"Tell Me the Story of Jesus"

1. "Tell Me the Story Most Precious": The Word Who Dwelt Among Us

2. "Tell How the Angels in Chorus Sang as They Welcomed His Birth": What Happened at the Birth of Christ?

3. "Tell of the Years of His Labor": What Do the Life and Ministry of Christ Mean to Us?

4. "Tell of the Cross Where They Nailed Him": What Does the Death of Christ Tell Us?

5. "Tell How He Liveth Again": What Leads Us to Believe that Christ Arose from the Dead?

"How Can I Jump-Start My Relationship With God?"

1. "How Can I Increase My Faith?"

2. "How Can I Deepen My Hope?"

3. "How Can I Strengthen My Love?"

4. "How Can I Develop the Joy of the Lord?"

5. "How Can I Obtain the Peace of God?"

"Taking Time to Be Holy"

1. What It Means to "Take Time to Be Holy"

2. Taking Time to Be Holy in Our Relationship to the Lord

3. Taking Time to Be Holy in Our Relationship to the World

4. Taking Time to Be Holy in Our Daily Activities

5. Taking Time to Be Holy in Our Own Souls

     If anyone would be interested in my presenting any of these series, just let me know!

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SEARCH FOR TRUTH

"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39)

     Published by Wayne S. Walker, 503 S. Jefferson St., Salem, IL  62881; phone, (618) 548-6286 home, (618) 292-2694 cell; e-mail, wswalker310@juno.com .
     Working and worshipping with the Elm Grove Church of Christ, 7576 River Rd., Iuka, IL  62849; phone (618) 323-6835.
     Services: Sunday Bible study at 9:45 a. m., worship at 10:45 a. m. and 6:00 p. m.; Wednesday—Bible study at 7:00 p. m.
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Volume II; March 7, 2010; Number 32
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PRAISE THE LORD!
By Wayne S. Walker

     “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.  Praise the LORD!” (Psalm 150:6).  The Hebrew name for the book of Psalms is “Tehellim” which means “Praises.”  Not every Psalm is specifically a Psalm of praise, but many of them are, and Psalm 150 certainly is.  Based upon this Psalm, Henry F. Lyte, author of the beloved “Abide With Me,” wrote another hymn which, when set to the majestic Welsh tune Gwalchmai, begins, “Praise the Lord, His glories show, Alleluia!  Saints within His courts below, Alleluia!  Angels round His courts above, Alleluia!  All who know and share His love, Alleluia!”
     We should praise the Lord God because of who He is and what He has done.  “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).  Joachim Neander wrote a hymn which I love; it has not been in many of our older hymnbooks but is thankfully finding its way into some of our newer ones.  As translated into English by Catherine Winkworth, the first stanza reads, “Praise ye the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation; O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation.  All ye who hear, Now to His temple draw near; Join me in glad adoration.”  Of course, whenever we praise God, we are praising the Father, just as Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name” (Matthew 6:9).
     However, when we praise God, we are also praising Jesus Christ because of what He has done for us.  “…For you have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:9-10).  Fanny Crosby wrote, “Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer; For our sins He suffered and bled and died.  He our Rock, our hope of eternal salvation, Hail Him! Hail Him! Jesus the crucified.  Sound His praises, Jesus who bore our sorrows; Love unbounded, wonderful, deep, and strong.  Praise Him! Praise Him! Tell of His excellent glory; Praise Him! Praise Him! Ever in joyful song.”  Jesus deserves our praise because of who He is.  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).
     Also, when we praise God, we are praising the Holy Spirit as well because He is the one whom Christ sent to guide the apostles into all truth and through whom they revealed the will of God to mankind (John 16:13, Ephesians 3:3-5).  Brethren have debated through the years whether it is scriptural to sing songs addressed to the Holy Spirit, but how often have we all sung the well known doxology by Thomas Ken, “Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him all creatures here below.  Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost”?  The Holy Spirit is equally worthy of our praise because He too is God, divine in nature (Acts 5:3-4).  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fit objects of our praise.  Therefore, when we sing, when we pray, and when we live our daily lives, “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD”!
THE VALUE OF VOCAL BREVITY
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By Gary L. Fiscus

