They will not endure sound doctrine

 

 By Paolo DiLuca

As Paul began to close his second letter to Timothy, he “solemnly” charged him (2 Tim. 4:1) to carry out his work as a preacher: “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction” (2 Tim. 4:2). Timothy was not at liberty to teach any message that he or others might prefer. He was to proclaim the word of God, just as Paul and the other apostles taught (2 Tim. 1:13). He was not to deviate from that message in any way, just as we must not alter the message (cf. Gal. 1:8-9; Rev. 22:18-19).  The charge for him to “be ready in season and out of season” to preach this pure, unadulterated message of the gospel required a willingness to proclaim it even if it was unpopular, inconvenient, and difficult for people to accept. And sadly, this even happens among Christians and in local churches. Paul warned Timothy: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths” (2 Tim. 4:3-4).

The word sound means to be safe or in good health. Sound doctrine is the teaching that will provide Christians with spiritual health and enable us to grow in the Lord. Paul told the Ephesian elders that the word of God is able to: “build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32). If we want to be strengthened and have hope of eternal life, we need to be listening to and following the word of God.

Yet Paul said a time was coming in which Christians would “not endure sound doctrine.” The Greek word translated “not endure” is used elsewhere in the New Testament to describe one having to “put up with” someone (cf. Matt. 17:17; Acts 18:14). Why would this happen? Paul said that the teachers they would find would teach “in accordance to their own desires.” In other words, they wanted to engage in sin, tolerate those who were unfaithful, and welcome false teachers, but “sound doctrine” stood in the way of them doing this.

How can we combat this? Obviously, we must “preach the word . . . in season and out of season,” just as Timothy was told to do (2 Tim. 4:2). At the same time, there are a couple of other things that we need to do:

1. Each one of us must work to weed out evil desires before they can take root in our hearts. If left unchecked, these evil desires will eventually lead to sin and, ultimately, death (James 1:14-16).

2. We must cultivate a love for the truth, not just tolerate it. We need the attitude of the psalmist: “O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Ps. 119:97). Without this love of the truth, we cannot be saved (2 Thess. 2:10).

“Sound doctrine” is incompatible with sin and error. Instead, the message of the Lord’s apostles calls us to “deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:12). Those who are “holding fast the faithful word” must be prepared to “refute those who contradict” the Lord’s teaching (Titus 1:9).

If we can eliminate evil desires from our hearts and cultivate a love for the truth, and encourage our brethren to do the same, we can avoid the kind of apostasy that Paul warned Timothy about. However, if “the time [comes] when [even some of our brethren] will not endure sound doctrine,” we must continue to do what Timothy was told to do: “Be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Tim. 4:5). Even if we are not in the same position as Timothy was (an evangelist), we must still stand for the truth no matter how many of our brethren might be turning away from it.

Paolo Di Luca; Evangelist Bridge Street Church of Christ; 1139 S. Bridge Street - PO Box 292, New Martinsville WV 26155; 304.559.7735; paolo05@gmail.com

