A Salute to the Faithful

By Norman Pence

Much of the writing, preaching, and visiting that is done today is directed toward the weak and unfaithful. Too often, we do not take time to salute those who are faithful to Christ and His teaching.

There is no sufficient way to show appreciation to those members who have remained “steadfast and unmovable” (1 Cor. 15:58) throughout the years. But you are to be commended for your faithfulness and attendance, even when other activities are taking place that you would normally attend. Whenever work needs to be done, we have come to know that, regardless, you will make the necessary sacrifices to be there and help in any way you can. It is a joy to be around and worship with Christians who display that loving willingness that says, “I am willing to do any and everything I can to help.” Your active desire to grow spiritually has encouraged others to have the same desire. Your love for lost souls has provided ways for many to be taught the truth and become active citizens of the Kingdom of God. Your faithful life has helped weak Christians to wake up, confess faults, and once again become not only hearers of the word, but doers also. You are the ones that constantly encourage the faithful teachers and preachers to remain firm in the truth, and we thank God for people like you.

You are also appreciated because you demand no special attention or praise to keep you happy and faithful in your service and assemblies for Bible study and worship. It’s not necessary for you to have your name mentioned from the pulpit or even written in the bulletin in order for you to make visits, help with the sick and shut-ins, or to invite friends to worship. You count it a blessing to have the opportunity to serve the Lord. You are a shining example to all that see you. And we believe it can be said of you that you are sincerely “seeking first the kingdom of God” (Mt. 6:33).

May God continue to bless you who labor so faithfully. The church will continue to grow because of you. Please don’t give up and thank you for your enduring efforts for Him.

“I Just Have to Work It Out Myself”

By Norman Pence

Philippians 2:12 says “...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Does this mean when I have problems and become discouraged, I can withdraw and isolate myself from other Christians while I “work it out by myself”? The term, work out, comes from the Greek word which means to work out fully, to finish. Put another way it means to “make every effort to obtain salvation” (Thayer). The Book of Hebrews was written to a people much like us. They were very much discouraged and ready to give up on Christianity. The message of the Book of Hebrews is: you have so much more in Christ and have come so far, don’t give it up now. Instead of isolating themselves from each other, they should take advantage of the strength and encouragement that “each joint supplies” (Eph. 4:16). The writer tells them to “consider one another to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…” (Heb. 10:24-25).  He further says a failure to do this is “willful sin” for which there is “no more sacrifice” but only a “terrifying expectation of judgment” (Heb. 10:26-27).

Working out your own salvation doesn’t mean doing it yourself but rather complete your salvation.  God has done His part in sending His Son to die, He is now risen from the dead and is at God’s right hand. God’s gracious plan of redemption is now complete. The rest is up to each of us as individuals to finish our salvation through loving obedience to God and mutual encouragement and building up of one another. We should “confess our faults to one another and pray for one another” (Jas. 5:16), restore those who are overcome and help them bear their burden (Gal. 6:1-2), “rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15), and pray at all times (Eph. 6:18). Perhaps too often we wait until we have a difficulty to overcome or wait until sin enters our life before we ask for the help and encouragement from other Christians instead of seeking their companionship and fellowship in order to prevent such.

“I just have to work it out myself” is one of the most destructive attitudes Satan plants in the minds of God’s people. Don’t believe it. “But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world” (1 Pet. 5:9). Take advantage of the encouragement and strength that can only come from God and those of “like precious faith” (2 Pet. 1:1). We cannot isolate ourselves and at the same time “bear one another’s burdens.” We cannot “provoke to love and good works” if we never associate with God’s family. We cannot overcome our depression if we never talk to God in prayer and listen to Him through a study of His word. Nearly everywhere the Apostle Paul went, especially on the 3rd journey, his first order of business was to look up the saints, to study, teach and pray with them and request their prayers on his behalf (Acts 20:7; 21:4, 17). He told the brethren at Rome, “For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established-- that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me” (Rom. 1:11-12).  While we can’t impart spiritual gifts to one another, only the apostles had that power, we can give each other the gift of encouragement based on the mutual faith that we share. The phrase “I long” means “to intensely crave, or long for something.” Unfortunately, too many times what we “long for” the most in times of discouragement or weakness of faith on our part is to be left alone. This is contrary to everything the Gospel teaches. There are so many temptations and allurements in the world, and so many things that lead us astray.

