As I was eating lunch this past week with someone who is not a member of the church, I was asked the question, "Do you believe God does miracles today?"  He wishes to know more about the Bible yet, as he himself admits, he knows almost nothing about it.  I think his question is a very fair and logical question.  If there is a God who created everything and if the Bible is filled with miraculous stories, should we not expect that God can still do such things?  Should we not be looking for miracles ourselves?

        As I told him, I certainly believe God can do miracles today.  However, I also told him I reject human faith healers who set up tents and claim to be God’s ‘healers’ among us.  I certainly believe Jesus could do miracles and there’s no doubt he gave the apostles special powers to do the same thing. However, I think if people are honest with themselves, even those who believe in these faith healers, they have to concede that there are no persons walking among us who have been buried for four days (like Lazarus) and now alive and well. There is no one like Eutychus who has fallen out of a third story window, pronounced dead on the scene, and now alive again as someone like the apostle Paul miraculously brought him back to life. The miracles of the first century were not ‘hit and miss.’  They could do them all- from healing the blind, the deaf and the mute to raising people to life who had died. There was never a question that such a spectacular miracle had taken place. If such miracles were really being done today every news network in the country would have their cameras running as graves were being emptied and those pronounced dead were walking away from their caskets! Everyone knows that is simply not happening today, but it certainly did in the time of Jesus and the apostles.

        Having said that, we MUST believe in miracles.  If God could not heal the sick, why did James say, "Is anyone sick, let him call for the elders of the church to pray for him?" Why did Paul say, "Pray without ceasing?"  And why would Jesus say, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." (Mark 11:24)  If God cannot intercede in the lives of humans today, why would the Bible tell us to pray?  God can still do miracles among us! He is still the almighty, powerful God and he can do great things.

        For humans, the difficulty comes when God’s answer is ‘no.’  Even though Jesus said, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours," that did not happen for Jesus.  I believe Jesus was giving us a general principle about prayer. Never give up, always believe.  Yet Jesus asked at least twice, "Father, let this cup pass from me," and it didn’t happen. Did Jesus believe his own words? Did he really believe that if you ask in prayer you should believe that you HAVE RECEIVED it? Of course he did. But here’s something else Jesus believed. "Yet, not my will but yours be done." I believe that is the hardest prayer Jesus ever had to pray. "Father, I pray that you’ll change my circumstances... but only if it’s your will."

        Christians have seen the power of prayer work again and again and again. All of us know people who have experienced healing, who have lived on after seemingly hopeless situations, who have been blessed by the power of prayer because God brought healing in their lives.  So we never stop praying. We always pray with earnest expectation that God will change the circumstances.  I appreciated so much our gathering together Sunday night in the Fellowship Hall as Christian after Christian took earnest prayers to God.  Our chain prayer on behalf of Vickie, Marion, Chuck and others who are experiencing difficult times was so meaningful and powerful.  God heard each and every prayer. He saw how much we loved those in our church. He heard our pleas for healing and mercy.  Now, we keep praying and we leave it in God’s hands. Never stop praying and never stop believing. God is a God of miracles.

        Finally, no one knows the will of God, but we do know this. We’re not called ‘the children of God’ for nothing. We have a Heavenly Father who says, "This is MY child, and this child is coming home to live with Me!"  God’s will is that someday everyone of us, whether soon or in the coming years, will be with Him for eternity. That’s a promise from God, not a few empty words. When you say, "Not my will but yours be done," you are saying, "God, thank you for the greatest plan of love the world has ever known. Thank you for giving me a place in Heaven because Jesus Christ died for me!"  That is God’s will and it’s the greatest miracle of all.

Alan

                                                    LEGALISTIC OR LIBERAL?  
                                                        JUST WHO ARE WE?      

