The devil is the Master of Doubts! He has mastered the ability to plant
seeds of doubt regarding just about everything! For example: who
would have ever thought that someone would doubt what a man is and
doubt what a woman is. That’s the devil at work! He has all sizes of
doubts in his bag— he likes to start with small ones and then work his
way up.

Has this Master of Deception ever used one of his “devices” (2 Cor.
2:11) to cause “doubts” to “arise in your heart” (Luke 24:38)? Doubts
about God, about Jesus, about the Bible, about the church, about
doctrine, about morality, about eternity, etc.? What can you do when
doubts start to creep in and settle themselves down in your heart? It is
usually helpful to just go back and make sure your foundation in the
basics is rock solid.

1. The God of the Bible exists. Of this, there can be NO doubt! “His
invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that
are made” (Rom. 1:20). “The creation of the world” is on full display
24/7 for anyone and everyone to see, examine, test and draw honest,
evidence-based conclusions. Examine the evidence! Reason soundly!

2. The Bible is fully inspired of God. Of this, there can be NO doubt!
One of the eyewitnesses affirmed that “we have the prophetic word
confirmed” (2 Pet. 1:19). He knew that what was written and what he
was writing was of no “private interpretation...but holy men of God
spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (1:20-21). Again, the
evidence is on full display. Read the Bible. Examine the evidence of
Divine origin within its pages! Reason soundly!

3. Whatever the Bible says is from God. When I know (with no
reason to doubt) that the God of the Bible exists and that He gave
every word of the Bible, then I can have absolute confidence that what
this Book teaches is “perfect...sure...right...pure...true and righteous
altogether” (Psa. 19:7-9). I can trust every word!

God teaches in the Bible that there is only one church (Eph. 4:4). No
reason to doubt that!

God teaches in the Bible to sing acapella in His worship (Eph. 5:19). No
reason to doubt that!

God teaches in the Bible that He wants males to lead the church (1
Tim. 2:8-14; 3:1-13). No reason to doubt that!

God teaches in the Bible that there are only two genders (Gen. 2:18-25;
Matt. 19:4-5). No reason to doubt that!

God teaches in the Bible that to change His Word leads to anathema
(Gal. 1:9). No reason to doubt that either!

When doubts arise, check your foundation! Don’t let the devil exploit
any weak spots! If God says it, that settles it!
David Sproule

We are so blessed in this country that we often take the
blessings for granted. We ought to do as the song says, “Count
your blessings, name them one by one.” We sometimes do that
at Thanksgiving, but we ought to do it regularly. Below are just a
few of the blessings we can count – form your own list and
meditate on how blessed you are.
1. Our physical families.
2. Our church family – many of us are closer to our church family
than our physical families because we have the same goals,
purpose, and standard, (Galatians 3:26-29).
3. The blessing of having God's word (the Bible) in our own
language, and it is so easily accessible, (Psalm 119).
4. Times when we can assemble for Bible study and worship so that
we can be encouraged, (Hebrews 10:25).
5. The blessing of having a conscience free from guilt because of
the forgiveness we find in Christ, (Romans 8:1).
6. The blessing of prayer where we have a mediator between us
and God, the Father, who understands us and our needs, more
than we understand ourselves, (I Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 4:14-16).
7. The blessing of having joy and peace in the depth of our souls
even though we live in a world of conflict and turmoil, (Philippians
4:6-8).
8. The blessing of having time after laboring for our physical
necessities. There are places in the world where nearly every
waking hour is spent just trying to put together the essentials for
one's family, (Matthew 6:19-33).
9. The blessings of so many time-saving appliances which makes
life easy so that we can have time to do other things, (Ephesians
5:16).
10.The physical comforts such as warm homes, nice cars, enough
income that we can enjoy life and what it has to offer, (I Timothy
6:8-10).
11.The blessing of living in such a beautiful place so that we can
enjoy the wonderful sunrises and sunsets and the mighty
mountains around us. Let's take time to enjoy them, (Psalm 19:1-
6).
And the list goes on.
Wayne Burger

The importance of Bible Study cannot be overstated. The Bible is
abounding with statements of the importance of Bible knowledge, and
knowledge can only come as a result of diligent Bible study. Notice the
following verses:
We Are To Grow In Knowledge. “But grow in grace, and in the
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). “That
ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every
good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10).

We Are To Prove (Test) Every Teacher Whether They Speak God’s
Word. “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they
are of God” (1 John 4:1).

We Are To Be Ready To Give An Answer (Defense). “…be ready
always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the
hope that is in your with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15).

We Are To Discern The Good From That Not Good. “Prove all
things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). How are
we to prove, defend, or discern without Bible knowledge?

Knowledge Of The Truth Makes One Free From Sin. “And ye shall
know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

Bible Knowledge Keeps One From Sin. “Thy word have I hid in mine
heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11).

Temptation Can Be Overcome By Bible Knowledge. In Matthew
chapter 4 our Lord Jesus, in overcoming temptation, said three times “It
is written.”

As We Grow In Knowledge We Are To Pass It On To Others. “Go ye
therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to
observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-
20). “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses,
the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others
also” (2 Timothy 2:2).

As We Grow in The Knowledge Of The Bible, Let Us Also Practice
It In Our Daily Lives. “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers
only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and
not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth
what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of
liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a
doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed” (James 1:22-
25).

Do we study the Bible daily? Do we participate in those opportunities to
grow in Bible knowledge? May we always seek to increase our Bible
knowledge. It is so important!
Jerry Sturgill

Where Your Treasure Is
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus offers a challenge to the human heart. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth . . . but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19–
20). These verses are not merely a warning against materialism—they are a call to consider the affections and desires of the heart.
 
Earthly Wealth Fades Away
Jesus begins with a contrast. Earthly treasures are vulnerable
because moths can consume, rust will corrode, and thieves break
in and steal. In a world where possessions can vanish overnight,
the pursuit of security through material wealth is extremely
hazardous. But the deeper issue is not the treasure itself—it’s the
heart’s attachment to it. “For where your treasure is, there your
heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). The location of our treasure
reveals the focus of our hearts.
 
The Eye as the Lamp
Jesus then uses another metaphor to explain, saying, “The eye
is the lamp of the body.” A healthy eye—generous, clear in
purpose—fills the whole body with light. But an unhealthy eye--
stingy, clouded by greed—plunges the soul into darkness. This
imagery suggests that our spiritual vision, our way of seeing
material things, determines whether we walk in light or darkness.
The Greek word for healthy here implies generosity, while the
word for unhealthy implies selfishness.
 
We Must Choose
Jesus concludes with a stark reality: “No one can serve two
masters... You cannot serve both God and mammon” (Matthew
6:24). The word translated as mammon is money or wealth, a
term that personifies wealth as a rival deity (the almighty dollar, if
you will). Divided loyalty is impossible. Our heart/mind will
inevitably choose one master over the other.
 
This passage invites us to examine not just our bank accounts,
but also our desires, our focus, and our allegiance. What do we
treasure? What fills our vision? Whom do we serve? In a culture
that prizes accumulation and wealth as a sign of success, Jesus’
words are countercultural. They call for us to invest in that which
is eternal—acts of mercy, love, obedience, and faith. These are
the treasures that neither moth nor rust can corrupt.
 
- Dale J. Babinsky