In Matthew 21:28–32 , Jesus tells a short parable with a big punch. It’s directed straight at the chief priests and elders in the temple—religious leaders who were challenging His authority. They had just tried to trap Him with a question: “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Instead of answering directly, Jesus countered with His own question about John the Baptist’s ministry. Realizing that any answer would make them look bad—either to Jesus or the people—they opted for the safe, noncommittal answer: “We don’t know.” Jesus refused to answer them… but He didn’t stop talking. Instead, He said, “But what do you think?” and launched into this parable. The Parable A man had two sons. He told the first, “Go and work in the vineyard today.” The son said, “I will not,” but later changed his mind and went.The man told the second son the same thing. This son replied, “I go, sir,” but never actually went. Jesus’ question to the religious leaders was simple: “Which of the two did the will of his father?” They answered, “The first.” And they were right. Then came the sting: Jesus told them that tax collectors and prostitutes would enter the kingdom of God before them—because those sinners, like the first son, had once rejected God but later repented and obeyed. The religious leaders, like the second son, said the right words but refused to actually do what God commanded. What’s the Lesson for Us? 1. God Has Called Us to Work In the parable, the father sends his sons to work in his vineyard. Spiritually, God has called His people to work for His kingdom—not just in the “church building,” but in the world. That means sowing the seed of the gospel, serving others, and making disciples. John 9:4 reminds us, “We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.” There’s an urgency to the work—our time is limited. 2. It’s Not About Where You Start The first son started wrong—saying “no” to his father’s request—but he turned around and obeyed. The second son started with the right words, but never followed through. Jesus’ point is clear: it’s not your starting point that matters; it’s where you finish. Repentance and obedience matter more than a history of religious appearances. 3. Saying It Isn’t Doing It The second son is the perfect picture of empty religion—saying the right things, wearing the right labels, showing up in the right places, but not actually doing the Father’s will. Sadly, this happens today. Some claim Christianity as a cultural identity but don’t live it out. Others attend worship faithfully but never engage in the work of the kingdom. Jesus says, “That’s not going to happen.” Calling yourself a Christian without obeying Christ is like promising to work and then walking away. 4. Our Words Are Commitments When we became Christians, we made a vow—publicly declaring that Jesus is Lord. Ecclesiastes 5:4–5 warns: “When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow.It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.” God takes commitment seriously. Better not to promise at all than to promise and not follow through. A Self-Check If following Jesus feels “easy,” it might be time to examine whether we’re actually working in His vineyard. Jesus said following Him means taking up a cross, facing opposition, and sacrificing for the sake of the gospel. So ask yourself: Am I actively doing the Father’s will, or just saying I will? Do my actions match my confession? Am I serving in the kingdom with urgency and purpose? The Bottom Line The Father is still asking His children to go and work in His vineyard. The question is not, “Will you say yes?” but “Will you actually go?” It’s not our talk, reputation, or religious appearance that pleases God—it’s our obedience. And just like in Jesus’ day, the reward goes to the one who actually does what the Father says.

