01/01/2012
Eternity is Coming
William Russell of England, on scaffold about to be beheaded, took his watch from his pocket and gave it to Dr. Burnett, who was attending him, Russell told the Doctor, “My timepiece may be of service to you; I have no further occasion for it. My thoughts are fixed on eternity.”
Eternity is an extremely hard concept for man to comprehend. In fact, eternity is so incomprehensible to the mind of mortal man that in all the Holy Bible the word “eternity” occurs but one time. That’s in Isaiah 57:15 where the prophet says God,” inhabits eternity. “ Perhaps we’re just too wrapped up in day-to-day occurrences of the here and now. Whatever the reason, there is no doubt, we would benefit by giving more attention to the biblical teaching of the there and then. In order to survive on earth everyone needs to think more about the real final frontier - eternity itself.
Bulletin Digest December 2011
Via East Hill church of Christ
Pulaski, TN
12/25/2011
CHRISTMAS GIVING
By Walter E. Isenhour
As you think of giving presents
To your friends on Christmas Day,
Don’t forget the poor and needy
That you meet along life’s way.
Give them something that is helpful,
That will tell them of your love,
For such giving pleases Jesus
As He watches from above.
If you cannot give abundance,
Give a little in His name;
For a little given rightly,
With His blessings on the same,
You will find again sometime
Multiplied to loaves of blessing
That are wondrous and sublime.
Give and help to spread the Gospel
On the mission fields of Earth
Where the natives by the millions
Have not heard of Jesus’ birth.
Give to causes that are worthy
Of your money with a prayer;
Give and help to share the burdens
That so many people bear.
Let the Christmas thought of giving
Go with you throughout the year,
Then your life will be a blessing
And you’ll have the thrill of cheer;
For in making others happy,
You will get a great supply,
As our Lord who reigns in heaven
Will then bless you from on high.
12/18/2011
And Who is my Neighbor?
By Greg Weston
Jesus answered a certain lawyer’s question about obtaining eternal life, including in the answer the need to love one’s neighbor as one’s self. The lawyer asked, “And who is my neighbor” in an attempt to justify himself. Jesus answered with the parable of the good Samaritan (read Luke 10:25-37).
After describing the good Samaritan He told the lawyer, “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37).
The answer to loving your neighbor as yourself includes doing good to those in need, regardless of who they are. To the tender hearted the application of this can be challenging. What about the hitchhiker on the side of the road? What about the person at the exit of the freeway asking for money? And what about those who call the church building asking assistance? Are they our neighbor? Yes, they are. Should we give what they ask to receive? Not necessarily.
The hitchhiker, the one at the freeway exit ramp, and those who call the church looking for help ae not in the same condition as the one helped by the Samaritan. That one was in need because of what others had done to him. It was not a choice he made, and there was no indication in the text that he was living off others.
With those mentioned above we need to remember the instructions of Paul. “But if anyone does not provide for his own and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” 2 Thess. 3:10). If we help those who do follow God’s instruction of caring for themselves and their families then we are transgressing the will of God.The Lord also commanded, “Let him that stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give who has need” (Eph. 4:28). We are commanded to help just as the Samritan helped. But these things we also have the responsibility to determine the ‘worthiness’ of the one being helped to the best of our ability. Let us be discerning workers of good to all!
Park Street Communicator 10/26/2003
12/11/2011
“A SQUASH OR AN OAK?”
By Wade Webster
James A Garfield noted, “When God wants to grow a squash, He grows it in one summer; but when He wants to grow an oak He take a century.”
Personally I like squash. As a teenager, I could eat it as fast as my mother could fry it. It was delicious. However, I don’t want to be a squash. Squash vines can be pulled up easily and stomped down quickly. They are here in the summer and gone by fall. I want to be an oak. I want to have deep roots and rugged strength. I want steady through multiple seasons.
President Garfield’s point is well made, isn’t it? You can’t grow oak trees or men quickly. It takes time to grow things that endure. Under-standing this, we need to be patient with children and new converts. It will take some time for them to reach maturity. However, if they desire to grow, they will eventually get there (1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 3:18; 2 Tim. 2:15). With time, they will go from children tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine to men who cannot be moved (Eph 4:14-16; Ps. 16:8; 21:7 46:5; 55:22; 62:6).
As elders, preachers and Bible school teachers and parents our goal is to help the young to grow into mighty oaks spiritually. In order to do this, we must feed them a balanced diet of God’s word ( 1 Tim. 6:3; 2 Tim 1:3).Are we presently producing squash or oaks? For sure, time will tell. Let’s do all that we can to pass the test of time.
Southhaven church of Christ Mississippi
12/04/2011
Food For Thought
By Bill Bonifay
It’s a Crazy World!!
If a boy rises before 4:00am to deliver papers, he is a go-getter. If the church asks him to rise at 4:00 am to do some work for the Lord, people would say, “That’s asking too much!”
If a woman were to work eight hours at some community project, people would say, “She’s a fine, energetic, public-minded citizen.” But if she were to work eight hours for the church, some would say, “Her religion has gone to her head.”
If an employer asks an employee to work each day, and not be tardy, people would say, “He’s a sensible business man who requires that which is right.” But if the elders of the church ask the members to be attend services three times each week, and to please be on time, some are ready to say, “ You ask too much. And besides, it doesn’t matter if I’m on time for services any way.”
It’s a strange, crazy world indeed, when the first things are last and the last things are first. However, we must remember:
“This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through, My treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue: The angels beckon me., from heavens open door, And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.”
The Merced Messenger church of Christ
11/27/2011
HONUS WAGNER, RON KITTLE, & CHRIST
By Joe Chesser
“Dad, who’s Honus Wagner?” Have you seen the commercial? A boy picks up a baseball in the yard and asks his dad about Honus Wagner. His neighbor tries to explain how valuable the autographed ball truly is, but the dad doesn’t just see any value in the ball outside of a chew toy for his dog named Pickles. The dad tosses it back to Pickles. The tag line for the series of Audi commercials is, “True greatness should never go unrecognized.” I am pretty sure there’s no such baseball, but in perspective, the famous Honus Wagner tobacco card from 1909 sold in 2007 for 2.35 million. So I guess you could classify baseball memorabilia signed by Wagner truly “great”. I remember collecting baseball cards in junior high and was influenced to purchase a complete deck from 1983based solely on the fact that Fleer was the only company that year printing the Ron Kittle rookie card. Today nearly 30 years later, Kittle's rookie card is worth about $0.67...notice the only numbers are to the right of the decimal point! Hardly “true greatness”.
We’re willing to pay for “true greatness”; we see it as an investment. If something seems to be worth the price, we’ll pay for it. I don’t have 2.35 million to drop on a baseball card, but I make decisions every day about what is worth the price and what is not. I’ll tell you what is not worth $2.35 million, my ‘78 Rod Carew ($2.05), my ‘78 Pete Rose ($7.50), my ‘78 Mike Schmidt ($6.18), or even my ‘58 Harmon Killebrew ($63.84). You might say, “ Well of course they’re not worth that much. Who in their right mind would overpay to that extent?” Funny you should ask.
Our Sunday morning sr. high class is studying from Paul’s letter to the Romans and recently tackled chapter 5. Let’s check out verse 6-8, “You see at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Let me put it another way. When the economy was as it’s worst, Christ walked into the collectibles shop, looked at a bunch of wadded up, torn Ron Kittle cards and offered $2.35 million each one in stock. When we were worth nothing, Christ paid an enormous price. Through our own sin, we made ourselves powerless, and yet he paid the price anyway. The ending gets even better. If that’s the extent to which he would be willing to go for us while we were sinners, imagine the lengths to which he’ll go, to take care of his purchases (5:9-10) Now that’s true greatness!
11/20/2011
A Strange Christian
Once upon a time there was a man who called himself a Christian. But he was indeed a strange one.
On Monday while he was at work, something went wrong. He forgot about God and cursed the name of God freely.
On Tuesday he heard something evil about a brother and he passed it on without taking the trouble or time to determine whether it was true or not. He even made the story a little worse than when he heard it.
On Wednesday while making a business transaction, he saw an opportunity to take advantage of a customer and he did it for the few dollars involved.
On Thursday he went to a friends home for a little game of cards - he didn’t loose much. Naturally there was a cocktail and a couple beers. “A very cheap night’s entertainment, “ he said.
On Friday he became angry at everyone with whom he was working. They could not see that all ought to be done his way and he told them off-good!
On Saturday his grocer made a mistake and did not charge him for a pound of butter. He said this was the grocer’s fault.
On Sunday morning he went to church, took part in the services - the part where one sit in the pew and mutters to himself that the service was too long. That night he stayed home so he would be ready for another week. This man was indeed a strange Christian.
Bulletin Digest November 2011
Borrowed from the San Augustine church of Christ
11/06/2011
The Hazard of Headlines
“Now is the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever. Amen”
WE ARE LIVING IN WHAT HAS COME TO BE CALLED THE INFORM-ATION AGE.” The sum total of human knowledge is growing exponentially. The industrial age has come to an end, and the principle product of our economy is no longer manufactured wares but information. And computer technology has made the storage sharing of information so fast and easy, we find ourselves inundated by a daily food of factual (and sometimes not -so factual) data. Couple these phenomena with the fact that human people begin to feel a frustration that borders on panic. How do we keep up? How do we even begin to sort through the avalanche of information and make sense of what is happening in the world?
For one thing there is no need even to TRY to keep up with all the instant information that surrounds us. We should not let ourselves be pressured, by either the media or our peers, into making the attempt. It can be done, and the stress of trying to do so is hazardous to human health. But in addition, if we spin our wheels trying to keep up with every CURRENT event, we’ll not have the time we need to learn and ponder the historic deeds and ageless truths that are much more needful to know.
There are surely SOME things happening today that will be of importance three hundred year from now, but it will be a long, long time before anyone will have perspective to know what these thing are. Meanwhile, why do we think we have to know INSTANTANEOUSLY? Don’t we have the courage to admit most of the information that comes to us is simply unimportant?
It is not unreasonable for us to want to understand the world in which we live. And it does take a certain amount of information to do that. But if we’re not careful, we’ll be drowned in a sea of useless “news.” If we wish truly to make sense of what is happening right now, we’ll need to acquaint ourselves with what is old as well as what is new. And more important, we’ll need to meditate on what can be know of the God in whom the entire history of our cosmos will one day find it’s fulfillment.
Read not the times. Read eternities” (Henry David Thoreau).
Gary Henry The Mexico Road church of Christ
1 Peter 1:3-5
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
10/30/2011
FEEL
I recently read an article that talked about a term I had never heard of called “orthopathos.” Few of us know this word. Many know of orthodoxy, which is “ thinking like Jesus.” But this was new to me: orthopathos, which means “ feeling the feelings of Jesus.” It’s said we become like the object or person we worship. This is true of our sports heroes and childhood heroes. It is true in faith, too. How does this play out in our faith in God? Many of our beliefs think of God as unchangeable, and lacking emotion. We think He is never provoked by the world. Should it be a surprise then that so many of us become unmoved and emotionally repressed in life and in worship? Do we temper joy and hide sadness?
Somehow, many Christians think the proper way to act around each other is to acknowledge feeling at all -to never have too much joy, to never get angry, etc. Because many think that God has no emotion Himself. Nothing could be further from the truth! The life of Jesus teaches us this! In Him we see all emotions! Experiencing and expressing emotion in it’s proper context is good, and even holy!
Life is full of evil, sin, betrayal, illness, and death. The list goes on and on. Why then do we as Christians resist sorrow? Why do we feel ashamed when it finds them? Maybe sometimes we think it’s unlike our God if we do so.
Let us not forget that Jesus wept. Some humans will feel God’s love for the lost world, but all of us will feel the sorrow of pain and loss. It is time that we Christians believe it’s OK to sorrow. Maybe we all believe it’s OK to weep, for even in this act, I believe we can worship Him! We all experience our “dark nights of the soul,” so may we express this, rally around each other, call out to God, and trust that He is near.
Brian Pannel West Main church of Christ
John 11:35-44
35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” 38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” 40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
10/23/2011
Where are the Dead?
The saints at Thessalonica were concerned about those who had ‘fallen asleep.’ This phrase has led to some to believe that when one dies they are ‘sleeping’ that is they are not conscious until the Lord comes again. Others believe in ‘soul sleep’ because they think that is we are plced in an eternal state at death and then judged by Jesus when He returns that it results in two judgments. However the Bible does not teach that the soul is unconscious between an individual’s death and the coming of Jesus.
When Jesus was on the cross and the thief asked Him to remember him in His kingdom, Jesus told the one known as the thief that he would be with Him in paradise that day (Luke 23:43). These were encouraging words and were filled with anticipation. The answer Jesus gave does not fit with the ‘sleep’ or departed ones.
Paul wrote to the Philippians and spoke of the challenge before him. While he was confident that he would continue in this life and be of benefit to them, he was also anxious to depart and be with Christ, which is ‘very far better’ (Phil 1:12-23).While we often look forward to a good night’s rest, Paul’s anticipation was the blessing of being with Christ. His hope did not include a ‘sleep’ til the end when Jesus would return.
Jesus gave of the place where the departed spirits abide, the place called Hades (Luke 16:19-31). In that place those who lived in accordance with the will of God were comforted, while those who has been disobedient to the will of God were in agony and torment. They could see, perceive, communicate and knew of their condition. Jesus spoke of the rich man who even wanted Lazrus, whom he knew in this life, to return from the dead to warn his brothers. Neither Lazrus nor the rich man was sleeping, but each was receiving from the Lord the recompense of their response to God.
If we die before the Lord comes again, our spirits will leave our physical bodies and be placed in either paradise or torment by the righteous judge of the living and the dead, Jesus Himself. Then, when Jesus returns He will cause the spirit to return to the body and be raised from the dead. At this resurrection all will be changed, and all will enter eternity depending upon what they have done in the body (2 Cor. 5:10; John 5:27-29). Live in obedience to the Lord, be faithful ‘til death, and you will enjoy the blessings of eternal life.
