The Elon Challenger

ELON CHURCH OF CHRIST

New Hope, Alabama

Seeking to challenge your interest in things

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

Volume 15 Number 3

November, 2017

 

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Table of Contents

Spiders and Christians ————————————————– Dylan Stewart

The Bible Says… ————————————————————–Whit Sasser

Our Purpose in Life and Death—————————————–Dylan Stewart

My Sin Is Always Before Me——————————————–Mike Johnson

Close to, Round About, Near By————————————Author Unknown

Missing Services———————————————————–Joel Raulerson

Shall You Call Me Pastor?————————————————-Terry Benton

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SPIDERS & CHRISTIANS

Dylan Stewart

A noiseless patient spider,

I mark’d where on a little promontory it stood isolated,

Mark’d how to explore the vacant vast surrounding,

It launch’d forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself,

Ever unreeling them, ever tirelessly speeding them.

And you O my soul where you stand,

Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space,

Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them,

Till the bridge you will need be form’d, till the ductile anchor hold,

Till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere, O my soul.

                                      Walt Whitman (A Noiseless Patient Spider,1891)

 

Walt Whitman was arguably the most influential American poet of the 19th Century. Less than a year before his death, Whitman published “A Noiseless Patient Spider.” Many literary critics view the poem as a retrospective on life by Whitman considering his death occurred not long after the poem’s publication. I would argue, however, the poem serves as a great analogy concerning the soul.

Consider lines 4-5, where the speaker describes the spider as launching “forth filament, filament, filament out of itself / Ever unreeling them, ever tirelessly speeding them.” In these lines, the speaker describes how the spider lays down the initial bridge which will become the foundation for its web. This takes a lot of effort, and the spider tirelessly shoots out filament hoping to form a web. To point out the amount of effort this takes, the speaker repeats “filament” three times to imitate the spider’s constant efforts to form a web. Now, if, after all this work, the spider finally formed a web on your front porch – What would you do? You would knock it down! Consider the effort spiders put into creating their webs, only to have us knock down their finished product! But also consider what they do after we knock down their webs – They rebuild it! Are we as steadfast in our service to God as the spider is in creating his web? People will constantly try to knock down our “web” of faithfulness, but we should be like the spider and remain steadfast when we endure trials. James says, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). Paul takes it one step further in Romans 5:4. He asserts that we should not only just remain steadfast in the face of tribulation, but “also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Just like the spider, we should never give up launching our filament, or our faith, when faced with trials and tribulations. Instead, we must endure “so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise” (Hebrews 10:36).

Moving further through the poem, we see a major shift. The spider is no longer the focus. Instead, the speaker begins comparing his soul to the image of the spider. Instead of describing the spider spinning a physical web, the speaker describes his soul spinning its metaphorical web. He begins to imagine what it is like when the soul succeeds, when its “gossamer thread” finally catches a solid point (l. 10). The soul must connect to a “ductile anchor” (l. 9), then it can make all the other strings in its web, and can be pulled without breaking. As Christians, we must connect our webs to THE anchor, Jesus Christ. Consider the refrain from the old hymn

 

“We Have an Anchor:”

We have an anchor that

keeps the soul

Steadfast and sure while

the billows roll,

Fastened to the Rock

which cannot move,

Grounded firm and deep in

the Savior’s love.

                 Priscilla J. Owens

                  (We Have an Anchor, 1882)

If we remain fastened to the Rock, who is Christ, we cannot be separated from him. Paul expounds further upon this by stating, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. Without him, we can do nothing. In other words, if we do not attach ourselves to Him and let Him remain as our anchor, we will be “cast out as a branch” and wither away (John 15:5).

 

Final Thoughts

 

The spider, as well as the speaker’s soul, shoots out lots of little strings, trying to get one of them to stick to something. Oddly, the speaker leaves the poem on a mysterious note; we know his soul is trying to connect to something, but it doesn’t appear he knows what, or who, he needs to connect to. He explains his soul is “musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them” (l. 8). This is another example of the poem teaching us two greatest lessons: The need to connect to Christ, and the perseverance to remain connected to Him. I must ask then, are you attached, “rooted and built up in [Christ] and established in the faith”(Colossians 2:7), or are you like the speaker of the poem, who is “surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space” (l. 7)?

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THE BIBLE SAYS…

Whit Sasser

“…And these will go a way into everlasting punishment…” (Matthew 25:46)

Those who do not know God or do not obey the good news of Jesus Christ shall be punished in a lake of fire (ll Thessalonians 1:8 9 and Revelation 21:8). It is commonly referred to as hell. Many today would like to believe that the punishment is taking place now, on earth; others want you to believe that the hell is simply an annihilation of our being; while still many disbelieve altogether, thinking God surely will not send his creation to such a place. Be not deceived! The punishment is as real as heaven is (the same passage speaks of both); it will be consciously suffered, (where there is no existence, there can be no punishment) and it will last forever. Prepare to meet God. TODAY! 

