Category: Reflections Articles
Articles printed in the weekly bulletin of the West Side church of Christ
The Search for Immortality
(And the Meaning of Life)
(Note: This Article, The Search for Immortality, (And the Meaning of Life) , was written by Tommy Davis, one of the members of the West Side congregation. I commend the article to you).
A few weeks ago, as my family and I watched a movie, I noticed a recurring theme in all forms of literature and movies — the search for immortality. This is not a recent phenomenon. The Egyptian pharaohs went to great lengths to achieve immortality. In fact, their culture almost revolved around the afterlife and immortality. Legends exist from nearly every society about those searching for the magic elixir that will let them live forever. What a colossal waste of time! From the day man was created, we have been immortal souls. We die as a direct consequence of our own sin. God gave us all a soul that will live forever; however, our problem comes because men want to live forever on earth. Why? It is a broken place full of death, disease, and heartache because of sin.
Tradition (Short Bulletin Insert)
A very poor holy man lived in a remote part of China. Every day before his time of meditation in order to show his devotion, he put a dish of butter up on the window sill as an offering to God, since food was so scarce. One day his cat came in and ate the butter. To remedy this, he began tying the cat to the bedpost each day before the quiet time. This man was so revered for his piety that others joined him as disciples and worshipped as he did. Generations later, long after the holy man was dead, his followers placed an offering of butter on the window sill during their time of prayer and meditation. Furthermore, each one brought a cat and tied it to the bedpost.
Source Unknown
The moral to the story is this: Tradition can be a good thing. In fact, apostolic traditions form the canon of scripture, (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:2). However, the blind following of tradition can not only lead to absurd practices, but unscriptural ones, endangering our souls. Let us all know and understand the scriptural reasons behind all that we teach and practice.
Dreams
(The following article was written by Tommy Davis, one of the members of the West Side congregation. I commend it to you. Stan)
Take a minute to answer this question, do you have dreams for the future? Do you want to be a doctor, make a scientific breakthrough or do you want to be a professional athlete? Some people dream of good health or being wealthy and living in a huge house. People in nearly every culture have dreams for the future. We hear about holding onto our dreams at events like graduations, and when we get married, we feel like a dream just came true. Most of us don’t dream of terrible events like death or destruction.
God has a dream for us too. When God created man, he longed to walk with man on earth and have relationships with us. For a while in the Garden of Eden, God walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day — Genesis 3:8. I often wonder what those conversations were like! This soon came to an end when sin entered our lives, and now we are separated from God. No longer do men walk with God and talk to him face to face. We are imperfect and impure; not fit to be in the presence of God. The relationship was broken!
The Importance of Gospel Meetings
In two weeks, we will begin a Gospel Meeting with brother Jerry Fite, of Pasadena, TX. The effort will start on Saturday night at 7:30 pm, and will continue through the following Thursday. There will be a special Wednesday morning study together with our regular Sunday services and the weeknight preaching.
Jerry preaches for the Parkview congregation in Pasadena, and has been a faithful proclaimer of God’s word for many years. He is known to the brethren here, having spent a number of years at the Castleberry congregation as a young man, while his father Harold preached for that group. He held a meeting for our congregation in May of 1999, and we are glad to have him return to preach for us again.
High Maintenance
Preachers sometimes compare notes about the congregations where they preach. I have noticed a term that several have used, (and I have used myself), to describe some Christians. The term is “high maintenance.”
Some cars are referred to as “high maintenance.” I came across a quote from a man who drove a Fiat. He said it stands for, Fix It All the Time. But, in his mind it was worth the headache to be able to drive a high performance machine. Of course, there are some jalopies that are high maintenance as well. Another word for these cars is “junk”, and they are hardly worth the effort to keep them running.
Some ladies are referred to as “high maintenance,” referring to the amount of attention they demand. They expect constant gifts and attention, and if they don’t get what they want their feelings are hurt or they lose interest. Used in this way, the term is certainly not a compliment. Nor is it normally a complement when a preacher refers to a Christian as “high maintenance.” However, it is not always a negative thing either.
America – A Godly Nation?
(Note: This short article was written by a member at West Side, Tommy Davis. As the article is brief, in the bulletin I added the quotes from George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. I commend Tommy’s article to you. Stan).
One of man’s greatest leaders said something that made me think. Being a Christian, I tried to put the saying in perspective.
President Ronald Reagan said:
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.”
What will you do to keep the greatest nation on the earth from perishing? If we use worldly wisdom, our response would be to join the US Armed Forces! After all, America is the first country in history to have the power to conquer the earth and yet restrains itself. It is the only country in history to conquer other nations to free them from tyranny (and then let them rule themselves again). We are the good guys!
Where God Places a Period
I recently came across the following quote: “Where God places a period, let no man put a question mark.”
I understand the quote to mean that men must accept the decree of God in all things. This is something that is rarely seen in the world today. A premium is placed on skepticism and independence of thought. These things are considered virtuous, and have certainly helped to fuel discovery and advancement in human learning.
However, truth does not need discovery in the realm of religion. The mystery “has been revealed” (Colossians 1:26). The faith has been “once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). Further, it is impossible for man to determine for himself the proper path. “O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jeremiah 10:23).
