1 Timothy 5

Paul starts out telling Timothy to rebuke not an elder but exhort him as a father, the younger men as brothers. He goes on to say, honor the widows and take care of your own. For if anyone does not provide for his own home he cannot expect to provide a blessing to the church body.

What speaks greatly to me though is in verse 17.  It says, "Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine." (NKJV).

We just spent the past weekend honoring Sr. Pastor and Sis. Benson who have labored in the Word and doctrine, making great sacrifices on our behalf.  What we did was in obedience to the Word, giving honor to those who have labored in the kingdom to help further our walk with God.

Let us honor those whom honor is due, and uphold the elders and widows, taking care of our own. Let us all be REAL Men for the kingdom.

Joe Crosson

1 Timothy 4

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;" (v1)

 2 Timothy 4:10

"For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia."

 1 John 2:18-19

"Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.  They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us."

 Matthew 24:10-12

"And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."

 1 Timothy 5:15

"For some are already turned aside after Satan."

To this day I still find it difficult to understand the mind of the individual who walks away from the faith. What could possibly cause someone to turn away from the truth of God? When I read this portion of scripture, my mind begins to drift back to the various individuals I have known throughout my lifetime that have left the faith and sadly, there are too many to count.

I can't help but wonder sometimes why God allows free will. James Madison once said, "If men were angels, government wouldn't be necessary". While giving a campaign speech, President Obama said, "The key to personal salvation is collective salvation." There is not an ounce of truth in this statement. God gives man free will because he desires the worship of a willing individual.

No two human beings are alike, but all are unique in their own way. We were all given a choice between good and evil. In this present world, I often become discouraged by the vast majorities that have chosen evil over good. Even Christ said, "Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?"

Paul warned Timothy that, "Some would depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron." Thankfully, Paul didn't dwell on those that had fallen from the truth, but he asked Timothy to focus on the saints that remain and warn them of these things.

If we're not careful, we can become so discouraged about those that have left the church that we forget about the brethren which remain! As Paul said in Romans 3:3, "For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true, but everyman a liar."

Did you know that even Christ experienced a church split? John 6:68 says, "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him and said, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life."

All of us were born in sin. Even the patriarchs sinned. Abraham lied, Moses disobeyed, David committed adultery and murder and I don't have the time to mention all of the sins of Jesus' disciples! No, they weren't perfect, but they endured until the end. Christ said in Matthew 10:22, "He that endureth to the end shall be saved." If we were perfect, we wouldn't need salvation.

 God spoke to Ezekiel and described the birth of Jerusalem vividly in Ezekiel 16:4-6 and 8, "And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all. None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born. And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live. Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine."

He may have used these words to describe Jerusalem, but the description matches all of us. When I consider where I could be if not for the mercy of God, I am overcome with emotion. I could have been a drunkard, a gambler or a common thief.

Brethren, the only thing that separates us from the common sinner is salvation. Therefore, let us rejoice in our salvation and share it with many. If some choose to walk away from God, by all means, pray for them. But don't get discouraged. Encourage those that remain, reach for the lost and believe that Christ is coming soon to take us home!

Jordan Mills

1 Timothy 3

I find this chapter increasingly rich and as I have studied, have found many worthy veins about which I could write.  However, in an effort to be concentrated, I will write, briefly, about the overarching theme that has illuminated itself to me.

Chapter 3 primarily discusses the qualifications or characteristics of those who would be active in church governance.  While I understand that we are not all called to these grave callings, but as men, according to Revelation 1:6 we have been called kings and priests.  We should then look at the characteristics found in the third chapter of I Timothy and endeavor to apply them to our own lives. 

Verses 2-3 lay out a set of high marks that we should all strive to attain.  We should be blameless, vigilant, hospitable and the husband of one wife.

As a new father, verse 4 stood out to me a little, and so I studied it.   The word  "gravity" here does not have the connotation of "serious" in modern english.  The "gravity" in the old King's English referred to the characteristic of a thing or person which entitles to reverence and respect, dignity, majesty or sanctity.  As fathers, we have a mandate to rule our houses in a way which breeds respect and allows us face others with dignity.  As daunting as the second and third verses are, I find this just as intimidating.  A tyrant can rule their house and get the results they want, but a REAL man or father will rule with love, integrity and humility. 

