Of all the buildings humanity has constructed over the millennia, none are so beautiful as the temple Solomon built during his reign. It was a large structure built with the best materials known to man. Cedar, gold, bronze, and other valuable materials made up the temple. It is said that the temple was God’s “exalted house” and that it was “great” (1 Kings 8:13; 2 Chronicles 2:5). There is no question that the temple of God was indeed glorious. We marvel at the description Scripture gives of it and perhaps wish we could have seen it with our own eyes. Yet for all the beauty and glory of the temple in Solomon’s day, there is a more beautiful house than that in our world today, but it is not a temple upon which we lay our eyes; instead, it is a heavenly kingdom built by God through Jesus Christ. How could it be that such a kingdom is a more beautiful house than the temple that is described as “exalted” and “great”?

What makes the heavenly kingdom of Jesus Christ a beautiful house is not its appearance but its purpose. In his first letter, Peter explains the purposeful beauty of the Lord’s church. He first observes that, unlike Solomon’s temple, the house we consider was built by God upon Christ. He is the “chief cornerstone” (1 Peter 2:4, 6-8). In construction, the cornerstone is that which bears most of the weight. It is fitting for Peter to apply this image to Jesus, because in His heavenly kingdom, which is the church, He has the first place in all affairs. In fact, without Jesus, the kingdom would not exist at all! The reality that Jesus is the cornerstone of this kingdom calls those who dwell in it to make Him the center of their lives. Perhaps that is why Peter observes that those who trust in Christ see Him as “precious,” which refers to His exceeding value. For the church to be the beautiful house God intends, Christ must always be at the center of what it does. Otherwise, its beauty is greatly diminished!

​Peter’s next observation is that it is made up of “living stones” that are being “built up a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5). Unlike the temple of old, that which makes up the heavenly kingdom of Jesus is living and active. It is not a cleverly arranged assortment of wood and metal but is instead made up of God’s holy people. Each child of God who lives in Christ’s kingdom is a living stone that contributes to the overall whole. Peter further notes that these living stones become a “holy priesthood” that offer up “spiritual sacrifices” to God. This means that these people are engaged in service to Christ. They, like the priests of old who served in the temple, are busy with God’s work. It is essential that we realize the church is not just a building we visit but a people to whom we belong. While we enter church buildings to worship and fellowship, we cannot allow that brick-and-mortar to become the center of our faith. Each day, each child of God lives and works as a living stone that makes up the heavenly kingdom of Jesus. When this charge is taken seriously, the beauty of Christ’s kingdom shows forth in the good works and spiritual sacrifices that His people offer.

Finally, Peter notes that praise and honor to God takes place in the heavenly kingdom of Christ. The people, or living stones, that make up the church reflect on the blessings that have been bestowed upon them and cannot help but proclaim God’s praises (1 Peter 2:9-10). The beauty of Christ’s kingdom is put on vivid display when His people worship His name with respect, zeal, and gratitude. They show to others the impressive beauty of the church, not because of any fancy buildings or comfortable pews, but because of the God the church seeks to glorify. Even when the life of those living stones endures difficulty and hardship, they still dedicate themselves to God’s praise. Surely this portrays how beautiful Christ’s kingdom is.

Solomon’s temple was an “exalted” and “great” building, but it pales in comparison to what Christ built with the church. The difference lies in why each is seen as “beautiful.” While the temple Solomon built was pleasing to the eye, the house Christ built is pleasing to the soul. Christ’s kingdom is more enduring and significant than Solomon’s temple ever could have been because it is not based on a single location or structure but instead on the everlasting sacrifice of Jesus. While buildings are built and destroyed, what Christ built remains to this day, and the living stones who make it up—the children of God—continue to work for His glory. Why not consider how beautiful Christ’s kingdom is and see how its beauty can change your life?

