Steadfast in the Faith
 
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1Cor 15:58).
 
Among other things, the Apostle Paul reminds Christians in Corinth about the need to be steadfast. This also applies to Christians living 20 centuries later.
 
Surprisingly, some Christians have little idea as to the meaning of “steadfast.” It means to be firmly fixed in place, immovable and not subject to change. In a religious sense, it means to remain fixed in faith, doctrine and lifestyle. Instead of being wishy-washy, wavering or spiritually unsteady, Christians need to remain committed in their faith and service to the Lord.
 
Doing so means being steadfast in the following areas:
 
•        In the Apostle’s teachings (Acts 2:42).
 
•        In Bible study (Acts 17:11).
 
•        In prayer (Phil 4:6).
 
•        In assembling with the saints for worship (Heb 10:23-25).
 
•        In partaking of the Lord’s supper (Act 20:7).
 
•        In giving (1 Cor. 16:2).
 
•        In doing good (Gal 6:9).
 
•        In being lights for Christ (Matt 5:16)
 
•        In sharing Christ with the lost (1 Cor 9:16).
 
Like a man attempting to stand against hurricane-force winds, Christians today face relentless onslaughts by Satan’s temptations, diversions and worldliness. Unless anchored steadfastly in the hope found only in Jesus Christ, Christians may eventually be swept away (Heb. 2:1; 3:12; 6:19).
 
Be steadfast, and a Light for Christ in 2025!
 
Dennis

God Deserves More than Crumbs
(Revised, by Keila Ochoa)
A close friend recently came to town. He is typically busy and his schedule was tight, but after a day of important meetings he managed to see my family for a brief dinner. We enjoyed the visit, but as he was leaving, I thought, “We only got a few crumbs of his time.”
Then I remembered how many times God essentially gets the crumbs of my time. Perhaps a few minutes in the morning, and possibly the last minutes before I fall asleep. All in all, mere crumbs.
Consider Daniel in the Old Testament. He was a VERY busy man. He held a high government position in ancient Babylon, and faced important decisions daily. Despite his full schedule, he spent quality time with God every day. He prayed at least three times, thanking and praising God (Daniel 6:10). This routine helped him develop a strong faith that did not waver, even when he faced possible death in the lion’s den.
Should we be any different? God desires (and deserves) more than a few crumbs of our time.
We should begin each day praising God for our blessings, praying for others, and reading from His word.
Our prayers should continue as we proceed through the day. Moreover, lunch and dinner may present additional opportunities to feed from God's word.
Whenever we get a few minutes to ourselves, we can even spend priceless  alone time with God, taking comfort in His presence.
In addition, no day should end without thanking God for His love, mercy, protection, along with His willingness to forgive us for any sins of which we are aware.
Don’t give God mere crumbs of your time and attention. Make time with Him a daily priority.
Without God our week would be: Sinday, Mournday, Tearsday, Wasteday, Thirstday, Fightday and Shatterday. Seven days without God does make one weak.
Be a Light for Christ in 2025!


Dennis

What does it Cost to Be a Christian?
 
A preacher friend told me about an unusual question he received from an elderly Christian brother. This particular Christian had numerous health issues, so could only attend sporadically. Before the beginning of a service, the elderly brother asked my friend, “What are my dues?”  In other words, “What do I need to give in order to make up for the many weeks that I was absent?”
 
My friend explained that whatever the elderly brother gave on that particular Sunday was entirely up to him. The New Testament never specifies an amount or percentage that Christians should contribute to the Lord’s church. Instead, Christians are commanded to give “as he may prosper” (1 Cor 16:2), as “as he purposes in his heart” and “cheerfully” (1 Cor. 9:7). If the elderly brother had been sufficiently blessed to give extra due to not being at services for a while, that would be entirely acceptable to God
 
Many years ago, I was a member of a civic club. In order to maintain my membership, I had to “keep up with my dues”. If I missed numerous weekly meetings, I was still obligated to pay my dues and make up for any unpaid amount. But not so in the Lord’s church. Although we are commanded to give, the amount is up to us. No one will “show us the door” if we have little or nothing to give.
 
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Speaking of which, WHAT DOES IT COST TO BE A CHRISTIAN?  When I obeyed the gospel, no one approached me with a collection plate. No one asked for a credit card. No one requested my mailing address in order to send me an invoice. What was required? Faith in Jesus as God’s Son (Jn 3:16), Repentance (Lk 13:3, 5), confession of my faith (Mt 10:32) and baptism (Mk 16:16). Is there an ongoing cost? Yes, abiding in Jesus – Jn 15:4, 7 & 9.
 
