Christ, Christians, And Craziness

By Joe Slater

 

    Felix, crooked governor of Judea, asked the visiting King Herod Agrippa II to hear Paul’s defense regarding the charges the Sanhedrin had brought against him (Acts 25:24-27). That defense consumes nearly the entire 26^th chapter of Acts; it includes Paul’s account of his own conversion and his commission to proclaim the gospel of the resurrected Christ.

    Upon hearing these things, Governor Felix rudely interrupted Paul, loudly exclaiming, “Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!” (26:24). Both expressions (“beside yourself” and “mad”) come from the same root, “mainomia,” which gives us our words “mania” and “maniac.” In essence Felix said, “Paul, you’re a maniac! Much learning has driven you crazy!”

    Paul’s response to the governor used the same term: “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason” (16:25). Far from being a raving kook, Paul’s words were true, sound, and sensible.

    We’re not surprised at the governor’s insult. Some of Jesus’ own enemies said the same of Him: “He has a demon and is mad! Why do you listen to Him? (John 10:20). They couldn’t win by arguing against His teaching, so what else could they do but slander Him personally?

    Why should our world view us any more favorably than it viewed Jesus or our ancient brethren? They were not intimidated by insults, nor should we be.

    Unfortunately, there is some real craziness going on in the name of religion, and we wisely distance ourselves from that. But if the world thinks we’re crazy, it just might be because we’re doing something right!

- Joe Slater serves as minister of the Church of Christ in Justin, TX. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://justinchurchofchrist.com

Freedom Of or From Religion??

By Gerald Cowan

 

    Your first impulse may be to deny the statement in the title. You may say that God has made us free moral agents with the power to choose one thing or another, and that our religion must be a matter of individual choice. Of course there is some truth in that. But what does it mean? And how many possibilities are there from which to choose? It may come as a surprise to you to learn that God offers only one religion, and your only choice is to accept it or reject it. That’s it. Take it or leave it. But His response to you will be based firmly upon your choice to do it His way or not. Oh yes, you may substitute any number of things for what He asks, and you may be well satisfied with the arrangement. But the fact remains that God’s offer has been rejected, which means God has been rejected, which means you have been rejected by God. Read carefully 1 Corinthians 1:10-11, Galatians 1:6-8, Ephesians 4:4-6, Romans 1:16-17, and John 12:48. Everyone is free to reject the offer of God, but he is not free to reject the consequences of his rejection (Romans 6:16-17).

    Freedom of religion in our society is usually interpreted to mean that each person is free to choose and practice whatever suits his religious needs and desires, so long as it does not violate the rights of others. No person is to be allowed to force his religious beliefs upon others. That is the view which led to the ruling of the Supreme Court against Bible reading and prayer in public schools. The ruling was not intended to encourage atheism, but simply to define the state’s relationship to religion as neutral. However, atheists were encouraged by the ruling and have pressed for the removal of religion from all aspects of public life – think what you want, but do not speak it or act it out, lest someone of a different persuasion have his feelings hurt. Now that psychology and psychiatry have convinced us that thoughts are parents to deeds – the Bible taught that a long time before those two psy’s made their appearance (Proverbs 4:23, Mark 7:20-23) – we may lose our freedom even to think religious thoughts. Atheism belittles and ridicules and actively opposes and punishes religion, but that is not considered a hate crime because they have found the courts of human opinion and civil law to be on their side.

    Atheism likes to assume that man can be free from religion, but that is impossible. The word religion, reduced to its simplest definition, means “tied back or tied to,” hence a way of life; a pattern for living. The laws or principles that one applies to his life can properly be called his religion. The Christian religion  is simply the way of life which takes its direction from and submits to the authority of Jesus Christ, which is the one proper way to the one true God (Matthew 28:18-20, Colossians 3:17, John 14:1-9). One’s way of life need not have any god in it to be a religion. So atheism is a religion – a way of life without God, without any god. Atheism is from Greek ATHEOS, and means literally “without God, having no god.” It does not necessarily imply or require disbelief or denial of the existence of God. It implies only that one has no god in his life, that he is unaffected by and not associated with any god. Some may cultivate atheism for its value in shocking other people. One cannot prove or disprove the existence of God or gods. But one can reject any and all existing gods – that is atheism. Some are atheists because they have been disillusioned and turned off by the hypocrisy of so many professing believers, especially the absurdity of so many different and contradictory beliefs and commandments all supposedly emanating from the same God and the same Christ. Some will not accept the concept of a God they cannot fully understand. And then of course there is the atheism of indifference – the “I couldn’t care less” attitude about God and Christianity.     

