From GLClair at aol.com Sun Jul 1 07:31:09 2007 From: GLClair at aol.com (GLClair at aol.com) Date: Sun, 1 Jul 2007 08:31:09 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] HILLIARD BULLETIN for July 2007 Message-ID: HILLIARD BULLETIN Published by the church of Christ 4840 Cemetery Road ? P.O. Box 96 Hilliard, Ohio 43026 Phone: (614) 876-4089 Preacher and editor: Garreth L. Clair Phone: (614) 850-7252 _glclair at aol.com_ (mailto:glclair at aol.com) ============================================================================== = Volume 9 Number 7 July 2007 ============================================================================== = A QUESTION AND ANSWER DIALOGUE QUESTION: Dear brother Clair, how is it possible for three different opinions about things the Bible teaches in two different groups within the congregation exist? This is what is going on here with the church ? can you give me some idea how to solve this problem. I have not experienced such a condition before. ANSWER: WORKING TOGETHER WITH GOD [No factionalism in the congregation] Garreth L. Clair The great work involved in being a member of the church of Christ is surely on the mind of each child of God continually. One of the passions of brotherhood in Christ is our concern for each other and our continued good mental [i.e. spiritual] health. We must seek to understand and encouraging one another in spiritual things as well as those things that make for healthy and maturing directions as Christians. The Word of God tells us to consider one another to provoke unto love and good works ? Hebrews 10:24-25, ?24 and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works; 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting (one another); and so much the more, as ye see the day drawing nigh.? ASV Good works may be anything authorized by God for the perfecting of the Christian in mind and body both spiritually and materially. Now, I suggest this based on the statement of Christ where he instructs disciples to be conscious of daily food and forgive us of debts as we also forgive other people of their debts, He also tells us to request help to deal with temptations [i.e. from every source ? both spiritually and materially] Matt 6:9-14, ?9 After this manner therefore pray ye. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil (one.) 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.? ASV --- There is ample instruction throughout the New Testament that teaches Christians to interact together for the purpose of strengthening one another and assisting one another to keep walking in the true light of God?s perfect way. Cf. 2 John 9-11, ?9 Whosoever goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God: he that abideth in the teaching, the same hath both the Father and the Son. 10 If any one cometh unto you, and bringeth not this teaching, receive him not into (your) house, and give him no greeting: 11 for he that giveth him greeting partaketh in his evil works.? ASV Since God knows us best, let us interact together in a spirit of love and fellowship together in Him. Christians work best when they work together, not in cliques. Let us always be mindful that we do not allow ourselves to be drawn into competing factions within the church. Nothing but division and factionalism will result from fragmentation of the congregation into competing factions for whatever good or otherwise purpose. Cf. Heb 10:24, ?24 and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works;? ASV 1 John 4:5-11, ?5 They are of the world: therefore speak they (as) of the world, and the world heareth them. 6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he who is not of God heareth us not. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. 7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is begotten of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 Herein was the love of God manifested in us, that God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son (to be) the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.? ASV 1 Peter 3:10-11, ?10 For, He that would love life, And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips that they speak no guile: 11 And let him turn away from evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and pursue it.? ASV James 4:11-17, ?11 Speak not one against another, brethren. He that speaketh against a brother, or judgeth his brother, speaketh against the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judgest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 One (only) is the lawgiver and judge, (even) he who is able to save and to destroy: but who art thou that judgest thy neighbor? 13 Come now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into this city, and spend a year there, and trade, and get gain: 14 whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. What is your life? For ye are a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that. 16 But now ye glory in your vauntings: all such glorying is evil. 17 To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.? ASV Exclude no one who has a cooperative heart to do the will of God. Always dwell together in the ?spirit of unity in the bond of peace? {i.e. Eph 4:3} as a people of God united in a common purpose and hope. Cf. Psalms133:1, ?Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard; that came down upon the skirt of his garments; 3 Like the dew of Hermon, that cometh down upon the mountains of Zion: for there Jehovah commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.? ASV Eph 4:3, ?3 giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Eph 4:13-16, ?13 till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full-grown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: 14 that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; 15 but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, (even) Christ;16 from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together through that which every joint supplieth, according to the working in (due) measure of each several part, maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love.? ASV glclair at aol.com ====================================================== Did you ever feel that some other Christians seem to be able to do everything in the congregation but you cannot do very much? Did you feel uncomfortable because you could not do what someone else could do in God?s service? I am sure there are many faithful disciples in the church who would like to do everything just like some of the other brothers and sisters in Christ but cannot. Should you feel guilty or slighted in some way because you cannot compete with some of the members in the congregation? I am convinced that the Bible tells us that there are different abilities that different people possess. In Matthew 25:15-27, Jesus tells a parable of different people who were given differing amounts of money [i.e. talents], to each one of these they were given something to use in God?s service the individual who had the least hid his ability [i.e. talent] and did not use it. Therefore the Lord condemned him for not using what he had not for having less that the others but because he refused to apply his ability {i.e. 1 talent} where it could prosper his Master {i.e. God}. TEXT of MATTHEW 25:15-27 --- ?15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his several ability; and he went on his journey. 16 Straightway he that received the five talents went and traded with them, and made other five talents. 17 In like manner he also that (received) the two gained other two. 18 But he that received the one went away and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. 19 Now after a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and maketh a reckoning with them. 20 And he that received the five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: lo, I have gained other five talents. 21 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22 And he also that (received) the two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: lo, I have gained other two talents. 23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24 And he also that had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou didst not sow, and gathering where thou didst not scatter; 25 and I was afraid, and went away and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, thou hast thine own. 26 But his lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I did not scatter; 27 thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back mine own with interest.? ASV CONSIDER THIS: When a Christian is doing everything that they know to do to be pleasing to God regardless of their small or large talents, God will be pleased with their effort on His behalf. Everyone is different in useful qualities, therefore when we as an individual use our abilities in such a way to promote Jesus Christ and to glorify the Godhead we have done an acceptable work - Romans 8:28, ?28 And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, (even) to them that are called according to (his) purpose.? ASV Matthew 22:39, ?And a second like (unto it) is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.? ASV James 2:8-9, ?8 Howbeit if ye fulfill the royal law, according to the scripture, Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: 9 but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. ? ASV Whatever abilities that God has blessed us with let us use to His glory and always seek His will in everything that we do both spiritually and materially. There is so much that a Christian can find to do in God?s service that surely every one will be able to find a place where they fit in, a place or an action that will build up themselves and build up the church of which they are a member. ?Let us work the works of God!? HILLIARD BULLETIN FOR July 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/20070701/653f16d2/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 19814 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070701/653f16d2/attachment-0001.jpe From richardthetford at msn.com Sun Jul 1 15:51:57 2007 From: richardthetford at msn.com (Richard Thetford) Date: Sun, 1 Jul 2007 14:51:57 -0600 Subject: [Biblemat] Walking in the Light (7/1/07) 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) July 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 San Juan church of Christ here in Montrose, Colorado, then click on the San Juan church of Christ Web Site at www.sanjuanchurchofchrist.org. 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 Love of Man" (Richard Thetford) "Isn't It A Shame" (Selected) "A Father's Greatest Sermon" (Selected) --- THE LOVE OF MAN Richard Thetford In John 14:21 Jesus says: "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." If we truly love Jesus, then we will keep His commandments, which also shows that we love the Father. In addition to Christ and God the Father, we should love the brotherhood. Peter writes: "Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king" (1 Pet 2:17). Unfortunately some Christians in the church today feel like they can treat their brethren wrongly and still be true to Christ - but God's Word tells us this is not so (1 John 3:14-15). We also have an obligation to love our neighbors and our enemies (Gal 5:14; Matt 5:44). Our love should also extend to loving the truth of God's Word, for without it we cannot be saved. The apostle Paul states: "and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved" (2 Thes 2:10). How Should Man Love? Our love should be a whole-hearted devotion to God. Listen to what Jesus says in Mark 12:30: "And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." There is no doubt that if every Christian exhibited this kind of love for the Lord, then true Christianity would be practiced every day. A clear example of how we should love is recorded in John 13:34: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another". If we will love others, as Christ loved us, then our life will be pleasing to Jesus and to others. I encourage every Christian to read, understand, and apply the passages of Mark 12:30 and John 13:34 to their life every day! Children of God should love sincerely and perfectly as they strive to be like Christ (Rom 12:9; 1 John 3:18; 2 Cor 8:8; 1 John 4:17-18). Why Should Man Love? We should love because Jesus loved us first. "We love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). Do we want to be known by God Himself? In order for God to know us the Bible teaches that we must love Him (1 Cor 8:3). What is it that demonstrates to God that we do love Him? Jesus said: "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). Here we can see that if we really do love God, then we will keep His commandments that He has given to us through His Word, the Bible. It is a foolish thing to say that we love God and at the same time fail to keep His commandments and/or love the brethren. In order for us to have life we must love the brethren and God (1 John 3:14). In John 13:35 Jesus says: "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." We show others that we truly are disciples of Christ when our love for one another is demonstrated. Do you want to go to heaven? Of course you do! We all want to go to heaven but the problem is that many people who say they want to go to heaven do not strive to do the things that God has asked them to do in order to receive the crown of life. Please notice what is recorded in the book of James 1:12: "Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." Once again we see that we will only obtain our heavenly crown when we love Him. I want to encourage all of us to make sure that we truly demonstrate our love for God, Christ, and one another. If we fail to do so, we will forfeit our eternity with God, Christ, and each other! --- ISN'T IT A SHAME Selected 1. Full jails and empty Bible classes. 2. A society that is more concerned with material accumulation than spiritual growth. Things are more important than souls! 