Paul Trains a Preacher

By Kevin Rutherford       The apostle Paul personally trained Timothy to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Acts 16:1-5). He chose Timothy because of what he saw in the character of Timothy. Not everyone should be trained to be a preacher of the Word of God. Only those with the right character need to be prepared for preaching. Timothy had a good reputation among Christians before Paul trained him to be a preacher. The Bible says Timothy was “well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium (Acts 16:2).” Paul also knew Timothy to be a man of “genuine faith (2 Timothy 1:5).” Not every man should be encouraged to preach. In fact, some should be discouraged from doing so.     Once Timothy’s apprenticeship and training with the apostle Paul was completed, Paul sent him out to work. Yet even then Paul wrote letters to continue to educate, edify, and encourage Timothy. Paul puts it this way, “I write to you so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15).” Looking to those letters helps us to understand what Gospel preaching really is about. Sadly, too many members of the Lord’s church have not studied the word of God enough to know what preaching is about, including some who are preachers.     Timothy has been told by Paul to stay in Ephesus and work with the church there for a while. This is a church with an eldership (Acts 20), and yet it is a church that still needs a strong preacher to work with them and strengthen them (1 Timothy 1:3). Let’s see what we can learn about preaching from what Paul said. 1. Paul tells Timothy he needs to do is “charge some that they teach no other doctrine (1 Timothy 1:3-11).”  a. The truth must be preached.  b. The truth must be preached and practiced from a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith. 2. Paul shows Timothy the importance of being grateful and giving glory to God (1 Timothy 1:12-17).  a. Paul was thankful for the blessings of salvation and preaching. b. Paul understood the grace of God was exceedingly abundant toward him.  c. Paul gave God all of the glory for this. 3. Paul tells Timothy to go to war (1 Timothy 1:18-20).  a. He is to wage the good warfare, which is the spiritual war waged with Word of God as the Sword of the Spirit.  b. He must fight the spiritual war with faith and a good conscience. 4. Paul encourages Timothy to pray (1 Timothy 2:1-7).  a. Preachers must be men of prayer who think in terms of praying for all people.  b. Preachers work and pray for all people with the understanding God desires all people be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. 5. Paul instructs Timothy in the qualifications of elders and deacons (1Timothy 3:1-13).  a. Preachers must preach these qualifications and encourage the application of them.  b. Unqualified elders and deacons will hinder the preacher’s work and hold back the church as whole. 6. Paul encourages Timothy instruct the brethren concerning those who depart from the faith having given head to the deceptive doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1-11).  a. Some speak these lies with hypocrisy and sear their consciences.  b. Preachers must avoid doing this, but they must also warn the brethren about such if they are to be a good minister. 7. Timothy is told by Paul how to conduct himself so that is not looked down upon for his youth (1 Timothy 4:12-16).  a. Preachers must be examples in word, conduct, love, spirit, faith and purity.  b. Preachers must give attention to reading, exhortation, and doctrine.  c. Preachers must take heed to themselves. 8. Paul tells Timothy how to treat the members appropriately (1 Timothy 5:1-25).  a. Exhort older men as fathers, and younger men as brothers.  b. Exhort older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters.  c. Honor widows that are widows indeed.  d. Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses.  e. Rebuke elders who are sinning. 9. Paul warns Timothy of those who preach the wrong things and who preach for the wrong reasons (1 Timothy 6).  a. Run from covetousness and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.  b. Guard what is committed to your trust.

- Kevin V. Rutherford, formerly of Warners Chapel church of Christ in Clemmons, NC (Currently an instructor at Memphis School of Preaching in Memphis, TN). The congregation may be contacted through their website: http://warnerschapelchurchofchrist.org/

What To Preach!

By Ron Thomas

    I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables (2 Timothy 4:1-4, ASV)
    What is a preacher to preach? Since there are least 52 sermons a year (one sermon each Lord’s day), that means he is given much opportunity to say a lot. Consider the passage above. From 4 verses we learn some things he is to preach, such as: (1) God will judge the living and the dead. While we live on this earth, His word is a constant message of warning to those who live contrary to His will, but also a constant message of hope and reassurance to those who love Him.
    The Lord will judge the hearts of all those who hear His message of hope and salvation, and (2) the Lord Jesus will appear a 2nd time. As He appeared the first time, those who watched Him ascend to the glories of heaven were told that He will descend in like manner (Acts 1:9-11). When He descends from the glory of heaven, He will call all the dead in Christ up, then those living. This all takes place in a moment of time, ...having hope toward God, which these also themselves look for, that there shall be a resurrection both of the just and unjust (Acts 24:15).
    (3) Jesus has a kingdom. The word “kingdom” is a broad word that encompasses all that is within the realm (reign) of God’s creation. There is a special kingdom of the saved, called the church, the body of Christ. ... the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, being himself the saviour of the body...But as the church is subject to Christ ... Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it (Eph. 5:23-25).
    (4) Everything the Lord taught is worthy of study and teaching (cf. John 12:48). Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15).
    (5) Because people do not want to hear the Word of God, all the more reason for a preacher to be urgent in season and out of season, which means, in practical terms, preach it when they don’t want to hear it and when they do.
    (6) Not every preacher is worthy of his vocation. There are many preachers who do not know the word of God as they promote themselves. Paul calls them teachers after their own lusts, that is, they preach what sounds good (cf. Isaiah 30:10), but in doing so, they do not have the blessings of the Lord in that which they preach/teach. Because of this, the brethren need to be warned, lest they follow the path of those preachers toward destruction.
    Perhaps more can be gleaned from the above passage. A preacher has a lot to preach just in the points above; he will always have a message, but if he struggles to generate a message, then maybe the Message of God has not penetrated the preacher. 

