YOU CAN GET THERE FROM HERE

Perhaps you have heard someone, when asked for directions, say, “You can’t get there from here.” Of course, the statement is not meant literally. The person is saying that the destination desired cannot be reached by a simple, direct route. There may be many turns, crooked curvy roads, or other difficulties. Considering our salvation, you can get there from here. I am not saying living a Christian life is easy, but the directions and instructions are simple, readily available, and easy to understand and follow.

In regards to our initial salvation from sin, the Bible gives clear instructions. In Ephesians 1:3 we read, “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.” Paul says every spiritual blessing is in Christ. That would certainly include forgiveness from our sins. If we want to reach the destination of salvation, we must enter Christ. How do we enter Christ? Again, the Scriptures give the answer. “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27). The Bible says we are baptized into Christ. That baptism is based on hearing the gospel (Romans 10:17), believing in Jesus (John 8:24), repenting of sin (Acts 17:30), and orally confessing your faith in Christ (Romans 10:9-10). That is it. If you will do these things, you are in Christ, you are forgiven, you are saved.

That is not all there is to salvation, however. Once you have obeyed the previous commands, you must live the Christian life. Do you realize over half of the New Testament is primarily written to Christians instructing them on living a Christian life. It is not an easy task, but the instructions are straightforward (Romans 12; Galatians 5:21-22; Ephesians 4:25-32; 2 Peter 1:5-8; 1 John 1:5-10). These passages, and many others, will instruct us in living the Christian life in such a way that we can remain a faithful member of the body of Christ.

All of this leads us to our final destination, heaven. In John 14:2-3, Jesus says that he is going to prepare a place for us and that He will come again and receive us into that place. It has been said that heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people. You will not enter heaven by accident. It will take much effort, diligence, and patience, but you can get there from here. “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 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, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:6-8).
--Lamar

FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT

There are battles we face in life that are fought and won in a short time: passing tests, playing games, solving a puzzle in the newspaper, or winning at a sporting event. We engage in these battles and occupy our time with them at least in part because they grant us instant satisfaction and a measure of self confidence.

Other battles involve more time in fighting and winning: graduating from high school or college, getting a promotion at work, rearing children, achieving retirement. These battles are of greater importance because there is a significant achievement providing a greater and more lasting sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. With each of these two types of battles, we can win the battle and move on to other things.

However, there are some battles that are continuing struggles and we will never completely win the battle until death. They are constant battles that require daily efforts and struggles on our part. For a society that is accustomed to seeing complex crimes solved in one hour on television, sporting events started in finished in two or three hours, and completing the sudoku in 30 minutes, the longevity of these battles is hard to accept. We only win this battle by continuing to fight.

Wanda and I have been trying to establish a daily habit of exercising, and also being a little more careful in our diet to lose some weight. This is not a battle you can fight for a few hours, or a few days, or a few weeks, or even a few years. It is a battle you must continue fighting. A while back, we were walking about two miles six days a week. The exercise helped us feel better and actually helped us watch our diet. We both started losing some weight. Then, things got a little hectic in our schedule and we missed a few days. Before long it was a week and then months since we had exercised on a daily basis. Guess what happened. The weight loss stopped. We had quit fighting the battle.

The Christian life is this kind of battle. It is not one to be fought and won today, but an ongoing fight. Some might find it discouraging, but I think just the opposite is true. If we accept the fact that our battle is an ongoing one, I believe we will have a great weight lifted from our shoulders. The person who is constantly telling himself, “I gave to win today!” will soon be hopeless and give up. If Wanda and I try to achieve our goal of losing weight and being in better shape in a matter of days, or weeks, we will be doomed to failure. Why? Because it is a battle that continues to be fought even after we have achieved some measure of success. The same is true of the Christian life. As we struggle and battle each day, we can achieve some measure of success. However, we must continue the battle tomorrow or we will gain nothing, and may even lose what was gained yesterday. Paul told Timothy, “Fight the good fight of the faith” (1 Timothy 6:12). It was a battle that Paul was only expecting Timothy to win by continuing to fight it, and the same is true for us today.

