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Gold

An author of financial books, Robert Kiyosaki, wrote concerning gold in his book Fake. In Fake, Robert examined the financial system in America and the results of removing the US Dollar from the Gold Standard in 1971. Throughout the book, Robert used an interesting analogy; he called paper money (i.e., fiat currency) “man’s money,” and gold and silver, he called “God’s money.” He explained that paper money is printed, created and devalued by men and governments. God’s money existed before governments and will exist after our nation crumbles. It will still be valuable no matter what happens to the US Dollar, the Euro, the Yuan or the Yen. Gold appears early in Scripture. In Genesis 2:11-12, when the Garden of Eden’s location was described by Moses, we read, “The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which skirts the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good. Bdellium and the onyx stone are there.” Abram was very rich in “livestock, in silver, and in gold” (Genesis 13:2). Pharaoh placed his signet ring upon the hand of Joseph and a golden chain around his neck when he put him in the position of second in command in all Egypt (Genesis 41:42). The sons of Jacob came to Egypt with gold in their sacks to buy grain and found their gold back in their sacks on the return journey home (Genesis 44:8). The items in the Tabernacle of God built by Moses and Israel were …

A Reminder from 1 Samuel 6

Now the Ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven months. And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What shall we do with the Ark of the Lord? Tell us how we should send it to its place.” So they said, “If you send away the Ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty; but by all means return it to Him with a trespass offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why His hand is not removed from you.” Then they said, “What is the trespass offering which we shall return to Him?” They answered, “Five golden tumors and five golden rats, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines. For the same plague was on all of you and on your lords. Therefore you shall make images of your tumors and images of your rats that ravage the land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps He will lighten His hand from you, from your gods, and from your land. Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He did mighty things among them, did they not let the people go, that they might depart?” (1 Samuel 6:1-6) The Ark of the Covenant fell into the hands of the Philistines because of the wickedness of the sons of Eli and their belief that carrying the Ark into …

The Heart of the Law

God has always expected His people to care for one another. In the New Testament, this is evident by the way the early Christians cared for one another’s needs. The closing verses of Acts 2 present a picture of an assembly of people sharing as anyone had need. They didn’t hoard their possessions or look out only for their interests. We read, “Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.” This pervasive attitude among Christians to care for other Christians shouldn’t surprise us. We know Christ promised that our loving Father in Heaven would also hear our prayers and care for our needs. Often that care comes through the hands of His obedient servants. Even in the Old Testament, the Law set forth standards of caring for those who were in need. In Deuteronomy 15, Moses taught the children of Israel to lend to their brothers and sisters (Israelites) who were in need. Also, they were to loan this money at no interest. Furthermore, every seventh (or sabbath) year, all debts among Israelites were to be canceled. In this way, God provided for the poor through the blessings of the rich. Because of this law about a loan getting canceled, God also gave this command: Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, “The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,” and your eye be evil …

While It Remained, Was It Not Your Own?

“While it remained, was it not your own?” Underpinning Peter’s declaration to Ananias in Acts 1:4 is a significant truth. God has placed into each person’s hand something over which he is a steward. For one person, it might be possessions. For another, it may be time or abilities. For still someone else, he or she may be a steward over children. What remains true irrespective over what one is a steward is the reality that we are all stewards. Every person should recognize stewardship as fundamental to God’s expectations for our lives. Jesus spoke of stewardship in Luke 12. Verses 42-44 reads, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.” Jesus spoke this to Peter after delivering a parable about the coming of the Lord and declaring, “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Luke 12:40). Everything in creation and even the very breath in our lungs belong to God. The particles of the universe down to the lowest level belong to God. They are His creation. Hebrews 1:1-3 reads, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, …

A Wise Son Versus a Foolish Son

Every righteous father looks for opportunities to direct his children down the path of righteousness. He sees them growing up and imagines that one day they will walk a path of faithful obedience to the Lord. His heart rejoices each time that a child makes a choice displaying an inward man of thoughtfulness, godliness, love and righteousness. These things and many more point to the growth of a child who will be wise. In Proverbs, there is one thing intended by the word “wise.” It is being “obedient to God.” Proverbs 9:10 reads, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (NKJV). If wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, one will never reach true wisdom while being in opposition to the Lord. James further illustrates this. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:13-18) The …