At some point in our lives, conflicts with others inevitably arise. It does not matter how kind, gentle, and patient we are, because even these traits can embitter some based on how they interpret our motives. It also does not matter if our convictions are rooted in what is right, for some will firmly disagree and become our enemies. These circumstances should not surprise us. Even without consulting the Scriptures we understand that conflict is part of what it means to live life. Yet our society has steadily trended toward the mistaken idea that conflict can be totally avoided. In fact, it not only can be totally avoided, but conflict in and of itself is viewed as bad. This leaves no room for discussions over disagreements, requests for forgiveness, or mutual understanding. What this produces is more conflict. Just because a problem is swept under the rug does not mean the problem ceases to exist! The question then becomes whether we strive for peace with those who oppose us or if we are simply passive with the thought that, maybe, just maybe, they will leave us alone. What would Scripture encourage us to pursue?
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            We should first understand that God is a peacemaker, not a peacekeeper. The distinction is that the former puts forth effort to produce peace while the latter maintains the peace that exists. God’s character shows us why this distinction matters. Both Old and New Testament teach us that because of sin, we are God’s enemies. We were subject to His divine wrath as a result (Ephesians 2:1-3). Rather than remain idle in this circumstance, God chose to pursue peace through His Son, Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:4-7). It is why Paul declares Jesus is Himself our peace (Ephesians 2:14-16). Only through Christ was peace possible, and only because of God’s desire to make peace was Christ’s coming possible. Were it not for God being a peacemaker, we would remain lost in sin and subject to His wrath. This thought alone should alert us to the importance of peacemaking rather than peacekeeping.

            In addition to God’s actions, we must consider Jesus’ teachings on peace. In His Sermon on the Mount, He pronounced a blessing on those who are peacemakers (Matthew 5:9). He did not bless the peacekeepers, nor did He encourage His hearers to be passive and wish for the best. Later in this sermon, Jesus speaks of a circumstance where you recall that your brother has something against you as you come to worship. In this situation, the Savior says it is you—not your brother—who should seek reconciliation (Matthew 5:23-24). Carefully consider what Jesus says. It is your brother, not you, who is offended. In our thinking, it is his obligation to come and tell us about our offense. That is not what Jesus says. Whether you are right, wrong, or anywhere in-between, Jesus teaches us to make peace with others to the best of our ability. That reality grates against a culture which encourages senseless outrage and constant offense, for it tells us that we have an obligation to resolve conflict no matter the circumstance. It demands courage and the willingness to confront problems head-on. Anything less will be a failure to make peace.

            Through Paul, Jesus teaches us more about what it means to be peacemakers. An understudied and easily overlooked text says, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful” (Colossians 3:15). It is easy to assume that the peace of which Paul speaks is what we feel within because of God’s providential work. The word “rule,” however, changes the impact of the text. In the Greek language that term refers to what controls a person’s decisions. Put simply, then, if the peace of God rules our lives, then our every decision will revolve around what makes peace. That takes the matter beyond a mere feeling and places it in the realm of everyday living. Whenever we interact with others, we always choose words and actions that make peace, not conflict. That means we cannot bite back at others when they speak ill of us. That means we cannot reward evil deeds committed against us with more evil deeds. That means we cannot be passive in how we live our lives if we would have peace in it.

            We must be people who pursue peace. We cannot be passive in our efforts to have peace with others. While we understand that enemies will arise who care nothing for peace, it does not change the fact that we will do all that we can to make it a reality (Romans 12:18). It is time for us to grow up and realize that it is not about what others say and do but about what we say and do. No one can force us to think or react in evil ways. The only way that will happen is if we fall into temptation. Let us then seek to be peacemakers who resolve conflict rather than pacifists who ignore it.

The following article is from the desk of David Bobbitt, one of the men of the Madisonville church of Christ.

