Year: 2026 (Page 1 of 5)

The Gospel Observer

November 8, 2026 / Tom Edwards

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB).
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Contents:

1) Assorted Admonitions: All Rivers Are Crooked (Bill Reeves)
2) Psalm 119:137-144 (Berean Bible)

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Assorted Admonitions: All Rivers Are Crooked

Bill Reeves

Synopsis: Before his recent death, brother Reeves submitted this compelling article, challenging readers to avoid the path of least resistance, which is seemingly peaceful but ultimately perilous.

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It is rare that a river, even at times, is straight. A noticeable feature of rivers is their winding, serpentine course. There is an explanation for their crooked path. Rivers become crooked by following the course of least resistance. If there is an obstacle, the river naturally flows around it. Water never flows uphill! Gravity works on it until it reaches the sea. Our country has a “western divide.” Rivers west of it flow eventually into the Pacific Ocean and those to the east flow into the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean. They all follow the course of least resistance.

Like the river, the majority of people today and in all ages has been those whose conduct is determined by the course of least resistance (laziness, slothfulness, and unnecessary obesity are widespread in our country). What is meant by the phrase, “the course of least resistance”? It signifies the easiest way out, the course that is least antagonistic and perhaps most popular, one that comes with the least effort.

In matters of opinion and expediency, this may be a desirable approach. Attempting to solve the problem that had arisen between his herdsmen and those of Lot, Abram said, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brothers. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me; if to the left, then I will go to the right; or if to the right, then I will go to the left” (Gen. 13:8-9). However, in matters of faith and morality, the easy path is rarely (if ever) the right path.

In doing the will of God, we usually are not permitted to follow “the course of least resistance.” Unlike water, which seeks its own level, Christians endeavor to rise to a high level. Our goal is to manifest the mind of Christ (Phil. 2:5-8). Our focus is not on earthly things, but on the things that are above (Col. 3:2).

What moved Noah to remain faithful to God in the midst of a wicked world? Hear the writer of Hebrews: “By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Heb. 11:7).

As river waters are moved by gravity, all of us are moved (motivated) by something! What motivates us in life? The NKJV says Noah was moved with godly fear (Heb. 11:7). The NASB says his obedience was rooted in “reverence.” Similarly, we should serve God with “fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12).

“Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Gen. 6:8). Why? The answer is found at the end of the chapter: “Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did” (v. 22). When God gave Noah instructions for constructing the ark, he didn’t argue with the Lord, or propose substitutes, or innovate novelties (Gen 6:14-21; cf. Acts 5:36; he did not engage in “fighting against God”). Instead, Noah obeyed God’s commandments. He did as he was told!

While it is natural for a river to take the course of least resistance, this approach has no place in the life of a Christian. Only the unrighteous are like rivers: their lives follow a downward and crooked course to eternal damnation. Hebrews 11 refers to faithful men and women. After the phrase “by faith,” we see a verb of action, which indicates their obedience to God. Like the heroes of old, let us walk by faith (2 Cor. 5:7), so that, when our days are over, it might also be said of us, “these died in faith” (Heb. 11:13). May we desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one (Heb. 11:16).

Rivers do what they are made to do, which is natural, but man is made in God’s image (Gen. 1:26) and possesses the power of reason. In Romans 12:1, Paul says, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” Consider the Greek word translated “spiritual” in the previous verse. The footnote in the American Standard Version says, “Greek: belonging to the reason.” A Christian uses his reason when he presents his body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. Man can reason: “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool” (Isa. 1:18).

We have the ability to make choices: “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15).

Yes, rivers are crooked, their meandering course is anything but straight. However, man is not a river, governed by the laws of nature. He is made in the image of God, and capable of choosing his course. Accordingly, let us not be sluggards or slothful, corrupt or loathsome, disobedient or lacking in diligence. Rather, may we set our eyes on heaven (Col. 3:2), and constantly look to Jesus (Heb. 12:2). May we know the One we are serving and know where we are going (2 Tim. 1:12).

Let us all wisely choose the course for our earthly lives, recognizing that all end at the judgment court of Christ (Acts 17:30-31). Discipleship is demanding, but the yoke of Christ is easy and light when compared with the burdens associated with following sin and Satan (Acts 17:30-31; Matt. 11:30; 23:4; Luke 11:46; Isa. 46:1). For additional study on “easy,” please consider the following passages (Prov. 3:17; Mic. 6:8; Acts 15:10, 28; Gal. 5:1; 1 John 5:3). On “light,” please compare these verses (John 16:33; 2 Cor. 1:4-5; 4:17; 12:9-10; Phil. 4:13).

Author Bio: Bill H. Reeves, born October 24, 1925, was a faithful husband for 67 years, a caring father of 8 children, and a faithful gospel preacher (in English and Spanish) for over 70 years. He passed from this life on April 4, 2019.

— via Truth Magazine, Volume 63, No. 7, July 2019

https://truthmagazine.com/kindle/2019/2019-07-jul/08_Monthly_Theme_Lesson_04.htm

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Psalm 119:137-144

Tsadhe

¹³⁷Righteous are You, O LORD, and upright are Your judgments.

¹³⁸The testimonies You have laid down are righteous and altogether faithful.

¹³⁹My zeal has consumed me because my foes forget Your words.

¹⁴⁰Your promise is completely pure; therefore Your servant loves it.

¹⁴¹I am lowly and despised, but I do not forget Your precepts.

¹⁴²Your righteousness is everlasting and Your law is true.

¹⁴³Trouble and distress have found me, but Your commandments are my delight.

¹⁴⁴Your testimonies are righteous forever. Give me understanding, that I may live.

— Berea Bible
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

1) Hear the gospel — for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31).

2) Believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; John 3:18).

3) Repent of sins. For every accountable person has sinned (Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10), which causes one to be spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). Therefore, repentance of sin is necessary (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30). For whether the sin seems great or small, there will still be the same penalty for either (Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Cor. 5:10) — and even for a lie (Rev. 21:8).

4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).

5) Be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21). This is the final step that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). For from that baptism, one is then raised as a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), having all sins forgiven and beginning a new life as a Christian (Rom. 6:3-4). For the one being baptized does so “through faith in the working of God” (Col. 2:12). In other words, believing that God will keep His word and forgive after one submits to these necessary steps. And now as a Christian, we then need to…

6) Continue in the faith by living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Matt. 24:13; Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
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Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA 31501

Sunday: 9 a.m. Bible Classes (except for last of the month Song Service)
and 10 a.m. Worship Service
Wednesday: 7 p.m. Bible Classes

evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com

https://thomastedwards.com/go/all.htm (This is a link to the older version of the Gospel Observer website, but with bulletins going back to March 4, 1990.)

The Gospel Observer

November 1, 2026 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) Meditations Column: Things We Can’t Live Without (Kyle Pope)
2) Psalm 119:129-136 (Berean Bible)

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Meditations Column:
Things We Can’t Live Without

Kyle Pope

Synopsis: Consider the biblical significance of the preposition “without,” which signifies “in the absence of” (something) or “in circumstances in which the action mentioned (in the context) does not happen.”
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Introduction

What is there in your life that you could not live without? Sometimes we describe things we really love as things we couldn’t live without (e.g., chocolate, a mate, a hobby, our favorite entertainment). When it comes to our physical lives, there are really only a few things that we cannot live without—things like food, water, clothing, and shelter. These are indispensable to life since we cannot dispense with them and survive. What are some spiritual indispensables? Let’s consider seven things the Bible describes in this way.

1. Without the Shedding of Blood There Is No Forgiveness (Heb. 9:19-22).

The blood of animals (like bulls, goats, and lambs) that were used in Old Testament sacrifices had value, but the Hebrew writer makes it clear that their value was limited (Heb. 10:1-4). The Blood of the new covenant is not that of animals but of Christ Himself, our High Priest and Savior (Heb. 9:11-15). Redemption from sin comes through Christ’s blood shed on the cross (Col. 1:13-16). Unlike the limited nature and power of animal sacrifices, Christ’s blood offers redemption and forgiveness because of its source. Jesus is and was “the image of the invisible God.” The blood of God in the flesh can bring Divine forgiveness!

How does one access this blood? Paul taught that one is baptized into Christ’s death (Rom. 6:1-4). When a person is baptized into Christ, he is baptized into Christ’s death, gaining access to this redeeming blood.