3. People with fancy clothes and filthy minds. 4. So-called Christians who must be invited and begged to worship God every week. 5. Street after street of fine houses and miserable homes. 6. Parents who spend thousands of dollars on their children's secular education and complain about contributing to their spiritual well-being. 7. Children who know more about TV programs than about Jesus Christ and God's word. 8. People who spend two, three, or more hours a day watching television yet cannot find time to read and study the world's best book, the Bible. 9. Many who wear the name of Christ and profess to be "Christians" but live like the devil. --- A FATHER'S GREATEST SERMON Selected The farmer and his family, after a hard year of typical farm work, were rewarded with an unusually fine crop of grain. There were happy days ahead. Just a few days before harvest came a terrible wind and hail storm. The entire crop was destroyed! After the storm was over, the farmer, with his wife and little boy at his side, went out to the back porch to view the field and the damage. The little boy looked at what was formerly a beautiful field of wheat, and tearfully looked up at his dad expecting to hear words of despair. All at once his father started to sing softly, "Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee..." Years later, the little boy now grown said, "That was the greatest sermon I have ever heard." The farmer had lost a grain crop, but because of his faith, manifested in great trial, he had gained forever for the Lord the soul of his son. The son saw the faith of a godly man in practice! --- SERMON The Cross of Christ (with PowerPoint Charts) Sermons can viewed at my web site: www.thetfordcountry.com --- Meets at: 2740 Commercial Way, Suite B Montrose, CO 81401 (970) 249-8116 www.sanjuanchurchofchrist.org ASSEMBLY SCHEDULE SUNDAY Bible Study....................10:00 A.M. Worship.........................11:00 A.M. WEDNESDAY Bible Study......................6:30 P.M. Evangelist Richard Thetford (970) 626-5558 E-Mail: Richard at Thetfordcountry.com Web Site: www.thetfordcountry.com --- Richard Thetford E-Mail: Richard at Thetfordcountry.com 1491 Canyon Drive, Ridgway, CO 81432 Home: (970) 626-5558 Please visit my web site: www.thetfordcountry.com Evangelist, San Juan church of Christ www.sanjuanchurchofchrist.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070701/f1b55d9d/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 14927 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070701/f1b55d9d/attachment-0005.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 5253 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070701/f1b55d9d/attachment-0009.gif From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Mon Jul 2 04:00:38 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2007 05:00:38 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY 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 files: CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY Preaching Jesus Christ brings hope! Not just hope of any kind but a hope that is found in the glory of God. The world without Christ has no hope of God's eternal blessing in heav- en. The apostle Paul describes his mission to bring hope to a world lost in sin throughout his writings in the New Testa- ment. The Colossian letter reveals the words of God through Paul offering all people the hope of glory in Jesus Christ (Col. 1:24-29). Paul writes that he became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to him to fulfill the Word of God (vs. 25). He continues to impress the fact that Christ and the hope of glory for all the world was a mystery hidden from ages and generations but now has been made known to His saints (vs. 26). God willed that the Gentiles along with the Jews would learn the riches of the glory of God (vs. 27; Eph. 2:14-18; 3:1-13). Then Paul writes, "Him we preach, warning evey man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in my mightily" (Col. 1: 28,29). A goal is clearly described in these words of God through Paul. The Father wants His Son, Jesus Christ, impri- nted upon the hearts and lives of every man and woman. God wants every disciple to be made complete in His Son. It is apparent that the goal of Christ in you, the hope of glory comes about through the preaching of Jesus Christ. Preaching and teaching Jesus was the work Paul did with God's mighty help. So, hearing the preaching of Christ and obeying that teaching of Christ will accomplish God's work in every man and woman. May God grant us the blessing of Christ in us, the hope of glory! ---------- Ron Drumm. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070702/bc8afca0/attachment.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Mon Jul 2 04:00:46 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2007 05:00:46 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) IS HELL ETERNAL PUNISHMENT? (1) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is a study from my files. Use to the glory of God. IS HELL ETERNAL PUNISHMENT? (1) Some Ignore it. Some Reject it. Some Insist it is Contrary to a Loving God. Some Attempt to Redefine it. The New Testament makes frequent reference to a final, future punishment of the wicked beyond the judgment. In English versions of the Bible this future punishment is referr- ed to as "hell." Many are surprised to learn that Jesus spoke of hell more than anyone else in the New Testament. Notice some of the statements of the Son of God made concerning the final destiny of those who die in their sins: "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matt. 10:28). "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm dies not die, and the fire is not quenched" (Mk. 9:43,44). The subject of eternal punishment is often ignored or re- jected altogether by the world in general and religious people in particular. Many insist that a loving God would never send anyone to such a place as an eternally burning hell, in spite of what the Bible may say on the subject. Others, meanwhile, attempt to redefine hell to make it refer to the idea that God will end the existence of the wicked after death. The belief that the final punishment of the wicked will consist of a cess- ation of their existence is known as "annihilationism" or "con- ditional immortality." As a compromise som have advanced the notion that the wicked will experience misery in hell for a while before being consumed completely so that they cease to exist altogether. The appeal of the concept of annihilation is that it is viewed by many as a much more rational, humane, and acceptable form of punishment when contrasted with the concept of everlasting conscious torment of the wicked. It should be noted, however, that what man views as rational or acceptable does not in any way change what God has decreed. As in all matters of spiritual significance, the question of the nature of hell will be settled by an appeal to the Scriptures, rather than an appeal to human emotion and intellect (2 Tim. 3:16,17; Psa. 119:160; Prov. 14:12). With that in mind, what does the Bible say about hell? Is the future destiny of the wicked eternal conscious punishment, or is it something else? TERMS DEFINED: -- Certain key terms must be defined in order to clearly understand what the Bible teaches concerning hell. These terms relate to the nature, severity, and duration of the final punishment of the wicked. 1. Gehenna: -- The Greek word gehenna is the word trans- lated as "hell," which Jesus employed when making reference to the punishment of the wicked beyond this life (Matt. 5:22, 29,30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15,33; Mk. 9:43-47; Lk. 12:5). Originally this word referred to the detestable Valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem where idolatrous child-sacrifice had been practic- ed (2 Chron. 28:3), and which later became a refuse dump where fires burned continually and worms fed upon the dead bodies of animals and criminals. With these images in mind, by the first century A.D., gehenna became a fitting term to describe the place of eternal punishment of the wicked (Inter- national Standard Bible Encyclopedia, II, 1183). According to Bauer, Arndt, and Gingrich, "In the gospels it is the place of of punishment in the next life" (Greek-English Lexicon, 152). The Scriptures teach that gehenna is eternal (Matt. 18:8; 25: 41), unquenchable fire (Mk. 9:43,48), torment (Matt. 13:42,50). 2. Eternal/Everlasting: -- When Jesus spoke of "everlast- ing punishment" (Matt. 25:46) He used the word aionios, which may refer to that which is: (1) without beginning or end, that which always has been and always will be, (2) with- out beginning, (3) without end, never to cease, everlasting (Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon, 20). It should be obvious that when this word is used in connection with hell it is used in the sense of making reference to that which is without end (Jude7). 3. Destruction: -- The Bible speaks of "everlasting destruc- tion" in association with the punishment of hell (2 Thes. 1:9). Whilse some would like for destruction to mean annihilation and cessation of existence, that is not what the word means. Thayer defines the Greek word olethros as "the loss of a life of blessedness after death, future misery" (448). Vine points out tht the destruction associated with hell is "not the loss of being, but of well-being" (Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, 300). The Bible never associates destruction with passing out of existence. (More will be post- ed on this subject tomorrow, the Lord willing, JWS). -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070702/cfa24f86/attachment.html From dmartinbtbq at comcast.net Mon Jul 2 11:31:11 2007 From: dmartinbtbq at comcast.net (Don Martin) Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2007 10:31:11 -0600 Subject: [Biblemat] Sin, past, present, and future forgiven? (question/answers) Message-ID: <002301c7bcc6$6cd45630$6501a8c0@533034B8A6DF4D9> Don Martin sharing the question/answer that set our new record for the most processed, answered, and followed up on question in the course of a year in our Bible Questions work (4, 688): Hello Rita, Thank you so much for your question and for making use of Bible Questions. Please do so again. http://www.biblequestions.org Please check out Bible Truths http://www.bibletruths.net Go to the archives section of these sites for material and also go to the archives search page and type in any subject or word you wish to explore. New material is constantly being added to both sites. Any help you can give us in telling others of these sites will be greatly appreciated. If you are interested in really learning more about the Bible, there is an online Bible study course located in Bible Truths. While on the home page, scroll down and enter. While on the Map Site Page, click on "Online Bible Study Course" in the table. Click on http://www.bibletruths.net to go there. You asked: "If we are now forgiven, past, present, and future and do we explain such passages as I John 1: 6-9?" Rita, your question is proof that you are a thinking person. If you have read, "Meet Don Martin" in www.bibletruths.net , you know that I have a Baptist background (seminary and ordained to preach). I am, therefore, very familiar with the concept involved in your good question. First John one, verses six through nine are very pertinent to the subject of forgiveness of sin. The passage reads thus: "6: If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The biggest challenge found in the passage to the doctrine of present forgiveness of future sins is observed in verse nine. How can we already have forgiveness of sins, especially unconditional forgiveness, that have not yet been confessed or that are not even now a reality? Second Corinthians 1: 10 is the so called proof verse for the denominational teaching of present forgiveness of future sins. However, Paul is not even discussing sin in the verse and even regarding deliverance from future persecution, Paul anticipates deliverance. The tenet of current forgiveness of yet future sins is a forced doctrine due to the accompanying belief of "once saved, always saved." However, just as the scriptures teach confession as a condition to sin, as seen, the same scriptures teach one can so sin (not confess or repent of the sin) as to be lost or fall from grace (Gal. 5: 4). In short, the Bible does not teach the unconditional present forgiveness of sins not yet committed. Thanks again for your good question and for your interest in spiritual matters. I recommend that you print out this email for future reference (web addresses, etc.). You may print out any material you desire in both Bible Questions and Bible Truths (see the copyright provision at the bottom of the home page in Bible Truths). Cordially, Don Martin From tedwards at onemain.com Mon Jul 2 12:22:23 2007 From: tedwards at onemain.com (tedwards at onemain.com) Date: Mon, 02 Jul 2007 12:22:23 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] B> Gospel Observer 7/1/07 Message-ID: <4688EDFF.11621.E7B4D1@localhost> ____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER ____________________________________________________ "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ July 1, 2007 ____________________________________________________ Contents: 1) Unanswered Prayers (Lewis Willis) 2) The Mystery Revealed (Edward O. Bragwell, Jr.) 3) News & Notes ____________________________________________________ -1- Unanswered Prayers by Lewis Willis When I think of prayer, I think of it as the very essence of the Christian's relationship to God. It is our link of communication with him, as the New Testament is his link of communication with us. I, therefore, regard prayer as a sacred, individual right and privilege. Because of this view of mine, I have always been hesitant to say much about the Christian and his prayers. We must teach what the Bible teaches about