     A lot of people have the unbecoming trait or characteristic of going on and on and not really saying anything.  Jesus said, “Let your yes be yes and your no, no” (Matt. 5:37).
     The apostle Paul said in Col. 4:5-6 that we should be cautious in our speech toward outsiders.  “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.  Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer each one.”  Sometimes it is possible to say too much and drive people away.
     The story is told of President Calvin Coolidge who had earned the nickname of “Silent Cal.”  At a party, one lady came up to the President and said, “I just bet those people over there that I could get you to say three words together.”  President Coolidge replied, “You lose.”  Some of us, especially preachers, should make a note on this lesson then put the principle into practice.
     So instead of this article going on and on, I will close with a reference to the orator who once commented on how a speech (or sermon) should be made.  He said: “Stand up, speak up, shut up, and sit down!”   (---in The Reminder; Sept., 2008; Vol. XVII, No. 9; Church of Christ, 702 E. Morgan St., Spencer, IN  47460.)
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IN TEARS AND SWEAT AND BLOOD
By Wayne S. Walker

     The hymn “Night, with Ebon Pinion” was written in 1854 by Love H. Jameson (1811-1892).  He also wrote “There Is a Habitation.”  The tune for “Night, with Ebon Pinion” was composed in 1871 by Joseph P. Powell (1832-1926).  The song’s first recorded publication was in the New Harp of Zion, compiled in 1872 by Augustus Damon Fillmore and his son James Henry Fillmore.  When I was growing up, this song was used frequently to prepare the congregation for partaking of the Lord’s supper, and this is still the case.
     The phrase "ebon pinion" has been the subject of many questions through the years. "Ebon" means black. "Pinion" means wing feathers or wing. Thus, night is figuratively pictured as a bird with a very black wing that broods over the earth. Some newer hymnbooks give notes to explain difficult phrases in songs. One such book simply says that "ebon pinion" means "wings of darkness," while another says, "black wing, a metaphor for the deepest darkness."
     The original sixth line of stanza 1 read, "In tears and sweat and blood." Our book reads, “In tears and sweat as blood.”  This is one of the changes that Ellis J. Crum made for Sacred Selections and has been continued in Hymns for Worship that actually makes sense, because the Bible says absolutely nothing about Jesus "sweating blood" in the Garden of Gethsemane (see Luke 22:44). It simply says that His "sweat became like great drops of blood."
     Some have pointed to the phenomenon of "bloody sweat" where, under great stress, a few of a person's capillaries might break, allowing some blood to seep into the perspiration glands, so that one's sweat might have a pinkish tinge. However, I do not believe that this is even likely what the passage is talking about. It is simply comparing the size and speed of His sweat drops rolling off Him to great drops of blood that would roll off a person who was bleeding profusely.

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SEARCH FOR TRUTH

"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39)

     Published by Wayne S. Walker, 503 S. Jefferson St., Salem, IL  62881; phone, (618) 548-6286 home, (618) 292-2694 cell; e-mail, wswalker310@juno.com .
     Working and worshipping with the Elm Grove Church of Christ, 7576 River Rd., Iuka, IL  62849; phone (618) 323-6835.
     Services: Sunday Bible study at 9:45 a. m., worship at 10:45 a. m. and 6:00 p. m.; Wednesday—Bible study at 7:00 p. m.
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Volume II; February 28, 2010; Number 31
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INSTRUMENT OF YOUR CHOICE?
By Wayne S. Walker

     “Let them praise His name with the dance; let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and the harp” (Psalm 149:3).  We understand that many things were allowed and even commanded in worship under the old covenant, such as burning incense, offering animal sacrifices, dancing before the Lord, and instrumental music in worship, which are not authorized for the church under the new covenant.  An otherwise good book of devotions on the Psalms made the following comment about Psalm 149:
     “What’s the right way to praise the Lord?  Do you use a stringed instrument or a tambourine?  Do you sing a beautiful melody or recite an eloquent speech?  Do you bow your head or raise your hands?...David himself praised God on an instrument, with dancing, and through writing psalms.  He didn’t limit the creative ways he could express his adoration for God.  Neither should you.”
     Well, the fact is that David did limit himself.  He didn’t try to praise God by committing ritual fornication, which was characteristic of many ancient religions of his day.  He didn’t seek to praise God by offering his children as burnt offerings, like many of the nations around Israel.  He limited himself to praising God only in ways that were authorized by the covenant under which he lived.
     Therefore, we need to be very careful that when we strive to praise and worship God, we do only those things which God has said in His new covenant are acceptable to Him, and do them only in the way that He has authorized.  Just because something makes us feel good or expresses our exuberance does not necessarily make it right with God.  “There is a way that seems right [i.e., feels good or sounds fine] to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12).  Let us be most concerned with God’s choice.
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PREACHERS SOMETIMES GET FIRED
By Jefferson David Tant

