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Atheism is the death of hope, the suicide of the soul.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Adversities do not make the man either weak or strong, but they reveal what
he is.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Heaven is worth dying for; but the world is not worth living for. If the
way to heaven be narrow, it is not long; and if the gate be strait, it opens
into endless life.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Some people will believe anything if it is whispered to them.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
We can never profit from our mistakes as long as we blame others for them.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
You can't sit on the lid of progress. If you do, you will be blown to
pieces.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
If you keep yourself and your tools ready, God will find the work.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
If the devil catches a man idle, he'll set him at work.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
If you are blessed with a sympathetic disposition, don't waste it on
yourself.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
What good does a golden key that opens nothing?
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Deliberate with caution, but act with decision; and yield with graciousness,
or oppose with firmness.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Experience is an excellent school-master; but he does charge dreadful
wages.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
A man's reputation is a blend of what his friends, enemies and acquaintances
may say behind his back.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
A man with a pet sin is like a little boy with a dirty neck. Neither one
wants to have anything done about it.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Playing with Christianity is a game in which there are no winners.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Co-operation would solve most of our problems. Even freckles would make a
nice coat of tan if they would only get together.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
If you cannot hate evil, you cannot love good.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The best way to wipe out a friendship is to sponge on it.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
If you desire to escape criticism, then you must be content to do nothing.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Discouragement is not a sin; but quiting is.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Successful men may smile and often do, but success didn't put the smile there;
the smile put success there.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
We are not responsible for many of the things that happen to us, but we are
responsible for the way we act when they do happen.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Men and pins who lose their heads are useless.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
A little sin and a lovable sinner are the greatest enemies of the soul.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Another form of wastefulness is expenditure of words beyond the income of
ideas.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
If we are not contented with what we have, we would not be contented with
what we would like to have.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Let that which is best be for God.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Be not apt to relate news, if you know not the truth thereof.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The light of friendship is like the light of phosphorus - seen when all around
is dark.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Real faith is often nourished by the very things that threaten its existence.
Prosperity and ease are trying on faith, while adversity and affliction nourish
it.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
An old, quaint writer tells of men who talk by the pound, and live by the
ounce; who have heaven on their tongue's end, but the world on their finger's
end.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The church is made up of willing people - a few willing to work, and the
rest willing to let them do it.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Some people cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
There are two sides to any question. And the same is true of fly paper, but
it makes a lot of difference to the fly which side he chooses.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
A person centered on self lacks a lot being well balanced.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
You can often learn a lot about a person from what he says about others.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
You can take your children to church if you take the church to your
children.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The reason people pass one door to patronize another store; Is not because
the busier place has better sils or gloves or lace;
Or cheaper prices; but it lies in pleasing words and smiling eyes.
The only difference, I believe, is in the treatment folks receive.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
There is no place where God is not.
The whole wide world is a garden spot
Where the flowers of truth eternally bloom,
Where the tares and weeds can find no room.
There is no place where God is not.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Jealousy is to the soul what sickness is to the body.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Some folks aren't interested in anything unless its none of their business.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin and from Brixton Road
Church of Christ Bulletin]
There are many men who can calculate costs, and so few who can measure
values.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
When you return to your boyhood town, you find it wasn't the town you longed
for - it was your boyhood.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
What naggers never understand is finely expressed in an old Yiddish proverb:
"protest long enough that you are right, and you will be wrong."
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
It is with our judgements as with our watches; no two go just alike, yet
each believes his own.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
If you wouldn't write it and sign it, don't say it.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride
worthwhile.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
You don't have to know how to sing; it's feeling as though you want to that
makes the day successful.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The devil always sets a trap
Where Christians take a nap;
But one is safe from Satan's wrath
Within the narrow path.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
One of these days is none of these days.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The hardest work is being idle.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Anger is a bad counsellor.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
When you have to make a choice and don't make it, that is in itself a
choice.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
There's nothing so annoying as arguing with a person who knows what he's
talking about.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
More good things in life are lost by indifference than ever were lost by
active hostility.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The difficult part in an argument is not to defend one's opinion but rather
to know it.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
A secret is what you tell someone else not to tell because you can't keep
it to yourself.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
No matter what happens, there's always somebody who knew it would.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
He who is impatient waits twice.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes
to sit down and listen.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The Book tight shut, is but a block of paper.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
It is very easy to forgive others their mistakes; it takes more grit and
gumption to forgive them for having witnessed your own.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Kindness is never wasted. If it has no effect on the recipient, at least
it benefits the bestower.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
We do not err because truth is difficult to see. It is visible at a glance.
We err because this is more comfortable.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
There has never been a statue erected to the memory of someone who let well
enough alone.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
You cannot be your brother's keeper if you are caged by selfishness.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Temperance is moderation in the things that are good and total abstinence
from the things that are foul.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Temptations are like tramps. Treat them kindly and they return bringing others
with them.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
A person who hides behind the hypocrite is smaller than the hypocrite.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Humility is strong - not bold; quiet - not speechless; sure - not arrogant.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The true disciple of Jesus is neither a miser nor a spendthrift, but a
steward.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Forgiving the unrepentant is like drawing pictures on water.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The fear of God kills all other fears.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
He that has lost faith, what has he left to live one?
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Faith must have adequate evidence, else it is mere superstition.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
On the whole, more people are cheated by believing nothing than by believing
too much.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Good morals are nobler than good manners, but not to popular.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Self-control is more important than self-expression.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
A sound argument must have more than sound in it.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
It is doubtful whether one can be good without being good for something.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The strong should bear - not bare - the infirmities of the weak.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
If one wishes to be a knocker, he needs neither brains nor education.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Don't consult your bank book to ascertain your real wealth.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The man who sows seeds of kindness enjoys a perpetual harvest.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
It is better to make a life than a living.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Remember, there has never been an over-production of kind words.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The expert fault-finder has no reason to be proud of his accomplishment.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
It was not an accident that seventeen of the thirty-six parables of our Lord
had to do with property and stewardship.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
It is possible to give without loving, but it is impossible to love without
giving.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
An empty, meaningless faith may be worse than none.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
He who is small in faith will never be great in anything but failure.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Any doctrine that will not bear investigation is not a fit tenant for the
mind of an honest man.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Conscience tells us that we ought to do right, but it does not tell us what
right is - that, we are taught by God's word.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Good advice infrequently taken: no thyself.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
We all love a good lover - if it isn't us.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Vision is the art of seeing things invisible.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The sign on the door of opportunity reads, PUSH.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Patience is the ability to let your light shine after the fuse is blown.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
I have always admired the ability to bite off more than one can chew, and
then chew it.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Pessimism can poison and pollute personalities, projects, and places of
employment.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Success and failure is caused more by mental attitude than by mental
capacities.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin and from Worth quoting
by Joe R. Barnett from 20th Century Christian]
Nobody can make a fool of us - the Lord has fixed it so that no one can rob
us of that prerogative.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The church has less to fear from energetic devils, than from idle saints.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
When opportunity knocks, too many people complain about the noise.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Some people complain because God put thorns on roses, while others praise
Him for putting roses among thorns.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Treat your inferiors as you would be treated by your betters.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Liberty of conscience is nowadays not only understood to be the liberty of
believing what men please, but also of endeavouring to propagate that belief
as much as they can.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Giving until it hurts is not a true measure of charity. Some are more easily
hurt than others.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
We can never be the better for our religion if our neighbor is the worse
for it.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Obedience to God is the most infallible evidence of sincere and supreme love
to him.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
It isn't necessary to blow the other fellow's light out in order to let your
own shine.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
A man who bows down to nothing, can never bear the burden of himself.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
There are briers besetting every path,
Which call for patient care;
There is a cross in every lot,
And an earnest need for prayer;
But a lowly heart that leans on Thee;
Is happy anywhere.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Faith, repentance, and baptism: which is the most important, you ask? Which
is the most important leg of a three-legged stool?
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Christ is the Sun of righteousness. Christians are as moons reflecting his
light. When we let the world come between us and the Christ there is a total
eclipse.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
It used to be papa dealt out a stern code of discipline to Junior. Then the
electric razor took away his razor strap, furnaces took away the woodshed,
and tax worries away his hair and the hairbrush. That's why kids are running
wild today. Dad ran out of weapons.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Wisdom goes not always by years.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Is our prayer just giving God a shopping list?
