Back to Basics

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires

you had when you lived in ignorance.  But just as

he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.

1 Peter 1:13-15

Physical health is a treasure to be protected and cared for.  Our appreciation for good physical health grows as we get older, when it becomes harder to maintain the strength and stamina we had at a younger age.

There are plenty of signs indicating a need to improve our physical health.  The number on the scale is too high.  The image in the mirror is too wide.  The clothes in our closet fit too tight.  The ease at which we lifted, or ran, or played, is replaced by aches and pains and strains.  Could it be time to make some changes?  Maybe, eat less and exercise more?  To improve physical health, it’s a good idea to get back to the basics.

Our spiritual health is worthy of the same discipline, effort and renewal.  We must not neglect the basics of our faith: belief in God and His Son, Jesus Christ; our need for forgiveness; the new birth of baptism; God’s offer of righteousness and salvation through the resurrected Son.  Even when we go on to study deeper truths, we must regularly remind ourselves about the fundamentals of our faith and how we came to believe in the first place.  Knowledge and confidence in the fundamentals of our faith is a solid foundation for spiritual health.

When we are spiritually healthy, our minds are prepared for action; we are self-controlled; our hope is confident and focused on the grace God has promised us through Jesus Christ.  A spiritually healthy child of God makes wise, holy choices.  We are no longer ignorant.  We know the difference between right and wrong.  The spiritually healthy person is aware of Satan’s schemes and chooses not to participate in his unholy behavior.  Now is a good time to remember the Good News of the gospel message.  Get back to the basics.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, please give me the courage and strength I need to get back to the basics for the benefit of my spiritual health.  I want to be holy, as you are holy.  I look forward to the grace you have promised to give me when Jesus Christ is revealed.  In the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

Carl Smith

Stephenville, Texas

Respectful Discourse: Is It Possible Anymore?

"Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God." - Jesus

"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment that it may give grace in time of need." - Paul

It is difficult to get through a day without encountering "differences of opinion" on a variety of cultural subjects.  Healthy debate is preliminary to listening and, usually empowers respectful consideration of a point of view.  Whether it be the news, tabloids, blogs or twitter, the ground of healthy debate is collapsing beneath our feet.  The passionate, persuasive and respectful exchange of ideas is giving way to a kind of conversation that has more to do with winning an argument than staying connected with people and ideas at the same time.  I think the following article by Joey Cope helps us see something of what our responsibility and opportunity as Christians really is in the daily experience of sharing our ideas and convictions with each other and the world in general.  

Article:

For some time, I have been troubled over the way that we, as a society and as individuals, approach conflict. Civil discourse has given way, in large part, to guerrilla-like tactics and all-out war in the very halls that once were a symbol of maturity and civility. The following post flows from my troubled spirit. As such, much of this is therapeutic for me. I just feel like I need to be transparent and to add what is hopefully a respectful voice to the conversation.

I’ve been on the verge of shutting down all of my social media accounts for about a year.

Why?

Because there is a certain burden associated with standing by and watching a few of your friends – a few of your vocal friends – become those obnoxious, narrow-minded individuals who prove little with their rhetoric, who often react strongly on the basis of misinformation,and who, quite frankly, eclipse the value of their “stand” on a particular issue with their words of bias and hatred. That saddens me.

For example, I am troubled over a young man who I once believed showed great promise in the field of peacemaking. But his online posts revealed bias, bigotry, and almost total disregard for anyone who thinks differently. I am certainly tough enough to hear his opinion and rancor, but it is just painful and embarrassing. And I often wonder what damage he is doing to others and for the peaceful cause of Christ.

I have other friends or acquaintances, both personal and online, who have taken far different positions from me on political matters, theological matters, health and lifestyle matters. They have stated their opinions and made their arguments. Respectfully.

The quietness of their voices belies the volume of their message. By speaking appropriately, at the right time, and with a humility that comes from valuing others, their words were heard.

On a number of the issues these friends address, I don’t find myself persuaded. Yet, I do experience a deeper understanding of both them and of myself. And I’ve found that when I respond in kind, our conversations and our relationships grow stronger. In many cases, we find true resolution to the challenges that threaten to separate us.

People are finding a lot of issues to fight over in the political realm. The economy, gun control, immigration. In recent days, with the United States Supreme Court considering cases involving same-sex relationships, the bile vomited from both sides of the issue is revolting at its occurrence and the stench it has left behind is stifling.

WARNING: The following is a statement of my beliefs.

·   I believe in God and in Jesus Christ.

·   I believe that God has made it clear that homosexuality is a sin.

·   However, I also believe that God has made it clear that

·   Adultery and fornication are sins.

