Lightning Fast

Last night during the big storm I was relaxing in one of our chairs in the den watching television. Everything seemed fine until a quick flash of lightning sent a piercing crack through the air, as the lightning probably struck a tree in the woods. I had no warning it, and being so sudden it made me jump as I was unsettled by it.

We can get that visual in our heads as we’ve all experienced something like that because of our run-ins with bad weather in Middle Tennessee. Knowing that, I think we can all understand what Jesus means when he says that His coming will be as fast as a flash lightning (Mt. 24:27). We are going to have to be ready for His coming, because we won’t have any time to make our lives right once He comes again. As I said Sunday, Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.

On the old television show The Dukes of Hazard, Roscoe P. Coletrane had a dog named Flash. The dog was not fast at all; rather he was extremely slow-moving. The coming of Christ will not be like Flash the dog; it will be like an actual flash of lightning. I’ve tried before to take pictures of lightning, unsuccessfully I might add. It’s hard to prepare to snap the picture because you don’t know when it’s coming. It’s hard to be ready for that flash of lightning. When Christ comes, will you be ready?

The Significance of a Shed

The other day I made a significant discovery while walking in the woods. There in the trail lay a buck’s shed antler from earlier this year. It is remarkable that I found it in such great shape, as there appeared to be hardly any evidence of the chewing of rodents. Deer will shed their antlers so they can grow a new set each year. With this being the case, it’s not really a loss for the buck, because it leads to new growth with a new pair of antlers. There is something bigger and better that will come as a result of what he shed.

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ shed his blood and He lost his life. However, that was not the end of the matter. Not only was Jesus raised from the dead, but the blood that He shed led to some great things.  As He was instituting the Lord’s Supper on the night of his betrayal, He said “for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Mt. 26:28, KJV). As the writer of Hebrews reflected on the Old Law, he says “…without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Heb. 9:22). The forgiveness of our sins was only made possible by the shedding of Christ’s blood.

Another thing that was much more significant was what the blood of Jesus bought. When Paul was giving his farewell address to the Ephesian elders at Miletus, he said the church was purchased with the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28). The institution that we are a part of today as members of the body of Christ was bought with blood. Even as Peter says that we were redeemed by “…precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Pet. 1:19).

The shedding of Christ’s blood is something that we need constant reminders of, for it is of the utmost significance for the Christian who is the recipient of the cleansing effects of His blood and a citizen of God’s household, the church. The next time I see a shed antler I’ll be reminded by what came about as a result of the shedding of the blood of Jesus.

A Battle Against Evil

There is a lot of publicity these days regarding the movie American Sniper. Some people are praising the movie, while others are wholeheartedly criticizing not only the movie but also the military. I will go on record to state that I have seen the movie myself. Typically I would not want to sit through a movie that is filled with filthy language, but I understand at the same time it is a military movie, and I’m pretty sure the language depicted in the film is true to form. I had been asked if it was a good movie. That’s a hard question to answer. From the standpoint of being a “feel good” movie that was enjoyable, the answer is no. From the standpoint of having a vested interest in the subject matter of the movie, the answer is an emphatic yes.

The movie is basically a depiction of the service of a U.S. Navy SEAL named Chris Kyle, who is the most decorated sniper in American History. It is played out before everyone’s eyes on the big screen not only how successful he was, but also why he did what he did. He did not take pleasure in doing his job; rather, he knew it was something that had to be done in order to protect his men. There was evil in the world, and he was doing his part to combat it as a member of the military. He felt this overwhelming desire to protect his men and keep them out of harm’s way (what his Father called a Sheepdog).

We understand there is evil in the world, and we know who is behind it. Jesus referred to Satan as “the ruler of this world” (Jn. 12:31). We can see evil at work in this world, whether it be in the U.S.A. or in the middle east where our troops have been trying to protect us. Paul talks in Rom. 13 about the authorities bearing the sword to be ministers and avengers for God. I wholeheartedly believe this is what our military is carrying out in their battle against evil. I can’t imagine what it would be like to be in their shoes; I am however grateful for what they are doing on foreign soil on my behalf. In the movie, Chris’s wife told him early in their marriage that he needed to be protecting her at home. He told her that the military was having to fight these battles overseas before they get to the home turf. 

Have you stopped lately to thank God that our military are fighting for us to protect us from the evil that could possibly come our way? Let us remember the words of Paul about the justice carried out by the authorities: “…it does not bear the sword for nothing…” (Rom. 13:4).

