Lessons the Prophet Learned Too Late by Jimmy Crafts

http://insearchoftruth.org/articles/lessons_prophet_learned.html

Lessons the Prophet Learned Too Late

The Text

Please consider the following Old Testament passage:

And behold, a man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, "O altar, altar! Thus says the LORD: 'Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men's bones shall be burned on you.' " And he gave a sign the same day, saying, "This is the sign which the LORD has spoken: Surely the altar shall split apart, and the ashes on it shall be poured out."

So it came to pass when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, who cried out against the altar in Bethel, that he stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, "Arrest him!" Then his hand, which he stretched out toward him, withered, so that he could not pull it back to himself.

The altar also was split apart, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. Then the king answered and said to the man of God, "Please entreat the favor of the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me." So the man of God entreated the LORD, and the king's hand was restored to him, and became as before.

Then the king said to the man of God, "Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward." But the man of God said to the king, "If you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you; nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place. For so it was commanded me by the word of the LORD, saying, 'You shall not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way you came.' " So he went another way and did not return by the way he came to Bethel.

Now an old prophet dwelt in Bethel, and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; they also told their father the words which he had spoken to the king. And their father said to them, "Which way did he go?" For his sons had seen which way the man of God went who came from Judah. Then he said to his sons, "Saddle the donkey for me." So they saddled the donkey for him; and he rode on it, and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak. Then he said to him, "Are you the man of God who came from Judah?" And he said, "I am." Then he said to him, "Come home with me and eat bread." And he said, "I cannot return with you nor go in with you; neither can I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place. For I have been told by the word of the LORD, 'You shall not eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by going the way you came.' "

He said to him, "I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, 'Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.' " (He was lying to him.)

So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water. Now it happened, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came to the prophet who had brought him back; and he cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, "Thus says the LORD: 'Because you have disobeyed the word of the LORD, and have not kept the commandment which the LORD your God commanded you, but you came back, ate bread, and drank water in the place of which the Lord said to you, "Eat no bread and drink no water," your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.' "

So it was, after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, the prophet whom he had brought back. When he was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the corpse. (I Kings 13:1-24)

Why was this story given to us?

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. (Romans 15:4)

Based on this principle, we can conclude that there is a message in this story for us today!

We should note that at the outset of this story, we see a very courageous person as he relays the message of God to the wicked king, Jeroboam. The king had the power to put someone to death, who brought a message, which the king did not want to hear. In fact, verse 4 suggests that this may have been the king's original intention. However, the prophet did not know that God would intervene until it happened.

The prophet also had courage to refuse the good favor of the king. This was another act that could have caused him a problem, but he did not care, because God had commanded him not to accept anything, even bread and water, while he was in Bethel (13:8-9). He continued to show courage by initially refusing to accept the old prophet's invitation to come into his house and eat bread (13:16-17). But then, he let himself be deceived by the old prophet at a point in his life that he probably felt that he was the strongest. He was overcome by the little word, "lie". Verse 18 says, "But, he lied to him"!

In this article, we want to look at this man's mistake and hopefully profit from his experience. We want to learn the lessons early, which the prophet learned too late!

God Had Finished Speaking

Sometimes people have the same problem today. The Roman Catholics are supposedly getting new messages on a continuing basis. Their doctrine tends to evolve over time. The Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Latter Day Saints (Mormons), all indicate that they have received additional revelations through various individuals. However, the Scriptures indicate that God had long ago finished speaking:

Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. (Jude 1:3)

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (II Timothy 3:16-17)

I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:6-9)

I suspect the prophet of God rationalized his actions in his mind, because he thought the old prophet was speaking the message of God. But, the truth of the matter was that he did not.

As we study or talk with those, who we contact on a daily basis, they may indicate that they have been spoken to by God. We need to "test" the things they affirm, and of course, the only test or standard that matters is the established Word of God. If they believe or attempt to teach something different, then we know it did not come from God!

The Devil Has Camouflages

The prophet was bold before the king, because he knew the Devil was in him. However, the prophet of God never suspected that the Devil was also behind the old prophet! Through God's Word, He warns us of similar dangers for today:

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them." (Matthew 7:15-20)

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. (II Corinthians 11:13-15)

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (I John 4:1)

Test all things; hold fast what is good. (I Thessalonians 5:21)

Paul may have had reason to admonish the Thessalonians to "test all things", based on what is recorded about them:

These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. (Acts 17:11)

Those in Berea had received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily to verify the accuracy of the new teaching.