prayer, leaving the application of that message to each Christian. I try to do that. Jesus taught that men ought always to pray (Lk. 18:1). Paul said that we should pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). James taught us to pray for one another (Jas. 5:16). In the application of these instructions, there are certain things that we must keep in mind. We must prepare our minds to pray by setting aside worldly cares and concerns. We address the prayer to God who is our Father. We are not praying that our will might be done, but that God's will be done (I Jn. 5:14). We are to pray in faith that God will do as his word says he will do (Jas. 1:6-7). Scriptural prayers are offered with humility, in the name of Christ, that is, by his authority and unto his glory (Jn. 14:13; Col. 3:17). When Paul wrote to Timothy (1 Tim. 2:1), he told him that he should offer supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks for all men. "Supplications" are our requests regarding our needs. "Prayers" are any discourse with God, which would include petitions, praise and thanksgiving. "Intercessions" are our pleas to God on behalf of others. "Thanksgiving" obviously expresses our thanks for the multitude of blessings, both physical and spiritual, which we enjoy in this life. When we offer our prayers, we always want to remember to be thankful for the multitude of blessings God has bestowed upon us. Christians are saved by the grace of God, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and through compliance with the terms and conditions set forth in the New Testament. Someone was concerned enough about us to tell us of the love of God and show us the things that we need to do to be saved. Certainly Christians are thankful for this blessing. But, we are also given great privileges, opportunities and comforts that are physical in their nature and it would be an act of utter ingratitude if we were not thankful for these physical blessings as well. Intercessions, our prayers for others, will include petitions unto God in behalf of many. We intercede for our brethren, our family, our enemies, our rulers, the sick, those who are lost and for elders, deacons and preachers (Phil. 1:9; Matt. 5:44; 1 Tim. 2:2; Rom. 10:1; Jas. 5:13; 2 Thess. 3:1-2). Many prayers are prayers of intercession. I believe in the power of prayer (Jas. 5:16). I, therefore, would encourage and admonish all of God's people to be regular and fervent in prayer. For some reason, God appointed that we should tell him of our petitions for others, and express to him our gratitude. I could reason that, being God, he knows our petitions and our thanksgivings. But my "reasonings" do not constitute the rules governing prayer. Thus, we must simply do what he told us to do -- pray! Something interesting happened the other day. I was listening to the radio and I heard a new song by a country singer. I have thought about a line or two in the song ever since. I doubt that it was his purpose to make it so, but it contained a powerful message. I was so impressed with it that I have planned this article for two weeks. The line said, "Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers." Think about that a moment. Suppose a person prayed for wealth. If he got the wealth in answer to his prayer, would he be able to handle the changes it would work in his life? Have you noted some of the problems people have had who have won great lottery prizes? Some of them are in prison for writing "hot checks." Great temptation would come to the wealthy. Could you keep your faith intact in the face of these temptations? "Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers!" Or, consider the prayers that we offer for people who are very old or sick. We often pray that they would enjoy greater length of life. But, old age and sickness can be a great burden, not just for those who suffer these things, but for their loved ones as well. Suppose a family member is suffering from cancer. He grows weaker daily, and his pain is immense. Not wanting to give up our loved one, we pray that he might live awhile longer. If the prayer is answered, he has more days of weakness and pain. "Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers!" There are times when we think we know best. Based on that assumption, we petition the throne of God for the things we desire. However, we are aware that we certainly do not always know what is best. That God does know is the essence of our trust in him. When we offer our prayers according to his will, we are not only asking as the Bible teaches us to ask, but we are also asking that his will override ours in the provision of what is best. This is the simple process of, in our minds, granting to God his inherent supremacy in deciding what is best for all concerned. Most of us, if honest, will readily confess that his will is better than ours anyway. Our prayers will always reflect that truth. Continue to pray to God. Let him answer your prayers. But, be prepared when he does not answer as you ask. -- Via Guardian of Truth XXXV: 7, pp. 193, 215, April 4, 1991 ____________________________________________________ -2- The Mystery Revealed by Edward O. Bragwell, Jr. I often hear people say that the Bible cannot really be understood. One reason some give is that the Bible is a mystery that no one can understand. As proof, they point to the fact that the Bible sometimes refers to itself as a mystery. Now it is true that in many passages the Bible does characterize the things within it as a "mystery." The question that must be asked is if these things continue to be a mystery. Let's first look at what is meant by the word mystery. A mystery is "something unexplained, unknown, or kept secret" (Webster's New World Dictionary). The Greek word "musterion" (moos-tay-ree-on) which is translated mystery in the New Testament literally means "to shut the mouth" and means "a secret" according to Strong. So the things that are contained in the Scriptures are things that at least at one time God kept His mouth shut about or kept secret. But the question is whether these things are a mystery or secret any longer or has God made His will known to us so that we can understand. A careful consideration of a few Bible passages should give us the answer to this. 1. Rom 16:25-27: "Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith -- to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen." Notice that although the "revelation of the mystery" had been "kept secret since the world began" that Paul says it "now has been made manifest" and "by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations." Does that sound like the things in the Scriptures are still covered up (kept secret) or have they been uncovered (revealed) so that we can know and understand God's will? 2. 1 Cor. 2:7-10: "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: 'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.' But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God." Notice here that Paul said that he and others spoke the "mystery" or "hidden wisdom" of God. But they were able to speak these things because "God has revealed them to us." When the Holy Spirit made known the things of God to Paul and others, it no longer was secret. It is no longer a mystery, but can be known and understood. 3. Eph 1:7-10: "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth -- in Him." We see here again that the "mystery of His will" has been "made known to us." It is no longer kept secret. We can know it and understand it. 4. Eph 3:3-12: "How that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets. To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him." There are several things brought out here. We see that Paul had the "mystery" revealed to him. This mystery had not been revealed in "other ages," but had now been "revealed" or uncovered. Paul wrote down what he received and when we read it we can "understand" what was revealed to him. Also Paul had within his power to "make all see" what was once a "mystery" that had been "hidden in God," but obviously no longer was hidden. God's word is therefore no longer a mystery, but something that has been revealed so that we can understand it. 5. Col 1:24-29: "I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily." Notice again that here the "word of God" is characterized as "the mystery which has been hidden," but "now has been revealed." These passages ought to be enough to convince us that the Bible is not a mystery which cannot be understood by us today. On the contrary, God's will was once a MYSTERY shut up in His mind UNTIL He saw fit to REVEAL it to us by the apostles and prophets, who wrote it down in what we now know as the Bible. We can understand it now. All we have to do is read it and follow it. -- Via The Bulletin of the Church of Christ at New Georgia, April 15, 2007 ____________________________________________________ -3- News & Notes Bob McGregor (Joe's brother), whom we have reported as having cancer, is now undergoing kidney failure. The hospital tried dialysis, but to no avail. It appears that it is just a matter of days for Bob. Please be remembering him and his family and friends in your prayers. ____________________________________________________ MYRTLE STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST 1022 Myrtle Street Denham Springs, LA 70726 (225) 664-8208 Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM Wednesday: 7:00 PM evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520 e-mail: tedwards at onemain.com web site: http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go ____________________________________________________ From kerux at bellsouth.net Mon Jul 2 20:47:59 2007 From: kerux at bellsouth.net (kerux) Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2007 21:47:59 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] A>Congregations Without Elders (Kent Heaton) Message-ID: <003a01c7bd14$2fe12bb0$5401a8c0@kentpc> Congregations Without Elders (Kent Heaton) It is clear that many of the New Testament churches existed for a time without elders. Barnabas and Paul "returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed" (Acts 14:21-23). Titus was left in Crete to "Set in order the things that were wanting, and appoint elders in every city, as I gave thee charge." (Titus 1:5). The Revised Standard Version says, "That you might amend what was defective, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you" (Titus 1:5). A congregation without elders is a New Testament church. It has not come to the full maturity that God intends but it can function within the boundaries of the New Testament pattern of church work, worship and organization. Until such a time elders can be appointed, the church must carry out its work of evangelism, benevolence and discipline as prescribed by God's law. A means to carry out that work is referred to as a "business meeting" and this serves to fulfill the work of the church. This process is a valuable tool to use in the absence of men who would serve as elders. The business meeting must be viewed as a temporary means to grow to full maturity with the oversight of elders. The elders are the ones whom the Holy Spirit has made to be overseers and to care for the church of God purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ (Acts 20:28). They have been entrusted with the watch-care of souls (Hebrews 13:17). The qualities listed in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 are given for the work of elders to carry out the mission of the church. The business meeting - while effective to maintain a decent and orderly working of the church - has not been given those admonitions. One of the most important works that a congregation without elders must include in church work is to grow to the establishment of elders. This must be the constant focus and planning of the brethren. There can be many reasons why this cannot be accomplished in a certain period of time but when a congregation continues to exist year after year without efforts being made to establish an eldership they have failed to mature to the pattern commanded by the Lord in the New Testament. Men must be encouraged to strive to this goal - whether from their youth or their older age. New converts must be shown the pattern to strive for in their lives to fulfill and mature to the role of the elder one day. In existing elderships, men must be challenged to prepare for the future to maintain the eldership. As elderships grow older, other men must fill those shoes. Let these men be of the character the Lord seeks as in the days of Ezekiel when He said, "I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me" (Ezekiel 22:30). We need families who will rise to the challenge of the eldership so that the church of our Lord can mature in spirit and number as found in the pattern of the New Testament church. As we stand for the truth in seeking to be the New Testament church, let us not forget to stand for the truth within our own ranks to obey the commands of Him who gave His life for the church. 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/20070702/bbaf70e8/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Tue Jul 3 05:09:20 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Tue, 3 Jul 2007 06:09:20 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) WHO DO YOU LOVE? 