Follow Me

One of the frustrating things about election time is the amount of political signs that take up just about every corner at our intersections. As you drive around Columbia, it’s hard for these signs that promote a particular candidate to go unnoticed. By the time the election is over, people are so sick of being inundated, not only by these signs but also by the ads on television. These candidates pull out all the stops to make people familiar with their campaigns. They are looking for people to follow them.

Did you know there’s someone who is constantly keeping his agenda before us in hopes that we’ll follow him? He is Satan. He’ll use any means necessary to get us to “vote” for him. He is very active in his efforts to affect us. Peter says “…Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). He uses deception in his efforts to trick us. John records that Satan is the one “…who deceives the whole world…” (Rev. 12:9). The apostle Paul even said that “…Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14).

Even though the election is almost over and these signs will eventually go away, don’t be unaware of the schemes of Satan to influence you each and every day. He doesn’t go away like the election. Even as it is recorded in his temptations of Jesus, “…he departed from Him until an opportune time” (Lk. 4:15). The old saying that we vote with our feet means that our actions speak for us. We show by our actions whether or not Satan is convincing us that we need to follow him. We are God’s elect, and it is time we make our choice. As Joshua said in speaking to the Israelites:

And if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Josh. 24:15)

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?