Category: 2021

The Bible View #806 — Christian Living

In This Issue:
The Flesh Is Alive and Kicking
Other Verses about Our Flesh’s Weakness
A Blessing or A Curse
Stand Up And Tell Them

Volume: 806    April 19, 2021
Theme: Christian Living

The Flesh Is Alive And Kicking
Bill Brinkworth

“For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.  18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.  20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.” Romans 7:15-20

On one early winter day, I cut down many small trees and brush hoping to build a new garden there in the future. My friend and I stacked them in a large pile to burn later.

Three months later, I burned that well-dried pile of brush and trees. As I was feeding the “dead” cut limbs into the fire, I noticed something very unusual.  Most of the old foliage, except the pines, had sprouted buds, and in some cases, little wisps of green leaves were showing.  I thought they were dead even before they were cut down, but there was still life in those old limbs. The plants must have been feeding off stored sugars in their branches, even though they were long severed from their roots.

This curiosity reminds me of the dilemma that most Christians battle their entire life. They may have accepted Christ as their Saviour and even repented of most of their sins, but every once in a while, their old sinful habits, thoughts, and actions rear their ugly heads.

We may be saved from the wages of our sins and are forgiven by our Creator, but we still have the same flesh with which we were born. Our flesh still would like to sin. If we do not keep a tight rein on it, it will certainly take back its control and do what it wants, rather than what the indwelling Spirit of God desires us to do.

It is a battle that we all face. When we least expect it, our old life can pop up and try to grow.  That is why those saved and serving God for a long time can fall as quickly as those saved for a shorter time. If sin creeps in, anyone can fall.  Temptation or sin allows the old ways to attempt to flourish in our lives again.  The “old man” (Rom. 6:6) in us will come back to life if we let him.

With God’s help, we can avoid many temptations by obeying His commandments, having a regular prayer life, and feeding daily on the Word of God.  It is possible to limit the damage done by our old sinful nature. Being stronger spiritually is the only way to keep one of our main enemies, our flesh, under subjection.

We can be victorious in living the way the Lord desires. He would not command us to do something that is not possible. Our old, sinful nature does not have to be fed. Make the right spiritual decisions.  Do not give in to the flesh’s desires. Be obedient to the Spirit’s calling, not the flesh’s weaknesses.
“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  Mat. 26:41

“If you were perfect, your first name would be Jesus, and you would have holes in your hands!”



Other Verses about Our Flesh’s Weakness
“And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Gen. 6:5
“When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.” Mat. 12:43-45
“For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.” Mat. 15:19
“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” Rom. 7:18
“For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” Philippians 3:3



A Blessing Or A Curse?
Bill Brinkworth

In Deuteronomy, Moses reiterated to Israel some of what God had shown and done for them. He also made it clear to them that as God was with them in the past, He could be with them in their future.  Although the proper context of the following verses was to Israel, there is certainly application to those that are saved (Romans 10:9, John 3:3) today.
“Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; 27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: 28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.” Deuteronomy 11:26-28

Christians, as well as the people of Moses’ day, can receive a blessing from God. If one hears the commandments of God, be it from the reading of His Word or hearing it, and obeys what one hears, one can have God’s blessing on one’s life.

The choice is up to us what we do with God’s message. Do we get convicted about something as we read the Bible, or get that gnawing guilty feeling when we are reminded of our sin?  Do we obey the Holy Spirit’s reminder to our conscience as a warning from Him and do our best to change our behavior to what is pleasing to our heavenly Father, or do we ignore it? Obeying conviction and doing our best to live a life approved by God is the way to get His blessing on our life.  There may still be trials and difficulties in our lives, but one living for Him can have God’s blessing, protection, and guidance on one’s life.

Unfortunately, too many hear the commandments from God and make wrong choices not to obey what they have been told to do. Excuses for not heeding the Holy Spirit’s tugging on our hearts can creep in and justify our not following what we are told.

It is easy to be convicted of our lying lips, but quickly write it off to, “Well, I had to lie, or I would have gotten in trouble.” A temptation to justify not going to church because of work or “being too tired from a week’s work” hardens one’s conscience, so it is easier to ignore what God’s Word instructs us to do.  Refusing to tithe because “I hardly have enough to live on, let alone give to the cause of Christ” is one more act of disobedience that can bring God’s curse on your life or even His not helping and protecting you.

All Christians have similar opportunities to obey or disobey the still, quiet, convicting voice of God. The difference between a flourishing, growing Christian and a stagnant, disobedient Christian is that the one growing is the one that said “Yes” to what they were convicted of and did their best to obey.  The one that may be “cursed” or have God’s helping and guiding hand removed from his life may be the one that ignored what he was told or shown to do by the convicting Holy Spirit.

Are you receiving the blessing of God on your life because of your obedience, or are you suffering because God’s hand is not guiding and helping you in your life? The choice is up to you.  Whom do you choose to obey: God or your own will?

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15



Stand Up and Tell Them
Bill Brinkworth

Continuing from Acts 6, it is read in Acts 7 that religious Jews and their leaders persecuted Stephen. He turned their time of questioning him into an opportunity to preach to them.

He started by preaching a condensed history of the Jews. I am sure all who were listening agreed with him as Stephen gave a synopsis of their Jewish past, starting with Abraham. Heads may have been nodding as he progressed through the experiences of Joseph, Moses, and David. All must have agreed as he spoke of David and Solomon.

Then Stephen’s history lesson ceased, and he got to the reason for his reviewing the great prophets and leaders of the Jews. Stephen reminded them that the Jews had persecuted all the past prophets (Acts 7:51-52) and, because of their hardened hearts, were not even obeying the law they were given. I can imagine for a brief minute, heads stopped nodding, and a silence came over the crowd.

After that brief, silent second, anger burst out of every person in the room. “Who does Stephen think he is accusing us of being disobedient to the law?” certainly had to be the majority attitude. Shouting ensued. Hands went over their ears in a vain attempt to keep them from hearing any more of Stephen’s accusations.

The mob grabbed Stephen and took him outside the city, and stoned him to death. As their anger at the preacher caused them to hurl rocks at the man, they saw a scene they did not expect. They saw Stephen kneel, ask the Lord not to lay this sin to the murderers’ charges, and saw the man fall asleep peacefully!

Knowing what he said would anger and certainly would rile this crowd, Stephen selflessly preached the truth, no matter what their reaction and the cost to him. Stephen knew what they had done to Jesus for preaching the truth. He most likely knew how they would react to what he was telling them, but he spoke the truth no matter what.

If we had more preachers like Stephen today that would be more interested in telling the truth, no matter the reaction, our churches would be much different. The country would not be the same.

If we had more Christians that would also adopt a similar attitude and would say what needs to be said, rather than what is safe to say, Christianity would certainly have more influence in this world than it has. The truth can set a world free from the bondage of sin and godlessness.

The Bible View #805 — Just Jesus

In This Issue:
Christ, Our Middleman
Jesus, Our High Priest
Our Mediator
Christ Is Our Intercessor

Volume: 805    April 12, 2021
Theme: Just Jesus

Christ, Our Middleman
Bill Brinkworth

During Old Testament times, priests served as mediators between God and man, presenting their prayers and sacrifices to Him. Before Moses, the priests’ duties were often done by the head of a household, as did Job, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In Moses’ day, God appointed priests from the Levite lineage. These practices were intended only to continue until the perfect priest came, Jesus Christ.

The Old Testament priesthood was not perfect. Its limitations were because:

  • The priests were ordained (“appointed by”) by men, although they were of an ancestry ordered by God (Hebrews 5:1). Not just any man could be a priest.
  • They had to go to God with sacrifices and gifts (Hebrews 5:1, 3). The offerings were not a one-time gift. They had to be offered more than once. They were only temporary appeasements to a Holy God.
  • The priests themselves were sinners. They also had to give an offering for themselves (Hebrews 5:2, 3).

Soon the priesthood stopped. The sacrifices halted. Intercessory prayers and gifts to God ceased, but man still desperately needed a mediator between him and God.

