What Omar Needs to Learn From Jesus!

 "The Golden Rule" is found in Matthew 7:12 - "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." You may have heard this verse paraphrased this way: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." People put all kinds of verbal twists on Jesus' words. For instance, someone said, "Do unto others; then split." Others say, "Do unto others before they do unto you." Mr. T. of A-Team (tv) and Rocky (movie) fame spoke for many - "I believe in the Golden Rule - the Man with the Gold rules." Perhaps the most-practiced twist on Jesus' words could be said this way: "Do unto others what they do to you." That's the rule Omar Khalid Khurasani lives by. Maybe you've heard of Omar, or maybe not. Earlier this year, Omar, a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, was quoted in TIME magazine (March 3, 2014) after he and his Taliban brethren took responsibility for killing twenty-three paramilitary soldiers in Pakistan as a response to the Pakistani government's supposed execution of Taliban prisoners. In explaining the Taliban's deadly actions Omar announced proudly: "We want to make it clear . . . that we know how to take revenge." Not only Omar, and not only in Pakistan. Twenty-two year-old California college student Elliot Rodger was not in the Taliban, but he lived by the same rule as Omar. Recently (Friday night 5/23/14) the 22 year old California college student went on a rampage that left six others and himself dead and as many others injured in Isla Vista, California. He left a video and a so-called "manifesto" explaining why he hoped to kill as many people as possible. He was angered, he said, because girls ignored him and wouldn't have a sexual relationship with him. So, he decided, they had to die. People like Omar and Rodger are extreme cases of life's most terrible rule - the iron rule that says might makes right. But less extreme cases of doing to others as they do to us are commonplace. It happens between people in schools, homes, offices, workplaces, and churches every day. And it hurts and even destroys marriages and families and friendships and other kinds of human relationships.

 Preacher John Gipson told about an elderly man who was harassed by the taunts of children in his neighborhood. Instead of yelling back or just ignoring them, the man offered the children a dollar if they would return the next day and yell their insults. They did so, and received their money. Then he told them the next day he would give them a quarter for a repeat performance. Again they did so and he paid them. Then he told the children the pay the next day would be just a penny. They shrugged him off and said, "Forget it. It's not worth it." That old man found a different way to deal with those who hurt him. Jesus did too, by means of the Golden Rule. He preached and practiced thus rule. With spit on His face, nails through His hands and feet, and with love in His heart Jesus prayed on the cross for those killing Him - "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). Jesus didn't allow hatred to dictate and control His treatment of people. He treated others the way He wanted to be treated, not in the hateful, harmful way they treated Him. That's what Omar needs to learn from Jesus, along with many of us.

--by Dan Gulley, Smithville, TN

God will save and give the GIFT of eternal life to those who will place their faith and trust in Jesus

The Graduation Present
  
Skyler James recently graduated from high school and the next day at her graduation party, she met a very surprising special guest named Charlie Heflin.

Heflin recalled the moment. "When her mother introduced her to me, I said, 'Hello, my name is Charlie. You and I have met once before.' I said, 'We met back on Nov. 4 1995. Do you remember that day?' She said, 'No.' I said, 'I know, I don't expect you to remember your birthday. On your birthday, I found you underneath the pine tree in a cemetery.' That's when she realized who I was and she started crying and gave me a big hug."

Heflin was 27-years-old at the time and working with a cable company. The temperature that day in November was 20 below zero with wind chill factored in. He was wearing several layers of coats but still took a few minutes to sit in his truck to get warm. Then Heflin heard dispatch say on his scanner than an anonymous female had called in saying she had left a newborn baby at a cemetery near a pine tree. Dispatch also said that the infant had not yet been found.

Heflin thought about a nearby cemetery and decided to drive over to take a look. He pulled up in front of the cemetery and immediately spotted a large pine tree. "There was about a foot of snow on the ground. There were footprints all over the area so it looked like somebody had been there. I couldn't find anything. I walked around the pine tree a couple of times and I didn't see anything." Heflin walked back to his truck but decided to go back and look one more time. "As I approached the tree, I heard a baby whimper. I thought, 'Oh, she's here.'" He found Skyler wrapped in a plaid Raggedy Anne blanket.

The day-old infant still had mucus on her and her umbilical cord that was tied off with a shoe string. He immediately wiped pine leaves off her and wrapped her in his winter overcoat and pressed her up against his volunteer fire fighter fleece to warm her up. "I called it in and handed her to the ambulance and that was the last time I saw her," Heflin said.

Five days later, Bonnie and Greg James took in the foster child and eventually adopted the girl, naming her Skyler. Skyler said her parents had shared her history with her. She wondered if she would ever get to meet the man who saved her life that day.

When Bonnie James was addressing her daughter's graduation invitations, she looked through the white pages for listings for "Charles Heflin." She contacted each one, and when she found the right one, she invited him to her daughter's graduation and her party.

Heflin attended the commencement ceremony, but did not meet Skyler until the day of her graduation party. "I was very speechless. I didn't know what to say," James, 17, told ABC News about her meeting with Charlie Heflin on Sunday. "I could not say 'thank you' enough. I just hugged him and cried."

