THE BEACON - Electronic Edition - 1/3/06 The Real Test It is always easier to walk with the crowd, to agree when everyone else is agreeing, to go with the flow. However, it is how we stand when we have to stand in opposition that is often the real test of our faith in God. "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Ephesians 6:11). To be a true Christian means to oppose evil. To stand with Christ often means to stand against people and ideas that are set against Him. While a Christian is to be patient and loving, he or she is not to be passive. A Christian is a soldier in a war. Christ displayed such a character. While He was meek and gentle, He could also be aggressive and bold: "I tell you, no: but unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). "For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men..." (Mark 7:8). "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves" (Matthew 23:15). It was not that Jesus was trying to be offensive, but in standing for what was right it was necessary for Him to oppose certain beliefs, teachings, and even people. It was necessary to tell people what they needed to hear rather than what they wanted to hear. Some religious people who claim to follow Christ are not willing to oppose anything or anybody. They believe the way of Christ dictates a totally positive approach where one never challenges any belief or practice, even if it is in clear opposition to the way of Christ. How much do you believe in God? How much do you trust the Bible as God's word? How convinced are you that Jesus is God's Son? How committed are you to the Bible's standard of righteousness? If you are truly faithful to God and firm in your devotion to His will, then you must stand against whatever opposes these things. It is easy to speak up for Christ when others are doing the same. The real test, though, comes when we must speak for Him when others are speaking against Him or His word. "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (II Timothy 1:7). - by Phillip Mullins ____________________________________________ "Make Not Provision For The Flesh" "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." (Romans 13:14) How can we maintain our purity and give no provision to the flesh when its appeals are so prevalent in almost every aspect of our lives? How To Give No Provision to the Flesh 1. Hate it! Contemplate the broken homes, pain, lost confidence and hopelessness suffered by those who succumb to the flesh. Consider the wrecked lives of loved ones and once strong Christians who have fallen and are therefore spiritually crippled, if not dead. By looking beyond the glamorous front the flesh tries to present and coming face to face with its harsh reality, we will be injected with a healthy dose of hatred towards it that will render us unmoved by its shallow enticements. We won 't naively associate the flesh with glamour, partying, or Hollywood, but with anguish, selfishness, greed and other fruits of the flesh - and thus won't have any difficulty obeying the Lord 's admonition in Psalm 97:10: "Ye that love the Lord, hate evil." 2. Flee it! People who love life do not play with barrels of nuclear waste, bottles of nerve gas, or test tubes of the AIDS virus. Pure Christians who love God and their souls learn not to play with suggestive movies, excessive flattery, alcohol, scanty clothing (on beach or street), compromising situations, get rich quick selling schemes or any other activities that involve one in flirting with the lusts of the flesh. Weak Christians who insist on practicing or defending such activities are frankly naive about their dangers and are the first to see their children swept away into the world or be swept away themselves. Flee fornication and youthful lusts, avoiding every appearance of evil! (I Corinthians 6:19; II Timothy 2:22; I Thessalonians 5:22). 3. Be optimistic about victory over it! "Nobody 's perfect." "Everyone is wrong about something." "I 'm just so weak and temptations are so strong." These statements, though true in certain contexts, are often made in an effort to build the flesh up as some kind of invincible monster so that we won't look or feel so bad when we join the world in giving in to it. Such a defeatist attitude reveals a lack of confidence in God who has given us a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline (II Timothy 1:7). Ultimate victory can be won by anyone who truly wants it, in spite of our stumbling, because God gives adequate armor to overcome the flesh. Consider yourself to be more powerful by God 's grace than any shallow lust Satan might use to defeat you and refuse to make excuses for giving in to it or treating it as unconquerable. Christians who make no provision for the flesh by hating sins, fleeing them and being confident of victory over them will win the victory. And, after 10,000 years in heaven, we won 't have much difficulty in seeing such lusts as the shallow and empty bait that they really are. --By Gardner Hall ____________________________________________ Do You