Throughout the years I have had numerous Bible studies and discussions with people. Many of them have gone well, while others have been challenging. When discussing the subject of salvation, Heaven and Hell naturally come up. Jesus taught about both, especially in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:12 Jesus says, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you… Matthew 5:16: “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” In Matthew 5:28-29 Jesus says, “…But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” One of the more challenges when studying with people is having them read from the Scriptures what the Bible says about salvation. When they realize what they have done does not align with the Scriptures an objection is often raised. Something I’ve heard is, “So, you’re saying I’m going to hell?” When someone asks this, it can become unsettling to the one who is teaching. There are some things to keep in mind. God’s word is the standard, not me or anyone else. We will be judged by His words according to John 12:48-49. One should take seriously whether their conversion story aligns with what’s revealed by the Holy Spirit. In the New Testament, there are no examples or commands for a person to say a prayer to receive salvation. How then can one be confident in something they can’t hear about in the scriptures? Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, Romans 10:17. God is the Righteous Judge. He knows the hearts of men and will judge accordingly, John 2:25. Yet, this does not mean that we can’t share and teach what is explicitly revealed in God’s word. We should believe what Jesus says when He says, “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved; He who does not believe shall be condemned, Mark 16:16.” We should believe it and act on it. There’s something else very important to consider as well when this objection arises. In Acts 13:43-46 as Paul and Barnabas were preaching the gospel, there were some who refused to believe. Paul says something interesting as a result. He says, “Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, ‘It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.” Let’s consider some additional thoughts from this and the statement, “So, you’re saying I’m going to hell?” The word of God had been preached to these people. They repudiated it (or rejected it). Paul said they had judged themselves. Because of their rejection of the truth, because of their stubborn hearts, Paul said they were unworthy of eternal life. What is the opposite of eternal life? Jesus said in Matthew 25:46 “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Those who reject the gospel and refuse to believe in Jesus judge themselves unworthy of eternal life. They (as well as all of us) will have to give an account before the Lord on Judgment Day. No one has to go to hell. Jesus died so we can be saved from our sins. The choice is ours. We must choose if we wish to be in heaven or hell. Have you judged yourself unworthy of eternal life?

In Deuteronomy 30, Moses is about to die. As he nears the end of his life, and by extension, the end of his time as the leader of Israel, he talks at great length about the importance of the Israelite’s continued obedience of God’s commandments as they move on to conquest the land of Canaan without him. He has always emphasized obedience of course, but especially as they are finally entering the land after a forty-year delay because of their disobedience and lack of faith, he assures them that as long as they are faithful God will allow them to be successful and prosper in the land. On the other hand, disobedience will bring about severe consequences. After going into great detail about both possible futures—i.e. the horrors of disobedience and the splendor of obedience—Moses makes an interesting point about the commandments he has laid before them. In Exodus 30:11-14, Moses says: “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.” Unfortunately, sometimes we can mistakenly think that God’s will is either too obscure or too difficult for us. On the one hand, some may think that God has not made His will clear enough, and that the Bible is too difficult to understand. On the other hand, we can tend to act as if God gave us certain qualities that cannot be changed and then demanded more of us than He gave us; as if He made us five feet tall and demands we be over six foot to get to heaven. This way of thinking, however, could not be farther from the truth! As Moses reminds the people in Deuteronomy 30, God’s commands are neither “far off” nor “too hard.” In fact, God has always been extremely clear about His desires and expectations for His people, and the importance of remembering them always. Notice what Moses says about the commandments he had given them: “But the word is very near to you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it” (vs. 14). This calls to mind Deuteronomy 6:6-9—immediately after the famous commandments referred to as the Shema by Jewish people and quoted by Jesus in Matthew 12:29-30—when Moses tells the people that “these words which I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” The fact of the matter is, God knows that His people are often forgetful and need to surround themselves with His Word in order to both literally and figuratively keep it before them. Moses knew this too, and over the course of his leadership had seen the devastating effects of forgetting God and His commandments. In fact, it was due to one of his own moments of shortsighted disobedience that he was not entering the promised land (Numbers 20, Deuteronomy 32:48-52). While God has high hopes and high expectations for His people, He is not a God that sets the bar for obedience impossibly out of reach. He is not a God that taunts and demeans, but a God that uplifts and encourages His people. He is a God that provides for repentance and forgiveness when necessary. At the beginning of Deuteronomy 30, even after laying out the potential blessings and curses the Israelites have ahead of them, God reminds them that even if they are cursed, scattered, and taken into captivity, if they are truly repentant and turn back to God, “then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there will he take you…And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your hear and with all your soul, that you may live” (Deuteronomy 30:3-4, 6). Upon reading these hopeful and merciful forewarnings from Moses as he nears the end of his life, I cannot help but be reminded of two teachings of Jesus: In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus famously says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Then, in Luke 15:11-32, we read the parable of the prodigal son. This young man had “forgotten who he was,” so to speak, and yet despite his disobedience and wastefulness, his father is overjoyed upon his return home, running out to eagerly meet him halfway. These two moments in Jesus’ ministry, in light of Moses’ words in Deuteronomy 30, show that God has not changed. He is constant in His desire for His people to know Him, serve Him, obey Him, and share in His glory. In the words of Moses, offering his concluding thoughts on the choice between life/obedience and death/disobedience, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” To put it simply, no, God’s will is not, nor has it ever been too hard. Obedience is difficult, and it takes work, but with the LORD as our God, we are unstoppable. Just like the Israelites, then, let us remember “that there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God…[and] let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intensions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:9-12). God’s word is clear, His yoke is easy, and His reward is well worth it. May we never forget that.

