Neil Emory's Blog

Fearless

2009-11-20T11:30:00.000-08:00

The Apostle Paul took the command of Jesus to take the Gospel into the world very seriously. There were doubtless other Christians in the first century who took this command just as seriously. It is Paul’s efforts, though, that are recorded about most in the New Testament. When you consider how much he did you can’t help but be amazed. It’s true that he had persecuted the church with zeal before believing the truth of the Gospel (Philippians 3:6). That changed dramatically when he was baptized for the remission of sins and became a Christian.

Paul traveled throughout most of the known world without the luxury of any modern forms of transportation. He probably didn’t even have the luxury of 1st century transportation but walked everywhere. All this he did for the purpose of taking the Gospel into the world. He preached everywhere he went. One of the most admirable things about Paul was his eagerness to take the Gospel to people who were hostile to the message of Christ. We read in the book of Acts that he preached to the Jewish Council in Jerusalem, to the high priest, Ananias, the Roman procurator, Felix, and to the governor, Agrippa. As Acts ends, we read that Paul was in Rome preparing to go before the emperor himself.

It wasn’t just to big names that Paul preached. We read in Acts 17 that when Paul arrived in a town it was his custom to take the Gospel into the local Jewish synagogue on the Sabbath. Talk about going into the belly of the beast. In the 1st century, these were the people most hostile to the Gospel. The synagogue we read about Paul going into in Acts 17 was in Thessalonica where we also read that the Jewish people chased him out of town. Paul, wrote about his journeys. “Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers” (2 Corinthians 11:24-26). Take some time and think about that because there are precious few Christians that would endure that today.

Tensions between Jews and Christians have cooled since then. Still, we can scarcely imagine taking the gospel in to a synagogue. Putting what Paul did in modern terms would be like preaching the Gospel in a Mormon temple or a Muslim mosque. How many of us would be willing to go into any of those places much less talk about Jesus there? Paul was fearless as he went into the world with Gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth is that we should be fearless, too.

The Tin Star

2009-11-14T07:35:00.000-08:00

Frank Miller ruled Hadleyville for years with crime and terrorism. He made it a dangerous place. It wasn’t safe for women or children to be out in the streets. That all changed, though, when a new law enforcement officer named Will Kane was appointed. He arrested Frank Miller and got rid of the criminal element that held the small town captive. Hadleyville became a good place again. All the townspeople were deeply grateful to Will Kane (or so it seemed).

That was five years ago. Now, Will Kane is retiring and leaving Hadleyville but Frank Miller has just been released from prison. While his gang waits at the station, Miller is heading back to Hadleyville on a train that will arrive at noon. Something needs to be done. So, Will Kane decides to face down Miller and his gang again. This is the only way Kane won’t have to keep looking over his shoulder for the rest of life and the only way to keep the town safe.

Such is the setting for the 1952 movie, “High Noon.” A movie so good that many intellectual elites still can’t decide what to make of it. Gary Cooper, as Will Kane, is determined to stop Miller and he is counting on the townspeople to help him. After all, there are four ruthless killers on the way. He soon finds out that nobody in town will stand with him. Neither his friends, his deputy, or even his wife will help. The only one willing is a 14 year old boy.

The townspeople all have different reasons. One says he is too old. Another says he too busy with work. Some think that Miller might go easier on them if they don’t help. The mayor comes to the ridiculous conclusion that if Kane will just leave, Frank Miller won’t do anything bad. Another man is ready to help until he realizes that nobody else will. They all have excuses but what they are really doing is putting their heads in the sand and leaving it all up to Will Kane.

It’s true that the main target of the bad guys is Kane but it’s not just his problem. It is a town problem. After they kill him, Frank Miller and his gang will take over Hadleyville again. When the time comes to do something for the town the people literally hide. The defining scene shows Will Kane at noon, stepping out into what was a bustling street earlier but now it is completely deserted. The town looks abandoned. Will Kane has to stand down the whole gang by himself.

Local congregations can seem this way sometimes. Like the people of Hadleyville, we can see things that need to be done. Hopefully, it’s nothing as dramatic as a gunfight. It might be teaching a class, attending a meeting, or cleaning the building. When things are easy, we see people everywhere. When it comes to doing something even slightly hard, too many times we look up and find nobody there. It’s up to people like Will Kane to handle all the hard stuff. At the end of “High Noon,” Will Kane pulls off his badge, throws it on the ground, and rides off away from Hadleyville forever. We have to ask ourselves what the future will hold for the congregation when our Will Kanes finally throw down their badges and ride away.

Sin in the Camp

2009-11-06T07:20:00.000-08:00

How seriously does God take it when there is sin among His people? It’s a question we might be tempted to avoid but we learn from the Bible that when there is someone among God’s people who is not really one of God’s people, the consequences can be severe. The Old Testament book of Joshua provides a very good illustration of God views sin among His followers.

Joshua and the Israelite army were finally in the Promised Land and on the march. God Himself was in command. He had destroyed the walls and they had taken the city of Jericho. The next city for them to attack was the strategically important city Ai. The Israelite spies reported to Joshua that only a few thousand men would be necessary to conquer the city. When the time for battle came, though, something went wrong. The Israelites were beaten and chased away from Ai.

The battle wasn’t supposed to turn out that way. God’s people were supposed to be triumphant. So, Joshua inquired of God about why this had happened. God answered: “Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings” (Joshua 7:11). There was a thief and a liar among them. Someone had stolen from the treasure of Jericho and lied about it. The commandments to not steal, not lie, and not covet were some of the most basic given to the Israelites. They were three of the Ten Commandments. One definition of sin is a failure to obey God’s commands and that is exactly what one of God’s people had done.

The next morning, Joshua went to each family in order to find the culprit. When he came to a man named Achan, from the tribe of Judah, Joshua implored him to confess. “And Achan answered Joshua, "Truly I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I did: when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath"” (Joshua 7:20-21).

All the things were taken from his tent and brought before God. Achan, his family, and all his possessions were taken to the desolate Valley of Achor (a name that means trouble). There, Achan and his family were stoned to death and burned. Once this was done, the Israelites were allowed to successfully conquer Ai.

When there was sin in the camp, the consequences for God’s people was severe. Thankfully, we aren’t called to this kind of violence today but God still expects us to take sin in the camp very seriously. In order to keep God’s favor, Achan had to be put out of the camp. When there is someone like Achan or anyone who does not truly follow the gospel among us, Christians are called upon to send them out. We won’t stone them but the loss of a church home might make them see how much trouble awaits them. Perhaps they will see that an even worse end will come if they do not return to the camp in repentance.

Declaration of Independence

2009-09-18T08:28:00.000-07:00

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” - 2 Corinthians 3:17

Last fall, as many financial markets collapsed, the Toxic Asset Relief Program (T.A.R.P.) was devised in which the U.S. Government would give funds to some large banks. There were a few people who opposed T.A.R.P. because they understood that the more government “gives,” the more government controls. While talking with some other parents on the playground during this time, one mother expressed her anxiety that T.A.R.P. might not be passed. “They say we can either keep our freedom or our wealth” she said loudly. Then she asked, “Can’t we just give up some freedom for some wealth?” Before I could stop myself, I replied dryly, “So much for ‘give me liberty, or give me death.’”

It was Patrick Henry who first said this in a speech before the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1775. “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!” Henry was part of a movement that led to the independence of the American colonies from Great Britain and he very much meant what he said about the importance of liberty.

When the Continental Congress first met in 1774, independence was not their goal. It eventually became clear, though, that liberty would mean separation from the oppressive British government across the sea. A committee that included Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams was formed to draft a document declaring this separation and the establishment of a new nation. This Declaration of Independence included a statement of their faith that individuals “are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (they would have added “private property” but some were then under the false impression that slaves were property).

Never before or since has a nation been formed with such a great statement. They announced to the world that God does exist, that every person has been created by God and that each individual has been given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness by God. They declared that it was with this authority that the United States of America was established.

As Christians, we might consider how we would declare our own independence because it is indeed independence that we need. Jesus is recorded in John 8 as having said that without Him we are “slaves to sin” but that we can gain freedom by the truth of God’s word. We need freedom from sin, from the things that would tear us away from Christ, from the “dark forces” that blind us to the truth, and from Satan. Christians must declare their independence from the world with the realization that our freedom was why Jesus Christ came to Earth.

Jesus declared in Luke 4:18 that God sent Him to “proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.” So, it is no wonder that later in life, Patrick Henry observed “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ!”

On Your Sleeve

2009-09-13T14:12:00.000-07:00

One of the worst things you can say about someone in 2009 is that they “wear their Christianity on their sleeve.” It’s a phrase adapted from a line in Shakespeare’s Othello in which the insidious Iago confides “I will wear my heart upon my sleeve.” Iago’s line has come to describe someone who openly displays their emotions and feelings. Likewise, when someone “wears their Christianity on their sleeve” it means that they openly display their faith in Jesus Christ.

It is a phrase that is almost always meant as an insult. It’s also a way to dismiss everything that a person may say or do. In society, many have decided that openly displaying faith in Christ is rude, distasteful, hurtful, and perhaps even illegal.

You are likely to hear it said about many different people, even politicians. One prominent politician recently paid a heavy price for “wearing his Christianity on his sleeve.” You are also likely to hear it said by any number of people. We can understand this coming from secular humanists, people of different religions, and of no religion.

Surprisingly, there is another group from which we might hear this phrase: other Christians. When a Christian complains this way, what are they really saying?

They are saying that our faith in Christ must take a back seat if it offends other people. This, despite the fact that Jesus Christ stated that He would cause offense (Matthew 10:34).

They are saying that we shouldn’t hurt the feelings of non-believers. Again, despite the fact that Jesus told us that we are unworthy of Him if we put others ahead of Him (Matthew 10:37).

They are saying that faith in Christ should be secret. Regardless that everything we say and do should be done in His name (Colossians 3:17).

They are saying that Christianity should not be talked about in certain company. They thereby dismiss the examples of people like Peter and John who wanted Christ to be known by everyone (Acts 4:10).

They are saying that Christ is recreation and Christianity some kind of a hobby. Even though, we are told plainly that Jesus Christ is far above every authority and power (Ephesians 1:21-22).

They are saying that Christ should be kept in the closet. While the Bible tells us that we must “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” as a garment (Romans 13:14).

They are saying that we should be ashamed of Christ and forget the stern warning that to do so has eternal consequences (Matthew 10:33).

Being told that we “wear our Christianity on our sleeve” is a compliment, even when it is not meant to be. The truth is that we should all strive to proclaim openly and unashamedly our faith in, hope in, and love for Jesus Christ. It is to Him, God’s Son, that we belong and our lives must be lived to bring glory to God in every way (1 Corinthians 6:20).

Love is a Verb

2009-08-22T10:47:00.000-07:00

For a long time, the best sermon I had ever heard was preached by a man named Gary Grady. Until that sermon, I struggled with love. I read over and over again in the Bible that God commanded me to love but I just didn’t feel that way about everyone. How are we supposed to love people who don’t love us? How are we supposed to love people who don’t believe what we believe? How are we supposed to love people we don’t like very much? What I learned that day can be summed up by the name of the sermon; “Love Is A Verb.”

The problem I was having is a problem that many people have. We misunderstand what love really is. We tend to think that love is a feeling of great warmth toward someone. The kind of love God tells us to have is about is much, much more. Part of our problem in understanding of the Christian concept of love comes about because the English language uses only one word for something that the original Greek used several words to explain.

In fact, there are four separate words in 1st Century Greek that are commonly translated as love. Eros is the love that typically exists between a man and a woman. It is a physical love and usually what we mean when we say we “fall in love.” Storge is a loyal affection. This is the kind of love we see in a close-knit family. Phileō and its forms refer to the warm affection we have for friends. We often call this brotherly love. All three of these types of love involve feelings we have. They are emotional responses that come to us naturally.

However, when we read Jesus telling us to love our neighbors and to love our enemies, He wasn’t telling us to have feelings we don’t. There is no magical way to suddenly have Phileō towards people who hate us. Jesus was talking about a fourth kind of love: Agapē. In order to make this distinction, the King James Version sometimes translates this as charity (as in 1 Corinthians 13). Agapē is a completely different kind of love. It is love in action. Agapē is God’s love and it is the love he requires of us for Him and other people. Yes, the best way to explain Agapē is love as verb. It’s not what we have so much as what we do.

How do we do love in this way? Here are some examples: Agapē is what we do when we give money to the needy. Agapē is what we do when we offer hospitality. Agapē is what a husband does when he cares his ailing wife. Agapē is what a woman does when she teaches children. Agapē is what children do when they obey their parents. When we forgive people or tell them the Gospel we are loving them with Agapē.

So, this is the love Jesus commanded in verses like Luke 6:27 "But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” It was not Eros, Storge or even Phileō but Agapē. Hence the clarification to “do good.” Jesus was commanding us to act in the best interest of other people even when we don’t feel love. This is not love from emotion but love from our will based on our gratitude to God. When it comes to love, we can learn from the master of active love, Jesus Christ. Everything that he did on Earth was an act of love for us. He still loves us by what He continues to do.

He's Against It

2009-08-13T17:00:00.001-07:00

It doesn’t seem to matter. Statistical studies show that Americans who identify themselves as “Christians” are just as likely to divorce as anyone else. Moreover, among these divorced people one quarter have been divorced twice or more. At any other time in history, these figures would seem impossible. Christians would be motivated for change. Churches would spend more time explaining the truth about divorce. Yet, in these times of permissiveness outside and inside the churches, we probably aren’t surprised.

How can it be that divorce has become so common and so easy? Many people who call themselves “Christians” just don’t believe that divorce involves sin and that is exactly what some of their churches teach them. Just as people have always done, there are those who try to change the word of God to be more comfortable and convenient for them and others. Many religious people have come to accept “new understandings” about marriage and divorce.

No matter what the Holy Bible tells us about divorce, few people seem to agree with it. Among the denominations, a majority of both Protestants (58%) and Catholics (69%) disagree with the idea that divorce for any reason is sin. Even among churches of Christ, people have risen up to challenge what God has said about divorce. Many might agree with the statement “the bible isn’t really clear about the subject.” Perhaps they believe that God just doesn’t care that much about marriage and divorce.

The truth is that God has spoken to us clearly about divorce. Contrary to what some think, He’s against it. Although different from the New Testament in that the law Moses delivered from God did allow divorce for various reasons, it was very specific about how divorce was to be handled. For example, we read in Deuteronomy that a man was not permitted to take his wife back after she had left and remarried, even if her second husband died. The reason was that although there was a bill of divorce, marriage to a second husband was a defilement. It was a desecration of the sanctity of the first marriage, in the same sense in which adultery is called defilement in Leviticus and Numbers.

By reading the Bible, we can learn what divorce is in God’s eyes. Divorce always involves the moral defilement of adultery in some way. Malachi wrote that God hates divorce. He also made reference to the violence of it. We might not think that way. However, in the words of God Himself, divorce is a violent and faithless act. There are many innocent ex-spouses and children of divorce who can verify this. Divorce was permitted in the Old Testament but it is clear from reading the Old Testament that God has always been against it.

America Bless God

2009-08-06T12:18:00.000-07:00

Thomas Sowell is one of the most intelligent men alive. He clawed his way out of poverty in North Carolina and Harlem to become one of the most respected economists of the modern world. He has written over thirty-five books on everything from autism to civil rights. Having never been one to cry that the sky is falling, Sowell recently gained attention for his pessimistic outlook on the future of the United States of America. He concluded that America is on a slide toward inevitable ruin.

On February 24, 2009, Sowell published an article about our collective future. He writes: “How did we get to this point? It was no single thing. The dumbing down of our education, the undermining of moral values with the fad of "non-judgmental" affectations, the denigration of our nation through poisonous propaganda from the movies to the universities. The list goes on and on. The trajectory of our course leads to a fate that would fully justify despair.” Sowell and many others just can’t see a way out of the downward spiral.

In the same article, though, Sowell leaves open a window. “The only saving grace,” he adds, “is that even the trajectory of a bullet can be changed. We have been saved by miraculous good fortune before in our history.” While we might not call these things miracles as we think of them, Sowell is right. He brings up two military incidents to prove this point. First, he recalls that in The War for American Independence, Washington’s Army was saved from a British armada by extraordinarily bad weather. Second, during World War II, the tide of war in the Pacific was changed by odd coincidences that led to victory at Midway.

We can certainly add other “miraculous” events. America faced secessionism that led to The Civil War (and we think there is polarization now), domestic fascism in the 1910’s, The Great Depression, and a cold war. In each case, it looked as though the U.S. was finished but also, in each case something amazing happened. The Union was preserved in 1863 by a battle it should have lost at Gettysburg. It was saved from fascism because of an untimely stroke that paralyzed an American president. The Great Depression went on for over a decade until World War II. A nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl helped precipitate the fall of The Soviet Union.

Were these events truly miraculous? Has God blessed America and blanketed it with His protection? We cannot surely know the answer. There is no specific promise from God regarding America. The Old Testament does tell us this: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!” - Psalms 33:12. If the United States of America has enjoyed special blessings from God Almighty, it is because of the Christian principles upon which it was founded and the basic morality (sometimes called Judeo-Christian ethics) that we all agreed on until very recently. The Holy Bible points a way out of the current despair. The only way to save America is to turn back toward God and the values in His Word. We might not make a Christian of every American but we can endeavor to at least turn it back toward the basic goodness and morality that we can learn again from God’s Word.

These People?

2009-07-08T11:09:00.000-07:00

It was called “a show about nothing” and eleven years after it went off the air, Seinfeld is still one of the most popular television programs. The lead characters were an odd group of friends. Jerry Seinfeld played himself. George was his neurotic best friend. Neighbor, Kramer, was wacky and had no visible means of income. While, Jerry’s old girlfriend, Elaine was overly aggressive. For nine years, these characters entertained America and many people developed warm feelings for them. Regular viewers would ask each other which character they were most like and would take pride in their answer. People actually wanted these characters as friends. So, many fans were understandably upset with the last episode of the show in which all four characters were sent to prison.

Somewhere along the way, fans lost sight of the fact that these characters were awful people. It wasn’t really “a show about nothing.” It was a show about four people who were petty, jealous, dishonest, callous, careless, unfeeling, selfish, perverted, uncaring, hypocritical, mean and as one character said in the final episode “they are always mocking people. Mocking, mocking, mocking, mocking…” The final episode was a wake-up call. It made the point that you cannot go through life the way they did.

One aspect of the final episode was a trial. Jerry and his friends were on trial for “criminal indifference” after having videotaped and laughed at a man getting mugged instead of helping him. In order to establish a pattern of behavior, the prosecutor brought forth character witnesses from nine years of past episodes. One by one they paraded in to testify about how badly they had been treated and about all the awful things Jerry and his friends did and said. They could only sit through endless cringe inducing (yet true) testimony about themselves in front of a judge, a jury, the press, and all their friends and family.

Seinfeld was fictional, of course, but the truth is that there will be a great judgment when each one of us will account to God for how we’ve lived (Romans 14:12). We don’t really have an image of what that will look like but we might picture something like a trial in which everything about us will be laid bare. When we consider how many bad things we have done, how many bad things we have said, and how many bad things we have intended in our hearts the thought of that trial should induce a lot more than just cringes.

There is, of course, a way to avoid all this. The Holy Bible teaches us that when we are baptized for the remission of sins, the blood of Jesus erases all those bad things. If we belong to Jesus, it is He and His righteousness whom God will see instead of us. Imagine that. Someone who did nothing but good is willing to take our place at that great trial. That’s the kind of friend I want.

Beatitudes for Friends of the Aged

2009-05-29T07:42:00.000-07:00

“Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father. Treat younger men like brothers, older women like mothers, younger women like sisters, in all purity.” - 1 Timothy 5:1-2

There are a few things that I keep on my desk at home. Actually, there are quite a lot of things on my desk but most of it is clutter. One of the things that is intentionally on my desk is a little piece of paper about the size of a credit card that I found years ago. It’s written from the perspective of an elderly person:

“Beatitudes For Friends of the Aged”
Blessed are they who understand my faltering steps and palsied hand.
Blessed are they who know that my ears today must strain to catch the things they say.
Blessed are they who looked away when coffee spilled on the table today.
Blessed are they with cherry smile who stop chat a little while.
Blessed are they that never say, “You’ve told that story twice today.”
Blessed are they who know the ways to bring back memories of yesterdays.
Blessed are they who make it known that I’m loved, respected and not alone.
Blessed are they who know I’m at a loss to find the strength to carry my cross.
Blessed are they who ease the days on my journey home.

This reminds us that the “Little Old Lady” or “Little Old Man” wasn’t always that way. Inside of them, there beats the heart of a human being. They aren’t just characters but real people who were once like any one of us. Now, they have reached a stage where life is not as easy. They need extra help and extra love. If God allows, we too will be where they are now. We should try to emulate the cultures that value their elderly much better than ours. This little card reminds me to understand the frailties of all people. It reminds me to slow down and listen. It reminds me to value and care for others and I hope it will do the same for you.

The War Is Over

2009-05-09T13:54:00.000-07:00

Perhaps you haven’t heard yet but the War on Terror is over. In fact, there is no more terrorism. Torture, eavesdropping, and taxes are gone, too. Well, these things still exist but their names have changed. We are still fighting a war but it’s now called an “Overseas Contingency Operation.’’ An act of terrorism is now a “manmade disaster.” Forms of torture are “enhanced interrogation techniques.” Eavesdropping is “passive interception.” Taxes are “revenue enhancements” which is o.k. because the Government will no longer waste money. It will “invest” “enhanced revenue” in “non-returning projects.” There is also some really great news for me. I’m not overweight anymore! I’m “plus-sized.” Is our world really getting better or is it just how we speak?

Orwell wrote about this as “newspeak.” We might call it “political correctness.” It’s something we have been doing for years. Back in the 1950’s on The Honeymooners, Ed Norton worked in the sewers of New York City but referred to himself as a “Sanitation Engineer.” Perverted sexual practices were renamed “alternative lifestyles” years ago. Illegal aliens are simply “undocumented immigrants” and are soon to be “pre-citizens.” We are no longer men and women but “separate genders.” If you are convicted of crime, don’t worry. You won’t be a prisoner. You’ll be an “inmate.” Infanticide was called “abortion” until that came to be associated too closely with the truth. So, now we call it “choice.”

It is the height of arrogance to believe we can change the nature of things or behavior by the names we use. Is the handicapped person any better off than the “physically challenged” person? Will you be happier living in a “wetland” than a swamp? Am I healthier being “plus-sized?” No, no, no. The same concept applies to the things of God. Is God more pleased with us when we make “non-traditional choices” than when we sin?

We accept that Peter was correct in saying that “God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34) We might also add that neither is God is a respecter of the names we use. Shakespeare expressed this idea by writing "What's in a name? That which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet.” (Romeo & Juliet II, ii, 1-2) It’s true and that which we call sin by any other name would smell as rotten. Gossip is sin, no matter that we call it “concern.” Murder is sin, no matter that we use the terminology of the abortionists. Blasphemy is sin, no matter that we call it “freedom of expression.” God can easily see through our euphemisms and our weak attempts to justify disobedience.

Likewise, calling the Godly man or woman “intolerant,” “close-minded,” or “extreme” does not change their hold on eternal life. The Lord’s view is this: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5:20-21). Let’s call things what they are and not attempt to hide behind meaningless nuances of language.

