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The BIBLE VIEW #1015 — Creation

In This Issue:
God Created
Psalm 90 Touts Our Beginning
When You See God’s Handiwork
Who Was There in The Beginning
God Made It All
Who Tricked Adam and Eve to Sin?

Volume: 1014   August 18, 2025
Theme:  Creation

 God Created
Genesis 1:1-27, Condensed

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth…  3  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light… 6  And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters…8 And God called the firmament Heaven… 9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so… 11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so… 16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also… 21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good… 24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so… 26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.  27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

 

Psalm 90 Touts Our Beginning
Bill Brinkworth

Many people, especially those in the field of education, have created their own “science” about the Earth’s origin. However, God allowed the Psalm 90 prayer of Moses to reveal how all on Earth was created.  Knowing the truth, our future and lives can be different and more fulfilled. 

Moses revealed:

  • We have a place to live on this planet because of God (Psalm 90:1). It was not the result of some “big bang” somewhere and sometime in outer space. We have a dwelling place because of God.
  • God was here before the Earth was formed (Psalm 90:2).
  • Man was created from the dust of the Earth, and his body will return to it the same way (Psalm 90:3). Also: Eccl. 12:7.
  • Time means so much to man, as it is limited and precious, but it does not to God, who has eternity (Psalm 90:4-6).
  • God sees all we do, and when we violate what He desires, His anger can be poured out upon us (Psalm 90:7-11).
  • We do not have to live under God’s wrath. If we live the way He demands, we can have a different life (Psalm 90:12-17). We do not have to mourn and wrestle against life. We can have a peaceful, meaningful life while following His will and way.
    “O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” Psalm 90:14

The unbelieving and ungodly do not teach what God wants us to know. Their ever-changing theories and explanations may make sense to those who take God out of the equation, but they are not factual.  Who do you believe?  Man or God?

“The probability of life originating by accident is comparable to the
probability of the unabridged dictionary originating from an explosion
 in a print shop.” — Edwin Conklin

When You See God’s Handiwork
Beechcr

I have a sheet of paper on which there is a faint, pale, and not particularly skilful representation of a Hyacinth.  It is not half as beautiful as many other pictures I have, but I regard it as the most cherished.  My mother painted it, and I never see it without thinking that her hand rested on it, and that her thought was concerned in its creation.

Now, suppose you had such a thought of God that you never saw a flower, tree, cloud, or any natural object, that you did not instantly think, “My Father made it.”  How more beautiful would the Earth seem to you,  You would find that nature was a revelation of God, speaking as plainly as His written Word!


Who Was There in The Beginning
Bill Brinkworth

John 1 is an important chapter that establishes that God and Jesus are one. Although many squirm and scratch their heads at that truth, the Bible asserts the two are the same.

The chapter starts by reminding the reader of the teaching in Genesis 1:1. That verse declares the truth that in the beginning, God created Heaven and the Earth. 

John 1:1 further reveals that God’s Word that spoke all that we see and know into existence is God.  (Notice that “Word” in John 1:1 is capitalized, indicating it is a proper noun referring to a person.) As hard as it is for our minds to grasp, God’s spoken Word is a person.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1

Further in this chapter, John 1:5-9, a man used by God, John the Baptist, is mentioned. One of that preacher’s missions was to reveal a “mysterious” person.  Four times (John 1:7-9), this Person was described as a “Light.” Again, it refers to a person as it is in capital letters.

Well, who is the person who is recognized as the “Word” and “Light”?  John 1:10-14 quickly answers the query. It is Jesus. He is the Word because He was there at the beginning of Creation. It is Jesus who:

  • Was in the world John 1:10).
  • Made the world (John 1:10).
  • Many did not recognize him as God in the flesh (John 1:10-11).
  • Gives those who “received” Him as Saviour the opportunity to be born into
    the family of God (“sons of God” — John 1:12-13).
  • Who “was made flesh.” Jesus was God in the flesh (John 1:14).
  • Lived among and was seen by man (John 1:14).

“He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.  11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.  12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:10-14

Many struggle with what the Bible teaches about Jesus being the Son of God and God in the flesh. It is only Jesus who meets the qualifications mentioned above.  However hard it is to  grasp, even by Christians, it is what the Bible teaches. Jesus and God are one.

“Jesus is not humanity deified. He is not Godhead humanized.  He is God. He is a man. He is all that God is, and all that man is as God created him.”
— Spurgeon

God Made It All
Bill Brinkworth

Psalm 104 is a Hebrew hymn restating the Genesis account of Creation.  It reminds the Psalm’s singer of what God created in this universe and on Earth in six days.  Here, the God of creation is credited for His wonderful works in those days.

God’s creation of light (Genesis 1:2) is mentioned, as are all the other five days of what He did. The God-deniers and God-haters, of course, deny God’s account and resort to their theories of “accidental” developments of all the amazing wonders we have on this Earth and in the skies.

All the evolutionary “accidents” modern “science” claims to be the result of all on this Earth have never been proven, and those theories are constantly changing. Still, those ideas are widely accepted. 

In recent decades, a new scare tactic has been forced down the throats of a gullible public. It attempts to convince people that this planet will soon be uninhabitable or destroyed. This chapter refutes two of those accusations that are causing unproven fears.

The first biblical principle taught here (Psalm 104:4) crushes current political propaganda that the Earth will not be around or inhabitable forever. Our planet will experience geological upheavals and changes during the final days of sinful man, but it will be made new (Revelation 21:1).  However, the Earth is here to stay and is not going anywhere, thus saith the Lord!
“Who [God] laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.” Psalm 104:5

As for rising oceans that politicians have attempted to make citizens fearful of, God also says that there are boundaries that waters cannot cross.  Although panic is growing that polar ice will melt and cities and other lands will be flooded, it contradicts what God promises in His Word.  The waters will not invade any further than God has planned them to go.
“Thou hast set a bound that they [water] may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.” Psalm 104:9

Although government scare tactics repeatedly warn of Earth catastrophes man thinks he can control, the Creator of this planet decides what will become of what He has made. God says it will be here forever! 

Who do you believe, man, who has a political or financial agenda, or God who loves His creation and all He has made?
“The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works.” Psalm 104:31

Who Tricked Adam and Eve to Sin?
Bill Brinkworth

“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.  And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”  Genesis 3:1

The serpent in the Garden of Eden was Satan:

  • The serpent was identified as Satan.
    “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Revelations 12:9
    “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,” Revelation 20:2
  • Satan can transform himself into other things.
    “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”
     II Corinthians 11:14
    “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ…” II Corinthians 11:3  (Satan can appear differently)
  • The serpent exhibited characteristics that the Bible later identifies with Satan, like deceiving, lying, and encouraging sin and rebellion against God.

The BIBLE VIEW #1014 — Baptism

In This Issue:
Down and Under
A Symbol
A Desert Baptism
Jesus’ Baptism

Volume: 1014   August 18, 2025
Theme:  Baptism


Down and Under
Bill Brinkworth

The Scriptures have much to say about baptism.  In Mark 1, one can glean some important facts about that step of obedience to God’s commandment.  Some of what is seen there would dispel what many think incorrectly about baptism.

In Mark 1:9, we read that even Jesus was baptized.  This should prick the hearts of those who are saved but never humbled themselves to be scripturally baptized.  If Jesus was baptized, certainly we should.

The fact that Jesus was baptized shows that those who believe baptism “washes away sin” are  wrong, as Jesus had no sin to wash away.  Baptism is simply a commandment that should be obeyed by those who have trusted Christ as Saviour.

When Jesus was baptized, God immediately spoke to Him, expressing that He was well pleased with what His Son had done (Mark 1:11).  When we follow Christ’s example by being scripturally baptized, the Father is also well pleased with one of our first steps of obedience.  Unfortunately, too many do not obey God in this area, and never grow spiritually because they have grieved the Spirit of God by their disobedience.  The rest of their lives may be affected by their never having taken that first step of doing what God had required of them.

Right after Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit directed Him to do something else (Mark 1:12-13).  If Jesus was not baptized, His ministry may not have gone any further.  Right after we show God that we will do whatever He tells us by obeying His first command, He will use us further.   God desires our obedience.

This instance also teaches that baptism is by immersion, not sprinkling christening water over a baby’s head.  We read in Mark 1:10 that Christ came “out of the water,” so He was physically in the water.  Christening does not picture the death, burial, and resurrection that immersion does in the baptismal waters.

When christening is performed today, it is done on babies.  In the Bible, all instances of baptism involve believers.  How can a baby know who Jesus is, let alone that what he is doing is picturing what the Saviour did for us?  Christening is not scriptural baptism and is a relatively modern denominational practice.

If you have been saved, have you obeyed God by being baptized?  God will be pleased if you obey Him in this area.  Your future spiritual growth may depend on it.

A Symbol
Oliver Green

Baptism is like a wedding ring; they both symbolize that a transaction has occurred.  A wedding ring symbolizes marriage, just as baptism symbolizes salvation.  Wearing a wedding ring does not make you married, any more than being baptized makes you saved.

To extend the parallel, if a person does not wear a wedding ring, you can usually assume that the person is not married.  So, it was in New Testament times that if a person was not baptized, they were likely not a believer.

On this, we must be clear, baptism is a symbol of salvation and only a symbol.  Like a wedding ring, it is such an effective symbol that it should never be taken for granted or taken lightly.

A Desert Baptism
Edited from a “Water Baptism” pamphlet by M. R. DeHaan

“Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.  And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?   And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.  And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.   And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.  And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.” Acts 8:35-39

The evangelist Philip was commanded by God to go into the desert.  There he had the opportunity to preach about Jesus to an Ethiopian eunuch.  The eunuch had been to Jerusalem to worship, but had come back from that religious center of ceremonialism and religion without anyone having told him how to be saved from a tormenting Hell.  

When Philip met the man, the eunuch was reading the Scriptures.  He was interested, but spiritually lost.  Philip preached to him the only way of salvation — by trusting Jesus’ sacrifice as payment for his sins. 

The man believed and then requested that Philip baptize him in a pool of water along the way.  Philip told him that it was his privilege to be baptized, upon one condition, that he believe and confess that Jesus was the Son of God.  After making that confession, Philip and the eunuch dismounted from the carriage, stepped into the water, and the eunuch was baptized by immersion. 

Notice the eunuch was an adult.  He was a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ as the result of Philip’s teaching and preaching.  The man requested to be baptized.  Philip did not command him to be baptized, but said, “… If thou believeth thou mayest …”.  Baptism here was a privilege and a testimony, not a requirement for salvation.  It was voluntary on the part of the applicant, and it was by immersion.

After the eunuch’s salvation and baptism, Philip was supernaturally taken away, and the man went on his way rejoicing.

Jesus’ Baptism
H. A. Ironside

John’s baptism was unto repentance.  He announced the near approach of the kingdom of God and called upon the people of Israel to get right with God, that they might be ready to receive and enter into it.  Those who turned to  God, confessed their sins, and were baptized (Luke 7:28-29).
“For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.   And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.” Luke 7:28-29

Jesus had no sins to confess.  He had nothing of which to repent, yet He came to John for baptism, much to the desert preacher’s surprise (Mat. 3:13-14).  Jesus reassured John that he should baptize Him. 
“Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.  But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?  And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.  Then he suffered him.” Mat.  3:13-15

God’s son submitted to baptism as the divinely appointed way of declaring His interest in and identification with the godly remnant in Israel, who were waiting for His coming.  His baptism was a pledge to fulfil every righteous demand of the throne of God on behalf of those who owned their guilt and took the place of repentance before Him.  They were like debtors giving their notes to a creditor — acknowledging a debt they could not pay.  He, by His baptism, endorsed all their notes and made Himself responsible to pay all they owed.  On the cross, He settled for all when He endured the baptism of judgment in our place.

“Why should our Lord, who was without sin, have come to a baptism of repentance?  Because He was made sin for us.  For the same reason He suffered the curse of the law.   It became Him, being in the likeness of sinful flesh, to go through those ‘rites’ and purifications which belonged to that flesh.  There is no more strangeness in His having been baptized by John than in His keeping the Passovers.  The one ‘rite’, as the other, belonged to sinners, and among the transgressors He was numbered.”  — Alford

The BIBLE VIEW #1013 — Sacrifice

In This Issue:
Why Jesus?
He Gave All He Had
Sacrifice for the Furtherance of the Gospel
Much Was Sacrificed

Volume: 1013   August 11, 2025
Theme:  Sacrifice

Why Jesus?
Bill Brinkworth

While many ascertain “Jesus is the Saviour, “He is God’s son,” or ”He died for our sins,” many do not know why Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross was so essential.   Although having the correct answers about God’s only begotten Son is important, that knowledge alone will not get anyone a place in Heaven.  However, understanding why only Jesus’ death was necessary and trusting His sacrifice can save a sinner from an eternity in Hell.

The first glimpse of why God’s Son would have to die a terrible death on the cruel Cross was shown in the account of mankind’s first sin committed by Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:6).  After judging the two and Satan for diobedience, God had to kill an animal so the people’s nakedness would be covered with the animals’s skin.
“Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” Ge 3:21”

The death of an innocent animal was the first sacrifice to cover sins.  Its death did not take away Adam and Eve’s sin; it only covered it.  It was temporary, and from then on, other animals were killed to cover the nakedness that followed afterwards.  Blood had to be shed to keep people’s inherited and committed sins covered.

After the flood, Noah built an altar.  He sacrificed innocent animals as an offering to the Lord, who spared them from the ravaging flood.  Blood had to be shed to please the Lord and show their gratitude.
“And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.  21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.”  Genesis 8:20-21

Later, Moses, the leader of Israel, was instructed to build the first place of worship.  It was a mobile tent that would be erected wherever God’s people traveled.  As lavish as the tabernacle was, worship of God was not complete unless animal sacrifices were performed.  Again, only the life-giving fluid of innocent animals was given to please God and cover mankind’s iniquities..

In time, the tent was replaced with a permanent Temple in Jerusalem.  The shedding of blood was still needed to please God, as a temporary appeasement for man’s sin.  God would and will not accept anything else to cover man’s iniquities.

The temporary blood sacrifices were performed during much of the Old Testament times.  However, at one point they were missed and at times not performed at all.  There was no “covering” of sins.

Finally, and a need realized from the beginning, God changed the offering of the temporary sin-coverings to one that would be sufficient for the rest of mankind’s time on Earth.  The one-time offering was the blood of God’s only sin-innocent Son, Jesus.

Jesus’ blood sacrifice was for all man’s sins.  The blood of animals was not sufficient to cover one’s sins from God’s memory.  Early animal sacrifices were only to prepare people for the perfect permanent sacrifice for iniquities that God allowed to be sacrificed.
“For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” Hebrews 8:12
“And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” Hebrews 10:17

God allowed one sacrifice that would blot out all of one’s sins to be offered.  It, again, included a blood offering from an innocent.  God gave his only born Son, Jesus, to be that sin offering.
“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:” I Peter 3:18
“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” Romans 5:6

For those admitting their sins and trusting Jesus’ death was payment for their sin, His sacrifice is enough to be payment for anyone who believes and asks.  One can be saved from eternal torment.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Romans 10:9
“And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” Hebrews 9:15

Good deeds, religious acts, self-denial, and being a nice person are unacceptable offerings that will not pay for the penalty of one’s sins, which is Hell.  According to God’s Word, the only means to have anyone’s sins forgiven is to have innocent blood as payment for one’s transgressions.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,” II Timothy 1:9

Jesus was not just a man who died a cruel death.  He was the only sacrificial offering God will accept as payment for anyone’s iniquities.  Have you admitted you are a sinner deserving of an eternal Hell, and then are convinced that the only way to Heaven is by trusting Jesus’ sacrifice is enough?  Is Jesus your Saviour?

“The sacrifice of Jesus is the true reason for our salvation.” — Spurgeon



He Gave All He Had
Edited from the “Young People’s Weekly”

An account is told of a hero of the Chinese rice fields during an earthquake.  From his hilltop farm, a farmer felt the quake and saw the distant ocean swifly withdrawing from the shoreline like some animal crouching back for a leap.  He knew that the leap would soon be a tidal wave.

In the valleys below, he saw his neighbors working in the low fields that soon would be flooded and where many would perish.  “They must all come up here on the hill to survive,” he thought.

He had an idea that would get the endangered farmers quickly to safety.  His rice barns were dry as tinder.  With a torch, he set them on fire and rang the fire gong.

Soon, his neighbors saw the smoke and rushed to help.  From their safe perch on the hill, they saw the waters cover the fields where they had just left.

They quickly realized that their salvation was due to the quick sacrifice of their considerate neighbor.  He gave his all so that others would be spared.

A monument was erected in memory of his deed.  On the stone  was the motto, “He gave us all he had, and gave it gladly.”  All Christians should also have a similar concern for the souls of  perishing neighbors.

“It is what we give up, not what we lay up, that adds to our lasting store.”
 — Ballon

Sacrifice for the Furtherance of the Gospel
Heart and Life Bulletin

George Atley, a young Englishman with the heart of a hero, was engaged in the Central African Mission.  A party of natives attacked him.

He had with him a Winchester repeating rifle with ten loaded chambers.  The party was completely at his mercy.

Calmly and quickly, he summed up the situation.  He concluded that if he killed them, it would do the mission more harm than if he allowed them to take his life.  As a lamb to the slaughter, he allowed himself to be taken.  When his body was found in the stream, his rifle was also discovered with its ten chambers still loaded.

“One of our greatest concerns should be about the eternal residency  of our neighbors.” — Brinkworth

Much Was Sacrificed
Dr. R. W. Ketchum

Do not be indifferent to Christianity and take it lightly.  It was given to you by the blood of Christ and preserved for you by the blood of martyrs.

For almost the first three hundred years, Christianity was a forbidden religion.  Many of its adherents were publicly whipped and dragged by their heels through the streets until their brains ran out.  Some had their limbs torn off, ears and noses were cut off, and eyes were dug out with sharp sticks or burned out with hot irons.  To some, sharp knives were run under their fingernails.  Melted lead was poured on many.  Others were drowned, beheaded, crucified, ground between stones, torn by wild beasts, smothered in lime kilns, scraped to death by sharp shells, and killed by other horrendous means.

In 1651 in Massachusetts, Reverend Obadiah Holmes was ordered to be whipped by Governor Endicot for holding a prayer meeting in his home.  So severe was the whipping that for days he could lie only by resting  on the tips of his elbows and his knees, and yet when the last lash had fallen, he looked at his tormenters and, through bloodstained lips, cried, “Gentlemen, you have whipped me with roses!”

A redeeming Christ has given you a future filled with hope and joy.  Do not look lightly upon this thing called Christianity, which cost the Son of God His blood, and millions of His followers their lives.

“What is your offering for the cause of Christ.  If we don’t tell or show them,who will?” — Brinkworth

The BIBLE VIEW #1012 — What Are You Doing With God’s Word?

In This Issue:
Lessons Realized While Picking Blueberries
In One Ear and Out into the Fire
Forgotten Treasures

Volume: 1012   August 4, 2025
Theme:  What Are You Doing With God’s Word?


Lessons Realized While Picking Blueberries
Bill Brinkworth

We can see examples of biblical principles all around us.  We should expect to find these visual “parables” because the God who preserved His written Word for us is also the same One who created all in this universe.  He has not left you on your own.  He wants you to see and follow His way, and there are many ways to see it.

While picking blueberries from my sprawling bushes, I related many situations of that job to principles about our handling of God’s Word.  I was reminded that:

  • Although you think you picked all the juicy berries in front of you, when you look back at where you have already plucked, you find you missed some.  Often, they are hidden behind leaves or branches that shield them when picking from another direction.

    This brought to mind the many times I have read certain scriptures, but their principles were not understood at the time or were not relevant to me when I first read them.  However, when in need of specific godly advice, the same verse can be looked at from the angle of need, and it becomes a light or solution to a situation one is currently facing. 

    When the Bible is read, we may not always find something that applies to our lives at the time, but when it is needed, God allows us to understand His advice.
  • Sometimes good fruit has fallen off the bush and lies wasted at the base of the tree.  We often read the Bible with other things on our minds and miss God’s advice that could help us. 
  • Unharvested, ripe fruit laying at the base of bushes also pictures godly direction that one never bothered to glean from God’s preserved, Road-map for life.  Solutions to problems are close at hand, but the pages of the Bible are not opened to find them.
  • Sometimes berries have rotted or have been ruined by nibbling birds.  Too often, we read something in God’s Word and believe it means what we were previously told it meant.  We fail to study what other Scriptures say about the situation and believe in unusable, untrue doctrines.
  • Sometimes a strong wind came and blew much of the fruit off the tree.  Those wasting winds are like many false teachings that have been heard.  They invalidate the truth and value of God’s Word, causing people to pay no mind to the Bible’s advice.  Untrue statements like “A bunch of old men wrote the Book, and it is not what God said,” “There are errors in the Bible, and it cannot be trusted,” and “ Different versions say it better” convince too many to ignore the Bible’s truths.
  • Sometimes, intermingled among the branches, a wild, thorned blackberry bush manages to grow.  Among delicious blueberries, blackberries are tempting fruits, but they are not blueberries.  However, when picked, one gets scratched, and annoying chingers cause tremendous itching.  For the next few days, one regrets being tempted to pick those non-blueberries because of the painful scratches and the insect bites.

    Likewise, Christians who get sidetracked from doing God’s will and way by some unscriptural temptations many times regret straying from God’s direction for them.  Too often, wrong acquaintances, watered-down Bibles, unbiblical doctrines, and involvement in sin get one off-course from God’s direction, and it causes much regret.


Life certainly is not a bowl of blueberries.  There is not much easy-picking, and it requires much work and discernment.

Read and study God’s Word.  Pay attention to every Word because one day you will need His wisdom.  Do not be distracted by philosophies, opinions, or popular trends if they do not align with what is taught in the Bible.  God does not desire you to go through life without His help.  His Way is there for you to follow.  Read and apply His Truths.

In One Ear and Out into the Fire
Bill Brinkworth

God gave His Word to the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36).  It was shown in hopes that the people of Israel, when they heard how their sin would be judged and punished by God, would repent and stop their wickedness.  That is always the first desire of God.  He does not want any to perish.
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” II Peter 3:9

Baruch, Jeremiah’s scribe, heard the Words from Jeremiah and recorded them on a scroll.  For an unspecified reason, the prophet was not allowed in the Temple.  Jeremiah commanded Baruch to read it, in his place, to an array of princes.  Fear struck the listeners, and they immediately wanted the king to hear God’s judgment by hearing the words of God.  “Surely, as they were touched and convicted, so will the king be,” they must have thought.

Jehudi was selected to read the prophetic words to the king.  Instead of being grieved and burdened as he heard a few pages read, the king cut them up with his penknife and threw them into the fire.  As more were read to him, he did likewise.  Soon, all the Words given to Jeremiah were destroyed.

Just ignoring the Words, however, did not lessen his responsibility to deal with the warnings.  As for the Word, it was simply rewritten, and today we have all the same Words that Jeremiah was given, plus some additional truths Jeremiah added.  God could preserve His Word then, and He is still doing it today in the preserved King James Bible for English-speaking people, despite all that man is trying to do to dilute His truths.

What is interesting is to see how these men handled what was heard.  The prophet heard, knew their source, and knew they were valuable to share with others so they could divert a terrible fate.  He knew how many would react, but he still made sure others had the opportunity to hear God’s Words as he had.  Today’s Christians should have a similar burden to want others to listen to the truths as taught in God’s Word.  If we do not tell others, who will?

The princes heard the same words and were afraid of what was prophesied to happen.  They too wanted another to hear it.  I am sure they were hoping their leader would help change the situation so God would not judge their nation.

The king reacted like so many do today.  He heard the words, was not convicted or disturbed, and burnt them up.  He did not do with the Truths as God intended.

Destroying or ignoring the truths from the Bible is certainly going on today.  God’s Word is ridiculed and demeaned.  We hear all the “arguments,” which include:

  • “Only the weak believe it.” However, are we not all “weak”?  Most do not recognize their weaknesses – yet!  I heard this defense from a man who was on his fifth marriage, and he is a young man.  He just does not see where he is failing, perhaps because he is comparing himself to other “weak” persons around him, and does not seem as “bad” as others.  If he and others would compare themselves to what the Bible says about their condition, actions, and sins, they might see a truly different picture of themselves.
  • “It is filled with errors.” People often say that, but most cannot give an example of an “error”.  The majority who have given the Bible open-minded study have concluded that there are no errors.

    Years ago, one website offered thousands of dollars as a reward to anyone who could find errors in it.  They never gave one cent of reward because no one could find a mistake.  None of the big talk about contradictions and errors proved true when they were challenged.  I have found that many who claim this excuse have never even read it for themselves, or have formed an opinion before they even read some of it.
  • “It’s too hard to understand.” Actually, the majority of the King James Bible is at a fifth-grade level.  The difficulty in reading and understanding it depends on whether or not the Holy Spirit of God is in the reader’s heart.  God’s Spirit is the only One that can allow anyone to understand it.
  • “It’s not important.” This is the excuse many use for not even attempting to read it.  It is shocking to know how few have read it at all, and even fewer that have read it from cover to cover — even amongst Christians!
  • They do not want to hear it.  They have already purposed in their heart not to obey the highest Authority.  This was the case of the king in Jeremiah 36.  He, like so many others, had his plans as to how he wanted to live his life and did not want any authority telling him how to live it.  It is when people realize their way does not work that they turn to God’s way and allow Him to lead them in the direction He desires for them.

How are you handling the Word of God?  Is it so precious to you that you are burdened to share it with others, no matter what it costs you in popularity, friendships, and others’ opinions about you?

 Are you believing every Word and trusting its Author, even though you may not initially understand it all?  Are you asking and allowing the Spirit of God to help you know His Word?  Are the truths within the pages of God’s Word so important to you that you make the effort to read and obey them, or are you allowing it to go in one ear and out into the fire as the king did, and not letting God’s Word influence and direct your life?  Read God’s Word and let Him show you His truth.

“… For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” Luke 12:48



Forgotten Treasure
Dr. Edmond

A man once entered a home in Germany and found it very wretched — no fire, no furniture, no food.  Everything bore the appearance of utter poverty.  Glancing around, he saw, in a neglected corner, a copy of the Bible, and when he went away, he said to the poor tenants, “There is a treasure in this house that would make you all rich.”

After he had gone, the people began to search the house for what they thought must be a jewel or a pot of gold, and found nothing.  They dug up the floor in hopes of discovering the hidden store of wealth.  Their labors were all in vain.  One day, the mother lifted the old Bible, and found written on the flyleaf these words, “The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.” (Ps. 119:72)

“Ah!” she said, “can this be the treasure the stranger spoke of?”  So, she shared her thoughts with the rest of the family.  They began to read the Bible and were transformed in character, and the blessings of God came to stay with them. 

The stranger came back to find poverty gone, contentment and peace in its place, and a hearty Christian welcome.  With grateful joy, the family told him, “We found the treasure, and it has proved all that you said to us it would.”

“A man may read the numbers on a sundial, but he cannot tell the time of day unless the sun shines on the dial.  We may read the Bible over and over, but we cannot learn its purpose or words until the Spirit of God shines into our hearts.” — T. Watson 

The BIBLE VIEW #1011 — Love

In This Issue:
Real Love: Having Charity
Lust Never Satisfies
Undying Love 
The Right Motive

Volume: 1011   July 28, 2025
Theme:  Love

Real Love: Having Charity
Bill Brinkworth

Love is an emotion that we all need to be happy.  It is the strong affection a child has for his parents, the fondness parents have for their child, the bonding relationship between husband and wife, and the feeling a person has for another.  Although one of the most important emotions for mankind to be healthy, it is the one feeling that is most misunderstood and confusing to many.

Seekers of love seek it in the wrong places, and when they do experience it, they are often confused by the emotion.  People sometimes confuse lust with love, confuse selfishness with love, and sometimes even confuse responsibility with the emotion.  Real love is not what one can demand from another.  It is not bought; it is given.

Real love is often referred to as “charity” in the Bible.  Charity is described simply in I Corinthians 13:3-8:

  • I Cor. 13:3:  “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.” Prior to this verse, many of the gifts God gave to members of the early church, before they had the written Word of God, were mentioned.  Many of those gifts would fade away.  One gift that would not be taken away was the gift of charity.
  • I Cor. 13:4: “Charity suffereth long,
    Love doesn’t quit.  It continues and endures.
  • and is kind;
    Love is not mean, but is kind!
  • charity envieth not;
    Love does not cause a person to get jealous of another.
  • charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,”
    Love does not make one brag about oneself, or make one think he is better than another!
  • I Cor. 13:5: “Doth not behave itself unseemly,
    Love doesn’t think bad thoughts (indecent) about another.
  • seeketh not her own,
    Love does not prompt one to care about another solely for what they can gain from them.
  • is not easily provoked,
    Love for another person does not easily allow one to get mad at them.
  • thinketh no evil;
    Love does not allow one to see the bad in another.
  • I Cor. 13:6: “Rejoiceth not in iniquity,
    Love does not allow one to be happy when another is sinning.
  • but rejoiceth in the truth;”
    Love is happy when the other tells the truth, and when friends are honest with each other.
  • I Cor. 13:7: “Beareth all things,
    Love puts up with a lot.
  • believeth all things,
    Love believes what the other person says, no matter what is suspected.
  • hopeth all things,
    Love wants the best for another.
  • endureth all things.”
    Love does not stop!
    I Cor. 13:8: “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease;”

The love described in these verses is not the one portrayed in most movies.  It is not the temporary emotion that produces a “love” relationship several times a month.  It is an emotion, given to people by God, and it is characterized by tolerance, resilience, forgiveness, and unity.  It is real love!

“Love meets the needs of the loved object.”   — Gary Bane

Lust Never Satisfies
Bill Brinkworth

James 4 discusses a sin that has robbed many of an opportunity to be fully satisfied.  It has also robbed many of the joy they could have had.  At times, it has often left some feeling “emptier” than they were previously.  This rampant sin, as do all iniquities, gets man further away from God than they would ever imagine.  It is the sin of lusting that is examined in this chapter.

One’s longing desire for many of the world’s tempting offerings is often an attempt to meet spiritual needs in one’s life with worldly things.  One will never be truly fulfilled that way.  Always more will be needed as one’s carnal appetite increases.  

Lust for power and riches has caused the deaths of unfathomable numbers in war (James 4:2).  No matter the earthly treasure gained, still the insatiable hole in one’s soul remains unfilled (James 4:3).

Covetous actions are identified as sin in the Bible.  Attempts to ask God for things that involve them in things God does not want them to have in the first place will not be granted (James 4:2-3).  

The lust for what the world has is identified as spiritual adultery (James 4:4).  For the Christian, lusting for what the world offers is “cheating” and not being faithful to the one who created and saved one, and who knows what one should have in his life.

In attempting to acquire all that the world has to offer, the coveter is disregarding something more important.  They may have accumulated much of what this world offers in goods and social standings, but in so doing, they may have become an enemy of God.  An enemy of God will never have joy or peace.
“… whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” James 4b

Perhaps, because of being in the world, we sometimes think too much like the unsaved.  That may be why most battle the sin of covetousness.  

Many have forgotten, or may never have learned, that God has an entirely different value system than the unsaved do.  Our creator knows what will help and what will hurt us.  We do need many of the things in the world to survive, but there often comes a point when one forgets the difference between a “need” and a “want.”

God will provide all our needs.  If we seek Him first, He will meet our needs and many of our wants (Mat. 6:33).  Resist the temptation to be like the unsaved (James 4:7).  We are on the winning side!  Why should we desire what the losing side has?

When we draw close to God, He will draw close to us (James 4:8).  When He is close to us, we will have a better relationship with Him and develop the mindset He wants us to have.  We will ask for what we need properly (James 4:3), and He will provide all that the Christian needs.  None of God’s children will ever be without what God deems necessary for them (Psalms 37:25).

“The best things in life are not things.” — Author Unknown

Undying Love
Dr. Southey, 1871

They sin who tell us love can die:
With life all other passions fly,
All others are but vanity.
In Heaven, ambition cannot dwell;
Nor avarice in the vaults of Hell;
Earthly these passions of the Earth,
They perish where they have their birth;
But love is indestructible.
Its holy flame forever burneth,
From HHeaven it came, to Heaven returneth;
Too oft on Earth a troubled guest,
At times deceived, at times opprest,
It here is tried and purified,
Then hath in Heaven its perfect rest.
It woeth here in toil and care,
But the harvest time of love is there.

“And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.” Ephesians 5:2

The Right Motive
Walter Knight

Hudson Taylor was examining some young people who had volunteered for the mission field.  He wanted to ascertain their qualifications for the arduous life they were seeking.

“And why do you wish to go as a foreign missionary?” he asked one.

“I want to go because millions are perishing without Christ, not having even heard of the One name whereby the lost may be saved.” Others gave various answers.  Then Hudson Taylor said, “All of these motives, howsoever good, will fail you in times of testing, trials, tribulations, and possibly death.  There is but one motive which will sustain you in trial and testing, and that is “For the love of Christ constraineth us; …” II Cor 5:14. (“Constrain”: force, compel, confine)

The BIBLE VIEW #1010 — Prayer

In This Issue:
The Situation Was Impossible, BUT …
They Denied Giving God His Due Credit
Reasons Why Prayer May Not be Answered
Be Grateful! 

