Today's post is by guest writer Lucas Ward.

All ancient books of history, Biblical or secular, are written for their object lessons.  Ancient historians were not interested in just telling the stories of what happened, nor of charting social movements across time, but they told the stories of great men, great battles, great villains to highlight the lessons to be learned.  Maybe it is because I just led a study of the book of Judges, but I think it may be one of the most obvious collections of object lessons out of any ancient history. 
            Most are aware of the cycle of the Judges:  Israel sins.  God punishes Israel.  Israel repents and cries out to God.  God sends them a Judge to save them from their oppressors. There is peace in the land during the life of the judge, but after he dies, Israel again sins and the cycle starts over.  Many studies of the book of Judges start and end with that cycle, but there is so much more to the book that that.  First, it isn't so much a cycle as a spiral, as Israel's sins get worse and worse and God's punishments get more and more severe.  (Compare Jdgs 3:7 with 10:6 and then 3:8 with 10:7)  Surely there are lessons we can learn from that.  More interesting to me is the fact that every excuse given for the failure of the Israelites to complete the conquest of the land is answered by the various salvations performed by the judges. 
            In Judges 1:19 the tribe of Judah could not drive out the inhabitants of the valleys because they had chariots of iron.  From this point, the rest of the chapter is a litany of failure as tribe after tribe did not drive out the inhabitants of the land as God had commanded. Often the reason given is that the Israelites wanted to keep them around as slaves, but by the time of Deborah the Israelites were enslaved to these same Canaanites.  Vs. 34 says the Amorites forced the tribe of Dan up into the hills and would not allow them into the coastal areas.  In all of these cases we see the Israelites making decisions based upon their own strength, their own wisdom, and their own desires rather than following God's instructions in faith.  Reading between the lines, their concerns seemed to be the numerical superiority of the Canaanites, the superiority of the Canaanites' weapons, and their own desires for slaves and, maybe, just friendly neighbors.
            By the time of Deborah the questions of fighting against a numerically superior foe who has better weapons should have been answered by Othniel's victory over an empire-building king from Mesopotamia.  The idea of friendly neighbors should have been answered by the Moabite oppression, relieved by Ehud in a secret agent mission worthy of 007, and by the early troubles with the Philistines, answered by Shamgar.  Now, the erstwhile Canaanite slaves have banded into a coalition headed by Jabin, king of Hazor and they have enslaved the Israelites.  Sisera, commander of Jabin's army, had 900 chariots of iron at his disposal.  These chariots were rather long wagons with high sidewalls which protected the multiple archers who rode in them.  They were as nearly impregnable in their day as M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks are today against foot soldiers.  When God commanded Deborah to send Barak to fight against Sisera, Barak had only 10,000 infantry men.  Human wisdom said that Barak did not have a chance. His army would be run down, trampled upon, and shot to pieces.  However, God fought on Israel's side and they won a decisive victory.  If you trust God, maybe you can defeat chariots of iron.
            Gideon then takes on an enemy as numerous "as the sands on the seashore" (7:12), a phrase normally reserved for Israel and the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham.  Gideon had all of 300 men with him.  Though the Israelite army later joined Gideon for the mop-up and pursuit, the greatest slaughter of Midianites occurred when Gideon only had 300 men with him.  If God is on your side, maybe the enemy's numbers don't matter? 
            Gideon and Jepthah both conquered cities.  Samson vividly demonstrated that one person plus God is all the army anyone needs.  Samson also demonstrated that to "dwell among them" was untenable as his downfall came as a result of being too friendly to his enemies. 
            Over and over, all the reasons for Israel not driving out the Canaanites, stated or implied, are answered by God every time He saves them via a judge.  It is almost as if He is saying, over and over, 'If you had trusted me in the first place, you wouldn't need saving now'. 
          Just a thought:  Maybe the same is true of us today, in our battles against worldliness? 
 