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The cost of failure is greater than the price of success.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
For those who live it right, life grows better the longer it lasts and the
better eternity looks.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
One never properly respects the word of God when he disregards the silence
of God.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The fellow who digs in does more than scratch the surface.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
There is a lot of difference between getting up steam and being full of hot
air.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Airing your opinions may not help the ventilation any.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
We grumble about the things we want to do but can't, instead of doing the
things we can do but don't.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
A "go-getter" is one who, finding a worm in his apple this morning, has fish
for dinner tonight. Discouraging situations only challenge the manhood in
men.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The bigger a man's head gets the easier it is to fill his shoes.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin and from Sycamore
Sunbeam]
The only way to have a friend is to be one.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
A shady business never yields a sunny life.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Jesus has never slept for an hour while one of His disciples watched and
prayed in agony.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin and from Brixton Road
Church of Christ Bulletin]
The person who is all wrapped up in himself is overdressed.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
A white lie gets tanned from exposure.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Character is not made in crisis, it is only exhibited.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Every time you obey God you pull up the shade and let in more light.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The best business to stay out of is the other fellow's.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The yoke of God will never fit on a stiff neck.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
A man shows what he is by what he does with what he has.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
A hungry soul wants bread, not amusement.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The steps to the church are the right ones.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Until a boy is about fourteen years old, he does what his father says; after
that he does what his father does.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Gratitude is a vital need in friendship.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
To carry a care to bed is to sleep with a pack on your back.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The hardest secret for a man to keep is his opinion of himself.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Temper gets us into trouble. Pride keeps us there.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Doing nothing is the most tiresome thing in the world because it is impossible
to quit and take a rest.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin also from The Sycamore
Sunbeam]
It's a first-class mistake to treat anyone as a second-class person.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Before one can hope to be respected by others, he must have reason to respect
himself.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Alibis are like weeds - once you start growing them, they may become your
only harvest.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The only way to keep from growing old is to die young.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Patience is the balance wheel of progress.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Poor service is dear at any price.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
When you get into a fight with your conscience and get licked, you win.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Errors, like straws, upon the surface flow;
He who would search for pearls must dive below.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
He who will not reason, is a bigot;
he who cannot is a fool; and
he who dares not is a slave.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Words show a man's wit, but action his meaning.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Truth, like oil, in time will rise to surface.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Waiting for tomorrow - waste of today.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
To destroy a false prophet one must first unmask him before the eyes of the
believers.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Facts, like photographic film, must be exposed before developing.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
A hasty conclusion is like a toy balloon - easy to blow up, easy to pop.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
It is easy to criticise, but more difficult to correct.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
A wise man questions himself; a fool, others.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Silence is the best answer when you are uncertain.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Kindness in the heart is better than gold in the bank.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to
be broken.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
One example is worth a thousand arguments.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
No amount of riches can atone for poverty of character.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
You will never be sorry...
for thinking before acting;
for hearing before judging;
for forgiving your enemies;
for being candid and frank;
for helping a fallen brother;
for being honest in business;
for thinking before speaking;
for standing for your principles;
for stopping your ears to gossip;
for bridling a slanderous tongue;
for harbouring only pure thoughts;
for sympathizing with the afflicted;
for being courteous and kind to all.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
A false friend and a shadow attend only when the sun shines.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
A flatterer never seems absurd: the flattered always takes his word.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
A long life may not be good enough, but a good life is long enough.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Anger is never without reason, but seldom with a good one.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
An honest man will receive neither money nor praise that is not due him.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
As we must account for every idle word, so we must for every idle silence.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Death takes no bribes.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
He that cannot obey, cannot command.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
It is nice to be handsome, but it is a great deal handsomer to be nice.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The more you strain at being natural the more unnatural you appear.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Life is a solo, not a duet; others complete a harmony, but no one can sing
your part.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
When a fellow has half knowledge of a subject he finds that it's the other
half that would really come in handy.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
If fate hands us a lemon, let's try to make a lemonade.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Make yourself an honest man and then you may be sure that there is one less
rascal in the world.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
It takes the hammer of practice to drive the nail of success.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
A man needs a little trouble to give him strength - just as he needs something
besides sugar to eat.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Maturity is that point at which a man realizes it's more important what he
is than how he looks.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Better by far you should forget and smile, than that you should remember
and be sad.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
What is Love?
It's SILENCE when your words would hurt;
it's PATIENCE when your neighbor's curt;
it's DEAFNESS when the scandal flows;
it's THOUGHTFULNESS for another's woes;
it's PROMPTNESS when stern duty calls;
it's COURAGE when misfortune falls.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
He who has no inclination to learn more, will be apt to think he knows
enough.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The man who minds his own business will always have something to do.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The measure of a man's goodness is not just the ill he avoids, but the good
he does.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Keeping your heart shining, and you will soon have a face to match it.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Brooding over one's troubles insures a perfect hatch.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The ladder of life is full of splinters, but they always prick the hardest
when we're sliding down.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin and from Brixton Road
Church of Christ Bulletin]
If you must carry a chip on your shoulder, get a job in a timber yard, where
it won't be noticed.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
People seldom improve when they have no model but themselves to copy after.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
The great use of life is to spend it from something that will outlast it.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Easy street is hard to find.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops
on yourself.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin and from Brixton Road
Church of Christ Bulletin]
Men have to find the truth; not because it is lost; but because they are
lost.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Children brought up in Sunday school are seldom brought up in court.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
None have any more religion than that which he lives.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Whisky is expensive. It costs a man dollars and sense.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
No one can be happy without a friend; and no one can know what friends he
has till he is unhappy.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
No person is so insignificant as to be sure his example can do no hurt.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
A flying rumor never has any trouble in making a landing.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
It's all right to drink like a fish...providing you drink what a fish does.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
One trouble with worry is that it is applied too late or too early.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
A teacher who is attempting to teach without inspiring the pupil to learn
is hammering on cold iron.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Bad habits gather by unseen degrees.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
A friend is one who knows all about you, and likes you just the same.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
A kindness is a language that the deaf can hear, the blind can see and the
dumb can understand.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
An egotist is one who is always ME-deep in conversation.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
As the evolutionist sees it:
Once I was a tadpole, a beginning to be;
Then I was a toad frog with movements so free;
Then I was a monkey on a bamboo tree;
But now I'm a professor with a PhD.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Would I be called a "Christian" if everyone knew;
My secret thoughts and feelings and everything I do?
Oh, could they see the likeness of Christ in me each day?
Oh, could they hear him speaking in every word I say?
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
I would rather be a "has been" who has fought for noble cause,
Although I had lost the battle than to be a "never was."
I would rather toil and labor for a principle or right,
Than to ride to easy riches won by mailed fist of might.
I would rather have a record of an honest, humble name;
Than to win success and honor that has caused distress or shame.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Purpose is what gives life meaning.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Both rain and hard work can be unpleasant - but we must have them to produce
a harvest.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
In trying times, don't stop trying.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
It is well to remember that mansions in the sky cannot be built out of the
mud thrown at others.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
A man who trims himself to suit everybody will soon whittle himself away.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
If you are satisfied with yourself you had better change your ideal.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Language, like linen, looks best when it is clean.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Ideas are funny things. They don't work unless you do.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Too many parents tie up their dogs and let their children run loose.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
Prepare and prevent instead of repair and repent.
[from The Messenger...Nelson Church of Christ bulletin]
THE RADIANCE OF GOD'S GLORY
(Heb. 1:1-3)
Before he ascended into heaven, Jesus told his apostles that he had been
given all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt.
28:18). The book of Hebrews begins by informing us that God speaks to
us in these last days by his Son. Hence the New Testament record is the supreme
and final word of God for our age. To impress this on us, we are informed
that Jesus Christ is "heir of all things" and, hence, there can be no greater
authority for us to respect. Through Jesus Christ, God "made the universe"
(Heb. 1:2; John 1:3;
Col. 1:16) and so we live through him
(I Cor. 8:6).
Jesus Christ is "the radiance of God's glory", whose image is presented in the gospel (John 1:14; II Cor. 4:4). He is "the exact representation" of the Father, and so he could say "anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). Jesus Christ "sustains all things by his powerful word" and so "he is before all things, and in him all things hold together" (Col. 1:17). He "provided purification for sins" and John the Baptist described him as...(John 1:29). Jesus Christ is "at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven"...(Eph. 1:20-21).
So let us think how great he is and how much we owe him for what he has done
for us. By honoring Jesus, we honor the Father who sent him to us.
[from The Truth in Love, no. 47, Nov. 29, 1992, p. 6]
ARE LITTLE CHILDREN IN NEED OF REDEMPTION
(Luke 18:15-17)
Children are unreservedly acceptable to God at a stage of innocence in their
development. Although the passage in Luke
18:15-17 refers to people "bringing babies to Jesus", it is clear that
these included children of an age who could respond when he "called the children
to him."
