1. Keep chains on your tongue. Say less than you think. Cultivate a low, persuasive voice. How you say it often counts more than what you say.

2. Make promises sparingly, and keep them faithfully, no matter what the cost.

3. Never let an opportunity pass to say a kind and encouraging word to or about someone. Praise work well done, regardless of who did it. If criticism is needed, criticize helpfully.

4. Be interested in others-interested in their pursuits, welfare, homes and families. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Let everyone you meet, however humble, feel that you regard him or her as an important person.

5. Be cheerful. Keep the corners of your mouth turned up. Hide your pains, worries, and disappointments under a smile. Laugh at good stories and learn to tell them.

6. Keep an open mind on all debatable questions. Discuss, but do not argue. It is a mark of superior minds to disagree, yet be friendly.

7. Let your virtues speak for themselves. Refuse to talk of others' vices. Discourage gossip. Say nothing of another unless it is something good.

8. Be careful of another's feelings. Wit and humor at another's expenses is rarely worth the effort, and may harm where least expected.

9. Pay no attention to ill-natured remarks about you. Live so nobody will believe them. Disordered nerves and bad digestion are common causes of backbiting.

10. Don't be too anxious about receiving what is due you. Do you work, be patient, keep your disposition sweet, forget self.

Posted by bearingthecross at 10:39 AM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Frequently we hear people express differing viewpoints about even the most serious of religious issues. Why is this? One of the main reasons is lack of knowledge. Many people simply do not know what the Bible teaches.

Some people have never heard the gospel of Jesus or have never considered the evidence that it is the word of God. Such was the case of Cornelius, who needed to be taught the gospel. As soon as he heard it, he obeyed (Acts 11:14; 10:30-48).

But many would be surprised to learn that much ignorance of God´s word is willful: people just don´t want to know what the Bible says (2 Peter 3:5). In Matthew 13:15 Jesus described people who closed their eyes and ears, because they did not want to understand His teachings.

But why would anyone prefer darkness rather than light, ignorance rather than knowledge, error rather than truth? In John 3:19,20 Jesus said: "... the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed."

There is a certain amount of enjoyment in sin. Some do not want to give up their illicit pleasures. Faithful Christian living also requires time, effort and self-sacrifice. Many are not willing to put forth this effort, so they prefer to simply ignore the truth.

But people need to realize that spiritual ignorance is not bliss. Acts 17:30 says that God does not overlook ignorance. Rather, He commands all men everywhere to repent.

The solution is found in Acts 17:11. The Bereans learned the truth because "they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily..." Are you willing to follow their example?

(c) Copyright David E. Pratte, 3/2008

Posted by bearingthecross at 12:05 PM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Kevin Cauley ---The Preacherfiles.com

One of the characteristics of the people at Athens was that they were always interested in hearing about something new. Luke records this attitude for us in Acts 17:31 where he writes, "For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing."

The nation in which we live today is not unlike those Athenians in that we delight to hear of "new" things. We glue our ears to the radio to listen to the next blurb spoken by the next popular commentator. We sit transfixed in front of the television set each evening at 5:30 to find out what is going on in the world. We can even surf the internet to get our news sooner than 5:30. We desire fresh information – things which we have not heard. The latest football, basketball, baseball or hockey score must be ours. The latest political quip must be on our lips. The latest election results must be broadcast even before all of the polls close. We just can’t wait for the next update, sound bite, news worthy item! And when someone comes to us with a piece of information that is not up to date we say rather oxymoronically, "That’s old news."

Then, Sunday morning rolls around. "It’s time to go to worship, to do the same old things every week. To listen to the same old message that we have heard time and time again. Everyone’s heard it all of their life. Why should we go and listen once more?" Let’s note a few good reasons why.

First, while the gospel message may be old news, it is still good news! That is sure to be something that you don’t find in the dominant media today, good news. Oh there may be a story or two that is more or less positive in application, but the majority of the news today is going to be centered around death, war, fighting, tumults, disagreements, and political wrangling. While such news may be "fresh" it is certainly not good. The gospel contains THE GOOD NEWS! That’s basically what the word gospel means. It is the basic message that God sent His Son Jesus to this world to die on the cross so that man could have hope to live with God in heaven. That may be old news, but that is always good news! Paul wrote in Romans 10:15b, "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" Yes, we, along with Paul should rejoice in the good news of the gospel!

