by Don Ruhl

Read the Bible in a Year This evening read Luke 4:31--44

Immediately She Started Serving

Is there any shame in serving? Most people seem to think so, but Peter's mother-in-law does not think so. She is seriously ill with a fever, but the Lord heals her. Watch what she does.

39 So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them (Luk. 4:39).

Others were serving her, now, she serves them. Is that not the way things should be? We should be servants, but sometimes we are not able to serve, and during those times, we should allow others to serve us. It is more blessed to serve than to be served, but for others to experience that superior blessing, we have to give them the opportunity and let them serve us.

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 Judges 4--6

We Cannot Put Conditions on the Lord's Commandments

Deborah calls for Barak, commander of the armies of Israel, to go and fight against the Canaanites. She says this at the mouth of God.

8 And Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!” (Jdg. 4:8).

Consequently, she tells him that there is no glory for him in this matter. He who believes that God knows what He is doing will not put conditions on the Lord's commandments. He who puts conditions on the Lord's commandments does not believe that God knows what He is doing. What is your view?

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 Luke 4:1--30

He Passes the Test!

In the reading of this morning, we saw that God is testing Israel by leaving the Canaanites in the land. He wants to know whether they will continue to obey Him when they have a thorn in their side.

Jesus has a thorn in His side, and it is the greatest thorn one could ever have, Satan. Will Jesus be true to God in the most difficult of circumstances, fasting for forty days and all the while being tempted by the devil? After fasting forty days, Jesus is hungry (How strong was that hunger?), and the devil challenges Jesus, whether He is the Son of God, saying that if He is, He shall be able to turn stones into bread.

4 But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God’” (Luk. 4:4).

Praise God! Jesus passes that test! Two more tests follow. He passes both of them, quoting Scripture each time. Jesus passes the tests the same way we can, living by the Scriptures.

Watch how you handle the issues of life and see if Scripture is your guide. If so, you pass the test. If not, God gives you another chance. Keep working at it.

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 Judges 1--3

Will They Pass the Test?

Israel was not able to drive out all the Canaanites because Israel was not fully obedient to the Lord. Therefore, He says that He is leaving the Canaanites in the land to be a thorn in Israel's side. Below is another reason that the Canaanites remain in the land,

4 And they were left, that He might test Israel by them, to know whether they would obey the commandments of the LORD, which He had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses (Jdg. 3:4).

God allows Israel to be in a difficult circumstance to see if they will obey Him. It is easy to obey the Lord when life is easy, but what happens when things get difficult. Will we revert to our old worldly ways, or have we taken the teachings of Christ into our hearts that the teachings have made us new persons who follow God, regardless of what is going on around us? You are going to encounter difficulties; will you be a man or woman of the world or a man or woman of God? People are watching you. What shall they see?

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 Luke chapter 3

Taxes and the Children of God

Many people attempt to use the Scriptures to maintain that we do not have to pay taxes. They say they are using the Bible, but the Bible clearly supports paying taxes. Watch what John the Baptizer says to a group of tax collectors. Now John is a fiery preacher who does not flinch when it comes to speaking the truth.

12 Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you” (Luk. 3:12, 13).

John does not tell them to cease collecting taxes; just do not collect anymore than what the government authorizes. Even as we do not want to pay anymore than we have to pay, so they are not to collect anymore than they are suppose to collect. God wants us to pay taxes. What John says is even in a context of the oppressive Roman government. Rome is wrong in some things, but Rome is right in other things. Therefore, God wants the Jews to pay taxes.

The same reasoning applies for Christians today, living anywhere in the world.

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