What is the benefit of this blood? Christ’s blood cleanses us (1 John 1:5-7). Truly, without blood—His blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. If we are outside of Christ and have never been cleansed by His blood, the stain and filth of sin clings to us to this very moment. Christ’s blood is a spiritual indispensable.

2. Without Faith it Is Impossible to Please God (Heb. 11:1-6).

All who die outside of Christ die in sins (John 8:21-24). Just as the one without the blood of Christ retains his sin, the one who does not believe in the One who is the source of that blood will die in sins. By contrast, the one who truly believes in Christ will receive forgiveness (Acts 10:36-43). The Scriptures were written to produce faith (John 20:30-31). God wants all people to believe in Jesus, the one and only source of forgiveness. Faith is a spiritual indispensable.

3. Without Works, Faith Is Dead (Jas. 2:26).

The kind of faith that pleases God and gains access to the saving blood of Christ is a living, active, and obedient faith. It is not faith alone (Jas. 2:21-24). The world teaches salvation by “faith alone,” but the only place the phrase “faith only” is found in Scripture is James 2:24. It teaches just the opposite. If salvation is by faith only, who would need Christ’s blood? Why would we need His death? James isn’t teaching that our works merit salvation, but he is teaching that the only type of faith that pleases God is one that is obedient! Faith leads to obedience. “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36, NKJV). The New American Standard Update renders this verse: “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Faith is dead without obedience (Jas. 2:17). Someone might say: “You’re teaching that baptism is a work that saves us!” It is a work of one with an obedient faith, but how did Paul describe it? He taught that in baptism we rise in faith (Col. 2:11-12). Our obedience and our faith go hand in hand. We can’t have one without the other, but one completes and accomplishes the other. He taught that faith works love (Gal. 5:6). We see this in life. Someone who loves another person demonstrates that love. The one who does not demonstrate love does not really love! Works of obedience are a spiritual indispensable.

4. Without Holiness We Can’t See God (Heb. 12:14).

Thayer defines the Greek word hagiasmos, translated “holiness,” to mean “consecration, purification, the effect of consecration, sanctification of heart and life.” To see God, one must have a pure heart (Matt. 5:8). Holiness involves offering our lives as a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1-2). In one sense, everything we do as a Christian should offer God a “living sacrifice.” Holiness demands control over our bodies and over our minds (1 Thess. 4:3-7). Holiness is a spiritual indispensable.

5. Without Love We Are Nothing (1 Cor. 13:1-2).

Amid the first-century controversy over circumcision, Paul wrote: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love” (Gal. 5:6). Just as faith must be made complete by works of obedience, faithful obedience must work “through love.” The soul who does not obey does not have saving faith. Jesus teaches if we don’t obey His commandments, we do not love Him (John 14:23-24). John wrote, “This is love, that we walk according to His commandments” (2 John 6). Love is a spiritual indispensable.

6. Without Chastisement We Are Not Sons (Heb. 12:6-8).

Hardships that Christians must face may be thought of as a type of discipline—not in the sense of punishment for wrongdoing, but in the sense of training. Like the corporal punishment and training of children produces good behavior, faithfulness through trial yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness (Heb. 12:9-13). Both the Old and New Testaments teach that chastening and training may be found in what God teaches through His word, in the trials of life, and in the correction imposed by faithful brethren. These things (when received by those guided by God’s word) are God’s ways of teaching and training us as children. Chastisement is a spiritual indispensable.

7. Without Christ We Can Do Nothing (John 15:4-6).

The ungodly may do plenty of good things, but when one stands outside of Christ, their works do not please God. Apart from Christ, we can do nothing that will take away a single sin. Apart from Christ, we can do nothing that will be good enough to make us right with God. Apart from Christ, we are lost and without hope. Christ is the ultimate spiritual indispensable.

— Via Truth Magazine, Volume 66, No. 8, August 2022

https://truthmagazine.com/kindle/2022/2022-08-aug/02_Meditations.htm

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Psalm 119:129-136

Pe

¹²⁹Wonderful are Your testimonies; therefore I obey them.

¹³⁰The unfolding of Your words gives light; it informs the simple.

¹³¹I open my mouth and pant, longing for Your commandments.

¹³²Turn to me and show me mercy, as You do to those who love Your name.

¹³³Order my steps in Your word; let no sin rule over me.

¹³⁴Redeem me from the oppression of man, that I may keep Your precepts.

¹³⁵Make Your face shine upon Your servant, and teach me Your statutes.

¹³⁶My eyes shed streams of tears because Your law is not obeyed.

— Berean Bible
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

1) Hear the gospel — for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31).

2) Believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; John 3:18).

3) Repent of sins. For every accountable person has sinned (Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10), which causes one to be spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). Therefore, repentance of sin is necessary (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30). For whether the sin seems great or small, there will still be the same penalty for either (Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Cor. 5:10) — and even for a lie (Rev. 21:8).

4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).

5) Be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21). This is the final step that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). For from that baptism, one is then raised as a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), having all sins forgiven and beginning a new life as a Christian (Rom. 6:3-4). For the one being baptized does so “through faith in the working of God” (Col. 2:12). In other words, believing that God will keep His word and forgive after one submits to these necessary steps. And now as a Christian, we then need to…

6) Continue in the faith by living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Matt. 24:13; Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
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The Gospel Observer

October 25, 2026 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) God’s Remnant: The Chosen Remnant (Mark Roberts)

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God’s Remnant: The Chosen Remnant

Mark Roberts

Synopsis: God has a faithful group that He uses. . . and we can be part of it. However, being in that remnant isn’t always easy! Courage and commitment are required.
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Introduction

Somehow the idea of a “remnant” almost feels second rate. “We only have a few remnants left,” might mean the store is out of its best goods. Yet, for Paul, it was an exciting idea that played across the stage of all Scripture: the faithful few through whom God continues to work. For Paul, it wasn’t about being “leftovers,” but being at the center of God’s plans. That is why we want to understand the remnant in Romans 11. Paul says “there is a remnant, chosen by grace” (v. 5), and we want to be part of that remnant.

Romans 11 is a climactic moment in Paul’s writing to the church in Rome. This is a church experiencing division and strife along racial lines. Paul deals with much of this by reminding Jews and Gentiles that they are so alike. For example, they are all sinners (chs. 1-3), and all are saved by grace (ch. 4), and all have become new in Christ through baptism (ch. 6). Even so, Paul knows there are simmering and smoldering attitudes in Rome. A Jewish Christian might consider Gentiles as almost second-class Christians, thinking “Gentiles read our Bible and follow our Messiah—who is a Jew!” Gentile brothers might respond in resentment by saying, “You Jews didn’t pursue God by faith. He has rejected you and replaced you with us!” Paul answers this problem by saying that God is certainly not done with all Jews. After all, Paul says, I am a Jew (11:1)! Moreover, the inspired apostle argues, God will never be done with true Jews. There was a remnant, a small group faithful to God, even during Elijah’s time (vv. 2-4). Those 7,000 stand for all time to remind us that God always has a faithful group with whom He works to accomplish His purpose (v. 5). There are three implications for our Roman brethren, and for us, from these truths.

The Existence of the Remnant Is a Testimony to God’s Amazing Grace.

Why didn’t true belief simply vanish during the time of Elijah when God’s prophets were killed and His altars demolished? Because God sustained the faithful. In His grace and mercy, He protected them. For example, God miraculously fed Elijah at the brook Kidron by means of ravens (1 Kings 17:6). What happened with the others? We aren’t told, but God assures Elijah he is not alone! God had made incredible promises to Abraham, and those promises would not be exterminated. The key is for us to realize that neither Elijah nor the 7,000 deserved that. They could have been swept away in the furious storm of sin and idolatry that Ahab and Jezebel unleashed. Faithfulness doesn’t mean that God owes us anything. Nevertheless, by His grace, He maintains His commitment to Himself and His promises, and He chose to do that through a small group of faithful Israelites that He preserved.

This is an excellent place for American Christians to stop congratulating themselves on the size of our buildings, the effectiveness of our YouTube videos and live streaming, and be reminded: we are here by God’s grace. The freedoms we enjoy in this country have empowered us to build strong and thriving congregations. Yet it is clear that the forces of darkness would gladly sweep us away. Why hasn’t that happened yet? With so many arrayed against God’s people—the media, the courts, the legislature, and more—how are we still here? We are but a remnant. Yet, we are here, Paul reminds us, because of God’s amazing grace.

The Remnant Is There for Any (And All) Who Choose to Be a Part of It.