- Ron Thomas preacher for the Sunrush Church of Christ, Chillicothe, OH. He may be contacted through the congregation's website. http://sunrushchurchofchrist.com/

Friend Or Enemy?

By Joe Slater

    At first the Galatians Christians counted Paul as a friend – indeed, as a beloved brother who had led them to the Lord. They would have done anything to help him, even to the extreme of plucking out their own eyes, had that been possible (Galatians 4:15). Now, however, false teachers had slandered Paul, and the fickle Galatians had fallen for it. The frustrated apostle asked in the next verse, “Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?” How tragically foolish to treat a faithful proclaimer of truth as an enemy!
    But it was nothing new. Centuries beforehand, God sent Elijah to rebuke King Ahab for murdering Naboth to steal his vineyard. Ahab reproached the prophet thusly: “Have you found me, O my enemy?” (1 Kings 21:20). Truth be told, Elijah was Ahab’s best friend. Warning the king of impending judgment gave him opportunity to repent. But evil Ahab and his wicked wife, Jezebel preferred to kill the messenger!
    Even before the time of Ahab, the apostate King Saul attempted to murder his faithful warrior David despite having sworn in the name of the Lord not to do so. Saul reprimanded his own daughter for hiding David, referring to him as “my enemy” (1 Samuel 19:17). Like Ahab and the Galatians, Saul’s own sins twisted his mind into treating a true friend as an enemy.
    Loyal servants of God will not simply tell you what you want to hear. Because they are your friends, they will tell you the truth.
    Do not expect worldly people to appreciate you when you speak the truth. They may well see you as their enemy! “If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you” (John 15:18).

- 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

Ineffective Sermons

By Al Behel

“...the message which they heard did not benefit them, because it did not meet with faith in the hearers” (Hebrews 4:2)
     I read a stimulating article by Joe Barnett entitle “Lousy Sermons.” Every preacher has experienced the varied reactions of people to sermons they preach. The same sermon might be met with comments like, “I really needed that message”, or “I was moved by that sermon to try harder to please God”, to “that did nothing for me”, or “I didn’t get anything out of it.” Still others are overtly critical of the delivery or the message itself or the messenger.
     Ministers are usually their own hardest critics. “Did I say what I needed to say?” “That wasn’t very effective,” or, “I should have chosen something different to talk about today.” Sometimes the problem lies with the preacher. Maybe he really didn’t know much about the topic, or, perhaps he is a dedicated man who didn’t have the equipment for the job.
     But, there may be another possibility—one that has nothing to do with the message itself or the one delivering it. The problem can be with the hearer. Hebrews 4:2 tells of times the message of God failed in its purpose or intent because “it was not met with faith in the hearers.” A good sermon must involve the speaker and the hearer. The presentation and the reception are equally important.
     The message needs to be clear, truthful, and delivered with the right attitude on the part of the speaker.
     The reception of the message can depend on the condition of heart and mind, and the “faith” of the hearer. Unless there is a willingness to believe and accept truth the words spoken are ineffective.
     The message of the cross will be lost when it is not met with faith. The result will be that it “did not benefit them” (Hebrews 4:2).

