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Titus is a short and powerful book. We could have likely studied it for many more days, never exhausting the important themes. While I would encourage you to download our short, four devotion series from the Catalog page, I would also recommend another complete reading of the passage. Tomorrow we will begin a much longer study in the Old Testament book of Joshua.

I have rarely ever written a company to thank them for their service or product. I suppose I have to be really impressed with something before I feel the need to directly address its provider. Yesterday I wrote a heartfelt thanks to a business I just discovered on the internet. The music I purchased from them is more than just a product in my view, it is more like a gentle reminder of the transformation God has wrought in my life these past few years. I felt perhaps I ought to post it here to give you some insight on the changes that have taken place in our family since leaving the modern Christian radio movement.

Dear Friends at Sacred Audio.com,

I am writing this correspondence in the early hours of Christmas morning from Fairbanks, Alaska. I just became a customer a few moments ago, and I want to tell you how glad I am.

I received a gift card for Christmas that I had hoped to use for buying music. Therefore I went about searching the internet for quality Christian songs I could download. I must admit I found very few until I came upon your site.

My interest in these kind of sacred Christian songs is fairly new. I spent ten years in Christian broadcasting and was used to hearing mostly “contemporary” music. Then through a series of experiences and many hours in God’s word I was turned in a new direction. I am now a loving, but vocal critic of modern Christian radio, and the style of music it promotes.

I left Christian radio in 2003, and have purchased almost no music at all since then. I felt I needed some time to develop new guidelines for myself in this area before doing so. The three songs I purchased from you this morning make up the beginning of my “new” music collection.

If you continue providing your service, and God allows me to do so, I will purchase all my new songs from you. You provide high quality recordings in a convenient manner, at a good price. Best of all, the songs are Christ-honoring and consistent with Biblical principles. Thank you for being a part of my testimony. I will do all God allows me to do in recommending your service to others.

Sincerely in Christ,

Chris Harper

As I listened to the songs I purchased, I thought about all God takes us through in order to change our habits and tastes. I could have never understood a letter like this a few years ago. I chose then to listen to music I enjoyed, and had few thoughts about the philosophies they represented. Well, those days are forever over for me. Today I realize the responsibility I have to be circumspect in all I consume, understanding that worldly influences should have no hold on my life, even if they wear a Christian label.

I would encourage you to visit Sacred Audio.com, and perhaps download a few songs. You will recognize the difference in an instant, and possibly understand more fully my point. Those who are still confused may also want to look into a book I recommend called Why I Left the Contemporary Christian Music Movement by Dan Lucarini. It tells the author’s personal story of transformation from “Worship Leader” to defender of the conservative approach. I trust either resource will help you consider the matter more thoroughly for yourself.

(This article was originally published on December 26, 2006.)

“And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.” The wording of this verse has always intrigued me. It seems to be a typical encouragement to good works for those within the context, yet it adds the interesting term “for necessary uses”. This gives us the idea that our good works are indispensable in the advance of God’s Great Commission. They become important when those around us observe them, deducing that we have acted as a result of our commitment to Christ. I wonder how often we have refused to act upon God’s prompting to do something good. Perhaps at these moments we have not recognized the importance of practical, daily activities in accomplishing spiritual goals. Next time we consider resisting God’s call, we should remember this verse, and the indispensable usefulness of good works. How will the world know the character of our Savior if we fail to display it in our own lives?

“But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.” These are verses we must remind ourselves about often. As ministers of Jesus Christ, we should understand core doctrines and have at least a conceptual understanding of how to navigate complicated aspects of our faith. In doing this, we must remember not to be weighed down by foolish struggles concerning opinion, preference, or the letter of the law. These encounters profit nothing, and succeed only in magnifying ourselves. Still, there are those both in, and around the church that teach doctrine that is clearly false. These would seek to pervert the gospel and deceive many, out of their own lust. God has given us tools from His word to identify and reject these liars. We must not confuse legalistic wrangling with Biblical confrontation of evil. These duties are interdependent, and equally important; that is why they are found within the same passage.

