The Colley House

Right Turn

Posted by Web Admin | Posted on 19-01-2012

Category : Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Tags: Attitude, Blessings, Commitment, Faith, Joy, Peace, Thankfulness

For four days now I’ve been wishing for a right turn. Right is the way I turn now to go to my dad’s regular hospital room and left is the way to the ICU, where he has spent the past three days. I’m thankful for all the turns in life through which the Father leads because I have that wonderful assurance of Romans 8:28. “All things” (the good things and the bad things) “work together” (are assimilated) “for good” (to be in the best eternal interests) “to those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose” (for faithful Christians). That makes every turn the right turn for me.

Lots of you already know that my father has been hospitalized since Friday afternoon. For many prayers and kind words and visits and snacks and meals and cards, we are very thankful. Dad’s main problem is pneumonia now and I covet your prayers for some easier breathing. I think the brewing pneumonia and resulting lack of oxygen to the brain last Friday morning was the cause for his disorientation and confusion, As he later said, “Cindy, I have just never been so inept and confused in my whole life.”

I said, “Dad, could you not even think to call me?”

“I could not think of the answers to any questions and I didn’t know what to do.”

So he went to the church building. In all of his confusion, he just put on his coat and tie, grabbed his glasses and his Bible and, in auto-pilot, he drove to the side of the building where he normally parks his car. There are six turns and about five stop lights between his house and the meeting place of the Jacksonville church of Christ. According to the surveillance camera later viewed, he entered the building at 10:24 A.M. and then proceeded to the auditorium. Still confused about why it was empty (apparently thinking it was time for one of the assemblies), he spent the next six hours, likely losing consciousness and falling, struggling to get up and becoming more and more desperate. Thankfully Homer Smith, one of the shepherds of the church, began to wonder about why his car was there and where he was. I was notified and I began asking everyone who might know about where he was until Homer, our new MVE (most valuable elder) found him and called the EMTs, who took him to the ER, where he was later admitted to the ICU.

He’s not out of the woods, but an enzyme count of 14,000–so very dangerously high–has dropped to 800. That’s impressive. He is completely coherent. That’s way better. His breathing is nothing but wheezing! That’s the part, for now, for which we need prayers. It’s really hard to watch and hear him breathe so laboriously.

But there is a blessing trail here. I can quickly enumerate ten of the many blessings about the whole episode:

Win or lose the battle for life on this earth, the battle for life—the real battle–has already been won.
There are ministers of the Father all around His people and they are extremely caring. They are servants with an attitude; the attitude of Matthew 25: 31-40.
Eighty-nine years of relatively good health is a great record. Just being in this hospital or even on this internet makes us aware of so many whose trials are so premature compared to any we might be experiencing. Dad is the only surviving child in a family of eleven children. He’s been very blessed.
When my dad “can’t think of any of the answers to any of the questions,” he goes to the place of worship. (That’s kind of like the Psalmist in Psalm 73.)
There are lots of colder, more desolate places to be unconscious than in the church building.
The proximity of excellent medical facilities in almost any region of our great country is a blessing we consistently count on.
The presence of skilled doctors, nurses, technicians and even smiling volunteers is a very good gift from the Giver of all good gifts.
Cousins, sons-in-law, husbands, fathers-in-law and brothers-in-law who are elders and preachers in the kingdom are double-kin and that’s special. I have about twenty-one of those and they are wonderful.
Dad, the “lost” sheep, was found by a shepherd.
“Clinically improved,” the term used to describe Dad today, is fun to hear and I love turning right.

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

Posted by Web Admin | Posted on 17-12-2010

Category : Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Tags: Joy, Priorities, Service

It’s not too late. Tune up (actually, vocal talent is quite unnecessary), grab your coffeemaker, a few packets of cocoa, a few people and a few Styrofoam cups, and take a cup of cheer to those in your congregation who may be experiencing a gladness deficit this holiday season.

