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Bravo! Bravo!
Bravo! Bravo!
Bravo is a rather well-known exclamation used to express approval when a performer or other person has done something well. It has its origin in Italy and its original meaning is “skillful”. It came to mean “well done”. This is likely why this word is called out during applause at the conclusion of a performance. The desire to be praised drives many in sports, entertainment, politics, and in the workplace. If we are honest, we all want to hear well done, good job, superb, or something of that sort when we’ve put forth effort to achieve or produce.
However, not everyone who walked the earth desired to be called “good’ or sought to be praised. In Matt. 19, Mark 10, and Luke 18, we have an account of one who has become to be known as “the rich young ruler”. In the first of these accounts, Matt. 19:16-26, we have the powerful lesson taught by Christ. When this young man called Christ “good”, Jesus said: “Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God:”. He then provided the advice needed under every dispensation for one to be pleasing to God. It was: “but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.”
Before this, we find in the latter part of Mark chapter 7, Jesus was brought a deaf man that also had an impediment in his speech. They desired Christ to ‘lay hands’ on him so the man would be healed. Rather than publicly bringing attention to Himself as He honored their request, He took the man aside and performed a miracle. After Christ uttered the Word meaning “Be opened”, verse 35 tells us: “And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.” In verse 36 Christ “charged them that they should tell no man”. Nevertheless, they published (told it) greatly. They didn’t say “Bravo!”, but according to verse 37 they were quite impressed. In fact, we are told they were “beyond measure astonished”. Their assessment was correct on both points. They reported: “he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak” and said: “He hath done all things well”. Everything Christ did was to the glory of God and was “well done”!
There have always been those who sought “acclaim” and praise of man for the things they would do on earth. One of the earliest examples of this is the Gen. 11:4 account of the ‘tower builders’ of the plain of Shinar. Their desire for acclaim is clearly stated in the declaration of their plans. “And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” They obviously wanted men to say to them – “Bravo!” or “Well done!” We all know how that worked out for them. Rather than being praised, we read in Gen. 11:9 - Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
Another Biblical example of one who reveled in the praise and adoration of man is king Herod in Acts 12:20-23. From the text it is apparent that Herod set up a situation, using his authority as king, wherein he would make a speech and it was evident he expected the applause and approval of the crowd. A quick reading of this account gives support to the saying: “Be careful what you ask for because you might get it.” The origin of this saying is Aesop's Fables, the world's best-known collection of morality tales. He is credited with writing - Have you ever made a wish and got what you wanted, only for the reality to fall way short of the expectation? What did Herod ‘wish’? The approval of the people. He got that and more - Acts 12:22-23 - And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.23 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. (This was still the age of miracles).
The Spirit provided the prophet Words in Isa. 2:12 which foretell of the establishment of the church, and the requirement of all to humble themselves before God and be obedient, prophesied: For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: This is reiterated in 1Pet. 1:24as the Spirit has the apostle write of the “new birth” brought about through obedience to the Word of God. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: The praise of men, the ‘Bravos’, the ‘attaboys’, the ‘pats on the back’, all shall pass away just as will those who offer them.
Rather, should we not seek God’s praise and approval? We should all seek to hear the Words of Matt. 25:20 & 23 which were spoken by the “lord of those servants” to the five and two talent men. Upon seeing the evidence of their fidelity, they received the sweet Words: “Well done . . . enter thou into the joy of thy lord”. Christ was telling the Jews of His day they would shortly have the opportunity to become part of the church for which Jesus would die.
In Phil. 1:9-11the Spirit also had Paul write to the Philippians and say: And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; 11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
Don’t seek accolades of men. Seek the approval of God. Start by obeying the gospel, then faithfully serve Him according with the New Testament the rest of your life. Do this, and when the Lord returns to receive His own, you’ll also hear the Words: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant”.
Dennis Strickland – Mooresville church of Christ
Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide?
Let Your Conscience Be Ye Your Guide?
It is likely you’ve heard the advice that forms our title at some point in your life. This is probably because of our familiarity with the Disney character Jiminy Cricket from the 1940 Disney version of Pinocchio. Interestingly, Pinocchio was written in 1883 by Carlo Collodi, an Italian writer. Jiminy Cricket, in the original book was a ‘talking cricket’ who was killed by Pinocchio, then returned as a ghost in this fictional story. It is easy to see how Walt Disney could transform Jiminy Cricket into the “conscience” for a wooden boy - turned real.
While the Disney animated version of this story was ‘innocent’ entertainment and designed for children, the underlying message in the film is misleading. The song: Give a Little Whistle in the film, written by Cliff Edwards and Dickie Jones, has Jiminy provide this advice. “When you get in trouble and you don’t know right from wrong, Give a little whistle! Give a little whistle! When you meet temptation and the urge is very strong, Give a little whistle! Give a little whistle! Not just a little squeak, Pucker up and blow. And if your whistle’s weak, yell “Jiminy Cricket!” Take the straight and narrow path and if you start to slide, Give a little whistle! Give a little whistle! And always let your conscience be your guide! And always let your conscience be your guide!”
