Ever Growing
By Tom Smith, Wooddale Church of Christ

How To Tell When You Are Getting Weak Spiritually
by Tom Smith, Wooddale Church of Christ

A Marionette
by J. Raymond Pecoraro, Wooddale Church of Christ

According to Wikipedia a “marionette” is a “puppet controlled from above using wires or strings.” A marionette’s puppeteer is called a “manipular.” Therefore a marionette is only able to do what the manipular allows it to do. A pull on a string or wire here or there the puppeteer can get the puppet to do almost anything. 

While it may be entertaining to all of us, it isn’t entertaining for humans to fall into such a predicament. 

In my preaching experience I hear people say this is exactly how they feel. They are pulled in every direction and they just go with the pull from their manipular.

God didn’t intend for any of us who are made in His awesome image (Gen. 1:26, 27) to be manipulated in such a way. 

We were all given a mind which is much higher than those of all other creatures that He created! 

Make no mistake about this! 

If He wanted us to be controlled from below, He would have come up with the idea of creating “marionettes.” 

I tell people who feel this way to check all around them to see if they see or feel any strings or wires attached to them. And to their surprise, they cannot see nor feel any type of attachment. 

(Yes, even Satan is a manipular).


God, Himself, doesn’t control us in such a way. 
He established rules for a peaceful life & not just a mere existence. 
Provided we are willing to become obedient to the One who knows us best. 

But God didn’t attach strings to us, otherwise we would be mindless robots. 

Having said this, I would like to call your attention to the fact that “decisions determine direction.” 

Joshua of old said, “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river; or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me & my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15). Direction will determine our final destiny. Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate & broad is the way that leads to destruction, & there are many who go in that way. Because narrow is the gate & difficult is the way which leads to life, & there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13, 14). 

While God allows us to make choices, we must make the right one in order to avoid the terrible consequences of the wrong one! 

There is a heaven to gain & a hell to shun!

By M.S.Lowndes, Wooddale Church of Christ

WHY BOTHER?
Wooddale Church of Christ

Are We Being An Encouragement To One Another
by J. Raymond Pecoraro 

We all have the opportunity to be an encouragement to others, especially to those of the “household of faith.” 

We all are in need of encouragement from time to time as well. 

The opposite of “encouragement” is “discouragement” or “judgmental” or “critical” of others. This doesn’t make for healthy relationships with each other, but especially with us & God!

Christians should never be quick to pass judgment upon another unless there is just cause to do so. Then it must be done in the spirit of wanting to reach out to this brother or sister to save a soul & in the spirit of meekness & love! 

The Indians had a saying that shows much wisdom, “Walk in another’s moccasins before judging him.” 

I wonder if we all practiced this if, perhaps, our judgments would be wiser? 

God said it this way, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye & pay no attention to the log in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:1-5). 

Would you go to a surgeon to have a tiny sliver removed from your eye while he is blinded by a huge plank in his own eye? 
I can’t imagine anyone doing such a thing! 

We aren’t qualified, nor did God equip us with a built-in x-ray devise to search & read the hearts & examine the minds of others! 
This is a job that is reserved for a just, all-knowing, all-wise, & all-powerful God! (Jeremiah 17:10). 

Let us not be arrogant or presumptuous in thinking we can do God’s job. 

Paul tells us, “We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves & compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.” (II Cor. 10:12). 

We can drive folks away from the Lord, especially those who are still “babes in Christ.” 

We always want to be a positive influence & an encourager of others, especially our brethren! 

We must treat others as we are expected to be treated. 
Therefore, may we hold our criticisms & let our brethren draw nearer to God!

Topic(s): Christian Life, Forgiveness
Todd Clippard

One scripture I think will help you is 1 John 1:7, "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 cleanses us from all sin."

Consider some things the passage teaches:
1. We can walk in the light;
2. We will sin even while walking in the light;
3. So long as we walk in the light, we enjoy the provision of remission of sins.

Walking in the light means we live in accordance with the will of God. This includes daily reflection, repentance, and confession in prayer (1 John 1:9). So long as we continue to be aware of our sins, repent of them, and ask for forgiveness, the blood of Jesus provides continual cleansing.

David did not go to heaven because God ignored his sin. David went to heaven because when he was confronted with his sin (2 Sam 12), he confessed his sin and asked for forgiveness. This repentance is illustrated in Psalm 51, particularly the first 12 verses.