The reason we should “fear and tremble” while working out our salvation is because there is great danger in losing our soul. If the soul is lost, all is lost.  And who can estimate the value of that soul which is in danger of being lost forever? May God help each of us to long for and be encouraged by the mutual faith we share.

Why Bolts Fail (Part 2)

By Norman Pence

In addition to the two causes of failure mentioned in the first article, STRESS and FATIGUE, we will now look at two other causes, CORROSION and EMBRITTLEMENT.  If you haven’t read the first article, I encourage you to do so.

CORROSION

Corrosion in Christians, like corrosion in a bolt, usually begins very slowly and subtly goes to the very center of our being. The vicious environment of the world and the hostile forces of Satan launch their attack quite unexpectedly. They usually begin to eat away at the way we think and act. They go to the very heart of our soul and begin to slowly alter our attitudes toward life, our family, the church, our spouse and eventually God Himself. Our heart becomes consumed by anger, bitterness, strife, and dissatisfaction. Suddenly everything is wrong with our life. Unhappiness and discontent are the order of the day.  Finally, we are eaten up with self-pity, isolate ourselves and begin the final phase of complete failure -- departure from God.

Such is a very horrible picture, but it happens all too frequently. We often fail because we allow "the cares and riches and pleasures of this life" (Lk. 8:14) to gnaw away at our spiritual life and place our emphasis on things that "rust doeth corrupt" (Matt. 6:19-20).

Corrosion can occur in metals when they are placed in an environment or exposed to chemicals and other agents that gradually eat away at the material and eventually cause failure.

As Christians we must be careful about the environment in which we live as well as the conditions and circumstances we subject ourselves to. It's easy to be influenced by evil forces. The effect that they have on our lives can be more dangerous than seems evident. Paul speaks in 2 Tim. 2:14-17 of some whose "wrangling about words" would "lead to the ruin of the hearers" and whose "worldly and empty chatter" would "lead to further ungodliness and their talk will spread like gangrene." Gangrene is a disease by which any part of the body suffering from it becomes so corrupted that, unless a remedy is soon applied, the evil continually spreads, attacks other parts, and at last eats away the bones. So it is with useless, godless teaching and sinful conduct. They are sure to spread and increase. They should be attacked and destroyed as soon as they are discovered. We must not allow them to corrode our minds and destroy the life we have in Christ Jesus. Sometimes we place ourselves in the wrong environment by associating with those of the world. We may say, "Well it don't bother me, just because they curse and drink and lead immoral lives doesn't mean I have to!" Paul warns us, "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor. 10:12). James says, "...do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (Jas. 4:4).

And Paul warns us to "not be deceived: bad company corrupts good morals" (1 Cor. 15:33). Taking this verse in context, Paul is telling the Corinthians to cease association with those who denied the resurrection. It would tend to corrupt the simplicity of their faith, pervert their view of the truth, and thus corrupt their lives. It is always true that such an association has a damaging effect on our heart and mind. At first, it seems harmless. "I don't have to believe it just because I associate with them", we are heard to say. But the silent influence of their words, conversation, and example begins to have their effect. We become less watchful and cautious, we look with less alarm at the error they are teaching and the lifestyle they are living.  As we become more familiar with this lifestyle eventually we ask, "Why can't I engage in all this fleshly pleasure the same as they?" We lose our spirituality, love of prayer, the desire for a holy life and devotion to God. And the devil looks around at us and says -- gotcha!

We must "rust proof" and guard our hearts and minds against the deteriorating influence of the world and prevent the corrosive effect of sin by keeping ourselves separate from worldly influences and immersing ourselves in Christ Jesus.