Love God More Than Your Family? "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." (Matthew 10:37-38) This is a familiar passage, often cited to show that our love for God must be greater than our love for anything else, even our own families. If asked, most Christians are aware that their answer should be: "I love God most of all - more than my own family!" But how does that claim stand up against the evidence? Here's a test to see if possibly you have the problem of loving your family more than God: 1.. Do you neglect your spiritual duties to God in order to be with your family? For instance, have there been instances when you missed a Bible study or worship service in order to be with your kinfolk? Has a family reunion, a birthday party, a holiday celebration, or other such gathering kept you from assembling with the saints? If so, can you truly say, "I love God more than my family? 2.. Do you "push yourself" in order to do things for and with your family, but you don't exercise the same diligence for God? Do you go, do, help, sacrifice, and work for your family even when you are stressed, don't feel well, are covered up with others duties, etc. -- yet you allow the same things to keep you from your appointments for God? Do you really love Him more than your family? 3.. Are you unwilling to see your family members rebuked or disciplined for ungodly behavior? Does it make you angry if someone points out sinful actions in your relatives and suggests that repentance is needed? Does a Bible lesson or sermon that hits "close to home" make you simmer with resentment? Do these things indicate more love for family than for God? We know that we must love God more than even our own mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons or daughters - but knowing this is one thing while putting it into practice is another. Think! - by Greg Gwin ____________________________________________ Trends . . . More and more Americans seem to be stressed out, miserable and depressed, according to two new opinion polls. One long term survey shows that personal misery among Americans is at its highest levels since the early 1990s, with people saddled with woes over healthcare, unemployment, paying bills and romance. . . A University of Chicago survey found people reporting at least one significant "negative life event" jumped from 88 percent to 92 percent since 1991. . . An independent poll by Brookstone, Inc., found that 56 percent of those surveyed said they had experienced more stress in 2005 than in 2004. - via www.Breitbart.com, 12/29/05 Matthew 11:28 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." _____________________________________________ Some quotes worth pondering . . . "Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attittude determines how well you do it." "Repentance is never too soon, but it may be too late." "When it seems hard to pray, we should pray the hardest." "Do a little more each day than you think you possibly can." ______________________________________________ News from Collegevue . . . January 1, 2006 What a great way to begin the New Year! What could be better than joining together for Bible study and worship on this first day of 2006? We are glad to see you today, and thankful for your presence. We especially welcome our visitors. Please come again soon. Continue to pray for those who are sick, including: Alvin Lunn, Tina Overton, Hubert Morrow, Ellon Quillen, Jane Collins, Pat Bryant, Suzette Haley, Margaret Hood, Libby Tate, Clem & Norma Goodman (both to have surgery soon), Eloise Andrews, Francis Howell, Ada Beckum's son-in-law, Pearl Kincaid's sister, Jeremy Fralix's father, Lynn Keeton's father, Dorothy Sanders' son, Jane Collin's granddaughter, and others. Remember Jennifer Ring's brother and Tim Nolan's brother. Both are serving with the army in Iraq. Please listen to "The Virtual Bible Study" on Thursday nights at 8pm. Go to www.Collegevue.com and follow the link to listen to the live program. Tell others about the Internet broadcast. This is a great teaching opportunity. It's not too late to distribute the remaining copies of our Bible reading calendar. The reading schedule actually begins tomorrow. Take copies to give to your family and friends. How did you do in your spiritual life in 2005? What improvements can you make? This is a good time for re-evaluation. Our lessons today will deal with this theme. Figures for the week of 12/25/05: Sunday, Bstudy, 133; AM, 170; PM, 111; Wed., 118; Contrib., $2868 ______________________________________________ "The Beacon - Electronic Edition" is sent out weekly from Columbia, TN, and contains articles and information taken from the most recent "paper" bulletin of the Collegevue Church of Christ. We hope you will use this material in any way you can that will glorify our Father. Please give proper credit to the respective authors. ______________________________________________ Visit our website at: www.Collegevue.com email us at: collegevuecoc@bellsouth.net contact the editor (Greg Gwin) at: greggwin@bellsouth.net