March 16, 2012

You Shall Not Neglect the Levite (3/16)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Deuteronomy 14-16.

“Also you shall not neglect the Levite who is in your town, for he has no portion or inheritance among you” (Deuteronomy 14:27).

The tribe of Levi was unique in the nation of Israel. Unlike the other tribes, the Levites did not receive a possession when the promised land was divided among the tribes. The reason for this had to do with the specific duty God gave to the Levites.

“To the sons of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting. […] Only the Levites shall perform the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, and among the sons of Israel they shall have no inheritance. For the tithe of the sons of Israel, which they offer as an offering to the Lord, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance; therefore I have said concerning them, ‘They shall have no inheritance among the sons of Israel’” (Numbers 18:21-24).

The Levites were devoted to a spiritual work. Therefore, God made this provision for them. Though they had no inheritance in the land, they would receive their livelihood from the tithes given by the people.
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March 5, 2012

"What the Lord Speaks, That I Will Speak" (3/5)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Numbers 23-25.

Balak, king of Moab, feared the Israelites. He saw what they had already done to the Amorites and sought help from Balaam to curse the people. But in three attempts, Balaam blessed the Israelites each time instead of cursing them.

“Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, ‘I called you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have persisted in blessing them these three times! Therefore, flee to your place now. I said I would honor you greatly, but behold, the Lord has held you back from honor.’

“Balaam said to Balak, ‘Did I not tell your messengers whom you had sent to me, saying, ‘Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything contrary to the command of the Lord, either good or bad, of my own accord. What the Lord speaks, that I will speak’?” (Numbers 24:10-13).

Balaam is more known for his faults than his virtues. Yet his attitude here is commendable. He told Balak that no matter what the king offered him, he could not speak anything but what the Lord revealed to him.
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February 15, 2012

By the Grace of God

Paul

In presenting evidence to support the resurrection of Christ, Paul told the brethren in Corinth of several eyewitnesses who could verify that Jesus did in fact rise from the dead. The last of these eyewitnesses that Paul mentioned was himself: “And last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also” (1 Corinthians 15:8).

At this point, Paul took a short break from his discussion about the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection to make a point about the grace of God:

“For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove in vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed” (1 Corinthians 15:9-11).

Paul made four points in these three verses about the grace of God. Let us consider these briefly.
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January 26, 2012

Benjamin Franklin’s Beginning in Preaching

Not long after being converted out of Methodism, the young Benjamin Franklin (1812-1878) began preaching, taking advantage of every opportunity he could find.

Benjamin Franklin“And, as already mentioned in the preceding chapter, he at once began to preach, and he never stopped for anything but serious sickness of himself or family. At first it was only an effort to ‘exhort’ a little at the regular meetings of the church, or after someone else had preached. Then an appointment to preach somewhere at night, in some school-house, or in some private dwelling, was ventured upon. To these appointments he would often walk, three, four, or five miles, after a hard day’s work. Two or three of the young preachers generally met together and united in the exercises of the meeting. And thus, gradually, he directed the forces of his mind and body to the work, until he lost his interest in all other employments. Four years after his obedience to the Gospel he sold out the mill property, and was never afterward engaged in any regular secular business.” (The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin, p. 59-60)

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January 25, 2012

Pray for Those in Authority

Prayer

One of our specific obligations in prayer is to pray for those in positions of civil authority. Paul made this clear in his first letter to the young evangelist Timothy:

“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

Not only did Paul teach that Christians are to pray for their leaders, he explained why we are to pray for them. There is a specific desire for which we should pray that is according to the will of God. Before we consider this, we should first be reminded of the purpose for which God ordained civil authorities.
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December 8, 2011

Sounding Forth the Word

Tin can phone

The local church is God’s “missionary society” – the organization through which we work to spread the gospel. Though man has concocted many different schemes and systems since the time when Jesus established His church, the Lord’s design is for His message to be proclaimed through the work of individuals and local churches. Paul mentioned the church in Thessalonica as an example of how this simple arrangement can be successful.

“For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything” (1 Thessalonians 1:8).

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November 3, 2011

Remembering E.A. Dicus

E.A. Dicus

“Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7).

E.A. Dicus (“Dike”) preached for over forty years for the Lorain Avenue church of Christ in Cleveland, Ohio (where my family attended while I was growing up). He was well-loved and respected by those that knew him. Even though I was not quite ten years old when he passed away, he made an early impact upon me and his example continues to influence me today.

Lewis Willis spoke at his funeral and wrote an obituary that appeared in Guardian of Truth magazine a month later [available online here]. From time to time I go back and re-read Willis’ comments about Dike, just to be reminded about who he was and the work he had done. Today is the twenty-first anniversary of his passing. I wanted to share his story with the readers here, in particular the following excerpt:
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