EMBRITTLEMENT

Failure occurs when the bolt becomes brittle, due to the stress of the load, chemical changes within the bolt and the processes it has been subjected to.  Embrittlement occurs in us when certain conditions and attitudes exist that make us easily offended or overthrown. The Christian (bolt) becomes fragile (sensitive) and is easily cracked, broken, snapped, or shattered.

My wife tells of a time when their neighbor was coming down the lane to get her father to give him a haircut, as he had done for many years. As the neighbor approached the house, suddenly the lights went out (they had gone to bed). After this, they wondered why their neighbor had become cold and would not even speak to them -- and never came back to perform another haircut. It was not until many years later they found out he had told others, "they saw me comin' and turned the lights out!"

Many relationships have been destroyed because of sensitive, suspicious feelings. Our feelings become fragile, we are easily upset and offended. We become unable to take things in stride.  We take things too personal and begin to think that everything is directed toward us. As those who have been "chosen of God" we are to be patient with one another, "bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you" (Col. 3:12-13). Paul admonishes us to be forbearing to one another in love (Eph 4:2). He spends most of the books of 1 & 2 Corinthians teaching brethren how to stay together and worship together. He instructs them to work out their differences with mutual respect, to be spiritually minded, to be mature fellow-workers. Instead of being "carnal men" he wanted them to be "spiritual men" who were being transformed into the image of Christ Jesus.

Hurt feelings, an offense or wrong suffered can be very difficult to overcome. None of us like to admit we are immature enough to have our feelings hurt. We can avoid this failure by being content with the load and function the Lord has placed upon each of us and develop a loving, confident relationship and an attitude of openness and trust with one another.

PREVENTION

A proper load is critical to the prevention of failure. An "underload" can cause failure the same as an "overload". Each "joint" in the kingdom has a function and responsibility to perform. Each of us has a load to bear -- just the right amount as the Lord has given. He did not intend for us to be free from work, trials, temptations, and responsibility (Gal. 6:5; Lk. 9:23). Thank God for an adequate amount of pressure, for stress, for our workload, because they not only keep us working properly here, they also are "...producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen..." (2 Cor. 4:17-18).

Just as a good engineer would attempt to properly diagnose the cause of bolt failure, we each must examine ourselves. Paul said, "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test" (2 Cor. 13:5)?

Why Bolts Fail (Part 1)

By Norman Pence

It doesn't happen overnight, it's usually a gradual process. The world comes crushing down. The weight is too much.  We seem to lose all control of our lives and circumstances. Then suddenly we find ourselves in a state of panic and despair. We lose our self-esteem and ability to make sound judgment. We begin withdrawing ourselves from those who can help us most. We become so discouraged that we not only are unable to bear the load of another brother, but we can't even bear our own load. We are completely overcome and not only fail the Lord but also those we love the most.

All of us have no doubt experienced failure at one time or the other. Perhaps we have failed as an employee to give our best to our employer.  Maybe we have failed to be the companion that we promised to be.  Perhaps we have failed regarding our children.  And which of us hasn't failed in our duties to the Lord? Failure is usually visible, and frequently gets the attention of those around us. However, the reasons for the failure are often not so obvious and can be very subtle.

I read an article on "Why Bolts Fail" in which the writer observed that bolt failure is generally due to one of four causes: OVERSTRESS, FATIGUE, CORROSION, and EMBRITTLEMENT. As I read the article and began to understand the explanation given for each of the causes, I began to see just how much Christians and bolts have in common. Our failures are quite often due to the same reasons as those of bolts. Let's look at each of these four causes up close and see if we can't learn how to avoid failure for these reasons.

STRESSED OUT

Too much stress or tension on a bolt can cause it to stretch, permanently deform, or bend out of its original shape. It then becomes unable to perform and provide the service it was originally designed to do.

Overstress is perhaps the simplest cause to understand. It describes the loads on the bolt.  Worry and anxiety is perhaps the greatest producer of stress.   Stress can render us ineffective, rob us of energy and health that we should be using to the Lord's glory. It causes us to compromise our faith in Christ and makes us unable to "hold things together" and function as He intended. Matthew 6:30 teaches us that it is those who are of "little faith" that allow worry and anxiety to overcome them. We are to have such confidence in God that it will free our minds from the "stress" of being concerned about what the future may bring and learn to depend on God. The same chapter teaches us that it is He who gives life, a far greater blessing than meat. He has created the body, a much greater blessing than clothing. Shall not He who has given these greater blessings by His providence provide the lesser blessings?

