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.

Hannah’s Prayer

By David Norfleet

In Luke 11:1, one of Jesus’ disciples approached Him and asked “Lord, teach us to pray….”  I can relate to that question. At times I do not know what to ask for, what the wisest course of action is, or even how to properly ask for what is troubling me.  In Luke 11 Jesus responded to the question with what is known as the model prayer (Luke 11:1-8) to answer His disciple’s question.  And I believe God has responded to our unspoken need by filling His Word with great prayers to help us learn from and shape our own prayers.

One of the great prayers in Scripture is found in 1 Samuel 2:1-10. Overwhelmed by her childlessness, provoked by Peninnah, Elkanah’s second wife, and “comforted” by an emotionally deaf husband, Hannah “was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly” (1 Samuel 1:10). But God heard Hannah’s plea, she bore a son, honored her vow, and praised God for it.

Her prayer in 1 Samuel 2:1-10 seems to bear little resemblance to the events that evoked it.  Instead of praying, “look at what God did for me,” Hannah’s prayer is, “look at who God is!”

Hannah thinks deeply about the character and power of God. She is making realizations about God that go far beyond her situation. “My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation” (v. 1). She is awed by God’s unparalleled holiness (v. 2), unsearchable wisdom (v. 3), amazing power (v. 4), and unerring justice (vv. 9-10). Her own reversal of fortunes is just one of many examples of God exalting the humble and humbling the exalted (vv. 5-8).

Do you see what Hannah’s prayer of praise is about? It is not about her, but God. The answered prayer was not just about getting what she asked for, but what the answer taught her about the God who did the answering. Hannah thought about what God did in her life and drew much bigger conclusions about what kind of God He is.

The greatest praise comes when we see that God is up to much more than just attending to our requests. I am most impressed by Hannah’s perspective. She saw the big picture. She realized that what God had done for her on a small scale, He would do for all creation one day. She realized that if God can do this for her, what can’t He do? If God cares about a lowly childless wife from the hill country of Ephraim, who can lie outside God’s sphere of care?

Let Hannah teach us how to praise God well.

“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.

Philip the Evangelist

By David Norfleet

The idea of being heralds or proclaimers of the good news of the kingdom is throughout the New Testament, but there is only one individual who specifically is identified as an “evangelist” and that is Philip (Acts 21:8). Let me offer three simple lessons from Philip’s life that make that description appropriate and worthy of our imitation.

First, Philip is a great example of loving our neighbors.  Due to Saul’s persecution, Philip leaves Jerusalem and goes—of all places—to Samaria and starts proclaiming Christ to them (Acts 8:5)!  Most Jews would not be caught dead with Samaritans (John 4:7-9; 8:48; Luke 9:51-56), but there Philip is, preaching the good news and baptizing men and women (Acts 8:12).  That shows us what the gospel of Christ will do for us—it will open our eyes to the value of a soul irrespective of race, nationality, or stature.  Like Philip, we should be willing to share the gospel with anyone as an act of God’s love.

Second, Philip shows us the power of the gospel.  He is called “the evangelist” (Acts 21:8).  Evangelist means “one who declares the good news.”  After declaring the good news to the Samaritans, Philip preaches Christ to the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-39). That is what happens all through the book of Acts—preachers present the evidence and build a logical case for Christ—sometimes reasoning and explaining things over a period of weeks and months and years, and because of that, people believed and obeyed.  That is what Philip did for the Samaritans (Acts 8:5,12) and for the Ethiopian (Acts 8:35,36).  Christianity is not based on blind faith or on a subjective feeling in the heart.  It is based upon the inspired word of God!  No wonder Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).  May we learn to trust in the power of the gospel!

Third, Philip shows us that we can grow older and continue the work God has given us to do.  Acts 8:40 mentions that he ends up in Caesarea.  He disappears from the record until a brief reference in Acts 21:8-14, where Paul and his companions stayed with him for several days.  It is here in the record where he’s identified as Philip the evangelist (one who declares the good news) about 20 years after the events of Acts 8.  Let’s appreciate that Philip is still evangelizing years later.  It’s one thing to start with a bang, and maybe to have a zeal fueled by the events in Acts 8, but what about when the newness wears off?  Philip’s longevity serves as a great example to us.  Can we do that?  Can we not only live for Christ through the years, but also be a proclaimer of His good news? (Especially in our families as Philip must have done as his daughters were prophetesses: Acts 21:9.)

May we imitate Philip, whose love for souls caused him to spread the good news about Jesus to whoever he could for as long as he could.

Trusting God in Uncertainty

By Mark McCrary

Life can become burdensome almost every day for some people. The book of Habakkuk wrestles with the sovereignty of God in the face of suffering and injustice. Habakkuk teaches us how to embrace deep, unshakable joy in God, even when our circumstances seem overwhelming.

The Painful Cry of the Faithful (Habakkuk 1:2-4)

Habakkuk begins with a prayer of frustration with the wicked. How could God allow their violence on the poor? Why wouldn't He intervene and save? God’s answer? You haven’t seen the worst of it yet. He would deal with the oppressors in Judah through the Chaldeans (Babylonians) (Hab. 1:6-9).

Three pressing questions arise: Why would a good God allow this? How could a good God allow this? Finally, what would Habakkuk do? Habakkuk’s cry resonates with anyone who has ever felt abandoned in their time of need. He was not turning away from God but earnestly seeking Him.

Here’s the good news: God allows questions, which are a desire for a deeper understanding of His ways. Doubts don’t mean one is unfaithful; they are a testament to deep faith. When we wrestle with our questions, we actively seek a greater understanding of God’s will and character.

God is Still in Control (Habakkuk 2:2-3)

God’s message to Habakkuk is that comfort isn’t necessarily found in the removal of problems but in the sovereignty of God. Either what has come upon us has been put there by God (2 Corinthians 12:7), or it is something God has allowed because of our fallen world: 1 Corinthians 10:13 - God will not allow something in our lives that we cannot, by His power, endure.

This can help us find peace in our struggles. We may not always understand His ways, but we can trust that His plans are for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28). Things are not out of control. God loves you (Romans 8:36-39).

Trustful Responses (Habakkuk 3:17-19)

Understanding that God wants to hear even our questions and that He is in control of everything, what should be our response?

First, maintain your faith in Him.  God declared, “The just shall live by faith” (Hab. 2:4). The idea here is more than simply believing in God; it is acting on what He says. 

Second, verbalize your faith in God.  At the conclusion of the book, Habakkuk wrote, “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation” (Hab. 3:17-18).  Saying something out loud makes it more real and commits you to it. Think of the first time you said, “I love you” to someone else. You probably thought about it a lot, but when you said it, things changed.  State your faith verbally to God, not just in thought. State it to a friend. State it to your faith. Habakkuk's faith and trust were deeply rooted in the character and salvation of God. His joy came from the character of God alone (Hab. 3:18-19), not from external conditions.

Finally, know God will strengthen you.  “God, the Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the deer's; He makes me tread on my high places” (Hab. 3:19).  Move past trust.  Know with confidence that God will be with you. Just as a deer nimbly moves along, know that in the midst of your uncertainty, God will give you the strength to do the same. Know.

Habakkuk’s name means “embracer.” He embraced God and trusted in Him. It is okay to question God and hurt when life isn’t as imagined. Trust in the sovereign God. Put your faith and confidence in Him, not in circumstances.