Faith and Feelings

By Dan C Bailey     The scripture teaches us that we must "... walk by faith, not by sight "(II Corinthians 5:7). To walk by faith is to believe with all of one's heart what God has said. God has told us about immortality and heaven. We've yet to receive our immortal body to house our immortal soul, but we firmly believe that it will be so. "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality" (I Corinthians 15:53).     It is sad and tragic that so many people trust their feelings more than the word of God. There is no doubt, but that false teaching on the Holy Spirit has led to much error along this line. People even pray that the Holy Spirit has led to much error along this line. People even pray that the Holy Spirit will directly guide them in their daily affairs. They wait to be moved by feelings which are supposedly from the Holy Spirit.     It is interesting that Jesus said, "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God" (Luke 8:11).He also said, "When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side"(Mathew 13:19).     It is clear that the Spirit of God operates on the heart of man through His word.  Thus we read, "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:17). By obedience to the word of God, we enter into the kingdom of Christ. In like manner, by obedience to the word as Christians, we will someday be saved eternally, and will enter into glory. James said, "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls" (James 1:21). And the apostle Paul told the brethren, "...I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified (Acts 20:32).      There is one more important thing to consider. Those who walk by faith have the very feelings with which God is pleased. They manifest love, compassion, mercy, peace, joy, comfort, and zeal, all as a result of the powerful word of the living God. "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).     Let us stay with the truth. Let us never drift into the false feeling movement. Our direction comes from God by means of His word. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105).

- Dan C. Bailey serves as a minister with the State Street Church of Christ in Bristol, VA. He may be contacted through the congregation's website at https://www.thelordsway.com/statestreetchurchofchrist/framedindex.asp?Group=Home

Follow Me

By Clifton Angel     In the recorded words of Jesus, the phrase "follow me" can be found 18 times in the text of the KJV New Testament. In recent years, however, with the development of internet forums and social media, the concept of following someone has taken on a very different meaning. I don't know that they coined the idea, but Twitter (now rebranded “X”) has certainly made it famous. It is used in internet forums. It is used by Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, et. al. You can actually "follow" a number of celebrities on social media and be able to read their personal thoughts as they share them from time to time. “Following," in the internet world, is the idea of showing interest in a person's life, subscribing to an organization's services, or even just being curious about a business' product.     In the realm of internet following, there is not a great deal of commitment involved. If you realize you do not agree with a celebrity after following them, you can stop. If you realize a company's product is too expensive after following them, you can stop. If following a particular person or group is taking up too much of your time, you can stop following them. If your priorities and desires change at some point, which puts you in conflict with someone or some organization you are following, you can stop. You can even stop following someone and start again later if you choose to do so.     Unfortunately, far too many treat their discipleship of Jesus the same way they treat their online networking. Once they read something Jesus has said that they don't agree with, they stop following Him. Once they realize the cost of following Jesus is too great, they stop following Him. Once they realize they don't want to put in the time required for following Jesus, they stop following Him. Once they realize their priorities and desires have changed from when they first started following Jesus, they stop following Him. Sometimes they go through a cycle of wanting to follow Him, not wanting to follow Him, wanting to follow Him, and not wanting to follow Him.     When Jesus said, "Follow me," He made it clear that:          It will require every fiber of your being;          It will require every second of your day;          It will require every ounce of your will.  He said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23). When we do this, our hearts are better, our thoughts are better, our lives are better, and, most importantly, our eternity is better.

- 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/

Focus

By Andrew Beasley     Leaving the past behind frequently is among the greatest challenges a Christian may face. I imagine for the Apostle Paul, leaving the memories of his former life behind were a challenge as well. Think, for a moment, of what Saul of Tarsus was guilty of. He is the authority figure responsible for the murder of Stephen (Acts 8:1) as well as for the persecution of countless other Christians (Acts 8:3). It would be no surprise if his past actions weighed heavily on his soul. Yet as a Christian he recognized the significance of leaving that all in the past.     In the same way, we cannot dwell on the former things either. Sometimes Christians are guilty of romanticizing the life that they used to live. Others are guilty of allowing the disappointments of their past to become stumbling blocks for their future. Paul seems to recognize the significance in leaving the glorification of our past, or the wallowing in sorrow over our past, behind and instead focusing on what matters: Christ, and the prize that accompanies following Him. Just a few verses earlier Paul said he desired to know Christ, the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering that he might attain the resurrection from the dead (Phil. 3:10-11).     One thing Paul did, and one thing we must do, is focus on what lies ahead. Focus on the goal of going home to heaven. In order to do so, we must leave the past in the past.

- Andrew Beasley serves as a minister with the Northwest Church of Christ in Greensboro, NC. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: https://nwchurchofchrist.com/about/

We Can Overcome

By Jared Green     Claustrophobia, the fear of enclosed spaces, is one of the most well known phobias in the world. Those who deal with claustrophobia report physical symptoms such as shortness of breath, ringing in ears, and confusion when in a small, enclosed space. While only a small part of the human population deal with claustrophobia, most of us know the feeling of the metaphorical walls closing in. When a school deadline is approaching and there is still work to be done on the big paper, it may feel as though the walls are closing in. When a person is under financial stress and his car breaks down, it may feel as though the walls are closing in. For Christians, that feeling often comes as the result of temptation.      We feel this because, frankly, temptation is difficult to overcome. On the one hand, temptation is difficult because it is fun to sin! That sentence may seem surprising, but James tells us, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:14-15). Temptation is also difficult because it is all around us. John sums up temptation this way: “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and the pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world” (1 John 2:16). From social media, to television, to the actions of people around us, we encounter temptation daily. Temptation is difficult to overcome!     Scripture teaches us, however, that Christians do not have to suffer from spiritual claustrophobia. John teaches us that we can overcome the world. As difficult as it may seem to overcome the “world” (John’s word to describe temptation in 1 John 2:16), it is possible through our faith in Jesus. John says, “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1 John 5:4).      Our faith in Jesus means that we believe he is our Savior, we submit ourselves to him in obedience, and we daily trust in him for the strength to overcome. Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “…let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…” Faith in Jesus brings us the victory to overcome the world! God loves you, and so do I.

