From Gary.... Are you in high definition?

This picture reminds me of the Tom Cruz movie "The Last Samurai".  Near the end of the flick the dying rebel leader sees a PERFECT cherry blossom and feels that his life is complete.   This picture was touted as a "Rose in HD" and the definition is truly something wonderful.  Just this week, I added Ben Fronczek to my list of competitors to the blog.  He is the evangelist and also one of the elders for the Granville church of Christ in up-state New York.  Now, I haven't seen him since I graduated from Northeast School of Biblical Studies in 1979, but although his outward appearance has changed but little, still, he is now an ELDER in the church at Granville.  That says something of his growth in character and work as a CHRISTIAN.  Just take a look at the qualifications for the eldership (1 Timothy, Chapter 3 and Titus, Chapter 1) and you will see what I mean.  Now, I have to ask myself- How did Ben get this far?  For me, the answer is found in the following passage from the book of Philippians...

Philippians, Chapter 3

  1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not tiresome, but for you it is safe.  2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision.  3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh;  4 though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more:  5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless. 

  7  However, what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ.  8 Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ  9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;  10 that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death;  11 if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.  12 Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, if it is so that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus. 
  13  Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do. Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before,  14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the extent that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us be of the same mind.  17 Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example.  18 For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ,  19 whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things.  20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;  21 who will change the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself.

 

The apostle Paul had training and zeal, but not according to knowledge (at first).  Then, in Acts, Chapter 9, his contact with the risen Christ changed his life forever.  His religious duty changed from a system based on works to that of grace and he was a different man.  The thing is: Paul kept trying and trying and continued to try to please God.  His perfection was not just a goal, it was a PROCESS.  When we reach out for God and keep reaching we become perfect.  This does not mean that we never sin, but rather that at any given time we are the very best we can be- and are dissatisfied with that.  Yearning to become continually more in touch with God, we view both our sin and accomplishments differently- and we just never stop growing.  Recently, I was made painfully aware of my own shortcomings and as a result, this message of Paul to the Philippians means more to me than ever.  I know that I will probably NEVER be an elder like brother Ben, but I will strive to be the very best I can be and push the envelop to be even better- God enabling.  Today, try to follow Jesus more closely and never, ever give up.  Who knows what you may accomplish????  You might even reach high definition....

PS.  For more information about Ben Fronczek and the work at Granville, New York, why not go to their website-  http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/

From Ben Fronczek... How To Influence Others

How To Influence Others

Cornelius Acts 10   (part 3)

Starting in Matthew 5:13 Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.  You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (13-16)

Being a good manager of what God has given you is called “stewardship.” A lot of people think of money when we say stewardship – but stewardship is more than that. One of the primary things that we have the responsibility to manage for God is the power or influence that He has given us over others.

Everyone has influence. Jesus said,  “You are the salt of the earth.”

What is your influence like? We influence others in ways that we may not even think about.

A mother took her young son shopping. After a day in the stores, a clerk handed the little boy a lollipop. “What do you say?” the mother said to the boy, to which he replied, “Just put it on my credit card!”

Like it or not, that mom had influenced that little boy thought process by her actions through the day.

Another mom was taking her little boy to school, since the dad had to go to work early. You see he normally took his son to school before work. The little boy kept looking around on the way to school. Halfway there, the little boy said, “Mom, where are the idiots?”
She asked, “Honey, what do you mean?”
“Well,” said the little boy, “usually Dad and I see at least three or four idiots on the way to school.”

Whether it’s your kids, or your co-workers, your family or your friends, YOU can influence how they think and even what they may do. The question is, what direction is your influence leading people.

Over the past couple of week we’ve been looking at a man named Cornelius in Acts chapter 10. He was the Roman soldier, a centurion, the leader of men that apparently turned his back on the pagan worship of his people and became a devoted believer of our Lord and God.

He was a man who was changed by his belief in, and love for God. And as we will see today, that belief  manifested itself  in a positive way and had an effect on others.

Research experts tell us we communicate only 7% with our words. We communicate 35% with our tone of voice and then 58% with our actions.

Cornelius acted on what He knew to be true, on what he believed about God. And up to this point, Cornelius had only been given limited information about God. He wasn’t a Christian yet, but He was faithful with what God had revealed to him and acted appropriately and in a way that not only pleased God, but also impressed other, including the Jews that knew him. Normally they hated the Romans but we read that they respected this man, and had nothing but good to say about him.

I believe he realized that being religious was not about just going church or existing in some kind of meditative trance 24/7.

A natural byproduct of being devoted to the Lord entailed becoming like, or having an effect like salt and light has in this world by practicing what we believe, and living it out.

