Certain articles seen in the various news media have inspired the thoughts offered for you to consider today. I think what I'll do is give you a Bible passage that I see as related to each individual article/event and then pass on my thoughts about it. At least I'll "give it a go," as they say.
PASSAGE: "Vanity of vanities; all is vanity." (Eccl. 1:2 and others). Here's my news article that I see as relative to that observance by Solomon. A few months ago I read, and you may have also, where a woman in Argentina died during cosmetic surgery. I would imagine that death occurring during a procedure of this sort is pretty rare, wouldn't you?
But that isn't the thing about the article that got my editorial juices to flowing. No, what inspired my thoughts is - this woman was not what one would call ugly, or even plain-looking. She was "Miss Argentina!" I mean, wasn't she beautiful enough? Did she think that she needed to be further enhanced or beautified to a higher degree? I don't know, but maybe she aspired to go even higher in the beauty pageant world and felt she needed "an edge" to become "Miss Universe" or something higher than just a "national" paragon of beauty.
Do you think that maybe another Bible passage fits here too? You know, the one found in 1 John 2:16 where it makes mention of the "pride of life." Could this little news article serve us as possibly being the epitome of that type of sin? Don't know about you, but I think so.
PASSAGE: "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (Matt. 6:24 & Luke 16:13). The point of Christ's message in that lesson is, that one cannot "serve two masters" at the same time. IE: that one cannot be faithful to both entities at the same time. I think that it's probably helpful to define what the old term "mammon" means, and in the Greek it simply means "wealth." As in - money.
Now here's my news article that goes along with the above passage. Last year, reported in our local paper, was a report about several churches in the area that had been caught up in a computer scam. It seems that some "churches" in our area had been sold a "bill of goods" by a computer company from another state that promised them that they could make money by investing in some sort of program of theirs. That by using (read: purchasing) this program, they could increase their church coffers.
Guess what? It didn't work and the aforementioned "local churches" were left holding the "proverbial bag," so to speak. And, not only were they out the money they invested in the program, they didn't make any money either. Or at least as much as they were led to believe they'd make. As I said earlier, it was a scam and here is what I think about the whole thing.
Does the church exist for the purpose of gaining wealth (mammon)? Or, does it exist to teach/spread the Gospel of Christ? Obviously the answer is door number 2. God established it as the means by which the world is to know Christ and, through Him, how to reach salvation. (Eph. 3:10) To be "reconciled" to God.
Now I ask you. Knowing the nature of man, if a church were to be involved in both preaching the Word AND trying to gain wealth via some earthly manner, which entity do you think would prevail over the other? I believe that, knowing man's nature, there would be more emphasis applied to the "money-making business" entity than to the "scriptural business" of the church. "Mammon" would become the "master" and Christ would play second fiddle. That's what I think anyway.
PASSAGE: "And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules." 2Tim. 2:5 (NLT). You might guess what current news event/s have inspired this portion of my editorial today. Yep, you're right - the Winter Olympics taking place right now in Vancouver, Canada.
I'll admit that I like sports, but I'll also admit that I am nowhere near the "sports nut" that I once was. Oh, I still like watching the world's best athletes pursue the gold medal in whatever sport they've chosen, but I just don't feel crushed if I happen to miss a ski run, a sled ride or a skating event. Maybe I've matured? My wife doesn't think so, but probably all wives think that about all husbands.
Let me express to you something I DO like about the Olympics and also, something that I DON'T like about them. I like the events in which the outcome is determined OBJECTIVELY. See, that means "unbiased." Those events are mostly some sort of race, whether it be on skates, skis, snowboards or sleds. It means that someone ski'd faster, skated faster or in some way, slid faster than the other contestants.
I DON'T like the events that are determined by the SUBJECTIVE manner. The winner of one of these events is determined by what someone, a judge or judges, "thinks" about a performance. Now, before I raise the ire of some of you, I like to see the "Figure Skating," BUT, once every four years is plenty for me. Plus, I don't like some of the attitudes of the contestants when they find out that the judges picked someone else's performance over theirs. See, we're back to what someone "thinks" about the efforts of the performers.
Now here's the point of my thoughts on the Winter Olympics. As far as my performance as a Christian, all I have to do is "follow the rules" and if I do so, then I don't have to worry about a "subjective judge." I know who the Judge of my life's performance is and I know that He is totally "unbiased." That He is totally "objective." That all who "follow the rules" will be judged righteous by the "Righteous Judge" and will receive a "crown of life," IE: the Gold Medal.
And the great thing about the rules is, they are the same for everyone. Every "spiritual contestant" in the race of life plays by the same set of rules. Those who do not will be, shall we say, "spiritually disqualified." What a great plan. We have ONE set of rules, ONE life with which to live them and ONE Judge who judges that life OBJECTIVELY and not SUBJECTIVELY.
