Christian Living | THE BIBLE VIEW

The BIBLE VIEW #890 — Christian Example

In This Issue:
It Could Have Been Me
A Child of God Should Be…
I Am A Soldier

Volume: 890 January 1, 20239
Theme: Christian Example

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It Could Have Been Me
Bill Brinkworth

Thank you, Lord. I am grateful for your mercy, love, and all the “second, third… hundredth…” chances you have given me.

I was saved. So many had the opportunity, did not trust Christ as their Saviour, and sooner than they expected, they died. As far as anyone knows, they are in Hell! It could be me that died lost!
I did many terrible things, and many horrible events happened to me, but I did not die. It could have been me that perished because of my foolishness! God protected me so that I could get saved and serve Him. So many did fewer dumb things than I did and perished.
I am glad after I got saved that I took my salvation seriously. I studied the Bible, attended church, did my best to obey what God showed me to do, and served Him with all my heart. So many also got saved, did nothing for the Lord, died, and now they must surely be regretting their mistakes.
I am overwhelmed that God gave me opportunities and used me to do His will. There are many more intelligent, talented people that could have done so much for Him but did not. They wasted much of their life when they could have done great things for the Lord and society. It could have been me that was useless to the cause of Christ.
I am so appreciative that I learned proper biblical doctrines. God allowed me to have excellent Bible preachers, teachers, and friends. So many, brighter than I, believed unbiblical teachings, followed the wrong doctrines and did not please the Lord. Because of their ignorance of His truths, they were, often unknowingly, disobedient to His Word. It could have been me that followed the wrong Spirit and false teachings.

My realizations are not meant as boastings. I recall that God even used a donkey to do His bidding by talking to a man of God (Number 22:28). So, if He can use a donkey, He can certainly use me. We both were willing, and you?

“He that turneth from the road to rescue another, turneth toward his goal; he shall arrive by the footpath of mercy; God will be his guide.” — Henry VanDyke

A Child of God Should Be…
Bill Brinkworth

Christians are often the only source the unsaved see that glorifies our God, His will, and His way. Godly men and women should represent Him by living differently than those not born again.

Here, in this study on the “man of God,” men, and in most cases women, can see how their lifestyle should be. A saved person should be:

A Christ-like example.
“But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” I Timothy 6:11
“That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” II Timothy 3:17

A blessing to others, as was Moses.
“And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.” Deuteronomy 33:1

A praying person and a leader, as was Moses.
“A Prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.” Psalm 90:1
“Pray without ceasing.” I Thessalonians 5:17

Honorable, knows the mind of God, is known from afar, and someone to go to when there’s a problem, as was Samuel.
“And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honourable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can shew us our way that we should go.” I Samuel 9:6

Able to “hear” and be obedient to God, as was a man of God during Jeroboam’s day.
“And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.” I King 13:1
“The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.” I King 13:5

Speaks and knows the truth, as did Elijah.
“And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.” I Kings 17:24

Speaks for God.
“And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.” I Kings 20:28

Trusts God, as did Elijah.
“And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty… 14 Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight….” II Kings 1:10-14

Obeys God’s commandments (“law”), as did Solomon.
“And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required: the porters also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded.” II Chronicles 8:14

Able to discern what to do in many situations.
“But there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; for the LORD is not with Israel, to wit, with all the children of Ephraim.” II Chronicles 25:7

Chastised by the Lord when necessary.
“And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him.” I Kings 13:26

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

I Am A Soldier
Author Unknown

“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” II Timothy 2:3

I am a soldier in the army of my God. The Lord Jesus Christ is my commanding officer. The Holy Bible is my code of conduct. Faith, prayer, and God’s Word are my weapons of warfare. I have been taught by the Holy Spirit, trained by experience, tried by adversity, and tested by fire.

I am a volunteer in His army, and I have enlisted for eternity. I will either retire at the rapture or die in His army, but I will not get out, sell out, be talked out, or be pushed out. I am faithful, reliable, capable, and dependable. If my God needs me, I am there. If He needs me in the Sunday school to teach the children or work with the youth, if He needs me to work with the adults, He can use me because I am there.

I am a soldier! I am not a baby. I do not need to be pampered, petted, primed up, pumped up, picked up, or pepped up. I am a soldier!

No one has to call me, remind me, write me, visit me, entice me, or lure me. I am a soldier! I’m not a wimp. I am in place, saluting my King, obeying His orders, praising His name, and building His kingdom. No one has to send me flowers, gifts, food, cards, candy, or give me handouts. I do not need to be cuddled, coddled, cradled, cared for, or be catered to. I am committed. I cannot have my feelings hurt bad enough to turn me around, and I cannot be discouraged enough to cause me to quit.

When Jesus called me into this army, I had nothing. If I end up with nothing, I will still come out ahead. If I win, my God is the reason, and He will continue to supply all my needs.

I am more than a conqueror. I will always triumph. I can do all things through Christ. The devil cannot defeat me. People cannot disillusion me. Weather cannot weary me. Sickness cannot stop me. Battles cannot beat me. Money cannot buy me. Governments cannot silence me, and Hell cannot handle me. I am a soldier! Even death cannot destroy me.

When my commander calls me from His battlefield, He will promote me to captain and then allow me to rule with Him. I am a soldier in His army, and I am marching and claiming the victory. I will not give up. I will not turn around. I am a soldier marching Heaven bound. Here I stand! Will you stand with me?

“Loyalty that will do anything, that will endure anything, that will make the whole being consecrate to Him, is what Christ wants. Anything else is not worthy of Him. — Burdett Hart

The BIBLE VIEW #888 — Faith

In This Issue:
Faith
Examples of Biblical Faith
Christ, Our Guide

Volume: 888 December 12, 2022
Theme: Faith

Faith
Bill Brinkworth

What Is Faith? Noah Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language defines faith as ”…the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared by another, resting on His authority ad veracity… the assent of the mind or understanding to the truth of what God has revealed. Simple belief of the scriptures….”
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

Have faith in God. He is reliable and trustworthy! Reliance on His help and commandments is essential in letting Him lead and guide one’s life.
“And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.” Mark 11:22
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Heb. 11:6

Have faith in God’s son, Jesus.
“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:26
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Heb. 12:2 Also: Rom. 3:22.

Faith in Christ can have one’s sins forgiven.
“And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.” Luke 5:20

Faith is essential for salvation!
“And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.” I Cor. 15:14
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” Ephesians 2:8 Also: Romans 3:28, I Corinthians 15:17, I John 5:4.

Not having faith is a sin!
“And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” Romans 14:23

Some have a replacement for living by faith. They trust in themselves. That “trust” is a “work,” and working one’s way to Heaven is an impossibility and is a sin!
“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” I Timothy 6:10

Since faith in Christ’s work on the cross saves us, not having faith we can have salvation, or we can lose the “gift” is sin!
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 Also: I Timothy 4:1.

One proof of our salvation is our change in our faith and the spiritual fruit it produces!
“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” James 2:17
“But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” James 2:20 Also: Gal 2:20, 5:22.

We are to live by faith during this “church age.” We are not to live by sight as in the Old Testament. That is where the cults, relying on seeing miraculous proofs of their salvation, are wrong!
“(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)” II Corinthians 5:7
“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:17
“Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” II Timothy 2:22: Also: Gal 2:20, 3:11, Eph. 6:16, I Thessalonians 5:8, I Tim. 6:12, II Tim. 4:7, Hebrews 10:38.

