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What if, instead of worrying about whether you were doing the right thing, you focused on how you can so live so as to influence other people to be better than they would be on their own? What if, instead of trying to hide from Satan, we began to live for Jesus?
Great article on Christian influence by Sean Ashberry.
People are more comfortable being uncomfortable than being comfortable, if they have been uncomfortable for an extended period of time. It’s simply an ingrained pattern, and familiarity is more comfortable than novelty. Most people have for so long experienced the gnawing sense of anxiety about all the un-captured and un-clarified “work” of their life, that’s what they’re used to. Then no matter how clean and in control they get at some point, they will soon let themselves slide, let things mount up again, unprocessed, sufficiently to get them back to the level of stress they are accustomed to.
This point seems to offer a spiritual application as well. People are often more comfortable with their old sinful life than with the life of Christ, than with the “feeling of freedom,” as Allen mentioned. We love our burdens and weights too much to lay them down. We want to keep our old familiar prejudices and hates and habits. Along with the context of Galatians, might not this truth give extra meaning to chap. 5, verse 1,
“For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery.”
Christ has given us freedom. That freedom was meant to be exercised and enjoyed, not stifled by the inner or religious need to prove one’s own worth to God. This hopeless effort produces only frustration, but some, who already know only this, prefer it to the freedom of having sins totally forgiven and living in the free obedience to the will of God.
Here’s a little Nudge for Fellows and friends, coming from a suggestion on Plinky:
If you could be an editor for any magazine, which would you choose? It can be print or ezine, religious or other. Be sure to tell us why you chose as you did.
That would indeed be better.
It would be something similar to Bulletin Digest whether in print or on-line. I love collecting articles that are short in length but long in the lasting department for our spiritual hearts, minds and lives. Bulletins can be such a powerful tool when they’re properly used. I love seeing bulletins with more Bible lessons than congregational updates.
But that’s just me :)
Having never thought of this before a quick thought that comes to mind – apart from the local bulletin – is the Carolina Messenger (http://carolinamessenger.com/). David Pharr has been very kind to me through the years in printing many articles that I have submitted. Consequently, I have a bias in that direction. Moreover, I like the editorial policy that David has been operating under: a strong proponent of what the Scriptures teach, a refusal to become engaged in hobbies, and a measured tone In all. **** In my biased opinion, David does a fantastic job. When he “hands over” the editorial position, I am hopeful that the new editor will follow the same and that he will be a man of the Carolina’s.
Congratulations to Stan Mitchell, whose article today was number 6,000 on Forthright Magazine. We have many good writers who have contributed and we’re thankful for all the good insights, spiritual wisdom, and biblical truths that have been shared over the years, since the 90s. About 1997, I believe, when Barry Newton joined me to begin what we then called Forthright Magazine. We’re grateful especially to managing editor Richard Mansel whose guidance over the past few years has given extra vigor to this work.
Our goal is to take people to Christ and the cross, to God and his salvific project, to the presence of the Almighty One who welcomes the obedient with open arms. This is a worthy aim, and we hope to be worthy in our efforts of God’s goodness and majesty.
“Writing improves in direct ratio to the number of things we can keep out of it.” —William Zinsser, On Writing Well, quoted in “Lessons I Learned Reading Over 200 Books“. h/t Grat Tucker
“All donors have agendas,” writes Patrick Brennan. And so they do. No one gives money without seeking some return, some benefit, some recompense. It may come in the form of mere satisfaction at helping another, with no strings attached. Or the donor may seek influence, power, manipulation. And who hasn’t bought something just to get rid of the seller, the return being the restoration of peace?
Beyond the small amounts and the small returns, donors usually seek to further their own vision of how the world should work. And how the recipient ought to work. This principle is true of churches as well.
Some churches have the Lord’s agenda of teaching the gospel of truth to the lost. But sometimes that agenda is soft, subject to budgets, elder or preacher projects, or majority wishes. Even then, mission funds can serve to assuage guilty consciences or be a badge of a successful church worn on the front page of the weekly bulletin.
Then again, more and more churches with businessmen for elders are looking for more bang for the buck, more baptisms per dollar. You dunk the natives, and they’ll plunk down the bills. Not a few mercenaries play that game with the calculating churches.
Some missionaries, in a rush to the field and in a crunch for funds, accept support from progressive churches, thinking that their money won’t talk or make demands. But if anyone has an agenda, it is progressives.
Some years back, one missionary wife confessed that she and her husband were concerned that their new sponsoring church was more liberal in some areas than they were. She didn’t know how they were going to deal with that.
They dealt with it by allowing liberal doctrine to influence them, so that today their congregation is the most liberal in the country and pushing progressive ideas among the churches. How liberal? Recently, people were dancing in the aisles during the Lord’s supper.
All donors have agendas. So they contribute to support-seekers, drop others along the way, until their funds find the field and the personnel that matches their vision.
The challenge in all this is for churches and missionaries who have Jesus as Lord of the mission to find each other.