Ron Covey
PASSAGE: "Vanity of vanities; all is vanity." (Eccl. 1:2 and others). Here's my news article that I see as relative to that observance by Solomon. A few months ago I read, and you may have also, where a woman in Argentina died during cosmetic surgery. I would imagine that death occurring during a procedure of this sort is pretty rare, wouldn't you?
But that isn't the thing about the article that got my editorial juices to flowing. No, what inspired my thoughts is - this woman was not what one would call ugly, or even plain-looking. She was "Miss Argentina!" I mean, wasn't she beautiful enough? Did she think that she needed to be further enhanced or beautified to a higher degree? I don't know, but maybe she aspired to go even higher in the beauty pageant world and felt she needed "an edge" to become "Miss Universe" or something higher than just a "national" paragon of beauty.
Do you think that maybe another Bible passage fits here too? You know, the one found in 1 John 2:16 where it makes mention of the "pride of life." Could this little news article serve us as possibly being the epitome of that type of sin? Don't know about you, but I think so.
PASSAGE: "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (Matt. 6:24 & Luke 16:13). The point of Christ's message in that lesson is, that one cannot "serve two masters" at the same time. IE: that one cannot be faithful to both entities at the same time. I think that it's probably helpful to define what the old term "mammon" means, and in the Greek it simply means "wealth." As in - money.
Now here's my news article that goes along with the above passage. Last year, reported in our local paper, was a report about several churches in the area that had been caught up in a computer scam. It seems that some "churches" in our area had been sold a "bill of goods" by a computer company from another state that promised them that they could make money by investing in some sort of program of theirs. That by using (read: purchasing) this program, they could increase their church coffers.
Guess what? It didn't work and the aforementioned "local churches" were left holding the "proverbial bag," so to speak. And, not only were they out the money they invested in the program, they didn't make any money either. Or at least as much as they were led to believe they'd make. As I said earlier, it was a scam and here is what I think about the whole thing.
Does the church exist for the purpose of gaining wealth (mammon)? Or, does it exist to teach/spread the Gospel of Christ? Obviously the answer is door number 2. God established it as the means by which the world is to know Christ and, through Him, how to reach salvation. (Eph. 3:10) To be "reconciled" to God.
Now I ask you. Knowing the nature of man, if a church were to be involved in both preaching the Word AND trying to gain wealth via some earthly manner, which entity do you think would prevail over the other? I believe that, knowing man's nature, there would be more emphasis applied to the "money-making business" entity than to the "scriptural business" of the church. "Mammon" would become the "master" and Christ would play second fiddle. That's what I think anyway.
PASSAGE: "And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules." 2Tim. 2:5 (NLT). You might guess what current news event/s have inspired this portion of my editorial today. Yep, you're right - the Winter Olympics taking place right now in Vancouver, Canada.
I'll admit that I like sports, but I'll also admit that I am nowhere near the "sports nut" that I once was. Oh, I still like watching the world's best athletes pursue the gold medal in whatever sport they've chosen, but I just don't feel crushed if I happen to miss a ski run, a sled ride or a skating event. Maybe I've matured? My wife doesn't think so, but probably all wives think that about all husbands.
Let me express to you something I DO like about the Olympics and also, something that I DON'T like about them. I like the events in which the outcome is determined OBJECTIVELY. See, that means "unbiased." Those events are mostly some sort of race, whether it be on skates, skis, snowboards or sleds. It means that someone ski'd faster, skated faster or in some way, slid faster than the other contestants.
I DON'T like the events that are determined by the SUBJECTIVE manner. The winner of one of these events is determined by what someone, a judge or judges, "thinks" about a performance. Now, before I raise the ire of some of you, I like to see the "Figure Skating," BUT, once every four years is plenty for me. Plus, I don't like some of the attitudes of the contestants when they find out that the judges picked someone else's performance over theirs. See, we're back to what someone "thinks" about the efforts of the performers.
Now here's the point of my thoughts on the Winter Olympics. As far as my performance as a Christian, all I have to do is "follow the rules" and if I do so, then I don't have to worry about a "subjective judge." I know who the Judge of my life's performance is and I know that He is totally "unbiased." That He is totally "objective." That all who "follow the rules" will be judged righteous by the "Righteous Judge" and will receive a "crown of life," IE: the Gold Medal.
And the great thing about the rules is, they are the same for everyone. Every "spiritual contestant" in the race of life plays by the same set of rules. Those who do not will be, shall we say, "spiritually disqualified." What a great plan. We have ONE set of rules, ONE life with which to live them and ONE Judge who judges that life OBJECTIVELY and not SUBJECTIVELY.
Ron Covey
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