THE TRENTON BULLETIN

THE TRENTON BULLETIN

Trenton Church of Christ, Trenton, Florida

I was cutting into one of those fine Ira Gore watermelons the other day when I realized that Satan liked watermelon also. Cutting the melon into quarters the first place I always go is the heart of the melon. This particular melon was a seeded melon and the heart is usually the sweetest part to me and less seeds. As I cut into that delicacy of fine melon flesh I thought that is exactly what Satan does with me – he aims for the heart.

When Satan appealed to Eve in Genesis 3, he did not come with showmanship and big bands and direct appeals to rebel against God. He went first after the heart. He said, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" (Genesis 3:1). He did not take the fruit to her nor force her to partake. He sought the heart of Eve first to move her in the direction of rebellion. “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate” (Genesis 3:6).

The battleground of righteousness and unrighteousness is the heart. Jesus said of the Pharisees, “Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). The apostle Paul declared, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). This is where battles are won and lost. Satan will always seek the heart of man to bring it into his submission.

In the parable of the sower (Matthew 13) the Lord demonstrates the different types of hearts as being the wayside, the rocky, the thorny and the good ground. The reception of the seed (the word of God – Luke 8:11) depends on the kind of heart a person has. Satan takes the seed away from the hardened heart, kills the seed in the heart that is weak and causes the “cares, riches and pleasures of life” (Luke 8:14) to make a good heart unfruitful. The only heart Satan has no control over is the heart broken of its hardness; the heart that has removed the rocks of worldliness; and refuses to allow the weeds of this life choke the productivity of the good ground.

God has always wanted the heart of man. He destroyed the world in Noah’s day because the “thoughts of [man’s] heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). David penned in Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.” Later the Holy Spirit would say that David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). To win the battle of the heart we must “Love the Lord your God will all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). Satan cannot control that heart.

To protect against the unyielding oppression of Satan’s influence we must allow the “peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, [to] guard [our] hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). That is the only way to keep Satan from cutting out the heart. Refuse to open up to him and refuse to allow his influence in your life. “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). When we submit our hearts to the will of God the devil cannot stand. He cannot touch our hearts. Resist him!

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews10:23-25).

There is perhaps no passage more familiar from Hebrews than the one just quoted. It was evident that the exhortation was needed then, just as it is needed today. The gravity of the problem is seen in the warning which followed: “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries” (Hebrews 10:26-27).

Frequently the question is asked, “Do I have to attend every service of the church.” This is a question which produces great sadness to God. To those who love God, who are conscious of His love and care for people; who realize that one’s personal salvation can never come on the basis that one has earned it; to one who is conscious of his own sins and shortcomings; attending services is never a matter of “have to” or “punching my time card for one more week.” Attending services is a privilege and joy. How wonderful it would be to God if all His children would see attendance in that light.

“Not forsaking…as the manner of some” (Hebrews 10:25). When concern is shown and voiced to perpetual absentees their reply most frequent is, “I haven’t quit the church.” No? Many are hanging on by the “skin of their teeth.” They miss more than they attend. The slightest excuse makes them decide to “not attend today.”

Maybe they feel like just staying in bed all day. Or else they’re just not “in the mood.” Or perhaps they stayed up so late the night before watching TV or, worse still (God forbid) hanging out at some club, that they’re too sleepy to come, and after all, what good will it do to come and sleep through the whole service?

When will we wake up to the fact that our excuses are transparent to God? He sees through them and knows the real reasons why we are not present. And He does not regard it as a slight offense when we prefer not to assemble with His saints. He knows that the real reason is because they have no real commitment to God, nor love for Him. This is a shame!

“As you see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). What day? Different answers are offered. Some say “the Sunday assembly.” Read the text again: “The assembling of ourselves together.” Yes, it does include the first day assembly, Acts 20:7, but not that exclusively. The “assembling of ourselves together” is the assembling of ourselves together! When is that? Whenever we assemble ourselves together! The day approaching of Hebrews10:25 is not “the first day of the week.”

Some think “the day approaching” was the day of the destruction of Jerusalem. Jesus had given signs for that day Matthew 24:14-15. When this letter was written to the Hebrews the clock was ticking toward the lateness of the hour. Its reception by the Hebrews could not have been much more than seven or eight years before the destruction of Jerusalem. The apostle warned “For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come” (Hebrews 13:14).

