By
Joe Chesser
It must have been something
awesome! It must have been a time of wonder and fear
and exhilaration all at the same time. Thousands and
thousands of people were standing at the foot of the
mountain and every eye was glued to the sight before
them. Nothing like it had been seen before or since.
The mountain was blazing with fire to the very
heavens, yet there were black clouds and deep
darkness. If that were not enough, the voice of God
Almighty spoke out of the fire for all to hear. The
people saw no form, only the sound of the words, but
there was no mistaking the sound for anything else.
God declared to His people His covenant, the Ten
Commandments, and He then wrote them on two tablets
of stone for them to read over and over. God had
called His people to that place to not only hear His
words, but also so that they would have reverence
for Him as long as they lived, and they were to pass
on to their children the reverence they felt and the
words they heard. Moses warned them to be careful,
“and watch yourselves closely so that you do not
forget the things your eyes have seen or let them
slip from your heart as long as you live”
(Deuteronomy 4:9-14).
Reverence for God and
knowledge of God’s word are not intended to be
standalone entities. One requires the other to be as
effective as God intends. Many, many years after the
incident above King Solomon summarized the entire
duty of man as to “Fear God and keep His
commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Satan would like
nothing more of Christian people than to try to keep
these two concepts separate.
When you concentrate on the
commands of God, but have little or no reverence for
Him, you have removed the power and substance of His
words to transform lives in the likeness of God. The
Pharisees had this perfected. They knew the Law.
They had done the word studies and knew the
syllogisms, but they had no idea of the heart of
God. They were confident of their own righteousness
because of what they did and didn’t do. They could
argue and debate truth, and win, yet had completely
failed at being accepted by God (Luke 18:9-14). They
had no reverence for who God is.
On
the other hand, when you focus almost entirely on
having reverence for God while neglecting what this
awesome God has to say, you will wander through life
hopelessly lost. You’ll feel good about it, but
still be lost. Satan loves it when we get so caught
up in the emotions of praise and worship that we
don’t care about anything else. All we want to do is
feel good about God. It doesn’t matter how we do it
as long as it makes “me” feel good about God. Caring
for the needy, teaching the lost, or living moral
lives are not important. Being a good spouse or
parent or employee is rarely considered.
We
need a healthy balance between fearing God and
keeping His commands. We need to remember that
reverence gives depth and purpose to obedience, and
obedience gives expression to reverence. Let’s stand
at the mountain in awe of God, and then go and do
what He
commands!
- Joe Chesser preaches for the Fruitland
Church of Christ, Fruitland, MO. He may be
contacted at joeandareva@yahoo.com
By
Robert E. Guinn
One
of the most convicting things about Christianity is
that our Savior set the clearest of examples for us
in the life that He lived on earth. The Bible
encourages us to have the same servant-leader
attitude as Jesus. We read:
“Have this mind among yourselves,
which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he
was in the form of God, did not count equality
with God a thing to
be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a
servant, being born in the likeness of men. And
being found in human
form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point
of death, even death on a cross,”
(Philippians 2:5-8).
We
later read in the epistle of Titus that Jesus’
self-sacrifice was to redeem us, to purify us, and
to inspire us to be zealous for His work (Titus
2:11-14). The same passage informs us that the grace
of God trains and teaches the soul how to live and
that His grace has been revealed to all men. In
other words, when the reality of Jesus’ sacrifice on
the cross sinks into our heart and soul we realize
that we are called by the Gospel to serve and live
for the Lord God Almighty. We have been selected for
His service.
Think
about it. The Scriptures teach that when someone
obeys the Gospel through baptism, they are
transformed into a new creation. They are no longer
a slave or servant to sin but called-out servant of
Christ (Romans 6). So, our allegiance changes from
serving self and Satan to serving the one and only
Savior of our soul when we follow the Gospel call.
No wonder Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters,
for either he will hate the one and love the other,
or he will be devoted to the one and despise the
other,” (Matt. 6:24).
One
of the most humbling tests of our faith is to
sincerely ask ourselves, “How is my serve?” We
communicate our love for Christ through an obedient
lifestyle (John 14:15; 15:14). We also reveal our
faith and devotion to Him through the life we live
(James 2:18-20). For this very reason, Christians
are challenged to test and examine whether or not
they are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).
If we do not like the answer to this question
(“How’s my serve”), maybe we need to remind
ourselves of the servant example in Jesus. He served
to the point of enduring the humiliating death of a
criminal. Now, let us be determined that His
sacrifice will inspire faith and devotion in the
life we give back to the Lord.
- Robert Guinn preaches for the Central Church
of Christ in Paducah KY. He may be contacted
through the congregation's website: http://www.centralchurchofchrist.org
By
Jeff Arnette
“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in
Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people
and impostors will go on from bad to worse,
deceiving and being deceived.” (2 Timothy 3:12–13,
ESV)
Every
person who has made the good decision to become a
Christian; every person who tries to live a godly
life, will eventually face persecution for their
faith. It is inevitable, sad, but inevitable.
