Biddeford Church of Christ

For the last couple of weeks, we have spent some time being reminded about how we can be empowered to let go of our past and live in Christ with confidence today while having the hope of tomorrow.  Whether it be the “forgetting and reaching” of Philippians 3:13, or the acceptance of God’s complete forgiveness for those in Christ, which we considered last Sunday from 1^st John 1:5-10, God wants us to live in freedom from our past.  He knows that to experience the true nature of the abundant life Jesus speaks of in John 10:10, our past truly needs to be water under the bridge…our bridge.

With that said, I want to consider one more idea when it comes to the image of “water under the bridge”; that is, the issue of our need to forgive others, something I spoke on just a few months ago.  My desire to speak about it again has been stirred by my study of what Jesus taught the disciples early on in His ministry concerning how to pray.  Remember these words from Jesus, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12).  So critical to the disciples walk that Jesus would go on to say in Matthew 6:14-15, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”  This whole line of thought begs the question, “Am I willing to forgive those in my past?”

And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but

they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple.

                                                                                         Acts 9:26

When Jesus taught about prayer, He included within it those words that speak of the disciple’s willingness to embrace the task of forgiving others because of their own forgiveness by God.  This word debt is self-explanatory, caring the meaning of that which is owed.  It drives home the simple fact that someone can “owe me” because of something they have done.  Saul owed the early church big time!  Families split, lives lost, so much hurt they suffered and now, you want us to give you a big hug and sing “Kumbaya, My Lord” together.  It’s not happening…right?  The debt Saul (soon to be named Paul) owed was enormous and virtually impossible to pay back.  The only solution for him, for them, was God’s road of forgiveness. It is a road that must be traveled.

This is why, although I know it is a command, I see it as a necessity, essential to the wellbeing of the disciple.  It is not simply something God is commanding us to do, but there is a reason behind it.  When the actions of others are allowed to build up in our lives, not permitting them to be water under our bridge, we change.  How one might ask?  Well, the decision to not forgive another only enables the heart to become bitter, defiling it over time (Hebrews 12:15).  The scary thing is, that we often times don’t even realize it is happening.  Maybe that is why Jesus taught His disciples then, and us now, to be mindful of our need to forgive in prayer.  I can understand the words of the apostle found in Luke 17:5 after Jesus taught again on the subject of forgiveness, “Increase our faith.”

To be forgiving, we must walk in confidence of our own forgiveness.  Paul would exhort the church in Colosse to be forgiving “even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do” (Colossians 3:13).  So, do you walk in His marvelous forgiveness today?  If so, is there someone in your past who owes you a debt?  God invites you to release that debt and live fully in the beauty of forgiveness.

Dennis

It is hard to believe that we are already in the month of September with schools starting and fall knocking on the door.  It has been a very busy summer for many of us and the next few months, at least for our church family, has several things which are worthy of mentioning that we will be involved in as the year comes to a close.  So, I thought that instead of a typical article, I would make note of several of those events.

Annual Free Car Wash – This will be taking place Saturday, September 14^th from 9 am to 2 pm.  If you would like to help out, contact Angel or Matthew to let them know.  Note, the rain date is the following Saturday, September 21^st.

Annual Fall Workday – This will be held on Saturday, October 12^th.  There will be various projects to do which could use your helping hands.  Sign-up sheet on the back board by the recording station.  Also note that the rain date for this event is the following Saturday, October 19^th.

Skate for the Light Night – Typically held at the Happy Wheels in Portland, this event is an alternative to the traditional trick or treat on October 31^st which lands on a Thursday this year.  More information to come when available.

Thanksgiving Baskets – Gathering names and bringing in food for thanksgiving baskets.  This is always a wonderful opportunity for us to help those in need.  More information to come soon.

Yankee Swap – Always a fun time where we exchange those infamous gifts, share a great meal and spend some wonderful time together.  The great thing about this, is that Brad and Brenda want to come and be a part of it.

With these things in front of us, the closing of 2019 looks exciting filled with great opportunities to serve.  Along with that, I can’t help but look backward and realize the helping hands and efforts to serve those around us.  Here are just a few things which have taken place:  Congregational Breakfast – The Ladies Day – Spring Workday – Work and Worship Week – Moving the Shaws and more.  What is important about each one of these is the people behind them which make them all possible.  It causes me to think of Ephesians 4:16 from the ETRV, “The whole body depends on Christ.  And all the parts of the body are joined and held together.  Each part of the body does its own work.  And this makes the whole body grow and be strong with love.”

Thanks to all those who make what we do so special.  Each of us play a significant role in helping us be the Body of Christ which God so desires.  Let’s finish the year with loving zeal to glorify our Savior Jesus Christ.  And may our Lord bless us as we set our sights on 2020.

Dennis

I am sure you have heard it before, or better yet, maybe even said it, “That’s all water under the bridge.”  I want to deviate from the topic for this year and speak about the profound power of the past.  It has been said, “if you wish to live in the present, you have to work through your past.” The word “past” is compelling; most of the time, we understand it to be something distant. The sentence you just read is history, the past, buried within the recesses of your mind for possible use in the future.  Okay, I don’t want to get all philosophical on you.  My point is simple, what happened in the past, whether years ago or just a minute ago, can impact us whether we realize it or not.

