What Do You Think?

By Ron Thomas

 

    When you think of the church of Christ, what comes to mind? A building? Perhaps the people, maybe some bad experiences that you would like to forget. Maybe all of these.  What does the Lord think when He thinks of the church of Christ?

    You may know the various passages within the New Testament to give a quick answer, and I suspect your use of those passages would be handled plenty fine. Yet, there might be more to say on the matter than you might realize. The Lord’s apostle wrote, ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5).

    Notice three terms. Since the church of our Lord consists of people, the first term to notice is living stones. Do stones live? No, they don’t. What does the Lord mean then? It’s a figurative term at two levels. First, stones are not living, so it’s figurative.

    Second, people are not rocks, so that, too, is figurative. Stones and rocks convey something solid, and even though there is no life in them, with the Lord, those that are part of His household have life and they have it more abundantly. In a community where people are dead in sin, the head of the corner (Cornerstone) will have those who are part of the church of Christ on solid ground very much alive.

    A second term we want to consider is spiritual house offering up spiritual sacrifices. How can this be? Are we not physical people walking into a material building, singing with the heart the Lord gave at creation? We are but we are more than that which is called material, we have been created in such a way that there are three parts to us. Paul said we are body, soul, and spirit (1 Thess. 5:23). Note that only one of the three is physical, material, the other two non-material, non-physical.

    Some find it hard to distinguish between soul and spirit, but I suggest the separation fits well along this line: soul would be the life given to us from God; spirit would be the same, but it will go back to the Lord to be judged; the material is that which decays.

    While we may have difficulty making a distinction between soul and spirit, we have no difficulty in understanding the nature of worship between the material and spiritual.

    The third term we will think on is a holy priesthood. The priest in the Old Testament was a go-between, a mediator between the one who worships and the Almighty. That go-between is eliminated; you now have direct access to the Lord. Don’t fail to notice the word holy. This word means you have separated yourself from the ways of the world and choose to serve Him who called you. Because of your decision, the Lord set you apart for His service.

    What does the Lord think when He thinks of the church of Christ? It’s the church that belongs to Christ, made up of those saved from their sins, called to be living stones, built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5).

  The life you live, is that a life acceptable to God? 

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

“You Give Them Something to Eat”

By Joe Chesser

 

    Our vision is so limited at times that when Jesus challenges us to think outside of the box, what most of us see are only the difficulties and impossibilities. But Jesus wants us to do better than that. He wants us to see things as he sees them. He wants us to walk by faith not by sight (2 Corinthians 5.7). He wants us to open our eyes to see the fields that are white for harvest (John 4.35). He wants our minds to be transformed so that we can discern what God’s will is in contrast to how the world thinks (Romans 12.2).

    There was a time when Jesus was teaching 1000s of people in a deserted place. As evening came, the disciples went to Jesus because they could see a problem. They knew the crowd was hungry, so they proposed sending them into the nearby villages to buy their dinner (Matthew 14.15). Instead, Jesus challenged them, “You give them something to eat” (Matthew 14.16). Thinking like the world instead of like Jesus, the apostles thought, “That’s not going to happen. That’s impossible.” Philip thought it would take more than 200 day’s wages to buy enough bread for the crowd just to have a little (Mark 6.37; John 6.7). Andrew found a boy with 5 loaves and two fish, but as he said, “but what are they for so many?” (John 6.9). From their logic, there was no conceivable way to give them food to eat.

    But Jesus wanted them to look beyond the impossibilities of their own abilities and their own limited resources to see what they could do with the help of Jesus. John tells us that when Jesus told them to give the people something to eat, it was a test, for he knew what he would do (John 6.6). In the end, the disciples did give the people something to eat as they distributed what Jesus had supplied (Mark 6.41).

    Jesus is challenging us to think outside the box to see things as God sees them. He’s calling us as His church to have our minds transformed away from conformity to the world. He’s telling us to lift up our eyes to see the plentiful harvest, to take the gospel to all nations (Matthew 28.19-20). He wants us to financially support those who are preaching the good news all over the world (Romans 10.14-15). He teaches us to take care of widows and orphans (James 1.27) and contribute to the needs of the saints and show hospitality (Romans 12.13). He even expects us to learn to love our enemies, and forgive them (Matthew 5.44; Luke 23.34). Hopefully we’ll learn from the mistakes of the disciples and realize that it’s not with our own skills and resources alone that God expects us to do these things. Hopefully we’ll never again see God’s challenges as too expensive or too difficult. Hopefully we’ll learn to live by the principle that the angel Gabriel told Mary when announcing Jesus’ birth, “nothing is impossible with God!” (Like 1.37).

    Jesus knows we need his help in doing the Father’s will. So, when he tests us with seemingly impossible challenges, let’s reply in our hearts and actions with faith, assurance and confidence in his power and will to supply “seed to the sower and bread for food” and to increase the harvest of our righteousness (2 Corinthians 9.10).

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

The Savior Settles the Issue!

