AMAZING FACT: DEVOTION

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An Eternal Marriage

AN AMAZING FACT: According to a book about marriage published in 2007, a first marriage has a 20 percent chance of ending in divorce within five years. After 10 years, the number climbs to 33 percent.
Marriages are supposed to be a lifelong commitment between two people, a covenant to love and support each other through thick and thin. But divorce all too often preempts these promises from being fulfilled. Though divorce has existed for thousands of years, with God even providing rules governing divorce to the ancient Hebrews, our modern society seems to have taken divorce to a new level. Some statistics suggest that as many as half of all marriages in the United States end in divorce.

God likens His relationship with His people as a marriage. Jesus is the bridegroom, and His church is the bride. The Song of Solomon reveals the depth of God’s commitment to His church through poetry and figurative language and reveals the kind of relationship to God He expects His church to have. The female figure in the story represents the church, and she states plainly, “I am my beloved’s, And his desire is toward me” (Song of Solomon 7:10).

Have you given your life entirely to Jesus? Can you call Him “my beloved” and honestly declare that you are His? The Bible promises already that “His desire is toward” the church. Won’t you be a faithful spouse today and give your life entirely to Him?

Unlike so many marriages on Earth, the marriage between Christ and His bride will last for eternity and never come to an end. His atonement on the cross provided the means for this marriage to occur, and He invites you today to participate in this divine union. All you have to do is say yes.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
- Ephesians 5:25

 

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As Faithful as the Morning
AN AMAZING FACT: The ancient Egyptians believed that the sun god Ra made a daily trip across the sky in the Boat of Millions of Years. At night, it was said that Ra was traveling in the evening boat through the underworld. Every night, Ra battled with the serpent Apep. If Ra was successful, he was reborn at sunrise. In order to keep the sun rising every morning, Egyptian priests performed complicated rituals to help Ra overcome the serpent every night.
For the Egyptians, even something as regular as the sun rising every morning was fraught with uncertainty. Without the proper rituals, Apep might capture Ra, causing an eclipse or terrible storm. On the other hand, the God of the Israelites used the regularity of the sun to describe the endurance of His righteousness: “The Lord is righteous in her midst. … Every morning He brings His justice to light; He never fails” (Zephaniah 3:5). The daily predictability of the sun was also a metaphor for the Messiah: “His name shall endure forever; His name shall continue as long as the sun” (Psalm 72:17).

The enduring nature of God should be a great comfort to His people—especially in times when everything else seems uncertain. The prophet of Lamentations, in the middle of his anguish over the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the captivity of his people, sees the inevitability of morning as a reminder of God’s compassion: “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. … It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord” (Lamentations 3:22, 23, 26). Even when everything is coming apart at the seams, the sun will still rise and our God will still be faithful.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
- Psalms 30:5

 

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Lifting Power
AN AMAZING FACT: Among the fastest of all insects, dragonflies have been clocked at more than 25 miles per hour. Fossils also tell us that before the flood, some dragonflies had wingspans of about 30 inches. And they’re strong too! About half of their body mass is devoted to flight muscles, and they have the ability to lift more than twice their bodyweight … a feat that no manmade aircraft has ever come near!
Dragonflies can also take off backwards, accelerate quickly, and then stop in an instant. They can also execute an un-banked turn as if on a pivot, summersault in the heat of combat, and fly virtually any maneuver using a nearly endless combination of four wings.

Not only can the dragonfly out maneuver anything else with wings, it can also see better too! Its wrap-around compound eyes contain more than 30,000 lenses, providing a 360-degree field of view. In fact, a dragonfly can see a gnat three feet away, dart from his nest, seize and devour the prey, and then return to its perch all in about one second. The U.S. Air Force has even studied the amazing flight versatility of dragonflies in wind tunnels, hoping to uncover the secret of its incredible aerodynamic abilities.

The Bible tells us that God can lift us up and care for us under any circumstance. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1 Peter 5:6 NIV). There is no situation too difficult, no trial too big, no problem too complex, that the Lord cannot carry you through it. God’s angels surpass in strength and skill to anything you can imagine, including dragonflies. They quickly accelerate at our call and God’s command to pick us up.

But there is a secret to being lifted up. It is to first bow down in humility. Unless we acknowledge our helplessness, we cannot be open to receive the incredible help that the Lord is ready to provide.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
- 1 Peter 5:7

 

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A People Remembered

AN AMAZING FACT: On May 14, 1948, following a United Nations resolution the year before, the nation of Israel declared its independence and Jews from around the world had a nation of their own for the first time in nearly two millennia.
Following the Jewish revolt against the Romans in A.D. 66, several years of warfare culminated in the destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem. Though smaller populations of Jewish people remained in the area for a few hundred years, the nation was never the same again. Yet against all odds, Israel was restored after World War II and remains to this day.

Israel’s history is a cycle of conquest, defeat, and national restoration. Time and again, even when the nation’s survival seemed totally hopeless, God delivered them from their troubles and set them up again. Even in the midst of conquest by Babylon, which was the worst horror Israel had seen until that point, when the Jews were starving and dying, God’s promise to them was still, “The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; He will no longer send you into captivity” (Lamentations 4:22).

