A Valuable Truth

    Bible Reading:  II Timothy 2:1-9

    Key Verse: Verse 9 - “Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds;         

                but the word of God is not bound.”
    

Key Words: but the Word of God is not bound

Have you ever considered how valuable God’s Word is?  It is valuable because it’s convicting (Hebrews 4:12), it converts (Romans 10:17), it corrects (I Timothy 3:16), it cleanses (Psalm 119:9), it conquers (Ephesians 6:17), and it comforts (I Thessalonians 4:18).

    God’s Word is valuable.

    An ancient fable tells of three merchants crossing the Arabian Desert.  Traveling in darkness to avoid the intense heat, they came across a dry creek bed, when suddenly a voice cried out from the dark night and commanded them to stop.  They were then ordered to pick up pebbles from the bed and put them in their pockets.  They obeyed the strange command, and were then told to leave that area, which they did immediately.  The voice, as they were leaving, told them that in the morning they would be both happy and sad.  Shaken and confused, they journeyed on.
When morning came, the men anxiously looked inside their pockets and rather than finding pebbles as expected, they found precious jewels.  They, indeed, were both happy and sad.  They were happy in that they had gathered precious jewels; they were sad because they could have gathered much more.

    The fable illustrates to us a valuable truth.  We are thrilled with what we have learned from God’s Word, but are sad because we could have learned so much more.
 
                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse
What to do:
✞Take God’s Word in like a sponge.
✞Dig for gold nuggets from God’s Word that can help you in life.

✞Understand that God’s Word is not just a good book, it is a gold mine of great value.

The Truth About Work Calories

    Bible Reading:  Jeremiah 15:15-21

    Key Verse: Verse 16 - ”Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.”

    Key Words: Thy words were found, and I did eat them

According to findings of two German physiologists who studied the relationship of food to the Ruhr coal miners during World War II, it took three slices of bread for every ton of coal cut by a miner.  Each man, they found, required an intake of between 155 and 200 calories per ton of coal they produced.  These calories represented what became known as “work calories.”  They discovered that each man required between 1600 to 1800 calories per twenty-four hours, just to stay alive.  When the proper “work calories” were not supplied, the study revealed that eventually the workers would starve to death.

There are some important analogies to be drawn from this.  The Word of God is the food of the Christian.  Every Christian needs a minimum of food from the Word of God to live his life for God from day to day.  If, in addition, the believer has special work to do for the Lord, he will need special additional calories from God’s Word.  The greater the output, the more the believer must feed upon the Word.  The Word of God is milk for the soul (I Peter 2:2), it is strong meat (Hebrews 5:12, 14), it is honey (Psalm 119:103).  Those who are going to survive in the labor of God must, like the prophet says, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them;.”

 

                                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

✞Make sure you get plenty of calorie intake from God’s Word.

              ✞ Make sure your spiritual food is diverse: milk, meat, and honey are all     

                    required.

              ✞ Milk produces calcium for a strong spiritual back   

                     bone.

              ✞ Meat produces muscle for labor and work.

              ✞ Honey fights off germs and disease.

              ✞ Stay in the Word.

The Truth About Biblical Literacy

    Bible Reading:  Psalm 119:9-16

    Key Verse: Verse 11 - “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

    Key Words: Thy word have I hid in mine heart

    A pastor asked a Sunday School class of junior-aged young people, “Who broke down the wall of Jericho?”  A boy answered, “Not me, sir!”  The pastor was noticeably upset and turned to the Sunday School teacher, “Is this typical?”  She replied, “Pastor, the boy is a trusted and honest child, and I really don’t think he did it.”  Such a response sent the pastor straight to the Sunday School Superintendent.  After hearing the pastor’s grievance, the superintendent attempted to console him by saying, “I’ve known the boy and his Sunday School teacher for a number of years, and I just can’t picture either one of them doing such a terrible thing.”  In disbelief, the pastor sought out the chairman of the deacons.  The wise deacon tried to smooth things over with his conventional wisdom, “Pastor, let’s not make a big issue of this.  Let’s just pay for the damages and charge it to our maintenance account.”