Spiritual Dehydration

Friday night at the CA/Mt. Pleasant football game I learned a very valuable lesson. It was late in the game when I started experiencing stomach cramps accompanied by intense perspiration and dizziness. I had gone down to the fence to talk to my cousin Cliff when the symptoms started getting worse, so I decided to head back to the stands. As I reached the steps, I was told that Chandler was sick, so I decided I would go check on him even though I wasn’t sure if I could make it to where he was. About that time I was approached by Dr. James Thomas who happened to notice I was not my normal self. It was at that time I collapsed in front of everybody there at the game. After many good people tended to me and I was coming to a little more, it was determined I was dehydrated. I had gone all day without drinking any water. Coffee and soft drinks are all I had to drink that day, and combined with the heat and humidity took their toll. After a trip to the ER to get some IV fluids, we were able to return home. The lesson I learned was how important it is to drink plenty of water.

While my body suffered the consequences of not having the water, there is a consequence that is far greater for people who don’t partake of a different kind of water. Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that He offers the living water that would never make you thirst again as well as lead to eternal life (Jn. 4:10,14). There are people in this world who are spiritually dehydrated because they don’t have the living water that the Lord provides. The consequences of this spiritual dehydration are much worse than the symptoms I had, because without the living water we are doomed to the eternal fire of Hell (Mt. 25:41).

This was a wake-up call for me, and I have started drinking plenty of water. Hopefully those who are spiritually dehydrated can receive a wake-up call before it is eternally too late.

Brotherly,

Jeremy T. Butt

It's Gospel Meeting Time

Those who are football fans of the Tennessee Volunteers can now say “It’s football time in Tennessee!” Their season started off with a bang on Sunday evening with a win over Utah State at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. It’s an exciting time when football season is finally here, and the same sentiment goes for those who support other college teams, high school teams or even NFL teams like the Tennessee Titans who play this coming Sunday. Most football fans know how to respond to the question “Are You Ready for Some Football?”

As great a time it is for football season to arrive, we’ve got a big event coming up at the North View Church of Christ. Our Gospel Meeting is September 14-17 and David Morris from the Highland Church of Christ will be our speaker. It makes me wonder if people here are as excited about the meeting as they are football season. Neyland Stadium had over 102,000 people in attendance Sunday night for their game; what will our attendance be like for our meeting? Time will tell as we look forward to David and his family coming to be with us that week. It’s Gospel Meeting time at North View!

Brotherly,

Jeremy T. Butt

Fire Evacuation

Fire Evacuation

Out in California close to Yosemite National Park there have been evacuations of over 1,500 people because of wildfires approaching their homes (http://www.techtimes.com/articles/13407/20140819/wildfires-near-yosemite-national-park-forces-evacuation-of-1-500-people.htm). I can recall many reports over the years where people react differently to approaching wildfires. Some of them refuse to leave their homes, while others value their lives much more than their homes and the contents therein. It is understandable why people want to get out of the way before they are consumed by the flames. When the orders are given to evacuate due to the flames, most people want out of the way of the blaze.

Did you know there is coming a fire that people will not be able to evacuate from? We are told that Hell is a place of fire: its fire never ends (Mt. 25:41), its fire is unquenchable (Mk. 9:43) and this lake of fire is reserved for those whose name is not in the book of life (Rev. 20:15). Once people realize their fiery fate it will be too late to evacuate the agony that awaits them in Hell.

The residents of California who evacuated their homes recognized the urgent action needed to avoid the flames. Unfortunately there are many people today who don’t take the same measures to avoid their collision course with Hell. Now is the time to evacuate your habitation if you are living for the world. Once judgment begins, it will be too late. Have you already put your evacuation plan into action?

Start with the Heart

Ezra 7:10

In Disney’s recent hit movie Frozen, the grandfather troll named Pabbie was sought out by the king and queen of Arrendale because he had the ability to cure their youngest daughter, Anna from her sister Elsa’s accidental magic strike to the head. The troll was relieved when he found out it was the head and not the heart, as he gives his line “the heart is not so easily changed, but the head can be persuaded.” Have you ever tried to accomplish something when your heart is not in it? It seems there is something to this idea, as we even know from Scripture that the heart plays a great deal in accomplishing great things for God. This morning our Scripture for the lesson comes from Ezra 7:10. It reads “For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.” Before we get into the meat of the lesson, let’s examine some background.

