The Proclaimer

PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST TO A LOST AND DYING WORLD

Edited and Published by Jack Critchfield

Coming Together
Jack Critchfield

Why is it good for you and me to gather with other believers to honor God? Why not just worship God on my own? Many people of strong convictions fail to see the importance of assembling with others who, together, assemble to worship God. God provides the reasons for group (congregational) worship in Hebrews 10:19-25. In this epistle the author is explaining why Christians should not return to their Jewish faith, but remain faithful to the Lord. Throughout the letter the emphasis has been on the advantages of being a Christian over Judaism. In this passage gathering together is explained as it applies to the great salvation Christians enjoy.

The life and sacrifice Of Jesus Christ have opened a new and intimate access into the presence of God. This access is given to us by His death, once we are forgiven and cleansed by His blood (Heb. 10:19-22). So we are told, that having this access into fellowship with God, we should have confidence, or boldness, to enter into His presence because of the death of Jesus. There are none that are God’s children who do not enjoy this right to come into God’s presence with confidence.

This is why our worship is always described in terms of each other. "Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns spiritual songs…" (Eph. 5:19). "Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another…" (James 5:16). In taking the Lord’s supper we are all to eat the bread and drink from the cup. We are "proclaiming the Lord’s death" to others even as we partake. There is not one aspect of our worship in which we are not expected to be thinking of, singing to, praying for, or teaching others about God and His Son. Worship is designed by God to remind us of our great salvation and the privileges it brings. The shared singing, the prayers offered for each other, the Lord's supper eaten together and the lessons heard create part of the remembrance. Worship is "other oriented" even as each worshiper is reminded of God’s great gift.

Having given His children the great gift of fellowship with Him, God now desires that His children not lose that gift. "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful" (Heb 10:23). God encourages His followers to "hold fast" and not give up. For the recipients of this epistle that meant they were not to return to Judaism. They were tempted to go back because Christians were facing persecution and hardship. Being a Jew had not been that challenging. Being a Christian was turning out to be hard.

This problem is not confined to the Jew 2000 years ago however. Not many believers today would be tempted to go back to Judaism, but many new believers, perhaps all, are at one time or another seriously tempted to go back into their old lives. For some this may be a return to denominationalism or churches that have abandoned the Bible. For others, it is a return to worldliness and sin. For still others, it means returning to indifference toward God. In all ages, the temptation, especially when the Christian life becomes a challenge is to go back to the old way of life.

Because of this, it is not surprising that people who give up on God often have already given up on assembling for worship. It is not a coincidence that faith is weakened when Christians fail to assemble. It is also no coincidence that faith is strengthened when Christians do assemble, and are encouraged for the coming days.

We are not islands, isolated from others in a sea of worldliness. We are a body of believers, interconnected by God Himself to reach out to the lost and to encourage the saved. That is why we are reminded by the writer to keep others in mind when we worship. "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works" (Heb 10:24). When we read this, we are challenged by God to keep others in mind as we work and worship in the kingdom.

Many believers fail to realize that worship is as much about encouraging others as it is about being encouraged. We are told "to consider" others. This requires knowledge and awareness of others and their situations. One place to gain this awareness is in the regular assembling together that the church experiences.

We are also commanded to stimulate others to good works. We are only able to motivate others when we are aware of their situation. Out of the awareness comes the ability to motivate, encourage and stimulate others to stay faithful, to expand their service to God, to become more committed.

Obviously, the command to know each other and to encourage each other cannot be obeyed in isolation. Why assemble with others to worship God? Because I cannot encourage those I do not know, I cannot stimulate those with whom I do not come in contact and I cannot be encouraged by them nor can I encourage them, if I refuse to assemble with the saints who worship God.

Instead of giving up on worship, we are to keep at it, encouraging each other in the process. The writer adds, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching" (Heb. 10:23). What day is that?

Some say it is a day of persecution and hardship. As that day draws near every believer will need strength to endure the challenge. Where is that strength found? In assembling with other believers.

Others say "the day" is the judgment day, the day when God will judge the world in righteousness. If that is the day in question, then assembling with others keeps us in mind of that great day. When we assemble to praise God we are given a foretaste of what heaven will be. We are reminded of the need to be right with God. Assembling with others keeps the important, central issues of life foremost in our minds.