    I would think there is some Biblical illiteracy in that church, don’t you?

    The Library of Congress recently conducted a survey which asks, “What book has most influenced your life?”  The Bible finished first.  Yet during a typical week only 45% of Americans who claim to be Christian, say that they read their Bible at all.  Of that 45%, just 12% claim to read God’s Word daily.  With stats like these, the above story may be true.

    I trust you are daily reading, studying, and applying God’s Word to your life.

                                                                                            Dr. Mike Rouse
What to do: 
✞Hide God’s Word in your heart.  Memorize at least one verse a week.  (We should use memorizing a lot more.)
✞ As you read the Word of God, ask the Lord to reveal how you can apply it to your life.
✞Be faithful to the house of God where the Word of God is being taught.

The Truth About Organization

    Bible Reading:  I Corinthians 14:33-40

    Key Verse: Verse 40 - “Let all things be done decently and in order.”

    Key Words: decently and in order

    I am a real stickler for organization and structure, planning out today, tomorrow, next week, next year--oh well, you get the picture.  I am ever cognizant of the words of Bernard Baruch, “Whatever failures I have known, whatever errors I have committed, whatever follies I have witnessed in private and public life, have been the consequences of actions without forethought and planning.”  The best verse (so far as this pastor is concerned) in God’s Word for motivating us toward structure and organization is found in Ephesians 5:15-17, “See that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”  Verses like this always grab my attention and shake me and say, “Wake up, son.”

    These are three evidences I look for in one not being structured or organized (not redeeming the time wisely): 1) punctuality, 2) procrastination, and 3) poor planning.
The story of Charles Schwab and Ivy Lee certainly come to mind when I think of organization and structure.  Schwab was president of Bethlehem Steel.  Lee, a consultant, was given the challenge, “Show me a way to get more things done with my time.”  Schwab agreed to pay Lee anything within reason if Lee’s suggestions worked.  Lee later handed Schwab the following plan.

    Write down the most important tasks you have to do tomorrow.  Number them in order of importance.  When you arrive in the morning, begin immediately on number one, stay with it until the job is finished.  Recheck your priorities, then begin on number two, then number three, etc.  Make this a daily habit.  Send me a check for whatever you think my advice is worth.  Lee got a check for $25,000 and Bethlehem Steel became the largest independent producer of steel during the heyday of the steel industry.

    Your choices are two-fold:  1) structure, 2) failure.  I prefer number one, don’t you?
 
                                                                                                Dr. Mike Rouse
What to do:
✞Understand that organization requires a priority system.  I prioritize in three ways.  1) that which is necessary comes first, 2) that which is needy comes second, and 3) that which is nice is last on the priority scale.
  Always remember a lack of organization on your part does not necessarily constitute an emergency on mine.

The Truth About Prosperity Gospel

Bible Reading: I Corinthians 16:13-24

Key Verse: Verse 13 - “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” 

Key Words: stand fast

Note what others have said of flattery.

We live in a day of a “positive gospel.”  People go to church for the sole purpose of being encouraged.  People want to hear what God can do for them, not in the spiritual realm but in the physical arena of life.  What can God do for me financially?  What can God do for my bad health?  What can God do about my job situation?  And the list goes on.  Now, there is at least a two-fold problem with this “what can God do for me – encourage me” positive gospel message.

First of all, it is self-centered.  The focus is me, myself, and I.  The Bible condemns this selfish attitude.  James 4:3, 

“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

Secondly, it’s a one-sided relationship.  What can God do for me?  Well, what about what you can do for God?  Even the Ten Commandments are God’s list of what God wanted Israel to do, not only for themselves, but for Him.

1. Have no other gods before Me.
2. Do not make any graven image.
3. Do not take My Name in vain.
4. Keep the Sabbath day holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. Do not kill.
7. Do not commit adultery.
8. Do not steal.
9. Do not lie (bear false witness).
10. Do not covet.

