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Central Haywood Church of Christ

Serving God from the mountains of North Carolina

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Jeff Arnette

I am the preacher of Central Haywood church of Christ in Clyde NC. We are located about 20 miles outside of Asheville off of I-40. I have been married to the love of my life for 27 years and we have three wonderful children together. The Lord has blessed me beyond measure.

Spiritual Warfare

Eph. 6:10-12

Victory in battle is not something that is promised. It is something that requires that you know your enemy, knowing how he will attack, and then prepare yourself for battle.

Our nation has known many wars, but Vietnam is the first one that I remember. As a child it is the war that most of the older men that I know speak about. After much study and interest in this war I must conclude that it was an extremely frustrating war. Thick jungle terrain made the enemy hard to find, and guerrilla warfare made him hard to fight. Many Vietnamese who peacefully worked in the rice paddies during the day would put on the black garb of the Viet Cong by night. He would invade unsuspecting U.S. forces camped nearby and then disappear. Another aspect of this war that made it particularly difficult was public opinion. Most American’s were strongly anti-war and the effect on our troops was devastating. Morale among our troops was often really low which affected how they fought.

In the same way, spiritual warfare for the Christian has many parallels.

Subtly and with great deceit, Satan disguises himself as “an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14) and “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Even his emissaries disguise themselves as Christians and “servants of righteousness” (2 Cor. 11:13-15). With such a cunning enemy, it takes great wisdom and discernment to know who he is much less defend against his attacks.

Most Christians today seem to be defenseless. It seems like this because they chose to close their eyes to the supernatural and deny that we are at war. Some seem to think that Satan is a good plot for a TV series (No joke, there is a TV show called “Lucifer” that portrays Satan as someone who just wants to have fun while on vacation) or a good book. It seems like they think that only the superstitious and credulous take the idea of Satan and spiritual warfare seriously. Some Christians have just given in to the mocking and ridicule of those who are not Christian and think we are foolish to believe in Jesus.

Church, we are indeed at war. Ephesians 6:10-12 reminds us that this spiritual battle is real and that God expects us to participate. He has given us everything we could possibly need or want to win this battle but we must volunteer for active duty. He has given us the full armor of God so that we can stand firm against our enemy (Eph. 6:11).

Let me encourage you to seek to better understand this battle and find the grace to identify the enemy and stand against him with all courage.

A change in perspective.

One of the things I have been giving a lot of thought and prayer to lately is the idea of perspective and faithfulness. I have to admit that it makes me nervous to write this down because this is exactly the kind of thing that gets you labeled as a liberal and we all know how cruel others can be when they don’t approve of your thoughts.

The more I study about God’s grace and His Holy Spirit; the more I study about Jesus Christ, and what he really wants for our lives. The more I am convinced that my perspective on faith has been out of balance. The Old and New Testaments teach me about a God who loves me and wants my love and commitment. He is not a mean kid with a magnifying glass just waiting to burn this little ant of a person. He sees me much differently and I am convinced that I must learn to see Him differently too. He is not holding up a treat (like I do with my dogs), teasing me with the thoughts of something great, all the time knowing that I cannot jump that high. Our God wants us to succeed. He wants us to be at home with him, comfortable, and appreciative of what He is doing for us. He is the epitome of a loving and gracious father.

For most of us (I hope less and less each day), our perspective of faith and faithfulness is based on striving to be good enough. For me personally, my perspective has been (not as much anymore) one of self and works. I have always felt like I had to strive, with all my might, to be the very best Christian, preacher, husband, and father possible. I have worked tirelessly (to the point of burnout, physical and emotional exhaustion) as a Christian and preacher to be the best I could be. It seemed like it was totally up to me and when I failed, and I failed a lot, I had to drag myself to the throne of Jesus begging for another chance to get it right. All the time feeling like something was wrong, like something was missing in my faith.

Suddenly, I realized that the problem was a matter of perspective. I had approached my faith and the church with a flawed idea of God. I thought that if I could be good enough then I would be able to accomplish all these great and noble goals for myself and the church. A new perspective was definitely in order. As long as I continued to approach my faith, my work, and my ministry as something I had to be good enough to accomplish, I would continue to feel like I wasn’t doing enough.