For the young professionals group at West Huntsville it was about eight stops. A couple of them are recently widowed, one has terminal cancer, one is a recent convert, and one is a young boy who recently lost contact with his father. But the main beneficiaries were those of us who were singing, choreographing (not dancing, for sure =) the twelve days of Christmas, and bringing on the cheer. We, somehow in the process of belting out the blessings, found them ourselves; the blessings, that is,– in those yards, on those porches and in those little living rooms and apartments.

Here’s the recipe. Just have everybody bring some small item…a tube of lotion, a piece of fruit, a Bible workbook, or a pretty cupcake. Have someone map out the stops and call ahead to verify that people will be home. Have someone else bring sheet music–or at least lyrics–to any less familiar songs you plan to sing. Find folks at one of your stops who don’t mind you plugging in the coffee urn and serving up the cocoa. Then get going.

Be prepared. You will see a lot of genuine smiles, some emotional–even tearful–recipients, and you will hear laughter; sometimes uncontrollable laughter. Your gratitude for the amazing blessings in your life will be renewed at the end of each visit as you bow your head with people…all with different needs, yet all needing the same Thing.

Now, this doesn’t have to be a six-hour escapade, as ours was. (This group has to include eating out together in every activity. Maybe that’s why I love them so much!) It can just be two or three stops. It doesn’t have to involve lots of people. Sometimes the sweetest of the season’s songs are those from little families with children in training for service (…and what a great Family Bible Time project…a way to teach your kids as you are “walking by the way” Deut. 6:4).

So there’s the recipe for the joy. On our little tour, I brought along a batch of chai tea mix to go along with the cocoa. It was a hit, so I’ve included the recipe for that, too. Now, go spread the cheer!

“And we urge you,… encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.” I Thess. 5:14)

Best Chai Ever!

1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
1 cup French vanilla flavored powdered non-dairy creamer
2 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups unsweetened instant tea
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions
In a large bowl, combine milk powder, non-dairy creamer, vanilla flavored creamer, sugar and instant tea. Stir in ginger, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. In a blender or food processor, blend 1 cup at a time, until mixture is the consistency of fine powder.

To serve: Stir 2 heaping tablespoons chai tea mixture into a mug of hot water.

(But I do not do the blender thing. I just mix it up really good. That blender thing sent dust all over my house and made me cough! =)

…and don’t forget your contest entries. Monday is the deadline. See post for 12/08/10.

The Real Woman of the Da Vinci Code, part 2

Posted by Web Admin | Posted on 29-10-2010

Category : Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Tags: Bible Study, Joy, Priorities, Women

Mary was busy on Sunday morning.

Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. (Mt.28:1)

Mary started her trip to the tomb before dawn on Sunday morning. It occurred to me as I was studying the devotion of this woman of God that I know many women who often begin their journey to celebrate the empty tomb each Lord’s day before dawn. I have met women in foreign countries, where congregations are few and far between, who arise before dawn on Sunday mornings to make the trip to a distant village to worship God. I have known women here at home who are diligent on Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings to make sure all the clothes and shoes are assembled and ready so the preparation time for worship will be a time of calm and peace. I have known many women who have been on the worship site long before others preparing communion or visuals for children’s classes. It may seem an obvious point, but we all need to have a Sunday morning agenda that’s more important than any weekend relaxation or late Saturday night activity. We should prepare ourselves and our families for on-time, alert and focused worship. We all have a weekly Sunday appointment at the tomb!

Mary didn’t fully understand the implications of the empty tomb at first.

In John’s account, we are given details of Mary’s visit to the tomb that are not given in the other accounts. It appears from John 20:1-10 that Mary saw the empty tomb, was devastated that the Lord’s body had been “taken away,” and, in great despair, reported this “theft” to Peter and John. Peter and John came running to the tomb, found it as Mary had reported, and returned to their home.

For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. (John 20:9)

Looking back from our vantage point, having read and reread all of the Messianic prophecies and having heard Jesus say he would raise up the temple again in three days (Jn. 2:19), we tend to become impatient with the four disciples examining the empty tomb. These two Marys and Peter and John still didn’t “get it.” This lack of understanding about what had actually occurred at dawn on that Sunday left Mary weeping at the empty tomb, when her emotion should really have been great joy.