- 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/

The Bible?

By Ron Thomas

    It was early in the 19th century; a young Baptist preacher and his friend were on a preaching tour, that is, they were going from community to community to preach what they believed to be the Gospel of Christ. Both young men were preachers; one said to the other, “Brother Sewell, I am sorry to see you carry the Book with you to church. Young Sewell asked: ‘Why?’ His companion replied: ‘I am afraid the people will think we learned our sermons out of it.’ This was exactly what young Sewell had done” (Biographical Sketches of Gospel Preachers, H. Leo Boles, p. 181).
   What was “the Book”? It was the Bible.
   From that time, Jesse Sewell set his mind in a more diligent fashion to see what “the Book” truly said; he was determined that from it only would he preach. This did not go without a response from the church of his heritage. They responded when they gathered: “The vote was put, about half a dozen of the forty members present voted to exclude him from the Baptist Church; the others did not vote. The announcement was made that he was excluded, and the assembly arose and left the house in confusion” (p. 183). One man wanted it to be said about Jesse Sewell that he was excluded from their fellowship because “it was for teaching heresy.”
   Imagine that! Teaching heresy when one uses only the Bible from which to preach and teach!
   I remember when I was much younger my mother saying something to me that was similar. It was her thinking, at the time, that I should not have learned to preach from the Bible, but that I should have been preaching what the Lord’s Spirit gave me, apart from the Bible. Evidently, she learned from others this way of thinking (she later rejected that way of thinking). Since that time, I have not come across too many people who think this way, though I have read of preachers who believed they were guided by the Holy Spirit to say what things they were saying, apart from what the Scriptures actually said.
   When a person preaches from the Bible, there is going to be a response. A good many people will like it and like it very much. There will be many more, however, who stand opposed to one’s firm resolution to preach what the Scriptures teach. One does not have to look far, as in our socially conflicting society, to see that. Paul said of himself, For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith: as it is written, But the righteous shall live by faith (Rom. 1:16-17). What did it get him? It got him much in the way of trouble! He was stoned, flogged, ostracized and incarcerated. Still, he would not change what he did, For I will not dare to speak of any things save those which Christ wrought through me, for the obedience of the Gentiles, by word and deed (15:18).
   There are many who say what Paul did, but as one looks around, all saying the same thing Paul did, there is still much confusion. Who and what are we to believe? It was John who wrote to the saints, Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world (1 John 4:1). How can this be done? In Berea, the Scripture teaches us: Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so (Acts 17:11). The Bible is The law of Jehovah is perfect, restoring the soul: The testimony of Jehovah is sure, making wise the simple (Psa. 19:11).

- Ron Thomas preacher for the Sunrush Church of Christ, Chillicothe, OH. He may be contacted through the congregation's website. http://sunrushchurchofchrist.com/

Impressed

By Ron Adams

    A young man, who had moved to another state to complete his education, returned home one summer. He said he was working on his thesis for his Masters degree in his field of study. Before he moved away, he had on occasion given a talk or sermon, so he was asked to speak at the next Sunday evening service.
    That Sunday evening he presented a most impressive lesson. I was very much impressed. But not in the usual sense. It wasn’t the content of the lesson that impressed me, it was his vocabulary. He used words that I had never heard before.
    I spent most of my time trying to understand what those words might mean. I tried to write down the words so I could look up the definitions later, but I wasn’t sure how to spell the words.
    On that occasion, something made an indelible impression upon me. As a preacher I must speak in terms easily grasped and use words that are understood by the audience. I need to impress the listeners with the greatness of the message, not my vocabulary.
    A passage of Scripture found in First Corinthians chapter 2, came to mind: “And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”

 - 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. © 2014

Who Does He Think He Is?

