HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH EZINE

Published every two weeks by Joel Hendon Piedmont, Alabama 36272 Tuesday, January 22, 2002

DISCLAIMER: We will not intentionally publish articles or refer to websites that teach error except for comparison purposes, however, this is sometimes difficult to discern. The fact that they are printed in this publication does not necessarily mean that we endorse them 100%.

"These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look…" (Proverbs 6:16-19). Pride is a "respectable sin" with man, but it is an abomination with God. "Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord…" (Proverbs 16:5). Pride is antithetical to the very nature of God. He says, "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the spirit of the contrite one" (Isaiah 57:15).

What is a "proud look"? How do we identify it? Three factors are prominent. 1. Pride looks highly on self. 2. Pride looks lowly on others. 3. Pride looks falsely on God.

Jesus said, "Two went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I possess'" (Luke 18:10-12). The Pharisee had a proud look, because he looked highly on self. He confessed his own goodness rather than his evil ways. He had his eyes lifted up in prayer, not on God, on himself.

He was so thankful he was not like others. Everyone who exalts himself will be abased (Luke 18:14). The world looks at the self-promoter as ambitious, aggressive and a go-getter, but the Lord says to his disciples, "…It shall not be so among you" (Matthew 20:20-28). More of us need the attitude of Paul who said, "For I am the least…who am not worthy…But by the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Corinthians 15:9-10).

A proud look is one which not only looks highly on self, but also looks lowly on others. There exists the tendency to look down one's nose at those whose educational attainments are below ours, or to shun those who live "across the tracks" and who wear clothes which are not as fine as ours or snub those whose social or economic positions are lower than ours. However, Paul wrote, "Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion" (Romans 12:16).

Jesus spoke the parable of the Pharisee and tax collector to those who were self-righteous and "despised others" (looked lowly on others) (Luke 18:9). The Pharisee looked down on others because of their sins. He said, "I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers or even as this tax collector" (Luke 18:11). A preacher informed two brethren of another brother who had fallen into sin. The preacher asked the two brethren, "What would you have done if you had been this brother." The first said, "I am sure I never would have done the terrible thing he did!" However, the second brother humbly responded, "I might have fallen lower than he did." The preacher then said the second brother was who he wanted to take with him as he went to talk to the fallen brother. If our hearts are in the right place, we cannot look down because the ground is level at the foot of the cross. As brother Ritchie used to tell us in Bible class at Harding, evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where to find food (cf. Matthew 5:3).

The ultimate evil in a proud look may be that it looks falsely on God. A self-centered look cannot be a God-centered look. The Pharisee (Luke 18:11) did not properly look on God. His prayer does not manifest any recognition of his need for God but consists of a proud, conceited, arrogant notice of himself. There is no deep awareness of his "nothingness" without God (cf. John 15:5). God does not need us to inform him of our "goodness," but we need him to impart to us his grace.

The tax collector prayed a great prayer. It was not great because of human eloquence but because of divine reliance. Bankrupt in spirit, he "standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me a sinner!" (Luke 18:13). So unworthy did he feel that he stood afar off, would not raise his eyes to heaven, beat his breast and identified himself as a sinner. However, so conscious was he of his need for God that he prayed to God, pleaded with God and petitioned God for his mercy to meet the deep need of his soul.

Unlike the Pharisee, the tax collector claimed no personal glory. A proud look fails to give God the glory (cf. Acts 12:21-23). Unlike the Pharisee in Jesus' parable, we have Paul, himself a Pharisee, who, as the tax collector, claimed no personal glory but manifested both the true view of God and self, when he wrote, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. ... To God, who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen" (1 Timothy 1:15, 17).

To the Editor:

I have just read the testimony of Rev. Wilson and applaud his efforts in telling the truth. It is a sad day in our country of freedom, founded on "In God we trust," that preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not "freedom of speech."

It seems that in today's secular society that nude dancing, sex and violence on TV, advocating homosexuality as a new life style, proclaiming the killing of babies, and many other expressions are legal but preaching the gospel is not.

I am an associate pastor of a small United Methodist Church and I do and will continue preaching the word of God regardless of the toes that God leads me to step on. It's time for the preachers of this country to be more like Rev. Wilson and stand up for the truth in God's Word and stop preaching falsehoods to satisfy people because it's what they want to hear.

Paul warned Timothy that there would be times when people would go to preachers "having itching ears." That time has arrived in our country.

There will be a time coming when even the judges will be judged.

Joe Reynolds
Albany, Ga.

