Pressing On!

     In the Gospels, Jesus is called a carpenter or the son of a carpenter.  The word carpenter in the English language means a person who builds or repairs wooden structures, as houses, scaffolds, or shelving, to construct (a plot, scene, article, or the like) in a mechanical or unoriginal fashion.  However the Greek word for carpenter is tekton, a word that meant not merely a carpenter skilled in making cabinets or furniture but one that works with stone and rock, as well as a designer, construction engineer, or architect.  A tekton could build a house, construct a bridge, or design a building, like even a temple.  This is the word that is used to describe the trade for which our Savior was known to hold. 

     There are some things I think we need to contemplate before we settle with the thought that He worked with wood products only.  First of all have you ever been able to go to or maybe even seen pictures of the Palestine region.  There are not a lot of tree lines to be noticed off in the distance.  This would make working with wood rather difficult since wood in this area was not very easy to come by.  But still, one could make a living out of working with wood.  I am not suggesting He did not work with wood but rather for us to broaden our scope and see what truly would have been available for Him to work with. 

     Secondly, I have heard the fairy tale of how Jesus as a young boy was out working with His father Joseph one day when they happened to come upon a tree that Joseph wanted to cut down.  However Christ knowing what would transpire in the future suggested that they leave the tree to live and grow so that it could be used for a more important purpose (i.e. Christ dying on the cross).  Still, once again there is no Biblical fact to back this story up.  It does how ever give us that warm feeling that makes us feel good and lead so many astray. 

     Since the Bible gives us no real proof of Jesus being a carpenter (that worked with wood) the thought came to me about this word tekton and it’s understanding of one that works with and designs stone and stone buildings.  Now as we think about that, we have to look at the relationship between a couple of His statements that would give Him the right to make such comments and also why their would be misunderstanding on the part of those that were talking with Him.  Matthew 26:61 and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.’”  Perhaps the Pharisees knowing His upbringing would think that He was talking about the physical building rather than a spiritual one.  Or even the one I like to think about is in Mark 12:10 Have you not even read this Scripture: ‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone; Being a tekton, Jesus would have known exactly what the chief stone or cap stone would be necessary for, to be the basis and foundation of anything that was built upon it. 

     Ephesians 2:19-22 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

     The debate may or may not matter, was it wood or stone?  But this one thing does matter, that we each make the choice to let Christ be the one that builds our life for God.

          There once was a preacher in a small town.  One Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit.  Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, the preacher began to speak…”I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage.  On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright.  I stopped the boy and asked.  ”What you got there, son?” “Just some old birds,” came the reply.  ”What are you gonna do with them?” I asked.  ”Take ‘em home and have fun with ‘em,” he answered.  ”I’m gonna tease ‘em and pull out their feathers to make ‘em fight.  I’m gonna have a real good time.”  ”But you’ll get tired of those birds sooner or later.  What will you do?” “Oh, I got some cats,” said the little boy.  ”They like birds. I’ll take ‘em to them.”  The preacher was silent for a moment. “How much do you want for those birds, son?” “Huh??!!!  Why, you don’t want them birds, mister.  They’re just plain old field birds.  They don’t sing.  They ain’t even pretty!” “How much?” the preacher asked again.  The boy sized up the preacher as if he were crazy and said, “$10?”  The preacher reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill.  He placed it in the boy’s hand.  In a flash, the boy was gone.  The preacher picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot.  Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free.  Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the preacher began to tell this story.  One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation.  Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting.  ”Yes, sir, I just caught the world full of people down there.  Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn’t resist.  Got ‘em all!”  ”What are you going to do with them?”  Jesus asked.  Satan replied, “Oh, I’m gonna have fun!  I’m gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse.  I’m gonna teach them how to kill each other.  I’m really gonna have fun!”  ”And what will you do when you get done with them?” Jesus asked.  ”Oh, I’ll kill ‘em,” Satan glared proudly.  ”How much do you want for them?” Jesus asked.  ”Oh, you don’t want those people.  They ain’t no good.  Why, you’ll take them and they’ll just hate you.  They’ll spit on you, curse you and kill you.  You don’t want those people!!”  ”How much?  He asked again.  Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, “All your blood, tears and your life.” Jesus said, “DONE!”  Then He paid the price. The preacher picked up the cage he opened the door, the birds flew out, and he walked away from the pulpit.