The apostle Paul referred to a time in his own life when he was "alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died" (Rom. 7:9). That is, before Paul attained an age of accountability he was "alive". As he grew older, his actions became subject to judgement of God's law and, since he could not observe the law faultlessly, he "died" as a sinner (I John 3:4). It requires an ability to understand and believe in God to transfer a person from a state of spiritual "death" to "life" in Christ (John 5:24; Rom. 6:11). These little children are not able to do until they reach an age of understanding. It is wrong to encourage little children to sing the popular denominational hymn "When He cometh...to make up his jewels" because of the stanza which includes the words "Little children who love their Redeemer are the jewels...his loved and his own..." It implies that little children need redemption and that only such little children as are taught to call Jesus "their redeemer" are loved by him. This idea, of course, is abhorrent. All little children are love by him, whether they have learned about him or not.
Such hymns have been composed by those who accept the commonly-taught errors
of "original sin" and "hereditary depravity". This is no Bible support for
these teachings (Eze. 18). There is also no
Bible support for the commonly-practiced ritual of "infant baptism" associated
with this error.
[from The Truth in Love, no. 48, Dec. 6, 1992, p. 4]
DON'T YOU HAVE AN ORDAINED MINISTER?
From time to time questions like this are asked by visitors. The concept of an ordained "clergy" derives from the long-held traditions of the denominational churches, but not from God's word. Likewise, the present public furore over ordination of women priests comes from the same misconception of God's teaching about the roles of his people in the church.
There is no "clergy/laity" dichotomy in the Lord's church. God has ordained all Christians to be ministers (translated from the New Testament Greek word for 'servants').
The inspired apostle Peter addressed Christians and
wrote...(I Pet. 4:10).
I Pet. 4:11tells us that every member of the
Lord's church has a God-given gift: whether it be preaching, serving, teaching,
encouraging, sharing, giving, leading or helping
(Rom. 12:4-8).
(I Cor. 12:18, 27).
Consider the ministry of Dorcas who is described in God's word as one who
was...(Acts 9:36). Could you imagine God deeming
her ministry to be of less value than that of say, Barnabas who was sent
from the church at Jerusalem to the new church at Antioch
(Acts 11:23). His ministry was different
from that of Dorcas, but both of them were "faithful ministers of God's grace
in its various forms".
Whatever gift God has given us, let us exercise our particular gift or gifts
so that we may be like Dorcas (Acts 9:36)
and Barnabas (Acts 11:24). There must be
no envy for another's gift different from one's own, and there is no place
for worldly ambition seeking promotion in the church
(III John 9). The apostle Paul rebuked those
in the church at Corinth for discriminating between Apollos and himself
(I Cor. 3:8).
[from The Truth in Love, no. 48, Dec. 6, 1992, p. 13]
WELCOME!!!
In worship we sit at the feet of Jesus; to learn from Him, to adore and praise
Him, and to prepare our minds and hearts to serve Him. Within the framework
of our submission, He fulfills our every need! We're happy that you're a
part of this experience today.
[from Sycamore chapel bulletin, Nov. 15, 1992, p. 2]
THE WORLD IS MINE
Today upon a bus I saw a lovely maiden with golden hair;
I envied her, she seemed so happy I wished I were as fair.
When suddenly she arose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle.
O God, forgive me when I whine,
I have two feet, the world is mind.
And when I stopped to buy some sweets, the lad who sold them had such charm.
I talked with him, he said to me, "It's nice to talk with folks like you.
You see," he said, "I'm blind."
O God, forgive me when I whine,
I have two eyes, the world is mine.
Then walking down the street, I saw a child with eyes of blue.
He stood and watched the others play; it seemed he knew not what to do.
I stopped a moment then I said, "Why don't you join the others dear?"
He looked ahead without a word, and then I knew, he could not hear.
O God, forgive me when I whine;
I have two ears, the world is mine.
With feet to take me where I'd go, with eyes to see the sunset's glow,
With ears to hear what I would know,
O God, forgive me when I whine.
I'm blessed indeed, the world is mine!
[from Sycamore chapel bulletin, Nov. 15, 1992, p. 3]
SERMONS - NOT REMEMBERED, BUT...
There was an article in one of our church papers entitled, "32,850 Sermons Later." It started off with a letter printed in the British Weekly from one of their English readers. The British letter went like this:
Dear Sir: It seems ministers feel their sermons are very important and spend a great deal of time preparing them. I have been attending a church quite regularly for the past 30 years, and I have probably heard 3,000. To my consternation, I discovered that I cannot remember a single one. I wonder if a minister's time might be more profitably spent on something else? Sincerely..."
For weeks a real storm of editorial responses ensued. The uproar finally was ended by this letter:
"Dear Sir: I have been married for 30 years. During that time I have eaten
32,580 meals--mostly of my wife's cooking. Suddenly, I have discovered that
I cannot remember the menu of a single meal. And yet, I have received nourishment
from every single one of them. I have the distinct impression that without
them, I would have starved to death long ago. Sincerely..."
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Nov. 22, 1992, p. 3]
He who is good at making excuses is seldom good for anything else.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Nov. 22, 1992, p. 2]
A RICH AND FULL LIFE
1. Learn to enjoy the present - enjoy today!
2. Have faith in the promises of God.
3. May I learn to receive and appreciate the friendship of others.
4. Learn to act sincerely and spontaneously rather than on the basis of how
others expect me to act.
5. Spend little time and energy in judging and interpreting the actions of
others.
6. Learn to express appreciation and give praise often.
7. Feel for others - be sensitive.
8. I must be willing to die for what I live for
(Matt. 16:26).
9. Work to simplify my life.
10. Learn from what most people consider to be failures.
11. Resolve to be tender and caring with the young and with the old.
12. Do not equate money with success.
13. Do not seek confrontation but seek to be at peace with all people.
14. Accept my personal limitations.
15. Be in control of my finances.
16. Feed my mind on that which will build and strengthen me.
17. Spend time with people of faith and strength.
18. Work to keep my health.
19. I must count my blessings often.
20. Resolve to listen more and talk less.
21. I will learn to be joyful, to smile much and to laugh often.
[by Harvey Starling from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Jan. 10, 1993, p. 2]
IT'S A FUNNY THING
It's a funny thing, but true,
That folks you don't like don't like you!
I don't know why this should be so,
But, just the same, I always know
If I am friendly, folks are too.
Sometimes, I get up in the morn
A-wishin' I was never born;
Of cross remarks I make a few,
And then my family wishes, too,
That I had gone some other place
Instead of showing them my face.
But, let me change my little tune,
And sing and smile--then, pretty soon,
The folks around me sing and smile;
I guess 'twas catchin' all the while.
Yes, it's a funny thing, but true,
That folks you like will sure like you.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Jan. 3, 1993, p. 3]
A NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION
I will, like PAUL, forget those things which are behind and press forward; like DAVID, lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help; like ABRAHAM, trust implicit in my God; like ENOCH, walk in daily fellowship with my heavenly Father; like Jehoshaphat, prepare my heart to seek God; like MOSES, choose rather to suffer than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; like DANIEL, commune with my God at all times; like JOB, be patient under all circumstances; like CALEB and JOSHUA, refuse to be discouraged because of superior numbers; like JOSEPH, turn my back on seductive advances; like GIDEON, advance even though my friends be few; like ISAIAH, consecrate myself to do God's work; like ANDREW, strive to lead my brother into a closer walk with CHRIST; like JOHN, lean upon the bosom of the Master and imbibe of His Spirit; like STEPHEN, manifest a forgiving spirit toward all who seek my hurt; like TIMOTHY, study the Word of God; like the HEAVENLY HOST, proclaim the message of peace on earth and good will toward all men; like my LORD himself, overcome all earthly allurements by refusing to succumb to their enticements.
Realizing that I cannot hope to achieve these objectives by my own strength,
I will rely upon Jesus Christ, for, "I can do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me."
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Jan. 3, 1993, p. 2]
GOD'S LAMPS
The lamps of God shine bright and clear,
Although earths nights are long;
His lamps have burned years after year,
And still they are going strong.
How futile are material things,
Eternity is long;
As the ages roll the spirit sings,
"God's lamps are going strong."
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Dec. 27, 1992, p. 2]
APPROACHING THE NEW YEAR
How are you approaching this New Year? With fear? Dread? Uncertainty? A very somber minister dressed all in black was driving his buggy along a lonely road when he overtook a young man walking along that same road. The minister stopped and with dark, gloomy tones invited the young man to ride with him. As they were riding along the minister thought to himself that he had not said anything to this young man about his soul. So in a deep, ministerial voice he asked, "Young man are you prepared to die?" With a voice as white as death the young man jumped over the back of the buggy and lighted on the ground. Rushing down the road he shouted back, "Not if I can help it."
Psa. 118:24 gives the ideal way to approach this New Year and every day of it. The psalmist is saying that when we let every day be a God-given day it will be a God-governed day and will become a God-gladdened day. This little verse tells us five things to do to approach the New Year properly.
