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WHAT MOVES YOU? (Jan 08)
What moved me this week? An appeal of the Bethany Police
Chief and the tearful, spoken gratitude from a grieving mother seemed more
than enough motivation. The body of Lauren Barnes still has not been found
as this CrossTies is being written. Her young lover, and father of
the child she was carrying, is suspected of taking her life and disposing of
her body in a wooded area outside of our city. Yesterday morning around 300
volunteers gathered to search more than 1000 acres of heavy brush and trees
in an area of the Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge. Rick Crooks and I were among
that group of volunteers. We were first assigned to a group of about 20
volunteers that was lead by an Oklahoma City Police Officer. Later, a group
of officers from the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s department invited Rick and
me to join their search team. We were instructed to be looking primarily for
the body of the young 20 year old girl, along with any of her personal
articles, clothing, jewelry or her purse. The morning progressed with us
traversing the brush and rough terrain. When the Police Chief called the
search off in the early afternoon Rick and I were not ready to quit. We
stopped for a bite to eat and then drove back by the Wildlife refuge in
hopes we might see some of the County Sheriff’s department still at work and
be invited back into search. While the Police Chief seemed contented that a
grid search had been completed, something lingered inside our hearts that
the task would not be complete until the grieving family had closure.
What moved the Apostle Paul? Paul seemed to express his
motivation to the Ephesian Elders in Acts 20:22-24. Warned repeatedly not to
go to Jerusalem because hardships and persecution awaited him, the same Holy
Spirit was relentless in compelling him to go. We must appreciate the fact
that Paul was not deterred by the difficult terrain that God was calling him
to traverse. He would even boldly say, "None of these things move me" (v 24,
KJV). He was compelled to complete his God-given task of testifying to the
good news of God’s grace. The Holy Spirit had left no doubt that Paul’s
finish line included, as it had for Jesus, going to Jerusalem. Paul would
not be stopped.
What moves you? Even as I typed this CrossTies I
am called away to minister to a family that has come by our church for help.
Their needs are so many: no food, no jobs, their utilities are shut off and
soon they will be retreating into the homes of relatives with an eviction
coming within 48 hours. The woman could not contain her great sorrow and
tears. But this families’ greatest need comes right above their signature on
our benevolent forms—religious affiliation. Maybe a better question than
religious affiliation would be, "How are you and Jesus doing these days?"
There is little wonder why Paul could not be deterred from his mission.
Others needed desperately to know about Jesus before it was too late. If he
didn’t tell them, who would? If you're not motivated to traverse the rough
terrain that others might be found, who will? As we began this New Year, may
Jesus bless his church with the courage and motivation to tell His story to
those who are hurting, hopeless and lost.
(LaurenBarnes body was found the day after this article
was written. She had been buried 3 feet deep in the search area and covered
with debris.)
—Bill Adcox
THE BIBLE AND JACK (Feb 08)
Let it be known he was an uninvited guest! In our
inaugural meeting, Jack had the audacity to enter my yard and then take a
swipe at me, even biting my daughter, Felicia, as the tension escalated.
This small purse-sized pooch had "run away" from home and then refused to be
handled by the strangers at the Adcox household. The experience with Jack
caused me to think of another painful encounter for many people. After
almost 30 years of full-time preaching, it’s hard to convince some folks
that understanding the bible has no similarity to my experience in trying to
pick up Jack. After all, both packages appear small in size and easily
manageable, but without proper instruction the entire ordeal has the
potential to end up being a very painful encounter!
2008 is seeing a new venture around my home congregation;
we’re tackling the bible with a new tool for us, The Daily Bible.
This unique book, like other chronological bibles, lets you easily follow
biblical history and truth from the creation to Revelation in the order of
its occurrence. With 365 daily reading portions, the reader can
systematically progress through the entire bible in a single year. The
Psalms are grouped by themes, with Proverbs and Ecclesiastes topically
arranged. The laws of Moses are easier to comprehend and the major and minor
prophets don’t leave you confused wondering where their inspired teachings
ought to fit into the major scheme of the whole story. The life of Christ is
not merely another parallel of the gospels, but an integrated, easy to
follow, account of Jesus’ life.
Throw into the mix a down to earth commentary by Church
of Christ author, F. Lagard Smith, and we are looking at this being a
winning combination for our congregation in 2008. The truth is that whether
folks use a special study bible or their traditional bible, growing in our
relationship and knowledge of Jesus is the focus. It’s not the name droppers
or folks doing religious things (Matthew 7:21) who are eternally accepted,
but "everyone who hears these words…and puts them into practice" (v 24).
