Comforters Needed

Miserable Comforters

We often think of patience when it comes to Job. We think of all the trouble that happened to him by the hands of Satan and we think “What a patient man!” But not only was job a patient man but he was also a troubled, sorrowful, and confused man. As is often the case in times of trial some folks will come along and attempt to give some measure of comfort. Sadly many of us fail miserably at doing so: Job’s friends where no different. In Job 16:2 job replies to what they had said by claiming, “I have heard many such things;” but then said, “Miserable comforters are you all!”

In contrast Jesus looks upon the horde of souls that that followed Him and was “moved with compassion toward them” (Matthew 14:14). So he healed their sicknesses and fed them with only five loaves of bread and two fish. Unlike Job’s friends Jesus was not accusatory toward the masses. He did not suggest that their sicknesses where punitive for some unknown (or known) sin. He did not suggest that they had been negligent in preparation and send them away hungry. He did not throw their past up in their faces.

We all need to be comforted from time to time. None of us is so strong and untouchable that we will not feel the need for compassion. But what I do appreciate about Job’s friends (that is not often the case with us today) is at least they were there! They may not have done it right, and they may have been miserable comforters, but they were there for him. Unfortunately we are often to busy with our own lives to stop and help the friend in need. So what can we learn from Jesus about doing it right?

Don’t Look Away! When Jesus looked upon the multitude He could have just as easily (or more easily) just looked the other way and ignored their suffering. He could have been like the Priest and the Levite in Luke 10 who looked and the “passed by on the other side.” In John 4:35 Jesus tells His disciples to “lift up your eyes and look” and we need to do the same. There are people all around us who are suffering: physically, mentally, financially, emotionally, and most importantly spiritually.

Open Your Heart! Jesus was genuinely sorry and was filled with sympathy and empathy for the hungry, the sick, the sorrowful, and the sinful. He has looked upon all of us and has borne our grief and carried away our sorrow (Isaiah 53:4). Jesus cares! And in order for us to be like Him we must have the same kind of compassion for others (Colossians 2:1–5; Colossians 3:12–14).

Do Something About The Need! In Matthew 14 Jesus ordered His disciples to give the people something to eat. He surveyed the available resources and systematically distributed the food. But not only did He fill them He was also a good steward for He has them gather up the leftovers. There is always something we can do. There is always a hand to hold, a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear, a directional instruction, or a word fitly spoken.

What are you doing to be more like Christ? Obey Him, be compassionate, and be faithful.

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Baptized Question

Three times the book of Acts records non-Christians asking a familiar question.  The Philippian Jailer asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16: 30).  The Jews on Pentecost asked, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (2:37).  Saul of Tarsus asked, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” (9:6).

Please notice (first of all) that each of these dear souls assumed they had to DO something in order to receive salvation.  Secondly, please notice that they were never told (1) that they were already saved or (2) that “faith only” saves.  On each occasion they were told to DO something in order to be saved.  The Philippian Jailor was told to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” (16:31).  He and his household believed and they were baptized (vv. 32-34).  The Pentecost Jews were instructed to “repent and be baptized” (2:38), and they obeyed (vv. 41).  Saul was told what to do in the city of Damascus (9:6) when Ananias said, “Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (22:16), and he did it (9:18).

Though the conclusions were the same, the three instructions were somewhat different.  Why? Suppose a man traveling from Mt. Vernon to Cincinnati was told that he was about 156 miles from his destination.  A person in Columbus might be told it is about 102 miles.  A person in Dayton might be told it is about 49 miles.  Is there a contradiction? No.  Three different answers would be given, but all three would be correct.  The same is true spiritually. The jailor, the Pentecost Jews, and Saul were at different stages of understanding on the road to salvation.  The jailor was not initially told to “be baptized” because he had not yet heard and believed the gospel message.  (It would be pointless to command baptism to someone who has not first heard and believed in Christ – cf. Mk. 16:16).  After hearing and believing he and his household did what was required of them (they were baptized).  At the preaching of Peter the Pentecost Jews were cut to the heart (i.e., their belief was evident); thus he did not command them to believe, but to repent and be baptized.  Saul was not told to believe or repent because he was already a penitent believer by the time he came in contact with Ananias; thus he was only told to be baptized.  Though three different answers were given, they all came to the same conclusion.