See each day as a gift from God. "This is the day the Lord has made..." You have a day that God has made. It is a gift from God. Every day God gives you enough time to work, laugh, love and for leisure. All of us have the same amount of time in each day--24 hours, 1440 minutes or 86,000 seconds.
Learn to live in the present tense. "This IS the day..." There are two days all should refuse to live in. One is yesterday and the other is tomorrow. Paul said, "To forget the things that are behind..." Forget past guilt, past grief, past grudges, and past glories. Live in the now. Don't anticipate tomorrow. So many people endure today so they can enjoy tomorrow. Enjoy today! Don't worry about tomorrow. When you worry you don't take the sorrow out of tomorrow but its strength. God gives us grace and strength each day.
Prioritize the day. "This is the DAY..." Redeem the time says Paul in Eph. 5:16. To kill time is to commit suicide by degrees. To kill time is to really kill self because time and life are the same thing. To use your time wisely, get alone with God and get the mind of God, make a priority list of things that must be done, do it daily, and do it in the power of the Holy Spirit.
See procrastination as a sin. The day is passing. Time can't be stopped. You can put money in the bank but not time. Time can be called in a ball game but not in life. You use time or lose it forever. Somebody put this ad in a periodical: "Lost - a golden hour studded with 60 diamond minutes. No reward offered. For it is lost forever."
Choose to enjoy today. "...we will rejoice and be glad in it." Happiness is a choice. You can choose to be happy or unhappy. One husband when asked what his wife did said she was in the manufacturing business. When the inquirer asked, "What does she manufacture?" the husband replied pointedly, "Her own unhappiness."
Approach the New Year by saying, "This is the day the Lord has made; I will
rejoice and be glad in it."
[by Douglas F. Parsons from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Dec. 27, 1992, p. 2]
Have you ever run away from problems instead of facing them. Everything that
is faced can be changed but nothing can be changed until it is faced.
[from Radio Rhema]
"PERFECT" PREACHER
I read the following in Tuesday December 8's "Dear Abby" column entitled "Committee judgmental about 'perfect' pastor" the TENNESSEAN.
Dear Abby: One of the toughest tasks a church faces is choosing a good minister.
A member of an official board undergoing this painful process finally lost patience. He's watched the pastoral relations committee reject applicant after applicant for some fault, alleged or otherwise. It was time for a bit of soul-searching on the part of the committee, so he stood up and read a letter purporting to be from another applicant.
"Gentleman: Understanding your pulpit is vacant, I should like to apply for the position. I have many qualifications. I've been a preacher with much success and also have had some success as a writer. Some say I'm a good organizer. I've been a leader most places I've been.
"I'm over 50 years of age. I have never preached in one place for more than three years. In some places, I have left town after my work caused riots and disturbances. I must admit I have been in jail three or four times, but not because of any real wrongdoing.
"My health is not too good, though I still get a great deal done. The churches I have preached in have been small though located in several large cities.
"I've not gotten along well with religious leaders in towns where I have preached. In fact, some have threatened me and even attacked me physically. I am not too good at keeping records. I have been known to forget whom I baptized.
"However, if you can use me, I shall do my best for you."
The board member looked over the committee. "Well, what do you think? Shall we call him?"
The good church folks were aghast. Call an unhealthy, trouble-making, absentminded ex-jailbird? Was the board member crazy? Who signed the application? Who has such nerve?
The board member eyed them all keenly before he answered. "It's signed, 'The
Apostle Paul.'"
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Dec. 20, 1992, p. 2]
Youngster, as dad reads a bedtime story: "Mummy, he's speed reading again."
Patience is the thing you admire in the driver behind you and scorn in the one ahead.
"Son," a father told his growing boy, "just remember one thing. I know a lot more about being young than you do about being old."
"I must do something" will always solve more problems than "something must
be done."
THE HOLE IN THE FENCE
There's trouble in the land. No wide-awake person will deny that! These upheavals
have caused many parents to express apprehension concerning the future of
their children. That's understandable. When our children graduate from high
school and leave home, many of them leave the church. Suddenly, they are
exposed to an environment hostile to Christ, and even to the basic principles
of morality. If a young person is not equipped to handle this, he is in grave
trouble.
Unfortunately, at a time when families should be doing everything in their
power to "beef up" their spiritual defenses and intensifying their fight
against Satan, many are permitting a safeguard to be torn down. Neglect of
Sunday evening services, absence from prayer meeting, and failure to encourage
children to become totally involved in church centered activities are some
of the more obvious evidences of this foolish neglect. Parents need to get
their priorities straight. Those of us who preach seldom have the courage
to remind weeping parents of the problem, but when dads and moms begin crying
over what has happened to their kids, they should be reminded of the days
when they chose camping instead of church, weekend trips or night recreation
instead of Sunday night inspiration. It only takes one hole in the fence
to let the sheep out. It's amazing how prolific some people are at inventing
new excuses to rationalize their habitual neglect. I would much prefer a
person to be honest enough to say, "I just don't want to" than to forever
blame job, health, grandma, or the baby. What advantage is there in covering
up the real facts in the case? That only adds to sin! Parents, give your
kids a break! Put first things first. Let nothing interfere with regular
church attendance. Be sure they are deeply involved with youth programs.
Then, after they've gone from home with good training, you can do what you
want with your own life. And I have a feeling that by that time, you'll be
thrilled with putting spiritual things first and will make it a lifetime
policy.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Nov. 8, 1992, p. 3]
If God were as unmerciful to us as we are to each other, heaven wouldn't
have to be very large to hold all the saved.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Nov. 1, 1992, p. 3]
ELECTIONS
(Jer. 29:7)
To the Christian, good citizenship is a responsibility. We may feel that
we have little to say concerning the running of our nations, but we have
infinitely more of a voice in government than did the Christians who were
citizens of Imperial Rome. To these, in a context dealing with responsibilities
toward governing powers, Paul said, "Be ready to do whatever is good."
In a democratic society, we have the privilege of selecting our governing officials. This year, as usual, many are complaining that there is no clearly positive choice among the candidates.
That may or may not be so. In any case, Christians are not freed from the
responsibility to vote. Besides, that kind of response reflects a fatalism
that is not really Christian. We must not forget that God will ultimately
have His way in our world. It is He who establishes "the powers that be."
The fact that our choices seem less than positive does not excuse us from
participating in the democratic process, which, though imperfect, still gives
us more liberty than any nation in history has ever known.
[by Ruel D. Catlett from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Nov. 1, 1992, p. 3]
Some folks think they are honest; yet they rob God of their giving, rob Christ
of their worship, rob the church of their service, and rob their children
of their religious birthright - all by not going to church.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Nov. 1, 1992, p. 2]
WHEN I HAVE LOST MY TEMPER
When I have lost my temper I have lost my reason too.
I'm never too proud of anything which angrily I do.
When I have talked in anger, and my cheeks are flaming red,
I've always uttered something which I wish I hadn't said.
In anger I have never done a kindly deed or wise,
But many things for which I felt I should apologize.
In looking back across my life, and all I've lost or made,
I can't recall a single time when fury ever paid!
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Nov. 1, 1992, p. 2]
No dream comes true unless you wake up and go to work.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Oct. 25, 1992, p. 3]
YOU ARE THE CHRIST!
(Matt. 16:16)
To him all the prophets bear witness (Acts
10:43)
1. In Adam's day - a witness to mankind. (Gen.
3:15)
2. In Abraham's day - a witness to Gentiles. (Gen.
22:18; Gal. 3:8;
Gal. 3:16)
3. In Jacob's day - a witness to Israel. (Gen.
49:10; Eze. 21:27)
4. In Isaiah's day - a witness to the family. (Isa.
11:1-2)
5. In Micah's day - a witness to the town. (Micah
5:2)
6. In Daniel's day - a witness to the interim period.
(Dan. 9:25)
7. In Mary's day - a witness to the mother. (Luke
1:30-31; Isa. 7:14)
8. In the shepherd's day - a witness to the time.
(Luke 2:10-11)
9. In Ceasar's day - a witness to the new kingdom.
(John 18:36; Dan.
2:44)
[from The Truth in Love, no. 45, Nov. 15, 1992, p. 9]
STRENGTHEN THE THINGS THAT REMAIN
(Heb. 8:5; Exo.
25:40)
This was God's direction to Moses concerning the making of the tabernacle.
This was where the Israelites, under the first covenant, were to offer sacrifices
to God.
A long time before, God gave Noah specific instructions for building the ark which was to save him and his family during the flood upon the world of his time. (Gen. 6:22.)
When Jesus came into this world to save those who would believe in him, he was careful to do exactly as his Father had told him...(John 12:49-50).
