Featured

Read the weekly Bible Views!

This free, weekly publication contains Bible-related articles, Bible studies, devotions, and puzzles. This version can be read by all, especially cell-phones. Printable versions are available at https://openthoumineeyes.com/newsletters.html and can be used as a bulletin insert, ministry handout, bus ministry handout, nursing home handout (the large print version), deaf ministry handout, and Sunday school paper as do many in over 165 countries. There are over 12 years of past editions available. Only the KJV is used!

SELECT A BIBLE VIEW BELOW!

The BIBLE VIEW #1048 — Church

In This Issue:
Family Time
Back Seat Problem
What My Absence in Church Did
Upper or Supper Room?
The Devil’s Tactics in Today’s Church

Volume: 1048   May 10, 2026
Theme: Church

Family Time
Bill Brinkworth

As Paul concluded his letter to the Roman church in Romans 16, the preacher spent the whole chapter remembering Christians he knew in the ministry.  He named 28 individuals and remarked on what they had meant to him, or how they had been useful in the ministry.  

Those believers were more than acquaintances to him. The people in the church were close to his heart.

Going to church for us should also be more than just nodding at people as they pass us in the aisle or shaking their hands as we see them in Sunday school.  Church is where those of like faith and beliefs gather.  

Church should be a place removed from the world, where we can be with our own kind — Christians. In that place, we are no longer a “peculiar” people as the unsaved see us.  In that fellowship, we are with others who share our beliefs.  We are with members of the family of God.

Church is a place where some hear the Gospel for the first time and get saved. It should be a place where the Bible is taught, and people learn more about God’s Word. 

In church, Christians can hear what the Lord has laid on the under shepherd’s heart, and learn how they can be better Christians.  It is a place where people can be burdened for needs they see or hear about and can get involved in a ministry themselves.

The church is also a place where we are among those of like faith.  I know I cannot speak for all churches, as too many have too much of the world in them, but church should be a place where we can be far from godless living and closer to God.  

In church, we can be encouraged by other Christians. All week, we are swimming against the current of the world. It can spiritually tire us. 

Being around other believers can reward us with advice, encouragement, and even with seeing how other Christians handle their problems, so we can run our own spiritual race successfully.

Those Christians who are not faithful in church attendance miss the help and encouragement of being around their own kind.  It is not just the preaching, teaching, church dinners, and special events that we need.  We need to feel, for the time we are with others of like faith, that we are not alone in this world. 

We need to know there are others like us.  No wonder Paul addressed many individually.  They were important to him because they were part of his spiritual family — the family of God.

“Going to church is family time.”  — Charles W. Tobey

Back Seat Problem
Author Unknown

“I wonder,” said good Parson Jones
With a little troubled frown,
“If there is any way to get
You folks seated farther down?

“You see I have to talk across
So many empty pews,
Before my voice can reach the back,
I fear my point you lose.

“And then I feel so lonesome,
Way up here and you clear back there,
It’s hard to feel you’re with me
When I come to God in prayer.

“I wonder if you folks are scared
Of what I’m going to preach
That you hurry so to park
In the fartherest back seat?

“Or do you fear the church some day
Will suddenly catch afire?
Or do you want to slip out quick
If of my subject you tire?

“I wish you’d come up closer
So I wouldn’t have to shout;
If you don’t, I’m going to have
Those back seats taken out!”

“A lot of church members who are singing ‘Standing on the Promises’ are actually just sitting on the premises.”  — Author Unknown

What My Absence in Church Did
Author Unknown

  • It made some question the reality of Christianity.
  • It made some think that I was a pretender.
  • It made many regard my spiritual welfare and that of others as a matter of small concern.
  • It weakened the effect of the church service.
  • It made it more difficult for the preacher to preach.
  • It discouraged the brethren, and therefore robbed them of a blessing.
  • It caused others to stay away from church.
  • It made it harder for me to meet the temptations I faced this week.
  • It gave me a poor Christian testimony with those that know I am a Christian.
  • It gave the Devil more power over lost souls.
  • It encouraged the bad habit of non-church going.

“God wants full custody of His children, not just Sunday visiting rights.”
— Author Unknown

Upper or Supper Room?
Author Unknown

The early church prayed in the upper room.  Today’s church cooks in the supper room.  Today the supper room, or the church kitchen, has taken the place of the “upper room”.

Play has taken the place of prayer, and feasting has taken the place of fasting.  There are more full stomachs than there are bended knees and broken hearts.  There is more fire in the range in the kitchen, than there is in the pulpit. 

When you build a fire in the church kitchen and the smells permeate the building, it often puts out the fire in the pulpit.  Ice cream awaiting to be eaten chills the fervor of spiritual life.

The early Christians were not cooking in the supper room the day the Holy Ghost came.  They were praying in the upper room.  They were not waiting on tables.  They were waiting on God. 

They were not waiting for the fire from the stove, but for the fire from above.  They were detained by the command of God, and not entertained by the cunning of men.  They were all filled with the Holy Ghost, not stuffed with a stew or roast.

Oh, I would like the cooking crew put out, and the praying band put in.  We need less ham and sham, and more Heaven; less pie, and more piety; less use for the cookbook, and more use for the old Book. 

Put out the fire in the kitchen and build it on the altar; more love and more life; fewer dinners and getting more sinners in the church.  Let us have a church full of waiters on God, and a church full of servers, serving God.

“The church is to feed the sheep, not to entertain the goats!”  — A. W. Tozer

The Devil’s Tactics in Today’s Church
J. Vernon McGee

When the Devil saw that persecution would not stop the church, he changed to a different tactic.  He joined the church.  He began to hurt the church from the inside. 

Satan still does that today.  He attacks the validity of the Word of God, and he tries to discredit the Gospel.  If that doesn’t work, he tries to discredit the man who preaches the Gospel. 

“The Christian church is a society of sinners.  It is the only society in the world in which membership is based upon the single qualification that the candidate shall be unworthy of membership.” — Morrison

The BIBLE VIEW #1047 —Difficulties

In This Issue:
God Will Protect His Own
Don’t Mess with Me!  I’ve Got Bodyguards!
Only with God’s Permission
God Has A Purpose

Volume: 1047      May 11, 2026
Theme: Hardships

** Sign up at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/a26cc9M to receive the DAILY VIEW devotion.  The daily e-mail includes a KJV chapter, a short devotion on something taught in that chapter, and more spiritual food for the hungry soul.  Start your day with some good news from the Bible!

God Will Protect His Own
Bill Brinkworth

Biblical Israel faced a plethora of attacks from their godless enemies (Psalm 129:1).  Modern-day Israel is facing similar assaults against it.  Through all the attempts of destruction upon them, that nation has persevered and even prospered. 

Israel’s enemies’ attempts to weaken and destroy the nation have failed.  The adversary’s advances came to naught.  The attacks failed, not because of Israel’s strength and might, but because the attacks against the people God cares about, although often spiritually wayward, were foiled by their faithful God.

The Bible is packed with other accounts of God protecting His own.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walked out of a devouring, fiery furnace without harm because God delivered them (Dan. 3:16-17, 26) from the danger.  Daniel was spared the ravaging appetite of a den of lions because of God’s protection (Dan. 6:22).  Israel learned many times that, no matter the attacks from their enemies, no one could harm them unless it was God’s will at the time. 

In the story of Job’s trials (Job 1:8:22, 2:3-10), one reads that Satan could only attack God’s man if God granted the enemy permission.  God allowed His own Son, Jesus, to be tested by Satan, but no harm came to Him.  Paul faced beatings, being stoned, robbed, and many other perils (II Cor. 11:25-28), yet God delivered him from all situations.  No harm can come to His people unless God allows it!

Today’s Christian can also have similar safety and security.  We will have attacks from enemies, disappointments, and trials, but they will never harm us unless God allows them to do so.  Most of the time, if the enemy’s assaults are seemingly victorious, it is to teach a deserved lesson or to move the believer in the direction God wishes for him.

There is much in tis world that can be feared.  However, the child of God, if he is within God’s will, has nothing of which to be afraid.  God will protect His own and often destroys the intentions and devices of the wicked.  We are safe because of God’s watchful eye and protective hands.
“The LORD is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.” Psalm 129:4

“Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side for God is always right.”  — Author Unknown

Don’t Mess with Me!  I’ve Got Bodyguards!
Bill Brinkworth

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” Psalm 28:7

I cannot read the first part of Psalm 28:7 without smiling, as it reminds me of a time in my youth.  As a scrawny, 89-pound (when-soaking-wet) kid, I had to be careful who I said what to and where.  It would not take much of a bully to teach me a painful lesson because of my sometimes big, provoking mouth.