Skyler James is set to attend Concordia University in Chicago where she plans to major in communications. She aspires to continue to share her story. "It's very important to me to remind myself that even though I had a rough start in life, I have an amazing life and I wouldn't change anything for the world. I'm just so blessed that God has given me this great life," she said.

Because of our sins, we were lost - as helpless as an abandoned newborn baby on a frigid winter day...

But God sent Jesus to our rescue. He gave His life for us to save us from our sins so that we might live forever (Ephesians 1:7).

God will save and give the GIFT of eternal life to those who will place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31),
confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). The blood of Jesus will continue to cleanse those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7).

Those who accept His offer of salvation and eternal will one day get to meet the Savior face to face when He comes to take the redeemed to an eternal home.

What a GLORIOUS DAY that will be!

Won't YOU accept His offer?

David A. Sargent,

What is the Torah?

"Written On The Writer"
There was a time when a person could read my handwriting. In my elementary school much time was spent in penmanship, and I even learned to use a fountain pen (some may have to Google that term!). Those days are gone. With the advent of the keyboard and the word processor, my handwriting might as well be Sanskrit.

That background may help you realize why I appreciate the story I read about Richard Epstein, a Maryland psychiatrist, professor and author. Earlier this month a celebration was held to honor his work of hand-copying the Torah, a project that took eight years!

The Torah, in case you're not aware, is the first five books of the Old Testament, the books attributed to Moses, describing the Creation and the birth of the Israelite nation. Epstein, a Jew, used a feather quill to write on parchment made from sheepskin. In making his copy of the Torah, he wrote 304,805 Hebrew characters - without a mistake!

What does Epstein have to show for the eight years of careful writing? He has a beautiful scroll, for one thing (you can see it in this short documentary of his work at http://youtu.be/XKb-baFLMC8). But what impressed me more was this observation he made: "the Torah wrote me, more than I wrote the Torah — that it really shaped me."

The Torah is one part of a larger body of writings we call Scripture - literally, "that which has been written". Paul explains the significance of these writings: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). No other book ever written can make that kind of claim - a book breathed out by God!

Those who take the time to read carefully from this Book will find the transformative power Epstein spoke about. This power is highlighted in Hebrews 4:12: "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two- edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

What God desires is much more than our simply reading the Bible often. "Clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart" (2 Corinthians 3:3). As Epstein observed, Scripture can shape us. That's why God seeks to write it on our hearts.

"Patience, consistency, dedication" were words used in the Yahoo News report to describe the efforts of Richard Epstein in copying the Torah. Those same traits will lead to amazing results in our lives if we apply them to understanding Scripture.

Come to the light God offers! Study His word, the Bible. Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Get in touch with us if you'd like to discuss these ideas further.
~Timothy D. Hall.

TOP TEN SIGNS YOUR FAMILY HAS VISITED THE WRONG CHURCH

	T

his is the time of year when folks are visiting unfamiliar churches, either because they are on vacation and find themselves in a strange town on Sunday, or they have moved to a new city and are "church shopping". Either way, there is nothing more disconcerting than to suddenly realize, while sitting in the middle of a worship service, that this church is not what you expected it to be. Therefore as a public service (and with tongue firmly in cheek), I am offering the following top ten signs to help you recognize when your family has wandered into the wrong church by mistake.

#10 – As you enter the auditorium the usher greets you by asking, "Before I decide on which side of the building to seat you, I need to know: Are you a friend of the Hatfields or the McCoys?"

#9 – During the worship service an announcement is made that a special contribution for the building fund will be taken, since the city inspector has just notified the congregation that its facilities have dangerously toxic levels of radon gas.

#8 – As you enter the building someone taps you on the shoulder and says, "Pardon me, but you need to come back to the parking lot and move your car. You have parked in MY spot." Then, after you return and your family is comfortably seated, someone taps you on the shoulder and says, "Pardon me, but you need to move. You’re sitting in MY pew."

#6 – The minister is wearing a black hood and carrying a knife in one hand and a black cat in the other.

#5 – The minister is wearing a white hood and carrying a torch in one hand and a large cross in the other.

#4 – The minister is wearing a turban and chanting, "Death to America! Death to America!"

#3 – After the Bible class the teacher greets you with a friendly, "Say, you sure look familiar! Were you by any chance in ancient Babylon two thousand years ago? I think we may have met in one of my past lives!"

#2 – As you walk down a hall you over hear one deacon whisper to another, "One of the rattlesnakes has escaped, but I think we can round him up before the service is over."

And the #1 sign your family has definitely wandered into the wrong church: When you sit down you notice that everyone else in the auditorium has a shaved head, is wearing a purple robe, and says "Nanoo, nanoo" instead of "Amen."

If you should encounter any of the above signs you will want to quietly but quickly make your way to the exit!

--Dan Williams

Definition of a graduate

"What Is A Graduate?"

Every spring there is a creature that can be found on almost every high school and college campus. This creature is called a "graduate." Prior to commencement exercises you may often find him in a daze of bewilderment for the approaching event. Graduates come in all shapes and sizes, with various dreams of what the future holds. You will find them with feelings of anticipation and inadequacy that are smothered by a sense of pride and accomplishment. A graduate is someone who has worked hard and dreamed of the day when his labors would produce reward. He has a tassel on his head, a robe over his shoulders, a diploma in his hand, and the world before him. A graduate is an adolescent entering the world of adulthood with all its challenges and rewards. Congratulations to our graduates.