We often encounter people who are slow in grasping the personal significance of the empty tomb. Sometimes people know the story of Jesus years before they develop faith to obey. As I think of the people in my small sphere of influence right now, I think of one young woman who once believed in the empty tomb, who just confessed to me that her faith has grown cold and she no longer believes in the deity of Jesus. She needs to re-examine the evidence as Mary did. I think of another who once was risen with Christ, but has allowed the temptations of the world around him to draw Him away from the risen savior. He needs to go back to the tomb and re-evaluate its significance. I think of another who is in a Bible class I am teaching. She has just discovered the tomb! She is excited and ready to run with the news. New-found happiness and eagerness is written all over her face. May she never lose her zeal as she takes the gospel to those she loves deeply.

While Peter and John went home. Mary went back to the tomb and wept (Jn.20:11). She peeked back into the tomb and the most amazing part of her Sunday …no…of her life, unfolded before her.

Mary saw the gospel.

I am blessed immeasurably because I have heard the gospel! It has forever impacted my life and eternity. I will never be the same. Praise God for the telling and hearing of the gospel story! But did you ever think about the fact that Mary Magdalene, along with a very few select people didn’t have to hear the gospel? They saw it. The gospel is defined by Paul as the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. These three events compose the Good News of the ages (I Cor. 15:1-4). Mary, along with many other people watched him die (Mt.27:55,56). Mary went to the tomb for the interment (Mt. 27:61). It would seem possible from the context that very few people, possibly only Joseph of Arimathea, any helpers he had to carry and place the body and roll the stone, and the two Marys witnessed this burial. I believe it highly probable that a few more of the faithful were present, since it seems likely that Mary, the mother of the Lord would have followed the body to the tomb. It seems that, if she did, then most likely John and perhaps others accompanied her. But in the moments immediately following the resurrection, the two mortals who heard the words directly from the heavenly beings were only two:

Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.
And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. Mt. 28:1-6.

There were to be many witnesses to the empty tomb and the risen Savior. After all, those who saw him die and then later walked and talked with him, were indeed witnesses to the resurrection. But what a remarkable honor was given to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to hear the angel voices say “He is not here, for He is risen.” What an amazing and unforgettable event of a lifetime to be invited first to “Come see the place where the Lord lay.” This woman, once tormented by the agents of death, was called by heavenly voices into the little arena on the side of the Judean hill, to the very spot where death was conquered for all of eternity. And the good news was then delivered by Mary to Peter and the rest of the apostles, to be delivered by them in Jerusalem on the very next Pentecost to a world of people who could access salvation because of the empty tomb.

Mary saw the Lord.

At some point very shortly after the angels comforted Mary, she saw the Lord himself. John tells us that the meeting occurred there in the burial garden, because Mary just turned around and there He was, the risen Son of God! Still slow to process the amazing truth with which she was quickly coming face to face, she thought Jesus was the gardener. She asked this “gardener” where he had laid the body of Jesus. Then Jesus turning to her, said “Mary!”

It was the moment of truth. I wish I could have seen her face when she finally turned to Jesus and realized that this gardener was the great I AM! Processing the events, it just finally dawned on her that if he could cast the demons from her body, he could overcome the grave! She would not be needing those spices she had brought for the dead. She would, instead fall down, grab his feet and worship the living as she cried out “Master!” (John 20:15, 16; Matthew 28:9).

Have you fallen at His feet? Is he your master?

Mary ran with the good news.

So should we.

So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. Mt.28:8

The news these two women were given from heaven was the most precious news ever delivered to mankind. Giving validity to the incarnation, the death, and the burial, was this, the truth that He had risen. The truth of the gospel hinges on the empty tomb. Paul said as much in I Cor. 15: 13-20:

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.
And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.
Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise.
For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.
And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Great things will happen to us if we hasten with urgency to spread the good news. And so it was with Mary. She encountered Christ first when he cleansed her of the torturous evil spirits.. Realizing that she owed her very sanity to the Lord, she followed him to the cross, the grave and almost certainly waited for His promised Comforter in the upper room in Jerusalem (Acts 1:14). Thus, she became a part of his eternal kingdom when Peter and the apostles spoke the good news of the resurrection on the day of Pentecost…the news first delivered to them by Mary Magdalene. I believe Mary Magdalene also followed the Lord to heaven. May the empty tomb open heaven’s doors for Cindy Colley one day, too. I want to meet Mary Magdalene!