     Many years ago I was the recipient of the proverbial “pink slip.” During my five years and two months with the congregation, we had built a new meeting place, a new preacher’s home, had increased in
membership from 48 to 150, and that year had baptized 22 souls. Then out of the blue, without warning,
I was told my services would be no longer required at the end a few weeks. I was given no reason,
except that the elders (appointed a few months previously) felt there was a need for a change. Upon
hearing about the matter, my father said, “Every preacher needs to be fired at least once.” Comforting
words!
     After the congregation was told what was taking place, several were quite upset and wanted to pull out and start a new group somewhere nearby. In a meeting with the men of the congregation, I said
something to the effect that I had labored over five years to build that church up, and I would have no
part in any divisive efforts. That was the end of any efforts to divide the church.
     In time, I determined to move about 20 miles away and start from “scratch.” This had been in the back of my mind for some time, to go where the gospel had not gone before. The elders gave their approval, and invited any members to participate in this venture. In the ensuing years I have had a good
relationship with this church, and have preached there on occasion. (I learned that a certain gossipy
woman in the church had persuaded the elders that they would lose many members if they didn’t get rid
of me. In later years she caused major problems in the church and was withdrawn from. The elders later
apologized to me, as they realized they had been deceived.)
     All that, to say this: The Lord’s work is worth far more than any man. I question the wisdom of
preachers who must think they are so important and mighty that when they are asked to move, they will
divide the church before humbly accepting the wishes of the congregation or the elders.
     Yes, I know at times a stand must be taken over some doctrinal issue, and division may result. But
someone has observed that 90% of the divisions are over personality, and then some “doctrinal” matter
is dug up to justify the division. I guess it helps the ego of preachers if they have a loyal band of
followers who are willing to divide the church in order to follow them.
     Paul rebuked the Corinthian brethren for their divisive attitudes: “for ye are yet carnal: for whereas
there is among you jealousy and strife, are ye not carnal, and do ye not walk after the manner of men?”
(I Cor. 3:3). Before his crucifixion, Christ prayed earnestly for his followers. “I do not ask on behalf of
these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You
sent Me” (John 17:20-21)
     When the world sees churches divided and brethren squabbling, why in the world would they want to get involved in that? Our unity should be one of the signs to the world that we belong to Christ. At least, that’s what Christ prayed for.
     God holds us accountable if we cause division over ego or pride, or just because we don’t want to move.  It’s not as if there is nowhere else to preach. There are far more places to preach than there are preachers to go around. If you are fired, accept it in the spirit of Christ. If you see warning signs, why not go ahead and graciously resign and leave in peace, with brethren respecting you and bidding you Godspeed? I have also been in such a situation, and all worked out for the good, with continued invitations to preach for the church, along with lasting friendships. The kingdom will be blessed, and you may prevent souls from being lost.
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     IN BATTLE WE MUST TROD?:  The lovely hymn "This Is My Father's World was written by Maltbie Davenport Babcock (1858-1901).   Following his death, his wife put together a collection of his writings, Thoughts for Everyday Living, which was published by Charles Scribner's Sons a few months after Babcock died.  It included this hymn with sixteen four-line stanzas.  In 1915, Franklin Lawrence Shepherd took six of Babcock's stanzas, made them into three eight-line stanzas, and provided the tune.   
     The last four lines of stanza three read: “This is my Father's world; The battle is not done.  Jesus who died shall be satisfied, And earth and heaven be one."  Ellis Crum in Sacred Selections, evidently thinking that to say "The battle is not done" and "Earth and heaven be one" is somehow premillennial, made the following alterations to the last four lines of stanza 3 (which are followed by a couple other books of ours): "This is my Father's world; In battle we must trod.  Jesus who died shall be satisifed; The kingdom turns back to God."  I somehow doubt that Babcock, a Presbyterian, was premillennial.
     Also, this involves a curious oddity. "Trod" is the past tense of "tread." We may say, "have trod," but we should say "must tread." It is like saying, "We must went." To say, "we must trod" is simply incorrect.  Besides, I do not see a problem with the original wording. The fact is that as long as we live on this earth, the battle is not done. The righteous must continue to fight the good fight of faith until that day when it will be done, at which time Jesus who died shall be satisfied, and earth and heaven will be one in eternity because all the saved of earth will receive their eternal home in heaven.