Jude 24-25  "Now unto him that is able to guard you from stumbling, and to set you before the presence of his glory without blemish in exceeding joy, to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and power, before all time, and now, and for evermore. Amen."

Lucas Ward
 

Today's post is by guest writer Keith Ward.

Only a few times in Scripture are mortals permitted a glimpse of God’s heavenly throne. His throne, I say, because we are never shown any representation of the Lord himself.  Read the great Old Testament vision scenes such as Isaiah 6 or Ezekiel 1 or in the New Testament, Revelation 4.  We find glorious descriptions of the throne, the pavement, the lights, etc., but never a description of God himself.  This underscores God’s declaration to Moses, "You cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live" (Ex. 33:20).  So we are only allowed the sights and sounds surrounding the Lord: we see his attending angels, his robe, the lightning, the smoke; we hear the thunder and a mighty angelic chorus; we feel the earthquake.  If you can imagine yourself actually being there and experiencing all this, it will take your breath away.  But you never see God.

In the New Testament, aside from the very symbolic book of Revelation, we seemingly lack these glorious visions of the Lord . . . or do we? Philip raises the question in Jn 14, “Show us the Father.”  Jesus’ answer, if you think about it, is astounding, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”  Think about that: Jesus himself is our vision of God!

We should never allow ourselves to view this “vision” as being somehow inferior or less glorious than those other visions.  Jesus was not like one of the prophets, chosen and sent to us with God’s message.  He was God incarnate! Immanuel!  “God with us!”  Understand, not representatively but in reality he was God in the flesh.  Far more than the visions of God’s throne, this should take our breath away.

Philip wanted to see the Father.  I think we all do.  But why?  It’s pretty simple, I think.  We want to know what God is like.  Not merely what he looks like (as mortals, we can never know that) but what is he like toward me.  Does God love me?  Learn about Jesus and you have your answer.  Can God ever accept someone as corrupt as I am?  Look at Jesus, the friend of sinners.  Can God change my life?  Look at everyone Jesus came in contact with.  Who was not changed?  What does God want from me? To love God, obey him, and go about doing good, just like Jesus did.  Will I have to give up a lot for God?  Yes, everything!  But you get much more than you give up.  Look how God glorified Jesus (Eph 1:20-23).

So then, God has given us this vision of himself, the grandest and most glorious vision of them all.  This vision we can all understand, and yet in a way that is so profound that it staggers the imagination; we can never fully plumb its depths.  We continue to look at this Jesus, in wonder and amazement—this man—this glorious vision of God.

What more can we say then?  Such a vision lays claim on our lives, makes demands of us.  “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19).  That is what Paul said after seeing Jesus, and that is our question—you and I—are we obedient to Jesus, our heavenly vision?
 
…who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; (Col 1:15).

Keith Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Lucas Ward.

Josh. 24:15  ". . . choose you this day whom ye will serve . . . but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah."
            We usually see this verse as a great statement of faith and devotion by Joshua, which it is, but I wonder if we miss the full implications of his statement.  Joshua doesn't say, "I will follow Jehovah," he says, "me and my house".  This declaration isn't just a wonder of personal faith, it is an example of family leadership. 
            Guys, we need to step up as husbands and fathers (writes the single, childless man).  Clearly, God has given us leadership in the family (Eph. 5:23 
"For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church" and 6:4  "And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but nurture them in the chastening and admonition of the Lord") and if Joshua's example is an approved one, then the responsibility is ours to ensure that not only we, but our families are serving the Lord. 
            This demands thought and purposeful action in every aspect of our family lives.  From carefully choosing our spouse for her spiritual beauty more than her physical looks, to being the spiritual leader she needs.  Eve was created to help Adam, which necessarily implies that Adam was the prime mover.  Our role is leadership, most importantly in things spiritual.  Surely part of nourishing and cherishing her (Eph. 5:29) is leading her toward heaven.  And so husbands and wives ought to be praying together, reading and discussing scripture together and deciding together how best to serve the Lord with their resources in their daily lives, with the husband being the initiator and driving force.
            It is also the fathers' job to nurture the children in the "chastening and admonition of the Lord" (Eph. 6:4).  While the wives are to run the household (1 Tim. 5:14), ultimate responsibility falls on the father.  This takes thoughtful, planned action, as well as relentless repetition. Deut. 11:18-21  “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates,  that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth."
           Moses tells fathers that raising children in the Lord is an all day, every day task.  They were to inculcate their kids with God's Word while accomplishing all the tasks of the day.  Moses' statement shines light on Solomon's proverb:  "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." (Prov. 22:6).  That training is more than just making sure they attend Sunday School. 
            Joshua's statement also implies some tough love.  "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" but what if, despite the best training or because of failures long since repented of, a family member decides not to serve the Lord?  Joshua said his house would serve.  If one didn't, I am under the strong impression that they would no longer be in Joshua's house.  While we need to approach such situations with love and compassion, there comes a time to "deliver [them] to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that [their] spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord." (1 Cor. 5:5).  'My house, God's rules' should be the mantra of every Christian father in the unfortunate event of such a challenge. 
            Men, God gave us a big job to do, which is why He created such wonderful ladies to help us complete it. 
 
