Author Archives: Mike Mathis

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“And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth” (Gen. 11:4). 

These words reveal one of the greatest human ambitions after the days of the flood.  It was thwarted by God in confounding the languages.  Any motivation that works against the design of God for man must be seen in the negative.  God wants what is best for man in spite of what man might pursue to the contrary.  Consider three other motivations that need to be avoided due to being vain motivations.

1.  Positions of Power.  Power and control has been a motive for people since the garden of Eden.  Satan deceived Eve into believing that she could have things that God had kept from her.  Submitting to the will of God was and is the blessed life, yet people will work against it thinking that self-exaltation is greater.  Paul wrote to the Philippians, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Phil. 2:3-4).  Jeroboam, the son of Neat, corrupted the worship of Israel due to his motive to keep his position as king (cf. 1 Kings 12:27).  Haman could not stand the sight of Mordecai and sought to destroy him and his nation (cf. Esther 3:5-6).  Diotrephes is commonly sighted as a grave example of one who sought more for himself than what is authorized (cf. 3 John 9-11).  Any lawful position is for serving, not to boost egos and personal agendas.

2.  Perception of People.  There are times when people are seekers of the approval of men to the sacrifice of what is pleasing to God.  Such is illustrated in the words “What will people think and say?”  The Bible is filled with illustrations where even good people stumbled.  Aaron was confronted by his own brother, Moses, when he said, “What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them? And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knows the people, that they are set on mischief” (Ex. 32:21-22).  King Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice” (1 Sam. 15:24).  Jesus said of the scribes and Pharisees, “But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments” (Matt. 23:5).  When outward appearances take precedent, true spirituality wanes.

3.  Payment for Reward.  Who does not know the expression “Money talks”?  Nevertheless, the Bible warns, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Tim. 6:10).  Balaam, the soothsayer (cf. Joshua 13:22) sold out for reward.  Peter wrote of false teachers in his day, “Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosom, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;” (2 Peter 2:15).  Jesus probed the hearts of all with the words, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36-37).  Satan lied about the faithfulness of Job as serving God for what God gave him (cf. Job 1:9).  Genuine, Biblical motives are to be sought.           

Jimmy Clark

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“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23). 

Jesus stated, “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things” (Matt. 12:35).  Again, in another place, “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matt. 15:19).  It is no wonder that the exhortation from Solomon is to guard the heart.  Consider three kinds of hearts and their consequences.

1.  Stubborn.  There are three Hebrew words for “stubborn” in the Old Testament.  One means “to be stubborn, rebellious” (Brown, Driver, Briggs, pp. 710-711).  It is written of the Israelite fathers, “And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God” (Ps. 78:8).  A second word means “to push, press, thus arrogance, presumption” (BDB, p. 823).  Samuel used this word where he said to Saul, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king” (1 Sam. 15:23).  The third word means “hard, severe, stubborn” (BDB, p. 904).  It is written of those in the days of the judges, “And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way” (Judges 2:19).  Nothing good comes from this disposition.

2.  Secular.  The sensual, carnal, worldly heart focuses upon the things of this life.  Even if such a heart sees a value in the word of God in the heart, Jesus said, “And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection” (Luke 8:14).  To be a friend of God and a friend of the world at the same time is to be conflicted.  James wrote, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4).  John warned, “Love not the world, neither the things of the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:15-16).  Here is another example of a heart that needs to be purified to be productive toward God.

3.  Spiritual.  Paul wrote to the Roman brethren, “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Rom. 8:5-6).  The revelation of the Spirit, which is the inspired written word of God (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16-17), is the light to the path (cf. Ps. 119:105) which keeps one from sin (cf. Ps. 119:11) and greatly comforts (cf. Ps. 119:50).  The value of this kind of heart is greatly magnified in Psalm 119.  “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart” (Ps. 119:1-2).  Here is the disposition to have.    

Jimmy Clark

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“And Philip ran thither to him and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?” (Acts 8:30). 

The eunuch from Ethiopia had been to worship in Jerusalem (cf. Acts 8:27) but was still interested in a study of the Scriptures.  This is a tremendous quality that ultimately led to his being blessed.  There are several truths about reading the Bible that aid in a proper grasp of the text and its application.  Consider three.

1.  Read with a Pure Purpose.  People read all kinds of things for all kinds of reasons.  Some may read the scriptures simply to say that they have read the entire Bible in a set time.  Some may read to seek to justify some lifestyle.  Some may read to try to prove someone wrong.  It is possible to read the Bible and not see its truths because the motive is not right.  Jesus dealt with such in his day when he said to certain Jews, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life” (John 5:39-40).  Again, “Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?” (John 5:45-47).  Paul wrote of this same kind of thinking, “But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away” (2 Cor. 3:14-16).  The eunuch was reading from a heart that was pure yet still needing to understand.

2.  Read to Perceive.  The pure heart of the eunuch led to his statement, “And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him” (Acts 8:31).  The eunuch was not reading Isaiah to merely be reading.  He wanted to understand but knew his limitation.  Philip took the place where he was reading and “preached unto him Jesus” (Acts 8:35).  The eunuch had honestly asked for clarification of the person to whom Isaiah was writing (cf. Acts 8:34).  Understanding is a Bible principle when it comes to reading God’s word.  Jesus said on a certain topic, “But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:” (Mark 13:14).  Paul wrote, “Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ” (Eph. 3:4).

3.  Read to Practice.  The eunuch followed up his pure purpose in reading to understand the text with the intent to practice what was needed.  When they came to a certain water, the eunuch said, “See, here is water, what doth hinder me to be baptized?” (Acts 8:36).  Heeding the word of God is key to being blessed (cf. Matt. 7:24-27; James 1:23-25).  Jehoiakim despised the written word from Jeremiah and would pay dearly for such an attitude (cf. Jer. 36:22-32).  One must always remember that to obey and hearken to God is better than any offering to God (cf. 1 Sam. 15:22).                 

Jimmy Clark