We all are usually able to resist the things that appear to be from the Devil, but we are often led astray by doctrine that appears to be good or righteous, taught by someone in whom we have great confidence. The length of time someone has professed to be a Christian, or how high someone may be held as "one who has preached the gospel for years and years", does not relieve us of the responsibility of testing the things they teach. We must know what God's Word says. We must not rely on what someone tell us it says, because the Devil has camouflages!

Feelings Deceive

From everything that we have studied about this prophet, I have no doubt that he felt like he was doing right! There are many examples of good people doing things or believing things that they felt were true but later found out that they were not.

Issac believed he was blessing Esau, because of the hair that Jacob had put on his hands and neck, but it was not Esau that Isaac blessed. It was Jacob (Genesis 27:1-38). Later, Jacob believed that his son, Joseph, had been killed by a wild animal, when he saw the blood-stained coat of many colors. But, Joseph was not dead. He had been sold as a slave into Egypt (Genesis 37:1-36).

Saul of Tarsus persecuted the early disciples in "all good conscience" (Acts 23:1), because he believed they were teaching religious error (Acts 26:9-15). But, Saul was the one, who was mistaken (Acts 9:1-8; I Timothy 1:12-16). Therefore, we cannot trust our own heart or our own mind to bring us to the Lord.

The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But whoever walks wisely will be delivered. (Proverbs 28:26)

There is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (Proverbs 16:25)

We must rather put our faith in the Bible and conduct our lives according to God's words given to us by Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32)

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. (I John 5:2-3)

We are living according to His desires when we "love God, and keep His commandments".

Believing a Lie Condemns

We noted earlier that in verse 18, the old prophet convinced the man of God that an angel had spoken unto him by the word of the Lord, saying, "Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water." Notice the last few words of the verse, "He was lying to him".

It may have seemed logical to the prophet from Judah that the things the old prophet said were true, but we see in verses 21 and 22 that just because he believed a lie, God did not overlook his disobedience! God spoke through the old prophet and had him tell the man of Judah, "Because you have disobeyed the word of the LORD, and have not kept the commandment which the LORD your God commanded you ... your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers." We need to understand that honesty and sincerity in worship is not all that counts.

On one occasion as Jesus reasoned with the Pharisees, his disciples came to him and said, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?" Jesus replied in Matthew 15:13-14, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch." We should also remember Jesus' words in Matthew 7:21-23:

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

Sometimes we have a difficult time understanding this principle, when it comes to matters of religion, even though we understand it in our daily, earthly activities. We recognize that accidents often happen, because we believe things are different from what they really are:

• "I looked but I didn't see the other car coming..."
• "I thought I had plenty of time to stop..."
• "I didn't know the road had ice on it..."

We know that good intentions will not keep us from being affected, if we do something that we did not intend to do. For example, if a woman got up and went to the kitchen to get some medicine, but she did not turn on the light to prevent waking her husband, and took poison by accident, she would still suffer the consequences of ingesting poison in spite of her good intentions.

Some one might say, "Why would someone believe a lie?". I think the little quotation that says, "What we wish, we readily believe", sums it up. If we want the Scriptures to teach something, we may easily believe a lie that justifies what we want to believe is true. We must guard ourselves from this type of prejudiced thinking and study.

The bottom line for this point is that we are all responsible for our actions. Jesus reminded His disciples that everything that they may have done would be made known, and Jesus concluded that they should fear the One Who not only has the power to kill the body, but Who also has power to cast our souls into hell (Luke 12:2-5).

Partial Obedience Is Not Enough

We need to ever keep before us the principle that all of God's commandments are important. Things may not seem to matter much to us, but if they were issued by God, then they are important to Him. As examples, please consider the following:

• Nadab and Abihu - They offered strange fire, which God had not commanded. God killed them for their irreverence (Leviticus 10:1-5)
• Uzzah - He touched the ark of the covenant to keep it from falling off the ox cart. However, God struck him dead, because he had no right to touch the ark (II Samuel 6:3-9; I Chronicles 15:2, 13, 15; Numbers 4:5-6, 15).
• Achan - He kept some of the treasures from the city of Ai, which the Israelites were to leave alone. However, the Israelites were defeated in battle, and Achan and his family were destroyed, all because of his failure to completely comply with God's command (Joshua 7:1-26).
• Ananias and Sapphira - They lied to the Lord. They sold their land and gave part of the proceeds to the church. However, they professed to have given it all. God struck them dead. (Acts 5:1-11).

