THE TRENTON BULLETIN

THE TRENTON BULLETIN

Trenton Church of Christ, Trenton, Florida

The period of a man’s life is summed up by our Creator as merely a vapor that appears for a short time and then vanishes away (James 4:14). The greatest challenge we face is the reality of our mortality and the brevity of that transient journey called life. It is hard to conceive that life can be so short when all around us is full of life and vitality. Yet the numbering of our days is suggested by the psalmist Moses in his prayer to God. “For all our days have declined in Your fury; we have finished our years like a sigh. As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years, yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; for soon it is gone and we fly away. Who understands the power of Your anger and Your fury, according to the fear that is due You? So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom” (Psalms 90:9-12).

Moses does not suggest that all men will live to be seventy but the fullness of life is measured by a span of time for man but only a glimpse of eternity from the view of Heaven. He lived to be 120 years of age and “his eye was not dim, nor his vigor abated” (Deuteronomy 34:7). Our lives are nothing more than a sigh and soon passed away. The lesson is for all of us to number our days and receive wisdom from our mortality.

Viewing this passage from my own life I realize that Lord willing I have a span of eighteen years and if by strength twenty eight years. Added to this knowledge is the clear reality that my death can come today - at any moment. The lesson from Moses is not about the numbers but about the numbering. Wisdom helps us see through the eye of faith that life for the child of God must be viewed in light of eternity. Our lives are not measured by the marching of time but the time we march into that great city, the holy Jerusalem (Revelation 21:10-27).

Facing death is what we all share and our understanding of that determines our outlook of life. Some are fully aware of their death as disease has crippled them and left little time for their lives to continue. I cannot grasp the measure of faith that men like Phil Roberts had in facing death nor of the faith of Gary Ogden who now faces his mortality. Countless children of God have stood at the door of death and viewed it not with fear but with the longing faith of one who wants to go home to the Father.

Luke describes the death of Stephen as “falling asleep” (Acts 7:60) and Stephen was being murdered by a mob stoning him with stones. The horrible nature of death confuses our minds with the reality of death for the Christian. When Stephen was dying it was a terrible way to die; but he knew that in a moment of time his pain would cease and his life would be transformed from the earthly house to a “house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5:1-9).

Teach us to number our days and know the power of God that rests upon our lives now and especially the power of God that awaits us to carry us by angels to the bosom of Abraham (Luke 16:22). “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And He said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true’” (Revelation 21:4-5). May God grant us the eye of faith to see clearly the eternal home promised before time began (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 11:16).

"But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept" (Genesis 33:4).

Jacob is fervently praying. "Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children" (Genesis 32:11). He dreads the next day when he will see his brother for the first time in twenty years. Like all brothers, Jacob and Esau had quite a history, but theirs included Jacob twice scheming to defraud his brother. Jacob's fear is not unfounded. His brother had said, "The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob" (Genesis 27:41). Hearing that, Jacob had run for his life, and had prospered in a foreign land. Now he is returning, at the head of a huge caravan, with his four wives and many children. Word comes that Esau is coming to meet him with four hundred men! Jacob thinks quickly and divides the group into two companies in case of an attack. In a final desperate act to assuage his brother's anger, he "bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother" (Genesis 33:3). The moment is tense; what will Esau do? "But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept" (Genesis 33:4). Finally, gloriously, the grudge was ended!

Ten grown men are similarly nervous. They have just buried their father, yet their minds are not focused on grieving or remembering him. "When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, 'Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him'" (Genesis 50:15). Afraid to approach Joseph themselves, they send messengers to beg him to forgive their sin. Finally, they appear themselves before Joseph, "fell down before his face, and they said, 'Behold, we are your servants'" (Genesis 50:18). What will Joseph do? Has he been swallowing his anger for this moment? Was he waiting until his father died so he could get his real revenge? "Joseph said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.' And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them" (Genesis 50:19-20). Finally, gloriously, the grudge was ended!

As long as there have been people, grudges like these have persisted. We need to learn from these good examples of resolving the problems-even the long-standing problems-that plague our interactions with others. First, we learn that grudges are hard on all involved. When Esau and Jacob embraced, why did they weep together (Genesis 33:4)? Perhaps they were thinking of all the time they had lost when they could have been together. Perhaps they were relieved that this feud could be ended. Perhaps it was the simple joy of seeing a loved one again after a long separation. But the fact that both men wept shows that both were overcome with the emotions caused by the hard feelings of so long ago. Further, when Joseph first sees his brothers in Egypt, he speaks roughly to them (Genesis 42:7), then accuses them (Genesis 42:9), weeps (Genesis 42:24), frames Benjamin (Genesis 44), and weeps again (Genesis 45:2). He is clearly struggling with the emotions of seeing his brothers again. Yet the brothers also feel the brunt of the past events, assuming that their trouble is because of their sin (Genesis 42:21-22). The grudges were hard on both parties. Often grudges begin because one party wants to make the other party feel sorry for what they've done. The untold story of grudges is the wear it takes on the one wronged-bitterness, unresolved anger, and malice. Wrestling with the past is difficult enough without harboring such poisonous emotions in our hearts.

