Author Archives: Royce

Nov 22 2012

The “Who” of Thanksgiving


9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” (Revelation 7:9-12)

Today our local newspaper was splattered with Thanksgiving messages, some mentioning God, but many with no mention of God. To whom are we thankful? Upon reflection, it is really odd to be thankful to…nothing, or no one. If you are really thankful for your family, who do you thank? Fate, nature?

Fast forward to eternity future and peek into this scene before God’s throne. The very ground of true thanksgiving is this, ““Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”. Until we acknowledge the majesty of God and that all that sovereign deity is on display in the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ…for us we can hardly be thankful as we ought.

All of the eternal attributes of God demand that his creatures be thankful. This self-sustaining God who needs nothing, who exists by Himself, the One who speaks and things leap into existence, this God loves sinners! He came with the announcement his name will be “God with us” and “He will save His people from their sins”. Each of us and all of us who have bowed the knee to the Lord Jesus Christ have firm ground for being thankful.

Today, on this official day in America of Thanksgiving, don’t neglect to reflect on our mighty God who alone is worthy of our thanksgiving and praise. The sum total of our manifold blessings come to us from His gracious hand, so be thankful to Him!

 

Nov 13 2012

Some Observations about the church from New Testament, part 2


A few weeks ago I posted a piece I wrote on this subject that focused on how important it was to the first century church to pray together. (You can read it here) I am convinced that the spiritual weakness of an individual believer, or a church will always point first to a prayer weakness. It is very clear that prayer, and especially praying together, was essential to our earliest churchmen.

The next observation that caught my attention as I read through the Acts and other NT books is how they loved one another. The very first expression of the new found faith of those 3,000 plus who were added to the church after Peter’s sermon at Pentecost was water repentance and baptism in water. The very next picture of those new believers is this one. 

 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47)

 

They devoted themselves to the Apostle’s teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayers. You say, cool, I’m all in on that stuff, it’s all stuff I enjoy. But, they had all things for the common good and sold their stuff to take care of others less fortunate. Most of us are not in a rush to do that. But, these believers did just that.

Love is a verb. You don’t love someone from the comfort of your recliner, you DO something. These people loved others more than they loved their stuff, more than their money! It’s a very difficult lesson but there is a lesson here. Measured up against this standard almost all of us are way off track. I have some growing to do! How about you?.

Then they worshiped together, they shared meals together, with glad and generous hearts! And the result? They had favor with all the people and lots of folks were being saved.

So, what is the missing ingredient in our churches. What is the possible reason we are not seeing people saved on a regular basis. We like the teaching! We like the meals! We even enjoy fellowship! But we don’t pray together much and we are stingy. Oh my how that truth hurts… Suggest your church members have a big sale of “stuff” and give all the money to the poor in your congregation. Feel the love yet? 

We want to be a New Testament church but we want to get there by dotting all the I’s and crossing all the T’s on Sunday morning and ignoring the important stuff. Sorry, If we don’t really love our brothers and sisters in tangible ways we don’t qualify to be a New Testament church.

Royce

Nov 13 2012

See How They Love…


Every morning people start to gather at the door of the fellowship center at a small church on the outskirts of a small fishing town on the Alabama Gulf coast. Inside Billy Spaulding is scrambling eggs, making gravy, and other breakfast treats. Soon the doors open and a few volunteers, church members down on their luck, the homeless and helpless are welcomed and fed.

My wife Carol and I were there on a Monday morning and not long after most of the people had their fill of breakfast, volunteers took their stations and people started to line up outside for the bi-weekly food distribution. Each of those families represented left soon with a rather large cardboard box full of various food items. Twice each week meals are given to anyone with a photo ID and income verification. Brother Billy reported that somewhere over 1,ooo people receive food each month.

Since soon after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Billy Spaulding, Daphne German, Bro’ Roosevelt, and several other volunteers have loved the impoverished people of Bayou La Batre in every way imaginable. Volunteer groups from all over America have come to the bayou to help the Bayou Recovery Project (also run by Spaulding and German) repair homes, clean up debris, deliver donated appliances, food, and clothing. If my memory is correct it must be way over 500 houses that have been either repaired or completely redone FREE!

