Suffering Servant (Part Two)

By Clifton Angel       Next, let us consider Jesus' paradox of pain. O how paradoxical it is that He who dwells where there is no pain (Rev 21:4) experienced pain!     He experienced pain in that He was mistreated. Only He truly knows how much He hurt as the very souls that He came to save (Luke 19:10): 1. Spat upon Him and slapped Him (Matt 26:67); 2. Released the criminal Barabbas (ironically, his name means “son of his father”) instead of the sinless Savior, and scourged Him (Matt 27:26); 3. Mocked Him and drove a crown of thorns into His head (Matt 27:29-30); 4. Stripped Him of His clothing and crucified Him (Matt 27:35). And yet, the text seems to emphasize that greater than these moments of mistreatments may have been the pain He experienced in the garden, where He prayed: “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44). The Great Physician, Who can heal all ailments, was in agony!     Next, His experience of pain can be seen in His verbal mourning. The nature of Jesus‘ offering “up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death” (Heb 5:7) can even be defined as “howling,” which can mean to “weep and cry out loudly” (Oxford Dictionary). The Prince of peace (Isa 9:6), Who provides the peace “that passeth all understanding” (Phil 4:7), was for a time without peace!     Finally, His experience of pain can be seen His internal mourning. “Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy” (Matt 26:36-37). He whose “yoke is easy” and “burden is light” (Matt 11:30) had a heavy heart! Such should never have to be experienced by the God of Heaven! However, this section would be lacking if we did not include Scripture which might indicate a period of supreme loneliness (Mark 15:33–34):   “And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

- Clifton Angel preaches for the Coldwater Church of Christ in Coldwater, MS. He may be contacted through that congregation's website: http://www.coldwatercofc.com/

Suffering Servant (Part Three)

By Clifton Angel   Jesus as the "suffering servant" included numerous other paradoxes. Consider how: 1. He gave up equality with God (Philippians 2:5-8; albeit, He is still 100% God) because of man’s desire to have equality with God (Genesis 3:5-6)! 2. He gave up the unpronounceable “YHWH” (Psalm 33:6,9; John 1:1-3,14; “Jehovah” in ASV; “LORD” in KJV) for the lowly man-pronounced “Jesus” (Matthew 1:18-25)! 3. He Who created the angels (Colossians 1:16) “was made a little lower than the angels” (Hebrews 2:9)! 4. He Who is not bound by time (Isaiah 57:15) became bound by time (Matthew 26:18)! 5. The God Who “cannot be tempted with evil” (James 1:13) was tempted with evil (Matthew 4:1-11)! In fact, He “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). 6. The Giver of all “riches and wealth” (Ecclesiastes 5:19) was sold for a mere thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15)! 7. He Who said “I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28) experienced being restless (Luke 6:12)! 8. The Judge of all (2 Timothy 4:1), Who pronounces acceptation and rejection (Matthew 25:31-46), was rejected (Mark 8:31; 12:10; John 1:11)! 9. He Who is “the Life” (John 14:26), the Giver of eternal life (Romans 6:23), Who dwells in a place where there is no death (Revelation 21:4), tasted death (Hebrews 2:9)!     Jesus was a walking paradox. Because He is God means He does not have to serve, and He certainly should not have to suffer; yet, Jesus did, and He did it in such a fashion that no man could ever fathom to formulate such a plan. At Isaiah 53:4–6, we read: Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

- Clifton Angel preaches for the Coldwater Church of Christ in Coldwater, MS. He may be contacted through that congregation's website: http://www.coldwatercofc.com/

Is It The Lord Who Speaks To Me?

By Gerald Cowan   How will I know it is the Lord Who speaks the words I hear? Are they direct from him, these words That sound within my ear?   How can I sort through all the words And voices that I find Competing for attention and For notice in my mind?   They all may seem well-reasoned, sound, Believable, and true. Each one is urgent, pressing me. What then am I to do?   How to decide which way to go, Which of the paths to take? Will I be able to change course If I an error make?   The only words that I can trust To be from Him I love Are words that He himself inspired And sent down from above.   With voices that do not repeat God’s word I’ll not agree. Unless I know it comes from Him It finds no place with me.