Tattoo You

2009-04-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

It happens more and more often these days. You see a perfectly normal looking person wearing perfectly normal looking clothing. You might even be engaged in perfectly normal conversation. Then you see something that looks out of place. What is that on their body? A shadow? No. A birthmark? No. Is that… a tattoo? Yes, this perfectly normal person has a tattoo. If you are my age or older, your first thought might be something about sailors or outlaw bikers. Then perhaps you realize that times are changing. Just about anyone you meet might have a tattoo, somewhere.

In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that before I became a Christian I was nearly tattooed myself. There weren’t any social or religious concerns that held me back. It was the thought of all that pain. Looking back, I’m very happy that I was held back. Unlike most fads, tattoos are permanent and a constant reminder of the folly of youth. You can be sure that everyone regrets them at some point.

Christians should never have tattoos. The Bible must say something about the evils of tattooing. Right? Well, you will search the New Testament in vain for any reference to it. You will find something in the Old Testament. Leviticus 19:28 reads “You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord.” (This seems to refer a pagan custom of honoring a dead person.) However, if we just back up one verse, we read a prohibition against men shaving the sides of their heads and cutting their beards. If this prohibition still holds, a lot of men are in big trouble.

Of course, the Old Law is no longer binding on God’s people. We are now under the Law of Christ (Galatians 6:2). Prohibitions against eating deer meat, shaving, and tattooing are not a part of Christ’s Law. Neither are these things authorized as acts of worship or honor to God. There are many people who have tattoos of a cross or an image of what Jesus is imagined to have looked like with the idea that it has something to do with religion.

What people wear and how they adorn themselves is something that has continually changed throughout history, even among God’s people. Our brothers and sisters from just a hundred years ago might be aghast at how we look today. Some women have pierced ears, short hair, and expose their wrists! Men don’t always wear suits, or collared shirts, and yes, some men have no facial hair! As much as they might not like how we look, we know that we are normal for our times. Likewise, as much we might not like how people adorn themselves today, we have to realize that they are normal for the times. It’s change we can’t stop. We cannot bind people to rules that we do not find in the Bible. We can only point out to that they must be modest in their apparel, avoid the appearance of evil, and understand that their body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. What is more important than if they have a tattoo is what it represents and why they have it.

Ēostre Eggs

2009-04-17T16:08:00.000-07:00

Today is Easter Sunday. It’s a day when more people attend worship than any other day of the year. In the minds of many, Easter has become a special and holy day. People who aren’t Christians, people who know nothing about the Bible, and people who are not even religious will come to worship on Easter Sunday. We should wonder, though, if people have given much thought to what Easter really is.

Surprising though it may be, the celebration of Easter doesn’t really have anything to do with Christianity. Even the word “Easter” is not to be found in the Bible. (You will find it in the Acts 12:4 of the King James Version but the word there actually means Passover. For various reasons, King James’ translators chose to use the incorrect word “Easter” for the Greek word “Pascha” which means “Passover.”) The word Easter actually comes from comes from the Old German word Ēostre. In pre-Christian times, the Pagans of Western Europe celebrated the festival of Ēostre during the Spring Equinox. This festival was a time to offer sacrifices to the fertility goddess of the East, Estara. As with many pagan holidays, the Roman Catholic Church of the Middle Ages simply took this holiday and transposed what they believed were Christian aspects. They weren’t successful at completely taking over the holiday which is why we are left with a bunny and hiding eggs.

Perhaps you’ve wondered why Easter is celebrated at different times during Spring each year. Sometimes we say that Easter is late this year or early this year. We know that Jesus was arrested and crucified during the Old Testament holiday of Passover (Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, John 13). Yet in modern times, Passover and Easter are rarely celebrated at the same time. Since the 1st Century AD (CE), different calendar systems have been used and because of that, the real date of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has been lost. In the 7th Century, using a lot of complicated and quite silly reasoning, the date for the Feast of the Resurrection was set. Here is the formula: Easter is set for the first Sunday after the 14th day of the calendar moon which comes on or after the vernal equinox. Simple enough. This got even more complicated when the West adopted the Gregorian Calendar 900 years later. Which is why the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates Easter on different days than the Roman Catholic Church and it’s offshoots, the protestant denominations.

Although Easter is a tradition that is far apart from the New Testament, it has become a special day in our times. Somehow, people feel the need to recognize the death, burial, and resurrection of the Savior of the world. They may feel a little cheated when they visit a church of Christ and there is no celebration for Easter but they are wrong. Do we do anything special to commemorate the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ? By simply reading 1 Corinthians 11, you will see that we are commanded to. If you want to do something special to honor Jesus for His great sacrifice and victory, attend a worship assembly of the church of Christ where we do that every Sunday. Not as pagan traditions tell us, but as the Holy Bible commands.

This is My Church

2009-04-03T06:29:00.000-07:00

This is my church.
It is composed of people just like me.
It will be friendly if I am friendly.
It will do a great work if I work.
It will make generous gifts if I am generous.
It will bring others into its fellowship if I bring them.
Its seats will be filled if I fill them.
It will be a church of loyalty and love, of faith and service
If I, who make it what it is, am filled with these.
Therefore, with God's help, I dedicate myself to the task of being
All these things I want my church to be.
- Anonymous

The name of the person who wrote this little piece has been lost but its truth remains. It reminds us that a church is not a building or a single person. A church is made up of the Christians who belong to it. Each member has a responsibility to serve Christ in making the church all that it can and should be. Jesus Christ has already purchased the Church with His blood. It is up to us, His followers, to make sure that our church is what the word of God tells us it should be.

Christ is the head of the Church. We know from the Holy Bible that each church must a have a group of qualified leaders to guide it and care for it. Qualified men are not going to fall out of the sky ready to lead. We must give serious thought about who will lead in the future. We read the instructions given by the Apostle Paul in the second chapter of his second letter to Timothy that he was to teach what he had learned from Paul to other men. Paul had trained Timothy in the word of God. Timothy was to spend time training other men in the word of God who would in turn train still other men in the word of God. Today, we might call this “leadership development” and it is how churches have grown and remained faithful through the centuries.

Christian leaders today must develop Christian leaders for tomorrow. Other members who are not qualified to lead themselves also have a responsibility to help develop them. Just as there is a responsibility for leaders to train, there is a responsibility for followers to become trained. Good leaders can learn how to be good leaders by being good followers. Men have an enormous responsibility for leadership in the Church. Men owe it to each other and to Christ to develop others as leaders, to allow others to develop us as leaders, and to develop ourselves as leaders. This is my church and it will be lead under the authority of Christ if I do my part to develop men to lead it.

Swim or Die

2009-03-26T09:09:00.000-07:00

In nature, researchers have learned that many sharks must keep swimming. Water must continually come in through the mouth and out through the gills for them to extract oxygen. It’s quite simple, if they stop moving forward, they die. It’s like the saying that tells us that we are either going forward or falling behind. That is true for churches, too. Our problem is that it is very easy to stand still. We can become complacent and comfortable. However, the Gospel of Jesus Christ tells us that a church cannot stand still. It must continue to move forward. Standing still is really falling behind.

The Apostle Paul believed in moving forward. In his letter to the Church of Christ in Philippi, he wrote about how he continued to move forward and to “press on toward the goal” (Philippians 3:13-14). It’s the only way to avoid stagnation and failure. As a church, we need to think about what it takes to move forward. We cannot allow ourselves be stopped because of dissatisfaction with the past. Neither can we be stopped because we are so satisfied with the present that we believe we are doing all that we can do. To achieve all that God will give us the opportunities to do, we must be ready to move forward and meet the challenges of the future. Every church needs to realize that the challenges before them are there because God wants the Church to do something about those challenges.

In His Sermon on the Mount, recorded for us in Matthew 5, Jesus told the Church that we are the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.” This is about the challenge of making a difference. We need to accept the challenge of making a difference in the world. Difference that comes about by being rooted in and founded on the word of God.

Christians may complain that we have been silenced, made to feel unwelcome, and unwanted by the world. Newsflash: We are unwelcome and unwanted by the world! This isn’t likely to get better any time soon. In fact, it seems to be getting much worse. We shouldn’t be surprised by this. Jesus warned us quite clearly that Christians would be hated just as He was hated (John 15:19).

Still, we cannot let them shut us up, shut us down, shut us out, or shut us in. Christians must continue to show the world that Jesus has the answers to all of the world’s problems. We can change the world the same way God's people have always changed the world; by teaching and preaching the Gospel of Jesus and by allowing God’s word to change the hearts and minds of those who live around us. Christians, we must move forward!

I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing

2009-03-26T09:04:00.000-07:00

One great American success story is The Coca-Cola Company. Their most famous drink, Coca-Cola, was invented in 1886 when Dr. John Stith Pemberton of Atlanta made a batch of syrup and took it to a local pharmacy where it was mixed with carbonated water. From those humble beginnings, The Coca-Cola Company has grown dramatically. It is now one the largest corporations in the world and is the world's largest beverage company, largest manufacturer, distributor and marketer of non-alcoholic beverages It has become so popular that “Coke” is the second most recognized English word in foreign countries. (It runs a close second to “o.k.”). Coca-Cola is so well known, that you can go practically anywhere, even into some of the most remote places in the world, and you will find bottles of Coke.

How did this small, local beverage grow into such a giant? The company grew through the efforts of several skilled businessmen who have run the company since Dr. Pemberton sold his shares shortly before his death. They have had several advertising slogans over the years, but their internal motto has been: “think globally but act locally.” They want Coca-Cola to be sold everywhere. They know that in order to do that, they must take care of each location. For example, if they focused advertising on Europe and forgot about the United States, the company would collapse. If they don’t pay attention to each market they will lose sales. Yes, they still have to advertise in Atlanta to be a successful company!

The Churches of Christ need to learn this lesson. There are several churches that do a great job with missionary work. They support missionaries in foreign countries, each missionary has well thought-out plans, each missionary is well financed, each missionary uses a variety of ways to reach people. Often, though, these same congregations have no plan for their local community, no meaningful budget for local evangelism, and use nothing with which to reach out to their community. Helping foreign ministries is admirable but there is something wrong with this kind of thinking. The local church will collapse if it does nothing for the people in its own community.

Almost every congregation of the Lord’s Church has members who have decided that their community just isn’t open to the Gospel of Jesus. How have they come to this conclusion? Is it based on the failure of well planned and well financed efforts to evangelize the community? – No. Is it because there is so much opposition or hatred toward the church that no one will listen? – No. Is it because they have invited everyone they know to a worship service? – No. Mostly, they have concluded that there are no opportunities because they have never taken any of the opportunities that have been presented. Christians might believe a congregation cannot grow when the truth is that they simply have never made the effort. We must accept the challenge of evangelizing the lost souls close to us if we want to make a difference in the world.

The A-Team

2009-02-27T06:11:00.000-08:00

In the business world, it is not uncommon for large corporations to bring in outside experts on any number of issues. These people are usually called “consultants.” There are efficiency experts who counsel corporations. They usually recommend getting rid of employees in order to save money. There are safety experts who counsel corporations on how to be protected from those who would rob them in one way or another. There are also teamwork experts whose job it is to get employees and departments to work together. Like all of these experts, their first task it to assess the condition of the corporation before making recommendations. Teamwork experts begin by analyzing things like: How well do employees relate to one another? How do employees interact with each other outside of a work environment? How loyal are employees to the corporation and each other? Do employees have a sense of the greater good or are they merely interested in their own work and nothing else? How willing are they to support each other in time of distress or deadlines? How much time do they spend with other employees? The biggest problem they usually find is that there is too much self-interest. People just aren’t committed.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to spend some time wondering how teamwork experts would evaluate our congregation of the Church of Christ. They could examine similar things. How do we relate to each other when we assemble for worship? How do we interact outside of assemblies? How loyal are we to the Church and to each other? Are we willing to support each other in times of need? How much time do we spend together? Are we merely attending worship without being involved? Do we belong to a church merely for what we can get for ourselves?

The real issue in both the corporate world and in the Church is self-interest. Self-interest is a problem for all of society today. It is the problem of putting self over everything else and it makes its way into every congregation to some degree. It is important to note that self-interest doesn't necessarily mean being selfish; it means putting our preferences ahead of others and it should have no place in the Church.

Consider the words of Jesus to His followers in John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Those in God's family are to love each other with the same lack of self-interest with which Jesus has loved us!

Brothers & Sisters

2009-02-19T07:56:00.000-08:00

Many of us lived through the 1970's. Some of us might even remember them. The 70's have since been labeled the "Me Decade." It was a time when people focused on themselves with self-interested attitudes and self-indulgent behavior. There was an increased use of drugs and alcohol. People also turned to philosophies and religions which involve preoccupation with self. "Looking Out For #1" was the national slogan.

Today we live in a mobile society. Members of churches live far away from the place of worship and from each other. This doesn’t really prevent us from having proper fellowship. It just makes it easier to isolate ourselves from fellowship. Technology designed to bring us closer together can actually tear us apart. Cell phones and email greatly increase our ability to communicate but we can become so involved in such technology that we don’t develop any meaningful relationships. Clearly, God has designed the church to point us in a different direction.

Several books have been written on church growth. Although they generally study only denominational churches what they find is interesting and often applies to the Lord’s Church as well . They find that most members don't know most of the other members. They are not a genuine community prepared to bear one another's burdens. They show little interest in becoming more involved in each other's lives. They come to worship only for the sake of their own spiritual life and personal salvation. Many go to church as they would go to a theater. The bottom line is usually this: the churches that were analyzed consisted of members who were self-centered. There was very little fellowship of any sort. Self-interest had destroyed fellowship in these churches.

It used to be more common than it is now, but many congregations still make it a practice to call other members by the titles of “brother” or “sister.” This is also as what the first believers did (e.g. Galatians 1:1-2,11). When we read the word "brothers" or "brethren" in the New Testament, we are reading the Greek word adelphoi(s). It’s a plural word that means siblings in a family. With a few exceptions, adelphoi means both men and women who are siblings (brothers and sisters) in God's family, the church. It is no wonder this word is used in relation to the Church. Jesus taught this idea Himself (Mark 3:35). Those who obey God, those who have obeyed the Gospel are brothers and sisters to each other and even to Jesus Himself (Romans 8:17). When we realize that we are actually a family of brothers and sisters with God as our Father, self-interest can be easily defeated. We can become the family that we were designed to be.

...It Was The Worst of Times

2009-02-09T09:32:00.000-08:00

Last week we saw a great day in American history. Since 1937, every four years on January 20th, we have held an inauguration for a president. (Before 1937, inaugurations were held on March 4th.) Whether the president we inaugurated was a good one or not, it has always been a day we should be thankful for as Americans. Last week we also saw a shameful day in American history. Since 1973, every January 22nd, we have marked the day that “abortion on demand” became the law of the land. The Supreme Court of the United States deciding on the cases of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton suddenly discovered that there is a right to privacy found in the 14th Amendment to our Constitution that supersedes the rights of unborn children to live.

This is not a political issue. For the Christian, this is an issue of right versus wrong. The debate about abortion often revolves around knowing when life begins. Christians should know the answer to that question; God has told us in His word when life begins. For example, David wrote about being alive before being born. “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.” - Psalm 139:13-16. Clearly, God saw David as a person before he left his mother’s womb, even before he was what we call “viable.”

Similarly, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Paul were keenly aware the God had called them to be prophets before their birth. (Isaiah 49:1, Jeremiah 1:4-5, Galatians 1:13-15.) This clearly indicates that they were alive when in the womb. Still, the question is often asked “why doesn’t say the Bible just come out and say “thou shalt not commit abortion?””

In fact, it does. The sixth of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 reads “thou shalt not kill”. This is more properly translated as “you shall not murder.” It means that we must not willingly take the life of any innocent human being. Likewise, in Proverbs 6, we are told that one of the things that God hates are “hands that shed innocent blood.” Are there any better ways to describe abortion?

This isn’t an issue that we voted on and neither did our elected leaders. Nevertheless, it is a day that fundamentally changed America and our values. Since that day, over 40 million innocent babies have lost their lives while still in the womb. It wasn’t our choice but our nation bears the guilt of those lost innocent lives.

Gather together, yes, gather, O shameless nation - Zephaniah 2:1

It Was The Best Of Times...

2009-02-03T08:16:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while something happens that reminds us what a great nation it is in which we live. It was Tuesday, January 20, 2009. We inaugurated a new president to lead our government. He is not only a new president but he is one with a completely different set of political beliefs and policies than the president he replaced. The weather was cold that day but there were warm feelings among those who attended.

The leadership of our nation has peacefully changed hands forty-four times, thirty-seven by election. (Despite common belief, the new president is actually our forty-third. Grover Cleveland was elected to two non-consecutive terms but is somehow counted twice.) This is an amazing accomplishment. How was this transfer of power on January 20, 2009 brought about? Peacefully. As a matter of fact, the new and old presidents exchanged an affectionate hug as they parted company. At around 12:30 the former president walked off into private life. He was not jailed. He was not executed. In fact, he was cheerful with sincere best wishes for his successor.

As the first president, it was George Washington who set the precedent for all those who followed him to leave the presidency willingly. Washington could have remained president for life but he walked away after only two terms. His example was followed by all presidents until FDR in 1940. Since that time, the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution made two terms the limit for any president. Just as it was before, though, every president that has lived until he was replaced willingly gave up his power. Even if they were defeated in their attempt for re-election, even if they disliked the new president, even if they were opposed to every idea of the new president, none has ever made an illegal attempt to hold on to the presidency when their term was complete.

This doesn’t happen in most other countries. Many countries don’t even have a change of power. A dictator can rule for life and in most cases do. Even when the leader dies, his party is left in charge with not even small dissention allowed. Think of Cuba or Soviet Russia. In other nations, a change in power means revolution, violence, and bloodshed. No matter what your political persuasion, no matter if you like the change of power that took place on January 20, no matter what you think of the new president or the old president, you should be happy about a day like January 20, 2009. We should thank God for the great blessing we have been given to live in this country. When you consider all the other lands in this world you could have been born in or allowed to live in, how can you help but be thankful to God?

Emotional Rescue

2009-01-22T10:01:00.000-08:00

Perhaps you’ve heard of Focus on the Family. It’s an organization that was founded by James Dobson in 1977 to bring attention to Christian values and what we have since come to call Family Values. Dobson also hosts a daily radio program with the same name as his organization. It can be heard all over the United States and in many other nations as well. The program discusses many subjects. It’s not uncommon to hear the hosts discussing politics, crime, abortion, prayer in school, war, the death penalty, and any number of contentious topics. So, it is very interesting that James Dobson has said repeatedly that nothing on his program stirs up more controversy or inspires more angry mail than when they talk about music. Many of us can agree that it is nearly impossible to reason with some people when it comes to music.

Music in worship is a serious issue and a deeply emotional one. Worship must be carried out in spirit and truth. Right or wrong, it is commonly music that engages most of our spirit in worship. Music is, by its nature, emotional. Discuss how to truly worship God in music with denominationalists and even very polite and shy people will get visibly angry. When it comes to leaving out unauthorized instruments we often find that logic just doesn't play a part. We hear things like: ”I love my guitar. I really feel close to God when I play it.” It is, therefore, most often an emotional discussion we must be prepared for.

If we are going to honor God as He wishes we must understand what worship really is. The 96th Psalm gives us a good place to start. “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!” - Psalms 96:8-9. We must also understand what musical worship, what praise in song really is. “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.” - Psalms 146:1-2. The truth is that vocal music (singing a capella) is more emotional than mechanical instruments. David could have and did use them, but here in Psalm 146 he wrote “I will sing praises to my God while I have my being”

We are truly worshipping God when we offer music in the way He wants it and with the emotion He wants. God has given us the instructions for worship in the New Testament. We can know how to give Him what He wants. It is because we offer music in the way God wants and with the emotion He wants, because we use our minds and hearts, because we sing praises to the great and awesome Lord God as He has told us to, we can be sure that our worship has the most beautiful music in the world.

The Instrument We Do Use

2009-01-15T07:31:00.000-08:00

When it comes to music in worship, the Church of Christ should not talk about what we don't have. Let's talk instead about what we do have. When we talk about excluding mechanical instruments from worship we are giving in to the idea that they actually have a place in worship. They don’t. It was so widely understood that mechanical instruments don't have a place in worship that it wasn't until the 7th Century at the earliest that an instrument was introduced. That’s 600 years after the Church was founded. Actually, the best evidence says that it wasn't until the 11th Century that they were introduced and then it was done so under the strongest protest. To give this some perspective, this is akin to us trying to change a law from 1,000 years ago and argue that it was always that way.

Mechanical musical instruments never had a place in the Church we read about in the New Testament. Even under the Old Law, they never had a place in worship outside of the Temple in Jerusalem. Synagogues didn’t use mechanical instruments. Conservative synagogues still don’t. They only use a Shofar, a ram’s horn, once a year. The use of mechanical instruments are not and have never been the template for true worship.

It is actually those other churches that are excluding something in music. In John 4:24, we read the words of Jesus saying “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." Spirit and truth are the basis for New Testament worship. Using unauthorized instruments at the very least excludes the truth of worship. Saying that we don't use instruments when we offer music to God is actually not a true statement. In fact, we do use instruments because we are commanded to in Ephesians 5:18-19. What are the instruments we use? Each one of us uses our heart, all of our heart. This is the spirit part of the music we offer to God. Allowing a man-made instrument to worship for us is exclusion. It's excluding the spirit part of worship and it is excluding the most important instruments that God has given to us, our hearts. If we were to use mechanical instruments in worship, we would be excluding both the spirit and the truth.

Each one of us is to offer song with our heart. Listening to a piano, an organ, some other person, or some group of so-called talented singers is an exclusion of our duty. We are using these things as a substitute for praise. We aren’t praising God ourselves. We are using something or someone else to worship for us. Should we get someone to offer money to the church and say that we did it? Of course not. It wouldn’t be coming from us. We are commanded to sing and when we don't, we are sinning. The use of substitute praise is actually an offering to people not to God. When we offer music in worship, we use the instrument we are commanded to use. We use our hearts, all our hearts and nothing else.

The Ones Without The Music

2009-01-08T09:18:00.000-08:00

Tell someone you are a member of the Church of Christ and after the blank stares, the most common response you will get by far is: "Oh, yeah. You're the ones without the music." To which I say, "Oh no, we have music. We have beautiful music but if you mean that we don't use musical instruments, that's true." In that someone presses the issue to find out why, we sometimes tell them that mechanical musical instruments are not used in the New Testament. You may have even heard preachers say that but it’s just not true. Musical instruments are mentioned quite a bit in the New Testament.

In Matthew 6, Jesus compared the sound of trumpet to the way hypocrites give to the poor. When Jesus went to heal a small girl we are told that He saw “flute players” there in Matthew 9:23. Jesus mentioned a flute when telling a parable about children playing in Matthew 11. In Matthew 24, Jesus talked about the end of the age saying that He will call His angels with a trumpet. The Apostle Paul wrote about the Day of Judgment being announced with a trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4. Paul also wrote about a gong and a cymbal in 1 Corinthians 13:1. Revelation 18 mentions harpists, musicians, flute players, and trumpeters. In fact, trumpets are used frequently in Revelation. We find trumpets in Revelation 1, 4, 8, and 9. Hebrews 12 also includes a trumpet.

