/articles/282-jesus-and-the-samaritan-woman).  The "hype-up worship" does not fit into the pattern of worshiping God.  This type of worship is all about self.  Even though many claim that they are all about God.

I have studied with people that have said, "I just don't like the way they do worship."  Do you see the pronoun?  They want a worship that pleases themselves rather than God.  It has to be all about God with the removal of self.  Do we really believe the song that is sometimes sung, "None Of Self, And All Of Thee?"  Worship God, not self.  Continue to minister with your message... 

EATING POLLUTION

Editor's note:

The following article is from "Creation Moments." You can find this and other articles at www.creationmoments.com. This is a very good source for young earth, creation of God teachings. I just wanted to share this one with you. Continue to minister your message.

Psalm 119:99

"I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies [are] my meditation."

How would you like to live in a neighborhood where garbage was never collected and taken away? What if there was no provision in the creation for getting rid of waste? By now the Earth would have become a filthy mess!

Our sewage and other waste does not break down all by itself. Without microbes, waste would Eating pollutionsimply continue to pile up. But if you were designing a world in which waste would have to be "taken away," how would you do it? It's hard to imagine a solution to the problem that is better than the solution God provided. The creatures that dispose of our waste are microscopic – an improvement over our big, noisy garbage trucks. But microbes don't simply break down garbage into harmless materials. In His wisdom, God designed them to turn useless garbage into useful substances.

We are now beginning to make more use of what God has designed. A West German corporation now markets a ceramic sponge that is home to countless organisms that not only love highly polluted water, they turn the pollution into useful things like natural gas and alcohol. Scientists say that the bugs eat almost anything, even pollutants that cannot easily be handled by usual sewage treatment.

Whether we recognize it or not, we humans continue to learn at the feet of the Creator who made us – which is, itself, an argument against evolution.

DOES GOD APPROVE OF "INTERRACIAL" MARRIAGES?

You might be thinking, "why even bring this topic up?" Was not this settled so long ago? Ok, I will ask the question, "was it?" As you look around the country there are still many pockets of those that believe that "interracial" marriages are wrong. Even sadder is the fact that this sediment is in the church today. People still are trying to say that God does not approve of interracial marriages. So we need to continually bring up the question and find out the truth, according to God's Word.

Let me first define the term that we are going to discuss. Interracial is defined as, "Relating to, involving, or representing different races" (thefreedictionary.com/interracial). So the interracial marriage would be, a marriage representing different races. One example of this would be (but not limited to) "white" marrying "black." I use this example because when you get down to the meat of the matter, those who oppose interracial marriages only seem to oppose this arrangement.

Before I can answer this question I must answer another important part of the question, where do the "races" come from? You might be thinking, "why is this so important in answering this question?" Let me share with you this, that if you understand where the "races" come from then you will be able to answer this and every other "racial" question that comes our way.

First, nowhere the Bible do we find the term "races," only nationalities, therefore there is only one genetic "race", the human "race." But for the sake of this article I have used the term "race(s)." The Bible is very clear to show us from where we all started. God created one man and one woman. In Genesis 3:20 Moses wrote, "And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living." This means that every man and every woman can trace their ancestry back to Adam and Eve. Not just the "white race" or the "black race," but every single person living. Paul wrote, "And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth" (Acts 17:26). See, "from one blood every nation" and not a bunch of different races or bloods.

I am not a scientist nor do I have a college degree in the scientific field, but I have read at great length what others have researched on this subject. One of the best explanations that I have found was written by the staff at Apologetics Press:

Melanin does far more than simply provide the body with pigmentation. Its most important role is in protecting the body by absorbing ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight that falls on the skin. UV radiation can damage the skin and produce skin cancer if not filtered out by the melanin. People who have large amounts of melanin in their skin are generally very resistant to the effects of UV radiation. People with only small amounts of melanin may suffer badly if exposed to too much UV light. The energy of the UV light penetrates deeper into their skin and can cause damage to the skin tissues.

In humans, production of the skin coloring agent melanin is controlled by two pairs of genes. We can designate them Aa and Bb, the capital letters representing dominant genes and the small letters recessive genes. A and B, being dominant, produce melanin very well; being recessive, a and b produce melanin to a lesser degree.

If Adam and Eve had been “heterozygous” (AaBb; two dominant, two recessive genes), they would have been middle-brown in color. And, from them—in one generation—racial differences could have occurred quite easily.

