There's More

We can only see a little of the ocean,

Just a few miles distant from the rocky shore;

But out there, far beyond our eye's horizon, 

There's more—immeasurably more.

We can only see a little of God's loving,

A few rich treasures from His mighty store;

But out there, far beyond our eye's horizon,

There's more—immeasurably more.

Forget It

Forget the slander I have heard; 

Forget the hasty, unkind word;

Forget the quarrel and the cause;

Forget the whole affair, because

Forgetting is the only way.

Forget the storm of yesterday;

Forget the chap whose sour face

Forgets to smile in any place.

Forget I'm not a millionaire;

Forget my silver, thinning hair;

Forget the coffee when it's cold;

Forget to kick; forget to scold;

Forget the grocer's rising charge;

Forget the power bill is large;

Forget the scoundrel's evil ways;

Forget the winter's blustery days.

Funny Friday

One Sunday morning, I got up and was looking through the paper reading the death notices (it always amazes me that people die in alphabetical order); and, lo and behold, there was my name. I thought, I wonder if the deacons have seen it.

I got on the phone and called one of them and said, "Have you read the morning paper yet?"

He said, "Yes sir."

I said, "Did you see my name in the death notices?"

He said, "Yes, I did. Where are you calling from?"

Stand Near the Flag of Truth

If God is for us, who can be against us? Nothing else counts. It is ever a foolish and futile thing to count the heads in the opposing ranks. Some say, "God is always on the side of the big battalions!" It is a black lie of the Devil! We need not fear the big battalions if only we are securely in the right. We are not to count heads but to weigh and estimate causes. Which of the causes provides a tent for the Lord God of Hosts? Where has the truth its waving flag? Stand near that flag, my soul, and thou wilt be near thy Lord! And nothing shall separate thee from His love and leave thee weak and isolated on the field. Thou shalt be 'more than a conqueror' in Him who loves thee and will love thee forevermore. —J.H. Jowett

7 Reasons Why We Should Pray

• It is commanded plainly of God that Christians ought to pray always about everything and about everybody, with all prayer and supplication.
• Prayer is God's appointed way for Christians to get things.
• Prayer is the way for Christians to have fullness of joy.
• Prayer is God's cure for worry, the way out of trouble and anxious care.
• Answered prayer is God's way of stopping the mouths of unbelievers, God's unanswerable argument against infidelity.
• Prayer is the way to have the power of the Holy Spirit for God's blessed work.
• "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Therefore, beloved brethren, let us pray! Oh, how many and how weighty are the reasons that Christians should pray!

-snippet taken from: Prayer—Asking and Receiving by Dr. John R. Rice. Purchase your copy here! Now available on eBook.

What If?

...have more realistic expectations for myself.

...learn to say, "This too shall pass."

...make a point of enjoying every stage of life.

...listen more carefully to the counsel of others.

...cherish every friendship.

...put less emphasis on material things.

...worry less about failure.

...spend less time wondering about other people's opinions of me.

...talk less.

...say "I love you" more.

...fret less about the future.

...smile more.

...memorize more Scripture.

...be more observant to the beauty God has put in the world.

...be less critical of others.

...learn to laugh at myself more easily.

...be freer with my praise.

...put a higher premium on integrity.

...work for more consistency in practicing the Word of God.

...make fewer excuses.

...put a higher value on every opportunity to learn and grow.

...complain less.

...tell the Lord more often how thankful I am that He chose me and that He loves me.

-J.S.

Do You Know the Difference Between Character and Reputation?

7 Steps to See Good Days, part seven

I Peter 4:16—"Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God."

We're going to take our stand and let our colors be seen. We're going to run our flag up high. We are not lowering the flag to halfmast; we are putting it up to the top. And if we suffer, we will praise God for the privilege of bearing the reproach of Christ—like Moses did in Hebrews 11:26.

The Christian life is a good life. Glean the most you can from it. Get as much as you can from it. Feed yourself upon it, and God will lead you and bless you right to the very end of your sojourn.

—This concludes our 7 part series on How to See Good Days. These posts were used with permission from the Sword of the Lord newspaper and condensed for this series. Author, Dr. Harold Sightler.

