Category: Reflections Articles
Articles printed in the weekly bulletin of the West Side church of Christ
Angry Words and Actions
Perhaps you have read the following story:
There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.
The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.
Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.
Liberal & Conservative
2016 is an election year. Though the national election will not take place until November, the political season is well underway. This is especially true with regard to the office of President. When you turn on the TV, you are inundated with political punditry, and the words liberal and conservative are bandied about with regularity.
The term liberal is defined by Webster as, “not opposed to new ideas or ways of behaving that are not traditional or widely accepted.” In the context of political discourse, a liberal believes “that government should be active in supporting social and political change .”
Looking at sin through God’s eyes
What is your attitude toward sin? The world in general are dismissive of the entire concept. A few years ago there were expressions of derision when our President referred to terrorists at “evildoers.” It seems that the idea of inherent evil is not too popular in our day. However, God used the term. In fact, the term is found 17 times in the text of the New King James translation. One example of this is in Isaiah 31:2, where the prophet promised, “Yet He [God] also is wise and will bring disaster, and will not call back His words, but will arise against the house of evildoers, and against the help of those who work iniquity.” It seems that God not only identified some as “evildoers”, but also proclaimed His strong opposition to their works.
Mission: Possible!
Every TV episode and Movie begins the same way, with a recorded message containing the words: “Your mission, should you choose to accept it…”
I remember as a kid loving the Mission: Impossible television program. It had a group of “cool” spies who were able to accomplish the “impossible” because of their intelligence, bravery and gadgets. Each mission consisted of various stated objectives, authorized by some shadowy governmental agency. They were not freelancers, they followed the directives of the agency. Because of their abilities and position, they were give a job to do, and they did it.
The show came to mind recently as I involved myself in a study of the “mission” given by God to His church. The parallels are obvious, and illustrate the nature of God’s relationship to His people.
Advocacy & Propitiation
“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:1-2).
John’s words reveal two different (though connected) blessings we have as believers in Jesus Christ. And, as we will later emphasize, these blessings are only available to those who are believers in Him (cf. John 14:6). Having said that, the terms used by John are challenging, and need to be explained to those who are not familiar with the language of scripture.
“God Isn’t Fixing This” ???
Another mass shooting took place on Wednesday morning, in San Bernardino, CA. Two shooters killed 14 and injured 17 others. At this writing, authorities are looking into the motivation and circumstances behind the killing.
We are living in fractious times. Each scary situation foments partisan rhetoric, and America is deeply divided as to how to deal with mass shootings and terrorist activity in our nation. It seems that ideologues are breathlessly waiting for that moment when they can triumphantly proclaim each incident as “domestic” or “Islamic” terrorism. It is as if the motivations of violent and often deranged criminals serve to validate their narrative. This is sad.
The Power of God’s Foolishness
In 1 Corinthians 1, the apostle Paul realistically predicted the reaction of most people to the message of the cross. He wrote, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing” (18). Many times when I have preached a simple lesson on some aspect of truth, I will be asked by a brother or sister in Christ, “How can anyone in their right mind reject such an obvious truth?” The answer is given by Paul, it is foolishness to them. They reject the message and proofs supplied by God, preferring instead their own ideals and opinions. As Paul continued, “For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness.” (22-23).
In contrast, to those “who are being saved”, the message of the cross is “the power of God” (18). In verse 24, the preaching of “Christ crucified” is said to be to “those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (24).
The Preacher’s Authority
Mark records the preaching of Jesus in His home town of Nazareth in Mark 6. When the Sabbath day came, Jesus went to the synagogue in Nazareth to teach. So, His audience was made up of individuals who knew Him and His family. They knew him as “the carpenter, the Son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judas and Simon” (vs. 3).
The text indicates they were astonished at Jesus’ teaching. However, such astonishment was not a good thing. They were incredulous. They could not believe that this man before them could legitimately be speaking with the authority of God. They exclaimed, “Where did this man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!” (vs. 2).
The danger of false perceptions
I am writing this short article while Debbie is driving on the highway between Diboll and Fort Worth. On Texas highways it is common for the speed limit to be 70-75 miles an hour. If you were to be driving in a residential area at that speed, it would be considered very reckless. If you were driving your car at 75 miles per hour, and had to weave in and around other cars going only 35-40 miles an hour, your perception of your own speed would probably scare you.
However, when everyone is going 75 or 80 miles an hour, (especially if you have been going that speed for quite a while), the perception is very different. It just doesn’t seem that fast! As a result, you have people who drive in an unsafe manner, despite the speed. They may tailgate, give insufficient space between cars when changing lanes, fail to use turn signals, etc. At 75 miles per hour!
“Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord”
In Exodus 14, God’s people were fleeing the wrathful Egyptians, and were hemmed in by the Red Sea. They cried out in fear, saying, “…it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness” (vs. 12).
Moses responded to their cries, saying, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace” (vs. 13-14).
God indeed did deliver Israel from her enemies. He parted the waters, and after the Israelites had crossed the sea safely, God utterly destroyed the army of Pharaoh. “Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained” (vs. 28).
Continue reading ““Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord””
In Defense of Social Media
A couple of months ago I preached a sermon titled Cyber-Sin. I talked about the dangers of being on the internet, and mentioned that social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are especially treacherous waters for Christians to navigate. Gossip, malicious words, worldly influences and lascivious pictures and links can all be present in those places. While typically there are steps that can be taken to avoid most of these pitfalls, many Christians are less than careful, and fall into sin.
I also preached the lesson in a recent meeting, and on both occasions received kind comments, as most recognize the need for the warnings, and that the criticism is just and accurate.
God’s Sovereignty and Free Will
Earlier this week I came across a website critiquing the “restoration movement.” This particular author was writing from a Calvinist’s point of view, and was very critical of the three “sects”, The Christian Church, the Disciples of Christ, and the Church of Christ. He accused members as being theistic humanists, because of their “Arminian” belief in “so-called free will.” He claimed that although progress has been made, these denominations still had not discovered the grace of God.
I would like to respond.
Fellowship and the “Days” of Genesis
It is interesting, and rather disheartening to note that brethren can quickly become complacent with regard to false doctrine. Typically, when a false doctrine is introduced, it is dealt with by those who uphold the truth, sides are taken, and the issue fades. Unfortunately, those who hold to the error are seldom fully expelled from fellowship with God’s people. This was the case with Israel, which failed as a nation to eradicate idolatry. As such, the worship of foreign gods was a constant sin of the nation throughout its history. It seems that we have not learned from history. In this generation, God’s people continue to fellowship those who bring error into the camp. As Paul wrote, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
for the remission of sins
Consider the following two sentences:
“For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28).
“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).
Both sentences contain the exact same phrase, “for the remission of sins.” However, the two sentences are perceived differently by a large majority of the religious world. Why? And is the distinction in perception valid?
3 Loves of Christ’s Disciples
Before His ascension, Jesus told His apostles, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). The mark of discipleship is obedience to the teacher. If we are disciples of Christ, it is because we have embraced His teaching, and we “observe” or obey what He commands. The preeminent command of our Lord is to love. Jesus said to His disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).