God's grace is not a license to sin (Rom 6:1-2).
Neither does God's grace ignore sin.
God's grace is God's unmerited favor.
It is manifested in the giving of His son Jesus (Rom 5:6-8), and in the giving of the scriptures which teach us how to live right in the sight of God (Titus 2:11-12).

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I wanted to share this Article By Ron Daly with you.

Do you love God? 

How much? 

Are you willing to be fully committed to Him in every way?

Is there anything you would not do for God (Mark 12:29-30)?

We live in a world that is constantly at war, at war with sin (2 Corinthians 10:3-6). 

Whose side are you on?

Can God count on you to increase your knowledge of his word so you can defend it against false teachers and their disciples?

"You must continue growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). 

God wants us to go beyond a state of spiritual infancy and advance to maturity (Hebrews 5:11-14). 

We do this when we pray, study, and apply the Scriptures (Acts 17:11). 

Will you resolve to study the Scriptures on a daily basis?

Can God count on you to defend the truth against every foe? 

Too many people will defend the gospel if someone they do not like is perverting it. But, if one of their friends perverts God's word, they tend to be very tolerant, or they will make excuses for them. When truth is at stake, we should have no friends except God. 

Do you find yourself wetting a finger and sticking it in the air to see which way the wind is blowing before you take a stand on a controversial issue? 

The Bible says stand (Ephesians 6:13-14; Jude 3)!

Can God count on you to take an active role in the work and worship of the local congregation? 

God has not placed the responsibility for building up the local congregation on the shoulders of only one person. 

The evangelist's role is to preach the word (2 Timothy 4:1-5); the elders oversee (Acts 20:17, 28-32); the deacons serve (Acts 6:1-6), and everybody is to work! 

As the old timers used to say, "Don't no one monkey run no show." 
In short, everybody's got to work if we are going to grow.

Can God count on you to be uncompromising in the fight against sin, shame, and immorality? 

When people in the work place laugh at homosexuality, unscriptural multiple marriages, the use of alcohol and drugs among the nation's youth, teen pregnancy out of wedlock, do you go with the flow or do you plead God's case (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:9-21)? 

If God can count on you, prove it!
 

Slow to Speak
by J. Raymond Pecoraro, Wooddale Church of Christ


John Wayne, affectionately known by his friends as “The Duke” was a famous actor & film icon. He was considered “All American.” He is credited with saying the following statement, “Talk low, talk slow, & don’t say too much.” 

This is great advice unless we are fast talkers who speak loudly & don’t know when to stop talking before we say too much! 

The Bible has much to say about controlling our speech. In fact, controlling our tongue would go a long way in dealing with anger. 

In James 1:19, 20, we read, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” The wise man Solomon said, “A soft answer turns away wrath.” (Proverbs 15:1).

In Judges 8:1-3, we read, “And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply. And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb & Zeeb: And what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.” 

Gedeon gave a soft answer during a verbal conflict with some of his fellow men. 
They criticized Gedeon because they felt left out of the main part of the battle against the Midianites! 
Gedeon could have laid into them with harsh words, but instead, he reminded them that they did a greater deed than his. 
His humility & soft words avoided a huge scuffle that could have gone out of control! 
Instead, Gedeon complimented them on what they have accomplished in comparison to what he did! 
He defused what would have been a volatile situation. 

Sometimes in our dealing with our brethren, discretion is the greater part of valor! 
With the help of our Lord, we can also defuse heated situations simply by choosing our words very carefully & speaking softly & slowly. 

Christians shouldn’t be interested in winning a battle only to lose the war! 
We must learn to respond gently & carefully to angry people. 
This gives us greater opportunity to promote unity & thereby glorifying the name of our Lord!

Lord, set a guard upon my lips,
My tongue control today;
Help me evaluate each thought
And watch each word I say.

May we learn to bite our tongue before our tongue bites someone else! 
Remember, anger words cannot be undone! 
Once they leave the lips, the damage most likely is already done & feelings are hurt! 

May God grant us the wisdom to think before we speak!
 

Topic(s): Prayer
 Todd Clippard

Yours is a very difficult question. All men do indeed possess free moral agency. But I'm not sure how praying for an individual would supplant or interfere in the exercise thereof. For example, when I pray, I pray for what is best for an individual. At the same time I pray for God's will to be done in all things. I think it best to pray that an individual will act in accordance with God's will, instead of praying for a specific course of action.

So long as we pray for what is best for an individual, and pray for understanding and the courage to accept God's will, I believe we ought to pray for others. In 1 Timothy 2:1-5, we are commanded to pray for our leaders that we might live quiet and peaceable lives. I don't think this is an attempt to usurp their free moral agency, any more than praying for myself is an attempt to have God intervene without my personal exercise of free moral agency.