The real problem with the idea in the film is that Pinocchio had to rely upon another for his conscience. Gal. 6:7-8 makes it clear that each is responsible for his or her actions. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Humans are born with the capacity to think and to develop the capacity to reason. This will determine what their conscience is. Conscience by definition is a cognitive process that elicit emotion and rational associations based on an individual’s moral philosophy or value system. This is another way to describe the remorse a person feels when they commit an act that conflicts with their moral values.
The term ‘conscience’ is not found in the Old Testament, but this does not mean that the idea is not prevalent there. Man is really no different today than when God created him. When God made Adam of the ‘dust of the earth’, we know he had the capacity to reason. Surely something equipped Adam to state what each animal was when God presented them before him. Gen. 2:19 makes this abundantly clear. And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
Man was also created with full ability to fear, feel shame, be angry, and a host of other feelings and emotions as Gen. 3:10; Gen. 4:5; & Gen 4:8 clearly show. We also know from previous events that man had participated in, that man has always been given a choice. This is why the Spirit had the psalmist pen the Words we read in Psa. 119. My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law. The Spirit was having the psalmist remind us that what is in our mind is that which we will follow. This is supported by Prov. 23:6-7, as we are warned of “him that hath an evil eye”, because “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:” In other words, if we think on things that are ‘true; honest; just; pure; lovely; of good report; things of virtue and praise, as Phil. 4:8 directs, these types of things will manifest themselves in our lives.
Cain’s countenance fell when God’s response to his offering affirmed what Cain already knew (Gen. 4:5) – that Cain had disobeyed God. In Gen. 4:7a God told Cain: If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. When one does what he/she knows to be wrong, their mind (the conscience) should be deeply affected. But this is not always the case.
There are at least two situations in which the ‘conscience’ is not a reliable guide. 1) When one is untaught, or improperly taught as the Spirit had the apostle Paul declare in Acts 23:1: “And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” A reading of the 22nd chapter clearly shows Paul was speaking of him being properly taught by Ananias and his obedience to the gospel. In Acts 26:9 we find how Paul’s ‘conscience’ guided him before he was properly taught and before he obeyed the gospel. I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 2) When one allows his “heart” (mind or conscience) to become hardened. Both situations are as prevalent today as they have always been. 1Tim. 4:2 speaks of some, who are clearly identified as those who have departed from the faith. Their ‘conscience’ is seared as “with a hot iron;” Eph. 4:19 describes such as “being past feeling” and as a result, give themselves over to all sorts of “lasciviousness”. The previous verse states: Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:(Eph 4:18).
One cannot enter eternity to be ever with God: 1) not taught properly, and therefore not obeying, or, 2) So “stiff necked” and hardened so they only follow their own will. Remember the Words of Jer. 10:23 - O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. Don’t depend on your ‘conscience’ to be your guide or save you. It won’t! Also remember the Words of Christ in Jno. 8:32 - And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Let the Word of God (the truth) be your guide.
Dennis Strickland – Mooresville church of Christ
Sin and Iniquity
Sin and Iniquity
For our benefit, man has been given a great gift from God. He sent His Son to die on the cross and He sent His Spirit to bring His Word. One might wonder why such was needed. On the other hand, many take this for granted. God has a purpose for all He has done and will do. God is omniscient, meaning He knows everything. This includes what was yet to be revealed. For instance, we are told in Mark 13:32, that while He was on earth, there were some things which had not been yet revealed to the Christ. In context, this was speaking of the fall of Jerusalem, as Christ revealed in Mark 13:30 would occur in that generation.
However, Christ knew and revealed to Zacchaeus, His purpose for coming to earth in Luke 19:10. Christ said: “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. ” But what makes one lost? We all know the story of Zacchaeus, the publican, who was a ‘wee little man’ who climbed into the Sycamore tree to see the Christ Who was to pass that way. Notice what the crowd murmured in Luke 19:7. “And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.” From this we must all conclude that sin or iniquity makes one lost.
This aligns perfectly with Isa. 59:2 which also shows that “lost” is separated from God, and that sin and iniquity produces such a condition. Incidentally, per this verse, if one has ‘unrepented’ sin or iniquity in their lives, God will not hear them (their prayers). But before we go on, let’s define sin and iniquity. The biblical definition of sin is found in 1John 3:4b: “for sin is the transgression of the law” (KJV). To sin is to transgress, or break, the law of God. The Bible says a lot about sin. It tells us that all have sinned (Rom. 3:23) and that sin leads to death (Rom. 6:23). Iniquity is a violation of the right or duty that mankind is under obligation to do. An iniquity can also be a wicked act and immoral conduct or practice. These are harmful or offensive to society and, especially to God. In the bible, the terms, sin, and iniquity are often used interchangeably. Participation in either of these separates one from God.
Sins and iniquities are usually equated with doing something contrary to what God has Commanded. Often to see if one has sinned, they look for a “thou shalt” or a “thou shalt not” such as was stated in the Old Testament. But one can also sin against God by ‘not doing’, as Jas. 4:17 shows. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. The breaking of God’s Law under either Testaments is sin, whether it is by doing what God said not to do, or if it is by not doing what God Commanded. When one sins, they separate themselves from God and need to be ‘redeemed’ from those sins.