No instrument is named in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, as some people have recently argued. If you read the parable in Luke 15, you will read that the Older Brother in the story heard music and dancing. Although, we shouldn’t assume that means that this music was instrumental music. One of the most significant uses of musical instruments in the New Testament is found in 1 Corinthians 14:7-9 – “If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air.”

So, clearly mechanical musical instruments are mentioned in the New Testament. However, we should quickly notice something important in these passages. What do they have in common? Or rather, what don’t they have in common? What is missing in all these? None of these passages are about worship. That is the real issue when talking to people about the Church of Christ. We are talking about our Worship Assembly. The New Testament does not include the use of mechanical musical instruments in reference to worship. They are not authorized. So, go ahead play the piano, the guitar, the flute, whatever instrument you like but don’t pretend that you can offer mechanical musical instruments in praise to God.

Good Times

2009-01-08T09:12:00.000-08:00

At this time of year, many of the news shows and magazines give us a look back. They try to recap all the stories (usually bad ones) from the past year. On one of the morning talk shows recently there was a segment on what will be the big stories of 2009. They had decided what will happen, what we should pay attention to during the next year and mostly gave us a grave assessment of the future. The news media works like that, though. It’s a modern reality; bad news sells. Nothing can produce as many bad feelings as mistakes and tragedies from the past and nothing can produce as much fear and worry as an uncertain future. The news media works like that, but we shouldn't. We shouldn’t keep swinging back to the past and then forward to the future. The problem is that doing that doesn’t really get us anywhere and for a very good reason. We don’t live in the past or the future.

Something gets neglected when we try to live in the past and the future: the present. Matthew 6:25-34 is a passage about the reality of life and life’s anxieties. The lesson is that worrying about things doesn’t solve them. We need to put our trust in God. Another lesson that we often miss in this passage is that it encourages living in the present. That is the key to producing an effective and Godly life. It’s a lesson we also read in Proverbs 27:1 “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring” and Psalms 118:24 “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!”

On the other side is the past. We worry about things that have already happened. We look back on our mistakes and bad behavior and we beat ourselves up over them but we read in 1 John 3:19-20 “By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.” We can look back and dwell on the bad things we did but if we have been forgiven, God doesn't look back on those things. What happened in the past is past. Our hearts and our conscience may still make us feel bad and fill us with regret but these are feelings and not facts. As John says, God, who forgives the repentant Christian, knows more than our feelings do.

This also involves looking backwards with fondness. It's nice to have memories but we shouldn't try to relive the good times. As Neil Diamond sang "Good times never seemed so good – I've been inclined to believe they never were." Fond memories often don't reflect the reality of the past. Our God does not want us living there, not in the past and not in the future.

This doesn't mean that we don't learn from the past or don't prepare for the future. The future and the consequences of our actions should be something we consider. Still, the Lord God wants us to live in the present. That is where we are right now! Outside of the Bible, Yoda may have said it best while describing Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. He said "This one a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away... to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing." Could this describe us? If so, we have some serious changes to make in the new year.

Peace On Earth

2008-12-29T19:00:00.000-08:00

What do you enjoy most about Christmastime? There are so many things about it to enjoy. Christmas movies and television shows have become an important part of the celebration. What child doesn’t like Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer or Frosty The Snowman? Adults have It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, and countless versions of A Christmas Carol. Among all this there is also a rare little MGM cartoon titled Peace on Earth. It’s hard to find and you can only see it this time of year. It was made in 1939 and has the distinction of being the only animated short to be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

The cartoon begins with a cute, little animal village made up of discarded human belongings like shoes. It’s all decorated for Christmas. As we hear voices singing “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear,” small animals pass by until we get to the house of a squirrel family. The song ends with a quote from Luke 2:14: “Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men.” When hearing this verse, the young squirrels ask Grandpa Squirrel, “What are men?” He goes on the explain that they are no men anymore.

It is all played out for us as Grandpa tells the story of mankind. How man couldn’t stop fighting. How man constantly warred against each other for little or no reason. How war had left the last two men facing one another across a battlefield until they killed each other. Obviously, this isn’t your average Bugs Bunny or Tom & Jerry cartoon. It’s pretty deep. More importantly it drives home an important point about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Peace on Earth is our responsibility.

We tend to think of peace on Earth as something that will be sent down from heaven all wrapped in a bow. The Gospel message is quite different. Peace is in Heaven. God does not force peace upon us like some science fiction story where all the weapons disappear. God gives us the ability to make our own choices, carry-out our own actions, and face the consequences ourselves. Peace on Earth is up to us.

There are two kinds of peace that the Bible speaks of. One is Shalom, the peace we can have within ourselves. The other peace is the peace among mankind. If we are to have freedom from conflicts, freedom from strife, freedom from violence… it must start with us. Jesus himself said “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” - Matthew 5:9.
A peacemaker is not a coward and a peacemaker does not fail to defend the helpless. A peacemaker is someone who is actively seeking to establish and maintain peace. A peacemaker is a person who lives in peace with those around him. A peacemaker is person who does not start war, does not create conflict, does not avenge. A peacemaker is a person who tries to give others the peace of knowing God. The promise of the Gospel is that those who seek to establish and maintain peace are partners with God. If you want to give someone a great Christmas gift this year, give them the gift of Jesus. Give them the gift of peace. Become a partner with God’s love. Don’t say “let there be peace on Earth.” Instead say, “Lord, help me to bring peace on Earth.”

In The Name

2008-12-18T09:52:00.000-08:00

The Bible teaches us that acceptable prayer can only be offered to God, the Father, through Jesus, the Son. Generally, we are pretty good about ending our prayers by saying “in Jesus name…” What does that really mean, though? Speaking about this side of the cross (the Church age) Jesus said: “In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.” - John 16:26-27. The Bible makes it clear that we are not to pray to Jesus, We are to access the Father using Jesus’ name. Of course, this also means that we will pray according to Jesus’ will.

Why do we pray in the name of Jesus? The writer of Hebrews explained: “This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.” - Hebrews 7:22-24. In the previous age (what we can call the Temple age), requests of God went through a priest. If you wanted to access God under this old law you had to approach a priest to stand between you and Him. Now, Jesus is our only Priest and our only go-between. 1 John 2 calls Jesus our advocate or intercessor with the Father.

The truth is that using Jesus’ name in prayer is not just about our requests. Ephesians 5:20 tells us that we should give “thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We should also use the name of Jesus when giving thanks. In fact, every part of prayer - adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and requests - should be made through Jesus Christ.

There is much more to using the name of Jesus than just adding “in Jesus name” to the end of our prayers. If that phrase has become rote and meaningless to you, try putting the phrase in other places while you pray. Start off with “God, I approach you in the name of Jesus…” Or, to really drive home the meaning, begin every sentence of your prayer with “Father, in the name of Jesus…” All true and acceptable prayer must be offered through and in the name of Jesus Christ. Any relationship that we can have with God the Father must be based on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Shotgun

2008-12-11T10:45:00.000-08:00

How many times have you seen this happen? Someone who is not a Christian comes on bad or worrisome times and they ask every Christian they know to pray for them. Or, a Christian comes on these times and asks people in denominations or in other religions to pray for them. Perhaps you have even been one of these people. I call these shotgun prayers because as a shotgun sprays pellets over a wide area, these people try to spray prayer over different religions. Rather than pray specifically out of faith to the one true and living God, they want to cover all the bases. It’s like a character in a horror movie not that long ago. He kept an idol from every religion he could find around his neck and when faced with an evil monster, he prayed to each god for help. The idea behind this is that one of these gods must be real and he’d eventually hit on the right one.

It can be a hard pill to swallow but the truth is that acceptable prayer can only be offered to God by His people in the name of Jesus Christ. It is true that good things happen to bad people and as Jesus reminds us in Matthew 5:45, God sends good things to the just and the unjust. However, there is nowhere in scripture where we read that the prayers of unjust or unrighteous people are accepted or answered. In fact, God’s word tells us that He doesn’t even hear them. We can sound intolerant when we tell people this but it was not our decision. This is a choice that God made long ago. “Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.” - Isaiah 59:1-2. Peter reminds of this as he quoted the 34th Psalm; “for the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." - 1 Peter 3:12.

God chooses not to hear people who are unrighteous, people who do evil (kakōs), and people who are not Christians. We can compare this with what God tells us through James. “Confess your trespasses (or sins) to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” - James 5:16. Effective and fervent is one word in the Greek. It is “energeō” and it is where we get the word “energy.” We might translate this in modern language as: “the energetic prayer of a righteous person produces many energetic results.”

The prayers of those who don’t believe in the living God, don’t choose God, don’t submit to God, and don’t obey God will not even be heard. Contrast that with those who have faith, who submit to God, who work for God, and who obey God’s word. They are His people and they will offer prayers that God hears and takes pleasure in.

You Can't Always Get What You Want

2008-12-04T07:32:00.000-08:00

If what Jesus said about prayer is true, why do I so often not receive what I pray for? Jesus talked about prayer having the power to move mountains but there are times when I don’t even get the little things I want. Why does God sometimes answer “no?” These are important questions that people ask over and over and have since time began. The answer is part of another important point about prayer. True and acceptable prayer is offered in harmony with God’s will.

In the Bible, we read passages like “And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” - 1 John 5:15. When we read this verse and don’t receive what we ask of Him it can cause us to wonder if prayer really is powerful or even worthwhile. While this verse is absolutely true, there is much more involved. If we merely back up one verse, we see that there is a condition attached to that promise. "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." - 1 John 5:14. What John is really telling us is that we can know that God hears us and will give us what we want if we ask according to what God desires. This is about seeing God as something much more than a kindly grandfather who likes to spoil us. It’s about changing what we desire. It’s about conforming to God as Romans 12:2 implores us.

Once we have conformed or transformed so that Godly values are now our values, we can yield to God’s will. That’s what Jesus did in the Garden on the night He was arrested. “When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."” - Luke 22:40-4. We might pray like this by saying something similar to “Father, this is what I want but I want what you want more than that what I want.”

James also explains this to us in his broader rebuke of people who don’t get what they want. “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” - James 4:2-3. The King James Version reads “ye ask amiss.” The Greek word is kakōs and it carries the idea of sickness and evil. In this context, James tells us that when we don’t get what we pray for it is because we haven’t prayed with motivations that are in harmony with God’ will.

If we don’t get what we want, we shouldn’t assume there is something wrong with prayer. Perhaps it’s because something is wrong with what we want. Part of having faith in God is having faith that He knows much more than we are capable of knowing. Having faith means that we know He will take care of those who love and follow Him. Having faith means realizing that God will answer no if it is in His and our best interest to not get what we want.

Hand in Hand

2008-11-28T08:16:00.000-08:00

True and acceptable prayer to God, the Father, is prayer that is offered in faith. In fact, faith and prayer go hand in hand. They cannot be separated because the truth is that you will not pray to a God that you don’t have faith in and you will not have faith in a God that you cannot pray to. A good definition of faith is the combination of what we believe to be true and what we are willing to do about it. Prayer is based upon the premise of “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” - Hebrews 11:6

It’s a truth that is reflected in the “Lord’s Prayer" from Matthew 6.” Verse 9 – “Our Father in Heaven” that means “I have faith that you exist and reign in heaven.” Verse 10 – “I have faith that your kingdom will come.” Now, it has come. We might change this today by saying “I have faith that the church is your kingdom and that you rule it.” Elsewhere, Jesus talked a great deal about the power of faith. Regarding the exorcism of a demon-possessed boy, we read in Matthew 17:19-20 “Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”” Faith can be powerful enough to move mountains.

Jesus went on to talk about the great power of faith in prayer. “So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."” - Matthew 21:21-22. Faith, that firm belief that God can and will listen to you, put into action through prayer is so powerful that just a tiny spec of it can help you to achieve great things through God. Prayer is faith based and without faith, true and acceptable prayer cannot exist.

Public Prayer

2008-11-21T06:28:00.000-08:00

Just the thought of leading prayer in worship can create a great deal of stress for some of our brothers. One reason is that it’s more than just speaking out loud. It’s speaking to God and it is speaking to God on behalf of all the Christians who are assembled. Nevertheless, God wants us to have confidence in our prayers (Hebrews 10:22). If brothers are going to have confidence in offering public prayer and if the rest of us are going to have confidence when we take part in that prayer, we have to make sure we understand what true and acceptable prayer is. We must be mindful of the principles of prayer. Not only will this help us in our corporate prayer but in our personal prayers as well.

Prayer is something that can be a little tricky for us. For a while, I was listening to some Radio Preachers to get a feel for how they present their shows. One thing that I noticed is that many of them lead prayer at the end of their message. There is nothing wrong with that but the prayer itself was often more of a continuation of the message. The prayers were like a summary of the lesson. It usually sounded something like “God, we thank you for showing us all the things I’ve just said and I hope everyone listening can see how smart I am.” Last year, we went through the A.C.T.S. of prayer, a pneumonic device to guide us in prayer. The idea is that prayer should be made up of adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. However, that doesn’t give us all that we need to know about prayer.

We read the words of Jesus is in Matthew 6:9-13 “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. - (For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen).” This is often called “The Lord’s Prayer” and it makes a great jumping off point to learn about true an acceptable prayer. We must be careful not to make the mistake that so many people have over the years of thinking that Jesus said “pray this prayer exactly as I say it.” He began this teaching by saying “in this manner” or “pray like this.” These aren’t magic words that force God to listen and give you what you want.

Like all other elements of public worship, prayer must be carried out in spirit and truth (1 Corinthians 14:15.) All prayer must be sincere and not rote memorization of someone else’s words. If your prayer sounds something like this prayer from Jesus, that’s fine but it should be your own words and your own sincere thoughts. The prayer Jesus taught in Matthew 6 gives us a good format for prayer. We must always keep in mind that as with all aspects of worship, our prayers are offerings to God. By using this prayer we can tie in what else the Word of God teaches us about communicating to Him. We learn that True & Acceptable prayer is prayer that is offered in faith (Matthew 21:21-22, Hebrews 11:6), offered in harmony with God’s will (1 John 5:14, Luke 22:40-42, James 4:3), offered by righteous people (1 Peter 3:12, James 5:16-18, Isaiah 59:1-2), offered persistently (Luke 18:1-8, Acts 2:42), and offered to God, the Father, in the name of Jesus, the Son (Ephesians 5:20, Hebrews 7:24-25). We can be confident in our prayers if we follow what the Word of God teaches us about them.

Clinger

2008-11-03T07:02:00.000-08:00

Last spring, one candidate for President of the United States was speaking to a group of wealthy donors in San Francisco about small towns in Pennsylvania. In explaining why he might not win there, he said that: “It's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.” The candidate later said that he didn’t really mean to say what he said but that is hard to believe. It’s hard to believe because by including religion in things to which people “cling,” he was reciting one of the basic creeds of Communist thought. We might use the more politically correct terms Socialism or Progressivism today, but they are one in the same.

The founding father of Communism, Karl Marx, put it this way: “Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.” This thought is often paraphrased well as “religion is the drug of the masses.” It was Marx and his many followers who thought of religion as a hoax that people use to comfort themselves. They teach that belief in God is as bad as, or even worse than, drugs that dull the mind and prevent people from excelling. Religion to the communist is something to sneer at, something to pity people for, and something ultimately to be destroyed. Although they have learned to use religion in order to gain power in our time a central goal of Communism is to achieve universal Atheism.

That is really the goal of all the –isms of the world. Communism, Fascism, Humanism, Environmentalism, etc… are all concerned with erasing the thought of God from mankind. In the case of communism and fascism, the goal is to destroy God and replace Him with totalitarian government. “God can’t help you, it is government that holds your salvation.” To them, belief in God is a superstition that stands in their way. They have no faith in God only faith in man. They have no faith that God is in control and instead seek to control everything and everybody themselves. If we are to embrace their teachings we must reject God.

It is again the Holy Bible, tried and true, that sheds the light of truth on such matters. We learn from it that all good things come from God (James 1:7.) We learn from it that God causes good things to come to all people (Matthew 5:45.) We learn from it that we must obey God over man (Acts 5:29) We learn from it that we are not sufficient ourselves (1Corinthians 3:4-5.) We learn from it that it is only in the true and living God that we can put our trust (1 Timothy4:9-10.) We learn from the history of the Old Testament over and over again that it has always been a mistake when God’s people put their trust in themselves. Perhaps most tellingly, we learn from it that it is only a fool who says that there is no God (Psalm 53:1.) Call me a “bitter clinger” all you’d like. I will continue to do my best to cling to the Lord God Almighty at all times and in all circumstances.

When We Meet

2008-10-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

Some people call it “The Lord’s Supper” some call it “Communion.” Whichever you call it, it is the time in our worship assembly in which we honor that element of worship that the Apostle Paul described in one of his letters to the Corinth Church of Christ: “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."” - 1 Corinthians 11:23-25.

One may wonder why we call it the “cup” or “the fruit of the vine.” The reason is that “fruit of the vine” is what it is called in the Holy Bible. My wife and I had the privilege of bringing some Jewish friends to worship with us last year. One them was very curious about our service. My wife explained to him when the cup was passed that it wasn’t actually wine. He was interested because he knew that the Hebrew phrase for Jewish ceremonial wine is “Pri HaGafen” literally “fruit of the vine.” Meaning that it is not necessarily alcoholic. Clearly, there are times in scripture when “wine” is used and “wine” is meant but when we read about the Lord’s Supper, we read “cup” or “fruit of the vine” because it has been translated from the Greek “gennēma ampelos” that was translated from the Hebrew “Pri HaGafen.”

I have attended worship services that use the Lord’s Supper as a time to sing. The members either listen to a group of people sing or they all join in and sing together as the bread and fruit of the vine is being passed because, as it was explained to me, “communion is so long and boring.” This is the attitude in some churches where they only share the Lord’s Supper a couple of times a year. These are Sundays when many members dread going because “Communion Sunday” means that worship will last longer. Some churches have cut it out completely. They just don’t have time for it. The Lord’s Supper is just not important to them.

Rather than being something that slows down worship, rather than being a time for a break, rather than being something we should get out of the way for more important things, we should see the Lord’s Supper for what it is. It is a vitally important element of our worship as we come together on the first day of every week. It is as important as singing, praying, giving, and even preaching.

The Same Thing... Only Different

2008-10-04T07:44:00.000-07:00

Many large retail stores like Wal-Mart and McDonald's have all built their business around one principle: sameness. No matter where you are, if you visit a Wal-Mart or a McDonald's you will have the same experience as you would have in any other Wal-Mart or McDonald’s. They offer the same product, the same atmosphere, even the same décor. This is also true with many denominations. When visiting, you can expect them to read the same passage of scripture, read the same prayer, deliver a message on the same topic, and even see the speaker wearing the same clothes as all the other churches in that denomination on that particular day. Many of them hold to a calendar that was laid out many centuries ago.

However, this is not true among the churches of Christ. You are not guaranteed to have an identical experience when visiting a local church of Christ. It points to something about culture. People living in different parts of the world have different cultures. They have different ways, different tastes, and this carries over into church worship.

Churches of Christ around the world choose to do some things differently. Some have earlier worship times. Some start with prayer before singing. Some sing 7 to 10 songs, some only 3. Some share the Lord’s Supper after preaching, some before. There are various ways in which we might carry out our worship and certainly our worship today is much different than the cultural and regional differences that would have been used by the 1st Century Church. If in no other way than our four part harmony singing which is an invention of the Western World long after the 1st Century.

Having these differences is not a bad thing. Differences are not bad… just different. When someone may want to change things in worship service they are not necessarily advocating changing what worship is. They may merely want to change those things that are cultural or traditional. However, there are five things that each worship must contain. Five specific things that are non-negotiable. If any of these five things are missing, and if any of these five things are not done within the authorization of the New Testament then our worship is not true and acceptable worship to God.

These five things, or what we can call elements of worship are: Sharing the Lord’s Supper, Praying, Singing, Giving, and Preaching / Teaching. Discovering the collective worship of the local church is a rather simple thing to do. We only need to read the New Testament honestly. There, we will find exactly what acts of worship the Christians of the Early Church engaged in. If we are able to establish by God’s word what He commanded His disciples to do and if we are able to establish examples of them engaging in worship that was authorized by God and if we are able to show examples of God’s word speaking against certain errors in worship then we can then know what is true and acceptable worship.

"Your Word is Truth"

2008-09-26T09:16:00.000-07:00

It would be hard to argue that religion is dying in America. There are church buildings around this nation that are absolutely packed with people on Sunday mornings. Some are so full that they must break up their service into two or three periods in order to accommodate everyone. Unfortunately, like the Jewish elites in the 1st Century, many of them offer things in worship for which they have no authority. They teach the commands of men (e.g. Wesley, Calvin, Luther, John Paul II) as if they are the commandments of God.

We can see clearly in the Bible that God has defined true worship. This is what He expects of us in our worship: God has told us to give (1 Corinthians 16:1), God has told us to sing (Ephesians 5:19), God has told us to teach and preach His word (2 Timothy 4:2), God has told us to observe the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:26-27), and God has told us to pray (James 5:16). He has also told us to do this on the 1st day of the week (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2). These five elements of worship cannot be mere rituals. We can never please God by contradicting His word either by what we add or what we neglect in worship. To offer true and acceptable worship is to express from the heart the form of worship that God requires.

While others may neglect the truth of worship, we might be tempted to neglect the spirit of worship. Do we allow ourselves to attend worship services and mechanically go through the elements of worship? If we do, we are like those hypocrites. We can offer unacceptable worship when we give to the church but not cheerfully and willingly (2 Corinthians 9:7). We can offer unacceptable worship by not praying sincerely. We can offer unacceptable worship by singing and not meaning what we are singing. We can offer unacceptable worship when we fail to truly commemorate Jesus’ death when we share the Lord’s supper (1 Corinthians 11:27-28). We can offer unacceptable worship by being part of false teaching and preaching.

Our worship must be based on truth. What is truth? Jesus prayed to God “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” - John 17:17. God’s word is the source of truth. It is not hard to find what is true and acceptable. It is not hard to give God true and acceptable worship. Through simple obedience to the will of God, we can worship Him as He has directed. The danger of being wrong is very real. If we add to or take from what has been given by God’s word then the truth no longer exists. We are no longer obeying the will of God but the will of man. If we serve what is false rather than what is true, we not only offer false worship but we fall into condemnation by God.

Unauthorized Fire

2008-09-17T06:25:00.000-07:00

The second era of mankind’s relationship with God is what we call the Mosaic Dispensation. Meaning that it is characterized by the Law of God given to Moses. Certainly, no one would argue that worship was not explicitly taught by God under the Law. In fact, there are some denominations that still want us to worship according the commands of the Law at least, parts of it that we are able to. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy all contain whole and lengthy discourses on the true and acceptable worship of God. Worship is clearly described and commanded in the Old Testament.

Temple worship is no longer possible. The fact remains that while we are not under the Mosaic Laws today, true worship, that is worship that is true and acceptable to God, existed under the law. What were the consequences of breaking God’s commands?
Consider the story of Nadab and Abihu: “Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.” - Leviticus 10:1-2. Different versions of the Bible use different translations in this passage. Some use “strange” fire, “profane” fire, and “unauthorized” fire. They are all good translations of the Hebrew word “zoor” but “unauthorized” is probably the best. “Unauthorized” makes the point that Nadab and Abihu offered fire in a way that God had not allowed for true and acceptable worship. God gave specific instructions to the priests about how to conduct the various elements of worship.