In the first chapter of 1 Timothy, the apostle Paul pens a heartfelt letter to his young protege, Timothy, who he left in Ephesus. The core of his message? To ensure that the gospel—or the law—is communicated and upheld correctly. Through this epistle, Paul delineates two primary purposes of the gospel that resonate deeply with the challenges and aspirations of spiritual life. Purpose #1 - The Primacy of Love Paul begins by setting the stage in verse 5, where he states, "The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." This passage highlights love as not only the fundamental outcome of the gospel but also its driving force. This love, Paul explains, should be genuine and transformative, pushing us towards a closer relationship with God. He elaborates that such love stems from three key qualities: A Pure Heart: Unmarred by ulterior motives or selfish desires. A Good Conscience: Maintained by living in a way that is harmonious with divine teachings. A Sincere Faith: Rooted in genuine belief and commitment to God’s word. Paul underscores that advancing God's work through the law should ultimately cultivate this profound sense of love. Purpose # 2 - Correcting The Wayward Moving onto the second purpose, Paul delves into the role of the law for those who stray from it. In verse 9, he points out, "We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful…" This statement introduces the corrective function of the law. It serves as a guide and a check for those who rebel against divine teachings, highlighting the path back to righteousness. Paul's letter is not just a theological idea but also a call to action. The things Paul is writing would evoke some soul searching questions: Do you embody the love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith? Are you engaged in the spiritual warfare of maintaining these qualities against worldly challenges? He warns in verse 18 about the stakes of this spiritual battle, urging believers to adhere to these virtues to "wage the good warfare." Furthermore, in verse 19, he cautions, "By rejecting [these], some have made shipwreck of their faith." This vivid imagery of shipwreck illustrates the disastrous consequences of neglecting the spiritual tools provided by God. An Invitation to Commitment Paul's message culminates in an invitation—a call to either reaffirm or newly commit to cultivating a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. Whether you are steadfast in your spiritual journey or have wandered away, Paul's words offer a chance for renewal and realignment. As we reflect on these teachings, consider where you stand. Are you fostering the love that Paul speaks of, or are you at risk of becoming a 'shipwrecker' in your faith? . As you ponder these thoughts, may you find the inspiration to embrace the transformative power of genuine love and faith.

Do you think there are very many people in the world that have a healthy, stable view of themselves? From what I see in the world around me, there appear to be a lot of people who are either disproportionately proud and arrogant or people who have an unhealthy, unbiblical self-esteem that often manifests itself with thoughts like “I just mess everything up,” or “I don’t know why God put me here,” or “The world would be better off without me.” Ironically enough, these two extremes can oftentimes be related, and they both seem to go back to lies the devil has been telling since the beginning of time. When we look at what happened in the garden of Eden, it can be shocking to read how blatant the lie that the devil told Eve was. God had told Adam and Eve, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17). With this in mind, look at the exchange Satan has with Eve in chapter 3: “…He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?’” And after Eve explains that they are allowed to eat of all but one tree, and that if they eat of the forbidden tree, as God said, “you shall surely die,” Satan responds with “You will not surely die.” It does not get any more contrary to God’s command than that! Satan blatantly says the opposite of what God has said and in doing so, calls God a liar. He does what he has always done, and, as I heard one preacher put it, “paints something that will kill you as something you can’t live without.” Now how does this apply to our view of ourselves? Well, it seems as if, in many ways, Satan has sold our society two opposing lies that contradict each other and that work together to send us into a downward spiral of pride and self-loathing, where many rarely encounter the happy, healthy middle ground God has given us. Those lies are as follows: first, that my life is all about my happiness and pleasure and if something does not serve me personally or make me happy then it is not worthwhile. Second, that if we are not doing everything perfectly then we are worthless, and our life is futile. If we are not happy, healthy, and rich, then we are insignificant. Do you see these two ideas in the world around you? Do you see how they diametrically oppose each other? One leads to boasting and pride; the other, to sorrow and despair. However, the good news is that neither of these views are Biblical, and God’s will for how we view ourselves is higher and better than either one! Consider these passages: Galatians 6:14 – “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” If we are boasting, we should boast in the cross! Anything we have that is truly worth boasting about comes from God. Let us always be sure that we remember what Christ accomplished on the cross, and that any intrinsic value comes solely from bearing His name. James 4:6, 10 – “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble…Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” God demands that His people view themselves with appropriate humility next to Him. He is an Awesome God, the Creator, and King of the Universe. He is Lord of all! That not only puts into perspective how small and limited we are but is a profound reminder that He wants to exalt us to be fellow heirs, sons, and daughters along His Firstborn Son. Wow! 2 Corinthians 12:10 – “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Paul here is talking about his thorn in the flesh that God refused to remove, stating that His grace is sufficient for Paul. If God’s grace is sufficient for Paul, it is sufficient for us too! We definitely have weaknesses and limitations, and that is okay. Those things should appropriately ground us and keep us humble, as they did Paul. However, God in His infinite power and immense grace can make us strong despite our weaknesses. If we just view ourselves as vessels and tools for His use, He can do incredible things with us, despite whatever we feel holds us back. God has been using imperfect people to accomplish remarkable things since the beginning of time! Genesis 1:27 - “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them”. We are made in the image of God! That means we are incredibly powerful, but that also means we must act like it!