A Choice, a Path and a Reward

A Choice to Make (Joshua 24:14-15) Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. Joshua called upon people to make a choice—serve the Lord, or don’t; be faithful or not; return to the gods of Egypt or choose to serve the LORD. We all have a choice to make in our lives. We can serve the Lord or we can serve Satan. We can choose righteousness or we can select depravity. Psalms 106:3 reads, “Blessed are those who keep justice, And he who does righteousness at all times!” Serving righteousness and making a choice to be righteous is not a one-time decision, but it is a path, a journey and a way of life that is chosen day after day. A Path to Follow (Proverbs 1:1a, 2, 6) Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly…But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. For the LORD knows the way …

What Changes Are Supposed to Happen When One Becomes a Christian?

Change is natural when a child is born. So, it is true for a Christian. A Christian is not to be born in the watery birth of baptism and then continue in his old lifestyle of sin and wickedness. A Christian’s washing of regeneration in baptism and renewing by the Spirit of God should result in a drastically different individual than before he died to sin (Titus 3:5). What things are supposed to change when one becomes a Christian? One item that should change is the mind; it is supposed to change because the person living inside of you is supposed to change. Ephesians 4:23 says, “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind. And that you put on the new man which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness.” When a person is baptized into Christ, he dies and is resurrected again to a new life. He comes up out of that water a new person. He’s supposed to change. The new Christian is supposed to think differently. Before baptism, a person might consider his life to be without value. A person might think that the physical body is all that makes up one’s existence. After baptism (because it wasn’t to clean the physical body but to cleanse the spiritual body), a new Christian should readily understand that he has a spirit (inner person) that is alive in addition to and separate from the body. Before baptism, a person might consider his evil deeds to …

Babes in Christ

Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as spiritual people, but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:1). In almost every congregation, no matter where one worships, there are some people to whom we must speak carefully because they are just babes. They are not babes physically; they are babes spiritually. Mature Christians need to be patient and longsuffering with them. A new Christian, a novice in the Scriptures, may make mistakes, have incorrect opinions about Scripture and even harbor false beliefs on some matters of doctrine—simply because they have not yet had time to learn any better. Parents can remember the times when they were watchful for their infants, who would put anything and everything in their mouths. Infants don’t know any better, but they should, over time, learn better. We must teach them, and we must do so patiently. Unfortunately, it is also true that sometimes there are Christians in congregations who have been Christians for years, and they are still babes in Christ. They are untrained, unknowledgeable and yet physically (carnally) minded instead of spiritually minded. It was this that Paul addressed in 1 Corinthians 3 regarding the church at Corinth. He had patiently taught that congregation. “I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal” (1 Corinthians 3:2-3). This situation …

A Failure to Correct

The life of David, the King of Israel, was often filled with difficulty—the affairs of state, the continual wars and unrest, and threats against his kingdom. To further complicate the matter, David had a weakness for women and would, in turn, father many children. Still, they would not receive adequate attention from their father because of the previously mentioned difficulties. As a result, there was not always a good relationship between David and his sons. Surrounding David were many power-hungry advisors and political leaders who influenced his sons in the wrong direction (Jonadab, 2 Samuel 13:4; Ahithophel, 2 Samuel 15:12). Amid all these struggles, what can often happen in the life of a family is that one child begins to do wrong, and no one corrects him. According to 1 Kings 1:5-6, this is precisely what happened with Adonijah, the brother of Absalom. “Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, ‘I will be king‘; and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. (And his father had not rebuked him at any time by saying, ‘Why have you done so?’ He was also very good-looking. His mother had borne him after Absalom).” Solomon, a son of David who observed his brothers’ attempts to overthrow David, would write this wisdom to his son: “Chasten your son while there is hope, And do not set your heart on his destruction” (Proverbs 19:18). There is importance in expeditiously handling wrongdoing. The correction postponed can become an encouragement …

