by Eberhard Arnold

Editor's note: We have an exception article in Forthright today. This Bruderhof community rule was written in 1926, five years after its establishment. The author wrote: "Hang this reminder at your place of work, where it is always before your eyes." How different would we all be if the rule was practiced ...

There is no law but love. Love is joy in others. What, then, is anger at them? Words of love convey the joy we have in the presence of our brothers and sisters. It is out of the question to speak about another person in a spirit of irritation or vexation.

There must never be talk, either in open remarks or by insinuation, against any brother or sister, or against their individual characteristics -– and under no circumstances behind their back. Gossiping in one’s family is no exception. Without this rule of silence there can be no loyalty and thus no community. Direct address is the only way possible. It is a service we owe anyone whose weaknesses cause a negative reaction in us.

An honest word spoken openly and directly deepens friendship and will not be resented. Only when two people do not come to an agreement quickly is it necessary to draw in a third person whom both of them trust. In this way they can be led to a solution that unites them on the highest and deepest levels.

Reproduced with permission from www.bruderhof.com .

by Randal Matheny

Alan Caruba of boringinstitute.com says there are three basic ways to avoid boredom:

-- Always read, always have something ready to read, because reading stimulates the brain.

-- Have a hobby, or several hobbies because that's where passion comes from and that leads to happiness.

-- Be a joiner, get out and get involved with people in your community.

With these three tips, says Caruba, people can be happy and find the essence of life.

Seems to me Caruba unknowingly validates the Christian faith.

-- The Bible is the best reading material of all, and offers history, poetry, wisdom, narrative, drama, and correspondence. Not to mention the pathway to eternal life.

-- Christians have more than a hobby. They have the purpose of Christ's mission to share the Father's love with every single person.

-- Nobody is more involved in other people's lives than the follower of Christ.

Here's just one passage of Scripture where these three are all rolled into one.

"Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, [here's your reading material] to exhortation and teaching. Do not neglect the spiritual gift [better than a hobby] within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you [you are looking out for their best good and intensely involved with them]" (1 Timothy 4:13-16 NASV).

You can beat boredom. Become a follower of Jesus Christ. And the present time will mean something eternal.

by Randal Matheny

Brazilians have a phrase that often pops up in conversations, "Let's separate things properly." The idea is to make the proper distinctions in analyzing an issue.

God wants to separate things properly as well. And he has a definite timetable to do just that.

The Idea of Separation

We like to think of eternal life as the final and complete union with God. And rightly so. But the Lord also describes the moment at which time dissolves into eternity as a great separation.

All of life is a separation. Jesus said, "Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on the earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three" (Luke 12:51-52, NASV). Father against son. Son against father. Mother against daughter. Daughter against mother. The gospel brings not merely peace with God and man, but division and separation from those who refuse repentance.

In fact, the very concept of holiness starts with separation.

That separation continues at death, when we are not only separated from those we love, but from all evil or from all good, depending upon how we choose to live in this life. Jesus' story of the rich man and Lazarus establishes the "great chasm fixed" that prevents crossing over from torment to Paradise (Luke 16:26).

So it is not surprising that Jesus describes the end of time as one Great Separation.

In Matthew 13, he tells two parables to this end, the tares and the dragnet.

Two Separating Parables

In the parable of the tares (read verses 24-30 and 36-43), the separation process is only partial in this life. The godly effort to remove evil is worthy, necessary, and spiritual (see 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, for example), but incomplete. Only God can add the last chapter to this saga. Jesus conceives of the end of the age as a harvest (verse 39).

And in this process, good is not always seen for what it is. Or, even worse, evil is not recognized as evil.

But when the end comes (verse 40), the evil ones will be thrown into the furnace of fire. Only then will it be possible for God's devoted ones to be seen for what they are, "THEN the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father" (verse 43).

Because of that, the gospel is worth any price. So say the parables of the hidden treasure and the costly pearl (verses 44-46). Then Jesus returns to the subject of "the end of the age" in the parable of the dragnet (verses 47-50).

Here, the figure is of the fishermen casting their dragnet and pulling in all kinds of fish. Once on shore, the selection process begins. But not before then.

The parable's point: don't expect God to anticipate his final work now. The present is not a time of separation, but gathering in. Preach the gospel, remembering that the great division will soon occur.

What Does This Mean?

These two parables make several truths clear.

First, this is God's job. Yes, the church removes the unrepentant sinner from its midst (1 Corinthians 5:1-13), and those who are spiritual can recognize trespasses and sins among them (Galatians 5:1), but the final accounting and eternal sentencing are divine tasks, performed by the Lord at the hand of his ministering angels.

What a relief for the saints of God! His power, his omniscience, his holiness will burn the way clear to show complete justice and full glory.

Second, the great separation at the end of the age will be a joyful and wonderful event. Not only will God be seen for who he is, but the his people will seen as the right-doers.