·   Murder and covetousness are sins.

·   Lust, lying, and idolatry are sins.

·   Personal promotion over the needs of others and anger are sins.

·   A good portion of my personal motivation is worldly and, thus, sinful.

And I believe that God makes no distinction between sins. He despises them all because he sees what sin does to us, his beloved. God loves us even though we are sinners.

I see no need to enter into public debate of my beliefs because of the inherent problem with the public debate of sin.

The problem with the public debate of sin is that sin is not debatable or negotiable. It is what it is. We don’t have the option of deciding what is sinful and what is not.

Therefore, I also believe that God has made it clear that

·   I am to love all people, regardless of their beliefs.

·   I am to respect every one.

·   I am to converse and work with others in an effort to build relationship and, where needed and available, reconciliation – regardless of their belief.

·   I am never to do anything that drives others further from God because of my weakness in conveying God’s spirit and being.

·   I am never to do anything that soils the image of God with others by acting like . . . well, like me. I am called to walk in God’s steps and take on his demeanor and spirit of love.

·   I am to challenge my own beliefs, ferret out errors in my thinking and behavior, and seek a brighter understanding. While God is all-knowing and wise, I am only a work-in-progress.

·   I can have hope in a God who loves, who listens, and who provides grace for my failings.

·   God will make the judgments about people. That is not my job.

·   I can, with a desire to obey God, become a person who others see God through — even when I set clear standards and expectations and disagree with them.

And, I also believe that my failure to seek the things on this last list are just as sinful as the things on my first list.

Right now, we are confusing the concept of sin with the concept of public opinion. We seem to believe that the Supreme Court’s decisions on this issue or that issue will be a blow to the kingdom of heaven. How shortsighted can we be?

You can’t legislate or litigate morality. You can’t make people accept God’s invitation to holiness and a joyful life. You can’t publicly debate sin and expect to see large scale conversion as a result. In fact, you most likely will see the opposite.

Here’s what we can do:

·   Live in accordance with our understanding of God’s hopes and desires for us.

·   Encourage others to come to know God.

·   Encourage each other in holy living.

·   When we disagree, never let our personal motives or feelings derail the hope for reconciliation and future relationship with others.

·   Exercise our voices appropriately. Talk with humility. Speak truth. Explore questions with integrity. Vote. Stay engaged and remain helpful when the vote goes against us.

·   Love every single person – family, friends, strangers, and especially our enemies.

God asks us for very little because God has everything covered. Let’s quit debating and begin meaningful conversation. We can accomplish far more by pursuing peace than we can by waging war.

For the Rest of My Life

I am 48 years old and have spent the last few years trying to start my life over again.  I have been in the mission field working with people who have made me re-evaluate everything that I think is important or necessary in my life.  I have been through a divorce that has turned me upside down and destroyed the ground where I thought I could stand firm.  I am going through a career transition that is a little exciting, a little scary and has me completely in the dark about what the future holds.  And, I am starting to learn how to read scripture again.  

I grew up going to church and hearing (or interpreting what I heard) preachers and teachers tell me that sin was bad and would condemn me to hell, hearing that idle hands were the devil’s workshop, hearing that not going to church was very, very bad and that a series of “doctrinal issues” left the salvation of many of my friends at the building across the street in jeopardy.  I heard, or believe I heard, a lot of negative and I have taken this concept to the way I read and process scripture.  

I read about sin and sinners and that is what sticks out to me.  I read about God’s love and mercy and sin sticks out to me.  I read about Jesus on the cross and sin sticks out to me.  I think about my life and my relationship with my Lord and Savior and sin sticks out to me.  I look at my life and sin sticks out to me.  

You know how you read a passage and sometimes you will see certain areas highlighted, italicized, or in bold letters with “(emphasis mine)” at the end meaning the writer wanted to bring some areas of the passage to the readers attention?  I have done that in my reading, writing and speaking and, looking back, realize what I usually highlight is the part about sin or human failing.  Now, I am starting over in the way I read scripture.  Slowly, but surely, I am reading it with a focus on what God wants me to know about Him, about how He sees me and how He feels about me.  It changes things when I do that.  It changes my processing and I pray it will change the way I live my life in the remainder of my years.

“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” - 1 Timothy 1:12-14 (Italics and bolding mine, Emphasis His)

As I read the words of Paul, I am often thinking about how his words connect with me, how I connect with his sin.  As I read these words recently, I focused on what Paul states Jesus has done in his life, all that Jesus has poured into him (Paul).  It's easy for me to be introspective about my faults but I do not focus enough on looking at what Jesus has and is doing inside of me.  As I emphasize the words of Paul's writing in this section of scripture, it becomes more obvious to see the emphasis Christ puts on, and in, me.

