Several years ago, I preached in Beaumont Texas. Some of the college students who attended at the congregation also attended Lamar University. Those students set up a campus group called, “Lights at Lamar.” They did fantastic work sharing the gospel. They were able to set up some guest speakers to come and talk about the Bible. One of the presentations was led by a brother in Christ. His presentation was called, “Why These Books: A Study of the New Testament Books.” The objective of the study was to know whether the books we have in the New Testament are what God wanted us to have. Below are some summary points I made from listening to his talk, which was fantastic. While he went in depth, the information below is good to help aid you answer questions people have sometimes about the 27 New Testament books. Point 1: The Origins of the “Canon” Principle of Christianity began long before the third or fourth Century. Christianity began among the Jews. Many Jews would become Christians. The concept of authoritative texts was not new among those first Christians. The Jews already had a concept of a Canon (books recognized as scripture). Christianity began orally. The apostles and eyewitnesses began to spread the good news by mouth. About 25 years after the death of Jesus letters and writings began. As the apostles died off, the writings from the apostles and prophets would become important. The speaking and writing of the apostles were viewed as authoritative, 1 Corinthians 14:37, 15:1-4 ; 2 Corinthians 3:3, 13:3 . These texts automatically place boundaries of what would be authoritative. This began in the first century and not in the third or fourth century as many allege. In the first century we have examples like Peter describing Paul’s writings as scripture, 2 Peter 3:15-16 . Peter wanted Christians to read the writings of Paul. Among the earliest writings in the second century there was an implicit conscious authority of the New Testament writings. Point 2: The earliest non-New Testament writings attest to the fact that the apostle’s writings were authoritative. As the apostles died off, the next generation of Christians recognized that their own writings were not authoritative like the apostles and prophets. Examples of this are shown in writings like 1 Clement 42, 47 and Ignatius . This next generation kept the writings of Paul. They kept these writings because they knew there was something special to them. Early in the second century Christians recognized what was authoritative and what was not.     Point 3: To know whether we have the right books, we should consider Usage and not Lists. The apostles never left a list behind saying which books were to be considered a part of the Canon.  Many like to look at lists that were made beginning in the late second century. Many of these lists may have begun because of the forgeries that were popping up. The apostle Paul warned the saints in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 to not be disturbed by letter or word that claims to be from me. It appears that potential forgery may have begun in the first century. Instead of lists, we should consider what books were in ongoing use by the Christians. Based on a statistical analysis of what the early Christians cited, based on usage in citations, there is a clear picture that emerges. What we see is that from the apostolic fathers in the second century onward there was an early, clear core of what we now call the New Testament books that the early Christians depended upon. This would include the gospels, the major Pauline letters, and Acts. For the Jewish Christians the New Testament scriptures were used more than the Old Testament canon. There is also a clear distinction between the books that we have as the New Testament when compared to other books that were floating around. Point 4: There was a clear functional canon by the end of the second century. The clear functional canon that the early Christians used and quoted from and recognized as scripture were the four gospels, Acts, the Pauline epistles (including Hebrews), 1 Peter, 1 John, and Revelation for a total of 22 books. Other books like James, 2 and 3 John, 2 Peter, and Jude were used and referenced also, but not as much as the other 22. These writings may not have been used as much because they were shorter.   Point 5: There is a clear break between the 27 New Testament books and all other writings. James, 2 and 3 John, 2 Peter, and Jude in the second century were sometimes described as disputed books. While these books were disputed, there is clear break between these books and others that were completely rejected. This means that there were 27 books that were clearly distinctive and recognized compared to other writings floating around, like the gospel of Thomas, the gospel of Barnabas, the gospel of Matthias, etc. This distinction was made well before the 3 rd Century. The church did not impose the canon. In 367 Athanasius made a list of books that has all 27 books that we have. However, this was not done to impose these books as canon. It was for the purpose of helping others to know that, based upon what history demonstrated, these 27 books were viewed as scripture. James, 2 and 3 John, 2 Peter, and Jude were accepted well before the third and fourth century as scripture. Point 6: How the canon came together should not be a concern for us. Sometimes people get nervous about the entire process of how we got the 27 books in the New Testament. Some wonder, “Why couldn’t God make the process easier?” Others say, “How can we really be sure?” There are a couple of things to consider. First, while there were false documents being floated around, even in the first century, there was always a core group of books viewed as scripture. Christians in the first century were able to distinguish the real from the fake, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 ; 2 Peter 3:14-15 . All of the crucial doctrines of Christianity are found in the core books and not in those that could be called “the edges of the canon”. Christians took seriously making sure that books (like James, 2 and 3 John, 2 Peter, and Jude) were indeed scripture. Second, what we learn is that God has always worked through history providentially. God works within history and through human processes. To Summarize: The Canon was not defined by the early church but rather recognized by the early church. The Core of the New Testament was recognized by the early second century. Don’t get caught up with the lists, but rather usage.  Focus on what early Christians were using. The canon emerged organically by usage and not by the church. Even when the Protestant Reformation broached the issue of the received canon in the 1600’s, the same 27 books were affirmed by all sides, both Protestant and Catholic. Note: The Protestant and Catholic churches are NOT the standard or authoritative: God’s word is! A Sampling of writers from the second Century who referenced or alluded to scriptures. 1 Clement ( ca. 95 ) : Clear reference to 1 Corinthians; alluded to Romans, Galatians, Philippians, Ephesians and Hebrews. Didache 8.2 ( ca. 100 ) : Clear reference to Matthew 6.  Ignatius ( ca. 110 ) : Showed awareness of Ephesians , Matthew , Luke , and John . Epistle of Barnabas 4:14 ( ca. 130) : Made an apparent allusion to Matthew 22:14. Justin Martyr 1 Apology 67 ( ca. 150-160 ) . Referenced how Christians on the first day of the week would read the memoirs of the apostles and writings of prophets. Iraneus ( ca. 170-180 ) : Showed knowledge of the four gospels, Acts, the entire Pauline epistles but Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 1 and 2 John, and Revelation.

Did you ever play Jenga? Generally, the point of the game is to continue to make a tower of wooden blocks taller and taller until one of the players inevitably causes it to fall over, all while taking blocks from lower in the tower and stacking them on the top. Eventually, the game ends because the foundation of the tower is gone. The structural integrity provided by the blocks literally disintegrates piece by piece until that one key block moves and everything falls apart.   God often uses metaphors related to buildings and houses to describe His strength and the protection provided to His people when they build upon His rock-solid foundation.   The House on the Rock One of the most notable examples of this language is the analogy Jesus gives in Matthew 7 , where He uses the example of a man building His house on sand as a demonstration of the foolishness of a reliance on any foundation other than God. Contrarily, the wisest way to “build a house” so-to-speak, is to build it on the foundation of Christ and His teachings.   Jesus makes clear that in order to “build our house” on Him, we must “hear and do” all of His words. Unfortunately, many today try to pick and choose which parts of the Bible they like and want to follow, or they just surround themselves with Biblical teaching but do not “do” the things that are commanded of them. In either of these scenarios, your house will fall down. There is no such thing as a house with half its foundation in the world and the other half founded on the Rock. As Jesus also said, “a house divided against itself cannot stand” ( Mark 3:25 ).   This passage directly correlates to Jesus’ interaction with Peter in Matthew 16 , when Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ and Jesus responds, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” ( vss. 17-18 ). Jesus makes clear in His commendation of Peter’s words here that the entire premise of the church is that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. With Christ as its foundation, the one true church is unwavering and immovable.   The Chief Cornerstone One of the most heartbreaking moments in Jesus’ ministry comes in the form of a parable He tells in the last week of His life, the parable of the tenants, found in Matthew 21:33-46 , Mark 12:1-12 , and Luke 20:9-19 . After telling this parable about wicked tenants who brutally murder their Master’s Son, Jesus quotes from Psalm 118:22-23 , which reads: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.” The implication behind this quotation in the context of Jesus’ parable is that because the nation of Israel had rejected God’s leadership and His representatives (i.e. the Prophets) for so long, it should come as no surprise that His Son, Jesus, would be rejected as well.    To drive this point home further, Jesus continues in Matthew 21 , “’Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.’ When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet” ( vss. 43-46 ). Clearly, the chief priests and Pharisees “got the memo” and did not like it at all. They knew that they were rejecting the chief cornerstone, and they understood the implications of what Jesus was teaching. Are we hard-hearted, stubborn, and quick to anger like these men, or are we constructing our lives on the foundation that the Chief Cornerstone laid out?   Living Stones Finally, Peter himself echoes Jesus’ words and Psalm 118 in 1 Peter 2 when he encourages the brethren to “grow up!” He says:   “So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” ( vss. 1-5 )   Continuing to build on Christ’s foundation, Peter encourages disciples to live in such a way that reflects Who is the foundation of their lives, and argues that our conduct is the clearest indicator of whether or not we are, in fact founded on the Solid Rock. Having Christ as our foundation means rejecting evil, maintaining our holiness, and putting the Father’s will above our own. If we do these things, no matter what rains, floods, temptations, or trials may come, we will remain solid as a rock.

