Do You Ever Mention Him?

 A man commented about a preacher he knew, “He speaks very well, if he just had something to say.” The church of Christ has something to say. Jesus Christ saw to that 2,000 years ago when He charged His disciples, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15 -16). The early church was committed to that God-assigned commission. Their irrepressible resolve to tell Christ’s gospel is seen in the words of the apostles Peter and John in Acts 4:19-20. When opponents of the gospel commanded them to stop preaching Jesus, “Peter and John answered them, saying, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard.’” They had something to say and nobody in hell or on earth would stop them from saying it. In Acts 8:4, severely persecuted Christians “scattered,” but then “went everywhere preaching the word.” Early Christians believed the gospel was a message that could save the souls of men and women from sin and reconcile lost people to God. They believed the gospel gave them something to say. They believed God meant for them to say it, and so they refused to stop saying it. The apostle Paul declared to the elders of the ancient church at ancient Ephesus in Acts 20:26-27, “Therefore I testify you this day, that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned [or avoided] to declare to you the whole counsel of God.” Paul was confident that in God’s court no one at Ephesus would be able to truthfully) accuse or charge that he had been silent concerning any part of God’s gospel. No one could say to him, in the words of the sobering old gospel song, “You never mentioned Him to me, you helped me not the light to see. You met me day by day, and knew I was astray, Yet never mentioned Him to me.”

 The contemporary church of Christ still has something to say. As regards sin and salvation, heaven and hell, and where souls will be for eternity, what the church has to say is the most important, imperative, vital and urgent thing that can be said. The question is not do we have something to say. We have as much to say and the same thing to say as those early Christians did. It haunts me to think of the day when I will stand before God, that someone I met day by day, someone I knew was astray, might look at me and say, You never mentioned Him to me.” Yet, too many saints are silent. How often do you tell about what you have “seen and heard” in the gospel of Jesus Christ? If you are truly a Christian, somewhere, somehow, somebody mentioned and talked to you about Jesus Christ and the gospel, and you chose to follow Him. Fundamentally, our God-given task is not to “bring the whole world to Christ” but to “take Christ to the whole world.” Somehow, someway, every Christian needs to be active in that mission. Words written by Brother David Sain continue to convict me: “... if we do not believe that people who have not believed and obeyed the gospel are lost, we have no valid reason to evangelize. I remember H. A. Dixon saying there are two reasons why we are not more concerned and more active in confronting people with the gospel. First, he said, we are not convinced that they are lost if they do not obey the gospel; second, we are not convinced we are lost if we do not try to teach them” (The Spiritual Sword, January 2003, p 40).  May I remind you, Christian friend, you have something to say. Are you saying it? Do you ever mention Him?

                      Dan Gulley, Smithville, TN

A Heavenly Crown on the Cheap?

 An old story tells about squirrels overrunning three churches in town. The leaders of the first church, after much prayer, decided the little creatures, pesky though they were, were predetermined to be there. They reasoned there was no way they could or should

fight against God’s will. The leaders of the second church decided they should not harm the squirrels no matter how “squirrelly” they were. After all, they said, squirrels are God’s creatures, too. They trapped the cute little creatures and set them free outside of town.

But, alas, two days later they were back! The third church alone came up with a solution that kept the squirrels away. The elders baptized the squirrels – now they show up only on Christmas and Easter! Yes, I know that story is nutty. And you may think I am for

telling it. Be that as it may, the story touches on a very serious problem that plagues the church in many cases and places. The problem is not just Christians who are absent from the church’s worship assemblies and work activities. For any Christian, habitual, willful absence, whatever the “reason”, is symptomatic of a deeper malady. Many attempt to practice a costless, cross-less, Christianity that suggests followers of Jesus can receive a crown on the cheap, that is without the cost of bearing a cross. But Jesus Christ still

calls all potential followers, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). What Jesus preached in this text is what He practiced with life – a profound commitment to do God’s will, not one’s own will (Matt.26:37-42). He went to a cross because       He was fully surrendered to God’s will, costly as that commitment proved to be. Christ promises a crown of life for those who bear the cross, not just wear it or sing about it (Revelation 2:10).      

