Open Book Test

Which do you prefer, the “Open Book Test” or the test where the teacher unfairly and in oppressing fashion requires you to answer questions without access to the material? Do not answer to quickly! There is a time limit on both tests. And additionally, consider that you haven’t sat through every lecture, you haven’t taken any notes, and you haven’t studied the material or even read and familiarized yourself with the text. Now I’ll ask another question; will it matter if it is “Open Book” or not? The truth is you will fail such a test regardless!

The fact is we are all being tested and tried in this life (James 1.12; 1 Peter 1.7). And our lives will be graded in the Day of Judgment (John 12.48; Acts 10.42; 2 Timothy 4.1; 1 Peter 4.5).  We are being tested right now! The problem and tragedy is that so many are failing the test! And there is no need to…it is an “Open Book Test.” Consider carefully the following points:

The textbook (The Bible) is inspired, inerrant and available. It isn’t out of print, out of stock or outdated! “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” (2 Timothy 3.16-17). But how many folks are studying the text, searching it daily and committing it to memory (Acts 17.11; 2 Timothy 2.15)? The “Open Book Test” doesn’t do me a bit of good if I do not know where to find the answers. The Word of
God is meant to be: studied, searched, memorized, analyzed, scrutinized, and internalized.

There are lectures given every week. In the average lifetime (78 years) a person
attending every Bible Class and Worship Service will hear at least 16,224 lessons from the textbook. This does not include Gospel Meeting, special seminars, Ladies Bible Classes, devotionals, lectureships and other various public assemblies. In contrast, the person who attends only once per week will hear only 4,056. How much are you going to miss if you do not attend all the “lectures?”

Personal Study Time. The standard recommendation for a college student is two hours of personal study for every one-hour of classroom time. For the Christian who attends all four Sunday services and Wednesday evening Bible Class that would mean ten hours per week of personal study time. That may include private studies with others, daily personal devotionals, daily Bible readings, family devotional time, and daily prayer time. The problem is many Christians, even those who attend every service, go home, set their Bibles down in that preselected
place, and do not pick it up again till they walk out the door to the next “class.”

Application! This is real world stuff we are talking about and eternity hangs in the balance.  It has been said that, “He who learns but does not think, is lost.” And, “He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.” John said, “Bring forth fruits meet for repentance” (Matthew 3.8). The work is being put in for the hope that we will change our lives for the better and for eternity.

There is a time limit on the test! “For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you” (1 Peter 1.24-25). “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4.14).

Friends, we need to be active in the Biblical education and the advancement of spiritual
growth in our lives. God has not left us without the necessary information or adequate
opportunities for instruction. But as is true with any test, the person responsible for passing or failing is the person taking the test. Not the teacher, not the material, not the pencil in your hand…You!

Be faithful.

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Are You Stressed (Part 3)

Part 1

Part 2

…Third, praise God. Think of all the things God has done for you. Counting our many blessings will give you the faith and reassurance that God is there for you. Praising Him for what He has already done will develop inside of us, a heart of thankfulness. When we begin thinking like this, it is almost impossible to praise God and still be stressed. Praise God for who He is, praising Him for the sacrifice of His Son. Praise God that we are not of this world. For as Jesus said, “ They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” ( John 17:16). God does not want us to deal with the same pressures and worries that everyone else in the world faces. Consider Matthew 6:31–‐32 , “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” Instead of being consumed by the world, God ask you to not be conformed to the world (Romans 12:2), but to seek after the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). These are great words of wisdom! But, do you spend the majority of your times seeking God’s kingdom?

