What must I do to be saved?

Are you happy? Right now? Are you joyful?

One mom said that she knows it’s going to be a good day when all the wheels on her shopping cart turn the same way.

To feed our spirits on the topic of “joy,” I want us to go back to the days of Isaiah the prophet. To a point in the nation of Israel when their country is being invaded by the Assyrians. I

Chapter 34 reveals the wrath of God against the nations; notice 34:1-2. The whole of chapter 34 reveals the justice of God “for the cause of Zion” (ver. 8). Chapter 35 turns its attention to the blessings God will bring over Israel…

ISRAEL WILL BE BLESSED – 35:1-2:

Isaiah uses this verb “rejoice” 11 times. The book of Psalms uses it 19 times. This related noun “rejoicing” is only used twice, both times by Isaiah (35:2; 65:18).

Israel will be blessed, even though it looks bleak right now.

EVEN THE WEAK WILL BE BLESSED – 35:3-4:

Israel as a whole will be blessed, so Isaiah calls on those who are strong and full of faith to “encourage” the “exhausted” and to “strengthen the feeble.”

But now notice…

ISRAEL WILL BE BLESSED IN THE MESSIAH – 35:5-6:

The eyes of the blind will be opened! No one born blind was ever given their sight in the OT! No one born deaf was ever given his or her hearing in the OT. But at some point in the future, the blind and the deaf will be blessed. This is certainly a prophecy of the work of the Messiah. When John the baptizer sends disciples to Jesus in Matthew 11 to ask if Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus quotes this verse in His response to John’s disciples – Matthew 11:5-6. In essence, Jesus tells those disciples, “Go back and tell John that Isaiah 35:5-6 is fulfilled. My miracles testify that I am the Messiah, the King.”

JESUS IS THE “HIGHWAY TO HOLINESS” – 35:7-8:

Isaiah mentions the “highway” again in Isaiah 40:3 as he anticipates one who will “prepare” the highway for the Lord. Malachi picks up the same theme in Malachi 3:1. We recognize these passages as anticipating the work of John the baptizer, the forerunner of Jesus (Mark 1:2-3).

This “highway of holiness” – Isaiah uses the word “holy” 23 times – the unclean will not travel on it. It will be for the one who walks that direction, who walks toward the direction of holiness, the one who wants to walk that direction. “Fools” – those who live as if there is no God – will not wander on it.

THE HIGHWAY OF HOLINESS IS THE HIGHWAY OF JOY – 35:9-10:

The heart of the theology of redemption really starts with the exodus from Egypt. God promised that He would redeem His children out of Egyptian slavery with an “outstretched arm and great judgments” (Exo. 6:6). After the crossing of the Red Sea, Moses sang in Exodus 15:13 that God had redeemed His people.

That physical redemption becomes a metaphor for the spiritual redemption that you and I have in Jesus Christ, from the slavery to sin. Christ redeemed us (Gal. 3:13; 4:5) from every lawless deed we had committed (Titus 2:14) so that we are redeemed through the precious blood of the Lamb (1 Peter 1:18-19). You and I have redemption now, through the blood of Christ (Eph. 1:7), but there is also a sense in which the redemption still awaits us in heaven – Eph. 4:30. Yet that redemption will be eternal: Hebrews 9:12.

The “ransomed” of the Lord will return. Once again, this term has its theological beginning in the Exodus. When God killed the firstborn of the Egyptians, He required the Israelites to “redeem” their firstborn to God – Exodus 13:13-15. When God chose not to kill the firstborn, in essence, He took possession of them. He redeemed them to Himself.

That idea of a “ransom” in Exodus becomes a metaphor for God paying the price for our sins and paying the ransom for us. Jesus said in Matthew 10:28; Mark 10:45: “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” God took the life of His firstborn, which means He gave the ransom for us. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2:6: Christ “gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.”

In the words of Nehemiah, “the joy of the Lord is our strength” (Neh. 8:10). Isaiah’s message to his people is the same message the NT gives to you and me: “Israel will be blessed, even the weak, in the Messiah, who is the ‘highway of holiness’ which is the highway of joy.”

Find joy in your relationship with Christ. Being saved in Him, ultimately everything else is insignificant.

