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

MISPLACED VALUES

There has been much in the news for the last several weeks about the current economic crisis. People are losing their jobs, their investments and pensions, and their homes. Some are losing their hope. I think part of the problem is we have misplaced values. We need to realize there are some things that are worth much more than other things. We need to find out what the more valuable things are and place our focus on these things. I am not suggesting that we totally ignore the financial situation and bury our heads in the sand, but we do need to get our priorities straight. Because sometimes the things that are really worth the least are more precious in the hearts of men.

In Isaiah 5:20, we have this reading: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” It is tragic when men confuse themselves as to what is good and what is bad. The prophet said they call evil good; and they call good evil. They exalted the worthless and degrading; and belittled things were good. If this seems strange, only recall that this is the common course of mankind. For instance, money and material goods have become the great goal of many lives; while virtue and spirituality are forgotten. Our nation is more concerned with the economy than Jesus Christ and His treasures.

Jesus told a parable about a man who prepared a great feast and invited many. He sent his servant to bid them saying, “Come, for all things are now ready.” “But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’19 “And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’20 “Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come” (Luke 14:18-20). These men had a great opportunity; but they were more interested in other things. We have many opportunities to enjoy the blessings of Christ and His kingdom, but often pass them by in the pursuit of the temporal and unimportant. It is true that life requires attention to business, home, and so on; but such things should be secondary.

What are we talking about? We are talking about a mother that is anxious for her daughter to be a social success; but is not concerned about her spiritual success. We are talking about a father that spends thousands of dollars to get his son through college, but never took him to Sunday school. We are talking about the way men and women will devote themselves to business, to a profession, to home, and a host of other things; but who give the service of God and the salvation of their own soul only passing attention.

When your life and mine draws to a close, only one thing will really matter. All the rest will mean nothing. Only what is done for Christ will make any difference.
--Lamar

THE ELECTIONS ARE OVER

Except for a few races that will be decided in run-off elections, our government leaders have been chosen. It seems like some candidates have been campaigning since the last election ended, so I am certainly glad that part is over. Some of the candidates I supported and voted for won and some did not. The same is probably true for you. That is okay. I am reminded of the words of the apostle Paul in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” In the church today, there is neither Democrat, nor Republican, nor Libertarian, nor Independent. We are all one in Christ. As we look to the assumption of power for our new officials, there are some things we can do for them.

Pray. “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). He tells us in Romans 13 that the authorities are appointed by God and we are to be subject to them. This is the case whether my candidate won or not. James tells us, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). We can pray for our leaders to have wisdom, to govern in a godly manner, to work for peace in our country and the world. We can also pray for their hearts to be changed in those areas where they are in conflict with God’s word. Yes, indeed, pray for our leaders.

Support. Even if you did not vote for the eventual winner in a race, you can still give that person your support when he/she is promoting ideas and laws that are good and right. Many states are dealing with the issue of same sex marriage. Any government official who is opposing such will have my full support on that issue. The same is true for any who oppose abortion, euthanasia/assisted suicide, and other such moral issues. These matters of morality are really the key issues. What should be done about the economic crisis? Iraq? Terrorism? Illegal immigration? There may be many possible solutions to these problems. However, with the problem of atheism, humanism, and immorality, there is only one solution: God. Anyone who will promote God, His word, and His way should have our support.

Oppose. On the other hand, when our officials are promoting things which are wrong we should speak out loud and clear in opposition. Our President elect and many others support abortion. They think Roe v Wade was the right decision and some want to broaden it even further. I can not and will not support anyone in his/her efforts to expand the “right” to destroy innocent human life. The same is true with other issues of morality (or the lack thereof). Thankfully, we live in a country where we have the freedom to speak out against such ungodliness, and we should use that freedom to the best of our ability.

In his inauguration speech, John F. Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” What can we do for our elected officials, whether local, state, or national? Pray, support, and oppose.
--Lamar

FACING GIANTS CONCLUSION

Several weeks ago, we began a series of articles on overcoming the giants we face in our daily lives. As we have considered these, we have discussed the dangers they present and some ways of dealing with them. When we began, we looked at the Israelites as they were preparing to enter Canaan. When Moses sent out the twelve spies they came back with a disturbing report.

31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.”32 And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature.33 “There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight” (Numbers 13:31-33).

I think it is important to note both what is said and what is not said in this passage. First, they said they were grasshoppers in their own sight, then they were such in the sight of the giants. Someone has said no one can make you feel inferior without your permission. Part of their problem was how they saw themselves. If you think you can, you are right. If you think you can’t, you are right. The human mind is a very powerful thing. It can help bring about victory or defeat in any situation. Be careful of what you think.