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SEARCH FOR TRUTH

"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39)

     Published by Wayne S. Walker, 503 S. Jefferson St., Salem, IL  62881; phone, (618) 548-6286 home, (618) 292-2694 cell; e-mail, wswalker310@juno.com .
     Working and worshipping with the Elm Grove Church of Christ, 7576 River Rd., Iuka, IL  62849; phone (618) 323-6835.
     Services: Sunday Bible study at 9:45 a. m., worship at 10:45 a. m. and 6:00 p. m.; Wednesday—Bible study at 7:00 p. m.
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Volume II; February 21, 2010; Number 30
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HALLELUJAH!
By Wayne S. Walker

     “Praise the LORD!  Praise the LORD from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights!” (Psalm 148:1).  Do you know what the word “hallelujah” (or its somewhat Latinized form “alleluia”) means?  According to the New King James footnote on Psalm 148:1, it means “praise the Lord” or “praise Jehovah.”  In the famous song based upon this psalm, with music by William J. Kirkpatrick, the unnamed author begins with the transliteration of the Hebrew term and then follows it immediately with the English translation: “Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah!”  The last six Psalms are called “Hallelujah Psalms” because they all begin, “Praise the Lord!”
     Many other hymns and gospel songs use this term or a variation of it.  Philip P. Bliss wrote, “Hallelujah! What a Savior!”  John E. Thomas wrote, “Hallelujah! We Shall Rise.”  In another hymn, “Praise the Lord, Ye Heavens Adore Him,” also based on Psalm 148, attributed to John Kempthorne, the chorus reads, “Hallelujah! Amen! Hallelujah! Amen! Amen, Amen.”  One of my favorite hymns, though not in many of our books, was written by William C. Dix and entitled, “Alleluia, Sing to Jesus.”  And there is the ubiquitous praise song often just called “Alleluia.”
     There is certainly nothing wrong with praising the Lord using the word “Hallelujah” either in song or prayer or common speech.  However, we must be very careful that we do not allow “Hallelujah” to become just another interjection of surprise.  Since “Hallelujah” literally means “praise the Lord,” is there any difference in shouting out “Hallelujah” when startled than in saying, “O my God” or “Good Lord”?  It seems to me that using “Hallelujah” as an everyday exclamation comes rather close to taking the Lord’s name in vain.  Those who truly wish to praise the Lord will want to avoid that.
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I HAVE JESUS IN MY HEART
by Glen Young

