Learn to Take Advice, Reproof, CriticismProverbs 9:8 “Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.”Proverbs 10:17 “He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.”Proverbs 13:18 “He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.”Proverbs 28:23 “He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue.”Proverbs 23:12 “Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.”Learn to Measure All Conversations Before AnsweringProverbs 10:11 “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.”Proverbs 10:12 “Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.”Proverbs 10:19 “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.”Proverbs 10:20–21 “When a good man speaks, he is worth listening to, but the words of fools are a dime a dozen. A godly man gives good advice, but a rebel is destroyed by lack of common sense.” (TLB)Be Slow to Speak…Proverbs 11:12 “To quarrel with a neighbor is foolish; a man with good sense holds his tongue.” (TLB)Proverbs 12:13 “An evil man is trapped by his sinful talk, but a righteous man escapes trouble.”Proverbs 15:4 “The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.”Always Be Compassionate to Poor PeopleProverbs 3:27–28 “Do not withhold good from those who…

Isn’t it strange? We are now having to define what we mean by character. When I was a kid, I would often hear in the family, “Character is doing what is right! Character is what you are after everyone has left the room. Character is telling the truth. Character is standing up for the things that are right and always opposing the wrong.” So let’s get some things straight.What Character Is NotCharacter is not what a person professes to be; it is what a person IS.Character is not reputation.Character is not a well-known event in someone’s life.Character is not being a well-gifted person.Character is not keeping company with the right people.Character is not having thoughts of goodness.Character is not projections about tomorrow.Character is not rhetoric.What Character IsCharacter is the quality that reflects moral beliefs/values, which motivates our behavior, choices, or attitudes, and which helps us distinguish between right and wrong (Josephson Institute of Ethics).Character is moral strength.Character is doing the right things for the right reasons.Character is knowing the difference between right and wrong.Character is always doing the right thing even if no one is looking.Character is loving the good and following through with the appropriate behavior.Character is knowing the good.Character is doing the good.What Parents Can DoTeach character in the home atmosphere, knowing children are being prepared for life.Present it directly to children as the greatest gift they will ever receive in life.Stand by what you have taught in words and behavior—an example of the words.Advocate it in your…

The other morning I was on my way to the SIBI library, which, by the way, is excellent. A religious program was on my radio. I didn’t get it all, but they were talking with a caller. He told the interviewer that during the Vietnam War he found himself in a foxhole with a group of guys he really didn’t know. They all had one thing on their minds—how to stay alive! The interesting part was they were all of like mind for the moment. Someone in the group said, “Let us pray.” The caller went on to say, “There was no mention of a denomination, who might have belonged to it, or its origin.” He went on to say, “There was no denominationalism in that foxhole!” I thought, If only we all could climb into a foxhole with one priority on our minds—glorifying Christ through our unity!I thought for a moment how our Lord would have been praised by those circumstances. Not that they were in a foxhole, but that they were of one heart and desire engaged in prayer. Denominationalism did not divide them! All of that was dropped! These men got down to their immediate need—a God honoring safety. If these men could be united for a night, a day, a year, why not a lifetime? What if Christ were to personally ask us about our unity?God’s Wisdom Has the AnswerAs many of you know, I am from Ireland. The “troubles” there are challenging, to say the…

The tomb of Christ was of prime importance to all on both sides of the issue! The Roman military, invigorated by the Sanhedrin, wanted their initial decision to be a military success. The believers were challenged in their faith. Some were steeped in tremendous grief (Mark 16:10).The tomb was not of family ownership. It belonged to Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy resident. He lived in the very presence of the conflict. He saw the whole matter of the tomb arrangement as being permanent: they prepared Him for burial (John 19:38–42).Mary Magdalene represents the common frame of mind of them all. She ran to Peter and John and exclaimed, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we know not where they have laid him.” (John 20:2). She believed He was dead because her opinion was, “They have taken.”The Tomb Was Their Crucial ThoughtMatthew records that after Christ was risen and He met with the disciples, “When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted” (Matthew 28:17). Even after Mary Magdalene reported that Christ was alive from the grave, “they did not believe” (Mark 16:11). Two disciples on the road to Emmaus met Jesus and reported their experience of meeting Him to the other disciples, but Scripture tells us “they did not believe them either” (Mark 16:13). Jesus met with the entire group of disciples, “and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had…

The entire story of Christianity hinges on the identity of Messiah. It is sad, especially from the standpoint of those who call themselves scholars and yet give inadequate research into the matter. Whenever academics discuss identity, the person of Jesus is not far away. Men seem to delight in disrobing Him of who He was! If Jesus was historical, AND HE WAS, deeply involved in the movement of human life—being God and man—then we must place our confidence and hopefulness in Him! Our hope comes from His being GOD; our model for a true life now and in eternity rests on His being man! It is not enough to pay Him compliments and leave it at that. That would make Him dishonest in His claims and identity. We must go beyond these allusions. These inferences have implications! He is not simply “a good man”; good men don’t lie!I believe this question of identity is a serious one because Jesus Himself placed it before men (Mark 8:27). Was He a maverick like John the baptizer? Perhaps a farsighted, imaginative man like Elijah? Conceivably a man of tears as was Jeremiah? A man who disrupted society like the prophets? Some thought so much of Him that they would have been willing to place Him in a catalogue with their other divinities. Or there are those who, after hearing Him, went home satisfied that He was a very wise man. To some He was a brother, but not a savior! Not everyone has…

Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.Beliefs“Convictions” is what we call them. And they drove these early Christians. After all, they were in the crucible of persecution; they would have to give an answer for these beliefs. The people on Pentecost represented about fourteen nations (Acts 2:6–11). These all would be returning home. They would communicate with neighbors and family even as we do. They would report these matters. They would be questioned! They would have to give an answer!What Did They Believe Among the Jews?They believed that Jesus was God and refused to blend Him in with the gods of the day. They believed that He had become flesh and had lived among them. They said that they had seen His glory, and they believed the things He taught were indeed truth (John 1:14; 1 Timothy 3:16). They believed that He was the One the prophets had spoken of (Hebrews 1:1–3).They believed Him to be God’s Son (Acts 2).A man approved among you (verse 22).Whom God raised from the dead (verse 24).He was King David’s witness in prophecy (verse 25).He is Lord and Christ (verse 36).They believed that Scripture had its origin with God. A look at 2 Timothy 3:14–17 shows us the influence of Scripture in the life of a young Timothy. Beginning when he was a child, his teachers were his mother and grandmother, and through the word he received his faith (Romans 10:17),…

God’s Word has always thrilled me! From an early age, I have been thrilled at the tremendous concepts I have found in the Word of God. Even though written over a period of several thousand years, these concepts are plainly understood. They must be studied! The Acts of the Apostles is rich and challenging. Its description of the early church, and Christians in particular, is unequaled! I do assume that they were written so we would see how this same Word was believed and applied to their circumstances. Generally, they were men of humility, having given up everything for a Cause, and with an unpretentious sincerity they carried out their Master’s will (Matthew 19:27; 5:10–12; John 15:20–22; 1 Corinthians 15:9–10). I often ask, “Are the religious people I see today the same people I read of in the New Testament?” When I see men being carried on decorated chairs lined with gold and wearing religious clothing that gives them distinction, and allowing themselves to be called by names ascribed to GOD, I ask myself, what went wrong? The prophets could give us a quick answer to this question! They were involved in restoration! God’s people had digressed!Persecutions Took PlaceMost great movements receive their birth in the experience of pain. Such was the New Testament church. Of course there was the invented threat of the Roman government. But perhaps the greatest cause was the doctrines that were quite foreign to the people of that day (Acts 17:18). The Christians lived differently…

Can we use “fighting” and “prayer” in the same sentence? Our purpose in this lesson is to understand in part the struggle in prayer. I am sure you have had occasion when you were moved to tears by a speech or a particular experience that pulled you deeply into someone’s life. The Irish movie Angela’s Ashes did that to me. It brought memories; it brought emotion. I am affected by excerpts from the Bible, particularly the approaching death of Christ. He was in “anguish,” and this drove Him to pray “more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” (Luke 22:44).The ExperienceCan you imagine being with a people who were up against unmanageable circumstances?Gideon, who dared because of prayer. Judges 6:22Samuel, who prayed first for the people instead of his own personal hurts. 1 Samuel 3:16–18Asa, a king of Judah who believed his resource was in prayer, not in armies. 1 Kings 15Elijah, who believed that prayer was a weapon of a warrior. 1 Kings 17:20–22Jehoshaphat, who faced a million enemies, but who believed in prayer and made only one alliance with God, his sufficiency. 2 Chronicles 20Hezekiah, as he saw his life ebbing from him, saw prayer as the only thing that could lengthen his life. 2 Kings 19:15Habakkuk, who in prayer clung to God and, though he didn’t get what he asked for, gladly did without. Habakkuk 3:1ffJeremiah, who saw prayer as a struggle for utmost consecration at a very high cost.Jesus, who…

Many grandparents think they are beyond usefulness in a family setting. The fact is, not much happens in a family without the indirect influence of the grandparents. This generally is because they are thought of so highly or loved and respected so much. “If you want an exact persona of your children, look through the eyes of the grandparents.” They are the salve that can heal friction or difficult moments.Their Core Qualities Are to Be Found in the Following …· They espouse a love that is unmatched. They make their offspring feel sheltered and distinct; always covered by their love.· They have a particular tolerance and are not quick to blame— they listen patiently, with much thought, and give their time freely.· They love passing on family history by injecting themselves into the details, and they are very conscious of family cultural habits in their relatives.· They are there with their wisdom of proper behavior and know how to influence without being overbearing to the children’s parents.· They can be counted on. Their word is their bond. They are known in family circles for this value.· They have a high standard in relationships; they don’t forget what they have approved and are good at keeping agreements.· In difficult times, their tears are the words of their heart.· They are a family’s amusement park—they know how to be dizzy without losing their known seriousness.· They espouse wisdom advisably and the family waits for it, having proved its prudence repeatedly.· They are…

You are ready to leave home for the campus of your choice. Your mother has made the list of the things you will need for the adventure. Your dad has gone over with you some matters he sees as vital for academic success. In fact, every house conversation is interrupted with a new thought on what you need to add to the list. This is no secondary move; you will never be the same again. Even when you make your first visit back to the family, things at home will appear to have changed, but in fact it is you who will have changed!Keep Steady in Your MindIn my ministry work over the years, I have noted emblematically young, vibrant youth pursuing this long-awaited experience like young lions anxious to leave the pride. They have an awareness of their personal strength; they think they have become wise to life and what it has to offer. Though every student will have a different growth level, still they think theirs is complete. However, even if a beginner student is equipped and fervent in reaching out to new goals, there will be never-before-experienced swings and shakes, ready to make it the challenge of a lifetime.Questions will have occurred to you from time to time in past months. But now the question has left the mind and is right in front of you, ready for a decision. Even good conversation can trigger apprehension and distress. Mom and Dad play a steady role here at…