Your fellow-servant in Christ.

Paul Holland

    There are many Christians who are fearful that our society is becoming antagonistic toward Christianity. Our government is not so congenial toward Christians and their beliefs, if those beliefs do not support the government’s position. God has a message for those Christians; part of that message is found here in Mark 13.

THE CONTEXT – 13:1-4:

    Notice the substance of the apostles’ questions in verses 3-4. They were concerned about the destruction of Jerusalem and they wanted to know what “signs” to look for in order to know when it was about to happen!

DO NOT BE MISLEAD – 13:5-13:

    When things get hard, people often turn on each other. You can imagine when Jerusalem was seized that the Christians were telling their Jewish neighbors and friends: “This is happening because of what you did to Jesus.” You can also imagine the Romans telling both Jews and Christians: “This is happening because you are not worshipping the gods of the Roman Empire!” The Jews would be making similar accusations against both Christians and the Romans.

    As then, so it is true now – we have to be faithful to God, regardless of the cost. Faithfulness to the gospel is our highest priority. 

THE “SIGNS” OF THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM – 13:14-29:

    The destruction of Jerusalem is the “abomination of desolation” prophesied by Daniel – verses 14-16:

    Jesus says the “abomination of desolation” was going to be fulfilled when the Roman armies surround the city of Jerusalem. “Let the reader understand” (ver. 14).

    Jesus warns His disciples – 13:17-23:

    There would be those who would not allow a crisis to go to waste and who would claim to be the “Messiah.”

    The Coming of the Son of Man in Judgment against Jerusalem – 13:24-27:

    The “apocalyptic” description in these verses are standard prophetic descriptions of God’s judgment on nations (cf. other similar examples: 2 Samuel 22:7-10; Jeremiah 4:23-25).

    The imagery of God sending out His “angels” is simply a figure of speech, a metaphor, showing that God will take care of His people. If they die at any time, anywhere, God will have an angel there to take His child home to God. 

    The parable of the Fig Tree – 13:28-31:

    Jesus had cursed the fig tree in 11:13-14, 20-21 which was an “object lesson” to teach His disciples about the fruitlessness of the nation of Israel and her coming destruction.

GET READY FOR THE FINAL COMING! 13:32-37:

    The focus in this last paragraph is that Christians – followers of Christ – need to “stay alert.” Jesus emphasizes this four times!

    Let us endure unto the end, preaching the gospel of Christ so that others (and we ourselves) can be saved.

Paul Holland

I recently overheard a man talking about preparing chicken breasts that were the best he had ever had.  The key, he said, was a particular salad dressing which he used as a marinade.  After sitting in that marinade for a time, the chicken was baked and served.  I recently purchased a bottle of that dressing, and will soon be trying it for myself.

If the man had said he marinated his chicken in Nyquil, I might have laughed out loud.  What an absurd idea!  Yet that very thing has apparently happened on the social media platform TikTok.  Recently the Food & Drug Administration issued a warning that using Nyquil (a cough syrup) for a chicken marinade could potentially be dangerous.

I don’t know much about TikTok, but it often issues challenges.  Some are benign, but others put people – usually children and teenagers – in harm’s way.  I won’t detail the challenges here, but by doing an Internet search for “dangerous TikTok challenges” you’ll be appalled at what our youth will do simply because someone challenged them to do it.

TikTok originated in China, but the original master of dangerous challenges is found in Genesis 3.  Adam and Eve were living in the perfect environment and had been given one command: Don’t eat from the tree in the middle of the garden.  Eve reported this one restriction to the serpent, but his response challenged her to test the limits: “Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die’” (Genesis 3:4).  Eve accepted the challenge and ate of the fruit, and so did Adam.  But the taste of that fruit was suddenly soured as they tasted mortality for the first time.

Satan (identified in Revelation 12:9 as “that serpent of old”) challenged Jesus by offering Him “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory” if only He would “fall down and worship me” (Matthew 4:8,9).  Satan failed in this challenge, for Jesus knew full well that “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve” (Matthew 4:10).  Had Jesus done as Satan suggested, our Savior would have sinned and been disqualified from being the Lamb of God.