Is It A Sin To Be Cremated? No! There is no scriptural evidence that one sins if they decide to be cremated. There is no scriptural evidence if a family decides to have a loved one cremated, that they have committed sin. A person may have a preference with what they want to happen after they die. That is a personal decision one has to make considering a number of factors including cost and location. However, one’s soul is not in danger of being condemned if they decide to be cremated.   Let’s see what we can learn about death, the body, and cremation from the scriptures. The Bible teaches that it is appointed for men once to die according to Hebrews 9:27 . Unless we are alive when the Lord returns, we will all experience death. Therefore, one should be concerned about their soul salvation. We learn from the book of Genesis that man was created from the dust of the ground, Genesis 2:7 . The Bible says, “Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” The Bible also teaches in Ecclesiastes 12:7 that “…Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it…” When we die, our bodies whether in a casket or through a cremation process will return to dust. We do have plenty of examples of individuals who were buried in scripture. Genesis 25:19-20 : “After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field at Machpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. So the field and the cave that is in it, were deeded over to Abraham for a burial site by the sons of Heth.” In Genesis 49:29 , Jacob said, “Then he charged them and said to them, ‘I am about to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite…” We have a unique example of King Saul and what happened to his body after he died in 1 Samuel 31:11-13 and in 1 Chronicles 10:11-12 . After the death of Saul and his sons, the Philistines found them, striped them, cut off Saul’s head and “…Sent them throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people. They put his weapons in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, all the valiant men rose and walked all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.” We find in Joshua 7:25 how Achan along with his family were stoned and then their bodies were burned. This was a result of sinful conduct Achan engaged in. In 2 Kings 23:16-20 , we find King Josiah burned the bones of pagan priests on their altars according to the word of the LORD. In Amos 2:1 it says, “Thus says the LORD, For three transgressions of Moab and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because he burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime.” A couple of thoughts to observe. 1.        The burning of bodies and bodies was often in unique situations of judgment and dishonor. 2.        The typical practice for Israelites, was a burial in a tomb or grave. In Conclusion: One day we will die. Some have died in the ocean and were never able to have a proper burial. Others have died in fires and all that remained may have been their bones. Others have died in horrific accidents where there are virtually no remains to bury or even to cremate. What will happen to them? When the Lord returns, all will rise according to John 5:28-29 . “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.” No matter what happens to these physical bodies, we all stand before God, we will all rise from the dead and spend eternity either in heaven or in hell. It is a personal decision whether one decides to be buried or cremated.

One of the biggest evangelism fears Christians have is this: “What if I say the wrong thing?” Or worse— “What if I fail?” But Jesus told a parable that speaks directly to that fear. It’s often overlooked, found only in Mark 4:26–29, and sometimes called The Parable of the Seed Growing Itself . And it reminds us of something freeing and powerful: The growth of the gospel is not your job. Your job is to sow the seed. The Parable in Context This short parable comes right after the well-known Parable of the Sower. In that one, Jesus teaches us about how different hearts receive the word—some reject it, some accept it for a time, and others grow deep and bear fruit. This second parable continues the same theme but shifts the focus. Now, Jesus emphasizes what happens after the seed is planted. Here’s the parable, from Mark 4:26–29 (ESV): “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come. ” What’s the Point? This farmer does his part—he scatters the seed. But once it’s in the ground, he goes on with life. He sleeps. He wakes. The seed grows—but not because of anything he does . In fact, Jesus says, “he knows not how.” The message is clear: the power is in the seed , not in the sower. The seed in this parable represents the word of God (just as it did in the previous parable). The sower is anyone who shares that word. And once the seed is sown—once the message is spoken or taught— its growth doesn’t depend on the skill or cleverness of the speaker . It’s easy to feel pressure when sharing the gospel. We worry about saying everything perfectly or knowing every answer. But this parable reminds us that God never asked us to cause the growth. That’s His part. Our job is simply to sow the seed —to share the message. We Don’t Control the Growth Jesus says, “The earth produces by itself.” The phrase in Greek is automatos —meaning the growth happens automatically, on its own. That doesn’t mean we’re careless or indifferent. Good sowers can still water the soil, tend to it -- i.e. answer questions, and encourage hearts. But at the end of the day, no one becomes a Christian because we made them . They become one because they heard the word, received it, and let it grow. You don’t have to dig up the seed to check on it. You don’t need to crack it open to speed things up. You don’t stretch the stalk to make it taller. You let it grow all on it's own. That takes patience . Sometimes the response takes days, weeks, or even years. But when the seed is planted in a good heart— “first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.” Growth takes time. The Harvest Will Come Eventually, Jesus says, the harvest comes. Some think this refers to judgment—and it may be. But more broadly, it’s the point at which the results are revealed. It’s the moment when the fruit shows whether or not the sowing was successful. And here’s the key: the sower is still not the one producing the fruit. He’s just the one who planted the seed and waited. So What Does This Mean for Us? It means we don’t need to fear sharing the gospel . We don’t need to wait until we know everything. We don’t need to stress about having just the right words. We just need to faithfully sow the word of God and trust that His power will do the growing . The seed is powerful.The word is living and active.And the soil—the heart of the hearer—is where the growth happens. So don’t be afraid to speak up. Don’t let fear of failure keep you silent. Sow the seed. And then—like the sower—go to bed. Go about your day. Trust God to do what He promised. The gospel works. God gives the growth. And your part is simply to plant.

