TLEE's Daily Devotion for March {11,689 words}

Psalm 24:1-2 and Deuteronomy 10:14 proclaim that the earth and everything in it belong to the Lord. Haggai 2:8 and Leviticus 25:23 say that the Lord owns all the silver, all the gold, and all the land. These verses focus on the facts that God owns everything and that each person is in a kind of partnership with Him. While most people usually think that they own this or that, the Bible clearly says that they do not. They are only the stewards of such possessions on the Lord's behalf.

According to Haggai 2:8 and Leviticus 25:23, God owns all the money and all the land. That means, though, that people can set themselves free from having to worry over their finances. They can bring their needs to Him with confidence and know that He will always answer them according to His goodness and love. Because He owns all the money and land, a person can also be set free from the worry of acquiring more and more. Many people in this world are caught up with trying to amass as much as they can. But when one takes on the higher, nobler attitude and nature of a steward, then he or she realizes that their goals should not be directed toward that kind of worldly "more and more" pursuit. Instead of trying to gain as much as possible simply for the sake of having more, a person's aim can be to use what they have in ways that will bring greater honor and glory to Christ and also to point others to Him. Such an attitude about wealth describes the biblical way to live.

Through Christian salvation, an individual is saved from the guilt of sin, he or she is being saved from a life of sin, and he or she will be saved at the Lord's return from all the bodily infirmities that have resulted from sin and a sinful world. But understanding exactly how that salvation works in a person's life has captivated the thoughts and minds of theologians for many centuries.

Theologian John Calvin thought that humans were totally depraved and that they could only be saved if God brought them into salvation. He believed that God had decreed to provide salvation for those whom He had chosen to save, but the problem with that view is that God would be choosing who is saved and who is lost. Theologian Jacob Hermann, the founder of Arminianism, essentially reversed Calvin's view of God's decrees by saying that God had first decreed to provide salvation through Jesus. Then, according to him, God decreed to save all those that would repent and believe. But the problem with that view is that Arminianism denies the original guilt that was placed on mankind by Adam, and that robs the believer of his or her security in Christ. Arminians tend to think that they can lose their salvation by committing sin, so that belief causes them to feel uneasy in their relationship with the Lord.

The Law expresses God's nature in the form of moral dictates that describe His holiness and moral perfection. The Law exists within humanity. It is in nature, as is evidenced by General Revelation, and it is revealed through the Special Revelation of His Word. People sin when they choose, of their own free will, to reject God's Law and do their own thing. In Genesis 3:1-6, Adam sinned because he chose to do what God had told him not to do. He chose to do his own thing, and by so doing, he fell into the common traps of sin as they are presented in I John 2:15-17. He gave into the lust of his flesh. He succumbed to the lust of his eyes, and he was overtaken by his pride for life.

Three views of Adam's sin have been developed through the centuries. The mythical account says that the whole thing never happened and that it was only a myth. The allegorical account says that the story is only figurative or symbolic and that it must be interpreted accordingly. The literal view says that it happened just like the Bible teaches. To know the truth, a person can acknowledge some important facts about sin. First, sin shows itself in little children. No parent has ever had to teach his or her child to do wrong. Second, sin exists in every person. Third, the Bible teaches, in Romans 3:23 and other places, that man's entire being is corrupt. Fourth, believers can attest to their own sinfulness. Fifth, the Bible teaches that sin is real. Sixth, all people need to be redeemed. Seventh, people die, as is taught in Romans 6:23.

How man came into existence has been hotly debated over the past couple of centuries. The Big Bang Theory, which has never been proved, claims that the world burst into existence as the result of a cataclysmic explosion many, many billions of years ago. The Theory of Evolution, which has also never been proved, claims that life burst into existence many millions of years ago as the result of chemical behaviors in a specially prepared biological pool.

