Adorning The Doctrine

In Titus 2:1 Paul instructs Titus to "...speak thou the things which become sound doctrine."  Later, in this same chapter, he tells Titus to "Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things" (Titus 2:9,10).  These verses clearly indicate that there is speech and behavior that is not only becoming or befitting to sound doctrine, but will "adorn the doctrine of God".  This being true, we should each strive for that kind of speech and conduct.

The word "adorn" means: "to add beauty to; to make greater the splendor or honor of."  What a challenging thought that I may be able to "add beauty to or make greater the splendor" of the doctrine of God.  How is this possible?  Surely, I can do nothing to improve upon the doctrine of God.  God's word is perfect (See James 1:25; 2 Tim. 3:16).  Any change that anyone would make in the doctrine would detract from it and pervert it.  However, Paul says it is possible to "adorn the doctrine of God."

I can adorn the doctrine of God by living in such a way that I make the doctrine more appealing to others.  How many have been turned away from the truth because they have seen hypocrisy in the lives of those who claimed to follow the truth?  On the other hand, there have been many who have eventually obeyed the truth because they observed the influence of that truth in the life of someone around them.  This is the point Peter makes in 1 Peter 3:1,2 where he says, "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear."  I know of men who are faithfully serving the Lord today because their wives "adorned the doctrine of God."

I can also "adorn the doctrine of God" by refusing to compromise truth with error.  It may take courage and it may demand sacrifice or suffering on my part, but if I refuse to compromise the truth others will be made to realize how valuable the truth really is.  On the other hand, if I compromise the truth every time I encounter some temptation or difficulty, I am telling those who observe my life that here is something that has little or no value since Iam willing to compromise it in the face of temptation.

I "adorn the doctrine of God" whenever I show that I believe "not in word only" but "in deed."  James says, "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed" (James 1:22-25).

The person who is "on again, off again" fails to "adorn the doctrine of God."  The life of a faithful child of God is marked with stability and steadfastness.  In writing to the Corinthians, Paul says, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord" (I Cor. 15:58).

What about your life?  Does the doctrine of God appear more attractive to others as they observe your life?

- by James Hahn

 

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth"-Revelation 3:15-16

 

 There is no indication that these brethren were guilty of teaching or embracing false doctrine or were involved in any sinful or immoral behavior. Their problem is clearly revealed by the Lord in one word, namely, "lukewarm". This lukewarm condition stems from a lack of passion, emotion and excitement at it relates to their love for God, the church, each other and even the salvation of their souls as well as the souls of others. Now, the Lord is going to spit them out of his mouth.

 

It is imperative that we diligently guard our lives lest by willful neglect or outright refusal to  do God's will, we become lukewarm in our commitment to God, his church and his word. To avoid becoming lukewarm, it is absolute necessity that we be an interested, actively involved member of the Lord's church . Consider these passages: James 1:22, "Be ye doers of the word not hearers only"; James 2:18, "show your faith without works, I'll show you my faith by my works"; 1 Cor. 15:58, "abounding in every good work".

 

Listen as  Peter calls us lively stones, "ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house" (1 Peter 2:5). I cannot get by on the fact that other stones fit in their place and do their work well in supporting the Lord's church while I do not.  Matthew 5:14-16, "Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven". If we by willful neglect shun our responsibilities, if we fail to let our light shine, if we do not act as a lively stone, if we do not bear fruit (John 15:1-8), then know that we will become indifferent, lukewarm and thus incur the wrath of our Lord just as did the brethren in Laodicea.

 

Charles Hicks

Father Figures

Ken Canfield, Ph.D., affirms fatherlessness has wounded our world. "We are acutely aware of the
impact of fatherlessness (children growing up without a father). Its scars mark our cities and
nation in ways that few maladies have. In recent years the research community has detailed and
documented the negative social outcomes associated with father absence and abuse, and their report
is alarming."

Canfield states that fatherlessness continues to be a crisis in our world today. "Yet," he says,
"this Father's Day there is a ray of goodness shining on a facet of fathering worthy of celebration.
When fathers are absent, have abandoned or even abused their esteemed role of being a dad, father
figures are emerging and standing in the fatherless chasm, providing incredible leadership."

