Attitude

Two Different Types of Attitudes

How important it is that Christians have the right attitude? Attitude greatly affects one’s relationship with God. A proper attitude is demonstrated through proper obedience and service to God. Examine the following attitudes and see which ones you possess:

IT WILL NOT WORK . If it is scriptural, it does work –‐ if we will use ourselves in God’s vineyard. There is no stronger positive plan that God’s plan. Those who try to believe God’s ways of doing things believe God. (Col. 3:17)

WE TRIED THAT BEFORE . If it is scriptural, keep trying. Just because something has been tried once or twice or even three times, it does not mean the plan fails. It means we have not worked the plan diligently.

IT CANNOT BE DONE . This is a brother or sister pessimist! They can give five to ten excuses that tend to discourage and hold back the Lord’s work. But with God on our side, it can and will be done (Rom. 8:31; Phil. 4:13).

LET US DO IT LATER . ‘Boy o’ boy,” how this must please old Satan. If we put spiritual matters off long enough, the devil knows we will have eternity to spend with him! (Prov. 27:1; Matt. 25:26).

YOU DO IT. This is the attitude of the brother/sister scapegoat. He tries to “pass the buck.” He does his/her best to push off his/her responsibility onto someone else. You know, Eve tried this (Gen. 2).

I WILL DO WHAT I CAN . This attitude is expressed and demonstrated by Christians who are willing to use their talents. They gladly do what they can when they can (1 Cor. 15:58).

I HAVE FAITH WE CAN DO IT. That is great! This attitude rubs off on others and causes others to see that their faith can grow also. After all, diligent faith pleases God (Heb. 11:6).

I WANT TO HELP . O’ how God must love to hear this positive attitude expressed. Wanting to serve God is the key foundation to rendering proper service.

IT WILL BE ALL RIGHT . This attitude means those who believe this, pray and labor to see that things do work out to God’s glory. How we need more brethren that think this way (1 Thess. 1:2-3).

WE WILL BE SUCCESSFUL . Brethren who feel this way will not allow the devil, trials, or heartaches to stop them. They will (with God’s help) press onward and upward (Phil. 3:13-14).

Which attitudes do you express by your mouth and influence? May God help us to remove negative thinking from our lives. May we be more involved and more dedicated, because after all, we do not want to possess any attitude that would hinder the work and worship of the Lord’s church.

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The Compassion of Jesus

The day after Jesus healed the sick servant of a  centurion in Capernaum, He travels eighteen  miles to a city called Nain. It is located on the  northwestern edge of a mountain called Little Hermon,  where the ground descends into the Plain of Esdraelon.  On this day, Jesus performed one of His greatest miracles  (Luke 7:11-17). As Jesus begins to enter the city, He  meets a funeral procession exiting the city gates, most  likely, going to the sepulchral caves along the steep  eastern approach from the plain. It is still the eastern  custom to carry the dead out of the cities and villages, as  Luke portrays in this event. Jesus immediately surveys  what is taking place, and notes that this funeral is for  the only son of a widow. Luke records, “ And when the  Lord saw her, he had compassion on her ” (Luke 7:13),  and raised her son from the dead.

This should not surprise us, since this was not the  only time he showed compassion for those bereaved.  When He saw those bereaving for Lazarus, “ Jesus wept ”  (John 11:35). There were many times during the earthly  life and ministry of Jesus that He had compassion for  others (Matt. 9:36; 14:14). He showed compassion  for those unfortunate, including two blind men on the  Jericho road (Matt. 20:34) and a leper (Mark 1:41). This  also is representative of the compassion of God, since  Jesus Himself is deity. God showed compassion on the  Israelites when they were in Egyptian bondage (Exod.  3:7). Although Judah had become wicked, “ the Lord God  of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising  up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on  his people, and on his dwelling place ” (2 Chron. 36:15;  cf. Ps. 78:38). Although His justice cried out to deliver  them into captivity, God showed compassion on them  by promising to deliver them back to Israel again (Jer.  12:15). “ But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion ”  (Ps. 86:15).

Therefore, it is no surprise to see the Son of God  showing compassion in this situation. However, for all  practical purposes, notice the response of the people:  “ And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God,  saying, ‘That a great prophet is risen up among us’; and,  ‘That God hath visited his people’ ” (Luke 7:16). Would  not more people respond to the gospel if we showed  more compassion like Jesus? People of God are to be  a people of compassion: “ Inasmuch as ye have done it  unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done  it unto me ” (Matt. 25:40). “ But whoso hath this world’s  good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up  his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the  love of God in him ?” (1 John 3:17). Let us be more determined to be a compassionate  people, seeking and saving “ that which was lost ” (Luke  19:10).

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Jumping to Conclusions

Conclusions

Sometimes we jump to conclusions, don’t we?  When something appears a certain way to us it becomes easy to believe that all the facts are in and the whole picture is before us.  Yet, do we really have the whole picture?  Contrary to the views of many in our
society, not all “judging” is condemned in the Bible; however, unrighteous judgment is (but that’s a discussion for another article).

The problem of jumping to conclusions stems from judging things by the way they appear to be instead of coming to the correct conclusion based on the evidence available. For example, the story is often told of Dr. Glenn Olds (a former President of Kent State University) who, in 1941, during his junior year in college, recalled the sight of Mt. Rushmore as he hitchhiked cross-country.  From 10 miles away, he easily made out presidents Washington and Lincoln, but in the middle was a figure that looked a lot like
Adolf Hitler.  Yet, once he got closer he realized that what looked like hair combed over a forehead was really cable wires.  What looked like a mustache was really scaffolding. This made an impression on him and he noted in his journal, “What was Adolf Hitler at
10 miles away was Thomas Jefferson under construction.”