This faith relationship with Christ is so simple that it is often missed by
friends and criticized as being unfathomable by its foes.
As to our meeting with the pint-sized Jack, it turned out to be a
blessing getting to know his owner and our new neighbor. The neighbor did
let us in on a secret: Jack just doesn’t like strangers! The scriptures are
a little bit like Jack. To the casual fellow picking up the bible, the
unfortunate encounter might leave that person feeling a little overwhelmed,
confused, maybe even an outsider. But make the Bible accessible, especially
a person's own language, and the possibilities of that type of meeting are
priceless. "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my
mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong
path" (Psalm 199: 103-104).
—Bill Adcox
A JUDAH IN JESUS' FAMILY TREE (March 08)
Family trees can be fraught with skeletons! I remember
once asking my late grandmother, Bessie
Blackerby-Sanner-Campbell-Robertson-Wooldridge, about doing a genealogical
study on our family. It didn’t take her very long to inform me that trudging
through family history was just inviting trouble. She expected I would
unearth a bank robber—maybe a murderer. Oddly, a few years ago one of her
cousins did a Blackerby family tree, tracing part of our "roots" back to
England and found one of their cousins had become Jesse James’ stepmother.
What my dear grandmother feared most was actually true.
Recently, while reading through the book of Genesis, the
"family tree" of Jesus captured my attention. The New Testament lists Jesus’
pedigree through his legal father, Joseph, in the Gospel of Matthew and then
the physician Luke traced his family tree through his mother, Mary. Both
genealogical lists leave no doubt that Jesus is the legal heir to the throne
of King David. Of interest, both lists contain some kinfolks of Jesus that
might make us raise our eyebrows. Among those who immediately catch our
attention are individuals like wicked King Manasseh, Rahab the harlot and a
woman by the name of Ruth who was a Moabite, the notorious enemy of God’s
people. While reading about some of the earliest members of Jesus’ family in
Genesis I came across Judah and his daughter-in-law, Tamar. Judah’s notable
activities included the sale of his "troublesome" brother Joseph to the
Midianites and his separation from his father Jacob and the rest of the
family. Judah married a Canaanite woman and then he watched Jehovah God kill
two of his sons because God could no longer stand their sinfulness.
Following the death of his wife, Judah went with his friend, Hirah, to join
the shepherds who were shearing their sheep. While on the trip he casually
hired what he believed to be a Canaanite temple prostitute but who turned
out to be his very own daughter-in-law, Tamar. A pregnant Tamar then gave
birth to twins, Perez and Zerah, with firstborn Perez finding his place in
the lineage of Jesus Christ.
Reading through the book of Genesis some might mistakenly
assume that Jacob’s notable son, Joseph, is the Abrahamic bloodline heir of
Christ. After all, he’s the obedient, God fearing son whom God uses to save
the entire Israelite family. God sent Joseph, 11th son
of Jacob, into captivity and slavery knowing he would remain faithful and
faithful he was! God used Judah, fourth son of Jacob, to eventually bring
the Lion of Judah, Jesus—not because Judah had a higher morality or was even
more obedient. Judah’s claim to fame might easily be that he didn’t mess up
as terribly as his three older brothers. Why would God allow someone of
Judah’s character to become mixed up in the bloodline of the Messiah? Simply
said, God was keeping his word to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that through
their seed he would bless the world. What a powerful testimony for us! All
of those names listed on Jesus’ family tree are there first and foremost
because of God’s grace. Not a person on the list deserves to stand on the
same family stage with Jesus, even as none of us deserve to be found listed
in the Lamb’s book of life. But maybe most assuring is the fact that some of
those names found in Jesus’ pedigree, like Judah and King Manasseh, are
there to forever prove that in spite of man’s sinfulness, our God always
keeps his word.
—Bill Adcox
BATHTUB STORIES THAT DON'T HOLD WATER (April 08)
Most preachers are probably guilty of using a falsehood or two in their
preaching, whether unwittingly or not. Recently I heard an old illustration
resurface in a new sermon. Maybe you’ve heard it---or even used it. It’s
about the invention of the American bathtub. Let me share the great bathtub
hoax as referenced by Thomas E. Woods in his book,
33 Questions About
American History You’re Not Supposed to Ask. The hoax’s
originator, H.L. Mencken, first published the fabricated story on December
28, 1917, at the fictitious 75th anniversary of the American
Bathtub for the New York Evening Mail. Mencken credited England as
the land where the bathtub originated and acknowledged an Adam Thompson as
the American who came up with the idea to use pipe to supply water and drain
the bathtub. It was then that his hoax took on its oft-repeated saga that
the first bathtub, while loved by many, was rebuffed by the majority as a
dangerous luxury that would undermine the republican simplicity of American
society. He claimed the medical profession even denounced the bathtub as a
health hazard. Mencken later acknowledged that his article was a hoax---“a
burlesque history of the bathtub” that was filled with so many “obvious
absurdities” from start to finish that any sensible person would have
immediately recognized it. Oddly, he received letters from those who sought
to “corroborate” his bathtub fable as being true. The hoax spread quickly,
even being shared in speeches from doctors, preachers and congressmen. It
even made its way into several reference books!
