What can I say? I'm a gospel preacher!

Hello again my friends from up in the country and the Enola Church of Christ.  I write the words “Church of Christ” simply because the group of people who have been called out of the world is the church that belongs to Him.  I love looking into the Bible (Specifically the New Testament because the New Testament is where we find everything we need in these “last days” to fulfill God’s expectations for us – Hebrews 1:1-2) and finding the perfect picture of the church that Jesus planned, promised, purchased, and provides for.   

Why is it that too many people today go about planning, promising, purchasing, and providing for their own church and not His; that is Christ’s?  If you have been in the audience when I have preached you will probably remember me saying something like this:  “If you are in my house: who makes the rules?  Who has the authority?  Me!  If I am in your house: who makes the rules?  Who has the authority?  You! Right?  Right!  Now consider this.  Who makes the rules in God’s house?   Who has the authority in His house?  Me?  You?  Do we take a vote?  Do we ask the person with the most money, or with the most talent, or with the most influence?  No way.  Since the church belongs to Christ and Christ is God’s Son and since the Father has given His Son ALL authority (Matthew 28:18), then only Christ makes the rules.  Only Christ has authority.” 

Just what does it mean to have ALL authority?  If Christ has ALL authority, and He does, then He makes the rules for His church, not me, not you, not anyone else, period.  Only Jesus can say who is in His church and who isn’t.  Luke wrote this fact in Acts 2:47.  In Matthew 7:21 the Bible tells us that it takes more than words and intentions to be counted as members of Christ’s church.  And we find that if anyone can ever be pleasing to God that person MUST believe that God is (Hebrews 11:6), but more than this, the person who wants to please God must also believe that God rewards those who “diligently seek Him.”  This means that if I am to be right with God, if I am to be pleasing to Him, I must with my whole mind, heart, body, and soul seek His direction in my life.  What I think, say, and do must be brought under His authority.  I must yield.  I must submit.  If I am to be a Christian, a disciple, a follower of Christ, then I follow and He leads.  This includes what I do in the church that He planned, promised, purchased, and provides for. 

When I am counselling an individual about their spiritual relationship with God, I usually ask them to consider the church where they work and worship to see if they can find that church in the Bible.  Ask:  Am I in the church that Christ planned, promised, purchased with His own blood, and today and forever provides for?  We can know.  How does the church where we work and worship compare to what the Bible teaches?  What is the name of the church?  Is there a man’s name other than Christ’s in the church where we work and worship?  How is the church organized?  Is the church led by bishops/elders/overseers/shepherds?  Are there deacons who have been assigned the duties of ministry?  Is the Bible the sole source of authority for the church where we work and worship?  How does a person become a member of the church where we work and worship?  Is faith in Jesus Christ necessary?  The Bible says that we cannot please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6).  What about repentance and confession that Jesus is indeed the One and Only Son of God?  What about baptism?  Jesus said that baptism precedes salvation (Mark 16:16).  So does Luke in Acts 22:16.  So does Peter and the apostles in Acts 2:38.  Does the church where we work and worship recognize God’s commands when it comes to roles for men and roles for women?  Does the church where we work and worship have a worldly emphasis or a spiritual emphasis?  These questions should be and must be asked and answered for you and me.  And the Bible alone is the sole source of authority for these questions.  Our eternal destiny lies in the balance.  I just want to go to heaven.  Worldly pleasures, worldly activities, worldly lifestyles, and worldly things have little if anything to do with our decisions when it comes to Christ and His church and me.

When the going gets tough...what shall we do?

Well, we’ve had about 5 weeks to get adjusted to the back-to-school routine.  How are you doing?  You may be thinking, “If back to school was the only change we needed to make, the adjustment would not be so difficult.  Add these things (in no particular order) to going “back-to-school”:  band, football, softball, track and field, soccer, cheer, fund-raisers, concessions, part-time jobs, dating…I could go on and on…in addition to our jobs, housework, laundry, shopping, cooking, lawn work, and our personal and collective responsibilities as Christians to the church and to the world.”  Whew! No wonder too many of us get sick this time of year! How do we get it done?  How can anyone explain how life works?  Opps!  We must not forget another thing that is very important:  sleep.  We have to sleep sometime.  And what about eating?  Oh, yes.  And what about taking a bath or shower?  I think I’ll stop here because my head beginning to ache. 

I guess the way I see it is this:  In order to get things done begin by taking a deep breath.  This is very important because if you don’t breathe, doing anything will be impossible.  Then we get organized.  This is also very important.  Next, we tackle one thing at a time.  Dad goes here.  Mom goes there.  Brother here.  Sister there.  Grandpa here.  Grandma there.  Somehow some way every day one thing at a time with the help of the Lord and people all around us, we all, working together make a way to get what needs to be done, done! We are part of a big family, humanity.  When things go wrong sometimes is isn’t hard to find out why.  All we really need to do is remember what God’s word, the Bible tells us.  We have an enemy; the devil, and sadly some people side with him.  When people side with the enemy, things get extra tough on us and on them. 