Perhaps few places in Scripture give us a glimpse of the joining of human will and divine sovereignty like Romans 11. Yes, God had determined that faith would not be obliterated from the earth. Who would carry the light of His knowledge forward? Who would be in the group that God used to keep the promises to Abraham alive? The answer is simple: those who chose not to bow the knee to Baal. To be sure, God does not need faithful people to accomplish His will. He can (and has) used unbelievers. Yet, God’s preference is to work with those who want to work with Him! That does not mean such folks aren’t sinners and don’t need grace. Of course not. The 7,000 Paul references in Romans 11 were still sinners needing forgiveness. However, they were the kind of people who wanted to be on God’s side. They wanted to do right. God blesses that, and God uses that. They were true Israelites. They had a heart for God. God chose them, and they chose God.

From a societal standpoint, life became complicated and difficult for Jews (such as Paul) who believed in Christ and obeyed the gospel. They had chosen Jesus of Nazareth. That meant persecution and attacks—from their own countrymen! It was hard for the 7,000 to refuse Baal, and it was hard for those New Testament Christians in Rome to be faithful. In acknowledging this truth—that our choice to serve God can bring hardship—we are brought to a third truth about being in God’s remnant. . .

Being in the Remnant Isn’t Easy, Which Means We Need Our Brethren.

The Jewish religion had long known special status under Roman law. They may have loathed the Jews, but the Romans knew not to trifle with their religious rites. There was no idol to Caesar in their temple, and their synagogues were exempt from laws about secret societies. Jews were allowed to send the temple tax to Jerusalem each year, instead of Rome. Judaism was a legal religion.

Christianity was not. For a while, it operated under the umbrella of Judaism, but the Jews who rejected Jesus worked hard to separate themselves from Christianity (Acts 18:2). By the time Paul writes Romans, Jewish disciples are having to make hard decisions about who they are for what they stand. Maybe that’s why Paul is so concerned about the church at Rome. He knows those Jewish Christians need their Gentile brothers! Thus, he calls them to be faithful to Christ, to be part of the remnant, but he also calls them to unity and care for one another. Instead of disdaining one another, Jew and Gentile needed to help each other—something Paul develops at much greater length in Romans 14-15.

Somehow all of this feels like deja vu! Many laws and special privileges have protected Christianity in the United States of America. Yet, we see those evaporating. More and more Christians will have to decide if they want to be citizens of the Kingdom or citizens of America. To refuse to bow the knee will be costly. There will be persecution and ostracism. Of course, it will be worth it as God works through the faithful, the true Israelites, to accomplish His everlasting purposes. Yet, that doesn’t mean it will be easy, and we will need our brethren to sustain and help and comfort each other. When you are the majority, you fit into society with no troubles. When you are but a remnant, you need all the help and support you can get because you will be persecuted!

Conclusion

God has a plan. In His grace, His plan always includes those who want to be part of His work and who set themselves up against the majority of society because they believe in Him and His Word. What about you and me today? Are we ready to be part of God’s faithful remnant? Are we thankful for His grace, and are we ready to refuse to bow the knee? Then let us pull ranks tight with our brothers and sisters as we continue to be lights in this ever-darkening world for Jesus Christ!

—Via Truth Magazine, Volume 66, No. 5, May 2022

https://truthmagazine.com/kindle/2022/2022-05-may/00_TM-TOC.htm

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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

1) Hear the gospel — for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31).

2) Believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; John 3:18).

3) Repent of sins. For every accountable person has sinned (Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10), which causes one to be spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). Therefore, repentance of sin is necessary (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30). For whether the sin seems great or small, there will still be the same penalty for either (Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Cor. 5:10) — and even for a lie (Rev. 21:8).

4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).

5) Be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21). This is the final step that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). For from that baptism, one is then raised as a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), having all sins forgiven and beginning a new life as a Christian (Rom. 6:3-4). For the one being baptized does so “through faith in the working of God” (Col. 2:12). In other words, believing that God will keep His word and forgive after one submits to these necessary steps. And now as a Christian, we then need to…

6) Continue in the faith by living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Matt. 24:13; Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).

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The Gospel Observer

October 18, 2026 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) Once Defiled, Now Blessed (Noah Diestelkamp)
2) Commit Your Way to the Lord and Trust Him (Psalm 37:5) (Mike Johnson)
3) Psalm 119:121-128 (Berean Standard Bible)

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Once Defiled, Now Blessed

Noah Diestelkamp

In the summer of 1834, a Mr. Nimrod Murphree posted this advertisement in a Nashville, Tennessee, newspaper: “To all Nations, Languages and People, Greeting—Know ye, that I, Nimrod Murphree, of the City of Nashville, and the State of Tennessee, have discovered perpetual motion.” In a subsequent issue, another paid for an ad in reply to Mr. Murphree, quipping, “Probably Mr. Murphree has succeeded in handing himself over the Cumberland River, or a barn yard fence, by the straps of his boots.” Almost 200 years later, we still have not achieved perpetual motion, and I suspect Mr. Murphree did not manage to hoist himself over the fence.

While the phrase “pull himself up by his bootstraps” is often used to communicate a need to “figure it out” and “do something unassisted,” we know that the phrase describes a physical act which is literally impossible. No amount of pulling on our shoes will do the trick! The post-exilic Jews found themselves in a somewhat similar situation during the time of Zerubbabel. By God’s grace, they had been allowed to return to the land and had begun the work of rebuilding the temple. But by the time of Haggai, that work had stopped and the people said, “the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord” (Hag. 1:2). God sent the message to the people via Haggai that their lack of diligence and respect for the temple of the Lord was something worthy of repentance and gave them clear direction, saying, “Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified” (Hag. 1:7-8). Just a few verses later, we are told with beautiful simplicity that, all together, the leaders and people “obeyed the voice of the Lord their God” (Hag. 1:12). However, what at first might sound like a nice “comeback” story wherein the Jews just needed to “put in a little elbow grease” and “pull themselves up by their bootstraps” takes a turn in Haggai chapter two.

In chapter two, God called upon the Jews who had seen Solomon’s temple before it was destroyed, prompting them to compare the two. “Is it not as nothing in your eyes?” asked God. The people’s work, though admirable and obedient, could not bring back the glory of Solomon’s temple. God pointed this out to help them understand a very important truth: the true glory of the temple was the presence of God. “Be strong,” He told the people, “Work, for I am with you… My Spirit remains in your midst” (Hag. 2:4-5). With this He promised that this temple would indeed be filled with His glory, to the extent that “the latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former” (Hag. 2:9). The Jews could take heart in the work they were doing, not because they did such phenomenal work, but because God would bless their work and fill the temple with His glory.

In the following section of chapter two, God commanded Haggai to inquire of the priests regarding laws of cleanliness and defilement. Haggai was to ask the priests whether holy meat could, by physical contact, make other food holy. The priests answered that it could not. Haggai’s second question asked whether a person who was unclean could, by physical contact, make food unclean. This time the priests answered it would, indeed, make the food unclean. The point God was making through Haggai was “So it is with this people… and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean” (Hag. 2:14). The Jews were defiled, so their offering—and even their work on the temple—was defiled. Yet, just as God’s glorious presence could fill even an unimpressive temple, so, too, could He offer blessing to a defiled people. In Haggai 2:15-19, God observed that these defiled people had been without His blessing for some time. Yet, in response to the people’s obedience, God said, “From this day on I will bless you” (Hag. 2:19).

The Jews were a defiled people building a defiled temple in a defiled land. In such a situation, there is no “pulling themselves up by their bootstraps,” there is only defilement and despair. The only remedy to their situation was God’s presence and blessing. In the time of Haggai, God offered His presence to the Jews when they obeyed Him in reverence (Hag. 1:12-14). Under the new covenant, we experience the fulfillment of this! Through Jesus, we—who were defiled—are now blessed. We are temples of His Spirit, purposed for His glory! Did we accomplish this? Did we grab our bootstraps? Thank God the answer is “NO!” Along with the Jews and their temple, our lives are privileged to be a testament to the glory of God who blesses penitent and obedient hearts.

— Via Think on These Things, Vol. 57, No. 4, October-November-December 2026

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Commit Your Way to the Lord and Trust Him

(Psalm 37:5)

Mike Johnson

Psalm 37:5 says, “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.” Psalm 37 is an admonition to followers of God to retain their confidence in Him and not be discouraged when facing hardships in life. Among other exhortations, they were told to commit their way (course of life) to God and trust in him. Similarly, Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.”

