The Elon Challenger

ELON CHURCH OF CHRIST

New Hope, Alabama

Seeking to challenge your interest in things

spiritual & eternal (Eph. 6:10-18).

Volume 14  Number 3

November, 2016

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Table of Contents

How Can We See God————————————- Dylan Stewart

God Is Our Dwelling Place (Ps. 90)——————–Mike Johnson

On God’s Side——————————————————-Unknown

This May Shock You————————————-Donnie V. Rader

Worship & the Lord’s Supper————————————-Bill Hall

Baptism & Blood———————————————-T. Doy Moyer

Love Or Legalism—————————————Steven F. Deaton

Preach to Me——————————————————-Bill Crews

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HOW CAN WE SEE GOD

Dylan Stewart

As we learn in 1 John 4:12, as well as other passages throughout the Bible, “No one has seen God at any time.” Not being able to physically see God can be problematic for many people, which is why so many cannot accept the teachings of the Bible. Christians, however, realize that there are many ways that we can see God. For example, we realize that humans were created in God’s own image (Genesis 1:26-27), so we can “see” God simply by looking at His creation. On a similar note, all of God’s creation, not just human beings, helps reveal Him to us. This notion is supported in Romans 1:20 when Paul explains that God’s “invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made” (English Standard Version). In other words, His visible creation helps us better see and understand that which is not visible in regards to our God.

There is also another way we can see God, and that is through love. John informs us in 1 John 4:12-16 that “If we love one another, God abides in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” Without love, which is greater than faith and hope (1 Corinthians 13:13), it is impossible to see God. If we abide in love as God has always loved us, then we not only can see God on earth, but, ultimately, we can see Him, as well as Christ, in Heaven.

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GOD IS OUR DWELLING PLACE

(Psalm 90)

Mike Johnson

It is thought Psalm 90 was written by Moses during the later part of the time the children of Israel wondered in the wilderness. In this Psalm, Moses concluded by appealing to God for compassion and mercy asking very humbly for God’s help.   He contrasted God’s eternal nature and His great power with man’s mortality and weakness. Moses started out this Psalm by saying, “Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.”  God was not only Moses’ dwelling place as the text says he was the dwelling place for all generations, so his statement would apply to the righteous since the beginning of time.

In what sense is God our dwelling place? The psalmist is obviously not speaking literally, but he is saying God is like a person’s physical home.  We are normally most comfortable at home— not the home of another person but our own home.   Our homes are typically places of safety, rest, and security. But, thieves can break into our homes; houses can be destroyed by fire and by the elements of nature; in time, wood can decay and bricks can crumble. In contrast, the home which God supplies for us is far superior as it cannot be destroyed. So God is our safe retreat.

Consider various individuals who certainly benefited from God being their “dwelling place.” Moses spent forty years in the wilderness traveling from place to place trying to lead a group of slaves who did not always want or appreciate his leadership.  Numbers 33 lists forty-two places where the children of Israel camped under the leadership of Moses. Consider also Abraham who lived a nomadic life. His wife, Sarah, died in Hebron.  At this point, he referred to himself as a foreigner and a visitor (Gen. 23) and finally bought some land as a burial place.  Note also the apostle Paul who said he “had no certain dwelling place” (NKJV “homeless”) as he faced the daily perils of preaching the gospel (I Cor. 4:11).  God certainly provided a stable “dwelling place” for each of these.

In John 15, Jesus spoke of the importance of us abiding in Him and of Him abiding in us. He compared this relationship to the need for a branch to abide in the vine in order to be fruitful. In verse 4 he said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”  He further pointed out those who do not abide in Him are cast out as an unfruitful branch and cast into a fire (v. 6); those who abide in Him and His Words will have their prayers answered (v. 7); if they keep His commandments, we will abide in His love (vs. 9-10).

I John shows a connection between God abiding in us and us abiding in Him. This relationship can exist if we: openly confess Jesus (4:15), abide in love (4:16), possess the Spirit of God (4:13), and if we keep His commandments (3:24).

Note some other passages which speak of God as our refuge. In Psalm 91 the psalmist pointed out that God is our refuge and fortress.  He reveals when we trust in God, there is no need to fear, no matter what happens.  Why? He says (v. 9), “Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place.” Jesus said in John 14:23, “…If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” Note the encouragement given to Abraham in Genesis 15:1 which says, “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”

As faithful Christians, there is assurance in knowing that God is our dwelling place. Whether we live in the same house for fifty years or move every year, whether we live in a tent as did Abraham and Moses, God is our dwelling place!

Do you have the comfort and security of having God as your dwelling place?

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ON GOD’S SIDE

In life, it is rather normal for people to be on a side. When people go to a tournament, even though the teams playing are not related to some of the spectators, the spectators cannot long remain neutral — they begin pulling for one side or the other. People who do not follow baseball through the long months of the season get interested in the world series each fall, and each one finds himself somewhat pulling for one of the teams to win.

