But It’s Not Perfect

July 16, 2012

The local church is not heaven. Heaven will be a place of perfection. No sin. No problems. No conflicts. Although the church is made up of forgiven people, it is not made of perfect people. Regrettably, problems can arise, and these can even disturb the faith of some. We need to remind ourselves, that even in the New Testament we can read about people in the church attempting to resolve problems.

In Acts 6:1-7, the Hellenistic Jewish widows were being neglected. It involved the church’s ministry and matters had reached a crisis. The apostles commanded that seven men to be chosen, so they could be appointed over this need. Fairness was restored. Afterwards, the church grew even more.

In Acts 15:36-41, Paul and Barnabas had a serious disagreement as to whether John Mark should be taken on the next missionary journey. It involved matters of judgment, but I bet it was a bit tense in the Antioch church until that matter was resolved, but good came out of it.

In Galatians 2:11-21, the apostle Paul opposed the apostle Peter because he was not eating with Gentiles for fear of the circumcision party. This was a matter of doctrine, and my guess is that it was difficult for the friends of Peter and Paul to see such a disagreement arise. Yet an important doctrinal point was made; Peter was prevented from going the wrong direction. Later in life, Peter was able to write commendably of Paul (see 2 Peter 3:14-16).

I have to admit there are probably times when all of us would like to quit. Working with people can seem so hard. Why can’t I just go out in the middle of a field and worship alone! The reason is simple. God has called me to be a part of an assembly of people—the church (Hebrews 10:23-25). God in His infinite wisdom knows I need others for the maturing process that goes on in Christian living. The process is sometimes painful, but I must trust the Potter as He molds me, His clay.

What do we do while we wait for the perfection of heaven? “As a prisoner of the Lord, then I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3, NIV).”

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Posted by Russell Holden

The Widow’s Might

July 8, 2012

The scene was likely in the court of the women also known as the court of prayer in Herod’s Temple (Mark 12:41-44 and Luke 21:1-4). It was an area with a simple colonnade on three sides. Along the colonnade were thirteen trumpet shaped chests for placing contributions. Jesus observed the rich depositing large sums, but it was a poor widow that he commended. She gave two copper coins (the King James renders as “two mites”). She gave out of her poverty. She gave all that she had to live on.

The widow’s gift reminds us of the faith of giving. I can see my checking account balance. I can see my car. I can see my house, my possessions, and my investments. But to store up treasures in heaven is to put my trust in the unseen. It is to claim that the unseen is lasting while the things of this world are temporary. It is to say that God’s cause is more important than the things I can touch. It is also to trust God to provide for the future. Will what I give up today be needed tomorrow? Or can I trust God that if I seek first His kingdom, all these things will be added also?

The widow’s gift reminds us of the sacrifice of giving. The rich had given larger sums of money, but the widow had made the greater sacrifice. Jesus says that she gave her whole life. The word, “life,” was also used for the things sustaining life, so our English versions will say, “all she had to live on.” But the point of giving her whole life is significant; she gave herself completely to God. Like the Macedonians who “gave themselves first to the Lord” (2 Corinthians 8:5, ESV), the widow also gave out of poverty but with great generosity. The Lord knows how much we have and how much we give. Generosity is measured by the sacrifice of our giving and not the size of our gift.

The widow’s gift reminds us of the joy of giving. Although the widow’s joy is not mentioned in the text, I can’t imagine her walking away in sorrow about those two coins — “for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7). I suspect she thanked God that she had something to give. There is joy in being a part of something bigger than ourselves. There is joy in being a part of God’s work. It gives meaning and purpose to our lives. Scripture teaches that joy and giving go together (2 Cor. 8:2). “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35, ESV).

The story of the widow’s mites reminds us of the widow’s might. She has left a mighty example of the faith, sacrifice, and joy of giving.

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Posted by Russell Holden

“I Didn’t Know What I Was Reading.”

June 30, 2012

Scan the book titles in many preachers’ libraries, and you are likely to run across a commentary by Homer Hailey. Hailey taught at Abilene Christian College (1934-43, 1948-51) and Flordia College (1951-1972). His commentary on the minor prophets was published by Baker Book House in 1972. Christianity Today heralded it as one of 25 most significant books published that year. Hailey also wrote commentaries on Revelation, Isaiah, and the gospel of John.

A biography of Homer Hailey tells his story. Although his family had Restoration Movement roots, he grew up without religious training or going to church. His mother, Mamie, was a baptized believer, but was in a painful marriage. His father, Robert, had problems with drinking and gambling. After his father’s death, Hailey and his brother became the family’s financial support. Still a teenager, he too became involved in smoking, drinking, and gambling. In fact getting beat up one night, while slightly under the influence of White Mule bootleg liquor was one factor that started him in the path of reform.