For the greatest Donor of all has his agenda, too: the salvation of the world and eternal life for all, through the proclamation of the gospel of God.
Randal, I really appreciate your article about “Why the church stops growing.” I agree 100% about not investing in church buildings as well as training future preachers “in-house” instead of sending them to preaching schools. Churches of Christ used to do that many eons ago, but I guess progress got in the way! (:
Thanks, Mike. Progress sometimes has a funny face, doesn’t it?
While I don’t disagree. I find it funny that you not only a progressive church having an agenda. Conservative ones do too, and perhaps not all their beliefs are right either. One of the things ministers have to deal with is the marriage of the minister/missionary and the congregation. Being a minister is not like going to look for a job at a factory or a bank. You have to consider does this leadership reflect my beliefs? Will they allow me to teach what I believe. Recently I went into an elders meeting and declared I was going to preach on a particular subject. I was prepared to resign if they told me no. Fortunately for me they accepted me teaching on the subject despite the fact that we all didn’t agree on it.
Joe, how did you miss my point? The whole article states that all donors have agendas, whether they be right or wrong.
I didn’t miss your point. I just took special note of this sentence. “Some missionaries, in a rush to the field and in a crunch for funds, accept support from progressive churches, thinking that their money won’t talk or make demands. But if anyone has an agenda, it is progressives.”
You singled out progressives as more so than conservatives to have agendas. Labels are always tricky. I am progressive in some areas and conservative in others. If you are to the left of me I am conservative and to the right I am a progressive. My church was recently questioned by a potential member because a more conservative congregation had made him afraid of us. We allegedly had 30 year old elders. The reality is that church chooses not to have a kitchen or eat in the building so we are progressives to them. Some of my members aren’t comfortable with another church who uses members who are miked to help improve the singing. They are to some progressives.
I don’t think I missed your point, and I do agree with it. I just think your example displayed some of the ways that you think. Not that it is wrong. We all have to be aware of our own bias. I have mine too.
I was thinking this morning of writing an article, “Should we Change Beliefs?” Perhaps you will let me share it on here. It is really a discussion of if and when we should change beliefs and the reality that all of us have beliefs that need changed even if we don’t recognize them, because none of us can possibly be 100% right.
The paragraphs above the one the sentence you mentioned refer to all churches. Perhaps you’re not aware of it, but progressives in the sense it’s being used today refer to those who basically discard doctrine of any kind. And they are agressively spreading their own doctrine of non-doctrines among us. They’ve called themselves change agents for years. So I don’t accept that I have an unhealthy bias for pointing them out specifically.
If you write your article, send it to me, and we’ll look at it. Obviously, we don’t agree to publish material unseen.
Hello Joe,
This is a little of topic from the original post so I was going to send you a private email but I could not find one attached to your avatar so I decided to ask you a couple questions in this forum; that is, if you would not mind answering them.
One – When you said, “Some of my members aren’t comfortable with another church who uses members who are miked to help improve the singing” what exactly do you mean when you say “improve” the singing?
I ask this sincerely because I have heard of other things being done/introduced into worship services on the basis of it “improving” the worship before, so I was wondering how exactly does this “improve” one’s worship, or are you looking at the “miked up singers” solely as a “singing improvement” as you originally stated?
Two – Who is this “improvement” meant to benefit?
Thanks for your time if you chose to reply.
I am not aware of people labeling themselves as change agents. I am aware of people labeling others as change agent and I agree that some are. Perhaps I am uninformed in that I didn’t know we had such a precise definition of progressives. I hear people use it to describe anyone more liberal than they are.
Progressives is a self-applied label of those who want to change radically what is taught in the church. Yup.
Pepsi … has been contracting with a research firm that uses fetal cells from babies victimized by abortions to test and produce artificial flavor enhancers.
… the Obama administration is set to face more criticism because an agency has declared that Pepsi’s use of the company and its controversial flavor testing process constitutes “ordinary business.”
And they’re not the only ones. It’s difficult to describe how horrendous this is. One evil leads to another, even greater.
UPDATE: The link to the quote was inadvertently omitted.
Tell me again why we think the Nazi medical experiments were evil???
Really. This is so mind-boggling.
… instead of giving so much time to the consideration of political candidates, worldly pursuits, money and how it’s spent or some of the things that tend to monopolize our attention, wouldn’t it be great if we dedicated this month to the glory of God and teaching his gospel?
Amen to that, John. A good word for March Madness or any moonstruck month or dizzy day of the week.
Thanks, brother. I’m humbled.
I notice you didn’t include golf in that list. #justsaying. ;-)
From today’s QBT: God has room for all. He wants all to enter. “Go out … and urge people to come in, so that my house will be filled.” Lk 14.23 NET
Luke 14 is today’s Bible reading from the New Testament plan, one chapter per weekday.
See also United Prayer today. And how about the story and some photos of yesterday’s baptisms here in SJCampos? God is good.
May your day be blessed.
