From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Mon Jun 1 05:34:54 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Mon, 1 Jun 2009 06:34:54 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) GOD HAS SPOKEN Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Monday morning to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. It is good to be back at my computer after being away about ten days. Here is an article from my files: GOD HAS SPOKEN Guilty! How the word rings in the heart of the condemned! Capability of feeling a sense of guilt, a human trait, is dierectly connected to a sense of responsibility, and is a powerful motivat- or to conversion of life to God's instruction in righteousness. To take it away by denying guilt is to take away a motivation for re- pentance. Adam and Eve felt it in Eden (Gen. 3); David felt it (2 Sam. 24:10); many Jews on Pentecost felt it (Acts 2:37-42); and Ezra and many of Israel felt it (Ez. 9,10). God has endowed us with this sense in order that our wrong- doing should trouble us, that we should feel our gultiness and our need of reconciliation to Him. Those who decry the teach- ing of guilt for disobedience fight against the purpose of God. "For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin..." "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and ALL THE WORLD may become guilty be- fore God" (Rom. 3:9,19). We must come to great understanding of our guilt before God, in order that we have proper appreciat- ion for His offer of eternal salvation for those who obtain forgive- ness of sins through obedience to Jesus Christ (Heb. 5:8,9; Acts 2:38; 1 Pet. 1:22-25). We each must feel the burden of con- demnation in order that we seek its removal through the blood of Christ (Col. 1:14) when we obey Him (Heb. 12:25-29). Let us be diligent to worship God in spirit and in truth (Jno. 4:24), lest we worship in vain (Matt. 15:8,9), and lest we become guilty of the body and blood of the Lord (1 Cor. 11:27). "For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things (1 Jno. 3:20)." Let us train our conscience well so that it may serve us well, having a proper sense of guilt, and relief from guilt as we obey (1 Pet. 21,22). ----------- Gilbert Alexander. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090601/6a742efb/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Mon Jun 1 05:35:03 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Mon, 1 Jun 2009 06:35:03 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) THE DEVIL AND HIS HEY DAY Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is a study from my files. Use to the glory of God. THE DEVIL AND HIS HEY DAY Have you noticed how our society just accepts sin as an ord- inary occurrence? It's astounding how television is running commercial announcements that consider single parents as one of the normal things in life, how the sitcoms openly accept homo- sexuality as common, and how the cartoons depict lying when necessary as a customary action of life. Seems to me the devil is winning in our culture today. And mostly by default. Nobody much opposes him. Politics plays right into his hands in most instances. Religion has obsorbed into its doctrines and worship every kind of compromise imagin- able -- from rap music to staged productions of mostly false doc- trine. Benny Hinn, noted televangelist, recent petitioned his foll- owers to donate funds to make a down-payment on a multimill- ion dollar aircraft so he can fly to his world-wide events (and the Lord had no place to lay His head?). The family has been decimated by the devil. He has run rough-shod over the husband's role in the family, promoted wives to roles not approved by Scripture, and made children as much controllers as controlled in most households. And have you noticed how sexual sins have proliferated? Even among small children. I saw a report recently where an 11- year old boy was arrested for molesting young girls (I think we still had flaps on the back of our overalls when I was eleven). A report in the Houston Chronicle (December 20, 2006) tells that over 90% of people surveyed had engaged in sexual activity be- fore marriage. And no wonder -- television, magazines, and other media accept the fact of promiscuous sex as if it were nor- mal. The devil is having a hey-day, folks. Is there no such thing as immodest apparel in this age? Does anybody even remember what modest means? There seems to me to be no standard for ascertaining what is modest and what is not -- except one: if it is acceptable to most of the people, it's modest. The doctrine of "everybody's doing it" is flourishing in this age, and with a sort of reckless abandonment of any sort of restraint. How long since you saw somebody blush? A while, I suspect. I tell you, the devil is having a hey- day. The business world is not immune to the devil's ploys, either. The business lie is common today -- especially if it means a promotion. Advertising is filled with deception. So much so that nobody really believes what it says. Deception is not even restricted to the fine print anymore, it's just sort of ex- pected. Warrantees don't mean what they say, products don't do what they claim, the cost is always more than what is adver- tised, and when consulted about such matters, the answer is, "well why are you picking on me?" "After all, I have to make a living." Even the Lord's people have succumbed to this tenacious, but subtle invasion by the devil. For instance, the Richland Hills congregation in the Metroplex area has announced recently that they will now have instrumental music in their worship services. In a recent statement to the congregation, the preacher said that while they were not trying to get all churches to follow their examples, their decision might, "inspire many other churches of Christ to be courageous in their kingdom efforts, and it could help stem the tide of gifted young leaders who are leaving" (Christian Chronicle, Dec. 12, 2006). I noted that not one passage of Scripture was cited to justify the instrument in the whole story -- not one. And you think the devil is not having a hey-day? Max Lucado, minister of the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio now openly states that baptism is not necessary to the salvation of the sinner, but is merely a "demonstration of devotion." Again, no scripture to show such is forthcoming. What ever happened to "book, chapter, and verse" preaching among churches of Christ? Is it not relevant to this age? If not, when was the change authorized, and by whom? Take time, just here, to read Eph. 5:1-16. Yes, the devil is win- ning in far too many cases in our day and time. Not just winning ut have a hey-day in doing so. What about you? Who's going to win in your life? Well, it's up to you. You can win or you can lose. It's up to you. -------- Dee Bowman via Gospel Power, Vol. 16, No. 21, May 24, 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090601/974c51e2/attachment-0001.html From disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Mon Jun 1 14:21:25 2009 From: disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com (Ethan R. Longhenry) Date: Mon, 1 Jun 2009 15:21:25 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] S:> Lamentations Message-ID: Lamentations I. Introduction A. Lamentations B. An oft-neglected book 1. "Lamentations" rather distressing, depressing 2. Nevertheless, great example of poetry C. Let us consider the book II. Lamentations: The Details A. Authorship 1. Author not exactly known 2. Presumed by many to be Jeremiah 3. Possible in terms of substance 4. Style more akin to the Psalms B. Dating 1. Lamentations represents eyewitness account of destruction of Jerusalem (ca. 586 BCE) 2. No doubt written sometime soon after the event C. Audience 1. Exilic, post-exilic Israel 2. Much to be gained D. Purpose 1. Laments to God regarding destruction of Jerusalem, Temple 2. Petition that God will restore the people 3. Liturgical use for exiled Jews, Jews of the Second Temple period III. Lamentations: The Story A. Main Sections 1. Loneliness of City (Lamentations 1) 2. Zion Under a Cloud (Lamentations 2) 3. Affliction (Lamentations 3) 4. Suffering of People (Lamentations 4) 5. Petition for Restoration (Lamentations 5) B. Jerusalem the Lonely (Lamentations 1) 1. City lonely, once filled with people; now as a widow and slave; weeps bitterly; no lovers to comfort; all friends became as enemies (Lamentations 1:1-2) 2. Judah into exile; no resting place; overtaken; roads mourn, gates are desolate; virgins afflicted; her enemies prosper; LORD has afflicted her; majesty has departed; precious things gone; foes mock at her downfall (Lamentations 1:3-7) 3. Grievous sin; Jerusalem as filthy; terrible fall, no comforter; enemies have taken her glories, entered the sanctuary; people groan, search for food; despised; great sorrow; God sent fire against her; transgressions became a yoke; mighty men rejected; Jerusalem weeps, mourns, no comforter; neighbors as foes; Jerusalem filthy (Lamentations 1:8-17) 4. LORD in the right; Jerusalem in rebellion; great suffering, people in captivity; lovers deceived her; petition for LORD to look upon distress, grief; groaning without comfort; enemies glad; may they be punished for their evil (Lamentations 1:18-22) C. Destruction by the LORD (Lamentations 2) 1. God has set Zion in cloud; cast down splendor of Israel; Jacob's habitation swallowed up; Israel cut down in His anger; fury poured out as fire; LORD as an enemy, destroyed strongholds; laid waste His land; Zion has forgotten festivals; scorning of religious service; wall destroyed; gates brought low; kings humbled; no more law, no more vision (Lamentations 2:1-9) 2. Elders in mourning, silence; young women laid low; author weeps, stomach churns because of death of people; cry to mothers for food; die in mother's bosom; no comparison for ruin of Zion; prophets spoke falsely; mocked by passers-by; enemies triumphant; LORD accomplished His purpose; wall to cry out (Lamentations 2:10-19) 3. Petition for God to see; should parents eat children?; prophet and priest killed; in dust of streets all sorts of people are killed; terror summoned to city like a festival; none escape day of the LORD (Lamentations 2:20-22) D. Personal Lament (Lamentations 3) 1. Author has seen affliction, wrath; God turns from him; body wasted away, in darkness; walled in, prayer shut out; paths made crooked; God as bear, lion waiting for him; targeted by God; derision among the people; humiliated, no peace; no happiness; petition to remember affliction and wanderings; his soul remembers them; author has hope (Lamentations 3:1-22) 2. Love of LORD does not cease; wait for His salvation; sit in silence, accept chastisement; Lord will not cast off forever; God does not approve of oppression; all things happen by will of God; test our ways, return to God, confess (Lamentations 3:23-42) 3. God pursued in anger without pity; people made as scum; enemies open mouths; destruction and devastation on people; great tears and mourning until the LORD sees; author hunted as bird; as lost; author calls on LORD, He hears; life redeemed; petition for God to judge cause; He has seen plots, heard taunts; LORD will repay them, curse them, destroy them (Lamentations 3:43-66) E. The People's Suffering (Lamentations 4) 1. Gold has dimmed; stones scattered; sons of Zion as pottery; jackals have more compassion than people; infant and children without food; those who feasted starve; chastisement greater than Sodom; beautiful people now starved, blackened; those who died more fortunate; mothers boiling own children (Lamentations 4:1-10) 2. LORD gave vent to His anger on Zion; none believed that any could enter Jerusalem; for the sins of prophets, priests; they were defiled; God has scattered them; watch for deliverance, none came; pursuers swift; Edom to rejoice, but will be exposed; punishment of Zion accomplished; exile will end; Edom will be punished (Lamentations 4:11-22) F. Restoration (Lamentations 5) 1. Petition for God to remember disgrace: inheritance to strangers; people as orphans and widows; pay for water and wood; pursuers at hand, allies not found; fathers sinned, children pay consequences; skin hot, famine; rape; princes abused, elders despised; subjected to hard service; mourning; woe for sin; hearts sickened; eyes dim; Zion as desolate, home to jackals (Lamentations 5:1-18) 2. LORD reigns forever; why does He forget them?; petition for restoration, renewal, unless God still angry, has rejected people (Lamentations 5:19-22) IV. Conclusion A. Lamentations worthy of its name 1. Great distress because of destruction of city 2. Making sense of violence, devastation, destruction, exile 3. Tragic events B. Nevertheless, hope present 1. Author recognizes that sin led to this difficulty 2. Author believes in God's love, mercy 3. Hope for future restoration, deliverance C. Let us also trust and hope in God! 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 gharmon at idworld.net Mon Jun 1 17:28:08 2009 From: gharmon at idworld.net (Gary H. Harmon, Jr.) Date: Mon, 1 Jun 2009 17:28:08 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] Auditorium Accoustic Issues Message-ID: <7686F807AEAB477785B773FB83A8BF76@GaryHarmonJrPC> We are preparing to build a new facility and several options for the auditorium ceiling exist. 1. Open ceiling painted back with hanging lights. 2. Grid with ceiling tile and appropriate lighting. 3. Sheetrock ceiling with appropriate lighting. 4. Other. Building will be of the metal type with heavy batt insulation affixed to the top. Singing capability is most important. Thoughts, concerns, recommendations, etc.? Vr, Gary H. Harmon, Jr. -- Treasurer Woodlawn Hills Church of Christ 1742 Bandera Road San Antonio, TX 78228 210.657.1549h 210.884.6926c -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090601/2f5492fb/attachment-0001.html From exhortingyou at gmail.com Mon Jun 1 19:43:59 2009 From: exhortingyou at gmail.com (Exhorting You) Date: Mon, 1 Jun 2009 19:43:59 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] Exhorting One Another newsletter, Issue 76 Message-ID: <300d676a0906011743l4af8f675r673edc8d280cd5aa@mail.gmail.com> Issue 76 of the Exhorting One Another newsletter is now available. This issue features the following: - The Lord Has Been Mindful - Putoffitis By Brother Dee Bowman - Why Do Marriages Fail? by Brother W.R. Jones In order to access this newsletter, click on http://groups.google.com/group/exhorting-one-another/web/issue-76 - or if this link does not work, copy & paste it into your browser's address bar. If you would like to receive this newsletter on a regular basis, please email me at exhortingyou at gmail.com "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." (James 4:10) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090601/6374c642/attachment-0001.html From disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Mon Jun 1 23:22:16 2009 From: disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com (Ethan R. Longhenry) Date: Tue, 2 Jun 2009 00:22:16 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] S:> Why Do Good Things Happen to Bad People? Message-ID: Why Do Good Things Happen to Bad People? I. Introduction A. Let us consider a perennial question B. Why do good things happen to bad people? C. We often ask such questions in song 1. Songs like "Farther Along" ask the question of why the wicked prosper 2. Answers seem elusive, difficult D. Nevertheless, a good question to consider: why, indeed, do good things happen to bad people? II. An Old Question A. Our question here is not a new one-- instead, it is a theme seen often in Scripture B. Asaph considered the question in Psalm 73 1. vv. 2-3: almost stumbled when considered how the wicked prosper 2. vv. 4-12: description of their lives, how all seems well with them despite evil 3. vv. 13-15: Asaph feels righteousness is vain 4. vv. 16-20: in sanctuary, Asaph understands their end, how the LORD will judge them 5. Asaph comes to the realization that even if the wicked do not get their comeuppance in life, they will at death C. Job also ponders the question 1. Despite what his friends say, Job affirms that the wicked do prosper (Job 21:7-14) 2. Job 24: they sin willfully without judgment 3. Job knows that there is wisdom in fearing God and turning from wickedness (Job 28:28), but he despairs of judgment of the wicked in life 4. He is silenced in regards to all these speculations when shown the majesty, omnipotence, omniscience of God (Job 38-41; cf. Job 42:1-6) D. The Preacher also considers such things 1. He sees oppression in life, and yet no comfort (Ecclesiastes 4:1-2) 2. All reach the same fate, whether righteous or wicked (Ecclesiastes 9:1-3) 3. The very question of why good things happen to bad people considered as vanity, something empty (Ecclesiastes 8:14) E. The matter of why good things happen to bad people, therefore, something considered in depth 3000 years ago 1. All will die 2. After death, the wicked will reap what they have sown 3. No explanation for why wicked prosper 4. Dwelling on the question considered as vanity III. Continuing the Examination A. So why do good things happen to bad people? B. Old Testament authors recognize that it happens, but not much in way of explanation C. What about the New Testament? D. Jesus speaks about it in Matthew 5:44-45 1. Indication that sun rises on evil and good 2. God sends rain on just and unjust alike E. Again, statement of reality-- but why? F. Wisdom in what the Preacher said (Ecclesiastes 8:14) 1. Just as there is no explanation ever given for why bad things happen to good people, so no coherent explanation is given why, precisely, good things happen to bad people 2. We can know from both Testaments that God will right all wrongs on the day of Judgment, after death (Psalm 73:16-20, Romans 2:5-10) 3. But when it comes to understanding why it is that God allows good things to happen to the wicked, such is one of those mysteries that God understands that we do not! 4. We can trust that even if God's judgment is not executed quickly, it will be executed (cf. Ecclesiastes 8:11-13)! IV. Good News: Good Things Happen to Bad People! A. In all honesty, the question cannot really be resolved to our satisfaction 1. We recognize that many times bad things do happen to bad people 2. We must come to terms with the reality that none of us "deserves" to have anything happen to us 3. Yes, good things can happen to good people, bad things can happen to bad people, but bad things can happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people, and that's reality! 4. We also must understand that because of sin and free will, people undeservedly suffer the consequences of sin, likewise, people can undeservedly reap the benefits of someone else's righteousness 5. That is precisely what Jesus is commanding His followers to do in Matthew 5:44-48! 6. Nevertheless, in the end, we cannot really know why good things happen to bad people in any given circumstance-- but God does B. We can, however, glory in the fact that good things happen to bad people! 1. Wait-- how could we glory in such things?!? 2. Normally, when such questions are considered, "we" are generally the "good people," and it is those "others" who are the "bad people" 3. Yet, in reality, who among us is really good? 4. Ecclesiastes 7:20, Romans 3:9-23 5. We all have sinned-- we all have fallen short of the glory of God! 6. Thus, we have all been "bad" people at various points in our lives! 7. Do any of us wish that we had reaped all the evil that we sowed at one point or at many points? 8. After all, if only bad things happened to bad people, what would have been our fate? C. Thus we see the value of patience, grace, and mercy! 1. Patience: suffering long 2. Grace: unmerited favor-- receiving what was not deserved 3. Mercy: not receiving what is deserved! D. This is God's message to us through the cross of Jesus Christ! 1. If bad people got only bad things, then we would all be hell bound without a prayer 2. Yet Jesus died while we were yet sinners, allowing us to be reconciled to God (Romans 5:6-11) 3. God has been patient toward us, giving us the time to realize that we have sinned and need the redemption that comes through Jesus (2 Peter 3:9)! 4. Through the cross and the blessings of life, God has shown us grace and mercy (Romans 3:24, Ephesians 2:4-9) E. And since we have received mercy, we are to show mercy toward others! 1. Matthew 5:38-48, Luke 6:27-36, Ephesians 4:32 2. The logic is clear: if God has been merciful, compassionate, loving toward us sinners who have rebelled against Him, if we are to be godly, we must also be merciful, compassionate, and loving to those who sin! F. Therefore, in the end, the question ought to be moot 1. If it were not for good things happening to bad people, we would be hell bound! 2. Instead of questioning why it is so, we must accomplish it, and do good to bad people! 3. Thus God has done for us; if we do it for others, and they see Christ's love, they also may turn from wickedness to righteousness! V. Conclusion A. Why do good things happen to bad people? 1. We cannot know in specific circumstances why it is so 2. As long as they live, God is showing patience, giving them opportunity to repent 3. If they die without repentance, they will be condemned for their sin (Romans 2:5-10, 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9) B. The question should not cause us too much distress! 1. If good things did not happen to bad people, we all would be in difficulty! 2. We must be thankful that God saw fit to do good things even for bad people, or else we would be without redemption and have no hope of salvation! 3. So others who act wickedly right now prosper: let it not trouble us, for but by the grace of God, so we would be! C. Let us be thankful for God's patience, kindness, love, grace, and mercy, shown primarily through the death of Christ for our sins! D. Furthermore, let us show patience, kindness, love, grace, and mercy even to those who do wickedly to show that we are Christ's and that more may be saved! E. 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 Jun 2 04:55:22 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Tue, 2 Jun 2009 05:55:22 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) LIFE BEYOND THE GRAVE (1) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the first installment of a study from my files. Use to the glory of God. LIFE BEYOND THE GRAVE (1) The salient doctrine of Christianity is the teaching of Jesus Christ about the life after death. Most religions have some kind of "hope" about life after death, but only Christianity offers real evidence of that hope and also carefully defines it. Christ not only taught of the resurrection, He also prophesied of it and then demonstrated it. the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the basis of Christian faith and hope. Take away the resurrection of Jesus, and Christianity will crumble into nothing, because that would remove the very key- stone from this great arch. The apostle Paul writes of Christ's resurrection and ties it to our hope: "But if there is no resurrect- ion of the dead, neither hath Christ been raised: and if Christ hath not been raised, then is our preaching vain, your faith also is vain. Yea, we are found false witnesses of God; because we witnessed of God that He raised up Christ: whom He raised not up, if so be that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised: and if Christ hath not been raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also that are fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable" (1 Cor. 15:13-19). In other words, the inspired apostle declares that everything that is uniq- ue to Christianity is false and worthless -- unless there is a resur- rection from the dead. This is the central theme of the gospel. Present Life And Life After Death: -- The worldly-minded person lives primarily for this life. He reasons, as Esau msut have, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." He cannot concern himself with what lies beyone the grave. He feels that it is fool- ish to be "other-worldly," as he might call it. He indulges to the limit in all fleshly desires. He attempts to fulfill all of his temporal appetites. He dwells in the here-and-now world -- the material, the physical. Such a person measures success in terms of what he can "lay up for himself" on earth. And when he dies, he hopes that is the end, for he has made no preparations for what lies beyond He is not willing to look at the problem of death, the end of life on earth, and attempt to solve it. His is the very common philos- ophy of, "Get allyou can and can all you get." After all, he reas- ons, you have only one life to live, so get all you can out of it. The Christian has a different attitude. He realizes that life is short and eternity is sure. He says, with the psalmist, "The days of our years are threescore years and ten, or even by reason of strength fourscore years; yet is their pride but labor and sorrow; for it is soon gone and we fly away" (Psa. 90:10). Centuries later the inspired apostle agrees with that: "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. What is your life? For ye are a vap- or, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do thsi or that" (Jas. 4:14,15). The attitude of the Christian is found in these words of Jesus: "For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matt. 16:26). Hope Of Future Life Is A Powerful Incentive: -- When a person has an abiding hope in anything, he will arrange all of his activit- ies so that his hope can be realized. Hope is a powerful and driv- ing force in the life of any individual. After stating that we shall be like Christ, John writes, "We know that , if He shall be manifes- ted, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him even as He is. And every one that hath this hope set on Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure" (1 Jno. 3:2,3). Nothing has more power to inspire people to righteous living than the hope of life after death The basis of Moses making the right choice was "recompense of reward" (Heb. 11:24-27). It was this great hope that enabled Paul to "fight the good fight of faith" and "keep the faith" (2 Tim. 4:6,7). He then added, "Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day" (vs. 8). The hope of life after death: 1. Purifies and keeps us pure - (1 Jno. 3:3). 2. Is an "Anchor of the soul" (Heb. 6:19,20). 3. Sus- tains the sorrowing heart (Jno. 14:1-3). 4. Directs our vision - (Titus 2:11,12). 5. Keeps us "steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord" (1 Cor. 15:58). (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/20090602/7e6804fc/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Tue Jun 2 04:55:05 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Tue, 2 Jun 2009 05:55:05 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) HEARTILY 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 arti- cle from my files: HEARTILY When Jesus introduced the kingdom to the Jews during His public ministry, they just didn't get it. They were citizens in a kingdom of this world in which battles with swords and spears were fought against enemies who sought to conquer their cities, occupy their land, and subdue and make them servants. They remembered the glory days of David and Solomon and yearned for a return of rule and dominion over the nations. Jesus, however, came to establish an entirely different king- dom. It was to be a kingdom that was not of this world -- a king- dom in which God ruled the hearts of men in righteousness through the living, active power of His Word. The kingdom, He said, is like a man sowing seed in a field where the soil is good and a fruitful crop is raised. This seed, He said, is the Word of God and the soil is good and honest hearts (Jno. 8:36; Lk. 17: 20,21; 8:11-15). What was true of the Jews in Jesus' days is true of men and women today, including many brethren. We just don't get it; we just don't understand the essential nature of Christianity. And when we do grasp its meaning, we fall way short of practicing it. We, for example, have difficulty understanding how a slave in ancient times could work all day in the hot sun and do it heart- ily, patiently, and joyfully. Many probably couldn't, but those who committed themselves to the Lord in Christ were command- ed to. Paul taught these brethren: "Servamts. obey in all things them that are your masters according to the flesh; not with eye- service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord: whatsoever you do, work heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men" (Col. 3:22,23). What strikes any of us as difficult is that these slaves were to serve, not out of bitterness or resentment or whining but out of a single point of view -- out of reverence to the Lord and out of love and devotion to God from their souls. The word "heartily" means literally "from" or "out of" the soul. They were not to think, as they did their work, of a hateful and abusive master who often pushed them to the limits of their strength; they were from their hearts, from their spirits, from their minds, and from their souls to view themselves as laboring for God. Slaves are not what these people were. They were Christ- ians -- men and women who feared and loved God with all their hearts and souls and minds (Matt. 22:37). And every thing they did came from the heart and soul of devotion to God. So it is, brethren, when we sing and pray and worship, when we work to provide for our families, when we cook and clean and do laun- dry, when we feed and diaper and provide for children, when we mow and fix and maintain our properties, these are require- ments from God for all Christians. Do we get it any more than the Jews did? Do we really understand the kingdom? Is the kingdom an abiding presence and rule of God in our hearts? ----- L.A. Stauffer in Son Rays, Vol. 31, No. 8, May 24, 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090602/a124ddaf/attachment.html From kerux at bellsouth.net Tue Jun 2 07:58:24 2009 From: kerux at bellsouth.net (Kent Heaton) Date: Tue, 2 Jun 2009 08:58:24 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] A>The Beer Can (Kent Heaton) Message-ID: <7627BD6CC9BB4593B9371C16E23882DB@D2381J91> The Beer Can (Kent Heaton) It was lying on the side of the road on the corner to my house. A single beer can discarded as a piece of trash by a person who had used its contents to fill a pleasure and then thrown out the window. I have seen hundreds of discarded cans and this one was no different with the exception of what it represented at that moment. The appeal of its contents had caused a person to purchase it and then consume the momentary feeling of pleasure. When the can was emptied, it had no use and was carelessly thrown out for someone else to pick up. It was empty. It had no use. It had lost its appeal. It was but for a moment. It was worthless. Man has always sought for the momentary pleasures to fill his void. Looking for the appeal of alcohol man seeks out these cans of vipers poison and drinks his fill and while finding a sense of satisfaction for the moment realizes that it is only for a moment. His life is like the can he threw away - emptied, rejected, little use, shallow and unfulfilled. Lives have been destroyed because of intoxicating drink. Families are torn apart daily by its presence in the home. Young people live with consequences of their actions through the use of alcohol for the rest of their lives. As Herman Melville wrote in "Moby Dick," it is truly a "demon." The wise man wrote in Proverbs 23:29-35, "Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long at the wine, those who go in search of mixed wine. Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around smoothly; at the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper. Your eyes see strange things, and your heart will utter perverse things. Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying, 'They have struck me, but I was not hurt; they have beaten me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?'"People of God have been shown by the Lord that alcohol has no value in their lives and no purpose. The great tragedy of its use is the end result - like a discarded can on the side of the road. The appeal of momentary pleasure has driven many to the basement of alcohol's deceit. There is no value in following a life of drunkenness or even flirting with the dangers of drinking as many do in what they refer to as "social drinking." That makes as much sense as "social fornication." The appeal of the Lord is for His people to be "obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy'" (1 Peter 1:14-16). Peter quotes from Leviticus 11:44 where the appeal of God to the people is for them to "sanctify" themselves before Him. One cannot sanctify themselves with a beer in hand. Someone will pick the beer can up and throw it away. It will be left to families to pick up the pieces of shattered lives. Many who have found themselves in the slavery of alcohol will find their lives thrown on the side of the road as nothing more than an empty life. Christ has the answer and it is found in His love, His mercy, His forgiveness and His strength to overcome. He is the way out of sin, He is the only truth one can find about sin and He is the only one who can give life to empty lives (John 14:6). His path leads to the Father and to salvation. Don't throw your life away. Be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) 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/20090602/7fdd3825/attachment.html From mike1616 at juno.com Tue Jun 2 09:18:15 2009 From: mike1616 at juno.com (Mike Thomas) Date: Tue, 2 Jun 2009 14:18:15 GMT Subject: [Biblemat] A) Aborting Doctors Message-ID: <20090602.091815.1052.1@webmail14.vgs.untd.com> Here is our newspaper article for the week. Perhaps it may benefit you. --mt Aborting Doctors This past Sunday, Scott Roeder shot down and killed George Tiller, a prominent abortion doctor. This was a deliberate act against Tiller, whose clinic is one of a few in the country where late-term abortions are performed. President Obama released a statement on the shooting: "I am shocked and outraged by the murder of Dr. George Tiller as he attended church services this morning. However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence." Whether you agree with Tiller?s death or not, the President is correct in charging that we are not to resolve the abortion issue with further acts of violence. I?m not as ?shocked and outraged? as our President since Tiller was guilty of killing thousands of innocent lives, but I do agree that we must abide within the laws of the land, as God tells us (Romans 13:1-2). If everyone took justice into their own hands against injustices in our society, there would be an even greater slaughtering of corrupt doctors, lawyers, politicians, accountants, and so forth. This is certainly not the way God wants us to respond to evil; He will take vengeance in His own time (12:19). I must admit, though, that I am amazed at the outrage over Tiller?s murder and not the unborn children he killed. Late-term abortions are performed in the second and third trimester, when the baby is capable of surviving outside the womb. But Tiller and others like him would cut the baby into pieces and vacuum them out of the womb. Where is the outrage over this heinous behavior? Why is there no shock over these acts of violence? If you don?t want the baby, let him go to one of the many loving people trying to adopt children. Murder should never be an option for eliminating unwanted children?or even the doctors who would kill them. ?Mike Thomas Beaver Dam, Kentucky ____________________________________________________________ Click here to find the perfect banking opportunity! http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2131/fc/BLSrjnsKoDOFZwQZ7VDkBffGwpfhk6xtDDcAEMZbxkRcvasFirwlFrsfgFi/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090602/c0ef97de/attachment-0001.html From kerux at bellsouth.net Tue Jun 2 09:49:35 2009 From: kerux at bellsouth.net (Kent Heaton) Date: Tue, 2 Jun 2009 10:49:35 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] Religious Cartoon Message-ID: <2FA3E796279A424593E6505C1C4D700E@D2381J91> I receive this email from Joyful 'toon by Mike Waters. Some of his cartoons are good. This one is especially good - only because it shows the mindset of those in the religious world and how sadly they can call themselves a denomination - meaning division. His comment on the email is, "There are a lot of differing denominations and factions in Christianity, but we all should be united in following Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God. Any group that is not following Jesus is on a dead end sidetrack." Still on the wrong train. 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/20090602/5cd847da/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 73479 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090602/5cd847da/attachment-0001.jpe -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: sidetracked_niv.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 73479 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090602/5cd847da/attachment-0001.jpg From tedwards at onemain.com Tue Jun 2 12:39:16 2009 From: tedwards at onemain.com (tedwards at onemain.com) Date: Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:39:16 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] B> Gospel Observer 5/31/09 Message-ID: <4A251D74.10509.561068@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). ____________________________________________________ May 31, 2009 ____________________________________________________ Contents: 1) Jesus the Proper Influence (Gary N. Patton) 2) "The Sure Mercies of David" (Titus Edwards) 3) Getting By With It (Robert F. Turner) ____________________________________________________ -1- Jesus the Proper Influence by Gary N. Patton When we have a great respect for someone, that one can have a great influence on us. Especially do we see this clearly illustrated in the teacher-student relationship. If our children have a strong love or attachment to a teacher, whatever that teacher does or says will have a strong influence on what the child accepts or rejects. This type of relationship can also be seen in those who are religiously minded. If we have a great love or respect for someone, whatever they may say can influence our feelings and actions. So often we hear people say, "Well if Bro. So and So says it's so, it's so." This kind of statement indicates the strong influence many men can have on the belief and actions of other people. Often, the deep respect we may have for someone else is well deserved. They have gained it through diligent study and service. But we must remember we are all human beings and capable of making mistakes. If our faith is built on the teaching of men, we may find ourselves on shaky ground, and our faith shaken because of a change in teaching or conduct of the teacher we have respected so long. With this idea in mind, it is important we examine ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5) and see if our life and faith is dictated by the teaching of some man or men rather than by Jesus Christ. In Matthew 28:19,20 Jesus said, "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you...." If we have the proper respect for Jesus as our teacher here on earth, His Word will be our rule of faith in this life and not man's. In fact, Paul points out in Colossians 3 the different areas in which the teaching of Christ can influence our life. He begins by saying, "If ye then be risen with Christ...." If we are in Christ, that is we have been buried with Him in baptism and raised to a new life, then we will "seek those things which are above...." He continues by pointing out that if we are seeking those things he teaches, it will influence our affections, verse 2. We will love those things which are above, spiritual things, rather than the material things of this earth, because our "life is hid in Christ in God." Not only will it have an influence on our affections but also on our heart. "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence (evil desires) and covetousness, which is idolatry; for which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience," v.5. Since the heart of man is that with which he knows, thinks,feels emotion and wills to do, these all would apply to man's heart, for "as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." The teaching of Jesus will guide us to fight against such things. The teaching of Jesus can influence our speech (verses 8,9). We are told to put off anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth and lie not. If our respect for the teaching of Jesus is as it should be, our attitude will also be influenced (verse 12-17). We will, among many things listed, manifest kindness, meekness, forgiveness, letting the Word of God rule in our hearts. In verses 18-21 of this same chapter, he points out that the teaching of Christ directs the home. Wives, husbands and children are all given their responsibilities to one another in the home. Finally he points out, in verses 22-25, that the words of Christ's teaching will influence us at work. We are told that we must work honestly and diligently for our employer, "in singleness of heart, fearing God." Truly, if we have the proper respect and love for our Lord, His words will influence us in every way. Why not always turn to Him as the foundation and strength of our faith. He will not fail or disappoint us as man can. His promises and rewards are everlasting. His Word is truth. -- Via The East Florence Contender, Florence, Alabama ____________________________________________________ -2- "The Sure Mercies of David" by Titus Edwards Talk about hitting the nail on the head! Paul surely does when he connects Jesus to David in the sermon he delivered to the Jews in the synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 13:14-41). Great speakers tailor their lessons to their audiences. So watch a master preacher at work. Paul declares that in Jesus' resurrection from the dead, to be our ever-reigning King, the words of Isaiah have been fulfilled, when he said, "I will give you the sure mercies of David" (13:34, quoting Isaiah 55:3). The ASV and NAS have "the holy and sure blessings of David." I like the NIV rendering; "the holy and sure blessings promised to David." The "mercies"/"blessings" here refer to the promise made to David that one of his family would sit on the throne forever (2 Sam. 7:12-13; Rom. 1:3-4; Acts 2:29-32; Ps. 132:11-12). How favored was David because of this promise! These promises (mercies/blessings) were indeed sure, as being true and unfailing. God had promised -- he would fulfill it! The Jews understood this promise as referring to the Messiah, and indeed it did. It is obvious from the Isaiah passage (55:1, 4) that the Messiah is under consideration. Let us back up and look at the context of this passage to see how Paul is using it in his sermon. The "sure mercies of David," quoted from Isaiah 55:3, is the second of three Old Testament quotes that Paul uses together in verses 33-35. The first quote (v. 33), "Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee" is taken from Psalm 2:7. It speaks of Jesus' resurrection, which was proof of his being the Son of God (Rom. 1:3-4). The third quote (v. 35), "Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption" is taken from Psalm 16:10. Paul affirms that this passage could not have been referring literally to David, for he died and his body decayed. It must refer to the one whom God raised from the dead, who was of the seed of David -- the Messiah. All three of these quotations are used by Paul to confirm his assertion "that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus" (vv. 32-33). Earlier in the sermon, Paul had stated a number of things in Jewish history that God had done. That prepares the way for him to tell of what God has done in raising Jesus from the dead. As God had "raised up unto them David to be their king . . . Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Savior, Jesus" (vv. 22-23). Paul tells of Jesus' coming and of his death. "And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulcher. But God raised him from the dead" (vv. 29-30). The resurrection of Jesus is mentioned four times from verses 30-37. There are witnesses of Jesus' resurrection (v. 31). The resurrection of Jesus is the fulfillment of these prophecies (vv. 33-35). The resurrection is the glad tidings that is being declared unto them (v. 32). The resurrection is the fulfillment of the promise made unto the fathers (vv. 32-33). In the resurrection of Jesus, God has given the Jews "the sure mercies of David" (v. 34). No sermon would be complete without an application. Look at the application Paul gives to this sermon. "Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses" (vv. 38-39). Jesus arose from the dead to live forever, reigning as our King and Savior. And because of that, we can be forgiven of all of our sins! What a great promise! -- Via Guardian of Truth XLI: 4 p. 5, February 20, 1997 ____________________________________________________ -3- Getting By With It By Robert F. Turner "He got by with it!" That colloquial expression means that he was caught. He thinks he "got by with it," but this is never true. The one who makes the statement knows better, and has already changed his opinion of the one who tried to "get by with it." There is very little we really "get by with" -- even in this life. I believe man's capacity for greatness is a divine endowment (we are made in his image). But we are molding our individual character day by day by our response to the experiences of life -- drawing closer or pulling further away from what our Maker would have us be. And make no mistake about it! We are what we are, not what we like to kid ourselves into thinking we are (1 John 3:7). When a man gives in to temptation, no matter how well the matter is concealed from others, his own makeup is affected. A thousand victims have a thousand shoulders upon which to bear their burden, but the man who tries to "get by with it" must take the total wrong upon himself. He is guilty before God and, even if he cares little for that, he has whittled a bit more from the stature of the man he could have been. This amoral, godless generation tells us there is no standard for determining a "good" or "bad" man, but in practice they repudiate their theory. They recognize and do not want to do business with the "bad" man. One cannot fool all of the people all of the time. Proverbs 11:3f reads, "The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of the treacherous shall destroy them." We can build into our character that which will sustain us in adverse times, or we can cut ourselves loose from solid mooring and drown in our own folly. And we fool God none of the time. All creatures stand before God "naked and opened" (Heb. 4:13). (The last word means literally, "to bend back the neck" of a victim to be slain or exposed.) How can we expect to "get by" with anything when we are so exposed to him who judges righteously? -- Via Plain Talk, December 1972 ____________________________________________________ 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 J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Wed Jun 3 03:31:07 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Wed, 3 Jun 2009 04:31:07 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) LIFE BEYOND THE GRAVE (2) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the second and final installment of this study. Use to the glory of God. LIFE BEYOND THE GRAVE (2) The Reality Of Life After Death: -- The apostles saw the reality of life after death when Jesus was raised from the dead. And they used it as the basis for their preaching that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God: "Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God unto you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by Him in the midst of you, even as ye yourselves know; Him, being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye by the hand of lawless men did crucify and slay: whom God raised up, having loosed the pangs of death: because it was not possible that He should be holden of it...Brethren, I may say unto you free- ly of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us unto this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins he would set one upon his throne; he foresee- ing this spake of the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was He left unto Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus did God raise up, whereof we all are witnesses...Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified" (Acts 2:22-24,29-32,36). These twelve men were there, they were witnesses of the fact that Jesus was raised from the dead. And they were willing to give up their lives fro that message. We must conclude that they were telling the truth. These apostles wrote about the resurrection: "Who through Him are believers in God, that raised Him from the dead, and gave HIm glory; so that your faith and hope might be in God" (1 Pet. 1:21). "But sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord: being ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear" (1 Pet. 3:15). "If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable. But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of them that are asleep. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead" (1 Cor. 15:19-21). Every Christian should continually test the reality of his hope to see whether he is building on the rock or the sand (Matt. 7:24-27). As we sing: Will you anchor hold in the storms of life, When the clouds unfold their wings of strife? When teh strong tides lift and cables strain, Will your anchor drift, or firm remain? The Believer's Victory In Christ: -- Some day all Christians will follow the glory of Christ and share in His triumph in rising from the dead. Jesus Christ, by His resurrection from the dead, has made death to us but an incident in a never-ending life. As Paul wrote: "O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, Who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 15:55-57). The Lord, by His resurrect- ion, has transformed us into His image (2 Cor. 3:18; Col. 1:9,10), so that we can share His glory. Jesus gathered the twelve together, just before He was taken and crucified. He explained that He would soon be put to death, and seeing their state of mind, He said: "Let not your heart be troublied; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Fath- er's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and pre- pare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (Jno. 14:1-3). He had previously taught, "Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judg- ment" (Jno. 5:28,29). John writes in Rev. 14:13, "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth; yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them." This is a great adn comforting announcement for Christians. Blessed are those who die "in the Lord." Why? Let the apostle Paul answer that one: "Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is for a moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if the earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens" (2 Cor. 4:16 - 5:1). What Will It Be Like?: -- God made promises to Israel that they would dwell in the "land flowing with milk and honey" (Exo. 3: 13, 33, etc.). But because they did not keep His covenant, they were not allowed to enter in: "And with whom was He displeas- ed forty years? was it not with them that were disobedient? And to whom sware He that they should not enter into His rest, but to themthat were disobedient? And we see that they were not able to enter in because of unbelief" (Heb. 3:17-19). In a similar way, He makes promises to us under the New Testament. So, He warns us, "Let us fear therefore, lest haply a promise being left of entering into His rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it" (Heb. 4;1). In other words, God's promises to us are conditional promises, and we must do what He says to enter in to His rest: "Let us therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, that no man fall after the same example of disobedien- ce" (Heb. 4:11). We are not told about heaven, and our life after death. We don't even know what kind of body we will have; "But some one will say, How are the dead raised? and with what manner of body do they come? Thou foolish one, that which thou thyself sowest is not quickened except it die: and that whcih thou sow- est, thou sowest not the body that shall be, but a bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other kind; but God giveth it a body even as it pleased Him, and to each seed a body of its own" (1 Cor. 15:35-38). The Bible reveals some of the condit- ions there: "There shall in no wise enter into it anything unclean or he that maketh an abomination and a lie: but only they that are written in the Lamb's book of life" (Rev. 21:27). When we live as He directs, we have His assurance that we shall live with Him forever in that place called "Heaven." That is the hope -- the assurance -- of the Christian, "An anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast, and entering into that which is within the veil, whither as a forerunner, Jesus has enter- ed for us" (Heb. 6:19,20). ------ Clem Thurman in Gospel Minutes, Vol. 58, No. 23, June 5, 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090603/24a1f682/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Wed Jun 3 03:30:56 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Wed, 3 Jun 2009 04:30:56 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) THE KING HAS COME! 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: THE KING HAS COME! If you had the opportunity to go and hear Socrates, Plato, Aristotle or Jesus, who would you go to hear? The Greek philo- sophers lived 400 years prior to Christ so it would never have been an actual possibility. Consider however, that you could go hear these well known scholars talk about their views of right, wrong and truth, or you might go listen to the One who IS the Truth. When Jesus entered Jerrusalem for the last time, there was an excited crowd. They recognized Him as great, yet many did- n't really understand much about Him or His purpose. Jesus rode calmly into Jerusalem on a donkey. He visited the temple and then returned to Bethany (Mk. 11:11). The crowd had likely expected much more. They sought deliverance from Roman rule, but He wasn't there for that purpose. He came to deliver from Satan's rule. They recognized that Jesus had come from God, but they completely misunderstood His spiritual mission. Today, many attempt to follow Jesus fro the wrong reasons. They want physical benefits (health, wealth, success) or some kind of physical deliverance from their troubles. Is that what He is about? Do we follow Jesus because of who He is or just for what we think He can do for us? To follow Him means to obey Him and to die to our self-centered nature. We need to recog- nize Him as Truth. The crowd saw Him as their physical deliver- er, but we are called to submit to Him as King. He is the One who has come to rule in our lives and hearts. Will you follow? ----------- Shane Williams in The Lilbourn Light, Vol. 9, No. 12, April 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090603/57c3848c/attachment.html From jwquinn at sbcglobal.net Wed Jun 3 14:06:00 2009 From: jwquinn at sbcglobal.net (Jon W. Quinn) Date: Wed, 3 Jun 2009 14:06:00 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] Expository Files 16.6 (June, 2009) available Message-ID: Our 16th year of publication (1994-2009) Expository Files - June 2009 **Our 186th 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 16.6; June 2009 Co-edited by Warren E. Berkley and Jon W. Quinn ---------------------------------------------------------- This month's issue contains: Expository Files 16.6 (June 2009) The Front Page "A Very Odd Thing"? By Jon W. Quinn A Prepared Heart ...to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach it to others. Ezra 7:10 By Jon W. Quinn Effects of Sin Genesis 19 By Ethan R. Longhenry Are You Enjoying The Benefits Of Gratitude? 1 Thessalonians 5:18 By Warren E. Berkley Voices from Heaven Revelation 1:10; 14:2 By David Smitherman Hostile Witnesses "He saved others ... let Him save Himself" Topical Article By Jon W. Quinn Plan of Salvation By Jon W. Quinn The Final Page 16.6 Godliness Makes The Difference By Warren E. Berkley ---------------------------------------------------------- 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 2004-2006 in html by issue; 1994-2003 in zipped self executable format for IBM http://www.geocities.com/w_berkley/ EF in PDF by issue; Sept 2003 to present Jon W. Quinn Bradley Church of Christ Bradley, Illinois http://www.bradleychurchofchrist.com Expository Files Sites http://www.bible.ca/ef/ http://www.expositoryfiles.homestead.com/ From GLClair at aol.com Wed Jun 3 16:11:57 2009 From: GLClair at aol.com (GLClair at aol.com) Date: Wed, 3 Jun 2009 17:11:57 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] HILLIARD BULLETIN for June 2009 Message-ID: Hilliard Bulletin Published by the church of Christ Meeting at 4840 Cemetery Road ? 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 6 June 2009 ==================================================================== COUNTING THE COST Do you count the cost before you invest your time, money, and effort into long term commitment? Perhaps one of the great failings of man is the failure to learn the lesson that Jesus taught during his earthly sojourn. Do you remember the passage in Luke where Jesus uses the concept of counting the cost before a person undertakes a project; cf. Luke 14:28-32 - 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doth not first sit down and count the cost, whether he have (wherewith) to complete it? 29 Lest haply, when he hath laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all that behold begin to mock him, 30 saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. 31 Or what king, as he goeth to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and asketh conditions of peace. (ASV) There is a great lesson in the passage referred to (previous paragraph ? Luke 14:28-32) that many people overlook in the process of life. The greatest and perhaps most important event that is overlooked as a person lives their life is ? ?How do I know that I will be successful in life? How will I know whether I have selected the right person for my mate? How can I be assured that I am rearing my children correctly? How will I know whether my life will really count for anything worthwhile?? Indeed, I suspect many people ask themselves these questions as they leave childhood and began to understand the realities of living in the world. Yet, these questions and considerations of living life may be answered simply by listening to Jesus Christ in the passage cited ? cf. Luke 14:28-32. Whenever we leave childhood we ought to ?count the cost? of building a life with or without God in our lives. We will be wise to consider all of the facts that a healthy, prosperous, peaceful, and reverent life will benefit us if we commit our lives to serve the ?one true God?. Some of the promises offered by God for faithful Christian living is found in the Bible, please note the following: 1. Without God?s Instruction we cannot direct our own steps ? Jer. 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. (KJV) 2. Christ will help us and share our problems and our joys ? Matt. 11:28-30 - 28 Come unto me , all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (KJV) 3. Jesus will mediate our prayer requests(i.e. act as our advocate to the Father) - 1 Tim. 2:5-6 - 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (KJV) 4. Finally after a lifetime of faithful service (Rev. 2:10) Christ will welcome us into that eternal Heaven prepared for the Righteous ? Heb. 9:27-28 - 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. 1 Peter 1:4-9 - 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. (KJV) WILL YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE YOUR LIFE FOR GOD? IF YOU WILL YOU WILL BE ASSURED OF A BEARABLE AND ENJOYABLE LIFE HERE AND AN ETERNAL HOME WITH GOD IN THE FUTURE. THE ROAD TO RUIN The lessons of life are often effective only to those that have experienced them. I do not mean to imply that one must do everything that they want or desire in life as they progress from childhood to old age. I do mean that some people seem to never learn from personal experiences or from observing the difficulties of family members and/or friends. Many people have to experience personal tragedies in order to cease a serious flaw in their actions or lifestyle. The person that commits fornication or adultery may realize that they are violating the law of God (Matt. 19:9; 1 Cor. 6:18; Eph. 5:3; etc.) but in far too many cases that does not stop them from their sinning ways. The person that possess a greedy spirit may know that it is wrong to defraud others and that stealing (cf. Rom. 2:21; Eph. 4:28) ? NIV) is sinful (cf. Eph. 5:3 ? NIV) but that does not deter many who are bent upon acquiring wealth by any means whether honest or not. Many people do not take their relationship to God seriously, they allow other things; worldly in nature to occupy too much of their time. Those that desire to go to heaven someday will not allow themselves to become involved in sinful practices but will consistently place themselves in situations that encourage faithfulness to God?s will. The Christian will always be conscious of their need to learn continually more and more about God? s will for their lives (cf. 2 Peter 3:18 - But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. (KJV) The Christian is instructed by the Written Word (i.e. the Bible) to abstain from all evil, please note the following references. 