This
is true because scriptures say it is true (and that
settles it), but also because of our enemy. Behind
all the visible evidences of sin and wickedness
there is the invisible, spiritual powers at work.
They are led by our enemy and adversary, Satan.
These powers are present everywhere and they
infiltrate every place, even the church. They are
trying to overthrow and destroy every sincere
disciple of Jesus.
“Be
sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil
prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone
to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8, ESV) Satan is our
adversary, the one who stands against us and he is a
powerful enemy. We cannot afford to overestimate his
power nor to think that he is not working against
us. We must always be watchful and thinking clearly
about him and his attacks. He is constantly on the
prowl searching for a Christian who is alone or
weak, so that he can attack and devour them.
Since
this is true, it is extremely dangerous to
oversimplify the Christian life and our spiritual
warfare. It is unwise, if not downright neglectful,
for followers of Jesus to underestimate the powers
that oppose them.
Paul
tells us about our enemy and the warfare that is
facing us in Ephesians 6:10-13.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in
the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor
of God, that you may be able to stand against the
schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle
against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the cosmic powers
over this present darkness, against the spiritual
forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore,
take up the whole armor of God, that you may be
able to withstand in the evil day, and having done
all, to stand firm.” (ESV)
God
has given us the strength and power we need to face
our adversary. He has given us His armor to wear.
The all-powerful God of creation has given us His
personal armor to wear so that Satan cannot hurt us.
Please put it on and prepare for the battle that is
inevitable.
- Jeff Arnette preaches for the Central
Haywood church of Christ, Clyde, NC. He may be
contacted through the congregation's website: http://centralhaywoodchurchofchrist.com
By
Larry Miles
One
of the benefits of living the Christian life is that
we can look with anticipation to being with our
Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus, along with the
Holy Spirit for eternity. Eternal life is
for the faithful!
We
must realize that man was created with the ability
to choose between good and evil. Christ came that we
might have life. He came to give us a richer life in
Him! Praise God that He loves us so much! Live for
Him who died for you. Make choices spiritually that
will lead to Eternal Life!
- Larry Miles lives in Louisville, KY and
publishes "Larry's Lines" several times a week.
Copyright 2009. Visit his website: http://larryslines.com/
By David Bragg
At
10:48 on Sunday morning, February 7, 1904, fire was
reported near the heart of Baltimore, Maryland. The
effort to bring it under control would eventually
take 1,231 firefighters from Baltimore, surrounding
communities, and even fire units from out of state.
Each crew responding to the fire brought along their
own equipment, primed and ready to assist. As these
various units converged to tackle the rapidly
spreading fire they stumbled over a nagging barrier
that hindered their efforts: "the lack of national
standards in firefighting equipment" (Wikipedia).
Many of the firefighting units that responded to the
disaster could offer little actual assistance
because the couplings on their hoses didn't fit the
connections on Baltimore's fire hydrants.
When
the fire was finally tamed over 1,500 buildings lay
in ashes. Before long the National Fire Protection
Association adopted national regulations requiring
standardized equipment for all firefighting
equipment, especially hose couplings and hydrant
connections. The “Great Baltimore Fire” ranks within
the top five of our nation’s greatest fire
disasters.
Just
as we rely on standardization to make life easier,
God recognized the same need long ago. While some
bristle at any restrictions, we need the dependable
guidelines God’s word provides. These provisions
carry the promise that, if embraced and adopted, our
life will be more meaningful and our eternal life
enjoyed in the presence of God. Jesus spoke of this
when He said, “I have come that they may have life,
and that they may have it more abundantly” (John
10:10). Most importantly, you will avoid the FIRE!
- David Bragg serves as one of the ministers
at the Northwest Church of Christ in Greensboro, NC
and is co-editor of BulletinGold. He may be
contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.nwchurchofchrist.com/
or his blog: http://davidbragg.blogspot.com/
By
Bill Brandstatter
The
good news of Jesus Christ is a message for all ages.
Since this message is so important it must be
adapted to different age groups. Jesus adapted His
teachings to His listeners by speaking to them in
parables (Matt. 13:15). All Christians should be in
Bible class on Sunday morning if at all possible.
THE
MASTER TEACHER WANTS YOU THERE. In the Great
Commission as recorded by Matthew Jesus told his
disciples to go teach, baptize then teach. (Mt.
28:19, 20). We therefore are under an obligation to
learn, be baptized, and learn. Teaching plays a big
part in God's plan. (2 Tim. 2:2). Christ said: “It
is written in the prophets, and they shall be all
taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard,
and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me (Jn.
6:44, 45).