In 1Cor. 15:3 we are informed that Christ died “for our sins according to the scriptures”. Many have embraced the false idea that Christ’s Blood, which He shed willingly on Calvary’s Cross, automatically covers all man’s sins. It is most likely they have misapplied verses such as 1John 2:2, which reads: “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” Couple this with John 3:16 (which most also often misapply), and some folks contend that Christ’s blood is accessed by simply believing, and then they are ‘saved’. This is not what that verse says or means.
Perhaps they haven’t ever read Rom. 3:25 which reads: “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; ” Maybe they don’t fully understand what propitiation means. It means “the action of propitiating or appeasing God”. The blood of Christ, if/when correctly applied, appeases the wrath of God. Because of our sin, we all rightly should suffer eternal punishment as the psalmist penned in Psa. 103:10 as the Spirit directed: He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. God has truly been gracious to man.
This brings up the question: “How do I properly access the Blood of Christ so my sins can be forgiven?” It’s a great question and deserves a Bible answer. There is not a single verse that answers this, nor is there a single act that brings one into contact with Christ’s blood. The process is found in several verses and requires several steps. (1) Hearing (the gospel) is required per Rom. 10:17. (2) Belief is definitely a part of the process as Jesus taught in John 8:24. (3) Then, one must repent (turn away from their sins) – Luke 13:3. (4) Following this, one must confess Christ as the Son of God – Rom. 10:9-10. (5) Finally, as we read in Acts 16:22, 1Pet. 3:21, Acts 2:41 & 47, folks are baptized into Christ, and their sins are washed away; they become children of God, they are saved from their past sins and are added to the church for which Jesus died. (6) From this point forward, the Christian is to remain faithful until death – Rev. 2:10 & 1Cor. 9:27.
What about those who have done these things and became children of God and have sinned afterward? How can these sins be remitted? Acts 8:21-22 is where this is addressed. Simon (the former sorcerer) ‘fell’ (sinned) as he offered the apostles money to buy the power conferred upon the apostles by the Spirit. He was told his “heart is not right in the sight of God.” He was told to repent, and to pray to God for forgiveness. In so doing, per 1John 1:7, he was accessing the blood of Christ following his conversion.
Why would one not want to seek to have their sins and iniquities addressed in accordance with what God has given in the New Testament? Failure to do so is to be lost, remain lost, and be eternally separated from God. All should seek to have of God, what the Spirit had penned in Heb. 10:17. “ And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”
Dennis Strickland – Mooresville church of Christ
What Are We Learning, and Why?
What Are We Learning, and Why?
If you’ve participated in any organized learning experience such as a class or a course of any duration, you perhaps have asked the question above. This may have been for various reasons. The answer should have been discovered before beginning the course or class. It is my understanding that many courses have a syllabus, which is an “outline of the subjects in a course of study or teaching”. It makes sense to me that one would “investigate” a bit to see if the course of study is one in which they desire to participate. Also, what are the costs? What are the benefits?
Of course, if you have obeyed the gospel, and therefore are a Christian, you must have had some instruction (heard the gospel), or there is no way you could have obeyed. The Christian life is to be one of learning, and learning requires study as 2Tim. 2:15 shows. The Spirit had the apostle Paul write this admonition to the young preacher Timothy. These Words are equally applicable today. It is surely apparent that the approval we are to be seeking is that of God and not man. This is a ‘positive’ verse and requires the ‘rightly dividing’ (handling aright) the Word of God.
Notice that the above-mentioned verse is ‘sandwiched’ between ‘negative’ verses. In the 14th verse, caution was advised to “strive not about words to no profit”. It is also pointed out that to go about striving about words is the means for “subverting of the hearers”. Therefore, we MUST be diligent in what we are learning. Verses 16 & 17 provide the “why”. “Profane and vain babblings” are to be shunned because they “increase to more ungodliness”. Left alone, they “eat as doth a canker” (an ulcer). Some ‘translations’ call this a cancer, and the effect is about this same, but this is a mistranslation from the original Greek.
The point is well made. Improper teaching results in improper learning and this lends itself to false doctrine being practiced. One cannot be taught wrong and expect to obey correctly. To think otherwise is to negate the whole idea of teaching & learning as everyone could do as they wish and call it obedience.
For one to learn they must be taught. The Lord knew this and addressed the situation in Matt 15:9. As some were ‘teaching’ the “commandments of men” as doctrine, others followed, and participated in “vain worship”. Howbeit, just before He ascended to His Heavenly Father, He instructed His apostles to “Go, teach, baptize, and teach” (much emphasis on teaching) in Matt. 28:18-20. He had been given all authority. His ministry had been completed and His mission successful. His earthly message had been about the things of the kingdom (the church for which He died). His final instruction (teaching) to the apostles in this book’s account is given. “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:” It is apparent that what is taught and what is learned is of utmost importance.
If the same thing is taught and the same things learned, the same thing will be put into practice. In Phil. 3:16 the Spirit had Paul state it: “Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.” Would not this “rule” be what had been taught and learned? Paul’s ways “in Christ” were evident and also being taught and learned “every where in every church” (congregation) 1Cor. 4:17, as there is only one church per Eph. 4:4-6. The Spirit also had Paul write another young preacher and give him instruction that also applies to us in Titus 2:11-12. If we learn from this, we will be “denying ungodliness and worldly lusts” and should seek to “live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;”. If this is taught, learned, and put into daily practice, unity and fidelity among brethren and congregations would exist, and physical and spiritual growth would occur.