(apologeticspress.org/apPubPage.aspx?pub=1&issue=422)

I know the previous paragraphs give us a sizable amount of information. The simple explanation is that Adam and Eve were created with all the genes necessary to produce all the different shades that humans beings possess. In other words, we are all of one "race" no matter how much "melanin" we have in our skins. Also, to divide people into "color" categories is disingenuous. Take those that are said to be "white." If I were to line up everyone that claimed to be "white," then I would see all shades. In fact, very few, if any, would actually be "white" as we understand the color.

God designed the "color" through melanin in order to protect us. As we live in areas that have higher concentrations of UV rays, more melanin is needed to protect us. Just the opposite is true for those that live in areas of the world with less UV rays. The closer you live to the equator the more UV rays you receive thus the more melanin you need. The further you live from the equator the less you receive thus the less melanin you need. Can you see God's perfect design?

Finally, God has never classified people into different races. We only read of different nationalities, i.e. where people live. Therefore, since God has not condemned the intermarrying of different nationalities, we are free to marry whom we wish; within the God ordained ordinances of marriage (one man and one woman for life).

Let us look at the people of this world as God does, without partiality. And let us all continue to teach as the Bible teaches, that God does approve of "internationality" marriages because God created us all as one human race. Let this be your ministering message.

DOES CHRIST'S LOVE COMPEL YOU TO DO ANYTHING?

I recently read a story about a man that was continually late to his dentist appointments. One day he call up the doctor's office and told them that he was going to be about 15 minutes late and if that would be ok. The receptionist said, "no problem, but we will not have time to give you the medicine needed to numb you before your procedure." He arrive early for that appointment. I do not know about you but this would motivate me or compel me to arrive on time, every time.

Does Christ's love compel you to do anything? Does what He did on the cross for everyone of us motivate you to obey Him? I pray that your answer is yes to both questions. In 2 Corinthians 5:14, Paul writes, "For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died" (emp. jer). According to an online dictionary, the word "compel" means "to drive or urge forcefully or irresistibly" (merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compel). One author wrote, "The idea is that Christ's love completely controls and dominates Paul so that he has no option but to preach" (biblegateway.com). So I must ask you, does this love that Christ has already shown to us dominate us completely?

If the love of Christ dominated us and made it irresistible to serve Him, then why are there so many "Christians" still out living for the world? Why do so many ministers preach themselves instead of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:5)? Now, do I sin? Yes. Do other faithful Christians sin? Of course they do. That is not the issue. The problem is that we are not willing to take a stand and preach Christ and Him crucified. We are not willing to share with people the meaning of "loving Christ" completely.

There are three things that I believe the love of Christ compels us to do. First, it compels us to change our hearts. Before one becomes a Christian he/she has a heart so full of evil and sin. Full of stuff that needs washed out before he/she can start serving God. So, through baptism that "stuff," that clogs the heart, is washed away (Acts 22:16).

Second, the love of Christ compels us to change our focus. We are no longer focused on the things of the world but the spiritual attributes that God demands. Where do we get these attributes? From God Himself. Paul wrote, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3). But this only comes to those in Christ. Those whom have put on the spiritual glasses in order to see. When something comes into focus we can see it much better. When we understand the love that Christ has for us and have seen it propelled into the world through His death on the cross, then everything around us is seen for what it truly is.

Finally, the love of Christ compels us to change our location. Again, Paul wrote, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). Before becoming a Christian I lived in and for the world. But now that I am in the kingdom of Christ, I have a new dwelling place, a new location. In my life I have lived in about 22 different places. Moving from one town to the next or one house to the next. But as a Christian I have had only one home or location and that is in Christ Jesus my Lord (Galatians 3:27).

Remember that we are "ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us; we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians 5:20). Let this be your continual message of the minister.

THE TREASURE IN JARS OF CLAY

Last summer my wife and I bought a great number of pots in order to separate an aloe plant that was growing crazy. As we headed back home I had to make one quick stop. After I dropped her and the kids off at home I went to take some materials to the county fair. I forgot that these pots were round and might roll around a little bit in the back of my Suburban. When I opened the back hatch, they came tumbling out on top of me. The one very large pot that my wife like so much (it was the last one in the store) rolled out first and broke on the concrete drive. And just like that I had a mess and a pot that, I thought, was beyond repair.

When I got back home I was a little hesitant in telling my lovely wife of 16 years that I broke this pot. But I could not in all good conscience blame the kids, so I told her. She went out to the vehicle and retrieved the damaged goods and actually was able to salvage the one that she liked so much. Now you might ask, how did she do that, and did it not look awful? Maybe at first, but once she cut away at it and then placed a plant into the pot, no one noticed. The reason that no one ever noticed was because of the life or treasure inside the pot.