Part of the difficulty is not knowing HOW God works in the lives of men. I believe prayer changes things, and I believe God works in the lives of men. However, it is difficult, if not impossible, for me to immediately point to any specific event and say, "This is the providence of God." An older, wiser, preacher-friend of mine once told me, "Always wait at least 15 years before crediting God with anything." What he meant was that sometimes we give God credit for things that end up hurting us in the long run, when our own poor decisions are the cause of the difficulty.

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What is causing your Christian life to bog down?

What is attached to your life?


By: J. Raymond Pecoraro, Wooddale Church of Christ


I recently read an article about a Formula One Grand Prix driver from Brazil. 


It was in Singapore in the month of September 2008. 
This driver's name was Felipe Massa. 
He should have won that particular race as he was leading. 
Since he had a good lead over the other drivers he decided this would be a good time to make a fuel stop. As he drove off from the refueling pit the crew noticed that the fuel hose was still attached to the car’s fuel tank. By the time the hose was finally removed, Felipe had lost too much time. 


He finished the race number thirteenth. 
What a lost!


The great Apostle Paul gave a warning to the young preacher named Timothy. 
Paul wasn’t warning about a fuel hose. 
He was warning of another kind of attachment that will slow the Christian down from his race. 


II Tim. 2:4, we read, “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life.” 


He was urging Timothy not to let anything slow him down or distract him from the cause of Jesus Christ. To do so would cause him to lose the battle … spiritual battle!


There are many attractive things that the devil places in the world to distract and lure us away. 


Now we live in the age of technology where our time is consumed. 
A great part of our time is lost through such gadgetry. 
Too much of even a good thing could cause an unrecoverable distraction. 


Our souls need nourishment just as does our physical bodies. 
To neglect it is to commit spiritual suicide, make no mistake about this!


We don’t want to entangle ourselves in the lures of the devil. 
We cannot allow worldly things to keep us out of the race. 
The rewards are much too great. 


“The world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” (I John 2:17). 


John knew that we cannot hold allegiance to both the world and to the Lord. 
We must do as Joshua of old did in making his decision to follow the Lord. 
(Josh. 24:15-28).


Paul told Timothy why he ought to keep his eyes on the prize of his calling and election.




It is our sincere prayer that you make the right choices in life because the wrong ones will bring dire consequences!

Bob Prichard
Topic(s): Christian Life, Prayer

Foremost in prayer we must recognize the sovereign power of God. 

He hears prayer and forgives sin. 
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).  

Confession of sin is more than just admitting the sin. 

In confessing sin to God, we agree with Him about the nature and effects of sin. He knows what we have done, so in confession we acknowledge that He as Lord has the power to forgive us and cleanse us of unrighteousness. 

We should not fear confessing sin to God, because His matchless love for us is demonstrated by the cross of Christ. 

In recognizing with God the nature and effect of sin, we realize the inherent need to make restitution to others for our sin. 

The Philippian jailer made restitution for the harsh treatment of Paul and Silas: He took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway (Acts 16:33).

As He prepared to face the cross, Jesus prayed, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done (Luke 22:42). 

Effective prayer must be marked by this attitude, not my will, but thine, be done. 

We must pray according to God's will. 
We may not always know fully what the will of God is, but we will know that His will is always consistent with the scriptures. 
The better we know His written word, the better we will be able to keep our prayers and our lives in tune with His will. 

James lamented that some chose not to pray according to God's will: Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts (James 4:3). 
We must pray according to His will, and do all that we can to let His will be done.

Even though the disciples were religious, and had prayed all of their lives, they knew that Jesus was different, so one said, Lord, teach us to pray (Luke 11:1). 

In response, Jesus gave a model prayer. 

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 
Thy kingdom come. 
Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 
Give us day by day our daily bread. 
And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. 
And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil (Luke 11:2-4). 

He immediately then told a parable about persistence as a man begged for help from a friend. The friend helped, not because of friendship, but because of his importunity, or persistence in asking (Luke 11:8). 

Christ then pointed out that God will give to His children as any good father will, but He expects importunity, or persistence in prayer.

Fervency is another characteristic of effective prayer. 

God's people have always prayed with forceful sincerity. 

Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months (James 5:17). 

We read of Christ; And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground (Luke 22:44). 

The formalism of many prayers needs to be replaced with the fervency of real belief in God and in His promise to hear and respond to our prayers.

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