Consider the meaning of the Hebrew word translated “commit.” The root meaning involves the idea of “roll” and refers to the “rolling of a stone.” Consider the following definition: “It can also describe abstract concepts, such as reproach being rolled off (removed) from someone (Ps 119:22) or one’s ways and works rolled onto (committed, entrusted) to someone (especially God)…” (The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testament). Thus, it might be said we are to roll off the burdens of life onto the Lord. Consider 1 Peter 5:6-7: “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

We must commit our lives to the Lord and trust Him to take care of us. Further, as we handle the burdens of life, we give God credit. Have you committed your life to the Lord? Do you trust in Him? If not, you should.

— Via Seeking Things Above, Volume 1, Number 1, April 2020

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Psalm 119:121-128

Ayin

¹²¹I have done what is just and right; do not leave me to my oppressors.

¹²²Ensure Your servant’s well-being; do not let the arrogant oppress me.

¹²³My eyes fail, looking for Your salvation, and for Your righteous promise.

¹²⁴Deal with Your servant according to Your loving devotion, and teach me Your statutes.

¹²⁵I am Your servant; give me understanding, that I may know Your testimonies.

¹²⁶It is time for the LORD to act, for they have broken Your law.

¹²⁷Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold, even the purest gold.

¹²⁸Therefore I admire all Your precepts and hate every false way.

— Berean Standard Bible

______________

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

1) Hear the gospel — for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31).

2) Believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; John 3:18).

3) Repent of sins. For every accountable person has sinned (Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10), which causes one to be spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). Therefore, repentance of sin is necessary (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30). For whether the sin seems great or small, there will still be the same penalty for either (Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Cor. 5:10) — and even for a lie (Rev. 21:8).

4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).

5) Be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21). This is the final step that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). For from that baptism, one is then raised as a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), having all sins forgiven and beginning a new life as a Christian (Rom. 6:3-4). For the one being baptized does so “through faith in the working of God” (Col. 2:12). In other words, believing that God will keep His word and forgive after one submits to these necessary steps. And now as a Christian, we then need to…

6) Continue in the faith by living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Matt. 24:13; Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).

——————–

The Gospel Observer

October 11, 2026 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) Beneath the Cross (Matt Hennecke)
2) Seek God When He May Be Found (Psalm 32:6) (Mike Johnson)
3) Psalm 119:113-120 (Berean Standard Bible)

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Beneath the Cross

Matt Hennecke

Whenever we gather to partake of the Lord’s Supper, we join in remembering something we didn’t witness—Jesus’s crucifixion. We attempt to somehow “see” what we didn’t see. Is this even possible?

When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, he told his followers to eat in remembrance of him; but I wasn’t at the cross and you weren’t either, so how can we remember? And we’re not the only ones who weren’t there. Except for one, that ragtag group of apostles who had followed Jesus during his three-year ministry weren’t there either.

You know who stood beneath the cross of Jesus when he was crucified? His mother. Why? One word: love. Hers was the undying devotion and amazing love of a mother. Despite the absolute horror she was about to witness, no one—neither the Jewish religious elite nor the Roman government—could have kept her from being at her son’s side when the world was at its darkest. There’s nothing in this life more powerful than a mother’s love. It is only eclipsed by God’s love who sent his son to die on the very cross beneath which Mary stood.

The Bible records several other women were present, but where were all the men? Where were the apostles? They’d run. Matthew 26:56 says simply “…all…left him and fled.” John—the one whom Jesus loved—also stood beneath the cross of Jesus. Apparently, he’d fled with the others; but love stopped his flight and, despite the danger, he returned to be with Jesus. Of the apostles, then, only one—John—saw Jesus crucified. The others had fled for their lives—the very lives Jesus was sent to save. Perhaps later, to their shame, when asked if they had seen the crucifixion of Jesus, they had to reply, “No, I wasn’t there.” When these ambassadors of Christ who preached the gospel throughout the known world joined with fellow Christians in taking the Lord’s Supper, they likely felt pangs of guilt as they sought to remember something they had not seen.

So, again, the question: Can we remember what we’ve not witnessed? Can we “see” what we’ve not seen? Can we stand beneath the cross of Jesus and see him crucified? I think we can. I believe we are standing beneath the cross of Jesus when we assemble to partake of the Lord’s Supper.

How can I say this? Because faith is all about “seeing” what we haven’t seen. Hebrews 1:1 says, “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” A bit later in the chapter—in verse 27—the writer describes faith somewhat differently. He says faith is “seeing the unseen.”

Elizabeth Clephane—a young Scottish poetess—wrote the lyrics to a hymn we occasionally sing. Sadly, she died at the young age of 39, long before her work was published. One of her poems put to music is entitled “Beneath the Cross.” Elizabeth believed we could “see the unseen” and she believed—despite not having been there—that we could stand and take a stand—even today—beneath the cross of Jesus.

Consider her beautiful lyrics:

Beneath the cross of Jesus
I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty Rock
Within a weary land.
A home within the wilderness,
A rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noontide heat,
And the burden of the day.

Upon that cross of Jesus
Mine eyes at times can see
The very dying form of One
Who suffer’d there for me.
And from my smitten heart, with tears,
Two wonders I confess:
The wonders of redeeming love,
And my unworthiness.

I take, O cross, thy shadow
For my abiding place.
I ask no other sunshine than
The sunshine of His face.
Content to let the world go by,
To know no gain nor loss,
My sinful self my only shame,
My glory all the cross.

— Via Think on These Things, July-August-September, 2026, Vol. 57, No. 3

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Seek God When He May Be Found

(Psalm 32:6)

Mike Johnson

In Psalm 32, David describes what might be called the “blessedness of forgiveness.” In this Psalm, David speaks of the agony of sin and of the joy of receiving forgiveness from God. In the course of doing this (v. 6), he speaks of the need to seek God when He “may be found.” Cannot God always be found by the penitent sinner? In a sense, the answer is “yes,” but something else is involved here. God is not hiding from the sinner, but the sinner may not have the opportunity to find God. Many events in life can happen, which take away opportunities to make ourselves right with God. Consider three circumstances/events, which can occur:

1. Our conscience can become hardened or seared. Hebrews 3:13 speaks of a person being “hardened through the deceitfulness of sin”; Romans 2:5 describes an “impenitent heart”; 1 Timothy 4:2 speaks of those who have “their own conscience seared with a hot iron.” People often want to repent and confess their sins to God because their conscience bothers them. However, as time goes on, and they continue to ignore conscience, it then ceases to bother them and becomes hardened or seared. They have lost their opportunity.

2. We can die at any time (James 4:13-17). We are going to be judged based on that which we have done in our body (2 Cor. 5:10). After death, it will be too late.

3. Christ can return at any time (Mt. 24:36-44, 2 Pet. 3:10). At a time when we least expected it, time, and our opportunity to repent can end on this earth.

The point is clear. We must take advantage of the time we have now to receive forgiveness lest we lose the opportunity, i.e., we must seek forgiveness “in a time when God can be found.” II Corinthians 6:2 says, “… Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” All of us should seek God now while we can find Him.

— Via Seeking Things Above, Volume 1, Number 1, April 2020

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Psalm 119:113-120

Samekh

¹¹³The double-minded I despise, but Your law I love.

¹¹⁴You are my hiding place and my shield; I put my hope in Your word.

¹¹⁵Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may obey the commandments of my God.

¹¹⁶Sustain me as You promised, that I may live; let me not be ashamed of my hope.

¹¹⁷Uphold me, and I will be saved, that I may always regard Your statutes.

¹¹⁸You reject all who stray from Your statutes, for their deceitfulness is in vain.

¹¹⁹All the wicked on earth You discard like dross; therefore I love Your testimonies.

¹²⁰My flesh trembles in awe of You; I stand in fear of Your judgments.

— Berean Standard Bible
_____________

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

1) Hear the gospel — for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31).

2) Believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; John 3:18).

3) Repent of sins. For every accountable person has sinned (Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10), which causes one to be spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). Therefore, repentance of sin is necessary (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30). For whether the sin seems great or small, there will still be the same penalty for either (Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Cor. 5:10) — and even for a lie (Rev. 21:8).

4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).

