What must I do to be saved?

“Don’t Eat The Trees”

Some residents of Ghent, Belgium are like many others around the world; they are more conscious of environmental stewardship and try to recycle whatever products they don’t consume.  The city’s website recently posted another way to recycle: Take the needles from your discarded Christmas tree, soak and dry them to make spruce needle butter.  It’s a Scandinavian tradition, the site claimed.

The Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain of Belgium soon put up a post of their own: Do not eat your Christmas trees, it warned.  They explained that some Christmas tree farms use pesticides and other chemicals.  Especially worrisome, they advised, is that some tree farmers use flame retardants, and these can even prove fatal if consumed.  Christmas trees “are not meant to end up in the food chain,” the FASFC concluded.

The city of Ghent modified their recycling tip.  Instead of telling readers to disregard what they had earlier posted, they simply wrote, “Not all Christmas trees are edible.”

The first food safety warning took place at the beginning of time in the Garden of Eden.  God created this garden as a home for Adam and Eve, but what would they eat?  “And God said, ‘See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food” (Genesis 1:29).  Note that God didn’t specify which parts of the trees were for food, but people normally consume fruits, seeds, and nuts, not leaves and needles.

God gave Adam and Eve this one exception in Genesis 2:16,17: “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”  You likely know the sad account of Genesis 3; the serpent (Satan) convinced Eve to disregard God’s warning, and after eating what God had forbidden the clock began ticking as death entered the world.  God spoke the truth.

A foundational truth of the Bible was stated by Moses in Deuteronomy 6:24: “And the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day.”  “For our good always” gave the reason why Israel should obey commands that they might not understand or even like.  Doing what God commands leads to life, and disregarding His will is the pathway to death.

That reason is still in effect as we consider whether to heed God’s word or not.  Jesus stated it this way in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  By following Jesus, we can know we are in “the way” and will have “the truth” and “the life”.  Any other path is not safe and will surely end in death.

It may not be wise to eat trees, but it’s always wise to look to the One who gave His life for us on the tree (see 1 Peter 2:24).

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, 2025, Timothy D. Hall

“God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm
Deep in His dark and hidden mines
With never-failing skill
He fashions all His bright designs
And works His sovereign will”- Bob Kauflin

God is always in control and He always does the right thing. So says the psalm which we will be studying in this lesson.

David certainly lived a life of fear, uneasiness, and trepidation. He dealt with attacks from outside Israel. Once King Saul was dead, David had to assure the family of Saul that he was not going to kill all them. It took some time for David to consolidate the entire nation of Israel under his leadership. David had to deal with the Philistines – 2 Samuel 8 gives us a summary – with the Moabites, the Arameans, the Ammonites. He also had to deal with his own family including his wife Michal, his sons Amnon and Absalom, along with Ziba and Shimei, Joab, and Sheba. And perhaps David’s worst enemy was himself, his own spiritual weaknesses.

David needed to find refuge somewhere. With someone body. And he found that refuge in his God…

REFUGE IS FOUND IN THE LORD – 11:1-3:

Out of the 35 times this verb “to seek refuge” is found in the OT, it is found 24 times in the book of Psalms. Why should we read Psalms? Because the authors remind us that God is our refuge.

Somebody – a friend, family member, maybe just an acquaintance – encouraged David to get out of Jerusalem, to get out of his stressful environment: “Flee as a bird to the mountain…”

When Nehemiah was trying to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, Israel’s enemies tried to get them discouraged and distracted. Nehemiah responded: “Should a man like me flee? And could one such as I go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in” (Neh. 6:10-11).

Without foundation, there is no hope for a structure. What verse 3 sounds like in this context is that David’s friend is suggesting that all hope is lost. The foundations are destroyed. Get out! Go away! Leave! Maybe they were sincere; maybe they were really thinking of David’s health and safety. But: 1) Isn’t a king supposed to be on his throne? 2) What would David’s flight teach his people about his faith in his God? What would his flight teach others about the nature of his God?

THE LORD REIGNS FROM HEAVEN – 11:4-7:

How is it that David can take refuge in God? Because God is not touched by the stress and frustrations and whims and capricious behaviors of mankind…

God’s temple is holy. That is where the Lord’s throne is.

God sees all.

God tests all.

