The Full Soul

Wade Webster

Solomon wrote, “The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet” (Proverbs 27:7).  Honey was one of the sweetest things in the ancient world.  When God wanted to picture the sweetness and goodness of Canaan, He described it as a land flowing with milk and honey (Exo. 3:8).  As sweet and as good as honey is, a man can be so full that he detests even the thought of it.  Have you ever felt that way?

A week or so ago, we were anticipating a huge Thanksgiving meal.  Likely, our mouths were watering for turkey, dressing, macaroni and cheese, sweet potato casserole, deviled eggs, corn, green beans, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and a host of other things.  An hour or so after eating, the thought of these things was likely less appealing.  Eventually,  after several hours of family, football, and turkey induced napping, our appetite returned.  However, after a second round of these same dishes, the thought of them a third time probably had little or no appeal for us.  We may have even loathed or recoiled at the sight or mention of them.

If we are not careful, the same thing can happen with spiritual things. As you likely know, God’s word is described as honey.  The psalmist wrote, “How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalms 119:103).   The psalmist delighted in the thought of God’s word.  Even the bitter things (hard things) were sweet to Him because he was hungry to know God and to please Him.  We read, “O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips” (Psalms 63:1-5).  The psalmist never lost his hunger for God, for God’s word, or for God’s house.  The same needs to be true of us (Mat. 5:6; Acts 17:11; 1 Pet. 2:2).

Sadly, individuals who once hungered for righteousness and for God’s word can lose their appetite for these things.  Jesus spoke of some like this in the Parable of the Sower.  We read, “But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles” (Mat. 13:20-21).  The initial joy of the stony soil hearers soon faded.  Given more time, they might have even grown to hate the thought of truth.  Through Amos, God spoke of some who fell into this category. We read, “I raised up some of your sons as prophets, And some of your young men as Nazirites. Is it not so, O you children of Israel?”Says the LORD. “But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink, And commanded the prophets saying, ‘Do not prophesy!’ (Amos 2:11-12).

It is okay to have your fill of turkey and to not want it for a while.  I suppose that it is even okay to be so full that you don’t want pie.  However, it is not okay to grow weary of the preaching of God’s word.  It is not okay to loathe the very thought of truth.

Who Doesn’t Want To See Good Days?

David Sproule

David asked a question in Psalm 34 that seems to have an obvious answer, but it comes with some clear responsibilities.

David asked, “Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good?” (34:12).  Who wants to live?  Who wants to live for many days?  Who wants to live…for many days…and wants those many days to be “good”?  Well, that’s everyone!  Isn’t it?

Better than any self-help book out there, God tells us what is involved in seeing good days.  They do not just come on their own.  We must take steps in our lives to bring them about.  Note the inspired keys to having a good life.

Good days involve your tongue.  The inspired penmen states, “Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit” (34:13).  Do not lie (Eph. 4:25), do not slander (Jas. 4:11), do not use filthy language (Col. 3:8), do not tell crude jokes (Eph. 5:4), etc.  Use your tongue for good—to comfort (2 Cor. 1:3-6), to encourage (Eph. 4:29), to thank (Eph. 5:4), to teach (2 Tim. 2:2), to extend kindness (Eph. 4:32), to express forgiveness (Col. 3:13), etc.

Good days involve your conduct.  David goes on to say, “Depart from evil and do good” (34:14).  We must resist the devil (Jas. 4:7), resist bitterness (Eph. 4:31), resist sexual impurity (Gal. 5:19), resist anger (Col. 3:8), resist fleshly lusts (1 Pet. 2:11), resist the pride of life (1 John 2:16), etc.  Instead, we need to do good to everyone, especially our fellow Christians (Gal. 6:10), seek the church first in our lives (Matt. 6:33), teach the gospel to lost souls (Mark 16:15), obey the commandments of God (Ecc. 12:13), etc.

