by Tim Hall

It struck me one day while I was out walking. As is sometimes my habit, I was silently singing some of the old familiar hymns I've known for so long. "Amazing Grace" was the current selection playing in my mind, one of the hymns most loved by Christians. Then I came to the verse that begins with these words: "'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear . . ." Those words suddenly seemed strange to me.

"Grace" and "fear" are opposites in the minds of many. Many who have put the emphasis on the fear of the Lord have often neglected to stress the Lord's grace. Others, especially in more recent times, have emphasized grace to an extreme. For these, fearing the Lord is an antiquated concept. Instead, we ought to approach Him with a casualness not known in previous generations. "Relax, sit down in this comfortable chair and have a chat with your Father" is the tone of many exhortations. "Fear" has been purged from the vocabulary.

What about that line in "Amazing Grace"? Was John Newton having a senior moment when he penned those words? Is there any connection between the grace of God and fearing Him?

In fact, there is a connection. One place where it may be seen is in Hebrews 10. The writer warns us in vivid terms in verse 31: "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (New King James Version). If that sentence doesn't teach the fear of the Lord, I'm at a loss to know what we should learn from it. "God is a consuming fire", the writer would go on to affirm in 12:29. You don't play with fire. You develop a healthy respect for it, for it can hurt and destroy.

But fearing the Lord is not the only message the writer had in Hebrews 10. Just four verses later, he would encourage them with these words: "Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise" (Hebrews 10:35,36). Now, instead of talking about fearful falling, he speaks of confidence and of promises from God. Is this the same God? Indeed it is. But God will show Himself in different ways to different people. How He will show Himself to me depends on how I choose to respond to Him.

While my children were young, I tried to teach them to respect law enforcement officers. On the one hand, they can be our best friends when trouble comes. But for those who live in disregard of the laws of our land, they can become fearful adversaries. Was I being inconsistent to teach such things to my children? No, I was showing grace in teaching them to have a healthy fear of the power of the law. Without such instruction, they might ignorantly walk into some very destructive situations.

Do not doubt this one truth from God's word: He longs to be gracious to each and every soul (Ezekiel 18:23; 2 Peter 3:9, etc.). But when we persist in ignoring and rejecting His good will for our lives, He will become a consuming fire. It is a thought that ought to terrify us enough to keep us on the straight and narrow way. And it is grace that teaches us to have such a fear of the Lord.

by Randal Matheny

Within six years, the world will end.

So says eminent astrophysicist Dr. Piers Van der Meer, of the European Space Agency. Seems he saw a solar plume back in July. Just like the one Kepler Star shot out before its demise and conversion into a supernova.

The good doctor says the sun "will blow apart like an out-of-control nuclear reactor within six years," taking the earth and all the other planets with it.

Such talk produces at least one good result. When we say the Bible teaches the cataclysmic end of the world, people may tend not to reject it out of hand.

Hebrews 9:26-27 provides a nice little summary of the gospel. (Other examples are 1 Corinthians 15:1ff and Romans 1:1ff.)

". . . now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will a appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who early await Him" (NASB).

This summary gathers three one-time events to summarize the gospel.

First, Christ died once to remove our sins. He came as man in all humility and resisted every form of temptation (Hebrews 2:9-18). He proved to be better in every way than the Jewish institutions and rituals (Hebrews chaps. 3-10). He suffered cruelty and shame "outside the gate," (Hebrews 13:12), that is, refused by his own people (John 1:11) and condemned. We must choose our place with him (Hebrews 13:13).

Second, the writer used as an illustration what was a given for the Jewish readers: we will die but once. No multiple lives, no reincarnations, no second chances after death. The moment we die, only one event remains: the judgment.

Third, the return of Christ will be a one-time event. No human form-taking, no sin resolution, but the vanquishing of evil and the scooping up of those who are prepared for his coming. His coming signifies the End (Mark 13:24-27) and the destruction of the universe (2 Peter 3:10-14).

The great Day means we should devote ourselves to meeting together in order to encourage and be encouraged to faithfulness (Hebrews 10:24). Keeping this day in mind should spur us on to holy living and godliness (2 Peter 3:11,12,14).

Three one-time end-time events. And only one has already occurred.

Are you ready for the other two?