        Judging and condemning others when we have been forgiven of so many thousands and thousands of sins is simply a way for Christians who do everything else right to be lost forever.  Jesus explained that clearly in the parable of the unforgiving servant. I have learned that congregations are like people, they all have their own ‘personalities.’ I can find some churches who make it their goal to find fault and otherwise condemn everyone who doesn’t see things exactly their way. They have a very narrow view of Christianity. Even in Churches of Christ there are congregations that believe those who have kitchens in the building or who eat on the church grounds or support orphan’s homes or have multiple communion cups are bound for hell. Those are the most legalistic and narrow-minded among us. Then there are others who open the boundaries a little more but they believe people are condemned if they accept a couple who is divorced and remarried or if they read from the New International Version or if they allow a woman to wear pants to church.  They exhibit a bit more grace, but they are still filled with legalism.

        Some people almost make it their livelihood to find fault, to find reasons why something is ‘wrong’ with this or ‘wrong’ with that. That’s their personality.  Regardless of how they got that way- a rough life, parents who were the same way, their way of coping with difficulties- that’s just who they are. And as we all know, very seldom will that kind of personality ever change.  It’s deeply ingrained into ‘who’ they are and how they function.  The truth is, people often gravitate to churches that ‘fit’ their own personality types. And I have learned that churches, just like people, DO take on a ‘personality’ of their own.

        I feel very blessed to be at a congregation that has been able to resist the pull to become legalistic, narrow-minded and condemning.  In his recent bulletin, Olan Hicks wrote the following concerning his visit with us in January. "Florida is a state where there is much extremism in the church, legalism on one end and an over-reaction to that produces liberalism. But these brethren at Largo are as balanced as any I know of.  They are open-minded to any Biblical truth, but it does have to be Biblical. They do not jump on the band wagons that come through, the opinions of men.  We enjoyed being with you all and we feel that good was done."   Olan had more to say about his visit but this was the gist of his sentiments.

        Liberalism rejects the Word of God as being true. LIBERALism has no use for the Word of God and acts as though the Bible is not inspired at all.  On the other hand, LEGALism rejects any attempts to find cultural meanings in God’s Word.  It replaces God’s grace with God’s wrath. It says I have to ‘agree’ with everything YOU think is the right thing to do. Religious groups who insist that women wear hats believe our failure to teach this belief is a ‘sin.’  These groups look at the passage in I Corinthians 11 very legalistically.  We have come to the conclusion that this passage was written for a specific time and for that 1^st century culture. We don’t insist that our women wear head-coverings any longer.  There are those within our own fellowship who say we can’t support orphan’s homes or we can’t eat at the church building or we can’t use multiple cups and they insist we do not have the ‘Biblical authority’ to do such things.  We call that legalism. We believe they are binding ‘matters of opinion’ as though they were matters of doctrine.

        Here’s the point. Where are WE at as a congregation?  To some in the Church of Christ community we are ‘liberal’ because we use multiple communion cups.  We are ‘liberal’ because we accept those who are divorced and remarried.  We are ‘liberal’ because we eat at the building.  Others in the Church of Christ community would call us ‘legalistic’ because we still see the passage "women remain silent" as a forever doctrine and THEY see it as a ‘cultural issue,’ one that applied to the 1^st Century.  Some would even call us ‘legalistic’ because we believe the Bible is fully inspired without containing error. In other words- we are probably right where we need to be. Do you believe everyone at our congregation has to believe exactly the same way?  I hope not.  I know of at least a dozen people (probably more) who don't see instrumental music as a 'heaven/hell' issue.  There are others at our congregation who agree with churches that use women in a more public way.  We have some who believe the only ‘valid’ baptism is being baptized in a Church of Christ while others believe that if you were immersed (baptized) that’s what God expects- regardless of ‘where’ it took place.  Differences. We are filled with them!

        Let’s never allow our congregation to become one where everyone has to think and believe the same way. There are Christians in our community who disagree with YOU because you attend THIS congregation.  Does that make them right?  Everyone has a right to their opinions, but no one should have the right to dictate and ‘call the shots’ because they happen to disagree. That’s legalism at it’s very best.  That kind of legalism is just as wrong as ‘liberalism.’ It can destroy the love and unity of a church.  I pray that we will never be the kind of church that is condemning, accusing and looking for fault at every turn.  I pray that we will be a church that understands we don’t all have to agree on every matter of opinion, and we may even disagree on what is ‘doctrine’ and what is ‘culture’ in the Bible. 