By Joe Slater

    “The paradox of the pulpit is that its occupant is a sinner whose chief right to be there is his perpetual sense that he has no right to be there, and is there only by grace and always under the spotlight of divine judgment.” 
    Scottish preacher A. C. Craig spoke those words back in 1953 in one lecture of a series entitled “Preaching in a Scientific Age.” His lectures were printed in a book by the same title the next year. 
    While we could find much about which to disagree with this preacher from the Church of Scotland, the above-quoted statement is right on target. Christians are redeemed sinners, and that most assuredly includes the preacher. The great apostle Paul considered himself the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). Any preacher who supposes that he is “better” than his audience, or that his own personal goodness somehow entitles him to speak the oracles of God, ought to sit down and be quiet!
    What right do I have to preach? That question nags at me. Just who do I think I am? Actually, I know all too well who and what I am – a flawed, broken creature who upholds a divine standard that I did not set, and that I fail to meet. As Craig said, I have a perpetual sense that I have no right to be doing what I’m doing.
    By God’s grace, I have the opportunity to preach Christ. Since we have established that I do not merit this privilege in any way, and since it is, indeed, a privilege, the only alternative is that it is by grace (unmerited favor).
    As usual, however, privilege comes with responsibility. Craig correctly observed that the preacher is “always under a spotlight of divine judgment.”  Paul
told Timothy to take heed to himself and to his teaching, for in doing so he would save both himself and those who heard him (1 Timothy 4:16). A faithful preacher must preach only the truth and all of the truth. Paul emphasized that he had declared the “whole counsel of God,” and was therefore innocent of the blood of all men (Acts 20:26, 27).

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

That Wasn’t Very Nice

By Joe Chesser

    Somehow or other many of us have bought into the notion that a Christian has to be nice to all people all the time.  After all, haven’t we been taught all our lives that love should never be rude, but should always be kind and patient and trusting (1 Cor. 13:4-8)?  So, why is it then, that sometimes the disciples in the New Testament, and even Jesus on occasion, seemed to say or do things that were not very nice?  For example, in just one speech, Jesus called the Pharisees “hypocrites” and “blind fools” and “brood of vipers” (Matt. 23: 13, 17, 33).  That wasn’t very nice.  Another time Jesus made a whip out of cords and drove everyone from the temple area, scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables (John 3:12-16).  That wasn’t very nice either.  Later, Jesus’ disciples were accused of causing trouble all over the world, which threw the city of Thessalonica into a riot (Acts 17:5-8).  Hardly a nice reputation or a pleasant situation.

    The fact is, as much as we’d like to always be nice, there are times when following Jesus is offensive to others.  Sometimes being a Christian requires us to boldly do or say some things that will cause others to hate us.  Of course, this does not mean we are to ever be hateful in the way we say it.  There is never a time when being hateful is godly nor will be helpful to the cause of Christ.  No matter how hateful and vindictive others may be, Christians should never stoop that low.

    But ironically, preaching / teaching the good news about the cross and salvation involves some very bad news about human sinfulness, which, for many, makes the cross an offense. Like it or not, people will get ticked off at the cross and those who tell them about it. Jesus warned that this would happen.  He warned his disciples that being hated and persecuted would be a part of being his disciple (John 15:18-21).  It happened to him. It will happen to us.

    Randy Alcorn wrote regarding this: “The danger (for us) comes when we live in such fear of being mislabeled that we don’t step forward as unapologetic and unashamed all-out followers of Jesus … We should do what we believe pleases our Lord, regardless of how it pans out in opinion polls.”  Of course we should be as nice as we possibly can. But being nice is not what saves souls.  We can be kind and pleasant to everyone around us.  We can be well-liked and appreciated for our humanitarian efforts. However, unless the lost are confronted with their sin by the cross and are saved by the blood of Jesus, all the nice things we do for others will make this life more enjoyable, but it will not save their soul. Neither will it be helpful to alter the contents of the gospel to make it some-thing that everyone will agree with.  They may like you better, but they will still be lost.