     We shy away from using the jargon of the denominational world. This is a good practice because it keeps those who hear us from getting the wrong impression about our beliefs and teachings. There is, however, a down side to the practice. It may leave the impression that we do not believe or teach a biblical truth.
     Take for example the phrase; I have Jesus in my heart. The denominational concept of Jesus abiding in the heart does indeed have some false beliefs attached to it. Aside from the false ideas some have about having Jesus in the heart, the Bible teaches us that Jesus must dwell in the heart of the Christian. It is this fact that is addressed in this article.
     Life is filled with blessings. My work as a preacher has allowed me to share in more blessings than I deserve. In September of nineteen hundred ninety six, a wonderful blessing came into my life. It began as a way to help a young mother who had two children in diapers. Her birth came only seventeen months after her sister, so Nila and I volunteered to baby sit as often as needed. It became a weekend event that we relished. This remarkable bundle of joy came to grace us on a regular basis. Her visits were a joyous occasion for the Young’s house. As she grew, these times became to be known as ‘sleepovers’, which is what she called them.
     This precious little house guest became a harsh bedfellow as she grew to toddlerhood. Although our bed was king size, it wasn’t quit big enough. It is amazing how active a ten month old can be even while sleeping. The end result of her sleepovers was a lack of sleep for Nila and I.
     An example of this is seen in the following account which I wrote when she was sixteen months old. “We had our house guest sleep over again last night. We went to bed at eleven. At one fifteen, I suggested to Nila that she might settle down if her diaper was changed. At three, she and I went to the dining room to share a glass of juice. We retired after refreshing ourselves with Hawaiian Punch and some stimulating conversation with fuzzy bear. This morning we arose to the smiles and giggles of a special little visitor.”
     You may be wondering why I would desire to have someone over who would disrupt my sleep. The answer is simple.  This little bundle of joy had crawled inside my heart and had set up residence there. I could not bear the thought that she might never come back for a sleepover. You see, when someone gets in our heart, the crosses we bear to be with them become minor annoyances.
     It didn’t matter how bad my day was going when our special little visitor came over everything became wonderful. When she was five years old, this bundle of joy would come over and all my cares vanished away. We would sit and talk about everything. We would cook scrambled eggs (her favorite thing to do at my house). We would tell stories (her favorite was the “Headless Horseman”) and color pictures. It mattered little what we did. Everything was fun. Sometimes we would just sit on the couch. She would either be on my knee or reclined against me. I would have my arm around her as we sat without speaking. Special moments like this brought joy to this old heart. It was most certainly a foretaste of Heaven.  Please permit me to use my memories as a means to illustrate the kind of relationship we should have with the Lord Jesus Christ.
     Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” Mathew 16:24. There is no doubt that following Jesus is going to place some burdens upon the follower. How the follower reacts to those burdens gives us insight as to whether or not they have Jesus in their heart. When it becomes more important to rest than it is to attend Bible class on Sunday morning or Wednesday evening, it is a good sign that Jesus is not in the heart (Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. John 12:25). When it is more important to spend time with the family than to make Sunday evening services, it is a good sign that Jesus is not in the heart (Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matthew 10:37).
     When Jesus has set up residence in our heart, our love for Him will cause us to endure any unpleasantness just to have the opportunity to be with Him. The words, ‘too hard’, or ‘I can’t’ will not be uttered by the one who truly loves Jesus when asked to obey a command of the Lord (If you love me, you will keep my commandments. John 14:15). No annoyance is so great that it will keep the true believer from his Lord. When the Lord Jesus lives in our heart, it is joy unspeakable!
     One last point: Because of some unfortunate events, we no longer have this precious child in our lives. There is a hole in my heart that will never heal. At times, the pain is overwhelming. I would do almost anything to make things as they once were. I mention this to illustrate that those who have Jesus in their heart will do anything to keep Him there. We often question why it is that some Christians will forsake the Way of Christ for the world. Could the answer be that they have not kept Him in their heart? Do you have Jesus in your heart?
     I pray that you will feel the pain and loneliness of not having Jesus in your heart. If that is your condition, please let Him in by obeying His gospel or as a child of God by repenting of your sin.

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SEARCH FOR TRUTH

"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39)

     Published by Wayne S. Walker, 503 S. Jefferson St., Salem, IL  62881; phone, (618) 548-6286 home, (618) 292-2694 cell; e-mail, wswalker310@juno.com .
     Working and worshipping with the Elm Grove Church of Christ, 7576 River Rd., Iuka, IL  62849; phone (618) 323-6835.
     Services: Sunday Bible study at 9:45 a. m., worship at 10:45 a. m. and 6:00 p. m.; Wednesday—Bible study at 7:00 p. m.
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Volume II; February 14, 2010; Number 29
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DO YOU FEAR GOD?
By Wayne S. Walker

     “The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy” (Psalm 147:11).  The Psalmist tells us that the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him.  One of the reasons that Paul gave for why all people, both Jew and Gentile, are under condemnation by God is, “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:18).  What does it mean to “fear” God?  The word “fear” is commonly used in two slightly different senses. 
     Sometimes it is used to mean a sense of terror or being frightened.  “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).  This is not the kind of fear in which the Lord takes pleasure.  “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.  But he who fears has not been made perfect in love (1 John 4:18).  This kind of fear leads to cowardice.  In fact, in Revelation 21:8, the term which in some versions is translated “fearful” in others is rendered “cowardly.”
     However, the word “fear” is often used in the sense of a deep reverence and respect for God that leads to obedience.  “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:  Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).  This is the kind of fear in which the Lord takes pleasure.  “Therefore, since w are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Hebrews 12:28).  Indeed, Peter reminds us in Acts 10:35 that only those who fear God and work righteousness are acceptable to Him.  Do you fear God?
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WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN?
By Keith Sharp

