Living the Faith
Added to an Elite Group
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (March 9, 2010)
In our society, being a member of an elite, exclusive group is anathema. It supposedly evidences a snobby attitude where we disdain everyone else who does not attain our lofty standards.
Comfort in God's Leadership
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (March 2, 2010)
If we are a rebellious spirit, we will not find solace in the Church of our Lord. Christ asks us to submit to him and to humble ourselves before his Lordship (Matthew 11:28-30; James 4:10).
Tiger Woods and Forgiveness
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (February 23, 2010)
On November 27, 2009, golfer Tiger Woods crashed his car, lighting a firestorm that has engulfed his entire life in flames. The charred remains left by his serial adulteries include his reputation, endorsements, marriage and career.
Protecting Our Spouse
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (February 16, 2010)
God's plan for marriage will lead to a beautiful, fulfilling relationship. Scripture teaches us how to find happiness in our marriages (Genesis 2:18-25; Ephesians 5:22-25).
A Failure to Understand the Lord's Church (2)
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (February 9, 2010)
On January 31, 2010, The Tennessean newspaper published a story by Bob Smietana entitled, "Churches of Christ drop isolationist view, work with other faiths."
A Failure to Understand the Lord's Church (1)
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (February 2, 2010)
People who misunderstand Scripture come to the wrong conclusions because they are either using faulty definitions or looking at God's Word from a skewed perspective.
Life in a Sanctified Kingdom (2)
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (January 26, 2010)
When we enter the kingdom of our Lord, we come in through the door (John 10:9). We submit to the Lord and we have our sins washed away in the waters of baptism (Acts 2:39; 1 John 1:9). Christ then adds us to the Church (Acts 2:47).
Life in a Sanctified Kingdom (1)
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (January 19, 2010)
People seem to be hesitant to use the words holy, saints or sanctified to describe themselves. The religious world has mangled the words to refer to a character flaw. Satan benefits greatly by this ploy. As in, being holy means that we think we are better than everyone else is.
The Sanctified Kingdom
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (January 12, 2010)
When we live in a kingdom, we must abide by the laws of the land. We must be cognizant of the manner of life in our new world. It has its own code of conduct and speech. As Christians, we must be aware that we are citizens in a unique kingdom and act accordingly.
Why We Don't Need a Nightstand Ministry
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (January 5, 2010)
We know how this works far too often. New periodicals come to the church building in the mail and the preacher puts them on the table by the new bulletin. Brethren pick them up and insert them into their Bibles. When they get home, they put the magazine on their nightstand to read. There it sits unread until it moves to the trashcan.
Building Sandcastles in 2010
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (December 29, 2009)
As I age, time becomes swifter and less manageable, like sand at high tide. I try to grasp it, only to see it flow past my fumbling hands. The sandcastle I envision cannot take shape because watery fingers tear at its walls and my creation crumbles before me, leaving me feeling helpless, struggling to regain some semblance of control.
The True Messiah (2)
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (December 22, 2009)
Unlike the deceivers, the True Messiah is authentic and brings blessings to everyone who allows him into their lives. He is consummate goodness (1 John 1:5). Everyone who is in Christ will be a better and stronger person because of his presence (Ephesians 1:3).
The True Messiah (1)
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (December 15, 2009)
Satan has coerced people in the world to create a mythological version of Jesus that is nowhere near the Christ of the Bible. The false christs love disunity and disorganization. They will join any political or social cause, no matter what Scripture says about it. .
Just Win
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (December 8, 2009)
As we contemplate our mission as a church, we can learn from this coach. He went on to explain to the team that they would be successful if they focused on their next game and each player sought to improve and master their responsibilities.
What Sex Can Do to a Dating Relationship
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (December 1, 2009)
The lovely young woman sat hunched over on the couch, closing in on herself. Her tear-streaked face reflected the story that her mind struggled to relate. The raw pain in her heart punctuated her words as the older woman sat before her.
An Expression of Thanks
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (November 25, 2009)
We have so much to be thankful for that it staggers the imagination. To be alive and breathing is reason enough to shout to the heavens. Our health, even if failing, still has us above ground in a world of extraordinary beauty.
The Grace Commission
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (November 24, 2009)
God has given us extraordinary blessings that are beyond our abilities as humans. We can never hope to attain salvation without it (Romans 5:10).