Works Cited:
*Barnes, Albert: Notes on the New Testament, 1958, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, p. 33.
** Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, www.esword.com

Above article taken largely from “Power Lectures, 2009,” edited by Wade Webster, Southaven, MS; 2009 (article by Cindy Colley)

Where’s the Joy? (part 3)

Posted by Web Admin | Posted on 20-09-2010

Category : Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Tags: Commitment, Encouragement, Joy, Worship

THERE IS JOY IN REPROACH

“But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. ‘And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled’” (1 Pet.3:14). “But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy” (1 Pet. 4:13).

First Peter is the epistle on suffering. It is replete with exhortations and encouragement for those first century Christians who were being persecuted for their faith. We thank God in our assemblies today for the privilege of gathering to worship without fear of persecution. That line was not in their prayers. We ask God to help us be faithful unto death. This was not mere rhetoric in their prayers. The tyrannical powers of the Roman Empire were thirsty for the blood of Christians. The methods of torture inflicted on believers were unthinkably inhumane. Real life issues for them were not about whether or not it was socially acceptable or politically correct to confess the Savior. The issue for them was whether to confess and die or deny and live. While 1 Peter was written against this backdrop of incredible persecution it could just as aptly be called the epistle of joy, for joy and hope fairly oozed from the parchment as the words of this great apostle were read in the quiet and hidden rooms of worship. These were Christians who, earlier in the same day, had likely been placed in real and perilous situations because of their alliances with Christ. The Holy Spirit was, through this letter of Peter, giving people who desperately needed comfort, security and hope, a reason to leave those secret assemblies with determination to endure for Christ, whatever the cost.

We sit on padded pews in buildings that have large signs in the yard proclaiming that what we are doing inside is worshiping. In our assembly each week, there are police officers and elected officials, who not only endorse what we are doing in the service of Christ, but participate heartily. So when 1 Peter is read in our meeting places, we may not receive the same blessing they did in the first century. Some may even think the comfort offered in 1 Peter seems like overkill in our comfortable society. After all, a spiritual survival kit like I Peter is hardly necessary when we have it so easy…or is it?

Consider the words of Paul in II Timothy 3:12:
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

I’m convinced that if we are His…really living godly lives in Him, we will suffer some form of persecution. I’m convinced that if my life is void of sacrifice and any discomfort resulting from my faith, then my faith is not what it should be. I think of our teenage girls today in the Lord’s body. I look at the styles of clothing that are the norm in our society. I cannot imagine a teen girl today who exhibits modesty at all times not being excluded from certain activities or facing taunting because of her “different” look. I think of the entertainment crazed culture around us and am sure that those who refuse to be entertained by movies laced with profanity and sexuality must be excluded from certain groups or activities and face the ridicule of their peers. I reflect on the materialism that drives parents, even in our churches, to allow others, even non-Christians, to be the primary caregivers for their children. When I think about this societal norm, I come to the conclusion that those who choose to sacrifice income for Christian child-rearing are doing just that…sacrificing for the cause of Christ. So how does joy factor into this picture of sacrifice?

I confess that, at times, it’s difficult to recognize the joy in sacrifice. But I believe joy results from sacrifice, first, because if 1 Peter teaches anything at all, it teaches this. Secondly, I believe joy results from sacrifice because I understand that the biggest part of Christian joy happens when I’m finished living here on earth. (1 Peter says that, too. Check out chapter 1, verses 6-9.) Thirdly, I believe that sacrifice comes from joy, because the fact is recognizable in my life and in the lives of those around me. My daughter was baptized on a night when she was sacrificing a play rehearsal in order to attend a gospel meeting. That was a time of joy. I know of many teens who’ve sacrificed parties, proms, movies and more because they were Christians. I don’t know a single one who regrets having made the sacrifice for Christ. I know of many who wish they had. I know a host of mothers who’ve given up careers to fulfill godly roles in the home and 100% of those I know who have done it have experienced joy because of this decision.