7 Steps to See Good Days, part six

I Peter 4:16—"Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed."

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek"—Romans 1:16.

If any person suffer as a believer, let him not be ashamed.

If they are heaping persecution on you, saying all manner of evil about you, don't be ashamed.

If you suffer as a Christian for doing the right thing, believing the right Gospel, serving God in an acceptable manner, then don't be ashamed.

When you live right, dress right and walk right, you will suffer. And if you suffer as a Christian, don't be ashamed. That's how you can love life and see good days.

7 Steps to See Good Days, part five

Not all of us minister in the same way. Some give themselves to evangelism, others to Bible study, others to missions and to other aspects of the ministry. It is wise to present the whole counsel of the Lord in a well-rounded ministry.

The text implies that we are given different abilities and different degrees of ability. I am to be satisfied with whatever my ability is or whatever degree of that ability I may possess.

If you're complaining and finding fault and are a bit jealous of the blessing of God upon another, then read I Peter 4:11.

If any man will love life and see good days, if he labor, if he 'minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth.' When God gives that ability, learn to take what He allows you to be and be happy with that.

7 Steps to See Good Days, part four

Oracles of God are Bible terms, Bible statements, Bible quotations. The Proverbs are the oracles of God. Many New Testament texts contain the oracles of God. When you speak, quote the oracles of God. 

You will be surprised what that will do when you fellowship with people. We live in a generation given over to profanity and obscene language. We need somebody in the crowd to say, "Praise God!"

7 Steps to See Good Days, part three

Let the man who would "love life, and see good days...seek peace." As much as in you is, be at peace with all men (Romans 12:18).

Don't have enemies. Somebody may not appreciate you and may be your enemy—but don't you be the enemy of anybody. Those who despitefully use you—we are commanded to pray for them.

Be at peace with every man—as much as possible, even your enemy. Then 'ensue it'. Make it a life policy as a peacemaker. Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God" (Matthew 5:9).

I didn't say compromisers. God's people aren't to compromise, but we are to stand, especially when truth is at stake. Be peace-loving people.

7 Steps on How to See Good Days, part two

"Let him eschew evil, and do good..."—I Peter 3:11a

There are the positive and the negative in one short sentence.

Step 2 to see good days:

Let him despise evil; let him avoid evil; let him separate from evil and start out on the positive side of the ledger doing good—not to be saved, but because he's saved.

Avoid evil communications. Avoid fornicators. Have no fellowship with the wicked, the ungodly. Have no fellowship with the one who doesn't believe this Bible. Then, set out to do good.

Find something to do for somebody. Carry a widow a pounding of food. Go visit one who may have nobody else. Every community has scores of shut-ins. Do good to them. Set out to do good.

7 Steps on How to See Good Days

"For he that will love life, and see good days."—I Peter 3:10

No one wants to have a bad day. We would like a good day every day. But we do have some disappointing days, some heartbreaking days, some difficult days. People sometimes break our hearts and part company with us. And that is never pleasant.

1. "Let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile."
If you would love life and see good days, learn to keep your mouth shut. The average one of us talks entirely too much.

In our idle hours, we gossip; we carry tales; we judge; we commit ourselves sometimes in a bad way.
The first basic principle of loving life and seeing good days is,

If you want to leave a trail of enemies behind you, just disobey that verse. If you want to lose friends, disobey that first thing.

Do The Best Christians I Know Agree That it is Right? #Questionable Things

"In multitude of counsellors there is safety."—Proverbs 24:6.

There have been instances in my life where I have had a difficult time deciding about a matter. After using all the previous guidelines we've discussed, I still wasn't satisfied. My last resort was to seek the counsel of good, godly Christians.

When you are faced with a questionable matter, approach several Christians individually and get their opinions. Their counsel is valuable in helping make the right decisions.

—this series was condensed and used from the pamphlet, Deciding Questionable Things for the Christian by Dr. Curtis Hutson. If you would like to read this in its entirety, please order your copy today from SwordBooks.com

Am I Fully Persuaded That it's Right? #Questionable Things

"One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind."—Romans 14:5.

