What must I do to be saved?

Bay Search & Rescue in England received the call about a sheep that was stuck in quicksand on the seashore. A second sheep was spotted in a similar dilemma a few hundred yards away. The animals had been in this condition long enough that the sand gripped them tightly, as tight as concrete, their Facebook post reported. And yet the sand surrounding the sheep was too soft for rescue personnel to walk upon.

Inflatable walkways were put to use, and water hoses to soften the sand gripping the sheep’s feet. The team was able to lift each of the sheep to safety just as the alarm sounded to warn that the tide was about to come in. Just a few minutes later, the sheep would have been submerged in the rising tide at Morecambe Bay with no chance to escape.

The term “quicksand” should alarm anyone who is warned not to proceed further. What may appear to be solid ground is not solid, and quickly gives way when walked upon. As a person struggles to escape, they sink deeper and become trapped. An article on Wikipedia.com claims that it is impossible for a person to entirely sink beneath the surface, but if you’re trapped with a rising tide approaching, that is the mortal danger. You’re not going to escape.

Quicksand is not mentioned in the Bible, but hopelessly stranded sheep are. In Luke 15:4 Jesus told a parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?” The inference is that this sheep was unable to rescue itself; it required intervention, a rescue by a caring shepherd.

Jesus spoke that parable in response to criticism from religious people about His habit of eating with “sinners”, people who were well known for their sinful lifestyles. Following the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus gave this application: “I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7).

Are there any people who don’t need repentance (and thus rescue)? Romans 3:23 provides the quick answer to that question: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Every person who reaches the age of knowing right from wrong will eventually (and often) choose wrong. If they continue in that state, they’re like the sheep in England stuck in quicksand with the tide rising.

1 Timothy 1:15 declares a wonderful message for all “sheep” who are stuck in the quicksand of sin: “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” Heaven’s Search & Rescue has been dispatched to rescue sinners in all locations. When Jesus comes to help you, don’t refuse. He is your only hope!

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

From time to time, recently, we have been meditating on the words of Jesus from John 16:33: “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

In this devotional, I want to focus on Jesus’ promise: “In Me You Have Peace.”

Why does Jesus give us peace? How does Jesus give us mental and spiritual “well-being”? Perhaps you know that the Hebrew word for “peace” is shalom. The concept is that of inner tranquility. It’s the settled conviction of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that allowed them to tell King Nebuchadnezzar: “our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (3:17-18). That, family, is shalom.

What words does Jesus give His apostles in this text that would give them peace, despite the imminent departure for their Master and Friend? In chapter 13, Jesus had washed their feet. In that context, He said He had given them an example of loving service and they should do as He had done. “A slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them” (13:16-17). You want to enjoy the peace of Christ? Learn to serve others. Allow yourself to be the clay in the hands of the Heavenly Potter. It seems the natural human reaction, when we are discouraged, to withdraw from human interaction including withdrawing from worship with the saints. That is exactly the last thing we need to be doing when we are discouraged! However, I would also urge faithful Christians to keep an eye on others and if they seem to be missing worship, check on them. They might need encouragement.

In the middle of the paragraph about “love” in John 13, Jesus told them “I have loved you” (13:34). In fact, this whole discussion is set in the context of Jesus’ love for His disciples. Observe 13:1: “Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end…” He has this discussion with them. Do you want to enjoy the peace of Christ? Remember that He loves you. Don’t just let those words go into one ear and exit the other. Allow them to sink into your heart. Jesus will use the word “love” thirty-four times in this series of chapters!

I have already reminded us of the encouraging words in John 14:1-4. Jesus is the “way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” When you have tribulation in the world, remind yourself who you are: You are a Christian. And He is coming back to get you. You just have to be faithful unto the end. That’s all.

Paul Holland

THE LORD IS A GREAT KING ABOVE ALL GODS:
Why should we praise God more? Because He is the King of all the earth. Singing is a natural part of our evangelism. We teach others through our songs: “O Lord My God, when I in awesome wonder consider the worlds thy hands have made, I see the stars. I hear the rolling thunder, thy power throughout the universe displayed. And my soul sings, ‘My God how great thou art!”

