Have Courage

This morning I heard that Maya Angelou passed away at the age of 86. She was an author, singer, actor, and most notably an activist, especially in regard to civil rights. She had a rough life for sure and yet seemed to have a very positive outlook on life. While I cannot speak to every aspect of her life and the condition of her soul, I can say that much of her writing is motivational and challenging to the world. One of the quotes that strikes me today is about courage. She said, “Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently.” 

Courage is important in many aspects of life and is one of the greatest qualities in the life of the servant of God. Joshua was challenged by God with powerful words: “Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:6-9).

Joshua was challenged to be strong and courageous. It would take real character to stand up to the problems of sin that would come, the difficulty of war, the temptations to follow the ways of the world, and the pressures of life. But if he would be focused on God’s will, meditating on it day and night, being faithful to it not turning to the left or the right, and doing all that is written in it, God would bless him with great success.

As men and women who have the courage to stay faithful and true to God no matter what comes our way, we have the same assurance. God has promised that if we love God and live according to His plan, we have the assurance of ultimate success in gaining THE Promised Land of heaven when this life is over (Rom. 8).

We must have the courage to stand up to the pressures of the world. The temptations of greed and immorality plague our society. Too often people try to live with one foot in the world and one in the church and that just won’t work. We must put God first in all that we do and that takes real courage and strength of character.

In the religious world, too many have failed to stand for the truth and have fallen prey to the devil. We must have the courage to stand up for what is right no matter how difficult. We must put on the whole armor of God and fight. We must have the courage to stand against false ways. It doesn’t matter where the attack comes from, whether from the denominational work, the atheistic world or even from within in the form of false teachers, preachers, professors, elders, deacons, or some famous leader within the church. We must stand up and be strong and courageous…not on something of our opinion or preference, but on the Word of God.

As we leave De Leon and move back to the Permian Basin, and with my last bulletin article, the most important thing I could tell you is to love and obey God with courage and strength. Stand up for what is right. Do not compromise the truth. If you will put God’s will at the center of your life, meditating on it day and night, never turning from it to the right or the left and observing its commands at all time, you will be successful in life. You can be faithful and receive the eternal reward that God has promised His children (2 Tim. 4:6-8). You can do it but you must be courageous and stand strong with boldness in the Word of the Lord! — Denny Wilson

Take Aim

“If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time” (Zig Ziglar).

“Many people have a good aim in life, but for some reason they never pull the trigger” (unknown).

“Goals are funny things. They don’t work unless you do” (unknown).

“Goals are like automobiles, they won’t run by themselves except downhill” (unknown).

“It concerns us to know the purpose we seek in life, for then, like archers aiming at a definite mark, we shall be more likely to attain what we want” (Aristotle).

“Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s heaven for?” (Robert Browning).

Philippians 3:12-14 – “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Hebrews 12:1,2 – “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

The hunter takes careful aim at his target before pulling the trigger. The captain of a ship charts his journey before leaving his homeport. The golfer will line up his putt before stepping over the ball. The basketball player takes careful aim on the rim before raising the ball to shoot. Likewise, the Christian must take careful aim on heaven if he ever hopes of reaching the eternal resting place.

It has been said that heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people (John 14:1-3). The question is this: what are we doing to prepare? Are we aiming at following    Jesus Christ? Are we aiming at following God’s word? Are we aiming at spending eternity in Heaven? Are we aiming at living a life of Christian service? Are we aiming at loving our fellow man enough to take the Gospel to him?

Where are we directing our aim? For many of us, life consists of hard work, activities with our families, school events, financial concerns, home improvement, and various social events. Do we take the time each day to make sure that the actions we take are ones which are focused on and aimed at Christian living? If someone were to ask about your financial plans for the future, would you have an answer? What about educational plans? Or career plans? Most of us would answer in the affirmative. But what if you were asked what steps you were taking to make sure you were growing in Christian service and were improving your life every day, conforming to and being transformed by the word (Romans 12:1,2). What if you were asked if you had plans and were following through on your plans to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18)? Would you be able to answer with a resounding “YES”? 