The Lord was speaking about the altar: “You shall not offer strange incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering; nor shall you pour a drink offering on it.” - Exodus 30:9 God told the Priests not to offer strange or unauthorized (same word) incense on the altar of incense, nor were they to offer burnt offerings, meal offerings or drink offerings on it. Furthermore, God commanded: "And Aaron shall bring the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bull as the sin offering which is for himself. Then he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from the altar before the Lord, with his hands full of sweet incense beaten fine, and bring it inside the veil” - Leviticus 16:11-12

This is not what Aaron’s sons did. What had God said about His commands? "Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it." - Deuteronomy 12:32 We might say in other words “do what I say and do not do what I do not say.” Nadab and Abihu did not follow the instructions of God regarding Worship. Had they done so, their worship would have been true and acceptable to the Lord. They missed the mark and took fire from another source, they sinned. When they sinned they died before the Lord. This is not to say that people today who offer false worship to God are struck dead on the spot. That didn’t even always happen under the Mosaic Law. It is to say, though, that true worship matters enough to God that He did respond in this way.

What's The Difference?

2008-09-05T08:30:00.000-07:00

The Holy Bible breaks down the history of mankind into three periods of time. In each of these ages, God has communicated to man about what He requires from us. We call these “dispensations” because He has dispensed commands to mankind. We read about the first dispensation in Genesis, the second dispensation in Exodus to Malachi, and the third dispensation in the New Testament. Since the first age, since the dawn of time, God has cared a great deal about how He is worshipped. This goes all the way back to Cain and Able, the sons of Adam and Eve. “And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. So the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." - Genesis 4:3-7.

What does this teach us about worship? Cain worshiped God by offering fruit of the ground but God did not respect his offering. We also read that Abel worshiped God by offering the firstborn of his flock and their fat and that God did respect Abel’s offering. Some people have made a mistake of assuming that the fruit from the ground was an improper sacrifice but the truth is that scripture doesn’t really tell us that. In fact, under the next dispensation, God did accept grain offerings.

What was really the difference in the two sacrifices? In verse seven, God told Cain that “sin lies at the door.” Sin means missing the mark. Cain missed the mark in some way. Before one can miss a mark, a mark must exist. Therefore, God must have told the brothers what to offer in their worship. Although the Bible does not record these specific instructions they must have been given. Not only did God provide instructions for worship but they were true and acceptable because they came from God Himself.

Cain perverted his worship to God by offering something different from what God had commanded. We read what the difference was in their sacrifice in the New Testament; “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.” - Hebrews 11:4. God provided the word. Abel had enough faith to worship accordingly but Cain did not. Abel’s worship was true and acceptable. Cain perverted his worship. It was untrue and God rejected it. This false and unacceptable worship resulted in God declaring harsh judgment. So harsh, that in Genesis 4:13, Cain pled that it was more than he could bear. God cared a great deal about how He was worshipped and He still does. We certainly are not called to make animal or grain sacrifices under the current dispensation but we are called to offer to God the “sacrifice of praise” (Hebrews 13:15). Like Able, we must have the faith to offer the worship that God desires.

True & Acceptable

2008-08-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

W.E. Vine was a very able and prolific biblical scholar. His works are widely used among the churches of Christ. However, consider what he wrote in his most popular work An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Vol. IV, page 236: “The Worship of God is nowhere defined in scripture.” W.E. Vine and men and women like him have decided that God does not care how we worship Him or that any worship we offer is acceptable to Him. If this is true can there be true worship? Jesus said that God should be worshiped in spirit and truth (John 4:24.) So, there must be a sincere and true way to worship. If there is a true way, what are all the others?

The worship that God desires is what is true and acceptable. Like the Pharisees and Scribes of the first century, men and women today have developed a great number of traditions regarding worship. Jesus quoted from the Old Testament books of Isaiah and Ezekiel in Matthew 15:7-9 "You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"

There are many different churches today in which the members go by the name “Christian.” Many of them have become so steeped in tradition and the teachings of men that they have actually become different religions. Some of these have added unnecessarily to true worship. For example, the lighting of candles or incense. Some traditions have taken away from true worship. For example, some churches have done away with the Lord’s Supper. Some of this comes from ignorance. It comes from an understanding like that of W.E. Vine.

If we can find in scripture where God has defined the terms of true and acceptable worship then Mr. Vine and the others are wrong. If there is true and acceptable worship then all other worship that is offered to God is perverted and unacceptable worship. Of course, we do find worship described in the Bible. We find worship directed to men, a dragon, a beast, the image of a beast, demons, and idols. What we are interested in is worship to the true and living God. “Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, "'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'" - Matthew 4:10. Along with that we must understand that true and acceptable worship is never about us and our likes or dislikes. With that understanding, we must search the Bible to find out if how we worship matters to God. If we find that it does indeed matter, then it is equally important that we obey what we learn.

Sincere Worship

2008-08-21T15:14:00.000-07:00

It is a constant theme throughout human history; people will always find something to worship. It seems to be something we are born with. We might not worship the true and living God but we will find something to worship. If not false gods or religion then some other idol like wealth. Just worshipping something, however, is not what God requires of us. We cannot know on our own how to worship or even what to worship. It is therefore always important for the Christian to carefully read the Holy Bible and be sure of what the true worship that the Gospel calls us to really is.

We must endeavor to understand what we call our corporate worship (i.e. the worship that we together offer to the Lord God on Sundays.) The Word of God gives us direct and clear commands regarding how God is to be worshipped. In fact, there are five elements of worship that we are commanded to obey: the collection, the singing, prayer, preaching / teaching, and the Lord’s supper. The truth is that in obeying these commands we will offend people. Perhaps you’re wondering what can be offensive about worshiping God. There are many things about true and acceptable worship that can be offensive to people. Offensive even to people who would say that they are Christians.

Some people look at our worship and say that we are doing it wrong. Some people look at our worship and say that we put too many rules on it. Some people look at our worship and say it isn’t enjoyable. They may leave not feeling uplifted or entertained. Some people argue that it doesn’t matter how we worship or even if we do, as long when we do it’s from the heart. They believe the popular but unscriptural idea that “God will accept any sincere worship.”

So, when we look to the Bible for instruction from God on how we should worship Him we will offend people. Worship that focuses on God instead of people will always be offensive. Jesus speaking in John 4:24 stated “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." Jesus tells us that God desires our worship to be done in spirit and in truth. What does that mean? It means that true and acceptable worship will be done with a sincere attitude and in the correct manner. Yes, there is indeed a correct method in worshipping God. He requires to be worshipped with the right heart and in the right way. The Bible itself bears witness that He has never accepted just any worship. The challenge for any church is to remember that worship must be focused on that which we worship and not on the worshippers.

Judiazers

2008-08-05T08:38:00.000-07:00

One of the first big controversies in the Church of Christ came to a head in Antioch. Given who makes up the Church today, it may be surprising that the Gospel was originally preached only to Jews. The great sermon of Pentecost in Acts 2 was only to Jews and that was the pattern of the early Church (Acts 11:19.) Of course, we know that eventually non-Jews were included in Gospel preaching. In Acts 10 we read about a vision given to the Apostle Peter by God. Later, Peter explained to Cornelius: “So Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”” - Acts 10:34-35.

In the beginning of Acts 11, we read about Peter going before the understandably skeptical church in Jerusalem to explain and there was an immediate change. “But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists (Greek speaking non-Jews) also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.” - Acts 11:20-21 Preaching to Gentiles worked very well and Antioch became the most prominent congregation after Jerusalem.

However, there were a group of teachers called Judiazers. They believed that one had to become Jewish before they could become a Christian. In other words, the Gentiles had to obey the Gospel and keep the Old Law in order to be saved. They came to Antioch. “But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."” - Acts 15:1. Of course, we now know that this teaching is incorrect. The Holy Bible makes it clear that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a New Covenant, not an addition to the Old Law. The parables that Jesus told about new and old cloth and new and old wineskins in Matthew 9 point to the truth that His Gospel is something entirely new. On the specific point of circumcision, the Apostle Paul later wrote: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” - Galatians 5:6.

As hard as it may be to believe, Judiazers are still around. There are several denominations that teach us that we must follow the Old Law in one way or another. (None of them teach that it should be entirely followed.) Perhaps they want us to follow some aspect of temple worship or keep some of the dietary laws or observe the Sabbath Day. Whatever it may be, the Bible is clear. Of Jesus we read “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” - Colossians 2:11-14

Read All About It

2008-07-25T05:38:00.000-07:00

You may remember our article a few weeks ago about John Wycliffe. (The man who had the outrageous idea of translating the Holy Bible into a language that people could read.) You may or may not know about a man who was in many ways Wycliffe’s successor. This man’s name was William Tyndale. About 200 years later, he too translated the Holy Bible into English and it was a very good translation. Where Wycliffe kept the Latin Phrasing, Tyndale changed the phrasing to make more sense. For example: Wycliffe translated Genesis 1:3 "And God said: Be made light, and made is light." Tyndale translated Genesis 1:3: "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light."

Tyndale gave us many phrases that we still use today. In fact, Tyndale’s translation was in many ways the basis used for the King James Translation. Even outside of the Holy Bible, Tyndale’s wording carries on in our culture. He gave us “my brother’s keeper,” “it came to pass,” “sign of the times,” “the spirit is willing,” and “fight the good fight.” Fighting the good fight is what Tyndale actually did.

As with Wycliffe, the Roman Catholic Church worked against Tyndale’s translation and he was burned at the stake. What perturbed them most were the words he chose in regard to the Church in his New Testament translations. He used “Overseer” instead of “Bishop.” He used “Elder” instead of “Priest.” What was worse, instead of using the word “Church” he used the word “Congregation.” This simple change of translation changed everything. It meant that the Church wasn’t intended to refer to simply the human appointed leadership but that the Church Jesus had built was actually the people – all the people of the congregation or assembly.

Like Wycliffe, Tyndale challenged the authority and even the tyranny of the Roman Catholic Church. From their perspective, their church had to take precedence over the Word of God. When there was a conflict between what the Roman Catholic Church taught and what the Bible taught, it was the Roman Catholic leadership that prevailed. However, Wycliffe and Tyndale knew enough to know that that was not how it was supposed to be. They could read that even the Apostles themselves in the Jerusalem Church of Christ relied on a higher authority as we read in Acts 15.

Wycliffe

2008-07-18T06:54:00.000-07:00

John Wycliffe lived in 14th Century England. He had an outrageous idea – unheard of in religious circles. Wycliffe believed that the Holy Bible should be translated into a language that people could actually read. Keep in mind this wasn't about veering away from the original wording of the Bible. The translation into Latin was already being used exclusively by the Roman Catholic Church. Wycliffe thought aloud "why not translate the scriptures from Greek or Latin into English?" and that is what he did. Wycliffe translated and published at least the four gospels in vernacular English (that is the way people spoke the language.)

The Roman Catholic Church did not support his idea. For almost 700 years the Roman Catholic Church had a monopoly on the Bible. They told people what they decided people should know. That suited their philosophy. Then, as now, it was the belief of the leadership that the rules and traditions of their church trumped the Holy Bible.

Whether he intended or not, Wycliffe challenged the authority of the Roman Catholic Church. They took one verse of scripture out of context to support their view. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." - Matthew 16:19 They decided that this meant that the worldly church could make rules that God would abide by. The Pope could change, pervert, even violate the word of God and that would actually change God's will. They had elevated the Roman Catholic Church above everything else. Everything done in the name of Christianity was to be done in service of the leadership not in service of God or His people. Here was their mistake, and it was one that we must be sure not to copy: they believed that the “Church” is the greatest being the universe.

The truth is that no church is more important than the Word of God. The Church must be subservient to the Word of God. Our ultimate allegiance must be to God and His Word. The Holy Bible is what any true church is bound to. No church can change the Bible and no church can take precedence over the Bible. The church requires our commitment and dedication but we cannot elevate it above its true place. In our effort to be Christians, we must realize that if or when there is a conflict between the Bible and the practice, teaching, or belief of whatever church we are associated with it is to the Word of God that we must cling.

Look Away

2008-06-13T03:51:00.000-07:00

To covet means to desire, to crave, and to lust for something that is somebody else’s. Recently, the History Channel aired a television program about the Ten Commandments. Near the end of the program, scholars stated quite clearly and confidently that the last of the commandments was much different than the others. It reads: "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's." - Exodus 20:17. This one, they stated, covered a human characteristic that is uncontrollable. The first nine told us about certain actions we must or must not take. The tenth, though, is not about action but feeling. The argument made is that coveting is based on feelings and after all, who can control how they feel?

Like many things in our world, we have a great deal more control over whether or not we covet than we might think. The truth is that coveting is an action. It is natural to notice and even appreciate what other people have. In order to covet those things, however, we must set our hearts on them. We must decide that something they have would make us happier or better off. This is true if it is a thing or a relationship. Coveting easily leads to more and more coveting and more and more action. In many ways, it is the root or our worst actions. King David went down possibly his darkest road when he coveted Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. Coveting for him led to lies, adultery, corruption, and what amounted to murder. How could he have avoided coveting her? When he saw her bathing from his roof he could taken the right action. He could have chosen to look away.

Part of the Christian walk is understanding that fulfillment in life is not based on the things of this world. That man or woman who “has it all” may seem great in a worldly way but we must constantly ask ourselves where true satisfaction comes from. If possession of things makes one happy, then why is it that even the wealthy (like King David) still covet? It’s been said that even the richest person in the world wants more. This is why our Lord tells us: "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." - Luke 12:15.

Meet The New Boss...

2008-06-06T03:35:00.000-07:00

Many people seem to have the idea that there are two Gods, the Old and the New. We too can sometimes get caught up in thinking that the Old Testament is about the Old God. The idea is that God was harsh and demanding until Jesus came along. As if Jesus came on the scene and said “God is much less demanding than He used to be.” Jesus is often seen as a relaxed teacher who made everything easier and the commands of God somehow less demanding. The truth is that the requirements may have changed but God still has standards that we must follow.

Consider the matter of divorce. The seventh of the Ten Commandments simply reads: "You shall not commit adultery. " - Exodus 20:14. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made two points about adultery. "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” - Matthew 5:27-28 and "It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Matthew 5:31-32.

Later, Jesus said that under the Law of Moses divorce was allowed but that under Jesus’ teaching anyone who divorces and marries again is an adulterer unless the divorce was caused by infidelity. (Matthew 19:8) Additionally, as Jesus’ representative, the Apostle Paul wrote: “To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.” - 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 Does this really seem like a loosening of God’s requirements?

When we actually take the time to read the Holy Bible instead of relying on the interpretation of others, we can clearly see that Jesus was quite serious when He spoke about the righteousness of the Christian. “Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” - Matthew 5:19-20

Grasping

2008-04-25T06:03:00.000-07:00

His name means "he who grasps" and he appears in the New Testament genealogy of Jesus in the Gospel according to Matthew. Ahaz was 20 years old when he became King of Judah in around 740 B.C. He had access to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and the benefit of great and Godly men. Hosea, Micah, and Isaiah were all prophets of God that lived in Judah during the sixteen year reign of Ahaz. Today, we still have recorded for us specific prophecies and directions that God gave to Ahaz through Isaiah. King Ahaz certainly had many reasons to be confident and secure as he ruled.

Yet, when the Syrians and Israelis came to attack Jerusalem, we read "…the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind." – Isaiah 7:2. When Isaiah brought Ahaz the word of God telling him not to be afraid of the attack and assuring him that it would not succeed, Ahaz instead chose to seek help from the king of Assyria. His kingdom would pay a great price for this in the end. King Azah himself would be remembered as a very poor king and was not even buried with the other kings of Judah.

With so much going for him, how could he have been insecure? How could he have failed so miserably? Perhaps he was not a religious man. Actually, King Ahaz was a very religious man. He worshipped, he offered sacrifices and made offerings everywhere he went. "But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel. He even made metal images for the Baals, and he made offerings in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom and burned his sons as an offering, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. And he sacrificed and made offerings on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree." – 2 Chronicles 28:2-4

King Ahaz was religious but he was religiously wrong. He was devoted not the religion of the true and living God but to the religion of men. As a result, we read: "therefore the Lord his God gave him into the hand of the king of Syria, who defeated him and took captive a great number of his people and brought them to Damascus. He was also given into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with great force." - 2 Chronicles 28:5. Are all religions the same? Is God happy with us just as long as we are religious in some way? If it were possible, we could ask Ahaz, the king who grasped the wrong religion.

As Long As You Believe In Something

2008-03-06T19:04:00.000-08:00

"As long as you believe in something…" So goes the modern reasoning when it comes to religion. Religion, we are told, is useful in making us healthy, wealthy, and wise but it doesn't matter which one. All religions, all beliefs, all gods are equal. Belief and devotion to Hinduism, Buddhism, Mormonism, Islam, Judaism, even newly invented religions are all equally good (Christianity may be lone exception for some) just as long as you don’t take them too seriously. We are led to believe that whichever religion works best for you is the true religion for you. “As long as you believe in something, you’re doing alright.”

Underneath this reasoning about religion is the idea that it is not God who helps you but that your belief is what helps you. There is nothing divine, nothing supernatural inside any religion. It is instead the belief and devotion that sparks something inside you that helps you. The idea that all religions are equally good is actually a denial of all that these religions promote and teach.

If there is nothing higher than man in this universe, if there is no God or gods of any kind, then the idea of all religions being equal is true. If all religions are based on the imagination of men and women, if all religions are based on folk tales, if all religions are based on falsehoods, then they are all equal. However, can we really say that all religions are equally good? The truth is that religions based on things that are untrue are untrue themselves. Nothing good can come from a religion based on lies. It is therefore all the more troubling when you hear people who call themselves Christians spout out the idea that all religions are equal.

There is nothing in the Holy Bible that teaches us that pleasing God in some other way is acceptable. Instead, God tells us in His word that there is one way to salvation. From the inspired pen of Paul we read: “... if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead.” - 1 Corinthians 15:14-20

Tell Christians we are right or tell us we are wrong, but do not tell us Christianity is equal with all other religions. We believe that Christ alone is the way to salvation. If you don’t love and obey Jesus Christ, call us liars or idiots. If we are wrong, pity us but don’t patronize us.

Inevitable Victory

2008-02-25T08:10:00.000-08:00

The New England Patriots were assumed by many to be the inevitable victors of Super Bowl XLII. Having won every regular and post season game, it seemed like the first perfect 19-0 season was inevitable and the 1972 Dolphins would finally have to stop bragging about 17-0. The experts were even telling us that this year's Patriots may be the best team ever fielded in the NFL. Reality worked out a little differently. The New England Patriots had an inevitable victory until they didn't actually win.

Jets' Quarterback, Joe Namath, predicted his team would have a victory in Super Bowl III even though they weren't expected by anyone else to win. Joe was right, but later admitted that he didn't really know the Jets would win. Presidential candidates do a lot of predicting. Successful campaigning dictates talking about "when I am elected President" not "if I am elected President." As it stands now, though, at least five presidential contenders are wrong and even the most confident cannot be completely sure of victory. Not one of them has an inevitable victory. Just ask Thomas E. Dewey in 1948; there are no inevitable victories in this world.

Yet, Jesus Himself proclaimed "take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33) even though His friend, Judas, was about to betray Him to be beaten, scourged, ridiculed, humiliated, and killed.

Still, Jesus declared His inevitable victory. The Apostle John would confirm this victory years later and declare victory for all of those whose faith is in Jesus Christ. "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" - 1 John 5:3-5

Jesus could make His claim to victory because he knew the very things the world threw at Him were the very things by which he would gain victory. His victory is ours as well. He gives it to the Christian. If you belong to Jesus and remain faithful to the Kingdom of God, you too have an inevitable victory that not even a team of giants can take from you.

Babel & On

2008-02-13T10:34:00.000-08:00

It was after the Great Flood that God confused our language. Since that time, mankind has wrestled with separate languages but for a brief time in a certain place, that was changed. The Bible tells us that on the first Pentecost after Jesus' resurrection: Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?" - Acts 2:5-8.

What each person went on the hear that day was the Apostle Peter preaching the first sermon of the Church of Christ. So important was the Gospel message of Jesus Christ that God temporarily suspended the confusion of language.

Of course, this time has passed but since the New Testament was laid out, it has been translated into various languages. Today, the entire Holy Bible is available in every language. The most recent may be the translation of the King James Version into Klingon. Language may be a barrier for us, but as for the word of God, there is no reason that it cannot be read and understood by anyone no matter what their native language. Bibles are widely available in our country and many of us have multiple copies in various English translations.

Still, Bibles can be rare in many parts of the world. In Saudi Arabia it is a serious offense to bring a Holy Bible into the country whatever the language. Any visitor caught bringing a Bible in has it confiscated and immediately shredded. Any one found with a Bible inside Saudi Arabia can be punished by up to 70 lashes for each Bible, jail time, and even death. The word of God must be a very powerful thing indeed to deserve this severity.

"It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" - Matthew 4:4

Journey to Babel

2008-01-31T12:10:00.000-08:00

The United Nations was established in 1945 immediately after World War II. While the work of this organization involve international law, economic development, social progress, and human rights, the main goal has been to prevent war and other violent conflicts between nations. At UN Headquarters in New York City, the vending machines have been modified to accept currency from each of the 192 member countries and translators are everywhere. There are some 100 different languages and dialects spoken there daily.

In the area where I live, just walking around the grocery store can be like a visit to UN Headquarters. You are likely to hear Spanish, Vietnamese, Indian, various African languages, and perhaps even some English. The expression "language barrier" comes to mind often. You sometimes can't help but think that people would get along a lot better if we all spoke the same language. For example, we are told that the best translation for the word "truce" in Arabic is something like "let's pause and reload." Wouldn't all our problems be resolved if we all spoke the same language?

Some languages are actually similar. Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese are actually based on one language, Latin. How do we account for languages that are as divergent as Chinese, Navaho, and Swahili, though? The differences can be traced to one incident that is recorded in the Holy Bible. Genesis 11 tells us that God purposely confused human language some time after the great flood. So, does God not want us to get along?

The truth is that we can find plenty of reasons to fight without any language barrier. There is an old saying that England and America are divided by a common language. Even the casual observer can see that if the goal of the UN and all its translators has been to end conflict among nations, they have failed miserably. God intended that the descendents of Noah should spread out over all the Earth. Instead, men decided to stay together in one place and build a giant city and tower. Mankind was united but without trust in God, it was unity based on rebellion. Enormous conflict would have surely followed. The confusion was made for our own good.

That is why we read: Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth. - Genesis 11:9

For What It's Worth

2008-01-18T06:37:00.000-08:00

In a commercial for an upcoming movie, two men are discussing a robbery. One man tells the other that he doesn't want to rob a church to which the other responds "we aren't stealing from a church, we're stealing from the people in the church." What an upside down idea! The Bible teaches us that a church is people by definition. The Greek word that is most often translated "church" in the New Testament is "ekklēsia" which loosely means "assembly or congregation of people who are called." Perhaps it would help us to use the word "congregation" more often. Of course, the potential robber in the commercial displays part of the denominational attitude about what a church is.

Rather than being some material thing, the church is made up of men and women who have submitted their lives to Jesus Christ through baptism (Acts 2:47.) The incorrect denominational idea sometimes makes its way into our minds, though. We might even say we are going to church when we mean we are going to worship. The meeting of the saints in Jesus' name, wherever the location, is where the church is. It's not too hard to figure out why we fall into the trap of thinking differently. Dismissing and devaluing the church is much easier when we think of it as a building or a manmade organization rather than people. We can neglect a building without bothering our conscience but not so when we realize that it is our real, living, breathing brothers and sisters we are really neglecting. The church that belongs to Jesus is made up of God's people and it worth quite a lot.

