Attitude Strange? Then Change!

The attitude of the psalmist toward worshiping God stands in stark contrast to the attitude of many Christians. There is no scripture which better reflects the kind of heart we must have in worship than Psalm 84. If the words of this psalm seem foreign to your attitude toward worship, it is imperative that you work on your attitude and change it.

The psalmist said, “My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God” (Psa. 84:2). When he was away from the courts of the Lord, his soul longed to be there. The present tense of the word “longs” indicates not an occasional passing desire to be in His court, but an ongoing desire to be at the Lord’s house. The depths of his desire to be there is seen in the word “faints.” He longed for his body (his flesh) and his soul (his heart) to be where he could sing to the living God.

He saw the courts of the Lord to be such a blessing that even the lowly bird would be blessed by having her nests near the altars there. “Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altar.” If a sparrow is blessed by being in His courts, how much more are we! If that which is least among His creation  is blessed by being in His court, how much more are we!

Then the psalmist looked for some way that he might never have to leave His court. He speaks of those who dwell there and can always be singing praises to God. The psalmist said, “Blessed are those who dwell in Your house, ever singing Your praise.” Some would look as such opportunity as almost being like a curse, a thing to never be desired, but the psalmist calls it a blessing. Does this sound strange to you?

The final expression of his desire to be able to worship God in His courts is the most remarkable. “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness” (Psa. 84:10).  A thousand days is nearly three years. Yet think of how easy it is for us the trade one day in His courts for just one day elsewhere.

The psalmist would not trade one day in His court for a thousand days any other place doing any other thing. Some trade a day in the courts of the Lord for a day simply to sleep in and get rest. Some trade a day in His courts for a day at a recreational park. Some trade a day in His courts for fishing, shopping, golfing or traveling. Think about the last time you chose to miss meeting the Lord at His table in His temple. What did you get when you traded that day with Him for secular matters? He would not trade one day for 1,000 of yours!

If this seems strange to you, perhaps it is time to meditate and reset priorities. Think about this. Pray about it!

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Demas and Self-Gratification

Demas was a good worker and Paul seemed to appreciate his work. In fact, Paul put him right up there with John Mark and Luke when he wrote, “Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellow labourers.” (Phm. 1:24). So, Demas accompanied Paul and others on missionary trips, such as the one into Asia and went with him in his voyage to Rome and seems to have also been a fellow prisoner with Paul (Acts 19:29). And, while Paul sent an epistle to the Christians in Colossae, Paul again named Demas right besides doctor Luke. “Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.” (Col. 4:14).

But, Demas had a problem. A memory problem. He kept forgetting about the world to come. Of course Demas wanted heaven and was a diligent worker for the Lord. He knew that he would have heaven later. But, he also just wanted what this world had to offer, too and Demas wanted this now. So, as Paul wrote, “Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica . . .” (2 Tim. 4:10). Paul stated that Demas loved the Now Age.

What is the obsession for the Now Age? One seems to see it written all across our society in bright colors to easily be noticed. People no longer want to wait. They want things at once, immediately and instantly. Now, certainly there is nothing wrong with having a soda with a now taste. But, we have raised and are still raising a “Now Generation” of adults who promises far more than it threatens. The problem is much like that of Demas and many of God’s people are swapping heaven later for the Now Age, Now.

Christ’s people have given up their citizenship rights in this world in order to claim it in the world to come. Paul said, “For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;” (Phil. 3:18-20). Christians are far too easily choosing to be residents of the Now Age. Many have neglected that God’s grace has appeared and brought salvation (Jn. 1:29). They have forgotten that the Lord teaches how to live responsibly, righteous and godly lives…now. Giving in to this world, many have forgotten the instructions to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and have forgotten that Jesus redeemed us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds (Tit. 2:11-15).

Thus, the child of God should not expect a reward on earth for faithfulness. We can however have a blessed hope of happiness forever when this world is gone. So, don’t sacrifice eternity for the “Now Age.” You will always regret that. Demas did. And that is why the story of Demas is one of the saddest stories of the New Testament. How does your life read?

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Changes

Today we find that in many congregations the pure gospel is lacking. This condition exist because some congregations that were faithful 50 years ago have since gone through changes that have placed them in a situation with the Lord where Jesus might say – “You have left your first love” or “I have a few things against you” (cf. Rev. 2:4; 2:14).

The forces of evil never rest; the truths that were defended in the 30s through the 80s are still truth. Yet; many church members today have changed their views about marriage-divorce-and-remarriage, about the function of the congregation with its resources, about the work of the church in evangelism (i.e. some today are advocating that institutions other than the local congregation may set up brotherhood projects that have been assigned to the church alone); these departures violate the clear instruction via the Holy Scriptures that teach the congregation is God’s missionary society; nothing else is authorized by God as an agency to spread the gospel. Indeed, the individual Christian also has responsibilities to spread the gospel as is clearly taught by the Holy Scriptures,

cf. Acts 8:1-4 – 1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3 as for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. 4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. KJV

2 Timothy 2:2 – And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. KJV

Brethren; friends; I am concerned about the changes that are being introduced into some churches and the direction of some of the good brethren who in the past were staunch advocates of COMMAND, APOSTOLIC EXAMPLE, and NECESSARY INFERENCE. Some of the faithful men of the past, if possible, would arise to condemn these changes; good men that we can recall by name.

