Five Smooth Stones

  Modern Christianity is full of what I like to call ‘funnel cake religion’. It looks good and tastes great at first… but eat too much and you get sick! ‘Funnel Cake Christianity’ sure tastes sweet for a while, but when the rubber hits the road it can’t help anyone in any real way. The congregant encounters sin-induced difficulty, and because this perversion of Christianity is nothing but sweet, it is powerless to address the sins that are the source of the problem.  The gospel may be offensive to some, but this is not a bad thing! In fact, the gospel necessitates that each of us be offended! When Peter preached the first sermon in Acts 2, it was not sunshine and rainbows that pricked peoples’ hearts. Rather, it was the assertion that they were responsible for the death of God’s Son! This is a key part of the gospel that each Christian must come to terms with… and it should offend our conscience!  Paul wrote that it is good to feel a godly sorrow regarding past sins if th...

  On my mother’s side, a prioritized relationship with God goes back a long way in my family. This is a common story among our brethren as beliefs and practices are passed from generation to generation. This is a wonderful thing! As the apostle John remarked: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth!” (3 Jn. 4). However, it is easy to see how religious practices passed down repeatedly from parents to their children can be watered down to mere family tradition. Conversations about what the Bible teaches often become conversations about ‘how I was raised’.  It is a wise proverb that reads “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Pr. 22:6). However, while rules, advice and traditions can be drilled into children by repetition and inherited by the next generation and the next… one cannot simply inherit an authentic relationship with Jesus!  We may often use Ezekiel 18 to make the true point that guilt...

  “As Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men’” (Mk. 1:16-17). Like He did Simon and Andrew, Jesus calls each of His disciples today to be fishers of men- to ‘catch souls’ for Christ! Of course, as any proper fisherman should, we must examine what kind of bait we should put on the hook.  Many churches today work very hard to make their services attractive to the world. Their fishing lures are slick and shiny: free coffee and donuts, daycare services for members’ children, beautiful concert-style worship or an exciting party-style service. What people don’t realize is that when it comes to fishing for men, you keep them with what you caught them with! If we were to win someone over with free food and social programs, we would have successfully converted them to our social organization… but their soul would not belong to Chr...

  Today’s housing market is ridiculous. Imagine how great it would feel if you had the ability to own your dream house for free, designed by you down to the smallest detail and regardless of cost! All you have to do is build it yourself… but the only tool you are allowed to use is a hammer. Could you do it?  When we frame the situation in physical terms, it’s easy for us to see the difficulty of creating something beautiful only by beating it. You can’t build a house with only a hammer! Why then, do many believe that a spiritual house can be erected by the same forceful ‘Bible thumping’?  There is a reason why God repeatedly uses the analogy of the Potter and the clay (i.e. Jer. 18, Rom. 9). God does not force us into who He would have us to be, neither should we seek to force others into submission to God. Rather, as God seeks soft hearts to gently mold, we ought to do the same.  There is no cookie cutter approach to addressing sin in others, but we are instructed i...

  “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” (Mt. 7:21-23).  In this description of judgment day, Jesus teaches that merely calling Him “Lord” and doing good work while invoking His name is not good enough to get into heaven. Jesus even describes these people as “practicing lawlessness”. The point is well taken that while those found displeasing in the passage are doing good works, those works may not constitute a fulfillment of the will of God. However, the standard that is present in these verses is to be known by Jesus. What does this mean? Even if the works accomplished by these lawless people are according to the will of God, it is possible to “...

  It is remarkable how the earthly ministry of Jesus was so often directed at social outsiders. One significant example of this is the calling of Levi (also called Matthew). “Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ So he left all, rose up, and followed Him” (Luke 5:27-28).  Levi was clearly appreciative of this calling. Not only does he immediately leave his station and work, but he invites a great many other tax collectors and social outcasts to join Jesus and His disciples for a great feast in his own home (29). The reaction of the religious leaders is one of shock and disgust. How could these self-proclaiming religious people entertain the company of such lowly sinners? Jesus’ reply must have mystified the Pharisees. “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (31-32).  The great irony of this statement is...

  These days it seems like everyone is working an angle. Like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day, even when charity is accomplished, the motive is often for some outward reward (Mt. 6:2). There is a challenge to our perception however, because much good is accomplished in secret (Mt.6:3), and with no expectation of equal reimbursement.  Malcolm Forbes famously observed that “you can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do absolutely nothing for him.”  The sacrifice of Jesus is the chief example of this sentiment. Romans 5:8 tells us that “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” We were “without strength” (vs 6), utterly helpless and lost in the fog of sin. We had severed our relationship with God by open rebellion against His will, and yet He sent His Son to bear the penalty of our error.  Of course, there is nothing we could possibly do for God that would equal the matchless blessings ...