Southern Living, Better Homes and Gardens, and other ladies’ magazines all purport to offer the secret to gracious living.  Just the right colors, fabrics, and finishes can make your home a place where family and friends can rest and recharge.  Historically, hospitality and gracious living have been synonymous with what it means to be a Southerner.  Those characteristics also describe how we should live as Christians. (I Peter 4:9-10) Yet gracious living is not always as easy as it might sound.  Every day, the trials of life test the limits of our patience and have the potential to deplete our personal reservoir of grace.  The Bible encourages us to be people of grace.  Gracious living means that we overlook wrongs we have suffered.  We don’t walk around with a chip on our shoulder because of the color of our skin, a criticism uttered by a spouse, or a wrong suffered at the hands of a harsh boss.  We endure all and forgive all without keeping a record of wrongs done to us. (I Cor. 13:5)

So why is it so hard to live graciously?  The answer is simple: we selfishly demand justice.  Perhaps it is because of the nation in which we live, a nation dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal and deserve to be treated justly.  Yet the Bible has never promised us justice in this life.  Justice is the purview of God alone and we are commanded only to do the best we can in whatever situation we find ourselves. (I Cor. 7:17-24) God is God and we are not.  And because of our sins he owes us nothing, neither are we entitled to an explanation for whatever bad things may happen to us. (Lamentations 3:39) Besides, how many of us really want justice?  Do we really want to stand before God Almighty on Judgment Day and receive what we are due for the sins we have committed?

We also fail to live graciously because we fail to understand the true nature of sin as well as the true purpose of the church.  We like to categorize and quantify sins causing us to see some sins as heinous while others are fairly benevolent.  Surely the darkest recesses of Hell are reserved for the Jeffery Dahmers and Ted Bundys of the world, and not for the person who might tell a “little white lie” or occasionally break the speed limit.  Yet to God, a sin is a sin, and the person who tells the “little white lie” is just as guilty in God’s eyes as a murderer.  Some of us have a difficult time wrapping our minds around that Biblical truth.  All sin separates us from God, thus we all stand in need of God’s grace to put us back into a right relationship with him. (Rom. 3:23-24) Because we stand in need of God’s grace, believers repent, confess the name of Christ, submit to baptism, and are added to his church.  And the church we are added to is not a place for the good.  Jesus himself said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17) Again, this is a tough concept for many of us to grasp, but until we do, we will probably not look forward to being in heaven with our brother Jeffery Dahmer, and we may end up missing out on God’s grace altogether.

Fact is, none of us is “good enough” to go to heaven and without God’s grace, purchased by the blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, none of us will ever get there.  Thus, it is incumbent upon us to learn what it means to live as persons of grace.  Gracious living means treating people better than they deserve to be treated.  We do this because that is what God did for us when he sent his Son to earth, so that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8) We also do this because we know that “with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Matt. 7:2) Like Melanie Wilkes in Gone with the Wind, we should always try to see the best in those around us.  We should answer kindly when insulted or challenged, and not always feel a need to “get in the last word.”  Rather than leaving a wound to fester, we should reconcile quickly whenever we find that relations between us and a brother or sister are strained. (Matt. 18:15-35) We should humble ourselves and take a genuine interest in what those around us are doing.  The world doesn’t revolve around us and we should come to see others as better than ourselves and worthy of our attention. (Phil. 2:2-5) Above all else, we should be gracious by praying for those with whom we may have differences. (Matt. 5:44-46) Adopting a servant heart, praying for others, thinking of others as more important than ourselves, and accepting the opinions and ideas of others as worthy of our consideration, will ultimately help us realize how little we really know and how much we need Jesus and our brothers and sisters in Christ.  In time, we will find our greatest satisfaction and deepest joy in service to others, and truly come to understand what it means to enjoy gracious living.

​Without a doubt every person who reads this article has made an excuse. Indeed, excuses are as natural as breathing for most people. We take refuge in the cute and clever excuses we forge to avoid what we ought to do. In fact, we spend more time inventing excuses to skirt our God-given responsibilities than we do carrying them out. How foolish! Yet, we continue to waste our time with rationales that irritate God. Let us be direct and address the common excuses we often use to evade the Lord’s work.

            Foremost among the excuses we make is a lack of knowledge. We have all heard a fellow Christian say, “I don’t know enough to work for the Lord.” Though it may sound unkind, ignorance is usually not the issue. Dedication, however, is. Christianity is simple (2 Cor. 11:3). It does not take a man with a fancy degree or decades of experience to understand the message of Jesus. If it did, then Peter, a fisherman from the backwoods of Galilee, would not have been privileged to preach the first sermon recorded in Acts (Matt. 4:18; Acts 2:14-40). Knowledge, then, is not the issue; it is our lack of dedication.