Otherwise, as the Words of 1Tim 6:3-5 indicate, the teacher in question doesn’t consent to sound words, and fails to adhere to the “doctrine which is according to godliness; “, and “is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, 5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness:”. We are commanded to withdraw from such.
In 2Tim. 2:2 we see how the Spirit had Paul direct Timothy about teaching. This shows how sound Biblical teaching is to be perpetuated. Paul received his message directly from the Holy Spirit, so Paul was teaching by inspiration. That same message was to be received and passed on to “faithful men who shall be able to teach others” the same message. There were not to be changes due to various circumstances or situations. God’s plan and God’s message does not change. Any teaching in the religious realm that cannot be proven by a ‘thus sayeth the Lord’ or by searching the scriptures is false and is not to be learned or followed. This is also supported by 1Peter 4:11. “Speaking” here is directly referencing teaching. “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.” We should remember that it is God’s Word which we speak and teach and not our own.
Another way to ensure we are seeking to learn the correct things is to ask ourselves “why” I am learning? Am I seeking to learn to support what I’ve always been taught so I can defend it? Or am I seeking to learn what God would have me know so I can obey Him and serve Him? Am I seeking to learn so that I may ‘please’ others? Perhaps we should all learn Gal. 1:10b. “ . . . or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” A lot depends on what we learn and why we learn it. How we use what we learn, as well as our soul’s destiny depends on it. Think about it!
Dennis Strickland – Mooresville church of Christ
Cause and Effect
Cause and Effect
We’ve all likely heard of ‘cause and effect’. The definition of this phrase per Mariam Webster is: “the direct relationship between an action or event and its consequence or result”. Many today think that everything that happens does so because of something else. This is not a new phenomenon. In Job 4:7 we see Eliphaz accuse Job, supposing Job brought his present misery upon himself. We then read of Bildad’s accusation in Job 8:6, again assuming Job’s sins were the cause for which he was afflicted. Finally, in Job 11:3-14, Zophar opines that Job should be more greatly punished for ‘supposed’ sins he had committed.
As we move to the time of Christ, this idea still prevailed. In John 9:1, as the Lord returned from the Mount of Olives, He passed by a man who was blind from birth. In verse two, the mindset of the Lord’s disciples which prompted a question was apparent. They asked Him if the man or His parents had sinned to bring this upon the man. Christ’s answer from verse three is noticeably clear. Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. Christ simply used a ‘current situation’ for which no one was at fault and performed a miracle to glorify God.
Sin is not ‘passed on’ from generation to generation as some falsely teach. This was made clear in Ezek. 18:20 long before the time of Christ. The Spirit had this prophet tell Israel: The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. Each is responsible for their own soul. This is not to say there is no ‘cause and effect’ associated with some disobedience. For instance, in Hos. 4:6 where God’s people (Israel) were “destroyed for lack of knowledge”, their children would be forgotten by God because the parents failed to instruct the children to seek God and His Word. The parent’s lack of teaching is the cause, and the effect is their children’s disobedience because they did not teach them the Word of God. All parents ought to consider this.
As adults we are required to make decisions. Our choices are the cause, and the result is the effect. This is true in business, marriages, and all other areas of life. This is especially true as we consider our souls. In Gal. 6:7-8 this is clearly taught. The Christians in these congregations were warned that the choices they made (cause) would have an eternal impact (effect) on their souls. Paul was directed to write: Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. Our choice to live ‘for the flesh’ (serve self), is not making any preparation for the afterlife. Failure to properly prepare in accordance with God’s Word is the cause, and eternity separated from God in a devil’s Hell is the effect.
We need to be reminded that not everything that happens can be attributed to cause and effect. Eccl. 9:12 teaches that sometimes people die suddenly. For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them. Some of these deaths are caused by accidents and such. Some might argue in these cases that such a death is the effect, and the accident was the cause. While it may be a bit ‘cliché’, death is simply a part of life. A birth is the beginning of life outside of the womb, and death is the cessation of life. Death has also been defined as a separation.
This is certainly true in the physical realm as Jas. 2:26 teaches. This passage also teaches that ‘faith only’ is equally dead. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Death can also mean separation without the cessation of physical life as is depicted in Gen. chapter 3. Man had been warned and the woman also knew the warning from God. In Gen. 3:2-3 we find: And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. The closing verses in the chapter show that man (and woman) faced death (separation from God) as they were banished from the Garden forever. There was certainly ‘cause and effect’ in this situation as their ‘sin’ was the cause and their punishment was the effect.
Each of us are going to face death. This is certain as life itself. In Josh. 23:14, shortly before his death, Joshua made this proclamation: And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: This is much the same as David stated as he charged Solomon in 1Kings 2:2-3 not long before David died. He told his son he was going to die, and that Solomon needed to follow God’s Ways for his own benefit. He said: I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; We too shall face death per Heb. 9:27. Notice what else this passage teaches. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
When time is no more and the Lord returns, earth will be destroyed, and the judgement will take place. In 2Cor. 5:10, the apostle warned those brethren of the ultimate in ‘cause and effect’. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Why not make the needed changes today? Whatever ‘effect’ or judgment you receive will be what you have caused.