Neither of those Creation theories can be proven, neither can answer all the questions about Creation, and both require an individual to accept some things that also cannot be shown or proven. The Big Bang theorist, even if the theory could be proven, must still accept that something or Someone created the initial mass from which the explosion occurred. The evolutionist, even if the shortcomings of that overall theory could be resolved, must still accept that something or Someone created the specially prepared biological pool mixture from which life came. And similar statements can also be made about the evolution in Space theme that many evolutionists currently support.

The local church is a body of born again, baptized believers. It is God's only agency for reaching the world, so the believers that belong to it have been brought together specifically for the purpose of evangelizing the world. Acts 1:8 says that the New Testament church was organized for the purpose of carrying out the Great Commission. Therefore, when a local church fails to assume its proper vision for worldwide missions and outreach, then it becomes like a religious country club.

There is not a limit to how large a local church can or should become, but churches should be growing no matter how small they start out. A good, general guideline for most churches is that they should have a gymnasium, a sports facility, and a musical staff. These types of facilities are good for growth, and large churches can usually do a lot more for a community. They have the respect of the lost, they can have an impact on community issues, and they can be more efficient in their service to others. They can also minister to individuals while still being just as personable as a small church.

II Samuel 7:12-17 teaches that David's house will exist forever and that he will be given a throne without end. During the Millennium, the person on his throne could be someone like David. It could be one of his descendants, or it could even be David, himself. Luke 1:31-33 says that Jesus will be given David's throne and that He will have eternal rule over the house of Jacob. According to Isaiah 14:1-3, Israel will be back in their homeland. They will have peace from their enemies, and the Gentiles that survived the Tribulation will be their servants. Isaiah 14:12-17 says that Lucifer, the Morning Star, will have finally been overthrown and that there will be peace in the whole earth.

In Ezekiel, chapters Forty through Forty-four, the Prophet wrote about a Temple that he had seen in a vision. His view of the Temple was about twice the size of the original Temple, so he was definitely seeing something other than the Temple of Solomon's time. Ezekiel's Temple will be the ideal Temple that the Jews should have built. It will demonstrate God's holiness, provide a dwelling place for His divine glory, be a memorial for past animal sacrifices, be a center for divine Government, and provide water for the healing of the land. The people will observe the Feast of Tabernacles and the Passover in the Temple. But there will not be any evening sacrifices, and the people will not observe Pentecost.

Like much of the Book of Proverbs, Proverbs 5:1-14 teaches the importance of acquiring wisdom and understanding so that a person will do the right thing in every situation, and especially in those circumstances that might lead to immorality and unfaithfulness. Having stumbled a few times himself, Solomon probably felt very strongly about passing on to others what he had learned. He used the expression, "My son," and as in other passages of Proverbs, he did so to show intimacy with his audience. Notice also that he was writing to the male gender about having wisdom and understanding concerning other women rather than vice versa. He already knew that, in many regards, the man is really the weaker vessel. He wrote that men must attend unto wisdom if they are to live right.

Being a good steward is important. How one accumulates and manages his or her possessions are also important. Proverbs 30:8-9, Proverbs 19:17, Galatians 4:1-2, and Matthew 6:33 speak about two extremes as they pertain to one's attitude about possessions. The first extreme is materialism. In I Timothy 6:6-10, the Bible describes materialism as an unhealthy, unspiritual desire for the world's goods, and those verses suggest that many individuals wish to acquire as much as they can simply because they want to have more and more. Materialism is foolish and deceptive. It can also be very destructive. The second extreme is asceticism, and that view means to fear money and to avoid having possessions. On the one hand, the materialist sees maximum good in having much. On the other hand, the ascetic sees maximum good in having very little. Neither of those unhealthy extremes describes the biblical ideal.

People often do not know how to demonstrate their love for the Lord, so they choose to not surrender their lives to Him, at all. Other times, individuals become so concerned about what others might think, if they do sell out and give Him their all, that they hold back and give Him little or nothing. Many times, of course, a person is simply controlled by other problems and concerns in this life, and those problems and concerns keep him or her from ever doing as they should for Christ.