These examples teach us that long-term grudges can be forgotten. The length of these feuds is astounding. Jacob lived with Laban twenty years (Genesis 31:41) while fearing Esau, and while we do not know the exact length of time of Joseph's separation from his brothers, it seems to have been around twenty years as well. Think of twenty years of unresolved conflict and bitterness toward someone who is your brother! Yet these grudges ended swiftly-with hugs and weeping-when the parties finally came back together. No grudge has been happening so long that it cannot be mended. The deep regret of all these men, though, must have been of the time wasted in such evil feelings. Jesus' words fit well here: "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift" (Matthew 5:23-24). God's desire is swift reconciliation rather than letting problems continue. However, the good news is that even long-term grudges can be forgiven and forgotten.

Most of all, these men show us that really difficult things can be forgiven. Jacob had finagled Esau's birthright and blessing, and Esau had threatened his life. Joseph's brothers had tried to kill him and had sold him into slavery. These were not the trifles that we often fight over, yet these men showed the tremendous capacity we have to forgive when we are determined to do so. Perhaps we are not able to be reconciled in the joyous way these men were, but we can let go of the bitterness and malice we feel toward others-as we are commanded to do (Ephesians 4:31). These men do not show us that such forgiveness is easy, but that it is possible.

There is great joy in forgiveness. The relief of a pressing burden and the happiness of restoring a close relationship are just some of the benefits we experience. Most of all, we must hear the alarming words of the Lord Jesus on the matter: "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). Let us learn from these men. Don't let grudges continue.

You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD. (Leviticus 19:18)

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was a listener. He listened to Nicodemus (John 3:1-15), the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:7-30), Martha (Luke 10:38-42), the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18-23), Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10), the Syro-Phoenician woman (Mark 7:24-30) and many others.

The ability to listen well is an art that we all can develop. When Jesus spoke of things that would be revealed or brought to light He admonished, "'If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.' And He said to them, 'Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away'" (Mark 4:23-25). Jesus was telling His disciples that the ability to hear well involves applying oneself to hearing or listening attentively, and that God will take into account how well we take notice of what we hear.

We focus on what others are saying so that we can correctly hear them. We heed their words with the purpose of understanding. Closely examining their words will help us know how to respond. Someone once wrote: "Listening to one another and sharing our lives becomes a means by which we nourish a sense of community in relationship while also nourishing our freedom and individuality."

By listening to one another, we are opening a pathway that shows we are seeking the well being of someone other than ourselves. The apostle Paul instructed, "Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor" (I Corinthians 10:24). King Solomon of old wrote that there is "a time to keep silence, and a time to speak" (Ecclesiastes 3:7b). The apostle James expressed it this way, "Know this my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires" (James 1:19,20).

When we listen, how we react to what we hear is really important. One of the proverbs expresses it well, "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprove to a listening ear" (Proverbs 25:11,12). We do not listen just to help by offering a solution, but also that the person expressing his feelings might find clarity and even self-direction in the things he has said aloud for your hearing.

Listening like Jesus will nurture caring relationships. A loving open ear will nourish a sense of community and family sharing far more than constant flapping tongue. May God bless us to be good listeners!

§ One of the great discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do. (Henry Ford)

§ There is a beautiful story about a little boy who could not wait for his new baby sister to come home from the hospital. He could not wait to be near her, to talk to her. But his parents didn't want him to be left alone with her. After all, he was only four years old, so they wanted to supervise his visits. He kept begging to be alone with her, so one night his parents finally relented. The boy tiptoed into her room, stood next to his sister's crib and said: "Tell me about God - I'm starting to forget." There are times when we as adults are so caught up in the "rat race" and all of our responsibilities. Perhaps we need to go to the children around us and say, "Tell me about God -- I'm starting to forget." There are weeks when we have been dealing with irate customers and heavy traffic; we need to fellowship with the saints and worship God together because "I'm starting to forget." There are weeks when we've had to focus on crying babies, the paying of bills and doctors' appointments; we need the reminder of the Lord's Supper to see God's love and grace because "I'm starting to forget." There are days when we're so caught up in deadlines at work and getting the kids to soccer practice, days when we need to slow down a bit and spend time with God in prayer because "I'm starting to forget." "Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life" (Deuteronomy 4:9). Are you starting to forget? Ask someone to tell you about God once more. (Alan Smith)

§ The fact is, Christians are more to blame for not being revived than sinners are for not being converted. (Charles Finney)