7 February 2010

Why Should I Care About Your Problems?

(Paul R. Blake)

The story is told of a mouse with a problem. The farmer had placed several mousetraps around the barn hoping to rid his farm of a rodent. The nearsighted mouse was very concerned about this. He was afraid that he might stumble into one of the traps by mistake or that one of his children might get caught without realizing the danger they were in. He asked the chicken, the pig, the cow, and the horse to help him destroy the traps. The chicken replied, “I have no trouble avoiding the traps, and I have no interest in the bait. The traps are your problem; why should I care about your problem?” The pig replied, “My hide is thick and the traps will not hurt me; besides, the bait is too small to interest me. Why should I care about your problem?” The cow and the horse expressed their disinterest, “While we could trample the traps into splinters, the needs of little mice hold no interest for important farm creatures like us. Why should we care about your problem?”

That night, a snake entered the barn and was accidentally caught by the tail in one of the mousetraps. The farmer found the snake in the trap and was bitten when he attempted to remove it. He became very ill, and so the farmer’s wife killed the hen to prepare him some chicken soup. However, he did not seem to recover and had to hire temporary help care for his farm. He ordered the hog to be butchered to feed the farm hands. Sadly, the farmer died from the snakebite, and the grieving wife had the cow slaughtered to feed the many mourners who came to pay their respects. Finally, the horse had to be sold to a dog food company to be processed in order to pay for the mortician’s services. The mouse’s problem was everyone’s problem.

“Why should I care about your problems?” It’s not a cynical question. Multitudes of conscientious folks overwhelmed with busy lives have to decide on a daily basis, not just how many of their own problems they can juggle, but whether it is possible to help others with their problems. In order to crowd another trouble into an already packed schedule, they have to have a good reason to motivate them to make the necessary sacrifice. It is so easy to slide into the habit of responding with the belief that they will not be impacted by the other person’s problem, and therefore withhold any offer of help.

In truth, we cannot know all outcomes; only God can know the results of every matter in this world. We often deal with the byproducts of others’ difficulties. The church at Corinth was harmed by the influence of one fornicator (1 Corinthians 5:1-6). The church at Jerusalem was troubled by the neglect of the Grecian widows (Acts 6:1). Peter’s error at Antioch led the Hebrew Christians and Barnabas astray (Galatians 2:11-13).

Looking out for one another’s well being is part of Christ’s will for His disciples. “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). Your brother’s problems are your problems.

Sharing our blessings with those who are in need is a necessary manifestation of the love of God. “But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:17). Your brother’s needs are your needs.

It is vital that Christians remain aware of how others are feeling. How one feels today often determines what he does (or does not do) tomorrow. “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another” (Romans 12:15-16). Your brother’s highs and lows are your own, and they will lead to actions that can help or hurt, not just the individual, but all those with whom they interact.

Christians are not islands. They are part of a local congregation of Christians that are affected by what each other says and does. Not only have they no right to say, “It’s my life; I’ll do with it what I want,” we have no right to say, “It’s their problem; why should I care about their troubles?” We need each other. God put Christians together in groups called churches in order that they might look out of each other and offer help as needed. We fulfill one of God’s designs for the local church when we help our brother bear his burdens. “But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you; nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary... that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it” (1 Corinthians 12:20-22, 25-26). Why should I care about my brother’s problems? Because his problems are my problems, too.

What Is The Church Of Christ?

We are often asked: "What particular denomination do you worship with, and what doctrine do you follow?" We take a non-sectarian approach to the Bible with a desire only to let the Scriptures speak for themselves. We can honestly say that we do not advocate any denominational creed or any systematic theology. Our doctrine is simply the result of our own personal studies of God's Word, and is offered with a plea for you to apply "The Berean Test" (Acts17:11) as you examine our words.

We are simply Christians, disciples of Jesus Christ, and members of the Lord's body, the church, as one reads about in the New Testament. In view of our Lord's prayer for unity (John 17:20-21), and Paul's condemnation of division (1Corinthians 1:10-13), we disdain denominational distinctions and all forms of sectarianism. We are blessed to worship with individuals who are likewise trying to be simply Christians. Using the New Testament as our authority in matters pertaining to the work, worship, and organization of the local church, we are an independent, self-governing church, and are totally non denominational.