    So far you may be saying, “Well, thank God I am not an atheist! I have not denied the existence and reality of God.”  Good for you! That puts you in a rather select group called believers in God. But have you obeyed God? Have you accepted the religion that He offers to you through Jesus Christ? Remember that an atheist is one who is without God. He is separated from God, rejected by God, out of fellowship with God, having neither part nor lot with God. It may not be by his own choice – he may actually think he is with God and of God in Jesus Christ. The only time the word atheist appears in scripture is in the Greek text of Ephesians 2:1-12. Notice how the apostle uses the word. He says, “You Christians at Ephesus are now alive to God in Jesus Christ. But at one time you were dead (separated from God) because of your way of life which was according to the desires of your own minds, in keeping with the customs of the world but contrary to the will of God and the religion offered by God (2:1-3). you were at that time aliens and strangers to God’s covenants of promise. You had no hope and were without God (ATHEIOI, atheists) in the world (2:12). Do you get the implication of that? There is no freedom of religion given to us by God. We either accept the  religion He offers and do things His way, or we are atheists. What do you think is the eventual and eternal outcome for those who are without God and do not obey the gospel of Christ? Hint: you will find help with the answer to that question in 1 Peter 4:17-19 and 1 Thessalonians 1:7-9. 

- Gerald Cowan, a longtime preacher and missionary, is retired from full-time pulpit preaching. Gerald publishes an e-mail newsletter entitled GERALD COWAN’S PERSONAL PERIODICAL WRITINGS. He is available for Gospel Meetings and he may be contacted at Geraldcowan1931@aol.com

The Toddler’s Creed

By Al Behel

    Children are special people... especially toddlers. They have a rather unique view of the world. Someone has shared this insight into their thinking, called, “The Toddler’s Creed”:

If I want it, it’s, mine.

If I give it to you and change my mind later, it’s mine.

If I can take it away from you, it’s mine.

If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine.

If it’s mine, it will never belong to anyone else, no matter what.

If we are building something together, all the pieces are mine.

If it looks just like mine, it’s mine.

    Every parent of a toddler knows that this is an accurate description of the world as they see it. While we expect this self-centered trait in toddlers, we find it very repulsive in older children and adults.

    Many people live almost exclusively for themselves. Extreme self-interest is called “narcissism.” The narcissist thinks the world should evolve around them...everyone should focus on them, elevate them, cower to their wants and demands, and yield to their emotional manipulations.

    Self is at the center of all sin. There is no room on the throne for Christ as long as self is king. Dying to self is essential to serving Christ. The apostle Paul taught that we should “count others better” than ourselves (Philippians 2:3).

    Sadly, toddlers are not the only ones who suffer from self-centeredness.

Our culture worships at the alter of self. Our insatiable demand for fun, entertainment, and comfort leaves us approaching almost every issue with thoughts of how we are affected, not what effect our choices may have on others. Narissictic Christianity is not Christ-centered, but is self-centered, and will ultimately destroy itself. 

- Al Behel preaches for the Great Smoky Mountains Church of Christ in Pigeon Forge, TN. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://greatsmokymountainschurchofchrist.com/

Oh For The Good Old Days!

By Joe Slater

     I remember when working on my own car was standard operating procedure. When I popped the hood, everything was easily accessible (well, relatively easily anyway). Today it’s a maze of wires and hoses. Nearly everything is computerized. My shade-tree mechanic days are long since gone. Oh, for the good old days!
     But would I really want to go back to the days when I had to change oil every 2000 miles, and do a complete tune-up every 12,000 miles? Was it really better when a vehicle was sent to the junk yard before it reached 100,000 miles?
     King Solomon wrote, “Do not say, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’ For you do not inquire wisely concerning this” (Ecclesiastes 7:10). Is this teaching needed in the church today? Assuredly so!
     Some remember the “protracted meetings” that lasted several weeks and resulted in dozens of baptisms. Now we have mostly week-end meetings. A Sunday-through-Wednesday meeting is a major event. We feel fortunate if the local brethren attend. Community visitors are rare, and conversions are the exception rather than the rule.
     Our culture has changed. We can pine for the good old days, or we can adapt and move forward.
     I also remember when it was commonplace for brethren to step outside for a smoke between Bible class and the assembly. I remember when it was presumed that the preacher would move every couple of years. In some congregations people of color were not warmly welcomed, or at best were patronized. Those “good old days” really weren’t so good. Thank God for improvement in these and other areas! May He continue to help us to become more Christ-like every day. 

- Joe Slater serves as minister of the Church of Christ in Justin, TX. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://justinchurchofchrist.com

Times Have Changed

By A. C. Quinn

   "Times have changed" is a common refrain from those who find themselves in contradiction with the Word of God. This happens especially when moral standards are involved.
   First of all, one might question what folks mean when they say “Times have changed.” Are they talking about a changing culture? Are they talking about changing attitudes—one’s view of the world? It is most likely the latter.
   The idea that times have changed seems to indicate to many folks that somehow God’s standards have changed with regards to the sanctity of marriage, sexual improprieties, and myriads of other sins. There is a fundamental truth that is lost in this thinking which leads many to lives of sin: “Whosoever commiteth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (I John 3:4). Clearly, sin is sin, regardless how much human attitudes may change. Not only so, neither God nor his Word changes: “For I am the Lord, I change not…” (Mal. 3:6); “God is not man, that he should lie; neither the son of man that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? (Numbers 23:19); “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:34).
   It is certain that there will be the judgment day coming. Sadly for many, what people think will not be the standard. Jesus said, “He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge hm in the last day” (John 12:48).

