What must I do to be saved?

Eight years ago, Michael Black of Afton, Wyoming was diagnosed with dementia.  In recent years he has sometimes wandered from his home but each time was located within a few hours a short distance away.  Last month he was missing for more than two days.  He’s back home now, but the way he was found led one person to speculate that he has a guardian angel.

Black was located in Salt Lake City, Utah, about 200 miles from his Wyoming home, having apparently hitchhiked his way there.  Someone saw him at a bus station and offered him a ride to a local rescue mission.  Though it was later than the mission normally stayed open, they agreed to let him come in and stay.

A news crew came the next day to the mission to film guests being served Thanksgiving meals.  Back in Afton, Black’s wife turned on the late-night news and spotted her husband in the news clip.  Early the next morning, Thanksgiving morning, Black was picked up at the shelter and returned to his home.  His wife, Avril, reflected on how things had worked out: “Boy does he have some guardian angel looking after him!”

Is that the explanation of how Michael Black found his way back home?  Are there really guardian angels that watch out for people?

The world may scoff at the idea, but angels are real.  There are many accounts throughout the Bible in which they play prominently.  In Genesis 28:12 we read about Jacob’s dream: “Behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.”  We learn from Daniel 6:22 how Daniel survived a night in the den of lions: “My God send His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me.”  Angels are spirit beings who serve the Lord in powerful ways.

But is it true that an angel is assigned to each person who is born, invisibly accompanying them every step of their lives and acting to save them from deadly situations?  That’s the thought developed in the Christmas movie, “It’s A Wonderful Life”.  The angel Clarence rescued George Bailey from death.

The Bible doesn’t teach one guardian angel assigned to each person on earth, but it does say this in Hebrews 1:14: “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?”  That means that angels are (at least occasionally) sent to assist God’s people.  No specifics are mentioned in that passage, but the truth of angelic help is unmistakable.

God to use angels to sometimes help His people shows that our heavenly Father really does care about us.  He sends help in different forms when help is needed.

Come to the light God offers!  Study His word, the Bible.  Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24).  Get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss these ideas further.

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Timothy D. Hall

You have heard of the expression “cancel culture.” Wikipedia defines “cancel culture:” Cancel culture is a cultural phenomenon in which an individual thought to have acted or spoken in an unacceptable manner is ostracized, boycotted, shunned, fired or assaulted, often aided by social media. This shunning may extend to social or professional circles—whether on social media or in person—with most high-profile incidents involving celebrities. Those subject to this ostracism are said to have been “canceled”.

God’s people have nearly always endured “cancel culture.” You recall that during the days of the prophet Elijah, Queen Jezebel was killing prophets left and right because they were rebuking her for her idolatry and immoralities. The account is found in 1 Kings 18. She even put a price on Elijah’s head.

The Christians to whom Peter writes are being persecuted, “cancelled,” and could potentially face sometime more drastic. Peter writes them to stay faithful to Jesus Christ and His message and he wants to comfort them by stating that when they suffer, they participate in Christ’s sufferings and they will receive their reward.

SUFFERING FROM THE UNGODLY – 1 Peter 4:1-6:

Peter meditates on the sinful lives they had lived before, following the desires of the Gentiles (non-Christians), who live for the flesh and do not care for the will of God. Peter says enough time has been spent living like that.

Christians find sinful behavior troubling. But, those who do not respect Jesus Christ and His gospel are going to pay a high price one day. They will not escape punishment, especially if they abuse God’s children. God will judge the “living and the dead.” God will hold every accountable to His message of salvation (2 Cor. 5:10) and He will not overlook ignorance in this day and time (Acts 17:31), not with the Gospel so widely available now for people to read and study.

THE CHRISTIAN GLORIES IN HIS / HER SUFFERING – 4:12-19:

Peter warns Christians that suffering is not unusual for God’s people. For Christ’s people. Suffering is a part of the Christian experience. It is, in fact, a means of testing their faith and their convictions.

There is a difference between suffering unjustly as a Christian versus suffering justly as a sinner. Peter gives several types of sinners and then warns Christians not to be like them. The word translated “busybody” is related to the word for “bishop” or “overseer;” this word refers to “overseeing someone else.” That is, being a busybody.

