CRITICISM

The Critic

By Rick Walker

CRITICISM

In a speech at the Sorbonne in Paris. on April 23. 1910. Theodore Roosevelt regaled his audience. He spoke of the history of France and the history of the United States. He compared the two and showed how they came to be great world powers through the ardent use of their physical and mental faculties.  Yet he noted that whether in the field of physical or mental exertions there will always ne those who criticize.  That portion of the speech is given below.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Criticism! It seems as though the Lord's people have had to deal with this since Noah built a boat. In the New Testament our Lord was constantly surrounded critics. He was criticized for hanging out “... with tax-gatherers and sinners,” (Mark 2:16; Luke 15:2). He was criticized for helping others on the Sabbath, (see John 5:16; 9:16; etc.). They even criticized Him for criticizing them, (Mark 3:1-6). So, we may as well accept what our Lord said, “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you,” (John 15:20).

There is an old saying, “Those who are busy rowing the boat generally don't have time to rock it.” I truly think most critics would be willing to get involved, if …(there wasn't someone like them around who would stand and criticize them!). That being the case, let us take Roosevelt's advice and not concern ourselves with what others think.  If the Lord is pleased, then what difference does it make what others say? Who knows perhaps when they see how much fun we are having they may come down off their high horse and join with us.

Birth (out of) Control

Birth (out of) Control

Rick Walker

The room is bright. There is a controlled chaos within its confines. A nurse is shouting, “Blow! Blow! Blow!” A female friend is somewhere between panic and fainting while holding the expectant mom’s hand. She, however, is doing all she can as the doctor’s well-modulated voice says, “Everything is looking good.” Then he looks over the sheet at the mom and asks, “Well, do you want this baby or not? If not, I need to know now so I can take care of this situation.” Situation??? It’s a “birth” not a “situation,” isn’t it?

In the law of Moses, God says, “If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury [to the child], the offender must be fined by whatever the husband demands, and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life…,” Exodus 21:22-23. Notice, God considers a child born prematurely to be a “life”! Yet as we will see, He considers a child to be alive long before birth.

To Jeremiah God said, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you…,” Jeremiah 1:5. Clearly God considered Jeremiah to be a “person” before his birth. But Job takes us all the way back! By inspiration he says, “Let the day perish on which I was born, and the night which said, ‘A boy is conceived,’” Job 3:3. Notice that at conception, a person’s gender is already established!

Now scientists use terms like; zygote, blastocyst, embryo, and fetus to describe the stages of development of a child in utero. We do the same thing with words like; baby, toddler, adolescent, teenager, etc., for the stages of development outside the womb. A child in its mother’s womb is not an adult. But if allowed to grow they will become one. Hiding the life of a child behind scientific terms does not change the fact a person is growing and developing inside its mother. From the moment of conception life begins and from that point forward a person is beginning to grow!

Currently several states in our country are deciding on whether or not to allow our opening paragraph to become a reality (indeed, there are some states in which it is already occurring). If this is how we as a nation deal with the most innocent and vulnerable amongst us, how will

God deal with us?!

“For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you,” Matthew 7:2.

WHAT IS FAITH?

WHAT IS FAITH?

By Keith Bellamy

Notice Greg Laurie’s definition of faith.

“Faith is like a muscle.  It needs to be used.  If we neglect it, it will atrophy.  If you use it, it will grow stronger.  Faith has to be in constant use.  It comes down to this: Use it or lose it” (Hebrews.11:1).

Mr. Laurie is right.

The old adage, “If you don’t use it, you lose it” may fit here.

I know of a lot of people who say they have faith.  But they don’t use it.  Many times, when the going gets rough they quit.

That’s not what the early church did.  They were persecuted and put to death because of their faith.

The great Apostle Paul was a man who thought he was doing right when he was Saul of Tarsus.  He consented to putting Christians to death.  But he changed because of his willingness to change his way to Christ’s way.  Please read Acts 9 and Acts 22:16.  If there was ever someone who exercised their faith, he did.

Notice the words in the following passages.

Hebrews 11:1 – “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Hebrews 11:6 – “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

James 1:6 – “But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.”