Christian children

What's Not in Ephesians 6:4

The text says: “And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."

The state or government is not in Ephesians 6:4. Educational institutions cannot be counted on, especially for moral teaching. In fact, you had better be watchful because some schools may even promote the exact opposite of your values. Your child might be encouraged to reject God as the Creator, reject the counsel of Scripture and explore their sexuality, even to the extent of homosexual conduct. Keeping a pulse on your child's education is more important now than ever.

The local church is not in Ephesians 6:4. As important as local churches can be in assisting parents in this great responsibility, God never instructed a group of Christians to raise my children to know the Lord. He instead charges every father with that responsibility.

An institutional mindset about the church and her Bible classes is very easily developed. We may squawk, and rightfully so, at liberal churches usurping the parental role of providing entertainment for our children. On the other hand, if we depend completely on the local church to instruct our children in the Lord's way, have we not abdicated the responsibility God gave us to "the institution?"

How many examples could be cited of children who sat in Bible classes Sunday after Sunday and Wednesday after Wednesday who no longer serve the Lord? And of those examples, what percentage do you suppose received very little teaching in the home? How many of them heard very little positive being said about the brethren or about serving them? How many prayers were prayed besides mealtimes, if even then? (Whatever happened to families eating dinner together around a table instead of in front of a television?)

Bible classes should merely supplement the greater, daily, life-consistent, short-term work of parents in the home. Yes, it is short-term work. Eighteen years fly by seemingly in a moment. That means training children is an urgent work. The greatest spiritual influence is not the quality of their Bible classes or the talents of those who teach them, but the example and behavior of parents. The local church is no substitute for "...you shall teach them (God's word, His desires) diligently to your sons 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 up" (Deuteronomy 6:7).

Mom is not in Ephesians 6:4. Certainly, Mom can be an invaluable asset in rearing children to know the Lord. Timothy's mother and grandmother serve as a great example (2 Timothy 1:5; 3:14-17). If the father does not fulfill his God-given responsibility, then a mother who cares about the souls of her children must shoulder the responsibility. But our passage calls for leadership from the husband! He may employ the assistance of his helper, his godly wife, but the responsibility is ultimately his nonetheless.

Does a perception exist that Bible study is not manly? Do some think "That's woman's work?" The example of Jesus, the ultimate Man, dispels such a notion. Fathers, step up to the plate! Read the Bible with your kids. Present its treasures to them as just that ... a treasure-trove full of wisdom. Speak specifically of application. Warn them of potential dangers. Explain your trust in and love for God. Pray with them. Teach them to pray. Display contentment. Do not murmur. Rejoice. Paint a clear portrait of real manhood and womanhood (a biblical definition). Show them an honoring, self-sacrificing relationship between husband and wife.

Let them know that what you want for them more than anything (and I do mean anything) is for them to become Christians and to go to heaven when they die. Once they have obeyed the gospel of the Lord Jesus, further admonish them to live obediently, genuinely as Christians and to be an upstanding example for others to imitate.

What is the focus of your home? Dare you ask your children for the answer to that question? You might want to think about doing so for the sake of their souls' salvation and your own. These most precious souls need instruction in the good and right way before it is too late (cf. 1 Samuel 12:23).
 

- by Tony Mauck

 

What the church is not

Church or Social Club?

The church is not a social club. The church was purchased with the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28). The Son of God did not die for a social organization, but for a "spiritual house" (1 Pet. 2:5). We are not a glorified social center in competition with country clubs and the YMCA. We are the church. We worship God “in spirit and in truth” (Jn. 4:24), not in food, fun, and frolic.

Let the YMCA be the YMCA. Let the Country Club be the Country Club. Let the boy scouts and girl scouts be the boy scouts and girl scouts. And please, let the church be the church!
 

by David McPherson

 

Jesus is the Firstborn

In Colossians 1:15, Jesus is called “the firstborn of all creation.” Does that mean, as some suggest, that Jesus was the first thing God created? Not at all. 