Volume: 1010   July 21, 2025
Theme:  Prayer

Sunday School Teachers & Preachers: There are hundreds of free lessons at http://www.openthoumineeyes.com/lessons.html and http://www.devotionsfromthebible.com/.  One commentary for each New Testament chapter can also be used for lessons at http://www.openthoumineeyes.com/blog/.  You can be assured that all material uses only the KJV (most other Sunday School material from other companies cannot claim that)!

The Situation Was Impossible, BUT …
Bill Brinkworth

Peter’s future did not look too promising as he lay in a dark, dank prison cell.  Acts 12 describes his unpleasant position further by detailing that he was chained to guards on either side of him, was unclothed, was locked in a prison with other security outside his chamber, and was facing a death sentence from Herod.  No one would ever have suspected he would leave that jail alive.  Then a hopeful word came into the story.  It is a word that usually indicates that things are going to change.  The word is “but” (Acts 12:5), and the situation did change.

Things changed in Peter’s gloomy situation because praying Christians got God involved.  The impossible was made possible.  Guards were not disturbed; however, shackles fell off the prisoner, an angel got involved, and prison doors flung open on their “own” accord.  Out walked Peter, a free man!

Just as the situation was changed for Peter when others started praying, things can change today when God’s people start praying.  People with illnesses have been cured by prayer.  Fearful and dangerous situations have been transformed into peaceful ones when petitions were sent to our heavenly Father.  Drunken, runaway parents have had their lives changed and salvaged by the prayers of their loved ones.  Continuous supplications have gotten God involved in putting marriages back together.  Prayer has prompted God to do miracles at jobs, to help financial situations, to mend relationships, to fix broken things, and countless other “hopeless” situations.

For Christians, calling on God in prayer can transform any situation.  It should be our first line of defense in battling the troubles we face in this life.  There is always hope when God is involved.  There is nothing God cannot do when a Christian calls on his Father for help!

“Children of God — please call home.  Your Father is waiting!”

They Denied Giving God His Due Credit
Bill Brinkworth

God had done an incredible miracle and healed a man who was crippled from birth in Acts 14.  Paul was the vessel through which God enabled the man to stand and walk by faith.

Then a shocking thing happened.  When the people saw what Paul had been used to do, they immediately gave credit to their false gods!  They attributed Paul to being Mercurius (Mercury), the Roman god of commerce.  They thought Barnabas was Jupiter, the Latin name for the false god, Zeus.  To make matters worse, the priest of Jupiter soon arrived, bringing them gifts, and wanted to make a sacrifice to the false gods (Acts 14:13).

Needless to say, when the two men of the true God heard how God’s work had been interpreted and credited to false gods, they were shocked.  Barnabas and Paul “rent their clothes”, which was how the Jewish culture at that time showed great distress and disappointment.  They immediately went among the crowd trying to explain to the people who the real God was.

Many times, we see God’s mighty hand at work in a situation.  We know it is answered prayer and are amazed at what He has done.  However, it is not long until we hear the ungodly crowd see it completely different.

I remember when Florida was faced with a hurricane that was headed directly for the southwest portion of the state.  All weather projections had it going straight through the state and doing much damage. 

The hurricane got closer and closer.  It was inevitable that the state would be clobbered.  Windows were boarded up.  People left the threatened area.  Dark clouds and winds arrived.  At the last minute, the hurricane turned 180 degrees and headed away from land and went out to sea.

Christians were elated.  They knew God had done the impossible — again.  Almost immediately, the weather broadcasts attributed it to some scientific weather anomaly.  They would not give credit where credit was due.  They failed to recognize God’s intervention.  Perhaps, it was for the same reason that the crowd who saw Paul’s and Barnabas’ experience was blinded.  It may have been because they were raised without the knowledge of God, and therefore, did not know Him or what He was capable of doing.

Unfortunately, I believe our world today is in a similar position as it was in Paul’s day.  Many people have been programmed and raised without any knowledge of God: His creation, His history with the people of the world, and His workings.  When something supernatural does occur, they explain it away with the only “religion” they do know: humanism, science, or other false religions they have been exposed to.

Man always has to have an answer for what happens.  If they are not trained properly or shown God’s truths, they will devise their own explanations.  That is why, as Christians, it is so important that we fill the void of understanding that an ungodly world has with the truths from the Word of God.

“A coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.”
— Author Unknown

Reasons Why Prayer May Not Be Answered
Bill Brinkworth

Many do not have what they need from God because they:

Do not ask Him.
“Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” James 4:2

Ask improperly, often selfishly. 
“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” James 4:3

Are separated from God’s help because of sin.  
“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:” Psalm 66:18
“Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.” Lam. 3:44  Also: I Kings 8:35, Jer. 11:14, Psalm 80:4, Isa. 45:20, Isa. 59:1-2, Lam. 3:8.

Ask the wrong “god”.  “Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.” Isa. 45:20

Are praying for a situation in which God will not intervene.
“Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.” Jer. 7:16

Are hypocritical: “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men.  Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.” Mat.  6:5

Are not sincerely seeking God: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.” Mat.  23:14

Without meaning they repeat the same prayer over and over.  “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” Mat.  6:7


Be Grateful!
Bill Brinkworth

After passing through Samaria and Galilee, Jesus healed ten lepers (Luke 17:11-17).  In the account, only one turned back and thanked Jesus, and gave God the credit. After being healed of a debilitating disease that severely disfigured their bodies and made them social outcasts, one would expect that all would be grateful.  Perhaps they were, but only one expressed his gratitude.

We dare not ridicule them, because many praying Christians have been ungrateful for what God has done for them. 

We pray.  We beg God to deliver us from the clutches of a disease or deliver us from a hopeless situation, and He does.  How many times did we forget to thank the Lord for His miracles and answers to prayer?

Sometimes, perhaps because we did not ask God specifically how to answer our prayer request, we fail to see that He has answered it.  Unless the answered prayer is gift-wrapped and dropped out of Heaven with a note “From God, with Love”, we often write the prayer fulfillment off as a “coincidence”.

Here are some suggestions as to how to be more grateful for answered petitions:

  • Thank the Lord for the answered prayer when you originally told Him your need.  By faith, assume He will answer it.  Sometimes the answer will be, “Not now, later”, or “No.”  Many times, it may not be the way you expected it to be answered, but there will always be an answer to a Christian’s request.
  • Write your prayer requests on a piece of paper.  Pray daily for them, and when they are answered or no longer needed, put a mark next to them.  Soon, a marked paper will clearly show you that God is working and answering your prayer requests.
  • Pray daily for the need.  Doing this will show God how urgent it is to you, and will make you aware that it is still a need you asked Him to help you with.  When you no longer have to pray for it, you will be reminded that it is He who has met your need.

God does answer the prayer requests of Christians who seek His help.  Have you thanked God for His answers to your prayers, or are you like the nine, unthankful lepers?

“When in doubt, give God the glory [credit].”

The BIBLE VIEW #1009 — Hard Times

In This Issue:
Reasons for Hard Times
Difficulties One Can Face
Different Temptations
Health Problems

Volume: 1009   June 16, 2025
Theme: Hard Times

Sunday School Teachers & Preachers: There are hundreds of free lessons at http://www.openthoumineeyes.com/lessons.html and http://www.devotionsfromthebible.com/.  One commentary for each New Testament chapter can also be used for lessons at http://www.openthoumineeyes.com/blog/.  You can be assured that all material uses only the KJV (most other Sunday School material from other companies cannot claim that)!

Reasons for Hard Times
Bill Brinkworth

Everyone has difficulties and tribulations at one time or the other.  There is no promise from God that believers are exempt from having hardships.  Ordeals still rain on “the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45).

It does not necessarily mean that a person facing some misery is out of the will of God.  Jesus healed a man of blindness in John 9.  Jesus’ disciples asked Him if the man’s blindness was because of some sin he or his parents had committed.  

Christ responded that there was another reason for the man’s infirmity.  It was so God could get the glory in healing the man.  God certainly was honored when the man was able to see.
“Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” John 9:3

There can be many other reasons why a person may be going through hard times.  According to God’s Word, they can include:

  • To move a person to where God wants him or to change that person for future use, as in the story of Joseph.
  • To strengthen a person, as in the story of Job.
  • To separate a person from things God wants him separated from, as in the story of Noah.
  • To teach a person a lesson he needs to learn, as in the stories of Jonah and David.
  • To get that person close to and reliant on God, as in the story of Lazarus.