Let us take aim at the study of God’s word daily, adapting our lives to His will. Let us take aim at putting the lessons learned into practice in our lives. Let us take aim at teaching the truth of God’s word with our mouths and by the example we set. Let us take aim on becoming what God would have us to be.

Jesus is Coming Back

In Acts 1:11, after the ascension of Christ, the apostles were told that Christ would be coming back. “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” When He comes back, “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16,17). What a comfort it is to know He is coming back! But are we ready for that day?

“When life’s journey shall have ended

And we stand before the throne,

When the book of life is opened

And the deeds of men made known

When the Lord shall meet the world

And shall judge the lives of all

When all men are rightly parted

And the Reaper’s cry shall call

When the righteous are rewarded

And the wicked know their end,

Will the world at last remember

That a Savior died for men?”

— Gene Carrell

On that Day, we will either hear that “Well done thou good and faithful servant” or we will hear “Depart from Me.” The heavenly home awaits the faithful. Jesus is coming back! He has made possible our eternal salvation. Don’t you want to go to heaven? Don’t you want to have eternal life? Are you living in anticipation of the Lord’s return? If you are ready, it will be a great day! Friends, get ready!

What A Great Nation!

Deuteronomy 4 declares the importance of the child of God remaining faithful to the word of God. Moses commanded the children of Israel to remain faithful so that they would live, go in and possess the land of Canaan. To receive the blessing from God, there were conditions. They were to hold fast to the Lord (v.4), not adding to or taking away from the commandments of the Lord (v.2). By sticking to the will of God, they would have wisdom and understanding and the people of the land would see the Israelites as a great nation. Moses said:

“For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day? 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. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren” (Deut. 4:7-9).

There are several wonderful lessons the New Testament Christian can learn from this powerful passage. The Christian in like manner is a part of a special nation: “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people” (1 Peter 2:9). Therefore we have several blessings that the world does not have.

We are able to draw near to God (Deut. 4:7). The Christian is one who draws near to God, avoids friendship with the world, resists the devil, submits to God, and humbles himself before God (James 4:4-10). As we draw near to God, He draws near to us.

Christians receive the blessing of being able to draw near to God in prayer. “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Peter 3:12). We can approach the throne of God to receive help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16; 1 Peter 5:7).

Christians are blessed in that we have the governing law of God to guide us. The Old Law has been nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14). But we are under a new and better law: the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ (Romans 8:1,2); the perfect law of liberty (James 1:25); the royal law (James 2:8); and the new covenant, the testament of Christ (Hebrews 9:15-17).

Because we have a relationship with the One True God and can draw near to Him, can call on Him in prayer, and have a law that guides our way in this life (Proverbs 3:5,6; Psalm 119:105), we also have many responsibilities. Every citizen must do his part to make the kingdom be a success.

We must take heed to ourselves and watch out for the temptations that may come our way. We must examine ourselves and make sure we are walking the straight and narrow. As Paul instructed Timothy, we must take heed to ourselves so that we may save our souls and others we may influence through preaching and action (1 Timothy 4:16).

We must diligently keep ourselves. Paul wrote, “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:27). We must fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith if we want the reward of eternal life in heaven (2 Timothy 4:6-8). We must “press on toward the goal” for an eternal reward (Philippians 3:14). Be diligent!

Moses warned the Israelites that they must not forget the things their eyes had seen (Deut. 4:9). They had first hand knowledge of God’s power and the utter failure of the idolatry of other nations. They had ample warning. Brethren, we must not forget the past. We must learn from the Scriptures so that we can live in a way that is pleasing to the sight of God. We must avoid the sin and error that has occurred within the religious world in days gone by. It is said that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Do not forget this lesson!

Failure to draw near to God, pray to God, live by His law, take heed to ourselves, keep ourselves with diligence, and remember the lessons from the past will result in a horrible condition: the way of God will depart from our hearts. In the parable of the sower, the seed that fell on the wayside was trampled down and the birds devoured it...Satan came and take it away. These had the word of God taken from their heart when they should have believed and been saved (Luke 8:15-18). Others had no root because they did not study and grow into maturity (Luke 8:13). Still others were choked out by the cares, riches and pleasures of life (Luke 8:14). Don’t let God’s law depart from you.