Second, while we may have heard the message before, we need to hear it again. Missing one meal out of a day may not hurt us, but it will weaken us. Such is also true with spiritual food. We need to be feed regularly from God’s word so that we continue to grow stronger in the Lord. Peter wrote in 2 Peter 1:12 "Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth." He wanted them to remember the truths of the gospel, even though they knew them and were established in them. Spiritual growth requires spiritual nourishment and if we are not growing, then we are dying. Let’s feast on those good ol’ gospel meals at every opportunity!

Third, while we may have heard the message earlier in our life, we hopefully have grown and the message has new application for us. All Christians are expected to grow in the Lord. Peter writes, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby" (1 Peter 2:2). Unlike the human body, as Christians we constantly grow throughout our lifetime. In each phase of our life, the message of the gospel may be applied so that old truths have fresh significance for us. There is no end to the things that we may learn from the Bible. No one person can ever say that they have mastered the depths of its pages. Each of us has the responsibility to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).

We may hear the same truths preached each week that we have heard all our life, but let’s rejoice in God’s good news! Let’s feast upon the bread of life! Let’s grow as we encounter life! God’s truth is timeless; our lives are temporary. Let’s not develop an Athenian Attitude toward the gospel.

Posted by bearingthecross at 11:17 AM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Today's devonational comes from the thebible.net webpage "“The Da Vinci Code”
Examined by Steven Lloyd"

an excerpt from the 15 page article: THE HYPE
The Da Vinci Code has sold over six million copies, is be-
ing translated into a host of other languages, and is, at the
writing of this paper, being developed into a major motion
picture." Read the rest of the article here in PDF format: http://www.thebible.net/pdf/thedavincicode.pdf

For further studies from thebible.net see their webpage: http://www.thebible.net/modules.php?name=Read&cat=3   

Posted by bearingthecross at 11:30 AM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

An excerpt "The operation of a seat belt is a simple thing, but so is the operation of God in bringing about salvation. Salvation is the simplest subject in all the Bible. God made it simple. Man has complicated it, but God intended it to be simple, because God's desire is that all men be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. If it is God's desire that all men be saved, does it not follow logically that He would make salvation the simplest, most understandable subject in all the world?''---tftw

to read the full article go here:
http://www.tftw2.org/Articles/seatbelt.htm

Posted by bearingthecross at 11:11 AM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Our daily devonational today comes the Gospel Minutes newsletter by Clem Thurman, entitled:
"Come Ye Out from Among Them"

An excerpt from the article: " The "New World
Order" advocates would outlaw the preaching of the
gospel over the public airwaves, if they could. And
anyone who dares speak out - as Jesus did - against
sin or false religious teaching is accused of bigotry or
fanaticism."
read the full article here in pdf format: http://www.wfcoc.org/WFCoC/Minutes_2009_files/gm070309.pdf

Posted by bearingthecross at 12:12 PM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Does God speak directly to people today? Some people claim that the Holy Spirit directly leads them in their lives. Some even claim to be prophets like in the New Testament. What does the Bible say about this?

Before the Bible had been completed, the Holy Spirit truly did speak directly to certain men who were called "prophets." This was necessary in order for men to know God's will, since it did not yet exist in written form. But today we do have the Bible, so do we still need these direct forms of inspiration?

1 Corinthians 13:8-10 plainly says that someday the gift of prophecy would cease, because it was only partial. This means that no one prophet received all God's will at any one time. Instead, the revelation came gradually, or "partially," to many different men over a long period of time. But verse 10 tells us that, "when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." "That which is perfect" means that which is complete or has all of its parts. When God had fully revealed all the truth that He intended to reveal, then the revelation would be complete and the gift of prophecy would no longer be needed. So it would cease.

This may be compared to the process of building a house. As long as the house is only partially built, the carpenters hammer and saw in order to finish it. But when the house is complete, the hammering and sawing cease, because they are no longer needed. In the same way, direct revelation ceased when God's will for man had been fully revealed.

