From richardthetford at bresnan.net Sun Apr 1 15:23:21 2007 From: richardthetford at bresnan.net (Richard Thetford) Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2007 14:23:21 -0600 Subject: [Biblemat] Walking in the Light (4/1/07) Message-ID: Walking in the Light "For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light." "The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple." "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another...." (Psalm 36:9; 119:130; 1 John 1:7a) April 1, 2007 www.thetfordcountry.com --- INFORMATION: My WEB Site www.thetfordcountry.com has just been updated to include the articles and sermons listed below. All the sermons posted each week to my web site are in .pdf format. The PowerPoint charts are also included with ALL the sermons that are posted to the web site. To access the sermons page, visit the site and click on "Richard's Page" and then click on "sermons." Please visit the "Reference Works" links page for updated links to various Bible study resources. If you are a newcomer to the area or wanting information concerning the Valley church of Christ here in Grand Junction, Colorado, then click on the Valley church of Christ Web Site, www.valleychurchofchrist.net. Thank you for visiting my web site and as always, your comments are welcome. If you know of someone that would like to receive the "Walking in the Light" electronic bulletin each week, please send an e-mail message to Richard at Thetfordcountry.com with their name and e-mail address and I will add them to the list. --- CONTENTS: "The Conversion of Saul" (Richard Thetford) "The Journey of Life" (Richard Thetford) "What Name Do You Proudly Wear?" (Richard Thetford) --- THE CONVERSION OF SAUL Richard Thetford The book of Acts chapters 9 and 22 tell us of the conversion of Saul, known later as the apostle Paul. By learning about Saul and his conversion we can learn what we must do in order to be a Christian. What kind of man was Saul? When he was talking to young Timothy and explaining that Jesus came into the world to save sinners he added: "of whom I am chief" (1 Tim 1:15). He clearly admitted that he was beyond a doubt a sinner before God. Before we can be converted to the Lord, we must first recognize as Saul did that we are a sinner (Rom 3:23). Saul knew he was a sinner even though he came from a very good ancestry (Phil 3:5), and had a great education (Acts 22:3). So just because we might have a wonderful family background and a great education, that alone can't save us. No matter how well known our family is and no matter how much college and other schools we have attended and completed, we still must acknowledge we are in sin and need God. What Was Saul's Great Sin? But what was Saul's great sin that moved him to tell Timothy that he was chief among sinners? He explains in Acts 22:4 that he was involved in persecuting Christians. There it says: "I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women." He felt bad that he had delivered Christians up to be killed and thrown into prison. He did this, but he did this ignorantly. He told Timothy "although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief" (1 Tim 1:13). Saul's mistake was in regard to religion, he thought that he was right, but in fact he was very wrong. In Acts 26:9 he said: "Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities." Paul later admitted before anyone that would listen that he was wrong in what he did. He further stated that when he was doing these things contrary to God's will that "I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers" (Gal 1:14). And all the time that he was zealously persecuting Christians he did so in all GOOD CONSCIENCE (Acts 24:16). What can we learn from Saul's great sin? We should learn that a person may think he is right, be zealous, have a good conscience and yet still be WRONG! Until we are willing to open up the Word of God and read what we MUST do in order to be saved, with an honest and open heart, then we too might very well be guilty of doing sin, yet in good conscience. Remember "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom 10:17). We will never know what it is that we are SUPPOSED to do if we do not read it. We can never gain Bible faith, if we don't read it! Saul Becomes an Apostle and a Christian Let's take a moment to carefully distinguish between the things that made Paul an apostle and the things that made him a Christian. The things that transpired in Acts 22:6-9 is what allowed Paul to call himself an apostle. The text says: "Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? So I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting. And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me." In this reading we can understand that Jesus appeared specifically to Paul (verse 9), not to any other. He understands and explains that this event happened because he was chosen to be a "witness" for Christ. The scripture says: "Then he said, 'The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard" (Acts 22:14-15). Saul became a Christian when he OBEYED the voice of the Lord. In Acts 9:6 it says: "So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" And the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." Why did the Lord tell Saul to go to Damascus and see a man named Ananias? Because that work had been committed into the hands of men. Why was it that Ananias did not tell him to believe? Because Saul was already a believer at this point. Why didn't Ananias tell Saul to repent? Because he was already penitent. So what was it then that Saul was told to do? In Acts 22:16 it says: "And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." Saul was not saved, was not a Christian, until he was baptized into Christ (Gal 3:27). That is the only way his sins could be washed away. The very same way that the sins were washed away (forgiven) on the day of Pentecost when Peter preached the first sermon. At that time Peter commanded the people: "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). We can learn a valuable lesson from Saul. When he learned the truth - he OBEYED and was baptized. Have you learned the truth, OBEYED, and been baptized? Tomorrow may be too late! --- THE JOURNEY OF LIFE Richard Thetford In Numbers 10:29 it says: "...We are journeying unto the place of which the LORD said, I will give it you: come thou with us,...". Our journey through life commences at baptism (Col 3:1-2). It continues by going on toward perfection. The Hebrew writer says: "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God," (Heb 6:1). We should strive to be perfect as our father is perfect (Matt 5:48). Our journey of life will terminate at death. And the only way that we can receive the crown of life is to faithful unto death (Rev 2:10). But before we die we must use the Holy Bible as our guide book. It is the Bible that directs our way (Psa 119:5); it is the lamp to our feet (Psa 119:105). The place in which we are headed is toward the land of rest (Heb 4:1,11), which is the city of God (Heb 11:10; Rev 21:10). We should be excited as we journey toward heaven, to the point that we want others to go there also (Rom 10:1; John 6:37). Make sure your journey of life is pointed toward heaven! --- WHAT NAME DO YOU PROUDLY WEAR? Richard Thetford There is only one name that Christ and His gospel gave us permission to wear and that name is "Christian". The apostle Paul exhorted us to wear that name with honor: "if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf" (1 Pet 4:16). Yet many wear the name of their denomination. Let us notice some famous past quotations: Albert Barnes Presbyterian Commentator: "These religious divisions should be merged into the holy name Christian". Martin Luther German Leader of the Protestant Reformation: "I pray you leave my name alone. Do not call yourselves Lutherans, but Christians. Christ died for you." Charles H. Spurgeon English Baptist Preacher: "I say of the Baptist name, let it perish, but let Christ's name last forever. I look forward with pleasure to the day when there will not be a Baptist living." John Wesley English Evangelical Preacher, founder of Methodism; the Methodist Church: "I wish the name Methodist might never be mentioned again, but lost in eternal oblivion." Luke, the writer of Acts: said: "And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch" (Acts 11:26). WHAT NAME DO YOU PROUDLY WEAR? --- SERMONS THAT HE MIGHT PRESERVE US ALIVE (with PowerPoint Charts) Sermons can viewed at my web site: www.thetfordcountry.com --- Valley CHURCH OF CHRIST Meets at: 491 Sparn Street Grand Junction, CO 81504 (970) 245-5112 www.valleychurchofchrist.net ASSEMBLY SCHEDULE SUNDAY Bible Study..................9:45 A.M. Morning Worship.......10:45 A.M. Evening Worship.........5:00 P.M. WEDNESDAY Bible Study..................7:00 P.M. Evangelist Richard Thetford Building: (970) 245-5112 Home: (970) 314-7261 E-Mail: Richard at Thetfordcountry.com Web Site: www.thetfordcountry.com --- Richard Thetford E-Mail: Richard at Thetfordcountry.com 1918 Barberry Court, Grand Junction, CO 81506 Home: (970) 314-7261 Please visit my web site: www.thetfordcountry.com Evangelist, Valley church of Christ www.valleychurchofchrist.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070401/72e72162/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 154 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070401/72e72162/attachment-0002.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 5253 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070401/72e72162/attachment-0003.gif From GLClair at aol.com Sun Apr 1 06:55:17 2007 From: GLClair at aol.com (GLClair at aol.com) Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2007 07:55:17 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] ARTICLE - "Farming" Message-ID: FARMING Living in Ohio is a wonderful opportunity to see large and small farms and to observe the way that the farmers till the earth as well as sow and reap the harvest. Perhaps nothing in the world illustrates the nature of sowing and reaping as well as the act of farming in America. Some of the most productive farming in the world takes place in the mid-west region of America [i.e. including Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and other states]. In God?s Book [i.e. the Bible], there are many illustrations that refer to farming and agriculture in general, a few of them follow in our study today: 1. JESUS TEACHES A LESSON ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF A SOWER OF GOOD SEED AND THE EVENTS THAT BEFALL THE SEED IN A VARIETY OF PLACES, ?THE SOWER WENT FORTH TO SOW:? Matt 13:3-8, ?3 And he spake to them many things in parables, saying, Behold, the sower went forth to sow; 4 and as he sowed, some (seeds) fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured them: 5 and others fell upon the rocky places, where they had not much earth: and straightway they sprang up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6 and when the sun was risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 And others fell upon the thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked them: 8 and others fell upon the good ground, and yielded fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.? ASV RESULTS, ?JESUS ALSO GIVES THE ANSWER TO THE INQUIRERER?S QUESTION:? Matt 13:18-23, ?18 Hear then ye the parable of the sower. 19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, (then) cometh the evil (one), and snatcheth away that which hath been sown in his heart. This is he that was sown by the way side. 20 And he that was sown upon the rocky places, this is he that heareth the word, and straightway with joy receiveth it; 21 yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while; and when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway he stumbleth. 22 And he that was sown among the thorns, this is he that heareth the word; and the care of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 23 And he that was sown upon the good ground, this is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; who verily beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.? ASV 2. THE APOSTLE PAUL USES THE CONCEPT OF SOWING AND REAPING IN 2 CORINTHIANS TO TEACH A LESSON ON THE SUBJECT OF BENEVOLENCE: 2 Cor 9:8-11, ?8 And God is able to make all grace abound unto you; that ye, having always all sufficiency in everything, may abound unto every good work: 9 as it is written, He hath scattered abroad, he hath given to the poor; His righteousness abideth for ever. 10 And he that supplieth seed to the sower and bread for food, shall supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness: 11 ye being enriched in everything unto all liberality, which worketh through us thanksgiving to God.? 3. PAUL USES THE FIGURE OF AN OX WORKING FOR THE FARMER TO SHOW THAT THE ELDERS AND OTHERS WHO LABOR IN THE WORK OF GOD OUGHT TO BE CARED FOR BY THEIR OWNERS [i.e. those for whom they labor]. 1 Tim 5:17-18, ?17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching. 18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. And, The laborer is worthy of his hire.? ASV 4. IN THE PARABLE OF THE WORKERS IN GOD?S VINEYARD, JESUS IS SHOWING THAT WHOSOEVER COMES TO GOD AND LABORS THEIR LIFE IN FAITHFUL SERVICE WILL RECEIVE HEAVEN?S REWARD FOR THEIR SERVICE. THIS INCLUDES THOSE WHO COME TO CHRIST EARLY OR LATER [i.e. in time OR in life]: Matt 20:1-8, ?1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that was a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. 2 And when he had agreed with the laborers for a shilling a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing in the marketplace idle; 4 and to them he said, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh (hour) he went out, and found others standing; and he saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard. 8 And when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the laborers, and pay them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.? ASV THE PARABLE HERE IS SOLVED IN Matt 20:9-16: ?9 And when they came that (were hired) about the eleventh hour, they received every man a shilling. 10 And when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received every man a shilling. 