I am sure you can sympathize with me. As Christians we have been taught, maybe conditioned is a better word, over time to believe that faith and Christianity was something we had to work at. Something we had to work hard trying to be good enough. Honestly, sometimes we would do great and sometimes, not so great. When it was all said and done; we walked away feeling like we were not good enough, had not done enough, and just couldn’t measure up. All it accomplished for us was feelings of guilt and worthlessness.

Church, I think it is time for a change in perspective for every one of us. It is time we quit focusing on trying to be something, someone else already accomplished, and focus on living our faith to the best of our ability. We need to accept that as people we are flawed, sinful, and always in need of Jesus Christ. We cannot be good enough to earn our salvation and we must stop trying to feel and act like we can. It is time that we accept that Jesus Christ was the only perfect person to every walk this earth. He died so that we could let go of a way of thinking that demanded more of us that we are capable of achieving.

The Gospel is good news because He stepped up and did what we could never do; be good enough. It is good news because I can accept his grace and mercy; striving to live to the best of my ability in appreciation for what he has already accomplished.

The change of perspective that I am talking about is that we are free to live, laugh and love, and fail as Christians because Jesus already accomplished being good enough. I don’t have to strive to be good enough anymore. Jesus sets us free from the works mentality and frees us to live in gratitude and thankfulness. We are free to revel in what He has already done; to revel in the love and grace of a God who loves us.

I am not a Christian because I got it right. I am a Christian because of Jesus. I don’t have to work to be good enough but I am free to work because of what has already been accomplished.

It’s time for a change in perspective.

 

 

When You Thought I Wasn’t Looking

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, you fed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in God.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing, and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don’t.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn’t feel good, and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it’s all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I learned most of life’s lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, “Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn’t looking.”

(Written by a former child)

Good Morning!

Every Sunday, we start our services with a hearty “Good Morning” and then “I hope that you are excited to be here today”. Have you ever wondered what I mean by that? What do I really hope you are feeling at that moment?

I’ll tell you that I start off our services with the idea of being excited because it dictates how we worship our God. If we are excited to be here, excited for the opportunity to enter the throne room of God; to praise and worship Him, then we will be actively involved in what is happening. We will be connected emotionally, spiritually, and physically in the worship of the church.

Jesus said in John 4:24 that those who worshiped God must worship Him in Spirit and in truth. One of the key thoughts for us is that just going through the motions of the worship service is not really worship at all. If we are going to truly worship our great God we must do it in accordance to the truth of God’s word but also in truthfulness to our hearts. If our hearts are not completely wrapped up in worshiping, then we are not being truthful to what we are doing or to what God wants from us. Don’t ever lose sight of the fact that God wants your hearts. He doesn’t want you to mindlessly and without emotion and feeling to approach Him in worship.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” [emphasis added by me] (Deuteronomy 6:4–9, ESV)

What God really wants from you is your heart. A heart that loves Him more than what’s for lunch, more than what others are doing or not doing; a heart that is so completely in love with Him that it cannot focus on anything else but Him. He wants your complete and undying attention during worship. He wants you to be so caught up, so lost in Him, that it is your entire life, everything you speak about, so complete and pervasive that everywhere and everything you do is guided by your love for Him. He wants you to write His words and His love on every aspect of your life.

“Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,”

(Psalm 119:2, ESV)

What does all of this have to do with worship? When you’re completely given to Jesus Christ and God our Father; you will be excited, you will feel something, and nothing will be more important to you than worshiping and praising your God.

Jeff Arnette

When you feel…

Feelings are something we all have. They are given to us by God and can be extremely good. They can also be bad depending on what you’re feeling at the moment. They can range from love to hate, important to unimportant, successful to unsuccessful; all over the scale.

With our emotions and feelings constantly moving from one extreme to the other, we often find ourselves feeling bad about life or about ourselves. When those negative thoughts arise and attempt to tear down our worth, we need to turn to Lord for help. Prayer and scripture reading can help us overcome many of the problems we face in life. Let me encourage you to commit as many of these passage to memory as possible. Memorizing passages of Scripture can have a tremendous and life altering effect in our life.

God has said…

When you feel rejected by others, remember how important you are to God – Matt. 6:26-27; John 6:37.

 When you feel unable to stand, remember that your strength comes from Jesus – 2 Cor. 3:4-5; 12:8-10.

