Fighting the Good Fight

As a good soldier of Jesus Christ (II Timothy 2:3), I have fought the good fight (4:7). And if you are a Christian, you too have been enlisted. You wear the uniform of Christ, and you ought to fight; victory is certain and the honors are everlasting. Think only of He who is your Leader and Commander. You will have no other opportunity to distinguish yourself for Him in heaven. Lose no time, then, in waking up to the consciousness that you are a soldier and that you must learn to fight. For there is no discharge in this war, and no truce with the enemy!

Author Unknown

A Dying Ember

A story is told about a member of the church who was missed at the regular services. The preacher went to his house and found him sitting before an open fireplace. The absentee, somewhat startled, hastily placed another chair before the fire, and braced himself for the expected rebuke...but not a word was spoken by the preacher.

Taking a seat before the fire, he silently took the tongs and lifting a glowing coal from the midst of the others, placed it down by itself on the hearth. Remaining silent, they watched the blaze die out.

The member of the church got the lesson. He said, “You don’t need to say a word, brother. I’ll be at services, where I belong, beginning this Wednesday evening.” Do you need the lesson?

Author Unknown

Things to make you think...

...You cannot always prevent people from saying evil things about you, but can so live that no one will believe it.

...A man may fall several times, but he is not a failure until he begins saying someone pushed him.

...All that is not eternal is eternally out of date.

...Correction does much, but encouragement does much more.

…Sorrow cannot be divorced from sin.

…Truth cannot be changed by majority vote.

…Measure your fellowman by his excellencies, not by his shortcomings.

…Since the days of Adam, men have been busy disclaiming personal responsibility.

…Men regret their words more often than they regret their silence.

…A human creed hampers faith and spiritual growth. Let us make the Christ – His life and teaching – our only creed.

…The man who speaks evil of your brother in his absence would speak evil of you in your absence. To a backbiter, lend no encouragement — Do not lend him your ear!

Author Unknown

“Jesus is the Reason for the Season” or Bah Humbug!

What I am going to write deals with the observance of Christmas in the United States. Two extreme practices have always existed among the brethren regarding Christmas. One group desires to make out of Christmas everything the Roman Catholics and other sectarian churches believe it to be. Others, say they do not want to have anything to do with the Christmas season for fear that someone will think they are observing December 25 as Christ’s birthday.

The liberals in the church (those who teach doctrines that loose men from what God in the Bible has bound on them) will embrace anything regarding Christmas (observing it as Christ’s birthday). Such people do not care one way or the other about right or wrong. Their motto is “I did it my way.” There is not much you can accomplish with those who are bent on doing their own thing and are determined to twist the Scriptures (if they appeal to them at all) in order to justify their warped views. Hence, most of what I have to say is not addressed to such rebellious characters. Therefore, I am addressing myself to those who desire Biblical authority for their actions.

Assuredly, there is no authority found in the New Testament to observe Christmas as the birthday of Christ. Since we are to do only what is authorized in the New Testament, to observe any day of the year as Christ’s birthday is to act without Divine approval (Colossians 3:17). Such activity constitutes sin. Christians, therefore, are not to use any symbols or engage in any kind of activities that would lead anyone to think that we observe Christmas as Christ’s birthday.

It takes Bible knowledge and some mental effort on the part of brethren to discern what upholds and promotes December 25 as Christ’s birthday and what does not. When such mental effort is involved, some just dismiss the whole thing, or they think they do, while others (as I have previously pointed out) embrace everything about Christmas. I do not subscribe to either view.

In the United States (in other countries, according to their customs, religions, etc. I would probably follow a different course regarding Christmas) even atheists have been known to observe Christmas as a national holiday. Some time ago, I received a Christmas letter from a secular humanist organization. All around the edge of the sheet of paper were holly leaves and red berries. The letter was wishing me “Season’s Greetings.” The point is this, everything connected with Christmas is not necessarily upholding December 25 as Christ’s birthday.