One day, I met a boy much bigger than me.  He had a reputation as a tough and rough person, and people had to be careful what they said around him.  We got to be good friends, and I hung around him at home and at school.  He had a friend who was also large, and we became friends too.

I found I wasn’t as shy or quiet around those two.  Sometimes, with one on my left and the other on my right, I even found myself being brave, trying to be tough, and letting my provoking mouth have its way.  I knew I could get away with it because I had my “bodyguards” protecting me.  Anyone who wanted to shut my foolish mouth would have to deal with my rough and tough defenders.  I certainly felt safe when in that situation.

Soon, I outgrew my “protection” and went on with my life.  I went back to wisely watching what came out of my mouth.  Then, 13 years later, something wonderful happened in my life: I got saved!

It was not long afterward that I started reading my Bible.  I learned that I did have to watch what my unkind mouth said, but I also learned that, since I was now a child of God, I had protection all around me.  I had no reason to fear because nothing could happen to me that God did not allow or know about.  I was safe and secure.

I learned that:

  • “The LORD is my strength ….”  Psalm 28:7   God will give me strength that I usually do not know I have to face any trial or tribulation this life throws at me.  A situation may look frightening and with no hope in sight, but He WILL give me the power to face and defeat my “Goliath” (I Samuel 17)!  He has done it thousands of times in my life!
  • “… and my shield; …” Psalm 28:7 Just like a soldier’s shield shunned any arrows, rocks, or spears thrown at him, the Lord will protect His own from what he faces in this life.  He is the “shield” that will protect him when he drives down the road, from the plans of our enemies, from sin, and whatever can happen in his life.
  • Not only do we have God’s protection, but we have His heavenly host surrounding and protecting us.  Angels do God’s bidding on Earth and protect His own.  I am supernaturally protected!
    “The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.” Psalm 34:7
  • God knows the dangers we will face well in advance and will protect us from dangers we may not even know are there!  He is our “high tower” observer and defender!
    “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” Psalm 18:2

It has been a long time since I had my “bodyguards.” However, I am safer and more secure than I have ever been.  I have better protection.  I have the Lord protecting me, and nothing can happen to me unless it is God’s will, and if it is God’s will, He will give me the strength and grace to face that challenge.

If you are born again, you too can have that security.   You can be “safe and secure,” as an old hymn reminds us.
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6



Only with God’s Permission
Bill Brinkworth

Many Christians are more fearful than they should be.  A child of the King should never fret or worry because nothing can happen to him unless God allows it for the person’s or other people’s betterment.

According to Psalm 91, our Lord is:

  • Our safety and protection (Psalm 91:2, 9)
    “I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” Psalm 91:2
  • Our protector from life’s traps that are set to get us to fail (Psalm 91:3).
  • Our protector from life’s storms (Psalm 91:4).
  • Our source of truth (Psalm 91:5).
  • Our protector from what scares us (Psalm 91:5-6).
  • Our protector from the attacks of our enemies (Psalm 91:5-7).
  • Our protector from health problems (Psalm 91:6, 10).
  • Our protector from evil (Psalm 91:10-12).
  • Our protector from danger (Psalm 91:14-15).
  • Our rewarder (Psalm 91:15-16).

One born into the family of God by the spiritual birth (John 3:3) has nothing to fear.  You are safe in the hands of your heavenly Father.  Frightening situations will occur to all, but God is always in full control.  Nothing is a surprise to Him.  You will be safe.  Fear not!
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” II Timothy 1:7

God Has A Purpose
Bill Brinkworth

Living the way God commands us to live is not easy.  So many people are under the false impression that once they submit to the Lord’s will, problems will never occur.  They think they will be exempt from heartaches, hardships, hazards, and life’s hiccups.  That certainly is not true.

The godly may have God’s protection and guidance, but we are in a sinful world, and we face the consequences of our and others’ sins.  We experience it today, and David faced it as he wrote in Psalm 31.  The King dealt with:

  • Traps sent for him to make him fail (Psalm 31:4).  A foiled believer makes the ungodly triumph as they see that Christians “are not so holy and perfect ….”  Somehow, a defeated Christ-follower eases their guilt in not living a godly life.
  • Lies, all around him (Psalm 31:6, 18).
  • Troubles, and plenty of them (Psalm 31:9).  However, those troubles and trials are not always a “bad” thing.  Often, undesirable occurrences draw us closer to the Lord as we seek His help.  They can also help us grow in our faith as we see that God will protect and help us through the tribulations.
  • Grief.  Because of sin, there will be death and many let-downs.  Hearts will be broken, but we have a God who will fix and comfort broken, discouraged, and sad believers (Psalm 31:10).
  • Those who forgot him and his needs (Psalm 31:12).  We are not the first to have invested a lot of time and trust in a person and later been cast aside.  David had experienced the hurt of abandonment more than once.

Although we do not have a get-out-of-pain-and-suffering card just because one is a child of God, we do have something that the godless do not have when they go through hardships.  We have the Lord.  He is our God (Psalm 31:14), and we will have his watch-care, guidance, and protection. 

We will experience what God allows in our life for our or someone else’s benefit.  We may not always like the trials we face, but God has a purpose for us: to learn and to grow spiritually through our tests and tribulations.
“Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.”  Psalm 31:24

“Courage: Being scared to death and saddling up anyway.”  — Wayne

The BIBLE VIEW #1046 —Separation

In This Issue:
There Are Accursed Things Among Us!
Do Not Yoke Up
Do You Really Want What It Has To Offer?

Volume: 1046   May 4, 2026
Theme: Separation

Sign up at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/a26cc9M to receive the DAILY VIEW devotion.  The daily e-mail includes a KJV chapter, a short devotion on something taught in that chapter, and more spiritual food for the hungry soul.  Start your day with some good news from the Bible!

There Are Accursed Things Among Us!
Bill Brinkworth

“Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.” Joshua 7:13

Joshua and the people of Israel had seen God’s hand in their victory over Jericho.  All marveled at how that mighty fortress collapsed with God’s help (Joshua 6).

The leader’s further instruction to the people was to enter the flattened city and not spare any enemy lives (Josh. 6:17, 21).  All were to be killed. 

Israel was also strictly forbidden to take any of the riches of the city for themselves.  All the treasures of the fallen city were to be given to Israel’s treasury.

As Israel’s army entered the city and did to it as they were commanded, one man could not resist the temptation of all the valuables he saw, and took some for himself.  That man, Achan, took a Babylonian garment, silver, and some gold.  He took it back to his tent and buried it.  The thief thought no one knew, but God knew of his disobedience.

Later, when a small force of Israel’s army went to attack the nearby town of Ai, they were easily defeated.  Joshua and the people were horrified over the defeat and the death of some of their soldiers.  The thrashing from a weaker enemy led Joshua to believe that God’s hand was no longer with His people.

Joshua was grieved.  He prayed, and God revealed that the defeat was due to one man’s disobedience (Josh. 8:13). Because of one man’s sin, all of Israel was guilty (Josh. 7:1, 11) of rebelling against what God had commanded them to do.  

One man’s iniquity cost the lives of others.  Israel’s testimony was tarnished, and God’s hand was no longer helping His people.

Later, with God’s help, Joshua discerned who was responsible (Joshua 8:17-19).  Achan was revealed to be the culprit.  He confessed, and what had not been put into Israel’s treasury was recovered.  Because of the sin that cursed the people, Achan and his family were killed (Joshua 8:25).  Many suffered greatly because of one man’s sin.

Today, that principle still applies.  Others suffer great loss because of an individual’s sin. 

Families are split up because of an adulterous parent’s sin.  Friends who innocently ride along with a friend who commits a crime often see jail time as accomplices to the wrongdoing.  

New laws rob many of their freedoms because of others’ wrongdoing.  A family can get a bad reputation because of one misbehaving child.  Whole communities have been looked down upon because of the belligerent attitudes of some.  Sin’s tentacles often reach further than the one sinning.

In the account in Joshua 6-8, one individual’s sin affected all of Israel.  Perhaps two million people suffered loss of God’s guidance and protection!  It was not a “little” sin. 

With Achan’s treachery in mind, and how it affected so many, imagine how the sins that are rampant today are harming nations.  Although many are ignorant of God’s commandments, and many refuse to obey the ones they know, God has not changed. 

