Christian Character

By Kevin R. Rutherford

    The New Testament lists some qualities that need to be seen in every Christian. Consider
the lists below and check them against your character to see what you need to add, or what you
need to improve.

Romans 12:9-21
 1. Love
 2. Kindness
 3. Diligence
 4. Fervent in spirit
 5. Serving the Lord
 6. Rejoicing in hope
 7. Patient in tribulation
 8. Steadfast in prayer
 9. Given to hospitality
 10. Peaceful

Galatians 5:22-23
 1. Love
 2. Joy
 3. Peace
 4. Long-suffering
 5. Kindness
 6. Goodness
 7. Gentleness
 8. Self-Control

Ephesians 4:2
 1. Lowliness
 2. Gentleness
 3. Long-suffering
 4. Love

Colossians 3:12-14
 1. Tender Mercy
 2. Kindness
 3. Humility
 4. Meekness
 5. Long-suffering
 6. Bearing with one another
 7. Forgiving one another
 8. Above all these things is Love

2 Peter 1:5-11
 1. Virtue
 2. Knowledge
 3. Self-control
 4. Perseverance
 5. Godliness
 6. Brotherly Kindness
 7. Love
 
    Perhaps you noticed there is one characteristic that appears in all of five of these lists. That quality is love. Love is defined in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails [ceases, ends].” Love will still be important when faith an hope have been fulfilled (1 Corinthians 13:13). Sincere, fervent, and pure love of the brethren is seen in those who are truly converted to Christ (1Peter 1:22-23). We must love one another to pass from death to life (1 John 3:14). We must love one another to have eternal life (1 John 3:15). We must love one another in deed and in truth (1 John 3:18). We must love one another to be of the truth (1 John 3:19). We must love one another to have our prayers answered by God (1 John 3:20-23). We must love one another to have our prayers answered by God (1 John 3:20-23). We must love one another because God loved each of our brothers and sisters in Christ enough to die for them (1 John 4:7-11).

- Kevin V. Rutherford preaches for the Warners Chapel church of Christ in Clemmons, NC. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://warnerschapelchurchofchrist.org/

Are You Tired of Wearing Masks Yet?

By Jim Faughn

     During the past year, the “mask policy” has changed multiple times. National, state, and local governments have mandated a variety of changes in policy. These changes have often been difficult to understand and even more difficult to enforce. There have been instances when one set of policies has conflicted with others.
    Various levels of government have not been alone in adopting confusing and conflicting policies. Businesses, churches, and other organizations have also felt the need to adopt their own “mask policies.”
    All of this has even filtered down to the family and individual levels. Some families and individuals refuse to wear a mask and/or require others to do so in their presence while others make wearing a mask mandatory for themselves and others.
    Wherever you are in all of this, I’m guessing that most of us can agree that we are growing very tired of wearing masks and seeing other people wearing them. Most of us are also probably tired of making decisions about masks or even hearing about them.
    I would like to suggest a new “mask policy.” I think that this policy would, if implemented, make the world a much better place. Here’s the policy:

Take all of the masks off and destroy them!

    Before you think that I’ve completely lost what little sense I have, let me quickly explain that the masks I have in mind have nothing to do with the pandemic about which all of us are concerned. In fact, these masks have nothing to do with any disease that might be transmitted from one individual to others.
    The masks I have in mind are not even literal, material masks. They are “masks” worn by people who do not want others to see who they really are.
    I think that you know what I have in mind. These masks allow people to adapt their personality, their “beliefs,” their morals, and a host of other things to whatever environment in which they find themselves. For ex-ample, I could choose to wear my “good old boy mask” when I’m out with friends and switch to my “faithful Christian mask” on Sunday or when I’m around religious people. (Sometimes that switch can be made in just the hours between Saturday night and Sunday morning.)
    Would we not all be much better off if we would take off all of our masks and be consistent in what we do and say? How much easier and more pleasant would our lives be, for example if, when I tell you some-thing, you didn’t have to try to figure out what I really meant?
    As you consider an answer to that question, you may want to think about something you may have already heard before. Our English word hypocrite is derived from a Greek word. That Greek word that referred to an actor on a stage.
    An interesting fact about those Greek actors is that one of them could play various parts in a production. All he had to do was to change masks. That enabled one actor to portray characters who were happy, sad, mean, kind, etc.
    I’m praying that it will not be very much longer before we can communicate and socialize with others without concerns about wearing a mask in order to minimize the chances of transmitting some disease. I’m praying even more that each one of us (including me) will choose to be transparent and consistent. Beyond that, it is my prayer that all of us who wear the name of Christ have as our goal living in such a way that we are transparently and consistently honoring Him.