By Edd Sterchi

 

    When did mankind appear upon the earth? Many people disagree. Some think evolution allowed man to ascend from a lower life form. Others think that God created man instantly out of the earth and breathed into him the breath of life (based upon Gen. 1-2). Many Christians even disagree on this issue, despite what the Bible says. Some even blend the two ideas – that God created man via the evolutionary process. Still others say that Gen. 1-2 are poetical accounts of what ancient man believed, but are not fact concerning the origin of man. Sometimes the debate gets quite heated. How can we find the truth?

    What if Jesus could answer the question for us? Would we accept that? Well, He did. When He was questioned about divorce and remarriage in Matthew 19, Jesus then gave an answer that included the origin of the home and the origin of man. In part, He said, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female’” (Matthew 19:4).

    Note that Jesus said that God “made” that initial pair. The word Jesus used for “made” in that passage is the word “poieo” and means “to produce, to fashion, to create.” In fact, the English Standard Version has translated that word as “created.” Additionally, the Greek tense (the aorist) indicates that this was an individual specific act. If Jesus wanted to give the impression that God made mankind through a slow, developmental process, He would have used the imperfect tense, which suggests a progressive ongoing action as viewed in the past. But He didn’t, because He knew that they were made all at once.

    Note also that Jesus said that God made them “male and female.” Jesus did not subscribe to the notion that life was originally an asexual or bisexual blob of some sort that ultimately evolved into male and female. He said that they were intentionally created male and female and remained that way all along.

    Finally, note that Jesus said that God made them male and female “at the beginning.” Mark’s parallel passage in Mark 10:6 says that this was at “the beginning of the creation.” Jesus puts mankind at the creation of the world, not millions of years afterwards (cf. Exodus 20:11).

    Without a doubt, Jesus confirmed the idea of divine, intentional, instant creation of mankind as their origin – and He ought to know, for He was there (Genesis 1:26-27; John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16).

    I know this: If I believe exactly what My Lord knew and spoke about the origin of man, I will not be wrong. Hallelujah, the Savior settles the issue!

- 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/

Some Don’t Need a Holiday

By Adam Faughn

    Recently, we had the first "Friday the 13th" of 2022. May was the first month of this year that had that date on the calendar, which also made it a day that some celebrated. In fact, there is a decent chance some of us celebrated, even if we did not know it.
    While this holiday may not be on the calendar on your wall or computer screen, the 
first "Friday the 13th" of each year is celebrated by some as "National Blame Someone Else Day." (And, no, I'm not kidding. It's a real thing!) If you are looking for the next chance to celebrate, by the way, the first "Friday the 13th" of 2023 comes early. It is in January.
    In learning about this holiday, I found a couple of remarks about it to be very interesting. While I hope they were said (or typed) with tongue firmly in cheek, they may reveal a great deal about how many people live their lives. Maybe the most telling was a website called daysoftheyear.com, which called this holiday "the compulsive liar's dream day."
    While the idea of such a day on our calendar, even in jest, may be a bit humorous, it also sheds light on how blaming other people is commonplace and has been from near the very beginning. In Scripture, we read of several who decided to blame others for their sins.

• Even in the Garden of Eden, Eve blamed the serpent for her decision to take and eat the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:13).
• But she learned to shift the blame from her husband, Adam, who had blamed Eve and, by extension, God Himself for his sin (Genesis 3:12).
• King Saul blamed the people for taking spoils from a battle when they had been commanded to destroy everything (1 Samuel 15:21).

    But these are not outliers. I believe, if we are honest, we would each have to admit that we have tried to shift the blame for our own sins and mistakes to other people instead of simply taking responsibility for what we have chosen to do.
    That is what we must constantly keep in mind: we choose right or wrong. It is true that there are influences that tempt us to do things that are wrong. It is also true that we live in a dark culture, so the "pull" to evil is strong.
    The fact is, however, we still choose to do what is right or what is wrong. God has not created us to be victims of our circumstances. He has not made us helpless, even in the face of strong temptations. He has given each of us the ability to choose, and He has given us His inspired Word, which tells us the way of righteousness and wisdom.
    Further, it tells us something that we are so quick to blame other people when we choose sin. It may speak to how we inherently know that we have to answer for our decisions and that we have to answer to Someone Who is greater than we are. If that were not the case, why would we be so quick to want to absolve ourselves of a wrong choice? Yes, it is in part to attempt to "get out of it" quickly. But it seems there is something deeper, and that is that we know we must answer for what we have chosen.
    As God's people, though, we should take ownership of our sinful decisions. That is true because it is the right thing to do. But it is also true because, only when we do, can we seek God's forgiveness immediately. That, above all else, should be what we want. Our desire should not be just to get out of a situation but to be saved from it by God Himself.
    While "Blame Someone Else Day" only comes once each year, far too many of us are tempted to celebrate it every day (and even multiple times each day). Yes, we may be tempted in that direction, but may we remember that each day is an opportunity to do something far better: to live righteously and to be grateful for the forgiving grace of God when we fail to do so.
    Instead of blaming someone else, may we accept His forgiveness and then strive to do better each day. That would seem to be a way to make much better use of our time (cf. Ephesians 5:16)."For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil." (2 Corinthians 5:10)

- 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.

Lord, Give Me Patience!

