The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at New Georgia

Tim Johnson, editor

June 1, 2008

 
In This Issue:
Keeping the Lord Near
by Steve Klein

A Beautiful Life
by Gilbert Alexander

 

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Keeping the Lord Near

   Is your vehicle equipped with OnStar?  This much-advertised feature allows owners of GM automobiles who subscribe to the service to push a button and receive instant help in an emergency.  Of course, the Christian has much better emergency help available. For those who are in fellowship with God, it is a tremendous comfort to know that the help of Almighty God is only a whispered prayer away.

  This wonderful blessing is not enjoyed by everyone. Everyone does not have heavenly OnStar.  This is so, despite the fact that most people in the world apparently have the perception that they can call on the Lord anytime they are in trouble, and He'll be there to help lickety-split.  The consistent teaching of Scripture is that God doesn't much listen to people who don't listen to Him.  Note the following:

  • "One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination." (Proverbs 28:9)

  • "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear." (Isaiah 59:2)
  • "For what is the hope of the hypocrite . . . Will God hear his cry when trouble comes upon him?" (Job 27:8-9)

  No one really wants to be in the position of having the Lord far away when needing help. Here are three keys to keeping the Lord near:

  1. Sincerity. Psalm 145:18 states that, "The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth."  The first part of this verse may seem to be saying that the Lord is near to any and all who call upon Him.  But we've already noted that this is not the case.  Look at the last part of the verse.  He is near to those who "call upon Him in truth."  For God to be near, this condition must be met.  We must call upon Him "in truth."  Though not reliable translations, some of the modern paraphrases do a good job of catching the basic meaning of this particular verse:

    • The Lord is "near to everyone whose prayers are sincere" (Contemporary English Version)
    • The Lord is near to "all who pray and mean it." (The Message)
    • The Lord is near to all "who call to him with sincerity" (Good News Bible)

  2. Righteousness.  Just as sin and unrighteousness drive God away from us, obedience and righteousness keep Him near.  Psalms 34:17 declares that "the righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles."  1 Peter 3:12 says that "the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

  3. Humility and Sorrow for Sin.  Pride and rebellion drive God away, but humility and godly sorrow bring Him close.  "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). "The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit." (Psalms 34:18)

At some point, all of us experience emergencies, hard times and trouble.  Keep God near. 

--Steve Klein

A Beautiful Life

  The finest adorning in life is not an outward adorning of the body, but rather dressing oneself in the beauty of holiness and righteousness. While the outward adorning of the body is pleasing to the eye and physically appealing, the inward adorning of a meek and quiet spirit appeals to the heart and soul and makes one's life rich indeed.

  David speaks of "the beauties of holiness" (Psalm 110:3); and Paul, quoting from Isaiah 52:7, says, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!" Again, the Psalmist says, "For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation." Isaiah says, "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels" (Isaiah 61:10). How shallow and hollow indeed is a beautiful countenance behind which is a corrupt and immoral life. We often sing, "Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me," but we know that the prophet has said of the Christ, "He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him" (Isaiah 53:2).

  The beauty of selfless sacrifice is seen in its finest hour in the suffering and death of Christ. "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends" (John 15:13). Of the life of Jesus, Peter stated it simply, "...who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him" (Acts 10:38). The people of God can do little to improve their physical appearance, but each one can adorn his life with meekness and holiness, doing good and sharing,, "for with such sacrifices God is well pleased" (Hebrews 13:16).

  The beauty of the Lord's church is in its purity as a cleansed body, and the continued purity of the church depends upon the purity of the lives of all the saints. "A little leaven leavens the whole lump;" therefore, we must "purge out the old leaven" so that we may be a new, unleavened lump (I Corinthians 5:6, 7). How beautiful is a life of "golden deeds", of kind and compassionate words and works, of pure and wholesome speech, of a meek and submissive attitude (I Peter 3:3-6), of a genuine respect for others and unpretended love of the brethren, of a holy and harmless life of doing justly, loving mercy, and being ready unto every good work, of a heart in which is no guile! How beautiful is the simplicity of worship: hearts that are attuned to the will of God, voices blending together in songs of praise, heartfelt prayers of supplication and thanksgiving, the solemn yet joyful fellowship of the Lord's Supper, the earnest exhortation and edification of the church through teaching, and the sacrifice of our financial resources to the Lord's work! Let the words of "A Beautiful Life" ring in our hearts as each of us gives himself diligently to the task of being "a worker who does not need to be ashamed" (II Timothy 2:15). Surely the "beautiful people" are the godly people who shine as lights in a dark world of sin and degradation!

.--Gilbert Alexander