Isn't it interesting to look at verses 2 and 3 and see that fulfilling their commissions makes fulfilling verse 4, ruling our house in a manner that engenders respect, that much more attainable.

Paul, in the following verses, lays out a description for the office of the deacon.  It shares many of the requirements of the bishop.  This emphasizes the importance of good character, temperance and charity. 

Verse 9 says that a deacon must hold the mystery of the faith in good conscience.  We must be firm in our faith!  We, if we are to be REAL men, must know what we believe, be able to defend it and, according to verse 2, able to teach it.

I have thoughly enjoyed saturating my spirit with this chapter.  Constraints do not allow me to fully communicate what the Lord has spoken to me about my life through the 3rd chapter of 1st Timothy.

Keith G. Mathews

1 Timothy 2

In the first section of this chapter Paul is exhorting us that no one should be left out of our prayers. "First of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men;" (vs 1)

Because the destruction of Jerusalem was drawing near, the Jews were realizing their freedom and began to speak evil of dignities. Some Christians began to be 'holier than thou' to the non-Christians, looking down on them. When Paul said to pray for them he tells us why: "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." (vs 3-4)

I love how he gives us another one God verse to cling to immediately following with further explanation of why all should be prayed for. "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for ALL, to be testified in due time." (vs 5-6) And in verse 8 he charges the men to "pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting."

Paul then goes on to describe how women should adorn themselves--with modest apparel. Not with something flashy, extravagant or luxurious which the wealth of some of the women in Ephesus had caused them to do. But instead, "which becometh women professing godliness." (vs 9)

As men, we love the next few verses which tell the women how they should act in church. The woman was instructed to learn in silence in the church, be submissive. Shouldn't teach or exude authority over the man, but again, be in silence. (vs 12) Vs 13-14 tell us why: "Adam was first formed, then Eve and Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."

Jamieson, Faussett and Brown's commentary explain that this was for reason of the precept; the original order of creation. That because she was more easily deceived, she more easily deceives.

But let's not get too excited about these charges to the women. We can't read these scriptures to our wives then close the book and expect our family and our ministry to lead themselves. We can't neglect the teaching, developing and preaching to the saints and the next generation. We must be the leaders in our home, our marriage and our ministry. Strong men who labor in the word and doctrine and take our place in the role God has called us to.

Tim Jacobs

1 Timothy 1

"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope... (v1)"  Do you get it?  Jesus is our HOPE!

Bro. McLaughlin preached once that some people play the lottery and that is their hope, others look for hope in a bottle of pills or alcohol, and others in other forms of abusive behavior. However the only hope we have for our lives is in Jesus Christ. How important is it for us to show and to share our Jesus/Hope with others!

Verse 13 points to many of us as we were not as we are but as we were,Then the verse says but I obtained mercy. It doesn't say deserved mercy or I should have mercy but we obtained mercy from our only hope.

Darryl McGee

Hebrews 13

There is so much instruction for living in this chapter .

The writer tells us to, "love each other as brothers (v1)" and "entertain strangers for we may be entertaining angels (v2)" and to "remember those in prison as if we were in prison (v3)" to "keep the marriage bed pure (v4)" and not to " love money (v5)" but "be content with what you have" for God has said, "Never will I leave you; Never will I forsake you."

So with confidence we say, "the Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?"{(v6)  The writer also instructs us to imitate the faith of our leaders, and to obey and submit to their authority, for they must give and account.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.  "Through Jesus, therefore let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess his name.  And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased (vv15,16)."

To me there is so much instruction and encouragement in this chapter . I think one would do well to be able to live the teachings in this chapter.  And so we press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us. 

Rick VanderZanden

Hebrews 12

Today starts the celebration for two wonderful people.  The Bensons have labored 40 years to give us the church that we enjoy today. Their sacrifices will never be forgotten, and today we hear from this great man once again. How privileged we have all been to sit under his leadership, and grow in the Lord with his instruction. We honor you both this day, weekend, and for many day to come. Thank you Bro. and Sis. Benson for all you have given us.

V 1-3  "Seeing we are also compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside ever weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

The race that is set before us is the lifelong test of faith, in this present world.  Heb 10: 23-38, Heb. 11.
The race must be run with patience, perseverance and endurance.  The way of victory is the same as that of the saints in Hebrews 11,  pressing to the finish.   The race must be run by laying aside the sins that impede or slow us down.  By fixing our eyes, lives and hearts on Jesus and His example of constant obedience.  He set on earth, so we are assured of victorious living.

"Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despised the shame of it."

"For consider him that endured such contradictions of sinners against himself,  lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds."

The word author means one who leads or acts as principal.  The word finisher  means completion or perfection; one who brings to perfect consummation.  The one who called us will lead us, and keep us, protect us and bring us into the completeness of His will, and finally to Heaven itself.  Keep your mind on Jesus, His word, His promises.  Acknowledge the Lord in all your ways and He will direct your path.   There must be an awareness that the greatest peril confronting us is the temptation to yield to sin, to return to that country from where we were called out, and to become citizens once more of the world.

V 12-15  "Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.  Follow peace with all men, and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord.  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled….."

We must yield to God's holiness, rely on His grace to enable us, and keep our hearts and our minds on Christ Jesus.  A root of bitterness refers to a spirit and attitude that is characterized by intense animosity and resentment.  We can have an attitude of bitter resentment toward God's discipline instead of humble submission to His will for our lives.

Bitterness can also be directed toward persons in the church, which only defiles the person who is bitter.  Bitterness in the community of believers can spread and defile many, destroying the "holiness without which no man shall see the Lord."

Let us look unto Jesus, our Savior, our Holiness, our Grace, our Enabler, and be washed by His Word and be cleansed by His Spirit.  Let us give glory unto Him, who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.   Glorify the Lord in your soul, your body, and spirit, which belongs to Him.

Bro. Benson

Hebrews 11

If I may I just want to share with the men of the church the question that God has been dealing with me about lately. This question has repeatedly come to my mind. I can't shake it.

Would we die for this truth?

"And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment.  They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.  And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:"  (vv 36-39)

There are numerous examples of people in the bible who through faith did mighty things for God. Noah, Moses, Abraham, Joseph, and many more we all could name. What of the people who were not mentioned? Their names are unknown to us. Their age and gender is a mystery, but however their sacrifice was, their life! Their goal was heaven. Their minds were set. Their hearts were fixed upon a promise in which they had not received. Their true love was Jesus!

They were not conformed to this world, but they were transformed. They did not apologize for their belief; rather they were applauded by all of heaven. They did not beg for mercy, for through Jesus Christ they had already obtained it. They did not ask the question "where is God", for they knew he was waiting for them with a crown of righteousness. They did not feel unwanted and unloved for they knew that we have been bought with a price, and we belong to Jesus!

Do we have enough faith to die for this truth? Is our faith based upon what we feel, or how comfortable things are in our lives? Is our faith the strongest when we are on the mountain? Does our faith diminish when troubles come our way, and we are in the valley of the shadow of death?

I pray that our faith would be increased! That we would reinforce the pillars of the truth, that there would be a renewed passion, a deep fervor in us to buy the truth and sell it not! Let's not place a price tag upon our souls!

Let's pray that this generation of young people would grab hold of the truth! That they would not compromise the foundation of our doctrine. Let us not fail to pass the baton to them. There is no other way! Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life!

Through faith stand fast in the truth.

Ryan Denard

Hebrews 10

Hebrews 10:1-4

"The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming - not the realities themselves.  For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.  If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." (NIV)

I am here to thank God for the better sacrifice, that has redeemed me from the taskmaster, whose name is sin, that once ruled over me. For it was not by the blood of bulls or goats that I have been redeemed, but by the precious Lamb who went to Calvary for us.

It was that crimson flow that was marked on the door posts of our hearts, cleansing us from a hopeless way of life; creating a way out of the grips of this world. When I look back to the exodus I see that it wasn't until the lamb was sacrificed, when the impossible became possible.

The possibility of ever being set free from this world was only a catching after the wind, until the Lamb came to be the way out of our slavery. But we were marked by his blood and the grip on taskmasters whip seemed to lighten up, and the sores on our backs began to fade away. Through the blood of Jesus Christ we were enabled to go to our Red Sea; the day our enemy was no more, and rejoicing we arose on the other side.

So I thank God today for all he has done, knowing by his sacrifice my sins are no more, but a confidence of drawing near to Him is now a reality.

Mike Creel

Hebrews 9

Under the old covenant the priests ministered in a tabernacle made by the hands of men and presented animal sacrifices that could only push away the problem of sin for another year.