Sometimes fact is stranger than fiction, but heaven help us if fables are
made into fact. Maybe it’s just the nature of a juicy story that makes them
spread so quickly. Did doctors object to folks taking a bath? Could it be
true that on November 1, 1845 bathing was supposedly made illegal because it
was thought to be unhealthy? None of Mencken’s “facts” had a shred of truth
to them, yet stopping this 1917 yarn still seems impossible as was evidenced
recently from a local pulpit or a quick search of sermon bathtub
illustrations on the internet!
I rather doubt Mencken’s hoax has negatively affected
many lives, but I know a number of other water stories that should really
capture our attention. Hoaxes? Fables? Not in the least! Three thousand
took a dip on Pentecost changing their religious direction in a day, an
Ethiopian treasurer ask a Jew on a dusty Gaza Road to bury him in water, an
earthquake and the sermon from a couple of preachers with bloody backs lead
a Philippians jailer into his watery grave. Life is really stranger than
fiction. Different roads. Different preachers. Different bodies of water,
yet the same pattern of obedience. The same Lord. The same eternal results.
Water stories---you have to love them, especially the ones that are true!
—Bill Adcox
LEAVE GOD AT HOME WHEN YOU
VACATION? (May 08)
Sandy and I decided to take a short two-day trip recently
with our two daughters and grandson, Chayton. I freely admit that weekend
trips are quite usual for a preacher; the "not" preaching part is quite the
anomaly! This admitted workaholic rarely takes off his one day a week.
Following the March Men’s Prayer Breakfast on a recent Saturday we packed
our bags and headed to Lake Tenkiller. On Sunday we awoke early and made our
way from the lake into town to attend the morning assembly with the
congregation in Vian, Oklahoma. Those folks endured a little of my song
leading, followed by a time of fellowship and encouragement before we
returned to the cabin on the lake. Despite a cool and rainy weekend, we
enjoyed the comforts of our lake retreat.
Our departure from my norm apparently had quite a number
of home folks disoriented. The rumors of my two days (a normal weekend for
most folks) away evolved into notions that our get-away had become an
out-of-the-ordinary Adcox "vacation." Our children have boasted for years
that our household family trips were usually connected with the pilgrimage
to and from gospel meetings. These gospel excursions, as I’ll henceforth
refer to them, have taken us from coast to coast and from the northern
border of Mexico to the southern edge of Canada. If that were not enough,
missionary trips have carried Sandy and me around the world. What a blessing
to have traveled to places that only the Lord himself could have taken
us—not to mention the sights and new friendships along the way!
What about all those "vacations" that our family has
missed? I guess it’s hard to imagine missing anything that could have been
filled with more fun, fellowship and fantasy than any of our gospel
excursions. Our family has met saints from Georgia, Louisiana, California,
Texas, Idaho, Indiana, Arkansas, Arizona, New Mexico, Kansas, Colorado,
Nevada, Mississippi, Oregon, Oklahoma and places in between—each having been
a part of "God’s working vacation for our souls." Let me go one step
further: I can’t fathom making a trip of any kind, any where, that my first
consideration would not be locating a congregation of the Lord’s people with
which to assemble on the Lord’s Day. I’ve heard of folks who travel on a
regular basis and who habitually fail to attend the assemblies in other
localities. Their excuse? They did not know anyone there! I’ve heard of
folks who throw in some grape juice and unleavened bread and whose
preference is to commune alone when many times a congregation of the Lord’s
people may be assembling on a Sunday morning just blocks away.
Do you have plans to go on a "vacation" this summer or
maybe just a weekend getaway? Don’t miss the blessing of meeting the saints
along the way. Should the worst occur and you stumble into a place where the
saints are not gracious to their guests (heaven forbid!), God is still
expecting you (Hebrews 10:25) and that is a blessing none of us should even
think of missing!