11 And when they received it, they murmured against the householder, 12 saying, These last have spent (but) one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat. 13 But he answered and said to one of them, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a shilling? 14 Take up that which is thine, and go thy way; it is my will to give unto this last, even as unto thee. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? or is thine eye evil, because I am good? 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last.? ASV 5. THE FOLLOWING PARABLE DISCUSSES THE FIG TREE PLANTED IN THE VINEYARD [i.e. the condition of the fig tree represents a disciple?s lack of fruit bearing]. THE LORD SAYS TO CARE FOR IT FOR A WHILE AND TAKE SPECIAL CARE TO SEE THAT IT GETS PROPER ATTENTION BUT IF IT DOES NOT PRODUCE IN THE FUTURE, CUT IT DOWN. Luke 13:6-9, ?6 And he spoke this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit thereon, and found none. 7 And he said unto the vinedresser, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why doth it also cumber the ground? 8 And he answering saith unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 and if it bear fruit thenceforth, (well); but if not, thou shall cut it down.? ASV 6. THE LORD USES A SIMILAR FIGURE WHEN DISCUSSING THE WICKED CONDITION OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES --- Jesus warns them, then predicts their ultimate end if they do not correct their sinful condition: Matt 3:7-8, ?7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said unto them, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance:? ASV JESUS SAYS THEY as if a corrupt tree WOULD BE CUT DOWN and CAST INTO THE FIRE: Matt 3:9-10, ?9 and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10 And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.? ASV 7. THE LORD USES THE NATURE OF THE MUSTARD SEED TO SHOW THE GROWTH OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD [i.e. the church of Christ]: Luke 13:18-19, ?18 He said therefore, unto what the kingdom of God like? And whereunto shall I liken it? 19 It is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his own garden ; and it grew, and became a tree; and the birds of the heaven lodged in the branches thereof.? ASV CONCLUSION: While God could have used many things to illustrate these seven facets of truth I have referred to in this study, he chose to use figures that pertain to farming. We today can learn many good lessons about life and true service to God by looking at the figures that use farming and/or AGRICULTURE in the Bible. Garreth L. Clair March 19, 2007 _glclair at aol.com_ (mailto:glclair at aol.com) ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070401/d4ae099b/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 2268 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070401/d4ae099b/attachment-0001.gif From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Mon Apr 2 05:22:20 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2007 06:22:20 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Monday morning to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. Here is an article from my recent files: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Question: -- Would you please explain 2 Tim. 2:23? What kinds of questions are these, and how do they engender strife? Answer: -- Let us first look at the text and some related pass- ages and find some examples. "But foolish and ignorant questionings refuse, knowing that they gender strife" (2 Tim. 2:23). "Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questionings, rather than a dispensation of God which is in faith" (1 Tim. 1:4). "Refuse profane and old wives' fables. And exercise thy- self unto godliness" (1 Tim. 4:7). "He is puffed up, knowing nothing, but doting about quest- ionings and disputes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, wranglings of men corrupted in mind and bereft of the truth, supposing that godliness is a way of gain" (1 Tim. 6:4,5). "O Timothy, guard that which is committed unto thee, turn- ing away from the profane babblings and oppostions of the knowledge which is falsely so called" (1 tim. 6:20). "But shun profane babblings, for they will proceed further in ungodliness" (2 Tim. 2:16). "But shun foolish questionings, and genealogies, and strifes, and fightings about law; for they are unprofitable and vain" (Ti. 3:9). There are many questions which arise in Bible discussions which would profit little or none, even if we could obtain per- fect knowledge of them. And there are many questions we will never answer in this life: "The secret things belong unto Jehovah our God; but the things that are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law" (Deut. 29:29). God reveals to us, in His Word, what He wants us to know and do, and it is foolish to spend time and create arguments about things that He has not revealed. The time of the second coming of Christ is not revealed, and it is silly to speculate and argue about when and how that event will occur. What happens to one after death is not re- vealed to us; time stops at death. There are no calendars and clocks in eternity. What kind of body we will have is not clearly defined in Scripture, and is thus a foolish and unlearn- ed question. The color of Jesus' eyes, length of His hair, His mode of dress and such things are not revealed, and these are "foolish and unlearned" questions that will not edify but rather divide His people. The Scriptures point out a number of times the folly of dealing with "endless genealogies." This was important to the Jews, and records were kept so that a person could trace his ancestry back to Abraham (Matt. 1:1-17) or even back to Adam (Lk. 3:23-38). But under the New Covenant, such genealogies for us are meaningless. Who your ancestors were is not important, so far as your relationship with God is concerned. Notice again: "Questionings and disputes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, wranglings of men" (1 Tim. 6:5). There is so much of God's plan clearly revealed, it is worse than silly to argue and wrang- le over that which is not revealed. Question: -- Would you please explain "the last days" as found in 2 Tim. 3:1-9? Answer: -- "But know this, that in the last days grievous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, railers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy..." (2 Tim. 3:1,2). The expression "last days" is a term used a number of times in the Scriptures and it refers to "the last era, or last dispensation." We are not left in doubt as to when "the last days" began, for on the day of Pentecost, the inspired apostle Peter used the prophe- cy of Joel 2 and said, "This is that which hath been spoken through the prophet Joel: And it shall be in the last days, saith God..." (Acts 2:16,17). Thus, as Peter announced, the last days began on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ. But how long will the last days endure? Well, if they are really "the last days," there will be no other "days" after them. Thus, "the last days" refer to that period of time from Pente- cost until Jesus returns. Note Heb. 2:1,2, "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son." Just as God in the days of Israel spoke throu-gh Moses and other prophets, in "these last days" He speaks through His Son, Jesus Christ. And what is described as to conditions listed in 2 Tim. 3:1-9, these conditions would exist in the last days. And we can look around at society and see these conditions today. ------ Clem Thurman in Gospel Minutes, Vol. 56, No. 11, Mar. 16, 2007. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070402/cb7a2cee/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Mon Apr 2 05:22:31 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2007 06:22:31 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) THE WORTHY WOMAN Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is a study from my files. Use to the glory of God. THE WORTHY WOMAN, BEYOND CHARM AND BEAUTY The moral of Aesop's fable, The Dog and the Shadow, reminds us of how easy it is to grasp at the shadow and lose the substance. How many wives and mothers have fallen prey to the temptation is unknown. A wife trades her marria- ge (substance) for the illusory morsel of forbidden love (shad- ow); a mom loses her children (substance) to the lure of a prestigious career (shadow); or a mother sacrifices her family (substance) on the altar of busyness (shadow) -- and her family comes in a distant second. In his book of wisdom, Solomon observes a contrast between one who grasps the substance versus one who merely chases shadows. Is there a more maligned section of Scripture than Prov. 31 and Solomon's description of the "worthy woman"? Have you ever seriously contemplated the essence of her worthin- ess? Take a moment and wander with me through the grand finale of God's book of wisdom... Her Value Before God: -- The passage begins and ends with a description of her worth (vss. 10,29). This lady is rare. The quality that makes her so valuable is her respect for God (vs. 30). The Lord is #1 in her life and because her priorities are fixed on her relationship above, her relationships below are blessed. To my sisters in Christ -- do you respect and love Him more than anything or anyone else? Do you read you Bible daily? And pray daily? And set a godly example daily in front of your family? Are you holding onto the substance of a God- led life or are yu merely chasing after shadows? Her Value Before Her Husband: -- "The heart of her husband trusts in her..." (vs. 11a). His trust in her is not because they always agree and see eye to eye on every issue, but because he trusts her heart. "She does him good and not evil..." (vs. 12a). That's not true of every wife. This woman, however, is worthy before God because she works to bring out the best in her man. Here is a soul-searching question: Do you? Look for his good points, compliment his manhood, and let him know you are proud of his accomplishments, or do you focus only on his faults? Talk to other women in positive terms about your husband or use every chance to "take your shot" and lace your langua- ge with sarcasms? And because she praises him, he praises her! (vs. 28b). Parents who want their children to grow up in a happy home must first set the example (1 Pet. 3:7). Little eyes are watch- ing the way we treat each other. Her Value Before Her Children: -- More than her industrious- ness, I am impressed by the attitude of the Prov. 31 woman -- "she works with her hands in delight." The word means "will- ingly." Some women resent their work in the home. They may do their work by (like an immature teenager) they make sure everyone knows how much they resent it. Not God's lady. She not only works, she "delights" in her work. The verses that follow reveal her inner character -- vs. 14 -- she plans ahead and makes wise purchase decis- ions. vs. 15 -- she rises early and maximizes the use of her time. vs. 16 -- she is prudent in the use of money. vs. 17 -- she is a woman of strength. vs. 18 -- she is hospitable and opens her home to others. vs. 19 -- she sees that her family is well-clothed. vs. 20 -- she looks to the needs of others. vs. 21 -- she has the vision to plan ahead. vs, 22 -- she is no hag in a sack dress but has class and dignity. vs. 23 -- she raises awareness of her husband among his friends. vs. 24 -- she finds a way to supplement the family income. vs. 25 -- she has a positive attitude about the future. vs. 26 -- she is known by others for her wisdom and kind- ness. vs. 27 -- she is devoted to her family. Is it any wonder the result? "Her children rise up and bless her..." You set this kind of example before your family and, more times than not, the results will be the same in your family. Before you push aside the passage as unrealistic, think about the ways you do resemble her. Does your family eat well? Do they have appropriate clothing for the seasons? Do you save money for your family? Do you live in a comfortable and clean home? Are your children learning valuable lessons about life from your wise and kind words? Don't underestim- ate yourself or sell short your impact on your home. I bet you have more in common with the Prov. 31 woman than you realize. Ladies, rather than chasing the shadows, please focus on the substance. Your contribution to the family is invaluable. Gentlemen, praise her! Teach your children to praise her by setting the example. And do it now! Thank you -- to all the worthy wives and mothers among us... ---- Wilson Adams in Biblical Insights, Vol. 6, No. 10, Oct. 2006. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070402/d8e857cd/attachment-0001.html From GLClair at aol.com Mon Apr 2 06:30:19 2007 From: GLClair at aol.com (GLClair at aol.com) Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2007 07:30:19 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] HILLIARD BULLETIN for April 2007 Message-ID: HILLIARD BULLETIN Published by the church of Christ 4840 Cemetery Road ? P.O. Box 96 Hillard, Ohio 43026 Phone: (614) 876-4089 Editor: Garreth L. Clair Phone: (614) 850-7252 Email: _glclair at aol.co_ (mailto:glclair at aol.co) ============================================================================ Volume 9 Number 4 April 2007 ============================================================================ ? DECISIONS ? [Editorial] The problem often faced by worldly people is ?what do I do next?? Indeed, this is last resort for people who have followed the Devil all their life and suddenly find themselves in a predicament where they do not know where to go or what to say. The person who follows the worldly crowd will probably find themselves involved in, unlawful activities [i.e. drug use or selling of illegal drugs, prostitution, lying, cheating, gambling, adultery, thefts, robbery, and etc.]