When the world mocks the Christian’s convictions, when the world tries to “cancel” their preaching the truth, the Christian should kindly and patiently stand for righteousness and defend his fellow Christian against slander.

Cancel culture may try to silence us, but we will speak boldly for the truth of Jesus Christ. Let’s stand firm in our faith!

Paul Holland

How often do we find ourselves looking down our noses at others, thinking critically of them, without realizing that we are being or doing the exact same thing? The word for that is “hypocrisy” and among the things that Jesus condemns quite often is that of judging others when we are guilty of the same thing.

In the famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us to be careful how we judge. Let’s study Matthew 7:1-6.

DO NOT JUDGE / YOU WILL BE JUDGED – 7:1-2:
The first command, “Do not judge,” is a present, negative imperative, carrying the idea: “Do not start judging,” or “Do not get into the habit of judging…”

As Jesus continues His discussion of the need for His disciples to have a righteousness which exceeds that of the Pharisees and scribes (cf. 5:20). He warns them to be careful how they judge. This very paragraph requires judgement, discerning who are “dogs” and “pigs” as well as what is “holy” and “pearls.” Jesus is not condemning all judging. He is condemning hypocritical judgment (ver. 5). He does not want His disciples to judge harshly or without consideration or without love.

As Jesus had said in 6:14-15 that men must forgive if they desire forgiveness from God, here He tells His disciples they must judge by the same standard by which they wish to be judged. Ultimately, God’s word will be man’s judge (John 12:48).

THE ILLUSTRATION – 7:3-5:
“Speck” (ver. 3) can mean a splinter, straw, or piece of sawdust. It is used 6 times, only in this context and its parallel in Luke 6:41-42. “Beam” is also found 6 times, here and in Luke 6:41-42.

Here, Jesus is talking about holding other’s to a standard to which we will not hold ourselves. We see, perhaps, Jesus’ background in the carpentry shop as He refers to specks of wood versus beams (cf. Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3). One brother has a “speck” in his eye but the other has a “beam.” Jesus warns His disciples to make sure they have their own “beam” out of the eye before they can see clearly to treat their brother’s speck. Notice that Jesus does presume that one brother will help the other to get the speck out of the eye. He simply must get the beam out of his own eye first.

A FINAL WORD – 7:6:
“Dogs” (ver. 6) were not domesticated in biblical times as they are now; these were wild dogs.

Verse 6 continues the discussion about judgment. “What is holy” is what comes from God, everything related to the Gospel, its blessings, promises, commands, and hopes. Jesus might have had in mind the food or meat that was sacrificed according to the Law. In other words, while we should not judge (verses 1-5), we should not randomly and capriciously give holy things to those (dogs and pigs) who do not respect them. The pigs will trample pearls under their feet, because they do not respect them and the wild dogs will tear one to pieces, because they do not respect them. How can you discern whether to “not judge” or to “not cast pearls before pigs?” In the next paragraph, Jesus returns to the theme of prayer…

APPLICATION:
Jesus warns the Jews to judge “righteously” in John 7:24.

Hypocritical judgment is condemned by Paul in Romans 2:1; 1 Cor. 4:5; 5:12 and by James (4:11-12; 5:9).

Jesus will talk further, when He sends out His apostles, about not wasting one’s time and resources on those who will not listen and obey the Gospel (Matt. 10:11-15; see also Matt. 18:15-17).

If we see that teaching someone the gospel is annoying them, it might be a good idea to discontinue the presentation lest we burn the bridge of communication. Pray for a more opportune time.

Paul encourages Christians to teach those in error with humility and patience (Gal. 6:1; 2 Tim. 2:20-22). We should not criticize in others what we, ourselves, are practicing.

In our journey of faith, let’s prioritize personal growth and extend grace to those around us.

Paul Holland

Recently, dignitaries and world leaders gathered in Paris to attend the opening ceremony of the restored Notre Dame cathedral. Since the fire in 2019, the works of art, relics, icons, and artifacts have been restored, and the famous steeple rebuilt—costing over 800 million dollars. It is an architectural masterpiece but a religious facade.

While watching some of the televised coverage, I could not help but think of Paul’s words on Marrs Hill; “God does not dwell in temples made with hands.” He warned us, “not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man” (Ac. 17:24, 29).