There are two women mentioned by name in Hebrews 11. Do you know who they are? One was Sarah. The other one might come as a surprise to you. This woman was known in her community, but for all the wrong reasons. Her name was Rahab the harlot, Hebrews 11:31. Many in her day were aware of her sinful profession, but we will know her because of her great confession of faith in God, during a time of fear. Do you know how this woman who began as a prostitute would end up in the lineage of Jesus, Matthew 1:5? Many people know about the lives of celebrities. These people will not help you to build a stronger faith in God. But knowing the life of Rahab will. Rahab’s story is one that’s filled with fearful situations that she overcame. God wants our faith to be strong like Rahab’s so you can do the same. And yet that can be hard to do at times. It’s hard to stand for what’s right when our friends or colleagues mock us. Sadly, many Christians have allowed fear to overtake their faith in God. From Rahab, we will see that it’s possible for us to have a rock-solid faith in God, where we can overcome fear, Joshua 2:1-11 The Development of Rahab’s faith. Rahab came to believe in God because of the evidence she heard about Him. She was from the land of Canaan. They did not believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob. Rahab’s family did her no favors teaching her about God. Her life was one filled with a low standard of morality. She was at a disadvantage from the Jews who were taught about God from a young age. Despite these roadblocks she came to have faith in God. But how? It was through the evidence she heard about Him. She heard about how God dried the Red Sea, Joshua 2:10. She couldn’t deny this great miracle of God. She believed what she heard and came to the right conclusion, Joshua 2:11. It’s amazing what this woman did because of the things she heard about God. She overcame fear by allowing the spies to enter her house. She hid the spies when the king’s messengers came for them. She spoke to her family about how they needed to stay in her house, Joshua 2:13. Her faith during these events can’t be overlooked. Imagine if you were in China and two preachers came to your door. What would you do if you knew you could get in trouble with the authorities there? The small amount of evidence Rahab heard about God caused her to trust in Him. Her faith was developed from hearing facts about God! If our faith is to overcome fear, it must come from hearing some facts about God. Faith that overcomes fear is faith rooted in facts. That’s the faith we need. The only way we can have this faith is from studying the Bible. Too many Christians have stumbled because their faith was not rooted in facts, but rather in wishful thinking, or on their parent’s faith. That will not work if we are to overcome the fearful situations we will face. Our faith must be developed on facts and evidence. We have evidence in the Bible to trust God. We have the accurate record of real historical nations and cities found in the Bible. We have examples of predictive prophecy in scripture, Joshua 6:26; 1 Kings 16:34. We have the miracles of Jesus, John 20:30-31. Rahab couldn’t deny the miracle she heard about, and neither can we, if we are honest with the evidence. Our faith must be rooted on the facts so that it will stand the tests from your peers, your professors, and from your family. Rahab’s faith came because of evidence. She heard and believed! The Actions of her faith Because of her faith in God, Rahab acted. Rahab was viewed as being obedient compared to others in the city, Hebrews 11:31. Her faith in action justified her. Like every other person in Hebrews 11 Rahab had a “verb” or some action attached to her faith. Her faith was active when she received the spies with peace. Her faith was active when she begged the men to save her and her family. Her faith was active when she left the cord hanging from her window, Joshua 2:21. But we must address the elephant in the room. What about the fact that she lied? We can’t deny that she did, Joshua 2:4-7. Does this mean it’s okay to lie? No, it doesn’t, Titus 1:2; Revelation 21:8. This woman’s background should be considered. While she knew of God, there were many things she would need to learn. This would include lying and her job profession. She was approved by God not because she lied, but because she received the spies with peace. She risked her life. This is the type of faith we must have in the face of fear. It’s easy to have faith on a Sunday morning at the place where we worship. But what happens when school is in session, or we are at work? What kind of faith will you have? What will your verb be? Sadly, many will not take any action, because they haven’t taken the time to develop their faith in the facts found in the Bible. If that’s you, then maybe your action should be to open this book so your faith can grow! Rahab’s faith would save her from her sins of sexual immorality. It saved her from dying in Jericho. It helped save her family. This woman left behind an awesome story.  That’s the faith we need. What story will you leave behind?