Look again at Revelation 12:9 and note that Satan “deceives the whole world”.  He issues challenges (we call them “temptations”) frequently, and the FDA says nothing about the danger of doing as he suggests.  God, however, gives us ample warning, like the one in 1 Peter 5:8,9: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  Resist him, steadfast in the faith …”

Satan’s temptations pull at us powerfully, but we have the final say.  Let us learn to say “No” more often to this deceiver.  Most of us know better than to marinate our chicken in Nyquil.  We also know better than to do what Satan says, especially if we imitate Jesus’ practice of knowing God’s will.

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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Copyright, 2022, Timothy D. Hall.

I was reading something recently that focused on a young man expressing his anger at his parents because they didn’t love him. He was ridiculing their claim to be Christians because (in his words) “Christians claim to love others, but that’s a lie because love is unconditional.”

It turns out that he was involved in a lifestyle that his parents believed to be immoral. Because they refused to give approval to his actions, he accused them of not loving him.

Truthfully, I don’t know him or his parents – so I cannot absolutely say that his parents do or don’t love him. But his accusation against his parents, whether he realizes it or not, is a form of manipulation – trying to pressure his parents to “prove that they do love him” by giving their approval to his actions.

Knowing something about parental love, I strongly suspect that his parents love him deeply. But what he either fails to recognize or refuses to acknowledge is – You can love someone without approving of their actions. Sadly, in his efforts to force his parents to approve of his actions, he is foolishly rejecting the truest and most genuine love that he is likely to experience in his entire life.

Is love unconditional? I think it must be. I Corinthians 13:8 says “Love never fails.” It seems pretty obvious that the prodigal son’s dad must have loved him deeply – even when he was involved in a sinful life.

Don’t confuse love with approval. Don’t be so desperate for approval that you forfeit love.

– Ken Stegall

    We are studying the “Art of Loving” from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 on the first Sunday of each month this year. We have only three months to go, only three lessons to go. In this lesson, we look at the topic that love is optimistic – it believes all things and love hopes all things.

    The actress Lucille Ball once said, “One of the things I learned the hard way was that it does not pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.” Optimism and hope are built out of a loving, God-like heart.

    Christianity is thanking God for what we have not yet received but for what we hope to receive. That’s optimism. God continues to prove Himself worthy of trust; that’s why Christians should have hope.

BIBLICAL HOPE:

    Jesus is probably the greatest optimist – flawless in His expectations. Probably because He trusted in the Father so much. He knew where He was going and He knew how to get there. He had a hope built on absolute trust that everything would work out in the end.

FALSE HOPE:

    Hope has to be built on something solid – God’s word. 

    People hope in money.
They hope in possessions.
They hope in the stock market.
They hope in their physical appearance.
They hope in intelligence.
They hope in their professional credentials.
They hope in their attractiveness to those of the opposite sex.

    But the world simply has no good substitute for hope in the resurrected Christ. It is especially when we reach the end of life that everything the world has offered us is futility.

    Life is always going to throw us curves; serve us lemonades – whatever metaphor you want to use. Satan wants us frustrated; he wants us pessimistic because he turns our hearts away from God. The only thing we can change over those frustrations is our attitude and response. We are responsible for our attitudes and how we handle what life brings our way.

    Each one of us, as Christians, represent Christ to the world, all day, every day. We cannot change reality, but we can change the way we respond to that reality. And when we realize that God is in control of reality, it helps us to “believe all things, hope all things.”

    When we have trust in God and His love for us, we can be patient and give Him a chance to help. Pessimists frankly don’t expect God to help. But we’ll see Him do a lot more, and we’ll grow a lot more in our faith, when we offer Him that opportunity to show Himself faithful.

    Love is optimistic. Practice that with each other and with God. It is loving like Jesus loves.

Paul Holland

10/12.  Until this time, we encourage you to visit and enjoy the fresh articles from https://www.lordletmegrow.com/freebiblestudy

Don’t Consume One Another
Galatians 5:12–15 

Christians understand that those in the world do not submit to God’s authority or live by His standards (cf. 1 Cor. 5:10). As sad as it is, we are not surprised when non-Christians participate in sin, whereas non-Christians do not understand the holy life Christians attempt to lead (cf. 1 Pet. 4:4). In Christ, the Christian has chosen a new way of life and submitted to a better standard than the world (Eph. 4:17–32). How disconcerting it is, then, when Christians act like the world.

