Editor’s Note:
Several years ago, I met a man who was then a sportswriter for an Illinois newspaper. He and I became fast friends, for at that first meeting, we enjoyed watching the Big Ten Basketball Tournament together in his living room. For whatever excuse (and he would admit it was “excuse” and not “reason”) he departed from the faith for a time. Gladly I report to you he returned to Christ and His church and remains a very resolute man of truth and righteousness. The following articles are from his hand and contributed here with his permission and with my encouragement for your reading and application!
HOW GOD TELLS US WHAT TO SAY
Unless smarter than the apostles, we should consider the following. In a recent class of teenagers, we studied how Jesus sent out His twelve apostles (Matthew 10). He gave them power over unclean spirits to cast them out and to heal all kinds of sickness and disease.
While we may not be given these powers today, after some time and thought I realized we do relate to Matthew 10: 19 – 20 when Jesus said, “But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.” Am I saying the Holy Spirit will instantly put words in our mouths? No! God can still do that, but probably won’t because He has given us power in another manner: “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:17)
These days we have the Bible to tell us what to say. It has all the instructions we need. Granted, that’s a lot as 2 Timothy 3:16 – 17 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
ALL SCRIPTURE!
Scripture is where we are given God’s wisdom through His inspired writers as we are told in 2 Peter 1: 20 – 21, which reads, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
So rather than thinking of what to say on our own --- something Jesus commanded His apostles NOT to do --- we should equip ourselves through Bible study as instructed in 2 Timothy 2:15 --- “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
How can we survive without reading and studying the Bible? Without it, we are doomed to the fate stated in Proverbs 14:12 – “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
Brian Nielson
Member, Southside church of Christ
Mattoon, IL
Laughter to Mourning
We’ve settled down now, but in our day didn’t we party with the best of them?
“Remember the night we …?”
Plenty of things I don’t want to remember.
If we say one of those first lines or something like it – laughing or practically bragging of past sins – have we really repented?
Look at James 4:9, which says, “Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.”
Not knowing about others, I need to remember that!
Paul showed how any of us can change and be converted as he acknowledged in 1 Timothy 1:15 he was the “chief of sinners.” But he certainly wasn’t bragging or laughing about that!
Is that funny?
If we turn our laughter to mourning by repenting and have baptism wash away sins (1 Peter 3:21), then we can find true joy mentioned plenty of times in the Bible.
Brian Nielson
Member, Southside church of Christ
Mattoon, IL