Three great articles today! Don't miss it!
Posted by: forthrightmag <forthrightmag@...>
http://www.forthright.net
Straight to the Cross
----
I owe an apology to our subscribers and
columnists. I let this week get away from me. We
want to welcome Mitchell Skelton as a new
columnist this week. And point you to the site
with Barbara's newest blog from her India trip,
"Don't Laugh," on Oliver's Twist.
----
COLUMN: Fidelity
Christianity Is a Car Show
by Mike Benson
"Frog Follies" sounds like something from an old
episode of The Muppet Show, when in reality it's
the annual car exhibition held here in Evansville.
The display started back in 1975 when the
Evansville Iron Street Rod Club hosted a "rod run"
for local street rod owners. The event was dubbed
"Frog Follies" due to the bullfrog race that was
held at that initial show.
The very first FF registered 44 vehicles. Now,
almost thirty years later, the event accepts
between 4,000 and 6,000 entries, and is one of the
biggest automobile swap meets in the Midwest.
Owners bring their cars from as far north as
Alaska and as far south as Australia. Proceeds
from the event go to various charities and also
provide scholarship funds for local high school
students. (Visit http://www.evansville.net/~frogfol/
for more information).
It's not really necessary to look at your calendar
and try to remember when Frog Follies comes about.
Just wait—you'll know when it's in town. Those few
days immediately proceeding the show, colorful
street rods can literally be found all over
Vanderburgh County. It's not unusual to see dozens
of flashy cars working their way through area
traffic. Every vehicle seizes your attention;
every street rod turns your head. Suddenly the
family sedan seems incredibly lack-luster and
boring.
In an odd sort of way, the best advertisement for
the Follies is not the actual show itself when the
cars are all together at the fairgrounds. Rather,
it's when those thousands of street rods are being
driven throughout the community.
It occurs to me that Christianity is a lot like
our local car show. Often times we think the best
publicity for The Faith is the worship services
held at the building each Lord's Day. We reason
that by virtue of the fact that we're meeting as a
group in one place, sinners will naturally want to
attend. In reality, people are drawn to our
assemblies when/as they see us in and around town
(1 Pet. 2:12; 3:2). Our example (1 Tim. 4:12; 1
Pet. 2:21), the joy that we experience as members
of the body of Christ (1 Pet. 1:8), the assurance
we exude in terms of our salvation (Heb. 10:22),
and the faithfulness we exhibit as we interact
with our peers (Matt. 5:16; Phil. 2:15) prompts
them to investigate our gatherings. Its not what
happens behind the "closed doors" of the worship
assembly that entices our friends to attend; it's
how the Word becomes flesh in our own lives.
Dear Christian, whether we like it or not, our
lives are on display (Matt. 5:14;1 Pet. 2:9). If
we really want to impact our friends for eternity
and the sake of their souls, they've got to see us
moving (1 Cor. 15:58) and heading in the right
direction (Col. 3:1ff).
Are you just going to the local car show on
Sunday, or are you driving around town during the
week? "So continuing daily with one accord in the
temple, and breaking bread from house to house,
they ate their food with gladness and simplicity
of heart, praising God and having favor with all
the people. And the Lord added to the church daily
those who were being saved" (Acts 2:46-47; cf.
Eph. 5:8).
====
COLUMN: Hands-on Faith
Where Does Jesus Want to Be?
by Barry Newton
You would expect to see those who wear white coats
and a stethoscope in a hospital. You would expect
to see those donning yellow hard hats to be
driving heavy equipment or working at a
construction site. Bright and smart polo shirts
along with cleated shoes are typical fare at a tee
or on a fairway.
So where would you expect to see Jesus? Would you
expect to find Jesus leaning against a wall
outside of a convenience store chatting with gang
members? Would Jesus dare be caught talking with
someone who had a really bad reputation? The
Gospels provide an answer.