God hates the one who loves violence. It is not quite accurate to say, “God hates the sin but loves the sinner.” There are a handful of passages like this one which states explicitly that God hates sinners, at least certain sinners. And He hates the one who loves violence.

God rains snares on them; fire, brimstone, and burning wind will be the cup which they drink. There is only one historical event in the OT which involved fire and brimstone: the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19. It appears that the other references in the prophets are alluding to Sodom and Gomorrah. Of course, the idea that God will make the wicked drink their “portion” of the burning wind is the idea behind the bowls of wrath in the book of Revelation.

Because of God’s nature: He is righteous. Fear can get the best of us.

But He also loves the righteous. God is our “safe space,” and He will never leave us.

In the midst of fear and anxiety in our lives, we will not soar if we “flee as a bird to the mountains,” but we will soar if we “flee as a bird” and find refuge in Jesus Christ!

With God by your side, there is no need to fear. Stay confident in His love and guidance.

Paul Holland

The most prominent person in the New Testament, other than Jesus, is Saul/Paul, the apostle. As significant of a Christian as he was, even he could have made a few New Year’s resolutions.  Such as:

• Be careful about following the crowd (Acts 7:58).
• Know that you can be zealous about something but wrong (Acts 22:3).
• Be grateful for friends who stand by you (Acts 9: 27).
• The next time, leave before the stones start flying (Acts 14:19).
• If you take a ship, wear a life jacket (2 Cor. 11:25).
• Serve God despite physical pain (2 Cor. 12:7-10).
• Give people a second chance (Acts 14:38, 2 Tim. 4:11).
• Be better at keeping up with your belongings (2 Tim 4:13).

All of us could be better at something. Consider making meaningful resolutions to improve your life as a Christian, spouse, and friend.

-Dennis Doughty

In the past, a time or two, I have purchased a Bible and later been disappointed in my selection for one reason or another. I recently bought a new Bible and that got me to thinking more about how one goes about choosing a Bible. So I’m sharing a few practical thoughts to hopefully help someone else.

To a large degree our choice of Bibles comes down to what we feel will best facilitate our growth in the knowledge of God’s revelation to us. Here are some practical thoughts that I hope will assist in this pursuit.

1. The Readability of the Print. The main thing here is the size of the font, but also consider the font style, spacing of verses, and bleed through. You want your Bible to be enjoyable to read!

1. The Translation of the Bible. If God has used words to communicate with mankind, and He has, then translation matters! Translations range from almost rigidly literal to paraphrase translations. We can’t get involved in a deep discussion of translations at this point, but I urge you to read about the philosophy of the translators before opting for a certain translation.

1. Paper or Electronic? There are certainly advantages to both. Some may find an online Bible may be easier to find passages. Many times there is the perk of being able to adjust the size of font. However, due to the format, it may be easier to miss the context of a passage on an electronic version. Also, in my opinion, it is vastly underestimated how much a person learns by flipping pages in a Bible. You may take note of passages you see on the way to your actual destination! Of course, one can certainly have both a paper Bible and an electronic Bible.

1. What Kind of Format Do You Want? Do you want wide margins? Lots of references? A concordance and Bible maps? A study Bible? Remember that, in general, the more you want in your Bible the larger it will be.

1. What Kind of Cover Do You Want? Some of the most common are: Paper, hardback, imitation leather and genuine leather. Know that paper covered Bibles will most likely not stay open on their own and offer less protection. A hard cover is more protective of the Bible but some do not like “the feel” of the Bible as well.

1. Always Look at the Ratings of a Bible. Read what several people say about their purchase of the Bible you are interested in. Especially take notice of matters that are important to you.

1. Where Should I Buy A Bible? While it may be nice to see a physical copy of the Bibles you are interested in, the selection is so much greater online, and you can compare prices easily and quickly, and look at ratings. In my experience, Christian Book Distributors (an online store… www.christianbookdistributors.com) has always been a great place to purchase a Bible, with the best or very competitive pricing. Additionally, if you are not super picky about the specific Bible you purchase, you can almost always get a really good deal. But don’t allow price to dictate everything. Remember, this is a more important purchase than your visit to the grocery store! (See Matthew 4:4!)

I hope these thoughts help if (or, when) you are in the market for a new Bible! Until then, read and be blessed with what you have!

Daren Schroder

First, the Bible: “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid” (Prov. 12:1).