            Another common excuse concerns reception. It seems that some brethren assume that no one will listen to the gospel, so they never preach it in the first place. Yet, the Bible emphasis is on proclamation, not reception. Jesus expects His people to preach Him and allow their hearers to decide what to do (Luke 10:16). We do not pout in the corner simply because no one liked what we had to say. Every Christian must understand that Jesus, the only perfect man who ever lived, was rejected (Jn. 12:37-43). Reception is not the point!

            Both former excuses pale in comparison to the final one: “I have other obligations.” No other excuse reveals a greater misunderstanding of Christ and His work than this. Somewhere down the line we were convinced that our families and jobs supersede the kingdom of God. Yet Jesus taught the exact opposite. The kingdom always comes first (Matt. 6:33; Luke 14:26-27, 33). Nothing compares to the cause of Christ. Several early disciples forsook all that they had to follow Jesus (Luke 5:11, 28). The same ought to be said about us.
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            All that we have stated leads us to this: no excuse rationalizes our lack of work. We might convince others with our excuses, but God knows better. There is work to be done, and no room exists for excuse makers in the mission set before us. A wise man once stated, “he that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” Which would you rather be? A craftsman of excuses or a worker for God? The decision is yours.

The following article is from the desk of Hardie Logan, one of the brothers at the Madisonville church of Christ.

Ever since Eve partook of the ‘forbidden tree’ in the Garden of Eden, man has tried to work around things that God meant and justify his sin. When God asked Adam, “Who told you that you were naked?”, Genesis 3:11, Adam immediately tried to justify himself replying, “The woman You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” Later, in Genesis 4:8-9, when Cain killed his brother and God asked Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”, Cain tried to justify himself by asking, “…am I my brother’s keeper?”

All through the Old Testament, and even in the New Testament, we see examples of people trying to work around answering God and justifying sins they commit. And that has not changed, even to this very day.

Take the issue of what is called ‘cybersex’ or ‘phone sex’. Many people participate in such things, and if truth be known, many of those people think that if they do it online, and no one knows, then what’s the hurt? Two people communicating together, doing their own thing. They would even argue that it is no one else’s business. And there is little doubt that it must be billions of dollars business. Sex sells no matter how you band-aid it.

But it’s still immoral. Cybersex and phone sex cannot in any way be labeled as being righteous or noble or right or pure or lovely or admirable or excellent or praiseworthy in the eyes of man or God. No matter how you spin it, cybersex and phone sex are nothing short of “virtual adultery.” As James would say, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God”- James 4:3-4.

But some people would argue, “It’s not real sex, so it isn’t sex.” But it actually is called ‘cybersex’ and ‘phone sex’ right? It is an act of luring another person into an ungodly affair. And when people do it, what are they fantasying about? Surely, they are not fantasying about Godly things, but about their own desires and lusts. A person that is immoral in their mind and with their desires will eventually become immoral in their actions. As Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as a he thinks in his heart, so is he…”

Jesus taught it in Matthew 5:27, “You shall not commit adultery…” and while there was no such thing as “cybersex” or “phone sex” back then, I would put forth that both terms are included as they are “virtual adultery” or “cyber adultery”.

Among Christians this should never be. Let us be a people that strive after righteousness, godliness and purity.

Shame, guilt, and sorrow often define our past. When we consider our former deeds and how we handled our lives, it causes significant regret. We wish we could be a time-traveler and return to those critical moments so we could have another opportunity to make things right, yet we know that is impossible. Perhaps it was an angry word spoken that could not be unspoken or neglect we wish we could change into action. Whether we like it or not, our past is part of what makes us who we are, but we cannot allow it to define us in the present, nor can its impact be so great that it hinders our future. However, that is precisely what many people are doing. They have no prospects for the present or the future because they are so busy looking behind them. Even Christians become weighed down with these thoughts. Is it God’s will for His people to think this way?
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            Throughout the Bible, God uses the term “remember” in a positive sense. Memory should not always be that which we view poorly. Consider how God wanted Israel to remember Him and His commandments (Deuteronomy 8:1-20). Through their remembrance of the Lord, they would call to mind His mighty deeds on their behalf. In addition, they would recall His commandments and seek to carry them out. The apostle Peter understood that remembrances had a place in the lives of God’s people, for when he wrote his second letter, it was to remind them of what they already knew (2 Peter 1:12-15). Our view of the past—whether our own or from the history the Lord has taught us in His word—should bring us gladness when we consider who the Lord is, what He has done for us, and what He has taught us. Without calling the past to mind, how will we know the path to travel in the future? We are not imprisoned in the past when we use it the way the Lord intends through remembrance of Him and His ways. The past becomes that from which we grow and learn rather than something we regret.

