Month: July 2021

Often, I speak of the blessings I receive from reading the daily devotionals in TableTalk magazine. The magazine is available by subscription, but if you didn’t know, you may also read the articles and devotionals free of charge at tabletalkmagazine.com. They are nicely formatted for mobile devices or for reading on your computer. Although I receive a printed magazine, I generally read them from my iPad.

            I mention this again today because of a thought provoking article at the end of July. The title was “God Doesn’t Tell Us Everything.” The Bible does not tell us everything, but it does tell us what God wants us to know. The article spoke of Abraham’s life and how God made him a promise of a family that was not fulfilled for many years. In those years, God did not speak to Abraham often—at least the Bible does not tell us He did. Through long stretches of Abraham’s life, God said nothing to him, leaving Abraham to hold on to the promise not knowing how God would fulfill it.

            The same is true in Jacob’s life. He was told that Joseph his favorite son was dead. It wasn’t until more than two decades later that Jacob learned Joseph was alive. We wonder why God did not tell Jacob sooner but let him live in sorrow. We only know God doesn’t tell us everything. God is not concerned with how quickly or slowly He reveals Himself. His timetable is not ours. He will tell us in His good timing and at the right time.

            None of the things that will happen to you are revealed in advance. Even a mother’s pregnancy, though it is according to the time of life, does not tell us whether the child will bring joy or sorrow. The nine months of pregnancy might show us in some ways how God deals with us. Our experiences during the gestation period are there for our learning and for God to prepare us for what comes later. Whatever good or bad, we would not endure them or enjoy them if not made ready during the waiting period.

            If God should tell you He will make you rich, would you be as frugal or diligent as you are now? If He should tell you your life will become nearly unbearable, would you still live in the hope you have now? The timing from God’s standpoint is critical because He knows every step you take and how to best get you from one place in life to the next.

            While I have added and interpreted the article in my own way in these last paragraphs, the article ended with this statement: “We don’t know all that God is doing. Perhaps He will work a miracle, as He did in opening Sarah’s womb. Perhaps He will simply send us news, as He did with Jacob. Perhaps He is doing something we never could have expected—something that’s according to His own counsel, something that would surprise and delight us entirely. We have reason to believe that the Lord might enjoy working in that way. After all, He sent us His Son. He gave us His Spirit. Who could have expected such extravagant love? God doesn’t tell us everything, but He tells us enough, and He surprises us with His mercies.”

            I know this to be true. My association with Berean fits the point of the article perfectly. My preparations were in process long before I became pastor. Events in the lives of others were essential to make circumstances favorable that I should become your pastor. God knows all these contingencies and works them ultimately for His purposes. Perhaps you can survey your life to see how painful experiences or joyful ones have worked differently than you might suppose. You didn’t know how God was shaping you for where you are now. God must not tell you until He is ready—and you are ready through His divine providence.

            At this moment we are going through processes that are preparing for another day, another event that you might not be ready for should God reveal it too early. Trust God that He will do what He promises. He works all things for your good.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

            “The future is quite fixed, but the past changes day by day.” Does this statement seem odd to you? I read this in an article which prompted a good measure of thought. How can this be true when we believe the past is static—what’s done is done—while the future changes depending on the actions we take today?

            The author of the article was quoting an old Soviet Union saying while making an application to America’s changing opinions of the past. For example, fifty years ago when I was in high school, I learned American history. We studied the Civil War in which the war was interpreted as two honorable factions in sincere disagreement over state’s rights. The leaders of the Confederacy, although wrong on slavery, were considered respectable men who were much nobler than our modern politicians.

            Today, the view of the same men has vastly changed. Now they are considered bigots, hate mongers, racists, and villains. The past has not changed but the viewpoint of it certainly has. Confederate monuments are torn down and anyone sporting a Confederate flag should have his fingernails extracted. Time will only tell if George Washington, the slave owner, or Thomas Jefferson who did likewise, will be stricken from public consciousness. Our founding fathers will not be revered as defenders of freedom, but agents of oppression. The perspective depends not on history, but on the one who teaches it.

            Another example is abortion. Seventy-five years ago, abortion was a secret no one would tell. Is it murder? Is it obscene? Only the worst reprobate would defend it. Abortion was moral outrage. Has the past changed? No, the perception has. The morality is outdated, as recently a Netflix TV host held a festive Fourth of July type celebration with a marching band and balloons, celebrating how good it is to kill a baby. The host said an abortion should be as easy to obtain as ordering from MacDonald’s dollar menu. I wonder how soon the Netflix sign at corporate in Los Gatos will be pulled down by angry mobs?

            The frightening reality is this observation by the article: “On a sobering note, do recall that the new undergraduates entering colleges this coming Fall were born in 2000, and they don’t recall a world without smartphones and social media. For them, the US has always been at perpetual war in at least one Muslim nation. For them, same sex marriage has always been the law of the land; Confederate flags have always been the symbol of hard core racist lunatics; and transgender issues have always been at the forefront of civil rights. Churches that fail at least to acknowledge and debate these fundamental realities – if not to agree with them on every point – just do not speak their language.”

            This fairly underscores the difficulty of reaching people who have a fundamentally different value system. However, for Christians, the past does not change and neither does the future. Sins of the past were against God and the same committed today and tomorrow are sins against God. The consequences for them past, present, and future do not change. The coming future judgment of God will not change. What God spoke in His word regarding the future Great White Throne Judgment will not change and the criteria for the judgment set when God created the world in the distant past will not change. There has always been an unchanging moral law written on the heart if not written on stone or with pen and ink.

