By Don Ruhl

Read the Bible in a Year This morning read Exodus 39 and 40

Moses Blessed Them!

When the children of Israel completed the tabernacle, the Bible says,

43 Then Moses looked over all the work, and indeed they had done it; as the LORD had commanded, just so they had done it. And Moses blessed them (Exo. 39:43).

Let us learn from that last sentence in the verse, that there is a time to bless, and there is a time to compliment. Some people will only speak when it is time to criticize. They are zealous to let us know when we have failed, but they lack zeal to tell us when we have done the right thing. Let us not be like them, but let us be like Moses.

What kind of person are you? Are you afraid to bless or to compliment people? Are you quick to criticize, but slow to compliment? Why are you that way? Starting today, make the necessary changes to be like Moses. Listen to your thoughts and your words when someone says something or comes up with an idea, and find out if you are like the critics of Moses or if you are like Moses.

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 25:1-30

To the one who proves to be a faithful servant, Jesus will say to him on the last great day,

21 Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord (Mat. 25:21).

What kind, what degree, and what magnitude of joy does Jesus experience? Think on that today, and then think about someday experiencing it yourself with Him!

by Don Ruhl

Read the Bible in a Year This Evening Read Matthew 23:1--22

Do You Know a Pharisee?

Do you know some people in the church who are like the Pharisees of old? The problem with encountering people like them is that they often do teach some truth, perhaps a lot of truth. Yet, their self-righteous ways and their unwillingness to follow all the teachings and commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ, makes it hard for us to listen to what they say and to live by what they teach. Knowing these things, Jesus spoke to the people,

2 The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do (Mat. 23:2, 3).

Therefore, in observing and doing what Pharisee-like people tell us to do, when it comes from the word of God, we are not following them, but we are following our Master and Teacher, because He is the One who tells us to do these things. The secret is to separate in our minds the ways of the undesirable teachers from what truth they do teach. Pray to God to help you do this.

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 Exodus 36--38

Supply the Work Generously

Israel gets past her idolatry and gives generously for the construction of the tabernacle, so much so that the craftsmen tell Moses,

5 The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the LORD commanded us to do (Exo. 36:5).

There was not a work on earth at that time that was more important and Israel was involved in it. What a privilege! Why not give as much as possible?

Friends, is there a greater work on earth than the church? Am I giving as much as possible, so much so that the workers and leaders in the church can say to me that I am giving more than enough? Let me not self-righteously wonder if others are so giving, but let me examine my own giving.

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 22:23--46

The Roots of Most Doctrinal Mistakes

The Sadducees do not believe in the resurrection, and without realizing it, the roots of their unbelief are two problems. Here is what Jesus says,

29 Jesus answered and said to them, You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God (Mat. 22:29).

He then goes on to explain that the Old Testament Scriptures teach the resurrection and that God has the power to raise people from the dead. If you examine carefully most doctrinal mistakes that people believe or teach, you will discover the same roots for most of them. Therefore, let us pursue zealously the knowledge of the Scriptures, so that we are not mistaken and that we shall be able to teach others.

It is for this reason that in 1990 I started publishing a monthly journal called The Bible Meditator. I was amazed by the numbers of people with relationship problems, and other problems of living, and the numbers of people who believe things contrary to the Scriptures, so that I thought to myself that putting out a monthly paper that is designed to help people read and meditate on the Scriptures would be a good thing. Pulpit Press, a little publishing venture that I started, used to print the paper, now it is a joint work of the Nile Street Church of Christ in Klamath Falls, Oregon and the Savage Street Church of Christ in Grants Pass, Oregon. Subscriptions to the hard copy are $8 annually (Send checks to: The Bible Meditator, 2521 Nile Street, Klamath Falls, Oregon 97603-6913) and the computer version is free (Send a request to: SSteinless@aol.com with PDF of TBM in the subject line).

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