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April
2017
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Volume
9
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Issue
#2
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"Thy
word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."
Psalm
119:105
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For What Would You Trade Your
Child's Soul?
In the Bible we read the question in Mark 8:37, "Or what
shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" I want to focus
this article on parents and grandparents. My question is, "What
would you give for your child's soul?"
I remember watching a television commercial some years ago when the
government was trying to get people to stop smoking. A man and his
young son were sitting by a tree. When the father got up, the son
picked his package of cigarettes up off of the ground and was looking
at it. The implication was clear. Children copy their parents.
It is so easy to fall into the trap of loving the world (1 John
2:15). I remember how much I wanted my children to succeed in their
activities. My wife and I often sacrificed our own desires to see
that our children were able to do the things they loved to do. If
your child is involved in an activity that puts them in opposition to
the time of our worship services, what do they see you do? Do you
take them to the activity, or do you take them to the church service?
What are you putting first. You can be assured that they will do the
same when they are grown.
How do your children see your relationship with the Lord? Do they
hear you berate the worship service as "not getting anything out
of it"? Or do they notice that you are not involved in the work of
the church in any way? Do they see you sit in the back of the
assembly and tune out the sermon? Like the commercial suggests, your
children will follow your example. Is that what you want?
Sometimes we think that some might trade their soul for a million
dollar deal, or something of great wealth, but are we willing to
trade our place and our children's place in heaven for something much
less important to us in this life? Let me focus our attention
on a few passages that tell us what God expects.
First, let me give a biblical example. Note Hebrews 11:24-25.
"By faith Moses, when he
was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's
daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of
God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the
reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he
had respect unto the recompence of the reward."
Imagine what Moses had to give up. Egypt was the most powerful
country in the world at the time of Moses. The Pharaohs were very
wealthy. Moses could have had any luxury available. He was a part of
the family of Pharaoh. He not only gave up the wealth and power at
his disposal, he relegated himself to the status of a fugitive. He
left Egypt and wandered in the wilderness running from the hand of
Egypt.
Matthew
6:31-33 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or,
What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after
all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father
knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the
kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and allthese things shall be
added unto you.
Is there any question of what this passage is
telling us? What does God expect from us? We want our children to
strive to become very successful in this life, but are we concerned
as much (or more) about them becoming successful in their spiritual
life?
Luke
9:57-62 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain
man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have
nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And he said
unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and
bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead:
but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said,
Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell,
which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man,
having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the
kingdom of God.
In this text Jesus shows how important it is to
follow him rather than follow after earthly concerns. Following after
Jesus is even more important than seeing to the burial of a family
member, or saying farewell. Jesus and his cause must come first if we
are to be successful spiritually.
And as to our worship, what do you believe Isaac learned from his
father Abraham's willingness to even sacrifice him. Abraham clearly
taught Isaac that God came first and all and everyone else after.
Finally, let me refer back to the passage mentioned in the beginning
of this article.
1 John 2:15-17 Love not the
world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of
the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the
flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the
Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust
thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.
Is there anything in your life that is coming
between you and your God? The Bible is clear that we cannot put our
Lord second and expect Him to put us first. Jesus already has made
his journey to heaven for all eternity. Are you ready for your
journey, and are your children ready to follow?
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Feature
Two: an article by R. C. Oliver
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R C Oliver
The Ten Commandments, Part One
I want your faith to rest in the word of God and
not in the wisdom of man. It is for this reason that I ask that you
read carefully to what is written and then "search the
scriptures daily to see whether or not these things are so." If
you find what is affirmed to be actually what your Bible teaches,
believe it because you have found it and read it in your own Bible
and not because I chanced to be the one who introduced it to you.
Today I wish to give some attention to what some seem to think relates
directly to the Ten Commandment law. There are those today who
believe that every time the Bible speaks of God's commandments, it is
always to be understood that those commandments are the
Ten
Commandments. For instance, in Revelation 22:14, John writes:
"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have
right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into
the city."
The question is this: Which commandments does John have in mind?
Certainly the commandments that John had in mind were not all the
commandments that God has ever issued, for he was thinking
immediately about those to which men were at that time answerable or
amenable. The principle of this text is as applicable to one man of
one age as it is of another man in another age. Regardless of what
age it is in which a man lives, if he keeps the commandments of God
to which he is answerable, he shall be a blessed man. But some people
have not stopped to consider that God has not always issued the same
commandments to all men! One man or one group of men, in one age,
might have been commanded of God to do one thing; whereas another
man, or group of men of another age may have been commanded of God to
do an entirely different thing. In fact, there are some of God's commandments
that it would be impossible for a man to either obey or disobey
today. There are other commandments of God that it would be utterly
ridiculous and absurd for a man to obey today. There are still other
commandments of God that it would be downright sinful for a man to
obey today! But to affirm this is not sufficient, therefore, here is
the proof.