Lucas Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Keith Ward.
 
“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church” (Col 1:24).
 
One is immediately struck with the thought, "What could be possibly be lacking in the afflictions and anguish that Christ bore on the cross?"  As a person, he was mocked and humiliated and held in contempt to a degree that would destroy all self-esteem in most.  As a man, he was literally beaten to death with vicious cutting scourges that likely bared the bones of his back.  Then, he was nailed to the cross where he must scrape that abraded back up the rough wood, pushing on the spike through his feet, in order to relieve the strain on his lungs and gasp life-giving breaths.  When the agony in his feet became too great, he would scrape painfully back down to hang on the spikes in his wrists—over and over and over... 
 
As the Son of God, Holy, Blameless, he felt the crushing weight of all the horrifying filth of sin as he was “made to be sin on our behalf” (2Cor 5:21).  A gang-raped virgin was never so defiled as he was by our sins.  Having been in fellowship with the Father from eternity before time was, he was ripped from the presence of the Father by MY sins, by YOUR sins and screamed out, “My God!  My God!  Why have you forsaken me?” (Mk 15:34).
 
What could Paul possibly be referring to that was lacking in such suffering?  We are the answer, in that he rejoiced in his sufferings for the Colossians’ sake.  Jesus was not in the world suffering that they might have the gospel.  Paul was doing that in Christ’s stead.  This was as God intended, that we may have the privilege of sharing in Christ’s sufferings.
 
So, this meal, this bread and juice, are not merely a memorial to his sufferings so long ago, they also are a commitment to fill on our part, that which is lacking in Jesus’ sufferings.
 
It should be obvious that this suffering does not refer to cancers, blindness, disasters, as these also happen to the wicked and are not “for his body’s sake.”  What are we committing to suffer when we take this bread and drink this cup?  Paul was imprisoned for preaching the gospel, suffering much to carry the gospel to the lost and to see that churches grew from infancy to self-sufficiency (2 Cor 11:21-32).
 
Our opportunities to suffer for the sake of the gospel in behalf of Christ are not likely to be so dramatic. It seems trivial to place giving up a favorite television show, my privacy, my precious routine, the big game, and other such things alongside Jesus’ suffering or Paul’s work to fill up the lack in them, until we consider that we seldom manage to accomplish even these small things on behalf of the body.  Just what, if anything, have we managed to give up at all for the sake of his body this past week?
 
Perhaps when we step it up, when giving up even these smallest things becomes second nature to us, God will grant the privilege to genuinely join in with Paul in filling up that which is lacking in the suffering of Christ.
 
"For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.…Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation… All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; …entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. (2Cor 5:17)." (2Cor 5:14-15).
 
Keith Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Lucas Ward.