What was sin in Joshua’s day and biblical days is still iniquity today.  Sins that cost nations in the past are causing much suffering today.

God is aware of today’s national tolerance of sins such as abortion, sexual deviancies, acceptance of man-made religions, mockery of God and biblical morals, lessening punishments for crimes, reliance on government rather than God, attacks on Christianity, and scores of other “acceptable” behaviors.  Although much of society tolerates current immoralities, God does not.  He did not tolerate it with Achan, and He will not put up with it today.

Because of Achan’s transgression, Israel could not stand against a smaller, insignificant enemy.  Today, we have small, terrorist cults creating great havoc to very powerful nations.  Small minorities seem to hold the power to control vast majorities.  

Common sense is dumped for philosophies that have failed countless times previously.  Once great nations are now cowering under pressures from small groups of radical extremists.

Why all the chaos?  Why is sin prevailing and righteousness failing?  

As a nation was judged because of one man’s disobedience after the Battle of Jericho, so are some being judged today for sin.  No one person or country gets away with wrongdoing. 

There may be no thunderbolts being hurled from the heavens or earthquakes swallowing the sinning individuals, but unless sin is dealt with directly, God’s helping and protecting hand will be withdrawn from many.  It is far past time we learn the lesson that Israel learned the hard way; that unless sin is judged, halted, and repented, many will suffer — even today!
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” II Chron.  7:14

“Oil and water do not mix; neither do the saved and the unsaved.”

Do Not Yoke Up!
Bill Brinkworth

One of the principles that will distinguish a strong Christian from a weak one, when practiced, is taught in II Corinthians 6.  Not adhering to God’s teaching on this doctrine has ruined many Christian lives and testimonies.  It is the number one robber of joy for a child of God.  Paul taught that there should be a separation of a Christian from those who are not saved. (II Cor. 6:14-17).
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?  and what communion hath light with darkness?” II Corinthians 6:14

The double-negative “not unequally yoked” can be somewhat confusing to our modern vernacular, but it simply means “do not be yoked together with unbelievers”.  The yoke spoken of here refers to the wooden implement that binds two farm animals together. 

It was common for two oxen or mules to be joined together with that device so they could plow a field together.  We are not going in the same direction as the world is going.  We should not be plowing the same “field” as they.

We should not be yoked to unbelievers in marriage, business relationships, friendships, or other close relationships.  When we are yoked together closely in such a relationship, we can end up going the wrong direction.  

We are in the world, and we may naturally be in close contact with the unsaved.  That happens and is a good opportunity to be a witness and an example to them, but getting into the position that we are going in their direction is what God is warning us against

A child of God is on the winning side.  Why in the world would he want to go in the same direction as the losing side? 

We have a Leader who will take us in the right direction.  We should not be following those who do not know the way.  We should be guiding others in the right direction, not following their wrong pathways through life.

The Bible says there are two spiritual sides in this life:  God’s and the devil’s (also called Belial).  What can we possibly have in common with an unbeliever’s thinking and goals? 
“And what concord [agreement, union in opinions, sentiments, views or interests] hath Christ with Belial?  or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?  for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” II Cor. 6:15-16 

“The pull to have what the world temporarily has to offer has cost countless Christians their joy, testimony, and futures!” — Author Unknown

Do You Really Want What It Has To Offer?
J. Mason

If you love your soul, beware of what the world has to offer.  It has slain millions.

  • What ruined Lot’s life?  The world!
  • What ruined Haman?  The world!
  • What ruined Judas?  The world!
  • What ruined Demas?  The world!

And you really believe you can survive what the world will give you unscathed?

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Mark 8:36

The BIBLE VIEW# 1045 – Holiness

In This Issue:
Holy, Holy, Holy!
Holiness
Personal Holiness
Reasons Why the Believer Should be Holy
Holy, Holy, Holy.  Lord God,Almighty
Destiny of Holiness

Volume: 1045   April 27, 2026
Theme: Holiness

Sign up at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/a26cc9M to receive the DAILY VIEW devotion.  The daily e-mail includes a KJV chapter, a short devotion on something taught in that chapter, and more spiritual food for the hungry soul.  Start your day with some good news from the Bible!

 Holy, Holy, Holy!
Bill Brinkworth

“2 And immediately I [John] was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. … 8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.  9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever.” Revelation 4:2-9

In Revelation 4:2-9, the reader gets a glimpse of the throne room of Heaven.  Another peek is revealed in Isaiah 6:1-3.  In both views, we read of similar creatures that surround the heavenly throne and worship God.

Those creatures (Revelation 4 calls them “beasts;” Isaiah identifies them as “seraphim”), because of their nearness to God’s throne must know quite a bit about Him. They know more about what God has created than we do.  We only see what is here on Earth.  They look about Heaven and see creatures, including seraphim, cherubim, angels, and other glorious things, that we cannot even imagine.  However, they were not praising God for all that is in His Heaven.

They must know that all the stars are more than our limited human minds can imagine and count.  It most likely would not surprise them to know that the largest star we know about is VY Canis Majoris, which is estimated at over 1,800 times the size of our sun.  Yet, all those amazing stellar creations were created by God in one day.  However, the heavenly host are not singing His praises about His wonderful creations.

The seraphim must also know about God’s patience in allowing Earth’s inhabitants many opportunities to come to and obey Him.  They also must know how so many curse His name, and openly rebel against their own Creator.  Those creatures know of the Almighty’s wrath, that He can release when it is time and necessary.  Yet, with all they know of what God has done for all those in Heaven and here on Earth, they do not praise Him for His character.

In both instances, in Isaiah and Revelation, they praised Him for His holiness.  “… Holy!  Holy!  Holy! …” cried the Heavenly host.  Of all the wonderful things those creatures must know about Him, they are most impressed and respectful of God’s holiness!  There is no sin in Heaven, as God cannot be near such wickedness, so those singing God’s praises do not sin, yet they praise God for His holiness! 

Holiness is important to God.  That is why He also desires us to be Holy.  We certainly will never be as holy as our Creator, but Christians should still strive to live a holy life.  

It is expected of us to flee and avoid sin and emulate our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Our goal should be to please God by making our lives as holy as we can.  Living a holy life is possible, or He would not expect it of us!
“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” I Peter 1:15-16
“Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.” Lev. 20:7

“The essence of true holiness consists of conforming to the nature and will of God.” — Dr. Lucas

Holiness
Dr. T. W. Jenkyn

Holiness, in the Scriptures, means a hallowed state.  It is a full, entire, and impartial consecration to the service and the use of God.  It is a definite separation and dedication for His purposes and pleasure.  Not to be in this state would be diverting our sacred purpose to which we should be devoted.

“The goal of a Christian should be to be holy, and happiness will follow.”
— Author Unknown

 Personal Holiness
Dr. T. W. Jenkyn

Personal holiness is the first and foremost tribute which we owe to the Holy Spirit to be used by our Master.  We are to offer Him no other service until that is given.

A Roman sent to Caesar a present of a royal crown while he was openly rebelling against Caesar’s throne.  Caesar returned the gift with the message, “First of all, yield obedience, and then send presents.” 

The spirit and the truth of His message are addressed by the Holy Spirit to every Christian and to every church.  He desires our obedient hearts before our worldly “sacrifices” and offerings.

“Real holiness has love for its essence, humility for its clothing, the good of others as its employment, and the honor of God as its end.”  — Emmons



Reasons Why the Believer Should be Holy
Edited from 500 Bible Readings, Marsh

  • Because of what God is.
    “The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.” Ps. 145:17
  • Because of what He has done.
    “Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.” Lev. 19:2
  • Because He commands it.
    Lev. 19:2
  • Because of His relationship to us.
    “Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.” Lev. 20:7
  • Because of His choice of us.
    “And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.” Lev. 20:26
  • Because of our relationship to Him.
    “They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.” Lev. 21:6

“It is a great deal better to live a holy life than to talk about it.  Lighthouses do not ring bells and fire cannons to call attention to their shining.  They just shine.”  — Moody

Holy, Holy, Holy!  Lord God Almighty
Hymn by Reginald Heber

  1. Holy, holy, holy!  Lord God Almighty!
    Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
    Holy, holy, holy!  Merciful and mighty,
    God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

    2.  Holy, holy, holy!  All the saints adore thee,
    Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
    Cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
    Which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.

