DOING GOOD FOR OUR NATION - By Al Diestelkamp (from THINK
page 1)
1. A law allowing
church assemblies only on Sundays. Clearly, the Lord has authorized Christians
to meet often--even daily (Ac. 5:42), and we have an example
of a church that apparently met only on the first day of the
week (Ac. 20:7). Since how often we meet in addition to the first
day assembly is a matter to be determined by the local church,
some may think that in such a case we must abide by the law of
the land. I disagree, and perhaps the next couple of examples
will show that when God looses, man (including government) cannot
bind.
2. A law prohibiting
Christians from having children. Don't scoff at that possibility. Already
some nations restrict the number of children people can have.
It's not a giant leap to think a government might feel they have
the right to restrict the growth of Christianity by prohibiting
believers from having children. If that were to happen, I believe
we would have the God-given right to disobey such a law (1 Tim.
5:14).
3. A law making
spanking of children a crime.
This has become a reality in some parts of our nation. While
there are other forms of correction available to parents, God's
word has clearly endorsed spanking as an authorized form of discipline
(Prov. 13:24). Man, including the government, has no right to
bind where God has loosed.
What
About Taxes?
One of the "good" things we can do for our government
is to pay our taxes. Jesus, when asked about paying taxes during
a time when Rome was in power said, "Render therefore to
Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that
are God's" (Lk. 20:25). The apostle Paul told Christians
in Rome to pay our taxes because governments are "God's
ministers" (Rom. 13:6-7).
The fact that governments
often use our tax money for evil purposes does not permit us
to withhold from them. God will hold them accountable for how
they minister for Him.
What You Can Do
for Your Country
It is "good and acceptable to God" that we pray for
our nation and those in authority (1 Tim. 2:1-3). God listens
to His children, making prayer powerful and effective (Jas. 5:16).
Who knows, our prayers may affect more positive change than our
votes!
In his inaugural address,
President John F. Kennedy issued the following challenge: "My
fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you--ask
what can you do for your country." Long before, Solomon
supplied the best answer to that question: "Righteousness
exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people" (Prov.
14:34). Therefore, the greatest good you can do for your country
is to make it more righteous--by being righteous.
AL DIESTELKAMP
P.O. Box 891, Cortland, Illinois 60112
Email: al@thinkonthesethings.com
Return to THINK page 1.
FAITH
COMES BY HEARING THE WORD OF GOD
- By Steve Fontenot (from
THINK page 1)
A song in our songbook says, "You ask me how I know he lives?
He lives within my heart I know that He is living, whatever men
may say; I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
and just the time I need Him He's always near." What does
the songwriter mean? What do we mean when we sing this? Is faith
in Christ based on something "within my heart"? Yes,
faith is "within my heart," but is our faith
based on something "within" or something without--objective,
historical evidence?
If someone asks us why
we believe in Jesus, is our answer, "I know it because of
what's within me"? One definition of faith is, "strong
belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual
apprehension rather than proof" [Oxford Dictionary].
Is this how we view faith--a "spiritual apprehension"
within--not dependent on proof? "I know that he is living...I
see His hand of mercy..."? What if your friend you have
been praying for dies? Does this mean Jesus is not living since
you did not "see his hand of mercy" to give your friend
life? Is our faith based on personal experience--"I hear
his voice of cheer, and just the time I need him, he's always
near"? Maybe this isn't what the songwriter alluded to.
But, if our faith is based on "spiritual apprehension rather
than proof," on personal experiences, or on culture (mom
and dad believed), when these fail we too may enter the terrible
darkness of doubt where the saving of souls "holds no attraction.
Heaven means nothing." (from Teresa's letters). Faith
comes by hearing--not the voices within, not personal experiences,
not parents, not the church--but by "hearingthe word
of God."
Build your faith on the
Scriptures. Teach your children the evidences in God's Word.
If you want to convert your neighbor, equip yourself to present
the evidences the Holy Spirit has given us in the written word
of God. Why? "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by
the word of God." Then, in all the storms and uncertainties
of life, faith can remain sure for the foundation upon which
it rests is sure--"'the word of the Lord endures forever.'
And this is the word which was preached to you." (1 Pet.
1:25).
STEVE FONTENOT
18542 Crestline Road, Humble, TX 77396
Email: sp63@mac.com
Return to THINK page 1.
POINTING
FINGERS - By Rick
Liggin (from THINK page 1)
But that's not what we have here when people with real faults
throw up the "judge not that you be not judged" verse.
In such cases, we usually have one with a "speck" lovingly
trying to help one with a real "log," and the one with
the "log" starts yelling, "foul."
The fact is that all of
us have at least some "specks" (or faults) in our lives.
If we look at anyone long and hard enough, we will find "specks"
or faultsno matter how genuinely good the person might be. But
the fact that we can point back at someone who is confronting
us about our sin and say, "Hey, but you're guilty of this"--even
if it is a greater sin than the one he is pointing to in our
life and even if he is being hypercritical and hypocritical--that
does not make our sin any less wrong or any less offensive or
any less in need of repentance!
When we point a finger
back and use his "speck" or even his "hypocrisy"
as an excuse for our sin, we prove that we are carnal, and (to
borrow Peter's words) we are "in the gall of bitterness
and in the bondage of iniquity" (cf. Ac. 8:23). If we really
were spiritually minded and truly concerned about pleasing the
Lord, we would appreciate his efforts to help us improve.
So, if some brother approaches
us in an effort to correct some failing in our life, we need
to be careful about pointing our finger back at him! His having
a "speck" or even a "log" doesn't take away
the fact that we still may be at fault. And if that's true, then
we need to correct it--no matter how many sins may be in his
life.
RICK LIGGIN
315 Almond Drive, Washington, Illinois 61571
Email: rcliggin@gmail.com
Return to THINK page 1.
NOW
THAT I AM OLD - By
Robert Speer (from
THINK page 1)
Two thoughts came to mind:
1) This is 2 Timothy 2:2 fulfilled, and 2) if my former students
are among the "older preachers," where does that put
me!?!
Whenever I have the opportunity
to teach, to work with, unmarried young people, I emphasize the
need to marry Christians. It is such a joy to visit places where
I have preached and have a young man or young woman come to me
and enthusiastically introduce me to a spouse, saying, "He/she
is a Christian!"
On a sad note, I have
also witnessed the fall from faith of the young, the middle aged,
the old. One can sense the pain when Paul wrote of a former co-worker
(Col. 4:14; Phe. 24), stating, "Demas has forsaken me, having
loved this present world" (2 Tim. 4:10). Contributing causes
may be listed at length, but it may be reduced to one word; namely,
sin. The writer of Hebrews said, "Beware, brethren, lest
there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing
from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is
called 'Today,' lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness
of sin" (Heb. 3:12-13).
All in all, good memories
far outweigh the bad. As John said, "I have no greater joy
than to hear that my children walk in truth" (3 Jn. 1).
ROBERT SPEER
596 Marselille Blvd., Winchester, KY 40391
Email: robertspeer596@bellsouth.net
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