Author: janicevance

by Justin Morton

The Bible teaches us that Satan walks around as a roaring lion, always on the prowl (I Pet. 5:8). He wants nothing more than to devour Christians and their relationships with God. The stronger and more faithful a Christian is, the more furiously Satan tries to attack us. We must be alert and always on guard so that we do not fall prey to Satan’s schemes to derail our lives.

Satan, the father of lies (Jn. 8:44), uses many tactics to fracture our relationship to God, but let me give you two simple means he often employs. First, Satan makes Christians think sin is not a big deal. He uses our family, friends, media and advertisements to get us to buy into the lie. We must always be mindful of the seriousness of sin. Lot’s wife (Gen. 19), Achan (Jos. 6 & 7) and Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5) all learned firsthand how serious sin is. Friends, sin is so serious it was the reason Jesus was nailed to a cross and crucified. We should always remember: the wages of sin brings about death (Rom. 6:23).

The second way Satan derails our Christian lives is by causing us to believe we have all the time in the world. Many of us envision living a long life of 70-80 years and then passing on peacefully. Satan uses this to his advantage. He wants us to believe we have all the time in the world to enjoy the things of this life. Then when we get closer to the end of our time on earth, we can get our relationship with God in order. Unfortunately, too many have bought into this lie. We are not promised tomorrow. James tells us our lives are but a vapor or a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes away (Jam. 4:13-15). We must guard against thinking we have plenty of time to make things right with God. The truth is, we do not know how much or how little time we have, thus, the importance of making sure our relationship with God is in a right condition this very minute.

Whether we realize it or not, Satan is prowling around looking to destroy our relationship with God. He wants to devour that relationship, and he will if we give him the opportunity. Let’s constantly be on guard and avoid the lies Satan tries to get us to believe so we can continue to walk in the light with our God!

             In Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth, chapter 13 is often called the “Love Chapter” of the Bible.  Some of your Bibles may have a heading for this chapter as “The Greatest Gift.”  Paul basically tells the church at Corinth, everything that is done without love is nothing.  This chapter certainly applies to us in so many ways.  It gives us several characteristics of what love is and what love is not.  We should follow these characteristics in our everyday life.  Regardless of all we do to help others, if it isn’t done in the love of God, it is done in vain. 

This chapter tells us love is patient or long-suffering.  Patience is listed as a virtue in the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 6:22.  It isn’t always easy to be patient, is it?  In teaching God’s word to others, we are to do so in kindness and with patience as we see from 2 Timothy 4:2.  Sometimes we want to see results immediately or we want our wishes to be fulfilled immediately instead of in God’s time. 

Love is kind.  Ephesians 4:32 says “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”  Are we always kind to others, or are we sometimes rude?  Many times, we are unkind or rude to those we love most and those that love us most.  We should think about our actions and the impression they leave with others.  What impression are we making for the Lord’s church?

Love isn’t boastful or self-seeking.  We should put others’ needs before our own.  Sometimes we are selfish and want to be recognized for the good things we are doing when we should be putting ourselves aside and giving God the glory.

Love isn’t puffed up.  One writer says it this way, “love doesn’t have a swelled head”.  Sometimes it is easy to think more of ourselves than we should when we should be using our God given talents for His glory only.   Verse 8 says love never fails.  While other things listed will fail, love is never ending.  Verse 13 is probably one of the more well-known verses in the Bible.  “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”  If we are faithful to God, one day faith will be sight, hope will be fulfilled, and we will be surrounded with God’s love for all eternity.  Consider this verse from 1 John 4:16. “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.  God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”

by Justin Morton

Just a couple of weeks ago, coach Kevin Keatts was “on the hot seat”. His basketball team had struggled down the stretch to finish out the regular season and was on the verge of being sent home during the first round of the ACC basketball tournament. With his team trailing at halftime, the season seemed to be coming to a close. And then something happened, something that no one, and I mean no one, saw coming. Coach Keatts’s team came back to win not only that game but the next 4 games of the tournament, making them the ACC Tournament Champions. By winning the ACC tournament, his team automatically qualified for the NCAA Tournament.