As Israelites by faith, Christians can have the same assurance of deliverance. God only turns away from His children because of their sins. When we repent and turn back to God, He is faithful to forgive our sins and turn back to us. As Christians, we don’t look forward to the establishment of an earthly Christian kingdom. Rather, we long for the New Jerusalem, “a better, that is, a heavenly country” (Hebrews 11:16), and God will deliver us to that land.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
- Jeremiah 29:13

And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
- Jeremiah 29:14

 

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Submission to God’s Will
AN AMAZING FACT: In April 2003, Aron Ralston had a serious accident while hiking alone in Canyonlands National Park in Utah. His right arm became pinned by an 800-pound boulder that had become dislodged. After being trapped for six days, he performed a partial amputation of his arm with a multi-purpose tool to save himself. He then climbed out of the canyon, repelled down a 65-foot wall, and began an eight-mile hike to safety before he was found.
Mr. Ralston’s story is surely incredible—they even made a Hollywood film about it—but there are many other awesome stories of human survival against all odds. These stories demonstrate the amazing drive that people have to survive.

Satan knows about this drive. In the second chapter of Job, he challenges God to test his servant, claiming that “all that a man has he will give for his life” (Job 2:4). Satan was sure that Job would curse God if his life and health were threatened. To demonstrate Job’s loyalty, God permits this test, demanding only that Satan “spare his life” (Job 2:6).

This heavenly controversy shows us a lot about what occurs in the spiritual realm beyond our sight. It demonstrates, for one, that bad things that occur on Earth are not caused by God but are permitted by Him. While that can be difficult to understand in the midst of calamity, we must remember that God never permitted anything to happen to Job that was beyond Job’s ability to handle. Neither were Job’s trials arbitrary. A heavenly purpose was served, and countless people have benefitted from the written account of Job’s ordeal since that time.

When calamity strikes us, we should surrender to God’s will. He is in control of all circumstances, so we are never alone in our trials. Our struggle will strengthen our faith, and that of others too.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
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.
- 1 Corinthians 10:13

 

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Learning to Cry

AN AMAZING FACT: Studies show that women cry 30 to 60 times a year, while men cry 6 to 17 times per year. However, there is no difference between genders until adolescence, indicating that emotional tears are a learned response. Another study showed that infants pick up cues about how to cry from their parents’ language: French infants tend to wail with a rising pitch, while German infants cry with a falling pitch.
After viewing the abominations of the city of Jerusalem, Ezekiel sees six men with weapons come into the temple, one of whom also carries a writer’s inkhorn. The Lord instructs this man to put a mark on “the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations” in the city (Ezekiel 9:4). He then instructs the other five to follow behind and kill everyone who isn’t given the mark. This idea—that God’s people mourn over the sins of others—is repeated throughout Scripture. The Psalmist records, “Rivers of water run down from my eyes, Because men do not keep Your law” (Psalm 119:136).

Jeremiah, expecting the people might not turn from their wickedness, said, “My soul will weep in secret for your pride; My eyes will weep bitterly And run down with tears, Because the Lord’s flock has been taken captive” (Jeremiah 13:17). The reason for these holy tears is twofold: Not only has God’s law been violated, but the sinners will soon suffer the consequences.

When Jesus wept over Jerusalem, this was His lament: “If you had known … the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you” (Luke 19:42, 43). Jesus was mourning that His people refused to know Him and that they would soon suffer the consequences of rejecting Him. Ultimately, Jesus wants His followers to learn to make His tears for His people their own.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
- Lamentations 3:48

 

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The Power of Light

AN AMAZING FACT: Photosynthesis is the process by which chlorophyllcontaining organisms—such as green plants, algae, and some bacteria—capture energy in the form of light and convert it to chemical energy. Virtually all the energy available for life on Earth is made available through photosynthesis.
To produce the same amount of energy that trees and plants produce from sunlight in one day would require all the coal in 20,500,000 coal cars—or the equivalent of a coal train that wraps around the world six times! It takes almost nine minutes for a photon of light to travel the 93 million miles from the sun to the Earth, but a plant needs only a few trillionths of a second to capture the light energy, process it, and store it in the form of a chemical bond!

The bread we eat, the air we breathe, and even the wood we use to build our homes comes through this miraculous process—lasagna, lumber, and air for our lungs come from sunlight. NASA scientists have studied this process for years, knowing that it is the secret to long-term space travel. However, so far man has been unable to duplicate what God does so easily through plants!

There is another life-giving process that God has created through the Light of the World. The beams from the Son of Righteousness have energy and transforming power to change your life. “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life’” (John 8:12).

When Christ shines into your heart, there is a miraculous process of change. A sin-hardened heart becomes soft. A proud spirit becomes humble. A selfish life begins to think about others. Like the photosynthesis process that captures energy, we can receive life from Jesus that changes our characters. Without the Light of the World, we are without hope of change.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
- 1 John 1:5

 

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Marveling at God Through Nature
AN AMAZING FACT: The driest place on Earth is the Atacama Desert near the Pacific coastline of Chile. The average rainfall in these desert mountains is less than .004 inches per year. There are even some locations within the desert where no rain has fallen for more than 400 years. Yet even in this arid wasteland, there is some water. There are some salt lakes throughout the region, and in some elevations, where the temperature never exceeds freezing, snow still remains from previous storms.
Without the Earth’s constant cycle of evaporation and rainfall, life as we know it could not exist. The natural rain cycles keep land and plants irrigated, constantly recycle water around the world, and bring precipitation to even the driest lands. It is amazing to think that the diverse and extensive balance of life on Earth, including human life, is totally dependent upon rainfall, which is beyond mankind’s ability to control.

