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Hebrews 12:1-4. Psalm 22. Mark 5:21-43. Hebrews sets a stage for us to operate on. We are being watched and cheered on by those heroes in the faith that have were profiled in the previous chapter. Now the call of Hebrews is to share with Christ in his perseverance, suffering and final destination. Then the gospel is where the rubber meets the road. Mark shows us that Christ was with and loved the people. He touched them, physically and spiritually. His spiritual life extended beyond quotes and anticipation of the sweet by and by. He lived a life that honored God and drew people closer to Him. Will we live the life required to be who Jesus was? He did it. We should!
2 comments:
From Nora Vincent of Carrollton, Texas
Dear Eben: I watched your interview last night and I thought: "People are converted to systems, churches, and doctrine instead of Jesus." I was in the first class at LCU. I know where you have been. However, I was raised believing that people not in the churches of Christ were our "separated brethren". I was taught differently. So I read the church fathers and understood the sacramentalists points of view. I learned from my visits in the charismatic churches and my friendships there about the power of God, which surely, I thought, is never limited if we let Him be God. I studied everything, Eben, to be sure that what I believed was true. I attended protestant and catholic churches and studied their doctrines. I thought a long time about authority and all the issues of sola scriptura and apostalic succession etc--and decided that God was merciful and would guide those who sought Him and loved Him with all their heart. In all the years of studying and praying, my journey ended differently from yours. Perhaps one of the reasons is this account given to my mother from her doctor some 40 years ago. He, a southern Baptist, was traveling behind the Iron Curtain in a remote mountainous region in Armenia--I think it was Armenia, maybe it was Albania--I have forgotten in my old age. He and his companions were in a small village on Sunday and decided to go to church. They found the church building and went in. Later he described the service to mother --acapella singing, communion, no priests--and said: "I think that is like a church of Christ, right?" Then he said this: "We asked them what kind of Christians they were--were they RCC or Orthodox or what--and they replied: 'NO we are the TRUE apostalic church.'" They told the doctor that they had been established by Andrew, brother of Peter and had NEVER changed, though they were aware of the changes around them. They baptized by immersion. They had no priests. The bishops were married. They had communion, not the mass. Since then, I met a woman whose people came from that area and worshipped in a similar way though not exactly.
I think that the seed can be planted in any heart and it will produce a Christian. That seed does not have to be on a vine connected to Rome. The seed can spout in any good soil, just as the grains taken from the pyramids--thousands of years old--spouted when they were planted in good soil.
I do not have a facebook or other such account.
Sincerely,
Nora Vincent, LCC class of 1959, first graduation class
Mrs. Vincent,
That is a wonderful story. I have heard the story of people finding churches like the one your parent's doc came across. I believe we have brothers and sisters in many churches. There is, after all, only one body. The authority issue is huge though because without a living authority it really all comes down to personal interpretation. God is merciful that is certainly true. I appreciate you sharing. I thought the story you shared would be an encouragement to many people.
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