- Jared Green preaches the Calvert City Church of Christ in Calvert City, KY.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.calvertchurchofchrist.com

A New Day Dawns Everyday

By Edd Sterchi     Beginning in Job 38, God poses some questions to Job to try to get him to understand that God is all knowledgeable, all powerful, and in complete control. He begins by mentioning the creation of the earth and how the natural elements operate. In this section, God asks Job, “Have you commanded the morning since your days began, And caused the dawn to know its place...?” (v.12). The implication is that everything, even the dawn of each new day, is regulated by God.     I have always enjoyed watching the sunrise. Oftentimes I will get up early, drive out to the lake, and watch the day dawn. It is always inspiring. To see the colors awaken as the sun makes its appearance always brings hope and joy to my heart. It never fails to brighten my life as the landscape brightens before me. And the wonder of it is that God has made it so that each dawn is unique. I have never seen any two that are exactly alike.     Knowing that a new day dawns everyday helps to remind us that God is still a wonderful God and He is still in control. We, like the Psalmist, can proclaim, “This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psa. 118:24).     With each new day God makes it so that we have a fresh start at life. New blessings and opportunities await. With the knowledge of that, why shouldn’t we always be looking on the brighter side? “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.” (2 Cor. 4:16)     As a concluding thought, I am including the following poem that I wrote several years ago:                  Sunny Side Up             A sunrise is God’s way of telling us...             ...to lighten up,             ...and brighten up,             and start each day anew             ...to heighten up,             ...enlighten up,             and take the sunny view.

- 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/

The Greatest Gift!

By Dale J. Babinsky      Christmas morning! I remember as a child, my brother and I could hardly sleep the night before in anticipation of the gifts that we would find under the tree. Invariably, there was always one “big” gift each year, which we would open last. To build the anticipation, my dad would keep egging us on by saying, “I wonder what’s in that big box.” As a child, I definitely enjoyed receiving gifts on Christmas.     As I grew older, I came to realize that there was more joy in giving than in receiving. To witness the merriment in someone else’s face as they open the gift that you have selected for them was a good feeling that far surpassed whatever I might receive. Paul understood this to be true as well, when he quoted the words of Jesus that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).     As we search the stores and websites in our modern age, from Black Friday to Christmas Eve, we are looking for just the right gift, the perfect gift, the greatest gift that we can give our loved ones. As we live here on earth, we should realize that God has given us that perfect gift. He has given us the greatest gift. He has given us His Son. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 NKJV). God has given us a gift to pay our debt of sin; a debt that we could never repay. By the blood of Jesus, we can have redemption.     As we gather with our families and friends on this holiday, we should remember the God who gave us that greatest gift. Indeed we should always remember the God who loved us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die for us on the cross of Cavalry. It is by Jesus’ blood that we can have the hope of eternal life with Him in heaven. You won’t find a better gift than that under anybody’s tree tomorrow morning!

- Dale Babinsky preaches for the Great Smoky Mountains Church of Christ in Pigeon Forge, TN. He may be contacted through the congregation's website - https://gsmchurchofchrist.com/

The Greatest Gift

By Bill Brandstatter     As you are shopping this Christmas season, you might be looking for the greatest gift. That gift cannot be bought in a store. The greatest gift was given a long time ago. It was given by the greatest giver. It was given to the greatest group of people. It will last for the greatest amount of time.     John records for us in John 3:16 about this gift. He records the words of our Lord who stated, “For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” God didn’t just like the world. He didn’t mildly love it. The text says he “so loved” the world. God, the greatest giver, loves with a capacity and an ability that is foreign to this world. He wants all men to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth. (1 Tim. 2:4)     The greatest gift was God’s Son. He was not an ordinary son, however. He was God’s “only begotten son.” This means he was conceived uniquely. The angel announced to Joseph, “That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” (Matt. 1:20) No one before or since came to earth in this manner. He became God’ s Son after He was born to Mary (Luke 1:35).     God gave the gift to the greatest group of people—the world. The entire world can have the gift of eternal life through Jesus if they humbly obey Him (Heb. 5:9). The disciples were commissioned by our Lord to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature...” (Mark 16:15) God sent His son for the salvation of the world. Every person can become a child of God. (Gal. 3:26-28).     The gift will last the greatest amount of time. The end of John 3:16 states, “...but have everlasting life.” In our age of calendars, appointments, schedules, and deadlines, it is hard for us to fathom the thought of something being “everlasting.” Life beyond this life will go on forever. Jesus alludes to this when He mentioned those who would have “eternal life.” (Mt. 25:46) Jesus has the words of eternal life. (John 6:68) The greatest gift given to us, the only begotten son of God, also can give us the greatest gift of salvation. (Eph. 2:8) If we do what the Savior wants us to do, we can have the eternal life that is found only in Him.

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