Mrs. Huffman, wife of Hailey’s employer, had been correcting him and trying to encourage him for the good. Under her influence, he attended church and was later baptized at a “protracted meeting.” Hailey took his new founded faith seriously. He set out to read the Bible on evenings and Sundays. Hailey’s comment about his early Bible reading is the reason for telling the story. Reflecting back on the experience, he said, “I didn’t know what I was reading, but I read it through.”1

Hailey’s early experience with reading the Bible is common. I think it is important for the beginning Bible reader to hear about the early experiences of an advanced student of the Bible. We may have the mistaken impression that we just aren’t smart enough when we experience difficulties in understanding. We may think that other people understand it easily the first time through. We may get discouraged. The truth is that it takes time. The Bible is a library of books that spans thousands of years of history. We have to take small steps in getting familiar with the names, places, events, and themes.

I felt the same way early in my Bible reading. But even my earliest readings of the Bible registered something. I found moral principles by which to live. It has taken more time to contemplate grace, the holiness of God, and the need for Christ’s death. The deepening of appreciation and understanding never ends. I can assure you that the accumulation of many small steps can take you on a grand journey—a journey of faith. Persistence will pay spiritual dividends. The cry – “I don’t know what I’m reading” – is just the first step.

1David Edwin Harrell, Jr., The Churches of Christ in the 20th Century: Homer Hailey’s Personal Journey of Faith. (The University of Alabama Press, 2000) p. 32.

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Posted by Russell Holden

Solid Foundation, Bright Future!

June 25, 2012

Paul says that as a skilled, master builder he laid a foundation. Paul is clear about that foundation. The foundation is Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:10-15). He pictures others building on that foundation. “Building” must refer to Christian preaching and teaching. The building that will bring a bright future must be in keeping with the message as revealed by Paul and the apostles. It must be on the solid foundation.

In Ephesians 2, the image is similar. The temple of God, which is the people of God, is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone. In the ancient world, the cornerstone was what gave the building orientation and stability. It was far more than just being decorative. The mention of the apostles and prophets provides us with another emphasis on reliance upon the inspired message about Jesus.

A solid foundation always produces a bright future. Now I realize church history (as well as the history of congregations) has times of challenge and discouragement. But those built on the solid foundation have the hope of being a part of an unshakeable kingdom. (Hebrews 12:25-29) Nothing stops those who are faithful unto death. Nothing takes away their reward. They have a bright future, because those built on the foundation are becoming a temple in which God will dwell.

Someday those on the solid foundation will hear the loud voice from the throne say, “Behold, the Tabernacle (the Dwelling Place) of God is with people. He will tabernacle (dwell) with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God” (see Revelation 21:3, my translation of the quote). The solid foundation leads to this bright future!

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Posted by Russell Holden

The Transgenerational Father

June 15, 2012

It is easy to recognize that a father influences his child. That’s one generation influencing the next, but a grandfather or great-grandfather also influences his grandchildren or great-grandchildren either directly or indirectly. The power of fatherhood is transgenerational.

A grandfather or great-grandfather may have an opportunity to directly influence his grandchild or great-grandchild, but regardless, he has had a powerful influence indirectly, because he has helped raise the grandchild’s father or mother or the great-grandchild’s grandfather or grandmother.

As a father’s influence becomes more indirect, it also becomes more widely felt. There is a reason we call genealogies a family tree. From two people come many branches — that is the widening of influence. Families grow by multiplication not simple addition.

The Bible recognizes this influence of one generation upon another.

He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God. (Psalm 78:5–8, ESV)

Psalm 78 recognizes the transgenerational power of fatherhood. This influence may be for better or worse. The psalm advocates the influence for the better, but it illustrates the influence for the worse.

Stu Weber in his book, Tender Warrior, quantifies a father’s spiritual influence.

When the father is an active believer, there is about a seventy-five percent likelihood that the children will also become active believers. But if only the mother is a believer, this likelihood is dramatically reduced to fifteen percent.*

What kind of influence do you want to have on the generations to come?

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4, ESV)

*Stu Weber, Tender Warrior, p. 143.

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Posted by Russell Holden

Inductive Bible Study

June 8, 2012

The Restoration Movement has a plea to go back to the Bible. But what does that mean? All Christians claim Bible authority in some way. Everyone has their own proof texts. Yet, there is a problem that can exist with proof texts. The problem has to do with context.

We can easily understand the problem. Politicians and celebrities at times complain that their remarks have been taken out of context. Maybe we have even experienced it ourselves. A sound-byte of words sounds like the person is saying one thing, but when you hear or read the larger context, it means something totally different. The same problem can occur with proof texts.

How did the Restoration Movement propose to overcome this? They after all challenged their own assumptions about many beliefs. What gave them the ability to correct their own approach to the Bible? I think at least two things guided them.

First, they realized the Bible was to be read and interpreted as you would any other book. At first blush, this may sound a little disrespectful. Christians believe the Bible is inspired of God. Shouldn’t it get special treatment? The answer is that God has chosen to communicate in words, sentences, paragraphs, and books just as we would. There are no special rules for inspired writings. We have to ask the same questions as we would of any other text. What genre or kind of writing is this? We have to ask the typical reporter’s questions: who, what, when, where, and why? We must understand what is said in context.

Second, they spoke of inductive Bible study. Both J.S. Lamar in his The Organon of Scripture (1860) and D.R. Dungan in his Hermeneutics: A Text-Book (1888) spoke of inductive Bible study. In fact, the phrase is part of the subtitle of Lamar’s book. In logic, induction means reasoning from the particulars to the general. The inductive method as applied to Bible study means that you gather all the facts in the text before you draw your conclusions. That way you are allowing God to speak in context.

One of the clearest examples of this has been in our approach to becoming a Christian. Many stop at belief. Some may say belief and repentance. The Restoration Movement leaders, however, did an inductive study of the Bible. They gathered all the facts before arriving at a conclusion. When we look at all the conversion accounts in Acts and all that is said in the epistles, we conclude that one needs faith, repentance, confession of Jesus, baptism, and regeneration or new birth (which occurs at baptism when done in faith). The difference in the answer comes from gathering all the evidence.

Note: the books by Lamar and Dungan can be read online at http://www.mun.ca/rels/restmov/.

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Posted by Russell Holden

“Light from Above”

June 1, 2012

It was spring semester of my first year of graduate studies. A friend had called and offered me a summer job of preaching at a country congregation in his absence. I had spoken on occasions at churches since high school, but had never before had the weekly responsibility of delivering a sermon and teaching a class. I agreed to the offer, and then the dreams began. Nightmares. Recurring nightmares.

What was the dream? In the nightmare, I was standing before a group of people with nothing to say. Suddenly having the responsibility of speaking regularly, it was a dream that left me with a cold sweat and wondering if I was doing the right thing.

Some of that fear went with me into full-time work. Saturday nights for a long time were tense. It didn’t matter that an outline was written and in my desk. The tension was there. Sundays and Wednesdays have a way of being relentless. No sooner are you finished with one and another one looms ahead with its deadline.

Over the years though, I have discovered something. The nightmare is true. I don’t have anything to say. I certainly don’t have anything worth saying three or four times a week. Yet, I am convinced that God does have plenty of things to say to us from His Word. The task of the preacher is to let the congregation hear the Word of God through the things he says. The task is to let scripture speak clearly.

On a trip to West Virginia, I had the chance to visit Alexander Campbell’s home. Campbell was an outstanding 19th century Restoration Movement leader. I stood inside the study that he had built away from his house. It’s a small hexagonal shaped building with a later addition that added some space and a fireplace. Originally, the only windows in the study were in a small cupola on the top. Campbell considered it a metaphor for his work, “light comes from above.”

God is the source of revelation and wisdom. The preacher in his study is attempting to clearly understand God’s message, so that it can be shared with others. God is the one with something to say—a message worth our time and attention.

“Light from above” – what a wonderful motto!

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16–17, ESV)

Source of the photo: www.therestorationmovement.com/lightfromabove.htm

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Posted by Russell Holden

A Good Soldier

May 26, 2012

Memorial Day is a national holiday to honor those who have died in military service. John Logan, a U.S. Congressman and Union General during the Civil War, began the memorial. As commander in chief of a Union veterans’ organization he urged the members to decorate soldiers’ graves with flowers on May 30th. Eventually it became a national holiday and extended to all U.S. war dead. Memorial Day is marked by the laying of the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Having been at war since 2001, I suspect that we are keenly aware of what soldiers sacrifice—what soldiers do.

I’ve noticed the military imagery found in the New Testament. “Put on the whole armor of God” (Eph 6:11 see also 1 Thess. 5:8), “put on the armor of light” (Rom. 13:12), “the weapons of righteousness” (2 Cor. 6:7), “the weapons of our warfare” (2 Cor. 10:4 3), “fellow soldier” (Phil. 2:25, Phl 2), “wage the good warfare” (1 Tim. 1:18), and “good soldier” (2 Tim. 2:3, ESV). From Paul I learn something about what it means to be a good soldier, and from soldiers I learn something about what it means to be a good Christian.

A good soldier is committed to the mission. Paul expresses it this way: “No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits” (2 Timothy 2:4, ESV). A spiritual war is going on, and we must choose sides. Spiritual battles must be fought by those clothed in “the armor of light.” Paul’s choice of the term “entangled” sounds a warning. Other tasks and activities can interfere with what is most important. As one hymn writer has expressed it, “Have done with lesser things; Give heart and mind and soul and strength / To serve the King of kings.”