            We all know that this positive perspective on memory is often not the way the past is seen. One troubling problem we have with the past is paralysis. Put simply, we are overwhelmed with shame and guilt to the point we believe we can never do what is right. Let us be honest with ourselves, friends: this is often an excuse to refuse change. Even if it is not an excuse, it is a self-imposed obstacle. Scripture repeatedly affirms that we can change our ways to align with God (Ephesians 4:20-24). To deny this in our lives is a denial of what God has taught, which we cannot abide. We do not have to allow the past to imprison us to the point that we never grow, mature, or abound in what is good. There remain opportunities to carry out God’s will so long as we draw breath. The challenge is whether we will seize upon them.

            Another common problem we find with the past is nostalgia. In an era where responsibility and obligation are routinely avoided, it is not surprising that people both young and old would see the past through rose-colored glasses. That is, to them, what came before is better than what exists now. They feel this way because the past brings them more comfort than the present. The past did not challenge them to improve, nor did it call them to do better. This is not to suggest that all nostalgia is problematic but that some of its motivations are. Solomon wrote that those who see the old days as better are unwise (Ecclesiastes 7:10). Friends, we cannot be imprisoned in the past to the point that we always think it was so much better. When we look to the past with such delusions, we miss out on what is available to us in the here and now. We also neglect to press forward into the future. The apostle Paul reminds us that we need to neglect what is behind and focus on what is ahead in God’s service (Philippians 3:13-14).

            When we focus on the past at the expense of the present and the future, then we have made it into a prison. We have enabled ourselves to suffer at our own hands rather than press forward to what God has in store for us. The Lord Jesus Christ holds the key to that prison door we have created, and the key is remembering Him and His commandments. Surely, we can all appreciate a Savior who, though He knows all that we have done, still offers a path forward in His service. Will you accept the key He provides through His word?
            

The following article is from the desk of David Bobbitt, one of the brothers at the Madisonville church of Christ.

When someone says “You need Jesus, I need Jesus, we all need Jesus,” what ideas do these phrases evoke in the minds of most people?  Certainly, they convey the notion that the need for Jesus is universal, but in a practical sense, what does the idea of “needing Jesus” mean?  How does it manifest itself in the lives of people?  Does “getting Jesus” mean just being right with God, or is there something more?

According to the Bible, when we emerge from the waters of baptism, we are new creations. (II Cor. 5:17, Col. 2:12, Rom. 6:1-5) We are new creations because our sins have been forgiven and our slate wiped clean, but that doesn’t mean that we won’t still have the same struggles that we did before.  Temptation doesn’t just vanish, neither does our way of thinking change overnight.  Yet if we have truly surrendered to the will of God, we will commit ourselves to doing our best to live as we should.  That in and of itself is a major concession, but many people, when they first put on Christ in baptism, have no idea how to live better lives.  This is where our “need for Jesus” comes into play.

The Bible clearly states that not only is Jesus the head of the church, but also that he is the church!  In 1 Corinthians 12:27 Paul writes, “Now you [the church] are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”  To tell someone that they “need Jesus” is not some hollow, meaningless phrase.  To “need Jesus” is to need the church and all the benefits that come with being a part of it.  Those who believe that they can be “Christians are large” without being in fellowship with Christ’s body are greatly, and sadly mistaken.

