Doug's Discussion

   After being plucked out of the water by Pharaoh’s daughter Moses grew up among the Egyptians.  However, something clued him in to the fact that he wasn’t Egyptian by birth.  In fact, he even knew about the one true God.  I’m guessing his mother or one of his siblings had something to do with that somehow.  However he found out, Moses began to identify less with the Egyptians and more with his own people.  (And think how remarkable that is!  The Egyptians were rich and his own people were slaves.)  “He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time” (Hebrews 11:25).  When Moses sees an Egyptian and an Israelite fighting he comes to the side of the Israelite, killing the Egyptian and hiding him in the sand.    

   Those who know this story know that this effort was less appreciated than expected.  Stephen shares, “Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not” (Acts 7:25).  So Moses knows of God, and He knows God would want His people to be rescued from slavery.  Moses’ plan is, apparently, to take the abusive Egyptians out one at a time.  There IS a lot of sand in Egypt to hide bodies . . . but this was never going to work.  Moses was trying to accomplish God’s purposes without God’s power.  This leads to Moses getting banished to tend sheep in the desert, until he is “a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3).  NOW God can use Moses to rescue the people.  Now Moses knows he can do nothing without God.    

   Hopefully this is a lesson we can learn without forty years in a desert.  We also are a people who know of God, and we have some idea of the work that God wants to accomplish.  The zealous among us dive in and strive to accomplish great victories for the kingdom.  But may I suggest a very wise thing to do first?  We should humble ourselves and pray.  We should pray for the strength of God in whatever we are trying to do.  God is able to accomplish in moments what would take us more than a lifetime to achieve on our own.  Are you about to begin some ministry?  Fantastic!  But if you want to avoid going about God’s work in all the wrong ways I suggest starting with a season of prayer.  

             Read almost any business book, self-help book, or do a search on the internet on articles of how to be a better person and one will come across the word “integrity.” 

The Bible is also full of examples of individuals who were people of integrity.  People like Caleb, Ruth, Job, Paul, and many others lived their lives before God and people with integrity.

Willard Tate described integrity this way, “The word comes from the mathematical term “integer”, a number that hasn’t been divided into fractions.  It’s a whole number.  And a person with integrity is a man or woman whose life is not divided against itself [by lying, immorality, cheating, gossiping, stealing, drinking, or dishonesty] someone who enjoys wholeness and completeness” (Habits of a Loving Heart p. 96).

In other words, integrity is more than just telling the truth, it is living the truth, being a truthful person all the time.   It is being what we say we are, even when no one is looking; not being hypocritical, deceitful, or untrustworthy.

Proverbs 11:3, teaches that, “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.”

Dennis Waitley, in an article entitled, "Your Absolute Bottom Line," published in Priorities Magazine, shared this story that well illustrates integrity.

In the operating room of a large, well-known hospital, it was the nurse's first day on the medical team. She was responsible that all instruments and materials were accounted for before completing the final steps of the operation. She said to the surgeon, "You've only removed 11 sponges. We used 12 sponges, and we need to find the last one."

"I removed them all," the doctor declared emphatically. "We'll close the incision now."
"No," the rookie nurse objected, "we used 12 sponges."

"I'll take the responsibility," the surgeon said grimly. "Suture."

"You can't do that, sir," blazed the nurse. "Think of the patient."

The surgeon smiled and lifted his foot, showing the nurse the twelfth sponge. "You'll do just fine in this or any other hospital."

Dishonest people and practices have plagued our society.  Companies, government, families, schools, and sadly, even in the church; people have been cheated, lied to, used, and have been victims of dishonest practices; yet this seem to be the norm today. But integrity should be one of the characteristics of the Church. Above all, honesty and integrity should be a characteristic of each Christian.

Jesus put it this way “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?” (Luke 16:10-11).  Think about it! 

Written by Mark T. Tonkery

When I think of brotherly kindness I think of Jesus Christ. If the truth were known, his acts of kindness would be numberless. But the Scriptures do attempt to give us a picture of this virtue on the life of our Lord. Brotherly kindness was shown when Jesus fed the hungry multitudes; when he healed the lame and blind; when he showed compassion in raising the son of the widow of Nain from the dead; when he cried at the tomb of Lazarus. As great as these acts of kindness were, his greatest act was the sharing of his saving message to the world which he made possible by dying at Calvary. Without that one act of kindness, we would still be lost in sin. It goes without saying that we should always demonstrate this virtue in our lives. Most of us can be kind as long as things go smoothly. It’s when we’re tested that we know whether or not we have the virtue.

If you truly have brotherly kindness you:

1. Will not respond negatively to another’s offenses, but you will turn the other cheek.

2. Will not take revenge into your own hands because it belongs to God.

3. Will not spread damaging gossip about others whether it is true or not!

4. Will not hold grudges, but will forgive and forget.

5. Will give your brother the benefit of the doubt.

As Paul put it, showing brotherly kindness is “bearing with one another, and forgiving each other . . . Just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you” (Col. 3:13).