But, in religion and some of the most vital issues of life, there are so many people who do not want to take sides, and they think it is terrible when others do. There were two sides at Mt. Sinai — those who worshiped the golden calf and those who didn’t. Moses came down from the mountain and shouted, “Who is on the Lord’s side?” The Lord had a side, and everybody should have been on His side. And, friends, the same is true today. We need to find the Lord’s side in life and stand on that side with all our might, for that is what He would have us do.

                                                                                                     Author Unknown

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THIS MAY SHOCK YOU

Donnie V. Rader

This may shock you, but there are a number of things that the Bible does not teach that a multitude of people are not aware of.

  1. The Bible does not teach that one church is as good as another. Rather, the Bible says, “There is one body” (Ephesians 4:4). Christ only built one church. Are the ones He didn’t build just as good as the one He did build? That would make man’s works as good as God’s. Jesus said, “Every plant, which My heavenly Father has not planted, shall be rooted up” (Matthew 15:13). You see, Jesus didn’t seem to think that one church is as good as another.
  2. The Bible does not teach that Christ will return to earth to reign on a literal throne for 1,000 years. That would be a shocking fact for more than 80% of religious people. However, the verse that so teaches is yet to be found. I read, that when Christ comes again, that will be the end (1 Cor. 15:23-24).
  3. The Bible doesn’t teach that Christ was born on December 25th. Neither does the Bible teach that there were three wise men.
  4. The Bible doesn’t teach that terms such as “Reverend,” “Pastor,” and “Father” should be applied to a preacher. The term “Reverend” is only used one time in the Bible, and that time it applies to God (Psalm 111:9, KJV). “Pastor” simply means one that is a shepherd over a flock. It is descriptive of an elder in the church that meets certain qualifications (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). Jesus condemned the use of such terms as “Father” in Matthew 23:1-12.
  5. The Bible teaches that only those who are the members of the body of Christ will be saved. I read that Christ is “the Savior of the body” (Ephesians 5:23). Thus, He only promises to save those in the body. His body and church are one and the same (Colossians 1:18). Thus, only those in His church, the church of Christ, will be saved (Romans 16:16).
  6. If number five is a shocker, this will shock you more. The Bible teaches that not all of those in the body of Christ will be eternally saved. I read how the faithful will receive a crown of life (Revelations 2:10). Some of those that were once sanctified by the blood of Christ will turn aside and be lost (Hebrews 10:26-29).
  7. The Bible teaches us that “rejoice” and “forgive one another,” are commands of God (Philippians 4:4; Ephesians 4:32). These are not just suggestions that will make us better people. Neither is there an option to choose or not to choose. These are commands! Violating them is sin (1 John 3:4). To sin is to separate oneself from God (Isaiah 59:1-2).
  8. The Bible teaches that “faith” is a work (John 6:29). If we are saved by faith only, we are saved by a work. If works do not save us at all, then we are not saved by faith.

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WORSHIP AND THE LORD’S SUPPER

Bill Hall

The first day of the week is a special day for Christians. Within that day a special event occurs — the Lord’s Supper. This feast does not fit into “worship” that is geared toward spectators or television audiences. It is just ten minutes of “dead time” in this kind of “worship.” To true worshipers, however, the Lord’s Supper is a special time each Lord’s Day.

In The Supper, We Remember

“Do this in remembrance of Me,” Jesus said (1 Corinthians 11:24-25). In partaking, we should not just give passing thought to the Lord’s death. There is time for us to see Jesus in the garden in great anguish, praying, weeping, sweating; to see the kiss of Judas, the ill advised actions of Peter, the arrest; to see the Jewish trials, the false witnesses, the hypocrisy of Caiaphas and the Jewish council; to see them mock, slap, and spit upon Jesus; to see Jesus before Pilate and to hear the jeering crowd crying, “Crucify! Crucify!” to see the scourging, the purple robe, the crown of thorns; to see the soldiers bow before Jesus in mockery and strike Him with the reed; to see Him crucified, giving Himself for our sins; to hear Him say, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit,” and to see Him die; to feel the earthquake and to hear otherwise callous centurion ex-claim, “Surely this was the Son of God”; and to remember that all of this was because of our sins.

In The Supper, We Proclaim

We proclaim the Lord’s death (1Corinthians 11:26). When our children ask, “What do you mean by this service?” we tell them of Christ’s death. We tell them that the bread and fruit of the vine represent His body and His blood. When friends visit with us and observe us for the first time partaking in a solemn and thoughtful manner, we proclaim to them the meaning of this feast. We proclaim our faith in Jesus’ suffering and death on our behalf. A memorial stands as strong evidence of the event being memorialized. When we partake we are proclaiming to the world that we believe that Jesus is “the way, the truth, the life” (John 14:6) and that He is the only way to the Father.

In The Supper, We Have Fellowship

We are familiar with the word “communion” in relation to the Lord’s Supper. The words communion and fellowship are synonymous. When we partake of the bread, we are in communion (fellowship) with the body of Christ. When we drink of the cup we are in communion (fellowship) with the blood of Christ (1Corinthians 10:16). In the Lord’s Supper we also are in fellowship with all in the body of Christ who legitimately eat of the “one bread” (1Corinthians 10:17). Every faithful local church has a fellowship hall, but it is not a place for fleshly nourishment, it is a meeting place where we sing together, pray together, and worship our Lord together. In its fellowship hall every faithful local church has a fellowship meal. That meal is the Lord’s Supper. What a marvelous fellowship we have in our worship together! What a marvelous fellowship we have in Jesus Christ.