God’s people know that rain does not happen by accident. God is the creator of nature, and He is in charge of executing its natural and physical laws. When water comes to even the driest places on Earth, God’s people see Him at work. When Job declares that God “gives rain on the earth, And sends waters on the fields” (Job 5:10), he cites this as an example of how God “does great things, and unsearchable, Marvelous things without number” (Job 5:9).

When we behold the wonders of nature, even the rain, we can easily see the majesty of God. God loves His creation, and He takes care of it. We should be confident that God will take the same care of His children too.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
- Matthew 5:45

 

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61 Years Late

AN AMAZING FACT: In 1946, Robert Probach wrote a prize-winning essay for the Gonzaga University’s student paper. When Robert tried to collect the $20 of prize money, the editor told him to come back later. On each succeeding visit, he got the same message—come back later. He never received the prize money. By 2007, the story had become family lore, and Robert’s son Gregg decided to see what would happen if he contacted the university about the matter. On May 18, 2007, the university president handed Robert a check for $512 dollars—$20 plus 61 years of interest. Robert donated the check back to the university.
Christians have been expecting the Lord’s soon return almost since Jesus’ ascension nearly 2,000 years ago. Is the Lord like an unfaithful newspaper editor—promising a reward that will never come?

Peter warns his readers that in the last days “scoffers” will come saying exactly that. Peter reminds us that God has an eternal perspective on time: “With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8). The psalmist corroborates this: “For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it is past, And like a watch in the night” (Psalm 90:4). Peter also reassures us that this apparent delay is not because He’s unwilling to keep His promise or has changed His mind: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

God is waiting to give out the prize so that as many people as possible can receive it. In the meantime, perhaps we can do what Robert Probach did once he finally received his prize money—share it with as many people as possible.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.
- Isaiah 30:18

 

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A Great Noise
AN AMAZING FACT: One of the loudest sounds in world history was the terrific volcanic explosion of Krakatoa in Indonesia in 1883. The blast’s power was equivalent to about 100 megatons of dynamite and could be heard more than 3,000 miles away! The sound could be heard by the human ear over 1/10th of the earth’s surface.
As a result of this explosive eruption, more than 36,000 people were killed, and 165 coastal villages were destroyed—mostly by giant sea waves that reached heights of 120 feet. The deadly waves roared at 316 miles per hour, devastating everything in their path and hurling coral blocks ashore that weighed as much as 600 tons.

In addition, the tremendous explosion blew five cubic miles of debris into the atmosphere and settled over an area of 300,000 square miles. The massive dust cloud blocked out sunlight, plunging Jakarta (100 miles away) into complete darkness. For more than three years, the residual produced some of the most beautiful, unusual, and brilliant-red sunsets the world has witnessed. In fact, three months after the eruption, the vivid flaming sunsets were still so intense that fire engines were often called out to quench imaginary infernos.

The Bible says, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). God once destroyed the Earth with water, but the Bible tells us that at the end of time it will be cleansed by fire. The Krakatoa volcano blast gives us only a small taste of that great and dreadful day.

Will you be with the Lord on that day?
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
- Revelation 20:11

 

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Impaired to the Glory of God

AN AMAZING FACT: Louis Braille (1809–1852) is the inventor of the Braille system of reading for the blind. Through a series of organized bumps that represent letters, this system allows people with no light perception to enjoy the same written materials as people with normal sight. Mr. Braille was not born blind, however. He became blind after accidentally stabbing himself in the eye with his father’s awl.
Though it was a personal tragedy, Mr. Braille’s unfortunate accident led him to develop the Braille system, which is still widely used today. Countless numbers of blind and visually impaired people have benefitted from the invention. Thus, his accident led to a much larger good that has served many people since.

Jesus was called to heal a blind man who was begging. His disciples asked whether it was his own or his parents’ sin that caused him to be blind. Christ’s answer was that neither party’s sin caused the blindness, but rather that he was born blind so “the works of God should be revealed in him” (John 9:3). God does not permit His children to suffer unwarrantedly. Though the blind man surely suffered throughout his life, his blindness caused Him to “see” Jesus for who He really was, and it led to his salvation. Additionally, his story has strengthened the faith of many Bible students throughout time.

When tragedy strikes, we must remember that God is bigger than the tragedy and that He must have a larger purpose in mind—or else He would have prevented the tragedy from occurring. Like Mr. Braille and the blind man in Jesus’ day, we should allow God to use our suffering to His glory. Great good, and even salvation, can come from surrendering to God in the midst of hardship.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.
- Isaiah 29:18

 

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Marvelous Light
AN AMAZING FACT: In Svalbard, Norway—a chain of islands halfway between mainland Europe and the North Pole—the sun stays up for just over 130 days, from late April to late August. The summer temperatures average around 40 degrees Fahrenheit, but luckily for the nearly 3,000 residents, the North Atlantic Current moderates winter temperatures, which average around 3 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. One effect of the persistent light is that people often find it difficult to fall asleep; some also say it can cause hypomania, a persistent euphoric and energetic mood.
In the Bible, light is a symbol of the Word of God and God’s law (Psalm 119:105; Proverbs 6:23). Yet light is often used to describe the experience of salvation too. For example, the psalmist exclaims that the “Lord is my light and my salvation” (Psalm 27:1). Paul’s encounter with light on the road to Damascus is another example—he saw “a light from heaven, brighter than the sun,” and soon afterward he was given a mission to the Gentiles: “to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins” (Acts 26:13, 18).