    3.  Holy, holy, holy!  Though the darkness hide thee,
    Though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see,
    Only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
    Perfect in power, in love and purity.

    4.  Holy, holy, holy!  Lord God Almighty!
    All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea.
    Holy, holy, holy!  Merciful and mighty,
    God in three persons, blessed Trinity.

Destiny of Holiness
Oswald Chambers, Edited from My Utmost for His Highest, Sept. 1

The preaching of the Gospel awakens an intense resentment because it reveals that I am unholy.  God has one destined end for mankind through holiness.  

His one aim is the production of saints… He did not come to save men out of pity.  He came to save men because He had created them to be holy.  The Atonement He gave is the way God can put me back into perfect union with Himself, without sin’s shadow, through the death of Jesus Christ.

Never tolerate, through sympathy with yourself or others, any practice that is not in keeping in line with a holy God.  Holiness means unsullied walking with the feet, unsullied talking with the tongue, and unsullied thinking with the mind.  Every detail of our lives is under God’s scrutiny.   Holiness is not only what God gives me, but what I show others that God has helped me to be.

“I believe the holier a man becomes, the more he mourns over the unholiness that remains in him.”  — Spurgeon

The BIBLE VIEW #1044 —Grief

In This Issue:
The Definition of Grief
Grief

Volume: 1044   April 13, 2026
Theme: Grief

Sign-up at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/a26cc9M to receive the DAILY VIEW devotion.  The daily e-mail includes a KJV chapter, a short devotion on something taught in that chapter, and more spiritual food for the hungry soul.  Start your day with some good news from the Bible!

A Definition of Grief
Dr. Hewlett

Grief can be the effect of wounded affection and the effect of discovered, but undeserved, unkindness.  It is the pang a mother feels when she first learns that the child of her fervent prayers and cherished hopes has become profane and profligate (“morally unrestrained”).  It is the throbbing emotion of the generous heart when thwarted or interrupted in the benevolent design it has conceived.

“Grief drives men into habits of serious reflections, sharpens understanding, and softens the heart.”  — John Adams

Grief
Bill Brinkworth

For much of my saved life, I have been around and ministered to older people and those with special needs.  As can be expected with those folks and all others, death visited many of their loved ones.

After the passing of someone who meant a lot to them, I tried to comfort and encourage them.  However, after the loss of my wife of 37 years, I now have a better understanding of the grief they were experiencing.

I believed I was being compassionate and helpful, but after experiencing what it was like to lose someone close to me, I realized that I was not as understanding as I should have been.

As is often the case when God allows one to go through a problem, I have lately been exposed to others who have also recently lost someone close to them.  I have noticed that people handle their loss or emotions differently.

Without warning, tremendous bouts of sadness bring torrents of tears to many.  Perhaps the sight of another person, activity, or thing brings back memories that trigger more sadness.

Many experience anger, guilt, confusion, lack of enthusiasm, and some may find themselves not wanting to be around others. Many notice their decision-making and thinking abilities are diminished.  The overwhelming acquiring of duties that the deceased used to do may also bring on more grief.

Those not going through the heart-wrenching sadness of loss wonder why the grief-burdened person does not ”just get over it”  and have no idea what it is like to lose a child, friend, or spouse that had meant so much to them or to handle overbearing challenges.  Some never “get over it,” and pangs of sadness or immense anxiety continue to torment one’s thoughts and behaviors.

I have talked to one who lost her husband almost two decades ago, and she still has not “gotten over it.”  That deceased person was a part of her life, and now she stands all alone, missing an integral part of hersself.

The thoughtless “get over it” attitude just won’t work with someone who spent a lifetime loving and living with a person, raising a child, or not having the changes or difficulties they are now facing.  In many cases, the deceased person made the surviving person more complete, and now they feel like half a person.

Since it seems God is allowing me to encounter many grieving people crossing my path, it would be helpful to know what the Bible teaches on the subject.  

Although every person handles grief differently, as far as I have been able to find, there is no quick three or four-step process to fix or shorten one’s grieving process according to the Bible.  However, one can find more about the subject in God’s Word, which can be encouraging to those disturbed by a mountain of distress and help them realize the naturalness of their grief and anxiety.

It is found in the scriptures that:

  • God can be grieved.  Since we are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), we have many physical, mental, and emotional traits that our Creator has.  There is a divine purpose for our having the ability to grieve and be heavily troubled over certain situations.
    “And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.” Genesis 6:6    God was broken-hearted that His creation was given over to great wickedness continually. 
    “How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!” Psalm 78:40  The people of Israel knew what was expected of them, but they lied, disobeyed, and did what angered their Lord.  Those actions and many, many others broke God’s heart.
  • The Holy Spirit can be grieved.  The Spirit God sent to help mankind can also be grieved over the wrong works of man.  The Spirit is made so heavy with grief over what a sinner has done that He will not work in a person’s life, often until that person gets it right with Him.
    “But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.” Isaiah 63:10
    “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30


Grief is a natural emotion that most people will experience at some point.  It is part of life, but we can learn to handle what happens in our lives by seeing how people in the Bible handled their immense stress.

  • Job was overcome by grief as God allowed him to endure great testing and trials.
    “So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.” Job 2:13
    “Oh that my grief were throughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together!” Job 6:2
    “Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged [to make something burdensome or less intense, painful or severe] and though: I forbear, what am I eased?  “ Job 16:6  Also: Job 16:5-6.
  • David experienced grief. The pressure brought on from his enemies and the heavy burden from being amidst many troubles, weighed heavily on him.
    “Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly.  10 For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.”  Psalm 31:9-10  Also: Psalm 6:7.
  • King Solomon experienced grief.  The actions of his wayward son grieved the king; however, he learned that a great sadness in one’s life can be helpful in life’s continuing trials.
    “A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.”  Proverbs 17:25
    “For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.” Ecclesiastes 1:18      Also: Eccl. 2:23.
  • Isaiah experienced grief and prophesied about the Saviour and the grief Jesus would bear.
    “In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.” Isaiah 17:11 
    “He [Jesus] is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” Isaiah 17:11   Also: Isaiah 53:10.
  • Jeremiah experienced grief.
    “Woe is me for my hurt!  my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it.” Jeremiah 10:19
    “Thou didst say, Woe is me now!  for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.” Jeremiah 45:3
  • Jonah experienced grief.
    “And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief.  So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.” Jonah 4:6
  • Paul, most likely, experienced grief.
    “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” Hebrews 13:17
  • We can grieve over what we have done.
    “Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.” Genesis 45:5
  • We can be grieved by what others have done.
    “So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.” I Samuel 20:34
    “And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son.” II Samuel 19:2
  • The wicked may be grieved at the sight of a righteous person.  (This may explain why those with liberal philosophies and politics get so mad at those trying to live a righteous life.)
    “The wicked shall see it (Psalm 112:1-10), and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.” Psalm 112:10


As can be discovered from the Bible, grief can be a result of extreme pressure, changes against one’s beliefs, or after the loss of a loved one.  Grieving is a God-given emotion that places a high value on heartache and love and may help some avoid sin or ungodliness.

God would not give us an emotion that would harm us.  Perhaps it is a safety valve to enable us to cope with tragedy or change.  There is no easy fix for the mental pain it can cause.  Again, each sufferer handles grief differently.

When I found myself thinking and doing things that were not normal for me after the loss of my wife, a loved one brought  to my attention, “You are not going crazy, it is just grief.”  There is no predefined way one will handle grief; it just happens.

Grief is an emotion that puts a high value on life, doing the right thing, and directs some to respect life more.  The loss of a loved one also keeps our temporary life on Earth in perspective.  We are just pilgrims passing through this life, awaiting and occupying it, hopefully for the cause of Christ, until it is our turn to leave.

“Grief teaches the steadiest minds to waver.” — Sophocles

The BIBLE VIEW #1043 —Jesus

In This Issue:
Who Is Jesus?
Why Jesus’ Death Is So Important

Volume: 1043   April 6, 2026
Theme: Jesus

Sign-up at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/a26cc9M to receive the DAILY VIEW devotion.  The daily e-mail includes a KJV chapter, a short devotion on something taught in that chapter, and more spiritual food for the hungry soul.  Start your day with some good news from the Bible!

