Recruiting

Recruiting

are you recruiting

Are You Recruiting?

Please bear with the following illustration if you are not a Texas Longhorn fan, there will be a spiritual application made from all this, so bear with me. I am a college football fan and as anyone who knows me understands, the subject of my college football passion is the University of Texas Longhorns. This past couple of years I have been somewhat subdued in my vocal support of the ‘Horns because they have been suffering a period of down seasons since very nearly winning the National Championship in 2009. From that time to this, I have watched them go into decline. I have had to get used to how it feels when the team you are passionate about loses. It stinks. For several years, under the previous coach, it seemed that year after year things only got worse. The perception is that the head football coach had become complacent and his players underachieved because of a sense of entitlement they felt as being part of one the most storied football programs in college football. Whether that is true or not, I haven’t any idea, but that is the perception. The fact remains that the team was no longer competitive as it had been before. The problem was either that they were no longer recruiting the kind of players that could be successful at the college level or they were failing to develop them as players. Whatever the case, it eventually led to the firing of the coach.

This past season a new football coach was hired and immediately he brought drastic changes to the program. He kicked nine players off the team for various and unspecified reasons. He suspended several others for at least part of the season. One player was suspended eight games and another was suspended for the season. Also the team sustained two catastrophic injuries in the first game, the starting Quarterback was forced to “retire” from football due to a series of head injuries and the most experienced and best Offensive Lineman was injured resulting in the end of his football career. Texas was left with one of those over-hyped, under-developed recruits from the previous coaching staff as their starter at Quarterback. Though by all accounts he is a very nice young man, he is not college Quarterback material. And as a result, the team suffered one of its worst seasons and records in its storied history. In the last two games of the season Texas lost by a combined score of 70-17. Ouch! Looking just at the past record and the number of upper-classmen who will be leaving the team at the end of this year, there is not much reason for hope. Yet I have a reason to hope that next year things will be better and that the team is pointed in the right direction! Why? Read on friends…

So why am I writing all this? What’s with this ramble about the most and also least popular college football team in America? Recruiting! That’s what this post is about. The failure to recruit and develop good football players led to the team’s decline and was the reason so many players had to be dismissed on disciplinary grounds. The same is true when it comes to the decline in church membership experienced by many congregations of the Lord’s church! Recruiting failures! The Lord’s “team” (not the Dallas Cowboys)is in decline right now because we Christians, as His “recruiting staff” are falling down on the job and also because the few we are able to successfully recruit are not being developed into strong Christians. If this trend continues, the church may one day reach a point where we can no longer be the “pillar and ground of the truth” that we should be. (1 Tim 3:15) How do we fix this? Again, it is recruiting! Or evangelism as it is more Biblically referred to! The only way the church can grow numerically is through evangelism. The Great Commission was originally given to just twelve men! (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16) Through those twelve men, the gospel was carried into the entire world! You and I, who are Christians today, are Christians because of how those twelve men, who lived and died over two thousand years ago, carried out that Great Commission! Twelve men with the entire world spread out before them and they did not shrink from that monumental task! Thank God for that. They were twelve men, empowered by the greatness of God, who became so great as recruiters that all Christians everywhere are the result of that recruiting effort. If the church today would “recruit” better and if we would develop those recruits into strong Christians through a God’s Word, the church can and will be strong in America as it once was.

So now I hope you understand why I bored you with my ramblings on about the Texas Longhorns… but I still didn’t answer why I find reason for hope next season. You can probably guess why, if you were to look at the national recruiting class rankings in any sports website. As of today, Texas has the number 8 overall recruiting ranking… What about the church’s recruiting ranking? Can each of us we do something to improve that rank? You bet we can!

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Are You A Witness?

Witnessing

We hear a great deal about “witnessing for Christ” in our present day.  Even some of our brethren use this word.  The denominational world uses this expression to refer to a “special working of grace.”  So what is witnessing?

are you really a witness

Are You Really a Witness?

It is defined as: “To behold personal knowledge of an event, to have direct observance with one’s own eye, to bear witness to one’s religious convictions.”  In the Bible, the Greek word for witness means, “One who is a spectator of an event.”  It is one who has information or knowledge of something and who can give information.  It is further defined by Vine’s Dictionary of New Testament Words as: “One who has seen, heard or knows; to observe.”  In the Bible, there are thirty three references to being a witness (examples: Acts 1:8, 22; Acts 5:32; 1 Pet. 5:1; etc . . .)  Each time the term is used in the sense of stating what one has actually seen or observed or has direct knowledge of.

Many people who are using this term, including those of the brotherhood, do not use this word as the Bible uses this term.  One cannot bear witness of the death of Christ for none of us were there.  One cannot bear the work of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost because none of us were there to observe it.  Now, we can pronounce to others about the testimony of Luke who wrote the book of Acts.  We can give to others what the apostles witnessed, but this is not our testimony.  In other words, there is a difference between telling of what another witnessed and actually witnessing something yourself.  So, when we proclaim the good news of the Gospel, we are passing on to listeners, the testimony of those who were actually witnesses.