In Matthew 26:6-13, a woman, named Mary, came to Jesus. But rather than falling into one of the above three conditions of non-commitment, she was so overcome by her love and devotion to Him that she poured out a very expensive jar of ointment on His head. The others in attendance did not know what to make of her actions, but Jesus quickly told them that she was anointing Him for His death. He knew that the cross of Calvary was not far away, and He knew that the Holy Spirit had shown her the same thing. In anointing Him for death, she did not let anything come between her and what she saw as her service to Christ. Should other Christians do any less? The answer is no.

The word "millennium" means one thousand years, and it is often used to refer to the one thousand year reign of Christ, which is mentioned in Revelation 20:4. Three separate views exist that describe how the Millennium might occur.

Postmillennialism teaches that the people of the earth will get better and better and that Jesus will come to earth to set up His literal kingdom. It was popular up until World War II because people thought that individuals, in general, were getting better and better and that Christ's return to earth was imminent. Amillenarians have interpreted Revelation 20:1-6 figuratively rather than literally, so their conclusion is that the millennium is more symbolic than real. They believe that it is happening now and that it is either happening with the saints in heaven or in the hearts of the saints on earth.

A pastor's spiritual authority comes from the fact that he professes to be called by God, that he has serving gifts that are consistent with that calling, and that he holds the office that goes with the calling. The terms "elder", "bishop", "shepherd", "preacher", "teacher", "servant", and "messenger" are all used to define the pastor's role. An elder is a man of spiritual maturity. A bishop is someone that oversees the church and makes sure that things are done correctly. A shepherd has the spiritual gift of being a pastor and is someone that feeds and protects the flock. A preacher is one that publicly proclaims Christ. A teacher explains the Scripture. A servant is someone that ministers to everyone, and a messenger is a bearer of God's revelation.

In Acts 20:17-38, the Apostle Paul summarized the work that he had done for the church at Ephesus. From there, he was about to go to Jerusalem and face a very scary and uncertain future. But he could tell the elders of that church, with a pure conscience, that he had been faithful to perform the seven tasks of pastor that were defined above.

Because the author of the Book of Hebrews was not identified, early church fathers did not immediately accept it as biblical. Clement of Alexandria, who was one of the early church fathers, thought that the Apostle Paul had written it and that Luke had translated it. However, in all of his other epistles, Paul had always identified himself as the writer. Also, the wording of Hebrews 2:3 suggests that the author had gotten his information from others that had heard Christ, whereas Paul had always emphasized that his information had come from Christ, Himself. The writer of the Book of Hebrews used the Septuagint, which is the Greek Old Testament, but Paul had always relied on the Hebrew Old Testament.

Some scholars have chosen Barnabas as the possible writer of the Book of Hebrews because he was Jewish. Acquila and Priscilla have been suggested as possible authors. Apollos, also a Jew, has been suggested, and some have chosen Silas. But Origen, another one of the early church fathers, said that only God knows. The Book of Hebrews was written during a time of persecution. The writer said that the sacrifice of Jesus was better than the Law of Moses, the angels, the High Priest, and Melchizedek. He did not mention the destruction of the Temple, so that would have dated the book at probably a little before 70AD or maybe somewhere around 67AD. By then, the Apostle Paul was already dead, so that is one more reason that Paul's authorship was questioned.

During the time before Christ, the Jews believed in a place after death called sheol, and that was the abode of both the saved and the lost. In sheol, the saved individual was in comfort, in Abraham’s bosom, while the lost individual would be in flames and torment. Today, many people think that death is the end of a person’s total existence and that there will not be any kind of life after death. Some accept reincarnation and the idea that life on this earth will be repeated until the individual finally gets it right and graduates into heaven. Some people believe in the existence of Purgatory, which is where they think the dead will go to work off their sins. Some people do not believe that God would let anyone die lost. Others think that life after death will be a pleasurable experience, while still others believe that God will give everyone a second chance so that they can make the right decision about Him.

