In Isaiah 21–25, God, through the prophet Isaiah, contrasts Himself with the various man made gods of which those in the Ancient Near East were so fond. In fact, the children of Israel had also put their hope and trust in these so-called gods. Time and again the prophet of God says the One true God of Israel is the Lord and there is no other savior.
They crumble, they burn, they rot… how again are these a savior?
The Lord could do physically what the idols of man could never do. Likewise, spiritually, He could do
what they could not. He could blot out the sins of His people. And while some would bow their knee or
swear to, and by, images of wood or stone, eventually ever knee would bow to the Lord and every
tongue would confess His name.
The idols might have changed but the principle taught herein has not. Men today still worship and
bow to images and gods (i.e. sports, money, pleasures, power, entertainment, recreation…) that are no
gods. They put their trust in temporal things that cannot satisfy them, sanctify them, or save them.
There is only on Savior and one Hope. What are you putting before the Lord? Obey Him and be
faithful.
Published with permission from ChurchOfChristArticles.com
This past May, I began my twenty-second year of running. In that time, I’ve logged thousands of miles.
At 49, I am happy to say that my knees are doing fine but time may change that. One of the risks of
running, to listen to some, is wearing out places like knees and hips. But, I’m hoping I’m prolonging
my life and helping vital organs through exercise.
Spiritually, I put my “knees” to the test, too. The challenge to protect my knees is a daily struggle that I
confess I am still working on. I do not want to wear those knees out through:
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- “Knee-Jerk Reactions.” This one is hard for me. I’m prone to these when I’m subjected to
frivolous or petty criticisms. I’m equally prone when I’m undisciplined enough to act impulsively through impatience or my own misunderstanding. When I fail to think through things, prayerfully and deliberately, I can unleash something that can be hard to unsay or undo. Usually, it means I have not studied, prayed, and reflected enough before spouting off. I can really wear my knees out that way. I benefit from principles like those found in Proverbs 15:2, 25:28, 26:4-5, and a multitude of similar passages.
- “Feeble Knees.” As a child of God whom He loves, I will undergo discipline at His omnipotent, but omni-benevolent hands. It can be unpleasant, but it is always beneficial (Heb. 12:11). But, when I’m in the midst of it, it can cause my knees to buckle. The writer of Hebrews follows up this discussion about divine discipline, saying, “Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble…” (12:12). When I’m tempted to give up, discouraged, worried, afraid, or lonely, I need to double up on my spiritual conditioning to strengthen those tested knees. I must trust God’s guidance and love, especially in adverse conditions.
So, then, how should I wear out those knees?
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- In prayer (Dan. 6:10; Acts 7:60; 21:5; Eph. 3:14). It’s not about the posture of the body, but of the heart. I can always be praying more (1 Th. 5:17). I can never pray enough.
- In worship (Psalm 95:6). Again, it’s not that I need to show off that posture in the assemblies or in my private devotions, but even the very definition of worship includes the idea, at least figuratively, of falling down before and prostrating oneself. It’s a big reason I try to never miss a single service of the church. I owe Him my all, and I love Him for all He is and has done. He wants me in the assembly, and I want to do what He wants.
- In submission to God’s will (Luke 22:42). When Jesus knelt to pray, He was also actively
submitting to the Father’s will. He faced something dreadful and that He did not want to do, but His attitude was of total surrender to what God wanted. Oh, what a challenge to me! How often do I put my knees to the test by giving up what I want for what He wants. But, I must!
Paul says we’re running a race that we must win (1 Cor. 9:24-27). I’m going to need healthy knees to do that. That may mean wearing them out in ways like those just mentioned while avoiding behaviors like those mentioned before them. At times, spiritually, I’ve needed not knee replacement but a replacement of what I do with those knees. May I never forget to brace those knees with the resources God has given to me!