Not all trials are God’s wrath on a person.  Much of the time, life’s difficulties are a loving God’s intervention in a person’s life for their best!

“Your disappointments may be God’s appointments.”

Difficulties One Can Face
Bill Brinkworth

When we get saved, we are expected to serve the Lord who saved us.  We are not to sit and just soak up God’s goodness. 

We should do as the  Lord commands us: to go and tell others the messages from God’s Word, spiritually feed ourselves, have a relationship with the Lord, and do whatever else the Lord lays on our hearts.  To some, these seem to be simple tasks, but many know those “simple” things can cause us a lot of grief when we try to do them.

The Scripture in Matthew 10 tells the disciples that Jesus had just explained their responsibilities.  They were warned that it would not be easy to tell others what they had learned from Christ. 

Although it was addressed to the disciples reaching Israel, there is much that they faced that if we try to live and do right, we can also expect to deal with, including persecution and resistance.  Here are some of the things that we can expect in our lives if we strive to be good Christians and do what we are told:

  • Some will not receive the message of the Scriptures (vs. 14).  Not everyone will jump for joy when they are told what the Word of God says.  We probably were not excited the first time we heard the truths from God’s Word either.
  • There will be problems from the “religious.”  Not everyone who has a “form of godliness” is a Christian.  It was a religious group that tried the hardest to silence Christ.  They did not want anyone exposing that their “religion” was contrary to what was taught in the Bible (vss. 16-17).  

    Many of the “religious” today also do not want to hear the truth.  They choose to believe only their traditions and interpretations.
  • The secular government will oppose many efforts to reach the world with the government of God.  After all, many government officials think their rules and laws are what the world needs.  They do not understand how a good Christian life can solve man’s needs and problems.  The government was much involved in Jesus’ murder.
  • There may be conflicts in a family when a member gets saved and lives differently than one did before (vs. 21).
  • A Christian may be hated for how he lives (vs. 22).  It’s amazing how the world “understands” and tolerates criminals, but those living right often get more criticism and hatred than those purposely doing wrong. 

    Perhaps it is the godly example that convicts and troubles their consciences.  The only way they can silence their troubled convictions is to get rid of the messenger rather than change themselves!

It was difficult for these men to stand and live for Christ.  It is not easy today, which is probably why so many do not do it.  Many quit when the going gets tough!  One cannot “quit” being a Christian if one is one.  He can only stop being a good testimony of a living God.

“Following God’s directions are the only way to get safely home.”

Different Temptations
Bill Brinkworth

James, who many believe to be the brother of Jesus, gives practical advice in his writing in James 1. One of the most sensible and oft-visited situations for all people, including believers, is discussed here.  The “good” side of going through difficulties is examined in verses 2-6.

James identifies the difficulties, trials, and enticements all face as “divers temptations.”  Although most initially shudder at even the thought of going through different problems, James exposes what can be positively gained by going through our individual “valleys.”  Instead of agreeing on how terrible it is to have problems, James encourages Christians to “… count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;” (vs. 2).

How could anyone be joyful when facing joblessness, heartaches, financial problems, family problems, or the thousands of difficulties we all face in our lifetime?  James tells us we can be “joyful” because:

  • The trying of our faith during the hard times builds our patience (vs. 3).  Since there usually is not much we can do but wait until the trial passes, we learn to patiently wait and trust in the Lord during those hard times.
  • The practical lessons on patience we learn build a good Christian into a “tested” believer.  Most of us have some person in our life that we have observed as more spiritual than ourselves.  We are often amazed at how cool, calm, and patient they are when they face difficulties. 

    They did not wake up one morning and decide to be patient for the rest of their lives.  They got that way because they went through hard times, got close to God, and saw that His help was sufficient to deliver and guide them.  The next time they faced an unfavorable situation, they remembered all He had done in the past and did not get frazzled.  Their learned patience (vs. 4) built their character and trust in the Lord.
  • When we go through a “temptation,” we go to the Lord in prayer more than we ever had before.  In doing so, we get closer to the Lord, see how He supplies wisdom on handling our trial (vs. 5), and have the potential to increase our faith.

Trials and tribulations are not something anyone desires to go through, but after going through many of them and drawing close to God during those times, we can learn that they are not so bad.  The valley of “temptation” can be joyous as our God guides us through the treacherous pathways. 

“… for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”  Nehemiah 8:10

Health Problems
Bill Brinkworth

Paul was a man used greatly by God.  With God’s helping hand, that evangelist survived shipwrecks, beatings, persecutions, imprisonments, and other ill-treatment.  With God’s miraculous help, that man was used in healings, revivals, and many miracles.  However, as used of God as he was, Paul still had a personal ailment (II Cor. 12:7)

Commentators have strained at attempting to name Paul’s “thorn in the flesh.”  God has chosen not to make it clear to us what it was.  

No matter what it was, Paul made it clear that it was an infirmity he faced.  Three times Paul pleaded with God to remove the malady from him (II Cor. 12:8).  God’s answer was “…My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness …” (II Cor. 12:9).

Here was a man who had seen glorious things in the third Heaven (II Cor. 12:2-4) and had been delivered from many horrible things, yet God wanted Paul to experience this physical problem.  God could have easily healed his body, but His answer was that God’s grace was enough for him to live with the problem and that Paul’s infirmity would be a vehicle to make him spiritually stronger.

If God would allow one of His great spiritual warriors to face such a battle, we should not be surprised if we face problems.  As with most trials, we can do one of two things when going through testing.  We can either shake our fists at God and be angry with him, which is not the wise thing to do when we need Him the most, or get close to Him and rely on Him to get us through the struggle.

Paul chose not to be foolish and get angry at God.  He decided that if God allowed him to go through the problem, he would have a good attitude about it (II Cor. 12:10) and give Him the glory.  In doing so, Paul learned exactly what God wanted him to get out of the situation: that when he was weak, he was the strongest through God’s help (vs. 10)!

“Some cry, ‘Why me?’ when they go through a trial.  My question to them is, ‘Why wouldn’t it be you?  Are you something special that you are the only person in the world that shouldn’t have problems or sicknesses?’”

The BIBLE VIEW #1008 — Jesus

In This Issue:
He Paid Our Ransom
No Other; Just Jesus
The Lord Will Provide!
He Heard His Request

Volume: 1008   May 26, 2025
Theme: Jesus

If you like The BIBLE VIEW, you will most likely look forward to receiving  The Daily View, a free daily devotion.  Sign up (https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/a26cc9M), and you will be e-mailed a link to read or HEAR a KJV chapter and a short commentary (200-700 words) of something taught in the day’s reading.  The e-mail will include a mini-sermon in pictures, a prayer list, Thought for The Day, a Bible study, and short articles reinforcing biblical principles.

He Paid Our Ransom
Bill Brinkworth

“For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

Sometimes, we take our salvation for granted after being saved for a while.  The joy of escaping Hell may have “worn off”, and as we go through another day, we say, “Ho hum, I’m saved, but what’s the big deal.”

Reading Mark 10:45, I saw six words that reminded me how special and blessed I am to be saved.  Those words are “… his life a ransom for many.”

To renew your excitement about your salvation (if you are saved), think for a minute what a ransom is.  When a crime is committed, and a person is kidnapped, sometimes the kidnappers try to make money.  They offer a person the opportunity to rescue the snatched person for a high price.  Often, they warn that if their requests are not met, the person will never be seen again and will probably be murdered.

The kidnappers do not go to a person that hates the one they took.  They send a message to someone who loves the abducted person so much that they would give anything to get that person back.

Jesus was reminding us here that we are all kidnapped by sin, and unless someone had paid the price, all would have perished; they will spend an eternity in Hell!  It is a sad, sad truth that we are all Hell-bound because of our sins.

In this case, the ransom required to save someone from a terrible end was not money or possessions.  The only payment that would be acceptable was the blood of a sinless person.

Now, the good news!  There is one who loves you so much that He would pay the price to save you.  It just so happens that He is the only one qualified as sin-free.  He was willing to pay the ransom with His life for yours.  Jesus, God’s only Son, stepped forward, willing to pay the price.  Not only was Jesus willing to be a ransom for you, but He is also willing to pay everyone’s sin debt to all who ask Him.

Now, how can anyone not be excited about salvation after that realization?  There is someone who loves you so much that He will rescue you from an eternity in Hell if you ask Him.

Jesus, thank you so much for what You have done for us!

