Near the entrance of Gethsemane, He left eight of the apostles and then took Peter, James and John
closer to the place where He was to pray. He left this “inner circle” and “…went a little further, and fell
on His face, and prayed” (Matt. 26:39, KJV). He went further than others—He always did—and
told us to do the same.
Thanks to God for the wonderful example of His Son.
In the Sermon on the Mount, He talked about going beyond where others would go. When compelled
by a Roman soldier to carry supplies for a mile, Jesus said we should go a greater distance and carry it
two (Matt. 5:41). If someone thinks he needs our tunic, Jesus said we should go the greater distance
and give him our outer garment as well. He went further, and so should we.
Think of the application this has in every area of our lives. When we see how the world lives with its
measure of morality, we should do more. The ungodly do good to those who do good to them, but
Christians return blessing for cursing, good for ill treatment and prayers for those who prey on us
(Matt. 5:44). He went further, and so should we!
Christian husbands and wives need to go further in the way they treat their mates than anyone else on
this earth. Agape love does not wait until a spouse treats them with kindness. Christians go further,
and they go further first! Christian parents go further with how they deal with their children than
those in the world. Our children’s friends should see how we treat our children and be jealous!
Christian children go further in honoring their parents than their friends at school do to their
parents. Remember that Jesus went further and so should we!
Christians go further in the workplace than their fellow workers. The Bible uses the term “eye service”
to describe those who work only when the eyes of their employers see them. Christians do not give eye-
service—they go further (Eph. 6:6). They also work just as diligently for unkind bosses as they do for good ones (1 Pet. 2:18). Our Lord went further, and so should we.
Now, take this principle and make it part of your life and part of the life in your family. Going further
than others expect will change you and will brighten the light you shine. It will also shock those
around you. They likely have never met someone who goes the extra mile. Perhaps they will even see
you as part of a church that practices this lifestyle and be led to become part of this great family.
Why not take a moment right now and think of what you did yesterday or today where you could have
done more? Do not ever forget.
He went further and so should we!
Published with permission from ChurchOfChristArticles.com
Church is hard for the person walking through the doors, afraid of judgement.
Church is hard for the prodigal soul returning home, broken and battered by the world.
Church is hard for the girl who looks like she has it all together, but doesn’t.
Church is hard for the couple who fought the entire ride to service.
Church is hard for the single mom, surrounded by couples holding hands, and seemingly perfect
families.
Church is hard for the widow and widower with no invitation to lunch after service.
Church is hard for the person singing worship songs, overwhelmed by the weight of the lyrics.
Church is hard for the man insecure in his role as a leader.
Church is hard for the preacher’s family, struggling to live up to expectations.
Church is hard for the wife who longs to be led by a righteous man.
Church is hard for the nursery volunteer who desperately longs for a baby of her own to love.
Church is hard for the single woman and single man, praying God brings them a mate.
Church is hard for the teenage girl, wearing a scarlet letter, ashamed of her mistakes.
Church is hard for the sinner.
Church is hard for me.
It’s hard because underneath the layers of shiny and perfect, you find a body of imperfect people.
But here’s the beauty of the church –
Church isn’t a building, mentality, or expectation.
Church is a body of people.
Church is a group of sinners, saved by grace, living in fellowship as saints.
Church is a body of believers bound as brothers and sisters by an eternal love.
Church is a holy ground where sinners stand as equals before the Throne of Grace.
Church is a refuge of broken hearts and a training ground for mighty warriors.
Church is a lesson in faith and trust.
Church is a family coming together, setting aside differences, rejoicing in the smallest of victories.
So even on the hard days…..the days when I’ve come to worship bearing burdens heavier than my
heart can handle, yet masking the pain with a smile on my face, I will always remember He has never
failed to meet me there.
Contributed by Jim Lloyd
As Lehman Avenue embarks on a month of specific prayer about our work, future, goals, and events, we may feel a lot like the disciples felt as we examine our prayer life. We may be thinking, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). Jesus taught much about prayer, by what He did and said (cf. Acts 1:1). Consider Luke’s record of His teaching and exhortation in Luke 18 for some great tips to help us in our daily prayers.