The high priest being a sinful man had to cover his own sin by slaying an animal before entering into the holy place to cover the sin of the people, but this did not bring reformation between man and God.

The first Adam brought sin and death into the world but the last Adam brought reformation between God and man.  God provided a sinless sacrifice in the form of the man Jesus Christ when he robed Himself in flesh.  Jesus Christ our High Priest did not enter into a tabernacle made by human hands but into the true tabernacle and only once.

Thank God for the Blood!  For God so loved us that he stepped off the throne and came down to our level and endured the death of the cross to reconcile us to himself.  Thank you Lamb of God!  Precious Jesus!

Mike Green

Hebrews 8

A Superior, New Covenant.

As I study and strive to know the Word better, I personally sometimes still need my meat cut into smaller pieces for me. So, Brothers please be understanding of my infancy here. (Thank you Jeff for the analogy.)

I learn here of an important point of the New Covenant God has for us. "Through the High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens". Through Jesus!  not through the old priesthood and the old Covenant and the old law.

In Hebrews 8, I find a true revelation for myself. I am so thankful that Jesus gave Himself as the ultimate sacrifice and mediated as the High Priest, giving us a New Covenant.  A Covenant of Grace, not works. Better promises, promises that will see us through our darkest times, promise of undeserved mercy and grace.  Without His wonderful mercy and grace, I would be lost forever!! Thank you Lord!

 "I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts"-  This to me REALy stands out.  With a personal renewed conviction, this is on My Mind and My Heart all the time now. A transformation from within!

"I will be their God, and they shall be My people"-  The New Covenant allows us to have a greater intimacy with God, a one on one relationship. Hallelujah!

"Their sins and lawless deeds I will remember no more"- Again, I am so thankful to you Lord  for your new covenant, that we don't have to just "cover over" our sins, but truly be washed by Your cleansing Blood!

One thing here today I have learned is that,  He is not a "shadow and a copy".. Jesus is the REAL DEAL!

Larry Birchfield

Hebrews 7

Paying tithe is one of the most misunderstood practices of Christianity.  There are those who, out of mindless obedience, look back at the teachings received as a child or as young Christians and perform a habitual routine and miss out on the blissful knowledge of its blessings.  Some, who view God somewhat like a mob boss, see tithing as a payoff to that One in the sky who will harm me if I don't honor him. Of the two, I'd rather be the first though I'd rather understand why.  I just don't pay tithe because I was taught and I don't pay tithe because I'm scared of God: I pay tithe because of his blessings.

The word blessings found in Hebrews 7:7 is a compound Greek word that connotes action: to pronounce blessing upon.  When you break the word down, it comes from two words, Eu (yoo)which means, "to be well off," and Logos, which means the living word, or spoken word of God.

I pay tithe because of the blessings of God. To put it more plainly, I pay tithe because the lesser's (me) state of living is well beyond anything I could hope for because it has been pronounced over me by the living word of the Most Excellent one, Jesus Christ. I know that the Word of God is not a compilation of sayings of faded ink on stale parchment; I and everything around me is the embodiment of God speaking.  He said, "Let there be Light," and it has not failed. He said, "Let trees bring forth fruit in its season," and it has not failed.  So if these things have not failed, then I pay tithe, not as a forward payment for future considerations, but, to honor the one who has not nor will never fail in my life.

Jason Mathews

Hebrews 6

I doubt this is a revelation to anyone, but God can't lie. It says it right in verse 18 of this chapter. I've read this a thousand times (well, maybe not a thousand...after all, my mother told me a million times not to exaggerate) and heard it preached at least as many times over the pulpit. Which leaves me in a predicament. Do I really believe this verse? Sure, I believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, but do I really believe THIS verse?

If I did believe it why do I worry about the future? Philippians 4:19 says that God will supply all of my needs according to his riches in glory. Matthew 6:34 tells me not to worry about the future because today has enough trouble of its own and verse 30 of the same chapter tells me that if God takes care of the grass of the field he will surely take care of me. After all, I can vouch for the validity of Psalm 37:25 that states  "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."

I truly have never seen the righteous forsaken...and no jokes about now being old. If past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior, and I've never seen the righteous forsaken, what am I worried about? The future is just one topic where we can struggle with truly believing God's promises, but I'll spare you further examples as I'm sure we can all come up with our own areas of struggle.