Dennis Strickland – Mooresville church of Christ
The Devil Made Me Do It
The Devil Made Me Do It!
Most of us have likely heard the title of this week’s article. Some of us have heard it from folks when they were caught doing something wrong or evil and are looking for an excuse for their actions which will deflect the blame from them. This is also likely the idea behind a skit which turned into a catch phrase for the comedian Clerow “Flip” Wilson. He often performed skits depicting several different personas in which this catch phrase was employed. His most popular character was ‘Geraldine Jones’ who utilized the phrase liberally. Another was ‘Reverend Leroy’, the materialistic pastor of the "Church of What’s Happening Now”. Flip passed from this life in 1998, but this idea and the ‘church’ which Flip suggested seems to be very prevalent in our world today.
To adhere to such an ‘excuse’ as our title suggest is absolutely a result of a lack of sound Bible teaching. When asked “why” we did something, or “what made one do such a thing”, the way of man seems to be to deflect the blame toward another. This was the case with Adam in the Garden when God asked him if he had eaten of the forbidden fruit. In Gen. 3:12 Adam seems to blame God as he says: “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.” Oh, the lengths to which man will go to ‘lay the blame’ elsewhere. The ‘woman’ (Eve) came a little closer to saying “The Devil Made Me Do It!” as vs 13 shows: “The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.”
We need to consult the Word of God rather than to seek to claim the sin which we do is another’s fault. Jas. 1:13-16 indicates several things. 1) God is not the source of temptation. 2) Temptation comes from within the individual. 3) Temptation allowed to ‘run amok” results in sin. 4) Sin, not checked, and not repented of produces (spiritual) death. 5) It is within the individual’s power and ability to resist temptation and keep our thoughts under control. This makes it possible to ‘control’ our bodies and ‘make them’ do as we think. This is how a sound Christian continues to ‘walk’ according to truth and not allow themselves to be enticed, bewitched, tricked, and deceived by Satan and his devices.
We are reminded of this in 2Cor. 2:11 as the apostle Paul wrote as directed by the Holy Spirit. The brethren there were being warned that we (Christians) can be ‘aware’ of Satan’s devices. What are these? They are ‘all the tools’ and ‘tricks of the trade’ he uses to ensnare God’s people. If we allow ourselves to remain ignorant of these, we give Satan the advantage. This is because the only power Satan (the devil) has over us is influence. He exercises this over us in various ways. He cannot “MAKE US” do anything, but if he can “GET US” to do something contrary to God’s Word, he has us right where he wants us.
We may wonder what methods he uses to influence. In Eph. 2:2 he is called the “prince of the power of the air” which means his work is performed in this realm, the same in which we live. In Job 2:2, before he was allowed to afflict the faithful servant, God asked Satan from whence he came. His answer is very revealing. He said: “From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” He was quite busy seeking to turn people on earth away from God. It didn’t work in Job’s situation, and it needn’t be so with us.
We also should know that he (Satan) does not do all the work himself. We are aware that Satan presented himself as a serpent in the garden. We are told in 2Cor. 11:14 he is “transformed into” (appears as) “an angel of light”. But He also has many followers and workers. Verse 15 reveals how many of his “imps” appear to others and what will become of them as well as those who follow them. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. This is no doubt why we were given the admonition of 1John 4:1. We are to “try the spirits” to assure they teach and preach only God’s Word. This is necessary “because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
Need we be reminded of how subtle a change was made in God’s Command in the Garden? The serpent (the devil) only added one word (NOT) and diverted the mind of the woman from the ‘Word of God’ to the ‘lusts of her own mind’. Along with that came her desire to get Adam to ‘go along’ and join in. Sin was the result then and sin is the result now. When ‘false teachers’ alter the Word of God and ‘pervert’ it, and preach and teach it to others, Gal. 1:6-9 tells us they are “accursed”. This is well defined in the Words of Christ in Matt 25:41 as He spoke of “everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” Any deviation from God’s Word is sin. This is why it is so important to study it, meditate upon it, and live by it. But how can we do this when so much effort is made to thwart us? This is how Satan wants Christians to think.
Don’t despair, God has provided all we need so that we won’t be influenced by Satan, if we will access it and use it. In Jas. 4:7 Christians have divine assurance that if we “Resist the devil, . . . he will flee from you.” We can only do this as we submit ourselves to God. In Eph 4:27 we have the admonition: not to “give place to the devil.” This is how in 1Cor 9:27, Paul (and we) could keep under his (our) body and bring it into subjection. We do this per Eph.6:11 as we “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
The devil CANNOT MAKE US DO ANYTHING and everyone has the same means from God to resist. In 1Cor 10:13 we see that all temptations have been used before, but also that God has provided a “way to escape” all that the devil presents before us to trip us up. That ‘way’ is God’s Word. We also see from 1John 3:8 Christ was “manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” Don’t allow the devil to influence you to your own destruction.
Dennis Strickland – Mooresville church of Christ
Approved? But By Whom?
Approved? But By Whom?