Finally, I know there is joy in reproach because of the words of Christ in Luke 6:22, 23:

Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you,
and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of
Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your
reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the
prophets.

This is a promise of Christ. The reaction that I should have to this promise is specified. When I am blessed, yes blessed, with an opportunity to sacrifice something that’s important to me, to be excluded from a group of my peers, or to be ridiculed because of my spirituality I should rejoice and leap for joy! I can do this but it takes a retrospective look at the prophets who have already suffered for their faith (verse 23), and an anticipatory look, by faith, into heaven (verse 23). What this means, in practical terms, is that I can do this IF I stay in the Book. When I am buoyed by the victories of those great heroes of faith listed in Hebrews 11 and by the precious promises of my God, I can rejoice when I am called to suffer reproach in this life.

YOU ONLY GO AROUND ONCE

So you might as well be joyful in Christ. You can view Christianity as a life of restrictions and that’s what Christianity will be…restrictive. You can view Christianity as a life of joyful commitment and that’s what it will be. If you view it as a joyful commitment, you can say with Paul, “For this reason I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep what I have committed (emphasis added) unto Him until that Day.” And that Day will be the most joyful of all!

Oh, by the way, the happiest man I know is not in an asylum. He is an elder who studies his Bible and seeks to restore, to reproduce spiritually, and often bears reproach. His joy is found in his commitment.

(This post and the previous two are taken largely from ‘How Shall I Be Remembered?” Edited and produced by Freed Hardeman University Associates and available at Freed Hardeman University Bible Bookstore.)

Where’s the Joy? (part 2)

Posted by Web Admin | Posted on 17-09-2010

Category : Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Tags: Baptism, Blessings, Children, Joy, Parenting

THERE IS JOY IN REPRODUCTION

“A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world” (John 16:21).

There are a few passages in scripture that men will never have the capacity to understand as we as women can. This is one such passage. I can’t read this verse without remembering a day in a hospital room when that fragile little body in a flannel blanket was laid on my chest, a tiny hand wrapped wee fingers around my forefinger, and a feeling of joy that is beyond what I can record on this page just enveloped my whole being. I got to experience this twice in my twenties. Now I’m some twenty years beyond those experiences. I have never since felt the same kind and level of joy. Will I someday feel it again when I hold my grandchild? I don’t know. Maybe some of you know.

When Jesus wanted us to know about joy beyond compare he spoke of the childbirth experience. The psalmist speaks of the joy of motherhood in Psalms 113:9. Physical reproduction is an awesome blessing of our Father (Psm.127), and despite our society’s manifest disrespect for life in the womb, those of us who know Jehovah don’t have to be convinced that a baby’s passage from the womb is a time to bless our God with joyful praise and thanksgiving.

Last week I had the chance to witness birth. My friend Regina, with whom I’d been studying was born of water and the spirit (John 3:5), and as I gave her that big wet hug as she came up from the waters of baptism, it occurred to me that she had just been born; that she was that tiny fragile baby in the flannel blanket, so totally dependent on others for her very spiritual sustenance. Her fingers were wrapped, as it were, around my forefinger and she needed me in a way that few have ever needed me. What I experienced as she changed clothes and we went out to meet those other Christians who would help her through her infancy was definitely joy…a joy, again, that’s too deep for the printed page.

While I am not the one who gave birth to Regina (that was the Spirit as we read in John 3:5), there is a small sense in which I facilitated this birth. Just as Paul called Timothy his son in the faith (I Tim. 1:2), I feel a sort of parenting bond to those who may have come to the new birth as God used me to teach. While this bond lays upon me a huge responsibility, it is a bond of unbridled joy. It is a childbirth kind of joy that doesn’t have to stop with menopause! It’s a spiritual delivery room kind of joy that we can experience over and over through all of our years.

