Chance or Opportunity

 

By Joe Slater     Does God give you chances, or does He provide opportunities? We sometimes treat those words as synonyms, but their meanings are quite different! Chance indicates something random, uncertain, even accidental – a roll of the dice, as it were. You have no way to influence the outcome.     Opportunity, by contrast, implies that you play a role in choosing a course of action. You may choose wisely or foolishly, but it remains your choice. It is neither random nor accidental.     Some things do, indeed, happen by chance. Solomon wrote by inspiration, “Time and chance happen to them all” (Ecclesiastes 9:11). Sometimes our plans don’t work out no matter what we do. We didn’t plan to become ill or be laid off from work, but it happened. Such is life.     But not everything is subject to chance. God can and does provide opportunities. Paul urged the Galatians to “do good to all” as they had opportunity (Galatians 6:10). He understood when material support from the church at Philippi was delayed: “You surely did care, but you lacked opportunity” (Philippians 4:10).     Our salvation depends not on chance, but on how we use the opportunity God has provided in Christ. Acts 14:27 refers to it as God opening “the door of faith.” As one chooses whether to walk through an open door, so we choose whether to trust Jesus and obey His gospel. This is neither random nor accidental.     Your eternal destiny depends not on chance, but on what you choose to do with the opportunities God has given to you.

- 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

The Wheelbarrow in the Garage

 

Bob Prichard     Traveling evangelist Billy Sunday (1862-1935) once said, “Going to church don’t make anybody a Christian, any more than taking a wheelbarrow into a garage makes it an automobile.” There is plenty of truth here. The land is filled with church-going people who are less than they should be. They claim to be Christians, but their lives don’t show it. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne said that “No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true.” The hypocritical life eventually catches up with even the most skillful of hypocrites.     Just “going to church” will not make anyone a Christian, but neither does staying away from church make anyone any better. There are hypocrites at church each Sunday morning, but there are even bigger hypocrites staying home, pretending that what they are doing is more important than meeting with the saints for worship. Even if some of the saints seem more like “ain’ts,” why would anyone who claims to have any interest in the things of God not be in worship?     Hebrews 10:23-25 reminds us of our responsibilities in worship. “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” When we assemble together, we must consider one another by provoking to love and good works, as well as exhorting one another. Power words like “provoking” and “exhorting” indicates that this is serious business.     There’s more to the story, though. The verses immediately following in Hebrews 10 warn, “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” (10:26-29). It is a serious thing to forsake the assembly of the saints!

Bob Prichard serves as an elder and evangelist for the Hillview Church of Christ in Birmingham, Alabama, since 2016. In his forty-five years of preaching he has served churches in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Alabama.

Lacking Nothing

By Clifton Angel “For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your trudging through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing” (Deut 2:7, NKJV).     God chose Moses to bring the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage. By God’s power, Moses did just that. God promised the children of Israel that he would grant them possession of a wonderful land flowing with milk and honey. However, the children of Israel hindered themselves through disobedience, fear, lack of trust, and ungratefulness. Therefore, the first generation that came out of Egyptian bondage was not allowed into the promised land; rather, they all (except Joshua & Caleb) died within the 40-year wilderness wanderings per God’s righteous execution of judgement. It was their children that were brought near to the Jordan, taught by Moses, and lead into the land by Joshua (cf. Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Joshua). On the occasion that our passage (Deut 2:7) was spoken, the second generation was being prepared by Moses for entrance led by Joshua. Moses was reminding and informing them of their fathers’ prior events, reminding of God’s law, and giving them new revelation of their responsibilities. In the midst of his words, Moses reminded them, “God has been with you; you have lacked nothing” (Deut 2:7).     Backing up to Deuteronomy 1:6 and following, it is evident that the children of Israel lacked nothing in the areas of God’s Word (1:6a), God’s promises (1:6b–8), God’s leadership (1:9–15), God’s training (1:16–18), God’s protection (1:19–33), God’s discipline (1:34–46), nor God’s provisions (2:1–7).     Today, if we are faithful members of the Lord’s body (His church, Colossians 1:18), we too can confidently say we lack nothing in all of these areas. Every area calls us to action and requires our efforts in order that we lack nothing; however, we are able to be supplied of our every need because of God! God’s faithful children lack nothing! Do you disagree? Are you confused? Would you like to understand how such could be so? If you feel that you are lacking something, maybe you are, and by God’s Word we can discover what it is and correct it, so that one day we can confidently say, “God has been with you; you have lacked nothing!”ß

- 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/

"Father, Forgive Them"

 

By Dan C. Bailey     When Jesus was upon the rugged cross of Calvary, He prayed for those who were responsible for His crucifixion saying, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do..." (Luke 23:34). The prayer came forth from the only sinlessly perfect man to ever live. It was prayed from a heart of love and spoken without malice. Yes, my friend, Jesus loved their souls and was concerned about their forgiveness.      On the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ, Peter told many of the same crowd to "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38). "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls" (Acts 2:41).      Yes, Jesus prayed for their forgiveness and His prayer was answered when the people repented of their sins and were baptized into Jesus Christ. Let us never forget that forgiveness involves not only our Lord, but also ourselves. Jesus wants us to be forgiven just as much as ever. The only question is, are we willing to obey Him in all things? "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:16). "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15).