The idea of restoring New Testament Christianity is “that God set forth His standard of acceptance in salvation, worship, church organization and daily living” and “to follow the teachings of God, revealed in the New Testament, to direct our lives in the same way as He did first century Christians”
(therestorationmovement.com/about.htm). We can open our Bibles and find a pattern for what the New
Testament church is to look like, not in customs and culture, but in commands and cause. Yet, a tendency we must guard against is a haughty spirit that portrays the idea that we have already arrived. Consider four areas where we need to keep at the restoration plea and overcome neglect.
CHURCH DISCIPLINE. For years, I have seen this referred to as “the forgotten
commandment.” At times, people will say of it things like “it doesn’t work,” “it’s harmful,” “it runs
people away,” etc. Were we to substitute that argumentation for subjects like women’s role,
worship, or baptism, wouldn’t we cry heresy or apostasy? However, in far too many instances, we
have simply ignored and failed to practice this plain, New Testament teaching (Mat. 18:15-17;
Rom. 16:17; 1 Cor. 5; 2 Thess. 3; Titus. 3:10-11).
EVANGELISM. It is so much easier to focus upon ourselves, to devote all our resources to
internal issues. Is there a spirit of evangelistic zeal running rampant among us? Is this an area to
restore, to be like the early church? Perhaps we may be intimidated by the culture of political
correctness. It could be the risk of ruining relationships or even rejection that causes us to avoid
efforts at soul-winning. It could even be that we need to build our conviction for or commitment to
this imperative given by the resurrected Savior Himself (Mat. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke
24:44-47).
CHURCH ORGANIZATION. It is very likely that the number of churches of Christ which have
elders are in the minority. At times, the reality of a shortage of qualified men is to blame. At other
times, preachers or others prefer not to have elders. But, even where churches are “scripturally
organized” (i.e., having elders and deacons), there is room for restoration— Preachers preaching
and evangelizing, elders leading and shepherding (pastoring), and deacons actively carrying out
and administrating the ministries and works of the local church. At times, there is a need to
restore the roles of each of these works so that the proper, appointed men are doing the work
Scripture outlines for them.
BROTHERLY LOVE. This is difficult, in a world increasingly characterized by hate, discord, and
general worldliness. In our culture, where it’s easy to become disconnected with others—even our
Christian family—we must strive to restore the beacon and central identification mark Jesus urged
when He said, “ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have
loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if
you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). Isn’t there room for more concentration upon this
command, which will be reflected in how we treat each other locally and in the brotherhood as a
whole (1 Pet. 2:17)?
I love to spend as much time as possible talking about what the church is doing right. It is doing so much right. By following the New Testament pattern regarding salvation, worship, the church’s purpose, and the like, we stand out in a religious world that has lost its way. Meanwhile, however, let us stay at the business of restoring the church to the pattern revealed in Scripture, even in areas that are more difficult and demanding though just as necessary.
While many know the details of the lives of some of the kings of Israel like David and Solomon, their lives would be so blessed today by studying the details of the life of king Hezekiah. He was king of the southern kingdom of Judah when the ten northern tribes were destroyed by the Assyrians. Assyria’s army then came and surrounded Jerusalem. The prayer of Hezekiah moved God to annihilate 185,000 Assyrians who had surrounded Jerusalem without Hezekiah’s army having to shoot a single arrow (2 Kgs. 19).
Shortly after this great victory Hezekiah became sick, and Isaiah came to him with this message from God. “Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live” (2 Kgs. 20:1). What an amazing message, and what a blessing this horrendous day can be to us if we just imagine we had been that king. How would you respond if you knew that this would be the last day of your life and that tomorrow you would die?
Read all the details of what happened that day and what Hezekiah did when the message came to him. Because of the king’s actions, God added fifteen years to Hezekiah’s life. Tragically, he made grave mistakes in those years.
The truth is that whether we die today, tomorrow or fifteen years from now really does not matter. Some day I will die. Some day you will die. Hear the words of God, “It is appointed for men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). We have the appointment to die, but unlike Hezekiah, we do not know the time of that appointment. The message for us is so obvious. All of us must make sure we are ready to keep that appointment and the event which follows.
