“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” These words are found near the end of Christ’s “Sermon on the Mount.” They stand as a reminder that going to Heaven requires more than merely wishing for it to happen. Going to Heaven demands that men be active! I have seen cars that had “Honk if you love Jesus” bumper stickers. Is honking horns all that Jesus wants? Of course, not! It is not enough to say “Lord, Lord.” Good intentions will not save us, either. In Matthew 7:21, Jesus demands action! He demands that we act upon what we know and obey Him. Jesus says the one who does God’s will has the opportunity to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Are you living a life of obedience to the Lord? If not, why not?

- Jarrod Jacobs

“No Matter What …”

Jarrod Jacobs 

                   The sentiment shown in our title was expressed by the three Hebrews when they faced Nebuchadnezzar. Regardless of what he did to them, they would not bow down to the image he had made (Dan. 3:17-18). In essence, they said, “No matter what you do to us, we will not forsake the God of Heaven and bow down to your idol.”

                         Some time later, Daniel expressed the same sentiment when he prayed to God even after he knew a law had been drafted which outlawed prayer (Dan. 6:9-10). He knew the consequence for praying to God was death in the lion’s den (Dan. 6:7), but he prayed anyway. “No matter what ….”

                         The apostles showed this same resolve when they told the Sanhedrin, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Regardless of the threats made against them (Acts 4:17-18), the imprisonment (Acts 4:3, 5:18), etc., the apostles declared through word and deed that, “No matter what,” we will obey God and will spread the gospel message. “We cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).

                         In like manner, let those of us who have believed on Christ, repented of our sins, and been baptized for the remission of sins (Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38), remember that we have responsibilities and duties which we must accept and obey, “No matter what!” It is necessary that God’s children remain faithful to Him, “No matter what!” (I Cor. 15:58; Rev. 2:10)

“I Hate Him”

Jarrod Jacobs 

                   In I Kings 22, we read that Kings Jehoshaphat and Ahab were uniting to fight Syria. When Jehoshaphat asked Ahab to consult Micaiah, the prophet of God, concerning this work, he refused at first saying, “I hate him” (I Kings 22:8). Ahab eventually had Micaiah imprisoned because he did not like the truth Micaiah spoke (I Kings 22:26-28).

                   Hating Micaiah did not change the truth. Ahab died that day, just as had been prophesied (I Kings 22:17, 37-38). Imprisoning Micaiah did not change the truth he spoke. The truth is the truth regardless of how men respond to it! Friends, when will we learn?

                   Just as the truth was spoken in the Old Testament, so also the truth is spoken in the New (Jn. 17:17). Acting like King Ahab and hating the messenger does not change the message (Gal. 4:16). God’s message is the same whether we are mad (II Kings 5:11), sad (Matt. 19:22), or glad (Acts 2:42)!

                   Therefore, the question is not, “Does God’s word make you mad?” It is, “Will you believe and obey what God has said?” Truly, faith and obedience to God’s message is what will save (Jn. 8:24; Heb. 5:9; Jas. 2:24-26). Do not turn away from the truth simply because it made you mad. Instead, examine your life and see why God’s truth would produce that response, and then repent while you can (Acts 17:30; II Cor. 6:2). Don’t be like Ahab and allow hatred to ruin you!

“Changing The Label Makes Sin More Dangerous”

                   “One of America’s great needs is to recognize sin for what it is. We are too prone to explain it away, or to soften its horrors.

                   “Wilbur Chapman tells of a distinguished minister who preached on sin, and one of the leading members came to talk to him in his study. He said to the preacher, “We don’t want you to talk so plainly about sin, because the more our boys and girls hear you talking about sin the more easily they will become sinners. Call sin a mistake if you will, but do not speak so plainly about it being just plain outright sin.”

                   “The preacher took down a small bottle from the shelf marked “POISON” and showed it to the visitor. It was a bottle of strychnine. He said, “I see what you want me to do. You want me to change the label. Now, suppose I took off this label marked ‘Poison’ on this bottle, and put on some mild label, such as ‘Oil of Anise,’ don’t you see what happens? The milder you make the label, the more dangerous you make the poison!”

                   “And so it is with sin. It is hideous and horrible and no amount of whitewashing will change the picture. It must be branded for what it really is if we are to escape its blighting devastation.”

                   Note: The article above was written by someone unknown to me. However, it makes a great point that we would do well to take to heart. (Rom. 6:23)                 – Jarrod Jacobs

“The Treasure Called The Bible”

Jarrod Jacobs 

                   Note: The following story comes from a source unknown to me, but it makes a very good point: A young Christian packing his bag for a journey said to a friend, “I have nearly finished packing. All I have to put in are a guidebook, a lamp, a mirror, a microscope, a telescope, a volume of fine poetry, a few biographies, a package of old letters, a book of songs, a sword, a hammer, and a set of tools.”

                   “But you cannot put all that into your bag,” objected the friend. “Oh, yes,” said the Christian. “Here it is.” And he placed his Bible in the corner of the suitcase and closed the lid.” - Anonymous

                   The young Christian understood what he was packing when he packed his Bible. Do we realize what we are holding when we hold the Bible in our hands? Do we take our Bible with us when we go on vacations, or other trips? Is our Bible within our minds as we conduct our daily business? (Remember: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly ....” “Thy word have I hid in my heart ....” — Col. 3:16; Ps. 119:11). Other descriptions of God’s word include: a sword (Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12), seed (Lk. 8:11), and food (Heb. 5:12-14). Let us respect this treasure, the Bible, realizing that it “thoroughly (furnishes) us unto all good works” (II Tim. 3:16-17). What is your attitude toward the Bible?