If our relationship with God is to be successful it takes both a positive and a negative to cause a charge in our life.  Without both a positive and negative charge, we would have no electricity.  Without a positive and negative charge, there is no car that would ever run.  Why, if all a child hears are positive comments, they become a brat.  So the world wants to hear a positive gospel, maybe that’s the reason the church has no power.  The church has made God their little errand boy...”get me money, get me good health, get me a nice car, get me a nice house, get me a good job.”  Many look at God as nothing more than their “gofer” when, in reality, He is the captain of our salvation and we are His army.  He is attempting to rally us to stand against the gates of hell.  You want to be encouraged?  I will encourage you, I will encourage you to stand up for righteousness, holiness, and purity!

                                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

✞ While we should depend upon God to meet our needs, be willing to be used of God to meet the needs of others. 

✞ Quit looking to always be encouraged by others.  Encouragement comes as you encourage others.

The Truth About America In Prophecy

    Bible Reading:  I Thessalonians 4:13-18

    Key Verse: Verse 18 - “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

    Key Words: comfort one another

    As much as we desire to know America and our place in prophecy, we must face the fact that our nation is not clearly referred to in the end times.  Tim LaHaye says, “One of the hardest things for American prophecy students to accept is that America is not clearly mentioned in Bible prophecy, yet our nation is the only super power in the world today.”  It would be nice if Scripture clearly laid out the role of the United States for the last days, but the silence on this subject reveals to us much more than you might think.

    If America is not clearly referred to for the last of the last days, how should we interpret the silence?  I believe there are four basic options to choose from concerning America in the tribulation period.

    First, America will still be a super power.  This thought is not likely since in Scripture the dominant military power center is the old Roman Empire.  John Walvoord, one of the foremost experts in Bible prophecy, agrees saying, “Although conclusions concerning the role of America in prophecy in the end time are necessarily tentative, the Scriptural evidence is sufficient to conclude that America in that day will not be a major power and apparently does not figure largely in either the political, economic, or religious aspects of the world.”

    Secondly, America is not specifically mentioned in Scripture because she will be destroyed by other nations. I consider this highly unlikely since America is the only nation to totally support and back Israel, and God has promised to bless those that bless Israel.

    Thirdly, America is not mentioned in Scripture because she will have lost her influence...a possibility but not one that I agree with.

    Fourthly, I believe America is not mentioned in prophecy because she is the only “Christian” nation, and the rapture of the believers will bring America to her knees.  We, as believers, are America's salt and light and when we are caught away, America will no longer be a super power.

    While we cannot clearly say what America's role in prophecy may be, we are commanded to occupy until Jesus comes.  So I challenge each of us today to go out and occupy until the Lord returns.

     As always, thanks for reading, and even so, come, Lord Jesus.

                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse
What to do:  
✞Occupy until the Lord returns.  Pray for those in authority.  Witness daily.  The Lord could return today but we know He will return soon.

The Truth About The Knowledge Explosion

    Bible Reading:  Daniel 12

    Key Verse: Verse 4 - “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”

    Key Words: and knowledge shall be increased

    There is a road sign pointing to the second coming of Jesus Christ, and that road sign is found in Daniel 12:4, “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”   The literal translation of this verse is that during the end time, or what many authors call the terminal generation, an explosion of knowledge will occur.

    Such an explosion has occurred in the last century, from the time of Adam and Eve until the early 1900’s, men walked or rode horses everywhere they went.  But in a space of a few short years man has invented the automobile, the jet plane, even the space shuttle.  You can fly from New York to Paris in three hours.  Now just think of all the marvelous knowledge involved in developing this modern technology.  Why, today you can sit in the quietness of your home and drown yourself in knowledge from the television or internet.

    Medical science has the ability to keep a corpse breathing for months on life support.  Tiny babies weighing less than a pound can survive because of the knowledge involved in areas of high technology.

