Suspicious

A great problem to good relationships with many people is their highly suspicious nature. For one who possesses this quality it is difficult to trust even their friends and associates. The person with a suspicious disposition is never at ease; they are always on the defense. Suspicious people act as though they may be trapped in some way and as a result suffer loss of face, loss of position, or loss of advancement in their chosen field. This kind of malady is common in big business and high finance where the rule of thumb seems to be doing anything to advance where the big bucks are found. People who possess this quality are constantly under stress from within and are often physically in pain because of the stress they have brought upon themselves.

Now, this mentality is a great disservice to the relationship one sustains in a church relationship; a person with this type of deficiency is constantly an agitation within the congregation. This type of person needs to seek help in settling down and becoming a useful worker with other Christians as they shoulder the load of work in the congregation from day to day.

The Christian ought to study and meditate upon the Scriptures that teach love, patience, and long-suffering —

1 John 1:3-7, “3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. 5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Rom 15:4-7, “4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.” (KJV)

1 Tim 6:11, “But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience , meekness.” (KJV)

Heb 6:12, “That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (KJV)

Heb 10:36-38, “36 For ye have need of patience , that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.” (KJV)

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Using Liberty

The Proper Use of Both Spiritual & National Liberty

On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln, opened his famous Gettysburg Address with these words, “Four-score and seven years ago, (now 230 years ago) our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal…” President Lincoln was referring, of course, the birth of our great nation.

On July 4, 1776, The United States of America was born. As Americans and as Christians, we have been blessed by God to live here. We have freedom from tyranny and the constitutional right to worship God “in spirit and in truth…” (John 4:24)

Most people in this world do not have this same privilege – true freedom of religion. We often take for granted that which our brethren throughout history have never had. It was not until the Constitution of the United States (June 21, 1788) and the Bill of Rights (December 15, 1791) was adopted that a nation of people had complete freedom of religion. The First Amendment to the Constitution states,

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble….”

Before this (even in some parts of the United States), there was the concept of an official state religion. For instance, the official church of Great Britain was the church of England (Anglican church); in Italy, France and Spain, it was the Roman Catholic church.

Many of those who opposed the religion of their respective homelands and were persecuted for it, (such as the Puritans) came to this continent and established colonies where they could practice their religion freely. The descendants of these religiously persecuted people wanted a guarantee that no single denomination or religious body could be declared an official religion of the United States. They wanted to insure that the kind of religious persecutions their forefathers had endured in Europe would not take place on American soil. It was out of this constitutional freedom that the American restoration movement was born, resulting in the restoration of the Lord’s church.

We often take for granted that which many of our brethren in other countries do not have – freedom from religious persecution! Even still today, many members of the Lord’s church live in countries where they have no constitutional right to practice their religious beliefs. What a struggle they must face each and every day of their lives!

Even though some do not have religious freedom, all Christians, from the First Century to the present have had spiritual freedom and liberty in Christ Jesus. “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free… If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed…” (John 8:32, 36). “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free…” (Galatians 5:1) With His own blood, Christ bought for us freedom from bondage in sin (Revelation 1:5; Acts 20:28), freedom from the burdens that a life in sin brings and freedom from the sentence of spiritual death in sin. (Romans 6:23)

In this country, all men and women enjoy national freedom. By our constitution, all men and women have the legal right to pursue life, liberty and happiness. While Americans are a nationally free people, but by and large, are not a spiritually free people, in the sense that Christ meant.

Members of the Lord’s church who live in this great nation have two types of liberty, spiritual and national. We should never allow either type of freedom to be used as an excuse in forsaking doing the will of the Father or to use it for an excuse to do what is wrong. “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh….” (Galatians 5:13a) Yet that is what so many people in our nation today have done with their lives. Rather than in freedom serving their fellow man, many today use that “liberty for a cloke of maliciousness…” (1Peter 2:16a) Read Romans 1:18-32 and see what results when a people turn away from God! “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34).

1Peter 2:16 and Galatians 5:13 implicitly state, that rather than serving the flesh or in otherwise sinning, we must use it “as the servants of God” and “by love serve one another.” Our country today has a spiritual sickness; a disease that has no political or physical cure; an ailment that no medical doctor, lawyer or politician can alleviate. Only the Christ has the answers to the problems besetting this country. It is up to Christians, as servants of God, to lovingly, compassionately, teach the gospel to a lost and dying world, that all men might come to know the healing that only the Great Physician can give. In carrying out this commission, we truly “by love serve one another.”

 

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Like Him

To Be Like Him We Must Know Him

“Oh! to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.”