God is the King above all gods. He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. When we praise God as we should, and we give credit to Him as we should, then we must share the message of Christ, the Gospel, with others.

“Of one the Lord has made the race, through one has come the fall. Where sin has gone must go His grace, the Gospel is for all.” Our songs help remind us that we need to be sharing the gospel with others. There are some songs – spiritual songs of course – that I hear and I think about the time I made the decision to go to the mission field. There were songs we sang in chapel either at Freed-Hardeman or at Faulkner University and those songs created a spirit within me that urged me to share the gospel with others.

“If you can’t pray like Peter, if you cannot preach like Paul, go home and tell your neighbor that He died to save us all. There is balm in Gilead (a phrase taken from Jeremiah 8:22) to make the wounded whole; there is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul.”

To have the “good” life, you should praise God more so that you will be more or think more evangelistically. It is easy to get tied up in the mundane responsibilities of day-to-day life and forget that the souls around us are lost and dying in sin and they need the Christian with the love of Jesus in their heart to share the gospel of Jesus from their hearts.

Finally, back to Psalm 95…

WE ARE THE PEOPLE OF HIS PASTURE:
“For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.”

We know that the Hebrew writer wrote down his sermon – 13:22 – and I wonder if Hebrews 3:7-11 was a sermon based on his congregation singing Psalm 95 one day during worship. The Hebrew writer cautions Christians about getting apathetic in their Christian walk and then being influenced to leave Christ for something far inferior.

“We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”

We are God’s people, the sheep of His pasture and our singing should unite us together with one another. We teach and encourage each other through our songs, hymns, and spiritual songs. We are reminded that we are one people and we are encouraging each other to get to heaven. One of the purposes of our worship, which we do through our singing as much as any other act of worship, is to “stimulate one another to love and good works” (Heb. 10:25).

Praise God more!

Paul Holland

Halloween is upon us, and with it will come visions of ghosts, little demons and goblins. We will treat them at our doors with assorted sweets or else face their devilish “tricks” (or so says tradition). It is a fun time for kids, and parents alike.

This is a good time to look back at the very first “Trick or Treat” in man’s history. Satan donned his “serpent” mask and came knocking on Eve’s door in the garden of Eden. He “tricked” her in to eating a “treat” which had been forbidden by God. “God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die’” The serpent said to the woman, “you surely will not die!” (Ge. 3:3,4). Satan’s trick upon Eve brought death upon all mankind.

The devil continues today with his tricks of deceptions, and his treats of addictions, crime, murder and worldliness. “One church is as good as another,” “baptism is not necessary to salvation,” or “Once saved always saved,” are deceptions that has Satan’s fingerprints all over them. “And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world!” (Re. 12:9). He wears many masks and has a wardrobe of costumes to deceive the world. Will you to be deceived when he comes knocking on your door?

-Dennis Doughty

Over the next few weeks, I wish to share some thoughts based on Jesus’ encouraging words in John 16:33: “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

Jesus is in the upper room with His eleven apostles (Mark 14:17). The whole broader context begins in chapter 13 (13:1). In that chapter, Jesus has washed His disciples’ feet and then He predicts His betrayal at the hand of Judas, when Judas then exits not only the upper room but also the apostleship and, you might say, the grace of God.

Jesus told His apostles in 13:33 (NASV): “Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’” Jesus had told the Jews this back in 7:33-34.

When Peter asks Him where He is going, Jesus told him that Peter could not follow Him at that point, but he would follow later (13:36). Peter brashly boasted that he would lay down his life for Jesus! To which Jesus responded with the prediction that the rooster would not crow twice before Peter had denied Jesus three times (13:38).

No doubt grasping the fear, trepidation, weakness in the apostles’ hearts – especially Peter – at that moment, Jesus follows this sad prediction with the beautiful and comforting words of John 14:1-4: “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. “And you know the way where I am going.”

So Jesus has told His apostles that He is going away and they can’t go with Him. But then He promises that He is coming back to take them to be with Him.