"The Bible is such an old book. It's not really relevant to us anymore." This is a popular sentiment in today's world. The fact that the Bible was written over 2,000 years ago is, quite frankly, an excuse used by many to avoid having anything to do with it. Many will tell us, as Christians, that much of what the Bible teaches on topics like marriage, homosexuality, the roles of men and women, and a variety of other things are just not in line with the times and culture we live in. Sadly, they are correct. The Bible does not align with the views and ideals of the world today. However, that being said, let's be clear about one thing: The world is out of line, not the Bible. When Scripture was written by those whom God inspired, it was written to be everlasting, unchanging, and constant from that time forward. Psalm 119:89 – "Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens." Isaiah 40:8 – "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." God knew that the world would continue on after He gave us Scripture, and He never intended on sending us a "revised copy." God's word is firmly fixed, as Psalm 119 says. The teachings and commands laid out within it are just as applicable today as they were 2,000 years ago. "The world is changing. Shouldn't our religion change as well?" No. Scripture and the commands of God were never meant to be changed. We were. Romans 12:2 – "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind..." The purpose of our lives is to follow Christ and conform ourselves to His will above anything else—and Jesus isn't changing. He asks us to change. Hebrews 13:8 – "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Scripture gives us a constant and consistent guide as to what we are to be and how we are to live. The ever-changing world that we live in should have no bearing on who we are. Something else to realize is that the Bible speaks plainly on the very issues that people often point to to show the Bible's lack of relevance today. Matthew 19:4–6 - “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female…" 1 Corinthians 11:3 - “But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.” Romans 1:26–27 - “…their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women… committing shameless acts with men…” 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 - “…do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral… nor men who practice homosexuality… will inherit the kingdom of God.” So is the Bible still relevant? Absolutely! scripture gives us our only insight into the will of God for our lives and the specific instruction we must follow to enter in to heaven. Just because we don't like it, doesn't make it untrue. The Bible will always be relevant and will never require a revision. Stop trying to change Scripture when it was written to change you!

He was a bad person, and yet he was a good person. Little is known about his life. Yet, much can be learned from a few hours of his life that’s been recorded for us by the Holy Spirit. I’m referring to the man that we know as the thief on the cross. As Jesus died for our sins, we are introduced to two men who would also die on either side of Him. Like Jesus, these two men would die an excruciating death. Unlike Jesus, they died because of their sins. We read of these two unnamed sinners in the four gospels.  I have heard sermons in the past dealing with the thief on the cross. Yet, in those sermons the biggest point that was often discussed was whether we can be saved like the thief. There’s great reason to focus on this particular aspect of the story, because there’s a lot of false teaching on how one is saved today? Is it through a sinner’s prayer? NO! Is one saved after they are baptized? NO!  Is baptism necessary to be saved? Yes! Jesus says in Mark 16:16 “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved.” Peter would say the same thing in Acts 2:38 ! In 1 Peter 3:20-21 Peter says, “…baptism now saves you…” Anyone who uses the story of the thief on the cross to say that water baptism is not necessary for salvation is not properly handling the New Testament.   But I wonder if we have overlooked some valuable lessons from this thief. We don’t know his name, but we see the kind of character he had. As odd as it might sound, we can learn a lot from this man.   The Thief was a sinner. He is described as a robber, Matthew 27:38,44 . We don’t know what he stole, but it was enough to get him on a cross. Did he know the other guy who was on the cross for robbery? Had these two worked together? We don’t know.  However, we do know something about this robber. He spent a lot of his final breaths spewing out insults towards Jesus. He was insulting Jesus like the rest of the crowds, Matthew 27:38-44 . Remember, that it was the crowd who had been hurling insults at Jesus. Both thieves joined in this sinful behavior. Why was he joining in the crowd and insulting Jesus? We don’t know. This man was a sinner. While this point is obvious, it’s important and here’s why.  This sinner had a repentant heart. He initially insulted Jesus, but would turn from his sinful behavior, Luke 23:39-41 . This man would have a change of heart on his deathbed! There’s no contradiction between Matthew 27:44 where it says that both men insulted Jesus, and then what Luke said in Luke 23:39-40 . Matthew simply gave us some additional details. At some point in time this thief stopped his wicked behavior. So, what caused this man to repent? He may have repented because he was so convicted by the love of Christ. Do you think his heart was convicted when he heard Jesus say, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” Luke 23:34 ? Whatever the reason was we see a change in this man’s heart, Luke 23:40-41 . This repentant sinner asked to be with Jesus. The thief asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom, Luke 23:42 . This is fascinating isn’t it? Was it the sign that was above the head of Jesus that said, “THE KING OF THE JEWS” that convinced him that Jesus was a King and would establish His kingdom? That could be the case. Maybe it was what he heard others saying about Jesus, Matthew 27:42 . His request to Jesus however is powerful. Certainly, there are questions about how much He believed in God the Father, right and wrong, and the kingdom. But he did acknowledge his wrong. He did make a request to Jesus, Luke 23:42 .  Whether he had a good understanding of the kingdom or not, he wanted to be with Jesus in His kingdom. Thinking about what this man said may come across as amazing to us. Yet, how amazed do you think this man was when Jesus told him “Yes”! Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” Despite the thief’s past, despite his present behavior toward Jesus, this man was still loved by Christ. Paradise is the place where departed souls of the saved go in the Hadean world. This man was saved! This unnamed man would have his name in the book of life. Some Points To Take Home In many respects, we are just like the thief on the cross! We are sinners in need of God’s grace, Romans 3:23 . Like him we too deserve death! The thief believed Jesus had the power to save. We must believe in Jesus also. Like this thief, we need to repent, Luke 13:3-5 . This man’s heart changed. So must ours. The thief acted before it was too late.  We need to do the same. Only Jesus could save this man. Only Jesus can save us! Do you want to be saved? Then listen to Jesus, Mark 16:16 .  We must be baptized in water for the forgiveness of sins. Yet, many disagree that baptism is necessary because the thief wasn’t baptized. We know that Jesus had power on earth to forgive sins, Mark 2:10 . He had the power and authority to forgive sins on earth any way He chose. Jesus still has the power to forgive sins. Yet, He is in heaven, and while He will forgive sins, it will be according to the terms He left His apostles as He sent them out to save men, Mark 16:15-16 . We will simply need to trust His terms! Why would you want to argue with Jesus? Conclusion: The thief followed Jesus in the last moments in his life. What will you do with this moment? Jesus could save a thief, and Jesus can save us. Are you willing to trust in His words?