This reminds me of what Paul wrote to the church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians 4:7, "we have this treasure in earthen vessels." That treasure is the preaching of the gospel of Christ. What is more important, the gospel or the person? Paul argues that the most important is the gospel. He writes, "For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord," (2 Corinthians 4:5). I have heard preachers talk more about themselves in a 30 minute lesson then that of the gospel. This is a sad commentary on that preacher. He needs to re-read 2 Corinthians 4:5. Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and that you may glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). Jesus did not say that we shine our lights to glorify self. In fact the light is not even of us. John wrote, "God is light..." and that I must walk in that light (1 John 1:5-7).

So, let us always remember that we have a treasure on the inside of the jar of clay. When we preach this then we are ministering with the message of God.

I WOULD LOVE TO SHARE MY TALENTS WITH YOUR CONGREGATION!

Every person has some sort of ability or talent that they can use to glorify God. The problem is that many are not using that talent or have become ashamed of their talent. It reminds me of the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. Each one of the men was given a portion of the master's wealth to invest. But each one of the men was not given the same amount. Why? The reason being that they all did not possess the same ability to handle the responsibilities given.

We have abilities that God wants us to use. But not all of us have the same talents. God does expect us to use these abilities to further the gospel of peace into the world. I feel that it is very important for me to get out there and use mine.

Here are some of the areas that I know I can assist you in your growth process:

1. Spiritual Growth - This is a seminar on the different levels of spiritual growth that we all go through. And it teaches us to watch out for the pitfalls that will hinder that growth. Also, how to recognize these different levels in your church family. And how to help everyone grow to the ultimate level of our ability.

2. Ministry Development - Many congregations have struggles developing different programs of work. This program helps the congregation to look for and develop the talents that each member has and use that ability to evangelize their community. Developing programs such as: Outreach; Youth Ministry; College Ministry; Senior Ministry; Visitation Programs, Foreign and Domestic Missions and etc.

3. Personal Evangelism Seminar - We give the congregation the understanding that Personal Evangelism is not as difficult as once thought. We share tools, i.e., door knocking, DVD ministry, home bible studies, correspondence courses, and etc. Confidence is key in developing these types of evangelism.

4. Financial Seminar - With a B.A. in Economics and experience as an Accountant for a Bank, I will share with your members the simple ways to help organize their finances from balancing a check book to getting out of debt.

5. Community Outreach - This is a "how to" seminar. We take a look at your community and the events, demographics and needs, then develop ideas and a game plan to reach out with the gospel. Some of the possibilities include but are not limited to; Fair booths, community meals, panty/food banks, advertising an event, youth rallies, campus ministry, and etc. Also included in this seminar are ways to look beyond the normally used outreach programs and create ways to get into places that others have not thought about.

6. Solving Congregational Problems - The saddest event in a congregation's history is when problems arise that lead to a division. But if you were to investigate the root of this problem it seems to be an inward struggle. I heard a preacher once say, "It is not the woodpecker that destroys a house but the termites from within." If we would continually inspect for "termites" in the church, then we might be able to rid the varmints before they destroy. This is why I am putting together a team to come in to your congregation and inspect for termites and help rid you of your problem before it gets too severe. We only come in to mediate the situation in the absence of elders.

7. Marriage and the Family - This seminar is aimed at the newly married, engaged couples and those of college age (18-25). This program will set out the Biblical guidelines to marriage, and how to handle some of the major difficulties that couples face, i.e.; birth control, children, the in-laws, financial issues, communication and etc. I am not a marriage counselor (even though I have done marriage counseling), but having been married for over 16 years and raising 2 children, I have the experience to discuss how to overcome rocky points. How couples can head off problems before they surface.

8. Church Growth - A seminar on different ways to grow the congregation. This is not just numerical growth but more importantly spiritual growth (which leads to numerical growth). This series of lessons combines the outreach with solving internal problems. Also, it dives into the development of church organization, programs, and the essential elders and deacons. The minister's responsibility to the growth process as well as each member's responsibility.

9. Youth Events - One area that I enjoy, is speaking to young people and teens. We need to encourage our youth to remain faithful to God. I speak on topics such as "The Three D's: Dating, Dancing, and Drugs," "Overcoming Discouragement", "Teaching Teens Outreach", "Leadership Training (Boys only)" "Remaining Pure in an Impure World" among others.