- Jim Faughn, a retired preacher, serves as an elder for the Central Church of Christ in Paducah KY.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.centralchurchofchrist.org (from A Legacy of Faith)

 

Ten Misplaced Desires?

By Steve Higginbotham

    Maybe you've heard the story about three old friends who were shipwrecked on a deserted island. After nearly a year of being castaways, a bottle floated up on the beach. One of the men opened it, and out popped a genie granting one wish to each of the three friends. Without any hesitation, the first friend said, "I wish I were back home in Knoxville." Poof! He was gone. The second friend immediately said, "I wish I were back home in Knoxville, too." Poof!  Immediately he was gone. The third man was more deliberate. He told the genie he wanted to think about it a bit longer to make sure he didn't waste his wish. After a full two months of isolation on the island, he said to the genie, "I've reached my decision. Over the past two months I've come to realize how much I miss my friends. It's been so lonely here without them, so I wish my two friends were back here with me." And poof! (Groan here).
    I believe we can all recognized the misplaced desire this man had. The desire for companionship with his friends was noble, but that desire was misplaced if it meant calling them back to the island. But now, before we laugh at this man we had better realize that sometimes, we too have misplaced desires; good and noble desires, but they can be misplaced due to context. Let me offer ten misplaced desires we sometimes have.

• We want a Savior, but we don't want a Lord.
• We want a crown, but we don't want a cross.
• We want a harvest, but we don't want to sow any seed.
• We want to go to Heaven, but we don't want to go to church.
• We want to grow spiritually, but we don't want to feed on his word.
• We want Hollywood to "clean up its act," but we don't want to stop watching.
• We want the right to pray, even in school, but we don't want to pray.
• We want the 10 Commandments posted, but we don't want to live by their moral principles.
• We want to love God, but we don't want to abhor sin.
• We want to die the death of the righteous, but we don't want to abandon the lifestyle of the sinner.

The man who wanted his friends to rejoin him on that deserted island was pretty short-sighted, but not nearly as short-sighted as those whose wants are identified above. Give it some thought.

 - Steve Higginbotham preaches for the Karns Church of Christ in Knoxville, TN. He may be contacted through the congregation's website. Copyright © 2016 MercEmail

Crises Reveal Our Character

By Joe Chesser

    What would you do if you were fired from your job and put in prison because the owner’s wife told some horrible lies about you?
    What would you do if you had to flee the country because you helped defend a neighbor from an injustice?
    What would you do if you were offered something you greatly desired but knew was illegal and life-threatening to obtain?
    What would you do if suddenly you discovered that all that you had believed in the past was not true, and instead of serving God you were actually fighting him?
    What would you do if you were offered a considerable amount of money to betray a friend?
    What would you do if you found out that the woman to whom you were engaged became pregnant before the wedding, and it wasn’t your child?
    These questions are not about hypothetical situations. They really happened, and the answers to these questions reveal the type of character each person possessed at the time the crisis occurred. You can probably identify each of the people in the above scenarios: Joseph (Jacob’s son), Moses, Eve, Paul, Judas, and Joseph (and Mary). Some of them faced the crisis with faith and resolve, and withstood the challenge. Others failed. But what these examples teach us is that when crises occur, our character will be revealed.
    All of us have faced and will continue to face many challenges in our lives. They may be strong temptations, they may be difficult choices, they may be heart-breaking health issues. Many of our crises are not personally our own – they may involve our spouse, parents, children, family or friends. Yet they are heavy burdens.
    How we handle these crises reveals our character. It also reveals how we have prepared for the inevitable. We may not know exactly what kind of crisis may be coming, but they will come. How we prepare today for them will determine how these crises affect us. Roy Disney once said, “When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier.” Joseph was able to overcome the crisis with Potiphar’s wife because he had already established his values, even as a teenager. Moses overcame his poor choice by developing spiritually while in the wilderness. Judas failed to prepare for his crisis at any time. Which best describe you right now?                                               

 - Joe Chesser preaches for the Fruitland Church of Christ, Fruitland, MO.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website.