Christians today universally recognize the apostle Paul as being one of the most joyful people of scripture. Yet when we read 2 Corinthians 11, we are amazed at the persecutions, perils and near-death experiences of this man of God. What was the secret of his joy? We don’t have to look very far in scripture to find it. In Acts 20:24 we read that it was his race…his ministry…that brought him joy. Paul spoke these words as he was “bound in the spirit” (verse22) and on his way to Jerusalem where he would be arrested for the sake of the gospel. But it was the ministry of this same gospel that brought him joy.

In Philippians 4:1, Paul told the Christians in Philippi that they were his source of joy. Paul had begun the Philippian church in Acts 16 from the cell of a jail, where he had been arrested, beaten and incarcerated. I don’t know about you, but I think I might have had the temptation to induce a mental block when I thought about the town of Philippi. But not Paul. He was fully into the pain/joy concept of childbirth and his joy at the birth of the Philippian church was so great that he scarcely even remembered the pain.

I don’t pretend to have achieved the kind of faith that produces this deep joy in evangelism, but I’ve been blessed to taste enough of this joy that I want more. Because of faithful brethren and sisters who sent me, a God who sustained me and His blessed Word that I could share, I was blessed to go to Kharkhov, Ukraine this last spring. While there, God gave me the opportunity to study with three women in this large metropolitan area who were baptized into Christ before we came home. It occurred to me as I was filled with the joy of these individual births that these three women would be the nucleus of a brand new congregation of God’s people in a large area of Kharkov where a church had not existed since before the communist takeover of their country. God had let me be an instrument in the birth of a church! My songs that evening around that baptismal pool were songs of praise and thanksgiving and, yes, profound joy!

Psychologists all agree. If you are struggling with depression, the most effective medicine is to find someone who needs you and start filling needs. It works the same way spiritually. If we find ourselves struggling to feel secure and happy in the Lord, the best remedy is to get busy evangelizing. If you have never been involved in bringing a soul to the Lord, you are probably nowhere near as happy as you can be as a Christian. So, go ahead. It’s not too late to roll up your sleeves and help yourself to happiness. Your personal joy quota can increase dramatically in a short amount of time. Just do it. Here’s how to get started:

First brainstorm a list of all the people you know who are not Christians. Then choose from that list ONE person who is most likely to be interested or become interested in the gospel. Assess needs and circumstances that may influence your choice. Then choose ONE thing you can do to start the process of influencing this person. It may be taking a pie and a tract to a neighbor. It may be offering to keep a young mother’s children, so she can go to the mall for a couple of hours. It may be inviting this person to a marriage seminar, parenting class, or youth day at your congregation. It may be, for starters, just praying daily for a week for an opportunity to talk to this person. Whatever it is, write down the ONE thing you are going to do to try to reach this soul. Where should you write it? On the calendar, of course. That’s where we write the activities we really plan to do. Choose ONE date by which you plan to complete this activity and then be sure you do. In the interim, be sure you pray ONE daily prayer for this soul. Pray that God will providentially open doors in this person’s life. Pray for wisdom to approach this person in the most effective way. Pray for boldness. When the date has come and gone and you have accomplished this first step, re-evaluate. What is the next thing I can do to lead this person to Christ? Plan it, write it, pray about it, and do it. Then keep starting all over again. Remember, the goal is to come to a place in your relationship in which you can say “Would you like to study the Bible with me?” or “Have you thought about becoming a Christian?” or “Can we talk about your spiritual beliefs?” Sometimes you will come to a dead end in your effort. That’s okay. Choose a new person and start over with zeal. Soon you will have a long prayer list of people with whom you are at various stages in the conversion process and you will be covered up with opportunities to teach. Christians who want to teach can teach. And those who teach are happy Christians.

Where’s the Joy? (part 1)

Posted by Web Admin | Posted on 15-09-2010

Category : Uncategorized

Tags: Joy

“I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you” (John 16:22).

I know a man about seventy years old…

Who recently lost a great portion of his retirement fund for which he had worked hard through the years because he was a victim in a shrewdly executed and fraudulent real estate deal.
Whose wife was recently told by a physician that she will soon be confined to a wheelchair because of a spinal deterioration and severe arthritis.
Who is a caregiver for his father-in-law who suffers from Alzheimer’s.
Who recently became estranged from his dear friend of thirty-five years because this friend chose a path that was opposed to godliness.
Who has served for many years as an elder in the Lord’s church and, in the past year, has been involved in counseling more failing marriages than in all his other years of service combined.

