by Jimmy Young

We have read many times from the Bible regarding the cross of Christ. Countless lessons have been written about His crucifixion. The theme of New Testament preaching was Christ and Him crucified (Acts 2:22-36; 1 Corinthians 1:17-25). We often sing of the cross of Christ. One of the best of these songs is, "When I Survey The Wondrous Cross." What do you see when your mind goes back and surveys the cross of Christ?

The first thing we visualize is the power of supreme love. God's great love for man is overwhelmingly pictured on the cross (John 3:16,17; Luke 11:56; Luke 19:10; Hebrews 2:9). It isn't God's desire that any perish (2 Peter 3:9). He made a way of escape, and that was through the cross of Christ. If you want to know how much God loves you, then take a look at the cross.

When we survey the cross of Christ, we see the ugly reality of sin. It was sin that put Christ on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 4:25; 1 Peter 2:24; Hebrews 9:28). There would not have been a need for the cross if there had been no sin. But because of sin, Christ suffered great pain and agony at Calvary. At the cross of Christ we see the reality of sin.

In considering that old rugged cross, we see that Jesus became the remedy for sin. Jesus was sinless, yet He took our sins on Himself. Man could not save himself from his own sins; he was doomed eternally, without help from God. Christ fulfilled that need (Hebrews 4:15; 7:26; 1 Peter 2:1,2). It is by the blood of Christ that we have redemption (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14), remission of sins (Matthew 26:28), and reconciliation to God (Romans 5:10). It is by the blood of Christ, coupled with our obedience to God's commands, that we are able to claim those spiritual blessings promised in the New Testament (Ephesians 1:3; Galatians 3:26,27).

In being obedient to the Lord we will hear His Word (Romans 10:17: John 5:24); believe in Christ as the Son of God (John 8:24; Mark 16:16); repent of our sins (Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38; 17:30,31); confess Christ as God's Son (Matthew 10:32; Romans 10:10; Acts 8:37), and be baptized for the remission of our sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16).

When we survey the cross of Christ, we can easily see that the cross proclaims the supreme love of God, the reality of sin, and the remedy for sin. We need nothing more.

Thanks to The Voice of Truth International, Vol. 41, pgs. 16-17.

By Michael E. Brooks

"And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward" (Matthew 10:42).

Several years ago I was with a group working in the western jungles of Guyana among villages of Native Americans (called "Amer-Indians" there). It was June, in the tropics (you spell that "H-O-T"), and we were staying in a lodge about 3 miles from where we were conducting our campaign. There were no vehicles available there, so we walked back and forth 2 or 3 times daily. There was no electricity in the village, thus no refrigeration. Nor were there stores where bottled water could be purchased. We could buy water or cold drinks about half-way to our destination, but it was difficult to carry enough to last us longer than the trip in. This meant that we spent most of our "working time" in the village very thirsty. That is when I learned to appreciate the taste of the "water" from a green coconut. In tropical regions more coconuts are consumed green than ripe. They provide a generous serving of cool, slightly sweet, juice that is very refreshing, especially to a hot, thirsty traveler. The people we visited would often offer us a "coconut water" and it was always received with eagerness and gratitude.

When Jesus commended those who gave only so much as a "cup of cold water" he was not teaching that we can get by with giving little or nothing. In ancient Israel, as in modern Guyana, cool water was a treasured thing, of great value to the thirsty and not always readily available. No, it is not expensive, and it is not rare or luxurious, but it is a gift worth giving and a thing much needed. Jesus' praise of this gift reminds us that one does not have to do a "great" thing to do something important. Often we best help and serve others by doing simple, everyday acts of kindness and compassion. That is what they really need. That is what they appreciate.

There was a time when children would take their teacher an apple or a flower from home as a gesture of appreciation. Perhaps both the flowers and the appreciation are lacking from too many homes today. As followers of Christ we need to relearn the technique of the ordinary gift. In Matthew 10 Jesus spoke of "receiving you", "receiving a prophet", and "receiving a righteous man". In each case he is referring to practicing hospitality. Even if that hospitality does not involve a fancy meal or special lodging, it will produce blessings for both the giver and the recipient. In fact, he states that the blessing enjoyed by the host will be at least equal to that appreciated by his guest. "He who receives a righteous man…shall receive a righteous man's reward" (Matthew 10:41).

Applications of this principle are many. Food to the hungry, clothing to those in need, small chores done for the sick, aged or weak – all these things and many others are ways in which we may bring blessings to ourselves and to the people around us. Look for opportunities to serve, for people in need of a cup of water. Then give it to them.

by Greg Tidwell

On January 11, 1992 an eighth grade student from Japan dropped a bottle in the Pacific Ocean. The bottle contained a note with the student's contact information and a request to be notified if the bottle were recovered.

From the waters just south of Okinawa this message floated until, twelve years later, it washed up on Hanauma Bay in Hawaii.

The glass bottle, covered in algae, contained the age-brittled note written by a child who is now an adult. The student who wrote the message years ago can now only imagine the details of the bottle's voyage, surrounded by the power and beauty of the vast expanse of water. Certainly, when he placed the message in the water, he could have neither known how far it would go nor how long it would take to find its way home.

In many ways this Japanese youth's experience illustrates the truth of Ecclesiastes 11:1, "Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days."

God calls us, day by day, to reach out in faith. We do the Lord's work never knowing the certain outcome of our effort. The time spent teaching a Bible class, visiting a shut-in, or making a visitor feel welcome is an investment in the future. We do God's work in faith, often not seeing the results until long after — if ever.