Praise God for his powerful gospel!
Check out items now up on the web this morning from my wee little brain:
More to come, most likely. Still waiting on my IP to unfreeze access to our server, so I can post to our half-dozen sites there, including my main blog.
I’ve turned to Posterous for a number of efforts lately. Posting by email is easy, though sometimes the format is a bit quirky.
The devotional is what I’ve been translating from Portuguese and posting on my personal blog.
I’m rethinking what to do with the prayer segments we’ve started in the GoSpeak/Forthright family, which tend to get second-tier attention. That obviously is not good. Among possible options is the use of the posterous site, which I really like. This morning I wrote this little poem/hymn of praise, which you might enjoy and use in your private devotion. Or set to music for the use of the church.
• John H. and Mike R. have been contributing to the Twitter United Prayer account. I appreciate them rescuing it from extinction.
• Lipscomb U. has an Institute of Christian Spirituality, or something like that. Except they look more denominational than biblical. Why do works and efforts on spirituality so often go awry? Does it have to do with spiritual navel-gazing?
• Spirituality (not a word that occurs in the Bible, by the way) has to do, profoundly, with mission. A point often missed, since it seems often to be an item for the market rather than for the closet. That is, it’s a commodity to be sold rather than a practice to be lived.
• Then again, spirituality cannot be just a utilitarian wing of church work. It is not a mere tool in a Christian’s arsenal. My definition of spirituality is life in the Spirit, with all that entails. Maybe you have a better definition.
• This morning’s Quick Bible Truths post says something to the effect that the church is the place to find God. A good sister took issue with it on Facebook. Do you have a problem with that phrase as it is? Does it express something foreign to the Word? Is this an objectionable concept?
Hey Randal,
Just wondering on what basis the sister you refer to took issue with the statement that the church is the place to find God? I see no problem with that statement according to Ephesians 3:10-12.
I think she’s thinking that people in the church have already found God. Other than that, I’m not sure.
by Oliver Goldsmith
At church, with meek and unaffected grace,
His looks adorn’d the venerable place;
Truth from his lips prevail’d with double sway,
And fools, who came to scoff, remain’d to pray.
Melanie Joy writes this book from a vegetarian perspective, but it’s not as preachy as you’d expect. Instead, Dr. Joy examines ideological and ethical viewpoints of both vegetarians and meat-eaters, which she labels carnists. It’s a bit of a pejorative, but I’ll cut her some slack on that.
Wearing grief | Root Downward, Fruit Upward
Some days you forget you are wearing it. But on rainy days, it gets wet and heavy, and you just wish you could find a way to dry off. Some weeks, it rains every day; in better weeks, perhaps only a few.
Beautiful words, that will sweep you along.
Brother, I think I just noticed this for the first time. Thanks a bushel for the nod. Much appreciated.
Glad to. Your writings are a blessing to me, as I’m sure they are to others.
I heard it coming before I smelled it. Unusual, since I usually smell it in the air first. The clothes were drying on the line, pretty much dry. (We don’t have an mechanical dryer.) So I ran out and pulled them off just as the rain started falling. Maybe I saved most of them. Got a bit wet myself. Had to leave the flip-flops outside. But I love the cool rain. You’ll hear no complaints from me.
The Missus and The Maiden are out buying groceries and some birthday presents. Reckon The Missus will kiss me for being a good hubbie?
I like that first couple of sentences. Read them to my wife. I said, “you have clothes drying in the sun. Tell me what this is,” and then I read the sentences. She said, “Rain.”
Smart woman, that wife of yours.
Do what John the Baptist did: take them to the Lord Jesus Christ. http://is.gd/doubt_out #doubt
In the past months quite a few missionaries, former missionaries and Brazilian Christians have passed away among the first generation of saints in the country. Another entered eternity yesterday. It’s sobering to realize that the torch has passed. The responsibility is great. The pressures grow by the day to abandon the good news they brought. Who will stay the course?
• Rick Kelley, Michael Carter, and I have been posting some poetry lately on the Christian Poets website. Check it out and join up. If you’re interested in writing, let me know below, and I’ll add you to the writing side of the group. It’s as easy as sending an email.
• If you’re not a Twitter fan, you still have several options to get Quick Bible Truths by email, RSS, or on Facebook. The new site is functioning marvelously. Today, a new blurb about the service got aired: “Quick Bible Truths shares the powerful reality of God in short bursts.” A good description, that.
Ron, your final question causes shudders, as I think of abortion having caused millions and millions of deaths; of the elderly who have been thrown aside and often terminated, under the guise of compassion; of the so-called assisted suicides; of what seems to have become a trend in killing small children whose parent or caretaker deems them an inconvenience; of senseless murders by robbers and home invaders and addicts; of drunken drivers who negligently kill with cars. God will not hold such people guiltless. Nor will he excuse a country that turns a blind eye to such.
My opinion is pessimistic; still, I will do what I can.