5) Be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21). This is the final step that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). For from that baptism, one is then raised as a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), having all sins forgiven and beginning a new life as a Christian (Rom. 6:3-4). For the one being baptized does so “through faith in the working of God” (Col. 2:12). In other words, believing that God will keep His word and forgive after one submits to these necessary steps. And now as a Christian, we then need to…

6) Continue in the faith by living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Matt. 24:13; Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
——————–

Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA 31501

Sunday: 9 a.m. Bible Classes (except for last of the month Song Service)
and 10 a.m. Worship Service
Wednesday: 7 p.m. Bible Classes

evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com

https://thomastedwards.com/go/all.htm (This is a link to the older version of the Gospel Observer website, but with bulletins going back to March 4, 1990.)

The Gospel Observer

October 4, 2026 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) We Were Created for a Purpose (Heath Rogers)
2) Psalm 119:105-112 (Berean Standard Bible)

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We Were Created for a Purpose

Heath Rogers

“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” (Ps. 8:3-4).

David saw the moon and stars as evidence of God’s creative wisdom and power. These heavenly bodies were ordained, or set in place, by God (Is. 40:26) as a permanent testimony to His power and greatness.

As David contemplated these things, he began to feel small and insignificant: “What is man that You are mindful of him?” Every generation has pondered this same question. Unlike David, many today consider their origin and purpose without knowledge of their Creator. Without God, we are mere specks in the cosmos, the products of random chance, without meaning and purpose for our existence. There is nothing to account for the intricate design clearly seen in our universe. No adequate explanation for the existence of morality, mercy, justice, and love. However, when, through His word, we know God, everything comes into sharp focus.

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Gen. 2:7; c.f. Ps. 100:3).

Mankind is not the latest version of a highly evolved life form, the product of eons of genetic mutations. We are not a mere collection of conscious matter without purpose propelled across the Milky Way galaxy. We are the pinnacle of God’s creation, the creature for whom He made everything else (Gen. 1:26-28). He gave us dominion over the rest of His creation. It is ours to explore, inhabit, cultivate, and use – to God’s glory.

We are fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139:13-14). The cells in our bodies making up our limbs and organs are all crafted by God. He uniquely designed the features (skin color, eye color, hair color, height, etc.) that make us distinct from one another. Each individual’s aptitude and personality is, in part, the result of God’s design. God even determined the time and place that you came into this world.

Life has meaning when we realize we have a Creator to Whom we owe our existence. This is one reason we reverence, praise, and serve Him (Ps. 100).

“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Gen. 1:26-27).

“Created in God’s image” does not mean God has arms and legs, hands and feet, a head and torso. He does not have a physical body. It means we are the only part of His creation that has an eternal spirit. In this, we alone are like our Maker. God gave animals instinct, and some instinctive behavior is very complex. However, He gave us freewill. We can think, learn, and reason. Like our God, we have a wide range of emotions, a sense of right and wrong (morality), a desire to create, an admiration of beauty, the ability to love, and the desire to be loved in return.

After making everything else, God designed mankind to be able and willing to commune and connect with Him. God “has put eternity into man’s heart” (Eccl. 3:11, ESV). Animals received instinct, but we were given a desire to connect with something or someone greater than us. God “inhabits eternity” (Is. 57:15). This longing for eternity brings our desire for fellowship with God.

The world around us reveals our Creator’s presence (Ps. 19:1-3; Rom. 1:18-20). However, it is not enough to know God exists. God calls for us to understand and know Him. “But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight” (Jer. 9:24). Our purpose is not to obtain an education, master a skill, find a soulmate, achieve greatness, or leave a legacy. The greatest thing we can accomplish is to know and understand God.

While in Athens on his second missionary journey, Paul was roused to speak up when he saw the city completely given over to idols (Acts 17:16, 22-23). It wasn’t that the Athenians did not believe in God. They believed in a multitude of gods, but not one of them was their true Creator.

Given the opportunity to address them with the gospel, Paul told them they were made by God (Acts 17:24-26). Then he told them they had been created for a purpose: “So that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being…” (vs. 27-28a).

The phrase “that they might grope for” is from a Greek word that refers to the moving of one’s hands over a surface; the effort necessary to find something in the dark. This is exactly what the people of Athens were doing by pursuing all their idols. They were acting on the eternity (knowledge of something greater than this world) that God had put in their hearts, but without the light of His revelation.

The Athenians were groping for meaning in the darkness of paganism. Today, people are searching for meaning in their lives without acknowledging God. Some have been influenced by the theory of evolution and have decided God does not exist. Others have a bad attitude toward God and prefer to live without Him. However, none of this changes the fact that they are made in His image. They are acting on the longing for eternity that He placed in their hearts, but they are looking in all the wrong places to satisfy this longing.

I picture this eternity that He placed in our hearts, or being made in God’s image, as a large, God-shaped hole within ourselves. We can search the world for something to fill this hole (satisfy this longing), but we will come up empty every time because only God can fill this void.

The message of atheistic evolution is that we are the products of chance, without meaning and purpose for our existence. The Bible’s message is that we are the most important part of God’s creation – its pinnacle and purpose.

Fish were created to swim. Birds were created to fly. When fish swim and birds fly, they fulfill their purpose and glorify their Creator. You and I have been fearfully and wonderfully made in God’s image. We were created to have fellowship with God. When we are reconciled to God through the blood of His Son (Col. 1:20-22), come to know and understand God as our Heavenly Father, and walk with Him in daily fellowship, we are finally fulfilling the purpose for which we have been uniquely created.

— via the weekly bulletin of the Knollwood church of Christ, September 2026

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Psalm 119:105-112

Nun

¹⁰⁵Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

¹⁰⁶I have sworn and confirmed that I will keep Your righteous judgments.

¹⁰⁷I am severely afflicted, O LORD; revive me through Your word.

¹⁰⁸Accept the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, and teach me Your judgments.

¹⁰⁹I constantly take my life in my hands, yet I do not forget Your law.

¹¹⁰The wicked have set a snare for me, but I have not strayed from Your precepts.

¹¹¹Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.

¹¹²I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes, even to the very end.

— Via Berea Standard Bible

______________

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

1) Hear the gospel — for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31).

2) Believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; John 3:18).

3) Repent of sins. For every accountable person has sinned (Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10), which causes one to be spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). Therefore, repentance of sin is necessary (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30). For whether the sin seems great or small, there will still be the same penalty for either (Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Cor. 5:10) — and even for a lie (Rev. 21:8).

4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).

5) Be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21). This is the final step that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). For from that baptism, one is then raised as a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), having all sins forgiven and beginning a new life as a Christian (Rom. 6:3-4). For the one being baptized does so “through faith in the working of God” (Col. 2:12). In other words, believing that God will keep His word and forgive after one submits to these necessary steps. And now as a Christian, we then need to…

6) Continue in the faith by living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Matt. 24:13; Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
——————–

The Gospel Observer

September 27, 2026 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) Spiritual Tipping Points (David Diestelkamp)
2) Psalm 119:97-104 (Berean Standard Bible)
——————–

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Spiritual Tipping Points

David Diestelkamp

There are moments that reach such intensity that all which is held sacred and true may be ignored and a threshold crossed to do unthinkable actions. These are called tipping points. They happen in everyday life, but they also happen in one’s spiritual life.

Let me tell you about a man who was supposed to stand for law and order. When challenged publicly to break the law and support injustice, he refused. He tried to reason with the accusers and rebuffed them multiple times with innocent verdicts. He even appealed to a tradition, but it didn’t solve the problem. Even after his wife warned him not to, he gave in. This man was Pontius Pilate, and his tipping point was politics: “From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, ‘If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.’ When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out…” and soon “delivered Him to them to be crucified” (Jn 19:12-16).
Law, justice, reasoning, innocent rulings, tradition, and a spouse weren’t enough to hold Pilate to do what he knew to be the right thing. He fought it until something was at risk that he valued more than law, justice, reasoning, his findings, tradition, and his wife’s input. This isn’t a case of a blind or ignorant decision. Pilate knew his decision to hand Jesus over violated law, justice, reason, judgment, tradition, and his wife’s advice. But politics and job security were his tipping point. The chilling part of this is that all of us probably have a spiritual tipping point too.

Managing Our Tipping Points

I don’t have one. We are tempted to deny our tipping points. Wicked men like Pilate are not the only ones who have tipping points. Peter didn’t think he would turn his back on what he knew to be true and deny the Lord: “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You” (Matt 26:35). The fact that we don’t see our tipping points is what makes them so easy to sneak up on us. The fact that we deny them is what makes them so dangerous. “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12).

