Letter from the Editor

I have marveled for years about the majesty of God as I live in His creation.  All around us is His design with incredible beauty, complexity, and unity.  It is boggling to contemplate how the heavens are infinitely large and matter is comprised of elements that are apparently infinitely small. 

But recently, it dawned on me that though the evidence of my senses confirms the fact of creation, a greater creative act by God is to create a soul.  Think about it for a minute.  He created our souls from nothing (as He did everything else), but our souls are eternal.  At one point in time, I did not exist, but now I (my soul) will live forever.  What an amazing revelation.  I wonder what my evolutionist friends think a soul evolved from.

Reader's Question

What is the longest chapter in the Bible?

The longest chapter in the Bible is Psalms 119; the shortest is Psalms 117.  But God further reveals himself by giving us Psalm 118 as the center of the Bible and Ps 118:8 the center verse.  Yes there are 594 chapters before and 594 chapters after Ps 118:8 (when added together they total 1188).  So what does Ps 118:8 say?

It is better to trust and take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in man.

Featured Article (Larry Massa)

Forgiveness

Some years ago, while teaching a class of young adults what "The Lord's Prayer" really is saying (Matt 6:6-15), I was given the following hypothetical situation.  We had just read Matt 6: 14, 15:

For if you forgive people their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses

So I was given the following question.

"A person wronged a Christian.  So the Christian was going to church to forgive the person who wronged him when he was struck and killed by a car.  He didn't get to forgive the person who wronged him, so did the Christian lose his salvation and not go to heaven?"

First and foremost, we need to firmly understand how we attain eternal life with God.  There is only one thing we can do.  It is to believe (rely on, trust in and adhere to) Jesus' death on the cross paid the penalty for all our sins (past, present and future).  It is totally an act of faith (Rom: 4:16).  There is absolutely nothing that is added to make salvation dependent upon.  Forgiving people is not a requirement for salvation and nowhere in the Bible do we find that concept!

In fact, we are never even instructed by the Bible to ask God to forgive us.  The reason is, He has already forgiven everyone when Christ died.  We just need to believe it.

 So what then is God meaning in Matt 6:14,15? 

God placed a principle into normally developed individuals.  It is the concept that whenever a wrong is committed, someone must pay a penalty.  When someone does something wrong to us or when we sin against God, we are to accept that Jesus paid the penalty for that wrong (He paid the penalty for all wrongs).  When we do accept this, any desire for revenge or retribution against another or ourselves is thwarted.  The God-placed principle is satisfied.  We "forgive" the person or ourselves and suffer no psychological damage ... that is to say, God forgives and heals us.

However, if we do not accept that Jesus paid the penalty when a person wrongs us or we sin against God or others, the God-placed principle will not be satisfied.  Then we will attempt to somehow make the person who wronged us "pay".  Even worse, if we have committed the error and don't accept Jesus' work, we may make ourselves "pay".  Both ways lead to psychological (and often physical) damage ... that is to say, God does not forgive us and we are not healed.

In summary, forgiveness is not required for salvation, but it certainly is required for mental and physical health.  God created all of us.  And, He knows what is good and what is bad for us.  Matt 6: 14,15 is telling us forgiveness is a key element in the manual on human maintenance and we would do wise to follow the manual for a joyful, healthy life.

Feeding Your Spirit (Contributed by Sheila Wells Hughes)

Devotions (Contributed by Sheila Wells Hughes)

God has passed His mission on earth to each of us.  We may understand His command to go into the world and preach the gospel, but how many of us are truly serious about making ourselves willing and available to go? 

How many have turned His command into our personal heartfelt request? 

Are we truly seeing from God's point of view and pleading with Him to send us? 

Does God know from you He can call on you at any time to do His bidding? 

Can He be sure you are committed to act on His behalf regardless of how difficult the task may be?

In order for us to be able to actually see His miracles happening in our midst, we must be wholeheartedly dedicated to His service.  We must willingly hand all over to Him, seeking to put others before ourselves. 

 God knows if we care deeply for the welfare of others.  He knows whether we seek to honor Him or just get attention for ourselves.  We can never fool Him.  We need to act when we feel Him nudging us to do something, then we need to trust Him with the outcome. 