I am seven years older than my youngest brother. I remember that Mom and Dad had to correct him so much that they joked he would grow up thinking his name was, “No, no, Timmy!” While it is tempting to suggest he was just a recalcitrant boy, the truth more likely is that most kids have to be corrected frequently and often times for the same thing.

It can wear out a parent, especially if Mom stays at home with the children. Some children seem to be oblivious to correction. Some children rebel against correction. Some children do not seem to understand the importance of correction.

Of course we all have to be corrected from time to time. So how can you help your children understand the need for and the wisdom behind your corrections? And why should you “not grow wearing in making corrections”?

One thing you can do is to make some kind of glaring, ridiculous decision that any child would desire to correct. And then pretend that you did not make a bad decision. Act like you don’t understand what they are talking about – like buttoning your shirt one hole off. Ask why they blame you for everything. In other words, use the same words that a child would tend to use. Then at some point, you can explain to them: 1) why it is important to receive correction; 2) how one should respond when he or she does receive correction.

Explain why God calls people “stupid” who hates correction. Of course, you have to be willing to allow your children to correct you. “Thank you, for pointing that out to me. I need to do things differently.”

Explain what you have learned from being corrected, maybe serious catastrophes that you have avoided because someone corrected you.

There are very good lessons that a child can learn when he or she is corrected. Help them understand that.

“For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; and reproofs for discipline are the way of life” (Prov. 6:23).

Paul Holland

Police in Saskatchewan, Canada are ready to help with emergencies that arise; that’s why they monitor the local 911 phone lines.  But recently they posted a video to their Facebook page asking the public not to call with requests that aren’t truly emergencies.  They gave 10 examples of calls not to make, based on calls they received in 2024.

One caller on the list complained that they didn’t recognize an individual on their friends list; another reported that someone had thrown their ice cream on the ground.  There was a caller who stated that their cat was being mean to them, and could an officer be sent to help with the situation?  The number 1 “don’t call” example was when someone called 911 to report that their tambourine had been taken during a party.

“Calling 911 must be reserved for emergencies and crimes in progress,” the post concluded.  To emphasize their point it was announced that fines up to $1,400 would be assessed anyone who called for trivial or non-emergency reasons, officially classified as “misuse of 911”.

Most of us realize there are limits to the help that civil authorities can give us.  Their job is not to repair our washing machine, help us prepare for math tests, or assist us in unlocking our cell phone (other items on the list in Saskatchewan).  “Don’t call us for these” is a reasonable request.  But what about God? I once prayed for God’s help to find an important document. Was that too trivial for Him?

In 2 Kings 6 we read about a servant of the prophet Elisha who lost a borrowed axe head in the water.  Was this too trivial to bother God’s prophet with?  Elisha “cut off a stick and threw it in there; and he made the iron float.  Therefore, he said, ‘Pick it up for yourself!’” (2 Kings 6:6,7).  No, that was not too trivial.  Had the servant not asked, the borrowed object would have remained lost.

King Ahaz of Judah was facing a crisis with two nations preparing to attack.  God sent the prophet Isaiah with a message to trust God, and to provide a sign of Ahaz’s choosing.  Ahaz apparently had no faith in God’s ability to protect: “I will not ask [for a sign], nor will I test the Lord.”  Isaiah’s response is worth noting: “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also?” (Isaiah 7:12.13).  God was ready to help, but Ahaz would not ask for His help.

Philippians 4:6,7 has guidance for us and the needs we experience: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”  Let those words sink in as you wonder whether God wants to hear about our “trivial” needs: “Be anxious for nothing … in everything … let your requests be made known to God.”

People may say, “Don’t call us,” but God has never said that.  He is ready to help His people, and He will do what is right and best for them.  Read also Matthew 7:7-11.  (By the way, I found the missing document not long after praying that prayer!)

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 man was doing a survey for a research company and he knocked on a door. The resident came to the door. The man said, “I’m doing research. I would like to know what you think the worst problem in America is: ignorance or apathy.” The man said, “I don’t know and I don’t care.” And slammed the door.

Young people are notorious for answering the question “what are you doing?” with the response: “Nothing.” But this problem is certainly not limited to just young people or millennials. There are many, many people who do nothing and are very apathetic about their lives. From a financial standpoint, these tend to be the people who have no ambition and they live just above the “emergency” line, spending every dime they get with no savings and no emergency fund. Then when a crisis happens, they have no money and they get stressed. But their stress is caused by their apathy.