“This man is happy?!” you say. “Is he happy in a mental home somewhere?” or “Does he have a rare personality disorder?” How can this man be joyful?

Let’s look together at the biblical concept of joy. Let’s attempt to get beneath the superficial and identify the source of joy.

THERE IS JOY IN RESTORATION

The great Babylonian cleansing of God’s people began in 606 B.C. You’ll remember this is when Daniel entered the court of Nebuchadnezzar as a trainee in the service of the king (Dan.1). These were dark days for Judah. The people had forgotten the sovereignty of Jehovah, fallen into idolatry, and witnessed all of the immorality that accompanies such apostasy. Finally, they had witnessed the last grand symbol of Jehovah in their midst, the temple of Solomon, being plundered and destroyed. The majestic city on the hill was reduced to a smoldering memory for these homesick captives.

Fast forward to 536 B.C. Babylon, the first great world empire, has fallen to the Medes and Persians. The king of this new empire is Cyrus and the unbelievable occurs. Cyrus, in precise fulfillment of divine prophecy (Isa. 44:28; 45:1,13), commissions Ezra and company to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. (Isn’t it amazing that the king of a heathen empire commissioned the rebuilding of the house of God? We should never underestimate the power and resourcefulness of our God as we “rebuild” His house today.)

Now focus on what Ezra says:

When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the LORD, according to the ordinance of David king of Israel. 11 And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD:
“For He is good,
For His mercy endures forever toward Israel.”
Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.
But many of the priests and Levites and heads of the fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes. Yet many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard afar off (Ezra 3:10-13).

There is joy in restoring the house of God! I can feel the emotion. I can almost hear the indiscernible noise of joy and weeping. Some of the older men were crying. They could still remember wistfully the splendor of that original temple. Some were cheering on this glad day of return to righteousness. Verse eleven tells us, though, that songs of praise came from all of the people because “the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.”

Christians should be the most joyful people on earth. We are a part of a mighty restoration. Just as the temple of old had fallen into shambles, so the church, the spiritual house of God fell into a state of disrepair and apostasy shortly after the first century A.D. Just as the glorious city on the hill had been ransacked and destroyed by its enemies, so the spiritual wealth that is found only in the church had been stolen by the enemies of truth. (This apostasy was a fulfillment of prophecy in II Thessalonians 2:3,4 and I Timothy 4:1-3.) By the third century, the house of God as it had existed in the New Testament, was unrecognizable. Its organization, worship, and system of faith had been so altered that few characteristics–just tell-tale relics–of the church as we read of it in the book of Acts, could be found.

But Ezra knew where to find the principles of restoration as he and Nehemiah led in the restoration of Judaism in Jerusalem.

“So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month” (Neh. 8: 2).

“So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading” (Neh. 8:8).

Thank God there were brave Ezras in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries who knew where to find the principles of restoration. Men like Thomas and Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone and others “opened the book in the sight of all the people” (Neh. 8:5), and “read distinctly.” They bravely called the spiritual Israel back to the faith, worship, and practice of the New Testament church. The spiritual house of God, the church, has been restored! We are those who are able to look upon its glory, actually dwell in the new Zion, and shine from that city on a hill for His glory. This is reason for “very great gladness” (Neh.8:17). Will you be remembered for the joy you have because you can be a part of the restored house of God?

Right Turn

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

The Real Woman of the Da Vinci Code, part 2

Where’s the Joy? (part 3)

Where’s the Joy? (part 2)

Where’s the Joy? (part 1)

Search:

Subscribe:

Schedule:

Store:

Right Turn

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

The Real Woman of the Da Vinci Code, part 2

Where’s the Joy? (part 3)

Where’s the Joy? (part 2)

Where’s the Joy? (part 1)

Search:

Subscribe:

Schedule:

Store:

Most Popular Topics: