Where Can We Find Peace?

By Edd Sterchi

    It seems this day and age there are not very many who are at peace. Nations are in dispute, families are in disarray, and people are dissatisfied. We rush about trying to bring peace and order to our lives, but to no avail. When we find a moment of peace, it seems to fly away before we really have a chance to enjoy it.
    Where can we find peace for our troubled lives? Maybe we’re looking in the wrong places. The world and its pleasures will never bring true peace. The Bible reveals to us where we can find true and lasting peace.
    We Can Find Peace in Faith. If we have true faith in God and His word, nothing should be able to bring turmoil to our souls. Our faith can carry us through difficult circumstances that would bring unrest to others. Yes, peace is found in faith: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace...” (Rom. 5:1).
    We Can Find Peace in Function. Having a purpose for life and using it to serve others in the Lord’s name brings great satisfaction – and satisfaction brings peace along as a companion. “Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (Jas. 3:18). And may I add they reap peace, as well.
    We Can Find Peace in Forgiveness. Many do not have peace in their lives because they carry grudges and burdens. When we are unwilling to forgive others, we will never be at peace – with them or with ourselves. When we dwell in sin, our lives are in constant tumult. But when we are forgiven and forgive others, peace reigns and life is great. “...even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do...And let the peace of God rule in your hearts...” (Col.3:13-15).
    The bottom line is that we can find peace in Jesus Christ. In Jesus we get forgiveness. In Jesus we find true function for our lives. In Jesus we can obtain a faith that will never let us down. In Jesus we can have peace “at all times” and “in every way” (2 Thess. 3:16, ESV).

- Edd Sterchi preaches for the Broadway Church of Christ in Campbellsville, KY. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.broadwaychurchofchrist.net/

Losing Your Sense of Taste

By Joe Chesser
 
    I am so happy that God created in us the sense of taste. What a blessing it is to taste the sweetness of ice cream or the slurpy goodness of spaghetti or butter on a hot roll. And what about bacon or corn on the cob or biscuits and gravy?! Yes, I am also thankful for the taste of salads and broccoli and green beans. The sense of taste enriches life’s experiences.
    Among the symptoms of COVID-19 is the temporary loss of taste and smell (the two senses are closely connected). How disappointing it is to open a jar of peanut butter and smell nothing or bite into Big Mac and wonder why you bothered! By their very nature, diseases rob us of the good things God has created. Though the temporary loss of the sense of taste and smell is very minor compared to some other symptoms of COVID-19, it does remind me of a biblical principle: sin robs us of the joy of tasting the goodness of the Lord!
    Often the Bible uses the sense of physical taste to describe our spiritual relationship with God. “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119.105), “they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb” (Psalm 19.10). “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34.8).  “Like new born babies, crave the spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2.2-3). To taste that the Lord is good is a way of expressing utmost devotion to and love for God. Tasting God and His words bring sweetness and nourishment to our spirit; it brings assurance and peace and joy; it brings growth and maturity. For this to happen, we need to let the sweetness of God’s words strengthen our hearts and enable us to live for Him, to fight off Satan and the spiritual disease of sin.
    Just as coronavirus can rob us of the sense of taste we had enjoyed for so long, so also can spiritual diseases rob us of the taste we had of the goodness of the Lord. The writer of Hebrews warned his Christian audience of the danger of falling away from the Lord due to inactivity and immaturity. This was true even though they had “tasted the heavenly gift” and “tasted the goodness of the word of God” (Hebrews 6.4-6). But instead of growing to maturity, they were slow to learn, still needing the milk of God’s word. Because they were not using God’s word they were not being trained by it to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5.11-14). Plus, their continuing problem with sin (a spiritual disease) was contributing to their losing their taste of the goodness of the Lord (Hebrews 10.26-31). Sin will do that. It will dull our senses of the goodness of God and encourage us to give up.
    The good news is that when we are aware of losing our sense of taste for the Lord, we can do something about it. In a series of “let us” statements (Hebrews 10.22-25), the Hebrews writer encouraged these struggling Christians to renew their taste by drawing near to Him, holding on to their hope in Him and encouraging each other to do the same.
    So, keep your taste for the goodness of God alive and active. Don’t ever lose it.

