SHOULD FAMILIES ALWAYS STICK TOGETHER?

While I do not subscribe to the Christian Chronicle, I see they have published an article of interest to our brethren:

http://www.christianchronicle.org/article/church-of-christ-in-tennessee-under-fire-for-actions-after-same-sex-decision-updated

It truly is later than we think!

If the part about giving the lady a choice to repent or leave is true, the problem was handled without much thought of how the current liberal law would respond.  They could have told the mother of that family, "You have publicly shamed the church and the Lord's name, we want to remove ourselves from you." (i.e. withdraw from you).  They might also have done some strong teaching about how standing with someone who is wrong makes one wrong too.

 

Note that the ploy the detective is using is that "family sticks together no matter what."

In Scripture we have many examples of "families" that had to be separated or stand against one another because of evil done by one member.  What would the Lord have us do?  We are no longer under the Old Law, but note how the Lord judges evil in family members in Deuteronomy 13:6-11.

 

6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;

7 Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;

8 Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him:

9 But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.

10 And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

11 And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you.

Beth Johnson

 

 

 

Isaiah 46 and idolatry

"The Case Of The Spinning Statue"

The ancient Egyptian statue was housed in a sealed case in a London museum; no
one could get to it who wasn't authorized.  Yet regularly the 3,800-year-old
statue was found in a different position, spun around as it were.  What could be
the explanation?

Theories abounded.  Some speculated that the statue was the object of some curse
that transcended time.  Others believed that a spirit had entered it, causing it
to move around.  Maybe it was a magnetic field causing the movements.

Now it appears the mystery has been solved.  By using an accelerometer,
specialists have discovered that vibrations are to blame.  Outside the museum
cars and trucks rumble down the streets, and closer still are the footsteps that
fall as people tour the facility.  These activities have been determined to be
the cause of the statue's spinning.

It's not unusual to hear stories of "haunted" houses.  Some are convinced that
otherwise inanimate objects are animated by spirits, either friendly or hostile.
A squeaking door or flapping shutters stir the imagination.  When daylight comes
we realize our emotions carried us to unjustified conclusions.

Others have reached unjustified conclusions in a religious setting.  Idols have
been frequently found throughout history, and people have prayed to these
statues and made offerings of food or money to them.  What's going on here?  Is
there really something about these objects that's alive?

Isaiah addressed the folly of idolatry: "They lavish gold out of the bag, and
weigh silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god; they
prostrate themselves, yes, they worship.  The bear it on the shoulder, they
carry it and set it in its place, and it stands; from its place it shall not
move.  Though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer nor save him out of his
trouble" (Isaiah 46:6,7).

Those statues were not even spinning.  If they moved at all it was because
people were moving them.  And yet people bowed down to them and cried out for
help?!

Trust placed in anything other than God is futile.  Listen to God appeal through
Isaiah to common sense: "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: ... I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and
will deliver you" (Isaiah 46:3,4).

Instead of putting our trust in statues (or other "things") that cannot carry
us, wouldn't it be wiser to put our trust in the One who has carried us from
birth?

Timothy D. Hall

 

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is eating up news headlines these days, from admitting "to smoking crack cocaine, buying illegal drugs, and driving after consuming alcohol" (Allison Martell, Reuters, 11/18/13).  His profanity-laced tirades, graphic sexual remarks, domestic incidents, and general godless behavior are all marquee letters on a sign that reads, "No self control here!"  His appearance, speech, and videotaped conduct are all primary witnesses to that end.  He appears to be one gigantic-sized scandal.  Though Toronto's City Council has voted to transfer his power to the deputy mayor and otherwise curtail his ability to serve, Ford has utterly refused to resign. Mr. Ford seems like more of a symptom than a cause of debauchery and indulgence in western society however larger than life he demonstrates it.

 

Self-control is an oft-touted virtue set forth by God in His Word.  It was important enough to be a part of Paul's three point outline to Felix (Acts 24:25), to be an important point in Paul's counsel to Corinthians about godly marriage (1 Cor. 7:5,9), to be a "slice" of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:23) and to be one of the Christian virtues (2 Pet. 1:6).  Paul paints a grim picture to Timothy about spiritually-difficult times to come, talking about men who are "without self-control" (2 Tim. 3:3).  He says to avoid such men as these (2 Tim. 3:5).  