Let's consider what the church is worth:

To Philip - It was worth his time (Acts 8:26-40)

To Matthew - It was worth his livelihood (Matthew 9:9)

To Paul - It was worth his ancestry, his freedom, his health, his food & drink, and his deepest concern (2 Corinthians 11:22-28)

To Stephen - It was worth his life (Acts 7:58)

To Jesus - It was worth His body and blood (Acts 20:28)

To God - It was worth His beloved and only Son (John 3:16)

Are You Ready For Some Football?

2008-01-11T03:28:00.000-08:00

The week before and after New Year's Day is a football fan's dream. The last regular season games of the NFL are played and for many of the teams, it is either win or stay home in January. It's a big time for College Football too. There are more bowl games than even the most organized fan can keep track of without a chart. From the Motor City Bowl on December 26 to the Bowl Championship Game on January 7 there are 24 bowl games. During that time my television and recliner get quite a workout.

Earlier this season, there was an exciting NFL game that was so greatly anticipated some called Super Bowl XVI½. On November 4, 2007 the New England Patriots were taking on their arch rivals, and quite possibly the biggest threat to their undefeated season, the Indianapolis Colts. It was estimated that more people tuned in to see this late afternoon game than any regular season game ever. The game itself lived up to the hype. The high powered offenses were held to low scores, there were accusations of cheating, and it was decided by only four points. At least, that's what I heard.

Although I love football, I didn't watch one second of the game. An afternoon business meeting at the church building followed by evening worship kept me from the television. That day I learned (actually relearned) an important lesson; I would much rather serve the Lord's Church and worship Him with my brothers and sisters than watch even a second of the greatest game ever played.

It's a lesson we all often forget if we don't stop to think about how many people are not privileged to be able to worship together. There have been Christians over the past 2,000 years, even today, that worship alone and in hiding, are hunted, and would give any earthly treasure to be a part of a local church. When we neglect to meet together, we are depriving ourselves of so much not the least of which is love and encouragement. Consider what the writer of Hebrews wrote: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." – Hebrews 10:23-25

There is an even more important point here. God wants His children to meet together. Jesus said: "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." – Matthew 18:20. If God's own Son is with Christians whenever we meet, the least we can do is join Him. So, is meeting together important? Yes, even more important than football.

Imagination Christmas

2007-12-19T18:29:00.000-08:00

You can learn a lot about what the world thinks of Christianity from television. On the show The Simpsons, Christians are most often represented by the next door neighbor, Ned Flanders and his family. The Simpson father, Homer, despises Ned because he has completely different values.

In one episode, Ned is approached with a giant request for monetary benevolence by Homer. Ned happily agrees and then announces to his children in a thrilled voice "looks like we're having an Imagination Christmas this year!" His kids are thrilled and pretend to open their presents at once. One pretends to have received a Pogo Stick and jumps around the house. Homer and the audience is left with the impression that the Flanders clan is a bunch of weirdoes.

What The Simpsons are making of fun of is the idea that Christians can actually be joyful about giving. To those of the world, it is in getting and taking that one gets joy. Most people know that the Bible says something about it being more blessed to give than to receive but too often those are just nice sounding words. It just doesn't make sense to get pleasure out of giving something (especially money) away. The words come from the Apostle Paul's farewell to Elders of the Church of Christ in Ephesus. "In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" - Acts 20:35

Of course, there is much more to this idea than just words. Understanding the teachings of Jesus leads one to understand that giving is better for others, better for yourself, and better in the eyes of God.

There is something else that The Simpsons were making fun of in this incident. When the Flanders boys get excited about the "Imagination Christmas" the impression is made that this family can be happy about having only imaginary presents. Whether they realize it or not, the writers hit upon an idea that also seems upside down to those of the world. Yes, the kids are energized at the prospect of presents that aren't real, but is that a bad thing? In our very material world, perhaps. Christians may know, though, that there is great advantage in avoiding overindulgence. Christians may also know that having material things is not truly important.

The Flanders are going to have financial hardships because they have helped their neighbors but they don't complain. Money doesn't seem important to these weirdoes. Perhaps like other Christians, they can recall some other words spoken by Paul. "Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:11-13

Just a little something to think about this Christmas.

Letter of Thanks

2007-12-19T18:27:00.000-08:00

Greetings Brothers & Sisters,

Most of you have heard of my recent illness. We want to assure you that my family and I are doing much better, now. Your donations of food, your cards and calls of concern were spiritually uplifting and greatly appreciated. We are especially thankful for your prayers. Thank you also to everyone who has shouldered the burdens that my continued absence has caused.
I miss each one of you and if God allows, I hope to join you in worship soon. Until then, I echo the sentiments of the Apostle Paul writing to the Church of Christ in Colossae; although I am absent in body I am with you in spirit.

The Lord has deeply blessed His church in Timberville as a strong and united family. Let us continually praise God through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. You shall ever remain in my prayers of thanksgiving.

In Christian Love,
Neil Emory

Pilgrims

2007-12-05T17:55:00.000-08:00

It was during the fall of 1621 that the newly arrived colonists, called Pilgrims, and their Native American neighbors first celebrated a feast that would come to be known as Thanksgiving in America. We've all heard that the Pilgrims came to America seeking religious freedom, but is that true? Actually, yes! The Pilgrims were a splinter group of a religious movement that would eventually lead to civil war in England.

The Church of England, or Anglican Church, had been established by King Henry VIII about a hundred years earlier. However, the combination of the printing press and the first English translations of the Bible (e.g. Tyndale's, Geneva) made it possible for more people to read scripture for themselves. What they soon realized, of course, was that the Anglican Church, which stood in opposition to the Roman Catholic Church, was just as illegitimate in belief and practice.

Those who wanted to reform the Anglican Church and strip away everything that opposed the Bible were called the Puritans. The Pilgrims were part of a group known as Puritan Separatists that thought the Church of England was beyond reform and tried instead to detach from it. After an attempt at establishing a new life in Holland, a small group of Separatist Pilgrims set sail for America. Yes, they wanted freedom to worship God as they believed correct.

In England, membership in the Anglican Church was mandatory by law and as head of the church, King James I cracked down on Puritans and Separatists. They were arrested, tortured, even killed. King James also attacked the Puritans by commanding and authorizing a new translation of the Holy Bible "to be used in England." For over 350 years, the "Authorized" King James Bible was the standard translation used among all English speaking people.

Although they put forward irrational ideas such as pre-destination and infant baptism, the beliefs of the Pilgrims were not that much different from our own in the churches of Christ, today. For example, the Pilgrims denied the sacraments of Confirmation, Penance, Ordination, and Last Rites. They also denied the legitimacy of the Pope, the King of England as Head of the Church, veneration of Saints, holy relics, and religious symbols like crucifixes and statues. The Pilgrims believed that the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England were man-made organizations without basis in scripture. It was their intention to worship with the New Testament as their only model. We certainly have more in common with them than with the church from which they sought refuge.

Aside from its intention, the King James Version, as it has come to be known, has proven to be accurate and useful. It has helped many, many people understand the word of God and come to Christ. It is strange to think, though, that some congregations of the Church of Christ insist that members use the King James Version only (i.e. to the exclusion of all others.) It is, after all, a translation of the Bible that carries the name and authorization of a man who would violently oppose and persecute us for our beliefs.

What's the Purpose?

2007-11-15T07:33:00.000-08:00

The following is a portion of the "Saddleback Story." It tells the history of one of the most popular mega-churches in the United States.

"On Easter of 1980, Saddleback Valley Community Church held its very first public service and 205 people, most of whom had never been to church, showed up. That began one of the most exciting journeys of growth that any church has experienced in American history. In more than two decades of ministry in South Orange County, God has continued to expand the church’s influence. Currently, Saddleback Church has more than 200 ministries serving the church and community. One in nine people in the area call Saddleback their church home."

"God has also expanded the church’s ministry both nationally and internationally. Pastor Rick (Warren)’s 1995 book The Purpose Driven Church put the principles that led to the church’s success in print, namely its focus on the five biblical purposes of the church: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and evangelism. Now more than 200,000 church leaders from around the world have been trained in Saddleback’s purpose-driven philosophy."

The Purpose Driven Church has indeed become a widely used guide for churches that are desperate for growth. Although the Saddleback Church is actually a Baptist church in disguise, many churches of Christ have decided to adopt its principles. While there is some useful information to be found, is it really wise to use a book that contradicts the Holy Bible? Consider Chapter 15: Selecting Your Music. The author laments that at first, he didn't put enough money into the music that Saddleback offered to visitors. His advice for churches today is to modernize the instruments and styles of music that are used. It is suggested that organs should be replaced but what is not mentioned is that even the "old fashioned" organs have no place in real worship. Warren goes on to write that Saddleback is often referred to as "the flock that likes to rock"

It's true that this advice may lead to higher membership but if a church grows by using methods that are unauthorized by God, what are they really doing? They may gain a large group of people, but it is no longer a church that belongs to Christ. The duty of His church is to "obey God" and "preach the Gospel." Growth is the responsibility of God alone and His methods are superior in every way. Is it better to be small and obedient or large and rebellious? That depends on what your purpose really is.

The A.C.T.S. of Prayer - S

2007-11-09T08:49:00.000-08:00

Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!" And God granted what he asked. - 1 Chronicles 4:10

During the last century, someone put together a great device to remind us how to pray. A.C.T.S. means A = adoration, C = confession, T = thanksgiving, S = Supplication. It serves as an excellent device to remember what we are doing when we pray and is based upon the example prayers of Jesus in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:1-4. It doesn’t tell us everything we need to know about prayer but it can keep up from getting “lost” when we pray.

S = Supplication. Supplication is asking or begging earnestly. This part of prayer is easy, right? We have no problem asking God for things. "Give me this, give me that, heal me, make this easier for me…" What if supplication means more than that and why do we not always get what we ask for?

Part of having faith in God is the realization that He knows much more than we can and knowing that He will take care of those who love and follow Him. In 1 John 5:15 we read that "if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." While this is true, there is a condition attached in the previous verse. In 1 John 5:14 we read "now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." So, what John was really writing to us is that we can know that God hears us if we ask according to what He desires.

It is important that we don't fall into the trap of seeing God as something like a kindly grandfather who likes to spoil us. As Romans 12:2 implores us, we are to conform to God. Once we have conformed or transformed, Godly values are now our values. We can then yield to God’s will. This is the key to Jesus' prayer in the garden on the night He was arrested.
"Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." - Luke 22:42

True prayer is something like: "Lord, this is what I desire, but I want what you desire more than what I desire." James also explains this to us in his broader rebuke of people who want and don’t get:
"You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." - James 4:2-3

The message of the New Testament regarding supplication is that when we ask God, we must come to Him in prayer with motivations that are in harmony with His divine and superior will.

The A.C.T.S. of Prayer - C

2007-10-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. - 2 Corinthians 7:9

During the last century, someone put together a great device to remind us how to pray. A.C.T.S. means A = adoration, C = confession, T = thanksgiving, S = Supplication. We don’t know who first came up with the acronym (although it seems to have come from within the churches of Christ in America). It serves as an excellent device to remember what we are doing when we pray and is based upon the example prayers of Jesus in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:1-4. It doesn’t tell us everything we need to know about prayer but it can keep up from getting “lost” when we pray.

C = Confession. What exactly is confession? It’s the part of prayer that many of us would rather ignore. We usually try keep the focus on God when communicating to Him. It is true that God must be our only focus during most acts of worship but, like the Lord's Supper, prayer involves focusing a little on ourselves. It can be hard and uncomfortable to look into our own lives, find specific sins, and admit them. Satan tries to make us believe that sin doesn't exist if we ignore it. The truth is that sin makes a huge mark on our souls, it warps our minds, and hinders our prayers.

Every prayer should contain confession and repentance for specific sins we've committed. All prayer involves opening our heart to God. Confession in prayer is about asking Him to search our heart for sin.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. - Psalms 139:23-24

While Jesus certainly didn’t need to confess anything about Himself, the model prayer He gave us in Matthew 6 includes confession. In that prayer, Jesus tells us to ask God to “forgive us our debts.” Yes, sins are debts that are owed to God and forgiveness is tied to the forgiveness we ourselves are willing to give others. When we pray, we must admit to God that we have sinned, apologize to God for those sins, commit ourselves to turn away from sin, ask Him for forgiveness, and thank Him for that forgiveness in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:8-9

The A.C.T.S. of Prayer - A

2007-10-03T14:03:00.000-07:00

"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.” – Matthew 6:7 (ESV)

During the last century, someone put together a great device to remind us how to pray. A.C.T.S. means A = adoration, C = confession, T = thanksgiving, S = Supplication. We don’t know who first came up with the acronym (although it seems to have come from within the churches of Christ in America). It serves as an excellent device to remember what we are doing when we pray. It is based upon the example prayers of Jesus in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:1-4. It doesn’t tell us everything we need to know about prayer but it can keep up from getting “lost” when we pray.

A = Adoration – Remember the classical definition of “Adoration”: fear, love, respect, and awe. All prayers should include this element. It is found in the beginning the of the prayer that many people call “The Lord’s Prayer.” Jesus taught "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” - Matthew 6:9

This is saying to God, “let your name be kept holy” or “let your name be treated with reverence” and it is an idea that goes back to the Old Testament: “But when he sees his children, The work of My hands, in his midst, They will hallow My name, And hallow the Holy One of Jacob, And fear the God of Israel." - Isaiah 29:23

Putting it at the beginning is a good idea, but the order isn’t really the point. All prayers should include a sincere statement about the greatness of God. This might be the hardest part of Christian prayer but only because God is so majestic, we often struggle for words to describe it.

Try using God’s own word to describe Him: “The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The Lord is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved. Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting. The floods have lifted up, O Lord, The floods have lifted up their voice; The floods lift up their waves. The Lord on high is mightier Than the noise of many waters, Than the mighty waves of the sea. Your testimonies are very sure; Holiness adorns Your house, O Lord, forever.” – Psalm 93. Other Psalms that can give guidance in adoration are Psalm 9, Psalm 30, Psalm 4:1-10, Psalm 75, Psalm 103, Psalm 138, Psalm 145.

Perhaps God doesn’t really need to hear how great He is but we need to hear how great He is and we need to hear ourselves say it. Praying to God about His greatness prepares our heart to pray correctly. We can have confidence that He can hear and that He, and only He, is able to do anything. It also humbles us so that when we ask, we ask in accordance with His will.

"Do as I do"

2007-09-27T09:53:00.000-07:00

What made Jesus such a great teacher? One of the reasons is that while some say “do what I say” Jesus could say “do what I do.” Take for example the list of blessings we call the Beatitudes. They are found in Matthew 5 and serve as the introduction to the Sermon on the Mount:

Jesus said: "Blessed are the poor in spirit…”
Jesus was poor in spirit: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich - 2 Corinthians 8:9

Jesus said: “Blessed are those who mourn…”
Jesus mourned: And He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!" - John 11:34-36

Jesus said: “Blessed are the meek…”
Jesus was meek: who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously - Peter 2:23

Jesus said: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness..”
Jesus was righteousness: But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption - 1 Corinthians 1:30

Jesus said: “Blessed are the merciful…”
Jesus was merciful: Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." - Luke 23:34

Jesus said: “Blessed are the pure in heart…”
Jesus was pure: And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin - 1 John 3:5

Jesus said: “Blessed are the peacemakers…”
Jesus made peace: For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life - Romans 5:10

Jesus said: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake…”
Jesus was persecuted: For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. - John 5:16

MUST WE DIVIDE OVER EVERY DISAGREEMENT WE HAVE?

2007-09-20T07:15:00.000-07:00

(The following article was written enitrely by Stan Cox and is taken from Watchman Magazine© Oct. 1, 1998)

The answer to that question is “no.” Romans 14 properly defines the context and limit of unity in spite of differences. In matters of (authorized) liberties, we are to respect the personal scruples of our brethren and not press our own conscience to the disruption of fellowship and unity.

At the same time, Romans 16:17 commands us to “note” and “avoid” (not be united in fellowship with) those “who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned….” The doctrine they (and we) learned is the gospel of Christ (cf. Romans 6:17; 16:25-26). Thus, Scripture makes a distinction between the revealed doctrine of Christ and the personal scruples of men in matters which are “pure” or “clean” in and of themselves (see Jude 3 vs. Romans 14:1, 5, 14, 18, 20). We dare not compromise the doctrine of Christ, otherwise we forfeit fellowship with the Father and the Son (John. 14:23; 2 John. 9; Galatians 2:5).
When division occurs by brethren departing from “the faith,” it will become evident who has God’s approval and who does not (1 Corinthians 11:19). By comparing doctrine and practice with the scriptures we can reach a proper conclusion as to whether or not God’s approval is present (2 Timothy 4:2-4). Where Bible authority exists, so does God’s approval (Colossians 3:17; 2 Timothy 2:15). Where Bible authority does not exist, God’s approval is also absent (Galatians 1:6-10).

The dividers of God’s people are those who do not abide in “the doctrine which you learned” (that is, the gospel, Romans 16:17). For example, it was the Ephesian elders who began speaking perverse things who caused the division in that church, not the faithful saints who obeyed the apostolic doctrine (Acts 20:29-32)!

God does not want His people to splinter over personal opinions. But we must stand in truth, even when most people go in the opposite direction.
Remember Joshua and Caleb? Were they a “splinter” group? Hardly.

What about those 12 followers of Jesus? Just another “splinter” group of disaffected Jews? Hardly.

Were Amos, Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Ezekiel and the other prophets extreme fanatics for crying out against the sins of Israel and Judah? Hardly.

Like Jeremiah, we must be careful to stand in the “old paths” of revealed truth, instead of crying “peace, peace when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:16, 14)

- Stan Cox

(Used by permission Watchman Magazine© 1998)

Heaven on Earth

2007-09-14T04:54:00.000-07:00

The question is this: “are you going to heaven?” It can be a hard question to answer. Ask someone if they go to church, if they are a Christian and you’ll usually get a definite “yes” or “no” but ask about salvation and most people get a little fuzzy. You’ll hear answers more like “I hope so” or “we won’t know about anyone until judgment day.” Often, the inability to answer clearly comes from an honest ignorance about what salvation is and what exactly God offers through Jesus Christ.

Even strong Christians can be unclear when asked about their salvation. It’s not that they are unsure about Jesus’ ability to save. In fact, many of us have memorized passages like the declaration the Apostle Paul made in his letter to the Church of Christ in Rome: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek (i.e. non-Jew) - Romans 1:16

It’s not God we are unsure about, it’s us. We know that God can and will bring His Children into heaven (1 Peter 1:3-5) but we also know that our salvation is conditional and can be lost (Galatians 5:4). Plus, it sounds a lot like we’re boasting when we say that we know we’re going to heaven. The Bible warns us about the arrogance of boasting about the future (James 4:13-16) and the truth is that salvation is a gift from God and is not about what we have done (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Still, God wants us to be sure about our salvation. That is one of John’s purposes in writing his first letter. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, (and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.) - 1 John 5:13 Included in that statement is the key to answering that question about heaven. We should instead ask: “do you have eternal life?” When we do that, we are more aware that we are not talking about something that may or may not happen in the future. We realize that eternal life is something that we can possess here and now. When a believer is sincerely Baptized for the remission of sins, they are then given eternal life. They have died to sin and walk in a new life (Romans 6:2-4). The eternal life is one that is in submission to the commands of God, that abides in Jesus, that is God focused, and is not of this world (1 Corinthians 2:12). As long as our lives can be characterized in these ways, we have eternal life.

Perhaps our best answer to the question would be “Although I haven’t earned it, I have eternal life now and I would love to tell you how you can have it, too.”

Worth Watching

2007-09-04T07:04:00.000-07:00

Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. – Psalm 34:14 & 1 Peter 3:11

Not that long ago, the internet didn’t exist, movie theaters only had one screen, and there were only three television networks. Some of the bigger cities might have had a few independent channels. If you lived in a rural area, you would consider yourself fortunate to be able pick up just one or two channels over your rabbit-ears antenna. Television programs were regulated to keep out offensive or inappropriate content by network censors and the Federal Communications Commission. Parents didn’t have to worry much about what their kids might be exposed to. Family hour, the period from 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm, was sacrosanct as safe programming. In fact, it wasn’t until 1964 that Darrin & Samantha Stevens (“Bewitched!”) were the first TV couple to have only one bed in their bedroom.

Times have changed. Now, satellite and high speed cable bring hundreds of networks into our homes. The increased competition has caused programmers to make changes. They realized that controversy, illicitness, bad news, gossip, and shock attract a bigger audience. The standards of what was acceptable were pushed slowly (compare the themes of “Three’s Company” in the 70’s to “Will & Grace” in the 00’s) until the standards have disappeared completely. Family hour is long gone and prime time shows are hardly family friendly anymore.

In 1923, Arthur C. Nielsen founded a company to compare corporate sales performance and later founded Nielsen Media Research to measure television audiences. The Nielsen Ratings, provided by that company, are vitally important to every television network and program. They live or die by the results of Nielsen’s research. One method of collecting data is through the Nielsen Family system in which people are selected to record their viewing habits for a specific period of time. Our friend, Brandon Crossway, was recently selected. This was his response:

“When I was growing up, the television was almost part of the family. At times, it was even a babysitter. As I grew into adulthood however, I noticed some disturbing things. Gradually, more and more fictional shows were making their protagonists increasingly immoral people. Even shows that have a moral anymore, bury it under immoral "shock" based ridiculum. The news always sticks to tragedy stories and political bias. It seems to convey that I should be afraid to walk through my neighborhood, and that my country's government is broken and hopelessly unfixable. These themes are subtle but create an underlying current from channel to channel: Fear and hopelessness. I feel that the few rare programs worth watching still aren't worth the money I'd pay to get all of the other channels with it.”

A Vague Commission?

2007-08-26T18:42:00.000-07:00

The Timberville Church of Christ received an e-mail through our website regarding the House to House mailers that were sent out in June. For the past four weeks, we have been sharing portions of that e-mail and our response. The following is the fifth (and, yes) final part:

Dear Timberville Church of Christ,
Jesus only announced that He is the Way, a vague commission given to the peoples of Earth, as entry into the Kingdom. Please pray over these questions as to continue this discussion in faith and the knowledge that Christ is our lord.
I hope this letter finds you well and rested. I look forward to hearing from you.Keep strong in the lord,

Name Withheld
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Our Response:

Dear Sir,
As far as Jesus announcing that He is the Way as something “vague,” I just can’t see it. The full quote is: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 7 "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him." – John 14:6-7 This is quite straightforward and unambiguous. It means that there is one God, one person who is able to save, and one way to be saved. To borrow an old slogan from Coca-Cola, Jesus is it!

For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. – Colossians 2:9-14
You have brought up some great points and I hope that I have answered your questions to your satisfaction. We truly hope that you will visit the Timberville Church of Christ. It is important for all of us to look at the questions you have raised. Thank you again for your response and I look forward to communicating with you again.