This blog post idea came after one of our most recent Wednesday night Bible classes. We’ve had a number of brethren teach from the Proverbs. We studied Proverbs 6:16-19 where it says, “There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.” The question that was raised to me after class was, “God hates the shedding of innocent blood, but what about the firstborns who died in the days of Egypt?” In Exodus 11 , it says, “Thus says the LORD, about midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of the Pharaoh who sits on the throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; all the firstborn of the cattle as well… Exodus 11:4-5 Is this a contradiction? This is a question that can make people pause, especially those who may not be familiar with the context, character, and sovereignty of God. Let’s take a closer look. 1. God Can Do As He Pleases “Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.” – Psalm 135:6 God is not limited by human standards or subject to human judgment. He is the Creator, and as such, He has full authority over all creation. He is perfectly just, perfectly holy, and perfectly good in all His ways. His actions are not up for debate—they are righteous by nature. 2. God Is the Potter—We Are the Clay “But now, O Lord, You are our Father, we are the clay, and You our potter; and all of us are the work of Your hand.” – Isaiah 64:8 “Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” – Psalm 100:3 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” Revelation 4:11 Who are we to challenge the Potter? This isn’t an excuse to avoid tough questions, but it’s a necessary posture of humility when approaching divine matters. The clay doesn’t question the hands shaping it. 3. God Was Extremely Patient First The death of the firstborn was not the first plague—it was the tenth. God had shown plague after plague in mercy, power, and warning. Pharaoh’s heart remained hard. The people refused to repent. Their nation worshiped false gods, oppressed God’s people, and had countless opportunities to turn back. God’s judgment wasn’t rushed—it was restrained until the appointed time. 4. The Sins of One Can Negatively Affect Many We don’t always like this truth, but it is seen all throughout Scripture. Think of Achan in Joshua 7:21-26 —one man’s sin brought defeat upon the entire camp and his family. Likewise, Pharaoh’s stubbornness and rebellion brought devastating consequences upon his own people. Yes, sometimes the innocent suffers because of the sins of others. This is why leadership matters. This is why repentance matters. This is why obedience matters. 5. Were the Firstborn Babies? Not Necessarily When we read “firstborn,” many imagine infants or toddlers. That could be the case at times. But they could have been a teen, adult, or elder. The assumption that these were all babies is not supported by the text. We must be careful not to inject our own emotional images into the account without scriptural backing. 6. And Even If Some Were Young… This may be difficult to consider, but even if some were babies or young children, God is still just. He knows what’s ahead. In a nation so steeped in idolatry and rebellion, being removed early could even be seen—through a divine lens—as an act of mercy. This could also be said about the young who died in the days of the world-wide flood. This doesn’t sit well with modern ears. But God sees the beginning from the end. He knows the future paths of every soul. 7. God’s Ways Are Always Pure “The words of the Lord are pure words…” – Psalm 12:6 “The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds.” – Psalm 145:17 God is not like man. His judgments are never out of cruelty, spite, or vengeance as we know it. His ways are always driven by truth, holiness, and justice. That includes the judgment on Egypt’s firstborn. 8. His Thoughts Are Not Our Thoughts “'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord." – Isaiah 55:8 We must remember that God sees from eternity. He sees the full story. We only see a page. When we wrestle with hard things in scripture, it’s okay to ask questions—but we must also trust His character.

