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Past Articles – Messages of encouragement and information |
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Some people take on the challenge of building their own houses. That is quite an undertaking! They have oftentimes dreamed, sketched, and planned for years in order to build the house of their dreams. I’ve seen some of the results. Some of these houses are magnificent; some are, well, just houses. The planning, preparation, and skill of the house’s builder becomes evident as the structure is taking shape. Most people contract with a reputable contractor to build their dream house. They recognize that it is beyond their own abilities, and entrust it to the professionals. Some of these houses are absolutely magnificent. The fit and finish are a wonder to behold. But what would have happened if each of the carpenters had a different sized measuring tape? I don’t mean of varying lengths, but the inches and feet were different. That dream might end up looking more like the children’s story: “There was a crooked man, who lived in a crooked house…” Fortunately, the building industry subscribes to a standard of measurement. When they talk about an “inch,” everyone in the discussion knows exactly what an “inch” is supposed to be. Much of life is like that – we have standards we adhere to in almost every endeavor. Certainly having a standard does not mean that everyone adheres to it, but the standard is there nonetheless. This basic principle seems to work almost everywhere – except in religion. Even among those who profess to be Christians, there are many standards of conduct, of practice, and of religion. All of these say they go by the Bible as their standard, but when you talk with them, it is plain that they are not all saying or doing the same things. Somehow they have developed different standards as their rule of faith and practice. Jesus said there is a standard by which people will be judged (Jn 12:48,49). How sad it will be when people who have dedicated their lives to Jesus find out that Jesus said what He meant and meant what He said. He is the standard. Let’s walk by His rule and faith. Until next time…
3/17/02 - Older, but Not Out of the Work There’s a children’s game that goes something like this: "One of these things is not like the other…" There will be a series of items with the object of the game to pick out the one that’s different. Let’s try that game today. One of these names is not like the other. Can you pick out the one that doesn’t belong? Ola Hathcoat, Pauline Nash, Roxie Maddox, Chloe Harvey, Jesse Edwards, Bessie Coppock, Ira Nunley, Della Gaw, Woodrow Holliman, Hubert and Laura Oliver, Mattye Gum, Orville and Leola Hathcoat, Allen Gooding, Duane Neiswinger, Viola McCormick, Vinita Cockman, Claris Smith, Bernella Williams, Phyllis Fraser, Delora Webb, Edna Koonce, Ezra Burnett, Gladys Hunt, LaVerne Toombs. That wasn’t too hard. Allen stands out like a pine sapling in a mature walnut grove in this list. Allen is our newest family member. No, not family member as in born again, but family member as in born. The other twenty-five names are those in our church family who are more than 80 years old. Sixteen of them are 85 or older. Eight of them are 90 or older. What a marvelous segment of our church family! (My sincerest apologies if I have accidentally left anyone out.) The Psalmist wrote that the days of our lives are seventy years, of if due to strength eighty years (Ps 90:10). We are blessed with a great number who have exceeded even this expectation. To God be the glory for their longevity. There is something else about this circle of believers. A good number of them are able to meet with the saints, and some of them are still actively involved in various works of the church! Who says when you get older you can’t do anything for the Lord? Remember Anna? She lived with her husband for seven years after their marriage, then as a widow until the age of 84, and she continued serving in the Jerusalem temple, night and day, with fastings and prayers (Lk 2:36.37). It’s not as easy when you’re older, but one is not out for the count just because it takes a while to count up their age. Until next time…
Spring
Gospel Meeting
Begins Next Lord’s Day!One week and counting down! Next Lord’s Day, Bill Beck and his lovely wife Bettye are planning on being with us for a few days. Bill will be devoting himself to teaching the word of God. (His topics are listed elsewhere in today’s bulletin.) His lessons will be helpful to us whether we have been Christians for many years, for only a short time, or even if we are not yet children of God. Many of us remember Bill and Bettye from their work here when they were just “youngsters” – too young and inexperienced in the eyes of some. But during their work here, there were a great many who were baptized into Christ. The plans were completed for a new meetinghouse on Columbus Avenue. The initial construction was completed and the building was set apart to the honor and glory of God. That young, inexperienced preacher proved to be exactly what was needed – a devoted servant of God. Today, Bill is no longer “too young and inexperienced.” He may not play softball as strongly as he did with the young men when he was here that first time. Some may be glad to hear that he doesn’t eat as much as he did then, either. There’s been a change to his hair color over the years. But like Jeremiah, the fire burns within his bones, and he’ll not be holding it in. He remains still the devoted servant of God. His devotion will be evident in the proclamation of God’s truth. We who will welcome him next week likewise are servants of God. And likewise, our devotion will be evident. It will be evident in the work we put forth this week and during the meeting. It will be evident by the invitations we extend to friends, neighbors, and co-workers. It will be evident by our own enthusiastic participation in the meeting. Let us show ourselves to be devoted servants of God – this week and every week. Until next time…
