THINK TWICE BEFORE SPEAKING OF GOD  
   
I recently watched a sitcom in which the phrase, "Oh my God" was uttered over 20 times prior to the fest commercial. Sadly, it was NEVER spoken in a prayer or to glorify our heavenly Father. It was used to exclaim surprise or unbelief. To make matters worse, it’s offhanded use invariably produced laughter from the audience.  
   
Although we are not surprised to hear God's name misused in movies, TV and in the world, I am shocked that some Christians still take His name in vain.  
   Some ask, "What's wrong with occasionally exclaiming, ‘Oh my God’ or something similar?” It is wrong because the Bible strictly warns against referring to God in a casual or flippant manner.  
   

•  “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain (void of meaning), for the Lord  will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain” (Exod. 20:7).  
• “...nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD" (Lev. 19:12).  

• “But I say to you that for every idle (empty, useless) word men may speak, they will give  account of it in the day of judgment.” (Mt. 12:36).  

   
Moreover, David declared, "Holy and awesome (reverend or revered) is His name..." (Psa. 111:9b). Uttering God's name without appropriate respect is tantamount to insulting Him.  
   
Tragically, it has become increasingly popular to abbreviate "Oh my God" by saying, writing or typing “OMG”. Some attempt to justify this practice by saying, "At least I'm not saying "God!" That’s beside the point; virtually everyone is aware of what “OMG” means.  
   
Jesus warned, "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Mt. 12:37). Don't allow careless words to jeopardize your salvation. Strive to always honor God whenever you refer to His name. Let's heed the fervent prayer of David, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord…” (Psa. 19:14).  
   
A recommitted me in 2023!  
   
Dennis

BABY STEPS TO WINNING SOULS
   
Jesus commanded His followers to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Obeying our Lord's command means sharing the gospel with people around us.  
   
Over the past 75 years, many methods of sharing the Good News have been used with success. Filmstrips, tracts, videos, mass brochure mailings, Bible Correspondence Courses, online Bible studies and other tools have been effectively employed.
   
At the same time, many Christians feel inadequate when it comes to sharing Jesus with others. The following questions frequently arise: How do I begin a conversation about salvation?   What should I say?   What if the other person is not interested?   What if I say something offensive?   What if I make a mistake?  
   
First, we need to realize that it is the devil who plants doubts in our minds. (He does everything possible to keep us from talking to others about Jesus!)  
   
Second, we also need to remember that not saying anything is perhaps the biggest mistake we can make.  
   
Third, focus on taking baby steps. In teaching a person about salvation, it is not necessary to explain the whole Bible or everything about the church and Christian living. (This will come in time.) The first baby step might be to ask someone if they go to church. If they do, ask them about their church. Then mention that you attend the church of Christ, and would love to have them visit.  
   
With God's help, that first baby step will lead to additional conversations in which you can share more about the saving gospel of Jesus Christ.  
   
It's been said that the most effective method of soul winning is person-to-person, friend-to-friend. So don’t hesitate to take that first baby step in pointing someone towards heaven!
   
A Recommitted Me In 2023!  
   
Dennis  

GOD’S FAMILY     
“Were part of the family that's been born again; part of the family whose love knows no end;  
for Jesus has saved us, and made as His own, now were part of the family that's on its way home.  
And sometimes we laugh together, sometimes we cry; sometimes we share together, heartaches and sighs; sometimes we dream together of how it will be, when we all get to heaven – God's family!  (Lanny Wolf)
   
Those lyrics should describe the Lord’s church. The apostle Paul wrote, "Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but FELLOW CITIZENS with the saints and members of the household of God…" (Eph. 2:19). Moreover, in 1 Tim. 3:15 he added, "I write so that you may know how you ought to CONDUCT yourself in the house of God…"  
   
Conducting ourselves properly as God’s family includes nine obligations we have to one another.  
   