Being morally pure is important. The first step, according to Proverbs 3:5, is to trust the Lord with one’s whole heart and to not lean to one’s own understanding. The second step, according to Proverbs 5:15-23, is to always be satisfied with one’s own possessions. That latter passage, which followed Solomon's earlier discussions about adultery and fornication, talks about cisterns and wells, and the obvious association is that cisterns and wells represent marriage partners. Solomon was teaching that a person should be intimate with his or her own partner only and that people, in general, should always be satisfied with their own possessions. They should not desire their neighbor's wealth, their neighbor's home, their neighbor's job, or anything else that belongs to their neighbor. Instead, they should rejoice and be satisfied with their own good fortunes.

Being motivated to give and being obedient to give are important because giving to God’s work accomplishes some important goals in a Christian’s life. First, giving means that the Lord’s work will be supported in the hope that many people will be reached for Him. Second, the individual that gives demonstrates his or her trust in the Lord to meet their needs. Third, when the Lord has met that person’s needs, then the individual’s faith will grow, and he or she will become even more effective for Christ. Psalm 24:1 teaches that everything belongs to God, and Proverbs 3:9-10 teaches that a person’s degree of generosity demonstrates his or her faith in the Lord.

But regardless of how one feels about the specific teaching of monetary giving in the New Testament, each Christian should be seeking all kinds of ways to show their faith in Christ. Giving is only one way. People can demonstrate their faith by their daily walk with the Lord and by trying to stay away from places and situations that bring reproach upon Him. They can demonstrate their faith by the conversation of their lips and by using kind words rather than ugly, hasty words. A person does well to provide financial support for the Lord's work. But in addition to giving, a person does well to live a holy life, to share his or her hope in Christ, and to guard against an inappropriate use of their tongue. Giving to the Lord’s work is important, but so are living right, maintaining a good attitude, watching one’s tongue, and having a desire to see others reached for Christ.

Matthew 26:31-35 talks about a man, named Peter, that fell short of pleasing God even though he had thought that it was impossible for him to do so. His boasting about what he had thought he would do, at a time when he probably should have been more humble, drove his painful, humiliating experience.

The Bible talks about two other men that had similar experiences. In the Book of Judges, a man of incredible strength, named Samson, had won many battles for Israel and the Lord. But when he was put to the test, in Judges 16:1-31, he, too, fell and, later in that chapter, ended up losing his life. The Bible also teaches about King David and explains how he had fallen into the sin of adultery with a woman named Bathsheba. Before that whole matter ended, he plotted, in II Samuel 11:1-21, to have her husband killed, he saw his love child with her die while still a baby, and he experienced the undoing of much of his family. In the beginning, Samson had not thought that he would ever be so vulnerable to failure, and neither had David. But both experienced the feeling of coming up short in matters that were clearly important for men of their positions. In Matthew 26:33, Peter boasted that he would never deny Jesus. But in the end, that is exactly what he did. He learned firsthand the lesson of Proverbs 10:31, which says that a boasting tongue is soon halted.

The Epistle of James was addressed to Christians, in general, rather than to a specific church. That epistle was one of the seven Books in the Antilegomene, so it was not immediately accepted as canonical by the early church fathers. The other six books in that group were Hebrews, II Peter, II John, III John, Jude, and Revelation, but by 397AD, Origen, Gregory, St. Jerome, Clement of Rome, and Polycarp had all accepted the Epistle of James as canon Scripture. Internally, the author only identified himself as James, so he could have logically been one of four different James's that were mentioned in the New Testament. After considering the evidence, though, scholars have decided that the James that presided over the Jerusalem Council, in Acts 15:1-31, was the most likely author, and that James also just happened to be Jesus' half-brother.

Church membership is not discussed in the Bible, but neither is non-membership. The Bible does seem to indicate, such as in Acts 2:37-47, that everyone who got saved was considered to be a part of the fellowship, and it does speak of numbers and of people being added daily to the church. Those types of statements, despite their short-lived existence, suggest that the church had a form of organization and record keeping from the very start.