            Joshua's introduction in the book bearing his name is somewhat odd:  "After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant" (1:1).  While Moses is referred to as the servant (slave) of Jehovah, Joshua is merely the assistant of Moses.  While Joshua has been a faithful helper to Moses, clearly his status before God is still to be determined.  It is pretty clear how this winds up as, at his death, Joshua holds the same title as Moses.  "After these things Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being 110 years old"  (24:29).  What happened in between?  God made it clear in chapter 1 what He expected of Joshua.
Josh. 1:7-9  "Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.  This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”  
           Last time we discussed the care Joshua took to keep the law, down to the smallest detail.  What is of interest here is God saying Joshua needs courage and strength to follow His law.
            For God to exhort Joshua to have courage and strength as he led the people in battle would not be surprising, but God says that courage and strength were needed "to do according  to all the law."  Why was this the needed?  I can think of several possibilities.

1)  From experience, I can say that the step from top assistant to boss is a large one.  Joshua could have succumbed to timidity thinking that the people would say, "Why should we listen to you?"
2)  These were a notoriously hard-headed group of people.  Their fathers had repeatedly rebelled and murmured against God.  They, themselves, had only recently sinned at Baal-Peor.  While the people seemed to have learned their lesson from that, it was a good bet that leading them in following the law would be an arduous task. 
3)  Insisting on following the Law could easily lead to others mocking/complaining that Joshua was an old stick-in-the-mud.  "He never lets us have fun," and the pressure builds.

            Joshua was strong and courageous and overcame these and any other temptations to stray from doing all that God commanded him, even the difficult task of punishing Achan for taking from the devoted things in Jericho.  In the end, Joshua was called the servant of God.
            For me, I need to acknowledge that sometimes it can be a bit scary to follow after God.  Speaking of religion might be forbidden at work and my boss could deny my promotion.  My friends may make it clear that they don't want to hang out with me anymore.  People on social media could blast me for speaking truth, to the point that I am banned from certain sites and it might even affect job possibilities.  My business, which has been my life dream and which has absorbed my life savings, may be forced to close or be ruined.  I may wind up in jail (yes, this has happened in America).
            All of these things could happen if I am "careful to do according to all" that God commands.  Like Joshua, I need to be strong and courageous.  Like Joshua, I need to remember that God is with me wherever I go.  Then, like Joshua, I will be remembered as the servant of the LORD.
 
Acts 18:9-10  "And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, 'Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you'"
 
Lucas Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Keith Ward.
 
 Pet 3:21 “Wherein few, that is eight souls were saved through water.” 
 
The NASB erroneously translates this “eight persons were brought safely through the water.”  This may suit those who do not believe baptism is essential to salvation, since the next line is, “which also after a true likeness does now save you, even baptism.”  Are we “brought safely through” baptism?  The Holy Spirit inspired Peter to write that Noah was saved by water, not that he was saved from water.  So, if Noah was saved by the same water that destroyed the world, what was he saved from?
 
When God surveyed the world of Noah’s day, he saw nothing but wickedness.  Only Noah found favor in God’s eyes.  After Noah preached 120 years and with the ark a growing monument to the sincerity of his plea, only 7 other people believed and entered the ark.  1 year, 10 days later, they entered a world that was clean and pure, all the wickedness washed away -- exactly what baptism accomplishes for sinners.
 
God made a promise that he would never again destroy the world by water, and set a rainbow in the sky to be a sign of that unilateral covenant.  God planned to resolve the issue of sin in another way.  We tend to think that the rainbow marks an ending, but God intended it as a beginning, the hope for a world washed clean from sin. 
 
Thousands of years later, Jesus died on the cross as the fulfillment of the hope inherent in the rainbow:  that God would solve the problem of sin by means other than destruction.
 
Just as the rainbow shone with the pledge that God would never again destroy the sinful world by water, each week we take the Lord’s Supper to remind us that God fulfilled the rainbow covenant in Christ.  This bread and this fruit of the vine shine with the colors of the hope of forgiveness; not an arc of reds, blues, yellows, greens but one of redemption, adoption, reconciliation, righteousness. God made a covenant in Christ.  These emblems are the signs of that covenant to us.
 