A good soldier follows orders. “[H]is aim is to please the one who enlisted him” (2 Timothy 2:4, ESV). No doubt you’ve seen television interviews from Afghanistan and Iraq with words like “whatever our Commander in Chief orders us to do, we will do.” Brave words—sacrificial words followed by deeds. We too have marching orders. Put on the whole armor of God. Wage the good warfare. Has the Lordship of Jesus Christ filtered down into your daily life?

A good soldier endures hardship. “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:3, ESV). We witnessed it on television: sand storms, lack of sleep, army rations, heat, bio-chem protective suits, wounds, captivity, roadside bombs, and even death. We too are called to something larger than ourselves, greater than our comforts. Jesus warned that discipleship would be costly (see Luke 14:26-35). Are we trying to get by on “cheap grace” and “discipleship-lite”? Our cause is worthy of any sacrifice we may give.

Remember those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom, and learn from them what it means to be “a good soldier” of Christ Jesus.

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Posted by Russell Holden

The Milestone of Graduation

May 18, 2012

Graduation is an important milestone in one’s life. For a high school graduate, it means you have made it from kindergarten through twelfth grade. A lot of time has passed in that journey toward adulthood. That time passed slowly for you, but for your parents, the time has flown by quickly. They are extremely proud of you, but they are also feeling a bit nostalgic as they consider the changes that are ahead.

Graduation is a new beginning. As someone has quipped, they call them commencement ceremonies for a reason: you are about to commence to the next stage of your life. The new beginning may lead to a job, a technical school, college, or the military. Graduation represents the passing of something accomplished, so that something new may begin.

A world of opportunities exist even in a tough economic climate. Choose your job path carefully. As it is frequently said, if you find something that you really like to do, you will never work a day in your life. By never work, the saying means that it won’t seem like drudgery. You will look forward to your work. Time will pass quickly. I’ll add one caution. I suspect that in every job there is some drudgery. It is difficult to get away from the curse of Genesis 3 completely. But people who enjoy what they do are blessed.

This is the time when you are making those important decisions about what you will do in life. Ecclesiastes advises:

Rejoice, young man, while you are young, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes, but know that God will judge your motives and actions. Ecclesiastes 11:9, NET

As long as it is within the will of God, youth is the time to follow your dreams. Youth is the time of great potential. Enjoy it, but choose wisely.

Graduation is a time of spiritual testing. Make certain that God and His will are involved in the decisions you make. Leaving home will also make it necessary for your faith to become your own and not just that of your parents. You may find yourself having to wake up and go to church on a Sunday morning on your own. Mom or Dad won’t be there to get you up. Stepping out into a wider world will also mean facing greater temptations and challenges to your faith. Keeping spiritual matters a priority will help you through the temptations and challenges. If you keep God first, it can lead to the strengthening and maturing of your faith.

Congratulations on the milestone of graduation!

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Posted by Russell Holden

Not Mass Produced

May 11, 2012

Netflix currently has the series, How It’s Made. I’m fascinated with the automation that goes into everyday products. One episode showed a factory producing copy paper. I tend to feel like I’m all thumbs unwrapping a ream of paper and placing it in the photocopier, but a mechanized factory produces 55,000 sheets of paper a minute, and it can wrap a ream of paper in the blink of an eye. Another episode showed a machine that fabricates adhesive bandages. It produced 300 to 1500 bandages a minute depending on size.

Since the industrial revolution, a few have pondered whether children could be raised that way. Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World imagined a hatchery for children. Children were designed and conditioned to fulfill their various social stations. No need for the messiness of parents. The upper class alphas could then be free to consume (that’s what consumer societies need after all) and to experience pleasure.

The real world has produced more modest attempts of raising children in mass. The Soviet Union experimented on the family with child care centers. It attempted to put more of the child raising under the control of the state. From a non-Marxist point a view, feminism also desired the emancipation of women from the burden of child rearing. They believed that collective child care was inevitable, but their most illusive goal was freedom from the pre-school years.

Yet, maternal and parenting instincts are strong, and some of the attempts to change family life have fortunately been resisted. The Soviet Union had to reverse its course in its attempt to radically change the family. Plus, all this experimenting has taught us something. Child raising does not seem to be an activity that can be successfully industrialized. Children succeed at certain developmental tasks with parents that are not met with even the best child care.

Your mother gave birth to you. She changed your diapers. She talked to you and read stories to you. She taught you right from wrong. In fact, your moral sense was developed by the age of nine. She taught you how to pray your first child-like prayers. She guided you in learning how to share your toys, resolve your conflicts, and pick up after yourself. You learned to brush your teeth, take a bath, and say thank you and please.

She was there when you were frightened, and she protected you from dangers even the ones for which you were totally unaware. She put Band-Aids on your skinned knee and wiped away your tears. It was a labor intensive task, yet a labor of love. You were not massed produced.

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Posted by Russell Holden

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