Someone might ask, “Besides being forgiven of our sins, what other benefits come with being a part of the church?”  To answer that question, let us first consider the situation that a typical new convert might face.  If, for example, a homeless person puts on Christ, he is a “new creation” because his sins have been forgiven, but how does he move forward to live a productive life for God?  He may have a drug or alcohol problem and he may not be employed.  It may seem that his prospects for improvement are small, but in fact, being a part of the church provides him with everything he needs to turn his life around.

If he has truly surrendered his will to God, then he will be thinking about ways that he can become a good citizen and a productive servant of God.  He may genuinely not know how to do that, but his brothers and sisters in Christ can help him.  To become a good citizen, he needs to get a job, earn is wages, pay taxes, and learn to be responsible for his own care.  Addressing a drug or alcohol problem likely will be one of the first things he needs to do.  If he “turns these problems over to God” a solution can be found through the help of fellow Christians.  Once sobriety is achieved, he can begin to look for a job and affordable housing.  Again, fellow Christians can help because they can point him in the direction he needs to go.  Resources are available to help him and Christians can be conduits through which he can find and embrace those resources.  Christians can help by providing transportation to job interviews.  Christians can also provide food and clothing temporarily until the new convert “gets on his feet.”

Belonging to the church also conveys spiritual benefits.  Christians can pray for, and with, the new convert to help him find the strength to move forward.  They can teach him God’s word, provided that he continues to attend faithfully.  Eventually, the new convert will start to develop a sense of “belonging” to the family of God.  He will begin to cultivate hope and develop a vision for what he can become.  He will be firmly planted in an environment where he can flourish physically, mentally, and spiritually.

For those who have determined in their minds to “surrender to God,” all of these things are possible.  There will be difficulties along the way, but the church can help even a homeless convert have a productive and meaningful life.  To tell someone that they “need Jesus” is not just a phrase composed of happy thoughts and wishful thinking, but it is an invitation to become everything God wants them to become through his church.

Without a doubt you have heard the following saying: “Family comes first.” Maybe you have heard some in recent times say, “Put yourself first.” These statements come in various forms, but they all teach us about our priorities. For most people, both sayings we have shared are the sum of their priorities in life. They are like the tongue-in-cheek joke shared by a preacher from the past that says, “Lord, bless me and my wife, Joe and his wife, that’s four no more. Amen.” To them, all that matters is their own status and that of the people in their immediate circle. Their highest calling is simply to benefit themselves. They would surely protest if they were labelled as selfish or self-centered, yet their actions speak far louder than any words could.

While it is not wrong to prioritize your family and even your own wellbeing at times, there must be One who holds greater sway than anyone, or anything, else. It is God’s intent that we make His Son Jesus the One who holds that sway. Consider the following inspired statement:

“And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:17-18).
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After reading that text, can you see any room for exalting someone or something above Jesus? If you go back to verses fifteen and sixteen, you quickly discover that Jesus is the One through whom the Father created the universe! Could anyone be more significant and consequential than Jesus? We would not even exist were it not for Jesus. Furthermore, we would have no avenue of restoration to God were it not for Him. No wonder the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write what he did. Truly Jesus must be preeminent, or first, in the hearts and lives of those who follow Him.

What then is the problem? Why are so-called Christians hasty to exalt everything but Jesus to the first place in their lives? Part of the dilemma is the sad reality that for many Christians, Jesus is but a small fraction of their lives. Make no mistake: they attend worship, they read the Scriptures, and they offer prayers. At day’s end, however, their faith does not define who they are. It is a convenient tool they can unpack and use when they deem it necessary, but otherwise, it is kept locked away. They prefer to be identified by their wealth, prestige in the community, family heritage, and everything else except for the Lord. Jesus is just a nice-to-have role model they can call upon in distress and neglect in times of ease. Like the hypocrites in Ezekiel’s day, they love to hear about Jesus but refuse to follow His ways (Ezekiel 33:30-33).

Friends, we must ensure Jesus occupies the first place in our lives. We cannot afford to give that place to another. Now is the time to exalt Him to His proper place. How can we make this a reality in our lives?

