About YOU

By David A. Sargent

 

    Keith Wishum reminds us, “What people say about you does not determine what you are.”

    "As a composer," declared the music teacher, "he is hopeless!"  The student's name was Ludwig van Beethoven.

    At 21, he got a job at a department store, but he wasn't allowed to wait on customers. The manager said he didn't have enough sense to know how to serve a customer. The clerk's name was F.W. Woolworth.

    A young newspaper writer was fired by his editor who said the boy just had "no good ideas." The youngster was Walt Disney.

    He got a "C" on his student project in his college business class. The professor said his proposal for an overnight delivery service wasn't feasible. The student was Fred Smith, founder of Federal Express.

    What has been said about YOU?

    You may have been told, "You'll never amount to anything!" Or, "You're just no good."  Perhaps it has been in the form of a question that your failure has been predicted, "Can't you do anything right?" *

    Consider…  What has GOD said about you?

    God says… you are His special creation.  After all, every person was created in His image (Genesis 1:26-27).

    God says… because of sin, that image has been marred.  “For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  Unless the problem is resolved, that sin will destroy you (Matthew 7:13-14).

    God says… “I love you, and I want you to be my child.”  God loves you so much that He gave His Son to die on the cross to pay the price for your sins (John 3:16; Ephesians 1:7).  Because of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice, you can be forgiven of your sins and be born into God’s family.

    God will cleanse you by the blood of Jesus and add you to His family when you place your faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from our sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of your sins (Acts 2:38).  The blood of Jesus will continue to cleanse you as you continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7).

    In the words of Wishum: “People may be telling you that you aren't worth much - that you can't make it.  The person most likely to be telling you that is YOU!!

DON'T LISTEN..... God says otherwise.”

     “And HIS opinion of you is the ONLY one that matters.”

    Won’t YOU accept His offer of salvation and eternal life by surrendering your life to Him today?

- 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: http://www.creekwoodcc.org

 

* Keith Wishum, “What People Say About You,” in A Word from Williams Road, provided by the Williams Road Church of Christ, Americus, GA.  See http://www.williamsroadcoc.org/

How Much Like Jesus Do You Want to Be?

By Gerald Cowan

   How Much Like Jesus Do You Want to Be? Are you REALLY like Him? How do you feel about Judas, and Jesus' treatment of him?
    I’ve been attending church assemblies regularly for about 64 years, been a Christian for 63 years and a preacher of the gospel for nearly 63 years. “What would Jesus do?” was a popular question and saying some time ago, though it isn’t heard or seriously asked much these days. Why?  There was a time when I heard people in church assemblies sing, “Oh to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer; this is my constant longing and prayer.” Another favorite song was, “I want to be more like Jesus...More and more like Jesus.”  A common ‘invitation’ song was, “Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.”  I thought, and still think, these songs ought to be the theme of every Christian, sung often in witness of our faith and our relationship to Him and to God. But I do not hear them sung often any more. Why?  Is it because we really do not want to be like Him? Do we think Jesus is no longer an effective and satisfying guide and role model for us?  Are we afraid the world will shun us if we are like Him and not enough like them? Do we really want to be master of our own life and destiny rather than submit to someone outside ourselves? Maybe we just feel that somehow it would be hypocritical to sing something we do not whole-heartedly attempt to do or to be.
    I was reading recently an article about the events of Jesus’s last meeting with all his apostles, the time he spent with them between his betrayal to his enemies and his death on the cross.  One of the paintings of his last supper showed him washing the feet of his disciples (mentioned only in John, chapter 13). I noticed only eleven disciples were depicted in that painting. On further investigation I found that many or maybe most depictions of Jesus washing the feet of disciples show only eleven present with Him. Who is supposedly missing from that group, and why?  No doubt we are supposed to think Judas is the missing one. Is it reasonable to assume Jesus did not treat Judas the same as He did the other apostles? This prompted me to think of what Jesus did and to compare myself with him. Here are several questions that came to mind. How would you answer if they were asked of you?

    WOULD YOU WASH THE FEET OF ONE WHO HAD BETRAYED YOU?
    WOULD YOU SHARE YOUR OWN FOOD WITH YOUR ENEMY?
    WOULD YOU SHARE COMMUNION WITH AN APOSTATE?
    WOULD YOU PROTECT THOSE WHO ABANDONED YOU?
    WOULD YOU ADDRESS AN ENEMY AS YOUR FRIEND?
    WOULD YOU FORGIVE ONE WHO DENIED YOU?
    WOULD YOU PRAY FOR YOUR BETRAYERS?
    WOULD YOU LOVE YOUR ENEMIES?
    WOULD YOU DIE TO SAVE THEM?
    JESUS DID ALL THESE THINGS.  HOW MUCH ARE YOU LIKE HIM?

