Have you been good enough?

Posted in grace with tags , , , , , on March 16, 2010 by Royce

I wonder...One of the finest men I ever knew was my wife’s step father, T.L. Cannon. T.L. was a true Texas gentleman in every sense. And, he was a Christian.

He had been a member of several churches of Christ all of his adult life. He had served in many ways, even serving as an elder in two or three of those churches.

T.L. was a kind, compassionate, and loving friend. He was a car guy and he and I became fast friends soon after we met. His phone calls to me and our shared projects when I visited him are cherished memories.

When T.L. was well past his 80th birthday and Carol’s mom was about 80, one of our conversations included dying and what lies beyond the grave. Carol’s mom had also been a Christian since she was a girl. The church of Christ legacy ran back several generations in both families. In fact Carol’s father was a preacher and ministered in many churches of Christ until near his death several years ago.

We sat at the kitchen table and I listened to two dear people express to me their shared fear that they might not go to heaven. I was saddened and my heart went out to them. As they talked, one said and the other agreed, “I don’t know if I have been good enough”.

I opened a Bible and tried the best I could to give them some assurance from the Bible, to share God’s promises, but to no avail. On my birthday about two or three years after this conversation we buried my friend. Carol’s mom is now 89.

I wonder, how many Christian’s live their lives devoted to Christ and His people and face what they believe is an uncertain future? Is it tens of thousands, millions?

“T.L. was right, he had not been good enough. And, this is precisely the reason Jesus bore his sin, died for him, and was raised again for his justification. None of us are “good enough” to be approved by God. The righteousness he accepts is that of Jesus. It is that righteousness which is revealed in the gospel (Romans 1:17) and given as a free gift to those who depend on Christ alone for forgiveness and eternal life. (Romans 3:23, 4:22-25)

I suggest that perhaps we should do some house keeping ourselves before we make a fuss over the dirt in someone else’s house. What a sad commentary on over 60 years of preaching and teaching in the case of my wife’s mom and step father.

In the last decade I have seen more and more Christ centered ministry in our fellowship. People are embracing the good news of the grace of God. The joy of being freed from the yoke of trying to do it themselves is refreshing and hopeful. So, many of us keep preaching Christ  and against every voice that opposes the good news about Jesus.

Truth always prevails in the end. You have not been good enough to go to heaven. Put your trust in Jesus who is your only hope. He is the way, the truth, and the life and you can be safe only in Him.

Royce

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Spring Forward!

Posted in spring with tags , , on March 15, 2010 by Royce

Setting the clocks ahead one hour, Bradford Pear trees blooming in the yard, and annual plants peeking through the soil make me smile. I love spring!

Bass and crappie are moving into shallow water, I’m planning my garden, and looking forward to dinners on the back porch. Soon humming birds, blue birds, and purple martins will show up to enjoy our part of the world. Long, warm days fit me to a tee. No shirt, no shoes, no problem.

I have tried very hard to not complain about the cold weather this winter. It still hurts my feelings to be cold. Why would anyone want to be cold? I don’t get it.

Spring reminds me renewal. There is beauty everywhere. The drab, bleak, landscape of winter is transformed into amazing beauty in a matter of a few days. It also reminds me of the resurrection of Jesus. The hopeless and helpless now have hope and help and eternal life springs forth like an endless fountain. Everyone is invited to drink deeply and live.

Christ is not in a tomb, he is not on a cross, he is alive and is life for all who trust him. The resurrection of Jesus promises an eternal spring for those who take God at his word and depend wholly upon Him.

Agape’

Royce

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My Proverbs 31 Woman

Posted in wife with tags , , , , on March 10, 2010 by Royce

“An excellent wife who can find?

She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
She dresses herself with strength
and makes her arms strong.
She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.

Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.”  (Proverbs 31:10-31)

“Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her”. I am long over due!

The 13th of next month I will have been married to this wonderful woman 11 years. How do I describe her? In a word, Amazing!

If I chronicled here all she has accomplished, just since I have known her, most of you would applaud and perhaps a few of you would grumble that a woman has that much influence. Much of what she initiated, suggested, or orchestrated behind the scenes, she will not be credited for. But she didn’t do those things to improve her ego, trust me when I tell you, she doesn’t have a self-esteem problem.

When I read the passage where Paul mentioned and commended those “women who labored with me in the gospel” I always think first of Carol. I know no person with more ambition and determination to get things done for the kingdom. She is a driven lady who is just as ambitious in her singing, preparing for a house party, or getting help to people in need, she is an equal opportunity enthusiast. Only God can anticipate what she can facilitate!