Just as God gave Moses a pattern to follow in constructing the tabernacle, so he gave us, through his Son, a pattern to follow in serving him in the church. Through the apostle Paul, God tells us...(I Cor. 4:6). The apostle John wrote...(II John 9). The apostles' teaching (the New Testament letters) give us God's pattern for worship and for daily Christian living, as Jesus had promised (John 14:26; John 15:26; Matt. 28:18-20). This is God's word which we must preach, the sound doctrine we must heed and the truth we must obey - instead of any other message and practice which are of man's devising (II Tim. 4:2-4).
God has not changed that pattern and we should not tamper with it
(Rev. 22:18-19). God's word
is...(Jude 3), and we should humbly accept and
observe it.
(Rev. 3:1-6)
The church in Sardis
Throughout the world today there are many thousands of "churches of Christ" (Rom. 16:16), congregations of God's people in every place, patterned after the churches of the first century described in the New Testament. Each of these congregations is represented by one or other of the seven churches described in Rev. 2-Rev. 3.
One of the saddest descriptions is that of "the church in Sardis" (Rev. 3:1-6). This church had "a reputation of being alive", but it was "dead" (Rev. 3:1). Yet there were a few people in that church whom the Lord counted "worthy" (Rev. 3:4). The church in Sardis was really a church within a church. There was a group of people meeting together in Sardis, actively repeating the forms of worship and of church life but, in reality, only a few people in the group were acknowledged by Christ (Rev. 3:5). An estimate made by men is not always the same as that made by God, and only the latter assessment counts.
Are we "the church in Sardis" where we meet?
A reputation of being alive
The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome and commended them, because...(Rom. 1:8), and he added that...(Rom. 16:19). He wrote to the church in Thessalonica that...(I Thes. 1:8). These churches had justifiable reputations for being alive, since their faith in and obedience to God were demonstrated by their evangelistic fervour.
While the church in Sardis came into existence because of evangelism, and grew because of it, it had then rested on its laurels, fallen asleep, became weak in its witness, many of its members soiled their garments with sin, and began to die. It had, like the churches in Galatia, established an early reputation of "running well", but then became...(Gal. 5:7). And, like the churches in Galatia, the church in Sardis needed to...(Rev. 3:3; Gal. 1:6-9).
The fact that there has been no known church of the Lord in Sardis since that early warning suggests that it had failed to repent, and that its light had gone out long ago.
Is the church with which each of us meets in danger of dying?
A message to receive and obey
Jesus Christ...(Heb. 5:9). He commissioned his apostles to teach new converts to...(Matt. 28:20). When those apostles began to preach Jesus' message...(Acts 2:41-47). That church in Jerusalem grew, because...(Acts 5:42). Thus...(Acts 6:7). Later, some of those disciples in the Jerusalem church went elsewhere telling the same message and in Antioch, for example...(Acts 11:19-26).
The kind of evangelistic zeal which the church in Jerusalem had was what established churches elsewhere, including Antioch and Sardis. Sardis had failed in its purpose and it was called upon...(Rev. 3:3). Otherwise, as the Lord warned the church at Ephesus...(Rev. 2:5). The light would go out and the Lord would no longer recognise that church as his own.
Is the light in the church where we meet in danger of extinction?
A few worthy people
Even in the dying church in Sardis, there were...(Rev. 3:4). Churches living on a past reputation may still have a few worthy members who try to continue faithfully obeying their Lord but, sadly without support, and often opposition, from their brethren. These worthy people may become discouraged and leave, and then the church in that place will be no more the Lord's church.
What is the state of the church with which I meet? What is my state within that church?
Some important lessons
While the Lord described the church in Sardis as "dead", it is important to note that there was still hope for that church, so long as it turned back to the message it had heard in the first place and obeyed it (Rev. 3:2-3).
The Lord is patient with an erring church, but he urges its lax and indifferent members to heed his warning and respond. If they fail to do so, he will remove the light from that church and it will be left in darkness.
Faithful members in such a church may be disheartened by the spiritual deadness there, but they must continue to urge their erring brethren to repent - for the sake of the souls of their brethren and for the sake of the witness of that church.
Let us learn the lesson from what happened at Sardis. By keeping our eyes
fixed on Jesus and faithfully following in his steps, we won't be discouraged
by erring brethren. By faithful teaching and example, we can be the Lord's
trusted witnesses still, even in a dying church.
(Rev. 3:5)
[from The Truth in Love, no. 45, Nov. 15, 1992, p. 2-3, 12-13]
WATCH OUT FOR THOSE WHO CAUSE DIVISIONS
(Rom. 16:17-19)
At the beginning of his letter to the Christians in Rome, the apostle Paul
stated that the Lord had commissioned the apostles
(Rom. 1:5; Matt.
28:19-20; Acts 1:8;
Acts 2:39; Acts
10:34-43; Acts 11:1-18;
Acts 15:1-18;
Acts 17:16-31; Acts 26:16-23). Paul
had cause to thank God for these Roman Christians
whose...(Rom. 1:8). In addition, at the conclusion
of his letter, Paul expressed joy that...(Rom.
16:19).
It should be clear from reading the Lord's New Testament message that it calls people to believe in him and to obey him (John 3:36; John 14:23-24; Rom. 6:17; Heb. 5:9; I Pet. 1:2; I Pet. 1:14; I Pet. 1:22; I John 2:3-6; I John 3:21-24; I John 5:2-3). Yet some people seem to profess to believe in Jesus while pleasing themselves how they behave. "The obedience that comes from faith" is the response of love (I John 4:19; Eph. 2:10; Titus 2:14; James 1:22-25).
Jesus urges his followers to...(Matt. 10:16), and Paul repeated that advice...(Rom. 16:19). Christians must be guileless but not gullible; especially when it comes to judging who does and who does not...(II Tim. 2:15; Matt. 7:15-27; Acts 17:11; Acts 20:28-31; Gal. 1:6-9; Gal. 5:7; I Tim. 6:3-5; II Tim. 4:1-5; II Pet. 2:1-22; II John 9-11).
There is an important difference between Paul's warning to discern and avoid
false teachers (Rom. 16:17-18), and his direction
not to pass judgement on opinions regarding matters which are not part of
Christ's teaching (Rom. 14:1ff).
(Rom. 4:10)
[from The Truth in Love, no. 45, Nov. 15, 1992, p. 1]
THE FAULTFINDING SPIRIT
A picture of new U.S. Senators taking the oath of office appeared in the newspaper. Soon afterward, the publisher's office received a sarcastic, critical letter saying, "The Senator from Hawaii doesn't know his right hand from his left."
It was true that Senator Inouye took the oath of office with his left hand. Any observant reader would have notices the same thing. After all, it was obvious. It was there in black and white. But what the critic did not know was WHY.
After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Don Inouye enlisted in the military. He fought in Italy, later receiving the Purple Heart with clusters, bronze Star and Distinguished Service Cross. While fighting for his country, he lost his right arm - so he took the oath of office with his left hand.
The faultfinder is not a good factfinder. A critical spirit (if left unchecked) expresses negative opinions and observations without knowing all pertinent facts. That often leads to hurt feelings on the part of one spoken against and public embarrassment for the critic when all the facts are known. No one benefits from the faultfinding spirit.
That is one reason why the Bible warns us to be careful about making judgments.
(Matt. 7:1; John
7:24; James 1:26).
[by Dean Miller from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Oct. 25, 1992, p. 2]
PUMPKINS, ACORNS, AND GOD
The story is told of a very wise and very young man who one day went into a field to think wise thoughts. As he strolled through the wild grasses and flowers, he discovered a pumpkin patch. In the middle of the pumpkin patch was a huge oak tree. Being a very wise and very young man, he felt it his duty to investigate this plant life combination.
The very wise and very young man studied the frail vines that had been chosen to support and nurture the pumpkins. Then he noticed the magnificent limbs of the oak tree which were only used to support and nurture tiny acorns.
The very wise and very young man decided that God had definitely made a mistake. What a waste! Those strong limbs are better suited to support the great weight of ripe pumpkins, and the humble vines could more easily carry the tiny acorns.
After making such an important discovery, the very wise and very young man sat down in the shade of the magnificent limbs of the oak tree. Just as he was beginning to feel very pleased by his wisdom, an acorn dropped from the oak tree and hit him on his very wise, very young nose.
Maybe God was right after all.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Oct. 25, 1992, p. 2]
GENERATION TO GENERATION
This past Sunday I gathered with more than 60 other Chapmans to celebrate my grandmother's and grandfather's 60th wedding anniversary. The reception was held at the Chapman Church of Christ, named after my great grandfather who donated the land for the building. As we were leaving, Robert asked, "Was the last name of everyone here 'Chapman'?" I told him, "No! It just seemed that way." All the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren were present. I suspect it will be our last "complete" family reunion this side of eternity.