    When I was growing up only one out of every eight high school graduates went on to receive a college degree.  Today six out of every eight high school graduates receive college degrees.  We are ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

    We are the terminal generation.  We have knowledge on every hand, but still this generation is searching for truth.  They fail to understand that truth is not found in humanistic knowledge, truth is only found in Jesus Christ.  John 8:32, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

                                                                                              Dr. Mike Rouse
What to do:
✞Learn, but lean on Scripture (II Timothy 2:15).
  Do not rely upon human wisdom (Proverbs 3:5-6).
    Understand that a lack of Godly knowledge leads to destruction (Hosea 4:6).
    Ask yourself, “Do I really believe that we are living in the last of the last days?”  If yes, put God first in your life.  If your answer is no, ask God to reveal the truth to you.

The Trusth About Armegedden

    Bible Reading:  Joel 3:9-17

    Key Verse: Verse 17 - “So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in     

                Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no 

                strangers pass through her any more.”    

Key Words: So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God

    Joel, chapter 3, is a reference to the last battle on earth.  We know it as the Battle of Armageddon.  This battle will take place in the valley of Megiddo.

This battle is also a further fulfillment of the promise which God gave in Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

These words were spoken by the Lord to the serpent, Old Satan himself.  Here is the promise that Satan’s head will be bruised, and all he can do is bruise His heel.  When a person’s heel is bruised, it causes pain, but it does not bring death.  But when you bruise the head, you destroy the person.

Someone has said that the great purpose of the Battle of Armageddon will be to attempt to annihilate Christ.  Satan has always wanted the rulership of this earth, but the rulership has been promised to the Son of God (I Corinthians 10:26, 28).  Satan has on many occasions attempted to do away with Christ.

His first attempt was made through Herod who had all the children up to two years of age slain in an effort to kill the Christ Child.  The second attempt made by Satan was in Matthew 4 when he took Christ up to the pinnacle of the temple and urged Him to jump off.  The third effort was made through the Pharisees who tried to have Christ stoned to death (John 8:59).  The fourth attempt was made by having Christ condemned by the Sanhedrin and crucified.  The final attempt is in the Battle of Armageddon, and Satan will fail.

To God be the glory!  We are on the winning side!
 
                                                                                            Dr. Mike Rouse
What to do:  
✞Are you on the winning side?  Have you accepted Christ as your Savior?  If not, do so today.   If you are saved, are you living for God?  Now, I mean really living for God - 1) soul-winning, 2) demonstrating God’s love, joy, and peace, and 3) can others see Jesus in you?

The Truth About Conviction

    Bible Reading:  Luke 24:13-35

    Key Verse: Verse 32 - “And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”

    Key Words: Did not our heart burn within us?

One thing about conviction is that you cannot ignore it. Like heartburn, you know it is there, and it is there because of sin. One thing that saddens my heart is to see parents attempt to cover the sin of their child rather than deal with it. As a parent you must understand that sin is an abomination to God. No matter how you might try to justify it, we are told in Luke 16:15, “And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.”

Evangelist J. Wilbur Chapman, who had a strong influence on Billy Sunday, related the following story. “After a preacher had cried out against sin, one of his members complained, ‘We don’t want you to talk so plainly about sin because if the children hear you preaching so much about it, they will more easily sin. Call it a mistake if you will, but don’t call it sin.’

“The preacher left and went to his medicine chest and returned with a bottle of strychnine marked ‘poison.’ He said, ‘I see what you want me to do, you want me to change the label. Suppose I remove the label marked poison and put some mild label, such as ‘essence of peppermint?’ Can’t you see what would happen? The milder you mark the label, the more dangerous you make the poison!”

Sin is poison. No matter how parents try to label it, cover it up, or excuse it, it is still sin; and it is still poison. The best thing you can do for your child is to say, “You are wrong. You have sinned, and you must seek God’s forgiveness.” But never, never label your child’s sin as “essence of peppermint.

                                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse                   

What to do: 

✞Teach your children to lovingly call sin, sin.

         ✞ Never cover for the wrongs of your child.