 When you feel inferior, remember that Jesus has given you everything you need to succeed – 1 Cor. 12:4-7; Rom. 8:31; Phil. 3:14.

 When you feel alone, remember that you are a part of the body of Christ and your never alone – Eph. 3:6; 4:12; Col. 3:15.

 When you feel afraid, remember that God is always with you and you can be bold and courageous – Josh. 1:9; Isa. 41:10; 2 Tim. 1:6.

As Christians, it is important for us to accept the word of God as authoritative and powerful in our lives. We either accept the words of Jesus and strive to apply them into our lives or we don’t. But when we don’t our life and faith suffers.

Don’t let your feelings dictate to you what God has said, instead turn to the word and let God dictate how you feel.

God gives the increase.

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.”
(1 Corinthians 3:6-7, ESV)

In Paul’s great letter to the Corinthians he addressed many of the problems they were struggling with. One of the bigger problems was their reverence of men like Paul, Apollos, or Peter. Continue reading “God gives the increase.” →

Unity In Inspiration – Jeff Arnette

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Inspiration is seen in the words used?

As we begin our study of the inspiration of the Bible we need to understand the word and how it is used. Inspiration is a word that comes from the Greek word used in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 which says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001. Print.) In this verse we see the phrase “breathed out by God” and its meaning is paramount to a true understanding of inspiration. The word is “theopneustos” and describes the way God breathed into the writers the words needed to express the mind of God to us. Another verse that helps our understanding of inspiration is 2 Peter…

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Was the Apostle Paul a Moral Monster?

This is a great article that defends Paul from accusations that he knowingly lied to churches for the sake of culture.

Was the Apostle Paul a Moral Monster?

This is a great article that defends Paul from accusations that he knowingly lied to churches for the sake of culture.

To Occupy or Not to Occupy?

Over the past months, we have been hearing about this movement called “Occupy Wall Street.” It would seem that this movement is gaining momentum and its springing up in almost every city in the country. The mountains of NC are no exception. I keep hearing about this movement called “Occupy Asheville” and the difficulties it is causing for the people/government of Asheville. It would seem that the government would like these people to fade quietly into the background.

The question I keep hearing is what are these people standing for? What are they against and what are they hoping to accomplish? It would seem that the theme for this movement is summed up with the statement, “We can no longer afford to allow corporate greed and corrupt politics to set the tone of our country.”

Before we are quick to point fingers or call names just remember how movements like this have shaped our country. Who can forget the “Civil Rights movement” or the “Women’s Liberation movement?” Each of these movements called for a better way for all people. This is just two and that’s not mentioning all the other movements that shaped the beliefs of our country. In fact it was a religious movement similar to occupy that shaped this very church. The Restoration movement called for Christians to go back to their bibles and restore the grandeur of the Lord’s Church. As a country and a church we owe a lot to people who were willing to stand against the status quo, people who would stand up and demand something better.

Remember that the call to end greed and corruption is consistent with the teachings of the New Testament. I will not tell you whether or not to embrace the “Occupy” movement that is something you must decide for yourself. However, I will tell you that the bible speaks loud and clear on such matters.

Let me encourage everyone to go to their bibles and read what God has to say on such social and moral issues. Here are just a few of the verses that come to my mind as I thought about this: 1 Timothy 6:3-5, 6-10; Prov. 30:7-9, 11:28; 1 John 2:16-17; Eccl. 5:10-12, 13-14; Matt. 19:24; Luke 6:24; James 5:1; Luke 16:19-26; Rev. 3:17; Acts 4:32-25; Luke 3:11; Matt. 19:21-24; Luke 19:1-10, 12:15-21; Matt. 6:24; Luke 16:14-15; Eph. 5:5-7; James 2:1-7; Psalms 10:2-3; Hab. 2:5, 6-11; Prov. 15:27, 29:4, 28:25, 1:19, 22:7-8; Matt. 3;24-26.

Let’s make it our calling to allow the teachings of the Bible to “Occupy” our hearts and minds.

Jeff

How much does it cost?

Matt. 16:24-28

This is a question that we often ask. We ask it whenever we are shopping for something we want. I did this just the other day while at Goodwill. I was looking at the dress pants and found several nice pairs of dress pants. After looking at the pants and deciding that I would like to have them. I asked that all too familiar question, “How much does it cost?”

