Life Choices

A man became upset with one of my sermons because I taught that we must respect  the silence of  Scripture.  After discussing the issue for several minutes, he dismissed my arguments by saying, “You did a good job of stating that position.”  He did not answer the clear statements from the Bible, or respond to the examples from Scripture.  He just dismissed everything by indicating that people hold different positions as in the saying, “one interpretation is as good as another.”  What offended him was my argument that the silence of Scripture was actually true and should be respected by everyone.

The goal of preaching should not be to state human positions as if one position is as good as another.  Preaching should seek to present the meaning of Scripture because the Bible is the only authority in matters of religion.  The Bible says, “If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God” (1 Peter 4:11).

To argue that all positions on a matter are equally valid is to deny the existence of truth.  When people argue this way they are really saying the Bible is of no practical value.  If the Bible cannot be understood, then it is irrelevant.  If it is not authoritative, then it is useless in preaching.  Perhaps one could say it is useful for interesting stories and life illustrations but not as a pattern for conduct and belief.  In contrast, biblical preaching is distinct from all other messages.  For example, when Paul observed the idol to the unknown god, he said to the Athenians, “Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you” (Acts 17:22).  It is only when we talk about our differences that the gospel can be taken seriously.  As a circle without a circumference is not a circle, faith must have boundaries.

J B Myers

Books:

Faith and Addiction

Elders and Deacons

Sometimes it is better to do nothing than something.   In moments of controversy and conflict, to say or do something–even if it is the right thing–can be counter productive.  People need time to process information or heal from the hurt.  I love the quote by Will Durant:

“One of the lessons of history is that nothing is often a good thing to do and always a clever thing to say.”

J B Myers

Books:

Faith and Addiction

Elders and Deacons

In John 17, Jesus prayed for unity.  What is the basis for unity?  Jesus says it is connected to the message preached by the disciples.  “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one…”(John 17:20-21).  People today argue that unity based on the message of the gospel is impossible.  They argue that no doctrine should stand in the way of unity.  As one preacher said, “Anyone who calls God Father I call brother.” However, the unity Jesus prays for in John 17 has its foundation in truth.  Jesus says, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (v. 21).  Notice how many times the word of God is mentioned in this prayer:

Verse 6, “They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.”

Verse 8, “For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them.”

Verse 14, “I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.”

So the prayer of Jesus is that people will hear and obey God’s word.  Obedience to the teachings of the gospel of Christ must precede unity.  What many do not understand is that it is possible to be a believer in Jesus and still not be acceptable to God.  Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’ John 8:31-32).

Therefore, one must not only believe in Jesus but obey the message of the gospel.  “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46).  Unity can be possible only when people commit themselves to be bound by God’s word.

J B Myers

Books:

Faith and Addiction

Elders and Deacons

Not long before his death, Jesus prayed for unity among those who believe in him.  “My prayer is not for them alone.  I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you” (John 17:20-21).

Implied in Jesus’ prayer for unity is that people can understand the message of the apostles: “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message.”  We have this message today in the four gospels and the inspired letters of Peter, John, Paul, and others.  Yet, the assumption today is that people cannot understand the Bible, or that one interpretation is as good as another.

I listened to a preacher recently who said that faith in Christ is all we should expect of people because many differ on baptism.  Where he preaches, people are no longer required to be baptized because he does not wish to be contentious about it.  This is the practice of unity at all costs; that is, if someone views a matter differently, then ignore the difference.

Jesus, however, did not practice unity at all costs.  The disciples came to him on one occasion and questioned him about his message.  “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”(Matthew 15:12).  He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots” (v. 13).  On another occasion, he said, “And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me” (Matthew 11:6).

So, the prayer of Jesus for unity is to be based on the message of the gospel which is in the Bible.  It is not a prayer for unity in diversity but unity based on obedience to truth.  Jesus also prayed, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17).

J B Myers

Books:

Faith and Addiction

Elders and Deacons

My next writing project is a book titled “Biblical Christianity.”  The subtitle is “How to be nondenominational without being interdenominational.”  The goal of this book is to encourage people not to give up on biblical Christianity.  Many have given up on this in our fellowship today.  They have defined nondenominational as being merely interdenominational.  The idea is that one belief, view, and church is as good as another.

There are many reasons for this, including a desire to be accepted by others and the rejection of biblical authority.  My goal is to help people recover the love for truth and see the value of following a biblical pattern.