If one were to sum up the Christian’s aim while walking through this life, one possible summation could be borrowed from the words of the Paul to the church at Ephesus: “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;” (Eph 5:1, KJV). The import of that phrase is seen in the words that follow it: “and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” (Eph 5:2, NAS) Christians are those who are following the pattern of love, offering and sacrifice as demonstrated by God in sending Jesus, and by Jesus in serving God faithfully. Today we begin a series of lessons designed to challenge and inspire us to follow after God more conscientiously that we may have been. Former evangelist for the Columbus Avenue church family Bill Beck is going to be with us through Wednesday evening. He has been invited by our shepherds specifically for this concentrated lesson series to challenge each of us to a more dedicated walk with God. It is said by some today that the fire has gone out of the church. We are not teaching the gospel to those lost in sin as we have in past generations. Our worship times are said to lack enthusiasm, even spirituality, as we “go through the motions” of worship. It is said that the church needs to freshen up its worship and appeal to others if we are to grow. Do you think the fire has gone out of the Columbus Avenue church? Do you think our worship times are ho-hum? Do you struggle to maintain focus in Bible class, or as we sing, or as we commune with our God? Do you see the church concerned more with maintaining the old ways rather than trying to adapt to reach this new generation? If the fire has gone out, from whom has it gone out? Columbus Avenue is the collective whole of each of us who are part of this family. If it seems like the fire has gone out, we each need to look first at our own selves: “Has the fire gone out in me?” Bill will be challenging you and me this week to rekindle that fire. See you at each challenge opportunity. Until next time… Sometimes people speak of things that have happened like water that has passed under a bridge. They are past; they are gone; they are forgotten. Our meeting series with Bill Beck is over, but I would not use the idea of it having been like water under the bridge. I hope you won’t either. First of all, the messages brother Bill gave us must never be considered as belonging to the past. They are vital for our walk with God each and every day, as long as it is called “Today.” Because of what God has done for us in Jesus, we are to be a changed people. Each day presents us with opportunities not only to do good to all men (Gal 6:10), but also to speak of the God who redeemed us in Jesus (Acts 5:42). If we don’t tell people about salvation in Jesus, who will? The Devil and his cohorts certainly will not tell them about what God requires of them to be saved. In fact, he prefers to allow some of his good religious servants to continue to distort God’s truth. If the name of the Savior is precious to you, will you not tell it today? Secondly, we know the angels rejoiced as souls were brought to the foot of the cross of Jesus (Lk 15:7,10). We have a new sister in Christ, another sister who had wandered away from God has returned to the fold, sin was confessed, and decisions to be a part of the our church family were made. The glory belongs to God! Thirdly, there were a number from our community who visited with us during the meeting. For some of them it was their first time to be in an assembly of the saints. I know the word of God was spoken accurately, and forthrightly. It is up to us to water and nurture that implanted seed in the anticipation that God will give the growth (1 Cor 3:5-6). What further fruit will be borne out of our meeting with brother Beck? That depends upon you and me to a great extent. Will we visit and encourage our new family members? Unless new friendships are established with God’s people, the probability of one returning to their old paths is very high. Will we visit and encourage those who visited us from the community? Unless they see that we care for them, our meeting was only so much hype to them. How will you continue on with what began this past week? Until next time… “The LORD reigns, let the peoples tremble; He is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake! “The LORD is great in Zion, And He is exalted above all the peoples. “Let them praise Your great and awesome name; Holy is He. “The strength of the King loves justice; You have established equity; You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. “Exalt the LORD our God And worship at His footstool; Holy is He.” (Psalm 99:1-5, NAS) Our God is an awesome God! Our God spoke and the worlds were created (Gen 1). Our God will remove all things created with such intense heat that the elements themselves will melt (2 Pet 3). The heavens will be shaken and only those things tied to eternity, those things that cannot be shaken will remain (Heb 12:27,28). Our God gave the very best for the very worst when Jesus died on that Roman cross (Rom 5:8-10). Our God redeemed us to be a people for His own possession, a people to proclaim His excellencies throughout the world (1 Pet 2:9). Our God sought us in our sinful rebellion like a father longing for and looking for his runaway child (Lk 15:11-24). Our God causes the rain to fall upon the righteous and the wicked, giving evidence of His care for us (Mt 5:45; Acts 14:17). Our God is our helper, our sustainer, our source for all that we need in this life (2 Pet 1:3). Our God knows the pain of our struggles. Our God knows the loss we feel when our beloved one dies – He Himself lost His beloved Son (Jn 3:16)! Our God knows the power of temptation in our life – Jesus faced temptation daily (Mt 4:1-10; Heb 4:15). Our God knows how to comfort the afflicted if we will only allow Him (2 Cor 1:1-3; 7:6,7). Our God is an awesome God! Oh that His people today would never lose sight of the awesome nature of the God whom we serve! Oh that we would learn from Israel’s folly and walk in the integrity and righteousness of God’s Word every day. Until next time…
