Plato's Cave Allegory

By Bob Prichard     Greek philosopher and teacher Plato used his real life teacher Socrates to share his philosophical views. In The Republic, he records a scene of Socrates describing a cave where a group of men are tied down so that all they can see are the shadows reflected on the wall as objects are held up before a fire behind them. They see the shadow of a book, and think they see the real thing. When a man escapes from the cave, he is at first blinded by the bright sunlight, but soon realizes he is seeing the real thing for the first time. When he tries to tell the others, they reject him and hold to their own shadow reality.     Paul encouraged the Colossians against the Judaizing teachers, telling them that as Christ gave his life for us, he was “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, nailing it to his cross” (Colossians 2:14). Since they were no longer under the Law of Moses, Paul said, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ” (Colossians 2:16-17).     The Jews thought that their holy days, new moons and Sabbath days were the real thing—but they were in fact only shadows of the greater reality of the New Covenant and the heavenly kingdom. “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers there unto perfect” (Hebrews 10:1). How privileged we are to live under the new covenant of Christ, and to look forward to being in the heavenly kingdom! We have not the shadow, but the real thing

- 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.

Wrinkle's Headstone

By Bob Prichard     She never really cared that much for the piece of carved stone that her deceased husband had found in an old quarry, but Ruth Beeston thought it would serve well to mark the burial place of her dead cat, Wrinkle. She decided to put it up for auction, however, when a local art historian discovered that it was a thousand year old carving of the apostle Peter. Wrinkle’s former headstone brought $383,000 when it was offered at auction (World, December 25, 2004).     This sort of thing seems to happen often (at least to other people). Someone finds some old thing that everyone thinks is worthless, and then it is discovered to be a priceless antique. Just because something is old, it is not necessarily valuable. Some things are true antiques, and some are just “junque.” Some old things are incredibly valuable.      Consider how the Bible, a truly ancient book is treated. It is old─the newest parts being over 1900 years old, and some parts even much older. Many think that because of its age, it can’t really be worth much. And yet, to those with the proper discernment, it is the most valuable book ever written.     Paul told Timothy, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God [is literally ‘God breathed’], and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” Not only does it give us all that we need, but it is profitable and relevant. It is just as relevant today as when it was written hundreds of years ago.     Ruth Beeston required an art historian to tell her that she unknowingly had something of real value. Surely we understand today how valuable the Bible is, that it is profitable to us for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. Unfortunately, many just use that family Bible as a place to store dried flowers, recipes, and the family tree. Wrinkle’s headstone was so much more than Ruth thought. What about the Bible? Have you realized the hidden treasures within?

- 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.

Cogito, Ergo Sum

By Bob Prichard     “Cogito, ergo sum”—“I think, therefore I am” is perhaps the most famous philosophical statement ever made. Scientist and philosopher René Descates wrote these words in his Discourse on Method (1637). He reasoned logically that since he was able to think, he knew he existed. He continued to reason from this point that God exists.     Louis XIV had a different philosophy: “l’etat, c’est moi”—“I am the state.” It is not surprising that he would come to this conclusion in view of the fact that he reigned as king over France for seventy-two years. His absolute monarchy set a pattern followed in several other European countries. No doubt his style of tyrannical behavior contributed to the bloody French revolution of 1789.     Anna B. Warner penned a philosophy for all of us, however, with her words, “Jesus loves me! This I know, For the Bible tells me so.” In her 1860 hymn we find words of comfort and strength! This hymn is a favorite with children, but all of us can benefit from the words written for her Bible class of West Point cadets.     Even if you missed every other doctrinal point in the New Testament, surely you could not miss this one. “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6–8).     “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:30–31).     “Jesus loves me! He who died, Heaven’s gate to open wide; He will wash away my sin, Let his little child come in. Yes, Jesus loves me; Yes, Jesus loves me; Yes, Jesus loves me, The Bible tells me so.”

- 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.

Be Grateful For Godly Dads

 

By Adam Faughn

    In the culture in which we find ourselves, being a godly dad is not easy. Certainly, it is never easy to be faithful to the Lord, but we are living in times in which the values and actions that it takes to be a faithful, godly dad are completely undermined by our society.

    As such, we should be very thankful for those men who step up and seek to be what God would have them to be and not what society tells them is good or right.

    For example, we should be grateful for those dads who discipline their children, helping to mold them into people who respect authority and boundaries. Our society tells us that parents just need to let their children find themselves and that discipline is cruel and restrictive. Scripture makes it clear, though, that discipline—when done in love and by God's standard -- is a sign of true godliness. Instead of making a dad feel bad for disciplining his children, how about you thank him for doing his best?

