To Spread the Kingdom

"The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till it was all leavened” Matt 13:33.

The kingdom, made of those who have been born again, is a radical thing. Its citizens no longer think as the world does, nor live for the things the world lives for. They have a new goal and new values. And they are going to have an impact upon their environment. As yeast does in dough, their presence changes things.

I hope none of us thinks this comparison of meal and leaven indicates an effortless and casual approach to our mission that without doing very much the world can be changed. Leaven was a portion of fermented and thus changed dough left from a previous batch. If we have never been leavened, or are depleted and inactive yeast having lost our unique qualities, we will have no transforming impact. If we are not transformed, we are not going to transform others.

But doesn't leaven or yeast go about its work unobtrusively? On the contrary, there is great activity when, as C. H. Dodd put it, "the leaven changes the dough from a passive lump into a seething, bubbling, heaving mass." The kingdom is a force disturbing and changing things for all to see, as one sees the change wrought by the yeast gobbling the sugars and thus expelling carbon dioxide. This enlarges the mass and changes its texture. When the kingdom of God is truly present, it has impact.

Well how do we induce that effect? You cannot, if the changing leaven is not present. Churches hold seminars, personal work programs are planned (and die), and slogans are employed. In all this they are still in the building and not out there in the lump to be changed. We do not disparage any effort of congregations that may be producing converts, and that to such an extent that they are changing this age, as early Christians changed theirs. But isn't it apparent that if there were a quick scheme or program to accomplish that, the Lord would have revealed it to us? Rather, changed people with hope went forth into the world, willing to suffer discrimination, beatings, and death. The more the world tried to press them down, the more the leaven kept working. It was indestructible.

John chronicled that: "And they overcame him (the dragon, Satan) because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony, and they loved not their life unto death” Rev 12:11. This is the secret to a growing kingdom. It does not require organization. The blood of the Lamb freed them from sin and Satan's clutches. The Word testified, was empowered. Testified. Declared. With those as foundation, what arrested the world's attention was their faith, which treasured that more than their lives. When the kingdom means that much to "church members," they will be activated leaven and the kingdom will spread, or the world will be killing us. Let us be what we are as we go about in the world, and unashamedly and confidently testify why we are such. To the comfortable and complacent, who just want to be part of a respected church, a good personal work program to add people to "nice and friendly folks" like us, is preferable, and a lot easier. But that goal will not make real Christians and spread the kingdom. The leaven of the kingdom is what we are, what we say about it, and how important it is to us.

-- Dale Smelser 

Thinking that three hours at a movie or ball game are harmless, but two hours at church is just too much for the nervous system is just bad thinking.

Letting the children listen to several hours of TV thrillers each day with little or no time for Bible study or just one short prayer is criminal neglect.

Giving him/her 25 cents for the collection plate and two dollars for a movie not only shows our lack of spiritual values --- but isn't very likely to produce a cheerful giver.

Allowing a child to make his own decisions as to whether he will or will not attend services --- scrambling for the back seat at services --- is not conducive to training a child for future service.

What kind of example are you instilling when being careful to see that children get their school lessons but you are not concerned about their Bible school lessons? Could you be breeding spiritual illiteracy?

Why do some parents encourage extra activities at school, but never encourage attendance to young people's classes, etc.?

What do children think when they see you miss services because of "not feeling good" but see you go to work the next day with the same "not feeling good"?

Parents must realize that children learn what they live with.

The attitudes, dispositions, and habits of life are now being formulated. If we really love our children we want to see that these attitudes and habits are the kind that will not only fit them for life but for eternity as well.

Paul Brock, via the Caprock Church Bulletin.

 PARENTS!

You may pray endless prayers; teach diligently the word of God; constantly warn of dangers of evil companions and bad habits; and shed buckets of tears without any avail, for your children see your real values in the way you live and the decisions you make. How important the Lord is to you is clearly manifest to them in your speech and conduct. As a parent you cannot live just to yourself. You affect precious souls and you will give an account.

                      Jim R. Everett 

WHY DON'T YOU TRY?

A few weeks ago I was visiting with a preacher friend of mine.  Our conversation turned to other preachers and the attributes they possessed that we would also like to possess.