            We are to look to the one static proclamation of truth—the Holy Scriptures. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We must know this or suffer in the future for the offenses of the past. Be aware, the only change is this statement: “In the beginning God.”It shall become, “In the end God.”

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

In our study of assurance in 1 Thessalonians, I have spoken mostly of our imitation of Christ in terms of our obedience to His commandments. Our election by God is proved by the holiness of our lives which is measured by our morality. Usually, morality is thought of as acting righteously and not doing evil. We are careful to see no evil, speak no evil, and hear no evil. We do well to stay away from evil, but if we aren’t careful our Christianity may be characterized as negative Christianity. We are identified for the things we don’t do.

            In the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, Christianity is more about the positive than the negative. Christians are to be characterized by our good works. We are identified as people who positively impact others that reach beyond our lives to help others in theirs. We glorify God through good works because these works reveal the nature of our God.

            For this reason, the scriptures teach us to be forgiving and forbearing of both friend and foe. None of us were God’s friends, yet with mercy and compassion He made us His friends. Compassion is the willingness to show mercy from the deepest kindest affections. When we examine ourselves for the truth of our confession, we ought to ask ourselves about acts of kindness. Are there positive proofs we have the character of Christ?

            I am thankful to be in a church with many compassionate people. My wife and I have been through some painful times and we face many more. Through these times, we have felt the compassion of Christ in many ways. I am pleased to hear others say they have felt the love and harmony of this body of Christ. It is not just the pastor who gets attention. Our people look after others who aren’t always the most vocal and noticeable.

At times, it is easy to ignore the needs of others when we face so many problems ourselves. Sometimes other members are just acquaintances and we don’t feel as close to them as we should. In scripture, the church is said to be a body. We are interconnected receiving our source of life from the same beating heart, of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Part of being in the church is to have camaraderie with each member having the same care of one another. We are people destined to live with each other in eternity. Isn’t it good for us to be people learning to live together here? This is also proof of our profession—we live for Christ and for each other.

When you see the terms, compassion, forgiveness, and love in the scriptures, you must remember God’s characteristics. He modeled these towards us in the demonstration of His gift of His Son. The Christian life is the imitation of Christ who loved us and gave Himself for us. We love because Christ loved, and we care because Christ cared. Didn’t He say when we visit the sick it is as if we have done it to Him?

Whenever you hear another member is hurting and needs help, be ready to give aid with a compassionate heart. We must step out first not thinking if that person would do the same for us. Christ knew we would not love Him first, so He acted compassionately until He made us His friends.

Remember, the proof of your profession is more about what you do than what you don’t do. Be a positive Christian and let your life be filled with good works.

                                                Pastor V. Mark Smith

            Recently, I read an interesting article published in Christianity Today with this headline: New Research: Churchgoers Stick Around for Theology not Music or Preachers. This new research was conducted by Lifeway Research, a part of the publishing ministry of the Southern Baptist Convention. The article’s claim is that churchgoers will put up with a change in music styles or with different preachers, but you had better not mess with the theology of the church.

            I found this quite surprising since in my experience visitors to the church rarely ask about theology. It seems that very little of what I would call “theology” is taught in most churches. Music is their only theology and if there is not trend-setting music that is mostly a knock-off of worldly music styles, there is not much interest in the church. It is always refreshing to speak to someone who wants to know first and foremost what the church teaches, and not necessarily our philosophy of music.

            Sometimes music philosophy will tell you what is being taught in the church. The songs are mindless and so is the preaching. But it is refreshing when someone wants to know what the church teaches on repentance and faith, and what is taught about justification, and about Christian living, and our stand on the important cultural changes happening in our country. As I said, these questions, in my experience, are rarely asked. They are welcome questions and are an indication the person has depth of understanding deeper than most Christians who know more about the worship leader’s skills at guitar riffs than of the need of personal righteousness.

            Twenty years ago, when I came to Berean, these doctrinal questions were on my mind and needed to be answered before I would consider becoming a member. Quite frankly, I did not find all answers satisfying because they were much more detailed and in depth than the questions mentioned. But, I did find enough gospel harmony that persuaded me to believe Berean was an appropriate choice for me and my family. The years and the providence of God have proved this to be true and the questions worthy to be asked. If you have been in the church for all those years, you have discovered my disagreements and have seen the changes since I became pastor.

            Without being specific, there were doctrinal changes made. Should church members leave when there is a change in doctrine? Well, it depends on whether the change is from bad doctrine to good doctrine. I remember years ago our church in Kentucky hired a young man as youth leader. He was approached by one of our old deacons who wanted to help him correct some errors in this thinking. He handed him a book entitled, Rethinking Baptist Doctrine. The young man refused to read it. He said, “I do not need to rethink doctrine. I believe what I believe.” You see, he believed he already knew what Baptists believe and teach. The problem was he had been taught a perversion, and the book he was handed showed the historical, biblical position of Baptists through the centuries. Should he have changed his position? If those doctrines can be proved from scriptures, yes, he should have. There is no virtue in being uncompromising and strongly committed to wrong interpretations of scripture.

            I believe the church should know what it believes and be able to defend it with the Bible. If a change is necessary, change it. Don’t leave the church unless the church walks away from the truth. A good question to ask yourself is this: “Am I sufficiently grounded in doctrine to know my positions are correct?” How will you know if church doctrine is correct if you are unable to evaluate it by scripture? Verify you are right or be ready to leave the error not the church.

                                                                                                Pastor V. Mark Smith