--by Tom Wacaster

What does the Bible really say about baptism?

More Thoughts On Baptism

Winston Churchill is credited with this tongue-in-cheek observation: "Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened." I sometimes think that is precisely what denominational preachers do when it comes to this subject of baptism. Of course such foolishness is not limited to preachers for there are multitudes that imbibe error who, when confronted with truth, do precisely the same thing. When immediately confronted with passages that address the purpose of baptism and whether or not it is essential to forgiveness of past sins, they stumble over it, pick themselves up, and then hurry off as if nothing ever happened. An absence of love for the truth will open the door into one's heart for a "strong delusion" that will cause a man to be lost. What a tragedy that men will be eternally condemned simply because they did not possess a love for the truth. God has communicated His will to us on this matter of baptism in terms so simple that it takes six years in a seminary to mess it up. Those who have not a love for the truth can (and will) read a passage, and then conclude that it simply does not mean what it says. They may do this intentionally, or they may do this because they have been deceived; but either way they delude themselves into believing a lie.

In my debate with a denominational preacher almost a decade ago I presented a chart on which I had placed two columns. The heading over the first column was, "When the Scripture says.." The heading over the second column read, "What it really means is.." I did this to contrast plain Bible teaching with the false doctrine of men. In order to conserve space I will not draw the two columns, but present to you here the blaring contradiction between what the Bible says and what men think it says or means. Are we to believe, for example, that when the Bible says "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved," what it actually means is, "He that believeth and is saved should be baptized" (Mark 16:16). Shall we conclude that when the Bible says that "all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death" that what it actually means is, "All we who were baptized were already in Christ Jesus and were already in his death"? (Rom. 6:3) When the Bible says that "we were buried therefore with him through baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life" that what it means is "we walk in newness of life before we are buried in baptism"? (Rom. 6:4). Are we to believe that when Ananias said to Paul, "And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name" that what Ananias actually meant was, "Arise and be baptized to show that you have already been saved"? Finally, are we to conclude that when Peter wrote in 1 Peter 3:21, "The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ" that what Peter meant was, "Baptism has nothing to do with your salvation"? Passages could be multiplied, but I think you get the picture. David Sain made this observation that is pertinent to this discussion: "Someone may say, 'I've been rethinking the matter on baptism.' Well, one may rethink these and other matters and change his mind, but that will not change what the Bible actually teaches. If I look at a microphone and call it a pencil, does that change what it is? Of course it does not. I can say what I want about it, but it will still be a microphone. And so it is with the truth. Man may say what he will about a Biblical matter, but what the Bible says about it remains the same" (Spiritual Sword Lectures 2005, Restoring the New Testament Church, page 224).

Many years ago a preacher made this observation. I may not have the words exact, and I cannot remember where I first heard it, but I think you'll appreciate the point: "If a man is sincere, and is in religious error, and is then confronted with the truth, he will either cease to be in error, or he will cease to be sincere." When it comes to baptism for remission of sins, it is simply a matter of believing what the Bible says, and then obeying it! Anything else is but folly!

 

--by Tom Wacaster

He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother

She Ain't Heavy  

Twin sisters, Claire and Chloe Gruenke, are accustomed to doing things together. Yet the actions of these 13-year-old girls at the recent southern Illinois state track meet reveal the depth of their love for one another.

The twins were both running in the 800 meter race when Chloe heard a pop in her thigh and fell to the track in pain. Claire saw what had happened and stopped to help her sister up. Then in a beautiful display of love and solidarity, Claire put her sister on her back and carried her 370 meters - almost a full lap around the track - to the finish line. The duo completed the race with a standing ovation from the crowd.

Similar to the sentiments of the 1969 hit song written by Bobby Scott and Bob Russell and made famous by the Hollies ("He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"), Claire would say it was no burden for her to carry her sister. "It's about showing compassion, love and sportsmanship," Claire said. "Even if you lose and help somebody, it's still worth it. The energy from the crowd made me stronger. They were saying I can't believe you just did that." *

Consider the words of Solomon..."Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up" (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).

You and I are like Chloe. we are the ones who have fallen onto the track beneath the weight of the burden of our sin. Because of our sin, we are disqualified and condemned.

But then Jesus came to our rescue. When we accept His offer of salvation, He becomes our burden-bearer, taking the burden of our sin upon Himself, which is exactly what He did for us when He died on the cross for our sins. "He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed" (1 Peter 2:24). Jesus FREES us from the burden of sin so that we can follow Him as we "run the Christian race." 

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Jesus will bear the burden of sin for those who will place their faith and trust in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess His name before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will continue to cleanse those who continue to follow Him as they walk - or "run" -- in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7).

Won't YOU allow Jesus to bear the burden of your sins so that you can complete the race and share in His victory?

David A. Sargent

How to make good choices!

Wendy DeWar Hughes related the following (Reader's Digest, 10/2002, p 121) - "Once, after a long, hard week, I leaned my head on my husband's shoulder and sighed, 'Let's run away together.' He replied, 'We did, and this is where we ended up." Where will you end up? That depends, doesn't it, on the decisions and choices we make today. Choices are important - every road we choose to travel leads somewhere. The famous opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti once told that when he was a boy, his father urged him to develop his voice. Arrigo Palo, a professional tenor in Luciano's hometown of Modena, Italy, took the young Pavarotti as a pupil but while he studied voice Luciano also enrolled in a teacher's school, but on graduating, he asked his father, "Shall I be a teacher or a singer?" his father replied, "Luciano, if you try to sit on two chairs, you will fall between them. For life, you must choose one chair."