1. Acts 15:29 - that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. (NASB) 2. 1 Thess. 4:3-6 - 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. (NASU) 3. 1 Thess. 5:21-22 - 21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil 2 Tim. 2:19 - 19 Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, " The Lord knows those who are His," and, " Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness." (NASU) 1 Peter 2:11-12 - 11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. 12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them; glorify God in the day of visitation. (NASU) - _glclair at aol.com_ (mailto:glclair at aol.com) - April 22, 2009 THE ORDER IN THE BODY OF CHRIST 1 Cor. 3:3-9 3 for you are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are laborers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. The church is a Divine Institution with a set order for everyone who is a part of it. In the New Testament we have the Divine arrangement set forth so that we do not have to fuss over our particular place in it. In the text; 1 Cor. 3 we have some material that tells us that the church (i.e. its members) all have their place. In this text Paul is disappointed in the membership of the Corinthian congregation because they apparently misunderstood the role of the teachers, the hearers, and the relationship of each to God and to each other (verses 3-4). The failure to understand the role of teachers and their mission by the congregation had caused division in the congregation. The division might be referred to as cliques; each clique claiming allegiance to a specific teacher. Paul says of this division that it displays carnality (i.e. ?fleshly things? ? not understanding properly spiritual things ? From ? A Critical Lexicon and Concordance by E.W. Bullinger ? pages 134-135 ? def. #2) on the part of those involved in these cliques. Indeed, cliques in the congregation are a detriment to progress and soundness; this is true because the various cliques spend their time competing with each other for prominence when they ought to be promoting Jesus Christ and His Church. There are times when it seems that within our brotherhood the most important thing to some is to make sure that there is some kind of issue that brethren can fuss over when they all should be fussing about the lack of progress in the local church. Was it not Jesus who told us to ?seek the kingdom of God first? in our list of things for disciples to do (cf. Matt 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. In verse 5 ? Paul tells those that were following a particular man that all men are just men, that each Christian regardless of his position, age, personality, etc. were all servants of God. Paul encourages them to disband these cliques and all together serve the Lord Jesus Christ as a single unit (i.e. to the congregation in Corinth he is encouraging unity under one Head ? i.e. Jesus Christ) cf. Col. 1:18-19 18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell; (KJV) In verse 6-8 Paul instructs those that he has referred to as carnal minded to understand the role of teachers. Paul says that teachers are to sow the good seed (i.e. ?the Word of God? ? Luke 8:5-11). Paul clearly understood that those that know the truth will be free from sin and schism (John 8:32; John 17:17). Paul is careful to show the roll of the teacher (i.e. preacher. elders, or otherwise) as all equals in a project for Christ to teach everyone the truth of the gospel (cf. Matt. 28:18-20; 2 Tim. 2:2). Paul continues in verse 8 saying that the key figure in the conversion of the sinner is not man but that the increase will be the result of Christ efforts (i.e. He will give the increase). In verse 9 Paul concludes this context with a call to unity of purpose and understanding; 9 for we are laborers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. _glclair at aol.com_ (mailto:glclair at aol.com) - May 20, 2009 TEACHER?S STUDY SUBJECT: ?Effectively Teaching Adult Bible Classes? DATE: 1st Saturday 6 PM The monthly class is taught by different men of the class. The purpose of the class is greater knowledge and ability gained by the students. Thus far, the class has been well attended with good participation by all those present. **************Shop Inspiron, Studio and XPS Laptops at Dell.com (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1222616459x1201464730/aol?redir=http:%2F%2Fad.d oubleclick.net%2Fclk%3B215218145%3B37264238%3Bd) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090603/16e00f04/attachment-0001.html From mike1616 at juno.com Wed Jun 3 21:11:59 2009 From: mike1616 at juno.com (Mike Thomas) Date: Thu, 4 Jun 2009 02:11:59 GMT Subject: [Biblemat] H) Website Design Message-ID: <20090603.211159.13919.1@webmail16.vgs.untd.com> We need someone who is experienced in web design to help us with our church's website. We're wanting to at least add sermon MP3s and a database of searchable articles, along with other creative features. Do you know of anyone you can recommend? We need someone who knows what they're doing, so experience is necessary. Thanks for any help you can offer. brotherly, Mike Thomas Beaver Dam, KY ____________________________________________________________ Click now and enjoy a fantastic vacation in the wine country. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2131/fc/BLSrjnsGAFLffuCmEWVYEE8YJ6fQXkg3qN6xaYbQT8PBZnRESj8mVDtxRja/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090604/41b142ab/attachment.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Thu Jun 4 05:10:23 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Thu, 4 Jun 2009 06:10:23 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) STRIVE AND REJOICE 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 words that we need to consider: STRIVE AND REJOICE STRIVE: -- One of the Greek words for "strive" spells in English our word "agony." It is the word used by Paul when he spoke of his own life of discipline. The apostle said: "And every man that striveth in the games exercises self control in all things" (1 Cor. 9:25). He then speaks of how he "fights" or "buffets" his body to keep it in bondage to God's Will. Paul's point is that in withstanding the craftiness of Satan and the passions of the flesh, Christians must agonize over the temptations and trials of sin and life in order to subdue the lusts of the flesh and keep themselves undefiled before God. Life to maintain purity is a struggle with desires of the body that seek fulfillment in violation of God's teaching. To emphasize the battle that men fight against sin, note that this word is used of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed about the cup of death He was to face the next day. In great "agony," Luke tells us, Jesus prayed about His upcom- ing trial and crucifixion and notes that "His sweat became as it were great drops of blood" (Lk. 22:44). If we do not feel this "agony," it may be, brethren, that we're not really resisting sin. REJOICE: -- The Bible not only speaks of the "agony" that godly men feel in the war against sin, but it also notes the "joy" they receive as a fruit of the Spirit. While Christians battle the flesh, they develop in their souls qualities that produce what Peter calls "joy unspeakable" and what Paul calls a "peace of God, which passeth all understanding" (1 Pet. 1:8; Phil. 4:7). Paul also, as a command, says: "Rejoice in the Lord always" (Phil. 4:4). This joy comes as a product of a life of righteousness Jesus speaks in the beatitudes of the "bliss," the meaning of the word "blessed," that comes to those who mourn over sin, are merciful to the needy, are meek and humble, hunger for righteou- sness, etc. Paul says it comes when the Spirit by faith and truth controls our hearts and lives (Matt. 5:3-12; Gal. 5:22,23). This comes to God's people, even as they agonize to over- come sin; it comes as a reward for the victory we win when we strive and win against Satan. And it comes because of the hope that we have as a result of our efforts to overcome evil (1 Pet. 1:3 -9). And it comes when we pray to God and He gives us relief through His providential help (Phil. 4:6,7). Strange isn't it. Agon- izing our way to joy!! ----- L. A. Stauffer in Son Rays, Vol. 31, No 8, May 24, 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090604/5e8cad4b/attachment.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Thu Jun 4 05:10:31 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Thu, 4 Jun 2009 06:10:31 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) "THE CHURCH WILL NEVER BE THE SAME" Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is a study from my files. Use to the glory of God. "THE CHURCH WILL NEVER BE THE SAME" Several years ago, Time Magazine carried an article, with this caption, "The Church Will Never Be The Same," because, they say, "The baby boomers are coming back to church." The artic- le said among other things, "These returnees are described as traveling from church to church or faith to faith, sampling creeds shopping for a custom-made God." It said of churches, "In an effort to attract them, more and more churches are becoming customer oriented." This reminded me of some striking parellels of hte '60s and the church in our day. I found some common denominators among those who are causing confusion in churches, including churches of Christ. 1. The boomers of the '60s were looking for highs. They could not live on the plains. They had to be on the mountain peaks. They needed a smoke, a pill, or a needle. What are you hearing today from those pulling away from the church? "We wan a worship that makes us feel good or high." I might add, never mind how God may feel. 2. Another similarity in the '60s and in our day: They both dislike order. In the '60s they wanted a spontaneous life-style doing whatever made them feel good. We are hearing the same cry today in the church: "We want a spontaneous worship. We are bored with order." 3. Another similarity in the '60s and in our day: They both dislike authority. They want to do it their way. In the '60s they rebelled against parental, governmental, and religious authority. The new hermeneutic virtually eliminates apostolic authority and does away with pattern theology. Everyone does that which is right in his own eyes. 4. In the '60s they wanted to do what came naturally. Then they did not wear socks, ties, nor underwear. Their motto was: "Just hang loose." Personal freedom and comfort were their objectives. Does this remind you of today? 5. Another striking parallel is this: They tolerated everything except the established order. They would neither judge nor con- demn any. Today those pulling away from the church have toler- ance for virtually anything with the exception of the established church. 6. Both have the some theme. Remember in the '60s the peace sign. Truth, they said, was unattainable. Thus came con- sensus and situation ethics, but real peace eluded them. Today we are being told among our ranks that peace is the message. I disagree. Truth is the message. Peace is the hope. 7. Both then and now they believe love is a cure-all. But, what kind of love are they talking about "Love Sweet Love" or agape love that suffereth long and is kind...rejoices in truth (1 Cor. 13). I see the "Me" generation in both of these. I beg those who are swept up in this movement to take anot- her look. I beg the elders and churches and or schools who are catering to this movement to take another look before we lose the church that Jesus purchased with His own blood. ----------- Bob Plunket in The Sower, Vol. 54, No. 3, May/June, 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090604/6d85eb75/attachment.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Fri Jun 5 03:41:11 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Fri, 5 Jun 2009 04:41:11 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) OPEN UP AND SAY, "AHHH" 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: OPEN UP AND SAY, "AHHH" One of the first things a physician says when he examines a patient is, 'Open up and say, Ahhh.' It is often possible to make a diagnosis just by looking inside a person's mouth. Some problems can be detected by the tongue's appearance. This is even more true as a test of spiritual health. A person's speech reveals what is going on inside. Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh" (Matt. 12:34). Listen to people. You will often hear terrible things. Curse words, taking the Lord's name in vain, or any number of substit- ute variations. Many people use euphemism's that point to these same terrible words. The language of children often reveals the language of the parents. Children may have no idea what they are saying but they hear it said enough, so it becomes their language too. The influence and example we have on our children should be enough to make us re-think our words we use around them. The apostle Peter, on the night Jesus was arrested, made the mistake of opening his mouth. When he spoke, some of the bystanders recognized his language and said, "Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you." Then he began to curse and swear saying, "I do not know the man!" (Matt. 26:73 74). Although he tried to deny their accusation, his speech re- vealed who he really was. Our speech tells much about us. Our accent indicates the country or region we came from. Our words reveal education, refinement, or the lack of it. Our topics of discussion point to our interests in life because we talk about the things we love the most. What is your tongue saying about you? What is it telling others? Is it a tool of goodness for the cause of Christ or a tool of Satan to bring others down? "With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men who have been made in the likeness of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so" (Jas. 3:9,10). ---Shane Williams in The Lilbourn Light, Vol. 9, No. 12, April, 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090605/3fa35467/attachment.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Fri Jun 5 03:41:20 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Fri, 5 Jun 2009 04:41:20 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) HOW A CHURCH LOSES ITS DISTINCTIVENESS Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is a study from my files. Use to the glory of God. HOW A CHURCH LOSES ITS DISTINCTIVENESS "When "called out" people who are supposed to be distinct and committed to the Lord and His Word become like everyone else, what right do they have to make a claim that they are a "church of Christ"? The Lord Jesus created His church to be distinctive. This fact is seen in the concept of the church as the "called-out" ones. The church Jesus created consists of people whohave been called out of the world by the gospel (2 Thes. 2:13,14). Furthermore, the distinctiveness of the Lord's church is seen in the identification of its members as "saints" (1 Cor. 1:2 NKJV). People who make up the Lord's church have been called to be saints or holy people, people who have been set apart, distinct- ive people (1 Pet. 1:15). When a church of Christ loses its distinctiveness, it is no longer the Lord's church. That church may still claim to belong to the Lord, but a body without a spirit is dead (Rev. 3:1). The Lord knows how and when to "remove the candlestick" (Rev. 2:5). What is involved in a churc losing its distinctiveness? Recognizing and understanding how this loss happens to a church may serve as an admonition to elders, preachers and congregations. Knowledge could provide the criteria for evalua- ting the spiritual statue of a congregation. Loss Of Conviction: -- A perusal of the New Testament epistles reveals a corpus of information identified as "the truth" (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Tim. 2:15). Jesus declared the reality of this truth (Jno. 8: 32). Strong congregations are built on a solid foundation of truth that is known, believed and obeyed. People in the Lord's church believe someting, stand for something, and reject any doctrine/teaching inconsistent with the truth. The ethics of the New Testament church are based on a solid doctrinal foundat- ion. For example, the way God's people are to live is grounded in sound doctrine (Titus 2:1-8,11-14). This paradigm is in Paul's inspired epistles. The ethincal emphasis in Ephesians is based on the truth of God's eternal purpose that made the church a liv- ing reality (Titus 3:10,11,20,21). Examine the doctrine of the nat- ure and preeminence of Christ and observe how a conviction of the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ and an obedience to that truth impacts the life of a person (Col. 2:11,12). The truth reveals how people are to respond to God's love and grace so they can be saved by Him (1 Tim. 2:4). Any person with a good and honest heart can read the book of Acts and understand what he must do to be saved by the Lord Jesus (Lk. 8:15). He will not find the "faith-only" approach or the so-called, man-invented "sinner's prayer." Faith is an essential; repent- ance is an imperative; and baptism upon a confession of faith is required. God's people have a conviction about God's way of saving people (Acts 10:34,35). (More will be posted on this sub- ject tomorrow, the Lord willing, JWS). -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090605/aad8640b/attachment.html From richardson9 at charter.net Fri Jun 5 12:42:04 2009 From: richardson9 at charter.net (richardson9 at charter.net) Date: Fri, 5 Jun 2009 10:42:04 -0700 Subject: [Biblemat] H - article on singing vs. instrumental music Message-ID: <20090605134204.UOT1H.3891934.root@mp06> Hello all.... I'm studying with a lady via correspondence course and I need a simple, short and computer-ready article on why we sing vs. using the instrument in worship to quickly send her. Any help will be appreciated. brotherly, Dan Richardson richardson9 at charter.net From wirtzjack at att.net Fri Jun 5 15:11:15 2009 From: wirtzjack at att.net (Jack Wirtz) Date: Fri, 5 Jun 2009 15:11:15 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] H - article on singing vs. instrumental music In-Reply-To: <20090605134204.UOT1H.3891934.root@mp06> References: <20090605134204.UOT1H.3891934.root@mp06> Message-ID: Dan, the proper question to ask should be, "How are we to worship God?" To which the proper answer is, "Only in such a manner as approved by Him!" It is all about the authority of scripture! There are two MP3 sermons by Sewell Hall on the Cedar Park congregations site: http://cedarparkchurchofchrist.org/cpcofc/ Click on Audio Lessons and you will find these two excellent lessons. Sewell Hall Glorifying God Through Our Worship Glorifying God Through Singing Here is a sermon fromThe Spiritual Sword: www.bibleanswer.com/instrumt.htm The Instrument of Music in Worship Intro. 1. Perhaps no other practice among churches of Christ is so at odds with the religious world as that of not using mechanical instruments of music in worship. 2. Most say it is a trifle, insignificant & straining at a gnat. Not an insignificant matter: a. How we approach God in worship is of fundamental importance - Jno. 4:23-24. b. Failure to approach God acceptably causes rejection/death - Heb. 11:4; Lev. 10:1-3; Amos 5:21-24. c. Use of instrumental music in worship has caused of division in church. 3. Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16 - NT of Christ endorses & approves singing - NOT playing added to singing. 4. Opposition to the use of instruments of music in worship is based upon principles of Bible interpretation which are essential to preserving NT Christianity. I. THE HISTORY OF INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC IN WORSHIP. A. When Was The Instrument First Used In Church Worship? 1. NT is silent on the use of instruments in worship. 2. The attitude & practice after the NT age. (Quotations from history are listed below) a. History is silent until the 7th century. b. Still only sparingly used until the 13th century. c. Protestants. B. Assessing The Historical Evidence: 1. Use of instrumental music in worship was not instituted by Christ or His apostles (they had no controversy over its use -- it was not used!) 2. Added by man - cf. 2 Jno. 9-11 ? Does not have God?s approval! II. A MATTER OF AUTHORITY. A. All Activities Must Be Authorized - Col. 3:17; Matt. 17:5; 28:18. 1. Illus.: A check is valid only when the authorized signature is present. 2. Where is Christ?s "authorizing signature" for instrumental music in worship? - 1 Pet. 4:11. B. We Must Respect The Silence Of God?s Word & Not Add To It. 1. "The Bible doesn?t say ?thou shalt not? use mech. instru. of music in worship!" (cf. Lord?s Supper: Hamburgers & coke) 2. Gal. 1:8-9; 1 Cor. 4:6 - Do not go beyond what is written! 3. Heb. 7:13-14 - Silence from God is restraint (not license) for man. C. The Mechanical Instrument Of Music Is An Addition, Not An Aid, To True Worship. 1. God has specified the kind of music He accepts: Vocal - Eph. 5:19. 2. Any other kind of music is an addition. (cf. Gopher wood). 3. "Aids" do not change the force or action of the commandment: a. Books, pitch pipe, leader - Aid (expedite) singing. b. These do not introduce another kind of music into our worship. D. Whenever We Disregard & Violate God?s Authority, We: 1. Open floodgate to error & apostasy - 2 Tim. 2:16-17 (cf. Christian Church). 2. Forfeit fellowship with God - 2 Jno. 9. 3. We sin & lose our souls - Matt. 7:21-23. III. IN DEFENSE OF INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC IN WORSHIP. A. They Were Used In OT Worship - 2 Chron. 29:25. 1. Yes, as was burning incense, animal sacrifices, feast days, etc. 2. Must continue in all things or cursed; Not justified by OT appeals; Christ is of no profit to those who so argue - Gal. 3:10-12; 5:2-3. 3. Old covenant is done away in Christ - 2 Cor. 3:14. 4. OT is a shadow of NT substance - Col. 2:14-17; Heb. 10:1. 5. We must hear Christ, not Moses - Acts 3:22-23. B. In Eph. 5:19 "Psallo" Means "To Pluck/Twang" - Must Be An Instrument Involved. 1. Yes, but what is to be plucked? ........Eph. 5:19 - The heart! 2. Otherwise, all would have to play an instrument! 3. psallo - "In the N.T., to sing a hymn, sing praise" (Rom. 15:9; 1 Cor. 14:15; Js. 5:13) - Vine, III:58. 4. "In the N.T. to sing a hymn, to celebrate the praises of God in song." Thayer, 675. C. There Are Instruments In Heaven - Rev. 14:2-3. Rev 14:2 - And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and the voice which I heard was as the voice of harpers harping with their harps: (ASV) 1. Heaven is a spiritual realm - not a physical one (1 Cor. 15:50). 2. Physical things in a spiritual place? a. Revelation a book of signs, symbols & figures. b. No more literal than the chain which binds Satan (Rev. 20:1-2). D. We Use Them At Home. 1. Things can be morally right but religiously wrong (Hamburger & coke). 2. No authority to use them in worship to God anywhere! - Jas. 5:13 E. It Sounds Pretty, We Want It, & We Are Going To Have It. -Obstinate rebellion - walking by sight - 1 Sam. 8:19, 7; 2 Cor. 5:7. F. Worship Is A Right Thing To Do, & There Is No Wrong Way To Do It. -Tell that to Nadab & Abihu! Jesus said there is a wrong way to do it - Matt. 15:7-9. G. The Argument We Never Heard: "We Should Use Instrumental Music In Worship Because The NT Commands It & The NT Church Used It." Conclusion 1. We must never go beyond the authority of Christ revealed in His NT - We are complete in them - 1 Cor. 14:37; 4:6; 2 Tim. 3:16-17. 2. Be content with God?s ways! (Isa. 55:8-9) Quotations from history: -McClintock and Strong?s Cyclopedia, VIII:739 "Sir John Hawkins, following the Romish writers in his erudite work on the ?History of Music,? makes Pope Vatalian, in A.D. 660, the first who introduced organs into churches. But students of ecclesiastical archaeology are generally agreed that instrumental music was not used in churches till a much later date; for Thomas Aquinas, A.D. 1250, has these remarkable words: ?Our church does not use musical instruments, as harps and psalteries to praise God withal, that she may not seem to Judaize.? From this passage we are surely warranted in concluding that there was no ecclesiastical use of organs in the time of Aquinas. It is alleged that Marinus Sanutus, who lived about A.D. 1290, was the first that brought the use of wind organs into churches....but never has either the organ or any other instruments been employed in public worship in Eastern churches; nor is mention of instrumental music found in all their liturgies, ancient or modern (still true)." -Girardeau, Instrumental Music, p. 179: "It has thus been proved, by an appeal to historical facts, that the church, although lapsing more and more into defection from the truth and into a corruption of apostolic practice, had no instrumental music for twelve hundred years; and that the Calvinistic Reformed Church ejected it from its services as an element of Popery, even the Church of England having come very nigh to its extrusion from her worship. The historical argument, therefore, combines with the Scriptural and the confessional to raise a solemn and powerful protest against its employment by the Presbyterian Church. It is heresy in the sphere of worship." -John Calvin (Presbyterian founder), Commentary on Psalms 33 and on I Samuel 18: 1-9: "Musical instruments in celebrating the praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting up of lamps, and the restoration of the other shadows of the law. The papists, therefore, have foolishly borrowed this, as well as many other things, from the Jews. Men who are fond of outward pomp may delight in that noise; but the simplicity which God recommends to us by the apostle is far more pleasing to Him." -John Wesley (Methodist founder), Cited by Adam Clarke in his Commentary, IV:684: "I have no objection to instruments of music in our chapels, provided they are neither heard nor seen." -Charles Spurgeon (Considered one of the greatest Baptist preacher to have ever lived), Commentary on Psalms 42: "Praise the Lord with harp. Israel was at school, and used childish things to help her to learn; but in these days when Jesus gives us spiritual food, one can make melody without strings and pipes?.We do not need them. That would hinder rather than help our praise. Sing unto him. This is the sweetest and best music. No instrument like the human voice." Nothing is more difficult to change than a popular misconception... jack From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Sat Jun 6 04:46:15 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Sat, 6 Jun 2009 05:46:15 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 Hear the Word of the Lord concerning hope in Christ. Hope, as used in the New Testament is "favorable and confident expectation. It has to do we the unseen and the future" (Vine). Concerning the redemption of our body in the resurrection, Paul said, "For we are saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, then we eagerly wait for it with per- severance" (Rom. 8:24,25). Thus hope, fully realized, is no long- er hope. Yet, Christians live in hope; therefore, we must conclu- de that the promises of things eternal have not been fully realiz- ed. Christians have Christ in them, "the hope of glory" (Col. 1: 26,27). Paul's apostleship was carried out "in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began..." (Titus 1:2). We "rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Rom. 5:1,2). The "living hope" of the saints is based in Christ's resurrection, and is set on the eternal inheritance reserved for those who en- dure to the end (1 Pet. 1:3-25). That hope demands responsible holy, living in steadfast endurance of faith. Paul's hope of the resurrection of all the dead moved him to strive always to have a conscience without offense (Acts 24:15,16). The hope of eternal salvation is a helmet for the saints (Heb. 6:11-20; Col. 3:1-17). The faithful will realize their hope of eternal blessedness when they get to heaven, where that hope is laid up (Col. 1:3-6). We can share in that hope and finally realize it "if indeed you (we) continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not mov- ed away from the hope of the gospel which you (we) heard..." (Col. 1:23). Let us live so as to have confidence of hope, and "let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor. 10: 12). ------------ Gilbert Alexander. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090606/28da1563/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Sat Jun 6 04:46:25 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Sat, 6 Jun 2009 05:46:25 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) HOW A CHURCH LOSES ITS DISTINCTIVENESS (2) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the second and last installment of this particular study. Use to the glory of God. HOW A CHURCH LOSES ITS DISTINCTIVENESS (2) Today, postmodernism with its obsession with relativism re- jects absolute knowledge and thereby casts a cloud of doubt on conviction. "Love" becomes permissiveness; the biblical doct- rine of grace is distorted into flirtation with universalism or the embracing of the denominational assertion of individual predest- ination and foreordination. God's sovereignty is so exaggerated tht God is supposedly responsible for man's salvation or man's condemnation. God's people have a conviction about specific avenues or acts of true worship that they will not sacrifice on altars of crowd pleasing entertainment (Jno. 4:24). Saints refuse to let the culture dictate the manner of life that God calls His people to foll- ow (Eph. 5:1-17). The first step in the loss of distinctiveness has been taken when people are "always learning" but never able to come to a "a knowledge of the truth" (2 Tim. 3:7). Compromise: -- A rejection of the truth, a conviction against con- viction, prepares a church for the next step in the loss of distinct- iveness -- compromise. After all the debates and the years of ridi- cule and misrepresentations, a church that has lost conviction of God's truth is ready now to rush to "the plains of Ono" (Neh. 6:2). Compromise is evident when biblical doctrine about God's Way of saving the lost is said to be "church of Christ tradition" and when following the God-ordained way to praise Him with singing accompanied with the human heart (Eph. 5:19) is called "a church of Christ tradition." Compromise is seen when people reject the necessity for biblical authority for what is believed and practiced in religion. Their justification is that other religious people are sincere in what they believe and practice, and "they feel good about what they do in religion." Compromise with its distorted view of love will bless people with fellowship who are not walking in the light (1 Jno. 1:3-10). In its broadest sense, compromise can be seen in some people's claim that even good Muslims can be saved by their god Allah, regardless of what Jesus declared in Jno. 14:6. Conformity: -- Once a church has rejected conviction of truth and compromised with false doctrine, the next step is inevitable -- that church will begin to conform to the religion of the day. The doctines of denominationalism, such as unconditional grace, will begin to be heard from preachers, and elders will de- fend them. Human practices, such as the use of mechanical instruments of music in worship, will be introduced. Special days of human origin such as the religious observance of Christ- mas and Easter will be embraced. God's people wanted to be like the nations around them (1 Sam. 8:5). That desire did not happen without first rejecting God's Law. When "called-out" people who are supposed to be distinct and committed to the Lord and His Word become like everyone else, what right do they have to make a claim that they are a "church of Christ"? When conformity rules, those who have the ideal and object- ive of restoring the plea to be like the church the Lord created in the first century are scorned, ridiculed and sometimes caricatur- ed for wanting to perpetuate "the church of the 1950s" in the 21st century. The loss of distinctiveness is a sad revelation of the loss of dedication to the Lord Jesus Christ and to the church that He created. (For which He gave His blood). ---- Tom Holland via The Sower, Vol. 54, No. 3, May/June, 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090606/a3e70cbf/attachment-0001.html From wswalker310 at juno.com Fri Jun 5 15:15:28 2009 From: wswalker310 at juno.com (Wayne S Walker) Date: Fri, 5 Jun 2009 15:15:28 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] hymn study, "The Ninety and Nine" Message-ID: <20090606.090006.2808.2.wswalker310@juno.com> Wayne Walker here with another weekly hymn study "THE NINETY AND NINE" "Doth He not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains and seeketh that which is gone astray?" (Matt. 18:12) INTRO.: A hymn which reminds us of the effort to which the Great Shepherd has gone to seek His lost sheep is "The Ninety and Nine" (#123 in Hymns for Worship Revised, and #560 in Sacred Selections for the Church). The text was written by Elizabeth Cecelia Douglas Clephane, who was born at Edinburgh, Scotland, on June 18, 1830, the daughter of Andrew Clephane, the county sheriff of Fife and a member of the Scottish Free Church. After being orphaned by the death of their father, she and her two sisters settled at Melrose near Abbotsford, the home of author Walter Scott. From her youth up, Elizabeth was in frail health, but to the limit of her ability, she served the poor and sick in Melrose. Though poor, the sisters gave to charity what was not needed for family maintenance, even to selling the horse and carriage. She was known to the townspeople as "The Sunbeam." Miss Clephane produced at least eight hymns. It is believed that the words for "The Ninety and Nine," which were especially for children, date from 1868, shortly before her early death at Melrose on Feb. 19, 1868. These poems were published posthumously from 1872 to 1878 under the title "Breathings from the Border" in The Family Magazine, a Scottish Presbyterian magazine edited by William Arnot, a Free Church minister. "The Ninety and Nine" was the first, and her best known hymn, "Beneath the Cross of Jesus" was the last. The former was also printed in a magazine called The Children's Hour in 1872. About a year later, in 1873, revival evangelist Dwight L. Moody was in Scotland for campaigns with his song director Ira David Sankey (1840-1908). After completing a meeting in Glasgow, they prepared to board a train for Edingburgh where Moody was to conduct a service at the Free Assembly Hall. Just before stepping on the train, Sankey stopped to purchase a newspaper. While Moody prepared his sermon, Sankey scanned the paper and was about to toss it aside when he discovered this poem about the Shepherd seeking the lost sheep, cut it out, and placed it in his pocket. In Edinburgh, Moody's subject was "The Good Shepherd." FInishing the message, he turned to Sankey and asked him to lead some fitting song. Sankey had not expected the sermon and had no appropriate number. Since he could think of nothing else suitable, he recalled the little poem that he had put into his vest pocket. So he pulled it out and began ato sing. Note by note the tune (Ninety and Nine) came to him as he sang, and this is perhaps the only case where a hymn melody was composed while the composer sang it publicly for the first time. It has remained unchanged to the present day. The hymn was made famous by Sankey and Moody during their crusades throughout Great Britain in 1873 and 1874. It was first published in Sankey's Sacred Songs and Solos of 1874. Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord's church during the twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, it appeared in 1935 Christian Hymns (No. 1) edited by L. O. Sanderson (as arranged by the editor); the 1940 Complete Christian Hymnal edited by Marion Davis; and the 1959 Majestic Hymnal No. 2 and the 1978 Hymns of Praise both edited by Reuel Lemmons. Today it may be found in 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 1978/1983 Church Gospel Songs and Hymns edited by V. E. Howard; and the 1992 Praise for the Lord edited by John P. Wiegand; in addition to Hymns for Worship, Sacred Selections, and the 2007 Sacred Songs of the Church edited by William D. Jeffcoat. The song recounts how the Good Shepherd went to find the lost lamb. I. According to stanza 1, a sheep is away from the fold. "There were ninety and nine that safely lay In the shelter of the fold, But one was out on the hills away, Far off from the gates of gold; Away on the mountains, wild and bare, Away from the tender Shepherd's care." A. The "fold" represents a place of safety, which for Christ's sheep is the church: Jn. 10:1 B. The Bible teaches that all have been out on the hills away because have sinned: Rom. 3:23 C. Therefore, each one of us was at one time or another like the sheep who went astray and was away on the mountains: 1 Pet. 2:25 II. According to stanza 2, the Shepherd goes out to look for the sheep so that He can plead with it to return. "Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine; Are they not enough for Thee? But the Shepherd made answer: 'This of Mine has wandered away from Me, And although the road be rough and steep, I go to the desert to find My sheep.'" A. The ninety and nine are not enough for the Shepherd because God wants all men to be saved: 1 Tim. 2:3-4 B. Therefore, the Shepherd is concerned about the one who has wandered away, so He came to seek and save the lost: Lk. 19:10 C. God has always pleaded with His people, when they stray from Him, to return; Isa. 55:6-7 III. According to stanza 3, the Shepherd crossed the deep waters in the dark of night so that He could call the sinner to repentance. "But none of the ransomed ever knew How deep were the waters crossed, Nor how dark was the night that the Lord passed through Ere He found His sheep that was lost. Far out in the desert He heard its cry; 'Twas sick and helpless and ready to die." A. Jesus left the glories of heaven and came to this "low land of suffering and sin": Phil. 3:5-8 B. He passed through even the dark night of death on the cross: Heb. 2:9 C. The Good Shepherd did this for His sheep that was sick and helpless and ready to die in order that He might bring them back to the fold: Mk. 2:17 IV. According to stanza 4, the Shepherd even shed His blood to bring back the sheep. "'Lord, whence are those blood-drops all the way That mark out the mountain's track?' 'They were shed for the one who had gone astray Ere the Shepherd could bring him back.' 'Lord, whence are Thy hands so rent and torn?' 'They're pierced tonight by many a thorn.'" A. God had decreed that without the shedding of blood there could be no remission of sin: Heb. 9:22 B. Therefore, Jesus shed His blood for the remission of our sins: Matt. 26:28 C. The Shepherd was willing to go to these lengths to save the lost sheep because God is not willing that any should perish: 2 Pet. 3:9 V. According to stanza 5, there will be rejoicing even in heaven over the lost lamb that is restored. "But all through the mountains, thunder-riven, And up from the rocky steep, There arose a glad cry to the gate of heaven, 'Rejoice, I have found My sheep.' And the angels echoed around the throne, 'Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own.'" A. The mountains and the rock steep represent the depths of sin to which we had sunk and in which the Shepherd had to seek us: Eph. 2:1-13 B. However, saving the sheep was part of the joy that was set before Him, for which Jesus endured the shame of the cross: Heb. 12:1-2 C. And yes, even the angels of heaven rejoice over just one sinner who comes to repentance: Lk. 15:5-7 CONCL.: It is said that when Moody and Sankey visited Melrose, Elizabeth's two sisters were in the audience to hear Moody speak and heard their departed sister's song sung. Certainly, we should be thankful that God loved us enough to send His Son to seek and save us even when we were lost and indifferent. And if Jesus went to these lengths to save us, we should obey Him that we might be saved and then accept the challenge to assist Him in seeking those who have strayed from "The Ninety and Nine." 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. ____________________________________________________________ Workers Compensation Legal Advice. Click here http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/fc/BLSrjpTOcqHftv2Iz3preejfmGKFNKpHzdLgIEmrUpAOLeulYueCQHFjbJO/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090605/a5c85af1/attachment-0001.html From tssullivan at charter.net Sat Jun 6 20:04:01 2009 From: tssullivan at charter.net (T. Sean Sullivan) Date: Sat, 6 Jun 2009 20:04:01 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] The Messenger Vol 004 Iss 022 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 022: June 07, 2009 This Week's Article: Understanding Why Some Will Not Be Saved Introduction: The goal of preaching is to bring all listeners to betterment. Paul told Timothy to "convince, rebuke, and exhort" He was to accomplish these in "preaching the word" (2 Timothy 4:2). A key word associated with that command is: "longsuffering"-this is patience. Patience is hard, especially when obedience is so very important. The desire to preach God's word in truth and love can be met with a measure of frustration. Many defend themselves against obedience with excuses, rationalizations, and plain refusal. Even after the truth is acknowledged by the listeners resistance is still encountered against obedience to that truth. Today, we are going to battle some popular excuses that people use to justify there lack of obedience. Too many tell themselves and others "I can't obey today because." Some will not be saved because they don't see the truth There is no guess work involved in how we present the plan of salvation from the word of God. We have examined the scriptures and noted that all men are equally in need. We understand from the scriptures; all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). All men need the grace, mercy, and love of God to be saved (Ephesians 2:1-10). All men have the same expectations from God: Recognition of their lost condition (Acts 2:37; Timothy 4:2), willingness to confess Jesus Christ as the Son of God (Romans 10:1-17; Acts 8:37), willingness to repentance (Acts 2:38-41; Acts 17:30; 2 Peter 3:9), and a cleansing of our sins (Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3:21). These things begin the determination of faithful living in righteousness (Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:35-39) Some believe that there are many versions of truth in the scriptures. We are responsible to rightly divide the word of truth (Acts 17:11; 2 Timothy 2:15). The Apostle Paul proclaims that all followers are to be of ONE mind and ONE judgment (1 Corinthians 1:10). All believers are to be in one undivided body (1 Corinthians 12:25). There is one body-the church (Ephesians 4:4). There is one Head-Christ-appointed by God (Ephesians 1:20-23). If you do not see that the Bible provides authority for only one undivided church whose direction is singular in mind and judgment, it is time to sit down with the word again. Jesus said, "If you abide in My word, you will be my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31-32). There is no guess work involved in how we present the plan of salvation from the word of God. We have examined the scriptures and noted that all men are equally in need. We understand from the scriptures; all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). All men need the grace, mercy, and love of God to be saved (Ephesians 2:1-10). All men have the same expectations from God: Recognition of their lost condition (Acts 2:37; 2 Timothy 4:2), willingness to confess Jesus Christ as the Son of God (Romans 10:1-17; Acts 8:37), willingness to repentance (Acts 2:38-41; Acts 17:30; 2 Peter 3:9), and a cleansing of our sins (Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3:21). These things begin the determination of faithful living in righteousness (Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:35-39). Some will not be saved because their family history It is heart-wrenching to hear any of the many excuses in this group. When one has a strong family tie it is hard to loose them and make a new determination of faith different then what the family traditionally follows. Taking a stand on issues of faith can change long-standing relationships. These truths in human relations cannot be belittled. However, we must do what we know is right regardless. For many this speed-bump is a wall that will not be crossed. Opinion can be found on every corner of this excuse. We need to get to the solid ground of the scriptures to hear God's instructions on this matter. God acknowledges that family can cause resistance: Matthew 10:34-36, Jesus proclaims that changing one's life to follow the gospel can split families. Jesus continues to teach on this matter (Matthew 10:37-39). We must make our choice: family or Christ. If we deny Christ, He will deny us before His Father (Matthew 10:32-33). If we deny ourselves, willingly pay the cost, and follow Christ we will find our life-eternal. Paul is a living example to teach us the value of truth over family tradition. When Paul was confronted with the Gospel he was religiously a Jew and his family had been Jews literally since the beginning of Judaism (some 2000 year since the time of Abram's calling). Paul speaks of his long heritage of religion in Philippians 3:4-6 he was zealous and faithful-committed. Paul however continues his speech to tell us what he did with the truth (Philippians 3:7-11)-in order that he would attain to the resurrection of the dead. Will you do what you need to do for your own soul today? Some will not be saved because they don't think they need to Many have false confidence that causes them to think that they are just fine the way they are. For some reason our culture has began to take on a sense of entitlement whereas most people today believe that they are owed. This is not foreign to the church where many believe that they simply are entitled to the best of Heaven by simply acknowledging God. Many have also entrusted their souls to their "spiritual leaders" and have been sold a different plan of salvation. The scriptures alone communicate God's will to mankind (Hebrews 1:1-2). The question IS NOT, "Have you done something to be saved?" The question IS "Have you done what God says, to be saved?" Conclusion: There are many excuses, rationalizations, and refusals today. Do not excuse yourself from Heaven-not for family, not for tradition, not for another plan. Do not rationalize your only hope away-do not blindly trust and convince yourself that you are okay. Do not refuse the word of God today. It is time to face the facts of salvation. Will you put away the excuses? Will you do God's will 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/20090606/8296d701/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/20090606/8296d701/attachment-0002.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 7811 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090606/8296d701/attachment-0003.gif From disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Sat Jun 6 21:31:28 2009 From: disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com (Ethan R. Longhenry) Date: Sat, 6 Jun 2009 22:31:28 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] Good News for Norwalk: Volume IV, Number 23: June 07, 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 23: June 07, 2009 --------------------------------------------------------- 1 John 3:1-3: Children of God Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this cause the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is. And every one that hath this hope set on him purifieth himself, even as he is pure (1 John 3:1-3). John has been writing to Christians regarding the Word of Life and the message that He is the light and in Him is no darkness, and thus we are to walk in the light (1 John 1). We do so by following His commandments (1 John 2:1-6). To be in the light means that we love one another (1 John 2:7-14). Christians are not to love the world or the things in it, and not be disturbed in faith on account of those false teachers, the antichrists (1 John 2:15-27). John charges the Christians to abide in Jesus so that they would not be ashamed when He returns, and to continue practicing righteousness, for those who practice righteous are born of Him (1 John 2:27-29). John now continues by speaking of the great love God has for us and how that love is manifest. John indicates that God's great love is made evident toward us in that we can be called His children (1 John 3:1). We become children of God by adoption, as Paul indicates in Romans 8:14-17 and Ephesians 1:5. The basis of our adoption is the blood of Jesus Christ that allows for the cleansing of sin and the restoration of association with Him (1 John 1:1-7). Our adoption, therefore, came at great cost for God; this is why we may have constant confidence in God's love toward us (Romans 8:31-39). If His love for us was not great, why would He have sacrificed His Son on our behalf? John indicates that the fact that we have become children of God explains why the world does not "know" us, for it did not know God, either (1 John 3:1). John is not acting as if the world is ignorant regarding Jesus, His claims, and the claims of those who follow Him; instead, John is saying that those in the world do not really understand what Jesus is all about. John records for us in John 7-9 many of the reactions of the Jews to Jesus, and most of them involve a lack of faith in Him as the Son of God. Thus John indicates that the world did not receive its Creator, the darkness did not comprehend the light, and hearts were hardened against Him (John 1:5, 10-11, John 12:37-43). Paul teaches that the world with its fleshly ways of thinking cannot understand the spiritual reality of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 2), and Peter told the Jews that they did not know what they were doing when they crucified Jesus (Acts 3:13-17). Since Jesus experienced all these things, why should we be surprised when people do not understand why we stand so strongly for God's truths and serve Jesus? If people do not "get" Jesus, how will they "get" us (John 15:18-27)? John affirms that Christians are presently children of God, but indicates that it is not precisely known what we will be, except that we will be as Jesus (1 John 3:2). This likely has reference to Jesus' transformed resurrection body: He was able to eat and drink and be touched (Luke 24:38-39), yet able to transcend time and space (Luke 24:25-37). Perhaps John is not able to properly describe how that will be any more or less effectively than Paul did in 1 Corinthians 15, or perhaps Jesus now has a different nature after His ascension, and we will partake in that nature (cf. Acts 1). It will be a mystery until that great and glorious day; nevertheless, we can have the confidence of knowing that we will be in the likeness of Jesus when it takes place. John then makes evident that those who share in the hope of the resurrection and transformation purifies themselves just as Jesus is pure (1 John 3:3). When Paul speaks about the groaning in hope for redemption, he makes it clear that such is for those who walk according to the spirit, not the flesh (Romans 8:1-25). Peter says that we are born again to a living hope, and later how we must be holy as God is holy (1 Peter 1:3, 13-16). We cannot hope for the resurrection and yet live according to the ways of the flesh: if we really want to be transformed and to be with the Lord forever, we must act according to righteousness and avoid sin (Romans 12:9). Let us appreciate God's great love for us, and live our lives as transformed in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29, Romans 12:2)! 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. Good News for Norwalk is a publication of the church of Christ in Norwalk, Ohio, for the promotion of God's truth in our world. For more information about the church of Christ in Norwalk, please visit our website at norwalkchurch.org. Thank you for your interest, and have a nice day! 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 Sun Jun 7 02:58:34 2009 From: crxtra at gmail.com (Steven C. Harper) Date: Sun, 7 Jun 2009 00:58:34 -0700 Subject: [Biblemat] A> Hearing Test Message-ID: <000001c9e745$c3020920$49061b60$@com> From: TRUTH & REASON, a bulletin of the Glendale church of Christ, Glendale, AZ. Editor: Steven Harper June 7, 2009 Hearing Test Early in the ministry of Jesus, the multitudes were "pressing in on Him to hear the word of God" to the point He had to get into one of the boats and teach the crowds from the water (Luke 5:1-3). It must have been a pleasure to see such a number of people with a great desire to hear God's word, but I am sure He knew it would not always be that way and, many times, the motivation for those who would come to Him was not out of genuine desire to hear God's word. But let us not think that the various reasons and motivations for men seeking to hear God's word no longer exist. I know we would all like to have the "problem" of crowds pressing us to hear God's word, but many times the motivation for coming to hear God's word is not worthy of praise, but rebuke. Often, men will seek to hear "just enough" of God's word to justify themselves, even as they simultaneously reject the parts that condemn them; sometimes, men seek to hear God's word so they can justify their unbelief, supposing that they have found some great [or even minor] discrepancy that proves it is not of God; others seek to hear God's word, but only as long as it agrees with their preconceived ideas; and still others seek to hear God's word and listen attentively while it condemns others, but never seem to hear how it applies to them. With this in mind, it would be a good idea to take time out for a quick "hearing test" to evaluate why we come to hear God's word - why I am coming to hear God's word. Let us consider a few examples from the Bible that clearly show us the motivations for those who sought to hear God's word, and then let us examine ourselves to see if that describes us. If we find that are motivations are not what they should be, it's time for a change, is it not? That said, let us consider some reasons why men seek to hear God's word. To Hear Some New Thing. When Paul came to Athens, he saw a city "full of idols" (Acts 17:16) and was stirred to tell them of Jesus and the resurrection. When some of the local philosophers heard him, they claimed he was preaching about "foreign gods" and they grabbed him and brought him to the Areopagus and said, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean" (vv. 19, 20). But their 'interest' in what he was saying was not an interest to learn and obey, but simply as ones who "would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new" (v. 21). Unfortunately, it seems we have many today who also "spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new" as they move from church to church and, eventually, to the denominations as they seek "something new" because they have become weary of hearing the plain and simple truth as it is delivered straight from the word of God. When they fail to convince their leaders or other members that a new, more appealing and more charismatic speaker is needed, off they go in a search for a church who willingly employs "teachers to suit their own passions" (2nd Tim. 4:3). Let me make this simple observation and suggestion: If you have grown weary of hearing a preacher who insists on plainly speaking the truths from God's word, you don't need a change of speakers - you need a change of heart. Desiring to Hear Without Desiring To Obey. While this may sound incongruous [and it is], it is certainly not impossible. In fact, we find a couple of occasions within God's word where this was the case - and by God's people! The first occasion we find in Judah after God has already allowed much of the nation to be taken away into captivity and a remnant remains, seeking to survive. They finally acknowledge Jeremiah is a man of God and they come to him, asking, "Let our plea for mercy come before you, and pray to the Lord your God for us, for all this remnant-because we are left with but a few, as your eyes see us-that the Lord your God may show us the way we should go, and the thing that we should do" (Jer. 42:2, 3). At least from their words, it appeared as if they were seeking to know God's word and were interested in obeying, but Jeremiah knew better. God exposed them as ones who "were hypocrites in your hearts" (v. 20) and they did not obey him then any more than they had obeyed him at any time before (42:21; 43:1-7). Later, to the people who were already in captivity, God spoke to Ezekiel of His people who would "say to one another, each to his brother, 'Come, and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.' And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as My people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain. And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it" (Ezek. 33:30-32). The tragically inconsistent attitude we see in these people is that of desiring and even enjoying hearing the word of God, but not obeying! How sad! But lest you think this, too, is an attitude long gone, beware lest you find it in yourself! Far too many professing believers go so far as to seek God's word, and even love hearing it, but then fail to implement it in their own lives, or fail to do so consistently and honestly. They easily recognize the faults of others who fall short, but cannot see it in themselves [as Simon the Pharisee did in Luke 7:36-50]. Friends and brethren, I have visited congregations with this mind set and even been a part of congregations with this mind set, so I know it is a present danger. Let us not just seek to hear God's word, but let us be just as diligent in obeying! Desiring to Hear Without Pretense. When Paul and Barnabas began their first journey to go preach the gospel to the Gentiles, they came to Paphos on Cyprus and it was there we find "the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence,.summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God" (Acts 13:7). There is no hint of ulterior motives or a desire to find fault with their message, and this was borne out later when we read "the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord" (v. 12). After they left there and went to Antioch in Pisidia, they began preaching the gospel and concluded their first message; they were persuaded to stay and "The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord" (Acts 13:43, 44). Again, we find no pretense on the part of those who came, but some were enraged by the number of people who had come and they began vehemently opposing Paul and Barnabas. But in spite of those few troublesome ones, we find many believed and they were filled with joy about it (vv. 45-52). While some were obviously uninterested in the truth, many more came to hear it and followed up that desire to hear with the desire to then obey what they had heard. Then - and today - those who not only desire to hear the word of God, but who also obey it will be the ones blessed by God with forgiveness of sins and the hope of eternal life in heaven. Jesus is not Savior to those who merely hear Him, but to those who obey (Heb. 5:9). Jesus, in fact, equated the one who hears and does not obey with the foolish man who built his house on sand, while he praised the one who heard and obeyed as the man who built his house on rock (Matt. 7:24-27). All of us will be found to be either wise or foolish in the final Judgment. Which one are you? -- Steven Harper -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090607/ff78919a/attachment-0001.html From disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Sun Jun 7 15:47:06 2009 From: disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com (Ethan R. Longhenry) Date: Sun, 7 Jun 2009 16:47:06 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] S:> Jesus' Resurrection Message-ID: Jesus' Resurrection I. Introduction A. The event that changed everything 1. Plenty of people taught great things 2. Many have died for their cause, died despite being innocent 3. But none rose from the dead 4. That is, until Jesus of Nazareth did so! B. The resurrection is the centerpiece of the Christian religion 1. Jesus' atoning sacrificial death is very important, no doubt 2. Yet 1 Corinthians 15:14-19: without the resurrection, Jesus' birth, life, and death ultimately without value 3. The message of the resurrection was the focus of the preaching of the Apostles, the basis of the preaching of the Kingdom, and it represented hope for transformation in the future C. Despite its critical importance, not spoken of very often! D. Let us therefore consider the resurrection of Jesus in greater depth II. What is Resurrection? A. What is the resurrection? What does it involve? 