Paul addressed such a situation in his letter to the churches of Galatia. In this particular case, a group of Jewish Christians emerged, attempting to force Gentile Christians to submit to the Old Covenant practice of circumcision. These Judaizing teachers went so far as to suggest the Gentiles weren’t really Christians unless and until they were circumcised (cf. Gal. 1:6–7; 4:17; 5:2). In Galatians 5:12, Paul releases an explicit condemnation of the Judaizers’ behavior: I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

Paul follows this condemnation with a reminder of the way Christians ought to interact with one another (vv. 13–14). Christians should serve one another; this is the true fulfillment of the Old Law, truer than the obsolete practice of circumcision. The apostle then lays out the logical outcome for the Galatian Christians should they persist in their factious teaching, “if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another” (v. 15).

God’s people don’t wrestle with issues like circumcision in the 21st century. But sometimes, to our shame, we do bite and devour one another in other ways. We should not be surprised when non-Christians cut each other down, gossip and spread rumors, stab one another in the back, or make passive- aggressive comments to each other. On the other hand, when Christians participate in these activities, we are like the dog that returns to his vomit (cf. Prov. 26:11). We slip back into the dead ways of the world, for which we were condemned and for which Christ paid the price. As James so aptly put it, “My brothers, these things ought not to be so” (Jas. 3:10).

Dear Christian, let us take heed of Paul’s instructions in Gal. 5:13–14, lest we devour one another. When we are angry, frustrated, or disappointed with a brother or sister, let us love our neighbor as ourselves. Let us pause and reflect on what it means to treat others the way we would like to be treated. Then, let us take it one step further, and “through love serve one another.” Christians ought to treat one another better than those in the world do. Remember the words of the Savior in John 13:35, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Clay Leonard

I AM A TIRED WOMAN is the title of the following anonymous article [marked by the *’s] I ran across a few years ago. (Excuse me if it offends you by saying this, but the author had no issue with saying she was a woman, and no difficulty verbalizing women are in some ways different from men! The piece is worthy of thought by women …. and men in these morally and spiritually mixed-up days of debate and battle over “gender.” Read it and see.)

* I AM A TIRED WOMAN … tired of being told that I am not happy, and that any illusions I might have to the contrary are indicative of a low mentality or at best a lack of originality and imaginative thinking.

* I AM A TIRED WOMAN … weary of those married females who, having made a shambles of their own marriage, tell us that the institution of marriage won’t work, who having found themselves unequal to the task of finding happiness in marriage, intimate that we are less than adequate if we do not seek fulfillment outside of marriage.

* I AM A TIRED WOMAN … tired up to here” with those who choose to ignore the basic and most apparent differences between men and women and their capabilities, thereby proving once more the truth of the old adage that “there is none so blind as he who will not see.”

* I AM A TIRED WOMAN … and full of pity for those who complain of being the playthings of men while they strut around in broad daylight in such a state of undress that they leave no doubt whatever as to what they consider their primary function in this life.            * I AM A TIRED WOMAN … tired of watching those who have never learned the art and grace of being a woman, yet seek to undermine everything that is feminine, trying to make men and women carbon copies of each other, not for the betterment of mankind but for the sole purpose of satisfying their own selfish desires.

* I AM A TIRED WOMAN … fed up with those who are so interested in their own so-called “rights” that they actually want to pass a bill making it illegal to treat us like women, stomping thus on the rights of those who have found fulfillment in being a woman.

* I AM A TIRED WOMAN … yes, but I AM A WOMAN, and I like it that way!

Somebody said, “Our generation is becoming so busy trying to prove that women can do what men can do that women are losing their uniqueness. Women weren’t created to do everything a man can do. Women were created to do everything a man can’t do” (sounds like Genesis 2:18).  Roseanne Barr made this provocative statement: “The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it.” It needs to be carefully and contextually studied, but in contrast great to Roseanne’s grab for power, God’s Book still sends this call to Christian women who are wives: “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body” (Ephesians 5:22-23) [men aren’t off the hook — get a Bible and read Ephesians 5:25-33].  The bottom line is until submitting to Christ is harmful and unhealthy to the church, a Christian woman who submits to the spiritual leadership of a loving and self-sacrificing husband is good for her and her home and pleases the God who designed her and her husband! Serious-minded Christians — women and men — must continue to consider and respect God-given gender roles.

