It would have been nice if God had offered a detailed account of the rearing of some godly man like David or John the Baptist. Did Jesse approve of David’s music? Did Zechariah set a curfew? However, God didn’t record such a comprehensive account because I’m not raising David or John. I’m raising Haley (and beginning in August, The Lord willing, her sibling).
Consider two families — Noah’s (Genesis 5:32, 6:9-10, 5:32-10:32) and Lot’s (Genesis 19:8, 19:1-38). Interestingly, there are a number of similarities. Both dwelt in ungodly environments. Both had righteous men at their head. God delivered both from cataclysmic events. Yet Noah’s boys and Lot’s girls appear far dissimilar in the end.
Spiritual wisdom is important. In Genesis, Lot focuses upon the cities of the plain of Jordan. The citizens of Sodom were “exceedingly” wicked in God’s eyes, and Lot was personally appalled at their lawlessness (2 Peter 2:7ff) Yet he took his wife and children into such a godless place simply because it was a good business move. He was motivated more by temporal wisdom than by spiritual concern. Some of his daughters died in Sodom Genesis 19:14-15); his wife died looking back (Genesis 19:26); his two surviving daughters sacrificed their virginity to and bore children by their father after they enticed him to drunkenness (Genesis 19:30ff). What happens to this family had Lot been more spiritual in his choices?
Active faith makes an impact. Noah spent years proclaiming righteousness and preparing to save his family from an event absolutely unimaginable (Genesis 7:11). His boys saw a father who trusted God so completely that he built an incredible boat to receive an unbelievable menagerie. Imagine the ridicule and scorn they must have endured. Yet Noah was resolute and his faith must have inspired some trust in young Shem, Ham, and Japheth, for God delivered the boys and their wives as well. Contrast Noah’s active faith with Lot’s fear and hesitation. Granted, Lot was righteous (2 Peter 2:7ff) but he gravitated repeatedly toward men (Genesis 13:12; 14:12; 19:20ff), attempted to appease the Sodomites with his virgin daughters, hesitated to leave Sodom, and begged God not to send him to the mountains “lest some evil take me, and I die” (Genesis 19:19). God delivered him, yet his faith was far from monumental. It is little wonder that his wife and daughters did not appear to share his abhorrence of ungodliness, and that his sons-in-law ridiculed him. We must do more than simply despise evil.
Parents must guard their character constantly. Lot’s girls seem to have been exposed to a pattern of inconsistency. How would you feel if your father offered you to a mob of sexual perverts? His sons-in-law considered his warnings a joke. He hesitated to leave. He couldn’t stop his wife from looking back. He was afraid of the mountains though God had delivered him. He allowed himself to become drunken before his girls.
Perhaps their incest and sinful reasoning shouldn’t surprise us. But Ham, in Genesis 9:18ff, manifests contempt and disregard for Noah in response to one mistake. No doubt Ham already harbored some dishonor for his father, yet Noah’s intemperance offers the opportunity for him to display his irreverence and mockery. Perhaps Ham was looking for inconsistency in his father, but Noah had apparently offered no ground for such criticism — until now. Parents, we must guard our character constantly. Our kids are watching.
A child eventually chooses his own character. It’s difficult to tell whether Noah’s boys, before the flood, were righteous like their father, Perhaps God saved them for Noah’s sake, though I believe otherwise. Shem and Japheth appear to imitate their father’s godliness in their reverence in Genesis 9:18f. Ham is another story. He is over 100 years old, with at least four boys of his own when he revels in his father’s sin. His character is now his own to pursue, and he pursues ungodliness on this occasion. Perhaps this is an indication of his moral fabric as a grown man. Though Noah was wrong in his drunkenness, Ham was old enough now to choose his own path. Noah had provided a godly example for his boys. “God saved my Dad from the flood.” Who else could make such a claim? But as with Noah and Ham, parents can only provide their children the foundation of faith, instruction, evidence, examples, and admonition. There are no guarantees that they will trust God. We can’t give them our faith. How frustrating! Yet my little girl needs to love God by her choice, not by mine.
There are other lessons here and elsewhere. God knows that parents need help with their children and that children need help from their parents. Let’s work hard to offer our boys and girls every opportunity to survive this world. We owe it to them. We owe it to our folks. We owe it to God.
Russ Bowman

