by Randal Matheny

Ever have one of those self-pity moments when you told yourself that your efforts were ineffective and you yourself were just useless? Maybe you even wanted to pitch it all and run away.

Onesimus must have felt that way. After all, what use can a slave have, other than fulfilling the whims of his master? Even if you're name is Useful. Yes, Onesimus wasn't quite living up to his name.

We gather from the book of Philemon that Onesimus -- let's call him Useful, shall we? -- had possibly stolen from his master and then fled. Somehow, somewhere, he encounters Paul, who preaches to the runaway slave and converts him to Christ.

Useful begins to live up to his name. He serves the apostle, but still has some unfinished business to attend to. His repentance means going back to put things right with his owner. (A lesson not a few folks need today.) So Paul sends him back to Philemon with a letter asking him to welcome Useful back and to debit any losses from his account. He says,

"I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart, whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel" (Phile. 1:10-13, NASU).

Paul finds Useful so, well, useful, so helpful, he wants him back. He is willing to pay for damages. He appeals for reconciliation.

Why Useful ran, we will never know. But he evidently sought out Paul, who was in prison. There, he found a greater aid than he imagined possible. He found salvation. And he discovered how to live up to his name. By serving. What he was unwilling to do in his natural state and position, he did gladly as a disciple of Christ.

When the tide of human emotions leaves you feeling useless and ineffective, remember our brother Useful. In his desperation, he ran in the right direction, found not only an apostle but a Savior, and discovered the joy of service.

May we all wear his name.

by Tim Hall

Was Jesus having a bad day or what? A woman had been following Jesus and His disciples, imploring Him to help her daughter who was possessed with a demon. It was as if Jesus didn't hear, but that didn't stop the woman's pleading. The disciples finally suggested that He send the woman away. It was then that Jesus stopped to hear her request.

After the woman had presented her need, Jesus' reply was curt: "Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs" (Mark 7:27, New King James Version). "Dogs"? With most people, that would have been the end of the dialogue. Send the woman away? You've found an effective way to do that, Lord. Most people would have stormed off after an insinuation that they were of the class of dogs.

This woman, a Gentile, was different than most. (We are confident the Lord knew this long before the disciples did.) Instead of storming off or responding with a "But, Lord . . .", this woman replied with a "Yes, Lord". What significance there is in those words! She did not attempt to defend her honor or reputation. She was not sensitive to the Lord's seeming insult. Instead, she seems to have agreed that the Lord is right in all His statements. If He said she was to be classed among the dogs, then that's where she ought to be classed. But even so, her daughter still needed help. She argued that even little dogs should be allowed to eat the crumbs that fall from the master's table.

Jesus' next words show the value of this woman's faith: "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire" (Matthew 15:28, a parallel account of the same incident). What was so faithful about this woman's response? The most obvious facet of her faith was her persistence; she didn't give up, even though she had been ignored (seemingly) for so long. But isn't there another dimension to her faith? The Lord's estimate of her was more to be preferred than her own. If He considered her a dog, then so be it; it must be true. She did not try to save face with Jesus, but humbled herself to Him. (Matthew pointed out that she had already worshiped Him, a vital step in humbling oneself to Deity.)

How we need to learn these lessons! Too often we are turned away from the Lord by His delay in answering our prayers. "If God really cared, He wouldn't make me wait!" we think. But why must God act on our timetables? If He is God (and He certainly is), then He is the One who must decide when it is best to act -- or whether to even act.

It's hard not to feel rebuffed by the Lord when our prayers go unanswered for so long. Our inclination is to say "But, Lord!" May we meditate long and hard on the approved example of this woman whose response was "Yes, Lord". Maybe then we will be commended for our faith.

by Barry Newton

Each day as the sun would rise, its light would be cast upon Jerusalem where an elderly godly widow would spend time in prayer. As she would walk into the temple court of the women, without a doubt there were many who walked right past her whom society considered important such as political figures, religious leaders and certain business personalities. Did they ever notice her? Did they ever give a second thought to the widow who prayed? God did.

One day as the eyes of this widow fell upon a young mother carrying a baby boy, God revealed to Anna that the child before her would be the one who would bring redemption to Jerusalem. A widow praised God. God noticed. A widow had prayed.

To teach his disciples why they should be persistent in prayer, Jesus chose to tell a story about another widow. It is a story which underscores that God notices those who pray.

Jesus’ choice in selecting a widow was deliberate. Those with deep pockets possess power to create according to their desires. Political pundits can shape public policy. Military leaders change boundaries. But what could a widow do? What resources does she have in a world where economic and social tides are beyond her influence? Jesus’ story was about a defenseless and seemingly powerless widow who had suffered a wrong. The particular powerful judge before whom she had to take her case was not driven by fairness. His eyes were elsewhere. To him the widow was merely a nuisance to be ignored.

However, this widow was spunky and persistent. It seemed that every time the judge turned around her penetrating old brown eyes were requesting justice once again.

The judge was a bit slow, but even he learned that this old woman would wear him out if he did not take care of her case. In contrasting that unrighteous judge who finally responded with the greater responsiveness of our God driven by righteousness, Jesus said, “will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out day and night?”

So you don’t feel powerful? You ask, “who am I and what can I do?” You can pray, pray, pray, pray. God notices. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful.

