Christianity at a Great Bargain

The way the economy is today, people are always looking for the best bargain.  We look for discounts, sales, freebees, and products at the best value.  We look for deals on clothes, groceries, furniture, and just about everything else.  It isn’t surprising then for people to look for Christianity at a bargain as well.

What do we mean by “bargain Christianity”?  Think of it this way, every denomination claims to be able to show how to get to heaven, but nearly every one of them has a different way to get there.  As a result, many people end up settling for the brand of Christianity that requires the least amount of effort to get to heaven and seems to fits them the best.

Let’s say there are two form of Christianity we are considering.  One follows Scripture very closely and puts incredible effort into following every command found in the New Testament.  People following this form will strive their entire lives to sin less, to be closer with God, and could even miss the heavenly reward if not followed.  The other form simply asks that we have faith in Jesus and make him our personal savior, thereby saving us and making it impossible to ever fall away from grace, no matter what we do.  People following this form can literally never be lost in sin ever again, no matter how bad or sinful the rest of their lives are.  If both of these brands of Christianity were going to get you to heaven, which would you choose?  Obviously we would choose the second option because it’s much easier and seems to be a better bargain.  The problem is, this doesn’t fit with the Christianity in Scripture (Galatians 5:4; Revelation 2:10; Matthew 7:21-23; etc).

Even though denominations seem like a steal, they are actually gimmicks and knockoffs of true Christianity.  Scripture has always made it clear that there is a very specific and limited way to reach heaven.  Jesus said in the singular tense, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6).  To make it even clearer, Jesus talked about one, and only one, road that leads to life, and the other road that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).  The inspired apostle Paul reinforced this idea by saying, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).

In reality, there is no such thing as “bargain Christianity.”  According to Scripture, either we are a part of the one and only church found in Scripture (Acts 2), or we are being deceived by Satan and those who are “disguised as servants of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15; 4:3-4; Matthew 7:21-23).  The only way to know the truth is to follow the Bible’s commands.

The Christianity God offers to all people could not come at any better price as it is!  There is only one true form of Christianity; all other brands are gimmicks and knockoffs.  Thankfully, Scripture gives very specific guidelines for salvation, worship, and the organization of the church to make true Christianity easier to identify.

Are you part of the one church found in Scripture?  Would you like to know more about the Christianity found in the Bible?  Do you have questions?  If so, please let us know so we can study and find the truth together.

Concussions

There has been a growing amount of discussion on head injuries the last several years, especially in sports.  The more we are learning about the brain, the more we are coming to realize just how dangerous concussions can be.  If a person breaks an arm, pulls a muscle, or tears a ligament, it is nowhere near as serious as injuring the brain.  After all, a single injury to the brain can paralyze the entire body!  There is simply nothing more serious than a head injury.

The church is often referred to as a “body” (Romans 12:4f; 1 Corinthians 12:26f; Colossians 1:17f).  All of New Testament Christians in the world make up the parts of this body.  The head of this body is Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:18).  Similar to our actual bodies, it is often injured.  The church body has been subject to attacks, divisions, and many other forms of damage.  Certainly we have ourselves to blame for many of these issues.  However, thanks be to God that the Head of the church, Christ, is so well protected.  Ever since He ascended into heaven, no man has been able to lay a finger on Christ.  Even Satan is powerless to hurt Him.  Never will the church’s head be injured.

Even though we worry about head injuries, we do not need to worry about the head of the New Testament church. We never have to worry about a crippling blow to the church.  Not only is Christ perfectly protected, but He also happens to be all-powerful and all-knowing.  Christ will always reign as the church’s head.  What a blessing it is to be part of a church body with Christ as head over us!

From Winner to Loser In Record Time

French runner Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad is a terrific track and field athlete.  He took second at the Beijing Olympics and first at other competitions in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.  This week, Mekhissi-Benabbad won the gold in the European Championship’s 3,000-meter steeplechase.  However, instead of celebrating his victory, he reacted in a ridiculous way.  He walked directly over to the mascot, slapped a gift bag out of her hand and proceeded with a two-hand shove.  Inside this mascot was an innocent and unsuspecting 14-year-old girl.  At this point Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad went from being the gold medal winner to being an absolute loser in record time.