    Most of all I pray that we will never become a church that exhibits a fault-finding, critical 
personality.  We’re all getting to Heaven because of one thing and one thing only- God’s grace.  If Jesus taught us anything, He taught us that we need to extend that same grace to everyone we know!  Failure to do so can even cause us to be lost.  Let’s be a loving, graceful, merciful church and God will bless us greatly.

Alan

       As I considered what makes the story of Jesus ‘good news’ my thoughts went back to the sermon on Easter Sunday. "Oh death where is your victory, oh death where is your sting?" As we grow older death naturally becomes more than a concept- it becomes a realty. Death steals our parents. Death steals friends that we’ve known for many years. Movie stars and TV stars that we grew up with are suddenly in the obituary headlines. We begin to realize we’re about the same age as those dying celebrities. Doctor’s visits become less routine and more sobering. High blood pressure. High cholesterol. Cancer warnings. Heart disease. More pills. Less fatty foods. The physical body doesn’t feel like exercising but rather reclining. Muscles we used to ignore now get sore with just a few bends. Joints ache, wrinkles appear overnight and that beautiful head of hair is now white.... if it exists at all! The signs are obvious: Each day you live brings you one day closer to the grave.

      So... are you depressed yet? Do I need to go on? We’re all adults here, we all know what’s coming, right? Perhaps. Some do. Most ignore it. Others try to avoid it. Still others fear it. It’s called death and in the view of eternity, it’s right around the corner for everyone of us. "This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God." Good news? Finally! We all need some good news. With all this talk of doctors and diseases and death.... what we need is some GOOD NEWS!

      Jesus is ‘good news.’ Why? Because Jesus came to defeat death in your life. He didn’t want the grave to be the end of your life but rather the beginning. Of course to those left behind your death will seem to be the end. No more conversations and laughter. No more meals and movies together. Death will certainly end your life on this earth, but it won’t end you! And that’s why Jesus is ‘Good News.’ In his death and resurrection Jesus gave us a preview of what is coming for all of us. You can stop worrying about death because death isn’t the end. You can stop fearing death because death can’t defeat you. You can stop being depressed and anxious about that heart problem or that disease or that health issue because those things don’t define you. (I didn’t say don’t do anything about them- I said stop being depressed and anxious over them.) What defines you is your eternity! You have eternity with God, a heavenly home where death and sadness are totally defeated. That’s GOOD NEWS and YOU have it!

    Death will never have victory over you because you have life in Jesus Christ. Now that’s GOOD NEWS for a change!             -Alan

Christianity is the only religious belief defined by resurrection. The body of Mohammed. Dead in the tomb. The body of Buddha. Dead in the tomb. The body of Moses. Dead (only God knows where!) But you get the point. Every religious leader died and stayed that way. Only Jesus Christ died... and didn’t stay that way! It’s called, ‘Resurrection.’

If religion is about ‘life after death’ (and it should be!) what better way to demonstrate eternity than resurrection? The heart and soul of Christianity is our belief that this life is not the end. In fact Paul says that if this life is all there is, Christians, of all people, are to be pitied. Why? Because we are putting our hope in Heaven and not in this life. If Heaven isn’t real and if resurrection isn’t true, we are fools. That’s Paul’s point. If resurrection isn’t true, we are to be ‘pitied’ because we believe the biggest lie that has ever been told!

There are so many reasons to believe that the resurrection is true. The very spread of Christianity, from a small band of men to millions upon millions of believers (the world’s largest religion) is certainly no accident. God has blessed the spread of Christianity because His Son died and was resurrected. Even though we are not using guns and swords to force people to become Christians, it is growing and flourishing simply because it is true.

