But of all the motives that move men heavenward, love is supreme. It is the “Summum Bonum,” the highest good from which all others are derived. Christian journalist must challenge men to step up to the level of love, without which all else is but “sounding brass, or clanging cymbal.” (1 Cor. 13:1-3). “There is no fear in love: but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath punishment; and he that fearth is not made perfect in love. We love, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:18-19.

 Today, many are quickly bowing the knee to the loud voices of ungodliness, and are afraid to call them out about it (John 7:7). By standing up to evil, we protect our families, our communities, and our brethren. It has always been necessary to stand up against evil.

 One of the most obvious principles stressed in the NT is the importance of right motives. The morality of religious work and worship depends upon the motives which prompt the action. No performance is brilliant in God’s sight unless it stems from sincere spiritual motives. Christians are more accountable for their motives than for anything else, since all moral behavior originates in the heart (Matt. 15:17-20). The Scottish minister, Hugh Blair (1718-1800), spoke an eternal truth when he said: “In the eye of that Supreme Being to whom our whole internal frame is uncovered, motives and dispositions hold the place of actions.”

Have you ever had some place to go but avoided the quickest way to get there? Perhaps you did so because there was too much traffic, or the roads were in bad shape, or you didn't want to go through a bad neighborhood, or you wanted to avoid bad memories associated with a certain place, etc. People in the first century also did this. In between the northern (Galilee) and southern (Judah) regions of the land of Israel, lay a region called Samaria. The enmity between the Jews and Samaritans was so deep, that some Jews who traveled from Jerusalem to Capernaum or vice versa, would not set foot in Samaria. Rather, they would travel a longer route by going east and crossing the Jordan river, thereby avoiding the Samaritan people. The apostle John tells us that the Jews had no dealings with Samaritans (John 4:9). 

 The term godliness is found some sixteen times in the NT and is the word of true religion. Synonyms include such words as piety, devout, religious, and religious-minded words which Moffatt uses in his translation for the Greek noun (eusebeia) and adjective (eusebes).

 What will be said of you in eternity? The Bible says that our works will follow us there (Revelation 14:13). These works may not consist of some well-known achievement, but something that still advanced the gospel. Perhaps it may be something we believe to be insignificant, like what Paul's nephew did, but as it turned out, he helped save the life of the man who would go on to write a large portion of the New Testament. Be ready, as you may be the next person who will be able to work a good work for the sake of Christ, as this young man did. 

A mother remembers those special moments in her child’s life; the days of joy and sorrow. When a mother shares those memories with her child, no matter how old the child is, he or she feels special and loved. We are thankful for mothers and for those who are like mothers in our lives. But there is someone who loves us more and remembers more about us than our mothers, and that is our heavenly Father. Jesus said, Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows (Luke 12:6-7).

Said an ancient worthy: “Were the highest heavens my pulpit, and the angels, with the numberless host of the redeemed, my audience, and eternity my day, Jesus should always be my text”. This was the text of Peter (Acts 2:22-36); and of Paul (1 Cor. 2:2); and of Philip (Acts 8:5-35). And this should always be our text, our THEME. With all of the power at our command, let us proclaim him:

Over the last few weeks, you may have been doing some yard work: planting, mulching, or fertilizing. In so doing, you probably have had to fight against some pesky weeds. How do you get rid of weeds? Today, many folks get out the sprayer. But back in the old days, folks simply pulled them up from the roots. If you got the root, that particular weed was history. But if you only got the part above ground leaving the root in the ground, the weed always grew back.

Oh the power of persuasive words! Often, when a command or stern demands fails, a gentle admonition or a loving entreaty will accomplish the purpose. Before us we have some persuasive words or “Let us” passages. If we allow them to enter the heart, (mind) they will work wonders in our lives.

What steps have you put into place to ensure that you stay on the path of growth? It is important to have a plan, a vision, that helps you do something everyday to get to your goal. One can say he wants to go to heaven; however, if there is no daily plan of helping him get to heaven, it's difficult to see how he will get there. If you want to go to the mountains, how do you get there? By using the road signs along the way to guide you. We need daily road signs (markers) to help us reach our heavenly destination. 

here are hermit souls who live withdrawn

In the peace of their self-content;

There are souls like the stars that dwell apart

In the fallow less firmament.

There are pioneer souls who blaze their paths

Where the highways never ran;

But let me live in a house by the side of the road

And be a friend to man.

This is the common bond that characterizes our love for one another as Christians. Peter wrote his second epistle to Christians who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:1). It is our love for Christ and his word that unites us in his body. With that being the case, how can we increase our love for one another, as Paul instructed the Thessalonians to do (1 Thessalonians 4:9,10)? It stands to reason that we should increase our faith in God.

In our solitary moments, as we ponder life’s supreme obligation, we often ask ourselves: “Do we really love the Lord? Do we give Him the devotion that is due?” We contend that the correct answer to this question can be found: for there are some rules by which our love may be tested. Therefore, let us test ourselves.

“No tyrant ever invented a greater torment than envy,” said the great Roman Horace. How true! Envy corrodes the mind and forces its victim into a miserable state of perpetual fear, slavery, cynicism and discontent. Envy has no quality to commend it.

Gentleness is something that is learned, as I have noticed how little children play with dogs: they step on their tails, pat them forcefully, and pull their ears. Have you become a person who deals gently even though circumstances make it difficult to respond that way? We are surrounded by a competitive and combative culture. Drivers drive with rage. Executives threaten their sales teams. Movies glamorize violence. Shoppers argue over parking spots. Parents yell at umpires. In the midst of such an environment, a Christian ought to stick out like a sore thumb.

Do you still check your bank statement each month? With the advent of online banking, people can check on their accounts at any time, and not ever have to look at their statement. But a statement can still be useful in several ways; one of which is that it tells you the amount of deposits and the amount of withdrawals for that month. For most, the number of withdrawals will outpace the number of deposits; but hopefully only in the transaction number and not in the dollar amount.

One might say in common vernacular that I am the product of a singing family. Years ago, my family and I would travel in snow with chains on the rear tires just to go to a Sunday afternoon singing. Actually, in truth, all Christians are members of a singing family. Christ as the head of our family, the church, has so commanded that all Christians sing. Paul, in the Ephesian letter, exhorted, “. . . be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph. 5:19-20).

In the seventh chapter of the book of Proverbs, Solomon is giving his son a warning to stay away from a bad place. He tells his son of an event that he once witnessed. He once saw “a young man devoid of understanding” (v.7) making his way to the house of a prostitute. She is described as shameless (v. 13), and she seduces the young man. However, Solomon says that when the young man yields to her appeals, it is like he is led away “as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks” (v. 22), and that he does not realize that it will cost him more than he wants to pay (v. 23).

At times men and women want to lie down and go no further because they lose the truth of watching. “Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour. . .” (Matt. 25:13). Awake, my dear Christian friend if you are asleep, for there is an expectant future, a future which holds many pleasant surprises.