Park Street Communicator April 17, 2011 #27 Greg Weston Ashland church of Christ2 Cor 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (NIV)
10/16/2011
Three men met at the end of a dock on a Florida beach. One is a homeless alcoholic. The second is an average guy. The third is an honorable man, well respected in the community.
Suddenly, the alcoholic runs and jumps off the dock landing five feet out into the water. The other men yell, “What are you trying to do?”
He yells back, “I am trying to jump across the Atlantic Ocean!”
The average Joe says, “Watch me, I can do better than that!” He runs, jumps, and lands ten feet out into the water, twice as far as the alcoholic.
The third man laughs and says, “That’s nothing. Watch this!” He backs up fifty feet, make a mad dash across the dock, jumps, and lands twenty feet out, four times as far as the first man.
If we saw such an attempt we would think these men silly to attempt the impossible -jump across the Atlantic Ocean! But people trying to earn their own salvation are even more foolish. God can’t be approached by man on the basis of man’s own moral goodness.
Sometimes people are heard to say, “I’m a good person. Won’t God accept me into heaven?” The question shows a lack of understanding of the grave nature of sin and the absolute holiness of God. If we were so good that we deserved heaven, salvation would be owed as a debt rather than to be received as a gift (Romans 11:6)
Isaiah wrote, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6)
A person may look moral when compared with others, but when compared with Christ, all fall perilously short. Paul state, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). All need grace. This is why the next verse declares Christians have been “justified freely by his grace” (Romans 3:24)
Many do good things for others and demonstrate a level of morality. However, there is a big difference between morality and righteousness. Righteousness is defined and revealed by a righteous God and seen in His Son “Jesus Christ the righteous” (John 17:25; 1 John 2:1; Hebrews 4:15). To be righteous means that we are innocent or faultless in God’s sight. On our own, this is not possible (Romans 3:10). The only way to stand innocent in the presence of a righteous God is to be forgiven and declared righteous by faith in God (Philippians 3:9). We are only accepted “in the Beloved” because we trust in his righteous work He did and submit to what He requires (Ephesians 1:6; Hebrews 5:8-9)
When one realizes this he is on his way to receiving the free gift of God. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
Bulletin Digest Howell Ferguson
July 2011 Lake City, Florida
10/09/2011
What Would You Pay?
Matthew 16:25-26 25 “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”
The age old question has been asked in one way or another, “Which is more important the physical life you can see, feel, taste, hear or the spiritual one for an eternity of years?” Sadly, man has continued to answer the question , by the way he lives his life; the physical life is more important to him. From Adam and Eve giving in to the desire, David wanting another man’s wife, Judas’ love of money, to today, mankind lives in a way that would suggest they don’t believe in the hereafter or that there will be consequences for not seeking God first. (Matt 6:33)
Don’t believe it? Look at the empty pews or empty parking lots of church buildings on Sunday. On the one day of the week the Lord set aside for the worshipping and praising of Him, many people do not bother. The rest of the week, people are calling themselves Christians live just like the rest of the world. You can’t tell them apart! A tree is known by it’s fruit. A person’s spiritual life is easy to read also. That’s not judging, it’s fruit inspection!
So back to the question, “What will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Not much it seems. He won’t give up his sports, or other secular activities. He often wont give up his sinful habits. He or she wont give up the time to sleep in on Sunday. That is pretty cheap labor for the devil. Think about that, a person will sell their soul for some things that aren’t even good for them or anyone else. You could maybe see someone selling their soul to ensure the safety of others’ souls, but to sell one’s soul for drinking, drugs, forsaking worship, sports, etc., that is almost unbelievable! But, it happens every day.
Is your soul secure? Or, have you sold it to the devil for some trifling thing or activity? Take your soul back by turning back to God and put him first in your life. After awhile, it will become a habit that you wouldn’t dare or want to break. Live a life that produces fruit for the kingdom and NOT for the devil. Don’t sell your soul for anything. Jesus died for it; don’t give such a priceless treasure away!
Chris Moore church of Christ July Bulletin Digest Clarendon, TX
10/02/2011
Dangling Over Hell
The lake of fire is the
second death. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in
the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Rev
20:14-15 (NIV)
FACT:
Each of us has family members and delight in friendships with individuals that
remain outside of Christ. To catch their attention, have you ever wished you
could – for just a few minutes – simply dangle the unbelievers in your life
over Hell? Wouldn’t it be easy to simply
suspend them over the heat of the lake of fire and let them get a preview –
just a quick peek – a glimpse really, into the eternity awaiting them from that
perspective?
Do you think that such an experience would change their minds about Heaven and
Hell? Would it help them reach an
informed decision about Eternity? Would it change their curiosity about Jesus?
Give them a sense of urgency to know the Lord?
My personal want, my fantasy as it were, is that those whom I love would be given
a dream – rather, a nightmare, similar to that depicted in Charles Dickens’, A
Christmas Carol.
Though instead of Ebenezer Scrooge, unbelieving family members and friends outside Christ’s blessedness would experience an angel carrying them away to hover over the abyss awaiting them in Eternity. They’d find themselves close enough to feel the deadly heat of the eternal fire, they’d smell the stench, and recognize the wretched suffering as themselves. Then the angel would carry them back to their beds, and when they awakened – like Scrooge, recognize the misery they’d gazed upon doesn’t have to be their reality. After a single night’s haggard sleep they’d come to a new life decision and, “presto-change-o,” believe in our Lord, accept Jesus Christ, and live in the Spirit. And we’d all live happily ever after!
Sadly, the want for a nightmare to befall family and
friends is not scriptural. Nor does it
alleviate the duty to spread the gospel!
FACT: We each elect to share (or not) the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you lack
the courage to express your concerns for their “lost-ness,” your excuse would
be what? Fear? Fear of what? Your lack
of ability to present the truth? Then
what? What keeps you from sharing the redemptive life Jesus offers the lost?
Could it be your pre-judgment? Have you decided no one will hear you or wants
to talk about the truth? Rejection of the truth isn’t yours to manage. Your job
is to speak truth.
I’ve started asking an easy question,
“What
have you decided to do about Jesus?”
Imagine your family members or friends spending eternity in Hell. Any desire, motivation, or willingness rising
up in you to share the gospel and follow the command given?
He [Jesus] said to them, “Go into all the world and
preach the good news to all creation. Mark 16:15 (NIV)Reads to me like we have some work to do!
~Denise Christian Rincon Valley
church of Christ
09/25/2011
Matthew 22:36-38
Everyone is Smart Enough!
The source of all truth is God. Truth is revealed in the minds, souls and hearts of mankind. Creator-God uses the mind, soul and heart to help us understand God’s ways. To think, reason, and imagine – activities of the mind are qualities given only to mankind. Animals, plants, plankton, moons, planets and stars were not given the gift of, “mind.” God created us as thinking, mindful individuals equipped to understand much of the fullness in life He offers. His kingdom is waiting for God-loving, mindful people. Therefore, everyone should rightly do their best to think clearly about all of God’s wants in order to see the point of, and then receive, the fullness of the promises He’s made to His people.
All of creation shouts God’s existence, power and glory! Yet the rules valid for everyday thinking (logic; laws of identity, contradiction, inference, etc.) must also be applied to initiate our attempt to understand God’s word – His Truth! It’s only when we think clearly that His truth can be revealed and our hearts opened. All of creation shouts God’s existence, power and glory! Yet the rules valid for everyday thinking (logic; laws of identity, contradiction, inference, etc.) must also be applied to initiate our attempt to understand God’s word – His Truth! It’s only when we think clearly that His truth can be revealed and our hearts opened. The methods that cause us to respond and correspond to our reality, both independently and as representatives within community, comes solely from the concepts and precepts established within our minds. How we comprehend our environment directly correlates to our responses within our surroundings and how we relate to and with the members of our community. Once we permit God’s truth to be revealed in our minds will it begin to impact our lives. He established our minds in order to for us to search for Him, find Him; know Him! Spiritual revelation (comprehension, disclosure, discovery, etc.) comes through logical first principles and this is but a part of, “God’s signature,” in our lives. Only after we believe in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit can we comprehend all of the matters He discloses to us. Only after we know better can we do better; only after we understand the heart of a matter or a situation, or a request can we take sincere action to attend to, or apply it to our lives with certainty and sincerity (conviction). In Mark 1:15 “Repent and believe the good news,” is a command from the Lord. Believers read this command and take action. Therefore, logically only those that have their minds fixed on God will read and believe the command and understand that, “the time has come,” and their logic will cause them to demonstrate belief through acts of contrition (repentance) and belief (faith). Understand that God will hold each accountable for their thoughts and actions, as well as their inaction.
Acts 17:29-31 ~Denise Christian Rincon Valley church of Christ
09/18/2011
BECOMING A CHRISTIAN
Jesus Christ, speaking as the son of God, said: “I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Jesus invites all people everywhere to enjoy salvation if they will:
(A) Hear His word and believe it (Romans 1:17, Romans 10:17, Hebrews 11:6, John 3:16, John 8:24);
(B) Repent of their sins (Luke 13:3, Acts 17:30, Romans 6:3,4);
(C) Confess the name of Jesus as the Son of God before men (Matt. 10:32-33, Romans 10:9-10);
(D) Be buried with Him by baptism (Acts 2:38-41,I Peter 3:21, Matt. 28:19-20 and
(E) Live the faithful Christian life (Revelation 2:10) as a member of the church or body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:14, Romans 16:16, Acts 2:41-47).
We must not teach or preach any other doctrine than that, that Jesus Christ spoke of in John 7:16-18.
Bulletin Digest Allen Smith
Lima, OH Church of Christ
09/11/2011
Let Us Be Children of Peace and Love
09/04/2011
The Schemes of Satan
Hall of Famer Hack Wilson once said of the great Negro League pitcher Satchel Paige’s pitches, “It starts out like a baseball and when it gets to the plate, it looks like a marble.” You see the pitcher’s job is to fool the batter and get him to chase pitches so he will make an out. So the pitcher will throw different pitches, change the locations and speed, and other things to deceive the batter.
The Devil is also a master deceiver. The apostle Paul once warned Christians to be on guard “less Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Cor 3:11). The Greek word translated “devices” refers to schemes and traps used to ensnare one’s prey. Just as a pitcher has many tricks to fool a batter, so the devil has many devices. Chief among them is temptation, but Satan also uses other traps to destroy us like lies, false doctrine, hypocrisy, apathy, ignorance, discouragement, and procrastination.
To be a good hitter, the batter needs a good eye so he won’t be fooled by the pitcher. We need a good eye spiritually so the devil won’t ensnare us in his devices. Let us Pray and study God’s word daily so Satan won’t get us out in the game of life.
Bulletin Digest Travis L. Quertermous
June Dexter, MO church of Christ
08/28/2011
Golf and Church
One man came out of his house on his way to worship one Sunday morning, just as his neighbor came out and said “Henry, come play golf with me today.” Henry with an expression of self-righteous horror, replied, “This is the Lord’s day, and I go to worship. Certainly I would not play golf with you.”
After a moment’s embarrassed silence the golfer quietly replied, “ You know, Henry I have often wondered about your church, and I have admired your fidelity. You know, however, that this is the seventh time I have invited you to play golf with me and you…
have never invited me to go to church with you.”
When is the last time you invited your neighbor?
He[Jesus] said to them, Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
Mark 16:15 (NIV)
08/21/2011
But Everyone Else is Doing It?
Did you ever say this to your parents? Maybe you’ve had your own children say it to you. If you did, you probably remember giving that same answer to them that your parents always gave, “If everyone was jumping off a bridge, would you jump off too?” For some reason, we have always thought that just because the rest of the world is doing something, it should be okay. But in Ephesians 4:17-18, it reads, “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;”
So what does this mean? It means that “everyone else” isn’t doing what God expects from them. They have been blinded to the will of God and are embracing the sinfulness of this world. We aren’t supposed to be like them. We aren’t supposed to do what they do. We have decided to follow Jesus instead of “everybody else”. So for us, it doesn’t matter what they are doing; it only matters what God expects for us to be doing.
“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise”
Ephesians 5:15
08/14/2011
THE BIBLE SPEAKS
I am the Bible, God’s wonderful library. I am always - and above all - the Truth.
To the pilgrim, I am a strong staff.
To the one who sits in darkness, I am the light.
To those who stumble beneath heavy burdens, I am sweet rest.
To him who has lost his way, I am a safe guide.
To those who are sick in sin, I am healing strength and forgiveness.
To those who are tossed about by storms of life, I am a steadfast anchor.
To those who search for salvation, I reveal the Savior of the world. I am the Bible, God’s wonderful gift to mankind.
Bulletin Digest Vol 30 Number 8
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (KJV)
16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
08/07/2011
HOW TO FORGIVE
Because the art of forgiving those who injure is one of the finest spiritual graces, and because many honest people do not know how to forgive, we offer a few simple suggestions.
Begin by assuring yourself that you have not been seriously injured at all.
Count up all the favors and kindness that have been shown you, even by the person
who has injured you.
List the mercies you have enjoyed at the hands of God which you do not deserve.
Offer thanks to God for the spirit of forgiveness which comes upon his children.
Offer a prayer on behalf of the one who has wronged you.
Look for some opportunity to help him/her yourself.
Make a special effort to surprise him/her with some kind service.
Bulletin Digest Vol 30 No 8
07/31/2011
Self-Centered is Off-Centered
“...I oft complained to Jesus how folks were treating me…” This is a portion of the words to the song “Follow Me” by Ira F Staphill. The song continues where Jesus replies and tells how heavy the cross was to bear and says “Be faithful…Just lift your cross and follow close to me.”
There are things we do in life when we expect a reward for what we do. Take those who work and have a job. They do their work with the expectation of being paid a wage. Most like the job they have. Yet, it seems that there is always an aspect of the job we don’t particularly like doing. Even the yucky stuff must be done. Why? It’s your job and in order to be paid you do the not so delightful things as well.
Paul gave instruction to slaves and masters alike of what was expected of them. The main emphasis was to be Christ like in their lives and examples Ephesians 6:5-9. Murmuring and complaining should not be a part of the Christians life either, Philippians 2:12-15.
Sometimes I believe that we get the idea that life owes us. Some think life owes them a living, some recognition, and some fame or fortune. When in the course of events a Christian does what should be done the reward is Heaven, 2 Timothy 4:8.