The firstborn concept is rooted in ancient cultures in which the oldest son had a special place. It was a position of honor and privilege. The oldest son typically became the next family head.  He inherited his father’s position, such as becoming king in his father’s place (e.g., 2 Chronicles 21:3). Among the Hebrews, he received a double portion of material inheritance. 

One who was not literally the first one born might nevertheless be put in that honored position. God did that for Israel. They were His firstborn son (Exodus 4:22) though they were by no means the oldest of nations. God did that for David as well (Psalm 89:27). David was the youngest of eight siblings and the second king of Israel, yet God honored him above all, especially by the place he was given in the Messianic lineage and covenant.

Jesus was no created being. He was I AM (John 8:58). He was God (John 1:1). In our text, Paul goes on to explain what the firstborn of creation means: “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him.” Jesus has the place of honor with reference to creation, not because He was the first thing created, but because He is the creator!

- by Frank Himmel

 

How to survive a mass shooting

(Paris Mourns)

The events of last week in Paris are still fresh in all of our minds. The questions I have heard several times are, "Can it happen here," or "what would you do in that situation"? Interestingly I just happen to listen to a commentary by Mike Adams whose title was: "How to survive a mass shooting." Now understand that the risk of a mass shooting event in your life is very rare. You may have a better chance of getting hit by lighting. You may not want to hear it or think about it, but there is a chance… Notice a few of the points from the commentary.

Mike suggested that you can:
1. Call 911, realizing that the police will be 10 to 20 minutes away.
2. Flee, run for your life.
3. Hide, try to get somewhere they can't see you.
4. Play Dead, not effective, in at least one of the mass shootings the shooters shot those who were playing dead anyway.
5. Attack physically, get inside the range of the rifle and it cannot be used against you. Scratch, bite, kick, hit, and poke eyes, whatever you can. Of course to do this you must be willing to sacrifice yourself to save the lives of others, maybe your family. But in doing so, you may inspire others to help you overcome the attackers.
6. And lastly you can shoot back. In other words, be prepared beforehand for when bad things might happen. Arm yourself properly.

Now you may wonder, "Why in the world is Russ talking about this?" Well, first I guess, because I am concerned about all of you. I wouldn't want any of you to lose your lives in such a way. But second, because it parallels our fight against the army of Satan.

1 Peter 5:8 tells us that Satan is as a Roaring lion, looking for opportunities to devour each of us.

We get that, we understand that concept I think.

Yet, if you think you can stand up to a roaring, charging lion, you are a better person than I.

Most of us might think, "Well I was Chuck Norris might be able to do it," but we're not; are we? Well, what about being a 12 or 13 year old boy, could you do it then? Most of us would think that idea is pretty stupid, yet that is exactly what David said he did (1 Samuel 17:34-36).

What does this have to do with surviving a mass shooting?

Simply, Satan is trying to kill us physically and Spiritually. We can understand the idea of Spiritual Warfare, but now it has progressed to both Physical Warfare also. The recent shooting at the collage out west, the shooter asked people if they were Christians before killing the ones that said yes.

Whose idea do you think that was? Satan has been working hard at it even before the beginning of the church, 2000 years, starting with Jesus the Messiah. And when the leaders of ISIS and other extremist saying they are coming to kill us, they are not going to target other Muslims, they are going to target Christians.

The best thing we can do is to organize and put on the Spiritual Armour of God and attack Satan. You may have some hesitation on agreeing with this, but notice what Jesus had to say in Matthew 16:13-18.

When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

That passage indicates that we need to be the aggressors, not in a physical war against Muslims as such, but against Satan and his armies. Against everything that is trying to destroy our Christian lives and Nation.

Our fight today is against ungodliness, the addictions, the moral decay, and the breakdown of godly family units, the distinction between the sexes, transgender, pornography and homosexuality. All of the things which our nation has been tricked by Satan into accepting as being OK, while God says it is not.

