PRODIGAL LIVING

“And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living” (Luke 15:13 NKJV).

The story of the prodigal son is repeated in the lives of many in every society. Thus, from our verse, we want to note the celerity (quickness) in his fall, the country in his fall, the conduct in his fall, and the cost of his fall.

Celerity in his fall - “Not many days after.” Soon after the prodigal was given his inheritance, his life went downhill. Riches can corrupt quickly and so does selfishness and greed. The prodigal son was selfish and greedy, and the riches he obtained quickly led to his corruption.

Country in his fall - “Journey to a far country.” The prodigal son wanted to get far away from the restraining influences of his father. Spiritually this speaks of the sinner getting far away from God. The “far” country represents the crowd that is far from God the Father. When a person goes into sin, his crowd is never the godly crowd; it is the crowd that want as little to do with God as possible.

Cost of the fall - “Wasted his possession.” Sinful living costs plenty. Not only did the prodigal son lose all his money, but he also lost his morals which was even worse. One of the big problems in our society today is that people value money more than morals. But losing your morals will eventually cause you to lose your money. A wicked lifestyle will cause poverty in both character and cash.

Conduct in his fall - “Prodigal living.” The word “prodigal” refers to a lifestyle that is undisciplined, loose, and devoid of character. Later in v. 30, details are given as to what this “prodigal” living involved - for one thing it involved harlots. Wine, women, and song is the typical “prodigal” lifestyle. This kind of living is not of God and will bring His judgment if there is no repentance.

(Adapted from Butler’s Daily Reading 2)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost!”

William (Billy) Franklin Graham (1918 – 2018)

American Evangelist and Southern Baptist Minister

Word Study

Factious

In Titus 3:10 we read, “Reject a factious man after a first and second warning" (NASB).

“Factious” is the Greek word hairetikós (αἱρετικός = hahee-ret-ee-kos'). It describes a person who is able choose and came to mean one who is contentious or divisive. Thus, this person chooses for himself and takes a certain position on a given issue, be it doctrine or standard of behavior. As used in this verse, the apostle Paul is giving a negative implication to the word hairetikós. This is a person who is quarrelsome and stirs up factions through erroneous opinions. He is a person who is determined to go his own way and so forms parties and factions.

“Fear Nots” Found in the Bible

“But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:7 KJV).

Did You Know…

According to Gen. 17:10-12, a baby boy was to be circumcised when he was 8 days old. Circumcision is done on the 8th day because vitamin K peaks in a newborn at 8 days of age, and vitamin K is necessary for blood clotting.

Bible Quiz

After the spies scouted out the land why did God make the Israelites wait 40 years before giving them the Promised Land?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: According to Matthew, what should you not do openly before men, otherwise you will have no reward of your Father in heaven? “Your charitable deed (alms)” (Matt 6:1).

Names For the Lord Jesus in the Bible

“SON OF GOD”

"So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God” (Matt. 27:54 NJKV).

1. Meaning – SON OF GOD speaks of the of the Divine Sonship of the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Insights – Terrified by the mid-day darkness and the earthquake accompanying the Lord Jesus’ death, this centurion came to the conclusion that the Lord Jesus was in some sense a supernatural being, that He was truly “the Son of God.” Note that he did not say, “This was a son of the gods,” but “This was the Son of God.” “The Son of God” was the title used by the Jewish religious leaders to ridicule the Lord Jesus (cf. vv. 40, 43), but here it was spoken with sincerity (“truly”) by this centurion, his rank lending credibility to his observation. So, while the Jewish religious leaders were celebrating the Lord Jesus’ death, this Roman centurion is the first person to recognize the Lord Jesus’ identity after His death. 

Did You Know – Christian History

Edmund Grindal was born around 1519, in St. Bees, England. He was Bishop of London, Archbishop of York, and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reign of Elizabeth I.

Grindal was educated at Magdalene and Christ’s colleges and then at Pembroke Hall, Cambridge. He was ordained deacon in 1544, appointed proctor in 1550 and was Lady Margaret preacher 1548-1549. 

While studying at Cambridge, Grindal sat under the teaching of German Reformer Martin Bucer. He became a Protestant and sought to imitate this teacher, who was notable for his holy and peaceful life. During the reign of Edward VI, Grindal held religious office at Westminster and was a chaplain to the king. With Mary coming to the throne, her intentions were to restore the Roman Church and so Grindal fled overseas. While in Europe, he gathered material on the many martyrs that had died under Mary’s reign. His notes became the basis of John Foxe’s famous Book of Martyrs. With the death of Mary and the rise of Queen Elizabeth, Grindal returned to England. He was made bishop of London, and later, Archbishop of York. While in York, Grindal led teams of ministers throughout his archdiocese, teaching the reformed doctrine, establishing churches and placing men in the pulpits who showed evidence of genuine conversion experience. The result was genuine revival in York.

When the Archbishop of Canterbury died in 1575, Queen Elizabeth moved Grindal into that office. Not long after that, a form of preaching known as “prophesying” became popular. Two or three pastors would band together to speak on a chosen topic, critiquing and questioning each other. This method of presenting the gospel drew large crowds. Grindal himself had made heavy use of it in York. Queen Elizabeth feared that such meetings would lead to insurrection and ordered Grindal to suspend the practice. He refused and on December 20, 1576, he sent her a letter explaining that Christ command was to preach the gospel, and that Church matters should be left to the church. He also reminded her that she, too, was mortal, although a great monarch. The Queen became furious and placed Grindal under house arrest. He remained under arrest until his death, despite petitions from the other clergy that he be restored to his archdiocese. The queen did, however, send Grindal a heavy silver cup as a gesture of peace, and allowed him to conduct some of his functions quietly. She was wise enough not to appoint anyone else in his place during his life, even after he went blind and requested to be relieved of his duties.

A Little Humor

The Sunday school teacher asks the children to draw Christmas pictures. She goes over to one student and sees he’s drawn a picture of four people on an airplane. “What is this?” she asked. “Mary and Joseph and Baby Jesus on a flight to Egypt,” he says. “Well… who’s the fourth person?” “That’s Pontius, the pilot.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“To know life’s purpose, we must know life’s Creator!”