Defeated

As boys, my brother and I would always play a game where he would try to hit my hand before I could take it away.  We frequently played this game at the kitchen table and over the years, we actually wore a smooth spot into the table from all the times he missed my hand.  At times it really took a lot of coaxing to get my brother to play the game because he hated losing.  He felt defeated as if he could never win.  Why did he keep trying?

I watched a Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) playoff game last night.  The Lakers played the Oklahoma Thunder two nights before and had gotten flattened by more than twenty points.  In the next game, the Lakers nearly controlled the entire game.  Their confidence stood greatly bolstered compared to their prior loss.  Yet, with a seven point lead and two minutes to go in the game, the Lakers turned the ball over three times without a score.  In the end, they lost a game that looked like a win for them.  What more could they have done?  They played an excellent game, a commanding game, and still they stood defeated.  Only two losses from exiting the playoffs, the odds greatly against them, what motivation will push them to put forth the effort to win?

The apostle Peter loved Jesus.  He knew Jesus as a peaceful man who proclaimed the kingdom of God.  Yet, in the garden of Gethsemane, Peter acted outside of peacefulness.  He drew his sword as a mob of men led by Judas Iscariot encircled Jesus.  Then he chopped off the ear of one of the advancing men (John 18:1-11).  Jesus called a halt to the violence immediately.  Peter knew better, but could not control himself.  His own instincts momentarily overcame his devotion to Jesus teaching.  The moment represented a defeat for Peter.

Prior to the occurrence in the garden, Peter swore his allegiance to Jesus (Matthew 26:35).  After the men took Jesus from the garden to Annas, father-in-law of the High Priest Caiaphas, Peter followed behind to see what would happen.  Three times people questioned Peter if he knew Jesus.  Once again, Peter could not control his worldly instincts.  He denied knowing Jesus each time though he said he never would (John 18:12-27).  His bold proclamations of allegiance fell in defeat.

Peter recovered from his self defeat.  He went on to share the first gospel sermon providing entrance into the kingdom of God (Acts 2).  He taught the household of Cornelius, gentiles upon whom the Holy Spirit pouted out, who would also enter the kingdom of God.  Yet, Peter’s failing did not come to an end.  The apostle Paul speaks in Galatians 2:11-14 of Peter separating himself from Gentile Christians out of fear of the Jews.  Once again, Peter found himself defeated by his sinful actions.

What keeps a person going when he experiences defeat?  The motivation that appears and picks up the defeated is hope.  Hope of winning kept my brother playing our childhood game.  Hope that the Lakers can turn things around keeps them trying game by game year by year.  Hope kept Peter moving forward.  It is hope that he shares in the letter to the Christians scattered abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.  The hope he directs Christians toward centers on the return of Jesus.  I Peter 1:13 – “Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober inspirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”   Christians rise above defeat because of hope.  Only defeat lies ahead if you are not a Christian (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10).  Embrace Christ today and overcome defeat (I John 5:1-5)!

Posted in Travis Main | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Defeated

A Divine Guide

One of the great obstacles to true unity is the great variety of religious sources of authority. The problem of unity has always been a desired status, even our Lord desires unity, cf.  John 17:20-21, “20 Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, (art) in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us: that the world may believe that thou didst send me.” (ASV)

Philippians 2:2, “ make full my joy, that ye be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind;” (ASV)

Acts 2:46, “And day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart,” (ASV)

Acts 4:24, “And they, when they heard it, lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, O Lord, thou that didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that in them is:” (ASV)

The above, inspired writers of the New Testament, all encouraged their hearers and readers to submit to the authority of God

NOTE:  Peter and the apostles declaration to the doubters on the day of Pentecost:

Acts 2:14-17, “14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke forth unto them, (saying), Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and give ear unto my words. 15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose; seeing it is (but) the third hour of the day. 16 but this is that which hath been spoken through the prophet Joel: 17 And it shall be in the last days, saith God, I will pour forth of my Spirit upon all flesh: And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams:” (ASV)

Jesus Christ claims “all authority” now, cf. Matthew 28:18, “And Jesus came to them and spoke unto them, saying, all authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth.” (ASV)

This declaration by Christ after he had risen from the dead is the same authority that we are willing to accept today. This is the authority that insures us when we believe and obey the gospel  that we are saved from our sins –cf. Hebrews 5:8-9, “8 though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered; 9 and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation;” (ASV) Indeed, whatever Christ has said and whatever He has caused to be written is our religious authority today. To suggest that there are other acceptable religious authorities is to deny the authority of Jesus Christ and bring upon man a condemnation from God Almighty.