Today we fight the battle. Our victory is through our faith on a daily basis (1 John 5:4). If we continue the battle, we will overcome.
--Lamar

GOD BLESS AMERICA?

Some of you may have listened Tuesday evening as our President addressed both Houses of Congress and the nation about our current economic situation. Following his speech, Mr. Bobby Jindal, governor of Louisiana, gave a response. Both of them acknowledged the seriousness of the current situation and offered solutions. Although I may be over simplifying, the basic message I got from Mr. Obama is that we need to rely on the government for a solution. Meanwhile, Mr. Jindal promoted the idea that government’s role should be limited and the answer lies in the people. I do not want this article to be a political debate, but there was one thing that concerned me. While I did not listen to either speech entirely, the only time I heard God’s name mentioned was at the end of the governor’s speech when he said, “God bless America.” Can we really expect God to bless this country when we have turned our backs on Him?

For some time, there has been the effort to have God removed from the public eye completely. Prayer was removed from the schools many years ago. The theory of evolution is the only option for the explanation of the universe that can be taught in many school systems. Most of you remember the Alabama judge who lost his job because he refused to remove the ten commandments from the courthouse. Also, remember the court in California that ruled the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional. Some have also tried to have “In God We Trust” removed from our currency. It is almost to the point where the only time you can mention God is to ask for His blessings on the country.

God and His word are being removed from our moral code. In one recent Gallup Poll, the respondents were asked if they found the following morally acceptable or not: divorce – 65%; stem cell research using human embryos – 64%; gambling – 63%; sex between an unmarried man and woman – 59%; having a baby outside of marriage – 54%; same sex unions – 57%. When we are refusing to listen to God’s word on these, and other, moral issues, what right do we have to ask Him to bless our country?

God is also missing in our homes. Think about the situation in your own home. How much time do you spend working? School? Watching TV? Computer (playing games, facebook, etc)? Sports? Exercising? Reading? How much time do you spend in worship, prayer, Bible study, and other spiritual activities? When you spend time with your children, what are you doing? If we neglect God in our homes, should we really expect Him to bless them?

“If you will return, O Israel,” says the Lord, “Return to Me; And if you will put away your abominations out of My sight, Then you shall not be moved.2 And you shall swear, ‘The Lord lives,’ In truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; The nations shall bless themselves in Him, And in Him they shall glory” (Jeremiah 4:1-2)
--Lamar

PEACE IN THE CHURCH

In Philippians 2:5, the apostle Paul writes, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” One important ingredient in a successful church is a prevailing attitude of peace. This does not mean the total absence of conflict. Anytime you have a group of people together, you will have disagreements (there are times I am not sure I agree with myself). The problem is not necessarily the conflict itself, but how we handle it. If there is an abiding desire for peace, we will find a way to work it out. In the passage mentioned above, Paul reveals the secret: have the mind of Christ. What is involved in having the mind of Christ? How will it contribute to peace? There are four things mentioned in Philippians 2 that are involved in having the mind of Christ that will develop a loving, abiding peace among His people.

First of all, we must have the same love (verse 2). Two things come to mind when I think of the phrase “having the same love.” One thing I think of is that we all have the same love for one another. Loving one another in the church is absolutely essential (John 13:34-35). Paul says that we can have great faith and do great things, but without love it is in vain (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). However, I also think there may be something else here. Perhaps Paul is encouraging us to have the same for one another as did Christ. If I love you as you love me, what happens if you do not love me? However, if my love for you is the same as Christ, it will be an unconditional, sacrificial love. When we have that kind of love for one another, peace will prevail.

Second, we must be of one mind (verse 2). Again, this does not mean we will never disagree, but that we will not be disagreeable. There are some people who simply have a belligerent attitude. They are looking for a fight and will argue about anything at the drop of a hat. My mother used to say, “You would argue with a sign post after you put the sign post up.” We need to have an agreeable nature. What was foremost in the mind of Christ? Doing the Father’s will (John 4:34). If we will have that same mind, peace will prevail.