Church membership, however, should not be automatic. The candidate should make a profession of faith in Jesus, the Christ, as their Savior. He or she should have been baptized or be willing to be baptized in an upcoming service. The candidate should have a minimal understanding of the church's doctrinal positions and go along with the same, plus he or she should be an individual of good moral character. According to Dr. Elmer Towns, any misstatement of doctrine that might, at some point, become a basis for church discipline is also a basis for refusing membership, and the same is true of morals. If an improper behavior can lead to excommunication or church discipline at some point in the future, then that behavior should also be sufficient grounds for rejecting membership. On occasion, though, a candidate may still be added to a fellowship even though he or she is not really saved. That happens because a person can make a false profession. While profession does not guarantee possession, the Bible does imply that people were baptized and added to the number when they "seemed to be" receiving Christ as their Savior.

Herod the Great was born in 73BC to Antipater II, his father, and to his mother, who was the daughter of King Nabatea. His father was a patriot that had helped Julius Caesar come to power, and because of that, the Roman Senate, in 40BC, through the encouragement of Mark Anthony and Caesar Octavian, declared Herod to be the king of the Jews, if he could conquer them. Herod first took Galilee, and over the next three years, he took Israel.

During his reign, he had a number of accomplishments. He built the Antonia, which was a structure seventy-five to one hundred feet tall. He built another fortress, called Herodium, which was five miles south of Jerusalem and looked like a volcano. He built Macherias, which was where John the Baptist was beheaded. He fortified Masada, which was thirteen hundred feet above the Dead Sea. He built the Alexandrian as a fortification for defending against his enemies. He built two more such structures in Jericho and Mount Tabor, and those fortresses were high enough to not be obstructed by anything else. Guards could see each other from the two different towers and use them for cross communications. Herod built Caesarea-Philippi, he found a way to bring water into Jerusalem, and he built the Western Wall. Herod the Great died in 4BC, but members of his family controlled the throne until 34AD.

All Christians should study prophecy. Prophecy is prominent in Scripture, much of it has already been fulfilled, and God is the Author and Revealer of all prophetic events. Prophecy can clear up matters where others have tried to distort the truth. Also, people can benefit by understanding the prophetic, biblical teachings about the future. However, a person can also become too fixed on prophecy. He or she can start trying to fix dates or identify key figures and, through such activities, can then create difficulties for themselves within their assembly. A person can focus so heavily on prophecy that he or she pushes Christ into the background of their worship, and obviously, that much involvement with prophecy or anything else is not positive.

The most significant prophecies for present-day Christians are the end time prophecies. Some theologians believe that Christ will return secretly in the clouds to surprise those that are not ready for Him. Others say that the Bible has provided clues of events that will happen prior to Christ's return. But when one examines Scripture, knowing that the signs truly are totally objective is very difficult. Some of the so-called signs, such as wars and rumors of wars, for example, have been around for years and even centuries, while others, like earthquakes, are only now becoming more and more plentiful.

Proverbs 6:1-5 teaches a person to not enter into inappropriate or unwise financial agreements, especially those that involve financially pledging oneself for someone else. Christians should always try to help those around them. But whether Christian or not, a person should never let himself or herself be drawn into a financial agreement that will hurt either their own family or themselves. Christians are called to help others, but they are also called to be good stewards. Taking on the financial burdens of someone else when the person is not able is poor stewardship. According to I Timothy 5:8, not caring for one's own family because of having foolishly tried to help others beyond reason is also poor stewardship. Solomon said that such people should approach the one that they have helped and try to undo that which they have foolishly done.

Proverbs 6:6-11 teaches individuals to not be lazy. Solomon compared the ant to the diligent, disciplined worker. He said that the ant does not have a guide, an overseer, or a ruler, yet she still provides meat in the summer and gathers food for the harvest. He told the lazy person to examine the ant and learn. He said that poverty would come to the lazy individual as one that travels and that their wants would come as an armed man. He was saying that the path from laziness to poverty is real, not that it might happen but that it would happen.