An astrophysicist preaching the end of the world offers no hope. Christ extends to all the glories of eternal bliss where the old has passed away and the new will remain so forever.

by Tim Hall

"I think a lot of people believe I'm going to fall flat on my face." The quote is from Christine Wren, taken from an interview in WomenSports magazine, October 1975. She was the second female umpire in professional baseball, and was vowing not to fail in her quest. It's a phrase often heard; it seems no one wants to fall flat on their faces.

Maybe we should reconsider. Such an action might lead to a commendation from the Lord.

Luke recorded the incident in which ten men afflicted with leprosy cried out to Jesus for cleansing. Jesus responded graciously, and sent them on their way to see the priest. As they left, they still bore the marks of their illness. Along the way, however, "they were cleansed" (Luke 17:14, New King James Version). The men must have been overjoyed; who wouldn't be delirious with happiness after being cured of so dreadful a disease?

Only one, however, returned to Jesus. Luke says of him, "Now one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan" (vv. 15,16). Look again, and fix the scene in your mind: The man was lying on the ground with his face in the sand at the feet of Jesus. Such was his expression of gratitude to the Lord.

Jesus commented first on the fact that nine lepers had not returned to give thanks. Then he spoke directly to the one who had not forgotten from whence his blessings came: "Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well" (v. 19).

It is an act of faith to give thanks to God. Our neighbors attribute their bounty to the labor of their hands, or perhaps to "good fortune". Christ's disciples know better. We realize that all our good gifts come from the Father. We cannot continue on our way until we have taken time to give Him thanks.

And how shall that thanks be given? As a friend might casually thank his pal? Preposterous! This is the Lord of Glory! This is the One to Whom we owe our very lives. It is a privilege just to lie prostrate at His feet. Our humility is strong, but our sense of thanksgiving constrains us to come to Him. We must give Him thanks!

Yes, I need to learn to fall flat on my face, if it is the example of the Samaritan I have in mind. It shows the kind of response to blessings that the Lord seeks.

by Phil Sanders

The Christian Chronicle reported this month that churches of Christ declined 2.1 percent nationwide during the final decade of the twentieth century. This marks the only decade during the last century churches of Christ failed to grow. We ask why.

I don’t believe we can attribute the problem to just one thing. Several things have hindered the cause of Christ.

(1) We are losing preachers. Each year we lose nearly 300 preachers more than we gain from our universities and schools of preaching. In the last decade we have lost 3,000 preachers, who could have served the 13,000 congregations among us. Let us beseech the Lord of Harvest to send forth workers (Matt. 9:36-38).

(2) We began fussing more. The radical right and radical left constantly criticize and condemn the mainstream middle. If we continue to bite and devour one another, we should not be surprised that we are consumed by one another (Gal. 5:15).

(3) When the Boston movement was no longer counted among us in 1994, we lost 46 churches and 18,816 members.

(4) Our churches began “graying.” When the average age of the members of a congregation exceeds 70, it is very hard to keep them growing. Older congregations of 50 or less often decline, because they are not able to care for the needs of young families.

(5) We stopped training soul winners. We don’t hear much about evangelism today, though we hear much about “church growth.” They are not always the same thing.

(6) With the onslaught of postmodern thinking, we have lost our “theology of lostness.” When large and prominent churches support teachers of false doctrine, give a false sense of security, and fellowship those outside the body of Christ, our people no longer see the need for evangelism. When we don’t see others as lost, we don’t see a need to take the gospel to them.

We should not be pessimistic, however, for the Lord will restore and bless those who are His. I find many, many congregations thriving and growing. Those who are working hard may not be able to overcome the numerical losses of those who are dying, but they will survive and prosper as they hold to the Word of God.

by Phil Sanders

This last week has been an enormous roller coaster ride. My mother suffered a debilitating stroke to her brain stem, which left her unable to swallow or to talk. We do not know how much she can perceive and understand when we speak to her. She cannot respond with words and usually not even with a nod or blink of an eye. She can move her limbs some. Mom has a high likelihood of additional strokes and could easily develop pneumonia. For her, both life and improvement are uncertain.

Thanksgiving this year will not be the same. We can only begin to think how wonderful God has been to us. We can see and perceive, hear and understand, eat and enjoy, talk and communicate. We can express love to our families and friends. We can use our hands and feet; we can clean ourselves. We can use our minds. We can pray.

How easily we take for granted all our blessings. God is so good to us and gives us so very much. Never, never forget the good things.

May God bless you.