Psalm 139:14 - I am fearfully and wonderfully made

Glory to the Reader or the Writer?

 

The fruit fly has long been the mainstay of biomedical research. An article in the April 3, 2000 Newsweek lauds the scientific breakthrough of reading “almost all of the chemical letters -- 165 million of them -- that make up its DNA.” It is called “an impressive technical feat in its own right.”

 

My marvel at the technological accomplishments of man falls far short of my awe for the One who took nothing and made all that man is discovering. The science of man is simply reading what God has written. And we are still in the primary reader stage at that --humans have almost 20 times more DNA than fruit flies!

 

“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well” (Psa. 139:14).

- by David Diestelkamp

 

Too Little Too Late

Why is it we get interested in the right things when it’s just too late?

A young couple marries, but take one another for granted. He abuses his position as husband, and she resists everything he says or does. Years pass with such neglect, abuse, and mistreatment They end up in a divorce court. In the process of working out a settlement, the husband decides he wishes to repent and reconcile with his wife. Why now? Where was this penitent disposition when it would have saved the marriage? She may resist his offer, deciding that it's no use trying anymore. For her, it’s a case of “too little, too late.”

A foolish and immature son becomes estranged from his parents. He never calls, never visits, never shares his life with them. The parents agonize, but there is little they can do to have a relationship with a child who wants nothing to do with them. Years pass. Age takes its toll on the parents. One day the son receives a call. His mother is dead. He attends the funeral, weeps loudly and uncontrollably — but for what? The opportunity to love his mother and develop a relationship with her is gone forever. He may now see his immaturity, his selfishness, his ungodly character. He may repent and do better in the future, even caring for his widowed and aged father. But as far as his mother is concerned, it’s “too little, too late.”

A man lives an immoral and profligate life. He has no time for spiritual things, and has never made preparation for eternity. God is in none of his thoughts. He disdains the “holy Joes” that do their best to serve God. The day of judgment comes, and he knows it is “too late.” He never prepared himself to meet God. Now he confesses Christ (as all will do, Phil. 2:11) but it is too late. Why didn’t he do it in life when he had time and opportunity? He now receives the consequences of choices he made, and his penitent spirit is just a little bit “too little, too late.”

Perhaps some personal offense was never corrected and the person to whom you needed to apologize has since died. It to late to right a past wrong under such circumstances Does not have to be a “forever failure”? No! Pray to God for His forgiveness, and make whatever restitution you can for the wrong you committed. As long as the world stands and life is in your body, it is never too late to do the right thing, whether that is little or much.

As a youth, serious mistakes may have been made and sins committed which have followed you into adulthood. Don't let the past keep you from repentance immediately.God will accept you, even now.

“Today” is the day of salvation (Heb. 3:15). Let's use it before it is “too little, too late.”

                      - by Mark White

 

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How to grow as a Christian

7 Things That Will Help You Grow Spiritually

1 - LIVE and WORK to reach others each day as if you knew the world were going to come to an end next Sunday night. Think of that feeling of urgency and priority! (Read 2 Peter 3:1-12).

2 - BE AS ENTHUSIASTIC about the church and its services as you would be if there were an overflowing crowd each time. Think of the interest, anticipation, and excitement of an overflow crowd!

3 - COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS. Make a list of the things you are thankful to God for and thank Him for them one by one as you pray in your closet. This will help you to be grateful (Philippians 4:6). It will also help you to realize your dependence on God (Acts 17:24-25,28; John 15:5).

4 - MAKE & MAINTAIN A LIST OF YOUR FAULTS. And pray for forgiveness and help to overcome them as you truly strive to overcome them. This will help us see that we are really not as good as we think we are and how very much we really do need Christ for Savior. It will also help you to sympathize with the faults of others (James 5:16; Galatians 6:1).

5 - KEEP A QUIET TIME. Set aside 30 minutes every day to spend with God in prayer, Bible study, and meditation. If you really love someone or a game you want to spend some time with them. Just so, if you truly love God you want to spend some time alone with Him. (Psalms 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Luke 18:1). First century Christians kept an “hour of prayer” (Acts 13:1).

6 - VISIT SOMEONE FOR CHRIST EACH WEEK. Visit some member you do not know very well; or a sick person; or a visitor to our services; or a weak member who needs encouragement; or someone who needs to become a Christian.

7 - REACH ANOTHER PERSON. Conduct a Bible class in your home once a month and invite your relatives, friends and neighbors to attend. The preacher or elders will assist you if you want them to. Matt. 5:12-15; James 5:20; Daniel 12:3. There are 168 hours in a week. If you were to attend Bible Study, morning worship, and evening worship on Sundays and Bible study on Wednesday, and 30 minutes 6 days a week in Bible reading, prayer, and meditation, and conduct an hour long study once a month, you would be giving God less than 10 hours a week, leaving you 158.

- by Grover Stevens

 

How to be happier

1. Turn off the TV and read your Bible. The Psalmist said of the blessed man, "His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night" (Ps. 1:2).

2. Hang up the phone and pray. I never cease to be amazed at how much time some people spend on their cell phones. Is all that talking necessary or profitable? "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:1 7). "The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much" (Jas. 5:16).