As I reflected on the afternoon's activities, I thought of the tremendous influence my grandparents have had on their children's spiritual well-being. No, not everyone of the children or grandchildren are faithful Christians. We have experienced the same frustrations of other families as we have questioned why some have never obeyed the Gospel. However, one principle has been proven true. Those children who became Christians have been followed by their children who have become Christians. Whereas, the children who failed to obey the Gospel have been followed by their children. Both faith and lack of faith are generally passed from "generation to generation."
Paul recognized this important principle. He wrote of his son in the faith - Timothy...(II Tim. 1:5); in other words, from generation to generation to generation. The importance of each succeeding generation passing down faith's flame cannot be overestimated. One generation missed equals many generations lost.
Recent years have raised serious questions regarding the decline in memberships in many of our churches. Could it be that we almost lost a whole generation? I suspect if research was done, it would show that during the 60's and 70's we almost made that tragic mistake of letting a generation slip through our fingers. We cannot allow such to happen again.
Parents and grandparents alike must be challenged to do everything within
their power to keep the fire of faith burning and to be sure it is passed
on to the next generation. How precious are the words to the old hymn, "Faith
of our fathers, holy faith! We will be true to thee till death!" I am glad
that such was the goal of my great grandfather. May such be our goal.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Oct. 11, 1992, p. 2]
THE LORD'S DAY
It was a long time ago, but I well remember this dear Christian lady would never refer to the first day of the week as anything other than "The Lord's Day." She would never call it SUNDAY, even among her secular friends, or the business world, or anyone else. To her it was always "The Lord's Day." Of course it was John who said...(Rev 1:10). Without doubt, John is here speaking of the first day of the week, the day of the resurrection of our Lord from the dead, and, though he was in exile on Patmos, he still realized the importance of this special day. It seems rather significant that he did not simply mean that it was a day when Christians worshipped God, but rather the whole day was the Lord's. It is possessive - The Lord's day - and this seemingly meant that John was aware of the fact that in a very special way, one day of the week belonged to the Lord. Do you ever wonder if we have perhaps lost some of the significance of the day truly BELONGING to the Lord?
There are some churches which are sponsoring DRIVE-IN services, where you
don't even have to get out of the car. For years we have had people TAKE
THE LORD'S SUPPER and then leave for some outing assuming that if they take
care of what they consider to be the MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE WORSHIP,
then nothing else matters. We have those who want to attend an early service,
"get it over with" (to use the vernacular), and get on to other activities.
We likely will never PROVE to satisfaction of all Christians that every service
must be attended, that the day truly be given to the Lord, but for those
who take Christianity seriously it might be in order for us to give some
deep thought as to the real meaning of "The Lord's Day." We might do well
to examine those ways in which we might well realize that we have six days
to use in other pursuits, but this one day belongs to Him.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Oct. 11, 1992, p. 3]
THERE IS REAL SECURITY IN THE BODY OF CHRIST!
In Him are all spiritual blessings (Eph. 1:3) including forgiveness of sins (Eph. 1:7). In Him we are reconciled (Eph. 2:15) and have salvation (II Tim. 2:10). In Him there is no condemnation (Rom. 8:1), and we are complete (Col. 2:10).
Why not find true security in the body of Christ?
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Oct. 4, 1992, p. 3]
DO GOOD PEOPLE GO TO HEAVEN?
This is a loaded question, if one answers "yes," then who needs Christ? But if he answers "no," then why be good? Satan inspires such a question to confuse people and to discredit Jesus and his teaching.
Good people do go to heaven, but not because they are good; and bad people do not go to heaven, but not because they are bad. Does this seem strange and contradictory? Then let me explain.
Were going to heaven based on being good then only God could go because he alone is good (Matt. 19:7); but it isn't based on being good. The Lord's people are to be good insofar as they can be like God, but little children will go to heaven, not because they are good but because they are innocent (Matt. 19:14). Responsible adults, however, are not innocent because it is said to them, "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). They can go only if they are forgiven (John 8:21), and only Christ forgives (I John 1:7-2:2). Moreover all come to God by him or not at all (John 14:6).
Sinners are not good people. Good people are forgiven sinners, and sins are forgiven to those who believe in Christ, repent of their sins, confess their faith in Christ, and are immersed in water to reach the blood of Christ that takes sins away. Check it out! John 8:24; Luke 13:3; Matt. 10:32-33; Acts 22:16; Rom. 6:3-5; Acts 4:12. These go to heaven because they have entered the way that leads there, and all that is necessary is to "be faithful unto death" (Rev. 2:10).
If one turns back or strays away (Heb. 10:26-38;
Gal. 1:6-9) he can yet go by repenting, confessing
his sins, and praying for forgiveness (Acts
8:22; James 5:16); then living obediently
again (I John 3:1-3).
[by L.L. Gieger from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Oct. 4, 1992, p. 2]
HOW TO BE A CHURCH MEMBER WITHOUT BEING RELIGIOUS
1. Put your name on the membership roll, but let everyone know that you don't
want to get involved.
2. Be sure to take off for the lake most weekends so you can worship God
in the great outdoors.
3. Do whatever gives you the most pleasure. After all, you can always ask
for forgiveness later.
4. Squeal loudly when someone gets on the subject of money. Jesus never asked
anyone for a donation.
5. Criticize the leaders of your congregation. They probably need someone
to keep them humble.
6. Don't assume any responsibilities in the life of the church. It might
cause you to spend too much time away from your family.
7. Chauffeur your children to and from Sunday school. Let God know that you
are trying your best to be a Christian parent.
8. Never bring your faith into your home or business life. People might label
you a religious fanatic.
9. Daydream during your minister's sermons. You've heard all that stuff
before.
10. Keep a Bible on display in your living room. It looks nice when company
comes.
11. Pray if you ever get in a really big jam. This lets God know you're still
around.
12. Spend Sunday mornings at home so you don't have to associate with all
those hypocrites who go to church.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Oct. 4, 1992, p. 2]
WHERE IN THE WORLD DID I COME FROM
Has it been twenty years since man first walked on the moon? To many of us, not only the moon walk, but the whole history of space exploration has been a vital part of our lives.
Yet, for what purpose did we spend this 24 billion dollars? Why did twelve men walk on the moon and bring home hundreds of pounds of rocks? The primary goal of this exploration was to discover the origin of the moon. By discovering this, scientists thought that we could better understand the origin of the earth and the rest of the solar system.
In his new book, Lift-off, America's Adventure in Space, astronaut Michael Collins recounts this search for origins. Before the moon exploration began, he points out, there were three possible explanations for the moon's beginning. Scientists thought it might have condensed from gaseous matter. Others proposed that the moon was a piece of matter that wandered into our system and was captured by the earth's gravity and pulled into orbit. The third explanation was that the moon used to be part of the earth that broke off.
The moon rocks brought back by the Apollo program disproved the first and third explanations. The moon rocks are of a different chemical composition than those of earth. The second explanation is greatly weakened by mathematical analysis. In effect, Collins concludes, after all the time, money, effort, and lives have been spent, men still do not know the origin of the moon.
This failure brings to mind Paul's words...(I Cor. 1:20-21).
We wonder why men are unwilling to have simple faith in what God has said? In reality, there are only two explanations of the origin of the moon and the rest of the creation. One explanation is that God made them. This should settle it if we are willing to believe He is and is a rewarder of those who seek Him. (Heb. 11:6). This faith should embolden and enrich our lives. Because He lives, we can face not only tomorrow but anything else that comes.
The other explanation is that God did not create the world. If that is true, what difference does it make where the world came from. We are all doomed to a brief life and then a ceaseless existence. To study, experiment and explore to find the origin of life becomes a meaningless exercise.
Which of the two explanations is correct? Science has admitted it does not have the answer. What is lost if one has faith in God as the Creator? If we are wrong, and God does not exist, our end will be no difference. Yet, if we are right, what a joy to waken in the presence of the King! We can easily imagine the horror of those who have chosen the wrong explanation for the world's origin.
Simple faith settles many questions. I once heard of an evangelist who took
some time before the preaching services to answer questions from the audience.
Once he was asked, "How do you explain the children of Israel crossing the
Red sea on dry land?" His answer, "God. Next question." Sometimes, one word
can explain what man's monstrous efforts cannot explain. If He did what He
said He did, we should do what He said for us to do. If we do not do what
He said for us to do, our fate is certain and our eternity sure. He is still
the "I AM"!
[by Ancil Jenkins from Sycamore Chapel, Sept. 27, 1992, p. 2]
TO MY HUSBAND
In the circle of your arms I find my health improved, my strength increased,
my joy unspeakable, my song unending.
Without your love I felt the drag of hopeless hours when work was strained
and unfamiliar.