Arming for the Battle (4)
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (November 17, 2009)
The helmet and the sword work together. The helmet represents knowledge, while the sword represents the Word of God. The application is clear. We learn the Word and incorporate it into our minds and lives and we can be ready for all of the attacks that will rise against us.
Arming for Battle (3)
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (November 10, 2009)
If God provides all that we need and we do not utilize it, we cannot hold God responsible. We have a spiritual armor that will make us complete (2 Tim. 3:16-17; Ephesians 6:13; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
Arming for the Battle (2)
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (November 3, 2009)
In the first chapter of Job, Satan fights for the soul of God's disciple. He hunts all of us and employs every lie at his disposal. He is a pathological liar who possesses no positive qualities (John 8:44).
Arming for the Battle (1)
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (October 27, 2009)
We tuck our child into bed and head to our bedroom for much needed sleep. As morning comes, we walk by our child's room, and see that their bed is empty. Their curtains blow in the breeze coming from the open window, sending shock waves through our world.
It is Time to Soar
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (October 20, 2009)
In the commercial for LG televisions, entitled, Isle of Flightless Birds, Northern Gannets stand on a rocky crag, when a plane flies overhead. One of the birds, seeing the wonderful sight, tests his wings, moves toward the cliff, and seeks to emulate what he has seen.
World of Idiocy
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (October 13, 2009)
When we plan to buy something, we weigh the costs and advantages of one product over another. The perceptive shopper knows that there are many more factors to consider than simply cost. In the bigger picture, which will be more advantageous?
Sidetracked
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (October 6, 2009)
We have two dogs. One is a three-year-old Pug named Chi and the other is a two-year-old German Shepherd Golden Retriever mix named Butter. When I walk them in the morning, they have a special place down the street where they want to go.
Preaching to Their Faces
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (September 29, 2009)
I once heard a sermon delivered at a congregation I was visiting and the experience was enlightening. I noticed that the speaker had lost his audience because he was speaking too fast, with material that was over people's heads.
Godly Pastors
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (September 22, 2009)
In the western world, we drive sheep while shepherds in other parts of the world lead sheep. There is a profound difference in the two. "And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice" (John 10:4, NKJV).
What Happened to Respect?
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (September 15, 2009)
Respect, civility and manners are antiquated ideas today. Obnoxious, crude and profane have taken their place on the stage. Bleeps ring louder than the graceful words of peace and the foul gesture slaps down the handshake. Accordingly, the world becomes an increasingly inhospitable place.
Abiding in Truth
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (September 8, 2009)
In a postmodern world, language loses its purity and common words become polluted. Traditional definitions lose their meanings and popular usage takes precedence. When people come to the Bible with these same philosophies, Scriptural terms lose their power and majesty.
Shed the Weight
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (September 1, 2009)
Millions wish to lose weight and yet few are accomplishing anything. They struggle to lose more than a few pounds, before replacing them soon thereafter. It is an arduous process, but the weight needs to come off. Excess baggage is very unhealthy. Our bodies have to work too hard to accomplish basic tasks.
When Sin Takes Charge
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (August 25, 2009)
Righteousness is like being on a path where we must remain if we will be pleasing to God. Satan is on the side of the road trying to lure us away with bright, shiny, sexy, alluring things that will draw our attention away from our goal.
Do We Need to Go Back to School? (2)
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (August 18, 2009)
Students go to school to learn, so they can be knowledgeable about the world facing them. Teachers attempt to teach them to the best of their abilities and interest. Students thrive or suffer depending on their capabilities, engagement, environment and opportunities.
Do We Need to Go Back to School? (1)
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (August 11, 2009)
Young people face an onslaught of immorality in public school, the likes of which previous generations could not have imagined. We need to strengthen and encourage them every day to remain strong and godly.
Purity of the Word
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (August 4, 2009)
It is imperative that we uphold the purity of the Word of God so others in the future can have the same opportunities.
Is the Church of Christ a Cult? (3)
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (July 28, 2009)
People claim that we are a cult because they think that we teach that members of the Church of Christ are the only ones going to heaven. Once again, they misunderstand what we believe. It is a false claim based on ignorance of what Scripture teaches.