In the spring of 1871, there was a young man who was a student at the Montreal General Hospital. He became worried about his final examinations. He was troubled about what he should do with his life and where and how he should establish his medical practice. He picked up a book and read twenty-one words written by Thomas Carlyle that changed his life. The young man was William Osler, founder of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. These are the words: "Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand."

We all have a load to bear to be sure. "For each one shall bear his own load" (Gal. 6:5). Bolts function best when the right amount of tension is placed upon them. Likewise, we must "...gird up your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 1:13). But sometimes the load becomes too heavy to bear alone. That's when we must "Bear one another's burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:2). The cure for stress lies in the fact that we are not left to face life alone, we face it with God and with one another. If you think about it, it shouldn't be that hard to avoid worry. Two things can't be in the same place at the same time. Isn't that what Jesus taught in Matt. 6:24 about God and mammon? Don't let worry invade your mind and take over. Life is not about worry. It's about God and helping each other. Put Him in your mind. Let Him guide your life.

FATIGUE

It is estimated that approximately 85% of bolts fail due to fatigue. This is descriptive of bolts that crack or fail under repeated applications of stress. Fatigue is also responsible for a great many of our failures.

For the Christian we might call this "spiritual burnout". Spiritual fatigue, like overstress, is also a gradual process. Luke describes these in the parable of the sower. "And those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away" (Lk. 8:13). Notice they hear the word and even receive it with joy, but their faith is not well rooted. When the "heavy load" comes they simply give out too soon.

Who can forget the great prophet Elijah -- a typical example of spiritual burn-out. Read the account beginning in 1 Kings 17.  God had worked many great things for and through Elijah. He had caused the ravens to provide for him during a drought at the brook Cherith. Later, God provided food and water not only for Elijah but also for a widow and her son. God later raises the widow’s son from the dead through Elijah. King Ahab finally met Elijah and ask him; "Is this you, you troubler of Israel?" Elijah replied; "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and you have followed the Baals." Elijah challenged and defeated 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah. Does this sound like a man suffering from fatigue? I hardly think so but notice the rest of the story.

Jezebel finds out that Elijah had killed her prophets and vows to kill him before the morrow. Elijah "was afraid and arose and ran for his life" (1 Kings 19:3). He went a day’s journey in the wilderness sat down under a juniper tree and prayed for the Lord to take his life -- fatigue. After the Lord miraculously provided food for him, Elijah finds himself in Mount Horeb, the mountain of God, living in a cave. Twice the Lord asks him; "What are you doing here, Elijah?" Elijah's answer each time was; "I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, torn down Thine alters and killed Thy prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away" (1 Kings 19:9-10,13-14). The gentle voice of God comes to Elijah assuring him that he was not left alone. He had 7,000 in Israel who had not bowed their knees to Baal.

When we begin to feel the pressures of spiritual fatigue and find ourselves withdrawing from service to others and worship to God, we would do well to ask ourselves the question the Lord asked Elijah -- "What are you doing here, ______" (substitute your name). The question implies there are still battles to fight and victories to be won. We are not the only one left serving God. Many of God's people are experiencing the same obstacles that we face. We alone cannot win the battle. God gives the victory and only through our faith in Him can we be victorious.

The Scriptures warns us often against spiritual fatigue. 2 Thess. 3:13 says; "...do not grow weary in well doing", Gal. 6:9 encourages us to "...not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary."

The cure for fatigue lies in carrying a balanced load, being aware of the load we can carry, asking for help (more bolts) when the load becomes too heavy and maintaining an ever increasing and growing faith in Him who holds all things together (Col. 1:17). God knows when we are hurting, and when our load is too heavy to bear alone. He is there waiting to carry us through with His strength, so we won't fail.