I will write my letters to the editor; I will write my weekly articles; I will engage in the community to the degree that I have an interest and time; we will promote the cause of the Lord with campaigns, benevolence. In the confines of the building we will teach the Lord’s way.
I (we) will do what I (we) can.
Amen to that. And we know our God can use one to move many.
I pigged out on meat at lunch. I never do that. Why did I do that today? I’m a “flexitarian,” as House-to-House pub calls vegetarians who like their sausage now and again. (The spiritual point was negative.) Still lunch was unusual for me. Haven’t figured that out yet.
• The Maiden has gone over the holidays with a group to a Christian retreat. We’re getting a feel for what it’s going to be like before long, when she leaves for work, school, life.
• I love this passage, used it this morning for the communion meditation:
18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. 20 The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, 21 the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise. Isaiah 43:18-21 NIV
Want to take a shot at how I connected it to the Lord’s supper?
• Don’t tell anybody, but I have on one of my Twitter accounts a Catholic who posted today’s liturgy (English version here). Out of curiosity, I clicked on it, saw this passage, and thought it a good one to use. So while I read this passage this morning in the church, it was also being read to thousands of the pope’s followers.
• The speakers this morning and this evening were both good, as they usually are. We don’t have a single preacher in either congregation. The men rotate in the pulpit. What we may lack in continuity of thought (not a lack of continuity of doctrine; we speak the same thing), we gain in richness of each man’s perspective.
• Some outside interference has been thwarted for now. Amazing how some authoritarians want to show up and run the show. Our people here have the spirit of cooperation. We pray it may always be so.
Our spiritual drink is Christ, we honor and worship Christ, who is our spiritual drink. We are his chosen, his people who proclaim his praise. I LIKE IT!
Glad you liked it, John. I took the idea of living in the past, as not letting past sins weight one down, but rather, when we look back, seeing Christ rather than our sins.
Over on Twitter I asked and got no answer, perhaps because my tweet was in the midst of a flurry of others, perhaps because it was on a Friday night. So here goes my question: Prof. John Hick died a few days ago. Was he not in a debate with one of our folk? I have a book with his name on it in my library, which I’ve not seen in a few days, but can’t remember if it’s a debate book with a brother. Do you know?
• My personal Twitter account hit 7000 tweets last night. I noticed quite by accident, as I went looking for John H.’s username to recommend on the Friend Friday feature. (He’s got a numerical digits in his, so I have a hard time remembering it.) I thought it was a lot of tweets, only to discover that not a few friends (hi, Richard) have surpassed me by not a little. To tell the truth, I was actually relieved that I didn’t appear too chatty. Or wordy. Or wasteful of time. And, it must be added, I’ve been on Twitter for quite a long time. (Does Twitter anywhere show when we signed up?)
• Of course, if we were looking for big numbers and records, I could add up all my tweets across the various accounts. I’m embarrassed to name them all. There’s one for BNc, one for FPress, a couple, just a couple, in Portuguese. That’s all I’ll admit to right now. Oh, and I must get Quick Bible Truths in there. It has the most followers.
• A lot of congregational tweets suggest Bible readings: “Today’s reading is such-and-such book, chapter 555.” But no link. Why no link? If people are reading the tweet on the Internet, stands to reason that they might, just might be more likely to read if they have a link to a Bible chapter on the Internet as well. What do you think?
• Another question for you that got asked here before, but got no replies. Besides the NLT, are there any Bible sites out there with just the version—and a modern version at that, not the KJV or ASV—minus any manmade teaching materials or articles?
• The NLT publisher is smart: They set up a site for their version with a short URL perfect for posting, attractive, flexible, legible, easy to use, with just the Bible text (no articles or teaching material), and with no fancy, heavy graphics. It’s about as good as you can get. Though the NLT is not always my favorite rendering, I use the site a lot, because of the site quality.
• A last item, to recommend: David Kenney has broadcast the first Bible Talk of the Wadsworth congregation. Check it out, I’m sure he’d be encouraged by your visit.
Randal, I have over one hundred debate books and booklets. The only “Hicks” I have in any of those – as best I can recall – is Olan Hicks on MDR. **** With regard to tweeting, I am so “wet behind the ears” on that, that I do more perusing than anything else, and then I am not consistent.
Maybe that’s the one I’m remember, Ron. As soon as I get to my library, I’ll pull that Hick book out and see what it is. In my mind, I see a white circle on the cover. Funny what one remembers.
I’m migrating more to Twitter after unpinning the FB tab on Firefox.
Of the three Hicks debates books I have there is no image of a white circle, but there is on the Warren-Fuqua debate (same topic).
I am confused about the quality of one over the other – whether it is google, twitter, FB, or any others.
I’m almost certain I don’t have the Warren-Fuqua debate.
Once Friendica gets a few bugs worked out, I’m headed that direction. Not ditching the others completely, but liking it a lot for its non-commercial nature. (http//friendica.com) FB and G+ are data harvesters, which I don’t like. They all have their pluses and minues.
