Let Your Fingers Do the Walking

No wonder there is religious confusion among us! Who wouldn’t be confused about Christianity when it appears that you can believe almost anything and still be a Christian. It was so simple when it all began and there was simply the one body who followed the one faith, had the one hope, practiced the one baptism because they were led by the one Spirit, submitted to the one Lord and worshiped the one God (Eph. 4:4-6). It’s so confusing now when there are so many bodies, so many faiths, so many hopes and so many baptisms. Whatever happened to following the one Lord?

Almost every religious division creates a new name that makes that new group distinct from the old one. Take a look at the actual names found in our yellow pages and weep at all the division. Imagine the confusion of one trying to decide if the Church Without Walls on 45th Street is better than People Without Walls on Forest Hill Blvd? Or is the El Shaddai Faith Church closer to God than the Shekinah Christian Assembly?

How can one decide which “saint church” is the best? I’ve heard of Saint Peter and Saint Paul—didn’t Paul rebuke those who tried to be called by his name or by Peter’s (1 Cor. 1:10-13)? Then there is Saint John, Saint Luke, Saint David, Saint Andrew, Saint Mark, Saint Matthew, Saint Thomas—-these I’ve heard of—but who is Saint Ann, Saint Clare, Saint Herman, Saint Catherine, Saint Juliana or Saint Rita?

Other actual names just as amazing are found and some of them bring questions to my mind.  Could I find more help at the Miracle Temple on 35th Street or at the House of God Miracle Temple of Apostolic Faith, Inc. on Sapodilla Avenue? Is the Little Zion Temple better than the Mt. Zion Apostolic church? What part has the Holy Spirit played in establishing the Holy Spirit Anglican Catholic Church, the Holy Spirit Catholic church, the Holy Spirit Episcopal church—has He brought about this division?

I can’t help but wonder what would happen if the Consuming Fire Crusade Ministry were to join forces with the River of Living Water Deliverance Ministries? What if you added in the Crystal Light Ministries?

Do you see why people are confused? Do you see the mockery that is made of Jesus’ prayer for unity (John 17:20-21)? There is a solution. Let’s go back to the Bible. Let’s do Bible things in Bible ways. Let’s call Bible things by Bible names!

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No One Offered a Better Option

The town of Gloucester, Massachusetts, is reeling with the revelation of “pregnancy pact” among high school girls. This fishing village of 30,000, where the usual annual number of high school pregnancies was four, found itself dealing with 17 unwed mothers this year.  As the story developed, it was learned that these young ladies, none of whom were over 16 years old, devised a plan to become mothers and support each other in the rearing of their children.

Such an event should cause all of America to reflect on the moral decay that is in our world. A quick check on the internet revealed at least eight movies in the last year dealing with unwed pregnancy. Far too many of them actually glorify the fact that wonderful relationships and love can be found in such situations. When a nation is being “entertained” by immorality it should not be amazed when sin is reflected in life.

Read the following review of one of these movies to see how far we have moved away from God. “This movie has a great deal of crude humor, including vulgar and explicit sexual references and situations, including nude lap dances and pornography. . . .There are references to adultery and characters who do not know each other get drunk and have unprotected sex.”

Another site is conducting a poll where readers can vote on “who is the sexiest, pregnant, unwed celebrity right now?” There are many candidates—just have a look at the tabloids the next time you at the supermarket!

One truly tragic aspect of the events in Gloucester is found in a report which mentioned that the school policy was to not provide contraceptives to students. One young lady, a junior and a classmate of those who were pregnant, said, “No one’s offered them a better option.”

I believe someone has offered a better option and has shown His real concern by giving His son as a sacrifice for sin. That other option is found in His words, “Flee fornication. . . keep thyself pure . . . a chaste virgin . . . marriage is honorable among all, and the bed is undefiled . . . flee youthful lusts . . . fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” A wonderful, loving Father has given another way. This way is not found in arbitrary laws which are totally disconnected from life in our day. They are loving precepts for every age designed to keep us from ruining our lives.

It is not just a better option—it is the only option!

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Well, I Don’t Enjoy Singing

As I think about the Area-Wide Singing we are hosting on Saturday evening, July 19, I am reminded of how many times I have heard people say, “Well, I just don’t enjoy singing.” I understand what is meant by the expression, but there is more to enjoying singing than some realize.

It is true that too many times we have placed such an emphasis on the notes of songs that we feel uncomfortable when trying to sing. If those who are adept at reading music struggle with focusing on the words of a song where the music is particularly trying, think of how those who do not “sing well” struggle when they sing less “difficult” songs. The problem is that we may have thought that singing has more to do with notes than with words.