- Gerald Cowan, a longtime preacher and missionary, is retired from full-time pulpit preaching. Gerald publishes an e-mail newsletter entitled GERALD COWAN’S PERSONAL PERIODICAL WRITINGS. He is available for Gospel Meetings and he may be contacted at Geraldcowan1931@aol.com

How Do We Stop Gossip?

By Brian Mitchell       Where there is no wood the fire ceases. Fire needs 3 things to exist: Fuel, Oxygen and Heat. Without anyone of these elements there is no fire. Likewise gossip needs three things to exist, thrive, and do damage. It needs a victim, a tale bearer, and an audience. Again, without all of these constituent elements gossip will not take form and no damage can be done.     The first step to stopping gossip is the realization that none of us personally wants to be the subject of gossip, tale bearing, or slander. Once we admit that, then we move to the next step, which is the personal application of the Golden Rule. “Do unto others as you would have them do to you” Mt7:12. If you don’t want to be gossiped about or slandered, then don’t do it to others.     What do we do when we are tempted to gossip, be a tale bearer, or slander someone? Remember that no one benefits from gossip and slander. “A good name in a man or woman is the immediate jewel of the soul. He who steals my purse steals trash, but he who steals my good name robs me of that which enriches him not and makes me poor indeed” Shakespeare. In other words, no one benefits from gossip and slander. Slandering someone else’s good name not only does you no good, it many times does irreparable harm to those who are the victims of your slander.     Remember that gossip can and often does destroy your own trustworthiness and reputation—Prov.26:24-26. The more you gossip about others the less trustworthy you become. “He who gossips with you will gossip about you.” One of the gossiper’s main goals is to inflate their own reputation by tearing down the reputation of others, but in the end, it is really your reputation that suffers. Gossip is not befitting a child of God and must be done away with—Col.3:8-10.     Remember that once gossip and slander is out you can’t get it back. There was a story of the young man who slandered the name of an older preacher that he did not like very much. Upon realizing the error of his actions, he went to the old preacher and repented, he then asked how he could make things right. So the old preacher took the young man outside on a breezy day and tore open a feather pillow, and then as the wind scattered the feathers in every direction he told the young man to go out and retrieve each of those feathers. The point is obvious: “We are many times no more able to repair the damage that gossip does, than the young man would be able to gather all of those feathers back.”    Realize that your heart is the heart of the matter. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” Mt.12:34. Jesus teaches us that we speak about those things which are present in our minds, so if we are always dwelling upon negative things, those things are going to be manifested in our communications with others. So if gossip and slander come from the heart, and are themselves a direct result of that which I am focused on, then I need to change the things I focus on. If I am continually focused on the negative aspects of people and situations, then those are the kind of things I am going to share with others.     So we need to change our focus and look for the positive. Instead of dwelling on the fact that someone has done you wrong, and you must therefore get even by talking negatively to others about them, remember God who says “vengeance is mine I will repay.” So speak what is good for necessary edification” Eph.4:29.

- Brian Mitchell serves as a minister with the Jackson Church of Christ in Jackson, MO. He may be contacted through the congregation's website at https://www.jacksonchurchofchrist.net

Growth Of God’s Word

By Joe Slater       How can God’s word “grow”? We think of a tree growing, or a child growing, but God’s word?     Three times the book of Acts speaks of God’s word growing. First, after resolving the complaint about some widows in the Jerusalem church being neglected, “Then the word of God grew, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem” (Acts 6:7). Obviously, the body of truth (i.e. the gospel) didn’t become any larger. But unrest within the church discourages the spread of the gospel; once that issue was settled God’s word was proclaimed enthusiastically, resulting in numerous conversions.     Second, after the death of Herod Agrippa I (the one who killed James and wanted to kill Peter), Acts 12:24 says, “But the word of God grew and multiplied.” God dealt with the murderous monarch in due time. Meanwhile, Herod’s brutal behavior couldn’t stop the spread of the gospel.     Finally, the inspired record states, “So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed” (Acts 19:20). The first word, “So,” points to the reason the Lord’s word grew, as shown in the two previous verses. Some believers evidently hadn’t made a clean break with pagan occultism (“magic”). When they confessed their deeds and demonstrated the fruit of repentance by burning their expensive books, the gospel made tremendous advances.     God’s word spreads (grows) when Christians are united, when Christians evangelize despite persecution, and when Christians show genuine conversion by turning away from their previous ungodly practices. God’s word will grow today when we pay heed to these very things.