When did this happen? Speaking to the original apostles in John 16:13, Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth. This tells us that the complete truth was revealed to the apostles in the first century. This truth has now been recorded for us in the Bible. James 1:25 calls it the "perfect law of liberty." "That which is perfect" has come. And just as God predicted, when the Scriptures were completed, direct revelation ceased because it was no longer needed.

(c) Copyright David E. Pratte, 10/24/2007

Posted by bearingthecross at 10:21 AM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Kevin Cauley --Preacher Files

This past week I was having a conversation with a friend who is a member of a denominational church. She mentioned to me that she wanted to come visit us and that she had told her "pastor" that she was going to visit us. Her "pastor" asked who we were and my friend responded, "the church of Christ." The "pastor" said, "Are you sure you want to do that? Those folks are different!"

There are many members of the church today who would react negatively to that analysis. They would say, "Oh, we’re no different than any of the denominations around us." To these, it is an embarrassment that they are considered to be different by the denominations. These would want to change the church into just another denomination, to legitimize and acquire instrumental music, to destroy the autonomy of the local congregation, to call the preacher, "pastor", to get rid of the name "church of Christ," etc. until the church is no longer distinctive from those around us. However, that would not be the way of God or Christ.

We read in the scriptures that God has always demanding of his people that they be different. In Deuteronomy 14:2, Moses tells the children of Israel that they are different. He says, "For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth." The word "holy" means to be set apart, different. God wanted the children of Israel to be a "peculiar people." The new English Standard Version translates this phrase "treasured possession." Certainly something that is a treasured possession is different from everything else one has and is set apart.

In the New Testament as well, Peter quotes from this passage in Deuteronomy and applies it toward "Spiritual Israel" – Christians. Peter writes, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9). God wants us, as Christians, to be different. Paul writes to Titus these words regarding Jesus, "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" Titus 2:14). Jesus died so that we could be different. We read in 2 Corinthians 6:17-18: "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." In order to be God’s children, the church must be separate, distinct, unique, different.

So, are we different? Yes, we are, and I am glad that we are. Today we live in a time when denominations around us are conforming to the world. We hear of denominations who condone abortion, homosexuality, fornication, and adultery. The church of Christ does not condone such activities because God’s word condemns these things. Instead of conforming to the way that the world would have the church, the church ought to be demanding of individuals that their lives be transformed through repentance and renewal of mind. In Romans 12:2 we read, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Are we different? Yes, we are. We are different because we have been transformed by Christ to be a people who are holy, the children of God, separate from that which is sinful; different from the way the world would mold religion in its own image today. It is our differences from everyone else that define who we are as Christians. We should never be embarrassed of that! The world and the denominations may think us "strange" (1 Peter 4:4) but I wouldn’t have it any other way. One day, Jesus will return and all will bow and God will be glorified, not because of our similarities with the world, but because of our differences (Matthew 25:34).

Posted by bearingthecross at 11:50 AM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Today's devonational is the last part of the four part lesson on Philippians from the Truth for
the world webpage.

An excerpt: "PEARLS FROM PHILIPPIANS - 4

Today marks the final lesson in this series of lessons, each dealing with highlights from each of the four chapters of this great epistle of Paul to the Philippians. Chapter 4 might be described as a chapter which gives a formula for peace, a peace "which passes all understanding." Surely we all seek peaceful living; yet, do we seek it from the proper source?

Read the rest of the article here: http://www.tftw2.org/Articles/pearls4.htm

Posted by bearingthecross at 9:42 AM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Todays devonational is part 3 in of the lesson from Truth for the World, entitled: "PEARLS FROM PHILIPPIANS - 3"

Today we are looking at Chapter 3, a chapter that we might say deals with the theme of sacrificial living. Truly, if we are to please God and Jesus Christ his Son, it is only through a life of sacrifice.

The greatest sacrifice which was ever made was the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins, the shedding of His precious blood. This third chapter of Philippians, as we continue to look at some "Pearls from Philippians" is really a chapter that deals, to a great extent, with sacrifice. Paul talked about some sacrifices he made, some things he gave up, in order to become a follower of Christ. He said he didn't mind it at all: "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith" (Philippians 3:7-9).

* Read the rest of the article here: http://www.tftw2.org/Articles/pearls3.htm

Posted by bearingthecross at 9:59 AM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink