Author Archives: Chapman

A Lesson in Grief

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Grief generally comes at some point in our lives here on earth.  It may come early or late, often or seldom.  It can feel solitary and overwhelming.  We don’t get over the loss of someone, but we have to learn to live with that loss.  How do I live with the loss, if I haven’t been taught?  I read in 1 Thessalonians 4:13 that we don’t grieve as others do that have no hope.  I have hope, yet I still grieve.  I still feel the pain of loss. So I pray for God to comfort me, to lessen my pain.  Lessen my pain, so that I may have the courage to live life again.  Where can I find more comfort than in God’s word?  God has written “…all things that pertain to life”.  So I search, that I may apply and live.

(Isa 41:10)  Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

(Psa 73:26)  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

My heart may feel like it has failed, my soul like it has been ripped open, but God is the strength of my heart and I know that all things are possible with Him.  He will give me strength to endure.

(Num 20:29)  And when all the congregation saw that Aaron had perished, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.

 

The people of Israel wept for thirty days upon the deaths of Moses and Aaron on two separate occasions.  Reading through the Old Testament makes it seem that they were constantly tearing their clothes and putting on sackcloth and ashes.  Did I take the time for weeping and mourning?  What is enough time?  Am I concealing what I see as unpleasant and uncontrolled emotion and succumbing to depression and anxiety? Do I grieve in silence, or do I share my grief and let God’s children comfort me?  Have I let the world dictate how I should grieve or have I looked at how God’s people have grieved?

(Ecc 3:1-4)  For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

There IS a time to die, a time to break down, a time to weep and a time to mourn.  And that may be the time I am living in right now.  But there is also a time to heal and a time to build myself up.  And that time will come.  In the midst of pain, it’s hard to even consider the time of laughter and dancing.  Trust that God will give me that time again.

(Php 3:13-14)  Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Sometimes it feels impossible to forget what lies behind, especially painful memories.  Reading this passage with grief in mind gives me hope of comfort.  Yes, we are always to strive for our eternal prize, but immersing ourselves in spiritual things and thoughts gives us more strength not to forget, but lessen the pain and sorrow of this life so that we may continue to press on to our eternal goal.

(Psa 119:50)  This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.

(Psa 119:92)  If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.

(Rev 21:4)  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

God’s promise endures if we will accept it.  Can we find the comfort in the midst of our grief to know that it will not endure?  God has promised us eternal life, a life with no more tears or mourning or pain.  Yet in this promise, we see that there is a time for crying and mourning.  It is not a weakness, or a lack of faith that we will see our loved ones again.  God’s people mourn as a natural expression of the love that we have for each other when the object of that love is now gone from this life.  The pain of loss will eventually turn into the comfort of healing.

God instructs us to pray and petition Him with our requests.  What other time do we need the peace of God to guard our hearts and minds more, than when they are consumed by grief? We may see our loved ones again, but it still hurts now.  We may feel alone, but God is there.  We may be in the time of mourning, but we can take comfort in the fact that one day will be the time for healing.  It might not be today, and it might not be tomorrow, but it WILL come.  And one day, when our pain is not so great, we may need to reach down and bring it back out to help someone else find their way into the time of healing.

 

By Terry McMurray

Welcome!

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Thank you for picking up and taking the time to read this bulletin! If you are visiting with us from the community or a nearby congregation, we want you to know we are grateful for your presence with us. Your presence is an encouragement to us, and it is our most earnest desire that our worship has been beneficial to you and favorable in the sight of God, our Savior.

If it’s your first time being with us or you are unsure of why we do the things we do, allow us to explain.

The church of Christ at Chapman Acres is an independent, non-denominational group of Christians whose goal is to serve God, the Creator and Savior. Free from the authority of man-made creeds or charters, our only standard is the Bible. Our only model is the church that Jesus established, of which we read in the New Testament. While we pray for and encourage other churches who seek to follow the New Testament pattern, the church at Chapman Acres maintains no organizational ties with other congregations either in our local area or abroad.