Man seeks approval. This seems to be a taught trait. As man domesticates animals for work and as companions, he seeks to instill this in those creatures as well. Man has even gone so far as to breed animals with certain qualities so they will be more obedient, attentive, protective, or playful. These animals are then taught to seek approval of its owners. However, when all is said and done, and if the attempt to teach such to animals comes to nought, it matters little. When the beast dies, there is nothing beyond for it. In Eccl. 3:20-21 we are told that physical bodies all return to the same state. Here we are also informed that the ‘spirit’ (soul) of man has a destination. “All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. 21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?”
If the animal cannot be trained, or taught to seek approval of its owner, or it lives its entire life in the wild according to nature and the instincts with which it was born, it does not change its destiny. It simply lives, then dies, then that of which its body was composed, returns to the elements from which it came. The ‘spirit’ of life is all the animal has. It does not possess a soul. On the other hand, man has the ‘spirit’ of life as well as a soul. In Gen 2:7 we are told: “God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” None of God’s creation, except humanity, was granted this.
Because man was given a soul, he was also granted the faculties to reason, to think, to decide and to choose. Parents (hopefully) teach their children to seek approval in the right way and from the proper source. But not all approval is that which should be sought. In Gen. 4:5 we see that Cain sought approval of God (the right source), yet in the wrong way regarding his offering. Cain sought approval according to his ‘own will” and not that of God. In Gen. 4:7a we find: If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. Seeking wrong approval or acceptance is sin.
Because man has choice, he can determine in what, and of whom he will seek to be accepted or approved. However, mankind will fare much better when properly informed before making such a decision with eternal consequences. Upon an examination of God’s dealings with His O.T. people (Israel) for the sole purpose of bringing the promised Messiah (the Christ), we find they often failed to seek the approval of God. In fact, in Jer. 14:10-11, the prophet, guided by the Spirit, had a message for them. He reminded them: “they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet”, which means they chose to NOT FOLLOW God’s Word or seek His approval. Therefore, God did “not accept them” and would “now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins.” This means God would punish them.
In fact, their refusal to seek God’s approval in full accordance with His Word prompted God to tell the prophet: “Pray not for this people for their good.” They had hardened their hearts and refused God to the point that God had determined: “When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.” God’s own people, in failing to seek His approval, had brought upon themselves rejection from God and destruction of body and soul. They had no one to blame but themselves as they were creatures who had been granted the power to choose.
In Rom. 15:4 we read that the things of the past recorded in God’s Word are for our learning. We also see in 1Cor. 10:11 that the record of the outcome of the decisions of others were for our examples and written for our admonition. Will we not learn from others, or heed the admonition of God lest we make the same mistakes? Sadly, some don’t. In Jno. 8:44a, nearing the end of the O.T. Law of God, Christ called out some of the Jews of His day who failed to properly follow God and in so doing was approved of the devil. He said: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.” Christ had observed their actions and knew their thoughts, so His judgement was righteous.
In Rom. 6:16, the brethren of that city were reminded that the one of whom they sought approval and to whom they yielded, would be whom they served. Again, choice is a factor. We see in vss 17-18 that they had once ‘served’ sin, but when they “obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine” they were made “free from sin”. In other words, when they were ‘baptized into Christ’ in which they contacted His blood, in full accordance with the N.T. doctrine, their past sins were remitted. In so doing, they had full approval of God. This is stated in a slightly different way in Eph. 4:22-24. There we see we are to “put off” the “old man” and his “conversation” (manner of life) and be “renewed in the spirit of your mind”. This means when we are taught what God approves (and are shown it in His Word), if we seek God’s Approval, we will do as God Commands. If not, we are seeking our own approval. Surely none desires to suffer the fate of being rejected of God because we didn’t seek His approval or obey Him.
In Acts 10:34-35, as Peter stood before Cornelius and his house to preach that soul saving message of the gospel, the Spirit had him say: “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.” To “fear God and work righteousness” is to be obedient to God’s Word. Why will you not seek God’s approval by obeying the gospel, and then remaining faithful to His Word today? To seek approval of self, or of man is to bring condemnation upon your eternal soul.
Dennis Strickland – Mooresville church of Christ
Talk About A Winner!
Talk About a Winner!
In life, many seek to be a winner. However, the question needs to be asked: “What constitutes winning”? To many, this is “coming out ahead” in the various areas of life. For some, it is a certain level of success in the business world. To others, it is wealth or power. To still others, winning is becoming the best at a particular sport and wearing the title “GOAT” (Greatest Of All Time) for a while.
How many fail to realize that earth’s successes are fleeting? How many fail to see that after we leave this life, whatever ‘earthly success’ we might have enjoyed is over? Who can “inherit” this? None can “win” by basking in the success of those who came before them. One also cannot win by leaving others material goods or monies. In Eccl. 2:18-19, the Spirit had Solomon pen wise Words to help us through this aspect of life. Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. 19 And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.
The one who inherits goods, wealth, or properties from another cannot call themselves winners. All that ‘stuff’ will perish when the Lord destroys the earth and the ‘works therein’ with fire. One can only truly benefit in this life from the influence of others (if it’s the right influence). This is where we can become winners. When the influence ‘directs us correctly’ to the Word of God, and if we “choose” to read, study, meditate on and “do” what God Commands we are ‘winners’ in this life and are preparing for the ultimate win – eternity with God.