4/21/02 - Our Wonderful Savior The late Mae West was known for her outlandish Hollywood career. She is credited with many sayings that bordered on or were risqué. One of those goes like this: “When I'm good, I'm very good, but when I'm bad, I'm better.” We may chuckle at her off-center sense of humor, but how many of us would never think anything like that? Maybe you have not thought that. Seriously, I don’t think I have either. But how many of us live our lives as if we are not just good, but very good? After all, we can all find someone who is not as good as we are, or not as nice as we are, or not as devoted to God as we are, or … How good are you…really? Please don’t start thinking about all the good things you have done in the last week or the last year to show how good you are. Start thinking about being absolutely perfect in everything you do, say or think. How did you measure up? You see, if we want to talk about how good we are, we have to talk in terms of perfection, absolute perfection. If we are to begin to describe ourselves as “very good,” let alone “good,” we need to have an unwavering standard. That standard is perfection. To fall short of perfection is to have sinned in someway. It may have been in saying something unkind about another (Eph 4:29). Or it may have been a failure to give aid to one in need (1 Jn 3:17). Then again, it could have been lying to protect yourself (Eph 4:25), or running around on your husband or your wife (Heb 13:4), or it could be keeping up with the Jones’ (Lk 12:15). Regardless of what it is that makes you less than perfect in all you do, say or think, we are not very good, we are not even good. We are sinners! But there is good news… God loves us anyway (Rom 5:8-10). God loves us so much that Jesus carried our less-than-perfect thoughts, actions, and words on Him when He went to the cross (1 Pet 2:24). Jesus became sin so that we could become righteous (2 Cor 5:21). What a wonderful Savior we have! Let your gratitude for the Savior overflow through many thanksgivings, deeds of kindness, and words of comfort. Until next time…
4/28/02 - "A Letter from Jesus"
Ron Garret read this little note at a Wednesday evening devo recently. It’s worth hearing again. It’s called “A Letter from Jesus.” “My
precious friend:
I am sending you this letter by way of one of my disciples. I just wanted you
to know how much I love and care about you and how I greatly desire to become
a meaningful part of your life. “This
morning when you awoke, I was already there with you in the light of my
beautiful sunshine that filled your room. I was hoping, that you would say
good morning to me; you didn’t. So I thought maybe it was just a little too
early in the day for you to notice me. Again,
I tried to get your attention when you stepped out of your door. I kissed your
face with a soft gentle breeze. I breathed upon you my fragrant sweet breath
scented with flowers. Then I sang you a love song through the birds in the
trees. You just walked right past me. “Later
on in the day, I watched over you as you were talking with some friends. Oh!
How I wished that you would talk to me also. I waited and waited, but you just
went along your way. “This
afternoon I sent you a refreshing shower and glistened to you from each
raindrop. I even shouted to you a time or two with thunder, trying to get your
attention. Then I painted you a lovely rainbow in the midst of my fluffy white
clouds I just knew you would see me then, but you were unaware of My Presence. “This evening to close your day, I sent you a beautiful sunset. After
that, I winked at you a thousand times through my stars, hoping that you would
see me and wink back. You never did. “Tonight,
when you went to bed, I spilled moonlight upon your face to let you know that
I was there with you. I was hoping that you would talk to me a little while
before you went to sleep. You never said a ward. It hurt me deeply; however, I
continued to watch over you all through the night thinking that maybe, just
maybe, you would say hello to me in the morning. “Each
and every day, I have revealed myself to you in many strange and wondrous ways
hoping that you would accept me as your shepherd, for I am the only one that
can supply you with all your needs. My love for you is deeper than the deepest
ocean and bigger than the great blue sky. I have so very much to give to you
and also share with you. Please let me hear from you soon. “Your
loving friend forever, Jesus” Are you seeing His presence in His world around you? Until next time…
5/5/02 - Walking by Sight or Faith Trust is sometimes a rare commodity in this world. People lie, cheat, and steal. People walk over, deceive, and abuse others. Husband and wives start out trusting each other, but there are times when that trust is discarded. Children trust their parents until their parents show themselves untrustworthy. Even in the church, trust between Christians ought to be a given, but each of us know some whose actions have betrayed that trust. What
about our trust in God? Trust in God is at the heart of our relationship with
Him. Jesus came, died, and was raised from the dead to effect our salvation.