     “Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul.  And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch” (Acts 11:25-26).
     "Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You almost persuade me to become a Christian’" (Acts 26:28).
     "Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter" (1 Peter 4:16).
     Our nation is often called a "Christian" nation, even though actual Christians comprise only a tiny minority of its population. In fact, the term "Christian" is so loosely used in common speech, I actually heard of a so-called "Christian basketball team," called the "Holy Bouncers." The New Testament usage of the word is far more restricted. Since we are to "speak as the oracles of God" (1 Peter 4:11), we should find how the New Testament uses the term "Christian." What is a Christian?
     First, we need to know what is not a Christian. Contrary to popular opinion, not all good, morally pure people are Christians. One would be hard pressed to find a man of higher morals than Cornelius the centurion (Acts 10:1-2, 22), but Peter had to tell him how to be saved (Acts 11:13-14), implying he was lost and, thus, not a Christian. Furthermore, not all religious people are Christians. Cornelius was certainly religious (Acts 10:1-2, 22), but he was not a Christian, since he was not saved. Not even the godly characters of the Old Testament were Christians, because "the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch" (Acts 11:26). Nor does membership in a denomination make one a Christian. Belonging to these divisive bodies violates the Lord’s prayer for unity (John 17:20-21), Paul’s plea for unity (Ephesians 4:1-6), and is specifically condemned as a work of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21 ("Dissensions" means "divisions," and "heresies" means "sects").
     What, then, is a Christian? The New Testament word "Christian" means "a follower of Christ." It is a noun, not an adjective, the name applied to certain individuals, not a description of anything and everything that has religious or moral suggestions. A Christian is a "disciple" (learner, follower) of Christ (Acts 11:26). Disciples are also called "saints" (Acts 9:1, 13), meaning one "separated from sin and consecrated to God." Since Saul’s persecution of the disciples is also termed doing evil to "the church" (Acts 8:3), Christians are members of the Lord’s church (1 Corinthians 12:27), the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23). "Christian" is the proper name for members of the church; "disciple" describes their relationship to the Master; and "saint" relates them to sin and to God.
     Thus, a Christian bears certain spiritual relationships that other people do not. To the body of Christ, he is a "member," i.e., a part, of the body (1 Corinthians 12:12, 27). Since Christ has only one body (1 Corinthians 12:20), this is a distinguished privilege. To the family of God, he is a child (Ephesians 3:14-15; Galatians 3:26). Since God has no children outside His family, this is a great honor. In relationship to the kingdom of God, the Christian is a citizen (Ephesians 2:19; Colossians 1:13). There are only two kingdoms in the spiritual realm, one of Satan and one of God, and all are citizens of one or the other. The Christian is also a living stone in God’s temple (Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:5). This is the only realm where God will accept our worship and service.
     Christians are not to be called by human religious names. The term "Christian" glorifies God (1 Peter 4:16) and honors the name of Christ, in whose name alone salvation can be found (Acts 4:10-12). Thus, Paul forbids us to wear sectarian names, as they demonstrate sectarian loyalty (1 Corinthians 1:10-13).
     If you are not a Christian, you can become one simply by being saved by the Gospel (Acts 2:47; Romans 1:16).If you will hear the word of God (Romans 10:17), believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Romans 10:10), repent of your sins (Acts 11:18), confess your faith that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Romans 10:10), and be baptized into Christ (Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 3:26-27), you will become a Christian.
     A Christian is simply a disciple of Christ. If you are a Christian, strive always to live worthily of that noble name (Ephesians 4:1). If you are not a Christian, you need to become one, for only in Christ is salvation to be found (2 Timothy 2:10). Are you a Christian?
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     OPEN MY EYES:  The hymn “Open My Eyes, That I May See,” written by Clara (not Charles) H. Scott in 1895, is based on Psalm 119:18: “Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law.”  The second stanza begins, “Open my ears, that I may hear Voices of truth Thou sendest clear.”  Some of our more recent books have changed this to “Open my ears, that I may hear Thy word of truth Thou sendest clear.”  I assume that the purpose of this change is to make sure that no one thinks that God speaks directly to people today in “still small voices.”  It is true that God speaks to us today through His written word, but is this change in the song really necessary?  Cannot any normal person understand the figurative nature of the words?  We “hear” the “voices” of our founding fathers, even though they have been dead for nearly two-hundred years, by reading what they wrote, not listening for them to speak to us directly.  In like manner, we “hear” the “voices” of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, and others who were guided by the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s message to mankind by reading what they wrote.  If we understand this in our common speaking, why cannot we understand it when we sing?