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

No matter what reason or excuse he would give, Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad showed a lot about his true character after winning that race.  This got me thinking.  This doesn’t just happen with stuck-up professional athletes and celebrity divas; this happens in nearly every congregation.  In the bright lights of the auditorium people smile, are complimentary, and act Christ-like.  However, some of these same members are the gossips or those who cause divisions and inappropriate controversies over little details and minor disagreements.  Members who are guilty of such hypocrisy, like the French runner, quickly go from being winners to losers.

Christ often preached against hypocrisy (Matthew 6:2, 5, 16; 7:3-5; 15:7-9, 23:13, 15, 25-30; etc).  Many other Scriptures speak about hypocrisy in regard to gossip, squabbles, and divisions (James 3:10-12; Matthew 7:3-5; Luke 13:15; etc).  It is easy to become hypersensitive and hypercritical with others, but this kind of attitude brings nothing but ill feelings and division within the church.  We can deceive people into thinking we are better than we really are, but God is never fooled.  Let’s strive to be the same person in public and in private, in the light and in the dark, and in others’ eyes as well as in God’s.  Only then will we be true winners (Revelation 2:10).

Strange Allergies

I am no stranger to allergies.  I have been allergic to things like chocolate, BBQ sauce, MSG, cow milk and cheese (including anything that has these in them, like pizza and ice-cream).  Some of these are past allergies and some are current.  You may be thinking, “How could you possibly live without _______?!?”  When eating these foods results in a migraine headache, it’s amazing how much less appealing they become.  On the bright side, I have never had animal or outdoor allergies.

My allergies are strange, but I recently learned of some that are even more bazaar.  There are people out there who are actually allergic to water!  People with this allergy are only able to be in contact with water for about 10 seconds per week before breaking out in hives (like showering).  Some people are even allergic to things like sunlight, excessive vibrations, money (specifically to the metal used), and even cell phones (because of the nickel content in them).  One kid is allergic to so many types of foods that he has to be fed through a tube and the only the he can ingest by himself is a certain brand of lemonade (Yahoo News).

People certainly have strange allergies, but there is one that tops them all.  It is the “allergy” to church and worship.  This is a very strange “allergy,” but it is one that is all too common.  It’s amazing how people are full of vibrant energy all week (even the night before), and then all of a sudden are “too tired” to make it to worship.  Then there are those who never seem to get sick, but when it’s time for church, suddenly they “don’t feel well enough to come.”  It also seems to effect memory, because people abruptly remember “tasks they had to get done” that day.

While some have developed this “church allergy,” ironically, what is needed to cure it is the church and worship!  The reason we come to church is to battle eternally threatening sicknesses.  One cannot stay spiritual healthy and be apart from the Lord’s Church.  We come to church to be fed spiritually (Romans 10:17; 2 Peter 3:18).  We come to church to glorify God and strengthen our relationship with Him (1 Corinthians 6:20; Psalm 50:22-23).  We come to church so the elders can more effectively watch over us and protect us (Hebrews 13:17).  All of this was put into place by God to keep us from falling away into sin and becoming spiritually sick.

Hopefully it’s understood that there is no such thing as a “church allergy.”  It’s really just an attitude problem.  Even though we develop this attitude sometimes, let’s keep focused the long-term health benefits (i.e. heaven, salvation, grace, etc).  For this reason, coming to worship should be viewed as a privilege.  We should WANT to come.  Let’s always try to imitate the attitude in Psalm 122:1, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD.’”

Who’s Fooling Who?

Deception is seen almost everywhere.  Mechanics, car salesmen, lawyers, politicians, telemarketers, and many other professions have received deceitful reputations.  Interestingly, deception is even seen in nature.  Animals often try to look and act something they aren’t.  For example, the King Snake (Left) uses the bright color pattern to look like the highly venomous Coral Snake (Right).

Matthew 7:15 identifies another animal that uses deception: “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”  This is talking about teachers and religions which claim, “We have the truth,” but do not follow Scripture.  Thankfully, there are ways to see through deception.  If we carefully observe the color patterns of the coral snake and king snake, we can identify which one is non-venomous.  In a similar way, we are able to see which religion actually has the truth by comparing it to the only guidebook we have in such matters, the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3).  Here is what the church of the Bible looks like.

The Establishment: The Lord’s church was established in Acts 2.  Before this point, every reference to the church was in the future tense (Matthew 16:18).  After Acts 2, we clearly see that the church is in existence.  Any church established after this point is not the New Testament church.