Anyway, I said all of that to say God truly cannot lie. It's my own lack of faith that interferes with the realization of ALL of God's promises in my life. It's easy for me to have faith for some promises, and it's difficult to have faith for other promises. But, to delve into those faith issues would be stealing some of the thunder from Hebrews 11...and my father-in-law (who signed up for the easiest Daily Take Away in the whole history of ever in Hebrews 11:-) wouldn't want me to do that.  

Thom Creek

Hebrews 5

Ahh, Monday night dinner at our house.  Brennan is asking for more steak, so I proceed to cut a piece from my steak to share with him. As I begin to place on his plate, I am reminded by Kellie that I need to cut the steak into small bites so he does not choke.

I then look over at Kinsley and see where Kellie has placed miniscule pieces of meat and other dinner items on her tray.  Wow, I think to myself, Kinsley has come so far in the past year.  It was not long ago that she was only drinking from a bottle and now she is eating actual food.  Next, I find myself intercepting Brennan attempting to feed Kinsley one of his size bites of food and I attempt to explain that she is not ready to eat that big of a bite.

The previous experience described is a natural progression of the human body.  As we grow older our diet and quantity of intake changes.  The writer of Hebrews paints a picture of spiritual immaturity in last half of the chapter by comparing their lack of understanding to a baby that is not ready for solid food.  The writer is trying to tell them that they should be the one's cutting and serving the steak, not still nursing on the bottle.

I know I am taking my analysis in reverse, but this is what stands out to me.  2 points to ponder:

1.Where am I in my spiritual walk?  Am I still eating at the same level that I was 10 years ago or am I progressing in the knowledge of the Word and my walk with God?

2.How do we respond to the needs of others?  Do we attempt to pour our level of spiritual knowledge into someone that is new to the Christian walk?  Sometimes we must slow down and cut the steak into small pieces because the digestive system may not be able to process what we try to serve.

Now for my quick (yeah, right) overview of the first half of the chapter (or the "meat" of the chapter).

This passage is beautiful in its comparison of the high priest from the Old Testament to the one who became our High Priest.  The old testament only allowed access to God through the high priest.  He was ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.  The Old Testament high priest could only commute the sentence of sin a year at a time.  Oh how they must have longed for a full pardon, but the plan only allowed for a commutation. 

Now let's visit vs 2 as the writer begins to describe the high priest:  "Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity."

God became our high priest through his willingness to place himself in our condition.  Not that he gave in to the weaknesses, but he allowed himself to suffer in the role of humanity.  He agonized through temptation, rejection, beating and death.  Verse 7 describes the fervent prayers that were offered to the one that was able to save him from death.  To think that he purposefully placed himself in that position so that he can empathize with us.

It blows me away to see how God himself designed the office of the high priest to account for our egregious nature knowing that the fullfilment of the plan would require his sacrifice so that we can have the opportunity to be fully pardoned.

I am so thankful that God gave us a high priest, Jesus, that has suffered what we suffer, has been tempted as we are tempted, and has given himself as a sacrifice for our sinful nature.  We no longer simply hope for acceptance of a sacrifice offered on our behalf, but rather we can petition the accepted and designated sacrifice directly and know that he will empathetically listen and respond.

Jeff McGee

Hebrews 4

^"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (v12)

How many times has His Word cut to the heart? How many times have we heard exactly what we needed from the Word "which liveth and abideth forever?" (1 Peter 1:23)  But that's only the beginning.  Look at the picture painted here.

The Word exposes our faults.  Jesus reminds us that He knows it's hard because He "was in all points tempted."  He assures us we can come unafraid to His "throne of grace" so that not only can we be given His mercy, but also His help to make it through.

Lord, we are men ready to be broken by Your Word, so we can be mended by Your Hand and minister to this World.

Jason Ouellette

Hebrews 3

Hebrews 3 can be broken up into 2 parts: Christ is superior to Moses (verses 1-6) and verses 7-19 showing that under Moses Israel failed to believe.  Verses 7-11 are referenced back to Psalms 95: 7-11.

Do I confess that I trust God but yet I have not fully listened to Him and trust Him? Do I allow my heart to become a little hard because I do not understand/see the full picture/plan the way He sees it for my life?