Even though Paul describes God as “dwelling in unapproachable light,”Revelation tells us that the New Jerusalem is “illuminated” by “the glory of God” (1 Timothy 6:16; Revelation 21:23). John helps to make the matter simple: “God is light,” but it is possible for us to “walk in the light as He is in the light” when we “confess our sins” and allow Jesus “to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:5, 7, 9). There’s nothing that can lift the spirits better than that kind of light!
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
- 1 Peter 2:9

 

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No Match

AN AMAZING FACT: For the first 5,800 years of human history, if a man wanted to start a fire he had to rub two sticks together or make sparks with a flint and steel.
But in 1826, John Walker, an apothecary in England, was attempting to develop a new explosive in his lab. As he stirred this new mixture of chemicals, a drop of the substance dried on the end of the stirring stick. While cleaning the crusty lump off the stick, John wiped it on the floor and it ignited.

John made several of the matches to amuse friends but somehow missed their practical value. A man named Samuel Jones saw this demonstration and realized the commercial worth and went into a booming match business. Jones called his matches “Lucifers.”

Early matches had a number of problems. The flame was unsteady, and the initial reaction was quite violent. Also, the odor produced by the burning match was unpleasant. Lucifers reportedly could ignite explosively, sometimes throwing sparks a considerable distance. The other problem with early matches was the use of white phosphorus, which would stick to the skin. It was toxic and, therefore, banned from use in many countries.

Lucifer also refers to a beautiful and powerful angelic being who fell from heaven. Ezekiel 28 describes this brilliant cherub: “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you” (vs. 14, 15). It says of the destruction of this being, “Therefore I brought fire from your midst; It devoured you, And I turned you to ashes upon the earth In the sight of all who saw you” (v. 18).

Someday Lucifer, the toxic and fallen angel, “shall be no more forever” (v. 19). He will no longer throw sin around at “a considerable distance.” His flame will be extinguished for all time.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
- Isaiah 14:12

 

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Loving the World

AN AMAZING FACT: The Federal Aviation Administration is in charge of many things relating to air travel in the United States. Among its duties is providing statistics about air travel to both the general population and the airlines. In 2004, the group increased its estimate of the weight of an average male passenger from 170 to 184 pounds, underscoring the general trend toward obesity in the American public.
Obesity doesn’t typically happen by accident. Although there are legitimate medical conditions that result in excessive weight gain, most obesity results from people’s choices to eat unhealthy foods in large quantities. Obesity can result in serious medical conditions that can threaten lives and raise medical costs for the people affected and, through increased insurance rates to compensate for the high cost of medicine, the entire society.

The Bible outlines very specific dietary guidelines for God’s people to follow. These guidelines don’t exist as a test or as a means to earn salvation, but rather because God cares about His people and wants them to be healthy. Additionally, Paul challenges believers to understand, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). When we take poor care of our bodies, we disallow God’s Spirit from dwelling within us.

Though our physical health will likely improve if we follow God’s dietary principles, we can follow a more general principle for all areas of our lives. First John 2:15, 16 tell us not to “love the world or the things in the world, because those things, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” are not from the Father. If we allow God to control our appetites for worldly things, including food, He will improve our lives and draw us into a closer relationship with Him.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
- James 4:4

 

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One Shepherd

AN AMAZING FACT: Today, protecting sheep from wolves is not simple because wolves are endangered. In the European Union, it is illegal to shoot a wolf without special permission. Even then, the wolf must be especially dangerous, and shootings are limited to six wolves per year. In one case, authorities authorized killing a wolf that had eaten 10 sheep and killed another 62 by frightening them over the edge of a ravine. In America, the grey wolf was removed from the endangered species list in 2011. American ranchers have always been able to shoot a wolf attacking their flock, but now they can shoot a wolf on sight.
In the Bible, wolves symbolize various dangers. Jesus warned His disciples that He was sending them out into the world “as sheep in the midst of wolves,” or men who would persecute them (Matthew 10:16). Jesus also called false prophets wolves: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). While instructing the overseers of the Ephesian church, Paul warned of another problem: shepherds behaving like wolves. “After my departure savage wolves will come in among you. … Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves” (Acts 20:28–30).

Nevertheless, Jesus will not leave His sheep at the mercy of ravenous wolves or untrustworthy shepherds. God promises that He will gather together all the scattered sheep: “And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land.… I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them ... You are My flock, the flock of my pasture; you are men, and I am your God” (Ezekiel 34:13, 23, 31). That one shepherd is Jesus, “the good shepherd” (John 10:11).
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
- John 10:16

 

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Great and Mighty Things

AN AMAZING FACT: The blue whale is a giant sea creature that eats tons of food a day but has no teeth, lives in the ocean all its life but breathes air, and is the largest of Earth’s animals but is endangered. It’s also smaller than the head of a pin when it’s conceived, but 11 months later it will weigh more than two tons and be 24 feet long!
For the first eight months, the mother provides its only food. Her milk is so rich that the baby blue whale can gain up to nine pounds in one hour. After that, the blue whale will grow longer than a greyhound bus. Blue whales eat mostly a shrimp-like creature called krill. An adult whale will eat one to two tons a day.