In The Supper, We  Anticipate

In the Supper we proclaim Christ’s death till He come (1Corinthians 11:26). We look toward the day when the Lord Himself will descend, when He will appear a second time (1Thessalonians 4:16; Hebrews 9:28), when the dead will be raised in incorruptible, immortal, spiritual bodies, and when the living will be “changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (1Corinthians 15:35-58). At that time we, with all the faithful, will worship forever around God’s throne. We raise the question: if we do not have that hope, do we really have a place at the table of the Lord?

In The Supper, We Reflect And Renew

How can we possibly consider what our Lord has done for us without reflecting on the covenant we made with Him when we became Christians and renewing our determination to be faithful to Him? Because of the Corinthians’ failure to partake worthily, many among them were weak and sick, and others dead (1Corinthians 11:30). We will experience the same results if we fail to consider our Lord’s suffering and the commitment we have made to Him.

When we consider all that is involved in eating at the Lord’s Table, surely we can appreciate the privilege, the honor that is ours. Let us approach this moment each week with reverence and respect, making it a time of spiritual refreshing Let us eat with happy anticipation of eternally communing with our Lord.

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POINTS TO PONDER

  • “It doesn’t take a very big person to carry a grudge.”
  • “You cannot ‘unsay’ a cruel word.”
  • “He who dies with the most ‘toys’ is still dead!”
  • Clean living takes a lot more than soap and detergents.
  • Do not regret growing old; it is a privilege many do not have.

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BAPTISM & BLOOD

Doy Moyer

The blood of Jesus saves us from our sins: the blood was “shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). What does baptism have to do with the blood?

Peter preached, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). Note that the expression “for remission of sins” is the same as in Matthew 26:28. Jesus shed His blood for the remission of sins. How can both be true?

The answer is in Romans 6:3-4: “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” This tells us that when we are baptized into Christ we are baptized into His death. We contact Christ’s blood when we obey the gospel and are baptized into Christ.

What saves us? The blood of Jesus. How do we avail ourselves of the blood? Through baptism into Christ. Is baptism a work of our own merit? No. We simply must submit to the will of God. Now, how can anyone deny the necessity of baptism?

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 LOVE OR LEGALISM

Steven F. Deaton

When we insist men must adhere strictly to the commandments of God, is it love or legalism?

Men say it is legalism. They say, “We should obey a Savior, not a system.” Or, “Give me the man, not a plan.” Their idea is that to admit the existence of a law by which man must live in order to be right with God, is legalism.

God, however, calls this love. The Spirit said, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (I John 5:3). Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Keeping the commandments of God is an expression of love, not legalism. To insist others do the same is love for God and man, not legalism in a system or plan.

The Holy Spirit was sent to reveal all truth (John 16:13). Why would anyone think the truth was revealed so men could be cavalier toward it? It was revealed so men could obey it and be set free (John 8:32). Paul wrote, “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered” (Romans 6:17). This does not destroy a relationship with the Savior, for it is His system — the gospel (Hebrews 5:9).

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PREACH TO ME!

Bill Crews

Up and down in the land, day in and day out, by young and by old the banal little protest, “Don’t preach to me!” is heard. I cannot use it. My understanding, my conscience, and the needs of my soul won’t allow me. The Son of God came preaching. He died that the gospel of heaven might be proclaimed to lost and dying humanity. It has pleased God by the preaching that the world labels “foolishness” to save those who will believe (1 Corinthians 1:21). So, I say, “Preach to me!”

But when you do so, make certain that it is heaven’s will and wisdom, and not man’s philosophy and psychology. Hold up God’s mirror that I might see myself as I am (James 1:2-25). Use the Spirit’s sword to discern the very thoughts and intents o my heart (Hebrews 4:12). Tell me what God wants me to know, and believe, and do, and become. Seek not to please me, but to persuade me; not to soothe me but to save me; not to entertain me, but to enlighten me.

Preach that which I need to hear and not that which you think I want to hear. Tell me of my blessings that I might be grateful, my responsibilities that I might be faithful, and my opportunities that I might be diligent; but shun not to tell me of my sins, my transgressions, my neglect, my imperfections. At the risk of offending me and even of making an enemy of me, preach to me the whole counsel o God (Acts 20:27) — for in telling me the truth you are not my enemy, but my friend and God’s servant. With fear of God, reverence for the truth, love for souls, and concern for duty PREACH TO ME!

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The Elon Challenger is published monthly by the church of Christ meeting at 4021 Hobbs Island Road in Owens Cross Roads.  The mailing address is PO Box 149, New Hope, AL, 35760 where any comments, questions, or requests for further information can be sent.  The Challenger is also distributed monthly to the Elon congregation as an eight page, paper publication. The editor is Mike Johnson.

The website address is www.elonchurchofchrist.com.

 

Evangelist & Editor: Mike Johnson

www.seekingthingsabove.org