By Don Campbell
John Piper wrote: “Finishing life to the glory of Christ means
resolutely resisting the typical American dream of retirement. It means
being so satisfied with all that God promises to be for us in Christ
that we are set free from the cravings that create so much emptiness and
uselessness in retirement. Instead, knowing that we have an infinitely
satisfying an everlasting inheritance in God just over the horizon of
life makes us zealous in our few remaining years here to spend ourselves
in the sacrifices of love, not the accumulation of comforts” (John
Piper. Rethinking Retirement: Finishing Life for the Glory of Christ.
Crossway Books, Wheaton, Illinois. 2008).
At an age when many men might have considered backing off and
letting the younger generation do the fighting, Caleb was looking for
mountains to climb and battles to win. He said:
And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, just as he said, these
forty-five years since the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses,
while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day
eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was in the day
that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war
and for going and coming. So now give me this hill country of which the
Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were
there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the Lord will be with
me, and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said (Josh 14:10-12,
ESV).
Caleb stands in contrast to the whining children of Joseph to whom
Joshua said, in effect, “Stop complaining and go clear some land if you
do not have enough (Joshua 17:14-18).
Not many men—if any—can say these days that they are as strong at 85
as they were at 40, but 85-year-old men are not called on today to go
into combat. But here are just a few people who made their mark late in
life:
• Colonel Sanders began KFC at the age of 65.
• Laura Ingalls Wilder was 65 when she started the Little House series of books.
• Golda Meir became the fourth prime minster of Israel at age 70.
• Ronald Reagan became president 16 days before his 70th birthday.
• Burton Coffman began writing his verse-by-verse commentaries on the
entire Bible when he was 66 and finished them when he was 87.
All of these people looked for mountains to climb when others were
willing to coast downhill, toward death. The famous baseball player,
manager, and coach, Yogi Berra, who was still coaching at age 80, once
said, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.”
You and I won’t match the accomplishments of these historic figures,
but God does not expect us to. God expects us to bloom where we are
planted, but he does expect us to bloom until we go to seed and our
bodies are planted in the ground. You haven’t gone to seed if you are
reading this, so I challenge you keep on blooming. God’s promise to
Israel can be ours, if David’s prayer is ours:
“Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,
And all the remnant of the house of Israel,
Who have been upheld by Me from birth,
Who have been carried from the womb:
Even to you old age, I am He,
And even to gray hairs I will carry you!
I have made, and I will bear;
Even I will carry, and will deliver you (Isa 46:3-4)
O God, You have taught me from my youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.
Now also when I am old and grayheaded,
O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare Your strength to this generation,
Your power to everyone who is to come (Psa 71:17-18).
- Don Campbell preaches for the Puryear Church of Christ in Puryear, TN.
He may be contacted via the congregation's website:
www.wk.net/churchofchrist/
By Larry Pasley
“Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. As they lay
down for the night, Holmes said, ‘Watson, look up and tell me what you
see.’ Watson said, ‘I see millions and millions of stars.’
Holmes asked, ‘And what does that tell you?’ Watson replied,
‘Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and
potentially billions of planets. Theologically, it tells me that God is
great and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it
tells me that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What does it tell
you Holmes?’ Holmes answered simply, ‘Somebody stole our tent.’”
People are bad about overlooking the obvious in religion also. The
religious world is full of people who have studied the bible all their
life and yet missed key points in God’s teachings.
Almost every book of the New Testament has statements that show that
the doctrine of “Once Saved Always Saved” is false and yet many in the
religious world have overlooked the obvious. Heb. 6:4-6
The necessity of baptism in becoming a Christian is prevalent
throughout the New Testament and yet many still claim that it has
nothing to do with salvation. They are overlooking the obvious. Mk.
16:16
The connection of obedience to our salvation is also dominant in the
scriptures but many still hold to the doctrine of “Faith Only”,
overlooking the obvious. Jas. 2:24
Still others teach as doctrine the traditions and teachings of men,
never recognizing the difference. They overlook the obvious. Mat. 15:8
May we not fall into the trap of overlooking the obvious in our desire to live our lives pleasing to God.
- Larry Pasley serves as a minister with the Jackson Street
Church of Christ in Alexandria, LA. He may be contacted through the
congregation's website at http://www.JacksonStAlex.com
By John Gipson
We are saved by grace. I’ve heard it all of my life, and I have
preached it over and over. There’s nothing man can do to earn his
salvation. It comes as a gift from God. “For by grace you have been
saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of
God.” That’s the gospel truth!
But much of what I am hearing today indicates that there is nothing
for man to do, and nothing he can do, to affect his salvation. And my
Bible doesn’t teach that! Think about it. If that kind of grace saves,
then God has the sole responsibility for man’s salvation. I can blame
God if I’m lost. Furthermore, if He saves you, and doesn’t save me, then
He has become a respecter of persons (Something which He is not. “And
Peter opened his mouth and said: Truly I perceive that God shows no
partiality, but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is
right is acceptable to him.” [Acts 10:34-35] ).
