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Articles from this month's issue of the Berean News |
Perspectiveby Larry UrbaniakIn Great Britain the store we know as Wal-Mart has a different name: Asda. Although very much like the stores we know here, the Asdas in Scotland have added a new feature as yet unseen in the United States. All 34 of the chain’s stores now offer religion. Each store has a volunteer chaplain. “It’s all part of our efforts to provide the local community with a one-stop shop,” explained a customer service manager recently at one of the Glasgow Asda stores. The retail managing director for Asda Scotland says, “The job is certainly not about preaching -- the chaplains have a very low-key presence and are there to chat or listen to our customers and colleagues, whatever their faith.” How are people responding to this new approach? There is probably a great variety of reactions, as there often is with anything new and/or different. Erik Cramb is head of the Church of Scotland’s Industrial Mission. He thinks it’s a wonderful idea. He is quoted as saying, “People lead such busy lives that often it is hard to find time for religion.” I definitely can see some positives to the idea. After all, Jesus often went into the market place of his day to interact with people. There is an opportunity to meet and witness to people who do not attend church. Whether or not they would stop and engage in any meaningful conversation in a store while shopping I do not know. But I cannot be too critical of any attempt at Christian outreach. On the other hand, I must admit that there are several things here that trouble me. The quoted phrase, “whatever their faith” raises some questions in my mind. While it is certainly true that we should be willing to talk to anyone, I do not believe that the particular religion that a person has does not matter. Today, it is politically correct to accept all faiths as equal, as if it makes no difference how one approaches God. There even seems to be the idea that we all worship the same God no matter what we call Him. But Jesus clearly taught that he was the only way to God. There is not other way. No one can be saved except through Jesus Christ. We should definitely not be politically correct in this matter. It is much more important to be theologically and Biblically correct. Another troubling aspect is the idea that the job of a chaplain is not about preaching. Certainly the approach one takes in talking to unbelievers is important. Preaching “at” someone or immediately hitting someone with a doctrinal barrage is going to be nonproductive. But it seems to me that the job is exactly about preaching. We are, all of us, to preach the gospel message -- not just in word, but also by how we live and communicate. Seems like we should always be preaching one way or another. If we do not have a message to share, what is the point of being available to others? We have a story to tell to the nations, one person at a time if necessary. And then the idea of making religion easy for people, part of a one-stop shop really bothers me. Religion is not a convenience. It is a way of life. We should not be shopping for religion the way we shop for material needs. While it may be true that we lead such busy lives that it is hard to find time for religion, the approach here is all wrong. We need to make our lives less busy. We need to make God the center and priority, not someone we squeeze in if we have time. We make our lives less busy by realizing how really unimportant so much of what we do is, especially relative to eternity. Too many of us have come to view even church as a sort of one-stop shop. We want the Sunday service to meet all our needs in one easy, quick and not overly-challenging way. We do not want to invest more than one good hour on Sunday morning. We prefer instant spiritual gratification -- and with a minimum of effort on our part. We like to leave church feeling good, feeling we have paid our spiritual dues for the week, and being able to put religion into the proper compartment of our lives. There is no such thing as a one-stop shop for religion. At least not if we are to take the Bible and spiritual world seriously. Christ makes clear his demand of us. He wants all of us. He wants to transform our lives, our very way of thinking. He wants to change our value system, our habits, our entire perspective on life. He wants us to be an integral part of his body, and active and dedicated member of his church. He wants us to invest in him: time, energy, anything and all we have to give. Think of what he invested in us -- his life, and his death. |
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Roy's Reflections “When he arrived and saw this proof of God’s favor, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord.” (Acts 11:23 NLT) “Is anyone happier because you passed his way? Does anyone remember that you spoke to him today?” – D.L. Moody It’s a sobering fact, but everyone with whom we come in contact today will have some impact upon us, and we will have some impact upon him or her. Sure, in passing, with only brief contact, that impact might be small. However, in many other ways, actions and words have the potential for a great deal of good or bad. There are a few people I know who seldom, if ever, encourage me. Yes, I know it’s probably not always their fault. I would agree that my attitude has a lot to do with it. But, I also know that those people almost always rub me the wrong way, make me more aware of my faults and shortcomings rather than my successes. They end up making me think impossibilities rather than possibilities. Then again, there are others who almost always encourage me. They make me want to do better and to never quit. They want me to believe that great things are possible. Let me point out a few things that I believe make the difference between the two kinds of people. * Encouragers manage to communicate real love and care. Discouragers often make you feel like you’re an inconvenience or a bother. The power of encouragers is in their ability to let you know that you matter, that you are important and that you are valuable. * Encouragers manage to communicate that they think you’re capable of something special. They do not whitewash your problems. In fact, they quite often are the ones who point out specific failings. But, they don’t leave you hopeless. They leave you thinking that better things are possible. * Encouragers focus on the right things. Discouragers usually dwell on things that condemn and belittle. Encouragers put their energy into moving you forward, not bogging you down in despair. * Encouragers know the right words to say. Perhaps it’s because they know you, or because it’s just the way they put things, but what they say builds you up instead of tearing you down. * Encouragers make you feel they are really on your side. Discouragers make you think they’d prefer that you failed, or just went away. Encouragers accept you and make you feel wanted. I’m sure there is more to it than these few things, but as I think of the people in my life who consistently encourage me, these few elements are crucial. Over the years, I’ve watched brethren respond to those who tried to help. Some soared to new heights, while others were crushed. The difference has often been a small deed or a brief word of encouragement from someone who really cares. There is a powerful difference between an encourager and a discourager. Which kind of impact will you have on those around you today? |