Better Than Gold

By David A. Sargent

    The actions of these athletes have been hailed as expressing the true Olympic spirit.
    The events occurred during a qualifying heat of the women’s 5,000 meter race in the 2016 Rio Olympics. About 3,000 meters into the race, American Abbey D’Agostino accidentally clipped New Zealand runner Nikki Hamblin causing both of them to fall to the track. Hamblin was lying on the track dazed when D’Agostino rose and placed her hand on Hamblin’s shoulder and said, “Get up. We have to finish this.” D’Agostino helped Hamblin onto her feet so both of them could complete the race.
    "I'm so grateful for Abbey for doing that for me. That girl is the Olympic spirit right there," Hamblin said of D'Agostino. "I've never met her before. Like I never met this girl before. And isn't that just so amazing. Such an amazing woman."
    It was D’Agostino who suffered the greater injury. Tests would later find that she had torn ligaments in her knee. As she struggled to continue the race, Hamblin stayed behind to help her and offer encouragement.
    "She helped me first. I tried to help her. She was pretty bad," Hamblin said.
    Both Hamblin and D'Agostino set aside their own hopes of earning Olympic medals to look out for one another.
    And they both completed the race.
    And waiting at the finish line for the struggling D’Agostino was her competitor-turned-friend, Nikki Hamblin. Their magnanimous actions remind us that some things are better than gold! *
    “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:  If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
    We’ve all fallen. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Without help, we could never finish the race. Without help, we are lost.
    God loves us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16). His victory over sin and death made it possible for us to share in His victory. “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).
    God will save from sin and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7).
    When God saves us, He also places us within His family, the Church (see Acts 2:36-41, 47). In God’s family, we should demonstrate the same kind of care that was shown by Abbey D’Agostino and Nikki Hamblin. When one falls, we should seek to help him/her up. Then together we can complete the race and share in the victory that Christ has made possible.
    After all, there are some things better than gold.
    Won’t YOU trust and obey Christ? Then, won’t YOU help others to run the race?

 - David A. Sargent, minister for the Church of Christ at Creekwood in Mobile, Alabama, is also the editor of an electronic devotional entitled "Living Water."  To learn more about this excellent resource contact David via their website.

* Source: “Rio 2016: Runners Abbey D'Agostino, Nikki Hamblin Show True Meaning of Olympic Spirit.” by The Associated Press (www.nbcnews.com).

The Importance of Reputation

By Jonathan B. Jones II
     A recent Wall Street Journal interview with Google CEO Eric Schmidt revealed some disturbing realities about privacy and reputations in the digital age.
    The Google CEO says you may have to change your name to escape your past.
    The Internet-search-engine-giant's CEO stated, "I don't believe society understands
what happens when everything is available, knowable, and recorded by
everyone all the time." Because records are kept of all of your internet activity including internet searches, websites visited, and social networking posts, the indiscretions within the cyber world will scar your reputation and follow you throughout life. It is well known that many employers today will check social networking sites (such as twitter, Facebook, and MySpace) to evaluate the character of a prospect before serious consideration for hire. Google's CEO stated that the only way to "escape" such a wounded reputation in the future will be to legally change your name!
     Rather than trying to do “reputation damage control” after the fact, it would be far better to guard your reputation from being ruined in the first place. Scripture teaches us the importance of having a good reputation. The writer of Proverbs gives the true life-principle, "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold” (Proverbs 22:1).
    The Preacher of the book of Ecclesiastes seconds this advice, "A good name is better than precious ointment" (Ecclesiastes 7:1). As Christians we must care about our reputations. We should put a high priority upon the value of our reputations.
     We all make mistakes in the days of our youthfulness that we regret. David prayed to God, "Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions…" (Psalm 25:7). However, there is no excuse for "sowing wild oats" because we are young. God does not excuse the indiscretions of youth.
     Accountable young people must realize there are consequences to their choices--even choices made on-line. The young man Joseph is elevated in Scripture as a young man who continued to seek God when in a foreign land (Genesis 39:9).
    Likewise the young men Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego realized that they were accountable to God even when not around their parents (Daniel 1:8).
    Actions have consequences. We reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7). We are to "sow for yourselves righteousness" (Hosea 10:12). If you sow to the wind, you can expect to reap a whirlwind (Hosea 8:7). May we all, both young and old, realize the importance of our reputations.