Who Is Jesus?
Bill Brinkworth

Today, Jesus is the\ key to anyone getting into Heaven.  Since having faith in Jesus and what He has done for us is important, it is essential to know who He is and what He has done.  Here is some of what the Bible says about Jesus, the Saviour of mankind:

Jesus was the prophesied Messiah that God promised to send.  Some of the 300-plus prophecies about the Messiah include:

  • It was prophesied about  599 B. C. (years before Christ was born), that the Messiah (“anointed”, “consecrated one”) would come from the lineage of King David (Jer. 23:5-6, Mat. 1:1, Luke 3:23-38, Acts 13:22).
  • Jesus’ purpose was foretold to His earthly father (Joseph) before Christ was born (Mat. 1:21).
  • It was foretold more than 1,020 years B. C., that man’s Saviour would ask God why His heavenly Father turned His head and did not stop Christ’s death.  (Psalm 22:1, Mat.  27:46)
  • It was foretold approximately 1,020 years B. C., that the Messiah would have His hands and feet pierced.  (Ps. 22:16, John 20:25)
  • It was prophesied, at least 1,020 years B.C., that the Saviour would not have any of His bones broken.  (Psalm 34:20, John 19:36)
  • It was also foretold about 1,020 years B. C., that the Son of God would not say a word to His prosecutors.  (Isaiah 53:7, Mat.  26:63)

Jesus preached and taught God’s message.  (Mat. 4:17, Mat.  4:23, John 7:16)

Jesus performed miracles.  He did things only a divine person could do.

  • Lepers were healed.  (Mat. 8:3, Luke 17:11-19)
  • Jesus healed the lame.  (John 5:8, Mat.  15:30)
  • Jesus healed blind Bartimaeus  (Mark 10:46-52).
  • Jesus healed a paralyzed man (Mat. 9:2-8).
  • Jesus healed a man with a withered hand (Mark 3:1-5).
  • Jesus raised the dead (Luke  7:11-16).
  • Jesus cast out demons (Mat. 12:22-37, Mark 5:13).
  • Jesus walked on water (Mat. 14:22-33).
  • Jesus knew the thoughts of the people around Him. (Mat. 12:25)
  • Jesus rose from the dead (Mat. 28:2-10, Luke 24:34) and appeared to many after He rose from the dead (John 20:26-29, John 21:1-2).
  • Jesus ascended back to Heaven. (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:51, Acts 1:9-11)
  • He performed many more miracles (John 21:25).

Jesus is God’s only son.  This is why He could do all the miracles He did.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16  (John 3:18, John 4:15, I John 4:9, Acts 3:13, Mat. 16:20, Mat. 8:29)

Why Jesus is so important:

  • Jesus was sent so that man would know the Truth and not have to live in sin.
    “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12   “Darkness” is referring to sin.  When a person is saved, he no longer has to sin.  Sin is always a choice.  Knowing the truth from God’s Word can keep us from making the wrong choices.
  • Jesus is man’s only way to Heaven.
    “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6     (John 10:9, Acts 16:31, Rom. 10:9, Acts 15:11, Gal. 2:16)
  • Jesus’ death on the Cross is the only payment for man’s sin that God will accept.  One’s good deeds, kindness, goodness, traditions, or following religious ordinances and rules will not get anyone to Heaven!
    “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Rom. 8:1 (I Thes. 4:14, Heb. 2:9, Ephesians 5:2, Titus 2:14, I Tim. 2:6, Mat. 28:20)

Jesus was God in the flesh.  Jesus and God are one!  This is part of the teaching of the Trinity.  God is three in one — the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
“I and my Father are one.” John 10:30 (Philippians 2:6, I John 5:7)

Jesus was sinless.  Only one born supernaturally, as was Christ, could be without sin.  Jesus’ sinlessness was necessary so He could be an acceptable payment for our sins.  Only Jesus was sinless.  All others born on Earth are guilty of iniquity.
“And being made perfect, he [Jesus] became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;” Heb. 5:9 (Heb. 9:14, I Peter 1:19)

Jesus was God’s gift to man.
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Rom. 6:23  (John 13:3, John 8:42, John 12:44)

Jesus was not just a man, as some claim.  He was God in the flesh come down to Earth to die for man’s sins.  All who believe and accept what Jesus did for them, when He died on the Cross and rose again from the dead, can be saved.

That is why making Jesus one’s personal Saviour from the punishment for our sins is so important.  Jesus is the only way anyone will get to heaven.  There is nothing we can do to earn Heaven.  It has all been done for us by Jesus.  All we have to do is believe He died for us, believe that He rose again from the dead on the third day, and ask Him to be our Saviour.  If you have never been saved, and you believe Jesus died for you and rose again, you can ask Him to be your Saviour right now!
“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”  John 10:9


Why Jesus’ Death Is So Important
Bill Brinkworth

When asked, the majority of professing Christians would acknowledge that Jesus died for their sins.  But if asked why that was important, most would shrug and be unable to explain.

From man’s beginning, as recorded in Genesis, it is found that our first parents, Adam and Eve, were sinners.  Because of their sin of disobedience to God, as promised, death entered the human race.
“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:17

To cover their nakedness after they sinned, God killed animals to provide covering for them.  Since this first sacrifice foreshadowed what Christ would do for humanity, who was called the “Lamb of God,” the sacrifice was most likely a sheep.  From the first sin, blood had to be shed because of sin.
“Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” Gen. 3:21

Side note: Many of the references to Lamb in the New Testament, where capitalized, as they are proper nouns referring to a person — Christ.

Throughout the Old Testament, blood continued to be shed to cover humankind’s iniquities.  The offering had to be repeated because it did not permanently cover the people’s sins. 

The blood of animals, such as sheep, goats, bulls, and birds, was sacrificed as an offering for people’s transgressions against God.  Eventually, God made laws (from Genesis to Leviticus) detailing how offerings should be made and when.

After more sin was committed or during certain times of the year, blood again had to be offered as a sacrifice for personal and Israel’s sins.  Animals were sacrificed to cover humankind’s transgressions.  That is what God insisted.  If there was no blood sacrifice, there was no forgiveness of iniquity.

Those sacrifices were not a good work to earn anyone Heaven.  No one can earn an eternity with God.  Salvation from Hell is a gift that God gives to those who trust and believe what Jesus did for them.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

Disobedience to God’s laws continued.  At times, God’s laws were not followed.

God, however, not wanting any to perish offered a permanent sacrifice to cover all iniquity’s violators.  That gift was the blood of God’s only son, Jesus.  After realizing one’s sinfulness and knowing without that payment for their iniquities one would go to Hell, one can escape eternal punishment by trusting Jesus’ sacrifice for what they did against God.
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

Trusting Christ’s payment for our iniquities is the only way to pay our sin-debt to God.  After asking Jesus to save, any sinner can be saved and spared an eternally tormenting Hell.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6
“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” John 1:17
“I [Jesus] am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” John 10:9
“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” Hebrews 10:4

The majority of man-made religions teach that there are other ways to obtain Heaven.  Some declare that following their ordinances, doing good deeds, baptism, praying to dead saints of the past, rituals, and many other works will earn one Heaven, please God and then He will let them into His Heaven.  They will not!

Jesus paid a tremendous price for our sins — His life.  By accepting His free gift, one can have God’s promise of Heaven.  It is the only way.  Have you asked and trusted Christ to be your Saviour?
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Romans 10:9

“This is the very essence of true salvation — personally living with a personal Savior, personally trusting a personal Redeemer, personally crying out to a personal Intercessor, and receiving personal answers from a Person who loves us, and who manifests Himself to us.”  — Spurgeon

The BIBLE VIEW #1042 — Lying

In This Issue:
Liar!  Liar!  Your Testimony Is On Fire!
Lying Lips

Volume: 1042   March 30, 2026
Theme: Lying

Sign-up at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/a26cc9M to receive the DAILY VIEW devotion.  The daily e-mail includes a KJV chapter, a short devotion on something taught in that chapter, and more spiritual food for the hungry soul.  Start your day with some good news from the Bible!

View 18+ years of printable, free BIBLE VIEWS at https://openthoumineeyes.com/newsletters.html.  Make as many copies as you need and use them in your ministry, nursing homes, Sunday school, deaf ministry, bus ministry, and church bulletin insert. 

Liar!  Liar!  Your Testimony Is On Fire
Bill Brinkworth

Honesty is one of the most important glues that binds people together.  Without truth, trust between people cannot be achieved. 

Relationships most often will not last when dishonesty is involved.  Societies will fall apart, as the only remaining truthful source will be one’s own biased, often-changing opinion.