God is pleased when His people give freely to His work. Deuteronomy 16:10 speaks about the freewill offerings that were made by the children of Israel at the time of their Feast of Weeks. Exodus 36:3-7 discusses the gifts that were brought to Moses by the people for the building of the Sanctuary. In Verses Six and Seven of that chapter, he even told them to stop giving because they had already given so much. In Leviticus 19:9-10, the unique harvesting technique that God had outlined for the children of Israel was described. With His plan, the people were to leave the corners of their fields untouched so that the poor and the strangers could feed off the crops that had not been harvested. These passages show that giving was a big part of life for the Israelites. The people gave freewill offerings directly to the Lord, they gave for the purpose of building His Sanctuary, and they gave to those that were in need.

Matthew 27:11-26 teaches that many people have difficulty making Jesus the Lord of their life, and one reason is that they do not recognize His true identity. An important conclusion of this passage is that a person needs to see Jesus as the Son of God, who was sent to this earth to live and die for humanity. Then, the individual needs to consider making Him the Savior and Lord of his or her life.

When Jesus stood before the Sanhedrin, His life was literally on the line, and that Council, because they had wanted to get rid of Him, found Him guilty of sedition and of leading a tax revolt. Of course, He was not guilty. But the members of the Council were so determined to get Him out of the picture that they trumped up those phony charges against Him. They failed to realize that before them stood the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, and the Creator of the Universe. They also failed to realize that they, just like each person, needed to have a personal relationship with the very Person that they wanted to destroy. Often, a person fails to see and accept Christ's true identity, and many times, he or she simply turns and walks away. But people should always remember that Jesus loves each individual so much that He was willing to die for them.

The Hebrew word "sheol" means a place of no return, and it was used sixty-five times in the Old Testament. Thirty-one times, it meant hell. Another thirty-one times, it meant grave, and the final three times, it meant pit. During the Old Testament period, everyone that died went to "sheol" because "sheol" actually had separate compartments for the righteous and the unrighteous. Those compartments are made clear in Luke 16:19-24 when Lazarus is on the righteous side, in Abraham’s bosom or in Paradise, and the rich man is in torment. Both men were near to each other because they could see each other. Also, both were aware of where they were and of what they were feeling. In Luke 23:43, Jesus told the thief on the cross that he would be with Him on that day in Paradise, and He was literally telling him that they would be together in "sheol." Now, though, according to Philippians 1:21-26, the dead in Christ go to be with the Lord.

Heaven was created so that those who love God can dwell with Him forever in a sin-free environment. Heaven will be a place of blessing, peace, rest, abundant life, knowledge, and fellowship. It will be a place of wonderful fellowship with open gates to reflect a setting of mercy and peace. It will be a city for Jesus' bride, and it will be the largest such city ever built. According to Revelation 21:16, the size of the new heaven will be a cube that is twelve thousand furlongs long in each direction. Eight furlongs equals one mile, so twelve thousand furlongs means that the new heaven will be fifteen hundred miles long, fifteen hundred miles wide, and fifteen hundred miles high. In addition to its vast size, heaven will be a beautiful city, a secure city that offers eternal security for all of its inhabitants, and a city with gates to suggest salvation by Grace.

The resurrection of the dead is taught in both testaments. Job said, in Job 19:25, that he would see God in the flesh. Daniel 12:2 says, "Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt." Isaiah 26:19 says, "But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead." Psalm 16:11 says, "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Even the offering of Isaac by Abraham, in Genesis 22:1-14, showed Abraham's belief and trust in the resurrection.

In the New Testament, the Bible teaches that there will be a first resurrection and a second resurrection. The first resurrection will be at the Rapture of the church when the dead in Christ are raised. Those in Him will have a literal body that does not have a sin nature, that has not been affected by sin, and that has been equipped to live in heaven. Their body will possess a pure spirit, and it will be composed of flesh and bones, just like Jesus. Luke 20:35-36 says that their resurrected body will also be incorruptible and glorious, again just like Jesus. But the second resurrection, according to Revelation 20:5-15, will be after the Millennium when the unsaved are raised to face the White Throne judgment. Everyone in that judgment will have already been condemned, and Revelation 20:14-15 says that they will be thrown into the lake of fire.