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

A High Price

By Ron Thomas

None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him (For the redemption of their life is costly, And it faileth for ever), (Psalm 49:7-8, ASV)
    We live on this earth with the prospect of making our lives pleasant and easier than the generation before us. We know that we don’t always achieve what we set out to accomplish, but it does not stop us from trying. In this trying there is hope of success. None of this is new to us. Unfortunately, as we set about to do this, we come nearer to the end of our individual lives before we accomplish it or think that we do. We then think about how we have lived our lives and wonder if we were (are) a blessing, a help, or a hindrance to others in the way we have lived. More than that, we think about our lives and wonder about the Lord’s response to the way we lived. “Have I done enough to be pleasing to the Lord?” and “Will He receive me into His eternal kingdom?”
    Some of us are fortunate to have accumulated some means, some wealth. “Surely, if the Lord was not with me, I would not have what He gave me” we think. We transfer that thinking to “It must be the case the Lord is pleased with me, for how else can my wealth be explained?” never thinking it might be from the god of this world (cf. 2 Cor. 4:4).
    The passage in Psalm 49 is a reminder that no matter what a person accumulates, there is no wealth available to a person that is satisfactory in redeeming (purchasing) a person from the throngs of Hell. Equally important on this theme is: no matter how gracious a person is, how charitable to others a person is, without the Lord Jesus directing their life in faithful obedience to His will, all is lost, even one’s soul. 

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

Be Sober

By Adam Faughn

    A swimmer near Miami Beach was recently the subject of a very interesting, and quite frightening, video. The man was simply floating on his back in fairly shallow water as a drone flew overhead. The swimmer even gave the drone a thumbs up and smiled throughout the vast majority of the short video clip.
    The water was clear enough, though, that the drone could also film what was in the water under the swimmer: a hammerhead shark. The swimmer never saw the shark and even came within what looks like inches of hitting the creature with his foot at one point. Finally, after a few seconds, the shark swam away, as hammerheads almost never prey on humans. (But notice that word "almost!")
    Still, the image of that swimmer smiling obliviously as such a creature was, at most, just a few feet away is quite the illustration of the way so many people live their spiritual lives. We go through life smiling, finding distractions, and making sure we are having lots of fun, oblivious to the fact that there are forces all around us that would love nothing more than to destroy our souls.
    In 1 Peter 5:8, Peter tells us how to prepare for our enemy, the devil. He gives two short commands: "Be sober-minded; be watchful" (ESV). Other translations have the first command as simply "be sober" (KJV). The original word has the idea behind it of being circumspect or of being calm in our spirit.
    Typically, when we think of the word "sober," our minds go to abstaining from alcohol. Even all those years ago, the word used by Peter could also be used in that way; the reason being that things like alcohol cloud our thinking. They keep us from being able to see the world through the proper, Biblical lens because our minds are no longer clear to think the way we are to think.
    When our minds are not spiritually clear, and we are not letting Scripture be our guide in all ways, we begin to let our guard down to the knowledge that we have an adversary who is constantly looking for an opening to tempt us. Like the shark under that swimmer, the devil is simply "there," but unlike the shark, our enemy will not leave due to disinterest. He will strike if we are not watching for him. (It will not be "almost" never; he will never miss an opportunity to tempt us if we are not watching.)
    What can we do to make certain that our thinking is always clear and that we are truly ready for our enemy's temptations? Here are three simple but very needed reminders.
    1. Hear from the Lord Constantly. By this, I do not mean that we hear audibly from Him in some mystical way. I mean that we dive deeply into His Word and let it guide our thinking. A psalmist wrote, "I have stored up Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You" (Psalm 119:11). For each of us, there is some area in which we are highly vulnerable to the temptations of Satan. Knowing what God has to say about those matters makes all the difference, especially if we know what Scripture states before we ever face the temptation in the first place.
    2. Monitor Our Thinking. Paul gave a tremendous insight into how to do this with one simple phrase. In 2 Corinthians 10:6, he wrote that we "take every thought captive to obey Christ." Every thought! Even when our mind "drifts," do we make sure it is drifting toward things that are wholesome and that help us obey our Lord? What are we putting into our minds that could possibly be taking us away from that obedience and giving our enemy a foothold in our life?
    3. Confess Wrong Thinking. We often are willing to confess wrongdoing, but if we are going to keep our minds clear for the Lord, we need to confess to Him when our thinking is not what it should be.
    In reality, we know we have an enemy and, if we are taking in the Word of God, we are not ignorant of how our enemy, the devil, works (cf. 2 Corinthians 2:11). But we can easily get distracted by the allure of the world and forget that he is always there, waiting to set a temptation before us if we allow our thinking to be too drawn to the cares and distractions of the world.
    Instead, let us constantly keep our minds focused on the ways of God and our eyes open to the temptations that are always around us, ready to resist our enemy and draw near to our Lord (James 4:7-8). If we do, he, like that shark, will go away.

- Adam Faughn preaches for the Central Church of Christ in Paducah KY. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.centralchurchofchrist.org Visit the Faughn Family blog, A Legacy of Faith.