Two Interesting Details about the Passover

Deuteronomy 16 records Moses’ instructions to the Israelite nation about three of their significant feasts. Under the Old Testament law, the Israelites were required to attend three feasts each year in the city where the Tabernacle (and later the Temple) were located. Three of the feasts that they could attend to meet that requirement were: the feast of Passover, the feast of weeks and the feast of booths (tabernacles). The Unleavened Bread of the Passover During the Feast of Passover, there was to be absolutely no leaven anywhere in the house of the Israelites. They were to purge out the leaven. Throughout the Old and New testaments, leaven almost always signified a corrupting agent and commonly represented sin (1 Corinthians 5). For this reason and to learn this lesson, Israel was commanded to eat only unleavened bread during the Passover. It is of particular interest, then, that Deuteronomy 16 records, “You shall eat no leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it, that is, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste), that you may remember the day in which you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life” (verse 3). Moses identified an additional reason for the “no leaven” requirement in Egypt as they were preparing to leave. He called unleavened bread “the bread of affliction,” referencing their slavery in Egypt. He noted that they came out of Egypt in haste. Leaven …

The Sacrifice for Sins

God’s incredible love for man surpasses all our understanding. We can substitute our feelings for what we think God might have felt. We can imagine what we would do for our child to save him, and we can imagine what we might do for other people’s children to redeem them. However, we cannot reach the level of understanding necessary to comprehend what God did and has done for us. Jesus told Nicodemus, “…even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:14b-17). The atoning sacrifice could neither be an angel nor any other member of the heavenly host. All were insufficient. It could not be a man—all humanity is flawed by sin. It could not be an animal, for the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin. The only propitiatory sacrifice had to be God Himself, but it wasn’t enough for it to be God. Not only was there a need for a sacrifice, but there was also need for a Mediator—someone who could bridge the separation between humanity and the Father. The sacrifice had to be the Son (Matthew 20:28; Mark 9:12; John 1:14; …

A Father Raises His Children… But a Nation Rebels (Isaiah 1)

A father raises his children. He invests in their upbringing. He encourages their education. He provides structure, a home, food on the table and hope for the future. He watches over them while they sleep and teaches them when they are awake. He wants them to grow up and be strong. He wants them to have a great future free from strife and anguish, sorrow and misery. He gives them stability. He encourages them to work and to improve themselves—to flourish under his protection and guidance. Then one day, a child declares, “I’m not your child. Look what I have done for myself, how great I am, how strong I am and how prosperous I am. I do not have to obey you, and I will not recognize you as my father.” How many times this type of situation has played out in families throughout time, but few more are tragic than in God’s family. Isaiah wrote, “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against Me; The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master’s crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider” (Isaiah 1:2-3). Some parents will not admit the truth about their children’s condition. They will hide from reality. They will say things like, “They’re good kids; they just got in with the wrong crowd.” God is more honest than that. God said of His children, “Alas, …

Proclaiming Christ in Times of Trouble

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice. (Philippians 1:12-18) During Paul’s imprisonment, there were many things that he could have spent his time considering. He could have worried about his situation, grown depressed over why these things were happening to him or grown angry at the unfairness of being imprisoned simply because he proclaimed the Truth. Instead of any of these things, he rejoiced because, through his imprisonment, the Gospel of Christ was being proclaimed in every corner of Rome. The brethren were bolder in proclaiming the Word. Even those who did not accept the truth of Christ and were only speaking with ill will were talking about it. Either way, Christ was being proclaimed. We …

God’s Chosen Path For You

Your path is dark. Your hope is almost gone. You look ahead and see only blackness. You struggle with making the right choices. You consider giving up. It’s not easy. Is this all you have to which to look forward? Is the life of a Christian a bleak, dark walk through a world of despair, never knowing the right way to go? “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night” (Exodus 13:21). In this text, Moses was not the one who chose when it was time for Israel to depart from Egypt. When he was a young man, Moses believed he would be the deliverer of Israel, but God disagreed about the timing. Moses thought God would deliver Israel quickly, but He did not. God chose His time for Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. When God led Israel out of Egypt, the Israelites could not go any direction they desired. Moses didn’t sit down with a map and plot a course. Israel did not vote on an acceptable route and then travel down it. Instead, God presented a pillar of clouds in the sky by day and a pillar of fire by night. Moses and Israel moved by following God’s manifestation of His presence. Jeshua, the High Priest in Nehemiah’s day, declared to the people concerning God’s actions, …