While world leaders came to see and be seen, few will faithfully worship God once back home. Notre Dame will return to being nothing more than a tourist attraction (15-20 million a year), and a shrine to man’s distortion and ignorance of true worship of God. “Thus says the Lord, Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool, where then is a house you could build for me?” (Isa. 66: 1). Christ did not die to provide a place where famous sculptures could be displayed or where tourists could admire the work of great architects. He died to save people, not a steeple.

-Dennis Doughty

First, the Bible: “A fool always loses his temper, but a wise man holds it back” (Proverbs 29:11).

You might say one of the essential qualities someone needs in order to go to heaven is the quality of self-control. One of the challenges parents have is to help children learn how to control their emotions as well as their behavior. Parents, of course, have to start by controlling themselves.

But how can you train your children to engage in self-control? Emotions can be so hard to control sometimes, especially for children who do not have the experience. When children experience emotions, what they are feeling is energy welling up inside of them. That energy might come out in uncontrollable energy, or anger, or something else that might not be productive. If you teach your children that this emotion is energy inside of them, it could help them learn how to control it. What are they going to do with that energy?

Of course, children have to learn how to handle little frustrations in life as well as the big challenges. Little frustrations can produce little energy; big frustrations, big energy! With small things, a child can be trained to take deep breaths, even count to 10 or so. They can walk away from the frustration; they can sit down and close their eyes. They might start doing something different. Either way, we are teaching our children that we can respond to our emotions. We might not be able to control whether we get emotional, but we can certainly control what we do with it.

Whatever you do, don’t get into a yelling match or a power struggle with your child. It seems to be that when a parent gets into a power struggle with their child – even a teen – he or she has already relinquished their authority as the parent. It is better to calm down, slow down the interaction, so that everyone has time to think and process what they are doing.

If you train your child to catch the “cues” that suggest an emotional episode is developing (especially relative to anger), you can train her or him how to channel it properly before it is displayed improperly. With older children, you can train them to start communicating with themselves or others about the proper response to make. And, as always, if they do something wrong against someone, they have to be trained to apologize.

Paul Holland

On January 24, 2025, Rudiger Koch plans to emerge from his “home”.  If he succeeds in staying inside his dwelling that long, he will have set a new record for continuously living in an underwater fixed habitat.  The old record is 100 days; his aim is to live underwater for 120 days.

Koch, a 59-year-old aerospace engineer, admits that his task is not too tough.  The custom-made capsule that he currently calls home provides him with most modern amenities.  The 322-square-foot pod is located in the Caribbean Sea just off the coast of Panama and is about 36 feet below the surface.  Videos of his experience show that his life is mostly normal during this period.

An organization called Ocean Builders is behind the experiment, and they say Koch’s feat is “a powerful testament to human ingenuity, resilience, and the boundless possibilities of sustainable ocean living.”  Their long-term vision is to provide undersea dwellings for people without harming the environment, a future where such a lifestyle “becomes a possibility for all.”

Personally, I might sign up for a day or two in such a dwelling, but I don’t believe I would relish it for longer periods.  I’m a land-dwelling creature, and underwater living is out of my element.

Based on information God has revealed in the Bible, I’m already living out of my element.  Though my entire life has been on Planet Earth, God tells me that my life will extend beyond physical life here.  There’s more to come in a place very different from this physical existence.

John testified to this truth in 1 John 3:2: “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”  John was speaking of Jesus in that verse, and how Christian followers will be transformed to become like Jesus – the Jesus who was glorified after His resurrection, and who ascended back into heaven.  That’s a very different existence!

Paul agreed with this vision of our future: “So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’” (1 Corinthians 15:54).  This agrees with what Jesus said in Matthew 22:30: “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.”  We’ll be like “angels of God”?  There’s an exciting thought!

Rudiger Koch knows he will emerge from the sea on January 24 (if all goes according to plan), and his element will return to normal.  You and I don’t know the dates when we will emerge from this life.  If we have been baptized into Christ (Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27), though, we know that we’ll enter into a habitat from which we will never return.  In fact, we won’t desire to return.  We will know by experience the beatitude found in Revelation 14:13: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”  Here’s the truth: While I live in the flesh, I’m out of my element.  But one day …

Come to the light God offers!  Study His word, the Bible.  Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24).  Get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss these ideas further.