The Christians who make up the church are not perfect, but our goal is to live for the One who died for us. We are forgiven sinners who have believed in Jesus Christ, have committed our lives to Him, and have obeyed His command to be immersed in baptism. To us, being a Christian is not about living our way and expecting God to approve of whatever we do. Jesus Christ is Lord and King. However, neither is being a Christian a matter of cold, robotic obedience to laws. Being a Christian is about cultivating a relationship with the Father. Whatever He asks, we lovingly seek to give Him.

Our God-given duty as a group is to spread the Gospel locally and abroad, to encourage the members of the church, and to help Christians who are in spiritual or physical need. We do not provide recreation or entertainment. God has given His church much more important work with eternal consequences. Our job is to help everyone we know be saved.

We read in the New Testament that Christians regularly met together to worship and study. They sang songs in order to praise God and encourage one another. They prayed together. They contributed financially to the work of the church. Teaching and Bible reading were essential parts of their activities. In addition, we read that they regularly met on the first day of the week to observe the Lord’s Supper and remember the sacrifice that makes it all possible. These simple, spiritual activities are what you will find at Chapman Acres.

We would love for you to visit with us. You will find a friendly greeting, reverent worship, group Bible study, and teaching from the Bible. Feel free to contact us if you wish to study with any of the men or women of the church at a place of your choice. Our prayer is that you dedicate yourself to the Lord and seek His will. We will help in any way we can.

[This description of the saints which meet at Chapman Acres can be found, along with much more information, at www.chapmanacres.org.]

In addition to finding more information about the church that worships and works together here in Huntsville through our website, you can also “like” our page on Facebook (Chapman Acres church of Christ), and stay connected with us through that medium.

Not only will you be able to keep up with the news at Chapman Acres, but it will also give you an opportunity to think on spiritual things throughout the day, as we often try to place thought-provoking and spiritually-engaging posts.

Again, thank you for visiting us and taking the time to read this. Please do not hesitate to let us know how we can help you draw nearer to God.

The Christians at Chapman Acres

In addition to welcoming our guests from the community and other congregations we also want to extend a warm welcome to our brother and special guest, Steve Klein.

We have been looking forward to this week for some time and have been praying for the success of the Gospel through this effort. We thank you for coming our way and anticipate your lessons from the word of God. God bless, brother!

“So [we] sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God.”

Acts 10:33

Buy the Truth and Sell It Not

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One of the most important attitudes one can have in striving to go to heaven is that of intense zeal for the truth of God. Too often, people settle on something far less than the truth. Remember, a counterfeit, though it may look relatively genuine, is nevertheless worthless.

Likewise, we cannot enjoy the benefits of truth by getting pretty close. We must take our position firmly on the truth. “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

There are many among us who, like Pilate, would ask, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). Many do not believe in absolute truth. The Bible, however, is absolute, unchanging truth. “Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven” (Psalms 119:89). The belief that there is absolute truth is fundamental to one who desires to “buy the truth and sell it not” (Proverbs 23:23).

One Can Be Wrong

It is a fact that anyone can mistakenly be wrong. Paul, when speaking of his past manner of life, before his conversion, said, “I have lived before God in all good conscience until this day” (Acts 23:1). Yet he was before a “persecutor, and a blasphemer, and injurious” (1 Timothy 1:13). How could he have lived in all good conscience when he had been so wrong? The answer is simple. He thought he was right. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 16:25). The fact that we can be wrong means that it does not behoove us to close our minds to further investigation. Jeremiah said, “Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16).

Faith vs. Opinion

Naturally, study brings us to certain conclusions. All of us live by certain principles. But upon what do our conclusions rest? All too often they rest upon mere opinion. Realize that if something is a matter of faith, then God must have said something about it. We cannot know the words of eternal life by opinions. One man’s opinion is just as good as another man’s; but no man’s opinion is worthy to be compared to God’s.