God then sent mankind the perfect priest. Man did not appoint him. That priest only had to make one offering for ALL of mankind’s sins. That sacrifice covered sins past, present, and even into the future. This priest was not of Levi’s lineage. He was very much like a priest of Abraham’s time — Melchisedec.

Like Melchisedec, whose name means “king of righteousness,” this God-appointed priest was the real King of righteousness. This priest was God’s only begotten son — Jesus! Jesus’ one-time sacrifice that never had to be re-offered was His own life.

Unfortunately, many have not allowed God’s High priest to be the sacrifice for their sins. Too many have rejected Jesus and are still appointing priests. No matter what those sincere people offer to God, it will be refused by the Creator. They are doing it their way and are rejecting the one-time sacrifice Jesus made for them on Calvary’s cross.

The Old Testament priesthood was for another time, a time before God had sent the perfect Priest. Today we have the privilege of going to that High Priest, which is not sitting in some earthly temple or church but is sitting at the right hand of the Father, in Heaven. We can accept His offering on the Cross to cover all our sins. After we have accepted Him as our Saviour, we can go to Him anytime with our prayers and needs. We no longer need an imperfect middle man. We have the perfect mediator — Christ Jesus.



Jesus, Our High Priest
Bill Brinkworth

In Hebrews 8, Paul gives the Hebrew believers five more reasons Christ is the better High Priest:

  1. Christ, our High Priest, is sitting. No Levitical priest ever sat because their work was never done. There were no chairs in the tabernacle or temple. Here, our Priest’s one-time sacrifice is complete, and Jesus is seated (Hebrews 8:1). Jesus’ earthly ministry is finished!
  2. Christ, our High Priest, is at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 8:1). No Old Testament priest ever saw God, let alone sat next to Him, as does Jesus.
  3. Christ is the minister of the “sanctuary and the true tabernacle” (Hebrews 8:2-4). All the Levitical priests ministered in a God-ordered but man-made tabernacle and later a man-made temple. The tabernacle was not perfect, although created as God relayed its design to Moses.
  4. All the earlier levitical priests presented a “shadow,” or picture, of heavenly things to come (Hebrews 8:5). Christ’s ministry is not a picture of anything to come. It is the real thing!
  5. Christ’s ministry is a “more excellent ministry” than any earthly priest ever had. The Old Testament priests represented all people. They mediated with God for all the people; however, few had a direct audience with the priest. We, as Christians, have an audience with the perfect High Priest, no matter who we are.

Christ’s ministry is “more excellent” because it comes with a “better covenant,” a better agreement between God and man. Although Paul sites the old covenant as faulted (Hebrews 8:7), it does not imply that God made a mistake with the old agreement. That agreement was good for that time and met its purpose — to show man could not make a worthy sacrifice himself. The sacrifice had to be made by His perfect Son, Jesus!

This explanation of the past priests and our current Priest can help today’s believers understand more of what Jesus did for them and who He is. He is the most “excellent” priest (Hebrews 8:6), with a ministry many throughout past ages have awaited.



Our Mediator
Bill Brinkworth

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

What wonderful news it must have been to the Jews, who were familiar with Old Testament-worshiping when they learned they could go to God themselves in prayer. Before Jesus’ death on the cross, they had priests go to God as middlemen for them. After the sacrificial death of Christ, they could enter the “Holiest of Holies,” the closest place any man could be to God, by themselves through their prayers (I Timothy 2:1).

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

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

Some pray to deceased biblical characters hoping that a “saint” can be the middleman 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 God and us, and that is Jesus Christ.

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

Telling a person, be it priest, parent, or any other person, one’s sins will not remove the consequences of one’s iniquity from God’s memory. Those people may want to help, but they too are sinners in need of the only true Mediator, Jesus Christ.

Going to anyone else other than Christ to meet a need in one’s life or receive help from God will not result in God answering one’s prayers. The one qualified to go to the Father on our behalf is His Son, Jesus. He is the only mediator between God and man.

“A mediator is considered in two ways, by nature or by office.  Jesus is a mediator by nature, as partaking of both natures, divine and human.   Our Saviour is a mediator by office, as transacting matters between God and man.”   — Waterland



Christ Is Our Intercessor
F. C. Feus

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation [atonement; reconciliation of God and man] for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” I John 2:1-2

Christ is our intercessor (a negotiator between two parties) to the Father. He is there today advocating (pleading the cause of another; another’s defender) our cause. Whether He presents His petitions in words or not, I cannot tell. Perhaps His presence there is quite enough.

We read that Qischylus was condemned to death by the Athenians and about to be led to execution. His brother, Amyntas, had distinguished himself in his country’s service, and just as his brother was condemned, he entered the court. He came in, and, without saying a word, he lifted his arm — the stump of his arm, for he had lost his hand in battle. He lifted it up in the sight of all but said not a word. When the judges saw this mark of suffering, they forgave the guilty brother for the sake of him who had imperiled his life on behalf of the country. 

Perhaps Jesus Christ has only to present Himself before His Father’s throne and show the marks of suffering to get acquittal and pardon for us transgressors.

The Bible View #804 — “Heart” Problems

In This Issue:
Heart Problems
A Hardened Heart
Our Hearts — Summed Up
Muddy Water
If the Heart Is Right

Volume: 804    April 5, 2021
Theme: Spiritual Heart Problems

 Heart Problems
Bill Brinkworth

There are many excuses available for any mistake or sin in our lives.  Psychologists often blame a patient’s difficulty on their environment. Social workers label many behaviors as peer-pressure related. Income, hereditary, age, and race are also some of the popular excuses for wrongdoing.

Sometimes, the excuses mentioned above are legitimate, but they are often scapegoated justifications for the problem’s real source. The Bible often speaks of the heart as the origin of wickedness.

By “heart,” the blood-pumping organ is not what is referred to but is more the center of thoughts, feelings, and our will. There is no one location where a surgeon could, under dissection, point to and identify as, “this is where lying comes from” or “this organ generates the desire to steal.”

It is this “heart” that Mark speaks of when he writes, “… Do ye not perceive that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly…” Mark 7:1-19

Things entering the body cannot make us do wrong unless our “heart” is in such a state as it would allow our bodies to perform the sin. Although many under the influence of drugs and alcohol do wrong things, it is not totally what went into their bloodstream that is at fault. Their “heart” was most likely in a tolerant-to-sin state to allow such a thing to happen in the first place.

If this were not true, then anyone partaking of alcohol or drugs would have the same desire to fight, rape, curse, steal, and get into more sin. This, however, does not happen every time booze is swallowed. It is the already willing, desensitized-to-sin heart that allows a person to sin further.

Nothing entering the belly can defile the man. There is not one un-Koshered pickle, a third scoop of vanilla ice cream, or anything man puts into his mouth that he should blame as the reason for his wrongdoing. The source of sin generates fromman’s own “heart.”

“Don’t put off doing what the Lord has shown you to do today.  You may not have another opportunity or another tomorrow!”



A Hardened Heart
Bill Brinkworth

One of the most dangerous conditions for anyone to have, Christian or non-Christian, is mentioned in Hebrews. That condition is having one’s heart “hardened” (Hebrews 3:8). It is not a problem with one’s physical heart. It is the spiritual part of a person that has determined not to do what God had urged it to do. By refusing to do what God has shown it to do, it is directly disobeying God — a most serious situation!

To make it clear to the Hebrews, Paul reminded them what hard-heartedness cost their forefathers in the wilderness. While in the wilderness, the Jews had a wonderful opportunity to follow God to a land He had reserved for them. By day, God led them in His direction by going before them in a column of cloud that stretched from Heaven to Earth. When it moved, they moved. When it stopped, they stopped. At night, it changed to a column of fire. Although they had many proofs of God’s helping them, they still doubted. Unbelief, the root cause of hard-heartedness (Hebrews 3:12), crept into their thoughts, and they doubted God. 

This provoked God (Hebrews 3:8) and caused the Israelites to have many unnecessary testings, trials, and tribulations. They missed many of the blessings they could have had because their hearts were fixed not to believe or trust God. Because of their hardened hearts, a possibly six-day march to the land God had prepared for them took 40 years. None of the hard-hearted people ever got to see the promised land, although their offspring did. Their hearts of unbelief cost them much.