For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. (James 2:10).

We need to respect God and keep his commandments to the best of our ability. Our respect for what He says is because of Who He is. We should regulate our lives by his total will. Partial obedience will not be enough!

Conclusion

All of the lessons this prophet learned too late are lessons that we need to keep before us each day. We need to remember that the prophet:

• Showed great courage before the king, who was initially angered by the message
• Was a good man
• Was willing to leave his country and carry God's message
• Initially showed courage by rejecting the request of the old prophet, so he did not let peer pressure persuade him

But, he ultimately failed to recognize some very important facts:

• God had finished speaking - There was no new message for him.
• The Devil has camouflages - The Devil may use blatant pressures from wicked people, such as the king, but he also uses people, whom would never be suspected.
• Feelings deceive - I am sure that he felt like it would be all right for him to go with the old prophet, because he had demonstrated himself to have been a man of courage and conviction up to this point. However, his feelings led him astray in this temptation.
• Believing a lie condemns - Even if the message is supposed to come from an angel of God, we cannot reject the established Word of God, because God has finished speaking. If we believe such a false claim, we will pay the consequence, just as did this prophet, who lost his life.
• Partial obedience is not enough - God expected the prophet to do exactly what he had commanded him to do. The prophet failed in only one area, but that was not good enough.

Sooner or later, we will all learn these lessons. The question remains, "When?" If we have not already learned them, will we learn them now? Or, will we be like the prophet, who learned these lessons too late?

--Preached and annotated by Jimmy Crafts

Author: Jimmy Crafts

“Get Ready” 1 Peter 3:13-16 by Ben Fronczek

http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?p=754

Get Ready!

“Get Ready”   1 Peter 3:13-16   by Ben Fronczek

Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired help. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops.

As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer.

 “Are you a good farmhand?” the farmer asked him.  “Well, I can sleep when the wind blows,” answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man’s work.

Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand’s sleeping quarters.

He shook the little man and yelled, “Get up! A storm is coming! Everything needs to be tied down before they blow away!”

The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, “No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.”

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down.

Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

MORAL: When you’re prepared spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life?

In our text today, Peter continues to encourage and instruct Christians. As he knew from his own experience everybody is not going to welcome you with open arms just because you are a Christian. As a matter of fact many may do their best to undermine if not destroy you and your reputation.

In light of these storms that may come your way, Peter gives us some good advice. Let me read it to you. “13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.” (And here is his advice) “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”

Being prepared is crucial for so many aspects of life. Creatures great and small grow, collect and store food in preparation for winter. Our Government as well as all governments all around the world spent billions of dollars preparing for potentials terrorist attacks, wars, natural disasters, and so much more. Soldiers, police officers, rescue teams, doctors prepared and practice for worst case scenarios.  There are so many things that we should and need to prepare for that one could not list them all.

But here in our text Peter doesn’t want to see us get caught unprepared regarding spiritual matters so he tell us to always be ready and prepared to give an answer or defense to anyone who asks us to give a reason for the hope that we have as a Christian.

The question I have for you today is, ‘Are you prepared to do this?’                 

If someone were to get right up in your face and ask today and say, ‘Just tell me why you believe in all this Christianity stuff’, what would you say?

Peter is telling us you better be prepared.  So how do we prepare?

A. First of all I believe we need to know our stuff; actually understand what we profess. We really need to know and understand some of the core teaching of the Christian faith. We need to really know what we believe and why. (How would you feel about being treated by a paramedic who hadn’t practice or didn’t know what he was doing?”)

And so how do we do this?                                                                                

– We not only need to read our Bibles, we also need to study it so that we understand what it is talking about. It don’t believe that that Bible is meant to be read like a novel, rather I believe it is to be digested like an instruction manual. The information in this book is important and crucial and it is worthy of our time and effort to study.  I am convinced that some people read their Bibles, but unfortunately many don’t have a clue what many portions of it are talking about. This is where good Bible Study habits can help.

– When I pick apart a text I like to look at what different commentators have to say about it. If I don’t understand certain words I look them up. I even look at the original Greek or Hebrew words and what they meant. All this is easy now with the use of a computer. It’s all on the internet.  It’s ok to jot notes in your Bible as a reminder.