Carol is a woman of vision. I have never known any person, man or woman, who can see the end of a dream long before I start to think. She just assumes nothing is too hard and if something is worth visualizing it is worth realizing. Again and again, I’m thinking, “That will never work!”, but it usually does work.

Hard work is her gait. God made this gal with her cruise control set on about 85. She thrives on getting tasks accomplished. And she is not bashful about recruiting others to help. I lovingly gave her the nick name “The Little General”. She has come close to making grown men run away screaming. As I told one friend who was her pack mule for the hour, “Just do what she says and everything will be fine”.

She is generous to a fault. Her heart and her hands are always open to those in need. Again and again I have seen her heart open and her hands busy to meet someone’s needs. I have seen her reach out in tangible ways to scores of people in amazing and creative ways to simply help. Her care for others is one of her traits I admire most.

Her ear is tuned to that still small voice. It is not uncommon to hear her say to me, “I just said that before I even thought about it.” Or “I believe the Spirit (of God) wanted me to do….” or “say ….”. And there is a couple with an adopted child, a husband with a godly wife and a one time widow with a godly man, and ….well you get the point I hope. From babies to marriages, singers and church vans, new ministries, and saying exactly the right thing to inspire hope in the hopeless, I am married to a woman who ‘walks in the Spirit”.

Loving is as natural as breathing. I have been loved in an amazing ways by this great woman, my wife. She loves her children and especially her grand children, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, old friends and new friends, the grieving, the poor, the lonely and the list goes on… They all are the objects of this great lover, My Carol Jane.

Am I bragging? You bet I am!

(Carol, when you read this, please know that I love you, honor you, respect you, and am excited to see what unfolds in all of our shared tomorrows for God’s glory.  Happy Anniversary!)

Royce

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The Parade of Pharisees

Posted in profiles in apostasy with tags , , , on March 5, 2010 by Royce

Most of my readers will be aware of the Contending for the Faith lectures hosted by the Spring, Texas church of Christ. The most recent event was titled “Profiles in Apostasy #1″. I watched several of the lectures. One by one speakers were introduced and they would then systematically condemn some of the best and brightest men ever to grace church of Christ pulpits or write books. The “Apostates” they chose to expose were:

Alan Hughes, Todd Deaver, Al Maxey, Cecil Hook, Bill Love, Olan Hicks, James Bales, John Mark Hicks, Leroy Garrett, Carl Ketcherside, Jimmy Allen, Marvin Phillips, Lynn Anderson, Lenard Allen, Mike Cope, Rubel Shelly, Jeff Walling, Edward Fudge, Carol Osborn, K.C. Moser, and F. Legard Smith.

What offence did these men commit that got them branded as “Apostates”? Everyone of them teaches or taught salvation by grace as a free gift. It is about that simple. I know and have had talks with a few of these men and have read most of the others. They are, or were, good men, devoted to Jesus and lovers of His people.

The accusers of the brothers were:

David Brown, Terry Hightower, Lester Kamp, Lynn Parker, Skip Francis, Danny Douglas, Bruce Stulting, Johnny Oxendine, Ken Chumbley, Paul Vaughn, John West, Danial Coe, Gene Hill, Doug Post, Wayne Blake, Michael Hatcher, Daniel Denham, John Rose, Jimmy Gribble, Lee Moses, Gary Summers, Jess Whitlock, and Dub McClish.

I don’t know any of these men personally, and know little about them. My hope is that they are just brothers who are in error and that somehow they will come to the knowledge of the truth. However, after listening to a few of them (likely a fair sampling of the whole) I question if they are brothers.

What is shockingly clear is that at least some of them teach what Paul would call “another gospel”. I heard mentioned more than once a reference to “Obeying the plan of salvation” and that “plan” was spelled out. It was also clear that they believe that they alone are saved and stay saved, not because of what Jesus accomplished for them but that they are in the right church, believe the right doctrine, and worship according to the supposed “pattern”.

(One name I left off in the list of people attacked was Dave Miller of Apologetics Press. He was roundly condemned as an apostate because of a sermon he preached on the reaffirmation of elders years ago. Miller is a perfect example of a legalist, but even one of their own is condemned to hell if he offends in any way.)