How does this follow Mike Adam's list of survival techniques?

1. Do we call someone else to deal with the problem?

2. Do we run away from it?

3. Do we hide our belief so it can't be seen by others?

4. Do we play dead and pretend we are not Christians?

5. Or do we join the fight and attach Satan and his army?

We might say, "But it's going to cost us something in our lives! Isn't that what Christ, Peter, Paul and all of the other apostles were willing to pay!

Satan is attacking our nation, our society, our churches and our families daily. Just turn on your television and you will see and hear him trying to take over people's lives… and succeeding.

What other decision can we make than to join the Lord's Army?

If we don't, what is our excuse? Will you die spiritually or allow your friends and family to die, because you are not willing to sacrifice something of yourself?

James writes in James 4:17, "Therefore to him who knows to do good, and does not do it, to him it is sin."

Do you know how to do good and fight Satan?

Are you doing it?

--Russ Lawson



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Free Thanksgiving sermon

"Gratitude"                                                           1 Samuel 31:7-13

Aim:  to emphasize the importance of gratitude.

Thesis:  God wants us to be a grateful people!

Introduction:

 

1.  Last Sunday we considered the sin of "grumbling" and what a negative habit it can be.  Since that time I've continued to think about that passage, and how hard it is to turn that around.  Maybe one of the reasons it comes so easily is that we all know instinctively how to be negative, but we don't have as many opportunities to practice being positive.  For example, I've known of stores and institutions that had a "Complaint Department":  but have you ever known of any place that had a "Compliment Department"?    And last Sunday we saw that the opposite of grumbling is gratitude.  This morning I want to offer a practical means of exercising gratitude.

(EXPLAIN CARDS)

 

2.  TURN TO 1 SAMUEL 31  On Wednesday nights we have been studying the period of the Judges:   during our Winter Quarter we will continue the story by reviewing the books of 1 & 2 Samuel.  The theme of Judges has been "In those days there was no king; every man did what was right in his own eyes."  Well  in 1 Samuel they finally get their long-sought king, when the prophet Samuel anoints Saul, a young man from the tribe of Benjamin. 

 

a.  Saul's story began with such promise!  But in our text this morning it ended with            tragedy.    Somewhere along the way Saul lost his dependence on God, engaged in        disobedience to His will, eventually lost his mental stability because of an insane jealousy   of the young warrior David, and in a final battle with the Philistines lost his life in a            horrible defeat.

 

b.  We have already learned in our Wednesday night class that the Philistines were both        wicked AND cruel. It was not enough for them to defeat their enemies, they invariably           wanted to humiliate them, even in death.   READ Verses 8-10  Thus ends the reign of the first king of Israel:  Deranged, deserted, defeated, dead, decapitated, displayed,       disgraced.

 

3.  But there is one note of grace is this sad spectacle that we often overlook:  the response of the men of Jabesh-Gilead!  READ verses 11-13.

 

a.  The body of the man who had once been God's anointed, had once ruled all the tribes          of Israel, was now subjected to the ultimate indignity of a public humiliation.

 

b.  To truly understand the significance of what they had done, you need to know, as Paul      Harvey used to say,  "the rest of the story."  You have to go back to the very beginning of           Saul's reign as king.  READ 1 Sam 11:1f.  "Nahash the Ammonite" [To lose the right eye             would render them defenseless in combat, since the shield was carried in the left hand.]

 

 

 

4.  Once you know the background, you can better appreciate the motivation of the men of Jabesh-Gilead:  they were acting out of GRATITUDE!  As we enter this season of THANKSGIVING, might be appropriate to consider its close cousin:  GRATITUDE!  Gratitude ought to be a mark of God's people:  we have been the recipient of so many blessings!

 

Deuteronomy 8:10-11  "when you are satisfied....be careful that you don't forget the Lord"

 

Romans 12:10  "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves"

 

Colossians 2:7  "overflowing with thankfulness"

 

BUT:  have you noticed how we often take for granted those who are closest to us?  Story of little girl who came home after a stay in the hospital – she received so much attention from everyone that she asked in bewilderment,  "Am I company?"