1. Resurrection, put simply, is life after life after death 2. Jesus' soul did not die on the cross-- He went to Paradise, yet not abandoned to Hades (Luke 23:43, Acts 2:27) 3. On the third day, however, His earthly corpse was reanimated and transformed through the power of God, as the Gospels attest (cf. Matthew 28, etc.) 4. Therefore, "resurrection" not merely some synonym for the afterlife; instead, the re-creation of the body and then a transformation B. The resurrection involved the physical body of Christ 1. As we shall see, the women and disciples found the tomb empty (Luke 24:3)! 2. Jesus, after the resurrection, corporeal enough to be touched, to eat food (Luke 24:39-43) 3. Yet Jesus was not exactly the same as He was before the resurrection: He transcends space/time distinctions, able to pass through into a locked room (Luke 24:27-31; 35-36, John 20:26) 4. The exact nature of the resurrection body unknown-- the perishable "puts on" imperishability, but nothing else known (1 Corinthians 15:51-53) 5. But that it involves fleshly re-animation and then transformation is without doubt, based on what happened to Jesus and what Paul reveals in 1 Corinthians 15 C. Resurrection, therefore, primarily refers to the re-animation/re-creation of the physical body and its transformation for immortality, seen first in Jesus in 30 CE D. What happened? III. The Resurrection Story A. We learn regarding Jesus' resurrection mostly from Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20-21, and 1 Corinthians 15 B. Resurrection predicted 1. John 2:19-22, Matthew 16:21, Luke 9:22 2. Jesus knew quite well what was going to take place 3. He explained these things to His disciples, also in teaching to the Jews 4. Yet the disciples did not understand 5. Resurrection concept accepted by Pharisees, denied by Sadducees, others 6. Yet even those who believed in resurrection believed only in resurrection of everyone on last day (cf. Daniel 12:2, John 11:24) 7. The disciples did not understand then that Jesus would show that He indeed is the Christ through dying and being raised from the dead on the third day! C. Burial preparations 1. For purposes of our story, we must quickly consider how Jesus was buried 2. Joseph of Arimathea takes body, wraps it in cloths, applies a hundred pounds of perfumes and aloes, places Him in his own rock-hewn tomb; heavy stone moved in front of tomb (Matthew 27:57-61, Mark 15:42-47, Luke 23:50-56, John 19:38-42) 3. Tombs often used for burials, re-burials, had many entrances, yet Joseph's tomb new, never used, only one entrance, exit (cf. Luke 23:53, John 19:41) 4. Location of tomb of a man of Joseph's stature would be known by many; Mary Magdalene, other Mary saw where tomb was (Matthew 27:61, Mark 14:47) 5. Pharisees remembered Jesus' teaching, demand for guard of soldiers to watch tomb, lest disciples steal body (Matthew 27:62-66) D. First day of week after Sabbath of Passover week, 30 CE 1. Women come to tomb early in morning with additional spices to anoint body of Jesus 2. They find the stone rolled away, body of Jesus not there 3. Two angels had moved rock away; soldiers fled in terror, lied to cover themselves 4. Angels tell women what happened, how Jesus spoke of it; women run and speak to disciples 5. Peter and John run to tomb, find it empty, linen cloths folded; still did not entirely understand 6. Mary Magdalene speaks with person she believes is gardener, asks where body of Jesus has been placed; person is really Jesus! 7. Jesus then appears to Simon Peter 8. Jesus comes upon two disciples walking to Emmaus; explains Scriptures regarding Himself; is made manifest to two men while breaking bread; He vanishes 9. He appears to ten of disciples; later appears also when Thomas present: disciples encouraged to touch Him, He eats food before them 10. Jesus also appears to 500 at one time, His brother James E. 40 Day Period 1. Jesus also appears to disciples over the forty day period between His resurrection and ascension 2. Instructs them regarding Himself, Scriptures; restores Peter 3. After forty days, Jesus ascends to the Father (Acts 1:1-11) 4. Ten days after that, Apostles begin preaching as eyewitnesses to the resurrection of Jesus Christ the Lord (Acts 2 and beyond) F. Thus we have the Biblical account of Jesus' resurrection IV. Testing the Claim A. The resurrection of Jesus the cornerstone of Christianity-- if it is not true, then the whole religion is false (1 Corinthians 15:14-19) B. On the other hand, if it is true that Jesus was raised from the dead, definitive proof of the working of God through Him, demonstration that He is indeed the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and we should obey Him (Acts 2) C. Because of its essential nature to Christianity, many have attempted to discredit the resurrection narrative in the Bible using alternative explanations D. Since the resurrection is so critical, we must consider these alternatives! E. The "Swoon Theory" 1. Some advance the idea that Jesus did not really die on the cross, but merely swooned, and "came to" three days later 2. Extremely improbable: Jesus likely near death after scourging, was pierced with a spear, verified as dead by Roman soldiers 3. Furthermore, wrapped tightly in linen cloths with a hundred pounds of aloes and myrrh-- enough to wake anyone up! 4. Finally, even if it were possible that He were still alive, He would be extremely weak and dehydrated-- no match for a stone, let alone Roman guards! 5. This theory generally discredited F. The Wrong Tomb Theory 1. Others believe that Mary Magdalene, others, went to the wrong tomb 2. Are we to believe that they kept going to the wrong tomb? That the disciples also went to the wrong tomb? 3. The soldiers did not know which tomb to guard? Did Joseph not remember where his own tomb was? 4. Finally, would not the Jewish authorities and others be more than willing to go to Joseph's actual tomb and bring out the remains of Jesus when the Apostles began making their claims? 5. This takes more faith to believe than the Bible's claims! G. The Hallucination Theory 1. In order to explain the various accounts of witnesses to Jesus, many will say that the disciples were hallucinating 2. While that could perhaps suffice to explain one person's story in one place and time, it is hardly sufficient to explain all the appearances! 3. Are we really to accept that the women had multiple hallucinations, as did the eleven disciples, and that 500 people experienced the exact same hallucination at the exact same time? 4. Another theory that cannot really explain the evidence! H. The Stolen Body Theory 1. In order to explain the empty tomb, many use the same argument as the Jews in Matthew 28:11-15: the disciples stole the body 2. The real problem with this theory is the disciples themselves! 3. They are dispirited and downtrodden, trying to make sense of how this all "failed" 4. Attitude of two men heading to Emmaus instructive (Luke 24:19-21) 5. If this were all a fraud they were in the midst of perpetuating, why were they hiding behind locked doors? 6. And why, all of a sudden, were they bold and preaching this message strongly fifty days after the event? 7. And why did the charge that the disciples stole the body never stick? Consider Acts 4:13-14! 8. The transformation of the disciples from the time of Jesus' arrest to the day of Pentecost is not easily explained by this, or any other, theory I. The Spiritual Theory 1. Many, even in "Christianity," have posited that Jesus' resurrection was really a "spiritual" event, that their faith would not be disturbed if Jesus' body were discovered 2. Yet this is not what the Apostles preached! 3. They affirmed that the body of Jesus was not in the tomb but raised from the dead and that they interacted with Him and ate with Him afterward 4. This theory cannot account for the empty tomb, and makes little sense of the later encounters! J. None of these theories adequately accounts for all the pieces of evidence: the empty tomb, the eyewitness accounts, the changed disciples K. The only theory that accounts for all of these things is that Jesus really was raised from the dead with power on the third day! V. What Jesus' Resurrection Means A. What, then, does Jesus' resurrection mean? B. Jesus' resurrection means He is Lord and Christ 1. Acts 2:22-36 2. Peter stands up 50 days after the resurrection and confidently declares that Jesus is both Lord and Christ based on His resurrection 3. He is risen-- and He is ruling! C. Jesus' resurrection means victory over death 1. 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 2. The power of Satan and tyranny is effectively broken when death no longer means the end! 3. The Jews and the Romans did everything they could to stop Jesus, including to kill Him, and yet He triumphed over death 4. The Christian can look forward to physical death with confidence, knowing that he or she will live again in Christ D. Jesus' resurrection confirms the day of Judgment 1. Acts 17:30-31 2. Paul affirms that a day of reckoning is coming, and our assurance is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 3. Death does not mean that people are going to evade consequences-- there will be a new life, and one will then reap what they sowed in this life! E. Jesus' resurrection represents the firstfruits, the basis of the hope of our redemption 1. 1 Corinthians 15:20, 23; Romans 8:18-25 2. Paul describes Jesus' resurrection as the firstfruits: He is the first to be raised from the dead, and because of His resurrection, we can have confidence in the hope of our own resurrection 3. The future hope of the Christian is not tied to "Heaven," as so many would think, but instead to the resurrection, spoken of in terms of redemption of the body in Romans 8 and in its own right in 1 Corinthians 15 4. As we see decay and corruption in life, we yearn for the days of incorruption and imperishability in the resurrection from the dead! 5. We have that hope and confidence through Jesus' resurrection! F. Jesus' resurrection represents the breaking in of the new life and Kingdom into the old world and kingdom 1. Romans 6:1-7, 2 Corinthians 5:17 2. While it is true that we will not obtain the full redemption of our bodies until the final day, we can and must experience the fruit of resurrection in our current lives! 3. Paul speaks of baptism as a spiritual death, burial, and resurrection 4. He describes those who are in Jesus as the "new creation" 5. Therefore, even though we are still in the world of sin and death, we are to live as if in the new creation since we are part of Christ's Kingdom! 6. As we "put to death" the old man of sin and are renewed in spirit and "walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:3-7, Ephesians 4:22-24), we help promote the Kingdom of Christ in this sinful world, providing light where there was darkness, hope where there was despair-- in short, bringing forth the fruit of resurrection! 7. This new life is only possible through Jesus' resurrection! VI. Conclusion A. On that early spring day in 30 CE, everything changed 1. Jesus' resurrection brought forth a whole new world 2. The world was turned upside down completely because of Jesus! 3. It has never been the same since B. Do you believe that Jesus was raised from the dead and is now Lord? C. Have you obeyed Him? 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 richard at thetford.dot5hosting.com Sun Jun 7 21:54:49 2009 From: richard at thetford.dot5hosting.com (Richard Thetford) Date: Sun, 7 Jun 2009 20:54:49 -0600 Subject: [Biblemat] Walking in the LIght (6/7/09) Message-ID: <002001c9e7e4$dbb2d5e0$931881a0$@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) June 7, 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: "Spiritual Blindness" (Richard Thetford) "Beware" (P. J. Casebolt) "SENTENCE SERMONS --- SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS Richard Thetford In 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, the apostle Paul wrote these words: "But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them." Sadly, there are millions of people who are spiritually blind, and their blindness can be caused by several factors. Jesus talked about those whose hearts had grown dull because they had closed their eyes (Matthew 13:15). Satan walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour (1 Peter 5:8). Those who have closed their eyes to the truth of the gospel of Christ will not be able to see and recognize Satan's devouring ways. Others are blinded because they refuse to grow in the Christian characteristics that Peter describes in 2 Peter 1:5-7. God's word says: "For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins" (2 Peter 1:9). It is unfortunate to see so many people close their eyes to the truth. Even most religious denominations think that belief in Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Bible is all that is needed to be on the train of salvation. What are the Results of Spiritual Blindness? Individuals who are spiritually blind, whether religious or not, will find themselves alienated from God. God's word says: "having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart" (Ephesians 4:18). Those who are spiritually blind really do not know where they are going. Unfortunately, because of this, there are many so called "pastors" and "teachers" who are leading others into a ditch. Jesus tells us that; "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch" (Matthew 15:13-14). It truly saddens me to see so many souls who are so easily swayed into a false sense of eternal salvation by those who are teaching error. Most people will end up in an eternal hell because they refuse to open up their own Bible and see for themselves what God requires them to do in order to be saved. What is the Remedy for Spiritual Blindness? Before one can be cured, one must possess a desire to be cured. When one truly decides to turn to Christ to find out the truth of the gospel, then one will be able to see the truth and cure their spiritual blindness. God's word says: "But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away" (2 Corinthians 3:14-16). Another way that one can remove spiritual blindness is to remove the cause of that blindness. Listening to false teaching will cause one to remain spiritually blind. Only the truth of the gospel of Christ will make you free and allow you to see properly (John 8:32). Why Be Cured? You must be cured in order to enjoy the true hope, riches, and greatness of the power of Christ (Ephesians 1:18-19). In order to be forgiven of your sins and become an heir of eternal salvation, your eyes must be opened to truth (Acts 26:18). Have you diligently sought the cure for spiritual blindness? --- "BEWARE" P. J. Casebolt Some claim there is no God. Some claim that there is a God, but that this God has not told us what to do. Others claim that God has told us what to do, but that the Bible doesn't tell us everything God wants us to know. These claim that a human creed or a "private revelation" is needed in addition to the word of God. Some claim that the Bible is the word of God, but that we can't understand it, and that anything we want to do will make us acceptable children of God. Now some brethren are claiming that God was very plain and specific relative to those things that make us a child of God, but from that point onward it is every man for himself. These are very "legalistic" about the plan of salvation, but think that we can worship and serve God as we please and have fellowship with all others who do the same. After all appeals have been made to "higher learning;" after all theologians and philosophers have been quoted; after all the wise, the mighty, and the noble have, exhausted their combined human wisdom; and after those who insist on a "thus saith the Lord" have been judged as "judges" and labeled "legalists" -- the Bible still says: "... I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes; even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sigh" (Luke 10:21); "Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?" (1 Corinthians 1:20); "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." (Colossians 2:8); "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:3). --- SENTENCE SERMONS If you think it is alright to tell white lies you will soon grow color-blind. Some Christians are like gold tried in fire. What about you? Bad habits are like a comfortable bed; easy to get into, but hard to get out of. By the way some people talk, one would infer that they really enjoy poor health. The devil is an artist. He paints sin in very attractive colors. Only he can truly teach who is himself teachable. The abundant life too often is smothered in the abundance of things. --- SERMON DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE IN GOD? (with PowerPoint Charts) 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/20090607/273b80be/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 69751 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090607/273b80be/attachment-0002.gif -------------- 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/20090607/273b80be/attachment-0003.gif From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Mon Jun 8 04:00:15 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Mon, 8 Jun 2009 05:00:15 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) FERVENT IN SPIRIT (1) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the first installment of a study on this particular subject. Use to the glory of God. FERVENT IN SPIRIT (1) Paul urges Christians to not be "lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord" (Rom. 12:11). This practical charge means we msut be excited and busy working for the Lord, without slacking off. His soul-saving work is the greatest work in the world! The Lord deserves and demands our best effort. William Barclayt observed, "There is intensity in the Christian life. There is no room for lethargy" (Romans, pg. 178). Not Lagging Behind In Diligence: -- "Diligence" (Greek, spoude, lit. "speed" ) means "earestness, eagerness" (Strong). Here, Paul identifies a lack thereof as one of the most common sins in the church today! We are repeatedly commanded to be "diligent in serving God" (2 Pet. 1:5; 2 Cor. 8:7; Heb. 6:9-12). A lack of dili- gence in serving Jesus means one is apathetic, half-hearted, and going through the motions of service to God. We must con- fess that spiritual laziness is a sin! It is symptomatic of lukewarmness, which makes the Lord sick! Christians can lose fellowship with the Lord for a lack of zeal, for He says to the sluggardly child of God, "I will spit (or vomit) you out of My mouth" (Rev. 3:16). Jeremiah warns, "Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord with slackness" (Jer. 48:10 ESV). Rom. 12:11 has the tenor of a wake up call. In answering Paul's call to action, far too many members of the church have hit the "snooze button." James P. Miller wrote almost 40 years ago, "In ever church in the brotherhood, brethren are on a vaca- tion instead of being about their Father's business... We should be busy in the church today. There is so much to be done and every member has a place" (Ephesians: The Glorious Bride, pgs. 80,88). Some brethren seem to act like being "sound in faith" means they mostly just have to show up to some services at a "sound" churh and warm a pew. Some churches are so sound in the truth that they are sound asleep. These spiritual slackers just give mental assent to key doctrines of the church: baptism is for the remission of sins, weekly observance of the Lord's Supper, church autonomy with a plurality of elders, no instrumental music in worship, etc. Other key doctrines of mental assent, de- void of zealous obedience, might be listed by other pew warm- ing "Church of Christers." Along with such miminalists and mental assenters, the slug- gish believer thinks that "soundness" in the faith is mainly deter- mined by what is NOT done: no church kitchens, ball teams, or gyms; no mechanical instruments in worship, no contributions from the church treasury to human institutions, no participation in the sponsoring church arrangement, etc. Most would probab- ly add moral no-nos to the list: do not lie, steal, or murder. However, our lack of zeal in obedience is a big lie about our commitment to Jesus; we steal devotion from the Lord when we are selfishly indulgent; we kill enthusiasm for doing all that is right by our lukewarm participation. These dead-weight membe- rs are not very involved in working to advance the work of the Lord's church. Yet, many delude themselves that they are "sound" in the faith. Does my simplistic sketch remind you of many members you have seen on the roll of a "conservative" church of Christ? While standing for sound doctrine and against sin, we must re- sist the tendency to slow down and slack off in our dedication to the Lord's work. (More will be posted on this subject tomorr- ow, the Lord willing, JWS). -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090608/5dc99aec/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Mon Jun 8 04:00:04 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Mon, 8 Jun 2009 05:00:04 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) SAMUEL'S PRAYER 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: SAMUEL'S PRAYER Samuel was a man of great character who appeared when Israel desperately needed such a man. Israel was ruled by God but Samuel was God's prophet who judged the people. He dis- charged his duties with skill and dedication to both God and the people. The time came when the people wanted a king such as the pagan nations around them (1 Sam. 8:5). So they asked the man of God to step aside. Samuel was hurt by their rejection. He understood the scope of their disobedience. "Is today not the wheat harvest? I will call to the Lord, and He will send thunder and rain, that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking a king for yourselves." (1 Sam. 12:17-19). So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Sam- uel, "Pray for your servants to the Lord your God that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves." The prophet could have turned hsi back on the new king and his rebellious people. Instead he declared, "Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you" (vs. 23). Why did Samuel say that? He knew that even as doors were being shut in his face by the people, another door was open to him -- prayer. Samuel demonstrated his godliness by the way he reacted. He was still God's servant and he would still care for God's people. When we are insulted or hurt by those we try to help, we must resolve not to sin against the Lord by doing the same in return. Instead, we can pray fo those who may not appreciate our efforts or understand their own need. ---- Shane Williams in The Lilbourn Light, Vol. 9, No.12, April, 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090608/28e4dee5/attachment-0001.html From GLClair at aol.com Mon Jun 8 08:24:30 2009 From: GLClair at aol.com (GLClair at aol.com) Date: Mon, 8 Jun 2009 09:24:30 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A question about false teachers and false doctrines Message-ID: ANSWERING A QUESTION: I also believe that Gal. 1 teaches that false teachers are to be "accursed. David said that . . . I hate every false way." (Psalms 119:104, 128, 97:10) As I asked in a Bible class, "Do we really love the truth if we do not hate error? Am I missing something? Dear friend - Thank you for your comment. ANSWER: There is no contradiction between love and rejection [i.e. "hating] of error. You are correct, the love of God and man's love for his fellow man does not suggest that Christians should support error [i.e. false teaching or false teachers]; quite the contrary, Christians are to reprove error, and have no fellowship with error. The Christian should not have fellowship with false teaching or false teachers: Ephesians 5:11-13 - 11 and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them; 12 for the things which are done by them in secret it is a shame even to speak of. 13 But all things when they are reproved are made manifest by the light: for everything that is made manifest is light. Even an elder [i.e. bishop, shepherd, and overseer] must not be allowed to teach false doctrine without being censured publicly: 1 Timothy 5:19-20 - 19 Against an elder receive not an accusation, except at (the mouth of) two or three witnesses. 20 Them that sin reprove in the sight of all, that the rest also may be in fear. ASV The members of the congregation may be involved in error or false teaching, they too are to be confronted and corrected: 2 Timothy 4:2-4 - 2 preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts; 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables. ASV YET, Christians are to always love the souls of other people, always seeking their good. Indeed, all error is to be confronted and corrected but this in no way should dilute the Christian?s love for God or for his fellow man. Matthew 22:36-39 - 36 Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 And he said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.38 this is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second like (unto it) is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. ASV - [See also Mark 12:30-33] Luke 6:27-36 - 27 But I say unto you that hear, love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, 28 bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you. 29 To him that smiteth thee on the (one) cheek offer also the other; and from him that taketh away thy cloak withhold not thy coat also. 30 Give to every one that asketh thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. 31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. 32 And if ye love them that love you, what thank have ye? for even sinners love those that love them. 33 And if ye do good to them that do good to you, what thank have ye? for even sinners do the same. 34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? even sinners lend to sinners, to receive again as much. 35 But love your enemies, and do (them) good, and lend, never despairing; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be sons of the Most High: for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil. 36 Be ye merciful even as your Father is merciful. ASV John 13:34-35 - 34 A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. ASV Romans 12:9-10 - 9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10 In love of the brethren be tenderly affectioned one to another; in honor preferring one another; ASV Romans 13:10 - 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: love therefore is the fulfillment of the law. ASV 1 Corinthians 13:13 - 13 But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love. ASV Ephesians 4:15-16 - 15 but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, (even) Christ; 16 from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together through that which every joint supplieth, according to the working in (due) measure of each several part, maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love. ASV Remember this: 1 Corinthians 13:13b - the greatest of these is love. Jesus died for mankind when man did not deserve this great sacrifice: Ephesians 2:11-13 - 11 Wherefore remember, that once ye, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called Circumcision, in the flesh, made by hands; 12 that ye were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye that once were far off are made nigh in the blood of Christ. ASV John 3:16-17 - 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him. ASV ? (mailto: _glclair at aol.com_ (mailto:glclair at aol.com) ) **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1222585043x1201462775/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=62&bcd= JunestepsfooterNO62) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090608/1937b4a9/attachment-0001.html From laurence_michael at yahoo.com Mon Jun 8 13:00:54 2009 From: laurence_michael at yahoo.com (Michael Laurence) Date: Mon, 8 Jun 2009 11:00:54 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Biblemat] Greetings looking for Adult Homeschool Group Message-ID: <316572.69498.qm@web81708.mail.mud.yahoo.com> I am looking for the following families Hamilton, Bosworth,?or Perz which conduct a home school camp in Missouri. Please forward their address or phone numbers which?I can contact this home school group. ? brotherly, Mike MICHAEL W. LAURENCE 1005 North Dwight Pampa, Texas 79065 laurence_michael at yahoo.com? 1.806.665.2254 ? To speak kindly does not hurt the tongue. French Proverb Life is not so short but that there is always time enough for courtesy. Emerson ? ? ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090608/1fea46dd/attachment.html From kerux at bellsouth.net Mon Jun 8 16:09:09 2009 From: kerux at bellsouth.net (Kent Heaton) Date: Mon, 8 Jun 2009 17:09:09 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] A>Satan Loves Watermelon (Kent Heaton) Message-ID: <694BE482A7094B3CA28E2812C97EF73B@D2381J91> Satan Loves Watermelon (Kent Heaton) I was cutting into one of those fine Ira Gore watermelons the other day when I realized the Satan liked watermelon also. Cutting the melon into quarters the first place I always go is the heart of the melon. This particular melon was a seeded melon and the heart is usually the sweetest part to me and less seeds. As I cut into that delicacy of fine melon flesh I thought that is exactly what Satan does with me - he aims for the heart. When Satan appealed to Eve in Genesis 3, he did not come with showmanship and big bands and direct appeals to rebel against God. He went first after the heart. He said, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" (Genesis 3:1). He did not take the fruit to her nor force her to partake. He sought the heart of Eve first to move her in the direction of rebellion. "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate" (Genesis 3:6). The battleground of righteousness and unrighteousness is the heart. Jesus said of the Pharisees, "Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34). The apostle Paul declared, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). This is where battles are won and lost. Satan will always seek the heart of man to bring it into his submission. In the parable of the sower (Matthew 13) the Lord demonstrates the different types of hearts as being the wayside, the rocky, the thorny and the good ground. The reception of the seed (the word of God - Luke 8:11) depends on the kind of heart a person has. Satan takes the seed away from the hardened heart, kills the seed in the heart that is weak and causes the "cares, riches and pleasures of life" (Luke 8:14) to make a good heart unfruitful. The only heart Satan has no control over is the heart broken of its hardness; the heart that has removed the rocks of worldliness; and refuses to allow the weeds of this life choke the productivity of the good ground. God has always wanted the heart of man. He destroyed the world in Noah's day because the "thoughts of [man's] heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5). David penned in Psalm 19:14, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer." Later the Holy Spirit would say that David was a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22). To win the battle of the heart we must "Love the Lord your God will all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30). Satan cannot control that heart. To protect against the unyielding oppression of Satan's influence we must allow the "peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, [to] guard [our] hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7). That is the only way to keep Satan from cutting out the heart. Refuse to open up to him and refuse to allow his influence in your life. "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). When we submit our hearts to the will of God the devil cannot stand. He cannot touch our hearts. Resist him! 