A hard-hearted condition can just as easily be obtained today as it was then. When God shows a person what salvation is and that they should trust Christ as Saviour today, they are hardening their heart when they postpone the decision.  When their heart is shown to do something, such as being saved, faithful in church attendance, praying, reading their Bible, tithing, or telling others about salvation, their not doing it is a direct refusal to God. Even slow obedience to a command, or justification in not doing as they were shown, is still unbelief and distrust.

Four times (Hebrews 3:7, 12, 13, 4:7), Paul mentioned the key to not having a hardened heart. The key is “today.”  When God shows you something or quietly speaks to your heart in conviction, you must obey Him then! Not tomorrow! Not later! It should not be open to debate!  Doing it when we want, and not when He commands, is a step in hardening one’s spiritual heart. 

“Slow obedience is no obedience.”   — Author Unknown



Our Hearts — Summed Up

“He who makes a watch or engine knows all the workmanship in it. God, that made the heart, knows all the motions and fallacies of it.”  —Watson, 1696

“God sees hearts as we see faces.” — George Herbert.

“Before men, we stand as opaque bee-hives. Others can see the thoughts go in and out of us, but they cannot tell what work is done inside. Before God, we are like a glass bee-hive.  He knows, sees, and understands all our thoughts.”  — Beecher.

 

Muddy Water
Scriver (edited), 1629-1693

In a vessel filled with muddy water, the heavy sludge soon settles to the bottom. It leaves the water “clearer” until it seems perfectly clean. However, the slightest motion brings the sediment again to the top and makes the water as thick and turbid as before.

Here we have a picture of the human “heart.”  The heart is full of the mud of sinful lusts and carnal desires.  No good and holy thoughts can flow from it. It is filthy and contaminated, no matter how it appears.

A man’s “heart” is a miry pit and slough of sin, in which all sorts of ugly reptiles are bred and crawl. Many are deceived by their spiritual condition and never imagine their heart half so wicked as it is.

At times, one’s lusts are at rest and sink, as it were, to the bottom. The iniquities of one’s past are often forgotten. On some occasions, one’s thoughts appear to be holy and devout, desires pure and temperate, words charitable and edifying, and works useful and Christian.

This period of apparent “Christianity” and good living lasts only so long as one is not “shaken.”   As long as one is without opportunity or incitement to sin, a wicked heart is hidden.   However, when worldly lusts are aroused, one’s thoughts, words, and works show no trace of anything but slime and impurity.

A sinner is meek as long as he is not thwarted, but cross him, and he is like powder, ignited by the smallest spark, and loudly explodes.  Some are temperate, if he is separated from the wrong companions or while others’ eyes are upon him.  The “mud” is still there, at the bottom, do not shake it up.

“Slow obedience is no obedience.”   — Author Unknown



If the Heart Is Right
Author Unknown

It doesn’t so much matter
What path our feet may tread,
Or, whether the cheering hopes we knew
In youth are vanished — dead.
We shall find a gleam in the darkness
To guide in the dreary night,
And a joyful song as we journey along,
If we go with a heart that’s right.

We sip from the cup of sweetness
And then the bitter gall;
Blossoms and friends are swept away,
Dreams are forgotten — all.
And you have known the tugging
That comes to the heartstrings tight,
Know of the balm, the peace, and calm
That comes from a heart that’s right.

The thorns that beset the causeway
May fester and wound the feet;
The cup you drink may end with gall,
Drowning the cherished sweet;
But the nectar for which you hunger,
The roses that suffered blight,
Will be yours to taste and smell again
If you go with a heart that’s right.

“To sin is to walk the way of the heart.”  — Matthew Henry

The Bible View #803 — Repentance

In This Issue:
Many “Second” Chances
The Nature of Repentance
Repentance…
Tears of Repentance
The Bible and Repentance

Volume: 803    March 29, 2021
Theme: Repentance

Many “Second” Chances
Bill Brinkworth

“I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Luke 13:5

In Luke 13:2-4, Jesus reports two terrible tragedies that occurred. One was a man, who some believe might have been the notorious Judas of Galilee (Acts 5:37), whose death was ordered by Pilate (Luke 13:1).  The other was the unusual end of 18 people when a tower fell on them (Luke 13:4).

Of both events, Jesus asked His listeners if they thought the deceased were terrible sinners to have had such horrible deaths. Apparently, the one that Pilate killed had committed some horrific infraction against the government.  Although most likely caused by accident, the other tragic deaths appeared to be a judgment from God.

Although not all deaths and hardships are judgments from God, sometimes they are.  Jesus addressed those that are by answering His questions by saying, “… except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5).

Jesus explained with the use of a parable (Luke 13:6-9) to help his listeners understand why God sometimes allows terrible things to happen to those who are blatantly sinning. The parable is about a fig tree that would not produce any fruit.  The man who owned the tree was not happy that for several years it had not given fruit.  He was going to give it one more chance to produce fruit. If it did not, he was going to have it cut down.

When one is in sin, God is very patient and merciful.  He could easily bring a sinner’s life to an end, but He gives him multiple chances to stop his sin and change his lifestyle.  As with the fig tree, there may come a time that a person will not turn from their sin, and God will end their life.

What a warning to those that think they are “getting away” with sin!  There will come a time that God’s mercy will not be poured out on one’s ignoring God’s commandments.  There is always a payday for sin someday.  Turn from violations against God, and ask for His forgiveness today!

“You cannot repent too soon because you do not know how soon it may be too late.”  — Fuller



The Nature of Repentance
R. Watson

As explained by John the Baptist’s ministry, repentance is a conviction of the fact of sin — a painful conviction.  A conviction that never produced humility, never sighed, never wept, and never sought solitude for prayer and reflection is not an element of true repentance. 

Repentance is a serious and painful apprehension of the danger of sin’s involvement.  Hence John asked the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to his baptism, “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees [‘religious,’ but ungodly sect members] come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” Mat. 3:7 There can be God’s wrath for continuance in sin.

Repentance is a humble confession of sin.  The people generally confessed to John, for he could not enter into the particulars of each case.  To God, they confessed their sins in detail.

Repentance is fruitful.  Under its influence, the churl (bad-mannered people) becomes kind, and the unjust become righteous. Those who had formerly been careless of their spiritual interests wait upon God in using every means of grace.

Repentance is despairing but can bring hope.  The people who were awakened under John’s ministry felt that in themselves, there was no help.  He taught them to seek Christ the Saviour.

“Being sorry you got caught in the commission of sin is not always repentance.  Repentance is sincerely desiring you had never done the iniquity in the first place and doing all you can, with God’s help and forgiveness, never to do it again!



Repentance…
Bill Brinkworth

  • Stopping sin, bad behaviors, and habits does not get one forgiven.
  • Stopping sin, bad behavior, habits, and living a better life does not give anyone entrance to Heaven.  One must be saved (John 3:3) to go to Heaven.
  • Stopping sin, bad behaviors, and habits may ease your guilt.  It will not reduce your guiltiness between you and the Father unless you ask for forgiveness (Romans 10:9).
  • Stopping sin, bad behaviors, and habits can be good “works” if you think it will clear your sin-slate with God.  Good works that we can do will get no one to Heaven:
    “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.” Eph. 2:8 -9
  • Not stopping sin, bad behaviors, and habits when the Holy Spirit convicts one’s heart may harden one’s heart from further hearing His convicting “voice.”

“Deathbed repentance is burning the candle of life in the devil’s service and then blowing the smoke into the face of God.” — Billy Sunday



Tears of Repentance
E. Irving

The tears of repentance differ greatly from the tears shed over the loss of some things or friendships. They are different from tears of disappointments.  Real tears of repentance are those that the Lord blesses because of a heart that wants to get right with Him.
“… Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.” Luke 6:21

Those are the tears of repentance, which Peter shed when he went out and wept bitterly (Mat. 26:75).  They are the same tears that Mary Magdalene shed when she washed her Lord’s feet.  They are the tears that burst from our hearts when we looked upon Jesus, whom we pierced because of our sins, and when we remember unrepented sin.

