Helping or Honking?

By Steve Higginbotham

     You’ve probably heard the story of the lady whose car broke down in the middle of a busy intersection. Of course, that would be a nightmare for any of us. But this lady kept her head and was doing her best to restart the car.
     However, after several unsuccessful attempts at restarting her car, the driver immediately behind her began to mercilessly honk his horn. His honking just escalated an already stressful situation.
     So, after enduring several moments of his incessant “honking,” this woman exited her car, walked back to the man in the car behind her and politely said, “Sir, I seem to be having trouble starting my car. If you would be so kinda as to help me get my car started, I would be more than happy to sit here and honk for you.” Well, needless to say, the honking stopped!
     Friends, how would you characterize yourself and your relationship to the church? Are you a “helper” or a “honker?” Sure, problems will arise from time to time. That’s just part of dealing with imperfect people. No church is without problems. But more than likely, where you see a problem or an inefficient program at church, you’ll also find godly men and women at wits end doing the very best they know how to fix the problem.
     Next time you see a problem at church, please don’t honk. It really doesn’t help, and usually frustrates those who are trying to fix the problem. Instead of “honking” why not lend a hand and help?

- Steve Higginbotham preaches for the Karns Church of Christ in Knoxville, TN. He may be contacted through the congregation's website at http://www.karnschurch.org     

It Is Okay to Be Fred Kaps

     If you went out today and asked people on the street to tell you who Fred Kaps is, you would most likely be met with stunned silence or asked, “Fred who?” But even though it has been almost half a century since they made their first American debut on the Ed Sullivan Show on February 9th, 1964, people still know who the Beatles are, and most can probably even name John, Paul, George and Ringo if asked to do so. So just what is the connection here with Fred Kaps and the Beatles? Well, Fred Kaps was the unfortunate act who followed that wildly successful Beatles performance that took the nation and the world by storm on that Sunday evening long ago, leaving Beatlemania in its wake, while hardly anyone seemingly remembers Fred Kaps.
      Fred Kaps was actually a quite talented magician. On that fateful night in 1964 he gave a flawless, amazingly wonderful performance involving a card and a salt shaker. Simply because he followed the Beatles that winter evening that fact has virtually become lost to history. But just because people do not remember Fred Kaps does not change for one moment the truth that he did give a splendid performance in his own right.
     Sometimes as Christians we forget that it is okay to be Fred Kaps in our service to the Lord. Even Scripture reminds us of this when Paul writes, 28. And God hath set some in the church, first Apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. 29. Are all Apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? 30. Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? 31. But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way. (1 Corinthians 12:28-31) Paul then went on to give his great exposition of love in the next chapter, and love is something that all of us certainly are capable of giving to others.
     We have a great example given of someone in the Bible whom we are never told had any supernatural gift at all, and yet she is deemed one of the most praiseworthy of individuals in all of Scripture, and her name is Tabitha Dorcas: “Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did,” (Acts 9:36). Tabitha Dorcas used what God had given her, a heart full of love and compassion for others, and seamstress’s hands, loving and caring hands that sought to do what they could to benefit others. When she died and Peter was standing among the grieving friends of Dorcas, “all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them” (Acts 9:39b).
     Learn the lesson of Fred Kaps and Tabitha Dorcas. Do not give up on serving the Lord because someone else seemingly is more successful than you are. Do what you can for the Lord while it is still day, for night is coming when no more work can be done. The Lord knows and He will always remember your good works! “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me” (Matthew 25:40).
               
- David R. Ferguson preaches for the Lakeland Church of Christ in Mattoon, IL.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://lakelandchurchofchrist.web.officelive.com/default.aspx

Do You Like To Share?

By C. Bruce White

    A physician was vacationing in the Cumberland Mountains and while hiking, stopped at a mountain home for a drink of water. A little girl gave him a glass of milk. The physician drank it and offered to pay her for it. "On, no," said the girl, "we like to share."
    A year or so later the girl was taken to John Hopkins to have serious surgery. The parents, very poor, worried over the bill. When the recovery was completed and the family was given the bill, it was marked, "Paid in full by a glass of gold milk - we like to share too."
    We realize that every case of sharing does not bring such a connected or obvious blessing, but each case of giving has it's blessing. It is with the belief that God blesses those who give, that we offer the opportunity on such a regular basis. It is, indeed, more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).

Source:
The Challenger, the weekly bulletin of the Church of Christ, Carbondale, IL, date unknown.

How To Please Everyone

    A man and his grandson went on a journey one day, walking and leading a donkey. Soon they met a man who said, “How foolish for you to be walking. One of you should be riding the donkey.” So the man put his grandson on the animal.
    The next traveler they met frowned and said, “How dreadful for a strong boy to be riding while an old man walks.” With that the boy climbed off the donkey and his grandfather climbed on.
    The next person down the road, however, said, “I just can’t believe that a grown man would ride and make a poor little boy walk.” So the man pulled the boy aboard and off they rode on the donkey together.
    That is, until they met the fellow who screamed, “I never saw anything so cruel in my life, two intelligent human beings riding on one poor, defenseless donkey.”
    Down the road a short distance, the trio met a couple of men traveling together. After they passed, one of the men turned to the other and said, “Did you ever see two bigger fools carrying that donkey?”
    How do you please everyone? YOU CAN’T! Don’t even try! Just do your best to please God. Galatians 1:10…”For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.”

Source:
The Challenger, Sycamore St. Church of Christ, Carbondale, IL, date unknown.