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: WHO DO YOU LOVE? Paul wrote of difficult times in 2 Tim. 3:1-9. Interestingly, he mentions four different loves. There are lovers of self, lovers of money and lovers of pleasure. These are all contras- ted with lovers of God. Which one are we? Our age is one of selfishness. It is all about getting what we want right now. Look at the rising debt our nation contin- ues to have across the board. James demonstrated that Christians can be lovers of self even while they think they are being spiritually minded. In Jas. 4:3, he talked to people who prayed. But their prayers were doing them no good because they were selfish. In Phil. 2:3,4, Paul provides the rule against selfishness. If we are going to be lovers of God, we must put others be- fore ourselves. That means putting our spouses before our- selvesl, our kids, our parents, our friends, our neighbors, our employers, and employees and even our enemies before our- selves. Hand in hand with selfishness is the love of money. We are a money centered society. Power and fame depend on wealth. Just the other day while in a hospital waiting room I saw a magazine entitled Billionaire that is all about the rich people, how they got that way and how we can too. If you don't think our society loves money, look at the num- ber of lottery tickest sold everywhere. And if you don't think Christians are impacted by this misplaced love, look at the number of Christians who have started defending buying those emblems of covetousness. When we love God, we will be content with whatever we have (1 Tim. 6:8-10). Further we need to be generous with the blessings God has given us, sharing and storing up our treasures in heaven (1 Tim. 6:17,18). Finally, is there any doubt we are pleasure driven people? Everything we do seems to be governed by how fun and en- joyable it is. Drinking, drugs, immoral sex and any number of sins come down to people pleasure hunting. But sadly, even those who do not fall prey to these "major" sins are often driven by pleasure. Isn't procrastination merely a means of seeking pleasure, putting off the hard while we spend our time on fun and looking for the easy life? Then consider the number of Christians who think the only way to attract folks to Jesus is if it is fun. Entertainment centered "worship" is the rule of the day as folks try to draw in the crowds by pleasing their flesh. If we are lovers of God, we will mortify the flesh and its lusts, following after the Spirit and His fruit (Rom. 8:13). Who do you love? ------- Edwin L. Crozier via Gospel Power, Vol. 14, No. 21, May 27, 2007. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070703/7c9def05/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Tue Jul 3 05:09:29 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Tue, 3 Jul 2007 06:09:29 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) IS HELL ETERNAL PUNISHMENT? (2) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the second part of this particular study. Use to the glory of God. IS HELL ETERNAL PUNISHMENT? (2) EVERLASTING EXISTENCE IS CERTAIN FOR ALL: -- 1. The righteous and the wicked will continue to consciou- sly exist beyond the grave: -- Far from teaching that the wicked cease to exist at death, the Bible teaches that all men have a future beyond this earthly life. Jesus said that both "those who have done good...and those who have done evil" will be resurrected at the last day (Jno. 5:28,29). The apostle Paul affirmed this same truth, saying, "there will be a resurr- ection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust" (Acts 24: 15). 2. Everlasting existence is common to all men: -- As far as future existence beyond this life is concerned, it makes no difference whether one is righteous or wicked; every person will continue to exist throughout eternity. However, the con- dition of existence for the righteous will be very different from that of the wicked. While the righteous will enjoy per- fect wellbeing in heaven (Matt. 6:19-21), the wicked will exper- ience an ongoing state of misery, far removed from the Lord's blessings (2 Thes. 1:9,10). Thus, the question of the final destiny of mankind is not one of future existence versus nonexistence. Rather the question is over the type of exist- ence which one may anticipate in eternity. HELL IS DESCRIBED AS ETERNAL PUNISHMENT: -- 1. The punishment of hell is of the same duration as the reward of heaven: -- Speaking of sinners in the final judgment Jesus said, "And these will go away into everlasting punish- ment, but the righteous into eternal life" (Matt. 25:46). It should be noted that the terms which modify "punishment" and "life" are identical. Though translated as "everlasting" and "eternal," both English words are translated from the Greek word aionios, indicating that both states are without end. The inescapable conclusion is that if one makes the misery of hell temporary, then he must make the glories of heaven temporary as well. The truth, according to Jesus, is that both states are eternal. The point is that the Lord here presents a contrast between the righteous and the wicked with regard to where each will spend eternity and what each will experience hereafter. The righteous will enjoy an ongoing existence of fullness of life in fellowship with God, while the wicked will endure an ongoing existence of suffering miserab- le punishment without end. 2. The punishment of hell is beyond the grave: -- Some have pointed to Jesus' use of the word gehenna in order to try to prove that He was only referring to the grave when He spoke of hell. However, if one makes gehenna literal rather than symbolic, then we are reduced to having Jesus threaten to throw the dead bodies of all of the wicked of all time into the literal Valley of Hinnom outside Jerusalem as their final punishment, which would reduce His teaching on hell to utter nonsense. The truth is that when Jesus used the word gehe- nna to refer to eternal punishment He was using language that was commonly understood as future punishment beyond the grave by his listeners. According to Dr. Alfred Edersheim, the Jewish Rabbis of Jesus' day rountinely taught that sinners would be tormented in gehenna after death (Death and the Afterlife, Appendix I, 267-271). It would be impossib- le for the punishment of hell to refer to the grave since the wicked will be cast into hell after they have been resurrected from the grave (Jno. 5:28,29); Matt. 10:28). Furthermore, the eternal punishment of hell is far worse than anything one might experience in connection with physical death. Jesus said, "And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell, yes, I say to you, fear Him!" (Lk. 12:4,5). 3. The punishment of hell is worse than non-existence:-- The Bible speaks of those who are dead in sin, being separat- ed from fellowship with God, even while continuing their phys- ical existence on this earth (Eph. 2:1; 1 Tim. 5:6). Likewise, those who are condemned to hell will face eternal death, that is, eternal separation from God. Rather than ceasing to exist the wicked "will have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death" (Rev. 21:8). Those in hell will continue to exist for eternity, but their existence will be one in which they are permanently separated from God. The case of Judas Iscariot is one that illustrates the ongoing misery of hell. Concerning the one who betrayed Him, Jesus said, "It would have been good for that man if he had not been born" (Matt. 26:24). If the future punishment of the wicked were annihilation, then Judas would end up in a state of non-existence just as if he had never been born. But the words of Christ indicate that something far worse than non-existence would await the traitorous apostle. 4. The punishment of hell is everlasting: -- Hell is describ- ed as "the fire that shall never be quenched" (Mk. 9:43), "ever- lasting punishment" (Matt. 25:46), "the everlasting fire prepar- ed for the devil and his angels" (Matt. 25:41), and "everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power" (2 Thes. 1:9). While one may experience periods of misery during his earthly life, those periods cannot compare with the unending misery and torment that awaits the wicked in hell. The Book of Revelation portrays the ruined state of those in hell as providing no consolation or rest from the constant, neverending torment associated with ongoing punishment. With reference to those suffering the punishment of hell, John quotes the angel as saying, "And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night" (Rev. 14:11). There is no break, no rest, and no end involved in the punishment of hell as it is described in the Bible. CONCLUSION: -- The Bible presents the punishment of hell as an utterly hopeless and absolutely miserable state that continues on without end. Unfortunately, the Bible also makes it clear that the majority will spend eternity in such a state. Jesus said, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gatd 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" (Matt. 7:13,14). While there will be no possibility of reversing one's fortunes in eternity, the hope and possibility of spending eternity in heaven is available for those who will believe and obey the gospel of Jesus Christ. As the Lord Himself said, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved: but he who does not beleive will be condemned" (Mk. 16:16). Are you ready for eternity? ----- David Dann in Truth Maga- zine, Vol. 51, No. 5, May 2007. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070703/7f102a72/attachment-0001.html From kthomas at ntslink.net Tue Jul 3 10:33:30 2007 From: kthomas at ntslink.net (kenneth Thomas) Date: Tue, 3 Jul 2007 10:33:30 -0500 (Central Daylight Time) Subject: [Biblemat] The Sin of Omission Message-ID: <468A6C4A.000003.02488@KENSCOMPUTER> To Know Good & Fail To Do It James Says Is Sin (James 4:17)! 1). I know to put the kingdom first. Do I? 2). I know to study daily. Do I? 3). I know to follow Bible Morals. Do I? 4). I know to assembly regularly. Do I? 5). I know not to gossip about others. Do I? 6). I know to dress modestly. Do I? 7). I know to use wholesome words. Do I? 8). I know to give to Christ liberally. Do I? 9). I know not to sin in anger. Do I? 10). I know to follow Jesus' example. Do I? One may be lost for what one doesn't do as well as for what one does (Romans 14:12).kt 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/20070703/e5994cde/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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May God bless you and yours with independence and freedom throughout all of your lives. Here is an article from my files: GOD'S CHILD "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are" (1 Jno. 3:1). What a great privilege it is to be called God's child! Of all things valued, this honor should be esteemed highest. Many would think it grand to be the child of a worldly celebrity, but they apparently think lightly of being children of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Surely, if one believes in the Almighty, he would consider being God's child a treasure indeed. Who is a child of God? He is one who has received the spirit of adoption (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:4-6). But what is involv- ed in receiving the spirit of adoption? One must have heard the Word of Truth in order to believe the gospel (Rom. 10:17). Through faith he must have turned from sins in repentance, confessed his faith in the Christ, and been baptized into Christ, thus being born again (Acts 2:38; Rom. 10:10; Gal. 3: 16,17; 1 Pet. 1:17-23; Jno. 3:3-5). He then must continue to be led by the Spirit of God as that Spirit directs through the Word of God (Rom. 8:14). If one would be acknowledged by God as His child, one must live an obedient life. Acceptable children are obedient children (1 Pet. 1:13-16). One aspect of that obedience is the duty to be a peacemaker (Matt. 5:9). Still another duty is to love one's enemies and pray for them (Matt. 5:43-48; Lk. 6:35) To be accepted as a child of God, one must also do the right- eousness of God (1 Jno. 3:1-10). He must maintain a separat- eness from the corruption of sin (1 Cor. 6:14-18). He must also accept the discipline of God, which He administers to every son He receives (Heb. 12:4-13). As one can see from these Scriptures, being accepted by God as His child is not achieved or maintained without considerable effort and care. Perhaps one can appreciate more the great blessing of being God's child by considering some essentials of this Father-child relationship. The first consideration should be the authority of the Father. God, as Father, has the right to direct the lives of His children. He has done so through the instruction Christ has given. The love of the Father for His children is also evident in the things He had done for the children (1 Jno. 3:1; Heb. 12:6; Eph. 5:1). His provident care makes His children blessed (Matt. 6:7,8,19-34; 7:7-11). He disciplines (instructs, corrects, rebukes) all His children (Heb. 12). Because of God's being such a Father, His children honor Him with reverence and obedience (Heb. 12:9,10,28). They trust Him as an all wise and just Father (Matt. 6:19-34; 1 Pet. 5:7; Heb. 13:5,6). Because they are His children, they have access to Him, to communicate to Him their needs (Jno. 9:31). Finally, this relationship carries with it the blessing of the inheritance -- an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, which does not fade away, reserved in heaven for faithful children of God (Rom. 8:16,17; 1 Pet. 1:3-6). Now, doesn't it appeal to you to be an acceptable child of God? The opportunity is yours; the choice if yours. ---------- Gilbert Alexander. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070704/78ddd310/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Wed Jul 4 05:22:06 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Wed, 4 Jul 2007 06:22:06 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) "FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM" Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is a study from my files. Use to the glory of God. "FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM" "But as it is written: 'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him'" (1 Cor. 2:9). Paul paraphr- ases Isa. 64:4,5 to show the glorious nature of the gospel. In it are revealed things that had not been seen, heard, or imag- ined. Paul does not quote directly form the Isaiah passage but summarizes the meaning of the text to illustrate the point he is addressing in Corinthians. We are generally critical of mod- ern paraphrases when they are put forward as "translations" rather than human summaries of the Biblical text. Works like Good News For Modern Man or the Living Bible are not trans- lations, but paraphrases that express an author's understand- ing of a passage. This is not to say that it is never wrong to paraphrase. No preacher of the gospel can teach without, at some point, summarizing a text in his own words. What is wrong is a paraphrase can sometimes misss (or distort) the truth of a text. In cases when inspired writers paraphrase a text, we can be sure that the summary they put forth is sound accurate and reliable because it is given by the direction of the Spirit of God (2 Pet. 1:20,21). In this example, the Apostle's paraphrase reveals some important things about our service to God. The first part of both the Isaiah and Corinthians passage are very similar. Both speak of what the "ear" and the "eye" have not experien- ced. Where the text diverges is in the phrase "which God has prepared..." The text in Isaiah does not speak of God's prepa- rations, but rather man's need (in the last part of the passa- ge) to be saved. When Isaiah declared, "we need to be saved" -- Paul sees in this declaration God's preparation for our salvation. What is also different in the two passages is the phrase "for those who love Him." The Holy Spirit does not lead Isaiah to use the term "love." Is this an addition on Paul's part? Quite the contrary, for Paul sees what Isaiah sees -- that those who love God will demonstrate that love in four ways: 1. "The One Who Waits For Him." There are different ways that we "wait" for God. As Christians we understand that Jesus will return in judgment and so we "wait" (we make preparation). Additionally, we are called to wait upon Him as we endure temptation and suffering. The ungodly, in their im- patience, turn from God. The Christian, however, recognizes man's inability to direct his own way and thus waits in obed- ience while trusting that God's ways are best. 2. "Him Who Rejoices." A song from the '70s portrayed a confused lover crying out to the one he loved, "That's a strange way to tell me you love me, when your sorrow is all I can see." As a Christian we can carry-on in the same way by grumbling about the things God asks of us. For example, we see opportunities to worship as interruptions in our schedule or we view meditation upon His Word like an unpleasant homework assignment. Yes, we want to go to heaven, but we spend much of our time envying the sins of others. Then we proclaim to be Lord that we "love Him." Paul shows us that love for the Lord means that we live a life of rejoicing. 3. "And Does Righteousness." What a fallacy the religious world has perpetrated in convincing so many that it is poss- ible to "love God" and do wrong! In the time of Malachi, the people (like today) had become spiritually lazy. The animal sacrifices offered were not the best but the sickly and unheal- thy. The Lord asks, "Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you?" (Mal. 1:8). None of us would imag- ine that we can displease our mate, or employer or our friend and hope to convince them of our fidelity to them. God is no different. If we love Him we will do what He tells us is right. 4. "Who Remembers You In Your Ways." The memorial we observe each Sunday is "in remembrance" of Jesus' death for sin. The Lord's Supper is not the only way we are called upon to "remember" Him. Sometimes we must remember Him when we are alone. At such times we must call to mind how God would have us direct our thoughts, occupy our time and maintain a watchful, temperate disposition. Sometimes we ust remember Him when we are surrounded by the world and are tempted to deny Jesus, to be silent when we ought to speak, to speak in ways that we should not, or to behave un- becomingly. Paul suggests tht loving God means that we will remember Him and His ways. He characterizes all of these traits as true of those who love Him. Do you love Him? -------- Kyle Pope in Biblical Insights, Vol. 7, No. 2, Feb. 2007. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070704/96f64e74/attachment-0001.html From kthomas at ntslink.net Wed Jul 4 10:02:58 2007 From: kthomas at ntslink.net (kenneth Thomas) Date: Wed, 4 Jul 2007 10:02:58 -0500 (Central Daylight Time) Subject: [Biblemat] Bible Alphabet Message-ID: <468BB6A2.00000B.03372@KENSCOMPUTER> I know not the author of the following- but thought it should be passed along for possible use/ Ken THE BIBLE ALPHABET A is for ATONEMENT...Jesus died for our sins. B is for BAPTISM...in water we are cleansed. C is for CHURCH...it means we?re called out. D is for DISCIPLE...following Jesus without doubt. E is for ETERNAL...God has no beginning. F is for FORGIVENESS...He pardons sins conditionally. G is for GOSPEL...the good news of salvation. H is for HOPE...we have a sure expectation. I is for INSPIRATION...the Bible is God breathed. J is for JUDGMENT...giving account of that believed. K is for KINGDOM...Jesus rules in our hearts. L is for LORD...a new law He did impart. M is for MEDITATION...thinking of God is nice. N is for NEWNESS...starting over a new life. O is for OBEY...do what God says do. P is for PRAY...talk to Him; He listens. Q is for QUIET...don?t be boisterous or loud. R is for REPENT...when wrong, turn around. S is for SPIRIT... God is Spirit. T is for TRUTH...His Word is true as can be. U is for UNITY...all be one is the plan. V is for VIRTUE...be as good as you can. W is for WISDOM...understanding what is right. X is for XERXES...a Bible king with great might. Y is for YIELD...Submit to Christ?s will. Z is for ZION...in Jerusalem, a hill. Depicts heaven. 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/20070704/8ec5da84/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/20070704/8ec5da84/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/20070704/8ec5da84/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/20070704/8ec5da84/attachment-0005.gif From jwquinn at sbcglobal.net Wed Jul 4 10:38:11 2007 From: jwquinn at sbcglobal.net (Jon W. Quinn) Date: Wed, 4 Jul 2007 10:38:11 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] Expository Files - July 2007 Message-ID: Our 14th year of publication (1994-2007) Expository Files - July 2007 **Our 163rd 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 14.7; July 2007 Co-edited by Warren E. Berkley and Jon W. Quinn ---------------------------------------------------------- This month's issue contains: A Notorious Noise The Front Page By Warren E. Berkley God Is Still God Psalm 88 By Warren E. Berkley A King's Heart 1 Kings 11 By Jay Taylor Snatching Victory From Defeat Philippians 1:12 By Jon W. Quinn The Old and New (1st and 2nd) Covenants Jeremiah 31:31-34 By Dudley Ross Spears Where Are You In The Sermon On The Mount? Topic Page By Warren E. Berkley Plan of Salvation Saul: An Enemy Becomes a Friend The Final Page By Jon W. Quinn ---------------------------------------------------------- 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 2004-2007 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 Wed Jul 4 14:53:41 2007 From: kthomas at ntslink.net (kenneth Thomas) Date: Wed, 4 Jul 2007 14:53:41 -0500 (Central Daylight Time) Subject: [Biblemat] X-SPAM- Poem, Who Is The Lord....? Message-ID: <468BFAC5.000003.03220@KENSCOMPUTER> "Who Is The Lord That I Should Obey His Voice?" By Kenneth E.Thomas This was a statement once made by a Pharaoh Yes, even the Egyptian Pharaoh had a choice! But once that choice was freely exercised by him The consequences would be from God?s own voice! Moses and Aaron plead with the powerful Pharaoh Oh king Pharaoh, "please let God?s people go free!" But Pharaoh scoffed then he said "well who is He?" "I do not know your God and the people I?ll not free!" Many people mimic the Egyptian Pharaoh today Who know not the "one true and living God"! Who stubbornly refuse to listen to His revealed will On about how men are freed from sin they have trod Men are freed from sin-when from the heart they obey; A form of Christ?s DBR they are saved the scriptures say Have you been buried and raised to a new life in Christ? If not, if you believe, repent and confess Christ you may! (Exo. 5:1-4; Mat. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2;38; Acts 3:19; Romans 6:3-6; Colossians 2;11-12; Acts 22:16; Titus 3:3-5; Romans 6:16-18; Galatians 3:26-29). 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/20070704/508d724c/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 18861 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070704/508d724c/attachment-0005.gif From rkkrwolf at knology.net Thu Jul 5 05:26:37 2007 From: rkkrwolf at knology.net (rkkrwolf at knology.net) Date: Thu, 05 Jul 2007 06:26:37 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] H> A request for help from the Wolf Family (long message, sorry) Message-ID: <60643.1183631197@knology.net> July 5th, 2007 Dearest Brethren in Christ, Back a few months ago I wrote to the lists updating you on my medical conditions and the affects of that on my wife and two daughters let alone on me. I will include the last two messages at the bottom of this message for your review. Brethren I write this message with a heavy heart because I need to say a few important things and I also am asking for help. First, after my first message I received only two responses to my message. Both were very encouraging but only one of those responses came from the list while the other was from a brother in Christ directly. I don't know if my message was just too long or if it was thought to be a scam. With the amount of brethren that have responded to my messages over the past years I have a hard time believing the second to be true. One of the reasons I took the time to write that message was because previously many of you wanted to be updated on my condition. Please don?t get me wrong, I know we all have our own lives to deal with and we have different situations that we are involved in but in this situation in which I was asking for many different types of help it seemed that my petitions were left unheard. Brethren, dealing with the illnesses are hard enough but the lack of response to my message was even more burdensome on me and I tell you the truth that is was very depressing. As I said I only had two responses and they were very uplifting and I was and am still thankful for the needs that were supplied both spiritually and physically. The second message was a true cry for help on behalf of my family. My message was clear explaining the toll that is being taken on my wife and two daughters and I included their emails and asked for you to please try to make time to send them a message of encouragement because they are in dire need of it. Once again brethren, a single response to each of the girls was given and it was all done by the same person. These 3 ladies that take such incredible care of me need the love and support from those brothers and sisters in Christ that they should be able to expect. To date it has not come. My disappointment really affected my overall health because I could not understand why this was allowed to happen. I will include their emails again with their names and ages and Brethren I implore you to take less than 5 minutes out of your day and just send a short message encouraging them and letting them know that they are in your prayers. I saw their faces when they received the message they got and it was the some of the greatest lift in their spirit I had seen in a long time. Please brethren renew their joy by sharing with them in the difficulties they are facing and the hope that is before them in the Lord. Since the last message there are new updates. Two weeks ago we received our report from the Review Board of my medical retirement from the Air Force. They have decided to retain me on the same status that I have been on since Aug ?05 which is called the Temporary Disability Retirement List. This means they review my case every 12 months for up to 5 years from the original retirement date. At the end of the 5 years they have to make a permanent decision about my case and assign a disability rating and either decide to give me a permanent medical retirement or a severance package if they score me under 30% disabled. At the current time they are only rating me at 40% because my condition is unstable and that is also the reason they are leaving me on the Temporary Disability Retirement List. (If you are interested or have questions about this I would be happy to respond to them.) As of right now my next review will be July of 2008. Until then all we can do with the Air Force is collect all medical documentation and be ready to defend our case. Financially, this means that we have dropped from the $4200 a month we were making (prior to Aug?05) down to $1200 per month that we have been making since. I have filed a claim with the Veterans Administration. They gave me a rating of 40% and I?m in the process of my 2nd appeal with them. For those who do not know how they work financially, that 40% rating that they pay me gets taken away from my Air Force pension so instead of receiving 40% from both I get $625 from the VA and $588 from the Air Force each month. Once I get a rating that is higher than the Air Force?s I will only receive pay from the VA from that point forward. So that is why we are appealing their last decision of 40% to try and get the % that we deserve and need to survive. If and when that comes through it could and should be as high as $2700 per month. That would be an amazing blessing and a new beginning for our family. I also have filed my paperwork with the Social Security Administration and that is currently under appeal also. My first review came back declined. What we found out was that the Air Force did not send them my complete medical records and they left out the part from where I really began to get sick (April ?04 to present). As of now I have personally made sure that they have