Have faith that God will meet your needs.
“Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” Mat. 6:30

A blessing from living by faith is that God will give one an understanding of His plans and workings. His will shall be revealed to those who trust Him.
“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:17
“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” Heb. 11:3

“If you have no joy, there has to be a leak in your faith somewhere.” H. Beecher

Examples of Biblical Faith
Bill Brinkworth

A centurion had faith that the words of Christ were sufficient to heal.
“When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” Mat. 8:10

Disease with an issue of blood. A woman had faith that if she could touch the hem of Jesus’ garment, she would be healed. She did touch it and was healed!
“But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.” Mat. 9:22

Equipped with only faith, a woman came to Jesus to remove a possessing devil from her daughter. Because of her reliance and trust on Him, her daughter was made whole.
“Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.” Mat. 15:28

Disciples let fear control them and did not believe God would protect them from harm. If they had faith, they could have asked God to deliver them from their dilemma, as we can when we face “storms.”
“And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.” Mat. 8:26

The “faith chapter” in Hebrews 11 reminds readers of Old Testament saints that had faith:
Abel: Hebrews 11:4
Enoch: Heb. 11:5
Noah: Heb. 11:7
Abraham: Heb. 11:8-9, 17
Sarah: Heb. 11:11
Isaac: Heb. 11:20
Jacob: Heb. 11:21
Joseph: Heb. 11:22
Moses: Heb. 11:23-24, 27, 28
Israel: Heb. 11:29-30
Rahab: Heb. 11:31

Those Old Testament saints and many more overcame challenges and impossibilities by faith in their great God. They stepped out blindly trusting Him, and He did the “impossible.” Will you also step out by faith and trust God when you face tragedies, terrors, and temptations?

“Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees
And looks to God alone,
Laughs at impossibilities
And cries, ‘It shall be done!’” — Charles Wesley

Christ, Our Guide
C. H. Spurgeon

When Mr. Andrew Fuller was going to preach one day, he rode to the meeting on his horse. There had been a lot of rain, and the rivers were very swollen. He got to one river, which he had to cross. He looked at it and feared the strong current as he did not know its depth.

A farmer, who happened to be standing by, said, “It is all right, Mr. Fuller. You will get through it all right, sir. The horse will keep its feet.”

Mr. Fuller went in, and the water got up to the girth and then up to the saddle. The preacher began to get uncomfortably wet. Mr. Fuller thought he had better turn around, and he was going to do so when the same farmer shouted, “Go on, Mr. Fuller. Go on. I know it is all right.”

Mr. Fuller replied, “Then I will go on. I will go by faith.”

Now, sinner, it is like that with you. You think that your sins are too deep and that Christ will never be able to carry you over them. However, I say to you, “It is all right, sinner. Trust Jesus, and he will carry you through Hell itself if it were needful and possible. If you had all the sins of all the men that have ever lived, and they were all yours, if you trusted him, Jesus Christ would carry you through the current of all that sin. It is alright, man! Only trust Christ. The river may be deep, but Christ’s love is deeper still. It is all right, man!

Do not let the devil make you doubt my Lord and Master. Satan is a liar from the beginning and the father of lies, but my Master is faithful and true. Rest on him, and it is alright. Herein lies the supreme consolation of this earthly life.”

“When a train goes through a dark tunnel, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer to get you through safely. Trust God today, no matter how dark your situation. God says, ‘You are coming out’!” — C. H. Spurgeon

The BIBLE VIEW #880 — Their Last Words

In This Issue:
The Last Words of Pastor James Gerven
The Death of Chloe
The Last Words of George Roberts
Thomas Paine’s Last Words
The Last Words of Richard Hooker
The Dying Words of Earl of Chesterfield
The Death of A Young Man

Volume: 880 October 17, 2022
Theme: Last Words

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* The following accounts are edited from: Ingram Cobbin, Dying Sayings. London, England, Frederick Westley, 1828. *

The Last Words of Pastor James Gerven
Ingram Cobbin, Dying Sayings

James Gerven was a pious, ingenious minister, a popular writer, and was born in 1714… He died in 1758, being forty-four years old.

As death drew near, he said, “Here is the treasure of the Christian. Death is reckoned in this inventory, and a noble treasure it is. How thankful I am for death, as it is the passage through which I go to the Lord and Giver of eternal life! These light afflictions are but for a moment, and then comes an eternal weight of glory. Oh, I welcome death! Thou mayest well be reckoned among the treasures of the Christian. ‘For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.’” (Philippians 1:21)”

“What will be your last words? Will they be of excitement and expectation or fear and trembling?” — Bill Brinkworth

The Death of Chloe
Ingram Cobbin, Dying Sayings

… Before us was the struggling, agonizing, dying Chloe, inwardly burning to death with the raging fires of inflammation. Her mind was most anxious about the terrors of her approaching end. She felt the horrible consciousness of being unprepared for the solemn exchange of worlds.

A minister had prayed with her, but no relief was found. The mother prayed, but overflowing tears from distress and terror were all the help she could give the child, who was sinking in despair.

Attendants were weeping, but none of them could help the dying girl. She did not pray for herself, while her cries for prayer to save her from Hell were incessant.

She was asked, “Chloe, will you now accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your only Saviour from sin and Hell and submit your soul into his hands for salvation?”

With a faltering voice, she answered, “No, I cannot!”

Astonished at the answer, she was asked, “Why are you not willing, and why can you not now, with your dying breath, accept Christ for salvation?”

With the clear appearance of being in full possession of her rational thinking, but with a feeble and tremulous articulation, she continued, “It is too late….”

Will any who read this account neglect preparation for eternity? Are you ready when it is your time to leave this world?

The Last Words of George Roberts
Ingram Cobbin, Dying Sayings

Pastor George Roberts experienced God’s converting grace in early life and devoted himself to Christian service. He came to New England in 1790, where, through much opposition and suffering, he labored with outstanding success. Through excessive labor and toils, his health failed, and being unable to perform ministerial duties, he moved to Baltimore….

He died in Baltimore in Christian triumph, being eminently sustained in his last conflict. “His last hours,” said his son, “were triumphant, though eminently painful physically. For twenty-four hours before his death, he had violent convulsions every ten minutes….”

… He was distinguished by the evenness and quiet of his temper and frame. A night or two previous to his death, I urged him to quiet himself and offered, as a reason for it, the possibility of his disturbing the neighbors.

He immediately replied, “Be quiet, my son. No, no! If I had the voice of an angel, I would rouse the inhabitants of Baltimore to tell them the joys of redeeming love. Victory, I have victory! Victory, through the blood of the Lamb! Victory through the blood of the Lamb,” were the last sentences trembled from his dying lips.

His death was a triumphant testimony! Only the power of salvation can enable the soul to triumph when the body sinks into the tomb….

“This world is the land of the dying; the next, for the Christian, is the land of the living.” — Author Unknown

Thomas Paine’s Last Words
Ingram Cobbin, Dying Sayings

Thomas Paine, a political writer and deist, was born in Norfolk, England, in 1737 and died in New York on June 8, 1809. He was seventy-two years. This unhappy unbeliever died in great misery from the consequence of his disgusting vices.

He became an outcast from all respectable society. He was said to have been irritable, vain, filthy, malignant, dishonest, and drunken. Mr. Cunningham said, “Few men have been more bountifully favored with the gifts of nature and expansion of intellect than was Thomas Paine. His essays on the political rights of man stand as a lasting monument of his genius and exhibit a mind girded with strength. Yet even though he had outstanding success and acknowledged ability in effecting a political revolution, he revolted against God and common sense… He shut his eyes against rational evidence, denied the truth of Christianity, and became a skeptic. This infatuated infidel was left to the fruits of his doings. He degraded himself and died a fool….

Frequently, in his last distress, Mr. Paine called out, “Lord Jesus! Help me.”

His doctor, Dr. Maiiley, asked him whether, from his calling so often upon the Saviour, if it was to be inferred that Thomas believed the Gospel.

He replied, “I have no wish to believe on that subject.” He expired in great agony. Such are the fruits of infidelity. How many, like Paine, were disloyal to God and were ruined?

