Life with Meaning and Purpose

Life with Meaning and Purpose

Most people do not stop and consider the days of their lives in a very serious fashion. Many people just live for today without giving consideration for the past and the future. In the past few years, it has finally dawned on me that my life is still viable here in this world because God has blessed me. God has blessed me to understand that life is not a succession of ups and downs with no real meaning. I remember about 1957 or 58 that it occurred to me that perhaps my father and grandfather knew more about living than I did. I understood that it is not in man that walks on earth to direct his own steps (Jer. 10:23). This awakening brought back to me that in my youth I had attended services of the church of Christ with dad and grandpa in Lothair (Perry County), KY. This caused me to consider for several days and perhaps a few weeks that it was time that I got my life settled so that I could live with some dignity in society.

Since that time 52+ years have passed and I am still pursuing the promises of God and His Son; Jesus Christ … HAVE YOU READ THESE SCRIPTURES RECENTLY?

NOTE:

Matt. 11:28-30 – 28 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matt. 16:24-26 – 24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? KJV

John 5:24-29 – 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 26 for as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27 and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. KJV

As we [i.e. Barbara and me] contemplate the future; we will surely continue to do the work for God as much as we are able and capable of doing. There are days when we sit and discuss the past for joy and for strength to pursue tomorrow, While we are still here we will heed the Lord’s statement in – cf. John 9:4, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh , when no man can work.” (KJV)  Only God knows what will transpire tomorrow yet we are set for the defense of the gospel of Jesus Christ with our whole heart; as the apostle Paul so clearly put it in – cf. Phil. 1:15-17 – 15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: 16 The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: 17 But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel. (KJV)

WILL WE LIVE OUR LIVES WITH PURPOSE?

The days, weeks, months, and years that lay behind us are testimony to our faithfulness and dedication to God and the future will continue to determine in the mind of God whether or not we have successfully traveled the “narrow path” – cf. Matt. 7:13-14 – 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. KJV

My dear friends and brethren as Moses said to his father-in-law many centuries ago – cf. Num. 10:29 – 29 And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses’ father in law , We are journeying unto the place of which the LORD said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the LORD hath spoken good concerning Israel. KJV

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Peace

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Peace is a word that depends upon a relationship.  A rock is at peace until someone picks it up and throws it.  We often speak of the dead being at “peace,” because their bodies are no longer racked with the pain of physical suffering.  We speak of a peaceful society being one where we and our neighbors agree to abide by the rule of law.  Those who are stopped from operating outside of that law are often said to be pacified.  We also speak of peace in relationship to our own thoughts, emotions, and conscience—inner peace, it is called.  Most importantly, there is peace with God and all that entails.

In the context of Galatians 5:22-23, the apostle Paul is comparing and contrasting the works of the flesh with the fruit of the spirit.  Fleshly works are, by definition, carnal.  They originate in and come out of physical/carnal desires.  The root of all fleshly works is selfishness—the fundamental desire for carnally-minded self preservation and illicit self love (2 Timothy 3:2).  When this desire is not kept under control by the spirit, it breaks out into the variety of sins that Paul discusses as the works of the flesh.  All of the works of the flesh oppose peace because they destroy relationships with God and our fellow man.

Peace is a fruit of the spirit because the desire for peace does not originate within the flesh, but rather within the realm of spiritual things.  If we look at the animal world around us, we do not find peace, but rather a constant struggle for survival.  This same struggle would swallow us up were it not for a God-informed spirit’s desire against it.  God commanded the Israelites to offer peace offerings to show that peace does not come without sacrifice.  True peace demands that we sacrifice something.  Paul is calling Christians to sacrifice the flesh, die to self, and live for Christ (Galatians 2:20).  In so doing, we may have true peace both with God and with our neighbor.

Peace begins with God’s informing us that there is a problem between us and Him, and that we are not at peace (Isaiah 59:1-2).  God then informs us that He has provided a plan whereby we may be at peace with Him through His Son’s intermediary sacrifice (Romans 5:8).  Because Jesus died on the cross for man’s sins, God has given Him all authority to pronounce forgiveness of sins (Matthew 28:18-20), and Christ has determined that those who this message and obey it will be forgiven (Luke 24:47).  In brief, when we hear the gospel, believe it, repent of our sins, confess Jesus as the Christ, and are baptized for the forgiveness of sins, we are reconciled to God through Christ and gain peace with Him and with one another (Ephesians 2:13-19).  It is then our prerogative to pursue peace (1 Peter 3:11).

Pursuing peace is not an easy process.  The fact that we must pursue it implies that there are existing enmities.  Others are at enmity with God, at enmity with one another, and at enmity with self.  The Christian’s responsibility in pursuing peace is to aid with each of these circumstances and situations.  We must first be at peace with God, then we may have peace with our fellow man based upon God’s standards of right and wrong; subsequently, we will have peace with self.  This is what Paul describes in Philippians 4:7 when he says, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Peace is worth pursuing and fighting for, but we must pursue it and fight for it in a godly way.  Employing the works of the flesh in an effort to attain peace (as many seek to do today through ungodly practices and lifestyles) will not result in peace.  True peace only comes through personal self-sacrifice, obedience to God, and in fulfilling man’s purpose of loving both God and our neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40).  Let us seek to employ the spirits that God gave us to exercise peace and so conquer the flesh!

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Temptation Avoidance

Avoiding Temptation

“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out….. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell” (Matt. 5:29-30).

To some this passage may seem strange and unusually demanding.  Someone may ask, “Are we to take this passage literally?”  The answer of course is “NO” (for one could just as easily sin with his left eye or his left hand).  The point Jesus was making is this: if something has the potential to cause you to sin then you need to avoid it, walk away from it, cut it off and don’t look back (cf. Prov. 4:14-15).  It is far better to sacrifice desire and to inconvenience yourself than to lose your soul over something.