✞ Have you prayed for your children today?

The Truth About Personal Decency

    Bible Reading:  Philippians 4:1-8

    Key Verse: Verse 8 - “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” 

    Key Words: whatsoever things are pure

    The importance of personal decency is at great risk today. We are told in Leviticus 20:7a, “Sanctify yourself therefore, and be ye holy…” Sadly, the standards of the world have been taken as the standards for the children of God.

    A local paper reported the events of a pop rock group that came to town. The entire article was about one of the performers in the group. The young man had not even reached his eighteenth birthday. Now, I won’t - no, I can’t - even use the same terms that were in the article, but the caption by his picture flatly stated that he would not stop “pulling his pants down.”

    The article went on to describe the concert that was attended, for the most part, by pre-teens. Children ages nine through twelve made up most of the audience. These groups that appeal to the pre-teen aged children are at best ungodly and at worst infidels. They say, “Their aim is to introduce young people to a sexual experience.” (James Dobson)

    God’s Word says that we are to, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.” May I explain?  Make wise decisions as a young person, or your days will be filled with no pleasure in the end.
The newspaper article went on to say that during the concert little nine, ten, eleven, and twelve year-old girls took off their clothes and threw them on stage. Whatever happened to personal decency?  What has happened to the moral character of our parents? Lord, help us to stand for righteousness.
                                                                 
                                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse
What to do: 
✞Outline some Godly standards for your family and live by them. (You may want to seek some help from the pastor or staff.)
✞ Guard who your children run with and what music 
              they listen to.
✞ Pray daily with and for your children.
✞ Have personal Bible studies on moral purity.
✞Faithfulness to every service will greatly help and  
              give you much material for use in your home.

The Absence Of Truth

Bible Reading:  Esphesians 4:1-15

Key Verse: Verse 15 -”But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:” 

Key Words: speaking the truth in love

    Years ago, The Betty Ford Story aired on television. This was a movie that told the story of her addiction and recovery.  At a point during the movie, a fairly emotional scene took place.  The family is still sitting around confronting Betty Ford.  Her son says, “Mother, you are destroying yourself; you are destroying this family, and you are killing yourself.  Mother, you are a drunk, you are an addict.”  The mother was infuriated.  She told her son that he was being very disrespectful and questioned his right to speak to her that way.  She said, “How can you say these things to me?  I am your mother!”  The boy said, “Mother, I can say it because it is the truth.”  This confrontation was the catalyst for the establishment of the Betty Ford Clinic.  Now this same place helps a lot of other people overcome their addictions.  Many of the people who have come to the clinic were able to face their addictions because, like Betty Ford's son, someone had the guts to tell the truth.
                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse
What to do: 
✞Know the truth and live the truth.

Truth In Context

    Bible Reading: Genesis 6:14-22

    Key Verse: Verse 22 - “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.” 

    Key Words: Thus did Noah

    I marvel at the truth of God's Word.  I marvel at how, when God gives us a job, He also gives us the wisdom to do that job.  I don't think Noah had built an ark before!!

    If the Bible says it, I believe it; but it is important to keep God's Word in context.  Let me explain.

    A preacher made the mistake on Saturday afternoon of showing two boys the Bible lesson he was planning to read Sunday morning. When he turned his back, the boys glued the pages together.  Next morning, the preacher read at the bottom of one page, “And Noah when he was 120 years old, took unto himself a wife who was,” and then, turning the page, “300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high, built of gopher wood and pitched within and without with pitch.”  Puzzled, he paused.  Then he read it again.  And again he paused, confused.  Looking up, he said, “Beloved, I have read the Bible through many, many times, but this is the first time I have ever read this.  But I believe the Bible to be true from cover to cover.  So I accept it as proof that we are fearfully and wonderfully made!”
 
                                                                                                  Dr. Mike Rouse                                                                              
What to do:  
✞Remember, you can make the Bible say pretty much anything you want it to say, so it's important to keep it in context.