10. College Events - I was a Campus Minister for over 6 years. I know that this area of work is being neglected in many areas of the country. Some churches have a major university in their back yard and either are unwilling or unknowing to start the work. There is a misunderstanding about Campus work. Some think it is all play. I am here to tell you that it is very hard work and needs the total support of the leadership of the congregation. But with a successful organized work you can reach hundreds if not thousands. I love to speak to college students many who are coming to your Bible Studies not because they have to but because they want to. They are searching for the truth.

If you would like me to come to your congregation then please contact me at smellchristlike@gmail.com. God's continued blessings as you minister to those around with the message.

RUN THE SPIRITUAL MARATHON WITH GOD

Can you imagine running a marathon, coming in first place and then being told that you were disqualified because you broke the rules? Of course I have trouble imagine running to the mailbox nonetheless running a marathon. But before I get off topic, this actually happened recently. Scott Downard ran in the Cowtown Marathon in Fort Worth, TX and won the event (at first) until it was revealed that he never really entered the event. He put on the number for his friend Jerry Faulkner who was unable to compete that day. Now I will say that Downard never tried to deny the truth and was stripped of his first place trophy.

Another example of an athlete not competing by the rules happened in England. Rob Sloan started the race and then dropped out part way through it. He then boarded a bus that took him further up the course. Finally he jumped from the bus and reinserted himself back into the race and was crowned third. Again the rule breaker was found out and stripped of his third place finish.

The final example is most likely the most famous of all. Rosie Ruiz crossed the finish line in the 1980 Boston Marathon in what appeared to be a first place finish and a world record. But the truth quickly came out that she actually only joined the race in the last mile or so. She of course was also stripped of her crown.

The obvious similarity is the not competing by the rules. We have so many people in the world that are not competing by God's rules. There are some that truly believe that their actions are valid and pleasing before God. But at judgement day they will be shown for what they really are; rule breakers. Paul wrote to Timothy, "An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules" (2 Timothy 2:5, ESV). A spiritual athlete is not crowned unless he/she competes according to the rules of God. We can look around us and see so many groups that call themselves Christian who are not competing according to the rules that God set forth.

One major example of this is what the denominational world preaches about salvation. There is a pattern or rules in the Bible that one must follow in order to get to heaven. This is not earning your salvation but competing in the race the way that God wants. We find one passage that shares the pattern of sound words, Mark 16:15-16. Mark writes, "And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.'" The gospel is the good news that Jesus came to this earth and died, was buried and rose again (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). We must share the gospel ("Go...preach") with those in the world so that they may also complete the race victorious. Then those that have heard the gospel must believe that it is true (He who believes...). Next, obey the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ through baptism (Romans 6:2-5) ("and is baptized will be saved").

Now, you are in the race and must run according to the rules in order to get the crown. Jesus said in Revelation 2:10, "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." In other words, "run the race by the rules and you will be victorious." Finally, this race is an enduring one. Paul told the church at Corinth, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58). And then as Paul was nearing the end of his "race" told Timothy, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing" (2 Timothy 4:7-8 emp. jer).

What race are you running? The race that is set before us by God or the one that satan has lead so many into? Minister to the world with this message...

HAND TO HAND COMBAT

I recently attended the youth event in Gatlinburg, TN called Challenge Youth Conference (CYC). I was very impressed with this year's theme of "Hooked." I felt that the speakers really challenged the teens and others at this event to be very careful about satan trying to get them hooked on sin. But something that jumped out at me this weekend was a statement by one of the speakers that got me thinking. We as Christians are in God's army. And there are many weapons that we must carry along with us. These weapons are mention in Ephesians. But there is one type of fighting that we must also include in our arsenal; "hand to hand combat."

Now I know that this sounds funny. And some might not understand what I am trying to impress upon you. So let me help you visualize it more clearly. Take your right hand and then take your left hand, place them together and interlock your fingers. Now you have the "hand to hand" part. The combat is when we go to God in prayer in this position. Is there a better way to combat satan than to pray and ask for God's help? Trying times are all around us. We need His help.

In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Paul writes that we can receive comfort from God. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God" (emp. jer). Can you see just how much love is recorded in the above two verses with the word "comfort?" Five times this word is used. But it does not mean what we normally think that the word comfort means. According to an online dictionary, comfort means, "a state of ease and satisfaction of bodily wants, with freedom from pain and anxiety" (www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comfort). Now, if this is the Biblical meaning for comfort then we can say that God promises us freedom from all pain. That we will always be in a state of ease and not having to work. But God has not promised us that we will be without any pain or that we will have a life of ease and relaxation. So, the Biblical definition has to mean something else.