I have made a decision to follow the old adage: “When going gets tough, the tough get going.”  By “going” I mean, “going” to the Father in prayer for our needs and for help, strength, and courage to face the challenges of life.  If you are having a difficult time with balancing all you have to do, begin every morning with prayer and close every day with prayer.  Pray about everything and pray in everything.  You’ll be amazed what God can do for you and through you when you ask Him to.

By “going” I mean “going” to the Bible to read, study, think about, and apply what I read to my life.  When I do, I am stronger and can see more clearly.  You don’t have to read a lot, just some, maybe a verse or two every day.  I love Jeremiah 33:3.  Lately this verse has become one of my favorites.  God says, “Call to Me, and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”  Now that is a verse that can help you and me all day long.  Just one verse from the Bible, and the Bible is full of verses just like that.  The Bible is God’s word for you and me, written to help us every day.  How about it?  Are you ready to “get going?”

By “going” I mean “going” to meet with my fellow Christian brothers and sisters for Bible study, worship, and fellowship on Sunday, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening for sure.  And I try to make meeting with fellow Christians a priority in my life.  In the Bible we can read from Hebrews 10:23-24 about why God asks every Christian to meet together every chance we get.  Read it.  “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.  And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.”   Have you been “going” when the going gets tough?  If not, begin as soon as possible.

May God bless you and me as we live our lives one day at a time!  The past is forever…well, past.  The future may or may not be.  Today is ours…24 hours to live the only life we have this side of heaven.  What shall we do?  I suggest that we “get going.”

Praying now more than ever..."Lord, teach us to pray."

September 10, 2014 – This means that tomorrow is 9/11.  I can still remember where I was, what I did, and how I felt as I watched the “Twin Towers” fall in New York City.  The entire world seems to stand still.  The skies were silent due to every air plane being grounded.  Everyone I met seemed to be in a state of shock and rightly so.  The next morning I attended our weekly Rotary meeting and had the privilege of leading the Pledge of Allegiance.  I and my fellow Rotarians have never pledged their allegiance to America as “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all” as we did that day.  My prayer today is that our country and the world would unite under the banner of the love of Jesus Christ rather than continue down a path of pain, division, all kinds of “ism’s”, war, and terror.  May God help me to do my part today and every day to promote love, grace, and mercy alongside of justice and righteousness up in the country and wherever I am.  I hope you will follow the path of peace, too.

Sunday morning in the church of Christ at Enola we will begin a new series of sermons on prayer.  I have entitled this series, “Lord, teach us to pray.”  When you think about it, prayer is work.  Prayer is sometimes very hard work.  I believe that prayer is the most important work I do as a gospel preacher and minister.  Those who have dedicated themselves to continual effective fervent prayer know what I am talking about.  “Easy” you say.  Well, we’ll see what you think about the ease of prayer after this Sunday’s lesson.  If you would like to read ahead, read Luke 11:1-10 and Matthew 6.

On Sunday evening we’re looking at some strange things people have said and say about the church of Christ.  The name of the church is in the Bible, “church of Christ” – Romans 16:16.  The name we wear is also found in the Bible, “Christians” – Acts 11:26, 26:28, 1 Peter 4:16.  Acceptable worship is found in the Bible, prayer, singing, giving, communion, and preaching – Acts 2:42, Ephesians 5:19, 1 Corinthians 11:23-30…even the day we are to meet – Acts 20:7.  How to become a member of Christ’s church is found in the Bible, faith in Jesus Christ as God’s Son – Hebrews 11:6 (But faith alone cannot save – James 2:17), repentance – Acts 2:38 (Who would ever say that one must repent “because of” or because they already have forgiveness or remission of sins?  Why the need to repent for something that has already been forgiven?  This is preposterous.  Yet some people claim that “for” in this verse means “because of” rather than “in order to obtain” forgiveness of sins due to the erroneous teaching that baptism is not necessary for salvation), confession of Christ as God’s Son – Romans 10:8-10 (Confession of Christ gives us the authority or power to become a Christian – John 1:11-12), and baptism – Acts 22:16 (Yes.  Baptism is without question necessary for salvation. Well, one may question baptism, but its necessity for salvation remains.  Note the order of Ananias’ command to Saul:  First – Why do you wait? Second – Arise. Next – Be baptized.  Then – Wash away your sins. (This one phrase tells us that Saul still had sin, that his sins were not forgiven upon his faith or repentance or confession or his prayer to God.  His sins remained until his baptism.) Finally, Ananias commanded him “Calling on the name of the Lord.”  God’s expectations of every Christian can be found in the Bible – Love God supremely.  Love others as Jesus loves.  Be kind and courteous.  Be patient.  Be generous.  Forgive.  Always tell the truth.  Take care of your body.  Learn.  Grow.  Live every day in view of heaven.

If you are looking for a new adventure in your life, an adventure that will take you from where you are to where you need to be and want to be, the church of Christ at Enola meets every Sunday at 10 and again at 5 for Bible study, worship, and fellowship.  We meet again on Wednesday evening at 7.  Please consider this your very special invitation to come and be our guest.