- 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

Into the Fire

By David Sargent       The Independence Day celebration on July 4th in Prescott, Arizona, served a dual purpose: people celebrated the freedoms that are enjoyed in this country, but they also honored 19 fallen firefighters.     The nineteen firefighters were members of the “Hotshots” firefighting team.  The Hotshots crew had deployed on the previous Sunday to what was thought to be a manageable lightning-caused forest fire near the small town of Yarnell, about 35 miles from Prescott. Violent winds fueled the blaze and trapped the team. The Hotshots deployed their emergency fire shelters to no avail.  They died while trying to put out the raging fire that threatened the town of Yarnell, a fire that as of the night of Independence Day has destroyed more than 100 homes and burned about 13 square miles.     Some of the bereaved family members of the deceased firefighters spoke about their loved ones.  Coleen Turbyfill, mother of 27-year-old Travis Turbyfill, recalled that she had misgivings when her son's elite "Hotshot" firefighting crew set out for a fire burning so close she could see the flames, but he comforted her and told her, “This is what I love.”     When we were doomed because of our sins and headed for the “everlasting fire” of punishment, God sent Jesus to our rescue so that we would not perish in the flames (Ephesians 1:7).  Jesus went “into the fire” and suffered the punishment for our sins.  He “endured hell” so that we wouldn’t have to.  “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree [i.e., the cross], so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24).  He died for us so that we might live (1 Thessalonians 5:10).     Jesus will save and give eternal life to those who accept His offer of salvation on His terms: placing their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turning from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confessing Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will continue to cleanse those who strive to continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7).     Why would Jesus go “into the fire” for us?  He did it because it was His Father’s will (John 6:38) and because of His great love for us…     “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.” – John 15:13     Won’t YOU respond to His great love by accepting His gift of salvation and life on His terms?

- David A. Sargent, minister for the Church of Christ at Creekwood in Mobile, Alabama, is also the editor of an electronic devotional entitled "Living Water." To learn more about this excellent resource contact David via their website: http://www.creekwoodcc.org

Jesus Walks With Us

By Jeff Arnette       The promise that Jesus will walk with us is found throughout the Bible. One of the most well-known passages is found in Matthew 28:20, where Jesus says to his disciples, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This promise comes at the end of the Gospel of Matthew, after Jesus has been resurrected from the dead and has given his disciples the Great Commission to go and make disciples of all nations.     Another well-known passage that speaks to Jesus’ presence with us is found in Psalm 23. In this psalm, the writer speaks of the Lord as a shepherd who guides and protects his sheep. The psalmist writes, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”     Throughout the New Testament, we see examples of Jesus’ presence with his followers.     He walked with his disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). In fact, in Luke 24:15 it says, “While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them.” (ESV) Jesus is always near to those who are searching and wanting to draw closer to him.     He appeared to them in the upper room after his resurrection (John 20:19-23). Here we see Jesus appearing in the midst of the disciples. After showing them visible proof that it is indeed him via his hands and side, he gives them the Holy Spirit and sends them out on a mission. Jesus was there with them and reassured them that he would be with them as they went.     He promised to send the Holy Spirit to be with them (John 14:16-18). The promise of the Holy Spirit here is a personal promise that Jesus will not leave us as orphans but will come to us, he will be within us as we go about this life, we call Christianity. With the Holy Spirit leading and guiding us we are never alone.     Overall, the message of Jesus’ presence with us is a consistent theme in the Bible. As followers of Jesus, we can take comfort in the knowledge that he is always with us, guiding us, protecting us, and giving us the strength to face whatever challenges come our way.   1 Peter 5:10 “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (ESV)

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