The word “comfort” in 2 Corinthians 1 comes from a greek word meaning, “to call near” (www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/paraklesis.html). The word has in its meaning the idea of strength as well. So to be comforted by God means not an absence of pain and suffering but the strength to endure anything that satan or life throws at us as we draw closer to God. This is the comfort that Christians will receive. This is an ability to find strength in times of physical and spiritual pain and tribulation. This is accomplished once we use our "hand to hand combat" and pray. A wonderful verse that helps us fully comprehend this is found in 1 Peter 5:7, "Casting your cares upon Him for He cares for you." We "pray" our cares away to God. So, continue to pray for this type of comfort for yourself and others around you. Make this your ministering message.

THE VOW

First, I need to preface this article by saying that I have not seen the movie nor read the book entitled, "The Vow." I most likely will not go see the movie due to the fact that it has some nudity in it according to kids-in-mind.com. I am not one that will attend or support movies no matter how good people "say" that it might be. Anyway, that is not the point of this writing.

I want to focus on the theme of the movie, the vow made between a husband and his wife. As society is quick to remind us, by the way they live, this vow that is made on ones wedding day is meaningless. So many today go into a marriage with an "If I don't like this arrangement, then I can get out" attitude. One or both of those getting a divorce have forgotten the solemn vow made not just to each other but also unto God. Jesus said, "they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate" (Matthew 19:6 emp. jer). Our society must take this vow more seriously or the family as we know it will be destroyed. It might be too late already.

The vow goes somewhat as follows, "Wilt thou have this Man/Woman to be thy wedded husband/wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love him/her, comfort him/her, honor, and keep him/her in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her/him, so long as ye both shall live?" Added to this is also, "to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, according to God's holy ordinance." This is not just any vow. This is a vow of dedication to one another no matter what the future holds. No matter what the spouse looks like in 10, 20 or 30 years. If the spouse loses his/her memory or the ability to walk, see, hear or anything else you are still faithful.

This is a vow that I do not take lightly. I made this vow to my wife over 16 years ago and plan on keeping it. The idea of divorce is never an option in our house. This is because each of us have not only made the vow but have understood it as well. I know what it means to go through difficult times. And I know what it means to go through positive times. God continues to bless us because we seek Him first. When we have gone through a trying time in our marriage, we turned to God for the guidance. Then the problem was worked out completely. Now I do not want anyone to get the wrong idea. My wife and I have never been even close to a divorce or even a separation. But every family has difficulties, whether it be money, health, jobs, children or etc. Again, do not try to read anything into this article. I just want to share with you the fact that every problem a couple has can be worked out if God is involved and each couple is committed to the vow.

Why do so many today not take this vow as seriously as they should? I believe for many reasons. One is because of selfish ambition. Paul told the church in a letter to the Philippians, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better them himself" (2:3). If more families used this model then more families would stay together. You must have a 100/100 marriage, and not a 50/50 marriage. Every husband and every wife must give of themselves completely in order to make their marriage successful.

Finally, I want to share with you a societal influence that is gaining ground. This influence is two-fold. First, our teens and young adults go into every "relationship" with a dating philosophy. This makes every relationship that they enter into a temporary one. As this continues throughout their lives, it becomes embedded in their minds and many times will carry over into the marriage. I continue to teach teens that you must have a "relationship building" mentality. Every time you find someone that you are "infatuated" with start by building a relationship with them. Become friends and as your relationship grows make sure that God is the foundation. You cannot go wrong then once the relationship enters into the marriage bond.

The other societal influence is the "let's just live together" philosophy. This is looked at as a trial period, just to make sure that you can live with the other. Again, another method used by satan and the world to say that marriage is either not important or temporary. God condemns this type of situation. Paul writes, "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness" (Galatians 5:19). Fornication is a sin! No matter how you try to define it.

My prayer is that couples will look at the marriage vow as God intended, "one man and one woman for life." God bless your marriage and continue to be a minister with a message.

THE SALVATION PUZZLE 2

I want to continue my study on the "salvation puzzle." These are more of the puzzle pieces that are required in order to be totally and completely saved. If you missed the first two piece and the introduction then please look for it on this blog site. God bless you in your continued study.

Thirdly, is the piece found in Ephesians 2:8. This verse must be understood again as only a piece of the puzzle and not the entire salvation puzzle. Paul writes to the church at Ephesus, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." Grace no doubt saves us through a working faith (Ephesians 2:10). So many people want to only read this one verse and none other. In fact there is more in this very chapter that discusses how one gets to the point of grace. So you would do a great benefit to yourself to read the first seven verses of Ephesians 2.