The Leadership:  First of all, Christ, and only Christ, is the head of the church (Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:22-23).  No earthly man was ever, or should ever be the head of the church (i.e. the Pope).  Second, men called “elders” supervise each individual congregation of the church.  These men are also called pastors, shepherds, bishops, or overseers (Acts 20:17, 28; Philippians 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:1ff; Tit. 1:5ff).  Scripture never refers to one man (i.e. Bishops and Cardinals) being over a church or even a plurality of churches.

The Worship: There are only five acts of worship seen in Scripture.

1. The Lord’s Supper (Acts 2:42).  This was done weekly, on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7) using bread and fruit of the vine (Matthew 26:26ff).
2. Singing (Matthew 26:30; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16).  The only example we have is singing without the use of musical instruments.  Yes, instruments were used in the Old Testament, but this was under a different set of laws which Christ replaced (Hebrews 8:7-9, 13; 7:18-19, 22; 10:9).  Historically, Christians did not use instruments in worship until it was introduced in Rome 600 years later because of apostasy.
3. Prayer (Acts 2:42; 1 Timothy 2:8).  The only prayers we see are those addressed to God (Matthew 6:9-10).  Not once do we see Christians praying to saints.
4. Giving (1 Corinthians 16:1-2).
5. Preaching (Acts 2:42; 20:7).

The Name:  The first time the church took a name was in Acts 11:26 when they were called Christians.  Wayne Jackson says this point best: “Interestingly enough, the word ‘called’ in Acts 11:26 is a very special word that has to do only with a divine sort of calling…They were divinely called ‘Christians.’  Why would men set aside that name, and designate themselves by human heroes (e.g., Lutheran)?  Or name themselves after some form of organization, (e.g., Presbyterian)?  Or adopt titles according to some individual point of doctrine they espouse, (e.g., Baptist)?  There is no scriptural basis for this common practice” (“Identifying the Church of the New Testament, Christian Courier).  New Testament Christians simply called themselves “the church” (Acts 11:22), “the churches of Christ” (Romans 16:16), and “the church of God” (1 Corinthians 1:2).  Many religions do not follow this pattern today.

The Plan of Salvation:  In Acts 2, when Peter was preaching to the people, they became Christians and part of God’s church by these steps.  They heard the gospel message about Jesus being Lord and Savior (vs. 14-36; John 6:45), they believed this message (vs. 37; Romans 10:17; Mark 16:15-16), Peter commanded them to repent of their sins (vs. 38; 2 Peter 3:9; 2 Corinthians 7:10), and to be baptized (vs. 38; Galatians 3:26-27; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Peter 3:21).  From other passages, we also know that confessing that Jesus is Lord is part of this process (Romans 10:9-10; 1 John 4:13).  That day in Acts 2, three thousand people followed these steps and were saved from sin and added to the church (vs. 41-42).

Are you a member of “a church,” or are you a member of Christ’s church?  Deceit is in our world.  If we are part of an organization that doesn’t look like the one in the Bible, then we must ask ourselves if we are being deceived or if we are deceiving ourselves?  Though some religions may not try to be misleading, sometimes ignorance breeds deception.

If your church does not follow the Scriptural model, then with compassion and love I must tell you that you are not part of Christ’s church.  We all want to know we are genuine Christians.  Following the church of the Bible is the only way we can have the assurance that we are part of the Lord’s church.

Racism: Still Alive and Well

Over the summer, this sign was posted outside an apartment complex swimming pool in Cincinnati.  It reads, “Public Swimming Pool: White Only.”  The reason the landlord posted this sign was because she claimed that a black girl’s hair products would cloud the swimming pool (Yahoo News).  Despite her claim, it is painfully obvious what this woman’s true motives were.

Over the last year or two, more and more examples of racism have popped up.  Some in the news, some on the streets, but saddest of all, some is being seen in the church.  There have been black visitors to white congregations (and vice versa) who receive a “less than friendly” welcome.  There have been interracially married couples who have had trouble finding a job to preach the gospel at a congregation because of race.  There have even been people who claim the Bible forbids interracial marriages.

I grew up in a generation virtually without racism.  I can probably count on one hand the number of lessons I’ve heard on racism and interracial marriage.  This is simply because there hasn’t been as great of a need.  However, with the increasing examples, it’s time to look back and see what Scripture says.