Whether that day is a time of persecution or whether that day is the day of judgment, assembling together helps to prepare us for it. That is why we must not forsake, or give up on group (congregational) worship. Personal meditation, personal prayer and a private walk with the Lord are wonderful ways to grow closer to God. But in the process of group (congregational) worship you are built up, others are built up, faith is increased in more than just one person and many are motivated to stay committed and to do good.
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When one seeks the honor that comes from God only, he will take the withholding of the honor that comes from men very quietly indeed.

George MacDonald

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The Easy Way
Kent E. Heaton Sr.

If we had a choice in every part of our lives, the easy way would be the only way we would go. The easy way is the way with less trouble, less difficulty and less worry. The easy way is just a glide through the maze of what life has to offer. There are times when the easy way is easy but for the most part, life is not going to be easy.

We begin life in what is called "labor." That should be a road sign to all humanity that life is about difficulty. It will not always be easy and life will not always be without challenges. Every aspect of our lives is the labor of learning to walk, to talk, to dress ourselves, to feed ourselves without wearing our food and a myriad of other task to prepare us for life.

We must spend endless hours in learning, reading, writing and arithmetic. It seems we never get out of school. Once we escape the bars of public school our dreams are dashed when we realize that hard work lay before us. This may be college, trade school or learning a useful tool to establish a lifestyle of living. Then come marriage and a family. The bills pile up, the worries increase, the hair grows thin and our bodies wear out. Life is filled with anything less than an easy way of it.

Through all of these real life struggles, we try to find the easy way. It is our nature to attain what we desire by seeking the easy solution, the quick fix or the miracle pill to solve all of our problems. We find in the end that there is not an easy solution, the quick fix does not always work and the miracle pill turns out to be a sugar pill. Life can turn out to be - not easy - difficult!

Living before God offers men the same challenge to seek an easier path. The reality of living for Christ turns men to seek an easier path. The problem is that to do the will of God will require a life not characterized by ease and comfort but toil and difficulty. Jesus taught in Matthew 7:13-14, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

The way of salvation is not the easy way. From this passage we see the danger of the easy way because many go the easy route and because of that, they will be lost. The way of Christ is the difficult way and there will only be few who find it. Jesus did not take the easy way to secure our salvation. Jesus Christ died on the cross! If we are to bear our cross, our burden must be likened to what He bore.

The cost of discipleship is explained by Jesus in Matthew 16:24-25: "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." This is not the easy way! The easy way is taken by those who are unwilling to put Christ first in everything.

The difficulty of the narrow way produces something not found in the easy way. "And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope." (Romans 5:3,4) There is no perseverance, character or hope in the easy way. There is not reason for it. The difficult way produces something in each Christian that will help them endure the trials of life - no matter what.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. " (Philippians 4:13)
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Loneliness is said to cause the most intense emotional pain that the soul can experience. But the good news is that in heaven there is no loneliness (Rev. 21:3) for God will be one's constant companion.

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Tricked By Distorted Mirrors
Dick Millwee

Any who have gone into a Carnival Fun House have been amused when they enter the room that has many mirrors that distort the appearance of the one who looks into to it. One will show the individual skinner than they are, another taller, another shorter, another fatter, etc. A rather stout woman once was overheard to say, as she viewed herself in one of the distorted mirrors, "I like that mirror, see how slim it makes my waist look."

Presently, our society has been infected with what I term as the "Politically Correct Syndrome". By that, I mean it is not the popular and accepted thing to speak out against another person's ungodly behavior. To do so will incur the wrath of those infected by the "Politically Correct Syndrome". Consequently, we shy away from speaking out against wrong behavior. No one is guilty of misbehavior, they are the victims and are to be given compassion and understanding, not censure. It has become unloving to speak out against unacceptable behavior. If one should do so, the are looked upon and spoken against as some kind of "holier than thou" individual and tabbed as a "Wacko" or a "Right Wing Religious Fanatic". Sadly, we are slowly developing into a silent majority that won’t speak out against wrong behavior for fear of being verbally attacked and labeled with an unflattering title.

Consequently, the ones engaging in unacceptable behavior see themselves through the distorted mirrors of silence. Many truly believe they are victims or see their unacceptable behavior as acceptable and those who would dare have a different view as individuals who have some sort of problem. It has become a classic case of calling "evil good, and good evil" - Isa 5:20.