"“This is like the days of Noah to me: as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, and will not rebuke you. For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you." (Isa 54:9-10).
 
Keith Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Lucas Ward.

As one reads through the book of Joshua, two main themes pop out:  1) God always keeps His promises and 2) Joshua and the Israelites as a whole were very careful to keep the Law of Moses.  Almost everything in the book revolves around one of these two themes and the themes intertwine.

            Joshua's fidelity to the Law can best be seen in the minutiae of the law.  No one is surprised that he ordered the march across the Jordan as commanded nor that he gathered the people to Shechem to read the law and erect the memorial as Moses taught (Deut. 27:1-8).  What is surprising, perhaps, is that Joshua remembered the "minor" details even in the heat of battle or the rush of victory. 

Josh. 10:24, 26-27  "And it came to pass, when they brought forth those kings unto Joshua. . . .  Joshua smote them, and put them to death, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.  And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had hidden themselves, and laid great stones on the mouth of the cave, unto this very day."
 
            He hung them in trees on display, and then tossed their corpses in a cave and sealed it.  So what?  Everything he did there was right out of the Law, that's what: 
"And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree;  his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt surely bury him the same day; for he that is hanged is accursed of God; that thou defile not thy land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance." (Deut. 21:22-23)

            Joshua had them cut down before sunset (same day) cast in a cave and sealed (buried) so the land would not be cursed.  How many God-fearing leaders in Israel's history would even have been aware of that command, much less remembered it after the longest single day battle there ever could be? 
 
            This sums up Joshua's every action as recorded in this book.  He did make mistakes -- the Gibeonites come to mind -- but he was diligent in following the Law.  Even the people were obsessed with following God.  They were angry with Joshua and the leaders because they couldn't follow God's commands due to the vow made to Gibeonites (9:18) and almost began a civil war when they thought the tribes east of the Jordan were building their own altar in contravention of the law (chapter 22). 

            While Joshua and the people were following God's commands, God was busy keeping His promises.  The people got the land promised to Abraham and became a great nation.  God fought for them (Deut. 3:22).  God magnified Joshua (Josh. 3:7; 4:14).  God gave them cities already built, wells already dug, and vineyards already planted (Deut. 6:10-12; Josh. 11:13; 24:13).  This is all summed up by Joshua when he says, "you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed."  (Josh 24:13) 

            Of course, the intertwining of these themes is in the provisional promises of God.  While the Abrahamic promises were not conditional, those to fight with Israel and magnify Joshua were.  If, God says, you follow me, then I will do these things.  In many ways the period under Joshua was a Golden Age because the people did follow God, and therefore He rained blessings on them.  That object lesson is the theme of this whole book. 
 
Lucas Ward
 

Today's post is by Philip Strong.

The New Testament is pretty clear when it comes roles and duties in the church that are not the responsibility of women. They are not to be burdened with the obligation of leadership or preaching, cf. 1Corinthians 11:3; and 1Timothy 2:8 - 3:13. Though the reasons for being liberated from these particular aspects of service have to do with creation order, the consequences of ancient transgression, and having other critical duties that take precedence (read carefully 1Timothy 2:13-15), it is also easy to see, if we really look, God’s manifested wisdom in gender-based division of labor within the church. Though women certainly have the capacity for preaching and leading God’s people- as demonstrated by in the Old Testament through the examples of women like Deborah (cf. Judges 4-5) and Esther (Esther 1 -10), their particular nature and skills make them more valuable in other areas of usefulness and service. So, perhaps we’ve been looking at women’s roles in the church from the wrong perspective- as restricted, rather than freed to perform vital tasks for which they are particularly endowed, and for which men are neither particularly suited nor especially capable. Let’s consider an illustrative example.
 