“Some die without having really lived, while others continue to live, in spite of the fact that they have died.” — Author Unknown

The Last Words of Richard Hooker
Ingram Cobbin, Dying Sayings

Richard Hooker was born near Exeter, England, in 1553. He possessed great learning, sound judgment, and distinguished himself by the book The Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity.

He was a meek, pious man and spent his days laboring to promote the glory of his Creator and the happiness of men.”

He died in the forty-seventh year of his age. Before his departure, he said, “I have lived to see that this world is full of confusion and disorder. I have been long preparing to leave it and gathering comfort for the awful hour of making up my account with God, which I now apprehend as nearby. By his grace, I have loved Him from my youth, feared Him, and labored to have a conscience void of offense toward my God and all men.”

At another time, he said, “God hath heard my daily petition… From this blessed assurance, I feel the inward joy the world can neither give nor take from me. My conscience beareth me this witness, and this witness makes the thoughts of death joyful. I could wish to live to do the church more service, but I cannot hope for it, for my days are past as a shadow and will not return.” Shortly after uttering those words, he went home to be with God.”
“Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord….” (Rev. 14:13) It shall be well with the righteous.

The Dying Words of Earl of Chesterfield
Ingram Cobbin, Dying Sayings

The Earl of Chesterfield was one of the most accomplished scholars of his time. He sought all the world’s pleasures and informed us he enjoyed them. However, he lived and died like a fool.

Though learned, polite, and witty, he was full of deceit and opposition to God. He said, “My reason tells me I should wish for the end of life, but instinct makes me take all the proper methods to put it off. This innate sentiment alone makes me bear life with patience! I assure you, I have no hope, but, on the contrary, many fears from it.”

Poor man! Is this all the comfort thou hast derived from all his accomplishments? What a confession from a deathbed! He added, “I can hardly persuade myself that all that frivolous hurry and bustle and all the pleasures of the world had any reality, but they seem to have been the dreams of restless nights. Ah! They can render no support to the dying soul. They truly now appear like ‘dreams’ and were not important.”

The Death of A Young Man
Ingram Cobbin, Dying Sayings

In the summer of 1817, a camp meeting was held in East Hartford, Connecticut. About eight thousand people were present, and about one hundred were saved.

The Rev. D. Dorchester, when recounting the meeting, said, “… A young man, about eighteen years of age, attended the meetings. On Sunday evening, the Lord wrought powerfully among the people.

“Some of the young man’s associates sought and found the Saviour… Entreaties, expostulations, and tears urged the boy, but all in vain! His reply to them was, ‘I will wait till I get home.’”

“He started for home with his mother. At about five o’clock, he arrived within a few yards of his father’s house when suddenly he sprang from the wagon. He exclaimed, “Mother, I am dying; I am dying. I shall not live for one hour! O, that I had sought salvation at the camp meeting!”

“A physician was called immediately, but his efforts were in vain. Death had planted the arrow that no human hand could extract. The boy’s skin soon assumed a purple hue. His friends could only wait with anxiety and hear, with the most painful sensations, the regrets the boy uttered. The next day, he breathed his last.”

Procrastination was the thief that stole the young man’s opportunity to be saved….
“(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)” II Cor. 6:2

THE BIBLE VIEW #879 — Grace

In This Issue:
Abounding Grace
What Is Grace?
Grace Is Sufficient
Grace Day by Day
In the Nick of Time

Volume: 879 October 10, 2022
Theme: Grace

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Please forward this Bible View to someone going through a difficult time. It may encourage them and help draw them closer to God, who can be the giver of grace they may require for their trial.

Abounding Grace
Jay and Linda Aarseth, Missionaries in Thailand

Faith. Trust. Trusting not by what is seen, but by faith.

I thought I understood ‘Hope. I have read many accounts of courageous men and women who have lived these simple words and made them embraceable. We long to be able to follow their example of godliness and strength if we are ever called upon to do so. One day, those words became our exam.

My husband, Jay, and I had been missionaries in Guam for five years. We were in love with the church and the people and had never enjoyed the ministry more. God had blessed us, and we were content, then a dreaded middle-of-the-night call came.

Our pastor reached us with news that our youngest daughter and her children had been in a house fire. Our hearts pounded as we tried to secure our home in Guam and acquire tickets to the States, a task not easily done on such short notice. We did not know the full extent of the injuries sustained until much later that day.

Three flights and 18 hours in the air separated us from the facts. We thought the very worst. Visions of burn victims flooded my mind’s eye and kept me nauseous and weak. However, God gave me rest and quieted my soul in a way I had never known.

Our pastor met us in Atlanta with a car for us to drive to Augusta, where Lindsay, our daughter, and her two children had been flown via helicopter from Chattanooga, TN. Our oldest daughter, Jessica, and her husband met us at the burn unit. They tried to gently prepare us for what we would see. We donned the sterile garb, scrubbed ourselves, and entered room #1. As it turned out, Emma had been burned over 65% of her body, Lindsay 53%, and Ewan 45%.

Jay kept me from collapsing. The three of them were swollen beyond recognition and their bodies were connected with tubes and staples.

“God? Faith? Trust? Hope?” I had never known a time that I could not pray, but there were no words. I didn’t need any. God provided every ounce of emotional strength and physical ability I needed. My heavenly Father was there!

My grandson, Ewan, was taken to Heaven three days after his arrival at the burn unit. His little heart could not sustain his physical trauma. Lindsay and little Emma, age 4, spent the next 62 days in ICU. Both underwent miraculous skin grafts and rehabilitation. Lindsay was in a drug-induced coma when Ewan died. She had to be told of his death upon awakening.

Day after day, I sat in the waiting room waiting for my 15 or 30-minute visit with each of my girls. In the hours in between, I watched for others who were there because their loved one was also on the brink of death. We sat with many family members who looked just like we did. “Can anyone live through such a trauma?” I wondered.

The doctors said, “Yes.” I did not see how any length of time could heal what I saw lying in those hospital beds.

I sought family members of other ICU patients and shared God’s grace and peace with them. For 62 days, that waiting room was my mission field. I cried and prayed with others as we shared a common pain.

I could write volumes about the love and compassion of those God sent our way. My pastor and his wife were unbelievably supportive and compassionate. They found a hospital in Chattanooga to hold our Ewan’s little body until Lindsay recovered enough to make arrangements for his burial.

We did not know from day to day if Lindsay or Emma would survive. God was there, though; I cannot say more. He was everything we needed at every moment of every day.

Many more battles and trials followed. I suppose there will always be pain and scars for my girls. They are walking testimonies of the goodness of God, and they both allow their scars to speak of the Lord’s faithfulness.

I will never be the same. My God had comforted me and helped me to grow. He had given us a comfort wherewith we may comfort others.

Now we walk with a genuine sense of faith. We have learned what it is to trust with no reservations and to believe in His goodness because He cared so tenderly for each of us during those awful days.

We can now embrace whatever He allows in our lives as having been filtered through His hands. Such beauty has erupted from those ashes. To God be the glory; great things He has done!

“’Grace’ means undeserved kindness. It is the gift of God to man the moment man sees he is unworthy of God’s favor.” — D. L. Moody

What is Grace?
Noah Webster, 1828

Grace is:

Favor; goodwill; kindness
The free, unmerited love and favor of God
Favorable influence of God
The application of Christ’s righteousness to the sinner

Grace Is Sufficient
Author Unknown

“… My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” II Cor. 12:9
Booth-Tucker preached in Chicago one day. Out from the crowd, a burdened toiler came and said to him, before all the audience, “You can talk like that about how Christ is dear to you and helps you, but if your wife was dead, as my wife is, and you had some babies crying for their mother who would never come back, you could not say what you are saying!”

A little later, Booth-Tucker lost his noble wife in a railway wreck. The body was brought to Chicago and carried to the Salvation Army barracks for the funeral service.