By faith (AKA “trust”), we receive the gift of salvation. (Eph 2:8,9; Jn
3:36) God tells us that He cares for us, that He knows the number of hairs on
our head, that He knows our needs. (1 Pet 5:7; Mt 10:30; 6:8) By faith, (AKA
“trust”), be believe Him. God tells us that He hears and answers our
prayers. (1 Jn 5:14,15) By faith (AKA “trust”), we believe that … Have you wondered if God REALLY cares for you, or that He REALLY hears your prayers, or that he REALLY is answering your prayers? There are times when it can be difficult to REALLY trust God. The problem does not originate from God. It lies with us. It lies with understanding of what it means to trust someone else, including God. We work with people, live with our family, play with our friends. We learn to develop trust in them based on how they treat us. If they don’t behave in the way that we think they should, we can reduce our level of trust towards them. If it happens enough (how ever many that may be), we will cease to trust them. We are watching, observing, and acting based on what we see. We are walking by sight. The same thing can happen to our trust in God. If God does not do what we expect Him do to, answer our prayers in the right way, lets us down in some way, we may reduce the degree of trust we have towards Him. God has not met our expectations, so we sort of take it out on God by not trusting Him as much. Eventually, we can lose all trust in Him. We are walking by sight – what we see (receive) from God. Paul tells us that we are to walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Cor 5:7) God has shown us His reliability. Learn to trust Him even when He doesn’t meet your expectations. Walk by faith, not by sight. Until next time…
5/12/02 - Dealing with Adversity Adversity can - and usually does - come into everyone’s life at one time or another. Adversity is not the enemy, although it can be mighty unfriendly at times. Adversity is not a minor inconvenience, although it can be treated as such. Adversity is the presence of challenge in our life. Challenges can be daunting at times, but they are still only challenges. The story is told about a young woman who was having some kind of challenge in her life and went to her mother for help. Mom was starting to cook dinner at the time, so she asked her daughter to lend a hand. Not the answer the daughter was looking for, but she’s a good daughter. Mom had a roast and potatoes roasting in the oven already. While she busied herself with the table, Mom had her daughter scrape some carrots and put them on to boil. While they were cooking, she asked her put in a couple of eggs so they could have some deviled eggs with the supper. They sounded delicious, the girl thought. There was another pot of water on the stove boiling. Mom asked her to put a couple of tea bags in to brew. When the eggs were done, the daughter was asked to shell them. She did. Mom doctored them up with the spices. The daughter was still troubled by her challenge. Mom hadn’t given her any help at all yet. Perhaps during dinner… They sat down at the table, Dad gave thanks, and they started enjoying their meal. The deviled eggs were delicious. The carrots were as tender as ever, the tea sparkling and refreshing. While they ate, Mom started talking about the meal, especially the carrots, eggs, and tea. They all had been subjected to the same adversity – boiling water. The tough carrots became soft by the boiling water; the fragile eggs became hardened by the water; the tea – well, the tea changed the water. Then Mom told her that each of us has challenges, like the boiling water, and the outcome really depends upon us. We can become hardened by them, like the eggs. Or, we can be softened, like the carrots. Or, we can be like the tea and change the adversity into something good. She should find a way to turn the adversity into something good. James said we should consider our trials (adversities, challenges) to be joy because they can make us stronger in our faith. (Jms 1:2-4) As we become stronger in our faith, we can better influence the world around us for God and for good. Don’t despair when challenges come your way; maintain a steadfast trust in God. Until next time…
5/19/02 - Begging to Serve God
Sometimes God uses some of the most unusual examples to encourage people to what they said they would do. The saints at Corinth had committed themselves to set aside money for the benefit of the saints in Jerusalem. Paul had instructed them to take up their collections on the first day of the week to have their gifts ready when he came. (1 Cor. 16:1-3) They seemed to have fallen behind on what they had promised to do by the time Paul wrote to them a few months later. (2 Cor. 8:7-11) If it had been me writing to them, I would likely have said something about being true to their promise. But that’s not what Paul did through God’s inspiration. Paul began by telling them of God’s grace – in Macedonia! “Now, brethren, we wish to make know to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.” (8:1,2) Paul goes on to tell what these good brethren did. Though they were among the poorest of the poor, they begged him to share