1. We must love one another – 1 Pet. 2:17. (Genuine love must be demonstrated – 1 John 3:18.)  
2. We must forgive one another – Eph. 4:32.  
3. We must comfort and edify one another – 1 Thess. 5:11.  
4. We must provide material assistance to one another when needed – Gal. 6:10, 5:13.  
5. We must visit one another – especially widows, shut-ins, the sick and those that require encouragement – Jam. 1 27, Mt. 25:36.  
6. We must pray for one another – 1 Tim. 2:1.  
7. We must try to rescue those that are going astray – Gal. 6:1; Jam. 5:19-20.  
8. We must discipline those that refuse to repent of sin – 2 Thess. 3:6, 14; Rom. 16:17.  
9. We must assemble frequently in order to encourage and motivate one another  – Heb. 10:24-25.  
   
Remember – we must demonstrate to the world that we are above the petty quarrels, clashes and disputes that frequently divide and alienate people. If we fail to behave like God's family, we do the world a disservice, not to mention disobeying God’s clear commands.
   
 “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins." (1 Pet. 4:8)  
   
A Recommitted Me in 2023!  
   
Dennis

How Important is Commitment?  
   
Ask any coach, supervisor or manager if commitment is important for success, and you’ll hear a unanimous “Yes!” To be committed means to be fully or completely dedicated to a task, endeavor or goal. It means to remain engaged, despite setbacks and distractions.  
   
Commitment requires that one carry out a sustained effort over the long haul. But this rarely comes easily. In order to be truly committed to anything, one must develop routines and habits that keep one focused on the objective or goal. This might include repeating the goal aloud daily, visualizing success, and recording progress on paper.  
   
For Christians, commitment is essential to pleasing God and following Christ. Jesus said, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Lk. 9:62). It will help if we strive to be committed in the eight spiritual areas listed below.  
   
1. Be committed in your FAITH in Jesus Christ (Col. 2:5).  
   
2. Be committed in your BIBLE STUDY (Acts 17:11; 2 Tim. 2:15).  
   
3. Be committed in your PRAYERS (1 Thess. 5:17).  
   
4. Be committed in your WORSHIP ATTENDANCE (Heb. 10:24-25).  
   
5. Be committed in your GIVING (2 Cor. 9:6-8).  
   
6. Be committed in your SERVICE TO OTHERS (Gal. 6:10)  
   
7. Be committed in your LOVE FOR OTHERS (1 Pet. 4:8; 1 John 4:11).  
   
8. Be committed in SHARING YOUR FAITH (Mark 16:15, 1 Tim. 3:15).  
   
It’s easy to see that commitment is very important to the Christian. Endeavor to become even more committed in your service to God, and He will richly bless you for doing so!  
   
A Recommitted Me in 2023

Quiz - Important If’s in the Bible(How many can you answer correctly?)  
   
1. “IF you ______ Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
   
2. “IF you abide in My word, you are My __________ indeed” (John 8:31).
   
3. “…IF they fall away, to renew them again to _____________” (Heb. 6:6).
   
4. “IF you ___________ with all your heart, you may [be baptized]" (Acts 8:37).
   
5. “IF you _________ with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:9).
   
6. “IF we _______ with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him” (Rom. 6:8).
   
7. “IF I then, your Lord and Teacher, have _______ your feet, you also ought to _______ one another’s feet” (John 13:14).
   
8. “IF God so _______ us, we also ought to ______ one another (1 John 4:11).
   
9. “IF you have anything against anyone, _________ him, that your Father in heaven may also _________ you..." (Mark 11:25).
   
10. "IF any of you lacks __________, let him ask of God..." (Jam. 1:5).
   
11. "IF one member _________, all the members _________ with it; or if one member is __________, all the members _________ with it” (1 Cor. 12:26).
   
12. “IF our earthly house [body], is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the ___________ (2 Cor. 5:1).
   
A Recommitted Me in 2023!  
   