 - A. C. Quinn preaches for the West Main Church of Christ in Wolfe City, Texas. He may be contacted at acuen30@gmail.com

Cited by the ‘Politically Correct’ Police

By Ron Adams

JOHN ...

• Called some people “liars.”
• P.C.: He should  have given them the benefit of the doubt.
• Warned the disciples about not having fellowship with false teachers.
• P.C.: He should have been more understanding –realizing that such ostracizing is painful to the one shut out.
• Told Gaius that he’d deal with the bad behavior of  Diotrephes “when I come.”
• P.C.: He should have been forgiving, and should have instructed Gaius to be more tolerant.

PAUL ...

• Warned that some members were in danger of “falling from grace” and being “severed from Christ.”
• P.C.: He should have stressed the loving and forgiving spirit of God.
• Taught that the goddess Diana (Artamus) was nothing, upsetting the Ephesians.
• P.C.: He should have been more understanding of their long held veneration of Diana. He should have been aware that beliefs are a personal matter and are sacred to the individual.
• Preached that the Greek’s wisdom was foolishness in contrast to the wisdom of God, upsetting the Greeks.
• P.C.: He should have praised the Greeks for their ability to think and reason. He had little regard for their self-esteem.
• Confronted Peter face-to-face before all, after Peter had acted improperly.
• P.C.: He should have avoided confrontation and been more understanding and forgiving.
• Condemned those who were “preaching another gospel.”
• P.C.: He should have allowed for some diversity. Not all people think alike.
• Believed he had an obligation to preach the “whole counsel of God.”
• P.C.: He should have known that such preaching would not be well-received, and turn some followers away.

PETER ...

• Preached that the Jews were responsible for demanding an innocent Jesus be put to death.
• P.C.: He should have left off “blame.” No one likes to be blamed. It makes one feel bad and sad.
• Declared that he (and the other apostles) ought to obey God, not man, upsetting the rulers.
• P.C.: He should have tried to find some “common ground” through compromise.
• Charged men to speak “as the oracles of God.”
• P.C.: He should have made allowances for personal interpretation of Scriptures.

JAMES ...

• Chastised those who said but didn’t do.
• P.C.: He should have understood that many have good intentions and probably have good reasons for not doing.
• Charged some members with “spiritual adultery.”
• P.C.: He should never have used such strong terminology. He should have been more positive, not negative.

JESUS ...

• The most flagrant abuser of political correctness. Healed on the Sabbath and upset the Jews.
• P.C.: He should have done it on another day and avoided the confrontation.
• Called the scribes and Pharisees “hypocrites,”condemning their false piety.
• P.C.: He should have refrained from such condemnation: no one likes to be called names. It hurts one’s feelings.
• Condemned the scribes and chief priests.
• P.C.: He should have had more respect for the spiritual leaders, even if they were less than perfect.
• Criticized the Pharisees and Sadducees, calling them an evil and adulterous generation.
• P.C.: He should have known that such a combative spirit only turns off those you are trying to reach.

- F.Y.C. is a monthly publication by Ron Adams. Bible references are from the NASB except where another translation is referenced. Back issues are archived at http://ra10ar.com Be thoughtful and kind. All rights reserved. © 2017

Changes

By Ron Bartanen

   Politicians promise changes. In all of our lives we find constant change. We never know from one day to the next what to expect. James wrote, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today  or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’:  whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow….” (James 4:13-14a).
    Some changes may be for the good, while others for the worse. Some things, however, never change. The laws of nature, for instance, are constant and unchanging. From creation, a stone dislodged from a cliff would fall 96 feet per second. That has not changed, nor will it. Water, that thousands of years ago would boil at 180 degrees at sea level, will do the same today.
     Some seem to think that God is changeable. Otherwise they would not think to make His word obsolete. However, the psalmist prayed, “You are the same, and your years will have no end” (Psa. 102:27). Moses declared, “God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19).
     Cultures change. Men are not long satisfied with the statutes of God, and set their own standards of morality and religion, but they have not consulted with God. Men may even redefine marriage, but we needn’t expect God to rewrite His own “dictionary.”
     It is as true today as it was almost 2000 years ago, that Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life”, the one way to the Father (John 14:6). It is as true today as it was  in the early days of the church that a response to the gospel by obedient faith will secure the forgiveness of sins and acceptance into the Lord’s spiritual body, the church (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38, 47). Men change, as do their words.  But God does not change, and His word will stand firm forever.

- Ronald Bartanen preaches for Arthur Church of Christ, Arthur, IL.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://arthurcoc.com/