This book should be easier to research and write than my other books because I will be presenting ideas I have thought about for years.  This does not mean it will be easy.  I will still have to organize the material and put it in a written form that is coherent.

People can have three different views of sin:

1) Some people are indifferent to sin.  They have no inner awareness of right and wrong, or they have their own preferences that govern their lives.

2) Others are ambivalent to sin.  Ambivalence is the simultaneous and contradictory desire to do something and not do something. It is being attracted and repulsed at the same time.  This is the struggle against sin that Paul describes in Romans 7.

3) Finally, there are those who have rejected sin; that is, they do not struggle with certain sins as they once did.  This condition reflects the personal growth in Christ that people experience when they live the Christian life.  Although they may have new temptations and struggles, they do not struggle as they once did because they are no longer “infants in Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:1).

This process has a parallel in attitudes toward addiction to drugs and alcohol.  The person who is indifferent is not aware or does not care that he has a problem.  The person who is ambivalent desires to stop but also desires to abuse drugs and alcohol.  The person who rejects addiction has found a new set of values that has lessened the appeal of using drugs and alcohol.

Notice how important self-image is to this process.  A person who adopts an addiction identity is much more likely to continue abusing drugs and alcohol than someone who views himself differently.

Likewise, the Christian has a new identity in Christ, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).  Those who have a new identity in Christ will live and behave differently from those who do not.

J B Myers

Books:

Faith and Addiction

Elders and Deacons

My book, Elders and Deacons, is now out of print.  The publisher would like to issue a second edition that includes a study guide.  I am now working on the study guide.  The book should be available again this fall.

J B Myers

I finally finished proofing the last chapter of my book, Life Choices.   This does not mean the book is finished, only that I have finished.  I will let some others read it for their beneficial feed-back and then put it in its final form and submit it to the publisher.

This book is the most practical that I have written.  My inspiration for the book came from a class I taught one year at University of Nevada, Las Vegas.  The class was a beginning counseling class that covered many of the mental health issues that cause people problems.  As I taught the class, I thought, “I wish I had taken a class like this when I was a freshman in college.”  So, I took some of the topics and added some of my own and adapted all of the material to biblical teaching.

I look forward to getting the book in its final form and getting it published.  I have been working on the book off and on for about three years.  For me, writing is not only hard but it requires a lot of time.  I have to research, organize, write, re-write, and then proof.  It seems like it takes forever to get anything done.  Perhaps A. J. Liebling is correct when he says, “I can write better than anybody who can write faster, and I can write faster than anybody who can write better.”  Anyway, I am glad it is over so I can move on to something else.

My next writing project is a book about biblical Christianity.

J B Myers

Books:

Faith and Addiction

Elders and Deacons

Not knowing exactly how to reach your goals is very discouraging, but it is the price you pay to reach important goals.  For example, people who enter college often do not know what they will major in.  Many think they know, but then change majors before they graduate.  So, do not worry about changing course or making adjustments in reaching your goals because this is to be expected and it is part of the process.

I heard about a mountain climber who described what it was like to climb Mount Everest.   He was asked by a reporter about what discouraged him the most in climbing the mountain.  He said the most discouraging times were when the summit was obscured by clouds.  As long as he could see the summit he was encouraged because he knew exactly where he was going.  Knowing exactly where you are going is encouraging and not knowing is discouraging, but the problem with goals is that you cannot always see the summit.  For example, I was over half way through a book I just finished writing before I had a good idea of where I was going.  It was only at the beginning of chapter seven that I had a clear vision of how the book would turn out, and even then I did not see the last chapter.  So, like the climber, the most discouraging time for me was before chapter seven.

Perseverance is how you overcome the discouragement of uncertainty.  Perseverance is defined as a steady course of action in spite of difficulties.  Paul reminds Christians that perseverance can be a benefit of suffering.  “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4).

J B Myers

Books:

Faith and Addiction

Elders and Deacons

I once overheard a criticism of my son, Jared, during a basketball game.  When Jared failed to get down the court fast enough to stop a fast break, someone complained about his lack of hustle.  What they did not know, however, was that he was playing with an injured groin muscle that prevented him from sprinting down the court.  This is why is important to have all the facts before we criticize the behavior of others.  We may not know about their health, home life, finances, or other challenges they are facing that might impact their behaviors.  Only God knows all the facts.  In the mean time, we have an obligation to view the behavior of others with patience and understanding until we know more of the facts.

J B Myers

Books:

Faith and Addiction

Elders and Deacons