So when you’re tempted to complain and say well I did… and nobody noticed or returned the favor, remember what Christ did and never, never, complained. Being self-centered is Off-centered.
June Bulletin Digest David Shearer Marshalltown church of Christ
7/24/11
“Let’s Correct our Terminology”
By Jim McInteer
Mankind has a certain attitude toward remnants. They are either his to use as he pleases, give to another, or throw away.
When he comes to the “tail end” of something he feels an independency connected with it that normally doesn’t manifest itself in the consideration of the “whole cloth.” Do we not play into the devil’s hands when we begin to think on Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday as the “weekend?” The general attitude is “I’ve worked hard all week - a little bit remains in the week therefore it is mine and I’ll use it as I please.” We refer to that section of time as “the weekend.” But that terminology is false. A part of it is the weekend - a very vital part of it is the week’s beginning! The week’s beginning needs to be used specifically as the Lord has demanded. The holidays that are being observed in America are often referred to as a “long weekend.” That embraces Friday night thru Monday night and that which is hurt most severely by it is Jesus and His church.
Christians have fallen into this trap of thinking “weekend is mine.” Well, so be it - let the weekend, Friday and Saturday, be used for some relaxation and change of pace - no doubt you need it. But don’t fudge! Sunday is not the weekend - the first day of the week is the Lord’s day and there is no rhyme nor reason to suggest that sleep, relaxation, recreation, trips, etc., give the right to interfere with the appointment you have with the Lord every first day of the week.
The devil is offering a sop to people - he is softening the blow of unfaithfulness and he delights in Christians ignoring the calendar. “Have a good weekend, you deserve it!” The “weekend,” so called, comes at the expense of your attendance with your fellow saints, your worship of the Almighty God, your eating the Lord’s Supper and giving your means with regularity of the planned precision that the Lord had in mind.
Would you like to make a change in the society in which you live? Ask two questions of your friends. Let the first question be, “What did you do this weekend?” The let the second question come immediately, “And how thrilling was your week beginning - where did you worship?” There is one very special day - the Lord’s day - and it is the first, not the last day of the week. Rogue River church of Christ Bulletin Vol.30 Num. 20 May 15, 2011
7/17/11
Ten Commandments of Human Relations
I. Thou shalt love people, not just use them. The greatest thing in the world is a person. The greatest thing about a person is their motive, the greatest motive is love.
II. Thou shalt develop thy understanding. “If every man’s care were written on his brow, how many would our pity share, who bear our envy now?
III. Thou shalt compliment more than criticize. You had better cover your neighbor’s fault with a cloak of charity. They may need a circus tent to cover yours.
IV. Thou shalt not get angry. If you are right, you don’t need to. If you are wrong, you can’t afford to.
V. Thou shalt not argue. It is no use to win the argument and lose people. Beware of the attitude which says: “ In matters controversial, my attitude is fine. I always see two points of view, the one that is wrong and mine."
VI. Thou shalt be kind. You had better be kind to the people you meet on the way up! They are, the same ones you meet on the way down. It is nice to be important, but more important to be nice!
VII. Thou shalt have a sense of humor. A sense of humor is to a man what springs are to a wagon… it save him a lot of jolts.
VIII. Thou shalt smile. No one is ever fully dressed until they have a smile.
IX. Thou shalt practice what thou preaches. One example is worth a thousand arguments.
X. Thou shalt establish a long-range habit of people-manship. Good human relations can be the key to your success.
Tim Woodward Smithville church of Christ
7/10/11
How Does A Prodigal Come Home?
The story of the prodigal son is found in Luke 15:11-32. Every mother and father who has watched a son or daughter be overcome by the world read this parable with a vested interest. Parents are torn up inside when they are filled with joy beyond measure when their children are recovered.
The prodigal in the parable did not blame his sinful and “good as dead” condition on his upbringing. He didn’t even blame his circumstance on his elder brother. He made no excuses for himself. He didn’t justify himself and try to make what he had done seem okay. He didn’t say, “I can’t help it.” He didn’t blame the world and say, “life is just so difficult.” He didn’t blame God and say, ”life is just not fair!” What did he do? He “came to himself” (vs. 17), got his sorry self together and said to his father, “I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, I am no more worthy to be called thy son” (vs. 21).
Interestingly, the father in the parable does not track down his son. There is no mention of a mother sending money or food to help her reprobate and foolish son get by. He was an adult. It was his decision to make and they had to let his make it and live with the consequences. However, when he repented and came home with a with a humble and contrite heart, his father was waiting and watching for him, ran to him, hugged him and kissed him much! The father made it easy to come home. There are some good moms and dads who are ready to do the same when their sons or daughter returns to them, and to God.
A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him” (Proverbs 18:25)
Brent Smith Trenton, church of Christ Bulletin Digest 06/11
07/03/11
A Rebel is Washed
When Ananias came to Saul, he gave him little to do. Ananias knew Saul had to come to believe in Jesus. He probably could tell by his actions and demeanor that Saul was a broken man, willing and eager to repent. But Saul still needed to be cleaned. So Ananias tells him “Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.” (Acts 22:16). Saul had come to believe in Jesus, was broken and willing to turn from his sin, but still needed to have his sins removed. He was still in sin. Ananias encouraged him not to wait, but to be washed of his sin right then by being immersed in the name of Jesus. Then Saul would be on his way to becoming the great apostle Paul.
This process is still required for all who are broken and want to come to God. Your faith is vital, your repentance imperative. But you still need to be washed of your sins. Paul himself explains why. “Having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions” (Col. 2:12-13). Paul tells us we were dead and then made alive. This took place when we died and were buried in baptism, having our sins washed away Then, and only after baptism can you live the new life God wants for you.
A servant is Made
After all this, Saul was ready to serve God. He was now able to become the very best Christian possible. What about you and your life? You, too, need to see that God is reaching out to you in spite of your sin. God wants to make you a servant too, a servant who may do great things in His service. Face your sin, admit your need for God and His grace. Turn from sin and be washed in baptism. That is what made Paul a Christian. It will make you one too. Be washed -today.
Gospel Minutes Oct. 22,1999
06/26/11
Wise Counsel
He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. Proverbs 13:20
Talk to the president or CEO of any company and they will tell you how vital it is to have dependable and trusted board of directors. Great decision makers, great leaders, know that they don’t know everything. They surround themselves with wise counsel. The same is true in our lives. We need to have a personal board of directors-people we can trust to help us make the right decisions. Too many of us, though, have the uncanny ability to ask the wrong people the wrong questions; and as a result we make the wrong decisions and do the wrong things. Instead of falling into that trap, surround yourself with people who will help you navigate the maze of life. If you don’t already have a personal board of directors, start putting one together today. Make sure these people have a strong connection with God. Find those people who will energize you and motivate you to make the right decisions. But don’t form this group. Actually use your personal board of directors in your decision making process. Understand that there are people God has placed around you who will guide you towards the right answers. And use them to help out get the most out of your life. Prayer Lord, thank you for bringing people into my life to point me towards you and your will for my life. Help me keep a strong board of directors and utilize them appropriately. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Merced church of Christ-6-12-11 Ed young, submitted by Clinton Storm
6/19/11
Do you Love Life?
We like short easy prescriptions on how to love life. If someone will tell us how to be rich or be in good health in three easy lessons that person will get our attention and money. There are hundreds of diets that will let you lose hundreds of pounds without cutting down on your eating. Those are the diets I like. The Bible does give us a short simple plan for enjoying life and seeing good days. It is found in 1 Peter 3:10-11, “For he that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil and do good; let him seek peace and ensue it.” There it is folks! Very simple: “Let him refrain his tongue from evil.” “His lips they speak no guile.” “Let him eschew evil.” (Turn away from) “Let him seek peace and ensue it.” The Bible isn’t complicated. All we have to do is read it and obey it.
I LIKE SUNDAYS
I get to worship God.
I get to sing wonderful songs of encouragement.
I get to meet and fellowship with brethren.
I get to preach.
There is no mail delivery. The banks are closed.
We always have a great feast of food. Sometimes we have chocolate pie.
Larry Acuff Lithia Springs church of Christ Lithia Springs, GA
06/05/11 & 06/12/11
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO TRUTH?
As far as much of society is concerned, truth has been placed on life support, and few seem to care. The idea that truth is real, that it is objective and absolute, is an absolutely archaic idea in a world where, philosophically speaking, relativism rules. And God’s people have not been immune to this problem. Many Christians are scurrying for cover as they struggle to be true to the truth of God’s Word. They want to take true seriously, to live it faithfully, and to express it articulately to others - but the world seems to be making that more and more difficult. Christians are constantly bombarded by a world view that says things like, “Christianity true for you, but not for me.” Everything is relative.” Who are you to be so judgmental and intolerant?” “Don’t you know you can do whatever you want as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody?” “Christianity is just one path among many to God.” The underlying assumptions of statements like those are a world away from the view contained in scripture (Jn. 8:32; 17:17; Acts 4:12). Christians may be tempted to embrace relativism, but to do so is to be caught in the crossfire of what men think and what God’s truth actually is. Hear the Word of God on this matter: “Buy the truth and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding” (Pro 23:23). Throughout the Bible, there is an emphasis on the fact that truth is real and universal in it’s scope. Truth is true even if the majority do not know it. Truth is true, even if few agree as to what it is (Ex 23:2; Mt. 7:13-14) True is true, even if few follow it (Jn. 14:6 Heb. 5:8-9). Tru is true , even if no one but God grasps it fully. Notice that Proverbs 23:23 deals with a commodity and acquisition and a prohibition of truth.
1. THE COMMODITY -- “THE TRUTH” There are other “choices” out there on the market, but the commodity desires is truth. As relativism has increasingly become the norm of our culture, fact and fault have increasingly diminished. Most institutions of higher learning, the media and many politicians obviously embrace the belief that universal, objective truth (1) does not exist; or (2) cannot be known. By denying the existence of any ultimate authority or standard, relativism implies that the pursuit of truth is an exercise in futility. Everything or almost everything falls into gray area of opinion. It is highly significant that 2 Thessalonians 2:11 speaks of people being “condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” Truth is a commodity that is not to be mocked or taken lightly. An truth is to be found in God and His inspired Word (Num. 23:19; Rom. 3:4; 2 Tim. 3:16-17).
Bear Valley Church of Christ March 27, 2011~Mike Vestal
2. The Acquisition- “Buy the Truth” Jesus spoke of the kingdom of heaven being like “treasure hidden in a field, which a man dound and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has when we say, “ I just don’t buy it,” or “He sold me a bill of truth because there are many counterfits (1Jn 4:1; 1 Thess. 5:21). We are to buy only truth because Satan is a master of mixing truth with lies (Jn. 8:44). We are to buy the truth at any price because it is to be prized and valued. Truth is precious, practical and useful both now and forever. Truth is to be bought NOW. So many people seem to have good intentions, but the “someday” of doing what is right never seems to come along.
3. The Prohibition- “Do Not Sell It” Truth is an investment that is not to be sold under any circumstances. A person cannot love God without loving truth, since He is the very embodiment of truth (Jn. 14:6; Heb. 6:18-19). Truth is to be bought at any price, but to be sold at no price. Some sell out truth for financial gain; others for respectability, for fame or position. Others sell out truth in order to please family and friends, while some sell out truth simply because sin gave them temporary pleasures (Heb 11:24-25). The cost of truth may be great, but to sell it is to cheapen and diminish it’s eternal value. To speak of the value of truth is not to speak the language of arrogance or isolation. It is to speak of the priority of integrity and intelligent conviction. There must be an authoritative and true standard. Something within men desires such, even though many dismiss and disparage it. To the relativist, “everything is relative”; that is, everything except the universal truth that “everything is relative.” Go figure the reasoning on this. But further, the relativist is unwilling to relativize his relativism. Claiming to be very tolerant, many relativists are amazingly intolerant and inconsistent when people do not buy into their “everything is relative” philosophy. But why are they not? “If what is true is true only for you then I see no reason why is has to be true for me.”
Bear Vally church of Christ April 3rd ~Mike Vestal
05/29/11
The Dignity of Man
Do you ever go through seasons when you just don’t feel your life counts for very much? Everything seems about as pointless as a first-quarter NBA score in November. People treat you with less interest than a flight attendant’s lecture on oxygen masks and exit doors. But what’s easy to forget at times like these is that your value is not something other people can assign to you. They don’t get to grade this. You have been given great worth by your creator. Your significance is inborn. Think of the dignity you possess, merely by being a product of God’s design. You’re able to reason and make choices. You can appreciate beauty and feel emotion. You have the ability within your reach to bless others, to extend your influence and impact into another person’s life. You have even been given the privilege of communicating with your heavenly father -- a right he wasn’t obligated to offer you, but one he freely extends because of his rich, abiding love for you. Everything about you have been “woven together” in his all-wise mind and heart. Each day of your life has been “written” down by the one who made you (Psalms 139:15-16). That’s how valuable you are to him. Instead of being bombarded by all the ways of life has mistreated you or what a mess you’ve made, make this a day to celebrate what God has invested in you. You are worth far more than you realize. Pray this prayer: I do get down on myself a lot, Lord. I have a hard time imagining that you love me. Would you remind me today? I could really use that.
