From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Wed Jul 1 03:45:23 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 04:45:23 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) HANDLING DISPUTES AMONG BRETHREN Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Wednesday morning to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. Here is an article from my files: HANDLING DISPUTES AMONG BRETHREN Disagreements are going to happen among brethren in the church. God's Word reveals a dispute between the apostle Paul and Barnabas (Acts15:39). In this Biblical situation it was the de- cision of the brothers to work separately. But in most cases it is not a good solution to go our separate ways, especially when we are located in one community. It is far better to come to a sol- ution and then to continue working together in the same church family. The following principles are presented by the apostle Paul to the Christians at Corinth. When there is a grievance against your brother take it to your fellow saints and not before the un- righteous (1 Cor. 6:1). Remember that the saints (Christians) will judge the world and angels (vss. 2,3). Find a wise saint to help you in this matter rather than asking an unbeliever to settle your problem (vss. 4-6). Be willing to suffer wrong or be defrauded rather than taking the matter before unbelievers (vs. 7). Sadly, Paul concludes that "you yourselves wrong and defra- ud even your own brothers!" (vs. 8). This type of treatment of your fellow brother or sister ought not to be, so Paul asks a question of which all saved believers should know the answer: "Do yu not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?" (vs. 9). A clear answer is presented with a strong reminder of our own personal past dealing with personal sin. "Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idol- aters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swind- lers will inherit the kingdom of God" (vss. 9,10). "And such were some of you" (vs. 11a). When dealing with sins, disagreements, disputes, and griev- ances against each other, it is important to remember who we once were. That is, we should remember that in our past sinful lives we committed all kinds of sins and evil activities. This truth should ever keep us humble when dealing with others who have sinned, mistreated us, or we disagree with them on some situat- ion that deals with this life. We must also remember what God has done for us when we became Christians -- "But you were washed, you were sanctif- ied, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" (vs. 11). The church of God is a place of fair and kind judgment that is portioned out by wise and godly followers of Christ. Each one of us must maintain a willingness to submit to such judg-ment and know assuredly that God's ways are better than our ways. ---------- Ron Drumm. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090701/a0642864/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Wed Jul 1 03:45:33 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 04:45:33 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) WHAT I WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR BIBLE Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is a study about our Bibles. Use to the glory of God. WHAT I WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR BIBLE (Part 3) The Bible Is All You Need: -- We know that the Bible is the inspir- ed Word of God and that it is relevant to our lives today. Now we will consider the all-sufficiency of the Bible. "Sufficient" means "as much as is needed or required, enough." Is the Bible enough, or do we need something in addition to it to know and understand God's Will? Please consider the following passages "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in right- eousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16,17). "All Scripture" is all that man needs to make him complete and thoroughly equi- pped for every good work. What more could we need? "As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to live and godliness..." (2 Pet. 1:3). God's Word gives us every- thing we need to know. There isn't anything else that we need. "And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name" (Jno. 20: 30,31). The gospels never claim to be an exhaustive record of the life of Jesus. John did not record everything that Jesus said and did, but what John did record was enough to produce belief. "Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concern- ing our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). In the original language, the phrase "once for all" means "of perpetual validity, not requir- ing repetition" (Thayer). This means that it was given once, and that is enough. It doesn't need to pe repeated. We don't need to meet periodically to reconsider its validity. "If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plag- ues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book" (Rev. 22:18,19; see also: Deut. 4: 2; Prov. 30:5,6). God's Word is complete. Anything more is too much, anything less is not enough. We must be content with the Bible the way it is. "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it" (Isa. 55:10,11). The Bible may not accomplish everything we think it should, but it accomplishes everything god wants ti to accomplish. It is capable of doing everything God intends for it to do. One may be surprised at the number of people who deny the all sufficiency of the Bible. Most denominations have a written creed. Why does a church need a written creed fi the Bible is all- sufficient? The very existence of creed books denies the all suff- iciency of the Bible. Some people insist that things like tradition and personal experience are jsut as weighty and authoritative as the Word of God. Others believe God has given us additional revelation that must be followed. The Bible alone is equal to the purpose that God intended for it. It is all that you need to live a life that pleases God and to secure eternal salvation. ---- Heath Rogers in Truth Magazine, Vol. 52, No. 5, May, 2008. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090701/bd5be7bf/attachment.html From GLClair at aol.com Wed Jul 1 11:26:46 2009 From: GLClair at aol.com (GLClair at aol.com) Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 12:26:46 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] HILLIARD BULLETIN for July 2009 Message-ID: Hilliard Bulletin Published by the church of Christ Meeting at 4840 Cemetery Rd. ? P.O. Box 96 Hilliard, Ohio 43026 Phone: (614) 876-4089 Preacher & Editor: Garreth L. Clair Phone: (614) 850-7252 Email: _glclair at aol.com_ (mailto:glclair at aol.com) ================================================================ Volume 11 Number 7 July 2009 =============================================================== TOMORROW ?Tomorrow? I have heard that word many times in my life so that I can reasonably suggest that it is used to justify delays in action far too often. One of the great factors that contribute to the failure of many people in obedience to the gospel is; ?wait till tomorrow? but tomorrow never comes with their good decision to become a Christian. Indeed, procrastination is a serious problem to many people who intend to get their life right with God but just can?t (i.e. will not) make the commitment or sit a time for carrying through with their plans. It seems that many people just do not set down and count the cost as we find in Luke (cf. Luke 14:28, For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? The Lord and the writers of the New Testament tell us to obey the Lord; tell us to come to Him and be saved, etc. Note the following instruction from God about decision making and the urgency of the decision: Matt. 11:28 - Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (KJV) Matt. 16:24 - Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (KJV) Matt. 19:21-23 - 21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shall have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. 23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. Acts 2:37-41 - 37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. (KJV) WILL YOU SERVE JESUS CHRIST? Jesus can save you from your sins ? Jesus can give you that new start in life that you have been putting off for far too long. Indeed, come to Jesus today! ? CHECK THE SCRIPTURE REFERENCES THAT FOLLOW ? James 4:13-14 - 13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeared for a little time, and then vanished away. (KJV) Heb. 4:7 - Again, he limiteth a certain day , saying in David, To day , after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Heb. 3:15 - While it is said, to day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. (KJV) Heb. 3:7-8 - 7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: (KJV) 2 Tim. 1:12 - For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. (KJV) CONTACT ME AND I WILL SEND YOU THE ADDRESS OF A SOUND CHURCH IN YOUR AREA. GOD IS A TRINITY QUESTION: I have a friend who is a Jehovah?s Witness who says there is no trinity in the Bible. She says that the God of the Bible is Jehovah only and that Jesus and the Holy Spirit were servants (angels) of Jehovah. Is that what you understand about the God of the Bible? MY ANSWER by _glclair at aol.com_ (mailto:glclair at aol.com) In the beginning there was God: 1. The FATHER and SPIRIT are mentioned in Gen. 1:1-2. 2. JESUS CHRIST (i.e. the WORD) is mentioned in John 1:1 3. The two readings establish that all three members of the Godhead were present at the CREATION! Genesis 1:1-2 - 1 in the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (KJV) John 1:1 - in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (KJV) The Godhead is a trinity ? Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each member of the Godhead exists and is one in purpose (i.e. intent); these three are in complete accord in all things. Consider the following as Biblical proof that God consists of FATHER, SON, and HOLY SPIRIT: The first four books of the New Testament (i.e. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) state the facts for us regarding the trinity - All three members of the Godhead were present and identified at the baptism of Jesus by John the baptizer in the River Jordan. Matt. 3:16-17 16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (KJV) Mark 1:10-12 10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: 11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 12 And immediately the Spirit drives him into the wilderness. (KJV) Luke 3:21-22 21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. (KJV) John 1:32-34 32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. 34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. (KJV) July 2, 2009 - Mail to: glclair at aol.com **************It's raining cats and dogs -- Come to PawNation, a place where pets rule! (http://www.pawnation.com/?ncid=emlcntnew00000008) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090701/0f68cffa/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Thu Jul 2 05:20:51 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2009 06:20:51 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) "THE HOPE OF ISRAEL" (1) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the first installment of a particular study. Use to the glory of God. "THE HOPE OF ISRAEL" (1) The apostle Paul had been arrested and taken to Rome for trial before Caesar. Allowed some liberty, he contacted the lead- ers of the Jews in Rome. "And it came to pass, that after three days he called together those that were the chief of the Jews: and when they were come together, he said unto them, 'I, brethr- en, though I had done nothing against the people, or the custom of our fathers, yet was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans: who, when they had examined me, de- sired to set me at liberty, because there was no cause of death in me. But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had aught whereof to accuse my nation. For this cause therefore did I entreat you to see and to speak with me: for because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain" (Acts 28:17-20). What was this "Hope of Israel" of which Paul spoke? We don't have space to discuss all of the false hopes of Israel, but we must admit that the true hope of Israel was in harmony with the eternal purpose of God. Whatever that hope was, Paul knew about it, was working to see that it was realized, and was put in chains because of his interest and effort in its behalf. We must also point out that the hope if Israel was also the hope of Paul, for he was a Jew (Acts 16:20), "And I advanced in the Jew's religion beyond many of mine own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers" (Gal. 1:14). It is also reasonable that what Paul hoped for, he also prayed for, and he prayed for Israel, "Brethren, my heart's deisre and my supplication to God is for them, that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge" (Rom. 10: 1,2). Hence, the true hope of Israel was for salvation, and Paul constantly was working for that very end. He was not in prison simply because he preached sgodalvation in Christ, but because that teaching conflicted with the materialistic concept of the Jews and crushed every hope they had for a literal kingdom on earth. God's Eternal Purpose: -- We must realize that God raised up Christ to the end that Israel might be saved, "Him did God exalt with His right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repent- ance to Israel, and remission of sins" (Acts 5;31). And, although this salvation was designed for all mankind, the Jews were to be given the first opportunity to be saved in this new and world wide offer of salvation. Even during the ministry of Jesus, He sent the apostles first to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matt. 10:5,6). And just before leaving them to return to the Father in heaven, Jesus told them, "Ye shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Jesus came with healing for the sick and food for the hungry multitudes. As long as He dealt with the material, great throngs followed Him. But as soon as He began to proclaim that His kingdom was not of this world, that His purpose involved a spirit- ual and not a literal institution, the multitudes turned away and their hatred for the Messiah increased. But all of this prejudiced concern and false hope did not deter the eternal purpose of God through Christ. He came to "seek and to save the lost" (Lk. 19: 10), and the only reason the Jews were not saved was because they would not come to Him that they might be saved. Surely no one will question the fact that the hope of Israel was wrapped up in a coming Messiah. When we admit that Christ fulfilled the promise of the "Prince of peace" (Isa. 9:6), we then see the great difficulty the Jews had, because of their dreams of earthly glory. To sustain that dream, they gave a literal interpretation to the Messianic prophecies instead of accepting the fact that Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of them. (More will be posted on this subject tomorrow, the Lord willing, JWS). -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090702/354c84f5/attachment.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Thu Jul 2 05:20:41 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2009 06:20:41 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) "CONSIDER ONE ANOTHER" Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Thursday morn- ing to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. Here is an article from my files: "CONSIDER ONE ANOTHER" "Let us consider one another, to provoke unto love and to good works" (Heb. 10:24). One of the tragic ills that plagues soc- iety today is selfishness. And as long as people are determined to "look out for number one," that plague will continue. This is far from what our Lord taught for His people. In the "Golden Rule" (Matt. 7:12), He shows that we are to treat others as we want to be treated. In other words, "Consider one another." We read of Jesus, "And He came forth and saw a great multitude, and He had compassion on them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and He began to teach them many things" (Mk. 6:34). To feel compassion is to feel what the other person feels. We need this quality in our lives -- to put ourselves in the other person's place, to feel what he feels. But there are two things to be done as a result of "consider- ing" one another. We are to "provoke one another unto love and good works." To provoke means to stimulate, arouse, stir up. When I was a kid on a farm in western Oklahoma, I shout a small rock into a nest of Yellow Jackets -- and ran! For those critters were "provoked." Well, we are not to provoke anger, to sorrow or revenge. We are to provoke one another to love. Watch the teenagers. The boy holds her coat, brings flowers, holds the door for her, pays her compliments. He is provoking her to love. And she has probably been making eyes at him to get him to do all those things -- she is provoking him to love. This is the principle we need to learn. We can make people love us if we will do those things that will provoke them to love us. To provoke unto good works requires similar activity on our part. How do you get someone to do a job? Ask Tom Sawyer! He made work so attractive to his friends that they painted the entire fence for him! All of us need encouragement as we seek to work for the Lord. And not a few of us get lazy. So, the apost- le wrote, "Admonish the disorderly, encourage the faint-hearted, support the weak" (1 Thes. 5:14). Most of us fit in there some- where at one time or another. What we need is someone to pro- voke us to love and good works -- one who will show the way as well as tell it. Jesus gave the great source of motivation when He said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" (Jno. 14:15). To tory to provoke others to love without consideration will fail. The correct order is given: Consider, provoke to love, provoke to good works. What changes could be made in this old world, if we really lived by this rule. The golden rule becomes a way of life, concern for others shows in every action, love prompts more and more good works. All to the glory of God. So, "Let us consider one another, to provoke unto love and good works," and thus change the world. ------- Clem Thurman in Gospel Minu- tes, Vol. 58, No. 26, June 26, 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090702/cc0966f4/attachment.html From tssullivan at charter.net Thu Jul 2 15:49:52 2009 From: tssullivan at charter.net (T. Sean Sullivan) Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2009 15:49:52 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] The Messenger Vol 004 Iss 026 Message-ID: <5FB1D0D6E9CC44C6B89E4CF4F5C0C705@sean2e3f41f1ba> The Messenger 2009 Published Weekly by Main Street Church of Christ 306 West Main Street, Newbern, TN 38059 Bulletin Editor: T. Sean Sullivan VOLUME 004::ISSUE 026: July 05, 2009 This Week's Article: Why Bad Things Happen? Introduction: The more we as a people have become accustomed to the comforts of life the more apparent any negative thing seems. This at first may seem to be a strange statement; there have been times in our history when life was difficult for everyone and there were certain things that we just accepted as normal: hardships, toiling, struggles to survive. Our ancestors were accepting of life as it happened and made the best of it to survive-we are living proof of their chosen tenacity. The first observation of this lesson can be applied physically and spiritually. Many have struggled in this physical life for the hope of survival. Many have struggled to maintain their spiritual life for the hope of salvation. On occasion these two battles cross one against the other. Today we have become accustom to the ease of life; the smallest struggles have come to seem so big to us-we as a people have become very sensitive. Why is this a problem? Many are pointing a finger-of-blame at God. Many have begun to deny the existence of God, since these bad things exist. We need to have a better understanding. Let's refocus our thoughts on the word of God and what we can know. Let's examine from the source of truth some common hardship and let's find a place of understanding so that we might deal with them. God created us and gave us free will It is important to know these points: Free will is God-given. It is this freedom to choose for self that is intrinsic to the value of human life and the fulfillment of our purpose in this creation (Acts 17:24-27). It is this ability that allows us to be truly compassionate, caring, and loving (Luke 10:27). It is by the reflection of this ability that we can build relationships based on true feelings Such as that of husband and wife (Ephesians 5:25). Our Creator God is a moral God He cannot be immoral in any way. It would be immoral for God to create us with free will and then refuse to allow it. God cannot disallow negative consequences they are our unalienable right from the choices we make. We must understand that all choice have consequences. This is the value and risk of our choice making freedom. Sometimes our ability to choose, results in bad consequences. We are free to choose carelessly: resulting in accidents caused by self and others. We can make choices without knowing, or in ignorance: fro example taking a wrong prescription, eating a food that you were unknowingly allergic to. We can choose to follow our lusts resulting in major worldly consequences such as criminal charges, diseases related to immorality, and certainly destruction of character and shame. We could also choose irrationally: acting without thinking through to the results or our choice may be chosen maliciously: intentionally seeking to harm others. Because everyone is free to choose they may choose poorly and their choices may affect your life. We live in a natural place Again we begin with our Creator God. Our habitat, this place called Earth is designed to be well-suited for us (Acts 17:24). However, in this natural realm the laws of nature maintain our world (Ecclesiastes 1:5-7). Sometimes when we get in the way of nature and we are affected. As simple as sunburn through such major things as hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes, we live in a place where we must interact with nature. It has been reasoned that natural calamities bring our minds back to the perspective that life here is uncertain. By God's design, nature cycles. Because of natural cycles we might have a flooded yard or basement or maybe we will not have any water at all-from floods to forest fires, earthquakes or mudslides this nature around us is a cycle. Clearly nature does not have reasoning abilities-no storm purposely chases you. God does not send lightning down from heaven to zap sinners. Is there any purpose to these things? Perhaps these problems remind us that this world is not the permanent home of our soul (Hebrews 11:13-16). There is a better land prepared (John 14:1-6)-a place in the presence of God (Revelation 21:22-27). We are clearly told that our life here is short in comparison to eternity and that we have an uncertain amount of time (James 4:14) We are mortal We all must face the fact that our flesh is not designed to function forever according to God's design (Genesis 3:19; Psalms 139:14). We all have an appointment with death according to Hebrews 9:27 "It is appointed unto men once to die". Ecclesiastes 3:20 "There is a time to be born and a time to die". Later in Ecclesiastes wise Solomon provides us with this word picture to open our eyes to process of aging and the finality of life (Ecclesiastes 12:1-6). When our bodies are no longer fit to house us our spirit will depart (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Peter spoke of death as leaving his tent behind (2 Peter 1:12-15). We are just not meant to live forever. We are temporary (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). Conclusion: Is there any hope of having a life free from hardships? We can minimize our troubles by finding a better way of living. We can seek out wise counsel to enable better decision making. God provides a better way of living-with respect of body and soul (morally and ethically pure). God provides wise counsel to enable our own wisdom (Psalm 1; James 1:17-25). The opportunity to begin on a new a better road is now. The hope our eternal life in the perfection of Heaven can be yours right now. Obedience to God's will brings us to the better pathway of life. For the hope of betterment obey the gospel today. ~tss If you are enjoying The Messenger and you know someone else who would like to receive it. Please forward this copy to them and send their email address and I will add them to the list. Sean -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090702/f83de507/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 3298 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090702/f83de507/attachment-0002.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 7776 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090702/f83de507/attachment-0003.gif From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Fri Jul 3 03:25:47 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2009 04:25:47 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) LOVING ONE ANOTHER -- A FRIEND OF JESUS Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Friday morning to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. Here is an article from my files: LOVING ONE ANOTHER -- A FRIEND OF JESUS Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior of all people, calls upon His followers to love one another as He has loved them. His re- quest is worded as a command: "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you" (Jno. 15:12). An explanation is offered by Jesus: "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's own life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you shoud go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another" (Jno. 15:13-17). It is evident that Jesus was specifically speaking to His apostles that were with Him at the moment. But, He was also speaking to all His followers who would come to believe in Him through the preaching and teaching of these apostles that were chosen first (see Jno. 17:20,21). Let us carefully consider the reasons we are commanded to love one another. The most important reason is that Jesus loved us (vs. 12). How did He love us? He loved us when He laid down His life for us (vs. 13)! For whom did He die? He died for His friends (vs. 13). Who are His friends? His friends are the people who do whatever He commands (vs. 14). What does it mean to be called a friend of Jesus? Being a friend of Jesus means that a person who was once a slave has now become one who know his master's mind and the work he is doing. Jesus reveals to His friends what His Father in heaven has made known to Him (vs. 15). A person becomes a friend because Jesus has chosen him to be a friend. Jesus calls upon His friends to go and bear fruit (that is work in His kingdom). Also, a friend of Jesus is given a direct line to the Father through the blessing of prayer (vs. 16). When Christians are obeying the command of Jesus by loving one another, they are truly the friends of Jesus. Brethren, we need to be loving one another! ------ Ron Drumm. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090703/07fe358d/attachment.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Fri Jul 3 03:25:56 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2009 04:25:56 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) "THE HOPE OF ISRAEL" (2) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the second installment on this particular subject. Use to the glory of God. "THE HOPE OF ISRAEL" (2) Conditional Promises Made To Israel: -- Many point to the prom- ises made to Israel, and say that God is obligated to fulfill them. But this ignores the fact that God's promises were conditional. "Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and to in and possess the land, whither ye go over to possess it; and that ye may prolong your days in the land, which Jehovah sware unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land flowing with milk and honey" (Deut. 11:8,9). If Israel would not meet the conditions, they could not claim the promises. And the truth is, God did keep His promises. As Joshua said, "There failed not aught of any good thing which Jehovah had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass" (Jos. 21:45). This is also echoed in Jude 5, "Though ye know all things once for all, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, after- ward destroyed them that believed not." All of the promises God had made to Israel were fulfilled during the lifetimes of Moses and Joshua. God plainly said so. Just as with Israel, God's promises to us are also conditional There must be obedience and faithfulness on our part, else God is not obligated to fulfill the promises. As God told Israel, "And it shall be, if thou shalt forget Jehovah thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. As the nations that Jeho- vah maketh to perish before you, so shall ye perish; because ye would not harken unto the voice of Jehovah your God" (Deut. 8: 19,20). Then, God tells us clearly, "Let us fear therefore, lest hap- ly, a promise being left of entering into His rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it" (Heb. 4:1). The apostle Paul wrote, "Behold then the goodness and sev- erity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward you, God's goodness, if thou continue in His goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off" (Rom. 11:22). God promised many things to Israel, but He laid down conditions to be met for the promises to be fulfilled. And Israel disobeyed: "Take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God...And with whom was He displeased forty years? was it not with them that sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?" (Heb. 3:12,17). Again, "There is none that doeth good, no, not one" (Rom. 3:12). What more is necessary to show that the contract was broken and made void? There Is Still Hope For Israel: -- Israel's hope cannot be found in selfish and false desires, nor in literal interpretations of the prop- hecies which are figurative and symbolic. It cannot be found in theoristic opinions about the Jews. It can be found only in the "eternal purpose of God" (Eph. 3:11). Certainly God made a cov- enant with Israel, which was the foundation of their hope. But long before Christ came, Jeremiah said, "Behold the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the coven- ant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt" (Jer. 31:31,32). And Hosea added: "And now will I uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of My hand. I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feasts, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn assemblies" (Hos. 2:10,11). God's eternal purpose, therefore, included the making of a new covenant and the ceasing of the old, "Blotting out the hand- writing of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross" (Col. 2:14). The hope of Israel, then, will be based on this new coven- ant -- Jesus, the Christ, the foundation of all hope. (More will be posted on this subject tomorrow, the Lord willing, JWS). -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090703/4b1bc6de/attachment.html From jwquinn at sbcglobal.net Fri Jul 3 08:50:39 2009 From: jwquinn at sbcglobal.net (Jon W. Quinn) Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2009 08:50:39 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] Expository Files 16.7 - July 2009 now available Message-ID: Our 16th year of publication (1994-2009) Expository Files - July 2009 **Our 187th 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. We have expository material from every book in the Bible, though there are still portions that are much more lightly covered than others. Thanks to our writers and our readers for making Expository Files such a success! ---------------------------------------------------------- Expository Files 16.7; July 2009 Co-edited by Warren E. Berkley and Jon W. Quinn ---------------------------------------------------------- This month's issue contains: The Front Page; July 2009; 16.7 Parents & Priorities By Warren E. Berkley The Judgment Of The Living & The Dead 1 Peter 4:1-8 By Warren E. Berkley Spiritual Correctness Psalm 22:3 By Brady Cook I Will Go Down With You Into Egypt ?I will also surely bring you up again" Genesis 46:1-4 By Jon W. Quinn Subservient Truth? Matthew 16:1-11 By Allen Dvorak We Need A Generation Topic Page by Joshua Welch {From Our Good Fight, June ?09} Plan of Salvation By Jon W. Quinn The Final Page 16.7 Moral Excellence By Jon W. Quinn ---------------------------------------------------------- EF can now, or soon will, be found at the following places: http://www.bible.ca/ef/ Every issue - 1994 to present; every article; html; arranged by book; topic and/or issue; Search engine http://expositoryfiles.homestead.com/index.html 2004-present 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 Bradley Church of Christ Bradley, Illinois http://www.bradleychurchofchrist.com Expository Files Sites http://www.bible.ca/ef/ http://www.expositoryfiles.homestead.com/ From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Sat Jul 4 02:30:29 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Sat, 4 Jul 2009 03:30:29 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) "THE HOPE OF ISRAEL" (3) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the third and final insta- llment of this particular study. Use to the glory of God. "THE HOPE OF ISRAEL" (3) Hope Of Israel Included The Gentiles: -- "Making known unto us the mystery of His Will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him unto a dispensation of the fulness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ...For He is our peace, who made both one, and brake down the middle wall of partition, hav- ing obolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of command- ments contained in ordinances; that He might create in Himself of the two (Jews and Gentiles) one new man, so making peace" (Eph. 1:9,10; 2:14,15). That which will bring salvation to the Gen- tiles will also bring salvation to the Jews. The hope of the Gent- iles is also the hope of Israel. Through faith in Christ and obed- ience to His commands, we shall receive the remission of sins. Jesus Christ, taking His leave of the apostles, told them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mk. 16:15,16). When Peter was sent by the Lord to preach to the Gentiles for the first time, he told them: "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is acceptable to Him" (Acts 10:34, 35). So, as Paul and the other apostles preached "the hope of Israel," they showed that this hope was also the hope of the Gen- tiles. The Basis Of Israel's Hope: -- Many point to Rom. 11:26, "And so all Israel shall be saved," and claim that means that God will save every Israelite -- regardless of their faith or lack of faith. But that is not what Rom. 11 is all about. The apostle Paul, in Rom. 9 and 10 has been showing that Jews and Gentiles are on equal footing before God. What God requires of one, He also requires of the other. Then he writes: "But I speak to you that are Gentil- es. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I glorify my ministry; if by any means I may provoke to jealousy them that are my flesh, and may save some of them...Thou wilt say then, Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Well; by their unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by thy faith. Be not highminded, but fear...Behold then the goodness and severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee, God's goodness, if thou continue in His goodness: other- wise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they continue not in their unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again...For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest ye be wise in your own conceits, that a hard- ening in part hath befallen Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in; and so all Israel shall be saved" (Rom. 11:13-26). The word "so" in vs. 26 is translated from the Greek "outos," which is defined: "Thus, in this way." It is obvious trhat "all Israel" in this verse could not mean all of fleshly Israel, for this same passage has already shown that most of them were "brok- en off" because of their unbelief. Israel, figuratively used, refers to the redeemed of the gospel age. Fleshly Israel had not obtain- ed, but spiritual Israel had obtained -- through faith in Christ. And spiritual Israel is the church of Jesus Christ (Matt. 16:18; Acts 2:47). God's Israel today is, therefore, that body of believ- ers in Christ -- including both Jews and Gentiles -- who seek after God according to the New Covenant. God's Israel today is that body which includes the "remnant" of fleshly Israel who enter that spiritual institution. Just as all the Gentiles are allowed to enter in: through faith in Christ and submission to His Will. Paul declares that "They are not all Israel, that are of Israel" (Rom. 9:6). In other words, not all of fleshly Israel are part of the spiritual Israel. Only those who bow in submission to Christ are spiritual. And, "In this way all Israel shall be saved." Or, in other words, "In this way all Israel shall be saved." It is the exact same way that all of the Gentiles must be saved. Christ is the "hope of Israel." ---- Clem Thurman in Gospel Minutes, Vol. 58, No. 17, April 24, 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090704/605f68a9/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Sat Jul 4 02:30:19 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Sat, 4 Jul 2009 03:30:19 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) GOD HAS SPOKEN Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Saturday (Indep- endence Day) to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. I trust that this Independence Day will not be the last, as we have known it. I pray that when this day comes around in 2010 that we will not be a Socialist, Marxist, State. The path that is being travelled at this time by our leadership in the White House and Congress is swiftly leading us, not leading us, but driving us into a time when the Federal Govern- ment will be overseeing every facit of our lives. And when that time comes, we will no longer be a free capitalist nation as we have been for hundreds of years, and we will no longer be free to practice free enterprise. We will be told what kind of lightbulbs we will have to use in lighting our homes. We will be told what kind of car we will drive. We will be told what type of health care we will have to use. The Islamic influence will be given free reign to practice their ways along with the Communist forms of governments and ideas in every foreign nation and even in our own nation. May God bless our nation that we will not be led down that road of oppression and destruction. (JWS). GOD HAS SPOKEN Did you read about the games that Paul started at Corinth to attract a crowd so he could preach to them? No, and you never will, because Paul did not use carnal desires to lure people to hear the gospel! Paul told the Corinthian saints, "I det- ermined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2). He shunned human wisdom and philosophy, favoring and proclaiming the true wisdom of God. Can you picture Peter getting pie in his face as a way of exciting children and getting them to come and learn a little about God? None of the accounts of the gospel tell of rollicking and noisy fun and games as a part of the ministry of Christ; no prizes or surprises were advertised. Teaching the Bible to youth and adults is doing what God wants whether in summer or winter, but calling a festive event of vacation fun and games a vacation Bible school is neither accurate nor appropriate. Coming before God to listen to His Word demands more dignity and seriousness of mind, more reverence and godly fear. Faithful saints ought not to feel that they must imitate and outdo the examples of their denomination- al neighbors who have drunk deeply from the cup of the "social gospel." We stand with good company when we let the good news of salvation and the message of personal responsibility to God be the whole purposeand diet of our gatherings to pro- claim the Word of God to all who will hear Him. Study the work and examples of Paul, Barnabas, Philip, Apollos, Peter, Timothy, Titus and other teachers in the Scriptures; and if you find what I have written here to be contrary to their manner of life, please let me know, citing book, chapter and verse. ---- Gilbert Alexan- der. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090704/26fa2e31/attachment-0001.html From rkkrwolf at knology.net Sat Jul 4 02:58:37 2009 From: rkkrwolf at knology.net (Ryan & Kristi Wolf (Multimedia Conversion)) Date: Sat, 4 Jul 2009 02:58:37 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] H> Class Material regarding the subject of "Sins of the Tonuge" Message-ID: <000001c9fc7d$3e919690$bbb4c3b0$@net> Brethren, As stated in the subject I'm currently searching for any articles, class material, or Sermons on "Sins of the Tongue". Any information or thoughts that you have would be greatly helpful to the work of this subject. Please feel free to respond directly or to the list. Sincerely, Ryan Wolf -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090704/bbde1ebe/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Sat Jul 4 03:27:21 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Sat, 4 Jul 2009 04:27:21 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) INDEPENDENCE DAY Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here are some thoughts for our consideration on this Independence Day: INDEPENDENCE DAY On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress of the fledgling United States of America signed the Declaration of Independ- ence. In so doing they declared the new nation's independence from the oppressive British regime, whose taxation without representation, and governmental policies had become intolera- ble. They did not know what road law ahead for them, but they were determined to do whatever was necessary in support of the decision they had made. The die was cast, there could be no turning back. The path that these men had chosen would not be without cost. There would be suffering and deprivation for the general populace and there would be an enormous amou- nt of blood shed by those men who gave their lives in battle in the pursuit of freedom. In throwing off the shackles of their form- er "masters," the citizens of the new United States of America were subjecting themselves to a different form of government, a new set of "masters" so to speak, chosen by the people to pro- vide for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happeness. From these seeds sown in the beginning days would grow the mightiest nation on earth -- the United States of America. The desire of the British government to control the lives of the colonists, to derive great profit from them, and the steps they took to assure that their desires would come to pass, caused the colonies to revolt. One can see parallels between what happened then and what happens now when an individual decides to declare his or her independence and throw off the shackles of the most oppressive master of all, Satan. Jesus referred to Satan as the "prince of this world" in three different places in the Gospel of John. In contemporary Jewish documents of the time, Satan is referred to with this descriptive phrase because he was viewed as leading the Gentile peoples -- a classic example of Jewish prejudice. Daniel H. King, Sr, in his commentary on the Gospel of John (pg. 254), writes, "Here he is given the title since he is master of those who refuse to believe in Jesus Christ, in this case the Jewish political and social leadership." Make no mistake about it. When a person refuses to believe in the Lord and to obey His Word, that person has sub- jected himself to the "prince of this world" Satan. He has made himself a subject of Satan and serves a master whose regime is so oppressive and whose ultimate reward is eternal damnation. Consider Rom. 6:15-23. Take time just here to read this pass- age. The time is far past for all of those who are subjects of the prince of this world, for all who are servants of Satan, to declare their independence. Such a declaration is seen and experienc- ed as they turn in humble obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ; believing His Word, repenting of their sins, confessing their faith in Jesus as the Lord, and being baptized in water for the remission of their sins. It is paradoxical that only by becoming a subject, a slave, a servant, of Jesus Christ, His servant, can one truly be free. Take time just here to read Jno. 8:31-36. Proclaim your inde- pendence. Become a faithful child of God,a dn know what true freedom in service really is. The immediate result is the best life possible on earth, and eternal salvation and life in heaven in the hearafter. ----- Adapted from That Ye May Grow Thereby, By Greg Litmer. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090704/45ae4bb8/attachment.html From wswalker310 at juno.com Fri Jul 3 16:38:10 2009 From: wswalker310 at juno.com (Wayne S Walker) Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2009 16:38:10 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] "Open My Eyes, That I May See" Message-ID: <20090704.101932.1652.0.wswalker310@juno.com> Wayne Walker here with another weekly hymn study. "OPEN MY EYES, THAT I MAY SEE" "Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law" (Ps. 119:18) INTRO.: A song which expresses the desire that God would open our eyes that we might behold wondrous things out of His law is "Open My Eyes, That I May See" (#126 in Hymns for Worship Revised, and #65 in Sacred Selections for the Church). The text was written and the tune (Scott) was composed both by Clara (not Charles, as erroneously appears in some books) H. Fiske Scott, who was born at Elk Grove in Cook County, IL, on Dec. 3, 1841, the daughter of Abel and Sarah Rockwell Jones Fiske. In 1856 Clara attended the first musical institute in Chicago, conducted by C. M. Cady, who later formed the music publishing firm of Root and Cady with brothers E. T. and George Frederick Root (1820-1895). George was the author and composer of "Why Do You Wait, Dear Brother?" In 1859, Miss Fiske began teaching music in the Ladies' Seminary at Lyons, IA. Two years later, in 1861, she married Henry Clay Scott and returned to the Chicago area where she became an acquaintance of Horatio Richmond Palmer (1834-1907). Palmer was the author and composer of "Yield Not to Temptation." He greatly encouraged her in creative writing of hymns and tunes, helping her to publish many of her songs, and she contributed a large number of hymns and tunes to various collections, as well as writing numerous piano pieces in sheet music form. Unfortunately, only one of her many songs is still in popular use. In addition, Mrs. Scott published three hymnbooks of her own, The Royal Anthem Book in 1882, one of the first hymnbooks published by a woman; Happy Songs: Truth in Song for Lovers of Truth in 1896; and Short Anthems in 1897. The exact date of the writing of "Open My Eyes, That I May See" is unknown. It first appeared in Best Hymns No. 2, published in 1895 by the Evangelical Publishing Co. of Chicago and compiled by Harold F. Sayles and Elisha Albright Hoffman (1839-1929). Hoffman was the author and composer of "I Must Tell Jesus." Mrs. Scott was tragically killed when she was thrown from a buggy by a runaway horse while on a return trip to Iowa visiting friends in Dubuque, and died there on June 21, 1897, the day after the accident. Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord's church during the twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, "Open My Eyes, That I May See" appeared in the 1921 Great Songs of the Church (No. 1) edited by E. L. Jorgenson and the 1975 Supplement to the 1937 Great Songs of the Church No. 2 originally published by Jorgenson; the 1963 Abiding Hymns edited by Robert C. Welch; the 1965 Great Christian Hymnal No. 2 edited by Tillit S. Teddlie; and the 1978 Hymns of Praise edited by Reuel Lemmons. Today it may be found in the 1978 edition of the 1971 Songs of the Church, the 1990 Songs of the Church 21st C. Ed., and the 1994 Songs of Faith and Praise all edited by Alton H. Howard; the 1986 Great Songs Revised edited by Forrest M. McCann; and the 1992 Praise for the Lord edited by John P. Wiegand; in addition to Hymns for Worship and Sacred Selections. The song asks God to open all our senses to learn and do His will. I. In stanza 1, God is asked to open our eyes "Open my eyes, that I may see Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me; Place in my hands the wonderful key That shall unclasp, and set me free." A. Some people, although able to see physically, refuse to open their spiritual eyes, while others are blessed because they see with their eyes: Matt. 13:13-17 B. What we need to be looking for is the truth that is found in God's word: Jn. 17:17 C. This truth is the key which sets us free: Jn. 8:32 II. In stanza 2, God is asked to open our ears "Open my ears, that I may hear Voices of truth Thou sendest clear; And while the wave-notes fall on my ear, Everything false will disappear." A. Jesus is God's beloved Son, and the Father wants us to hear Him: Matt 17:5 B. In Sacred Selections, Ellis J. Crum changed "voices of truth" to "Thy word of truth," I suppose to avoid the possibility that someone might think that God speaks to us directly today in a still small voice, but the only real "voices of truth" that we can hear come from those teaching the word of God: Rev. 1:3 C. And it is by using the truth as our standard that we shall be able to discern what is false and what is true, like the Bereans, who searched the scriptures: Acts 17:17 III. In stanza 3 God is asked to open our mouths and hearts "Open my mouth, and let me bear Gladly the warm truth everywhere; Open my heart, and let me prepare Love with Thy children thus to share." A. If our lives are truly guided by the word of God, then our mouths will want to proclaim it at every opportunity: Eph. 6:18-20 B. In this, we shall be like the Thessalonians, who sounded out the word of the Lord in every place: 1 Thess. 1:8 C. However, it is not enough just to have an open mouth; we must also have a heart that is opened by love of the brethren: 1 Pet 1:22 IV. In stanza 4 God is asked to open our minds "Open my mind, that I may read More of Thy love in word and deed; What shall I fear while yet Thou dost lead? Only for light from Thee I plead." A. We need to make sure that our minds are open to God's message if we are going to love the Lord with all our mind: Mk. 12:30 B. Yet, the only way that we can be open to God's message is to read it in His written word, the scriptures: 2 Tim. 3:16-17 C. In this way, we shall have light for our pathway: Ps. 119:105 V. In stanza 5 God is asked to open our way "Open my way, that I may bring Trophies of grace to Christ, my King; Echoed in love Thy word shall out-ring, Sweet as the note the angels sing." A. If we have the right attitude toward God's word, He will open to us the way that leads to everlasting life: Matt. 7:13-14 B. One aspect of traveling that way is to bring trophies of grace to Christ, our King, by leading others to Christ: 1 Cor. 3:5-10 C. By living according to God's way, our lives will radiate to others the light of the world: Matt. 5:14-16 CONCL.: The chorus sets forth the requisites on our part for us to be open to God in all things. "Silently now I wait for Thee, Ready, my God, Thy will to see: Open my eyes (etc.), illumine me, Savior divine!" The original last two words of the chorus were "Spirit divine," but almost all of our books have changed that to "Savior divine." Some have objected to this song because they think it pictures people just sitting and waiting for God to speak directly to their hearts. However, it does not require God to act in some direct, mysterious, miraculous way but simply to speak to me through His word for Him to answer my prayer, "Open My Eyes, That I May See." Brotherly, Wayne S. Walker 503 S. Jefferson St. Salem, IL 62881 home phone: (618) 548-6286 office phone: (618) 548-1774 e-mail: wswalker310 at juno.com website: www.defenderoftruth.com Notes: Other hymn studies are available at the Defender of Truth website. Also, some of my previous hymn studies are now included in book that I have written entitled Songs of Zion. It can be ordered from the publisher by calling 1-800-423-2484 or going to www.faith-facts.com . And I have a Hymn Studies blog at http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hymnstudies/ . In addition, since this has been called to my attention, I now feel it necessary to include this disclaimer with each message. As owner of this list, I have nothing to do with the ads and links that Yahoogroups sends out with the Hymn of the Day posts nor do I have any control over them. I do not necessarily approve of them and I do not always endorse those who have placed them with Yahoogroups. (Note: My family and I are going to be out of town next week, so there will be no Hymn of the Day until the weekly hymn study next Saturday. WSW.) ____________________________________________________________ Store more data on a reliable tape drive. Click now! http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/fc/BLSrjpTEqwjGc494PiEPJU7E3CSbCPFCHhXWgB5XSuumHDiBkqmF4LInIOU/ From thornhill1 at frontiernet.net Sat Jul 4 14:28:33 2009 From: thornhill1 at frontiernet.net (thomas thornhill) Date: Sat, 4 Jul 2009 14:28:33 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] The Buckhorn Teacher - 7-05-09 Message-ID: THE BUCKHORN TEACHER "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching." 2.Tim.4:2 Buckhorn church of Christ - Thomas Thornhill - editor. 13675 Hwy 341, Randolph MS 38864-9117. Tel. 662-568-2960. Cell 662-419-5378. E-mail thornhill1 at frontiernet.net Vol.8 July 5, 2009 No.3 Note: I realize this issue of "The Buckhorn Teacher" is a week late. It is normally published every other week, but since my wife and I were in California the last two weeks of June to see our youngest grandson, Joshua Thornhill, graduate from high school the paper was not published last week. Next week I will publish another issue and be up to date. THE RIGHT CHURCH A brother told me his friend asked if the church of which he was a member was the true church. The brother is an honest, conscientious man, and he said he couldn't tell his friend the church of which he was a member was perfect. He knew, and the friend knew, they had problems and imperfections. So he told his friend it was the nearest thing to "right" of which he knew. Is this the best approach? The "nearest thing to right" says I know what is "right," but either I can not find - perhaps believe there does not exist - one that measures up; or I am willing to settle for something less than what I know should be. Perhaps some of our readers believe he should have said he was a member of the church of Christ and that is "the true church." He could have said it; and launched into the time of its establishment, its government, its name and the other characteristics usually used for identification. But his Querist referred to the local church of that community, and was smart enough to know that proving the features of the 1st century church is not proving this local church qualifies. I suggested he discuss the church of the N.T. records from two angles: the IDEAL or that perfect church one might envision by studying what is approved and disapproved of God. Then, point out that the actual congregations of the 1st century were not perfectly aligned with this ideal. In fact, we learn what Christ desired by seeing their errors corrected, as well as by approved examples, etc. Then drive this home. Anything short of a sincere, all-out endeavor to be and do what Christ wants us to be and do, is not good enough. Tell your friend you have done what you believe God's word teaches one must do to become a child of God. And you are in fellowship with other like children, who are endeavoring to work and worship as God's word directs. Ask him to examine your faith and practices in the light of God's word. If you can show him you welcome constructive criticism, will correct any errors he might find, are ever cognizant of weakness and need to improve, and are praying for forgiveness and strength to do better - brother, you have shown him the "right" church. If you can't stand such a test, perhaps you will CHANGE THE SUBJECT!! - Author, Robert F. Turner, from Plain Talk, vol.20, No.1, March 1983. ARE YOU PUZZLED ABOUT YOUR RELIGION? - Tom Rainwater The apostle Paul, in writing to young Timothy, said God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" 1.Tim.2:4. In Eph.5:17, he begs the saints at Ephesus to "not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is." By these passages, it should be obvious that we CAN understand what the truth is concerning religious matters. But if we look around at the religious world, we see hundreds of groups teaching different things, but ALL claiming to have the TRUTH. It can be QUITE PUZZLING to say the least. Paul faced a similar problem in his day. There were brethren in the Corinthian church who were dividing among themselves. He said, "Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment" 1.Cor.1:10. Can ALL these religious groups be teaching the TRUTH? IMPOSSIBLE! Paul says there is "one faith" Eph.4:5, NOT many. Christ said in Matt.16:18, "I will build my church," NOT churches. Well, then. WHO IS RIGHT? Let's begin by saying that ONLY THE BIBLE IS RIGHT, not men. After all, "I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps" Jer.10:23. ONLY the Bible should be the standard (rule) for religious authority, NOT doctrinal creeds written by men. Paul says in 2.Tim.3:16-17, "ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." HOW CAN I KNOW IF I HAVE THE TRUTH? If only the Bible is right, and we follow ONLY the Bible, then WE KNOW we have the TRUTH. We should always try to follow the example of the Bereans in Acts 17:10-11 who "were more fair minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so." Whenever someone spoke about religious matters, they looked it up. They even checked up on the apostle Paul and he commended them for it! WHY SHOULD I FIND OUT THE TRUTH? We should be diligent in finding it out and obeying it, because God's word is going to judge us in the end. Jesus said "He who rejects Me, and does not receive MY words, has that which judges him - the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day." Paul says "we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ" 2.Cor.5:10. Let's all put aside "denominationalism" and all its PUZZLING ideas and begin following ONLY the pure gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. "For this is the love of God that we keep His commandments" 1.Jn.5:3. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090704/7d0dd4fd/attachment-0001.html From disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Sun Jul 5 15:06:57 2009 From: disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com (Ethan R. Longhenry) Date: Sun, 5 Jul 2009 16:06:57 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] Good News for Norwalk: Volume IV, Number 27: July 05, 2009 Message-ID: Good News for Norwalk For I am not ashamed of the good news, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. (Romans 1:16) A publication of the church of Christ in Norwalk, Ohio Volume IV, Number 27: July 05, 2009 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 John 3:4-8: Purity vs. Sin Every one that doeth sin doeth also lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. And ye know that he was manifested to take away sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither knoweth him. My little children, let no man lead you astray: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous: he that doeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. To this end was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:4-8). John is attempting to encourage his brethren in the late first century in the face of both persecution and the growth of the Gnostic movement. He has indicated to the brethren that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness, that Christians do not reach a sinless state but should strive to not sin, that Christians are not to follow after the world, and that those who set their hope upon the resurrection strive to keep pure (1 John 1:1-2:6, 2:15-17, 3:1-3). Meanwhile, John has been providing strong warnings against the false Gnostic teachers, describing them as "antichrists," those who oppose the truth regarding Jesus (cf. 1 John 2:18-26). In 1 John 3:4-8 he begins to return to some of these concerns. While some Gnostic groups despised the flesh and renounced all forms of pleasure, many others took the opposite view toward the flesh. The flesh was of far less concern to the Gnostics than the soul: since many such Gnostics were heading toward "spiritual development," at least in their own minds, what they did in the flesh would not matter. Therefore, Gnostic groups like the Carpocratians were well-known for their immoral conduct (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, I.25). John, therefore, makes it abundantly clear to the brethren that this is not the way it should be! John identifies the practice of sin as "lawlessness," that is, acting contrary to the established law and acting outside the boundaries of law (1 John 3:4). God has provided the appropriate boundaries for Christian conduct throughout the New Testament; lists such as in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and Galatians 5:19-21 provide a good starting place to understand these boundaries. Defining sin as "lawlessness" also serves to remind us that there remains "law" even in the new covenant: yes, God has provided us with a covenant of grace, but that is not an excuse for immoral conduct (cf. Romans 6:1-2, 2 Corinthians 3)! John continues by establishing that Jesus came to take away sin and that in Him there was no sin (1 John 3:5). These realities are made abundantly evident from John 1:29, 2 Corinthians 5:21, and 1 Peter 2:21-22. John again mentions this here to emphasize how these Gnostic teachers have departed from the doctrines and example of Christ: they are promoting that which Jesus intended to take away through His death, and acting in ways entirely unlike Jesus (cf. 1 John 2:6)! John goes on to say that those who abide in Christ do not sin while those who sin have not seen Him or known Him (1 John 3:6). On the surface, this seems to be a complete contradiction of what John said in 1 John 1:7-10: how can those who abide in Him "not sin" while those who say that they do not sin do not have the truth? The distinction is to be found in repentance: in 1 John 1:7-10, believers who stumble confess as much to God and ask for forgiveness. These Gnostic teachers promote sin without shame, repentance, or confession. Anyone who engages in unrepentant sin make it evident that they do not truly know Jesus! John then wants to make sure that the brethren are not led astray, and therefore he makes another clear comparison: those who do righteousness are righteous while those who sin are of the devil (1 John 3:7-8). The devil sinned from the beginning, and Jesus came to destroy his works (1 John 3:8). We should not pretend that John's absolute statements give us license to be complacent, believing that as long as we engage in some righteous behavior that all will be well. Jesus makes it clear that we must be completely devoted servants of the Father (Matthew 7:21-23, Matthew 10:35-39, Galatians 2:20, etc.). People who do a "little" righteousness and a "lot" of self-service are not justified! Nevertheless, we must understand John's point: one will be able to discern the "spiritual father" of a given person by their deeds (cf. Matthew 7:15-20): those who try to obey God in all things are of righteousness, while those who sin unrepentantly are of the devil! John speaks of the devil as sinning from "the beginning," most likely a reference to the Garden (cf. Genesis 3). John shows that these Gnostic teachers are not really gaining "spiritual wisdom" but are in fact the servants of the devil, fully engaged in his work of evil. These Gnostic teachers are in fact working against Jesus, since He came to destroy the works of the devil. Let us be pure and not sinful! Ethan R. Longhenry evangelist at norwalkchurch.org ------------------------------------------------------------------ The church of Christ in Norwalk, Ohio Thank you for reading the electronic version of our bulletin, Good News for Norwalk. If you live in Norwalk or happen to be traveling in the Norwalk area, we would certainly love to have you visit one of our assemblies! Our location: 386 North Edgewood Drive (just off US 250 just north of Norwalk's city limits) Norwalk, Ohio 44857 Our assemblies: Sunday morning assembly: 10:30am Sunday evening assembly: 6:00pm Our Bible studies: Sunday morning Bible study: 9:30am Wednesday evening Bible study: 7:00pm ------------------------------------------------------------------ For More Information If you have any questions or comments about anything you have read here, or desire more information, please contact our evangelist, Ethan Longhenry, at evangelist at norwalkchurch.org. Ethan R. Longhenry / disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Evangelist, church of Christ in Norwalk, Ohio [norwalkchurch.org] Homepage: deusvitae.com AIM: Deus Vitae / ICQ: 28317056 Y! IM: discipuliiesus Spiritual Manna A biweekly devotional for your life. http://www.deusvitae.com/faith/manna From richard at thetford.dot5hosting.com Sun Jul 5 21:35:16 2009 From: richard at thetford.dot5hosting.com (Richard Thetford) Date: Sun, 5 Jul 2009 20:35:16 -0600 Subject: [Biblemat] Walking in the Light (7/5/09) Message-ID: <001d01c9fde2$c7f04ba0$57d0e2e0$@dot5hosting.com> San Juan Logo PNG.png Walking in the Light "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105) July 5, 2009 www.thetfordcountry.com --- INFORMATION: Walking in the Light is published each week by Richard Thetford. You are encouraged to visit the web site at www.thetfordcountry.com and then click on "Richard's Home Page" to view numerous sermons, articles, radio program scripts, class material and other information. If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to "Walking in the Light," please send their name and e-mail address to richard at thetfordcountry.com --- CONTENTS: "The Doctrine of Christ" (Richard Thetford) "The Influence of the Home" (Kent E. Heaton Sr.) "SENTENCE SERMONS --- THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST Richard Thetford Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 6:3-6: "If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. Now godliness with contentment is great gain." There are in fact three doctrines that are mentioned in the New Testament. One is the divine doctrine which is mentioned in Titus 2:10: "adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things." There is the human doctrine mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 15:9: "And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men." Then there is the Satanic doctrine that Paul makes mention of in 1 Timothy 4:1: "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons." Why Teach the Doctrine of Christ? It still amazes me why, in the name of religion, men teach doctrines that are not found to be of Jesus Christ. It amazes me because if one is truly interested in what he must do to be saved and live a life righteous unto God, then why doesn't he look for the teachings (doctrine) of Christ to guide his steps? Paul began in 1 Timothy 6:3 by saying "if anyone teaches otherwise" then proceeds to tell us what happens to those that do so. In the Galatian letter he really spells it out when he writes: "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:8). When it comes to religion we should be determined to know nothing except the gospel that Jesus taught us. After all, can any other doctrine save us? If you answered NO, you're right. And knowing this, then we better make sure that we strive to do only the will of the Lord in our life. In 1 Timothy 1:3 we are charged not to teach another gospel. Notice: "As I urged you when I went into Macedonia-- remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith." A failure on our part to abide in the doctrine of Christ will lead to vain worship as Jesus clearly stated in Mark 7:7. Not only that, but our work that we do while here on this earth will perish when we do those things not authorized by Jesus. When Paul wrote his letter to the Colossians he said: "Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations--"Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle," which all concern things which perish with the using-- according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh" (Colossians 2:20-23). The point Paul is trying to make is that if you have accepted Jesus in your life through obedience to His gospel, then why do you try to live up to worldly doctrines that perish, doctrines and commandments that have been established not by God, but by men? Every denomination is guilty of this to some degree. We are wasting our time and effort when we teach any other doctrine than that which was authorized by Jesus! What Is Our Duty Toward The Doctrine Of Christ? We have a responsibility to keep the doctrine of Christ. It is our duty as Christians to preach this doctrine to others. The Bible says: "But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine" (Titus 2:1). In addition, we are to keep it pure (Titus 2:7), adorn it (Titus 2:10), follow it (1 Timothy 4:6), exhort in it (Titus 1:9), convince others of it (Titus 1:9), and not to blaspheme it (1 Timothy 6:1). Paul wrote these things to fellow laborers in the vineyard of the Lord. He instructed them on what they had to do to promote and to keep pure the gospel of Jesus Christ. We must fully love, respect, and embrace the word of God! Are we doing our part to make sure that we are abiding in the gospel of Jesus? The Hebrew writer wrote: "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). We are going to be judged according to our works, good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10). Knowing this, we better make sure that we are abiding in the doctrine that we are going to be judged by. Satan can't save us. Man can't save us. Only Jesus can save us. He'll save us based on our obedience to His doctrine which "was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). --- THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOME Kent E. Heaton Sr. "One percent of the child's time is spent under the influence of the Sunday school; 7 percent under the influence of the public school; 92 percent under the influence of the home." (Albert S. Taylor) Consider the amount of time a child watches television and weigh the influence - in the home - in front of the television. The results are staggering no doubt. The kind of adults our children will be is greatly determined by the amount of influence they have in their growing years. The church cannot bring children to Christ with only four hours (or less in many cases) a week no more than someone going to medical school fours a week will make them a doctor. By the time they receive their degree in medicine, everything they have learned will be outdated. The time spent in Bible class is very important! Yet, too many parents believe that time spent in Bible class is all that is needed. We moan that we are losing our young people. People say, "But I brought him to church all his life and now he wants nothing to do with the Lord." Can it be that the only time the child saw the Lord in his life was in church? The influence of teaching children about God is not accomplished fully in church Bible classes. If a parent is not taking time and opportunity to share the gospel with their children on a daily basis then why question the disposition of the grown child who cares nothing for God? Parents must instill in their children every day the values established by God's word. Values of influence are established by the kind of movies we watch, shows we turn on, books we read and magazines we subscribe too. Parents show their children God by their words and deeds of kindness. Children learn about the gospel when parents emphasize spiritual matters in their lives. The influence of God mothers and fathers is found when children are taught to dress modestly. Mothers and fathers are the influence that is first seen by the children and forms the basis of their own lives. --- SENTENCE SERMONS It isn't your position, but your disposition that determines your happiness. Some people believe everything that is whispered to them. The best way to save face is to keep the lower end of it closed. The man who deserts truth in trifles can not be trusted in matters of importance. Worry is the advance interest you pay on troubles that seldom come. A sharp tongue does not necessarily indicate a keen mind. An evil conscience can not be cured by medicine. --- SERMON TAKE AWAY THE STONE (with PDF PowerPoint Charts and Audio) www.thetfordcountry.com --- cid:image003.gif at 01C9DCB3.EEF5E980 1414 Hawk Parkway, Unit C Montrose, CO 81401 (970) 626-5558 www.sanjuanchurchofchrist.org MEETING TIMES Sunday Bible Study..........10:00 A.M. Worship.........11:00 A.M. Wednesday Bible Study........6:30 P.M. Evangelist/Editor Richard Thetford Home: (970) 626-5558 E-Mail: richard at thetfordcountry.com Web Site: www.thetfordcountry.com --- RICHARD THETFORD 1491 Canyon Drive Ridgway, CO 81432 (970) 626-5558 E-Mail: richard at thetfordcountry.com Web Site: www.thetfordcountry.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: not available Type: image/png Size: 690 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090705/0d8318f5/attachment-0005.png -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 9271 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090705/0d8318f5/attachment-0003.gif From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Mon Jul 6 02:55:17 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Mon, 6 Jul 2009 03:55:17 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) OUR WORSHIP Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is a study from my files. Use to the glory of God. OUR WORSHIP Christ's blood was necessary to purchase the church and offer humanity salvation (Eph. 1:7). Consequently, Christ is the Head of the divine organization which He purchased (Eph. 1:18-23). The terms of entrance into the church were given by Christ. Also, Christ determined the way in which humanity is to approach Him in worship. When we worship God, we msut remember that He is the object of our worship. God is the one to whom we offer worship. Consider the words of Christ: "God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth" (Jno. 4:24). In this passage, spirit or sincerity and truth are plac- ed under consideration. Most parishioners of God are sincere. Questioning someone's sincerity is nearly impossible. Only God knows our hearts (Matt. 9:4). However, truth can be determined, evaluated, and judged (Jno. 8:32; 12:48). How truthful is our worship? Can our worship be acceptab- le if it is sincere but not truthful? Christ taught worship must be done in all sincerity and truthfulness. These two elements can- not exist alone; they must coexist to offer acceptable worship to God. What is truthful, acceptable worship? Consider what the New Testament termed as sincere and truthful worship. First, sincere and truthful worship must incorporate prayer. When Paul and Silas was imprisoned for teaching the gospel, they offered prayers: "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed" (Acts 16:25a). Jesus taught, "...men ought always to pray, and not to faint" (Lk. 18:1). Paul exhorted, "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thes. 5:17). When the church was established, Christians continued together in prayer (Acts 2:42). When we gather for worship, prayers are offered to give praise and honor to God, the object of our worship. Next, sincere and truthful worship must include singing. How should we sing? Some use choirs. Others enjoy listening to solos, duets, quartets, etc. Some even like to listen to bands play music in worship. Which are sincere and truthful? The Holy Spirit revealed the mind of God to the apostle Paul when He penned, "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" (Eph. 5:19). Paul also wrote: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one anot- her in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord" (Col. 3:16). The above passages prescribe the methods we are to use when singing praises to God in worship. We are to vocally sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. The instrument of music is the heart. This eliminates all other methods of singing. Wor- shiping with choirs, quartets, or bands may be done sincerely; however, these methods are not truthful, according to God's Word. Another part of worshiping God in sincerity and truth is done by observing the Lord's Supper. This is done one each first day of the week (Acts 20:7). Unleavened bread signifies the body of Christ, while grape juice represents His blood (Matt. 26:26-29). When done in sincerity and truth, this observance takes place once each week with the proper emblems. The church also take up a monetary collection when it wors- hips. This, much like the Lord's Supper, is only to be done on the first day of the week. Many religious organizations take up collections sporadically, whenever they deem convenient. Paul taught, "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no collections when I come" (1 Cor. 16:1,2). The final act of worship is teaching and preaching. The church in the first century was busy preaching and teaching the Word in public assemblies: "...And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people" (Acts 11:26). Paul preached to a gathering of the church (Acts 20:7). He also told Timothy to "preach the Word" (2 Tim. 4:2a). Preaching and teaching of God's Word is critically important. This is why the Word is taught when the church assembles. The above acts of worship are the methods the church in the first century used to worship God. The methods were done in sincerity and truth. Why not continue to follow the perfect patt- ern set for us in the New Testament? Using New Testament principles to guide us in worship will ensure our worship will be accepted by God. This article may have seemed simple and fundamental. Some might feel its content "goes without saying." Unfortunate- ly, truth has gone without being said for far too long and worship to God has become corrupted in many religious circles. We must listen to God's Word and guard our worship from becoming vain before God. ----- David Flatt in Truth Magazine, Vol. 52, No. 5, May, 2008. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090706/a7d67e66/attachment-0001.html From kerux at bellsouth.net Mon Jul 6 07:23:06 2009 From: kerux at bellsouth.net (Kent Heaton) Date: Mon, 6 Jul 2009 08:23:06 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] A>Dead Faith & Faith Justified Part 1 (Kent Heaton) Message-ID: <29464F7074094E56B1ED7EAD56A4A9F4@D2381J91> Dead Faith And Faith Justified - Part 1 (Kent Heaton) Salvation is of eternal consequence and all who believe in God must accept the will of God as He has given to man through His word. From the beginning of time requirements for salvation have been clearly outlined. Confusion has always come from the disregard man gives toward the law of the Lord. In the religious world of believers in Christ salvation has as many answers as the stars in the heavens. Can one be saved only by faith? Does grace alone save? What part do works have in my salvation? Can I be saved by works? These questions are paramount to salvation because a wrong answer will bring about dire consequences. There are two kinds of faith and two kinds of works. There is a faith that is referred to as "dead faith." James writes, "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead . For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also" (James 2:17,26). Faith can be dead or of no power or invalid. The apostle Paul writes in Romans 5:1 of the faith justified. "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." This kind of faith is a righteous faith and acceptable to God. There are two kinds of works: dead works and works that justify. The Hebrew writer urges his readers to "go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works" (Hebrews 6:1). James describes works that make a person righteous before God. "You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only" (James 2:24). Whether of faith or of works, there are those actions by the individual that will either condemn him before God or justify him before God. Dead faith is characterized by Jesus in Matthew 6:30 when men fail to trust in God. He rebuked His disciples in Matthew 8:26 with their lack of faith during the storm. Faith alone cannot save as James illustrates: "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe-and tremble" (James 2:19). Felix was afraid but his trembling faith did not save him (Acts 24:25-27). The apostle John describes the rulers who believed in Jesus "but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:42-43). Faith without works is a dead faith. "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead" (James 2:17). Again in James 2:26 it says, "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." To believe that faith alone saves denies the clear teaching of God. The only time in scripture that 'faith alone' is found is when the Lord says, "You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only" (James 2:24). Faith is the foundation of our relationship with God. The Hebrew writer declares in the great chapter on faith, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). The Bible shows that faith that is little, or trembling and without works is a dead faith - neither pleasing nor acceptable to God! Faith alone is a dead faith! Without faith man cannot please God! Next week we will examine faith justified and how man is saved by faith. Kent Heaton 207 NE Fourth Avenue Trenton, Florida 32693 (H) 352-463-6916 (O) 3793 (C) 352-283-3889 www.trentonchurchofchrist.com Audio Sermons Available www.northfloridabiblecamp.com REGISTRATION NOW OPEN July 26 - August 1, 2009 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090706/fcb102ff/attachment-0001.html From ZekeFlores1 at cs.com Mon Jul 6 13:32:56 2009 From: ZekeFlores1 at cs.com (ZekeFlores1 at cs.com) Date: Mon, 6 Jul 2009 14:32:56 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A> Trivial Pursuits Message-ID: Brethren, here's an article that appeared in our bulletin last week. For sermon outlines and audio sermons, plese check out our website. If you have suggestions, I'd appreciate them. Zeke Flores Kiber Street church of Christ Angleton, TX www.angletonchristians.com *********************************************************************** Trivial Pursuits Zeke Flores Some time ago the board game "Trivial Pursuit" was introduced on the market. The game, which now has a 25th anniversary edition, became a huge success and is still enjoyed by people young and old. One can play the board game, an online version, a version for various electronic game systems including the X-Box, Play Station, and Wii, and even one for the iPod. It's been two TV game shows and even the subject of a TV movie. The game has turned into a reliable money-maker for its manufacturer Hasbro and when you go to their website, you can browse through three pages containing some 22 Trivial Pursuit related games and items. Basically, each player advances by correctly answering general knowledge and popular culture questions in different categories that are either easy, medium, or hard. I've played the game and it's a hoot. However, my concern is not about a harmless game but whether people, Christians specifically, spend too much time in other forms of "trivial pursuit." If you've been a Christian for any length of time, chances are you've heard a sermon or two about being faithful, having conviction, and forging ahead towards heaven. And, you'll probably hear many more like them as your life progresses. The reason is simple: We are too easily distracted. The Bible mentions some things of weighty concern that we ought to pay attention to, but warns us that those important things can take our focus away from what should be our main purpose. Among them are family (1 Cor 7:32-35), household duties (Luke 10:38-42), and business (Matt 13:22). While these are important priorities, could it be that Christians lose their direction for far lesser things? In our recreation driven culture, more and more people expect "me"time. We want to make sure we have fun and so we buy video games, DVDs, computers, ATV's, plan vacations, go to the movies, etc. None of these is inherently wrong, but at what cost do we indulge our "need" for recreation? Do we sacrifice time with God through Bible study and prayer for that ever important "me" time? Jesus warned about those who are "choked with worries and riches, and the pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity" (Luke 8:14). The same could be said about worldly Christians who pursue a relationship with the opposite sex only to fall prey to the temptation of physical attraction. One of the saddest things to witness would be a young single girl coming forward at church with a slightly bulging belly and the sad confession that follows. Paul reminds, "... this is the will of God, your sanctification, that is that you abstain from sexual immorality" (1 Thess 4:3). Yet too many people, young and not so young, fall into the pit of satisfying this fleeting pleasure that sanctification is all but lost. Other "trivial pursuits" could be mentioned: selfishness, covetousness, ego, social position, and disrespect (Prov 28:22-27) to name a few. But the warnings about keeping our focus sharp and our perspective clear ring loudly in Scripture: "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness" (Matt 6:33), "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth ... but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven ... for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matt 6:19-21), "One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD and to meditate in His temple" (Psalm 27:4), " ... one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" Phil 3:13-14. Playing Trivial Pursuit is fun, but allowing the trivial pursuits of this life to overshadow our purpose as God's people is quite another thing. Let's be a purposeful people and reach forward to heaven showing God we love Him with "all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." (Mark 12:30) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090706/dcc653b1/attachment.html From disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Mon Jul 6 16:25:39 2009 From: disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com (Ethan R. Longhenry) Date: Mon, 6 Jul 2009 17:25:39 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] S:> Hosea Message-ID: Hosea I. Introduction A. Hosea B. The doom of Israel 1. Prophesies to the northern Kingdom of Israel 2. His own life a demonstration to Israel C. Let us consider the book II. Hosea: The Details A. Authorship 1. Hosea himself responsible for the prophecies 2. Compiled later, Hosea 14:9 added at end? 3. Inspiration affirmed by Paul (Romans 9:25) B. Dating 1. Hosea 1:1: Uzziah through Hezekiah, kings of Judah; Jeroboam, king of Israel 2. Therefore, ca. 750-722 BCE 3. Prophesying from the last glory days of Israel until its fall C. Audience 1. The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah 2. Much to be gained by exilic, post-exilic Israel, Christians today D. Purpose 1. To show how God demonstrated the pain of His relationship with Israel through Hosea, his wives, and children 2. To condemn Israel and Judah for their idolatry and sin 3. To provide promise of restoration and redemption III. Hosea: The Story A. Main Sections 1. Hosea's personal example (Hosea 1-3) 2. Prophecy (Hosea 4-14) B. Hosea's Family (Hosea 1-3) 1. Introduction (Hosea 1:1) 2. God instructs Hosea to take wife of whoredom because of whoredom of Israel; takes Gomer as wife (Hosea 1:2-3) 3. Son born to him, told to name him Jezreel, punishment coming to house of Jehu; daughter Lo-ruhama, No Mercy, for God will have no mercy on Israel, but will on Judah; son Lo-ammi, Not My People, for Israel no longer His people (Hosea 1:4-9) 4. Israel will be restored, multiplied; will again be children of living God, will have one head (Hosea 1:10-11) 5. Speak to brothers, sisters to plead with mother because of her whoredom; otherwise, her nakedness to be exposed; no mercy upon her children, children of whoredom; she goes after lovers, believes they have given her resources; wall built against her, she will pursue lovers, will not find them; will return to first husband; she did not know that God gave her all of her resources that she gave to Baal; God will take them back, uncover her nakedness; festivals ended; vines and trees, believed to be gifts of lovers, laid waste; great punishment (Hosea 2:1-13) 6. God will then allure her, restore her to Himself; Israel to again make God their God, Baal no longer remembered; covenant of peace, no more war; will be betrothed to God in righteousness and safety; they will know the LORD; God will have mercy on No Mercy, Not My People will be His people, He will be their God (Hosea 2:14-23) 7. God tells Hosea to love the adulteress again as God loves Israel; Hosea buys wife back, she is not to belong to any other for many days, as Israel will dwell without king or pillar or ephod for many days, and will then return to God and to David, will obtain His goodness (Hosea 3) C. God's Argument (Hosea 4-5) 1. God's controversy with the people: no love, no knowledge of God, all sort of sin; land mourns (Hosea 4:1-3) 2. Contention with priest; he and prophet will stumble; people destroyed for lack of knowledge; priests thus rejected; the more the people grow, the more they sin; all to be punished for their ways; no satisfaction; people inquire of wood; led astray into whoredom; burn offerings on hills; daughters/brides not punished for adultery, for men engaged in prostitution; people without understanding come to ruin (Hosea 4:4-14) 3. May Judah not follow after Israel's sin; Israel as stubborn; Ephraim joined to idols; they will be ashamed (Hosea 4:15-19) 4. Judgment for priests, king, Israel, all will be disciplined; Ephraim played whore, Israel defiled; refuse to repent; will stumble; Judah will stumble; dealt faithlessly with God, God has withdrawn from them (Hosea 5:1-7) 5. Alarm to be sounded; desolation and punishment for Ephraim; God's wrath upon Judah; Ephraim oppressed because of defilement; God source of distress for Israel and Judah (Hosea 5:8-12) 6. They see their difficulty, turn to Assyria; he cannot cure them; God will carry them off; He will return to His place until they seek Him (Hosea 5:13-15) D. Ephraim's Sin (Hosea 6-8) 1. Message of repentance, returning to God; He will heal and bind after tearing and striking; raised up after three days; press on toward God (Hosea 6:1-3) 2. Love of Ephraim and Judah like morning cloud or dew; thus He has hewn them by prophets, slain them by word of mouth; God desires love, not sacrifice; knowledge than offerings (Hosea 6:4-6) 3. They transgress covenant like Adam; evildoers, murderers, priests like thieves; Israel defiled (Hosea 6:7-10) 4. Harvest for Judah when fortunes restored (Hosea 6:11) 5. God would heal Israel, yet sin of Samaria revealed; thieves and bandits; God remembers their evil; king made glad by their evil; all as adulterers; princes drunk, hot as ovens, kings as fallen, none call on God (Hosea 7:1-7) 6. Ephraim mixed with others, cake not turned; devoured by strangers; old without knowing it; pride testifies against him; does not return to God (Hosea 7:8-10) 7. Ephraim as dove, without sense; calling Egypt and Assyria; God will catch him in net, will discipline them; woe because of their straying, destruction decreed; God would redeem, but they speak lies; no true repentance; rebellion, invoking Baal; God trained them, yet they rebel against Him; they will fall by sword (Hosea 7:11-16) 8. Blow trumpet; vulture over them because of transgression; they cry to God as if they know Him, but has spurned the good; made kings, not through God; made idols for own destruction; calf not God, will be destroyed; sow wind, reap whirlwind; no crop; Israel swallowed up; went to Assyria; Ephraim hired lovers; they hire allies, but God will gather them (Hosea 8:1-10) 9. Ephraim multiplied altars of sinning; God's laws as strange things; LORD does not accept their sacrifices; punished for sins; Israel forgotten Maker, Judah also will suffer for her fortified cities (Hosea 8:11-14) E. Punishment for Israel (Hosea 9-10) 1. Israel not to rejoice; has played whore; prostitute's wages on threshing floors; will not remain in land; no libations, sacrifices-- such will defile; will not be able to do anything on festival days, for they are going to destruction; days of punishment have come; prophets as fools because of their sin; prophet as watchman, yet snare in his ways, hatred in house of God; Israel as sinful as Gibeah in days of Judges (Hosea 9:1-9; cf. Judges 19-21) 2. God saw Israel from beginning; defiled in matter of Baal-peor; glory removed from Ephraim, no children born to them; woe when God departs; God will give them miscarriages, dry breasts; evil in Gilgal; because of wickedness, driven from God's house; God will love them no more; Ephraim stricken, no growth; God will put children to death; God rejects them, for they have not heeded Him (Hosea 9:10-17) 3. Israel as luxuriant vine: more fruit, more altars; false heart; will bear guilt; God will strike altars and pillars; have no king, fear not God; make empty oaths; judgment will spring up; Samaria trembles before a calf; people mourn, as do priests; calf as carried to Assyria, tribute to king of Assyria; Ephraim put to shame; king will perish; high places to be destroyed; will want mountains and hills to cover them (Hosea 10:1-8) 4. Israel sinned from days of Gibeah; war against unjust will overtake them; God will discipline them when He pleases, nations gathered against them; Ephraim as trained calf, neck spared, but now will be put to yoke; Israel to sow righteousness to reap love, ought to seek the LORD; they have instead plowed iniquity, reaped injustice; have trusted in own way; thus they will be brought low and destroyed-- Assyria will attack Ephraim as he did the rest of Israel, great violence, king will die (Hosea 10:9-15) F. God and Israel (Hosea 11-13) 1. God loved Israel as child, called him from Egypt; the more called, the further they left; sacrificing to idols; God taught Ephraim, took him up, yet he did not know God healed him; God led them with love, fed them (Hosea 11:1-4) 2. Will not return to Egypt, will go to Assyria, for they have refused to repent; sword against city, will devour them; people bent on turning from God, call out to Him, but He will not raise him up (Hosea 11:5-7) 3. God recoils at idea of giving up Israel, treating her as cities of Plain in time of Sodom; God's compassion grows; God will not again destroy Ephraim; God as God and not a man; will not come in wrath; they will seek the LORD, will roar; ingathering of Dispersion (Hosea 11:8-11) 4. Ephraim as surrounding God with lies, but Judah faithful; Ephraim feeds on wind, multiply violence; make covenants with other nations (Hosea 11:12-12:1) 5. God's indictment against Judah and Jacob: Jacob as taking heel of brother, contending with God; Jacob as speaking with God at Bethel; return to God, wait for Him (Hosea 12:2-6) 6. Merchant with false balance, loves oppression; Ephraim as earned own wealth; God will make them dwell in tents again; He spoke to prophets; iniquity will come to nothing; Jacob fled to Aram, worked for wife; by prophet God brought Israel from Egypt; now Ephraim gives provocation, God will repay him for his deeds (Hosea 12:7-14) 7. Trembling when Ephraim spoke; incurred guilt by Baal, died; sin multiplied; graven idols; people to vanish; God the only God, no other savior; God knew them in wilderness; now that they are filled, they forgot Him; God as lion to them, will fall upon them as bear robbed of cubs; Israel to be ripped open; God as destroying Israel; asks where their rulers are: God gave king in anger, will take him away in wrath (Hosea 13:1-11) 8. Sin of Ephraim bound up; pangs of birth come for him, but he does not present self to opening of womb; God will not ransom them from death; sting and plague of death; compassion hidden from God's eyes; east wind will come despite Ephraim's wealth; will be parched, dried up; Samaria will bear guilt, fall by sword, little ones dashed in pieces, pregnant women ripped open (Hosea 13:12-16) G. A Plea for Repentance (Hosea 14) 1. Plea for Israel to return to God; they have stumbled because of sin; ask God to remove iniquity, they will pay vows; Assyria cannot save them; will not consider the works of their hands to be gods; mercy in God (Hosea 14:1-3) 2. God will heal them, love them; He will provide stability, strength for Israel; Israel to return and grow and prosper; great fame (Hosea 14:4-7) 3. God has nothing to do with idols; God looks after Ephraim, provides their fruit (Hosea 14:8) 4. Conclusion: those who are wise, understand these things; ways of LORD right, upright walk in them, transgressors stumble in them (Hosea 14:9) IV. Hosea: Important Passages A. Hosea 1:10 / Romans 9:25-26 B. Hosea 2:23 / Romans 9:25-26, 1 Peter 2:10 C. Hosea 4:1-14 D. Hosea 6:1-3 (prediction of resurrection?) E. Hosea 6:6 / Matthew 9:13, 12:7 (cf. 1 Samuel 15:22) F. Hosea 10:8 / Luke 23:30, Revelation 6:16 G. Hosea 11:1 / Matthew 2:15 H. Hosea 13:14 / 1 Corinthians 15:55 V. Conclusion A. A difficult time 1. Things seemed to be well in Israel 2. Hosea preaches message of judgment, condemnation 3. His own life represents God's emotional turmoil with Israel 4. All he says comes to pass B. Nevertheless, hope present 1. Repentant people will be restored 2. Those not His people to become His people 3. Made evident through Jesus and His Kingdom C. Let us not turn from God and sin as Israel did, but turn toward God, repent of our evil, and be His people! D. Invitation/songbook Ethan R. Longhenry / disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Evangelist, church of Christ in Norwalk, Ohio [norwalkchurch.org] Homepage: deusvitae.com AIM: Deus Vitae / ICQ: 28317056 Y! IM: discipuliiesus Spiritual Manna A biweekly devotional for your life. http://www.deusvitae.com/faith/manna From crxtra at gmail.com Sat Jul 4 23:23:51 2009 From: crxtra at gmail.com (Steven C. Harper) Date: Sat, 4 Jul 2009 21:23:51 -0700 Subject: [Biblemat] A> Meaningless Declarations Message-ID: <000001c9fd28$67126df0$353749d0$@com> From: TRUTH & REASON, a bulletin of the Glendale church of Christ, Glendale, AZ. Editor: Steven Harper July 5, 2009 Meaningless Declarations Two hundred and thirty-three years ago, a few men made public a piece of paper that had on it the words which comprised the desire of many citizens in this land, said to be its Declaration of Independence. But the men who signed that piece of paper understood well that by putting their names to it, they would have to be willing to back it up and willing to suffer some consequences and endure some persecutions for it. They understood the declaration was basically meaningless unless and until they were willing to defend it and make it reality. Today, we are living in the country that came into existence because of that declaration that was made by those men so long ago, but we also know that it didn't happen just because they made the declaration! Battles had to be fought and lives were lost in the support of that declaration by men who believed the cause worthy of sacrifice. If no one had been willing to support the declaration, we might still be under the rule of Britain! In the realm of spiritual matters, sometimes men make "declarations of independence," too. Unfortunately, these declarations are often misguided, based on misconceptions about their spiritual freedoms, or simply made as a denial of any spiritual obligation to God. Some, with no desire to acknowledge God, have declared their independence from any responsibility to Him or His word and have declared their "freedom" by boasting about how they answer to no one but self and serve no one but self. Those who do so, though, are deceiving only themselves. Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin" (John 8:34). We serve either God or self in sin, but no one is spiritually independent. Paul said as much when he wrote to the Roman brethren, asking, "Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?" (Rom. 6:16). The choice is either righteousness or sin, but no one is "free" from any and all spiritual obligations. To declare one's independence from spiritual obligations just because we do not like it means nothing; such declarations are, essentially, meaningless! God's word clearly tells us, "we will all stand before the judgment seat of God," and, "then each of us will give an account of himself to God" (Rom. 14:10-12). Do you think just because you tell a judge you have declared your independence from the laws by which you have been found guilty that he will set you free and declare you innocent of guilt? Do you think it will be any different when you stand before God and Christ and tell them they have no right to judge you because you had declared your "independence" from their laws? Hardly! Jesus spoke directly to those who would do so, saying, "If anyone hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects Me and does not receive My words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day" (John 12:47, 48). Declaring our "independence" from His words will only bring condemnation on us from those same words when we stand before Him in the final Judgment and determination of our eternal destination. While we may live on this earth for a few short years, "free" from His laws that, then, seemed too restrictive, it will seem foolish when we hear those words from Him in the Judgment, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness" (Matt. 7:23). But there are others who have attempted to make declarations that they are leaving the life of sin and that they seek to follow after righteousness, recognizing they must choose one path or the other. Have you made such a spiritual declaration? Maybe you have! Maybe you are one who has declared that you believe in Jesus as the Christ, declared that you will no longer live in sin or for self, and declared that you wish to have the forgiveness of your past sins. Maybe you have come to believe the Bible is God's word and you realized you are lost in your sins. Maybe you have heard that all you must do to receive forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life - without any possibility of losing it - is to make a vocal declaration [confession] of your belief that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Maybe the one who said this quoted some Scripture [like Rom. 10:9, 10] that talks about being saved by faith and they told you that "faith" means only believing that Jesus is the Christ and, upon that declaration, you have been saved from all past sins, that you now have eternal life [guaranteed], and that you can never lose it, no matter what you do. Some preachers might call it "the perseverance of the saints" or "once saved, always saved," but the basic belief is that God has predestined some for eternal salvation and others to eternal condemnation and those predestined to salvation can never lose that because God has determined it to be so. For those who believe this, the results are clearly identifiable. For those who believe they are saved by a mere vocal declaration and that nothing they can do afterwards will change their spiritual condition, "salvation" means the mere confession of belief is the totality of their responsibility towards God and His word. The sadly ironic part of this is that those who see no further responsibility towards God and His word never investigate God's word to see if that is true, for if they did they would see it was, essentially, a meaningless declaration. You see, even some demons declared Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of God (cf. Luke 4:33-35, 41; Mark 3:11, 12); will those who teach that the mere declaration of Jesus being the Christ brings eternal and irrevocable salvation also now tell us that these demons will be with the saved in heaven for eternity? James reminds us, "You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe-and shudder!" (Jas. 2:19). Mere belief, though, is not enough! Those who teach that mere belief [and declaration of that belief through a vocal confession] are not giving you the whole story! Jesus Himself said, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved" (Mark 16:16). The apostles and early preachers of God's word taught that man not only had to believe and confess that belief, but to act in obedience and that it was at the point of baptism where God does the work of washing away our sins. A vocal declaration of belief without obedience to His commands is meaningless! But James also speaks to those who believe and reminds us our faith does not end at baptism, for "faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead" (v. 17), "faith apart from works is useless" (v. 20), and, "faith apart from works is dead" (v. 26). If these are not plain enough, hear him one more time: "You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone" (v. 24). A mere declaration of belief in Jesus Christ, without a life of self-sacrifice and service to Him, is meaningless! Jesus demands proof by the life we live afterwards! Paul said he taught all men they should "repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance" (Acts 26:20). Words of repentance without a life proving it are meaningless! Our founding fathers had the courage to declare their independence from the government they deemed oppressive and unjust, but they did so with the intent to back up their words with action. Today, disciples who have declared they no longer follow the ways of the world must be willing to back up their words by the life they live. Anything less renders our declarations mere words - meaningless! -- Steven Harper -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090704/877f060b/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Mon Jul 6 02:55:01 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Mon, 6 Jul 2009 03:55:01 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) THE APOSTLE JOHN ADDRESSES LOVE IN 1 JOHN 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: THE APOSTLE JOHN ADDRESSES LOVE IN 1 JOHN "But whoever keeps His Word, truly the love of God is perfec- ted in him. By this we know that we are in Him (1 Jno. 2:5). He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him (2:10). Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him"(2:15). "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him (3;1). In this the children of God and tghe children of the devil are manifested: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother (3:10). For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another (3:11). We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death (3:14). By this we know love, be- cause He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little child- ren, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth (3:16-18). And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment (3:23)." "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world; that we might live through Him. In this is love, not the we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us (4:7-12). And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have bold- ness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also" (4:16-21). "Whoever believes that Jesus isn the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begot- ten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, And His commandments are not burdensome" (5:1-3). ----- Ron Drumm. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090706/5ea5dc8c/attachment.html From shewemail at earthlink.net Mon Jul 6 22:12:53 2009 From: shewemail at earthlink.net (shewemail at earthlink.net) Date: Mon, 06 Jul 2009 23:12:53 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] Theological Questions Message-ID: <4A52BD35.2030806@earthlink.net> Brethren, I have three questions pertaining to the history of Theology. First - What is the difference between Pelagius and Arminius when it comes to free will? Second - Did Pelagius claim that sinlessness was achieved by humans other than Jesus or merely that it was a potential which humans possess but do not achieve? Third - Did Pelagius believe that God possess Free Moral Agency but eternally chooses to not lie? From exhortingyou at gmail.com Tue Jul 7 00:08:14 2009 From: exhortingyou at gmail.com (Exhorting You) Date: Tue, 7 Jul 2009 00:08:14 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] Exhorting One Another newsletter, Issue 81 Message-ID: <300d676a0907062208p640980b2vdb389f3ceeec1990@mail.gmail.com> Issue 81 of the Exhorting One Another newsletter is now available. This issue features the following: - Help Along The Way - Dying To Self by Brother Matthew Allen - Permissive Parents by Brother Bill Hall In order to access this newsletter, click on http://groups.google.com/group/exhorting-one-another/web/issue-81 - or if this link does not work, copy & paste it into your browser's address bar. As always, I would appreciate your comments or suggestions. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090707/802606b2/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Tue Jul 7 03:52:52 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Tue, 7 Jul 2009 04:52:52 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) THE CHURCH OF THE LORD IS NOT A DENOMINATION Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is a study from my files. Use to the glory of God. THE CHURCH OF THE LORD IS NOT A DENOMINATION The church of which one reads in the New Testament (Matt. 16:18), often identified by the sacred writers as the "body of Christ" (Col. 1:18), and whose membership is the sum of all the saved who have lived since its formation on the first Pentecost day following our Lord's resurrection (Acts 2:47), is not a denom- ination! This conclusion is immediately apparent on determining what the church is, what a denomination is, and by comparison of the definitions. The Greek word translated "church" in the New Testament -- ekklesia -- pronounced ek-klay-see'-ah, and formulated from the proposition ek, "out of," and the verb kaleo, "to call," thus, the called out, denotes, in its widest and broadest signification that institution which the Lord purchased withHis own precious blood (Acts 20:28), the membership of which is the total number of the children of God in the Christian dispensation and whose character is a spiritual communion of which Christ is Head (Eph. 1:19-23). For definitive purposes we may regard it as the body of Christ whose membership embraces all baptized believers who have been called out of the world, and who acknowledge the Lord as Head thereof and the Holy Spirit as its director and guide, through the written Word of God, the New Testament. De- rived usages, such as the church of God "which is at Corinth" (2 Cor. 1:1), conform to the basic signification fo the term in indi- cating the sum of the saints within the geographical area indicat- ed. Whether applied to an assembly (1 Cor. 14:34,35), to the church in a local area (1 Cor. 1:2), or in the aggregate, it can never include less than the whole number of Christians within the limits designated. It is precisely equated to the saved con- templated in the territory it embraces; indeed, the church and the saved are phrases which may be freely exchanged, insofar as the individuals included in each are concerned. This, the Holy Spirit affirmed in Luke's chronicle of Pentecost: "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." (Acts 2:47). The noun denomination is derived from the verb denominate to give a name to, to entitle; and, when used with religious signi- ficance, designates hat which is less than the whole, a special, distinctive, ecclesiastical category excluding all not character-istic of it. The term is thus the opposite of that which is general, universal, common. Webster defines the word "denomination," as "a class, or society of individuals, called by the same name; a sect." A class is "a division, grouping, or distinction based on grade or quality";and a "sect" is "a party," a special group con- stituting a category which separates it from others. It will be seen, therefore, that a communion which is inclusive of the whole may not be properly identified with that which, by its special name and cassification, seeks to identify itself as a party, sect, and special group. The church, regarded in the aggregate (Matt. 16:18), can never embrace less than the whole; a denomination exists for the purpose of designating a limited number; hence, the church of the Lord, as found in the New Testament, is not a denomination! There are those who seek to avoid this obvious and irresist- ible conclusion with the allegation that the church of the New Testament is an invisible organization of Christians today. It is a sufficient refutation of this obvious and untenable theory to point out that the words visible and invisible are never applied to the church by the inspired writers and the idea intended to be conveyed by such present-day usage is in conflict with clear concepts set out therein. We have earlier seen that the church is composed of baptized believers; baptized believers are visible; it follows therefore that the church is as visible as that which composes it. Visible and invisible churches are concepts which were coined to convey impressions to justify modern denominationalism and wre unknown to the sacred writers of the first century. it is most significant that no denomination, however aggress- ive and ambitious for success it may be, would dare to identify itself with the church of which one reads in the Bible. Denomina- tional devotees unhesitatingly concede that their respective communions do not include the whole of Christendom; it is freely admitted by them all that no one denomination, or all of them combined, represents the total number of the saved of this generation. Yet, it is this particular characteristic of the church which Jesus established (Matt. 16:18), that reveals its universal scope. The Lord adds to the church those whom He saves (Acts 2:47). That is, in the process of saving people He also adds them to the church which He built. It follows, therefore, that all the saved are in the church, inasmuch as salvation and church membership are acquired at the same instant and by the same means. Moreover, the church embraces all who have been bought with the precious blood of the Lord (Acts 20;28); all Christians have been thus purchased; therefore, all Christ- ians are in the church. It is indeed affirmed by the apostle to the Gentiles that the church is that of which Christ is not only Head, but"the Savior" (Eph. 5:23). It must then be obvious to the most casual reader that the church of the New Testament is not to be confused with, or to be regarded as a part of the denominational system which so widely obtains today. It is also vitally important to observe tht the conditions for membership in a denomination and the church of the New Testa- ment differ greatly. One is required to assert that one is already saved in order to abtain membership in any denomination; whereas, the Lord ADDS to the church those whom He saves. Membership in the denomination occurs when one joins it; one becomes a member of the church of the Lord only by being add- ed o it by its Founder and Head. Joining is a human act; being added is a divine act. Joining is that which one does; being added is done for one by another. In joining one is active, in being added one is passive. In joining one becomes a member of a human organization unknown to the New Testament; in being added one obtains membership in the church which Jesus established. So great are the differences which exist be- tween the church which the Lord built (Matt. 16:18), of which He is Head and Savior (Eph. 5:23), and to which he adds all the sav-ed (Acts 2:47), and any denomination, or all combined, that there are not essential similarities -- that which graces the one makes the other appear grotesque and absurd. The church is not a denomination. How may the church be identified today and its blessings obtained? It is generally admitted that Jesus established a church; that this institution possessed recognizable characteristics; and, that it was that spiritual communion to which all saints, in the apostolic age, belonged. We have therefore but to determine those characteristics, and then seek for that religious body which reproduces them without exception today. What were the distinctive features of the church of the first century as revealed to us in the New Testament? It preached the great commission exactly as Jesus delivered it (Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15,16; Lk. 24:46,47), requiring sinners to believe the gospel (Heb. 11:6), repent of their sins (Acts 17:30), confess their faith in Christ (Rom. 10:10), and be baptiz- ed (immersed in water) for (unto) the remission of sins (Acts 2: 38). Those thus doing were, by the Lord, added to His church (Acts 2:47). It is identified as "the church of the Lord" (Acts 20: 28), and congregationally, as "the churches of Christ" (Rom. 16: 16). Its members were called Christians (Acts 11:26; 1 Pet. 4:16) they met regularly on the first day of the week (1 Cor. 16:2), and their worship consisted of singing (without instrumental occom- paniment), teaching, prayer, fellowship and the Lord's Supper (Acts 20:7). Reader: are you a member of this divine organizat- ion? ------- Guy N. Woods, in Gospel Advocate, Oct. 13, 1960 via. The Sower, Vol. 54, No. 4, July/August 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090707/f939974e/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Tue Jul 7 03:52:41 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Tue, 7 Jul 2009 04:52:41 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) THE GOSPEL IS FOR ALL 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 files: THE GOSPEL IS FOR ALL The church that pleases God will reach out to all classes of men: to the poor, the unfortunate, the depraved, to all who need salvation through Christ's blood. It does not limit its influence to people who are socially and economically compatible. The gos- pel is for all. Jesus taught this lesson both in word and action. He showed as much concern for an immoral Samaritan woman as He did for a rich young ruler, as much concern for a publican named Zacchaeus as He did for a Pharisee named Simon. His closest followers wre from the poorer classes of society. Yet there were rich men who were influenced by Him, too. He soug- ht to bring all men to Himself. And when He commissioned His apostles, He said, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gos- pel to every creature..." (Mk. 16:16). Christians do not find common ground in their social and economic standings, but in their mutual love for the Lord, in their common faith, and in their shared hope of eternal life. When people truly love the Lord, distinctions of a worldly nature fade into nothingness. The rich man rejoices "in that he is made low, while the brother of low degree rejoices in that he is exalted" the two reaching equality in Christ (Jas. 1:9,10). If one cannot find room in his heart for people of all classes, there is something seriously lacking in his faith and devotion to the Lord. The early church learned this lesson well. They preached to the poor as well as to the rich: to the lowly as well as to govern- ors. Their converts included even the Samaritans and the Gen- tiles. The grossly immoral were changed by the gospel. And when some discourtesy was shown to the poor or the outcasts, stern rebukes were administered (Gal. 2:11-14; Jas. 2:1-9). Is tehre someone reading this article who feels "down and out," who is sure no-one cares for him because he is so poor, or has been so immoral, or is handicapped, or friendless? If you are that one, let me assure you that the Lord cares for you; and there are people who care about you, too. The gospel is for you. Is there someone reading this article who is embarrassed when some obviously poor individual, or someone of immoral reputation, or someone of unfortunate circumstances enters the worship assembly? If you are that one, you need to repent. With that kind of attitude, you would have felt very uncomfortab- le in the presence of the Lord while He was upon the earth. The church is to be made up of holy and godly people who strive to be like their Master. But the church reaches out to godless peo- ple of all classes in the hope that they can be transformed in Christ's image and be saved eternally. "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners..." (1 Tim. 1:15). ------ Bill Hall via The Jackson Drive Reporter, July, 5, 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090707/896bcee2/attachment.html From zekeflores1 at cs.com Tue Jul 7 16:03:31 2009 From: zekeflores1 at cs.com (Zeke Flores) Date: Tue, 7 Jul 2009 16:03:31 -0500 (Central Daylight Time) Subject: [Biblemat] Q: Ephesians 5:4 "Coarse Jesting" Message-ID: <4A53B823.000003.01916@ZEKE> Could you share with me any info you received concerning "coarse jesting"? Thanks, I appreciate it. Zeke Flores Angleton, TX -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090707/b936d066/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 12629 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090707/b936d066/attachment-0001.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 10501 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090707/b936d066/attachment-0001.jpe From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Wed Jul 8 05:05:52 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Wed, 8 Jul 2009 06:05:52 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) VISITING JESUS Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Wednesday morning to each and everyone. May Go bless you and yours. Here is an article from my files: VISITING JESUS Visiting people is an act of Christ-like love. Visiting is all about being there and showing care. The visiting Christian be- comes the embodiment of a caring family. There is no better situation than making a visit when someone is ill, injured, shut-in at home, a nursing home or behind bars. Jesus explained the importance of going to see someone when in need: "I was sick and you looked after Me; I was in prison and you came to visit Me; Then the righteous will answer Him, Lord, when did...we see you sick or in prison and go to visit You? The King will reply, I tell you the truth, what ever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me." (Matt. 25:36-40). What will get us on our feet and out the door to make a visit? The power that will get us going is the knowledge that we have done it unto Jesus when we have shown kindness to one of the least of His. Jesus will reward His followers who share their phy- sical blessings and show hands-on kindness to the weak and imprisoned. Why do we visit? We go to encourage and do physical chores that will help in time of need. Our desire is to treat others as we would want to be treated. What would we want if we found ourselves bedridden, bound to a wheel chair, housed in a nursing home or locked in a jail? We would want to be visited and visited often! The New Testament reveals that through Jesus the heavenly Father has visited mankind (Lk. 1:68,69). Imagine where we would be if Jesus had not come to earth as a human being to visit us, live among us, and offer Himself on the cross for us. The Hebrew writer describes the purpose of Jesus visiting man- kind: "Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery...Therefore He had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiat- ion for the sins of the people. For because He Himself has suf- fered when tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted" (Heb. 2:14-18). Visiting is about helping one another because we are breth- ren. Showing needy loved ones kindness and care during a time of hardship is acting like Jesus. Jesus visited us and He ex- pects us to visit one another. He came o mankind when it was most needed. We, too, must go when we are most needed and when we do we willbe visiting Jesus. ------------ Ron Drumm. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090708/eb3b483c/attachment.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Wed Jul 8 05:06:02 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Wed, 8 Jul 2009 06:06:02 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) FAILING TO BE INVOLVED Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is a study from my files. Use to the glory of God. FAILING TO BE INVOLVED "Ye take too much upon you." These words were hurled at Moses and Aaron by Korah and those who stood with him (Exo. 16). This thought was the springboard for the things faithful preachers confront today when they preach the truth, without addition or subtraction. Some people accuse brethren of taking too much authority and, on occasions, this could be so. We need to be careful and not give others this impression. On the other hand, things must be done and someone must do the work, if such things are accomplished. The love for brethren and the spirit of Christ should govern our views in such matters and eliminate any possible ill will. However, while some might feel that some brethren take too much upon themselves, there are others who could care less. As long as they do not have to do the work, they are not overly concerned with what is done or who does it. This is a poor attitude and it exists too often. God's people should always want to be involved in the most glorious work available to men. Indifference can be tragic and will defeat most any project. The news media often speaks of crimes com- mitted and people victimized because others did not want to be- come involved. This spirit can prevail within congregations and it certainly can be detrimental to what the Lord desires. What Accounts For Brethren Failing To Be Involved In The Lord's Work? -- Lack Of Faith. "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10:17). God's Word would have us to appreciate His work and be involved in it. Part- icipants are what the Lord desires rather than spectators. When we really believe in God and what He would have us to be and do, there is no problem in being involved. Men deny this and accredit other sources for their behavior, but the lack of faith is the core of their problems. There is no sin more devastating than the sin of unbelief. Faith overcomes! "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh he world, even our faith"(1 Jno. 5:4). As our faith increases, our involvement in the work of the Lord will not fail, but be more active. It would appear that the brethren at Thessalonica were involved as they should be. Paul wrote of them: "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope to our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father" (1 Thes. 1:3). Feeling Unimportant: -- To an extent, every member is import- ant in the Lord's design for His church. Abilities may vary with individuals, but there is need for every member. We have no right to feel that we have no importance. There are things that one individual can do that others do not possess the ability to perform. The parable of the talents conveys that thought. The one talent man was condemned for not using his ability or for not becoming involved. What about Rom. 12:4,5? "For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another." Truly we are members one of another in the respected congregations and we need to be in- volved in the work of glory. Fear: -- There are those who are evidently afraid to partici- pate or really be involved. When the one talent man was called to answer for his failure, he admitted, "I was afraid" (Matt. 25:25). In Revelation, John speaks of those who will not overcome and inherit all things. He heads the list by saying: "But the fearful... shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brim- stone: which is the second death" (Rev. 21:8). Fear of responsi- bility and fear of failure can certainly affect involvement, but fear of God should cause us to defeat some fears and do what is ex- pected of us. We readily acknowledge that different definitions of fear exist, but Solomon wrote: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man" (Eccl. 12:13). Resentment: -- Though it is childish nd very contrary to the Spirit of Christ, brethren, in their resentment of other brethren, have been known to deny involvement. "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love: in honor preferring one anot- her" (Rom. 12:10). With pure hearts and practicing what we preach, there is no place for our failing to be involved. "Whatso- ever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might" (Eccl. 9:10). In- difference and lack of zeal are certainly condemned in the Script- ures and will keepus out of heaven. ------ Bobby K. Thompson in Truth Magazine, Vol. 52, No. 5, May, 2008. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090708/49f03f7a/attachment.html From mcmurray at spiritbuilding.com Wed Jul 8 12:14:31 2009 From: mcmurray at spiritbuilding.com (Carl McMurray) Date: Wed, 8 Jul 2009 13:14:31 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] Brethren Message-ID: <00b401c9ffef$8fe18d00$afa4a700$@com> Does anyone have an updated email add for Dave Giradot? Thank you, Mac -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090708/7467b4d6/attachment-0001.html From onealpha2 at mchsi.com Wed Jul 8 13:16:26 2009 From: onealpha2 at mchsi.com (art loeber) Date: Wed, 8 Jul 2009 13:16:26 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] One Cup Message-ID: <0C324778586A48808CBD5BC16BC62510@yourd2def5f568> Hi ye all Do any of you have any sermons or articles one the "one Cup" doctrine? Could you please send them to me. Art Loeber Davenport, IA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090708/d38e80ab/attachment-0001.html From disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Wed Jul 8 14:08:22 2009 From: disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com (Ethan R. Longhenry) Date: Wed, 8 Jul 2009 15:08:22 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] S:> What Do You Mean, "There Is Only One Way to God"? Message-ID: What Do You Mean, "There Is Only One Way to God"? I. Introduction A. We are living in a society that exalts three principles, among others B. Tolerance: belief in not just respecting the rights of others to have different views and opinions, but also in not speaking against other views C. Choice: Americans are assaulted with decision upon decision, option upon option-- same attitude enters religion D. Relativism: "what is right for you is right for you but does not have to be right for me, and we can agree to disagree" E. These principles are held as self-evident and for too many are not open to discussion F. We then look at the New Testament and find these declarations 1. John 14:6: Jesus is the way, the truth, the life, only way to the Father 2. 1 Corinthians 8:6, Ephesians 4:6, 1 Timothy 2:5: there is but one God 3. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9: those who do not know or obey said God will be condemned G. These statements cause fits for many people in our society! 1. Most people accept the idea that Jesus was a good man and a good teacher, having many good things to say 2. But, to many people, that's about all-- He is one teacher among many 3. To such people, to claim that there is only one way to God is intolerant, bigoted, and arrogant H. Perhaps you have been asked: "what do you mean, 'there is only one way to God?'" 1. "Why are you so intolerant of other religions?" 2. "Are you saying that everyone else is going to hell?" 3. "Aren't there good ideas in every religion?" 4. "How are you so sure that you are right and everyone else is wrong?" 5. "Who are you to judge others as being wrong?" I. These are important questions to consider 1. Giving a defense for our hope (1 Peter 3:15) 2. Let us consider the three principles in our society and see if they really work 3. Then let us consider the claims of Jesus of Nazareth J. What do we mean when we declare that there is only one way to God? II. Tolerance, Choice, and Relativism A. These three principles are what has led many in our society to reject the idea that there is but one way to God 1. In many ways, hard to entirely separate them 2. Without relativism, tolerance would not have much teeth; without choice, nothing to be tolerant or relativistic about; without tolerance, back to hostile conflict 3. Nevertheless, let us consider the challenges of each B. Relativism: the self-defeating argument 1. Relativism is the idea that there are no absolutes; truth is what you perceive truth to be 2. It is ultimately self-defeating, however, since the idea that "there is no absolute" is itself an absolute! 3. Relativism would attempt to deny the existence of an objective reality 4. Such attempts, however, do not really work 5. No human being is the ultimate arbiter of anything (Jeremiah 10:23)-- no human has perfect perception of reality 6. This does not deny objective reality-- it just calls into question any given individual's ability to claim that he can perceive that reality! 7. We all have an innate recognition of our own limitations and that there is more "out there" than we can perceive (Acts 17:26-28) 8. Our Creator is in that space "out there" beyond our perception, and we confess that He has a complete handle on what is real! 9. Try as it may, relativism cannot disprove Aristotle's principle of non-contradiction a. The principle: A cannot both be A and not A at the same time b. Thus, red cannot be red and black; a person cannot be both here and not here, etc. 10. Thus, nothing can be both right and wrong at the same time! 11. Relativism also does not play out well in reality a. What happens if stealing is "right" to me but not to you? b. Voltaire's conundrum: he did not believe in God, but wanted all his servants to believe so that they would not cheat him and defraud him! c. Without an agreed upon standard of right behavior and wrong behavior, human interaction fails, and chaos reigns! 12. Thus, no one is completely relativistic: they only seek to claim relativism in certain areas, especially in religion! 13. Yet, in truth, the law of non-contradiction remains: either Jesus is the resurrected Son of God or He is not; He is right or He is wrong; His claims are to be accepted or they are to be rejected (1 Corinthians 15, etc.) C. Choice: Not All the Same 1. Americans have plenty of choice-- in fact, one could argue that Americans have too many choices! 2. Where to live, where to work, what to wear, what to eat, how to play, what to read, what to buy...the list never ends! 3. While Americans may despair regarding the number of choices they are called upon to make, they are also fiercely supportive of the ability to make choices! 4. They don't want anyone else making the choices for them! 5. Since Americans value choice, and most choices come without "moral" consequences, religious preferences are seen as just another choice! 6. You can thus choose whatever religious organization makes you comfortable, and failing to find one, you can choose your religion "cafeteria style," picking out what you like from each and rejecting the rest! 7. Let none be deceived: serving God is a choice, one that each individual must make for him or herself: God does not coerce or compel anyone (1 Timothy 2:4, Matthew 11:28-30, Luke 14:28-33) 8. On the other hand, not all choices are equal! a. Different types of choices come with different levels of consequences! b. Choosing whether to steal is not like choosing what one wants to eat c. Choosing to engage in sexual behavior is not like choosing what to wear d. Likewise, choosing what to believe is not like choosing where to shop! 9. While most people would realize this in terms of matters of legality and illegality, sexual activity and its consequences, and such like, they seem to forget it in terms of religion! a. Religion should not be about us, but instead about serving God (Jeremiah 10:23, Proverbs 3:5-7, Proverbs 14:12, Romans 6:16-18) b. Therefore, religious choice has consequences! 10. Thus, while there is a choice, it's a "controlled choice" a. Just like we have "controlled" choices in moral areas, so it is with religion! b. We can surely choose to believe as we want, go our own way, but we will suffer the eternal consequences (2 Thessalonians 1:6-9)! c. If we want to obtain the good, we are going to have to choose to do God's will (Romans 2:5-10)! D. Tolerance: The Inconsistent Standard 1. As our society has become more diverse, "tolerance" is the preferred religion 2. We are to all accept one another, respect each other's decisions, and even validate their decisions 3. Condemnation or speaking against a particular belief system or lifestyle is anathema to modern "tolerance" 4. Let none be deceived: we should be tolerant of other people in terms of respecting their right to disagree with us and to make their own decisions-- just as God does not coerce or compel anyone, we are not to coerce or compel anyone (Ephesians 6:12) 5. Likewise, we should not only tolerate people of different colors, ethnicities, cultures, and genders, we should appreciate how God has brought all together in one body (Galatians 3:28) 6. On the other hand, Christians cannot accept sin or sinfulness (Romans 12:9, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Galatians 5:19-21) 7. Christians must also speak out and expose such darkness (Ephesians 5:11) 8. And thus we have the inconsistency of "tolerance:" those preaching "tolerance" are "tolerant" of everyone who agrees with them and their definition of "tolerance," but are quite, well, "intolerant" of anyone who dares to preach what they deem to be "intolerance"! 9. If they were consistent, they would show as much "tolerance" toward those who preach what is in their mind "intolerance" as they would to those who preach what is "tolerant" in their mind! 10. Therefore, this "tolerance" is really a myth, an emperor with no clothes-- "tolerance" only exists for those who accept the paradigm of "tolerance," and all others are excluded 11. This view of "tolerance," therefore, is its own brand of religion, making as many exclusive claims as those it would condemn! E. Thus we see that these three societal standards are not much of standards at all! F. They are not to be trusted! G. Such a demonstration, however, does not prove our point H. Why is it that we believe that of all the possibilities out there, Jesus is the right one? III. Why Jesus? A. The short answer to the question of why to believe in Jesus is that it makes the most sense! B. Recognition: some truth in every religion 1. Paul was able to find some decent ideas in Greek authors (Acts 17) 2. We can find some praiseworthy concepts in every religion 3. On the other hand, such does not validate every religion! C. Through the revelation of God in the Bible, we get the best understanding of the way reality is and what can be done about it D. Reality: world full of sin, under sentence of corruption-- hope for new order in transcendent Kingdom of God (Romans 5:12-18, 8:19-23, 2 Peter 3:9-11, Revelation 20-22) 1. Eastern religions focus on the here and now, the personal development of each person 2. Such does not really address the inherent corruption in the world 3. Judaism has little concept of afterlife; Islam, afterlife a glorified Bedouin existence 4. It is through God in Christ that we understand how the actions of this life will reflect on the next life 5. It is through the Kingdom that we can have hope for wrongs to be made right E. Reality: If justice exists, some penalty must be paid (Hebrews 9:22) 1. Concept of "sin" hazy if existent in eastern religions 2. Modern Judaism, Islam speak of sin, praying for forgiveness-- no real concept of an act of atonement 3. Only in Jesus Christ do we find a means by which we can see sin atoned for-- an actual penalty paid-- to satisfy the demands of justice (cf. John 1:29) 4. Ironic twist of other questions-- is justice really served if people can be forgiven without any penalty having been paid? No! F. Christianity grounded in historical reality 1. Other religions focus on experiential "spiritual" understanding, family heritage or tradition, alleged instruction of some great leader 2. Yet the claims of Christianity involve claims of events that are claimed to have really taken place! 3. Such claims warrant examination and a firm decision 4. Questions about historicity of Buddha, Hindu gods, etc. would not change anything about said religions, but Christianity intentionally stands or falls on the historical data! 5. If there was a man named Jesus of Nazareth who came from God, lived in first century Judea, died on a cross, was raised on the third day, and then who empowered His followers to preach a message of a new Kingdom based in His Lordship, and it actually happened, the claims of the religion are hard to deny! 6. But if any of these are not true, then the religion is proven false (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:1-19)! 7. No one has yet been able to prove the story false: every alternative theory has too many holes, and the only sensible explanation of the events is that they took place just as the Scriptures revealed they did! G. This is why Christianity is eminently believable: it makes the best sense out of how reality is fallen but not entirely hopeless, and God does not expect you to believe something outside the realm of reality, but to judge the claims made within our own sphere of existence H. Yet there is more! IV. Why Not Jesus? A. The question, "what do you mean, 'there is only one way to God'?", is quite prejudiced B. We have shown why the standards of society are flawed, and also given reasons to believe Christianity over other religions C. But let us consider it another way D. Some illustrations 1. What if I were able to present to you an ideal car-- solar powered, great horsepower, little maintenance, leather seats, fully loaded-- and said that it would cost you $100? 2. If it were really true, would you look elsewhere for a car? Would you even think to compare such a car to one that was not as fuel efficient, not as loaded, and more expensive? 3. Or perhaps I would offer to you an authentic Roman coin or excellent replicas of Roman coins, and declare that they all cost the same. Which would you choose? 4. Would you not take the ideal car and the authentic coin? E. Such is the way we should look at the question: if Jesus really is the truth, why would you need to look anywhere else? F. Jesus of Nazareth has been a compelling figure throughout time 1. For centuries, people have criticized Christianity, the Apostles, various denominations and their leaders, etc., but few have dared to assault the character of Jesus Himself 2. He garners universal respect for His teaching and His practices 3. What other figure in history made the claims He made and lived up to them? 4. Who taught like Jesus taught (cf. John 7:46)? 5. Who practiced what was preached like Jesus did (Hebrews 4:15, 5:7-8)? G. In short, of whom else can it be said that He reflected the image of the Father completely (John 1:18, 14:9-11)? H. If all these things are true, we can see that Jesus' claim to be the only way to the Father is not declared out of hostility or arrogance, but out of sheer reality: no one else has made the Father known like Jesus has (John 14:4-11)! I. If He shows you all that must be shown, why look elsewhere (cf. John 1:18, 2 Timothy 3:16-17)? V. Conclusion A. What do we mean, "there is only one way to God?" B. Societal standards are flawed C. And regardless of societal standards, Jesus demands for us to make a decision about Him 1. Hear the truth: no one can be on the fence about Jesus 2. You absolutely cannot believe that He was a "good man" and a "good teacher" but believe that He is just one of many 3. He declared Himself to be One with the Father, God in the flesh, the truth, the only way to the Father, and Lord of heaven and earth (John 10:30, John 8:57, John 14:6, Matthew 28:18) 4. If you believe that Jesus was truly good, then you will accept these claims and recognize that Jesus is the sole and exclusive way to God, being the only One who could make Him known (John 1:18) 5. If you cannot accept these claims, then you cannot believe that Jesus was either a "good man" or a "good teacher," since anyone who makes these claims falsely is a liar, deceiver, or a lunatic! 6. Jesus' claims about Himself are true or they are false-- they cannot be both! D. Do you accept Jesus or will you reject Him? The choice is yours-- but it comes with eternal consequences (Romans 6:23, 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9)! E. Believe in Jesus as the truth, the way, and the life today! F. Invitation/songbook Ethan R. Longhenry / disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Evangelist, church of Christ in Norwalk, Ohio [norwalkchurch.org] Homepage: deusvitae.com AIM: Deus Vitae / ICQ: 28317056 Y! IM: discipuliiesus Spiritual Manna A biweekly devotional for your life. http://www.deusvitae.com/faith/manna From Jerry at eldorable.kscoxmail.com Wed Jul 8 15:23:45 2009 From: Jerry at eldorable.kscoxmail.com (Jerry ) Date: Wed, 8 Jul 2009 15:23:45 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] Come with us and we will do you good.... Message-ID: Come with us and we will do you good for the Lord has promised! A Christian's offer from 1700 BC? Numbers 10:28-36 Hi Since we started a new congregation back in October. we have been going about the countryside and making this kind of an offer to various folks all around us. "Come with us and help us start a new congregation. We offer you a once in a life time opportunity to step out of the shadows and do something, be someone special!" Or perhaps, "You can go on doing what you have always done and when your life is done. you will have done what everyone else has. But you could choose to come out and do something special! You could help to place the name of Christ where it has never been!" We have worded this offer in various ways but it has come down to a special opportunity to start a new work where you are important rather than just being a nameless number in a multitude. If you worship God among hundreds or even thousands. what will your impact be? Where can you do the most good? Where will your children learn the greatest lessons on their need to take up the yoke of the Lord Jesus? Even your children have a chance to be on the front lines for Jesus! We make this offer to you. Jesus knows you but we'd like to! Jesus will always do you good. Now we'd like to! Today's article is based on very similar ancient offer given by Moses to his father in-law Hobab (a.k.a. Jethro) and some of Hobab's extended family. It is the kind of offer that a Christian or a church should regularly give today. We'll look at this virtually unknown offer. made long ago to a family outside of Judaism. Have you ever heard a sermon based on this offer? (Me neither.) Hobab was Moses' father-in-law. He was already "with them". but not "of them." (see also I John 2:19) We see this very common situation today. How many people do you know in and around the church that are "with" but not really "of" them? When they are called to stand up and march. Hobab (and his family) want nothing to do with it. They enjoyed "just camping." or "keeping house" for the Lord. If you want to get to the Promised Land you must cease to just "camp out" at the foot of Sinai. Notice first that they had been sitting at Mount Sinai for some 2 years. (Depending on where you start counting, see Numbers 10:11-12). Hobab has seen many of the incredible miraculous things that God was doing as He worked with Israel. Hobab's family had wandered and encamped with Israel. Now. he needs to make the call. Are you going to be a part of God's special people, those called and chosen, or not? Today we Christians are like ancient Israel We "are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR {God's} OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY." I Peter 2:9-10 We are wandering through this life in search of the promised possession of God. heaven. We are doing our dead level best to get from here to there. After sitting for 2 years and talking about the Promised Land, the order to march was given (Numbers 10:28). Talking and doing are two very different things. It is now time to act. Moses looks at Hobab, this man who had meant so much to him. It was time to leave him behind. Moses just couldn't do it without trying to share his blessings with him. Moses loved this man! "We are setting out to the place of which the LORD said, 'I will give it to you'; come with us and we will do you good, for the LORD has promised good concerning Israel." So as you see us. the Christians in your midst, you will find ourselves saying very similar things for the same reason. We care about you. God has promised us that He loves us, that He gave His only begotten Son to save us, and that He has a place prepared for us. Here is our offer to you.. "We are setting out to the place of which the LORD said, 'I will give it to you'; come with us and we will do you good, for the LORD has promised good concerning" .. The church, Jesus' church. Note: "Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless." Ephesians 5:25-27 We are His people and we wish to share His blessings that He has promised us. with you. Our offer predates Christianity, but love for you continues to be the core of all Christians' care for the world. Consider.. II Corinthians 5:10-11 "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences." We are not Protestants, i.e. we are not on some kind of protest march. You can see those things on TV. The streets of Iran were filled with them. We have no man made creeds. We are not simply followers of men. We are on the most important journey anyone can ever undertake, We wish for you, invite you. to come along. The important thing to remember is that God has cosigned our offer to you. He has bankrolled it so to speak. It will be good for you. Christianity will do you good. (People may aggravate you, but God will do you good!) This is a blessed journey, it has a purpose. This journey has a beginning, a road map with a specific route to follow. This journey has an incredible ending. a grand finale! Jesus said. "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, {there} you may be also. And you know the way where I am going." John 14:1-4 There will be struggles along the way but. Come with us, for God has promised us good... This is an ancient offer with a modern twist. We will do you good. So many offers have a catch that is usually quite a catch. This one is an offer for your (and our) good. Jesus has blessed wherever He has gone. wherever He goes. He has promised won't you come? If you are young and you wish for adventure. "And Jesus said to them, "Follow Me and I will make you become fishers of men." Mark 1:17 If you are old and have had all the adventure your heart can take. "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy- laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 God has promised! So what was Hobab's response to the incredible "once in a millennium" offer? "But he said to him, "I will not come, but rather will go to my {own} land and relatives." Numbers 10:30 You're kidding right? How can you turn this down? To align yourself with God. to be on the way to the Promised Land? I thought you were a priest??? (Yes Hobab was even a priest, a priest of Midian.) But he still turned "forever" down "for the sake of his family." (For the sake of his family??) Today we would say, "I thought you were a Christian?" I recently spoke with some families about working with us. they thought it better for their families to stay in a liberal church that had rejected scripture as their guide. Yes even churches reject this offer! Moses' offer and Hobab's response to it are still very much with us. Hobab was tied to second best and second best was more comfortable to him (and them) than the great unknowns. How many people do you know that are so tied to worldly relationships that God is forced to take second place? There is a problem with that. God has warned that He will not accept second place for (or to) anyone! "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it." Matthew 10:37-39 God wants you. But we need you! "Then he said, "Please do not leave us, inasmuch as you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will be as eyes for us. So it will be, if you go with us, that whatever good the LORD does for us, we will do for you." Numbers 10:31-32 How many have found themselves in a pickle trying to figure out what to say as someone looks the situation over. Knows what it means and still turns away from it? What more is there to say? "For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and {then} have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame." Hebrews 6:4-6 Tragic! My little sister used to send her kids to us in the summer. Her intent was that I was supposed to work the boys to teach them how to hold a job etc. Today, as I contemplated the reaction of Hobab to Moses' offer, I remembered a conversation I had with one of my nephews many years ago regarding working and earning money for the summer. We were discussing his going out into the hot sun and working. he wasn't at all interested. I asked him how he was planning to earn money. "Well, you know I think I have enough money!" was his reply. How many people do you know have this idea about spiritual things? I think I have quite enough spiritual blessings. I don't need any more! Moses' words spoke a very different story didn't they? They spoke of priorities and true value. "For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that {country} from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better {country,} that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them." Hebrews 11:14-16 Moses and Hobab was very like Jesus and Jerusalem. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!" Matthew 23:37-38 It doesn't have to be that way. God has promised! If you are willing. Come with us and we will do you good. Yours in Christ Jerry Blount Minister for the Pillar church of Christ 560 S Oliver (SE corner of Oliver &Kellogg) Wichita, Ks 67218 316-320-4321 www.JerrysChristianJottings.info -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090708/56ad35fc/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 12730 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090708/56ad35fc/attachment-0006.jpe -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 21730 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090708/56ad35fc/attachment-0007.jpe From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Thu Jul 9 01:09:37 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Thu, 9 Jul 2009 02:09:37 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) STABILITY IN A CONGREGATION Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is a study from my files. Use to the glory of God. STABILITY IN A CONGREGATION "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eager- ly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to sub- ject all things to Himself" (Phil. 3:20,21). Paul's letter to the church at Philippi is one of joy and encour- agement in the midst of adverse circumstances. A central theme of this epistle is unity and Christians are told that only with Christ as our model of humility and service can true oneness of purpose, attitude, labor, and joy be achieved. As Paul begins to conclude his letter in chapter four, he summarizes how a congre- gation of believers must act in order to be pleasing to God and His Son. "Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and my crown, so stand firm in the Lord, my beloved" (Phil.4:1). The word therefore refers back to a statement previously made and could be translated "becaue of." So, because of what Paul had stated in Phil. 3:20,21, congregations of Christians are "stand firm in the Lord," meaning we must know Christ's teach- ings, be confident in our faith and never compromise the truth. That is the first requirement for congregational stability. "I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmong in the Lord. Indeed, true comrade, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, togeth- er with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life" (Phil. 4:2,3). The second charge to the congregation at Philippi is that there must be peace, har- mony, and love among the members. Paul doesn't talk about the riff between Euodia and Syntyche because the details of their differences really don't matter. If we are to spread the gos- pel and bring others to Christ, we have to show them a better life than the one we are suggesting they leave. There is no place in a body of Christians for emotional outbursts, demonstrations of selfishness and pride, hurtful or inconsiderate words, gossip, slander, or divisive behavior. Such actions and attitudes are detrimental to the cause of the gospel and will undermine what- ever good works are being done. "Rejoice in the Lord always: again I will say rejoice" (Phil. 4: 4). The third characteristic of a stable congregation is that we demonstrate lives of happiness. Members of the Lord's body should be filled with joy in their relationship with God as well as with one another. Who would want to associate themselves with a group of people who don't enjoy their lives as Christians, both individually and collectively? "Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near" (Phil. 4:5). Even in times of stress, frustration and disagre- ement, the people of the Lord are to display sincere gentleness and humility. Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, knowing that one would betray Him, another would deny Him, and the rest would run away. We cannot confront people with arrogan- ce and a superior attitude. Pride is a dangerous emotion and if a congregation is to grow in the way the Bible commands, this fourth characteristic has to come to the forefront in our dealings with all people, both within he local congregation as well as those outside. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and sup- plication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Phil. 4:6). Stable congregations have a confident faith that allows them to not worry about decisions that have to be made. Why? Because they are grateful for the spiritual blessin- gs that have been provided, they seek God's counsel on a regul- ar basis and trust in His guiding hand. If we are putting God first in our decision making, are truly thankful for what He has done for us, personally and as a group, then we can rest assured that all is well. If congregatgions would apply these principals in a consien- tious manner, we are promised that "...the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:7). Many congregations of the Lord's people have split, some more than once. Others are rife with in-fighting and men or families who dominate all the decis- ions made. And then they wonder why some leave, some lose their zeal and their numbers don't increase. I submit that when a congregation follows the advice given by Paul to the Philip-pian church, such problems will be avoided. Let us strive to be a positive light for the kingdom of God. ---- Richard Bartholom- ew in Truth Magazine, Vol. 52, No. 5, May, 2008. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090709/eb3d2b8d/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Thu Jul 9 01:09:27 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Thu, 9 Jul 2009 02:09:27 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Thursday morn- ing to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. Here are a couple of questions and answers from my files: A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Question One: -- Would you please explain Rom. 16:17? Answer One: -- "Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Jesus Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting" (Rom. 16: 17,18). Should the church withdraw fellowship from these kinds of men? I included the next verse where Paul specifies who he is speaking about. As the apostle is writing these words, he is concluding his great letter to the Romans, in which he taught a lot of deep and challenging truths. He knows some will have a hard time with the principles he has given them. So, he doesn't want his readers to bail and start listening to others whose mess- age might be easier, more comfortable and less challenging. There is always the risk of false teachers who come into the body of Christ and seek to lead away followers. These kinds of teachers, as Paul mentions, were more interested in their reputat- ion and status than in the spiritual well being of others. It is still true today that many are unsuspecting, and are limited in their grasp of God's truths. These immature believers need to grow. As they do, they need to be careful to listen to truth, and not just to a good story told by a skilled teacher. And, yes, the church should turn away from people whose interest is selfish, who desire only to have a following, and who care little for the well being of the body of Christ, and those who are members of it. ----- David Thurman in Gospel Minutes, Vol. 58, No. 17, April, 24, 2009. **************************************************************************** ***** Question Two: -- Would you please explain Heb. 6:1,2? What are the first principles, and why should we leave them? And would you please explain repentance from dead works? Answer Two: -- "Wherefore leaving the doctrine of the first princi- ples of Christ, let us press on unto perfection; not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the teaching of baptisms, and of lay- ing on on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of etern- al judgment" (Heb. 6:1,2). The "first principles of Christ" are the foundation matters upon which the gospel of Christ is based. Notice what this passage lists: Repentance, faith, baptism, laying on of hands, resurrection, final judgment. All of these things were preached by the inspired apostles of Christ, and all were necessary to laying the proper foundation for the gospel. There comes a time when we "leave" those things that con- stitute the foundation, and move on to the fulness of the gospel. It is like the building of a house: the foundation is necessary, but we must build on it by the walls, roof, etc. In the same way, there is more to the gospel than just those "first principles." We must preach the entire gospel, we cannot spend all of our time teach- ing and studying repentance, faith, baptism, resurrection and judgment. "Repentance from dead works" involves turning away from works that do not produce the righteousness of God. To repent means to "change one's mind or purpose." If one has been in- volved with dead works, he needs to repent -- that is, he must determine to turn from those to works of faith that serve God. James wrote: "Faith without works is dead" (Jas. 2:20). Lack of faith, or the wrong faith, will produce dead works. So will such things as insincerity, wrong purpose, and many other things. But whatever the dead works are, or what caused them to be dead works, we must turn from them in order to be pleas- ing to the Lord. ---- Clem Thurman in Gospel Minutes, Vol. 58, No. 17, April 24, 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090709/c09d8267/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Fri Jul 10 02:09:19 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:09:19 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) "COME YE OUT FROM AMONG THEM" (1) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the first installment of this particular study from my files. Use to the glory of God. "COME YE OUT FROM AMONG THEM" (1) The October, 2002 issue of "The Legal Alert" from the Christ- ian Law Association lists nine cases in this country of Christians being opposed or restricted in one way or another in the pract- ice of their faith. I'm sure that the number has risen considera-bly in the past seven years. And this report is only the tip of the iceberg compared with the vast pressure to silence biblical truth coming from television, public school systems and society in general. The supreme court has tried to eradicate any evidence of the Christian faith from every public venue. The "New World Order" advocates would outlaw the preaching of the gospel over the public airwaves, if they could. And anyone who dares to speak out -- as Jesus did -- against sin or false religious teach- ing is accused of bigotry or fanaticism. It isn't easy to stand for the truth of God in our present society. But we have our orders form the Lord: "Be not unequa- lly yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteous- ness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with dark-ness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what port-ion hath a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? for we are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be y separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you, And wil be to you a Father, And ye shall be to Me sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty" (2 Cor. 6:14-18). Or again, as the apost- le Paul wrote, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a livng sacrifice, holy, acceptible to God, which is your spiritual service. And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptible and perfect will of God" (Rom. 12:1,2). Instead of being conform- ed to this world let us be "transformed." We must not allow the world to determine our actions, nor our reactions, to what is going on around us. The Opposition Of The World: -- Jesus told the apostles, "If the world hateth you, ye know that it hath hated Me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you" (Jno. 15:18,19). And the Lord prayed for believers: "I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for those whom Thou has given Me; for they are Thine...I pray not that Thou shouldest take them from the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Thy Word is truth. As Thou didst send Me into the world, even so sent I them into the world" (Jno. 17:9,15-18). It is a great temptation for a Christian today to escape critici- sm or persecution by appearing like the world. But the Lord in- tends for us to be different -- not just to be different -- but to be right in God's sight: "righteous." One may be tempted to agree with the media that homosexuality is an acceptable lifestyle, rather than be labeled as a bigot or as "homophobic." But the Lord has spoken clearly on this subject (Lev. 18:22; 20:13; Rom. 1:18-32), and we should so speak. In the workplace, we may come under pressure to hide our faith and go along with practic- es that are dishonest. But again the Lord speaks, "Be thou an example to them that believe, in word, in manner of life, in love, in faith, in purity" (1 Tim. 4:12). The Church Is "Called Out": -- Many churches, in eagerness to bring the lost into their fold, have accommodated themselves to a pattern that is acceptable to the general unbelieving public. Their growth is accomplished through surveys and worldly marketing means. The heroes generally held up for our youth oday are professional athletes and "rock" stars, who are paraded before the church as if to say, "This is your ideal; this is the kind of person Jesus want you to be." The effort is to attract youth through entertainment rather than offer them the challen- ge to "take up the cross daily and follow" the Lord Jesus Christ. Churches try to accommodate themselves to the current fads of the world. They discard the old hymns that are both musical and edifying and replace them with "praise choruses" such as were used fifty years ago in Christian camps because they were simple, easy to learn and didn't require a song book. But when the children came back from camp, they readily joined the rest of the congregation in singing hymns with meaning and which require some thought. It is a serious mistake for the church leaders to fashion a program after the ideas of untrained youth. Jesus did not cave in to the immature concepts of youth in order to appeal to them. The the rich young ruler (Mk. 10), He sternly said, "One thing thou lackest: go, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow Me" (Mk. 10:21). This young man fail- ed the test, but do you really think the Lord has "softened" the requirements for us today? The "easy faith" that has become so popular doesn't much resemble the gospel of the kingdom which Jesus preached. It is tragic when so many take the world- ly ambitions of the flesh, give them religious titles and then pedd- le them as God-given "ministries." ( More will be posted on this subject tomorrow, the Lord willing. JWS). -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090710/d199643d/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Fri Jul 10 02:09:09 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:09:09 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) ALONE! Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Friday morning to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. Here is an artic- le from my files: ALONE! Alone! Alone! What a stark, bleak, terror filled word. Solitary confinement is one of man's most dreaded and destructive puni- shments. Who has not felt the agony of being excluded and left alone? Bold and strong Elijah wilted under its lash and cried out, "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; ...I have been very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts...and I, even I only, am left" (1 Kgs. 19:4,10). No wonder God examined His creation and said, "it is not good that man should be alone" (Gen. 2:18). Nor is it surprising that Jesus gave special attention to His disciples when it was time to leave them. He assured them that hey would not be left alone -- orphans (Jno. 14:18), "I will pray the Father and He will give you another comforter" -- One called to the side -- "that He may abide with you forever" (Jno. 14:16). God provided for man so that he would not have to be alone. First, He put man in the family. To Adam He gave "a help meet for him." -- or a helper suitable to his needs. Family was endow- ed with the strongest and closest human ties -- a refuge against being alone. Likewise, God gave the nation to meet man's social needs for "no man lives to himself." Finally the local church was designed to put together men of like precious faith and hope in God. God knew that in spiritual matters "it is not good that man should be alone." Few -- if any -- can make it alone. We are members "in particular" but solidly joined to the other members. None stands alone. By design, the family, nation, and the local church should support and protect a man as he strives to serve God. Often that is not the case. The Lord prepared His disciples fro being out- casts from family and society. And churches run by men like Diotrephes "cast out" righteous men. Even so, he is not alone. "At my first answer no man stood with me:" (2 Tim. 4:16). We always have an advocate -- a friend by our side. When "All men forsake us," we must not allow that to distort our values and perspectives. Elijah did. Things were not as black as he painted them. "I only am left." There were seven thousand who had not bowed to Baal. His perspective was warned. "Take my life" shows his values are out of focus. Many decide to go to hell with a crowd rather than stand alone. Yet there are places we must go alone. No comrade can stand at our side. In the garden, Jesus prayed alone; the discip- les were left behind. They could not share His pain or His pray- er. He was alone in His sorrow. We also must meet sorrow alone. Our friends encourage; they want to help. They weep with us, but it is ours alone in the last analysis. We say, "There is nothing you can do." Again, duty stands us alone. Brethren exhort but I alone can do my job -- "For every man shall bear his own burden" (Gal. 6:5). And at last consider the final judgment where I stand alone even in so great a crowd. Churches and crowds are not judged here, but "every man...receiving the things done in his body...good or bad" (2 Cor. 5:10). Joe Fitch via. Gospel Power, Vol. 16, No. 15, April 12, 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090710/ff7b3446/attachment-0001.html From ZekeFlores1 at cs.com Fri Jul 10 08:56:13 2009 From: ZekeFlores1 at cs.com (ZekeFlores1 at cs.com) Date: Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:56:13 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] H> Acts Workbook Message-ID: Can anyone recommend a good Bible class workbook on the book of Acts? I'm looking for one that will outline the text well, ask thought-provoking questions, and last about two quarters (26 lessons). I realize there are several workbooks by various brethren, I'd like to know what has worked well for you. Please reply to me privately. Thanks, Zeke Flores Kiber Street church of Christ Angleton, TX www.angletonchristians.