Dan Gulley, Smithville TN

REVIEW OF LESSON 3

Last week we gave attention to the ongoing plan for leadership in the church that God ordained in order to facilitate the mission of preparing souls for God (see Col. 1:28). Our discussion centered around both the qualifications for and the work of overseers (also referred to as elders and shepherds) and deacons, as well as the work of both. This week we will begin noticing how all members fit into God’s plan as we continue to lay the foundation and hone in on finding our particular place in the church.

ALL CHRISTIANS ARE SERVANTS

Christians are “doers” (see James 1:22, 26, 2:14-26). They are doers of the will of God (Mt. 7:21). They are doers of good within and outside of the kingdom (see Gal. 6:10). While God certainly has a plan for leadership in the church, it is a terribly mistaken idea to think that all members do not have a function in the church. The work of the church is severely and unnecessarily restricted when this unbiblical pattern is followed. It would be like the boss and supervisors in the workplace doing all of the work at the factory and other folks just sitting around. This model is no less ridiculous in the Lord’s church!

CHRISTIANS SERVE IN THE BODY

The apostle Paul uses the illustration of the church being a body in which every member has a vital  function, or role to fill. We may consider some roles as being more vital, but yet the “lesser” roles are essential for the proper functioning of the body (see 1 Cor. 12:14-26). When every member does not do his part, valuable work for the Lord and unity in the body of Christ is neglected and unrealized. Every part must function properly for the church to be what it should be and can be! (Read Eph. 4:16.)

POWER IN THE PEWS

While leadership is critical, the power of the church is found in the pews! Without them the army of the Lord is restricted to the point that keeping the doors open may be a great challenge. And in such a situation, keeping the doors open typically begins to be seen as the mission itself, leaving the “Great Commission” and the purpose of the church completely unfulfilled (see Mt. 28:18-20; 1 Tim. 2:15).

Connecting this with previous lessons, we understand that Christians are contributors to the church reaching lost souls and building up the body of Christ. Christians contribute to the work serving under the authority of the elders (see 1 Thes. 5:12; Heb. 13:17) who oversee the church and its work, with deacons who seek to connect members to the work and facilitate the overall purpose of the church. (See Acts 6, though the designation “deacon” does not appear there).

When all Christians are involved in the work of the church so many more people can be reached with the Gospel and the church is much better edified. Everyone has different opportunities. Everyone has different people to influence. Everyone possesses differing talents that may be utilized.

Peter describes the church in 1 Peter 2:5 as being a “holy priesthood.” In verse 9 he states: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” There is no “clergy/laity” system in the church of Christ! We are all priests of God seeking in a sense to intercede between God and man, so that reconciliation may take place (see 2 Cor. 5:11, 18-20) in the battle for souls in the spiritual realm.

CONCLUSION

There are so many who have not been called out of darkness like we have! They desperately need the light and hope of Jesus, and when we properly understand our place and function, more people will have the opportunity to hear and respond to the Good News of Jesus! It is vital that all of us find our place and function properly as God’s servants!

Daren Schroeder

Around 2005, Queen Elizabeth II and her royal protection officer, Richard Griffin – known as Dick to the Queen – were walking together one afternoon in the hills near the Scottish royal castle, Balmoral.

Two American tourists approached them and engaged in conversation.

Griffin recalls: “There were two hikers coming towards us, and the Queen would always stop and say hello.  They were two Americans on a walking holiday.  It was clear from the moment we stopped that they hadn’t recognized the Queen, which was fine.  The American gent was telling the Queen where they came from, where they were going next, and where they’d been in Britain.”

“I could see it coming” Griffin continued, “and sure enough, he said to Her Majesty: ‘And where do you live?’”

“She replied: ‘Well I live in London, but I’ve got a holiday home just the other side of the hills.’”