By Joe Gibbs Selected from the Atwater bulletin, Clinton Storm May 1st 2011
05/22/11
Tops Aren’t the Only Things That Spin
Sometime in the mid-90’s the term, “spin-master,” became popular. Initially, it appeared to be an interesting and curious marketing career option, but as I thought about it, these individuals have a talent (?) for differentiating where there is no difference, and dulling sharp distinctions certainly exist. Public discourse is too often controlled and dialed in, much like a television set, and these people could be considered the, ‘out-of-control’ contrast knob. Spin Masters are talking heads that fill the airwaves – whether it’s radio or television, and far too many pages of newspapers and magazines. They’re hard to escape and their negative influence is often underestimated. The profession seems little if any more honorable than those aligned with or practicing the world’s oldest of profession. Look into the Word and find biblical evidence such folks existed long before, “spin-masters,” was crafted. Turn to the account in I Samuel 15 and read about King Saul’s disobedience to God’s orders in a battle with the Amalekites. After having been told to destroy the enemy and all his possessions, Saul instead took King Agag prisoner and returned from battle with the best of the best of the Amalekite’s animals. Even after being confronted, Saul claimed to have brought the animals back to make a sacrifice to Jehovah. Saul insisted that he did obey the voice of the Lord. King Saul took his act of direct disobedience, tweaked it, and a spun it up, to make it look like an act of holy AND sacrificial service to God. What was he thinking?! Putting one’s spin on things happens within the body of believers. Ask your-self if you’ve ever engaged in, “sin-spin,” after reading the word you read one thing yet do another. In the word you will find how God feels and what He thinks when someone passes off make-believe godliness as pure and undefiled religion? Turn to, 2 Timothy 3:2-5 and read: People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. Then in James 1.26-27 find: If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. God, aware of the human talent for self-deception, instructs (teaches, trains, orders, commands) us to practice careful self-examination. In, 2 Corinthians 13:5 read: Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test?
~Denise Christian
05/15/11
“Stand Up for Something or Fall for Anything”
To be informed members of society we should expend energy, encourage and engage in discussions that explore local and global ideals, social, economic, and historic issues. We should also come together in conversations that focus on the arts, literature, and education. I welcome, and listen to all types of responsibly presented and sensibly argued ideas and insights. I attempt to listen and learn about a number of topics that are outside my area of interest with the anticipation of becoming better informed. Not everything presented is beneficial. However, listening helps build-on or refine what I hold as tenets, while the exercise strengthens my resolve. Or the information measurably moves me to study further, or seek contrary information.
Sadly, the acts and arts of reading with comprehension, listening to hear, then think, reason and deliberate are attributes quickly vanishing from within our society. We’ve become frustrated and dulled. Due to the current levels of poor behaviors and unending rhetoric that surround many political and religious issues, many feel helpless to become change agents.
Other subjects, such as: alternative sexual orientation, the presentation as normal the gay and lesbian lifestyle, or the rights, (or lack thereof) of this God-willed, “dispossessed group," has been added to the list of topics that can no longer be discussed in a larger group setting. There is no reasoned or sensibly argued position that allows me be disavow my beliefs and principles and could allow these unholy desires and behaviors to become common and ordinary within our society without challenge.
Sin is sin. Sexual immorality is a class of sin described in biblical terms to be avoided. If we accept, condone, passively sit back, or agree to make allowances for this class of sin, we are not living as we’re called to live – as salt and light. Nor can we walk in the truth God Himself gave us.
Luke 14:35 reads: …“Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown away. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!” (NLT) Jesus spoke these words in Rev 3:15-16: “15I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
If we’re to preserve as salt, if we’re to be flavorful, if we’re to be hot or cold in order to be pleasing . . . if we’re to walk in the light – which is the truth of God’s word, we cannot be satisfied to allow these sins to overtake our culture.
We cannot sit silently while those of a certain dissolute mind, and carnal desires, push to manipulate and govern without regard to God’s laws. We cannot allow the sinful nature of some to become more deeply entrenched in our communities. We have to stand for something, or we will find we’ve fallen for anything that’s put in front of us. We must find the necessary spiritual might and energy to withstand sinful aggression. We must demand a higher quality of social ideology.
Take appropriate actions remembering that what we allow now we leave for our children and theirs. Trust the Holy Spirit to be there and stand with you in times of need as you develop relationships and stand up for God’s laws! ~Denise Christian
05/08/2011
Roller Coaster
On the way home from Mexico, most of us stopped to spend a day at Magic Mountain Theme Park. If you’ve never been, it is one of the nation’s BEST collections of intense thrill rides. They have machines that flip you, spin you, drop you, and do all they can to freak you out!! :) It is a thrill seeker’s paradise.
It was the first time my five year old daughter had ever been to such a place. I was anxious to see what she would think. We began in kiddie land. We then graduated to a little bigger rides. This process continued for about 45 minutes and it became clear that she wanted more. So I took her to a full on adult roller coaster. It was one of the milder ones, but a big one nonetheless. She literally showed NO fear. She laughed up the hill, down every drop and Loved it. Immediately she asked to go again. It was AWESOME! I ried taking her on more rides. We did huge drops, corkscrews and even upside down loops. She simply laughed at everything I threw at her. NOTHING could scare her, I was a proud daddy. I asked her why she wasn’t scared and she simply said, “It’s fun! And besides, you’re with me so I know it’s okay.”
I loved that answer. Doesn’t that show faith and trust at it’s purest? I wish we could all live our lives this exact same way. What if we viewed all the “hills, drops and twists” that life throws at us with this same attitude? What if you and I truly believed that our “Dad” was with us? And that God by our side, what is there to be scared of? I am confident that our lives would be drastically different.
God is all we need and gives us the strength and courage to do anything. I think of the words in 27th Psalm, “The LORD is my light and my salvation - whom shal I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?” We claim to believe these words, but we do not always live like.
May we all have the attitude of Merrick. May we grab life by the horns and enjoy it. May it be something that is fun, and not something that we fear. May we believe this, because we know that our God is with us.
West Main church of Christ Medford,OR Brian Pannell
04/10/2011
A Divine Admonition
In 2 Timothy 2:24, Paul instructs servants of Christ to be “patient when wronged” (NASV). Let us consider that powerful admonition. “Be Patient When Wronged.” How do you handle mistreatment? Do you fly off the handle? Do you get revenge? Do you turn bitter? Do you gossip? Do you rail or have outbursts of anger? Paul says to be patient. That involves being slow to react, watching your words and attitude, and choosing your course of action deliberately! “Be Patient When Wronged.” He did not say “if”. Accept the reality that service to Christ will produce times when people will hurt, malign, undermine, or slander you. Do not take it personally. Realize that it goes with the service territory. Often people will show profound gratitude and offer encouragement. But there are times when you are wronged. “Be Patient When Wronged.” Be aware that sometimes others, including Christians, will do what is wrong. God anticipated these times and tells you how to react. This admonition is helpful for preachers, but also any who have decided to follow Jesus and serve Him and His people. Remember we will never be more mistreated than either Christ or Paul. But, when you are mistreated you have the instruction for handling it. “Be Patient When Wronged.”
~~Neal Pollard, writing about a chapel talk presented by Denny Petrillo.
4/03/2011
A Church is almost certain to grow….
When each member has a deep concern for the lost.
When each member enters into worship with enthusiasm.
When each member is interested in bible school.
When each teacher is interested in improving his/her teaching ability.
When each elder and deacon is dedicated to the work.
When the preacher preaches the word with love.
When each member is personally involved in his/her work of soul saving. When each member lets brotherly love express itself to every other member.
So they said, ”Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work. Nehemiah 2:18b (NKJV)
Findlay church of Christ Sparta, TN
3/27/2011
The Paradox of Spiritual Starvation
By Dub McClish
Somewhere I have read that a bird can go nine days without food; a dog, ten days; a turtle, 500 days, a snake, 800 days; a fish, 1000 days; and some insects 12,000 days (almost 33 years)! For man, the limit is 14 days. However long one may go without food, sooner or later all of God’s creatures must have food or they perish. Each of us has probably been hungry enough for physical food at some time that we think of nothing else. So it is with all of the animal world. Although a man is basically honest, if he becomes hungry enough, he will steal his food if he cannot get it otherwise. This is one of the most compelling instincts found in man and beast.
One might think that the soul that is shriveling and dying from spiritual starvation would experience a similar yearning for nourishment, but here is a great paradox. The soul of man that is most undernourished for lack of bread of life generally has the least appetite for spiritual food. The person whose soul is pygmied for lack of the nourishment of the milk and meat of this World is least likely to be hungering and thirsting after righteousness.
The Christian who has remained a babe in Christ over the years has the least inclination toward maintaining a hearty diet of spiritual delicacies . Those who need them the most could hardly care less whether the church even continues its program of Bible classes on Sundays and Wednesdays. A week of Gospel meetings to them is a dull prospect at best and is all but ignored by them.
Such seem to see themselves as people who have no need of such activities, when in reality they are most in need of them. Some seem to have the attitude that they are so spiritual that they could not even profit from continued studies in the Word of God.
Such brethren may be identified with various life forms. Some like the turtle , may have taken little or no nourishment for 500 days. Others may be likened to the snake, the fish, or even the insect. How long has it been since you were in your Bible class on Sunday morning or Wednesday night? How long has it been since you studied your Bible at home?
The world and the church alike are suffering some grievous crises at present, most of which relates to spiritual starvation. God’s people have a duel responsibility: (1) to so feed on God’s Word that it controls our thoughts (Cor 10:5) and (2) to spread the Word to as many as we can.
HIGHWAY CHURCH OF CHRIST Lantern December 19, 2010
3/20/2011
Were you there?
I looked for you last Sunday...in the breaking of the bread; When in remembrance of my death… the table while was spread.
But, sad to say I looked in vain… on that momentous day; What appointment more important… kept you, my child away?
The cup, the symbol of My death… spoke of the pain I bore … to ransom you from sin and hell… both now and evermore!
The bread, my broken body proved… My love for you still true; But as I scanned the table ‘round… I wondered, where were you?
Has that first love once knew… grown cold and lost it’s flame? Is there no surge of love within… at the mention of My name?
Oh I looked for you last Sunday… when the table was spread… O, could you not remember Me… in breaking of the bread?
Rogue River Church of Christ shared by Tim Christian
3/13/2011
Where’s the Line
I find that winters can be tough for me. I don’t mind the cold, I love the (rare) snow, and there’s something special about those days that call for a pot of coffee and games with the kids. Yet if given the choice between inside or out, I’d rather be outside; especially if it involves exploring one of Arkansas’ numerous hiking trails. Ahh, the outdoors; reminds me of Wal-Mart. I think I’d better explain. One of the reasons our trails are so popular is because they lead you right up to the edge of beautiful vistas and scenic overlooks, giving you the best view. Of course there’s danger in getting too close to the edge of a bluff, but most people are smart enough to maintain a safe distance. We understand the point is not to see how close you can get to the edge without falling… which brings me back to Wal-Mart. The retail giant has a policy designed to promote integrity (commonly know as the Wal-Mart rule) which forbids any of it’s buyers to accept gifts, no matter how small, from its vendors. To prevent their buyers from crossing the ethical line, Wal-Mart has established the line a little further back from the edge of the cliff. Let’s not see how close we can get without falling, let’s avoid that altogether. Of course when speaking in spiritual terms, there are two sides to this. Perhaps you see a bit of the Pharisees in this “rule”. To help the people not break God’s law, we’ll draw a line a little further back. The problem Jesus had, though, was that the new man made line soon took the place of God’s line, and to break their tradition was (in their mind) to break God’s law. Their focus on the line clouded their vision and they totally missed the point. Secondly, though, in Wal-Mart’s case, this is a good thing. They know full well that there are times when a small gift or free meal will not be inappropriate, unethical, or abused, but they are not willing to sacrifice the reputation they value so highly. Likewise our souls are exponentially more valuable than anything else, so what do we do? See how close we can get to that line? It’s always intrigued me that our questions so often ask for line definition when instead we need to be reminded of the value of what’s at stake.
Wind Song Church of Christ Little Rock, AR Joe Chesser
3/06/2011
Immediately
The astute reader of the book of Mark finds the word forty times in thirty-nine verses (the Greek word most often translated “immediately” in Mark is actually found forty four times.) It is a key word found, consistently throughout the gospel but especially in the first six chapters. Usually, the word is used to quantify the time between Jesus performing a miracle and it taking effect. The point seems to be to show the power and Devine nature of Jesus. It is also a thread that runs throughout the book of the New Testament. The word is used to highlight The Father’s affirmation of Christ following His baptism (1:10), Jesus’ journey into the wilderness to triumph over the Devil’s temptation (1:12), the disciples’ decision to leave their occupation to follow Jesus (1:18, 20), Jesus entering the synagogue to show unparalleled authority and power (1:21), the news and fame that followed Christ’s teaching and healing (1:28, and the immediate response to of one healed by Jesus the first of many uses of the word “immediately” to highlight such (1:29-30). The proof of Jesus’ identity was immediate. The effect of Jesus’ miracles was immediate. The impact of Jesus’ miracles and teachings on friend and foe was immediate. Mark’s use of this word seems to indicate how overwhelming and unmistakable was the proof of Jesus.
This is not to say that one should rashly decide about the Lord. The book of Mark is part of God’s way to convince man about who is Jesus. Take the time to read it and learn of Him. Like the other three gospels, Mark contains the teaching, miracles, claims and events in the life of Christ at the end of which one must ultimately make a decision concerning His identity. Who He is. Remember though, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). Weigh the evidence and then decide. Follow the example of so many in the book of Mark and let the power and person of Jesus have an immediate impact on your life and your soul.
2/27/2011
Food for Thought
I dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around. We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels. My angel guide stopped in front of the first section and said, “This is the Receiving Section. Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received.” I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world. Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section. The angel then said to me, "This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for them." I noticed again how busy it was there. There were many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth. Finally at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of a very small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing. "This is the Acknowledgment Section,” my angel friend quietly admitted to me. He seemed embarrassed. “How is it that there is no work going on here?” I asked. "So sad," the angel sighed. "After people receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments."
"How does one acknowledge God's blessings?" I asked. "Simple," the angel answered. “Just say, ‘Thank you, Lord.’" "What blessings should they acknowledge?" I asked. "If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy. And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity. If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day. If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 700 million people in the world. If you can attend a church without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death, you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world. If your parents are still alive and still married, you are very rare. If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you're unique to all those in doubt and despair."
Ok, what now? How can I start? If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you as very special and you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all. Have a good day, count your blessings, and if you care to, pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are.
From Oregon Patchworks newsletter, Feb, 2011
2/20/2011
WHAT YOU GONNA DO?
In 1947 it began as a radio program with a hidden microphone and by May 1949, NBC began airing the program that had now begun using a hidden video camera as well. “Smile, you’re on Candid Camera!” Of course other types of shows have popped up over the years that feature people being caught off guard. You could even win $10,000 from America’s Funniest Home Videos, or simply have the honor (?) of being “Punk’d” by Ashton Kutcher. In March of 1989, America began tuning into the police reality series “Cops” whose theme song asked us “What you gonna do when they come for you?” I know of at least one person who knew the answer to that question, and were rarely caught off guard.