Is the Church of Christ a Cult? (2)
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (July 21, 2009)
Churches of Christ do not have an earthly leader or a headquarters. Christ is the head of the church and he is at the right hand of God (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 1:22-23; Hebrews 8:1). We are individual, autonomous congregations spread throughout the world.
Is the Church of Christ a Cult? (1)
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (July 14, 2009)
Do the doctrines and practices of Churches of Christ make us a cult? People have made this charge for years. We need to give it some thoughtful consideration and provide an answer. We must be humble enough to accept truth over prejudices.
The Minimums
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (July 7, 2009)
The Minimums are people who, whether consciously or subconsciously, have decided that there is a level in the Christian life, at which God will be pleased and will have to save them. They think they have attained that level and do not wish to move any further. Why would they? Is salvation not enough?
Access to God
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (June 30, 2009)
Yet, if we are children and our parents live at home, we know that we can go in and talk to them most all of the time. Access is something we find axiomatic in the family. God, our spiritual Father, wants us to have access to him at any time. Nevertheless, there are conditions that must be satisfied, before we can gain entrance (Isaiah 59:1-2).
Fathers and Daughters
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (June 23, 2009)
There is something uniquely powerful about fathering daughters. Fathers have so many conflicting emotions when we think of our daughters. We want to protect them and wrap them in a cocoon, yet we want them to become glorious butterflies to soar and enthrall the world around them.
The Voice of Rationalization
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (June 16, 2009)
What does Satan's voice sound like? It is probably a safe guess that it sounds just like ours. We often hear his voice and we convince ourselves that his wishes are ours because his lies are so powerful and persuasive (John 8:44).
How Do We Accomplish Our Goals?
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (June 9, 2009)
Graduation Day is over and all that comes with it. A few days pass and the reality sets in. We climb the hill and gaze out into the endless expanse of days and they overwhelm us with their breadth. They seem unreal and we stroll back home secure in their unreality and live as if time is meaningless.
The World Will Never Understand Christians
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (June 2, 2009)
Many Christians spend an inordinate amount of time being concerned with what the sinful world thinks about how we live. We seek to please and appease them so they will like us. We adapt to their language, dress, entertainment and methods, so they will not laugh at us.
Living Stones
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (May 26, 2009)
Memorials are a time-honored tradition of humanity. They are markers to help us maneuver through the future, as we ponder the victories and defeats of the past. Yet, so often, we fail to heed them and continue to suffer from the same maladies.
The Disappearing Gene
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (May 19, 2009)
In 1998, the American Psychological Association (APA) claimed that, ""There is considerable recent evidence to suggest that biology, including genetic or inborn hormonal factors, play a significant role in a person's sexuality." However, something significant happened in the past decade. The gene disappeared.
Changing the Lord's Church
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (May 14, 2009)
In order for change agents to accomplish their goals, they must deconstruct the language, motives and parameters of the kingdom of Christ and convince others to incorporate their new reality. They must change the thoughts of their brethren, at their outset by altering the way Scripture is understood.
Criticism
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (May 12, 2009)
I recently heard the following quotes. The first person said, "I live around the corner from a Kroger but I rarely ever go in there." The second replied, "Almost none of the Kroger brands are worth buying." How can we use these quotes to make application to the Lord's Church?
Drunk on Deception
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (May 5, 2009)
I once saw a neighborhood where every house looked identical. Someone joked that a drunken person would not be able to tell which house was their own. I read an article recently where a man on drugs wandered into the wrong hotel room and caused a fight.
Satan: Hiding in Plain Sight
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (April 28, 2009)
The Barna group did a survey among "Christians" in America and discovered that almost seven out of ten do not believe affirmatively that Satan is real./1 By clouding man's vision with deception, he has been hiding in plain sight and becoming increasingly dangerous, thanks to advancing technologies.
Do We Want to be Free?
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (April 21, 2009)
The words, "Arbeit macht frei," or "Work sets you free" welcomed everyone who entered the Auschwitz death camp. The emaciated few that remained when the Russians liberated the camp were far too weak to have done anything, much less work.
Is the Name Church of Christ a Hindrance to Growth? (2)
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (April 14, 2009)
Each individual Church of Christ is an autonomous body, governed, we hope, by Scripture. The leadership of this congregation can decide how best to conduct themselves, as long as it falls within the boundaries of Scripture (1 Corinthians 4:6).
