Category: Reflections Articles
Articles printed in the weekly bulletin of the West Side church of Christ
Joshua: A Godly and Successful Leader
The book of Joshua contains a wonderful summary of his leadership of Israel. Joshua was a man of great character and loyalty to God. During his service to God and His people, the nation took possession of the land of Canaan, obtaining the inheritance God had promised to Abraham and his descendants.
While each individual is responsible for his own relationship with God, a good leader can exert influence to keep men faithful to the Almighty. Joshua is an example of such a man. As he ascended to the leadership role, God promised him, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (1:9). Of course, that favor was contingent upon his loyalty to the Lord, “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go” (1:7).
God’s Law of Procreation
I came across an old chart as I was cleaning out my office last week. It was from a workbook titled, Cottage Meeting Manual, by Maurice Tisdel. The title of the chart was “God’s Law of Procreation.” The information on the chart I will summarize in this short article.
The first column considers the vegetable kingdom. God’s word reveals that the first plants came about through God’s creative work. “Then God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth’; and it was so” (Genesis 1:11). From that point on, however, as observation reveals, new plants have propagated through the seeds of their “parent” plants. Each seed produces a plant of the same “kind” as the plant from which the seed came. There are no exceptions to this rule. It is observable, the result of natural law.
Brazen
In Ezekiel 16, the Lord spoke to Jerusalem, expressing His disappointment at her ingratitude and rebellion, in response to His care and nurturing. He stated, “I made you thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured, and became very beautiful” (vs. 7). Using the figure of marriage, He later said, “I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine” (vs. 8).
Their response was disconcerting. He charged, “But you trusted in your own beauty, played the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it” (vs. 15). In fact, Jerusalem was so corrupt that God said, “You are the opposite of other women in your harlotry, because no one solicited you to be a harlot. In that you gave payment but no payment was given you, therefore you are the opposite” (34).
Christian Ethics
In previous decades, American society generally shared the same values that are currently held by Christians. Sexual promiscuity, moral excesses, and other vices were frowned upon. Even those who engaged in them understood that they were morally wrong, and hid their actions from plain sight. As time has passed, however, societal values have diverged from the Christian norm. Because of this:
The Gospel of Mark (Witness of the Christ)
The first three gospels are known as synoptic. The term is defined: “of or forming a general outline or synopsis.” Each of these gospels contain a generally chronological snapshot of the life of our Lord. They are not exhaustive. Though similar, they are written from different perspectives. As would be expected, they emphasize different aspects of Jesus’ life, ministry and teaching.
It would be improper to refer to the gospels as either biographies or histories, though there are elements of each in all four of the books. Too often the works are criticized because they do not make a formal and verifiable effort to document the life of the Lord. Such attacks are unfair in imposing modern standards upon ancient writings, and in failing to recognize the theological motivations of the writers. As John wrote in John 20:30-31, “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”
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Sins of the Tongue
In James 3:6 the text reads, “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.” The dangers present anytime we open our mouths should give us pause, and encourage us to take great care in our speech. “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise” (Proverbs 10:19).
Following are some of the sins we may commit when we open our mouths to speak:
Exceeding the Righteousness of the Pharisees
The Pharisees were a sect of Jews during the time of Jesus known for a strict adherence to the Law of Moses. The name means “separatists”, and the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia notes that they were, “those who carefully kept themselves from any legal contamination, distinguishing themselves by their care in such matters from the common people, … who had fewer scruples.”
The scrupulosity of the Pharisee is acknowledged by the Lord in Matthew 23:23, when in speaking with them he said, “For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin…” Earlier in the chapter, He told his disciples “whatever they [the Pharisees] tell you to observe, that observe and do.”
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Wage the Good Warfare
In the last 100 years, our nation has been involved in numerous wars. The first World War was believed by many to be the “war to end all wars.” Surely mankind learned its lesson from the atrocities and loss of life. Alas, no. The second World War erupted only a few decades after, followed by America’s involvement in the Korean conflict, the Vietnam War, two separate wars with Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, and our present undeclared war with Muslim Militants. Other, minor conflicts pepper our nation’s history over the last century.