In my post two weeks ago , we looked at what it means to be a peacemaker. As children of God, we are called to reflect the character of our Father—and He is a God of peace. But if we’re honest, peacemaking isn’t always simple. Sometimes, standing for truth seems to put us in direct conflict with the very peace we’re trying to pursue. So how do we live as peacemakers without compromising the truth? Jesus Didn’t Always Bring Peace Jesus Himself tells us something surprising in Matthew 10:34–36 (ESV) : “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.” That sounds like the opposite of being a peacemaker. But Jesus isn’t contradicting Himself. In fact, this tension is the very reality He wants us to understand: truth sometimes causes division , even when our spirit is peaceful. Jesus is the ultimate peacemaker, yet He also brought a message that divided families, communities, and even nations. Why? Because the truth exposes sin, demands change, and confronts false beliefs. Not everyone welcomes that. We’re Still Called to Be Peacemakers Romans 12:18 (ESV) gives us a balanced approach: “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” We can’t control how others respond to the truth. But we can control our tone, our motives, and our love. Peacemaking doesn’t mean peace at all costs . It means doing everything we can to pursue peace—without compromising righteousness. When we stand for truth, we might still be hated. That’s not failure. Jesus prepared us for this in John 15:18–19 (ESV) : “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” Truth will often cost us something. But that doesn’t mean we abandon our peacemaking spirit. You can't always blame the gospel. There’s an important distinction we have to make. Just because someone doesn’t like us or receive our words well, doesn’t automatically mean we’re being persecuted for righteousness. Sometimes, people reject the gospel. But sometimes, people reject us because we delivered it poorly. As Jefferson Bethke put it in his book, “Sometimes people will hate us because we preach the same gospel Jesus preached, and sometimes people will hate us because we’re jerks. Let’s be careful not to do the second one and blame it on the first.” Just because we are speaking truth, it doesnt give us the right to be rude or to deliver the message in a way that is unnecessarily harsh with people. Our message being right does not justify us being rude to people. We need to check our hearts and ensure that we arent the problem. Are we sharing truth with gentleness and respect? Or with pride and self-righteousness? Being a Peacemaker Doesn’t Always Result in Peace Peacemaking and peacekeeping are not the same. Peacekeeping avoids conflict. Peacemaking steps into conflict with the goal of reconciliation. Romans 12:18 says, “if possible.” That phrase tells us something: peace isn’t always possible . You may reach out, forgive, explain your convictions lovingly—and still be rejected. That’s not on you. What matters is that you made the effort. That you loved sincerely. That you didn’t wait for the other person to come to you. That you took the first step. Truth First, but Always with Love Ephesians 4:15 (ESV) gives us the model: “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” Truth and love are not enemies. In fact, truth without love isn’t really truth —and love without truth isn’t really love. Peacemaking means holding both. It means caring enough to speak up, but also caring enough to listen, to weep, and to forgive. Final Thoughts Yes, we are peacemakers. That calling never goes away. But peacemaking doesn’t mean compromising the truth to avoid uncomfortable conversations or strained relationships. Jesus didn’t do that. The apostles didn’t do that. And neither can we. But even when truth creates conflict, we never stop loving , never stop hoping, and never stop trying to build bridges. We are people of truth—but we carry that truth in a spirit of peace. As Jesus said in the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” ( Matthew 5:9 , ESV)

My freshmen year at the University of Illinois I had a lot of questions. Questions like… a.    “Why am I almost failing Geology 117?” b.    “Why does the guy in the room next to mine eat so many Burger King Whoopers?” c.    “How can I get that girl to be interested in me?” d.    “Why does the Bible I just bought have 80 books in it?” My freshmen year I took a religious course. I was required to buy the New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha for the class. My first question was, “What is the Apocrypha?” I had learned that there are 66 books in the Bible, not 80. How come I had never heard of these books? How many books make up the Bible? Is it 66 or 80? I knew what Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:16 : “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” So are these Apocrypha books inspired? Let’s answer that question. Some Facts About The Apocrypha Books. Let’s first understand some facts concerning these books. The word “Apocrypha” means, “Things that are hidden.” This term in antiquity held an honorable significance as well as a derogatory one, depending upon the point of view