 Choices matter when we are choosing a career, and choices matter when it comes to developing character. Where we are tomorrow is determined by choices we make today. Doug Parsons once noted in a church bulletin article that the future is rooted in the present, and the present is rooted in the past. Years ago I heard a story about an older gospel preacher who was preaching a gospel meeting. He quoted many passages from the Bible and throughout the week masterfully preached the gospel. The last night of the meeting a middle-aged sister complimented him at the back door and gushed, "I'd give half my life to know the Bible as well as you do." Without hesitation the veteran preacher told her, "That's exactly what it will cost you, sister." His point was clear. You don't learn or become or achieve anything of any significance in life, including the development of spiritual character, without making the choices that lead there.

Choices really do matter. A single choice to drink or smoke or use other kinds of drugs often begins a downward spiral that ends in addiction and loss that is immeasurable. Marriages and homes and hearts are broken because men and women make bad choices. Young people choose to be sexually immoral which often leads to painful emotional and physical consequences, and always to bad spiritual consequences (see Hebrews 13:4). People choose to spend money they don't have and use a plastic card to dig a financial hole that burdens their family and proves hard to climb out of. Sin is a choice, and it is always a bad one (Romans 6:23a; James 1:15).

Regarding where we will be for eternity, we actually have but one choice - heaven or hell. Jesus lays it out in Matthew 7:13-14 with words that stagger us if and when they ever really sink into our souls - "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find if." Many choices matter but the one Jesus describes matters more than any choice we ever make. We won't just accidentally wake up someday in either heaven or hell. In eternity, where we will be when we get where we are going depends upon the road we choose to travel. How about it - are you traveling the narrow way to life, or the broad way to destruction?
--Dan Gulley

Where to find the church described in the Bible

Christianity is fragmented into four major religions: the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, the Anglican Church, and the Protestant churches. At the same time, these four religions are divided into hundreds and thousands of subdivisions and organizations.

            That’s not the Christianity I believe in. I believe in the Christianity that Paul defined as the “church of Christ” (Romans 16:16).

            I belong to the church of Christ because it has a biblical name.

            I belong to the church of Christ because this church was founded by Jesus.

            I belong to the church of Christ because it doesn’t have a central organization, it doesn’t have a Vatican.

            I belong to the church of Christ because each church has its own elders, deacons, and preacher.

            I belong to the church of Christ because its only law is the Bible.

            I belong to the church of Christ because it has a clear, simple, and complete doctrine.

            I belong to the church of Christ because it provides human beings with a perfect and complete plan of salvation as found in the New Testament.

            I belong to the church of Christ because its worship is based on the teachings of Jesus and the apostles.

            I belong to the church of Christ because of these and other reasons.

            I don’t want a Billy Graham Association. I don’t want southern, northern, eastern, or western Baptists. I don’t want Methodist or Pentecostal, Presbyterian or Episcopal.

            I want what I have: the simple and sound doctrine of the New Testament, the doctrine that the Christians of the first century believed and practiced.

--Juan Antonio Monroy – An Autobiography  (2011:  ACU Press)

Must I be baptized to be saved?