You would not want to risk crossing the ice over a river merely because somebody thinks you can. Neither should we risk trying to go to heaven by the opinions of men. The difference between an opinion and conviction is that an opinion is usually a spur-of-the-moment conclusion someone comes up with based upon skimpy premises, if any. A conviction is a conclusion based upon evidence which has been thoroughly studied and meditated upon.

God has given us a wonderful book. It furnishes man with doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness, that he may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The Bible is our evidence. It is the truth. When believed, it becomes subjective faith. The Bible did not come from men, so there need be no question about its reliability. It was given unto men though, and designed so they could understand it when they read it (Ephesians 3:3-5). This is not to say that all the Bible is simple to understand. There are difficult portions of it that demand much study. The matters of conversion to God and everyday living are simple and easy to understand. What many find difficult about such matters is the application of that which may be so simple to understand.

Feelings – A Poor Standard

Do not base your conviction upon some peculiar feeling you might have. Feelings are a poor standard of truth. We have already mentioned Paul. We might mention Jacob also who believed with all his heart that his son Joseph was dead, but that did not make it true. Remember, God has given us revelation, facts. Our convictions must rest upon these facts or else we will find ourselves upon shifting sand.

Conscience – Not a Reliable Guide

Neither is conscience a reliable guide in determining whether your convictions are sound or not. The conscience is very pliable to begin with. Our conscience is usually formed at a tender age. At that time it may be trained to approve good or evil. When we reach maturity our conscience alters and becomes almost unchangeable. From then on it tells us only

whether we have done as we learned to do or not. Changing the conscience then is a slow, difficult project. If your conscience were trained correctly, well and good. If it were trained incorrectly, then it will approve even when you do things that are really wrong, because it was taught that which was wrong. “Let your conscience be your guide” is therefore poor advise.

This brings us back again to the fact that we must ultimately make our stand upon the word of God. Everything is to be judged by it.

By Bob Waldron

Almost But Not Enough

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Our world is driven by the idea of perfection, achieving 100% in every arena. Students strive to make 100’s on their tests. Athletes are driven to leave 100% on their respective playing fields after every game. Anything less than perfection is never desired, but gives motivation for a higher level of devotion and determination to achieve. Even in the areas of life where 100% is not achievable or expected, the number is only dropped by one percent. We buy antibacterial soaps that promise to kill 99% of all living germs. While this allows one percent to continue to grow and possibly infect a person’s life, we have grown to accept this smallest margin of loss. What would 99% success mean in different areas of life?

A recent study, published by the Gates foundation, gave statistics on 99% not being good enough. If 99% of all newborns were given to the correct parents, that leaves 12 newborns (1%) given to the wrong parents daily. Would this outcome be tolerated by the parents of a misplaced child? If the postal service was only able to achieve 99%, then 18,322 pieces of mail would be mishandled and even lost in one year. Would this be acceptable for the people who depend upon this service for their weekly or monthly checks? If 99% of all the shoes made had a correct match, then 114,500 mismatched shoes would be shipped in a year. Are you willing to wear a size 10 and 9 shoe at the same time?

We require 100% percent from every purchase or service that we receive. Anything less than that is not acceptable and if changes are not made, we will choose a different garment, hospital, or transportation service. While all of these affect our physical lives and can be burdens at time, how are we doing in giving God 100% spiritually?

Jesus gave the standard of Christianity by His life, death, burial and resurrection. He gave everything to become the perfect lamb of God (John 1:36; Hebrews 5:8-9). It is solely because of His great sacrifice that we have any hope of eternity in heaven. Therefore, if Jesus was willing to give everything in obedience to the Father, what about you and me? We must remember the standard, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23).

What does it mean to deny ourselves and take up the cross? Did not Paul capture that aspect in his own mission in life, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is not I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20)? Thus, our lives of selfish desires and wanton pleasures must die and we must live solely for God. The price that was paid for my sins requires my complete devotion. As Paul said, “and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf” (2 Corinthians 5:14). The standard must be 100% or else we fail to carry out the condition prescribed by Christ.