Ted Blackwood

The question has been asked of me, “Why should I place membership with the local congregation?”

This question can only be answered if one understands that they have obeyed what the Bible teaches on how one becomes a Christian.   In Acts 2:38, we see that all those who repented of their sins and were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and received the Holy Spirit, were added to the church by God (Acts 2:41,47).  This is where a person becomes a member of the church.

Now assume a person has obeyed the Gospel according to scriptures but then they move to a new area or maybe they obeyed the Gospel at church camp or while they were away at college.  Why should they place membership with the local congregation?

First, it is biblical.  Now the word “membership” is not found in the Bible, but the concept is there.   In the New Testament, Christians are identified with the congregation they worshiped and worked with.  In Romans 16 Phoebe, Prisca, and Aquila, as well as many others were identified with local congregations.  This could be said of each congregation in the New Testament; writers wrote to each congregation which were identified separately, and individual members were identified with one congregation or another. 

Another word for membership which is found in Philippians 1:5 is “partnership.”  Paul was able to make a distinction from one congregation to another, as well as members because they had identified with the various local congregations.

Second, for involvement purposes.  In Romans 12:4-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 Paul uses the human body as an example of how each member of the Body of Christ is to function.  So, when a person “places membership” the elders of the church should help direct the new member in areas they can best use their talents. 

Membership in the church is not like in a civic organization where one just pays dues and shows up to meetings.  Church members are expected to do something for God, to teach, serve, lead, give, encourage, or a variety of other activities.  It is important that Christians be involved in the work of the church and not just “pew warmers.”  When a Christian “places their membership” with a congregation it helps the elders know who they can depend on, and call on, to help with the work of the church.

Third, it helps in building relationships.  Membership is about relationships.  The churches in Thessalonica and Athens began by people obeying the gospel and joining (consorted, KJV) themselves to Paul and the faithful brethren with him (Acts 17:4; 17:34).  Meaning they “associate” or began to congregate together as a body of believers.

Fourth, accountability.  Nowhere in the New Testament do, we see Christians being “church members at large” or not identifying with a congregation.  In Acts 9:27-28 Saul later Paul was taken to Jerusalem and “identified” with the church in Jerusalem.  Later in Acts 13:1-2 Paul “identified” with the church of Antioch. Even Paul who traveled greatly to carry out the gospel of Jesus Christ “identified” or “placed membership” with a congregation.  Even in Acts 21:17-18 James is identified with the church in Jerusalem.  

Also, how can a member “obey their leaders” and have them watch over you as we see instructed in Hebrews 13:17, if one has not placed membership.

Today many people visit and attend a congregation for a while before they “place membership.”  If you are one of those individuals, and you have obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ by repenting of your sins and being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins (Acts 2:38).  Then please go talk to one of our elders, they would enjoy talking to you more about you placing your membership with us at the Camden Ave. Church of Christ.

In Christ, Mark T. Tonkery

   Paul the apostle wielded legitimate miraculous power. He told a man who was crippled from birth to stand up and “At that, the man jumped up and began to walk” (Acts 14:10). What would become of a man who could do that today? Who could just speak healing into existence? “You who were blind from birth – see!” And then the blind person looks around in amazement as she sees for the first time. Can you even imagine?

   In our modern would I imagine there would be an enormous amount of skepticism at first. But as the stories added up and doubts faded could you imagine how famous the healer would become? How wealthy he could become if that’s what he wanted? There’s no doubt that at least some would believe this healer is just a little more than human. But be sure of this – if this healer accepts this praise and all this attention for himself, if he uses his ability to benefit himself by gaining riches and power, then he is no man of God.

   Of course we know that no such healer exists today (even though some make the claim). There are, however, gifted speakers. There are talented businessmen, skilled athletes, people who are good at making money. All kinds of abilities exist that people use to direct the attention to themselves, to gain wealth and honor at every opportunity. But I want you to notice that Paul didn’t do that. The man who could do something more remarkable than any ability we see today refused to be praised. He wanted all the praise to go to God. After healing the cripple the crowd wanted to worship Paul and Barnabas as gods. I’m sure that would be tempting for some – but they wanted none of it. “But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: ‘Men, why are you doing this?’” (Acts 14:14-15).

   If those who could do miracles wanted all the praise to go to God, who are we to seek praise for ourselves? I don’t care what you can do – you can’t heal a guy who was crippled from birth. “It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one’s own honor” (Proverbs 25:27). Let’s take a page from Paul’s book. Give the credit to God. Give the praise to God. No matter what you do or what you can do be sure to direct attention away from yourself and toward the One who can do everything. That’s the honorable thing to do. That’s what true men and women of God have always done.

written by: Doug Wells