Respectfully,

"The Ritual of Baptism"

2007-08-20T06:57:00.000-07:00

The Timberville Church of Christ received an e-mail through our website regarding the House to House mailers that were sent out last month. For the past few weeks, we have been sharing portions of that e-mail and our response. The following is part four:

Dear Timberville Church of Christ,
The interpretation of the thief also frightened me as baptism became an additional requirement to be allotted space in Heaven. Baptism, being one of the sacraments that changed drastically over the period of time following it's first modern use with John the Baptist's ministry until today, never before signified a requirement of God's saving grace, nor did Jesus or the Church father's intend it too as attributed in Acts 2:38. The service or ritual of Baptism allows the converted and baptiser (sic) to embrace the holiness of giving one's life in meager offering to Christ and to remember and hold accountable of the decision to do so, not as a task to do to receive Heaven.

Name Withheld
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Our Response:

Dear Sir,
What you write is true, the practice of baptism has changed in many churches, but scriptural Baptism has never changed. It is done for the remission of sins, it is done to put on Christ, and it is done to receive the free gift of God’s grace. Men and women are saved by God when they accept Jesus as Lord and Savior and when they submit to Him in humble obedience. This is done by first hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, repenting of sins, confessing the truth of the Gospel, and being Baptized to have those sins washed away.

No sinner can enter heaven (1 Corinthians 6:9.) We can only be made to be without sin by the saving work of Jesus Christ making us clean at Baptism. It is at that point of submission that a person is given that free gift of salvation. Scriptural Baptism has always been a vital part of God’s plan to save us. Additionally, the baptizer has no significance whatsoever (1 Corinthians 1:12-15.) The intentions of any church “fathers” or other leaders, whatever they may or may not have been, are insignificant and unimportant compared to the intentions of our Heavenly Father.

Unattainable

2007-08-10T12:20:00.000-07:00

The Timberville Church of Christ recently received an e-mail through our website regarding the House to House mailers that were sent out last month. Over the next few weeks, we will share portions of that e-mail and our response. The following is part three:

Dear Timberville Church of Christ,
The answers to the questions of what or who God is remain unattainable as we cannot paint the entire picture to reveal the Truths of Love. Within the boundaries, if such exist, of faith mortals of finite knowledge and understanding could not hope to achieve the entire realm of the metaphysical. The interpretation of the thief also frightened me as baptism became an additional requirement to be allotted space in Heaven.

Name Withheld
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Our Response:

Dear Sir,
Your point about our finite minds being unable to comprehend God is an important one. We simply cannot know everything about him. We can, though, know what He wishes us to know about Him. Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints – Jude 1:3 This is also the basis for our practice to speak where the Bible speaks and to be silent where the Bible is silent.

As far as the article titled “What about the Thief on the Cross?,” I am sorry that it frightened you. This is an issue, like evolution, that has bothered many, many people. God’s word tells us that Baptism is necessary for salvation. Jesus says quite clearly He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned – Mark 16:16 (See also Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 2:38, 2:41, 8:35-38, 22:15-16, Galatians 3:27, 1 Peter 3:21) What we read about the repentant thief who was crucified with Jesus seems to contradict that. The article written by Bob Prichard was an attempt to reconcile that issue. Again, we find a situation where getting away from God’s word and into the commands of men has created many troubles.

Simple & Lazy

2007-08-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

The Timberville Church of Christ recently received an e-mail through our website regarding the House to House mailers that were sent out last month. Over the next few weeks, we will share portions of that e-mail and our response. The following is part two:

Dear Timberville Church of Christ,
Upon further thinking another more heinous interpretation occurred to me. If evolution takes more faith than believing in God, does your church's evangelical theology suggest that parishioners believe in the Mystery of Faith because it is easier than any other believe? That Christians lazily commit to following the simplest, easy to understand path? I find this troubling as the Christian faith and doctrine constantly changes and flexes into new and many times radical interpretations such as the whole of the Reformation and the concept of the Trinity.

Name Withheld
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Our Response:

Dear Sir,
I should point out that the Church of Christ is not a denomination. We have no main office, no bishops, or governing body. Each congregation is autonomous and independent of each other. The only things that bind us together are the leadership of Jesus Christ and the word of God, revealed in the Holy Bible. (Which is our only guidebook.) Therefore, I cannot speak for every congregation that goes under the name “Church of Christ.” However, the Timberville Church of Christ never asks for easy or lazy commitments. Our God desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth – 1 Timothy 2:4

Along with that idea, we are not interested in changing the truth. Certainly, the faith and doctrine of those who wish to follow Jesus has constantly changed. However, because we follow only the word of God, our faith and our doctrine do not change. History tells us that men like Galileo were shunned by the Roman Catholic Church for scientific investigations and theories that contradicted their teachings. His theories were called heresy only because the Roman Catholic Church deemed them heresy not because the Holy Bible had deemed them such. He was in violation of “church law” but not in violation of the never changing word of God. We now know, of course, that Galileo was correct.

However, evolutionary theory is much different. While Galileo’s theories did not contradict the truth of God’s word (they can co-exist and actually compliment each other), the “theory of evolution” and other theories regarding the beginnings of man and the universe do contradict what we know to be true. Perhaps, I have little imagination, but I cannot fit the teachings of evolutionary theory into what God tells us about His creation.

The THEORY of Evolution

2007-07-25T19:00:00.000-07:00

The Timberville Church of Christ recently received an e-mail through our website regarding the House to House mailers that were sent out last month . Over the next few weeks, we will share portions of that e-mail and our response. The following is part one:

Dear Timberville Church of Christ,
I was glad to receive your letter in the mail. I praise the idea of blindly sending invitations to peoples of all races and nationalities within our community without bias.
After reading through though, I was disturbed by two segments, the first in the evolution segment. I wondered why the theory of evolution was so deceitfully explained as to prove it took more faith to believe in evolution than God. That presentation disturbed me.

Name Withheld
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Our Response:

Dear Sir,
Please allow me to thank you for your insightful and thought provoking communication. It is rare to find someone who gives such deep thought to spiritual matters and it is greatly appreciated. The issues you raise are important ones and I will attempt to address them one by one. The first reference you make is to an article titled “You Expect Me to Believe That?” by Phil Grear. If I understand correctly, it was meant to be a lighthearted response to those who claim that science and faith (and therefore, government and faith) should be kept separate. The truth is that the “theory of evolution” is just that, a “theory.” To some, it can take more blind faith to accept the idea of a process that they cannot see, or even see evidence of, than a creator who can be seen by His works. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse – Romans 1:20

To say that the “theory of evolution” is undisputed fact and that it does not take faith to believe it is simply not true. While Mr. Grear seems to be having a little fun by oversimplifying the language of evolutionary theory we should be aware that he is not intending to present a scientific paper. For some, it takes more faith to believe evolutionary theory than in a Creator. For others, it takes more faith to believe in a Creator than evolutionary theory. Either way, both beliefs require a certain amount of faith.

Luke, I am your father

2007-07-15T20:52:00.000-07:00

This may be surprising, but there are many famous movie quotes attributed to people who never said them. Johnny Wiessmuller never said “Me Tarzan, you Jane.” Humphrey Bogart’s character, Rick Blaine, never says “Play it again, Sam.” Darth Vader never says “Luke, I am your Father.” In the first Tarzan movie, he points back and forth and says “Tarzan, Jane. Tarzan, Jane”, the closest thing Bogart says is “you played it for her, you can play it for me” in “Casablanca” and Darth Vader’s line about Fatherhood goes back to the second Star Wars film (or fifth depending on how you count) “The Empire Strikes Back.” The dialogue goes like this:
Darth Vader: Obi Wan never told you what happened to your father.
Luke: He told me enough! He told me you killed him!
Darth Vader: No... I am your father!

This scene between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker is an important one. It was at this moment that the Star Wars franchise moved beyond a simple, fun, science fiction fantasy and became something close to high drama. It was Leigh Brackett, not George Lucas, who came up with this plot twist. Some would later call this “Space Opera.” If you can suspend belief enough to get into the premise of the Star Wars universe, this revelation and Luke’s horrified reaction is an intense experience. Luke screams “No! That’s impossible!” and for good reason.

Luke is a simple farm boy thrown into extraordinary circumstances. He has never known his father and the aunt and uncle who raised him won’t talk about the man. Just as most boys without a father, Luke has probably imagined his father was a great man. When he meets an old warrior named Obi-Wan, his hopes are raised. Luke learns that his father was indeed a great man. He was a skilled and loyal warrior on the side of good. Luke is further told that it was the young and evil Darth Vader who killed him. Luke decides to follow in the footsteps of his father and joins the fight against Vader and the dreaded Empire.

However, all these hopes seem dashed when the truth is revealed. Luke learns that this mysterious father he has admired is actually the most evil and feared man in the galaxy. His father wasn’t someone to admire but instead someone who represents darkness, greed, and violence. Can you imagine his horror?

Back n the real world, this same horror will someday be realized by many, many people. They will learn that despite what they thought they were serving, that despite how good they thought they were, that despite what they may have thought of themselves, Satan himself has been their father all along.

You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it – John 8:44

Let us, by the grace of God, live in such a way that we aren’t among these people. Let us further live in such a way to as to deliver as many as we can away from that awful day.

In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother - 1 John 3:10

Come As You Are

2007-07-03T18:38:00.000-07:00

For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, "You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, "You stand there,” or, "Sit here at my footstool,” have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? – James 2:2-4

Are you wearing your Sunday best? Far too many people believe that attending a worship service has something to do with clothing. We have built up traditions about clothing that have nothing to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They are traditions that are based on a mix of Old Testament commands and our ever changing standards of what is appropriate. Many people are reluctant to visit a church because they either don’t like to wear formal clothes or simply don’t have formal clothes. If they do visit, they are sometimes looked down upon, made to feel underdressed, or perhaps even told that they should dress better. When this happens, the members of that church have put something even worse than a stumbling block in the way. They have built a high barrier that actually prevents someone from hearing and learning about the Gospel.

This happens for men and women who are already Christians, too. Perhaps some members expect other members to dress they way they do. Is it fair, though, for a businessman who wears a suit everyday to expect a hard working carpenter to wear a suit? Should we make an older woman feel that she should stay home on Sunday mornings because she is unable to put on stockings? Can we reasonably expect someone that is poor or has limited means to purchase fine clothes that they will wear only on Sunday mornings? In these ways, many churches have put unbiblical restrictions on brothers and sisters. The instruction in Romans 14 about food is perfectly applicable to clothing today. The one who says “I believe I should wear fine apparel to worship God” should wear fine apparel. The one who says “I believe that I should wear my normal clothes to worship God” should wear his normal clothes. Let neither judge the other and let both realize that God has welcomed them both.

Certainly, there are instructions in the New Testament for people who are Christians to dress modestly. However, the Word of God is much more concerned with what a person wears on the inside. Judging people, excluding people, demeaning people, making people uncomfortable when they visit a church body, however, goes against the most basic teachings of Jesus.

Nowhere in the entire Bible do we read of Jesus telling people what to wear. Except this: Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ --and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked-- I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. – Revelation 3:17-18

Sue Sue Sue

2007-06-06T18:02:00.000-07:00

Roy L. Pearson took a pair of pants to a dry cleaners in Washington D.C. on May 3, 2005. He claims that it was the last time he ever saw them. In response to what he calls the “negligence” of the legal immigrants who own and run the dry cleaning business, Pearson filed a lawsuit. Now, these must have been some incredible pants because the amount Pearson is suing for is… 65 million dollars! That’s no misprint. It’s a $65 million lawsuit over a pair of pants that might be worth as much as $1,000. Of course, you’d probably think that any judge would throw out such a frivolous case but you’d be wrong. Roy L. Pearson is a judge himself for the District of Columbia and he stands a good chance of winning. Even if he doesn’t, he will bankrupt the owners with legal costs.

It goes without saying that our culture is an increasingly, overly litigious one. Many people describe us as “a nation of lawsuits.” We sue over barking dogs, hot coffee, wet floors, and yes, lost pants. Civil lawsuits are a multi-billion dollar industry. Judges refuse to use common sense in throwing out suits. Juries have rejected reason in assessing awards. There are unscrupulous lawyers lined up to take advantage of every opportunity. It is possible and even quite easy for men and women to make a good living through nothing but frivolous lawsuits. Unfortunately, those who actually file necessary lawsuits and hire responsible lawyers are often shut out and accused of wrongdoing.

This doesn’t stop when it comes to matters of religion. People sue churches and the people in them and all too often, those filing suits are members themselves. This is nothing new, the Church of Christ in Corinth was embroiled in several controversies including lawsuits among members. The Apostle Paul was so shocked to learn about Christians suing Christians that you can almost hear the incredulity in his words:

Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers! 7 Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? - 1 Corinthians 6:1-6

The Lights Are On The Inside

2007-05-31T07:14:00.000-07:00

It was never meant to be beautiful. In fact, it wasn’t even meant for us to see in 2007. Completed in 1889, Gustave Eiffel intended that his tower would be torn down in twenty years. Most of Paris would have been happy to see it torn down in two days. The world was more shocked at what many considered its hideous design than the fact that it was the tallest structure in the world. It was considered an eyesore, a nuisance, and an embarrassment to all of France. A famous critic summed up most Parisians’ feelings when he once remarked that he ate lunch at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant everyday because it was the only place in Paris where he didn’t have to look at the monstrosity.

No, it was never meant to be beautiful. It was first designed for an exposition in Barcelona, Spain but they didn’t want something so ugly. The tower was designed based on mathematical formulas for wind resistance not on anything artistic or beautiful. We may see it as a landmark today but when it was completed, many people remarked that it looked as though it hadn’t been completed. 7,300 tons of exposed steel beams and girders looks more like the skeleton of a tower. The 50 tons of paint applied to it can’t hide that this thing is actually… ugly. Even Eiffel himself is reported to have disliked the tower. The only reason it escaped demolition was that engineers eventually discovered something useful about it; the tower made a great radio antenna.

Today, people travel to Paris from around the world only to see the Eiffel Tower’s beauty. Couples go there for romantic occasions. They get engaged there. They get married there. The spend their anniversaries there. Somehow, the Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of beauty. How has the Eiffel Tower become the most recognized, beloved, and visited monument in the world? Here is the secret: the beauty happens at night.

When electric lights came into widespread use and it came time to light the tower, they had a great idea. It had no exterior walls. So, rather than shine lights onto it as most monuments are they decided to light it from the inside. The lights shine on the tower from the inside and at night that eyesore becomes a glorious and fantastic display of rare beauty and art.

This is how it should be for each one of us. No matter what we may look like on the outside, our light should shine out from the inside. This is true beauty. The beauty that God appreciates and the beauty that people will appreciate if they take the time to look.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven – Matthew 5:16

Jesus of the Truth

2007-05-23T19:17:00.000-07:00

We are told that the word “Islam” means “peace” in Arabic but we’ve seen precious little evidence of it. Founded by a man named Mohamed early in the 7th Century, the religion known as Islam has a history drenched in the blood. Unlike Christianity whose history is drenched in the blood of Jesus and the martyrs, Islam is drenched in the blood of their enemies. Mohamed was much more of a warlord than a religious prophet. Since its beginning, Islam has grown through the sword. Spreading the news of Allah (the name of their god) means that non-believers will either convert or die. When a country is conquered, the Islamic Sharia Law is put into place. There are many countries today that follow this law and any violation is punished with execution. When we think of Muslims, the images that most often come to mind are violent and hateful ones. We see war, irrational hatred of Jews, subjugation of women, suicide bombings, rock throwing and hear words like ayatollah and jihad.

However, not all Muslims are the extremists we usually associate with Islam. The truth is that many Muslims are peaceful people. Some of these “moderate” Muslims try to build bridges between Christianity and Islam. They point out that they believe in the same God we do, that they believe the Old Testament of the Bible, and that they believe the teachings of Jesus Christ. When using the name of Jesus, a Muslim will usually say “may peace be upon him.” Islam teaches that Mohamed was the last person to receive the revelation of God and it’s as if they are saying that Islam is a more evolved version of Christianity. As they seek to spread Islam through speech instead of sword, they win over many converts.

This too is a threat to our faith and it is we who should build bridges based upon the truth of God not the fantasy of Mohamed. It should be noted that none of these so-called common characteristics between Christianity and Islam actually exist. Allah is far different from the living God revealed to us in the Holy Bible. Mohamed simply invented Islam based upon existing scripture and attempted to write his people and his new religion into it. They may say they believe in Jesus but again there are vast differences between the Jesus of Islam and the Jesus of truth. Compare the following two passages, one from the Qur’an and one from the New Testament:

... the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away! – Qur’an 9.30

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:5-11

The Legacy of Tragedy

2007-05-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

They’re not meant to be fun but many schoolchildren actually look forward to fire drills. They often enjoy the excitement of the evacuation routine, the break from the monotony of the classroom, and the chance to get outside (even in the rain) but have you ever thought about why our public schools have so many fire drills and how they began? The practice can be traced back to an Ash Wednesday at the beginning of the Twentieth Century.

It was March 4, 1908 in Collinwood, Ohio. The Lake View Grammar School had begun its day like any other day when a fire began in the basement. The recently oiled wood on the staircase and floors ignited and the fire quickly spread throughout the three-story building. With the only staircase aflame, those who were not overcome with smoke could find no way out. Even those on the first floor were stranded as the press of people against the inward-opening doors made escape impossible. At the end of the day, 172 students, two teachers, and one man who went in to save children had died. Many of them were burned beyond recognition. It was the worst fire to ever happen at a school in the United States. In fact, only the explosion of a school in New London, Texas claimed more lives.

The Collinwood Fire was a tremendous tragedy and the pain felt by the community was so great, that Collinwood doesn’t even exist anymore. It was absorbed into Cleveland in 1910. The truth is that as sad and painful as the fire was, we are all much better off as a result. Now, schools must be constructed according to strict codes, wood varnish must have different anti-flammability standards, stairwells must have firewalls, fire alarms must be installed, fire marshals must perform inspections, and yes, students must be practiced at safely evacuating by frequent fire drills. Additionally, doors on all public buildings now open outward and most do not have normal doorknobs but “panic bars” that push the doors open as they are released. The legacy of the Collinwood Fire is that our nation, especially our children, are at least a little safer from fire.

What legacy will be left by the Virginia Tech massacre? It is too early to know for sure. However, there is one story that will be a great legacy, if it’s true. It’s the story of Liviu Librescu. Professor Librescu had survived the Nazi Holocaust of the Jewish people by 62 years. He didn’t survive the bullets of a madman in Blacksburg. We are told that when the gunman at Virginia Tech showed up at his classroom, Librescu held the door shut with his own body while his students fled through the windows. A Jewish man teaching the world about great, sacrificial love – not a bad legacy at all.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends – John 15:13

Reverend?

2007-05-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity, Who sharpen their tongue like a sword, And bend their bows to shoot their arrows--bitter words, That they may shoot in secret at the blameless; Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear. – Psalm 64:2-4

It seems to happen every couple of months, now. A celebrity makes a public statement that is racially insensitive or just plain bigoted. Perhaps they were drunk, caught off-guard, trying to shock us, or joking but they say something… stupid. When the public hears about it we are often outraged, as we should be. There is just no excuse to say things that demean, offend, and ridicule a group of people based on their skin color, heritage, or ethnicity. Those men and women who have public forums in the media in which to express their ideas represent a tiny fraction of the public at large. As such, they have a basic responsibility to speak with responsibility. When a minority group is attacked by a public figure, it is to that group as if many people are attacking them.

As bad as what the celebrity has said, however, is often the aftermath. Men who have inserted “Reverend” before their name jump into the spotlight. They demand apologies and then don’t accept the apology when offered. They organize protests and boycotts that are more about keeping us divided than anything else. They themselves have said the same sort of things or worse about people based on race, heritage, or ethnicity and have refused to apologize or even explain their words. They are men who have become celebrities themselves. They are men who have used words to incite riot and violence. They are men who build their livelihoods on division and lay in wait for just such controversy. They are men who are obsessed with their own power and glory. These men are duplicitous i.e. they have no real intention to stop racism. They are men who have appointed themselves to be the official arbiters of what is offensive speech.

Even worse, because they insist that we call them “Reverend,” they give the impression that they represent Jesus Christ. In fact, many people have come to think of them as the leaders of Christianity. The truth is that Jesus would indeed want us to oppose the use of speech to tear down. However, these men misrepresent Jesus and what it really means to follow Him. Almost everything else they do rejects God’s word. The Lord is against the proud and the hypocritical. (Mark 7:6) Forgiveness is at the heart of Christianity. The Holy Bible tells us that if we do not forgive people, God will not forgive us. (Matthew 6:15) Nowhere does scripture tell us to demand an apology. In fact, when Jesus said “Father, forgive them” on the cross, we don’t read of anyone even offering an apology. (Luke 23:34) May the Lord protect us from bigotry and the things that divide people. May the Lord also protect us from hustlers and charlatans who present themselves to us as His servants.

Pushing & Pulling

2007-04-27T06:17:00.000-07:00

What can we say to someone who has experienced a tragic event? How can we comfort them? What words of encouragement can we give to them? It’s impossible to say that we understand; we often don’t understand. It’s impossible to say that we know how they feel; we can’t really know how they feel. It’s impossible to tell them they shouldn’t feel a certain way; who are we to tell someone how they should feel? In times of deep tragedy and mourning, men and women typically have two kinds of responses. They either try to pull themselves closer to God or try to push away from Him.

By trying to draw closer to Him, people look for meaning and comfort. Tragedy and loss leave us with a sense of vulnerability and chaos. Nothing seems safe any longer and the world seems meaningless. Victims and survivors need to be reassured that there is order in the universe. They also need to be reassured that God is there and that He does care. When we are faced with the evil of this world, many of us need to be reminded that good does exist. When people are compelled to search out the things of God, they most often look to the people of God. It is the responsibility of each Christian to stand as laborer. We must strive to be as Godly, as compassionate, as caring, as patient, and as helpful as Jesus Himself was.

Far too often, though, people instead reject God in the wake of suffering and pain. They can become angry at God or reject any belief of His existence. Men and women can even come to think that God is evil or working against them. Hurt and pain born of tragedy is perhaps the most common reason for the denial of God among men, women, and even children. Even seemingly strong Christians can fold under the pressure of grief and pain. What makes all this even more tragic is that in pushing away from God, who is truly good and the only true source of comfort, they bring more pain and misery upon themselves. They cannot be healed because they reject the healer.

Just as the person who draws nearer to God looks for the things of God, so too do those who reject Him. They search, however, not to comfort themselves but to ridicule and to scorn Him. Behind every loud and vehement atheist is a heart reeling from some great tragedy and pain. These rejecters will also most often look to the people of God. The Christian can expect ridicule and scorn heaped upon them as they attempt to help and comfort but the same holds true for the Christian responsibility to labor. We must strive to be as Godly, as compassionate, as caring, as patient, and as helpful as Jesus Himself was, even when dealing with the rejecters. We must remember that they are hurting, too.

We often find comfort and reassurance in the words of the 23rd Psalm. Of course, we must do much more than simply quote verses. The truth is, though, that many people can find comfort and reassurance in the Holy Bible if only we take the time to explain the deep love and compassion that God expresses through His word. It is a time when people are more keenly aware of their need for God. Through their tragedy, they can come to truly know God.

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” – Matthew 9:35-37

Reverend!