Friends, do you believe?  Have you repented and have you been baptized into Christ that your sins may be forgiven?  If you haven’t, why not do it today?

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Manliness

Over the last few years the internet has shown an interesting trend. ” Manliness ” has become cool again among males in their 20s and 30s. Of course, some of that has carried over from online trends into real life, which can be seen every day in the facial hair-growing, meat-eating, gun-shooting men that fill college campuses and cities. However, their attempts to proclaim manliness ring hollow. It’s not that there is anything wrong with those things, and they certainly are more associated with manliness than womanliness generally speaking, but it falls short of being what a man is all about. You see, it’s many of these same twentysomethings that have given into feminism and consider their wives (or potential wives, since they also avoid marriage like the plague) equally burdened with providing. While young women are ambitiously chasing education and careers, young men are now more commonly thought of as “sowing their wild oats” and playing video games rather than finding work and doing it with all of their might. It makes sense that the world would settle for a cheap misunderstanding of what being a man is all about, though. It is God who provided those guidelines, and without Him we can expect to find males exactly where we do today – dodging responsibility and avoiding their roles as God-given leaders of the home.

As with all things that our culture cheapens, we in the church must reject what they think and make sure we continue to uphold God’s standards and definitions. What does God expect of a man? A man must provide. From the very beginning God gave Adam the responsibility of caring for the Garden and watching over the animals, but it was after the fall that he was told to work to provide by the sweat of his brow. A man must protect. Peter tells us that husbands need to treat their wives as the weaker vessel, protecting them by giving emotional security, caring for them, and understanding and accommodating that which makes them delicate and special. A man must teach. Too many families rely on Bible school teachers, youth ministers, or the mothers alone to teach and train the children the ways of the word. Fathers, it is placed upon you to train, discipline, and teach your children according to God’s Word (Deuteronomy 6, Ephesians 6).

Manliness isn’t merely just some outward declaration of difference from females. Instead, it is living up to the calling that God has placed on men everywhere and leading families that will be faithful for generations. It is the man who is responsible for leading his wife and children to heaven, and responsibility brings accountability. Fathers and husbands, lead with eternity in mind. Single men, treat all women with respect as sisters and mothers, preparing yourself to be a spiritual leader and example whether you choose that path or not. It’s time God’s men showed the culture what a real man looks like and does. Are you up to the challenge?

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Praise God Often

Saved Hearts Praise God Often

It is difficult to imagine how heaven rejoiced when the church began. Acts 2 describes that time when the most devout Jews from every nation under heaven arrived at Jerusalem and found a treasure they did not know existed. They thought they already had found what God had planned for them—the holy altar where sacrifices for their sins were made, the beautiful temple where the Lord met them and the priesthood chosen by God to carry their offerings to the Almighty. They were so wrong!

Then heaven intervened! Suddenly there was the sound of a rushing mighty wind that came from heaven to the place where the apostles were assembled. Then the visible fire that came upon the twelve and these common men began to speak in foreign languages. The text tells us that news of these events spread throughout the city, and the whole city came to investigate. To their amazement, men from every nation found these lowly Galileans talking about the wonderful things of God. Then Peter and the other apostles preached the first gospel sermon ever proclaimed. The result was the birth of the church when 3,000 were immersed on that day. Those Jews from every nation realized that God had something far better than the treasures of Judaism for He was now revealing the ultimate treasure of the kingdom of heaven.

