God is far above us, as the heavens are higher than the earth (Isa. 55:9). His nature is superior to ours. No man can plumb the depths of His wisdom. His judgments are unsearchable and His ways past finding out (Rom. 11:33). God is not man (Num. 23:19). Though much biblical imagery assigns Him bodily parts, we know that these are used in an accommodative way, since God is spirit (John 4:24). He does not have a physical body that gets sick or tired. He does not change (Mal. 3:6; James 1:17). He does not get old, for He is beyond time. He inhabits eternity (Isa. 57:15); therefore, a thousand years is as one day to Him (2 Pet. 3:8). A consideration of the vast universe He has created and placed man in shows how incomprehensibly great He really is (Psa. 19:1-4; Rom. 1:20).

But though He is so far above us, He is still intensely interested in us. The Bible reveals that He is a loving heavenly Father who gives us life, breath, and all things (Mt. 6:9-11; Acts 17:25). The fact that He makes His sun to rise on everyone, the evil and the good, and sends rain on all, the just and the unjust (Mt. 5:45), testifies that He is a good God who fills our lives with blessings that make us glad (Acts 14:17).

He not only sustains the world that declares His glory day by day, but He also has communicated with man throughout history by special revelation from the Holy Spirit, available to us today through the medium of the sacred scriptures (2 Pet. 1:20-21; 2 Tim. 3:16). He has also intervened miraculously during the composition of the Bible to confirm that what was being communicated was truly from Him (Heb. 2:2-4; 1 Cor. 12-14). The climactic point of His personal involvement with man was the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the Son of God: God empathetically participating in the human condition to the point of death (John 1:14; 1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 2:14-17).

God wants all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4). His invitation is to all that they will call upon Him through baptism to wash their sins away in the blood of Christ (Acts 2:21, 38; 22:16; Rev. 1:5; 22:17). Christ delays His coming so that more may repent (2 Pet. 3:9). God is attentive to the prayers of those who obey Him (1 Pet. 3:12). He will even forgive sins when one who is in Christ prays with genuine penitence for forgiveness (1 John 1:9; 5:14). In fact, when one sinner repents the angels that dwell in His presence experience His joy (Luke 15:10).

The God that created the world in which you live (Acts 17:24), and the placed your spirit in the wonderful body you inhabit (Psa. 139:14; Eccl. 12:7; Heb. 12:9), wants to be with you for eternity. He desires fellowship with you so badly that He sent His own Son to die for you to make it possible (Rom. 5:8; 1 John 1:3). But you must make the choice in how you will respond to His love (John 15:9-10). Will you obey Him to eternal salvation (Heb. 5:9), or will all His efforts toward you be in vain because of your refusal to follow Him (2 Cor. 6:1-2)?

-Mark Day

In Matthew 16:24, Jesus told his disciples, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” It is absolutely essential for a man to take up his cross if he will be a follower of Jesus; Jesus expressed the other side of this necessity, by stating in Matthew 10:38, “…he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.”

What, then, does it mean to take up the cross? From John 19:17, we learn that part of the punishment for a man who was sentenced to crucifixion was to carry the cross upon which he would be nailed to the place of his execution. Matthew 27:31-32 shows that at some point during the trek Simon of Cyrene was compelled to bear the cross of Christ, Jesus evidently buckling physically under the burdensome beams that would be instrumental in His death. Thus, to “take up his cross” is an expression by which our Lord meant bearing whatever burden and shame is involved in a man following Him. Discomfort and disgrace are an inherent part of being a disciple of Jesus Christ, an oft-forgotten truth among some Christians (1 Pet. 4:12).

Have you had to bear some burdens because of your commitment to Christ? Perhaps you have been derided for your beliefs. Perhaps your foes are of your own household (Mt. 10:36; Jn. 7:1-5). Remember how Christ was mocked and beaten (Mk. 15:20; Lk. 22:64). Strive to bear persecution patiently in following the example of our beloved Lord (1 Pet. 2:20-24).