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090710/b5673c29/attachment-0001.html From tssullivan at charter.net Fri Jul 10 17:32:29 2009 From: tssullivan at charter.net (T. Sean Sullivan) Date: Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:32:29 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] The Messener Vol 004 Iss 027 Message-ID: <133C17BC4EC54F788D01F791F0305657@sean2e3f41f1ba> The Messenger 2009 Published Weekly by Main Street Church of Christ 306 West Main Street, Newbern, TN 38059 Bulletin Editor: T. Sean Sullivan VOLUME 004::ISSUE 027: July 12, 2009 This Week's Article: Why Bad Things Happen? L.2 Introduction: The more we as a people have become accustomed to the comforts of life the more apparent any hardship seems. This observation can be applied physically and spiritually. Many have struggled in this physical life for the hope of survival. Many also have struggled to maintain their spiritual life for their hope of salvation. Today we have become accustom to the ease of life. The smallest struggles have come to seem so big to us. We have, as a people, become very sensitive. This new sensitivity is a problem because it has been used as reason to either blame God or deny His existence. In our first lesson we considered a better way of looking at life and hardships. We looked at actually causes for suffering such as: Freedom of choice, the mortality of human life, and the nature of nature around us. In this lesson let's again focus our thoughts on the word of God for the right answers and proper understanding. There are many people who have false ideas about suffering and why we suffer. Let's clear up those misunderstandings with this lesson. We Do Not Suffer as Punishment for Sin It is remarkable just how many people think that hardships, illness, or suffering are punishments for wrong-doing. There is a classic case for this in the Old Testament record of Job; going into the book we quickly learn that Job was suffering because of righteousness and not sin-Job 1:1-but his friends sure thought they knew better. As his friends witnessed what he was going through, each in turn proclaimed Job's suffering was because of sin in his life. First Eliphaz (Job 4:8, 9); then Bildad (Job 8:6); and then Zophar (Job 11:5, 6) This thought is still common so it real to have to deal with this. My grandmother demonstrated how this little notion could grow into bigger conclusions. I was told that whenever she would prick her finger with a sewing needle or stub her toe on something that she would say, "Oh, I must have told a lie!" This conclusion certainly would be applied with bigger sins resulting in bigger problems in life, wouldn't it? According to God's word, Job's friends were wrong and my grandmother was wrong. Consider what God had to say concerning Job (Job 1:1, 22; 2:10 "in all this Job did not sin"). God states that Job's friends had not spoken right (Job 42:7-9). We also need to understand that sometimes sinful activities result in suffering, as consequence. Things like sexual immorality resulting in a sexually transmitted disease or illegal drug use resulting in diseases or irreparable damage to the body-these are not punishment for the sin, they are simply the destructive results of their actions. If these things were punishments for sin no innocent people would any of these problems-this is clearly not the case. Sin is not punished by physical disease-the wages of sin is death-separation from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23a). We Do Not Suffer Because God Lacks the Power to Help Human hardships are part of our unalienable rights as human beings-our freedom of will that results in much of our suffering is something that God cannot change. As we said in our first lesson God is moral and cannot be immoral in any way. God gave us the right to choose and it would be wrong for Him to then disallow the consequences of our choices. God does not lack the power but it is His purity of character that prohibits Him from changing our chosen outcome. God is evidently not limited by any mortal illness; He was able to extend Hezekiah's life (Isaiah 38:1-5). Jesus Christ also showed us by working great wonders and healings (Mark 1:38-42: over leprosy; Mark 5:25-34: over long-term illness; John 11:39-45: over mortal death). God created us (Acts 17:26) and His power is limitless within His will. God is not to blame; the value of our human life and experience is designed by God and respected by God. Those who attempt to blame God do not know God. We Do Not Suffer Because God Doesn't Care Some see God sitting back, watching our suffering; not caring enough to change our situations. All too often the limitations of human wisdom cause us to be arrogant in thought believing and saying things like, "If I were God, I would.stop all suffering, or miraculously change this situation." This is where we need to stop turning against God and assuming we know more than what He knows. God certainly does care (1 Peter 5:7). We must trust in and rely on God (Matthew 6:25-33; Hebrews 11:6). The Bible makes us aware of the fact that Jesus was the full expression of the His Father (Colossians 2:9; John 14:8-9); and Jesus was full of compassion (Matthew 9:36, 14:14; 15:32; 20:34; John 11:35). So how can a caring God allow suffering to continue? We need to understand, as we have tried to establish in these lessons, that free will is a right given to us by God. With free will we can know true love, devotion, kindness, generosity, etc. But also with free will we can experience hatred, pain, and suffering. There is a necessary understand that we must have the humility to acquire: we must come to the understanding that God knows better! We must not assume we know what we need, or what is best for us (Jeremiah 10:23). Moral character is produced through trials (Romans 5:3-4). Faith is proven by trials (1 Peter 1:6-9). Maturity of wisdom and faith are discovered through endurance (James 1:2-8). These things all benefit us and they are gained by suffering, is there a reason that suffering continues without intervention? We should know the answer. Conclusion: Many people have misconceptions about suffering. There is a better way of looking at all the hardships of life. We do not know what it best for us: We do know that suffering is not punishment for sin. We do know that God does not lack the power. We do know that there is a reason our caring, loving God allows human suffering to continue. Is there a way to avoid hardship and suffering? There is a better pathway to walk which may reduce your hardships. Our submission to God's will can enable us to have choices based on wisdom, faith, and proper discretion (Hebrews 5:14). The best thing about God's way is that regardless of what this life might bring, our hope is far beyond this life. Our loving and caring God has provided us with the hope salvation and life eternal; you can have that hope right now. ~tss If you are enjoying The Messenger and you know someone else who would like to receive it. Please forward this copy to them and send their email address and I will add them to the list. Sean -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090710/89966264/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 3298 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090710/89966264/attachment-0002.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 7776 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090710/89966264/attachment-0003.gif From tssullivan at charter.net Fri Jul 10 17:52:18 2009 From: tssullivan at charter.net (T. Sean Sullivan) Date: Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:52:18 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] The Messenger Vol 004 Iss 028 Message-ID: The Messenger 2009 Published Weekly by Main Street Church of Christ 306 West Main Street, Newbern, TN 38059 Bulletin Editor: T. Sean Sullivan VOLUME 004::ISSUE 028: July 19, 2009 This Week's Article: The Danger of Pride Many times in my sermons I have quoted my mother's voice of wisdom. When I was growing up my mom always had the right phrase at the right time to make her point. It made me think that she was like a Wild West gunslinger with a holster full of sage advice. Most of her points made an impact seeing how I still recall them as if I had just heard them yesterday. Two of my mom's favorites were: "Too much of a good thing is a bad thing" and "Pride comes before the fall". These were two statements that I have heard a lot of while growing up. At first, those things didn't seem to make sense to me. Then, as I grew older and hopefully wiser, I have come to realize that you can have too much pumpkin pie and it can have too much whipped cream on it-that is the, "too much of a good thing." category. (Most of us learn that reality after staying awake all night with indigestion.) The second of those statements is, however, much harder to learn and live. Pride comes before the fall was my mom's rendition of Proverbs 16:18, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." We all need to come to an understanding of how destructive pride can be. Now I am not talking about self-esteem, I am talking about a prideful attitude-arrogance. It is interesting how much those two statements work together, isn't it? Pride is a good thing-when it is about self-esteem-however, when there is too much of a good thing it is bad. In the remainder of the article let's consider the destructive power of Pride. Pride Stops Spiritual Growth: There are growth expectations set for each of us as individuals. We must grow and pride can stop personal growth. The scriptures declared: "We are grow up in Christ (Ephesians 4:15)"; "We are to produce fruit (John 15:1-8)"; "We are to be always prepared by the word (Ephesians 6:10-18)". What can pride do to these expectations? Pride can cause us to assume that we know the scriptures. The Bereans searched the word daily leaving us an example of continual effort and study (Acts 17:11). Paul told Timothy to read, and to meditate on the scriptures, as a perpetual duty (1 Timothy 4:13, 15-16). We are instructed to "rightly divide the word of truth", which takes diligence-continual effort (2 Timothy 2:15). Sometimes we can think we know everything when in fact we have forgotten many things. There are growth expectations set for us congregationally. We can become over confident in our knowledge "collectively". This may result in a lack of zeal for God's word like the church at Ephesus who left their first love-zeal for God's word (Revelation 2:4-5). This type of complacency could allow for teachers who will scratch our itches (2 Timothy 4:3-4). This lack of knowledge may also leave us without the strength to stand against the tempter's wiles (Ephesians 6:10-18). The Psalmist describes God's word as his source of daily strength in Psalm 1:1-6. The secret of growth, is not a secret, it comes from finding your delight in the study of God's word and continual exercise in the word. We are all expected to come to a level of understanding that the scriptures describe as, "the knowledge of the Son of God" (Ephesians 4:13; 2 Peter 3:18). If we pridefully assume that we know enough, we may fall well short of this prescribed knowledge. Pride Causes Lack of Communication: All relationships are based on communication. If any relationship will prosper and be what it needs to be, the involved parties must be able to communicate. We can become too proud to communicate with our brethren. When you have a problem, is it your first reaction to cover it up in an attempt to keep it from your brethren? That is a symptom of too much pride! If you are in need and you are worried that someone: might find out or you might have to ask for help-that is a symptom of too much pride! Take a moment to consider these clear teachings from the Scriptures: John 13:34-35 ".love one another"; Romans 12:9-16 ".distributing to the needs of the saints"; Ephesians 4:31-32 "Be kind to one another." James 5:16 "Confess your sins (trespasses) to one another"; 1 Peter 1:22 "Love on another fervently with a pure heart"; 1 Peter 3:8 ""Love one another as brothers, tenderhearted, and courteous". These all teach us about our relationship one with another. The passages clearly show the good that comes from the fulfillment of our help for one another. We can, also become too proud to communicate with God. Things go well, we feel pretty independent and suddenly something goes wrong and we realize it has been a long time since we prayed. We can do this because we are short minded or we could do this because we are too proud to ask for God's help. Paul said, "Pray without ceasing" in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Do not let pride build a wall blocking your relationships. Pride Can Hinder The Spread of The Gospel: Pride can cause us to forget our past and become prejudice toward the souls that need the gospel. When we forget that we were once lost in sin, we may not be willing to help someone else get out of the same place we were. Paul, often, reminded the brethren to not forget about their past: Romans 6:16-18 "You were slaves of sin." 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 "Such were some of you." Ephesians 2:11-14 "You were without Christ". We need to remember where we were so that we will have compassion on those who are still wandering there. Conclusion: Too much pride is a bad thing. Pride comes before the fall. Pride can allow us to have false confidence, false conclusions, and false prejudices. Proverbs 6:17 says, God hates: "A proud look"; on the other hand 1 Peter 5:6 says, ".humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time." Are you humble enough to admit when you are wrong? Are you humble enough to ask for help? Are you humble enough to reach down and help someone else out of sin? ~tss. If you are enjoying The Messenger and you know someone else who would like to receive it. Please forward this copy to them and send their email address and I will add them to the list. Sean -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090710/4407d8eb/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 3298 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090710/4407d8eb/attachment-0002.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 7776 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090710/4407d8eb/attachment-0003.gif From tssullivan at charter.net Fri Jul 10 17:58:40 2009 From: tssullivan at charter.net (T. Sean Sullivan) Date: Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:58:40 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] The Messenger Vol 004 Iss 029 Message-ID: <032B591FE96D413E8C889CF04002B01C@sean2e3f41f1ba> The Messenger 2009 Published Weekly by Main Street Church of Christ 306 West Main Street, Newbern, TN 38059 Bulletin Editor: T. Sean Sullivan VOLUME 004::ISSUE 029: July 26, 2009 This Week's Article: Does Purity Matter? To start this lesson I want to introduce the term "influence". Each one of us should know what the term influence means since we have all been influenced by many things. Influence is neither positive nor negative it is a neutral term. We are in control of it directive power. We must decide how it will be used. Hopefully, we will always be a positive influence on our family, friends, associates, coworkers, neighbors, etc. Please be mindful of this one fact: Your influence may take years to affect a change in others; but your influence itself can be changed in seconds. Your ability to influence others for good can be destroyed by lack of purity in your life. A few foolish words or actions reflect your lack of ability to follow God will. If you can't live what you teach why would anyone else assume they could. We have a real need for purity in our lives. We need pure input and pure output so we can prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God to everyone we meet (Romans 12:1-2). I want you to think carefully about your ability to influence others toward Christ. The purity of your life is the greatest factor in your influence. Consider with me the purity of body, mind and soul. Purity of Mind: What is our mind? The mind is our understanding, our conscience, our intellect; it is our enabler; we can do nothing without our mind's okay. When I walk, it is not because my feet have decided to move, it is because my mind has decided to move my feet. The decisions that our mind makes are based solely on the input information. I know that my mind will never tell my hand to touch a hot stove element again, when I was three I had a pain input when I touched one. Jesus teaches us that garbage in, equals garbage out (Matthew 6:22-24). We must be careful what we input so that we can have a pure mind. God expects us to have a pure mind (James 1:8; 4:8) and He has provided the directions we need to attain the purity of mind (1 Timothy 1:5). We must desire to have a pure mind and take action to be pure (1 John 3:1-3). Our influence also needs our mind to be pure, but why? Who can see my mind-my heart anyway? Anyone you talk to can see your heart. Our mouth will betray our heart; it will not keep our thoughts secret for long (Matthew 15:10-20). Let's be careful of the things we allow as input. Let's determine to purify our minds and be more like Jesus every day, in word and deed (Colossians 3:17) so that we can be a more positive influence on those around us. Purity of Body: Purity of body is something that has become a modern oddity and the object of ridicule. Saving one's self for marriage sounds more like a punch line than an acceptable moral standard. The world's view may have changed but God's view has never changed. The term fornication is used to describe any sexual activity outside the bonds of marriage and God's word outright condemns this activity. Galatian 5:19-21 describes fornication as a work of the flesh. It explains that those who practice such and do not seek God's forgiveness will not be allowed entrance into Heaven (vs. 21). The Apostle, again teaches this same principle in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. Even the marriage bonds themselves have diminished in the eyes of the world. Statistically speaking: One in two marriages end in divorce in this country; more than half of the divorces are due to the infidelity of one or both of the marriage partners. Adultery is a more specific form of fornication. As a Christian, we must not allow these activities be part of our life. These practices destroy our influence by taking away the purity of our body. What can you do if you have never committed sexual immorality? Decide right now, right here, that you are going to save yourself for marriage and once you are marriage that you will honor the bond of that marriage. What can you do if you have committed sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18)? Deal with it the same way as any other sin: Truly repent (stop committing the sin) and pray for forgiveness if you are a Christian or truly repent (stop committing the sin) and seek God's forgiveness by becoming a Christian. By keeping our bodies pure our examples will be pure and our influence on other will be positive. The Purity of Soul We all must be aware of our soul-You are your soul (2 Timothy 4:6; 2 Peter 1:13-14). Since you are your soul you will be either in Heaven and know it or you will be sent to Hell and you will know it. You will feel the consequences of your actions. Sin results in impurity of the soul (Ezekiel 18:20). Improper actions of our body and mind result in that soul staining sin (2 Corinthians 5:10). There is hope (Romans 6:23). God has provided a way (Isaiah 1:18) in which we can be cleansed; we can have our souls purified by the blood of Christ (Hebrews 9:22-28). We can purify our souls through obedience to God's will. As a Christian you need to repent and pray like Simon in Acts chapter eight. If you are not a Christian your hope is found through obedience to God's plan of salvation (Acts 2:38-39). Conclusion: You can have a positive influence on others around you if you first purify every part of your being: mind, body and soul. If you talk the talk, you must walk the walk (1 John 2:6). We have to be a Christian influence 24/7 no matter who we are with or where we are. Are you in need of some purification today? ~tss If you are enjoying The Messenger and you know someone else who would like to receive it. Please forward this copy to them and send their email address and I will add them to the list. Sean -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090710/a72c7d37/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 3298 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090710/a72c7d37/attachment-0002.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 7776 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090710/a72c7d37/attachment-0003.gif From bearsfan64 at ffni.com Wed Jul 15 11:57:50 2009 From: bearsfan64 at ffni.com (Jeff Kibler) Date: Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:57:50 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] A question Message-ID: <4A5E0A8E.8090006@ffni.com> We are needing to buy a power point projector for the church. Obviously we don't need all of the bells and whistles that come with most projectors. I was wondering if anyone has bought a projector lately and had any information that they would like to share. I have checked with local stores but they don't know their product very well. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you Jeff Kibler From jeffs.smith at me.com Thu Jul 16 08:44:52 2009 From: jeffs.smith at me.com (Jeff S. Smith) Date: Thu, 16 Jul 2009 08:44:52 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] A>Recession or Depression Message-ID: <2A0293A2-BFC5-41EA-B5D8-6811E5F53445@me.com> Recession or Depression By Jeff S. Smith As pen meets paper, the entire world is struggling to break free from a terrible economic recession, the causes of which will be debated for decades, but which surely include greed and dishonesty. Some have even questioned the potential for another depression, not unlike the one our grandparents endured in the 1930s, when only a world war was enough to rescue the victors? economies. Recession and depression are discouraging themes, but the spiritual state of our world has been slipping in that direction even longer. For decades, we have witnessed a spiritual recession in the currency of biblical interest, even among the people of God. An unhealthy collision between itching ears and glib doctrine produced a generation that counted religion to be a matter of entertainment and recreation, of almost absolute tolerance and compromise even where conviction should have stood fast. And little wonder, for Paul warned long ago that, ?in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared? (First Timothy 4:1-2). Biblical mastery receded and the joy of the Holy Spirit was misinterpreted to mean fun. Worship had to be fun. Bible class had to be fun, and if it wasn?t, it was augmented with snacks and prizes or replaced altogether by video games and dodgeball. Like profit-hungry bankers, certain preachers and elders contributed to this recession of reason by satisfying the ear-tickling demand. Conditions in the time of Hosea were revisited. To the teachers, God said, ?My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you? (4:6). God?s rejection, however, is too subtle for the apathetic observer to notice. Sermons were drained of scriptural content so that humor and philosophy could better display the preacher?s charisma (First Corinthians 2:1-2). The work of the church tilted away from the soul and toward the social. Sin was seldom identified so to avoid alienating the sinner; the recession deepened beneath the surface. Gradually, this spiritual recession became more pronounced and seemingly irreversible. Moral poverty came upon the saints ?like a robber, and want like an armed man? (Proverbs 24:33-34). We entered a self-inflicted biblical dust bowl ? ?not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord? (Amos 8:11). Here we are. The Great Depression ended as nations ramped up for war, but now our world suffers from a much more personal form. Only when the soldiers of Christ renew their militance for evangelism and discipleship will this depression show signs of abating. ?Fight the good fight of the faith? (First Timothy 6:12). ?Preach the word? (Second Timothy 4:2). Jeff S. Smith jeffs.smith at me.com www.ElectronicGospel.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090716/6d25599f/attachment.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Fri Jul 17 04:07:17 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2009 05:07:17 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) FORGIVENESS Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Friday morning to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. Here is an article from my files: FORGIVENESS Much has been preached and written on how mankind, espe- cially Christians, should and must practice forgiveness. No dou- bt it is a command, not a mere option. Jesus said, "But if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also for- give you: But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matt. 6:13,14). Upon completion of the Parable Of The Unmerciful Servant, Christ said, "So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also unto you, if you from your hearts forgive not every one his brother thier tres- passes" (Matt. 18:35). Paul often mentioned the necessity of for- givning (Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13). Like most things, there is a misuse and an abuse of forgive- ness. When one repeatedly wrongs another, either by malicious-ly committing the same sins from one person to another, or by simply wrongdoing the same individual continually, the appeal is made to what the Bible says about forgiving someone "seven-ty times seven." That is to say, it must always be done no matter how many times someone is wronged by the same person. Whi- le Jesus does tell Peter that one must be forgiven "seventy times seven" (Matt. 18:22), Luke makes this record of Jesus' in- struction -- "Take heed to yourselves; If your brother trespass against you, rebuke him. and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turns again to you saying, I repent, thou shalt forgive him" (Lk. 17:34). This shows tht the one committing the wrong needs to have a penitent heart! Every effort should be made not to continue in his sinning. It appears that some tend to "hide behind" this verse of Scripture while continuing wrongdoing. To repent means to "turn away from." It means to make a 180 degree turn, "an about face." Hence, the one seeking forgiveness should be sincere in doing so. God demands genuine repentance. He does not wish for us to "play upon someone's sympathies" and toy with mercy. Paul said, "Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, buit that you sorrowed to repentance: for you were made sorry after a godly manner; that you might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death" (2 Cor. 7:9-10). True repentance must carry with it "godly sorrow," and it must, therefore, be "after a godly mann- er." Only then can it be said this individual "sorrowed to repent- ance," and thus, truly repented. Forgiveness is a "two-way street." Yes, the one who is wronged must forgive. Howbeit, the one who committed the wrongdoing must truly repent! The offender who abuses the "seventy times seven" command by Jesus needs to correct his his heart and realize that Jesus said true repentance must be seen. One must cease wrongdoing. Otherwise, how can one expect God to forgive him of his own sins? This kind of behavior manifests one to be defiant of the Gold- en Rule, lacking in self-discipline, and void of true spirituality. --------- Phillip North, primrosenor at suddenlink.net, Branson, MO. via Biblical Insights, Vol. 8, No. 8, Aug. 2008. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090717/a18e280c/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Fri Jul 17 04:07:25 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2009 05:07:25 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) THE SCHEME OF REDEMPTION IN PREPARATION (7) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is another installment of this particular subject. Use to the glory of God. THE SCHEME OF REDEMPTION IN PREPARATION (7) THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER (Continued): -- The deceitful character of riches is the other influence here mentioned, and which can choke out the Word that it bear no fruit. The deceit tht riches practice on the hearts of people is widespread and manifold. We are prone to think the possession of wealth is a guaranty of happiness. The contrary is true as many who are wealthy could attest. The rich man who felt that his riches would provide him security and ease of soul was, for so thinking describe by Jesus as a fool. "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life" (1 Tim. 6:17-19). Also, "Hearken, my beloved brethren, hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which He hath promised to them who love Him?" (Jas. 2:5). True happiness, lasting happ- iness, is assured those whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and in Whose law they meditate both day and night. James des- cribes the miseries that shall come upon the rich who have fraudulently acquire their riches through oppressing the poor and withholding the rightful wages of those who had reaped their fields. While poverty is no passport to heaven, or disposit- ion of riches will forever bar one's entrance into heaven. The class represented by the good ground which brought forth fruit are those who possess and exercise intellectual hon- esty in their relation to the gospel of Christ. Honesty in material affairs is mandatory, but does not exhaust the requirements of honesty. One may be scrupulously honest in hsi dealings with his fellowman in matters relating to business affairs, and be dis- honest with himself and God. An honest heart as herein sugges- ted is one that openly and interestingly receives the Word of God as such, and regards it with that reverence which begets a full and unreserved submissiveness to its every requirement. To handle the Word of God deceitfully and wrest it is but to invite everlasting destruction. To hinder it proper influence by assert- ing a partisan spirit is but to reveal an obstructive prejudice; and prejudice against the truth is fundamentally dishonest in anyone. Truth should be sought and secured at all costs, and never surrendered regardless of the sacrifice necessary to keep- ing it. The difference in the respective productivity here stated is indicative of the different capacities of those mentioned. The point held in common, however, is the fact that all bore fruit by their continued obedience to the truth. Those of us who are in- capable of bearing sixty or an hundredfold should not despair but faithfully strive to produce the thirtyfold, while rejoicing in the greater fruitfulness of others. (More will be posted on this subject, tomorrow, the Lord willing, JWS). -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090717/b223c41f/attachment-0001.html From tedwards at onemain.com Fri Jul 17 10:00:17 2009 From: tedwards at onemain.com (tedwards at onemain.com) Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:00:17 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] B> Gospel Observer 6/28/09 Message-ID: <4A604BB1.29365.E46DB8@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). ____________________________________________________ June 28, 2009 ____________________________________________________ Preaching Like Paul by Bobby Witherington There are many books which deal with preaching. Some are excellent. Some are not worth the paper and ink they require. Some are downright dangerous. But there is one book which not only reveals the value of preaching; it also reveals what constitutes genuine, effective, soul-saving preaching. Of course, this "one book" is the Bible -- the book of books. Anyone who desires to preach the gospel would do well to examine the sermon content, the manner, and preaching methods of those great preachers of whom we read in the Scriptures. And one preacher not to be overlooked is the apostle Paul. This peerless apostle, this "apostle to the Gentiles" (Rom. 11:13), seemingly had one magnificent obsession -- that of converting the entire Roman Empire to Jesus Christ! In order to accomplish this noble objective he was willing to "spend and be spent" (2 Cor. 12:15), suffer intense persecution and deprivation (2 Cor. 11:23-27), and ultimately to even die a martyr's death (Acts 21:13; 2 Tim. 4:6-8). Few students of either history or the Bible would deny that other than Jesus Christ himself, the apostle Paul was one of the greatest (if not the greatest) preachers that ever lived. There has to be a reason (yea, many reasons) for his effectiveness as a preacher. With a view in mind of encouraging more of us to follow his example, it is our aim in this article to give consideration to the kind of preaching which characterized Paul. Paul the Christian Many who acknowledge the greatness of Paul as a preacher tend to place great emphasis upon the fact that he was inspired. That is true. He was. Paul became a child of God in the same way as you and me. He heard and obeyed the gospel. When the Lord appeared to him on the Damascus road it was not to save him, but to make him a "minister and a witness" of the things which he had seen and of the things he had yet to reveal to him (Acts 26:16). To become qualified to be an apostle, as one "born out of due time" (1 Cor. 15:8), Paul had to see the Lord (1 Cor. 9:1). Being an apostle, he was able to speak that which God "revealed . . . through his Spirit" (1 Cor. 2:10). Paul did not learn his message at the feet of the other apostles; rather he received it "through the revelation of Jesus Christ" (Gal. 1:12). He was an apostle in every sense of the word, and even his hearers could bear witness to the fact that, through "signs and wonders and mighty deeds," Paul demonstrated "the signs of an apostle" (2 Cor. 12:12). But Paul's effectiveness as a preacher was deeper than the facts of his inspiration and his possessing the signs of an apostle. His real effectiveness stemmed not so much from what he had, but from what he was! It is true that Paul was a very cosmopolitan person. He was "born in Tarsus" (Acts 22:3), a noted seat of philosophy and literature, ranking with Athens and Alexandria. He could speak Greek and Hebrew (Acts 21:37-40), plus other languages not specified (1 Cor. 14:18). He was educated at the feet of the noted Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). He was a Roman citizen, and he was not adverse to using his citizenship to his advantage and for his protection (Acts 16:21; 22:25). In many ways he was unique. But the underlying secret of Paul's unflagging determination to preach the gospel (as well as his effectiveness as a preacher) lay in the fact that he was a Christian! (Acts 26:28,29) His conversion was genuine. He never forgot the terrible sins of which he had been guilty (1 Tim. 1:15), but from which he had been forgiven by a gracious Lord. He had been a forceful personality when he was a persecutor of Christians, but now as a genuine Christian he could truly say, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal. 2:20). To "gain Christ" he had suffered the "loss of all things" which were formerly near and dear to him; yet compared to what he found in Christ he counted those things as "rubbish" (Phil. 3:8). I fear that too many brethren look first to a person's apparent ability when that person expresses a desire to preach. Ability is important, but what that person accomplishes in the vineyard of the Lord will be more determined by what he is than by what he has! Many young men (and some not so young) who are "learning to preach " should first take some lessons on "how to live!" Let us quit putting the cart before the horse. Paul As a Preacher Regarding this point it is hard to know where to begin. Paul's effectiveness lay in many things, such as: He was "not ashamed of the gospel of Christ," and he had strong faith in its "power" to save (Rom. 1:16). He believed in the headship and the Lordship of Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:22,23; Rom. 10:9). He was willing to "endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (2 Tim. 2:3,10). He strongly believed in prayer and was not embarrassed to ask his brethren to pray "for me" (Eph. 6:19). He worked with others, and trained them to succeed him (cf. his letters to Timothy and Titus). He was "set for the defense of the gospel" (Phil. 1:17). He was determined to magnify Christ in his body, "whether by life or by death" (Phil. 1:20). Anchored by hope (Heb. 6:19), he never lost sight of that "crown of righteousness" (2 Tim. 4:8) for which he was constantly striving. As a preacher, Paul was bold, and straightforward in his speech. At Salamis on the island of Cypress, Paul and Barnabas spoke the word of God to Sergius Paulus the proconsul. However, Elymas the sorcerer withstood them and sought to "turn the proconsul from the faith." But Paul "looked intently on him and said, 'O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?'" (Acts 13:7-10) Paul doubtlessly had the gift of discernment (cf. 1 Cor. 12:10) and knew the kind of man Elymas was. But the point is, Paul did not mince words. He had the courage to call "a spade a spade." If Paul were alive today you can be sure he wouldn't refer to homosexuality and lesbianism simply as "alternate lifestyles!" As a preacher, Paul endeavored to reason with the people, beginning at some point of common understanding and methodically laying the scriptural foundation which would inescapably bring honest people to a realization of the truth about Jesus Christ. Such was characteristic of his preaching at Antioch in Pisidia where he began by citing known historical facts regarding God's dealing with the nation of Israel and prophecies with which the people were familiar and which found their fulfillment in Jesus Christ and the deliverance he made possible (Acts 13:14-40). As a preacher, Paul rightly "divided the word of truth," often contrasting the law and the gospel and proving that the law has been superseded by the gospel (Gal. 2:16; 3:16-29; 4:21-31; Col. 2:14-17; etc.). He was not opposed to telling those who were returning to the law that "you have fallen from grace" (Gal. 5:4). As a preacher, Paul preached what was needed, when it was needed, to whom it was needed, and where it was needed. To unbelieving Jews who rejected Christ, beginning with their law, Paul preached the truth about the person of Christ. In idolatrous Athens, Paul preached the truth about the one true God and thereby showed the folly of idolatry (Acts 17:16-33). In the presence of the grossly immoral Felix and Drusilla Paul "reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come" (Acts 24:25). As a preacher, Paul declared "the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27). He was not one to withhold vital truth on any subject for fear of hurting someone's feelings. As a preacher, Paul was not adverse to calling names. He mentioned Hymenaeus and Alexander whom he "delivered unto Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme" (1 Tim. 1:20). He called the names of Hymenaeus and Philetus who had "strayed concerning the truth" (2 Tim. 2:17,18). He said "Demas has forsaken me" and that "Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm" (2 Tim. 4:10,14). He even mentioned the time when Peter was guilty of hypocrisy (Gal. 2:11-13). As a preacher, Paul could get upset when he encountered those who were perverting the gospel. Witness his conduct at Antioch (Acts 15:2). Concerning this incident at Antioch where some false teachers ought to spy out his liberty in Christ, Paul said with regards to these teachers, "to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour that the truth of the gospel might continue with you" (Gal. 2:5). Indeed, Paul was no compromiser! As a preacher, Paul was concerned about the purity of the church. He wrote to Corinth where the brethren were tolerating a known fornicator. Mincing no words, Paul charged the brethren to "deliver such a one unto Satan," declaring "that a little leaven leavens the whole lump" (1 Cor. 5:5,6). As a preacher, Paul was humble. He referred to himself as the "chief" of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). On another occasion he referred to himself as "less than the least of all saints" (Eph. 3:8). He preached "Christ and him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2); he did not elevate himself. As a preacher, Paul preached when the brethren supported him (Phil. 4:15,16) and when they did not. He was willing to labor "night and day," not being a burden to any, in his effort to preach "the gospel of God" (1 Thess. 2:9). He was not one to say, "I can't preach because I have no support." He taught that brethren ought to support men who preach (1 Cor. 9), but this was not a factor in determining whether or not he would preach! As a preacher, Paul was no quitter. Though his labors had been abundant and with great success, Paul could say, "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ" (Phil. 3:13,14). As a preacher, Paul was constantly in trouble. In trouble with false brethren, false teachers, and the civil authorities. He was beaten, maligned, persecuted, and imprisoned. It was not uncommon for him to be run out of town. He ultimately died a martyr's death. But Paul got into trouble because he preached the truth that troubled people in sin. It is probable that very few churches of Christ today would tolerate a preacher like Paul! But O how we need a bunch of Pauls! Especially in this age of Peales and Schullers when brethren have gone pig-crazy and hog-wild over the sickly, sentimental, sweet-spirited, feel-good-about-yourself slop these men are feeding hell-bound sinners! Yet as a preacher Paul was tactful. it was not uncommon for him to begin a letter by saying, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." It was customary for him to first compliment people for the good things they did before he reprimanded them for the bad things they did. The truth he preached often offended people, but he didn't try to be offensive as a person. Finally, as a preacher Paul was a happy man. For proof, read Philippians. Happy, though in prison! Happy because he was fruitfully working in a cause larger than himself. Happy because he was constantly reaching out to others. Happy because he served God, enjoyed peace of mind, had no fear of death, and had a joyful anticipation of receiving that crown of righteousness. Conclusion Preachers, perhaps it is time that many of us paused long enough to take a long hard look at ourselves! Are we drifting with the tide? Have we lost our spiritual nerve? Are we really "telling it like it is"? Have we exchanged idealism for realism? Have we become so secure in our comfortable "positions" that we are afraid to "rock the boat"? Just how well do we measure up when we are placed alongside the apostle Paul? May God give us the humility to inventory ourselves, the integrity to admit our failings, and the courage to make the needed changes. -- Via Guardian of Truth XXXVI: 3, pp. 80-82, February 6, 1992 ____________________________________________________ CHURCH OF CHRIST 201 Rushing Road (at the Hampton Inn) Denham Springs, LA 70726 Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520 tedwards at onemain.com http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go DIRECTIONS: Take the Denham Springs exit (exit 10) off of I-12. At the end of the exit ramp, turn north. Go about a stone's throw to Rushing Road. (You'll see a Starbucks, Circle K, and two other gas stations; with each on each corner.) Turn left on Rushing Road, and go less then 0.3 of a mile. Hampton Inn will be on the right. We assemble in its meeting room, which is very close to the reception counter. ____________________________________________________ From Jerry at eldorable.kscoxmail.com Fri Jul 17 15:59:27 2009 From: Jerry at eldorable.kscoxmail.com (Jerry ) Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:59:27 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] Unionizing preachers.... Message-ID: Jerry Blount to the list Hi. Guys I must have had my head down but this totally blew by me. It is the first I heard of it. Anyway... get a load of this! You tube interview Canadian auto workers... unionizing churches http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lghaG69VTgc Here is another one a union for orthodox priests http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqbbJ8-96b4 &NR=1 Yours in Christ Jerry Blount The Pillar church of Christ 316-320-4321 www.JerrysChristianJottings.info United Church Ministers' Organizing Committee: Top 10 Reasons to Join the CAW _____ The following article was submitted to the CAW by the United Church Ministers' Organizing Committee: On Nov. 5, 2004, Rev. Dr. David Galston and Rev. Jim Evans signed an official application for membership to the CAW. This action officially launched a CAW Union drive for United Church of Canada clergy. If you are a United Church minister and you're interested in joining the CAW you can find out more by calling or e-mailing any of the following contacts: Mike Shields, CAW National Director of Organizing - 1-800-268-5763 Ext. 763. Email: mike.shields at caw.ca. Karen Paton-Evans, organizing team member - 519-425-4546. Email: kpatonevans at hotmail.com Rev. Jim Evans, organizing team member - 519-425-4546 Rev. David Galston, organizing team member - 905-577-5726 (david at eternalspring.ca) Rev. Del Stewart, organizing team member - 519-733-3341 (4del at cogeco.ca) David and Jim are part of a four-member team, including Rev. Delbert Stewart and Karen Paton-Evans (who represents the concerns of minister's families). This group has been working quietly and diligently for the past year, researching clergy abuse and employment rights infractions. They have also been seeking solutions through examining a wide variety of professional associations and unions. After researching the CAW, the team decided to talk with the union and ask what the CAW could do for United Church clergy. The first face-to-face meeting with CAW representatives took place on Oct. 4, 2004, with CAW national president Buzz Hargrove and his team. Buzz and his team immediately understood the clergy concerns and issues. After a month of conducting its own research, the CAW was in a position to support a union drive for United Church ministers. Now your support is needed. The only legal expression of your desire for the CAW to represent United Church ministers is the signing of a CAW membership card. Remember when you sign a union card, it is a confidential act, known only to the CAW organizing department, David Galston, Jim Evans, Delbert Stewart and Karen Paton-Evans. Any clergy residing in Canada who want to sign a union card may call any of the people listed above or go to their nearest CAW regional office. This is a time of discernment and prayer for United Church clergy. During this period, you are protected under law against reprisals, coercion and intimidation from any person trying to prevent you from signing a union card. If you experience any of these infractions, contact Mike Shields at the CAW. Top 10 Reasons to Join CAW-Canada: 10. You can have some control over your workplace, guaranteed in the contract you negotiate with your employer. 9. Education offered by the CAW is the best available to union members in Canada. The CAW Education Program gives union members the tools they need to build a better union, and to develop skills to deal with management. 8. CAW professional staff work with local unions to negotiate contracts and assist members in dealings with employers. 7. A $50-million Defence fund ensures that members of CAW have resources to use if they need them to defend their rights. Over 97 percent of CAW contracts are settled without strike or lockout. In representing CAW member nurses, who do not have the right to strike, CAW successfully negotiates contract agreements without disruption of health services. 6. Collective agreements that have always led the way by setting wage-and-benefit patterns for thousands of workers across Canada. 5. The experience and reliability of Canada's largest private sector. The CAW represents 225,000 working people like you in nearly every industry and job imaginable. 4. Health and Safety protection, as well as research and representation in such areas as workers' compensation and occupational health and safety legislation. 3. Fairness and dignity in the workplace, made enforceable by a negotiated legal contract. Respect is no longer dependent on the whim of a boss. With a CAW Union contract, there are no barriers created by favouritism or arbitrary actions of employers. 2. Democracy within the CAW is carefully protected. Union members vote for their leadership, at all levels, vote for contract proposals, vote to ratify agreements. Every member can run for office and fully participate in the local and national union. 1. The number one reason for joining CAW is what it can mean to you and your family. In Canada, unions are responsible for many of the things we now take for granted - paid vacations, benefits, pensions and more. CAW is a union that builds on the past, protecting what we have won and helping to create a better future. The CAW delivers this and more at very low cost to its union members. CAW members, working 35 hours or more a week, pay union dues equivalent to two hours and 20 minutes per month, straight-time pay. Part-time workers working less than 40 hours in a month, dues are calculated at one hour and 10 minutes per month, straight-time pay. For our full-time United Church clergy, union dues would fall in the ballpark of $30 per month. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090717/574d56da/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Sat Jul 18 02:59:34 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Sat, 18 Jul 2009 03:59:34 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) GOD HAS SPOKEN Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Saturday morn- ing to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. Here is an article from my files: GOD HAS SPOKEN Jesus demonstrated His divine authority and Person by the miracles He did (Jno. 20:30,31; Acts 2:22-33). His Apostles were empowered to work miracles in order to prove that their messa- ge came from God (Mk. 16:19,20; Heb. 2:1-4). Thus we have re- corded for our constant remembrance divine proof of teaching from God. We can draw near to God in full assurance of faith, having obeyed divine instruction by which we have obtained re- mission of our past sins through the blood of Jesus Christ (Heb. 10:1-25; Acts 2:38; Eph. 1:7). God does not contradict Himself. He cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18). Self-styled "prophets" have come in later times in in- creasing numbers, making claims of divine revelation contrary to the clear teaching of the Bible, and leading many gullible souls into false religious beliefs and practices. They demonstr-ate their own falsehood each time they contradict the Bible. For example, Joseph Smith claimed to have received the Aaronic priesthood from John the Baptist, but even Jesus Christ Himself could not be such a priest while on earth (Heb. 7:11-14). Smith taught plural marriages, contradicting both the Bible and his own Book of Mormon. The Bible states that the faith of Jesus Christ was "once for all time delivered to the saints" (Jude 3), but false prophets are continually adding new "revelations," new forms of worship, and new modes of behavior condemned clearly by the New Testament. Notably absent is divine proof of such revelations, though some false prophets try to deceive others "by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error" (Eph. 4:14. Of "the man of sin, the son of perdition", the Scripture says, "Whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved" (2 Thes. 2:1-12). Peter warns against false prophets and the destru- ction that they bring upon themselves and others (2 Pet. 2:1-3). Let us not be among their victims! ---------- Gilbert Alexander. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090718/624eabfd/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Sat Jul 18 02:59:42 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Sat, 18 Jul 2009 03:59:42 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) THE SCHEME OF REDEMPTION IN PREPARATION (8) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the eighth installment of this particular study. Use to the glory of God. THE SCHEME OF REDEMPTION IN PREPARATION (8) The Parable Of The Tares: -- This parable is designed to set forth the two-fold character of men, the good and the evil, and the ulti- mate destiny of each. The wheat represents the good, those who are responsive to the teaching of Christ. In His teaching He sows the good seed. But there is also the presence of evil teach- ing attributed to Satan which finds a responsive following on the part of many. The servants reveal an impatience, even to the point of intolerance for the continued existence of those who are evil. The Savior, however, invokes a contrary attitude rest- ing on the assurance tht eventually a separation shall be effect- ed/ The field in which both the good and bad seed is sown in the world. The kingdom evidently is here used in its most extended latitude as contemplating the rightful sovereignty of Christ over all men rather than in its restricted and proper pro- vince of embracing only those who have obeyed the gospel. All authority on earth has been given to Christ, and, therefore, all men are properly to be subject to Him; however, all are not thus subject by reason of their refusal to acknowledge obediently this sovereignty. There is the implied understanding here that the persecution or destruction of unbelievers is forbidden in His statement to His servants to let the tares alone until the harvest. The church of our Lord has never been a persecuting body, and every sect which has resorted to persecuting non-conformists reveals thereby its true character. The plurality of religious bodies has been apologized for by some on the thesis that the existence of but one church would inevitably lead to religious intolerance and persecution. The history of the church when there were no otherrs belies this contention and reveals it to have been the per- secuted rathern than the persecutor. The course of the church is to make, insofar as possible, wheat of the tares instead of seeking their immediate destruct- ion. While there is the possibility of salvation there can be no logic in destruction. Only when the day of salvation has expired will the day of destruction be ushered in. Christ shall be reveal- ed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire to execute vengeance against all those who know not God and obey not the gospel. Such an act is reserved by Him and not delegated to anyone here now. However, this parable cannot be constru- ed as forbidding disciplinary action by the church against the disorderly, for this is too clearly enjoined elsewhere in the Word. It forbids persecution on the one hand, and affords positive assurance on the other of the destruction of the wicked and blessedness of the redeemed in the end. (More will be posted on this subject, Monday, the Lord willing, JWS). -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090718/120d479e/attachment-0001.html From wswalker310 at juno.com Sat Jul 18 09:37:19 2009 From: wswalker310 at juno.com (Wayne S Walker) Date: Sat, 18 Jul 2009 09:37:19 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] hymn study, "Great God of Nations" Message-ID: <20090718.093719.3816.8.wswalker310@juno.com> Wayne Walker here with another weekly hymn study "GREAT GOD OF NATIONS" "O praise the Lord, all ye nations, praise Him, all ye people" (Ps. 117:1) INTRO.: A hymn which expresses the hope before God that the people of this nation and all nations would praise the Lord is "Great God of Nations" (#543 in Hymns for Worship Revised). The text was written by Alfred Alexander Woodhull, who was born on Mar. 25, 1810, at Cranbury, NJ, the son of Dr. John Woodhull of Freehold, NJ. In 1828, when he was only eighteen years old, he produced a Thanksgiving hymn, "God of the Passing Year, to Thee," which was published in the 1829 official edition of the Presbyterian Psalms and Hymns. After attending Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania, he became a medical doctor and practiced medicine at Marietta, PA, and Princeton, NJ. He was known as a pious physician and died at Princeton, NJ, on Oct. 5, 1836. His lectures to the U. S. Infantry and Cavalry School were published 62 years after his death as Notes on Military Hygiene for Officers of the Line. "God of the Passing Year" has been altered many times. Its present form of "Great God of Nations" was republished in Hatfield's Church Hymns of 1872, where the authorship was clarified, and it became well known in this form many years after the author's death. Many tunes have been used with the hymn. The only other hymnbook in which I have seen it, Hymns for the Living Church published in 1974 by the Hope Publishing Company of Carol Stream, IL, and edited by Donald P. Hustad, sets it to an arrangement of a tune (St. Petersburg or Wells) composed by the Russian composer Dimitri Stepanovich Bortniansky (1752-1825). It was produced sometime before his death, probably around 1822, and first appeared in the Choralbuch published in 1825 by Johann Heinrich Tscherlitsky, either in Moscow or Leipsic. Its first appearance in a western hymnbook was in Montague Burgoyne's Collection of Psalms and Hymns, published at London, England, in 1827. In many of our books, this same tune is used for the communion hymn, "Till He Come, O Let the Words," written in 1861 by Edward Henry Bickersteth (1825-1906). Some sources suggest a tune (Grostette) for Woodhull's hymn composed in 1851 by Henry Wellington Greatorex. Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord's church during the twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, "Great God of Nations" appeared with words only in the original editions of Hymns for Worship, with suggestions to use a tune (Maryton) by Henry Percy Smith usually associated with Washington Gladden's "O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee," or another (Hursley) attributed to Peter Ritter and commonly identified with John Keble's "Sun of My Soul." Hymns for Worship Revised has a tune (Woodworth) that was composed in 1849 by William Batchelder Bradbury (1816-1868). It is most often used with the invitation song "Just As I Am" written in 1835 by Charlotte Elliot (1789-1871). Another suitable tune (Mendon, German Air, or Dresden) is an old traditional German melody adapted in the 1828 Supplement to the 1825 Third Edition of Sacred Music compiled by Samuel Dyer (1785-1835). Some sources say that it was first found in the 1821 Methodist Harmonist. It was arranged in the second edition of The Choir, 1833, by editor Lowell Mason (1792-1872). The hymn asks God to bless our nation so that it might be what He would have it to be. I. Stanza 1 begins by praising the Lord as the God of nations "Great God of nations, now to Thee Our hymn of gratitude we raise; With humble heart and bending knee We offer thee our song of praise." A. Jehovah is the great God of nations because He rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He will: Dan. 4:25 B. Because of all His blessings, we should raise a hymn of gratitude or thanksgiving; Ps. 95:1-2 C. He alone is worthy of such songs of praise: Ps. 42:10-12 II. Stanza 2 blesses God for all His kindnesses of the past "Thy name we bless, Almighty God, For all the kindness Thou hast shown To this fair land the Pilgrims trod, This land we fondly call our own." A. To bless means to praise, and we should bless the holy name of God: Ps. 145:21 B. The reason is for all the kindness that He has shown: Ps. 31:21 C. Hymns for Worship Revised omits this stanza, possibly because of the reference to "the Pilgrims" (some books have "our fathers" instead), but all Christians are pilgrims on this earth: 1 Pet. 2:11 III. Stanza 3 gives thanks for the heritage of freedom that exists in our nation "Here freedom spreads her banner wide And casts her soft and hallowed ray; Here Thou our fathers' steps didst guide In safety through their dangerous way." A. Freedom usually exists where a nation is generally characterized by righteousness: Prov. 14:34 B. Therefore, true freedom will cast her soft and hallowed ray when people strive to be free from sin: Jn. 8:32 C. It it not unreasonable to believe that God in some sense or another guided our forefathers' steps because every good and perfect gift comes from God: Jas. 1:17 IV. Stanza 4 makes the request that the gospel will shed its light throughout the land "We pray (praise) Thee, let (that) the Gospel's light Through all our land its radiance shed(s);, Dispel(s) the shades of error's night, And heavenly blessings round us spread(s)." A. Only the gospel can bring true light to any people because it is the power of God to salvation: Rom. 1:16 B. Thus, Christians will pray that God's word will be a light to our nation's path: Ps. 119:105 C. In this way,the shades of error's night will be dispelled by the light of the glorious gospel of Christ: 2 Cor. 4:4-6 V. Stanza 5 concludes with the desire that God would preserve us in His fear "Great God, preserve us in Thy fear; In danger still our Guardian be. O spread the truth's bright precepts here; Let all the people worship Thee." A. One of the problems that bring God's wrath down upon both men and nations is that there is no fear of God before their eyes: Rom 1:18, 3:18 B. Thus, God promises to guard only those nations that remember Him: Ps. 9:17 C. So all people should be encouraged to acknowledge and worship God: Ps. 99:9 CONCL.: Some have questioned whether songs of this nature should be sung in worship services. However, if it is right in our public prayers to thank God for the blessings of our country and ask Him to be with our leaders in making their decisions so that He will bless our land--and it is, would it not also be all right to express these same sentiments in our hymns? As we pray for our nation, we need to remember that our prayer comes before the "Great God of Nations." Brotherly, Wayne S. Walker 503 S. Jefferson St. Salem, IL 62881 home phone: (618) 548-6286 office phone: (618) 548-1774 e-mail: wswalker310 at juno.com website: www.defenderoftruth.com Notes: Other hymn studies are available at the Defender of Truth website. Also, some of my previous hymn studies are now included in book that I have written entitled Songs of Zion. It can be ordered from the publisher by calling 1-800-423-2484 or going to www.faith-facts.com . And I have a Hymn Studies blog at http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hymnstudies/ . In addition, since this has been called to my attention, I now feel it necessary to include this disclaimer with each message. As owner of this list, I have nothing to do with the ads and links that Yahoogroups sends out with the Hymn of the Day posts nor do I have any control over them. I do not necessarily approve of them and I do not always endorse those who have placed them with Yahoogroups. ____________________________________________________________ direct mail post cards Find Providers of Direct Mail Marketing Solutions. Business.com. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/c?cp=62OTloR5Yk6KzpSDi980VAAAJ1AqWLnxUT_Og0R1xxm43-TkAAUAAAAAAAAAADtwTj54QxwO6M5yc9d2qxzWWy4fAAAAAA== From tedwards at onemain.com Sat Jul 18 14:22:15 2009 From: tedwards at onemain.com (tedwards at onemain.com) Date: Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:22:15 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] B> Gospel Observer 7/5/09 Message-ID: <4A61DA97.18548.682E59@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 5, 2009 ____________________________________________________ Contents: 1) The Deceitful Heart (Daniel H. King Sr.) 2) Trapped But Not Bound (Greg Litmer) 3) News & Notes ____________________________________________________ -1- The Deceitful Heart by Daniel H. King Sr. The prophet Jeremiah's life and the unique experiences which he had with Israel, offered him a "laboratory" to study the workings of the human heart. God had entrusted him with a message of dismay, desolation, and destruction for the land of Israel and the people of God. And there was no turning the judgment back. Its realization was inevitable. But the people to whom he spoke did not wish to hear such bad news. They felt secure in their actions and believed that God would bless them and protect them from their enemies. The Lord predicted otherwise, however. In one particularly brutal revelation to Jeremiah, God forbade him from marrying or fathering children, with these chilling words: "The word of Jehovah came also unto me, saying, Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters, in this place. For thus saith Jehovah concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land: They shall die grievous deaths: they shall not be lamented, neither shall they be buried; they shall be as dung upon the face of the ground; and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the heavens, and for the beasts of the earth. For thus saith Jehovah, Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament, neither bemoan them; for I have taken away my peace from this people, saith Jehovah, even loving kindness and tender mercies" (Jer. 16:1-5). The Lord warned the prophet that when it was all over they would turn to him and ask why all this evil had come upon them, whereupon he was to tell them that "ye have done evil more than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the stubbornness of his evil heart, so that ye hearken not unto me" (Jer. 16:12). Their hearts had become evil and depraved, so their actions were also evil and depraved, and God could do nothing except to judge them for their rebellion. At the end of the day, the Lord through his Spirit gave the great insight into the human psyche which explains Israel's stubborn resistance to the oft-repeated divine appeals for her repentance: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9) This verse explains how, even though the Almighty was fed up with Israel's flagrant disregard for her covenant with him, she was able to convince herself that no harm would come her way. But this profound text does more than that. It shows us how our own minds can work to rob us of God's grace and send us careening blindly down the road that leads to spiritual death. Here is what it says: 1. The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things. Jeremiah had seen plenty of evidence to confirm the Lord's pronouncement about this. The hardness and deceitfulness of the people's heart in his time kept them from yielding to the Lord's will. It kept them from turning from their sin. And, it convinced them that all was well when certain death lay just over the horizon. Today many folks try to look inward for their insights into life and even for their knowledge of God. Several of the religious traditions of our time tell us this is where genuine knowledge of God is to be found. The Bible is foursquare against this notion. Dependable knowledge about God or even of ourselves cannot be discovered by looking within. The Bible says the heart is deceitful above all things. It is not a dependable guide in such matters. The heart is influenced by things like the deceitfulness of riches (Matt. 113:22), the deceitfulness of sin (Heb. 3:13), the deceitfulness of lust (Eph. 4:22). Scripture says that a deceitful witness speaks lies and not the truth (Prov. 14:25). The human heart is such a witness. It cannot be trusted for spiritual guidance. Our guidance must come from outside of ourselves. That is where biblical revelation enters the picture. God's revelation of himself and of his will for man in the Bible is essential precisely because of the deceitfulness of the heart. The word of God acts as a constant check against the cunning and devious ways of the heart. 2. The Heart Is Exceedingly Corrupt. This word means "morally degenerate, perverted, depraved." The prophet had beheld the depravity of his own generation to the extent that he did not plead for mercy upon them, but only asked that he with his own eyes might see God's judgment performed upon them: "Let me see thy vengeance on them..." (20:12). In our day we have seen the likes of the Boston Strangler, the Son of Sam, Charles Manson and his "Family," Richard Speck, John Wayne Gacy, Richard Ramirez, Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, etc. These people, and a host of others like them that we could also mention, illustrate how "exceedingly corrupt" the heart of man can become. That which is capable of such degeneracy, perversion and depravity, could never be viewed as a dependable source for human guidance. As the prophet elsewhere said: "O Jehovah, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps" (Jer. 10:23). 3. Who Can Know It? The world we live in is filled with mysteries. There are so very many things which we do not understand and cannot comprehend. God's word concludes this set of observations about the duplicity of the human heart with this question: "Who can know it?" Of course, it is immediately understood that God knows the heart (see verse 10), else he could not speak so authoritatively about the evils which lurk within it. As David advised his son, "And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind; for Jehovah searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever" (1 Chronicles 28:9). The point is, that one cannot know the goings-on within the mind of another man, nor if he permits himself to be deceived by his own ambitions, lusts and desires, can he even claim to comprehend his own mind. Thus, the Bible instructs us to "keep the heart with all diligence" (Prov. 4:23). -- Via Guardian of Truth XXXIX: 2 p. 22-23, January 19, 1995 ____________________________________________________ -2- Trapped but not Bound by Greg Litmer Several years ago I had the opportunity to go to a nursing home every Saturday morning with a group of Christians and sing, pray, and teach God's Word with a number of the residents. One week, we were studying Acts 16 and our particular focus was upon Paul and Silas being imprisoned in Philippi. I read vss. 22-25, "And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them." As we examined the passage and the situation in which Paul and Silas found themselves, I made the point that their actions served to illustrate that, as children of God, we can have joy no matter our circumstances. Looking at the crowd that had gathered to study with us, I noticed one older woman. She was bent over, obviously unable to straighten her body. She could barely lift her head. Yet when I mentioned that circumstances do not control true joy of a Christian, she smiled and nodded her head as best as she could. As I looked at her, I could not help but compare her with Paul and Silas. Here was an older woman, trapped in a wheelchair by a body that would no longer function as it used to. I thought of her childhood and imagined the way she used to run and play as the wind blew through her hair. I thought of her as a young woman, beautiful and so full of promise. Perhaps she was married and raised children. But now, her time was drawing near and her body would not permit her to engage in the physical things she used to do. She was trapped but not bound. Nursing homes are paradoxical. I have spent much time in them over the years and have witnessed some of the saddest scenes I could ever imagine. At the same time, I have learned wonderful lessons about what it means to have our citizenship in heaven and our souls anchored there. So many older brothers and sisters in Christ, trapped in bodies that just would not function properly, have held my hand, smiled, and helped me to understand just exactly what Paul meant when he wrote, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Rom. 8:18). Whatever happens to our bodies -- accident, sickness, or just the accumulative effects of age -- may entrap us physically but the spirit of the faithful Christian cannot be bound. -- Biblical Insights, Vol. 8, No. 6, June, 2008 ____________________________________________________ -3- News & Notes Born October 16, 1925, Luther Shuff passed away last Thursday (7/2) at the age of 83 -- far exceeding the "threescore years and ten" that the Bible speaks of in Psalm 90:10, and more than the "fourscore years," the same verse mentions, "if by reason of strength." And for the last 61 of those years, he and Agnes (nee Day) had spent together in marriage. He was a generous man whose most important interest was in spiritual things. When his health was better, it was always encouraging to see him and Agnes often having perfect attendance for every service at church, month after month. And even when his health began to decline, he continued to be with us until he became confined at home. We will remember, too, his love for people. He enjoyed being around others, communicating with them, had a keen interest in history and baseball, and often liked to use some of his wit to interject good-natured humor among us. Is it any wonder that out of all his jobs, he enjoyed working for 20 years in his barbershop in Greenville, Mississippi, the best? We can be especially thankful that Luther was a Christian; and we can, therefore, draw much comfort from God's word in times such as this. Let those of us who are Christians also be praying for all his family and friends. On July 6, we had a graveside funeral service for Luther in Winnsboro, Louisiana, about 150 miles north of here. We ran into rain about an hour and a half from the cemetery, and there was no let up. When we arrived at a building, about 2 miles from the cemetery, where we met others who would be going with us and then return there afterwards for a meal, it was still raining. While driving into the cemetery property, it continued to rain; but about the time we stepped out of our vehicles to walk to the graveside, where the service would be, the rain finally stopped. I then spoke about 15 to 20 minutes, including a prayer at the end. Just as I was about ready to finish the prayer, the rain started again; and it continued for about another 3 hours. Whether that temporary ceasing of rain was a providential answer to prayer or for some other reason, I was thankful unto the Lord either way -- "...for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matt. 5:45). ____________________________________________________ CHURCH OF CHRIST 201 Rushing Road (at the Hampton Inn) Denham Springs, LA 70726 Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520 tedwards at onemain.com http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go DIRECTIONS: Take the Denham Springs exit (exit 10) off of I-12. At the end of the exit ramp, turn north. Go about a stone's throw to Rushing Road. (You'll see a Starbucks, Circle K, and two other gas stations; with each on each corner.) Turn left on Rushing Road, and go less then 0.3 of a mile. Hampton Inn will be on the right. We assemble in its meeting room, which is very close to the reception counter. ____________________________________________________ From crxtra at gmail.com Sat Jul 18 16:35:18 2009 From: crxtra at gmail.com (Steven C. Harper) Date: Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:35:18 -0700 Subject: [Biblemat] A> Effective Communication Message-ID: <000001ca07ef$a777e0b0$f667a210$@com> From: TRUTH & REASON, a bulletin of the Glendale church of Christ, Glendale, AZ. Editor: Steven Harper July 19, 2009 Effective Communication Many problems that arise and persist in the church are often a matter of communication - either the lack of it or because the communication that exists is simply ineffective. Either way, the communication problem will often lead to more problems, a lack of understanding, and, often, unnecessary strife. To prevent this, we need to be effective communicators. But how? Consider the following factors in good communication: At Least Two Parties. By definition, communication is 'an exchange of thoughts or information.' If there is only one individual, there can be no communication, just talking because communication requires that there be both a speaker and a listener. God has communicated the plan of salvation to man, but unless man hears it, it cannot save him. If we have already heard and obeyed, we need to be the one doing the speaking; if we have not, then we need to do the listening! In the local church, here is often the beginning point of ineffective communication: We are not talking to one another! Sometimes, members want to know what is going on but the elders are not telling anyone what is happening; sometimes, though, the elders try to communicate to the flock, but no one listens. Is it any wonder such situations lead to troubled churches? Two Interested Parties. And if the communication is to be effective, both parties must be interested parties; that means the speaker is interested in the concerns of the listener, he will speak in a way that attracts and holds the attention of the listener, and in understandable terms that have meaning to the listener. But the listener must also be an interested partner, interested in what the speaker has to say, giving his full attention and investigating what is said, and just as interested in the speaker and his concerns. If the speaker is not interested in the concerns of the listener, or if the listener is not interested in the concerns of the speaker, whatever communication there may be will be ineffective, at the least, and a cause for a severed relationship, at the worst. God was certainly interested in the concerns of man when He communicated His plan for our salvation to us. He loved us so much He sent His only Son to die for us (John 3:16), but it is not until we listen with interest to what He has revealed that His plan will convict us and we can be saved (Rom. 10:17). Many men have read God's word, but not with any real interest in what God has said, and the result is that they are still not saved. When it comes to our communication with one another, this is where we often fail. When a dispute arises, we are most interested in getting the other side to listen to us, even as we ignore what they are saying and even show obvious signs that we are not interested in what they have to say. Paul said we must look out not only to our "own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Phlp. 2:4). This applies even when we do not agree, and will go a long way in resolving differences. Purpose. For the communication to be effective, the speaker must offer something important, with a predetermined purpose, to the listener. At the same time, the listener must have a purpose: seeking information from the speaker that is important, helpful, and relative to his needs and interests. If there is no purpose for speaking, or no purpose in listening, the speaker is doing nothing more than talking and the listener has simply filled his head with useless information. When disputes arise and we go so far as speaking with one another, let us make sure that there is a purpose in it - and the right purpose. We are not speaking just to make our views known, to embarrass another, or to assert our authority; we are seeking the truth, a resolution to differences, and peace. With these three things in place, our communication with one another will be effective, but problems persist because we often leave out portions. Consider a few examples from God's word that demonstrate this reality: Understandable Speech, No Desire To Hear. (Jer. 25:3-9; 35:17; Rom. 10:18-21) When God spoke to the Israelites on numerous occasions, it was not that they did not understand what He was saying, but that they had no desire to listen. The result was disobedience and captivity. God's communication was ineffective to them because they had no desire to hear. Desire To Hear, Unintelligible Speech. (1st Cor. 14:9-11) At Corinth, the problem was that many were using the gifts of the Spirit for the wrong reason. Paul's reminder to them was that if they spoke in a tongue and had no one to interpret what was said, you might as well be speaking to the air, for no one would understand and the words, though they desired to hear. Understandable Speech, Desire To Hear. (Acts 2) On Pentecost, the apostles spoke to the people in their own language and they understood (v. 6). The people listened attentively because they desired to hear what the men had to say. Upon hearing the words, they reacted to what they had heard. They not only had a desire to listen, but also to obey. Understandable Speech, No Desire To Hear, then No Desire To Listen. (Deut. 1:41-45) When the Israelites were told to enter the land, they refused to hear the word of God and go in, so God then told them they could not enter. Then they said they would, but God forbade them, but they went anyway. They were defeated and then pleaded with the Lord, but then He would not hear them. The fact is, if we want better relationships with one another, we must have better and effective communication. In the local church, it is a necessity to ensure brethren are in agreement on all things and that they have a common desire and aim. Without communication, we lose sight of who our brethren are and what they think and feel, and it will not be long before we really do not know them. Sadly, we can do the same with God. We can stray so far away and communicate so infrequently that it may come to a point that we really do not know Him anymore. We must strive for effective communication with one another to maintain organization, too. Imagine a church where, through passage of time, brethren fail to communicate and let each other know who is responsible for certain duties. Eventually, there would be much confusion and disorganization and little would be accomplished. Hard feelings would result and relationships would be strained. Open lines of communication ensure we know one another and can grow together, dealing with personal faults with personal communication, communicating promptly, fairly, and with love at all times; when we lack this, the result will be that we "bite and devour one another" (Gal. 5:15) and all involved will self-destruct; brotherly relationships will become strained and instead of talking with one another, brethren will simply create an image within their minds of who their brethren are and what they are like - and sometimes it will not be a favorable one. To ensure effective communication, we must choose to speak often with one another. I know; it sounds like a given, but when is the last time you had a simple conversation with one of your fellow believers here? We actually have few conversations with each other! Constant lines of communication are a necessity if we want to accomplish anything as a church. And when we speak to one another, we must do so with love because the attitude that we profess may mean more than the words we say. If we speak, we must say something worthwhile (Eph. 4:29)! -- Steven Harper -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090718/19022f13/attachment.html From disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Sun Jul 19 07:34:34 2009 From: disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com (Ethan R. Longhenry) Date: Sun, 19 Jul 2009 08:34:34 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] Good News for Norwalk: Volume IV, Number 29: July 19, 2009 Message-ID: Good News for Norwalk For I am not ashamed of the good news, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. (Romans 1:16) A publication of the church of Christ in Norwalk, Ohio Volume IV, Number 29: July 19, 2009 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Adoption Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ: even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love: having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:3-6). One of the images that the Scriptures use to explain our relationship with God is that of an adopted child and their adoptive parent (Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:5, Ephesians 1:5). The image is quite appropriate, and it helps us understand much regarding both our spiritual adoption as children of God and the need and importance of physical adoption of children on earth. In an adoptive relationship, the adoptive parents make a free will decision to take a child into their home, love them, and provide for their needs. There is no "blood" connection, and, in most cases, the parents have not been forced or coerced into taking the child. The child has been specifically chosen and has been legitimated within the family. There is no sense that the child "deserves" anything which he or she obtains through the benefit of being adopted-- all they gain comes from the love, compassion, and good will of the adoptive parents. Thus it is with God and His adoptive children. Yes, there are images in which people are seen as "natural born" children of God (cf. Luke 15:11-32), and we can gain much from those images also. Images do not need to be consistent in order for us to better understand our relationship with God! When we sin we become separated from our God (Isaiah 59:1-2). At that point, we are considered children of the world, having no inheritance in the Father (1 John 2:15-17, Galatians 5:19-21, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Since we all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:9-23), none of us can claim to have an unbroken relationship with our Father. Furthermore, there is nothing that we can do by ourselves that can restore that relationship with our heavenly Father (Romans 1-3). Because we chose to sin and justly deserve condemnation (cf. Romans 2:5-10, 6:23), God is under no compulsion to do anything to help us. We all could be rightly condemned and that would be it! But God loves us and desired to show us grace and mercy, and did so through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ (John 3:16, Ephesians 2:1-10, Titus 3:3-8). The sacrifice that Jesus offered was sufficient to atone for our sins and satisfy God's justice (cf. Hebrews 9). God established that if we believe in His Son, repent of our sins, confess His Son before others, submit to immersion in water for the remission of sin, and become His disciple and walk in the light, our association with God would be renewed (Acts 2:36, 16:31-33, 1 John 1:1-5). This process can be understood as the means by which we have been adopted as sons or daughters of God. We did not deserve salvation or eternal life-- in fact, we deserved the opposite-- but God has provided us with the ability to receive both through Jesus Christ anyway. God chose to do this-- He was not coerced, and He did not do so out of some idea of "necessity" (cf. Ephesians 2:1-10, 3:10-11). Those who are adopted as children of God are chosen and obtain the legal rights of sons and daughters and thus have a share of the inheritance that awaits (cf. Hebrews 12:5-11, Romans 8:14-17, Ephesians 1:3-5). Praise God for the opportunity to be adopted as sons! Therefore, it is evident that there is great power in the image of believers as adopted sons and daughters of God our Father. Likewise, just as God has adopted us as His children, we can reflect His image by adopting children while on the earth. It must be made clear that God has nowhere commanded Christians to adopt children, and adoption may not be advisable for many believers. Nevertheless, Christians ought to see the value in the adoption of children and should seek ways to encourage it when profitable and beneficial to do so. The adoption of children has a long history in Christianity. It is an effective means of at least partly fulfilling James 1:27. The early Christians were known for watching high areas and mountains and rescuing the rejected children of the pagans, adopting them as their own children. When Christians adopt children and raise them in the discipline and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4), they are more likely to themselves become believers in God and fellow adopted heirs of the Kingdom than if they were left to their own devices or adopted by people of the world. Furthermore, in general, the idea of adoption stands entirely against the prevalent attitudes of the world. Many in our society accept the claims of science in religious ways and live their lives accordingly. Adoption runs contrary to the heart of evolutionary theory since the adoptive parents are expending great amounts of energy and resources to raise a child that does not carry their bloodline. If "immortality" is something only carried on through genes and DNA, those who adopt are failures. It is entirely understandable why so many feel that they must have their own biological children and will spare no expense in the attempt to do so! It is certainly not wrong to have one's own biological children or to want to have biological children (Genesis 1:28). Nevertheless, as Christians, we must remember that the only reason that we have a prayer in life is because God adopted us as sons and daughters despite ourselves. To the Christian, adoption should not be seen as an "inferior" way of obtaining children, and adoptive children should not be seen as having less value than biological children. It may even be that adoptive children look nothing like their adoptive family-- they may have different features or even different skin color. When we see this, let us remember that God has adopted children of every race and style (Galatians 3:28) and be thankful-- if God only adopted from people who were like His Son, most of us would be excluded! Therefore, let us find opportunities to encourage and support adoptive families, always remembering that God has adopted us as His children, and be thankful for all that God has done for us through Jesus Christ! Ethan R. Longhenry evangelist at norwalkchurch.org --------------------------------------------------------------------- For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him (Romans 8:14-17). So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the rudiments of the world: but when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, that he might redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. So that thou art no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God (Galatians 4:3-7). --------------------------------------------------------------------- The church of Christ in Norwalk, Ohio Thank you for reading the electronic version of our bulletin, Good News for Norwalk. If you live in Norwalk or happen to be traveling in the Norwalk area, we would certainly love to have you visit one of our assemblies! Our location: 386 North Edgewood Drive (just off US 250 just north of Norwalk's city limits) Norwalk, Ohio 44857 Our assemblies: Sunday morning assembly: 10:30am Sunday evening assembly: 6:00pm Our Bible studies: Sunday morning Bible study: 9:30am Wednesday evening Bible study: 7:00pm --------------------------------------------------------------------- For More Information If you have any questions or comments about anything you have read here, or desire more information, please contact our evangelist, Ethan Longhenry, at evangelist at norwalkchurch.org. Ethan R. Longhenry / disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Evangelist, church of Christ in Norwalk, Ohio [norwalkchurch.org] Homepage: deusvitae.com AIM: Deus Vitae / ICQ: 28317056 Y! IM: discipuliiesus Spiritual Manna A biweekly devotional for your life. http://www.deusvitae.com/faith/manna From richard at thetford.dot5hosting.com Sun Jul 19 19:24:29 2009 From: richard at thetford.dot5hosting.com (Richard Thetford) Date: Sun, 19 Jul 2009 18:24:29 -0600 Subject: [Biblemat] Walking in the Light (7/19/09) Message-ID: <000f01ca08d0$d6a7c760$83f75620$@dot5hosting.com> San Juan Logo PNG.png Walking in the Light "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105) July 19, 2009 www.thetfordcountry.com --- INFORMATION: Walking in the Light is published each week by Richard Thetford. You are encouraged to visit the web site at www.thetfordcountry.com and then click on "Richard's Home Page" to view numerous sermons, articles, radio program scripts, class material and other information. If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to "Walking in the Light," please send their name and e-mail address to richard at thetfordcountry.com --- CONTENTS: "Our Christian Development and Growth" (Richard Thetford) "True Friendliness" (Richard Thetford) "Faithfulness" (Selected) "SENTENCE SERMONS --- OUR CHRISTIAN DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH Richard Thetford Before an individual can grow as a Christian they must first be free from sin. Peter writes: "Therefore, laying aside all malice, all guile, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby" (1 Peter 2:1-2). Later he says: "by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (2 Peter 1:4). Many Christians seem to be "spinning their wheels" when it comes to Christianity. They want to be an active Christian, yet they also want to continue to entangle themselves with worldly things. We cannot develop and grow into the Christian that God wants us to be if we are not willing to give it 100% effort! Only when we truly "desire" for the righteousness of God will we become a mature, seasoned, responsible, and respected Christian in His service. We must be determined to escape the world's lusts and have a living faith toward Christ. James writes: "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also" (James 2:26). Our true character, development and growth as a Christian will be evident to all based upon our works. Our Christian growth will be seen by all without us having to ever say a word. Remember the words of Paul? "Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all" (1 Timothy 4:12-15). A Christian's development, growth, and progress will be evident to all that see him. Conditions of Growth We can only grow in Christ when we place our trust and cares on Him. "casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). Jesus pleads with each of us to "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30). When we cast our cares on Jesus, and lean on Jesus, then we are on our way to developing as a Christian ought to. The worrier, the pessimist, the negative individual will not grow spiritually because they have not learned to let Christ be the center of their life. When we try to go through our daily tasks without including God, then we have miserably failed. Each and everyone of us when asked if we would like to grow up to be a strong, active, knowledgeable, fruitful Christian would probably answer YES! What we say we WANT to be and what we actually ARE, often times are two different things. You see, our growth is conditional. Conditioned that we STRIVE to be what we say we WANT to be! Steps to Christian Growth So how does an individual grow to become the Christian that God would certainly be proud of? The answer is found in the Bible. Peter writes: "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble" (2 Peter 1:5-10). We learn that the individual that really wants to develop and grow into a servant of God, a dedicated Christian, then there is active work to do. A Christian is one who is virtuous, longs for knowledge (Ephesians 3:19; Proverbs 24:5), exercises temperance (1 Corinthians 9:25; Galatians 5:23), is patient (1 Thessalonians 5:14; James 5:8), godly (1 Timothy 4:7-8), shows brotherly kindness always (Galatians 6:10), and understands that all things must be done first of all because of LOVE (1 Corinthians 13:1-13). Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit informs us that if we are actively pursuing these things then we will never stumble! The apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians and encouraged them to remain faithful and to develop and grow as Christians by saying: "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-- meditate on these things" (Philippians 4:8). May we all strive to develop and grow by putting on the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and meditating on the good, positive aspects of Christianity. As a result, people will be edified by your growth and encouragement! --- TRUE FRIENDLINESS Richard Thetford Friendliness and a sense of welcome goes a long way in showing our love and attitude toward others. God tells us that "A man who has friends must himself be friendly" (Proverbs 18:24). This also holds true with regard to a congregation. It's good to be able to say that the Christians here at the San Juan church of Christ truly show their friendliness to all visitors as well as toward each other every time we meet together. Those that visit here are able to see that this group is sincere, and that a lot more is offered than a simple handshake. A desire to practice truth and a love for God and one's fellowman can also be seen here. It is so good to be part of a wonderful, truly friendly group of Christians! --- FAITHFULNESS Selected A preacher was asked to define "faithful attendance at worship." he replied that the best way to understand it was to apply the same standards of faithfulness that we do in other areas of our life. Consider the examples he gave: If your car started one out of three times, would you consider it faithful? If the paperboy missed Monday and Thursday, would those papers be missed? If you didn't show up at work two or three times a month, would your boss call you faithful? If you attend worship only often enough to show some interest but not often enough to get involved are you faithful? It bears some serious thought. --- SENTENCE SERMONS Others may ruin your reputation, but only you can damage your character. It is far more important to make a good life than a good living. If you expect to draw true interest, you should have true principle. Godly talk does not always imply a godly walk, but it should. Most knocking is done by people who do not know how to ring the bell. God brings people in deep water, not to drown them, but to cleanse them. Keep both feet on the ground and you won't have far to fall. No one knows of your honesty and sincerity unless you give out some samples. --- SERMON DEVELOPMENT THROUGH INVENTORY (with PDF PowerPoint Charts and Audio) www.thetfordcountry.com --- cid:image003.gif at 01C9DCB3.EEF5E980 1414 Hawk Parkway, Unit C Montrose, CO 81401 (970) 626-5558 www.sanjuanchurchofchrist.org MEETING TIMES Sunday Bible Study..........10:00 A.M. Worship.........11:00 A.M. Wednesday Bible Study........6:30 P.M. Evangelist/Editor Richard Thetford Home: (970) 626-5558 E-Mail: richard at thetfordcountry.com Web Site: www.thetfordcountry.com --- RICHARD THETFORD 1491 Canyon Drive Ridgway, CO 81432 (970) 626-5558 E-Mail: richard at thetfordcountry.com Web Site: www.thetfordcountry.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090719/7432928c/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 9271 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090719/7432928c/attachment-0003.gif From frozen1 at mtaonline.net Sun Jul 19 18:58:00 2009 From: frozen1 at mtaonline.net (Philip Douthitt) Date: Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:58:00 -0700 Subject: [Biblemat] Womens Role in Bible Study Classes Message-ID: <20090719165800.6ABE923A@resin09.mta.everyone.net> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090719/1a70eba4/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Mon Jul 20 04:08:46 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2009 05:08:46 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) THE SCHEME OF REDEMPTION IN PREPARATION (9) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the ninth and final installment of the study on this particular subject. Use to the glory of God. THE SCHEME OF REDEMPTION IN PREPARATION (9) Other Parables: (The Parable Of The Mustard Seed) is evidently intended to impress all with the rapid and magnificent growth of the kingdom from such small and unpretentious beginnings. Certainly no movement ever attained a success with such few and illiterate men as the apostles were, especially a success such as characterized the church of the first century. And this was attained without any organization beyond the simple congregational confraternity of the New Testament order. Notwithstanding this simple and independent course of action, the kingdom grew so rapidly that the gospel was preached to the then known world within one generation. The Parable Of The Leaven: -- is designed to teach us that the power of the truth is to be realized most effectively by its permea- ting influence. This is accomplished by means of Christians influencing those around them by their personal contacts, teach- ing them by both word and example. Righteousness can thus triumph over the forces of evil, and the permeating influence of the truth most effectually wrought. The Parable Of The Hidden Treasure, And That Of The Pearl Of Great Price: -- Should lead all to the realization of the surpassing worth of the kingdom of heaven. In such a realization we should be constrained "to seek first the kingdom of God and His right- eousness" in the calm confidence tht all these things shall be added unto us. Whatever renunciation is necessary to be an heir of the kingdom wisdom decrees we should make, even to that of taking joyfully the spoiling of our goods by setting down rules. Campbell was a master preacher and one of the resons is the excellent ideas that he had upon preaching. In our next study we will consider how Campbell carried them out. ----------- Bryan Vinson, Sr. in The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No.11, September, 1952. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090720/a56df6b8/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Mon Jul 20 04:08:35 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2009 05:08:35 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) QUESTION AND ANSWER 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 a quest- ion and answer from my ancient files: QUESTION: -- You say the church of Christ does not use mech- anical instruments of music in worship because Christ did not authorize its use. But is there a place in the Bible where Christ says NOT to use it? If we get that technical, I fear none will go to heaven, for there are may things we do that He has NOT authori- zed. ANSWER: -- David's prayer was: "Keep back Thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me; then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression" (Psa. 19:13). The great transgression against God is man's tendency to interpose his own desires over the Lord's expressed commands! It was their presumptuous sin that got two sons of Aaron (both priests) killed by the Lord at the altar! Presumptuously they substituted "strange fire" for that which God commanded, and for that they died (Lev. 10:1,2). A small thing, you say? But not to God! It is presumptuous sin to go before God in worship with anything that He had not comm- anded! Jesus Christ said: "All authority hath been given unto Me in heaven and in earth" (Matt. 28:18). He has the final word as to what is to be done in His church, the kingdom! And He will retain that authority until He gives the kingdom back to His Fat- her (1 Cor. 15:24). Since He has all authority, who has the right to add one item to what our Lord authorized in His church? This is a presumptuous sin of the great transgression! Since Jesus did not expressly say, "Thou shalt not," Cathol- ics have authorized the position of the Pope, and the gradation of priests, and the whole array of priestly ranks and honors! But these sare not authorized by inspiration! To this they have de- creed the wearing of robes, counting of beads and lighting of candles; but again Christ did not authorize these for our obser- vance! And because the Lord did not say "Thou shalt not," the sectarian world came up with infant baptism, man-made creeds, titled clergy, and a flock of other "play church" ideas that are for- eign to God's Book of instructions! And since the Lord did not say "Thou shalt not," one night a rousing preacher in Houston, Texas, started his "Lone Star True Vine Spiritual Church," and personally offered salvation under his own terms! Just how far can we parade on that doctrine, "The Bible doesn't say NOT to"? Why claim the Bible as your guide, and then cast it aside for such human doctrines? Jesus is still saying, what He said in the beginning of His church upon this earth: "But in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men" (Matt. 15:9). Paul declared: "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin" (Rom. 14: 23). But just before he said that, he said: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10:17). If God's Word has said do it, then it is an act of faith in our pract- ice! If God's Word had not authorized it, it cannot be of faith, and is sin if it is practiced in religion! And don't argue with me! You have to face God, for HE said this in His Word! No man can claim using mechanical instruments of music in New Testament worship is of faith; else he must be able to find Christ authorized it! Remember, "God hath given us all things that pertain to life and godliness" (2 Pet. 1:3). But He gave us no authority for using mechanical instruments of music in worship! Therefore the practice does not pertain to life and godliness! When you show me one thing I practice in worship which God has not auth- orized, I will refrain from it! I can only gain be abstaining from every anti-scriptural practice! --------- Dillard Thurman in Gospel Minutes, Vol. 37, No. 13, March 25, 1988. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090720/3c248768/attachment-0001.html From tthornhill06 at yahoo.com Mon Jul 20 12:30:26 2009 From: tthornhill06 at yahoo.com (Tom Thornhill) Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:30:26 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Biblemat] The Community Church Movement 1 (1 of 4) Message-ID: <611578.76067.qm@web50906.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Greeting brethren, A few weeks ago I completed a series of lessons dealing with the Community Church Movement (i.e. Saddleback - Rick Warren, Max Lucado, etc.). I am posting the 4 sermons. They are also available at our website, www.roseavenue.org. AUDIO of these sermons will be made available in the near future. Tom Thornhill Jr. THE COMMUNITY CHURCH MOVEMENT (1) In 1 Corinthians 14:8 Paul said ?For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle?? In that text he was dealing with confusion in worship over speaking in tongues and the need for those who understood what was being said to be present. In this lesson I don?t want to deal with speaking in tongues, but I want to notice the underlying point of his statement: When we make a call to stand for the truth there needs to be a clear and understandable distinction between the truth and error. We should not be ashamed to stand for that truth and separate ourselves from that which is false. As Paul told the Corinthians later, ??Come out from among them and be separate?, says the Lord?? (2 Cor. 6:17). Being separate and in the minority is not a shame. It puts you in the same category as the righteous remnant often spoke of by the prophets; the small number of Christians in comparison to the Jews and Roman idolatry in the days the New Testament was being written; and in a class that is descriptive of those who will enter heaven by the straight and narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14) compared to the broad way that the majority are following. I say this because of a concern that I have and the motivation behind my lesson this morning. I am fearful of the direction that some of our brethren are going is in an attempt to minimize that distinction in the Lord?s church. There are brethren and churches who seem to be asking, ?What can we do to be more like the churches around us without sacrificing our core values?? I believe this attitude is a result of one of the most successful and popular religious movements today. I am speaking of the community church movement. The community church movement is a movement that desires to deemphasize denominationalism by creating community based churches that cater to social needs and stresses tolerance of doctrinal differences. Some of the largest and best known churches in this nation are the results of this movement. ? Willow Creek in Chicago? is said by many to be the original community and the pattern that other community churches follow. Its current membership is about 23000 attendees on a given weekend (3 services in a 7200 seat worship center. In addition to this, Willow Creek has several ?regional congregations? in the Chicago area. (Yet they do not call themselves a denomination.) ? The Saddleback churchlocated in Lake Forrest, CA is under the direction of Rick Warren, whose book ?The Purpose Driven Church? is a blueprint for the community church. It was started in 1980 and has an average attendance of nearly 20,000 on a given weekend. ? Lakewood church? Houston, TX. Home of Joel Osteen. Boasts being the largest church in the United States with attendance of 47,000 ? Oak Hills Church, located in San Antonio. This is the church where where Max Lucado preaches. Note: Formerly Oak Hills Church of Christ. While I did not see anything at their site claiming to be a community church and they do teach some things differently, there are CLEAR signs moving in that direction if not already there. Their goal is multiple campuses. They have both instrumental and acapella services. They have softened their stance on baptism now teaching, ?Oak Hills also believes salvation doesn't come through baptism, but that baptism is the initial step of obedience after salvation.? They have also stated in interviews that the reason they removed the name ?church of Christ? is because ?Some find the Church of Christ name to be an insurmountable barrier.? (San Antonio Express News, September 06, 2003) NOTE: As I prepared for this lesson, I found an article in The Spiritual Sword (October 2000) which documents that that leaders in more than one community church have ties to liberal churches of Christ (History and Development of a Community Church, Mike Hixon). Considering this, today I want to spend a few moments talking about why we should be concerned about the Community church movement. I. Background of the community church a. History- The community church movement traces its origin back to movements that came out of denominationalism. One is the social gospel which began to be advanced in the early 1900s. Over the next few decades many churches began to slowly change their focus to addressing social and psychological needs (i.e. benevolence and counseling). About that same time evolution and modernism were intellectually introduced and this caused many to begin questioning the authority and clarity of scriptures. Historically we can see how this evolved over the next century to become more and more liberal and a desire to reject ?traditional thought? (i.e. the 1960s generation). Add to this the spirit of ecumenism which describes a movement in which more liberal religious leaders get together and seek unity in diversity (i.e. let us simply agree to disagree). In the latter 20th century as people began to become disillusioned with traditional religion and denominations they began searching for alternatives. The community church began to develop out of these roots. b. The foundation of the community church. When there is a decision to start such a church, the first thing that is done is to take a survey of what the people in the community want in a church ? then they build the church around that. They develop ministries for everything and their focus is greatly on the social needs of a community. The hope is that by taking care of social needs opportunities will be presented to preach and teach the gospel to these individuals. They also encourage members to start their own ministries ? whatever they are passionate about. This of course enhances the community spirit of the church. c. Its worship? a new and contemporary worship style. In Community Churches, there is great emphasis on the entertainment value of worship. In fact, many of the mega-churches offer multiple services with different approaches. You can choose the more upbeat contemporary service or a more traditional service (which will still be filled with entertainment). A traditional service will have lots of music, like a concert, prayers and a short, ?relevant? lesson. By relevant, it means that the sermons will almost always deal with some current issue (such as an attitude) or uplifting lesson. Services are geared to keep your attention, even in our entertainment driven society. d. Its appeal? the emphasis is a casual atmosphere and an enjoyable time. You are not expected to dress up. Service times throughout the weekend cater to your timeframe with several opportunities to worship. Many of the mega-churches have services on both Saturday and Sunday so that you can CHOOSE the best time for you. You are not expected to participate unless you want to (you can listen to the music, etc.). In fact, due to the size of many of these churches ? you can blend in and not even be noticed. Just the way many like it. e. Non-judgmental? another key feature to these churches is the ?come as you are? doctrinal approach. While there are core beliefs that are expected of all members (and I suspect that some churches would not permit certain sinful behaviors ? such as homosexuality) the general consensus is, ?God loves you the way you are.? While that is a true statement ? the way they mean it is that they expect LESS change than God does. As one writer said as I prepared this lesson, ?The emphasis of the Community Church concept seems to be on reaching the people of community as they are and where they are ? and leaving them as they were and where they were even after they become members.? (GOT, Vol. XLIII, No. 1, pg. 18) The truth about these churches is that they appeal to people who are not comfortable in the mainstream churches because mainstream churches expect them to conform to certain standards of conduct. f. Preaches a positive message(see previous lessons dealing with that). Again because of the size of some of these churches it is necessary to avoid certain controversial issues at the risk of alienating large numbers of the congregation (for example: You will probably not find much teaching on unscriptural marriages in some of these churches. Nor will you find much doctrinal teaching because such has a tendency to divide). A church affiliated with the Baptist church (such as Saddleback) will probably not condemn doctrines of other denominations. So what some of the problems with the community church? I. Doctrinal Concerns with Community Churches a. They are founded by men? As we have seen, these churches are founded by men and for the appeasement of men. Like the denominations, community churches can trace their foundations to the work of some man and many of them are also affiliated with a particular denomination. Most community churches are centered around their ?pastor? and his associates. These men (and women) are very much instrumental in forming (or inheriting) these churches ? and it becomes theirs. They run it as they see fit. If you don?t believe this ? try telling Joel Osteen to leave Lakewood church or Rick Warren to leave Saddleback. See what happens! And even if they did leave, many of the parishioners would follow them. We need to be careful not to follow after men ? 