Blinded by his jealousy of David, Saul desperately wanted to kill him. He had been hunting him down for some time, even though he knew David, as God’s anointed, was going to be the next king of Israel. Always on the run from Saul, David and his men had to be tired of their life on the lam. However, when given the opportunity to dispatch his enemy, David already knew what he was going to do. He was not caught off guard. David, in his wisdom, knew that he would not kill the Lord’s anointed king of Israel. Even though everyone around him urged him otherwise, he stood his ground and did not give in to the situation. I believe this isn’t the first time David had considered what he would do in this situation. I believe David had already decided if given the opportunity, he would avoid the “justice” he deserved and honor God by honoring Saul. You know that had to tough.
In our growth group I likened it to playing defense in baseball. When is the appropriate time to consider what you’re going to do with the ball should it come your way? When it’s in the air? Hardly. Once you’ve caught the ball? Nope. Between every single pitch you survey the situation and know in advance what to do so you are never caught off guard. So, when the temptations you struggle with come, “what you gonna do? David had a plan, what’s yours?
Joe Chesser, Wind Song Church of Christ Little Rock, AR
2/13/2011
Heavenly Concert
1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! 2 Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! 3 Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light! 4 Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens! Psalms 148:1-4(NKJV)
I never attended a rock concert as a teenager. While in high school, I listened to my friends’ experiences. For weeks, sometimes months, they’d plan, talk about, and spend considerable amounts of money, energy and anticipation in the name of some popular 70’s rock band coming to the area. After each event came their report-outs. The details often included what they wore, how they got there and who drove; the size of the crowd, what the band sang, who they met, etc. Sadly, and almost without fail, the reports included behaviors in which they’d engaged, that could only be described as ridiculous, and often dangerous. That never appealed to me. As an adult I’ve attended one rock concert. The tickets were a gift received the day before. We attended the next night, alleviating the pretense, minimizing anticipation. The experience was what I’d projected. The logistics were all too much! The traffic tense – parking difficult, people everywhere, lines never ending; the air quality poor, polluted, pungent: no escaping the smells of beer and dope. And too many people, in various degrees of insobriety, singing poorly. I don’t do well in overly-stimulated situations. Though the band was a favorite, the venue and volume didn’t present pleasure. I enjoy their music in more sedate settings. I’ve never again wanted to be in the vicinity of screaming fans, nor hear the roar and noise of an arena full of people in a crazed-frenzy. It’s just not my idea of pleasure. For a long time those earthly experiences distorted my vision about Heaven. “WHAT?” I know! Visualize the scene with me. Who is a bigger rock star than the Trinity? Who is more lauded than the God-head? Who is better adored than the Father, Spirit, Son? The size of that stadium cannot be imagined – it has to contain all the angels and the heavenly Hosts – and God! You just know it’s going to be loud! Heaven will be bigger, than any arena or stadium! Talk about over the top stimulation!
Thankfully, perspectives mature. Spiritual pleasures and heavenly joy cannot be gauged by physical experiences. Someday, I do want to attend Heavenly concerts!!! I will want to be a part of that scene, and stand at the foot of the God-head. I do want to sing along with the heavenly chorus in praise of the Trinity. I do want to worship God, lift-up hands high to the King, and shout praises to our LORD! Don’t you?
Until then, let’s continue to join together, lift our voices to heaven and sing praises to our God in this place!
~ Rincon Valley Church of Christ ~ Denise Christian
Immediately
The astute reader of the book of Mark finds the word forty times in thirty-nine verses (the Greek word most often translated “immediately” in Mark is actually found forty four times.) It is a key word found, consistently throughout the gospel but especially in the first six chapters. Usually, the word is used to quantify the time between Jesus performing a miracle and it taking effect. The point seems to be to show the power and Devine nature of Jesus. It is also a thread that runs throughout the book of the New Testament. The word is used to highlight The Father’s affirmation of Christ following His baptism (1:10), Jesus’ journey into the wilderness to triumph over the Devil’s temptation (1:12), the disciples’ decision to leave their occupation to follow Jesus (1:18, 20), Jesus entering the synagogue to show unparalleled authority and power (1:21), the news and fame that followed Christ’s teaching and healing (1:28, and the immediate response to of one healed by Jesus the first of many uses of the word “immediately” to highlight such (1:29-30). The proof of Jesus’ identity was immediate. The effect of Jesus’ miracles was immediate. The impact of Jesus’ miracles and teachings on friend and foe was immediate. Mark’s use of this word seems to indicate how overwhelming and unmistakable was the proof of Jesus. This is not to say that one should rashly decide about the Lord. The book of Mark is part of God’s way to convince man about who is Jesus. Take the time to read it and learn of Him. Like the other three gospels, Mark contains the teaching, miracles, claims and events in the life of Christ at the end of which one must ultimately make a decision concerning His identity. Who He is. Remember though, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). Weigh the evidence and then decide. Follow the example of so many in the book of Mark and let the power and person of Jesus have an immediate impact on your life and your soul.
2/27/2011
So they said, ”Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work. Nehemiah 2:18b (NKJV)
When each member lets brotherly love express itself to every other member.
When each member is personally involved in his/her work of soul saving.
When the preacher preaches the word with love.
When each elder and deacon is dedicated to the work.
When each teacher is interested in improving his/her teaching ability.
When each member is interested in bible school.
When each member enters into worship with enthusiasm.
05/08/2011
Guaranteed
This past week I like some of you have been planning how to send mom her gift for Mother’s Day. One of the similarities that I share with my wife Sarah, is that our mother’s birthday is in the same month as Mother’s day. This is one of the better traditional Hallmark holiday’s in my opinion. As we get ready to decide on what to buy our mother’s or wife’s if you have children, or grandmother’s. You have seen advertised flowers, jewelry, and chocolate all on sale. You have been bombarded with these very special deals going on right now. If you are like me and my wife who moved, or maybe your it’s your mother who moved. The you have to add one other step, the delivery of the gift. If you decide too late then the package wont get there in time or you have to spend a lot more for overnight delivery. If you decide to send flowers the company you call has a clock counting down to the last minute they can guarantee delivery.
I went to the post office the other day to deliver two packages and the mailman asked if I would like guaranteed certified or just send it first class. The price difference was outrageous, $20.00 per package or only $2.00 per package. The more I kept thinking about the cost of guaranteed delivery. I couldn’t help but think about the guarantee of the Holy Spirit that God gave us and the scripture in Ephesians 1:11-14.
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. (NIV)
His guarantee was given to us, at a very high price. The price of the only one who could ever fulfill the cost. The cost was picked up by our Savior Jesus Christ with his blood on the cross. This guarantee is FREE, and it is the greatest deal in the world. Read John 14:1-4. Are you ready to pick up you keys? Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power? Are you washed in the blood of the lamb? ~Tim Christian
5/01/2011
Easter Sunday
We had an attendance last week of 162. We, like many congregations around the country, saw an increase of attendance on what the world considers Easter Sunday. Why does this happen each and every year? Why aren’t they coming all year round? We remember the Lord’s death and resurrection each and every Sunday. For those that attend regularly every Sunday you can attest to this. We have this experience because those in the world have set aside this time to worship the Lord once a year, and maybe twice if they also show up around the Christmas season as well. The 25th of December doesn't always fall on a Sunday like it will this year. May we be of encouragement to all throughout the year and not just twice a year. Members, we need as much encouragement from each other throughout the year as we received on Easter Sunday. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another…” (NIV) When you see a visitor be sure and welcome them, when you see a member be sure to welcome them back tonight for evening services. Hebrews 3:12-14 says, “12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.” Also in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 it says, “11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” ~Tim Christian
4/24/2011
SMILE
I have been complimented by many of you about my smile. I have been blessed with a full set of teeth and some extras as well. I just recently had my 7th wisdom tooth extracted a little over a week ago. Yes, SEVEN!! I have also been told by some people that since it takes less muscles to smile than to frown and we are lazy by nature, that means it should be easier for us to smile than to frown.
In the movie ‘The Blind Side,’ Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy, walks toward a female classmate on a swing set to give her a friendly push. His appearance frightens her and she runs away. His friend S.J., whose parents later take “Big Mike” into their home, says to him, “Smile, it lets them know you’re their friend.” This advice isn’t new - in fact I just recently watched again for the first time with my kids the movie ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ The Beast thinks because of his looks it’s hopeless to try and win over Belle’s heart, but Mrs. Potts and Lumiere think that he just needs to control his temper and turn up the charm a little.
Mrs Potts: Well, you can start by making yourself more presentable. Straighten up. Try to act like a gentleman. [Beast stands up straighter]
Lumiere: Ah, yes. When she comes in give her a dashing, debonair smile. Come, come, show me the smile. [Beast gives a big, forced smile]
Not to spoil the ending of these two movies but obviously as you can guess the change in these characters’ attitude helps them to be accepted by others, making their lives a little bit better.
As Christian’s we need to smile more. Smile at your friends, neighbors and strangers. “Let your light so shine before men,…” Matt 5:16a (NKJV). We need to stop being loud about the judgments God has placed in the Bible as rules for the believer. We need to show our friends, neighbors, and visitors love.
People of the world need to feel welcomed by us; once that has been established we may begin to teach them God’s righteous way. The world misconstrues some of our action as “HATE!” like a teenager toward their parents. The teenager is beginning to understand independence and individuality. And before the world chews them up like a Lion to fresh meat, we need to be caring, loving parents “...swift to hear and slow to speak... “ James 1:19 (NKJV). James 1:20 says, “for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” (NKJV)
If we are to be more like Jesus then let’s treat the sinners like He did. In John 8:11 “...And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” He shows her compassion and not condemnation. In the story of The Rich Young Ruler, Luke 18:18-23, it says that He counsels. When the rich man goes away sorrowful Jesus doesn’t scream out at him “Repent or Perish!!” He explains to those still around that with God all things are possible. Read Luke 18:24-30. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. My love be with all in Christ Jesus. Amen. 1 Cor.16:23-24 (NKJV)
~Tim Christian
04/17/2011
Tops Aren’t the Only Things That Spin
Sometime in the mid-90’s the term, “spin-master,” became popular. Initially, it appeared to be an interesting and curious marketing career option, but as I thought about it, these individuals have a talent (?) for differentiating where there is no difference, and dulling sharp distinctions certainly exist. Public discourse is too often controlled and dialed in, much like a television set, and these people could be considered the, ‘out-of-control’ contrast knob.
Spin Masters are talking heads that fill the airwaves – whether it’s radio or television, and far too many pages of newspapers and magazines. They’re hard to escape and their negative influence is often underestimated. The profession seems little if any more honorable than those aligned with or practicing the world’s oldest of profession.
Look into the Word and find biblical evidence such folks existed long before, “spin-masters,” was crafted. Turn to the account in I Samuel 15 and read about King Saul’s disobedience to God’s orders in a battle with the Amalekites. After having been told to destroy the enemy and all his possessions, Saul instead took King Agag prisoner and returned from battle with the best of the best of the Amalekite’s animals. Even after being confronted, Saul claimed to have brought the animals back to make a sacrifice to Jehovah. Saul insisted that he did obey the voice of the Lord. King Saul took his act of direct disobedience, tweaked it, and a spun it up, to make it look like an act of holy AND sacrificial service to God. What was he thinking?!
Putting one’s spin on things happens within the body of believers. Ask your-self if you’ve ever engaged in, “sin-spin,” after reading the word you read one thing yet do another. In the word you will find how God feels and what He thinks when someone passes off make-believe godliness as pure and undefiled religion? Turn to, 2 Timothy 3:2-5 and read: People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.Then in James 1.26-27 find: If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
God, aware of the human talent for self-deception, instructs (teaches, trains, orders, commands) us to practice careful self-examination. In, 2 Corinthians 13:5 read: Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test? ~Denise Christian
06/19/11
Do you Love Life?
2/06/2011
Friends and Family
I come from a family of eight. I was the youngest child in a house full of women and one other man. As I grew up, there were a number of times that the house just wasn’t big enough for all of us. The sound of all of those other voices seemed to clang in my ears, and all I wanted to do was sneak outside in the back yard and find some tree or barn to hide in. No matter how much I loved my five sisters, or how much I loved my mom and dad, there was still this point that I didn’t want to hear what everyone else had to say. I had a different perspective than they had, and therefore…I was right and they were wrong. I wanted things to be done my way. I wanted to have the attention for myself. I wanted the world to conform to the “Nature of Shawn”.
I learned later though, as I started my own family, that it was never a matter of who was right all the time; quite the contrary, it was just learning to get along with each other’s personal quirks and habits. I got married to a woman that I knew for five months. There were so many things we didn’t know about each other in the beginning that caused disturbances in the relationship early on. I used my upbringing to try and force her to do things my way; she used her upbringing to do the same. Slowly as the years passed on, we came to appreciate each other more for what they had to bring to the relationship rather than what we expected them to bring to the relationship. As our children grew, we saw things from the other side of the fence. We had to start being the “responsible” ones that forced peace on the ranting screams of the teens echoing through our halls. But we also had to learn that each of them also had something to add to the family unit. Each of them had a role to play in our family.
As we view the church today, I see the same difficulty occurring. We have so many types of people with such a wide range of opinions and points of views, that when it comes time to get along, we end up coming across more forceful than loving. But the church is a family. It is not about being right all the time, and it is not about always getting our way. It is about learning to function as a family in spite of the differences. It is learning to grow because of the different points of view. God has brought us all together to serve a purpose. We are not meant to be the same. Imagine just how limited we would be if we were all the exact same.
This month is Friend and Family Month. It is going to be a month focused on building our relationships with one another; both in the home and in the church. Each of the lessons will be intended to help develop a desire in our congregation to grow together in the bonds of love that God had intended. Each lesson will be focused on encouraging each of us to not only take a good look at our own lives, but also asking ourselves, “How can I be a better child of God in this Christian Family?” I want to encourage each of us to take this time to really embrace the love and fellowship that God has blessed us with. What a great gift the family of God is. I would never want to imagine my life without it.