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/20090608/3b2315b2/attachment-0001.html From disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Mon Jun 8 16:32:52 2009 From: disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com (Ethan R. Longhenry) Date: Mon, 8 Jun 2009 17:32:52 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] S:> Ezekiel Message-ID: Ezekiel I. Introduction A. Ezekiel B. An interesting prophet 1. Many visions, exhortations 2. Sees history unfold before him C. Let us consider the book II. Ezekiel: The Details A. Authorship 1. Ezekiel seems not just responsible for prophecies, but also for most of their written form 2. Authorship, inspiration relatively unchallenged B. Dating 1. Dates provided within book show Ezekiel prophesying ca. 593-573 2. Ezekiel one of the first exiles: the Jehoiachin exile 3. Prophesies from Babylon just before, during, after fall of Jerusalem 4. Final form compiled not much later C. Audience 1. Exilic, post-exilic Israel 2. Much to be gained D. Purpose 1. To indicate God's judgment on Jerusalem, message to the exiles, expectation of restoration 2. To set forth Israel's future hope in God's Kingdom III. Ezekiel: The Story A. Main Sections 1. Inauguration of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1-3) 2. Judgment on Jerusalem, Judah (Ezekiel 4-24) 3. Nation Oracles (Ezekiel 25-32) 4. Jerusalem's Fall (Ezekiel 33-40) 5. Restoration (Ezekiel 41-48) B. The Vision (Ezekiel 1-3) 1. 593 BCE: Ezekiel sees initial vision (Ezekiel 1:1-3) 2. Great cloud seen; four creatures described; wheels described; expanse above them; movement of creatures described; throne above them, a figure upon it; likeness of glory of LORD, Ezekiel falls on face before it (Ezekiel 1:4-28) 3. God tells Ezekiel to stand; Spirit enters Ezekiel; Ezekiel sent to the people of Israel, rebellious, tell to them the word of the LORD; will speak whether they hear or not; Ezekiel not to be rebellious; scroll given to Ezekiel, message of lamentation and woe (Ezekiel 2) 4. Ezekiel to eat the scroll; tastes like honey; sent to Israel, who will speak the same language yet refuse to hear; stubborn hearts; Ezekiel's face made as hard as their faces; not to fear (Ezekiel 3:1-11) 5. Spirit lifts Ezekiel up; great voice; bitter in spirit, hand of LORD upon him; Ezekiel sits overwhelmed for a week (Ezekiel 3:12-15) 6. Ezekiel as watchman: responsible if does not speak God's word, not held responsible if he speaks God's word (Ezekiel 3:16-21) 7. Glory of the LORD appears again: told to shut self into house; bound there; not able to speak, since people rebellious; God will open mouth, Ezekiel will speak to people (Ezekiel 3:22-27) C. Jerusalem's Fate (Ezekiel 4-7) 1. God tells Ezekiel to take brick, engrave Jerusalem, put siege works against it; besiege it: sign for Israel of what will take place (Ezekiel 4:1-3) 2. Ezekiel to lie on his left side for 390 days, equal to years of punishment of Israel; then to lie on right side 40 days, equal to years of punishment of Judah (Ezekiel 4:4-8) 3. Ezekiel to make specific type of bread during this time, eat and drink certain amounts, and bake it before dung, symbolizing Israel's uncleanness; Ezekiel protests, he has never been unclean; God says to use cow dung, not human dung; God will break supply of bread, water to Jerusalem (Ezekiel 4:9-17) 4. Ezekiel to take sword, shave head and beard; weigh it, divide in thirds; one third to burn, a third to strike with sword, a third to scatter in wind; God will use sword against last third, Ezekiel to take some back, burn more (Ezekiel 5:1-4) 5. This event as Jerusalem: in center of nations, yet sinned more than the nations; God against them, will execute judgment; will do what He has not yet done, will not do again; those who survive scattered to the winds; third will die of pestilence, third by sword, third will be scattered by wind, sword still against them; God's fury unleashed (Ezekiel 5:5-17) 6. Ezekiel to set face toward Israel, prophesy: sword to the high places, desolation, slain cast before idols; some left alive, will repent, will know that God is the LORD (Ezekiel 6:1-10) 7. Ezekiel to clap hands, stamp foot, condemn abominations of Israel; sword, famine, pestilence coming; fury of God upon them; they will know that He is LORD when they all lie dead in front of idols, land desolate (Ezekiel 6:11-14) 8. End upon the land; God's judgment, eye not sparing; disaster and doom upon the land; judgment according to their ways; day of doom is coming; wrath upon multitude; sword without, pestilence and famine within; mourning and lamentation, money worthless; not able to satisfy desires; given into hands of foreigners; chain to be made, land full of crime and violence; pride ended, no peace, disaster coming; vision sought, yet law perishes; all will know that God is the LORD (Ezekiel 7) D. Jerusalem's Condition (Ezekiel 8-11) 1. 592 BCE: Ezekiel lifted up from presence of elders to glory of God; is to look toward Temple; sees image of jealousy; then to dig into wall and saw all kinds of images of unclean animals, certain elders and others offering incense secretly; sees women weeping for Tammuz; sees inner court of Temple, people worshiping the sun; people also committing violence, provoking God to anger; He will not spare, nor have pity (Ezekiel 8) 2. Then cry comes out for executioners of city; six men come with weapons; man called to pass through, mark those who groan over abominations; the six to go out and kill, have no pity; touch not those with the mark; city to be defiled; Ezekiel on his face, wonders if God will exterminate Israel; God says guilt of Israel and Judah great; God will not spare; man has done what was commanded (Ezekiel 9) 3. Ezekiel sees expanse over cherubim; burning coals scattered over city; wheels by cherubim, described; cherubim mounted up; glory of God upon them, departs from Temple (Ezekiel 10) 4. Spirit lifts Ezekiel to east gate of Temple, before officers of land; to prophesy against them; God will bring sword upon the city; they will know that He is the LORD; one of the officers dies in presence of Ezekiel, Ezekiel again wonders if remnant of Israel will be destroyed (Ezekiel 11:1-13) 5. Israel says to go far from God, land as possession; God will eventually gather all His people from various land back into Israel; no more idolatry; new heart and spirit, heart of flesh, not stone; will follow His ways; glory of God departs from Jerusalem, Ezekiel returns to exiles (Ezekiel 11:14-25) E. God's Judgments (Ezekiel 12-17) 1. Ezekiel as dwelling in midst of rebellious house; to prepare baggage of exile, to go into exile; Ezekiel to do various things to demonstrate exile so that Israel may see and learn what will take place; Ezekiel does so, to tell people when asked that what he does is what will happen in Jerusalem; Chaldeans will take them over; Israel dispersed, scattered (Ezekiel 12:1-16) 2. Ezekiel to eat bread with quaking, drink water with anxiety, for so will those in Jerusalem; proverb in Israel regarding visions coming to nothing, will be changed to recognize that visions do come true; proverb regarding prophecy as far off, but God's word will be performed soon (Ezekiel 12:17-28) 3. Prophecy against prophets: woe to foolish prophets following own desires; see false visions; God has not spoken through them; God's hand against them; they say peace when there is no peace; great wrath and anger will come upon them, they will perish; women as prophesying from own minds; woe to them; God will take people from their hands, will no more see visions or practice divination, will know God is LORD (Ezekiel 13) 4. Elders before Ezekiel: God tells Ezekiel how they have idols in hearts, will not be consulted by them; estranged because of idols; Israel to repent and turn away from idols, or they will be cut off; punishment will come so that they will act that way no longer (Ezekiel 14:1-11) 5. When land sins, even if great righteous people in it, only the righteous spared; same true if beasts in land, or sword in land, or pestilence in land; how much more for Jerusalem, and yet God will spare some survivors, so they can repent, console prophet (Ezekiel 14:12-23) 6. Jerusalem as worthless vine; land will be desolate, God against land (Ezekiel 15) 7. Israel's father as Amorite, mother as Hittite; cast off as worthless on day of birth; God came and made her to live, came back when mature, clothed her, made covenant with her; gave her finery; yet she played the whore; served other gods; took things God gave her, used them in her adultery; beauty made an abomination; Israel as brazen prostitute; word of the LORD against her, lovers will be gathered, nakedness will be uncovered; wrath upon her; great guilt, even more than in Samaria; God will eventually restore all their fortunes so that they can bear their shame and disgrace (Ezekiel 16:1-59) 8. God will remember covenant, will restore it; God will atone, but shame will never be forgotten (Ezekiel 16:60-62) 9. Parable of two eagles and vine: involves Babylon and Egypt, why does king of Judah look to Egypt for deliverance? How can he break covenant with Babylon and escape?; God will return it upon his head, judgment will be executed because of treachery; God will make Jerusalem perish (Ezekiel 17) F. Sin, Lament, Rebellion, Destruction (Ezekiel 18-24) 1. Proverb in Israel regarding sons bearing consequences of father's sins; no more to be used in Israel; soul that sins will die; righteous will live, sinners die; son who does not follow father's sins will live; wicked who repents will live; righteous who sin will die; some say way of God not just, but really their ways unjust; God will judge Israel based on what each person does; God takes no pleasure in death-- repent and live (Ezekiel 18) 2. Lament for princes of Israel: mother as lion, caught, caged, taken to Babylon; mother as vine, great, yet broken down, withered (Ezekiel 19) 3. 591 BCE: Elders again before Ezekiel to inquire of God; God will not be inquired of by them; Ezekiel to judge them: abominations of their fathers, God swore good things to them if they would cast off detestable things, yet they rebelled; would have acted in anger against them in Egypt save for His name; led them through wilderness, gave them the Law, Sabbaths; they rebelled; would have poured out wrath in wilderness save for His name; that generation did not make it to land; children told to obey; they rebelled; God swore to scatter them because of rebellion (Ezekiel 20:1-26) 4. Will they defile themselves as their fathers did?; God not to be inquired of by this sinful generation; want to be as the nations; God's wrath poured out, will ingather Dispersion; will judge them face to face; rebels to be purged; if Israel will not listen, let them serve idols; on holy mountain, people will serve God; offerings will be accepted; will know that He is LORD; will repent, be ashamed of misdeeds; will be dealt with on account of His name; Ezekiel to preach against Negeb: it will be as burned with fire; Ezekiel complains that people think he just makes up parables (Ezekiel 20:27-49) 5. Ezekiel to preach against sanctuaries in Jerusalem: God will take sword, cut off both righteous and wicked from the place; all flesh will know He is LORD; Ezekiel to groan before them; when asked, will say it is because of the day that is coming, terrible things; sword sharpened and polished, ready for destruction-- against princes of Israel; Ezekiel to clap hands, have sword come down three times on account of those slain; God's fury to be satisfied (Ezekiel 21:1-17) 6. Ezekiel to make two ways for sword of Babylon to come; to Rabbah and Jerusalem; king of Babylon consults idols, prepares to besiege; makes oaths; final punishment to princes of Israel, humiliation; Jerusalem to be a ruin; slaughter and reproach decreed for the Ammonites also; will be judged, not remembered for their wickedness (Ezekiel 21:18-32) 7. Ezekiel to judge the bloody city; guilt on account of blood, idols; made a reproach to nations; name defiled; princes bent on bloodshed; oppression; profanation of holy things, Sabbaths; sexual immorality; extortion in land; God will strike people for it, courage will fail; scattered among nations; Israel as dross, God will melt it in His anger; land as not cleansed or rained upon; conspiracy of prophets as making widows; priests do violence to law, profane holy things; princes as wolves; prophets speak falsely; people extort, steal; search for the righteous, none found; wrath poured out (Ezekiel 22) 8. Oholah (Samaria) and Oholibah (Jerusalem): sisters; Oholah as playing whore; Assyrians came upon her; delivered into hands of lovers; became byword; Oholibah sees this, becomes more corrupt in whoredom; lusted after Chaldeans; defiled by them; nakedness exposed, God turns away; increased whoring; lovers will be disgusted, will turn on her; will judge and destroy her; will not remember Egypt anymore; delivered into hands of those whom you hate; nakedness to be exposed; will drink sister's cup; Ezekiel to judge the sisters and their iniquity; profanation of sanctuary and Sabbaths; worn out by adultery; blood on her hands; will be made an object of terror; penalty for idolatry borne (Ezekiel 23) 9. 588 BCE: Beginning of siege of Jerusalem; parable to rebellious house: prepare pot, boil in it: woe to the city, the pile will be great; everything will be burned up, cleansed as through fire; fury of God to be satisfied; He will not spare in judgment (Ezekiel 24:1-14) 10. Ezekiel's wife to die; he is not to mourn; sign to Israel regarding destruction of Jerusalem, man Ezekiel as sign of it; on that day, he will not be mute (Ezekiel 24:15-27) G. Nation Oracles (Ezekiel 25-32) 1. Ammon: Because of joy over fate of Jerusalem, God will make Ammon a possession of the east; others will dwell in it; Ammon as plunder for the nations, cut off, destroyed (Ezekiel 25:1-7) 2. Moab and Seir: Believe that Judah as other nations; thus, its glory will be exposed, given to the East as possession; judgment executed (Ezekiel 25:8-11) 3. Edom: Acted with revenge against Judah; God will cut off man and beast from Edom; vengeance upon them (Ezekiel 25:12-14) 4. Philistia: Took vengeance in enmity; God's hand stretched out against it, cut off with rebuke, will know that God is LORD (Ezekiel 25:15-17) 5. Tyre: 586 BCE: Tyre happy about fate of Jerusalem; God against Tyre; nations against her; plunder for the nations; Nebuchadnezzar against Tyre; devastation, death, destruction; merchandise, riches looted; Tyre as a bare rock; coastlands will shake at fall; trembling, mourning of princes of sea; lament over destruction of Tyre, dismay over its passing; God will make Tyre go down to the pit, as in the underworld; never to be found again (Ezekiel 26) 6. Tyre: lamentation over Tyre: boasted in beauty, great finery from other countries; army from other countries; nations around known world did business with Tyre, different locations and products described; at destruction, great lamentation and mourning because of the loss of merchants, profit (Ezekiel 27) 7. Tyre: to prince of Tyre: belief in his great wisdom, exalted seat; despite greatness, deified self, God will bring foreigners upon him, he will die the death of uncircumcised; lament over kind of Tyre: great perfection, described in terms of precious jewels; excellence and blamelessness; heart made proud, sin increased; fire brought upon city, consumed; dreadful end; nations appalled (Ezekiel 28:1-19) 8. Sidon: God against Sidon; judgment executed, God's holiness manifest; pestilence, blood, sword; house of Israel then no longer a source of pain to neighbors; God will ingather Dispersion, will dwell securely in land, rebuild; all will know God is LORD (Ezekiel 28:20-26) 9. Egypt: 589 BCE: God against Pharaoh; Pharaoh believes that he made Nile for himself; God will hook him as a fish, cast him into wilderness; given to animals as food; God will bring sword on Egypt because they have been unreliable ally of Israel; God will make Egypt a desolation because they believe Nile is their creation; 40 years later, Egyptians gathered again, made a lowly kingdom, never again rule over nations; Israel will not rely upon it (Ezekiel 29:1-16) 10. 571: Nebuchadnezzar besieged Tyre, but did not gain much from it; God will give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar, will despoil it; will obtain because he worked for God; horn to spring up in Israel, will speak, they will know God is LORD (Ezekiel 29:17-21) 11. Egypt: Day of the LORD upon Egypt; slain will fall, wealth carried away; neighbors in league with her shall also fall by sword; they will be humiliated and made desolate; Egypt's wealth to be finished, Nile dried up; idols of Egypt to be destroyed; judgment executed on major cities; will know God is LORD; 587 BCE: arm of Pharaoh broken, will not be healed; Egypt to be broken, people dispersed; Babylon strengthened, Egypt fallen; will know God is LORD (Ezekiel 30) 12. Egypt: 587 BCE: Greatness of Egypt, its value and beauty described; will be handed over to a mighty nation, who will deal with it according to its wickedness; Egypt to be broken; God made nations quake at fall of Lebanon, so it will be with Egypt (Ezekiel 31) 13. Egypt: 585 BCE: Lamentation over Pharaoh: you attempt to conquer, but will be conquered; God will catch him in net, will be hauled up; land will be filled with the slain, Egypt as blotted out; darkness over land; when destruction is known, hearts of many people troubled; people will be appalled, horrified; Babylon to come upon Egypt, will destroy its pride, cause people and animals to perish; land made desolate; daughters of nations will chant the lament; Ezekiel to wail over multitude of Egypt, their destruction; slain by sword; down in Sheol with Assyria, Elam, Meshech-Tubal, Edom, and princes of north, all there because they spread terror in life, but were brought down low; Pharaoh will be comforted by all these when down there (Ezekiel 32) H. Various Prophecies (Ezekiel 33-39) 1. The watchman: responsible for informing people when enemy approaches, responsible only if does not inform; so it is with Ezekiel: if he warns the people, and they sin, not responsible, but if he does not warn them, then responsible (Ezekiel 33:1-9) 2. Israel as saying that they rot because of their sins; God would have them turn, no need to die; righteous cannot be delivered and turn to wickedness; if the wicked repent, they will live; people say God's way not just, will be judged for it (Ezekiel 33:10-20) 3. 585 BCE: fugitive from Jerusalem informs Ezekiel that the city is struck down; Ezekiel no longer mute; Israel's reasoning that they possess the land because of their multitude in error; cannot possess land while sinful; those in the land to be made a desolation and the waste; people come to hear Ezekiel, but do not do what he tells them; when disaster befalls them, they will know he is a prophet (Ezekiel 33:21-33) 4. Prophecy against shepherds of Israel: they feed selves, not sheep; they oppress, people as scattered; sheep have become a prey, God will be against shepherds; God will rescue sheep; He will seek sheep, will rescue all of them; will feed them in Israel; He will be shepherd of sheep, will strengthen the weak, humble the strong; God as judging His sheep, both the fat and the lean, and will do justice; He will make a covenant of peace, remove beasts from land; they will dwell securely; they will know that God is LORD, no more hunger, no more reproach; Israel as God's sheep (Ezekiel 34) 5. Prophecy against Mount Seir: God will make it a desolation and waste; cherished enmity against Israel, will pay the penalty; blood will pursue them; cities uninhabited; God will deal with them according to their anger and hatred; Edom vaunted self against Israel, God will make it desolate, nations will rejoice (Ezekiel 35) 6. Prophecy to the mountains of Israel: became possession of nations, nations will suffer reproach; mountains will again be filled with Israelites; will multiply and be fruitful; will no longer bereave of children; reproach of nations not heard, no longer disgraced (Ezekiel 36:1-15) 7. Israel defiled land like menstruating woman; wrath poured out on it; God will act not because of them but because of His name; holiness of His name will be vindicated; nations to know that He is LORD; ingathering of Dispersion, cleansing from uncleanness; Spirit in them, will make sure they obey His rules; dwell in the land, God their God, they His people; blessings and abundance, repentance, mourning over previous sinful ways; cities to be inhabited, rebuilt; land ruined as Garden of Eden; people to increase (Ezekiel 36:16-38) 8. Ezekiel in middle of valley; full of dry bones; Ezekiel to prophesy over them, make them live; God provides them with flesh and skin; God makes them live; bones as Israel, God will make them live in the land (Ezekiel 37:1-14) 9. Ezekiel to write on sticks for Judah and Joseph; to be joined as one; indicating that Israel to be restored, reunited, Dispersion ingathered; no more defilements, saved from backsliding, will be God's people; ruled over by David; will dwell in land, perpetual covenant of peace; nations will know that LORD is God who sanctifies Israel (Ezekiel 37:15-28) 10. Prophecy against Gog and Magog: God against them, will draw them out; they will be mustered, go against Israel; evil schemes in their minds to raid the land, carry off plunder; will see that Israel dwells securely; on that day when they come to Israel, God will cause all creation to quake before Him, judgment against God, His holiness known; God will drive Gog and Magog to the extremities of the north, will be struck down; God's holy name to be known in Israel; Israelites will make fires of all the weapons for seven years, no need for wood; they will plunder those who despoiled them; place for burial of Gog in Israel; seven months of burial to cleanse land; birds to come in and eat the flesh of the mighty; God's glory among the nations; Israel will know that LORD their God; nations will understand that Israel went into captivity because of iniquity (Ezekiel 38:1-39:24) 11. God will restore fortunes of Jacob; will forget treachery, will dwell securely in land; will know LORD is their God; will not hide face from them; Spirit poured out on them (Ezekiel 39:25-29) I. A Vision of Israel Restored (Ezekiel 40-48) 1. 573 BCE: Ezekiel brought to Jerusalem in vision; man tells him to declare all he sees to Israel; Ezekiel sees wall, siderooms, gateways; such described, measured; outer court described, measured; gates and inner courts described; measured; chambers and vestibules for priests described, measured (Ezekiel 40) 2. Most Holy Place, wall of Temple, buildings facing yard on west side, back described, measured (Ezekiel 41) 3. Outer court, chambers in northern section described, measured; eastern and western sides measured (Ezekiel 42) 4. Glory of LORD then enters this Temple, as Ezekiel saw at the beginning; demonstration that such was where God was to live, people will dwell securely, no more defilement; Ezekiel to describe the temple to Israel so they will be ashamed of their sins so that they can repent and later return and do God's will (Ezekiel 43:1-12) 5. Altar measured, ordinances established for offerings (Ezekiel 43:13-27) 6. Eastern outer gate left shut; Ezekiel sees front of Temple through north gate, sees glory of LORD, falls before it; told to tell Israel regarding the specifications of this temple, how they profaned the first Temple; foreigners not to be in sanctuary, but Levites who allowed it will bear punishment; will be ashamed, but will minister; rules for Levites from Leviticus repeated (Ezekiel 44) 7. Holy district of land to be apportioned; its dimensions, purposes specified; prince shall obtain land on sides of holy district and city; sin and oppression to be put away; just balances, weights established; offerings, Passover specified (Ezekiel 45) 8. Inner eastern gate open only on Sabbath, new moon; prince will enter it; offerings specified; processions on festival days specified; more offerings specified; property inheritance rights made known; places specified for boiling offerings (Ezekiel 46) 9. Water flowing from below threshold of Temple; Ezekiel taken to where water trickled out, measurements made; water gets increasingly deeper; river that will be in the land that brings abundance and prosperity, will never fade; fruit will always be there for food, leaves for healing; land will be divided by inheritance; boundaries of the land specified (Ezekiel 47) 10. Individual tribes enumerated, their land portions indicated; measurements of the various land divisions, including the "holy portion" and who will live there; gates of the city specified, measurements; gates named for tribes of Israel; name of city, LORD is There (Ezekiel 48) IV. Ezekiel: Important Passages A. Ezekiel 1 / Revelation 4 B. Ezekiel 2:9-3:3 / Revelation 10:9-10 C. Ezekiel 26-28 / Revelation 18 D. Ezekiel 34 / John 10:1-21 E. Ezekiel 39:17-20 / Revelation 19:17-18 F. Ezekiel 40:1-4 / Revelation 11:1 G. Ezekiel 40-48 / Revelation 20-22:6 V. Conclusion A. Ezekiel: prophet concerned with God's name, holiness 1. Demonstration that God's name to be known to nations 2. His holiness will be exalted B. Message of condemnation, hope 1. Condemnation of Israel for its sin 2. Confidence in God's name, holiness leading Him to cleanse Israel 3. The future hope of Israel set forth C. Let us not fall by the same example of disobedience, but seek to live forever with God in the new Jerusalem! 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 bgreen at tycom.net Mon Jun 8 17:06:13 2009 From: bgreen at tycom.net (Bill Green) Date: Mon, 8 Jun 2009 17:06:13 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] Beatitudes help? Message-ID: I am in need of some help with a sermon(s) on the beatitudes. If you have outlines, articles, comments, or suggestions please send them my way. Thanks. Brotherly, Bill Green -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090608/d86416ce/attachment.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Tue Jun 9 03:25:59 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Tue, 9 Jun 2009 04:25:59 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) FERVENT IN SPIRIT (2) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the second and final installment on this particular study. Use to the glory of God. FERVENT IN SPIRIT (2) Fervent In Spirit, Serving The Lord: -- The verb "fervent" (Greek, zeo, lit. "to boil with heat") means "boiling" with enthusiasm for the Lord and His spiritual work! Jesus, our example, was eaten up with zeal for God (Jno. 2:17). How many are on fire for the Lord? Not enough! I am thankful I know many zealous Christ- ians who encourage me to "not grow weary in well doing." So, how do we continue to grow and glow with fervent zeal for the Lord! 1. Love, the Fuel of Zeal: -- How can slothful saints be energi- zed to enthusiastically obey the Bible? We must focus on why we do what we do. Spiritual energy to serve arises from the spiri- tual power of love. Loving God is he great commandment behind all we do, the mainspring of our devotion (Mk. 12:30). In Romans, Paul powerfully teaches us that God deeply loves us (Rom. 5:5,8; 8:39; 15:30). We will know His blessing and provid- ential power if we love in return (Rom. 8:28). We do what we love to do and we are excited by what we love supremely. Love for the Lord constantly reminds us that it is all for Him! Jesus said, "I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little" (Lk. 7:47). Our loving zeal reflects how much we really app- reciate the forgiveness our loving Lord secured for us at the cross. Renewed zeal comes from falling in love with the Lord more and more. Romans describes the amazing grace of God in Christ. Des- pite our unworthiness, God's grace offers the marvelous plan of salvation, because "God justifies the ungodly" (Rom. 4:5). God offers the unworthy the opportunity to obey the gospel of His grace and receive eternal life. This is the bargain of eternity! What an amazing rags-to-riches story. This thrills our soul! 2. Faith, Oxygen of the Spirit: -- The espistle of Romans is the Holy Spirit's grand, systematic exposition of the gospel plan of salvation (Rom. 1:16,17). Its lofty, magnificent theme of salva- tion from sin has prompted it to be called "The cathedral of the Christian faith." God's grace in Christ is accepted by active, sub- missive "faith" (Rom. 1:16; 3:25-28,30; 4:5; 5:1). Faith is "the substance of things hoped for" (Heb. 11:1), which means it is that which underlies or gives breath to spiritual hope. To be right with God, we must "live by faith" (Rom. 1:17; 4: 12). A living faith animates zealous "obedience of faith" (Rom. 1:5; 16:26). This faith breathes by imbibing the "word of Christ" (Rom. 10:16). You are only as zealous as your Bible study habits. Hunger for knowing God is satisfied by feasting on His revealed Will in human language, the Bible! So, you must have a systematic plan of regular Bible study to grow in faith, or else you will suffocate and die. 3. Exulting in Divine Glory: -- "Glory" is the divine manifestat- ion of the greatness of God's eternal splendor. Knowing this ign- ites enthusiasm. Our life's purpose is to "glorify God" (Rom. 1: 21). Zealous Christians grow "strong in faith, giving glory to God" (Rom. 4:20). Faith feeds a living hope that sees and confid- ently expects the reward of spiritual reality. Loving, faithful Christians will be motivated to take their stand in grace and "exult in the hope of the glory of God" (Rom. 5:2). We are excit- ed about our relationship with the Lord above all else. "We also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have now received the reconciliation" (Rom. 5:11). With the ecstacy of eternity in our hearts, we can even "exult in our tribulations" (Rom. 5:3). We see the spiritual benefit and reward of these tests. Spiritual vision helps us to focus on the long-term purpose of our life, as God's new creation in Christ. "The creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corrup- tion into the freedom of the glory of the children of God" (Rom. 8:21). All that we do, we see in light of eternity. What we do matt- ers forever in the glory of God. We an ramp up our entusiasm to exult in divine glory by daily singing, along with spirited congregational singing. Our zeal should "glorify God for His mercy. As it is written, 'There- fore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.' And again it is said, 'Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.' Praise he Lord...and let all the peoples extol HIm." (Rom. 15:9-11). I am enthused to listen to acapella praise on CD's my mp3 player, and the internet radio station The Praise Channel. This regular habit can help rekindle spiritual enthusiasm. Lord, help us catch on fire with zeal in serving You! ---- W. Frank Walton in Focus Magazine, No. 103, Feb. 