“I am not religious, but I know I am a pretty good person, so I am okay.”   This is a sentiment we hear all too often in today’s world. People have their personal views of virtuosity or morality that are informed by pop culture, politics, or the general worldview of their friends and family. Is virtue really this arbitrary and flexible? What does it mean to live a good, virtuous life according to the Bible?   Merriam-Webster defines “virtue” as “conformity to a standard of right” or “a particular moral excellence.” Both of these secular definitions can help inform what the general consensus is on what exactly virtue is. The first definition, for example, indicates that being virtuous involves conforming to a standard, but the obvious question is “which/whose standard?” This is precisely the issue with a postmodern, relativistic view of morality. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard someone say something along the lines of “well, they are not hurting anyone so they can do whatever they want.” What a low bar for what is considered good! As long as no one comes away harmed, everyone can do whatever they want! I would venture to say most people, if they were to take a step back and think about the implications of a world where everyone did whatever they wanted to do, would see how that line of thinking could easily get out of hand. How then, does the Bible describe virtuous living?   Peter speaks extensively about Christian living in 2 Peter 1 , where He describes the way in which God has called us to share in “His own glory and excellence”—a reminder of our dictionary definition—and how we have escaped/been rescued “from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire” ( vss. 3-4 ). Jesus came to this world to humble Himself to die on the cross and be raised up not only in His bodily resurrection, but back to the glory of Heaven! Peter uses this image of Christ’s glory to explain why Christians should demonstrate moral excellence in their lives:   “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins” ( vss. 5-9 ).   Peter gives Christians a list of the types of qualities they should be exemplifying in their lives, including virtue that is built on faith. This means in part that the way we act is directly informed by who Jesus is. Peter continues to say that our morals should also lead us to want to know Christ better, demonstrate self-control, and steadfastly follow Him. All of this eventually culminates in love. In short, moral excellence is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself” ( Luke 10:27 ). Ultimately, our devotion to God will be demonstrable not because we say all the right things in a deceitful way, but because we take extreme care to be honest, loving, and humble in all circumstances. Notice how harshly Peter talks about those who claim Christ but do not live this way: they are “so nearsighted they are blind.” That is to say, if we are only focused on ourselves and our status of “righteous,” but neglect our calling to continue to demonstrate that righteousness meekly and consistently, as Jesus did, we have totally lost it! This is why Peter encourages the brethren in verse 10 to be “all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.”   Peter is abundantly clear: if we do not want to lose our souls and “fall from grace,” so-to-speak, we must be people who speak kindly, carry themselves humbly, and obey God faithfully. We must resist all temptations to lie, deceive, lust, gossip, or anything else ungodly at all costs.   The good news is, other Christians are there to help us! Just as Peter reminded the first century Christians of these things both by writing to them and “stirring them up” in person, we too, should be surrounding ourselves with godly, virtuous examples that make us strive for excellence better and better every day.   While the Bible’s standard for virtue and morality is much higher than the worlds, but our Savior showed us the way, promised to be with us, and gave us each other to lean on.

Have you ever known someone who was endlessly negative for no reason? Or maybe they had a reason, but their pessimism or cynicism seemed to far outweigh the circumstances they find themselves in. I would imagine we all know someone we would describe as a “Debbie Downer” or “Negative Nelly.” Maybe that person is us! We can sometimes look at a situation around us or be frustrated by something in our lives and be tempted to despair. The Bible repeatedly warns against “grumbling, complaining, and disputing,” but does that mean we are never allowed to be upset ever? Certainly not. Let’s look at a few examples.   Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians from a prison cell. In this letter, he is clear-eyed about the pros and cons of his situation, and writes to them: “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise, you also should be glad and rejoice with me…”   I don’t know about you, but I cannot think of anything that would make me more sheepish than an apostle who had endured as much suffering as Paul writing me a letter from prison telling me not to whine or complain! Paul’s positivity despite his circumstances is infectious in his Philippian letter, and he does not at all complain about his imprisonment, but rather expresses gratitude for the opportunity to tell his fellow inmates and guards about Jesus ( 1:12-14 )! It is clear throughout Paul’s life that he is optimistic at every turn about the ways the gospel is advancing and the hope that he has in Christ despite whatever he is going through in his life. As he states so poignantly in Romans 8:18 , “[f]or I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” We are eagerly awaiting something eternally better than any of the negative that this world could throw at us. In the words of the author of Hebrews, quoting from Psalm 118:6 , “the Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” In other words: we belong to God and He is watching out for us; what is there to complain about?   To put it bluntly: God’s people are not whiners!   However, I want to be clear: there is nothing wrong with experiencing sorrow, loss, and heartbreak, and sharing those things with God. There was nothing wrong with Job sitting on the ash heap, devastated and silent. There was nothing wrong with the Psalmist in Psalm 88 pouring out his heart to God and nothing at all positive coming to mind at the time.  There was nothing wrong with David weeping, fasting, and desperately praying that his child would live when God told him that he would not. There was, however, a major issue with Job’s wife’s response to their great loss being “curse God and die” ( 2:9 ). There was, in fact, a problem with Jonah being angry with God for extending His great mercy to the Ninevites. There is an issue with, like Sarah, laughing in God’s face when He promises to do something remarkable and unexpected. It is sinful, in fact, to be so ungrateful for God’s former deliverance and provision that we gripe and blame and despair when we are required to have patience or do not get our way immediately, like the Israelites in the wilderness.   Despite the fact that God certainly wants us to cry out to Him in times of trouble, we should never be the type of people who complain in a way that is rooted in bitterness, ungratefulness, or disdain for our fellow man. We are to demonstrate the fruit of the spirit—“love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control”—and always speak graciously, in a way that is “seasoned with salt” ( Galatians 5:22-23 , Colossians 4:6 ). As we see so powerfully demonstrated in the life of Paul, the Christian life is one rooted in thankfulness for immeasurable forgiveness, innumerable blessings, and ultimately, eternal life.   With the cross behind us and heaven before us, how could we complain?