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OUR PURPOSE IN LIFE AND DEATH

Dylan Stewart

 

God’s main purpose for our existence is to reflect the glory of Him and His son Jesus Christ. God gave us life so we might draw attention to Christ with our bodies, minds, and hearts. Consider a statement from Paul in Philippians 1:21. He states, “To live is Christ.” Our purpose then is to reflect Christ in all aspects of our lives. The purpose for our existence does not change at death though. Again, consider the latter half of verse 21. Not only does Paul say to live is Christ, but he concludes “to die is gain.” Thus, our reflection of Christ is not meant to only be present in our lives, but also our deaths.

For the Christian, eternal life has already begun and will not be interrupted by death or judgment. Jesus taught this concept when he said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24). Already, by faith in Christ, our judgment is past and our death is past. Death is no longer death for those who are in Christ.

The essence of what makes it death has changed. Therefore, the way we show Jesus to be great in our dying is to treasure these things as we die. That is, treasure representing Christ more than what we leave behind. This is how we fulfill the God-given purpose of our death as those who cannot die. The purpose of this deathless dying is to glorify Christ. Death is God’s appointed way in this fallen world for Christ to receive his final praise from us on earth before we eventually enter into endless praise.

Paul’s attitude towards death is a great example of how we should see death as our final opportunity to represent Christ. He says we do this by counting death as gain. He explains it was his “earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death (Philippians 1:20)” Christ is magnified in our dying when we treasure Christ so much that dying is felt to be gain. Death is a time for glorifying God. God appoints it for this purpose in his saints.

Another example is the death of Peter. Jesus spoke to him about death by asserting, “Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish” (John 21:18). John interpreted these words for us in his gospel, “This [Jesus] spoke, signifying by what death [Peter] would glorify God” (John 21:19). Thus, our purpose in death is to glorify God. We all have our appointed time and way of dying. This is our last way on earth of making much of the supreme value of Jesus in our lives. This is the last time on earth for glorifying God. We glorify Him by counting everything on earth as loss (Philippians 3:8) and counting the sight and savoring of Christ in Heaven as gain.

If we die serving God, we can have the same confidence Paul had in 2 Timothy 4:6-8: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness.” If faced with death, can we be as confident as Paul? If not, we need to reconsider our purpose in life, as well as in death.

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“MY SIN IS ALWAYS BEFORE ME”

Mike Johnson

Psalm 51 is thought to have been written by David after his sin with Bathsheba.  In II Samuel 11-12, we are told David committed the sin of adultery and then murder trying to conceal what he had done.  He was confronted by Nathan, the prophet.  David admitted he had sinned, and in this Psalm, he appealed to the mercy of God and asked for His forgiveness.

In verse 3, after acknowledging his transgressions, he said, “… my sin is always before me.”  David knew he had been forgiven, but he would not forget the awful deeds he had done.  He would always carry a picture in his mind of murder and adultery.  Although forgiven, he still had to face the earthly consequences for his sin.

Consider the apostle Paul who had persecuted Christians prior to becoming a Christian.  He was forgiven by God, but no doubt his sins were always before him.  Note what he said in I Timothy 1:13-15, “ although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.”  Like David, because of God’s mercy, he received forgiveness.  But it is clear he never forgot his past.  Consider the following story:

“Years ago, a father tried to teach his son how wrong sin was. Every time the boy did wrong, the father nailed a nail into the tree in the backyard. After several months, the boy was broken hearted over all the nails in the tree. He asked his father if he would take a nail out of the tree for every time he behaved well. The dad agreed. Finally, the day came when the last nail was removed. The son thought he would be excited. Instead, he was saddened. Though all the nails were out, the scars and holes remained. Though a person becomes a Christian, the scars of sin remain.” (Author Unknown)

Truly, sin scars.  It can even have long lasting earthly consequences, and this would be one reason to avoid it.   One way to avoid “scars” is by staying away from sin.

Although it may be difficult to forget our past, we must always remember that God loves us, and he will forgive us if we comply with his conditions. Further, we should never let the past hold us back from faithfully serving God.   We learn from the past, but having been forgiven, we press forward with joy and confidence.  Note Paul’s statement in Philippians 3:13-14, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

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CLOSE TO, ROUND ABOUT, OR NEARBY

(Author Unknown)

One Sunday, a minister was illustrating his belief that baptism should take place by sprinkling, not by immersion. As examples, he said that when John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River, and when Philip baptized the eunuch in some water, it didn’t mean, “in” – it meant, “close to, round about, or nearby.” After the service, a man came up to the minister and told him it was a great sermon, one of the best he had ever heard and that it cleared up a great many mysteries he had encountered in the Bible.

