True Love

By Joe Chesser

    The Impressive Clergyman, in the movie The Princess Bride, began the wedding ceremony of Prince Humperdinck and Princess Buttercup with the classic words, “Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday. Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam… And wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva… So tweasure your wuv.”
    It’s appropriate while we are surrounded by Valentine’s Day cards, candy, flowers and gifts to be reminded of love.  And it’s certainly true that “Love, true love, will follow you forever. So treasure your love.”  But regardless of the money spent on trying to express your “true love,” a dinner at a nice restaurant, a box of candy, and a few flowers with a card do not really define “true love.”  I’m not saying that those things aren’t nice and very much appreciated. I’m saying that “true love” is not something you can buy at WalMart or Ruth’s Chris.  “True love” is expensive, but no amount of money can substitute for it or adequately express it.
    The greatest definition of “true love” is found in John 3:16 and 1 John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” and “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.”  It’s clear how God defined “true love”: when you love others with your whole heart you hold nothing back that is good for them … nothing.
    That’s how God’s heart views “true love.”  And that’s exactly how God wants us to give “true love.”  The last part of 1 John 3:16 says, “And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”  God wants us to not only learn from him what “true love” is, he wants us to imitate his love for us in our relationships with others!  John continued this thought in 1 John 4:11 by writing, “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”  Such love certainly includes cards and candy and flowers, but those things will never define “true love.”
    A more extensive definition of “true love” is found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
    When defined this way, the Impressive Clergyman was on target when he said, “And wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva… So tweasure your wuv.”
    Treasure “true love” from God to you, and through you to others.

- Joe Chesser preaches for the Fruitland Church of Christ, Fruitland, MO.  He may be contacted at joeandareva@yahoo.com

Note: The 4th Sunday of February each year is National Princess Bride Day.

The Apostle John

By Jeff Arnette

    John is the author of the Gospel according to John and the three epistles bearing his name. As such, he is an important and interesting character to study.
    John makes his first appearance in the story of Jesus in Mark 1:18-20 (Matt. 4:21-22). In this encounter, Jesus calls James and John to be disciples after calling Peter and Andrew. It would seem that Peter, Andrew, James, and John were all together on the fishing boat or at the very least, in a nearby boat. Luke 5:10-11 tells us that James and John were partners with Peter in their fishing business and likely close friends or possibly related. Interestingly, James is always named before John which would lead me to believe that John was the younger brother of James (Matt 4:21; 10:2; Mark 1:19; 3:17; Matt 17:1).
    He was one of the three disciples that made up the inner circle, the most trusted disciples of Jesus. Peter, James, and John were allowed a behind the scenes look at the ministry of Jesus (Mark 5:37; 9:2; 14:32-33). It was Peter and John that Jesus entrusted with preparing the final Passover meal for Himself and the disciples. They were so close to Jesus that their mother felt comfortable asking Jesus for a special place at His right and left hand for them (Matt. 20:20-24).
    James and John were called “Sons of Thunder” by Jesus in Mark 3:17. Which could mean that their father was a thunderous (loud or boisterous) person or most likely, it meant that they were thunderous. Either way, it helps us understand their personalities a little better.
    A couple of stories about John give us even more insight into their personalities. In Luke 9:49, John meets some people casting out demons in the name of Jesus and tried to stop them since they were not a part of their group. Jesus has to correct John telling him to not stop them since anyone who is not against them is for them. Another interesting story of John happens in Luke 9:54-55. Here we have an account of Jesus being rejected by a Samaritan town, and James and John want permission to call down fire from heaven to consume them.
    John’s close connection to Jesus is evident throughout the gospel accounts. The most pointed are the times when John is simply called “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20). Perhaps the most important thing to know about John is that he was at the crucifixion and entrusted with the care of Jesus’ mother (John 19:25-27).
    After the resurrection of Jesus, there are a couple of interesting interactions between Jesus and Peter and John. It was John and Peter who first recognized Jesus on the shore after His resurrection (John 21:7) and it was John who Peter, in a moment of jealousy and doubt, asked Jesus saying, “Lord, what about this man?” (John 21:21).
    John was a special and interesting disciple of Jesus. Church tradition tells us that despite his thunderous personality, late in his life John was carried through the streets preaching “My little children, love one another.” In his three epistles, you see that love for the Father and one another emphasized repeatedly. One of the first apostles, he no doubt had a close personal connection to Jesus that each of us should strive to have.