No Other, Just Jesus
Bill Brinkworth

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” I Timothy 2:5

What fantastic news, as recorded in I Timothy 2:5, it must have been to the Jews who were familiar with Old Testament worship.  Before Jesus’ death on the cross, they could not go directly to God themselves.  They had to have priests go to God as middlemen for them.  After the sacrificial death of Christ, they could go to God themselves by praying (I Tim 2:1).

However, then and even today, there are still many who believe they cannot go to God themselves.  Those folks still, if they realize it or not, attempt to worship the way it was done in Old Testament times. 

Some still go to a “priest” in a confessional and tell him their sins.  With his words and by doing what he tells them to do, they believe the “priest” can order their sins to be forgiven.  They are trusting the man to be their mediator between them and God.  

There are also those who pray to the dead.   Others murmur prayer needs to deceased biblical characters, in hopes that “person” can be the middle man between them and God to have their sins forgiven or requests granted.

Sincere as those people are, what they are doing is contrary to the teaching of the Scriptures.  I Timothy  2:5 tells us there is only one mediator between us and God, and that is Jesus Christ.

We no longer have to present a perfect, unblemished animal sacrifice for the high priest to take through the temple’s curtain to the Holiest of Holies.  When Christ died, God ripped the veil in two from the top to the bottom.  Now, any believer can go to God in prayer through Jesus Christ.

Telling a priest, parent, or another person one’s sins will not remove the consequences of one’s iniquity.  Those people may want to help, but they, too, are sinners needing a mediator.  Going to anyone other than Christ to meet a need in one’s life or receive help from God will not result in God answering one’s requests.  

The only one who is qualified to go to the Father on our behalf is His Son, Jesus.  He is the only mediator between God and man.

“Well, my friend, today we have a Mediator — the Lord Jesus Christ.  Jesus can because He is God.  He is able to save to the uttermost, and He has paid the price for our salvation.  He is a Mediator because He has also become a man. 

“Jesus can hold my hand.  He understands me.  He understands you.  You can go to Him, and He will not be upset with you.  He will not lose His temper, strike you, or hurt you… He still loves you and wants to put His arm around you.”  — J. Vernon McGee

The Lord Will Provide!
J. Newton

Though troubles assail, and dangers affright,
Though friends should all fail, and foes all unite
Yet one thing secures us, whatever betide,
The promise assures us the Lord will provide.

The birds, without barn or storehouse, are fed.
From them, let us learn to trust for our bread.
His saints what is fitting shall ne’er be denied,
So long as ‘tis written, “The Lord will provide.”

When Satan appears to stop up our path,
And fills us with fears, we triumph by faith;
He cannot take from us (though oft he has tried)
The heart-cheering promise, “The Lord will provide.”

Satan tells us we’re weak, our hope is in vain.
The good that we seek we ne’er shall obtain;
But when such suggestions our graces have tried.
This answers all questions, the Lord will provide.

No strength of our own, nor goodness we claim;
Our trust is all thrown in Jesus’ name.
In that strong tower for safety we hide;
The Lord is our power; the Lord will provide.

When life sinks apace and death is in view,
The Word of His grace shall comfort us through.
Not fearing or doubting, with Christ on our side,
We hope to die shouting, “The Lord will provide!”

“He that feeds His birds will not starve His babes.”  — Matthew Henry

He Heard His Request
J. G. Wilson

A lady, who had just sat down to breakfast, had an intense urgency in her heart to instantly carry a loaf of bread to a poor man who lived about a half mile from her house.  Her husband wished her either to postpone taking the loaf of bread until after breakfast or to send someone else to deliver it to the man.  She chose to immediately take it herself.

As she approached the small hovel, she heard a voice.  Desiring to listen to what was being said, she stepped softly.  She heard the poor man praying, and among other things, he said, “O Lord, help me!  Lord, Thou wilt help me.  Thy providence cannot fail.  Although my wife, myself, and children have no bread to eat, and it is now a whole day since we had any, I know Thou wilt supply.”

The lady could wait no longer; she opened the door.  “Yes,” she replied, “God had sent you relief.  Take this loaf, and be encouraged to cast your care upon Him who careth for you, and when you ever want a loaf of bread, please come to my house.”

“Bread for today is bread enough.” — E. M. Bounds

The BIBLE VIEW #1007 — A Christian’s Testimony

In This Issue:
We’re Not Perfect, Just Forgiven
Many Will Always Find Fault
Walking As He Walked
Won by His Wife’s Faith
Our Duty to Our Neighbors

Volume: 1007   May 26, 2025
Theme:  A Christian’s Testimony

If you like The BIBLE VIEW, you will most likely look forward to receiving  The Daily View, a free daily devotion.  Sign up (https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/a26cc9M), and you will be e-mailed a link to read or HEAR a KJV chapter and a short commentary (200-700 words) of something taught in the day’s reading.  The e-mail will include a mini-sermon in pictures, a prayer list, Thought for The Day, a Bible study, and short articles reinforcing biblical principles.

We’re Not Perfect, Just Forgiven
Bill Brinkworth

“And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day; that they might accuse him.” Mark 3:2

In Mark 3:2, the Son of God had come down to mankind and healed many who were sick and possessed.  Instead of lining the streets and having a ticker-tape parade to show their gratitude, they watched Him carefully to see if they could find Jesus doing something wrong.  The crowd that usually was looking for Him to fail was composed of “religious” folks.

Today is no different.  If it happened to the Son of God, then Christians can certainly expect similar treatment today.  When someone hears we are a Christian, they carefully observe our lives.  If they find us doing something wrong in their eyes, they gleefully point and sneer, “Some Christian he is” or “Hypocrite!”

Well, they can look all they want, and if they look long and carefully enough, they will find us doing something wrong. We still have the same flesh we were born with that will still sin if we let it.  A Christian certainly is not perfect, just forgiven.

We are imperfect and will make mistakes; nevertheless, we should always try our best to exemplify Christian behavior.  There will always be some watching how we go through hard times, how we react when others do us wrong, what we do when we are tempted, and how we live.  It is interesting how the observers may have no interest or experience in living for the Lord themselves, but somehow they think they know how we should live.

We have a tremendous weight on our shoulders.  The scorners and scoffers should be reading their Bible and examining their lives compared to what God requires of us all, but they usually do not.  They scrutinize our testimonies for the Saviour instead.

Quite often, they look for us to fail so that they can write off any conviction they may have for their ungodly lifestyle or for even their attempting to obey Scripture.  When they think we have failed, they feel justified for living as they do.  However, they are usually unaware of the biblical principle, “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12. Also: Matthew 12:36).  Everyone will ultimately give an account of himself.  No one’s shortcomings can be a valid excuse for another’s wrongdoing.

Not only can our lifestyle not be an excuse for someone not to live a godly life, but rather, it should be an example of how to live a godly life.  The world is confused and distraught.  They often see that their ways do not work.  They are looking for a way to live a better life.  Are you being the example they would want to follow to have a closer relationship with God and to have a better life?

“For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” II Cor. 10:12

Many Will Always Find Fault
Bill Brinkworth

“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.  19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners.  But wisdom is justified of her children.” Matthew 11:18-19

You surely have heard the saying, “You can’t please all the people all the time”.  It certainly is true, especially in living for the Lord.

John the Baptist experienced much criticism.  Jesus noted of the prophet that there was none greater than John was (Mat. 11:11), yet that godly man was accused of being demon-possessed (Mat. 11:18).  Jesus, the sinless Son of God, was also charged with being gluttonous and a drunkard (Mat. 11:19) among other criticisms.

If those great spiritual giants were wrongly accused and poorly spoken of, we Christians should not be surprised when things are twisted around, and we are talked about negatively.  Here are some thoughts to remember when your reputation is being questioned:

  • If it is true, then we have some apologizing and changing to do.
  • If it is not true, consider the source of the rebuke.  In John the Baptist’s and Jesus’ case, it was people that Jesus considered immature “children” (Mat. 11:16).  Is the one speaking ill of you someone with great discernment or someone in the flesh and not being led spiritually?
  • If they are seeing things incorrectly or not hearing both sides of the situation (Pro. 18:13), it is their error, not yours.
  • Some spoke negatively of Jesus.  How could we expect better treatment than God’s only Son?

It is impossible to please all the people all the time!