By Bill Brandstatter

 

    A preacher I once knew had a sign on his desk that read “Lord, give me patience, and give it to me right now.” That is the way we often are with patience. I heard, growing up, the statement, “Don’t ever pray for patience.” Yet, the Bible teaches learning patience can be beneficial to us. It is the learning of it that often gives us problems.

    I have often considered myself to be a very patient person, yet during the last three months, I have had to learn it even more. People have told me to have more patience. James wrote: “Knowing the testing of your faith produces patience; but let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:2-4 NKIV) According to James, learning patience can make us more complete as a Christian. He also states we should pray for wisdom in chapter 1:5. My understanding is that he is referring to wisdom to deal with trials and to learn patience.

    The Bible gives us examples of patience. God is the ultimate example. Peter tells us, “When once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is eight souls, were saved through water.” (1 Pet. 3:20)

    Peter also tells us more about God’s patience. His patience is for our benefit. In 2 Pet. 3:9, he writes: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

    James tells us the prophets are examples of patience: “My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience” (James 5:10 NKJV). When we think about how long many of the prophets preached and what all they went through we can learn from their examples.

    Job was a perfect example of patience. He lost everything and still did not charge God foolishly. (Job 1:22) At the end of the book of Job, he was rewarded for his faithfulness and his patience. The Bible says, “And the LORD restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed, the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.” (Job 42:10)

    Let us learn to be patient. It doesn’t come naturally. God may be putting us through a trial in our lives to help us learn patience. If so, it will make us better people to deal with the affairs of this life. It will help us in teaching others. It will better prepare us for heaven, our ultimate goal.

- Bill Brandstatter preaches for the Marion Church of Christ in Marion, IL. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://marionchurchofchrist.com/

Job’s Reaction to a Really Bad Day

By Jim Faughn

 

    What is your first reaction when things go badly for you? What would you do if you lost just about everything except your life? What if all of that happened almost “all at once?”

    As I try to internalize those questions, I’m not always completely satisfied with my answers. I’m afraid that, at the very least, I would have a “pity party.” I’m afraid that the question, “Why me?” would come to my mind (and might even be expressed). I would hope that I would not blame God, but I know many who have done just that.

    Most of us are at least somewhat familiar with the book of Job. As we open the book, we are introduced to a man in the very first verse as one who was “…blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.”

    That description of Job did not mean that he was somehow inoculated or isolated from unpleasant experiences. In fact, “unpleasant” does not come close to what Job experienced during the course of a single day. Before we read the end of chapter one, we are reading about Job losing his material possessions and his children. I am not at all trying to minimize what may have happened in your life or in mine, but I seriously doubt that most of us have had a day quite that bad.

    What I am intrigued by and, at the same time, challenged by is Job’s reaction to all of this. The concluding verses of chapter one informs us of that reaction:

    Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”  In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. (Job 1:20-22)

    There is a lot to “unpack” in those three verses. I’m quite sure that there is much more than what you will read here. Let me just mention a few things in terms of contrasts between what might be “normal” reactions and the reactions of Job.

• Instead of standing and shaking his fist at God, Job fell on the ground.

• Instead of turning his back on God, Job worshiped God.

• Instead of thinking that he was in charge of his own fortunes and blessings, Job recognized that God was actually in control of all of this.

• Instead of blaspheming God, Job did not sin.

• Instead of thinking that God was unfair, Job did not “charge God with wrong.”

    I don’t know about you, but I know I can learn a lot from “a man in the land of Uz.”

- Jim Faughn, a retired preacher, serves as an elder for the Central Church of Christ in Paducah KY.  From the Legacy of Faith blog He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.centralchurchofchrist.org

Bridling the Tongue

By David R. Ferguson

 

    James 1:26 [NAS] says, “If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless.” This isn’t just referring to what we say, it also refers to what we choose to post and share on social media. Pay attention to what you are saying. Your speech is one of the most important parts of your witness.

    No matter where you are, at home, at work, at play, at church, or in any organization or group you decide to join, your tongue reveals what’s in your heart. In fact, an argument can be made that what one posts and shares on social media is even more egregious than what we say.

    James also writes, “So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our body’s parts as that which defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by Hell. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one among mankind can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” (James 3:5-8 [NAS] Since the tongue is untamed, sometimes we say things we immediately regret saying. So, it’s worse to post vile and despicable things than it is to speak them because posting involves forethought. When we do so, we are making a conscience choice to say something that is intended to hurt others. It isn’t simply reactionary as can happen with the tongue.

    The reason we react the way we do, however, is because of the condition of our heart. Remember, our Lord and Savior said, “For the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart.” He then added, “But I tell you that for every careless word that people speak, they will give an account of it on the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:36-37 [NAS]) For Christians, we need to make doubly sure that we bridle our tongue and think twice before posting and sharing on social media. We must do all in our power to live our life for Jesus Christ, never forgetting that we “were once darkness, but now [we] are light in the Lord; walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8 [NAS]).

    May God bless you as you serve Him!

- David R. Ferguson preaches for the Mentor Church of Christ in Mentor, OH.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://mentorchurchofchrist.com/ or davidferguson61@yahoo.com