We have no written creed (other than the Bible), and are constantly engaging in Bible study, fine-tuning our understanding and practice to what we learn from the Scriptures. Frequently referred to as "churches of Christ" (Romans 16:16), we are not to be confused with any denomination that might be known as the "Church of Christ" (especially those that identify themselves as the "International Church of Christ," United Churches of Christ, or Independent Christian Churches). With the religiously divided state of our society, we know many may find it hard to believe that one can be "a Christian only". It is not easy, but we believe it is possible and, from the Lord's viewpoint, desirable. Therefore, we say that we are neither Jewish, Catholic, nor Protestant; we are Christians only. We are not Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, or members of any cult that believes in latter day revelations. We believe that God has spoken fully and completely through His Son Jesus Christ and His apostles and prophets whose words are contained in the Bible. This statement reflects our faith.We hope this helps to answer any questions you may have.

Who

(Paul B. Blake Sr.)

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:31-39)

1) “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?” Answer: It is God who justifies. He created the whole world, and it is His.

2) “Who is he that condemneth?” Christ died for us; He paid the price for us. No one else paid this price, so how can anyone else condemn us?

3) “Who is even at the right hand of God” Christ rose from the dead and is sat down at the right hand of God. He has all power and authority.

4) “Who also maketh intercession for us” There is none greater than the Son of God making intercession for us.

5) “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” There is nothing that can separate us from Christ’s love. He has proven this on the cross and in the resurrection from the dead.

6) “Who can be against us?” God spared not His own Son for us. No one or no thing can separate us from God’s love, but we can by a sinful life. If we sin, we will be separated from God. It is our choice.

The Trust That Takes God Seriously

(Gary Henry)

“By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Hebrews 11:7).

Noah trusted God enough to take him seriously, and he took him seriously enough to obey his instructions. The particular kind of righteousness that Noah demonstrated is the only kind that God has ever accepted from human beings: “the righteousness which is according to faith.” And the distinguishing characteristic of this type of righteousness is not that it de-emphasizes obedience but that it produces an obedience based on TRUST.

We can tell to what extent we trust God by looking at how much risk we’re actually willing to take in order to obey Him, particularly in situations where God’s instructions go against our instincts. In this respect, there is a difference between “faith” and “trust.” Many people say they have faith, but not many are willing to put their trust where their faith is. James Dobson has illustrated it this way: “Faith in God is like believing a man can walk over Niagara Falls on a tightrope while pushing a wheelbarrow. Trust in God is like getting into the wheelbarrow!”

The “righteousness which is according to faith” is a scary thing. It requires that we cling to God ALONE and let go of any OTHER means of support or security or safety. It isn’t easy to “get into the wheelbarrow,” and for all those who say they’ve done it, very few actually have. It takes humble, courageous TRUST to let go of all our self-sufficient safety ropes and let God determine the means by which we’ll get to the other side. It just seems so often that God’s plans for our righteousness involve the possibility of dangerous (and perhaps even embarrassing) consequences!

But if we’re willing to trust God, faith can open a door that must otherwise remain forever closed. Do we wish to PLEASE Him? Then faith — the radical trust that will take God seriously and obey Him readily — is the only key that will open that desirable door: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Faith And Works

(Selected)

An old boatman painted the word “faith” on one oar of his boat and “works” on the other. He was asked his reason for this. In answer, he slipped the oar with “faith” into the water and rowed. The boat, of course, made a very tight circle. Returning to the dock, the boatman then said, “Now, let’s try ‘works’ without ‘faith’ and see what happens. The oar marked “works” was put in place and the boatman began rowing with just the “works” oar. Again the boat went into a tight circle but in the opposite direction.

When the boatman again returned to the wharf, he interpreted his experiment in these strong and convincing words. “You see, to make a passage across the lake, one needs both oars working simultaneously in order to keep the boat in a straight and narrow way. If one does not have the use of both oars, he makes no progress either across the lake nor as a Christian.