– Going to a good Bible Study also helps. Sometimes even listening to good radio lessons help. If you don’t understand something don’t just let it go, dig for some answers, ask for help if you need to.

– Read magazines or books or watch the latest programs on Christian evidences or whatever subject you may want to study to give you an edge.

If you buy a new camera, cell phone, or any other kind of gadget and you what to get full use out if it what do you do. You read and memorize the instruction book. And if you still don’t understand it you seek out someone who does and have them explain it to you.

– We should be as diligent when it comes to understanding our own Christian faith. Don’t assume anything. Learn it, study it, ask questions, and be sure in your own mind. These are some ways we can prepare.

So now that we know what we believe and understand why we believe what advise does Peter give as to how we answer those who may ask:

1)   First he tells us to do it with gentleness.  Solomon wrote in Proverbs 15:1 “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

I don’t know about you but it really irritates me when someone comes across as a boastful know-it- all, even if they are right. But there is something soothing in a person voice when they speak from a humble, caring heart filled with wisdom.

In Ecc. 5:3 Solomon also said, “3 Too much activity gives you restless dreams; too many words make you a fool.”

Yes, if we are not careful we can say too much. Even if we have a good answerer we can say it with the wrong attitude.

2)    The 2nd thing Peter said was to answer with respect. In other words, don’t look down at the person asking you a question about your faith. He or she may be mocking you and Christianity, but they may also be looking for answers as well.

Here again is another place we should be applying the ‘Golden Rule,’  doing unto others they way we would want them to do to us.There is nothing more degrading than someone making you feel dumb because you asked a question. As Christians we should not be-little anyone. Letting a person know that their question is important by giving an honest, gentle, and serious answer show respect. One question can lead to more. Some of the greatest Christians were one time enemies of the faith.

3)    And the last recommendation Peter gives here is that we should answer in a way that allow us to keep a clear conscious.

Clear from what? I believe we should answer in a way that keeps us being guilty of being mean, nasty or a know it all.

Also, we don’t have to feel guilty before God when we state the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about our Christianity in times of personal peril.

So why answer in this manner?  I believe it is so we can win more to Christ. There is an old saying that says, “You catch more bees with honey that with vinegar.”   What does that mean?  You are going to attract more or win more over by being good and sweet like honey than you will by being a sour pickle puss. And likewise being knowledgeable, clear, confident, and having a good attitude will attract more curious seekers to Christ and the Church than a grouchy old arrogant Christian.

If you remember from our last lesson Peter reminded us that we are aliens, ambassadors representing our Lord Jesus here on earth. And we can’t do a very good job at doing this if don’t know our stuff, if we are not prepared, and if we don’t have the right attitude.

There is another reason we have to know our stuff, another reason why we need to prepare our self. Jumping ahead to 5:8Peter says this, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

In much the same way that the Apostle Paul warns us in Ephesians 6, where he says, “10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground”

Peter and Paul are warning us that we need to prepare for battle! If we are not prepared, if you really don’t know why you believe, you are going to be weak, and un-prepared when you need that knowledge the most. You won’t  be able to give a good answer when some asks or challenges you. You may not be a good influence when you have a chance to be. And when Satan or his dark forces come to attack you will have no armor to put on.

Knowledge is power. Faith is a shield. Knowing how to use God’s word properly is like knowing how to use a sword properly.  Knowledge ofGod’s word is a life changing force.

Like in the story where the farmer hired that little man who was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm. We, as believers in Christ, need to secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves in the Word of God.

Challenge: Read, Study, know your stuff and be on guard…

For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566

God Knows All by Alfred Shannon Jr.

https://biblicalproof.wordpress.com/2011/04/page/7/

God Knows All

Christians are often called bible thumping, scripture quoting, know it alls. However, Christians by their own omission don’t know it all, but they sure do know someone who does. Trust in the One who created all, gave all, and knows all, the Lord God Almighty.

REV 4:11; 1 JN 3:16; ISA 46:9-11; ACTS 15:18

What About Interpretation? by J.C. Bailey

http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Bailey/John/Carlos/1903/Articles/interpre.html

What About Interpretation?

