The Inspiration of the Bible

By:
Tholomew Mapalo

The Holy Spirit revealed to apostolic penmen, and they faithfully committed it to writing (John 16:13, 14:1, Corinthians 15:3, Jude 3.) Peter affirmed our reception of every thing essential for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). Biblical all sufficiency makes unnecessary all creedal works, whether Catholic, Protestant, cultic or occultic. So-called modern revelations are subjectively derived and subtly pawned off on the unsuspecting. Every human creed seriously reflects on the Bible, its inspiration, its all sufficiency and infallibility. There is no room for such among those who love and respect the volume, the Holy Spirit.

Rusty Souls

By:
Gary L. Hutchens

Rust will ruin a tool ten times quicker than will overuse. And, ironically, rust tends to develop due to under use. Just leave a tool lying around, exposed to the elements, and it will develop rust. Within a fairly short period of time, left unused and rusty, many a tool will become virtually useless. Regular use, on the other hand, will tend to prevent rust from developing on that same tool. In many cases, a tool will remain useable and effective almost indefinitely, as long as it is kept in continued use and maybe a thin coat of oil is applied now and then. Build a brand new house. Give it to a family that's too big for that house. Make sure that the family has a bunch of kids - hard playing, rough-housing kids! Let that family live in that house indefinitely. Make a few minor repairs here and there over the years, nothing too major, and that house will continue to serve that family pretty much as long as they choose to live there. Oh, it'll show some wear and tear, but it'll still be basically sound. Now, build the same brand new house, and just let it set vacant. Don't let anybody use it for anything, don't put any strain on it whatsoever. It won't be long until that house will be in a state of ruin just from going unused. Our spiritual lives are the same way. When someone is first baptized, his heart is aglow. He is fervent about being a Christian. He reads his Bible. He prays regularly every day. He attends church services. He wants to serve his Lord. As long as he continues in open, faithful dedication, he remains spiritually vital. But let him begin to purposely miss church services, let him become complacent about his spiritual dedication, let him be uninvolved in the work and activities of the church, let him stop praying on a regular basis and before long the "glow" will become almost imperceptible. The hot coals that had once produced bright flames will die down to just embers, and eventually the embers will grow cold. Just like a tool, when we neglect our spiritual lives sufficiently, our souls get rusty! We get caught up in anything and everything else, and we lose our spiritual vitality. We don't read the Bible. We forget to pray. We stop weighing our actions and inactions against what would be God's will for our lives. Our neglect develops to the point where we no longer make excuses for not attending church services; we simply no longer think about attending church services. It's like we just laid aside our spiritual lives, and our souls got rusty. They're in a state of neglect and in danger of becoming ruined forever. Each of us needs to examine his/her spiritual condition. We need to be open and honest with ourselves. Is there fire in our souls, or is the furnace cold? Are our hearts aflame, or are there just a few smoldering embers left? Does the way we live demonstrate that getting to Heaven is the most important thing to us? Do we attend every church service we possibly can? Do we read our Bibles regulary? Do we pray throughout the day every day? Do we look for ways in which we can serve the Lord? Are we active, involved in the work and activities of the church? We need to search our hearts carefully. If there are changes that need to be made, let us make them. Stoke the flames! Be spiritually alive, active, vital. For, I fear that Hell will be filled with "Rusty Souls..."

Nothing Is Impossible For God

By:
Gary L. Hutchens

The angel Gabriel was sent to Nazareth to announce to Mary God's plans for her to bare Jesus into the world as a human baby (Luke 1:26-38). When she protested that she had not been with a man, Gabriel instructed her that she would conceive by the Holy Spirit (Vs. 34-35). To impress her with the validity of his announcement, Gabriel stated that Mary's cousin Elizabeth, though in her old age and considered barren, was already in her sixth month of pregnancy, obviously by God's design (vs. 36). Gabriel's statement in the next verse is key: "For with God nothing will be impossible." A virgin conceiving and baring in human form the Son of God? A woman barren and in old age having a son? Nothing is impossble with God! What about the husband and wife on the brink of divorce? Almost any conversation turns into an argument. Once, they could hardly stand to be apart; now they can hardly stand to be together for any length of time. Once, they longed to be in each other's tender embrace; now they can hardly stand to be touched by one another. Is there any way for them to rediscover the magic that once graced their relationship? Nothing is impossible with God! What about the teenage girl who made a terrible mistake, failing to control her passions? Now, she must tell her parents that she's going to have a baby. But she's just a teenager, still a kid herself, not even finished with High School. She doesn't know how to be a mother and has no means of providing for her baby. How will she ever face all of the hidden challenges that lay ahead of her? Nothing is impossible with God! What about the person struggling with some kind of addiction? "Addiction," a terrible word and a terrible reality! So strong, so compelling, so controlling of one's life. How can the addict overcome his addiction and regain control of his life? Nothing is impossible with God! What about the person drowning in the dark sea of clinical depression? Not depression for a day, or a week, or even a month. But deep, dark, ongoing depression that never seems to end. Where once there was interest, desire, even passion, now there is only a big, empty hole. He has no gumption to do anything, not even to get out of bed. Deep in that dark hole he recognizes his condition, and he hurts. But he has no sense of how to escape his trap and feels little motivation to act anyway. His family and friends have a difficult time understanding what's going on. Is there any answer, any at all? Nothing is impossible with God! When we face the obstacles and challenges of life, when the going gets toughest and things seem bleakest, we need to remember that "...with God nothing will be impossible." God calls upon us to cast all of our cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:6-7). With God's help, nothing that needs to be done in our lives will be impossible. Enroll in the Bible study offered next to this article and learn how to walk with God on your side.