1. Does God Forbid Interracial Marriage?  When we look in Scripture, we see multiple examples of God commanding Israel not to marry people of other nations (Deuteronomy 7:3; Joshua 23:12; Genesis 28:1; Ezra 9:1-4; Ezra 10:2-3).  But the question is, why was God forbidding such marriages?  Some of these same passages give the answer, “You shall not intermarry with them…for they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods…” (Deuteronomy 7:3-4).  The reason God didn’t want interracial marriages was because these bonds would pull them away from the Lord (Exodus 34:15-16; Joshua 23:12-13).  In fact, this is exactly what happened to King Solomon (1 Kings 11:1-4).

Even with this being the case, God did not forbid ALL interracial marriages.  God allowed for people from other races to convert to Judaism (Exodus 12:48-49; Isaiah 56:4-8; etc).  They are still part of a different race, and probably even had a different skin color, and yet once they converted they were allowed to marry into Israel (i.e. Ruth).  Clearly what God really wanted for Israel was for them to marry those who wouldn’t cause them to turn away from the Lord.  He wasn’t so much concerned about the race as much as the idolatry and sin that would result from such a marriage.

In addition, Christians today are no longer to live under the commands of the Old Testament but the New (Hebrews 7:18-22; 8:7-9, 13; 10:9).  In the New Testament we find no Scriptures for or against interracial marriages.  Therefore, there is no reason why a person (especially a Christian) should condemn or discriminate against two interracially married people.

2. Does God Forbid Racism?  Thankfully, this question is much easier to answer.  First of all, racism can get people in trouble with the law.  In the example given above, the landlord for the apartments in Cincinnati is facing several legal consequences.  Christians are to follow the government’s laws as long as they don’t violate Scripture (Romans 13:1-5).  Second, God is not racist.  We know that God shows no partiality or prejudice (Romans 2:11).  We also know that salvation is for all races, all colors, and all people (Romans 10:12; Colossians 3:9ff; Titus 2:11).  Scripture says, “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:27-28).  Third, Christians are to treat all people with love and respect.  Christ gave the example of the Good Samaritan not only to break down the race barrier between Jews and Samaritans (John 4:9), but also to show how a Christian should act towards all people of any race (Luke 10:30-37).  See also Matthew 19:19; John 13:34; Galatians 5:4; James 2:8-9.  There isn’t a “thou shall not” in regards to racism, but there are a multitude of principals which condemn such an attitude in us.

It’s quite sad to think that Christians are still dividing over racial issues.  We should have the strongest bonds with each other because of what Christ did for us and the common goals we share.  There is simply no valid reason why a child of God should condemn interracial marriages or engage in racism.

Notice the scene unfolded in Revelation 7:9-10, “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands.”  In heaven, there will be no racism.  All people of all colors and all walks of life will be there.  Whether it is whites against blacks, blacks against whites, or any other color in-between, there is no place for racism in a Christian’s life.  May we always strive to be more Christ-like in this way, as well as all others.

Planning For Growth

The fathers of New York City were trying to plan for growth.  They figured the city was going to grow, but they just weren’t sure how much.  So, they decided to go on the liberal side and give themselves more room than they thought they would need.  The city already had six or seven numbered streets, and so they expanded it all the way out to 19^th Street.  The named 19^th Street “Boundary Street,” because they were sure New York City would never get larger than that.  Today, New York City has the highest numbered street in America, numbering all the way to 271^st Street.  Clearly New York grew much larger then they ever could have imagined.

It is interesting how we place hard boundaries and expectations on things.  We feel we have limitations we can’t exceed.  We do it in our own lives, we do it to others, and we do it in the church.  Too often I see people give up on growth and improvements because they have made up in their minds that they have reached their limits.  People seem to limit themselves long before their actual boundaries even come into sight.  As one man said, “Know your limits, but never accept them” (Anonymous).

Keep in mind that God works through faithful Christians and God is not bound by limitations.  There is no telling how much God will expand our congregations and our own abilities.  The last thing we should do is sabotage our own growth by limiting ourselves.