The blue whale makes a unique four-note call to signal other whales of danger. At more than 150 decibels, this call is the loudest sound made by any living creature and can be heard hundreds of miles away.

Job was a man who called on God in his despair. When his friends tried to give him advice, he said, “But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you.… And the fish of the sea will explain to you. Who among all these does not know That the hand of the Lord has done this, In whose hand is the life of every living thing. And the breath of all mankind?” (Job 12:7–10).

When Job felt like giving up (with no help from his friends), he wrote, “Then call, and I will answer; Or let me speak, then You respond to me” (v. 22). There is a call we can make to God in prayer. It doesn’t need to be the loudest for the Lord to respond.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
- Jeremiah 33:3

 

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Loyalty Unto Death

AN AMAZING FACT: Thomas Becket was the Archbishop of Canterbury under the reign of King Henry II, and the two men didn't get along. Under orders supposedly from the king, several knights assassinated Becket in 1170. According to an eyewitness account, Becket was struck three times before declaring, “For the name of Jesus and the protection of the Church, I am ready to embrace death.”
Unfortunately, the history of the Christian church is saturated with the blood of martyrs. Christians were persecuted for as long as the church existed, first by the Jews, then the Romans, and eventually even from within the church itself during the Dark Ages. Though these deaths are tragic, the martyrs’ last words often reveal an unwavering faith in the God they served, for whom they ultimately gave their lives.

Whether we face death from violence or disease, we should stand firm in the knowledge that Christ remembers us and will raise us from the dead when He returns to Earth. Even before the days of Jesus, the patriarch Job demonstrated this type of faith by declaring boldly, “Though [God] slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him” (Job 13:15). Job had this faith even before the cross; how much more should we have this kind of faith looking back on the cross!

The Bible promises a time of tribulation before Jesus returns, and living during this time will not be easy. But even if God calls us to die for our faith, we have hope. God promises to remember every time a person sheds another’s blood. (See Genesis 9:6.) He also promises justice for His fallen children and everlasting life as a reward for remaining true to Him.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
- Revelation 12:11

 

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Feuding in Church

AN AMAZING FACT: The Beulah Baptist Church of Gibson, Louisiana, spent the spring of 2011 embattled in a feud that resulted in a restraining order and an arrest. The seven members against whom the restraining order was filed claim that the church was violating its charter by using pastoral appointments to fill church offices instead of election by the trustee board. They also allege that the pastor is not properly accounting for church finances or allowing member oversight.
The conflict between the seven members and the rest of the church became so intense, the pastor filed a restraining order to prevent the seven from harassing, threatening, and following other members. At a court hearing for the restraining order, a judge admonished church members to resolve their disputes in a Christian manner. Nevertheless, days later, one of the seven was arrested after making multiple phone calls to and visiting another member’s place of work.

Church feuds are not as uncommon as they should be—churches feud with other community groups or businesses, with other churches, and even within themselves. Even more common still are strained relationships between members and hurt feelings kept under wraps. The apostle John has a blunt message regarding this behavior: “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death” (1 John 3:14). John calls us from protecting our own interests to self-sacrifice: “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). Self-sacrificing love is so important that Jesus told the disciples that the world would know they were His disciples by their love for each other (John 13:35). Can the world tell if you are His disciple?
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
- 1 John 3:18

 

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Re-entry

AN AMAZING FACT: The Space Shuttle’s main engines weighed less than 7,000 pounds apiece, but each one put out almost a half-million pounds of thrust. Pound for pound, they were the world’s most powerful rocket engines. In fact, each engine was as powerful as seven Hoover Dams! After the solid rocket boosters fell away, these three main engines clustered at the rear end of the orbiter continued to provide thrust. They fired for only eight minutes for each flight—just until the shuttle reached orbit.
However, for its fiery reentry, the underbelly of the orbiter was protected by 24,000 heat-resistant tiles that had to be installed individually by hand. These silicate fiber tiles were incredibly lightweight, about the density of balsa wood, but could last 100 missions before requiring replacement. Each tile could dissipate heat so quickly that a white-hot tile with a temperature of 2,300 degrees could be taken from an oven and held in bare hands seconds later without injury!

John describes an incredible “re-entry” of Jesus’ friend, Lazarus, who had died. “Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, ‘Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’” (John 11:39, 40).