Think about it for a moment. Since we are told to sing psalms in our worship, who would ever say that “I do not enjoy reading the psalms”? This is a key concept each of us should get! There is little difference between reading a psalm and singing a psalm. So the next time you are tempted to say that you do not enjoy singing, think before you speak.

Another aspect of singing is to “speak to one another” and thereby encourage them to live closer to God and give more diligent service. So if I say, “I just don’t enjoy singing,” is it not true that I am saying, “I don’t enjoy encouraging my brethren”?

Many of our songs are prayer songs like Be With Me Lord, Take My Life and Let It Be, Purer in Heart, or Have Thine Own Way. Who would ever read the words of these prayer songs and say they do not make one soberly reflect on his own spiritual growth? Yet if I say, “I just don’t enjoy singing,” am I not in some way saying that I don’t enjoy asking God to help me be more spiritual?

Then there are songs that extol the praises of God like How Great Thou Art, There is A God—He Is Alive, A Wonderful Savior, or Our God Is an Awesome God. Listen to what we are saying when we say,

“I just don’t enjoy singing.” Do we really mean this?

So, before you ever again say, “I don’t enjoy  singing,” sit down with a song book and read the words carefully. Which words in which songs do not bring you joy? Singing that springs forth from the depth of our soul— “making melody in your heart to the Lord”—is singing that God honors and every Christian enjoys!

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The Most Effective Advertising

Gus Nichols preached for nearly half a century in Jasper, Alabama. During the time he was there, the church grew and became a very powerful influence throughout that area. The church was deeply respected for the many lives which were changed through its evangelistic efforts.

He once described the most effective gospel meeting they ever had and the method they used to advertise it. Before the meeting began, the members were told they would not be using radio, TV or the newspaper to let others know what was happening. In fact, they did not give the members any flyers to hand out to others. The thrust of the effort was, “If people in Walker County even know that we are having this gospel meeting, that information must come from you.”

Now think about it for a moment. Is it that hard to understand why that meeting was the best attended meeting the church had ever had? There is nothing personal about hearing of an event on the radio. The same is true of television advertising. Nor is there anything personal about reading a flyer or newspaper ad. These are wonderful ways of conveying information but are so “cold.”

Is there anything more persuasive than someone giving you a personal invitation? Especially if the event has no strings attached and is entirely for the benefit of the person invited. I cannot think of anything more persuasive.                 However, suppose it were possible to combine both kinds of advertising. Imagine the impact when there is extensive use of commercial means of advertising in addition to a personal invitation. This dual approach is precisely what we have planned for the upcoming “The Silencing of God” Seminar.

So many of you have taken flyers to post on local bulletin boards or in shop windows. Others have used the cards provided to hand to those you know. Literally hundreds of letters have been mailed to every church of Christ in south Florida, to every denomination in Palm Beach County and to every elected local, state and federal official in this area. In the next few days, there will be radio commercials and five large ads in the Palm Beach Post.

We are counting on every member of Palm Beach Lakes to add to this the most effective advertising and that is a personal invitation to others. We will never have this opportunity again. May God help us to have eyes to see what can be done!

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Allah is not Jehovah

The Muslim world would have us believe that they follow the same God we do but they simply call Him by another name. Their view is that God’s blessings promised through Abraham come through Ishmael and not through Isaac. There are several reasons why we can affirm that we do not serve the same God as the Islamic world.

The most obvious one is that they see all Christians as atheists. Their philosophy of jihad (a holy war) is directed against those who believe in the God of heaven. This in and of itself shows that the One in whom we believe is not the one in whom they believe. We are atheists to them, and an atheist is one who does not believe in God.

There is a second reason why Christians and Muslims do not serve the same God (even though some would have you believe they do). The God whom I serve is described in these words, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Allah did not send a son to die for me! Allah did not make provision for my salvation through that Son! Allah does not promise everlasting life through that Son!

A third way to know that Allah is not Jehovah is to contrast the “primary prophet” of Allah with the “primary prophet” of Jehovah. Study the life of Allah’s prophet, Muhammad, and you see a marked contrast between Allah and Jehovah. The founder of Islam is renowned for his army of thousands fighting against the enemy. He also had eleven wives and several children. Contrast this with Jehovah’s Prophet whose “army” “…beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks” (Isaiah 2:4). Contrast this with Jehovah’s Prophet who honored the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman for one lifetime (Matt. 19:4-6).

The final way of knowing that Allah is not God is to look at the devoted followers of Muhammad and the devoted followers of Jesus. The one believes in the jihad, the holy war. The other believes in peacefully touching the hearts of every man with knowledge of a loving God. The one is out to destroy the unbelievers, the other is out to save them. The one believes in retaliation, the other in turning the other cheek.

Do not be deceived! Allah is not Jehovah. To believe in one is not to believe in the other. There is an eternal difference!

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