by Don Ruhl

Read the Bible in a Year This morning read Leviticus 21 and 22

Do Not Profane the Name of Your Redeemer

After stating that the high priests must be perfect in body to serve God in the tabernacle, the Lord says,

31 Therefore you shall keep My commandments, and perform them: I am the LORD. 32 You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel. I am the LORD who sanctifies you, 33 who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD (Lev. 22:31--33).

See how often the Lord refers to Himself in the passage above. He wants the high priests and the rest of Israel to know who He is and what He has done for them. If they remember Him, they will remain holy. If they forget Him, they will become like the rest of the world.

I have noticed the same thing among Christians. Those who remember the Lord Jesus Christ, somehow strive to keep themselves holy, but watch what happens to those who forget Him. Now, what does your life show?

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

by Don Ruhl

Read the Bible in a Year This evening read Matthew 27:51--66

They Thought That They Stopped Him Finally

Jesus is dead. He is in the tomb. However, the Jewish leaders believe that it is not over. Remembering that He had prophesied to rise from the dead, and believing that His disciples might come and steal His body to make it appear that Jesus has fulfilled His prophecy, the leaders go to Pilate, asking to prevent what they believe is the last possible deception of Jesus when His disciples come and steal the body. Pilate grants their wish. Matthew writes,

66 So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard (Mat. 27:66).

Often the chapter and verse divisions break up our thoughts as we read, and that is not good. On the other hand, sometimes they are good for the very reason that they break up our thoughts, making us stop reading for the moment. I think that it is good that the verse above is the last one in Matthew chapter 27, and that the next verse starts a new chapter, because Matthew 27:66 ends one of the greatest events in history, and chapter 28 begins one of the greatest events in history.

Let us pause for a day, thinking of the Son of God suffering horribly at the hands of men. Then men place Him in a tomb. Is it over? Is there no more to story? What happens next? What will His disciples do now that He is dead? Let us think about those questions, and then tomorrow we will see what happens. While you are waiting, remember that the disciples had to wait three days, not one like we are going to do.

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

by Don Ruhl

Read the Bible in a Year This morning read Leviticus 19 and 20

Honor Older People

It is written,

32 You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the LORD (Lev. 19:32).

You know something; this is still a good way to treat older folks. If someone says, that this passage is Old Testament and therefore, does not apply to us, I would respond with two things.

1. Romans 13:7, a New Testament passage by the way, does say that we are to render honor to whom honor is due. True, it does not mention old people, but now consider this second point.

2. Try following Leviticus 19:32 and see what happens. Make a point of doing it today, and see how older people respond to you.

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

by Mike Benson

I read about a French atheist who died and willed his house and farm to, of all people, the Devil. The courts deliberated on the curious case for quite some time. Finally it was determined that the best way to carry out the wishes of the deceased testator was to allow the farm to grow up in weeds and briars and to leave the house to decay and ruin.

It occurs to me that the same thing can be said about our soul salvation. It's not necessary to commit some terrible sin, nor to engage in great evil in order to be lost. All we have to do is nothing. "Allow the farm to grow up in weeds and briars and leave the house to decay and ruin." Dear reader, neglect, indifference, and unconcern will just as surely condemn us in the Judgment as murder, theft, or immorality.

The Bible asks, "How shall we escape (eternal punishment) if we NEGLECT so great a salvation...?" (Hebrews 2:3a). The answer is, "We won't."

Think about it.