Month: April 2021

What is Most Important?

On April 26, 2021

Throughout my life I have had numerous people, activities, and interests that reigned “most important” in my life. I strove for earthly success in business and on social media. I worked out, built websites, made videos, wrote blog articles, and ran in the wrong crowds. I interviewed and was interviewed by people who others (in the world) considered “important”. And I was wrong.

All of that time I was chasing the wrong things. I was working for the temporal – not the eternal. After these 40 some odd years I can finally see clearly that Solomon was right:

Ecc 1:14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Why couldn’t I have just listened to him in the first place? I think it is because the world is very good at deceiving us. This world promises to make us happy and content, but it can never do so. All of the sins of this earth are but temporary and distracting pleasures, they can never truly fulfill.

Some people strive after this worldly “wind of sin” for their entire lives, never feeling content and always thinking that the next big thing will finally make them happy. However, this world is not set up by our Creator to provide ultimate fulfillment. This world is but a “testing ground”, a veil of soul-making, designed to allow us time to decide whether or not we are going to follow Christ into eternity.

Fortunately, as Christians we can move past the illusions of the world and escape its seductive grasp by following Jesus. The things of this world fade and perish (Isa 40:8). Christ himself knew that the realms of this world were weak, pitiful, and hollow compared to His eternal Kingdom:

Joh 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

So let us stand back from our lives today and ask ourselves a question: what is most important in my life? If the answer is anything except Jesus and His commandments we need to reevaluate our priorities. I do this frequently, and I ‘m often surprised that something from the world has crept back into my life. Thankfully, Jesus blood and precious sacrifice will cover these mistakes if we make the effort to get back on track.

The world is deceitful and self-centered. It prioritizes profit and temporary material gain, not eternal salvation. Let us all take a moment this week to make sure our lives are built upon the solid Rock (Jesus Christ) and not the ever shifting sands of this world:

Mat 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

Mat 7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

Jesus, the Lamb Who is a Lion

By Jay

On April 20, 2021

In Bible & Doctrine

Often, when I think of Jesus I think of the Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6), the Lamb of God (John 1:29), the man who healed the sick and aided the poor and lowly. I imagine Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-40) or healing a leper (Mat 8:2-3). I imagine Him walking with His disciples and giving them wisdom and insight into the world.

However, this is not the entire character of Jesus, and we would be remiss to leave out His dealings with the Pharisees and His overturning of the tables in the temple. Jesus was meek and lowly, but He was not weak. Jesus came to bring a sword:

Mat 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

This may seem contradictory – how can Jesus be both the Prince of Peace and come to bring a sword? Well, as it turns out this is what is commonly called a paradox, it is not a contradiction. A paradox is something that appears contradictory but upon further examination it is not.

Jesus was (and is) a paradox. He is infinitely merciful, but He is also infinitely just. Jesus always does exactly as He tells us He will do in the Bible – it is not in His nature to do otherwise. He tells us to obey His commandments (Mat 7:24-27), and as our creator He has the right to demand such (John 1:1).

This contrast between mercy/love and justice/wrath is what led brother Thomas B. Warren to proclaim that Christ is the Lamb-Lion. The ultimate paradox who gives us the final and conclusive meaning of the universe, the world, and our individual lives. Jesus gives us all things that are good, and in return we are expected to follow and obey His commandments.

If we are to accept Jesus’ loving mercies we must also be willing to accept our responsibilities to Him as soldiers of the cross. Let us all take up our cross and follow the ultimate paradox, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Mat 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Church of Christ Resources & Media

By Jay

On April 14, 2021

In Recommended Resources

In today’s world it’s quite difficult to find resources and media that fit a Christian lifestyle. This is especially true if you are looking for an educational program that teaches sound doctrine.

In this week’s article I’d like to focus on internet content that I have found to be high quality and suitable for members of the Lord’s church. All of this content may not be your cup of tea but it should give you some nice educational options.

These resources are all produced by various congregations and individuals within the Lord’s church. While that fact alone doesn’t mean everything taught on these channels is correct, it does give you peace of mind that you won’t get on secular media channels.

Before I dig into the content I would like to repeat something that we all already know: the Bible is our number 1 resource for Biblical information. I recently wrote an article called Setting Aside the Time that was all about making time to study our Bibles. It goes without saying that Bible study should be our top priority. Still, I hope that these media channels, podcasts, and websites will further edify and enrich your Christian life.