This is a great comfort, since Christians are persecuted in this world and people "falsely say all kinds of evil" against them, because of Jesus' exclusive claims and non-negociable demands (Matthew 5:11).

Third, while we await the end of the age, we should be sowing and fishing. Preaching and teaching. Telling others that the Great Separation is coming soon. And that repentance is necessary to avoid being thrown into the furnace of fire.

Prepare!

Let's "separate things properly," as the Brazilians say, while we are in this world. And prepare for God's Great Separation. Because we're nearing the end of the age.

by Tim Hall

An article last year in "Newsweek" magazine interviewed several experts on the future of education in America. One professor advocated that we move away from having teachers stand up and lecture to the students, and do more interactive instruction. Her desire, she said, was to have "a guide on the side" rather than "a sage on the stage".

This professor made a valid point. There are times when a lecture, or a sermon, accomplishes a great deal. But there are also times when it is good to stand to the side and guide the student in doing things. We're seeing more of this in classrooms across America. It seems to fit in with the general trend of interactivity.

There is an application of the same principle in worship. When the church gathers together to worship God, what do we expect? Do we look to one or a few individuals to "do" worship for us? Or do we rather look to these individuals to guide us as we offer the worship for ourselves?

Sometimes it seems people come looking for the sage on the stage. "You do the Bible study for us," we may say. "You're the scholar, the one with the degree. You tell us what to believe, how to worship, what decisions to make." Certainly we should have respect for those who have been through formal education and have attained degrees. But should we hand over to them the full responsibility of interpreting the Bible and establishing acceptable doctrine?

That would be a mistake. Any person -- educated or ignorant -- is prone to errors in judgment. A preacher may have a deserved reputation as a trusted scholar in God's word, but still can be wrong on a given point. What God expects is for all Christians to be engaged in the task of studying the word and making proper applications. Acts 17:11 clearly points to this: "These [the brethren in Berea] were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so." (New King James Version)

We don't expect the song leader to do our singing for us; he is our guide on the side, helping us to offer worship to God for ourselves. Let's apply the same view to the preacher, to the one leading public prayer, and any others who may assist in the worship service. They help us do what God has commanded every Christian to do. They certainly don't do it for us.

by Barry Newton

Why would an ancient Israelite break God’s commandments by making an idol and by installing his own son (who may have been an Ephraimite), as his household priest? Scripture provides us with the reason. “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.” Judges 17:6

Although some contemporary advice would suggest “let each person discover his own path,” the biblical book of Judges records the disastrous results which ensue when everybody pursues his own ideas about what is right. Judges 18:1; 19:1; 21:25 What God’s people needed then as well as today is strong godly leadership.

Within Scripture we find God’s people floundering whenever they lacked leadership or perhaps more accurately whenever they lacked the right kind of leadership. After a brief period of glory under David and Solomon, tragically Israel's history was predominantly characterized by a rebellious character.

During the time of the divided kingdom, the history of God’s people was frequently filled with worldly leaders who showed little concern for her spiritual welfare. In one of the saddest chapters of her history, God became so frustrated with his people that he led Ezekiel to describe the departure of his glory from the temple. Ezekiel 10:18-19; 11:23

Why did this happen? One cause for this was God’s people were ruined and scattered “because there was no shepherd.” Actually, there were leaders but they were not the type of shepherds God’s people needed. Unfortunately, the shepherds of Israel at that time were only concerned for themselves and not the welfare of the sheep. Ezekiel 34:2

Why They Failed

Why did God view those leaders as failing in their leadership?

• They had not strengthened those who were weak or injured. Ezekiel 34:4

• They had not searched for those who went astray and were lost. Ezekiel 34:4,6, 8

Like Ezekiel, Peter also spoke of God’s leaders as being shepherds. He encouraged the elders to take care of God’s flock which had been entrusted to their care. 1 Peter 5:2

You might be thinking, what does this have to do with me, since I am not an elder? If as a sheep you can clearly see the role of our shepherds, how clearly have you acknowledged your God-given function as a sheep? How often do the sheep contemplate what God expects of them?

Be a Good Sheep

Here’s a partial checklist for the sheep:

• Appreciate those who diligently labor among us, and who have charge over us in the Lord giving us instruction. Esteem them very highly in love because of their work. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 How often as sheep have we privately thanked our leaders and encouraged them for their leadership and service? This is one of our responsibilities as sheep.

• Be submissive and obey - this means following their lead even when I want to graze just beyond the fence. Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 5:5 For the well-being of the flock, sometimes shepherds will need to make a decision which a few sheep may find inconvenient or they would prefer something different. One of our responsibilities is to obey, not rebel.

• Do not even listen to an accusation against an elder, unless there are two or three witnesses. 1 Timothy 5:19 This is one of our responsibilities.

• Imitate their faith as those who are leading us. Hebrews 13:7 Sheep can not be passive; we must actively seek to grow in becoming more like those who are leading us. This is one of our responsibilities.

Let’s be the shepherds and sheep God wants us to be.