A few years ago the cover to a 1996 edition of U.S. News caught my attention. It asked, “Can Churches Cure America’s Social Ills”? Hmm.
Now, as a Christian my chief allegiance is to God’s holy nation of which I am a citizen (1 Pet. 2:9; Phil. 3:20); but since America is where I reside for now I want to see it do well for if it has peace, I have peace (Jer. 29:7).
As I pondered the question, “Can Churches Heal America?”, I thought of some things churches are going to have to do if they hope to have an impact.
Churches must call people back to the book (the Bible). It’s what America needs more than anything else. Just this morning, my “check engine” light came on. I didn’t know what to do. Of course, I knew to check the engine, but where do I start? I immediately reached into the glove compartment for the owner’s manual. It told me what I needed to know. Friend, that’s what your Bible is. It’s a manual from the Owner who made us all and knows what’s best. No matter how broken down your life is the Bible can fix it. In it, we have all we need (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Why would so many people ignore a book that is so good for us? Too many people just don’t want to be accountable to God. So, they reason Him away and deny the Bible as His word. Someone has said, “The atheist cannot find God for the same reason a thief cannot find a policeman.” He doesn’t want to. America is not the first nation to try to push God out. Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, took God’s word, cut it up with a knife and through it in the fire (Jer. 36:23). Perhaps he thought he had done away with God’s word but he had not because He couldn’t touch its Author. Try as we may to push God’s word out of our lives, it lives and abides forever (1 Pet. 1:22-25). Like an anvil wears its hammers one by one, God’s word has outlasted all its skeptics. Oh, how we need this book!! America’s hope is to come back to the Bible.
Churches must remember the mission of the church. People long before us saw “going to church” very simply. God’s word was highlighted above all. Some have even said that when preachers spoke you could “feel the heat.” How do people see churches now? As people see so many denominations with recreation centers, cafeterias, gymnasiums and the like, are people impressed with the need for the spiritual over the physical? Jesus had to deal with that problem. People came in hoards wanting physical food. When He made it clear that His mission was to provide spiritual food, most of them walked away (Jn. 6:26-27,66-68). A few in the religious world have been willing to admit that without all the physical attractions their numbers would drastically fall off. Jesus didn’t worry about that. He sadly let them walk away. In fact, if you’ll notice, every time crowds began to build, Jesus’ teaching became even more challenging (Lk. 14:25-25). He wanted those who wanted Him. That’s it. The mission of the church is to preach the truth, period (1 Tim. 3:15). Many years ago, a French statesman, Alexis De Toqueville (1805 – 1859) came to America trying to find the secret of its greatness. What he found is interesting. Listen to this!! “I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers – and it was not there… in her fertile fields and boundless forests – and it was not there… in her rich mines and her vast world commerce – and it was not there…in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution – and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.” Local churches must remember their mission. Preaching is growing weaker in too many places. Preachers must call sin, sin (Jn. 8:31). Faith comes by hearing God’s word (Rom. 10:17). Without God’s word, America will be faithless.
Churches must encourage members to come home to family. Too many homes hardly have anyone home. Dads must provide (1st Timothy 5:8) but they can be gone far too much in their pursuit of climbing the ladder of success. Moms need to focus their minds on being keepers at home (Titus 2:4-5). Even kids can be away from home too much. We must spend time together. I’ll never forget brother Connie Adams telling of a yard sale at his parent’s home. Reluctantly, they decided to sell the family dinner table he had sat around all of his growing up years. There were so many good memories. For most of the day, it had not sold. Inwardly, Connie was sort of glad. Then…a buyer came, loaded it up and drove away. Connie said as he saw it go away, he cried. I understand. How many families today would have such sentimental thoughts about their table? We just need to come home and build our homes on Christ (Mt. 7:24-27).
Churches must teach members to deny worldliness in their lives (Rom. 2:17-24; Mt. 5:13-16). If we, one-by-one, will let the Lord put our lives together, the world will fall right into place. If you want to heal America, start with you. May God bless the United States of America.
Jeff May
Athens, AL
Biblemay@charter.net
Why Do You Make A Big Deal About The Church's Name?
Jeff May
To answer any Bible related question, we should go to the
Bible so that we might call Bible things by Bible names (2nd Tim. 1:13).What does the Bible reveal about the church's
name?
It is interesting to note that our Lord gave no one
specific name to His church.Someone has
pointed out that you do not have to name anything there is only one of.We give names to our planets to distinguish
between them.But what name did we give
the moon?We just call it "the
moon" since we have only one.Christ's church is simply the people who belong to Him.He has just one church (Mt. 16:18).That's why as we read in Acts 8:1, it simply
says that "persecution arose against the church."There was no need to specify which church
because in the book of Acts, I am reading only about the one which began on the
day of Pentecost, the one Jesus died to purchase (Acts 2:47).