- 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

Blinded by the (Wrong) Light

 

By Jim Faughn
    Most who read this will be at least somewhat familiar with the experience that a man who was then known as Saul of Tarsus had as he traveled from Jerusalem to Damascus. If you are not familiar with this, you can read the original account recorded in the ninth chapter of Acts and recounted later by the man who was then known as Paul in the twenty-second and twenty-sixth chapter of that same book. Saul was making that trip in order to imprison and/or punish Christians.     All of that began to change when Saul saw an extremely bright light. The light was so bright that Saul lost his eyesight for three days. As those who have read this account know, the light that blinded him was the appearance of the One whose followers he was trying to forcefully discourage – and that’s a very kind way of expressing what Saul’s intentions were. Those early followers of Jesus were the recipients of almost unspeakable treatment from the man who went from being a notorious enemy of Jesus and His followers to being one of the Lord’s most influential ambassadors.    Saul’s experience on the road to Damascus is somewhat similar to an experience which Isaiah had centuries earlier. You can find that experience recorded in the sixth chapter of the book that bears his name. Like Saul, Isaiah was overwhelmed by something he saw. As he would write,…my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts! (Isaiah 6:5)Without getting too deep into similarities and differences, let me suggest the following:    In both instances, a man was overwhelmed by the majesty of Deity. This incredible experience humbled him. This,  in turn, led to a life of sacrificial service as an effective spokesman for God.    It is my opinion that it is tempting for some who claim to speak for God today to be blinded by a light. Unfortunately, however, that light seems to be a spotlight. That light can blind a person in so many ways and to so many things. When that happens to any of us, there is always the risk of becoming, as an old saying goes, legends in our own minds.    Helping people to know and understand the truth and wisdom that is found in God’s word is one thing. Allowing people (and maybe yourself) to think that you are the source of truth and wisdom is quite another thing. The spotlight all too often will not allow a person to see that difference.    The spotlight has the potential of ruining men who may have at one time actually been faithful servants of and spokesmen for God. The spotlight can blind a person to the dangers of religious error, immoral lifestyles, materialism, and a host of other things.      The man who saw that bright light on the road to Damascus and would be baptized in Damascus (Acts 22:16) would spend the rest of his life “…preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy.” (Gal. 1:23)    Paul’s “spiritual vision” was very clear. His concern was for those who heard his message. As he wrote of people whom he described as “lost” or “perishing,” he said this:    In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Cor. 4:4-6)    It seems to me that those who truly love the souls of people and their own souls would be well advised to read and carefully consider that.

- Jim Faughn serves as and elder for the Central Church of Christ in Paducah KY. Be sure to visit the following for more great articles: Faughn Family blog, A Legacy of Faith.

Another Look at Being Blinded by the (Wrong) Light

 