The Church In Purpose
The church of our Lord was in the mind of God from the beginning.  In Eph. 3:12 we see the church was in the eternal purpose of God.  The church is not a substitue for somethng else that God intended to set up.  The church makes know the mystery of God that God kept silent  thrrough times eternal! (Eph 3:9).  The mystery of God was His plan to save mankind through Christ (Eph. 3:11).  Gal. 3:27 and I Cor. 12:13 shows this to be in the church.  Not only is salvation made known in this institution, but the church as organized (local churches) should spread the gospel and thus make known to all men the dispensation of this mystery.
The Old Testament was the mystery, the New Testament is the revelation of it!

•  Roman 16:25f shows us that the mystery was kept silence through times eternal.  The mystery is now made known unto obedience of faith to all.
• Ephesians 3:3-5 tells us the mystery was not made known in other generations.  Instead, the mystery is now made known or revealed unto the holy apostles and prophets by the Holy Spirit.  A part of the mystery was that Gentiles as well as Jews could attain salvation.
• Ephesians 1:7-10 shows that the mystery now made known to us which He purposed in Christ…unto a dispensation of the fulness of the times.  Jesus came in the fulness of times, Galatians 4:4.
• Col. 1:25-27 shows that the mystery hid for all ages and generations is now made known.  this mystery IS Christ in you, the hope of glory.
• I Corinthians 2:6-8 tells us God’s wisdom was hidden before this age.  It was foreordained (prophesied) before and is now come.

Since the Old Testament was a mystery, no one ever lived who understood it (the mystery part concerning salvation of all men under Christ) until Christ came and revealed it by fulfilling God’s purpose or plan to save man.

• John 16:12, 25 teaches us that Jesus didn’t reveal all things before the cross.
• Luke 24:45 says that even the apostles didn’t understand the Old Testament before it was revealed.
• Romans 10:1-4 tells us most of the Jews never did understand or accept it.
• Acts 8:30f teaches the eunuch couldn’t understand the Old Testament (Isa. 53).  Also, since no one ever understood the mystery (O.T.) until it was fulfilled and revealed by Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 16:13), if there are parts of the O.T. today still unfulfilled, it seems reasonable they will remain completely non-understandable until fulfilled and revealed.

God speaks to man only through Christ today.  In Hebrews 1:1-2 says at one time God spoke in various ways to the fathers, but now only through Christ and His gospel.  Therefore, if a man goes by anything other than the gospel of Christ now, he has not God.  In fact, in Gal 1:6-9 tells us that if any man, angel, or apostle speaks (or spoke) contrary to the gospel of Christ is (or was) accursed!
The Church–God’s Greatest Work, pp. 4,5.

Words in our language today are often used in many different ways to mean many different things.  For example, if one says he was “dunked” in water, it might mean someone put him under water playing a water game with him, or it could mean he was baptized for the remission of sins – Acts 2:38.
The word FELLOWSHIP is found about 13 times in most Bibles, but it varies a little depending on the translation you use.  The Greek word translated fellowship (koinonia) is found 20 times and actually, another similar Greek word found several times is translated “fellowship” once.
Our less is, what does the word “FELLOWSHIP” mean in the Bible we read?  Bible usage determines meanings.  I Peter 4:11 states, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God…”  Old time preachers in the churches of Christ have often said, “We speak where the Bible speaks, and we are silent where the Bible is silent.”  We need Bible for all the church does, for our religious standard and for our moral conduct.
Below are all the places and ways the word fellowship is used in the Bible.