Unfortunately, taking one’s truthful word on a subject is a thing of the past for many.  It used to be that if someone gave their word on a matter, they would keep their commitment, no matter the consequences, but not anymore.

It is often discovered that a fellow worker’s promises mean little.  Friends, to avoid doing something, offer a fabricated excuse for not participating.  A “little white lie” is still a lie and can cause future distrust.

After watching the news, one is often shocked by the untruths that flow freely from leaders’ mouths.  A quick follow-up on what the person actually said is shown, and one’s apparent falsehood is made public.  Yet, there is no retraction; no apology, only further justification of one’s falsehood.  In too many situations, it seems the liar got away with their deceit and faced no repercussions.  Politicians caught in lies often get re-elected, and their untruths are forgotten and unpunished.

Actual footage of a lawbreaker’s crime shows that he was guilty of the crime for which he was accused.  However, the violator’s own words stick to an untruth, no matter what the evidence reveals.  Police have a difficult time determining what happened in an incident because many of those involved lie.

A wayward spouse insists that they were not unfaithful, even though it was apparent to all involved that it was a lie.  Children caught in the act of doing something they were not allowed to do, deny that they did it.  Proof again does not change their deceitfulness.

Liars are all about us.  We, too, must admit that we have lied at times.
“I said in my haste, All men are liars.” Psalm 116:11
“God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” Romans 3:4

With the advent of artificial intelligence, pictures loaded on the internet show a political appointee in a compromising situation.  Most know it is not true, but some accept the dishonest picture as truth.  A seed of distrust may have been planted.

Others, if they realize it or not, slowly discover that nothing seen or said can be believed.  Mistrust spreads.  Society weakens and becomes desensitized to dishonesty. 

Dishonesty has always been a plague.  However, in my lifetime, it has never been so unleashed.  Society seems not to be that concerned, and at times has even allowed untruthfulness to be treated as entertainment.  Sometimes the heroes of a movie live lives of deceit but are still the “good guys.”

Lying was not always prevalent.  Satan was the starter and encourager of lying.
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” John 8:44

However, Satan’s creator, God, is honest.  He can always be trusted.  God’s Word, found in the Bible, can also be relied on.  It is the Truth!
“That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:” Hebrews 6:18

God hates all sin, including lying.  For that, and many more reasons, we should strive to be honest!
“These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,” Proverbs 6:16
“Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.” Proverbs 12:22

To have a relationship with God and others, one must place a high value on honesty.
“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24
“The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.” Psalm 145:18
“Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.” Joshua 24:14

To get along with others, truthfulness is needed.  That is why God demands we be honest.
“These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:” Zechariah 8:16 
“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.” Philippians 4:8

Yes, we are all sinners and liars by nature.  However, a child of God has a new nature.  Being born again can allow us to do all we can to please our God, and being honest is an important step in reaching that goal.  We can now make our words truthful and more reliable to others.  Our words can now have value!
“Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.” Ephesians 4:25
“Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:” Proverbs 3:3

“A liar is not believed even though he tells the truth.”  — Cicero

Lying Lips
Bill Brinkworth

From a young age, most know it is wrong to lie.  Perhaps it is an innate guilt or a learned “no-no” from reprimands from parents, friends, or teachers. 

The nonacceptance of untruths is universally frowned upon, or it used to be, and the bearer of falsehoods is often mistrusted and avoided.  One should learn quickly that dishonesty is not acceptable.

 A lie exposed has cost many future suspicions from friends, fellow workers, and casual and long-time acquaintances.  Because of discovered untruths, relationships have been shattered, jobs have been lost, and even jail time has been the penalty for many who lied. 

Lying lips have cost many much more than ever realized.   God also does not tolerate falsehoods and demands that people, especially Christians, be true to their word.

God’s Word, the Bible, has much to say and warn about untruths:

God and His Son, Jesus, are honest.  Since believers should be like our Saviour, Christ-like, we should also be truthful.
“That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:” Hebrews 6:18
“In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;” Titus 1:2

God hates untruths!
“Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.” Proverbs 12:22

God commands us not to lie!
“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.” Exodus 20:16
“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” I John 3:18

Lies are often told because of pride.
“For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.” Psalm 59:12
“The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.” Psalm 119:69

Liars twist and change God’s truths to enable them to do what they desire rather than what God commands.
“Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever.  Amen.” Romans 1:25 

Although usually our weak flesh succumbs to dishonesty, often people may be encouraged to lie by Satan’s influence.  Since an unsaved person does not typically heed God’s commandments, it may be easier to follow the leading of God’s and humanity’s enemy.
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” John 8:44 

God knows who is honest.
“The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.” II Corinthians 11:31

A good witness of a situation should tell the truth of what was seen, heard, or experienced.
“A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.” Proverb 14:5 Also: Exodus 23:1.
“A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.” Proverbs 19:5
“A false witness shall perish: but the man that heareth speaketh constantly.” Proverbs 21:28 

ALWAYS be honest.
“Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;” Colossians 3:9
“Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.” Psalm 31:18 
“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;” Ephesians 4:22-23
“Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.” Psalm 120:2

We can lie about anything, including being right with God.
“If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:” I John 1:6
“I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.”  I John 2:21
“Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.” Revelation  3:9

Because of the rejection of God’s will and way, our world has become one of dishonesty, distrust, misdirection, and deceit.  It is a tolerated sin among politicians, police, and most people.  It should not be.

Dishonesty separates many and breeds mistrust.  This must stop for a society to be healed and to get along with each other.  Start today, especially if you are a born-again child of God.  Always tell the truth!

“There is beauty in truth, even if it’s painful.  Those who lie, twist life so that it looks tasty to the lazy, brilliant to the ignorant, and powerful to the weak.  But lies only strengthen our defects.  They don’t teach anything, help anything, fix anything or cure anything.  Nor do they develop one’s character, one’s mind, one’s heart or one’s soul.” ― José N. Harris 

The BIBLE VIEW #1041 — Friends

In This Issue:
Friends   Dear Liberal Friend
Friendly Advice
A Friend
The Unfailing Friend

Volume: 1041  March 23, 2026
Theme: Friends

Sign-up at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/a26cc9M to receive the DAILY VIEW devotion.  The daily e-mail includes a KJV chapter, a short devotion on something taught in that chapter, and more spiritual food for the hungry soul.  Start your day with some good news from the Bible!

View 18+ years of printable, free BIBLE VIEWS at https://openthoumineeyes.com/newsletters.html.  Make as many copies as you need and use them in your ministry, nursing homes, Sunday school, deaf ministry, bus ministry, and church bulletin insert. 


Friends
Bill Brinkworth

The right friend will build you up.  A wrong friend may destroy you.

Many will have their plans and lives changed because they picked the wrong companion or gave a confidant the wrong priority in their lives!  Some do not even know what a true friend is.

Here is a short study on what the Bible says about a true friend:

Friendly all the time!  A true friend loves us during the hard times and the good.
Proverbs 17:17-18 “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.  A man void of understanding striketh hands, and becometh surety in the presence of his friend.”
Proverbs 27:10 “Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.”

Friendly first!  A true friend is friendly first, rather than waiting for others to approach him.  
Proverbs 18:24 “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”

Friendly giving!  True friendship is given and not bought.  You cannot buy true friendship.  Give, and you may get a person you can trust and like.  Do not be friendly to earn friendship, though.  You cannot make someone your friend.
Proverbs 19:6 “Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.” — but not true friends!

Friendly honest advice!  A true friend tells what they believe is best for us because they care about what happens in our lives.
Proverbs 22:6 “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”
Proverbs 27:10 “Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.”

“False friends are like vermin that abandon a sinking vessel or like the swallows that depart at the approach of winter.

“True friends are like ivy that adheres to the tree in its decay.  They are also like the light of phosphorus: brightest in the dark.”  — Unknown



Dear Liberal Friend
Bill Brinkworth

I am so sorry about how our friendship has turned out.  I was excited when I learned you were a “Christian.” Fellowship and friendship with another of like faith are important to me.  However, I quickly realized that your definition and my definition of being a “Christian” were completely different.

When one says they are a “Christian,” I assume their thinking and lifestyle would be aligned with the Bible.  Your “Christianity” is not what is described in my Bible.  Most of the time, you did not even want to discuss God’s Word.

When the conversation led to spiritual things, you quickly went on the defensive and accused me of judging or else argued the doctrine.  We have spent more time discussing “what the Bible really means,” as you keep saying, rather than agreeing on the things of God.