Now back to the salvation puzzle. I find still another piece in James 1:21, "Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." Do you see the saving piece? That piece is "the word saves." So up to this point I have four pieces that are required in order to complete this life altering puzzle. What I am trying to do here is share with you only the pieces to this puzzle. I hope that you will study further and understand the meaning of each piece and how to follow them.

Again, back to the search. Our next piece is called "doctrine saves." Now where in the Bible does it say that doctrine saves me? Lets turn to 1 Timothy 4:16. Paul instructing Timothy writes, "Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you." You must continue in the doctrine that you were taught in order to be saved. This is not just any doctrine. This is not the Catholic doctrine, the Baptist doctrine or the Methodist doctrine. This is the doctrine we find in the word of God. I must submit to the doctrine of Christ in order to have salvation.

There are still more pieces to be found. And the one that we search out and find is called the "gospel saves" piece. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-2, Paul writes, "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you - unless you believed in vain." Do you see? Paul said that the gospel saves us. But what is that gospel that saves? In the next two verses of 1 Corinthians 15 it is outlined for us, "For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." So the gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now who can argue that point.

We are getting closer to the puzzle finding completion. I go in the puzzle box, the word of God, and pull out another piece. This one is called the "repentance saves" piece. Jesus said, "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). Jesus repeats this statement in Luke 13:5. I cannot expect to gain salvation unless I am willing to repent or make an absolute effort to turn from all the worldly stuff I did in the past. In other words, I need to literally die to the world. Death is a separation. When one dies physically he/she is separated from the spirit (James 2:26). I must also be willing to make right, when possible, that which I have done wrong. If I stole, then try to return what was taken. Now, if I have done something that cannot be righted then I must have the godly sorrow for what I have committed.

The next piece is called "confession saves." In Romans 10:9, Paul writes, "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." This is the confession that Philip commanded the eunuch to utter in Acts 8:37, "Then Philip said, 'If you believe with all your heart, you may.' And he answered and said, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."' This is such an amazing acknowledgement of the believer's understanding of the Christ and that He rose from the grave.

Now to the most difficult piece to place in the salvation puzzle. This is not to say that it is difficult for the honest believing heart, but for the majority of the religious world. This piece is called "baptism saves." So many will try to stop me here and say that there is no verse in the Bible that requires baptism. But they would be severely wrong. The most plain and straight forward verse is found in 1 Peter 3:21, "There is also an antitype which now saves us - baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." Clearly Peter says that baptism saves us. He does not say that baptism alone saves but that baptism is a saving piece. Another verse would be where Jesus said, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." Again another verse that clearly teaches that baptism saves us. Galatians 3:27 tells us that the way "into" Christ or to "put on" Christ is through baptism.

So we come to the end of the box. But wait! As I look into the box I see a final piece of the puzzle. It is called the "faithful life saves" piece. Revelation 2:10, "...Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." This is a piece that some would like to forget about. Some would like to end salvation at the belief stage, or repentance stage, maybe the confession stage or even the baptism stage. But the Salvation Puzzle needs that one last piece to be complete.

The question is posed to you, "Do you have your Salvation Puzzle put together or are you missing pieces?" This is the true way to minister your message.

THE SALVATION PUZZLE 1

The Bible has a glorious theme that runs throughout its 66 books. Each of these books is like a piece of the puzzle, that when you place the them all together you can see the "big picture." The "big picture" theme is "The Reconciliation of God and Man through Jesus Christ." Our central figure is Christ and He is the only one that can bring mankind back into a proper relationship with God.

Now, while the act of "saving" originates with God, He does work through agents. Agents are defined as, "a natural force or object producing or used for obtaining specific results" (dictionary.reference.com/browse/agents). The "specific results" that we are trying to obtain is that saving grace. So, some of the action is on God's part (grace), while some of the action is on man's part through agents (faith, obedience). Salvation does require the cooperation of both God and man. I cannot be saved without God and God will not force me to be saved if I am not willing.

I want to look now at what God's Word tells us that saves us. Throughout this article I want you to study this with an open mind and an open Bible. I am not going to give you my opinion about what saves us but what God says saves us. Some of these the religious world will agree while others the religious world will not. Also, you cannot go to just one verse that tells you that something saves you and end your search. This is to leave God's pattern for salvation as an incomplete puzzle. According to Milton Terry in his book entitled "Biblical Hermeneutics" he writes, "general harmony of fundamental doctrine which pervades the entire Scriptures. It assumes that the Bible is a self-interpreting book, and what is obscure in one passage may be illuminated by another. No single statement or obscure passage of one book can be allowed to set aside a doctrine which is clearly established by many passages." I know a lot of words to say one important thing, and that is each of us must read more than one passage in order to find out God's complete message.