After others had conducted the funeral service, Booth-Tucker stood there by the casket, looked down into the face of the silent wife and his children’s mother, and said, “The other day, when I was here, a man said I could not say Christ was sufficient if my wife were dead, and my children were crying for their mother. If that man is here, tell him that Christ is sufficient. My heart is all broken; my heart is all crushed; my heart is all bleeding, but there is a song in my heart, and Christ put it there. If that man is here, I tell you, though my wife is gone and my children are motherless, Christ comforts me today!”

That man was there, and down the aisle he went and fell beside the casket, saying, “Verily, if Christ can help us like that, I will surrender to Him.”

“The Law detects. Grace corrects.” — Author Unknown

Grace
Author Unknown

He giveth more grace when burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added affliction, He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance;
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done;
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources;
Our Father’s full giving has only begun.

His love has no limit; His grace knows no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth and giveth and giveth again.

“Prayer is the practice of drawing on the grace of God.” — Oswald Chambers

Day by Day
D. L. Moody

A man can no more take a supply of grace for the future than he can eat enough today to last him for the next six months. Nor can he take sufficient air into his lungs to sustain life for a week to come. We must draw upon God’s boundless stores for grace from day to day, as we need it.

“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:34

In the “Nick of Time”
G. Campbell Morgan

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
I am never tired of pointing out that the Greek phrase translated, “… in the time of need,” is a colloquialism of which the “nick of time” is the exact equivalent: “… grace to help in ‘the nick of time.’” God can give us grace just when and where we need it.

You may be attacked by temptation. At the moment of assault, you look to Him, and grace is there to help in “the nick of time.” No postponement of your petition until the evening hour of prayer, but there in the city street, with the flaming temptation in front of you, turn to Christ with a cry for help. The grace will be there in “the nick of time.”

“Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace.”
— Martin Luther

The BIBLE VIEW #877 — Money

In This Issue:
The Car in the Cellar
The Musings of a Dollar
Money
Affluency Now, Bankruptcy Later
Both Jewels and Life Lost
Applegate’s Cow

Volume: 877 September 26, 2022
Theme: Money

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The Car in the Cellar
Bill Brinkworth

Years ago, a group of friends met in the basement of a city home. During a friendly game of billiards, a crazy idea popped up in conversation. “Wouldn’t it be funny,” one may have suggested, “if we could build a Model-T right here in the basement?”

Soon the group of mechanics was chuckling at the idea. They all offered to pitch in. Everyone volunteered to help bring the pieces of the automobile, one by one, through the upstairs doorway and down into the cellar.

The joke and dare became a project. As promised, each man brought a piece of the car down the steps and into the cellar. As more pieces arrived, the assembly progressed. After an extended period, the car was completely assembled: fenders, tires, engine, interior, and every other part. The professional mechanics even got it running. What a neighborhood joke the car in the basement must have been.

Time passed. One by one, the weekly meeting lost another member. The original builders even forgot about their project.

Soon, even the house was sold. The new owners chuckled at what was downstairs, but the car’s novelty was quickly forgotten.

As I recall the story, the house was condemned many years later. After the residence was destroyed, the old Ford was rolled away and sold. The house and all the mechanics were gone, but the “treasure” remained.

What a similarity that Model-T is to what happens in many lives. Little things that really have no importance become far too paramount in lives.

Many lives have been wasted, marriages destroyed, and families split up because priority was given to hobbies, friends, jobs, and “things.” Once their life is over, the possessions may remain, but what was important was destroyed or never given the priority and time it deserved.

Vast numbers of people have died with quite an impressive number of “things,” but spiritually, they were destitute. They had all this world offered them but died and went to Hell because their eternal destination never was a concern to them, but their possessions remained.
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Mark 8:36

“Things” are not that important. They give temporary enjoyment, but that joy is not permanent. Relationships with people are far more important. Our children, family, and friends should be valued more than temporal things.

What are we to profit if we have big cars and houses, but our children have had to raise themselves and have ruined their lives? How are we rich when we have large bank accounts, but our family does not talk with us anymore? What joy will that fancy car you sacrificed to have bring you when you have no one with which to share it?

When our life is over, our “things” will remain, but will our influence on others be remembered? Will our life have made a difference?

When the “house” of our world perishes is what remains that important? On deathbeds, the shiny frills of this world are rarely mentioned.

The assurance of Heaven and regrets for poor relationships are usually the primary concerns during our “end.” Do not wait until death is imminent to get your priorities right!

“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” I Timothy 6:10

The Musings of a Dollar
Author Unknown

If money could talk, it would make one of these three speeches:

It may say, “Hold me, and I will dry out the foundations of sympathy and benevolence in your soul and leave you barren and destitute. Grasp me tightly, and I will change your sight. You will care to look upon nothing that does not contain my image. I will transform your hearing so that my soft metallic ring will sound louder than the cries of needy widows, orphans, and the perishing multitudes. Keep me, clutch me, and I will destroy your sympathy for others, your respect for what is right, and your love and reverence for God.”
Or it may say, “Spend me for self-indulgence, and I will make your soul fat and indifferent to all except your pleasure. I will become your master, and you will think that I only am of importance and power.”
Or it may whisper, “Give me away for the benefit of others, and I will return in streams of spiritual revenue to your soul. I will bless the one that received and the one that gave me away. I will supply food for the hungry, raiment for the naked, medicine for the sick, and send the Gospel to the needy. At the same time, I will secure joy and peace for the soul that uses me for others’ needs.”

Money
Author Unknown

Dug from the mountainside
Or washed from the glen,
Servant am I or master of men.
Earn me, and I bless you;
Steal me, and I curse you;
Grasp me and hold me,
A fiend shall possess you.
Lie for me, die for me,
Covet me, take me —
Friend or foe,
I’m just what you make me.

“I finally figured out why people get nervous and upset when the love of money is preached. The preacher is criticizing and devaluing their little ‘god,’ and they don’t like their religion belittled.” — B. B.

Affluence Now, Bankruptcy Hereafter
Author Unknown

A tribe in Africa elected a new king every seven years. For seven years, the king enjoyed the high honor and was provided with every luxury known to the savage life.

During those years, his authority was absolute. He even had the power of life and death. For seven years, he ruled, was honored, and surfeited with possessions, but he was killed at the end of the period.

Every member of the tribe was aware of the king’s fate, for it was a long-standing custom. However, there was never an applicant lacking for the post. For seven years of luxury and power, men were willing to sacrifice the remainder of their life.

They may have been pagans, yet in the proudest civilization of our day, men and women of intelligence and leadership are making the same choice between things now and spiritual bankruptcy in the hereafter. Scores are willing to be bankrupt through eternity if they may only have wealth now.

Both Jewels and Life Lost
Walter Knight

Some wealthy persons of Pompeii, aware of the coming volcanic destruction, fled, leaving valuables behind as they deemed them worthless compared to their lives.

Among the discoveries in the city’s ruins were the remains of a woman in the act of gathering rings, bracelets, and other valuable articles of jewelry left behind. The woman delayed the time of her flight and was overwhelmed by the holocaust! Both her jewels and life were lost.

“Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.”
Malachi 3:7-9.

Applegate’s Cow
Author Unknown

A summer boarder at the Applegate’s farm asked, “How much milk does that cow give?”

“Wal,” replied farmer Applegate, “ef ya mean by voluntary contribooshun, she don’t give none. But ef ye kin get her cornered so’s she can’t kick none to hurt, an able-bodied man kin take away about ‘leven quarts a day from her.”

Unfortunately, that sounds like the way many give to the Lord. Too many are like farmer Applegate’s cow when it comes to giving.