Keeping and taking care of plants is a hobby that I have picked up in the last few years and it has taught me a lot about patience. I had a small succulent a couple years back that I evidently had overwatered but I did not realize it for the longest time because externally it was as green and healthy-looking as it had always been. Then, seemingly overnight, all the leaves drooped down to the soil and revealed a black, mushy middle. It had seemed alright from the outside, but it had slowly been rotting away and dying on the inside! There are far too many people in the world who are living much like my poor dead succulent. They can compartmentalize and bottle up their problems, maintain appearances, only fight with their spouse behind closed doors, never miss a church service, use loans and credit cards to fund a life they cannot afford, and more. Unfortunately, this truth is warped into extreme cynicism and wielded as a weapon against Christianity. It is devastating to think about people who have been hurt by Christians and impugn God’s character with the claim that because His people are so flawed, then the entire paradigm of Biblical, Godly, Righteous living is farcical. However, Jesus Himself makes it clear that there is no room in the Kingdom for this type of two-facedness. In His sermon on the Mount, He uses a couple metaphors to demonstrate this point: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:15-20) A wolf can only dress up as a sheep for so long before it becomes evident that its only intent is to do harm. A succulent that is dead inside will wilt eventually. A diseased tree may produce fruit, but the quality of that fruit will reveal that tree for what it is: bad! Jesus makes uncompromising application about this idea in the next section of His sermon, when He talks about people who do various seemingly spiritual acts in the name of Jesus, and yet when they come before Him on “that day,” He will say to them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23). This makes an interesting point about patiently waiting for truth to come to light. We live in a world where we can check someone’s references, credit history, and take their fingerprints to get an idea of who they are. Now, to be clear, these examples are helpful tools in their respective contexts, and I am by no means suggesting that we approach other people, especially brethren, cynically or assuming the worst—rather, as Paul said, “love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7). On the other hand, however, we can take comfort in the fact that God is just and knows people’s hearts. No one will get to judgment day and pull the wool over God’s eyes. No one will get to the throne of God and pass off thistles as figs. Jehovah will always see people for who they are. However, let us not be deceived by the use of the third person here. Remember what James says about taking a long, hard look in the mirror: “Therefore, put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets, but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” (James 1:21-25) Growing in our maturity and wisdom as Christians is a long process, and if after some introspection we realize that we are being hearers who forgets rather than doers who act, then that is a problem to address! If we find ourselves lacking perseverance, then by the grace of God we can rely on our friends, family, brethren, and the Word of God to help us cultivate better spiritual habits. While we can use proper, righteous judgment to assess a situation or someone’s character (including our own), ultimately, people are known by their fruits, and it may take time to see what fruit is produced from a person’s character. It is important to live prudently, careful to consider what fruit we are bearing, and what fruit we are on track to bear in the future. However, we must keep in mind that it does not happen overnight. Trees can take a long time to bear good fruit, but the patience and labor will be well worth it. It can be difficult to get rid of pests or root problems when a tree has some sort of disease, and that may mean taking drastic measures for the long-term health of the tree and its fruit, but these sacrifices are vital for the long-term health of the plant. To this end, my prayer for all of us echoes Paul’s in Ephesians 3: “…that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or thing, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (vss. 16-21).