We are a special and great nation. We can continue the progress of the nation by being good teachers of the gospel to a lost and dying world. We need faithful, able teachers who will impart the word to others (2 Timothy 2:2). We need parents and grandparents who will teach their family the gospel (Deuteronomy 4:9; 2 Timothy 2:5). We can live a prosperous life in Christ when we follow the ways of God and help others to do the same.

Brethren, if we will do our part to promote the kingdom of God by living the word and teaching it, growth will occur! We echo the words of Moses: What a great nation!

It is as Clear as Mud

In the last two weeks the world has been glued to the TV and media outlets waiting with anticipation for the latest information about the disappearance of the Malaysian flight 370 and the 239 souls aboard. From one day to the next more information is brought to light. It has been amazing to see the media embrace theory after theory as the information is learned. At one point the world seemed sure the plane was in the Indian Ocean. Moments later the world believed the plane was hijacked and possibly by the pilots. Then moments later the theory was a fire on the plane led to heroic efforts on the place which also was a short lived theory. Now the media is back on the pilot with the flight simulator saying he deleted some files on his computer (haven’t we all). At this moment, they have found something in the Indian Ocean southwest of Australia that appears to be a debris field. But there is nothing certain as of this moment. On and on the pulse of the media and the world changed based on partial information from a variety of sources. In truth, we don’t know much more today than we knew 12 days ago. It is as clear as mud. However, what amazes me most is how people have been tossed and turned and carried about with every wind of doctrine or every theory under the sun.

Sadly, the spiritual world isn’t much better. While we should have grown to maturity in the word of God so that we are thoroughly furnished unto every good work and are able to rightly divide the word (2 Tim. 3:16,17; 2:15), far too many people follow every whim and philosophy that comes down the pipe of “Christendom.” Far too many of us jump from theory to theory and philosophy to new philosophy with the coming of a “new” book, plan, idea or program. While there is nothing wrong with learning new systems or ways to accomplish God’s will and in fact we ought to try to grow in our pursuit of a greater spiritual life in Christ, we must not follow the ways of the world to flip flop from idea to idea about what is right and wrong or about how one is saved, how to worship God, or what it means to be a Christian. God’s plan for the Christian has been laid out for almost 2000 years.

Paul told the church at Ephesus to grow and be strong and not to be people that flip flop or be carried about by the philosophies of men. After laying out different roles in reaching the lost, Paul said the purpose would be “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ — from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Eph. 4:11-16). If we want to grow, develop, mature and be unified, it doesn’t come from chasing one theory after another. It comes by being unified in the word of God as the body of Christ.

I applaud those who want to read, study and learn about ways to apply Christianity to their daily lives. It is a great blessing to know people want to be better parents, better spouses, better employees/employers, better students, or better in their health: financially or physically. Even so, let me encourage you to learn what God would have you do in each of these roles rather than to chase after the ways of this world or the newest, latest, greatest idea or philosophy of men (even well-meaning men). Let us turn to the gospel on how to live in this present world. Peter wrote, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” (2 Pet. 1:2,3). We must not chase after the ways of the world. We must not be tossed about by the ideas and plans of men. We must turn to God’s word for the directions for Christian living. 

In the Blink of an Eye

Have you heard someone describe a very frightening moment in their lives by saying “It all happened so fast?” Often in life, we realize that very serious things happen very quickly. More than once I have had a conversation with someone only to find out they passed away that night. Friends have commented on car accidents how someone or something just appeared out of nowhere before they could blink. At other times, we think about our kids growing up and it seems like just yesterday when they were born saying, “they grew up so fast.” On other occasions we hear the couple celebrating 50 years of marriage saying how it has flown by.

Biblically, we often think of the brevity of life. James said that life is but a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Job said it is like the speed of a weaver’s shuttle. The point of thinking about the brevity of life is to take care of our spiritual needs quickly while we have the opportunity because our time will pass quickly. We need to hear and obey the gospel and live faithfully while we can. Our soul is too important to risk missing out on eternal life, especially when we realize how precious and temporary life really is in this realm.