These powerful words of Ephesians 3:20-21 have never been more true: “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”

Useless

Researcher Spence Silver was curious about what would happen when he mixed together a new concoction.  Silver worked for the 3M company and was fiddling with a new type of adhesive.  What he discovered was an adhesive that would apply to a piece of paper and then give that piece of paper the ability to stick and restick on different things without leaving a residue.  At first 3M saw this adhesive as useless and set it aside.  One day, one of 3M’s chemists, Authur Fry, began having problems keeping his songbook pages marked as he directed his choir.  He would mark the pages with loose pieces of paper, but those would often fall out, making him lose his place and frantic to recover.  Fry then remembered Silver’s sticky concoction and used it to stick little pieces of paper in his songbook to mark his place.  It wasn’t long before these handy “sticky notes” were requested all over the country and have become a fixture in nearly every home and office ever since.

It’s strange to think that something so helpful was once just a useless research project.  People often brush things aside and label them “useless” when it simply isn’t true.  Too often this is applied to people.  Sometimes people label others as “useless,” and sometimes people label themselves this way.  Neither are true.

This must have been exactly how the church in Corinth was feeling.  Notice what Paul tells them, “For the body is not one member, but many.  If the foot says, ‘Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,’ it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.  And if the ear says, ‘Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,’ it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.  If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?…And the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’; or again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary” (1 Corinthians 12:14-17, 21-22).

Maybe someone has communicated to you that you are not useful.  Or maybe you have tried to find a place to be helpful and failed, leaving yourself feeling useless.  At one time people didn’t think “sticky notes” had a useful place either.  Let’s take the words we just read from Paul and realize that we are all VERY useful in God’s eyes.  Throughout Scripture God worked through weak, flawed, and feeble people (Moses, Gideon, etc).  The key is to never give up.  There is always a place to fit in and work in God’s kingdom.  Just keep in mind that it’s not about how useless you, or someone else, thinks you are, it’s about how useful God can make you.  The sky is the limit.

Knee Injury

Yesterday evening I was playing basketball in a league with some friends.  It has been a very disappointing season but fun and good exercise nonetheless.  However, as I was running back to prevent an opposing player from scoring, I planted my foot to stop myself and at that moment everything changed.

• I felt a “pop” behind my knee.
• My weight instantly shifted to my right leg and my body began to fall.
• Before even reaching the floor my mind began thinking of the possible injuries I might have sustained and recognized something was wrong.
• Without even realizing it, my hands instinctively went out and rescued me from falling hard (kind of like how we instantly pull back our hands when we touch a hot stove before we even feel pain).
• My leg and foot worked together to bring my knee to a more neutral position.
• My eyes scanned over the knee, trying to assess the damage.
• My hands came up to hold my knee as the pain began kicking in.
• At this moment I began feeling the rest of my body coping with the pain, almost as if my body was trying to take on some of the pain load or at least reacting to the pain my knee was feeling.
  • My entire body felt uncomfortable and uneasy.
  • My eyes and face formed expressions of pain.
  • I felt slightly lightheaded and my stomach very uneasy.
• My mouth began communicating to others what happened.
• My brain quickly sent messages for other parts to released adrenalin and natural painkillers to relieve some of the pain.
• And after sitting on the court for a little while, I used my good leg and arms to slide myself off of the court so the basketball game could resume.

Despite the fact that injuries are painful, it’s actually pretty amazing how the body works together so flawlessly.  I didn’t have to ask my hands to catch me as I fell.  I didn’t have to convince my brain to send adrenalin and endorphins to help with the pain.  I didn’t have body parts stubbornly refusing to help out.  Everything just worked together perfectly without question or complaint.

This concept of the body working together is common in Scripture (1 Corinthians 12:12-26; Romans 12:4-5; etc) as well as Christ being the head of the body (1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 1:22; 4:15; 5:23; Colossians 1:18; etc).  Yet sometimes we, as the individual parts, forget that we are supposed to work together and don’t do as the Head, Christ, has instructed us.  The Body of Christ doesn’t need parts that refuse to help or work with others.  We shouldn’t have to ask and convince Christians to do “Christian” works.  Yet far too often this is exactly what happens.

When someone else is hurting, struggling, or going through a tough time, do we rush to help them and bear their load or do we assume others will do it?  If your body put forth the same attitude and effort that you do with others in the church, would you be happy with your body?  We must remember the words of Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”  Let’s remember how wonderfully our physical body works together, and let this serve as a reminder of how the Body of Christ should also work.