The Bible View #875 — Worry

In This Issue:
Look Only at Today’s Challenges!
Why Worry?
It’s Okay; The Master Is Nearby.
Not Trusting God

Volume: 875 September 12, 2022
Theme: Worry

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Look Only at Today’s Challenges!
Bill Brinkworth

“And he [Jesus] said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.” Luke 12:22

We all have been vexed by what we have perceived as problems. Worrying about life’s troubles consumes too much time for many. Sometimes the anxieties are legitimate; sometimes, they are only imagined and never come to fruition.

God has much to say about the sin of worrying in His Word. Matthew 6:34, along with Luke 12:22, compels us not to worry about our needs and to take life’s obstacles on a day-by-day basis.

We have a lot on our plate for today; do not worry about what may or may not happen tomorrow. Besides, what situation has worrying ever improved?
“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:34

Looking at all the challenges that could happen on another day is very frustrating. I remember the same feeling when told to weed a 40-foot garden when I was younger.

My mother gave me the chore to weed a backyard flower patch. I worked a short time and then looked to where I was to finish. It seemed so far away and impossible.

I worked a little more and then looked to the far end. I felt I would never get finished and that it was almost a hopeless task that would never be completed.

Then I came up with a different strategy. Instead of looking at the whole task, I looked no further than two feet in front of me.

Looking up, I saw my short goal and weeded hard to reach it. When I achieved that mark, I looked up two feet further and made that my next mission.

Never did I look to the end again. I kept making short commitments.

I remember at one point, which did not seem that long after starting, where I permitted myself to look back at where I had started. The beginning point was far, far behind me. I accomplished something. I was realizing that the task was obtainable.

Again, I returned to my two-foot tasks. Before long, my next look at the two-foot objective made me realize it was the end.

Small bites at the task and not fretting over the overall picture made the job seem faster to complete and less agonizing. From that chore, I learned to set shorter goals and to keep plodding at them until the main goal was reached.

Life has many challenges that we will face. God does not give us more than we can handle. Be concerned with what God gives us to do today. When tomorrow comes, he will also give us the grace to meet the challenges we face on that day.

“Worry is a kind of insult to the Lord. It’s like throwing His promises and assurances back into His face and saying they’re no good and you don’t trust Him.” – Fletcher

Why Worry?
Walter Knight

A French soldier in World War I carried with him this little bit of common sense about worry. It was, “Of two things, one is certain; either you are at the front, or you are behind the lines. If you are at the front, of two things one is certain: either you are exposed to danger, or you are in a safe place. If you are exposed to danger, of two things one is certain: either you are wounded, or you are not wounded. If you are wounded, of two things one is certain: either you recover, or you die. If you recover, there is no need to worry. If you die, you can’t worry; so why worry?

“Blessed is the man who is too busy to worry in the daytime and too sleepy at night.” — Riney

It’s Okay; The Master Is Nearby.
Bill Brinkworth

“And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.” Matthew 8:23-26

The disciples had witnessed many of the healings and casting out of demons that Jesus had done. They realized that God could have only done such miracles. Yet, with all they had seen and heard, they were still men and had weaknesses.

In Matthew 8:23-26, it is seen that Jesus’ disciples experienced a terrible storm at sea while the Son of God was on board. Still, they feared perishing from the overpowering weather, although the Master of the seas, Earth, and planets was close by. All their spiritual victories and observations of God’s power were washed overboard, along with the storm’s waters because of their lapse in faith.

We cannot blame them for their weakness, as we are as guilty as they are. We may have experienced spiritual victories or have seen mighty things in our lives that only God’s intervention could explain. Never will we forget God’s answering our prayers and the times we saw God’s hand change a hopeless situation into one with a perfect, peaceful ending.

However, like the disciples, amidst all we have seen and been convinced of, we too can be shaken and fearful. Something unexpected and surprising can make us afraid as well.

Jesus was asleep in the Matthew 8 account. Nothing was disturbing Him. He was not pacing the deck and wringing His hands. Jesus was not fretting because He was the answer to their misery. God’s son knew what would happen in the future, and there was nothing that would occur He could not handle.

When we are frightened for our safety, health, or well-being, remember what the Saviour did for His fellow ship passengers in this account. Jesus instantly got involved when the disciples came to Him and changed the circumstances. He can also help us when He is allowed in our “boat.”

Jesus was there at the creation of all that is in this world (Genesis 1:26). He created the waters that were threatening the tiny vessel. The Son of God had total control of the threatening winds He had allowed to howl. Nothing took Him by surprise. Not one thing startled Him then, and nothing is unknown to Him when it happens in our lives today.

Jesus knows about the doctor’s verdict of an “incurable” disease. He knows we lost our job. The possibility of losing the house we live in is not a surprise to Him, nor is the whereabouts and spiritual condition of a wayward child unknown to Him.

He is calm. Jesus is in control. Everything will be all right. The Master is on deck. It will just take a few words from His mighty tongue to dispel all we fear. As long as He is nearby, why should we worry?

“Courage is fear that has said its prayers!”

Not Trusting God
South, 1633-1716

While we fret and repine at God’s will, do we not think that it is better for us to have our way? Our worrying is saying to God that we are wiser than Him and could contrive things much more to our advantage if we were in control of them. Does not our complaining suggest that we should run our lives, the world, and not Him?

These indeed are things that man may not utter, but whosoever refuses to submit himself to the hand of God speaks them aloud by his behavior. Our doubts and fears are a surer indication of man’s true mind and faith (or lack of it).

God, perhaps, is pleased to visit us with some heavy affliction. Shall we now, out of a due reverence of His all-governing wisdom, patiently endure it, or out of a blind presumption of our own, endeavor by some sinister way or other to rid ourselves of it?

Passengers on a ship always submit to their pilot’s discretion, especially in a storm. Shall we, whose passage lies through a greater and more dangerous deep, pay less deference to that great Pilot, who not only understands but also commands the seas?

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark. However, the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” — Plato

The BIBLE VIEW #874 — Doers of His Word

In This Issue:
Spiritual Gluttony
Forgotten Treasure
God’s Commandments Are Not a Burden
The Hedge on the Way to the Mansion
The Natural Man

Volume: 874 September 5, 2022
Theme: Doers of His Word

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Spiritual Gluttony
Bill Brinkworth

Many have heard scriptural teaching again and again. From the pulpit, they have heard what God wants them to do. From television, radio, and biblical-based articles, they have also heard what God’s will and way is. Christian acquaintances and family members may also have voiced biblical principles. All the biblical input has fattened their head-knowledge of spiritual and biblical things, but they have not reacted or moved on what they have learned. They are hearers of God’s Word but are not doers of His commandments (James 1:22-25).

Through preaching, they have heard a clear message on what the Bible says one must do to be saved, yet they have not trusted Christ alone as their way to Heaven. They have heard how God expects every child of God to tell others how to be saved. Yet, many have not even tried to tell others how to be born again.

A sermon showed them how it is stealing from God not to tithe (Malachi 3:8-10). They nodded in agreement with the preacher on that matter, yet they still have never faithfully given to the local church part of what they earned that week.

A radio message convicted them deeply of a sin they were involved in, and their guilt over the sin’s commission has bothered them. However, they still have not made one attempt to curb their iniquity. On and on the list could go of truths that have been heard from the Word of God.

Admittedly, most know what God wants them to do and what He does not want them to do. Yet, all that knowledge lies in their brain, unused and unapplied.

Many are appalled at those that have gained enormous amounts of weight. They shake their head as television interviews reveal people that weigh 500 pounds or more. They diagnose the eater’s problem quickly; the overweight person eats more calories than he is burning in exercise or daily living. They see how dangerous it is for the heavy one to sit all day in front of the television consuming bags of chips and other junk foods. Yet, they do not see the parallel between one who eats more than he uses and their spiritual fatness of absorbing the things of God and utilizing very little of what they have absorbed.