"At least I go to church on Sunday." "At least I don't drink" "At least I believe in God" Have you ever said one of these statements? Maybe you have said something similar? These statements, amongst many others, speak to a sentiment that is very common in our world today. It's this idea that I am aware of issues and problems in my life, but I can feel at peace as long as I can point to some proof of religion or "good decisions" in my life. "I may not go to church every week; I may have a drink of alcohol from time to time; I might sleep with my girlfriend a few nights a week; but at least I'm still a Christian who believes in God." When we say things like this, we are treating Christianity like its a name tag we can put on to tell people we are good without giving any thought to whether that name actually represents who we are. Is simply calling myself a Christian good enough? Is my belief in God enough to justify my salvation despite the other choices I make in my life? Is it ok for me to ignore some of the commands of God because I am "at least..." fulfilling some of the others? The answer, according to scripture, is absolutely not! "Christian" is a commitment, not a claim. In Matthew 7, Jesus says: "Not everyone who says to Me, ' Lord, Lord.' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day. 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?" And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' (Matthew 7:21-23) Did you notice whose name they were proclaiming to wear? Christ. Yet, still, Jesus informs them that He doesn't even know them and they are practicing lawlessness. In order for Jesus to know us and to allow us to be with him in eternity, we can not simply claim to be "Christian." We have to be practicing the law. FULLY. This takes a commitment from us to ensure that "Christian" isn't just the name tag we are putting on but the life we are living. These people may have said some of the same things we are talking about now: "I may not be doing everything I need to be doing, but at least I'm prophesying in your name." My body, the sacrifice. Consider the following verses: Romans 12:1 "Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." Matthew 22:37 "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." With these verses in mind, what is the "least" that we can offer God? There is no good answer to that question. We are to FULLY give ALL of ourselves to God. It's all or nothing. If we choose not to give ourselves fully to him, we will be told to depart. We will be separate from him. There is no "at least.." when it comes to our salvation. If we take an approach to Christianity that we don't have to fully commit as long as we are "at least" meeting some arbitrary minimum requirement that we set, we are wasting our time, and we are destined for destruction. God deserves more than our least. Sadly, our "At least.." attitude ends up not guaranteeing that we are right with God, but instead, is a selfish justification for determining the least amount of effort that I can give to God. What is the bare minimum that I can do, to receive salvation? This is a dangerous attitude that isn't giving God the proper respect. Think about what God has done for you? He created you, the world you live in, everything you have, and on top of all of that: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life." - John 3:16 He gave His son to die on a cross for us; to allow us to be with him for eternity in paradise. God didn't give us His least. He gave us everything, and yet for some strange reason, I can fool myself into thinking that spending an hour, one day a week in a church building is the best I have to offer? Once I was dead in my sins (Romans 6:23) and God gave me life through His son. I don't have to die in my sins. God is giving me eternity and in return asks that I give him the short life I live here on earth. Instead of aiming for the bare minimum to be in right standing with God, I should strive to find new and improved ways to bring Him joy each day. Considering that He created everything and sacrificed His Son for my salvation, is it really too much to give Him this short life on earth in return for eternity? It seems like the least I can do. God doesn't settle for 'at least', so why should we? Let's give Him our whole hearts, not just our minimal effort.

When we talk about how people present themselves, we can mean any number of things: how they dress, how they talk, their posture, even their hygiene and things like that. We understand that we can “present ourselves” differently in different contexts. I would not walk into a job interview wearing a hoodie and gym shorts any more than I would climb into bed at night wearing a tux and dress shoes! I have never really met any sort of celebrity or high-ranking public official, but I know that if I got the opportunity, I would have to dress appropriately for the occasion. Think about this idea in a context other than just meeting someone famous or powerful, but representing them. For example, there are very specific rules for how the British royal family is to conduct themselves in public. For diplomats, there is an extremely high level of decorum and professionalism that is expected of them when representing their homeland. Now think about it this way: how do you represent God? How do you “present yourself” before Him? In Romans 12:1-2, we read an incredible answer to how we should answer this question. Paul begins by saying “I appeal to you therefore brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice…” It is clear that Paul feels strongly about what he is about to say. He does not just quietly or discretely imply that we should do this, but he implores them as brothers, making his appeal on the foundation of God’s mercy! But what does this mean? In the first several chapters of Romans, Paul has talked extensively about God’s mercy. While not taken from Romans, Paul’s words in Ephesians 2:4-5 beautifully summarizes Paul’s view of God’s mercy and its implications: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved…” He continues, but the fundamental point is this: we were dead because of sin, but by God’s grace and mercy, we are alive again. So how does this connect back to Romans 12? Remember, it is because of this incredible mercy that we are told to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, but Paul does not stop there. In describing how we should be as “living sacrifices,” Paul tells us to be sure our bodies are “holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” If we are created in the image of God (which we are), and desire to serve Him (which we do), then we cannot do things with our bodies that profane them! Several “profane” behaviors are laid out for us in the next chapter, when Paul says, “the night is far gone, the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Romans 13:12-14). In other words, if we are going to present our bodies as holy, we cannot “take it easy” and be casual about sin! Our “worship” will be tainted by our sinful conduct, just as lambs and bulls in the Old Testament had blemishes at times that meant they were not able to be used in the sacrifices commanded under the Old Law. Go back to our example of meeting a celebrity or world leader, or even going on a first date with someone you are trying to impress. You would want to make sure and have fresh breath, have your hair done, make sure your clothes are not wrinkly or stained, etc. If we care that much about a date with someone we do not know, then of course we want to be even more careful how we “present ourselves” spiritually to God! Paul even gives us some specific advice for how to present ourselves better before God. We are not to be conformed but transformed! Many people have made terrible decisions using the excuse of “I’m not the only one.” It can be easy to hide behind the idea that “everyone is doing it” or “that’s just the world we live in now” or “its not that big of a deal,” and those commonly are in fact the ways the world looks at sin. However, if we want to present ourselves acceptably, we have to “transform” our mindset. Sin is not something we dabble in, play around with, or “tolerate.” As we see in the rest of Romans 12:2, this way of presenting ourselves requires testing, in order that we may “discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Living a Christian life is making Christ-like decisions, even when it is difficult and unpopular. It is staying away from sin even when “everyone else is doing it.” It is going through testing, and relying on what God says is good, acceptable, and perfect, so that we can have a new and improved outlook on life. If we do these things, by the grace of God, then we will continue to successfully present ourselves as holy and acceptable living sacrifices before our Heavenly Father.