  While in the rest of the Bible God is more directly a part of the scriptural narrative, in the book of Esther His involvement is more low-key. Though God is not directly mentioned in the book, His hand is seen in everything. Through God’s subtle workings, His plan comes to fruition and His purposes are accomplished.  Esther was an orphan, taken in and cared for by her uncle, Mordecai (Es. 2:7). From humble and tragic beginnings and through the workings of God, she soon found herself to be Queen of Persia (vs 17).  When wicked Haman advances through the ranks and seeks the destruction of all the Jews because of Mordecai’s refusal to bow and pay homage to him (ch. 3), Esther is suddenly in a place of great consequence regarding the destiny of her people. When Mordecai discovered Haman’s plot to destroy the Jews, he sent word to Queen Esther: “If you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place… Yet who knows whet...

  We live in a fast-paced world where many “big decisions” are made in haste. We run where we should walk.  “Walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise” (Eph. 5:15). To walk circumspectly means to walk diligently, exactly and carefully- to watch where we step. This involves careful consideration and taking time to consider what our next step should be. We are to walk as wise and not as fools. “Do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (17).  In order to maintain a healthy relationship with God and walk in wisdom, we must walk according to His will as revealed to us in Scripture (II Jn 9).  Nehemiah provides a wonderful example of taking deliberate time in his decision making and his consulting of the Lord. When Nehemiah learned of the state of the walls of Jerusalem he spent many days in mourning, fasting and prayer (1:4). When King Artaxerxes questioned Nehemiah regarding this sad countenance, Nehemiah sent up a prayer mid-conversation (2:4) b...

  Our God is an awesome God and He transforms lives today! “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Co. 1:13). He has “blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Eph. 1:3)! “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights” (Jas. 1:17)! What has God done for you? How will you respond? In Acts 4, Peter and John are arrested for teaching the people about the resurrection (2). The occasion for this preaching was following the healing of a lame man (3:1-11), whose healing was evidence of their message. When asked by his accusers by what authority this healing and teaching was accomplished, Peter responds that it is “by the name of Jesus Christ whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands here before you whole” (10).  Peter goes on to declare that there is no “salvation in any other, for there is no other na...

  Philippians 4:13 is what I sometimes call a baseball scripture. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” is a beautiful statement from Paul that is commonly used in reference to physical accomplishments such as athletic feats. Of course, the meaning of the verse has nothing to do with something so trivial as the local little league game. One of my favorite coffee cup designs satirically paraphrases the verse: “I can do all things through a verse ripped from its context.”  Leading up to this famous line, Paul talked about the things that he surrendered in order to be pleasing to God. To Paul, there was no comparison to what he gained. “I count all things as loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss  of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him” (3:8).  Paul goes on to say that he hasn’t yet reached full maturity in his new walk, but that he continues to p...

  When Jesus was a young boy, His parents took him to Jerusalem as they did every year for the Feast of the Passover. He was twelve years of age, and Luke tells us that by this time He had “grown and become strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.” (2:40).  I must admit, it is difficult for me to think of Christ as a young boy of twelve years. I can’t even begin to imagine what it was like to raise Him as a physical Son - to know that He was also the Son of God, through whom all that was made was made (Jn 1:3).  Luke chapter two describes one of the parental difficulties that this unique situation presented. As the rest of His family began the journey home, Jesus stayed behind in the temple to speak and listen to the teachers there. His parents looked for Him anxiously, having assumed that He would be among their company, and finally finding Him in the Temple they were amazed.  “Son, why have you done this to us?” Mary asked. “Look, Yo...

  John’s third epistle begins with emphatic thanksgiving. “I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” I think of this verse often when I observe and hear of the good things my recently converted brothers and sisters are doing. It is easy to see their burning zeal for the Lord in their active evangelism, their inquisitive study habits, their participation in worship, and their continued growth in walking the Christian path. These Christians who are young in the faith, but zealous for God are extremely encouraging to me and to so many others.  Last night, I went to bed to my favorite kind of text. “My mother was baptized today! Please pray for strength in her new life as a Christian.” My dear friend had been praying and working to this end for a long time. Imagine the feeling to know that not only is his mother saved from her sins, but now they...