Third, we must be unselfish (verses 3-4). It is not unusual to find a small child who is the center of his/her universe. Everything should be done in their way, on their schedule. Everything in sight, and sometimes things out of sight, is “Mine! Mine! Mine!” The problem is when a child is never taught and never grows out of such an attitude. Unfortunately, we have the same problem in the church. Elmer Morgan writes, “All too often, all the babies aren’t in the church nursery. They are in the pews in grown up clothes, crying, “More for me, more for me.” Where would we be if Christ had that attitude? He gave up everything, including His life, for me. We need to look out more for the interests of others, and peace will prevail.

Finally, we must be humble (verses 6-8). Peace cannot survive where there is pride and superiority. “I am the (preacher, elder, oldest member, last charter member, etc.), so my opinion counts for more. Jesus left heaven and equality with God (John 1:1-3, 14). He came to this earth as a man and obediently submitted to death on the cross. He did not insist on having His way. He did not claim such a task was beneath Him and someone else should do it. He humbly submitted. We cannot have peace in the church if I think I am more important than others, or if I think I am too good for a certain task. We must be willing to empty ourselves of all pride and arrogance, and peace will prevail.
--Lamar
In Philippians 2:5, the apostle Paul writes, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” One important ingredient in a successful church is a prevailing attitude of peace. This does not mean the total absence of conflict. Anytime you have a group of people together, you will have disagreements (there are times I am not sure I agree with myself). The problem is not necessarily the conflict itself, but how we handle it. If there is an abiding desire for peace, we will find a way to work it out. In the passage mentioned above, Paul reveals the secret: have the mind of Christ. What is involved in having the mind of Christ? How will it contribute to peace? There are four things mentioned in Philippians 2 that are involved in having the mind of Christ that will develop a loving, abiding peace among His people.

First of all, we must have the same love (verse 2). Two things come to mind when I think of the phrase “having the same love.” One thing I think of is that we all have the same love for one another. Loving one another in the church is absolutely essential (John 13:34-35). Paul says that we can have great faith and do great things, but without love it is in vain (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). However, I also think there may be something else here. Perhaps Paul is encouraging us to have the same for one another as did Christ. If I love you as you love me, what happens if you do not love me? However, if my love for you is the same as Christ, it will be an unconditional, sacrificial love. When we have that kind of love for one another, peace will prevail.

Second, we must be of one mind (verse 2). Again, this does not mean we will never disagree, but that we will not be disagreeable. There are some people who simply have a belligerent attitude. They are looking for a fight and will argue about anything at the drop of a hat. My mother used to say, “You would argue with a sign post after you put the sign post up.” We need to have an agreeable nature. What was foremost in the mind of Christ? Doing the Father’s will (John 4:34). If we will have that same mind, peace will prevail.

Third, we must be unselfish (verses 3-4). It is not unusual to find a small child who is the center of his/her universe. Everything should be done in their way, on their schedule. Everything in sight, and sometimes things out of sight, is “Mine! Mine! Mine!” The problem is when a child is never taught and never grows out of such an attitude. Unfortunately, we have the same problem in the church. Elmer Morgan writes, “All too often, all the babies aren’t in the church nursery. They are in the pews in grown up clothes, crying, “More for me, more for me.” Where would we be if Christ had that attitude? He gave up everything, including His life, for me. We need to look out more for the interests of others, and peace will prevail.