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SEARCH FOR TRUTH

"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39)

     Published by Wayne S. Walker, 503 S. Jefferson St., Salem, IL  62881; phone, (618) 548-6286 home, (618) 292-2694 cell; e-mail, wswalker310@juno.com .
     Working and worshipping with the Elm Grove Church of Christ, 7576 River Rd., Iuka, IL  62849; phone (618) 323-6835.
     Services: Sunday Bible study at 9:45 a. m., worship at 10:45 a. m. and 6:00 p. m.; Wednesday—Bible study at 7:00 p. m.
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Volume II; February 7, 2010; Number 28
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DO NOT TRUST IN PRINCES
By Wayne S. Walker

     “Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help” (Psalm 146:3).  I have always been interested in politics because I believe that a Christian has a civic obligation to the government of the nation in which he lives (note Romans 13:1-7, 1 Peter 2:13-17).  I also believe that my civic obligations are one way that I can fulfill my responsibility before God to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16).
     One aspect of this responsibility is expressed by the statement, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).  Therefore, I choose the political party with which I identify myself and the candidates whom I support based upon how likely they are to reflect a respect for the principles of righteousness.  At the same time, I try very hard not to make my political convictions any kind of standard by which I judge others, especially my brothers and sisters in Christ.
     However, there have been times when I have been disappointed.  Politicians for whom I have voted have failed to do what they promised and what I expected of them.  Even the party in which I claim membership has sometimes strayed away from what it says that it stands for and what I believe to be right.  While this always perturbs me, I do not put my trust in these “princes” because they are but “sons of men” who are weak, frail, and subject to making mistakes.
     Rather, I put my trust in the living and true God who “rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses” (Daniel 4:33).  He still sits on the throne of the universe and works out all things according to the good pleasure of His will to accomplish His divine purpose.  Oh, I still try to elect the people who I think will best represent His virtues, and am glad when they win.  But my trust is not in them.  “Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God” (v. 5). 
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Godly Elders I Have Known
L. GRIFFIN COPELAND
By Wayne S. Walker

     Lowell Griffin Copeland, who signed his name L. Griffin and was known to his friends as “Griff,” was born Dec 7, 1919, in Dasher, GA, and grew up with five brothers and one sister on the family farm, attending David Lipscomb College in Nashville, TN, and then Harding College in Searcy, AR, where he met his future wife Gretchen. Griffin and Gretchen were married May 30, 1946 and returned from their honeymoon in Mexico to begin working for the newly founded Florida College at Temple Terrace, FL, in August, 1946, the first semester of its existence. He was instrumental in getting the school up and running, initially serving as head of the English department, teaching Spanish, and running the library.
     For more than fifty years, the library was Copeland’s “baby.” He ran it when it consisted of a mere 2,000 donated volumes in the east wing of Sutton Hall, and labored to prepare it for the school’s accreditation in 1954.  As head librarian, Copeland oversaw the expansion and eventual relocation of the library to its current home in the Chatlos Building in 1968. When I was at Florida College, from 1972 to 1974, he was the head librarian.  His office was in full view of the library, and he was usually quite accessible, usually with a smile on his face.  He retired from full-time employment in 1985, but continued to volunteer in the library nearly every day for the next twenty years. He worked for the school longer than any person in its history.
     The Copelands were generous supporters of Florida College, contributing to nineteen different funds at the school over the years. Although the college was a large part of his life, Griffin dedicated his life to one thing above all else and that was his service to the Lord. He taught many people, from many walks of life, through his classes at the college, private Bible study and by example. He served as an elder at the Temple Terrace Church of Christ for many years, including my years at Florida College. He demonstrated all things he taught in the way he lived his life.  Copeland was also an active member of the community, serving as an officer in the Friends of Temple Terrace Public Library, and helping to launch the Tampa Bay chapter of the educational organization Phi Delta Kappa.
     Brother Copeland, unlike a lot of other male faculty members at Florida College, was not known as a preacher, although I suspect that he did speak occasionally to fill in.  I do know that when a Spanish speaking congregation met on Sunday afternoons in the Habana Ave. church building, for many years he would go and present a lesson for them, since he was fluent in Spanish, or take some of his Spanish students who were planning to preach and let them practice preaching in Spanish.  I went with some friends of mine who participated in this a few times to encourage them.  The Copelands had two children, a daughter and a son Richard who died in 2005. 
     I do not remember the last time that I saw brother Copeland.  I do recall seeing him and sister Copeland from time to time when we would attend the Florida College lectures, even long after his retirement.  We went in 2009, but as the years tend to run together, I cannot say whether I saw him then or not, but whenever I did see him, he always had a smile on his face and said hello.  After years of failing health, Copeland died in the early hours of Thursday, January 14, 2010, at the age of 90, survived by his wife, daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.  Memorial services were held on Monday, Jan. 18 at Hutchison Auditorium on the Florida College campus.  My friend Mike Schmidt said this of him.  “You will never meet a more humble and unassuming Christian as bro. Copeland, but one who never wavered, never was influenced by others to compromise in his gentleness, and always loved his wife and the Lord.”
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“AND RUN NOT BEFORE HIM”
By Wayne S. Walker