The City that Earned Its Reputation

Nazareth was a city in the land of Israel in the first century A.D. It was a city of little significance until it became the home of a particular child. Nazareth is the place where he grew in knowledge, education, physical skills and spirituality. Yet, this city had a bad reputation. The reputation of Nazareth was given by Nathanael when he said, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). The character of Nazareth was proverbially bad. To be a Galilean or a Nazarene was an expression of decided contempt (John 7:52). Nathanael asked, therefore, whether it was possible that the Messiah should come from a place proverbially wicked. This was not an uncommon mode of judging. It was not a matter of examining evidence but an occasion of prejudice (Albert Barnes’ New Testament Commentary). While Nathanael’s statement may have been proverbial, and his judgment prejudiced, consider that in the case of Nazareth, another proverb may fit. “Where there is smoke, there is fire.” The Nazarites were the first ones to attempt to kill our Lord. Long before the Pharisees and the Chief Priests decided that Jesus had to die, the “religious Jews” in the synagogue in Nazareth tried to throw Jesus off a cliff. “So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might …

A Fair Test

The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, gave an order. He appointed a daily portion of his wine and delicacies to be given to certain young men who were in training for positions in his government as wise men and leaders. Yet, four of the young men could not accept the allotments. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were from Jerusalem. These four were among the best young men in Judah. When the Babylonian king besieged Judah, He carried them and many others like them back to Babylon to train for his courts. Daniel and his friends knew that the appointed food would be delicious to eat. They also knew what God had spoken through Moses to their ancestors. They could neither taste these delicacies nor drink this intoxicating wine. Doing so would make them unclean before God and cause them to sin against His commands. They requested an alternative for themselves. Daniel petitioned the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. The petition was met with hesitancy by the head of the eunuchs. Why should he endanger his life so that Daniel might do this? Daniel sought an alternative. Daniel 1:12-13 reads, “Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king’s delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants.” The test was approved. “And …

Fishers of Men

 “And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men’” (Mark 1:16). Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee. He spied a man and his brother. Their names were Simon and Andrew. They followed John the Baptist when he was preaching in Judea, and one of them, Andrew, was present the day following Jesus’ baptism when John declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” When Andrew heard John say this, he went and found his brother Simon and brought him to Jesus. They listened to Jesus teach, and they became obedient to that teaching. That day Simon and Andrew were working with their father. Their current task was mending the nets for the fishing boat. Fishing was their livelihood. This was their occupation—their trade. Some men, it might be said, live to fish. Simon and Andrew fished to live. Jesus came to them and said, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” They immediately left their father’s nets behind and followed Him. There are many important lessons we can learn from this, but following are two. When Jesus Calls,You Have to Choose. Jesus did not leave a third alternative. Simon and Andrew had to choose either to stay or to follow Him. They made the best choice. They chose their Teacher. Their determination that …

Let Me Offer You Peace

Paul wrote to the assembly at Ephesus and penned six times concerning peace. He desired that they have peace (1:2). He wanted these Christians to know that the peace of God is real. It is available to a Christian, but it is not the world’s kind of peace. The world desires to have peace, meaning a lack of struggle, a lack of war and the absence of difficulties in life. “I am at peace,” we are told when a person is calm in mind, when sitting in the right yoga pose or when breathing the right way. Peace Is Tied Directly toSanctification and Faithfulness. “To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:1-2). This understanding that our peace originates with God, and more specifically with Christ, is valid for more than Christians individually. It is true for Christians collectively as well. Paul wrote that Jesus Christ Himself is our peace (2:14). Christ “has made both one,” the text says. Verse 15 clarifies, “so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace.” Jew and Gentile were being brought together from diverse backgrounds, often with opposing worldviews, and becoming one in Christ Jesus. The blood of Christ washes the sins of humanity away and breaks down the walls of separation in this world. It makes peace. Peace is Proclaimed(Ephesians 2:16-18). “…and that He might reconcile them both …

I Thank God That I Baptized None of You

This phrase came from the apostle Paul’s pen, and it was directed to the church at Corinth. He wrote, “I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name” (1 Corinthians 1:13-14). Paul wrote this statement to emphasize a point. Christians serve one Lord and Master—one Lawgiver. The One who died on the cross for their sins (1 Corinthians 1:13) and in whose name they were baptized was Jesus Christ alone. Christ is not divided, and Christians should not be divided either. In his letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul wrote: I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:1-6) The unity of Christianity is found in these “Ones.” Humbly, we are to endeavor to keep that unity intact. We are to serve one another and not usurp Christ’s position. If we have one doctrine, one hope, one faith and one baptism—all originating with one Lord—then, we ought to have unity. Yet, why is …