When the world talks about faith, it refers to faith as something that is diametrically opposed to reason. I had a professor in college who was talking about “faith versus reason” as if she was talking about “black versus white” or “light versus darkness.” I tried my best to push back on this false dichotomy respectfully. I explained that as a believer, while I do of course have faith, there is logic behind my faith. The faith and reason of a Christian are not mutually exclusive, but rather mutually inform each other. How does a jury arrive at a conviction in a murder trial? They look at the evidence, weigh the facts, and use their best judgment. It is rare that there is video footage or photographs of the person committing the crime, but the evidence leads to an unavoidable conclusion. In a sense, though, you could say that there is always some sort of gap between the evidence and the empirical knowledge of what happened. There will always be questions unanswered. This, for any person, no matter their background or worldview, is where the universal concept of faith comes into play. It is key for the Christian to understand this important aspect of faith, because it safeguards against the claims of the masses that there is something inherently archaic and naïve about belief in God, religion, or faith in general. To see this type of belief in action, we can look to the Centurion that has an eye-opening interaction with Jesus in Matthew 8. For context, a centurion was a man in the Roman army who was over 100 men. The Roman empire was brutal in many ways, and being an officer in their military would have been a tough job. However, his position within the Roman military leads to his amazing insight into Jesus’ power as the Son of God. The issue at hand in this passage is that the Centurion has a servant who is severely sick. The Centurion is evidently well aware of who Jesus is and the signs he had done. The Centurion has built his faith in Jesus on the premise of things that he would have seen and heard and believed. He had weighed the evidence he had been presented with up to that point, and while we are not exactly sure what conclusions he had come to at this point about who Jesus was, we know he had a firm belief in Jesus’ power to heal his servant. He also had the utmost respect for Jesus as an authority figure, which is quite the compliment when a Roman military officer is talking to a Jewish carpenter’s Son. After asking that Jesus heal his servant, Jesus tells the Centurion, “I will come and heal him,” but the Centurion has a surprising response to Jesus’ offer to come to the man’s house! He responds, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it” (Matthew 8:7-9). What is truly remarkable about this response is the fact that, to put it simply, the Centurion gets it! He understands faith, not because he explains what faith is in grand theological terms, but he demonstrates it in a clear, direct, and profound way. He knew what true authority looked like, not only because he was over others, but because he had others over him! We all have people in our lives we have to listen to, and depending on who we are, where we work, etc., there are always different power dynamics at play. In the Roman military, it would have been very clear who was over the Centurion and who was under him. Any violation of this hierarchy would be considered insubordination and would be dealt with harshly. By his understanding of what Jesus was capable of, it was clear to the Centurion that Jesus had more authority and power than he did. By his request of Jesus to heal his servant, we see that the Centurion had reasonably concluded that Jesus was able to heal the sick servant. His request itself is an outpouring or demonstration of that faith, and for that, Jesus “marvels” and praises the man. Jesus turns and says to the crowd around the Centurion, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.” He then turns back to the Centurion himself and says, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed. And the servant was healed at that very moment” (Matthew 8:10, 13). In the end, you could rightly say that the Centurion believed “beyond a reasonable doubt” that Jesus would be able to heal his servant. He knew what power looked like, and he did not necessarily need to see it demonstrated to know it was there. God has intrinsic authority for many reasons, one of which being what He is capable of, even when we do not see that demonstrated. The Centurion knew this, and we must remember it as well. The Centurion looked at the power Jesus had and the healing his servant needed and made the only logical conclusion there was: Jesus is the Only One who can heal my servant. When we study the life of Christ, may we look at the evidence of His character, His teaching, His miracles, and His authority, and draw the only rational conclusion there is: He is the Son of God. He has power to heal, save, and resurrect. That type of power is worth listening to and being faithful to. God is faithful, and we know that for a fact. We have insurmountable evidence, just like the Centurion did. We can rationally have faith in God “beyond a reasonable doubt.” If He is faithful, then we should be to.