2 Cor. 11:1-4 finds Paul being sarcastic as he notes that if one came preaching a different gospel, etc, ?you may well put up with it!? Paul noted, ?For no other foundation can anyone lay that that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.? (1 Cor. 3:12). The Bible does NOT speak highly of the doctrines and churches of men ? Galatians 1:6-9. Galatians 2:5 speaks of an occasion when men tried to bind their own doctrines and change the gospel of Christ. Paul said of such, ?to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the Gospel might continue in you.? 1 Cor. 2:1-4 ? TRUE gospel preaching is not ?persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power?? b. The appeal ? To please man and not God. The fact that community churches are society driven shows that they appeal to men instead of God. Galatians 1:10-12 ? continuing with this text. Paul is clear he does NOT seek to please men. 1 Thess. 2:4, ?But as we have been approved of God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.? 2 Timothy 4:2-4 speaks of the time when men have itching ears will be turned aside to fables. To be continued in our part 2. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090720/6a54586a/attachment-0001.html From tthornhill06 at yahoo.com Mon Jul 20 12:32:01 2009 From: tthornhill06 at yahoo.com (Tom Thornhill) Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:32:01 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Biblemat] The Community Church Movement 2 (2 of 4) Message-ID: <361748.19479.qm@web50903.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Part 2 of 4, Thomas Thornhill Jr., www.roseavenue.org THE COMMUNITY CHURCH MOVEMENT (2) Today we continue a study we began last week examining some concerns I have with the Community Church movement. This movement describes a relatively new approach to ?reaching the unchurched? by establishing inter-denominational churches. Many of these develop into mega-churches (and smaller ones adopting their patterns) that seek to reach the communities they are in thought surveys and catering to the social needs of the community. While their goals are noble, our concern is how they show disregard for the New Testament pattern of the ONE true church. In our lesson last week we noted some of the characteristics of these churches to include ? upbeat and contemporary worship services, a casual atmosphere where you ?come as you are? and can easily blend in without the pressures of ?traditional churches?, a very basic set of core values with de-emphasis on issues that divide (i.e. unity in diversity) or demand absolute purity. These are replaced with lessons that are ?relevant? to today?s society and non-judgmental. My concerns with this movement are many. I am fearful as the leaders among some of our brethren are fascinated with the success of these movements and are looking for ways to incorporate whatever ideas they can justify (whether scriptural or not) . We also began to examine some of the reasons this movement is unscriptural. First we noted that these churches are founded by men and often depend upon their founders (and their successors) to move forward. The scriptures clearly warn against the doctrines of men (1 Cor. 3:12, 2:1-4; Galatians 1:6-9, etc). Second, we also noted the appeal of these churches was to those who ?having itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables? (2 Tim. 4:2-4). In other words, these churches CATER TO DESIRES OF MEN instead of God. The problem in this of course is that those who come to these churches in sin are still in sin even after they become members because they have not seen the need for total change. In our lesson today we cant to continue to notice some scriptural problems with this movement. I. More Doctrinal concerns a. True Worship? i. Like so many other elements of the community church movement, their worship is designed to cater to man. It is no secret that we live in an age of entertainment and instant gratification. We spend large sums of money on being entertained ? cable HD television, expensive sound systems, extensive video libraries on demand, clear and crisp music that appeals to our tastes, movie screens that are taller than some apartment buildings, highly refined live entertainment events and amusement parks that cost a small fortune to go to just for a day. Many works hard during the week to provide these luxuries for himself. On weekends, if he goes to worship ? he wants some ?bang for his buck.? He wants something exciting and that will keep his attention (which has been skewed by his need for entertainment as described above. The community church offers it with music in all different genres and skits and big-name speakers, and short, relevant sermons etc. Whatever it takes to draw in the masses AND then to keep them coming back (if it takes this to get them there it will take this to keep them there). Exiting and fun? Yes! But is it what God wants? ii. We have devoted extensive time to emphasizing the importance and purpose of worship. What?s the big deal about how we worship God? Let it be clear ? Worship has NEVER been about pleasing men! God is the one we are seeking to please and glorify. John 4:24, Hebrews 13:15, 1 Corinthians 14:15, etc. With increasing frequency, at the beginning of lessons I remind us that we are here to worship God and not please man. Is it redundant and does it seem shallow? Perhaps! But I do not apologize because we need to remind ourselves of why we are here. It is HIS pattern and instructions that reveal WHAT PLEASES HIM! Think about that! If you want to please your boss, do you say, ?I don?t care what he says, I am going to do it my way!?? iii. God has consistently and strongly rejected the innovations of man in worship to Him (cf. Rom. 15:4, 1 Cor.10:1-11). He is the ONE who rejected Cain?s offering (Gen. 4); He is the ONE who burned Nadab and Abihu to death for offering strange fire (Lev. 10); He is the ONE who said through Samuel, ?Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.? (1 Sam. 15:22) He is the ONE who sent Malachi and scorned the people because of their lukewarm and corrupted worship to Him (Malachi 1) Look at what happened when Jeroboam offered a worship of convenience to Northern Israel. It became the downfall of that nation and they NEVER overcame it (1 kings 12:25-32, cf. 2 Kings 17:21-23). iv. In the New Testament, 5 acts of worship toward God are clearly demonstrated and taught. All 5 acts are simple and can be done in any time frame of history and anywhere in the world. ALL 5 acts involve US glorifying God from our heart and following His pattern. In these acts we are built up spiritually when done properly (1 Cor. 14:12, 26), but that is a benefit of worshipping God. v. Is worship boring to you? While the pattern God subscribes may not be the most exciting ? it is STILL God?s pattern and it MUST be followed. Boring is usually more about attitude than the acts of worship. If your heart is into the worship ? it doesn?t need to be enhanced. How excited are you about being here? (Psalm 122:1) Is this something you look forward to? vi. NOTE: This is not to say that we should not put forth effort to make the worship service meaningful. WE ought to do what we can to help one another understand the purpose of each act as fully as possible. Worship ought to engage the heart. In some things I believe there is room for improvement, but it is NOT in appealing to the desires of man. There is NOTHING wrong with seeking ways to keep members engaged, but we must still respect the pattern. The CASUAL attitude of many is NOT what God wants. He is insulted by the indifference (cf. Malachi 1:6-14). vii. The worship of the Community Church fails miserably as it seeks to entertain man. b. The Casual Attitude? i. The ?come as you are? mantra of the community church is primarily about how you dress and your demeanor as you worship God. You can come to have a good time. ii. The Lord?s church is not about how casual we can be. In my studies, I find that as we worship: 1. We are in the presence of God. His church is a manifestation of His wisdom (Eph. 3:10). The occasion is solemn and worthy of reverence. ?God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those around Him.? (Psa. 89:7) The throne scene around God in Revelation 4 & 5 was not a party. Malachi 1:6, ?A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My Reverence? Says the Lord of hosts?? 2. This is a solemn occasion. When we partake of the Lord?s Supper we are to keep that in mind. We are proclaiming His death (vs. 26). When we study the Bible we are listening to HIS word! (1 Pet. 4:11) Our prayers are petitioning Him! 3. It is NOT just coming together to relax and have some fun with friends and family. (cf. 1 Cor. 11:17-22). Its not like going to the movies or out with friends. iii. Brethren I am concerned about the casual attitude in the community church, but I am equally concerned about how casual we are becoming even here. It is seen in the way we dress and often in our demeanor as we go through the acts of worship. We MUST give God our best and not treat ?going to church? like some social occasion or simply go through the motions. What does the way you dress say about your attitude? What does your demeanor in participating say about your attitude? What does your preparation say about your attitude? c. Non-judgmental ? i. The Community Church is the product of the unity-in-diversity movement that has been developing for nearly a century now. Community churches are NOT non-denominational. They are inter-denominational with a willingness to accept believers of all faiths. And some are actually affiliated with various denominations. There is a de-emphasis on the doctrines that divide within denominations and certain lifestyles. There is a call to not be judgmental in discussing these differences. IN REALITY this is consistent with the doctrine of eternal security which basically says that once one is saved they cannot be lost. The conclusion is: Why deal with divisive issues if they don?t matter? ii. We KNOW that the Bible calls for true unity ? 1 Cor. 1:10, John 17:30, 31, Ephesians 4:1-6, etc. But NEVER at the expense of truth! iii. Furthermore, the Bible calls for us to make doctrinal judgments ? Matthew 7:6 says, ?Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine?? That is a judgment. John 7:24 speaks of not judging according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. Romans 16:17 calls for us to mark those who cause divisions. 2 Thess. 3:6, etc. Such passages call for us to make judgments ? BASED upon God?s word. iv. BUT, If a brother is in sin, we BETTER take time to try and win them back ? Gal. 6:1, Jas. 5:19, Jude 22-23, etc. d. The message of the gospel? i. I am not saying that community churches do not have any convictions. They do and different churches will hold to different doctrines. If you go to the websites of most community churches you will find a statement of faith ? what they believe. The things they believe are basic core values. They believe in the Bible (most will say it is inerrant and inspired), in God, Jesus Christ, faith only, basic morality, etc. In some form they will teach on these things (but not necessarily in their ?seeker services?). But there are other issues that they choose to remain silent about (at least publicly). Sometimes these are the issues that need to be addressed the most (More on what they teach in a moment). ii. Soft preaching ? when we speak of things they refuse to preach on ? many congregations would not preach on eternal condemnation (i.e. hell), true righteousness (following God?s law exactly), materialism and worldliness (certain moral issues such as modesty, gambling, social drinking, divorce & remarriage, etc.), or sin. Their lessons often are sprinkled with scripture and filled with stories and relevant topics from the latest psychologists and sociologists (hopefully ones professing to believe in God), who sometimes are guest speakers. In fact, some of these churches have virtually abandoned preaching. They may offer a short message, but much of the ?teaching? is done with skits and actors. They appeal to the selfish who want to worship God conditionally (i.e. on their terms instead of His). iii. Do we need relevant topics? ALWAYS!!!! But what is relevant? Sure it involves how to get along with your neighbor, how to deal with depression, the fact that Jesus and God loves you AND facing financial giants, BUT it involves so much more ? righteousness, faithfulness, spiritual maturity (i.e. the need to actually study the Bible for yourself), exposing sin, answering false doctrines, teaching others, etc. There may be messages taught in these community churches that do not contradict Bible teaching (in fact the majority of what they teach could be Biblically sound) but do they offer them the meat and balanced diet they need???? iv. Biblical preaching does not compromise ?Consider 2 Timothy 4:2 where Timothy is told to preach the word in season and out of season AND to reprove, rebuke and exhort?? Paul was VERY clear with Timothy that the content of his message was not to be soothing and dismissive of error and immorality. He even told Timothy there was a time to publicly rebuke leaders (1 Tim. 5:20). Paul made many enemies because of his preaching. Remember Gal. 4:16? Jesus was not afraid to confront ungodly behavior and even to challenge His followers. Remember when He rebuked them for following Him just for the bread? (John 6:26-27) v. NOT the positive preaching movement and not the social gospel. See previous lessons to address this. Their preaching is lacking in doctrinal content. We addressed this in a series of lessons on the positive preaching movement. While each community church has its own set of doctrinal views ? the overall emphasis is community involvement and ?relevant lessons? dealing with life. Most of these churches, if not all of them, leave out teaching on important but controversial doctrines. vi. Add to these the various denominational doctrines espoused by many of the churches - salvation by faith only, special guidance of the Holy Spirit, instrumental music, various elements of Calvinism, unconditional eternal security, etc. Each of these could be examined within themselves. Notice the ?safe nature? of these doctrines (acceptable by the masses). And thus we can see some concerns with the Community Church Movement. It is very much alive and present in our communities. And among some of our brethren, some of these things are being considered. That is why we are so concerned. May we, as the Lord?s church here, ALWAYS strive to follow His pattern, even if it is not popular and doesn?t bring in the masses. BUT, let us not use such as a crutch to keep us from doing everything we can, WITHIN God?s boundaries, to win the lost. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090720/7828b8ff/attachment-0001.html From tthornhill06 at yahoo.com Mon Jul 20 12:36:06 2009 From: tthornhill06 at yahoo.com (Tom Thornhill) Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:36:06 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Biblemat] The Community Church Movement 4 (1 of 4) - The Social Gospel Message-ID: <366869.96882.qm@web50912.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Greetings again. Tom Thornhill Jr. This is the final part of this series of lessons. The whole series can be found at www.roseavenue.org THE COMMUNITY CHURCH (4) The Church and the Social Gospel Today we conclude our study on the Community Church movement (CCM). We have identified this movement and noted some reasons why this movement is wrong and also some reasons why we should be concerned, including the desire to be like everyone else. Today, I want to present a lesson at the foundation of the problem. We want to talk about the Social Gospel and God?s word. I. What is the work of the Church? a. What is the church. The term church in the New Testament is from the Greek word, ekklesia, a compound word which means ?a calling out of?. Thayer defines it as, ?a gathering of citizens called out of their homes into some public place; an assembly.? Obviously, when we speak of the church there is more to it than that, but that is the foundation of what the church is. There are 2 different uses of the term church: 1) IN its universal sense it describes the body of all who are saved. The important thing to remember about this is in this sense it simply describes a relationship. If you are saved, you are part of this body. Cf. Matthew 16:18, Eph. 1:22-23, 3:10, etc. 2) IN its local sense it describes: A group of saints (Christians) who join together to do the work of the Lord in a given location.? Cf. 1 Cor. 1:2, Gal. 1:2, Acts 14:23, etc. b. The works of the church include: i. Evangelism? our primary goal is to preach the word of God. The church is instrumental in that. We find in churches as they assembled there was preaching, cf. Acts 20:7 1 Timothy 3:15 ? pillar and ground of truth. Phil. 4:15-18 - supported the preaching of the gospel. 1 Thess. 1:7-8 ? instrumental in helping to spread the gospel. ii. Edification? a word that means to build up. This work deals with strengthening the saints. In scripture that strengthening is done through the preaching of the gospel and teaching God?s word. 1 Cor. 14:26, 12; Ephesians 4:16 notes that when every part does its share the body grows It is also enhanced when we as brethren treat each other as family ? exhorting one another and prefer one another over the world. iii. Worship? which is sometimes described as a work of edification is another work of the church. One of the points we have emphasized in this series is the need for proper worship directed TOWARD God and not to please man. When we assemble to partake of the Lord?s Supper we are worshipping God, cf. Acts 20:7, 1 Cor. 11:23-26, (cf. 17-22); Col. 3:16, etc. iv. Benevolence? the church of the first century DID engage in benevolence. In fact it do so often. BUT, you find the focus of benevolence was ALWAYS directed toward the saints and it was temporary (to fulfill a specific need). See Acts 2:44-45, 11:29-30, 2 Cor. 8:1-4, etc. Our concern with the CCM is that they overstepped the boundaries of God?s word and made benevolence of the world their work instead of it being limited to brethren. NEVER do you find benevolence among churches used as a tool to preach the gospel to the lost. II. The Social Gospel a. What is the Social Gospel? i. Defined ? A movement that began in the late 1800s which believes that the work of God?s church is to eliminate human suffering through social reform, to oppose social injustice (become involved in political advocacy) and to cater to ?the whole man?. This was done in response to political corruption. The theory behind the movement was that if religion could resolve the social issues of the day, a sort of utopian society would result. (NOTE: Possibly a truth, but the IF is impossible) ii. It is the adaption of some or all of the tenants of the social gospel that explains the entertaining appeals, churches whose primary focus is benevolent works (CCM, Salvation Army, etc.), political reforms, recreational opportunities and other social programs. And even some churches of Christ have adopted at least PART of the social gospel philosophy. iii. The Problem with the social gospel movement is that it is NOT what God intended the church to be, and as described above. It is NOT the church that Jesus built. This will become even more clear as we examine some other problems with the social gospel. b. Misunderstands the nature of the kingdom/church. i. As you study the New Testament you will see that the church and kingdom are one and the same (cf. Matt. 16:18-19). A study of the terms in the New Testament can be put side by side and you will find them to be parallel, including their beginning (cf. Mark 9:1). ii. The premise of the social gospelis that the church/kingdom is a social organization designed to help alleviate social ills. It is NOT! iii. The spiritual nature of the kingdom In describing the Kingdom, Jesus told Pilate, ?My kingdom is not of this world.? (John 18:36) Luke 17:20-21 finds Jesus answering a question about when the kingdom of God would come. He responded, ?The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ?See here!? or ?See there!? For the kingdom of God is within you.? iv. Rom. 14:17 says it clearly, ?for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.? c. Perverts the mission of Christ ? to save the lost i. Since it is not the mission of the church to engage in social affairs, what IS the mission of the church? Let us let the scriptures speak: ii. Luke 19:10, ?And Jesus said to him, ?Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of man has come to seek and save that which was lost.? Paul realized this in 1 Tim. 1:15 where he said, ?This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.? iii. HOW did HE come to save sinners? Mark 16:15-16, ?Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature?? 2 Tim. 2:2, ?And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.? 1 Tim. 3:15 describes the church as, ?the pillar and ground of truth.? In other words, the church is designed to support the truth. iv. The social gospel makes the church into the support of social organizations. d. It underestimates the power of the gospel to accomplish that goal. i. The purpose of the gospel was to proclaim all Jesus Christ did for us to give us salvation. THAT message is the only thing that will truly convert the soul. 1 Cor. 15:1-4, notice how Paul declared to them the gospel ?which I preached to you.? Romans 1:16-17 finds Paul describing the gospel as the power of God unto salvation. 1 Thess. 2:4, ?But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests the hearts.? ii. The social gospel implies that preaching the gospel is inadequate to reach the lost. That is why it caters to the needs of man ? which is WHY it is so successful. It gives man what he wants instead of what he needs. But here is a fact: Anytime it takes something other than the gospel to reach someone, it is going to take more of the same to keep them. Consider John 6:26-29 ? Jesus rebuked the people because they only followed Him for the meal (and the miracles). It was self-centered needs. He rebuked them for that and it resulted in many of them walking no longer with Him. e. It clouds the distinction between the church and the individual i. Much of the justification for the SG and CCM is found by appealing to passages that are directed toward individuals and not the church. They will cite the good works of Jesus and passages such as Gal. 6:10, Jas. 1:27, etc. ii. But as you study the life of Jesus, you find His compassion and benevolence NOT to be the premise of His church BUT of His disciples. He expected each and every disciple to be servants. That is something we do not deny! But is that what the church was established for? NO! We have already seen the work of the church and its limitations. iii. Galatians 6:10 is speaking to Christians. So is James 1:27. Look at the verses and put them in their proper context. iv. ALSO notice 1 Tim 5:16 which makes a distinction between the benevolent work of the church AND the individual. It says, ?Do NOT let the church be burdened.? Brethren, we need to study the Bible and make that distinction. v. ALSO notice 1 Cor. 11:22, 34 which in dealing with the assembly to worship makes a distinction between what we do as individuals AND as the church. Paul told them to eat their meals at home vi. We need to careful to separate what Christians can do and the church can do. They are NOT the same. Conclusion: The gospel IS about changing lives. But the way that happens is by converting the lost with the gospel. WHEN more people are converted, the world is a better place. Let that be our emphasis. And thus we can see why the Community Church movement and other similar movements ought to be rejected. They are dangerous and do not fulfill the expectations of our Lord concerning His church. If you measure success by the size of the crowds, these churches are successful, but if you put their works to the test of scripture ? they fall short in one key area ? OBEYING all the teachings of God. Let us put our trust not in the ways of man but in God?s word. Think about it. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090720/af61f76c/attachment-0001.html From tthornhill06 at yahoo.com Mon Jul 20 12:34:24 2009 From: tthornhill06 at yahoo.com (Tom Thornhill) Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:34:24 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Biblemat] The Community Church Movement 3 (Part 3 of 4) - WHY I AM CONCERNED! Message-ID: <785516.76406.qm@web50906.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Part 3 of 4 lessons. Tom Thornhill Jr. www.roseavenue.org. Brethren, this lesson explains the real reason I am so concerned about this. THE COMMUNITY CHURCH MOVEMENT (3) Why I Am Concerned! Today we continue and conclude our study on The Community Church movement. We have identified what this movement is and we have noted some errors associated with this movement including the fact that it is driven by men, erodes the purpose of true worship, promotes a casual attitude and softens or limits the message of the gospel through compromise and catering to what is wanted (not what is needed). Today I want to conclude this study by going a little deeper and noticing some reasons we need to be concerned about this movement and others similar to it. I. Good intentions a. Let it be understood, I do NOT question the good intentions of these churches nor their leaders. They believe they are doing a good work (and in reality they are) and sincerely believe they are doing the right thing. But is it the right thing? Is it according to God?s pattern for the church? Are good intentions enough in God?s eyes? b. Good intentions are not enough ? i. Matthew 7:21-23 ? it is not enough to say, ?Lord, Lord?? you must DO the will of the Father. ii. 2 Samuel 6:1-8, Uzzah as he stilled the ark was struck dead. The Ark of the Covenant was carried on a new cart created at David?s instructions. I am convinced that David thought God would be pleased with his efforts. BUT he did NOT inquire of the Lord. Further, there is no question Uzzah had the best of intentions when he kept the Ark from falling to the ground, but he still disobeyed God and was punished as a result. iii. Paul had good intentions ? Acts 23:1 where he said, ?Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.? iv. Romans 10:1-4, Paul notes that some of his Jewish brethren, who HATED the Christian faith and did all they could to destroy it, had a zeal for God. Could they have reasoned that the end justifies the means? Were their good intentions to preserve the Law of Moses acceptable reason to act as they did? Paul called it their own righteousness. Is that NOT what we find in the watered down gospel of the Community Church movement? v. ?There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.? Prov. 14:12 c. Quite frequently, having good intentions is not good news. What it usually means is that something was done wrong that needs to be corrected. In this life, perhaps you have the chance to redo it and make it right (like the mulligan in golf). But when you stand before God in judgment, IF you are not right you will have to answer and then it will be too late. II. The Success of Such Movements a. A desire to be like everyone else. Because of the phenomenal success of the community church/mega-church movement, members of various denominations are asking, ?How do they do it?? We find that many denominational congregations are rethinking the way they teach based on the community church model. Rick Warren?s approach based upon his book, The Purpose Driven Church, has been adopted as a model by multitudes of churches as their website describes, ?those large and small, denominational and non-denominational, charismatic and non-charismatic, new plant and well-established, urban and rural.? The website states that more than 400,000 leaders in 22 languages have been directly trained to follow this model. On another page of the website we find, ?Purpose driven dovetails easily into the polity of many denominations.? http://www.purposedrivenchurch.com/en-US/AboutUs/WhatIsPD/What+is+PD.htm http://www.purposedrivenchurch.com/en-US/AboutUs/WhatIsPD/7+Myths+of+PD.htm My point is that this movement is having an influence among various denominations. b. I wonder, are some churches of Christ asking these same questions? I am fearful they are! Some congregations are seeking to incorporate whatever elements they can justify in their own minds. We are finding churches of Christ that are seeking to change whatever they need to change to make them more acceptable to the community. Some are changing their name (removing ?church of Christ? from their identity for the same reasons as Oak Hills in San Antonio, TX - because it is offensive), making their worship services more contemporary and appealing, rethinking moral issues (always toward being more permissive), reinventing standards of authority and changing anything they can. The problem with this is that many of these congregations are losing their distinctiveness and blending in more and more with the denominations around them. And IT IS WHAT THEY WANT! c. Such is desiring, ?to be like the nations around us?. Remember why Israel wanted a king? 1 Samuel 8:5 finds Israel approaching Samuel, after corruption among his sons (8:2-3), the elders request, ?Look you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.? When Samuel warned them about what would happen if they made a king for themselves, ?nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, ?No, but we will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.?? (8:19-20) These kings became the downfall of the nation ? including division into two nations and eventual removal from God?s sight and the people followed after these men and their evil ways. What was the proper solution to the corruption the people saw? It was to go BACK to God?s law and restore what was lacking. It was NOT to conform to the ways of the world AND their false religions. Are the trends we are seeing today any different? When we look at denominational or inter-denominational success and wonder, ?How do they do it?? We better be careful!!!! When we want to be like everyone else (or be more acceptable to denominations and their errors) we are going to find ways to compromise, or at the least, manipulate scriptures in our favor (see 2 Peter 3:16). d. God?s view of success is not the same as man?s view. Don?t get caught up in the world view of success ? how many people, how fancy the building, how much money you have, how many ministries your are managing, how well known you are in the community, etc. Those are ALL superficial and MAN DRIVEN. God looks at the heart and if you are obeying Him (Matt. 7:21-23). Isaiah 55:8-9 says, ??For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways? says the Lord. ?For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.?? Hosea 14:9 says, ?Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are RIGHT; the righteous walk in them, But transgressors stumble in them.? Remember again Eph. 3:10-11, ?to the intent that the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church?according to His eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.? The church demonstrates God?s all encompassing wisdom. e. I am not opposed to reexamination of the way we do things. NOR am I opposed to innovations. I know of sound churches that now broadcast their services live over the internet. They record lessons and post them for anyone who wants to hear. And that is just the internet. If such is expedient I believe it ought to be considered. In fact, I believe that reexamination is both scriptural and necessary. 2 Corinthians 13:5 calls for us to examine ourselves as to whether we are in the faith. The question, ?What are we going to do to win more people?? is a valid question that we OUGHT to be asking ourselves. Furthermore, I am concerned with churches that DON?T take time to see if they are doing things properly or if they can be done in better ways (i.e. are there other scriptural hymns available, is the Lord?s Supper treated as a mere ritual or is adequate thought put into its purpose, and are the sermons and classes that are taught as effective as possible, etc.) and I am equally concerned with churches that have placed themselves into a rut where they will not consider anything beyond, ?that?s the way we have always done it.? Isn?t that what true restoration is about? HOWEVER, I am very concerned when the reason we ?rethink? our beliefs is to become more appealing to larger numbers in the community, whether it be doctrinal tolerance or our organizational structure. If you have to compromise the truth OR cater to the whims of those who are not really interested in the truth ? what have you accomplished? You cannot be ?user-friendly? and fearlessly proclaim ?the whole counsel of God? at the same time. The gospel offends some people ? PERIOD! III. Are We Losing Our Distinction? a. ?Thus says the Lord: ?Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls.? But they said, ?We will not walk in it.?? (Jer. 6:16) 2 Kings 22:8-9, ?Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, ?I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.? And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. So Shaphan the scribe went to the king (Josiah- TT)?Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he tore his clothes?(11). The next chapter (23) records Josiah restoring TRUE worship by applying what was in the book. Nehemiah 8:13-18 records the Israel returning after Babylonian captivity that Ezra reads the book and the people discover that they had not observed the Feast of Tabernacles. So following the instructions of ?The book of the Law of God? (18) they reinstituted the feast. We are told in vs. 17 that the feast had not been kept since the days of Joshua (900-1000 years earlier) but with the Law of God they restored TRUE WORSHIP! b. When the restoration movement took hold a couple of hundred years ago, the desire was to set aside all human creeds and return to the New Testament pattern. It is a ?most wholesome doctrine? that can insure we are doing what God wants. There has been and always will be much debate on some of the finer points of restoring the New Testament pattern, but for the most part scriptures are VERY clear on what we are to do, how we are saved, what the purpose of the church is, etc. Much of what they stood for caused them to be criticized by the denominations for their doctrinal stands. But they did not let that deter their goal to RESTORE the New Testament church. c. For many decades churches of Christ, such as this one, have been willing to set themselves apart from the denominational world even though it meant being ostracized and criticized in various ways. We have been called a cult, Campbelites, elitist, and uncooperative. BUT that didn?t matter! Why? Because we know the truth will bring a sword that will separate those who sincerely love the truth from those who prefer the teachings of men (cf. Matthew 10:34-39, Heb. 4:12). You might say it comes with the territory of standing for the truth of your convictions. (Doesn?t such put you in the same class as Jeremiah and Elijah, Joshua, Moses, and don?t forget Jesus and Paul?) BUT in the past few decades we have been seeing an erosion of that distinction as many congregations reexamine their purpose and look for ways to be ?less offensive? or ?more accommodating.? d. I am fearful that we are seeing some congregations now that are more concerned about distancing themselves from their brethren in ?traditional churches? than they are about distinguishing themselves from the denominational world. They want to get as CLOSE to ?the line? (between truth and error) as they can without crossing over it. What is the problem with this? A couple of weeks ago I was talking with someone about that line between right and wrong and what the problem is when we start seeing how close to the line we can get without crossing over it. It was observed that what often happens is that we have a tendency to move the line! And it is NEVER for the better! As Jeremiah condemned Judah, the Lord said, ?Because My people have forgotten Me, they have burned incense to worthless idols. And they have caused themselves to stumble in their ways, from the ancient paths, to walk in pathways and not on a highway?? (Jer. 18:15) Proverbs 22:28 noted, ?Do not remove the ancient landmark which your fathers have set.? e. Have we lost our distinction? We began this study with 1 Cor. 14:7-8 says, ?Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be know what is piped or played? For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle?? 2 Corinthians 6:17, ?Wherefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord.? Our Lord purchased His church which His own blood! It is HIS church, not ours! Ephesians 5:25-27 notes that ?Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.? Titus 2:14 says that Christ ?gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.? 1 Peter 2:9 says, ?But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people,?? The KJV in both of these verses uses the word, peculiar which means we are ?God?s chosen people in whom he has a special interest, one which exceeds His common concern for mankind in general.? (WS Dictionary). Does the world see that difference? f. BRETHREN, NEVER be ashamed of what sets you apart from the world! NEVER be ashamed of our owner or His name!!!! We ought to proudly call ourselves the church of Christ! I do NOT understand why anyone would NOT want to be identified by that name!!! IV. It is another assault on the everlasting gospel of Christ a. Revelation 14:6 makes reference to ?the everlasting gospel? which was to be preached to those dwelling upon the earth by an angel. We KNOW that the gospel has been ?once, for all, delivered to the saints? (Jude 3). 1 Peter 1:24-25 tells us that while grass and flowers die, ?the word of the Lord endures forever.? AGAIN Galatians 1:6-9 warns us to NOT preach a different gospel. b. Far too many churches today are choosing to take a less ?offensive? approach to the Bible. As we have noted they have watered down the gospel. This is especially true in the Community Church movement and similar movements (positive preaching, house-church, United Church of Christ, etc.). Their main services will NEVER broach certain subjects, i.e. the one?s that offend. Consider this in contrast to what Paul told the Ephesian elders, ?For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.? (Acts 20:27) In vs. 20 he said, ?How I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house.? c. To be fair, many Community churches will have more in depth studies in smaller and more specialized classes. But they make a distinction between the ?seeker service? and the membership. In worship services to God I do not find that distinction in the Bible. d. What is wrong with preaching only portions of the gospel in public meetings and saving the meat and controversy for more private occasions (Bible classes, etc.)? The public worship may be the ONLY chance you have to teach someone. In my observations, those who are weak in the faith are usually the ones who miss Bible classes regularly. Therefore, if there is a chance they will hear what they need to change it HAS to happen in the most public of assemblies. Think about that. Again notice 2 Tim. 4:2. Note that is does not say, ?Preach the word. Be instant in season (publicly) and out of season (in more intimate sessions). Exhort them when they are assembled together but reprove and rebuke them in more private settings.? NO, exposure of sin needs to be as open as the sin itself! When we bury needed truths, we are NOT doing God any favors. In fact, we are hindering His word. These a some of my concerns and WHY I have presented these lessons. I do not intend to be malicious, but I firmly believe the direction these churches have chosen is in error and making its members worse off instead of better. BUT even more, I am concerned about the direction many of my brethren have been going as a result of such movement. Let us ever and always give the Lord?s church the respect it is due in our lives. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090720/1fbc3312/attachment-0001.html From kerux at bellsouth.net Mon Jul 20 12:43:23 2009 From: kerux at bellsouth.net (Kent Heaton) Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:43:23 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] A>Dead Works And Works Justified - Part 1 (Kent Heaton) Message-ID: <5D6C13A4CF934FCDB9B5A17C1F9ADC74@D2381J91> 090723 Dead Works And Works Justified - Part 1 (Kent Heaton) The Bible shows two kinds of faith: dead faith and faith justified (James 2:17,26; Romans 5:1). This is also true of works. Often people disregard works as having anything to do with salvation. However the Bible shows that works can be dead (Hebrews 6:1) and that "a man is justified by works" (James 2:24). What are dead works? Works alone cannot save a man. Paul used Abraham to illustrate that works alone cannot justify a man. "For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God" (Romans 4:2). The kind of works described are the works where man is seeking to justify himself on the grounds of his own worth and as Barnes says, "regard himself as the author of it, and take the praise to himself" (Barnes Notes, Romans 4:2). Man could never conceive nor carry out his own plan of salvation. From the beginning of time God has shown His grace and mercy to show man the way of salvation. Adam and Eve could not boast of their salvation because God was the author of their deliverance. Noah could not boast of works to know God was going to destroy the world and when the time came to destroy the world. The works of the Devil are dead works and the purpose Jesus came to earth was to "destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8). Keeping the Law of Moses is keeping a law of works whereby man could never be justified. "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified" (Galatians 2:16). When men seek to keep the Law of Moses and bind as law the Ten Commandments they seek to bind salvation by dead works. Works that boast of man's superiority and wisdom to save him is dead works. Ephesians 2 clearly shows the grace of God and how that man cannot find merit in his own worth to save himself. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Like the example of Abraham in Romans 4:2 we find that works that elevate man to a position of saving himself is dead works. Salvation comes through grace, faith and the gift of God. Paul tells Titus "the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us" (Titus 3:4-5). This helps to understand the nature of dead works. God's grace is found in the appearance of Jesus Christ. Man could not do that. Man could not conceive of that salvation. Man could not offer that level of sacrifice. John declares that "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Where is man's boasting there? Works that are dead are those works where man seeks to find justification in who he is and what he is apart from the grace of God. These works led men to turn every intent of the thoughts of their hearts to evil continually (Genesis 6:5). Boastful works brought men together at a place to build a city and a tower "whose top is in the heavens" and seeking to make a name for themselves (Genesis 11:4). These works are dead! Kent Heaton 207 NE Fourth Avenue Trenton, Florida 32693 (H) 352-463-6916 (O) 3793 (C) 352-283-3889 www.trentonchurchofchrist.com Audio Sermons Available www.northfloridabiblecamp.com July 26 - August 1, 2009 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090720/ef84a683/attachment-0001.html From terrywbenton at bellsouth.net Mon Jul 20 12:53:13 2009 From: terrywbenton at bellsouth.net (Terry W. Benton) Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:53:13 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] Any English Teachers? Message-ID: Terry Benton to the list: 1 Cor 12:7-11 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same* Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. NKJV A fellow insists that there was only ONE manifestation of the Spirit since it says "THE manifestation". I argued that it is "the manifestation...to EACH", and that collectively there were nine different manifestations. The manifestation to ONE is ONE manifestation. The manifestations among the collective was nine different manifestations. Illustration. The gift to my wife was a book. The gift to my daughter was a CD. The gift to my son was a harmonica. "The gift" is one gift to each, but there are a total of three gifts among the family. The fellow said that he asked a Yale professor about this and he said I was wrong. I doubt a professor said such a thing. I asked an English teacher and she said I was right. Do you have any connections to any English teachers or professors who can verify which position is correct? Terry W. Benton terrywbenton at bellsouth.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090720/d5a6ac9b/attachment-0001.html From disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Mon Jul 20 15:06:39 2009 From: disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com (Ethan R. Longhenry) Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:06:39 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] S:> Jesus' Return Message-ID: Jesus' Return I. Introduction A. Matthew 24:37-25:46, John 21:23, Acts 1:11 1. Part of Jesus' message was that one day, He would return 2. This return would represent the grand conclusion of His Kingdom, the heralded day of Judgment B. Jesus' Return a source of fear, optimism, and great controversy 1. A day many eagerly await 2. A day others fear 3. A breeding ground for all kinds of different ideas, doctrines C. The return of Jesus represents the grand transition in God's eternal plan, the hope of ultimate redemption, restoration, and salvation D. Therefore, let us consider what we can know regarding Jesus' return II. Scriptures Relating to Jesus' Return A. Many Scriptures speak of Jesus' return 1. Sometimes difficult to reconcile all of them 2. Let us consider each Scripture and then make some attempt at reconciliation B. Matthew 7:21-23 1. Indication of judgment scene 2. Many who expected to be saved will not be, for they did not do God's will! C. Matthew 24:37-25:46 (cf. Luke 17:26-35, 19:11-27) 1. Jesus speaks of the events leading up to "the end of the age" 2. Parables stressing the need for preparedness 3. Parables demonstrating what we are to do until He returns 4. Judgment scene-- everyone before Him, separated, those who were benevolent saved, those who were not benevolent condemned D. Matthew 13:47-50, John 5:19-29, 12:48 1. Jesus warns regarding the day of Judgment 2. His word as standard for judgment 3. Resurrection of life or resurrection of condemnation E. John 14:1-4, 21:23 1. Jesus indicates that He will come again 2. Believers will then be with the Father and the Son F. Acts 3:20-21 1. Peter speaks of God sending Jesus back 2. Time of refreshing, G. Acts 17:30-31 1. Paul establishes that people ought to repent then because Jesus would return in judgment 2. Assurance of this-- His resurrection H. Romans 2:5-11 1. Demonstration of day of judgment 2. Its consequences 3. God will not show partiality! I. Romans 8:18-25 1. Glory to be revealed 2. Creation, sons of God to no longer be subject to decay, futility 3. Our hope-- redemption of body J. 1 Corinthians 15:24-58 1. At the end, Jesus returns Kingdom to the Father 2. Day of resurrection, transformation 3. Day of victory! K. 2 Corinthians 4:16-17, 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 1. Awaiting the coming glory 2. Looking to be clothed 3. Day of Judgment, awaiting the Savior L. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 5:1-10 1. Regarding those who have passed on 2. When Jesus returns, all will come out of graves, those alive will join them 3. Meet the Lord in the air 4. Will always be with the Lord 5. That day will come like a thief in the night 6. Need for constant vigilance, preparation M. 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10, 2:1-12 1. Demonstration that on day of Judgment, those who do not believe, obey are condemned 2. Jesus will be glorified in His saints 3. Before then, man of lawlessness-- Jesus will bring Him to nothing at His return 4. Mystery of lawlessness already at work! N. 2 Timothy 4:1: Jesus' appearance and judgment O. Hebrews 9:27-28: second coming for judgment, not for sin, salvation of those waiting for Him P. 1 Peter 1:3-9 1. Salvation will be revealed at the last time 2. Inheritance imperishable, undefiled, unfading, reserved 3. Tried faith will result in glory and honor at His coming Q. 2 Peter 3 1. Many doubt the claim of His return 2. Consider the days of Noah! 3. Time irrelevant to God 4. He is showing patience 5. When He returns, destruction of all matter in fire 6. New heavens and earth R. 1 John 3:2: we will be like Jesus when He returns S. Revelation 20-22 1. Devil, associates cast into lake of fire, eternal torment 2. Judgment before the throne 3. To eternal life or to be cast into lake of fire, second death 4. Heavenly Jerusalem, God's people, seen as beautiful city, with tree of life in its midst 5. No night, nothing cursed within it, God in their presence 6. Revelation 22:20: come, Lord Jesus! T. How do we make sense of all these passages? III. Jesus' Return A. An attempt at a reconciliation of all these passages 1. Such will try to make the best sense of all the passages 2. In reality, some passages may be more metaphorical, others literal 3. Precisely how these events will play out is unknown and will be unknown until it happens B. On the appointed day, Christ will return in the clouds as He ascended into the clouds C. At that point, resurrection of all the dead 1. Transformation of at least believers into imperishable "trans-physical" bodies, like the Lord's 2. Believers meet Jesus in the sky 3. Stage is set for the Judgment D. Judgment is then rendered 1. Will everyone stand there? Each person before the throne? Each hearing about all they have done? 2. We do not know! 3. What we do know, however, is that all will be judged 4. The standard of judgment: God's Word (John 12:48) 5. Basis of judgment: what every person has done in the flesh 6. Sentence: if obedient to Jesus Christ, salvation; if disobedient, condemnation E. Jesus returns Kingdom to the Father, God all in all F. Destruction of heavens and earth by fire G. Creation of new heavens and earth 1. Its nature not known 2. Perhaps to be understood spiritually H. Eternal fate now sealed 1. The condemned cast into hell, tormented for eternity 2. The saved with God and Jesus, unimaginable glory, peace, love, nothing bad or evil will happen to them! I. Full circle 1. God created man to be in communion with Him (Genesis 1-2); full communion restored 2. New heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells would be God's intention for creation fully realized 3. No more need for hope or faith-- realization of hope and faith by being with Jesus (cf. Romans 8:23-25, Hebrews 11:1, 1 Corinthians 13:13) 4. God's eternal plan reaches its second great point of transition, all believers spending eternity in the presence of the Father and Son IV. How to Live Until Jesus' Return A. We eagerly await the grand event of Jesus' return B. As we have seen, this event will come quickly, without notice 1. No "tribulation," "rapture," other such things to first be seen 2. Instead, as thief in night (1 Thessalonians 5:2, 2 Peter 3:10) 3. It could come at any time! C. God tells us how we should live until He returns D. Repent of sin and believe 1. Acts 17:30-31 2. We cannot assume that we will have a given amount of time to change our ways 3. All we can be sure of is this very moment! 4. Thus, it is critical for us to believe in God and turn away from our sin now-- we may never have another chance to do so! E. Be Prepared 1. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10, Matthew 24:36-25:13 2. God does not want us to be paralyzed with fear regarding the return of Jesus, nor does He want us to be complacent! 3. Instead, He wants us to be constantly prepared and vigilant, always abounding in His work and service, so that if Jesus comes back today, tomorrow, next year, or next century, it will not change our status F. Be Busy 1. Matthew 25:14-30, Luke 19:11-27 2. We are the servants with the talents while our Master is away 3. What are we doing with our talents? 4. If Jesus comes back today and demands an account, what will we be able to show? 5. Will we obtain the Master's favor, or will we be cast into the outer darkness? V. Conclusion A. The Bible is full of God's promises and how God fulfilled those promises B. None of His promises have failed C. Therefore, when He promises that His Son will return to judge the living and the dead, to provide eternal life to the obedient and condemnation to the disobedient, we ought to take that promise quite seriously! D. Let none be deceived: the Lord will return some day! E. That day could be today! F. Are you ready? G. Have you believed in God and have obeyed the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ? H. If not, will you consider it today? I. If so, are you prepared for the Lord's return, using His blessings to promote His purposes? J. Let us all be prepared for Jesus' return today! K. Invitation/songbook Ethan R. Longhenry / disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Evangelist, church of Christ in Norwalk, Ohio [norwalkchurch.org] Homepage: deusvitae.com AIM: Deus Vitae / ICQ: 28317056 Y! IM: discipuliiesus Spiritual Manna A biweekly devotional for your life. http://www.deusvitae.com/faith/manna From disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Mon Jul 20 17:46:18 2009 From: disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com (Ethan R. Longhenry) Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:46:18 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] S:> Joel Message-ID: Joel I. Introduction A. Joel B. Plagues, the day of the LORD, and hope C. Let us consider the book II. Joel: The Details A. Authorship 1. Joel the one making the prophecies 2. Affirmed by Peter in Acts 2:16-21 B. Dating 1. Disputed 2. Dates range from ca. 800 to the post-exilic era 3. In the end, not truly known; post-exilic date likely C. Audience 1. Judah 2. We can gain much also D. Purpose 1. To warn Judah regarding upcoming difficulties 2. To exhort the people to repentance 3. To declare God's judgments on the nations III. Joel: The Story A. Main Sections 1. Pestilence (Joel 1) 2. The Upcoming Day of the LORD (Joel 2) 3. Judgment on the Nations (Joel 3) B. Pestilence (Joel 1) 1. Introduction; message to the people; terrible event to take place; different types of locusts have consumed everything (Joel 1:1-4) 2. Exhortation for people to lament; powerful nation has come against them; lamentation, for all has been destroyed and lost; lamentation for loss of harvests, trees; no gladness among men (Joel 1:5-12) 3. Call to wear sackcloth and lament; charge to consecrate a fast; day of the LORD near; food and gladness cut off; no seed or food in granaries; herds and flocks suffer; prophet calls to the LORD because of great destruction, desolation (Joel 1:13-20) C. The Day of the LORD (Joel 2) 1. Blow trumpet; people tremble; day of LORD near; day of darkness; great people upon the mountain such as never been seen before or will again; land before them like Eden, behind them made like wilderness; appear like horses, leap on mountains, like powerful army (Joel 2:1-5) 2. People are in anguish before them; charge like warriors; do not swerve in their paths; not stopped; leap into houses; earth quakes before them; sun, moon darkened; LORD utters voice before army; camp is great; day of the LORD awesome-- who can endure it (Joel 2:6-11)? 