Finally, we must be humble (verses 6-8). Peace cannot survive where there is pride and superiority. “I am the (preacher, elder, oldest member, last charter member, etc.), so my opinion counts for more. Jesus left heaven and equality with God (John 1:1-3, 14). He came to this earth as a man and obediently submitted to death on the cross. He did not insist on having His way. He did not claim such a task was beneath Him and someone else should do it. He humbly submitted. We cannot have peace in the church if I think I am more important than others, or if I think I am too good for a certain task. We must be willing to empty ourselves of all pride and arrogance, and peace will prevail.
--Lamar
In Philippians 2:5, the apostle Paul writes, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” One important ingredient in a successful church is a prevailing attitude of peace. This does not mean the total absence of conflict. Anytime you have a group of people together, you will have disagreements (there are times I am not sure I agree with myself). The problem is not necessarily the conflict itself, but how we handle it. If there is an abiding desire for peace, we will find a way to work it out. In the passage mentioned above, Paul reveals the secret: have the mind of Christ. What is involved in having the mind of Christ? How will it contribute to peace? There are four things mentioned in Philippians 2 that are involved in having the mind of Christ that will develop a loving, abiding peace among His people.

First of all, we must have the same love (verse 2). Two things come to mind when I think of the phrase “having the same love.” One thing I think of is that we all have the same love for one another. Loving one another in the church is absolutely essential (John 13:34-35). Paul says that we can have great faith and do great things, but without love it is in vain (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). However, I also think there may be something else here. Perhaps Paul is encouraging us to have the same for one another as did Christ. If I love you as you love me, what happens if you do not love me? However, if my love for you is the same as Christ, it will be an unconditional, sacrificial love. When we have that kind of love for one another, peace will prevail.

Second, we must be of one mind (verse 2). Again, this does not mean we will never disagree, but that we will not be disagreeable. There are some people who simply have a belligerent attitude. They are looking for a fight and will argue about anything at the drop of a hat. My mother used to say, “You would argue with a sign post after you put the sign post up.” We need to have an agreeable nature. What was foremost in the mind of Christ? Doing the Father’s will (John 4:34). If we will have that same mind, peace will prevail.

Third, we must be unselfish (verses 3-4). It is not unusual to find a small child who is the center of his/her universe. Everything should be done in their way, on their schedule. Everything in sight, and sometimes things out of sight, is “Mine! Mine! Mine!” The problem is when a child is never taught and never grows out of such an attitude. Unfortunately, we have the same problem in the church. Elmer Morgan writes, “All too often, all the babies aren’t in the church nursery. They are in the pews in grown up clothes, crying, “More for me, more for me.” Where would we be if Christ had that attitude? He gave up everything, including His life, for me. We need to look out more for the interests of others, and peace will prevail.

Finally, we must be humble (verses 6-8). Peace cannot survive where there is pride and superiority. “I am the (preacher, elder, oldest member, last charter member, etc.), so my opinion counts for more. Jesus left heaven and equality with God (John 1:1-3, 14). He came to this earth as a man and obediently submitted to death on the cross. He did not insist on having His way. He did not claim such a task was beneath Him and someone else should do it. He humbly submitted. We cannot have peace in the church if I think I am more important than others, or if I think I am too good for a certain task. We must be willing to empty ourselves of all pride and arrogance, and peace will prevail.
--Lamar

FALSE CLICHES

We often like to use clichés in our conversations. A cliché is defined as “a trite, stereotyped expression; a sentence or phrase, usually expressing a popular or common thought or idea, that has lost originality, ingenuity, and impact by long overuse.” Some are true, such as, “Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” Others are false, and perhaps harmful. “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” The cliché I would like for us to think about today is, “What you don’t know will not hurt you.”

How many times have we heard this statement, or said it ourselves? It just is not true. In 1982, seven people died after taking Tylenol which had been poisoned with cyanide. Did any of them know they were taking poison? Probably not. Did their lack of knowledge provide them any safety? Definitely not.

I have also heard this phrase used in religious discussions. It may be said in different ways, but the idea is that if you do not know God’s will about a subject, He will not hold you accountable. One way it is used in by referring to people in a particular area who do not know about Jesus or His gospel. The idea promoted is that since they are ignorant of the gospel, they are in a safe condition with God. Another idea is that if you do not know or understand a particular aspect of the gospel, you will not be held accountable. For example, if you do not know or do not understand that baptism is essential for salvation, you can be saved without being baptized. If you do not know there is one curch, you can be saved in any church.