Dennis   
Answers:  
1. Love                  2. Disciples               3. Repentance          4. Believe  
5. Confess             6. Died                  7. Washed/wash      8. Loved/love  
9.Forgive/forgive    10. Wisdom               11. Suffer/suffer, honored/rejoice  
12. Heavens

Satan’s Top 3 Weapons   
In Luke’s version of the wilderness temptations of Jesus (Luke 4:1-13), Satan tempted our Lord in three ways. But don’t let the small number fool you. Virtually every conceivable temptation has its roots in those three enticements. John summarizes them as follows, “...the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16).
  
Below is a breakdown of the three temptations Jesus faced, followed by a correlation to our temptations.
  
1. The Lust of the Flesh 

• After fasting 40 days in the wilderness Jesus was on the verge of starvation. Satan challenged Him to demonstrate His divinity by turning stones to bread and satisfying His hunger. But Jesus refused, citing a greater need for His Father's word (Luke 4:3-4). 

• Satan is keenly familiar with our fleshly appetites, and would have us seek to satisfy them first and foremost. Although certain physical needs should be met, none compares to our need for God’s word.
    
  
  2. The Lust of the Eyes 
• In a moment of time, Satan showed Jesus all the world’s kingdoms and offered Him full control in exchange for worshipping the tempter. It must have been genuinely tempting, for Jesus could have literally ruled the world! But worshipping Satan was out of the question!
  
  
• Although our eyes are crucial for safely navigating this world, Satan temps us to look at things that hinder spiritual growth or pollute our souls. But we must control what we see, regardless of Satan's allurements and enticing promises.
    
  
  3. The Pride of Life 
• Satan dared Jesus to jump from the pinnacle of the temple to prove His identity and substantiate God’s promise to protect Him. Pride could have prompted Jesus to jump, but He refused. Testing God’s promises would violate His Father's will - Deut. 6:16.
  
  
• Pride has caused countless problems for people, including Christians. Sometimes we are tempted to believe that we are a “bit better than others”. Such feelings, however, inevitably lead to haughtiness, a judgmental spirit, anger, bitter words and grudges. Remember - “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6).
    
  
   Jesus forever proved that temptations can be overcome by using God's word. In fact, He was "in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). It all began when He resisted the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life.
    
  May God help us to follow in His steps – 1 Pet. 2:21.
    
  A Recommitted Me in 2023! 
  
    Dennis

God's Enduring Word! 
  
Things that endure and stand the test of time are impressive. Examples include life-long marriages or friendships, well-constructed houses or furniture, long-lasting vehicles, appliances, tools or clothing. 
  
As impressive as these might be, nothing compares with the enduring words of God as recorded in the Bible. Written over a period 1600 years and completed some 2,000 years ago, it continues to flourish despite countless attempts to discredit it. Some of the world’s brightest (so-called) intellectuals claimed that the Bible would obsolete by the end of the 19th century. Yet in the 21st century it continues to be the world's #1 bestseller.  
  
Moreover, the Bible itself repeatedly affirms that God’s word will endure forever. 

• “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever" (Isa.  40:8).
•  “Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven” (Psa. 119:89). 
• "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away"   (Matt. 24:35, Mark 13:31).
• “...the Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35). 
• “…the word of God which lives and abides forever... (1 Pet. 1:23). 
• “The grass withers, And its flower falls away,  But the word of the LORD endures forever" (1 Peter 1:24-25).
  
     
  Hammer and the Anvil (Author unknown) 
• Last eve I passed beside a blacksmith's door and heard the anvil ring the vesper chime:
• Then looking in, I saw upon the floor old hammers, worn with beating years of time.
• "How many anvils have you had," said I, "To wear and batter all these hammers so?"
• "Just one," said he, and then, with twinkling eye, "The anvil wears the hammers out, you know." 
• And so, thought I, the anvil of God's word, for ages skeptic blows have beat upon;
• Yet though the noise of falling blows was heard, the anvil is unharmed; the hammers gone. 

  Praise God for His enduring word!

 A Recommitted Me in 2023! 
  
Dennis