I confess that my first impulse – maybe yours too? – was to say no to each one and say it emphatically. “NO, not I.  I would not do those things, not ever!” I suppose I was thinking that I am not like Judas, not even like most of the other disciples at that meeting. Not like Judas who had already betrayed him to those seeking his life, and would lead them to him after the supper. Not like cowardly Peter who boasted he would go to prison with Jesus or for Him, even die with Him or for Him, and would never deny his association with Him, but within a few hours denied with an oath that he even knew Him.  Not like any of those twelve who jockeyed for position at the right or left hand of power in the coming kingdom and squabbled incessantly about who was greatest and most deserving of the highest place.  But if Jesus said in my presence that one of us in that group would deliver Him up to those who would then kill him, would I have answered incredulously as the eleven did, “Lord am I the one? Please don’t think I’m the one.”  Or would I, knowing my own failures, say with hypocritical Judas, “Am I the one, Rabbi? Surely you don’t think I would do that.”  I suppose that I wouldn’t want to ask or answer the questions about my faith and fidelity – I worry about what would be revealed and what the consequences might be for me. Yes, yes – you don’t have to say it; I know it. Worry is a sin!  Everybody knows or should know that – we hear it often from preachers and philosophers – they are also frequently wrong about other things. I will tell you this: It is a sin to say that worry is a sin!  But that is not the point here – I’d be happy to expound upon it at some other time if requested. This essay is about being like Jesus. Let’s get back to the point. Before you continue reading this, please take time to read Matthew 26:1—27:66,  Mark 14:1—15:47, Luke 22:1—23:56, and John 13:1—19:42. Do not come back here until you have read all these passages which will help you find answers to all the questions we have asked, and more.
    Did Jesus know that he would be betrayed and sold in a way that would lead to his death on a cross? Did he know those who plotted and planned to kill him?  Did He know who would betray Him and sell Him? Did he know how he would die and when it would all come together and be accomplished?  Did he know why he would have to die, and did he agree to have it so?  Yes to all of that. Even under the stress and agony of that knowledge his pledge to God was, “Let Your will, not mine, be done.”
    Did he wash Judas’ feet and did Judas accept it? There is no indication that Judas refused it or that Jesus did not do it. It came before the supper, Judas was present through the supper though he left before the Lord’s instruction and before that great prayer – truly “the Lord’s prayer” – of John 17.
    Did He share his food with Judas? Judas’ hand dipped bread into the dish Jesus held.
    Did he offer the communion to deniers and betrayers? Did they accept and share it?
    Did he ask the arresting mob to let his disciples go free?  Did they do as he asked?
    He forgave Peter for denying him and, by implication, those who deserted him and ran away. You may wonder, would he have forgiven Judas if he confessed and repented what he had done.
    He prayed that his persecutors and killers could be and would be forgiven, since they didn’t really understand what they were doing.
    He prayed for his apostles before the climactic betrayal, though he knew what they would do.
    Did he love his weak and errant disciples, and even his declared and active enemies? He loved them even to the end, in spite of their weaknesses and failures – he prayed for them to win.
    Did he agree to die for the sins of all, his friends but also his enemies? That is why he came, that is the agreement he made with God and he never reneged on it.
    What caused the failure of the disciples, especially the action of Judas? Why did Judas do what he did in betraying Jesus?  For money?  Not likely, though it is a plausible and all too common crutch given to Judas and to the multitude of unscrupulous people who sell out the Lord and others for personal gain. Doing such a heinous thing for a little money doesn’t seem to make much practical sense.  If it was for money why stop with 30 pieces of silver – a meager price for an enemy’s life, much less for the life of a true benefactor and friend.  We may never know or understand Judas. We just know we don’t want to be like him. That’s OK. That’s good.
    But if you are not like Jesus, and if you would not and will not do what Jesus did and what he and God ask you to do, here’s another question for you to answer: WHY?  Why are you not like Him? Why are you not obedient to Him? Why do you compromise the Lord and His way rather that stay loyal to Him in His appointed, though admittedly difficult, narrow and restricted way? (Matthew 7:13-14).  Do you not worry about your future and your eternal destiny as a rebel, betrayer, and seller of the Christ? Yes, yes, I know.  Too many questions.  Too judgmental (in your definition of “judging”)?  Not loving enough (by your definition of love)?  Not Christ-like (by your definition of what it means to be like Christ, of Christ, with Christ)? Why do you resist and resent my questions?  I still have one more question for you: Are you ready for the questions Christ will ask you in the judgment, when your answers will determine your forever placement in your forever condition?
   Sorry, I have to add one more question, and this is the last: Are you worried yet?