In the realm of your smile I find my wit appreciated, my spirit renewed,
my secret look returned, our precious bond hidden, yet visible to all.
[from Power for Today, Vol. 26, no. 6, Apr.-June, 1984]
TOO BUSY...
Forgive me, Lord. I've been too busy. Too busy to talk to you more than just
a few minutes a day. Too busy to read and study your Word. Too busy to see
the beauty of the sunset the coming of spring. Too busy to hear the birds
singing the laughter of children. Too busy to feel Your presence in my heart.
Too busy to meditate on your goodness and my blessings. Too busy to feel
that warmth and security that comes from knowing You. I've been away, Lord,
and I want to come home. You've been waiting patiently for me to give up
the frantic hustle and bustle of worldly living. I put it in Your hands.
Now help me live at a slower pace, to lay aside those things which are not
important. To do those things that will enrich my life and draw me closer
to You. Thank you for your patience with me.
[by Linda Schott from Power for today]
(Deut. 6:7.) Youth is pre-eminently the forming,
fixing period, the spring season of disposition and habit; and it is during
this season, more than any other, that the character assumes its permanent
shape and color, and the young are wont to take their course for time and
for eternity.
[by Joel Hawes from Power for Today]
No man is poor who had a godly mother.
[by Abraham Lincoln from Power for Today]
Life has no question that faith cannot answer.
[by Thomas L. Johns from Power for Today]
Our confidence in Christ does not make us lazy negligent or careless, but
on the contrary it awakens us, urges us on, and makes us active in living
righteous lives and doing good. There is no self-confidence to compare with
this.
[by Ulrich Zwingli from Power for Today]
In darkness there is no choice. It is light that enables us to see the
differences between things; and it is Christ who gives us light.
[by C.T. Whitmell from Power of Today]
FOR ONE WHO IS TIRED
Dear child, God does not say to you today "be strong". He knows your strength
is spent. He knows how long the road has been how weary you've become. For
he who walked this earthly land alone each boggy lowland each rugged hill
understands. So he simply says "Be still". "Be still and know that I am God."
The hour is late and you must rest a while. Hold up your cup dear child for
God to fill as slow rain fills an empty cup.
[by Grace Nell Crowell]
GOD'S WAY
Thy way, not mine, O Lord!
However dark it be;
Lead me by thine own hand,
Choose out the path for me.
Smooth let it be, or rough,
It will be still the best;
Winding or straight it matters not,
It leads me to thy rest.
I dare not choose my lot,
I would not, if I might;
Choose thou for me, O God!
So shall I walk aright.
The kingdom that I seek
Is thine; so let the way
That leads to it be thine;
Else I must surely stray.
Take thou my cup, and it
With joy or sorrow fill;
As best to thee may seem;
Choose thou my good or ill.
Not mine, not mine the choice
In things or great or small;
Be thou my guide, my strength,
My wisdom and my all.
[by Horatius Bonar from Power for Today]
$3 WORTH OF GOD
I'd like to buy $3 worth of God please. Not enough to explode my soul or
disturb my peace. Just enough to feel good like a cup of warm milk an hour
in the sunshine. I don't want enough of him to make me love a black person.
I want ecstasy not transformation. I want the warmth of the womb not the
new birth. I'd like about a pound of the eternal in a paper bag, $3 worth
of God, please.
[by Wilbur Reese]
No nation, no culture, no society rises any higher than the standards of its women.
God loves us just as we are but he loves us too much to leave us that way.
DISILLUSIONED?
There is something about life that wears ordinary people down. We remember our youth when most of us were full of illusions about love, marriage, heroism, entertainers, preachers, vocations, and our own importance to the world. Reality knocked over our illusions like dominoes standing in a row. Our heroes bit the dust, religious and political leaders emerged as all-too-human, marriage was a greater challenge than we thought it would be, the job became routine, and we began to feel insignificant in a world which seemed to ignore us. That is why it is called "disillusionment." Many of our opinions were based on air, on illusions.
Sometimes disillusionment is followed by a permanent state of anger. A person may become "mad at the world" for disappointing him so badly. Or disillusionment may be followed by discouragement, boredom, or a matter-of-fact attitude which refuses to hope or dream.
The Christian view of life rejects illusion as well as the products of disillusionment. A Christian becomes a person who harbors confident expectations - the New Testament calls it hope - which transcend difficulty and bring each day's activities into a joyful focus.
A friend whose life is full of hope called one evening to ask us to stay near the telephone. She and her husband were to meet with someone for Bible study. "Be ready to come over," she said, "he will probably want to be baptized." The attitude of confident expectation is reflected in the story of a great soul who is supposed to have been overheard praying for the conversion of a student. He concluded, "Lord, you know that I am not accustomed to being denied in these matters." At first reading, that sounds a bit presumptuous but not in the light of what Jesus said...(Mark 11:24). Virtually every modern version of this verse makes clear that our receiving is in the past tense, i.e., "believe you have already received them." There are no more confident words of expectation in the world! They are meant for Christ's disciples to practice.
We are liberated from illusion and given a new way of looking at life which goes beyond human response. We will say neither "everything will be all right" nor "we are doomed" when we look at the world crisis. Rather, Christians will remember that God began history, is in control, and will bring history to a close. We will not ignore sickness, sorrow, pain, and death but will respond with compassion and help as Jesus did. Nor will he be overwhelmed by them because we remember the promises about a glorious resurrection and a life beyond this. In marriage, birth, child-rearing, vocation, friendship, education, and other significant times of life we are free to enjoy the lovely and satisfying moments and to persist with faith and hope through difficulty.
Disillusioned? There is another way of looking at things! Try viewing the
world through renewed eyes...(II Cor.
5:17).
[by Steven S. Lemley from Power for Today July-Aug., 1976]
Help! Someone please save me from contemporary philosophers. I wrestle with such grandiloquent words as "existentialism," "subjectivism," "determinism," and "quietism" until I am fuzzy-headed trying to figure out what they are talking about. It's not that I am unconcerned about wisdom. I do have questions about life. I want to know why I am here and where I am going. But I haven't the strength to jump the high hurdles of many philosophical expressions. Lurking, too, in the recesses of my mind is the strong suspicion either that they do not want me to know what they are talking about or that many of their oblique references have been born of hallucinations. Philosophers, for the most part, seem to possess an uncanny ability to muddy the waters.
There is one thing you can say for Jesus. His language is clear. The demands may be difficult, and we may not like what he says, but at least we know what he is talking about.
And when the early Christians went out into the Roman world they had no bulging briefcases filled with memorandums to explain the complexity of the latest philosophical system. Their message was simple, "Follow Jesus!" The solution to life was in a person rather than in a program.
Stanley Jones tells of a missionary who got lost in an African jungle. As far as the eye could see there was nothing but bush and a few cleared places. He did manage to find a native hut and a native who said he could get him out. "All right," said the missionary, "show me the way." The native said, "Walk." So they walked and hacked their way through unmarked jungle for more than an hour. The missionary got worried. "Are you quite sure this is the way? Where is the path?" The native answered, "Bwana, in this place there is no path. I am the path."
Life, for many of us, is much like an African jungle. Or, to update the
illustration, life is like a crowded intersection where there are no traffic
lights. One becomes so confused that he hardly knows which way to turn. Is
there a way out? Listen! Above the din and confusion of our present age,
a voice can still be heard saying, "Follow me."
[by John Gipson from Power for Today]
IDEAL PARENTS AND CHILDREN
I am well aware that I should here, following the current fashion in
autobiography, introduce a moving chapter entitled "I Accuse My Parents,"
telling how mean and selfish they were, and how abused and thwarted and
frustrated I was as a child. But that would be sheer fiction. On the contrary,
they were without doubt the most generous, patient, understanding,
long-suffering, and altogether amiable young couple you can imagine...my
brother Charles and I fell in love with our parents."
[by Edgar J. Goodspeed in As I Remember from Power for Today]
COME BACK WITH LOVE
Because Jesus Christ loved us, he died for us. But have you considered that his love can be seen in his resurrection? He came back with love. Paul wrote that...(I Cor. 15:17). Without the resurrection, the love of God through Christ would be of little consequence...(I Cor. 15:14).
Have you ever received poor service in a restaurant and said as you left, "I'm never going back there"? Have you taken offense at another's words or actions and thought, "I'll never speak to him again?" Has someone close to you been unappreciative and your reaction has been, "It will be a long time before I go out of my way for her again"?
We respond in anger to many unimportant things. In contrast, Jesus was slow to give up on others. He comes back in love. He was "despised and rejected by men; an man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" and yet "he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors" (Isa. 53).
Jesus Christ returned from the dead. More, he returned to minister to those who shared in his murder. We rejected him but he came back - he still comes back. We gave him cause for offense, but he speaks in love to each man. We failed to appreciate his saving work and yet the grace of God is offered to all.