It is certainly appropriate to question what God’s will is. We should study our Bibles daily, and use our God given intelligence to determine what it is that God has revealed to us. What we do not have the right to do is to question why God has said what he has said. Or, whether the words contained in scripture are beneficial to man in today’s society. May we say as the Psalmist, “Your hands have made me and fashioned me; Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments” (Psalm 119:73).
The Wind Blows Where It Wishes
John 3:6-8
The text of John 3 contains a verse that is commonly misunderstood by religious people. It is the eighth verse, which reads, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” As David Lipscomb wrote, “These verses have been ever of great difficulty because men try to get out of them what is not in them.” (G.A. Commentary, John, pg. 46).
A proper understanding of the passage is not difficult so long as the context is observed and respected. The important thing to remember is that Jesus has described the new birth (a spiritual birth), and that Nicodemus was confused by the description because he was thinking of the physical birth (cf. vs. 4).
A List of New Year’s Resolutions
Clip these, and stick them on your refrigerator or some other
conspicuous space!
Personal
- Read entire Bible within a year’s time.
- Practice Hospitality.
- Host a Bible Study.
- Increase prayer quality and frequency.
- Meditate often.
- Preach to others.
- Worship elsewhere while on vacation.
At West Side
- Attend the 5:40 pm personal work meeting each Sunday.
- Sign the duty lists in the foyer to volunteer.
- Be diligent in both preparation for and participation in Bible classes.
- Avoid conflicts with our scheduled gospel meetings and singing.
- Increase weekly giving if possible.
- Greet Visitors
- Attend quarterly singings.
- Take notes during preaching.
- Tell others about our web site.
- Request CD’s to hand out to others.
New Year’s Resolutions
“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
~ Philippians 3:13-14
The apostle Paul determined to “press toward the goal.” The record of his ministry in the New Testament attests to his success in this determination. Paul was not successful by chance. He was resolute, making it his primary purpose in life to fulfill the ministry given him by God. “So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also” (Romans 1:15).
Their Eyes They Have Closed
(Note: This article was written by one of the members at West Side, Kelly Wilson. I commend it to you. SC)
“…The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet: 26 “‘Go to this people and say, You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. 27 For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them…’” Acts 28:25-27 (ESV)
When the Lord Jesus and His apostles proclaimed the simple gospel the common and uneducated heard him gladly and believed (Mark 12:37; Acts 4:13) but when many of the educated Jewish leaders heard the same message they rejected it (Matthew 21:32).
Texting in Worship
Brethren, I recently came across a good article written by Rick Holt, an elder for the Mt. Baker church of Christ in Bellingham, Washington. In it, he discusses present day problems with inattentiveness and disruption in worship. I have intended to address this myself, and would like for you to consider the following quote from the article.
My, my, how times have changed, or have they? These days, the schools still deal with the same problems, but a new set of hindrances have been introduced including the use of cell phones, text/pix messaging, playing games, etc. These problems occur not only at schools, colleges, and secular jobs, but during the worship of God on the first day of the week, and specifically, at the Mt. Baker church of Christ. Brethren, I have seen people writing notes then laughing to the point of bending over so as not to be seen (which didn’t work, by the way), games being played, manicures being done, no participation in the singing, the week’s working schedule being written out, and giggling during the observance of the Lord’s Supper. Did I just say that…pretty blunt, wasn’t I? Is this what God purposed before the foundations of the world…worship in this manner? Where is your heart? Why have you come to services? This is not play-time! You are in the presence of God, gathered with the saints (Heb. 13:22-29).
The Death of General John Sedgwick
An eyewitness of account of Union General John Sedgwick’s death on May 9, 1864, told by his chief of staff, describes clearly the danger of overconfidence.
It seems that the previous evening, at one place on the battlefield, several officers had been cut down by sniper fire. The general was warned of the danger by his chief of staff, but in the process of instructing his men walked to that place.
Sniper fire broke out from 1,000 yards away, and bullets whizzed by. Others ducked, but the general admonished them, saying, “What! what! men, dodging this way for single bullets! What will you do when they open fire along the whole line? I am ashamed of you. They couldn’t hit an elephant at this distance.” According to his chief of staff, the admonition was repeated a second time upon another fusillade of bullets, then suddenly the general was hit below his left eye, and quickly died.
Overconfidence can often lead to disaster, and this is true with regard to an individual’s spiritual standing as quickly as any other. As the apostle warned:
“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”
(1 Corinthians 10:12)
AI – Evidence of Design
“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well” (Psa. 139:14).
In the June 29, 2001 issue of the Daily Texan (The University of Texas’ daily student newspaper), staff writer Devin Griffiths reported on an Austin based company, Cycorp, which is a leading force in the development of AI, (artificial intelligence). Simply put, AI is the capacity of a computer to reason and learn on its own, without any outside help. Readers may be familiar with the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, which had as a lead character a thinking, feeling, lying, and ultimately killing computer named HAL.
Defending the Truth
It is extremely important that brethren everywhere contend for the truth and refute error. When such is done, because so many are tolerant of error and antagonistic toward the truth, there will be conflict. Some will say “Who set you up as brotherhood watchdogs, or arbiters of truth, or modern day prophets.” We have heard such, and the whining we hear when the false teacher is exposed is indicative of the whiner’s arrogance. Concerning the intellectual arrogance that can beset Christians, Paul warned, “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us; a sphere which especially includes you” (2 Corinthians 10:12-13). Paul also wrote, “…Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know” (1 Corinthians 8:1-2).