A former alcoholic had agreed to meet a friend at a local bar.  Though he had no intentions of drinking, yet because of the atmosphere, he caved in – a decision that eventually lead him back to alcoholism. Know this, friends: “…each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:14-15).

How are you at avoiding temptation?

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Rebuilding the Faith Rally

This week’s letter comes to you from Washington, D.C., where some of the Focus Press staff has gathered to lay the groundwork for June 26th’s “Rebuilding Faith Rally.” If you haven’t heard about the rally or want to know more, check out the website http://www.faithfulnation.org/. We’re praying and working hard to make the rally a day of uplifting, inspiring, and empowering messages for Christians so we can turn the tide in the war being waged against God’s truth with regards to abortion and homosexuality. This week I want to give three reasons why we’re hosting our day of Rebuilding Faith. So, why are we hosting a rally on the National Mall?

First, it’s time we let our voices be heard. Too many congregations aren’t hearing what they need to hear from the pulpit when it comes to these issues. Even in those congregations where the truth about anti-Christian political issues are preached, we can always do more to take that message outside the four walls of our church buildings. Our religion must be externalized in both a figurative sense (with our actions reflecting what’s in our hearts) and in a literal sense (with our beliefs leaving the pew with us and going along with us as we leave our buildings). What better way to do that than to gather together with Gospel preachers and political officials to focus on God’s truth? Bible-believing Christians are being pushed into the corner and silenced at every turn, and we can’t afford to continue to be silent as our rights to preach and speak the truth grow more and more endangered through “tolerance” every day.

Second, it’s time we set the record straight. When we gather, we will not be gathering as a group of people who hate homosexuals or pregnant mothers who want to make a “choice.” It’s time we make it clear to the culture around us that the things we say about such cultural issues are out of love for both the people around us and for the truth of God’s Word. It’s easy for those outside the church to paint us as unloving or overly judgmental, and at times we make it even easier for them by saying the wrong words or approaching the issues in the wrong way. When we gather to speak the truth and fellowship with kindred spirits, we’re going to discuss the importance of speaking out against sin but we’re going to do it the right way. The world is always going to be the world. The church must speak, act, and think like the church ought.

Third, it’s time we share our passion for the lost and God’s Word with each other. It’s very easy to feel lonely with all that’s going on today. Does it ever feel like you, your family, or your church family are the only ones trying to preach the truth among a generation that has no tolerance for it? Remember that when Elijah had reached rock bottom and thought all of his work was for naught, God reminded him that there were thousands who had refused to bow to Baal. Sometimes that’s all we need to keep going – that shot in the arm that comes with seeing our brothers and sisters running the same race and fighting the same fights. Just imagine singing, praying, and listening to speeches and sermons with hundreds of your brothers and sisters. Imagine the encouragement it will bring. Imagine how you’ll feel heading home knowing you’re not fighting alone, and knowing new ways you can get involved and help make a difference. It’s that exact vision that has us counting down the days (Lord willing) and praying for a successful rally.

So, I hope you’ll seriously consider coming out for the rally. If you can’t make it, I hope you’ll pray for us and those who will be in attendance, that we will be strengthened and that we can all grow from the experience. To those of you who have already committed to come (again, Lord willing), we appreciate your support and can’t wait to be there with you. Bring a friend (or two, or three, or ten)! It’s an exciting time at Focus Press. We appreciate your prayers, support, and fellowship as we all work towards strengthening the church and reaching the lost. Let’s not grow weary in doing good, and let’s keep working while it’s still day!

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John 1 – God Is

In the first epistle of John, the apostle of love declares on three occasions what “God is.” Notice these with me for reflection and study.

First, John declares, “God is light” (1 John 1:5). In his gospel record, he also opened that book of the Bible with the same declaration compared with John the Immerser:

The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe…That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world (John 1:7, 9)

The apostle John may well remember hearing the words of the Lord with his own ears: “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12; 9:5). In fact, his discussion of Jesus being the light of the world was one of the profound discourses John uses in his gospel in conjunction with the miracle of healing a blind man (giving a man light who was living in the blindness of darkness) for creating belief (cf. John 20:30-31). It was in the darkness of void that the first recorded words from God are, “Let there be light” (Gen. 1:3) in the creation of our universe. The word of God often uses light and darkness to teach important tangible lessons of contrast. Jesus would even teach,

Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them. (John 12:35-36)

Second, John declares, “God is greater” (1 John 3:20; 5:9). In a discussion of the activity of love in the lives of brethren, John declares, “For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things” (1 John 3:20). In other words, if the conscious of our heart condemns us because we know that our love is fake, then God is even greater and knows all things. Later in the book when John is mentioning the witnesses of the deity of Jesus, he states, “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son” (1 John 5:9). God certainly testified to the deity of Jesus at His baptism (Matt. 3:16-17) and at His transfiguration (Matt. 17:5). Jesus would comment, “I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me” (John 8:18). The entire New Testament book of Hebrews is a discourse to Christians who were formerly Jews that Christianity and Jesus Christ are greater! Therefore, with any type of comparison between man and God, “God is greater.”

Third, John exclaims, “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). How can we even contemplate our Almighty Sovereign Creator without regarding His love for His created? We need to reflect more upon the love of God. John 3:16 paints the love of God perfectly, as it is one of the first memory verses we have learned from our childhood. Calvary is the portrait of the love of God. The statement of John is true: “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

Therefore, from the first epistle of John, we learn that “God is light…God is greater…God is love.”

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