Giving

By Rob Albright

    GIVING to others brings us joy. When we share our time, talent, and other resources for the benefit of others, we find satisfaction. When we do good to help others, we are being Christ like.
    GIVING to others is “doing good” (Galatians 6:10). Helping others in their time of need is Christianity in action (Romans 12:13) and is evidence of our faith (James 2:14-17).
    GIVING is also what we do together as a church family. We plan our giving in support of the work we are involved with as the body (church) of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 8:4). There are benevolent, edification, and evangelism efforts we are involved in together. It is a privilege to be able to share together in the work that glorifies God (2 Corinthians 9:13).
    Read 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 and take note of the attitude we should have in our giving. Remember God loves a cheerful giver. Our giving should not be a “grudging obligation” so take special note of the attitude the churches in Macedonia had (2 Corinthians 9:5, 7; 2 Corinthians 8:1-5).

- Rob Albright serves as one of the ministers at the Northwest Church of Christ in Greensboro, NC. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.nwchurchofchrist.com/

Friendly Fire

By Ron Adams

    It happened in the basement of the military training barracks. I and a few other soldiers were sorting brass after the company had been on the firing range. Unnoticed by the group, one soldier took some live rounds found among the spent ones and loaded them into a weapon and pulled the trigger. Need less to say we were scared and shocked, but luckily no one was hit by the bullets. This episode brought to mind how tragic it is when someone is injured or killed by a comrade’s carelessness (friendly fire).
     We are in engaged in spiritual warfare against evil and the evil one. We need to wield the sword of the spirit which is the Word. But we must be careful how we wield the sword. It must not be used in such a way as to injure our comrades in the faith. Jesus said, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea.” Mark 9:42

Avoiding Friendly-Fire
     Casualties “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.” Galatians 5:13-15

Love One Another!
     A sure way to avoid friendly-fire casualties in the church.
     ‘Friendly Fire’ Injuries are cause by:

Gossip
Competition
Party Spirit
Foolish Controversies
Jealousy
Envy
Slander
Strife
Arrogance 

- Ron Adams publishes F.Y.C., a monthly publication. 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. © 2021

Prayer

By Caleb J. Rutherford

    One of the hallmarks of a disciple is his prayer life (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Jesus was a Man of prayer, and He expects that His followers will be prayerful individuals as well (Matthew 6:5-13). The Bible promises that the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16). Have you ever stopped to consider that a prayer carries many benefits and blessings even before it is answered by God?
    1. Prayer helps us prioritize our lives – On one occasion Jesus was very busy in His ministry, and huge crowds were following Him. Jesus could have stayed in the city of Capernaum and waited for the multitudes to come to Him, but He awoke early and spent time in prayer, presumably about His mission on earth (Mark 1:35). Shortly after this time of prayer, Jesus said, “Let us go to the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth” (Mark 1:38). The Lord was reminded of His true priorities as He prayed.
    2. Prayer helps us be at peace – The circumstances of life are often out of our control and we feel frustrated, overwhelmed and burdened. Philippians 4:6-7 promises that as Christians pray about all the matters that bother us, “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Even before God answers our prayers, we can be at peace because we have truly cast all our cares upon Him (1 Pet. 5:7).
    3. Prayer reminds us of our dependence on God – Jesus taught His followers to be persistent in prayer (Luke 11:5-8; 18:1-8). The reason for persistence is not because God is reluctant to answer; far from it (James 1:5; Matt. 7:7-11). Rather, we need to be persistent in prayer because it helps us remember that God is the Source of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17). We depend on Him for our lives, our daily bread, and our salvation. Persistent prayer humbles us and glorifies God (1 Cor. 10:31).
    4. Prayer is an active demonstration of faith – Nobody is to pray like the proud Pharisee who merely wanted to show God and others how good he was (Luke 18:10-14). Indeed, Jesus taught us not to pray in order to be seen of men (Matt. 6:5-8). On the other hand, it is overwhelmingly wonderful and deeply influential for children to see their parents praying together. Those who are truly “salty” in their Christian influence are those who actively demonstrate their faith in the act of prayer (Matt. 5:13-16).
    5. Prayer drives us toward Scripture – The disciples once begged Jesus to teach them to pray (Luke 11:1). Prayer is a learned discipline (1 Tim. 4:7-8). One of the best ways to learn to pray is to get deeper into Scripture. Some of the best prayers are those that flow naturally from the things God has already told us He is willing to do (1 John 5:14-15). The Bible contains dozens of examples of the prayers of righteous men and women through the ages. One of the benefits before God ever even answers our prayers is that praying encourages us to get into His word more.

-  Caleb J. Rutherford serves as one of the ministers for the East Hill church of Christ in Pulaski, TN. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.easthillchurch.org/index.html