Of course, what about Jesus himself? He actually allowed Himself to be crucified when he could have been released by Pilate. He was either a liar, an insane man or the Son of God. Now just how far would a ‘liar’ take this charade? "Yes, I know I’m lying... but I think I’ll suffer the greatest torture humans can devise so I don’t blow my cover." No, even the most skilled liar would not face a torturous death when he doesn’t have to. He may be put to shame, but he’s not going to carry his lie to the cross. Insane? Hardly. Two thousand years of history have shown us that the teachings of Jesus have influenced cultures for good in ways that no other human being has ever done. The teachings of the insane (like Charles Manson or Adolf Hitler) are obvious. The teachings of Jesus symbolize the embodiment of sanity.

So that leaves us with number three. Jesus didn’t try to ‘save himself’ because he had no choice. He could not deny that he was the Son of God. He was the Son of God and regardless of the outcome, he had to confess it. He also said he would be in the tomb for three days and on the third day he would rise from the dead. Resurrection. It is true because God made it happen.

Finally, the apostle themselves are evidence of the resurrection. All they had to do was say, "Yes, it’s a lie. We didn’t REALLY see Jesus resurrected from the dead." Had they done that all the Jews and all the Roman officials would have left them alone. But that didn’t happen! They DID see Jesus resurrected! And they could not possibly say, "It’s a lie," because they knew it wasn’t a lie. So one by one they were tortured, they were imprisoned, they were killed. "Just say it isn’t true! Just say it!" No way. Not these men. Instead, everyone of them said, "I will die first before I tell such a lie. I saw Jesus resurrected and I KNOW it’s true!" And except for John, who was imprisoned on Patmos, they all died because they refused to say, "It didn’t really happen."

So you can KNOW the resurrection is true. You can KNOW that Jesus was raised from the dead. And you can KNOW that you will be too! That’s the victory we have in Jesus Christ. What a glorious God we serve. And what a wonderful eternity we will have as children of God, children who believe in....RESURRECTION!

Alan                                                               



                                                                ELDERS IN THE CHURCH

    Once a church has decided to appoint elders many things change within that church.  Anyone who attended my class on elders knows how I feel about the topic.  Elders are not dictators or a Board of Directors. They are not here to ‘call the shots’ for everything the church does or practices.  We have all seen churches that operate like that and, for the most part, the ‘eldership’ (a word never used in Scriptures) has separated itself from the member on the pew by becoming a dictating board.  Every decision and every nuance has to have ‘eldership approval.’

    While I don’t believe that is the structure of the New Testament church, the fact remains that elders are certainly appointed to do something. They exist for a reason. The church is a physical group of people on earth striving for a spiritual, eternal purpose. Here is where elders function- in the spiritual.  It is the ‘spiritual realm’ of the church where elders must make decisions and give guidance to the church.

    Churches that don’t have elders usually find themselves in an ‘anything goes’ mentality.  Any member that so chooses feels that he or she has the authority or the right to function as an elder. And why not?  When no one is appointed to serve in that role everyone feels the need to do so.  If something is wrong, Member X or Member Y feels compelled to ‘correct the situation’ and goes full steam ahead.  Spiritual issues that would normally be the responsibility of elders are seen as ‘everyone’s job.’  So if I have a problem or an issue, I simply take it upon myself to correct it and hope to convince everyone to see it my way.

    We decided last October that New Hope would now be a congregation with elders. David, Wiley and myself were appointed to oversee the spiritual direction of the church.  In many ways this changes nothing but in other ways it changes everything.  Elders are not appointed to make sure that light bulbs are replaced, that plumbing works or that checkbooks are balanced.  We can’t do your evangelism for you.  The Great Commission is everyone’s job, not just that of the elders or the preacher.  We can’t read your Bible for you and we can’t live your Christian life. Personal responsibility will never be replaced by elders!

    However, much changed in the way the ‘spiritual issues’ of the church are to be addressed. Our members desired elders and now we must adhere to the spiritual pattern that God gives us in the Scriptures.  Elders are to ‘oversee and manage’ the church. This instruction isn’t given to church members, it’s given to the elders. And this isn’t talking about buildings and bulbs- this is talking about the spiritual matters that come up from time to time.