Shawn Hart
1/30/2011
I once heard a story that I still remember
I once heard a story that I still remember. It took place at a small county church revival meeting. It had been powerful, and many had found faith. At the end of the week, the preacher said: “Is the person who most influenced you in becoming a Christian here? Maybe it’s a parent, youth minister, Sunday school teacher, minister, or neighbor. I’d like you all to go and shake hands with the one who most influenced you to follow Christ.” All over the auditorium people went and encouraged one another. They thanked each other. Many went to parents. Others went to teachers, and ministers. The longest line, though, formed in front of an elderly lady in the church. She’d never taught a class or filled any leadership role in the congregation, but for years her quiet life of service had touched more people than anyone else! In worship, in her home, and in the town, she had led many to Christ, many times unknowingly, just by living a righteous and loving life.
This is a powerful example of a godly life! This kind of life may convert someone when sermons and studies may not. It is the consistent acting out of faith and living of a truly changed life that will lead our kids to Jesus. Maybe teaching isn’t your thing. So what? If you live a faithful, devoted life of service to the lord, you will have a wholesome influence on all of those around you!
Let us all take advantage of opportunities to encourage those who have been a good influence on us in our lives. This family is full of people who have lived lives modeled on Jesus. Let us all strive to be that for our next generation.
Brian Pannell, West Main Church of Christ Medford, OR
1/23/2011
Always Faithful to Provide
Do Not Worry “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Matthew 6:25 (NKJV)
Ever wonder why Jesus was able to demonstrate such an unwavering confidence in the area of material needs? It’s an interesting study to examine how worry-free Jesus was when it came to His material needs. We never see Him pacing or troubled about how He was going to provide for Himself or for His disciples. Jesus never worried about finances. It was a foregone conclusion that everything would be taken care of by His Heavenly Father.
Why was that? How was Jesus able to demonstrate such an unwavering confidence in this area? Before you think about playing the, "Duh, He was God " card, remember Jesus deliberately subjected Himself to His human limitations when it came to His own needs. He didn't perform miracles for His own benefit. Rather, He lived in total dependence upon His Father when it came to His own life experience. Right?
Therefore, the question remains, how was Jesus able to live so worry free when it came to finances? He was able to do so because He was intimately familiar with the fact that His Father is always faithful to provide. It's an aspect of His eternal character that would never change. It's who He is, not just something He does!
That's the point you and I – all of us – need to be thoroughly convicted and convinced. With a multitude of financial pressures out there these days, we need to get back to the simple truth that God is always faithful to provide. Not because it's something He enjoys doing, but because it's who He is. It may not always come in the way we would expect or choose, but one thing is absolutely certain . . . it will always come. Our needs will be provided.
“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. Matthew 18:19 (NKJV)
Rincon Valley church of Christ, shared by Tim Christian
1/16/11
Is Love to Blame?
Have you ever known parents who claimed that they loved their children too much to spank them? Ever known someone who tried to justify having sex outside of marriage because they loved the person? Ever known a Christian who would not rebuke and correct religious error because they loved others too much to hurt their feelings in this way? I submit that in each of these cases, love is being blamed for something that it has nothing to do with.
The Bible plainly teaches that love motivates us to do exactly the opposite of what was described in each of the preceding examples.
Love will cause us to discipline our children. "He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly" (Proverbs 13:24).
Love demands that we abstain from sexual immorality. If we love someone, we are not going to participate with them in an act that will condemn their soul! If we do, we are being selfish, not loving. In Ephesians 5:2-3, God's word explains that walking in love involves avoiding fornication: "And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication . . . let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints" (Ephesians 5:2-3).
Love will move of us to rebuke sin and correct error. Love will not allow us to stand idly by and watch those we care about lose their souls by committing sin or believing doctrinal error. Jesus said, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten" (Revelation 3:19). The apostle Paul had strongly rebuked the Corinthians. In 2 Corinthians 2:4 he explains why: "For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you."
The right kind of love will never cause us to do the wrong kind of thing. Love "does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth" (1 Corinthians 13:6). Real love will never be used to justify sin; rather, it will be used to help us identify what is what is right and good. The Lord's will is "that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent" (Philippians 1:9-10).
Love always seeks the most lasting good for the one who is being loved. Momentary pain or pleasure is not love's greatest concern. Love is focused on the eternal welfare of the one who is loved. "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth." (1 John 3:18)
by Steve Klein via The Auburn Beacon, 5/23/10, University church of Christ, Auburn, Al.
1/9/11
IF YOU COULD ASK GOD FOR ONE THING. . .
We’ve all heard the stories about a genie offering to grant wishes, and most of us have probably spent time imagining what wishes we would make. While genies are, of course, imaginary and fanciful creations of some clever minds, there is a story in the Bible about God asking a man what he wanted.
In 1 Kings 3, “the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night” (3:5). Some translations have the words of God on this occasion as a statement of instruction—“Ask what I shall give thee” (KJV); “Ask for whatever you want me to give you” (NIV). I like the way the New King James Version translates it as an exclamation, followed by a question—“Ask! What shall I give you?”
Forget the imaginary genie! This is the Almighty God! Suppose the Almighty God said to you, “Ask! What shall I give you?” For what would you ask? If the One with whom all things are possible told you to “ask for whatever you want,” what one thing would you request?
Some would ask for wealth or material possessions. Let’s face it, many are living today with their lives focused on the goods of this world, and that would, no doubt, be the one thing they asked of the Lord, if given the chance. Later in life, Solomon requested of the Lord, “Give me neither poverty nor riches—Feed me with the food allotted to me” (Prov. 30:8). Perhaps contentment should be the request we make (Phil. 4:11; 1 Tim. 6:6-8; Heb. 13:5).
Some would ask for a long life with perfect health. Many today would love nothing more than to live as long as possible on this earth, enjoying every pleasure the world affords. While there is certainly nothing wrong with a long life on this earth, our eternal life in our eternal home should be the focus of all we do, and that should dictate how we live this temporary life in this temporary world (Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Pet. 2:11-12; Heb. 11:13-16).
When he could ask for anything, Solomon asked for wisdom to discern good from evil. Sin results when we choose evil instead of good. Shouldn’t it be of the utmost importance to us to know good, to know evil and to know the difference, so that we do not choose actions, thoughts or words that would separate us from God? “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). Ask God for wisdom!
Jordan Edwards, Garden Valley church of Christ
1/2/11
CELEBRATION OF UNITY
As we look around this world of ours, we see more and more evidence each day of the control that the devil has on this planet. The news is full of stories of wars, mur¬ders, drugs, sex, and this overall disinterest in moral and ethical conformity. Even in the United States, our 234 year old principle of "One Nation Under God" has been caught up in opposition. We have seen God removed from our schools, our government buildings, and now even our money. Every day has become this constant movement of trying find more ways to remove God from the picture.
But God anticipated this when He formed the church. God not only sent us our Savior, Jesus Christ, but He knew that if we had to do this on our own, the battle would be too great. God knew we need other like-minded people like ourselves to turn to for comfort and support. One of my favorite stories in the Bible is the story of David and Jonathan in the Book of I Samuel. We see the true value of friendship that is bound by God. With the help of a good Christian family...our own private Army as it were for God...we are able to face any obstacle the Devil tries to throw at us.
Unfortunately though, too often we allow the world to infect our Christian family and start to tear it apart from the inside. We get caught up in mindless arguments and disputes, constantly getting entangled in the sin of casting judgments on each other. It is at those times that we must remind ourselves how valuable our relationships with each other are. It is at these times that we must come to¬gether and celebrate the power of God that truly flows through His people. Only then can we unite in the man¬ner that makes us a strong and capable Army of God.
POPULAR SCRIPTURES ON UNITY
John 17:22-24
22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them,
that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and
You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and
that the world may know that You have sent Me, and
have loved them as You have loved Me. 24 Father, I
desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me
where I am, that they may behold My glory which You
have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of
the world.
Romans 15:5-6
5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to
be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ
Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind and one mouth
glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 6:4-5
4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism
into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by
the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in
newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in
the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the
likeness of His resurrection,
1 Corinthians 12:12-13
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all
the members of that one body, being many, are one body,
so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized
into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or
free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
Shawn Hart, Garden Valley church of Christ
12/26/10
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." (John 1:1-5).
Every morning we wake up, we have a yet another beginning opportunity with God. We have a fresh day to sit up out of our beds, place our feet on the floor, and set in our hearts the need to follow the will of God. As we approach another New Year celebration, we learn through this passage, that we face another year in a world that does not comprehend the true nature of God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ...the light in the darkness! So who are we then? Well, we are the torch bearers of that light. We are the chosen ones that have been blessed with the joy of sharing the Good News of Jesus to the world. We are the Children of the Cross; those elect few that have been entrusted with the Message of Salvation.
As we begin this New Year. I encourage us all to realize how significant a role we play in this thing we call life. For most of the world, they have not accepted the true will of God because Satan has twisted their hearts, and made them believe that they could find happiness and safety in this earthly realm. He did it with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden when he tempted them with the forbidden fruit, and he is still walking the earth deceiving the nations today. But God has prepared His people to become warriors of truth and righteousness. He has given us His Holy Word to equip us with all the necessary weapons that are needed to combat the Devil. We are the Army of the Lord; shining His powerful light into this world of darkness: marching proud against the armies of Darkness, proud to testify the glory of his power.
Take this New Year as an opportunity to shine the Light of Jesus Christ to those around you. Take it to your jobs: take it to your schools: fill it through the rooms of your homes. If you are reading this today, it means that you still have time to share Christ with someone. Let's not waste these opportunities.
Shawn Hart. Garden Valley church of Christ
12/19/10
JUST IN CASE THE WORLD GOT US DISTRACTED!
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.
1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ” 7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” 9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
Matthew 1:18-25; 2:1-12
12/12/10
LISTENING TO THE WORLD
Being the independent man that I am, combined with probably a small smidge of arrogance and excessive confidence, I would have to say that I have never been one that enjoyed having someone "tell" me how to live my life. I was taught from a small child how important it was to grow up and become independent and self reliable in the ways of the world, and yet at the same time to be trusting and obedient in the ways of Christ. The need to learn the difference between the two has always been an ongoing battle for me. For the most part I feel that I have truly come to understand what God wants from me. (though at sometimes don't understand completely why) and attempted to pursue that path for my life. And yet. with all that well instilled education and personal self-awareness, I can still sit there in front of my television drooling over the sight of a $6 burger dripping with cheese and smelling of fresh smoked bacon; causing this almost immediate need to drive across town to fulfill this new found desire to feed. So much for self-control.
It amazes me that as we truly take a look at our world, we will see that around every corner, on every billboard, and yes. even in the comfort of the restroom you visit in your favorite restaurant. We are bombarded by advertisements telling us what we "need'" in order for us to be happy in this life. Everyone has that magical key to happiness and contentment. The sad thing is this, with each billboard, magazine article, and commercial on TV, you will find that in order to be happy in this world; set by those same worldly standards; then you have to move further and further away from the will of God. True happiness will never be found in a pair of sneakers, fancy sports car or a new eco-friendly water bottle. True happiness only comes from a healthy trust in God and His impact on our lives. Everyone else will live a life of pointless wandering: trying to figure out what their existence is truly about.
I came across a scripture that I feel truly impacts the point I'm hoping to make: "Do not eat the bread of a miser, nor desire his delicacies; For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. 'Eat and drink!' he says to you, but his heart is not with you." (Proverbs 23:6-7 NKJV).
The world wants us to love what they have to offer because misery loves company. They are constantly searching for the answer to the question that we as Christians have already found. We know the path to happiness. As Christians we find the joy from life because we know that everything is a blessing from God. He is the Master of Happiness!
Shawn Hart, Garden Valley church of Christ.
12/5/10
USED TO IT?
In his work, Memoirs from the House of the Dead, Fyodor Dostoevsky remarked that, “Man is a creature who can get used to anything.” This is a startling and bone-chilling assessment. The truth of the statement is backed up and proven by human history. Consider, for example, the atrocities committed against mankind during World War II in the Nazi concentration camps. The senseless murder and torture of millions of men, women and children is well documented.
Victor Franki, a holocaust survivor and author of Man’s Search for Meaning, recalls the way in which his peers became desensitized to the brutality around them. The same process was done repeatedly. When someone was new to a concentration camp they would at first be confused. “Where am I? Why am I here? Through all this confusion, they would hold out hope that they would soon be rescued and soon be reunited with their loved ones. Also in these early stages, they would recoil in honor and dismay when they saw fellow prisoners being tortured and beaten. They simply could not stand to see a camp mate being abused.
Soon the horror would turn to hum-drum. The amazement would turn to apathy. The prisoners reached a point where they had seen so much pain, sorrow, and suffering that they were no longer affected by it. Their hearts were not affected no matter how brutal the scene.
What a pitiful situation. Men and women had seen so much violence and bloodshed that they no longer cared. They got used to it. Certainly there is an important lesson here for us. We must be alert. We must be guarding our hearts and minds. It may just be a case that, like Israel before us, we are getting used to sin.
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed; nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time I punish them, they shall be cast down. Says the lord” (Jeremiah 6:15). Don’t get used to sin! Just because we are bombarded with worldliness and sin constantly does not give us an excuse to become apathetic to those things. God still expects His children to talk, dress, act and think differently then the world. Man can get use to anything. Have we gotten used to sin?
Jordan Edwards, Garden Valley church of Christ
11/21/10
ALL I EVER REALLY NEEDED TO KNOW, I LEARNED FROM NOAH’S ARK
Plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark!
Stay fit. When you’re 600 years old, someone might ask you to do something REALLY big.
Don’t listen to critics—do what has to be done
For safety’s sake, travel in pairs.
Speed isn’t always an advantage. The cheetahs were on board, but so were the snails.
If you cant fight or flee—float.
Don’t forget: we are all in the same boat.
Remember that the ark was built by amateurs and the Titanic was built by professionals.
Remember that the woodpeckers INSIDE are often a bigger threat than the storm OUTSIDE.
Don’t miss the boat.