1. Acts 2:42 – “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread and in prayer.”  The apostles’ doctrine or teaching was religious, breaking of bread (Lord’s supper) was religious, prayers are religious.  Do you suppose the “fellowship” was also religious?  It seems to me that fellowship here are used was association in the doctrine, the Lord’s supper, and the prayers.  Some today might make that “fellowship” a big secular picnic!
2. I Corinthians 1:9 — “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Surely this is a SPIRITUAL relationship.  To be in fellowship with the Lord is to be in right relationship with Jesus.
3. I Corinthians 10:20 -- “But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.”  This plainly teaches that if Christians partake in the worship of false religions, they are having fellowship with false religious people, and that is a NO NO.
4. 2 Corinthians 6:14 -- “Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light and darkness?” To be unequally yoked might mean the unbeliever would control the believer.  It might come from a figure in Detu. 22:10, where in the Old Testament and Ox and an Ass were not to be yoked together.  God does not want His people yoked up with those in error.  Jesus said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  John 8:32.  TRUTH is the stand are of the Eagle Park church of Christ.  If anyone can show the church here is wrong in doctrine or practice, we would change in a heart beat.  We want to go to heaven, that’s what christianity is all about. j We love all people and want all to go to heaven.  We wish all the people in the world were in truth, but know the Bible states, “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matt. 7:14
5. 2 Corinthians 8:4 “Praying us with much entreaty that we would recieve the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.”  I Cor 16:3 shows the church in Jerusalem was in need and would receive the gift.  In the Bible the only reason one church ever sent funds to antoher church was when the recieving church needed the funds to care for their own needy saints.  One church never sent funds to another church so that church could support their own preacher.  They always sent the funds TO the preacher.  ( 2 Cor. 11:8 is an example)
6. Gal 2:9 — “And when James, Cephas, and John who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship, that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.”  Here when they gave the “right hands of fellowship,” the idea is they gave thier religious approval to these gospel preachers.
7. Eph 3:9 — “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.” Mystery means something not revealed, there not known by man.  If you watch a mystery on TV or at a show, you often cannot figure it out at least until the very end.  That is what makes it a mystery.  Throughout the Old Testament there were prophecies referring to what would come, but few understood much about Jesus and the church He would purchase with His blood – Acts 20:28.  It was a great mystery.  Jesus came into the world at 30 (age they considered grown back then) He began His ministry.  Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross to purchase the church (Acts 20:28) with His blood and to make it possible for all to have the remission of sins – Acts 2:38;22:16.  The mystery is the gospel of Christ.  “Rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” 2 Thess. 1:8.
8. Eph 5:11 — “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”  Darkness has to do with what is wrong.  Christians should never have a part in what is wrong.  The Lord’s church cannot either.  We glorify God only when we stand for the truth in doctrine and in practice.
9. Phil 1:5 –  “For you fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,”  Fellowship means, “Greek koinonia — “Fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation….the share which one has in anything…” The idea is that several have a common effort to perform, associated in the effort, …” Brethren in Christ have common work, a common love and effort in somethin, etc.
10. Phil 2:1 –“If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies.”  Fellowship is joing participation in spiritual things, and the Holy Spirit through the Bible directs our efforts.  Saints have much fellowship of the Spirit in serving God.
11. Phil 3:10 – “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto death.”  What beauty”  The power of Jesus’ resurrection proves the dead will be raised.  We fellowship Christ in his sufferings when we suffer and are misrepresented like he was.  Some call people in the churches of Christ “Campbellites– often attributed (Alexander Campbell 1866), a preacher. : Disciple — often taken to be offensive.”  Webster’s Dictionary, some accuse us of teaching we are saved by works of merit, plus a lot of other things.  We follow the Bible and the Bible calls us CHRISTIANS. Acts 11:26; 26-28, I Peter 4:16 We claim to be in the “churches of Christ.”  Rom. 16:16.
12. I John 1:3 — “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

• Jon declared what he knew to others that they might have fellowship with him and others.
• Then John declares their fellowship was with the Father and Jesus Christ.  If is great to be in the fellowship with Christ, and it obtained only by obeying the gospel of Christ, the first principles and continued obedience unto death – Rev. 2:10.
• I John 1:6 “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and woalk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.”  Many walk in darkness yet say they are in the light.  The only way to walk in the light is to know the truth and be in the Lord’s church.  Jesus said, “I will build my church.” Mt. 16:18 — Eph. 4:3 states there is ONE body.
• I John 1:7 -- “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Truth In Love, Vol 6, No. 7 ; July 2013