The mind of Christ, which is in us, will make us come back in love, even
when rejected or offended or unappreciated. It is essential for personal
peace, the peace of the world and the growth of the Kingdom.
[by Steven S. and Emily Y. Lemley from Power for Today, Mar.-Apr., 1973]
PRAYER FOR THE NEW YEAR
O Thou, to whose all-searching sight
The darkness shineth as the light,
Search, prove my heart; it pants for Thee;
O burst these bonds, and set it free!
If in this darksome wild I stray,
Be Thou my Light, be Thou my Way;
No foes, no violence I fear,
No fraud, while Thou, My God, art near.
[by Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf from Power for Today, Vol. 29, no. 5,
Jan.-Mar., 1984]
FORGIVE
O child, our love for you was so fierce and tender!
Use the mistakes our very ardor made
As vaults to planes which otherwise would be unknown,
Knowing an accounting shall be given
For your own answer to our faults,
And in such using, forgive. Forgive!
[by Betty Holcomb from Power for Today]
PREACHING AND PRACTISING GOD'S WORD
Preachers, who make great personal sacrifices to prepare and present God's word to their listeners, often feel discouraged by the evidence that their messages have not been heard. In despair, they may feel like giving up. "Why should I let my garden get overgrown with weeds?" "Why should I pass up the opportunities for secular advancement to give more time to Bible study and preaching?"
The Old Testament preacher Jeremiah was listened-to, but never really "heard", in his own lifetime. Despite this, Jeremiah said it for every faithful preacher...(Jer. 20:9).
It may be that the preacher is at fault. But do we ever really consider that the block to hearing the word may be more in the listeners? Jesus was hurt intensely by the failure to hear him by the many listeners on every hand. But think how much more hurtful it must have been for Jesus to preach and practise by his life for three years among his apostles, and yet not be heard! Think of his words of amazement in response to Philip...(John 14:9). Think of the risen Christ gently chiding the grieving disciples on the way to Emmaus...(Luke 24:25). They had listened many times to Jesus previously, but they had not really heard him. Subsequently, Jesus said to them and to his startled apostles...(Luke 24:44). They had listened, but they had not heard.
Are we listening to our preachers and do we hear God's word?
"PREACH THE WORD"
The responsibility preacher is not an entertainer or a homespun orator. He is a "kerux", the New Testament Greek term for a herald or proclaimer of God's word. The apostle Paul wrote: "I was appointed a herald ('kerux')...a teacher of the truth faith" (I Tim. 2:7). The apostle Peter described Noah as...(II Pet. 2:5). Philip went to a city of Samaria...(Acts 8:5).
Many heard Paul preach Christ to them in Athens, but...(Acts 17:34). Although it was said of Paul that...(II Cor. 10:10), he was not discouraged. He also reminded the brethren at Corinth that...(II Cor. 4:5). Later, when he was imprisoned in Rome, Paul continued to...(Acts 28:31). The power of preaching is not in the preacher but in the gospel, in Christ the power of God...(Rom. 1:16; I Cor. 1:24; I Cor. 2:1-5).
Remember, only a few people responded to Noah's preaching (I Pet. 3:20) and were saved. Jesus foretold that...(Matt. 24:37). Jesus also asked...(Luke 18:8).
God told the preacher Ezekiel...(Eze. 33:31). How can we bridge the gap between listening to the practice of God's word?
The Lord's command to preachers is to...(II Tim. 4:2-4). May preachers "preach the word", and may hearers not "turn their ears away from the truth".
"DEVOTED TO DOING WHAT IS GOOD"
(Titus 3:8)
What does God include among good deeds in which Christians may engage themselves?
We don't have to look for something spectacular, remarkable or distant. We
don't have to ask, "What can I do?" Opportunities for good deeds are ever-present
and close at hand. Often these are so common that they don't excite us, and
may even be considered unworthy of our attention. Jesus
said...(Matt. 26:11) - there are always
opportunities to help those in need.
The apostle Paul wrote of the widow who was...(I
Tim. 5:10). Another person, who was an example of doing "all kinds of
good deeds", was Dorcas. She was "always doing good and helping the poor",
and this activity included making "robes and other clothing" for those who
needed these (Acts 9:36, 39). Thus Christian
mothers who devote themselves to "bringing up children", among other things,
can be sure that God regards their activities as "good deeds". Just as good
mothers do "not become weary in doing good" (Gal.
6:9), so every Christian should determine to do good deeds with the same
untiring devotion.
(Gal. 6:10)
School-children who do good work in their lessons may receive the highest
award from teacher who rubber-stamps an elephant for excellence on their
lesson books. Christians sometimes apply for same school-room logic in their
own good works in the hope that God will reward them accordingly.
It is not generally realised that every human being who has ever lived was created by God to be good and to do good works (Gen. 1:3; Acts 17:28; Eccl. 7:29). God is good (Psa. 106:1) and human beings are created in his image (Gen. 1:27). It is because human beings...(Rom. 1:28). As a result...(Rom. 3:23). Now, although...(Rom. 6:23). This gift is salvation (Eph. 2:9-10).
So there are no works of merit by which we may be rewarded with salvation, but there are works of obedience which we are required to do to receive finally the gift of salvation...(John 6:29)
(Heb. 5:9; Matt.
18:19-20; Matt. 25:34-40;
I Tim. 6:18-19; Luke
17:10).
[from The Truth In Love, no. 20, May 26, 1991, p. 2-3, 12-13]
GREATER IN RICHES AND WISDOM
(I Kings 10:23-24)
The Queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and came to pay her respects.
We are told that "she was overwhelmed" and said to
Solomon...(I Kings 10:9).
Solomon had reached the peak of his personal attainments and Israel had reached its greatest power under his wise direction. This was because of Solomon's obedience to the Lord, something that the Queen of Sheba recognised.
In the spiritual sphere, Christians can also be "greater in riches and wisdom than all the kings of the earth". Jesus said...(Matt. 6:28-30).
Christians are spiritual "kings and priests" who serve God (Rev. 1:6; I Pet. 2:5, 9). For this reason, Christians ought to take pride in their high position to which the Lord has raised them (James 1:9). Rise up, O Christian, for you are destined to...(James 1:12).
As we meet together to observe the Lord's supper, let us remember some of
the things his sacrifice has made available to us. We are his brethren
(Heb. 2:11). We have been raised up with him
in the heavenly places (Eph. 2:6). Are that
is where we are to keep setting our minds (Col.
3:1-2) until he returns to take us to be with him eternally.
[from The Truth in Love, no. 20, May 26, 1991, p. 6]
I AM THE LORD
God gave seven great promises to Israel through his servant
Moses...(Exo. 6:6-8).
We can read the Bible and see that God kept all those great promises given
to Israel.
Let us now see that Jesus made seven great promises about himself which
Christians can accept with equal confidence:
(John 6:35; John
8:12; John 10:9;
John 10:14 John
11:25; John 14:6;
John 15:5).
Let us think what these seven promises of Jesus mean to us.
[from the The Truth in Love, no. 16, Apr. 28, 1991, p. 6]
CARING FOR OTHERS : LOVE IS BEING TRUSTFUL
What does it mean to be trustful? It means that we look for the good in others and not the bad: that we want to believe the best about others, even if our trust proves to be misplaced later; and that we prefer to hope others are trustworthy, rather than to mistrust everyone.
It does not mean that we are unaware of the bad things that some others may think and say about us or do to us, but it does mean that we don't worry about these things. Instead, it is better to think about the good in others. Some people worry so much about what they think are bad things that others do, that they can't see anything good in them. Some people feel this way most of the time and hardly trust anyone.
If we care about others and are concerned for them, we will want to trust them, even if we need to be careful about what and how much to entrust to them. We would trust a small child with some things, but it is unfair to expect such a child to be responsible for something which only an adult should be given.
Some Bible examples of people who were trustful include:
Ruth who trusted her mother-in-law, Naomi, and went with her to live in Naomi's country and accept Naomi's God (Ruth 1).
Jonathan who trusted his friend David even when hated by his father (I Sam. 20).
Paul who trusted his young fellow-preacher, Timothy, while some others let him down (Rom. 16:21; I Cor. 4:17; I Cor. 16:10).
These persons who were trusted had proved themselves to be worthy of trust
and this is important to remember. Naomi, David and Timothy had their faults,
but these were not the kind to stop Ruth, Jonathan and Paul trusting them.
If we don't know a person it is wiser and safer to be cautious before putting
trust in that person.
(Prov. 14:15; Prov.
22:3).
Above all, we can always trust God who will never let us down.
(Psa. 118:8)
When we are trustful we show the way of love.
[from the Truth in Love, no. 18, May 12, 1991, p. 7]
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