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090609/4d5221c4/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Tue Jun 9 03:25:45 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Tue, 9 Jun 2009 04:25:45 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) DOES GOD LOVE US? 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: DOES GOD LOVE US? During times of difficulty people often wonder if God loves them. Certainly, with ever changing event of life, such as job losses and the death of loved ones, most can appreciate why someone would question the love of God. The real issue, how- ever, is not God's love, but where people go to find evidence of it. God definitely loves us and even gives us a hint of where to look for it. In the book of Genesis, God called Abraham into ser- vice by commanding him to leave his father's house. When Abraham agreed, God in return made him three promises: God vowed to make Abraham a great nation, give him a great land, and bless all the nations of the earth through his offspring (Gen. 12:1-3; 15:1-4). The only problem with God's promises was the fact that Abraham did not have a son, a detail Abraham quickly pointed out to God (Gen. 15:1,2). Once God realized Abraham's con-cerns, He assured him that he would have a son (Gen. 18:1-15). >From the point of this promise forward, Abraham believed God would keep His promises (Gen. 15:6). Then, after some time had passed, God, wishing to test Abra- ham's faith, commanded him to sacrifice Isaac, the one through whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Gen;. 22: 1,2). Abraham, without hesitation, wen to do as God demanded. God, however, intervened before Abraham could harm the boy and said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not with- held your son, your only son, from Me" (Gen. 22:12). God knew that asking Abraham to give up his only son, the son of promise, would require great faith. Abraham loved his son, and all his hopes and dreams were wrapped up in him. Yet, when God put Abraham's faith to the test, Abraham did as he was commanded. Once God realized Abraham would willingly give up his son, God knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Abraham feared Him. When we wonder if God loves us, we need to look no further than the great love God demonstrated in the sacrifice of His Own Son, Jesus Christ. The apostle John wrote, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever shall believe in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life" (Jno. 3:16). God sees the sacrifice of a Son as the greatest sign of love and commitment. When we are tempted to question God's love, we should look to the cross of Jesus Christ for there we find all the evidence of God's love. ---- Jason Schrader in Son Rays, Vol. 31, No. 8, May 24, 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090609/cfc16041/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Wed Jun 10 02:24:55 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Wed, 10 Jun 2009 03:24:55 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT SALVATION? (1) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the first installment of this study. Use to the glory of God. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT SALVATION? (1) Notice we do not ask the question, "What does a particular church teach about salvation?" The reason for this is that no church has the divine right to teach anything about salvation other than what is revealed in the Bible. Many study their Bibles and twist the Scriptures to suit themselves, and determine this to be the answer to their personal search for salvation. Some say they are saved by the love of God, others by mercy or grace. Some say the are saved by obedience, some by the blood of Christ. Some say they are saved by faith, others by repenting and asking Jesus into their heart. Some require a "spiritual experience" while some believe acknowledge-ment of Jesus as their personal Savior is all that is needed. How confusing when different churches teach different things about salvation! How do we navigate through these waters of confusion and uncertainty? We do so by looking at what is revealed to us in the Bible, the inspired Word of God. The Bible teaches that man's salvation involves God's part and man's part. Both parts are necessary for salvation. If we are open minded and receptive to God's Word, we will accept what God has to say about this matter and turn from the doctrin- es of men. God's Part In Man's Salvation: -- God Himself Saves Man: -- We are justified (declared guiltless) by God through faith (Rom. 3:25, 30; 8:33). Faith is produced by God's Word (Rom. 10:17). Mercy Saves Man: -- How blessed we are that God's "merci- ful kindness is great toward us" (Psa. 117:2), and that "accord- ing to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regenerat- ion and renewing of the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5). Sending Christ Into The World Saves Man: -- The Bible says that "He (Jesus) will save His people from their sins" (Matt. 1:21), and that "the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Lk. 19:10). The Shedding Of Christ's Blood Saves Man: -- We are "justi- fied by His blood" and "saved from wrath through Him" (Rom. 5: 9). Jesus, in instituting the Lord's Supper, said, "For this is My blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the rem- ission of sins" (Matt. 26:28); and in Rev. 1:5; John writes, "and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Hm who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood." The Sending Of The Gospel Saves Man: -- The gospel is the power tht God uses to bring us to salvation. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, fo it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, '"The just shall live by faith'" (Rom. 1;16,17). Paul said that it "pleased God hrough the fool- ishness of the message preached to save those who believe" (1 Cor. 1:21). Paul plainly stated that the gospel saves us (1 Cor. 15:1,2), where he says "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you -- unless you believed in vain." Paul also said to Timothy that the Scriptures were able to make him "wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 3:15). When Peter came to the house- hold of Cornelius, he stated that he had come to "tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved" (Acts 11:14) God's Grace Saves Man: -- It is God's grace "that brings sal- vation" and "has appeared to all men" (Titus 2:11). We are justi- fied by His grace (Titus 3:7). It is "by grace you have been saved and that is through faith" (Eph. 2:5,8). God's Longsuffering Saves Man: -- God wants all men to be saved. For this reason God is longsuffering toward us. Peter says, "And consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvat- ion -- as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you" (2 Pet. 3:15). Perhaps there are other things we can find in the Bible that mention God's part of salvation, but let us now look at man's part in salvation. As we do so, let us remember that we are not to "pick and choose" from those things God says, but we are to do all the things that God requires of us. (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/20090610/0f78aadf/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Wed Jun 10 02:24:42 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Wed, 10 Jun 2009 03:24:42 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) SERVANTS 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: SERVANTS "Servant" is just one of many terms Jesus used to denote His followers. He used it especially when He was describing to the disciples the nature of the Messianic kingdom. When they argued over greatness and sought for positions in the kingdom. Jesus defined the kingdom and its greatness when He said: "Whosoever would become great among you shall be your minister; and whosoever would be first among you shall be your servant" (Matt. 20:27). Greatness in God's kingdom comes to those who serve Him. The servant portrait suggests to us three things about our relationship to the kingdom. Master: -- The words "servant" and "kingdom" in a way mixes metaphors, but both imply authority. Whether viewed as a servant or as a citizen, a Christian is bound by the authrity of a higher power. As a servant they have a "master" and as a citizen they have a "king." Slaves in the Roman empire were purchased as any other piece of property and were as other property under the rule of their owner. The plow didn't decide when it would go to work in the field, nor did the chariot decide when it would take its owner to the market. They were subject to the master's desire. So it is with slaves. When they confess Jesus as Lord and willfully become His servants, it is He that det- ermines the life of service they will render (Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 2: 36). Jesus is our Master and has all authority (Matt. 28:18). Bound: -- Servants are under bondage. They are bound by purchase to the will of their master. Jesus purchased His serva- nts with His blood and they as His possession are obligated to serve Him. They don't decide if it is necessary to assemble on the first day of the week to break bread; that has been decided for them and faithful servants do it. They don't decide if they must study, if they must sing and pray, if they must care for the needy among them, if they must visit the sick, and it they must live pure and holy lives. And they don't decide if they are obligat- ed to respect and esteem their husbands, if they are obligated to love their wives as their own bodies, if they are obligated to teach and train their children, and if they are obligated to care for their aged parents. As servants in the kingdom of Jesus they are bound to the "law of Christ" (Gal. 6:1,2). Heartily: -- As Paul taught slaves to serve their masters "heartily," so servants of God must from the heart obey their Master (Col. 3:22,23; Rom. 6:17). To serve heartily means to obey "from the soul," meaning that from the inward man they must out of "reverence" and "love" and "good will" submit to the ordrs of their Lord. They do not gripe and complain as they serve; they do not resent their work and feel burdened by their duties; they do not with indifference and unconcern half-hearted- ly offer token obedience; they do not obey to display their right- eousness before men (Matt. 6). Servants in the kingdom of Jesus do not render mere lip service from an empty heart, but out of love from their whole heart and soul and mind and streng- th (Mk. 12:30). Brethren, when we understand this simple truth and humble ourselves in wholehearted service to God, we attain greatness in God's kingdom and will be exalted in due time (Lk. 14:11; 1 Pet. 5:5-7). ------- L. A. Stauffer in Son Rays, Vol. 31, No. 8, May 24, 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090610/b810045b/attachment-0001.html From dmartinbtbq at comcast.net Wed Jun 10 09:43:04 2009 From: dmartinbtbq at comcast.net (Don Martin) Date: Wed, 10 Jun 2009 08:43:04 -0600 Subject: [Biblemat] "Tom O'Neal's Material Justifying Privately Supported Human Institutions to Corporately Preach the Gospel" Message-ID: "Tom O'Neal's Material Justifying Privately Supported Human Institutions to Corporately Preach the Gospel" By Don Martin I received an email attachment yesterday (June 8, 2009) from one who had been negatively mentioned by brother Tom O'Neal in his article, "Gene Frost's and J. T. Smith's Human Institutions Which They Deny." The attachment contained Tom's just mentioned article. I read the material with interest and noticed that my name was also repeatedly mentioned in a negative climate. First, let me be upfront and say that I often read or learn of my name being negatively mentioned. The first thing I do is check the accuracy of the personal reference and the teaching in which the reference is made. I am a big boy and I know that such comes with the territory and I usually do not take such personally. Let me also start on a positive note by saying that Tom O'Neal greatly impresses me in that he is animated, has conviction, and is not afraid to speak out against what he views as wrong. I admire such! However, I believe Tom to be wrong in a number of areas and it is to these matters that I wish to briefly respond (I have no idea where all Tom's material was sent and I do not even have Tom's email. Such, though, really matters not.) Brother O'Neal has been one of a very few who have sought to openly defend such privately funded entities to preach the gospel and edify the saved as the Guardian of Truth Foundation. Individually supported orders though not local churches, are acting as local churches to perform the work God has assigned to his entity, the local church (I Tim. 3: 15). Indeed and incontrovertibly, God assigned to His organization, the local church, the responsibility of corporately preaching the gospel to the lost, edifying the saved, and when the need is present, administering to the needs of His people (I Tim. 3: 15, Eph. 4: 16, I Cor. 16: 1, 2). God has arranged the financing for his local church and the oversight (Ibid., Acts 14: 23). Humanly devised orders having their own oversight (President, Vice President, Board of Directors, etc.) and treasury to do the work God specifically assigned to the local church are unscriptural (God has specified and in view of the silence of the scriptures relative to any other arrangement, it is without Bible authority that brethren build such orders and corporately work through and in them, cp. Heb. 7: 14). In an effort to defend human institutions to preach the gospel, Tom makes the following argument in the foregoing referenced material: "(1) If the Guardian of Truth Foundation denies the all sufficiency of the church, as they claim, then so does Gospel Truths, Inc. and Gospel Anchor Publishing Company, Inc. (2) If Guardian of Truth Foundation has taken over the work of the church, as they claim, so has Gospel Truths, Inc. and Gospel Anchor Publishing Company, Inc. (3) If Guardian of Truth Foundation is leading the church into apostasy, as they claim, then so is Gospel Truths, Inc. and Gospel Anchor Publishing Company, Inc. On the other hand, if these things are not so with Gospel Truths, Inc. and Gospel Anchor Publishing Company, Inc., then they are not so with Guardian of Truth Foundation. Any argument that J. T., Gene, Tim, or Don have made, are making, or will make against Guardian of Truth Foundation can with equal force be made against Gospel Truths, Inc. and Gospel Anchor Publishing Company, Inc. Yet, brethren Don Martin and Tim Haile and others who oppose Truth Magazine Lectures have not said one word about the corporations of J. T. and Gene...." Tom advanced the immediately above argument after spending time trying to show that the Gospel Anchor, Gospel Truths, and the Guardian of Truth Foundation are the same in structure. I am surprised and personally pleased that Tom did not include my Website, Bible Truths, in his paralleling presentation. I have, in fact, received word that some of the defenders of these orders are also claiming that Bible Truths is set up just like the Guardian of Truth Foundation. What a stretch! I am the sole owner of Bible Truths, I have no staff writers, and there is no Board of directors, etc. Yet, some have charged that I am inconsistent in teaching against such orders as GOTF and Truth Magazine because of my Website. It has been my experience that when challenged, these men back away and continue the dissemination of their erroneous charges. Imagine, the Gospel Anchor, Gospel Truths, and the Guardian of Truth Foundation are tantamount, all privately funded entities affording brethren the means to pool their resources and corporately perform the work God has given to his local church, all having the same working oversight, type of treasury, etc. and providing public worship opportunities. What a prolific imagination! If I for one second viewed the Gospel Anchor (now history) and Gospel Truths as tantamount to the Guardian of Truth Foundation in functionality, I would be including them in my writings and warnings, but I do not view them as the same, not in operational reality and present threat, for sure. How can Tom say that these three "influences" are the same? (I will defer to the ability of Gene Frost and J.T. Smith to deal with this charge by Tom O'Neal.) Besides, if the Gospel Anchor, Gospel Truths, and the Guardian of Truth Foundation were all the same and did the same, what would such prove, other than they are all wrong! Such reasoning is childish. Tom wrote: "...I realize that I have been very plain in what I have had to say and I make no apology for that. I want my reader to understand the issue at hand and what I am saying." I have no problem with Tom speaking out, I am, though, troubled at the flawed reasoning and spurious argumentation found in his material. Tom continued: "Don Martin wrote & J. T Smith published 'One family that attended the 'Third Annual Guardian of Truth Foundation Lectures' told me: 'Brother Martin, the Foundation is doing a wonderful job in preaching the gospel. In fact, they are able to do what local churches cannot do..." (Gospel Truth, Nov. 2006, page 19). Proof- Who? When? Where? Observe the above quotation was placed in quotations marks by brother Martin. This means he is directly quoting from someone. Who he does not tell us. In my article 'If I Were Going To Oppose The Truth Magazine Lectureship' which was written well over two years ago, I called upon brother Martin to produce the proof where this was said. Who said it? When was it said? Where was it said? Two years later brother Martin still has not given the proof, yet, he still writes against the Truth Magazine. What brother Martin and Smith need to do is either produce the proof of who said this, when it was said, where it was said or withdraw the charge! Which will they do? Until they do, they have lost any credibility they might have with honest brethren....were these statements also fabricated?" I am sorry that Tom O'Neal would go so far in his defense of these human orders to preach the gospel as to accuse me of deliberately lying. The reason I did not answer Tom as to the source of the above quote is such is irrelevant and diversionary. Why talk about who said what when the Guardian of Truth Foundation is bigger than life and is functioning as a local church, albeit, an aberrant copy? In view of what the foundation is flagrantly now doing, how could anyone doubt such a statement being made or view such as incongruous? Notice what Tom is doing in his dialectic process. First, consider how sometimes names were provided regarding certain fallacious teaching and sometimes they were withheld (cp. 2 Tim. 2: 17, 18; I Cor. 15: 12, 32). Yet, brother O'Neal says that I must provide an irrelevant name and then suggests that I lied about the whole conversation. Tom is desperate to defend his order. Imagine one going to such lengths to defend something not even taught or exemplified in the scriptures! Tom furthermore stated: "Brother Dickey in a January 29, 2006 sermon at the Brown Street Church in Akron, Ohio represented brother Roy E. Cogdill as appealing to Churches of Christ in general to send money to the Akin Foundation of Texas. The details that brother Dickey gave evidenced that he was completely uninformed about the matter at hand. I neither made a personal attack on him or the Brown Street Church. It is strange that when someone tries to correct faulty information, they are accused of making a personal attack on someone or on some church. What I had to say about brother Cogdill and the Akin Foundation, my reader can examine for themselves in We Have A Right (Revised Edition) pages 369-376.... First, brother Cogdill did not make an appeal to Churches of Christ in general for funds to be sent to the Akin Foundation. The truth was that no funds were to go to the Akin Foundation. Whether brother Dickey got his facts mixed up and was completely misinformed, I do not know." Concerned reader, here is the original statement made by brother Cogdill: "Most of the readers of this paper know already that the Akin Foundation is in trouble. It is not to advertise this fact but to call attention to the opportunity of all of you have to render a service to the Foundation which has done so much for the spreading of the Gospel and indirectly to the cause of truth and righteousness..The 68th district court in which the law suit against the trustees has been filed has granted an injunction against the trustees further distributing any of the funds of the Foundation and has appointed a receiver impounding all the funds coming in..This effort will cost money as any case in court does..What do you think and what will you do about it? Those of you who through the years have been supported by and have participated in its help, what will you do to help preserve it - both churches and individuals are urged to respond" (The Gospel Guardian, Vol. 29, number 7, April 1, 1977)." Tom seems to have lost his usual clear thinking ability. I witnessed this same lack of thinking and objectivity in those who demanded that their church supported human institutions continue, even at the expense of unity. We are now seeing this same convoluted "thinking" in defense of the privately funded orders. These entities, whether church funded or privately funded, it matters not, seem to create love affairs that blind some. Brother Cogdill only appealed to churches to come to the aid of the Akin Foundation, churches who had been benefited by the foundation and not churches in general, argued Tom. Big deal! Tom went on to condemn brother Dickey in that Tom said the money was to be sent directly to Cogdill and not to the Akin Foundation. Again, big deal. The money was for attorneys relative to the foundation. This is one of the consequent dangers of attempting to defend these foundations: one places oneself in indefensible positions and advances ridiculous arguments to protect the foundations (I am not saying that the Akin Foundation is precisely the same as the Guardian of Truth Foundation). Where is the authority for churches to pay for the legal fees relative to a human foundation or in order to continue having monies from such a foundation? These defenders of foundations are exhibiting the same institutional mentality as was seen in the forties, fifties, and sixties regarding church supported orders. While I am pleased that Tom shows more backbone than many of the promoters of these orders, I am saddened that he is willing to go to such lengths to try to authorize something that is not taught in the scriptures. Just as in the case with church funded orders, once the flood gates are opened, what will come next? Romans 14 is now being perverted by some of these brethren in order to try to force their institutions into the Romans 14 climate. Will the Guardian of Truth Foundation conduct their next annual lectureship? I imagine they will. Do they care about unity and what their forced institution is doing to brethren across the land? They evidently do not care. Imagine such force, zeal, and defense for something not even observed or taught in the scriptures! However, such is not new. From GLClair at aol.com Wed Jun 10 13:18:22 2009 From: GLClair at aol.com (GLClair at aol.com) Date: Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:18:22 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] More about false teachers and false teaching. Message-ID: More about false teaching and false teachers ? THE KINGDOM OF GOD Mark 9:1 ?And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.? Notice there was some in the presence of Jesus who would be alive when the kingdom of God came!? Paul writing to the Colossian brethren said the Father had delivered them ? from the power of darkness,? and had translated them ?into the kingdom of his dear Son:? (Col 1:12-13) Translated means to remove from one place to another, to transfer. We further understand the kingdom has come because of 1 Cor 15:24, ?Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.? The evidence shows the kingdom exists today on the earth or how else can it be delivered up in the end? CONSIDER THIS: The Kingdom of God is a term that refers to the GOVERNMENT OF THE CHURCH ON EARTH ? Christ is King over the Kingdom of God and will rule as such until the end ? Christ is King of the kingdom and has all authority over it on the earth ? cf. Matt. 28:18-20 ? Christ is now reigning as King in the presence of the Father ? cf. John 17:1-5 ? SEE THE FOLLOWING; 1 Cor. 15:23-28 - 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. Jesus said the only way to enter into the kingdom is by being ?born of water and the spirit.? (John 3:3-5) Those on the day of Pentecost, when the power of the Holy Ghost came upon the apostles and they began to speak in the languages known to the audience, three thousand souls were baptized and God added them to the body of Christ (Acts 2:38-47) The kingdom, the body of Christ, exist on earth today. It is this kingdom, called the bride of Christ, which will be received up into heaven. ?? Read it again, Skeptic! ?? The kingdom (i.e. the church of Christ) has been in existence since the series of events recorded in Acts 2:1-47 took place approximately 2000 years ago. Since that beginning where 3,000 souls were added to it the Kingdom of God has continued and thrived as a result of God?s providential care and love. Eventually (i.e. at the end ? the last day) Jesus Christ will deliver the Kingdom (i.e. the church to the Father ? cf. 1 Cor. 15:23-28 - 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he said, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. (KJV) (Mailto: _glclair at aol.com_ (mailto:glclair at aol.com) ) **************Dell Inspiron 15 Laptop: Now in 6 vibrant colors! Shop Dell?s full line of laptops. (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1222008777x1201444407/aol?redir=http:%2F%2Fad.doubleclick.net%2Fclk%3B215566094%3B3786435 8%3Bv) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090610/89e700ec/attachment-0001.html From GLClair at aol.com Wed Jun 10 15:56:46 2009 From: GLClair at aol.com (GLClair at aol.com) Date: Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:56:46 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] Article - Is The Church Evolving? Message-ID: IS THE CHURCH EVOLVING? _glclair at aol.com_ (mailto:glclair at aol.com) In the past 50 plus years I have been active in the church of Christ as a learner and as a teacher. During this time there have been changes in the direction of other men and women in the church that are apparent in their beliefs and actions. The most revealing changes in many church-going people of that time and of today are changes of attitudes toward things of the world (i.e. both secular and organizational) and human relationships (i.e. attitudes toward sinners and sinful tendencies and practice). My earliest understandings of religion were formed by observing the actions of my parents (i.e. my father preached as opportunities were available) Christians that were grown up adults. Many of the people who attended the meetings of the church where my parents and families attended (i.e. Lothair - Hazard, KY.) were concerned about faithful attendance, personal purity, enduring marriage, care and development of their children?s spiritual training, hard work to provide for their families and the constant concern about the morals and ethics of the neighbors (i.e. lest their exposure effected their children, etc). The Christians in those days attended gospel meetings regularly; there were always large crowds at gospel meetings. As I look to the teaching of brotherhood publications of 50 years ago (i.e. - From my father?s library - I have three hand bound copies of 1940 and 1941 brotherhood magazines). I see that there were changes taking place in the direction of churches of Christ, Indeed, in many of the leaders and writers of the 1940s and the 50s the tendency and direction of the Christian Leader, The Gospel Advocate, The firm Foundation and other publications by brethren were looking to the possible changes in the churches? relationship to human institutions (i.e. colleges, service organizations for orphans and physical and aging relief agencies). Prior to W.W. II there were no serious discussions of changing the status of the church and its organization structure. The only really great problem that had arisen among Christians had been the musical instrument and the American Christian Missionary Society of Cincinnati, Ohio (Alexander Campbell it first head) in late 1800s and the early years of the 1900s. No examination of the church could be complete without mentioning the pre-millennium doctrine fostered by R. H. Boll mainly in Kentucky. The division in that region occurred over the so-called-1000 year reign on earth. Brother Boll insisted that this false concept was a Biblical doctrine; dividing churches in that region. REFERENCE - Robert Henry Boll (June 7, 1875 ? April 13, 1956_[1]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Henry_Boll#cite_note-0#cite_note-0) ) was a German-born American _preacher_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preacher) in the _Churches of Christ_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churches_of_Christ) . Boll is most known for advancing a _premillennialist_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premillennialism) _eschatology_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eschatology) within the Churches of Christ, in articles written during his editorship of the front page of the _Gospel Advocate_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_Advocate) from 1909 to 1915 and after 1915 in _Word and Work,_ (http://wordandwork.com/default.aspx) leading