The real cost, however, was paid by Jesus Christ. “…who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree…by whose stripes you were healed” (1Pe 2:24). “…so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many” (Heb 9:28).  
 
All the gold in Fort Knox couldn’t pay the interest on the down payment for salvation from sin. Jesus’ blood, however, paid the atonement price in full. Praise God for saving us by the grace that is found In Jesus Christ – “…being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:24).
 
Be a Light for Christ in 2025!
 
Dennis

Be Saved God’s Way
 
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). When God sent His only begotten Son to earth to suffer, bleed and die for our sins, He did everything in His power to save us. 
 
But how about us? What response does God expect of us in order to procure salvation? It goes without saying that there is a great deal of disagreement about this. If you ask seven different people, you may hear seven different answers, such as:
 
“Everyone will be saved!”
“Every person that does more good deeds than bad will be saved.”
“Everyone that keeps the 10 Commandments will be saved.”
“Everyone that believes in God and attends church will be saved!” (Very popular.)
“Everyone that believes in Jesus will be saved!” 
“Everyone that repents and prays for salvation will be saved!”
“Everyone that does a minimum amount of good works will be saved!”
 
Clearly, all of these answers cannot be correct. So how can we know for certain what God expects us to do in order to be saved? Jesus said, “Sanctify (cleanse, purify) them by Your truth. Your WORD is truth” (John 17:17). To know what God expects, we must rely on His infallible word, the Bible.
 
If we read the Bible carefully, It is not hard to ascertain what God expects of us in order to be saved. But we must accept everything He commands us to do in connection with salvation. Focusing on PART of what God says may cause us to forfeit salvation altogether.
 
So, what does God command us to do? 
·        We must hear (or read) the gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16; 10:14, 17).
·        We must believe that Jesus is the Son of God (John 3:16 & 18; 8:24).
·        We must repent of our sins (Luke 13:3 & 5; 2 Peter 3:9).
·        We must confess our faith in Jesus (Matt. 10:32; Rom. 10:9-10; Act 8:37)
·        We must be baptized (Mark 16:16) for the remission and washing away of our sins
(Acts 2:38, 22:16).
 
These conditions may not be popular in the religious world, but they are what God specifically commands in order for us to be saved. When the most important subject in the world is studied - salvation, let us ignore the popular doctrines and obey God.
 
Be a Light for Christ in 2025!
 
Dennis

THE BRIDGE REMAINS


“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all…”  (1 Tim 2:3-6).


Hundreds of years ago, an enormous tree fell across a deep gorge in Arizona. Instead of rotting and falling into the chasm, it eventually hardened like granite. Ultimately, it became a “natural bridge” that has allowed thousands of people to safely cross the gorge. Although fallen trees have little practical use, that tumbled tree continues to benefit people.


Nearly 20 centuries ago Jesus of Nazareth appeared on earth. His unprecedented teachings, countless miracles and compassion for sinners convinced many that He was their long-awaited Messiah. In the end, however, he was betrayed, tried, beaten, scourged, and crucified. Following six agonizing hours on the cross, he breathed his last. His limp, battered body was taken away and buried. His followers were distraught that their beloved Leader was dead and gone. Some of them probably assumed that they had been deceived all along by Jesus.


Three days later, however, Jesus of Nazareth returned to life, emerged victorious from the tomb, appeared to hundreds, and later ascended to His heavenly Father. He became the Living Bridge over which we can safely cross the gorge of death and join Him in Heaven.


Jesus Christ remains the only WAY to heaven – John 14:6. Believe in Him – John 3:16; repent and be baptized – Lk. 13:3 & 5, Mark 16:16; and follow Him to the end and never look back – Lk 9:62.


Be a Light for Christ in 2025!


Dennis

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE BIBLE (Part 2)
DID YOU KNOW…
 
·        Adam’s name is from the Hebrew word “adama”, which means “ground.”
 
·        The oldest nearly complete Bible is the Codex Vaticanus, dated around 400 A.D. and located in the Vatican library in Rome.
 
·        The Bible is the very first printed book, using Johannes Gutenberg's moveable print Machine in 1455.
·            
·        John Wycliffe produced the first translation of the entire Bible into English around 1380. Following his death, his corpse was exhumed and burned by Catholic authorities as a punishment.
 
·        There are over 80,000 different versions of the Bible worldwide, including around 450 English versions.
 
·        Two books of the Bible are named after women: Esther and Ruth.
 
·        Moses contributed the most books to the Old Testament. He wrote the first five books of the Bible (referred to as the Pentateuch).
 