- Jonathan B. Jones II; via The Encourager, the weekly bulletin for the Calvert City church of Christ, Calvert City, KY.  Lance Cordle preaches for the congregation.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.calvertchurchofchrist.com

WANTS vs. NEEDS (Adapted)

* I may want to accumulate all the physical things I possibly can -- I need to realize that my life does not consist of the amount of the things that I own (Luke 12:15).
* I may want to appear “sophisticated and wise” in my religious beliefs and practices -- I need to hear “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2), and to take my own cross (Matt. 16:24).
* I may want to spend all my time in leisure, “free from responsibility,” -- I need to work and provide for my family (Eph. 4:28; 1 Tim. 5:8).
* I may want to hear all “positive preaching” -- I need to be reproved, rebuked, and exhorted (2 Tim. 4:2).
* I may want to treat my children as “small adults” and be their “best friend” -- I need to be their parent and properly discipline and train them before God (Eph. 6:4).
* I may want to keep my total independence even though married -- I need to remember the mutual dependence of husband and wife (1 Cor. 7:3; Col. 3:18).
* I may become so accustomed to, and so enamored with this world that I want to live here forever -- I need to remember that my citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20).
* I may want to live a solitary Christian life -- I need the church (1 Cor. 12:27).
* I may want to assert my rights and privileges and live the way I want to -- I need to remember that no man lives to himself and that one day every one of us will give an account of himself to God (Rom. 14:8, 12).
* I may want to live my life without God -- I need God (Psa. 46:1).
* I may want to go to heaven under my terms -- I need to follow God’s ways to get there (Matt. 7:13-14, 21-23).
* I may want to give up when the going gets tough -- I need to be faithful unto death (Rev. 2:10).
* I may want to please people -- I need to please God (Gal. 1:10).

- Lance Cordle preaches the Calvert City church of Christ in Calvert City, KY.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.calvertchurchofchrist.com

Soft-Pedal Journalism

By Foy E. Wallace, Jr.

Personalities in journalism, which means naming teachers of error along with systems of error, are not any violation of “courageous, dignified religious journalism.” Naming the men who teach error and practice deception in religion, even in the church, “can be done in a courteous and Christian manner,” but it should be done.

To talk and write of courageous, dignified, courteous methods of religious journalism is to deal only in broad generalities. For some of our old landmarks as gospel papers to recede from former drastic policies and retreat behind the verbiage of carefully worked resolutions of editorial committees to restrain the power of pens, is a keen disappointment to many of us who have looked to these papers to take the lead in a major fight, without generalities, relentless offensives against false movements and the men who promote them.

Whether some “temptation or scheme of intimidation” has “seduced” and “provoked” the editors and publishers to modify policies we cannot say, but it is obvious that something has caused them to seek retrenchment. Our only point here is that it is no time to be saying pretty platitudes and dealing in generalities. We are in a fight for the truth and the cannon fire cannot cease until the enemies of the church stack arms.

Calling names of false teachers and their aides and sympathizer is neither undignified nor discourteous, because Paul did it, and he was courteous, dignified and educated. He said. Demas forsook me having loved this: present world.” It was hard on Demas for Paul to say that publicly. He should have taken that up with, Demas privately' Again he said that Hymenaeus and Philetus had shipwrecked their faith and were overthrowing the faith of -others by their theory of the resurrection and he wrote it down in the New Testament (a rather dignified book) that he had turned those brethren of his over to Satan. He clashed with Barnabas upon one occasion and withstood Peter to his face and rebuked him publicly. Neither incident mined the church, nor marred the dignity of the New Testament. He further said that Alexander the coppersmith did him much evil and declared that the Lord would reward him for what he did. Paul did not seem to covet the kind of reward he intimated Alexander would get. He told a perverter of the truth one time that he was full of guile and villainy, called him a son of the devil, and asked him if he ever intended to quit perverting the way of the Lord. When a paper develops better manners than the New Testament and a preacher becomes more dignified than the apostles, neither is worth anything to the defense of the truth nor to the cause of Christ.

- Foy E. Wallace, Jr. (deceased); via the Belvedere Beacon, the weekly bulletin of the Belvedere church of Christ, Belvedere, SC. Ken Chumbley preaches for this congregation, and he may be contacted at their website: http://www.belvederechurchofchrist.org