It has now been over 7 years and they are still doing the impossible solely by faith! Billy told me they had run out of money last week but he seemed undaunted as usual. He said “It happens all the time but just when we’re out of money some checks will come in from some place and we just keep on rolling. It’s all good!” Never have I met a Christian man any more positive and full of faith and optimism!

In addition to their benevolent work they also tutor children each week so they can make it in school. Most of the children have little support at home so they get help at the church as volunteers sit with the children and carefully help them learn the school materials.

One Sunday morning while “Mr Billy” is busy making breakfast 3 volunteers man three vans and off they go to soon return with dozens of smiling, excited, hungry children of all ages. Even on Wednesday night they will have well over 50 children at church. They feed them a good meal and teach them about Jesus. This little church with no regular preacher, no elders or deacons, and no budget, manages to do all this mountain of work, pay utilities, insurance on their buildings and vehicles, and other costs associated with running a busy church and recovery ministry, and they baptize several people each year.

Several churches across the country have been very helpful. Presently the El Campo Church of Christ from Texas, The Port City Church of Christ, from Mobile, and the Gateway church of Christ from Pensacola, Fla are helping them in amazing ways. We were able to bring about 300 winter coats and several pairs of new shoes mostly from the Heart to Home ladies of the Whites Ferry Road Church in West Monroe, Louisiana.

Oh, I forgot to mention, they provide Christmas presents for the kids of the community too, including new bicycles for many of them. The children work hard doing service work, memorizing scripture passages, and whatever else Ms. Daphne assigns them so they can qualify to go to church camp in the summer. How they do all they do makes my head spin, and they do it with such love, such care and concern, and with such determination.

Before the year’s end, why don’t you consider offering some help to this worthy cause? Visit their Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hemley-Road-Church-of-Christ/126220237438941) and send a message of encouragement. To donate you can send a check to:

Hemley Road Church of Christ
8270 Hemley Road
Bayou La Batre, Alabama 36509

Thanks for reading and for your consideration.

Royce

 

 

Oct 28 2012

Religious but lost


There was once a man who had done everything right. His family heritage was a good godly one. He had been taught the scriptures from his youth. He had studied hard, kept his nose clean, and eventually had risen to the top ranks of his religion. He enjoyed all the prestige of one who sat on the highest court of the Jews. None was more skilled in the law and it’s application. He meticulously kept the law the very best he could. He had the respect of his peers and of the community. He had achieved all the success one in his day could imagine. And, by all known standards, he was a very good man.

It was this man who came to inquire of Jesus, “Just who are you?” He acknowledged Jesus had come from God. No man could do what Jesus had clearly done of himself. Surely he must at a minimum be a prophet from God.

Jesus did not answer his questions. Instead, after asking some demeaning questions he announced to him “You MUST be born again!”

As you can imagine, Nicodemus was astonished. It made no sense. Born again? What was Jesus saying?

Your family history, your religious experience, your affluence, your social status, how much Bible you know, which church or synagogue you attend, and a thousand other things will not earn an  entrance into God’s family. You must be born again! You must be recreated. There is nothing to start with. Compared to God’s holiness the best man alive doesn’t even begin to be good enough in any way to stand approved by the Holy God and his Christ.

Yet, today in many of our churches we are busy trying to reform each other, blinded by the absurd belief that just the right measure of moral improvement will make us acceptable to God. Don’t do that, but instead do this. Become an actor like us we advise. Play the part. Act religious and you’ll soon be religious… But Jesus said “You MUST be born again”.

You and I are completely helpless and hopeless to change ourselves into people who please God. That is His exclusive work of grace. He alone can make something out of nothing. Here, I’ll let you read Jesus’ instructions about how to be born again. And oh, this is very, very important, you MUST be born again or you will NEVER see the kingdom of God.

Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:7-21)

Royce