If you are not thoroughly convinced that a thing is right, then it is best not to do it.

Romans 14:23 warns, "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin."

If you don't have peace about the matter, don't do it.

When a believer is faced with a decision regarding a questionable matter, he should never proceed unless he has complete peace about it. If there is nothing wrong with it, then God is able to give complete peace.

Colossians 3:15 says, "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts." You can rest assured that every time you violate the scriptural principle of this verse, you will regret it. A Christian should have complete peace about it and be thoroughly persuaded or convinced that it is right.

Funny Friday

Three men were in the hospital waiting room. The nurse came in and said, "Mr. Brown, you are the father of twins."

"Now wouldn't you just know it," Mr. Brown said. "I work for the Minnesota Twins."

A little later, the nurse came back and said, "Mr. Green, you are the father of triplets."

"Well, wouldn't you just know it," said Mr. Green. "I work for 3M."

When the nurse came back, the third guy was putting on his jacket.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"I'm leaving," the man said. "I work at the 7-Up bottling plant!"

Does it Offend Other Christians? #Questionable Things

"Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend."—I Corinthians 8:13.

It is clear from this passage that some weaker Christians thought eating meats was wrong; and, though Paul taught that "every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving," he said, "If meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend."

When I ask, 'Does it offend other Christians', I don't mean that if you can find one single Chistian anywhere in the world who is offended by the thing in question, then you shouldn't do it. You will find some Christians who would be offended at almost anything you did. But if it offended several good and respected Christians, then I wouldn't do it.

As children of God, we have a responsibility to every other born-again believer.

Does it Bring Glory to God? #Questionable Things

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."—I Corinthians 10:31. 

Whatsoever we do, we are to do it to the glory of God. That would involve anything the Christian wants to do or is ever tempted to do.

Does the thing you have a question about bring honor to God? Does it glorify God? Does it give God a good name? If not, then it is wrong. 

"He leadenth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake."—Psalm 23:3.

We are Christians. We bear His name. Our lifestyle, language, attitudes, and manner of dress reflect on His name. Unless you are convinced the thing in question will bring glory to God, then don't do it.

Can You Give God Thanks for It? #Questionable Things

"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."—Colossians 3:17.

Whatever the matter in question, can you honestly thank God for it? If you cannot sincerely give thanks to God for the matter in question, then it is best not to do it.

Can You Do It in the Name of the Lord Jesus? #Questionable Things

"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."—Colossians 3:17.

Notice the words whatsoever ye do in word or deed. That covers every word the believer will ever utter and anything the believer will ever do. And according to the verse, we are to do it "in the name of the Lord Jesus."

When the believer is faced with a matter and can't decide whether it is right or wrong, he should simply ask, "Can I do it in the name of the Lord Jesus?" If you can't, it's wrong.

Does it Please God? #Questionable Things

"And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight."—I John 3:22

It is possible for one to keep His commandments, but what if there is no clear commandment regarding the matter in question? Some things are clearly commanded while others are not.

When there is no commandment to obey, then the question is, "Does it please God?" Can you honestly and sincerely say, "This thing I want to do pleases God?" If the Christian cannot honestly say yes, then he shouldn't do it. 

The Christian should never do anything unless he is thoroughly convinced that it will please the Lord.

Do You Have the Leading of the Holy Spirit? #Questionable Things

When things are not spelled out clearly in the Bible, we can expect the Holy Spirit to lead us.

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."—Romans 8:14.

Someone suggested that the stops as well as the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. The Holy Spirit leads us in prayer. Most believers who have been saved any length of time have experienced times when the Holy Spirit gave definite leading regarding a matter. 

When I talk about the leading of the Holy Spirit, I'm not talking about hearing an audible voice or having strange visions. God works in us the desire and then gives us the power to make the desire a reality.

In any matter where we have questions, we have a right to ask the Holy Spirit to lead us and to expect His gentle guiding.

Noteworthy News: 2015 Deadliest Year for Christians Worldwide

The Christian persecution watchdog group Open Doors has released its annual list of countries where Christians face the greatest persecution and found that it has reached unprecedented levels worldwide as over 7,000 Christians were killed for their faith between November 1, 2014 and October 31, 2015.