Truly, this is a sad state of affairs. Even more shocking, this "Syndrome" has crept into the Church. It is seem across the land by how some of God’s children view religious people belonging to various denominations. I will be the first to admit there are many in denominations who are really good people and do a lot of charitable work for the unfortunate in our society. What really concerns me is that because of this, some Christians feel they are acceptable to God and upon their death will be gloriously accepted into heaven. The matter of how they conducted themselves religiously is unimportant, they good they do through the distorted mirror of society’s values is what is really important - Matt 15:9; Matt 7:21-23.

The rational for coming to this conclusion comes about in the following way. These good folks are compared to a member of the Church who is either an obvious hypocrite, a none spiritual fruit bearing Christian, a fault finding Christian, or one who is obviously not acting in harmony with God’s Word. The "good folks" in the denominational world are compared to those Christians who are in spiritual jeopardy and the conclusions is then reached the behavior of the "good folks" in denominations is obviously better than that of the spiritually jeopardized Christian they are compared to. Thus, they are saved. They are viewed through the distorted mirror of an individual’s emotional reasoning. By this reasoning Cornelius in Acts 10 and the Jews talked about in Rom 10:1-3 were saved and did not really have to obey the gospel of Christ.

The flaw is this reasoning is found in 2 Cor 10:12, "For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise."

Beloved, let us see others’ spiritual condition as God sees them through the mirror of His word (Jas 1:23-25) and not through the distorted mirror of our own emotional reasoning.
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The devil always shows up a vacation resorts, but that doesn't mean he is on vacation.

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More Than "Just Showing Up"
John Hendrix

For all of you out there who get tired of preachers using football illustrations in their sermons, Paul used a foot race and boxing to make an important point to the Corinthians (He might have used football if it existed back then): "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified" (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

There is much more to successfully competing in a sport than just showing up. Many athletes run in a race, but only one wins. We should not be surprised, then, that "just showing up" is not all that is required of us to gain heaven.

In Paul's day, as in ours, people often become confused about God's grace. We know assuredly that our salvation can only come through the grace of God. Without Christ's sacrifice for us, we are all debtors with nothing to pay (Luke 7:40-50). Without God's forgiveness, we are all under penalty of death (Romans 3:23, 6:23). There is simply no way for us to earn our salvation, for when we are without God's grace, we are without strength (Romans 5:6).

Paul says, however, that just being in the race is not enough. Any athlete who really wants to compete must be self-controlled, must be focused and must abide by the rules. Athletic competition requires you to subject every desire of your body to your mind. The runner continues despite thirst, muscle aches and shortness of breath. He cannot run aimlessly, but with determination. A boxer cannot just swing his fists; he must hit his target. Athletes also must compete according to the rules or they will be disqualified.

What spiritual application does all this have? Christians--even Paul--can be disqualified in their race for the imperishable crown. "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12).

This illustration at the end of 1 Corinthians 9 is a "lead in" to the grave warnings of chapter 10. Most of the Israelites who left Egypt did not reach Canaan. Though they were promised the land of Canaan by the grace of God--through no work of their own--they failed to reach Canaan through their disbelief and disobedience: "Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink…But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:1-12).

Many Christians develop a casual attitude towards sin. The casualness is the very danger that Paul is warning against. God's salvation is not a free ride; the imperishable crown requires faithfulness. God calls us to holiness, not wantonness. "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God…" (Hebrews 12:14-15).

If Paul could be disqualified in his race for a home in heaven, we can be disqualified as well. We must stay on guard, lest even we fall short of our calling.
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According to William Bennett in The Weekly Standard, American men live an average of 73 years, smokers, 66 years; and homosexuals, 43 years. Once again, the Bible is proved correct: Romans 1:27. Yet when we call for an end to promiscuity and immoral homosexuality, gay rights activists berate and slander those who are really only counseling them in ways that would save their lives.

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Personal Note:

Last month I wrote about Evelyn's health. For the great blessings God has shown us in her recovery we are very happy and excited. But this month she told me that I needed to write about myself. I do so with reluctance.

On December 17 I went for a check up and the doctor sent me directly to the hospital. He said that I had unstable angina. Two days later, an angiogram was done. The doctor found one artery was 90% blocked and that one valve of my heart was not closing correctly (and probably had not all my life). He inserted a stint to take care of the blockage and has put me on medication to take care of the valve problem. So far everything seems to be ok.

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Jack Critchfield, Editor & Publisher
403 Coit Way, Salinas, Ca. 93907
(831) 772-9557
jcritch@a1above.net
Back issues may be viewed online at:
http://www.jlef.com/~jcritch/proclaimer.htm