I have not forgotten the old adage, "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread." I have just read brother Norton's editorial in the February issue of theChristian Chronicle. I have just read brother Woodroof's book, The Church in Transition and brother Lynn Anderson's book, Freshness for the Far Journey. Recently, I heard Lynn preach. Many years ago, I baptized Lynn, but that is not as important as the fact that it was a country schoolhouse where Lynn's father attended a meeting that I held. Lawrence, Lynn's father, was then courting the woman who became Lynn's mother. The letters Lawrence wrote are still in Lynn's possession.

After each sermon, Lawrence said that it was just the way he had read it in the Bible. There was another man who attended the meeting. He obeyed the gospel in that meeting. He said that for 18 years he had been looking for people who were just God's people.

Shortly after that, I preached a series of sermons on the radio from Regina. As a result of this, I held two meetings in two new places. There were 14 baptized in each place.

After more than 50 years, some of the faithful members of the church are those who obeyed in those meetings. I would like to mention one sister, who has since gone to her reward. The morning after my first sermon, she said she had a job for me. I asked her what it was. She said she wanted to be baptized. I must have looked surprised because she said, "I know what I am doing. When you preached on the radio, I took down every scripture." There never was a more devout member of the church than she.

I suppose I have read my New Testament through fifty times. I have read the Old Testament more than 30 times. I firmly believe that every scripture came by the inspiration of God. I taught the Word, people heard the Word, believed the Word and obeyed the Word. In all my study and in all my preaching, I never found where it says we are to interpret the Word. Jesus said, "heaven and earth will pass away but my Word will not pass away." There is an axiom we need to remember: The Bible, as it is, is sufficient for man, as he is. "And the common people heard Him gladly" (Mark 12:37).

For more than 40 years, I preached in Canada and the U.S.A. Then I went to India. I preached the Word there. Here is an extract from a letter I just received:

"We conducted six area meetings where thousands of people were gathered by tractors and trucks. In one such area meetings, we baptized 2,153 people. Thus, by the end of our work, 10,424 people and 263 denominational preachers were baptized and 185 new congregations were started."

This brother was born to illiterate parents. He is now Dr. Ratnam.

Whether in Canada, U.S.A. or India, I shall only preach the Word; I owe that to the Lord. If the church is on the way back to Pentecost, that is the right transition. If the Lord tarries until the 21st century, the same gospel will be preached from the inspired Word of God.

When we were married 68 years ago, my wife would come to me with her Bible in her hand and she would read a certain verse and say, "What does this mean?" I would say, "My dear, if it doesn't mean what it says, I have not the slightest idea what it means."

Peter tells about some people who interpreted the Word, he says they wrested the Scripture to their own destruction (II Peter 3:16). "No prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation" (II Peter 1:20).

J.C. Bailey (June 1992, Weyburn, Saskatchewan)

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)

Give things a different perspective by Gary Rose

This is a picture of a rainbow taken from an airplane. And that rainbow appears vertical.  Since there appears to be a small curvature to the rainbow, I assume that it will look like a normal one from the ground.

So much of life is like this rainbow. Things just look differently depending on your ATTITUDE!

The best example of this is King David's reply  to   Araunah...

2 Samuel 24 (King   James   Version)

18 And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the Lord in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite. 

19 And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the Lord commanded.

20 And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground.

21 And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the Lord, that the plague may be stayed from the people.

22 And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood.

23 All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The Lord thy God accept thee.

24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.   (emphasis added)

25 And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.  

Araunah was willing to give King David the threshingfloor as a gift, but David said:

Nay- David was unwilling to use his position as king in an inappropriate manner!!

But I will surely-   He made a decision to please God  and was determined  to DO IT!!!

Buy of thee at a price-  When  it comes to giving, something that costs nothing is no gift at all!!!

Will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God-  giving to  the Lord my God means giving  to the most powerful being in existence!!! Any gift should be appropriate to the status of the recipient. 

of that which doth cost me nothing -  A gift that is difficult to give is something that actually means something to the giver and is a form of RESPECT!!!

How many people today?  ....

Use their power to their own advantage? 

Say they will do something and then not do it?

Will not give anything to anybody, let alone God?

Not give God the respect HE DESERVES?

Will not give with a good attitude?

Will not give to God Almighty in a sacrificial    manner?

Will not, first give their heart to God and then decide what to  give?

If David's example of giving does not make you a bit nervous- perhaps it should?  

I know I will be thinking about my own giving today!!