MOST IMPORTANT: No matter how bleak it looks, there ‘s always a rainbow on the other side! Submitted by Ardith Levy, garden Valley church of Christ
“Sometimes you just have to build your Ark and jump on it before you drown! - Tonye Banks
11/14/10
To God Be the Glory
To God Be the Glory To God be the glory, great things He has done; So loved He the world that He gave us His Son, Who yielded His life an atonement for sin, And opened the life gate that all may go in. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the people rejoice! O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son, And give Him the glory, great things He has done. By: Fannie Crosby In this day and age, motives seem to be everything. We want to be rich, we want to be powerful, we want to be first or maybe just the greatest. We want our children to be provided for. You get the point. Everything we do has a reason behind it; usually a selfish one at that. But as Christians, our role is to rise above the normal motives of the world and seek something higher than ourselves. “To God Be the Glory”
What a bold statement this truly is. Do we live our lives with the sole intent of making sure that God is glorified in our every action? Are our friends and family members able to identify the fact that we are Christians by the words that come our of our mouths? If not, then what message are we sending out? If we look at one of the main goals Christ had set before himself before he died on the cross, then we will see this desire to train 12 men to take His example into the world. Because of this goal being obtained, those men managed to bring the doctrine of Jesus Christ to us today. That doctrine was a message about God. Every decision Christ made, every example He set was in order that the world would see the power of God in their lives, and have a reason to rejoice. We share in that good news, and therefore should live with the same goal as Christ. . . . “To God Be the Glory!” Shawn Hart, Garden Valley church of Christ
11/7/10
How Valuable
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
As Christians, how valuable this passage is to us! There are many sermons presented that usually alluded to this scripture, and remind us just how much God loves us. But what does that mean? Have you ever really thought about how valuable we must truly be to God that He would be willing to sacrifice His one and only Son in the most cruel and inhumane way known to man at that time? What could truly be going through the mind of THE omnipotent omnipresent, all powerful God that He would even consider making a sacrifice as great as this one? Well, allow me to tell you. HE LOVES US.
Unconditionally to the furthest boundaries of Love, farther than we can possibly fathom, GOD LOVES US. How much do we do for our children or our family members today? We are always willing to sacrifice our time, our money, and our energy for them because we want them to always know that when the walls come crashing down, they will know that they can come home for safety and comfort. Well, God feels the same way. He wanted to find the most influential act that He could perform that would truly show us the extent of His love for us. God performed the greatest sacrifice just so that we would understand just how unconditional His love was. God wants us to never forget how important we are to Him, and know that we can always run home to Him.
This morning’s lesson will be discussing our true worth to God so that we can fully understand our relationship with Him. Not until we understand that relationship will we ever truly trust that the Father has taken care of everything, and we can trust in His love to carry us through.
Shawn Hart, Garden Valley church of Christ
10/31/10
Unsustainable
(Luke 9:60) “Jesus said unto him, let the dead bury their dead; but go thou and preach the Kingdom of God.” We live in a world under the control of the spiritually dead. They have no battle within between the spirit and the flesh. Most treasure money and fame, others depend on the wisdom of man rather than God.
(Luke 6:45) “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth for that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”
Over the years the spiritually dead have produced a morally bankrupt and fast approaching fiscally bankrupt society of which every one of us, even though we would prefer otherwise, are a part. This morally decadence and the fiscal burdens resultant it present numerous temptations to compromise. One area where we are most vulnerable, especially in these times is our finances. Often times these temptations come with ready-made justifications. They vary greatly but are tailor made for each Christian because Satan strikes at the weakest point. More often than not, they are not big things but rather something, that is easily justifiable. Shawn Hart, our Minister, called them “bait” and each time we take the bait, we pollute our heart. He likened it to alloying gold. Gold is a rare metal very hard to find and expensive to refine. Pure gold is very valuable, shiny, relatively soft and pliable and does not corrode, or tarnish. The more you alloy it the less value it has. It starts to lose luster, and then to tarnish, and then to become hard and brittle. “Proverbs 17:3) “The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, but Jehovah tries the heart.”
With gold so it is with your heart. Your heart condition is reflected in what you value. Scripture says: (Luke 12:33-34) “Sell your possessions and give alms. Make for yourselves purses that do not grow old, and unfailing treasure in Heaven, where a thief cannot come near, nor moth can corrupt. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
These earthly tents we live in and all the material thing of this world, even fine gold are “Unsustainable”. They are destined to perish. (Luke 16:9-12 GNB) “And Jesus went on to say, ‘And so I tell you: make friends for yourselves with worldly wealth, so that when it gives out, you will be welcomed in the eternal home. Whoever is faithful in small matters will be faithful in large ones; whoever is dishonest in small matters will be dishonest in large ones. If, then, you have not been faithful in handling worldly wealth, how can you be trusted with true wealth. And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what belongs to you?”
J.C. Walker, Garden Valley church of Christ
10-24-10
Standing in the Light of Christ
When I was in college, there was a spot light that came on in the evening in front of the Bible Building. On many occasions, we would jump in the grass in front of it at night just to see our shadow appear on the giant wall behind us. I noticed that the farther we got from the light, the smaller our shadow became; and the closer we got to the light, the larger our shadow became; and if you stood right next to the light, our shadows would overtake the side of the building, and swell over the top of the roof. Though at the time we just played in the light because it made us feel like giants, I have since realized that this fact of life is also true in our Christianity. The farther away I am from Jesus, the smaller I feel in my life. Nothing seems as important, and nothing feels as good. But when I stand close to Him, and truly feel His light in my life, then I am a giant in a world of sin, and I have the ability to squash out the evil beneath me.
Too often, we think that we are supposed to shine our own light into the world. But Christ wants us to shine His light into the world, not our own. We do not need to be caught up in what “we” are capable of; we need to realize what Christ is capable of “though us”. We are always so anxious to make excuses that limit us and our ability to be diligent Christians, but we fail to realize, when we are next to Christ, we are giants, and anything is possible.
I am often reminded of Peter, and the man he was through the Gospels as compared to the man he became in the book of Acts. Throughout the ministry of Christ, Peter was constantly stumbling, never really able to stand out as a dominant leader. But at the end of Christ’s ministry, we see a strong faithful man of God appear in Peter, and he become a Giant for Christ. He leads the apostles in the establishment of the true church, and becomes an icon of Christian Leadership. Without Christ, we are nothing, not even a shadow on a wall, but with Christ, we are Giants.
BE YE GIANTS!!
Shawn Hart, Garden Valley church of Christ
10-17-10
Wisdom
Did you know the Greek word for wisdom is Sophia? Yes, ladies, it is a feminine word. Throughout the Old and New Testaments, wisdom is often referred to as a “she” and a companion who is to go with you on your journey through life. One of my favorite passages about wisdom is found in the book of Proverbs. In Proverbs 1:7, we read, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
It is those who despise wisdom that God considers fools. We must also note that despising instruction is tied directly to being foolish. Why are these things so connected? When I was a child, I hated it when my parents would tell me to do something and, when I asked why, they would say, “…because I said so.” Of course, I knew better than to go against them, but I felt it was not fair to make me do something that I did not understand. Now that I have dealt with younger children myself, I find myself telling them the same thing: “…because I said so.” I try to explain to them that they are not old enough to understand why but I promise them it is for a good reason.
God loves us and gives us things to do because of that love. We may not understand His wisdom but if we love Him we will do all we can to please Him. And maybe, when we are old enough, spiritually, we will understand why God does things the way He does them. And even if we can never understand or know everything, we know we can trust in Him to lead us safely. That is how wisdom goes with us. She helps us to mature spiritually. Wisdom involves more than just knowledge.
We may only have a beginning of knowledge of God, but wisdom teaches us that if we trust in Him we will go much further. You think maybe that is why God has us start out as children learning to grow up and trust our parents? Of how much greater responsibility do we have to our Lord? Finally, let me conclude with this thought. I heard several years ago about a man who was told that if he went down a certain path, there was a beast there that would destroy him. He scoffed and went down the path and quickly realized that it was too late to turn from his foolish decision. The beast devoured him. That is the way sin works, and God gives us what we need to take with us to avoid those foolish decisions. Wisdom and instruction warn us of the consequences of our decisions. Listen to them and you will be all the wiser. Thank you and God bless.
Jordan Edwards, Garden Valley church of Christ
10/10/10
Moving Experiences: Is It Up To the “Experience” or the “Mover”?
As I sat, patiently waiting for the light to turn green, the American Flag flapping in the light wind caught my eye. It was an average size flag (nothing fancy), faded and beginning to show some frayed edges. I’m not sure how often I have seen this flag, but it is in a location where I easily could have seen it several times a day. Yet, for some reason, I usually don’t pay any mind.
But, this day was different. And I looked at the flag, the lyrics of the Star Spangled Banner began to run through my mind, “…our flag was still there. Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?” What an incredibly moving song!
I began to think of the times I’ve watched soldiers fold the flag that was draped over a coffin and graciously present it to a grieving mother or widow. My heart began to sink. Then, the vivid memories of that lone bugler playing Taps began to flood my mind. The vibrato of those piercing notes grabs the soul and stirs the heart.
My mind raced to images of Iwo Jima, then to that experience many years ago of the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The crosses at those military cemeteries, the rows and rows at Arlington, and even the ones over in Europe are stunning reminders of the ultimate price that has been paid by so many for “the land of the free and the home of the brave.”
I loved seeing that flag that day, but it made me wonder. It was the same old flag that I had seen thousands of times, but it had become so common place that I didn’t even connect with it most times. What was different on this particular day? It certainly was not the flag. Old Glory was still its faithful mainstay…”our flag was still there!” The flag did not need to change. I was the one who had dismissed it without special notice so often. I was the one who needed to re-focus and re-engage.
Think about this in relationship to worship. I have heard so many times over the years, “We sing the same songs…those same old songs we’ve been singing for years. The prayers are always the same. The sermons review the same points over and over” Wait a minute! Why isn’t worship the moving experience we think it should be? I suggest it is for the same reason that viewing the Stars and Stripes is not a moving experience every time. The flag is not to be blamed, nor is the worship service. We are!
If we will truly worship with our hearts fully engaged, then simple phrases in songs and simple thoughts in a prayer can lead our minds on a journey of praise-filled worship!
Jordan Edwards, Garden Valley church of Christ
10/3/10
Esperanza
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a de-fense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;” (1 Peter 3:15). I heard a fascinating bit of news the other day. Since August 5th, 33 Chilean miners have been trapped over a half mile underground following a mine collapse. Many were amazed to find that not only had these miners survived, but what they had survived on. With so little to eat and drink, these men had managed to stay alive and were fairly organized. Since they have been found alive and have been provided with the “necessities” of life, they are doing even better. They still are removed, however, from their families, who have set up a small village outside the mine area. The other day, what started as a depressing story of the wife of one of the miners giving birth without her husband present at that birth, came out quite different. They have established a way to communicate through holes drilled down into the cavern where the miners are staying. Word began to break that the new father sent word of a name change for his new daughter. They had planned to name her Carolina, but her husband sent word of a new name: Esperanza or Hope. What an amazing statement. I don’t know the spiritual condition these people are in. But here’s the thing. God gives us a choice every day to decide our attitude toward what life will deal to us. Regard-less of the circumstances, we as Christians will stand out, if we live as a hopeful people. And what hope we have. Always, just a moment away, is the hope of eternity with God in heaven. Furthermore, we have hope of joyful life here by seeing those we work with be-come alive and full of that same hope through obedience to God’s word. One more thing. When we give the reason, we are to do it with meekness and fear. If you look it up in a lexicon, you find that meekness means gentleness or humility. Fear means respect. So here it is; give the reason for the hope in such a way that it shows your gratitude for receiving it and your respect for who gave it too you. We mustn’t shame or beat or frighten the world with the gospel, but give them a reason to want to come to Jesus. Jesus came in love, taught us how to go in love, and then gave us the perfect love of Himself so that we may have HOPE. Do you? Take care and God bless.
Danny Banks, Crowder church of Christ
9/26/10
The Sign Said ''Stop'' - I Didn't...
The sign said "stop" - I didn't...
So I said to the judge:
"I feel everyone has the right to choose their own interpretation of this word."
"My father never stopped. If I was to stop, I would be condemning him."
"My family has always refused to stop. If it was good enough for them, it is good enough for me."
"My preacher says it is not essential for people to obey that sign."
"What about those people who have never seen that sign."
"When I was young, my parents crammed stopping down my throat, so now that I am grown, I just don't do it anymore."
"I believe that only going it important, stopping is optional."
"How do you know that word really means today what it did when the sign went up."
"I will stop after I get my life straightened out."
"I will stop when my spouse decides to stop; it will mean more if we do it together."
"It is not anybody's business whether I stop or not."
"Judge, I feel that as long as we are sincere, you will accept us no matter what we do."
The scripture said, "Repent, and let each one of you be baptized int he name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).
I didn’t.
So I said to THE JUDGE...
9/19/10
HELP FROM ABOVE
The incredible news came last Sunday in a note from 2,300 feet underground: 33 Chilean miners trapped for 17 days are still alive! The miners wrote the note and attached it to a drill being used to reach them. "All 33 of us are well inside the shelter," said the note. The news brought celebration throughout Chile and the rest of the world.
The San Jose gold and copper mine collapsed on August 5, and until rescuers made contact on August 22, the trapped workers struggled to get by on meager supplies, stretching a food supply meant to last two days into rations for two weeks. "They had two little spoonfuls of tuna, a sip of milk and biscuit every 48 hours," said Dr. Sergio Aguilar, a rescue team physician.
Meanwhile rescue efforts continue...
Rescuers have been able to get food, water, and air to the miners through a narrow hole. Two smaller boreholes are also being drilled to bring in much-needed air to the sweltering men. Although the men have survived almost three weeks since the collapse, rescuers say it will take months to safely dig them out due to instability within the mine. *
The plight - and hope! - of the 33 Chilean miners pictures ANOTHER great rescue effort...
Due to our wrong choices, WE are "trapped" in sin and doomed for destruction. And just as the Chilean miners are doomed without help from above, we are also powerless without "HELP FROM ABOVE" to save ourselves from sin!
But God, because of His great love and mercy (Ephesians 2:4), sent Jesus to our rescue. Jesus gave His life to save us from sin (Ephesians 1:7). Through Him we can be saved.