- Jeff Arnette preaches for the Central Haywood church of Christ, Clyde, NC.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: https://centralhaywoodcoc.com/ 

Waging the Good Warfare (1 Timothy 1:18)

By Ron Thomas

    The greatest battle a Christian has to engage in is the battle with self; it’s never-ending. There is knowledge about what to do, how to do it, but weakness in making it happen. The Christian knows what to do because the Lord revealed it; the Christian also knows how to get it done because, again, the Lord revealed it. Yet, the application is difficult when the person engaged in the battle struggles with the weakness of the flesh, it’s such a powerful warrior.
    When Paul used the expression he counseled the preacher, Timothy, to prepare himself for the battle ahead. Herein was how he was to engage.
    First, he had God’s gift (1:18).
   Second, the faith he had was to be fully in place with a good conscience (1:19).
   Third, he was reminded of those who threw away their first love, using their failure as an example of what not to do (1:20).
    We can learn from this.

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

Beautiful Walk

By Kevin V. Rutherford

    The word "walk" is often used in the New Testament to present the idea of "a way of life."
When one is walking a certain way that means he or she is living that way. The Christian walk is the great walk to which we have been called by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To walk worthy of this call we must be lowly (Ephesians 4:1-2). That is, we must be humble. We must recognize just how small we are in comparison to God, and we must not arrogantly elevate ourselves over others in our minds. The lowly esteem others better than themselves (Philippians 1:1-4). The lowly fully submit to God and His will (Matthew 7:21-22). The lowly are those who are willing to lovingly serve others (1 John 4:7-11). If one is not lowly, he or she is not walking worthy of the calling.
    To walk worthy of the calling we need to be gentle (Ephesians 4:1-2). Pushy, rude, arrogant men and women in the church who bully or connive to get their way are not gentle. Such individuals are not walking worthy of the calling. We need to show a gentleness toward our brothers and sisters in Christ that is befitting of Christian love. Gentle Christians will not yell and scream at one another when there is a disagreement. Rather they will talk kindly to one another as they seek to sort out their differences. We must be gentle in the way we serve one another, the way we talk to one another, and the way we encourage each other.
    Longsuffering is also a characteristic associated with walking worthy of the calling (Ephesians 4:1-2). The more we have the qualities of lowliness and gentleness the easier it will be to show the quality of longsuffering. Suffering long with our brethren may mean helping them over long periods of time with the trials of life such as sickness, injury, and pain. Longsuffering with our brethren may involve working with our brethren spiritually and in such a way as to keep them encouraged. Longsuffering will include patience and will mature us to the point of not being so easily offended.
    Even as we are lowly, gentle, and longsuffering we will also bear with one another in love (Ephesians 4:1-2). Love undergirds all of these qualities. Our love for one another is based upon God's love for us and for our fellow Christians (1 John 4:7-11). We love God because He first loved us, and we love our brothers and sisters because of the evidence of God's love for them. When we love one another the beautiful qualities of 1 Corinthians thirteen will be evident in all of our interactions.
    To walk worthy of the calling we need to be lowly, gentle, longsuffering, and loving. When we are lowly, gentle, longsuffering, and loving we will treasure the unity we have with one another. In fact, we will treasure this unity so much we will endeavor to keep they unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3). The word "endeavor" indicates effort. It takes work and deliberate effort in molding our own characters in such a way as to encourage unity. We must endeavor to encourage unity in others through our loving service, dedication, and edification toward them. This beautiful unity we treasure is held together by the bond of peace. In heaven, there is peace. Peace is beautiful. Peace is what we want to have in the church with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
    When all of these qualities are seen in the way we develop our relationships with other Christians we will see wonderful things happening in the church such as: Christians speaking the truth to one another in love, and every Christian doing his/her part to help the body to be joined together and to grow. We will also see Christians edifying one another in love (Ephesians 4:15-16).
    Unity, love, and peace. Beautiful words. Wonderful qualities. Let them be seen in you. Let them be seen in church family.

- 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/

We Understand Commitment

By Lance Cordle

     Sometimes when we analyze people and situations (let’s say, church attendance and involvement, giving, friendship, marriage), we may come up with a statement that we believe summarizes the  problem. Often, that statement is: “There is a problem with commitment.” Hand in hand with those words frequently comes the assumption that the person  is afraid to commit to anything. Before we assume that position, we should carefully study the life of the person.
     Does that person have a job? If so, how often do they show up for work? How long have they held their job at the present employer? Usually, answers to these questions will settle the fact that the person is either in the process of prolonged, gainful employment, or has retired after many years of employment.  
     Does that person have a mortgage or car payment? Have they looked over their finances, counted the cost, and decided that they have the resources to own and maintain a house and/or car?
     Does that person have a hobby? If so, have they spent any money in  pursuing that hobby? Have they bought golf clubs, boats, fishing gear, etc. over the years? How much money have they spent on that hobby during a year’s time? Do you think that amount of   money might be what you or I would call a “significant” amount?
     Does that person seem interested in their personal health? Do they exercise? Are they members and regular participants in a gym or health club? Do they regularly check their weight and vital signs? Do they invest in healthy nutrition and  grow or purchase fresh fruit, vegetables, etc.?
     Does that person follow a high school, college or pro sports team? Do they set aside time to watch games on television? Do they attend games, maybe even drive a hundred miles or more to see one game? Do they buy fan gear (t-shirts, sweatshirts, caps, car tags, etc.)? Do they annually purchase season tickets?
     We could probably go on and on asking questions about that    person’s life (the one with a “commitment problem”), but you and I know it is not a problem with committing to something or someone . . . It is a matter of wanting to commit . . . And that, my friend is a       PRIORITY problem (Matthew 6:33; 22:37-39). 

