J. Randal Matheny

The Bible describes a person's life as a path or road. It also describes Christianity as God's path. In the book of Acts, it is simply called the Way. Perhaps this is because Jesus called himself the way (John 14:6). The Bible says Jesus is the only way.

Therefore, on God's path, a person should "not deviate to the right or to the left" (2 Kings 22:2, NET).

Read the whole article at the link above. It is written in simple style. The intended audience is people who use English as a second language.

Do not tell a man of God that he cannot do what God has told him to do. Have you been guilty of that? On the other hand, have you been like David, doing fearlessly what God told you to do?

Baptism is not a requirement of salvation, but it is a requirement of obedience.

If obedience is necessary for eternal salvation, as it most certainly is according to Hebrews 5:9, since Jesus "became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him," then how can baptism be a requirement of obedience but not of salvation? This denominational doctrine is a clear and direct contradiction of all New Testament teaching, both on baptism and on obedience.

The military is a hierarchy. Boot camp ensures that the recruit obeys his superiors immediately, without question.

The centurion, an important officer in the Roman army, knew that his authority over his soldiers came from his own obedience to his superiors. He saw this same truth in Jesus. He knew that Jesus had the power to heal his servant with a word, because he saw the same rigorous submission in Christ to the Father that he had to his superiors.

Read the whole devotional at the tiny link above.

We live in a region with a lot of military installations. I'm supported by a number of churches near military bases, Abilene TX and North Little Rock AR among them. And, of course, we know friends and family members who serve or have served in the military. So this thought with a military background comes at a good time.