This is perhaps the idea behind the poem here – written by my wife’s father, O.D. Wilson, many years ago. He didn’t amass much in this life, and he was not able to ‘leave’ his children ‘worldly’ goods or monies. But what he left them, (a deep and abiding love for God’s Word), and his preparation for that eternal home made him a winner. Won’t you seek to be a winner too?
Talk About A Winner
The crowd continues waiting,
And excitement’s in the air.
A celebrity’s debating,
When to make the ‘entrance’ there.
Every eye has been directed,
To behold some thrilling things,
When the ‘star’ who is expected,
Comes from “waiting in the wings”.
In the game the score is “tied”.
Two are “out” and three are “on”.
“on the deck” one will decide,
With the bat he brings along.
As the crowd stands in the bleachers,
Now, the pitcher makes his “wind”,
Some are disappointed creatures,
For their team is four behind.
The horses are all a “prancing”,
As they’re guided in the “chute”,
Betters know what they are chancing,
Hoping to collect the “loot”.
They wait for a grand performance,
And to watch them as they run.
While the “purse” remains enormous,
Someone, first, must “fire the gun”.
The Trumpet has just sounded,
And the earth is “wrapped in flames”,
Teaming millions from all ages,
Stand there, listening for their ‘names’.
Time has ended, and Eternity,
Is waiting, just before,
As the “Judge” raps with His gavel,
“Will you read that name, once more?”
In life’s battles there are “losers”,
Many of us do not win.
Maybe, we are just poor “choosers”,
Between right and wrong and sin.
There’ll be nothing to compare,
Or, such grandeur so sublime.
At that “meeting in the air”,
When the next name called is mine.
Poem by: O.D. Wilson (deceased) –
Article by: Dennis Strickland – Mooresville church of Christ
Are You On Target?
Are You On Target?
To hit a target, one must aim. Of course, we’ve all heard the adage: “Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and again”. This means that accidentally, one might possibly hit a target without aiming. However, often, as one takes his eye off the target, a miss occurs. We apply this in many areas of life. We instruct our children to “keep your eye on the ball” as we teach them to catch or hit that little orb. This requires patience on the part of the parent or coach and takes persistence and determination on the part of the child.
When we contemplate taking a job, there is also a ‘target’ in mind. This may be a certain salary or position within a company. The most common advice given is to “keep your eye on the goal” as the appropriate “rungs on the ladder” are taken to achieve the objectives. This also takes patience and perseverance. In many cases, when one perceives themselves as advancing toward the desired purpose, they gain confidence and are more likely to keep their focus.
We need to apply this idea in the realm of religion as well. Are we naïve to the point of thinking, like much of the world, that all are going to go to heaven after life is over? To those who think this way, heaven is not even a goal, but a certainty. Is this why the Spirit had Paul write in Phil. 3:12 that he had not yet “attained”? Why would he be “forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before”? Would there be any need to “press toward the mark for the prize” as stated in vss 13 & 14?
Would there have been any reason for the Spirit to have Paul write what we see in 1Cor 9:24ff to the brethren there: “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.”? Why ‘run’ if heaven is already assured? Why “keep under my body and bring it into subjection” if there is no penalty for disobedience? Why even mention the possibility of being a “castaway” if there’s not a goal to be attained? Why would any “strive” for that incorruptible crown if it’s guaranteed to all? God has given us His Word so we can know there is a goal and how to reach it.
Surely, we all can see the fallacy in thinking that heaven is certain regardless of what we believe or do. Therefore, we need to have a target. We also MUST CHOOSE THE CORRECT TARGET because our soul’s eternal destiny depends on it. We then need to take care to keep this target in sight. This is obviously why the Spirit had Paul tell the brethren of Colossae at what to aim in Col. 3:2 - Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. The things on the earth will not last. Jesus spoke of this in Matt. 6:19-21, in the Sermon on the Mount. He clearly pointed out to the Jews that believed on Him and gathered to hear Him that earth’s treasures are temporary. He also stated that the treasures of heaven are eternally secure. This was to be their target, and in Matt. 6:33 He told them specifically what that target was. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. The ‘kingdom of God’ is speaking of the church.
Now that we have firmly established, 1) The need to have a target, and 2) the necessity of having the correct target, we can ask the question: Are You On Target? This question is relevant and needs to be asked because once a target or goal is determined, it is possible to lose focus. Christ also addressed this in the Sermon on the Mount. Just after telling those Jews to ‘lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven’, He spoke of the ‘singleness of the eye’. This part of the sermon is about focus and allegiance. In Matt 6:24 we find it is impossible to maintain our fidelity to God and serve ‘self’, money, or power at the same time. No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
I said earlier that in many situations it is possible to accidentally hit a target without aiming. That target of ‘salvation of the soul’ that God has provided for man is the exception to that rule. Heaven cannot be ‘accidentally’ attained. One cannot ‘inadvertently be added to the church. In Matt. 7:21, once again from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said: Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; (the church) but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. One MUST ‘Take Aim’ and do as God directs in His N. T. Word to ‘become’ part of the church. Remember, one must ‘become before they can be’.
