Living Positively

By Robert Blackshear

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     Great aspects of Christian Churchism and Church of Christism are going the way of wood, hay and stubble, because, to a large extent, these movements have been interested in propagating "our group" by gimmicks and hurrah, verbal (and sometimes literal) fistfights, instead of exalting Christ. We have been interested in identifying with a movement rather than a Person. Those who are less forthright will deny it, but those who are aware that we must sometime give account for our words, will admit that it is true, and that we have been living negatively in an already negative world. Our problem is at least two-fold. We have either been positively negative or negatively positive.

     While it is true that wars and earthquakes and famine are rampaging across many of the continents of our troubled earth, harping on this tune of doom largely produces a negative effect on the hearer, creating despondency, or, what is worse, a morbid longing to hear such things. Realism is necessary, but today, as never before, people need to hear something which will relieve them of sin in a sinful world, as Isaiah said, "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." In the right sense, America and the world need a snow job. And Christ is the only answer. Praise God!

     I read in one of our congregational newsletters the other day, "We have chosen 240 of our wonderful members to serve as Space Commanders during our revival." Another part of the same paper said, "The contest is over and the Saints have defeated the Angels 59 to 37." To some this is amusing but to me it is pitiful and tragic. I find it difficult indeed to envision our Lord summoning followers by flying gaily colored banners on the streets of Jerusalem reading: "Be a Tweedledee for Jesus!" I cringe at the thought of Jesus opening a scroll in one of the local synagogues to read, "I am pleased to inform you, brethren, that in our attendance contest the Pharisees wiped out the Sadducees 50 to 7. Three hosannas for the Pharisees!"

     If the Spirit of God is present with us we should relegate all of this superfluous hogwash to where Judas found himself (Acts 1:25). We are blatantly guilty of trying to win people to a preacher, to a special program at our lavish cathedrals, or to our movement, rather than to our Lord. We have been sluggish and brief in trusting paraphernalia instead of instant and constant in prayer. Small wonder that Jesus would ask if he would find

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a faith on the earth when he returns. He knows that gimmickry and deception will not produce a tenacious saving faith, but the working of his Spirit will through the Word of God. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Too many of us have been victims of wishful, superficial thinking instead of genuine optimistic realism, the result of the former being a negative effect.

     In agreement with the song my plea is that the world needs love, sweet love. Talk is cheap. We have all fought verbal battles. Listening is also cheap, and we have all heard some of the best. But doing is costly and we have all held back the expense. I am convinced that love for the Blessed One will manifest itself in action, but this action is costly. It will cost us personal comfort, friends (of a sort), time, and money.

     What are we going to do when we know of a family down the street where the husband and father has been in a terrible accident, and had a leg crushed so severely that the surgeon wants to amputate it; a family where the wife and mother also suffers from prior surgery so that she cannot even drive the children to school?

     What are we going to do when we know of an elderly sister in the Lord who, because of lack of finances, is forced to live in a rat hole of a rest home, where five to seven elderly senile patients are forced to live in one room?

     What are we going to do with the young man who has been using drugs because of his insecurity--turn him in to the law, or let him in on Jesus, the One who really satisfies?

     Knowing that these conditions are all about us, can we continue to argue about whether we should eat in church buildings or not; whether footwashing is relevant in our day (even though Brother So-and-So hardly ever washes his feet); or whether we should speak in tongues to have a richer relationship with our Lord, or not?

     I pray that all of us will realize the futility of the petty issues we have adhered to for years and tune in to the pure and undefiled religion before God the Father. We need to stop lobbing "yesterday" shells at one another and start hurling blockbusters at Satan. By doing this through the grace of God we can live positively in a negative world.

     (Robert W. Blackshear lives at 1101 Oak Street, Carthage, Missouri 64836).