“Late repentance is seldom true, but true repentance is never too late.”
 — Venning



The Bible and Repentance
Gleaned from Bible Readings for the Home, pg. 89-90

  • Who is called to repentance?
    “I [Jesus] came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:32
  • What accompanies repentance?
    “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:” Matthew 3:8
  • Who awakens the soul to a sense of its sinful condition?
    “And when he [the Holy Spirit] is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:” John 16:8
  • What will the truly repentant sinner be constrained to do?
    “For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.” Ps. 38:18
  • What is the result of godly sorrow?
    “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” II Cor. 7:10
  • What leads sinners to repentance?
    “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” Rom. 2:4

“If we put off repentance another day, we have a day more to repent of and a day less to repent in.”  — Venning

The Bible View #802 — Studying God’s Word

In This Issue:
Study!
How to Study the Bible
Result of Reading the Bible

Volume: 802    March 22, 2021
Theme: Studying God’s Word

 Study!
Bill Brinkworth

One of the most important responsibilities Christians have is to study the Scriptures for themselves. Church is important, and one can learn quite a lot from the man of God in the pulpit, but it is up to us to study and understand what the Word of God says.
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” II Tim. 2:15

II Timothy 2:15 teaches us five things about studying the Word of God:

  1. We get God’s approval when we think it is important enough to explore what God has recorded for us in the Bible’s preserved words.
  2. Notice that the words God used are “study” and not “read.”  We are to search its pages for His help so we can pass life’s tests and its challenges and know God’s mind. It is the main source that will help us get through life’s difficulties and learn more about the Father.

    Reading is a shallower, less urgent, and less purposeful approach to a subject. Studying takes time, rereading, comparing Scripture with Scripture, and much prayer. It takes “work,” commitment, and a great desire to get all one can out of God’s Word, and that is how God expects every Christian to approach His Truth. Be a “workman”!
  3. When we study the Bible, we will not be embarrassed by believing the wrong things. There are so many that have never read the Word of God for themselves. All they know about God’s Word is what others have taught them. If the teachers are wrong, then they are wrong. If more studied the Word of God with an anxious desire to find what God has in store for them there, learn His teachings, and practice them, most liberal, unbiblical churches would be out of business within a month! Unscriptural denominations would be history! The greatest revival ever would sweep this planet!
  4. In studying the Word of God, one must separate, or “divide,” some teachings. Some practices were for past dispensations. The priesthood, sacrifices, and signs from God were some practices for times past. Proper delving into God’s Word will expose those facts, and one will not include them in their beliefs for the current church age.
  5. God’s Word is called the “word of truth.” It is not just a collection of accurate statements, but it is truth from our Creator. It is the only source of truth on Earth, and God has preserved it for all to read!

The reverse teaching of II Timothy 2:15 is, if one does not study God’s truth, he is not approved of God! Gulp. That is a hard truth to swallow. Looking at it that way should put a higher priority on one’s Bible learning.

Is knowing what God says important to you?  Is it valuable enough for you to invest time in understanding what God wants you to know?



How to Study the Bible
Bill Brinkworth

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” II Timothy 2:15

Many readers of the Word of God quickly encounter Timothy’s admonition on studying the Bible. Some faithfully read the Word of God every day.  Many do not, and even fewer study the truths God has preserved within the pages of His Word.

Not only does it take extra time to study the Bible, but many do not know how to start.  Reading a few verses each day will have less impact on one’s life than a scriptural diet of several chapters.  Taking the time to study the Word of God will be a life-directing, life-changing, God-leading influence and will help more than reading a few pages.

Then the question arises, how do you study the Bible?  How does one get the most out of their Bible?  The answer varies from one person to another since each of our brains and learning methods are different.  Here are a few study methods that may help you get more out of the Word of God so that you will learn more, that its content will help you with your life’s decisions, and that you will have a better relationship with the Lord:

  • Be saved!  The Word of God is for the people of God and will not mean as much to a person who is not saved!  Bible studying, however, will point an unbeliever to God’s truths so he can become a born-again (John 3:3) child of God and get more understanding about God
    “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” I Cor. 2:14
  • Pray and ask God to help you understand His Word before you even begin!  It is His Book; you need His help to understand it!
  • Consistently read the Bible.  Schedule and make it a priority to expose yourself to God’s Word every day!
  • Use the King James Bible. ALL the other versions, including the New King James Bible, alter what God’s Word says.  One cannot build a spiritual life close to God if the foundation, God’s Word, is corrupt and not true to what God originally had preserved!
  • Do not just read to fill a quota of verses or chapters.  Read at a speed you get something out of it.  Sometimes I have spent most of my devotional time on one verse.  There have been times that I have read several pages.
  • If you do not understand a word, stop and look it up in a dictionary.  You will be surprised to find that you do not know all the meanings of words as well as you thought you did.  Most do not need to know the Greek or Hebrew languages to get more out of their English Bible, they just need to understand the English language better!
  • If you find you have read several verses and do not remember what you read, read them again.  The goal should be to get a blessing from reading God’s Word. 
  • One method to slow one’s reading speed down and get more from the reading is to make notes on what you have just read.  A notebook or a wide-margin Bible can be used for this. 
  • Since we are in the New Testament church-age, a believer should first understand Jesus, the early church, and the teachings for this time. First, read and study the New Testament.  With its understanding, when the Old Testament is read, one will get a fuller, clearer picture of what God did then and how it pictures what would happen later.
  • While reading a verse, read other verses that teach the same principle.  Some study Bibles have references in the margin.  Follow those references, and read those verses.  Often you will get a clearer picture of what God has written by reading different, related passages.
  • When reading a verse, understand the context first.  To better comprehend a verse, first understand who the scripture was addressed to, why, and when.  Many pluck out a verse and apply it to whatever they want to apply it to, forgetting what situation, time, or people it was originally speaking of.
  • Read other Bible books that cover the same topic.  For example, if you study The Revelation, it would be good to understand Old Testament prophecies in Ezekiel and Daniel.  If trying to learn more about Jesus’ life, it is important to read other aspects of His life in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
  • Although not to be trusted as one can trust the Word of God, a Bible dictionary, such as Unger’s Bible Dictionary, can give some insight into a subject, place, or person you are reading about. Be especially cautious of books from authors or publishers who condone other Bible translations or come from denominations or institutions that teach differently than what the Bible teaches.
  • Look up, using a concordance (a book that has words listed and where they are used throughout the Bible), a word or name you want to learn more about. Some Bible computer programs are very useful for this purpose.
  • The best commentary on the Bible is the Bible itself!  Although many books on a subject or book you are studying can be helpful, they can also be wrong!  I have far more commentaries on my bookshelves that I cannot trust what the author says than I have books that have been proven reliable to what the Word of God says.  All authors are only men, and all make mistakes!  God’s Word, however, is from God and has His influential inspiration preserved and is trustworthy!
  • Do not compare with other versions and translations of the Bible!  They usually originate from sources that were not accurate in their conception, change doctrines that support the translator’s beliefs, or change facts and doctrines.  Comparing them with the real Bible (KJV) will only raise doubts and breed confusion! 

These are just a few of the many ways to study God’s Word. No matter what technique is used, the main goal is to get as much out of every precious word God has kept for us to glean.  Are you diligently reading and studying God’s Word?

“With God’s help, we can get out of the Bible what we invest in it.”



Result of Reading the Bible
Oliver Green

A young believer was discouraged in his attempts to read and remember the Bible. He said, “It’s no use. No matter how much I read, I always forget what I have just read.”

A wise pastor replied, “Take heart. When you pour water over a sieve, no matter how much you pour, you collect little. But at least you end up with a clean sieve.”

Some seem to expect the Word of God to hit them like a jolt of adrenaline each time they read or study it. Although the “jolt” may hit us periodically, the benefits of the Word of God act more like vitamins. People who regularly take vitamins do so because of their long-term benefits, not because every time they swallow one of the pills they feel new strength surging through their bodies. They have developed a habit of consistently taking vitamins because they have been told that, in the long haul, vitamin supplements are going to have a beneficial effect on their physical health, resistance to disease, and general well-being.

