Go back to the second week in January, late on a weekend night. A young man, walking with two female friends in Center City Philadelphia is beaten and killed by three thugs in front of traffic and people! Imagine the gall of these men to get back into their car, drive off, and go on with their lives the next day and weeks after. Even after pleas from the police and the community, these men still go on with their lives and don’t see the need to turn themselves in and face the consequences of their sin!

But now, they are all in jail! And how? One of the men had the nerve to boast on his job about how he and his “boys” beat up a young man in Center City. Imagine this man boasting, rather then being remorseful, confessing, and turning himself in. Yes, the Bible is right— pride does go before a fall (Daniel 4:28-37).

Hope to hear from you or see you at the services.

All men are sinners, politicians included (Proverbs 20:9; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). The news media really hit Newt Gingrich about his marriages, divorces, and the alleged open marriage request to his second wife. Now if that is true, Newt was wrong to suggest such to her (Genesis 20:1-18; 1 Corinthians 7:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8; Hebrews 13:4).

But there is an inconsistency that no one in the news media seem to catch on to. We saw the media try to defend gay marriage but not open marriage. However there is no authority in God’s word for gay marriage either (1 Peter 4:11; Gen. 2:18-25). God created one man and one woman as the subjects of marriage and warned us not to put that asunder (Gen. 2:18-25; Matthew 19:4-6). Since there is no authority from God for neither, both open and gay marriages fall together (2 John 8-9; Romans 7:1-3; Matt. 15:13-14). The news media think they can have everything their way, but they cannot. They need to have it God’s way (Isaiah 2:3).

Hope to hear from you or see you at the services.

This nation was fascinated with NFL quarterback Tim Telbow praying. And why did a man praying captivate us? I’ll tell you why: we don’t pray, and we aren’t used to seeing others pray! The same applies to those who stare at someone giving thanks before eating. The one staring is not used to seeing people give thanks before meals. This nation is ungodly and needs to repent and obey the will of God! (Proverbs 14:34; Psalm 33:12, 11:11; Hosea 14:1-4; Jeremiah 3:21-22; Ezekiel 14:6).

If we were doing the things of God, we wouldn’t be wasting our time being fascinated by others, because we would be busy spending time with God ourselves. Today is a good day to repent; so how about it? (Hebrews 3:15).

Hope to hear from you or see you at the services.

With the homicide rate at about 20 people for the new year, the news media asked Philadelphia Mayor Nutter what he was going to do about it. And yes, a city must take a stand against crimes committed within its borders. But doing something about killing is not the Mayor’s call. Doing something about murder comes back to personal responsibility. The man who shot up the car of teenagers must be held responsible. The teens had responsibility not to be out in a car, looking for a fight or whatever at 10:30 PM.

Every parent has responsibility to know where their children are late at night. Parents have responsibility to make their sons and daughters do the right thing. Young men have responsibility not to start gun fights, rob a pizza man, sell drugs, or any other nonsense. It all comes down to responsibility, which people aren’t taking. People need to repent and accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. Lay down their guns, profane speech and deeds and obey the word of God (Titus 3:3-7; Acts 3:19). In order for murder to stop, men must stop sinning (Jonah 3:8).

Hope to hear from you or see you at the services.

Some say they could never forgive wrongs done to them because of the loss of trust. Allow me to say, God is betrayed by man daily (Romans 3:10-18). The trust that God has in men also disappears when men betray Him (Isaiah 59:1-3). Yet, by repentance and asking God for forgiveness, man can be forgiven (1 John 1:9). So, if God can get past the hurt and forgive those who repent and ask for pardon, why can’t we?

But one might say, “That’s fine, but I’m not God, and even if I forgive, I don’t forget!” Okay, but remember this; at some point you will sin, and you will want God to completely forgive you (Luke 18:13). What would you do if He started to act just like you? (Matthew 6:14-15, 18:21-35). With Him behaving like man, no sins would be forgiven and one would be Hell bound (John 8:21). We must not give up on redemption, man can change and God knows it, that is why He hasn’t given up on redemption (2 Peter 3:9).

Hope to hear from you or see you at the services.

In the previous year, many dismissed valuable information without giving it fair consideration. They did so because they didn’t want to be bothered, or they are just set in their ways, apathetic and closed minded toward new information. That is too bad, because not everything that comes across one’s hands is junk. Thinking everything as worthless because it was not requested, could be doing harm to many.

In 2 Kings 4:8-10, we read of a woman who decided to give her house guest a closer look, and it paid off great for her. The man who rode though the streets of Boston, yelling “the British are coming”, didn’t have his warning requested by the people, but look at the good it did! So, what does all this mean for the new year? It means we ought to give a closer look and invest time into checking out what falls into our hands (Hebrews 2:1-4; Revelation 3:20-22).

Hope to hear from you or see you at the services.

As another year comes to a close, three things are apparent:

1. We are all one year older.

2. We are all closer to the grave.

3. If not the grave, closer to the Judgement Day (Hebrews 9:27; Acts 17: 31).

Yet, man has reason to rejoice and that reason is life itself (Ecclesiastes 9:4). Man needs to be thankful and work to have a relationship with God, because only in life is that possible (John 8:20-24). Our relationship with God doesn’t happen by itself. Man must seek God and obey Him (John 6:45; Rom. 10:8-18; Heb. 5:9).

Consider the words of Acts 17:26-28, “And he made from one, every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is not far from each one of us.”

Hope to hear from you or see you at the services.

Next Sunday will be “Christmas morning”, but we won’t be at home opening gifts from under a tree. Sure the holiday falls on Sunday, but we shall be at the services of the church—worshipping God (John 4:24; Matthew 4:10).

“But’s it’s Christmas,” someone may say.” “Yes it is”, will be our reply. However, God told man to seek Him first and all other things will be added (Matthew 6:33-34). So, God willing, we shall worship first and take care of the holiday second (Proverbs 3:9-10; Luke 10:27; John 4:24; Matt. 4:10).

Hope to hear from you or see you at the services.

Purposely being shot in the heart by your best friend. Having your mother steal your wallet. Being attacked by the one who is to protect you. All these shocking actions are “Betrayal.” In Matthew 26:21 Jesus said, “one of you will betray me” these chilling words sent shock waves though the hearts of the disciples.

If you really want to hurt someone beyond repair, just betray them. Once betrayed, a person is harder to win back then a conquered city. The lesson in all this is, don’t betray anyone. Trust is a hard thing to build up, it may take years to do so, and one evil act like betrayal can destroy it in a second. Imagine the shock on the face of the one that is betrayed—the unbelieving stare, the tears, the question: “Why? Why? I thought you were my friend?”

Don’t do this evil deed to anyone! If you have people’s trust, keep it, don’t betray that trust!

Hope to hear from you or see you at the services.

Someone will say, “I won’t go to that church because they are small and meet in a small building.” What would that person say, if someone from a bigger church with a bigger building, said the same to them. A person from a 100-member church may not want to visit a church with only 35 members, and that is wrong. But at the same time, what would that person do, if a person from a 500-member church looked down on their church with only 100 members?

Churches should not be chosen because of where they meet and how many people go there. Churches should be chosen because they teach and live the truth (2 Timothy 4:1-5). Keep in mind that Noah had only eight people in the Ark and everyone else drowned (2 Peter 2:4-5). Jesus said two or three meeting in his name will be acceptable (Matthew 18:20). Jesus also said that the road to Hell will be travelled by many (Matt. 7:13-15).

Hope to hear from you or see you at the services.