My friend began to mention how one of his favorite preachers memorized the book of John while preaching a series on that same book.  This preacher could now quote the entire  gospel account of  John.  I spoke of a good preacher friend of mine and mentioned how he could quote passages from just about anywhere in the Bible, he could quote from the Pentateuch, from the prophets, he could even quote passages from the Chronicles, and nobody does that!!!

Who are these men and where did they come from?  How could they have such a great memory?  As he and I raved on about how we wished we could do the same thing, my son Race joined in the conversation.  Race is nine years old and I believe what he had to say made a great deal of sense.  He plopped up in my lap and said, "Why don't you try?" "What?" I said. "Have you ever tried dad?  You'll never know unless you try."

I felt somewhat flushed in front of my friend and especially my son.  I have taught him almost from his birth that anything worth having is worth working for.  I have told him over and over again that if you want to be good at something you must practice.  And yet I wasn't following my own advice.  Oh yes, I wanted the great knowledge, but without the hard labor. I wanted to quote the Bible but without spending the time to memorize it.

The story is told of a preacher who had great oratory ability and a phenomenal ability to quote just about any scripture in the Bible.  After preaching one Sunday a brother approached him and said, "Wow, I would give half my life to be able to quote scripture like that."  To which the preacher responded, "It would take just that."

So many times we speak of wanting the church to grow but it just seems to be fading away.  Why don't YOU try to change that?  The great commission is still a command and the gospel is still the "...power of God unto salvation..." Rom 1:16.  For some reason we expect the church to grow on its own without so much as lifting a finger.

Another area where so many fall short is in the area of teaching.  In a congregation of around four hundred members one wouldn't think that there would be a shortage of good Bible class teachers.  And yet there is!  It is sad that those involved in finding teachers for each quarter struggle in so doing.  So many will respond, "I can't teach," or "I've never done it before."  Why don't YOU try?  By not teaching you will never know the great joy that can come from training young, precious souls.  By not teaching you can never fully appreciate those teachers that studied long hours to train you or your children.

Friends, the list could go on and on but these examples are sufficient for the thrust of this article.  If you want to accomplish something for the Lord, whether it be teaching, memorization, evangelism, benevolence, etc...., and it is something you have never done before WHY DON'T YOU TRY? I would rather have the Lord find me trying than sitting idly by saying, "I can't."  By the way, I am starting on the memory work this week.

by Sean Hochdorf in the Searcher ~from LemmonsAid

Children's Perceptions

A little girl, dressed in her Sunday best, was running as fast as she could, trying not to be late for Bible class. As she ran she prayed, "Dear Lord, please don't let me be late! Dear Lord, please don't let me be late!" As she was running and praying, she tripped on a curb and fell, getting her clothes dirty and tearing her dress. She got up, brushed herself off, and started running again. As she ran she once again began to pray, "Dear Lord, please don't let me be late... But please don't shove me either!"

The Intelligence of Germs

Some years ago I listened to a radio broadcast of a talk by Earl Nightingale on "The Intelligence of Germs." He related the findings of some efficiency experts in their studies of absentee problems among employees of large companies.

One way of interpreting the results of their findings was that, apparently, sickness-producing germs were very intelligent! They found, for example, that businesses with very generous sick-pay benefits had a much higher percentage of absenteeism than companies with lesser benefits. No doubt the germs knew not to pick on those poor workers whose company would not provide for them! Those experts also found that there was more sickness among employees on the days just prior to the weekend, and much less sickness on Mondays than at any other time. Conclusion - Those intelligent and beneficent germs knew it was more convenient for workers to be stricken toward weekends! They were also smart enough to leave their victims in time for working hours the following Monday!

I strongly suspect that these brilliant bacteria have been to work on some of us. They seem to judiciously avoid afflicting us until late Saturday night or early Sunday morning. Those benevolent bugs know that Sunday is the only day some of us can afford to be laid up. But these venerable viruses invariably fly the coop at the sound of Monday morning's alarm clock!

Of course, someone might be so crude as to suggest that we are just manufacturing excuses for not attending services. But we meet the mere breath of such suspicions with denials and counter-charges of "judging" and "meddling." Therefore, based on the evidence, we must be forced to the conclusion that congregations have been invaded by a strain of highly intelligent germs! Brethren, beware!!!

~Bob West in The Milpitas Messenger

Faithful Sayings
1 Tim 1:12-17

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.