Remember this, friends: in John 7:24 Jesus does not say “Do not judge” (period).  He says, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous
judgment.” See the difference?

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Marine Corps

Marine Corps and New Recruiting

The story is told of a high-school recruitment seminar wherein representatives from three different branches of the armed services were to make their presentations for potential recruits. During the one hour seminar, the first two speakers took a combined total of fifty-six minutes to make their presentations, leaving the last one, a Marine Corps recruiter, only about four minutes. He walked very slowly and purposefully to the podium, silently but thoughtfully surveyed the audience for about one full minute of his scant four, and then said something like: “I only see about maybe three of you in this entire audience whom I believe have any chance at all of even remotely making it in the Marine Corps. You know who you are. Come and see me in a couple of minutes when this is over.” He then returned to his seat without another word. Care to guess who had the longest line of determined potential recruits demanding consideration as they engaged and engulfed him at the end of the seminar?

We who are members of the churches of Christ are quite aware that we will probably never be one of the largest congregations in the towns we seek to serve and save with the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are very much aware that the lifetime of study, transformation, and hard work that it takes to be a true and devoted disciple and soldier of Jesus Christ (II Tim 3:1-4:8; I Ptr 4:1-19) simply will not appeal to everyone – and especially to any of those who might prefer a little bit easier, less exclusive, less exhaustive, more relaxed doctrine, or more politically-correct, people-pleasing, “anything still goes because God loves us all so much” religious lifestyle (See Romans 6:1-2). Jesus Himself said as much as He told us that very truth in Matthew 7:13-14: “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 it.”

We should therefore be ever-mindful that we are ever-searching for those precious few (amongst those very many) who are truly seeking, and very seriously willing, to take God at His Word in all things and obey whatever He says in order to get to Heaven – no matter what (Jn. 10:27-28). Not only will this new understanding help us to realize just how wide of a net we must spread amongst the many to catch the few; just how much work we must put in in the process; and help us better cope when we’ve done all we can and they still walk away; but it will also help us to lovingly but firmly find a way to say and convey as we seek new converts to Christ and His kingdom: “If you’re possibly one of the many who might prefer the wide and easy way, then you’d really never be seriously spiritually happy here. But if you’re one of those few who want real, relevant, vital and vibrant Biblical Christianity – and you know who you are – then come by and see us this coming Sunday.”

Now while some might say that that particular approach is perhaps a bit on the harsh side when it comes to evangelism, I would like to suggest that maybe, just maybe, like the Marine Corps Recruiter, you just might find yourself with the most “potential recruits” you’ve ever had visiting with you this coming Sunday if thus challenged, instead of coddled and cuddled, petted and pampered! To God be the glory!

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The Noble Bereans

In the seventeenth chapter of the book of Acts, we read of the apostle Paul’s work in the Grecian city of Thessalonica. As was Paul’s usual pattern upon arriving in a Gentile city, he went first to the Jewish synagogue and attempted to teach the gospel to the Jews.  There he “reasoned with them (the Jews) out of the scriptures… (the Jewish scriptures) Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ…”  (Acts 17:2-3). Paul was unable to convert many Jews there because of a certain element, within the synagogue, that refused to hear and understand the gospel and subsequently stirred up trouble causing Paul to flee that city.

Next we read how Paul went to Berea, some fifty miles to the southwest of Thessalonica, and entered the synagogue there (verse 10). Unlike Thessalonica, here he found a ready audience, one that was willing to listen and was open to the gospel. Why were the Bereans more open to the Gospel than the Thessalonians? The Bible says, “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11).

Luke records, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that the Bereans were more noble. The word “noble” here literally refers to those who were of the highest social order – the nobility. However, in Acts 17:11 it is used figuratively. They had a noble character, an open and ready mindset. They were like the “good ground” in Jesus’ “Parable of the Soils” in Luke 8:4-15. Verse 15 of that passage says, “But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.” Their hearts were honest and good. Therefore, they received the Word with readiness of mind. That they “received” the gospel meant they listened to it. That they received it with “readiness of mind” meant that they were willing, even eager to accept it. They were open enough to the gospel that they would, at the very least, withhold judgment on it until they could give it a careful and thorough examination.

How did they go about examining it? They SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES to see if Paul’s teachings were correct. Jesus challenged certain men to “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” (John 5:39). Paul had been preaching the Gospel from the Old Testament scriptures. The Bereans studied the scriptures every day to verify he was teaching the TRUTH even as the Law of Moses demanded in Deuteronomy 18:22. The result of this noble searching of the scriptures was that “many of them (the Jews) believed…” (Acts.17:12). (Compare this with Acts 17:4 “some (few) of them believed…”).

What is the application for us today? We should all be like the Bereans in at least two ways. One, let us each have a “noble” mind; one that is willing to heed the Gospel and to change our lives to conform with it’s teaching. Two, let us like the Bereans, search the scriptures daily! (2 Timothy 2:15). In doing so, we will not be fooled by those who come preaching a perverted gospel (Galatians 1:6-7). I challenge you therefore, like the apostle John said in 1 John 4:1 “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” In other words, any time some one claims to  preach the gospel, do not listen to his words unless they can be supported by God’s All Authoritative Word with a “thus saith the Lord!”

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