The word Baptism is found often in the New Testament scriptures. There’s a man by the name of John the Baptist in Matthew 3:1. He’s referred to as the Baptist, not because he was a part of the Baptist church, but rather because he baptized so many people. He had a message of repentance and baptism for the forgiveness of sins. Hence, the title John the Baptist. Jesus, Peter, Paul, and others spoke about Baptism as they taught people. Questions arise when Baptism is discussed. Some questions include the following: Is baptism an immersion or a sprinking? What is the purpose of baptism? Who can be baptized? Is one saved before baptism? I want to begin by addressing, “Is baptism an immersion or a sprinkling?” Biblical baptism is “an immersion” in water. That’s shocking for a lot of people to hear. That’s because many teach that baptism is nothing more than a sprinkling in water. First, consider the word “Baptism.” The word in the language the New Testament was written in (Greek) is “baptize.” It means to immerse, submerge, to make whelmed (i.e. fully wet). Second, consider how the word is used in the Scriptures. Matthew 3:5-6 - “Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.” This was John the Baptist who was preaching a message of repentance and baptism. Notice the crowds came to the Jordan River. They came to where there was much water. Matthew 3:13-17 – “Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. But John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?’ But Jesus answering said to him, ‘Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he permitted Him. After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.’ Notice the text says Jesus came up immediately from the water. That means He also went down into the water. That’s because baptism is an immersion in water. Acts 8:38: “And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing.” Philip the Evangelist baptized this African man. Notice they both went down into the water. Why? Because baptism is a burial in water. They both went down, and they both came back up. Romans 6:3-4 – “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore, we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” Baptism is a burial in water whereby faith one reaches the blood of Jesus that cleanses them of their sins. Why is it then that so many teach Baptism is nothing more than a sprinkling? Many teach that because of the traditions of men, rather than following the New Testament pattern. To be pleasing and right with God, we must follow His standard. Is this shocking to you?

Do you ever feel like the world is too loud? We live in a world where there is noise everywhere all the time. I am a big culprit in this regard: even now, I just sat down to write in a coffee shop so I could focus better…my office was too quiet! Ironic, right? It is commonplace to go to a restaurant where beyond kitchen noise and conversation, there is music playing in the background and a TV on every wall! Even in our homes, the TV is on, or music is playing, or we are watching videos on our phones, or there is some other sort of noise. However, even in our world full of podcasts, streaming services, and constant background music, sometimes we may find ourselves feeling like the Grinch in the 1966 cartoon Christmas special, “that’s the one thing I hate: all the noise, noise, noise!” At any given moment, it can feel like we either can’t stand the noise or can’t stand the silence! When I was in high school, I went to a summer camp where we would have Bible studies under the stars. There was a large field where all of us campers would lay down for about an hour or so one night, looking up at the sky full of stars, while one of the counselors talked to us about the glory of God. It was incredible to be out in the middle of nowhere with no Wi-Fi connection, no phones, looking up at just how many stars there are and just how big the sky is, thinking about how vast God’s creation is. One of the essential points that was always made during these studies was that we needed to take time to spend alone with God, meditating on His glory and majesty. These counselors knew the importance both for the teenagers under their supervision and for them as adults to take time alone with God, reveling in the silence and stillness that is increasingly difficult to find. The Bible encourages this idea as well. One commonly quoted scripture in this regard is Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” What’s ironic is that in context, Psalm 46 is referring to a rebellion that takes place in Numbers 16 where a man named Korah and his family rebel against Moses, who God made leader of the nation of Israel. When we think of stillness and quiet, we probable do not think of an uprising! However, the point being made here is this: in times of strife and conflict, it is all the more important to “be still” and remember who our God is. As human beings who like to think we are in control and manufacture solutions to situations we sometimes have minimal (if any) control over, but sometimes we just need to pause, take a deep breath, and remember who God is. In other words, we need to slow down and remind ourselves that even when things are out of our control, God IS in control! This thought is also found in Exodus 14, when Moses is leading the Israelites out of Egypt across the Red Sea. Think back to the plagues: the Israelites really did not have to do anything at all to get out of Egypt! They just had to pack up and leave! All of the plagues were done by God to exert His authority and power over Pharaoh and the Egyptian army; a battle which culminates in the drowning of the entire Egyptian army in the Red Sea as they pursue the nation of Israel. Despite what they had just seen through the plagues, the Israelites become hysterical and hopeless when they Pharaoh’s army chasing after them. When confronted with their distress, Moses reminds them, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (vss. 13-14). What the Israelites had forgotten in their short time away from the Egyptians was that God had been in control the whole time! If He had defeated Pharaoh through the plagues, He certainly could and would do it again. Picturing what happens here with Moses’ rebuke of the Israelites makes me consider situations in my life where I need to be “silent.” What battles am I trying to fight that God has already won? What habits or mindsets do I find myself stubbornly trying to go back to that God has rescued me from? In what ways am I being rebellious and need to quiet down and remember God’s glory? This week, find a quiet place. Go on a walk, sit by yourself in your room with no background music, no interruptions, no noise. In that quiet, pray to God. Tell Him what you are worried about, what you are struggling with, and what you are thankful for. Sit in the silence and the stillness and remember who He is and what He has done. All you have to do is be quiet.

