How often do we make excuses for the bad decisions and sin in our lives? Satan told God that if only the hedge of protection, which had been placed around Job, were removed, then Job, would certainly curse God to His face. God removed the hedge of protection and Satan’s assault was devastating, yet Job remained resolute. Even Job’s wife attempted to get her husband to curse God and die. Yet Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. He could have sinned and blamed Satan. But Job knew that if he sinned he would only have himself to blame. We live in an age that is fraught with excuse making, blame shifting, and buck passing. An honest man who will take responsibility for his actions will stand out among the multitudes and will surely, in his humility, honesty, and faithfulness, be exalted by the Lord. If there is some sin in your life today that you need to stop making excuses for and repent of, then do it before it is too late, and be faithful! You and you alone are responsible for your actions.
Who is responsible for your actions?
Published with permission from ‘http://www.ChurchOfChristArticles.com’
One of the nation’s biggest news stories last week involved a college admissions scam that included several high-profile people, including at least two Hollywood actresses. A California man, Rick Singer, spearheaded a scheme to bribe coaches and administrators at such colleges as Yale, Stanford, Georgetown, USC, and other prestigious universities. The bribes bought these privileged High School students extra time to take the SAT and ACT, make fake athletic profiles, and substitutes to take their entrance exams for them. This has proven embarrassing for both the colleges and those breaching this most basic of ethical codes (via Foxnews.com, Madeline Farber). Someone observed that there is a bit of irony and hypocrisy in all of this. We feel outraged at this glaring lack of honesty and ethics, but students who attend these (and other) universities have been taught for decades that there is no such thing as absolute truth and an objective standard of right and wrong. Are we surprised when people live out the consequences of such world views? Remove a measurable, immutable standard, and anything goes! It disgusts us to see such values in action, but people of influence in our society have been pushing such values for a long time. In addition to its answers to all of life’s crucial questions, the Bible lays down an ethical code that is universal and logical. Its rules are blind to nationality, economic status, gender, age, or any other category one falls into he or she might appeal to as an exception. In fact, those who have more have greater expectations made of them (see Luke 12:48).
The Judgment Day will be eminently impartial. No one will manipulate the results. No one can sidestep heaven’s requirements for salvation without an eternal consequence. Just because one is religious leader does not mean that they are above the law of Christ. Again, there are higher standards for those who are in positions of leadership (Jas. 3:1; Heb. 13:17; 1 Tim. 4:16; etc.).
It’s not at all surprising that a society which rejects God’s guidelines finds itself sinking into a moral and ethical abyss (cf. Prov. 14:34). But, it does go to show that no one wants to reap the harvest from sowing the seeds of sin. However, there is no way to avoid it (Hos. 8:7; Gal. 6:7-8). Our challenge is to live lives of consistency, exemplifying the benefits of respecting and adhering to God’s standards. Jesus calls such modeling “salt” and “light” which highlights God’s existence and relevance in our world (Mat. 5:13-16).
We cannot keep others from being cheaters and liars, but we can show them a powerful alternative!
by Kevin Cauley One of the great lessons of the Mosaic Law is that a holy God cannot dwell among an unholy people. Yet God desires to dwell with His people, and the people with God. How? God must make provisions to remove their iniquity, the cause of their unholiness. In Israel’s day, God did this through the tabernacle and the priesthood. Notice God’s statement to Aaron in Numbers 18:1. “So the Lord said to Aaron, ‘You and your sons and your father’s house with you shall bear iniquity connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear iniquity connected with your priesthood.’” Iniquity here is basic moral failure and the punishment associated with it. The priesthood and the tabernacle were to assume the punishment for moral failure for the nation of Israel. But who lived in the tabernacle? God did! The whole setup was designed to show that ultimately God desired to take the punishment for our sins, and then one day, He actually did it in the person of Christ Jesus. Hebrews 10:12-14 states this truth: “But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” The priesthood and the tabernacle lead us to Jesus! In fact, everything in the Old Testament points us to Jesus. Paul taught us, “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24). As we study the Old Testament, let us never forget that it is all about Jesus! God bless you, and I love you.
tabernacle mishkan ancient near eastern
God planned a sacrifice for man’s iniquities.
Published with permission from ‘http://www.ChurchOfChristArticles.com’.