Imagining the unimaginable. Pilate initially stood for the law and pronounced Jesus’ innocence many times – “I find no fault in this Man” (Lk 23:4) and “…nothing deserving of death has been done by Him” (Lk 23:14-15). Pilate is strong until he’s not and then does the unimaginable by authorizing the crucifixion of the innocent Jesus. Peter tried to imagine the worst that could happen, “If I have to die with You” (Mk 14:31), but he didn’t see confessing Christ when under pressure as his tipping point. Christians may be strong until something unimaginable happens and they “…crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame” (Heb 6:6).

Avoid micro-compromises. Pilate knew Jesus was innocent and the false charges were due to envy (Matt 27:18), yet he offered to have Jesus beaten and released (Lk 23:16, 17). He actually did have Jesus scourged, but instead of de-escalating things, “…when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” (Jn 19:1, 5-6). Some of these seem like innocent missteps, such as Peter sleeping in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt 26:40-41), while others try to quantify and belittle sin. These can blind us and even cause our consciences to be “seared with a hot iron” (1 Tim. 4:2). Consciously allowing any sin to dwell in our hearts and lives compromises our reverence for God and His will and dilutes our abhorrence of evil (Rom. 12:9). Compromises are wrong and will create additional unthinkable future tipping points.

Avoid abandoning knowledge and reason in intense situations. Pilate’s problem wasn’t that he didn’t know that the law said Jesus was innocent or that he was convinced by reason that Jesus was guilty. Peter’s triple denial wasn’t due to him not knowing the truth about Jesus. The problem is that things like fear and consequences can cause us to ignore what we know and accept bad reasoning (or no reasoning at all). God warns us to remain vigilant, clear minded, and thoughtful in all situations (1 Pet 5:8; Phil 4:8). If we fail to do so, we may cross our tipping point and do what we know we shouldn’t.

Avoid “I can do whatever I want” thinking. Pilate thought he could do whatever he wanted. He said to Jesus, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” (Jn 19:10). Jesus reminded Pilate that he wouldn’t have any power at all against Him “unless it had been given you from above” (Jn 19:11). When Peter denied what Jesus said about His suffering and death, Jesus told him, “…You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Matt 16:23). Thinking we know better than God or that we are in control tips us into things that are not the will of God.

Listen to warnings. While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, “…his wife sent to him, saying, ‘Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him’” (Matt 27:19). Pilate didn’t listen. Jesus warned the disciples, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night” (Matt 26:31). Peter was certain that he wouldn’t stumble, but Jesus warned him that he would deny Him three times (Matt 26:33). In the Garden, Jesus warned the disciples, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt 26:41). They didn’t listen. There is power to avoid tipping points in warnings, vigilance, and prayer.

Avoid siding with Jesus’ enemies. “When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all…” and “…wanting to gratify the crowd… he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified” (Matt 27:24; Mk 15:15). Crowdsourcing and crowd-pleasing are often disastrous. And sometimes just being around those who are against Jesus takes us to our tipping point. It can be like after Jesus’ arrest with Peter warming himself by the fire in the courtyard of the high priest and exposing himself to his tipping point and denying Jesus. Being with the wrong people when we’re vulnerable can tip us to want to please them rather than God.

Return. It appears that Pilate’s tip was a one-way trip, but it doesn’t have to be. Jesus said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren” (Lk 22:31-32). Simon’s faith failed, but it wouldn’t be a total failure if he returned to Jesus. And he did! When Jesus rose from the dead, the angel told the women at the empty tomb, “…go, tell His disciples – and Peter – that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see him, as He said to you” (Mk 16:7). When we stumble over our tipping points, our Lord prays that our faith will not fail and that we’ll return to Him – even after our worst denials. The angels of heaven say, “Go tell His disciples – and [your name].”

— via Think on These Things, Vol. 57, No. 2, April-May-June, 2026
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Psalm 119:97-104

Mem

⁹⁷O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.

⁹⁸Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, For they are ever mine.

⁹⁹I have more insight than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation.

¹⁰⁰I understand more than the aged, Because I have observed Your precepts.

¹⁰¹I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word.

¹⁰²I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, For You Yourself have taught me.

¹⁰³How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

¹⁰⁴From Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.

— Berean Standard Bible
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

1) Hear the gospel — for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31).

2) Believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; John 3:18).

3) Repent of sins. For every accountable person has sinned (Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10), which causes one to be spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). Therefore, repentance of sin is necessary (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30). For whether the sin seems great or small, there will still be the same penalty for either (Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Cor. 5:10) — and even for a lie (Rev. 21:8).

4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).

5) Be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21). This is the final step that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). For from that baptism, one is then raised as a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), having all sins forgiven and beginning a new life as a Christian (Rom. 6:3-4). For the one being baptized does so “through faith in the working of God” (Col. 2:12). In other words, believing that God will keep His word and forgive after one submits to these necessary steps. And now as a Christian, we then need to…

6) Continue in the faith by living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Matt. 24:13; Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
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The Gospel Observer

September 20, 2026 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) Why We Love Daniel (Doy Moyer)
2) ‘Greetings!’ (Andy Diestelkamp)

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Why We Love Daniel

Doy Moyer

Several lessons from Daniel lately remind us how important his example is for Christians today. Daniel lived in a time when Babylon overpowered Israel and took captives. So influential is Babylon in the story of Scripture that the name becomes a figure for a nation that opposes God and His people (e.g, the Book of Revelation). Yet Daniel not only survived Babylon, then Persia, he thrived without compromising truth or His devotion to God. He was likely a teenager when taken by Babylon and lived out most of his life in captivity. Even so, he became a voice that was heard in the courts of Babylon and Persia without having to cater to the evils that were present. The following is not a complete list, but here are some reminders why we appeal to Daniel as an example:

He was convicted. As young and competent as Daniel was, he still believed he needed God. He demonstrated this by his conviction when “he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.” He was familiar with God’s Law. He knew the difference between what was clean and unclean, and his conviction led him to ask. This took some courage. How easy would it have been for the Babylonian officials to rebuff Daniel for thinking that he could do better than the king’s food and drink? Yet this was not Daniel being a food snob; it was conviction that was based on God’s Law. He asked; he spoke up, and this takes conviction and courage when you are in a hostile environment. Are we afraid now to speak up, to ask, to demonstrate conviction about right and wrong as we face hostility?

He was resolved. “But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank” (Dan 1:8). Coinciding with Daniel’s conviction, we note that he had resolved not to defile himself. This may be a difference without much distinction, but the point to note here is that for Daniel to truly demonstrate the conviction, he had to first resolve that he would do what is right. He did not accidentally show conviction. It was purposeful and grounded in a decision he had already made. Perhaps he could have asked not to be defiled and then backed off when rejected by the officials. Yet his asking was not a weak question mark. It was resolute query that showed he was serious. Likewise, when we confront a hostile culture, we need to have already decided in the mind to do what is right. Then, when the time comes, we will be ready to show our conviction by our actions.

He always pointed to God. Daniel was humble, not seeking personal attention. He pointed to God as the source of his abilities and always sought to give God the glory. When Daniel went before Nebuchadnezzar to interpret the king’s dream, he affirmed that it was God who gave interpretations (2:27-28). Then as he gave the interpretation and showed Nebuchadnezzar to be the head of that statue in the dream, Daniel said that it was God who had given the king the kingdom, the power, the might, and the glory (2:36). This is consistent for Daniel. God rules in the kingdoms of men, and no matter how much ability or power one might have, God is the source of it all. There is no authority or power without Him. This is always true. Any power or ability that we might have today still relies on God.

He was devoted to prayer. Daniel was a man of prayer. It was because of his prayer life that his enemies were able to seek a charge against him. The “high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. Then these men said, ‘We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God’” (6:4-5). That ground was Daniel’s prayer life, and when Daniel found out about the decree not to pray to any but Darius, Daniel did what he always did. He prayed to God. We know the rest of that story, and we also know how God protected Daniel. We also note, as we have been taught, that Daniel’s prayer found in chapter 9 is a great example of how prayer can be effective. Here is a great example for us now.

He trusted the outcome to God. Daniel was in a stressful situation, and it would have been easy for him to fret over what might come. However, his attitude and prayer life demonstrates that he trusted all the outcomes to God. Daniel knew that God kept His promises, and his prayers demonstrate his faith that God would answer accordingly. He didn’t panic and try to force anything. He simply trusted God to be faithful to His own word.

We need the example of Daniel to show us how to respond to our modern Babylon. Thank God for this.