    Additionally, we should be grateful for those dads who put worship and the activities of the church first in their homes. Society will tell dads to make sure they raise their children to be "well rounded," so missing some worship services is fine, so long as the kids get all sorts of experiences. A godly dad, though, will show his children that nothing comes before worshiping the Almighty, and that might mean saying "no" to some things that would have been neat experiences. Thank those dads for showing their children what it means to have priorities in the right order.

   Also, we should be grateful for dads who work hard for their families. A lot of dads get accolades (maybe they are "likes" on social media) for all the fun stuff they do or that their kids get to do. Those things are fine, but we should also be thanking the dad who may not make as much money for all the fun things, but who works so hard so that his family has what they need, including a fine example of masculinity.

    And one more, we should be grateful for dads who show humility and admit their faults. Many in our society believe it is a sign of weakness to ever admit fault and ask forgiveness. A godly man, however, knows he is not perfect--though he is striving to be like Jesus--and is humble enough to seek to be better, even in his family. When you see a dad admitting wrong, do not gloss over it, but give that dad a word of thanks for his humility and example.

    There are many other areas which stand out from the culture if one is striving to be a godly dad, but these are enough to remind each of us of how difficult it is. If and when you see any of our dads at Central excelling in the ways that God would have him do, take a moment and thank him for being what God calls him to be and not what society is trying to make him be. Thank the Lord for godly dads!

- 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

Thank You For________

 

By Adam Faughn     I have been around a number of people (and I have done this myself at times) who have the practice of thanking military veterans. They learn that someone has served in the past, so they say a simple word of thanks. Maybe it is as simple as "Thank you for your service." While a simple statement, it is typically quite obvious that the veteran is grateful and honored by the sentiment of gratitude that is being offered.     This weekend, our nation celebrates a holiday that has a different tone. Memorial Day is a day on which we show a level of gratitude, but it is different because we cannot talk to the ones for whom we are grateful. They have, to use the common phrase, "paid the ultimate sacrifice," and we remember how they gave their lives to serve the country and protect us. We might be able to have any number of ceremonies to remember or to honor their sacrifice, but it is impossible to personally thank any of them.     It is quite common on this weekend to hear some connection made between Memorial Day and the cross, especially in thinking about the Lord's Supper. I have preached sermons along those lines in the past, and I know many others do each year. Comments made before the Lord's Supper quite often draw that comparison, and those thoughts can be both timely and helpful as we center our minds on the sacrifice of Jesus.     There is, though, one huge difference. While there is the very obvious comparison of sacrificing one's life for the benefit of another, there is also one massive contrast. It is this: we can personally thank Jesus for His sacrifice because He overcame death.     While the Lord's Supper is clearly a remembrance of what He did on the cross, Paul commands us to do this until Jesus returns. How can that be? Death could not hold our Lord! The tomb is empty. Death has been defeated.     We often sing a spiritual song that begins with the lyrics, "I serve a risen Savior." Those are very simple words, but few things we ever sing could be more profound. He did die. He made the ultimate sacrifice. But three days later, to quote another spiritual song, "The tomb was found empty." Even if we were absolutely certain of its location, it would do no good to visit the tomb because Jesus's body is not there. The angel, in very simple words, said it best, "He is risen!"     On Memorial Day, I hope each of us will take at least a moment to be grateful for those who have paid with their lives for our freedoms. It is a good and honorable thing to do. Whether you take part in some formal ceremony or not, it is always good to pause and remember what others have done to make this possible.     Regularly, whether you express it in words or not, I hope you will live with gratitude in your heart for those who are remembered on another holiday, Veteran's Day. They may not have given their life's blood, but they served, and we are thankful for their service.     But every moment of every day, I hope that we, as God's people, will be grateful that our Lord and Savior is the only One to Whom we can express both. We should thank Him that He was the ultimate servant, and we should thank Him for His ultimate sacrifice. Because He lives, we can express both to Him. May we realize how amazing what He has done for us truly is

- 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

The Treasures of A Mother's Heart

 