That is the broader context of Jesus’ statement in 16:33 when He tells His apostles: “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

Here is the outline we will follow in our subsequent Daily Droplets…

I. These Things I Have Spoken
II. In Me You Have Peace
III. In the World You Have Tribulation
IV. Take Courage
V. I Have Overcome the World

If we base our life and decisions on the things spoken by Jesus and His apostles, we will have peace in contrast to the tribulation which characterizes the world. Take courage – Christ has overcome the world!

Paul Holland

Earlier this month in Paris, “owlers” were told to stop digging; the replica of the fabled Golden Owl had been discovered.  Finding the replica was the last key to claiming an owl made of gold and silver, and with diamond chips on its face.  The search began in 1993 and has attracted thousands who hoped to lay claim to this treasure, estimated to be worth $165,000.

“On The Trail Of The Golden Owl” is the name of the quest that intrigued more than 200,000 people in France.  It was based on a book that had eleven riddles to be solved, and an additional riddle that was hidden in the book.  Solving these would lead to the hiding spot of the replica.  The riddles were developed by author Regis Hauser, and the owl was designed by artist Michel Becker.  Hauser died in 2009; he had published his book under the name of Max Valentin, knowing that he would be hounded by treasure seekers if he gave his actual name.

Reactions to the discovery of the owl replica brought (virtual) tears on social media.  The awarding of the Golden Owl will depend on the presentation of the replica along with the correct answers to all twelve riddles.  The great hunt of 31 years apparently has come to an end.

Heaven has offered a prize far more valuable than a Golden Owl: eternal life and a home in heaven have been announced.  The Golden Text of the Bible speaks of this offer: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).  All golden objects on earth fade in comparison with this gift!

But isn’t understanding God’s will like deciphering riddles?  Though many try to figure out what God is saying, confusion still reigns supreme, it seems.  There are so many differing approaches to religion.  Does anyone have hope of understanding God’s terms, and then receiving eternal life?

Isaiah 35:8 is a prophecy we should consider: “A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.  The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others.  Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray.”  The “fool” in this passage refers to someone not highly educated.  Even they will be able to understand God’s will when this Highway of Holiness appears.

Jesus announced in John 14:6 that He is the Way, the only “Highway” to the Father in heaven.  When you read about His life on earth you see that He associated with the common people of His day, not the highly educated.  By focusing on Jesus and His teachings, they could have the assurance of being blessed by God.  And it has continued that way until this day.

Understanding God’s will is not rocket science.  But it does take commitment and perseverance (2 Timothy 2:15).  The rewards of this pursuit are worth it, though.  We’ll have much more to show for it than just the golden trinkets of this life.

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

Sometimes considering what other languages are used in the Scriptures helps one to understand what the Bible teaches.

For example, in Acts 1:19, we read: “it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem; so that in their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)” “Hakeldama” is Syro-Chaldic, the language in which the field was named. Luke translates it for us.

Another example is found in Mark 7:11, Jesus says, “If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God).” “Corban” is a transliteration of the Hebrew word for “gift.” Mark translates the word for us.

In Hebrews 7:2, the writer tells us “Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace.” Here, he translates the name “Melchizedek” for us, showing that part of the name means “king” (Melchi) and part of the name means “righteous” (zedek). “Salem” is also related to the Hebrew word for “peace.”

To give one more example, Matthew writes: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us” (1:23). “El” is the Hebrew word for God; “Imman” is “with us.” While Jesus did not use this name as a personal name, it does reflect His nature. He is “God” with “us” (humanity).

The Bible also calls on us to consider the context within which a passage is found. The danger of preaching topical sermons or thematic sermons is that we can grab a word out of a context and force it to refer to something that fits our agenda while ignoring its role in that specific context. That is not proper biblical interpretation!

In Hebrews 4:1-11, the writer quotes Psalm 95:11 and explains that the verse by looking back to verse 7 of Psalm 95. He did so in order to explain more fully “God’s rest” which He provides.

We are also taught in the New Testament to examine the sentences which convey the thoughts of our God. In Hebrews 10:5-10, he quotes Psalm 11:6-8 and explains its significance for Christians. The first part of the sentence applies to the sacrifices under the Law of Moses. But then he says, “I come to do your will,” and he refers to its fulfillment in the life of Jesus.

It is a thrill to study God’s message to us and to meditate on its power over our lives. It just takes time.

Paul Holland

My mom loved music. She could not sing very well, which she freely admitted. But she listened to music every morning. One of my childhood memories is waking up and walking into the kitchen to eat breakfast with music playing. Sometimes it was the radio, but then we got her a stereo which played cassettes and eventually we bought her a CD player. She listened to old country like Pasty Cline and Hank Williams, Sr. and Gene Autry. She listened to new country like Alabama and Kenny Rogers. But she also liked Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra and the group called the “Rat Pack” with Sammy Davis, Jr. and Dean Martin. She liked Charley Pride and Ronnie Milsap.

SING FOR JOY (Psalm 95):
When you are happy, express your praise, sometimes in song. In James 5:13, the brother of Jesus wrote to Christians saying, “Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.” The word translated “praises” here is from the word family that gives us the name for the book of “Psalms.” It was used in the passage from Romans 15:9. It is also used in 1 Corinthians 14:15 where Paul says that we need to sing with the spirit and with the mind also. And, in Ephesians 5:19, Paul says we need to speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody (singing psalms) with our hearts to the Lord.”

Sing when you are happy – “If the skies above you are gray and you are filling so blue, if your cares and burden seem great, all the whole day through – there’s a silver lining that shines in the heavenly land. Look by faith and see it, my friend. Trust in His promises grand. Sing and you’ll be happy today.”

Back to Psalm 95… This specific word for “to sing” (the Hebrew word) is used 54 times in the OT. Literally half of those are in the book of Psalms.

The psalmist uses a synonym, a parallel idea, when he writes: “shout joyfully.” This verb is found 43 times in the OT, a dozen times in Psalms.

THE LORD, THE ROCK OF OUR SALVATION:
Why should you praise God more, in order to have the “good” life? Because you are reminded that God is the rock of our salvation. He is trustworthy; He is dependable. He will always be consistent with His nature and His word.

One of the oldest metaphors used for God is “Rock” and it is found in what I believe is the second song recorded in the Bible: Deuteronomy 32. The first song was when Israel crossed the Red Sea and Moses led the nation in praise to Jehovah God, the Warrior: Exodus 15. Here in Deuteronomy 32, God is called the “Rock” in verses 30-31. In the song that is the Psalm 18 which was written by David, in 18:2, he writes or “sings:” “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Why should we praise God more in order to enjoy the “good” life? Because it reminds us of the nature of the God whom we serve.

Several years ago, Rachel and I decided to pull up the carpet in our basement and lay down laminate flooring. Now, I am not a real “do-it-yourself” kind of guy. But, with Google, I pulled it off. Early when we started the work, Rachel was helping me one time and she was swinging the hammer, pounding one slat of laminate into another and I had my hand too close to the mallet and she smashed my hand pretty hard. It broke the skin and my hand started bleeding. Rachel was very upset and I was a little upset. Then I put on some Alabama music and we listen to Alabama all the time and they have a lot of great love songs and that reminded me that I love Rachel and I could not replace her and it helped me to be more patient with her.

Praise God more because it reminds you of Who God really is. It is easy to forget and we can’t allow our society to define the nature of God for us. Sing songs, praise God in song in words and ideas that are consistent with biblical teaching.

Paul Holland

Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:14-15, “I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.”

In this letter Paul shares a great deal concerning the divine order of the church. Previous to this passage, Paul set forth male leadership in the church as being the divine precedent (see 1 Tim. 2:8-15) and also the qualifications for men to serve as overseers and deacons (see 1 Tim. 3:1-7 and 3:8-13).

Elders “rule” the church according to the will of God (1 Timothy 5:17) and they shepherd and protect the sheep (1 Pt. 5:2; Acts 20:28-30), as well as serve as a model for other Christians (see 1 Pt. 5:3).