Some brethren who will not put up a Christmas tree for fear of causing someone to think they observe Christmas as Christ’s birthday, do not mind accepting a Christmas bonus. They may not have the “star of wonder, star of light, star of awesome beauty bright” in their eyes, but they sure do have dollar signs like “visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads.” Moreover, such brethren, along with their Christmas bonus, are thrilled to benefit from the Christmas season by taking advantage of not having to go to work on December 25. Furthermore, they allow their children to enjoy time out of school, and sometimes go home to grandma’s house, “laughing all the way.” I will not even mention the eating on, around, through, and all over December 25. Such brethren, should not even take advantage of the “after Christmas sales.” If they are determined to cease and desist from, as well as sever any connection with the Christmas season, that is fine with me: just let them make sure that they truly, completely, and consistently do it. Such an effort will make for an interesting December. I do hope that you get the point I have attempted to make.

Let us not engage in anything that is not authorized in the New Testament. However, let us realize that customs do change; some from good to bad, others from bad to good (In other countries customs may and do differ from ours in the USA). I am not going to cease calling the first and second days of the week Sunday and Monday respectively, because they originally were connected with the worship of the sun and moon. Neither will I cease to call the fourth day of the week Wednesday because it is named after the Norse god Wodin (Odin), or the fifth day of the week Thursday because it was originally named in honor of the Norse god Thor. If we can understand how we may call these days of the week by their traditional names without honoring the false gods they were originally named to honor, we should be able to know what does and does not indicate to the public in general the observance of Christmas as Christ’s birthday and our observance of it as a national holiday.

David P. Brown     

This. . .

                        This Book unfolds Jehovah’s mind;

                        This Book salutes in accents kind;

                        This Friend our needs will amply meet;

                        This Foundation sends forth joys sweet.

                        This Mine affords us boundless wealth;

                        This Good Physician gives us health;

                        This Sun renews and warms the soul;

                        This Sword both wounds and makes us whole.

                        This Letter shows our sins forgiven;

                        This Guide conducts us safe to heaven;

                        This Charter has been sealed with blood;

                        This Volume is the Word of God.

Author Unknown

20th Century Christian - February 1945

Someday

So you’re “GONNA start working for the Lord SOMEDAY”?

• “GONNA” is not in the dictionary.
• “SOMEDAY” is not on the calendar.
• “NOW is the time for you to roll up your sleeves and start WORKING in the Lord’s vineyard (the church).           

Seven days without prayer make one WEAK!

Author Unknown

Church Attendance

There is surely more to being faithful to the Lord of heaven and earth than “church attendance,” but can one be faithful to Him without it? Is it necessary (to please God, to grow spiritually, to be saved) for one to assemble faithfully with the saints? If the New Testament teaches anything, it answers “yes”! We are obviously not speaking of the sick and shut-ins and others hindered beyond their control, but those who are able to come. We aren’t merely asking if the preacher or elders care, but does God care? Consider the following:

Lord’s Day assembly. Saints are commanded to partake of the Lord’s Supper to remember Christ (I Corinthians 11:24). The apostolic example (Acts 20:7) and uninspired church history confirm that the church ate the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week. To provide the money needed to do the work of the church, the saints were commanded to give of their money every first day of the week (I Corinthians 16:1-2). These things were to be done “everywhere in every church” (I Corinthians 4:17). To willfully miss the Lord’s Day assembly is to disregard these commands.

Other assemblies. What about Sunday evening, Sunday morning Bible school or Wednesday night? Are such meetings Scriptural or unscriptural? Various meetings besides Sunday were held in the early church with apostolic approval (Acts 2:46; 4:23; 12:12, etc.). It is certain additional meetings for study, worship and fellowship (Gospel Meeting series, Vacation Bible Schools, workshops, etc.) greatly strengthen those who attend them and do untold good. In spite of Scriptural precedent and practical need for these meetings, some still weakly cling to the “Lord’s Supper only” approach to church attendance.

A direct command. As clearly as the New Testament teaches not to commit adultery, not to steal, or not to murder, it teaches “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together” (Hebrews 10:25). To forsake is not the same as merely being absent. The sick man will be absent without forsaking the assembly if he would have been there except for sickness. To forsake is to abandon for something deemed more important. It is mere speculation to limit this command only to the Lord’s Day assembly. Whenever there is a meeting of the saints at which we could be exhorted to pure living, we ought to be there. Moreover, we ought to want to be there.

Miscellaneous principles. Lovers of God have always cherished worship and study opportunities (Psalm 42:1-4; 84:1-2, 10; Matthew 5:6). Can one “seek first the kingdom” while forsaking its assemblies? (Matthew 6:33). Does God care where we are when the saints meet?

Author Unknown