Spiritually, they have become obese, yet they do not see their unhealthy spiritual condition. They hear preaching, read their Bible, go to church often, and even listen to Christian radio and television regularly.

I have heard many “obese” Christians wax eloquent. They boasted of how many years they had attended church or how much Scripture they knew. I have often felt dumb after hearing them demonstrate their head knowledge of the scriptures. They are quite knowledgeable. However, that feeling goes away when I hear their testimony of never having witnessed to one soul, never having done anything for the Lord but sit and soak, or never having shown any signs of spiritual growth in their lives.

What are you doing with the things of God you have heard? God did not allow you to learn His ways to appear smart about the things of God or to inflate your pride. He allowed you to hear His message so that you would do for Him what He desires. Are you doing what God has shown you to do? Are you burning spiritual calories?

Scriptures related to this subject: James 1:22-25, Matthew 7:21, Luke 6:46, Luke 11:28, Luke 12:48, Romans 2:13, I John 3:7.

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” James 1:22-25

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 a copy of the Bible in a neglected corner 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 searched the house for what they thought must be a jewel or a pot of gold but found nothing. They dug up the floor, hoping to discover 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 told her thoughts to the rest of the family. They began to read the Bible and were changed in character, and the blessings of God came to stay with them.

The stranger returned 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 done all you said it would.”

God’s Commandments Are Not a Burden
T. Watson

Cicero questioned what can be called a burden if one carries it with delight and pleasure. If a man takes a bag of money, it is heavy, but the joy in his treasure far outweighs any burden it may cause.

God gives inward joy that makes His commandments delightful. That joy is like oil to wheels that makes a Christian run in the way of God’s commandments so that it is not burdensome.

“Obedience is the way to experience God’s greatest blessing.”

The Hedge on the Way to the Mansion
Dr. J. Hamilton

Reconciliation to God is like entering the gate onto a beautiful road, which takes one to a splendid mansion. The avenue is long, and sometimes it skirts the edge of dangerous cliffs. There is a fence of hedges to save the traveler from falling over their edges, where he would be dashed to pieces.

That “hedge” in our lives is God’s commandments. They were given so that we may do ourselves no harm. Like a fence of briars, they protect the one traveling the road if he keeps to the route. They only hurt him when he breaks through the hedge.

Temperance, justice, truthfulness, purity of speech and behavior, obedience to parents, mutual affection, and the worship of God are righteous requirements. When keeping them, there is a great reward. Life’s possible “thorns also do no damage.” Happy is he who stays on the “road” and never feels the pricks of the hedges by breaking God’s commandments.

“A child on a rocking horse is much like many Christians. They have plenty of motion, but no progress.”

The Natural Man
Bill Brinkworth

“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 Corinthians 2:14

Many people try to understand the things of God, but they never truly grasp their truths, nor do they seem real to them. They may have studied the scriptures, memorized them, and appeared knowledgeable about biblical facts. However, there still seems to be a missing connection that does not allow them to grasp the truths from the Word of God.

Preaching also may be entertaining and even interesting to them. Still, the truths spoken to them from the pulpit never make it to their spiritual heart and change anything. Many even feel church attendance is meaningless, which is why they seldom attend.

It is often not the preacher’s fault that they “get nothing from the service” or “do not feel convicted.” I Corinthians 2:14 puts the finger on who some of them are and why a spiritual connection is missing in their lives.

The reason that they are not grasping biblical truths or are not Spirit-led is that they are “natural” men and women. They are either not born-again and cannot have a relationship with the Lord until they are saved, or they may be so worldly minded that they could not hear the convicting Spirit of God if He blew an air horn in their ear. A “natural” man is one that is just the way they were born, without any spiritual alterations, illuminations, and connections.

No one can understand the things of God unless the Holy Spirit shows them (I Corinthians 2:11). A person can have head-knowledge of biblical and spiritual things. However, unless the Holy Spirit is involved, there will never be a connection between what the brain knows and what the spiritual “heart” believes.

Well-educated preachers have often been in left field regarding understanding God’s desires because they were under their power of understanding and not the Holy Spirit’s. Education alone does not make the “connection.”

Preaching and the things of God are not appreciated and are meaningless to a “natural” man. However, preaching God’s Word is essential to a saved person. The exhortation of God’s Word and its teaching are spiritual food to a believer. It encourages, guides, and strengthens a child of God. To that person, it is foolish not to be at church, where God’s Word is taught.

The BIBLE VIEW #873 — Your Testimony

In This Issue:
He Says He’s a Soldier
What Others See
“It Will Always Shine!”

Volume: 873 August 29, 2022
Theme: Testimony

Theme: Drifting Away

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He Says He’s a Soldier
Bill Brinkworth

“You’re sure you’re a soldier?” I queried.

“Yes, sir,” quipped the slovenly dressed young man in civilian clothes.

“Where’s your uniform?”

“Well,” he explained, “I don’t wanna be like everyone else. I never even bought one.”

“Hmm,” I scratched my head. “If you’re a soldier, certainly you must have read the soldiers’ training manual.”

“No, never read it at all.”

“You’re a soldier, don’t have a uniform, and never even read the training manual?” I was really perplexed now. “Certainly, you’ve attended boot camp?”

“No, never had the time. I always had something to do when the Army wanted me to go.”

“And you’re sure you’re a United States Army soldier?”

“Yes, sir. I’m very proud to serve my country. Whenever they need me, they can count on me,” was his proud answer.

“I’m a little confused. You say you’re a soldier but never wore the uniform, read any procedure manuals, or attended training. Did you ever fight in any battles?”

“Oh, no. They wouldn’t let me because I never attended boot camp. But when they have a war, I’ll be there.”

“Hmmm.” I just had to ask, “Well, what makes you so sure you’re a soldier?”

“I must admit, it seems strange that I haven’t done things most soldiers do. But, you see, my father was in the service. His father was also in the Army, and I believe even his father was. So everyone just knows I’m a soldier, too.”

This fictitious scenario is echoed thousands of times through a similar testimony of professing Christians. They claim they are a child of God, but do not think, believe, dress, or behave like one. They never read God’s training manual, the Bible, never faithfully attend church, and are not observed doing anything spiritual. They are in the battle and have lost, but they do not know it has even started.

God’s Word clearly teaches one way to be saved. It is not my method or yours that will get one into Heaven. It is His Heaven, and there is only one way there; His way.

That way is to know we are sinners, as Romans 3:23 clarifies: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Because of our sin, none of us has pleased God, and an eternal punishment awaits them. Romans 6:23 states: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

There is good news, however. Although we are sinners and heading for Hell, Christ died for our sins and paid for them (Romans 5:8). The proper way to get to Heaven is to accept His payment for all our iniquities. After believing that, we have God’s promise that we will go to Heaven: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13).” That is God’s way to be with Him forever.

Being a Christian will soon be a public affair. People will see that the Holy Spirit has made some changes in one’s life. Family and friends will see moral practices replacing old wicked routines and habits. It will be evident where the Christian will be on Sunday. His Bible will also no longer be dusty.

It will no longer be a guessing game to determine if one is a Christian when one is genuinely saved. The changes in his life and lifestyle will make it clear that he is “born again.” He will be proud to be enlisted in God’s army and will make it evident by looking and acting like a real Christian soldier.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

What Others See
Bill Brinkworth

One of the most valuable assets a Christian can have is his testimony. What others think of him is often what they see him do, how he reacts in certain situations, and how they believe a Christian should live (although their view may not always be accurate). Paul gave some advice in Ephesians 4 on how to preserve that testimony. Some of his advice included:

Do not live like the rest of the world and put the wrong value on things that are really unimportant (Eph. 4:17-18).
Do not lust after things of this world and be consumed with greed for them (Eph. 4:19).
Do not let your conversation with others be about lust for this world’s things (Eph. 4:22).
Live a righteous life and strive to be a good example (Eph. 4:24).
Let your conversation be honest and do not lie (Eph. 4:25).
If you get angry, get it right with those involved before the sun goes down (Eph. 4:26).
Do not get close to sin and allow the devil to destroy your testimony (Eph. 4:27).
Do not steal, but work hard for what you want (Eph. 4:28).
Be careful of the words you utter, making sure what you say helps others (Eph. 4:29).
Do not sadden the indwelling Holy Spirit by sinning (Eph. 4:30).
Do not allow the sins of bitterness, violence, anger, and evil speaking to be part of your life (Eph. 4:31).
Be kind to others (Eph. 4:32).