On one occasion some Pharisees were shocked to see
Jesus engaged in the fellowship of sharing a meal
with sinners. To their offended sensibilities of
where He should be, Jesus responded, "The healthy
do not need a doctor, but the sick. I have not
come to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark
2:17 Jesus is the Great Physician who has come to
heal lives. It was only appropriate that He would
be accessible to those whose lives need healing.
As He announced on another similar occasion, "The
Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was
lost." Luke 19:10
Where does Jesus want to be? Contrary to perhaps
both the stereotypes of some sinners and saints,
Jesus wants to be with those whose lives have been
ruined by sin. He is the Great Physician. That is
where He is needed. While the thrust of His
message revolves around Him healing our greatest
affliction by releasing us from guilt, we must
also not overlook:
• To the ostracized and lonely, He can provide the
promise of always being there, (Matt. 28:20)
• To those burdened and tired, He promises rest
(Matt. 11:28)
• To those trapped in a dysfunctional family or
without family, He extends the invitation to be
part of God's family, (Matt. 12:50)
• To all of us, He offers the path toward healthy
relationships with God, others and self.
Where does Jesus want to be? Where people need
help. Where do you suppose He wants His disciples
to be?
===
COLUMN: The X-Files
Make Every Effort
by Mitchell Skelton
Has the call for unity among believers been
abandoned in the church today? Has the fire that
burned among the leaders of the Restoration been
extinguished? If the church of the 21st century
truly models itself after the first century church
then the plea for unity must be made and heeded.
Jesus' prayer for unity had a specific purpose.
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for
those who will believe in me through their
message, that all of them may be one... May they
be brought to complete unity to let the world know
that you sent me and have loved them even as you
have loved me" (John 18:20–21, 23).
Much effort is expended in brotherhood papers and
lectureships addressing "change agents."
Noticeably missing from most of these articles is
any effort toward reconciliation. Don't
misunderstand, when we observe the church
practicing error then we have a responsibility to
correct the error but that also involves making
the effort to restore unity among believers. We
should, "Make every effort to do what leads to
peace and to mutual edification" (Rom. 14:19).
Achieving unity seems like such a monumental
objective that we often dismiss the thought. Often
the true reason we don't think unity is possible
is because we don't think people will be willing
to conform their actions to the will of our own
minds.
Consider the example of a couple preparing for
marriage. Before their wedding, David and Susan
met with the minister to discuss their marriage
ceremony and various traditions, such as lighting
the unity candle from two individual candles.
Couples usually blow out the two candles as a sign
of becoming one. Their minister said that many
people were now leaving their individual candles
lit to signify independence and personal freedom.
He asked if they wanted to extinguish the candles
or leave them burning. After thinking about it,
David replied, "How about if we leave mine lit and
blow hers out?"
Unity is not about everyone doing the same things
in exactly the same way. We are bound by scripture
and from the scriptures we must not stray but when
the "change agent" is simply proposing a different
way of accomplishing a scriptural practice then we
are simply discussing matters of opinion.
Arguments, strife, bitterness and even splits have
been caused by matters as insignificant as what
song book to use or whether or not a fellowship
hall can have a roof higher than eight feet tall
to accommodate basketball goals.
Whenever you bring a group of people together
under a common banner there are bound to be
disagreements. When disagreements occur in a
family you have only two choices. You can decide
to no longer live together as a family or you can
decide that the good of the family is better
served by accepting your family member and their
opinion.
The church is a family. When disagreements arise
we must put our disagreements to the test. Is it a
matter of faith or is it an opinion? If we cannot
appeal to scripture for our opinion then we must
preserve the unity of the Lord's Church. To decide
that we can no longer live together as the family
that we are, in this case would be sin. It is for
the good of the church and the work of God that we
receive our brothers as Christ has received them.
If we as a family of God would realize that we
have no choice but to work things out then the
work of God could continue unrestrained and God
would be given the glory.
Let us heed the Restoration call! Let's speak
where the Bible speaks, and let us be silent where
the Bible is silent. Remember, just because you
don't like it does not mean God don't like it.
----
You can help us get the word out. Here's how:
forthright.antville.org/stories/340415/