You Can't Get Away From The Truth

    Bible Reading:  Numbers 32:20-33

    Key Verse: Verse 23 - “But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.”

    Key Words: be sure your sin will find you out

    Adam and Eve's sin was discovered.

    Abraham and Sarah's lie was discovered.

Peter's untruth was discovered.  When he lied on three occasions, the rooster told on him.

The list could go on and on, but mankind in his heart still believes he can be untruthful and get away with it.  When God's Word clearly states that his sin will find him out.
A woman rang her husband on his mobile phone. "Where are you?" she asked. "I'm at work in my office, of course. Where do you think I am?" "Well I know you're not at work." "Why would you think that?" "Because you work at the World Trade Center and I'm watching the footage showing the buildings collapsing." He was in a motel room with another woman.  His sin found him out, and it will eventually, and so will your's.

                                                                           Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:  
✞ It's better to confess and forsake than to be caught.

Lie Not

    Bible Reading:  Colossians 3:1-11

    Key Verse: Verse 9 - “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;”

    Key Words: Lie not one to another

    A little child was asked to give a Scriptural application in regard to lying.  Here is their answer “a lie is an abomination to the Lord, but a very present help in a time of trouble.”
It's a proven fact that humans do frequently lie to one another.  

    Professor Jeff Hancock asked 30 subjects to keep a communications diary for a week and made them fess up to how often they fibbed during the course of their interactions, be they in person, on the phone, via e-mail or instant message. (Earlier research found that people lie in about a quarter of their daily interactions.) What Hancock discovered was that lies made up a whopping 37 per cent of phone conversations and 27 per cent of face-to-face interactions, whereas the computer-assisted technologies kept people more honest. Lies made up only 21 per cent of instant messaging and just 14 per cent of e-mails. Hancock believes that because e-mails leave a record, many would avoid including lies in them. 

    People lie because they really don't believe they will be caught.  “Don't we all.”
 
                                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse
What to do: 
Remember, he who is given to white lies soon becomes color blind.

False Illusion

Bible Reading:  Proverbs 14:1-12

Key Verse: Verse 12 - “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

Key Words: There is a way which seemeth right unto a man

Thought:  Those who are given to white lies soon become color blind.

The Mormon Tabernacle at Salt Lake City, Utah, reveals a significant truth about this deceptive religion. 

When the initial band of Mormons set out to construct a tabernacle, they were disheartened to find that their favorite materials from their homelands of Missouri and Illinois, marble and oak, where not readily available in the valley of the great Salt Lake. The only resource of abundance was pine. The industrious Mormons used the pinewood but added their own special touch. They utilized expert craftsmanship to paint the pine columns to look like marble and artistically converted the pine panels to appear as though oak. To the human eye their cover up is most impressive. Yet, when one closely examines this material impersonation of the truth becomes known. 

This physical illusion in the Mormon Church is indicative of what they also portray in the spiritual realm. They claim to believe in Jesus Christ but, like the "marble and oak," it's just another facade, like all false religions who worship another “Jesus.”
                                                                                              

                                                                                             Dr. Mike Rouse                                                               
What to do: 
✞Remember, if you will distort the truth you will live a lie.

Now Here's A Truth

    Bible Reading:  Psalm 23

    Key Verse: Verse 4 - “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

    Key Words: Yea ,though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Thought:  I've never known of a shadow to hurt anyone.    

    When my wife and I were in Israel for the first time, our tour guide took us to the place known as the valley of the shadow of death.  It is believed to be the place David had in mind when he wrote verse 4 of the 23^rd Psalm.

    Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse was one of America's great preachers. He lost his first wife to cancer when she was in her thirties. This left him with three children under the age of twelve. He chose to preach the funeral for his wife but wondered what he would say. His thoughts came together on the way to her funeral.

    A large truck passed them on the road and cast a shadow over their car. He turned to his oldest daughter and asked, "Tell me, sweetheart, would you rather be run over by that truck or its shadow?" The broken little girl looked curiously at her father and said, "By the shadow, I guess. It can't hurt you." 