By Jim Faughn     Some who read this may have read a previous post of mine that dealt with what I believe may be a danger for those of us who preach and teach God’s word. The short version of what I wrote then is that there is the possibility that the fact that we are often “in the spotlight” can distort our message, our lives, and our eternal destiny.      This post is intended to “shed some light” (pun intended) on another dangerous issue. There are those who attempt to influence others by dazzling them with their personalities, their oratorical skills, impressive Hollywood style productions, and a host of other things. Those who experience their presentations are usually impressed with just that – the experience. When all of the theatrics and “fluff” is stripped away, there is just not much of a message at all. What may pass for a message is actually an effort to make the messenger look good and/or to make the hearer feel good.     You may remember an account from the Bible about a situation somewhat like that. You can find it recorded in Acts 12:21-23. A ruler known to history as Herod Agrippa I, but who is referred to in this text merely as Agrippa, was no friend of the early Christians. As we begin reading Acts 12, we find information about him having James, the brother of John, killed and having Peter imprisoned with the intention of also killing him.     As we come close to the end of the chapter, we read about a speech that Agrippa made. Interestingly though, we do not actually read about the speech. Instead, we find some information about how he looked and the impression that he made on the people.     All that the Bible tells us about is the appearance of Herod Agrippa as he spoke and the effect his appearance and presentation made on those in attendance. The text informs us that he was “…arrayed in royal apparel…” (Acts 12:21).     The Jewish historian, Josephus, provides more information. According to him, on occasions such as the one recorded in Acts 12, Herod wore a special garment made entirely of silver. He would position himself in such a way so as to reflect the rays of the sun and impress people. Apparently, as the sun rose, this reflection was extremely effective and, as the sun continued on its course across the sky, the color, intensity, etc. of the reflection would change and continue to impress.  If, in fact, this was the “royal apparel” worn by Herod on this day, it may go a long way in explaining why the people said, “…It is the voice of a god, and not of a man” (Acts 12:22).     I suppose that it could be said that this was the forerunner of present-day “light shows.” Then, as now, people seemed to be much more impressed with style than they were with substance. Just as speakers can be blinded by the spotlight, hearers can be blinded by nothing more than dazzle.       You may remember that things didn’t turn out so well for Herod on that occasion, though. As Luke continues his inspired narrative in Acts, we read these words: And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. (Acts 12:23) We may not expect God today to punish in such a dramatic way those who are more interested in impressing people with themselves instead of encouraging them to honor God. At the same time, we can rest assured that… …God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. (1 Peter 5:5) Before we leave out consideration of Acts 12, we need to think seriously about these words; But the word of God grew and multiplied. (Acts 12:24) That information reminds me of something found in The Old Testament: For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)     The focus must never be on us. Things like notoriety, popularity, acceptance, acclaim, and even monetary gain will mean absolutely nothing when we stand before the One who said twice, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12; 9:5).  All of us – especially those of us who preach and teach – would do well to remember that.     Those of us who listen to preachers and teachers need to do all we can to make sure that our lives are guided by always the consistent  “…light of the glorious gospel of Christ…” (2 Cor. 4:4) and not by something as inconsistent as a reflection that changes with the movement of the sun.

- Jim Faughn serves as and elder for the Central Church of Christ in Paducah KY. Be sure to visit the following for more great articles: Faughn Family blog, A Legacy of Faith.

No Longer A Threat

 By Jim Faughn

    I recently spent some time with a man that I’ve known off and on for over sixty years. He is about a year older than I am. We weren’t “pals” during our elementary school years because we attended two different schools. When we both got to the same high school, our age difference meant that we weren’t in many (if any) classes together. As I look back, I guess that about the only time we spent much time together in an organized way was when we were both Cub Scouts. That was a long time ago and only lasted a few years.

    As we were talking, I mentioned that, even though our mothers were very good friends and that we had a few other things in common, he and I never ran around together much. His response absolutely floored me. His response had nothing to do with the age difference or the fact that we went to different elementary schools. What he said was, “No, you went to church. You were a threat to me.”

    I didn’t understand that when he said it. I didn’t understand it when I asked him about his comment before we ended our conversation. His only response to my question about that was, “Well, you were.” He wasn’t angry or confrontational when he said that. He said that in a sort of matter of fact way. I guess that made sense to him, but I still haven’t quite figured that out.

    With all of that said, somebody who might have walked in on our conversation the other day probably would have thought that they were walking in on a conversation between two old friends. The ironic thing is that the people who may have thought that would have been correct in their assumption. Even though we have different backgrounds and have had only a few short interactions over the years, we are old and we are friends. 

    I’m fairly certain that the conversation the other day was the longest single experience in spending time together in decades. We spent some time getting caught up with what has happened in the lives of both of us over the years. We talked about some mutual friends that we had and have. Some time was spent talking about our old high school. Of course, at our age, we had to brag about our “kids” and grandchildren. 

    After a fairly long and enjoyable visit, we shook hands and promised to do our best to not make this the last time we got together. In fact, it is our intention to make this happen on a regular basis. As we were still shaking hands, my friend made a request that I gladly honored. He asked me to pray.

    I’m still not sure why going to church was such a threat all those years ago, but I’m glad that it is a distant memory. Apparently, that barrier no longer exists in any way. 

    I can make that last statement for a couple of reasons. First, my friend is now a “church goer.” I’m not sure when that started or how it happened, but what used to not be the case is now the case.

    The second reason for my confidence (and appreciation) about the fact that a barrier has been removed is that I was not the only one who honored a request that day. My friend honored a request that I made. 

    The result of that is that, when we can get our schedules “in sync,” I am going to have the opportunity to spend some time with a man who once saw me as a threat and study God’s word with him.

    I’m thinking that only God can make things like that happen.

- Jim Faughn serves as and elder for the Central Church of Christ in Paducah KY. Be sure to visit the following for more great articles: Faughn Family blog, A Legacy of Faith

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