Baptism And The Law Of The Excluded Middle by Tom Wacaster A major point of contention between the Lord's church and virtually every false system of religion that falls under the broad, man-made umbrella of "Christendom," has to do with the role that baptism plays in God's plan for man's salvation. I have had two debates with denominational preachers, and I can attest that the adamancy with which they attack such passages as Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, 1 Peter 3:21, is a manifestation of their hatred for the truth and denial of one of simplest commands given to those desiring to become children of God. It may seem harsh to accuse someone of hating the truth simply because he does not believe, teach, or practice the Biblical position on baptism, but when men ridicule the God given command, they hate the truth. Or, to put it another way, "because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved" (2 Thess. 2:10). The "law of the excluded middle" is a law in logic that says a thing either is, or is not. It exhausts the possibilities. For example, were I to point to an object and say that the object is either wood or non-wood, I have exhausted the possibilities. Both statements cannot be true, nor can both be false. The value of using "the law of the excluded middle" is such that if you prove one side of the two-side equation to be false, you at the same time have proven the other to be true, and visa versa. Prove that an object is wood, and it is not non-wood: it would not be plastic, steal, concrete, et al. With that we are ready to apply the "law of the excluded middle" to the goal of learning the truth about the essentiality of baptism. While there is sufficient scripture to prove the essentiality of baptism for remission of past sins, I will take a different approach and "go in through the back door" so to speak. The "law of the excluded middle" demands that baptism is either for remission of past sins, or it is not for remission of past sins. That statement exhausts the possibilities, does it not? Both positions cannot, at one and the same time, be true, nor can both statements, at one and the same time, be false. Those who deny its essentiality have taken the later position, and thus it is their burden to prove their position. They have, however, taken upon themselves an impossible task for the simple reason that their position leads to an absurdity and/or contradiction; in fact it leads to several absurdities and/or contradictions. Let's pursue this a little further. First, it leads to the absurdity that one can be in Christ and out of Christ at the same time. It is obvious that all spiritual blessings are in Christ (Eph. 1:3). Forgiveness of past sins is a spiritual blessing. Therefore, forgiveness of sins is located only in Christ, a spiritual state acquired prior to baptism as per the argument of those who advocate that baptism is not for remission of sins. But it is also true that baptism puts one into Christ as per Romans 6:3-5. Therefore, those who believe that baptism is not for remission of past sins must conclude that one is in Christ prior to baptism, but out of Christ at the same time because he has not yet been baptized into Christ. Second, it leads to the absurdity that one has been raised from spiritual death to walk in newness of life prior to having been raised to walk in newness of life. In Romans 6:4 Paul wrote: "We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life." The argument is same as above. Those who believe, embrace and/or teach the doctrine that baptism is not for remission of sins must believe they have already been raised to newness of life prior to burial in the grave. But since we are "buried...through baptism..so we also might walk in newness of life," then accepting the doctrine that remission of sins comes prior to baptism place themselves in the unenviable position of believing an absurdity: that they are, at one and the same time, walking in newness of life and are not walking in newness of life. By the same line of reasoning we could show that those who believe that baptism is not for remission of sins imply that they have been saved while at the same time not being saved, they have been translated into the body of Christ while not being in the body of Christ, etc. Now, let us return to the use of the "law of the excluded middle" and show the force of our reasoning. Since it is true that the "law of the excluded middle" does not allow something to have and at the same time not have the same qualities, we can only conclude that if someone believes he is in Christ while at the same time believing he is not in Christ, he has violated the "law of the excluded middle." If a person believes he is walking in newness of life and at the same time not walking in newness of life, he has violated "the law of the excluded middle." Cannot you not see the absurd position they place themselves in? Is it not much easier to simply believe and obey the Lord's words: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved"? Indeed it is!

Christians who get discouraged

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not”—Galatians 6:9

 These words from the Apostle Paul have in recent times come to mean so much to me and have been the source of much encouragement. The danger of growing weary is an ever present danger faced by every one of us. There are so many obstacles and difficulties that confront us from time to time as we journey down this pathway of life. I venture to say that in all probability, all of us have at one time or another gone through a moment of time in which we asked ourselves what we were doing and just felt like throwing up our hands and quitting. But hear me now, no matter what the obstacles are, no matter what difficulties we face, no matter how exhausted we become we must persevere to the end of this life. And if we do, then in the morning of the resurrection we will awake to an inheritance that is more glorious and wonderful than anything our human minds can begin to comprehend (1 Cor. 15:51-57, 2 cor. 5:1, John14:1-3, 2 Tim. 4:6-8, 1 Cor. 2:9, Rev. 21:3-4, Rev. 14:13).

One of the greatest causes of growing weary is that of discouragement. It is so easy for this weak, frail human frame to become disheartened and depressed in spirit because of the difficulties, trials and heartaches encountered along the way as we make this journey of life. The devil knows this and thus discouragement has become one of his most effective tools.

We simply must submit our will to God, believing with all our being that he is able to deliver us (Dan. 3:16-17, Isa. 12:2). When we do this, all those moments of discouragement will only last for a very brief time because we rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him knowing we will have his help and deliverance (1 Cor. 10:13, Heb. 4:16, 13:5, Rom. 8:28, 35-39, 1 John 4:4).

With an eye of faith, we must look onward and upward to our heavenly Father and the reward that will be ours (Phil. 3:14). I pray that each of us will fight the good fight of faith, finish the course and keep the faith (2 Tim 4:7). We are all going to  go on a journey from whence we will not return (Heb. 9:27). We do not have the power to stop the hands of time and before we know it, we will be walking into the literal presence of the Almighty. What a day that will be.

Charles Hicks

The greatest persons I have ever met are those nobody knows anything about

 
The Greatest People  

Ilion Jones writes that "On the great biographer Ida M. Tarbell's 80th birthday, someone asked her to name the greatest persons she had ever met. She responded, 'the greatest persons I have ever met are those nobody knows anything about.'"

"Once the New York Times was asked to help a group of club women decide on the twelve greatest women in the United States. After due consideration, the editors replied, 'the twelve greatest women in the United States are women who have never been heard of outside of their own homes.'"

Jones concludes, "I ask you, who was greater, Thomas A. Edison or his mother? When he was a young lad his teacher sent him home with a note which said, 'Your child is dumb. We can't do anything for him.' Mrs. Edison wrote back, 'You do not understand my boy. I will teach him myself.' And she did, with results that are well known. *

For many, the greatest influences for good in their lives are from those who are not well-known to the masses but loved and appreciated deeply by those who have benefitted from their wisdom and example.

The greatest person in your life - well-known or not - is that person who has taught you about Jesus, by his or her words and actions.

For many, that person has been a godly mother or grandmother.

A little boy forgot his lines in a Sunday school presentation. His mother was in the front row to prompt him. She gestured and formed the words silently with her lips, but it did not help. Her son's memory was blank. Finally, she leaned forward and whispered the cue, "I am the light of the world." The child beamed and with great feeling and a loud clear voice said, "My mother is the light of the world!" **

Actually, Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12). But we should consider to be GREAT those - like godly mothers - who have enlightened us to that great truth.