. Many people at this point in life have been apprehended by the local, county, state, or federal authorities and will soon face a jury on criminal charges. This is for many worldly people the first time they have given any serious thought to the decisions that brought them to this juncture in life. Yet, may such people realize at this bad time in their life that everything has gotten as bad as it can get, ?What can I do now? Where can I go? How did I get here? ? The truth of their situation is simple, they made bad decisions and choose to follow through on those decisions. This is their root problem; they chose to do those things over a period of time that led them into deeper and deeper trouble with the lawful authorities due to their choice to break established laws. Whenever people make decisions based upon their free will to do so, they must ultimately face the consequence for their decisions. When a person has violated the laws of man and God they are surely headed toward a day of accounting for their decisions. It is true, that every decision that one makes, either good or bad carries with it the ultimate day of retribution [i.e. facing the music or being accountable]. There has never been a time in man?s existence when he was at liberty to escape retribution for his deeds. The first man and woman [i.e. Adam and Eve ? Genesis 3:1-24] were not immune from accountability to God ?s law and subsequent humankind has had the same problem. Apparently mankind has an inclination to make wrong decisions based upon their innate ability to choose, this does not mean that mankind is somehow born evil or totally corrupt at birth as our Calvinist friends suggest. Since mankind does have this free will facility to choose either good or bad with everything in life, why does mankind so often choose to turn away from compliance to established law? We are at a loss generally to answer the why of man?s ability to choose to violate man and God?s laws more often than to accept them and abide therein. One of the problems that face everyone is the frailty of the human condition; man is possessed of a body and mind that requires constant care in both physical and mental preservation. If we fail to care for our body it will not serve us well very long and if we fail to be conscious of our mental choices we will descend into shame and degradation. There is simply only one realistic decision that man must make in life, that decision ought to be made early in life yet some do not make the decision until they have created a wreck of their life. That decision is to pursue the truths revealed in God?s Book [i.e. the Bible]. God has informed mankind via Jeremiah 10:23, ?O Jehovah, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.? ASV ? From this passage of Holy Scripture we recognize that man?s condition may be unfathomable to him yet if he will pursue the wisdom from God via the Bible, God?s plan for his life can be understood and followed. God?s plan for man is summed up in the New Testament, in several references: Acts 2:37-40, ?37 Now when they heard (this,) they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do? 38 And Peter (said) unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, (even) as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him. 40 And with many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, save yourselves from this crooked generation.? ASV Hebrews 5:8-9, ?8 though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered; 9 and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation;? A Eph 3:17-21, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fullness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 unto him (be) the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever. Amen.? ASV Acts 2:47, ?47 praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to them day by day those that were saved.? ASV CONCLUSION: Remember this; whenever man makes the decision to proceed in life without God? s direction he will surely live a life of unlawful and unscriptural activities. Often those that live a worldly life are self destructive, bringing upon themselves many sorrows. But the person who turns to God for instruction and chooses to follow God?s instruction will surely be a credit to mankind and to God through righteous action and manner of life. The true Christian may live a life that encourages other people to live righteous lives as well. The Bible teaches us that true Christians are ?the light of the world? and ?the salt of the earth.? [Matthew 5:13-16]Consequently one is wise who makes a decision to faithfully serve God throughout their whole life, cf. Romans 12:1-2. February 7, 2007 --- _glclair at aol.com_ (mailto:glclair at aol.com) or _glclair at sbcglobal.net_ (mailto:glclair at sbcglobal.net) PROBLEMS OF YOUTH [Editor] There is no time like the time of youth in the lifetime of the Christian; each Christian ought to extend themselves in an effort to grow in knowledge and wisdom in God's service. Some of the wise thoughts revealed via the Written Word encourage young people to get started in service to God early and grow with deliberation and patience, submitting to the wise instruction of the hoary headed ones, according to God's instructions. Please note the following: I. SEEK GOD EARLY IN LIFE - Ecclesiastes 12:1: "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come, And the years draw near when you say, "I have no pleasure in them" NKJV. Proverbs 20:29, "The glory of young men is their strength, And the splendor of old men is their gray head" NKJV. COMMENTS: The wise man, Solomon, surely knew of the benefits of early commitment to God. God can use the strength and enthusiasm of the young, youth is the most expedient time in life for the individual to commit to God's service. Dedication to the principles of righteousness early in ones life does not guarantee accuracy in thought or action, but the young are adaptable, they are susceptible to change, they are willing to learn. The willingness of the young to learn will surely enable many of them to mature in soundness and fidelity to the faith. II. THE APOSTLE PAUL'S INSTRUCTION TO YOUNG TIMOTHY - 2 Timothy 2:14-26: 14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity." 20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. 22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. 24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will" NKJV. COMMENTS: Several items of instruction are directed to the young, also to others: ? Not to strive about words to no profit - verse 14 ? Seek God's approval in thought and action - verse 15. ? Correctly, apply the teaching from God - verse 15 ? Shun profane and idle babblings - verse 16. ? Be confident, the Lord knows you are faithful - Verse 19. ? Know this, everyone who claims to be worthy are not necessarily so, some are of clay value not of gold or silver value - verse 20. ? Some are valuable to God in His ? service - verse 21. ? Do not allow your youthful passions to lead you astray, maintain faithfulness - verse 22. ? Avoid foolish and ignorant disputes - verse 23. ? Do not become involved in quarrels with others - verse 24. ? Confront those that are in opposition to God's teaching in a kind way, seeking their restoration - verse 25. CONSIDER THIS: These instructions are worthy admonitions to all Christians, yet in this context Paul is dealing with Timothy and his work as a teacher and faithful young Christian. Young people (both male and female) consider the instruction and gauge your lives according to sound instruction, instruction like these revealed to us in 2 Timothy. III. HEED THE WISE INSTRUCTION FROM RELIABLE AND FAITHFUL MEN: 1. AGE AND EXPERIENCE ARE A VALUABLE SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR THE YOUNG CHRISTIAN: ? Leviticus 19:32, 32 'You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the LORD" NKJV. ? Proverbs 16:31, 31 The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, If it is found in the way of righteousness" ? 2 Timothy 2:2, 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. NKJV FOLLOW WISE COUNCIL 2. INSTRUCTION FOR GROWTH FROM THE APOSTLE PAUL TO THE GROWING CHRISTIAN: ? Romans 16:17-19, Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. 18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. 19 For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil" NKJV. ? 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" ? 2 Corinthians 10:12, 12 For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise" NKJV. IV. THE WHOLE OF MAN (Including the young) - Ecclesiastes 12:9-14: 9 And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and set in order many proverbs. 10 The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and what was written was upright -- words of truth. 11 The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd. 12 And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books, there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh. 13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is, man's all. 14 For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, Whether good or evil" CONSIDER THIS: The instructions given by God that we have discussed, have been presented to encourage the young (both young men and young women), to consider well God's instructions. The editor, while writing this article has considered himself while young, middle aged, and growing older. The thoughts are best digested by the individual while they are young for a number of reasons, as we have noted: 1. Young people have sharp minds and are able to adjust their affections and commitments as they are shown the reasonableness of God's requirements on their lives. 2. The physical stamina contributes to the endurance of our young people (i.e., teachers, preachers, and young Christian ladies), as the young Christian exhibits their dedication and resolve to continue in the "narrow way" - cf., Matthew 7:13-14, "The Narrow Way" (Also - Luke 13:24): "> Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. > Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it" NKJV. CONSIDER THIS: It is difficult to understand the different level of participation, continuation in difficult tasks, interaction with other faithful ones outside the assemblies, and generally laboring in the work of the Lord for the young preacher verses the older preacher. It may be difficult for the young person to visualize this matter but age makes a difference in strength and stamina for service in God's vineyard. We understand that this is so after we have attained to an advanced age but while we are still young we do not dwell very much on the realities of this subject, "age" verses the "strength of youth." For the young Christians, we encourage continued faithfulness and untiring dedication and untiring service in the Lord's work. Always be steadfast in faithful service standing always for the 'TRUTH." There will come a time in your future, when "? the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, "I have no pleasure in them" NKJV - (Ecclesiastes 12:1b). February 13, 2007 _glclair at aol.com_ (mailto:glclair at aol.com) ------------------------------------------- The Great Misunderstanding [Editor] Introduction: Many people today do not think that it makes any difference to God whether one is a Protestant, Catholic, Buddhist, Moslem, Mormon, Hindu, Jehovah?s Witness, Witch, Voodoo believer, or any other kind of religious person, so long as you are honest and sincere. Such an open-minded approach to religion would be ok if there were no standard by which all religions were graded. You see, there is a standard by which all existing religions are graded, that standard is God ?s Standard [i.e. the Bible ? the 66 Books ? Genesis ?Revelation]. I would be the first to agree that many religious people are members of their particular religion because of honest convictions and sincere allegiance. Even though this is true of most religious people, honesty and sincerity does not exempt them from compliance to the existing standard, the Bible. The Bible is a Book that has been inspired {i.e. ?God breathed? information} so that mankind might have a book of true standards that will always be the same for everyone, forever. Consequently, every person in all ages from the recorded beginning of the New Covenant [cf. Acts 2:1-47], have been amenable to this document and its contents. Who then, can be saved and go to heaven? Salvation from sin is one of the great accomplishments of God?s Son, Jesus Christ. We can see from [John 3:16, ?For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.? and Hebrews 5:8-9, ?8 though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered; 9 and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation;? ASV] that this is a correct commentary on God?s plan for mankind. This plan of God was not designed for only a few people, it was designed for everyone ho has lived on the earth since it became effective [i.e. Acts 2]. For this cause, mankind today ought to submit to the plan that God has so graciously made available to all of us regardless of race or national origin. We can see from appealing to the Bible that God?s plan for man?s salvation is offered to the whole of mankind, cf. Matthew 28:18-20, ?18 And Jesus came to them and spoke unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: 20 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.? ASV Acts 2:38-40, ?38 And Peter (said) unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.39 For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, (even) as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him.40 And with many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, Save yourselves from this crooked generation.? ASV FAITHFUL means many things to many people, yet one facet to faithfulness to God is being in worship regularly> Are you a faithful member of the church OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDY - 2007 104 opportunities to study God?s Word during preaching each Sunday 52 opportunities to participate in Bible study on Sunday at 6:00 PM 52 opportunities to participate in Bible study on Wednesday night at 7:30 PM 16 times each year to hear the gospel proclaimed during 2 gospel meetings --- NOTE, our gospel meeting dates elsewhere in this issue. 12 opportunities to read and study the monthly bulletin articles Tracts to read, study, and give to prospects 2 Free Bible correspondence courses by mail for you or to enroll your friends and interested contacts Free Bible video checkout or view here at the meeting-house Free audio-cassette tapes on a variety of subjects to take home or hear and study with your Bible here at the building In home Bible studies for anyone who wants to study the Bible in a private setting at home or here at the meeting-house at your request. These [i.e. above] are available to you Week after week, month after month, Year after year, --- Indeed, 24 ? 