 

What is so important about self-control?  It is impossible for one to submit to the Lord whose passions and desires are not under control.  Paul says, "Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Gal. 5:24).  An out-of-control person is out of harmony with His will.

 

One without self-control is prone to have a negative influence upon others, too.  For a Christian lacking self-control, there is the crisis of turning others off from Christianity.  There is the equally damaging effect of swaying impressionable people to follow out-of-control, sinful behavior.  Either way, a lack of self-control pushes other people further away from Christ.

 

Ford's behavior has been described as repulsive, offensive, and flabbergasting.  Perhaps he is an uncomfortable, if exaggerated, picture of tendencies we all have in our own lives.  Hopefully, seeing how negative a picture a lack of self-control paints will motivate us to take care in this regard.  

 

Neal Pollard

  

 

Who will be saved?

                                                            FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

         "Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes." (Lk. 12:43)

The above passage was spoken by Christ in explaining one of his parables to His disciples. He had just been teaching them (and us) some fundamental lessons about how to be pleasing to God. Lessons about how they are to live their lives and how they're to "do" things. In those parables of Luke 12 we also are shown examples of how "not to do" things.

A good example is the parable of the "rich fool" (Vs. 16-21). The "rich fool" talked about all the things he would "do" but if you notice, they were all to his benefit. Like the last verse of the parable says, he was all about "laying up treasure for himself" and was "not rich toward God."

As you read on down through that chapter you'll see other examples are used such as, the "birds," the "lilies" and the "grass of the field" all of which are taken care of by God. Because they are "doing" what God designed them to do, therefore He takes care of them. And, just like those creatures of God, He knows what we need and will "add" His blessings to us when we are "doing" what pleases Him.

Jesus goes on in His lesson there by telling His disciples that this "doing" is continual or, as He taught using the parable of the "wedding feast" that the "faithful" servants are the ones who are always prepared for the master to return. And, He also told them about the "thief" breaking into the master's house with the object of the lesson being that the "thief" would not be successful if the "servant" was always on guard or "doing" his job.

Then Peter asks an interesting question. At least I think it's interesting. He asks Jesus, "Lord, are you telling these parables for just us, or are they for everyone?" (Vs. 41) In His answer, Jesus says "who" He's referring to as "faithful servants." That "Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes."

A few verses later we find a further answer to Peter's question: "Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more." (Vs. 48)

When we consider how we are to "do" things pleasing to the Master, I see implied in that verse that "everyone" is given some portion of responsibility. Some measure of ability, if you will. And that we are required to use that measure, that talent, to which we've been "entrusted."

In other words we are to "do" the things we are able to "do" to the best of our ability. And that we are to always be "doing" them. To borrow a phrase from some of our large merchandise stores, our "doing" is not "seasonal." Like Paul told Timothy, be "ready (instant) in season or out of season." (2Tim. 4:2) In down-home parlance, that means "all the time."

The lesson that I draw from Jesus' teachings there in Luke 12, and other places, is that our being blessed by God for "doing" is contingent upon us "doing" what we can. Using whatever degree or amount of talent we have at our disposal. That, by inference, we're not held accountable for "doing" something we're not able to "do." But, always know this: that our Master knows His "servants" abilities and will "bless" them according to what they "do" in His service.

What got me to thinking about Luke the 12^th chapter and the lessons therein, which led to my offering this lesson on the importance of "doing" what we can "do," was a little article I came across, written by a B-17 navigator in WW2. I found it interesting and I think you will also. Here's my paraphrased version of that story and I think you'll easily see how I arrived at the topic of this editorial.

The story: On one of their bombing runs over Germany the flak from the German anti-aircraft batteries was filling the skies around them and the rest of their formation of bombers. (A dear friend of mine, who passed away a few years ago, was a bombardier on a B-17 and he told me that they never got over the fear of the flak which they had to fly through in order to drop their bombs. He left me the piece of flak that hit him and I can understand why they feared it.")