In Genesis 12:1, God came to a man named Abram, who was later renamed Abraham in Genesis 17:5, and told him to leave his home in Ur to go to a place that he would be shown. What made Abraham's journey particularly noteworthy was that he was already seventy-five years old when given that instruction. While people may or may not have aged differently then than they do now, seventy-five years was still a long time, and it would have still been plenty of time for Abraham to establish roots in his own homeland. Relocating at that point in his life would have had some negative consequences and created some negative anxieties, but he obeyed God and did as he was told.

During his new life with the Lord, however, Abraham still made a couple of mistakes. In Genesis 12:10-20, he went into Egypt, and because he thought that Pharaoh would have him killed over his wife, he lied and said that she was his sister. In Genesis 20:1-18, he did the same thing again with a king named Abimelech. Both times Abraham had done wrong, and both times, he was caught in his lie. But despite those negative moments, he also had some times of triumph. In Genesis 14:1-24, he did battle with and defeated some nations that had taken his nephew, Lot, as a prisoner. In Genesis 22:1-14, God tested him by telling him to offer his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice. Though Isaac was not actually sacrificed, Abraham obeyed God and again passed an important test.

Proverbs 6:16-19 identifies six human behaviors that God hates and seven that He finds detestable. He hates a proud look. Proverbs 16:18-19 says, "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud." God hates a lying tongue. Proverbs 12:22 says, "The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful." God hates hands that shed innocent blood. He hates the heart that devises wickedness. He hates the heart that pursues mischief. He hates a false witness, and He hates Christians that cause trouble for other Christians. Psalm 34:13-16 says, "Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth."

Joshua 1:14-15, Deuteronomy 14:27-29, Exodus 25:2, and I Corinthians 3:6-9 emphasize the importance of cooperating in all phases of the Lord’s work. In Joshua 1:14-15, the children of Israel were being told to "all" join together to take possession of Canaan, which was the land that had been promised to the descendants of Abraham by God. But years earlier, the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh had found property on the other side of the Jordan River, and they had not wanted to cross over into Canaan with their brothers and sisters. In Numbers 32:1-42, they asked Moses if they could stay behind and he said that they could. But he also said that the fighting men of those tribes would still be required, when needed, to help their brothers and sisters gain their land in Canaan. In Joshua 1:14-15, Joshua was holding those tribes to their earlier agreement with Moses so that everyone would be working together to do the Lord’s work.

Individuals sometimes wish that they could get back a day or two from their life just as though those days had never happened. Matthew 28:1-20 focused on that very thought, first as those days pertained to the disciples and then according to how they affected the devil. At various times during that first Easter weekend, both entities had wished that the events of that weekend had never happened. But they did happen, and because they did, each person can now have victory over sin and the grave. The events of the first Easter were tragic and horrendous, but it has been around those very events that Jesus has built His Church. On what is now called Good Friday, the Lord was humiliated, scourged, rejected, and crucified, and because those events happened almost two thousand years ago, people sometimes minimize the agony of the ordeal. But the cat-of-nine-tails, with which He was beaten, was real. His pain was real. The nails were real, and His death was real. He really died, and He really did that for every person that will believe on Him.

The apostles wanted to preach the Word and establish doctrine and policy. The believers wanted to come together to minister and for the purposes of soul winning, teaching the Word, fellowship, and the breaking of bread. Because of their overwhelming, respective successes, the need arose to organize the church, and that organization was completed before the apostles died. Today, further organization should not be done unless it is done in accordance with New Testament teaching.

A denomination is a group of churches that have similar doctrinal beliefs and similar traditions. The churches share the same goals and ministry. They want to encourage each other, and they have organizationally banned together to worship the Lord and to try to do something that they cannot do apart. Tight denominations, like the Episcopal Church, have a high degree of totalitarian control. They decide who can and cannot be licensed, they determine the creed, and they often decide who owns the property. A loose denomination means same groups, and it may not even call itself a denomination. The control is often decentralized, and it is sometimes handled without officials. Over time, most denominations evolve into tight denominations.