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The Cornerstone
This is the Stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the Chief Conerstone." Acts 4:11
Pulbished to Support the Work of the West End Church of Christ, Richmond, Virginia
Volume 9 * Number 18* May 6, 2007
Are We Listening?
James Baker
When a bottle of liquid has a skull and cross bones on it, one should be smart enough not to drink it. If one notices the sign “slippery when wet,” one should be smart enough not to speed that way. If the shark tank has “no hands allowed,” one should be smart enough not to put a hand in there.
The point of all this is, we wish that people would learn without having to suffer the consequences of being hard headed. A man may know the risk of picking up hookers, but not learn his lesson until he is arrested, or is a victim of a transmitted sexual disease. Proverbs 5:11-13. If the word is out, “ Don’t send text messages while driving,” man should learn from those words, and not from having an accident.
In Luke 15:11-32, we read of a young man who demanded his inheritance and wasted it after moving far away. This young guy didn’t listen to anything until he was broke, alone, and sitting among the pigs, desiring the slop they ate. Likewise the word
of the Lord warns men, but are we listening? Proverbs 1:20-33. Proverbs 22:3.&
The Church's Purpose
by Bill Hall
What is the purpose of the Lord's church? Is it to eradicate poverty, disease, social injustice, illiteracy from among men? Is it to bring about a cessation of war and conflict? Is it to campaign for a temptation-free society for Christians to live in?
If the church had as one of its great goals the eradication of disease, the Lord could have easily equipped it to accomplish that goal. Could not the same power that enabled one blind man to see have enabled all blind men to see; that enabled one lame man to walk have enabled all lame people to walk; that cured many people of varied diseases have cured all people of all diseases? And could not this same power have been given to the church in all generations?
If the church has as one of its great goals the eradication of poverty, the Lord could have easily equipped it to accomplish this purpose. After all, He fed the five thousand with five loaves and two fishes. He similarly fed four thousand on another occasion. Could not He who did these marvelous works have enabled His church in all generations to feed, clothe, and shelter the impoverished masses of the world through miraculous powers?
If the Lord had wanted His church to become a lobbyist group to apply political pressure toward a temptation and persecution-free society in which to live, He would have given instructions in that direction. He did not even lead His church into a direct effort to destroy slavery, but taught the Christian slave to be a better slave and the Christian master to treat his slaves as he would have his heavenly Master treat him (Col. 3:22-4:1).
The church's purpose is to save souls and prepare people for eternity--It holds out to the impoverished the hope of some day walking a street of gold; to the suffering a time when there will be no pain; to the sorrowing a moment when "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." It tells the tempted and persecuted that there is value in these afflictions, that the testing of their faith is "more precious than of gold," and to rejoice -- It tells all to live godly lives in whatever environment they find themselves. It seeks to change people through the power of the gospel, not society through the coercion of legislators -- Its weapons "are not carnal, but are mighty through God." Its motivating theme: "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"
When churches become involved in hospital and health clinic work, or when they build schools for the education of their children, or when they see as one of their great missions to provide for the world's poverty, or when they feel obligated to create social upheaval and campaign for human rights, or when they feel called upon to express their views on the government's use of nuclear armaments or whatever, they have a distorted view of the purpose of the church. The Electronic Beacon 2/20/07
The Eunuchs Secret
Joe Fitch
Look at a man who found the way of salvation (Acts 8: 26—39). Do you know the secret of his success?
He had AN OPEN BOOK. We first meet him reading from the scriptures (Ver. 28). “Have you not read” (Mt. 12: 3,5;19:4; 21:16 etc.) and “What saith the scriptures?” (Rom. 4:3) are inspired appeals for open Bibles. Jesus said the Sadducees were wrong about the resurrection “not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.” (Matt. 22:29). Is it strange to find people wrong about spiritual things when they never open their Bibles?
“Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ” (Eph. 3:4). Confusion is banished by knowledge. Reading an open book — is the first key to “understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5:17).
Many people avow they are looking for truth yet they never open their Bibles. They claim to love truth but refuse to discuss the scriptures. Something is wrong somewhere! “. . . thy word is truth” (Jno. 17:17).
The man from Ethiopia also had AN OPEN MIND. Many people protest they cannot understand scripture. The problem may not be so much hard scripture as hard hearts. People observed the miracles of Jesus but just “couldn’t see” that he was Christ. Why? They closed their eyes. (Matt. 13:15). It is hard to see anything with your eyes closed!
Consider the parable of the good Samaritan (Lk. 10: 29-36). Why couldn’t the priest and Levite see the wounded man?
Was he hidden? No, they knew he was there. The Samaritan had no problem finding him.
Suppose we move the wounded man into the middle of the road where you can’t walk around him — the priest and Levite will just look up, step over, and keep walking! Attitude makes the difference. The Samaritan was willing to see.Prejudice (pre-judging) is an enemy of the quest for truth. A verdict is reached before the evidence is heard. Nathaniel didn’t ask Phillip how he knew Jesus of Nazareth to be the Christ; he just said, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (Jno. 1:45, 46). He made up his mind when he heard Nazareth mentioned. Likewise, Jesus was discredited in Nazareth — his family were all common people( Mk. 6: 2-4). Stephen preached the truth and was killed (Acts 7: 51-60). These people were — as he charged — “stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears” (closed minded).
“Come and see” (Jno. 1:46) is the only answer to prejudice. An honest heart will consider the facts — and change when wrong. Others will find excuses or ignore the situation completely.
An OPEN MIND and an OPEN BOOK can be the secret to your success. It was for the Bereans. “ they received the word with all readiness of mind — an open mind — and searched the scriptures daily — an open book — whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). Or you can close your mind and Bible and drift gently on waves of self satisfaction to hell
!Plain Talk 1969 Vol 6 No. 10
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