2007-04-18T13:23:00.000-07:00

Of all the ideas that people have adopted as being of God, the most confusing is perhaps the use of the word “Reverend.” Many denominations use it as either a description or title for clergy or ministers. Men and women use it as prefix as in “Reverend John Doe” or “Reverend Jane Doe.” It is true that there are eastern religions that often use the title but it is most often associated with the Catholic Tradition that is carried on by most other denominations today in one way or another. Some groups take it even further by using titles like The Right Reverend, The Very Right Reverend, and the Most Reverend. While these titles are used to describe men and women who are presumably more Godly and therefore most educated about the things of God, their use of the word “Reverend” betrays their ignorance or outright disobedience of Holy Scripture.

It’s a word that appears only once in the King James translation of the Bible and only one of the modern translations (ASV 1901) uses it at all. The Hebrew word is Yare and it otherwise translated as “awesome,” “dreadful,” and “to be feared.” This is hardly a word that should be used to describe a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The KJV puts it in on of the Psalms:
He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion. He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant. He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen. The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness. He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever. – Psalm 111:4-10

The truth is that only the Lord is reverend and scripture clearly tells us that only He is to be feared. Great and high sounding titles are something that men have always sought after. By using the word “reverend” to describe themselves, they are actually seeking an honor that is reserved for God alone. This is a problem that Jesus addressed directly:

Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. – Matthew 23:1-5

Making a Difference

2007-03-22T17:43:00.000-07:00

July 27, 1981. It was less than 26 years ago but it was a different world. It was a more innocent world. So, it didn’t really seem irresponsible when Revé Walsh left her six-year-old son to play in the toy department of Sears as she went to buy a lamp in another part of the store. Little Adam Walsh was never seen alive again. To this day, no one has been charged with his abduction or murder. It was a tragic event that devastated his family, the community, even the nation.

Adam’s father, John Walsh took a very active part in the search for his son and the killer. He was exposed to the law enforcement system, and its many shortcomings in dealing with missing children, in the process. John Walsh decided to use his inadvertent celebrity to change the world for the better. He has since campaigned and won efforts to change state laws and federal laws to protect children. He has testified before Congress numerous times on issues relating to crime, missing children, and victims rights.

John was instrumental in the creation of the Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which was mandated by Congress to break down bureaucratic walls between law enforcement agencies, among other things. He has also helped to expand the Amber Alert system. President Bush signed the Adam Walsh Child Protection Safety Act on July 27, 2006. Walsh continues to push for a national sex offender registry and tougher enforcement on criminals who prey on children. For almost twenty years, John Walsh has hosted “America’s Most Wanted” on Fox. To date, over 900 fugitives have been captured through the program and many missing children, including Elizabeth Smart, have been found. It should also be noted that John and Revé have avoided divorce, though narrowly, which happens more often than not among parents of slain children.

John Walsh is not a perfect man by any means but he has made a huge difference in this nation. Out of his pain and loss, Walsh has done more to protect children than anyone thought possible. So, next time you think that you can’t make a difference, that God can’t turn evil into good, that you are just one little person, consider John Walsh. Just as he has made a difference for children, each one of us can make a difference for Jesus.

What Is A Church?

2007-03-07T18:23:00.000-08:00

What exactly is a church? Most people tend to think a church is a building. This is illustrated so well when people say they are “going to church” or that “church is cancelled.” The Biblical idea of a church is quite different, though. In fact, the word that is most often translated as “church” in the New Testament is the Greek word “ekklēsia” which means “assembly” or more directly, “an assembly of the called.” (A compound word from “ek” and “kaleo”) The Church belongs to Jesus Christ but it is composed from those who have accepted Christ’s call or invitation.

In Romans 12:4-5 we read: For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. So, rather than being a building, the body of Christ, or church of Christ, is a group of people. Specifically, the church is a group of baptized believers that belong to Jesus Christ. What the church will do depends on what its members do. Whether it is dedicated, faithful, and active depends on the members of that body. If you are a member of a church, what the church does will depend on what you do. You have a responsibility to make the church the best it can be. Someone, whose name has been lost, once put together a short essay to make this point:

This is my Church.
It is composed of people just like me.
It will be friendly if I am friendly.
It will do a great work if I do great work.
It will make generous gifts to many if I make generous gifts.
It will bring others into its fellowship if I bring others into its fellowship.
Its seats will be filled if I fill the seats.
It will be a church of loyalty and love, of faith and service if I, who make it what it is, am filled with these.
Therefore, with God's help, I dedicate myself to the task of being all these things I want my church to be. - Anonymous

Worse Than The Code?

2007-02-21T17:12:00.000-08:00

In 2003, Doubleday Books published The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. The plot revolves around an art historian in search of the Holy Grail. It is a work of fiction, yet its premise is based on what the author says is fact. That premise states that we have been lied to by the Holy Bible about Jesus and the nature of God. Brown proposes that Mary Magdalene was pregnant with the child of Jesus and that Mary Magdalene herself is actually the Holy Grail in that she carried the blood of Jesus. Spoiler Alert: in the book, one of the main characters discovers that she is a descendant of Jesus. The Apostle Peter and many others, we are told, tried to hide this fact because they were male chauvinists and wanted to continue oppressing females. A special order of highly intellectual men and women has kept the secret for 2,000 years until we common folk are ready to accept that along with God, there is a divine female.

The book has sold over 65 million copies and a major motion picture based on the book was released last year. Millions of readers have latched onto the premise of the book wholeheartedly and a kind of unorganized religion based on this made-up “Sacred Feminine” has begun. For the past few years, it has seemed that The Da Vinci Code is everywhere.

However, Christians have known from the beginning the danger this book represents and very, very few of them have been led astray. We have all been warned in one way or another about it. The truth is that there exists a much greater threat to the truth of the Holy Bible in recent literature.

Tyndale House published Left Behind in 1995 and has since proceeded to publish at least thirteen enormously successful prequels and sequels. Popular Baptist Pastor, Tim LaHaye, and Jerry B. Jenkins wrote these books based on the impeding apocalypse. The characters must deal with life on earth after the “rapture” during the “tribulation” the reign of the “Anti-Christ” and the Battle of Armageddon. Again, these books are works of fiction but the premise, we are told, is very real.

The truth is that, like Dan Brown, LaHaye and Jenkins have written books that are at odds with the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Left Behind series proposes theories as facts that are at odds with scripture. Even worse, unlike The Da Vinci Code, Left Behind comes from what are supposedly evangelical Christian authors, and even Christian publishers. When people read these books, they believe that they are reading real Christian theology. The error of Pre-Millennialism posed as true science fiction has led even more people away from the truth. They have been led down a dark road that veers far away from Jesus and the word of God.

No One Ever Expected Much From Him

2007-01-31T21:00:00.000-08:00

His name isn’t really Marcus, but let’s call him that for now. No one ever expected much from him. There were just too many things working against him. He was born in the 1970’s to a very young, single mother in one of those free clinics that you find in the poorer areas of our great American cities. His father never came around much and it was no surprise to anyone when he eventually left for good. Marcus was very young, then. All his life, as hard as Marcus tried, he could never remember the man. Living in the projects is never easy, but for Marcus, who had only his mother and even less money than everyone else they knew, life was a greater struggle. No one ever expected much from him. Even his mother, in quiet moments, would break down and cry because she knew that Marcus would never amount to anything. She constantly worried that something might be wrong with him. Although he seemed normal, she had been told that there was a high chance of physical or mental disability even before he was born and his father’s family had a long history of disease.

Its not that Marcus never let the circumstances of his life get him down. He got depressed and discouraged often but somehow he found the strength to live. More than that, somewhere along the line, he got the idea that he could make something of himself. Marcus turned out to be a pretty good athlete but it was scholastics where he really triumphed. While all the other kids were playing, just hanging out, or laughing at him, Marcus spent time studying in the Main Public Library. It was this way all through school. He applied himself as hard as anyone had ever seen in those run down, old school buildings. In fact, Marcus worked hard enough to earn acceptance to one of those Ivy League colleges in New England. Raising money and getting scholarships wasn’t easy, though, because no one ever expected much from him.

He had a distinguished college career but still, no one ever expected much from him. “So, he did well in school,” they’d think “but wait until he gets out into the real world.” Despite this, Marcus set out to make a better life and as a successful attorney and partner in a prestigious law firm, he was able to move his mother out of the projects and into that nice, little house in the suburbs. It was a house about which she rarely dared to dream. He even bought her a car (in which she had to take her first driving lessons.) Even after Marcus married and had children, he always made sure that Momma had more money and more love than she needed.

When Marcus got that urge that so many financially successful people do to enter the political arena, he didn’t get a lot of support. No one ever expected much from him. After all, he had grown up a poverty-stricken minority from a poor neighborhood, a bad part of town, and a corrupt city. Yes, he had come a long way but how much farther could he go?

Marcus, however, knew he had some good ideas and knew that as he had helped his mother escape poverty with money, he could help others with laws. That first election to the City Council was rough, but Marcus won. Each election got a little easier because people started thinking that perhaps Marcus was someone that you could expect things from. As he worked his way to State Representative and then United States Senator, Marcus was instrumental in changing laws and perceptions. Society was truly better because of what he had done as an elected official. Now, Marcus has his eyes on the Presidency and he actually has a good chance of winning the nomination because every one expects great things from Marcus.

But before you start thinking you know who Marcus really is… you don’t. His name isn’t really Marcus because he never lived long enough to be given a name. His mother was persuaded to have him murdered during the 29th week of her pregnancy. She was convinced that the baby inside her was going to have a life not worth living, that the best thing to do for him and her was something called abortion. Surely, death would be better than the cruel and wasted life this person would have to lead. It’s not really that big a deal, though; no one would have ever expected much from him.

A Far, Far Better Thing

2007-01-22T20:07:00.000-08:00

“It is a far, far better thing I do now than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest I go to than I have ever known.”

It was with these words that Charles Dickens ended his masterpiece A Tale of Two Cities. If you are a Star Trek fan, you might also remember these as some of the final words uttered by James T. Kirk in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn. These words would have been said, we are told by Dickens, by Sidney Carton as he approached “La Guillotine” for his execution. Sidney voluntarily takes the place of a man who is scheduled for death under the Rein of Terror during the French Revolution. Sydney happened to look enough like his friend to fool the executioners. Sidney Carton, by the way, is an innocent man. Likewise, in Star Trek II, Mr. Spock gives his life to save the lives of about 450 people onboard the U.S.S. Enterprise.

These words have touched so many hearts because the act of giving ones life for another is beautiful and far too rare. Indeed, you would be hard pressed to find someone who would willingly take your punishment. It would be even harder to find someone if that punishment were death. These things don’t happen often. Sydney Carton and Mr. Spock are fictional characters (sorry) but what if you found out that someone has already taken your punishment? What if you found out that someone has given their life for yours?

Jesus Christ, the only truly innocent man, took the punishment that you and I deserve: “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” – Romans 5:6-8

Turn The Radio On

2007-01-03T18:07:00.000-08:00

January 7, 2007 is an important day in the life of the Timberville Church of Christ. It is the day of our first radio program. We have decided to step out in faith and do our best to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the Shenandoah Valley. The two stations on which our program will air are WSIG 96.9 FM and WBOP 106.3 FM at 7:00 on Sunday mornings. While we wait to see how God may bless our endeavor and how successful we will be, you may be wondering how you can help. In fact every member of the church can do something to help. Here are a few suggestions:

Prayer. Too often we hear people say “the least I can do is pray.” The truth is that prayer isn’t the least. When you think about what prayer really is, it is the act of asking the greatest being in the universe for His intervention. It’s actually a great thing to do and we know it works. “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” – James 5:16

Tell others. We hope that this program will be a great opportunity for people to hear the Gospel. If you have friends, loved ones, or acquaintances who will not come to Bible Study or Worship, you can encourage them to simply turn on their radio for half an hour on Sunday mornings.

Be ready. People you know might come across our program by chance. If they know that you are a member, they might approach you with questions. “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” – 1 Peter 3:15

Give suggestions. Our program will undoubtedly be more effectual if you give your input. Suggest topics, presentation styles, and anything else that comes to mind. These can be based on what you perceive to be needs among unbelievers or what you yourself needed to hear before you obeyed the Gospel.

More prayer. Jesus’ parable about the seed growing by itself in Mark 4:26-29 teaches us the importance of our effort in spreading the Gospel but that increasing His Kingdom is God’s work. You see, our success or failure will be in accordance with God’s will and only He can truly determine His will. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” – Romans 12:2

Days of Future Passed

2006-12-27T20:14:00.000-08:00

One day, a man came home and told his wife that there was a good possibility that his employer was going to transfer him to a city on the other side of the country. The wife immediately started struggling with some very important issues. “What kind of house will we find?” “What will the neighborhood be like?” “Will the children find friends?” “How are the schools there?” “I remember when we bought this house, we’ve been so happy here.” “We have so many friends that live close by.” “The children have attended the same school since kindergarten.” “They have friends right on our street.” “What will the new job be like?” “Is it really a good career move?” “Is it a good move for our family?” “My husband has worked so hard here, I always thought he’d be promoted into a position here.”

The truth is that none of the wife’s thoughts were unreasonable or unwarranted. These considerations have their place when considering a new job but notice what happens when we get into the back and forth mode of struggling between the past and the future. Something gets neglected, the present

It’s strange that people around the world, no matter how they may calculate time, have so their own ways of celebrating the New Year. Yet all cultures find that the arrival of a new year is a time for assessing the past and setting goals for the future. It’s actually a pretty good idea. Even though we seldom follow through on our resolutions, for some its a worthwhile effort to accomplish just one thing in the coming year. Like the wife in our story, though, it is easy to get caught up in a tug-of-war between the past and the future so that we end up swinging backward and forward in our minds. Like a clock or a pendulum swings side to side, we often swing back to the past and then forward to the future. The problem here is that doing that doesn’t really get us anywhere, and for a very good reason; we don’t live in either one.

The Apostle Paul had a good grasp on keeping the proper perspective. He could keep his mind on the present while moving toward the future:

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 3:8-14

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

2006-12-21T14:28:00.000-08:00

Yes, it’s true that there is absolutely no scriptural reason to celebrate Christmas as the birth of our savior. It’s also true that our modern Christmas has little if any basis in honoring our Lord. As far as secular celebrations, however, it truly is the most wonderful time of the year. Its a time of the year when people are more willing than any other time to listen to what Christians have to say about Jesus. For many, there may be no better time to spread the Gospel.

Christmas has become wonderful for what it makes easier. It’s a time when people talk to one another easier, when people smile easier, when people share memories easier, when people are kind easier, when people are neighborly easier, when families and friends can come together easier, and when people can share their feelings of love easier. This is a sentiment perhaps best illustrated by Charles Dickens (as many sentiments are) in his holiday classic A Christmas Carol. Fred Hollywell addresses his Uncle Scrooge:

“There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say," returned the nephew. "Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round… as a good time: a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it.”

Scrooge’s response is less than polite. In the end, though, he realizes that Fred was correct and that Christmas is not a “humbug” as he had previously believed. We know the story so well, even if we never read it that it would be facetious to quote from A Christmas Carol and leave out the last line: “And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One!”

The Overlooked Casualties of War

2006-12-13T20:50:00.000-08:00

Since it came into existence in 1948, the modern nation of Israel has faced intense and violent opposition. Decades of attacks both blatant and subtle by Muslims have sought to deny the existence of Israel and Jewish People in general. We constantly see flare-ups in the violence between Israel and the Palestinians who claim the area as their own. As horrible as the amount of death and destruction caused by both sides has been, there is another aspect of this war that is too often overlooked. The Palestinian Muslims are attacking Israel on an intellectual level that seeks to destroy history itself.

The world has been fortunate that most archeological sites and finds in the region have been controlled by Israel. They have proven to be trustworthy and fair-minded stewards of biblical antiquities. Everything under their care is treated with the utmost concern of discovering the truth about ancient history. All of their finds are open to study from scholars of any region or religion. They are so intent on preserving truth that they have set up a hard-hitting secret service called the Israel Antiquities Authority. Their mission is to make sure that artifacts are authentic and protected.

On the other side are the Palestinian Authority and other Muslim nations. They have a long and storied past of misusing archeology for their own ends. They have done their best to bury, destroy, or “reconstruct” any evidence that may back up the claims of Jews to the region or contradict their beloved Koran. Some of their violent attacks have been staged in order to destroy archeological evidence. When finds are made in their territory, anything that does not fit in with their beliefs is destroyed, changed, or simply covered over. They have proven themselves to be unwise caretakers of antiquities.

You may say, “I’m not Jewish or Muslim, what does it matter to me?” Other than the mere fact that truth should be preserved, don’t forget that most of Jewish History is also Biblical History. By rewriting the history of Israel, they are attempting to make our Bible a book of lies. We know that most of the world is only too ready to find fault in the Bible. All they need is false evidence to back up their mistaken beliefs.

By the way, it is not only current finds that are being affected. One new slant among Muslims is the idea that anything found on what is now their territory should be given to them. This would include the Dead Sea Scrolls. These documents were found in caves in Qumran in 1947 having been buried by a Jewish community at around the time of Jesus. They have been enormously informative on many levels. e.g. from these texts, we have proven the accuracy of the Old Testament and have increased our understanding of the culture in which Christianity emerged. Knowing as we do that many Muslims will do anything (e.g. lie, steal, & kill) in the name of “Allah” we must shudder to think what would happen to the Dead Sea Scrolls under their stewardship.

Common Ground

2006-12-02T19:52:00.000-08:00

It is often very pleasant when we can find some common ground with the denominations around us. The September 28, 2006 issue of the Arlington Catholic Herald contained a letter by the Catholic Bishops of Arlington and Richmond urging followers to vote “yes” for the proposed Marriage Amendment to the Virginia Constitution.

Here are some of the highlights:

Marriage, properly understood, was built into our nature right from the beginning. In fact, our understanding of marriage is bound up in our understanding of creation itself. In the Book of Genesis, we learn that God created men and women as equal and complementary (see Gen 1:27, 2:23), enabled male and female to become “one flesh”… and told the first man and woman to “be fertile and multiply” (Gen 1:28), thus making them participants in His work of creation.

Because marriage is properly understood as a gift from God for the common good of humanity, this essential social institution naturally possesses certain qualities that are of unique and irreplaceable benefit to society. God, after all, gives us only what is genuinely good for us. By weaving the design of marriage into the fabric of our being, He made it the structure upon which families – the basic communities of civilization – are built.

These unique contributions to society show us why upholding the marital union of man and woman as a public institution, in a way that clearly distinguishes it from any other relationship, is necessary for the common good.

Those who would give non-marital unions the privileges and status enjoyed by husbands and wives contradict and devalue what is truly good for society. Put another way, marriage as the lifelong union of a man and a woman is not one “model” among many options of equal public significance. Rather, it is the very building block of the family and of society.

No religion, government, or individual has the right or the legitimate authority to alter the basic meaning and structure of marriage that has existed ever since the first man and woman were created. Because God designed the marital union as part of our intrinsic nature and established it as the foundation of our civilization, the proper role of both church and state is one of stewardship, to preserve our Creator’s great gift of marriage from one generation to the next.

What's So Good About A Samaritan?

2006-11-15T19:53:00.000-08:00

Today, when we hear the word “Samaritan” we automatically think of the word “good.” There are Good Samaritan Societies, Good Samaritan Awards, we tell our children to be Good Samaritans, and there are even Good Samaritan laws in many states. All of these remind us about the importance of being good neighbors, of helping people, and acting unselfishly. Good, though, is hardly what the Jews of Jesus’ time would have thought of Samaritans. In fact, they were hated to a degree that may be hard for us to understand today.

In America, we still have a long way to go in learning to love our neighbors. Fortunately, though, there is no great mainstream hatred for anyone based on race or religion these days. Therefore, it may be hard to understand how the Jews could have hated Samaritans quite so much. When Jesus introduced the character of a neighborly Samaritan, it must have been quite a shock. Samaritans were considered half-breeds, wannabes, lower than dogs, and just plain evil. The problem had started some 600 years earlier and in some ways, it is still going on.

Historically, Samaria was a town in the Northern Kingdom (i.e. Israel) that had fallen into the hands of the enemy. When the Israelites were carried off into captivity, the land was resettled by the Assyrians with non-Jews from all around the ancient world (II Kings 17:24-.) These colonists all became known as Samaritans. They soon learned to be afraid of the Lord, although not completely ready to abandon their idols. Many years later, when they tried to help rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, they were turned away and became enemies of the rebuilding project (Ezra 4 & Nehemiah 4.) Instead, they set up their own version of the Jewish religion. They accepted only the Law, or first five books, of scripture and built their own temple on Mount Gerizim (where Jesus sought a drink of water in John 4.) This temple was destroyed in 128 B.C. but they continued to be thorn in Israel's side.

The Samaritans, from the Jews point of view, were a people who did not belong in Israel, who mocked their religion, who provided aid to enemies, who perverted truth, and worst of all, they lived right in their midst. Centuries of mutual hatred and animosity continued until by the time we read about Jesus and the Samaritan woman, the fact is stated quite flatly, “Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans” – John 4:9

The Funeral Picketers

2006-11-08T21:00:00.000-08:00

We were all disgusted at the news about the group who recently threatened to picket at the funerals of the little Amish girls who were killed in their school. (They decided to cancel the protest at the last minute because Mike Gallagher, a Fox News contributor and radio talk show host, offered the group an hour of airtime in exchange for staying away.) This same group has been seen picketing other funerals. They hold up signs at the funerals of U.S. military personnel killed in Afghanistan and Iraq with slogans like “Thank God For Dead Soldiers” and “America is Doomed.” They rejoiced at the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina (picketing funerals of victims,) they rejoiced when the space shuttle Columbia blew up, they even rejoiced over 9/11. They have a website titled www.godhatesamerica.com. Who is this group? Some out of control terrorist organization? Islamic fundamentalists? Marxists? It’s actually a group known as the Westboro Baptist Church from Topeka, Kansas.

Why, you may ask, would anyone do these things? How can people who call themselves Christians take joy in death and doom? Their reasons are varied but all boil down to one complaint; they argue that because of homosexuality, God’s wrath has been unleashed on the United States. In fact, their leader Fred Phelps is utterly obsessed with homosexuality and if you heard the foul language he uses, you’d have to wonder why people call him a Pastor. Dead soldiers are dead because homosexuals are allowed in our military, he has preached. It’s too late to pray for America, they’ve said, God is our terrorist. As Calvinists, they can confidently declare that anyone who sins is bound for hell.

The recent incident with the Amish girls is different, though. The basis for this planned protest was that, according to them, “Gov. Ed Rendell – speaking and acting in his official capacity to bind the State of Pennsylvania – slandered and mocked and ridiculed and condemned Westboro Baptist Church on national Fox TV. Rendell also revealed a conspiracy to employ the State’s police powers to destroy WBC in order to silence WBC’s Gospel message.” They have also changed their minds a little on why soldiers are dying. An individual tried to explode a pipe bomb at their building in 1995. So, they blame the U.S. Government and now say that God is using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to kill soldiers in Iraq because America tried to kill God’s elect, the WBC, with an IED. You see, the great sin in their eyes now is disagreeing with them. Their goal is not to call people to repentance. If you aren’t with them already, you’re lost. The goal is shock and vengeance.