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Viewpoints
Happiness is Being Together by Jim Dalesandro A number of years ago, on our anniversary, I bought my wife a small straw basket that looked like a bird’s nest with two ceramic eggs in it that had the words hand painted on them, “Happiness is being together.” The basket nest now shows the effects of time. It has been moved from place to place and has gone from a place of prominence in our living room to being found in a giving away box in our basement. One of the eggs now has a hairline crack that kind of gives it the effect of being real. As my wife Jeanne and I were cleaning the basement this summer, we came across this old forgotten gift and we couldn’t bring ourselves to give it away or throw it out. Even though this nest is a little shabby in appearance, the words written on the two eggs inside still have the same meaning, as if they have withstood the test of time. As I turn sixty, get a little weaker, and show my age, I am reminded of the fact that what is really important is remembering that “Happiness is being together,” not only with my wife, who has supported me for 33 1/2 years but also with my extended family, with my church friends, and especially with my Lord. It’s hard to believe that my wife, my family, friends and God still love me after some of the foolish and unloving things I’ve done and said. They have accepted this old shabby basket with all its flaws because they know the truth that “Happiness is being together.” This is the lesson that I must learn. I admit that I am still a novice and that even though an incident or circumstance may occur that may be offensive in my opinion, instead of lashing out and saying unkind words, I must look beyond the circumstances and see that what is really important in the relationship. Just as God has forgiven me for my sins and has shown love for me, I must in return show that love and forgiveness to others. This is truly the way for relationships to grow and withstand the test of time. A number of years ago at a St. Louis convention, just before Br. Laurie Iannaccone was about to give a sermon, I said to him, “May God be with you.” Br. Laurie’s comment was, “No, the important thing is that I be with God.” Those words have stuck with me for all these years. Even though I feel that both thoughts are equally important, Laurie’s throws the burden of my relationship with God on me. For God to be with me, I must be with God. It also means that for God to be with me, I must show His love to all that I come in contact with, and I must look beyond the circumstances of the moment and remember that I need to put relationships before reactions. Just as the eggs in our nest say “Happiness is being together” , the adage expressed over the years will become even more precious.
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FALL SEMINAR Fiery Darts Of Satan |
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A Daughter's Heart
The Freedom Machine If you’re at home during the day, you probably answer the phone many times. If your house is like mine, I’d venture to guess that 99% of your calls are advertising and sales of some kind or another. We also are plagued with hang-ups. That’s when the phone rings, I pick it up, and all I hear is a clicking sound, followed by the dial tone a few seconds later. One day, it got so bad that there were six of them, spread throughout the day! To complicate things, our son, who works delivering mattresses, recently got sent a fax machine so his company could fax him delivery and other information daily. Like most people, I would answer the phone whenever it rang, no matter where I was or what I was doing, even though the odds were that it was a salesperson. For many years, I’ve had the policy of always saying no to phone pitches, no matter how free or cheap the deal or famous the company. I would tell them to send us the information, and we would look at it. This was true even of charities, with the occasional exception of those willing to come to my door to pick up used clothing. But I was tired of being at the beck and call of every telemarketer, etc., so I made a decision. I decided not to answer the phone anymore. We have an answering machine which is set to answer after four rings. If it’s a fax, it automatically detects the signal and switches the call to the fax machine. If it’s a voice call, the greeting message plays through and waits for the caller to leave a message. The volume is set on high, so I can usually hear it even from upstairs or the basement. If it’s a caller that I want to talk to, I can still pick up the phone while they’re leaving a message and take the call. It’s been more than a week since I started screening calls, and only two messages have actually been left. With most calls, when the answering machine starts playing the greeting, the phone goes dead. I figure that’s proof enough that I didn’t need to get that call myself. What a sense of freedom! I still find myself jumping at that first ring sometimes, but then I remind myself that the machine will get it. What a pleasure to not have to say no to yet another sales pitch, or stop what I’m doing and run for the phone! I love it! Now, I know that using your answering machine to screen calls is not new; in fact, people have been using them that way since they were invented. We’ve had ours for many years, but used it only to get messages when we were out. Using the machine to filter out unwanted calls while I’m home is a new thing for me, and I’m really glad I decided to try it. It reminds me of the freedom I felt when I let the mind of Christ be mine. Instead of dealing with all kinds of temptations and annoyances on my own, I now have the best call screener there is! Even when I’m alone, I am protected from the direct assaults of the world, the flesh and the devil on my soul. I have victory in Christ, and when I live in that victory, the decisions I make are the best ones, especially when viewed from eternity’s perspective. What freedom is mine when I can trust in Christ to take care of me and guide me! What a pleasure to not have to jump when the world says “Jump!”, and rest in the Lord’s providences for me. I’m glad I tried it. Won’t you?
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