By Neal Pollard Seven churches in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Each remembered for an overall characteristic. The same is true for individual Bible characters, isn’t it? Most remember Moses, Samson, David, Jeroboam, Jonah, Jeremiah, Nehemiah, Judas, Peter, Paul, and John for a particular attribute, whatever else could describe their lives. That’s more than fascinating. It’s sobering. What about you and me? Is there a word others–those we attend school with, work with, live near, attend church with, or share family ties with–would use to describe us? Here are some possibilities:
Grumpy
Disagreeable
Dishonest
Hot-tempered
Unreliable
Divisive
Worldly
Gossiping
Selfish
Such attributes are the cumulative result of the attitude, words, and actions that we portray each day we live. Everybody has good days and bad days. But, there is an overall tenor and flavor to our lives that cause people to associate something with us. However, the word might be different:
Gentle
Patient
Loving
Kind
Serving
Sacrificial
Unselfish
Humble
Uniting
Faithful
Courageous
That, too, is being built moment by moment, day by day.
With both groups of words, we can think of people who epitomize characteristics above. But I want to know, “Which one would best describe me?” Don’t you want to know that about you? The good news, if you don’t like the answer there’s time to change that. Dickens’ Christmastime novel about Ebenezer Scrooge is written to make that very point.
Infinitely more importantly, the Bible is written to make that point. We can be transformed through the influence of Christ in our hearts and lives (Rom. 12:1-2; 2 Cor. 3:18).
How will you be remembered?
by Dan Jenkins A new religion for the Jewish nation was revealed at Mt. Sinai. It was so different from the way men had worshiped and served God for thousands of years. There had been no written law for men, but now commandments and statutes were revealed through Moses. There had been no national priesthood, no temple, no annual feasts, no place worthy of the title, the most holy place. It was all changing. Read the closing chapters of Exodus and the beginning chapters of Leviticus together. There is a continuous historical record of what transpired. Those Jews stayed at that mountain for a year, and during that time, the tabernacle with its altars, candlestick, priestly robes, the table of showbread and the golden ark of the covenant was made. At the end of that year, Moses took all of their efforts and assembled the tent of worship. God had given Moses the blueprint for every detail and was told by God, “According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it” (Ex. 25:9). The last two chapters of Exodus describe Moses’ action as he erected the tabernacle. He did what God said. The expression “as the Lord commanded” is found nineteen times! The book of Leviticus continues with a description of the consecration of Aaron and his sons. The expression “as the Lord commanded” (in some form or another) is found another sixteen times! There was God’s pattern, and at least thirty times it is affirmed the pattern was precisely followed.
What can so easily be overlooked is what happened when the first-time priests prepared to enter the holy place to burn incense. The tabernacle was completed, and for the first time, priests were about to enter the holy place to burn incense. Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, took their censers and “… put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them” (Lev. 10:1). What a contrast. Moses had done what God commanded, and these two men do not do what God commanded. How did God react? “Fire went out from the Lord and devoured them.” God’s pattern must be followed!
God gave the pattern, and nothing was to be changed in it. It was not that God had specifically forbidden taking fire from any place other than the golden altar. God did not need to tell them not to do it. He specifically gave them the pattern. That was enough. Follow it or come under His judgment.
We also have a pattern in the New Testament and cannot change it. We do not need a specific command that says, “Thou shall not,” when God has specifically said, “Thou shalt.” Just do what He says!
Published with permission from ‘http://www.ChurchOfChristArticles.com’.
By Dan Jenkins David makes some truly amazing statements in Psalms which allows us to look into his heart and learn why he was so special to God. How do we become what he was since God has such high regard for him even from his youth? His words express the kind of heart he had. If we spend time making his words our words we will be changed. Perhaps we, too, can be described as someone “after God’s own heart.”
Both first and second Samuel tell us about the life of David and all the trials he faced. They began shortly after he killed Goliath when jealous King Saul sought to take his life. He gained the favor of the people around him, and the evil king sent his army to kill David. He almost did not become king as that army was almost successful in taking the life of the young “giant killer.” His friendship with Saul’s son, Jonathan, often enabled him to escape. Years later, David again had immeasurable adversity when his own son led a rebellion against him.
So, how did he view such trials? Read his words, and they may change how you look at life. David said, “It is good that I was afflicted.” Our first reaction is that such could not be right! How on earth could any suffering be seen as good? Read the rest of the verse. David said, “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes” (Psalm 119:71). David understood a lesson which each of us should learn early in our life. If our life has little misery and adversity, we tend to ignore God for we have little need of Him. On the other hand, adversity provides us the opportunity to come closer to God. How we respond to such trials shows the kind of heart we have. It is so important to learn that adversity makes us bitter or better.
The apostle Paul understood this same truth. In his second letter to Corinth, he gave a list of many of the trials he had endured, then he said, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10). Read the verse again—infirmities, reproaches, needs, persecutions, distresses. Pleasure in all of this? How strange! But, what insight David and Paul had into how to deal with all that life brings.
How do you decide what things are good and what things are bad in your life? Here is a rule which might change your whole view of life. Anything which draws me closer to God is good, and anything which keeps me from God is evil.
So, let me ask you, any good thing happening in your life right now? Think about it