Second, notice what is not said. Where is any mention of God? Look again at verse 31. “We are not able to go up against the people.” You know what, they were right. Listen to the words of Joshua and Caleb in 14:8 - “If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Their confidence was not in their own abilities, but in the Almighty God. In Deuteronomy 9, Moses assures the people victory in possessing the Promised Land. The question was, “Who can stand before the descendants of Anak?” (9:2). He gives the answer in verse 3: “Therefore understand today that the Lord your God is He who goes over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and bring them down before you; so you shall drive them out and destroy them quickly, as the Lord has said to you.” It was necessary that they were obedient, but they slew the giants because they trusted in God.

What about us? As we face these giants today, do we face them alone? Do we rely on our own strength and intelligence to slay the giants? Yes, we must be obedient; we must do everything in our power. However, we will never be able to slay the giants alone. It is only when we place our confidence and trust in God that victory is assured.
--Lamar

FACING GIANTS DENOMINATIONALISM

When I was growing up, eating out at a restaurant was a treat. It was a special treat to go to a restaurant in Rossville, GA known as “Bea’s.” It was a buffet restaurant with very reasonable prices. You went in and sat at a round table with a “lazy susan” in the middle and they brought the food to the table. It was my favorite place to eat. I still enjoy buffet restaurants. There is a great variety of food. You can pick what you want and pass over what you do not like. Aren’t buffets great?

We have a spiritual buffet in the religious world. There are all kinds of churches to choose from. Pick and choose from what you like and don’t like. Some of the differences are of no significance: where they meet, size of the crowd, time (on Sunday) when they meet. Other differences do matter because they are not in following God’s will. Not all religious people are right with God. Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’(Matthew 7:21-23). Paul warned that some would depart from the faith (1 Timothy 4:1). He urged Timothy to preach the word because the time was coming when Christians would not accept sound doctrine and would turn away from the truth (2 Timothy 4:2-4). Many people today base their “church preference” on likes and dislikes rather that the Word of God.

Over the years, more and more people drifted away from God’s will. This departure from the truth has resulted in a divided religious world. This is the opposite of what Jesus wanted. He prayed, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:20-21). Some estimates suggest there are over 20,000 religious denominations in the world today. How is that fulfilling the Lord’s prayer that believers be one? The word “denominationalism” refers to the divided religious world that has adopted the philosophy of “live and let live.” Co-exist with one another, accept one another’s differences, and agree to disagree, because one church is as good as another.

Not only has Satan used this giant to cause unbelief, he is also using it to influence the church of Christ. Some congregations are mimicking the denominations by using musical instruments in worship, serving the Lord’s Supper on days other than Sunday, permitting women to take leadership roles over men, teaching falsely on baptism and salvation, and other practices and teaching not found in Scripture. We need to search out what the Bible teaches and make sure what we are believing, practicing, and teaching is based on the authority of our Lord (Colossians 3:17).
--Lamar

FACING GIANTS LAZINESS AND BUSYNESS

Who doesn’t like to rest? Even Jesus sought rest and refuge from the hustle and bustle of everyday life (John 4:6). A part of God’s instructions to Israel concerning the Sabbath was that they do no work (Exodus 20:8-11). Heaven is described as a place of rest from our labors (Revelation 14:13). Yes, there is a time and place for appropriate rest.

Laziness, however, is a serious problem. It is an evil addiction to inactivity. There are many admonitions in the book of Proverbs dealing with this problem.
Proverbs 10:4-5 - He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a wise son; He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.
Proverbs 10:26 - As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy man to those who send him.
Proverbs 13:4 - The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.
Proverbs 21:25-26 - The desire of the lazy man kills him, For his hands refuse to labor. He covets greedily all day long, But the righteous gives and does not spare.
Proverbs 26:13, 15 - The lazy man says, “There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion is in the streets!” The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl; It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.
The question for the lazy person is not, “Are you smarter than a fifth grader?” but “Are you as smart as an ant?” (Proverbs 6:6-8). The answer is no.

God calls us to be workers, not couch potatoes. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). We need to learn to work as if we were working for the Lord (Colossians 3:23). This applies if we are doing school work, chores around the house, developing a new product that will change the world, or flipping burgers for minimum wage.

Busyness is a giant of a different breed. Time management is an important skill to learn. Ephesians 5:15-17 – “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” We can become involved in too much, become too busy. We all have 24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a week. We cannot do everything. We must learn to prioritize. It worries me when someone responds to a request to be active in a work of the church by saying, “I don’t have the time; I’m just too busy.” Too busy doing what?

Satan does not have to get us involved in things we think of as awful sins: cursing, adultery, drunkenness, stealing, etc. He can simply convince us to do nothing or do too much. Either one is spiritually draining and will bring about spiritual weakness and even death. How are you doing facing these giants?
--Lamar