Back to our story: On this particular bomb run their plane received a direct hit on the fuel tanks by one of the 20MM shells but didn't explode. Just pierced the tank. They made it back to their airfield and the next day they found out some incredible news. He described this news as being so "awesome" that it left him "shaken" and that it still does to this day.

The pilot went to the crew chief and asked for the shell that had pierced the tank as he wanted to keep it as a souvenir. That's when the crew chief told him that not just one shell had been found inside the tank, but a total of eleven (11) of them were in there and NONE OF THEM HAD EXPLODED!

The pilot found out that the 11 unexploded shells had already been sent over to the armorers and that the Intelligence Division had already picked them up from there. The crew chief did not know why Intelligence had gotten involved. When the pilot followed up on that he found that when the armorers opened up each of the shells, they found no explosive charge in them. They were "clean as a whistle and just as harmless."

But, not all of them were empty. One of them contained a carefully rolled-up piece of paper. Written on this paper, in Czechoslovakian, was this message: "This is all we can do for you now." The ammunition had been loaded by Czech's who had been captured by the Germans and made slave laborers.

What a great story/example. Those slave laborers obviously couldn't do much to help the cause of the Allied war effort but, they did what they could do. To me, that's what Jesus was talking about His disciples "doing." At all times, in any given situation, to be "doing" what we can for the cause of the Master.

Let me close this lesson by reminding you of a few scriptural thoughts regarding our "doing." In Gal. 6:9 and 2Thess. 3:13 the Apostle Paul reminds us to "not grow weary of doing good work." With the added thought that we'll be rewarded for it "in due season."

Probably the best known and remembered words of Christ on this subject can be found just before He closed His sermon on the mount and I find those words to be a fitting close to my meager efforts today.

"Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Mt. 7:21) He goes onto say that a lot of people will talk about being faithful to God but, it's only those that "hears my words and does them" will be "wise." In this instance, "wise" equals "faithful servant."

Ron Covey

Is there really a higher Power?

A HIGHER POWER

Sunday school teachers are sometimes amazed at some of the things their
children say in class. One Sunday, a class was studying the power of kings
and queens in Bible times. After talking about a few examples, the teachers
said, "There is a higher power. Can anybody tell me what it is?"

Without hesitation, one child blurted out, "Aces!"

Somebody's been playing too much poker! The correct answer, though, is
one that we all tend to overlook. Our Lord God Almighty is a higher power.
Higher than kings and queens. Higher than presidents and prime ministers.
We tremble at world leaders like Adolph Hitler, Idi Amin, and Saddam
Hussein. We sometimes tremble at the powers of our own government when
matters of morality are disregarded. We feel helpless when it seems like
the "kingdoms of this world" are gaining the upper hand.

We need to remember, though, that the final victory is assured for God
and His followers. Our confidence is not in any worldly leader. Our
confidence is in the God who is over all nations.

"How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the
earth!....For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of
praise. God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne."
(Psalm 47:2,7-8)

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall

You're in for a treat today in that you’re getting a "two-fer." At least I hope you consider it a treat. I had made a couple of notes to myself regarding possible lesson topics and neither of them seemed to develop enough space coverage for one lesson, so, I combined them into a two-parter for the editorial today so you have a couple of thoughts to consider.

                    "Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall." (Prov. 16:18 NLT)

Our first short lesson, as you’ve no doubt surmised, is on the topic of "pride." You know, the Bible talks a lot about the sin of "pride," doesn’t it? The Apostle John says that all of man’s sins can be relegated to three categories (1John 2:16) so I guess it’s safe to say that a third of our sins can be attributed to "the pride of life."

There’s a little Bible story that fits perfectly with our subject lesson here. Gives us a great illustration of man’s "pride" and really personifies what Solomon wrote in the verse cited above from Proverbs 16:18. The story is found in 1 Kings, the 20^th chapter and verses 1 thru 21. Because of space restraints I’m going to paraphrase what’s taking place there but, I’d appreciate it if you would read it for yourself and see that I present it accurately.