Posted in Garreth L. Clair | Tagged , , | Comments Off on A Divine Guide

Count Your Blessings

“Count Your Blessings.” In the twenty-third Psalm David wrote of the vastness of God’s blessings when he said, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my
enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.” The idea of counting our
every blessing is an intriguing one to be sure. We certainly give it plenty of lip service
and we even on occasion sing about the bountiful blessings of God. It is because what
David said is true, that our cup does indeed run over, that it is certainly not possible to
sit down and count every blessing. However, though it may an exercise in futility, it is
profitable for us to stop frequently to consider the many blessings God has bestowed
upon us. Not only that, but it is also our duty to meditate upon the goodness of God.

“Name Them One By One.” Some think of their blessings only en masse, in the
abstract; with broad general strokes we thank God for them. There is however an
urgent need in our lives to begin thinking of God’s blessings more specifically. We need
to particularize our blessings in order to fully understand the graciousness of God. This
will also allow us to come to a fuller understanding as to our utter dependence upon
Him. It is He who holds all things together and upholds the universe by the power of His word (Colossians 1.17; Hebrews 1.3).

“And It Will Surprise You.” In Malachi 3.10 God says, “…put me to the test.” If we will
not only be truly thankful for all that we have and rightly give God the glory for the
blessings in our life, He will bless us beyond compare. This means that I must first give
myself to Him (Luke 14.26; Matthew 16.24; 2 Corinthians 5.8). The wealth of His
blessings will astonish us if we give to Him (physically, spiritually, and thankfully) as He
has prospered us (Luke 6.38; 1 Corinthians 16.2). “Oh that men would praise the LORD
for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men” (Psalm 107.8)!

“What The Lord Hath Done.” Remember the glory belongs to God! What has God done
for you in this life? How blessed are we both physically and spiritually? God has given
you life! He has blessed you with the fullness of the earth. He has cared for us
spiritually and given us the hope of eternal life in the sacrifice of His dear Son. The
problem for so many of us is that we hold on to all that we have as though it is ours by
our own power. We fail to see that it is God who has shared with us what belongs to
Him. We give ourselves praise, honor and glory for what we have, not Him. There
needs to be a change in our attitude toward the blessings of God. And when there is,
how wonderful will be the vision, when the haze of selfishness and pride is lifted.

First of all if you are not a Christian today, take a good hard look at what God has
already done for you. Especially for His love and mercy! Love Him in return by being
obedient to Him (John 14.15). Hear the Word of God (Romans 10.17); believe on the
name of the Lord Jesus, the Christ (Mark 16.16); confess Him as the only begotten Son
of God (Matthew 10.32-33); repent of your sins (Luke 13.3); be buried with him in
baptism in order to be saved and added to the church (Acts 2.38; Galatians 3.27; 1
Peter 3.21). Then be thankful and be faithful!

Posted in Tim Dooley | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Count Your Blessings

Tips on Practicing (Not So) Random Acts of Kindness

Is there anyone who hasn’t heard the phrase “Random Acts of Kindness”?  The phenomenon became popular in American culture in the 90’s and has since spread globally, inspiring movements, school projects, even a movie.  Buying the coffee for the car behind you at the Starbuck’s drive-through, giving someone your parking space at the mall, or leaving an encouraging note at a restaurant are small gestures that can mean a lot to the recipient and foster a sense of community among our fellow passengers to the grave.

But the concept of doing kind works is not new.  It’s as old as, well, creation.  God tells us in Ephesians 2:10 that “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”  So, if we were made to do good works, does it make sense to relegate the performance of such to the category of “random”?  How about instead of just committing random acts of kindness, we commit Godly acts of kindness?  What, you may ask, is the difference?  The difference is that random implies that we perform random acts of kindness out of the goodness of our own hearts.  Godly acts of kindness are committed out of the kindness of God’s own heart.  Christians shouldn’t do good works because of our own innate goodness or for our own glory.  In doing good works we are sowing the seeds of righteousness.  As God admonished Israel through the prophet Hosea (10:12) “Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD Until He comes to rain righteousness on you.”  Christians “sow” good works for the sake of the glory of God and His kingdom.  So even if an act of kindness is completely spontaneous and random, our intent makes all the difference in the world.

The variety and number of good works you can perform are limited only by your imagination and commitment to obey God’s command to love (or show) kindness as Micah concisely states in Micah 6:8 “He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?”  That is not to say doing Godly works of kindness doesn’t take planning or resources.  Sometimes it takes a lot of planning to do something “randomly.”  Here are a few tips to incorporate Godly works into your everyday life.

1.  Make a list of prospects.  You probably know lots of people who would appreciate a nice slice of kindness.  We are admonished in Galatians 6:10 to “do good unto all, but especially those of the household of faith”, so start with your local congregation or a sister congregation.  Do you know a struggling college student?  How about a widow(er) living alone for the first time in 30 years?  New mom?  Young couple?  Teenager?  Retirees?  Preacher and his family?  Sometimes we overlook opportunities in our own backyard, while we are gazing over the fence.  By the way, add to the list as often as you can.