Scripture records these words about John the Baptist: "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world" (John 1:6-9).

Therefore, John and all who are like him, are the greatest persons we could ever know, for they bear witness to the Light (Jesus) that we might develop our own faith and ultimately follow that Light all the way to heaven!

Jesus, the Light of the world, is the Way out of the darkness and doom of sin (John 14:6). Jesus will save those who place their faith and trust in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turn from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess His name before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His word (1 John 1:7).

Great are those who lead us to follow Jesus, the Light of the World.

Won't YOU follow Him, too?

David A. Sargent

Is the American family in decline?

The American Family
by Tom Wacaster

Sociologists have been warning us for more than six decades now of the collapsing family structure in the western world, and especially the United States. Those warnings seem to have either been discounted as nothing more than alarmists hollering doom and gloom for no legitimate reason, or the warnings were ignored altogether. I have been preaching for a little more than four of those decades and even with my limited involvement in family counseling I can affirm that those warnings were not from a chicken-little, "sky is falling" mind set. When I was living in Decatur, Texas in the mid 1980's the divorce rate in America officially hit 50%, and a little research in the Wise County library confirmed that in that county for the year 1988 there were 2 divorces for every marriage. That does not mean that the rate had reached 66%; it was more a reflection on the shrinking desire on the part of couples to wed for one reason or another. When the United States Census Bureau released its figures for 1990 the number of people cohabitating had surpassed those actually getting married for the first time in American history. I think that was also the first year the Census Bureau no longer had a box in their census form for someone to check "head of family."

Now let me back up five decades to May 22, 1964. Six months earlier John F. Kennedy had been assassinated in Dallas, Texas, and Lyndon Johnson was now serving out the last year or so of Kennedy's presidency. In a commencement at the University of Michigan, President Johnson set forth a grandiose dream of a "Great Society." He had only four months earlier declared the "war on poverty" in his first State of the Union address, perhaps the first leg in his journey toward his dream of a utopian state where poverty, racial injustice, and equality for all would become a part of the American dream with the assistance of a growing and more powerful government. In his own words, that "was just the beginning." Nicholas Eberstadt summed up Johnson's dream of a Great Society in a recent article in the Weekly Standard:

The Great Society proposed to bring about wholesale renewal of our cities, beautification of our natural surroundings, vitalization of our educational system. All this, and much more-and the solutions to the many obstacles encountered in this great endeavor, we were told, would assuredly be found, since this undertaking would "assemble the best thought and the broadest knowledge from all over the world to find those answers for America" [quoting Johnson, TW].

Gradually America would turn more toward human wisdom and turn less to God's word for their guidance in matters pertaining to morals and family responsibility. It was not long before a steady stream soon developed out of which social programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, poverty assistance, et al soon became the norm, and the entitlement mentality soon captured the imagination of this generation. That trickle became a title wave with the introduction of a national health care program in the form of the Affordable Healthcare Act. It seems that there is no end to the utopian state that our politicians now envision.

I would be tempted to write several articles on the complete failure of such a mentality as seen in the past five decades, but I will refrain from that at least for now. The declared "war on poverty" that cracked open the door for the Great Society concept has only made matters worse. Percentage wise, and in a hard cold numbers as well, there are more people living in poverty today than in 1966. Other statistics in various areas demonstrate the complete and utter failure of this attempt, or any attempt, to build a utopia here on earth. But nowhere is the damage of such thinking more evident than in the harm it has done to our families here in America. I want to share some statistics with you from that same Weekly Standard issue. Over the past couple of decades I have come across little bits of information as to what is happening to our families in America, but these figures are staggering. In the 1950's the norm for childbearing and child rearing was the married, two-parent household. As late as 1963 more than 93% of American' babies were from that two-parent arrangement. During the last five decades, after the implementation of the Great Society, out of wedlock births have skyrocketed. Divorce and separation soared, and the "single mom" and "single dad" family arrangement has become a way of life in many areas. From 1965 to 1990 out of wedlock births jumped from 7.7% to 28%. Among African Americans it stood at 40%, and in some areas of our country it was a staggering 60%. But it would get worse. From 1990 to 2012 the percentage of out of wedlock births among African Americans jumped to 72% - that's 7 out of ten children born out of wedlock. A 1990 Census Bureau study reported that only 57% of children were living with both of their biological parents-that's almost half of all the children in the U.S. Among Hispanics the rate of out of wedlock births now stands at more than 30%. Among whites the rate hit an all time high in 2013 of 29% - that's ten times the figures in the mid 1960's when the Great Society was instituted.

The last few years has seen a broad acceptance of homosexuality in America and around the world, and an increase in states legitimizing homosexual marriages. This will only make matters worse. Yesterday (Monday, May 12th) it was reported that Defense Secretary Hagel is now entertaining allowing transsexuals into our military, just another step toward the complete destruction of God's desired arrangement for an orderly and godly society. Indeed, the trickle gave way to a steady stream, then to a title wave of ungodliness. We are now in a free fall into the abyss of absolute social chaos. When we were doing mission work in Ukraine in the late 90's we had the opportunity to travel to Odessa on the Black Sea. A good sister in Christ had invited us to come visit her. I asked her on that occasion why the Russian people were so open to the gospel. Her response was: "When you are flat on your back, there is no way to look but up." Perhaps it will take the complete collapse of our society before this generation will start looking "up" for the solution to their problems. A better life will not be found in a Great Society, or any other kind of utopia on earth. The only utopia God ever promised us is that which awaits those souls who are willing to submit to His divine will in this life. Anything else is a pipe dream that will result in failure and disappointment.