    The wise minister quietly told his three children, "Your mother has not been overrun by death, but by the shadow of death. That is nothing to fear." Although death usually feels like a truck running over your heart, in reality, the death of a believer can bring nothing more than a painful shadow.  "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4).
                                                                               Dr. MIke Rouse
What to do: 
✞Remember, a shadow may scare you but it can't hurt you.

The Importance Of Truth

    Bible Reading:  Acts 4:1-12

    Key Verse: Verse 12 - “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

    Key Words:  Neither is there salvation in any other

    It's amazing.  People want objective standards when it comes to everything else, but not for how to live their life.  But suppose you went to the doctor and he was getting ready to perform an operation and he said, “Now, I think this is where I need to cut.  Other doctors have ideas of where to cut, but this is what I think.  Let's just check it out and see if I cut right.”  Is that the doctor whom you want?

    Suppose you went to a pharmacist and he said, “Well, I think this is the medicine you should take.  Now, the pharmacist down the street has another view, but this is what I think.  Why don't you try it?”

    Suppose you got on a plane and the pilot said, “Now, I think this is the button I'm supposed to push.  Now, my engineer over here thinks I ought to push this button.  My copilot over here thinks I should push that button.  The flight attendant thinks I should push this other button.  Well...let's try this button and see if it gets us off the ground.”
No! At the doctor's office, you want truth.  At the pharmacist's, you want truth.  In the airplane, you sure enough want truth.  You don't want a pilot saying, “I think,” or a doctor saying, “I think,” or a pharmacist saying, “I think.”  You're going to sue him if he thinks wrong.  You want him to think right.

    Well now, if you can respect the truth of a doctor and the truth of a pharmacist, and you can respect the truth of a pilot, how come God can't be trusted?  He's truth – an absolute standard of reality found in the Word of God.
 
                                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse
What to do: 

    If you can trust your pharmacist, your doctor, and a pilot, why can't you trust God?

Misuse Of Truth

Bible Reading:  Proverbs 25:1-13

Key Verse: Verse 11 - “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.”

Key Words:  A word fitly spoken

The word fitly means aloft, the highest, the best.  Words that are the best can bring great encouragement; but there are times when people use or maybe I should say “abuse” truth.

You can say truth to raise doubt about the character of others, for example.  

A ship captain one day recorded in the ship's log, "First-mate drunk today." It was a true statement, but was the first incident where the mate had been drunk while on duty. The mate pleaded with the captain to amend the statement, but the captain refused, saying it was a true statement. The next time the First-mate was in charge of the ship, he recorded in the log, "Captain sober today." 

Now, while the first-mate wrote the truth, it raised doubts about the captain's sobriety and character.  This is a classic misuse of truth!!  Something for each of us to ponder!!

                                                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse

 

What to do:  

✞Truth that is misused is not real truth.

Untruthful

Bible Reading:  Acts 7:51-60

Key Verse: Verse 51 – “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.”

Key Words:  Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised

Let me begin by saying, I do believe in being tactful when possible; I believe we should speak the truth in love.

Today, though, we have come up with all kinds of wordy ways to be untruthful.  For example:

Writing letters of recommendation can be hazardous--tell the truth and you might get sued if the contents are negative.  Robert Thornton, a professor at Lehigh University, has a collection of "virtually litigation-proof" phrases called the Lexicon of Intentionally Ambiguous Recommendations, or LIAR.

Here are some examples:

*To describe an inept person--"I enthusiastically recommend this candidate with no qualifications whatsoever."

*To describe an ex-employee who had problems getting along with fellow workers--"I am pleased to say that this candidate is a former colleague of mine."

*To describe an unproductive candidate--"I can assure you that no person would be better for the job."

*To describe an applicant not worth consideration--"I would urge you to waste no time in making this candidate an offer of employment."

Stephen had it right; there is a time to just tell it like it is.  But make sure it's God's time, not “your time.”"       