The same is true of reading the Bible. At times, it will have a sudden and intense impact on us. However, the real value lies in the cumulative effects that long-term exposure to God’s Word will bring to our lives.

“The Word of God is an armory of heavenly weapons, a laboratory of infallible medicines, a mine of exhaustless wealth. It is a guidebook for every road, a chart for every sea, a medicine for every malady, a balm for every wound.”   — Guthrie

The Bible View #801 — Temptation

WWW.OpenThouMineEyes.com
In This Issue:
Have You Been Seduced?
Vexed by Ungodliness
Keeping A Distance from Temptations

Volume: 801    March 15, 2021
Theme: Temptation

Have You Been Seduced?
Bill Brinkworth

Many of the problems early churches faced are very much a concern today. Those ministries had to deal with many that departed from the faith and followed “seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (Timothy 4:1). Being this is the “latter times” Paul spoke of, this problem is very real today.
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;” I Timothy 4:1

People, then and now claim to be Christians. They may be; they may not be. At first, many make a profession of salvation and start doing something for the Lord. Too often it is not long, before they are nowhere to be found.

Why did they wander away from trying to live for the Lord? They may not have been saved and were only going through “religious” motions. If they were truly saved, they are still children of God, but they may have been “seduced” by demonic spirits.

Perhaps those spirits caused their feelings to be hurt or offended their pride. People may have faced an overwhelming temptation and succumbed to it. There are thousands of ways a person can be trapped into running in the opposite direction of obeying God.

Satan and his devils cannot get anyone unsaved. Still, they certainly can make sure one’s testimony is so destroyed that they are of little use for the cause of Christ. That is one of Satan’s goals, and unfortunately millions have succumbed to his trickery.

None of the reasons a saved person gives for not serving the Lord are legitimate. Nowhere in the Bible is there any reason one should stop living for and obeying God’s commandments. All rationales for not doing what a Christian should are not of God!

“Well, you don’t understand. So-and-so in church said mean things to me, so I’ll not go anymore.” You have been seduced, and a non-holy spirit knew where your weak point was.

“That preacher just doesn’t feed me anymore, so I’m out of there!” You have been seduced, and the wrong spirits are giggling because they “got another one.”

“I’m not reading my Bible anymore. I just don’t get anything out of it.” A deceiving spirit has seduced you.

“If I live like a Christian, everyone will laugh at me.” You have been seduced.

As Ephesians 6 reminds us, there is a spiritual war going on. Satan and his devils try their hardest to seek one “whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8). Be wary in the raging spiritual battle and purpose to always do the will of God — no matter the temptations.



Vexed by Ungodliness
Bill Brinkworth

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” I Corinthians 10:13

When given a choice by his Uncle Abraham, Lot chose the choicest of lands to raise his cattle and family (Gen. 13:8-11).  He left Abraham (named Abram at the time) the less appealing land and kept the “best” real estate for himself.

Lot’s selfish pick may have appeared to be the best choice. There was, however, one important matter the nephew did not consider when picking where he would live.  He did not contemplate what his soon-to-be neighbors would be like.  The places he lived near were the twin cities: Sodom and Gomorrah.  Those cities were known for their rampant sin, particularly homosexuality.  It was there that the righteous man, Lot, chose to live.

It was not long before he was involved in the city’s government (Gen. 19:1, 9).  He was not only living among wickedness, but he was involved in the choices made to help the community be managed. Shortly, his constant exposure to godlessness and sin affected Lot. The Bible says that he was “… vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked… in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;” (II Peter 2:7-8). The part of Lot that wanted to live and please the Lord was “irritated, harassed, teased, and disturbed” by the lifestyle he allowed himself and his family to be exposed.

As a Christian, we usually cannot live on top of a mountain, away from the world and all sin.  Most of the time, we have to live around iniquity. It is seen in the workplace, heard on the television, and we can be exposed to its consequences and involvement wherever we go. 

However, if we are not wary of it and do all we can to limit our exposure to iniquity, we too will be “vexed” by sin.  It will wear on us, and if we are not careful, evilness will be commonplace to us.  Seeing or hearing sin will not bother us like it did previously. The spiritual part of us will be desensitized to sin’s evilness.  If we are not careful, we will be involved in it and think it is normal because “everyone is doing it.”

Despite what the unsaved world is doing, sin is and always will be wrong.  The only protection from being desensitized or involved in it is to do one’s best to avoid it.  If you are vexed (troubled or bothered) by filthy language on television, there may be some channels you should never watch again, or you may have to stop watching the “hellevision” altogether. 

Filthy words creeping into your language? Maybe there are some influencing foul-mouths you should no longer listen to or associate. Seeing things your eyes should not be seeing on the Internet? Limit where you browse, or maybe you will have to stay off the Internet. Dirty images you have already viewed plaguing your thought-life? Avoid further looks and recite Scripture verses, particularly about what you are thinking.  It is difficult to have the clean Word of God and filthiness in your thought-life at the same time. The sinful thoughts will flee!

The key to keeping a holy, unsoiled life and testimony for the Lord is to separate (II Cor. 6:17) from the world’s ungodliness.  It is possible to remain undefiled in this ever-increasing, sinful world. If we purpose in our hearts to not be defiled by ungodliness in this world, the Lord will do His part to help us.  He will give the believer “a way to escape” sin’s vexing grasp if the believer desires it!

“If you can get along with the world, then you are out of step with God!” — Dr. Harold Sightler



Keeping A Distance from Temptations
Bill Brinkworth

“I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.” Psalm 101:2

Successful people often reveal how they got so many achievements and victories.  David did that in Psalm 101.  He accomplished what he did, not only because of his wealth and powerful position.  David attained so much because he behaved himself “wisely in a perfect way” (Psalm 101:2).

In this Scripture, “perfect” was not referring to sinlessness.  “Perfect” in this context means “moral, upright, sincere, undefiled.” Although he fell spiritually several times, the leader of Israel tried his best to live the way that was pleasing to the Lord.

David revealed several ways he kept from spiritually falling even more than he did.

  • He protected his eyes from seeing the wrong things (Psalm 101:3).  Israel’s leader may not have had the amount of pornographic temptations that awaits to snag wandering eyes today. Still, he had to divert his vision not to see things that would also lure him into sin.  If David had a television in his day, there would have been many programs he would not have watched.
    “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes:…” (Psalm 101:3)
  • He avoided those that were lazy and did not work (Psalm 101:3).
     “… I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.” Psalm 101:3
  • He would not allow himself to be self-willed and unreasonable (“froward”) —  Psalm 101:4.
  • He avoided those doing wickedness (Psalm 101:4).
  • He kept from those that talked ill of other people (Psalm 101:5).
  • He kept from those that were prideful (Psalm 101:5).
  • He surrounded himself with others that also worked or tried to live the “perfect way.” (Psalm 101:6)
  • He kept his distance from deceivers (Psalm 101:7).
  • He avoided liars (Psalm 101:7).
  • He did all he could to stomp out wickedness in the lands he controlled (Psalm 101:8).

Although this Psalm was written over 3,000 years ago, every behavior that David did to protect himself from falling into sin would help people today.  Temptations surround every single one of us. We will also be inclined to sin if we do not separate ourselves from those destroyers of our testimony and joy.  Avoid wrong influences, or you too will succumb to sinful behaviors and evil temptations.

“The reason the world is not seeing Jesus is that Christian people are not filled with Jesus.  They are satisfied with attending meetings weekly, reading the Bible occasionally, and praying sometimes.  It is an awful thing to see people who profess to be Christian who are lifeless, powerless, and in a place where their lives are so parallel to unbelievers lives it is difficult to tell which place they are in, whether in the flesh or the Spirit.” — Smith Wigglesworth

The Bible View #800 — Work

This ministry has labored for 27+ years to get biblical doctrine into the hands of many. This 800th EDITION is a fraction of all the writings that have attempted to inform as many as will read.  Please help by sharing “The Bible View”s via e-mails, Facebook, Twitter, and handing it to people.  Work now in getting biblical truths to others!