"For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." -Romans 5:6,8-9
David A. Sargent Eastside Family church of Christ 9/5/10
9/12/10
GO TELL THEM
Mark chapter 5 records the incident of Jesus crossing the Sea of Galilee and encountering a demon-possessed man in the country of the Gerasenes. He lived among the tombs "crying out and bruising himself with stones." Even with shackles and chains he could not be restrained for "no one had the strength to subdue him." After Jesus had healed him and was preparing to leave, the man whose name was "Legion" pled with Jesus that he might go with him. Jesus refused and said, "Go home to your friends and TELL THEM how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you. And he went away and began to proclaim... how much Jesus had done for him" (Mark 5:19,20).
I may not be able to preach a sermon or teach a Bible class, but any believer can tell others what the Lord has done for him.
I can TELL THEM that although they have sinned against God, He loves them and has provided a Savior who will wash away their sins by his blood shed on the cross.
I can TELL THEM they can be forgiven by faith, a faith that is obedient in repenting of sin, confessing Christ and being baptized. Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:26,27
I can TELL THEM how wonderful it is to live a holy life and to enjoy the blessing of prayer, knowing God will hear and answer. (1 John 3:22).
I can TELL THEM I am not afraid of death because I have eternal life. "And this is the testimony that God gave us eternal life, and this life in his Son.
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 John 5: 11,12).
Now GO TELL THEM!
-Clinton Storm, Merced church of Christ 7/18/10
Thoughts to Ponder
A man of correct insight among those who are duped and deluded resembles one whose watch is right while all the clocks in the town give the wrong time.
(University church of Christ, Auburn, AL, 7/8/10)
9/5/10
Walking Where It's Uncomfortable
.
Sometimes it's good for us to walk where we are not comfortable.
Comfort is, maybe, difficult to define. It is generally the feeling we have when we know the people around us, are familiar with the place we are, and know pretty well what's going to happen next.
On the other hand, discomfort is that feeling when we don't know the people, the place, or what to expect. We would all rather be comfortable.
As followers of Jesus we need to walk where it isn't so comfortable. It isn't comfortable to stand beside someone's hospital bed, but Jesus needs to be there. It isn't comfortable to go to the home of someone who has recently died, but Jesus needs to be there. It isn't comfortable to go to someone who is in distress because of a rocky marriage, a wayward child, or a moral violation, but Jesus needs to be in all these places. So He sends us.
We are the ones who go, not seeking comfort, but giving it. We are the ones who are to stand in the presence of difficulty so that God will be remembered there. We are the ones who are to be more concerned with the wellbeing of others than we are about our own comfort level.
And, truly, this is one of the ways He leads us to greater adventure. Because of Him we end up going places we would never have dreamed of going, doing things we would never have dreamed of doing, and changing the lives of people we would never have met. God has a way of providing what people need, and often, they need us.
Pat Peters, Custer Ave. church of Christ Clinton. OK via BULLETIN DIGEST September 2010
8/29/10
PLEASING GOD
.
Our highest aim in life should be that of "pleasing God." How do we do this? The answer is by FAITH. Read carefully Hebrews 11:6, "And without FAITH it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must BELIEVE that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."
Faith is more than intellectual consent that God exists. It is truly believing in God, trusting him fully and then obeying his commands. Note both words "faith" and "believe" occur in our passage, one being a noun the other verb.
What does FAITH do? How does BELIEVING act?
FAITH is a life-style. "But my righteous one shall live by FAITH, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him" (Heb. 10:38). Both Enoch and Noah "walked with God" (Genesis 5:24; 6:9). A way of life.
FAITH obeys God. It is impossible to claim to have a saving faith without carefully obeying God. A FAITH that does not obey is no faith at all. "For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also FAITH apart from words is dead" (James 2:26). By "FAITH" Abraham obeyed God when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going" (Hebrews 11:8).
FAITH makes right decisions, even choosing suffering over treasures. "By FAITH Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin" (Hebrews 11:24,25).
Finally, like Abraham our FAITH will be counted as righteousness (Romans 4:22). How wonderful to please God by living and walking in FAITH!
Clinton Storm, Merced church of Christ 7/25/10
8/22/10
A Traveler’s Guide to Heaven
Accommodations: Arrangements for accommodations must be made in advance (John 14:2)
Passports: Persons seeking entry will not be permitted past the gates without having proper credentials and having their names registered with the ruling authority (Revelation 21:27).
Departure Time: The exact date of departure has not been announced. Travelers are advised to be prepared to leave on short notice (1 Corinthians 15:52)
Tickets: Your ticket was purchased by a Friend named Jesus. It should be claimed by learning the gospel, believing in Christ, repenting of sins, confessing Jesus, and having sins washed away in baptism (Romans 10:17; Acts 2:38; Matthew 10:32; Acts 22:16). Keep its promises firmly in hand (John 5:24; Hebrews 5:8-9).
Luggage: No luggage whatsoever is needed or allowed (1 Timothy 6:7).
Immigration: All passengers are classified as immigrants, since they are taking up permanent residence in a new country. There is no maximum quota, so all are invited to come (Hebrews 11:16; Revelation 22:17).
Air Passage: Travelers will be going directly by air (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Vaccinations: Not needed, as there are no diseases there (Revelation 21:4).
Currency: Deposits may be forwarded to await passenger's arrival. Make deposits as large as possible (Matthew 6:20-21).
Clothing: A complete and appropriate new wardrobe is provided for each traveler (Isaiah 61:10).
Reservations: Booking is now open. Since departure time is unknown, you should apply at once. If you wait, it may be too late (2 Corinthians 6:2)
To learn more, please consult the Holy Bible.
Arthur Pigman, Evans Georgia via House to House Heart to Heart Vol. 15 #3
.
8/15/10
The Parable of a Pencil
The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box. "There are five things you need to know," he told the pencil, "before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and you will become the best pencil you can be."
One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone's hand.
Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil.
Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.
Four: The most important part of you will always be what's inside.
Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.
The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.
Now put yourself in the pencil's place; always remember these five rules and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.
One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand, and allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.
Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems, but you'll need it to become a stronger person.
Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.
Four: The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside.
Five: On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to do your duties.
By understanding and remembering, let us proceed with our life on this earth having a meaningful purpose in our heart. -Author Unknown, Submitted by Frances Shipp via Glad Tidings of Good Things, Jacksonville church of Christ
“And he spake this parable unto them, saying…” -Luke 15:3
Making Missionaries
Otis Keener observed, “Missionaries are not made by crossing the sea but by seeing the cross.” If we truly see the cross as we should, then we will want to reach out to the lost everywhere. The love of Christ constrains or compels us to do so (2 Corinthians 5:14). From Glad Tidings of Good things, Jacksonville church of Christ 3/25/10.
8/8/10
For the Garden of Your Daily Living…
...come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses...
Plant three rows of peas:
Peace of mind
Peace of heart
Peace of soul
Plant four rows of Squash:
Squash gossip
Squash indifference
Squash grumbling
Squash selfishness
Plant four rows of Lettuce:
Lettuce be faithful
Lettuce be kind
Lettuce be patient
Lettuce really love one another
No garden is without Turnips:
Turnip for meetings
Turnip for service
Turnip to help one another
To Conclude our garden, we must have Thyme:
Thyme for each other
Thyme for family
Thyme for friends
Shared by a member of the Monday quilting group that meets at the building
.
8/1/10
How I Know the Bible is the Word of God
.
Suppose a vast building were to be erected, the stones for which were brought from the quarries in Rutland, Vermont; Berea, Ohio; Kasota, Minnesota; and Middletown, Connecticut. Each stone was hewn into final shape in the quarry from which it was brought. These stones were a variety of shapes and sizes-cubical, rectangular, cylindrical, and so forth-but when they were brought together every stone fit into its place, and when put together there rose before you a temple absolutely perfect in every outline, with its domes, sidewalls, buttresses, arches, transepts-not a gap or a flaw anywhere. How would you account for it? You would say: “Back of these individual workers in the quarries was the mastermind of the architect who planned it all and gave to each individual worker his specifications for the work.”
So in this marvelous temple of God's truth which we call the Bible, whose stones have been quarried at periods of time and in places so remote from one another, but where every smallest part fits each other part, we are forced to say that back of the human hands that wrought was the Mastermind that thought.
-Dr.R.A. Tory
"The foundation of God standeth sure... " 2 TIMOTHY 2:19
House to House Heart to Heart Vol 15 No 2
Practice makes perfect, so be careful what you practice! Bulletin Digest 2/10
.
7/25/10
COUNTING MONEY OR COUNTING FAITH?
I recently heard an interview with the author, Karen Zacharias, for her recent book, Will Jesus Buy Me a Double-Wide: Cause I Need More Room for My Plasma TV. The book is a critical and sarcastic look at what is commonly referred to as the "health and wealth gospel," or what Zacharias colorfully calls, "golden-calf theology." One example Zacharias spoke of during the interview was of a Christian group that gathered around the statue of the bull in front of the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street. Apparently, this group of believers held a prayer vigil, laid hands on the statue, and prayed for America's prosperity shortly after the economic housing crash. While it is not out of scriptural bounds to pray for the welfare of the nation, one has to wonder about the prudence of that prayer vigil which mixes Christianity and capitalism so readily and easily.
I can personally recall another example of such an unhealthy mix of Jesus and money. A couple of years ago I saw a picture on the front page of the New York Times of a church service in Detroit where the congregation had Escalades rolled on to the stage. The minister was pictured with his hands on the Escalades as he prayed for the car industry to recover. The justification for such a prayer service was based on the fact the membership of the congregation contained either many autoworkers whose jobs were being eliminated or being laid off.
Hanna Rosin, in the Atlantic Monthly, wrote an article back in December of 2009 with the provocative title, Did Christianity Cause the Crash? Rosin tells the story of one pastor, Fernando Garay, who also worked as a loan officer for two mortgage companies. Evidently, Garay was not only a spiritual advisor for his congregation, but a financial adviser as well. Rosin writes, “Once, I asked Garay how you would know for certain if God had told you to buy a house, and he answered like a roulette dealer. ‘Ten Christians will say that God told them to buy a house. In nine of the cases, it will go bad. The 10th one is the real Christian.’ And the other nine? ‘For them, there's always another house.’”.
Such thinking from Garay reminds me of Alice in Wonderland's “dodo bird” verdict, where everyone wins and everyone gets prizes. Well, at least the “real Christians” all win and get prizes!
The above examples of the prosperity gospel raise some questions. Is it wrong to pray for economic prosperity, a house, a job, American capitalism and health? Did not Jesus say, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24)? Does “whatever” mean anything? Does not God want us to be happy, wealthy and healthy?
We must be careful that our responses to the above questions are not simplistic, but biblically realistic. The Bible says a great deal about God's involvement in the economic affairs and overall welfare of individuals and nations. One particularly important biblical distinction that ought to be kept in mind is the relationship between the Old and New Testaments. A quick impression as one reads the Bible is that the Old Testament seems to have a generally positive view of wealth, whereas the New Testament has a generally negative view of wealth. The reason for such a shift on wealth has to do with the nature and purpose of each testament. The purpose of the Old Testament is to point to Jesus Christ. Thus, the Old Testament is the shadow of promise of the greater reality and fulfillment to come in the New Testament. Wealth in the Old Testament is a sign of God's future blessing in Christ and the Kingdom of God. Wealth in the Old Testament is never just about the individual's personal well-being. Abraham for instance is extremely wealthy, but his wealth is a sign of God's promise and blessing to come in Jesus Christ. A great scandal in the Old Testament is when a wicked person is wealthy, because the sign of wealth is connected to an unrighteous person, who is not in a faithful covenant to the promises of God.
Wealth in the New Testament loses its symbolic value of blessing, because we read, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Eph 1:3). In other words, we no longer need the shadow of wealth as a sign of future blessing, because the reality of Christ is our blessing. In fact, wealth as a sign of blessing may even now serve as a false sign or a competitive sign to the true blessings in Christ. This does not mean God no longer blesses individuals with wealth, but it does mean that wealth no longer carries the same weight of symbolic blessing it once did. Because Jesus Christ is the true, full, real, and complete sign of blessing, wealth in the New Testament bears a negative connotation. We no longer look to wealth as a sign of blessing, but rather we look to the riches of faith in Jesus. How wealthy or poor a Christian is depends on how much faith or lack of faith one has, not how much coin one possesses. Faith, not the almighty dollar, is the coin of the realm in God's kingdom.
The Apostle Paul states the case this way, “... I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Phil 4:11-13). Jesus Christ makes wealth relative. Being rich or poor is a sign neither of blessing nor of cursing. So the question is dear Saint, are you counting money or are you counting faith?
- Terry Christopher, West Main church of Christ, Medford, OR 6/30/10
Tact is the ability to describe others as they see themselves.
7/18/10
Caged
.
A boy with a rusty birdcage walked by a preacher. “What are you going to do with that bird?” asked the preacher.
“Oh, I'm just going to poke sticks at it, shake the cage, throw water on it… fun things like that.”
“What are you going to do after that?”
“I don't know; probably just feed it to the cats.”
“How much do you want for it?” asked the preacher.
“Aw, you don't want it; it's just an old field bird. It doesn't sing or nothin’.”
“How much?”
The boy thought awhile, and then said, “Two dollars.” The preacher paid it. The boy grinned, and pocketed his money. Then he watched to see what the preacher would do with the bird. The preacher just opened the cage and turned it loose. The boy walked away, shaking his head over the craziness of some people.
The minister had something else in mind. Sin has “caged” each one of us and Satan has mankind in his grasp. Jesus asks, “What are you going to do with them?”
“I'm just going to have fun with them. I'm going to tease, them. I'm going to bring heartache and pain into their lives.”
“And after that?”
“Well, when I get tired, I will take them to eternal destruction.”
“I will buy them.” says Jesus.
“You couldn't possibly want them! They will despise You, use Your name in vain and reject You. Then they will kill You.”
“I will give my life.”
Jesus paid the price, and set us free (Ephesians 1:7). Won't you accept His offer on His terms?
-Roger Campbell, Cleveland, Tennessee, House to House Heart to Heart vol.15 No.2