In life and in Christianity, this is an important question to ask. In Matthew 16:24-28, Jesus reminds us of the cost of following him. Giving up on our desires and taking up the cause of Christ is a price we must be willing to pay. Jesus even took this so far as to say we must be willing to give up our lives for him.

Most of us would agree that at Goodwill we are not paying much for the items there. Luckily for me those pants were only $3.75 a pair. We spend great amounts of time trying to find the best bargain we can. However, I am afraid that we are doing this to Christianity as well.

Most of us like the idea of being a Christian but we don’t want to spend much of our time, effort, or money to do it. We are so concerned that it might take more than we are willing to give that we often shortchange being Christians.

Jesus understood that this would be the case with people and ask the question, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” Or “What shall a man give in return for his soul?” Jesus has promised that it would be worth the cost saying that each person will be repaid for what they have put into the Christian life. Not to mention that we gain our souls for eternity by following him.

How much does it cost is a great question to ask. Perhaps this is the question that we should ask next time we consider doing something we know is sinful. Is it really worth what it will cost me?

 

 

 

Writing Your Story

No matter what else you are doing-
from cradle days through the end-
You’re writing your life’s secret story;
each day sees another page penned.
Each month ends a thirty-page chapter,
each year means the end of a part;
And never an act is misstated,
never a wish from the heart.
Each day when you wake the book opens,
revealing a page clean and white.
What thoughts and what words and what actions
will cover its surface by night?
God leaves that to you-you’re the writer,
and never one word shall grow dim
‘Til someday you write the word, “finis”
and give your life book to Him.

– Author Unknown

Dare to Be Different

The theme for our youth rally this year was “Dare to be Different.” It was taken from the book of Daniel; from the life of Daniel himself. We had three speakers: Michael Rowand, Ken Hicks Jr., and Kristie Gray. Each one of them had to deliver lessons on Daniel’s life and help us to see how we too could be different than the world around us.  I was thinking about this rally and I wanted to share with you some thoughts about Daniel and how we can be different from those around us.

Daniel was a man of purpose.

Daniel 1:8 tells us that Daniel purposed in his heart. As a young man in a strange land, he was immediately challenged to break God’s laws to fit in to the group he was now a part of. Despite the obvious pressures to conform, Daniel upheld the law of God and did not eat the king’s food. We are in desperate need of Christians who will not conform to the world around them, Christians who will stand up for what they know is right and be men and women of purpose.

Daniel was a man of principle.

Daniel was faced with numerous opportunities to blend in to the world he lived in. Three times he faced huge obstacles in his life. As we have already spoken, Daniel had to refuse to eat the king’s food and drink his wine. Once he had to refuse to accept the gifts the king wanted to give him for interpreting the dream. Another time Daniel had to rebel against the law of the king because the law would not allow him to pray. We need Christians today who will have principles like Daniel. We need Christians who are committed, who have drawn their line in
the sand and will not cross it.

Daniel was a man of purity.

Daniel was a man who had purity in all aspects of his life. He conducted himself in such a way that his opponents could not find anything to accuse him of doing (Dan. 6:1-4). This purity helped him to rise to positions of power and great responsibility. His reasoning for being pure in all that he done was related to his purpose and principles. He would not let his feelings lead him down a path to displeasing God. As Christians we must have the same purity in our lives (1 Tim. 4:12; Titus 2:6-8; Titus 2:9-10). It doesn’t matter if it’s sexual purity, business purity, and moral purity. It should all be important to the child of God.

Daniel was a man of prayer.

The thing that tied all these things together was the fact that Daniel was a man of prayer. It didn’t matter what others thought or did, Daniel prayed. He knelt in prayer, he prayed often, he prayed to give thanks even in the midst of turmoil, and he prayed by habit. Daniel learned to pray often when he was young (Dan. 6:10). We need to teach our children by our example and words that prayer is an important part of being a child of God. If we look at our own life, can we not see that the times that went well were the times when we prayed often?

These lessons are important for any Christian to learn. It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old, new or experienced at being a Christian. Learning to be a person of purpose, principle, purity, and prayer will aid your life and will help you find eternity.

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