It is more accurate to say that the Lord used
designations which describe His church.Let's notice some descriptions which the Lord gave His church.
It was called "the church" in Acts
8:1.Sometimes today in talking with
Christians, I will ask, "Is he a member of the church?"They don't ask me "Which one?"They know I am talking about the one Jesus
built and is still adding people to today.
It was called the "church of Christ" in
Romans 16:16.Paul said, "the churches of Christ salute
you."If several local churches
are called "churches of Christ" then it is scriptural to call one of
them the "church of Christ."It reflects ownership.It belongs
to Christ, Who purchased it.
The universal church is called the "body of Christ"
in Ephesians 4:12 and Colossians 1:18.All the saved are added to Jesus' body.I have a friend who often uses this description.He will ask me, "Is he a member of the
body?"Again, I don't have to ask
which body, because Jesus has just one body of which He is the Savior (Eph.
5:23).
The church is called the "church of God"
in Acts 20:28 and 1st Corinthians 1:2.In Acts 20, "church of God" refers to Jesus since He purchased
the church with His blood.
It is called the "church of the firstborn"
in Hebrews 12:23.This has reference to
those in the church of the Lord.They
are referred to as "firstborn" because of their high privilege as
sons.Jesus also shares this designation
(Colossians 1:15).
Let me share one more which I find packed with
meaning.Paul addressed the church at
Thessalonica as "the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ" (1st Thessalonians 1:1).The church's make up is seen;
Thessalonians.It also reflects
location; Thessalonica.And it
emphasizes relationship.This church was
composed of people who were in God and in Christ.
The one common thing we see the Lord doing in all of
these designations is that He is emphasizing Christ, the Savior who died for
the church, purchased it and brought it into relationship with Him.
In contrast to these descriptors, many denominational
church names are not even found in the Bible.Remember that when we read our Bible, we find that none of the
modern-day denominations are mentioned.They did not exist.They were started
at a later time by the men who founded
them.Some denominations are named after
men (ie. Lutheran), others are named after a church ordinance or perhaps after
John the Baptist, others may reflect a methodical way of doing things
(Methodist) or church leadership (Presbyterian, Episcopal).With the arrival of many denominations comes
the arrival of many names and therefore many names not found in the Bible.
Names are important.The name of Christ is supreme.The Bible says of His name, "Nor
is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given
among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).Furthermore, the Bible forbids party names
(1st Cor. 1:12-15).Christians wear the
name of Christ.No one ever asked in the
Bible, "What brand of Christian are you?"They were just Christians and members of
Christ's church.If we take on a
denominational name, we do something that first century Christians did not do.
Is it pleasing to Christ for His bride (the church) to
wear the name of another man?Would I
want my wife (Susan May) to wear another man's name or to call herself after my
favorite line of shoes?No, I want her
to wear my name since I love her and I give myself for her (Ephesians
5:22-33).Even Martin Luther, the
founder of the Lutheran denomination pleaded with his followers saying, "I pray you to leave my name alone, and
call not yourselves Lutherans but Christians.Who is Luther?My doctrine is not
mine.I have not been crucified for
anyone.St. Paul would not let any call
themselves after Paul, nor of Peter but of Christ.How then, does it befit me, a miserable bag
of dust and ashes, to give my name to the children of God.Cease, my dear friends, to cling to these
party names and distinctions: away with all; and let us call ourselves only
Christians after him from whom our doctrine comes" (The Life of Luther,
Stork, pg. 289).I could not say it
better and this also is my plea.Let us
exalt the name of the One who died for us, bought us with His blood, and is
leading us home to Him.
A Few Things To Think About During the Lord’s Supper
By Jeff May
Think about your covenant (agreement) with God. Remember that when you became a Christian you promised God you would honor Him by living as a Christian should. He agreed to be your God. You agreed to be His child. The Lord’s Supper is a meal you eat of that reflects your covenant with God. Jesus made this clear (Mt. 26:28; I Corinthians 11:25). The Lord’s Supper becomes a great time to examine our lives (I Cor. 11:27-31). Am I keeping my end of the agreement? The supper can be a moment of great resolve to be all that we can be for the Lord.
Think about the body of the Lord. No one impacted the world more than Jesus. All that He did, He did with His body. How does He impact the world today? It is still through His body, the church!! We are His hands, feet, eyes, ears and mouths today. As you partake of the bread today which represents His body, you might think about your role in His body. Do you realize that God has given you certain abilities He wants you to use in His body (I Pet. 4:10)? Are you doing your part in the body of Christ? Are you helping Christ impact the world today? That is good for thought during the supper.