By Adam Faughn     One of my favorite Biblical phrases to ponder around this time of year comes from a description of Mary, the mother of Jesus. In the latter part of Luke 2, we read the account of Jesus staying behind in Jerusalem and His family frantically searching for him. When He is finally found, He is in the temple, interacting with the religious leaders of His day.     The well-known ending of that account is a text that is sometimes used to encourage young people to be like Jesus in their growing-up years, as we are told that He "increased in wisdom and stature and favor with God and men" (Luke 2:52).     It is something found just before that, though, that often comes to my mind this time of year, as we are told that Mary "treasured up all these things in her heart" (v.51). What a beautiful way to express the love of a mother and how Mary just held on to all of these moments, even if she could not have fully understood what each one of them meant in full.     Today, our culture takes some time to think about mothers. While this day is not easy for everyone, it is still a good thing to do as a society because mothers have an impact on our society that is basically impossible to measure. Certainly, as people of God, we know that those mothers who follow the Bible and seek to influence their children for the Lord are of tremendous importance. They are not only helping to shape the future of a community, but they are impacting eternity.     Go back to that phrase about Mary, though. To treasure things in her heart; what a beautiful way to word this. I am not really sure if anyone but a mother can understand that wording. As a dad, I know there are memories and experiences that my heart holds, but it just seems that mothers are able to do that at a level no one else can understand.     Knowing that, it reminds those of us who still have our mothers with us that we should be trying to live in such a way that the "treasures" of the hearts of our mother are pleasant. They should be able to know that we are trying to show them how our lives honor Christ and seek to reflect His glory in the world. They should treasure, not that we sin, but that we have penitent hearts that strive to do better each day.     And, of course, for those who are mothers, I pray that the treasures of your heart are a great comfort to you. When you think of your children, I hope you are able to focus on times when they did their best to follow Christ. Do you see pictures in your mind of them reading their Bible or singing during a worship service? I hope you can picture them serving others to God's glory or trying to teach a friend the Gospel.     When Mary treasured up what was going on in e young life of Jesus, she thought of His actions, His words, His dedication to the Father, and His desire to be in the Scriptures. On this Mother's Day, I pray that these are the types of things that all of our godly mothers can picture when they reach into the treasures of their hearts and think of their children.

- 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

Some Not -So- Random Thoughts On Giving

 

By Adam Faughn     Of all the avenues of worship, giving is often the one that is either overlooked (we sometimes just leave it out when we name the acts of worship) or maligned ("there they go, asking for money again"). However, the New Testament makes it clear that the early church gave as part of their weekly worship (1 Corinthians 16:1-2), and God demands that we be "cheerful givers" (2 Corinthians 9:7), so it is worth reminding ourselves of some basic things about our giving. This article may seem a bit random, but I have chosen just a couple of things that I feel need to be addressed concerning our giving. Proportionate     There are times, when someone leads a prayer before our giving, when they might say something like this: "let us give a portion of what You have given to us." I do not want to run down anyone who says that in a prayer, and I am certainly not questioning their heart, but is that terminology Biblical?     What the Bible teaches us is not "portion" giving, but to be proportionate in our giving. We are to give "as [we] have prospered" (1 Corinthians 16:2). To illustrate, if I am blessed to earn $1000 this week and I give $50, but then I am blessed to earn $5000 next week and still give $50, I have given a "portion" both times. But have I given proportionately; that is, "as I have prospered"? Not really.     Each time I earn something financially--whether that is through a paycheck, bonus, sale of a large item, or other means--I need to prayerfully consider my giving and seek to be certain that it is in proportion to how I have been blessed that week. Fund-Raising     When I was a much younger preacher, I would read anything I could get my hands on just to try to learn about Biblical issues and how to deal with them. I remember reading some old articles  sections of books that dealt with how the church did not need to "raise money" through things like bake sales or car washes. Honestly, I remember thinking, "is this really a problem?"     It is now 2024, and I am writing about it because, yes, it was--and sadly still is--an issue. The New Testament makes it clear that the church is to be supported through the freewill giving of each member. Period. That is the only God-approved way for the local congregation to support the works in which they are involved.     Some feel that it is okay to have some type of fundraiser for some special work; maybe a mission trip or building drive. They will ask if the church should not be able to sponsor a car wash or a T-shirt sales drive to pay for the young people to go on a mission trip or to help offset the cost of a major building project? The simple answer is "no." And the reason is simply this: the New Testament gives no authority for anything other than members giving freely to the work of the church. We do not have a "product" to "sell." We have hearts that are moved to give.     Some turn to Acts 4:32-37 and point out where members sold land and gave the proceeds to the church. That clearly occurred, and those First Century brothers and sisters are to be commended for their great generosity. But they were not doing that as some type of "fundraiser." They willingly chose to do that as a way to have something to give freely to the work of the church. In fact, the issue with Ananias and Sapphira in chapter 5 was not that they kept back some of the money from the church. It was that they lied about it (see 5:4).     If a member of the church wishes to sell a possession and give the proceeds to the church, that is fine and commendable. But the church has no authority to organize some type of special sale or fundraiser that members feel compelled to take part in. Instead, each person is to examine their own life and give from the heart. Conclusion Each week, when we give, let us be certain that we are following the instruction of Jesus to worship God "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). Examine your heart and give out of a place of great love and gratitude. Also, though, may we always worship, even in our giving, in "truth," following the pattern given to us through the pages of the New Testament.

- 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