I am afraid many people are being misled by such thinking. Paul says, “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,” (Acts 17:30). The Athenians had built an altar to the unknown god and were worshipping such in ignorance. Paul says that the one they were worshipping without knowing he would declare unto them (Acts 17:23). Were the Athenians safe in their ignorance? If so, were they still safe after Paul preached to them? According to Paul’s statement, they were lost in either situation. There is also something else to consider. Suppose for a moment there is a group of people who have never heard the gospel. If they are safe in their ignorance, the worst thing we could do is teach the gospel to them. They now know the gospel; they no longer have the excuse of ignorance; they are now in a lost condition. If they were safe in their ignorance, the best thing we could have done was to leave them alone.

Ignorance is no excuse, and what you don’t know will hurt you.

--Lamar

IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR

The title of this article is also the title of a song recorded many years ago by Andy Williams. This is the time of the year when many are wishing one another, “Happy Holidays,” “Merry Christmas, “Happy New Year.” We talk of joy, peace, and happiness more during this time of the year. Why is this time of the year a time of happiness and cheer for many?

First, many are thinking about Jesus Christ more at this time. The Bible says nothing about the date of Christ’s birth, or about celebrating it. It was an important day (He could not have died if He had not been born), but we do not know when it was. I suppose the chances that Jesus was born on December 25th are about 1 in 365. The celebration of Christmas is man-made. However, I think we would be foolish to say people are not more aware of Christ during this time of the year. Many people determine to be more spiritual and Christ-like during the holidays. People who rarely attend religious services will attend around Christmas. While we would agree that everyone should have these attitudes throughout the year, perhaps we can use this time to convince them of this need. Anytime we can encourage people to think about Christ, it is a good thing.

Second, it is a time for families to be together. One part of the song has these lyrics: “It's the most wonderful time of the year. There'll be much mistltoeing, And hearts will be glowing, When love ones are near, It's the most wonderful time of the year.” Many families are like mine. They live great distances from each other and have little time to be together. Often, that time is during the holiday season. I can remember as a child being at my grandparents’ house with all of my aunts, uncles and cousins. Since I started preaching, we have lived away from family. My two older brothers and their families are in the same situation. For many years, Christmastime has been the time of the year that we have tried to be together.

While it is true that this is the most wonderful time of the year for many people, there are others who struggle through the holidays in loneliness and depression. This time of the year has one of the highest suicide rates. While we are celebrating and enjoying the holidays, let’s all be look for those who are not and reach out to them with loving arms.

--Lamar

THINK ON THESE THINGS

Paul wrote to the Christians in Philippi, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

Have you ever been around someone whose conversation was the opposite of these? Their speech is base and vulgar. Compare that with someone whose speech is always honorable, lovely, and pure. What makes the difference? The heart, their thoughts. Have you ever said something and then said, “I didn’t mean that. I didn’t think before I said it.” That is impossible. The things we say come from our thoughts. Jesus said that the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart and defile a man (Matthew 15:18).

Paul admonishes us to think on things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. We should give every effort to keep our minds controlled by that which is wholesome. One cannot expect to keep his mind pure if he constantly holds his attention on things that are not pure. A dirty story, salacious literature and movies, as well as gossip, are not the kind of things that the pure in heart enjoy. It is a sad commentary on society that pro­moters of filthy literature and entertainment are getting rich doing it.

It is imperative that we fill our minds with good things. It is not enough just to avoid the evil and impure thoughts. If our minds are not used constructively, they will be used destructively. Remember the old saying, “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop. If we do not actively pursue using our mind for good things, Satan will simply take it and use it for his purposes.

We read in Matthew 15:19, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These sins are first committed in the heart, before the overt act. The sin, therefore, is the child of a corrupt mind. The most vicious crimes may be committed because a person allowed his mind to dwell continually on wickedness. It is not surprising that the Scriptures warn so plainly of the danger of thinking about the wrong things.
Proverbs 4:23 – Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.
Psalms 51:10 – Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Psalms 19:14 – Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in
Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

What are you thinking?

--Lamar