____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ July 9, 2000 ____________________________________________________ The Christian Life by Ben F. Taylor Bro. Ben F. Taylor, now 101 years old, wrote the material from which the following is condensed. We took excerpts from the full text, as published in Way of Life bulletin, and offer this as a tribute to bro. Taylor's long life of preaching Christ. -- Robert F. Turner ---------------------------- I feel deeply my responsibility as I stand in defense of that way of life which is ridiculed and scorned by the skeptic, mocked by the ignorant, disregarded by multitudes; and within its own ranks is forsaken and besmirched by the carnally minded. Christianity may be said to be the sum total of the principles of life as given by our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Christian life is the translation of those principles into the activities of life. Christianity is a life to be lived. It is not an empty profession to enhance our social standing. It is not a dress-suit to be worn on Sundays in which to parade our surface piety. Neither is it a storm-shelter to be disregarded when the sun shines again. Nor is it an asbestos suit to be put on at our exit, as a protection against the fire of the world to come. It is not an insurance policy which pays its dividends only after death. The Christian Life is the highest type of life known to man, and he who conforms to it reaches the highest possible attainment in this world. Christ opens to us an abundant life of purpose and service. If man were wholly mortal and death made him no more than brother to the insensible rock and clay, the Christian Life would pay the highest possible returns for the moral investment made. But we should have a fuller conception of the Christian Life. It is an index of faith, an index of our belief of divine testimony. And it is the means by which the world reads our faith. It is sheer folly to make a loud profession of faith and then live an indifferent, careless, or foul life and expect the world to respect revealed Christianity. The Christian Life is a mold of our eternal destiny. I do not mean to discredit the love and mercy of God, nor the redemptive power of the blood of Christ. Without these no man can be saved. But the choice of these and a faithful service to the Deity of heaven lies within the volition of man. We must be judged according to things done in the body (2 Cor. 5:10; Rev.20:12). In the great day of judgment we must meet the life we have lived, the character we have built. And the Christian Life is one of self denial. Jesus said, ``If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me'' (Lu. 9:23). Beware of that way of religious life which offers the crown without the cross. In the Christian Life we surrender our will to that of the Lord, in personal life, in obedience, in worship, and in work. As the muddy Missouri, the beautiful Ohio, and the winding Cumberland blend into the `Father of Waters' and we see only the Mississippi; so we must become one in Him, and let the world see Christ in us -- the divine will, in what we are and do. -- Via Plain Talk, February 1980 ___________________________________________ Money by Leslie Diestelkamp You say it cost you good money? Is that all? Then you got it cheap. Yes, whatever you can get with money, without sweat, toil and tears, you get at a bargain--or else it isn't worth very much. Whatever money will buy isn't so very important--at least not when compared with those things that cannot be purchased with all of earth's gold. I saw my neighbor mowing his lawn with a new riding mower. I thought of the amazing changes that have come to us even in my lifetime. First we used a scythe, then a regular push mower, then a power mower and now we ride while we mow. Woman's work has also changed so much. First she beat her clothes on some rocks down by the stream, then she had a tub and a washboard, then a hand-operated machine, then a gasoline powered machine and now she uses an automatic washer and dryer. In similar ways progress has come to industry, transportation, farming and commerce. Today's dollar and man's ingenuity have indeed brought a wonderfully easy life. Is it a better life? I am not so sure. I know we can't ``stop the clock,'' and only God can set time backward (2 Ki. 20:11). Neither would most of us desire to revert to ``the good old days.'' But in the mad rush of progress and in the abundant financial affluence that abounds, we do need to pause for the following: We must give thanks, constantly, not just annually (Col. 3:17). We need a deeper sense of uncomplaining appreciation. Instead of whining about our taxes, we need to recognize the great benefits those taxes bring to us. If you don't appreciate this, then go to some other country--any other country on the face of this good earth--and stay a few years. You'll come back with more gratitude and less complaint. We must share. It is still more blessed to give than to receive (Ac. 20:35). Our affluence will not curse our souls unless we are selfish with it. But it can be a great blessing to us and to humanity if we use it generously (and scripturally) to bring the greatest blessing to mankind--simply aid us in giving them the blessings money can't buy. Oh, the joy we can have if we will just use our abundance to relieve the deep need of teeming millions--to bring comfort to their hungry, weary, pain-filled bodies, and salvation to their sin-cursed souls. -- Via Think on These Things, January 1970 ___________________________________________ ``Kill the Spider'' by Jere E. Frost A STORY I RECALL from my youth had to do with a good brother who had an expression that he used in prayer. He would ask the Lord to ``remove the cobwebs from our minds and clear our thoughts.'' But he used the expression often which indicates that the cobwebs always returned before he prayed again. A little girl heard it one time more than she could stand; she blurted out during the prayer itself, ``Don't do it, Lord! Don't do it! Kill the spider!'' Yes, if we can get rid of the