• We should seek the things of heaven where King Jesus resides (Colossians 3:1). The seeking of which Paul speaks is not just casually browsing through a magazine rack at the grocery store. It is a diligent, zealous pursuit for the ways of Jesus that will lead us to live with Him forever.
• We should focus our minds on heaven, not on the earth (Colossians 3:2). Surely many brethren have fallen by the wayside because they desired what this life offered more than what Jesus does. It is critical that we not forget the admonition of the apostle John to not love the world nor what is in it (1 John 2:15-17).
• We should remember that Jesus is not merely part of our lives; He is life (Colossians 3:3-4). We are not truly alive apart from Jesus. In His life, Jesus clearly stated He would provide abundant life to those who followed Him (John 10:10). That is not some prosperity gospel propaganda; rather, it is a reality that disciples of Jesus have hope and help in Him. It is also important to note that Jesus will return and bring us home with Him on that glorious day. Why would we want to miss out on the abundant life now and the glories of eternal life in the future?

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There remains only one question for you: does Jesus occupy the first place in your life? If not, then get to work putting Jesus in His proper place in your life. Let us all give these ideas some thought.

The story of the Titanic is one of tragedy, and one of the worst parts of that tragedy is the pomp and pride that surrounded it. One unknown deckhand was quoted as saying, “God Himself could not sink this ship.” That hubris proved fatal when the ship struck an iceberg and sank to the ocean floor. Thousands of people lost their lives because they refused to believe such a grand ship was in peril. In a sense, all the arrogant, proud, and boastful people will face a similar fate if they refuse to face facts. As the Savior once said, “And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12).

It is doubtful that most people, especially children of God, would consider themselves proud, arrogant, boastful, and filled with hubris. They desperately want to believe they are humble and submissive to the Lord. They think that all they do is done exactly as the Lord expects and desires. Yet we have brethren who overflow with these destructive qualities that tear congregations apart. Diotrophes has many kinfolk in the kingdom today (3 John 9-10). Here is a so-called child of God who slandered an apostle of Jesus Christ! Can you imagine? One does not have to look too long to find people who would do the same and worse today, though.
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A brief examination of one’s conduct quickly reveals whether he has the same spirit Diotrophes had thousands of years ago. Consider how someone may end up with such a spirit within them.

• They think more highly of themselves than is appropriate (Romans 12:3).
• They occupy their minds with the world and its wisdom (1 Corinthians 3:18-23).
• They seek to elevate themselves and their ideas (Philippians 2:3-4).
• They envy others and maliciously provoke them (Galatians 5:26).
• They do not wish to serve but to be served (Mark 10:42-45).

Such is a mere sampling of the problem. The result of all these attitudes and actions is harm against Christ and His church. Friends, many congregations have been torn apart, not because of persecution or external pressure, but because of arrogant men and women who just had to have their way. Rather than admit that they are mistaken or that the congregation does not need to carry out their whims, they double-down on their hubris. They undermine godly leaders, target perceived opponents, and gather yes-men who will do their bidding. At day’s end, all they do is divide and destroy.

            Humility, not hubris, is the way of Christ. It is His will for His people to humble themselves before Him. In fact, one cannot even begin to follow Christ without humility. What arrogant person would deny himself when he thinks he is perfect just as he is (Luke 9:23)? Yet it is not just our initial humility and submission to Christ that should be considered. These qualities must continue to remain with us. Consider how someone can manifest humility and submission rather than arrogant pride.

• They have a proper appraisal of self (Romans 12:16).
• They set their minds on God’s wisdom and ways (Proverbs 30:5).
• They elevate Christ above themselves (Philippians 1:19-20).
• They consider others to stir up love and good works (Hebrews 10:24).
• They are invested in carrying out good works for others (Titus 3:8).

These qualities build up Christ’s church. Just envision in your mind’s eye the beauty that unfolds when you see every brother and sister in the Lord putting each other before themselves. Imagine, if you will, brethren withholding their personal opinions and judgments on indifferent matters for the sake of others. Consider how good and how pleasant it is when brethren desire unity in the truth rather than division over doubtful things (Psalm 133:1). We need a triple-dose of humility in our lives. Then, and only then, can we be unified in Christ and carry out His will. Arrogance, pride, boastfulness, and hubris must then be cast aside. It is time to humble ourselves to each other and to our Heavenly Father (1 Peter 5:5-7). Friends, let us give this serious thought.