You know, Jesus went even farther into this explanation of seeking God and stress and asked, “ Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?” (Matthew 6:27). When we begin to praise God, when we truly focus on God, suddenly, our problems do not seem to be so big compared next to the greatness of God. Praise God. You know, the world is unable to cast all their cares upon God (1 Peter 5:7). The world does not care that God told us to think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and good report (Philippians 4:8). But know this, throughout the day, God wants us to be happy. Even when we look at being persecuted or put under the stress of opposition for being a Christian (Matthew 5:10–‐12), Jesus tells us to rejoice and be exceedingly glad! Controlling our thoughts are often difficult, taking on the battles of life are even a greater challenge, but we must control our stress by giving to the one who can help us with it–God. It is only when we turn things over to God that we begin to relieve ourselves of stress and to walk in peace.

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Too Busy to Be a Priest

The worship and service of God’s priests revealed at Mt. Sinai set the stage for a marvelous revelation of the place of priests who serve Him in the New Testament. There are many lessons to be learned as to how He used priests then and now.

For one to be a priest in the Old Testament, he had to be of the tribe of Levi. When the Levites stood with Moses against those who worshiped the golden calf, God selected those men to be the ones chosen to come before Him (Num. 3). Those men (not women) who served at the temple had to be physically perfect (Lev. 21:18). They had to be of certain age, beginning at age thirty and ending at age fifty (Num. 4:3).

However, Christianity changed all of that! Every Christian is part of the priesthood. Peter described the church as being “a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 2:5). The church is described as “a kingdom of priests” (Rev. 1:6).

We can all be priests—male and female; young and old; from every tribe and even those crippled and infirmed. No longer is worship and service limited to a select few. It includes you and me!

What an honor to be a priest, yet what a responsibility. Imagine, under Judaism, a priest who saw his service as secondary to other things in his life. The primary thing in his life had to be the work he offered as a priest. When it was his appointed time to come before God, nothing else mattered! He prepared himself and then came before God.

What an honor it is for each of us to be a priest, yet how often do so many treat it as a secondary matter. Trips to Disney, Super Bowl Sundays, recreational activities, favorite TV shows and social events can so easily take us away from honoring Him who has honored us to be His priests. Being a priest is an honor, but it inherently makes us responsible to serve at all times.

Our priestly duties? Paul talks about presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1). The contribution sent from Philippi to support Paul was described as “a sweet smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice” (Phil. 4:18). Singing and prayers are described as “the offering of praise to God, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (Heb. 13:15).

So, my fellow priest, let’s accept the honor and fulfill the responsibility every chance we have. Not just on Sunday mornings, but Sunday and Wednesday nights as well! Nothing can be more important to our priestly duties!

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Perpetual Consciousness

One of the most important things that the Christian may possess in life is a perpetual consciousness. Now, a perpetual consciousness is manifest in the person that is always involved in the on-going activities of the Christian occupation; indeed the lifestyle of the Christian is to be perpetual.

Every Christian is to be continuous (i.e. perpetual) in their devotion and service to Almighty God, to the church of the Lord, and in all other areas encouraged by God via the Holy Scriptures, some of these things are listed – following:

1.  CONTINUE IN THE LORD’S TEACHING:

John 8:31, “Jesus therefore said to those Jews that had believed him, If ye abide in my word, (then) are     ye truly my disciples;” (ASV)

2.   CONTINUE IN THE LOVE OF GOD:

John 15:9, “Even as the Father hath loved me, I also have loved you: abide ye in my love.” (ASV)

3.  CONTINUE IN THE GRACE OF GOD:

Acts 13:43, “Now when the synagogue broke up, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes      followed Paul and Barnabas; who, speaking to them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.” (ASV)

4.  CONTINUE IN THE FAITH:

Acts 14:22, “confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God.” (ASV)

5.  CONTINUE IN HIS KINDNESS:

Romans 11:22, “Behold then the goodness and severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee, God’s goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shall be cut off.”

