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  • Eugene Adkins 1:30 pm on February 9, 2013 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , help, , ,   

    One Honest Man! 

    One of the most honest people (if not the most honest in many ways) that Jesus ever dealt with is found in Mark 9:17-27.

    Who is this man? We don’t much about him, but we know enough. He was a father who needed help for his child. He was a man caught in a situation that he could not fix by himself. He was a man who was heading in the right direction when he came to Jesus.

    So what makes this man so honest? It was his willingness to admit his weakness!

    “Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”” (Mark 9:23-24).

    The man knew he needed stronger faith. The man knew that pride would get him nowhere in this situation. The man knew there was only one place to go, not only for his child, but for himself as well. That’s why this man was one honest man!

    This isn’t an opportunity to talk about how a person can do whatever they want if they just have the faith. It’s an opportunity to learn that if God wills something to be done, then He can provide us with the faith to see it through - if we’re willing to be honest with Him that is.

    Just how honest, brothers and sisters, are we willing to be with ourselves? Lord, help us with our unbelief!

    “For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” (Galatians 6:3)

     

  • John Henson 6:51 pm on October 29, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: help, ,   

    Words That Can Make Better People 

    During our last gospel meeting, we had a television commercial that pointed out the Bible was the only how-to book someone needs to learn how to become a better person.

    Often, the Apostle Paul’s inspired direction to Christians came in simple statements. They were designed to help people improve themselves. A good example of this is Colossians 4:1-6.

    • “Grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven.” Few of us have slaves these days, but shouldn’t our dealings with all men be just and fair? When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus combined two into one by saying, “The first is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. The second is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these,” Mark 12:29-30). We must remember we have a Master in heaven who expects us to do what is right.
    • “Devote yourselves to prayer…” The components of this devotion include steadfastness and watchfulness with thanksgiving. The word “steadfastly” was also used in Mark 3:9, describing how the little boat was to keep close to the shore, ready to be used by the Master. This is the kind of devotion we should have. Watchfulness is a component, too, a present active participle, meaning we should never stop.
    • “Walk in wisdom…” The Bible often uses the word “walk” to indicate how we should conduct ourselves as Christians. We are being watched. People are making judgments about Christianity based on what they see in our lives. A large part of that conduct is composed of what we do with our speech, isn’t it? It is how we speak that determines what people think.
    • “Seasoned with salt…” The two important parts of speech are grace and salt. Of this verse, A.T. Robertson said, “Grace and wit make an ideal combination.” Adam Clarke said the Christian’s speech must not only be holy, “but wise, gracious, and intelligent.” Salt seasons food, but it also prepares it. Good speech prepares us to influence others for Christ.

    Grant, devote, conduct, seasoned are simple words, but the wisdom they communicate is beyond human attempts to order peoples’ lives. The Bible is, indeed, the only how-to book that can help us all become better people and fit our souls for heaven.

     

    • J. Randal Matheny 7:20 pm on October 29, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Thanks for sharing these thoughts with us, John. The broader application of the slave relationship, rather than limiting it to a employer-employee situation, helps us to put it to use. I love that walk metaphor.

    • John Henson 8:16 pm on October 29, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      I love expository preaching. It has a way of bringing little jewels of scripture to be seen. It’s like looking at a red blood cell through a microscope.

  • Mike Riley 6:56 am on October 22, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: dish, , groceries, help, , incapacitated, , , , period, ,   

    Good Marital Sacrifice 

    A good marital sacrifice, is when one mate is incapacitated for a period of time, to take over the chore of cleaning the house, washing the dishes, buying the groceries, preparing the meals, etc.

     

    • Jason A. Hendricks 12:30 pm on October 22, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Some of us just do that stuff anyway. My house finds us both sharing in the all the work. I think more happiness would abound if more people stepped up to the plate. It took me some adjustment, but now I find joy in knowing that I am relieving her of some of that responsibility. I also find that the more I give, the more she does, too. Much like our relationship with Christ.

  • Mike Riley 8:44 am on July 11, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , , help, , , , , strait,   

    The “little ones” in my life is my congregation of loving and caring people who help me when I’m in financial straits. Conversely, I help them in preaching and teaching the sound gospel of Christ (or whatever else needs to be done). We help one another, and in so doing, both of us are richly blessed by the Lord.

     

  • Mike Riley 1:17 am on May 3, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , help, , useful   

    My Most Useful Gift 

    My most useful gift was a Dickson Bible that my wife and father-in-law gave me on Christmas Day in 1981. It contains many Bible helps that today’s cheaper Bibles do not have. I’ve used it very extensively in Bible class teaching.

     

    • Glenda Williams 3:28 am on May 4, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Mike, we have always had Dickson Bibles. I agree with you completely. Douglas preaches from it.

  • Mike Riley 2:23 pm on January 31, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: forsake, , help, necessities, , satisfied, ,   

    My favorite hymn is “Hold to God’s Unchanging Hand” by F.L.Eiland: http://www.scripturessay.com/song/2-19Track19.mp3

    The lyrics of the song are taken from Hebrews 13:5-8, where the Hebrew writer talks about the fact that we need to be satisfied with what God has provided us (Matthew 6:19-34). For us not to worry about the necessities of life, because the unchanging God we serve, will never leave us or forsake us – always there to help us when we need help.

     

    • Richard Hill 1:17 am on February 1, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Mike, this is one of the timeless classics–great words, great music. And…it’s not just your favorite song, it’s my father-in-laws, too!

      • Mike Riley 3:23 am on February 1, 2010 Permalink | Reply

        Richard, yes, I sing this song quite frequently when I am facing various trials and tribulations that come my way. Your father-in-law is obviously a wise man, because he realizes the eternal truths that are expressed in the lyrics.!

  • philsanders 7:05 pm on December 14, 2009 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: award, , help, , , , Well Done   

    Hope 

    Yesterday I spoke on hope in troubled times, focusing on passages that give me hope.

    The words I long to hear more than any other: “Well done.” Christianity for the two-talent and the five-talent people was a blessing. Christianity is a livable religion with a bearable yoke. You can go to heaven. 2 Tim. 4:6-8 tells of an awards day. The Day of Judgment is not all negative; there are judgments of life too.

    When things were at their worst, Jeremiah sang in his Lament the beautiful passage from 3:21-24… The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercy never comes to an end…

    phil

     

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