3. Get up out of bed an hour earlier and come to Bible study on Sunday. "As the door turns on its hinges, so does the sluggard on his bed" (Prov. 26:14).

4. Cut down your credit card purchases and give. Give to the poor. Increase your contribution at church. "One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed" (Prov. 19:17). "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).

5. Change the conversation from sports, weather, and politics to spiritual things. Do that at home. "These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them 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” (Deut. 6:6-7). Do that at work, too. "He who wins souls is wise" (Prov. 11:30).

- by Frank Himmel

 

Churches die due to indifference

The Church Died!

Impressive churches dot the pages of Bible history - Antioch, Ephesus, Jerusalem, Phillipi, Rome. From more recent restoration history, a host of names are recalled. But what finally happened to those churches? A few remain; most are gone. They died! Is this destined to be the final chapter of this church? Why did they die?

Did the churches become outdated? A new T-model Ford is as good as ever but not suited to the demands of our day. Man has not changed. Man's spiritual needs are the same. God's church is perfect in design and needs no improvement. That is not the problem.

Was it persecution that destroyed those grand churches? All churches felt the lash of persecution, but that is when they multiplied their numbers. They died later. Churches die from within - not from outside pressure.

Churches die at the tables of compromise. When the churches fought the world, sin, and false doctrine - asking no quarter nor giving any, they prospered. Brethren bore scars; they lost a battle now and then, but they did not lose the war. In their hand was a two edged sword, and on their side a divine defense none could penetrate. Compromise opened the gates and sheathed the sword. "Let's not dispute with people ... " That appeal is the cankerworm and caterpillar that devours a church - and it is at last dead, stripped of its courage and faith.

Churches die of indifference. All churches lose members - they die, quit, or move away. Laziness just revises the directory and waits for move-ins and births. No effort is made to restore the fallen as scripture demands. No seed is sown. No one has home Bible studies. There is no zealous pursuit of souls. That church naturally – gradually - eventually but ever so surely dies.

Churches die from misdirection. They adopt worldly religious ideals. They see the church as a social reform agency, a general benevolent society, and a recreational institution. Its spiritual mission is forgotten. The harder they work, the worse the church becomes. Finally it is but a grotesque caricature of the Lord's church. Somewhere along the way, the church died - the victim of apostasy. Other churches have no direction at all. They are content to open the doors three times a week, have a meeting once a year, and paint the building when it begins to peal. They go in circles constantly wearing the ruts deeper and deeper. They press without a real goal, running on the treadmill until the church dies.

Is such inevitable? Must our work be wasted? No! The Lord has a prescription: "Preach the word; ... in season, out of season" "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, ... " "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." May we have the zeal, faith and backbone to take the medicine.        

- by Joe Fitch

 

Is the Bible out of date?

The answer to this question is "no" and a good article about this fact is available in this "Why the Bible is still an up-to-date book."

For more free Bible material visit abiblecommentary.com web site and this Christian blog. You may also subscribe to a free e-devotional on twitter and access the FREE online Romans commentary.

Free sermon outlines

Get a wide range of easy to use Bible material from the abiblecommentary.com web site and my Christian blog. You may also subscribe to my e-devotional on twitter and use the FREE on line Romans commentary.

Today's free Bible study file consists of several free sermon outlines.

Can We See The Bible Alike?

 

Moses said we could (Deut. 29:29). David said we could (Ps. 119:104). John said we could (Jn. 20:30,31). Jesus prayed that we might (Jn. 17:20). All of these spokesmen for God have declared that through study of the Scriptures we are enabled to see them alike.

There are some things that HINDER a clear understanding of the Bible:

- Relatives (Matt. 19:29; 10:34-37)

- Pride (Prov. 14:12; 16:18; Rev. 3:17-18)

- Majority opinion (Ex. 23:2; Matt. 7:13-14,21)

- False doctrines (Matt. 13:14-15; 2 Thess. 2:9-12)

- Satan (2 Cor. 4:3-4)

If we will accept only the word of God (1 Pet. 4:11), we would not only see the Bible alike, but understand and practice it alike (1 Cor. 1:10).

- by Johnny Polk

 

"Just As I Am"

“Just As I Am”

The song Just As I Am is a commonly used invitation song. The idea in the song is that we cannot make ourselves right with God on our own; apart from Jesus’ blood we have no hope. That is precisely the New Testament picture (Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; etc.).

I fear, however, that some folks have an erroneous idea about Jesus saving us “just as we are.” They seem to think that He saves us without any change in our conduct. That is opposite to the New Testament picture.

Jesus’ charge to the apostles was “that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations” (Luke 24:47). Forgiveness is extended to those willing to abandon sinful conduct, not to those who insist on continuing in it.

Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians, “Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you…” (1 Cor. 6:9-10). He did not say such are some of you, but such were. They changed their conduct in connection with being washed, sanctified, and justified (v. 11).

“Just as I am,” if referring to our own helplessness, is a comforting sentiment. But to suggest it means salvation without repentance is to hold out false hope.

- by Frank Himmel