In the garden of Eden God gave to Adam and Eve the commandment that
said: "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." Genesis 3:3.
Now, let me ask you a question, "How are you either going to
obey or disobey that commandment of God? We no longer have access to
the tree. How then is it possible for one to either obey or disobey
the commandment that forbids our partaking of its fruit? It is
certainly one of God's commandments, but it would be absolutely
impossible for one to obey or disobey it today.
God gave the Ten Commandment law to the Jewish nation, and never gave
it to Gentiles. Note what Moses said as he was in the process of
giving the law to the Jews:
Deuteronomy 5:1-6 And Moses called all Israel,
and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which
I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and
do them. The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The LORD
made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who
are all of us here alive this day. The LORD talked with you face to
face in the mount out of the midst of the fire, (I stood between the
LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye
were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;)
saying, I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of
Egypt, from the house of bondage.
While it is true that many of these commands are restated in the Law
of Christ, it is only the law of Christ that applies to us.
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Feature Three: Sandy's Women's
Corner
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CHILDREN REMEMBER
She was just a little girl, four or five years old. She attended
worship only on Sundays, for what reason she did not know. She and
her mother walked eight or ten blocks from their rented home to the
church building. It wasn't that far, and there was an excitement
about being with these special people called Christians.
In Bible class, the teacher used
an old Gospel Advocate chart with colorful pictures to teach the
lesson. She looked forward to the Bible lesson; and when she would
return home, she would line up her dolls on the steps and teach the
lesson she had heard that Sunday morning.
She didn't know how or why, but
the preacher and his wife took a special interest in her. After
service on Sunday morning, the little girl would run to the back, and
the preacher would scoop her up in his arms and hold her while he
shook hands with the people on their way out the door.
One day the little girl became sick and had to be put to bed for a
few days. It wasn't anything serious, but the little girl thought she
needed someone to pray for her. So, she begged her mother to call the
preacher to come and pray for her. Her mother tried to convince her
that it wasn't necessary, but the little girl insisted. She didn't
think she would get well without his prayers.
So the mother called the preacher, and the preacher came. When he
arrived, he found the little girl propped up in bed surrounded by her
dolls. She was so happy to see him, and she asked him immediately to
pray for her to get well. She said, "I won't get well if you
don't pray for me". With that, the preacher went to his knees
and prayed for her recovery.
She did recover, but she never forgot the kind, loving preacher who
came to her bedside and asked God to make her well. No matter what
was wrong with her, she would always ask the preacher to pray that
she would get well.
When the little girl was about seven, she and her mother began
attending a different congregation. They had to ride a city bus to
get there, so they had to leave really early on Sunday morning to
arrive on time.
There was a wonderful Bible teacher for her class in this
congregation. She encouraged them to study their Bible lessons, learn
memory verses, and be ready to answer questions in class. She and her
husband also took a special interest in this little girl, and the
little girl learned to love them.
In time, the little girl moved to a new house and began to attend a
new congregation. There she had a wonderful man as a Bible class
teacher, but he became ill and had to give up his class. His wife
later became her teacher, and she loved her as she had loved her
other teachers. Soon she became a Christian.
When
she became a teenager, she attended a class for teenage girls taught
by the wife of one of the elders. Once again, this teacher took an
interest in her. She taught her the things young teenage girls need
to know, and she encouraged her to think about teaching a class of
younger children.
At age sixteen, the girl was asked to teach a class of fourth
graders, and that put her on a lifetime of teaching children. She has
taught hundreds of children over the years, and she has watched many
of her students become Christians.
The preacher and the Bible school teachers directed the path for this
girl from the time she too young to understand what it would all mean
to her.
I know these words were given to the young preacher Timothy, but I
think they apply. He said, "Set the believers an example in
speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Keep a close watch
on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you
will save both yourself and your hearers" (I Timothy 4:12,16).
Whose path are you directing? Will someone be able to look back when
their life is almost over and credit you with making a difference in
his or her life?
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Feature Four: Our Communication
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Communication
is about more than just exchanging information. It's about
understanding the emotion and intentions behind the information.
Effective communication is also a two-way street. It's not only how
you convey a message so that it is received and understood by someone
in exactly the way you intended, it's also how you listen to gain the
full meaning of what's being said and to make the other person feel
heard and understood.
More than
just the words you use, effective communication combines a set of
skills including nonverbal communication, engaged listening, managing
stress in the moment, the ability to communicate assertively, and the
capacity to recognize and understand your own emotions and those of
the person you're communicating with.