In an article entitled, "Kids' Essays Show the Power of Father Figures," Canfield references a
project conducted by the National Center for Fathering in which the Center has asked for and
collected more than a million essays written by children about how their fathers and father figures
influence their lives. One of these essays was written by Haley, a 12th grader, about her
stepfather, Mark:

My stepfather became my father when I was eight years old. My real father had died of cancer when I
was six years old. My family was broken and needed healing. The Lord blessed us with my new
father, Mark. He was like an angel sent from God. He too had lost his father when he was young,
and he knew what my brothers and I were going through. He comforted us and gave us strength to
continue.

When I was eleven, I was diagnosed with cancer. My family was devastated; just when we thought all
of the turmoil was over, we realized it was only the beginning. The doctors decided I needed a bone
marrow transplant. My stepfather Mark was a perfect match and offered to give his bone marrow to
save my life, but a better match was found. My new father had only been a member of our family for
a few years when his love and support was put to the extreme. He stayed and took care of me as long
as time allowed before he had to return home for work. We became so close during this time that it
is impossible to describe.

A father doesn't have to be someone who is biologically related to you. It is someone who would do
anything for you and loves you with all of [his] heart and self. I pray that my father and I will
remain this close throughout all of our lives and that we will only grow closer as time passes. *

Haley's "father figure" exemplifies the kind of father that all children need: one who is selfless,
supporting, and loving.

The greatest "father figure" is God, the heavenly Father. He's really not a figure; He is the
Father. And, He is the greatest "Figure" of fatherhood that all fathers and father figures should
seek to emulate. He is supreme in the way that He loves and cares for His children.

Do you want some proof?

God loves us so much that even though we have sinned and rebelled against Him, He gave His one and
only Son to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16). On the cross, Jesus paid the price for our
sins so that we might have forgiveness and become a child of God (Ephesians 1:7; Galatians 3:26-27).

God will save, add to His family, and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in
Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men
(Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).
He will continue to cleanse from sin and prepare for a heavenly home those who continue to walk in
the light of His Word (1 John 1:7).

God IS the greatest Father, and He wants YOU to be His child. Won't YOU accept His offer on His
terms?

--David Sargent

* Information gleaned from "Kids' Essays Show the Power of Father Figures" by Ken Canfield, Ph.D. in
www.fathers.com.

The Slop Bucket

The Slop Bucket

Steve Higginbotham's article about his grandmother's slop bucket brought back some memories for me.
Here is what Steve wrote:

One of the childhood memories I have of my grandma and granddad's house in Reader, West Virginia,
was the "slop bucket" they kept by the kitchen sink. Now, for those of you who don't know what a
slop bucket is, it was a bucket that contained all the scraps from previous meals. My grandma
didn't have a garbage disposal, so following a meal the "scraps" from dinner went into the slop
bucket. When it filled up, my granddad would take it out back and bury the contents of the bucket.
Now this particular "slop bucket" had a lid - because it needed one! There was no use in exposing
the decaying scraps from previous meals. Those meals were over, and those remaining scraps were
sealed up and were to be buried in the backyard by the garden.

If only we all had, and used, our own personal "slop buckets." What do I mean? Well, how often do
you get into a little fuss with someone, and before you know it, you dump out the scraps from
previous conflicts? Things that should be forgiven, resolved, and buried away, never to be
mentioned again, often reappear when we find ourselves in confrontation.

Listen, when something finds its way into a "slop bucket," that's where it needs to stay. Put a lid
on it, and when it gets full, bury it.

My grandmother, Louise Dixon ("Nanny"), had a slop bucket, too. She didn't have an electric
dishwasher; just a big sink. So, on occasion, when I was visiting with her at her home in
Henderson, Tennessee, I would volunteer to wash the dishes after one of her delicious meals.
(Please don't tell my wife that I know how to wash dishes.)