Have I allowed today's culture or advice to deceive me to allow my heart to harden? Do I grieve God because I will not listen thus robbing myself of fully living in the rest that only He can give me?

I understand from verses 14 and 19 that as long as I keep my confidence in Christ and never waiver until I am called home then I will see Jesus, but if I have unbelief then I will not be able to enter into that heavenly home.

Randal Sheppard

Hebrews 2

Hebrews 2:14

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

What I get from this is that we serve a loving God who cared enough to give His life for us so that the devil doesn't have the power of death anymore.   It says "had the power of death"; 'had' meaning in the past, but now God controls everything, from the beginning of your life, to the end of your life no matter who you are or what you've done.

God controls what happens to every single person even when it seems like you are in the darkness and there is no hope; God is still there in control. You just need to trust in Him and know that He is watching you and is in complete control of your situation.

Marshall McGee

Hebrews 1

When I read Hebrews 1, I am reminded about The Palmist David singing palms and praises to the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.  Paul is praising and worshiping the Lord of Glory. He is acknowledging the Lordship of Jesus over and above all things including the angels.

In the later verses he talks about the Lord laying the foundations of heaven and earth, and  then  about them perishing, but Christ remaining.

To me this is one of the most unique chapters that Paul writes as a REAL Man, because he seems to be worshiping Jesus more than anything else. 

Ralph Cain

2 Thessalonians 3

II Thessalonians 3: 1-5 (NIV)
(Request for Prayer)

Take Away: Apostle Paul calling on the Thessalonians for their prayers not only for Paul but to include his fellow-laborers in Christ Jesus so that the opposition to the spreading of the Word (Truth) be defeated then therefore rooted in fellow men and woman.
Comment: Matthew Henry's Commentary, "He (Paul) was more solicitous that God's name might be sanctified, His (God) kingdom advanced, and His (God) will done."

Duty: For us to pray for our pastors (daily), for one-another (always) and for all good and faithful ministers (always).

II Thessalonians 3: 6-14 (NIV) (Warning Against Idleness)

Take Away: We have been called to reach and teach Bible studies, so don't take a seat in the stands (no time for idleness) and watch...get on the field and stir up the Holy Spirit inside you and teach a Bible study. You read the effect of idleness...
Comment: Matthew Henry's Commentary "If we are idle, the devil and a corrupt heart will soon find us something to do. The mind of the man is a busy thing; if it be not employed in doing good, it will be doing evil."

Duty: To share the Word of God with all saved and unsaved.

Eric Mock

2 Thessalonians 2

Paul is talking about the coming of the Lord and the coming of the man of sin, the son of perdition.  The great falling away that Paul talks about will not be REAL men.  It will be those that are following along for the loaves and fishes and the miracles, not the ones tarrying in the upper room for the power from high (TRUTH).

As our world stands trembling in fear of current conditions, we as REAL men can unite together and stand for truth not being afraid of the things to come knowing that we're ready for his soon return.   

Billy Potter

2 Thessalonians 1

In this very short introductory chapter of Paul, Silas, and Timothy's letter to the Thessalonians, the authors are celebrating the faith that this church has shown.  The church had come out of idolatry and served God with such faith and enthusiasm, that word of their church had spread throughout all of Macedonia (the edge of which was about 300 miles away) and Achaia (about 465 miles away).

They were doing such a great work from their small local assembly, that their ministry in that small area had influenced almost 140,000 square miles.  Last week Bro Chandler spoke about our Sphere of Influence.  There are people we can reach in our world that no one else can reach.  If the church at Thessalonica could reach an area more than half the size of Texas, we can certainly reach our city for Christ.  Reach out into your world today and share with them about your faith.
   
Brad Hoff

1 Thessalonians 5

When I read the first part of this chapter, I can almost see the heading, To the REAL men of The First United Pentecostal Church of Euless, and he is reminding us of the fact that we are the children of light and not of darkness.  We all know that we have been bought with a price, and are not the servants of men(1 Cor. 7:23).
 
In v12 Paul tells us to know them who work among us, and are over us in the Lord, and admonish us. One translation
says to appreciate them.  V13 says to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake.  We should hold each and everyone of our brethren in high regard and prayer.  I appreciate all of the men of our church, and have great admiration
for the wonderful leadership of our church.  We are truly blessed by our two pastors, and we should regard them VERY HIGHLY.

