What do you do when things look darkest? What do you do when prospects appear bleakest? What do you do when your pain is greatest? What do you do when you feel most discouraged? What do you do when there appear to be no solutions, at least none that you can find? The answer to all of these questions, and many more similar to them, is the same. “Keep your eyes on Jesus!”
Many church leaders are dismayed that so many members have left their churches. They wonder how they can stem the tide and what they can ultimately do to bring them back. Studies indicate a growing percentage of people who claim belief in God yet seldom attend church services anywhere, a disturbing trend indeed.
Who are the churches of Christ? The only identity we desire is to be the church that you read about in the Bible, nothing more and nothing less! We are not a denomination. Our Lord came to this earth to establish His church (Matthew 16:18), not a denomination devised and organized by man. We diligently strive to fill our role as “the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).
One of the most challenging aspects of becoming a Christian, and then living a dedicated Christian life, is being willing to completely turn your life over to God. Total surrender! Such a concept is rather foreign to the typical philosophy of our culture. We're told to take control of our own lives, take charge, take the bull by the horns and make things happen. To an extent, such a philosophy is good. However, when we understand what should be the real purpose and focus of life, we will also understand that we cannot, by ourselves, maintain absolute control. We must trust God with our lives if we hope to gain the most in our lives.
There are a lot of things going on in the world that naturally cause concern: wars, political upheaval, poverty, starvation, disease. There are also natural disasters: hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, blizzards, drought, famine. Then, there’s always all kinds of social problems: crime, poverty, homelessness, out of wedlock births, break down of the family, abortion, aids, poor education.
Supposedly, most accidents occur either in, or relatively near, home. That’s rather intriguing, since most people feel safer at home than almost anywhere. The truth is, no matter how much attention is given to safety, wherever one might be, there’s no way to completely avoid all potential danger in this life. When every possible safeguard is taken, any number of possible dangers still exists. There’s always the unforeseen. That’s why people buy all kinds of insurance policies.
Does doctrine matter? Many people would say, basically, that doctrine does not matter. Really? The word doctrine simply means teaching. Does teaching matter? Consider what the scriptures say on the subject.
Foolishness can be observed in various forms all around us, including in our personal lives. In some forms foolishness is basically just harmless fun, as long as it is not carried too far. Everybody needs to take some time to relax, have some fun, as my parents used to put it, cut up a little. As long as it is kept in proper perspective, with no harm being done, that kind of foolishness can actually be productive, having a rejuvenating effect and contributing to having a good time without negative consequences.
Foolishness can be observed in various forms all around us, including in our personal lives. In some forms foolishness is basically just harmless fun, as long as it is not carried too far. Everybody needs to take some time to relax, have some fun, as my parents used to put it, cut up a little. As long as it is kept in proper perspective, with no harm being done, that kind of foolishness can actually be productive, having a rejuvenating effect and contributing to having a good time without negative consequences.
Jesus encouraged us, "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Rev. 2:10). The "crown of life" signifies eternal life in Heaven, eternal salvation. Eternal life is a gift offered to us by God through grace. Our responsibility in receiving this gift is to "be faithful until death." We are not just to become faithful, we are to live in faithfulness until the day we die. We must even be willing to die for our faith, if necessary.
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