those records and copies of everything else that I have. I am awaiting a decision from the appeals judge on my case and I have been told that I should expect for it to take at least a year and that was at the end of April of this year. As for compensation from them, this would get us back out on our own and out of the house of my wife?s dad. Estimated disability payment from them for my whole family could be well above $2000 per month and that money is separate from my retirement and my VA payment. At that point and with everything added together we are talking about a monthly income of $4700 in which we could live on our own and be more than able to support ourselves again. When this will happen is the unknown question. It depends on what they see in all the paperwork and if there is a need for me to once again appeal the decision to get the right amount of benefits. The current ?guessing? outlook is to have all of this worked out within the next 2 years. As I previously mentioned, we are currently living with my wife?s dad and he is covering the housing costs for us leaving our car payment, insurance, medical expenses, family expenses, and assumed debts for us pay along with helping out with groceries and whatever needs there are for the girls education supplies and fees along with clothes. Originally the deal was that he would cover most of all this and also give us $500 at the first of every month. This became a large problem over the past 6 months especially and a lot of the items he had been paying dropped back to us. The other problem was the mental fatigue he was placing on each member of the family by complaining all the time that he could use that money in other places and that it was burden on him as was the whole situation that he volunteered to do. (He is retired on a great pension that is more than 5X what I am taking in, but the problem is that he is not a Christian, nor does he want anything to do with Godly things.) This situation was so bad that instead of just having the check ready we would have to go to him each month and ask for it and most of the time it took days of asking for us to get it and it really made us feel even lower than we already felt. However, the brethren here found out about what was taking place and as of May of this year, they have begun to support us by taking that $500 he was to give us and they are doing it instead. This has helped us so much physically and spiritually because we do not have to ask him anymore and the brethren have been incredible in stepping up to help us out and we are so grateful for their work of love. Not only that but they also helped us to pay off some of the medical debts we were acquiring because of all the medications I have to take and all the co-payments and travel costs not only for me but for my wife and both daughters. (My youngest daughter has a lung disease and is now exhibiting some of the same symptoms that I am facing which means more money out of our pocket.) Brethren, we are being blessed with help financially but are still scrapping bottom and now we are coming up on that start of school again within a month where we are going to need help. We are asking for help brothers and sisters, whatever help that can be given would be greatly appreciated. Anything would be greatly appreciated. If you have questions about anything we are willing to answer any and all without hesitation. I want you to know that we are doing what we can to help ourselves to the best of our ability. My wife Kristi is going to school full time with grants covering part of the cost for that. She is working towards her associates degree in Medical Office Administration knowing that there will always be work in that field. As of right now she is scheduled to complete her classes in a little less than a year from now. Our oldest daughter is working this summer and she is even helping the family out with what she is making. Since I am unable to work outside the home, I have worked on converting old family movies, pictures, slides, and such to DVD to bring in some money also. That work is hit and miss but when I do get work it does pay decent. While I am very limited and unable to preach full time as I so dearly want to do more than anything else, I am remaining involved to the best of my ability and have recently been blessed to teach a young men?s class for our Wednesday night Bible classes. This is what really helps keep my spirits high and my courage to fight these diseases as much as I can. Last week I had the chance to preach for our Sunday evening service and I was so excited and happy to have that chance. It was the second time in as many months and it really made me feel alive again, like the pain and problems just disappeared and I was back to the way things were years ago. (I feel comfortable saying that I am willing to do short meetings that are not more than a day or two drive away. I am not saying this for the sake of pay because I would never want to give the impression of that being the reason for why I preach but for the sake of what it does for me spiritually and my love of sharing the gospel any chance I get). I share this with you because many brethren who are on this list have known me personally for many years and know the effort that I have tried my best to do in the work of our Lord. I have not given up the fight, but I am humbly coming before you in this fashion asking for any support both spiritually and financially that can be offered to our family. If it was not a necessity I would not ask or attempt to lay my burdens on anyone else. However, as the head of my household I have a responsibility that I take very seriously and I know at this time I am doing what I need to do and that is asking my family in Christ for assistance while we wait for our retirement and disability to be taken care of. I know this was once again long, and if you have to the review the previous e-mails from before which I will place after my conclusion I apologize. I just want to give you all the information and to make sure you know that this comes from a faithful family in Christ. If I can answer any questions please let me know. I do love my brethren in Christ and we do pray for those names that come across the list and for all who stand firm in the faith. We pray that God might bless you richly and that your work in the kingdom may continue. In true love of the brethren, Ryan Wolf 196 Poplar Street Prattville, AL 36066 (334) 361-2839 ryanwolf at juno.com rkkrwolf at knology.net My wife and daughters e-mails are as follows: My wife Kristi : krisdwolf at knology.net My oldest Kourtnie (16): kourtniewolf at knology.net My youngest Rebekah (12): dolphinbek at juno.com They would really appreciate the support and prayers of all. Here are the previous messages in order that explain the whole situation. Message #1 Dearest brethren, Recently in asking a question I promised that I would write and give you an update of my health issues and what is happening with our family. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the support my family has received by e-mails, cards, & support (both spiritually and financially). As of right now we are waiting for my results from my first year of temporary disability retirement list from the Air Force. Basically it is a 5 year plan for people with unstable conditions. They use it to review you each year for up to 5 years and if there has not been a permanent decision made by the 5 year point one must be made. For us we have just returned from Lackland AFB, Texas for my first review and we now wait to hear results and to better define our future. As of right now we are living off of a 50% retirement ($1200 per month). Due to this we have been living with my wife's father who is not a Christian but who has taken the burden of our living expenses and he basically provided us with our basic needs. Things are very difficult in the home and much stress has effected my wife and our two daughters (ages 16 and 12). We hope to be out on our own once again. My wife is currently going to school and I am not able to work. We have filed with the Veterans Administration and are currently on our second appeal. For those who know me well, the VA dared to say that I was "mentally retarded". Those were their words and not mine. So obviously we are in a fight to get those benefits which we rightly deserve. We also have filed with Social Security however we were denied benefits because the Air Force did not send any of my records since I had become ill in the end of 2003 through the present. We have submitted those missing records and I am working through the appeal process this week. So as I said we are stuck with a total of $1200 per month until this gets worked out and that was a $3000 a month loss for us and it doesn't take much to see how that can leave a dent in taking care of basic responsibilities. Thankfully between our dads and occasional support from different brethren we are just keeping our heads above water. Most know that my goal was to retire from the Air Force and go into preaching full time instead of trying to do both at the same time. I have had to put that great desire on hold due to my health and I pray daily for some relief to come my way so that I can get back to doing what I love, what I desire and being a servant in every way possible. So what is it that is stopping this from happening? Let me give a brief explanation of the medical details and let me add that if anyone has questions please don't be worried about asking, as brethren I do not mind sharing in detail what has happened or is happening. As for me things are coming into view now after all this time (4 years). I wish I had great news to give, but the Lord is using us to show strength and for others to accomplish his love through good works to our family and others buried in their fair share of trials. Recently Kristi and I returned from Wilford Hall Medical Center (San Antonio, TX) for my TDRL (temporary disability retirement list) review. During those medical appointments along with a few before we left, we have received the following diagnoses. First, I have been diagnosed with Lupus and it is a chronic inflammatory disease that can target your joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, heart and lungs. This would account for my back, my mitral valve prolapse with significant regurgitation, my lung aneurysm, my loss of my gall bladder and appendix, and the low platelet count I have had since this all began. Second, Severe Fibromyalgia which is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain in your muscles, ligaments and tendons, as well as fatigue and multiple tender points places on your body where slight pressure causes pain. Third, gastroparesis which is a condition in which the muscles in the wall of your stomach don't function normally. Basically its a disease that effects how your stomach digests what you eat. It takes the normal person 90min to digest 1/2 of what is in their stomach, for me it takes 495mins to do the same amount. Fourth, this has also effected my mental wellbeing as you could imagine being 32 years old and not suppose to lift over 10lbs and have any type of exercise but swimming and so they are going to have to compensate for that also. So basically what has transpired and what we are currently waiting for is for the Air Force to make a decision regarding my TDRL from the information I provided from my doctors and from the information from the doctors at Wilford Hall.(that decision can be anything from finalizing my retirement, continuing me on the temporary retirement for another year to see if things change, or to separate us from active service with no benefits but with a small severance) from the Air Force. The good news is that the military has to take responsibility for all of these things because they began while I was on active duty and have only continued to get worse. None of the diagnoses have a cure, but can be controlled to a very little extent either by diet or/and lifestyle changes. So what that means is that I need to be grateful for everyday I wake up and use it to serve and bring glory to Christ as we all should. My medical history says I may be here for a long time and be able to hopefully do the work of our Father in Heaven but since I have developed the heart valve issue and have a history of aneurysms my time and prognosis is not good. Let me tell you that I have been humbled over the past 4 years and especially over the past month when all of this has finally been labeled and I can honestly say that I am learning to make the very best of everyday with my family and whatever work I can do in the kingdom. I have been told that we have been a strength to many and if that is what we are here and able to do than we will do so with all diligence and 100% effort. Please keep us in your prayers as I know you will. I also plead with you to keep my wife Kristi, and daughters Kourtnie and Rebekah in your prayers. As most of us have been touched with such situations or know those who have it is my honest belief that they are going through a more difficult time that I am. My dear wife has had to listen to the doctors say that her 32 year old husband may only have 5-10 years left to walk and now she is being told that the prognosis is poor and unknown. Don't get me wrong her faith is strong, but like us she is human and after almost 15 years of marriage and 20 years of friendship we are not quite ready to be apart. However, she knows that like Paul I wish to stay here if it serves the Lord, but my body is not making it easy to stay in this world. Likewise you can imagine what these type of words can do to your 16 and 12 year old daughters. I beg of you to remember Kristi, Kourtnie, & Rebekah in your prayers that their faith will remain true and that they will be a strength not only to me but to all that are around them and know their trials. Please I pray that you will honor this request on my behalf because they are my greatest concern. I