Good days involve your relationships.  The second part of verse 14 says, “Seek peace and pursue it.”  There are words and behaviors that can destroy peace in our relationships (Eph. 4:31; Gal. 5:20; Col. 3:8), which is why we must “have regard for good things in the sight of all men” (Rom. 12:17).  For we are told, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (12:18).  This requires “humility, meekness, longsuffering” (Col. 3:12), in which we always go the second mile (Matt. 5:41).

Good days involve your prayer life.  David focuses on “the righteous” who “cry out” to the Lord, with the promise that He “hears” them and “delivers them” (34:15-17).  Bad days can become good days if we will “cast all [our] care upon Him” (1 Pet. 5:7) and “trust” (Prov. 3:5-6) that He will be “with” us (Josh. 1:9), “strengthen” us (1 Pet. 5:10) and “help” us (Psa. 46:1).

Who wants to see good days?  All of us do!  Our Lord gives us the secret to enjoying all the good days He supplies!

Keep the Jews in Context

David Sproule

God had an eternal plan!  That plan did NOT waver one bit based upon man’s acceptance or rejection of that plan!

Adam and Eve disobeyed God.  God’s eternal plan was already in place and already at work (Gen. 3:15; 1 Pet. 1:18-20; Eph. 3:1-11).  The whole world turned their hearts to wickedness in the days of Noah.  God’s eternal plan was already at work and would not be thwarted (Luke 3:36; 2 Pet. 1:5; 1 Pet. 3:18-22).  The Israelites became slaves to an Egyptian superpower (Ex. 1:1-22).  God’s eternal plan was already at work and this was part of it (Gen. 15:13-14; Acts 7:6-7).  Israel continually rebelled against the Lord from the exodus through the judges (Deut. 1:19-28; Judg. 2:11-23; 1 Sam. 8:1-22).  God’s eternal plan was still at work and would not be altered (2 Sam. 7:10-13; Acts 13:20-24; 1 Cor. 10:1-6).  The nation of Israel became strong and their borders expanded far and wide (1 Kgs. 4:21), as God had promised (Gen. 15:18-21), but they turned against God and worshiped idols (2 Kgs. 22:15-17; 23:26-27).  God’s eternal plan was still at work, and He would remain on course, even though His people were taken into captivity (Jer. 25:11-12; 29:10-14; 32:21-44; Deut. 30:1-10).  The Lord had a purpose for the Jews.

This is the background for Romans 9-11.  Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel warned, wept and wrote of Judah’s captivity in Babylon; yet, all three prophets gave Israel hope, speaking of a “remnant” that would come out of captivity.  The remnant had a purpose—to bring the Messiah into this world!

So, Paul addresses the Lord’s rejection of Israel and the acceptance of the Gentiles in Romans 9-11, emphasizing that such was foretold by the prophets (9:25-29) and was not arbitrary (9:30-10:21).  Paul longed for his “countrymen” (i.e., the Jews) to “be saved” (9:3; 10:1), and they could be saved in the same way that the Gentiles were saved (i.e., through obedience to the will of God, 10:1-17).

Just as a “remnant” of Jews came out of Babylon (9:27), fulfilling those prophecies and their God-given purpose, a figurative “remnant” of Jews (“some of them” [11:14], not all!) would be saved in Paul’s day (11:5), by following the same plan that God had for the Gentiles (11:22-24).  “All” of the Jews who would “be saved” would “so” be saved (an adverb of manner), by following God’s plan—that is the context of 11:26.

Even when the Jews rejected the Messiah when He came (John 1:11), that was expected by Jehovah (Psa. 118:22-23) and would not alter His eternal plan of redemption.  God wants “all” (Jew and Gentile) to be saved! “The way” for salvation is the same for all—through Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).  Each person (not as a nation) must choose for himself.

Revive Us Again

Wade Webster

The prophet Habakkuk prayed, “O LORD, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy” (Habakkuk 3:1-2).  We often sing a song based on this prayer.  No doubt, you are familiar with the song, Revive Us Again.  The verses of the song praise God for the gifts that He has given and the chorus of the song pleads for God to revive us again.  It is this ending plea for revival that we want to examine more closely.