Is the Name Church of Christ a Hindrance to Growth? (1)
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (April 7, 2009)
An elder stands in the pulpit and tells the congregation that they have decided that they must remove the "Church of Christ" from their name and sign, if they ever hope to grow. They have polled some in the community and decided that the name brings a negative connotation to mind. They must seek a more positive approach.
Do We Feel Guilty For Being Saved?
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (March 31, 2009)
Sincerity, loving hearts, benevolent acts, titles, education, and a host of other concepts will have absolutely no bearing on our eternal souls. The only criterion will be whether we are in the Church belonging to Christ and whether we have been faithfully obedient in shining his light and proclaiming his Word to a lost and dying world.
Overcome!
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (March 24, 2009)
Henry David Thoreau said, "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation." We hungrily desire something better in life, but we mire in the mediocre. Our dreams stand tall, yet wither in the darkness of timidity. We fail to reach and our hands fall empty.
Do Progressives Love the Church?
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (March 17, 2009)
Some take the Church of Christ off of their signs because they think it inhibits growth. Their writings and sermons often condemn and ridicule the church for all manners of evil. Their first reaction is that the church is to blame. So, if they see the church being beaten up, they shake their heads and mutter that she brought it on herself.
The Dangers of Compromise
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (March 10, 2009)
Compromise is defined as, "a settlement of differences by mutual concessions."/1 In negotiating a treaty or a business arrangement, compromise is often necessary to completing the deal. Each side must lay aside their egos for the higher good. Is this true of doctrine as well?
Can You See in the Dark?
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (March 3, 2009)
"Alone in the dark," is one of the most frightening situations that we can face. We abhor the darkness that gathers around us like a cloak. Harmless objects assume a malevolent face when obscured in darkness. Our vision in the dark is untrustworthy because of these distortions and inherent distrust. Hence, we cannot trust our eyes in the absence of light.
How Truth Changes
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (February 24, 2009)
Progressivism in the denominational world seeks to move past Scripture and to be free to find truth in a variety of methods and resources. We see a measure of this growing within Churches of Christ. Progressives, as a whole, do not wish to be restricted from finding truth where ever and in whatever form they desire.
God's Supreme Gift of Love
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (February 17, 2009)
A love expressed is a moment of great beauty and fragility. The giver's heart hungrily awaits acceptance. They pore over the face of the loved, seeking approval or rejection. When their desires meet with the reality of reception, their heart fills with joy. The loved meets the lover in a place of bliss.
Spiritual Minutemen
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (February 10, 2009)
Students of the American Revolutionary War era know that the Minutemen were ready in a minute's notice to defend the colonies. They served valiantly in the struggle for Independence. So, what are spiritual minutemen?
Home Invasions
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (February 3, 2009)
"Home invasion is the crime of entering a private and occupied dwelling, with the intent of committing a crime, often while threatening the resident of the dwelling." This terrifying crime is escalating in many areas as criminals become more brazen.
Where Do Progressives Want to Take the Church? (3)
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (January 27, 2009)
Refusing to be bound by Scriptural authority, they employ whatever methods work for denominations, no matter whether God approves or not (Colossians 3:17). In the words of the Center for Progressive Christianity, they "value the search, not the certainty" in their utilization of Scripture./2 They place results over reverence for Biblical truth. If it draws crowds, it becomes God's will.
Where Do Progressives Want to Take the Church? (2)
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (January 20, 2009)
Progressive beliefs are eating away at the fabric of the Lord's church. Employing emotions, rationalization and populism, they fashion a message that is slick and easy on the conscience. This is far removed from Christ's call to bear our own cross (Mark 8:34-38).
Where Do Progressives Want to Take the Church? (1)
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (January 13, 2009)
The state of the church is a matter of serious concern as brethren wander from the truth in increasing numbers. If we will stem the flow, we must determine the intentions of those leading them away. Determining the presuppositions of progressives in the religious world as a whole can produce greater insight into the mindset of progressives in the Lord's church.
Living the Faith
By Richard Mansel, managing editor (January 6, 2009)
The new column, "Living the Faith," will seek to help us through the spiritual minefields that we face each day as Christians. Knowledge and awareness are indispensable to walking in Christ. Growing in service to God and developing a healthier perspective on Christianity can rejuvenate our spiritual lives (2 Peter 3:18).