Ezra led the second wave of captives back to Jerusalem from Babylonian captivity, which would have been in 458 B.C. The purpose of his return was to restore God’s law in the hearts of the people. It is documented that “he was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses” (Ezra 7:6). He was also a priest who was “learned in the words of the commandments of the Lord and His statutes to Israel” (Ezra 7:11). They had been in captivity all these years and someone needed to get them back on track with God’s law. Ezra was the man to do it, but this was not going to be an easy task. He knew what had to be done, as we have seen in Ezra 7:10. Before Ezra could study, practice and teach the law, he was going to have to set his heart. Essentially, this means that Ezra was securely determining in his heart that he was going to do this. Using what Ezra did in this verse, let’s also make some application for our lives as Christians.

Set Your Heart to Study God’s Word

Ezra set his heart to study God’s law. The Law of Moses is what is being referred to here. This is what Ezra did; it was his profession. He would have read, studied and meditated upon God’s law. He would have written it as a scribe. He knew the law. For us to study the Bible we must start with the heart. The Psalmist starts out saying “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water” (Ps. 1:1-3). Somebody can be firmly grounded in the Word if they delight in it and meditate on it. The Psalmist also said “O how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day” (Ps. 119:97). If you have love for the Word of God, you’ll be more likely to meditate on it. Not only should you have love for the Word, but also understand that when we study we gain God’s approval (2 Tim. 2:15). How bad do you want God’s approval? If your heart is in the right place you’ll be motivated to study to show yourself approved to God. We should also want to study so that we can make a defense for what we believe (1 Pet. 3:15). If we don’t study the Bible, how are we going to be able to make a defense? You can’t defend what you don’t know.

Set Your Heart to Practice God’s Word

Ezra set his heart to practice God’s law. His emphasis was restoring God’s law in the hearts of the people. If he was going to be successful at this, he was going to have to show them his example. They would need to see him living what he taught. Practice what you preach is a phrase we hear a lot. This starts with the heart. Determination precedes implementation. One of the purposes of studying the Bible is to be able to live it. The Psalmist said “Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee” (Ps. 119:11). Somebody who wants to put into practice what they read in God’s Word is going to have to put it in their heart first. Peter says that the Lord has given us the knowledge of everything pertaining to life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3). There is the expectation from God that we are going to live what we learn in His Word. James goes on to say that we are to be doers of the Word and not just hearers (Jas. 2:22). Don’t delude yourself by refusing to do what you read in God’s Word. Jesus said “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 5:16). If you are not living like a Christian, you haven’t turned your light on; you’re walking around in the dark.

Set Your Heart to Teach God’s Word

Ezra set his heart to teach God’s statutes and ordinances in Israel. Notice even what the Persian King Artaxerxes told him regarding this: “...appoint magistrates and judges that they may judge all the people who are in the province beyond the River, even all those who know the laws of your God; and you may teach anyone who is ignorant of them. And whoever will not observe the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed upon him strictly, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of goods or for imprisonment” (Ezra 7:25-26). The king viewed Ezra’s teaching of God’s law as serious business, especially of those who would be ignorant of it. Do we view teaching God’s Word with the same seriousness?

For us to teach others, we must start with the heart. Think about some ways we can teach. First, we can teach others the Gospel. Last week I preached on the Gerasene demoniac, which included what Jesus told him to do after he had been healed: “’Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you...’” (Mk. 5:19). That’s what evangelism is; going to others and telling them what great things God has done for you. The Gospel is good news, as Christ has delivered us from our sins, and we are supposed to be teaching others who need this news. Second, we can teach our children at home. When you look at Moses recounting the Law that was given to him, he gives some instructions about how important it was to teach their children. He said “’And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deut. 6:6-9). Moses knew that God wanted continual instruction to take place in the home. This responsibility was not to be taken lightly. Notice that Moses prefaced this with the heart, as the law on their hearts preceded the teaching. Third, we can teach the Bible in a class setting. Some of you are teachers here at North View. Rex Henson is about to complete a teacher certification class. In order for you to teach, you have to complete this class. This is one way the elders know who they’re putting in the classroom to teach God’s Word. James says this is not for everyone: “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment” (Jas. 3:1).

Jesus stated there are no greater commands than these: “’...love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength... love your neighbor as yourself’” (Mk. 12:30-31). Ezra gives us a great example of what the greatest commands are all about: “For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel” (Ezra 7:10). Do you want to be a good Bible student? Do you want to live by the Bible? Do you want to teach the Bible to others? Start with the heart as evidenced in the life of Ezra. Set your heart to do these things.