If I were to ask you who Noah was, what would your answer be? If you’re like me—or like many others—you’d probably say, “Oh, he’s the guy who built the ark!” But what if I followed up with: Tell me something else about him. Once we point out that Noah built the ark… what else do we really have to say about him? The Bible certainly has more to say. Take a look at Hebrews 11:7 : “By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” Are you familiar with this verse—or at least the chapter? Hebrews 11 is often called the “Hall of Faith.” It’s a list of men and women who stand out key individuals when it comes to faithfulness to God. So if Noah is listed among them, why is it that the only thing we usually remember about him is the ark? Noah was one of 16 people highlighted in Hebrews 11 .  Clearly, there was a lot right about his life. Clearly, he is a great example for anyone who seeks to follow God. Noah’s Obedience Was Complete Noah wasn’t just a builder—he was obedient to every command God gave: Genesis 6:22  – “He did all that God commanded him.” Genesis 7:5   – “Noah did all that the LORD had commanded.” Genesis 6:14–16  – God gave specific instructions: three decks, one window, one door—and Noah didn’t add or subtract a thing. Noah respected God’s Word enough to follow every detail. He didn’t modify, question, or improve on God’s plan. He simply obeyed. We may not be called to build arks, but we are called to follow God’s commands with the same respect and precision. He Obeyed Through The Unknown Think about how wild the request must have sounded: “Build a massive boat to survive water falling from the sky and flooding the earth.” Yet Noah did it. The ark was 450 feet long , and building it likely took years. He gathered animals, prepared food, and stayed committed—all while probably being mocked. And he did it all alone . Genesis 6:12–13  says the world was corrupt, but God found favor with Noah and saved only his family. He Was a Preacher in a Wicked World 2 Peter 2:5  calls Noah a preacher of righteousness . We don’t have a record of what he said, but you can imagine the ridicule he faced. People likely saw him as crazy as he warned of an impending world-wide flood. But Noah stood firm—even when no one else did. He obeyed fully, unconditionally, and from the heart. After the flood, Genesis 8:20  says he built an altar in thankfulness, and Hebrews 11:7  notes he was “moved with godly fear.” Final Thoughts Noah wasn’t just an ark builder—he was a man of total obedience. He did all God commanded, without question, even when it was hard, even when it meant being alone. Today, God isn’t asking us to build a boat, but he would expect the same kind of Obedience.

A brother in Christ recently did a search on our website and noticed that there’s not a lot of content on finding a spouse, dating, or the qualities one needs before marriage. Last year, we had our first singles Bible study weekend, which was fantastic! Lord willing, we’re having another one in the summer. You can find info on that event HERE I want to begin doing some more blogging on some of these topics. Right now, I want to share some questions for singles who are considering marriage should be thinking about with the person they are dating and/or by themselves as they prepare for marriage. Marriage is a blessing from God, Genesis 2 . Marriage is to be a life-long commitment! Therefore, it’s important to consider some questions and go back to God’s word before one says, “I Do!” I haven’t gone into detail about each question. There are some Bible passages for one to sit down and study on their own. Be sure that you begin with pray as you think about marriage. Questions to consider Do you both have the right to be married? Consider Matthew 5:32; Matthew 19:1-12; Luke 16:18; Mark 10:1-12; 1 Corinthians 7 . Do you both understand the lifelong commitment marriage is, Romans 7:2-3 ? Do you both understand the one reason for divorce, Matthew 19:1-11 ? How good are you two at forgiveness, Matthew 6:14-15 ? Is it challenging or easy to do? How was forgiveness shown in your home growing up? Are you a morning person or a night owl? Do you both understand marriage is a leaving of father and mother and a cleaving to one another? Genesis 2:22-25 What are your current Bible study habits? 2 Timothy 2:15; Acts 17:11 What are your current habits with prayer and meditation? Philippians 4:4-8 Have you two currently been studying together? What spiritual goals do you both have? Where do you plan to place membership and worship? Have there been discussions regarding children? Are there any addictions that need to be shared between the two of you? (Drinking, drugs, porn, smoking, overspending, gambling, etc.). If so, what are your current plan of actions overcoming and being victorious in Christ? How many bank accounts do you plan to have? Have you discussed money budgeting? How do you two communicate? Passive? Aggressive? Blow up because you hold everything in? Have you discussed any previous sexual interactions/experiences you’re bringing into the marriage that haven’t been discussed? What part of your spiritual armor needs to be worked on, Ephesians 6:10-17 ? What’s your game plan after you say “I do” to help keep passion alive between the two of you?