WWW.OpenThouMineEyes.com
In This Issue:
Should We Help Everyone?
“Work” Is God’s Way!
Work Fulfills
The Duty of All

Volume: 800    March 8, 2021
Theme: Work

Should We Help Everyone?
Bill Brinkworth

Today, especially among Christians, there is a desire to feed and meet the needs of those that do not have. That is a considerate and generous goal. 

Paul, however,  had a different view on such a practice of helping others. He said plainly, “… that if any would not work, neither should he eat” (II Thessalonians 3:10). That philosophy would shut down welfare and other government handouts very quickly! Our modern idea of helping others is not biblical and healthy for any person or society.

We have so many today that can but will not work.  Hands go out for someone to help them when, in too many instances, they will not do for themselves what they could. Many quickly take someone else’s money to meet their needs rather than work to provide their own.

Immediately, there are angry voices justifying others’ refusal to work. “Well, there are many that can’t find work now!” I agree; it can be rough. I know the feeling. I have had a hard time finding work in the past, but it was still my responsibility to provide for my family.  It is not the taxpayer’s job to provide for them.

While I was waiting for the right position, I did “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do…” (Eccl. 9:10), even if it meant flipping hamburgers for minimum wage. I can also verify what the Psalmist said in Psalm 37:25: “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” God can meet the needs of those that call and rely on His help.

The same angry voices justify, “There are some that cannot work!” Yes, that is true, but where in the Constitution is it written that citizens have to pay for others’ needs and wants? There is usually something one could do to earn some income.

Not working and making it easy for one to still have their needs and wants met is not helping them in the long run. It encourages further slothfulness and makes people more dependent on others paying their way rather than seeking God’s help and strength to work. Many truly handicapped people still work for a living. They may not be able to do what they would like to do to earn an income, but they do what they can without being on the dole.

Paul understood what happens to people’s character and lifestyle when they do not work. He set the example (II Thessalonians 3:9) for the right type of work ethic. The preacher labored “night and day” for the cause of Christ.  Although he could have gotten financial support without the work, he would not. Paul practiced what he preached.

The preacher also commented on the character of some that did not work. It seems his experience with them was that, perhaps because they had so much time on their hands, they spent that time getting into everyone’s business (II Thessalonians 3:11). He advised that they get a job and to be quiet!

Work is good, and it is encouraged throughout the Word of God. From the beginning, God worked six out of seven days. Adam worked in the Garden of Eden. The Biblical characters that God used the most all had professions. Even Paul, when he was not preaching, mended tents.

While we can, we need to work. When we work, we also need to put aside finances for when we cannot. When a time comes that we cannot work, God will provide what we cannot.

“Even the animal world works while they can and stores up for when they cannot!” — Barbara Brinkworth


“Work” Is God’s Way!
Bill Brinkworth

Work for many is a way to be fulfilled, a means to better oneself, and a means to have what one desires.  Hard work is embraced and desired by many. It is their means to happiness and a purpose in this life.

Work to others is a four-lettered word that saddens them and is something that they avoid as much as possible. Many have much disdain for hard work.  Much of modern civilization is geared around ways to benefit without actually doing any work. Instead of dreaming of being a carpenter, doctor, nurse, or one with a bright future, many are dreaming of winning the lottery, getting someone else to do their work for them, taking advantage of government handouts, getting all they can from someone else’s hard-earned money, deceiving someone out of their money, and countless other schemes of getting their “needs” met without laboring for them. Laziness has become a way of life and the dream “job” for many.

God has much to say about “work” in the Bible.  For those that desire to know what God says about the subject and desire to live the way that pleases Him, here is some of what the Word of God says about “work”:

God works. If the creator works, those that He created should follow His example.
Creation was some of God’s work.
“And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; …” Gen.  2:2   Also: Exo. 20:9, Psa. 8:3.
God works at protecting His people. Ex. 1:31

Jesus worked. If we are Christians, or “Christ-like,” we should emulate Jesus’ work ethic.
“But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” John 5:17   Also: John 4:34.

God wants us to work.
“And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;” I Thes. 4:11  Also: II Thes. 3:10-12, Ex. 20:9, Deut, 5:13, Ps. 104:23.

One will be happier if he works for what he gets.
“For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.” Psalm 128:2  Also: Eccl. 2:24, Pro. 14:23, Eccl. 3:13.
“Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.“ Pro. 13:11  Those who try to get money an easy way without laboring for it often find that they are always broke and cannot keep what they have. 

God can bless a hard worker, as He did Job.
“Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.” Job 1:10   Also:  Psa. 62:12, Eccl. 3:13.

There is the work of the ungodly that God does not accept, and the godly should avoid.
“And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Mt 7:23.   Also: Ps. 101:3, Ps. 135:15, Pro. 11:18, II Tim. 4:18.

A person’s character is often judged by his work ethic.
“Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.” Pro. 20:11   Also: II Thes. 3:8.

There is a reward for laboring.
“Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.” I Cor. 3:8

Serving God involves work.
“But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”  II Tim. 4:5   Also: Rom. 16:12.

Worshipping God can involve working.
Israel had to work to make the tabernacle and Solomon’s temple:  Ex. 40:33.
Work was required to repair the damaged temple, so Israel could resume worship: Neh. 2:16.
“Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” John  6:29   Also: John 6:28, Eph. 4:12.

God knows about our work.
“I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil …” Rev. 2:2   Also: Pro. 15:19.

One will not have his needs met if he does not work for them.  He will have a hard life and will find himself wanting.
“He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.” Pro.10:4   Also: Pro. 20:4, Pro. 12:24, Pro. 15:19.

Laziness (slothfulness) hurts a person!
“The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.” Pro. 21:25  Also: Prov. 13:4.

“Give him wages for his work, and let hunger pinch him if he won’t work.”
— Frederick Douglass



Work Fulfills
Hall                                                   

The busiest are the happiest. Employment certainly produces cheerfulness. 

I have known a man who came home in high spirits from a funeral because he had the management of it. He worked at the funeral parlor. Work is the salt of life.       

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”  — Thomas Edison



The Duty of All
T. Binney

Certainly, it is the duty of the strong “… to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” (Rom. 15:1)    It is the duty of the weak to become strong and not need to be pleased by being allowed the selfish luxury of putting restraints on the liberty of others that often pay the way (with their increased taxes) of those being slothful.

“The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.” — Thomas Jefferson

The Bible View #799 — Dishonesty

In This Issue:
Lies People Tell Themselves
Three Will Know
Never Gone
Troublesome Lies
He Has No Guilt
Reward of Honesty

Volume: 799    March 1, 2021
Theme: Dishonesty

Lies People Tell Themselves
Bill Brinkworth

In I John 1 and 2, John the Apostle covers areas that many are not completely honest with themselves about. These areas include:

  • When Christians claim to be in fellowship with God, but are not!
    “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:” I John 1:6

Many times folks fool even themselves into believing that they can talk to God, He is listening to them, answering them, and they are in full fellowship when they are involved in sin. They lie to themselves.

A believer cannot have close fellowship with God when there is sin in one’s life! God hates sin, and although people do not lose their salvation when they fall for sin’s enticement, they certainly grieve Him (Ephesians 4:30). That grieving will keep the sinner from having a close relationship with God. The only remedy for that broken relationship is to turn from sin (Acts 8:22) and again “… walk in the light …” (I John 7). One should then live in the manner God requires.

  • When Christians claim to have no sin.
    “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
    I John 1:8

Some consider themselves sin-free.  Christians are saved from iniquity’s eternal wage, but are not sinless.  They will have to battle to not obey their sin nature with which they had since birth. 

  • When a person claims to be a believer but does not keep God’s commandments, John called one such person a liar (I John 1:4). God’s truth is not in him when he does not obey what God commands.

