DISCIPLE

Only One Life By C.T. Studd (1860-1931) Two little lines I heard one day, Traveling along life’s busy way; Bringing conviction to my heart, And from my mind would not depart; Only one life, ’twill soon be past,  Only what’s done for Christ will last. Only one life, yes only one, Soon will its fleeting hours be done; Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet, And stand before His Judgement seat; Only one life,’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last. Only one life, the still small voice, Gently pleads for a better choice Bidding me selfish aims to leave, And to God’s holy will to cleave; Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last. Only one life, a few brief years, Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears; Each with its clays I must fulfill, living for self or in His will; Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for

by Alan Summers (Scotland) This is a subject that divides Christians. Some believe that a Christian should be involved in politics so that the Christian's view of the world and Christianity's moral values can be brought to bear on the legislative process. Others believe that Christians should not be involved in politics because the aims of Christianity are not political. They feel that since Christians will never command the support of the majority, there is little point in trying to influence a process that can never conform to Christian values. Who is right?      In New Testament times authority was largely in the hands of kings whose authority was based on hereditary right or military power. Rome may have had its Senate and Israel its Sanhedrin, but parliaments elected by the citizens of a country were completely unknown. Hence when we read passages that discuss the Christian's relationship with "the powers that be" (Rom. 13:1), we will not find gu

by A. W. Tozer The coming of Jesus Christ to the world has been so sentimentalized that it means now something utterly alien to the Bible teaching concerning it. Soft human pity has been substituted for God's mercy in the minds of millions, a pity that has long ago degenerated into self-pity. The blame for man's condition has somehow been shifted to God, and Christ's dying for the world has been twisted into an act of penance on God's part. In the drama of redemption, man is viewed as Miss Cinderella who has  long been oppressed and mistreated, but now through the heroic deeds of earth's noblest Son is about to don her radiant apparel and step forth a queen. This is humanism--romantically tinted with Christianity! excerpt from reading for May 5 in Renewed Day By Day , Christian Publications, Camp Hill, PA

by A. W. Tozer "The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord; but the words of the pure are pleasant words." Proverbs 15:26      It is my belief that we Christians are bound in all conscience to discourage the reading of subversive literature and to promote as fully as possible the circulation of good books and magazines.     Just what part evil literature has played in the present moral breakdown throughout all the world will never be known till men are called forth to answer to a holy God for their unholy deeds, but it must be very great indeed!     For thousands of young people the first doubt about God and the Bible came with the reading of some evil book. We must respect the power of ideas, and printed ideas are as powerful as spoken ones. They may have a longer fuse, but their explosive power is just as great.       Our Christian faith teaches us to expect to answer for every idle word; how much more severely shall we be held to acco

    All who have a real concern for behaviour in God's house, should see that God's people are preserved from erroneous doctrine. Natural minds reason that error is just another man's opinion and that every man is entitled to his opinion. However, those with a concern for God's house and proper behaviour in it, will never take error to be just another man's opinion. They will see as best they can, that God's people are preserved from erroneous doctrine. "Charge some that they teach no other doctrine."       In 2 Kgs. 4:38, we read of an incident at Gilgal where Elisha said, "Set on the great pot", and it was set on. There was an exercise on the part of the sons of the prophets to make contribution towards the feeding of God's people,, but one of these sons of the prophets, unknown to the others, went out to the field and gathered wild gourds and shred them into the pot. Eventually the cry came: "Death in the pot". That wa

excerpt from an article by Bruce Davidson in American Thinker , May 2016, reprinted in Psychoheresy Awareness Letter , Nov-Dec 2016.      While “unconditional love” sounds a lot like grace, it is really entitlement. It obliges people to accept others no matter what they do. Those who fail to do so can be accused of neglect or abuse      In their naïve failure to acknowledge evil human proclivities, humanistic psychologists maintained that children who always receive such unconditional love and acceptance grow up happy and whole. The reality is the opposite. They grow up spoiled, with their parents liable to emotional blackmail. In the wider world, this thinking gives rise to the widespread phenomenon of the “cry bully,” who demands things from others on the grounds of putative victimhood.      So the concept of unconditional love provides an open-ended basis for blame and manipulation, since everyone can claim that they do not get enough such love