Shuttle blastoffs and reentries were glorious to behold. But nothing will match the spectacular coming of Jesus when He shall call forth all the saints from their graves. Those who are dead in Christ will “rise” again and be lifted up to heaven. The power to raise the dead cannot compare to the world’s most powerful engines.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
- John 11:43

 

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The Glory of the Lord

AN AMAZING FACT: The temple of God in Jerusalem was destroyed by the kingdom of Babylon when it conquered Judah. It was rebuilt after the Jewish exile ended, but the new temple was smaller and less grand than the former. Herod the Great ordered a massive renovation of the temple, which began in about 20 B.C., and construction continued until about A.D. 64. However, the temple was once again destroyed, this time by the Romans, in A.D. 70.
The Bible says that the visible presence of God, sometimes called the Shekhinah glory, was manifest above the portable sanctuary the Israelites had during their wanderings in the desert and in the early days of the nation of Israel; that presence also dwelled at the temple built by Solomon. The prophet Ezekiel sees this presence depart from the temple in a vision he has prior to the destruction by Babylon.

The Bible does not record the presence of God returning to the temple even after it is rebuilt. Though Jesus came into Herod’s temple during His ministry, there is no record of a pillar of cloud or fire resting on any temple after the days of Babylon.

Yet Ezekiel has another vision of a rebuilt temple that runs through most of the latter part of his book. In chapter 43, he sees the “glory of the God of Israel” return to this temple. That there is no biblical or historical evidence of this happening demonstrates that the temple Ezekiel saw in vision never became a reality.

However, the Bible does promise that the presence of God will again dwell with His people. In the New Jerusalem, the city of heaven, God’s people will dwell with God Himself forever. Though Ezekiel’s vision never became a reality on Earth, it acts as a prophecy of the heavenly kingdom to come.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
- Revelation 21:22

 

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Living Water
AN AMAZING FACT: Water is essential to life and to nearly all functions of the human body. Water helps to keep tissues in the eyes, nose, and mouth moist. It helps protect body organs and lubricate joints. Water dissolves the minerals and nutrients in food, making them accessible to the body, and water also helps carry those nutrients throughout the body. Recent studies have shown that drinking five or more glasses of water per day can even reduce the risk of heart attack by around 50 percent over drinking two or fewer glasses of water.
It is no secret that people, animals, and plants must have water to live. In Ezekiel’s vision, a man “with the appearance of bronze” showed him a stream of water flowing from the temple that is even more necessary to life than the water from a faucet. When the stream, which quickly became a river, reached the ocean, the waters of the sea were healed. Along the banks of the river grew trees that never withered and bore new fruit every month. Most amazingly, the man told Ezekiel that “everything will live wherever the river goes” (Ezekiel 47:9).

Jesus wants His people to be sustained by “water From the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3). Once we experience the water of salvation, a new miracle occurs. Jesus said, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). Ezekiel’s stream, at first only ankle deep, kept getting wider and deeper until it was “a river that could not be crossed” (Ezekiel 47:5). Jesus wants His gospel message to be spread the same way—from person to person until the whole world has access to His living water.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
- Psalms 36:7-9

 

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His Blood Ran

AN AMAZING FACT: Do you know why barbershops have a red, blue, and white spiral out front? It’s not from patriotic roots. During the Middle Ages, dentistry in Europe was practiced by “barber-surgeons.” These community professionals served the townspeople by performing a wide variety of services, which ranged from cutting hair, extracting teeth, and bloodletting.
For hundreds of years, physicians would bleed people with fevers believing they had too much blood. Sometimes light bleeding was accomplished by applying leaches! For more intense bleeding, the patient would hold the top of a ceramic pillar with their hand while the physician made an incision in the wrist, allowing the blood to drain down the pillar where they measured it in a basin. Physicians would examine the blood’s color and quality as it ran spiraling down the pole into the basin. The reason for the two colors on the pole is because veins are generally blue and arteries red.

Gradually, dentistry and surgery were taken over by specialists and the barber was left with his scissors and comb. But the spiral pole still endures. It makes us shudder to think that people once believed bloodletting would bring healing!

Yet John writes, “This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. … And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one” (1 John 5:6–8).

Some Bible students believe water symbolized the beginning of Christ’s ministry with baptism in the Jordan and that blood symbolized His final work on the cross of Calvary. The blood of Christ, which ran down the cross, has most definitely brought healing forgiveness to our world. Because Jesus let His own precious blood flow, we may have eternal life. Christ’s blood bears witness. Remember this the next time you see a barber’s pole.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
- Matthew 26:27

 

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Step It Up

AN AMAZING FACT: There are 18 doctors in the United States with the name Dr. Doctor; there is also a Dr. Surgeon; Dr. Rash, a dermatologist; Dr. Couch, a psychiatrist; and an anesthesiologist by the name of Dr. Gass.
It seems popular these days to do whatever it takes to be healthy. Simply starting out the day with a cereal box in view can give you information like “Whole Grain Guaranteed;” “Low Fat, Naturally Cholesterol Free, Excellent Source of Fiber, No Salt Added;” “Whole grains have powered people from London to Los Angeles and everywhere in between;” “Add banana and almonds for more calcium and Vitamin E—staying full until lunchtime is easy with this fuel efficient combo!” The media is full of all kinds of advice on diet, exercise, rest, and many other ways to maintain health and fitness, including medications meant to cure any ill.

In the first two chapters of the book of Daniel, the prophet and his three friends made a proposal and stuck to a healthy diet in the king’s palace. They were judged to be healthier and better nourished than any of the other young men who ate the royal food. Why not make your own plan to encourage improved health of body and mind? God is not going to work any miracle to counteract your bad habits. It takes work on your part to stay fit.