Acts 9:36-42, Tabitha (or in Greek, Dorcas). The text records that “this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity, which she continually did.” If Dorcas had been burdened with the task of preaching and church leadership in Joppa where she lived, who would have performed these vital roles? The men of Joppa? Hardly. While men are created, suited, and tasked with cultivation and provision (see Genesis 2:15; 3:17-18; and 1Timothy 5:8), they are not nearly as well-equipped by the Creator for deeds of “kindness and charity” as women. Though men’s heads and backs are well-suited for growing and harvesting crops of cotton or flax, neither their hearts nor hands are well-suited for the gracious and compassionate act of turning such raw materials into “tunics and garments” for those in need. But Dorcas, being endowed with both the heart of compassion and the hands of particular skill, was free to use them both to the glory of God in service to others.
 
Consider another aspect of this account from v.42, “And it became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.” The “it” to which the text refers is surely the raising of Dorcas from the dead in v.41, but ponder a much-related question: Why was Dorcas raised? Surely, women died in Joppa almost if not daily. Why was this woman resurrected? The answer seems obvious enough- Dorcas was raised because the content of her heart and the quality and quantity of her service prompted her fellow Christians to call for Peter, cf. vv.36-39. I do not believe they wanted him to simply “preach her funeral.” Understanding at least somewhat of the power of the Holy Spirit wrought through this apostle (cf. Acts 5:14-16), they wanted Dorcas back! And they got her back, vv.40-41! Her miraculous return to life resulted in many believing in the Lord. Why? Because God through Peter raised a woman from the dead? Yes, in part. But why was this woman raised from the dead in the first place? Because she was a valuable preacher and leader in the church at Joppa? Certainly, but her preaching wasn’t done in the pulpit nor was her leadership over the assembly! She proclaimed Jesus through the compassion of her heart and the skills of her hands, and led and inspired others through service in the kingdom. Being liberated from the roles of public preaching and leadership, both her nature and abilities were free to be better utilized to great effectiveness in the private sector- resulting in many becoming believers!
 
“But I can’t sew and make garments.” You don’t have to sew garments to “sow seeds of the kingdom.” There are many other areas of private service that, like Dorcas’ deeds, can have great impact in preaching Jesus and leading souls to Him. Consider 1Timothy 5:9-10 where a partial list is provided. Women can serve through:
• Being the wife of one man; being a suitable helper by freeing him from other tasks to perform those for which he is more suited by the Creator, Genesis 2:20; by assisting him in the private teaching role which she is permitted, Acts 18:24-28; and by being the kind of wife that allows him to fulfill his public responsibilities of preaching and leadership, 1Timothy 3:1-13 (especially v.11);
• Having a reputation for good works; obviously, Dorcas is a prime example, but consider also the instructions of Titus 2:3-5;
• Bringing up children; the importance of this role and responsibility cannot be overstated, cf. 1Timothy 2:15, and can be well-illustrated through Eunice and Lois with regard to Timothy, cp. Acts 16:1-2 and 2Timothy 1:5;
• Showing hospitality to strangers; men, by nature and responsibility, are somewhat suspicious of strangers and protective of their families; women, again by both nature and responsibility, are more caring and nurturing- not only of their own, but also of others in need, cf. 1Kings 17:10-16 and Mark 12:42-44;
• Washing the saints feet; though this particular act of service is not needed now as it was when most travel was done on foot, a willingness to serve, in whatever capacity, is still needed- even if only to rejoice or weep with those who rejoice or weep, cf. Romans 12:15;
• Assisting those in distress; which may include helping those whom others are unable to help, 1Timothy 5:16; and,
• Devoting themselves to every good work; the eternal judgment scene depicted in Matthew 25:43-40 is predicated upon assisting and providing for those in need.
 