There is a great lesson to be learned by every Christian when we see how those new Christians responded. Look at the text, “They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. . . . So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,  praising God and having favor with all the people” (Acts 2:42-47). How heaven must have rejoiced to see the response of the redeemed in the daily lives of these new Christians! They had been saved, and every day they wanted to praise God.  Heaven rejoiced, as did the church!  This is the basis of worship! We have been saved, and we cannot wait to praise Him and seize every opportunity to be with the saints to adore Him.

Having said this, could I talk from my heart to those who choose to come to worship only one time each week? How would the choices you make today compare with the actions of those Christians? If your conclusion is that every other service other than Sunday morning is optional, look again at Acts chapter two. The joy of their salvation made them choose the “option” of being with the saints every day. Every week you have the same “option” choice. How would the option you have chosen compare with the option they chose? Prayerfully, I ask that you think about this.  Heaven rejoices when we long to praise God!

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Nurture

The Nurture and Admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4)

In a society that is increasingly moving away from God’s truth, the job of parenting could not be more important.  More and more children are being drawn away from doing the Lord’s will by friends at school, family members unfaithful to the Lord, and the general secularization of the culture around us.  The most important influence within a child’s life is his parents.  Godly parents must resolve that they are going to do whatever it takes to fulfill their New Testament obligation to raise their children in the Lord’s nurture and admonition.

The process is two-fold.  On the one hand, we must nurture our children.  From a physical standpoint, this involves providing for them food, shelter, clothing, and an education in how to provide for oneself the physical necessities of our society.  From a spiritual standpoint, this involves engendering within the child a recognition of his responsibilities toward himself and his eternal estate, his relationship with his fellow man, and most importantly, his relationship toward his God.  Looking at these tasks from the 100,000 foot level emphasizes how great a job this really is.  It is good that such things may be accomplished over a period of time (our society provides a period of eighteen years).  Nevertheless, the time is not as much as we realize, and every moment counts.  We must make the most of these moments and redeem the time in relationship to nurturing our children (Ephesians 5:16, Colossians 4:5).

Nurturing our children is largely a product of attitude.  Love seeks not its own (1 Cor.13:5), and when one has a child, one begins to realize what this means.  When a child arrives, the time and resources of the parents become centered around that child.  An adult’s personal activities must give way to the nurturing of the child.  Parents who truly nurture their children do not seek to impose upon them the fulfillment of their own personal goals and objectives, or make their children mere objects of their selfish pleasures.  Children are individuals created in the image of God with their own personal intrinsic value and decision-making abilities.  The goal of parenting is to create within the child a sense of enablement that is constrained by the responsibilities the child owes to God, others, and himself.  This can only be achieved through personal dedication and commitment to the child as one practices self-sacrifice in relationship to his personal desires.  In so doing, however, something remarkable happens.  The parents grow and develop spiritually to become more like God.  The act of nurturing another actually provides spiritual nurturing for the self.

Children also need admonition.  Proverbs 22:15 declares, “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.”  Children are not born with specific and innate knowledge of right and wrong.  They must be taught.  When left to their own devices, children will make wrong, hurtful, and selfish choices.  When they do so, they must be admonished according to God’s word.  The goal of admonishment is the personal and moral development of the child.  Children must learn to obey the law and be good citizens.  To do so, they must respect authority, and respect for authority is taught first at home.  Admonition may be both verbal and corporeal, and should not be abusive, but correcting.  Parents need not be concerned with the accusation of hypocrisy when it comes to correcting children; they have a mandate from God to employ the means necessary for such correction, provided the end is correction and not self-gratification of improper emotion.

This issue of the Christian Worker seeks to explore various biblical thoughts related to parenting.  As Christians, our goal should be to raise children who become Christians.  Along the way, we, as parents, will also learn, seek, try, fail, struggle, and cope with the various responsibilities involved.  As mentioned in this article, good parenting promotes spiritual development, not only of children, but of parents as well.  Bringing up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord ultimately benefits the child, the parents, the family unit as a whole, society, and God’s kingdom.  May we ever seek to live so as to be good parents to our children.

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