of those who made use of the word. According to the traditional usage “Apocrypha” has been the designation applied to the 14 books, or portions of books, that are found in Catholic Bibles. These books are the following: (Tobit, Judith, The Additions to the Book of Esther ‘contained in the Greek version of Esther’, Ecclesiasticus or the Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach, Baruch, The Letter of Jeremiah, The Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Jews, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, 1 and 2 Maccabees, 1 and 2 Esdras, and The Prayer of Manasseh. Some of these books are historical, novelistic, didactic, devotional, epistolary, and apocalyptic. Depending upon how they are grouped there are either 14 or 15 books. It was the Catholic Church in 1546 A.D. at the Council of Trent that said that these books were “infallibly” pronounced to be part of the Canon (which books are the normative books for Christian faith and inspired). It was stated at this council, “ If anyone, however, should not accept the said books as sacred and canonical, entire with all their parts…and if both knowingly and deliberately he should condemn the aforesaid tradition let him be anathema (forever cursed) (Denzinger, SCD, number 784).” There are some who believe that there’s a strong argument to be made about these books. For example, it’s been said that… There are similarities between them and the New Testament text, 2 Maccabees 7,12. The New Testament quotes, mostly from the Greek Old Testament (LXX), which contained the Apocrypha. Therefore, this gives tacit approval of the whole text, including the Apocrypha. For some, the arguments seem to be solid. So, have we been missing something? Are These Books Inspired? The answer to the question is NO! But why? Consider the following facts. While there may have been allusions to the Apocrypha in the New Testament, there are no clear New Testament quotations from them--not once is there a definite quotation from any apocryphal book. While there are other quotations in the New Testament from outside sources (Acts 17:28) none of these are described as Scripture. The writers simply referred to a truth contained in these writings or statements. While there are no allusions to the Apocrypha as being scripture in the New Testament, that’s not the case with the other books in the Old Testament. Jesus and the other New Testament writers referenced 18 of the 22 Old Testament books, Matthew 19:4-5 ; 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 ; John 3:14 . The fact that the New Testament writers quoted from the Greek Old Testament in no way proves that the Apocryphal books contained in Greek manuscripts of the Old Testament are inspired. It’s not certain if the Greek (LXX) of the first century A.D. contained these books. The earliest Greek manuscripts that included them were in the 4 th Century. Even if they were, Jesus and the apostles never once quoted them although they are supposed to have been included in the very version of the Old Testament (the LXX) that they usually cited. The Jews had a good understanding of what was inspired and what was not, Deuteronomy 17:18 ; Nehemiah 8:1 ; Daniel 9:1-2 ; Jeremiah 26:18 ; Ezekiel 14:14 . They stored them carefully, Deuteronomy 31:26 ; Joshua 24:26 . In current Roman Catholic Bibles (NAB) they reveal that the Apocrypha are “religious books used by both Jews and Christians which were not included in the collection of inspired writings.” Instead, they “were introduced rather late into the collection of the Bible (see St. Joseph Edition of the New American Bible, 413). From a historical standpoint the Jews recognized that there were 22 books (equivalent to our 39) that made up the Hebrew Bible. These books were not recognized as scripture by the Jews, by Jesus Himself, by the apostles, or even by Jewish historians like Josephus. Even first century Christians recognized what was inspired writings, 1 Timothy 5:15-17 . Finally, when you start to read the Apocrypha, one will be able to take away that it’s not to be viewed as inspired. In 1 Maccabees 9:27 it says, “So there was great distress in Israel, such as had not been since the time that prophets ceased to appear among them.” What’s being said there? He’s saying that his words are to be viewed differently than from a prophet. Prophets were God’s spokesmen and were inspired. None of these books claim to have been written by prophets. There are no supernatural confirmations of any of the writers or what they said. There is no predictive prophecy, and in the Jewish community whose books these were, they acknowledged that the prophetic gifts had ceased in Israel (4 th century) before the Apocrypha was written! Case Closed! What is the conclusion to the matter? The Apocrypha books are not inspired books! Conclusion: The 66 books we have are the words of God, 2 Timothy 3:16 . The Spirit has preserved them for us. Therefore, let’s be sure that we know these books. Let’s trust what we have and let’s be confident that we are not missing any of God’s truth. Let’s embrace His truth and live it, John 8:32 . We will be judged by them on the last day, John 12:48-49 .