The scriptures tell us that “Noah found grace in the eyes of the
Lord.” Through His grace God warned Noah about the flood which was to
destroy the world, and told Noah to build an ark. Grace showed him a way
of escape. Noah believed God and was obedient to God’s instructions.
“Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him” (Genesis 6:22). As a
result of obedient faith, God’s grace saved Noah. Thus grace provided
the blessing; it was accepted by faith; and obtained by the obedience of
faith. “By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet
unseen, took heed and constructed an ark for the saving of his
household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir of the
righteousness which comes by faith” (Hebrews 11:7).
A wonderful example of God’s grace is found when “Philip went down
to a city of Samaria, and proclaimed to them the Christ” (Acts 8:5).
“But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the
kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both
men and women” (Acts 8:12) Grace was extended through the gospel; faith
accepted the message; and the people became obedient to the faith.
- via The Encourager, the
weekly bulletin for the Calvert City Church of Christ, Calvert City,
KY. Lance Cordle preaches for the congregation. He may
be contacted through the congregation's website:
http://www.calvertchurchofchrist.com
By Jim Faughn
It’s happened again. It happens all too frequently.
I’ve been online, and I’m wondering if anybody “out there” cares
anything at all about basic morality and decency. I’m questioning
whether those who say they believe in God really do. I’m wondering if
there really is any difference between those who wear the name of Christ
and those who deny Him.
No, I haven’t been spending my time checking out questionable
websites. I haven’t been checking out the lifestyles of the rich and
famous. I’ve not been investigating somebody widely known as a
“religious huckster.” From time to time (maybe way too often), I check
out what is being posted on Facebook and the latest “tweets” from some
of the people I follow on Twitter. For those who may be unfamiliar with
either of these, you need to know a couple of things. When something is
posted on Facebook, it is there for the world (even preachers) to see
and/or read. Those doing the posting have the choice of allowing people
to be their “friends, ” so they should not expect their posts to be
private. On Twitter, you know who is “following” you. So, once again,
there should be no expectation of privacy.
Many of my Facebook friends and people I follow on Twitter are my
brothers and sisters in the Lord. I worship with some of them every
week.
So, what could they do online that would cause concern? Basically,
just telling about their lives and expressing their opinions. I’ve
learned that ---
- Shopping trips are made, errands are run, and a lot of television is watched during times of worship and Bible study.
- Language is used that is inappropriate anywhere and at any time.
- Pictures of people in almost no clothing are posted. Years ago,
only certain kinds of “celebrities” would have posed for those pictures
--- and would have expected to get paid. Now, people I see every week at
church have their own pictures taken and posted --- for free --- and
for the world to see.
- People can feel wonderful and have a great time on Saturday, but
be apparently at the point of death on Sunday (and on a regular basis,
too).
- Vacations are not planned with worship in mind.
- A preacher can preach or write about a particular sin and find it
being practiced by one or more of the members where he preaches within
days --- maybe hours.
- Recreation is much more important than the Lord.
- There is no clear understanding of God’s plan of salvation or the distinctiveness of the Lord’s church.
- Material from every “brand” of religion is posted, tweeted, and lauded.
There’s more, but that’s enough. At least, it’s all I care to handle
right now. As some of you have heard me say before (with more than a
touch of sarcasm), “I’ve had about all the fun I can stand.”
I think you get the point. If I claim to be a Christian, I need to
ponder before I post. Do I really want the world to know what I’ve been
up to?
Do I realize that God knows what I’ve been up to; whether I post it or not?
- Jim Faughn serves as an elder and preacher for the Central Church of
Christ in Paducah KY. He may be contacted through the congregation's
website: http://www.centralchurchofchrist.org
By Glenn and David Sargent
Vittorio Vitalone is a medical doctor in Rome, Italy who became a
Christian years ago after learning the truth of the Gospel from Charles
Moore, a missionary from the U.S., who was preaching there at the time.
Vittorio is now the regular preacher for the Viale Jonio Church of
Christ, in addition to continuing his medical practice at a large
hospital in Rome. He recently sent an e-mail message to Charles (now
living in Frisco, Texas), telling a thrilling story of the power of the
Word of God.
“A lady came to the door of the auditorium at church and asked, ‘May
I come in to worship?’” Vittorio responded, “Of course! You are
always welcome in the Church of Christ.” Vittorio continued his account
to Charles: “She told me an interesting story that I want to share with
you. She said, ‘In about 1970 I used to come to the services of the
church here. I studied the Bible with Bill Burton and Charles Moore for
a long time. I will never forget those studies. Carolyn, the wife of
Charles, gave me my first Bible. I still have it and treasure it. I
attended the worship services of the church on Sunday, and Bible study
on Wednesday night for a long time and we all became good friends.”