James wrote this about religion.  In James 1:27 it says,  “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

That is what Cornelius was doing. He was letting his light shine when he gave to the poor and widows and orphans that were in need. Those gifts seasoned like tasty salt, and they came up as a memorial offering before God.

What James was saying was that, ‘true worship is practiced day in and day by loving and helping others, because we belong to Him.’  In 1 John 4:20, he wrote, “ If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.””

What I also see here in this text is a man who is not only devoted to God, we also get a glimpse of his spiritual influence and leadership;  His ability to influence people in the right direction.  Maybe Peter thought that when he got to Cornelius he was going to have a one on one study, but as we read you’ll see that that was not the case  In Acts 10:24-27 it says,  “The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”  While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people.

Cornelius had a crowd at his house. They were friends and family that had enough respect for him that came when he asked. He knew that what Peter would have to say was important and he wanted others to hear these spiritual truths as well. And those people responded to him.

Besides being a leader of military men, I also believe that Cornelius was a spiritual leader as well. And I believe that this is something we need more of today.  Spiritual leaders are men and women who take it upon themselves to be salt and light and become spiritual guides to others.

In the time remaining I would like to share a few principles that I believe will help you become a good influence and a better spiritual leader:

1. First of all, as I read in the Bible, about great spiritual leaders that had the best influence, I find that they themselves were very dedicated to God. Look at men like Abraham, Moses, David, Daniel, and even Jesus Himself, first and foremost, God was the center of their life. Even the Apostle Paul; they were all willing to live and die for our Lord. They were TOTALLY dedicated to their Lord!

2. I think you need to realize the power that you have and make a conscious decision that you are going to do your best to serve Him and lead others in the right direction and become that, “salt and light..”  I think it’s foolish if you don’t believe you have power and influence over others. Like it or not, you do. You are going influence people one way or the other. If you want to influence others in a positive way, I think you’ve really got to make a decision to do so. We need to realize that everything we say and do around others will leave an impression on them, and in turn will influence them whether you realize it or not, and if you want to or not..

3. The third thing I believe we need to do if we hope to be a good influence and lead people in the right direction is we need to ask for God’s help. One thing I really admire about Solomon is when he first became king after his father David, God was willing to grant him a request. And instead of asking for wealth and longevity, we read that he asked God to guide him and give him wisdom to lead his people. I can’t help but believe that he learned that he needed God’s help and guidance from his dad, David who leaned upon the Lord as well.

If you have any hope of being a good spiritual leader and guiding people in the right direction, we not only need to be fully committed to our Lord and make a conscious decision to be a positive influence, we also need to realize that we are not good enough, strong enough or wise enough to do it on our own. We need our Lord’s help.

4^th. Another thing you may need to consider if you want to become a good Spiritual leaders and influence certain people in a positive way is the fact that you need to Get close to those you want to influence. Salt doesn’t work unless it comes in contact with the food. It doesn’t do any good sitting on your table in your salt shaker. It’s got to get out of the saltshaker and onto the food to make it taste better. In the same way, it’s difficult to influence people from a distance or without personal contact. The more quality time you spend with them, whether they are your kids, neighbors or co-workers the more  influence you going to have on them..

#5.  We also need to be consistent and steadfast when it comes to our personal beliefs and how we live them out. Jesus said,  that ‘if the salt loses its saltiness or flavor, what good is it? It is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled on by men.’

Who is going to listen to a hypocrite?    Part-time or luke-warm Christians not only start to loose their  ability to influence others in a positive way, luke-warm Christians can end up BEING the ones who are influenced by everyone else. It’s like salt that is losing it’s flavor – it’s not worth anything. Jesus said, “You might as well throw it out.”

#6. And last but by no means least one of the most powerful things we can do to influence people in a positive way is to love them. Agape love always seeks the other person’s highest good, whether it be a hug or a rebuke.  Without love your action may just come across as empty or hollow.

Do you remember what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13; “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.”

Conclusion:  Jesus didn’t ask, “Do you want to become salt and light in this world?” He said, “You are the salt of the earth, and light.”  You have a power and influence over those you come in close contact with… like it or not.   So if you want to influence your family, friends, co-workers, children in a positive way, you’ve got to start by being the right kind of person yourself.  Seek God’s help. I believe Cornelius had a house full of people because he knew how to influence people the right way.  May we learn to use the influence we have in a way that helps others and glorifies our Lord.

For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566

From Jim McGuiggan... Matthew 7:6 and pearls before swine

Matthew 7:6 and pearls before swine

Matthew 7:6 has Jesus saying, "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you in pieces." A reader wonders what he meant. We all wonder what he meant.