“That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” Some aged women make it a policy to teach in both word and lifestyle. They do this out of concern for the younger generation, and in the process fulfill a Biblical mandate. Two ideas that may have been better observed when these older women grew up go too often ignored today. Wives who are keepers at home and obedient to their husbands are both hard to find, and increasingly disrespected in society. Still, the word of God has not changed with the feminist movement. Bible teachers who avoid the direct address of these concepts do their students great harm. Some perform textual acrobatics in an attempt to explain away God’s obvious meaning. The finest young, Christian women of our day are faithful to these commands, and some equally fine older women have been their example. Do not fear or avoid passages that conflict with worldly thought; “that the word of God be not blasphemed”.

“Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.” There are numerous prescribed attributes for a Bishop in this passage. He must first hold firm to what he has been taught, showing both determination and knowledge. Some mistakenly believe the latter is enough. Bible college can furnish a man with facts, but it cannot endow him with courage to stand. This can only come as a result of character development above and beyond textual understanding. He should also be capable of using his education for both exhortation and Biblical defense. In this we more typically see an emphasis on the former. While mastering discipleship is a worthy endeavor for Pastoral ministry, one must also be ready to meet critical attack on the Bible. I point out these distinctions for the sake of often neglect. A Biblically learned man, able to encourage believers in teaching is a fine person indeed, but a Bishop must also have toughness, and sharp apologetics skills to succeed. Let’s praise God for pastors who have both, and pray the next crop chosen will too.

The stories of the early church in Acts are both informative and inspiring. They prompt us to boldness and initiative in our witnessing, challenge us to greater commitment, and remind us of the potential for persecution in the world. Overall, I find it to be one of the most important books in the New Testament. If you would like to download our entire Acts series of devotions, just visit our Catalog page and click the link. We begin working our way through Titus tomorrow.

“And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.” There are few better tactics for Christian witness than giving our own, personal testimony. We see Paul endeavor to do so on a number of occasions in this book. Certainly he had a dramatic salvation experience, that lent itself to the telling perhaps more than our own; but God gives to every man the same glorious salvation. The how of its happening is not nearly as important as the reality of its effect. People want to know that Christ has transformed your life and changed your heart. We know that in the end it is only the word of God, in the power of the Holy Spirit that will move a man to faith. Yet it is the testimony of God’s saints that first reveals the efficacy of Bible truth. Every man that believes is a new creature, whether born again in old age or young. This fact alone is affirmation of God’s promise, and your personal revelation of that new life can have amazing impact on the hearer. Don’t be a person afraid to tell your story because it is not like Paul’s. Shout it out with confidence, focusing on the Christ of the Bible and His magnificent saving power!

“And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.” We continue to see the persecution of Paul in this chapter. As with all organized oppression of Christianity, the evidence is falsified. How can a power structure justly eliminate the good Christians brings to society? Disciples of Christ, by their very nature, bring improvement to the cultures in which they minister. Therefore trial of the brethren must rely on lies, falsified evidence, and illegitimate witnesses. Just as God takes action in perfect harmony with His character, performing His works in holiness, justice, love, and grace; the enemy operates in an equally authentic fashion. He was a liar from the beginning, ever seeking to undermine the honest and righteous working of God. Paul is enduring the false accusation that is typical of Satan. Those who live Godly in Christ will likely face such wicked treachery. It would be wise for us to keep the tactics of our enemy in mind, so as not to be surprised when they come upon us.

We had a wonderful, quiet, stay-at-home Thanksgiving this year. No doubt we had a lot to be thankful for. Two blessings at the top of the list sat right at the table with us. They were both very excited about all the cooking. As you can see Elisabeth was hovering around Momma in the kitchen, so I attempted to occupy her time with a book, among other things. Hannah said “nummy, nummy” I don’t know how many times, always wanting to be picked up so she could see what was cooking. They both love food, and just seemed to understand this was a special, holiday meal. It was great to see them having fun and giving thanks in prayer right along with us!