As hard as we try, some will always see our example as wrong, no matter how we adhere to the above advice and other godly principles. Although it is impossible to please all the people all the time, we have a responsibility to have the best testimony possible.

Our example is not so much about what others think about us, but what others think about Christ by our example. We are often all the unsaved will ever see about Christ. Will they determine they do not want to be a Christian because of what they observed in our behavior, or will they consider being one because of how we live our lives?

“Your walk talks louder than your talk talks.”

“It Will Always Shine!”
Author Unknown

A traveler once visiting the lighthouse at Calais said to the keeper, “What if one of your lights should go out at night?”

“Never! Impossible!” he exclaimed. “Sir, yonder are the ships sailing to all parts of the world. If tonight one of my burners went out, in six months, I would hear from America, or India, saying that on such a night, the lights at Calais lighthouse gave no warning, and some vessel had been wrecked. Lives could be lost because of my neglect. Ah sir, I sometimes feel, when I look upon my lights, as if the eyes of the entire world are fixed upon me. Go out! Burn dim? Never! Impossible!”

What a lesson that man’s commitment and fervor should be to the Christian! The Christian must remember he is a spiritual lighthouse for the world to observe. Let then his “light” be full, bright, and clear. The moment he neglects it and leaves his “lamps” untrimmed, some poor soul, struggling amid the waves of temptation, for lack of a beacon of example to light his way, may be dashed upon the rocks of destruction.

“I have ever deemed it more honorable and more profitable to set a good example than to follow a bad one.” — Thomas Jefferson

The BIBLE VIEW #869 — Don’t Make Them Guess

In This Issue:
I Hope So
Current Whereabouts Unknown

Volume: 869 August 1, 2022
Theme: Don’t Make Then Guess

I Hope So
Bill Brinkworth

Although it was a solemn event, there were whispering conversations throughout the chapel. One exchange in the far back was very concerned about the reason for the gathering. Worrying and weeping soon whipped the group into an uncontrollable frenzy.

Aunt Jane tried to soothe those distraught by simply stating, “Well, my brother was a very good person. I believe he is looking down on us right now. He is in a better place and certainly deserves it with all he has put up with in this life.”

Several in the group remained silent but showed they agreed or hoped their aunt was right. A few just quietly sobbed at the loss of their friend and brother.

Closer to the front, another party shared their opinions about the deceased friend. One in the group tried to assure other mourners that there was no reason to be sad, as they were sure the dead friend was in Heaven.

Although a listener to the conversation knew it was inappropriate to voice a question, he wondered. He doubted if the man was really in Heaven. He reasoned, “He never went to church and showed no signs of being a Christian. How are these people so sure he is in a ‘better place’?”

While waiting for the funeral service to begin, another concerned relative sat next to the preacher, who would give the message. He turned to the pastor and sought some assurance. “Preacher, my uncle was a nice man. He always got me to laugh and was just good to me. All these other folks are convinced he’s in Heaven, but I wonder. He never went to church that I know of. I can’t recall anything he ever did that would indicate he was a Christian. On Sundays, he usually went fishing, and I don’t think he has ever even gone to church since I have known him. Is he really in Heaven? Can anyone really know that another has gone there?”

The preacher knew he would have to start the service soon, so he carefully weighed what he was going to say. “Son, our opinions and beliefs, if they are not in concordance with what God’s Word says don’t really matter. Only what God says matters. And He says the only way to have assurance of going to Heaven is His way.

“According to the Bible, one has to be born-again to go there. One must be saved from Hell by trusting that there is nothing anyone can do to earn Heaven. The only way is to believe that God’s only son, Jesus, who never sinned, paid the price for our salvation with His blood. Good works won’t get anyone higher than the coffin lid.”

Then the preacher stopped the conversation as it was time for the service. As he approached the pulpit, he remembered that this might be the last time those gathering may realize that they will one day be in the same position as the deceased.

The pastor knew it would not be what all the mourners would want to hear, but it was his responsibility to tell the biblical truth about what the Bible says about our eternity. He planned to make sure all that gathered would hear God’s way to spend eternity with Him. Just like the inquiring young man wanted to know, he was sure others did as well. If he did not tell them God’s way of getting to Heaven, there might never be another opportunity for them to hear the truth.

Perhaps to comfort relatives at funerals or even themselves, most want to believe the deceased is in a “better place.” Imagining a departed friend or relative is agonizing in the tormenting Hell is not a thought any would want to consider, even if it is true. So, to keep from “ruining” the funeral and examining their own eternal, future destination, most services dwell more on the good thoughts rather than taking the time to make sure all listeners know of the only way to Heaven. However, eternal futures may be at stake.

Many preachers at funerals will not take the opportunity, while hearts are sensitive to their own eternity, to tell listeners about God’s way to Heaven. It is not biblical to suppose that all are in Heaven. The Bible even says that not all that die go there.
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

Good deeds, marvelous works, and religious routines and rituals are not the way to Heaven. Too many believe they are and will one day sadly learn the truth when they do not open their eyes in 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.” Ephesians 2:8-9

When one is genuinely saved and trusts Christ’s payment for their sins as the only way for an eternity with our Lord, His life will change. The changes will be from the inside out, and most may see that a Christian’s life is different.
“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

So, when it is your time to be remembered in the funeral home, leave a memory that all will know where you are spending eternity. Hopefully, those honoring your death will not suppose you are with Jesus. They will know!

People should not have to search desperately for some clues that you may be in Heaven. It should be clear where you have gone because you lived a Christian life and had a godly testimony.

Current Whereabouts Unknown
Bill Brinkworth

I remember how we would laugh about going to Hell. “Yeah, we’ll be together in Hell. We’ll have a good time partying,” I laughed.

“Sure,” my friend scoffed as he guzzled down another beer. “Yea, just one big party — forever and forever!”

Years went by. After heartaches, learning the hard way, and much of God’s grace and mercy, I got saved. Christ became my Saviour, and I tried to live for Him.

My friends could tell something was different about me. I no longer wanted to party with them. They were uncomfortable around me as I shared with them what I had learned from the Bible. Soon we grew completely apart and seldom spent time together.

As I grew in the Lord and studied the Bible, I learned more about the reality of Hell. All the things I had heard about the place of torment were true. What a horrible place it is! It should not be taken lightly! Then, I remembered the friend with whom I had scoffed at Hell. I was burdened to see and warn him of the place, so he would not have to go there.

I visited his home. He was still living with his parents, even though he was 35 years old. We went up to his bedroom to talk. Sin had taken a toll on his life. The drugs and booze were a constant companion in his life — over 15 years of non-stop abuse. He was not the same friend with whom I had grown up.

He was searching. I could tell. He had tried Buddhism for a while and even memorized a long chant from one of their books. Still, that religion did not fill the empty spot he had in his life.

Later, he was involved with the Jehovah’s Witnesses, hoping they had the answers he sought. I remember him telling me they were nice to him. He was impressed that they had spent time with him, and he started attending their meetings.

I told him what the Bible says one must do and believe to have God’s promise of eternity in Heaven. He admitted to me, “I thought the Witnesses had something, but as I got closer, I found that nobody had any real peace. Bill, I still haven’t found any yet, and I don’t have the promise of eternity you have.” His voice was sorrowful. He had searched but found nothing to fill the emptiness his soul had.