Nanny gave me instructions on how to wash dishes. I always felt like I had to wash them twice. She
instructed me to clean all of the contents off the dish into the slop bucket, rinse the dish, and
then place it next to the sink, ready to be washed with soapy water. After washing, drying, and
returning the dishes to their proper places in the cabinets, I was instructed to take the slop
bucket and dump its contents into her outdoor garbage can. Unlike Steve's grandfather, I didn't
bury the slop, but it would ultimately be carried to the dump far away.

Steve's words also caused me to think of the "slop" that I bring into my life and to the lives of
others. It's those "stinking" attitudes, words, and actions that I regret and that bring pain into
my life and the lives of my loved ones. It is sin and it smells badly. It also offends our God.
It needs to be put into a slop bucket and buried deeply underground or taken to the dump far away.

Perhaps you are thinking of your own slop. We all have contributed our share (Romans 3:23).

Here's the good news. God loves us so much that He took care of our "slop" problem. It cost the
death of His Son, Jesus. Jesus died on the cross for our sins - our "slop" - so that we can be
forgiven and receive the gift of eternal life. "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,
so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed" (1
Peter 2:24 NIV).

God will forgive and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts
16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans
10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will
"wipe our bucket clean," and He will continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the
light of His Word (1 John 1:7-9).

Like the slop in the buckets next to the sinks of Steve's grandmother and Nanny's, sin is smelly and
gross. But because of God's great love and forgiveness, that slop can be dealt with - buried deep
or carried far away - where it won't bother us anymore.

Don't YOU want to have your slop removed? You can, if you will submit your life to the Savior.

-- David A. Sargent

Marietta Uptagrafft Faulkenberry

Her Inscriptions

Marietta Faulkenberry had many talents. One of those talents was her ability to write with
beautiful calligraphy. It was a talent that she downplayed, but some of her loved ones were able to
persuade her to use her talent to pen some poems and verses that have been framed and put on display
in their homes. These pieces of art are treasured, not just because of the beautiful calligraphy,
but because of the beloved calligrapher.

Those who knew Ms. Marietta all agree that the greatest works of art that she produced are not the
products of her calligraphy pen but the ways that she impacted others through her life. The things
that will be most treasured from Ms. Marietta are the lessons that she wrote upon the hearts of
those who knew her and loved her. One of her greatest inscriptions was her unconditional love for
others. When asked to reflect on Ms. Marietta's life, Peggy Holt responded: "She was truly an angel
on earth. When I think of her, I think of unconditional love. No matter what, she loved you! Just
like Jesus."

It's true. When you succeeded, Ms. Marietta rejoiced with you. When you messed up, she still loved
you. She didn't condone wrong behavior, but she did not withdraw her love from those who made
mistakes. Her love was constant and unconditional. It was the kind of love that would make a
person want to do better, just because she loved you.

So when I think of Marietta Faulkenberry's unconditional love, I think of 1 Corinthians 13:7-8:
"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never
fails." Ms. Marietta embodied that kind of love. Her love exemplified the love that God has for
you and me.

God loves each of us unconditionally. When we rebel against Him, He still loves us. If we stray
from Him like a prodigal, He still loves us and longs for us to return (see the Parable of the
Prodigal Son in Luke 15).

Here is the greatest expression of God's love: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and
only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for
us" (Romans 5:8).

Even though we have sinned and rebelled against Him, God loves us so much that He gave His Son to
die on the cross to redeem us from sin (Ephesians 1:7).

God loves us unconditionally, but the salvation that He lovingly offers to us is not without
conditions. We can't earn His love or His salvation, but we must accept it on His terms.

God loves us and He will save us if we will place our faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn
from our sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are
baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38). Then, as we continue
to walk in the light of His Word, the blood of Jesus will continue to cleanse us from sin (1 John
1:7-9). And, if we stray from Him as a prodigal child, He will lovingly accept us back when we come
back to Him in humble repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

No matter what, Marietta Faulkenberry loved you. No matter what, God loves you. That kind of love
inscribed on our hearts should prompt us to love God more and desire to follow Him closely.

-- David A. Sargent

P.S. In loving memory of Marietta Uptagrafft Faulkenberry (1929-2019). We will continue to be
blessed by her love, until we meet again.