2.  Identify true needs.  It doesn’t have to be big hairy need, just a need.  Hold the door for the lady with the stroller.  Share your umbrella with an elderly person walking to their car.  The next time you are making meatloaf, make a mini one for the widow next door.  Needs are everywhere.  We simply need to keep our eyes and ears open.

3.  Go for meaning over money.  Godly works don’t have to be a budget buster.  Expressions of affection or gratitude can be among the most meaningful and memorable of all Godly acts of kindness.  Whenever I end a phone call with my mom I always say, “Love you Mom.  I’ll talk to you later.”  All too infrequently, I take a few extra moments to say something like, “Mom, I just want you to know how much I appreciate the sacrifices you made for us kids growing up.  Now that I’m a mom I realize how much you love us because that’s how much I love my own kids.  I hope I can be as great a mother as you are.”  These conversations invariably end up with both of us getting a little weepy and my son rolling his eyes at me.  Double bonus!  A phone call just to say hi, a friendly wave, a few extra minutes of your undivided attention.  These gestures are free, but deeply valuable.  In essence, you are giving the gift of YOU.

4.  Put together a “Godly Act of Kindness” tool kit.  Just because an act of kindness is random, doesn’t mean it has to be spontaneous.  Equip yourself with the tools you need to seize the moment.  Some handy items are blank cards, pens in assorted colors, stamps, single-serving containers for cooking and carrying food, stickers, bookmarks, and finally, candy, in case you get hungry.

5.  Set Goals.  Using your list of prospects, write down some realistic and specific goals about the number and types of Godly acts you want to perform.  Your goals will also help you determine items you need in your Toolkit.  Be careful not to over commit your time or resources or you may get burned out.  You are trying to develop a lifelong pattern of Godly works.  Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

6.  Make it a group activity!  There are several great reasons to enlist others.  It’s a great way strengthen your sisterly bonds and make new friends.  You can take advantage of each other’s skills and abilities. You can hold each other accountable.  And finally, it’s fun!

7.  Take some cues from the Bible.  Just a few of the kind acts seen in the Bible are: making clothes, providing food and drink, carrying a load, hospitality, and words of encouragement.  Of course, the most important is sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.  The Word of God inspires, guides, and admonishes us toward good works.  Go to it often.

In our busy lives it can be difficult to look outside of our own schedules, families and obligations.  It takes more than good intentions to begin a lifelong pattern of caring for others.  It takes deliberate discipline, planning and godly instruction.  This may not sound as thrilling as “random acts of kindness”, but we’re not in it for the thrill.  We’re in it for the enduring joy of being a doer, not just a hearer of God’s word. (James 1:21-23).  What can be better than that?

This article was written by April Main.

Posted in Guest Authors | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Tips on Practicing (Not So) Random Acts of Kindness

The Bride Who Forgot Her Wedding Dress

Only those who have experienced it can comprehend the vast amount of time spent in preparation for a wedding. From the time the engagement is announced and likely even before then, hardly a day passes without the bride making plans for the upcoming event. The amount of energy expended by everyone involved can hardly be measured.

There is a spiritual lesson in this which must not be overlooked. The Bible describes our relationship to the Lord as being His bride (Eph. 5:25-32). Paul told the Corinthians that he has “espoused them to one husband” (2 Cor. 11:2) so that they might be presented as a chaste virgin to the Lord. The seriousness of that preparation must exceed that of the preparation for any earthly marriage.

The new Jerusalem is described as one “made ready as a bride adorned for her husband” (Rev. 21:2). Whether this refers to the church today or to its future abode does not diminish the point of preparation. She was adorned for her husband. Every bride, including His, prepared herself for her husband.

What is the nature of that adornment? There are those “garments” she can never wear which are described as the works of the flesh—“sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these” (Gal. 5:19-20). There are those “garments” she must wear which are described as the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,  self-control . . .” (Gal. 5:22-23).

Perhaps no other passage so succinctly describes the attire we must wear as His bride. Take a look at that list of “wedding attire” and think of how He wants us to appear before Him. Look at yourself and see those areas where preparation has not been properly made. Are you ready for the coming of the bridegroom?

Israel’s relationship with God was described as a marriage (Jer. 3:20; 31:32; Mal. 2:11). Jeremiah reminded that nation of her espousal to the Lord in the wilderness around Mt. Sinai (Jer. 2:2). Then Israel changed and forgot their “wedding.” The prophet cried out to that nation, “Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten me days without number” (Jer. 2:32).

Some brides make great preparation for the wedding and then forget the vows they made. Have you forgotten the vows you made to Him?

Posted in Dan Jenkins | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Bride Who Forgot Her Wedding Dress