7. If you do not have a Bible and cannot get one let us know, we will provide you with a Bible ?FREE?. FOR BIBLE STUDYS Contact: Editor (614) 850-7252 ----------------------------------- Working Continually The work here never ends, those of us that MAKE UP THE CHURCH HERE ARE ALWAYS BUSY DOING God?s work. There is always something that I [we] can do to promote and encourage other people to seek, live, and pursue righteousness continually, 24/7. ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070402/18f1d306/attachment-0001.html From kerux at bellsouth.net Mon Apr 2 13:44:35 2007 From: kerux at bellsouth.net (kerux) Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2007 14:44:35 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] A>Easter-An Important Religious Day (Kent Heaton) Message-ID: <002701c77556$f6454300$5401a8c0@kentpc> Easter - An Important Religious Day (Kent Heaton) Easter is from the name of an old Teutonic goddess of Spring. Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary defines Easter as "an annual church celebration commemorating Christ's resurrection. Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon that falls on or next after the vernal equinox." A church sign read, "Easter is about Christ and not a bunny." Plans are made for early morning services and sermons speaking of the resurrection of Christ created. Easter Sunday is an important religious day. With all the attention given to Easter and the celebration of the resurrection of Christ, one would be led to believe that there is a lot said in the Bible about the celebration of Easter. Easter is an important religious day with men but never a word is given in the Bible about its celebration. The King James Version of the Bible uses the word Easter in Acts 12:4 but scholars agree this is a misuse of the original Greek word. The word in Acts 12:4 is 'pascha' and used twenty-seven times in the New Testament; each time referring to the "passover." The New Testament disciples never celebrated Easter. They did celebrate the resurrection of Christ - every first day of the week. Being a religious day does not suggest that it is approved of the Lord. The pattern of worship for the child of God must come from the only authority given to man - the Bible. Like its religious cousin, Christmas, Easter is a derivation of man's creation. Albert Barnes writes, "There never was a more absurd or unhappy translation . the original has no reference to that, nor is there the slightest evidence that any such festival was observed at the time when this book was written. The translation is not only unhappy, as it does not convey at all the meaning of the original, but because it may contribute to foster an opinion that such a festival was observed in the time of the apostles" (Commentary notes on Acts 12:4). Why can men not see that it matters whether the Bible says anything about the type of worship they engage in? Many will rebuff criticism of Easter as prejudice or unholy but the defenders of Easter will never be able to establish the authority for such a practice from the Bible. Easter has never been a day given by God to celebrate anything about Christ. Again, like Christmas, those who celebrate Easter as a religious day celebrate an ordinance of the Roman Catholic Church. The celebration of Christ's resurrection was practiced by the early Christians. "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it; and he gave to the disciples, and said, 'Take, eat; this is my body.' And he took a cup, and gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, 'Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many unto remission of sins. But I say unto you, I shall not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom" (Matthew 26:26-29). Luke writes in Acts 20:7, "And upon the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread." The church at Corinth was given explicit directions by Paul to remember the death, burial and resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:20-34). The Trenton Church of Christ will celebrate the resurrection of Christ each first day of the week as the church has done for nearly 2,000 years in accordance with a Biblical pattern. There is authority for this celebration. There is no authority for Easter. Kent Heaton 207 NE Fourth Avenue Trenton, Florida 32693 (Home) 352-463-6916 (Office) 352-463-3793 (Cell) 352-283-3889 kerux at bellsouth.net www.trentonchurchofchrist.com www.northfloridabiblecamp.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070402/6aeb31fc/attachment.html From donmcclain at sbcglobal.net Mon Apr 2 14:09:43 2007 From: donmcclain at sbcglobal.net (Don Mcclain) Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2007 14:09:43 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] New Online Radio Broadcast References: Message-ID: <019d01c7755a$7c8a8df0$0201a8c0@DESKTOP> Don McClain here - We are now LIVE on the internet with our call in radio program - "SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH!!" This is "A Live Call in" Program Each Weekday Afternoon 4:00-5:00 PM CST Listen Live On The Web!!! http://www.kmtl760am.com/ KMTL 760 AM is the station in Little Rock AR - Call - (501) 835-1554 Listen To Archived Programs on the Web: http://w65stchurchofchrist.org/Radio_Page.htm Searching for the truth is a broadcast sponsored by the 65th church of Christ in Little Rock Arkansas Sincerely, Don McClain "The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained." --George Washington Don McClain 65th Street church of Christ 7115 West 65th Street Little Rock AR 72219 donmcclain at sbcglobal.net http://w65stchurchofchrist.org/Home_page.htm AIM: tel: mobile: Skype ID: SkypeIn #: 501-568-1062 501-749-6928 Add me to your address book... Want a signature like this? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070402/46ff6ea9/attachment.html From disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Mon Apr 2 15:22:42 2007 From: disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com (Ethan R. Longhenry) Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2007 16:22:42 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] S:> Why Israel Failed: They Adapted God's Commands Message-ID: http://www.deusvitae.com/faith/outlines/index.html Why Israel Failed: They Adapted God's Commands I. Introduction A. Recognition of Israel's failure 1. Israel in the flesh, overall, a failure 2. They did not keep their obligation in the covenant 3. God first punished them, exiled them, and then entirely destroyed their religious system in 70CE (cf. Matthew 24:1-36) 4. Parable of the Vineyard shows what happens (Matthew 21:33-44, Mark 12:1-11)-- original occupants (Israel) removed, new inhabitants (Christians) enter 5. Failure of Israel due to many reasons together-- perhaps a few failures could be endured, but the combination caused downfall 6. Nevertheless, we can learn from each instance of failure B. 1 Corinthians 10:6 1. Failure of Israel is designed to be a lesson for us 2. We must learn so that we may not fall into the same temptations! C. Many failures can be listed 1. In the wilderness, Egypt never left them 2. When conquering the land, they did not fully conquer 3. They did what was right in their own eyes 4. They rejected God's form of government E. Let us continue to examine failures of Israel II. The Kings A. One of the great failures of Israel was the rejection of God's form of government and the establishment of kings (1 Samuel 8) 1. As opposed to being directly governed by God, the people now had the intermediary of the king 2. If the king followed God, well and good... 3. ...but what if the king did not? B. The kings, being men, did disobey God and His direct commands at times 1. Saul did not thoroughly destroy the Amalekites, despite God's command (1 Samuel 15) 2. David committed adultery with Bathsheba and killed Uriah the Hittite (2 Samuel 11-12) 3. Solomon married foreign women and served their gods (1 Kings 11) C. They did have to suffer consequences for their misdeeds 1. The kingdom was taken from Saul and would be given to David (1 Samuel 15:26-28) 2. David suffered the loss of the child and some of his other children (2 Samuel 12:9-12) 3. 10 tribes were taken from Solomon and given to another (1 Kings 11:9-12) D. Considering what will come, however, these sins are not nearly that presumptuous and their consequences not as severe III. The Sins of Jeroboam A. The sins of the previous kings are not like the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat B. While the kings before him directly disobeyed God, they at least did not to change His commands! C. Jeroboam was given the ten tribes taken away from Solomon (1 Kings 12:20) 1. This was from God (1 Kings 11:26-39, 12:23-24) 2. Jeroboam, then, was given the authority over the Kingdom of Israel by God Himself D. It is manifest by what he does, however, that he does not really trust in God E. 1 Kings 12:26: "said in his heart" 1. While David also thought to himself, he consulted a prophet and modified his intention when God through the prophet redirected him (1 Chronicles 17) 2. David also thought in honor of God, ashamed that he had a house of cedar and God did not 3. As we will see, however, Jeroboam has no concern about what God wants or expects in his reasoning 4. What Jeroboam is going to do is not from God F. 1 Kings 12:26-27 1. Jeroboam's motivation is concern that the kingdom will return to Rehoboam 2. All the events regarding going up to the Temple 3. A fear understandable in human terms 4. But it shows little trust that God would preserve his kingdom! G. 1 Kings 12:28-31 1. Result: Jeroboam builds two temples, one in Bethel to the south and one to Dan in the north 2. Builds, installs two golden calves to represent YHWH, echoing the golden calf of Exodus 32:1-4 3. God did not command any temples to be built save in Jerusalem, where the Ark remained (1 Kings 9:1-3) 4. God not only did not command Israel to build an image of Him, He expressly forbade it (Exodus 20:3-5) 5. The Israelites in the wilderness committed a great sin by making one (Exodus 32:7-10, 21, 31) 6. Jeroboam did it anyway, incurring sin H. 1 Kings 12:31-33 1. Not content to just change the location and object of worship, Jeroboam makes other changes 2. Priests are installed of other tribes than Levi, against the command of God (Numbers 3:12) 3. The Feast of Tabernacles, which God had established on the fifteenth day of the seventh month (Leviticus 23:34), Jeroboam moves to the fifteenth day of the eighth month 4. On that day he himself, an Ephraimite (1 Kings 11:26), goes up and offers sacrifice on the altar he made! IV. Consequences A. Jeroboam faced consequences for his actions B. The eventual destruction of the Kingdom of Israel and the altars Jeroboam built are prophesied (1 Kings 13:1-3) C. His own son Abijah died of illness, and the destruction of Jeroboam's house was prophesied (1 Kings 14:1-20) D. Nadab the son of Jeroboam rules two years and is brought down by Baasha, who also destroys the whole house of Jeroboam as predicted by the prophets (1 Kings 15:25-31) E. The temples remain, however, and every king of Israel is said to "walk in the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat who made Israel sin" F. The Israelites are cast into exile because of following in this sin (2 Kings 17:21-23) G. Nothing good, then, and much evil came from Jeroboam's deeds! V. Application A. We have seen how the sins of Jeroboam were severe and long-lasting, and their consequences were severe and long-lasting B. We ought not walk in them! C. We must not, as Jeroboam did, reason in our own minds without faith! 1. Proverbs 14:10: the way that seems right to man is death! 2. James 1:5-8: need to not doubt God but to have faith 3. If we reason in our minds and do not trust that God is on our side, we will end up reasoning ourselves into sin! D. We must not think that we can change God's commands and be fine! 1. How many times have people made small modifications to God's plan and assume that all is well? 2. Jeroboam did not change everything-- he added a couple more places, put in a statue, opened up the priesthood, changed a date 3. Such are little compared to many of the changes we see around us! 4. How often is it tempting to try to mentally modify a command because it is inconvenient to us? 5. How often do we try to minimize the value of a command to justify not doing it? 6. Do we really think we will avoid the same fate as Jeroboam and Israel? E. Just because a belief system calls itself right does not make it right! 1. Remember: Jeroboam made two golden calves and called them YHWH! 2. If you asked Jeroboam, he would say that he believed that YHWH was God; in fact, he might have said that YHWH was the only God! 3. They would consider themselves just as much following YHWH as Judah to the south! 4. Nevertheless, God did not see it that way! 5. How many today would claim and profess to be Christians but do not do everything God says as God says to do it (cf. 1 John 2:4-6)? 6. Do we think that we can change the Lord's Supper from Sunday to Saturday, or add instrumental music, or some other such thing, and still be fine in God's eyes? 7. Consider what Jeroboam did and the consequences of it! F. Just because something has been done for years does not make it right! 1. Jeroboam's calves stayed in place for about 200 years 2. The Kingdom of Israel always went to those temples and worshiped those statues 3. Was it somehow more right under Jeroboam II than Jeroboam I? 4. By no means! 