Some say “the judgment day.” And for sure, the judgment day is coming and it ought to provoke concern and care in us all. And the apostle does call up visions of judgment with his words, “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries” (Hebrews 10:26-27). He warned, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:36-39). He added, “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42).

Wake up Christians! Wake up to the consequences of what our neglect will bring to our souls. “When Jesus comes to reward His servants, whether it be noon or night. Say, will he find us watching, with our lamps all trimmed and bright?” It is a very serious matter to consider!

1. It is natural. Motion (growth) requires some friction. Marriages are made in heaven, but so are thunder and lightening storms! Marriage is similar to the merging of two great rivers

4) It is only natural that the blending of lives together will produce some friction, disagreements and conflicts.

2. Since it is inevitable, you must agree to settle differences “agreeably.” It is the #1 interpersonal skill necessary for long-term marital stability, so make sure you master it!

B. Handled properly conflict can be a good thing. Learn to view “fights” not as tragedies, but opportunities!

1. Venting personal frustrations through lips which have learned how to do so can serve a wonderful purpose.

2. Skill and self-control can turn potentially destructive squabbles into "fair fights" which solve problems and yield positive results! Remember: The secret to a good marriage is not finding the right person, but learning to fight well with the person you have found!

A. This is the one principle from which all the others spring (we are laying the foundation). Husbands and wives are to love each other, Ephesians 5:25; Titus 2:4.

1. That means more than just having warm feelings of affection for each other. It means I always want to act in their best interest – always seeking their good and never doing anything to hurt them.

2. It is not just an emotion; love is a decision to behave in a certain way. When Paul defined love, he described it as a way of behaving, I Corinthians 13.

3. If we want to manage conflict well, then we need to be sure that our actions are always driven by love, I must never do anything thing to hurt. I should always be acting in the best interest of my spouse.

a. Love needs to be the atmosphere that fills our homes and pulses through our marriage conflicts.

B. Now, the other principles spring from this one. If you want to act with love, then before you can address a conflict, you first need to…

Rule #2 -- DO YOUR THING TO COOL OFF! (Ephesians 4:26; Proverbs 29:8, 30:33, 17:27)

A. Never be ashamed of anger--it is natural, not sinful. The only thing you need to regret is handling it badly. Proverbs 29:22 “An angry man stirs up strife, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.”

B. Since you are literally in a state of intoxication when your "fuse is lit," reduce the emotional state before a discussion begins.

D. The key here is this: Rule our passions, rather than allowing our passions to rule us!

1. Proverbs 16:32 “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, then he who captures a city.”

2. No one likes living with a volcano – we must cool off and get anger under control.

E. Afterwards, you may just decide to forget the whole thing! (Proverbs 17:9, 19:11) If not, proceed to Rule #3! (continued next week)

§ Robert J. McKain said, “The reason most major goals are not achieved is that we spend our time doing second things first.” Some years ago, a headline told of three hundred whales that suddenly died. The whales were pursuing sardines and found themselves marooned in a bay. Frederick Broan Harris commented, “The small fish lured the sea giants to their death. They came to their violent demise by chasing small ends, prostituting vast powers for insignificant goals.” [John C. Maxwell, Developing the Leader Within You, p.313]

§ President Abraham Lincoln loved to employ this brainteaser to make a point to constituents. He would ask, “How many legs would a sheep have if you called his tail a leg?” Naturally, they would meekly respond, “Five.” Wrong! “You are mistaken. The sheep would still have just four legs. Calling something a leg doesn’t make it so.” He used this particular quiz on a delegation that was pressing him for an immediate proclamation of emancipation. His point was well taken. [Jean Staker Garton, Who Broke The Baby?]

§ At the funeral services, the preacher got carried away and his sermon far exceeded the time limit. Finally, his assistant whispered, “It’s getting late sir!” “I know,” the preacher said, “But this doctrine of resurrection is extremely important.” “Yes, sir,” the man said, “But we’ve got to get the body over to the cemetery in time for it.” [Forbes Magazine, June 5, 1995, p198]