I want the rest of my days lived in the emphasis of my Savior.  I want to emphasize the strength He has given me.  I want to emphasize that I am trustworthy to Him.  I want to emphasize that He has appointed me in His service.  I want to emphasize His mercy and grace that I have experienced in abundance.  I want to emphasize these things to others because of God’s love, not my sin.  Because of how much He cares and all that He does in advance to prepare my way, not because of what I have done.  I want my life to show an emphasis on God.  I want the emphasis of my words and actions to be His.

Grace and peace

Jeff Jones

Decatur, Texas

Let's Start Talking

My husband and I have been presented with the opportunity to go to China this summer and share Jesus with people who do not know him. This is such an exciting opportunity. We have always lived in Texas and the people we meet have been exposed to Jesus and to his followers. Sometimes His followers have turned people away from Him. This is heart breaking.  As we go to China it is imperative that we reflect Jesus with our lives. They will constantly be observing us.

We are praying for our lives and conversations to reflect Him.  We are going with the Let’s Start Talking Ministry. In this ministry people are eager to sign up to speak English with an American to become more fluent and conversational with their English. We will be using a simple version of the Book of Luke as a basis for our conversation.  How wonderful to have every conversation based out of the Bible!  As my reader delves into Chapter 1 about Mary and her pregnancy with Jesus, I can speak to a young woman about learning of pregnancy in her country and how it is accepted. We can discuss how Chinese women are treated if they become pregnant before marriage.  I can share what it is like in America. We will then reflect on what it must have been like for Mary in an ancient world. Our conversations will be rich and the reader will begin to learn of Jesus as we progress through the chapters and we will both be blessed with a new friendship.

The LST ministry team has challenged my husband and me to reflect the following scriptures while we are there.

·   Be DEVOTED to one another in brotherly love. (Rom. 12:10)

·   HONOR one another above yourselves. (Rom. 12:10)

·   Live in HARMONY with one another. (Rom 12:6)

·   Stop passing JUDGEMENT on one another. (Rom. 14:3)

·   ACCEPT one another, just as Christ accepted you. (Rom. 15:7)

·   ENCOURAGE one another, BUILD each other up. (I Thess. 5:11)

·   SERVE one another in love. (Gal. 5:13)

            We have read these scriptures before, but it is difficult to live them out every day, isn’t it?  Just last night I confronted my husband about something and realized I was not honoring him above myself. I was not accepting him as Christ accepts me.  I have got a ways to go, if I am going to reflect His glory all the time. I realize I will never do it on my own power. This is where I have got to slow down and ask the Holy Spirit to not only step in and help me, but to take over and guide my words and actions. The Spirit that lives within us has the power to live this way!

Holy Father, forgive me for not calling on your spirit to guide me each day, for exerting my own will and not reflecting your Glory.  I am your child and I want it to be obvious that you are my Father. Once again I say “Less of me and more of you.” Thank you calling and sending us to share You and Your Son with the people of Xiamen, China.      

In the blessed name of Jesus, Amen.

Terry Smith

Stephenville, Texas

Questions for the 21st Century Church

Question:  In the following verses, what does Jesus say separates the sheep from the goats; i.e., the saved from the lost?

   “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’” (Matthew 25:31-36).

Question:  How does James, a Jewish Christian leader in the early church, describe pure and faultless religion?

  “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:  to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27).

Question:  When James, Peter and John offered Paul and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, what one thing did they ask of them?

  “James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me.  They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews.  All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.”  (Galatians 2:9 & 10).

Question:  In the following parable, what does Jesus say about how we are to treat the vulnerable?

   An expert in Jewish law put Jesus to the test by asking him the question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”  Jesus answered, “Love your neighbor.”  He then asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”  Jesus told him a story about a man in dire need, two religious men who passed by without helping, and an outsider who came to his rescue.  

   Then he asked, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?’  The expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had mercy on him.’  Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise.’”  (Luke 10).

Question:  As church, do we pass by the vulnerable and disenfranchised, searching instead for an elusive gimmick designed to draw the masses to our church buildings?

Jesus died for everyone.

Father, take over the reins of your church.  Lead us; guide us.  We don’t always know what we’re doing.  Amen.

Sandra Milholland

Abilene, Texas

Remember the Garden!

Jesus spoke in parables.  He used simple stories.  I marvel at how he took something as magnificent as "the kingdom of God or kingdom of heaven" and set it within the simple framework of everyday life experiences.  

Have you read any parables lately?  