I think the view taken by Donald Hagner and R.T France is probably the prevailing one. Hagner says it is urging discernment in preaching the gospel and France says that what is holy and valuable (with the primary stress on teaching) "must be given only to those who are able to appreciate them." Hagner goes in that direction but stresses response rather than the character of the hearers. Hagner says if hearers aren't receptive the disciples are to stop preaching to them. He links it with Matthew 10:13-14 where the disciples are expressly told to do just that.

Maybe that view is correct but there are aspects of it that just don't ring true. There's nothing in 7:6 that suggests they should preach and then if they experience rejection that they should stop. There's just a plain declaration that they were not to do it and if it has to do with teaching then they weren't to do it at all. Matthew 7:6 is not at all like 10:13-14 in that respect. And how would you be able to tell who was worthy of hearing holy truth? Would we have thought the Corinthians were? Even after they got it? Probably not and yet Paul taught them for eighteen months and taught them by post later.

The images are clear. Imagine a priest going to the altar, taking a piece of sacrificial meat and throwing it to one of the mangy street dogs. Imagine a woman taking valuable pearls (instead of peas) and throwing them to hungry pigs. Both acts are the abuse of the holy and the valuable. It's not simply a lack of discernment, as if people didn't know better. These are unthinkably stupid and in the case of holy meat given to dogs there's the added moral/spiritual offence.

It wouldn't matter if the dogs licked the giver's hand in gratitude or if the pigs simply walked off disappointed but non-violent; the acts would be what they would be whatever the response—offensive and abusive. Whatever the images are to convey—it is plainly forbidden!

Maybe we're not supposed to figure out who the dogs and pigs are or what they represent (if they're supposed to represent anyone or anything in particular). This isn't an allegory. I think we're supposed to recognise what is holy and valuable and treat it accordingly.

To minister to the needy became an occasion for self-aggrandisement (6:1-3)—sacrificial meat to dogs and pearls before pigs. Prayer and times of special devotion became a stage to strut on (6:5-8)—meat and pearls for dogs and pigs. Personal integrity, relationships between husbands and wives and brothers were all being abused and dishonoured—pigs fed on pearls and dogs on holy meat.

Such moral stupidity and insolence may well damn a man or woman (7:6) but whether, in the end, they do or they don't—they're forbidden by Jesus Christ.

When he speaks of the possibility of the animal turning on the giver I think he's saying that the abuse of the holy and the valuable could have self-destructive consequences. We've all said things like, "Those words of yours will come back to haunt you." And we all know, I suppose, what it is to reap what we sow. 

So, in the end, it isn't about how dogs or pigs will react it's about our use and treatment of what is holy and precious.

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... Blessings Involving The Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14)

                     "THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS"

              Blessings Involving The Holy Spirit (1:13-14)

INTRODUCTION

1. In studying verses 4-12 in which Paul is praising God for the
   "spiritual riches" in Christ, we have seen blessings which involve
   both the Father and the Son...
   a. Blessings involving the Father include our being:
      1) "Chosen by God", to be holy and without blame before Him in 
         love (1:4)
      2) "Predestined by God", to receive the adoption as sons of God 
         (1:5-6a)
      3) "Accepted by God", that is, to be highly favored by Him (1:6b)
   b. Blessings involving the Son also include the following:
      1) "God has redeemed us" through the precious blood of His Son 
         (1:7a)
      2) "God has forgiven us" of our sins by virtue of His grace 
         (1:7b-8)
      3) "God has revealed His Will to us" pertaining to His plan to 
         gather into one all things in Christ (1:9-10)
      4) "God has given us an inheritance" as part of His predetermined 
         plan (1:11-12)

2. Verses 13-14 close out this "doxology", by pointing out blessings 
   we have in Christ that relate in particular to the work of the Holy 
   Spirit

[What are these "Blessings Involving The Holy Spirit"?  The first one 
is...]

I. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OUR "SEAL" (13)

   A. DEFINING "SEAL"...
      1. The word is sphragizo {sfrag-id'-zo}, which means "to set a 
         seal upon, mark with a seal, to seal"
      2. A "seal" was used for various reasons, including:
         a. To guarantee the genuine character of a document (Esther 3:12),  

             or, figuratively, of a person (1Co 9:2)
         b. To mark ownership (So 8:6)
         c. To protect against tampering or harm (Mt 27:66; Re 5:1)

   B. HOW IS THE HOLY SPIRIT OUR "SEAL"?
      1. It could be in every sense of the word...
         a. In Ro 8:16, the Spirit Himself "bears witness" that we are
            children of God (i.e., guarantees our genuine character)
         b. In Ro 8:9, the indwelling Holy Spirit is considered 
            evidence that we are truly Christ's (i.e., a mark of 
            ownership, cf. also 1Co 6:19-20)
         c. In Ro 8:13-14, it is by the Spirit of God that we "put to 
            death the deeds of the body" so we can live (i.e., to some 
            degree helping to protect against tampering or harm, cf. 
            also Ep 3:16)
      2. However, the context of Ephesians makes me think that "proof of
         ownership" is what Paul had in mind...
         a. He goes on to speak of the Holy Spirit as a "guarantee...until
            the redemption of the purchased possession" - Ep 1:14
         b. He later says that we were sealed by the Spirit "for the day
            of redemption" - Ep 4:30
         -- So until that "day of redemption", the Holy Spirit is given 
            to the Christian as evidence that we truly belong to God

   C. WHEN ARE WE "SEALED" WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT?
      1. It is AFTER (not before)...
         a. One hears the word of truth, the gospel - Ep 1:13
         b. One believes the gospel - Ep 1:13; cf. Jn 7:37-39
         c. One becomes a son of God - Ga 4:6-7 (which occurs when a 
            believer is baptized into Christ - cf. Ga 3:26-27)
      2. Thus it is only when we obey the gospel of Jesus Christ that we
         are "sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise"...
         a. As Peter told the crowd on the Day of Pentecost - Ac 2:
            38-39
         b. And as he told the Sanhedrin Council - Ac 5:32

[This "seal" as a "mark of ownership" is something that might be of more
significance to God (and to Satan, who would try to steal what belongs 
to God) than it does to us, but we can take comfort in knowing that God 
considers us His property, and that the work of the Holy Spirit in our 
lives is to be evidence of such ownership.

Paul describes the Spirit in this passage as "the Holy Spirit OF 
PROMISE", which could be understood in two ways:

   1) the promised Holy Spirit (cf. Ac 1:4-5; 2:33,38-39); or 
   2) the Holy Spirit which gives promise of what else lies ahead.  

In view of what we learn next about the Holy Spirit, I suspect Paul refers
to the latter, for...]

II. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OUR "GUARANTEE" (14)

   A. DEFINING "GUARANTEE" ("EARNEST", KJV)...
      1. The word is arrabon {ar-hrab-ohn'}
      2. It is used to refer to "money which in purchases is given as a
         pledge or downpayment that the full amount will subsequently be
         paid"
      3. In the LXX (Septuagint Version of the OT), the word is
         translated "pledge" three times in Gen 38:17-20

   B. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A "GUARANTEE OF OUR INHERITANCE"...
      1. God has given the Holy Spirit in our hearts as a "deposit"
         ("earnest", KJV, and is the same Greek word) - 2Co 1:22
      2. He is a guarantee of what God has prepared for us - 2Co 5:1-5
      3. The blessing of the Holy Spirit working in our lives is only a
         foretaste of the glory that will one day be ours
      4. And yet, as an example of what the Holy Spirit can do for us 
         now, consider these passages: Ro 15:13; Ep 3:16; Ga 5:22-23

   C. HE SERVES AS SUCH "UNTIL THE REDEMPTION OF THE PURCHASED
      POSSESSION"...
      1. While in one sense we have been redeemed (Ep 1:7) through the
         blood of Christ, in another sense God has yet to redeem those 
         who are truly His (Ep 4:30)
      2. Until that day, the Holy Spirit serves as a guarantee that the 
         FINAL redemption will one day take place
      3. Hendriksen comments:  "At the moment when believers receive 
         THEIR full inheritance, which includes a glorious resurrection 
         body (4:30), the redemption of GOD'S own possession takes 
         place, that is, the full release to him of that which is his
         by virtue of the fact that he both made it and bought it."

CONCLUSION

1. So we have the Holy Spirit as a "seal" and a "guarantee".  What 
   should our reaction be?

2. For the third time (1:6,12,14), Paul says these blessings are "to 
   the praise of His glory"!

3. Thus our reaction should be the same as Paul as stated at the
   beginning of this section...
   a. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
      blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places
      in Christ" - 1:3
   b. I.e., to praise God!

Are you praising God for His wonderful grace and mercy?  Later on, Paul
will tell us how we can "walk worthy of the calling with which you were
called" (Ep 4:1), but he sums it up very nicely in Ro 12:1-2...

   "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that
   ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto
   God, [which is] your reasonable service.  And be not conformed
   to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your
   mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and
   perfect, will of God."

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011