Let us examine more that just one or a select few verses and pinpoint the complete message about how to be saved.

The first piece of the puzzle is "belief saves." John quotes Jesus in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Now the only problem that so many in the world seem to be faced with is that this is their only piece of the salvation puzzle. But belief is not all that saves us. There is another verse in the Bible that tells us that "belief saves." That verse is found in Mark 16:16, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." Yes, without a doubt belief saves but not belief alone. More on Mark 16:16 later, so we have to search out the other pieces.

Next, is the piece found in Revelation 1:5. The apostle John writes, "and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood." So the next salvation piece is the that the "blood saves." This is stated in the verse that the blood "washed us from our sins" which is salvation.

This is not the end. But this is to be continued on to the next article. God bless you as you minister the message.

THE NEED IS ERGENT!!!

Today I read that Whitney Houston passed away. She was, by many judgments, the most talented singer ever. I am not ashamed to say that I was a fan in the 80s and 90s. Foxnews.com has reported that she sold more than 55 million records in the United States alone during her career. She had her ups and her wildly spiral of downs. But no matter the ups or downs she did give one of the most amazing renditions of the Star Spangled Banner at the 1991 Super Bowl. On the other hand, according to the Associated Press, she had a very dismal European Tour just recently. With all her positives and negatives, she still remains the highest selling recording woman artist in history. I will continue to pray for her family and friends that are grieving now and will grieve in the future. The funeral for Whitney will be elaborate and many stars will attend. Her influence on music will be sorely missed.

There is nothing that can be done for her spiritually, no matter whether she was a New Testament Christian or not. That is not the point of this article. The point I am trying to articulate is what is recorded for us in Hebrews 9:27, "And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment," (ESV). I wish that I had the opportunity to sit down with Whitney and teach her the truth about God and His will. But I never was blessed with that opportunity. But this brings up something that needs to be discussed. Who do we know, famous or not, that is not a Christian and with whom we have not shared the gospel? Does this tragic event in our news helped us see the desperate times we are in with those around us?

I would be willing to go out on a limb and say that Whitney was unaware that today was her last. In fact many reports said that she was getting ready to go to a Grammy party on the evening of or the next of her death. Reality must set in for all of us. Today might be my last day on this earth. I cannot see around life's corner. I do not know what is lurking tomorrow. With this tragic death in our minds, I must take every opportunity to preach the word. If your non-Christian neighbor were to die tonight, would you be able to say that you tried to share the Gospel? This is something that only you and God know.

Every opportunity must be placed in the context of James 4:13-15, "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit' - yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.'" If we do not minister God's message to those around us now, then we might never have the chance. "Today is the day of salvation..." (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Sources

- www.foxnews.com, "Singer Whitney Houston Found Dead" 2/11/12.

- www.ap.org, "Whitney Houston, superstar of records, films, dies", NEKESA MUMBI MOODY AP Music Writer, Feb. 11, 2012.

EASY WAYS TO EVANGELIZE

"It is just too hard to evangelize." This is a statement that I hear from time to time. And for the most part I understand and have felt this way as well. But I am here to say that evangelism is not as hard as people want to make it. The hardest part is to over come your fear of spreading the gospel. I have put together some helpful suggestions to build some confidence the next time you share the gospel with someone.

First, you do not have to necessarily talk directly to someone to evangelize. The mail system, no matter how slow it might be, is a great way to share the gospel. Many people in America send out Christmas cards each year. I would be willing to venture a guess that some of those that you send to are not Christians. This is a wonderful opportunity to slip in a tract about the church or one on the plan of salvation. Also, I have heard of people sending tracts along with their bills. You might never know who would get their hands on that particular piece of valuable information. Even if it gets thrown in the trash, the janitor might pick it out and read it.

Second, financially support a House to House / Heart to Heart (HH/HH) mailing in your neighborhood. This is a wonderful means of getting God's word out. This paper is professionally done in a high gloss and colorful format. Many times mailings are targeted for an entire zip code. The staff at HH/HH can work with you and work within your budget. You can target a neighborhood, entire town, entire county or even an entire state. A congregation can even place all their information on the front page. Depending on how many pieces you mail this is a very inexpensive way of spreading the truth. The HH/HH publication even encourages people to go to their web site for more information on the church. If you are interested in this wonderful piece of evangelistic endeavor go to www.housetohouse.com.