— Via the Bulletin Articles from the Vestavia church of Christ, August 23, 2026

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‘Greetings!’

Andy Diestelkamp

It is common courtesy in communication to extend greetings to those with whom we interact and even to those with whom we may only briefly intersect. It was typical of Paul in his letters to the churches and to individuals to have some opening and closing remarks which included some form of greeting. For example, at the close of his letter to Titus he wrote, “All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith” (Titus 3:15). To the churches in Rome, Paul closed his letter with an extensive list of greetings to specific brethren and then passed along the greetings of other specific co-workers in the gospel as well as the general “the churches of Christ greet you” (Rom. 16:16).

The word that is translated greet is the same word that in other contexts is translate rejoice. A greeting is something that is generally positive and expressed with joy and a desire for the recipient of the greeting to have joy.

In Paul’s time, a common form of greeting face to face was with a kiss (which would have been much like a brief embrace). Many are familiar with Paul’s admonition to “greet one another with a holy kiss” in some of his letters to the churches (1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; cf. Rom. 16:16; 1 Thess. 5:26). However, the emphasis of Paul’s command is not on the kissing part but on the need for it to be holy. Since kissing to greet was already a cultural norm in ancient times, Paul’s concern was with its holiness. Since our culture generally associates kissing with more intimate relationships, we might assume that Paul is concerned with keeping those common greetings morally pure. While certainly, Paul would want to encourage holiness in that sense, this is probably not what was foremost in his mind.

Paul wanted their greetings to one another to be sincere and genuine in their joyful expressions. That greetings might be insincere is no better exemplified than in Judas Iscariot’s kiss of Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he said with feigned loyalty and affection as he kissed Him (Matt. 26:49). This was not a holy kiss!

So regardless of the mode of greeting, we ought to be holy and sincere in our greeting of one another as brethren. We Christians ought to be holy greeters to all we come in contact with because we are also admonished to be hospitable (Heb. 13:2); and hospitality begins most simply with a holy and sincere greeting.

When strangers dare to venture into our assemblies, the least we can do is greet them, acknowledge their existence and their presence, and welcome them by showing a holy, genuine interest in them. When we leave such greetings only to others (e.g. the preacher, the elders, the extroverts, etc.), we are failing to be hospitable in this most basic and simple way.

Granted, some visitors may find greetings awkward and uncomfortable (as many of us do when interacting with strangers). However, a sincere welcome generally will be appreciated, and a failure to be greeted will be noticed. So, let’s greet one another with a holy sincerity and also be aware of and joyful toward outsiders who courageously venture into our assemblies. Introduce yourself with joy and rejoice at the possibilities that may come from a simple, holy greeting.

— Via Think on These Things, October-November-December, 2024, Vol. 55, No. 4

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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

1) Hear the gospel — for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31).

2) Believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; John 3:18).

3) Repent of sins. For every accountable person has sinned (Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10), which causes one to be spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). Therefore, repentance of sin is necessary (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30). For whether the sin seems great or small, there will still be the same penalty for either (Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Cor. 5:10) — and even for a lie (Rev. 21:8).

4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).

5) Be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21). This is the final step that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). For from that baptism, one is then raised as a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), having all sins forgiven and beginning a new life as a Christian (Rom. 6:3-4). For the one being baptized does so “through faith in the working of God” (Col. 2:12). In other words, believing that God will keep His word and forgive after one submits to these necessary steps. And now as a Christian, we then need to…

6) Continue in the faith by living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Matt. 24:13; Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
——————–

The Gospel Observer

September 13, 2026 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) How Should Christians React (Doy Moyer)
2) The Gospel of Peace (Bryan Gibson)
3) Psalm 119:89-96 (Berean Standard Bible)

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How Should Christians React?

Doy Moyer

We are constantly being influenced and, I dare say, manipulated, by images put forward daily in a social media world that virtually always has our attention. These images might be real, but in these days there is a good chance they are not. With Artificial Intelligence (AI) everywhere, along with considerable expertise in photoshopping and video editing, we are often fed images and videos that are deceptive or filled with half-truths. Add to this the number of parody news sites that are now almost indiscernible, where we see images and headlines that look real enough, so we go with it without vetting it further. Then, even if a story is real, we might be hearing only one side of it, and this can be quite dangerous. Consequently, we are open to the deception and respond with knee-jerk reactions and emotions that are not grounded in truth. Once we settle something in our emotions, it’s hard to give up. Then, we are called on to take sides and fight over something that we don’t even know for sure is real, though we react with absolute certainty and crushing partiality.

Does this mean we cannot know the truth of anything? No. Truth is knowable. But this does mean that we need to exercise extra caution and know the potential for deception that permeates social media circles. As with the wise of old, we need to be those who understand the times in which we live (cf. 1 Chron 12:32). Today, that includes a digital world that can feed on lies. Like it or not, this is where we are.

How should Christians react in a world that feeds on half-truths and manipulation? Here are some suggestions:

1. Don’t react in haste. Because of hasty reactions, stories get passed around that just aren’t true, and we then may become guilty of spreading rumors or slander. Slow down. Make sure a story is true, and if we can’t do that, perhaps hold off on passing it around. “Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly” (Prov 14:29).

2. Watch the emotional reactions. We are emotional beings, and this can be played upon to manipulate those feelings and turn them into unrighteous anger (which does not produce the righteousness of God, James 1:20). The emotions may be screaming at us to say or do something, but remember that emotions themselves cannot tell us whether something is true. Our emotions react to lies as well as truth. That takes us back to point 1. “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion” (Prov 18:2). In our desire to be heard, let us not become the fool.

3. Ask how necessary it is to pass something along, particularly something that foments division and encourages outrage. I may be furthering the devil’s work by helping keep division alive when it was never necessary to enter the fray in the first place. Pick your battles with great care so that when you do join in, you can do so with honesty and assurance (see Prov 10:19).

4. Calmly and kindly point people to truth (Prov 23:23). If you can establish the truth of something by solid evidence, then point people to the evidence and let it speak for itself. Out-yelling someone is not a sign of truth. Persuade through proper reason, not manipulation. This needs to be done apart from party affiliations, for no worldly political party has the corner on the truth market. Be wary of special pleading by ignoring evidence.

5. Seek for unity and peace through love and respect (Rom 12:9-21). I realize that sometimes divisions are inevitable (cf. Matt 10:34-39). But unity needs to be the goal, and this only comes through love, diligence. and honesty in our work ethic.

6. Be open to hearing other perspectives. Is it possible that we have missed something? Have we jumped to conclusions only to find that another explanation makes better sense of a situation? Perhaps we are correct in our understanding, but truth has nothing to fear by investigation. “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him” (Prov 18:17). Have we fairly listened?

7. Always ask what will glorify God. If we hastily react, we might not stop to think about how God would want us to react. He is the Standard to which we look, so let us make sure we are seeking His glory above all. “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col 3:17).

Over the years, I bear my share of guilt in violating these principles. In our age wherein deception can take hold quickly and spread like wildfire, Christians need to be cautious in how they react to the various stories and news cycles. This doesn’t mean there is no reaction at all; it does mean that actions need to be measured and reasonable. “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand” (Phil 4:5).

— Via the Bulletin Articles from the Vestavia church of Christ, April 26, 2026

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The Gospel of Peace

Bryan Gibson

“Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, ‘If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes’” (Luke 19:42).

Let us be more determined than ever to preach the “gospel of peace” (Romans 10:15; Ephesians 6:15), to point others to the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6), the ultimate peacemaker, the only One who can break down every source of division and enmity (Ephesians 2:14-18)—between us and God, and between us and our fellow man.

Tell your friends, your neighbors, your family members, the stranger you meet on the street the things which make for their peace. Open their eyes with the gospel; point them to Jesus. Tell them how Jesus “made peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20). Show them how Jesus can give “rest” to their souls (Matthew 11:28), how sin is really the source of all “unrest.” Tell them how they can have “peace with God” (Romans 5:1), how that peace can be “multiplied” (2 Peter 1:2), and how that same peace can “rule” in their hearts (Colossians 3:15). Explain to them how the peace which Jesus gives is unlike any other (John 14:27), a peace so marvelous it “surpasses understanding” (Philippians 4:7). Tell them of the fellowship they can have in the “one body” with the redeemed of all ages, the redeemed “from every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9).

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things” (Romans 10:15). “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).

