Pisgah Church of Christ

As I sit to write these words, I wonder about those who will read them. I do not know you, nor do I know your personal situation. Perhaps, someday it will be possible for us to meet one another. I wonder about the personal burdens of your life and how you handle those burdens on a daily basis. None of us are exempt from the situations of life that sometimes cause frustration. I wonder about your feelings and thoughts that occupy your life. All of us have a philosophy of life that directs us, and even, controls us. This determines who we are and who we become.

The most important thought that I have about your life concerns your spiritual welfare. Because I have chosen to be a minister of the gospel of Christ, I am to have this concern for the spiritual well being of others. Since my early childhood, I have been moved in the direction of caring about the plight of other human beings. As I write, I wonder if my readers are fleshy minded or spiritual minded. I wonder if your greatest concern in life is going to be with God when your physical life ends. And it surely will. All have come from the earth and all will return to the earth again. Our "outward man will perish." (II Corinthians 4:16). None of us will ever be young again. I wonder if the spiritual consumes you, or, if perhaps, it only occupies a place in your life. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave us some insight into the place of the physical and spiritual elements of life. Read His words with great care in Matthew 6:19-34. I learn from Him that the physical is temporary and the spiritual will never cease to be. He instructs me, as well as you, to "seek first the kingdom." On another occasion, He counseled, "Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life..." (John 6:27)

I also wonder if you walk with God or if you walk with Satan. You recall that Noah "walked with God." (Genesis 6:9). As a result of that walk, Noah "found grace in the eyes of the Lord." (Genesis 6:8). The religious world of humanity speaks often of the grace of God. Grace is shown toward those only who walk with God. God is not to be the Being upon whom we call only in time of need, but He is to be the one who dominates the heart . God is not to be the One whom we occasionally visit, but the One who is always present with us. We make decisions and commit activities based upon our relationship with God. We seek the guidance of His truth, and act in accord with His will. Walking with God means that we move against the tide rather than with the tide. Walking with God means that we are not swayed by public opinion or by the majority. As we examine the situation of Noah, we see that the great multitude of that age was given to evil. Only eight souls survived the destruction that God brought upon them. Noah's escape from calamity was due to his walk. Noah did "according to all that God commanded him, so did he." (Genesis 6:22). That's how grace works.

I also wonder if you are a Bible reader or a Bible student. I believe there is a difference in the two. A student wants to make certain about what God has spoken. The student will always compare what has been heard and what God has said. "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (II Timothy 2:15). "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." (I Thessalonians 5:21). Today's religious world offers too many options. Man, even in his desire to be spiritual, wants too many ways to travel. Not everything that we hear is good. Everything that you hear and everything that you want to believe must be proven. The Bible is the final authority. It will not matter what I have been taught, what I have learned, and what I believe if the Bible does not teach it. I wonder if you, my reader, has proven all of your religious ideas and beliefs by the divine power that "hath given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness..." (II Peter 1:3).

I wonder if you are saved or lost. God has given the conditions for our salvation. He, by His amazing grace and exceeding love, has made salvation a possibility. But, we must all meet the same conditions. There is within the divine blueprint, the Bible, the way or the plan of salvation. Jesus taught us to believe (John 8:24), repent (Luke 13:3), confess (Matthew 10:32), and be baptized for the remission of our sins (Mark 16:16). When we obey these divine orders, the Lord will add us to His church. (Acts 2:47). The Bible teaches that the church is the community of saved souls who have complied with God's plan to be saved.

I wonder dear reader if these words will make an impact upon your life. I do pray that they will.

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