When looking at the 10 commandments given by God to Moses on Mt. Sinai in Exodus 20 , 9 out of the 10 of them sound pretty good to us. You may have even heard general references to obeying all 10 of the 10 commandments as a benchmark for sound Biblical living; and yet, one of them states:   “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy” ( vss. 8-11 ).   This may cause us to ask, “what do I do with the Sabbath day?” “Am I allowed to work?” “What is meant by ‘work’?” “The other 9 I keep, but what about the Sabbath?” Let’s take a moment to understand the history of the Sabbath, the New Testament fulfillment of the Sabbath, and what it means to us today.   You may think that the aforementioned passage from Mt. Sinai is the first time we see the seventh day of the week treated as holy, but as you can see in the quote from Exodus 20 , the idea of the Sabbath originally comes from creation week, recorded in Genesis 1 and 2. The Bible teaches that God created the world in 6 days, and rested on the 7th. To be clear, this is not to say God was resting as in recuperating from exhaustion, but rather He “stopped” or “ceased” from His work, as the word shabat can also be translated, and gloried in all that He had created. Then, if we fast-forward to Mt. Sinai, God commanded the nation of Israel to maintain the holiness of the Sabbath as established on the seventh day of creation week. Dishonoring this commandment was evidently one of the many reasons given for the people going into captivity, as indicated in Isaiah 58:13-14 : “If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” It is clear that God took the 10 commandments seriously—He has always taken ALL of His commandments seriously—but this still leaves the question: what about today?   There are several passages that indicate that we are “no longer” under the Old Law ( Galatians 3:24-25 ). In fact, the books of Hebrews and Galatians for example, are dedicated entirely to showing the superiority of Jesus to the Old Law, and how His death burial, and resurrection have made certain Levitical laws like observation of the Sabbath, animal sacrifices, and circumcision, “obsolete” ( Hebrews 8:13 ). The apostle Paul also makes clear in the book of Romans that “Christ is the culmination of the law,” meaning that in Him, as He said Himself, the Law of Moses is “fulfilled,” not “abolished” (i.e. Romans 10:4 , Matthew 5:17-20 ). While many rules fundamental to Mosaic law—the other 9 commandments, for example—are mentioned in and part of the New Law, Jesus fulfilled the Law of Moses and established a new one with His blood. Also, by being raised on the first day of the week, He shifted the focus from the completion of creation on Saturday to the completion of Jesus’ mission on Sunday. That is why we see the saints throughout the New Testament gathering together on Sundays, which we still observe today. So does the Sabbath have any relevance at all now? If we do not have to rest on Saturdays now, is there anything we should be doing in modern times that is similar to the observance of the Sabbath seen in the Old Testament? Consider the following:   Spend one-on-one time with God . Part of the focus of the Sabbath was to rest from work, but another part was to focus on God. Now, any time of any day of the week can be dedicated to Bible reading, prayer, and meditation on God’s Word. This certainly does not need to be limited to Saturday, or even Sunday. In fact, as I have heard some say, “you should hear from God and He should hear from you every single day.” That is a great rule to live by!   Gather with the saints on Sunday . There seems to be a cultural push these days away from assembling in a church service setting or with a local body of believers and towards individualized religion and a personal relationship with God. “Church is just too full of hypocrites” or “judgmental people” some may say. I talked to a man recently who said he went fishing on Sunday mornings and sitting on a quiet lake was the closest to God he ever felt. How sad! Hebrews 10:25 tells us to “not neglect the meeting of yourselves together” and the New Testament continually outlines the benefits of spending time with the saints. Sunday is called the Lord’s Day for a reason. Make the effort to get to services! It is beyond worth it.   “Strive to enter that rest.” Hebrews 4:1-13 talks extensively about a Sabbath rest that is available to us and waiting for us when we die, assuming we have lived faithfully. The author of Hebrews talks extensively about the multitude of ways the Old Testament was fulfilled in Jesus, and exactly how Jesus supersedes all of the Old Law. In part, the Holy Spirit tells us: “Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it…For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, ‘As I swore in my wrath, “They shall not enter my rest,”’ although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works…”Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience…So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience” ( vss. 1, 3-4, 6, 9-11 ).   Just as the people of Israel failed to obey the Sabbath laws and completely conquer/inherit the Promised Land in the Old Testament, it is possible for us too to “fail to enter” the promised rest God has in store for us in Heaven. We can all understand the desire for peace, rest, and joy when this life is over. In order to achieve that, “let use fear” God and obey His commands, using the failures of the Israelites as a negative example and the glorious promises of God as our motivation. While we do not observe the Sabbath on Saturdays anymore, we are observed to worship the Lord on Sundays and eagerly expect to be with Him forever one day…one Eternal, restful, perfect day.