“Live so you wouldn’t be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.”
— Author Unknown

Walking As He Walked
Bible Readings for the Home

  • The way of the Christian was set for us by Jesus himself.
    “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” I John 2:6
    “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:” I Peter 2:21
  • The footprints that Jesus set for us to follow lead unvaryingly along the way of God’s commandments.
    “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my ather’s commandments, and abide in his love.” John 15:10
    “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” I John 5:3
  • The pathway is the same today as when Jesus walked in Judea.
    “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Heb. 13:8



Won by His Wife’s Faith
C. H. Spurgeon

I have read the story of a man who was converted to God by seeing the conduct of his wife in an hour of trouble.  They had a lovely child, their only offspring.  The father’s heart doted on it perpetually, and the mother’s soul was knit up in the heart of the little one.  The child lay sick upon its bed, and the parents watched it night and day.  At last, it died.

The father had no God.  He tore out his hair.  He rolled upon the floor in misery, wallowed upon the earth, cursed his being, and defied God.

There sat his wife, as fond of the child as possible, and though tears came, she gently said, “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

“What!” he said, “You love that child!  I thought that when that child died, it would break your heart.  Here I am, a strong man; I am going mad.  Here are you, and yet you are strong and bold.  Tell me what it is that possesses you?”

She answered, “Christ is my Lord.  I trust in Him.  Surely, I can give this child to Him who gave Himself for me.”

From that instant, the man became a believer.  “There must,” he reasoned, “be some truth and some power in the Gospel which could lead you to believe in such a manner under such a trial.”

“Our example is the only Bible which millions of people read today.
— James E. Murray



Our Duty to Our Neighbors
C. H. Spurgeon

An infidel once met a Christian and said, “I know you do not believe your religion.”

“Why?” asked the Christian.

“Because,” said the unsaved man, “for years, you have passed me on my way to my house of business.  You believe, do you not, there is a Hell, into which men’s spirits are cast?”

“Yes, I do,” said the Christian.

“And you believe that unless I believe in Christ, I must be sent there?”

“Yes.”

“You do not, I am sure, because if you did, you must be a most inhuman wretch to pass me, day by day, and never tell me about it or warn me of it.”

“If you want your neighbor to see what Christ will do for him, let him see what He has done for you.”  — H. Beecher

The BIBLE VIEW #1006 — Serving God

In This Issue:
Is It My Life? 
Obeying God
Gifts for Today’s Christians

Volume: 1006   May 19, 2025
Theme:  Serve the Lord!

If you like The BIBLE VIEW, you will most likely look forward to receiving  The Daily View, a free daily devotion.  Sign up (https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/a26cc9M), and you will be e-mailed a link to read or HEAR a KJV chapter and a short commentary (200-700 words) of something taught in the day’s reading.  The e-mail will include a mini-sermon in pictures, a prayer list, Thought for The Day, a Bible study, and short articles reinforcing biblical principles.

Is It My Life?
Bill Brinkworth

“Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?  Is thine eye evil, because I am good?” Matthew 20:15

Does a Christian have the right to do whatever he wants with his life?  According to God’s Word, no!
“Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?  Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” Romans 9:20-21

The context in Matthew 20 is the millennial reign when Christ rules Earth for 1,000 years.  It gives one an idea of what will happen during that time and how some will be rewarded. 

In Jesus’ illustration, he told of how workers starting at different times of the day got paid what the master thought was fair.  All were paid the same, whether they worked 10 hours or one hour.  The “boss” was doing the hiring, and all agreed to work for what he offered them.  The whole point of the illustration was to teach that the master was in charge, and it was by his rules they had to abide.

Although Matthew 20:15 was the reply of the landowner doing the hiring, it holds a great truth in describing a Christian’s relationship with the Lord.  A Christian is not his own.  We are purchased with Christ’s blood.  We have a promise of Heaven.  Everything after getting saved is a bonus!  Let us surrender our lives and do with our lives what God would have us do!

When adults are asked what they want to do in their future, they usually tell you what they have figured out they would like to have happen with their lives.  When a child is asked the same question, you similarly get a battle plan that he would like to see happen.  Seldom does one answer, “Whatever the Lord wants me to do, I’ll do!”

Sadly, that open-invitation to do God’s will is rarely even thought of by Christians.  Unfortunately, when you hear of people handing their lives over to God without any reservations, it is often only after they have tried it their way, and that way failed.

It would save much heartache and much of a “wasted” life if one would immediately, after one is saved, hand one’s life over to God as a signed, blank check to God.  “Fill it in with what you want me to do God, and I will gladly, happily, and faithfully do it until you tell me otherwise!”  Boy, would that attitude change lives and Christendom as we know it!

“Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord to Thee;
Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love
At the impulse of Thy love.”
 — Excerpt from Frances Havergal’s hymn, “Take My Life, and Let It Be”



Obeying God
Bill Brinkworth

In the introduction to his second letter to the Corinthian church (II Corinthians 1), Paul tells part of the secret of his success.  The preacher was used of God because it was the “will of God” (vs. 1).

I say “part of his secret” because there was another factor not mentioned here, although Paul’s testimony throughout the New Testament made it clear what it was.  It was God’s will that Paul, the one-time enemy of God and His people,  got saved, became an apostle, and was used by God.  It was critical that the preacher allowed himself to be used by God and did what God showed him to do.

This distinction between “God’s will” and obeying God’s commandments is very important.  After being saved by trusting in Jesus’ work for them on the cross, most have a purpose in God’s mind.  None of us are saved to sit and soak up God’s goodness.  There is a spiritual war raging in this world (Ephesians 6:12), and it is always God’s will that each soldier of God participates in the battle.

I believe everyone is convinced and convicted of God’s will for them, at least once.  The tugging spirit of God sometimes makes all feel guilty of involvement in sin.  Many hear that “voice” encourage them to be saved.  At times, they feel uncomfortable in their lifestyle and desire to change.  Some do heed God’s encouragement to get them to do His will.  Unfortunately, too many ignore it.

The encouragement of the Holy Spirit of God is soon not even listened to.  They did not do God’s will, and eventually, because they chose not to obey it, the “voice” of the Holy Spirit no longer “speaks” to them.  They never get used of God because they had chosen not to obey Him previously.

Paul ignored the “pricks” (Acts 9:5) of the Holy Spirit for a long time.  He ignored God’s true calling for him as he watched his acquaintances kill the first martyr for Christ.  Paul closed his ears to the cries and pleas of the Christians he had killed and persecuted. 

One day, however, God’s will was clear to Paul.  He heard the voice of the Son of God on the Damascus road, and he obeyed what Jesus told him to do.  His life was different after that decision, and the world has never been the same because of his obedience.

God’s will for every one of us is to do something for Him.  This, sadly, does not happen in too many cases.  Many get saved.  Some obey for a while.  God has great plans to use them, but because of some act of disobedience, they never get used in the way God intended.  The key to ever being used effectively by God, as was true in Paul’s life, is obedience to what one is shown to do.

It is God’s will that all that are saved serve Him.  It is not His will that we disobey Him by putting off or ignoring what He has placed in our hearts to do.  We can also have effective lives for Christ’s cause if we obey God’s will for our lives!

“The will of God will not take you where the power of God cannot keep you.”



Gifts for Today’s Christians
Bill Brinkworth

 God has plans for every Christian.  To better equip each child of God, each is given a gift to serve the Saviour.  Some may have more than one gift.  These are not the gifts the early church had before they were given the Word of God.  These seven gifts (Romans 12: 6-8) are necessary to get the work of God done in today’s world.  They include the gifts of:

  1. Prophecy.  This is not the same ability Old and New Testament prophets and Christians had.  We have the entire plan of God in His written, preserved Word of God.  We do not need to foretell the future as they did earlier.  Today’s gift of prophecy is taking the Word of God and helping others understand it better.  In his 1828 dictionary, Noah Webster defined the gift as the ability “to preach; to instruct in religious doctrines; to interpret or explain Scripture or religious subjects …”
  2. Ministry.  This God-given gift puts a great burden on a Christian to meet the needs of others.
  3. Teaching.  This is a gift that allows one to help others understand the things of God better.
  4. Exhorting.  This vital gift helps one be an encourager to others  — a most needed gift, especially among God’s people.
  5. Giving.  This gift gives one the burden of meeting other’s needs by giving of things and themselves.
  6. Ruling.  This gift allows one to be a leader.  Too many think they have it, but few have the God-given ability to lead God’s people.
  7. Mercy.  This gift gives one a heart to have understanding, patience, and kindness with others.

If you are a child of God, God does not plan for you just to sit.  He desires that you serve Him and help others.  He has given you at least one of the above gifts for this church age.  What are your gift/gifts, and are you using them to help others, honor God, and bringing others to know and serve the Lord better?

Additional Reading on This Subject:  God’s Toolbox (https://www.openthoumineeyes.com/lessons/toolbox.html)