To give God 100% of our lives may at times require us to surrender some enjoyable activities. These losses were to be expected and we need to prepare ourselves for the hard decisions that arrive upon giving our lives over to God. Our human relationships may be tested by the love we have for God. We will often have to choose between man or God (Luke 14:26). We will have to count the cost of our discipleship with God, and decide whether or not we will remain faithful to Him (Luke 14:27-33). Jesus never once promised that discipleship was the easiest route, but warned that “the gate is small and way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:14).

If we are only willing to give God 99% of our lives, is that enough when Jesus gave us 100%? We owe everything to God’s providence and love; therefore, we must strive to give Him everything. What happens when we fail and make mistakes along the way? We confess our sins to God and He is faithful and just to forgive us (1 John 1:9). To be found guilty of not giving God everything places me in a realm of unknown certainty. As a recent church sign reminded me, “To be almost saved is to be eternally lost.” A similar statement could read, “To almost give God everything is to be eternally lost.” We must learn to give God everything within our lives, because He deserves nothing less.

 

By Colby Junkin

Giants in the Land

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In Numbers 13, the Israelites are about to enter the land of Canaan to fulfill the promise God had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that their descendants would be given the land wherein these faithful patriarchs dwelt. God instructed Moses to send 12 spies to spy out the land and bring back a report. As is well known, the report they brought back was not a good one. The land was as promised, “flowing with milk and honey”, but there were giants in the land, inhabitants stronger than the Israelites. The consensus among the 12 spies was that the land could not be taken. Of course, we remember that two of these spies, Joshua and Caleb, urged the Israelites to trust in God. They were confident that with His help the land could be taken. But, alas, the Israelites sided with the 10 spies who gave the evil report and the whole assembly began to murmur and complain against Moses and against God. We know the outcome of this story. God punished the Israelites by not allowing any adults 20 years or older to enter the land of promise, except for Joshua and Caleb. They were not allowed to enter the promised rest because they did not trust God to help them overcome the stronger inhabitants of the land. They were not willing to put forth the effort to overcome.

Christians are also promised a land of rest – a beautiful home in heaven (Revelation 21). But to reach that rest, Christians face a conquest just as the Israelites did. Ours is not a physical conquest, but a spiritual one. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).

There are many spiritual enemies facing Christians. These enemies can, at times, appear invincible, as giants in the land. I John 2:16 tells us what these giants are: (1) lust of the flesh, (2) lust of the eyes, and (3) the pride of life. These three “morph” into one huge giant called SIN. But they can also “de-morph” into numerous smaller giants such as those described in Galatians 5:19-21 – “idols, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, reveling and idols;” These things are all around us, everywhere, every day. It can be overwhelming at times. We may come to the point to where we feel we just can’t be righteous in the face of so much evil. But, let us not be as the Israelites who gave up without even trying.

There are three ways in which we can overcome those evil spiritual giants:

  1. Trust in God – In Romans 7:18-25, Paul realized that he could not overcome by himself. He understood the war that was waging within himself between the flesh and the spirit. He realized that the flesh would win if he relied only on himself. In verse 24, he seems on the verge of giving up, but then, in verse 25, he turns it over to God who could deliver him “from this body of death.” When we fail to trust in God, we will end up as the Israelites who perished in the wilderness instead of enjoying the promised rest in the land of Canaan.

 

  1. Stand strong – In I Kings 17, we can read of the champion giant, Goliath, who defied the armies of Israel. No Israelite was willing to stand against him. But when David heard his challenge, he stepped forward, knowing that, with God’s help, he would be able to overcome just as God had helped him overcome the lion and the bear that tried to steal his sheep. But David still had to do his part to overcome. In Ephesians 6:13-18, we can read of the spiritual armor God has provided for us to overcome spiritual giants. But this armor will do us no good if we do not equip ourselves with it, learn how to use it to fight against evil, then stand strong.