But, the question then arises: “What is the big deal if we use this word or not?”  Well, as Christians, we are taught to speak as the oracles of God (1 Pet. 4:11).  For this reason alone, we should be cautious in using expressions like “witnessing for Christ” lest we begin to change the way the Bible uses the term witness.  Second, no one qualifies as a witness for Christ today and it brings into Christianity, an element of deceit which defiles a person (Mk. 7:21-23).  Third, if we truly seek to speak where the Bible speaks, we will understand that witnessing, as recorded in God’s Word, was in reference to the witnessing of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and all he did (Acts 1:21-22; 10:39-43).  Fourth, our purpose is not to be a witness for the Lord as the disciples were in the first century.  Christ, His message and His kingdom has already been established and proven to be true.  We do not need to share testimonies of what the Lord did in our lives nor do we need to witness: anything.  What we need to do is speak as the Bible speaks and teach as the Bible tells us to teach so that we and others are absolutely sure of the message we bear. And, to do contrary to this, is to pervert and confuse people of the message we bring.  Therefore, let us teach the Gospel to others by using the examples of conversions we find in God’s Word and leave witnessing to those who lived in the days of Christ.

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Cult of Campbellites

Are We a Cult of Campbellites?

a cult of campbellites

A cult of Campbellites?

From time to time in our conversations with others, I know that we may run across individuals who accuse us of many things. On one hand, those who are older will remember the times when we were accused of being Campbellites—a moniker given to us as if we are followers of Alexander Campbell. On the other hand, hearing of our rigid belief in the Bible and New Testament Christianity (as opposed to the modern-day concept of denominationalism and our opposition against it), some may accuse us of being in a cult. In truth, there is no difference in each of these claims—yet, they are both completely inaccurate. Many sincere Christians have voiced their outrage to these, and rightly so. While understanding why the church of Christ is different from mainstream denominationalism, it is easy to see why the uninformed think that the church of Christ is a cult. Yet, the question should arise, “What is a cult?” Only then may we be able to see if the church of Christ is actually that which some have claimed.

In 1963, Anthony A. Hoekema, Professor of Systematic Theology from Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan, published a great work entitled, “The Four Major Cults.” In his preface, he begins by stating that while there are hundreds of smaller cults, he examines the four largest and most influential of them all to see what all cults have in common. Thus, we may be able to understand cultism better.

After a detailed examination of these four major cults, he then lists the distinctive traits that are common with all cults. Some of these traits are most interesting. First, a cult has an extra-scriptural source of authority. In fact, every cult actually has some source of authority that “trumps” the authority of the Bible. Yet, since many of them claim to be Christians, they are usually adding other sources of authority. When I think of cults, I think of Jim Jones, who took members of his congregation (People’s Temple) to the tiny country of Guyana in South America and deluded his members into believing that he was more than he really was, even into committing the largest mass suicide in American history to date (more than 900 people killed). When I think of cults, I think of David Koresh, who held his followers of Branch Davidians captive in Waco, Texas, until a tragic ending. In both cases, they each claimed to be someone that he was not, and their followers listened to every word that they said. Unfortunately, we have seen many more examples of cults in our lifetime (Scientology, Heaven’s Gate, Unification Church [Mooneyism], etc.). Yet, the church of Christ looks to no other source of authority but the Bible. The church of Christ has no human leader that we follow. Thus, the very first trait of cultism shows that the church of Christ is not a cult.

This leads us to another trait—all cults are guilty of devaluating Jesus Christ. In one way or another, they do this by implementing and raising another mediator between deity and man. Usually, it is some leader/ martyr/founder that each revere. While some claim that Alexander Campbell founded the church of Christ (I will readily admit that he did much for the church of Christ), that is an inaccurate statement. He is neither our founder nor a prophet. No one of whom I know in the church of Christ reveres Alexander Campbell. Thus, the church of Christ is not a cult.

These suffice to show adequately that when we examine cultism, we see the evidence points to the fact that the church of Christ is not a cult of Campbellites, but an assembly of New Testament Christians.

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Please Like Me!

Question of Liking

Girls ask themselves this question. Guys ask the same thing too. Movie stars ask this question. First grade teachers ask it as well. This question greatly troubles some individuals, while others don’t struggle with it too much. Yet, the question is there. There are people who make this the objective of their life. It does not matter what they have to do, they will do it to bring about the desired result. Many parents worry about this with their children. They do so to their own detriment. Politicians typically don’t care about this as long as they get votes. Someone looking for a lifelong relationship deeply contemplates this question, because it will affect who they marry.

does having people like you drive your actions

Does Having People Like You Drive Your Actions?

The actress Sally Field received an Oscar for her role in Places in the Heart. During her acceptance speech in a reference to another role she played, she stated “The first time I didn’t feel it, but this time I feel it, and I can’t deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me!” Therein is the question at the heart of the matter. “Do they really like me?” How can a person be sure? Is there a test? Most people would like to know the answer to this question before they put their trust in someone else. Of course, in some situations such as a banker and their customers, the relationship must not always rely on liking for there to be trust. Still, a great number of people will not do their banking in certain places unless this attribute exists.