— Via The Weekly Bulletin of the Prattmont church of Christ, December 5, 2021

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Psalm 119:89-96

Lamedh

⁸⁹Your word, O LORD, is everlasting; it is firmly fixed in the heavens.

⁹⁰Your faithfulness continues through all generations; You established the earth, and it endures.

⁹¹Your ordinances stand to this day, for all things are servants to You.

⁹²If Your law had not been my delight, then I would have perished in my affliction.

⁹³I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have revived me.

⁹⁴I am Yours; save me, for I have sought Your precepts.

⁹⁵The wicked wait to destroy me, but I will ponder Your testimonies.

⁹⁶I have seen a limit to all perfection, but Your commandment is without limit.

— Berean Standard Bible
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

The Gospel Observer

September 6, 2026 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) Where is the Gym? (Mike Johnson)
2) “No Greater Joy” (Jarrod M. Jacobs)
3) Psalm 119:81-88 (Berean Standard Bible)

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Where is the Gym?

Mike Johnson

Many people would be surprised if they visited a large church and found out it did not have a gymnasium or something called a “fellowship hall.” Many churches today have become more like social clubs than churches. They provide events as meals, dances, bingo parties, basketball games, and other social events. Some churches have better recreational facilities than the local YMCA.

Did God ever intend for the church to provide recreation and social events? What does the Bible say about recreation as a function of the church? Can these endeavors be proven by the Word of God?

What is the function or work of the church as ordained by God? This question is essential, and we can learn the answer in the Bible. If the Bible does not state the church’s work, it has no duty toward a particular purpose and can engage in anything it wants. However, if an objective exists, we must keep the church functioning within its God-given design.

The Bible teaches that the church has a threefold responsibility. First, it is to preach the gospel to the lost. 1 Timothy 3:15 refers to the church as the pillar and ground of the truth (also note Eph. 3:9-10, I Thess. 1:8, 2 Cor. 11:8). Next, the church is to teach or instruct its members, i.e., those who are Christians (1 Tim. 3:15, Eph. 4:11-12, Acts 20:28), and finally, the church can provide for needy saints (Acts 11:29-30).

God has given the church this threefold mission or purpose. Does this constitute a pattern? Surely, it does. We must act with Bible authority. We are not to “add to” or “take away from” God’s Word (Rev. 22:18-19); we must abide in the doctrine of Christ (2 Jn. 9). It would be sinful to add a work for the church that God does not give. Nowhere does the Bible teach that recreation and social affairs are the church’s work. To add this function would be to add to the Word of God.

The church can spend money from its treasury and provide facilities for God’s assigned work. It cannot use its funds or provide facilities for that which is not its work. Clean recreation and entertainment are great. However, they are not to be provided by the church. I do not know of a single passage that would authorize such practices. Why can’t people be content to let the church be the church?

— via Seeking Things Above

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“No Greater Joy”

Jarrod M. Jacobs

John told Gaius, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (III Jn. 4). This statement, though short, teaches us several things. Let us break this verse down, see what John was saying, and make some applications to our lives.

“I Have No Greater Joy” – This phrase emphasizes that John’s greatest joy was knowing that Gaius, Demetrius (v. 12), and other Christians (i.e.,“friends,” v. 14) were holding fast to the Lord. This highlights the importance of spiritual priorities. He had his joy set on things eternal and not temporal (II Cor. 4:18). In other words, John’s joy did not rest in men’s opinion of him or some physical pursuit. John’s joy was in knowing that faithful Christians were doing their duty for the Lord! (See: II Jn. 4)

Friend, what gives you joy? Is it vacations? Physical pursuits? Work? Children? Cars? Hobbies? These things might bring momentary happiness, but what brings joy? Is our true joy found in spiritual things? If we truly love the brethren as we ought (I Pet. 2:17), we will be able to speak as John concerning the well-doing of brethren all over this country and world!

“Than To Hear” – Though he was not there in body, John was concerned for the brethren. He wanted “to hear” about Gaius and others and learn about their welfare. I know brethren who look down on such concern for others, but John (and the other apostles) showed us the proper example (I Cor. 4:16, 11:1; Phil. 3:17; Eph. 5:1-2). Please understand, John was not interested in gossip or idle talk, but genuinely concerned for their souls. This attitude of sincere care should be ours as well (Prov. 25:25).

Other apostles showed concern for the brethren as well. We see Paul’s care for brethren through all of his epistles (II Cor. 11:28; Rom. 16:1-15; I Cor. 1:11; Phil. 4:21; Col. 4:15, 17). The same goes for Peter (I Pet. 1:1, 2:17; II Pet. 1:1).

How concerned are we for our brethren? Do we show it through prayers? Through financial support or other means? Are we so caught up in ourselves that we don’t have time to “hear” about the welfare of other Christians?

“My Children” – This does not refer to his physical lineage, but to those he had been instrumental in bringing to the Lord. The apostle Paul used the same language for those he taught (I Cor. 4:15, 17; I Tim. 1:1-2; II Tim. 1:1-2; Titus 1:4).

I think it is interesting to note that we are never told about the apostles’ physical children. (Though we know that men such as the apostle Peter had children, I Pet. 5:1!). I wonder if this was done so we would keep our eyes on the apostles who pointed us to Christ, rather than on their descendants, whom we might treat as “royalty” or give some special position in the church that God never intended?

Brethren, what is our attitude toward fellow Christians? Do we strive for closeness? Do we treat one another as brethren? Let me ask this another way: How many can we consider “children” in the sense that John and Paul used the word (II Tim. 2:2)?

“Walk In Truth” – The word “walk” describes one’s manner of life or behavior. This was seen as Gaius showed hospitality toward others and set the right example to fellow Christians who were not traveling (III Jn. 5-8). In other words, Gaius was faithfully following God despite the difficulties that surrounded him. He didn’t merely give lip-service to the truth, but was walking in it! John said those, like Gaius, who were walking in the truth brought him great joy. Why did he have joy? It is because he knew that what they were doing pleased the Father (II Jn 4; III Jn. 4). Let us examine ourselves so that when the Lord returns, He will find us walking in truth.

—- Via The Ancient Landmark, August 9, 2026

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Psalm 119:81-88

Kaph

⁸¹My soul faints for Your salvation; I wait for Your word.

⁸²My eyes fail, looking for Your promise; I ask, “When will You comfort me?”

⁸³Though I am like a wineskin dried up by smoke, I do not forget Your statutes.

⁸⁴How many days must Your servant wait? When will You execute judgment on my persecutors?

⁸⁵The arrogant have dug pits for me in violation of Your law.

⁸⁶All Your commandments are faithful; I am persecuted without cause—help me!

⁸⁷They almost wiped me from the earth, but I have not forsaken Your precepts.

⁸⁸Revive me according to Your loving devotion, that I may obey the testimony of Your mouth.

— Berean Standard Bible

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Assorted Admonitions: All Rivers Are Crooked

Psalm 119:137-144

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

Meditations Column:Things We Can’t Live Without

Introduction

1. Without the Shedding of Blood There Is No Forgiveness (Heb. 9:19-22).

2. Without Faith it Is Impossible to Please God (Heb. 11:1-6).

3. Without Works, Faith Is Dead (Jas. 2:26).

4. Without Holiness We Can’t See God (Heb. 12:14).

5. Without Love We Are Nothing (1 Cor. 13:1-2).

6. Without Chastisement We Are Not Sons (Heb. 12:6-8).

7. Without Christ We Can Do Nothing (John 15:4-6).

Psalm 119:129-136

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

God’s Remnant: The Chosen Remnant

Introduction

The Existence of the Remnant Is a Testimony to God’s Amazing Grace.

The Remnant Is There for Any (And All) Who Choose to Be a Part of It.

Being in the Remnant Isn’t Easy, Which Means We Need Our Brethren.

Conclusion

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

Once Defiled, Now Blessed

Commit Your Way to the Lord and Trust Him

(Psalm 37:5)

Psalm 119:121-128

Ayin

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

Beneath the Cross

Seek God When He May Be Found

Psalm 119:113-120

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

We Were Created for a Purpose

Psalm 119:105-112

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

Spiritual Tipping Points

Managing Our Tipping Points

Psalm 119:97-104

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

Why We Love Daniel

‘Greetings!’

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

How Should Christians React?

The Gospel of Peace

Psalm 119:89-96

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

Where is the Gym?

“No Greater Joy”

Psalm 119:81-88

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

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Meditations Column:
Things We Can’t Live Without