    If a question arises about doctrine, teachings, what is or is not being practiced spiritually, what we do with sin in the church or what we do with Christians who have fallen away- the elders are the first line of defense.  Elders are the first ones that should be informed of problems or questions about spiritual matters in the church.  That is God’s plan for elders.  Got a question about plumbing or teen activities or Ladies Day- ask someone in charge.  Got a question about doctrines, teachings, roles in the church, sin or other spiritual issues- see the elders.

    Yes, this is a change for New Hope after all of these years.  What was at one time, "Anybody and everybody can make decisions for the church in spiritual matters,"  is no longer going to be our practice at New Hope.  This church appointed elders to lead us in spiritual matters, elders that will use the Bible and listen to all sides of any issue to make a spiritual decision to help the church.  Will you always get your way?  No.  Will you always have your say?  Yes.  Come to the elders with your spiritual concerns and talk to us first.  That's why God put us here and that's why you appointed elders.  There is a reason God wanted elders in His church and we need to respect God’s plan on this matter.  Let’s pray that New Hope will always be the church that God wants us to be by following the plan that God has given us in the Bible.

Alan 

                                       From the 2009 Yearbook of Churches

1. Wanting to stay small.

"We like our church just the way it is now." While this attitude usually goes unspoken—it might not even be recognized by its carriers—it's widespread in many churches. The proof of it is seen in how the leaders and congregation reject new ideas and freeze out new people.

No one can promise that just because a church wants to grow, it will. However, I can guarantee you that if it doesn't want to grow, it won't.

2. A quick turnover of ministers.

It takes at least a couple of years for a minister to become the real deal for a church—a minister in more than name only, one who has earned the right to lead the congregation. With larger churches, the time period is more like six years. Again, no one will promise you that keeping a minister a long time guarantees the church will grow. But I can assure you that having a succession of short-term ministers will prevent it from growing as surely as if you had taken a vote from the congregation to reject all expansion.

3. Domination by a few strong members.

The process by which a man (it's almost always a man) becomes a church "boss" is subtle and rarely, if ever, the result of a hostile takeover.

Especially in the absence of a minister, a few ‘leaders’ are chosen and they begin to make important decisions for the body, and everything works out. When the new minister arrives, they let him know that for anything he needs to know, he should call on them. The minister quickly sees that these men have set themselves up as a layer of authority between the hired man (the preacher) and the congregation. These "bosses" explain that they are protecting the congregation. "We don't like to upset them with matters like this." "These things are better off handled by just a few." Pity the idealistic minister who walks into that church unsuspecting that they lie in wait to—ahem—"give direction to his ministry." Or, as one said to me, "We thought you would like to have some help in pastoring this church." Such self-appointed church bosses tend to frustrate the minister’s initiatives, block his bold ventures, and control his tendencies to want the church to act on (gasp!) something he calls faith! Result: The church stays small. No normal family coming into the community would want to join such a church.

4. Not trusting the leaders.

Interestingly, the opposite phenomenon often occurs with the same result. The determined-to-stay-small church is far more concerned about the dollars and cents in the offering plate than about the lost souls in the community. This church would never step out in faith and do something bold to reach the lost and unchurched, and if they did, unless their mindset changed, they would then harass their leaders into the grave demanding an accounting of every dime spent. Instead, small churches should elect good leaders and—within reason, as mentioned earlier—trust these leaders to do their work.

5. Inferiority complex.

I discovered that small churches often are stymied by inferiority complexes. "We can't do anything because we're small. We don't have lots of money like the big churches in town." So, they set small goals and ask little from their members. The remedy is to put one's eyes on Jesus Christ and ask, "Lord, what do you want us to do?" Want your church to reach people and expand and grow? Get your eyes off what others are doing. Many of them, to tell the truth, are declining at a rate so fast it can hardly be measured. You do not want to take your cues from them. Ask the Lord, "What would you have us to do?" Then do it.