We live in an impatient age which looks for immediate results. The work of the church, in contrast, builds over time. Committing ourselves to faithful service we can be sure that, in the appropriate time, God will bless our efforts.

by Tim Hall

The people standing before them looked like weary travelers. Their clothing was dusty and worn; their sandals were barely holding together; even their provisions had the appearance of age. Bread which they claimed to have taken hot from their oven on the day they began traveling was now dry and moldy. Certainly these people had come from a great distance.

One suspicious soul raised a caution: "Perhaps you dwell among us; so how can we make a covenant with you?" (Joshua 9:7, NKJV) It was a valid concern. After God led the Israelites out of Egypt, He told them about the land He would give them. One thing God made clear was that they were to make no treaties with the occupants of Canaan. "...For I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods" (Exodus 23:31,32). The religions and lifestyles of the Canaanites were extremely immoral. God wanted His people to have no contact with such ungodly people.

Joshua committed a serious mistake on this occasion. As a man with good leadership skills, he carefully listened to these strangers as they asked for terms of peace. One thing, however, he forgot: "...they did not ask counsel of the Lord" (Joshua 9:14). Had they asked the Lord for wisdom, God would surely have pulled the disguise off these Gibeonites. Since no one asked, though, God allowed them to make a pact with people who had been designated for destruction.

You can't say Joshua wasn't thinking that day. You can say, though, that he was thinking with his eyes rather than with God's counsel. And that's always a mistake.

Paul warned against the same tendency in his day. In speaking of false teachers already at work among the Corinthian Christians, he wrote, "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:13,14). Judging solely by the senses, this teacher appears to be trustworthy. He looks friendly; his words are smooth and non-judgmental; his handshake is firm, and he looks you in the eye. Surely this man is teaching us things upon which we can rely.

But wait! Has anyone thought to "ask counsel of the Lord"? How can we do that? Here's the test Paul prescribed: "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:8,9).

Imagine one of the apostles coming to speak at your church this Sunday. Or maybe an angel descends with a stirring message. "We can believe that!" some might gush. "These are holy messengers." Paul would disagree. He would ask, "Is it the message that has been preached to you? There is no other gospel. If it's not what was delivered in the first century (i.e. revealed in the New Testament), don't believe it."

The messenger before you sounds and looks authentic. Yes, his message is a little different from what you've been taught in the past; ... Okay, it's a lot different. But he assures you that his message is true, based on the best scholarship of the day.

Just one question before you accept what he's saying: Have you sought counsel from the Lord?

by Mike Benson

Somehow I can't quite imagine it coming down to this level, but it did. Harold and Frances Mountain stood, well...actually "sat", on the floor of a Las Vegas courtroom and delved up what was left of their belongings - a $5,000 Beanie Baby collection. The couple had finalized their divorce some four months previously, but hadn't been able to reach an agreement over the stuffed toys. When Harold filed a motion to get his share of the BB stockpile, family court Judge Gerald Hardcastle said "enough!" Hardcastle ordered the two to solve their disagreement by piling their possessions on the floor and dividing them up one by one. "Because you folks can't solve it, it takes the services of a...judge, a bailiff and a court reporter." According to the news, Maple the Bear went first. A few spectators in the gallery quietly snickered when the selection was made. Somehow I missed the humor though. A marriage had been severed (Matthew 19:6b; Malachi 2:16) and all that was left were some brightly-colored cloth and dried beans.

Evidence would suggest materialism was at least one factor in the dissolution of the Mountain's marital relationship. "Materialism" - according to Webster's it is, "the tendency to be more concerned with material than with spiritual values." On one occasion Jesus said, "Take heed and beware of covetousness..." (Luke 12:15; cf. Romans 3:9; 1 Corinthians 5:11; 1 Thessalonians 2:5; James 4:2; 2 Peter 2:14). To engage in covetousness, Greek - pleonexia, is to engage in the greedy desire for more things. /1 Paul said, "Covetousness...is idolatry" (Colossians 3:5; Ephesians 5:5). An idolatrous person worships or bows to the inferior (1 Corinthians 8:4; Jeremiah 10:14); he renders ultimate devotion to an object of limited value. Therefore, materialism is a "bowing" to the greedy desire for and pursuit of things - and exalts such above God. "There is a sort of religious purpose, a devotion of the soul" to tangible, temporal concerns. /2 One brother appropriately calls materialism "the gospel of the flesh." /3

"...Man is bowing down figuratively to an idol when he keeps for himself much. It is remarkable [that] covetousness is listed with fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire; all such passions so detestable within the heart of a Christian. Yet, it is listed there evidently because it is what turns the heart of a Christian away from God! It dethrones God from His rightful place. When a man seeks happiness in things, possessions, money, etc., he has dethroned God from his heart." /4

While our modern-day idols may share little physical similarity to their crude counterparts of wood and stone (today ours could be made of brightly colored cloth and beans), we - like Harold and Frances Mountain - pay them a certain reverence, don't we? And although the position of our bodies may be somewhat different (in that we do not physically bow), the position of our hearts is essentially the same.

Friends, materialism is a threat to the stability of our marriages, and the Word is clear, "Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry" (1 Corinthians 10:14). "Keep yourself from idols" (1 John 5:21).

Are there any idols in your house? What do they look like? Perhaps Maple the Bear?

/1 Fritz Rienecker, Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, '76), p. 177.

/4 Roy Lanier, Jr., A Little Contribution (Montrose, CO: Lee and Mark Hanstein, '92), p. 28