So, rather than viewing the role(s) of women “in the church” as restrictive because they are prevented from public preaching and leadership, we need to see that with these areas of responsibility given to the men, women are freed from such to provide services for which they are uniquely qualified and eminently capable. Through the divine grace of their hearts, and the endless compassionate nurturing and provision of their hands, women are much better suited to provide tremendous impact in and for the kingdom through these vital areas of service. In these things, we need to understand the wisdom of God’s order in division of labor. “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches in his teaching; he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness,” Romans 12:4-8. In the Lord’s body, there are no unnecessary parts, or unneeded roles. Perhaps we’ve just been looking at them from the wrong perspective!
 
(Philip C. Strong; Southport Church of Christ; 7202 Madison Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46227; online at southportcofc.org; email to mrpcstrong@hotmail.com)

Today's post is by guest writer Keith Ward.

[Note:  For this post only, since there are so many scriptures in this post, the comments will be highighted in a different color rather than the passages.]

I started and conducted a prison church from February 2020 till June 2023 when we moved. More than once I told the inmates that bad (horrible) food and all, they had it better than 90% of the people in the world. Most of those people would trade places with them in a heartbeat, razor wire and all.

Neither Jesus nor his Apostles ever said anything good about possessions. Below are all the verses I could find on the subject in the New Testament.  Maybe we should reconsider some of our priorities and look for preachers and poor brethren around that 90% of the world that we can help….and not worry so much that some we help might be unworthy.

And, by the way, the Old Testament prophets speaking in the first person for God were even harsher.
 
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore your eye be single, your whole body shall be full of light. " (Matt 6:19-22).

Focus is revealed by one's expenditure of time and money.  Is "This World is Not My Home" just a song we sing?

What do you daydream about? Fantasize of? Wish for?

Or, is your mind so constantly distracted by music, phones, TV, etc. that you never think about anything?

"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  (Heb 13:5).

Desire for security and discontent with life are a lack of faith.

"Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. ​Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”  (Matt 19:21-25).

The first comment in class will be, "We are not commanded to sell all." Every time. Everywhere. Why is that?

"And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”  (Luke 12:15-21).

But, who will give up his cable or his smartphone plan to support a preacher or help the poor?

"Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; " (Luke 21:34). NASB

Am I showing my citizenship in heaven when I NEED that new car, that bigger house, the latest fashions? We all have the same amount of time, we need not be rich to squander our lives on temporary things.

"whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things." (Phil 3:19). NASB

Look earlier in that chapter where Paul set his mind and think on what good the price of all those meals out could have done for brethren in third world countries. We need to press on to satisfy our appetites on invisible riches, not comfort and ease.

"traitors, headstrong, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; " (2Tim 3:4).

Add up all the money you spend in a year on your pleasure: television plans, movies, vacations, games, etc., and compare with the amount given to the Lord and His work.

"and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain, " (1Tim 6:5-6).

Godliness means that we do all with consideration of what God would think. Considering the scriptures thus far, where does our "pressing on" toward bigger and better, MORE and MORE fit in? Where does this leave the "Health and Wealth" gospel?

"for we brought nothing into the world, for neither can we carry anything out; but having food and covering we shall be therewith content. " (1Tim 6:7-8).

Content sometimes? Usually? When has anyone cautioned me for giving too much, being content with too little (2 Cor 8:3)?

"But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. " (1Tim 6:9-11).

First comment: "It's not wrong to be rich, it's the attitude." Truth! But, who flees? What do you pursue, "ME time"?

"As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. " (1Tim 6:17-19).

How do you use the blessings God has given you compared with Jesus' prescription in this next quotation?

"And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. ​“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? " (Luke 16:9-11).

"And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when it shall fail, they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles. He that is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much: and he that is unrighteous in a very little is unrighteous also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? " (Luke 16:9-11).

God, I want to go to heaven more than anything so long as it is comfortable.

"Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? " (Jas 2:5-6).

"Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you."  (Jas 5:1-6).

Sadly, I have heard of business owners in the church who were more than a little slippery in their dealings.

And cringed at the "oohs & aahs" when someone locally well-to-do or well-known attends services.