  I have a tendency to worry. Sometimes I catch myself worrying about other people not doing what I think they should be doing. Often I am quickly humbled when I realize that there are plenty of reasons for that worry to be directed at myself.  There is a story in John 21:15-22 that helps me when I find myself in this situation. After appearing to His disciples a third time following His resurrection and enjoying breakfast by the sea, Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves Him. Increasingly grieved with each answer Peter replies each time, “You know that I love You.” Jesus then tells Peter that he is going to be martyred for the glory of God. He follows this heavy and difficult news with a simple, yet difficult command: “Follow Me.” As Peter takes in all that has just been revealed and commanded to him, he turns to see John following behind them. “But Lord, what about this man?” Peter asks. “What is that to you?”Jesus returns. “You follow Me.”  Like Peter, we as Christi...

  To be a Christian is to be a servant. Romans 6 explains that all souls are slaves to something- whether we are slaves to sinful desires or slaves of righteousness in service to God. The Christian should no longer be consumed with fulfilling their own desire, but in advancing the cause of their Master.  In the parable of the talents (Mt. 25), the master leaves his goods in the hands of three servants. To one he gives five talents, to another he gives two, and to a third he gives one. The first two servants put their talents to work and doubled their value before the return of the master. The third servant buried his talent. Upon the return of the master, the third servant is described as “wicked and lazy” and an “unprofitable servant”, and is thrown into outer darkness.  The lesson of the parable is clear: servants of the Lord are expected to work! Servanthood is not a passive lifestyle. The servants in the parable were not given explicit commands as to what to do with t...

I am Staying in Tonight I’m staying in from church services tonight, and I hate it. I’ve had to miss often over the last few years because of exposure to COVID, which I’ve had twice now. I absolutely agree that quarantining is the loving thing to do, but that doesn’t make it easy - human interaction is high on my list of needs. But quarantining long enough to keep me from services? That hurts. And it should… that’s how God designed it!  Hebrews 10 and Attendance Let’s start in the obvious place: Hebrews 10:25. This is where we often go to condemn missing services, but if this is the only conclusion we’re drawing from the verse we’re really missing out! Beginning in verse 23, the text reads: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who has promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the ...

  Today I am thinking about Paul Harvey. "....and now you know the rest of the story." This time of year millions of people focus on the beginning of a wonderful story. I hope that people remember what happened next. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. But the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory as the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. He existed in the form of God, and did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a servant and coming in the likeness of men. He was born of a virgin and laid in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. Wise men and shepherds came to the Baby, following a star that they may pay Him honor. This is the miraculous, yet humble beginning to a story of important consequence- the conclusions of which we must not let be overshadowed by its beginning. He existed ...

Editor's Note: This article was authored by my physical cousin, but spiritual brother, W.I. Helterbrand. He has been a major force and influence in my spiritual walk with Christ since childhood. May this article bless and spark your thinking in what the Scriptures say about liberty and truth. "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God." (I Peter 4:11) Is it Good to Be Dogmatic? Dogmatism is defined as the tendency to decide a principle is an absolute, incontrovertible truth. As Christians, shouldn’t we be dogmatic? After all, we believe we have the Truth of God. The Lord’s Church tends to attract concrete sequential thinkers. That means we always try to use logical reasoning to find appropriate answers for the questions of life. Debates and arguments and strong feelings have been known to arise over issues because of Christian dogmatism. Certainly it is important for the Christian to use good logic and sound reasoning so that the will of God may be understood ...

  Editor's Note: This article was written by my dear friend and brother, Patrick. I have known him for just over a year now, and yet he has played a profound role in my life and on my thinking. His connection of the passages in Leviticus 10 and Hebrews 12 teach us of the importance of a recognition of God's position in relation to the humble offering of the fruit of our lips. I hope that the thoughts present in this article impact your heart in the way you approach worship as they did me. "Our God is great, and greatly to be praised!" A Consuming Fire         The record of Nadab and Abihu is one that is well known. In Leviticus 10 the sons of Aaron are said to have offered “strange” (KJV) or “profane” (NKJV) fire to God, the consequence for this being that they were consumed with fire by the Lord. This event is often used by the Church to teach against the use of mechanical instruments while we sing, and for good reason. The use of instruments is not...

Sometimes life is great. We are blessed abundantly to live in peace with our neighbors, our health and the health of our families are of no immediate concern, bills get paid on time and the baseball team of our choice is on a winning streak. The sun feels a little warmer and the birds sing a little more sweetly when this is our situation it seems. How easy it is to feel the love of God raining down on us from heaven! To anyone who wasn’t born yesterday though, it is obvious that life isn’t all rainbows and sunshine. Real life is hard. There are times like those stated above, but there are dark times too. Solomon mused that “there is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven”. Among these are “a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance.” (Eccl. 3:1, 4) In these verses are both encouragement and warning. If you are going through hard times, they won’t last! They have their season, but the next season has also been appo...