 

  1. Look for help from the brethren – Galatians 6:1-2 exhorts those who are spiritual to restore those who are caught in sin. In Hebrews 3:12-13, we are told to “exhort one another daily” to guard against “departing from the living God.” From the inspired words of Paul in I Thessalonians 5:14, we are to “warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.”

With God’s help, we can overcome evil spiritual giants and enter that rest He has promised us. But we must have faith (trust in Him), we must be put forth the effort (stand strong), and we must help each other if we are to overcome.

 

By Tim Johnson

Beyond Acts 2:41

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The gospel was preached (Acts 2:14-36).  Some of the hearers believed what was preached (Acts 2:37).  These believers were told what to do to receive the salvation, which comes only from the Lord (Acts 2:38).  The hearers were encouraged to respond to the word of Almighty God (Acts 2:39-40).  Three thousand souls obeyed the gospel call by submitting to water baptism (Acts 2:41).  Every authentic Christian should be able to recall this story for several reasons: 1) The plan has not changed, 2) They followed this same pattern in order to become a Christian, 3) Acts 2 is pregnant with vital information from answering basic questions about salvation to exposing the false views of Pentecostalism, & 4) This is the history of the church of our Lord; the history of the church of which they are members.  Unfortunately, it appears knowledge & practice has ceased beyond Acts 2:41.

Acts 2:42 is a verse which addresses the church’s responsibility of service.  This Scripture helps us to understand our duty as members of a local congregation.  Listen to your Bible!  In Acts 2:42, the Bible teaches, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching & the fellowship, to the breaking of bread & the prayers.”  Devote means “to dedicate one’s self to a cause.”  Christians are devoted people.

  1. Christians devote themselves to the apostles’ teaching.  It is through reading & studying we serve ourselves, which in turn serves God, our brethren, & the world through the means of worship, fellowship, & evangelism (1 Timothy 4:13, 2 Timothy 2:15, & 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
  2. Christians devote themselves to the fellowship.  It is through the sharing of Christ’s blessings we serve the brethren.  It is because of our relationship with God & our brethren’s relationship with God that we have fellowship with one another.  This relationship should run deep for several reasons: 1) We are now children of God by faith (Galatians 3:26), 2) We are workers together with a common goal (1 Corinthians 3:9), & 3) We have been transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1-2).  We should draw strength by our coming together & not seek ways to avoid one another.
  3. Christians devote themselves to the breaking of bread.  It is through worship we serve God.  Love sent outward is called affection.  Love sent downward is called grace.  Love sent upward is called worship.  Communing with God with brethren of like precious faith is not something we do out of duty or convenience, but because of gratitude & love (1 Thessalonians 5:18).  It is the will of God!
  4. Christians devote themselves to prayer.  God talks to us through His word, but we talk to God through prayer.  What is the subject of our supplication to God?  Are our prayers totally selfish or do we pray for the salvation of those who are lost?  Do we pray for opportunities to reach out?  Do we pray for God to touch the hearts of those who do not know our God & have yet to obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ knowing what their end will be if they don’t (2 Thessalonians 1:8)?

By Antoine Holloway

Let’s Get Busy–The Devil Never Sleeps

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The devil does many things. The Bible ascribes many characteristics to him.

1. He is a liar. “… for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44). Thus, every lie in the world is of the devil. He uses many lies to deceive people. He will cause anything to be said in order to gain people for hell. And, oh how often he achieves his purpose!

2. He is a murderer. “He was a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44). He deals in the murder of the souls of his victims — not just their bodies. He is the great soul destroyer.

3. He is as a roaring lion. “… the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). His intent is to devour people — he is stalking you and would devour you if he can!

4. He transposes himself into a messenger of righteousness (2 Cor. 11:14). He doesn’t show his true form or true nature — he disguises to deceive and to devour and to murder.

Beware of the Devil! But, what can we do to off-set his evil influence?