Peace is not just something God gives. It’s who He is. Scripture repeatedly calls Him the God of peace : Romans 16:20 says, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23 prays, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely.” Hebrews 13:20 describes Him as “the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant..." God is not passive when it comes to peace—He actively makes peace. And if that’s who He is, it has everything to do with who we’re called to be. How Did God Make Peace? The ultimate act of peacemaking is found in the gospel. Colossians 1:20 tells us that God reconciled all things to Himself, “making peace by the blood of His cross.” And 2 Corinthians 5:19 says, "...in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them.” In simple terms, God sought peace when we chose war . We rebelled, turned our backs on Him, and lived in opposition to His will. But instead of abandoning us, He pursued peace. Through Jesus, He reconciled us. He ended the confrontation between our sinful nature and His perfect, peaceful nature. The entire plan of redemption reaches its climax at the cross—where God made peace between Himself and us, not by ignoring sin, but by paying its price through His Son. That’s not just something God did. It’s who He is. Sons of God Have the Spirit of Peace And if that’s who God is, then His children will reflect that nature. Galatians 4:6 says, “Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” Romans 8:14 echoes this: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” So how do we become sons of God? John 1:12 says, “To all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God.” Galatians 3:26 adds, “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” Being a child of God isn’t about church attendance or spiritual background—it’s about trusting in Christ. But with that identity comes responsibility. If God is a peacemaker and we are His children, then we are called to carry His character. The Spirit He puts in us is a Spirit of peace. And if we are led by that Spirit, we will become peacemakers . Peacemakers Are Called Sons of God That’s why Jesus says in Matthew 5:9 , “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Peacemaking doesn’t earn you the title "son of God"—it reveals it. It shows who your Father is. Later in the same chapter, Jesus explains what peacemaking looks like. In verses 43–45 , He says: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” According to Jesus, peacemaking means more than staying out of conflict. It means loving your enemies, praying for your persecutors, and actively working to end hostility. It means following the example of our Father who loved us when we were enemies and brought us near. A Simple Step Toward Peacemaking Jesus gives us one especially practical way to begin: in Matthew 5:47 , He says, “If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?” This may seem small, but it’s often where peacemaking starts. Sometimes we go to great lengths to avoid people we don’t like. We might not be rude—we just won’t be nice. We might even justify it by saying, “I’m just keeping the peace.” But avoiding someone isn’t peacemaking—it’s avoiding peacemaking. It keeps the wall in place instead of trying to break it down. God didn’t just give us a nod from a distance—He gave His Son. If we’re His children, we can start with something as small as a hello. As John Piper put it, “Show as much courtesy as the enemy will tolerate.” That small step may not fix everything—but it opens the door to something greater. Final Thoughts If we are children of God, we carry His Spirit. And that Spirit leads us to peace—not just peace with God, but peace with others. It pushes us to reconcile, to forgive, to take the first step, and to love those who don’t love us back. Peacemaking isn’t always easy—but it is a mark of who we belong to. It’s a reflection of our Father. Start small. Start sincerely. Start with a hello.

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.