     If you listen to “Christian” radio at all I am sure you have heard the new song by Casting Crowns entitled “Slow Fade”.  I would like for all to listen to the words to the song, I mean really listen.  Time after time I have people, couples or families say, “I don’t know where it all went wrong, all of the sudden the situation was just out of control.”  My answer now has changed slighty from a blunt “NO it didn’t just all of the sudden happen, to really a more caring way of saying it’s a slow fade”, and here is why.  It is really about a slow fade.  A slow fade away from God.  A slow fade away from the blood of Christ.  A slow fade away from involvement in the Church.  A slow fade away from Christian fellowship.  A slow fade away from personal Bible study.  A slow fade away from private prayer.  A slow fade, just a slow fade.

     The sun does not fade clothes, paint or anything else in a day.  It is a slow fade until we say, “Well when did that happen?”  It is truly one day at a time.  Stay strong.  Stay faithful.  Stay honest.  Stay pure.  Stay Holy.  Stay righteous.  Stay godly.  Stay away from the slow fade.  For as the song closes out it says “people never crumble in a day, daddies never crumble in a day, families never crumble in a day, It’s a slow fade. 

Psalm 32:6-7 – Pray that Christians will be motivated to pray faithfully for this election and that the Lord would deliver us from the wrong leaders.

Psalm 16:7-8 – Pray that the Lord would give wise counsel and guidance to His choice for president in this campaign.

Proverbs 16:13 – Pray that our nation will listen to the truth and not be led astray.

Psalm 18:32-36 – Pray that the Lord would arm the man of His choice with strength; that He would guide him in battle (this election), and that He would sustain him and give him victory.

Hebrews 11:32-34 – Pray that God’s man could, through faith, persevere and maintain his courage throughout this election.

Psalm 125 – Pray that those who trust in the Lord will not be shaken.

Psalm 86:14-17 – Pray that the Lord would defeat those who have no regard for Him in this election. – Pray that the Lord would empower and enable His man in any area of weakness.

2 Corinthians 9:12 – Pray that the Lord would empower and enable HIs man in any area of weekness.

2 Kings 13:16 – Pray that the Lord would put His hands on the man of His choice for president (and his team) and guide them in this election.

Proverbs 1:5-6 – Pray that God’s man will listen with discernment, add to his knowledge, and receive wise counsel in this campaign.

John 16:33 - Pray that the man of God’s choice would be given wisdom and ability from the Lord to overcome any obstacle or difficulty during this campaign.

Acts 17:30 – Pray for repentance for yourself and for our nation.

Luke 12:54-57 – Pray that God’s man and our nation will be discerning and do what is right.

Philippians 4:13 – Pray that the Lord’s choice for President will have special strength and unusual ability from God.

Habakkuk 1:5 and 3:2 – Pray that the Lord would do something that would utterly amaze us and give His servant victory.

     A nurse took the tired, anxious military serviceman to the bedside.  “Your son is here,” she said to the old man.  She had to repeat the words several times before the patient’s eyes opened.  Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand.  The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man’s limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.

     The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed.  All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man’s hand and offering him words of love and strength.  Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile.
He refused.  Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital, the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients.

     Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.

     Along towards dawn, the old man died.  The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse.  While she did what she had to do, he waited.  Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her.  “Who was that man?” he asked.  The nurse was startled, “He was your father,” she answered.  “No, he wasn’t,” the Marine replied.  “I never saw him before in my life.”  “Then why didn’t you say something when I took you to him?”  “I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn’t here.  When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed.”

     The next time someone needs you … just be there.  Stay.

     In talking to fellow preachers I have noticed several trends going through the brotherhood and many of them I do not care for.  One of them is that it doesn’t take much to notice that not as many of the congregations are having Revival’s anymore.  Perhaps it is that their preachers are doing a better job than myself and they are keeping the flock revived continually.  I would like it if that were the case but I fear that it is not. 

     REVIVAL is a part of a Christians life.  We all know in our Christian walk that it is not always full steam ahead.  There are times when it is a struggle and we have to push to make it through or even go on.  Here at the Church of Christ in Harlan, IN we are getting ready for our annul fall revival and we are looking forward to it.  I pray that a lost soul will come home, a discouraged soul will be uplifted or perhaps a wandering one will find their way to obedience in the Lord.  Revival is good.  Revival is necessary.  So don’t get so big that we forget what we are doing.  Revival doesn’t mean you are dead revival means there is time left to acknowledge our need for Christ in our life.  

Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.