6. No plan.

The typical, stagnant small church is small in ways other than numbers. They tend to be small in vision, in programs, in outreach, and in just about everything else. Perhaps worst of all, they have small plans. Or no plans at all.

The church with no plan—that is, no specific direction for what they are trying to do and become—will content itself with plodding along, going through the motions of "all churches everywhere." They have Sunday School and worship services and a few committees. Once in a while, they will schedule a fellowship dinner or a revival. But ask the leadership, "What is your vision for this church?" and you will receive blank stares for an answer. Some churches need to focus on children's ministry, others on youth or young adults, young families, or even the oldsters. Some will focus on teaching, others on ministry in the community, some on jail and prison ministries, and some on music or women's or men's work. This is not to say that the church should shut down everything else to do one or two things. Rather, they will want to keep doing the basics, but throw their energies and resources, their promotions and prayers and plans, into enlarging and honing two or three ministries they feel the Lord has uniquely called them into.

7. Bad health.

Anyone who has spent time in more than a few churches can see that some are just unhealthy. And by that, we do not mean they are small—they are sick. You can be small and healthy; behold the hummingbird. An unhealthy church is known more by what it does than by a list of characteristics and attributes. A church that runs its preachers off every year or two is unhealthy. A church that is constantly bickering is unhealthy. A church that cannot make a simple decision like choosing the color of the carpet, adopting the next year's budget, or accepting changes in an order of worship may be unhealthy. Show me a congregation where members are wholeheartedly committed to Jesus Christ, each is using (or learning to use) their God-given spiritual gifts in the Lord's service, and their fellowship is sweet and active—and I'll show you a healthy church.

8. Lousy fellowship.

There are ways to tell if the fellowship in your church is unhealthy: Visitors are basically ignored, even resented in some areas. No one follows up with visitors to let them know they are wanted or to give information on the church. There's no attempt to get people to visit your church in the first place. Everything is orderly in the worship service, but it's the same order you've used since forever. The singing is lifeless, and any departure from the norm is verboten. A new hymn or chorus, a testimony here, an interview there, a short drama or video—no sir, not in our church. There's no laughter, nothing spontaneous. A church with poor fellowship is not failing to have enough socials and dinners. The church is failing in the most basic of area of discipleship: a failure to love. Jesus said, "By this shall all men know you are my disciples, that you love one another" (John 13:35).

9. A state of neglect permeates the church.

Not always, but often, a dying church shows signs of its weakening condition by the disrepair of its buildings and the neglect of its appearance. The interior walls haven't been painted in years and bear the collective fingerprints of a generation of children. The carpet is threadbare, the pulpit chairs need reupholstering, and the outside sign is so ugly it would be an improvement if someone knocked it down. Dying churches do not tend to their business. They let problems fester and divisions go unaddressed. Listen closely and you will hear a leader speak those infamous words: "These things have a way of working themselves out." And so they do nothing, and the church trudges on toward the grave. No one gets saved, no one joins, people drift away, the community becomes less and less aware of the existence of that little church, and the remaining members complain that people just don't love the Lord the way they used to.

10. No prayer.

It's tempting to make a little joke here and say, "Such churches do not have a prayer," but they could if they chose to. When King Saul was bemoaning the woes that had descended upon him as a result of his rebellion against God, one of his chief complaints was that God no longer heard his prayer. "He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer..." (I Samuel 28:6) Luke tells us, "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up" (Luke 18:1). Pray or quit. Those seem to be the alternatives.

A friend on Facebook requested prayer for his new ministry. He said, "Almost all our churches in this part of the state are dying. We have buildings that were constructed for hundreds now running 15 or 20." The plan, he said, is to get systems in place to re-evangelize those regions as the old-line churches die off. I hope they don't wait until those churches actually close their doors; a lifeless church can take a long time to give up the ghost.  Joe McKeever



                                                                       The First 100 Days