Contentment is essential for disciples of Jesus. It is, as the apostle Paul wrote, great gain to us (1 Timothy 6:6). Yet contentment in every part of life can be troublesome. When contentment turns into complacency, complacency gives way to laziness. Laziness then brings forth apathy, and apathy almost always leads to hardened hearts that care little for the things of God. That well describes the condition of many people both within and without the kingdom of Christ today. Are they content? Oh yes! They are content to warm a bench, contribute their obligatory pittance, and live whatever lives they choose. Any sort of challenge or opposition to their settled way of being is dismissed as “judgmental,” “harsh,” and “un-Christlike.” They are content, but in all the wrong ways.

Restoration shakes us out of our complacency, laziness, and apathy. At least, that is its intention. Restoration demands change on a personal and collective level; that is, it transforms our character and our congregations. It forces us to evaluate how we live, work, and worship against the teaching of Scripture. That evaluation is a challenge, and few want to bother rising to face it. It is easier to declare that we have reached the goal of restoration when we have barely started the process. That is precisely why so many of us have not grown an inch in Christ over the course of several decades. We have deceived ourselves into thinking we have already made it. To borrow from Hebrews, we have become “dull of hearing” (Hebrews 5:11). The inevitable conclusion of such self-deceit and dullness of hearing is eternal condemnation.

Throughout the history of the Old Testament, many restorers sought to realign God’s people with His ways. King Hezekiah resolved to break down the dearly held idols of his people and woke them up so they would turn back to God (2 Kings 18:3-4; 2 Chronicles 29-31). He started and continued the process of restoration. As the story progresses, however, we find that Hezekiah’s son, Manasseh, rolled back the positive changes his father made (2 Chronicles 33:1-9). The restoration Hezekiah started promptly ended when Manasseh took the throne. While he eventually came around, it did not change the damage he had caused. Restoration began again with Josiah many years later, but it too was short-lived (2 Chronicles 34:1-7).

Oh, how familiar these accounts should be to us! All too often people who wish to please God seek to return to His ways revealed in Scripture only for it to be turned aside not a generation later. We speak not only of so-called liberals but even of the so-called sound and strong. The process of restoration initiated by their forebears turns into a contest of who can circle wagons the fastest rather than a genuine desire to continually cleanse our hearts, develop trust in God, and align our congregations with Scripture. Apathy steadily sets in, and any inkling of restoration dries up. It is also the case that the dominant culture infects the process of restoration and turns it into a matter of seizing on the latest trends to draw crowds and please people, not God. Neither path will suffice. How can we break the cycle and get back to the work of restoration?

The process of restoration must begin with confession of the problem. We have got to come to grips with the reality that we are complacent, lazy, and apathetic. It is only through confession that we can find forgiveness and get back on track (1 John 1:9). It will also take humility to understand that God’s ways, and not our own, are the way we must go (Proverbs 3:5-7). Restoration continues with self-examination. We must place ourselves under the microscope and determine if we are in alignment with God’s expectations. Our dearly held traditions, thoughts, and feelings are all on the table. The Corinthians, who desperately needed to engage in the process of restoration, were challenged by Paul to examine themselves (2 Corinthians 13:5). It could be that when we examine ourselves, we find some things wanting. We must then seek to shape our lives after Scripture.
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Finally, restoration forces us to acknowledge that we are on a pathway that requires daily effort to walk. Our goal is heaven, and to get there, we must keep pressing forward in personal and collective restoration. The apostle Paul ever moved toward the “goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). Friend, are you pressing forward or standing still? There is no plateau for our faith, nor do we ever make it to some spiritual zenith that sets us up for life with no further effort required. There is always room for growth and improvement. Restoration in this life calls us to continually seek out God’s pathways and continue walking in them. There are no detours or shortcuts, nor do we get to take the first exit we see and proclaim that the destination has been reached. Are you engaging in the process of restoration? If not, why not? Let us all think on these things and consider where we stand.