-
- Pray Consistently (Luke 18:1)–“At all times they ought to pray” (Don’t let a day
go by without including prayer. As you conquer that discipline, find multiple times
throughout the day. That ongoing talking to God will become a part of you)
- Pray Persistently (Luke 18:1)–“At all times they ought…not to lose heart”
(Be patient about the matters you’re praying about. God sees all and knows all. He’s
not on our timetable, but He will do what’s best when it’s best. Don’t let seeming
silence or unanswered prayers to cause you to give up)
- Pray Dependently (Luke 18:2-7). Jesus chooses one of the most
disenfranchised, powerless persons of the society of His day–a widow–to illustrate
our prayers. She petitioned a wicked judge, but we petition a righteous, just Judge
and King. See things as they are. We are wholly dependent upon God for
everything, but He knows what we need. Yet, He still says to call on Him.
- Pray Trustingly (Luke 18:8). Jesus ends this parable with a challenging
question. “When the Son of man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” Do we trust
what Jesus says in the Word about prayer? If so, He will find faith. When death or
the second coming stops time forever, be found among the prayerful.
- Pray Humbly (Luke 18:9-14). Jesus follows up with a second parable, addressed
to those “who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others
with contempt” (9). We’re far better off to be transparent, penitent, and open with the
All-knowing God. We’re better served not to compare our spiritual lives with others,
before, during, or after times of prayer. With a “God be merciful to me, the sinner!”
(13) mindset, we will more readily find justification and exaltation as we seek to walk
in the Light.
“Prayer will change the night to day!” Don’t forget to engage in it today and every day. Jesus promised: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened” (Luke 11:9-10).
NOTE: While this article was originally written to his home congregation, it has valuable lessons for us at Chino.
Published with permission from ChurchOfChristArticles.com
There are very few areas of expertise achieved by men apart from diligent study and practice.
Olympic athletes and other individuals considered to be at the peak of physical human ability are not born that way. They have a regime they have followed, and most of them practice, and practice, and practice, devoting hours a day to improving themselves. Our physicians and surgeons are not considered competent to take us apart and put us back together again without first undergoing years of study and training. There are many more examples that could be given.
A life of godliness doesn’t occur through osmosis.
There are not many activities where constant practice does not improve ability. And there are few activities where, with enough practice, most people can not achieve some competence. Generally, when an individual says, “I could never do that,” what they really mean is that they don’t want to spend the time and energy to learn how to do a thing. Sometimes such thinking is borne out of fear, but if we were to be honest with ourselves, frequently it’s just laziness or a lack of proper motivation on our part.
Why should we think that it is any different in matters of spiritual achievement?
The Bible reminds us concerning spiritual ability, maturity, and our ability to understand the Bible: “For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil (Hebrews 5:13-14; NKJV).”
Let us first notice that it is possible to be “unskilled” in God’s word; implying that it is fully possible to be “skilled.” This skill is achieved, not through the passage of time, but through, “reason of use,” and, “exercising” the senses to discern good and evil. In other words, spiritual ability and spiritual talents get better with practice and exercise, just like any other skill.
Have you considered the fact that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, made like us in every way, and partaking of the full human experience, had to study to get better with God’s word? We find Him engaged in a Bible study at the age of 12, and when found doing so, He identified the study as His Father’s will (cf. Luke 2:46-49). Thereafter we read that Jesus, “increased in Wisdom and Stature (Luke 2:52).” Jesus grew to be a wise man, because, from a very young age, He applied Himself to obtaining that wisdom. He became good at doing the right thing because he practiced constantly doing the right thing, so that He could say of His relationship with God, “I always do those things that please Him.” (John 8:29)
But someone will say, “Well Jesus was God in the flesh, I could never be like Him.” As in so many other things, however, such a statement is more of an excuse not to try than it is a valid argument.
God wants us to try to be more like Jesus. The term “Christian” means, “Christ-like.” The Scriptures encourage us, telling us that we should look to the example of Jesus as our model for love, forgiveness and many other things (cf. Ephesians 5:2; 1 Peter 2:21; etc.) In fact, God very clearly tells us in His word that the goal is to grow spiritually, to reach the measure of the fullness of the stature of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). You might want to declare that you can’t grow spiritually, but God says you can, and that you should, even if such an endeavor is going to take effort on your part.