Thanks for the info. I will have to entertain some additional thoughts on that. **** Time to work on Zen Buddhism for a preacher’s retreat in June. Want to come again?
They’re all good for getting the word out, FB probably the best, then Twitter.
Would love to be there. What’s the date? I just might be in the US still around the first part of the month.
I think it’s June 4-6, but I went to the Fairfield website to do a confirm, and I got an “oops!” I FB’d Justin to let him know.
That date might just work, if I’m not having to be halfway across the continent reporting. Maybe I could work out with Eureka …
June 4-6 is correct for Dahlgren retreat. It’d be great if you can make it Randal.
I recall reading about a John Mark Hicks (a rising “star” back in the 70s, I think). I don’t remember any debates, however.
Let’s see how our itinerary goes. Thanks, Stephen.
John Mark and I were in the same class and dorm at FHU. He’s a progressive now. Wouldn’t be the same guy.
No problem. I should be toward the end of the spring work. You can come “work out” with me. Maybe we could go on a little hike again. It’s only been about 35 years since the last one!
I’d really hate to show you up on the work-out, since you’re all out of shape. Ditto for the hike. But we could do a mountain instead of the Grand Canyon. If that doesn’t cause breathing problems for you rarefied air. Oh, wait, no mountains Ill.
We have “mountains” in IL (north of Marion) – they are all “mountains” where they bury the garbage!
Hmm, WP bleeped out “in” twice in my previous reply. I used the toolbar to reply. Must be buggy.
Seriously, that is a time we should be able to work something out. Just let us know.
That comment sounded almost political, Ron. :) Those mountains would be a challenge to climb, for sure.
John Hicks??? I have no idea of whom you’re speaking… give some background please…
Will, there’s a link in the text to Hick’s obituary.
Hicks (not Hick) debated Andrew Connally. I had that book and lost it on the move here. Funny how that happens. I don’t know of a debate by Bro. Hick.
Prof. Hick (I had it spelled wrong in the post) isn’t a brother. It’s probably a book he wrote that I have, not a debate. Age is stealing my memory. (At least, now, I have that excuse.)
How Target Figured Out A Teen Girl Was Pregnant Before Her Father Did. (Forbes)
Yet another reason to cut up credit cards and pay cash. Privacy is no more. The more you buy, the more businesses and government are able to profile you.
The Missus and I visited a young couple tonight, well versed in Scripture, who visited the church last Sunday. They found us through our congregational website. Providence, they said. They’ve been dissatisfied with the churches where they’ve been. We’re to start studying with them Saturday. Pray they may be receptive to the Word. Very likeable family, two children.
May the Lord help us to connect with others like them as well, who search for truth in the midst of so much religious nonsense.
I looked at your website and saw that was an OOPS! Fortunately, google translated it in English for me. So the OOPS turned into something good.
I hope you can make heads or tails of Google’s translation. :)
Pray for others, for knowledge, for wisdom, says J.D. Wright, who shares his sermon outline for Colossians 1.9-10. Material on prayer catches my eye, since it’s something I have to work hard on. On preachersfiles.com #prayer
God answers the prayers of the righteous in marvelous ways. Read this translation from the Portuguese meditation site. Today’s devotional comes from Luke 1, as we start the third gospel in our daily Bible readings. Why not join along? We’re following a plan for slow readers: one chapter a weekday.
ALBUQUERQUE, NM- School bus driver has seizure, mom runs after moving bus, hops on, stops bus. #heroics #supermom
Great story of a mom who took immediate action!
• After nearly forgetting about the One-Liner Dictionary, I’ve added another entry today, this one on inertia. It came to me as I lay in bed this morning, contemplating the energy required to rise. Check the Definitions category for a few other entries as well.
• If you don’t see your blog in my friend-link list, it’s probably because (1) I just overlooked it, or (2) you’re not posting with enough regularity.
• Did you catch my longish poem yesterday on Christian Poets, “With Fragile Soul“? Longish for me, anyway, with five stanzas of four lines each. No “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” or anything like that; nope, no breaking of Mr. Coleridge’s record as the longest major poem in the English language. So you can read it in about, say, three minutes. Afterwards, reflection might require a bit more, and a comment to assuage the agony of the author, another minute.
• Before long, writers will have to put at the head of their posts and articles a line like this: Average Reading Time: Three Minutes. People are too much in a hurry, wouldn’t you say? I confess to being as much a scanner as the next surfer doing the typical hop, skip, jump on the Internet, but sometimes I’m tempted to write a header, “If you’re scanning, don’t bother.” Because my words carry great import, obviously.
• How long before the Valentine’s-Day flowers fade and the chocolates are gone? But let the kiss linger and the look of love continue. Marriage isn’t eternal, but romantic love ought to last a lifetime. It may seem paradoxical, but romance has to be worked at, cultivated, prolonged by regular effort. Some like it sappy, others more subtle, here and there a literary strain, but whatever your style, develop and sustain it. Even foods get garnished.
I like your 4th paragraph.
“Today is Valentine’s Day, which means Americans are about to spend an average of $103 per person (2010 figure) on massive amounts of chocolate, flowers, cards and assorted stuff which proclaims our undying love.” —PreachingNOW
Anybody talk about Whitney Houston yesterday in a sermon or Bible class? I did, since the sad note fit into a sermon point quite well. See my outline, through Google Translate’s bad rendering: http://is.gd/whitneyhouston
I did not talk about her, but I did give much thought to the brevity of life to such a one as young as she.
She wasn’t mentioned here. Did pray for her daughter though.
Oddly enough, we didn’t. The topics we covered in the Galatians class didn’t fit with the incident and the sermon didn’t either. One of the members suffering from severe depression for decades had gone to yet another doctor, this time up in Chicago. He prescribed a new medication, actually more like a supplement, that has kept her depression free for over 2 weeks. We are all pretty excited/emotional over this and it eclipsed anything else. We’re thanking God for answered prayer.
I did mention her death, but not her name, since I was commenting on John’s statement that, at the Judgment scene, he saw “the small and great.” On earth, some are greater than others in fame and influence. The passing of most of us will draw little attention down here.
I didn’t hear about it until after we got home from evening worship.
Thanks for chiming in, y’all! Her death seems to be getting lots of attention in the media. Perhaps a teachable moment there?
Rob Lester did a series on Facebook about the reasons why he loved his wife, many of them humorous. Here’s one of mine. I go into the kitchen after my Saturday afternoon nap for a drink of water (The Missus had forwarded an email to me the day before about the need to drink water to keep the kidneys in good shape), and she prepares me a homemade cappuccino and two, not one, but two brownies. Ah, life is hard.
• Been busy with some poetry in the past few days. Today, a love poem for The Missus (she said she assumed I’d written it for her): “To Speak of Love.” Yesterday, last night actually, before I hit the sack, a piece here on TFR: “So Let’s Dance in the Aisles.” And also yesterday, an almost melancholy piece, “In Wings and Walls.”
• The first two were written on the fly, popped ‘em out and posted. The latter I wrote a few days earlier, tweaked it a bit, then posted. Maybe I should give the poems a rest next week, reckon? But then they appear at their own behest, not mine.
• My dad spent the night in the hospital Wednesday. He passed out in church. Apparently, a combination of sinus infection and dehydration. Drove himself home the next day (Mom had gone for a checkup on her pacemaker), I talked to him last night, seems to be OK. But I’d appreciate a prayer for him. He’s only 81.
• Do you like the sound of your voice? I don’t. Maybe I should take voice lessons? Some supporters are interested in me doing some audio/radio. I’m interested too, but for that dislike.
• I read somewhere once that Reagan used to drink hot water before he spoke. Relaxed his throat. Have you ever tried that?
• And last, a link I shared on Twitter, for a big Saturday-night helping of ignorance. “Christians must stand up for gay marriage.” Lots of “I believe,” with no evidence to back it up. Such is our world. And such is our task, to shine light upon the darkness. Go shine! Isa 60.1!
by J. Randal Matheny © 2012
We are tired of the hymns, with the limits we’re bored,
So let’s dance in the aisles, as we sup with the Lord,
We will tear up the carpet and throw out the old,
In this city where everything’s big, we are bold.
The young women are swooning, the men good to swing,
Play a tune with a beat, we refuse just to sing.
You’ve not seen it all yet, we’re not done as we change,
We reject what’s familiar, and import the strange.
Swing the doors for the crowds, tweak the church to the max,
In with gospels and grace, down with crosses and Acts.
We’re all brothers in Christ, matters not what your group,
What’s important is staying in a bigger world’s loop.
We’re progressives for Jesus, nothing heavy — we’re hip,
As we travel to heaven, on one big, happy ship.
We’ll be bigger fish swimming in bigger fish ponds,
So we dive for the new, as we cut the old bonds.
We got love overflowing, with sinners we’re cool,
But no patience with fogies—out with rules is the rule!
Wow.
Scary
Randal, sounds like the Postmodernism mantra – throw out all those old out-of-date rules!
You wish poetry could be made of happier stuff, but great job pinpointing the inconvenient truth that you really can’t run from rules, conceptually. All you can do is decide which rules you’ll go by–your own or the Lord’s.
Thanks for the comments, y’all. Mike, yup, that’s their idea. Weylan, reckon when we get to heaven our poetry will be like that, all sugar and spice and everything nice? :)
I know we will have songs there–nothing I know of precludes the presence of poetry. After we sing the “New Song,” maybe we can collaborate on a new “New Song.”
Sounds like a plan to me, brother! Maybe we can start with, “Heaven was certainly worth it all!”
Maybe the first question should be, do you have a sense of humor? Then, if yes, what kind of a sense of humor do you have?
There are good and bad styles of humor, says PsychToday. But we’re thinking more in terms of types, like dry or slapstick.