“For instance,” he said, “The story about Jonah getting swallowed by the whale has always bothered me.  Now I know that Jonah wasn’t really in the whale, but close to, round about, or nearby, swimming in the water.”

“Then there is the story about the three young Hebrew boys who were thrown into the furious furnace, but were not burned. Now I see they were not really in the fire, just close to, round about, or nearby, just keeping warm.”

“But the hardest of all the stories for me to believe has always been the story of Daniel getting thrown into the lion’s den. But now I see that he wasn’t really in the lion’s den, but close to, roundabout, or nearby, like at the zoo.”

“The revealing of these mysteries has been a real comfort to me because I am a wicked man. Now I am gratified to know that I won’t be in hell, but close to, roundabout, or nearby. And next Sunday, I won’t have to be in church, just close to, round about, or nearby. Thanks. You have really put my mind at ease!”

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MISSING SERVICES

Joel Raulerson

   I remember my grandfather telling me a number of years ago, about an elderly gentleman who had an accident while farming. His tractor had tipped over, pinning the man for two days underneath the tractor. The way in which the man was discovered was something that was reported by a few local news organizations. It was reported that members of the church he attended came and discovered him pinned underneath his tractor. What was the reason they sought him out? The elderly farmer, who was faithful to attend when the church assembled, had missed Wednesday night services. What does this say about us?

On one hand, we can ask the question, “Does it seem strange for me to miss services?” Remember, the reason some of the members of that congregation had gone looking for the elderly farmer was due to the fact he had missed a Wednesday night service. Is our attendance here that consistent? If we are following the pattern God has established, it will be! Hebrews 10:25 says, “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

What if you were to have a similar emergency? Would your absence be noticed? Or, would members here assume that you just decided not to come today because you were tired, or one of many excuses you constantly offer? Ask yourself, how many services have you missed in the last year? Can you honestly count yourself as a faithful, regular worshipper at this congregation? Some brethren seem to think, “So what if I’m just at services every now and then? If that’s the worst sin I ever commit, I’ll make it to Heaven.” Are you sure of that? The Bible says that all sin separates us from God (Isa. 59:1-2; Rom. 6:23). The Bible makes it clear that we can lose our souls over just one sin (Acts 8:13-24). How many times does a person have to willfully miss to commit a sin? The first time is just as much a sin as the fourth time or the fortieth time, if it is willful sin (Heb. 10:26).

Another lesson we can take from this story is the care that the brethren show for one another. The Hebrew writer told us in Hebrews 10:24, “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” We should be doing this by attending services and encouraging one another. However, the brethren also showed concern for their brother when he was not at services. They had a concern for their brother’s soul and for his physical well-being when he was not at services. Do we have the same care and compassion? Whenever brethren are absent do we check up on them? Even when they give a reason for their absence, do we attempt to check up on them ourselves? Let us obey Hebrews 10:24 and show our love toward our brethren.

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SHALL YOU CALL ME PASTOR?

Terry Benton

 Well-meaning people from various religious backgrounds will call me “Pastor Benton,” and I think it is a good idea to set before my friends what I see as the correct teaching from the Bible on the use of this title. In the Bible we do not read of any preacher such as Paul, Peter, or Timothy, or Titus being called “Pastor” or “Reverend.” Why is that? Well, it must be the case that the Holy Spirit never instructed them and therefore never approved of them using such titles. So, I know of no evidence that the Holy Spirit ever changed His mind on that.

Not every preacher was a pastor. Pastor and shepherds are the same thing. In fact, pastors or shepherds were elders or presbyters and overseers. Not every preacher was a pastor (Eph.4:11). Timothy was an evangelist or gospel preacher, but he was not a pastor. A pastor is an appointed “overseer” with certain required qualifications described in 1 Tim.3:1-7. Timothy was not a pastor while he was an evangelist or preacher of the word (1 Tim.4:6;  2 Tim.4:5).

Pastors, who are also “Presbyters,” gave approval to Timothy as an evangelist (1 Tim.4:14), but they did not make Timothy a pastor. One of the things that has gotten well-meaning people off track is that they think that if you are a preacher, you must be a pastor, but that is not accurate. Pastors are qualified and appointed to the job of overseeing the local flock and watch for the well-being of the souls entrusted to them. Evangelists are preachers of the word of God, men who endeavor to “gospelize” the hearts and minds of others by preaching the word of God. As far as the Bible shows, these were different roles or jobs with different qualifications and none were titles to be worn.

So, although I appreciate efforts to show respect, I wish people would look into the Bible and learn from the Bible that there was no “Pastor Paul” or “Pastor Timothy,” and that there are different offices in the Lord’s church, get well acquainted with proper and improper applications of those terms. Thanks for listening and thank you even more if you study it from the Bible.

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The Devil does not have to convince us we will not die (everyone acknowledges they will); he has to convince us we will not die soon.

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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