4 January 2009

A New Year Is An Old Refrain

(Kent Heaton)

It was on the fourth day of creation (Genesis 1:14-19) that God placed lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and to serve as signs and seasons, and for days and years. The sun would rule in the day and the moon would rule in the night. The design of the heavenly bodies was to give light on the earth and to divide the light from the darkness. “And God saw that it was good.”

Our world is not two thousand and nine years old. It is much older and no one knows the exact age of the earth. As we pass the milestone of 2009 we reflect upon the creation of time and the impact on man. The world is ruled by days and nights that have been established in a period of time since creation. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1) declares that man lives in an envelope of time. Creation itself is divided into six days with the Lord resting on the seventh day. The garden where man first lived had a “tree of life” (Genesis 2:9) that would sustain the years of man’s existence forever. Following the rebellion of man in Genesis 3 the Lord God drove man from the garden “lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever” (Genesis 3:22).

Moses writes of Adam living 930 years and his son Seth living 912 years (Genesis 5:5,6). The oldest man in the Bible is recorded as Methuselah at the age of 969 years (Genesis 5:27). Throughout the pages of scripture the Holy Spirit impresses upon the pages of time the years of man’s fleeting years. Life has been measured by the ruler of time since the beginning and how many new years have passed is known only to the Creator. The reality of life is that while we acknowledge a new year it is only an old reminder of the ages past where men have walked before.

Time is a fleeting vapor that “appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). The marking of transition between years serves as a reminder that we are mortal beings governed by the clock of time ever winding down toward a final end. Reflections are made from this past year of those whom we knew and loved that died. In that somber reflection we acknowledge that time has passed for that person. Man has a beginning and man has an end. There is no new year for them. Even if we were able to live as long as Methuselah we would find the same fate he found at the age of 969: “and he died.” Should this make us despondent or should this make us aware of our mortality?

The celebration of a new year should be a time of joy to share with one another in the blessing of God’s grace. Cognitive of this fact should cause us to think soberly upon the decisions that we made last year and the decisions we shall make this year. Moses declared in Psalm 90, “So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (v12). We should number our days in the celebration of our years. The decisions made last year will find fruit in the plans we will seek in the coming year to be more keenly aware of our lives before an eternal God.

The Preacher of Ecclesiastes declared, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God, and keep His commandments for this is the whole of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it is good, or whether evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). Happy New Year in the year of our Lord 2009. May the blessing of God’s Son be our guiding light in this new year.

Who Made Up The Church Before The Restoration Movement?

(Doy Moyer)

Question: The restoration movement began in the early 1800’s. From that came the Church of Christ. Before that who made up the church? I am a devout member of the Church of Christ and I just want to know how to answer this question in line with the Word. Thank You.

Response: First, I want to comment on the first couple of sentences in the question. "The restoration movement began in the early 1800’s. From that came the Church of Christ." May I kindly say that this is not a correct way of stating the point; and once we understand something about the church of Christ, the answer to the question will be obvious.

To say, "from that came the Church of Christ" is to put the church into the framework of a denomination. It is to imply that the church of Christ had its beginnings in the restoration movement. If one is looking at a denomination called the "Church of Christ" (and such does exist), then perhaps the point would be legitimate. However, if a denomination called the "Church of Christ" does now exist as a result of the restoration movement, then it is unscriptural and ought to cease to exist, for we can find no biblical support for the existence of a denomination, no matter what name it uses.

Biblically understood, the "church of Christ" is simply a group or body of people who belong to Christ. It is not a title, and the Bible nowhere uses it as such. Though "churches of Christ" is used (Romans 16:16), it is not used exclusively, and then is simply descriptive of congregations that belonged to Christ. Other descriptions are used also: church of God at Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:2); church of the Thessalonians (2 Thessalonians 1:1); church of the firstborn ones (Hebrews 12:23), etc. Clearly, there is no one single title given for all congregations. Therefore, to use the phrase "Church of Christ" as a denominational, exclusive title is without authority and should be abandoned. I cringe when I hear terminology such as "Church of Christ preacher" or "I’m a Church of Christer," etc. It is patently unbiblical and reveals a denominational mindset.

It should be noted that the efforts in the "restoration movement" were not intended to create a new denomination known as the "Church of Christ." My understanding is that they were trying to get away from that kind of thing so that they could just be Christians. This should be our goal always.

To the bottom-line question: Who made up the church before this? The same ones who have always made up the church: those who, by faith, have committed themselves to Christ through obedience to His will (Hebrews 5:9). Just because we do not have a historical record of Christians throughout the centuries does not mean they didn’t exist. I would like to think that there has always been a "remnant" of God’s people, even during the years that Catholicism had a strangle-hold on the populace.