 

5.  The action of the men of Jabesh-Gilead is so remarkable because genuine GRATITUDE is, unfortunately, so rare.

 

a. One of the few times when even Jesus was astonished by human nature:  INGRATITUDE!

 

"Were not ten healed?  Where are the other nine?" (Luke 17:11-19)

 

b. The experience of Jesus is sadly true to life:  One stormy night on Lake Michigan, back in 1860, a side-wheeler steamboat collided with a lumber schooner.  It was a terrible     tragedy:  279 people lost their lives as the steamboat sank about a mile offshore of Winnetka, Illinois.  Even more would have died, however, were it not for the heroic efforts of Edward Spencer, a student at Northwestern University.  When he realized what had happened Spencer jumped into the freezing waters of Lake Michigan and swam out to the drowning passengers.  He towed one to shore and then immediately went back for another.  Single-handedly Edward Spencer rescued seventeen people that night.  But he paid a high price for his efforts, because the strain of that experience broke his health, and he was eventually confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.  On his eightieth birthday an interviewer asked him what was his most vivid memory of that fateful day.  He replied, "Not one of the seventeen ever returned to thank me".

 

 

Blow, blow, thou winter wind,

Thou art not so unkind

As man's ingratitude.

Thy tooth is not so keen,

Because thou are not seen,

Although thy breath be rude.

 

Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky,

Thou dost not bite so nigh

As benefits forgot:

Though thou the waters warp,

Thy stings is not so sharp

As friend remember'd not.

(Shakespeare, As You Like It, vii, 173)

 

 

Body:

 

WHY THE GRATITUDE OF THE MEN OF JABESH-GILEAD WAS SO REMARKABLE:

 

1.  THEY DIDN'T FORGET.  It had been 40 years since their deliverance by Saul, but they didn't forget what he'd done for them.  For some reason it is so easy to forget to express our thanks!   Tom Peters is one of the top business consultants in the world-   he has written several best-selling books, is paid many thousands of dollars by corporations to make speeches, has a newspaper column.  His newest book is entitled The Pursuit of Wow!  In it he has a section he calls "the most important piece of advice in this book."  What profound management insight does this highly-respected consultant give?  "Don't forget your thank-you notes!"

 

2.  THEY HAD NOTHING TO GAIN.

 

Their action was totally unselfish.....a mark of genuine gratitude.  Not flattery, not "buttering up," not manipulation.

 

ONLY ONE CAVEAT:  THEY WAITED UNTIL AFTER HE WAS DEAD!

 

Nancy Dickerson was a news reporter back in the early '60's, when Eleanor Roosevelt died.  The day after the former first lady's death, Dickerson read a letter she had written the day before.  It was a letter of thanks she had intended to send Mrs. Roosevelt to express her gratitude- but Eleanor Roosevelt died before the letter reached her.

 

If with pleasure you are viewing,

Any work a man is doing;

If you like him or you love him, tell him now.

Don't withhold your approbation,

Till the parson makes oration,

And he lies with snowy lilies o'er his brow.

If he earns your praise, bestow it.

If you like him, let him know it.

Let the word of true encouragement be said;

Do not wait till life is over,

And he's underneath the clover,

For he can't read the tombstone when he's dead.

 

Dan Williams  

 

 

 

What was prohibition?