Examples of abusing God's grace

Balance And God's Grace by Tom Wacaster The late Ira North was known for stressing the importance of balance in our lives. Extremes are dangerous in any area of life, and extremes, more often than not, lead to abuses, which in turn are sinful in the sight of God. A good example of this can be seen in Jude's warning to the brethren: "For there are certain men crept in privily, even they who were of old written of beforehand unto this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ" (Jude 4). I find it incredible that anyone could "turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness." We are not provided the details of exactly how these false teachers were abusing God's grace, but it seems obvious to this student that they must have been suggesting that because God's grace is so abundant that when we participate in sin, whether willingly or because we have been "overtaken in a trespass" (Gal. 6:1), that God's grace somehow automatically provides forgiveness, even while participating in the sin itself. God's grace had become an excuse to sin. Paul warned of such thinking in Romans 5:20 thru 6:14. In that epistle Paul had set forth the abundant grace of God, and concluded that "where sin abounded, grace did about more exceedingly" (Rom. 5:20). In order to prevent going to the extreme, Paul then asks, and answers, a question: "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. We who have died to sin, how shall we any longer live therein?" (Rom. 6:1-2). The problem in Paul's day, Jude's day, and even in our day, is that impenitent men want to extoll God's grace while excusing their participation in sin. Martin Luther rebelled against the Catholic Church when it introduced the sale of indulgences to finance a building project. If one can put money into the coffer in advance of sin, and then participate in that sin as if it has been properly "paid for," is that person not abusing God's grace? I came across this amusing story that addresses this very point. There was a fellow who stole his neighbor's car. He went to the priest and confessed the sin and the priest absolved him and told him the price would be $10. The man put $20 into the coffer and turned to go his way. The priest told him had paid too much, and the man replied, "Just keep it-tonight I'm going out looking for another car." While we may laugh at the story (or weep at the abuse of God's grace), the warning to us from Paul and Jude is quite clear. God's grace is not some kind of talisman that can rid us of the consequences of sin just because we think it to be so. Here are some ways we might abuse God's grace. First, we abuse God's grace when we think sin is a light thing. Foolish is the hypocritical church goer who thinks that sin is "no big deal." If he thinks God's grace will excuse him from his wilful rebellion, he will find himself in the same boat as the rich fool in Luke 12 whose soul was required of him that very night. Second, multitudes in the Lord's church bank on God's grace to save them even though they live in an adulterous marriage. Repentance demands cessation of sin, and coming out of an adulterous marriage is no exception, regardless of the wonderful grace of God. Third, an occasional response to the Lord's invitation on Sunday morning without any real change in life is abusing God's grace. Where are those souls who have come forward, seldom with tears in their eyes or a heavy burden on their heart, asked for forgiveness, and then fail to even darken the doorway of the church for another six months or so when, once again, they attend, come forward, and "ask for forgives for some vague wrong doing, or for having said some things that might have offended others. Finally, do we not abuse God's grace when we fail to attend, pray, study, visit, help with the work of the church, et al, and then sing with a loud voice on those occasions when we happen to be present with the saints, "God's grace lifted me"? Lifted you from what? To do what? Let us never forget that passage in Titus 2:11-12: "For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world (emphasis mine, TW). God has prescribed the proper balance when it comes to His grace. Faith in His gracious gift, and a response in loving obedience. Nothing else will work!

Hope is the anchor of our soul

Matthew 9:29 “Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.”

These words were spoken to two blind men who were following Jesus asking him to have mercy on them. Evidently, they strongly believed that Jesus could help them in their distress. Looking at the matter of faith from the pages of God’s word, we must be impressed with the fact that our faith can be little (Matt. 14:31, 16:8), weak (Rom. 14:1, 4:19), or great (Matt. 15:28, Luke 7:9). In Romans 4:20, Paul speaks of Abraham’s faith in God as being “strong”, so much so that he believed God could and would bring to pass the promise given him (Rom. 4:17-22). Today, each of us would do well to pause occasionally and consider whether or not our words, thoughts, feelings and conduct are evidence of a strong faith in God. Think seriously, would you welcome hearing the Lord say to you, “according to your faith, be it unto you”?

A strong faith in God must be a vital part of each of us. It is the very basis of our living. A strong faith is one that believes God can accomplish those things that to the human eye seem impossible to achieve. I think about  the Israelites at the Red Sea (Exodus 14). I think about the three Hebrew children (Daniel 3). I think about what happened the day David faced the Philistine giant (1 Sam. 17). I think about a time when Peter actually walked on water (Matt.14). With a strong faith in God, you can expect the unexpected to take place. A strong faith allows us to accept God’s ability to take that which is difficult and trying and fit it into a plan for our benefit.