At a time when much needed and appreciated, brother Dunlap has given us an excellent word on dealing with criticism, which along with discouragement is one of Satan's most used tools.  How To Deal With Criticism by David Dunlap      One of the greatest tests in the Christian life is how to respond to criticism. If you are going to be a leader, then criticism is part of the job description. You can be a loving Christian, you can be a wonderful godly leader, but you will be criticized no matter what you do. There is no such thing as going forward for God without opposition. Moses faced criticism, John the Baptist faced criticism, and our Lord Jesus Christ faced criticism. If you are going to lead—in fact, if you are going to live—you are going to be criticized. Comedian Bill Cosby once said, “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.” A recurring problem in many assemblies, Bible studies

by Steve Hulshizer from "Milk & Honey" http://www.stw1982.com/milkhoney.html “In the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom knew not God...”                                     1 Cor. 1:21 KJV     If we were to attempt to discuss all of this world’s philosophies it would obviously be an extremely large task. Not only is there a great number of ideas and opinions, but man’s thinking also runs to different extremes. For example, on one hand there is the atheist who declares “there is no God.” (Ps. 14:1) At the other extreme is pantheism with its belief that God is in everything and everyone. The universe is God. (Deut. 6:4)     They shall not know, neither see, till we come among them, and slay them...                                     Nehemiah 4:11     Quite frankly my primary concern is not with the philosophies of the world. It is rather with the wisdom of man that I see slipping into the assemblies today. Just as Nehemiah’s enemies planned to slip in u

Jeremiah 17:5   "Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man..." Jeremiah 17:7   "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD,  and whose hope the LORD is."

Written by Lew Rockwell, whom I do not know, but THIS is worth reading. I recently reviewed Electing Not to Vote: Christian Reflections on Reasons for Not Voting . Since I afterward received several e-mails asking me if I voted in the election, I thought I would explain to a wider audience why I didn’t vote. Reading Electing Not to Vote did not persuade me to not vote. I was already a Christian non-voter. Although, as I mentioned in a 2012 article titled “ My View of Politics ,” I am a student of, and a commentator on, politics, I am not political in any way. Not only do I not vote, I don’t donate to political campaigns, endorse candidates, campaign for anyone, frequent political events, or watch political debates. I loathe politicians, and especially members of Congress. Since I was not asked to contribute to Electing Not to Vote when it was initially published, I here offer some brief remarks as to why I as a Christian and a libertarian didn’t vote.   Voting is the

“...be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” Revelation 2:10 According to the Word of God, we can overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil “by the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 12:11), and by relying on the power of Christ. The Bible also assures us that if we remain true to Him and fight the good fight of faith, we will receive a special reward in heaven.     After the Crimean War, a great celebration was held in London to honor the heroes wounded in battle. Queen Victoria was present to give out the medals. Some of the soldiers appeared with empty sleeves, some came on crutches, and some had bandaged foreheads. To each she gave the same sweet smile and the same high award. At last, a terribly maimed soldier was brought before the Queen on a litter. His arms and legs were gone. He had sacrificed even more than the rest. At the sight of him the Queen, with tears streaming down her cheeks, stepped forward and pinned a medal on his uniform. Then

       In Luke 4:5-6 we read these words,  " And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. "        The devil admires and administers what he has don in the kingdoms of the world. He will give it all to the man who worships him, and what a terrible day that will be, one of history's tragic defining moments.      It is true that God established human government, but sinful mankind has perverted and ruined even that. The prophet Daniel describes the world's great powers as beasts. All this world's politics and governments are little streams flowing together into one great river, which is the kingdom of the Antichrist, the Beast, the Man of Sin. Revelation 17:12-13 foretells, "And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which