—Bill Adcox
NOBODY'S FOOL (JUNE 08)
Have you ever heard of Madelyn Murray O’Hair? Our
youngest readers were not yet born in 1964 when Life magazine dubbed
her the "most hated person in America." Her name may well have been
forgotten except for the legacy of her lawsuit that lead to the landmark
Supreme Court decision removing prayer from our public schools. Her son
William, who departed from his mother’s religion of atheism in 1980 for
Christianity, had this to say about his mom: "My mother was an evil
person...Not for removing prayer from America’s schools...No, she was just
evil. She stole huge amounts of money. She misused the trust of people. She
cheated children out of their parents’ inheritance. She cheated on her taxes
and even stole from her own organizations" (Christian Coalition,
March 1999). Psalms 14 and 53 seem to make the same assessment when they
say, "The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, and
their ways are vile."
William also quoted his mother regarding her "faith" in
atheism: "I’m an atheist, not because I’ve searched behind every star and
looked under every rock to prove there’s no God. I’m an atheist because I
want to live my life as if there’s no God." Maybe more telling than all her
misguided deeds is this statement that underscores her real motivation in
denying the existence of God: "I want to live my life as if there’s no God!"
Before we judge O’Hair too harshly, which one of us has not faced a similar,
misguided moment when we wished God would disappear. No God. No Rules. No
great eye in the sky watching the cookie jar or the cash register at work!
No eternal consequences for murder, rape, lies…no records, no wrongs, no
restraints! It sounds great until we realize, if such were the case,
existence upon planet earth would evolve into nothing but a survival of the
cruelest.
To say America is deserving of being called a "Christian
nation" is not settled merely because 88% percent of her population says it
believes in a god of some fashion. The real integrity level of the
Christian’s faith is tested on a more practical plane (James 2:18-20). If
God exists, I must determine to live with Him, not merely acknowledge His
presence (Exodus 33:15). If God’s message is contained in the Bible, I must
whole-heartedly commit to live by His precepts (John 14:15, Matthew 28:19).
If there really exists a weekly Lord’s Day (Sunday, first day of the week),
my faith compels me to honor that day as God has requested (Hebrews 10:25,
Revelation 1:10, Acts 20:7). Anything else is merely a faith of convenience,
not a relationship with God that saves.
The history books close rather unkindly upon Mrs. O’Hair. Her office
assistant kidnapped her, extorted money and then killed Mrs. O’Hair, her
son, Garth, and her granddaughter, Robin. But the last page on the Madelyn
Murray O’Hair story is still to be written. She will make her appearance in
the last courtroom, as will we all. On that day the Great White Throne
verdict will make all the other court decisions pale in comparison. I’m
quite certain there will be no atheist on judgment day, only two classes of
believing folks: saved and lost.
—Bill Adcox
Guest Editorial:
(July 08)
Coping With Major
Illness
By Dr. Thomas
Langford (Tom Langford passed away shortly after writing this article. )
Someone has
suggested that I write about the effects of a medical diagnosis of major
illness. One day most of us will experience the report that we have a
serious health problem; at least most of us will know of someone in the
family or circle of friends who has to deal with such a report.
At the risk of
seeming too personal, I write this out of my own experience with such a
report. In 1996, just as I was preparing to retire from my position at Texas
Tech University, I went to my doctor with what I thought were some passing
symptoms, certainly not evidence of a major life-changing problem. After
numerous tests, the doctor told me that I had Polycythemia Rubra Vera. Of
course, I had never heard of such a thing and didn’t know what it entailed.
The doctor told me that I was producing far too many red blood cells and the
first line of treatment would be regular phlebotomies, the drawing off of
blood. While the disease is somewhat similar to Leukemia, it is not a type
of cancer.
We began to read
the literature on the disease and I told my Chinese hematologist that I
understood from reading that the average life span after diagnosis was ten
years. "Is that correct?" I wanted to know. "Yes, but old folks die anyway"
was his not intentionally humorous reply. Nellie insisted that we go to Mayo
clinic for a second opinion and our doctor was very helpful in setting up an
appointment for us. We made the trip a sort of vacation; my brother and his
wife from California came to go with us.
The Mayo
specialist confirmed the diagnosis and I asked him about the likely life
span. "Oh," he said, "We need to change the literature. You will probably
outlive me." He died of a heart attack a short time after that. It is now
about eleven years after the original diagnosis and, although there have
been many trips to doctors for monitoring and changes in medication, they
have been relatively trouble free years. The past two or three years have
given evidence of progression of the disease and increased care, but I do
not feel that I am close to death’s door yet.