LINKS TO HELP MAKE YOUR DAY! Wings of Hope Traces of the Kingdom BulletinGold Ezine Secular Links of Value Alabama's Scenic Byway The International Gospel Hour The Gospel Gazette Online Household of Faith Ezine Archives Massive # of study aids Links! Christian Resources

MUSINGS OF JOEL I worry, and pray, a lot about the things that are creeping into the church, the ultra liberalism, modernism, humanism, or whatever you may want to call it. It is like everything else, it shocks us at first, but then as we see more and more of it, we begin to become more tolerant. That won't work. God doesn't allow innovations in his church today any more than he did anytime since it's inception. I recall some 35 to 40 years ago when television was relatively new and highly moral compared to the present day porn and filth that they show. I watched a show once of "Father Knows Best", truly a family type show. The teen age daughter had a girl friend who had decided to start living with her boy friend. The mother asked the daughter how she felt about that and the daughter replied that such an arrangement was not her own cup of tea but that , if the friend was comfortable with it, so be it. I felt that this high moral show and the very high moral mother would certainly straighten this high moral teen-age daughter out. She didn't. I was crushed. I thought to my self, if children see this high moral show and hear acceptance of such immoral activity, what is television coming to? Well, we all now see where it has gone. Unfortunately, I fear that we are seeing the Lord's children becoming more and more permissive. We need to pray more and talk more.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

COLVIN STREET CONGREGATION, ANNISTON, AL, ANNOUNCES NEW RADIO PROGRAM For those in the listening area of WDNG (1450) AM in Anniston, Alabama tune in for the Colvin Street church of Christ's radio program on Sunday mornings. The time slot is 9:30 A.M. - 10:00 A.M. CST Regular speakers will be William B. Kughn and Elbert Lewis. SOUTHEASTERN LEADERSHIP TRAINING FOR CHRIST The future of the church rests on our ability to train effective leaders. There will always be a need for leaders to rise to the occasion as servants, Bible class teachers, ministers, deacons, and elders. Believing that such training should begin at an early age, Leadership Training for Christ provides an opportunity for youngsters, beginning in the third grade, to recognize and develop leadership skills. Training is Biblical, practical, and in-depth. Leadership Training for Christ provides local congregations an opportunity to work with children and teens on a year-round basis. The second annual SELTC convention is being planned for March 29-31 in Mobile, AL. For more information please see our website Click Here or call 205-988-5808. BEAR VALLEY BIBLE INSTITUTE, SCOTTSBORO EXTENSION The Bear Valley Bible Institute, Scottsboro Extension (BVBISE) is half-way through it's second year of operation under the oversight of the elders of the Broad Street Church of Christ in Scottsboro, Alabama. The school is an extension of the BEAR VALLEY BIBLE INSTITUTE of DENVER. 40 courses (and eight out-of-class mini-courses) completed over a four-year period lead to the Bachelor of Biblical Studies Degree. The Associates Degree may be earned in half that time. One course is taught each month (except July and December) in two all-day Saturday sessions along with outside assignments. The school is TUITION FREE. The only costs to the student are for required texts & materials, and a $5 fee each Saturday to help cover the teacher's expenses. The teachers are academically well-qualified and experienced gospel preachers who know and love the Bible as the verbally inspired and authoritative word of God, and who volunteer their time and work as a labor of love. BVBISE is committed to training sound and able Bible teachers (men and women), and faithful gospel preachers for service in the kingdom of Christ. The format is designed to make this training possible for men and women who must continue their jobs and other pursuits while they study. Credit is given for previous college or preacher-school study. A preacher-school graduate may be able to earn the Bachelor of Biblical Studies Degree in as little as four months of study. For more information please contact the Broad Street Church of Christ, 613 South Broad Street, Scottsboro, AL 35768. Phone: 256-574-2489. EMAIL

PARTING SHOTS FROM JOEL	Nadine & Joel Hendon
"Please excuse Jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to get the Sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it Monday, we thought it was Sunday." "Gloria is not feeling well, please excuse her from Jim today." It is far better to try to do something and fail than to try to do nothing and succeed. May God continue to bless his faithful children, wherever they are.

"Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime & pure, [and] which denounces against the wicked eternal misery, and [which] insured to the good eternal happiness, are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments." --Charles Carroll, Signer of the Declaration of Independence (Submitted by Mark McWhorter of Chula Vista Books--See his ad above)

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Household of Faith Ezine is planned to be published every two weeks beginning in September, 2001. Materials in this are gleaned and compiled by the editor, Joel Hendon. Our purpose is to help present items of interest to New Testament Christians, to furnish a "meeting" place for Christians to help other Christians by doing business with them and for other such interaction.(...let us do good unto all men, especially unto them that are of the household of faith. Gal 6: 10). To submit any messages, articles, ads, announcements or comments, Click Here.

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