Keep in mind the words of David: “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). We need to stay that way! “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3: 16, 17). If we want God to dwell in us, we need to make sure we’re providing Him a well-maintained home. Plus, there will be fewer visits to Dr. Doctor, Dr. Surgeon, Dr. Rash, Dr. Gass, and Dr. Couch!
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
- 3 John 1:2

 

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Nebuchadnezzar the Proud

AN AMAZING FACT: Tarquin the Proud was the last king of Rome. He became king by murdering his father-in-law, Servius Tullius. He earned the name “Tarquin the Proud” by refusing to bury Tullius’ body and killing several prominent senators known to have supported Tullius. The tyranny that characterized his reign was passed on to his son, Sextus Tarquinius. At his father’s suggestion, Sextus brought down an enemy city by falsely condemning leading citizens to death. The pride and cruelty of this father-son duo was eventually their downfall. Sextus’ rape of a beautiful kinswoman led to a revolt that resulted in the overthrow of Tarquin the Proud and the creation of a Roman republic.
Like Tarquin, Nebuchadnezzar’s pride is legendary. He created a statue similar to the statue in his dream that predicted the fall of his empire—only instead of a head of gold, the entire image was gold. (See Daniel chapters 3 and 4.) Nebuchadnezzar was claiming his kingdom would continue forever despite God’s revelation to the contrary. God gave him a dream warning of the consequences of his pride: “Your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field … till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men” (Daniel 4:25).

Nevertheless, Nebuchadnezzar returned to his prideful ways, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built … for the honor of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30). Only after spending seven years eating grass could Nebuchadnezzar recognize that “[God] does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth” (Daniel 4:35).

Nebuchadnezzar’s experience needn’t be our own. Though “God resists the proud,” He also “gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). Just as Nebuchadnezzar needed to learn that God was in control of his kingdom, we need to learn to give God control of our lives. Let’s learn to echo Nebuchadnezzar’s prayer, as Jesus taught His disciples to do: “Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
- Proverbs 16:18

 

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Liberty Stands
AN AMAZING FACT: The Statue of Liberty is one of the most honored symbols in America. It came to the United States after 20 years of dedication and at a cost of more than $4 million. French sculptor Frederic Bartholdi was inspired to build the enormous monument after seeing the colossi in Egypt. After examining different candidates, he chose his mother as the statue’s model.
The statue was built in France, then dismantled and packaged into 200 massive crates for transport to New York. A French warship transported the gift across the Atlantic. On the way, a terrible storm threatened to sink the vessel. The crew begged the captain to dump the heavy crates into the sea to lighten the load, but the captain responded, “This ship will sink before I give up liberty.”

“Liberty” stands at 151 feet tall. From the bottom of the pedestal to the tip of the torch, it rises 305 feet high. Her hand is more than 16 feet long, and her nose is 4-½ feet in length. Over 60,000 pounds of copper and 250,000 pounds of steel were used to create her.

Symbolism is wrapped all around the statue. From the torch that is to light the world with freedom, to the tablet in her hand that is inscribed with the date July 4, 1776, to the broken chains at her feet representing release from bondage, Lady Liberty has welcomed travelers to the land of freedom since 1886.

Job longed for freedom from his sorrow and pain. He wrote, “Oh, that my words were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book! That they were engraved on a rock With an iron pen and lead, forever!” (Job 19:23, 24). Then out of his deep anguish rose faith: “For I know that my Redeemer lives, And he shall stand at last on the earth” (v. 25).

Like Lady Liberty who stands on Bedloe’s Island in New York Harbor, someday Christ will stand above the broken chains of sin and proclaim liberty from the shackles of death. Will you accept Jesus as Lord of your life?
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
- Galatians 5:1

 

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Like a Lion

AN AMAZING FACT: A lion’s roar can be heard five miles away and can even reportedly raise dust.
Lions have always been admired for their power, strength, and courage. But along with their voices, their hearing is also so good that they can hear prey from a distance of one mile. Moreover, a lion’s sense of smell is so sharp that it can tell if prey is nearby or even ascertain how long ago it was in the area. Finally, the eyesight of a lion is five times better than that of a human’s.

There were many lions in the area of Palestine during Bible times, and the Bible tells many stories about how dangerous and aggressive they were, killing both people and cattle. “Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them” (Isaiah 31:4 KJV). Our adversary, the devil, is also compared to a roaring lion. Lions have been known to make hidden dens, covered by branches and grass, where unsuspecting animals, wandering by, are attacked and eaten. Psalm 10:9 says, “He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den; He lies in wait to catch the poor; He catches the poor when he draws him into his net.”

During Daniel’s time, the Babylonians used fire for punishment (the fiery furnace), but the Persians used lions. Even though Daniel was far away from his beloved home, he trusted implicitly in his God. Like Daniel, even though we can at times feel surrounded by the agents of the enemy, we can also trust in God’s power to keep us from both physical and spiritual harm. Let us do our part, however, to keep as far away as we can from the lion’s den.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:
- Isaiah 35:9

 

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Rich in Generosity

AN AMAZING FACT: In America, the poor tend to out give the rich in terms of the percentage of their income. This is also the segment of society that relies more on public transportation and rent their homes. They tend to be students, elderly, women, minorities, and recent immigrants.
People have proposed many reasons for the poor’s generosity. For one, the poor know what it’s like to need help, aren’t afraid of poverty, and are satisfied with what little they have. But researchers say that faith is probably the biggest factor. Poor people are more likely to attend church, and churchgoers give more to secular and religious charities. The poor are also more likely to attend tithing churches than non-tithing churches.

