[Biblemat] Walking in the Light (7/1/07)

Sun Jul 1 15:51:57 CDT 2007

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 <http://www.thetfordcountry.com/> 

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INFORMATION: My WEB Site  <http://www.thetfordcountry.com/>
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
<http://www.sanjuanchurchofchrist.org/> 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
<mailto:Richard at Thetfordcountry.com> Richard at Thetfordcountry.com  with their
name and e-mail address and I will add them to the list.

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CONTENTS:

"The Love of Man" (Richard Thetford)

"Isn't It A Shame" (Selected)

"A Father's Greatest Sermon" (Selected)

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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!

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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.

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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!

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SERMON

The Cross of Christ (with PowerPoint Charts)

Sermons can viewed at my web site:  <http://www.thetfordcountry.com/>
www.thetfordcountry.com

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Meets at:

2740 Commercial Way, Suite B
Montrose, CO   81401
(970) 249-8116

 <http://www.sanjuanchurchofchrist.org/> 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:  <mailto:Richard at Thetfordcountry.com> Richard at Thetfordcountry.com

Web Site:  <http://www.thetfordcountry.com/> www.thetfordcountry.com

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Richard Thetford

E-Mail:  <mailto:Richard at Thetfordcountry.com> Richard at Thetfordcountry.com

1491 Canyon Drive, Ridgway, CO  81432

Home: (970) 626-5558

Please visit my web site:  <http://www.thetfordcountry.com>
www.thetfordcountry.com

Evangelist, San Juan church of Christ

 <http://www.sanjuanchurchofchrist.org> www.sanjuanchurchofchrist.org

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