    Telling people how they can get to heaven is the nicest thing you can ever do for them.  They may think that you weren’t very nice to talk about their sin to them.  But the Lord knows, and you know, that there is no nicer thing you can ever do for the lost.
- Joe Chesser preaches for the Fruitland Church of Christ, Fruitland, MO.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.cofcfruitland.com/

GETTING RID OF THE PREACHER

By Charlie Gamble
     I looked in the New Testament to find a procedure for dismissing a preacher. I found the following examples:
• Stephen was stoned. (Acts 7)
• Paul speaks of all these things: being beaten, jailed and stoned among other things. 2 Cor 11:23-33
• James was killed with a sword. (Acts 12)
• Jesus was crucified. (Matt. 27)
     Even though emotions can be a little raw on occasion, I believe it is safe to say that these are not the means we want to use. Both the preacher and the congregation must consider the integrity of the church. The separation must be done with love for all souls involved.
     There can be no rumors or gossip. Division is condemned. This is a very sensitive responsibility of the leadership in the local congregation. Since the circumstances can very greatly and each congregation is autonomous, there is no set procedure. Any process decided upon must be fueled by love. Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 1 Peter 1:22 (NKJV) Let me add: “Whatever the circumstances.”

- Charlie Gamble preaches for the Brunswick Church of Christ in Southport, NC. He may be contacted at cgamble64@gmail.com

Tell Them Anyway

By Rick Woodall

    What should be the deciding factor in determining whether the Good News of the Gospel should be silenced? Is there a proper moment in history that we need to postpone proclaiming the truth? I recall a scripture when religious leaders of the day were becoming more than concerned about the activities of the Apostles in the book of Acts.
    “Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. "Go, stand in the temple courts," he said, "and tell the people the full message of this new life." – Acts 5:17-20
    It was a time of primary concern.  The high priest and the associates were burning in envy because the current events. These followers of Christ were presenting a new message to the people.  It was an announcement of hope.  This message was not a halfhearted proclamation. It was the full message that well defined a new life of the likes no one had ever heard of before.  The Gospel could be observed in the lives of Gods messengers. Even officially authorized custody could not stop the persistent doctrine of truth.
    My gift reminds me that in today’s world the “Good News” remains bad news to several that will not respect the authority of the scriptures. Here is some wonderful advice.
    “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
     But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”  - 2 Tim 4:2-5
    The message is still a new objective for many. The Gospel is still promising a new life. Since that is the case many are yet trying to influence individuals in other directions. Before you get too bored let the scriptures speak.
    “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.” - Heb 13:8-9
    The message is the same. The adversary is still pulling misleading tricks out of his bag that include suspicion, envy and doubt. We need to keep telling the people the full message of this new life.
    “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. – 1 Pet 5:8-9

- Rick Woodall is the minister for the Yorktown Road church of Christ in Logansport Indiana. His weekly devotional message, Life Thoughts, can be found through this address:  http://mysite.verizon.net/yorktownroadchurchofchrist/

Watchmen! Stand Upon Your Stations

Watchmen! stand upon your stations;
Blow the trumpet loud and long;
Preach the Gospel to the nations,
Warn the just away from wrong.
See the day is breaking;
See foundations shaking,
When ramparts rise, be strong,
When ramparts rise, be strong!

Watchmen! greet the nearing glory
Of the great Messiah's reign!
Tell the risen Savior's story,
Tell it once and o'er again;
See His love revealing,
See the nations' healing:
New life among the slain,
New life among the slain!

This poem is an adaptation of song lyrics from the
1800s. Do you think I have a right to attach my
name to it? Get the goods on the original lyrics
here, compare the two, and tell me what you think:
http://wp.me/pbYlo-PN

- J. Randal Matheny edits and writes UPLift, an inspirational ezine. He
may be contacted here: . When reprinting this
material, please include the following:
Copyright (c) 2012 J. Randal Matheny
All rights reserved. You may forward the
email to friends as is. You may not alter
it in any way or remove any text or
attributions. 