What does the future hold? Perhaps we can know what the future holds by looking at the church and what has happened in the past 110 years. There have been continued departures by those determined to make changes in the Bible method of doing things in the congregation. Indeed, some have allowed the grand schemes of TV evangelist, and on-the-march brethren who are dissatisfied with the ancient truths to pursue error without taking a stand. May God bless each one of us to see the hand-writing on the wall for the future generations and cry out before another major division in the Body of Christ takes place!

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If it looks like a Cowboy…

All Hat and No Horse!

Years ago, I worked for an electronics company with a guy who tried very hard to look, act and speak like a real cowboy… the problem was he was not a real cowboy… In fact, he had grown up in the city and was working as an electronics technician – about as far from being a real cowboy as one can get. He was the kind of guy that real cowboys describe as being, “All Hats and No Horse.” On the back window of his little pick-up truck was a large decal that said REDNECK in big, bold letters and he had a bumper-sticker that said “Cowboy Up.” (and we don’t even want to talk about what he had hanging down from his bumper hitch…) To all the world, with his cowboy hat, decals and bumper stickers, he was declaring himself a “Redneck, Cowboy…,” but to anyone who knew him these sad attempts were a little bit humorous. I asked him something like this one time, “What does it really say about you, if you have to wear a t-shirt and have window decal on your truck so that people will know you are a ‘Redneck Cowboy’?”

I was reminded of this fellow, the other day when I was looking around in a religious book store that also sells gifts, T-shirts, jewelry and other “christian” knick-knack items, when I saw in the jewelry section that there were many different types of cross or “fish” necklaces, bracelets and earrings for both men and women. And in the T-shirts section I also saw that there were many different t-shirts depicting some scripture reference, or Christ, or a cross, or a “fish”, or some other “christian” logo. I thought to myself, if I would have to wear a necklace or a t-shirt for people to know I am a Christian, then what would that say about my faith and my manner of living? It’s not that there is anything inherently wrong with wearing something like that, but shouldn’t people be able to see Christ in me, even if I am wearing no jewelry and have on just some old jeans and a plain white t-shirt? Our faith must be plain for all to see, without our having to wear any overtly “christian” clothing or jewelry – this is a part of our Christian profession…

Here are a few Bible passages for your consideration that describe how those in the world will know that you are a Christian, without you ever needing to do a “christian” t-shirt or cross necklace:

  • People will know we are Christians because of our love. John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another…”
  • People will know we are Christians because of our love and unity. John 17:20-23 “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me…”
  • People will know we are Christians because of our good works. 1 Peter 2:11-12 “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation…”

 

 

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Wonder How?

Sometimes You’ve Just Really Got To Wonder… Don’t You?

Sometimes you’ve just really got to wonder just how it is that God could love us so much as to send His only begotten Son into this world, to endure the hell He knew well in advance He’d have to (Eph. 1:4, 3:8-12),  in order to save any eternal souls (Isa. 53:1-10; Matt 26:47-27:50), when so few would even care (Matt. 7:13-14)…

Sometimes you’ve just really got to wonder how any thinking person with any kind of a conscience whatsoever could even consider staying in bed or at home on Sunday mornings when they are physically capable of getting up and getting out, instead of coming to celebrate the Savior to say “Thank You” to Him who would not even stay in Heaven, but would go through whatever it took, as long as it meant they’d have no way there unless He did… (Phil. 2:5-8).

Sometimes you’ve just really got to wonder how people who have made their lives into such a complete mess, can somehow think they don’t need God’s helping, healing, life-giving guidance in order to fix the mess they’ve made and to help them avoid falling into it again (Matt. 11:27-28), don’t you?

Sometimes you’ve just really got to wonder how people can be so carelessly and callously short-sighted as to concentrate only on this brief, momentary, Satan-beleaguered and sin-beset earthly life (Matt. 6:19-33), when they all have an eternal soul which will end up somewhere (Matt. 25:31-46).

Sometimes you’ve just really got to wonder how, as they get older and death gets closer, they can still stay away from studying, learning, loving, and obeying the one thing – God’s Word – wherein they can then become assured of eternal life (1 Jn. 5:11-13); and also how they can stay away from pleasing, praising, and worshipping the Lord in spirit and truth (Jn. 4:23-24), as He is the ONLY WAY to eternal life (Jn. 14:6).

Sometimes you’ve just really got to wonder… don’t you?

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