1. Be sober in your thinking and vigilant in your attitude (1 Pet. 5:8). We can ward off many of Satan’s vicious attacks by being watchful for the adversary. The Lord says, “Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt. 26:41). Paul warns: “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit ye like men, be strong” (1 Cor. 16:13).

Vigilance is the price we have had to pay for every inch of ground that we have gained in “restoring the ancient order.” Let us constantly be on the guard lest Satan should gain an advantage.

2. We must resist the devil. “… and he will flee from you” (Jas. 4:7). But how can we resist him? We are not left alone and to our own judgment in this matter. We are told how to resist the devil. Read 1 Peter 5:9: “Whom resist steadfast in the faith.” Here is God’s own way for us to resist the devil: in the faith. What is the faith? It is the gospel of the Son of God. It is the truth! We resist the devil by using the truth — the sword of the Spirit.

Jesus said: “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed: and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). If we continue in the truth, we thereby resist the devil, and he will flee from us. But if we become inactive in the faith, if we depart from the faith or fail to contend for it, we thereby yield to the devil and lose our only soul.

Thus, we can easily see our responsibility. It is twofold:

1. We must know the truth (the faith). How do we get knowledge of it? It comes to all alike — through study of the word of God. Let’s get busy in Bible study so that we can resist the devil.

2. The other is that we must get busy in the faith. We read of certain people who “labored in the gospel.” Paul said their names were in the book of life (Phil. 4:3). Therefore, we must know the word and do the word (Jas. 1:22-25).

Let’s get busy! The devil never sleeps. Attend every service of the church and be on guard every day of our lives.

 

By Forrest D. Moyer

The Mission of the Church

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While at the church building one day, I received a phone call from a middle-aged man who was in financial trouble. It seems he and his family had made some poor decisions and wanted help. I told him that the church did not have a fund for those who are not members of the church but did help out those who were members. I asked, “Are you a Christian?” He answered defensively, “No, but . . . you are a church. How dare you not help us out! What kind of church are you anyway?” I interrupted by saying we would be happy to help him with what we did have. His self-righteous, “you owe me a living” speech stopped. I invited him to come to the building with his family and we would sit down together to study the Bible. I told him that I wanted to share with him the precious message of salvation. The Lord did not tell the church to be a general benevolence society but did want His church to “sound forth” His word as did the Thessalonians (1 Thess.1:8). I asked him, “when would you like to get together to talk about the gospel of Christ?” Our conversation ended abruptly with “so . . . uh . . . you’re not going to help us?

The original purpose of God for His church was spiritual in nature. When Jesus wrote to the seven churches of Asia in Rev.2-3, He chose the figure of “lampstands” to describe them. Each congregation of God’s people is to shine forth the light of Jesus Christ to the world. In Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth, he told of their teaching God’s word, relating with one another in various situations, using spiritual gifts properly and believing in the resurrection. This is consistent with all the other letters and books we find in the New Testament. All were to teach the truth and build up each other spiritually. Even in chapter 16 when Paul discussed helping the needy, he talked specifically about those who where needy saints, not those in the world. When Jesus described His kingdom to Pilate, He said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (Jn.18:36). Jesus’ mission was spiritual in nature; “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Lk.19:10). Paul wrote the first letter to Timothy so that he might know how he was to conduct himself in the house of God, “which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim.3:15). Peter described the church as a “spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet.2:5). As Paul spoke of the work of the church at Thessalonica, he said, “from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth” (1 Thess.1:8). The fact is God gave His church a vital, urgent, eternally valuable role to fulfill — to spread the blessed gospel of Christ to the world and to edify the saints so that each might grow up to maturity. The only time we find the New Testament church involved with helping out the needy financially is when a need arose among the saints because of some distress. If we are going to be faithful to the charge of God as His church, we must be careful not only to follow the details of His will but, even more importantly, to be committed to the main principles of what our mission is all about.