 Rest assured ... God will grow you right along with the ones you are willing to serve. 

Won't you allow God to put His power and glory on display through you?  He is patiently waiting for you to volunteer, and mean it! We all have been "born again" for this service.

Tips for Healthy Mental Living (Some Proverbs from Chap 10 & 11)

Chap 10:

6  Blessings are upon the head of the righteous; but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

8.  The wise in heart will accept and obey commandments, but the foolish of lips will fall headlong.

12.  Hatred stirs up contentions, but love covers all transgressions.

19.  In a multitude of words transgression is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is prudent.

27. The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord prolongs one's days, but the years of the wicked shall be made short.

Chap 11

2.  When swelling and pride come, then emptiness and shame come also, but with the humble are skillful and godly Wisdom and soundness.

12.  He who belittles and despises his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding keeps silent.

22.  As a ring of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman without discretion.

27.  He who diligently seeks good seeks favor, but he who searches after evil, it shall come upon him.

29.  He who troubles his own house shall inherit the wind, and the foolish shall be servant to the wise of heart.

Series

Larry Massa is the author of Catacombs.  It is a mystery-treasure hunt along the lines of the recent National Treasure movie series where the answer to one puzzle leads to another.  The reader is propelled through a maze of mental and physical catacombs toward an electrifying answer.  This month Mr. Massa is providing chapter eight free, but it is available in its entirety on this site's Order Books/Prior Months tab or www.catacombsthebook.com.

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Chapter Eight

Three days had past since Malchus' near encounter in the catacombs. His master had instructed him to wait until this night to return, but to be extra careful to remain undiscovered.

Malchus leaned against the mud-brick wall, his large frame needing all the support an upside-down water barrel could provide. The silence of the room added to his feelings of despondency.

The windowless room was becoming dark. Malchus swallowed the last bits of crusty bread and salted lamb and picked up his cup. Downing the remainder of the wine, he stood, ambled to the door, and cracked it open. The aroma of roasting lamb wafted over him.

He peered into the large courtyard. Beyond the open fire, two women were turning a lamb on a spit. His master, Caiaphas, had taken the office of high priest three days ago and moved into the palace in front and to the right of these nearly invisible servant quarters. Malchus was required to move into this single room which adjoined the servants' quarters but had no direct access to them.

As the sun slipped below the tall wall around Jerusalem, hopelessness invaded him. He felt as if he were in a vise. He had never been able to have a family or own anything. The chance he had been given could be lost forever if someone else found Melchizedek's Tomb first.

He tightened his outer coat, moved into the courtyard and stood, his reasoning retracing the possible tomb identifiers he had been given to search for. Really...P and R. I wonder how Bukki comes up with ideas like this.

***

The first night watch had ended when Malchus stood in the location he had sprinted from three nights earlier. He tried to concentrate on the markings any of the tombs had, hoping to find one with a P, an R, or both. The experience of nearly being caught made him edgy, and he repeatedly looked up and down the corridor.

By the third watch, his lamp was burning low on oil. He had found nothing close to the two letters. Suddenly, he glimpsed a light far down the corridor. It took only a second for him to see it rapidly approached him. Caiaphas' warning about not being found in the catacombs rang loud, so again, he sped back to the alley entrance.

As he turned the last corner which led to the stairs, he froze. Jehu, captain of the Temple guards, blocked his exit, a sword in one hand, a lamp in the other. Malchus took one step back.

Jehu's voice was commanding. "Stay where you are."

Malchus turned toward the sound of steps behind him and saw Attai jogging up the passageway. Remorse clutched him, and his stomach churned. He was trapped. He stood speechless.

Jehu moved to him, his voice scornful. "What is the lead servant of the High priest doing in the catacombs at this time of night?"

Malchus could not begin to imagine how he could lie his way out of this. The catacombs damp, cool air seemed colder, and he shivered. His gaze dropped to the floor, his voice a whisper, "Is it illegal to come here at night?"

Attai shoved Malchus' shoulder. "Not illegal, but strange. Are you searching for something?"

Malchus' heart raced, but he strove to appear dispassionate. "Searching? ... Searching for what?"

Jehu looked scornful, his voice a hiss. "Yes...for what?"