Have you ever had someone break a promise they made to you? Have you ever broken a promise you made to someone else?   When I was little, I had a friend who almost every day would say he was going to play with me at recess. Often, though, we would get to the playground and he would leave to do something else with someone else and he would look back and say, “I didn’t promise!” That’s a pretty pitiful picture of a pretty bad friend, isn’t it?   I often think of that friend when I read Jesus’ words in the sermon on the mount, where He says “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil” ( Matthew 5:33-37 ). Jesus could say something like that because He was the ultimate Truth Teller and Promise Keeper. Even during His trial, when lying or backpedaling would likely have saved His life, He dug into the truth about who He was and where He came from. When pressured to deny who He was or admit to being something He was not, “ He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth ” ( Isaiah 53:7 ).   This notion of God keeping His promises is something that we consistently see throughout scripture, and that is precisely the point: consistency. Ever since the beginning of time, God has kept His promises, most notably, the 3 major promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: that their lineage would become an innumerably large nation, they would enter a land flowing with milk and honey, and that through his seed there would come a Savior, through whom “all the nations of the earth” would be “blessed” ( Genesis 12:1-3 ). The Bible shows us exactly how God ends up fulfilling those promises in incredible ways.   Nation – In Genesis 15, God gives Abraham the impossible task of numbering the stars, not so that Abraham would actually be able to report back (as if God does not already know how many stars there are!), but to illustrate just how large his family would end up being. God later uses “the sand of the sea” as a similar analogy, again driving home how many offspring He would have. We know from the book of Exodus that 70 of Abraham’s relatives entered the land of Egypt and 600,000 left, with some estimates putting that closer to 2 million people including women and children. That is already quite the large family! Out of curiosity, I Googled how many Jewish people have lived since Abraham’s time. The result? “It is difficult to determine!” Abraham has had so many offspring, and so much has happened since that time it is literally impossible to know. God keeps His promises!   Land – God also promises the land of Canaan to Abraham in Genesis 15, and even lays out what would come to be hundreds of years of history of how the land would be acquired. We know from the book of Joshua, though, that unfortunately, the Nation of Israel failed to conquer the land. God brought them out of Egypt and into Canaan, but they did not demonstrate the faithful obedience of their grandfather Abraham as they tried and failed to take the land. To be clear: God kept His promise, but the people refused to listen to God faithfully. Do we find ourselves in the same position: relying on God to do everything for us, but not listening to how He wants us to act? The book of Joshua paints a devastating picture of just how cataclysmic a failure to obey God can be. When He outlines punishments for disobedience in Deuteronomy 28 for example, He keeps those promises as well!   Savior – Ephesians 2:4-9 poignantly explains just how Jesus fulfilled God’s promise to Abraham that “all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him” (Genesis 18:18). Paul writes: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” What immeasurable blessings we have in Christ, just as God promised Abraham would be the case!   Now, in the time we live in, Jesus has promised us that He is coming soon (See John 14:1-3 ). We may be tempted to lose focus on this promise because it was made so long ago from a human perspective, but was we have well established, God always keeps His promises.   May we always remember and take courage from the fact that we serve the Great Promise-Keeper, who is infinitely more reliable than any man could ever be. As Hebrews 10:25 ? Simply reminds us: “He who promised is faithful…” or as John puts it in Revelation 22:20 :   “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’   Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”

A sister in Christ in Southeast Texas first mentioned to me T.A.G. I believe she read it in a book. It means, Time Alone with God. Time as some have said is our greatest commodity. We get the same amount of time. We know how much we will have each day. But what are we doing with it? The Apostle Paul says, “…Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Ephesians 5:15-17 How we handle our time will be a critical factor with the battle of the flesh versus the spirit. We know what we’re supposed to do and who we’re supposed to be as Christians, Galatians 5:16-21 . Yet if we’re going to be successful, we will need time to develop our relationship with God. This is where the battle begins to be lost. It’s not that we don’t have enough time, but rather how we use it. Christians need time with one another, Hebrews 10:23-25 . We are told not to forsake the assembly. Yet time alone with God to study His word and to talk to Him is just as necessary. Sometimes Christians complain how they feel God is distant from them. Have you ever felt this way? The problem is never with God, but rather with us. The problem may be with our time management, and how much of our time we give to Him. Let’s consider a few thoughts about the importance of time alone with God. Everyday we need to T.A.G. The WHY : God wants a relationship with us and expects us to make time for Him. The scriptures provide us with examples of how we are to use our time. This would include working hard, teaching our children the truth, helping others physically and spiritually, resting, and enjoying the fruit of our labors, Ephesians 4:28, Ephesians 6:1-4; Galatians 6:10; Mark 6:31; Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 . We can’t leave out worshipping God! As we set aside time alone with God, we will be pleasing to Him. Just as a child wants to be pleasing to their parents, we should seek to do what’s