This definitely sounds more like some Islamic fundamentalist group. The death warrants for Salmon Rushdie and Pope Benedict XVI come to mind. Is religious retaliation really how Christians should act? The truth is that the Bible tells us quite differently:

Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. – John 15:20

But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. – Luke 6:27-28

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places – Ephesians 6:12

Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. – Romans 12:17-19

The true Christian would do well to remember these passages. The true Christian would understand the importance of faith in following these passages. The true Christian should also remember that Jesus himself, when being arrested did not retaliate: Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? – Matthew 6:52-23

A Quiz

2006-11-01T21:13:00.000-08:00

Since March 5 of this year, Christians traveling to any of the theme parks in central Florida have had a new and convenient location for worship. The Main Gate Church of Christ is a ministry outreach of the Concord Street Church of Christ in Orlando. It has been named the Main Gate Church because the hotel in which it meets is one mile from a major theme park’s main gate in Buena Vista. The congregation has no permanent preacher but instead relies on vacationing preachers to speak each Sunday. In exchange for delivering a sermon, guest preachers are given a free one week stay for him and his family at a hotel near the theme parks. Before a preacher can be selected he must fill-out an online application.

As part of the application, the prospective speaker is asked to answer the following questionnaire. Let’s see how you do:
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(Possible answers are Strongly Agree – Somewhat Agree – Somewhat Disagree – Strongly Disagree – Neither Agree or Disagree)

1. Instrumental music in the worship assembly, Bible class or home group is acceptable to God.

2. Women should be permitted to become deacons, elders, or ministers.

3. Women should be permitted to lead prayer, read scripture, or wait on the Lord’s Table in the worship assembly when men are present.

4. Salvation occurs by “faith only.”

5. Pulpit swaps or joint worship services with denominational churches are acceptable to God.

6. There are faithful Christians in denominational churches.
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How did you do on the quiz? No answer key has been given for this quiz but the truth is that the answers can be found easily in the Holy Bible.

Try the following passages in order to grade yourself:
Colossians 3:17, I Timothy 3:12, I Corinthians 14:33-35, Acts 2:38, 2 John 1:9-11, Acts 2:47

All Our Yesterdays

2006-10-11T21:19:00.000-07:00

In 2003, Random House published a memoir by author James Frey titled: A Million Little Pieces. The book claimed to be a non-fiction account of Frey’s own addiction to alcohol, drugs, and crime. Pieces became a national times bestseller and Frey was further honored when Oprah Winfrey chose his book for her television show’s book club reading. The book was an unflinching account of the dark depths to which the author had sunk and his success climbing out of despair by rejecting everything about Alcoholic’s Anonymous. Among readers, the book broke hearts, inspired minds, and caused people to rethink everything they knew about addiction. Of course, there was just one problem. Frey’s nonfiction book was mostly fiction.

Now known as the man who conned Oprah, James Frey eventually admitted that key sections of his past were fictionalized. In his words, “As has been accurately revealed by two journalists at an Internet Web site, and subsequently acknowledged by me, during the process of writing the book, I embellished many details about my past experiences, and altered others in order to serve what I felt was the greater purpose of the book… I made other alterations in the portrayal of myself, most of which portrayed me in ways that made me tougher and more daring and more aggressive than I really was, or am.”

Compare all this with what the Apostle Paul wrote about his checkered past in his letter to the Philippians. “Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless” – Philippians 3:4-6.

The truth is that we know Paul is giving us an accurate account based on the corroborating evidence of Acts 8. We can also see that rather than bragging about his past, Paul continues “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.” – Philippians 3:7. Whereas James Frey gave himself all of the credit for climbing his way out of his fictional past, Paul gives all the credit to someone else. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20

What is an Ebenezer?

2006-10-09T08:19:00.001-07:00

Before Sunday morning Bible Study a few weeks ago, our congregation sang number 405 in the song book, O Thou Fount of Every Blessing by Robert Robinson (1758.) After the singing, a question was raised regarding the second verse which begins “Here I raise my Ebenezer, hither by Thy help I’ve come…” The question: “I’ve been singing this song for years, what is an Ebenezer?” It was a very good question. A question that deserves a much better explanation than the one I gave. So, here is a second attempt:

When most of us think of Ebenezer, we automatically think of that miserly old Mr. Scrooge we read about and see at Christmas time. While many of us know that the name is biblical, we are often ignorant (as was I) about where the name can be found and what it means. The truth is that Ebenezer isn’t the name of a person, but a place about 4 miles south of Gilgal, actually a rock in this place. The name is a combination of two Hebrew words Eben and Ezer which mean “stone” and “help.”

We read in 1 Samuel 4:1-11 about a terrible battle in this place. The Philistines swept over the Israelites in battle, killing at least 30,000 soldiers and actually taking Israel’s prize possession, the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark turns out to be much more than the Philistines are able to handle as God exudes His power from it. In Chapter 7, as the Philistines return it to the Israelites, God himself intervenes in the second battle at Ebenezer with His own thunder. The Israelites, thereby, gain a great victory and have the precious Ark returned to them.

The site wasn’t named Ebenezer until after the Israelites finally defeated the Philistines, and took back the Ark of the Covenant. To commemorate the victorious battle, Samuel set up a marker-stone and named it "Stone of Help.” The site became identified with the stone and with the place where God’s miraculous help aided them in their victory over the Philistines. The stone, standing up-right, was called "Ebenezer," and the place eventually took on that name as well.

Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us. So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites – 1 Samuel 7:12-14

Literally speaking, an Ebenezer is a "stone of help," or a reminder of God’s Holy Presence and Divine aid. How many victories have you won by God’s help? How many times has your own weakness been turned into strength by God? For each of these, we should put up a stone to commemorate it in our hearts. The biggest of these Ebenezers in our hearts must be recognition of that ultimate victory that has been given to us by Christ on the Cross. This reminds us of another great hymn, number 596, Victory In Jesus by Eugene Bartlett (1939.) “…He loved me ere I knew Him, and all my love is due Him. He plunged me to victory, beneath the cleansing flood.”

Pretty Little Crosses

2006-09-27T21:13:00.000-07:00

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. – 1 Corinthians 1:18

What does the cross mean to you? Over the past two thousand years, it has taken on many forms. There is the Greek (or equilateral) cross, the commissa (or “T”) cross, Andrew’s (or the “X”) cross, and the more common immissa (or “t”) cross. Also, over the past two thousand years, beautiful artwork has been made out of the simple image of a cross. One famous example is the missing Cross of Coronado. Over a foot tall, highly stylized, made of solid gold, and encrusted with rare jewels, the value of this would be in the tens of millions today. Many people, believers and unbelievers alike, wear gold or silver crosses on chains around their necks. Crosses have been used to decorate our homes, our clothes, even our cars.

The truth is, though, that the crosses used by the Romans for crucifixion were hardly decorative. Crosses were made of wood, were crude, and coarse. They would hardly have been considered beautiful. The cross the Romans used to crucify Jesus was an instrument of death, the equivalent of the Guillotine, the hangman’s noose, or the electric chair. Can you imagine people wearing decorative gold electric chairs around their necks?

While it is true that most people who wear crosses only do so out of a sense of fashion, some people actually use the cross as a reminder of the price that Jesus paid for their souls. As long as we realize that a cross is not an object to be worshiped, praised, or prayed to, there is nothing inherently wrong with wearing them. We must keep in mind, though, that they have nothing in common with the cross Jesus tells us that we must bear (Matthew 16:24), the cross upon which we must crucify our old ways (Galatians 5:24), or the cross upon which Jesus was humiliated and executed. The cross of Jesus was not a pretty little cross.

The Green Eyed Monster

2006-09-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, my five year old daughter approached me, breathlessly wanting to know all about a horrible thing she had just heard of called “The Green Eyed Monster.” She was terrified. Of course, as a sensible and modern parent I explained to her that monsters are nothing to fear and that the Green Eyed Monster was only make believe. “This monster,” I told her, “is just a way to express something that is actually called envy.” My explanation was lost on her. As I tried to explain what envy is, it dawned on me that I knew where to get some help. Once again, the Bible gives us the help we need.

When we are envious of someone, we are coveting what they have whether it be money, material goods, talents, or relationships. What’s so bad about envy or covetousness? Even though millions are spent by advertisers appealing to our envy and encouraging us to be envious it’s something that God hates. In fact, God made a commandment against it. It’s right there as the last of the Ten Commandments: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. – Exodus 20:17.

This one of many examples where God has not only said “thou shalt not” but He has also given us many of the reasons why it’s so bad: Envy is a form of idolatry, i.e. replacing God as your lord and master (Ephesians 5:3-5 & Colossians 3:5,) envy is one of the unclean things that start from within, making us dirty, and coming out of us in destructive ways (Mark 7:22,) envy is a motivation for false teachers (2 Peter 2:1-3,) and, perhaps worst of all, envy is the root of many evil things, it causes people to abandon their faith in God, and it only brings misery (1 Timothy 6:10.)

We certainly don’t want our children going through their lives afraid of monsters. It’s important that we dispel myths about monsters under the bed or in the closest. It’s much more important that they understand the real dangers in the world. There are plenty enough of them without adding make believe monsters. The truth is, though, that the Green Eyed Monster is one of the real dangers of the world. Perhaps it would be best if we allowed our children to live with a healthy fear of this particular monster.

Her Name Was Elizabeth Short

2006-09-14T14:48:00.000-07:00

Her name was Elizabeth Short, but she liked to be called Beth. She was from Hyde Park, Massachusetts and had come to California as a teenager. As so many have before and since, Beth was looking for fame. As she matured, Beth became a beautiful young woman and was noticed around Los Angeles as the pretty girl who always wore black, to match her dark hair. Beth seemed to have a promising future in front of her and might have actually become as famous as Marilyn Monroe eventually would. That is if she hadn’t met up with the wrong person when she was only 22 years old.

On January 15, 1947, Beth’s lifeless body was found. She had been brutalized, tortured, murdered, and then mutilated. No person has ever been charged with the crime. Great national attention focused on the case immediately. It became a media sensation and, rather ironically, Beth became more famous in death than in life. Most people don’t know the name Elizabeth Short, though. The press immediately dubbed her “The Black Dahlia,” a combination of a popular movie and the color of her hair. The sensation about Beth’s murder has been strong ever since. Countless articles, books, and documentaries have cashed in on her mysterious death. Now, from Hollywood, comes a new, sexy, big budget film with an A-list cast. “The Black Dahlia” is based on (as the advertisements read) “the most notorious unsolved murder in California history.” It’s sure to be a spine-tingling thriller that will arouse audiences everywhere.

The truth is that there is nothing sexy, thrilling, or entertaining about murder. It’s a perverse interest that drives movies and shows like this. Whatever Beth may have been, she didn’t deserve the fate that befell her. It’s easy to forget that we are talking about a real person, with a real family, and real loved ones. It’s easy to overlook the fact that life was viciously ripped from a real young woman who had hopes and dreams. Calling this the case of the “Black Dahlia” has proven to be a great way to exploit this murder for almost 60 years. It’s also made it even easier to forget that we are talking about the sickening murder of a very young, young lady. Her name was Elizabeth Short, but she liked to be called Beth.

How Much Will It Cost?

2006-09-06T20:30:00.000-07:00

How much will it cost? Sure, it’s a question many of ask when we are looking at spending money. It’s also a question many of us should ask when we are considering the time it will take to do something, or the effort of a new responsibility. Sometimes, we get the idea that being a Christian is free, completely without cost. Jesus, however, dispels this notion in Luke 14. Jesus himself tells us that in order to be His disciple, you must be willing to pay the cost. It’s not just with money, Jesus is talking about paying with everything you have. To follow Jesus, you must put Him far above any friends, family, loved ones, even your own life. It’s actually a high cost to pay and Jesus uses an illustration about building a tower and an illustration about going to war in order to show us that before we commit to being a Christian, we must count the cost. If you aren’t willing to pay this cost, then you aren’t really willing to belong to God.

Of course, there is another way of looking at cost when it comes the things of God. It’s a point that A.J. Hodge made so well when he wrote the hymn “Have You Counted The Cost?”

There’s a line that is drawn by rejecting our Lord
Where the call of His spirit is lost
And you hurry along with the pleasure mad throng
Have you counted, have you counted the cost?

You may barter your hope of eternity’s morn
For a moment of joy at the most
For the glitter of sin and the things it will win
Have you counted, have you counted the cost?

While the door of His mercy is open to you
E’er the depth of His love you exhaust
Won’t you come and be healed, won’t you whisper, “I yield”
Have you counted, have you counted the cost?

Have you counted the cost, if your soul should be lost
Tho’ you gain the whole world for your own?
Even now it may that the line you have crossed
Have you counted, have you counted the cost?
Copyright 1923 – The Rodeheaver Co.

As enormous as the cost of being a Christian is, there is an even greater cost of not being a Christian. A.J. Hodge makes reminds us to consider for a moment the cost of being found outside of God’s family on the day of judgment.

Anti-Semantic

2006-08-30T21:19:00.000-07:00

There is an ugly word that you have probably heard a lot of lately. It has been thrown around in the news and in politics. Individual people, even whole nations, are accused of being this. Unfortunately, this is also a word that is being used incorrectly more often than not.

The word is “anti-Semitic,” and it means to be against Semitic people. Who exactly are Semitic people? The answer may surprise you. The idea of Semitic people comes from the Holy Bible, specifically the book of Genesis. The word refers Shem, a son of Noah. Semitic (or Shemitic) people are descendants of Shem. Can we know who Shem’s descendants are? Genesis chapter 10 tells us of the land that was given to Semites that includes the area we now call the Middle East. Furthermore, Genesis chapter 11 gives us the direct descendants of Shem. When we go down the list to the ninth generation, we find the name Abram. The man, who would later be known as Abraham, is a name we are all familiar with. So far, we have learned that Abraham was Semitic, or a descendant of Shem. Therefore, any descendant of Abraham would also be Semitic.

We are aware that Abraham is considered the first patriarch of the Jewish people through his son Isaac and grandson Jacob. Therefore, Jewish people, as descendants of Abraham, are in fact, Semitic people. This is where much of the misunderstanding comes from. If we only read Genesis a little more carefully, we learn that Abraham had another son. Genesis 16:15 tells us that Abraham’s first son was Ishmael. Ishmael’s descendants would, of course, also be Semitic people. It was not just Isaac’s descendants who would be made a great nation. We learn from Genesis 21:18 that Ishmael would also become the father of a great nation. What is this great nation? Muslims will tell you that they are the descendants of Ishmael. It may be hard to believe, but Jews and Arabs actually have a common ancestor. Going back to Genesis 10, again, we learn even more basically that Arabs known as Chaldeans, Assyrians, Phœnicians, Aramains, and Syrians are also Semitic people. To make matters even more complicated, not all modern Jews are Semitic. Some are actually Japhetic but that’s a whole other story.

The point is that Semitic people include a wide range of people historically centered in the Western Asia. Shem was one of three sons of Noah. It is, therefore, not unreasonable to guess than Semites make up one-third of the world’s population. Of course, when people today use the word “anti-Semitic” they really mean “anti-Jewish” and this cancer is indeed on the rise. Anti-Jewishness has plagued much of our history and as loving Christians, we should be ready to counter hatred against anyone group or race.

Is the misuse of the word “anti-Semitic” really a big deal? Is this just really about semantics (referring to the use of words) or about something more important? The truth is that as Christians, we should know the Holy Bible better than anyone and we should be able to identify misquotes, misuse, and ignorance of what it says.

Now It Can Be Told

2006-08-22T22:36:00.000-07:00

As a lifelong Washington Redskin fan, I am used to being disappointed during the yearly Professional Football Hall of Fame induction. This year was no exception. Once again, there were no Redskin players or coaches honored in the hall. To make matters worse, a famous player from the Redskin’s arch-rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, was inducted. Troy Aikman played Quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1989 – 2000 and I spent most of those years dreading him.

So, now that his playing days (and Cowboy days) are behind him, I have a confession to make… I like Troy Aikman! Though I have tried very hard to dislike him, I have seen many things in his character that have impressed me:

Aikman is a hard worker. He always took his job very seriously. It was true when he played, and it’s true now that he is a football commentator. No matter whom he has worked for, he gave his job all he had.

Aikman is humble. Humility is a rare thing among professional athletes and especially among some of his former teammates but Aikman always managed to keep an honest perspective on his abilities and talents. Aikman was arguably one the best to ever play the game but he has never been heard to brag or boast about his own greatness. Instead, he gave credit to his teammates. His humility was shown very well during his induction speech last week.

Aikman is respectful. He never spoke poorly of his competition. Aikman beat the Washington Redskins almost 90% of the time that he played against them. Yet, Aikman never discounted them as threat and never talked about them as a team that was easy to beat. I never heard him say a bad word about the Redskins (and I really listened.)

Aikman is never crude. He isn’t the kind of person to make fun at another’s expense. He doesn’t join in rude and offensive language and Aikman is respectful to women. He has actually been heard to rebuke people around him who disrespect women or make crude sexual jokes.

Aikman has a good reputation. Perhaps because of all these things, Aikman is well respected even among his enemies.

As a far as religion is concerned, I have no idea what Troy Aikman believes or professes. I can only assume from his character that he has had at least some exposure to Christian ideals and teachings. Of course, he isn’t perfect but to his credit, Aikman acts like a follower of Jesus. The point is simply this, if you want a living example of the kind of person you should try to be, if you want to know how to act like a Christian in this world and in your job, you could do a lot worse than Troy Aikman.

The Bible As a Guide

2006-08-15T19:50:00.000-07:00

One of the most significant events described to us in the Old Testament is told in the Book of Exodus. It begins as the descendants of Jacob, the Hebrews, are enslaved in Egypt. The Exodus, or exit, is about the Hebrew escape from slavery lead by God through a man named Moses. The truth is that the events described in this book are a major part of ancient world history. There’s just one problem; most modern “bible scholars” don’t believe it ever happened.

Modern intellectual thought tells us that there is absolutely no historical or archeological evidence that the Exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt ever occured. They say it is merely a myth that was invented much later on. Even self-proclaimed Bible believers may tell you that stories like the Exodus were not written based on true events but were instead based on universal truths about humanity and God. Stories like the Exodus, Jonah, Daniel, the Great Flood, and even the sayings and miracles of Jesus are not true they say, but are allegories about humankind.

Historians and archaeologists determined many years ago that the Hebrew flight from Egypt is supposed to have happened 3100 years ago. Recently, filmmakers James Cameron (of “Titanic” fame) and Simcha Jacobovici did something quite unusual in intellectual circles. They went back to the Bible to find out when it says the Exodus occurred. According to their findings, the Bible indicates that it occurred 3500 years ago, or a full 400 years earlier than modern intellectual thought. It stands to reason that archaeologists and scholars would have a hard time finding evidence for an event if they are looking in a completely different age.

By looking at what they believe is the correct time period, the correct location, and the correct Pharaoh, Cameron and Jacobovici have found a great amount of evidence. They claim to have even found an Egyptian hieroglyphic frieze that describes the Hebrew slaves and their God. The documentary program that they have put together, “Exodus Decoded” airs this Sunday night, August 20, on the History Channel at 8:00. No, this isn’t an advertisement for the show but it might be interesting the watch what happens when people looking for evidence of a biblical event actually use the Bible as a guide.

Shrewd

2006-08-09T21:05:00.000-07:00

Shrewd

One of the most charming children’s movies ever made was 1971’s “Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory” starring Gene Wilder. As with any great film, there are a number of memorable quotes. One interesting exchange takes place when the children are called upon to sign a contract before entering the factory for the tour. The character Mike Teevee tells the story of a show he watched in which a man signed his wife’s insurance policy and then “bumped her off.” Willy Wonka replies simply and dryly, “shrewd.”

Shrewdness is not something we think of as a positive attribute. When we call someone or some group shrewd, we usually mean that they are mischievous or have evil intentions. Surely, this is the case of the man and the insurance policy. The Bible talks negatively about shrewd people but it might surprise us to learn that being shrewd can also be a good thing. In fact, in some ways, the Bible calls on us to be shrewd.

The King James Version of the Bible does not actually use the word. However, the Greek word, phronimos, that it translates as “wise” can also be translated “shrewd.” Many other translations, such as the NIV, NASB, and ESV actually use “shrewd.” When we look into what the word really means, we find out that it means astute or to have sharp powers of judgment. The truth is that Christians should indeed use great judgment in all matters. Our challenge with shrewdness, as with many things, is balance. We can ignore using judgment completely to our great disadvantage or, on the other extreme, we can take it too far and bring woe to ourselves when we are “shrewd in our own sight” as Isaiah 5:21 warns. Jesus gave this advice when sending out His twelve disciples: “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves” – Matthew 10:16 (NASB95)

What Do You Want... A Cookie?

2006-08-02T21:01:00.000-07:00

“What do you want… a cookie?” This was a popular sarcastic response in the 1980’s. Some of us said it so much, it became an automatic reply. It usually followed somebody stating that they had accomplished some small or even large task. It’s much like the response husbands may get from their wives when saying something like “honey, I put my dirty clothes in the hamper.” Perhaps, nobody used this phrase better than comedian Chris Rock in one of his routines. Rock was speaking about men who brag loudly about taking care of their children, financially. His response to them was “you’re supposed to take care of your kids! What do you want… a cookie?!?!”

The idea behind this saying is that you don’t deserve a bonus for doing something you are supposed to do. Putting dirty clothes in the hamper and taking care of your children is what is expected of you. We may not like to think this way. We often like to think that everything we do will be rewarded, immediately. The truth is that there is no extra-credit for doing what you are supposed to do.

The same could be said when it comes to the things of God. Obeying God’s will, staying away from sin, making the right choices, loving others… these are the basic expectations of God. There is no extra-credit for any of these things. Some people buy into the notion of being better than others because they follow God’s commands more strictly. What they fail to realize is that they aren’t building up points by doing the right things; following the commands of God is merely what you are supposed to do.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:8-10

People Get Ready

2006-07-27T20:12:00.000-07:00

In 1831, a farmer and veteran of the War of 1812 named William G. Miller began his preaching career. He had one simple message based upon his understanding of Daniel 8:14. Jesus’ return and the end of the world, Miller preached, would take place exactly on March 21, 1843. Later, Miller recalculated setting the date for October 22, 1844. On that day, Miller and his followers (dubbed Millerites) donned white robes and climbed trees to await the end. They sincerely believed they would not have to climb down those trees but of course, we know they eventually did. The world did not end in 1844 and 162 years later, we are still here.

The incident would come to be known to many as the “Great Disappointment.” William Miller felt the same way and wrote: "were I to live my life over again, with the same evidence that I then had, to be honest with God and man, I should have to do as I have done. I confess my error, and acknowledge my disappointment." (Memoirs of William Miller, Sylvester Bliss, p. 256). Religious descendants of the Millerites still exist today in groups like the Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah’s Witnesses.

The truth is that millions before and after William Miller have seen the signs of their own times reflected in what they believed to be Bible prophecy. Millions have been determined in their belief that Jesus would return at a very specific time. So, we must ask ourselves: can we accurately predict when the world will end by studying scripture? As tempting as it might be to try, it simply isn’t possible. The savior himself told us that even He does not know the day and the hour of His return. (Matthew 24:36) Now, if even Jesus does not know, how are we mere humans with our great limitations supposed to figure it out?

Don’t allow yourself to fall into this trap. The message of the Bible is not one of codes or secret meanings about when the end of the world will come. The message that Jesus so often preached is this: BE READY! The only thing we can predict about when the end will occur is that it will come when we least expect it. Take the words of Jesus: Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. – Matthew 24:44