A great Christian hymn we sing often expressing our deep, enduring desire to be like Jesus. However, in my experience, few understand what it means to be like Christ or live life in such a way that they are more like Him today than they were yesterday. The fact is that many are not growing in the likeness of the Lord nor will they ever be able to because they really do not know Him.

Sure, we have passing familiarity with who He is but we do not “know” Him. It’s the difference between an acquaintance and a true friend. For far to many Jesus is just an acquaintance. Certainly all the nations of the earth have been blessed in Abraham (Genesis 18:18) through Jesus and the time has come that all know Him, from the least to the greatest (Hebrews 8:11). We know this is true because you cannot go anywhere in this world without encountering people who know the name of Jesus and who have some passing knowledge of Him.

But we will never be like Him until we come to know Him like Paul who wrote, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (Philippians 3:10). Paul spent three years in Arabia garnering an intimate knowledge of Jesus (Galatians 1:17-18). Here are some things about Jesus that we need to know so that we can know Him like Paul did and be more like Him every day!

  1. Jesus ALWAYS did the things that pleased the Father (John 8:29). Can we say this? Can we say that we always do the things that are pleasing unto the Father? To many see the futility in the notion that this can be a reality so they choose to please themselves instead of God and are never comforted to the image of His dear Son (Romans 8:29).
  2. There was no guile found in His mouth (1 Peter 2:22). No deceit, no ugly retort to the mocking and criticism. How do we respond to others and their nastiness? Not like Christ? “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver” (Proverbs 25:11).
  3. He was perfect. Jesus said in Matthew 5:48, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Many are quick to point out that the Greek word here means “complete” and not “perfect” in a sinless kind of way that we might think of God and perfection. To that my response is, “Yea, and?” Are we complete? 2 Timothy 3:17 says that the Word of God is able to make us perfect/complete.
  4. He was obedient. Philippians 2:8 says of Christ that, “being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. We too need to be obedient to the Father is we are going to be like His Son. The Hebrew writer said through His obedience Jesus became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Hebrews 5:8-9). Have you been and are you obedient?
  5. He is faithful (1 Thessalonians 5:24). As Christians faithfulness is based upon our continual walk in the footsteps of Jesus. His blood continues to cleanse our sins as we strive each day to be more like Him (1 John 1:7). It is a salvation issue (Revelation 2:10).

John, the beloved disciple of Jesus said “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:3-4). Do you know Him well enough to be like Him? The refrain of our hymn says:

“Oh! to be like Thee, oh! to be like Thee,
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.”

Will we let Him do this to us? Will we know Him so as to be like Him? Be obedient and be faithful!

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Rest

I Will Give You Rest

The world cannot understand Americans. Considering all of our society, Americans have the greatest prosperity and highest standard of living known in any sizable society on earth. In fact, history has never known a sizable nation that had our standard of living. Yet, depression is common in America. Among both young and the old, suicide is significant. Alcoholism, drug addiction, pornography, sexually transmitted disease, promiscuity, dysfunctional families, one parent families, rejection of commitment, dishonesty, and a lack of integrity and character are sources of major social problems.

How can a society with so much, experience so many serious problems? This is why many of the world’s societies cannot understand. In their societies, the majority live in poverty with minimal human rights and to them, the combination of prosperity and human rights produce a wonderful society. America has that combination. So, why do we not enjoy our wonderful existence? It is because these things do not eliminate stress. Our country uses alcohol, tobacco, drugs, sexual indulgences and other things in an attempt to escape stress. Family relationships fail to nurture and sustain healthy love and acceptance and therefore, this brings forth the stress of loneliness, rejection, and despair. Thus, many are in distress.

In the first century, Jesus once invited the burdened of Jewish society to come to him (Matthew 11:28–‐30). His guidance would unburden their lives. He was gentle and humble and through him they would find rest. Rest! What a wonderful word! What a beautiful concept! Rest is the opposite of stress. Stress is the enemy of rest and here Jesus produces rest in a burdened life by taking the burdens. Therefore, it is easier to serve Jesus than it is to be enslaved to burdens. And, if we as Christians wish to validate the gospel and capture the attention of the masses, all we need to do is to allow Jesus to give us rest for stressed out Christians cannot communicate the peace and healing of the gospel.