The “social gospel” began in the 1800s during a time of developing social conscience in this country. Labor unions and other organizations were formed to deal with social injustices. At the same time, many in the religious world were beginning to question and even deny the inspiration of the Bible. It followed that if belief in the inspiration of the Bible was eroding, then the ideas of salvation from sin, eternal life and eternal damnation began to fade away also. The mission of Jesus, and therefore the religious world, was twisted into a social reform movement. The emphasis changed from saving man from his sins to helping man cope with this life to bring about a utopia on this earth.

This movement has had a lasting effect on the religious world and has even affected those who have been striving to restore New Testament Christianity. From the 1950’s to the present, churches calling themselves “of Christ” have jumped onto the bandwagon of the social gospel. There is a “Church of Christ Disaster Relief Fund” dedicated to respond to natural disasters on the behalf of the “Church of Christ”. There are “Church of Christ” retirement homes, hospitals, orphans homes, family life centers, gymnasiums, racket ball courts, day care centers, schools, medical missions and “fellowship” halls. All of these pervert the purpose for which God established His church. As individuals, we need to respond to the needs of others as opportunity and ability allow but the Lord’s church has a more specific charter and is to respond to a more urgent need. This is a need that has eternal consequences, a disaster that has been self-inflicted on literally billions of souls – sin. We have the answer: the message of Jesus.

Some seek to justify the giving of food for the belly, games for teens and entertainment for all ages to get people in their doors so that they can convert them with the gospel. Jesus didn’t play these games. When He performed a miracle to prove His Divinity and some followed because of the food, Jesus rebuked them sharply (John 6). If we convert people with hot dogs, they will leave when the hot dogs are gone. The gospel is God’s power to save (Rom.1:16). It is what convicts our hearts of sin, righteousness and the judgment to come (John 16:7-13). If someone is truly interested in his relationship with God, he will be attracted by the gospel. We have a choice to make. Do we follow the movements of men or the word of the Lord? Let us follow the dictates of God that each local group of Christians may be a lampstand holding forth the word of truth in the midst of a lost and dying world.

 

By Jeff Archer

God’s Wisdom in the Cross

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The cross is such a fundamental part of what Christianity professes that it can become all too easy for us to pass it over without much thought. The cross? Of course it is vital. Of course we must preach it. Yet how often do we let the power and wisdom of the cross sink in and affect us in a practical way? Take another look at the first two chapters of 1 Corinthians.

Writing within 25 years of the actual events, Paul writes, “The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1:18). “God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1:21). To the Jews, the cross is a stumbling block; to Greeks it is foolishness. But to those who are called, whether Jew or Greek, “Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1:24-25). He continues into chapter two with the same theme. It is a theme that runs consistently through Scripture: God chooses that which appears to be weak and makes it strong so that all may see that God is ultimately to be glorified.

But the cross? How does this manifest His wisdom and power? While there may be a number of ways to answer this question, please think about the following:

1. The cross shows God’s wisdom through a demonstration of the horror of sin on the one hand, and the power of His love on the other. The crucifixion of Jesus is the “show and tell” of what God thinks about sin. It is also the strongest demonstration of His love for a lost world (Rom 5:6-11). God abhors sins, and Jesus despised the shame associated with the cross, but it is due to sin that Jesus went to the cross. Hatred and love are equally demonstrated. What greater way to show both to a world that needs to understand both? Such a display shows the foolishness of mankind in taking part in sin, but also shows the extent to which God goes to show His love and bring us back to Him.

2. The cross shows God’s wisdom in that it demonstrates that the message really did come from Him. This point actually serves an apologetic purpose. Think about it. Who in the world would have dreamed up the idea of a Savior of the world dying on a cross? This is a not a message that the Jews would have concocted or accepted, for “cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” (Deut 21:23; Gal 3:13). The idea that a few Jews just made the story up and were then able to sell it so successfully is beyond credulity. Further, this is not a message that Gentiles would have made up. To think that pagan Gentiles would dream up a story of a crucified Jewish Savior is ludicrous. Neither the Jewish culture nor the Greek culture of the time can explain the story of Jesus as the crucified King who can save the whole world from sin. This is a message that can find plausible explanation only in the wisdom of God.