    Going through life as a Christian, our ears, eyes, and discernment are often on others that claim the same faith.  We are confused when we hear their profession of faith, yet see that they are not living the life they are supposed to live.  Although we scratch our heads in confusion when one says one thing but lives another, the Holy Spirit says, “… the truth is not in them.”
  • When one claims to be a child of God but hates other saved people. God says one that does not love the brethren “… is in darkness even until now” (I John 1:9).  If one is saved, he should love the other members of the family of God.  Real love puts up with a lot, is kind, does not envy, does not boast, is not prideful, does not cause one to act improperly, does not get mad quickly, does not think the worst about another, is not happy when a person does wrong, believes people, has hope for them, and never stops loving others (I Cor.13:4-8).  Getting bitter, holding a grudge, and wishing bad things on others are not signs of love, no matter what one claims!
  • When people love this world more than anything.  They are also fooling themselves.
    “… If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (I John 2:15), no matter what they claim!
  • Another deceiver is one that says Jesus is not the one God promised to come (I John 2:22).  Some of the most popular religions, when examined, are deceptive in this area.  Some claim to be Christian but say Jesus was just a good man, a prophet, or a good example, but not God’s only Son. No matter the cult’s popularity and numbers, as far as God is concerned (and no other opinion matters), they are liars.

There is much deception in this world.  Sometimes people even deceive themselves.  However, adhering to what God says in His Word and using it as a guideline make it possible to see what is of God and what is not.  If actions and words line up with the Word of God, then it is of God.  Anything opposing it is not of Him.  God is not the author of confusion (I Cor. 14:33).

“As truth stretches, trust breaks!” — Author Unknown


Three Will Know
Author Unknown

A Chinese convert, newly brought to the faith, was being tempted by one of his countrymen to cheat.  Upon his refusal, his tempter asked why he would not do wrong.

“Because three will know that I cheated,” replied the Christian. “You will know, I will know, and Heaven will know.”

“Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” Hebrews 4:13  


Never Gone
Sunday School Times

A storekeeper went away for the day and left his clerk in charge.  A customer came in and asked the clerk a favor, which meant he would have to do something dishonest.  “You can do it if you want to,” tempted the customer, “because your boss is gone, and he will never know.”

The clerk looked the man straight in the eyes and said, “You are wrong.   My Boss is Jesus Christ, and He is never gone!”



Troublesome Lies
Edited from an Article by Addison (1871)

Truth is always consistent with itself and needs nothing to help it.  It is easy to remember and is ready to drop out of our mouths before we are aware. Rarely are we embarrassed for telling it!

A lie, however, is troublesome. The liar cannot relax, as he always must remember to whom he had told what.  Another lie is often required to defend the others.

Lying is much like a building built upon a terrible foundation.  It continually needs propping up, supports, and an attentive eye on its stability.  Usually, the building will collapse, as will the fabrications of a liar.  It is so much easier to tell the truth!

“These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”  Proverbs 6:16-19



He Has No Guilt
Shakespeare

The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose,
An evil soul producing holy witness,
Is like a villain with a smiling face,
A goodly apple, rotten at the core.



Reward of Honesty
Edited from an Article by F. W. Robertson

Christian businessmen often complain that their honesty is a hindrance to their success.  They see the amount of money that pours into the coffers of less scrupulous people in business while they have much longer to wait for their honest living to come.

Do you think God is always going to reward honor, integrity, and honesty with this world’s coin?  Do you believe He will pay spiritual excellence large amounts of money?

Now consider the price that the unmoraled, less scrupulous businessman is paying for his “success.”  Perhaps he is paying for his dishonesty by having mental degradation and inward dishonor. Maybe he has to take pills to sleep at night. His advertisements are all deceptive.  His treatment of his workmen is poor.  His cheap prices are made possible by inferior articles.  Sow that man’s seed, and you will reap that man’s harvest.  Cheat, lie, advertise dishonestly, be unscrupulous in your business transactions, and money will come to you, but at what price? 

If the price that he will pay is too much for you to pay, let him have his harvest and take your reward.  Your reward will be a clear conscience, a pure mind, pride in what you are doing, no guilt, and God’s hand of blessing.  Will you part with that for the other’s pittance?  Then why do you complain?  He will pay his price.  Hopefully, you will not choose to pay his price as well.

“Honesty is the best policy.”

The Bible View #798 — Transformation

In This Issue:
Godly Sight
The Great Transformation
The Most Wonderful Plant
Earthly Changes Are Not the New Birth
A New Captain

Volume: 798    February 22, 2021
Theme: A Great Transformation

FREE Printable Versions (including large
print, and church bulletin insert)
are available at
https://openthoumineeyes.com/newsletters.html.

Godly Sight
 Bill Brinkworth

It had been a long time since the older woman had been considered “legally blind.”  Many years ago, the sight had totally gone in her left eye, and slowly the right eye’s vision deteriorated.  In the last few years, all she could see from the right were some shadows and outlines.

When a doctor told her that surgery might improve what she saw out of the right eye, she hesitated.  She remembered how previous medical attempts removed the left eye’s sight completely. Still, she pondered the surgery and soon gave her approval.  The day of the operation found her being wheeled down to surgery.

After the surgeon’s work was complete, and she awoke from the anesthesia, the bandages were slowly removed.  It was not long until she opened her eyes to see color, then as her right eye came into focus, she could see details.  She saw what the doctor looked like as he explained what had occurred.  She saw the room’s decor, the chairs, her daughter, and the papers that were clipped to the doctor’s clipboard.  The one eye could once again see.  Her world differed greatly from what it had been previously.

As she continued to scan the room, she saw one thing that she did not like. In the room’s mirror, the senior saw her image and the wrinkles time put on her face.  When she last saw her reflection, all she had seen was youthful, smooth skin.  Now, her observation was different. She saw the real her, not what only her hands felt, and could “show” her.

Likewise, a person’s spiritual understanding is different when they get saved (John 3:16).  Many of the things they were involved in previously now appeared different. What was then “normal” and done by many is currently seen as the Saviour sees it.  A realization of sinfulness and guilt is felt when that activity is even considered.

Lies that used to be a quick defense for getting out of trouble now bring a guilty feeling when they are uttered. Watching many television programs now bring shame to one’s heart, as those shows are now realized to be obscene and ungodly. The obscenities spoken on the same programs are no longer funny but are now perceived as “filthy.”  Some are even recognized as mocking or blaspheming the Saviour.

Habits and other activities that were performed for many years are now felt as “inappropriate” and certainly not exhibiting good Christian behavior. Much of what was done, said, and seen is now frowned upon after being “born again.”

This transformed vision and understanding come with the “new birth” (John 3:3). It is part of the attitude and inward change that happens when one is saved.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” II Cor. 5:17.

The “new creature” in a saved child of God has a new mind that perceives their condition differently.  It is the mind that thinks similarly to Christ: “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ” I Cor. 2:16 (Also: I Cor 1:10, Philippians 1:27).

Although many claim to be Christians, few see any changes in their thinking processes or behavior.  They see no difference in their lives after a profession of being saved.  That is not what the Bible tells us happens to a person when they get saved.  They should think differently, and their lives should change. Perhaps, they have a profession without possession.

If you claim to be saved, has there ever been a time in your life where your “vision” was changed?  Do you see your life and the world around you differently?  After being born again, did you see the “wrinkles” of your own sin’s depravity?  Did the sight of how you were thinking and living shock you enough that you wanted to change your lifestyle and follow God’s direction?  Is your spiritual life different than it ever was?  Are you saved?

If you are not sure you are saved and have no one to talk to about this matter, please e-mail me at brinkworth@frontier.com.

“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found.
Was blind, but now, I see!”
— From “Amazing Grace” by John Newton (1725-1807)


The Great Transformation
C. H. Spurgeon

I know a village, perhaps once the most profane in England.  It was a village inundated by drunkenness and debauchery of the worst kind.  An honest traveler could not stop in the public house without being annoyed by blasphemy.  It was also a place noted for robbers.

One man, the ringleader of them all, listened to the voice of God and got saved. That man’s heart was broken. The entire gang then came to hear the Gospel preached, and they sat and listened to the preacher and believed what he taught from the Word of God. These men became changed and reformed.  Everyone who knows the place affirms that such a change had never been wrought but by the power of the Holy Ghost.

“No one should disregard a faith that can make sinful men good!”
— Author Unknown


The Most Wonderful Plant
Edited from an article by C. H. Spurgeon

A man had a garden that produced nothing but weeds. One day, he got some seeds from a rare plant of which he had heard wonderful stories.  