What you will see if you care to watch the lectures is a “Parade of Pharisees“. They are no different than those in Jesus day. They teach that you must trust Christ and do this and this and this to be saved. And, you must believe this and do this and this and this to stay saved, and that they and those who adhere to their teachings are the only ones saved.  Their contempt was not only for modern day grace men but they attacked Alexander Campbell and other Restoration Movement founders as well. In their view, anyone who even hints that anyone other than conservative church of Christ people are saved is wrong and deserves to be openly condemned.

Why should anyone believe these men are saved? Because they have been baptized? Because they are church of Christ preachers? Because they are “faithful” or “sound”? Not everyone who claims Christ belongs to Him. Not all that glitters is gold.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. ”Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:15-23)

It may well be the case that our greatest mission field is in our own churches. Men much more learned than I estimate that roughly one half of Churches of Christ are “conservative”. Likely, most of those people believe every word these false teachers say.

These facts call for Christ centered teaching, love expressed in patience, and praying that the Holy Spirit will prick hard hearts and that God will grant repentance bring the lost to himself.

The worst enemy of the Christian faith has always been religion. It is still true today. The most dangerous enemy in a war is the one who marches with our own, under our flag. We must remember though that our enemy in not flesh and blood but the god of this world who is the master counterfeiter.

God help us.

Royce

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…On Spiritual Transformation

Posted in Spiritual Transformation with tags , , , , on February 18, 2010 by Royce

Spiritual Transformation is an important subject in the Christian community and rightfully so. One of the inescapable truths that serious church leaders must grapple with is the apathy of those who populate church pews on Sunday. Common knowledge is that perhaps as much as 90% of all the work in a local congregation is done by about 10% of the members. The numbers fluctuate a bit but this sad template applies to most churches and across denominational lines.

To say that “most” church members are content to show up once a week for a worship service, give some money, sing a few songs, listen to the preacher, and live much like their pagan neighbors the rest of the week is not a stretch. Since this is true, the challenge is how do we get “Mr. Joe Christian” transformed from nominal believer to an on fire disciple?

Based largely on the popular idea that more “activity” equals more “maturity”, many church leaders have simply opted to create more and more opportunities throughout the week for members to be involved. In my view, having committees,  ministry teams, and small groups staffed by people with little appetite or aptitude for God solves nothing. Unless church leaders are content with a church that operates like a civic club that methodology is not a good idea.

The apparent question then is how does “Spiritual Transformation” happen? There is no valid answer unless we first know “what” it is. The first thing we must understand is that it is a work of God.

“for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13)

This important text, understood in context, lays the foundation for any spiritual transformation of the believer. I invite you to read the prior 12 verses and you will see the Apostle’s plea for selflessness, putting the interests of others ahead of our own, and imitating the humility of Christ. The verse preceding  the one above gives the correct response to the knowledge that God is at work in us for His pleasure.

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12)

The often quoted phrase “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” is more often than not taken out of context and misapplied, putting “self”in the seat of power only God deserves to occupy. The “work(s)” we do are in the knowledge that our part of the equation is to humbly walk with God as He directs.

Paul’s absolute confidence in God’s ability to transform believers into the image of Christ should encourage each of us that in our own lives and the lives of those in our faith communities, God is at work!

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6)

It is God’s will, work, and purpose to transform every believer into the image of Christ. That work will be final at the resurrection. Until then we must cooperate, on purpose, if we want God’s best life now. We must not only know God is at work but we must do the work of a disciple, that is we must practice the disciplines of the Christian faith. Bible study, prayer, and interaction with other believers is essential to our growth.

A man is what he thinks. The remedy is to think right. The injunction of Romans 12 applies here.

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:1,2)

Two striking truths challenge us from this passage. First, we are to give our whole selves to God as a sacrifice. This is true worship! The implication is human effort alone is worthless to God. Secondly, we must have renewed minds. Unless, and until, we are no longer depending on the energy and resources of human flesh, and we begin to have minds filled with God and his purposes and not focused on our own agenda’s, there will be little “Spiritual Transformation”.

What then is the solution for the church at large? First, know and admit the problem. Our people have not been taught correctly. We have taught for centuries that more “church” related activity equals spiritual growth. Instead of a recipe for maturity this method often results in hypocrite church members.

Once we believe and admit the bankruptcy of human effort we must focus our personal and cooperate teaching and practice on the worth and work of God in us by the Holy Spirit. We must dethrone “self” and invite God to have free access to every facet of our lives.

More trust and less trying, less hustle and more humility, and ego crushing purposeful living and loving will open the door wide for God’s work in us and through us.

Agape’

Royce

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