Prayer takes faith. It takes confidence that God exists and that he rewards those who diligently seek him. And so Jesus ended his story of the widow with the haunting question, “when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” God notices those who pray.

by Phil Sanders

Milton Jones in The Transforming of a Tradition tells of the change his congregation made from a purely a cappella worship style to one mixed with the alternative of an instrumental "worship band." In the change, brother Jones regrets a double loss. The young people wanted a quick change and left when the congregation did not change fast enough. Many others left later, when the change did take place. Their convictions over a doctrinal issue would not allow them to remain. 

He admitted, "For some of the young we were too slow in our change. They couldn't wait. They are some place else. I'm not sure young people are going to wait on Churches of Christ to change." He believes we should cease our "traditional" practice, since we do not "have enough actual Bible itself to bind our interpretation on others or hinder people from practicing another style of worship" (82). His reason for preferring a cappella worship is due to our tradition and heritage, not because the Bible demands it.

He believes the experience of instruments with contemporary Christian music is such a strong draw that churches of Christ will lose its youth if they do not change. I respectfully disagree that we will lose all our youth. We will lose many of those who fall under the influence of teachers who have little or no convictions on the matter. We will lose those we have failed to teach. We will lose those who are so drawn to the instrument they do not want to stay, but we won't lose them all. Churches in the nineteenth century did not lose all their youth, and neither will we.

What if we do lose our youth? 

John 6 tells a relevant story. Jesus fed a great multitude on a mountain beside the Sea of Galilee. The next day Jesus spoke some difficult things this multitude did not understand or want to hear; some grumbled and did not believe. Many of his disciples withdrew and were not walking with him any more (6:66). Jesus asked the twelve, "You do not want to go away also, do you?"

Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God."

Jesus is the only way to life; popular religion will only take us away from our Lord. When many of the disciples left, Jesus did not propose softening His message to keep them. He did not chase after them, promising them a religion they would like. Jesus was faithful to His Father's message (John 6:38; cf. 8:28; 12:49-50); and we must be faithful to His.

The fact is, there is no New Testament passage that commands the use of musical instruments or gives an example of the early church using them. The Christian Scriptures abundantly support a cappella singing but know nothing of playing the instrument. If neither the Lord Jesus nor the Holy Spirit would act on their own initiative to speak things or initiate practices without the Father's permission (John 12:49-50; 16:13-15), what makes us think we have that right?

Our task is to be faithful to God and not to be conformed to this world. If we must choose between God and man, then God will be our choice.

I am not convinced, however, that we will lose all. Some will remain true to the Scriptures, just as some did a century ago. Pointing to how populated the broad way is has never stopped the few from finding life.

by Phil Sanders

In the recent book, The Transforming of a Tradition, Milton Jones compares the struggle over the use of instruments of music in worship to the Confederate flag. According to Jones those who wish to remain a cappella are like those who wish to keep the Confederate flag regardless of how it hurts others. He argues:

Why won't the ones who want a cappella music change? It is more than heritage for many. It is conviction. Even if nearly all of Christendom doesn't agree, they must be faithful. To give up the cause is to lose all for which they have been fighting. They lose identity. How would they be recognized? What would our ancestors think? (76-77)

At the beginning of the twentieth century, members of churches of Christ had pretty much divided from their instrumental brethren. The a cappella group numbered only 159,000, while the instrumental group boasted of more than 600,000. The instrumental brethren had their way and kept most of the church buildings and almost all the schools. A cappella groups were left to fend for themselves, to build their own church buildings, and to establish new schools. But according to Jones, they were the aggressors who have beat up on their brethren.

Jones suggests brethren have remained a cappella because they fear losing all that they have been fighting for, their identity. This is only partially true. If Jones is suggesting that churches of Christ have remained a cappella because that is what distinguishes them as a denomination, then I would object. 

If Jones is suggesting that some have remained a cappella merely because that is their tradition and heritage, he is right. Some among us are so complacent they do not see the need to stand strong for Biblical truth. Indeed, many do not know or do not believe the truth about the use of the instrument in worship.

If, however, Jones is suggesting that true, Biblical discipleship includes abiding in the words of Jesus (John 8:31-32), then I could agree. That is what I am fighting for, true Biblical Christianity. There is no warrant in Scripture for the use of musical instruments in worship; their use is a human innovation that disrespects the will of God. I have no desire to maintain a human tradition or "our" heritage; but I have every desire to please God and to do His will.

What "nearly all of Christendom" thinks is not the issue. God does not take opinion polls to determine truth.  The New Testament church should consult Scripture, not men, to determine what God wills for their beliefs and practices.

What our ancestors think is not nearly as important as what God thinks. We will not be judged by our ancestors but by the words of Jesus (John 12:48). While we may have much respect for Campbell, Stone, McGarvey and Lipscomb, we have only one Lord; and He alone is the head of the church (Eph. 1:22-23).

Our identification as true disciples of Jesus Christ includes a great deal more than merely refusing to use instruments of music in worship. Our identity is in living to do the will of God (John 4:34), in abiding in the words of Jesus (8:31-32), in keeping His commandments to show our love for God (John 14:15), and in putting the Lord first in every respect (Col. 1:10). Our identity is derived from an overwhelming desire to please and to serve Him by doing exactly what He asks of us (John 14:31). We are His servants, saved by grace, living by faith, and under His authority. We belong to the Lord. 

If the Lord had wanted us to use instruments, He surely would have told us. For hundreds of years early Christians understood that a cappella music was the will of God—a Divine tradition (1 Cor. 11:2; 2 Thess. 2:15; 3:6). We are willing to follow that tradition, not because men observed it but because God delivered it.