It seems war is inevitable. Even though many have wearied of the loss of life and economic privation that accompanies warfare, evil men remain resolute in their desire to subdue, conquer, and press their ideologies upon others. This demonstrates a universal truth. Peace is not attained unilaterally. It takes a willingness on the part of all, to be established and maintained.
Don’t Worry … Be Happy!
Here’s a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don’t worry … be happy.
In every life we have some trouble
When you worry you make it double
Don’t worry … be happy.
Bobby McFerrin
The song has a catchy tune, and with certain caveats, properly expresses the attitude that Christians should exhibit toward their lives here on earth. Notice the following passages:
The Damage Done by Adultery
I recently came across a fine article written by Rusty Miller, which appeared in the June 2003 issue of Abundant Life Magazine. The article was titled “Adultery’s Consequences”, and noted the damage that the sin of adultery wreaks upon society, the church, children, marriage and the soul. The article was a bit longer than the space allotted here, so I would like to take the main points, and concisely summarize them.
Teaching such as this is needed because of the frequency of the sin. It is certainly a societal problem, but how many times have we seen Christian families devastated by the sin of adultery? We wonder how a man or woman could behave in such a treacherous way. Lives and souls are destroyed by sexual infidelity. Consider the following:
A Child’s Rights
Children have far fewer “rights” than adults in most societies, including our own. They don’t have the right to vote, to buy alcohol, to live on their own, or to drive a car. While children are considered a precious commodity, it is understood by all that it will take time for them to reach a state where they can enjoy, appreciate and profit from independence. In the meantime it is the responsibility of parents to care for, protect and educate them in preparation for the time they will take their place as adults in society.
8 Questions about Music
I just watched a lengthy video featuring a number of Calvinists who were taking issue with what music in worship has become in American churches. They were concerned with too great an emphasis upon the musical style (with the most important thing being how it “makes me feel”); a willingness to put up with a church teaching error, as long as “the music is good”; and an unfortunate imbalance as music is overemphasized as a part of Christian worship.
The video was interesting, as I think it addressed problems we see in the Lord’s church as well. I personally have encountered Christians who prefer songs based upon musical style rather than the sentiment expressed; who are more interested in whether a congregation has “good singing” than whether it stands for truth; and who would travel 250 miles for an “annual” singing, but can’t be bothered to attend a neighboring congregation’s gospel meeting!
In the conclusion of the video, the narrator asked 8 questions that I think make valid points about what music should be:
The Beatitudes
In Matthew chapters 5 through 7 we have the most extensive example of our Lord’s teaching in His ministry. The sermon was preached early in His efforts, shortly after His temptation in the wilderness. It was preached in Galilee, on a mountainside near the north shore of Lake Tiberias. While there are many important truths found in Matthew’s record of that sermon, we will limit our comments to its beginning, known as the Beatitudes.
A Divine Identity
In his first epistle, the apostle Peter wrote the following words, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (2:9-10). The text affirms that Christians belong to God, and are special. Verse four states that Jesus Christ was rejected by men. Since that is so, it stands to reason that those who belong to Him will be rejected as well (cf. John 15:18-25).
The Purpose of Our Assemblies
Would it be considered controversial to state that the purpose of our worship assemblies is not to evangelize? Perhaps it would be less so if I explained what I mean by the statement.
First, I am not saying that evangelism can’t take place in the assembly. In fact, first principle preaching in the worship assembly is one way that the children of Christians reach the point of being convicted, and thus converted. Also, it is conceivable that the conversion of an occasional visitor may be the salutary consequence of such lessons. More probably, first principle lessons will serve to “stir up your pure minds by way of reminder” (cf. 2 Peter 3:1), equipping the saints to share with others what they have learned, and had reinforced by the preacher’s words.