There is a song we occasionally sing in our worship services called "My Father's Voice." The first line of this song reads: "I read the word of God, and then at once rejoice.” Well do you? When you read the word of God is your immediate reaction to rejoice? Because for me, that’s not entirely the case. I struggle with that. I struggle with having that excitement that causes me to run out and want to tell everyone I see what I read about. Terrible, but true. I doubt I’m the only one. In fact, for many of us, hearing this day after day, Sunday after Sunday; things change over time. Reading our Bibles sadly become one of two things: time spent in an entertaining storybook or a chore that needs to be done daily. Reality shifts and the inspired, God-breathed, scripture becomes more of “that book of rules I have to follow that I'm supposed to read at least once a day.” I don’t know about you, but I feel really uneasy about running up to someone in complete excitement and saying “hey I have this book that’s full of rules you should totally follow it!” Many people just want to know, “why do you people take this book off your shelf, open it, read it, and use it to make important life decisions?" "What is so special about this book?” How would you answer that question? Why do you guide your life by this and why would you suggest that someone else should do the same thing? Most of the time I think our “stock” answer to those questions can be “because I am a Christian and I’m supposed to.” Now that is a good answer and it is correct, let’s not overlook that. But if that’s it, I think we’re missing something. Is all of this, simply, because we’re "supposed to"? If even in the slightest, that’s our answer to the question “Why this book?” then I doubt that we rejoice at once, after reading it. Finding Enthusiasm Consider a story from Mark Chapter 7. I want to establish real quick, out front, the attitude that we are looking for. I think the story here, shows the enthusiasm that we should have with a proper respect for our Bibles. The story I'm referring to is in verse 32-36. "And they brought to [Jesus] a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. Jesus healed this man. Immediately this man can hear perfectly and he can speak as if nothing had ever been wrong. So what does Jesus tell him and everyone else there to do? "Now that you can speak....dont." Jesus did not want them to tell anyone. And then what happened? They told everyone they could. Why? Why would these people want to go to so much effort to spread this news about what Jesus did, in light of the fact that they were told to keep quiet? Because they were excited! What they had just witnessed lit them on fire, and they wanted everyone to know about it! The message that they were sharing with connected with them so strongly that they could not contain it! They had to tell people. Let's put aside the fact that these people didn't do what Jesus asked them to do, and just appreciate for a moment the absolute enthusiasm that these people felt about what they had witnessed. That is the enthusiasm we should have when reading the Bible. Because Jesus has done amazing things for us as well. The Personal Connection with Scripture Now consider this. What if Jesus came to you one day following your reading of the Bible, and said, “of everything you just read about; that I’ve done, or that God has done; DO NOT TELL ANYONE.” What would change about your actions following your reading? For me, sadly, there have been times in my life when my response would have to have been, “No problem! I wasn’t going to tell anyone anyways.” It’s because as I said earlier, this book; this God-breathed message, can become a storybook to me and can become merely a book that I am “supposed” to follow. As said earlier I think that I have just lacked an enthusiasm and a personal connection to this book and I would guess that I’m not the only one, Now, what I mean by personal connection is not that this book literally means something or teaches something different to me than it would to someone else. Instead, what I mean is making this book a reality TO ME. To understand for myself personally "Why do I, Cody, pull this book off a shelf and guide my live with it. What does it have to offer me? What does it say to me about my life? Why is it special to me? What does it mean to me?” Appreciating the Significance of Scripture I think one of the main reasons why someone might struggle to connect personally with this book, the Bible, is because they don't appreciate what scripture is and where they fit into it. 1. Consider the scope of the book The beginning of this book is God creating everything. Everything that follows page 1 only happens because God has set in motion a beginning. THE BEGINNING. This book starts from THE beginning of everything. The rest of the book points towards life after this world ends and an eternal life with NO end begins. This means that the time where this book is relevant and meaningful will not pass. It will continue to be relevant as long as there are still people left to read it. 2. Consider the main theme of the message. John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This book is a love story about God doing what needs to be done to get his true love back, which is his people. This book is God’s call to his people! Telling them of his love and expressing his desire to have them back. 3. Consider Our Role In God's Story Obviously as we said, this is God's story where he is the creator and the one expressing love to his people. 1 Timothy 2:3 - “This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” I think most obviously, our role in this story, is the ones God is expressing love to. We are the object of affection in the eyes of the Creator within the greatest, longest, love story of all time! Let that sink in for a minute. 4. Consider Our Responsibility In God's Plan This book is as 2 Timothy 3:16 says, inspired by God. It Is God-breathed. But how does it get to men? Through men! God inspired men to write it down and now how does its message get to men? Us. Notice that Jesus when his time on earth was finished in Mark 16:15 said “Go out into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Jesus could have stayed to spread it and make it known. But instead, he entrusted that responsibility to the men who he left behind, and through them, he left the responsibility to us as well. That places an important responsibility on us to know our Bible. However, evangelizing is not just our responsibility.  It is our privilege. In the story we read earlier from Mark 7, Jesus asked those people not to tell anyone what they saw. Jesus hasn't placed that burden on us to hold back our enthusiasm. We get to go out and tell anyone and everyone who will listen! Therefore, rejoice! Why this book? Because It is a God breathed message of his love for me and for you and God has given me the honor of getting to share that message with the world. If I'm not rejoicing in that, then I'm missing the message.