Have persecutions been absent in your life? While we should not seek out persecution, we should recognize that if we stand up for Christ, some maltreatment will come our way from time to time. 2 Timothy 3:12 says, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” Suffering for the sake of suffering is not a righteous endeavor, but living godly and suffering because one is a Christian is a reason to glorify God (1 Peter 4:14-16). Remember Luke’s account of Christ’s cross-bearing comment includes the word “daily” (Lk. 9:23). If I stand up for Christ on Sunday, but not during the week at where I work or attend school, then my everyday life does not radiate the light of Christ (Mt. 5:16). If all we do in word or deed is done in the name of Christ (Col. 3:17), then some are bound to notice.

Is it worth it to take up the cross and suffer for Christ? Definitely. Paul, a persecuted apostle, by inspiration wrote, “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us,” (2 Tim. 2:12). This apostle reckoned himself “crucified with Christ” (Gal. 2:20), and recognized that suffering for Christ is a sign of salvation, “And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake” (Philippians 1:28-29). So take up your cross, and I’ll take up mine, knowing that if we give our earthly lives to serving Christ, we shall find abundant life here and in the hereafter (Mt. 16:25).

-Mark Day

What role does prayer play in your life? Do you pray before meals, even in public? Do you pray when you arise from bed? Do you pray when you pillow your head at night? Do you pray in times of deep sorrow? What about in times of great joy? Prayer should play a significant role in a Christian’s daily life. Yet over the years for many Christians, prayer disappears from their life outside the assembly. Paul said we should “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5 :17). This is not a reference to the opening and closing prayers of the assembly. This is not referring to the prayer before meals. As important as these are, Paul is referring to the importance of prayer in life itself.

Kevin Rhodes in his book “Building Blocks – Strengthening Your Faith” said regarding prayer, “We also minimize prayer’s meaning for us personally. If we do not pray, it is because we have convinced ourselves that we do not need to pray or maybe that we do not think that it will do any good. We worry, but we do not pray (Philippians 4:6). We get depressed because people do not care, but we do not pray (1 Peter 5:7). We have bountiful blessings from above, but we do not pray (James 1:17). The problem is that while we read about these things in the Bible, we often fail to personalize it. When we run into problems at work, we agonize over it but not pray about it. When we feel alone and dejected, we brood and may even cry, but we do not pray. We enjoy blessings every day, but we do not think to pray. While we might think that these would be the times that prayer would come naturally, it does not do so because we have not made prayer our personal natural reaction.” pg. 53.

Many people recognize that their prayer life is not what it needs to be (including this writer -JDS) and they do not know how or where to begin improving it. Making changes in our daily lives regarding prayer is a good place to start.

First, resolve to give thanks before each meal, both privately and in public, at home and at work. While there is no command that says we are to pray before eating, what we do see in Scripture is examples of Jesus giving thanks before eating a meal. “And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.” (Matthew 15:36). See also John 6:23 and Paul in Acts 27:35.

Second, put a note on your bathroom mirror to remind you to pray in the morning. The psalmist said in Psalm 88:13, “But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.” Jesus prayed in the morning, “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed” (Mark 1:35).

Third, before you go to bed at night, go to our heavenly Father in prayer. At all times of the day we should be ready to bow our hearts to God in prayer. Psalm 55 :17, “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.”

With diligence on the part of a Christian, Paul’s exhortation to “pray without ceasing” can be a description of your life. However, such a commitment is not just for a few weeks but for a lifetime.

-Jerry D. Sturgill

The time on the mountain was such an exciting event. Elijah stood toe to toe against 850 false prophets. He was bold and powerfully anointed by God. He even taunted the false prophets when they could not get their gods to bring down fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice. God received all the glory when fire came down from heaven in response to Elijah’s prayer.