Third John introduces a man named Gaius. Gaius was a very common name, and little is known about the man John writes about. But John’s letter makes two things clear. First, Gaius “[walked] in the truth” (3 John 3). Second, Gaius was generous and hospitable. Although he doesn’t give specifics, John indicates that Gaius helped traveling missionaries. On the other hand, Third John also introduces Diotephes—a proud man given to slandering the apostles. Diotephes was not generous to traveling missionaries: “He himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church” (3 John 10). Even during the apostles’ time, faithful Christians were more generous than others—but let’s not allow the facts to pat us on the back. After all, John didn’t just commend Gaius’ generosity; he encouraged him to continue in it. How can you continue in generosity and hospitality?
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
- 2 Corinthians 9:6

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
- 2 Corinthians 9:7

 

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The Devourer

AN AMAZING FACT: The smallest animal in the world also has the biggest appetite—the mouse-like shrew. One variety in northern Europe, called the “least” shrew, which is rarely longer than an inch-and-a-half, can consume the equivalent of its own weight every three hours. In fact, the appetite of the shrew is so voracious and its metabolism so fast that if they do not eat for two hours, they might starve to death.
Shrews have small eyes and usually poor eyesight but are very active animals, because each day a shrew must consume 80 to 90 percent of its body weight to survive. In its desperate quest to feed its ravenous hunger, the little shrew will attack and eat almost anything that moves—including creatures twice its size! Their fierce reputation is probably one reason it symbolizes feistiness in literature, such as in Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew.

The Bible speaks of a feisty creature much larger than the shrew. It was a beast that came up out of the sea. In vision, Daniel describes it: “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring” (Daniel 7:7). Later in the chapter it says, “The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all other kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth” (v. 23).

More ferocious than a giant shrew, this beast devours whatever is in its path. Out of its head grew ten horns, then from among them one horn that “was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them” (v. 21). So thank God for the next verse: “Until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High” (v. 22).
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
- Daniel 7:26

 

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The Blessing of Pain

AN AMAZING FACT: Leprosy is an insidious disease that attacks the peripheral nerves, resulting in numbness and loss of pain sensors in the extremities.
One of the common myths regarding leprosy is that it is the direct cause of the loss of fingers, toes, hands, feet, and occasionally even a nose. However, the loss of these extremities is a secondary result of the disease. Since leprosy attacks the peripheral nerves, the body no longer receives pain signals from these extremities, and injuries such as burns and cuts are not properly recognized and cared for. The result is often infection, which can then progress to the death and eventual loss of the extremity.

Many would love to live in a world without pain. This is reflected in the fact that one of the fundamental values of our modern society is the avoidance of pain—pain-free dentistry, pain-free surgery, pain-free living. As much as we don’t like it, however, pain for now is our friend, at least to alert us when there is a problem in our bodies.

In Daniel 8, the Bible describes in detail the cunning and deceitful actions and attributes of the little horn power. Then verse 25 gives this amazing warning to God’s people, “By peace (he) shall destroy many.” The word “peace” can also be translated “prosperity.”

One of the greatest dangers of God’s people is to believe that “I’m OK; you’re OK,” when in fact we don’t feel our great need. After the Lord told Jeremiah that every one of the children of Israel was given to covetousness and “from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely,” He said, “They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:13, 14). We desire honesty from a physician after a physical examination, don’t we? Would we want anything different from our loving heavenly Father? Sometimes the honesty of our friends might seem painful to us, but we are admonished “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” (Proverbs 27:6). True friends have the courage to tell us the truth about our wrongdoing.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.
- Psalms 141:5

 

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True Religious War

AN AMAZING FACT: In 1850, Hong Xiuquan started a conflict that erupted into a widespread Chinese civil war. Xiuquan believed he was the brother of Jesus, selected to overthrow the Qing Dynasty and establish the heavenly kingdom. During the 14-year war, known as the Taiping Rebellion, approximately 20 million people died, making it one of the deadliest wars in history. Incredibly, Xiuquan named his short-lived kingdom the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace.
The Taiping Rebellion is one of many religious wars that non-believers point to as a reason the world would be better without religion. Yet Jude exhorts us to “contend earnestly for the faith” (Jude 3). Is Jude encouraging religious war?

Lest we misunderstand it, Jude quickly explains: False doctrine had been creeping into the church “unnoticed” (Jude 4). How should the church handle the promoters of these false doctrines? Jude gives this answer: The Lord saved Israel and destroyed the Egyptians, the Lord will judge the angels who defected, and the Lord sent fire on Sodom. Jude suggests we follow Michael the archangel’s example—when contending with the devil himself, He said only “The Lord rebuke you” (Jude 9).

If we aren’t to fight with a religious war, how should we fight? Jude includes these instructions: “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord” (Jude 21). In addition, we must “Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire” (Jude 22, 23 NIV). In true religious war, we fight by remaining in Christ, offering mercy to those weak in faith, and striving for the salvation of others.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
- Colossians 2:6-8