Below I have listed various YouTube channels, podcasts, and websites that I feel meet the criteria of providing sound doctrine. These websites are safe and secure and offer a ton of free services to enhance your Biblical learning. I will give a brief description of each and then provide a link to the website or channel.

Apologetics Press is a website dedicated to defending the Christian faith with science and rational thought. They have been around since the late 1970’s and are widely recognized amongst the brotherhood. The word “apologetics” is derived from the Greek word apologia, meaning a speech of defense, or to “give an answer”. Peter used this word in the following verse (highlighted):

1Pe 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Apologetics Press Website: https://www.apologeticspress.org/default.aspx

The Gospel Broadcasting Network is a non-profit organization that teaches sound doctrine to believers and non-believers alike. They play video (via YouTube) 24 hours a day. They also have great YouTube videos that cover just about any church of Christ doctrinal issue you can think of.

GBN Website: https://gbntv.org

GBN YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/GBNTV

World Video Bible School is a Free Online Bible School that produces great content on various doctrinal matters. I have personally participated in the school and I learned a lot from the classes. They also have a great YouTube channel (possibly the best church of Christ resource on the internet) and a store where you can buy church of Christ related materials (books, DVD’s, etc.).

WVBS Website: https://store.wvbs.org/wvbs-splashpage.html

WVBS YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGxfHBfP4ZBpg4TDg8v8G3A

The Light Network is a network that is produced by church of Christ minister Robert Hatfield (Gold Hill Road Church of Christ). In my opinion the strength of Robert’s website is the Podcast variety, but there is also a YouTube channel for additional content. The doctrine here is sound and there is sure to be something you will enjoy:

Website: https://thelightnetwork.tv

While there are various other resources on the web that provide sound doctrine, the resources above are the ones I most often use in my personal life. I feel that these media channels are doctrinally sound and teach the truth. I think these resources are valuable whether you are looking to enrich your own Christian life or that of others.

Setting Aside the Time

By Jay

On April 5, 2021

In Christian Productivity

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

As Christians we know that we need to read the Bible, yet for most of us this seems a daunting task. Many of us can’t seem to find the time in the day to perform this essential study (yet all of us would agree that Bible study is infinitely important).

That leads us to an age-old question – why is there such a profound human tendency for procrastination? Is there any way that we can overcome this tendency? I think there is, but I also think that it takes an effective strategy of scheduling and habit building for most people (including me) to accomplish this feat.

Our reasons for procrastination are almost limitless and while some of them are actually pretty legitimate, others are not. Our lives today are busier than ever before. Social Media, T.V., text messages, email, family issues, our jobs, babysitting, cooking, sports, after school activities; all of these tend to rob us of free time and encourage procrastination.

In the past I have been very prone to procrastination and in many ways I still am. Fortunately, I recently found a method that has helped me bypass procrastination (at least a lot more often) and better accomplish the tasks that I seem to always put off.

The strategy that I’ve been using over the past year to get things completed more effectively is called “time-blocking”. I learned this technique from a book called Deep Work by productivity author Cal Newport. Basically, you take your day and block out specific times to do certain activities. If you don’t block out (and thus set aside) the time for a given activity, you are very likely to skip doing that activity.

If your plan is to “read the Bible sometime today”, you will likely fail in that task – and even if you do succeed you will likely be unable to keep up the habit. Time blocking encourages you to block out the exact time on your schedule for a given activity (like Bible study). That means literally blocking out the time on a schedule and adhering to that schedule no matter what (barring an emergency).

Be sure to choose a time that is typically free on your daily schedule. It also helps to have a ritual that you place before your study to let your mind know its time for the activity. Maybe your ritual could be taking a walk, or getting a cup of coffee before you sit down with your Bible. Whatever your ritual is, your mind will begin to associate this “trigger” with the fact that it is time for Bible study, and that will help reinforce your habit.

How much time should you block out for study? I would recommend starting small, about fifteen minutes if you don’t currently read the Bible daily. Plan to read one chapter slowly and sit and ponder over each verse. Personally, I’m not a big fan of reading the Bible quickly (I’ve done it) because the Bible is a complex document that requires deep thought.

Over time you can build up the length of your study sessions, but I believe it is best to initially start with baby steps. By starting small you can begin to build up “little wins” that will engrain the habit of Bible study into your life. One thing is for certain, if you set aside time daily to study God’s Word your life on earth (and in eternity) will be enriched beyond measure.