Additionally, we think of the judgment when it comes to something happening very quickly. Paul said that in a moment, in the twinkling of time, we shall all be changed. We will put on a new body that will be incorruptible as opposed to the frail body we now have. In a moment, we will enter into a new spiritual realm where we will spend eternity with the Lord. We want to be ready for that day. We want to live in such a way that we hear the “well done,” good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord.

Accidents, changes in life, the passing of our lives, the time we live, and the time between this world and eternal life all happen in the blink of an eye.

Even so, I want encourage you to consider something else that we can do in the blink of an eye. There are some things we can do quickly, with little effort, which can make a huge difference in the lives of others while helping us prepare for eternity.

In a moment, in the blink of an eye, we can…

· Lend a helping hand to those in need

· Speak an encouraging word to someone suffering in this world or dealing with health issues

· Hold a hand of someone hurting

· Preach the gospel to the lost

· Love someone who needs love (all of us)

· Show kindness and mercy to someone who is not used to being treated with Christian love

· Show compassion on the one suffering loss

· Give to the needy

· Visit the sick

· Visit the person in prison

· Provide a meal to the hungry

· Listen to someone who needs to talk

· Cry with someone who is weeping

· Celebrate with someone who is rejoicing

· Read your Bible to gain knowledge and strength

· Pray to receive God’s help

· Tell someone you love them

· Tell someone you will pray with and for them

· Sing with joy

· Play with a child

· Tell someone you appreciate them

· Hug someone who needs your love

· Give blood to help those in need

· Support the preacher

· Praise the elders

· Help the deacons

There are many things we can do in the blink of an eye to make a difference in this world. Things that happen quickly aren’t always negative. You can make a difference in a matter of seconds. What will you do this week? 

Everything is Awesome!

In the Lego movie, there was a song used repeatedly by artists Tegan and Sara titled Everything is Awesome. The lyrics in part say, “Everything is awesome, Everything is cool when you're part of a team, Everything is awesome, when we're living our dream. Everything is better when we stick together, Side by side, you and I gonna win forever, let's party forever, We're the same, I'm like you, you're like me, we're all working in harmony.”

While I cannot speak to the meaning of the lyrics from the author’s point of view, I do want to make some simple comparisons with the Christian life and with being a member of the Lord’s church.

First, let us notice that everything is awesome. Psalm 118:24 tell us that “This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” That doesn’t mean every day is going to be perfect from a worldly sense or that everything will work out the way you want it. Instead, it means that we trust God and live according to His will. In doing this, everything is wonderful. I can “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say rejoice! … Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:4,6-7). With complete trust in God, we can say everything is awesome.

Second, when we walk in the Lord, we are not alone. In fact, everything is cool when you are a part of a team: Christ’s church. We are told to love one another (Jn. 13:34,35), be devoted to one another and have harmony (Rom. 12:10,16), forgive one another (Eph. 4:32), teach and admonish one another in worship in song (Col. 3:16), encourage/build up one another (1 Thess. 5:11), exhort one another (Heb. 3:13), consider and stir up one another (Heb. 10:24,25), and have fellowship with one another (1 John 1:7). We are to have unity (1 Cor. 1:10). We are described as the body of Christ, the family of God, the flock, and the church. All of these show us a connection. In this connection, we should work together, serve together, love together, rejoice and weep together, worship together, and stand together. Everything is awesome when we have unity and work together. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Ps. 133:1).

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 — “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

Proverbs 27:17 — “As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”

Let’s be honest. Life is hard sometimes. It can be very difficult. The Christian life should not be one of denial and pretense that everything is superficially wonderful. It isn’t always wonderful to suffer health issues, to lose a loved one, to have a tragedy that takes away possessions or friends, or to lose a job. I am not suggesting we be fake people walking around with “positive mental attitude” and not be grounded. What I am suggesting is that when we have the right attitude, when we have our trust in God, when we work together as a team as Christians, and when we keep our focus on being ready for eternal life, the problems of this life will not be to us “the end of the world.” Instead, we can have the attitude of Paul: “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). We will be content in life (Phil. 4:11,12). And we will be ready for the reward (2 Tim. 4:6-8). Truly, as a Christian, everything is awesome!