Is there any correlation between humor and spirituality? Hmm.
Near Bridgeport AL on the Tennessee River, a man jumped into the water when he arrived and saw his girlfriend’s vehicle sinking. Except that she’d already escaped and been helped from the water 20 yards downstream by fishermen at a boat ramp.
Was his sacrifice needless? Did he give his life for nothing?
That sad news story prompts three thoughts.
One, for the great multitudes of millions on earth, Jesus’ sacrifice will be for nothing, as far as their salvation is concerned. They will perish, most of them, without ever hearing the true gospel of Christ. They will not experience the redemptive effect of his death. They will die in their sins, in that real place called hell, as if Jesus had never been crucified for them.
Two, for the remnant, so small, it would appear, in comparison to the world’s billions, Jesus did not die in vain. Somehow, it is God’s design to save a few, and these to him are precious.
Three, the man gave little thought for his life, because his sight was set on (the assumption of) saving one he loved. He presumed she was in danger, when she was actually safe. He could not see her drowning, but the mere thought of it caused him to dive into the swift water. How many of us are willing to evangelize in order to save people whom we know for a fact are perishing and who will perish unless we act, as long as it doesn’t inconvenience our lifestyle?
The server for BNc, FMag, and my blog is back up. Please visit at will, and let your praise be effusive.
Hello, friends and TFR Fellows! Here’s a Nudge from nowhere for you to ponder and answer: Tell us about something you’ve stopped doing in recent days or weeks. It could be something as innocent as playing tiddlywinks or watching some dorky TV program (sorry, that was redundant). Or you might want to delve deeper into your psyche to dish up some serious habit or practice that was doing you in. Do give us a why as well. And if there’s a lesson in it somewhere, all the better.
TFR Fellows are reminded to please place your replies in a new post, unless it’s a one-word answer, which would be a shame. Other friends and visitors can reply in the comments section below.
I have given up eating sweets. I started about 3 weeks ago and it has been relatively easy because I am trying to be example to someone who needs to give up something even more important. I needed to give up sweets anyway because I am gaining more and more weight and I have a real penchant for sweets. This has worked so well that pretty soon I am going to try and give up another bad habit I have – wasting time.
Um, between preaching, working and helping to take care of my new baby girl over the last 3 months…I have stopped sleeping :)
So that means that BNc, FMag, my blog are all down. But give it a few minutes, ought to be back up. But TFR, Christian Hub, GoSpeak, and others are going strong, since they’re not (yet) on our server.
Ironic that I just sent the cash in yesterday to renew our server for another six months.
The photos are from last Sunday and today. Click to see them in larger size.
Partial view of Pimentas congregation where we went Sunday, Jan. 29, where I preached and taught on “How to Be Happy.” The Maiden and The Missus are singing in the foreground.
Yours Truly speaking to the Pimentas congregation.
Y.T. preaching in the Pimentas congregation.
Some of the Christians of the Taubaté congregation that we work with on Sunday afternoons.
Randal, the pictures are great, but what’s with the beard? Trying to look more stately, are we? :)
Thanks, Mike. Shaver’s laziness. Of course, I can always use help to look more serious.
LOL!
Must be a summer thing, Mike.
Summer’s the more reason to keep it off. Too hot! Was cool here until this past week, now the temps are making up for it.
More than likely, John!
Barbara Ann will be manning the Forthright Press booth at the Freed-Hardeman University Annual Bible Lectureship. Go by and say hi to her. And buy a book.
• Got any insight into what Paul meant when he said that it pleased God to reveal in him the Son (Ga 1:16)? I’ve written an article on it, but still would appreciate any insights you might have. Not an easy phrase, that.
• As I mentioned yesterday, we got company coming, and they’re about to drive up. I’m grateful that we have people like this couple who have the heart of mission to reach places that have no gospel message.
I think Galatians 2:20 would fit well.
You’ve probably seen this, Randal, but the NET has a translator note: “tn Or “to me”; the Greek preposition ἐν (en) can mean either, depending on the context.”
A Christian couple is coming tomorrow to talk with the SJCampos and Taubate churches about support, so they can establish a new congregation in a capital city in the north of Brazil that has no faithful message there. I find it exciting. But if you think it’s hard for missionaries in the US to find funds, try raising support among churches that are relatively small and new themselves, and often limited in means.
• Anybody got a clear, positive article on Proverbs 31, especially verse 10, on the worth of the noble wife? No more than 600 to 700 words max. And applicable to other cultures, easy to translate. (Meaning no heavy American references or illustrations.) I need it for a magazine theme on the worth of man. Yesterday. UPDATE: The Maiden just accepted the task of writing the article. Thanks anyway!
• If I don’t choose your suggestion, it won’t mean it’s not good, only that it won’t fit our specific needs, either in terms of space, approach, or context.