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." v18

"Abstain from all appearance of evil." v22

What a blessed hope, the soon return of our KING, not only for us, but our families also.

Ralph Cain 

1 Thessalonians 4

In this 4th chapter of Paul's first letter to the church at Thessalonica, he reinforces the commandments that they had previously received. How they were to abstain from fornication (V3) and each man was instructed not to defraud, lie about, or betray his brother. Christ warned us that He alone was the "avenger of all such".

We, as REAL men, have been called to holiness. Verse 7 says it like this, "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness." We have been given a mandate from God Himself. We are to be the examples to the generation that is to come. Live the walk. Don't just talk about it.

In all these rules, God has a divine plan. By following in His path that has been written by the hands of men of like precious faith, we too can share in the blessed hope of His coming. Verse 17 of the same chapter reads, "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." This promise alone is enough to keep me motivated and on the righteous path of the Holy Ghost.

Donley Gandee

1 Thessalonians 3

I am convinced there is nothing the man of God enjoys more than to be able to give a good report of the saints. In this chapter, Paul sent Timothy back to the Thessalonians to help establish them, to comfort them and to make sure they were following God's word by not falling into temptation and everything they had worked for being in vain.

But Timothy brought back a good report as evidenced in verse 6 "But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always.(KJV)" And Paul wrote back to them that they (he, Timothy and Silvanus 1:1)  "were comforted by their faith in their affliction and distress (v7)"

When there is an account that must be given of our lives, what will the report be? Will it be said of us that we resisted the devil, we stood strong for holiness, we loved the Word, and we fought a good fight? Or through our lack of holy living and prayer will the battle for others be lost?

Men let's rejoice in this word that we have holiness, we have truth, and be charged that we never, ever forfeit this doctrine for want of this world. "And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another and toward all men, even as we do toward you." (v 12)
  
Tim Jacobs

1 Thessalonians 2

I am very moved this morning by the word. I can not express the love and the strength in my heart from this chapter. It is so beautiful to read the word and then feel God tugging at your heart to act upon the word you just read.

We start our with Paul writing to the church and briefly talking about his struggles and things he has gone through to get to where he is to spread the word of God. He speaks of a past full of mistreatment and unfair actions done to him for doing nothing more than spreading the Gospel.

I can not imagine what it would be like, the pressure, of being treated so badly because I was spreading the Gospel of Jesus. He writes reminding the church of his motives and how he has always been so REAL with them. He talks about his words and how he never manipulated people by his words for self gratification.  He assures them that even as some of the church were being mistreated that he also had been mistreated, yet he pressed for the mark!

Paul at this point just gets REALLY REAL with the church when he opens his heart. He says, not only do I preach this gospel to you because I was sent by God to do so, but moreover THIS gospel IS MY HEART! I'm bearing my soul here is what he was saying. I'm not just doing the right thing by telling you about Jesus and this truth but I am pouring out my heart letting you know I have experienced these thing and I love you way too much to hold anything back. I loved you as a mother cares for her children. I care for you not just to the extent of what you do and say as new believers, but I care about your SOULS. I want all of you to make it to heaven.

He goes on to show his real love for these people and how he missed them while he had to go away and he last statement really shows us his motive. He says to them, when we all get to heaven and see the glory of God...... Your souls walking through those pearly gates will be my Pride and Joy.

Oh how I want to share the love of God and SHOW his love to the sinner, the back slider, the new convert, the broken, and the bruised. I want to Love like Jesus loves. I want to be R.E.A.L. like Paul and let this Gospel inspire us to see this world SAVED.

Chase Potter

1 Thessalonians 1

In Paul's letter to the church at Thessalonica, he exhorts and encourages the saints as opposed to his other epistles where he mainly rebukes them for their untoward action.

This was a time in Paul's ministry when he was literally trailed from town to town by his accusers. Even in a hostile environment, Paul took time to praise the church for their continual prayer and their labor of love and patience of hope in the Lord. (Verses 2&3).

We as REAL Men should be encouragers to our fellow brothers. Don't look for the weakness or faults but be encouragers one to another in the Holy Ghost!!

Bro. Dennis Morrison

Galatians 6

"Dirt"

Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

There is a law built into the earth. Doesn't matter what race, religion, or background you are from....you will grow what you plant. God built that into the very earth so that seed produces fruit in the earth. When you sow it or plant it, you reap it. And you always reap more than you sow. 