I John 1:7
There is much in this scripture.  “But if we walk in the light.”  Walking in the light is walking in the truth.  V.6 of I John 1:6, states if we say we walk in light but walk in darkness, we lie.  Light is for truth, darkness is for error and sin.  We cannot have fellowship with the faithful unless we walk in truth.  Then, The verse states if we do walk in the light, we have fellowship one with another.”  Those in truth are walking with others in truth for they are in the right way.  Then, those in truth and also in the light, and also have the blood of Christ to cleanse them from all sin.  Jesus died on a cruel cross.  He shed His blood for the remission of our sins – Matthew 26:28.  When a sinner is baptized into Christ for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38) he is also baptized into the death of Christ (Rom. 6:3) Jesus shed His blood in His death.  The blood of Christ washes away our sins.  (Romans 6:3).  Then the Lord adds us to His church – Acts 2:47.  In the Lords’s church we must be faithful to the truth in all ways.  When the church assembles, we need to be there -Hebrewes 10:25.  If we wilfully do not attend, we are not putting the kingdom first (Matthew 6:33).  When Jesus died on the cruel cross at Calvary, did He put us first?  Think about those nails in His hands and feet and decide how much Jesus sacrificed for us.  If we don’t show appreciation for what Chist has done, will He admit us into the pearly gates in heaven some day?  THINK!
Truth In Love, Vol 6, No. 7, July 2013

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Most things have value, but the value is based on different criteria – sentimental, age, materials, etc. The value placed on an object to be sold is usually different based on the perspective of the seller or buyer. The seller generally places a higher value on an object than does the buyer.
But what about our soul? Many devalue their soul by giving little or no thought to the eternal nature or destiny of the soul (Romans 1:20-32). A majority of people discount the existence of a fiery hell either due to indifference or they rationalize that a loving God would not condemn anyone to hell.
The world is focused on building self-esteem – we want to feel good about ourselves. But when it comes to our soul, we lower our self-esteem by devaluing the worth of our soul.
Consider the value that God the Father has placed on your soul. In Genesis 1 and 2 we are told that we were created in the image of God. Paul says “God has demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 NKJV). In addition to the provisions He has made for the salvation of our souls, He has made provision for the eternal residence of the soul when this world ceases to be (I Peter 1:3-4; Romans 2:6-7).
Also consider the value Christ places on your soul. He willingly gave himself for us that we might be redeemed from the bondage of sin (Philippians 2:5-8; John 10:17-18). The price paid must be equal to the value of that which is being redeemed (I Peter 1:18-19). In addition to His sacrifice on the cross, He established His Kingdom (His church) as the residing place of the saved here on earth (Mark 9:1; Luke 24:49; Acts 2). His willingness to come to this earth, take on the form of man, and suffer the death on the cross has qualified him to be our Savior and intercede on our behalf before the Father (Hebrews 2:17; 4:14-16; I John 2:1-2)
In addition to the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit also places a high value on your soul. Jesus promised His apostles that it was necessary that He go away in order that He might send another helper, the Holy Spirit (John 14:16; 16:13). It was necessary for the Holy Spirit to come in order to reveal to us the mind of God and His commands and conditions of salvation by which we may appropriate the blessings of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to our own salvation (Romans 1:20; I Corinthians 2:7-13; Jude 3). When the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost following the resurrection of Christ, He gave power to the apostles to reveal the word of God and confirm that which was being delivered by miracles, signs and wonders (Mark 16:20).
So the question is, what value do you place on your soul? We may focus our energies on earthly treasure, but we must realize that these are corruptible things that will cease to exist when Christ comes again (Matthew 6:19-20; II Peter 3:10). We must raise our valuation of the soul by becoming a child of God (Acts 2:38; Rom 6:1-4,17), growing in our knowledge of His Word (Colossians 1:9; I Timothy 4:13; II Peter 3:18; John 12:48), and teaching others (II Timothy 2:2).
God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9 NKJV). Failure to obey will only bring condemnation (Matthew 7:21-23; Romans 3:23). Our response to God’s Word indicates the value we place on our soul.
Kerry Arnold