·        The centermost verse in the Bible is Psalm 118 – “It is better to trust in the Lord than put confidence in man.”
 
·        In 1631, Robert Barker published a Bible translation dubbed “The Sinner’s Bible” because it inadvertently omitted the word “not” in the 7th Commandment: “Thou shalt commit adultery.” About 1,000 copies were distributed before anyone noticed.
 
·        The largest Bible on record weighs over 1,000 pounds and is nearly 4 feet tall. It is housed at the Abilene Christian University in Texas.
 
·        Although about 150 animal species are mentioned in the Bible, the domestic house cat is completely omitted.
 
·        China produces more bibles than any other nation.
 
·        The word “disciple” (or disciples") appears over 250 times in reputable translations.
 
·        The word “Christian" (or “Christians") appears only 3 times in reputable translations – Acts 11:26, 26:28 and 1 Pet. 4:16.
 
·        The Bible has inspired more song lyrics than any other book in the world.
  
·        The Bible is the only divinely inspired book that reveals the way to heaven – “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (Jn 14:6).


Be a Light for Christ in 2025!


Dennis

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE BIBLE (Part 1)
DID YOU KNOW THAT…
 
·        The Bible, the world's best-selling book, is also the world's most shoplifted book.
 
·        Over 5 billion Bibles have been printed since 1815.
 
·        The full Bible has been translated into 733 languages. It has been partially translated into nearly 3000 languages.
 
·        Over 100 million copies of the Bible are sold or distributed annually around the world.
·        Worldwide, over 190 Bibles are sold or distributed EACH MINUTE.
 
·        The word “bible” is from the Greek “ta biblia”, which means “the scrolls” or “the books.” The word is derived from the ancient city of Byblos, which was the official supplier of paper products to the ancient world.
 
·        The Bible was originally written in 3 languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek.
 
·        40 men wrote the Bible over a period of approximately 1500 years.
 
·        The first word in the Bible is “In” – Gen. 1:1; the last is “Amen” – Rev. 22:21.
 
·        There are 66 books in the Bible, 39 in the Old Testament & 27 in the New Testament.
 
·        The shortest book in the Bible is 2 John.
 
·        The longest book in the Bible is Psalms.
 
·        The longest Word in the Bible is "Mahershalalhashbaz" - Isaiah 8:1
 
·        The shortest verse in the Bible is John 11:35 - "Jesus wept.”
 
·        Esther is the only book in the Bible that does not contain the word, "God."
 
·        Methuselah is the oldest man on record: 969 years - Genesis 5:27.
 
·        The second oldest man is Jared – 962 years, followed by Noah – 950 years.
 
·        The raven is the first bird mentioned in the Bible – Gen. 8:7; the second is a dove – Gen. 8:8.
 
·        The only perfect book on earth is the Bible – “The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.”  Psalm 119:160
 
(To be continued....)
 
Be a Light for Christ in 2025!
 
 Dennis

Temporary Versus Permanent
 
In 1895 the city of Leadville, Colorado was struggling to survive. Situated at over 10,000 ft in elevation, the temperatures are below freezing much of the year, along with an abundance of snow and ice. Visitors to the town were rare, and virtually non-existent in the winter.
 
In a desperate bid to save their city, the residents came up with an idea in which they hoped to utilize their frigid climate to promote tourism. They staged a Winter Carnival featuring the largest Ice Palace built in America up to that point in time. Upon completion, the palace measured 450 by 320 feet, with impressive 90-foot towers. It also contained a 16,000 square-foot ice skating rink that could accommodate hundreds of skaters.
 
A throng of paying tourists soon flocked to Leadville to enjoy the amazing Ice Palace. Residents of the city were thrilled with the response, not to mention having a renewed hope for a bright future. Everything went better than planned…….until Spring arrived. In a few short weeks the palace, towers and ice rink melted, and the visitors rapidly evaporated. It soon became apparent that their sole tourist attraction was not only temporary, but could not permanently solve the financial woes of the city.
 
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Sad to say, countless people attempt to do something similar in an effort to rejuvenate their lives. In a quest for long-term happiness, they frequently turn to drugs, alcohol, sex, pornography, possessions, or a combination of these. But instead of finding long-term happiness, they discover that the pleasures associated with such things is temporary.
 
Fortunately, Jesus Christ offers a permanent solution in which joy, peace and fulfillment can continue virtually unabated. For those who believe that Jesus is God’s Son, and submit to His commands to repent, confess faith in Him and be baptized, He offers a better life here, and eternal joys in heaven.
 
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).
 
Let Your Light Shine in 2025!
 
Dennis