People do the same thing with their emotional and psychological health. They are the ones who suffer from “FOMO,” the fear of missing out. And they stay busy doing one thing after another, not realizing that they are draining themselves and their energy. Then, when a crisis happens, they snap. But the “snap” originates from the fact that they are not staying focused on one or a very few things and allowing themselves to rest and relax and rejuvenate mentally, psychologically, and spiritually.

We need, however, to make sure that we serve God enthusiastically and that we leave energy for God. How many Christians either wear themselves out on a Saturday or stay awake late Saturday night and then do not have the health to come to worship or even concentrate in worship on Sunday? Aren’t we robbing God while serving ourselves when we do that?

One of my dad’s favorite quotations was Ecclesiastes 9:10: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.”

The apostle Paul wrote something similar: “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord” (Rom. 12:10-11).

Enthusiasm will motivate us to pursue goals and even to reach them. Enthusiasm can help us motivate others and make positive impressions on others. Enthusiasm can change our own attitude and the attitudes of those around us. Enthusiasm can give us confidence to meet the challenges ahead. Enthusiasm can help us deal with doubts and fears. Enthusiasm can strengthen our appreciation for life. Enthusiasm can help us get closer to God.

“Enjoy serving the Lord, and he will give you whatever you ask for” (Psalm 37:4).

Paul Holland

– In the beginning there was nothing. And suddenly for no reason nothing exploded and created everything. You expect me to believe that?

– At some point, by chance the right chemicals happened to float together at just the right moment to be struck by an electrical charge and become life. You expect me to believe that?

– Somewhere two non-human mothers each gave birth to a human child. They were born at the same time and in the same place, one was male and one was female. These two new “humans” gave birth to the human race. You expect me to believe that?

– One of the descendants of these first humans was born with a knowledge of right and wrong. No longer driven by instinct, this person suddenly was making decisions based on a morality for which there is no real explanation. You expect me to believe that?

I’m sorry. I don’t have that much blind faith. It’s all just too farfetched to be anything more than a fairy tale. I can’t believe intelligent people claim it is “science” (cf. I Timothy 6:20).

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1: 1). I can believe that without stretching my imagination into the realm of the impossible. The universe was created by an all-powerful, all-knowing God. That I can believe!

– by Phil Grear

The Bereans “received the word with all eagerness,” and did so on a daily basis (Acts 17:11). According to Luke, this made them “more noble than those in Thessalonica.” Of course, even as implied in this verse, it was no mere ritual.

Momentarily I will post a January Bible reading schedule. (Many free schedules can be found online.) The schedule I post will carry us through the Bible over the course of 2025. I’ll not seek to build a comprehensive case for it right now, but obviously, there is much virtue in reading through the Bible. Yet many seem to struggle with keeping up with daily reading. Here are a few simple suggestions that I hope will be helpful to you.

(1)  Determine in your mind that you will read your Bible every day, and don’t go to bed before you do so. If you really struggle with this habit, you might wish to start with the goal of reading just a small portion of the daily reading, maybe only a few verses, or, perhaps just doing the NT reading. Especially if you begin with the former, do this for a week or two, and then “graduate” to a longer reading. Do this successfully for a while, and then increase your reading again. After you do this a few times you will be forming a habit that will be like other daily pursuits. It is not ideal to only do a short daily reading, but your goal is to get to a better destination!

(2)  Choose a definite time and place to do your reading. I recommend the morning since the mind is generally fresh and the “cares of the day” do not distract as much. But you choose what works for you and your schedule. Of course, a quiet time and place is best.

(3)  Make your reading habit as conducive as possible. For instance, if you are going to do your reading the first thing in the morning, be prepared the night before. You may wish to have your Bible (and perhaps a pen and notepad) set out at the kitchen table or wherever you are going to do your reading. If you wake up in the morning and have to hunt for your Bible, or walk out to the car in the cold to get it, at minimum, you may cut your time too short for reading. Also, take care of any other chores ahead of time that may get in the way.

(4)  Another helpful tip is to be accountable to a friend. Make an agreement with a family member or a brother or sister in Christ to keep each other accountable. Pursuing this route may encourage someone else to be a daily reader too!

(5)  Remember also to be prayerful about the good habit of drinking daily from God’s Word!

Jesus said: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mt. 4:4).

Daren Schroeder