- 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

Role Models

By Ron Thomas

   “He who walks with wise men will be wise.  But the companion of fools will be destroyed” (Proverbs 13:20, NKJV).
   It has been said by some professional athletes that they desire not to be role models. When I hear this I marvel at the naiveté because each person is influential to some varying degree, and it can’t be anything but this way. Thus we can’t control whether or not we are influential, but we can control what others see and hear in us. The wise one gains wisdom from the wise, and the righteous one gains righteous wisdom from One who is the standard of righteousness (John 14:6). The fool, on the other hand, is also influential, but his influence not only destroys himself—it leads to the destruction of others who follow in his footsteps

- Ron Thomas preacher for the Sunrush Church of Christ, Chillicothe, OH.   He may be contacted at etsop95@gmail.com

Where Are The Men?

By Joe Slater

    Truth is truth, no matter who says it. However, people’s willingness to give truth a fair hearing may depend on their estimation of the person speaking it. Someone said, “I can’t hear what you are saying because the way you are behaving is shouting so loudly!” We ought to be extremely careful to guard our reputation. “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches” (Proverbs 22:1).
    Even such a great man as Abraham could lose his influence with people. God wanted him to a blessing to the nations (Genesis 12:2). But when famine drove him to Egypt, Abraham deceived his hosts into thinking Sarai was merely his sister, not his wife. As a result, Pharaoh took Sarai into his harem, intending to make her one of his wives.
    When God plagued Pharaoh’s house, the king realized his error and confronted Abraham with these words: “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’? I might have taken her as my wife” (Genesis 12:18, 19). Sadly, instead of being a blessing, Abraham had brought trouble to the Egyptians. In doing so, he had ruined his influence. How much attention do you suppose Pharaoh would have paid to Abraham had he attempted to teach the king about the one true God?
    One of the harsh realities of life is that building a good reputation takes a long time, but you can destroy it in a single moment. God may forgive you, but that doesn’t mean your neighbors will (especially those who don’t know the Lord). One foolish act or word may destroy your influence with another person for decades – perhaps even for a lifetime!
    Abraham assumed that the Egyptians had such low morals that they would kill him to take away his beautiful Sarai. While they were pagans, they evidently respected marriage and were offended by deceit. They expected better behavior than they saw from Abraham. Likewise our society, though nominally “Christian,” is, in practical terms, pagan. Still, most folks have some idea of right and wrong, and they expect true Christians to behave uprightly. If we fail to do so, we ruin our reputation and thereby sacrifice our influence.
    Brethren, let us strive to show the proper example to our neighbors, that we may gain the moral authority to teach them the good news of Jesus Christ!
- Joe Slater serves as minister of the Church of Christ in Justin, TX. He may be contacted through the congregation's website.

Whose Preacher Are You?

    Last week we were blessed to visit with many dear family members and friends. One of the friends was Garrett, age 7. We have known Garrett since he was a baby. Ever since he started talking, Garrett has been known for his forthright way with words.
    Garrett goes to school with a friend named Zach. Zach has been to Bible class and worship with Garrett, but he generally finds other things on Sunday mornings a lot more fun. One Monday morning Garrett and Zach were riding to school together. Zach had gone hunting with his dad Sunday morning while Garrett and his family gathered with the church. Garrett informed Zach: “We’re supposed to want to go to heaven, and we learn about going to heaven in Bible class. I’m supposed to tell you about it. So there—I told you!”
    Why was it so important for Garrett to tell Zach and for you and me to tell others? “I’m Zach’s preacher,” Garrett told his parents one day. “What do you mean?” they asked. “Zach doesn’t go to church and have a preacher, so I’m his preacher.” Whose preacher are you?

    Risen from the dead, Jesus charged disciples: “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (mark 16:15-16).
    Be someone’s preacher!

- 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 (adapted)