In This Issue

• "HE IS RISEN AS HE SAID"
• RELIGION IS NOT THE PROBLEM
• "MEANINGFUL"
• UPCOMING GOSPEL MEETING SCHEDULE
• MORE INFORMATION...

"HE IS RISEN AS HE SAID"

"Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightening, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.’ So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word" (Matt. 28:1-8).

The earthquake mentioned in verse 2 may be the same one Matthew had already referred to in 27:51, or it may be a second one. It seems to have occurred at the time of His resurrection.

Matthew tells us the visit of the women to the tomb occurred as the day "began to dawn." Mark says, "They came to the tomb when the sun had risen" (Mark 16:2). Luke says it was "very early in the morning" (Luke 24:1). John tells us, "On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark" (John 20:1). If this is the same occasion, as most likely it is, the four accounts are reconciled by simply recognizing that she left home "while it was till dark," but by the time she arrived at the tomb, "the sun had risen."

Luke tells us these women, on Friday or Preparation Day when Jesus was crucified, had "observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment. Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared" (Luke 23 54 through 24:1). In these few verses, Luke covers the entire time period Jesus was in the tomb -- from late Friday afternoon to early Sunday morning.

Skeptics have suggested that perhaps the women had forgotten where Jesus was buried and accidentally went to the wrong tomb. In this way, they try to account for the empty tomb. But Matthew, Mark, and Luke are all careful to point out that the women had carefully observed how and where Jesus was buried. They did not go to the wrong tomb. Jesus came forth from the dead! We serve a risen Savior, who gave Himself a ransom for our sins, and came back from the dead as He had promised.

--CRJ

RELIGION IS NOT THE PROBLEM

Skepticism scoffs at faith and lays the ills of the world at the feet of religion. The scoffing, scorning skeptic says that most of the world’s wars are created by "religious" people contending for their god. Do away with the false concept of a divine being, rid people’s minds of such ignorance, superstition, and blind devotion, and the world will be a safer, less volatile place.

For once, I agree, at least in part, with the skeptics! No, of course, we cannot deny the Creator of heaven and earth. However, false religion and false rituals, in the name of false gods, have created havoc and heartache. What about "the Crusades"? Weren’t they fought by "Christians," by the authority of Christ? No, for Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here" (John 18:36). Did the religion of Christ create the cruelty of the Crusades? No, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal" (2 Cor. 10:3-4).

False priests, preachers, and prophets may have started wars and created human misery, but to condemn all religion because of impostures is parallel to the man who refuses all medical treatment because a "quack" doctor made him feel worse. A crooked lawyer must not be used to define the usefulness of worthy counsel.

True faith is not the problem. It is the solution, the only solution. The frightening belligerence of barbaric religious men does not discredit God and godliness. Rather, it shows the need for truth and righteousness. A denial of God and His word does not solve the problems of the world. If God were eliminated from all faith and all Bibles were burned, there is not a single sordid, sinful thing that would be abolished. The darkness would only deepen. (And, if it did, why would it matter? If there be no God, there are no rules. So, why gripe and grumble? Why is it wrong to kill and to pillage and plunder if there be no God? If there is no God, I may kill you with as little concern as I would swat a mosquito.)

What these present, perilous times reveal is that we need more, not less, of "the words of truth and soberness." Yes, false religion has brought us mayhem, murder and massacre. But, beneath the blood stained banner of the Prince of Peace, it is His pure religion that alone can give us hope for our hearts and rest unto our souls.

–Larry Ray Hafley, The Proclaimer, May, 2002

"MEANINGFUL"

I’ve just about had it with the word "meaningful." It’s a good word gone bad. It carries the idea of "significant" or "full of meaning," but it has become a cover-up for both sin and emotionalism.

Nowadays, it’s quite acceptable to commit adultery as long as the relationship is "meaningful." It’s quite true that adultery is full of meaning. It means that someone has been unfaithful to his or her mate. It means that someone is willing to sacrifice their home on the altar of personal gratification. It means that someone won’t obey God. It means that someone is going to hell. Yes, adultery is "significant," all right – significant for its sinfulness and destructiveness. However, I don’t believe that’s what most people have in mind when they call their illicit relationships "meaningful."

Now Janie and I – and thousands of couples like us – have a truly meaningful relationship. We’ve sealed our love by vowing to be faithful to each other. We’ve honored God by obeying the laws of this country and getting married rather than living together. We endeavor day by day to be kind and helpful to each other. We worked at rearing our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We continue to strive in our marriage to glorify God. These are things that have real "significance" – because God said so. He is the one who gives meaning to marriage, and any meaning men think they can impart to marriage is counterfeit. Remember, "Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge" (Heb. 13:4).

Men and women strive to sanctify their homosexual deeds and relationships by calling them "meaningful." Again, there’s plenty of meaning in homosexual acts, all of it sinful! These deeds signify that someone has changed the order of nature, that someone would rather dishonor his body than honor it and God, that someone would rather worship his own lusts than God, that someone would rather have the "penalty of their error" than a crown of life. Homosexual acts are sinful. People can’t change that by calling them "meaningful." We humans don’t have the right to change the "significance" that God has imparted to an act. He calls homosexual acts "vile passions," "against nature," "shameful," and "not fitting" (Rom. 1:26-28).

Religious people have done their share to dilute the meaning of "meaningful." Several years ago I read a news article about a denominational preacher who substituted hamburger and Coke for unleavened bread and fruit of the vine in the Lord’s supper. His rationale was: "I refuse to continue something that has lost its meaning." God gave the significance to unleavened bread and fruit of the vine, Matt. 26:26-29; 1 Cor. 11:23-26. How did they lose that meaning? And who imparted any significance to hamburger and Coke as a memorial to Christ? The sectarian preacher? By what right? Unleavened bread and fruit of the vine have not lost one bit of meaning as far as God is concerned. Hamburger and Coke are emblems for people who worship their own bellies.

Worst of all, our own brethren have started chanting "meaningful." They have decided that "two songs, a prayer, another song, and preaching" is not "meaningful." And what do they propose to make worship more significant? How about dimming the lights? Or holding hands? Or closing your eyes? Or sitting in a circle? Or looking up instead of down as you pray? Or clapping? Or adding mechanical instruments of music? Or "contemporary" (as opposed to "traditional")? Or any combination of the above?

Some of the things suggested are not necessarily sinful; some, such as mechanical instruments, are. But they all tend to confuse "meaningful" with "emotional." Too often people think that by changing the OUTWARD they can make the INWARD more meaningful. But God gives the meaning to every act of worship, and anything we impose on the act changes it. Commenting on the Lord’s supper, Pat Farish said, "Basically, it required concentration on the significance of the thing being done’ and the nature of concentration is that it shuts out external," rather than depending on them to lend meaning to any act of worship. Let’s not confuse "meaningful" with "emotional."

God is completely capable of saying what He means. Why don’t we let His things have His meanings? Otherwise, we should understand that they really have no meaning at all.

With just a little thought and effort, we can all help keep down the necessity for "meaningful" articles like this.

–Jim Ward, 12^th St. bulletin, Bowling Green, KY, Apr. 10, 2002

A cold church, like cold butter, never spreads well.

Church members are like coals in a fire. When they cling together they keep the flame aglow. When they separate, they die out.

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