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting

those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead…

                                                                                                                               Philippians 3:13

In this verse from the apostle Paul, two words stand out that gives some insight into how one might work through their past so that they can live in the present and be excited about the future.  First, there is this idea of forgetting.  The ETRV says, “I forget the things that are past.”  Water under the bridge…right?  The word means the sense of neglecting, no longer caring.  Pat Harrell gives us insight by explaining the opposite of forgetting, “To remember something was to lift it out of the dead past and to thereby make it a dynamic force in the present.”  In his book entitled, Learning to Love, Willard Tate talks about something called self-talk.  He writes, “Whatever the mind attends to, it considers; whatever the mind does not attend to, it dismisses; whatever the mind attends to continually, believes; and whatever the mind believes, it eventually does.”  The NKJV of Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”  Paul’s history cluttered with the arrogance of a law keeper (Philippians 3:3-6), perpetrated horrible acts against the early church (Acts 7 & 8).  What sort of self-talk could he have used to remind himself of the dreadful things he did. What kind of self-talk do you use?

What is interesting about the Greek word translated forgetting is that it is a present participle; which means, forgetting is a process.  What can help us in that process is found in the next word I want to consider; that is, reaching.  This word carries with it the idea of to stretch out to or towards.  Listen to the ETRV, “I try as hard as I can to reach the goal that is before me.”  God is revealing to us through Paul that this forgetting and reaching takes concerted effort and time.  Pat Harrell makes this powerful comment on this, “Paul was in effect, refusing to permit the past to dominate the present.  Forgetting the past, he orientates himself to the future.”   With what was Paul occupying his mind?  What was he reaching so hard to attain?  “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

With Paul’s past littered with sufficient reasons to suffocate his newfound life (and hope) in Christ, you can imagine what his self-talk could have been?  But he refused to be held captive to that past.  It was water under the bridge.  What do you reach for most often when it comes to identifying yourself?  What thoughts echo through the recesses of your mind?  Have the turbulent waters of your past made it under the bridge?

Heavenly Father, we thank You for your patience with us as we strive towards one day being with You.  Help us, empower us to forget the past that seeks to keep us in bondage and release us to be all that we can be for You.  Amen.

Dennis

For many of us who have grown up in the church or have been part of the church for many years or have simply been involved with religion, the characters of the bible seem almost iconic.  Who do you think of first?  Moses and the crossing of the Red Sea, Daniel in the lion’s den, how about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace.  Or maybe it is someone like Ruth or Mary, the mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus.  Sometimes when we look at those we read about and listen to the amazing faith and godliness which they portrayed, we place them on pedestals, seemingly beyond anything we might be able to exhibit in our lives.

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours…

                                                      James 5:17, NKJV

The prophet Elijah is one of those “iconic” characters in the bible.  In 1^st Kings 17-19 we read of some of his life and service to God.  In chapter 17:17-24 we read of him praying to the Lord on behalf of a widow whose son had died, resulting in God raising him from the dead.  In chapter 18:20-40 Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal (450 of them) to call on their gods and he will call on God and see whose altar would be consumed by fire.  Of course, you know the outcome.  Then, there is the event which James speaks of that actually starts in chapter 17:1 where Elijah says, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my words.”  This man, who seemed to have such a powerful connection with God is no different from you or me!  I like how the ETRV translates James 5:17, “Elijah was a person the same as us.”  He had no special power or inroads to the great I am.  What he did have, is something we all can have; that is, conviction that God is listening and working in the life of the believer.

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

James 5:16, NKJV

As James pens these words to Christians, he uses the example of Elijah to encourage them to be vigilant in prayer.  Prayer makes a difference!  Your prayers make a difference!  Sometimes, we need to be resilient in prayer for the answer does not come so quickly, like in the case of Elijah.  He prayed for the rain to return, but it took seven times before his servant came back with the news that “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” (1^st Kings 18:44)

Think about it, Elijah is no different than any of us who are in Christ.  Like him, our prayers can be powerful.  The ETRV translates the later part of James 5:16, “When a good person prays hard, great things happen.”  Lord, help us to have a faith that is convinced that great things can happen when we seek You out in prayer.

Dennis

I have the pleasure of writing an article for a couple that has been such a blessing to all of us, Bradford & Brenda Shaw.  Today will be their last day as part of this church family at Biddeford and they will be missed immensely.  Their time with us though, has provided us with memories which will last a lifetime, bringing joy and encouragement throughout the years to come.  Although we will miss them, others will be blessed by their presence as they serve the Lord in a new location.

Some friends are fun to be with.  But a close friend can be even better than a brother.

                                                                                                                        Proverbs 18:24, ETRV

The bible has several stories that give us a glimpse into what deep friendships are like: 1^st Samuel 18:3, “Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul” or the words that so intimately speak of Timothy in Philippians 2:22, “But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel.”  For many of us, the last several years have provided us with an opportunity to develop similar relationships with Brad and Brenda.  Some may see them as a mom or dad figure they never had, or at the very least, a spiritual mom and dad that have played a significant role in their spiritual development.  We have also had the chance to watch two amazing servants reveal to us that age, although it may slow us down, need not stop us from serving the Lord.  The manner of service may change, but the heart of the servant need not.  For these and many other meaningful memories, we say thank you.