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Copyright, 2024, Timothy D. Hall

A little boy named Avery Jackson, at the ripe young age of 9 years old, appeared on the cover of the world-renowned magazine National Geographic as a prime of example of “gender transitioning” at its finest. Except when you deny Truth, you end up getting hurt. A group named Restore Childhood caught up with the teenage-Avery eight years later. Just eight years…

By then, he was growing out of a so-called “girl” phase but his mother had already chemically altered his body and sterilized him. Once you have been chemically “castrated,” there is no going back. When he was 7 years old, the boy was clearly a boy. It is interesting that the 7-year old Avery said that he would pretend sometimes that he was an animal, or a ninja, or even a princess, but he did not think that his parents should treat him that way. He was just pretending. But his mom started dressing him in girls clothes. Keep in mind that his mom had help from the medical community – their pediatrician – to do what they did to their little boy.

It was not long before the boy Avery changed his mind. But his mom would not let him. She forced him to stay to the path to transitioning. There is a documentary on Avery Jackson called “Transhood” (on HBO) that is depressing and shameful for the American people and the human race. His mom, Debi, says she is shocked that Avery changed his mind. The activists insist that parents need to listen to their children. But this mom clearly did not.

Avery started taking hormones in order to get out of the “girl” phase. But by then, it was too late. At 17 now, the boy – who still a boy biologically right down to his very cells – has been sterilized and now he claims to be “non-binary.” There is no such thing.

When you deny Truth, there are serious consequences that are going to result. And every word from the mouth of God is truth. That was a choice that Pilate also refused to make… (notthebee.com)

THERE ARE THOSE WHO TRY TO KILL TRUTH – John 18:28-30:
The Jews told Pilate that if Jesus had not bee an “evil doer,” they would not have “delivered” Him to them. It is ironic that the verb translated “to deliver” also is the verb used of Judas to “betray” Jesus. So the Jews are saying, “we would not have betrayed Him to you.”

So, like so many people today, the Jews thought they could kill Truth. They thought that they could act as if Truth did not exist and they could live their lives in any way they desired. But you cannot kill Truth. Because it flows from the nature of God. You could just as easily kill God as to kill Truth.

THERE ARE THOSE WHO IGNORE TRUTH – 18:31-37:
Pilate. Pilate retorts before he leaves Jesus: “What is truth?” (ver. 37) That’s when Pilate admits to the Jews that he finds no guilt in Jesus worthy of death. What is Pilate doing? He is looking at Truth in the face and then he turns his head and shrugs his shoulders. In verse 36, Jesus had told Pilate that if His kingdom was an earthly kingdom, then His servants would fight so that – notice – Jesus would not be “delivered” – the word is “betrayed” – into the hands of the Jews. Jesus is telling Pilate that Pilate is about to betray Truth.

But you and I do the same thing when we read a Bible verse from the mouth of God and we think to ourselves, “I don’t like that verse. It doesn’t make me feel good about myself. It tells me I have to stop doing what I’m doing.” If we do that, we show that we are not “of the truth,” but we have chosen to be servants of Satan who is the father of lies (John 8:44).

JESUS IS TRUTH – 18:37:
Notice that Jesus said He was born and came into the world to “testify to the truth.” How are humans supposed to behave? Look at Jesus. He is the epitome of a human being. Jesus did exactly what human beings were supposed to be doing since Adam and Eve quit doing what they were built to do and they listened to Satan. Jesus came to show us Truth. He came to live Truth and teach Truth and love Truth.

Living a lie is no way to go through life. Keep your focus on the Truth of Jesus and stay dedicated.

Paul Holland

Jesus speaks of His own tribulation in John 13:21 (all quotations are from John unless otherwise noted) when He becomes troubled in His spirit, specifically concerning the idea that one of His disciples would betray Him. Jesus experienced the same type of trouble and distress at the death of Lazarus in John 11 and He will do so again in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus experienced many of the same emotions you and I experience.

We have tribulation in the world because sometimes we put our confidence in the flesh and we, like Peter say, “I’ll never deny you” (13:37). And then we do. And our heart aches because we know we have sinned against our Redeemer and our Creator.

The apostles were beginning to feel like orphans (14:18). But Jesus wasn’t going to leave them alone. Because we are in the flesh, we sometimes feel alone. It is amazing that a human being can be in a large crowd and still feel alone. But Jesus does not leave us alone. In Hebrews 13:5-8, the Hebrew writer reminds us that we are never alone and the same Jesus who spoke to the apostles in the upper room is the same Jesus who walks with us today.