Another great method of evangelism is the Matthew 5:16 method. Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." People are all the time watching us. As a Christian, this can be the best way to open up a conversation with someone about the gospel. So many people are hurting in this world. They constantly are looking for a way out of the pain. Most of this pain is spiritual. When they see you shining the light of God in your life, they now have an avenue to finally seek the way to a better life. If you continually shine your light at work, school or in the community people will notice. And don't be surprised if they ask you to pray for them. Again, another way to spread the gospel or evangelize in an easy way.

Many people will say, "I can do these things." You see, evangelism is not as difficult as you might have first thought. As time goes on, I will share other articles that can help you evangelize the world around you. Remember, be a minister with the message of God.

THE TRIP TO COSTA RICA

I am now back home and still excited about my recent trip to Costa Rica. Our group worked very hard and had a wonderful time. This trip was a spiritually uplifting experience. My prayer is that I am able to return to Costa Rica next year. I was able to team up with six others from the USA and three translators from Costa Rica.

Our week of work resulted in one baptism (a young lady taught by Jeff and Daniel Rich) and five restorations. Our group had well over 30 studies with people from the Upala, Costa Rica area. They were very encouraged from the Bible and we were very encouraged from their desire to hear God's Word. This Sunday I am planning to present a slide show of the trip I took. This presentation will be at the Canal church of Christ.

I am also planning to present at Elm Grove, and Rio Grande, Ohio soon. Please continue to pray for the people of Costa Rica and around the world that their hearts are open to the word of God. If your congregation is looking for a prosperous mission work to support then let me know. Costa Rica is a fruitful place to spend the Lord's money. And pray that the workers continue to be ministers with a message.

My Pre-Costa Rica Trip Message

My plan (if the Lord wills) is to head to Costa Rica for a mission trip. My desire is to also give real time updates about the progress that we are making. Our goal is to evangelize as many people as possible. To share with the people of Upala, Costa Rica the Word of God. I ask that you all pray for this effort. That we remain safe from harm and that the hearts of the people will be open to listening to us.

Our group is packed full of minister's with the message. We are eager to go and excited that God has provided us with the means to go into this part of the world. Our last trip last January was to Upala. We studied with a number of people and among those, 11 responded to Lord and were baptized into Christ for the remission of their sins. Three others responded and asked for prayers of forgiveness for their past sins.

Continue to look for my updates and pray for us. God bless your ministering the message.

What does it mean to "preach?"

Paul the apostle of Jesus Christ was inspired to write, "preach the word... (2 Timothy 4:2)." But what does it truly mean to "preach?" According to www.thefreedictionary.com, preach means, "to proclaim or put forth in a sermon." Ok, but that is not all there is to preaching. Preaching is not just proclaiming a sermon. There is a certain type of message that must be presented. And not everyone uses the word to present that message. Remember the two main elements in 2 Timothy 4:2, "preach" and "the word."

So I am to proclaim whose word? That of course would be the word of God. I must not waver or drift from what God has told all of us through the Bible. The difficulty in the religious world has been that many are only concerned with preaching a word that is sensitive to the hearers. Now listen, I do not mean that we are to be mean-spirited in our preaching. I am to always remember to "speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15)." But that word might be negative, it might be positive or it might be neutral. Again look at 2 Timothy 4:2, "preach the word, in season and out of season, convince, rebuke and exhort with all long suffering and teaching." There it is, "convince" (neutral), "rebuke" (negative), and "exhort" (positive). This is what is called balance preaching of the word of God.

So are you, as a minister, preaching the word of God in a balanced and loving way? Remember to minister with your message.

Go into all the world and preach the Gospel

I have only traveled on two foreign mission trips. If the Lord wills I will be returning to Costa Rica for my third trip this month. There are so many more preachers that have spent more time in missions than I have, so I do not claim to be an expert. I know one thing from my travels, "Go into all the world" is what Jesus wanted from me. I can do my part. I can go into all the world, literally, or all the world that I can get to. I do not believe that Jesus wanted me to literally step foot on every spot in the entire world, unless I was able. So, the question that you need to ask yourself is, "Where in the world am I going?"

Jesus said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV). Where have you taken the message of the Gospel? Sometimes we have even failed to take it to the family next door. I would love to be able to literally talk to every person in the world that is not a New Testament Christian and share with them this exciting message. But since that might not ever be possible, then I must do what I can do.

Every soul is important to God. Why else would Jesus want us to go into all the world? It does not matter if the soul is in Costa Rica, India, or here in America, I must do what I can to "preach the word" to them. So think about this the next time you are in a supermarket, at the mall, or with family. Have I, "Gone into all my world and preached the Gospel?"

May God bless you and please remember to pray for the opportunity to be a minister with the message.