"And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” (Luke 3:10-11).

One need not need to be rich to help others.

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. " (1John 2:15-17).

Time. Time! Where does yours go? What do you watch? What do you want? We dream of possessions, more possessions, pleasure and more pleasure and live fantasies it is a shame to speak of. What we think shows what we love.

"​But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets." (Luke 6:24-26).

Have we come to a time when the gospel of repentance is diffused and defused for the sake of not offending? Will our failure to live for a different consolation from the worldly bring "Woes" to us?

"​No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”  (Luke 16:13).

Seems sort of absolute to me.

"Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. " (Jas 1:9-11).
Remember, to 90% of the world, we are rich beyond imagination. Do you see your Christ image fading in the mirror, the image distorted by your use of God's blessings (2Cor 3:18, Jas 1:22-25)?

"​Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. ​For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. " (Luke 12:33-34).

Does not this passage apply the lesson of the rich young ruler to us all? Were we honest with ourselves, would not we "go away sorrowful"?
 
"And Jesus seeing him said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! " (Luke 18:24).
 
And, I admit that gathering these scriptures and making the comments leaves me more than a bit uneasy.
 
Keith Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Lucas Ward.

1 Sam. 18:1,3  "As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. . . . Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul."
 
            Jonathan and David became BFFs from the moment they met.  This love they shared is another example of the type of love Jesus commands in John 13:34:  a love through service, shown by thinking of the other first.  While David needs no introduction, perhaps a brief one for Jonathan is a good idea.
            Jonathan was the son of King Saul, and the heir presumptive (1 Sam. 20:31).  He was a brave warrior, defeating a garrison of Philistines nearly single-handedly. (1 Sam. 14:1-15)  He was a better leader than the king, whose order that no one eat until his enemies were destroyed, resulted in a weakened army that failed to rout the Philistines.  Jonathan recognized the problem immediately. (1 Sam. 14:24-30)  More importantly for a potential leader of God's people, Jonathan had a strong faith in Jehovah.  1 Sam. 14:6  "Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, 'Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the LORD will work for us, for nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few.'”  That's easy to say, but harder to put into practice when it means charging trained, armed soldiers.  Jonathan set up a sign, and when God indicated that He had given victory, Jonathan climbed a nearly vertical rock face, jumped into a garrison of armed men, and smote God's foes. (1 Sam. 14: 9-13) Now that is faith!  So, as a man of faith who was a brave warrior and natural leader, Jonathan's position as crown prince seemed secure.
            There was only one problem:  because of Saul's repeated sins (1 Sam. 13:8-14; 15:22-23) God had decided to remove the family of Saul from the throne.  David had been anointed for kingship (chapter 16) and had won a position in the king's court (1 Sam. 17).  Even though David's anointing had been in secret, his favor before God was soon evident.  One might think that Jonathan would become jealous.  He did not, but his father did:
 
1 Sam. 18:6-9  "As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments.  And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”  And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?”  And Saul eyed David from that day on."
 
In fact, the remainder of 1 Samuel might be summed up as Saul trying to kill David, yet Jonathan remains loyal to his friend by advocating for David (1 Sam. 19:1-7), covering for David (20:5-8,28-29) and warning David (20:35-42). 
            How often have we read novels or seen movies in which two close friends enter politics or business and soon become rivals because the desire for position, power, and wealth over-rode the love they had for each other?  It is nearly trite.  Jonathan's love is revolutionary  because that love over-rode self-interest.  Jonathan's love for David outweighed his desire to become king, his desire to extend his father's dynasty, and his pride of person. 
            Seeing Jonathan's example, how dare we fight over issues which have nothing to do with scriptural concerns and everything to do with personal egos?  The love which Jesus commands in John 13, which Paul teaches in Phil. 2, and which Jonathan demonstrates should rule our hearts.  We should be looking out for the needs of others, rather than our own needs.  We should be devoted to service. 
 
Eph. 5:21 "submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ."
 
Lucas Ward