6.  CONTINUE STEADFAST IN PRAYER:

Colossians 4:2, “Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving;”

7.  CONTINUE IN THE TRUTH THAT YOU HAVE LEARNED:

2 Timothy 3:14-15, “ But abide thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.  And that from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (ASV)

8.  CONTINUE TO OBEY JESUS CHRIST:

Hebrews 5:8-9, “though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation;” (ASV)

9.   CONTINUE TO LOVE THE BRETHREN:

Hebrews 13:1, “Let love of the brethren continue.” (ASV)

10.  CONTINUE IN EVERY GOOD WORK:

2 Timothy 2:21, “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, meet for the master’s use, prepared unto every good work.” (ASV)

Titus 3:1, “Put them in mind to be in subjection to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready unto every good work,” (ASV)

The value of perpetual (i.e. continuing) faithful cannot be overestimated. Those of us that profess to be God’s Children ought to be motivated to pursue righteous living and conduct without being reminded. Yet too often we fail in our life or fall back into the world because we are not conscious of our relationship to God and what is involved in living right. Living for God is not difficult if we will always be aware of who we are and where our “real” home is. You see, our home is not of this world but a place prepared for us – cf.

John 14:1-3, “Let not your heart be troubled: believe in God, believe also in me.  In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto myself; that where I am, (there) ye may be also.” (ASV)

Indeed, let us possess a perpetual consciousness of our relationship to God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. May we also possess a continuous consciousness of our relationship to each other in the Body of Christ so that we will always act the way the we should toward one another and to everyone we know in evry situation of life.

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Change

Some change is good, necessary, productive and even anticipated. Other is bad, needless, fruitless and dreaded. Many look forward to the changes of seasons. The late summer heat gives way to cooler nights. The trees begin to display their autumn foliage and the leaves begin to glide through the air in their lazy journey to the earth. The spring brings rebirth and renewal. Warmer days, from the bone chilling air of winter, that bring with it green grass and flowers that burst forth from dormancy.

Politicians promise it, but few deliver the kind that we desire and need. Sounds like they have something in common with Satan and his angels. He lies, deceives, tempts, depresses, and all the time leaving us in a state of confusion and desperation. Seeking changes that will bring us pleasure and peace, but never able to deliver. Or else he convinces us that everything is okay and there is no need for change. And sadly, we believe him and remain lost; we listen to the one who hates us and wants us to die, and continue wallowing in the mire of sin, separated from God who truly loves us.

The Bible has several things to say about change. The logic is simple and is as beautiful as the fall colors that thrill us and the sun and flowers that warm us in the spring. The journey though is not easy.

First of all consider that the Bible says that God does “not” change! James 1:17 says that, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” In Malachi 3:6 we read, “For I am the LORD, I do not change;” and in Hebrews 13:8 the inspired writer says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Now considering our sins and the fact that we all have sinned and fallen short of His glory (Romans 3:23); taking into account the love of God (John 3:16); and in view of the command that we repent of those sins, obey Him and serve Him faithfully (Acts 17:30; Hebrews 5:8-9; Revelation 2:10), who should be changing? Bearing in mind that there is a judgment day coming when God will destroy the heavens and the earth Peter asks, “…what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness?” (2 Peter 3:11).

Thirdly we need to take into account the fact that we are all going to be changed 1 Corinthians 15:51-52)! The vast majority will be changed, judged and separated from the love of God for eternity to suffer with that same devil who is trying to convince you not to change your ways today. The few remaining: the obedient and faithful will receive a new body and be united with The One in eternity who loves us more than we can comprehend.

What changes do you need to make in your life? Do you need to become a Christian? Repent of your sins, confess the sweet name of Jesus and be buried with Him in baptism. Do it today!

Do you need to come back to God? Have you forsaken Him? Confess that and repent. We will be happy to pray with you and for you and do all we can to love you and help you get to heaven.

Do you need to identify yourself with a faithful, loving, sound, growing and active congregation of the Lord’s people? Leaving one family for another is never easy, but if it will help you and the one’s you love go to heaven, is it worth it?

Whatever your need is. Make it known today while you still have a chance and then Be Faithful!

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