pleasing to God. He takes pleasure in those who are faithful to Him, Haggai 1:8 . People go to great lengths to make sure that others are happy with them. Should we not also be concerned about pleasing God? The HOW : There are several habits Christians should develop. We need to learn to read God’s word consistently . While we should read to gain information, God’s word is about transformation. Our hearts should continue to be changed by it. We need to read to remember . God’s word is designed to be hidden in our hearts, Psalm 119:11 . Like the Kings of old were to make copies of the Law for themselves (Deuteronomy 17:18), it’s good for Christians to have some kind of process to help retain what they read. Maybe it’s making your own copy of God’s word that you write out. Maybe it’s flash cards to help you memorize and remember. Whatever you decide to do, it will take a lot of time alone with God. It will force us to make time in our schedule to listen to God through His word. We need to develop a prayer routine. We are told to pray without ceasing. Disciples of Jesus can pray to Jesus anytime. We do have examples in scripture like Daniel, who set time aside to pray three times a day, Daniel 6:10 .  Jesus woke up early to go and pray, Mark 1:34-35 . He would often slip away to pray, Luke 5:16 . Should we not do the same? To help with our prayers, study prayers in the Bible. Start in the book of Psalms! Conclusion: We have all the time we need to spend alone time with God. The question is, will we do it? The good news is that we can begin right now! As one person said, “Busy is a decision.” Let us never be to busy to spend time alone with God!

My mom often talks about how tough it was to take my sister and I out in public together when we were young because we always stirred each other up. Even now, when we are together, we tend to be louder and more obnoxious as a duo than we are separately. In a way that is relatively harmless, and at worst slightly annoying to those around us, we “stir each other up.”   Separately, we might think of people that “stir things up” as instigators. My in-laws called my wife “the instigator” growing up because she knew how to press her older brother’s buttons and so often and on purpose. She knew how to frustrate him and make him mad! I would imagine many of us have in one way or another, even as adults, either “stirred” or “been stirred” (or, more likely, both). Especially with people we know well, we know what motivates them, either by encouraging them to be better or stubbornly opposing them in some way to provoke some form of determination from them. While these types of “tactics” can unfortunately be abused and turn into outright manipulation, the Bible not only warns against negative provocation, but demands positive motivation as well.   In Proverbs , we find the language of “stirring things up” multiple times. ·  10:12 – Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. ·  15:1 – A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. ·  15:8 – A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention. ·  28:25 – A greedy man stirs up strife, but the one who trusts in the LORD will be enriched. ·  29:22 – A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression.   Notice how often being “stirred up” is used as a negative! Specifically, we see the idea of stirring up strife emphasized. God ultimately wants peace on earth, and Jesus, also known as “The Prince of Peace,” said that His followers would be peacemakers ( Isaiah 9:6 , Matthew 5:9 ). While there are certainly times that we should and must disagree with people, oppose sin, and there may be unavoidable drama in our lives, we as much as we are able, should live peaceably with all ( Romans 12:18 ). Solomon mentions multiple time the wisdom in neutralizing conflict rather than inflaming it. It is safe to say all of us likely know someone who seemingly makes every situation worse with their temper—almost like superheroes with super strength in the comics who break everything they touch. If we are the type of people who easily get stirred up, we need to be extremely cautious that we do not fall into sin because our temper got the better of us.   On a positive note, the author of Hebrews demands that Christians be stirring one another up “to love and good deeds.” This too is a type of animation and motivation we can understand on a practical level. Hopefully, when we see something that needs to be fixed or taken care of, we are “stirred up” to be the one to find a solution or some other way to serve. The author of Hebrews goes on to remind his audience of the importance of spending time with the local body, i.e. “meeting together,” not only in the organized worship assembly but by implication perhaps, spending time together outside the assembly as well (as described in Acts 2:42-47 , for example). When we assemble together to worship God as brothers and sisters in Christ, there is motivation and encouragement found there that is not found anywhere else. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we all realized how disheartening isolation could be, and yet at times God’s people may still avoid contact with like-minded brethren. This dynamic speaks directly to the point of the author of Hebrews’ words here: as God said before creating Eve, “it is not good for man to be alone” ( Genesis 2:18 ).   Finally, in Hebrews 10:24 , the author of Hebrews implies that part of our fundamental motivation for “stirring each other up to love and good deeds,” is the fact that there is a “Day drawing near” where each of us will be called to give an account of what we have done in this life. Matthew 24:36 , 42 , and 44 read:  “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only…Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming…Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”   Jesus makes abundantly clear that He is coming back and when He does, He expects His children to be ready. In the meantime, as we wait, we must avoid stirring up strife and hatred, and stir each other up positively, encouraging each other to hold on to the hope of Heaven and live in a way that is pleasing to the Father, as we see the Day drawing near.   May we forever continue to stay stirred up, and never settle.