The Prayer – Revive

The word revive means “to quicken, to revive, to refresh, to restore.”  Habakkuk was asking God to revive his work and his workers.  The workers were spent and the work was stalled.  Both needed reviving.  Nine times in Psalm 119, the psalmist asks God to revive him:

• “My soul clings to the dust; Revive me according to Your word” (Psalms 119:25).
• “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way” (Psalms 119:37).
• “Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me in Your righteousness” (Psalms 119:40).
• “Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth” (Psalms 119:88).
• “I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word” (Psalms 119:107).
• “Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness; O LORD, revive me according to Your justice” (Psalms 119:149).
• “Plead my cause and redeem me; Revive me according to Your word” (Psalms 119:154).
• “Great are Your tender mercies, O LORD; Revive me according to Your judgments” (Psalms 119:156).
• “Consider how I love Your precepts; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness” (Psalms 119:159).

Like the psalmist, revival should be our constant prayer and song.

The People - Us

Revival is not just for others, it is for us.  No matter how strong we are, there will be times when we will need revival.  Even the Apostle Paul needed reviving and refreshing and renewing. In First Corinthians, Paul wrote, “I am glad about the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, for what was lacking on your part they supplied” (1 Cor. 16:17).   In like manner, in Second Corinthians, he wrote, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16).  Like Paul, we need revival.  Like Habakkuk, we should ask God for it.

The Problem – Again

Our problem is that we need reviving  again and again because we grow weary in well-doing.  The apostle Paul knew this.  That is why he wrote the following words to the saints at Galatia: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:7-10).  Although we know the rewards of sowing to the Spirit - eternal life, we still sometimes grow weary in well-doing.  Thankfully, God can and does revive us again.

Does the church where you worship need revival?  Do you?  It is okay to admit that you need it.  Admitting that you need it is the first step to acquiring it.

Three Steps to a Successful Gospel Meeting

Wade Webster

Our Gospel Meeting is almost here.  I am confident that our scheduled speaker will do his best to make the meeting a success.  He will prepare and present lessons that will encourage and enlighten us.  What can we do on our side to make our meeting successful?

Supplication

Jesus taught His disciples to ask that they might receive.  He declared, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Mat. 7:7-11).  Sadly, we often do not have because we do not ask. James declared, “You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask” (Jam. 4:2).  We serve a great God who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think (Eph. 3:20).  Let’s make sure that we do not fail to ask for His blessings upon our gospel meeting.  Let’s pray for the preacher and the hearers.  Let’s pray for the members and the visitors who will come. Let’s pray for the those who need to be baptized and for those who need to be restored.

Invitation

Isaiah prophesied the establishment and the evangelism of the church.  He noted that the church was going to go out and invite men to go up with them to worship.  We read, “The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it.  Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” (Isa. 2:1-3).  Sadly, many Christians today have ceased to be evangelistic.  They have stopped inviting others to come. In addition to hanging invitations on doors in the immediate vicinity of our building, we need to invite our families, friends, neighbors, and co-workers to come and to worship with us.  Often, these individuals cannot come when we invite them to our regular services because they have their own religious services at the same time.  However, a gospel meeting affords times for them to come that are not in conflict.

Participation

Luke recorded the actions of the apostles and disciples in the book of Acts.  They each did their part in the work of the church.  On one occasion, Luke recorded, “Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea” (Acts 11:29).  For sure, the apostles and disciples had different levels of ability.  To their credit, they used the abilities that they had, whether big or small.  We need to do the same.  In addition to praying for the success of the meeting and inviting others to come to the meeting, we need to make sure that we participate in it ourselves.  We need to come to all the services.  Sadly, congregations today often struggle to get their own members to come to their own events.  This should not be the case.  In addition to coming to the meeting, each member should strive to greet any visitors that are present.  They should also get the visitors to fill out a visitor card so that follow-up contact is possible.  Members should also make sure that they thank the preacher each night for his lessons.  Much study and sacrifice are involved in holding a gospel meeting for someone. 

Supplication, invitation, and participation are three simple things that every member can do to help us to have a successful meeting.  Can we count on you?