THE
APOSTLES WOULD WANT YOU IN BIBLE CLASS. Throughout
the writings of Paul, Peter, and John the emphasis
on learning and education is a big one. Peter
admonishes us to grow in the grace and knowledge of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (II Pet. 3:18). If
Bible class is eliminated you wouldn't have much
time out of the week to do it on your own. Paul
distinguishes for us the difference between
preachers and teachers (Eph. 4:11).
YOUR
TEACHER WANTS YOU THERE. Is anyone so smart in the
Bible that they don't need a teacher? The teacher's
aim is to help and guide the one taught by the
communication and knowledge. The eunuch didn't have
a correct understanding. He asked the question: “How
can I except some man guide me?--Act 8:31.
Sunday
school is a time of character building. Teaching of
God's Word develops the best in boys and girls, men
and women.
YOU
SHOULD WANT TO BE THERE.
Why
would a Christian not want to learn more about
Christ, God and the Bible?
Some
dodges around going to Bible class:
“I
have to get up early; it’s my only day off."
“It
is too difficult to get the kids ready."
One
of the best ways to get the right answer to what God
would have you to do for salvation is to be in Bible
school and work in the church. The Bible has the
right answer to the question” What must I do to be
saved? It has the right answer to the questions:
“What should I do to become a Christian?” and "What
should I do to remain a Christian?" As the wrong
answers in Math would bring forth failure, so the
wrong answer spiritually will also bring forth
failure. Come to Bible school
and study God's answer book so that you can have the
right answers.
– Bill Brandstatter preaches for the Marion
Church of Christ in Marion, IL. He may be contacted
through the congregation's website: http://marionchurchofchrist.com/
By Kevin Rutherford
The
true church of Christ will never call for a physical
war. We understand our war is a spiritual one, and so
we put on the armor of God to go and fight (Ephesians
6:12-17).
We
war against an ancient adversary who seeks to destroy
us (1Peter 5:8). He will do all that he can to pull us
away from the truth, and to destroy our souls. He is
the arch-enemy of all that is good, righteous, pure,
and holy.
We
go and fight so that we might save our own souls and
win others to Christ (Mark 16:15, 16). We wield the
sword of the Spirit mightily in battle while pressing
on toward our ultimate and final victory (Ephesians
6:17; Philippians 3:12-14).
In
order to win the war, we must win the battles. When
Satan tempts us we are in battle. When we talk to
others about Christ we are in battle. When we face
painful and discouraging moments in life we are I
battle. Who can lead us to victory in this battle?
None other than our glorious King and Leader, Jesus
Christ (Matthew 28:18). It is He who can give us the
strength to endure the battles so that we might win
the war (Phil. 4:13).
As
we age we gain strength from victories won in numerous
battles. Sometimes we bear battle scars from painful
lessons learned, but we get up and fight on (Acts
8:22). We will never let Satan keep us down for long.
We will rise from defeat, and we will push on in
victory. We will never give up, we will not lose.
The
fight is on! Satan is corrupting culture. The fight is
on! Satan is persecuting Christians. The fight is on!
Satan is turning the minds of men to perversion. We
must run to the battle! Satan is deceiving the hearts
and minds of men and women. Let’s go fight! Let us
“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong”
(1 Corinthians 16:13).
I
read recently about the death of Alexander the Great.
While we do not hold him up as a spiritual hero, we do
believe his life makes a good illustration. At age 33
he had conquered all the major military forces of the
Mediterranean region, but he died. One author suggests
he died of a combination of causes. He was battle
weary, scarred, wounded, and a drunkard. The
combination led to a fever which ended his life. As a
drunkard he is certainly no example, but let us
consider a spiritual application. We fight to conquer
Satan and his forces in our lives and in the lives of
others. As we fight we may at times become battle
weary, scarred, and wounded. But, if we press on we
shall succeed. If we push forward we shall grow
stronger.
Paul
told Timothy to be watchful in all things and to
endure afflictions (2 Timothy 4:5). Certainly Paul had
done the same. As a mighty spiritual warrior for
Christ he dealt some definitive blows against evil,
but soon he would die. Paul said, “I have fought the
good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the
faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). In death Paul would soon
receive victory. In life Paul had fought valiantly for
the cause of Christ.
While
we have life, let us go to the fight. As long as there
is breath in our bodies let us conquer the enemies of
truth. Until we no longer walk on this earth let us
push, press, struggle, reach, strain, and endure. It
is not always easy, but it is always worthwhile. “For
I consider that the sufferings of this present time
are not worthy to be compared with the glory which
shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). “Be strong and
of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed,
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go”
(Joshua 1:9).
- Kevin Rutherford preaches for the Warners
Chapel church of Christ in Clemmons, NC. He may be
contacted through the congregation's website: http://warnerschapelchurchofchrist.org/