Keatts’s team, who was 20 minutes away from losing in the first round of the ACC Tournament, is now one of only four teams remaining. The North Carolina State Wolfpack have won 9 consecutive games and are only 2 wins away from being crowned college basketball national champions. Just a couple of weeks ago, it looked like NC State was going home in mid-March and Keatts might be looking for a new job. But not anymore. Their actions have led to a contract extension and raise for their coach. Within just a couple of weeks, his status has completely changed because of what his players accomplished on the court.

For those of us who are Christians, we can relate. You see, because of our sins we were separated from God and on the verge of being eliminated. But then something happened, something no one saw coming. Jesus shed His blood and died on a cross so that you and I could be saved (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:6-8). And all we have to do to access that spilled blood is to be buried with Him in baptism (Rom. 6:3-4). Once we are buried with Him and come up out of the water, our status is changed (Eph. 2:1-10). We are no longer on the hot seat, we are forgiven. We’ve been given a fresh start to live our lives after the pattern of His Son. And it’s all because of Jesus.

When I read about how Kevin Keatts’s status changed so quickly all because of someone else’s actions, I couldn’t help but think about Jesus and our status before God. Thanks to what Jesus did on the cross, all those who are covered by His blood through the watery grave of baptism have been given a new life with God. Praise be to the Lord that you and I are no longer on the hot seat!

Jesus is unbeatable. Nearly everyone who has ever lived throughout history has suffered defeat at the hands of death. But not Jesus. Jesus walked amongst His creation, in the form of a servant (Phil 2:6-7; Col 1:16), and while He died on the cross, death was not the end. Jesus rose from the dead. He defeated the common enemy of humanity. We can do very little to escape the grave. Unless our Savior returns, our death is certain. None of us can escape that fate. Yet, Jesus rose from the dead victorious. In His victory over death, He proclaims that nothing will defeat Him.

This common enemy was introduced in the great fall of humanity in Genesis 3. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God, sin was introduced into the world.  Sin deserves punishment, more specifically sin deserves death according to Romans 6:23. This is why we can’t work our way into heaven, there is no work we can do to undo our sin. Thankfully, God had a plan to give us the gift of eternal life in His Son (Romans 6:23). Before Jesus was even born, an angel told His father Joseph that He would save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). His mission as the Immanuel, was to be our Savior, to save us from the sting of death, the punishment for our sins.

The importance of the resurrection cannot be understated. Certainly, Jesus paid the price for our sins by dying on the cross, but His resurrection, gave us the hope of new life. So much so that Paul explains that if Christ is not resurrected then our faith is useless, and we are still in our sins (1 Corinthians 15:17). We should most certainly praise God for the resurrection because of what it means for us. Jesus’ victory over death has become our victory (1 Corinthians 15:57). In Romans 6:3-4 the apostle Paul explains we are united with Christ in His death when we are baptized and are raised up out of the water with new life. Which is only possible because of our great Victor and Savior, Jesus Christ. Christ gave His life for our sins paying the price only He could pay and bringing the victory only He could bring through the resurrection of the dead!

“For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:21-22 ESV)

            Many of us have had Hebrews 10:25 drilled into us from an early age and can quote from memory “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.” And, hopefully, we want to assemble with the saints whenever we can. (Before I continue, yes, I understand that some folks cannot drive at night, have to work, are sick, are caregivers, etc.) Outside of this plain command cited above, there is an example in Scripture that makes me want to never miss a meeting of the Lord’s body.

            On the day of our Lord’s resurrection as recorded in John’s gospel, His disciples assembled that Sunday evening (John 20:19). But one of the twelve missed the assembly (John 20:24). The apostle Thomas wasn’t there for reasons not given. And the next verse reveals why this disciple is forever known as “Doubting Thomas.” However, let’s not miss the lesson for us – and the lesson Thomas came to realize the following week: Jesus, the risen Savior, was at the assembly Thomas missed! Don’t we believe our risen Savior is at our assemblies although not in bodily form (Matthew 18:20; 28:20)?