As Jesus’ discussion with the apostles progressed, sorrow was filling their hearts (16:6). Jesus told them that if He did not go away, the “Helper,” the Holy Spirit would not come. They needed the Holy Spirit to fully understand the will of the Father and the message of the Gospel; they needed to rely on the Holy Spirit.

So the apostle Paul, as he speaks of his thorn in the flesh, in 2 Corinthians 12 helps us understand that with the tribulations we experience, it helps us to rely on God more (12:9-10).

We have tribulation in the world because the world hates Christians. Jesus predicted that: 15:18-20.

We will have persecution in the world. Jesus promises that: “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also” (John 15:20). We can expect persecution. We should expect persecution. And in verse 25, quoting either Psalm 35:19 or 69:4, states that His enemies hated Him “without cause.”

Jesus told His apostles that they would be “outcasts from the synagogue” (16:2). He told them that the people who will kill the apostles will actually think they are doing service to God! People who persecute Christians think they are doing what is right and appropriate. Atheists criticize us because they think they understand science better than Christians. Other people in other religions criticize Christians because they think they understand Christianity better than Christians do. So we are persecuted if only through verbal abuse and ostracization.

Jesus tells His apostles in 16:16: “A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me.”

Paul Holland

While no church is perfect, the apostle Paul held the church at Thessalonica up as a model for others. A “model” church isn’t flawless but follows the divine pattern (see 1 Timothy 3:15 and 2 Timothy 1:13).

The Establishment of the Church at Thessalonica

The church’s history is recorded in Acts 17. On his second missionary journey, Paul with Silas, preached at the synagogue in Thessalonica for three Sabbaths. Though many Jews rejected his message, others—including Gentiles and prominent women—believed (Acts 17:4). Paul had to leave the city after a few months due to opposition but wrote his first letter to the Thessalonians only months later. Despite being a young church with limited teaching, it flourished in a short time.

What Made Thessalonica a Model Church?

The Thessalonian church became a model because they imitated Paul, who himself imitated Christ (1 Thess. 1:6; 1 Cor. 11:1). Their response to the gospel was a key factor in their success. Despite facing affliction, they received the Word with joy, a characteristic also seen in the Ethiopian eunuch’s response to the gospel in Acts 8. The Thessalonians’ joy, despite hardship, shows their deep trust in Christ’s promises, as He alone offers eternal life (John 6:68).

Faith, Love, and Hope: Signs of Spiritual Growth

Paul frequently thanked God for the Thessalonians’ faith, love, and hope as evidence of their maturity (1 Thess. 1:3). These virtues are foundational for a growing church and often appear together in Scripture, such as in 1 Corinthians 13:13. Let’s examine each one:

1. The Work of Faith – Faith that doesn’t lead to action is not genuine faith. James 2:14-26 and Hebrews 11 show that faith is demonstrated through works. The Thessalonians’ faith was active, and their actions reflected their belief in Christ. Our faith should similarly lead us to serve God, live according to His Word, and advance His kingdom.

1. The Labor of Love – True love goes beyond feelings—it results in sacrificial actions for others. Christ’s love for us, as seen in Romans 5:6-9, is the ultimate example of this. The Thessalonians’ love was evident in their selfless actions for others, and we, too, are called to love sacrificially, as Christ loved us.

1. The Steadfastness of Hope – Hope in Christ’s resurrection is the anchor of the Christian life. This steadfast hope is not wishful thinking but a confident expectation of eternal life with God. In 1 Corinthians 15:58, Paul reminds us that our labor in the Lord is not in vain, as our hope in Christ gives us strength to endure difficulties (through the assurance of the resurrection). This hope is what sustains us through trials and motivates us to live faithfully.

Conclusion

To be a model church, we must cultivate faith, love, and hope in our hearts through the Word of God. The Thessalonian church received the Word not as human teaching but as God’s Word, which worked in them to transform their lives (1 Thess. 2:13). As we embrace and live out these virtues, we can glorify God and become a church worthy of imitation, just as the Thessalonian church was. Let us strive to follow the pattern of sound teaching, receiving the Word with joy, and growing in our faith, love, and hope to the glory of God!

Daren Schroeder