When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God; the Lord, He is God.” (1Kings 18:39)

Elijah was so full of victory that he ran from Carmel to Jazreel. Hallelujah! Victory is sweet! However, when things returned to normal, Jezebel said that she was going to have Elijah killed. He ran for his life and actually wanted to die. The big events are exciting and energizing, but daily life can be such a drag.

Peter witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus, Elijah and Moses. (Matt. 17:1-8) It was so glorious that Peter wanted to build three tabernacles in honor of the three. Later, when they came down from the mountain, they encountered a young man with a demon. (Matt. 17:14-21)

The disciples had not been able to help him. Jesus had to take care of the matter for them. The transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain was so glorious; real life with real people and real disciples when they came down from the mountain was a bit more difficult and not nearly as exciting.

Oswald Chambers reminded us, “After every time of exaltation, we are brought down with a sudden rush into things as the really are, where it is neither beautiful, poetic, nor thrilling. The height of the mountaintop is measured by the dismal drudgery of the valley, but it is in the valley that we have to live for the glory of God.” (“My Utmost for His Highest”)
As Christians, we should not always be looking for some thrilling and exciting new thing. People quit jobs, churches, and relationships just because they become routine or hard. We should be led by the Spirit of God about what we do; bot quit something just because it bores us. Character, holiness, perseverance, and faithfulness can often be developed when we come down off the mountain to face the grind of the daily world below. Daily prayer, daily Bible study, and being a daily witness where we are is vitally important. (James 1:2-4)
Consistency, faithfulness and perseverance are important characteristics of a mature Christian. Let’s not just live for what is exciting on the mountain top, let’s also be faithful to live for the Lord Jesus, daily, even if that daily life finds us sometimes in the valley.

–Mike Barres, 12 St. Church of Christ, Shallowater, TX as published in Bulletin Digest, Sept. ‘05

Hebrews 4:12 says the Bible, “…is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart,” and like a sword it pierces to the very depths of the inward man. God intended His word to be, “…profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Just as Nathan confronted David with his sin and showed him the responsibility he must take for his actions (2 Sam. 11-12), so the word of God will show us where we are wrong and how to be right. James 1:22-25 describes the Bible as a mirror that accurately reflects the true character of the individual who stares into its pages. The one who applies the Bible to the various issues faced in life can truly say to God, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
But if we do not go to the Bible for counsel, and neglect to diligently study what it has to say and apply it to the various situations of life, we douse the light that God has given to help us see our way clear. In effect, we are adrift on life’s sea having thrown our compass overboard, choosing rather to grope along, trusting our own faulty powers of spiritual perception (Prov. 14:12; Jer. 10:23).
Many today, while they may give lip-service to the Bible, rely more heavily on what psychologists, professors, or scientists say about matters than the words of God. While there are godly men and women who serve faithfully in these fields, not every psychologist, professor, or scientist has a biblical worldview. Instead of confronting man with his sin, many educated individuals today, working on the basis that the theory of evolution is true, consider man to be a highly evolved animal, subject to his instincts and not responsible for his actions. In their minds heredity and environment are the culprits rather than man choosing to do evil. This, of course, is easier for the sinner to hear since the underlying message is that people are not responsible for their actions. Like Ahab, many seek the counsel of the majority that say everything is fine rather than the truthful minority that elucidate the real consequences of their actions (1 Kings 22). Like Ahab, many consider those who do care enough speak the truth troublemakers (1 Kings 18:17-18).
As Christians, we need to lovingly confront individuals with their responsibility before God, making them aware that everything is not fine if one lives in rebellion to His Word (2 Cor. 5:11). There are even many in the Lord’s church who through spiritual slothfulness need to wake up to the spiritual realities God’s word teaches. Read how Paul addressed this in Ephesians 5:11-17.
Can God get a word in edgewise in your life? Or are you too busy seeking counsel from men on what you should do in life? Do you take an objective look at yourself with the word of God, or do you seek people to tell you that you are fine? Your life will be blessed if you trust in the Lord’s word rather than relying on the advice of men (Jer. 17:5-8).

– Mark Day