The Truth About Prohibition

           Through the years, there has been a useful body of pertinent research done by well-recognized historians on the general background of Prohibition.
            For example, Bernard Weisberger, a nationally- recognized historian who writes a current-events column ("In the News") for the popular historical journal American Heritage, recently addressed the widespread (mis)conception that Prohibition "didn't work." Among the facts cited by Weisberger are:
            "Prohibition did reduce drinking.  The average annual per capita consumption of alcohol by Americans of drinking age - that is, the total alcoholic content of all the beer, wine, and distilled spirits they consumed - stood at 2.60 gallons" in 1910.  In 1934, after more than a decade of prohibition, Weisberger reports the per capita average of 0.97 gallons.
            "Census Bureau studies show that the death rate from chronic or acute alcoholism fell from 7.3 per 100,000 in 1907 to 2.5 in 1932,  Prohibition's last year.  Deaths from cirrhosis of the liver, one cause of which is alcohol abuse, dropped from 14.8 per 100,000 in 1907 to 7.1 in 1920 and never rose above 7.5 during the 1920's.  Economic studies estimated that savings and spending on household necessities increased among working-class families during the period, possibly from money that once went to drink." These are not the propaganda of some biased zealot, but the factual report of a nationally known historian.  Furthermore, Weisberger reports that one reason why Prohibition may be commonly thought so unsuccessful is that even the above improvements were achieved with a minimum of enforcement.  He continues:
            "Drinking might have been cut back even further if more resources had been devoted to enforcement.  In 1922 Congress gave the Prohibition Bureau only $6.75 million for a force of 3,060 employees (including clerical workers) to hunt for violators in thousands of urban neighborhoods, remote hollows, border crossings, and coastal inlets.   State legislators were equally sparing: in 1926 state legislatures all together spent $698,855 for Prohibition work, approximately one-eighth of what they spent on enforcing fish-and-game laws.  Even so, by 1929 the feds alone had arrested more than half a million violators.  "
            Nor is this "new" information; a 1968 article by historian of science John C. Burnham of Ohio State University in the Journal of Social History revealed even more data along the lines Weisberger adduces.  To imply that attempts to restrict alcohol sales can't be effective ignores the available evidence.  Professor Norman H. Clark's 1976 study, Deliver Us From Evil, makes a persuasive case that during Prohibition, arrests for drunkenness and alcohol-related crimes declined markedly.
            Of course, a much earlier author reminds us across the ages that "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise" (Prov. 20:1).

- by Steve Wolfgang

 

No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities I Timothy 5:23

A Little Wine for Your Stomach's Sake

Paul advised Timothy, “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities” (I Timothy 5:23).
 

“NO LONGER DRINK ONLY WATER…”

By this statement we learn that Timothy’s habit had been one of total abstinence from wine until instructed otherwise by the apostle. This is as it should be. Solomon taught, “Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around smoothly” (Proverbs 23:31). Since the appearance of wine ought not to be admired, how could imbibing in the same have God’s approval? Without the exception provided in the passage under consideration, wine should be abstained from.
 

“…BUT USE A LITTLE WINE…”

In the limited circumstance in which the use of wine is permitted, its quantity must also be limited. The authorization to use wine was not to be construed as a license to become intoxicated, for drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of God (I Corinthians 6:10), as it is written, “Do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). Only a slight amount is here permitted for a specific purpose.
 

“…FOR YOUR STOMACH’S SAKE AND YOUR FREQUENT INFIRMITIES.”

The specific purpose for which Timothy was permitted the slight use of wine was its health benefit. It was not given as a social beverage, but as medicine. In particular, it was given for a remedy, not for prevention. Timothy was already known by Paul to experience frequent stomach trouble when the apostle suggested the use of a little wine to alleviate his ailment. The regular use of wine to prevent illness is not under consideration and is nowhere authorized in Scripture.

- by Bryan Matthew Dockens

 

Onesiphorus

“He Often Refreshed Me”

Paul, in recounting to Timothy his imprisonment in Rome, wrote, “The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains; but when he was in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me — the Lord grant to him to find mercy from the Lord on that day — and you well know what services he rendered at Ephesus” (2 Timothy 1:16-18).

What brought Onesiphorus to Rome is unknown.  Was he there on business? Was he a tourist? Whatever it was, Onesiphorus was not just focused on himself.  While in Rome, he made considerable effort to locate Paul, and he kept trying until he succeeded. (Someone less dedicated might have made a minimal effort and said, “Oh well, I tried!”) He came again and again.  These visits refreshed Paul, both the company itself as well as any needed provisions he may have received.

