Heavenly Father, today we sent off our youngest daughter to camp for a week. Earlier this week, we put our oldest on the plane to return to college in the USA. We never quite get used to parting from our children. Even knowing that we are sending them to good places, to learn and develop their character and knowledge.

How hard it must have been for you to send your Son to this earth, knowing the purpose for which he came. To guide him day by day toward that final hour in Jerusalem. To turn your back at the moment he cried for you not to abandon him.

Such a love -- for that's exactly what it is -- is beyond me, Father. But I am glad for it. A Father's love, to bring many children to you.

By means of the Elder Brother. Amen.

by Don Ruhl

Read Matthew 10:1--20

The Sad Story of Judas

In every list of the apostles, Judas is last. That is not necessarily bad. Hey, if I could have been among that blessed company and my name appeared last, you would not hear one word of complaint from me! What is bad is the way that Judas is mentioned in the list. Hear is what Matthew says,

4 ...Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him (Mat. 10:4).

It is those last words, sort of like an asterisk, that forever tarnishes the name of Judas. Before the betrayal, this man engaged in all the same good works as the eleven other apostles. Yet, Judas had a covetousness problem. He was the treasurer and took money out of it regularly for himself. In the end, he saw an opportunity to make some money off Jesus and betrayed Him to His enemies. You know the story.

Here is the thing. Judas had a problem of sin in his heart, which he did not conquer. Therefore, the problem conquered him. Although he participated in the many works of the apostles that Jesus told them to do, Judas still had this problem in his heart and it destroyed him.

If there is a problem in your heart, do not ignore it. It will conquer you and destroy you.

Don Ruhl Church of Christ 220 NE Savage Street Grants Pass, Oregon 97526-1310 541-476-3100

Read Genesis 33--35

Brethren Reunited

The problem between Esau and Jacob was bad. Esau wanted to kill Jacob. Therefore, Jacob fled from his family and stayed away for 20 years. When he returns, Esau sees him, but something is different.

4 But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept (Gen. 33:4).

Rare it is that people in deep conflict reunite as these two brothers did. Jacob wronged Esau two decades earlier, but when Jacob returns home, he humbles himself before his brother and his brother has also changed his heart. This is what God wants to see. What are we willing to do to make our heavenly Father happy?

Don Ruhl Church of Christ 220 NE Savage Street Grants Pass, Oregon 97526-1310 541-476-3100

By Michael E. Brooks

"Now it happened…that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, 'Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono.' But they thought to do me harm. So I sent messengers to them, saying, 'I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?'" (Nehemiah 6:1-3).

When Christians seek to evangelize, they often find themselves at cross purposes with the culture surrounding them. Agendas and priorities differ. This is rather obvious and certainly natural. It is the very reason why evangelism is urgent. The world does not seek or care for the things of God. When we urge those things upon it, there is reaction and often rejection and conflict.

During my last trip to Bangladesh I was frequently frustrated by interruptions from "outsiders" who wanted to see me and discuss business. Their business was far more important to them than to me, and had little to do with my purpose for being there, which was primarily to teach classes at Khulna Bible College. Frequently they would come just before time for class to meet, and at other times I would be called out of class to visit with them. Courtesy seemed to demand that I accede to at least some of these demands. Sometimes I did not know the identity of the visitor or the nature of his request to meet with me, so felt unable to refuse at least a brief interruption to gain this information.

I have no reason to believe that these uninvited guests wished me harm, as Sanballat did to Nehemiah, nor to believe that they were deliberately trying to obstruct our efforts at the school. Nevertheless, their demands were obstructive. The distractions which they provided cost time, energy and attention that were needed in the work that I was doing.

Often our distractions are not quite so obvious. However, they are still very real and very obstructive. We just never seem to have all the time we need for personal Bible study and devotions, for family time, for worship services and fellowship, and for "being fruitful in every good work" (Colossians 1:10). Our work, unexpected guests, and many other things keep us busy. Often these are good things in themselves – there may be nothing "wrong" in the things that fill our schedules. But they are not the most important things. They should not be, and are probably not, our top priorities. Their great evil is simply that they prevent us from ever getting to those priorities. We never accomplish our true purpose.

Nehemiah had the solution. He kept his eye firmly on his goals. He knew who he was, what his job was, and what was necessary to accomplish it. Why should he drop his task to meet the agenda of his enemies? He would not be distracted. When we have the same sense of purpose and urgency for the tasks God has given us, we may be as successful as Nehemiah. May God bless us that that will indeed be the case.