He sowed a handful of the seed in his overgrown garden and let it work its way. He slept and rose and knew not how the seed was growing until one day, he opened the gate and saw a sight that astounded him.

He knew that the seed would produce a dainty flower, and he looked for it, but he had little imagined that the plant would cover the entire garden as it did. The flower exterminated  every weed.  As he looked from one end to the other, from wall to wall, he could see nothing but the fair colors of that rare plant and could smell nothing but its delicious perfume.

Christ is like that plant. If He is sown in the soil of your soul, He will gradually eat out the roots of all ill weeds and poisonous plants and “turn under” your old nature.  All that will be seen will be Christ in you.



Earthly Changes Are Not the New Birth
John Bate

A man may pass from the lowest ignorance unto the highest intelligence.  Degraded poverty may be exchanged for the most exalted riches.  A person may come out of the greatest obscurity into the largest publicity.  He may rise from the narrowest circle of influence into the widest sphere of power.  He may pass from one extreme to another in all things, be they moral, intellectual, political, social, and civil changes.

However, through all those changes, he may keep his innate bias to do evil, have an aversion to doing good, and continue to be a stranger to the new-birth as it exists in the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  No earthly change can substitute for the changes that only come from Above when one is saved.

“Deathbed repentance is burning the candle of life in the devil’s service and then blowing the smoke into the face of God.”  — Billy Sunday



A New Captain
Edited from an article by C. H. Spurgeon

There was a poor man about sixty years old.  He had been a rough sailor, one of the worst men in the village.  It was his custom to drink, and he seemed to be delighted when he was cursing and swearing.  He came into a church one Sunday and heard preaching about Jesus weeping over Jerusalem.

The man thought, “Why did Jesus Christ ever weep over such a wretch as I am?” He thought he was too bad for Christ to care for him.

At last, he came to the preacher and said, “Sir, sixty years have I been sailing under the standard of the devil.  It is time I should have a new owner. I want to scuttle the old ship and sink her altogether! Then, I shall have a new owner, and I shall sail under the colors of Prince Jesus.”

Ever since that moment, that man has been a praying man and has walked before God in all sincerity. Yet, he was the very last man you would have thought would be saved and converted.  Somehow God does not choose just the “best” men.  He will also take the filthiest and the vilest and fashion them into glorious beings, making them saints. Whereas they were sinners, He then sanctifies them and makes them holy.

The Bible View #797 — Difficulties

In This Issue:
He Will Help
He Will Carry You
Better, If Broken
Fixer of Broken Things

Volume: 797    February 15, 2021
Theme: Dealing with Difficulties

FREE Printable Versions (including large
print, and church bulletin insert)
are available at
https://openthoumineeyes.com/newsletters.html.

He Will Help
Bill Brinkworth

Life can be rough, even for Christians. We may face financial hardships, physical problems, relationship challenges, and hosts of other types of trials. 

What does one do? Where can one run?  How can a great burden of grief or heartbreak be tolerated that seems so impossible to carry?

In the Bible, we are told that, as heavy as one’s problems weigh on us, God will not allow one more than one can bear.  Whatever we face, God will only let us go through what we can handle with His help. Somehow, the trials many are facing can be endured.
“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” I Corinthians 10:13 

With the confidence that God will help, the next avenue of relief from trials and tribulations is prayer.  Be thankful for what you do have, ask God to help, and hang on by faith that He will intervene!
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Philippians 4:6

After knowing that God will help us through hard times and seeking His aid in the time of need, there is one more area that must be handled. That area is one’s thought life.

If there is any “strength or moral goodness” (virtues), allow your mind to have only the right thoughts.
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8

Do not allow yourself to think about what could happen or things that are not true, not right, filthy, unrighteous, bad news, scary, and frightening. Doing so will never help; it will always make matters worse. 

Christian, you have the mind of Christ. Do not fill it with worldly thoughts because the dark things of this world will only try to put out your “light.”  Keep your eyes and mind on the things of God, and let God handle them!

“O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Saviour,
And life more abundant and free!

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face;
And the things of Earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.”
From Helen Lemmel’s hymn, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”



He Will Carry You
D. L. Moody

I think of Christ as a burden bearer.

A minister was moving his library upstairs. As the minister was going up the stairs with his load of books, his little boy came in and was very anxious to help his father.  

His father told him to go and get an armful and take them upstairs. When the father returned, he met the little fellow halfway up, tugging away with the biggest in the library. He could not manage to carry it. The book was too big, so he sat down and cried.

His father found him, took him in his arms, book and all, and carried him to where the books were put.  So, Christ will carry you and all your burdens.


Better, If Broken
Dr. J. Hamilton, 1871

  • It is the broken ground that needs to be opened up for the reception of seed, which springs up and brings forth fruit abundantly.
  • It is the broken cloud that discharges its showers that usher in the spring and cheer the thirsty ground.
  • It is the broken corn that is separated from the chaff and laid up in the garner of the husbandman that saved lives from starvation.
  • It is the broken berries that the olive press’s millstones have crushed and give forth a precious oil that fills lamps that brings light to the darkness.
  • It was the broken alabaster box from which the poor penitent woman anointed the Savior’s feet and its contents, which filled the whole house with the odor of the precious spikenard perfume.
  • It was Christ’s broken body, which was nailed to the cross and the spear of an enemy that furnished the blood that cleanses all souls from sin.
  • It is the broken veil of the temple that opened to us the Holiest of all and allows the believing soul to go directly to the Lord in prayer.
  • It was the broken grave that announced the reality of the resurrection and proclaimed to the unbelieving disciple that the Saviour was risen.

So, it is with Christians. It is by means of breaking and the crushing processes to which the providence of God subjects them that they will become the spiritual salt of the Earth and the lights of this world



Fixer of Broken Things
Bill Brinkworth

As a child, when something was broken, an adult would fix it. It seemed whatever happened, an older person, be it a parent, teacher, or neighbor, could easily solve the problem that troubled us younger folk.

As I got older, there were problems that an adult could not fix. They tried and gave it their best attempt, but their solutions often did not work. They often shook their heads and admitted they had the same thing broken in their own lives and did not know how to repair it for themselves.

After I was saved, I learned that there was one that could fix situations and dilemmas that no other could fix. It was not the psychiatrist, for they had their unfixable problems. It was not the doctors’ pills, for they often fixed only the symptoms and not the root of the problem. It was not the teachers’ wisdom, for many of them had no idea or experience to fix many of the traumas one faced in life. It was the wisdom delivered by God that could fix anything!

“Unfixable” things could be fixed by following the advice in God’s Word, heard from the preaching of His Word, or even gleaned from Bible-explaining writings. His wisdom has helped billions upon billions. Our heavenly Father has raised trillions. His advice, when obeyed, can fix many broken things in our lives. His Word advises us how to fix:

Broken hearts and feelings:
“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” Psalms 34:18
He can be close to those that have had their hearts broken by tragedy, rejection, or disappointment. Not only can He be with you when you go through the valley of despair, but He can also help you get the victory.

Broken confidences:
“And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.” Psalms 9:10
Others may fail you, but God never will neglect one of His children. He promises, “… I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5b)

Broken Lives:
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” II Corinthians 5:17
If you have come to a point in your life where you have realized you have messed up your life, God can change you from the inside out and give you a second chance.

Broken fellowships, relationships, and even a broken body of poor health:
“For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Luke 1:37
When all earthly hope seems to have vanished, there is a God that can do anything and can change any situation.


Not all things that are “broken” should be fixed. There are times things need to stay broken and discarded. Sometimes they are allowed to be “broken” because if something is not changed, our lives will not be what they should or could be. That is why God’s wise help is the only one we should seek.

God loves us and desires what is good for us and our relationship with Him. His intervention and direction are always the best.

If God’s discernment is that something broken in our lives needs fixing, He is the one that can remedy the situation. If it is best for you and God’s will, God can be the fixer of what is broken in your life. There is hope!

“By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;  4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:  5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”   Romans 5:2-5