The requirements for salvation did not change with the American restoration movement. Anyone, living at any given time this side of Christ, could have been or can be just Christians by going to the Scriptures to be and do what first century Christians did under the guidance and oversight of Jesus and the apostles. When one obeys the gospel, the Lord adds this person to His body of saved people who make up this "general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven" (Hebrews 12:23). Then, God desires that we join ourselves to a local group of Christians as we carry out His will (cf. Hebrews 10:23-24). In doing this, we should make sure that such a group is practicing truth according to the Bible, working and worshiping in line with the scriptural guidelines. This is the way that we, as individuals, can worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

Just because a local group calls itself a "Church of Christ" does not guarantee its faithfulness, and this is demonstrable. So, that phrase is not some kind of biblical litmus test for soundness. I do not believe that a congregation that is committed to God’s word will call themselves something foreign to Scripture, or identify themselves with some peculiar man, denomination, or doctrine. But ultimately, a congregation is recognized as faithful by the Lord through her holding fast to Him and His will (cf. Revelation 2:8-11; 3:7-13).

Today, if we will hold fast to Christ and His will, He will judge us as faithful. In the end, this is all that really matters.

Hard Of Heeding

(Robert Turner)

"Also, do not take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you” (Ecclesiastes 7:21).

We have read many articles telling us to guard our tongue — be careful of what you say — and we would do well to heed such advice (James 3). But the Holy Spirit also advises us to guard our ears: "what ye hear" (Mark 4:24), "how ye hear" (Luke 8:18). And equally important, there are times when we should not hear what we hear; i.e.; we must have magnanimity of soul" to disregard ugly things we have heard said against us.

Many years past, I received a letter charging me with rash things I had not done. I was about to fire off a hot reply when a friend came by, read the letter and my proposed reply, and gave me some excellent advice. "Robert, that fellow wrote as though you were a wild-eyed fanatic. He has heard rumors, gossip — but he doesn't really know you. He has no proof of those charges, but you are about to send him a signed confirmation.' I destroyed the "proof" and tried to conduct myself so that he would never find out how bad I really was.

We are not dogs — we do not have to bark back at every snarl. We are made in the image of God, with the capacity to love our enemies and to forgive. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you, so that you may become sons of your Father in Heaven. For He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax-collectors do so? Therefore be perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:43-48).

“Take heed to yourselves. If your brother trespasses against you, rebuke him. and if he repents, forgive him. And if he trespasses against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turns again to you, saying, I repent, you shall forgive him. And the apostles said to the Lord, ‘Give us more faith’” (Luke 17:3-5). Nor is an ear that doesn't hear every thing a sign of weakness. The "chip on-his-shoulder" fellow is usually weak and unsure of himself, and feels threatened by every dart.

Solomon's advice has an earthy backdrop: forgive because you need forgiveness. “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14-15); but God, having wronged no one, is the ultimate example of magnanimity. Sinned against, he gave His Son; who, knowing no sin died for you and me. We can't fool God, but thank God, we do not have to. Justice is tempered with mercy, and through Christ, sins are remembered against us no more.

But those who would be recipients of His mercy must "being reviled, revile not again" (1 Peter 2:23); Take not heed unto all words spoken.

A Lesson From Nature

(Selected)

A man standing on the bank of the Niagara River saw a dead sheep being swept down by the current. An eagle lighted upon that sheep. The body sank for a moment under the weight and then came to the surface again. The day was bitter cold and the wool wrapped around the talons began to freeze. Meantime, the sheep was being swept more and more rapidly toward the falls. But the eagle had not the slightest fear. Had you shouted a warning, he would probably have laughed at you. He would have said, "Do not disturb yourself. Do you not see these great wings? There is not the slightest danger."

By this time, the great falls were but a few feet away. The time for action had come. The eagle spread his great burnished brown wings and fanned the air. But the wings did not lift him. The frozen wool held his talons fast, and while his great wings frantically beat the air, he was swept to his death.

Now there was a time when the eagle could have saved himself. He was not made for such a terrible death. But he held on to the sheep so long that, in the end, he could not let go. Do not hold on to the world so long that you will not be able to let go!

Is Television Harmless?

(Selected)

Richard Nixon's book, In The Arena, has an attention-grabbing paragraph on television: "Computer specialists have a saying-'Garbage in, garbage out'-which they use when they want to make the point that a computer is only a mechanism for processing information, not creating it. The same principle applies to television. Young people used to learn their lessons from McGuffey's Readers; the baby-boomers learned them from the Beaver and Gilligan. As the postwar generation came of age, it spawned a new generation of TV programmers, who in turn have put more triviality, sex, violence, and bad manners on the air than anyone ever thought possible. Trash TV could only have been created by people who were raised on the tube. 'Garbage in, garbage out.'"

Fabricated "news" programs, "re-enactments," peeping-tom journalism, heavy-metal rock music, slasher movies, and programs which glorify homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle can hardly be considered neutral as they relate to our culture. Soap operas are chock-full of unfaithfulness, vindictiveness, revenge, materialism and murder, while comedy gives way to lewd and suggestive material. Television has become more than a "vast wasteland" in recent years. It is a sinkhole of depravity with eroticism and occultism being fed to us on a daily basis.

It is certainly sub-Christian, and in many cases even sub-human. Harmless? Hardly! Dangerous? Certainly! Fatal? Possibly.

“For as he thinks within himself, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).