With all eyes on Hurricane Matthew, and people worried about lives and property, now is a good time to review an important message about a Biblical storm warning. “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come” (2 Tim. 3:1).     “Severe Weather Alert from the National Weather Service ... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 600 AM EDT SATURDAY MORNING...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS....”     2 Timothy 3:1-5 gives us a prophetic view and warning concerning the end of the church age. God’s “storm warnings” are even more serious than those of the National Weather Service, which means that when we read one, we should pay attention and take action. To parallel the words of the Weather Service, “a perilous times watch means that condi

by William MacDonald Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.  Proverbs 19:18      We live in a permissive society. Especially in the area of child/training, people listen to the advice of psychologists and sociologists rather than to the teachings of God's Word. Many adults who were brought up by parents who dared to discipline them, determine to allow their children freedom and self-expression. What are the results?      Such children grow up with a deep sense of insecurity. They are misfits in society. They find it difficult to cope with problems and troubles, and seek release in drugs and liquor. A few years of discipline would have made the rest of life much easier for them.      Not surprisingly, they live undisciplined lives. Their personal appearance, their living quarters, their personal habits all betray their careless and disorderly mindset.       They are satisfied with mediocrity or less. They lack the drive to

    Covetousness denies the real purpose of our existence. it forgets that we are here for bigger business than to make money or to indulge ourselves. It forgets that the best use of our money is for spiritual purposes. It is deceptive. Said J. H. Jowett,      Riches can make a man think that he is growing bigger when all the time he is growing less. He estimates his size by the inlet of income and not by the outlet of beneficence. While the inlet is expanding, the outlet is contracting.      It is irrational. We strive to get things we don't need to impress people we don't like.     It frustrates God's plan for world evangelization by hoarding money that could be used in the propagation of the gospel.      It unfits a man for leadership in the church - and elder must be "not greedy for money" (1 Tim. 3:3) -- but, worse than that, it excludes a man from the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:10).      Here in our passage Paul warns Timothy that the desir

  The politicians couldn't say this truthfully! Nor the actors or the professional athletes. But never mind them. What about us? What if we had to choose? It's one thing to sing it, another to live it. 1. I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold; I'd rather be His than have riches untold; I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands. I'd rather be led by His nail pierced hand. Chorus: Than to be the king of a vast domain Or be held in sin's dread sway. I'd rather have Jesus than anything This world affords today. 2. I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause; I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause; I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide fame. I'd rather be true to His holy name. 3. He's fairer than lilies of rarest bloom; He's sweeter than honey from out the comb; He's all that my hungering spirit needs. I'd rather have Jesus and let Him lead. by Rhea F. Miller, 1922  

by H. A. Ironside      As teachers and preachers are presented to audiences, it is considered the right thing, the proper thing to laud them to the skies, to expatiate on their brilliancy and learning and wonderful personality, until I myself have often felt grieved and shocked and thoroughly ashamed as I listened to such laudations.       One cannot imagine the apostle Peter so introducing his beloved brother, Paul, nor can we think of Paul presenting his fellow-laborers, Epaphroditus, Titus or Timothy in such a manner to those to whom they were to preach. He does indeed say the kindest things of them all, for he loved them truly and was grateful to God for all the good things seen in them; but as he speaks of them, he does not dwell upon their ability or personality or charms or wonderful gifts, but rather on their devotedness to Christ in suffering for His name's sake.       Surely there is a lesson in all this for us. If we give to man the glory which belongs alone

by Steve Hulshizer      There is much being written today concerning church growth, and we would be wise to heed to some of it. For example, we can not expect poor preaching, an unfriendly atmosphere, and a lack of witnessing to produce either spiritual or numerical growth. Common sense should tell us this.      There are those however, who would urge us to take extreme measures to reach the lost. They would treat the Gospel meeting like a presidential campaign. In such campaigns producing an "image" of the candidate by showing him kissing babies, waving a flag, or having a picnic with his family is more important than discussing the issues of the day. This is because people vote on "images," not on issues. The "Selling of a President" requires the best publicity and advertising professionals and techniques that money can buy. Christians are now using these techniques in the "Selling of the Church." Avoid the issues, but create an "imag