Jesus said, “I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Now, we know there is rest of salvation or justification. This is the rest of deliverance from the slavery and bondage of sin, the power of Christ to conquer the enslaving habits that damage the human body and destroy the human soul. It is the rest of conscience that comes to a person’s soul when he ceases his struggle in the wilderness of sin by obeying Him. But notice, Jesus mentions rest twice: “Ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:29). This rest is not referring to a rest of inactivity. It is a rest of refreshment: a rest of refreshing one’s body, mind, and spirit. It is a rest that fits one for life: a rest that infuses a person with true purpose, meaning, and significance. It is a rest of encouragement and motivation of soul: a rest that stirs a person to live and undertake his God–‐ given task with enthusiasm and vigor and endurance.

Let me suggest to you that when you are stressed that you let your life demonstrate that Christ destroys stress. Second, never distress each other. Third, do not promote or endorse ungodliness because evil creates stress. Third, commit to honesty, integrity, and character and learn how to help each other with life’s burdens.

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Controversy

The reality of disputes among religious adherents is legend; there have always been disputes between honest people professing religion. The fact that there have been disputes and controversy over religious issues in no way justifies many such disputes; indeed, many religious disputes could be avoided if the individual who have such a dispute were clear about their convictions. Often disputes originate by a person who uses a straw man to bring up their disagreement. This is a tactic that often creates explosive confrontations because someone in the crowd takes an adverse position but will not acknowledge it openly, thus the straw man is presented and his position defended by the person who likes confrontation.

Open controversy will cause many people to stop serving the Lord and turn to more peaceful assemblies somewhere else. These people that will vacate a church where there is constant wrangling over every subject may be justified by leaving but they ought to seek out a sound church for worship.

No person ought to be so discouraged that they leave a church for an unsound church to worship because they are seeking an atmosphere free of controversy. The truth is, occasionally honest differences will arise between honest disputations, {Example:  Paul’s companions in the work of God – Philemon 24-25, “24 (and so do) Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow-workers. 25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.” ASV}. Of this number, John Mark did not travel with Paul on one of the journeys because of personal differences {i.e. Acts 15:37-40, “37 And Barnabas was minded to take with them John also, who was called Mark. 38 But Paul thought not good to take with them him who withdrew from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. 39 And there arose a sharp contention, so that they parted asunder one from the other, and Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed away unto Cyprus; 40 but Paul choose Silas, and went forth, being commended by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.” ASV] Whenever this condition surfaces, the better judgment of the elder will stop this before it becomes an open schism. Also examine the next paragraph closely for more on this theme.

One of the great problems exists when seemingly unsolvable disputes arise in a church where there are no elders. Many churches that are small and have no elders meet regularly to solve congregational matters in business meetings. These business meetings often become sessions of division and controversy. Since these adverse conditions are discouraging to some this matter may cause some to leave the church unannounced. There would normally be no controversy if only one person is involved as being difficult and advisable but often this person will have some influence over a few others in the congregation. Whenever a problem such as I have just described occurs, the church is divided in the business meeting as well as in the assembly. Whenever division of this nature occurs Paul’s statement to the church at Corinth over miraculous spiritual gifts and their creation of problems with members ought to be examined, cf. 1 Cor 14:37-40, “37 If any man thinketh himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of the things which I write unto you, that they are the commandment of the Lord. 38 But if any man is ignorant, let him be ignorant. 39 Wherefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and forbid not speak with tongues. 40 But let all things be done decently and in order.” ASV

The most helpful quality that any Christian may contribute to “the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace” [i.e. the roadmap to peace and unity – Ephesians 4:2-6] – “2 with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4(There is) one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all. “ASV] is to be careful that those words that are used are words that will not create an opportunity for rebuttal. Sound teaching will usually eliminate schism in a congregation if the members really want to submit to one another and promote peace and unity as the Word of God requires of Christians in a congregation –  cf. Heb 13:17, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit (to them): for they watch in behalf of your souls, as they that shall give account; that they may do this with joy, and not with grief: for this (were) unprofitable for you.” ASV – This instruction seems to work when the church has elders but is much more difficult to understand when everyone in a business meeting thinks himself to be elder material even though they are not qualified on scriptural grounds. In such a case where there are no elders problems seem to get worse whenever the problem is brought up in a business meeting.

Dear brethren, pray that more men in the church will work at qualifying themselves for the eldership. Qualified elders are the best group of men in the congregation to solve serious differences and rebellious people in the church. Without elders many congregations will eventually self-destruct, they will last for a while and finally destruct from within.

Pray for maturity {i.e. personal growth} cf. 2 Peter 3:18, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him (be) the glory both now and for ever. Amen.” AS

Pray for unity of the spirit in the bond of peace cf. Eph 4:3-4, “3 giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4(There is) one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling;” ASV – For every male member of each congregation particularly on this behalf [i.e. that they will work at qualifying themselves for scriptural leadership roles] in the congregation.

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