The parable about the wheat and the tares has always been an interesting story to me.  It is in some respects annoying to many Christians.  Diagnostics and healthy discernment notwithstanding, Christians and churches alike can grow anxious over any number of things within and without the kingdom of God.  We grow impatient and allow our anxiety to walk us headlong into a chronic state of panic over a vast array of things that can result in staying the Holy Spirit's work in our midst.  We spend our days ruminating about everything that is wrong, or about to be wrong, in the world and in the church.  To borrow from a farmer friend, "You can get so busy with the weeds that you forget there is a garden in the middle of it!"

Do you remember what Jesus said about this in the “parable of the field” recorded in Matthew 13:24-30, 37-43?

24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

Later Jesus has to explain the parable to his disciples.  Here is what he said:

“The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

By the time Matthew's readers received this parabolic reminder, 30 years of preaching, ministry and church history water had gone under the proverbial bridge.  Most of the book of Acts has happened and then some.  In other words, a lot of living, struggle, and suffering.  House churches were in duress. people who were once faithful weren't around anymore.  "Progress" wasn't a word peopled used then.  (Should we use it today?)  They wrestled with big questions:  Is this worth it?  Is suffering going to worsen?  Do we need to make the gospel more adaptive to culture?  In short, they were getting anxious.  And, this parable was a reminder to them to stick to their guns and, in a word, continue being who Christ had called them to be.  Just be wheat! Just keep bearing fruit!

Like I said, this parable is annoying.  It is annoying because it doesn't explain everything about life and ministry that we want to know.  Nor does it give us a magic wand to fix every problem in the world or in the body of Christ.  What it does give us is some much needed perspective on what we need to focus on every day, namely, being disciples. 

We can get so lost in analyzing the darkness that we forget the wisdom in the song "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine."  And shining is the best thing any of us can do!  Weeds of every kind are going to grow. Jesus said so. But, so does the seed of the kingdom!  Planting, watering, and tending the field is the best thing we can do every day.  As the song says, "This is my Father's world!"  Have a great day in the garden!

Randy Daugherty

Stephenville, Texas

A God Story

My parents reluctantly left their home of 26 years in the Austin, Texas area two years ago.  Their large home had become a burden to care for, and the bustle of Austin traffic was dangerous.  They moved to Stephenville, where traffic moves more slowly, and I am able to assist with daily needs.  The house they loved had been available for sale for two years without a single offered contract.  My father had not worried whether the house would sell because it is such a nice home.  Since they had loved the house, someone else would certainly love it, and buy it. It had been two years, though.  The realtor was continually suggesting the price should be significantly reduced.

On Sunday, January 20, 2013, my dad finally decided he needed help selling the house. He actually said his first prayer regarding the house sale, and requested God’s assistance in finding a new owner.  My parents signed a contract to sell the house on January 22, 2013.  The contract that they received had a letter attached, and a photo of a lovely family. (Letters to sellers, and photos of the prospective buyers, are very unusual occurrences in the real estate brokerage arena.) It is a God Story.

Here is the letter, dated January 21, 2013:

            Dear Owners of the Rimrock Drive home,

           

We thought it might be helpful to put a face with this offer.  We are the Olsons, a Christ-following family of four hoping to move to the Austin area ASAP to be close to my husband’s sister and parents, who migrated from Minnesota last summer. My husband is in sales for a national company and I am a former elementary teacher and current ‘stay at home mom’ to our 5 year old daughter and our 2 year old son.  Our first home sold much quicker than expected and we have been living with my parents in their home the last two months while we searched (hopelessly) for the perfect home for our growing family.  We have fallen in love with your home.  As a child that moved around a lot, my dream is for my kids to grow up in one home and bring their own kids back to one day.  It is truly the first one that I can ‘see’ us in for many years to come.  With the farmhouse style exterior and the ‘Jack and Jill’ bath for the kids, this home’s charm has crept into our hearts.  I have stayed awake at night imagining all the ways I would decorate and make it our own, despite warning myself against it.  My current job has taught me that if you’re going to be in a house for what can sometimes be days on end…you need to LOVE it.  We LOVE this house and would love to raise our family in it. Unfortunately, our budget will not allow us to offer the former asking price taking into consideration some updates we would like to put into the home. We have prayerfully considered the offer we make to you and are hopeful that you’ll consider entering the negotiation process with us.

                                   

Thank you so much,  The Olsons

My parents accepted the offer (which happened to exceed the amount the realtor suggested as a sales price) and the closing occurred within a month. It is a God story.

Dear God: Help us to be still, and know that you are God.  Thank you for answering prayers.

Sherilyn Svien

Stephenville, Texas