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Articles from this month's issue of the Berean News |
Perspectiveby Larry UrbaniakJohn Ortberg writes about a desert father named Abba Anthony who was asked, “What must one do to please God?” In answer he listed three things: First, always be aware of God’s presence, second always obey God’s Word, and third, wherever you find yourself -- do not easily leave. Abba Anthony did not say one should never leave. Certainly God sometimes indicates that we should leave. And if after much prayer, confirmation from those with whom we share spiritually, and clear indication from the Lord, we are clearly being directed to leave, then we should obey. But we should never leave easily. Too many people today leave too easily. Commitments. Quitting is so much easier than sticking to our commitments, than enduring. When things aren’t going the way you hoped or think they should, the option of quitting seems attractive. “But,” as John Ortberg writes, “over the long haul, leaving easily has a tendency to produce people who live in a pattern of giving up.” As Christians, we are people who are committed to God through Jesus Christ. We are pledged to Christ. We seek to live consecrated lives of spiritual growth. But the New testament makes it very clear that we cannot live in isolation. We are to live our spiritual lives as part of a community of believers. We are to be committed not only to God, but also to other believers in a church body. And we are to be committed over the long haul. When church works right, it is a wonderful thing. I was recently reminded of this by a statement made by a very close friend of mine (and sister in the Lord). She expressed appreciation for our open and mutual friendship. She and her husband and Joyce and I had just had a wonderful evening together. We shared and talked about important things. We talked about our church and our roles in it. There certainly are items (and some doctrines) that we don’t agree about. But we love each other and know how deep our commitment to each other is. We can be open and sharing without any guards up.We have been friends for a long time. We have loved over the long haul. Too often behaviors and attitudes in our church turn us off. We are very easily critical of each other. Christians have been said to be the only ones who form their own firing squads in circles. We nitpick and criticize and discourage each other. We convey condemning and judgmental attitudes. We withdraw from those with whom we do not mesh well. We leave relationships too easily. Church is to be a place of growth and encouragement. It is to be like a spiritual hospital where the stronger protect and care for the weaker. We are to continually forgive each other, love each other, and exhort each other. This takes commitment to each other, commitment over the long haul. Nowhere does the New Testament say that church is easy. Christian community is hard work. Authentic spiritual friendship is hard. But changing ourselves, transforming our minds from within, even with the power of God’s spirit working in us, is difficult work. And it is with and through the church community that this work is to be done. It is not done quickly. It is done over the long haul. Is the struggle worth it? Absolutely! The value of what is gained is priceless. Having the support system provided by other deeply committed Christians is something which helps keep life in focus. Knowing that there are those of you who can love me and will never give up on me despite my sins and failures is very freeing. Our commitment to each other, our love for each other is the best expression of God’s love that I experience. Do not easily leave. I need you. |
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Roy's Reflections Considering the lax attitudes of many religious people today, it would be easy to conclude that church attendance is optional or perhaps only for those who are very religious and extremely dedicated to their faith. Membership rosters in most churches, compared to actual numbers in attendance, usually tell the story of people’s attitude. We at the Berean Bible Student Church do not hold the position that church attendance is optional. The Bible and common sense teach us that church attendance is not just a smart thing, it is a necessary thing. Not Forsaking “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.” (Heb. 10:23-25) These words were written to people who were close to losing their faith in Christ. Something had to be done. Some of them were habitually forsaking the meetings of the church. The Apostle Paul came right to the point. He told them not to forsake the assembly. Look closely at the verses. Notice that church attendance has to do with holding fast without wavering, stimulating us and others to love and good deeds, as well as encouraging one another. It is the experience of the writer of this article that those who forsake the assembly exhibit the very opposite tendencies. They waver in their faith (some fall away from it), they stimulate no one to love and good deeds, and they get increasingly more discouraged in their faith. One cannot say he or she lives by the teaching of the Bible and then willingly forsakes the assembly of Christians. Pillar and Support “I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; but in case I am delayed, I write so that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.” (1 Timothy 3:14-15) The church is the assembly of God’s people. Notice