THE POUND
PROCLAIMER
Volume IV
July 2009
Number 9
Sing
to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day
to day. Psalms 96:2
! FREEDOM !
History is more than an interesting
journey into the past. It reveals histories that open doors filled with
insightful wisdom. The history of our republic and of our founding fathers will
enlighten the student who seeks wisdom. It reveals men who were willing to
stand up to and against the ruling powers for the purpose of pursuing freedom
and personal liberty. It is a story of dedication, love, bravery, and
intellectual honesty. It is also the story of the innate desire within
humankind to be free. Not the unbridled freedom to violate the liberty of
others, but freedom to live life according to man’s God given freewill.
The same can be said of the history of
the Lord’s church. We can, by looking at church history, learn much about the
temptations and problems Christians face today. When we contemplate the motives
and actions of Christians in a historical setting, we can learn much about how
we should react to situations occurring in our lives. An example of this can be
seen by an examination of what we term “Restoration” history with the history
of the beginning of our republic. Was it just a coincidence that men sought
freedom from tyrannical government and tyrannical religion simultaneously? I
think not.
The “Reformation Movement” was instigated
by the iron fisted rule of the Holy Roman Catholic Church. This movement gave
birth to the many and varied denominational churches. Although the intent was
to break the bond of Episcopal tyranny, by the eighteenth century, protestant
churches had developed the same type of tyrannical Episcopate as the Roman
Church. This gave rise to a yearning within the honest heart for the freedom to
serve God without the restraints of human doctrine. What happened next was
inevitable. As the colonists had thrown off the bonds of British rule, men like
Elias Smith, Abner Jones, Thomas & Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone
came on the scene with a message of back to the Bible and unfettered freedom to
worship God in spirit and truth.
The historical account of freedom is not
confined to physical history. It is very much a part of spiritual history.
Jesus spoke of the freedom one gains by obedience to the gospel. During a
confrontation with some Pharisees, Jesus taught He was the Messiah and some
believed. “So Jesus said to the Jews who
had believed in him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and
you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’” (John
8:31-32).
Paul further explained freedom by saying “For the law of the Spirit of life has set
you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death” (Romans
8:2). The freedom one experiences in Christ is freedom from sin and
death. The desire to be free from sin and death should be as strong as or
stronger than the desire to pursue freedom and personal liberty from tyrannical
governments. But alas, men will do all in their power to overcome tyranny then
neglect the worst tyranny of all, the slavery of sin.
I appreciate the founding fathers’ wisdom
and foresight. The freedom and liberty they gave to us through the American
experiment is truly a blessing. However, the freedom from sin and death given
to man through the law of the Spirit in Christ Jesus is eternal life with God.
True freedom can only be found in Christ.
Therefore, seek the truth contained in God’s Word and that truth will set you
free.
The Editor’s
Page
When we think of our free society, we
must think of the sacrifices that have been made to preserve our freedom.
Throughout our history, generation after generation of young men have responded
to the cry, “Rally ‘round the flag, boys!” They have, with religious fervor,
willingly marched into the fury that is war. Many of them paid the supreme
sacrifice by spilling their young lives upon the soil of foreign battlefields.
A position of honor on the Civil War
battlefield was to be the one who carried the regimental battle flag. The battle
flag was important. It was used as a standard to lead the troops into battle.
It was the way to identify where troops were deployed. It was also a place for
the troops to rally if the battle turned against them. To allow the ‘Colors’ to
fall to the ground or to have them captured by the enemy was unthinkable.
The bearer of the ‘Colors’ did not have a
long life expectance. In one battle alone, a northern regiment lost eight flag
bearers. It is amazing to think that a soldier would take up the flag from his
fallen comrade, knowing he would, in all likelihood, be killed. What brings
about such devotion to a cause? While we may not be able to answer the
question, we cannot but admire the self-sacrifice that it exemplifies.
The Christian is a soldier in the army of
Christ (2
Timothy 2:3). As soldiers, we fight not against flesh and blood but
against principalities, powers and spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians
6:12). It is the duty of each and every Christian to be a good
soldier. When it comes to the Christian as a soldier, I am afraid we are
lacking in the courage and devotion of the flag bearer.
The letter to the church in
What kind of soldier are you? When someone
says something that hurts your feelings, do you pout and withdraw from the
battle? When you don’t get your way, do you grumble and complain, causing
dissention in the ranks? When the battle rages and you are wounded by the
slings and arrows of the devil, do you quit?
The cry goes forth, “Rally ‘round the
flag, boys!” Who will bear the Standard of our Lord? Will you be the one who
carries the Standard into the battle? When the battle rages, will you keep the
Standard high and see that it does not fall?
Will you heed Paul’s admonition to “Share in suffering as a good soldier of
Christ Jesus”? 2 Timothy 2:3.
WORKING FOR THE
MASTER
Giving
Ourselves
For
according to their power, I bear witness, yea and beyond their power, they gave
of their own accord, beseeching us with much entreaty in regard of this grace
and the fellowship in the ministering to the saints: and this, not as we had
hoped, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the
will of God (2 Corinthians
8:3-5).
Perhaps one of the greatest challenges in
life is learning how to do what we ought to do with the spirit in which we
ought to do it along with the proper motivation for doing so. This is
especially true in the “religious” sphere of existence. It is quite easy to
fall into the trap of empty ritualism, or for people to work with the intent to
earn merit. Too many are only willing to do the commands of God that are
comfortable for them; many treat religion as they perhaps treated high school,
trying to figure out how to do just enough to “get by.”
While all of these forms of religious
service are popular, they are not what God intends, and they cannot lead to a
saving faith. If we really desire to be saved, we will have to do as the
Macedonians did so many years ago: we must first give ourselves to the Lord. If
we are able to accomplish that, then everything else can fall into its proper
place.
Yet, as with many things in life, people
giving themselves to the Lord is easier said than done. Giving ourselves
entirely over to Jesus is a challenging proposition. It requires us to be
crucified with Him, making the decision to no longer live in sin (Romans
6:1-7, Galatians 2:20). We must then live
as His servants, seeking His will in every facet of our existence (Ephesians
5-6). The cost is high: The path of Christ involves sacrifice,
suffering, and persecution (Romans 12:1, Acts 14:21, Romans
8:17-18). The reward of eternal life, however, will make up for it
and beyond (cf. Revelation 21-22)!
It is easy to understand why the temptation
is always there to promote or to live a half-hearted religion, a belief system
in which you go along with God as long as it is comfortable and does not
infringe too terribly strongly in one's life. Yet we must understand that a
religion without cost tends to be a religion without benefit. Jesus came to the
earth not to be served but to serve, and He gave fully of Himself for us (Philippians
2:5-11). If He gave Himself fully for us, how can we expect to get
away with only giving a little bit for Him?
Jesus Himself makes it quite clear in Matthew
10:35-39 that becoming His disciple is an all-or-nothing
proposition. You either put God in Christ first in your life or you do not. You
are willing to allow the Lord to dictate for you through His Word how you will
conduct yourselves toward your parents, spouse, children, employer, friends,
and others, or you are not (cf. Ephesians 5-6). You either allow God
in Christ to dictate how you will use the blessings of material abundance, time
and talents for His purposes, or you do not (Romans 12).
Half-hearted service, empty ritualism, or reward-based work is not true service
to God, no matter how much it may feel as it is (cf. Matthew 7:21-23). It
is only when we first and foremost decide that we are going to give ourselves
over to the Lord that we can finally begin serving Him.
Thankfully, no matter how we have lived
in the past, as long as we live, we have the opportunity to give ourselves to
the Lord. Let us do so and become full servants of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, knowing that if we glorify His name, we will share in His eternal
glory!
Ethan
R. Longhenry
evangelist@norwalkchurch.org
THE LAST WORD
BEARING BURDENS
FOR A LONG TIME
“Rejoicing
in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer” (Romans 12:12).
MANY MAY AGREE TO BEAR A BURDEN FOR A
WHILE, BUT THERE AREN’T MANY WHO WILL BEAR IT INDEFINITELY. Some hardships are
short-term, but others last much longer. In the case of these long-lasting
difficulties, we must not only accept tribulation, but be “PATIENT in
tribulation.” It may be a long time (at least from our perspective) before rest
and relief are able to be enjoyed.
Job would be a good example here,
wouldn’t he? The things he suffered would have been terrible even if only for a
short time. But at the worst of his ordeal, he had no idea how long it would go
on. It might have lasted the rest of his life! As we read Job’s story, we know
that his burden was eventually lifted, but he did not know that while he was
suffering. His steadfastness in the midst of suffering is all the more amazing
in that, for all he knew, it could have been indefinite. He was willing to
endure whatever was necessary FOR HOWEVER LONG IT TOOK TO SEE GOD’S FACE (Job
19:25-27).
I fear that our dealings with God
sometimes involve a bit of “bargaining.” We say to Him, “Lord, I will deal with
this difficulty if You will remove it within a
reasonable time.” And, of course, it is we who define what is reasonable. When
that time passes and the difficulty is still there, we grow resentful, as if
God had somehow fallen down on His end of the bargain. But He never agreed to
the bargain. He never said how long the difficulty would last.
I find myself reading Hebrews more often
these days. Its message is that we need to accept whatever problems have to be
dealt with FOR HOWEVER LONG IT TAKES TO GET TO HEAVEN! “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward,”
the writer said. “For you have need of
endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the
promise” (Hebrews 10:35-36). The promise will surely come, but it
may not come very soon.
So let us not dictate to God the terms of
our service to Him, as if we were only obligated to do what we define as
reasonable. He asks of us an UNCONDITIONAL commitment to serve under ANY
circumstances. When our service involves difficulty, as it often
will, let us endure. Even when we can’t see the end, let us STILL
endure.
“Patience:
accepting a difficult situation without giving God a deadline to remove it”
(Bill Gothard).
Gary
Henry
REACHING FORWARD
####################
WHAT MUST
I DO
Hear: Rom 10:17
Believe: Heb 11:6
Repent: Lk 13:5; Ac
17:30
Confess: Matt 10:32; Ac
8:36
Be Baptized: Ac 2:38;
22:16
TO BE
SAVED?
###################
FAMILY
MATTERS
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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WALKING BY FAITH
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The Pound Proclaimer is published monthly by the Pound
All articles by the editor unless
otherwise stated
Editor: Glen Young
Phone: 276-796-5767=Office
804-365-8694=Home
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