3. God gives people opportunity to repent; rend hearts, not garments; LORD gracious, merciful, slow to anger, relents over disaster; God may relent and leave blessing; blow trumpet, consecrate fast, mourn and lament; priests to make supplication for God to not make His heritage a reproach (Joel 2:12-17) 4. LORD has pity on His people; LORD to provide grain, wine, oil; will not make them reproach among nations; will remove northerner from them, drive former into parched lands, seas; land to not fear but rejoice, same for beasts and field; children of Zion to be glad, given early and latter rains; abundance of food and drink; restoration of what locusts devoured; they will eat plenty, praise God; people not to be put to shame; will know that LORD is God, there is no other (Joel 2:18-27) 5. Afterward God will pour Spirit out on all flesh; children will prophesy, old men to dream dreams, young men see visions; God will show wonders in heavens and on earth; sun to darkness, moon to blood; everyone who calls on name of LORD to be saved; those who escape in Zion, Jerusalem (Joel 2:28-32) D. Nation Judgments (Joel 3) 1. When fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem restored, gathering of nations to valley of Jehoshaphat for judgment; judgment because people scattered in Dispersion, divided His land, cast lots for His people (Joel 3:1-3) 2. Tyre, Sidon, Philistia send some payment, but because they sold people of Judah and Jerusalem to Greeks, God will return payment on their own heads; their children to be sold into hand of Judah (Joel 3:4-8) 3. Declaration for nations to prepare for war; farming instruments into weapons; let all be gathered to valley of Jehoshaphat; sickle for harvest, winepress, vats overflow because their evil is great; multitudes have come, sun and moon darkened; LORD roars from Zion, heavens and earth quake, LORD a stronghold and refuge for His people (Joel 3:9-16) 4. They will know that LORD is God, dwells in Zion; Jerusalem holy, strangers not in it; mountains will drip wine, hills milk, streams with water in Zion; Egypt, Edom to become desolations for the violence done to Judah; Judah to be inhabited forever; blood avenged; LORD dwells in Zion (Joel 3:17-21) IV. Joel: Important Passages A. Joel 2:4-5 / Revelation 9:3-10 B. Joel 2:28-32 / Acts 2:16-21, Romans 10:13 C. Joel 3:13 / Revelation 14:14-20 V. Conclusion A. Joel warns of possible pestilence for Judah 1. Great and unprecedented devastation 2. Later used as illustration in Revelation B. On the whole, message of hope 1. If people repent, calamity will be averted 2. God will enter into judgment with nations oppressing Judah 3. Looks forward to great day of the LORD-- Pentecost C. Let us repent of our sins and obtain the promise! D. Invitation/songbook Ethan R. Longhenry / disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Evangelist, church of Christ in Norwalk, Ohio [norwalkchurch.org] Homepage: deusvitae.com AIM: Deus Vitae / ICQ: 28317056 Y! IM: discipuliiesus Spiritual Manna A biweekly devotional for your life. http://www.deusvitae.com/faith/manna From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Tue Jul 21 04:17:06 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2009 05:17:06 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) THE BIBLE HEART AND CONVERSION (1) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the first installment on this particular subject from my ancient files. Use to the glory of God. THE BIBLE HEART AND CONVERSION (1) "Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life" (Prov. 4:23). The Bible has a great deal to say about the heart. Those who heard the gospel preached on Pentecost, were "pricked in their hearts" (Acts 2:37). Man believes "with the heart" (Rom. 10:10) and he obeys "from the heart" (Rom. 6: 17). The heart of a man can "faint" (Gen. 45:26) and be discour- aged (Num. 32:9) or it can "be glad" (Jdgs. 18:20) and "rejoice" (1 Chron. 16:10). Jesus said, "For out of the heart cometh evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings" (Matt. 15:19). We hear a great deal about the feelings of the heart and "heart-felt" religion. Many religious people today speak of the function of "the heart" in one's spiritual life. But just what is the heart? When the Bible speaks of the heart, what is meant? And how is the heart changed? The Heart Is The Intellect Of Man: -- As early as Gen. 6:5, the Bible speaks of the "thoughts of the heart." The wise man wrote "As he thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Prov. 23:7). One function of the Bible heart, then, is to think. When Simon, a Christian, tried to buy the gift of God with money, Peter told him to pray, "If perhaps the thought of thy heart shall be forgiven thee" (Acts 8: 22). Just as Matt. 15:20 demonstrates, the various sins of man- kind begin as thoughts in the heart. Jesus looked on certain hypocrites, and knowing their hearts, said to them: "Why think ye evil in your hearts?" (Matt. 9:4). The heart "Thinks." The heart of man also believes: "With the heart believeth unto righteousness" (Rom. 10:10). Philip preached Christ to a man of Ethiopia, and whent he man asked, "What doth hinder me to be baptized? Philip said, If thou believest with all thy heart thou mayest" (Acts 8:36,37). The process of faith begins with observing evidence, evaluating it, then drawing conclusions from it (Heb. 11:1-3). To hear the gospel and look fairly at its evi- dence and testimony, one is almost forced to "believe with the heart" that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. The Bible heart also understands (evaluates, perceives), which is a function of the intellect (Matt. 13:15). The wise man wrote, "Apply thy heart to understanding...Be ye of an under- standing heart" (Prov. 2:2; 8:5). The Bible heart can think, reas- on, understand, believe, trust: all of which are functions of the intellect. In other words, when the Bible speaks of the "heart" it quite often is referring to the mind of man. The Heart Is The Emotions Of Man: -- The Scriptures speak of "the heart's desire" (Psa. 21:2) and also of "the lusts of their hearts" (Rom. 1:24). The longings one feels, the need of love which all of us have--this is the function of the Bible heart. The apostle Paul wrote of his nation, his people: "My heart's desire and my supplication to God is for them (Israel), that they might be saved" (Rom. 10:1). The heart also is the seat of our trust, or fear: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart" (Prov. 3:5). The Psalmist wrote of the righteous man, "He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord" (Psa. 112:7). The emotions must usually associated with the heart are love and hate. Michal, wife of King David, "despised him in her heart" (2 Sam. 6:16). We are exhorted, "Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart" (Mk. 12:30). It is a fact well recognized that we love that into which we put our time and effort and money. Jesus put it this way, "Where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also" (Matt. 6:21). The Bible use of the word, "heart," quite often has reference to the feelings we have, the emotions. Just as the Bible "heart" sometimes refers to the mind of man, it also sometimes refers to the emotions. (More will be posted on this subject tomorrow, the Lord willing, JWS). -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090721/3e084ffc/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Tue Jul 21 04:16:55 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2009 05:16:55 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) QUESTION AND ANSWER Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Tuesday morn- ing to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. Here is a question and answer from my ancient files: QUESTION: -- Does Titus 3:10 give an evangelist special author- ity to deal personally with a divisive member in a congregation, and to oversee the procedur given in Matt. 18:15-17? ANSWER: -- Much of what Paul wrote to Timothy and Titus were not just instructions to them as to what they were to do, but what the other Christians were to do, also. They were not given any special authority that set them over other members of the local church. The instructions given to them, as preachers, were to be passed on to the other members as instructions from the Lord. That was their authority: to "preach the Word...reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teach- ing" (2 Tim. 4:2,3). The apostles warned both young preachers against the tendency in some to "strive about words to no pro- fit" and to deal with "foolish questionings, and genealogies, and strifes" which cause division among those in Christ (2 Tim. 2:14 Titus 3:9). It is in this context that Paul writes "A factious man after a first and second admonition, refuse" (Titus 3:10). No one, preacher or elder or other, has the right to "overlook" one passage of Scripture in order to do something he thinks he sees in another passage. The Bible is harmonious and only when we are dead wrong about a matter do we "find a contradiction." Let us beware that we not array one passage against another. Jesus laid down a principle in Matt. 18:15-17. It is simple, but powerful. If one sins against you, go to him and settle the matter in a spirit of love. If he will not put forth an effort to settle the matter with you alone, then take two or three witnes- ses with you to see him. If he will not hear them, bring it before the church. The apostle Paul said essentially the same thing when he told Timothy: "Receive not an accusation against an elder except at the mouth of two or three witnesses. Them that sin reprove in the sight of all" (1 Tim. 5:19,20). That follows the exact same order: there is an accusation, it is corroborated by two or three witnesses, then it is brought before the church. When Paul wrote to Titus, he was following the exact same procedure the Lord had given in Matt. 18 and which the apostle wrote in 1 Tim. 5. There is "the first admonition" then "the seco- nd" then it is brought before the church. This passage does not deny the procedure in Matt. 18 and 1 Tim. 5, it validates it! If one argues that all the details are not found in Titus 3, then we answ-er only that baptism is not found in Jno. 3:16, repentance is not found in Mk. 16:16 and faith is not mentioned in Acts 2:38! It takes all of God's Word to teach all of God's truth on a subject. The pattern which Jesus set forth in Matt. 18 limits the liberty which any of us have in following Titus 3:10, for both are truth and both must be obeyed. And this pattern is not just for the preacher to follow. When the pattern is followed, all the church will be involved (if and when the situation reaches a certain point. The situation could have been settled at the offended's first visit to the offender. Or at the second visit to the offender with two or three witnesses. But after these two visits, the offender does not respond favorably, it is then the time to involve the church in the matter, JWS). ---- Clem Thurman in Gospel Minutes, Vol. 37, No. 13, March 25, 1988. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090721/acf377a0/attachment-0001.html From kerux at bellsouth.net Tue Jul 21 07:01:55 2009 From: kerux at bellsouth.net (Kent Heaton) Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2009 08:01:55 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] A>Dead Works And Works Justified - Part 2 (Kent Heaton) Message-ID: <662C6283E2734936B12FB5A6F28C85AB@D2381J91> Dead Works And Works Justified - Part 2 (Kent Heaton) The Bible clearly shows that man is saved by faith and works. "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also" (James 2:26). There are works that justify a man before God. The Lord tells us that we are "His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). Good works will make a man righteous before God. Those who deny salvation by works deny salvation by belief. The scriptures teach that salvation is through belief (John 3:16) and the general feeling of many in the religious community is that salvation comes by faith only - not by works. Can works save a man? The people asked Jesus, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent" (John 6:28-29). The work of God is believing on Jesus Christ. If a man is not saved by works then he cannot be saved by believing. Belief is a work! Works makes faith perfect. James uses Abraham as an example of the necessity of faith and works. "Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect" (James 2:21-22)? The Holy Spirit declares that Abraham was justified by works. Obedient faith is the action of a man's willingness to follow the will of God and thereby justify himself before God. Abraham not only believed but he "offered Isaac his son on the altar" and showed his faith working with his works that brought about his righteousness. Abraham was not saved by faith alone. Faith alone cannot save you. Again James writes, "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?" (James 2:14). Faith exercised through works justifies a man and makes him acceptable to God. The apostle Peter said, "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him" (Acts 10:34-35). Paul would write to the church at Philippi and exhort them to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12). How is it possible to be saved by the grace of God, faith in Jesus Christ and the works manifested in a man's life? Noah was saved by the grace of God, his faith in God and his works. "By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen [GRACE], moved with godly fear [FAITH], prepared an ark for the saving of his household [WORKS], by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith" (Hebrews 11:7). Was Noah saved by grace alone? No. Was Noah saved by faith alone? No. Was Noah saved by works alone? No. Was Noah saved by grace, faith and works? Yes. Can I be saved by grace alone? No. Can I be saved by faith alone? No. Can I be saved by works alone? No. Can I be saved by grace, faith and works? Yes. I must believe in the saving power of God's grace and through faith be justified before the Lord. I must "do the will of the Father" (Matthew 7:21) in order to be saved. Anything less and I will not be saved. Faith alone is dead faith and will not save you. Follow the will of the Lord and reject the false teachings of men. "In vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:9). Kent Heaton 207 NE Fourth Avenue Trenton, Florida 32693 (H) 352-463-6916 (O) 3793 (C) 352-283-3889 www.trentonchurchofchrist.com Audio Sermons Available www.northfloridabiblecamp.com July 26 - August 1, 2009 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090721/be4b8de4/attachment.html From ZekeFlores1 at cs.com Tue Jul 21 10:49:11 2009 From: ZekeFlores1 at cs.com (ZekeFlores1 at cs.com) Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:49:11 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S> I've Sinned - Now What? Message-ID: Here's a lesson I hope you find useful. Zeke Flores Kiber Street church of Christ Angleton, TX www.angletonchristians.com *********************************************************************** I've Sinned; Now What? Num 32:23 Intro: Num 32:23 is true for everyone and how unprepared we can be when it happens! A. A man I knew long before I became a Xian was a recovering alcoholic. When I met him he'd been sober for about 1 ? years and was proud of it. Trouble was, he still liked to do the same things and he still had the same friends. He was a pool player (pretty good, too) and usually the only places to play pool in a small town are bars. He played with his friends sipping at his Pepsi and collecting his winnings (he always played for $$) until the temptation grew too strong and Pepsi turned into beer, beer turned into shots of straight liquor. Last time I saw him, he was drunk having been on a bender for several days. He looked bewildered, like he didn't know what hit him and he looked like he didn't know what to do. B. Yielding to temptation is like that. 1. We skate too close to the edge, then we fall off. C. There are good passages that warn about the foolishness of flirting with sin: 1. Prov 6:27-28 2. But the fact is, we all do, then BAM! we get sucked in. What then? I. I Must Accept and Admit My Sin A. What it is NOT: 1. Hiding my sin - Ex 2:11-14 2. Passing the blame - Gen 3:8-13 3. Misrepresenting my sin - 1 Sam 15:2-3, 7-9, 17-21 4. Not showing remorse - Mal 1:6-13; 1 Cor 5:1-2 5. All of this indicates I have not yet realized sin for what it is and where it leads. a. Though we denounce the indulgences sold by the Catholic church, in reality many wish for them. We wish for something we can wave at God or others that will dismiss us from the responsibility of our sin. b. It points to an embarrassing neglect of spiritual care. Like the parent who left for a trip and left his child with a sitter. Upon the parent's return the sitter said, "Here is the baby's food, clothes, and toys, but I've lost the baby!" In the same way we provide for our body's well-being but on judgment day will we say, "Lord here's my body, nice and cared for but I can't find my soul!" B. What it IS: 1. Owning my sin - 2 Sam 12:7, 13; Psalm 51:1-4 2. Mourn over my sin - Matt 5:4; Luke 18:13 3. Confessing my sin (as publicly as the sin was) a. To God - Psalm 32:5 b. To one another - 1 John 1:8-9, James 5:16 4. Being willing to make restitution - Luke 19:8, Matt 3:8 a. The point is to not just "even up" but to go beyond what you were before spiritually. II. I Must Learn From My Sin A. Sometimes we can spend more time complaining about our accusers and critics than we do repenting. B. Repentance gives us an opportunity to: 1. Realize I am not perfect but that doesn't mean I can't find ways to improve. 2. Realize God is still teaching me - James 1:21-25 a. I've got to realize what I am (a sinner), and that I cannot do it by myself, but that God will help. b. 1 Cor 10:13 3. Then, I can start bearing the fruit of repentance. III. I Must Make The Best of My 2nd Chance A. The Bible is filled with examples of men and women who were given 2nd chances (3rd, 4th, 5th, etc). 1. Some did well, some not so well. a. A college-football coach was faced with the possibility that his star player might be declared academically ineligible, so he pleaded with the math professor not to flunk the kid. "Tell you what, coach," said the professor, "I'll ask him a question in your presence. If he gets it right, I'll pass him." The athlete was called in, and the prof asked, "What's two and two?" "Four," replied the player. Frantically the coach cried, "Give him another chance! Give him another chance!" 2. Sometimes we blow our chance listening to the wrong people. What will I do with my 2nd chance? B. To make it worthwhile and beneficial, I've got to use it to make myself better, move beyond the sin stronger for it. 1. 2 Cor 7:9-11 ? The choice is mine. Conc: Yielding to sin is not easy to get over, but it doesn't have to destroy me. God will help. ? Prov 28:13 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090721/532524a9/attachment-0001.html From shewemail at earthlink.net Wed Jul 22 00:05:57 2009 From: shewemail at earthlink.net (James) Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2009 01:05:57 -0400 (GMT-04:00) Subject: [Biblemat] Any English Teachers? Message-ID: <16400842.1248239158041.JavaMail.root@elwamui-little.atl.sa.earthlink.net> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090722/0ce14b34/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Wed Jul 22 04:22:10 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2009 05:22:10 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) THE BIBLE HEART AND CONVERSION (2) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the second and final installment of this particular study. Use to the glory of God. THE BIBLE HEART AND CONVERSION (2) The Heart Of Man Is Also The Will: -- When God created man, He gave man the power of choice: the power to choose the path he would walk. Man is not driven by blind instinct as are most anim- als. Man can, by his own will, choose the kind of life he will live. That function also is "the heart" of man. The Bible speaks of "the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Heb. 4:12). Joshua call- ed on Israel to exercise their wills: "Choose ye this day whom ye will serve" (Jos. 24:15). The apostle wrote: "The grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us, to the intent that , denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world" (Titus 2:11,12). To make a choice, to will ourselves to foll- ow a course that God gives us, is a function of the Bible heart. The church at Corinth, instructed to give to the work of the Lord, were given some principles to govern their giving: "Let each man give as he hath purposed in his heart" (2 Cor. 9:7). There is the will of man at work: a person decides wht he will do. The apostle Paul wrote of the need for self-control, then said of himself, "I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage" (1 Cor. 9: 27). That kind of self-discipline is basic to the Christian life, as we "present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God" (Rom. 12:1), and it is accomplished by the will. Peter speaking of "adding to your faith," tells us to add, along with virtue, knowledge and other such attributes, "self-control" (2 Pet. 1:6). One function of the will is to determine to follow the course of action God sets forth for us, to obey. Paul writes that we are to "obey from the heart" (Rom. 6:17), and Peter declares, "Ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth" (1 Pet. 1:22). Too many people declare with the lips their love for God, but (as Jesus said), "Your heart is far from Me" (Matt. 15:8). They never exercise the will to obey the Lord, to do what He said do. That, too, is a part of the function of the Bible heart. Jesus, just before His death on the cross, prayed, "Father, not My Will, but Thine, be done" (Lk. 22:42). There is the real "heart" of man, to "deny self" (Matt. 16:24) and submit to the Will of God. Conversion Of the Bible Heart: -- The word "convert" means "change." How, then, is the Bible heart converted? What is the means, what is the result of a change of heart? The intellect is changed by evidence. If one is presented evidence that a certain thing is true, he becomes convinced that it is fact and his "mind" (intellect) is changed. The result of such evidence is faith. "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God" ( Rom. 10:17). The reason the gospel of Christ is called "the power of God unto salvation" is because "therein is reveal- ed a rightoeusness of God from faith unto faith" (Rom. 1:16,17). Peter recounted for other Christian leaders the time when he preached to the household of Cornelius: "The Gentiles should hear the Word of the gospel and believe...He made not distinct- ion between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith" (Acts 15:7-9). When a person's convictions are changed, his emotions are changed. Thus, the intellect is instrumental in converting the emotions. While Jacob was convinced Joseph was dead, he was in mourning (Gen. 37). When he learned that his son was still alive, he rejoiced (Gen. 46). No fact had changed, but when he "changed his mind" Jacob's emotions changed, a new deter-mination results. The Lord put it this way: "Thus it behooved the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name unto all the nations" (Lk. 24:46,47). When one's emotions are changed from indifference to love for the Lord, he will "repent" and determine to serve the Lord (Acts 3:17-19). When the will of man is changed, when he has a real "change of heart" and repents, he will be eager to fully obey the Lord. People on the day of Pentecost, eager to do God's biddi- ng, cried out, "what shall we do?" the answer was, "repent ye, and be batpized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins" (Ats 2:37,38). Their response? "As many as received his word were baptized" (Acts 2:41). That is always what a change of heart will do! Jesus had prom- ised, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mk. 16:16). So, the Samaritans "believed and were baptized" (Acts 8:12), the Ethiopian eunuch "believed and was baptized" (Acts 8:36-38), the household of Cornelius "believed and were baptiz- ed" (Acts10:43-48), the Philippian jailor "believed and was bapt- ized" (Acts 16:30-33), Saul of Tarsus "believed and was baptized" (Acts 9:18; 22:16). That is what a change of heart will always do. The "heart" of the Bible is not just feelings, although it includ- es that. The heart also is the mind and the will of man. A change of heart must include the whole heart -- not just feelings. That means a person must be convinced and put his trust in Jesus (Jno. 8:24; Acts 16:30). When he "believeth with his heart" (Rom. 10:10), the attitude change should result in repentance: a change of will. When one truly repents, through faith in Christ, he will then "be baptized into Christ" (Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27). That was the pattern in the Bible when hearts were changed. That's what it is. Have you been converted, had a change of heart? If not, then surrender your heart (all of it; mind, feelings and will) to the Lord Jesus Christ. --------- Clem Thurman in Gospel Min- utes, Vol. 37, No. 13, March 25, 1988. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090722/8ed3bd1b/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Wed Jul 22 04:21:58 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2009 05:21:58 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) QUESTION AND ANSWER Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Wednesday morning to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. Here is a question and answer from my files: QUESTION: -- Does God Hear The Prayers Of The Sinner? If God does not hear the prayer of the sinner, how can he be saved? And what about Lk. 18:10-14? ANSWER: -- There is no "if" about it. Notice this plain statement in Jno. 9:31, "We know that God heareth not sinn- ers: but if any man be a worshiper of God, and does His Will, him He heareth." This was a well-established truth throughout the Old Testament Scriptures. Notice this principle which God laid down: "Becasue I have called, and ye have refused; I have stret- ched out My hand, and no man hath regarded; But ye have set at nought all My counsel, And would none of My reproof; I also will laugh in (the day of) your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as a storm, And your calam- ity cometh on as a whirlwind; When distress and anguish come upon you. Then will they call upon Me, but I will not answer; They will seek Me diligently, but they shall not find Me" (Prov. 1: 24-28). That is pretty plain, isn't it? God says plainly, "If you won't listen to Me, I won't listen to you." The word "sinner," is ordinarily used in the Scripture to mean one who rebels against the Will of God. But when one will repent, God is then willing to hear his prayer. This is shown in the statement of Jno. 9:31, "And doeth His Will." If one repents and is willing to hear and obey the Will of God, then the Lord will hear and answer his prayers. Notice what the prophet wrote: "Behold, Jehovah's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, so that He will not hear" (Isa. 59:1,2). This same principle is repeated throughout the New Testament, as well. There are two different categories of sinners in the Script-' ures: aliens and citizens. If one is not a child of God (under the covenant), then he is an alien. The case of Lk. 18:10-14 deals only with citizen sinners, for both the Pharisee and the publican were Israelites, in covenant relationship with God. The differen-ce between them was that the publican recognized, and admitt- ed, his failures. The Pharisee was proud of himself, and refused to acknowledge his need for God and His mercy. The publican, on the other hand, fit with Jno. 9:31 perfectly. He knew he need- ed God's mercy, and he asked for it. He was a worshiper of God, and (at least at this moment) was doing the Will of God. So God heard him and forgave him. He'll do the same with any child of His who sins today. The alien, on the other hand, must first become a child of God in order to call God his Father. Notice the process: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved...For ye are all sons of God through faith, in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ" (Mk. 16:16; Gal. 3:26,27). When one puts his trust in Jesus and is baptized into Him, then he becomes a child of God. And then he can call God, "Father." But notice this principle which God gives us: "He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be an abomination" (Prov. 28:9). If we expect God to listen to us, we must be willing to listen to Him. Only when we become His children, and live according to His will, does He hear us. ---------- Clem Thurman in Gospel Minutes, Vol. 58, No. 28, July 10, 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090722/5b5daa66/attachment.html From GLClair at aol.com Thu Jul 23 10:10:27 2009 From: GLClair at aol.com (GLClair at aol.com) Date: Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:10:27 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] ARTICLE - The Wonder of it All Message-ID: The Wonder of It All Often in our daily lives we encounter persons or events that cause us to wonder about the results, the motivation of those involved, or the cause/causes of the event. While we do not understanding all that happens in the world and why these things happen we do know that there is knowledge about it all by the Creator of the universe --- 1 John 3:19-20 - 19 We shall know by this that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart before Him, 20 in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.(NASB) There are many puzzling events that we all experience in life; some more than others because of the nature of their involvement in the world and the things of the world. Even though this is so; we understand that God has the answer to our problems and stunning events of life --- Jeremiah 10:23 - 23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. Indeed, God knows all things about every person and every event --- Mark 10:27 - 27 Looking at them, Jesus said, "With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God." (NASU) Acts 17:24-26 - 24 " The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, (NASU) Heb. 4:13 - And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. (NASU) Since this is sol we ought to place our lives and our confidence in God who makes all things and understands all things about us, our lives, our friends, our weaknesses and our strengths, who will save us from our sins and from all unrighteousness if we will come to Him on his terms --- Matt. 11:25-30 25 Come to Me at that time Jesus said, "I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. 26 "Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. 27 " All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 28 "Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. 30 "For My yoke is easy and my burden is light." (NASU) Do you need understanding, forgiveness for sins, and desire to have a better life with better and more association with Christian people. Then you need to become a Christian and become part of a sound church of Christ. There are many congregations of God?s people meeting everywhere ? if you need an address of a sound church send us a note; we will be happy to provide you with information about the church in your area. --- _glclair at aol.com_ (mailto:glclair at aol.com) **************Dell Deals: Treat yourself to a sweet deal on popular laptops! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1223100673x1201716527/aol?redir=http:%2F%2Faltfarm.mediaplex.com%2Fad%2Fck%2F12309%2D81939%2D1629%2D7) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090723/c9437ac0/attachment-0001.html From chris.gautney at gmail.com Thu Jul 23 10:56:08 2009 From: chris.gautney at gmail.com (Chris Gautney) Date: Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:56:08 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] Understanding God's Grace Message-ID: <9fd765230907230856x330d7d64x2653970823e0976b@mail.gmail.com> Borrowed lesson on God's grace below. Understanding God?s Grace Introduction Grace is almost used exclusively in spiritual realms. We can understand grace in a physical sense when we think of a ?grace period? (i.e. grace period associated with an insurance policy). If you don?t pay a bill on time, you have this period of time to pay the bill after the established payment due date. This is mercy extended which you do not deserve, favor you do not merit. God extended his mercy to us, often called unmerited favor. I. Grace was required 1. Origin of need was in the Garden Gen. 2:16-17 a. Man placed in the garden ? given law b. Law of no benefit unless penalty attached 2. Violation of God?s Law ? Gen 3:6-12 a. Commonly stated consequences i. Put out of the garden ii. Tree of life Prohibition iii. Separated from God b. Immediate consequences i. Changed relationship with self ? never knew shame before ii. Changed relationship with God ? enjoyed company with God but now hiding from Him iii. Changed relationship with themselves ? ?the WOMAN who you gave me...?SHE gave me of the tree...? c. All have sinned ? Rom. 3:23 3. Reconciliation a. God not a permissive parent ? Justice demands penalty be met b. Illustration: Scales of Justice c. Sin?s penalty satisfied only by blood of Christ II. Grace Misunderstood - Man tells us... 1. Grace of God = License to Sin a. God is loving, merciful gracious ? Psa. 103:8-14 b. Ok to tell one lie, miss one service..? c. If direct communication with God, would He give ok? d. Die to sin; live for God, not self ? Rom 6:1-4 e. Difference in being overtaken by sin and sin reigning in mortal body - Rom. 6:11-12 f. God gives NO license to sin 2. Once in grace, always in grace ? Gal. 5-4 a. Need we say more? 3. Any action on man?s part nullifies grace a. Some have said absurd grace is attached to baptism b. Historically, God?s grace was attached to instructions i. Noah ? Gen 6:8, 22 1.) Found grace, built ark ii. Joshua ? Josh. 6:2; 20 1.) Given city, marched around city iii. Blind man ? John 9:6-7 1.) Washed in pool, healed by the Grace of God iv. God?s grace was attached to instructions to be obeyed and obeyed strictly c. Forgivenss of sins no different i. Today?s instructions ? Mk 16:16 4. Everyone?s going to be saved by God?s grace anyways a. Some exceptions are given, i.e. Hitler b. Jesus said ?Few? will be saved ? Matt 7 III. Must have an appreciation for God?s grace 1. Need to see the terribleness of our sin a. Saul of Tarsus ? Acts 9:5 i. Immediately saw his sin b. Pharisee/ Tax Collector ? Lk. 18 i. Pharisee never saw need for God or His grace 2. Need to see our helplessness in doing anything on our own to bring about forgiveness ? Lk. 7:36-42a a. We have nothing with which to repay 3. Terribleness of the punishment of sin ? Matt. 25:41 a. Total separation from God b. Greatest thing about Heaven ? God is there Invitation From tedwards at onemain.com Thu Jul 23 12:42:51 2009 From: tedwards at onemain.com (tedwards at onemain.com) Date: Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:42:51 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] B> Gospel Observer 7/19/09 Message-ID: <4A685ACB.3895.F1B10C@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 19, 2009 ____________________________________________________ Contents: 1) Gleanings from Genesis: Adam in the Garden of Eden (Wayne S. Walker) 2) Unread Letters (Matt Hennecke) ____________________________________________________ -1- Gleanings from Genesis: Adam in the Garden of Eden by Wayne S. Walker A few years ago there was a newspaper article in which several leading scientists were asked to discuss whether the forbidden fruit of Genesis chapters two and three was really an apple or not, since apples do not generally grow in the part of the middle east where it is believed the Garden of Eden was located. A couple of these so-called experts even said that we would probably have to check the Hebrew and Greek translations of the Bible to see exactly what was meant by the word "apple" to be absolutely sure. (For those who wish to check the accuracy of this, the story is found on page 3 of the July 7, 1974, Sunday edition of the Chicago Tribune. The author was Derrick Blakely and his title was, "Apricots in Eden? Experts Take a Bite.") However, all of this discussion was a manifestation of ignorance because the Bible does not even claim that Adam and Eve ate an apple. It just calls it a fruit. "Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, 'Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die'" (Gen. 2:15-17, NKJV). Our purpose in this article is not to determine the kind of fruit that God forbade Adam and Eve to eat, but to look at this text and see what lessons can be learned from it. I. God gave man a job to do. Adam was put into the Garden of Eden and told "to tend and keep it." God despises idleness. Of the slothful man he said, "So your poverty will come like a prowler, And your want like an armed man" (Prov. 24:34). One of our own proverbs is that an idle mind is the devil's workshop and idle hands are the devil's tools. God has always required man to work in the physical realm. "Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need" (Eph. 4:28). God has given his people a spiritual work to keep them busy. "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Cor. 15:58). When you sing the grand old gospel song, "I Want to Be a Worker for the Lord," do you really mean it? II. God gave man provisions to live. God said to Adam, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat." God also provides for us. He is the source of every good and perfect gift. It is him who "gives to all life, breath, and all things," and it is in him that "we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:25-28). God provides for all our physical needs. While preaching in Lystra, Paul said of God, "Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness" (Acts 14:17). May we ever be thankful for these wonderful material blessings. But God has also provided for all our spiritual needs in Christ. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift! III. God gave man a commandment to keep. His specific words to Adam were, "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat." In every age, God has revealed his commandments to mankind. The Psalmist wrote, "You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; For they are ever with me" (Psa. 119:98). One of the purposes of these commandments is to try or test man's faith whether he would obey or not. Moses told the Israelites, "And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not" (Deut. 8:2). It is by keeping his commandments that we show our love for God. "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome" (1 Jn. 5:3). To say that we "love God" and then refuse or fail to obey his commandments is to lie. IV. God gave man a threat of punishment to motivate him. Adam heard God say, "For in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." Law without punishment is, in fact, no law. "Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil" (Ecc. 8:11). One of the major problems with the laws of our nation is that punishment is not sure and swift. This has resulted in the skyrocketing of our crime rate. Most people recognize the need for occasional punishment in the home. "He who spares the rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly" (Prov. 13:24). In order for children to learn the difference between right and wrong, wrong behavior must be punished. In the spiritual realm, the reward of heaven would mean relatively little without the contrasting punishment of hell. Only when the wicked go away into everlasting punishment and the righteous into eternal life will justice finally be perfected (see Matt. 25:3141). Conclusion Adam and Eve had enough to do in the garden that they really did not have time to stand idly around thinking about the forbidden fruit. They had plenty of other fruit to eat so that they did not even need it. Furthermore, God commanded them not to eat of it and promised punishment if they did. However, in spite of all this, Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. And God did punish them. God has given us everything we need to get from earth to heaven. "As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue" (2 Pet. 1:3). But if we do not do his work and keep his commandments, we shall also be punished -- eternally. Yet, because Jesus died for us, we can escape the punishment of our sins and receive God's eternal reward by giving our lives to him in obedience to his will. If you are not a Christian, or are unfaithful, will you not consider your spiritual condition and come to Christ for his blessings? -- Via Guardian of Truth XXXII: 2, pp. 44-45, January 21, 1988 ____________________________________________________ -2- Unread Letters by Matt Hennecke A childhood accident resulted in poet Elizabeth Barrett becoming an invalid and recluse. Despite her isolation her early poetry drew the attention of Robert Browning who began courting her. He eventually asked for her hand in marriage and Elizabeth and Robert were married in 1846. But there's more to the story. In her youth, Elizabeth had been watched closely by her tyrannical father. He was strict beyond reason and attempted to prevent suitors from courting her. In fact, he did not want any of his children to marry. As a result, Elizabeth and Robert eloped, their wedding held in secret because of her father's disapproval. After the wedding the Brownings sailed for Italy, where they lived for the rest of their lives -- exiled from her parents. Even though her parents had disowned her, Elizabeth never gave up on the relationship. Almost weekly she wrote them letters. Some were fairly lengthy, others short and poetical in form. Not once did they reply. After ten years, Elizabeth received a large box in the mail. Inside, she found all of her letters. Not a single one had been opened. Elizabeth's years of writing, her letters pleading for reconciliation -- were for naught. Today those letters are among the most beautiful in classical English literature. Had her parents only read a few of them, their relationship with Elizabeth might have been restored. These events were reported in the Daily Walk in May 30, 1992. What makes the story of Elizabeth Barrett Browning so compelling is that it is so similar to another story. A story that is repeated over and over again -- generation after generation. You see, I am aware of other letters which have been written but not read. Beautiful letters. Letters of reconciliation. Letters of hope. We know them better as epistles. These letters, written by men, but authored by God through the Holy Spirit have been written for our reconciliation, for our salvation. Sadly, they often go unnoticed, unread, unheeded. Indeed, the entire Bible, God's Word, is a book pleading for reconciliation. What is amazing is that God is pleading with us for reconciliation but He has done nothing wrong. We are the ones who have gone astray (2 Peter 2:15), and yet God stoops to beg for our reconciliation. In Colossians 1:18-23, Paul speaking of Christ says, "it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross" Why? Why would God give His only begotten Son for all of us who have gone astray? Paul tells us in verse 22: "in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach." Paul's letter speaks of reconciliation and of hope. Are you listening? What a beautiful letter. It would be a shame if it were never read, or if read, ignored. -- Via Think on These Things, April-May-June, 2009 ____________________________________________________ CHURCH OF CHRIST 201 Rushing Road (at the Hampton Inn) Denham Springs, LA 70726 Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520 tedwards at onemain.com http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go DIRECTIONS: Take the Denham Springs exit (exit 10) off of I-12. At the end of the exit ramp, turn north. Go about a stone's throw to Rushing Road. (You'll see a Starbucks, Circle K, and two other gas stations; with each on each corner.) Turn left on Rushing Road, and go less then 0.3 of a mile. Hampton Inn will be on the right. We assemble in its meeting room, which is very close to the check-in counter. ____________________________________________________ From GLClair at aol.com Thu Jul 23 15:27:55 2009 From: GLClair at aol.com (GLClair at aol.com) Date: Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:27:55 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] Brother Joe Stano finishes his course Message-ID: Note to all; Brother Joe Stano, a member of the church of Christ for a long time in Bedford, Ohio passed away on Friday at noon. Joe was one of the elders of the Bedford congregation during part of 1980-2000 Joe had Alzheimer's and was cared for by his son-in-law and daughter in Cedar Bluff, Alabama. The eulogy (i.e. sermon) will be presented by Garreth L. Clair, who has known the Stano family from the time in the early ninteen-eightys when he worked with the church in Bedford for a period of approximately five years. Services will be at the St John's Funeral Home 923 Broadway Ave Bedford, Ohio 11:00 P.M. - July 24, 2009 **************Dell Deals: Treat yourself to a sweet deal on popular laptops! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1223100673x1201716527/aol?redir=http:%2F%2Faltfarm.mediaplex.com%2Fad%2Fck%2F12309%2D81939%2D1629%2D7) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090723/845b3b02/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Fri Jul 24 04:16:41 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Fri, 24 Jul 2009 05:16:41 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) STAND Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Friday morning to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. Here is an article from my files: STAND HURTS, LOSS, DISAPPOINTMENT:-- They are part of life under the sun, but no less painful -- and no less life changing. The question is not, will they come, but what will be our response when they do? Will we turn our back on everything and everyone who has been part of our life up to that point? Will we turn our back on God? Will the world run over us? Will we shut down complete- ly? Will we becom vengeful or spiteful? All of those are things people have done. Knowing what to do, then, is dependent on the faith and character we build now. Rest assured, as surely as night follows day we will respond. If we wait until the time of crisis to develop our faith we will respond emotionally and most likely regretfully. However, if we build our faith daily when the time of crisis happens we will have our Lord to carry our load. Building a solid foundation of faith and relying on Him each day cannot be over emphasized. "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me." The reason Paul could make that statement was because he had been doing it. The reason Daniel, at a young age, could say: "I will not eat the king's meat nor drink the king's drink" was because he had already settled in his heart what he would do. Peter failed in his moment of trial because he made an emot- ional decision. The good news is that he repented and turned back to the Lord. He used his failure and disappointment as motivation to wake up to the need for maintaining a stronger relationship with the Lord. Too often when life turns against us, people retreat into the world and leave Christ behind. When we choose that course of action, Satan wins. But each time we stand firm, moved by a deep faith in the Lord wherein we refuse to give up or give in, Satan loses. We are made stronger and our faith deepens. Paul encourages us to, "Stand strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. And, having done all to stand, stand there- fore..." (Eph. 6:10-13). When your moment of trial comes, will you stand? ----------- Rickie Jenkins, in Biblical Insights, Vol. 8, No. 8, August, 2008. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090724/f57de9f9/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Fri Jul 24 04:16:49 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Fri, 24 Jul 2009 05:16:49 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) GIVING: SOME THINGS GOD SAYS: (1) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the first installment of a study of this particular subject taken from my ancient files. Use to the glory of God. GIVING: SOME THINGS GOD SAYS: (1) Many Christians are still squirmish about sermons on giving, even though the New Testament has more to say about this sub- ject -- with warnings against violations fo the divine instructions concerning it -- than the subject of baptism. The first sin-scand- al within the church soon after the day of Pentecost, was conn- ected with the financial program. Ananias and Sapphira, as re- corded in the fifth chapter of Acts, did three things: 1. They agreed together about their attempted deception: 2. They kept back part of what they proposed to give (they said they gave "all"): 3. They both lied after they were caught: Failure to carry on a Scriptural program of church finance can become the downfall of an otherwise Scriptural congregat- ion. This is true not only because that the few who carry the greater part of the financial burden of the church may become discouraged in time, but it is also true because of a wrong attit- ude toward the Lord's work which can result in a spiritual break-down. There are a number of principles which govern this question which I am discussing, and I conscientiously believe that no member of the church can do his full duty in respect to his wors- hip until and unless he understands and applies these principl- es. I shall discuss them under the several headings which follow and shall give the Scripture which I believe teaches the principle. I. Jesus Teaches That Giving Is A Matter Of Faithfulness Or Un- faithfulness In The Matter Of Stewardship: -- "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is un- just in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon (money), who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you hae not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?" (Lk. 16:10-12). It is very plain to see in this that Jesus regards all the proper- ty and money which we have in this world as belonging to God, and that God regards us as stewards who are only given custod-y of this property and money for a limited time. Jesus shows in this parable that this property is NOT OURS -- it belongs to anot- her, God. The point is that if we don't know how to use what God has give to us -- as stewards -- then He will not give us the eternal inheritance which should be ours. What God lets you earn, the money you receive for your work and the house you purchase with the fruits of your labors, are God's, not yours. What He proposes to give to us hereafter, is our's. If we can't take of His by the proper use of it, then He will not give us ours. You can see from this principle that you can spend this mon- ey which God lets you earn, on yourself and family -- if you choose to do so -- and not use the proper amount of it for the Lord's work, just as you please. But such unfaithfulness in stew- ardship will rob you of your eternal reward. In brief, my brother, it is give, as God has prospered you or be damned! I realize that's strong language, but it is the teaching of Jesus on the matter of stewardship of money and possessions you are allowed to have while upon this earth. (More will be posted on this subject tomorrow, the Lord willing, JWS). -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090724/28425ced/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Sat Jul 25 04:30:41 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Sat, 25 Jul 2009 05:30:41 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) GIVING: SOME THNGS GOD SAYS. (2) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the second installment of this particular subject. Use to the glory of God. GIVING: SOME THINGS GOD SAYS (2) God Expects Us To Give -- And Orders Us To Give -- As The Lord Has Prospered Us: -- "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gather-ings when I come" (1 Cor. 16:1,2). Please note that the word "order" is used. The English word here is translated from the Greek word "diatasso" which is a strong word that actually prescribes limits. The dictionary says that the word means: "To give commands, to prescribe." The word appears in the work of Jesus when he "directed" (die-taksen) the people to give to a child which He had healed, some- thing to eat (Lk. 8:55). According to Paul's reference to the matt- er, the Lord did "order" (dietaksen) the ones who preach the gospel to live of the gospel. The speech which Jesus made to His disciples in the 10th chapter of Matthew, when He sent the twelve on the limited commission, is referred to by Matthew as the Lord's "commanding" (diatassown) them (Matt. 11:1). Paul said the Lord's coming had been "ordained" (dietageis) (Gal. 3: 19). There are more than a half dozen other examples which I could give all of which show that what Paul said about the first day of the week collection -- or contribution -- was an order, a command. Well, most people accept that: they believe to contribute of their means on the first day of the week (as stated in 1 Cor. 16:1, 2) is a command. I am not only making this point -- for I believe you accept the fact that we should contribute on that day; the point I am making is that the Lord has ordered you to give as you have been prospered! We are great believers in the fact that Sunday is the TIME to give, alright; where we fall down is that the order also extends to the AMOUNT we give. God ordered that too. I am not prepared to state, today or at any other time, that I can -- by faith, which comes from hearing God's Word -- say that the Scriptures teach in so many words what that exact amount is. What I am going to say is that the Holy Spirit had ORDERED YOU to give as you have been prospered. I read the following recently: "He does not mean to suggest any proportion by His law. As God hath prospered him. Really He means, Let your preparation for others be according to your sense of God's goodness to you." Allow me to commend this statement to you. The ORDER, therefore, not only to the church at Corinth, but also to the church at any place, is that each member give on the first day of the week according to his sense of God's goodness to him. (More will be posted on this subject Monday, the Lord willing, JWS). -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090725/16647c55/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Sat Jul 25 04:30:27 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Sat, 25 Jul 2009 05:30:27 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) GOD HAS SPOKEN Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Saturday morn- ing to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. Here is an article from my files: GOD HAS SPOKEN Christ is King, sitting upon His throne (Acts 2:30-33), exercis- ing complete authority (Matt. 28:18). His kingdom came when the power of the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost (Mk. 9:1; Acts 1:1-8; 2:1-12); and those who obey- ed the instruction of the Great Commission became citizens in His kingdom (Col. 1:12,13; Eph. 2:19-22; Rev. 1:9). He must con- tinue His reign until every enemy has been defeated at the time of the resurrection and HIs second coming (1 Cor. 13:23-28). Peter used the keys of the kingdom, his message of salvation, binding and loosing, as those things had already been bound and loosed in heaven (Matt. 16:19; 18:1-20). Thus the perfect law of liberty was provided to us by inspiration of God (2 Tim. 3: 16,17; Jas. 1:25). Prior to the time of His death, Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Thy kingdom come" (Matt. 6:10). Are you still waiting for Jesus to come and set up His kingdom? Do you still pray, "Thy kingdom come"? If so, you are far behind the times! Did some- one tell you that the kingdom was established in 1914? If so, that someone was far off the mark. What kind of king rules but has no kingdom? Jesus did not err in His declaration in Mk. 9:1. Nor did He lie; "Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar" (Rom. 3:4). Christians today are partakers in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. Our King is eternal, our law is divinely given, and our inheritance is reserved in heaven from which we look for and eagerly await our Savior. Saints live daily by His guidance, worship Him after His instruction, and honor His king- ship by complete submission to Him as obedient servants. Why will you not join the children of God by becoming His child, also, and serve Him in Spirit and in Truth? Please read Acts 2). -------- Gilbert Alexander. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090725/a88624e4/attachment.html From wswalker310 at juno.com Fri Jul 24 17:56:15 2009 From: wswalker310 at juno.com (Wayne S Walker) Date: Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:56:15 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] hymn study, "Walk In the Light" Message-ID: <20090725.090220.3004.1.wswalker310@juno.com> Wayne Walker here with another weekly hymn study. "WALK IN THE LIGHT" "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light..." (1 Jn. 1:7 INTRO.: A hymn which encourages us to walk in the light as God is in the light is "Walk in the Light" (#551 in Hymns for Worship Revised, #181 in Sacred Selections for the Church). The text was written by Bernard Barton, who was born in London (some sources say Carlisle in Cumberland), England, on Jan. 31, 1784. Educated at a Quaker school at Ipswich, he was apprenticed at the age of twelve to a shopkeeper named Mr. S. Jesup at Halstead in Essex, and ten years later, in 1806, joined his brother in the corn and coal business at Woodbridge in Suffolk. After the death of his wife, to whom he had been married only a year, he went to Liverpool where he spent a year as a tutor. In 1810 he returned to Woodbridge where he served as a clerk in a local bank for the rest of his life, almost forty years. During this time, Barton enjoyed the friendship of such giants of English literature as Walter Scott, Robert Southey, Charles Lamb, George Byron, and Percy Shelley. Becoming known as England's "Quaker poet," he published ten books of poems, beginning with Metrical Effusions in 1812. >From these some twenty hymns came into usage. "Walk in the Light" first appeared with six stanzas in his Devotional Verses, Founded on Select Texts of Scripture, published at London in 1826. His last volume was Household Verses in 1849. Through the efforts of Sir Robert Peel, his poems won for him a state pension of $500 which he received for several years until his death at Woodbridge on Feb. 18, 1849. A number of different tunes have been found with this hymn. Many books use one (Manoah) which is taken from the Collection of Church Music compiled in 1851 by Henry Wellington Greatorex (1813-1858). It is sometimes attributed to either Franz Josef Haydn or Gioachino A. Rossini. In several of our books, Samuel Stennett's 1787 hymn "Majestic Sweetness Sits Enthroned" has been set to it. Some books use another tune (Campmeeting) which is an American folk melody that has been found with several of Charles Wesley's hymns and the chorus beginning "I do believe, I now believe That Jesus died for me." Cyberhymnal suggests a tune (Richmond, Chesterfield, or Haweis) composed by Thomas Haweis that is most often associated with Isaac Watts's hymn "Come, Let Join Our Cheerful Songs." Still another tune was composed in 1886 by Anthony Johnson Showalter (1858-1924). Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord's church during the twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, the song appeared with the Showalter tune in the 1940 Complete Christian Hymnal edited by Marion Davis; and with the Greatorex tune in the 1952 Hymns of Praise and Devotion edited by Will W. Slater. Today it appears, with the Greatorex tune, in both the 1977 Special Sacred Selections edited by Ellis J. Crum; and the 1986 Great Songs Revised edited by Forrest M. McCann; as well as Hymns for Worship Revised, with the Greatorex tune (one of the editions had words only with a note to use the tune for "Am I a Soldier of the Cross?), and Sacred Selections, with the Showalter tune. The hymn urges us to make walking in God's light our daily aim. I. From stanza 1 we learn that walking in the light brings us into fellowship with God "Walk in the light: so shalt thou know That fellowship of love His Spirit only can bestow Who reigns in light above." A. Both the Father and the Son want us to be in fellowship with them through that which the apostles declared: 1 Jn. 1:3 B. This is made possible by the Spirit who guided the apostles into all truth: Jn. 16:13 C. What a joy it is to be in fellowship with Him who reigns above: Rev. 19:6 II. From stanza 2 we learn that walking in the light enables us to have cleansing from sin "Walk in the light: and sin abhorred Shall ne'er defile again; The blood of Jesus Christ, thy Lord, Shall cleanse from every stain." A. "Sin abhorred" would indicate that to have this cleansing, we must repent of sin: 2 Cor. 7:10 B. God's remedy for the problem of sin is the blood of Jesus Christ to provide redemption or forgiveness: Eph. 1:7 C. Thus, by meeting God's conditions, which brings into the light, we have cleansing from sin: Eph. 5:26 III. From stanza 3 we learn that walking in the light makes our hearts belong to Christ "Walk in the light: and thou shalt find Thy heart made truly His, Who dwells in cloudless light enshrined In Whom no darkness is." A. The Lord wants us to give Him our hearts so that He may dwell in them by faith: Eph. 3:17 B. He dwells in cloudless light: 1 Tim. 6:15-16 C. And with Him is no darkness: 1 Jn. 1:5 IV. From stanza 4 we learn that walking in the light removes darkness from our lives "Walk in the light: and thou shalt own Thy darkness passed away, Because that light hath on thee shone In which is perfect day." A. Darkness often is used in scripture to represent sin: Jn. 3:19-21 B. However, Jesus is the light of the world: Jn. 8:12 C. If we will walk in His light, He will shine more and more unto the perfect day: Prov. 4:18 V. From stanza 5 we learn that walking in the light chases away the fear of death "Walk in the light: and e'en the tomb No fearful shade shall wear; Glory shall chase away its gloom, For Christ has conquered there." A. The tomb represents the fact that it is appointed for men to die once: Heb. 9:27 B. However, Christ chases away its gloom because He has delivered us from the fear of death: Heb. 2:14-15 C. He is the one who Himself conquered death and brings life and immortality to light: 2 Tim. 1:10 VI. From stanza 6 we learn that walking in the light brings the brightness of joy to our lives "Walk in the light: and thine shall be A path, though thorny, bright; For God, by grace, shall dwell in thee, And God Himself is light." (Showalter's versions read, "And thou shalt see Thy path...;" others have, "Thy path shall be A path...," probably to fit the music better) A. Even though our path is sometimes thorny, when we walk in the light we can drink from the fountain of God's pleasures: Ps. 36:8-9 B. The reason is that God extends His grace to those who obey Him: Eph. 2:8-9 C. And this grace provides the light of the gospel by which we can know that we are pleasing to the Lord: 2 Cor. 4:6 CONCL.: The chorus, based on Ps. 56:13 and probably added by Showalter, continues to stress the importance of walking in the light. "Walk in the light of the living, Walk in the light of God; Walk in the light of the living, Walk in the light of God." As a Quaker, Barton wrote his poems with the archaic pronouns, "thee," "thy," and "thine," drawn from the Elizabethan English of the King James Bible. Many books have made alterations in an attempt to "update" or "modernize" the language and eliminate the older terminology. For example, here is stanza 6 in "today's lingo": "Walk in the light: and you shall share Your path, though thorny, bright; For God in grace walks with you there, And God Himself is light." One may debate the advisability of such changes to classic hymns, but regardless of that, we should certainly want to sing songs like this which exhort us about the need to "Walk in the Light." Brotherly, Wayne S. Walker 503 S. Jefferson St. Salem, IL 62881 home phone: (618) 548-6286 office phone: (618) 548-1774 e-mail: wswalker310 at juno.com website: www.defenderoftruth.com Notes: Other hymn studies are available at the Defender of Truth website. Also, some of my previous hymn studies are now included in book that I have written entitled Songs of Zion. It can be ordered from the publisher by calling 1-800-423-2484 or going to www.faith-facts.com . And I have a Hymn Studies blog at http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hymnstudies/ . In addition, since this has been called to my attention, I now feel it necessary to include this disclaimer with each message. As owner of this list, I have nothing to do with the ads and links that Yahoogroups sends out with the Hymn of the Day posts nor do I have any control over them. I do not necessarily approve of them and I do not always endorse those who have placed them with Yahoogroups. ____________________________________________________________ Click to get your online credit check report & score. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/fc/BLSrjpTIjD2AsYkG1j2ruxHepTt4jYEBCxTYD7qbhlLT6Ow3JIeOHZYuREU/ From GLClair at aol.com Sat Jul 25 15:29:44 2009 From: GLClair at aol.com (GLClair at aol.com) Date: Sat, 25 Jul 2009 16:29:44 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] ARTICLE - The Wonder of it all Message-ID: The Wonder of It All Often in our daily lives we encounter persons or events that cause us to wonder about the results, the motivation of those involved, or the cause/causes of the event. While we do not understanding all that happens in the world and why these things happen we do know that there is knowledge about it all by the Creator of the universe --- 1 John 3:19-20 - 19 We shall know by this that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart before Him, 20 in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.(NASB) There are many puzzling events that we all experience in life; some more than others because of the nature of their involvement in the world and the things of the world. Even though this is so; we understand that God has the answer to our problems and stunning events of life --- Jeremiah 10:23 - 23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. Indeed, God knows all things about every person and every event --- Mark 10:27 - 27 Looking at them, Jesus said, "With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God." (NASU) Acts 17:24-26 - 24 " The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, (NASU) Heb. 4:13 - And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. (NASU) Since this is sol we ought to place our lives and our confidence in God who makes all things and understands all things about us, our lives, our friends, our weaknesses and our strengths, who will save us from our sins and from all unrighteousness if we will come to Him on his terms --- Matt. 11:25-30 25 Come to Me at that time Jesus said, "I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. 26 "Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. 27 " All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 28 "Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. 30 "For My yoke is easy and my burden is light." (NASU) Do you need understanding, forgiveness for sins, and desire to have a better life with better and more association with Christian people. Then you need to become a Christian and become part of a sound church of Christ. There are many congregations of God?s people meeting everywhere ? if you need an address of a sound church send us a note; we will be happy to provide you with information about the church in your area. --- _glclair at aol.com_ (mailto:glclair at aol.com) **************A bad credit score is 600 & below. Checking won't affect your score. See now! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1222585106x1201462830/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgI D=62&bcd=JulyBadfooterNO62) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090725/8b404760/attachment-0001.html From crxtra at gmail.com Sat Jul 25 23:36:26 2009 From: crxtra at gmail.com (Steven C. Harper) Date: Sat, 25 Jul 2009 21:36:26 -0700 Subject: [Biblemat] A> 'Retro' Is What It's About Message-ID: <000001ca0daa$a4d47970$ee7d6c50$@com> From: TRUTH & REASON, a bulletin of the Glendale church of Christ, Glendale, AZ. Editor: Steven Harper July 26, 2009 'Retro' Is What It's About The automotive industry has had a fascination with the "retro" look in the last decade or so. Beginning with Volkswagen's New Beetle, manufacturers started looking not only to the future for automotive design, but also looked back to see where they should go. From that thinking, we got a few cars that were a product of the desire to incorporate a "retro" look - either drawing features from older, successful cars [the Mustangs, Camaros, and Challengers], or simply designing the vehicle to "look" old [the PT Cruiser and Chevrolet's SSR and HHR]. For some older folks, the "retro" look reminds them of "how things used to be" and they enjoy pointing out to the younger crowd that these "new" cars weren't really so new, but just updated versions of automobiles they knew "way back when." The thought behind the "retro" look has been used in other products, such as kitchen appliances, furniture, and even residential and commercial architecture, but the reasoning is pretty much the same: give people something familiar and something that reminds them of how things used to be in simpler times. It is that very thinking that keeps the Arts and Crafts and "Shaker" furniture popular - styles that never seem to go out of favor. The design always goes back to the basics and simplicity is the key. In spiritual matters, "retro" is a good thing. And by "retro" I don't mean simply making things look like things of the past; I mean making things exactly as they were in the past. You see, that is what God wants from His people! When His will and plan for our salvation was revealed, the words spoken were of divine origin and, logically, approved by God. The words that the inspired apostles and writers gave to the listeners in the first century A.D. were what the people needed to hear and obey if they were to be pleasing to God, and those are the same words the obedient, faithful ones obeyed and then taught to others. It was that gospel which was the power of God to salvation to all who believed (Rom. 1:16). Unfortunately, since time when the original gospel was preached and the original church was founded, man has sought to "improve" on the message of the gospel and on the organization of the church and the result is the confusing religious mess we now have, the just-as-confusing messages all purporting to be of God, and the various organizations that all claim to be the Lord's church but which look nothing like the original. In the realm of spiritual matters, it would be like parking a Ford Model T next to a Ford GT; not only are they not even the same car, but they are worlds apart in capabilities, design, and purpose. And just about now, someone is thinking, "Exactly! The message needs to be updated to keep up with the times, just like those cars needed to be updated and modernized! The church needs to adapt to the society in which it exists and use whatever means necessary to attract interest and retain members! The original church is the Model T - outdated, slow, and unable to accomplish what the GT can do. Nobody buys that car anymore, and no one buys the old ways in religion anymore, either!" There is just one major flaw in trying to make the analogy fit: these cars are products of man's limited knowledge, which has certainly increased and improved over the last century, but which is still far from perfect; God's plan from the beginning was based on perfect knowledge [you can't get any better than perfect] and it needed no "improvement" or updating or adaptation to society in order to work. While automobiles have progressed greatly over the years, that progress came because man's knowledge increased; when God instituted His plan, He had perfect knowledge and the plan He had was, therefore, perfect and the organization of His church was, therefore, perfect. It needs no "improvement" [certainly not by imperfect man], it needs no "updating" for it to work, and it is man that needs to do the adapting to God, rather than God adapting His church to mankind's whims and wishes. Think about these things with me: Created by the Perfect God. Who would argue that the message is flawed or the church's establishment, organization, and purpose were imperfect because the one who conceived these things was imperfect? Who? Who will say that God's message of salvation needs some "additions" and "tweaks" today because God just didn't think of everything that man would need or He didn't conceive a plan that would stand the test of time? I will not argue this, for it would mean our God is less than perfect and I cannot believe that, based on what I know about the Creator of all things (Matt. 5:48). Adam Clarke said it well in commenting on this passage: "God Himself is the grand law, sole giver, and only pattern of the perfection which He recommends to His children." The Perfect Plan. Who could conceive a plan by which all men could have an opportunity for salvation from their sins, spared from the wrath of God for their transgressions, and still have a punishment enforced which would settle the debt - all in one act? Could man conceive such a plan? Certainly not! It would demand one with perfect knowledge to conceive such a plan, and that is exactly the case because it was God who conceived, established, and executed His plan to perfection! In the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins, God became the visible perfection of justice and mercy in that He was "just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus" (Rom. 3:26). The price was paid for our sins and yet we still could be forgiven of them! Perfect! The Perfect Sacrifice. But for that plan to work, there had to be a perfect sacrifice offered - and what could man offer that could claim to be perfect? The blood of bulls and goats could not take away the sins of man by one offering (Heb. 10:1-4), for the people living under the Old Law had to make such sacrifices continually [a new one each time they sinned]. It was not until Jesus appeared in human form, lived a sinless [perfect] life, and died on the cross [in perfect obedience to the Father's will] that the plan could be perfectly executed. And hear these words: "By a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified" (Heb. 10:14) A perfect sacrifice made perfect those who humbled themselves to believe and obey the plan by which they could be saved. Perfect! A Perfected People. Many misunderstand what God means by this, and more so when mere mortals try to explain it and teach it, but the church is made up of perfected people. Notice I did not say "perfect" people; it is more correctly understood that the church of Jesus Christ is composed of perfected people; that is, we come to a state of spiritual perfection not by being sinless or by never making mistakes, and certainly not by earning it somehow, but by the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ and by our obedience to His will. Because of Christ's perfect sacrifice, when we obey [and not until then], God does the work of making us "alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses" (Col. 2:13). Because of what Christ did, we "become the righteousness of God" (2nd Cor. 5:21). That is to say, we are made perfect! Now, what does this all mean? First, we should note that though man's inventions and creations often need updating and fine-tuning, what God established [His plan and His church] needs no improvement and needs no "help" from man. It is shameful to hear brethren now speak in terms of doing "what the church cannot" - as if it is somehow imperfect in its organization, purpose, or its capabilities. Second, let us ever strive to make sure that we are doing things the way God originally intended, and not following after man's so-called "improvements." -- Steven Harper -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090725/113bd60a/attachment-0001.html From richard at thetford.dot5hosting.com Sun Jul 26 20:27:40 2009 From: richard at thetford.dot5hosting.com (Richard Thetford) Date: Sun, 26 Jul 2009 19:27:40 -0600 Subject: [Biblemat] Walking in the Light (7/26/09) Message-ID: <000c01ca0e59$ce0ac150$6a2043f0$@dot5hosting.com> San Juan Logo PNG.png Walking in the Light "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105) July 26, 2009 www.thetfordcountry.com --- INFORMATION: Walking in the Light is published each week by Richard Thetford. You are encouraged to visit the web site at www.thetfordcountry.com and then click on "Richard's Home Page" to view numerous sermons, articles, radio program scripts, class material and other information. If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to "Walking in the Light," please send their name and e-mail address to richard at thetfordcountry.com --- CONTENTS: "Our Conscience Is Not Our Inspired Guide" (Richard Thetford) "Are You Saved?" (Carroll R. Sutton) "SENTENCE SERMONS --- OUR CONSCIENCE IS NOT OUR INSPIRED GUIDE Richard Thetford No doubt you have heard things like "let your conscience be your guide," or "if it seems right then it must be right," or "no one can have a good conscience while doing something wrong." To find out if these statements are true we must go to the source of all authority and that is the teaching of Jesus Christ and His inspired Word, the Bible. I believe it is true that our conscience should help guide us through life but we need to understand that our conscience is only as accurate as it has been taught. Just because we think something is right, it may not necessarily be so. The apostle Paul said: "Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth" (Acts 26:9). We know that while he was doing these contrary things that he was doing them in "good conscience". "Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, "Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day" (Acts 23:1). Therefore, just because something seems right to us, this does not make it absolutely so and we can also do things without it offending our conscience. Our Conscience Must Be Trained By the Word of God Our conscience must be trained to discern between right and wrong. If it has only been trained by our parents, then we will develop a conscience that will consist of values that we have learned from our parents. We need to ask ourselves, "where did my parents get their values?" If their values came from God's Word then they have passed on values based upon God's teaching and that is good. However, if they received their values of life from other sources, then you have received your values of life from your parents based on sources other than the Word of God. Why is this important? Because when our earthly life is over we are going to be judged by the words of Jesus. Jesus said: "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him - the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day" (John 12:48). We need to understand that we must live our life on this earth with a good conscience that is based solely on the words of Jesus Christ and the authority that He gave to His inspired apostles. Peter wrote: "knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:20-21). The Bible Is Our Inspired Guide The apostle Paul plainly taught that the Bible is the true source wherein man can be made perfect in God's sight. He said: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It is only through scripture that we can truly learn what God wants us to do in order to be pleasing to Him. The Bible must be our guide throughout life, not our conscience. Unfortunately most people go through life living for the moment and basing just about everything they do on how it makes them feel. As long as their conscience does not bother them, then they continue to partake of all the pleasures of life without any regard to what awaits them after this earthly life comes to an end. I urge you to do as the Bereans did back in the first century as they "..received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). Remember, your conscience is only as good as it has been taught. --- ARE YOU SAVED? Carroll R. Sutton Are you saved? Of course, you are not saved eternally in heaven at the present time, but are you now saved from your past sins? You are NOT saved just because you may desire salvation. The rich young ruler desired to be saved but he was not willing to pay the cost involved. So he went away from Jesus sorrowful (Matt 19:16-22). You are NOT saved just because you may think you are saved. Saul of Tarsus thought he was right while persecuting Christ but he was wrong (Acts 26:9). You are NOT saved just because you may think you have had "an experience" with the Lord. Our "experiences" is not God's power to save. You are NOT saved just because you may "feel like" you are saved! Feelings are not evidence of salvation! Feelings are produced by "belief" whether that "belief" is right or wrong. Saul felt like he was right with God while persecuting Christians unto death. He had a "good conscience before God" and "verily thought" he was pleasing God, but he was lost (Acts 26:9-11; 22:4; 23:1)! You are NOT saved just because you may be "happy." If you think you are saved, you will be "happy" although you are lost! You are NOT saved just because some preacher may have told you that you are! Jesus warned of "many false prophets" who have gone out into the world. We are told to "believe not every spirit" but to "try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1). You are NOT saved just because you are religious. Your religion may be in vain (Jam 1:26-27; Prov 16:25). If you are dead in trespasses and sins, you are not saved! You need to be "quickened" by the gospel which is God's Word (Psalms 119:50; Heb 4:12; Rom 1:16; Jam 1:18-22; and 1 Cor 4:15). If you are living in sin, you are not saved! You need to die to sin! This is accomplished by repentance (Rom 6:1-23; Acts 17:30-31; 2 Cor 7:10)! If you haven't believed in Jesus Christ, repented of your sins, confessed Christ and been baptized INTO Christ, YOU ARE NOT SAVED (John 20:30-31; Acts 17:30-31; Rom 10:9-10; Gal 3:27; Acts 2:38; Mar 16:16). "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men." --- SENTENCE SERMONS The devil is never too busy to rock the cradle of a sleeping saint. If you aren't big enough for criticism, you are really too small for praise. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. Some folks look ahead, some look back, but most folks look confused. A bitter world cannot be sweetened by a sour religion. A lot of people waste too much sympathy on themselves. Nothing is harder for most people to see than the obvious. Too many people are "broad-minded" about the wrong things. --- SERMON WHERE MILLIONS MISS "THE WAY" (with PDF Charts/PPT Charts/Audio) www.thetfordcountry.com --- cid:image003.gif at 01C9DCB3.EEF5E980 1414 Hawk Parkway, Unit C Montrose, CO 81401 (970) 626-5558 www.sanjuanchurchofchrist.org MEETING TIMES Sunday Bible Study..........10:00 A.M. Worship.........11:00 A.M. Wednesday Bible Study........6:30 P.M. Evangelist/Editor Richard Thetford Home: (970) 626-5558 E-Mail: richard at thetfordcountry.com Web Site: www.thetfordcountry.com --- RICHARD THETFORD 1491 Canyon Drive Ridgway, CO 81432 (970) 626-5558 E-Mail: richard at thetfordcountry.com Web Site: www.thetfordcountry.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090726/30e3249e/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 9271 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090726/30e3249e/attachment-0003.gif From disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Sun Jul 26 21:32:56 2009 From: disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com (Ethan R. Longhenry) Date: Sun, 26 Jul 2009 22:32:56 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] Good News for Norwalk: Volume IV, Number 30: July 26, 2009 Message-ID: Good News for Norwalk For I am not ashamed of the good news, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. (Romans 1:16) A publication of the church of Christ in Norwalk, Ohio Volume IV, Number 30: July 26, 2009 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Save Yourselves From This Generation! And with many other words [Peter] testified, and exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation" (Acts 2:40). After Peter proves to the crowd of Jews on the day of Pentecost that God has made Jesus whom they crucified both Lord and Christ (cf. Acts 2:14-36), he exhorts them to "save [themselves] from this crooked generation" (Acts 2:40). He wants them to repent of their sins and turn away from them, and that will require them to make a strong break with the thoughts and deeds of those around them (cf. Acts 2:38). While it is true that Peter preached this message almost two thousand years ago, its message is still appropriate. We, in the twenty-first century, would also do well to save ourselves from this crooked generation! There are many in this generation who do not believe in God and are quite hostile toward God and Christianity. They preach a message of doubt and self-satisfaction, and many are seduced by their message (cf. Romans 1:18-32). Such people, however, are a small minority. Most people do not actively work and speak against God and His purposes. Nevertheless, far too many do not stand for God or against Him. They just "go with the flow," accepting much of what they hear from society and the media. They very well may believe in God and believe in Jesus, but they do not do much about it, and think that God will save them because, in general, they are good people. The Scriptures, however, have other things to say: the broad way leads to destruction, and no one will be saved just for being a "good person" (Matthew 7:13-14, Ephesians 2:1-10). And then there are a lot of people who have a level of faith in God and in His Son Jesus Christ, but that is about all. They say that they believe, and they may even identify a church that they attend infrequently, but their lives do not show the fruit of a walk with Christ. Religion, to them, is something that you do on Sunday morning, if even that. The Bible is also clear about the sad message that such people will hear if they do not change (Matthew 7:21-23). Friend, we pray that you would save yourself from this crooked generation. Do not listen to those who rail against God and His Son Jesus Christ. Do not be one who just goes with the flow and believes what everyone else believes. Do not have a weak faith that cannot save. Instead, recognize that Jesus is Lord, believe in Him, confess Him before others, repent of your sin, be immersed in water for the remission of sin, and begin to walk in the path of Jesus Christ, serving Him so that you may obtain eternal life on the last day (Acts 2:38, Romans 10:9-10, 1 John 2:6, Romans 6:16-18). Be saved from this generation! Ethan R. Longhenry evangelist at norwalkchurch.org ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby. For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works?' And then will I profess unto them, 'I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity'"(Matthew 7:13-23). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The church of Christ in Norwalk, Ohio Thank you for reading the electronic version of our bulletin, Good News for Norwalk. If you live in Norwalk or happen to be traveling in the Norwalk area, we would certainly love to have you visit one of our assemblies! Our location: 386 North Edgewood Drive (just off US 250 just north of Norwalk's city limits) Norwalk, Ohio 44857 Our assemblies: Sunday morning assembly: 10:30am Sunday evening assembly: 6:00pm Our Bible studies: Sunday morning Bible study: 9:30am Wednesday evening Bible study: 7:00pm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ For More Information If you have any questions or comments about anything you have read here, or desire more information, please contact our evangelist, Ethan Longhenry, at evangelist at norwalkchurch.org. Ethan R. Longhenry / disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Evangelist, church of Christ in Norwalk, Ohio [norwalkchurch.org] Homepage: deusvitae.com AIM: Deus Vitae / ICQ: 28317056 Y! IM: discipuliiesus Spiritual Manna A biweekly devotional for your life. http://www.deusvitae.com/faith/manna From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Mon Jul 27 01:01:49 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2009 02:01:49 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) QUESTION AND ANSWER 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 a quest- ion and answer from my recent files: QUESTION: -- Just what is the work of elders and deacons? ANSWER: -- There have been many good books written on this subject. And we just didn't have the space in this paper to answer as completely as those books. But I shall try to answer the queston very briefly and fully as possible. Elders of the church are called by three different terms in the Scriptures: 1. Overseers. 2. Elders, and 3. Shepherds. These three words in the Greek are found in one passage: "The elders among you I exhort, who am a fellow elder, and a witness of the sufferingsd of Christ, who am also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversigh, not of constraint, but willingly; accord- ing to the Will of God; nor yet for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but making yourselves examples to the flock" (1 Pet. 5:1-3). "Elder" is from the Greek "presbuteros," and is the word most often used in the New Testament Scriptures to refer to these men. It literally means "an older man," but was used throu- ghout the Old Testament to refer to the rulers of the people of Israel, or to the rulers of a city. It has that same use in the New Testament (Matt. 26:3ff). From its use in the church of the Lord, it must be apparent that elders in the church fulfill the same func- tion as the elders of the Jews -- that is, (decision makers) in the matters and activities of the church. The word for "tend" or "feed" (as some versions have) is a verb derived from the Greek "poimeen," which is the word for "shepherd." As we read in Heb. 13:17, "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit to them: for they watch in behalf of your souls, as they that shall give account." The Lord Jesus explains the work of a shepherd well in Jno. 10: "When he hath put forth all of His own, He goeth before them, and the sheep follow Him: for they know His voice...I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd layeth down His life for the sheep" (vss. 4,11). Read Psa. 23, and see what a shepherd does. That is the work of the elders of the church of the Lord. The third term used is "overseer" from the Greek word "epis- copos." A synonym for overseer is "superintendent." The superintendent of a job in the construction industry, for instance does not do all of the work himself, but he oversees others as they do the work. To insure that it meets the proper specificat- ions. That is the function of elders in the church. It is not up to them to do all of the work, but to oversee the work of the mem- bers of the congregation, to see that the activities of the church are according to the "blueprint" which the Lord left us in HIs Holy Scriptures. The word of "deacon" comes from the Greek "diakonos," which literally means "servant." Thus, deacons in the church are to be servants of the church. A good case is that found in Acts 6, when seven men were chosen by the congregation to serve in a special way. When the Grecian widows were being neglected, complaint was made to the apostles. They said, "It is not fit that we should forsake the Word of God, and serve tables. Look out therefore, brethren, from among yourselves seven men of good report, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business" (Acts 6:2,3). The word for "serve" in vs. 2 is a verb derived from the Greek word "diakonos." So, these men were deacons, serving the church in this matter. Deacons may serve the church in a variety of ways -- by mowing the lawn, cleaning the church building, teach- ing Bible classes, tending to the needy, etc. But the work of deacons and the work of elders are not all the same. Elders are to "rule" (Heb. 13:17) in the sense of their being elders, overseers, shepherds. This is not the work of deacons. Specifi- cally, the work of deacons is to work under the oversight of the elders, dong whatever jobs are given them as they serve the church in a special way. ----- Clem Thurman in Gospel Minutes, Vol. 58, No. 30, July 24, 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090727/e19b8195/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Mon Jul 27 01:01:59 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2009 02:01:59 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) GIVING: SOME THINGS GOD SAYS (3) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the third installment of this particular study. Use to the glory of God. GIVING: SOME THINGS GOD SAYS (3) God's System Of Giving Is One Of Equality: -- "Now therefore perform the doing of it (referring to their contribution for the poor saints) that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. For if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened; but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality." (2 Cor. 8:11-14). We accept this principle in all other walks of life. In our social contacts with others, we believe and practice the principle of equality. Each person pays his or her share of any social event that involves the action of the group, and no man would hesitate about giving hsi share, because it is one of those self- evident moral principles that all human beings acknowledge at once. There is equality: tose wo are better able to give than others give more (as they are prospered, so to speak), and those who have smaller incomes give less (likewise, as they are pros- pered). This principle, with regards to church finance, is just as Scriptural as dropping your money in the contribution on the "first day of the week." I do not think I should have very much respect for myself if I had to carry around in my soul the humiliating conviction that I was giving less, in proportion to my ability to support the finan- cial needs of the church, than the other members. But how is the proportion to be determined? The answer comes back, of course, "Let every one of you lay by him in store as God has prospered him," and that's right. The rub comes when each of us decides what would be right according to what we receive. If I am left to determine this by myself, I may be apt to under- estimate what is my proportion -- based upon my income. My own selfishness might also prompt me to overestimate what you ought to give as your proportion. How then, can we settle the matter? Why friends, it is perfectly obvious that such could be easily left to somebody who is entirely disinterested in the matter. This should be somebody who can help me decide the matter without being biased by selfishness -- who can look at me, and at that other brother, and make a fair disinterested esti- mate of the relative ability of each. Well, it just so happens that God has someone in His church who would be perfectly unbiased, unpreduced and very fair in this -- or any other matter. In fact, some of the reasons for appointing them to the office they hold in the church are that they are vigilant, sober, not greedy of filthy lucre or gain, not covetous, patient, apt to teach (hence they know what the Book teaches) and on top of all of this they are "not a novice" hence they have had lots of experience. Obviously, I refer to the elders of the church. One of the jobs of the elders is to watch for our souls, hence they could certainly be depended upon to tell us just what amount we should Scripturally give out of what income we have. (It is true that elders having the qualifications required of them, could be of great help with problems and questions that members have in their minds about their spiritual lives. But, in the matter of giving as we have prospered, we can- not find any better example than that of the Galatians who gave beyond their prosperity, because they first gave themselves to the Lord. JWS). (More will be posted on this subject tomorrow, the Lord willing, JWS), -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090727/7e54a43b/attachment-0001.html From myhan at cox.net Mon Jul 27 05:49:09 2009 From: myhan at cox.net (Bob Myhan) Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2009 06:49:09 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] Faith Builder Email.2009-07-19 Message-ID: <80EB5EF9FE8044BF8A8674F0074AC00F@desktop> The Soul and the SpiritThe Forest Hills Faith Builder Forest Hills church of Christ 800 Forest Hill Road ? Macon, GA 31210 478-474-2233 Email: foresthillschurch at cox.net Website: www.foresthillschurchofchrist.com July 19, 2009 ?Put On the Whole Armor of God? By Bob Myhan The Christian is commanded to ?be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might? (Eph. 6:10). But if inspiration had ended the epistle at this point, the Christian would be ?at sea without a compass? as far as knowing how to ?be strong in the Lord? is concerned. But in His infinite mercy, the Holy Spirit proceeded by the will of the Father, the direction of the Son and the pen of Paul, to give us the key to being ?strong in the Lord.? Only by putting on ?the whole armor of God? will we ?be able to stand against the schemes of the devil? (Eph. 6:14, ESV]. The word translated ?schemes,? according to Vine, ?denotes craft, deceit ? a cunning device.? Unfortunately, the devil has many cunning devices with which we might ?be outwitted? by him (2 Cor. 2:11, ESV). First, he approaches us indirectly by means of his ministers (2 Cor. 11:13-15), who ?are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.? Even the Lord?s disciples can be so used (Matt. 16:23). Second, he appeals to us by way of things that are ?in the world?the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life? (1 John 2:15-17; Gen. 3:6). Third, he ?takes away the word out of [our] hearts? (Luke 8:12) by the use of lies (John 8:44; Gen. 3:4, 5), worldly wisdom (1 Cor. 1:18-25), and the misuse of Scripture (Matt. 4:6). Fourth, he causes offense, or stumbling (Matt. 13:20, 21) through tribulation (Matt. 13:21), persecution (Matt. 13:21) and temptation (Luke 8:13). Fifth, he chokes the word (Matt. 13:22) by means of the cares of this world (Matt. 13:22), the deceitfulness of riches (Matt. 13:22) and pleasures of life (Luke 8:14). Sixth, by his ?craftiness,? he corrupts minds ?from the simplicity that is in Christ? (2 Cor. 11:3). The word ?craftiness? is literally ?all-working;? that is, ?doing everything ? hence, unscrupulous conduct? (Vine). In short, Satan will stop at nothing in his attempts to outwit us. We must ?armor up!? But, in order to ?armor up? we must be familiar with the armor to begin with. When a certain boy was about to face a certain Philistine giant, ?Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, ?I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.? So David took them off? (1 Sam. 17:38, 39). Had David tested Saul?s armor beforehand, he would doubtless have felt more comfortable in it. And, while he was able to defeat the giant without it, he would not have been victorious without the spiritual ?armor of God.? That armor was his faith in divine providence, as evidenced from the fact he had already ?said to Saul. ?Your servant used to keep his father?s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.? Moreover David said, ?The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.? And Saul said to David, ?Go, and the Lord be with you?? (1 Sam. 17:34-37). Faith is also the key to our spiritual armor, as we shall see in future articles. & ?Having Girded Your Waist with Truth? By Bob Myhan The first thing the inspired apostle says to do, as far as putting on the whole armor of God is concerned, is gird ?your waist with truth? (Eph. 6:14). The word ?waist? [?loins,? KJV], when used literal?ly, refers to the hips and the lower ab?domen regarded as part of the body to be clothed and as the region of strength or procreative power. In physical warfare this portion of the body must be protected. The ?girdle? [?belt,? ESV] provided this protection, but also ?secured the body armor at the waist and sometimes served as a sword belt? (Wilbur Fields, The Glorious Church, p. 190). But is it the physical waist that is to be ?girded?with truth? or its spiritual counterpart? Peter says, ?Gird up the loins of your mind? (1 Peter 1:13). Thus, the mind?the intellectual aspect of the heart?is to be encircled with and protected by truth; after all it is the ?seed bed? for truth and error (Luke 8:11, 12; Matt. 13:18, 19, 37-39). Some ask, with Pilate (John 18:38), ?What is truth?? This question was in response to Jesus? statement, ?For this cause was I born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice? (John 18:37). Some think truth is truth only if one perceives it to be truth. But did Jesus come to bear witness to something that is purely relative? It is it absolutely true that nothing is absolutely true? On behalf of His apostles Jesus prayed to the Father, ?Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth? (John 17:17). So truth is the word of God! But how does one ?gird up the loins of [his] mind? with truth? First, he must love the truth (2 Thess. 2:10-12). Second, he must seek to know the truth (John 8:32; Acts 17:11). Third, he must have a desire to obey the truth (John 7:17). Fourth, he must handle ?accurately? [NASB], or ?rightly? [ESV] ?the word of truth? (2 Tim. 2:15). As long as one has this fourfold attitude toward truth, his mind will be protected?to a great degree?from the devil?s devices. Satan cannot easily corrupt minds, nor can he easily take the word out of hearts that are ?girded...with truth.? Of course, he has other avenues of attack, and thus the other components of the ?whole armor of God? are also vitally important. & ?Having Put On the Breastplate of Righteousness? By W. Bruce Tooley The second component of ?the whole armor of God? is ?the breastplate of righteousness" (Eph. 6:14). The literal breastplate was a coat fashioned of chain mail or armor, which covered the body from neck to thigh. It was often made of overlapped metal rings or scales (1 Sam. 17:5). Its purpose was protecting the vulnerable parts, especially the vital organs, such as the heart, where wounds might prove fatal. The spiritual breastplate protects the spiritual heart, like a bulletproof vest protects the physical heart. According to Vine, ?righteousness? is ?the character or quality of being right or just?formerly spelled ?rightwiseness,? which clearly expresses the meaning? (p. 980). A Christian must protect himself by being righteous; without this spiritual breastplate he will surely fall in battle. But how does an individual ?put on? righteousness? Jesus taught that righteousness is to be obtained by conforming oneself to the commandments of God (Matt. 5:6, 10, 20). Whatever God commands we must obey (Matt. 3:15; 21:32). The gospel reveals God's plan for bestowing righteousness (Rom. 1:16, 17). He does this on the basis of His grace, by means of the shed blood of Jesus, and on the condition of faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of the living God. Therefore, in order to best defend ourselves we must put on righteousness as it is revealed in the Bible. We do so by keeping ourselves free from immorality and other forms of sin?by abstaining from alcohol and drugs, and refraining from lying, cursing, covetousness, stealing, from lust, adultery, etc. (Gal. 5:19-21). God has not left us defenseless! We are completely protected if we will only follow the instructions given in the Bible. "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might" (Eph. 6:10). ?I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13). & These articles originally appeared in Know the Truth, a publication of the Eastside church of Christ in Red Bay, AL Is Truth Essential? 1. Truth Came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:17) 2. Jesus Came to Bear Witness to the Truth. (John 18:37) 3. Truth Makes One Free. (John 8:32) 4. Truth Sanctifies. (John 17:17) 5. Truth Purifies. (1 Peter 1:22) 6. God?s Judgment Is According to Truth. (Romans 2:2) 7. Everyone that Is of the Truth Hears the Voice of Jesus. (John 18:37) 8. It Is God?s Desire that All Men Come to the Knowledge of the Truth. (1 Timothy 2:4) 9. Those Who Do Not Obey the Truth Will Be Lost Forever. (Romans 2:8-9) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090727/1988dc50/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 2525 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090727/1988dc50/attachment-0001.jpe From myhan at cox.net Mon Jul 27 05:50:02 2009 From: myhan at cox.net (Bob Myhan) Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2009 06:50:02 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] Faith Builder Email.2009-07-26 Message-ID: The Soul and the SpiritThe Forest Hills Faith Builder Forest Hills church of Christ 800 Forest Hill Road ? Macon, GA 31210 478-474-2233 Email: foresthillschurch at cox.net Website: www.foresthillschurchofchrist.com July 26, 2009 ?Having Shod Your Feet with the Gospel of Peace? By Eddie R. Littrell There is undoubtedly an allusion here to that which was worn by the soldiers for the preparation and protection of their feet. The Greek is, literally, ?having underbound the feet,? or having bound on the shoes or sandals. The protection of the feet and ankles consisted of two parts. First the sandals were probably made to cover the foot and were often armed with spikes to give the soldier a firm foothold on whatever terrain the fighting might take place. Second, the greaves?armor plates?were fitted to the shins, and designed to defend them from any danger. Since the Christian warrior is to ?stand? he must have no unprotected or uncertain foothold. He must be prepared for the adverse places and circumstances of the battle. As his battleground will change, his strength should begin with a firm footing. His preparedness, in this regard, is found in the ?gospel of peace.? With the gospel giving him footing, the Christian can be settled, sure, and restful, just in proportion to the stress around him. He is ?thoroughly furnished unto every good work? (2 Timothy 3:17). & ?Taking the Shield of Faith? By Eddie R. Littrell It should be obvious to all that the shield was an indispensable item in the warrior?s armor. The most common shield was about four feet long and two and one-half feet wide. It was held by the left hand and could be used to protect the entire body. It was vitally important to the safety of the warrior. Joined together, these large shields could form a wall, behind which a body of troops could easily protect themselves from the rain of enemy fire. With this figure, Paul emphasizes the extreme importance of a Christian?s faith. While it is true that the gospel serves as a firm foundation for battle, without developing a strong faith, the Christian leaves himself vulnerable to the constant onslaught of the devil. To develop the faith that can ?move mountains? the Christian must give himself ?wholly? to ?reading, to exhortation, to doctrine? (1 Tim. 2:13, 15). To increase his faith, it is necessary to study regularly from the word of God, since ?faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God? (Romans 10:17). Faith in God serves as a shield that will enable the Christian to repel all the ?fiery darts of the wicked? (Eph. 6:16). Paul is not here dealing with the passions and lusts within us, which must certainly be conquered, but with the constant abuse the Christian must endure at the hands of the world. A strong faith will help the Christian to over?come the slanders and threats hurled by Satan through his human instruments. The faith that has ?nothing wavering? (James 1:6) will ward off and quench all the devil?s darts, so that the soul never succumbs to their heat. This figure also extends to the strength that is found in the combination of many shields. Solomon taught us, ?Two are better than one? (Eccl. 4:9, 10). In battle, the soldier must often depend upon his fellow-soldier for assistance and protection. In spiritual warfare, the Christian can look to other Christians for help in time of need. When temptation strikes, we can gain strength from the knowledge and wisdom of others. Their strong faith can help to fortify the weak faith of others. When a fellow Christian falls, other saints should be there with shield in hand, ready to defend and protect, while rescuing the fallen from the line of battle until strength can be restored (see Heb. 12:12,13). & ?Take the Helmet of Salvation? By Eddie R. Littrell The helmet was a cap made of thick leather or brass, fitted to the head, and usually crowned with a plume or crest as an emblem and ornament. It was designed to guard the head from a blow by a sword, war-club, or battle-axe. The hel?met defended the head?a most vital part. Along with the other pieces of the armor, it was necessary to complete the ?whole armor? of the warrior. Paul employed this figure in a parallel passage, (1 Thess. 5:8). He said, ?But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and as a helmet the hope of salvation.? As the head is vital to the physical body, so is the mind of the spiritual warrior. The idea is that a well-founded hope of salvation will preserve us in the days of spiritual battle. It will guard us from the blows that the enemy will strike. It will defend the soul. A military soldier will not fight well when there is no hope of victory. Likewise, a Christian could not contend with the trials, tribulations, persecutions, and temptations of this life if there were no hope of final salvation. But sustained by this, there is nothing to dread. Peter says that in spite of the ?trial of your faith? you can still receive ?the end of your faith?the salvation of your soul? (1 Peter 1:7-9). Having the assurance of salvation, the Christian can engage in the spiritual battle, for he knows that ?The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance? (2 Peter 3:9). Every Christian soldier should have the same confidence as Paul, who wrote, ?nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day? (2 Tim. 1:12). After all, ?For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith? (1 John 5:4). & ?Take ? the Sword of the Spirit? By W. Bruce Tooley Not only has God provided us with armor to defend against the weapons of Satan and his hordes, but He has also given us one piece of offensive weaponry. It has been said, ?The best defense is a good offense.? If a soldier goes into battle without an offensive weapon, his armor will eventually fail him. The Holy Spirit has thus seen fit to put a ?sword? in the hand of every Christian who chooses to take and wield it. The apostle Paul exhorts all Christians to arm themselves with ?the sword the spirit, which is the word of God? (Eph. 6:17). Let us ever remember that ?the weapons of our warfare are not carnal? (2 Cor. 10:4). In the daily struggle of our warfare we have an opportunity to use many weapons?our influence, the periodicals, our tongue. But we must make sure that we are using them properly and in conjunction with God?s word. In other words, we should not combat a false teacher by character assassination, by trying to keep him from earning a livelihood or by spreading unfounded rumors about him. We are to lovingly use the word of God to expose his errors. The author of the epistle to the Hebrews states, ?For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart? (4:12). The task God has given man of wielding this double-edged sword is awesome, for by it the world will be convicted of sin and brought to the Lord (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 4:14-15; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:22-23). The word of God and is very powerful if it is used properly. There is a saving edge, which is sharp to con?vince, to convert and to sanctify the heart of the listener. But there is also a condemning edge; by it we will be judged (John 12:48). On the day of Pentecost, those who had crucified the Lord Jesus were cut to the heart by Peter?s preaching of the gospel (Acts 2:37). Because he wielded the sword of the Spirit responsibly and ably, 3,000 men and women were able to hear, believe, repent, confess and be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:37-41). & These articles originally appeared in Know the Truth, a publication of the Eastside church of Christ in Red Bay, AL Is Truth Essential? 1. Truth Came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:17) 2. Jesus Came to Bear Witness to the Truth. (John 18:37) 3. Truth Makes One Free. (John 8:32) 4. Truth Sanctifies. (John 17:17) 5. Truth Purifies. (1 Peter 1:22) 6. God?s Judgment Is According to Truth. (Romans 2:2) 7. Everyone that Is of the Truth Hears the Voice of Jesus. (John 18:37) 8. It Is God?s Desire that All Men Come to