its role in the above verses. It is “the pillar and support of the truth.” If you take away the church, you take away the pillar and support of the truth in your life. Collapse of faith is inevitable. One cannot forsake the assembly and stay strong in the truth. They Keep Watch “Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.” (Hebrews 13:17) A responsibility of church leaders is to keep watch over the church members. These leaders will someday give an account for their work. Such work is difficult enough when Christians assemble regularly and are in contact with one another. Can you imagine the complication when members are seldom or never present? If church leaders are expected to assume responsibility for such oversight, church members need to assume responsibility for regular attendance. We at the Berean Bible Student Church feel strongly about this. Members who chronically forsake the assembly with no good reason are encouraged to return. If this is continually disregarded, they may be dropped from voting membership; but the door to return to full church membership is always open. Remove a fish from the water. He may flop around on the shore for awhile, but ultimately he dies. Remove a coal from the fireplace. It glows for awhile, but ultimately it dies. Remove a Christian from the assembly of other Christians. Though he may continue in faith for awhile, ultimately he dies. What To Do If you have forsaken the assembly of Christians, I encourage you to take these steps: See you in church... |
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Viewpoints
Be Still! by Joe Horak My family and are going through a rather tough time in our lives. For many years we suffered with our prayer warrior, Helen Swollack, until she passed away. This was followed by the loss of a dear friend, Steve Ostwald. Now we are trying to cope with the loss of Arlene after her two year battle with cancer, and this has been the hardest trial of all. We praise God that He was always there to comfort us. I have learned a lesson from these experiences, one that can be summed up with the words from Psalm 46, verse 10; “Be still, and know that I am God”. As I would go before Him in prayer, my usual approach was to specifically list my requests, ask forgiveness for my trespasses and then close my prayer. This usually took some time as I had many requests that I presented in some detail (and perhaps too many trespasses). After some time, I realized that I was speaking to God, but not giving God a chance to speak to me. How could God speak to me when I wasn’t taking the time to listen? As I pondered on this, I thought of all the static I was generating that would interfere with listening clearly to God and receiving His message to me. There were the distractions in my mind from my job, from the many problems in the world that were so often presented via television and radio and even the very problems I was presenting in prayer – all of which kept my mind too busy to stop and listen. Perhaps it was the change in our worship service at church which has greatly helped me to be better prepared to absorb the message that followed which alerted me to the fact that I needed to be better prepared in prayer. I know that God does not always present an instant answer to our prayer. Some things will wait until He knows we are ready for his answer. Yet, how was I to know His answer when I did not give Him an opportunity to respond so that I could truly hear Him? I know that to hear God, we must actively wait and meditate upon His word. But that was exactly what I was not doing. I have learned that listening to God demands my full and undivided attention. I must live every moment of the day attentively and alertly. I need to have my spiritual antenna fully extended in order to get the clear reception that is needed. Hebrews 4:12 tells us about the power of the Word. It says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” I read this to mean that God is informing me that everything I hear is to be sifted through the Word. Before I accept anything into my life, I should filter it through Scripture. That is why I must listen for Him most carefully. I must also listen to God submissively, since sometimes what He is telling me is something I don’t want to hear. Praise God that He knows I may sometimes struggle with certain things, just as Jesus struggled in the Garden of Gethsemane. He loves me just the same, and puts up with me in these times of struggle. I am now trying to give God the attention He deserves, and with the mindset that I need in order to hear Him. I remember something I heard from Charles Stanley pertaining to Isaiah 41:9-10 that helps me greatly by personalizing this scripture: “Now, Joe, You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” |
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A Daughter's Heart by Sharon Whittaker As many of you know, my father, Br. Gilbert Rice, finished his earthly Christian walk on March 11. Many are the lessons I received in life from my natural father. Among the most important was his example in glorifying his Heavenly Father and his Savior Jesus in his life through his activities in the brotherhood as well as his outreach with the message of God’s Love to others. So, I thought, in tribute to him, I would share a couple of quotes that were particularly reflected in his life from his “Faithbuilders Fellowship” literature. http://www.ixpres.com/faith/faithbuilder.htm Consecration Praising the Lord |