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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 42* October 14, 2007
A Good Eye? or A Bad Eye?
“No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.” Luke 11:33-36
Jesus says, “the lamp of the body is the eye”. The human eye takes information in at an incredible rate. We look at people, billboards, magazines, televisions, computers, and images galore. If what we let into our bodies through our eyes is good, Jesus says, “the whole body is full of light. But, when our eye is bad, our “body also is full of darkness.” Therefore Jesus’ instruction for us is to “take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.”
What we look at effects the whole body. What we look at generates thought. “That sure is a pretty rose”, “Did you see that article in the paper”. We are taking in information through the eyes the moment we open them in the morning. Is what we are looking at good or bad? “The lamp of the body is the eye.”
Our goal is to fill our whole body with light, which means we need to pay careful, cautious attention to what information we are taking in through our eyes. John warns us the lust of the eye is not of God but of the world, and the world will pass away. (See I John 2:15-17) Job said “I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid? (Job 31:1)
Jesus used a very graphic illustration, the plucking out of one’s eye, to emphasize the urgent important need to do whatever it takes to control what is going into our bodies through our eyes. (Matthew 5:29)
Again, the things we look will effect the whole body. Do we have a good eye, or a bad eye?
Stacy Crim
Why Not Call Preachers Reverend?
– Tommy Poarch (edited)
‘Reverend’ is a common address of clergy in modern day denominations. It is a term so familiar that good people tend to respectfully accept it without much discriminating thought.
In the Bible, we do not find the title of ‘Reverend’ ever given to any man. We do find the word used once in the Bible: “He sent redemption unto His people: He has commanded His covenant forever: holy and reverend is His name” (Ps 111:9). The word means “to fear, revere, be afraid” (Strong’s). But, Jesus reminds us that we are to fear no man (Mt 10:28).
Also, to make distinctions between brethren by titles of honor is contrary to the nature of Christ’s kingdom where the least is considered the greatest (Lu 9:46-48). Jesus exposed those who received distinction by religious titles or addresses of honor. “Do not be called ‘Rabbi’, for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father – He who is in heaven. And, do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. But, he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And, whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Mt 23:8-12).
We serve our souls best when we obey our God – a God whose name we greatly reverence.
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Striking the Rock
Derek Chambers
In Numbers chapter 20, Moses is instructed to provide water for his people speak to a rock from which water would come. In his anger with the people however, Moses struck the rock instead. Water still came forth, but he had to give an account to the Lord for his sin.
“And there was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves against Moses and Aaron. The people thus contended with Moses and spoke, saying, "If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD! Why then have you brought the LORD'S assembly into this wilderness, for us and our beasts to die here? And why have you made us come up from Egypt, to bring us in to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, nor is there water to drink. Then Moses and Aaron came in from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting, and fell on their faces. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to them; and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink. So Moses took the rod from before the LORD, just as He had commanded him; and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, "Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?" Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." (Numbers 20: 2-12)
When Moses struck that rock, he brought about some difficult consequences on himself. In this example, we also learn some simple lessons that we need to be careful to apply today.
Thinking as a human being, w/ my own sense of impatience and pride and frustration, Moses’ behavior is quite understandable. There are a lot of human and certainly worldly reasons that would justify Moses’ actions, but what does the Lord say? The Lord says two things that reveal what such behavior is before Him.
-You have not believed me
-You did not treat me as holy
We have our own ideas and definitions of unbelief, but God has some definitions of unbelief, and of unholy treatment of his name, that go beyond simple atheism or blatant carnality. God’s definitions of unbelief and of profaning what is holy, includes some of the things that his own people manifest and do in their lives. Let’s think about what Moses was really doing when he struck the rock. Let’s think about just what he did to disbelieve God, and profane his name. And there are two things in particular to think about in this:
-The authority of God
-The holiness of God
Let’s be reminded of the principle of authority when God gives instructions, and let’s be reminded of the holiness of God when we consider whether or not to obey them.
Moses violated the authority of God when he struck the rock and in doing so, he showed disbelief.
We may not want to think of the violation of authority as an act of disbelief, but that’s exactly what it is. To violate God’s authority shows that we disbelieve something. Either we don’t believe that God’s will is supreme, or we don’t believe that we are not as wise as He is. Maybe we just don’t believe it matters. Or maybe we just don’t comprehend what it is that he is holy. Whatever the specific reason, the Lord calls Moses’ violation of His authority an act of disbelief.
Here is the instruction to Moses:
"Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink." Numbers 20:8
You take the rod, gather the congregation, and speak to the rock, and when God gives instruction, there are no other ways of doing it. If you try to do it another way, that is a violation of His authority and that, the Lord says, is an act, of unbelief.
God gives instruction, and when he does, you don’t substitute, you don’t add, and you don’t subtract. When the Lord says you take the rod, you don’t substitute a spear for a rod, and you don’t take a rod and add a spear, and you don’t take away the rod and just use your hand. You take the rod, no more, no less.
The Lord also said to Moses to speak to the rock, and when the Lord says to speak to a rock, you speak to a rock, you don’t substitute the rock, and speak to a turtle, and you don’t change the verb of the commandment either. You don’t sing to the rock, you don’t dance on the rock, you don’t polish the rock, no, you speak to the rock. When God gives instruction on how to do something, and he says do this, and do it this way, that eliminates everything else, and it eliminates striking the rock.
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