Just about everyone has heard the phase, “No pain, no gain.” It suggests great rewards for those willing to endure hard and even painful work. Consider professional football players. Tom Junod wrote about the high price they are willing to pay for NFL money, fame and glory (“Theater of Pain”, 2-11-2013, Esquire magazine). Junod reported that during the 2011 NFL season, the 2,000 active players suffered 4,500 injuries, an injury rate of 225%! The list included “concussions, torn ACL’s, ruptured tendons, ankle sprains, turf toes, stretched or compressed spines ...” and various other painful injuries. Junod was not encouraging this “war even if wounded” mentality. He was simply noting the fact that many athletes are profoundly committed to the point of suffering serious pain to achieve monetary gain and NFL fame. May I offer an application and take-home-point for your consideration? In 2 Timothy 2:1-7 the apostle Paul calls Timothy (and, in reality, every Christian) to a profound commitment. He depicts the level of commitment with words like "strong ...endure hardship ... soldier ... warfare ... competes in athletics ... hard working” (New King James Version). The truth is profound commitment is not unusual today. People practice it in many fields of endeavor for what 1 Corinthians 9:27 describes as “a perishable crown.” How committed are you to obtain “an imperishable crown?” The idea we can gain a heavenly crown on the cheap is not Biblical. Martin Luther said, “A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing.” We may never have to die for Christ, but the Bible is clear –– to truly follow and live for Christ involves profound commitment. How much is following Christ costing you?

                            Dan Gulley, Smithville, TN

The Power of Encouragement!

 The story of swimmer Eric Moussambani is nothing short of remarkable. The 22-year-old from Equatorial Guinea competed in the 100 meter freestyle swimming event at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney. Here’s what’s remarkable -- he had only learned

to swim the past January before the Olympics that summer of 2000! By special invitation from the International Olympic Committee, under a special program that permitted poor countries to participate even when their athletes didn’t achieve normal standards,

Moussambani entered the 100 meter men’s freestyle. After the two other swimmers in the heat were disqualified due to false starts, Moussambani found himself swimming alone in lane 5. The first 50 meters went well, but into the final 50 meters he tired. He virtually

stopped and flailed in the water, trying to stay afloat. Some feared he was drowning. Mousammbani later told reporters, “It was then I stated to hear the crowd screaming and shouting, encouraging me to ‘Go, go, go!’ It gave me the strength to finish, and when I touched the wall I said to myself, ‘Oh, I’ve done it.’ ” After the race he told a reporter, “I want to send hugs and kisses to the crowd. It was their cheering that kept me going.” There’s more to Moussambani’s story, but not space to tell it. Suffice it to say he finished his Olympic race because of the great power of encouragement and went home and did great things.

There are times in life when the strongest among us needs encouragement to keep us from drowning. Not drowning in a pool of water, but in a pool of fatigue and stress and strain. Dealing with people and problems and pressures, at home and work and even at church, has a way of wearing us down and tiring us out. We feel like we’re “dead in the water” and find it hard to keep going. Nobody is beyond the need of a big dose of encouragement at times. Think about the apostle Paul. If we think of him as a spiritual    Superman beyond the need for encouragement, we are wrong! As he pens the book of 2 Timothy he is suffering for the gospel (2 Timothy 1:8, 12), viewed as an “evil-doer” and is “in chains” (2:9). Some who once supported him have deserted him (1:15). A brother in Christ named Demas has forsaken him (4:10). Another individual, Alexander, caused the apostle much harm (4:14). Besides all that, he is expecting imminent execution, for he metaphorically says “I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand” (4:6). He may have been cold, asking Timothy to bring his coat (4:13). Time is short, and he urges Timothy to come as quickly as he can (4:9, 21). It is against this backdrop that we read the words recorded in 2 Timothy 1:16-18 about a man named Onesiphorus, mentioned in the Bible only here and at 4:19. Paul prays mercy on the household of Onesiphorus,” adding that “he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain.” The Greek word translated “refreshed” means to cool off; to bring much needed relief, causing someone to recover a state of encouragement after a time of anxiety or trouble.” Wow! – the apostle Paul needed an Onesiphorus to spur him on, and sometimes you and I need one, too! The Bible often directs us to “encourage one another” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 English Standard Version). Sometimes we need an Onesiphorus, and sometimes we need to be an Onesiphorus! God help the church to be a crowd that encourages one another to “go, go, go” until we finish the race! 

            Dan Gulley, Smithville, TN