My other friendships with Christians have never been this strained.  It has always been easy and perfectly natural for my other friends and me to talk about the things of God because we are interested in them.  You, obviously, are not.

I may not have been saved as long as you have been, but I know that the Bible teaches that a Christian should live differently from the unsaved.  You seem to be very comfortable dressing, talking, acting, doing things the world does, and going to places where the unsaved go.

Your philosophies are often identical to what the ungodly world thinks.  It’s hard to tell any difference between you and the lost.  I am not comfortable doing many of those things, and I believe some of them are against what God teaches in His Book.

The consequences of worldliness and its sin are some things from which I was saved.  The world is losing and not heading for Heaven, but is going to Hell.  I have no interest in thinking and looking like the losing side.

Before I was saved, I did not have the joy or peace I do now by obeying the Lord.  Being more like Christ is far safer, peaceful, and biblical.

Clearly, the Bible tells us to talk to others about Christ so they can be saved and have the promise of Heaven.  Proverbs 11:30 says one is wise if that is done.

You have ridiculed and tried to stop me from witnessing to others.  No, I don’t think it’s “pushing God’s Word down their throat” by telling them.  If someone didn’t tell me how to be saved, I would not be.  I would feel very selfish if I didn’t share salvation with others and would be disobedient to God’s biblical commandments if I did not.

When I do witness to others, I often hear the word “hypocrite.” The unsaved world knows how Christians should live.  They have seen many call themselves Christians, and people see that they do not live the way they should.

After seeing more living the wrong way, they quickly assume that all Christians are hypocrites and living the wrong lifestyle.  I certainly am not perfect and am still growing spiritually, but the people they are referring to are not people like me, but are people like you.

I love being saved.  It is exciting to know that Christ died for all my sins and paid the price for them so I could go to Heaven.  I owe Him so much.  My desire now is to live for and serve Him.

Your liberal theology and lifestyle are doing much to harm and weaken the cause of Christ.  It is giving those trying to serve and live for God a bad name.  Your lifestyle is hurting the testimonies of those trying to live right.

Sadly, I think it is time to part as friends.  No, I don’t believe myself “holier than thou.”  

sI know what I was and can fall back into my old ways.  I am concerned that your disobedience may rub off on me.  Association with your un-Christian lifestyle will also hurt my Christian testimony.  I desire to be more like Christ and have that reputation, so our fellowship will have to stop until your lifestyle becomes more Christ-like.

Regretfully,
Bill


“Insomuch as anyone pushes you nearer to God, he or she is your friend.” 
— Unknown



Friendly Advice
Bill Brinkworth

  • WAIT on the right friend.  Do not settle for the first acquaintance that comes around just because you are lonely.
  • Pick a friend you look up to, not down to, or the relationship may hurt your walk with Christ.
  • Pray about the friendship.  Ask God how you can be a better friend, not just how that person can meet your needs.
  • Be honest with your friend.  If they dislike the real you, or the truth, they are not the right friend for you.
  • Friendship is not popularity!  Acquaintances are not necessarily friends.
  • Stick up for a friend.
  • Never put a friend down in front of others!
  • Be a friend to someone who you feel needs one!  They are often the most grateful and the most loyal!
  • Obey your parents’ discernment about friends.  If they say to stay away from a certain person, obey them!
  • Marry a friend!

“A true friend never gets in your way except when you are on the way down.” — Unknown



A Friend
Author Unknown

When troubles come, your soul to try
You love a friend who just stands by.
Perhaps there’s nothing he can do,
The thing is strictly up to you.
For there are troubles all your own,
And paths the soul must tread alone,
Times when love can’t smooth the road,
Nor friendship lift the heavy load.
But, just to feel you have a friend,
Who will stand by until the end,
Whose sympathy through all endures,
Whose warm handclasp is always yours,
It helps somehow to pull you through.
Although there’s nothing he can do.
And so, with fervent heart we say,
“God bless the friend who just stands by.”

“They who have loved together have been drawn close; they who have struggled together are forever linked, but they who have suffered together have known the most sacred bond of all.”  — Author Unknown



The Unfailing Friend
Author Unknown

The friendship of Jesus is lasting.  Other friends may grow old and cold.  It is not so with the company of our Saviour. 

Other friends may misunderstand us.  Jesus never. 

His love is the same in our youth as in old age.  The friendship will instead grow stronger as we get older.

If you have lost what to you seemed everything, if you find yourself friendless and alone, despised and forsaken, seek to get acquainted with this most lovely, dear, and precious Friend — Jesus.

The BIBLE VIEW #1040 — Difficulties

In This Issue:
Good From “Bad”
The Canvas God Is Painting

Volume: 1040     March 16, 2026
Theme: Difficulties

 Good From “Bad”
Bill Brinkworth

What a world this would be if bad things never happened.  Since sin entered in, however, all will experience many difficulties during their life.

Many think that hard things should not happen to good people or Christians, but they do!  Just because a person is born into the family of God does not mean they will be exempt from the consequences of natural disasters, disease, aging, others’ actions, and death.

Being saved from Hell does not magically put a force field around a person.  Yes, God does protect us many times, but it still rains on the “just and the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45).  Calamities and hard times will happen to everyone.

God could certainly protect us from all misfortunes, but our trials and tribulations often do much to strengthen us and get us closer to Him.  It is during the hard times that we should grow closer to God and trust Him to carry us through them.  It is also during those times that our faith can grow, as we see his mighty hand of deliverance.

Many wonderful things have happened because of the “bad” times.  Here are some “bad” events that happened to godly people in the Bible, and how God used those events to bring honor to Himself, to bless those going through the dilemma, and to bless others:

  • Noah.  If Noah had not obeyed God and spent many years building the Ark, humanity would not have had a second chance.
  • Abraham.  If Abraham had not come to the point that he chose God over everything else, including his son’s life, he may not have had God’s blessings on him and his generations.
  • Joseph: If Joseph’s jealous brothers had not thrown him in the pit and sold him into slavery, he never would have been second-in-command to the pharaoh and been able to help his family during a time of drought and starvation.
  • Children of Israel: If they had never been in hard bondage, they may have accepted their plight and never turned to God for deliverance.  Think of all the mighty miracles they saw when He answered their prayers.
  • Moses: If he had never kept his father-in-law’s, Jethro’s, sheep and suffered loneliness in the wilderness, he would never have been in the place to see the burning bush and be called to be God’s people’s leader.
  • Moses: If the angry Egyptian pharaoh had not pursued the people of Israel, they never would have seen the Red Sea part, would not have seen their enemy destroyed, and would not have known that God would guide them.
  • Ruth: If Ruth had not been faithful to her mother-in-law and worked to support her, she never would have met the man she was to marry.
  • Hannah: If she had never gone to the temple to pray with a broken heart because of her barrenness and made a vow to God to dedicate the child to Him, she may never had been the mother of Samuel and given Israel a godly leader.
  • Elijah: If Elijah had never stood faithful to God when it was not popular, Israel may have indulged longer in the idolatry of Baalism.
  • Nehemiah: If Nehemiah did not love God and weep for Jerusalem, Jerusalem would never have been rebuilt.
  • Job: If Satan had never tested Job, the man of God never would have had twice as much wealth and belongings as he had had originally (Job 42:12-13).
  • David: If David had not had hard times and heartbreaks, he never would have helped write much of the book of Psalms, which has encouraged and blessed billions of people.
  • Daniel: If Daniel had never been a captive of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, he never would have been able to interpret the king’s dream and spare the lives of the other wisemen (Daniel 2) or be the leader he was.
  • Paul: If Paul had not shipwrecked on Malta, the island’s ruler’s father would never have been healed of his fever.
  • Jesus: If Jesus was never mocked, persecuted, whipped, beaten, lied about, and eventually died on the tormenting cross, we would never escape a punishment in Hell.

Sometimes hard times do come to people to turn them in a godly direction, or stop them from doing more damage to themselves or others.  The difficult tribulations can get them closer to God, so they can see his mighty hand in helping them.  Other times, the trials can be to change a situation to the way God has planned.

Some people spend their whole life mad and blaming God for the death of a loved one or for a trial they went through.  Do they possibly think that their loved ones would miss death, or that they will have a perfectly sheltered life because they are so “good”?

Hard times will and do come to everyone.  No one is exempt.  Those times are either a time to foolishly shake your fist at God (which can only make matters worse) when you need Him the most, or to draw close to Him and see His mighty hand produce “good” from what seemed “bad”.