share this with you dear brethren, humility takes on a new meaning when these type of things befall you. The day I finally received a firm diagnosis my heart became less heavy and my burden felt lighter in regards to my future. Please don't misunderstand me, my life is not over that I know of and I am going to plan and serve the Lord each day I can take a breath. Put I will share with you as some already well know that there is a very humbling feeling, a sobering feeling when a doctor or in my case doctors tell you that you could leave this world at anytime. Brethren, that is a weird moment. However, in their next breath they have told us that if I closely adhere to my medication regiment and really work on my diet and exercise (swim) as much as I can handle then I could be around for a long time and I admit I selfishly would like to experience what it feels like to be a grandfather, even though I demandingly ask the girls to wait until their older to fulfill this for me. Please just remember me in your prayers. The young man who you knew and had always had great energy and excitement in teaching the truth is still inside of me and when I have opportunity I still take the time to teach classes and deliver lessons, just not on a full time basis as I desire but am humbly limited from. Finally, and back where I started, thank you so much for your support. The prayers, cards, and phone calls have been so encouraging to us and I thank you with all sincerity and love of the brethren. For those who have been able to help us in our financial needs I also share my thankfulness to you for going beyond that which we could have ever asked. For now and until the all 3 government agencies make their decisions that need still remains. In a sense we are depleting our dad's retirements (however they are willing to do so, both not being Christians) and they have seen your generosity and have shown appreciation themselves for the love that has been shown to us. Thank you so very much for your help in faith and in love. As I have made clear I am not able to work because of all of my physical conditions and because of certain rules with government agencies but I am able to work on my computer in bed and if I can do anything to help anyone from creating powerpoint backgrounds for lessons or just to do some typing so that you can do further work in the kingdom please let me know. My goal is to do the will of our Lord until my time is done and so if there is a way for me to help you in doing such it would be my honor and privilege to do that for you and the kingdom. (I like to make handouts from things like business cards, postcards, and even bulletins.) I will end my novel here with thanksgiving to all of you who labor in the kingdom. I will pray with thanksgiving knowing that you will offer up prayers on behalf of my family and that your love is clear in that action. Thank you for being the brethren we are suppose to be and my earnest prayer is that the Lord continues to bless you in everything you do in His name. With sincere appreciation and Christian love, Ryan Wolf 196 Poplar Street Prattville, AL 36066 Home - (334) 361-2839 Cell - (334) 312-0815 Message #2 Dearest Brethren, Just wanted to keep you up to date. last Friday I went to the Social Security Office here in Montgomery to file my appeal for benefits. The people there were really helpful and helped me do all the paperwork right there on the spot. So the good news is that the appeal has been submitted to go before the appeals judge. The bad news is that they said that I can expect up to a 1 year wait for an appeal decision. So if you have read my novel below you know that this is more troubling news. Please keep us in your prayers. Also in my last message I meant to leave the girls emails in case you would like to email them personally with encouragement. My wife Kristi : krisdwolf at knology.net My oldest Kourtnie (16): kourtniewolf at knology.net My youngest Rebekah (12): dolphinbek at juno.com They would really appreciate the support and prayers of all. Thanks again for your love and prayers. With sincere appreciation and Christian love, Ryan Wolf 196 Poplar Street Prattville, AL 36066 Home - (334) 361-2839 Cell - (334) 312-0815 From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Thu Jul 5 05:40:53 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2007 06:40:53 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) DON'T PLAY ON THE ROCKS 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: DON'T PLAY ON THE ROCKS One day, a friend and I were fishing at the Neely Henry dam. We had never been to a dam before, nor did we know the dangers associated with one. We were on the rocks be- low it fishing very casually when we heard a siren. We had no clue what it mean; all we knew was that it was scaring off all our fish. Suddenly, two turbines were empowered and the water was rising fast around us. All we could do was scurry off. Due to our nonchalance, we nearly drowned. Had we paid attention to the signs around that said "Stay off the rocks" and "Fast racing turbulent waters," we would not have been in that situation in the first place. We are told to "be sober, be watchful; because your adver- sary the devil walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Pet. 5:8). The devil will try any snare to get us to sin. The devil's devices may be subtle or they may be blatantly obvious. Therefore, we msut be on the guard for whatever he throws at us. We must give ourselves wholly to study and meditaion upon God's Word. We all have to stand guard against Satan and his traps. If we study and follow the Word of the Lord and resist the devil, God promises us that Satan will flee from us (Jas. 4:7). And "the Lord is not slack concerning His promises" (2 Pet. 3:9). A strong warning in Deut 28:15 reads. "But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, tht all these curses will come upon you and overtake you." If the people obeyed His voice, they were spared and blessed; if they people ignored the warnings, God punished them. Just as my friend and I en- dangered our physical lives by playing on the rocks, we must all be aware of the warning signs that the Lord gives us and obey Him. Let us remember that the Lord is not slack concer- ning His promises. Let us walk circumspectly from day to day. If we do not give heed to the cautions set before us, we will more easily fall into the grasps of sin. As the words of the old song go, "Careless soul, O heed the warning." ---- Aaron Beard via Gospel Power, Vol.14, No. 23, June 10, 2007. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070705/02b787dd/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Thu Jul 5 05:41:00 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2007 06:41:00 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) THE INFLUENCE OF TRADITION Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is a study from my files: Use to the glory of God. THE INFLUENCE OF TRADITION Human traditions pervade the religious world. Their impa- ct is so great tht they wield an influence greater in may instan- ces than truth itself. Even though many traditions are acknowledged to be of human origin, they are treated as if they were authorized by God; and those who repudiate them are looked upon as being exceedingly strange and extremely narrow-minded. Such was the situation dealt with in Matt. 15. The elders of Israel had developed a tradition that a person defiled him- self if he ate without ceremoniously washing his hands. The Jews then found fault with anyone who ate with unwashed hands, regardless of how clean his hands might be. Jesus rebuked them and pointed out their error by reminding them of another of their traditions by which they even set aside the commandment of God to honor one's father and mother. The Jews also had traditions qualifying binding oaths (Matt. 23:16). Paul warned the saints at Colosse about restrictive ordinances imposed "in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men" (Col. 2:20-22). It should be obvious to the observant that traditions of men also affect the lives of Christians and sometimes find their way into the activities of the church. Churches some- times have special services for Mother's Day and Father's Day and Easter. Some offer festival activities near the time of Halloween. Some offer Valentine banquets for Valentine's Day. No doubt the most pervasive and most influential of the traditions of men is the celebration of Christmas. Even some preachers defend it, and Christians who ignore it are consider- ed weird. Its fundamental nature is denied in an attempt to justify its observance. Christmas (Christ Mass) came into being through Roman Catholic tradition which adapted a pag- an celebrather to make it a celebration of the birth of Christ. Religous significance is attached to almost every facet of the rituals and festivities tht are a part of it. Its power is illustrat- ed in the impact tht it has on our national economy. The opposition to its public celebration by secularists is based on its religious character. Its defense by religious apologists is based on claims for the right of religious expression. The tide of the influence of the festivities of Christmas has swept away Protestant opposition that once rejected it as Romish. Will it do the same to the Lord's people? Christians need to remember that the Scriptures are silent about celebrating the birth of Christ with religious ritual. The day of His birth is not known. We need to separate fact from fiction. When we study or teach concerning the birth of Christ from God's Word, we will not be telling the "Christmas Story" about three wise men visiting the stable where Jesus lay in a manger. We can read and rejoice in the account of the miraculous coming of Christ in the flesh and the joy that it brought to the world through His becoming our Redeemer through His death on the cross. (Yes, we can Scripturally celebrate His death and suffering, every Lord's Day {Sunday} by partaking of the Lord's Supper, but we have no authority to set aside any given day to celebrate His birth in any religi- ous way. JWS). ------- Gilbert Alexander. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070705/c2b2a04f/attachment.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Fri Jul 6 04:24:20 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2007 05:24:20 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) THERE ARE NO BARBERS 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: THERE ARE NO BARBERS A man visited his barber. As always, they struck up a con- versation. As they talked, the discussion turned to religious matters. The barber finally said, "I just don't believe in all that God nonsense. I'll prove it to you. Look outside. If God were real- ly out there, would there be so many broken homes and abandoned children? If God were really out there, would there beso many people starving? If God were really out there, would there be so many people in pain and suffering? Nope. I say God doesn't exist. If He did, He would do some- thing about all this. The customer wasn't sure how to respond and sat there quietly. The barber finished and the man walked out. On the sidewalk, he saw a man with ragged long hair. He came back to the barber and said, "Barbers don't exist." "But here I am to prove it." "No, barbers don't exist. Look outside. If barbers were really there, would there be people with such long ragged hair?" The barber replied, "Well, I exist, but not everyone comes to see me. That is why there are people with long, ragged hair." "Exactly," the Christian responded. "The same is true with God. He exists, but not everyone will come to Him. That is why there is so much sin, suffering and pain." There was a time when no one suffered any pain. No one got sick. No one hurt. But then a serpent entered the garden and sin entered the world (Gen. 3). Since tht time, Satan has continued his inluential work. People have turned their backs on God, have committed sin and we have a world of suffering because of it. Does suffering mean our God doesn't exist? Or does it merely mean everyone hasn't turned to the loving God. Sadly, because our world is so governed by sin, even when a few of us do turn to God, we still suffer. Sometimes we suffer because we turned to God (2 Tim. 3:12). However, a time is coming when those who turned to God and still suff- ered will suffer no longer. In that time, we will learn that all the suffering was worth it because the glory tht will be revealed to us and through us will be worth it all (Rom. 8;18). We will see God and we will be with Him for eternity. There we will be able to rejoice with ex- ultation and glorify our God for eternity without fear of suffer- ing. But to ever enjoy that comfort, that peace, that joy, we have to turn to God. Have you turned to Him? (Heb. 11:6). -------- Edwin L. Crozier via Gospel Power, Vol. 14, No. 23, June 10, 2007. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070706/b99c34d2/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Fri Jul 6 04:24:28 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2007 05:24:28 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) POLITICALLY CORRECT DEITIES Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is a study from my files. Use to the glory of God. POLITICALLY CORRECT DEITIES When it comes to religious practice, we can only wonder what goes through the minds of those who are not satisfied with what the Bible says. How can anyone's religion be con- sidered legitimate when they abandon the Scriptures in order to conform to the politically correct dogma of today? A recent Associated Press article reflects this observation. It is entitled, "Presbyterians may rename 'Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.' What unmitigated gall! The very idea that some creat-ed beings would dare to tamper with the names of Deity. What can they be thinking? The Presbyterian church was founded by John Calvin, the father of Calvinism, a false doctrine that includes the concept of total hereditary depravity, the direct operation of the Holy Spirit apart from the Word, preservation of the saints other- wise known as "once saved, always saved," which in turn has fostered an inaccurate view of predestination. Their concept of predestination claims that God has arbitrarily designated those who are saved and lost and that fate is indelibly sealed forever. If you are lost, you can do nothing to be saved, and if you are saved you can do nothing to be lost. This is contra- dictory to plain Bible teaching -- Jesus entreats the spiritually weary to rest, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). "Whosoever will" has the opportunity to "take the water of life freely" (Rev. 22:17). The predestination of which the Scriptures speak (Eph. 1:5) is tht God has chosen thoe who choose to be obedient to His Will to inherit eternal life. Therefore, these and other false doctrines and practices nullify any claim that they may make to be the Lord's church. Some of the changes to the names of Deity that have been proposed by certain members of the Presbyterian church are: "Rock, Redeemer, Friend," "Creator, Savior, Sanctifier," 'Lover, Beloved, Love," "King of Glory, Prince of Peace, Spirit of Love." The issue is not one of accuracy. These terms are accurate. However, we come to the particularly egregious, "Mother, Child, and Womb," and there we discover the impet- us for these proposed changes. Some modern day "enlight- ened ones" have become "uncomfortable" with references to Deity solely reflected in the use of MALE terms and pronouns They ahve been indoctrinated with political correctness and consider these sole male references to Deity as discriminat- ory. The problem with that position is that there is nothing arbitrary or ambiguous about the Biblical language that des- cribes Deity in the male gender. The language cannot be con- strued to allow any other form or fashion than as the male gender. This is nothing but a cheap attempt to pacify and placate the politically correct. The fact that the Presbyterian Church has been "studying" this issue since 2000 is an indic- ation of their lack of respect for God and His Word. One can- not help but wonder whether John Calvin himself would arrive at such conclusions. We may speculate that he would be appalled at the very idea of changing the names of Deity and the time that has been spent (wasted) examining this issue. Even as theologically flawed as Calvin was, there were certain things on which he correct, one of which was his contention that mechanical instruments should not be used in worship, a stance that the Presbyterians have since ignored. This action was taken under advisement at Presbyterian Church U.S.A.'s recent national assembly in Birmingham, Ala- bama. Delegates to this convention voted to "receive" this policy paper, but stopped short of approving it. In other words, while allowing individual churches to experiment with alternative liturgies for the Trinity, no one will be forced to do so. We note some of the justification for even entertaining such a notion. One Iowa woman was quoted as saying, "This does not alter the church's theological position, but provides an educational resource to enhance the spiritual life of our membership." How changing the male gender references to Deity to female or ambiguous references are supposed to en- hance onyone's spiritual life is unclear, unless this is a typical attempt to make people "feel good about themselves." The panel that has been examining this issue states, "The classi- cal language for the Trinity should still be used," but added "Presbyterians should see 'fresh ways to speak of the myste- ry of the triune God' to 'expand the church's vocabulary of praise and wonder.'" This is so typical of this 21st century "touchy, feely, getting in touch with your emotions" society tht we have become. Instead of looking for fresh ways to speak of the mystery of the triune God, they would do well to "Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls" (Jer. 6:16). How can anyone seriously refer to Deity in the female gen- der when the Bible is replete with examples otherwise? Jesus addressed God as "Father" (Matt. 26:39; Jno. 11:41; 17:1; et al.). The Father called Jesus His Son (Matt. 3:17; 17: 5; Heb. 1:5). Jesus promised His disciples the coming of the Holy Spirit with repeated male pronoun references (Jno. 14: 26; 15:26; 16:7,8). To tamper with these references is to assault the Bible's claim of inspiration. God is not pleased with those who act frivolously with His name. His name is holy (Psa. 103:1; Matt. 6:9). It is to be ex- alted (Psa. 34:3). The name of Jesus is the name by which salvation is offered to man (Acts 4:12). It is also exalted (Phil. 2:9). God warned tht those who take His name in vain or misuse it in any way will be held accountable (Exo. 20:7). The panel made another outrageous observation. They claim that he language limited to the Father and Son "has been used to support the idea that God is male and that men are superior to women." The reason the language supports hat God is male is because it is true! One might wonder if this panel considered at all that Jesus came to earth AS A MAN, not a woman (Matt. 1:21; 1 Tim. 2:5). As far as men being superior to women, that is not a concept tht is endors- ed in the Scriptures. The woman was the crown jewel of crea- tion, being the final creation of God (Gen. 2:22). Paul wrote tht in the kingdom of heaven there are no positions of super- iority (Gal. 3:28). Peter distinctly declared tht men are to honor women (1 Pet. 3:7). Within the church, men have been given positions of leadership, but Paul explained why this was done: 1) the order of creation -- Adam first, then Eve and 2) Eve was deceived in the transgression. This was also the reason that God made man the head of the home (Gen. 3:16; Eph. 5:22). This is in no way an indication that men are sup- erior to women. In the next to last paragraph of this article in a sort of "by the way" reference, the assembly was to also vote on a pro- posal to give local congregations and regional presbyteries some leeway in ordaining clergy and lay officers living in homosexual relationships. Conservative groups within the church are predictably pro- testing such a policy. If recent history is any indicator this resolution will pass regardless of the conservative protests. Such is the case when people are more concerned with being politically correct than religiously correct. These actions will no doubt, bring praise from the world, however they face the wrath of God Who will root up this illegitimate plant as He will all of those that He has not planted (Matt. 15:13). One cannot help but wonder why these people even bother calling them- selves a religion when they are so bent on defying the living God and His Word and are truly seeking to please themselv- es. ---------- Randy Robinson via The Sower, Vol. 52, No. 3, May/June, 2007. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070706/5d8fce71/attachment-0001.html From styvas at t-online.de Fri Jul 6 05:42:58 2007 From: styvas at t-online.de (Steve Wallace) Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2007 12:42:58 +0200 Subject: [Biblemat] A - The preciousness of God's word Message-ID: <006101c7bfc1$5a141f50$ae54fea9@mycomputer> The Precious Word of God by Steve Wallace Words often bring relief or rejoicing. A doctor's words bring the wonderful news that the patient is going to be alright in spite of a seemingly life-threatening problem. A rescue team calls a father and mother with the news that they have found their lost child safe. Medical science reports that they have discovered a cure for some sickness, bringing joy to many who suffer from it. How precious words can be! Please read the words of the Psalmist in this light. The law of Jehovah is perfect, restoring the soul: The testimony of Jehovah is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart: The commandment of Jehovah is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of Jehovah is clean, enduring for ever: The ordinances of Jehovah are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the droppings of the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: In keeping them there is great reward. (Ps. 19:7-11) This writer was not alone in his assessment of the word of God. Many have found it to be "more to be desired than gold." Let us note some examples of this. God's Word is Precious to the Lost! After hearing that Jesus, whom they had crucified, is Lord and Christ, Peter's audience in Acts 2 "were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do" (v. 37)? What good news it was to them when "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'" (v. 38). We can well understand when it says they "gladly received" the word and were baptized. God's word was precious to them and they were anxious to comply with it. As the history of the early church recorded in Acts unfolds we are treated with one example after another of the preciousness of the word of God. After hearing and obeying the word preached by Philip, the Ethiopian Eunuch "went on his way rejoicing" (Acts 8:39). Those who responded to the good news of God's word at Antioch of Pisidia "were filled with joy" (Acts 13:52). Especially precious was the word to the Philippian jailer. One can only imagine his misery as the account of his conversion begins. Paul had to persuade him not to kill himself before he could preach the saving Gospel to him. He believed and responded to God's word. The account of his conversion closes by saying that he "rejoiced greatly, with all his house, having believed in God" (Acts 16:27-34). As we meet lost people from day to day let us remember how precious the Gospel can be to those that will hear and obey it. God's Word is Precious in the Life of the Child of God. This is true in ways that all Christians must recognize if they are to persevere unto eternal salvation. The promises of God contained in the Bible gender and nurture the hope of heaven (Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18). One purpose of studying the Old Testament is "that through patience and through comfort of the scriptures we might have hope" (Rom. 15:4). All Christians will go through difficult times where the devil tempts them to give up. The word of God is the answer as it builds the Christian up and renews him (Acts 20:32; Eph. 4:23-24). God's people sometimes fall into sin. Again, the God's word responds to this need as it restores or converts the soul (Ps. 19:7, ASV, KJV). More could be said under this point but what we have said suffices to add emphasis to Paul's words in 2 Tim. 3:16-17, Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work. God's Word is Precious as the Christian Thinks About Death "Our Saviour Christ Jesus" has "abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Tim. 1:10). The gospel is unmatched in its explanation of the details of the afterlife. It describes the hadean realm and heaven (Lk. 16:19-26; Jno. 14:1-3; 2 Cor. 5:1-10; Rev. 21-22). It gives a detailed explanation of the resurrection of the dead (1 Cor. 15:35-54). It gives God's people a victorious picture of the faithful who have gone before (Rev. 7:9-17; 20:4). One searches the bookstores in vain for books similar to the Bible. Indeed, no book's words can hold a candle to the "precious and exceeding great promises" contained in God's word (2 Pet. 1:4). Conclusion May we all remember the important truths we have reviewed in this brief article. The word of God is not only important to the lost and erring around us, it is important to every Christian. Let us continue to read it, study it, and hold fast to its teaching! "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" (1 Pet. 1:24-25). -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070706/5baec370/attachment.html From bwg72a at yahoo.com Fri Jul 6 11:56:21 2007 From: bwg72a at yahoo.com (Bill Green) Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2007 09:56:21 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Biblemat] Looking For some used song books Message-ID: <109346.37669.qm@web38414.mail.mud.yahoo.com> I am starting a home bible study, and I am looking for 10-15 used song books. Does not really matter which song books they are, as long as they are the same. If anyone has any extra used books, or if you have gotten new books and want to get rid of some of the old ones, I would really appreciate it. If I cant find any used I will buy some new ones, just trying to keep the cost down a little. Also does not matter how they look, just need some song books. Please email me with what you have and the price. vgreen at frontiernet.net Thank you. Brotherly, Bill Green 460b Cr 136 Pittsboro, Ms 38951 vgreen at frontiernet.net --------------------------------- Be a PS3 game guru. Get your game face on with the latest PS3 news and previews at Yahoo! Games. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070706/36a476b5/attachment.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Sat Jul 7 05:34:13 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Sat, 7 Jul 2007 06:34:13 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) GOD HAS SPOKEN Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Saturday morning to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. Here is an article from my files: GOD HAS SPOKEN "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people" (Prov. 14:34). But what is righteousness? All of God's commandments are righteousness. (Psa. 119:172). One who is a believer in God and who obeys God is account- ed as righteous (Jas. 2:21-26). Nations are made up of indivi- duals. What individuals do determines the course of a nation. In more detail, righteousness is moral purity, honesty, holine- ss, humility, and sanctification. Moral purity is opposite to illicit sexual conduct, lewdnes, lasciviousness, wantonness, and such like. A summary of right treatment of others is "You s