StumbleUpon, Facebook, Youtube, and other social networks utilize “liking”. Do they really like me? Sorry, but if the “likes” counter doesn’t go crazy, many folks feel they aren’t liked. How many “friends” does an individual have on their messenger type program or their email list? Is this how they should measure their worth or contribution to society? It is conceded the answer is no, but still… people want to be liked. They want to have some type of measure to determine it is real – not just a “click through”. Of course, social media has enabled the “review” or “comment” field. This is great! However, is summarizing an article or pointing out its positive characteristics a direct reflection regarding how one individual feels toward another? It should be hoped not or a great number of authors may be jumping off bridges when they receive their editor’s comments and revision points.

It has been said, “To have a friend, you must be a friend.” The concept behind this is if you want to be liked, be likeable. “All things therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye also unto them” were the words Jesus spoke. This seems to confirm the logic of being a friend to have a friend. Jesus spoke many words of social harmony including “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Certainly, acting in an opposite fashion will not gather people who really like you. They may pretend for other reasons, but they won’t like the person you are. However, being likeable doesn’t always guarantee a great number of true friends either.

Being liked should not be an end in itself. There are politicians who have taken the politically correct, please the world view, so nice things will be said about them, while at the same time pointing their countries down economic and moral ruin. The desire to be liked should not point actions in an opposite direction to moral absolutes. How many people contradict themselves from one day to the next just to get “likes” from those who won’t be happy if they speak the truth? What will be found in a review of history is those who spoke truth were most greatly liked and hated by the world around them. They didn’t let poll numbers sway their conviction from doing what was right. Everyone does not have to be a friend in order for an individual to be liked.

While there is not a fool proof test to determine whether or not someone likes you, there are some indicators from a person’s life that give strong indications.

1) Is the individual’s behavior toward you drastically different from the way they treat others? If this is the case, beware! For a person to act completely out of character toward you, is very possibly a sign they “like” you so they can get something out of it. Popularity? Money? Power?

2) Is the individual known as a kind, honest person? The quality of a person and their track record of interaction with others is something which has a high correlation. If they say they like you, they most likely do.

3) Does this individual ask and think about your welfare or are they just concerned about themselves? It is sad how many relationships go on for years when it is realized the relationship was one sided from the beginning. Liking someone means being concerned about their feelings and needs, not just that of self. Many marriages fail for lack of this understanding this concept.

4) Will this person tell you when you are wrong and try to help you do what is right? “Yes men” are not concerned about the well being of others. A person who really likes you will kindly disagree and try to enable you to make better decisions. They won’t desert you when opinions clash.

The question of being liked is pondered by folks the whole world over. For the individual who desires to be liked, their job is to be the type of person someone would want to have as a friend. They should not compromise values or truth to be liked. When pondering if one’s associates are truly friends, the character of the persons being considered must be examined. At that point you determine what you are going to do, trust or not trust? End the friendship or try to strengthen it. If it feels like humankind can no longer be trusted, maybe consider buying a dog. Then you can be liked and licked.

Proverbs 17:17 – A friend loveth at all times; And a brother is born for adversity.

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It’s Cold!

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

This morning’s weather broadcast showed the deep trough of cold air that has descended from  the north, just as is described in Job 37:9, upon the United States; confirming what we already  knew, “Baby, it’s cold outside.” But this too shall pass (2 Corinthians 4:17 – 18), for as Lord said  after Noah emerged from the ark, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat,  winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22).

woooo it's cold outside

Woooo! It’s Cold Outside!

Sadly, mankind (as well as many Christians) is just as vacillating as the changing of the seasons.  I certainly understand the frustration that resonates from the words of Elijah of he addresses the  people of God by asking, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God,  follow Him; but if Baal, follow him” (1 Kings 18:21). Indeed, a “double minded man is unstable  in all his ways” (James 1:8).

The cold can have a devastating effect on a man both physically and spiritually. This morning  we were told that in less than 30 minutes outside one would become susceptible to frostbite. In  John 18:18 we read that the servants and officers “made a fire of coals; for it was cold : and they  warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself.” Peter allows the cold  reality of the situation he finds himself in, as well as the company and weather, to affect the  condition of his spiritual fortitude. He denies the Lord. Jesus tells us that because of sin the  “love of many shall wax  cold ” (Matthew 24:12).

The Lord wants us our internal, spiritual, temperature to always be on fire. And it would do all  of us well to gauge our condition regularly. The prophet Jeremiah once conveyed that he no  longer wished to “make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name,” but concluded that  “his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones , and I was weary of holding  it back, and I could not” (Jeremiah 20:9).

Allow me to challenge us to consider our internal spiritual temperature and then to consider this:  If one is cold and spiritually frostbit in this life he will most likely be on fire in the next. Spring  is only a few short months away but eternity is much closer and lasts much longer.

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