It is easy to get caught up in our own busy lives and fail to remember those who could use some encouragement. Stop. Take a moment to think about someone you could refresh. Then act. It likely won’t take you nearly as long or be as hard as it was for Onesiphorus. Be such that others can say of you, “He often refreshed me.”

- by Frank Himmel

 

The Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star

Passwords and PIN numbers are part of our everyday life now aren't they? Everything we do seems to have some level of protection to it, especially if you use the internet. It might be dealing with Credit cards, accounts or even buying groceries… almost everything.

I was reminded of this the other day, by my wife, Melody. I was getting ready to leave the house and she kissed me lovingly and said, 'Be careful and come home to me". I said, 'I will!" She looked me deep in the eyes and said, 'I mean it, you stay safe and come back to me," and paused. I was touched at her concern, then she finished her thought by saying, "After all, you're the only one who knows all of the passwords." I sometimes forget what a good sense of humor she has… at least I think she was kidding.

Passwords are important. They help keep us safe and get us into places we want to go; they are part of the "rules of our modern world," so to speak. You have to go through the proper procedure. Identification (ID), user names and passwords are required for us to operate within the system.

Understanding that, it surprises me at how many people object to God placing restrictions and requirements on their lives. They want to have a relationship with God, they want to enter his presence, his kingdom, yet they don't want to follow his rules.

God, in His Word, says, "Do this," or "Don't do this." He says, "This is acceptable behavior," and "This is unacceptable." He says, "If you want to be part of my kingdom and go to Heaven, here are the rules." Yet people insist on saying, 'God really didn't mean it, you have to change to rules to meet the times."

Isn't it funny that God ends his wonderful book with these words in Revelation 22:14-19 "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star." The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let the one who hears say, "Come!" Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll."

Funny isn't it that folks want God who offers them eternal life, but they won't listen to his requirements? Yet, they follow the rules of their bank and internet businesses strictly and don't think anything of it. How about you?

--Russ Lawson

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus

Saving for retirement. Exercising and losing weight. Mending a broken relationship. Daily Bible reading.  Many are the objectives, goals, and needs we all have in this life, but just as many are the excuses we often give for not addressing them.  We fall back on lack of time, how we feel, whose fault it is, and generally why we cannot do what we know we should be doing.  It seems that until we are convicted of our need to do something, we will always find ready excuses.

But, when we are motivated to do something, we will not let anything stop us.  We find the time, muster the will, and channel the discipline necessary to keep plugging away until the objective is achieved.

Living for Christ is the greatest objective there is.  It fulfills the very purpose for our existence. It benefits everyone around us. It is imperative to gaining heaven as home.  It positively influences those closest to us.  But, when it is not our greatest priority, we will come up with a bevy of excuses. These run the gamut from sports activities to work to hypocrites to personal weakness to whatever else may come to mind.  Until we are motivated, we will find excuses.  So, what should motivate us to live for Jesus?

• His sacrificial love (Gal. 2:20).
• Fear of judgment and eternal punishment (Mat. 25:31-46).
• The debt we owe (Rom. 1:14-17).
• The love we have for Him (2 Cor. 5:14).
• Our love for our family and others close to us (Ti. 2:3-4; Eph. 5:25).
• An understanding of our purpose (Phil. 1:21-24).
• The hope of heaven (John 14:1ff).
• A sense of obligation to our spiritual family (1 Th. 5:11; Mat. 18:12ff).
• A desire to do what is right and serve Jesus as our Master (1 Pe. 2:20; Mat. 7:21).

All of these (and more) are excellent motivation for enduring the difficult in order to successfully overcome in this life. They will help us to eliminate every impediment that stands in our way.  As the writer of Hebrews says, "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Heb. 12:1-2).  Neal Pollard