5. Likewise, just because a given practice has been done in churches or by people for a long period of time does not make the practice right! VI. Conclusion A. We have seen that the path of the apostasy and exile of the Kingdom of Israel was paved by Jeroboam the son of Nebat 1. For political purposes he changed the location and object of worship 2. He also modified the priesthood and a festival 3. For this he was condemned with his whole house and nation B. Let us not walk in the same path! C. Let us make sure that we are following God's will as God has established it, and that we are not modifying it D. Let us obey Him as He has decreed E. Songbook/invitation Ethan R. Longhenry/ disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Evangelist, church of Christ in Norwalk, Ohio (http://www.norwalkchurch.org) Website: http://www.deusvitae.com AIM: Deus Vitae / ICQ#: 28317056 MSN Messenger ID: deusvitae at hotmail.com Yahoo! Messenger ID: discipuliiesus Subscribe to Good News for Norwalk! goodnewsfornorwalk-subscribe at norwalkchurch.org From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Tue Apr 3 12:05:56 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2007 13:05:56 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) HE DIDN'T FIT THE PICTURE Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Tuesday morning to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. Here is an article from my recent files: HE DIDN'T FIT THE PICTURE The First Century Jew was one who was completely aware of the prophesies concerning the coming Messiah. The "Law and the Prophets" were constantly being read in the public places. He would have undoubtedly been longing for the com- ing of the Messiah, the Savior of the world. With this in mind, it seems paradoxical that when Jesus came fulfilling all proph- esies concerning the Messiah, that many Jewish people miss- ed it or refused to accept Him. Why is that? One of the reasons that stands out is that Jesus did not fit the "mental picture" they had of the Messiah. They had certain ideas and wishes of the Messiah that were not script- tural. For instance, the apostles were constantly looking for an earthly kingdom. This is evident at times such as when they had scruples over who would be the greatest in His king- dom (Mk. 8:35-45). Some may have been looking for the Mes- siah to make some "spectacular entrance," be more concern- ed with worldly things, or to overthrow their current rulers. Whatever the case was, He did not fit their preconceived men- tal images to they would not accept Him. Many have the same problem today with His church that the Jews had with Jesus 2000 years ago. In spite of the Bible's descriptions of and instruction for the church, they have other preconceived desires for its organization, worship practices, and work. They seem to want its organization to be more complicated, fulfilling man's desire for offices within it. They want worship services to come across more spectac- ular, entertaining man's desires. They also want the church's work to go beyone the bounds that the Lord established so that it would appear that they are doing much more "good." Men go against the Lord's Will when through their pride they insist on these "improvements." Paul writes to Timothy and says, "...for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away form the truth, and be turned aside to fables..." (2 Tim. 4:3,4). It does not matter how efficient it seems to make the church run, how entertaining it makes the services, or how much work seems to get done, if it is not done according to the Word of God, it is not scriptural and must be stopped. One cannot perform certain "religious" practices because they sound good or satisfy any desire one might have. There has been a great flow of people into the "Modern Mega Church Movement" as some have deemed it. These are churches that teach only what people want to hear. They build great structures that focus on entertaining man and feeding their stomachs. Their organization is complex with many offices and names not found in the Bible. People flock to these churches because they find them to be "fun and ex- citing." One does not have to ponder the situations very long to figure out why they are so large. (They fulfill the desires of the flesh, JWS). This is the picture that many people paint in their minds of the church, even though the oen the Bible paints is nothing like it. The church that Jesus built was not designed to enter- tain or feed, in fact it was condemned at one point for this (1 Cor. 11:17-22). The church that Jesus built preached Jesus and drew in people with His gospel. Those who obeyed His Will were added by the Lord to the church, not to some com- plex organization. Those people in turn went out and preach- ed Jesus (Acts 11:19-26). The "power of God unto salvation" has never been such things that much of the modern religi- ous practices endorse, but it is rather the "gospel of Christ" (Rom. 1:16). What a blessing it is when people put their pride and desires aside and are satisfied with enjoying serving God the way He has established. ------ Aaron Beard via Gospel Power, Vol. 14, No. 12, Mar. 25, 2007. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070403/04da9974/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Tue Apr 3 12:06:13 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2007 13:06:13 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) ANSWERING FALSE CHARGES Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is a study from my files. Use to the glory of God. ANSWERING FALSE CHARGES During the lifetime of Jesus on earth, there were many accusations made against Him. The Lord was accused of associating with sinners (Matt. 9:11), being from the wrong city (Jno. 1:46), being the servant of Satan (Matt. 12:24), blas- phemy (Matt. 26:65), of choosing "unlearned and ignorant men" to be His apostles (Acts 4:13) and of being a threat to Caesar and even a threat to God! Some of the accusations may seem to be frivolous to us, but they were serious to those who made them. Jesus lived a perfect life. The God of heaven said of Him, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matt. 17:5). And although He lived in the same kind of world we do, with all of the pressures and temptations, He did it without sin: "Tempted in all points, like as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15). If the Son of God, while living a perfect life, was the target of "serious" accusations, how can we escape, as we live our mistake-filled lives? False accusations have often been made against those seeking to serve the Lord. And it is no different today. (Jesus said that the world would hate and persecute us as it hated and persecuted Him, JWS). Why are false accusations made against those who are serving Christ? Jesus told the disciples, "If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you" (Jno. 15:19). In fact, He warns us against becoming "too cozy" with the world: "Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for in the same manner did their fathers to the false prophets" (Lk. 6:26). And those who follow the false prophets are surely the enemies of God. The apostle Paul later echoed this caution in Gal. 1:10, "If I yet pleased men, I would not be the servant of Christ." Acc- usations will be made, in every generation, in every land. Some may have a small measure of truth in them, but they will be made only for the purpose of tearing down Christ and His cause. And such charges are now being made against the church of the Lord. "You Teach People To Violate The Law": -- As a "new sect among the Jews" (as many Jews supposed), the early church had to be extremely careful about the customs and laws of both the Jews and the Gentiles. Yet, when Paul preached in Philippi, opposition arose. And the first charge against the church was: "These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, and set forth customs which it is not lawful for us to receive, or to observe, being Romans" (Acts 16:20,21). This charge was false, for the apostle Paul was, himself, a Roman citizen (Acts 16:37). There was nothing in the gospel of Christ that would cause one to rebel against established law. Yet, in the next city where Paul's missionary group preached, the charge is made again: "They that have turned the world upside down are come hither also" (Acts 17:6). Because the "community leaders" could not refute the apostle's teaching, they leveled false charges to stir up the people against them. Some today make a similar charge, that "churches of Christ don't believe you have to obey the laws of the land." Friend, that is just not true. Jesus taught clearly that we owe our first loyalty to God, but that should not interfere with our subjection to civil government: "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's (Matt. 22:21)" There need be no conflict between the two, un- less man makes laws that seek to prevent our service to God in which case, "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5: 29). Jesus obeyed the Roman law and taught His disciples to do so. That even included paying taxes to a corrupt gover- nment. Christians are to obey the law -- not just the ones we like, but all of them. The Scripture says, "Let every soul be in sub- jection to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God Therefore he that resisteth the power, withstandeth the ordin- ance of God" (Rom. 13:1,2). The apostle Peter makes it simp- le for us: "Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake" (1 Pet. 2;13). The child of God, because he is a Christian, should set the right example for all men by obey- ing the law. "You Don't Believe The Old Testament":-- The Jews accused Christ and His disciples of failing to "keep the traditions of the fathers" (Matt. 15:2). When Paul preached Christ in Ephe- sus, the Jews charged, "This man persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law" (Acts 18:13). The Roman magistrate Gallio, refused to hear the case because it dealt only with Jew- ish law. But the charge is often made today, "The church of Christ doesn't beleive the Old Testament." it was a false char- ge 2000 years ago, and it is still false today. Jesus answered the temptation of the devil by saying, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that pro- ceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4). The New Testa- ment says of the Old Testament writings, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that through patience and through comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope" (Rom. 15:4). Again, "All Scripture is giv- en by inspiration of God" (2 Tim. 3:16). That includes the Old Testament Scriptures too! Those Scriptures are just as true today as they ever were. The real question is not, "Do you believe the Old Testament?" but "Do the commands of the Old Testament apply to mankind today?" Some pick a command or example from the Old Testament and say, "You don't believe that!" And they are often correct. But who believes that all of the commands in the Old Testa- ment Scriptures apply to us today? Shall we build an ark of gopherwood, as Noah was told to do (Gen. 6)? Shall we offer our firstborn son as a burnt-offering, as Abraham was told to do (Gen. 22)? Shall we keep the Sabbath, with its laws of no work, no fire, no travel more than 3/4 of a mile, and the death penalty for all violators (Exo. 31:14-17)? Now, I don't know anyone who contends that all of these are for us today. Then which ones are? God tells us clearly: "For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law...Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, That I will make a new coven- ant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah... And for this cause He is the Mediator of a new covenant, that a death having taken place for the redemption of the trans- gressions that were under the first covenant, they that have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritan- ce" (Heb. 7:12; 8:8; 9:15). And again, "He taketh away the first, that He might establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Heb. 10:9,10). It is plainly stated that the first (old) testament was taken away in order that the second (new) could be established. The apostle Paul wrote of the Old Testament, and gave a reason for the death of Christ on the cross: "You, I say, did He make alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses; having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and He hath taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross" (Col. 2:13,14). When Christ died on the cross, the Old Testament, as a gover- ning law, died with Him. We live and serve God under the New Testament, the "perfect law of liberty" (Jas. 1:25). For those who would go back to the Old Law for rules or authority, we would simply point out what the Scripture says: "Ye are severed from Christ, ye who would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace" (Gal. 5:4). "You Won't Fellowship Other Churches": -- This is not a new charge at all. When Peter and John preached the gospel, they were thought to be "far too narrow" when they said of Jesus, "And in none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). For preaching this, they were told by the Jewish council "not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus" (Acts 4:18). The idea that this "is the only way" would not be tolerated by other relig- ious leaders! When Paul preached, "There is neither Jew nor Greek ...Ye are all one in Christ" (Gal. 3:28), the Jews were offended. The Gentiles reacted in a similar way to the Jews. When Paul came to Athens, "His spirit was provoked within him, as he beheld the city full of idols" (Acts 17:16). And he preached "Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are very re- ligious" (vs. 22). But then he showed that their religion was wrong! And most of them didn't much like it (Acts 17:16,22, 31,32). But Paul was more concerned with truth than with "getting along" with his religious neighbors! Many question today, "Why don't churches of Christ join with other denominations in various works and worship?" The answer is two-fold. First, the church of Christ is NOT a denomination! It was built by Jesus Christ (Matt. 16:18), not by men. It is His body (Eph. 5:23-33), and Christ is the Head and Savior of it (Eph. 5:23). Christ prayed that there would never be any denominations (Jno. 17:20,21). Through Paul, the Lord Jesus tells us: "That ye all speak the same thing and that there are to be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgme- nt...Is Christ divided?" (1 Cor. 1:10-13). The Bible tells us, "Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jd. 3). We are not given a choice about that, and there are some who will not like it. But Jesus never gave His approval to any denominat- ion -- so how can His followers do so? The early Christians were confronted with the problem of dealing "with other faiths," such as Judaism and idolatry. What were they told? "Be not unequally yoked with unbeliev- ers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness? And what con- cord hath Christ with Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? for we are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord" (2 Cor. 6:14-17). Notice that five questions are asked in that passage, and each one contrasts the "one faith" (Eph. 4:5) with a "different faith." And the admonition was (and is): "Come out." Christ did not conform to the pattern of what other religio- us leaders wanted, so that they made all kinds of accusations against Him to try to discredit Him and destroy His influence. The apostles Peter, Paul and other apostles all preached Christ as the only Savior. People were not offered a choice. The apostles showed that salvation was possible only in Christ and by doing His Will. False and prejudicial charges were made against them. And today, when folk seek to do His Will, in His church, wearing His name, and striving to follow only His teaching, the same and similar charges are made against them. You may choose a different course for your life, but I can- not. Regardless of the charges noted above, against Christ and against the church of Christ, my choice is made: "Choose you this day whom ye will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah" (Jos. 24:15). I must serve the Lord Jesus Christ, in His church, and thus bring glory to God (Eph. 3:21). I can do nothing else. ------- Clem Thurman in Gospel Minutes, Vol. 56, No. 9, Mar. 2, 2007. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070403/1e4a74bc/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Wed Apr 4 05:24:35 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2007 06:24:35 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) GOD HAS SPOKEN Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Wednesday morning to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. Here is an article that recently came my way: GOD HAS SPOKEN According toe God's plan of human reproduction, children are conceived and born to a husband and wife, thus, into a family relationship. God never authorized or approved of homosexual relationships, which are an abomination to Him; and He surely would never approve of children being brought up by two men or two women living in that fashion. He plann- ed for children to have a mother and a father in their home (Eph. 6:1-4). From their parents first, children should learn about autho- rity. The fundamental principles of discipline should first be learned in the family from their parents. Children who are properly trained by their parents have the understanding nec- essary to conform to the expectations and highest principles of society. From their parents also children learn to disting- uish between wants and needs. Children have their "want-to's", but parents determine their real need. This discipline will keep them from over-indulgence and from indebtedness and financial woes from which they cannot extricate themsel- ves. In this matter, if parents set an example of over-indulg- ence and fiscal irresponsibility, they lead their children into ruin. Children must obey their parents in the Lord (Eph. 6:1). This necessarily implies both knowledge of God (which they must be taught) and direction and instruction from their par- ents. Did you ever try to obey someone who never gave you assignments or directions? Obedience of children does not stop at the beginning of their teens. They also are to honor their father and their mother (Eph. 6:2). This involves not only obedience but also requiting (repaying) their parents when the parents get old (1 Tim. 5:4). Children are a blessing, a heritage from the Lord (Psa. 127:3-5). They need love, the physical necessities, spiritual guidance, discipline both instructive and corrective, and strong encouragement for the things they achieve so that they can have a proper sense of self-esteem (Rom. 12:3; Ti. 2:7; Prov. 25:6,7; 30:32; Phil. 2:3; 4:13). A great responsibili- ty, which cannot rightly be neglected, is placed upon parents to nurture their children and lead them to be God-fearing and obedient adults. ---------- Gilbert Alexander. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070404/dacaeae2/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Wed Apr 4 05:24:47 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2007 06:24:47 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) THE CHURCH: YOURS, MINE OR THE LORD'S? Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is a study from my files. Use to the glory of God. THE CHURCH: YOURS, MINE OR THE LORD'S? QUESTIONS: -- 1. Isn't it true that the present day church of Christ was begun in the early 1800's by Alexander and Thomas Campbell? 2. Was there any organization of your church from the first to the 18th centuries? 3. On what basis can your ministers claim that salvation can be obtained only through your denomination? 4. My religion and belief is based on the belief that God is good and just, and that we will all be judged on how we live, and not on belonging to a particular denomination. 5. After all, a person cannot help believing what he believes, can he? We deeply appreciate honest questions that we receive. The honest soul, searching for the truth of God, is the prime reason we publish this paper. And we are happy to "give ans- wer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you" (1 Pet. 3:15). We rejoice that a friend has sent you GOSPEL MINUTES, and we are glad you appreciate it and read it with care and interest. We pledge the same hon- esty and care in trying to answer your questions> You mention that you are not a member of any church. We hope before you finish reading this reply to your quest- ions that you will see the value of the church we read about in the Bible. We shall answer your questions by number, and we encourage you to search in your own Bible, "whether these things be so" (Acts 17:11). Answers: -- 1) The "present day church of Christ" is the same as the "olden day church of Christ." If it is different, it is not the church of Christ. That church was begun by the Lord Jesus Christ, as He promised in Matt. 16: 18, "Upon this rock, I will build My church." Notice that He said, "My church." It belongs to Him; that is why it wears His name. The apostle Paul wrote in Rom. 16:16, "The churches of Christ salute you." And 1800 years before the Campbells, Paul told the elders of the church in Ephesus, "Feed the church of the Lord, which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28). That church existed fro 1800 years before the Campbells. Thomas Campbell, and his son, Alexander, deplored the religious division they found in the early 1800's. They began to preach a return to the Bible. Thomas Campbell coined the phrase, "We speak where the Bible speaks, we are silent where the Bible is silent." Both men did great work in point- ing people of many different denominations back to the Bible as authority. But they founded no church, they began no new religion, they set forth no new teaching. Their plea was not for any church begun by man, but for the church we read about in the Scriptures. And that only. I believe that is still a reasonable plea. 2) First, the expression, "your church," is an error. I have no church -- I did not build it, I did not die for it, I am not the Sav- ior of it, and I am not the Head of it. The church belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is His, and that is why it is called "church of Christ." If it were truly my church, it would be proper to call it after my name: "church of Clem Thurman." But it is NOT my church, it is the church of CHRIST. Yes, there was organization from the first to the 18th cen- tury. When Jesus told the parable of the sower, He likened it to the kingdom, then He said, "The seed is the Word of God" (Lk. 8:11). The organization of the church of Christ is not found in men, the practices of men nor the teachings of men. It is found in the Word of God. The apostle Peter wrote "Having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the Word of God, which liveth and abid- eth. For, All flesh is as grass, and all the glory thereof as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower falleth: but the Word of the Lord abideth for ever. And this is the Word of the gospel which was preached unto you" (1 Pet. 1: 23-25). As long as the Word of God endures, the church (and its organization) will endure. And that Word "Abideth forever" 3) Again, let me state that "your ministers" and "your denom- ination" are mistakes. Such terminology suggests that I own them, that I chose them or that I rule them; none of which is true. the church of Christ belongs to Christ --not to me nor any other man. Further, I deny that the church of Christ is a denomination. Christ did not build a denomination, but He did build His church! Every denomination has been built by man and is based on division of those that believe that Jesus is the Christ. Christ deplored division. He stated, "Every kingdom divid- ed against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand" (Matt. 12:25). That is the reason for His prayer for the unity of believers found in Jno. 17:20,21, "Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee that they also may be in us: that the world may beleive that Thou didst send Me." For that unity -- such as He and the Father have -- our Lord prayed. For that unity we must work. Jesus never build even one denomination, let alone 300! He is the Head of the "one body, which is the church" (Eph. 4:4; 1:22,23). Why do we say that salvation is in the church? Why, beloved, because God said it! When 3,000 were baptized on the birthday of the church, the Bible says, "There were added unto them in that day about 3,000 souls...And the Lord added to the church daily, such as were being saved" (Acts2:41,47). Again, in Eph. 5:23, Christ is called "The Savior of the body" (and the church is that body, Eph. 1:22,23). It is not the church that saves, the church IS the saved, and Christ is the Savior. But how can a saved person be outside that which Christ saves?! Friend, there is no salvation in any denominat- ion, no church begun by man can offer salvation. But Christ is the Savior of His church, to which He adds the saved. 4) I agree perfectly with your statement here. God is good and just, and we will be judged by how we live. Belonging to a denomination will not help us to please God. Therefore I steadfastly refuse to be a part of any denomination, and I en- courage all who are in them to leave them. It would be a great advance for the cause of Christ if all denominations were done away. Christ prayed for that, and so do I. Jesus showed that acceptance of Him as Lord involves DOING what He said: "Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doe- th the Will of My Father Who is in heaven" (Matt. 7:21). If we would have salvation, it must be on His terms, accepting His authority, obeying His Will. But when we do that, we will then be in His church! Doing what the Lord Jesus said will not make anyone a member of a denomination, but it will make that one a member of His church. That is what the church of Christ is! Nothing more, nothing less -- simply those who put their trust in Jesus, obey His teaching, are saved by His blood, and are added (by Him) to His church. Really, since the church is the bride of Christ (Eph. 5:22-33), how could anyone accept Christ without accepting the church of Christ? And how could one be part of Christ without being part of the church of Christ? 5) Yes, a person can help what he believes. In Jno. 3:16 we read, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only be- gotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not per- ish, but have eternal life." The Lord also stated in Jno. 8:24, "Except ye believe that I am He, ye shall die in your sins." When God offered us salvation, it was to be accepted "by faith" (Rom. 1:16; 5:1; 10:9,10). If one could not help what he believed, how could a just God offer salvation on the condit- ion of what we believe? When we put our trust in Jesus Christ, we believe what He says. That means we don't follow the "way of our choice," but His Will. We don't select the "church of our choice," but the church of His choice. We don't worship after our desire, but as He directs. That is what faith means. We must believe that He is Lord, and that He has the right to command our obedience. When Jesus sent out the apostles, after His resurrection from the dead, He told them: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned" (Mk. 16:15,16). The apostles, under that commission, began preaching the gospel in the city of Jerus- alem (Lk. 24:46,47; Acts 1:8; 2:1-47). Directed by the Holy Spirit, those apostles preached Jesus to be "both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36). Now, notice what the result was: "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do? And Peter (said) unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins...They then that received his word were baptized: and there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls...And the Lord added to the church daily such as were being saved" (Acts 2:37-41,47). Those 3,000 were members of the church of Christ, but they were not members of any denomination. Friend, why isn't that same thing possible today? We believe that it is. If you put your trust in the same Lord as they did, if you repent and are baptized as they were, will you no be a member of the same church? That is precisely what the church of Christ is: people who have done just what those folk did nearly 2,000 years ago. It was not a denomination then, it is not one now. I have never joined a denomination, but I did just what we read above. I am a member of the church of Christ. I put my trust in Him, I was baptized into Him (Gal. 3:27), and He added me to His church. If you will do that same thing, the same Lord will add you to that same chruch, also. That is the plea of churches of Christ today. Let's go back to the Bible -- for all authority in what we believe and do. And by doing just what they did 2,000 years ago, we will be just what they were 2,000 years ago; members of the church of Christ. That is our prayer for you, because it is God's plan for you. ------ Clem Thurman, first printed in Gospel Minutes of Feb. 6, 1976 and now reprinted in Gospel Minutes, Vol. 56, No. 10, Mar. 9, 2007. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070404/3fe37355/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Thu Apr 5 04:24:43 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2007 05:24:43 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) SEARCHING FOR RUNAWAYS Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Thursday morning to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. Here is an article from my recent files: SEARCHING FOR RUNAWAYS Throughout this country, thousands of children are "on the streets," having left their homes in search of "freedom" from the restraints of parents, teachers, rules and regulations May of them are quite young, celebrating an eleventh or twelf- th birthday "on their own." Parents and friends live in anquish not knowing the whereabouts of these children. Un- sure whether their children are living or dead, these parents and friends endure tremendous agony as they seek them out and bring these children back home. Many of these children leave home because they feel unloved and unwanted. Others run away because they actually are not welcomed at home, for one reason or another. Throughout the kingdom of God, thousands of God's child- ren have turned back into the world, leaving the fold of God in search of "freedom" from God's demands. They are also running from the watchful eye of elders and other members of the family of God. These are spiritual runaways who have disassociated themselves from the body of Christ. It is nothing less than a terrible tragedy that so many mem- bers of the church have gone astray. Like sheep wandering away from the fold, they have placed themselves in great spir- itual danger. Peter declares that a Christian who migrates back into the world is in an ugly predicament. "...The latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteous- ness, than after they have known it to turn from the holy com- mandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: 'The dog returns to his own vomit,' and 'The sow, that had washed to her wallowing in the mire.'" (2 Pet. 2:21,22). The writer of Hebrews explains that those who do not endure, but draw back, do so to the condemnation of their own souls, Heb. 10:26-29. Most every church has members who have "run away" from duty. They no longer attend and if we are not careful, we may even forget they exist. Too often, we fail in our duty to "round up the strays." In some cases, a "runaway" might not even be missed fro quite some time. Even after a year or more, someone may inquire "I wonder what every happened to John and Mary Doe? I never see them at a Bible class or worship service anymore." What a shame! How pitiful when some of the sheep have jumped the fence and we are so busy we don't even take notice! Elders, as shepherds, do have primary responsibility to watch out for souls, Heb. 13:17. But every faithful Christian is charged to "restore" those "over- taken in a fault" (Gal. 6:1). Perhaps a runaway is reading these lines. If so, please know that God still loves and cares for you. So do your bro- thers and sisters in Christ. We all want you to come home and take your place with the family of God. --- Mark White via Gospel Power, Vol. 14, No. 11, Mar. 18, 2007. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070405/95797269/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Thu Apr 5 04:24:51 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2007 05:24:51 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) PETER'S PORTRAIT OF TRUE FEMININITY Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is a study from my files. Use to the glory of God. PETER'S PORTRAIT OF TRUE FEMININITY Nothing is more attractive than the good life of a truly fem- inine human being. She exudes beauty to those who behold her emphasis upon the important things in life. She influenc- es with charm and grace those who witness her love, faith, character, strength, and hope. Peter paints a portrait of the woman of God who adorns herself in the cloting of true femininity (1 Pet. 3:1-6). Behind the figure of thsi beautiful woman, the canvas on one side portrays her husband. How she lives impacts the life or her man. In Peter's illustration, he is not a Christian. Behind the figure to the right are the images of Sarah, Abraham's wife, and other holy women who trusted in God. These "daughters of Sarah" are role models for God's women today (1 Pet. 3:6). Interpretive Elements Of The Portrait: -- When looking at port- raits, too many see no further than the physical image on the canvas. Like insightful art students, we should look deeply into the character of our "Mona Lisa." What do her smile and her eyes tell us? How do we interpret the real beauty of God's woman? She Is Submissive: -- This does not mean that she has no mind of her own, no moral strength, or no real character. It does not mean putting her husband in the place of Christ. It means just the opposite. Women are not inferior in intelligen- ce, in virtue, in spirituality, in giftedness, in personal commit- ment to Jesus in any way...period. They simply have been given a role by God, which calls upon them to recognize the leadership responsibility residing in their husbands. Under- standing that is a virtue and it is beautiful. She Is Chaste: -- She is morally pure. She is faithful to her husband. She does not flirt with others and she does not get involved emotionally in any impure relationship. Her husband can trust in her. She Is Modest: -- She is a person of grace and quiet demeanor. She is not seeking to attract attention to herself and she is not preoccupied with her own outward appearance That does not mean that she is unkempt and doesn't care about her appearance. Such would itself draw the wrong kind of attention to how she is seen by others. But the Lord has never been pleased with women who are loud and demand- ing. He is not happy with women who are engrossed in cloth- ing, physical beauty, and bodily attraction. And He certainly is not pleased by women (young or old) who seek to sexually attract men other than their own husbands. Such is not beau- tiful in any kind of lasting way. Isaiah said, "Instead of a sweet smell there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well-set hair, baldness; instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty" (Isa. 3: 16-26). I promise you that outward beauty alone will not cap- ture the heart of your husband for the rest of his life...or yours! The Impact Of The Portrait: -- We often view lives like we look at magazine photographs of movie stars and "models." "Mod- els" of what? Models of virtue? Models of character? Mod- els of purity? Models of inner beauty? Models of modesty? No! They are no more than mannequins when we look at them in the ways they intended when they posed. In contrast the woman described by Peter successfully accomplishes the great purposes that God created for her in life and becomes a true model! She Helps Her Husband...Spiritually: -- The woman who nags her husband, harshly argues with her husband, and con- stantly preaches to him, never will be the kind of helper intended by God (Gen. 3:18,20). But the faithful wife who keeps her heart pure and gives him the love and respect of a devoted companion will help even the best of men to be better (Prov. 31:23-31). She Becomes Like The Godly Women Of Old Who Have Been Admired Through History: -- Sometimes it may be chall- enging for a woman to submit her life to the direction taken by her husband. As far as I can determine, there is only one time when Sarah was present when God gave Abraham his instructions (Gen. 18:10-15). Yet she loved and trusted her husband, left her home, and followed him to the Promised Land. She Delights Her Maker: -- The gentle and quiet spirit of the godly, feminine woman is the result of her continual trust in God to supply her needs, and God delights in being trusted (1 Pet. 3:5). Could there be a greater reward? I imagine that each of you experiences a mental image when you read Peter's description of "the incorruptible beauty" of "holy women who trust in God." Mine is of a "gentle" yet persuasive, "quiet" yet vibrant, blond and blue eyed lady who has been my companion for more than forty years now and who has influenced my life more than I could ever have imagined possible. Thank You; Lord, for such a wonderful gift and blessing. ------ C.G. "Colly" Caldwell in Biblical Insights, Vol. 6, No. 10, Oct. 2006. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070405/a8862c1b/attachment-0001.html From jwquinn at sbcglobal.net Thu Apr 5 09:07:12 2007 From: jwquinn at sbcglobal.net (Jon W. Quinn) Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2007 09:07:12 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] FW: Expository Files 14.4 - April 2007 Available Message-ID: -----Original Message----- From: Jon W. Quinn [mailto:jwquinn at sbcglobal.net] Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2007 11:46 AM To: Warren E. Berkley; Mars-list Yahoo; ATVG Subject: Expository Files 14.4 - April 2007 Available Our 14th year of publication (1994-2007) Expository Files - April 2007 **Our 160th monthly issue** Expository Files is a monthly electronic journal dedicated to Biblical studies. It is edited by Warren E Berkley and Jon W. Quinn. This effort began with the January, 1994 issue and continues to this day. In addition to the four or so expository articles by different writers in each issue, there are special topical studies. In addition, each issue begins and ends with editorials by the editors. Thanks to our writers and our readers for making Expository Files such a success! ---------------------------------------------------------- Expository Files 14.4; April 2007 Co-edited by Warren E. Berkley and Jon W. Quinn ---------------------------------------------------------- This month's issue contains: Challenging the Atheist The Front Page By Jon W. Quinn Who Is The Lord That I Should Obey His Voice? Exodus 5:1-4 By Jon W. Quinn Pitching Tents Toward Sodom Genesis 13 By Ethan R. Longhenry Love The Brotherhood 1 Peter 2:17 By Warren E. Berkley Certainty Luke. 1:1-4 By Warren E. Berkley The Eternal Nature of God, the Son Special Topic By Jon W. Quinn Plan of Salvation Two Things I Learned From W.R. Jones The Final Page By Warren E. Berkley ---------------------------------------------------------- EF can be found at the following places: http://www.bible.ca/ef/ Every issue; every article; html; arranged by book; topic and/or issue; Search engine http://expositoryfiles.homestead.com/index.html 2004-2006 in html by issue; 1994-2003 in zipped self executable format for IBM http://www.geocities.com/w_berkley/ EF in PDF by issue; Sept 2003 to present ===== Jon W. Quinn jwquinn at sbcglobal.net Bradley Church of Christ Bradley, IL 60915 From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Thu Apr 5 09:30:19 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2007 10:30:19 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] I) THE HUTTO - EL DAREER DEBATE Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. I have just finished posting eight lessons on Islam. I feel assured that you that are interested in more information on this important study will probably want CD's on The Hutto - El Dareer Debate that took place in Birmingham, AL in 1974. It is a very good source of information on the subject of Islam and the counter- teaching from the Bible. The late Hiram Hutto was a very intelligent man and one that was well versed in the Bible. If you would like a set of CD's of this debate, there are 10 CD's of the debate or if you have access to MP3 on your computer you can get the whole debate on one CD. Let me know if you desire CD's of this debate and whether you want the MP3 or regular CD's. I will send them to you free of charge. If you desire to help with the postage and handling you can send a check to me, made out to Jim Sasser, but it is not required. Send me your complete snail-mail address. I will get them into the mail as soon as possible. Brotherly, Jim Sasser. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070405/84d01dd2/attachment.html From kthomas at ntslink.net Thu Apr 5 14:34:19 2007 From: kthomas at ntslink.net (kenneth Thomas) Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2007 14:34:19 -0500 (Central Daylight Time) Subject: [Biblemat] A Question Message-ID: <46154F3B.000006.03296@KENSCOMPUTER> Kenneth E. Thomas here with a question for anyone who wishes to give your understanding of what John means when he says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). The first part of the verse says "He is faithful and just to forgvive us our sins." What does the rest of the verse mean when it says, "and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness?" It is simply said for emphasis? If the Christian has been forgiven hasn't he also been "cleansed of all unrighteousness in the process?" Kenneth E. Thomas Pekin church of Christ 1451 Valle Vista Blvd. Pekin, IL 61554 1 (309) 347-3582 - Office 1 (309) 347-5645 - Home -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070405/8ab50303/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 251 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070405/8ab50303/attachment-0003.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 289 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070405/8ab50303/attachment-0004.