Sure, chances are pretty good that if you begin the process of spiritual growth, at some point you are going to falter. But it is only when we stop practicing that we stop improving. Don’t sell yourself short. God sees great potential in you. Don’t let laziness, fear, or indifference prevent you from achieving that potential. It takes practice, but the more you practice, the easier it gets.
Published with permission from ChurchOfChristArticles.com
The “Restoration Movement” was, and still is, an attempt to restore the Christianity that we
read about in the New Testament.
Across the ages, those successful in communicating their ideas to others have been able to
reduce complicated ideas and concepts into simple, easily remembered slogans.
Below are some of the great slogans of the Restoration pioneers of the 1800’s.
Some of these slogans deal with the original effort to restore New Testament Christianity.
Others deal with the splintering of the movement.
I. “No creed but Christ, no book but the Bible.”
II. “Do Bible things in Bible ways; call Bible things by Bible names.”
III. “Where the Scripture speak we speak; where the Scripture are silent, we are silent.”
IV. “In matters of faith, unity; in matters of opinion liberty; in all things, love.”
V. “Truth first, union afterward; and union only in truth.”
VI. “Be true to the truth, oppose the error, but bear with humanity.”
VII. “Back to Jesus, back to the Bible, back to Jerusalem.”
VIII. “The only way to make progress in religion is by going back to the Bible.”
These eight slogans are not inspired.
They should not be thought of as Scripture.
However, they are truths that help us remember our commitment to be Christians only.
Our goal is to be Christians just like the saints in the first century.
Nothing more. And nothing less.
I respectfully wade into Kentucky’s most hallowed sport (basketball) because of information passed along by some diehard Wildcat fans in the eastern part of the state. A brother shared with me that Pat Summitt almost became the university’s women’s basketball coach, but they refused to pay her moving expenses–calculated at about $200.
Turns out, it was 1976 and the 24-year-old future Hall-of-fame women’s basketball coach was approached by the athletic brass from Lexington about her becoming their head coach. She was making $8900 at Tennessee, and Kentucky offered her $9000.
She didn’t feel she could afford to move for a mere $100, so she asked for the extra expenses. Apparently, they refused and the rest is history. By the time she died (prematurely) at the age of 64 in 2016, Summitt was the winningest head coach in NCAA women’s basketball history with 1098 wins and eight national championships (via npr.org, kentuckysportsradio.com, and sbnation.com).
Can you imagine the way that conversation may have gone, with someone in authority (who obviously, forever wished to remain unnamed) vetoing the offer because he didn’t want Kentucky paying those exorbitant moving expenses? Who knows? It may have been unanimous or perhaps unilateral, but someone changed the course of women’s college basketball history for what in 2019 dollars is $901.79.
Do we ever suffer from the same kind of shortsightedness, as individuals and as churches? Have we ever said “no” to something because we were unwilling to count the cost? The matter may have involved the stewardship of money and material resources and the amount may have been proportionately bigger than $901.79, yet still discounted the aid of the One who owns it all.
Have we ever failed to dare and do the very mission the Lord has us here to do because we counted the cost and felt it was more than we were willing to pay? Some will have never obeyed the gospel for this reason (Luke 9:57-62).
Some will have never shared the gospel with a dear friend or family member for this reason (Matt. 10:37). Some will have never been more involved in the work of the church for this reason (Mark 8:34-36).
Some will have never stood up for Christ in their daily lives for this reason (cf. 1 Peter). Some will have never given generously of their livelihood for this reason (2 Cor. 8:1-8). The reason? The cost.
We could focus on what we gain by self-sacrifice and sacrificial service. But let us also focus on what we lose by failing to give ourselves generously for His cause. It could be that our values are distorted and we are measuring the wrong way.
Remember the words of Caleb Bradlee:
Count up the joys, and not the pains;
Think not of losses, but of gains;
Keep the clouds back; gaze at the sun;
Thus life will smoothly with you run.
Our gifts are more than all our blows,
And what is best we know God knows;
And He will send His blessings down,
Some veiled; but all will hide a crown.
If we could know the meaning grand
In tears that come by God’s command,
Then sweetly should we take the cross,
And count as gain what seems a loss.
But only let us wait and pray,
Then out of night will come the day;
And pearls long hid from human sight,
Will crown our brows with holy light.
(Via Library of Congress, 1888)