Then the lady, whose name is Ina, showed Vittorio some pictures from
those earlier years of several missionaries and their wives whom she had
known.
Then Ina told Vittorio, “Unfortunately, I drifted away from some
reason or other. Almost fifty years have passed, and I am back again. I
want to study the Bible again and worship with you.”
“I am studying with her now each week and she is attending all the
services of the church. I pray that she will obey the Gospel soon. It
seems like she is picking up where she left off 45 years ago.”
On February 5, 2013, Charles Moore sent out an e-mail containing
“Some Special News from Rome”: “I received an e-mail yesterday from
Vittorio Vitaloni in Rome, telling me that the sweet lady named Ina, the
lady we contacted about 45 years ago, and studied with for two months,
was baptized Sunday at Viale Jonio. We are so happy. MAY GOD BE
PRAISED.”
In light of this wonderful news, Charles Moore wrote, “I have lived
by faith all these years, believing that ‘good seed planted in good soil
will produce good fruit.’ [Ina’s] baptism is "living proof" that this
is true.”
It IS true! The Good News – “that Christ died for our sins
according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose
again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) –
continues to transform lives. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of
Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who
believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” – Romans 1:16.
The BAD NEWS is that sin – of which we are ALL guilty – condemns us
to eternal destruction (Romans 3:23; 6:23). The GOOD NEWS is that God
loves us so much that He gave His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our
sins so that we might have forgiveness and eternal life (John 3:16).
We accept His offer of salvation on His terms by obeying the Gospel:
placing our faith and trust in Him (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). Then, as we continue to walk in the light of His
word, the blood of Jesus continues to cleanse us from all of our sin (1
John 1:7).
Even if it takes 45 YEARS to produce fruit, the Gospel STILL works....
when we receive it into good soil (good, honest hearts) and accept it through our trusting obedience.
And remember... No matter how far you may “drift away” from God, He is always only ONE STEP back!
Won’t YOU allow the Gospel to change your life, too?
- Glenn and David Sargent; 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
By Bob Prichard
Forbes magazine has an annual poll of
America’s most disliked athletes. The 2013 poll is topped by
cyclist Lance Armstrong, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’O,
and golfer Tiger Woods. In our sportscrazed society, the
worship of athletes makes for great disappointment when they
are not what they are supposed to be. Their great sports
accomplishments are too often accompanied by great personal
failings.
Andy Andrews’ book The Final Summit
describes a gathering of great men and women of the past to
trying to solve problems of mankind. Among the characters is
King David. He explains that his ability to defeat Goliath
and other giants in his life came from his self-discipline.
He worked untold hours preparing himself for challenges. He
admitted that his greatest failing, his adultery with
Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah the Hittite came from his
lack of self-discipline.
Athletic excellence, such as demonstrated
by the athletes on the Forbes list, comes from many hours of
practice carried out through self-discipline. Paul drew from
the realm of athletics to show the necessity of
self-discipline:
Know ye not that they which run in a race
run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may
obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is
temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a
corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so
run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth
the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into
subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to
others, I myself should be a castaway (1 Corinthians
9:24–27).
It is hard to imagine, isn’t it, that
even Paul had to work hard to practice self-discipline?
Armstrong inspired millions by conquering cancer and the
world’s greatest, but won by taking a drug shortcut instead
of practicing self-discipline. What might you accomplish for
the Lord with more self-discipline?
- Bob Prichard preaches for Oxford church of Christ in
Oxford, AL. Via the weekly bulletin of the Coldwater Church of Christ
in Coldwater, MS. Clifton Angel preaches for this
congregation and may be contacted through their website:
http://www.coldwatercofc.com/
By Ernest Underwood
It sounds simple, but the first thing one
must learn in order to play football is where the goal post
is – the right goal post, that is!
Occasionally we hear of a dazed player
running in the wrong direction and scoring points for the
other team.
In real life, it is alarmingly easy to
become confused about our right goal. The Bible says that we
are not to love the world or the things in the world. The
world is not our goal. The chief aim and goal for human
beings, made in the image of God, is heaven. Our purpose on
earth is to live godly lives. The Lord say, “Be ye holy for
I am holy” – 1 Peter 1:16.
While football is just a game, life is
much, much more. But football and life have this in common –
the direction you are headed in makes all the difference.
Are you headed toward that heavenly goal?
Are you sure?
- via The Central Message,
the weekly bulletin of the Central Church of Christ in
Paducah KY. Jim Faughn serves as an elder and preacher
for the congregation. He may be contacted through the
congregation's website at: http://www.centralchurchofchrist.org