When people do you wrong and hurt you, let the law of reaping and sowing handle them. You don't have to say a word many times.  Just let it work itself out. There is one very important thing we usually miss about this law of reaping and sowing.  We forget that there is dirt involved!

When you sow or plant a seed, you surround it with dirt.  And even though it's covered with dirt, the fruit will grow out of it.  That's the way God wants us to grow. He allows us to be surrounded by dirt at times so we can grow out of it!  The dirt that is going on around you, the dirt that has been shoveled on top of you, and the dirt that your past may have put into you will only grow you up and out!

Do you know what fertilizer is? It's the waste that passes out of the body of an animal.  It's basically, as Paul called it, "DUNG!" And to us, that is the most detestable thing. But it is much needed for growing a seed.  Any farmer would tell you that you grow better fruit when you use fertilizer. And that's how we are.

We grow stronger and are made better when our lives have come through the dung. And once we pass through the mess, we are blessed! When you are in the mess, with the mess, and surrounded by the mess, that's the best time to sow a seed.  You are in a fertile situation when you are covered with dirt and sprinkled with fertilizer! You are in the best possible position to grow and bring forth good fruit! 

So, when you are in the ground, covered with dirt, sow a seed of righteousness by reading the word. Sow a seed of hope by praying for those that are taking you through some ordeal. Sow a financial seed into a good ministry so that ministry can continue to preach the gospel.  REAL Men don't look at the dirt as always being a bad thing. God uses dirt to grow REAL Men into what he wants us to be.

Bro. Morga

Galatians 5

"Easier Said Than Done"

Verse thirteen says, "You my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. (NIV)"

Each of us have been called to press toward the mark, running the race with all of our might and as men we have a base nature to want to compete against each other. But this is a race that we have to run together, united in love.  We have been charged to war against that carnal nature that only serves to drag us down.

When I came into the church, I found myself overwhelmed by the fact that I had a new family to love and care for me and brothers in Christ to be my buddies. I am so thankful for each of you and look forward to a life time of building memories.  As I saw the potential
for sincere friendship, not as the world gives, I determined in myself not to ever be the "yeast" that leavens the whole lump but to be an encourager to each one of you. If you are aspiring to serve the Lord, then I am your biggest fan and I want to do everything I can to ensure your success in the kingdom.

The world wants us to embrace the "dog eat dog" attitude and tear each other down, because if we eliminate each other, then the enemy will have no problem getting our wives and children. Verse 1 tells us to, "stand firm" on the freedom that we have in Christ, so let's resolve to stop the infantile mentality that only serves to destroy and produce the fruit of the Spirit that leads to life everlasting.

We are the sons of God, priests of a royal bloodline that are led by the Spirit and no longer under the law.

Robert MacPhee Jr

Galatians 4

:3 Even so, we, when we were children. . . .
:6 And because ye are sons, . . . .
:7 Wherefore thou are no more a servant, but a son;
:19 My little children, . . .
:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise
:31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free

When I was a child, and that was a long time ago, I was always excited to be called a "young man."  As I got into my teens because of having a job and responsibilities I considered myself a "man."  When I got married and had a son of my own, I knew I was "a man."

So when I got into the church and everyone, including my pastor and wife, called me a "babe in Christ" I was very upset.  I always considered it to be a shame to be called a baby.  Think about it sensibly, when you are a baby you are irresponsible, negligent, without knowledge.  As a man, I could make my own decisions, plans and objectives in life and appear to everyone else that I was a mature fully grown man.

When we come to the Lord we are his babies, his children, not a servant.  We are not a slave or a son of a bondwoman, but His kid.  Now consider the fact that if we are His son then we are a reflection of our father.  Everything we do or say could be a blessing or a trouble to our father.  You have heard the saying, "a chip off of the old block."

As REAL men we are a reflection of our Heavenly Father.  So as we go about our daily activities, whether at school, work, play, church or in the privacy of our secret world we are, or should be a true child of promise.

So I would encourage each of you to accept and even more so enjoy your current position in the Kingdom of God as a REAL man, regardless of your age or stature.  Paul said in Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation that believeth."  You and I cannot be a poor reflection of our father or cause him to be ashamed of us, because as it states in Gal 4:7 "...but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."  When you think about your coming inheritance as a child of God it is exciting.

David DeTar