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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 6 *   Number 40*  October 1,  2006

The Power of Preaching

"For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also the Greek." Romans 1:16

What will draw men to Jesus Christ their Savior? Will an entertaining service? Will a great illustration or story from the pulpit do the trick? What about a well-written book by a best selling author? Paul said…

"And I, Brethren, when I cam to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." I Corinthians 2:1-5

In recent years, I have read more articles and heard more preaching that has little or no power from the Word of God in them. Illustrations abound in the preaching, more so than the Holy Scriptures. (II Timothy 3:15) I recently read an article in a religious publication that spoke only of a secular book and it’s wonderful religious undertones and parallels, and how it just might help someone recognize the gospel when they finally do hear it. Do we need books, movies, puppets, and plays to convert men? No, the Gospel alone is the power of God unto salvation.

When Philip joined the Eunuch (Acts 8:26-40), the Eunuch was reading his Bible and from that "same Scripture" Philip opened his mouth and preached unto the Eunuch Jesus. That was powerful! Powerful enough to convert a man to Christ and send him on his way rejoicing.

In Act 8:1-4, the early Christians were scattered from Jerusalem by heavy persecution. What they took with them as they fled for their lives was the Word of God, and that is what they preached all along the way. "Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the Word."

There was no puppet ministry wagon they were pulling behind. (Real web page "How to start a Puppet Ministry" www.puppetrevelation.com) There was no Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren on the Best Sellers list to light the fire beneath their feet. What the disciples had was the factual message of a Father and Son’s love for mankind. (John 3:16) There was no need for a Hollywood movie The Passion of Christ to draw men to Jesus. They turned the pages of the Holy Scriptures, which Peter called "a more sure word of prophecy" (II Peter 1:19) and read that Jesus of Nazareth was/is The Son of God, The Messiah, The Anointed One, The Savior of mankind. The power of God unto salvation!

When Paul instructed Timothy he said, "Preach the Word"! (II Timothy 4:2) This is because the Word of God is living, powerful, and sharper than the sharpest sword. It can distinguish the soul and the spirit, the joints and the marrow, and it can discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12) No man’s book, movie, illustration, or poem is more powerful than the Word of God.

Why seek to allure sinners with something else. Why not simply preach the gospel and let the power of God do the rest?

Stacy Crim

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Cleave One to Another

by: Dale Smelser

In the beginning God said, "Let a man...cleave to his wife, and they shall become one" (Gen. 2:24). Jesus inferred from that and decreed, "What God has joined, let not man separate" (Mt. 19:6).

There are other implications in scripture. One is that only in this devoted union is the sexual relationship a joining by God. Apart from this, sexual joining is perversion. It is to be engaged in only in this commitment of permanence. One reason, among many, is obvious. Children. God designed them to learn, rather than to be directed by instinct as spawning salmon. This gives a moral and volitional dimension to man, a potential for dignity existing nowhere else in creation. He is to act nobly and responsibly. He is to be more than a beast satisfying his impulses. He learns to takes moral responsibility. Ignoring this relationship and its obligations is to deteriorate morally. Children will not learn what they need in order to be beings in God's image. They do not learn how to be husbands, wives, and parents.

Sometimes there are marriages where spouses occupy the same premises but there is little "cleaving" or really being "one." While better than complete separation, this is a failure. They are not giving to one another what can exist between a man and woman, and neither are their children seeing and thus learning of the rewarding inseparable bond of God's plan. This deficiency may be passed on to the next generation, and so on.

One is reminded of the spiritual pathologies which come from ignoring God in our day. People have become so focused on their own physical satisfaction they have perverted the sexual relationship between male and female. It is simply a pleasurable pass time. But the time passes and the pleasure ends. Succeeding in perverting that, they have proceeded to the next step in perversion, championing the joining of same sexes.

We have come so far that "marriage" is devalued. While there is present pain as a result, the worst of the trauma is to come. What of children not learning the moral qualities and responsibilities of being human, who learn only to satisfy their own selfish desires? These greater pathologies, in the self absorption they engender, will produce diminished respect for others. While maximum emphasis on individual rights may look like an idealistic philosophy, lacking the self limiting principles of nobility and love for others, the culture will rip further apart. This is where our intellectuals and their prostituting judges and vote buying politicians are taking us. It starts in violation of this first ordinance, man and woman "shall cleave one to another...and become one."

In 1989 3 percent of children were living with "shacked-up" parents. That number had doubled by 1999. Of these, only 40 percent are living with both biological parents. The parents of 60 percent were no longer "cohabiting." The parent the children are with, [is] with someone new. Syndicated columnist Maggie Ghallagher observes that because the responsibilities of marriage were rejected, "The children in such relationships are 2 to 3 times more likely to see their parents go separate ways than in married families." And, even when unmarried parents stay together, the "children don't fare as well on average as when they are blessed with a mother and father who got and stayed married." One cannot but recall the words of Paul as ancient men likewise tried to justify their arrogant selfish pleasure seeking. They "become vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise they became fools" (Rom. 1:21-22).

Until man comes back to God's order, the problem will get worse and worse. Children will grow up spiritually blind. Young men bent on pleasure and having had no real men in their lives to emulate, will vent their frustrations. Cruelty will reign. And women who have championed all this will suffer badly.

 

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