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Dripping Springs Weekly Bulletins
Where is the "Magic" in this Church?
There are weeds to be pulled, rocks to toss aside, grass to mow and a fence to shore up. There is painting to do, a garage that needs to be straightened up and an office that is hopeless. Who can I get to take care of those needs? But everyone else has things of his or her own to take care of, and it looks like mine will just have to wait a while.
What’s wrong with this picture? You guessed it—I need to do it. Me. Not you or someone else, but me, myself and I.
In my growing-up-years I had a magic laundry bag. It was just a plain duffle bag, made of simple cloth, and it hung on a nail in my closet. The beauty of that laundry bag was that when I had clothes that needed washing and ironing, I could put them in that bag and a day or two later I would find them clean, ironed and hanging on a hanger ready to wear. I kept the laundry bag a secret for fear someone would steal it.
Then I went off to college. One of the first things packed was that laundry bag, carefully folded in its place, for it would surely be needed while I was in school. To my dismay, however, as soon as I left the city limits of Fort Worth the magic disappeared. I put soiled clothes in it, left it as before—but two or three days later they were still there, still soiled. I tried hanging it on a different nail, on the other side of the dormitory room, leaving the closet light on, but nothing worked. The magic was gone.
Some of us grew up in a congregation that had the same “magic.” If something needed to be done, two or three days later—Magic—it was done. Baptistry need cleaning? Sick needing a visit? Classes to be taught? Carpet to be vacuumed? Leave it and two or three days later it was done. Right? “Magic”?
I finally learned that the “magic” in my laundry bag was really my mother. So I grew up and learned how to wash and iron my clothes.
I also learned there is no “magic” in the church, but that some faithful, dedicated people were the “magic,” often doing the things no one else wanted to do.
When Jesus left this earth, He told His disciples there was a lot of work to do, mainly taking His Gospel to the lost, both at home and abroad. Have all of us learned to share this load, to “take up our cross daily” (Luke 9:23) and fulfill the responsibility given to us as His people? How can we put some magic in our lives?
LOOK FOR THINGS TO DO
Does someone have to ask us to perform some task? Must a deacon or elder specifically give us the “orders” to visit those who are sick or shut-ins? Just a little alertness will help us see things that need to be done, people who need some help, help that is within our capability to perform. Check with those in charge of certain duties to see if you can give them a break or assist them. There are plenty of works that need to be done if we will but look for them.
DON’T EXPECT PRAISE
Some great joys in life come from deeds done just for the joy
of doing something for others.
“Take heed that you do not do your righteousness before men, to be seen of them. Else ye have no reward from your Father who is in heaven,” Matthew 6:1
The psalmist spoke on this subject:
“Blessed is he that considers the poor. The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive... The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness,” Psalm 41:1-3
The medical profession testifies of the value of helping others without them being aware of their unknown benefactor.
THE “MAGIC” IS NOT FOUND:
- ..In being served, but in serving others. See Matthew 20:20-28.
- ..In being honored, but in giving honor to others, Proverbs 22:1-4.
- ..in watching people work, but in doing the work, Nehemiah 4:6.
- ..in talking about good works, but in doing them, James 2:14-20.
- ..in claiming to be a Christian, but in living as a Christian, 1 Peter 4:16.
- ..in knowing of good works, but in performing them, 2 Corinthians 8:11.
- ..in merely doing good works, but doing them for the right reason, Numbers 20:1-13.
- ..in receiving encouragement, but encouraging others, Romans 14:19.
God did Adam a favor in giving him work to do, Genesis1:24-31. Listen to the anguish in the voice of someone who is no longer physically able to work. There is great dignity in work, and our children need to be taught that principle very early in life.
There are so many here who bring “magic” to this congregation of Christians, and we salute you for your attitude and your effort. When a need for money arises, or some work needs to be done, or someone is ill, some of you always come to the fore and gets busy. May your tribe increase!
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“He who rises late must trot all day.”
“The lazy man says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets.”
“Every man is a consumer, and ought to be a producer. He fails to make his place good unless he not only pays his debt but also adds something to the common wealth.”
“In any given group, the most will do the least and the least the most.”
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What of Celebrating Christmas?
BIBLE QUESTION: “Dear brother Thurman, would you please explain the heathen practice of decorating and worshipping trees, especially as relating to observance of ‘Christmas’? Some Christians don’t have a tree, but they do give gifts.”
BIBLE ANSWER: The “observance of Christmas” is borrowed very much from paganism. The idea of observing certain days as “special” or “holy” was the practice of many heathen nations during the time the Bible was written. Some worshipped one “god” on his “holy day,” and then worshipped another “god” on another “holy day.” From that practice, known and common in the Roman Empire, the “celebration of Christ’s Mass” was invented by the Roman church. Others have copied, or changed to their own liking, what was begun by Catholics as a “holy day.”
For many peoples, the “Christmas tree” symbolizes the “eternal nature of Him whose birth we celebrate.” The evergreen tree is supposed to show eternal nature. Of course, there is no indication that Jesus was born on December 25th. In fact, the indications are that He was born in the Spring or early Summer (shepherds in the field with their flocks at that time, etc.). And Christians don’t need the evergreen tree to remind us that Christ Jesus is God’s Son, Eternal and our Saviour! The Bible adequately convinces us of that, and when God’s children gather at the Lord’s Table on the first day of each week, it is to “proclaim the Lord’s death until he come,” 1 Corinthians 11:26. That Supper is “in memory” of Him. And it is a weekly observance, not once a year. And it commemorates His death, not His birth.
The Galatian letter was written primarily to show the folly of going back to the law of Moses, when we have Christ and His gospel. In Galatians 4:10-11, Paul discusses observing special days: “Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain.” The law God gave to Israel, through Moses, had special “days, months, times and years.” But the New Testament does NOT! God declares that the old law was “nailed to the cross,” Colossians 2:14, and that included the special days (:16-17) We are under the New Testament (Hebrews 9;15), the “perfect law of liberty” (James 1:25). And there is no “holy day” or “special day” under the law of Christ. To observe holy days is to make void the grace of God, Galatians 4:11; 5:4). Even the first day of the week is not a holy day. On the first day of the week, we gather together to partake of the Lord’s Supper in memory of Him; but it is the Supper that is holy, not the day.
Many people give gifts for various reasons. Some give gifts on birthdays, some at wedding anniversaries, some at special “family” occasions or “national” events or commemorations. Thus, some gift gifts on July 4th, October 31st, November 11th, February 14th, or September 2nd. Some give gifts for no special occasion, but just because they want to do so. When the gift is to celebrate some “holy day,” it is wrong; for that constitutes false worship, which is what Paul was pointing out in Galatians 4:10ff. But when there is no religious observance, but simply an occasion when family can get together to express love and devotion in words and acts, there surely is no violation of Scripture. To observe a day as a “holy day” is wrong; it is false worship. But to use the occasion of birthdays or national holidays as festive occasions is not making “holy days” of them. So, at “Thanksgiving,” “Christmas” or “New Year’s Day,” my family will use the national holiday as a time when we can be together. But there is no religious observance of these days any more than the other 362 days of the year
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