The reason for this urgency is found in the last words of this verse from Hebrews—”…after this the judgment.” Daniel Webster, the American statesman, said that the most sobering thought he ever had was that some day he must stand before God and give an account for how he lived. Consider the fact that the lives of all men would be changed if they never forgot this sobering thought, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10).
Unlike what happened to Hezekiah, God has not sent the prophet Isaiah to come to our house to tell us that we should set our houses in order for the end of our life has come. However, is this not the message found repeatedly throughout the scriptures? We may not know for certain the time of our death, but we know for certain that we shall die. How would you live today if you knew that this would be your last day on this earth? It could be!
Published with permission from ChurchOfChristArticles.com
Pick out a local church leader and pray for him & his family, being very specific in your petitions on their behalf.
Email a missionary to encourage them and get an update on how their work is going.
Buy a gift card and try to give it anonymously to a young or struggling family you know.
Thoughtfully select several people to compliment & encourage by writing on their social media platform.
Briefly visit a brother or sister in an assisted living facility or nursing home.
Ask a co-worker, classmate, or neighbor what you can be praying for them about.
Listen to a book of the Bible in its entirety on your commute.
Let go of a grudge or deep-seated resentment.
Do an unexpected deed of kindness for a random stranger.
Speak to someone you see regularly about your faith–what God is doing in your life, what’s going on at church, etc
Spend some one-on-one time with one of your children (playing a game they enjoy, going for a walk, etc.).
Show love to your mate in some tangible way you know he/she enjoys (speak their “love language”).
Practice pleasantness with everyone you meet today, being mindful of your facial expressions and body language.
Carve out some time for meaningful, personal devotion (including Bible reading, singing, and prayer)–make worship more than a Sunday matter!
None of these are overly time-consuming. Pick as many as you can. If you cannot get to them all tomorrow, then pick up where you left off the next day. Grow your list. Use your imagination and creativity. Find yourself looking and acting more like Jesus! See yourself in Matthew 5:13-16.
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 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.
By Neal Pollard Published with permission from ChurchOfChristArticles.com
The theme for this year has been “At His Cross.” The emphasis for this month is that each of us finds truth at His cross. As you stand at the foot of His cross, what great truths come into your heart? Sometimes our greatest understanding of truth comes in the midst of great trauma.
At His cross, I learn the truth about myself. There were so many who were impacted by His death and each had his own reason for being there. I wonder if I would have stood beside those who mocked Him? Would I be among those who walked by and kept going with little interest in what was happening? Would I have stood beside His mother and sought to comfort her, or would I have not been there at all like those disciples who fled from the garden? The answer to these questions might be discovered by seeing what emotions I have during the meditation I do when I commune with Him around the His table.
At His cross, I learn the sinfulness of mankind. Think of all the evil that filled the hearts of those evil men whose agenda brought about His death. Three times Pilate asked these men, “What evil has He done?” (Luke 23:22). There is no answer to this question, for He never did even one thing wrong. The Jews could not find any evidence as to why He should die until two false witnesses lied about what He had said about the temple.
Why was the mob so enraged? Why were the words spoken to Him and about Him so filled with such blasphemy? Evil is a reality in our world and it has never been seen more clearly than at the foot of the cross.
At His cross, I learn the truth about my inability to save myself. My own “goodness” could not take away the guilt of only one sin. The only hope I have of heaven is that hanging on that cross was the One whose sinless life could redeem me. My sinfulness means I owed a debt, and on that cross was One who paid my debt. There was nothing I could do to remove sin and God sent His son to pay my debt. I feel my sinfulness and helplessness at the cross.
At His cross, I learn about God’s providential love which surrounds me now. Jesus died for me, a mortal worthy of the torment of hell because of my rebellion. Now if God did that much for me when I was His enemy, how much more will He do for me now that I am His child? Mediate on these words, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us…For if when we were enemies we
were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life” (Rom. 5:8-10). He loved me then and He loves me much more now!
Published with permission from ChurchOfChristArticles.com