3. The cross displays the wisdom and power of God because it is only the first part to the story. Implied in the idea of God’s power is the resurrection. Paul did not only preach a dead Jesus. He preached a Jesus who overcame death. He preached a Jesus who “became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption” (1:30). “Christ and Him crucified” does not end at the cross itself, as if the cross, and the cross alone, did the job. God wanted to demonstrate His power in a way that could not be feasibly denied. Jesus didn’t just faint. He didn’t die in His sleep. He was violently executed in the worst and bloodiest manner. To be raised up after that would indeed be a great display of power. By the end of Paul’s epistle, the resurrection is exactly what he argues (ch. 15). God’s wisdom and power are vindicated through the death and resurrection of Jesus!

The cross is not made up by mere men. If men concocted the story of salvation we would undoubtedly see something very different from a Roman cross. We might see something akin to the pagan myths. Yet contrary to what we sometimes hear, the story of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus is not the stuff that make up the myths. It is much simpler and based in actual time and space history. The wisdom of God displayed through the cross is a demonstration of God Himself breaking into history to deal directly with sin and evil, and to show His creation how much He desires for us to be in His fellowship.

By Doy Moyer

Of Gnats and Other Annoyances

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I remember working one morning with Joe Bridges, a grizzled old… man who watched out for me on the job and had become a dear friend. From Tylertown, Mississippi, he had been a common laborer for many long years and had followed construction jobs all over the South. I often marveled at the patient, rhythmic way he worked in difficult conditions, and this morning was no exception. As I furiously fought the gnats and said unappreciative things about the day I was born, Joe seemed to take only slight notice of the devilish little insects.

“Man, how in the world can you stand this?” I finally screamed. “Don’t these gnats bother you?”

“Well,” Joe said, looking at me sideways as he adjusted his hard hat a little, “I guess they would —— if I let ’em.”

It was some years later that I understood: folks who have known what real hardship is don’t pay much attention to gnats.

One measure of a man is the size of what it takes to annoy him. Unfortunately, most of us are far too easily irritated. Since we have so little character, it doesn’t take much to get the best of us. And consequently, our lives are dominated by relatively minor vexations, things that wisdom says we shouldn’t take the time to be troubled about. We’re the victim of every little unpleasantness that comes along. But rather than grow in character and rise above these petty annoyances, we spend our lives swatting “gnats.” The real work we were sent here to do ends up being neglected because we spend most of our time and energy being annoyed.

The tendency to be easily annoyed is far more than a quirky little “personality” trait. I would suggest that many of the quite serious problems in life —— especially in our dealings with other people —— boil down to a failure of self-discipline with regard to the basic issue of irritability. If not repented of and removed from our character, annoyance is likely to cause more deadly destruction than we expect. As bad “habits” go, being grouchy is far from harmless.

When we find ourselves frequently upset over “gnats” and other annoyances, our hearts are wide open to all manner of evil things. The Bible warns about this. “Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls” (Proverbs 25:28). “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32). “The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression” (Proverbs 19:11). “Have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). Love is not “easily provoked” (1 Corinthians 13:5 KJV).

Paul wrote, “Let your gentleness be known to all men” (Philippians 4:5). The word translated here as “gentleness” (moderation, meekness) has been defined as “strength under control.” To avoid the destructive effects of annoyance in our lives, our strength must be under control. To do this, we must be not only self-disciplined, but wise with a wisdom that comes from God. Listen well to the words of James: “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy” (James 3:13-17).

Most of us would like to have more “peace of mind.” But we tend to see “worry” as the main hindrance to that peace. What we fail to recognize is that annoyance is just as much the enemy of peace of mind as anxiety. The peace of God hardly reigns in our hearts if we’re in a constant state of vexation over the little irritations of life.

So what is it that really gets your goat? Whether it’s a big thing or a little one, do yourself a favor and give this a try: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

 

By Gary Henry