We stand in awe of those great heroes of faith found in the 11^th chapter of Hebrews. Their strong faith in God is marked with lives totally committed to God, lives that were disciplined by God and lives that were distinctive for God. It is this writer’s firm conviction that our lives must be marked in the same way if we are to have a strong faith that will withstand all the obstacles and struggles of this earthly life (John 2:5; Mark 12:30; Rom. 12:1; 1 Pet. 2:9; Heb. 12:1-14; 1 Thess. 5:14-23; 2 Cor. 8:5).

The writer of Hebrews tells us that hope is the anchor of our soul, both sure and steadfast (Heb. 6:19). However, that anchor of hope without a strong faith will fail to keep us on a steady course. In fact, without a strong faith in God, there is no hope and if there is no hope, there is no anchor and if there is no anchor, then we will drift aimlessly through this earthly life and one day die unprepared to meet God in judgment.

With a strong, obedient faith in God, each step we take will simply carry us a little closer to the moment when that home not made with hands will be ours (2Cor. 5:1).  Let it be, O let it be.

Charles Hicks

ABC's of Missions

The Relationship Between the Missionaries and the National Church

Introduction:  The indigenous principle teaches that mission work should never be done in a way that creates unnecessary dependence of the national church on foreign workers or foreign funds.  Missionaries should never do for the national church what it can and should be doing for itself.  Our desire to bless the church with our financial power may actually weaken the church, delay its maturing and damage its long term ability to function on its own.

Above all, the national church should support its own preachers and leaders financially.  Few practices have brought more grief and conflict into mission programs or weakened the national churches more than support of national preachers with foreign funds.  It seems logical in human wisdom to multiply preachers through foreign support, and this makes for impressive statistics on conversions, but it weakens the church in the long term.  Congregations of the early church were expected to support their own leaders and teachers from the beginning - Acts 6:4; Galatians 6:6; Philippians 4:14-16; 2 Corinthians 11:7-9; Acts 18:1-5; 1 Timothy 5:17,18; 2 Timothy 2:3-7; 1 Corinthians 9:1-14, especially verse 12.

Reasons for not supporting national church workers with foreign funds:

1.         It weakens and retards the national church spiritually.

A.         Christ taught that the issue of the love of money must be decided at the very beginning of following him - Matthew 6:21-24; 19:16-24.

B.         Maturity is in loving and giving - Acts 20:25; Ephesians 5:25.

C.         When we support leaders for the national church, we take away the test Christ gave to God's people in his time to determine their acceptance or rejection of the kingdom - Luke 10:1-12.

D.         Christians in poorer countries are not exempt from supporting their own workers.  Many New Testament Christians lived on an economic level like that of less developed countries today - Matthew 20:2; 2 Corinthians 8:1-5; Luke 16:10.

E.         Ten heads of families giving each a tenth of his income, can support a preacher at their own economic level, great or small.

2.         Foreign support attracts mercenaries to the ministry.  (This is not to say that every national worker who has been on foreign support is mercenary in his motives, but we who are rich have little understanding of how overwhelming the appeal of even a little money can be in a destitute country.)  Many poorer countries are full of independent or break away church leaders who offer to put their group of churches under your ministry if you will put the leader on salary.  Often such offers are made without even discussing doctrinal agreement.

3.         Foreign support creates destructive envy among nationals and bitterness toward the missionaries among those not supported or who want more.

4.         Foreign support takes away some of the openness and freedom in the relationship between the national leader and the missionary and makes it artificial.  In a poorer country, emotions over a little money can be intense.  Once money enters the relationship, the national worker may fear to be completely open with the missionary lest he lose his support.  Thus the missionary may not be able to  know the national as well and surely as he would have.

5.         American support centers the minds of people on the material benefits of the missionary's presence, rather than on the spiritual benefits.

6.         Such support often creates a professional concept of the ministry, rather than a servant concept.

7.         It makes the national preacher independent of the churches he is working with and lessens his accountability to them, leading to possible abuse of his authority.

8.         Only the national church can know best which workers are truly worthy of support.

9.         Foreign support greatly delays the time when the national church will be willing to assume the support of its own workers.

It is better, in the light of these truths, never to start supporting national church workers with foreign funds.  The missionaries should kindly but steadfastly point the national Christians to the scriptures, teaching them from the beginning what Christ expects of them.

If foreign support has already begun, some missionaries have worked out an agreement with the national church to decrease the foreign support by steps over a given period, letting the national church gradually assume the burden.

Conclusion:  The natural thing is for missionaries to keep all the responsibility because of its glory.  The natural thing is for the nationals to let the missionaries carry the burden for them as long as possible.  In either case it is the weakness of the flesh at work.  Both missionaries and nationals must recognize it and deal with it with Christ's help.  May God help us to choose and faithfully follow the higher and more difficult road that leads to spiritual maturity in the national church.

© by G.B. Shelburne, III (except for any graphics and scripture quotations).  May be reproduced for non-profit, non-publishing instructional purposes provided document content is not altered and this copyright notice is included in full.  Format may be altered.  South Houston Bible Institute, 14325 Crescent Landing, Houston, TX 77062-2178, U.S.A., telephone 281-090-8899, email <shbi@shbi.org>, web site <www.shbi.org>.  Scriptures, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE:  NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION © 1978 and 1984 by the New York International Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.  Some courses available via Distance Learning.