by Stan Mitchell

You might have seen this recently by Kevin McHugh:

Toddler Rules of Ownership and Sharing
1. If I like it, it’s mine.
2. If it’s in my hand, it’s mine.
3. If I can take it from you, it’s mine.
4. If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine.
5. If it’s mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
6. If I’m doing or building something, all the pieces are mine.
7. If it looks just like mine, it’s mine.
8. If I saw it first, It’s mine.
9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, automatically it becomes mine.
10. If it’s broken, it’s yours.
11. If it is broken, but you are having fun playing with the pieces, it’s mine again.
12. If there is any doubt, it’s mine.

We smile indulgently because these are, after all, toddlers, as oblivious of their surroundings as a puppy playing with his tail.

It’s sad, however, when an adult exhibits this sort of selfishness.

I suppose that almost every human relationship that disintegrates does so because either one or both was selfish. I suspect a high proportion of church problems, too, stem from selfishness.

As a matter of fact, how many sins can you think of that do not begin with the sin of selfishness? Someone walks out of a marriage because he would not consider the other’s feeling. Someone walked away from a church because it did not meet his expectations.

Note that the “Golden Rule” depends on our ability to see the other person, his needs, her fears, his point of view, how an action encourages her.

“So whatever that you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the law and the prophets” (Matthew 7:12, ESV).

Oh, and why should a Christian differ from a toddler? “If it’s mine, it’s mine.” Actually, we all belong to Christ (1 Corinthians 3:16). “We were bought at a price.” None of this is mine, it belongs to God.

by Paula Harrington

I was trying to explain an exercise to a Bible class of preteens recently. Each student was going to have a chance to tell something wonderful about one of their classmates, a great achievement, a talent, or something about their character.

I grouped them into pairs ,and we got ready to begin when one student took a long, hard look at his partner, who just happened to be his sister and then blurted out, “Seriously? You want me to do that?”

It took us a few minutes to get going, but once we did. They filled an entire white board with the positive attributes of their peers and siblings. It was one of the best classes we’ve had to date

How many times in the Bible do you think someone asked, “Seriously, God? You want me to do that?

Can’t you hear Moses on Mt. Horeb (Exodus 3)? You want me to go there and say what? Nobody is going to listen to me. Don’t you know that the Israelites had to think to themselves, “March around Jericho how many times? Seriously?” (Joshua 6).

We know it crossed Jonah’s mind, as well. You want me to go to those people? Why would you want to show pagans your love and mercy?

At first, Naaman flat out refused to obey the word of the Lord (2 Kings 5). It didn’t make sense to him. Surely the prophet of God could have immediately healed him of his leprosy. Dipping yourself in a muddy river is a waste of time.

The rich young ruler just wanted to keep his possessions (Mark 10).

Love others the way Christ did and does? That might put me around people who make me feel uncomfortable. It might make me unpopular.

Forgive others? But I have scars that run deep and legal papers that say I don’t have to.

Go the extra mile? Do you realize how far that is?

Too often we want to tell Jesus how it’s going to be. We will follow him, but he better not ask us to do that or go there. It’s easy to follow when we’re the one calling the shots. Right?

However, God’s ways aren’t ours. He sees the big picture. He understands the heart. He’s in control.

Following Christ might bring many of those, “You want me to do that?” moments because Jesus calls us out of the mundane. He beckons us into his story and out of our own selfishness.

This life is about Christ. Lord, help us to trust and obey even if we don’t always understand.

Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain” (1 Chronicles 4:9).

His mother may have bore him in pain more than his brothers, but the way he lived brought honor. She named him Jabez, which means, “He will cause pain,” believing that her carrying and birthing of him indicated the kind of person he would be, but his life reversed the meaning of his name.

What does your name mean? If it is something good, are you living up to it? If it has a negative connotation, what are you doing to reverse it?

Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?” So there was a division among the people because of Him. Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him (John 7:41–44).

Some thought Jesus was the Prophet who was to be like Moses (John 7:40), while others said He was the Christ, but others questioned whether the Christ would come out of Galilee, because they believed the Scriptures taught that He would be of Bethlehem.

Truthfully, Jesus is the Prophet, and the Christ, who was born in Bethlehem, but grew up in Galilee, all of which fulfilled prophecy.

Beware of hanging onto just a few ideas from Scripture to the neglect of the rest of God’s word, but seek the whole truth.

The sons of Seir were Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. And the sons of Lotan were Hori and Homam; Lotan’s sister was Timna. The sons of Shobal were Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. The sons of Zibeon were Ajah and Anah. The son of Anah was Dishon. The sons of Dishon were Hamran, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. The sons of Ezer were Bilhan, Zaavan, and Jaakan. The sons of Dishan were Uz and Aran (1 Chronicles 1:38–42).