Deacons are special servants of the church who serve under the leadership of the elders. Perhaps we see the development of the office of deacons in Acts 6 (see vv. 1-7). Of course, like everything else, this plan was in the mind of God long before the church was established. These servants, in Acts 6, freed the apostles to give serious devotion to prayer and ministry of the word of God. Deacons allow shepherds to focus more intently on their shepherding role and also aid greatly in the proper functioning of the entire body (see Eph. 4:15-16).

Preachers, as the term implies, teach and “preach the word” (the whole council of God – Acts 20:27) with long-suffering (see 2 Tim. 4:1-4). They are men who are “trained in the words of the faith” (1 Tim. 4:6) so they can “put these things before the brothers” (1 Tim. 4:6). This pursuit involves teaching and training others who will then be able to teach others (see 2 Tim. 2:2).

Philippians 1:1 sets for the basic organization of the church, where it records: “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons.” Paul (an apostle and preacher), along with Timothy (a preacher), address the church at Philippi that consists of saints, overseers and deacons. That’s the Lord’s simple plan for church organization! It makes sense that in His infinite wisdom He organized it the way He did so that she would be primed to fulfill her great mission!

Along those lines, the divine order of the church involves every Christian being involved someway in the building up of the body in love (see Eph. 4:16) and helping the church reach lost souls (see Lk. 19:10; Col. 1:28; 1 Cor. 3:5-8; Acts 8:4). According to Peter, we (Christians) 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” (1 Pt. 2:9).

Generally, the denominational concept of the church revolves around the “pastor.” Biblically speaking, a pastor is a shepherd, but most who use the term “pastor” are referring to one man who does most or all of the preaching, and is looked to as the leader of the church. While elders can and should teach in some capacity (see Titus 1:9-16; also 1 Tim. 5:17), one man is not to serve over the church. When elders or shepherds are mentioned in Scripture, they are always mentioned in the plurality regarding the local church setting (see Titus 1:5; Acts 14:23; Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Pt. 5:5; Heb. 13:17).

God’s design for the church has an offensive and defensive nature to it. Both, of course, are vitally important for the success and growth of the church. The church teaches the truth (see Eph. 4:15; 1 Tim. 3:15; Mt. 28:18-20) and also defends the truth (see 1 Pt. 3:15; Jude 3; Titus 1:9-16).

There is little doubt that great men and women in times past did not fully comprehend why God instructed them in certain ways… like Noah and Abraham and Gideon; but they trusted God, and God worked powerfully through means that was much more peculiar than anything required of us. Let’s trust God and be faithful to Him in all things. And remember, he can “do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think” (Eph. 3:20).

Daren Schroeder

First, the Bible: “Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

5… 4… 3… 2… 1… Haven’t you heard a parent say that, trying to motivate their child to obey? More often than not, it does not seem to work. The parent has to start over again. When parents treat their children like their commands mean nothing, the child is going to treat the command as if it means nothing. Sometimes even, the parent can’t get the child to do anything until the parent loses his or her temper. Not only has the parent then sinned, but now they have fallen into a very dangerous pattern of behavior in which the parent is being manipulated by the child.

When God commands, He expects obedience. God told Abraham to offer his son as a sacrifice and Abraham obeyed immediately (Gen. 22:1-2). God told Peter to go to Cornelius’s house and he obeyed immediately (Acts 10). God told Philip to go study with the Ethiopian treasurer and he obeyed immediately (Acts 8:26ff).

We don’t always have to explain why we want our children to obey us. I’m not suggesting we never explain our reason. But children have to be trained to obey. When we tried to put this principle into practice with our girls, I would give them a timeframe: “In ten minutes, we need you at the dining room table for dinner.” If they weren’t there in ten minutes, I would turn off or shut down or whatever it was they were doing that had delayed their obedience. I did not count down (5…4…), I gave them a point when I expected action to take place. It also gave them an opportunity to complete whatever it was they were working on.

Don’t make yourself sound like a broken record. You embarrass yourself that way. Give your children your expectations and then expect them to fulfill them. If they have to go to bed earlier in order to get up earlier, make it so.

Paul Holland