Category: Know the Bible

“In My Father’s house are many mansions;
if it were not so, I would have told you. ” John 14:2

Jesus made a great promise to His apostles. Jesus was about to be crucified. They would be sad to see Jesus die. They would also be sad because Peter would soon say that he did not know Jesus and the rest of the apostles would run away when Jesus was arrested.

Even though Jesus knew that this would happen, He told his apostles not to worry. He knew that He would rise from the dead and the apostles would do great work in the church.

Their greatest comfort was that Jesus was preparing a home in heaven for them. God would forgive them for running away from Jesus.

Those who obey God can be happy even in sad times because they know that they have a home in heaven where there will be no sadness, crying, or death.

Jesus commands His followers to be good examples in the world. Sometimes people in the world will make fun of us for what we believe. Because of this, some people are shy about letting others know that they are Christians. They may not stand up for what is right or not live as they should.

Jesus said that we are like lamps. Before the days of electricity, when one wanted to see at night, he would light a candle or oil lamp. In order to get the best use of the lamp he would put it on a tall lampstand so the light would spread throughout the house.

If he hid the lamp, the room would remain dark. If he hid it under a basket a little light might get out but not enough to make a difference.

Those who love God should be proud to let others know that they are trying to do what is right, but not by acting arrogant. We must make sure our speech is clean, that we tell the truth, and that we dress properly. We should tell others about Jesus and invite them to church. We must try to do what Jesus would do when we make our decisions. Let your light shine brightly!

They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. 1 Peter 4:4

Peter wrote to Christians who had stopped doing things that were wrong like getting drunk and partying. He told them that the people that they used to party with will think it is strange that the person quit “having fun” with the rest of the crowd. In fact, some of their old friends would start making fun of them for trying to do right. Some would be jealous because they do not have the strength to quit doing wrong. Others just do not like to see people serving God.

Peter said that the crowd ran in a “flood of dissipation.” They were running in a crowd of wild living. So many people are doing it that it seems like a flood that threatens to destroy everything in its path. Jesus said that the wide path led to destruction but the narrow path led to everlasting life, Matthew 7:13. We need to travel the narrow path with Jesus though many of our old friends might make fun of us for doing so.

We and our old friends must stand before God one day. We want God to be pleased that we left the flood of wild living. He will punish all who will not repent of wickedness.

“In all labor there is profit, But idle chatter leads only to poverty.” Proverbs 14:23

In all work you do, whether it is a job or your schoolwork, there is some profit as a result of the work. The profit might be money or a good grade. The great profit is the joy of doing a job well and things that you learn that can help you in other work.

Some people do not like to work and they avoid it or do not do their work well. They are only hurting themselves because life is full of work that we must do well. It is best to learn now to do your best in all of your work.

If you parents tell you to clean your room, do your best and they may think you are acting responsible. Have pride in work that has been done well and you will want to do many things well.

Idle chatter, a lot of talk about nothing, does not pay anything. In fact, some people who talk when they should be working lose their jobs. If you are too busy talking about nothing when you should be doing homework, you will get poor grades which may cause problems in the future.

When it is time to work, work your hardest and do your best. When it is time to play, enjoy yourself and relax. Don’t play when you should be working.

“Good understanding gains favor,
but the way of the unfaithful is hard.”Proverbs 13:15

If you seek wisdom from God’s word, it will help you to live a good life. You will find favor with God and live a wise life.

If you refuse to seek wisdom from God’s word, you will not only suffer eternal punishment if you will not repent, you make your life difficult while living on the earth.

In movies, television shows, and computer games, it seems that you can do all kinds of things that God forbids and nothing will happen to you.

What you see on the TV and movies is not real. Every sin will bring problems for you. Sometimes the problems are not seen. You may feel bad about what you did or shame for your actions. Sometimes people feel bad for a long time about the “fun” they had.
Some people say that the life of a Christian is hard since a person must avoid things that many people do and be careful about his behavior. The person who wants to please God must work and be careful to do what God commands. It is sometimes hard to do the right thing when your friends are doing what is wrong. If you do the right thing, you will feel happier and know that you have chosen the better way. True happiness comes by obeying God.

The devil’s fun is a cheap replacement for the true joy that comes by loving and obeying God.