Think about Jesus as the Bread of Life. The bread you partake of is symbolic of His body which died to give you life. Jesus is the Bread of Life (Jn. 6:35). As you share in that bread today are you sharing Him with others? Are there others you could share Him with? Think about those who are yet thirsty and hungry for an answer to their soul’s deepest longing. Share the Lord.
Think about the blood of the Lord. As you partake of the fruit of the vine, it might be a good time to ask the Lord to help you to never do anything that would show a lack of appreciation for His spilled blood (Heb.10:29). You might ask Him to help you show Him more each day how much His blood really means to you.
Think about the cup He had to drink (Mt. 26:42). It was a dreadful cup. It contained mocking, a scourging, spitting, nails, and abandonment. He drank it down to its bitter dregs. The cup you drink of during the supper spared you from all of these things which you deserved. Now, won’t that keep our thoughts focused a while?
Think about the communion you share with Christ and the entire body of Christ. It is a wonderful thought to realize that on the Lord’s day there is really just one bread being partaken of by the entire body of Christ (1st Cor. 10:17). Take time to think of all the wonderful people you are in communion with in the body of Christ. Some of them have passed on. Some are sitting near you today and are a great blessing to you. Some of them are across continents thanking God for your fellowship with them in the gospel. Some of them you have not met and likely will not meet until the resurrection. Thank Jesus for His sacrifice which brought you into communion with the people of God.
These are just a few thoughts that could fill or minds during the Lord’s Supper. It is my prayer that these few suggestions will help all of our minds to be stayed on Him the next time we commune with Him.
Noah Teaches Us About Family
Our society has a fascination for Noah and the ark he built. Little Noah figurines
and little arks with animals going in two by two are often seen in stores.
Noah’s building of the ark was surely a great feat even by today’s engineering
standards. Imagine a vessel in that day and time 150 yards long, 25 yards
wide and 15 yards high. What an ark!!
But Noah built something even more impressive than that. Noah built a faithful
family in a tremendously wicked world. Perhaps we sometimes look at the wickedness
of our world and wonder if we can really bring up a godly family. How will we
ever get our children past the vulgarities, lewdness, sexual immorality, drunkenness,
drugs and the allurements of material things? Can it be done? Yes! Noah did
it and did it in a world where there were hardly enough adjectives to describe
how bad it was.
Look at God’s description. “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was
great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only
evil continually” (Gen. 6:5). Imagine Noah, the preacher of righteousness (2
Pet. 2:5), teaching his family God’s ways and steering them over the tides of
wickedness. It could be done then. It can be done now. Noah knew it began with
him (Gen. 6:9). A father cannot lead his family into something he is not.
Noah’s family thought little details mattered when it came to God. They
didn’t try as some do today to distinguish between what really matters in
God’s word and what doesn’t. All God’s commands have His breath on them (2
Tim. 3:16-17). They knew they all mattered. They sought to do everything just
as God had told them. From the measurements of the ark to the gathering of
the right number of animals, they did it just as God said (Gen. 6:22). God’s
patterns mattered to them. They should matter to us.
Here too was a family that waited for the new world. Can’t you imagine it had
to be easy to get restless on the ark. How many stops do we make on a vacation
trip to just get out, stretch our legs and do something different for a while.
They were on this ark for one year and ten days with a huge company of animals.
Whew!! Maybe they wondered, “When will this ever be over?” But they waited on
God’s promise of a new world to come. God’s people still have to
do that. We must imitate families like Noah’s who “through faith and patience
inherit the promises” (Heb. 6:12)
Noah’s family was worshipful. After the flood was over, their first act was to
worship God. Noah built an altar and offered sacrifices unto God (Gen 8:20-21).
How sweet it smelled to God. The old world of corruption was gone and things
are beginning anew with a single solitary family worshipping Him. Never let
us underestimate what is being built into the hearts of our children as we lead
them to each period of worship. Let us wake them with a “Time to wake up children.
We get to worship God today.” It’s our privilege, not a burdensome
ritual.
Noah’s family paved the way for comfort and rest. Noah’s father, Lamech, had
hoped his son could make a difference. He hoped Noah could bring comfort to all
our toil (Gen. 5:29). Maybe he had other ideas in mind but Noah surely played
a part in bringing us comfort. Thousands of years later, a child was born.
Jesus was His name. Who can’t help but smile as we read of his bloodline genealogy
through Mary. It ends saying, “the son of Shem, the son of Noah” (Lk. 3:36).
What comfort Jesus brings. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am
gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is
easy and my burden is light” (Mt. 11:28-30). Building the ark may have been the
easier task for Noah.
Building a faithful family just might be the hardest job on the planet. Maybe
that’s why so many “throw in the towel.” They just give up on it. Don’t ever
give up. Trust in God. Be faithful to Him.We too can be godly in perilous times.