• The Missus and I are on the board of a children’s home here, where we provide mainly moral support and serve as contact for stateside supporters, of which there are a few. As we try to establish our “brand,” as the marketers call it, in the US, I was slow to figure out that nobody will remember “Lar Cristão Children’s Home.” So we’re rebranding it as Brazil Kids. As soon as the domain is done propagating, or whatever it does (and it’s taking a while to do it), we’ll have the new website up at BrazilKids.net. UPDATE: Now working.
• Weylan was kind enough to publish a little piece of mine, “For Man God Made.” I’m still owing him a longish article that I’ve entitled “The Enduring Principles of the Limited Commission.” Be sure to also check out his recent article on “What the Bible Says About Animals.” Very good, so good in fact that, since it fits somewhat the theme of our Brazilian mag on man’s worth, I’m translating it into Portuguese. (Lessee, did I ask his permission yet? Weylan?) Check out the other good writers there also, such as our own John H. and Ron T.
• Reckon we’re as prepared for the invasion of false teachings in our congregations as this man was for the burglars who broke a back window and entered his home? Seems like some brethren are adopting a wait-and-see attitude. By the time they wake up and decide to see what’s in front of them, it will be too late. All the valuable souls will have been stolen.
My first article in Portuguese! Please, Randal, do not ask me to proof it.
Aw, phooey, I was about to email it to you to check it over.
Let’s start with personal item (aren’t they all?): The second grandchild, says today’s ultrasound, is a boy. Due to drop in around June 21. Big sister Eden, age 1+, didn’t seem so keen on it. She confided to me that she’d been hoping for a baby sister to play with. But mom and pop, and Auntie L., vovô and vovó are happy. Please say a prayer, since there are a couple of health concerns, blood pressure, things like that.
• Today’s Bible (NT) reading is James 1. Have you seen the chiastic structure for the letter I posted some time back? Considering most commentators despair of finding any sensible outline to the letter, this represents real possibilities.
• Rick Kelley’s mom’s kidney transplant is on-again, off-again. Keep praying for his mom and his sister who’s donating the kidney.
• I watched “National Treasure” again with The Missus and The Maiden the other night. It’s very dated. The main character was searching the Internet on Yahoo rather than Google.
• We chomped down on more of The Missus’s homemade sausage tonight. Good stuff. Brazil doesn’t have the breakfast sausage like you get in the US. Just as well, but we certainly enjoyed her special treat.
• Lessee, let’s scare up a little ditty to finish up with.
Malicious hands abuse, molest,
A hug can end in your arrest;
The world sees either too little, too much,
But Jesus has the healing touch.
• Oh, have you checked The Christian Hub lately? Great stuff going through there, all the time.
What are congregations looking for when they consider putting up a website? Are current services satisfactory? Or do many just plop into WordPress.com or Blogspot? Is there a need for a good service out there?
I’m asking for a brother who is apparently considering offering this service. I have no investment or connection, other than as a friend, so no disclosure needed here, as pundits often do. He asked me what I thought, and I said I’d ask around.
Please everyone reply in the comment area below. I’m directing my friend to this post.
There are a few in the church who offer web hosing services. My site and the church for which I preach are on one operated by the preacher in New Madrid, MO. To me the issue is one of cost per year, and services offered. Most churches have a small site with local information and do not require a lot of bandwidth.
The second issue to consider is how to advertise and promote it.
In summary – if the price is reasonable I believe there would be a demand for the service.
Unless he is going to be offering specific features that would aid the congregation in having a pleasing site, I’m not sure what the difference would be. Of course, there is that “preferring one another” verse.
With a lot of non-computer-savvy congregations, he would need to offer some sort of templates where they simply punch in their name, directions, contact info, and the template takes care of the rest. Also, for those interested, he’d need to offer ftp service (which apparently some webpage providers don’t offer) and extremely simple explanations on how to do it.
I may be mistaken, but wasn’t there a group that attempted to offer this same service a few years ago?
I don’t know if their would be much demand for this. Preachersfiles has been offering both a blog or to host a website for sometime now. It is only one of the options available to churches. One of our members at Waynesboro host ours on his site. It would be a good thing but he would need to find something that would make him standout among the other options out there.
There is already one that I know of and it has been active and around for a long time–if interested I can give you the site http://internet-ministries.net/ He also has a facebook page but its pretty non controlled
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Church-Of-Christ/151003081320?ref=ts&sk=wall#!/pages/The-Church-Of-Christ/151003081320?sk=wall
These folk take care of ours website (shermandrive.org): http://www.cocwebdesign.com/ . They specifically work with churches of Christ.
Correction: “ours” should be “our”
It is something the church here keep smaking a lot of noise about, but things just never seem to happen. I think a high quality option would be blessing. Not unlike House-ot-House/ Heart-to-Heart does in the mailing area.
Our brother decided to go live with the offer. You can see what he offers here: http://www.the7ones.com
Joe Palmer, and 1 other are discussing. 
Rick Kelley (@rickkelley365) are discussing. 
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Jeff Rich, 
I’m happy where I am. If I was paid it would be even better. :)