Although (they) stated last January that 2014 was the ...year (that was worse) for Christian persecution than any other time in modern history, the organization said during the rollout of its 2016 World Watch List  that 2015 surpassed 2014 as the deadliest year for Christians worldwide.

Open Doors found that over 3,000 more Christians were killed for faith-related reasons during its reporting period for the 2016 World Watch List than it found during the reporting period for the 2015 report. Additionally, over 2,400 churches were attacked, damaged or destroyed during the reporting period, which is more than double the number from last year.
—Samuel Smith for ChristianPost.com

Have You Prayed About it? #Questionable Things

The Bible indicates that we are to pray about all things. Philippians 4:6 says,

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

One of the saddest verses in the Bible to me is James 4:2: "Ye have not, because ye ask not." It doesn't say what we don't have; it just simply says we have not because we ask not. That would certainly include the leading of the Lord regarding a questionable matter.

When praying for the Lord's will about something questionable, don't give up if you don't receive clear leading after one prayer; just keep on praying until God makes it clear. When God answers, He will not answer in an audible voice; He will lead you by the Holy Spirit.

Does It Agree With the Bible? #Questionable Things

"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation."—II Peter 1:20

This verse doesn't mean that one cannot sit down in private and read and study the Bible. It simply means that one passage of Scripture is not to be isolated and interpreted without considering all that the Bible has to say on the same subject.

A good rule to follow is: never use an obscure passage to contradict several clear passages. 

When the honest, sincere Christian is faced with the decision regarding whether a thing is right or wrong, he  should ask...

Are You Willing to do What's Right? #Questionable Things

We often receive letters from honest, sincere Christians wanting to know if a certain thing is right or wrong. Sometimes, there is no verse in the Bible that gives a clear answer to these questions, but we must remember two things regarding the Bible.

1. The Bible was written for all people of all ages. Therefore, everything could not be spelled out in detail. For instance, if there was a verse in the Bible that states, "Thou shalt not smoke Camel (cigarettes)," those old rabbis would have had a difficult time interpreting the passage.

2. The Bible is a condensed Book. John 21:25 states "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written." So, had everything Jesus did been written in books, no one would ever find time to read them all.

The Bible is not a revelation of what God knows, but a revelation of what God wants men to know. Since the Bible does not give detailed answers to every question the believer will ever face, then what does he do regarding things not spelled out in the Scriptures?  While the Bible does not give all the specific details regarding what a Christian should and should not do, it does give guidelines by which every honest Christian can make the right decision regarding questionable things. In this series, we will share eleven guidelines that will help the believer in deciding whether a thing is right or wrong.

We are the servants and God is the Master. It's not the servant's duty to guess what the Master wants; it's only his duty to obey once the Master makes His will clear. When the believer doesn't know whether a certain matter is right or wrong, he should decide firmly and clearly that he will do God's will even if it goes against his wishes.

We must have the attitude, Lord, I don't know whether this is right or wrong; but if You will let me know for sure, I will do right regardless of what others say or what my preferences are.

The person who wants God's very best for his life and will do what is right can know God's will regarding questionable things. If you're not willing to do the right thing once you know it, then the rest of the guidelines to follow will be useless.

Test Your Knowledge!

Bible Trivia

Welcome to Bible Trivia! Test your knowledge of the Bible. All answers can be found in the King James Bible using the reference listed.

1. God commendeth his love toward us...Christ died_____us. Rom.5

with
for


2. For it is written, vengeance is mine; I will ____. Rom. 12

repay
pay


3. I am with you alway, even unto the end of the____. Matt. 28

world
times


4. The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old is the ___head. Prov. 20

bald
grey


5. The last book of the Old Testament is ____.

Malachi
Zechariah


6. Create in me a clean ___ O God. Psalm 51

spirit
heart


7. Is anything too hard for the ___? Gen. 18

angels
LORD


8. They that ___in tears shall ____ in joy. Psalm 126

sow, reap
plant, reap


9. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous ___. Psalm 37

forsaken
quit


10. I the LORD ___the heart. Jeremiah 17

try
search