Why should bad things not happen to us?  Are we more special than even God’s only Son, who also went through hard times?  God has a plan for all that happens in our lives, even though its purpose may be cloudy when we are going through it.

When going through a “valley”, it is the time to call for the God of the mountain.  He sees what we are facing and is willing to guide us through the hard times.  It is during those difficult times that we should get close to Him and seek His help.

“I have never met a strong Christian who had not faced many trials and tribulations!  Those difficulties made them the person they are now.”



The Canvas God Is Painting
Caitlin Hockenburry

When you feel you are all alone
With nowhere else to go
What is going on, you don’t know
But life is changing.
This side of Heaven’s shore
We don’t know what’s in store.
We feel we cannot go on anymore
Without fainting.

When you feel like fainting,
Remember God is painting.

When things do not fall in place
And it’s a struggle to run life’s race
God’s love we strongly chase
Just to keep on going.
So often we don’t know His way
Because we can’t see the display
Of the Canvas that will one day
Be fully showing.

When you feel like fainting,
Remember God is painting.

Oh, the strong, strong blasts
From troubles in the past
The sky seems always overcast
Is God not watching?
A loved one’s health is on decline
You don’t know if they’ll be fine.
Wondering how much more time
God is giving?

When you feel like fainting,
Remember God is painting.

Satan is fighting hard
He wants to see you scarred
Your faith discard
In his trying.
So keep on pressing on
Until this life is done
And the battle won
By not complying.

When you feel like fainting,
Remember God is painting.

Forgetting the hurt I’ve seen
Knowing there’s a veil between
Where I cannot see
The canvas God is painting.
We need to trust His Name
Know He is always the same
He will get you through the pain
You are facing.

When you feel like fainting,
Remember God is painting.

When I see God’s face
And feel His gentle love’s embrace
I’ll thank Him for His abiding grace
That is life-changing!
When you feel all distressed
Just remember how you are blessed
And one day you will see the rest
When looking at your life’s painting.

Just remember when you feel like fainting,
God is painting!

“God is most likely not done with you yet!”

The BIBLE VIEW #1039 — Heaven or Hell?

In This Issue:

Where Are They Now?
I Hope  So

Volume: 1039     March 9, 2026
Theme: Heaven Or Hell?

Where Are They Now?
Bill Brinkworth

Recently, a friend lost her child.  The death of her son grieved her terribly, as most could imagine.

Looking for a way to find something positive in the tragedy, I asked if the young man was saved.  She looked at me, confused, even more saddened, and said,  “Bill, I don’t know.  When he was young, he made a profession of faith, but I honestly have not seen any change or proof.” 

Spiritually, the man went downhill as most observed.  There was no sign of his living for the Lord or obedience to God’s commandments.  One could see in her grieved eyes that she desperately hoped he was in Heaven, but there was a great doubt because of how he lived.

I have seen the doubtful thought peering through the grieved eyes of many who lost their loved ones.  At many funerals, I have heard “I hope she was saved, but…”  Too many wondered about the eternal destination of their loved one.  They all searched very hard for hope that the person was not beginning their eternal agony in a vengeful Hell.

My own father’s death had me wondering also.  I had witnessed to him many times, but never got a convincing answer whether he was born-again. 

The only hope I ever got about his eternal whereabouts was from his pastor, a very liberal and often unbiblical man, who, at dad’s funeral, told me privately that he thought he was saved because dad often asked him about the spiritual subjects I spoke to my father about.  That convinced him that he was saved, but I still wonder.

What would others ponder after hearing of your demise?  Would they scratch their heads searching for tangible proof of where you are spending eternity? 

Or, without question and hesitation, would people quickly respond about your salvation, “Absolutely, he is in Heaven.  When he got saved, there were tremendous changes in him.  He constantly read his Bible and lived what God showed him to do.  His interest in the souls of others was prevalent.  His hand went up almost every time to volunteer for any need the pastor had around the church.  He was truly saved and lovingly serving.”

If you are saved, there should be great changes in your life.  Surely, for your own eternal benefit, you should be much different from what you were.  One’s attitude and behaviour towards our Creator should greatly show spiritual and lifestyle alterations and new interests in the things of God.

It should be apparent to yourself and others that you are not the person you were before salvation.  No one, including yourself, should doubt that you are a new creature in Christ!
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” II Corinthians 5:17
“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.  Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” Romans 8:9

“Learn to hold loosely all that is not eternal.”  — Royden


I Hope  So
Bill Brinkworth

Although it was a solemn event, there were whispering conversations throughout the chapel.  One exchange in the far back was very concerned about the reason for the gathering.  Worrying and weeping soon whipped the group into an uncontrollable frenzy.

Aunt Jane tried to soothe those distraught by simply stating, “Well, my brother was a very good person.  I believe he is looking down on us right now.  He is in a better place and certainly deserves it with all he has put up with in this life.”

Several in the group remained silent but showed they agreed or hoped their aunt was right.  A few just quietly sobbed at the loss of their friend and brother.

Closer to the front, another party shared their opinions about the deceased friend.  One in the group tried to assure other mourners that there was no reason to be sad, as they were sure the dead friend was in Heaven.

Although a listener to the conversation knew it was inappropriate to voice a question, he wondered.  He doubted whether the man was really in Heaven.  He reasoned, “He never went to church and showed no signs of being a Christian.   How are these people so sure he is in a ‘better place’?”

While waiting for the funeral service to begin, another concerned relative sat next to the preacher, who would give the message.  He turned to the pastor and sought some assurance. 

“Preacher, my uncle was a nice man.  He always got me to laugh and was just good to me.  All these other folks are convinced he’s in Heaven, but I wonder.  He never went to church that I know of.  I can’t recall anything he ever did that would indicate he was a Christian.  On Sundays, he usually went fishing, and I don’t think he has ever even gone to church since I have known him.  Is he really in Heaven?  Can anyone really know that another has gone there?”

The preacher knew he would have to start the service soon, so he carefully weighed what he was going to say.  “Son, our opinions and beliefs, if they are not in accordance with what God’s Word says, don’t really matter.  Only what God says matters, and He says the only way to have assurance of going to Heaven is His way. 

“According to the Bible, one has to be born again to go there.  One must be saved from Hell by trusting that there is nothing anyone can do to earn Heaven.  The only way is to believe that God’s only son, Jesus, who never sinned, paid the price for our salvation with His blood.  Good works won’t get anyone higher than the coffin lid.”
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3

Then the preacher stopped the conversation, as it was time for the service.   As he approached the pulpit, he remembered that this might be the last time those gathered might realize that they will one day be in the same position as the deceased. 

The pastor knew it would not be what all the mourners would want to hear.  Still, it was his responsibility to tell the biblical truth about what the Bible says about our eternity.  

He planned to make sure all who gathered would hear God’s way to spend eternity with Him. Just like the inquiring young man wanted to know, he was sure others did as well.  If he did not tell them God’s way of getting to Heaven, there might never be another opportunity for them to hear the truth.

Perhaps to comfort relatives at funerals or even themselves, most want to believe the deceased is in a “better place.”  Imagining a departed friend or relative agonizing in the tormenting Hell is not a thought anyone would want to consider, even if it is true.  

So, to keep from “ruining” the funeral and examining their own eternal, future destination, most services dwell more on the good thoughts rather than taking the time to make sure all listeners know of the only way to Heaven.  However,  eternal futures may be at stake.

Many preachers at funerals will not take the opportunity, while hearts are sensitive to their own eternity, to tell listeners about God’s way to Heaven.  It is not biblical to suppose that all are in Heaven.  The Bible even says that not all who die go there.
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

Good deeds, marvelous works, and religious routines and rituals are not the way to Heaven.  Too many believe they are and will one day sadly learn the truth when they do not open their eyes in Heaven.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

When one is genuinely saved and trusts Christ’s payment for their sins as the only way for an eternity with our Lord, one’s life will change.   The changes will be from the inside out, and most may see that a Christian’s life is different.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” II Corinthians 5:17

So, when it is your time to be remembered in the funeral home, leave a memory that all will know where you are spending eternity.  Hopefully, those honoring your death will not suppose you are with Jesus.  They will know!  

People should not have to search desperately for some clues that you may be in Heaven.  It should be clear where you have gone because you lived a Christian life and had a godly testimony.

“Your soul is your eternal possession.  Do not gamble or guess where it will spend eternity!” — Brinkworth