From first
diagnosis, I have felt that I was entirely in God’s hands and that I could
face the future in confidence that whatever happened, it would be all right.
I do not claim any special faith in facing such problems; I am just not by
nature a worrier. If it were my wife who was similarly diagnosed, I would be
more concerned, I’m sure, and she is marvelously solicitous for my own
health and has been my rock in this as in all other adversity. She has
enough concern for the both of us.
MY CERTAINTY IN
CHRIST
As a Christian I
know that life here is only a proving time for the more important life
ahead. I don’t know that I can say with the same remarkable perspective of
Paul that I have a desire to depart and be with Christ. But I feel that
Christ has been with me and this life has been good, very good. I am not
eager to leave it behind, especially with friends and loved ones, but I have
no fear or hesitation in saying "Not my will but thine be done." The Lord
has granted me a remarkably blessed life. While there has been some tragedy
(we lost two children), I have a loving wife and faithful sons, all devoted
to the Lord, and a church whose fellowship is a foretaste of heaven to come.
I have had a good
secular position, in which I have been able to work with, and perhaps
influence, numerous people of varying backgrounds. My teaching and
administrative jobs have been most rewarding. They have allowed association
with many students and faculty and a place to witness to my faith. Because
of the nature of my work, I have been able to travel widely in at least a
dozen other countries and many places in the U.S., presenting my research or
dealing with administrative concerns. In many of these countries we have met
with the saints on Sundays, sometimes in languages we only partly
understood, but always with a sense of mutual devotion to God.
MY CERTAINTY THAT
LIFE CONTINUES
I have lived
almost a decade beyond the biblical three score and ten, and have, I
believe, a way to go yet. I have had fellowship with some of the greatest
people on earth in the church and their love and support has been a source
of great strength. And to think, the joy of their fellowship will be
continued after this life is over, in the presence of Christ and the
faithful of all ages. Could anyone ask for more?
AUGUST
CROSSTIES - DAVID'S FIVE STONES
The young shepherd David
hand picked five smooth stones when he ventured out to fight the giant
Goliath (1 Samuel 17:40). Some have pondered through the years why David
took four extra stones. Some years ago one brother suggested that the extra
stones were taken because Goliath had four big brothers! Who knows? He
might be right. While faith assured David his God could defeat Goliath,
there was no similar assurance that Goliath’s armor bearer or one of the
other Philistine soldiers wouldn’t decide to take on the young hero, maybe
even one of Goliath’s four brothers! His faith had nothing written down to
testify that the first smooth stone would be directed to the exact spot to
level his large foe or that Goliath would die instantly.
Maybe even more
bewildering to David might have been the contemplation of who, besides God,
would back him up once the first stone took flight. Would Israel’s
discouraged army? His own brothers? King Saul? David taking only four
extra stones is a mighty step of faith to me. With several thousand of the
enemy poised just a stone’s throw away it would have required a cart and an
ox-load of stones to give me any comfort that my arsenal was adequate for
the challenge ahead. Were those four stones still among his weapons when he
laid them down in his tent (v. 54)? Were those four stones just extra
baggage for the theologians to quibble about? Surely others can and will
add their ideas to the mystery of the extra stones. The truth of the matter
is that five stones may mean nothing more than the fact that David’s faith
had lead him to prepare for whatever task his Heavenly Father might call
upon him to do. Any one of the stones would have served God’s purposes
well, but a bag with no stones would have left David and Israel without a
faith victory.
Well, that leads me to
the next pressing point about modern day giants. For the naysayers among us,
believe me, giants still exist! They are well prepared and their weapons
are formidable, as seen in their assaults against the church from every
direction. No wonder the negative “spirit” that prevailed among Israel’s
army and King Saul seems to be raising its ugly head among the redeemed.
Fear, discouragement, loneliness---these all evidence a change in our
spiritual momentum. While victory is guaranteed for the faithful, it does
require that we select a few good “stones.” Stones of prayer, bible study,
a determination to be involved in the church and the indwelling help of the
Holy Spirit seem to be just a few “pebbles” in our mighty arsenal. Praise
God for those who are refusing to be cowards before our modern giants. They
do themselves a favor in knowing that while there may be many stones to
defeat the “giants,” usually the courage to use just one will do monumental
damage to many of our foes. A loaded, used sling opens doors and windows of
opportunity for God to bless our actions of faith. Praise God for all the
men, women, boys and girls the world over who take refuge in God’s power and
realize, with sling in hand, that the giants are still too big to miss!
—Bill Adcox
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