The Lord keeps track of all this, and countless other pieces of information. Do not worry, you will not get lost in the numbers.

But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, “Where is He?” And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, “He is good”; others said, “No, on the contrary, He deceives the people” (John 7:10–12).

What do you think about Jesus? First, do you wonder where He is? From what you have read in the Scriptures, do you believe He was good, or that He deceived the people?

by Richard Mansel

When we are immersed for the remission of our sins, we are added to the Lord’s body, the Church that belongs to Christ (Acts 2:38,47; 20:28; 22:16).

Jesus is God, the Almighty, who overcame every obstacle (John 1:1-2; 16:33). He will never leave us (Hebrews 13:5) and we can be courageous and fearless in him. So, why are so many of God’s people paralyzed by fear?

We live, work and worship as Christians and try to do what is right, as well we should. However, we look around at people who are not teaching truth and we fear being identified with them.

So we do all that we can to distance ourselves from denominational people. We measure our doctrines and lives so that we are clearly distinguished from false teachers. It’s like we are more afraid of men than God.

The result is that fear isolates us and strangles our Christianity. We work so hard trying not to be them that we forget what it means to be in Christ. In the process of trying not to be someone else, we lose our identity.

Saints cease to become saints because false teachers have corrupted the word. We are tense in worship for fear of being like denominational people.

The result is that we do nothing, because we are paralyzed. If we are too loving or affectionate to each other, we might be criticized. So, we stand back and try not to breathe.

Stop it! Be God’s people!

Use biblical words and doctrines and never be afraid to be right and righteous. All that matters is that we are in Christ, and we want others to be here (Ephesians 1:3; Galatians 3:27; Matthew 28:18-20). What people outside of Christ do has nothing to do with us (Romans 12:1-2).

Like Jesus told Peter, “…what is that to you? You follow Me” (John 21:21, NKJV).

by J. Randal Matheny, editor

Over on BrotherhoodNews.com, we noted some efforts by Oklahoma City area churches to help victims of today’s tornado. Many other efforts are being made right now, both by individuals and congregations. Many of us can pray and send help. Others will travel to the area to aid in the rescue efforts and clean-up. Much needs to be done already and many will lend a hand. What a blessing is the body of Christ!

That blessing is even greater when we consider that the greatest help the family of God provides is not physical, but spiritual. In both cases, God’s people must reserve this work for themselves, as the Almighty has determined, and not let anyone steal it from them.

• Our time last night and most of the day today was spent with Christian friends. The mother of a sister in Christ died yesterday morning and, according to the 24-hour rule, was buried this morning, about an hour away from us. This sister is one of the most faithful, dedicated, and hard-working saints we know. She will certainly have many a star in her crown. We work together with her and her husband in many efforts.

This sister was afflicted by the thought that her mother was not a Christian. Six years ago, she buried her father, whom we helped teach the gospel and who obeyed at 80 years of age. But her mother showed no interest. She heard the gospel but chose not to follow the Lord Jesus.

This sister, another sister of hers who is also in Christ, and a brother of theirs who is also a Christian had all hoped that there would be one more opportunity to urge their mother to obey the Lord, after she left the hospital. They had already done so much, but they looked for every opportunity to continue their attempts to save their mother. But it was not to be, for she passed away unexpectedly, at the age of 82.

• Urgency is a quality of faith. “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” (Acts 8.36 NLT). Urgency says do it now, because Christ might return at any moment, or we might leave this life at any moment, and all choices will be sealed for eternity. There is also the destiny of our loved ones to think about. The longer we put off obedience to God, the greater the chance that they will enter eternity in a lost state.

Remember that first gospel sermon? Even after the listeners asked what they ought to do to be saved, Peter still encouraged them at length. “With many other words he testified and exhorted them saying, ‘Save yourselves from this perverse generation!’” (Acts 2:40). That very day three thousand were baptized.

When someone is trapped in a building, rescuers make every effort to dig them out. The response to the tornado in Oklahoma is typical. Help is needed immediately. First responders are quick to act, tireless in their efforts to save lives. In the same way, God’s people move quickly, speak incessantly, urge constantly, so that people will feel the urgency of their need and repent of their sins.

There is nothing more important, more urgent, more blessed than saving souls and going to heaven together as God’s family.

Nevertheless the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brethren (2 Kings 23:9).

Those priests could not see that their false religion was on its way out, and so they refused to worship the Lord in Jerusalem, although it appears they made some accommodations by eating unleavened bread with their brethren, unless that was a continuation of their idolatry.

“I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world” (John 6:48–51).

He is the staple of life. Therefore, we ingest Him, and live! When He explained that the bread He would give was His flesh, the Jews listening to Him should have noticed right away that He used “bread” symbolically, but they had trouble understanding Him.