Preaching the Gospel

By Harrell Davidson
    One certain characteristic of the first century church was its evangelical nature. Today men deplore efforts to convert others. We hear charges of proselyting, infringement on personal rights and “bad taste” if we solicit the interest of others. Requests are made that we go to the “unchurched.” May we remind our readers of these examples of conversion in Acts. Most all of the recorded cases had a religion. The three thousand converted on Pentecost were “devout” Jews (cf. Acts 2:5). The eunuch may have been either a Jew or Jewish proselyte. Cornelius was a God-fearing, devout Gentile. Saul was a zealous Jew and “a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee” (cf. 23:6). Lydia was a practicing Jewess (cf. 16:13-15). God had a message for these religious folk and likewise He has a message to religious people today who have not obeyed the commands of Christ. To adopt the policy of never asking another person to become a Christian is completely out of harmony with New Testament Christianity.
    The church was mission-minded. As we restore apostolic Christianity, may we not fail to restore mission work. Every congregation must see to it that it has a part in missionary work. A congregation cannot afford to spend all its income so selfishly on itself. We fall short of the Lord’s will if we are indifferent to the spread of the Gospel.
    The church in Antioch of Syria is a worthy example of evangelism. It sent forth Paul and Barnabas to the harvest fields. Luke says they sent them away (cf. 13:2). After months of toil and hardship, they returned to Antioch with a delightful report of what “God had done with them.
    And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled. And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles (14:26-27).
    Some must go and some must send. Paul and Barnabas went and the Antioch church sent and both received a reward for assuming the responsibility. Let it be observed also that the church was capable of sending and receiving missionaries without the aid of a missionary society.
    The church is its own missionary society. It is superfluous to utilize a human missionary society. Loose thinkers do not believe that the world can be evangelized without a centralized society, but it was done in the first century. God’s plan for each congregation to be independent is workable even though this may not coincide with human wisdom.
    Luke writes that “daily” the apostles preached Christ (5:42). People were “added to the church daily” (2:47). Discipleship calls for daily cross bearing (Luke 9:23). The brethren enjoyed daily fellowship (Acts 2:46). The devil, our adversary, never takes a vacation. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). We therefore, should feel compelled to say something for the Lord each day.

- Harrell Davidson, Obion, TN; 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

Can You Count the Apples in a Seed?

By Mark Adams
     In 1877, James A. Harding (for whom Harding University is named) went to Clark County, Kentucky, where he held a gospel meeting. When asked how the meeting went, one of the elders at the congregation responded, “It was not much of a meeting.
     Oh, brother Harding did his usual powerful preaching, the attendance was fair, but the results were negligible. Only little Jimmy Shepherd was baptized.”
     God doesn’t always perceive things the way that we do. When we work hard to serve people in the name of Christ and few respond to our message, it is easy to think, “The results of my work are negligible.”
    But we must never underestimate the power of one seed that really takes root. In the case of little Jimmy Shepherd, the sole response to Harding’s preaching in that guospel meeting, he stayed dedicated to the cause of Christ all of his life. He is better known to some as James W. Shepherd. While he was in college, he began preaching. In 1883, he helped to establish the Berea Church of Christ in Madison County. In 1888, he left with his family to do mission work in New Zealand for several years, preaching all around the country, as well as in Australia.
    Upon returning to the states, he worked from 1905 to 1912 as the office editor of the Gospel Advocate, where he both wrote and edited some works that have been treasured for decades.
     In Luke 8:8, Jesus is teaching a parable about a sower. Though much seed might never take root or grow, the seed which does take root can produce “one hundred times” what has been sown. Every seed you plant matters, because only God knows just how much good can be done when a person plants a seed through a single act of Christian conviction.

- Mark Adams; 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