“You know how I was and how the Lord has changed me. He’s given me peace, help, and a lot of promises. He’ll give them to you too, if you’ll accept Him as Saviour,” I pleaded. However, the other cult’s teachings he had been involved with brought doubt and confusion to his thoughts.

I explained and explained. I did everything but beg, but my friend was even more confused. Man-made religion had done much damage to his thinking. When I left, he was still unsaved. I urged him to at least visit the church where I had attended. I’m not sure he ever did.

From time to time, I heard tidbits about my friend. He had gotten involved in some indecent sin, probably the fruit of all the pornography that polluted his mind. Once, the law required him to go to a psychiatrist, and my friend was put on drugs to keep him from feeling miserable. His mental problems were probably from years of taking drugs. (I remember his bragging about how “pot will never hurt me.”) It certainly sounded like he was getting lonelier. His behavior became more bizarre. He hardly had any friends and never married. What a lonely, empty life he lived.

I thought about him a lot. Sometimes I prayed for him to get saved.

It had been years since we had seen each other when I got a telephone call from my mother. Her voice was sad as she read me a story from her newspaper: “Last Wednesday, the body of a 40-year-old man was found at the foot of a 100-foot cliff at… Park. He was rushed to the… Hospital. The man’s name….”

I interrupted my mother’s voice, “It’s G., isn’t it?” I knew it was him before she had even finished. His sad, hard life had come to an end after an accident.

The hardest thing to grasp was where my friend went: Heaven or Hell? Unless he had gotten saved, and I hope he did, he is in Hell.

Hell is a real place. There is no party there! There’s no way out.

Are you sure that you would go to Heaven if you were to die right now? You can know for sure! It may be too late for my friend, but perhaps you can learn from his mistake.

“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

If you do not know for sure that you would spend eternity in Heaven, ask a preacher, or a saved friend. If you do not know of one that can tell you what the Bible says, please e-mail me at
brinkworth@frontier.com. I would be honored to share the biblical way to Heaven with you. You need to know where your future whereabouts will be!

“Don’t let scoffers laugh you into Hell. They cannot laugh you out of it.” — D. L. Moody

The BIBLE VIEW #865 — Gossip

In This Issue:
“Beware of the Drowning Man!”
Three Things to Remember
The Spreader
Slander

Volume: 865 July 6, 2022
Theme: Gossip

Sign-up to receive the free DAILY VIEW e-mailed devotion at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/a26cc9M. It includes a KJV chapter, a short devotion teaching something in the day’s reading, and more spiritual food for the hungry soul!

“Beware of the Drowning Man!”
Bill Brinkworth

It is said that it is very dangerous when trying to swim out and save a drowning person. Too often, the rescuer is drowned by the flailing, panicking drowner.

The natural reaction of the one going down, for possibly the last time, is to keep their head above water. In an effort to survive, he can grab hold of the rescuer, and in trying to get another breath of air, drown the person who is trying to help him.

A disgruntled, unhappy person is often much like the drowning man. For whatever reason, they are dissatisfied, they share their unrest and discontentment with others. In most situations, they mean no harm. They are unloading their burden and anguish on others hoping the person can say something or change something to stop their dissatisfaction. However, their complaining, or “venting,” does much the same as the drowning man. He can take the listener down with him.

The one listening may not know what is to follow in the conversation or genuinely may want to be a consoling ear to the one doing the complaining. Before the “rescuer” knows what has happened, he is a casualty of gossiping lips. Those words may do more than “sink ships,” as they said during World War II when referring to those that said more than they should have.

Making oneself a listening post for complaining, gossip, or dissatisfaction can result in one having the same thoughts as the one floundering. The complaints and opinionated talk can spread like an infectious disease. Soon the grumbler’s frustrations are shared feelings of their audiences. Here are some common scenarios that trap too many:

“Well, maybe that person at work is lazy and making us do his work like the other person said.”
“Hmm, Sonya said that the person in the back of class is responsible for all the things missing in our class. Maybe he is a thief.”
“Oh, oh. She thinks her husband is cheating on her; perhaps mine is doing the same thing.”
“Things are not the same in church as they were. So-and-so says it’s because of what Deacon Jones is doing. Our problems in church are all his fault.”
“My friend says So-and-so looks like he’s hiding something, and he is right; he does look suspicious. I don’t think I will trust him, either.”

On and on the opinions and observations of others can go into listening ears, doing damage by intentional or unintentional words. Most often, we want to help, and that is why we listen. However, words often turn into improper or unjustified judgments or actions by the listeners.

Here are several guidelines one can keep in mind when lending a listening ear:

What the other person is saying is only his side of the story. If the listener wants to know the truth, he should hear the other person’s side of the situation. Suggesting to immediately get the other person’s view of what is being said often silences what is being said, as the talebearer may know what he is saying is more emotional than factual.

“He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” Proverbs 18:13

“Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?” John 7:51

“One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.” Deut. 19:15

“Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.” I Timothy 5:19

“It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.” John 8:17

Why are they telling me? Can I change the situation for them? Are they just gossiping, backbiting, complaining, or do they want the problem they are speaking of handled their way? Can what they are saying result in anything positive?

If it is discerned what is being said is for the wrong reasons, change the conversation or walk away from it. Why would anyone want to take part in another’s sin?

“They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.” Psalm 12:2

“Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. “Psalm 34:13

“Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.” Psalm 120:2

Is what is being said edifying? Can it be destructive to my ears? Will it reinforce the problem to them as they share their concerns and make both of us miserable? Is what is said going to help or change anything, or is it gossip?

“They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.” Psalm 140:3

“He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.” Proverbs 17:9

If a suitable solution is given to solve the speaker’s dilemma, will he follow the advice, or will he keep grumbling to anyone who listens?

“Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.” Proverbs 23:9

“Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.” Proverbs 9:8

Why am I listening to them? Am I doing it to be a help, or do I want to hear some dirt about someone else?

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” Ephesians 4:29

Does voicing their grievances bring confusion and division to others? If it brings adverse side effects to others, then their “beefs” are probably not of God.
“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” I Corinthians 14:33

It is natural for most of us to want to listen to the concerns of those we are in contact. It is also quite normal to want to help them with our suggestions. We must always be aware of what our ears are listening. Often, a person does not know the damage their words can do to themselves and their listeners. They may not even know they are “drowning” in their trials and tribulations, but a drowning man can take others down with himself. Beware of drowning people.

Although some quoted scriptures were in a different context, they were used to show a biblically taught principle.

“Oh, be careful little lips what you say, for the Father up above is looking down in love …” — Words from a child’s Sunday school song

Three Things to Remember
Gospel Banner

Remember, three things come not back
The arrow sent upon its track.
It will not swerve; it will not stay
Its speed; it flies to wound and slay.

The spoken word so soon forgot
By thee, but it has perished not.
In other hearts, ‘tis living still.
And doing work for good or ill.

And the lost opportunity,
That cometh back no more to thee;
In vain thou weepest, in vain dost yearn;
These three will nevermore return.

“You cannot stop people’s tongues, and therefore the best thing to do is to stop your ears and never mind what is spoken.” — Spurgeon

The Spreader
Author Unknown

On a well-equipped farm, you will find at least one machine that looks like a low-slung wagon. It is called a “spreader.” It is used to disperse seed and fertilizer.

Unfortunately, in every town, big or small, you will find men and women that might be placed in the category of the “spreader.” They run about from place to place spreading gossip, which is the dirtiest kind of dirt. Gossip helps no one and harms everyone. It is about the meanest manifestation of dirty work that a human can do and not be exiled.

“Chances are, if one speaks ill to you about others, when you are not around, he will speak ill of you.” — Barbara Brinkworth