Effective
communication is the glue that helps you deepen your connections to
others and improve teamwork, decision making, and problem solving. It
enables you to communicate even negative or difficult messages
without creating conflict or destroying trust.
While effective
communication is a learned skill, it is more effective when it's
spontaneous rather than formulaic. A speech that is read, for
example, rarely has the same impact as a speech that's delivered (or
appears to be delivered) spontaneously. Of course, it takes time and
effort to develop these skills and become an effective communicator.
The more effort and practice you put in, the more instinctive and
spontaneous your communication skills will become.
Helpguide articles
on relationships / effective communication
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Feature Five:
Bible Question
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Does
the eldership of a congregation have a right to make decisions that
members are required by the Bible to follow?
This question has arisen in many places,
especially when an eldership makes a decision for the congregation
they serve that some of the members do not like. Please consider the
following:
Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have the
rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls,
as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not
with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
Hebrews
13:24 Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the
saints. They of Italy salute you.
1
Thessalonians 5:12-13
12 And we beseech you,
brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in
the Lord, and admonish you; 13 And to esteem them
very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among
yourselves.
BARNES
NOTES ON HEBREWS 13:
Obey
them that have the rule over you - The reference here is to their religious
teachers, and not to civil rulers. They were to show them proper
respect, and to submit to their authority in the church, so far as it
was administered in accordance with the precepts of the Savior. The
obligation to obedience does not, of course, extend to anything which
is wrong in itself, or which would be a violation of conscience. The
doctrine is, that subordination is necessary to the welfare of the
church, and that there ought to be a disposition to yield all proper
obedience to those who are set over us in the Lord;
CLARKE:
Obey
them that have the rule over you - Obey your leaders. He is not fit to rule who
is not capable of guiding. In the former verse the apostle exhorts
them to remember those who had been their leaders, and to imitate
their faith; in this he exhorts them to obey the leaders they now
had, and to submit to their authority in all matters of doctrine and
discipline, on the ground that they watched for their souls, and
should have to give an account of their conduct to God.
NOT AS LORDS OVER THE CONGREGATION:
1
Peter 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the
oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for
filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 5:3 Neither as
being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the
flock.
1 Peter 5:3 (ESV) not domineering over those in your charge, but
being examples to the flock.
JOHNSON'S
NOTES:
Neither
as being lords.
Not with an arbitrary, despotic rule.
JAMIESON-FAUSSET-BROWN
being
lords - Greek,
"lording it": implying pride and oppression. "Not that
we have dominion over your faith."
CAMBRIDGE
BIBLE NOTES:
The
word for "lording" implies an authority exercised both
wrongfully and oppressively. Ambition, the love of power for the sake
of power, is, from the Apostle's standpoint, as great a hindrance to
true pastoral work as avarice.
DAVID
GUZIK states "Nor as being lords" shows that in the mind of
Peter, shepherds had significant authority in the early church. If
the office of shepherd was so powerless that a shepherd didn't rule
and lead, then there was little potential for being lords. But
because Peter gives this warning, it shows there was the potential
for lording over.
PULPIT
COMMENTARY:
Neither
as being lords over God's heritage; rather, as in the Revised Version, neither
as lording it over the charge allotted to you. The literal
rendering of the clause is, "lording it over the lots."
As scripture points out that Jesus, the Christ, is the Chief
Shepherd. He is the only head of the church. We understand this.
Notice that elders are also shepherds. They are expected by the Chief
Shepherd to carry out His will and do His work. They are the ones to
whom he safeguards the church. Yes, they do have authority. Yes,
members are to obey them "that have the rule over you".
This is God's plan.
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A couple had two little boys, ages 8 and 10, who were
excessively mischievous. The boys were always getting into trouble
and their parents could be assured that if any mischief occurred
their two young sons were in some way involved.
The parents were at their wits end as to what to do about their boys'
behavior. They decided to ask their minister to speak to the boys. He
agreed and asked to speak to them one at a time.
The 8 year old went in his office first. The minister
sat the boy down and asked him sternly, "Where is God?" The
youngster was silent. The minister asked again a little more
sternly, "Young man, where is God?" Again, the boy
was silent. Then the minister raised his voice and shook his finger
in the boy's face, "Where is God!"
At that, the young boy jumped down off of his chair and
ran out of the minister's office, grabbed his brother's arm and ran
to a closet. When they were well hidden the 8 year old said to his
brother, "We are in big trouble now! God is missing, and they
think we did it!"
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I
apologize for the delay in the paper this quarter. I had some
difficulty getting the paper on my program.
I trust
all is well at your home. It is always good to visit with you again
by this medium. Remember, back issues can be found at:
Abiblecomentary.com/Lightforourage
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