cause, we will not have to spend so much time and energy on the effect or symptoms. Every time there is a shooting, and especially a multiple shooting on school grounds, there is a hue and cry for gun control. But that is the symptom! -- that's just part of the web. You've gotta get the spider to really do any lasting good. If someone goes around choking cats on butter, you can pass a law taking butter off the market. But you probably have not helped the cats much. Whoever was doing the choking with butter may start using shortening, or brickbats applied sharply to the side of the head. It's not the butter; it's the attitude toward cats that is the problem. Get rid of the attitude and nobody will choke a cat on butter. Some folks commonly and casually take God's name in vain--I hope you do not, but if you do, it's not that you need a different vocabulary. The words you use probably can be used in an acceptable context. Those flippant (or raging) words are not really your problem. ``You've gotta kill the spider!'' Change your attitude! The problem is a combination of a lack of love and reverence for God, and a lack of love and patience for people. If you enthrone God and make Him the king of your heart, if you genuinely feel for and care for your fellow man, you will not have a big problem with profanity and vile speech. We must purify our hearts. The gospel process is designed to accomplish this. You commence with the word of God which produces faith (Rom. 10:17)--something to believe in, something to build on! (John 6:68-69; I Cor. 15:58). You make a strong and unequivocal decision--repentance--without which you will perish (Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30). The penitent attitude in its very nature calls for self-denial and humble obedience (Matt. 16:24; John 14:15,23). Baptism is a declaration of faith and repentance; for one is baptized with and into Christ, and they rise to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:3-6). Therefore it changes the relationship for a lost man out of Christ to a saved man in Christ. This is not a cosmetic change. It is not a limp decision to casually sweep away a few cobwebs and make some improvements in life. It kills the spider. Unfortunately, even though you may kill the spider, sooner or later there will be another one. You'll have to kill it too. But that is far better than knocking down a like web by the same spider over and over and over. It also makes for a neater house and a cleaner mind. -- Via The Bulletin of the North Courtenay church of Christ, May 23, 1999 ___________________________________________ You Make The Choice by Kevan O'Banion Last Spring, when I did my student teaching at San Marcos High School, I noticed a common attitude among the students. It seemed that many of them did not want to take the responsibility for their actions--especially if those actions led to unpleasant consequences. I was reminded of Paul's words in Galatians 6:7, ''...for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.'' I tried, during the few weeks that remained, to get my students to apply this principle to more than just their grades. It was not uncommon to hear, in most of my classes, ``You can either enjoy the consequences of your actions or suffer the consequences of your actions: the choice is up to you.'' Most people realize, to some extent, that certain actions will yield certain consequences or results. The student knows that unless he spends some time studying, he will not reap a passing grade in the class. The athlete knows that diligent practice will yield better abilities. The farmer knows that a field planted with wheat always yields a crop of wheat. What we shall reap is determined by what seeds we have chosen to sow. Yet, while we are aware of this principle, we do not always apply it. We can easily see the application of this principle in the physical realm (as in the examples of the student, athlete, and farmer), but there seems to be some hesitancy to make the application in the spiritual aspects of life. Too often, we either fail to realize or we refuse to recognize the consequences of our actions in the spiritual realm. The foolish virgins chose to take only a small amount of oil for their lamps. They failed to realize the consequences of their shortsightedness until it was too late (Matt. 25:1-f). In Luke 16:19-f, we read of a man who made the choice to serve himself rather than God and others. The result--''the rich man also died, and was buried; and in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torments....'' Many are ignorant of God's spiritual laws, but that does not excuse them from the consequences of their sins. There are also those who refuse to listen to God's laws. A person may know that certain actions will lead to his spiritual ruin; yet, he does not want to give up those actions. So he makes the choice to ignore God's will and continue in his sin. ``But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear ... therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts'' (Zech. 7:11, 12). When we choose to sin, whether in ignorance or rebellion, we will suffer the consequences of our sin. God has set forth certain laws in both the physical and spiritual aspects of life. These laws are in existence for our benefit, but we are not forced to comply with them. God has given us a free will; and, as creatures of choice, we can choose to follow or disregard these laws. But remember -- we will either enjoy the consequences or suffer the consequences of our actions because ``whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.'' The choice is up to you. -- Via Plain Talk, February 1980 ________________________________________ Avondale CHURCH OF CHRIST P.O. Box 421 1606 Glen Willow Rd., Avondale, PA 19311 (610) 268-2088 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 11:00 A.M. Worship 6:00 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:00 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (610) 925-3567 e-mail: tedwards@onemain.com Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________