            When we miss an assembly of the disciples, we often miss something very exciting. That was certainly true if you missed our afternoon service last Sunday or our Wednesday evening service. Last Sunday, our young men led us in worship, and I can’t say enough about what a great job each one did. I want to commend them by name although space does not allow me to describe their participation. However, you can watch the afternoon worship service on YouTube if you were unable to be here. The following young men led us in worship: Josh Miller; Elijah Philips; Dylan Knox; Tyler Lancaster; Will Cooper; Eli Mitchell; Carson McNabb; Martin Nance; Danek Smith; Brayden Graves; Grant DeMario; and Henry Nance. Your willingness to serve is an encouragement to everyone!

            And, if you missed the assembly on Wednesday evening, you missed the beautiful “new birth” of Isaac DeMario. His father Greg took his confession and then immersed him into Christ. It is so encouraging to see our young people take seriously the gospel message and decide to follow Jesus. May we never do anything to cause one of these young people to stumble (Mark 9:42)!

            P.S. I don’t want to slight our young ladies as I am told Emma, Kayla, and Halaina all did a great job for our recent Ladies’ Day!

by Justin Morton

Have you ever had to take a risk? Most of us can quickly recall a time or two when we were involved in taking a risk. Perhaps it was for our company, for a relationship or maybe even some type of financial risk. Despite the nature of the risk, the decision to take the chance was difficult because we did not know how things would work out.

If we are Christians, then we should be in the business of taking risks for the sake of the Kingdom. Think about it for moment. When is the last time you were willing to take a risk to spread the message of the Gospel? Sadly, for some of us, we might have to think long and hard about the answer to that question.

Being a Christian requires us to take chances if we are to fulfill the work of the Lord. Consider the apostle Paul. Paul was repeatedly warned about the dangers that were awaiting him in Jerusalem if he continued to travel that direction (Acts 20:22-23; 21:4, 11-12). Perhaps, this would have been a good time for Paul to hunker down or at least to avoid going to Jerusalem, but that’s not who he was. Paul was not fearful, he was fearless.

Instead of backing down and avoiding Jerusalem, Paul fully intended to go help the Christians no matter what he had to face. Paul told the brethren in Caesarea, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13).

Did you catch what Paul said? He was not only ready to face imprisonment for the sake of Christ, but he was ready to die for the name of the Lord Jesus. Paul, knowing full well what laid ahead in Jerusalem, continued with his plans, willing to assume all risks.

Like Paul, we should be willing to fulfill the mission of our Lord despite any risks we may have to face. Imagine how different our churches and communities might look if followers of Jesus were willing to assume all risks for the sake of spreading the Gospel message. If we did this, we just might have the same type of impact on the world around us that the apostle Paul had. Let’s get out into our schools and workplaces and communities and take some risks for the Lord!

Have you ever regretted a decision that you made?   Chances are, if you are old enough, you can think of several occasions in which you made a decision or ventured down a path that you wish you had avoided.  Maybe words that were spoken or moments when we reacted that we wish we could undo.      As we get older, and we appreciate time and realize how fast each day, week, month, and year passes, we often regret how we spent some of that time and energy.    Most likely, one day we will look back and regret the time that we have spent on our smart phones and the endless scrolling through social media and wish that we had utilized that precious time in God’s Word or face to face with the people that we love.

Regret is a very complex emotion.    Often, it has the advantage of hindsight and whatever the circumstance, regret cannot undo what has been done.   But regret can also be a powerful motivation to make a change for the better!   A very wise lady often says, “we can’t change the past, the question is where do we go from here”.

Philippians 3:13   “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead” (ESV).  We can’t let regret define who we are or who we are going to be.    We must strive for what is ahead of us and the hope we have in Christ.    Regret can alter our path in life if we regret the right things.

2 Corinthians 7:10 says “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death (ESV).  The sorrow we have for sin and being separated from God, leads us to turning away from that sin, which leads to salvation and is something we will not regret!   Being sorrowful or grieving over things of this world, produces death.