     Most everyone knows the song “Take Time to Be Holy,” written by William Dunn Longstaff in 1874, with music provided by George Coles Stebbins in 1890.  Our older books had all four stanzas, but most of our newer books use only three (Praise for the Lord excepted).  Perhaps some editor had to cut it down to save space and others just copied from him, but one book actually went from all four stanzas to just three.  Aside from my complaint about cutting down songs just to “save time,” one friend of mine suggested that perhaps the omitted stanza contained an idea that many modern people just do not like. 
     “Take time to be holy, Let Him be thy guide, And run not before Him, Whatever betide; In joy or in sorrow Still follow thy Lord, And, looking to Jesus, Still trust in His word.”  It may just be that a lot of folks today are not content to “run not before Him” and simply “trust in His word,” so they do not want to sing a song that advises this course.  Perhaps that is not the reason for omitting the stanza, but it is important to remember that “looking to Jesus” means not going ahead of His word but obeying His will in all things.  “…That you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written…” (1 Cor. 4:6).

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SEARCH FOR TRUTH

"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39)

     Published by Wayne S. Walker, 503 S. Jefferson St., Salem, IL  62881; phone, (618) 548-6286 home, (618) 292-2694 cell; e-mail, wswalker310@juno.com .
     Working and worshipping with the Elm Grove Church of Christ, 7576 River Rd., Iuka, IL  62849; phone (618) 323-6835.
     Services: Sunday Bible study at 9:45 a. m., worship at 10:45 a. m. and 6:00 p. m.; Wednesday—Bible study at 7:00 p. m.
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Volume II; January 31, 2010; Number 27
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“I WILL EXTOL YOU, MY GOD, O KING”
By Wayne S. Walker

     “I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever” (Psalm 145:1).  The word “extol” means “To praise in the highest terms; exalt; laud.”  The Psalm expresses several reasons to praise, exalt, laud, and bless God in the highest terms.  Based on the first eleven verses of this Psalm, Richard Mant wrote a majestic hymn, which is usually set to a lovely melody attributed to Christian F. Witt.  It should be in every hymnbook published by brethren, but, alas, it is not (except three stanzas in Hymns for Worship Revised, set to a woefully mismatched tune). 
     Take the poem and put your Bible open to Psalm 145 beside it so that as you read the words you can compare the hymn to the Psalm.
1. (vs. 1-2)
God, my King, Thy might confessing, Ever will I bless Thy name;
Day to day Thy throne addressing, Still will I Thy praise proclaim.
2. (vs. 3-4)
Honor great our God befitteth.  Who His majesties can reach?
Age to age His works transmitteth; Age to age His power shall teach.
3. (vs. 5-6)
They shall talk of all Thy glory, On Thy might and greatness dwell,
Sing of Thy dread acts the story, And Thy deeds of wonder tell.
4. (v. 7)
Nor shall fail from memory’s treasure Deeds of love and mercy wrought:
Deeds of love surpassing measure, Deeds of mercy passing thought.
5. (vs. 8-9)
Full of pity and compassion, Slow to anger, vast in love,
God is good to all creation, And His works His goodness prove.
6. (vs. 10-11)
All Thy works, O Lord, shall bless Thee; Thee shall all Thy saints adore.
King supreme shall they confess Thee, And proclaim Thy sovereign power.”
     There now.  How is that for really offering up “the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (Hebrews 13:15)?  In my estimation, it surely beats a lot of the currently faddish pop-culture “praise songs” which simply talk about how “I feel” about the Lord.  We could certainly use a lot more hymns in our books like this one!
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