John 1:12 clearly states that what Christ gave to man through His Sacrifice was not Salvation, but the “power to become the sons of God”. Christ shed His blood in His death on the cross. John 1:13 tells us one must be “born of God”. This is only accomplished in baptism ‘into Christ’. Rom. 6:3-4 shows how this spiritual birth occurs. In Baptism ‘into Christ’ (spiritual birth), one contacts the blood of Christ. The difference in physical birth and spiritual birth is that in the former, one does not “choose” to be born. They are a product of their parents. In spiritual birth, we CHOOSE to be born, and when. One can only be born spiritually as God depicts in His Word (John 3:5 & 1Pet. 1:23)
Following our spiritual birth, we have ‘taken aim’. After this, we MUST remain on target (remain faithful) to God and His Word if we expect to receive the prize of heaven. The prize of heaven is not given until the Lord returns. One way of doing this is to “keep your eye on the target”. By the way, there are two ‘targets’ on which one can look. Heb. 10:27 shows God’s adversaries can “look for” the ‘fiery indignation” of God to “devour” them. 1Thess 4:15-18 is where we find the other ‘target’, to be forever with the Lord. Are you on target? If so, which one? Make sure you are focused on the right target.
Dennis Strickland – Mooresville church of Christ
Same Thing - Only Different?
Same Thing – Only Different?
Have you ever heard someone say this? What does this even mean? Does it mean ‘similar’? If so, why not say similar? Has it not occurred to some that the “same thing” is not a “different thing”? Perhaps those who support, defend and use some of these so-called bibles prescribe to the idea that similar is OK. They use the ‘version of the Bible’ they prefer (follow their own will) and expect all to be ‘on the same page’. Some offer the idea that we just don’t understand things alike. To me this is equally confusing. One either understands something or they do not! Things are the same or they are different.
As we look into God’s Word, notice that the word ‘different’ is not found in the sacred text even once. 1Cor. 4:7 is the only place the word ‘differ’ can be found. The brethren there were asked: “For who maketh thee to differ from another?” On the other hand, in 1Cor. 1:10 these same brethren were told to speak the “same thing” and “be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” Additionally, in Phil. 3:16, even as the Word was first being delivered, we see how this is accomplished. They were told “let us walk by the same rule (God’s Word), let us mind the same thing.”
Earlier, I mentioned so-called Bibles. There are many ‘versions’ (perversions) of the Word of God. For instance, the prophecy of Isa. 7:14 of the KJV Bible reads. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Contrast that with what is found in the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) for the same verse. Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. This is not even a prophecy! “Young women” have been bearing children since shortly after Adam and Eve sinned and were banished from the Garden of Eden. There are many other examples of this in many of the ‘perversions’ of God’s Word, but time and space prevents a listing of them here.
I want to know, What is the “Standard Version” of the Bible, and why did it need to be revised in the first place. Also I ask, was there ever an “Old” Revised Version? I have been able to determine that this particular mutation, (or perversion) of the Bible came into being in 1989 and was derived from the “Revised Standard Version” 2nd edition, which came out in 1971. The NRSV updated version was released in 2021 and is now called the NRSVue. From Wikipedia, we find that the NRSV is a translation of the Bible in contemporary English. It was published by the “National Council of Churches”, (the largest ecumenical body in the United States) and was produced by a committee “comprising about thirty members”.
By contrast, the KJV Bible was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611. There was an ‘update’ in 1769 to change spelling from Olde English, and to make a few typesetting changes, but not to alter or ‘revise’ the content. The Word of God has been ‘translated’ on many occasions, and into many languages. However, a translation is not an alteration or changing of the text. A translation is not the “same thing - only different”. A translation is the “same thing” but presented in a different language.
Man has been “commanded” in the Old and New Testaments not to “add to or take away” from or “alter” God’s Word. There are serious ramifications for so doing. A ‘revision’ of God’s Word is an alteration. True ‘translation’ is not alteration. The Holy Spirit provided ‘translation’ of the N.T. Word of God before it was even written. We are told in Acts 2:5 as the Jews had assembled for Pentecost as Commanded under the Law of Moses, Jews from ‘every nation under heaven’ were gathered. In verses 6-8, the multitude heard in their own tongues (languages) as the apostles spoke. It was also noted that these apostles were Galileans. It is affirmed that each heard “in our tongues the wonderful words of God” in verse 11. They did not hear the ‘same thing – only different’ but heard the same thing (the Word of God), each person hearing in their own language.
Additionally, from Acts chapter 3 and 4 we read of the healing of the lame beggar at the gate called Beautiful, the preaching from Solomon’s porch, and the conversion of about five thousand. The Jewish council was “grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead” (Acts 4:2). In Acts 4:13 the council perceived that Peter and John were “unlearned and ignorant men”. This simply means that these apostles were not recipients of “higher education”. There is nothing wrong with education, but one can be educated and remain ‘ignorant’. According to Felix, as he chided the apostle Paul in Acts 26:24 he said: “much learning doth make thee mad”. Again, education is not a bad thing (if it is the right education). The proper application of the learning is what makes the difference.
A little later, in Acts 26:28, Agrippa told Paul “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian”. Paul’s inspired answer is in vs 29. “I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.” Is ‘almost’ the same thing – only different than ‘altogether’? Is a “religious person” the same thing – only different than a Christian? Is “to live a good clean life” the same thing – only different than to obey and serve God according to His Word? Think about it!
Dennis Strickland – Mooresville church of Christ