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.

For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls.

                                                                                                                            Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

As I close, knowing the impossible task of trying to write words that can adequately reflect our love for the Shaw’s, I pause to say thank you to them for one more example they have showed us all.  Your commitment to one another over the years is nothing short of amazing.  You have shown us what marriage looks like as it grows with the years and we are grateful for the beautiful picture you both have painted for us.

Thank You Lord for blessing us with the Shaw’s and we ask that You give them safe travel to their new home and church family.  Continue to use them to Your glory and help us to continue Your work here at Biddeford as well, continuing the legacy which Brad and Brenda so humbly portrayed before us.  Keep all of us in Your care until one day we unite again to fellowship together in Your presence.  In Jesus wonderful name, Amen.

Dennis

For four days of the last handful of days, I have been behind the wheel of a car traveling some 2400 hundred miles.  It is during this travel time that something clicked in my mind about my Christian walk, and it all boils down to a simple word…conformity.  If you are wondering what I mean, maybe this definition can help: behavior in accordance with socially accepted conventions or standards.  I suspect, like me, the bible verse that jumped into your mind was Romans 12:2 where it says in part, “And do not be conformed to this world…”  Listen to what the ETRV says, “Don’t change yourselves to be like people of this world.”

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions

fail not.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

                                                                                                             Lamentations 3:22-23, NKJV

Do you feel the pressure of the world to change?  Sometimes I think conformity happens subtly, without notice if not careful.  Case and point, I spent four of the last several days driving some 2,400 miles down and up the eastern United States.  As a follower of Christ, I am well aware of Romans 13:1-7 and the principle that is clearly revealed, speeding would not bring glory to God, it is just that simple.  That being said, I found myself battling two things while driving: the tailgating driver frustrated by me doing the speed limit and the inner man that can reason on numerous levels why it really doesn’t matter.  I found myself fighting, and yes at times, giving into the pressure of my surroundings, only to be reminded that it is He whom I should be wanting to please the most: not myself or the person in back of me.  So, what does all this have to do with our theme verse?  More than you think.

The lament by Jeremiah in which we find these words of assurance and comfort, is during a time when Israel was facing hardship due to…you guessed it…conformity.  God exhorted Israel not to marry certain people because of  the potential influence they would have on them (Deuteronomy 7:3-4), yet they did not heed that warning.  As time went on and giving in to the ways of the world around them, they slowly but surely began to change and not for the good.  The judgment which God brought upon them, which we find Jeremiah lamenting over, was because of this very thing; that is, God’s people giving in to the ways of the world.  It is just that simple!

I humbly acknowledge that the vast majority of the time, I followed the speed limit, but it wasn’t always easy, and it was never perfect.  Lights flashing in back of me, wanting to get home, hundreds, if not thousands of other vehicles zooming by me, some with a little backwards fish on the back.  I could reason easily that God really doesn’t care, or His grace is more than sufficient, and the list could go on.  It is interesting that the list which the world wants me to use is seemingly limitless.  But truth be told, I only need to ask one simple question, “Will it please my God?”  It is just that easy.

Dennis

In the Christian world, there are few words more important to the disciple’s daily walk than the word faith.  Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  Faith is at the very core of a Christian’s hope and enables them…us, to walk confidently in the promises of God.  So crucial is this faith, that the writer of Hebrews would also say, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him…” Hebrews 11:6).  So today we take a moment and reflect on how faith works in our lives.

If you were to look up the word faith, you may come across the following meaning, complete trust or confidence in someone or something.  If you were to look up the Greek word often translated faith in our bibles, you would read something like this, to think to be true: to be persuaded of; to credit, place confidence in.  As John will bring out in his lesson today, we exhibit this idea of faith on a daily basis.  People fly in planes, drive their cars, get in elevators and the list goes on and on.  Each one of these actions displays a certain kind of faith: faith that someone knows what they are doing, that some device will work and so on.  Simply put, faith and trust are intimately woven together in our day to day lives, the same way it is to be with our walk with God.

Although the word trust is synonymous for faith, there can be a subtle difference between the two.  In John 12:42, we find that “even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue.”  They believed but found themselves reluctant to take the next step.  Why?  Could it be as simple as trust?  Remember, faith involves complete trust and confidence which in turn should resonate in our lives through the things we do.

As I close out this article, I am thankful to John for stirring within me a desire to look at my faith, examine it if you will.  I know what I believe and in whom I believe.  Yet I also know that even in the midst of professed conviction, I sometimes don’t exhibit the side of faith which is called trust.  I can relate to those rulers who were reluctant to stand boldly for Christ, no matter what may result from it.  It is with this awareness that I can pray and should pray, “Lord, increase my faith.”  May the love of God that is rich in mercy and grace, empower you this day to walk with Him with the kind of faith that pleases Him.

Dennis