                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse                

                                                                         

What to do:  

✞Be truthful.

The Truth About The Truth

Bible Reading: Acts 12:1-15

Key Verse: Verse 15 – “And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.”

Key Words: Thou art mad

Some things which are true are, well, just hard to believe.  The truth is that some truth just seems untruthful.  Take Peter and the church at Jerusalem, for example, when Rhoda told them Peter was at the door.  They thought she was being untruthful and declared her, not to be a liar but, mad (“crazy”).  Yes, the truth about the truth is that some truth appears to be untruthful.  Take the following for example.

A woman's red station wagon was crushed by an elephant at a circus.  The owners of the animal apologized, explaining that the animal, for some reason, simply liked to sit on red cars. In spite of the damage, the woman's car was still drivable. But on the way to the garage she was stopped short by an accident involving two other cars just ahead of her.  When the ambulance arrived a few minutes later the attendants took one look at her car, then ran over to assist her.

"Oh, I wasn't involved in this accident," she explained. "An elephant sat on my car."  The ambulance attendants quickly bundled her off to the hospital for possible shock and head injuries, despite the lady's vehement protests.

 The truth is that this world has declared us to be “mad,” simply because they fail to believe the truth about the truth:  Jesus Christ!

                                                                                                Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:  

✞The truth is still the truth, no matter who believes or who doesn't.

Some Truth about Advice

Bible Reading: II Kings 5:1-14

Key Verse: Verse 13 – 13 – “And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it?” 

Key Words: And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it?

Not everyone is blessed to have wise counsellors who speak the truth in love.  Some advice which is given is far from the truth.  Take the following as an example.

At the end of the Battle of Britain, British vice-marshal Alexander Adams was driving to a meeting at his headquarters when he came upon a sign: ROAD CLOSED -- UNEXPLODED BOMB.  Adams called over the policeman on duty, hoping he might be able to suggest an alternate route.

"Sorry, you can't go through," said the policeman as he approached the car.  "The bomb is likely to go off at any minute now."  Then he caught sight of Adams's uniform.  "I'm very sorry, sir," he said, "I didn't know you were a wing commander. It is quite all right for you to go through."

With "advisors" like that, who needs enemies!  Although that policeman -- who was trained to respect rank -- momentarily allowed his deference to a vice-marshal to overcome his good sense, Adams had better sense than to follow his advice.

 The truth will keep you from danger, although it may produce some moments of inconvenience.

                                                                                                Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:  

✞You will never go wrong by telling the truth (but speak it in love).

Confused About the Truth

Bible Reading:  I Timothy 2

Key Verse: Verse 5 – “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”

Key Words: For there is one God

Even those who claim to be "Born Again" are not necessarily firmly grounded in the truths of the Bible.  In his book which provides a statistical analysis of religious beliefs in America, George Barna cites several fascinating statistics which are based on a national survey.

In chapter four he states, "The Devil, or Satan, is not a living being but is a symbol of evil." Then, asking that segment of his survey respondents who have identified themselves as being "Born Again", he states, "Do you agree strongly, agree somewhat, disagree somewhat, or disagree strongly with that statement?"

The "Born Again" population reply with 32 percent agreeing strongly, 11 percent agreeing somewhat and 5 percent did not know.  Thus, of the total number responding, 48 percent either agreed that Satan is only symbolic or did not know!

Should it then be surprising that a few pages later Barna would receive some very startling responses?  His next question, "Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and others all pray to the same God, even though they use different names for that God."  Again, the respondents were asked to agree strongly, agree somewhat, disagree somewhat or disagree strongly.

Of that population surveyed who identified themselves as "Born Again," 30 percent agreed strongly, 18 percent agreed somewhat and 12 percent did not know.  That is a total of 60 percent! ("What Americans Believe", pp. 206, 212).

No wonder Jesus said in John 4:22, “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship for salvation is of 

the Jews.”

                                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse

 

What to do: 

✞Praise God we have the truth in Jesus Christ!! 

   (John 14:6).