“He said: ‘How long have you been coming up here?’”

“She replied: ‘I’ve been coming up here ever since I was a little girl, so over 80 years.’”

“You could see the cogs ticking, so he said: ‘Well, if you’ve been coming up here for over 80 years, you must have met the Queen.’”

“Quick as a flash, she said: ‘I haven’t, but Dick here meets her regularly.’”

The hiker then asked Griffin what the monarch was like in person.

Griffin told Sky News about his thoughtful answer: “Because I was with her a long time, and I knew I could pull her leg, I said: ‘Oh, she can be very cantankerous at times, but she’s got a lovely sense of humor.’”

“The next thing I knew, this guy comes round, puts his arm around my shoulder, and before I could see what was happening, he gets his camera, gives it to the Queen, and says: ‘Can you take a picture of the two of us?’”

“Then we swapped places, and I took a picture of them with the Queen.”

“And we never let on, and we waved goodbye.”

“Afterwards, Her Majesty said to me: ‘I’d love to be a fly on the wall when he shows those photographs to his friends in America, and hopefully someone tells him who I am.’” *

Seven hundred years before Christ, Isaiah made a prophecy concerning the coming Messiah (Isaiah 53).  Using “prophetic perfect” language, Isaiah foretold some things about the physical appearance of the Messiah: “He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him” (Isaiah 53:2 ESV).  In other words, when people would look at Jesus, the promised Messiah (Christ, Anointed One), there was nothing about His appearance that would indicate that He was royal and divine.  He looked like an ordinary man.

But He wasn’t and He isn’t.

He’s the King of kings and Lord of lords.  He is the Son of God.

Jesus, the King, died on the cross for our sins so that we can become a part of His royal family and inherit all the wonderful spiritual blessings that God has for us (Ephesians 1:3) including salvation from sin and an eternal home in heaven.

God will cleanse from sin, add to His family, and give eternal life to those who submit to King Jesus in trusting obedience: placing their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turning from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confessing Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  He will continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7-9).

Read the Gospel accounts.  Examine the evidence.  Come to know who Jesus is and surrender your life to the King.  Then you can rejoice for an eternity that you know the King and you are a part of His eternal kingdom.

— David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from “Fun side of Queen Elizabeth II that the public rarely saw” by Gillian Duncan, in The National, www.thenationalnews.com

We have seen tumultuous days over the last few years. Many of our number have experienced sickness, death, and various types of uncertainty. More tragic than all of this is that many have lost their faith along the way.

Biblical joy is not a fleeting feeling or some emotional response (John 16:22). True joy endures through suffering and heartache (Psalm 30:5). True joy is a foundation in a chaotic world (John 15:11). True joy is a reminder of God’s grace (1 Peter 1:8-9). As we strive to live as Christians, joy becomes a key cornerstone in faithful living (Galatians 5:22-23).

True children of God have great joy because of various reasons. In this gospel meeting, we hope to discuss the true meaning of joy over the course of six lessons.

• Living as Christians means we will suffer hardship (Romans 5:1-5). Thankfully, we have great joy in the peace that comes even in the midst of suffering (John 16:33).
• The faithful understand that joy comes from freedom from sin not indulgence in evil (Romans 6:17-18).
• Encouragement brings joy to the redeemed, especially when we are gathered together (Hebrews 10:24-25).
• Though times seem chaotic, saints have joy in knowing the purpose of this life. We believe that all things will work out for good for the purposes of God (Romans 8:28).
• True fellowship and the spiritual family of God are essential aspects of our joyous way of living (1 Corinthians 1:9-10).
• Finally, we look forward to that wonderful, joy-filled day when we are able to spend eternity with God in that heavenly abode (Revelation 21:4). What a wonderful occasion heaven will be!

It is true that the above list of lessons does not cover all the joys of Christian living. It is my prayer that these topics will spur more discussion and thought on this most important topic of joy in the life of the Christian.

The Bible paints a picture illustrating the life of the faithful as one that is full of joy and blessings. These blessings are not only reserved for eternity but are blessings that are enjoyed now. I look forward to bringing lessons that will challenge the faithful, restore the fallen, and encourage the honest seeker.

In Christian Service,
Fredrick Klein