Ben-hadad, the King of Syria got together with 32 henchmen Kings and, with all of the accompanying armies and weaponry, "closed in on Samaria," otherwise known as the Kingdom of Israel who, at the time, was governed by a King named Ahab. To tell you the truth, I’m not a fan of Ahab as he was an evil person and got his just deserts in the end. But, I do like something he said in reply to the King of Syria during this situation.

Ben-hadad, no doubt puffed up by all the power at his disposal, sent a series of messages to Ahab, in short, telling him what all he intended to do to Ahab’s nation. He told him that he was going to come down there and take all the "silver and gold," (actually everything of value) he could find. Plus, he was going to take all the "wives and children" too. His exact words were that all of these things and people "are mine."

He was already counting them as being "in his hand" so to speak. Isn’t there old saw about "counting chickens before they hatch" that sort of fits Ben-hadad? I thought so. Anyway, after a series of messages sent back and forth threatening doom and destruction on Israel, to the point that in one of them Ben-hadad said, in effect, "May the gods strike me dead if I leave anything more than dust in Israel."

Now here’s what Ahab replied to Ben-hadad that I really like and sort of puts an exclamation point to this lesson. After receiving the "nothing more than dust" message, Ahab sent this short, concise message to Ben-hadad: "Let not him who straps on his armor boast himself like he who takes it off." (Vs. 11)

If you read the rest of the story you’ll see that, with God’s help, Ben-hadad and his army were soundly defeated and they beat feet back to Syria. But, what Ahab said about the "strapping on of armor" versus the "boasting like the one taking it off" is simply showing us this picture. That the one "taking it off" is the winner of the battle, thus you might just be a little premature in counting yourself as the victor before the battle is waged.

Would you say that Ben-hadad was filled with more than a little "pride." Yes-siree bobtail! Do you think the words of James might apply here? You know, the ones in James 4:13-17 where he warns us about boasting about "tomorrow" when we don’t know whether "tomorrow" will even be here for us. Notice his closing point there, that when we do that "we boast in our ignorance. All such boasting is evil." (Vs 16)

As Christians we have no business being "puffed up." We’re the "creatures" not the "Creator" and as such we need to always be aware of something said by Paul, in the form of a rhetorical question to the Corinthians. He asked them, "What hast thou that thou did not receive? (1Cor. 4:7) Basically he is asking them (and us), "What do you have that God hasn’t given you?"

The antidote to "pride" is found in the words of Jesus in Matt. 5:5 "Blessed are the meek..." and then amplified by Paul in Col. 5:18 where we’re told that we’re to be clothed with "compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience." You’ll notice that all of these are exactly opposite of "pride."

Ok, let’s switch to lesson 2 for the rest of our space here. I saw a little story the other day, related as being true and I assume it to be so. I don’t know where it took place, but it was said to have occurred fairly recently. Let me tell it the way I heard it.

A large congregation in a metropolitan area had hired a new minister. The Sunday arrived for him to start working with them. He dressed himself up like a "homeless person" and went to the church building 30 minutes prior to the morning service. He was there as members began arriving and he asked some of them if they had any change he could have to buy some food. None of them gave him any.

He entered the auditorium and went up near the front and sat down. An usher came up and asked him to take a seat in the back which he did. He greeted the people around him and received only what was obviously "dirty looks" or was just ignored. He sat and listened to the announcements and then the elders rose to announce and introduce the new preacher. The congregation seemed all excited and eager to greet him until the "homeless guy" in the back stood up and walked up the aisle to the front. There was dead silence as he picked up the microphone and began reciting Matt. 25:34-40.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by the Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you invited me into your home. I was naked and you gave clothing. I was sick and you cared for me. I was in prison and you visited me. Then the righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will say; I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me."

What can we learn from that story? How does it apply to us? Perhaps in this way: that we need to "do" our Christianity more than "say" our Christianity. And remember what God said through the writer of Hebrews.

                    "Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it. Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies." (Chapter 13:1-3) NLT

Ron Covey