When your time on Earth comes to a close, what will be your biggest regret?   Will it be that you never obeyed the Gospel of Christ?     Will it be the wasted time spent on “chasing after the wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:14)?    The question is, “where do I go from here?”

by Justin Morton

There was no greater prophet in the eyes of the Hebrew people than Moses. He was responsible for going before the Egyptian Pharaoh, helping free the Israelite people from Egyptian slavery and leading them through the wilderness for 40 years. At his death, the Bible records, there was not another prophet like Moses in all of Israel (Deut. 34:10).

And yet, with all the good that came from the life of Moses as a leader of God’s people, his life was greatly impacted by one poor decision. Near the end of the Israelite’s 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, the people found themselves once again in need of water but with no water anywhere in sight. After listening to the complaints of the people, Moses and Aaron went before God. God instructed Moses to take the staff in his hand, gather the assembly and speak to the rock and water would spring forth for all the people and their cattle (Num. 20:1-8).

What Moses did next really stands out. He took the staff in his hand and assembled the congregation, just as God had commanded. Then Moses deviated from God’s plan. Instead of speaking to the rock like God had instructed, Moses struck the rock with his staff twice (Num. 20:9-11). Although water did come forth from the rock, Moses and Aaron had to pay a high price for their disobedience. The Lord told Moses and Aaron neither one of them would bring the people into the land He had given them (Num. 20:12).

Moses, one of the greatest prophets in all of Hebrew history, had a moment of weakness which cost him dearly. He had spent many years of his life serving the Lord and His people and helping lead them to the great land of promise, only to miss out on the prize himself. In spite of all the good Moses had done, his disobedience to God cost him the one thing he so desperately wanted, the Promised Land (Deut. 3:23-29; 34:1-6).

I know many of us have spent years of our lives in service to the Lord and His people. And while what we have done in the past is important, what we are doing and will continue to do in the future is of even greater importance. Never take your eyes off the prize of heaven. Faithfully obey God and His Word in all that you do each day, so that you do not miss out on our great Land of Promise.

             Perhaps one of God’s greatest blessings we are prone to take for granted is our health. We know we should exercise but it’s easy to procrastinate. We know we need to eat healthy, but it’s just not convenient. We know we need to avoid certain foods, but they taste so good. And we could continue with the excuses.

            We’ve had a lot of illnesses and surgeries lately (and I’m not saying those are a result of bad habits and neglect). Outside of Walter Hill’s church family, Gail and I know so many who are battling advanced cancer and other serious illnesses. During times like these, I’m envious of an earlier time we read about in Matthew 4:23-24 – “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.”

            No, I don’t want to go back under the old law, nor do I want my Savior to die on the cross again. However,  I do wish He would come and heal some of those we love. Yes, I do believe in the power of prayer but, let’s face it, sometimes these diseases are terminal, and we have to accept it. But we still say with the apostle John, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20b)! I’m ready for that day when there’ll be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain (Revelation 21:4)!

            One of Jesus’ many acts of healing is recorded in John 5:1-15 – an unusual miracle because the man did not seem to even know about the Savior of the world. Here was a man who had been an invalid for 38 years and sought to be cured in the pool of Bethesda. Jesus knew the poor man’s condition according to verse 6 of the text and asked the man if he wanted to be made well. While a lot of speculation could be made about the healing power of the pool and the man’s defensive attitude about his helpless condition, the simple truth is that Jesus healed the man! It required no faith on the man’s part – he didn’t even ask to be healed. He was made whole because Jesus saw his sad condition and took the time to make his life better.

            I have often taken my good health for granted but less so now that I’m considered “elderly.” But I’ve also taken my salvation for granted because I was raised in a family who had known Jesus for several generations. As we look around our families and community, I believe there are many who are like the man at the pool of Bethesda – they don’t know Jesus. Could we find the courage to ask them a simple question like our Savior did? Maybe it begins by fixing the words of this hymn in our minds:

            Have you a heart that’s weary,

            Tending a load of care;

            Are you a soul that’s seeking

            Rest from the burden you bear?

            Do you know my Jesus,

            Do you know my friend,

            Have you heard He loves you,

            And that He will abide till the end?