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 18861 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070405/8ab50303/attachment-0005.gif From robertwater at gmail.com Thu Apr 5 12:34:23 2007 From: robertwater at gmail.com (Robert Waters) Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2007 12:34:23 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] Web site update Message-ID: The following articles have been added to my web site: *The Theme of 1 Corinthians 7* *Humor: A Great New Exercise* http://www.totalhealth.bz/newadditions.htm Robert Waters -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070405/54bc0e8f/attachment.html From drs4285 at bellsouth.net Fri Apr 6 07:58:54 2007 From: drs4285 at bellsouth.net (Dudley Ross Spears) Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2007 08:58:54 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] A Question References: <46154F3B.000006.03296@KENSCOMPUTER> Message-ID: <002101c7784b$59ada120$6501a8c0@CPQ68892262299> Dudley Ross Spears to Ken Thomas The following is a commentary from the late Robertson L. Whiteside. Especially the last few sentences might help in answering your question. "But 'if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another.' Here is the true basis of fellowship. When fellowship is had on any other grounds, it is not worth the having. When two have the same aims and walk by the same rule, they have fellowship; and two people who have fellowship with God, have fellowship with one another. There could be no fellowship between John and the false teachers, for they walked in the darkness; but there was fellowship between him and all others who walked in the gospel light. And when people walk in the light, not only is there fellowship between them, but they also have the cleansing blood of Christ. This blood cleanses such people from all sin. This would include all those sins of which we may not be conscious. God graciously blots out such sins, as well as those of which we are conscious and of which we repent; and the next three verses of the chapter show that we all sin, whether consciously or unconsciously, and that God is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, if we confess our sins. And that is a blessing for which every sincere disciple of Christ is profoundly thankful." (R.L. Whiteside, Gospel Advocate Annual Lesson Commentary, 1937, page 291.) Hope this might help. Dudley Ross Spears, drs4285 at bellsouth.net Visit the Valley Station church of Christ at www.vscoc.org. Looking for a bulletin article? Check out Bulletin Fodder on our web site. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070406/cf3e7a36/attachment.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Fri Apr 6 04:34:55 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2007 05:34:55 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) GOING SOMEWHERE? Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Friday morn- ing to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. Here is an article from my recent files: GOING SOMEWHERE? The Beatles sang: "He's a real nowhere man; Sitting in his nowhere land; Making all his nowhere plans For nobody. "Doesn't have a point of view; Knows not where he's going to; Isn't he a bit like You and Me?" Is he a bit like you and me? I hope not. Sadly, all too often, this is just like me -- wandering through life without real plans, just taking the days as they come, reacting but never preparing. Most of us want to end up somewhere, but never really define where that somewhere is. This is reminiscent of Alice's encounter with the Cheshire Cat. He pointed out if she didn't care where she went, it didn't matter which direct- ion she took. She explained she wanted to get somewhere. To which the cat responded she was sure to get somewhere as long as she kept walking long enough. When we travel like that, we end up somewhere only to find out we don't want to be there. No doubt, we could talk about life goals with our family or career. More importantly we need to think about eternity. We pretty well know where we want to go, but do we know where we are going? Are we making plans to get us there? Do we have convictions to lead us down the paths of righteo- usness? Or are we sitting in our nowhere land, without points of view, making nowhere plans for nobody? Whenever I read about Lazarus and the rich man in Lk. 16: 19-31, I can't help but think about their lives. The rich man apparently made lots of plans to make money. Lazarus hadn't done that. The rich man had probably made lots of plans to be upwardly mobile. Lazarus hadn't done that. However, Lazarus had clearly made spiritual plans. Though he was a beggar, he had obviously thought about eternity and how to get where he wanted to go. He wanted paradise. He wanted heaven. By God's grace, he made it. Do you think the rich man made plans to go to torment? Had he laid out a course and faithfully walked it in order to go to hell? Of course not. Rather, he didn't plan for heaven. Spiritually, he was a nowhere man, making nowhere plans. He did, however, end up somewhere. Once he go there, it was too late to make better plans. We are going somewhere. Where are you planning to go for eternity? If you are not planning, let me assure you, you will end up somewhere. Then it will be too late to do anything about it. Don't be a nowhere man; be going somewhere. (I hope that somewhere is heaven, JWS). ---- Edwin L. Crozier via Gospel Power, Vol. 14, No. 11, Mar. 18, 2007. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070406/e8a7580b/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Fri Apr 6 04:35:04 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2007 05:35:04 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE CHURCH TODAY Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is a study from my files. Use to the glory of God. THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE CHURCH TODAY Like the early church, Christians of the 21st century face the constant danger of being influenced by the prevailing cul- ture surrounding them. Today that influence manifests itself in a variety of ways, but none more pronounced than the changes regarding women in religion. In her book, Megatren- ds for Women (1992), Patricia Aburdene predicted, "Women will continue to revolutionize the most sexist institution in his- tory: organized religion." Tragically many denominations have already surrendered to such pressure with females com- prising nearly 20% of their "clergy." Even among some chur- ches of Christ you will now find women taking lead roles in mixed assemblies. When delving into this topic it is important to note our opinions are as irrelevant as those of the feminists. If the Bible should give approval to women leading the church, then we should repent and allow them to fulfill the role God intend- ed. If, however, we should find the opposite, then the people of God must resolve to stand firm no matter what societal forces might be exerted. The truth that women are precious in God's sight should be obvious. She is God's creation, not man's invention (Gen. 2:22). The Bible is equally clear that when God looks at a person He doesn't see their race, social status, or their gend- er (Rom. 2:11). While there are numerous differences between the sexes, both male and female are made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26,27) and are perceived by Him to be spiritual equals (Gal. 3:28). Paul also instructs us that "in the Lord" there is to be a mutual dependence (1 Cor. 11:11); that is, in the home or the church men and women are to function as teammates in pursuity of common goals rather than oppon- ents in competition. However, the Bible also makes it unmistakably clear that men and women are not identical when it comes to roles. The divine design fro both home and church is for man to occupy the role of headship and woman the role of submission (1 Cor. 11:3; Eph. 5:22f; 1 Tim. 2:11f). More than any other ele- ment, this is the one that brings out the hostility of the world. And what is the primary reason? The world erroneously be- lieves submission implies inferiority and insignificance. However, to say God has given woman a realm of service within the church that differs from her male counterparts is not to declare her irrelevant or unimportant. On any given team you will find a variety of roles. In football, a lineman's job may not appear as glamorous as that of the quarterback, but let the quarterback try winning a game without him. In baseball, a pitcher's role may be unique, but he will never succeed without his teammate's bats and gloves. The same thing is true within the church. Though a woman's role differs from men, her contributions are absolutely essential to the continued health and growth of the body of Christ. This truth is echoed repeatedly throughout the Bible where we find over 160 women mentioned by name. Addition- ally, there are scores of other references where they remain unnamed or when their presence is clearly implied. The gos- pels reveal how crucial women were to the ministry of Jesus. Mary and Martha opened their home (Lk. 10:38f). Joanna and Susanna contributed financially to the Lord's work (Lk. 8:3). A Samaritan woman boldly told others about Him (Jno. 4:39). When most of the male disciples had fled, numerous female disciples could be found near the cross (Mk. 15:40,41). And it was Mary Magdalene who devotedly came to the tomb early that Sunday morning, discovering it to be empty (Jno. 20:1). The importance of women continued in the early church where we read of the charity of Tabitha (Acts 9:36), the excite- ment of Rhoda as she announced the arrival of Peter at a prayer service (Acts 12:13), and the impressive knowledge of Priscilla (Acts 18:25,26). And while many are quick to accuse Paul of being a chauvinist, as he closes his letter to the church in Rome he mentions 27 people by name, commend- ing each one for their efforts in the kingdom. Sixteen of the 27 are women! Throughout the Bible we read of spiritually minded women who understood that their differing role was not tantamount to insignificance. While we find not one instance where wom- en functioned in a place of spiritual leadership over men, what we do read of are godly ladies who diligently prayed, taught, served, and labored -- sometimes at the risk of their own lives. And godly women can do the same things today! Sisters in Christ, thank you for the tenderness and com- passion you bring to the body of Christ. Thank you for your example of faith and zeal for truth. Thank you for the differ- ent way you have of looking at life and your undying passion for the Savior. Both the Bible and our own experience prove how vital you are to the success of the Lord's work. Don't let the world convince you your role is unimportant! Please don't embrace Satan's lie that says if you can't lead a mixed assembly, then you can't work. Though we men fail to verba- lize it nearly enough, I can assure you we are eternally grate- ful you are on the team! ---- Terry Slack in Biblical Insights, Vol. 6, No. 10, Oct. 2006. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070406/05e9e5ec/attachment-0001.html From jwquinn at sbcglobal.net Fri Apr 6 08:08:28 2007 From: jwquinn at sbcglobal.net (Jon W. Quinn) Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2007 08:08:28 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] Expository Files - April 2007 Available Message-ID: Our 14th year of publication (1994-2007) Expository Files - April 2007 **Our 160th monthly issue** Expository Files is a monthly electronic journal dedicated to Biblical studies. It is edited by Warren E Berkley and Jon W. Quinn. This effort began with the January, 1994 issue and continues to this day. In addition to the four or so expository articles by different writers in each issue, there are special topical studies. In addition, each issue begins and ends with editorials by the editors. Thanks to our writers and our readers for making Expository Files such a success! ---------------------------------------------------------- Expository Files 14.4; April 2007 Co-edited by Warren E. Berkley and Jon W. Quinn ---------------------------------------------------------- This month's issue contains: Challenging the Atheist The Front Page By Jon W. Quinn Who Is The Lord That I Should Obey His Voice? Exodus 5:1-4 By Jon W. Quinn Pitching Tents Toward Sodom Genesis 13 By Ethan R. Longhenry Love The Brotherhood 1 Peter 2:17 By Warren E. Berkley Certainty Luke. 1:1-4 By Warren E. Berkley The Eternal Nature of God, the Son Special Topic By Jon W. Quinn Plan of Salvation Two Things I Learned From W.R. Jones The Final Page By Warren E. Berkley ---------------------------------------------------------- EF can be found at the following places: http://www.bible.ca/ef/ Every issue; every article; html; arranged by book; topic and/or issue; Search engine http://expositoryfiles.homestead.com/index.html 2004-2006 in html by issue; 1994-2003 in zipped self executable format for IBM http://www.geocities.com/w_berkley/ EF in PDF by issue; Sept 2003 to present ===== Jon W. Quinn jwquinn at sbcglobal.net Bradley Church of Christ Bradley, IL 60915 From kthomas at ntslink.net Fri Apr 6 09:11:23 2007 From: kthomas at ntslink.net (kenneth Thomas) Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2007 09:11:23 -0500 (Central Daylight Time) Subject: [Biblemat] Poem, Cleansed From All Past Sin Message-ID: <4616550B.000003.03100@KENSCOMPUTER> "Cleansed From All Past Sins" By Kenneth E. Thomas "Cleansed from all past sins" O how great Once I was lost in sin once I was a reprobate Thank God I am now cleansed in Jesus? blood And soon by His grace I?ll live with Him above! "No silk purse made from a sow?s ear" they say O but Christ made me a "new creature"one day It was the day I believed and repented you see Then upon confession was baptized to be free! He counted me among the saved that day and so I was "added to His church" as others long ago "Born of water and Spirit" kingdom citizens we Yes, He can do for you just what He did for me! A new name let me tell you He also gave to me On that wonderful day of my full conversion The new name is "Christian" don?t you see Too the privilege of prayer was also given me! (Mk 16:15-16; Rom. 6:3-6; Gal. 3:26-29; Jn. 3:3-5; Titus 3:3-5; Acts 2:22-38,40-41, 47; Acts 11:26b; Acts 26:28;1 Cor. 1:10-12; 1 Pet. 4:16; 2 Cor. 5:17-21). Kenneth E. Thomas Pekin church of Christ 1451 Valle Vista Blvd. Pekin, IL 61554 1 (309) 347-3582 - Office 1 (309) 347-5645 - Home -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070406/6a7cac56/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 251 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070406/6a7cac56/attachment-0003.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 289 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070406/6a7cac56/attachment-0004.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 18861 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070406/6a7cac56/attachment-0005.gif From kth