- 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

Will the “Sinner’s Prayer” Save Me?

By R.W. McAlister

    Certainly there is no question that God “hears” all prayers in the sense that He knows we’re saying them. God is omniscient, and therefore hears and sees everything that happens on Earth. The Scriptures affirm this repeatedly. The Proverb writer observed: “For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings” (Prov. 5:21). Jeremiah wrote: “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD” (Jer. 23:24). The writer of Hebrews said: “And there is no creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him with whom we have to do” (Heb. 4:13).
    The real question is: Does God respond to every prayer? Specifically, does God “act” based upon requests made by someone who is not a Christian? What do the Scriptures teach us about God’s response to the alien sinner? The Scriptures are clear in teaching that God does not hear (to respond to) the prayer of alien sinners. Numerous verses in the Old Testament confirm the idea that God does respond to the prayers of the righteous, but does not respond to the prayers of the wicked. Psalm 66:18: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” Proverbs 15:29 declares: “The Lord is far from the wicked; but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.” David wrote: “The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. 16The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth” (Psalm 34:15-16).
    Consider the story found in John 9. During His travels, Jesus encountered a man who had been blind since birth and healed him. After the former blind man left Jesus and His followers, he was brought before the Pharisees and questioned. They reasoned that because Jesus performed this miracle on the Sabbath, He must have been a sinner. The blind man defended Jesus to these Pharisees when he said: “We know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth” (John 9:31). Simply put, his argument was: (1) Only God could have worked such a miracle as giving sight to the blind; (2) God doesn’t hear the petitions of sinners; (3) therefore, Jesus could not be a sinner, because He restored the man’s sight by the power of God.
    We have no record of any of those religious leaders trying to correct or contradict his statement. Why? Because the Pharisees were well trained in the Law, and the blind man’s statement was a well-known fact. The Old Testament passages referenced earlier (Psalm 34:15-16; Proverbs 15:29, et al.) confirmed the truth of what he said. 
    Also, Jesus Himself said in Matt. 7:21: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
    Saul of Tarsus prayed for three days after arriving in Damascus, yet his sins were not “washed away” until he was immersed in water – baptized - in obedience to God’s command (Acts 22:16). If there ever was a case to be made for the “sinner’s prayer,” this was it; and yet it didn’t save him!
    Finally, prayer is an avenue of communication between a “child of God” and his heavenly Father. The model prayer begins: “Our Father which art in heaven …” (Mt. 6:9), and one becomes a child of the Father only by being born again (Jn. 3:3-5), not by praying. The sinner’s prayer will not save anyone, because prayer is not the means by which man is saved – repentance, confession and baptism – that’s the Lord’s way of salvation. Won’t you respond in obedience today?

- R. W. McAlister preaches for the Anna Church of Christ in Anna, IL.He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.annachurchofchrist.com/

Treasure in an Old Jar

By David Bragg

    A condemned house filled with junk in St. Cloud, FL was being demolished in April 2014. Clearing the debris, they realized that the crumbling chimney was in danger of collapsing. That's when a worker heard a metallic sound. The ensuing investigation quickly turned into a hectic treasure hunt as jar after jar stuffed with old coins were pulled from the rickety chimney. In the end they had recovered over 2,000 coins that had been stored for decades in old glass pickle jars. The oldest of the coins dated back to 1917 (Orlando Sentinel).
    Who would have thought that an old dilapidated house, an unstable chimney, and dusty glass pickle jars would contain anything of value? That’s how many look at the Bible.
    To many people today, some who may have never opened the cover to look inside, the Bible is an old, outdated book that has nothing to contribute to our modern, enlightened society. They see God's Word as out-of-touch as those who believe it. They fail to realize that the Bible is just as relevant today as it was on the day it was written. The Bible is ... Eternal (Isaiah 40:8); Truth (John 17:1); Saves (1 Corinthians 15:2); Inspired (2 Timothy 3:15-17); Living and powerful  (Hebrews 4:12); Implanted in the heart (James 1:21); Enduring (1 Peter 1:22-2:3).
    You may never find an old chimney filled with a pickle jar treasure trove, but you can hold in your hand God's inspired and saving Word. By reading it you will be blessed. By living it you will become better. By following it you will be saved.

- 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/