in this work for the saints in Jerusalem! Paul tells us they could do this because they “first gave themselves to the Lord.” (8:5) When was the last time you begged to take part in the work for God financially? Sounds almost ludicrous, doesn’t it? People just don’t do that today. We have enough financial burdens already (mortgage, car, charge cards, store charges, school expenses, utilities, et al) that we don’t go looking for additional ones – unless we can justify it to ourselves (“We needed new carpet.” “I needed new shoes.”) It is not often you hear of a family justifying an increase in their gifts to the Lord. We’re not told the outcome of the Corinthians’ situation. I like to believe that they were stirred by the grace of God among the Macedonians and completed what was deficient in their work for Jerusalem. Whether they did or not, the letter still stands: the Corinthians who were reneging on their promise to God, and the Macedonians who begged to share in the work even though they were in deep poverty. Let’s be more like those generous Macedonians and less like the selfish Corinthians as we share in the work of God here at Columbus Avenue. Until next time… 5/26/02 - Vacationing with God This weekend traditionally marks the beginning of the summer season. Hasn’t felt much like summer, but that will soon change. With the advent of the summer season, we will be seeing a lot of activity. Summer is vacation time for many families. Vacations are wonderful times. It may be a time for relaxing under the stars marveling at God’s creation, catching your meals from the lake or the stream, and simply enjoying being away from the hustle and bustle of the work-a-day life. Your vacation may involve an excursion to some vacation spot. There are many theme parks, national parks, and historic sites that beckon tourists from all over this nation and the world. Although theme parks more commercial than other destinations, they are enjoyable when taken in moderation. It may be that your vacation will be spent around the house. Sleeping in, kicking back, painting the house, working in the yard – whatever either needs to be done or you opt to get done. Or not. It’s your vacation. Enjoy it, but don’t forget whose child you are in your vacationing. Whether we stay at home, or travel this great country, or go overseas, if we are Christians, we are God’s children wherever we may be. Find out where the saints meet before you go. Plan your travel time to include stopping to meet the saints along your way. Be an encouragement to God’s people. Be careful not to get caught up in the “I’m away from home and no one will know” mindset. Let your behavior be excellent. Let your dress be modest at all times. Choose your recreational activities in such a way that you won’t have to compromise your faith in God. Don’t let sin sneak in and diminish your devotion to God. Behave in such a way that no matter who sees you, they will see you as a moral, upright and God-fearing person. Honor God during your vacation this year. Until next time… “What on earth have you done for heaven’s sake?” It’s been a while since I have heard that phrase, but its question is still valid, perhaps more valid today than in past years. Have we become a people who are at ease? Amos didn’t really consider himself a great prophet of God. He preferred to think of himself as a sheepherder and a grower of sycamore figs (Amos 7:14). But God gave him a very harsh message against the people of Israel. Amos wrote, “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure in the mountain of Samaria, the distinguished men of the foremost of nations, to whom the house of Israel comes” (Amos 6:1) He speaks of those who are living in comfort: they have luxurious beds, plenty to eat, who enjoy music, and have fine perfumes and oils (Amos 6:4-6). They had life pretty easy. We could redraw that picture of being at ease and include people you and I know. Maybe it would even include you, or you, or me. We today, in our communities, right here in our neighborhoods, are frequently at ease – we are doing fairly well. We don’t wonder from where our next meal will come. We have closets full of clothes from which to choose. We have CD’s, TV’s, Game Boxes, VCR’s, and DVD’s to entertain us. We have bowling leagues, ball leagues, bingo parlors, race tracks, fishing boats, jet skis, golf clubs, and so much more to while away our time in comfort and pleasure. Yes, we are at ease in our own communities. After Amos pointed out their comfort level, he then leveled his accusation against them – “they have not grieved over the ruin of Joseph.” (Amos 6:6) They had allowed their comfort level to seduce them away from their rightful reverence for and relationship with God. The worse part was they didn’t even realize it. Their lives were great. But it was going to change. Should we naively believe that God is unconcerned when we are at ease and neither recognize nor grieve over our ruin? Have we become so comfortable with life that we’ve become unconcerned about the work of God? What on earth are you doing for heaven’s sake? Until next time…
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