to a dispute which resulted in a formal _schism_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schism_(religion)) of the Churches of Christ in the 1930s. As we come into the 50s and 60s we find division over the College in the congregation?s budget, the institutional orphan homes in the congregations budgets, and other service organizations unmentioned in the Holy Scriptures that were taking huge sums of money from the local congregation?s treasury (i.e. church kitchens, mislabeled ?fellowship? halls and kitchens in the meeting-houses, baseball and sports facilities (i.e. gymnasiums and work-our-gymnasiums for exercise) and the constant decline in spiritual (i.e. Biblical based) training of the membership; indeed, the spiritual training was turned over to a group of church employees (i.e. youth ministers, small group leaders, junior church organizational leaders, etc.). These changes in the congregation?s organization and procedures were further altered by the maintenance of organizations that were established for the express purpose of training preachers and Bible teachers which were often separated from the congregation and given independent organizational leadership under the head of the School ? yet, being supported by the various churches in different places. One of the great changes that have taken place and which was a great upheaval in the church of Christ has been the Herald of Truth radio and TV ministry of the Highland church of Christ in Abilene, Texas. This was one of the greatest causes of division among churches of Christ since the early 1900s. The church in Abilene sent out messengers to many congregations around the land to solicit money from the church treasury to support a world-wide TV and radio ministry. This was not a new program, the denominations were already busy doing exactly with radio and TV that which the Abilene, Texas church wanted to do. The advocates of the listed above change in congregational action were successful in enlisting many of the largest congregations in the county to take money from the congregation?s treasury and send it to the directors of the Herald of Truth program. This action caused most of the congregations to divide; most of those that saw this as an act of apostasy were forced to leave the congregation?s that had been their home for many years (i.e. in some cases their parents and grandparents church home). Those that were forced to leave the churches were referred to as ?antis? (i.e. anti-Herald of truth ? anti-human institutions that assumed the work or part of the work of local congregations). Those that continued to support the Herald of Truth, Institutional orphan and old-folks-homes, church kitchens, sports activities funded by the church treasury ? were described as unauthorized organizations (i.e. as understood by the so-called-antis) those were referred to as liberal brethren. TODAY we see changes in the so-called-conservative brotherhood contrasted with the liberal brotherhood about the work of the church, the marriage-divorce-and remarriage issues and other fringe disputes. The church is changing and reexamining their positions on other issues that some members want changed. Perhaps we will see other changes in the churches of Christ as the years pass. I am convinced therefore from a superficial examination of past history that there will continue to be issues raised and changes in the direction of some churches and some disciples. There is one thing though that will not change ? Heb. 13:8 - Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (KJV) Heb. 1:10-12 - 10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: 11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; 12 And as a vesture shall thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. (KJV) John 12:48 - He that rejected me, and receives not my words, hath one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. (KJV) Actually, the few that left the main-line-churches of Christ (i.e. supporters of institutional organizations operating separate and apart from the local eldership?s oversight) were doing what they considered the congregation? s work. You see; those that left were convinced that the Biblical organization (i.e. independence of each congregation to do its own work was absolutely a Biblical principle that could not be violated. These who left the main-line Churches of Christ insisted upon Biblical authority for congregational action. The Bible teaches that each congregation is completely capable of doing all the work that God has assigned it under its own elders and deacons (.Phil 1:1 - Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: (KJV) The Bible clearly teaches this principle and to violate this principle is to apostatize (i.e. leave the Divine Pattern - 2 John 9-11 - 9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. These problems along with the constant movement of secularization in media presentations and radio and TV and published materials (i.e. newspapers, magazine, and printed advertisements) have also dulled the appetite of many people. Today the direction of society seems to be pulling further and further away from the Bible and its teaching regarding morals, ethics, family life, and home and family relationships. This is where we are today. Indeed we are in what seems to be a backsliding state as a body of religious people. God will not bless us as his people if we do not stand for the principals that HE has revealed for us to follow and obey in HIS BOOK. As Joshua stated so long ago when faced with apostasy, cf. Joshua 24:14-16 14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. 15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house , we will serve the LORD. 16 And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods; Indeed, and as Jeremiah the ancient Hebrew prophet of God stated cf. Jer. 10:23 - O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. (KJV) Also: During this period the electronic and printed media have taken our population into areas that were forbidden or restricted. The prevalence of nude and almost nude pictures and activities were made popular by Playboy Magazine, Hustler, and other porn-type magazines that were slowly becoming acceptable to the people generally. Also: During this period the evils of the love of money dictated selfishness, greed, theft and a number of increased crime activities ? Illegal drug use and distribution, increase in sexual stimulation via movies and the printed media. It did not help our moral and ethical dispositions to have been exposed to adultery and fornication by our movie stars, our politicians, and some popular TV preachers. All of this has constantly contributed to a downgrading of the general moral and ethical conduct and individual actions of our population. Indeed, even our young children are beginning to experiment with sexual activities at an earlier age than in the last century. - REFERENCE Adolescent sexuality refers to sexual feelings, behavior and development in _adolescents_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolescence) and is a stage of human sexuality. Sexuality is a vital aspect of teens' lives._[1]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teen_sexuality#cite_note-sex_lives2-0#cite_note-sex_lives2-0) The sexual behavior of adolescents is, in most cases, influenced by their culture's _norms_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norm_(sociology)) and _mores_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mores) , their _sexual orientation_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_orientation) , and the issues of _social control_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_control) such as _age of consent_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_consent) laws. In humans, mature sexual desire usually begins to appear with the onset of _puberty_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puberty) . Sexual expression can take the form of _masturbation_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masturbation) or sex with a partner. Sexual interests among adolescents, like adults, can vary greatly. Sexual activity in general is associated with a number of risks, including _sexually transmitted diseases_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexually_transmitted_disease) (including _HIV_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV) /_AIDS_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIDS) ) and unwanted pregnancy. This is particularly The current attitudes and changes that are taking place among brethren and service organizations is cause for serious concern. As we look at brotherhood publications and colleges traditionally used by faithful brethren we are concerned again about the direction of some. The church is still the only institution that is authorized to evangelize the world, edify itself, and care for its own needy members. The church does not require other organizations to do its work ? each congregation is to do its work independently of all others (i.e. to the extent of its ability ? This eliminates many good works that may be done yet it is God?s assignment of the congregation). Because the congregation?s work is limited to its own resources we find that as individual Christians we have responsibilities to use our own resources to aid and assist relatives, friends, and neighbors ? cf. Rom. 13:10 - Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Gal. 5:13-14 - 13 for, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. Eph. 4:2 - with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; (KJV) It is also true that many church members today are too busy in the business of the world to seriously stop two or three time each week and spend one or two hours in true worship (John 4:24) to Almighty God. Indeed, most congregations today meet on Sundays and meet for midweek Bible study. These services in honor of Jesus Christ and in worship of the one true God are simple and nor stressful to the person who desires to please God but to some these are hindrances to their worldly pursuits and arrangements (cf. Acts 2:42-46). It is such a shame that today?s Christian is not like the Christians of the first Century CE. This faithful few, even when under persecution did not cease to spread the gospel and faithfully serve God (cf. Acts 8:1-4). Today, many congregations have ceased meeting for two services on Sunday; perhaps this is an indication of where the future church is headed. Perhaps this one service on Sunday was brought about as a result of changes insisted upon by the advocates of the Lord?s Supper only for the persons who were able to attend on Sunday morning; not offering the communion for those that were not in the AM services later for worship on Sunday PM. I wonder how long it will be before we have a suggestion by some that we have children? s church, traditional and contemporary worship services, and other practices that the denominations around us have had for some time. I often wonder today where the next 50 years will find the followers of Christ. Will there still be a few that consider the Written Word of God as absolute truth? Or will there be a consistent secularization of the church to such a degree that it will be difficult to find a true believer who still stands (Jude 3) for the truth (John 8:32). Indeed, there does seem to be a growing sense of apathy, selfishness, and unconcern in many of those that currently meet for worship at most churches of Christ. There needs to be some serious soul-searching by most of us that have been in the church awhile. Have we shut our eyes and eras to the moral and ethical lapses in society so long that we are ready to do the same toward the church and its work and activities? Surely we can see that the past 50 years in churches of Christ have not produced the unity for which Jesus prayed in Acts 17 - John 17:11-21 - 11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 And now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I pray not that thou should take them out of the world, but that thou should keep them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18 as thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. 20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one ; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (KJV) This, we know; soon we will depart this earthly region and reside in the paradise of God until the trump of God sounds (Luke 16:19-31). We also know that when the trump of God sounds that all that is in the graves shall come forth (John 5:26-29). These that arise from the dead will all be judged by Jesus Christ (John 12:48) and will be assigned to an eternal state. We know that there are two possible assignments for those that are resurrected from the graves, one is HEAVEN where there will be everlasting happiness and the other is the lake of fire where there will be everlasting misery and separation from God (cf. Matt. 25:31-33 - 31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats : 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. (KJV) Why? You may ask ? BECAUSE THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO! I sincerely encourage every person professing to be a Christian; stand for truth ? live it ? teach it ? study it ? tell it to your children and their peers ? pass it along to your children?s school teacher ? instill it in the friends and neighbors that you have and interact with regularly. 1 Cor. 16:13 ?Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.? KJV (Mailto: _glclair at aol.com_ (mailto:glclair at aol.com) ) **************Dell Inspiron 15 Laptop: Now in 6 vibrant colors! Shop Dell?s full line of laptops. (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1222008777x1201444407/aol?redir=http:%2F%2Fad.doubleclick.net%2Fclk%3B215566094%3B3786435 8%3Bv) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090610/b152c2bf/attachment-0001.html From tedwards at onemain.com Wed Jun 10 16:06:03 2009 From: tedwards at onemain.com (tedwards at onemain.com) Date: Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:06:03 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] B> Gospel Observer 6/07/09 Message-ID: <4A2FD9EB.4274.2385885@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 7, 2009 ____________________________________________________ Contents: 1) Freedom Under God (Robert F. Turner) 2) Is That What You Meant to Say? (Steve Klein) 3) Remedy for Trouble (Bill Moseley) ____________________________________________________ -1- Freedom Under God by Robert F. Turner Freedom ... The word is almost sacred to the American people, and over the world today it stirs great hope and aspirations. Our Declaration of Independence calls it an "inalienable" right and a truth "self evident." What is the source of this freedom, and what does it mean to us? Free agency, the right to choose, is a gift from God. He elevated man above the beasts of the field: making man in his image (Gen. 1:26), sharing with man the power of choice. Man need not be slave to instinct or norm. He may rise above self, pursue ideals, seek truth, and embrace it. But with power there is responsibility. The ability to choose the right exposes us to the danger of choosing the wrong. The same justice that rewards the righteous, must also condemn the wicked. Freedom, then, cannot be free. Even in the moral realm it imposes obligations, and there are none more bound than those who foolishly demand unbridled liberty and become slaves of their own folly. In free government a man can vote as he chooses, but he may not vote correctly. He may, by neglect or party politics, fail the responsibilities of this truth and encourage corruption. In business, free enterprise allows a man to invest as he sees fit. But this is no guarantee of profit. He may invest unwisely, and "lose his shirt" -- the price paid for untrammeled opportunity. A study of freedom in every facet of life will emphasize the obligations of those who enjoy it. Conversely, man's history shows that freedom is lost when its obligations are ignored. Freedom in religion is widely acclaimed, but it is as widely misunderstood. The constitution guarantees religious freedom, but cannot make whatever one chooses to believe acceptable with God. At best, man can only endorse the freedom God originally granted -- a right inherent in the nature of man. Legislative, judicial, and executive authority in divine matters must be left to God. The need to serve God according to his law is not diminished by free will. That need is, in fact, intensified. We are the more accountable before God for the way we exercise our free agency. In the very early times the "priesthood" of all believers (1 Pet. 2:5, 9) was dominated by a rising clergy system. Each one's obligation to "prove all things" (1 Thess. 5:21) gave way to party loyalties and the word of the clergy. Soon the scriptural standard (Acts 17:11) was replaced by the usurped "authority of the church," and history repeated itself. When the obligations of true liberty are slighted, liberty itself is lost. Individual liberty was not wrested from the church. It was lost by default. "Churchanity" dulls individual will and stifles initiative. In religion, as in business and government, the socialized slave is tranquilized by his lot and loses his taste for the rigorous life of true freedom. Dear Reader, how much of your own religion have you proven by God's word? Perhaps you were baptized (?) by sprinkling, but have you ever read New Testament authority for that? You may be a member of some denomination, but does the word of God authorize its name, doctrine, and practice? Do you accept a thing as right or wrong simply because the preacher so declares it? Do such questions irritate you? We hope not! They are asked to help you see how easily one may forfeit individual freedoms in favor of unproven traditions. Truth has nothing to fear from honest investigation, but freedom can be lost without it. Fundamentally, religion is a choice of masters: God or self. Liberty under God is not the same as becoming your own God. Recognition of the Supreme Being should make us aware that man can no longer direct his own steps (Jer. 10:23). Jesus warned, "No man can serve two masters" (Matt. 6:24). Joshua said, "Choose you this day whom ye will serve . . ."; then he added that a decision for God imposed obligations (Josh. 24:15, 19-23). Most pitiful of all are the willfully blind. Thinking they serve God, these allow the winds of the day to make their decisions. They stumble in the darkness of self-service, yet know not they are blind (Rev. 3:17). Freedom is not for the fearful, the crowd pleaser, or the lover of ease in Zion. It must be grasped with resoluteness, and retained with sacrifice -- eyes wide open. Freedom under God involves individual responsibility toward God: to know his will (John 17:17), and be freed from sin (John 8:32-36). Truth severs the shackles of sectarianism and gives assurance that we walk in his light. But we are warned that if we fail to properly exercise our freedom -- in religion, as in government and business -- we shall be bound by sin and finally perish. -- Via Guardian of Truth XL: 2 p. 1 January 18, 1996 ____________________________________________________ -2- Is That What You Meant to Say? by Steve Klein An insurance agent was writing a policy for a cowboy. "Have you ever had any accidents?" the agent asked. "No, not really," replied the cowboy. "A horse threw me off and kicked me in the ribs once, and I got bit a couple of times by a rattlesnake, but that's about it." "Don't you call those accidents?" demanded the agent. "Oh no," said the cowboy, "They did them things on purpose!" It occurs to me that many things that appear to be accidents, or that we pretend are accidents, are actually intended outcomes. Sin is seldom if ever accidental. We may say that we "didn't mean to do it" or "didn't mean to say it," but, most of the time, that isn't really true. And, even if we didn't mean to do it or say it, surely the tempter meant for us to. Righteousness isn't an accident either. Jesus didn't accidentally live a sinless life. It took purpose of heart to resist temptation and do right at every turn. Barnabas encouraged Christians that "with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord" (Acts 11:23). Paul commended Timothy because he had "carefully followed" Paul's "doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance" (2 Timothy 3:10). The life of a Christian is truly a purpose-driven life. It is lived with a sense of purpose, by those who choose to do right on purpose. This applies to every aspect of our lives, including our speech. We will not say the right things accidentally. We must choose to say them. In Psalm 17:3 David wrote, "You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress." David was right before God because he had determined to control his mouth. We must also control our speech if we are to be acceptable to God. The Bible says that "If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless" (James 1:26). We are to be thoughtful and purposeful with everything we say. Proverbs 15:28 states that, "The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil." The righteous man doesn't just say whatever comes into his mind. He "studies how to answer!" The New Testament commands, "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers" (Ephesians 4:29). Yet how often do we just talk without thinking about the effect of our words? In the Book of Job, Job's three friends had a lot to say to him that was pretty useless. Of them and their words Job says, "I have heard many such things; Miserable comforters are you all! Shall words of wind have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?" (Job 16:2-3). One paraphrased translation of this has, "I've had all I can take of your talk. What a bunch of miserable comforters! Is there no end to your windbag speeches? What's your problem that you go on and on like this?" (MSG). Job's friends, though intelligent men, had not chosen to speak words that would have a positive effect. Let us all give thought to the impact of our words. Words are powerful, and they will not be a power for good unless we purpose to make them so. Let's do our best to make sure that what we say is what we mean to say, and that what we mean to say is good. -- Via The Bulletin of the Church of Christ at New Georgia, March 29, 2009 ____________________________________________________ -3- Remedy for Trouble by Bill Moseley God once told his people to "call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you" (Psa. 50:15). Who among God's people have never experienced trouble in one way or another in their life? Job once observed that "man is born unto trouble" (5:7). His days are sometimes sorrowful (Eccl. 2:22 -23). And so believers in God are not exempt from troubles in life -- that is a "give." Perhaps it is bodily trouble: the frailties of the flesh often beset us; sickness is the common lot of all men. Perhaps it is spiritual trouble of some sort; the kind that comes when the faith grows weak. It may be anxiety or worry, and in such times we need to "cast (our) burdens on the Lord" (Psa. 55:22). It may be trouble of a domestic nature that sees families torn apart for one reason or another. Parents often see deceptive children such as Jacob had (Gen. 37:29-36). Maybe those children are just plain vile and wicked, such as Eli had (1 Sam. 2:22-23), or rebellious such as David experienced with Absalom. Perhaps children experience trouble from unloving parents. But there is a remedy! God made it plain when he said to "call upon me ..." Try as we might, we cannot deal with problems in the most effective way apart from God. Oh, you may have some "band aid" remedies that will last a short time. But in the long run, God must be turned to, for he does not deal merely in symptoms, but in causes. Paul told the Philippians to let their requests be made known to God (4:6). Seek the gracious aid of God, for he invites us to come boldly to his throne of grace (Heb. 4:16 ). You do not have any trouble that God cannot help you with! The Psalmist also said that God is always there. Hear him: "God is ... a very present help in trouble" (46:1). Did you get that word -- "present"? He is there. What you must do is to "call upon him." Then notice God's great promise. Once we recognize the trouble we are faced with and become willing to call upon God, he makes the promise: "I will deliver you." His wisdom and ability are sufficient, for he makes the statement an unqualified one -- "I will...." There are no halfway measures with God. Paul, in bringing to a close the great 8th chapter of Romans, posed the question, "if God be for us, who can be against us?" God wants to deliver; he does not want us to perish (2 Pet. 3:9). And ... oh, yes ... God expects something in return. In the latter part of the verse of our text he says, "and you shall glorify me." Don't think that God can help you; your troubles taken care of by going to him and prayer, and then you fail to respond by glorifying him and he will be pleased. Not so! -- Via Putting the Brethren in Remembrance, May 2005 ____________________________________________________ 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 J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Thu Jun 11 03:20:19 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:20:19 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT SALVATION? (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. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT SALVATION? (2) Man's Part In Salvation: -- The Bible Teaches That We Must Hear The Word Of God: -- It is through the Word of God, the Bible, that we can understand the Will of God for man. Paul said "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10: 17). We cannot know what we must do to be saved unless we can read what we must do in the Bible. Therefore, Bible study is necessary to know God's Will for man. Man Must Have Faith In The Word Of God: -- It is not enough to hear God's Word; we must believe that it is God's revealed message to mankind. Jesus said, "He who believes and is bapti- zed will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemn- ed" (Mk. 16:16). The Hebrew writer said, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must belie- ve that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Heb. 11:6). Man Must Repent Of His Sins: -- In Lk. 13:3, Jesus said, "Ex- cept you repent you shall all likewise perish." He again repeated this in verse five. The Bible teaches that God requires "all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30). When we repent, we deter- mine to turn away from the sins that separate us from God and have genuine sorrow for our sins (Isa. 59:1,2). Man Mus Confess Christ: -- Confession of Christ as Savior is a part of the gospel plan of salvation. The Bible teaches, "For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom. 10:10). Man Must Obey God's Will: -- God has always required obed- ience from man. Even Jesus was obedient to the Will of God: "though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the Author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him" (Heb. 5:8,9). Man Must Be Baptized For Remission Of Sins: -- People in most denominations agree with all that has been said up to this point, and then fail when it comes to obeying the requirement of being baptized for remission of sins. The passages that teach this are numerous and there is not room in this printing to pur- sue all of them. However, notice some of the passages where God, through the Holy Spirit, tells how one becomes a Christian. Jesus, before ascending back to heaven, said to His discip- les, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptiz- ing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have comm- anded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen." (Matt. 28:19,20). Peter, in the first gospel sermon, said, "...Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38)". Later on, in the first epistle of Peter, Peter said that baptism saves us. "There is also an antitype which now saves us --- bap- tism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 3:21). When the apostle Paul recounted his conversion, he said that Ananias came to him and said, "And now why are you wait- ing? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16). Paul also said that it is through baptism that we put on Christ. "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Gal. 3:27). Denominational preachers will try to dismiss these Script- ures as unimportant and baptism for remission of sins as unnec- essary. But read for yourself what GOD SAYS! Man Must Endure To The End In Order To Be Saved: -- Jesus knew that many would start on the road to heaven and then fall away. Therefore He said, "But he who endures to the end shall be saved" (Matt. 24:13). This is repeated in Mk. 13:13: "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved". Paul, using the analogy of a race, points out that salvation is for those who "finish the race" and "have kept the faith." Those who do so will receive a "crown of righteousness" (2 Tim. 4:7,8). Man Must Love The Truth In Order To Be Saved: -- Paul talks of those that will perish because "they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved" (2 Thes. 2:10). The church of Christ is a group of Christians meeting in a given location who have joined themselves together to worship God according to the New Testament pattern. The New Testa- ment church had no denominational name of headquarters. It did not have members of any man-made denominational organi- zation, conference, synod, or association. The New Testament church was made up of Christians trying to serve God in the manner prescribed by God's Word. They are not perfect and in- fallible, but know that God is, and that they must strive to serve Him in order to have salvation. They are concerned about hav- ing Scriptural authority for the things they do. The organizaiton of the New Testament church has elders, deacons and saints (Phil. 1:1). The elders have oversight of the congregation and "shepherd the flock" (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:2). The New Testament church did not support any of the man- made, quasi-church institutions that have become so much a part of many churches today. The New Testament church was not involved in sports, parties, church socials, or any other activ- ities for which we cannot find Scriptural authority. We are to follow the Biblical pattern of the work of the church, that being the preaching of the gospel (Acts 13:1-3), edifying of the saints (Eph. 4:12,16), and providing benevolence for needy saints (1 Cor. 16:1,2). The Bible teaches that, as individuals, we are to "do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith" (Gal. 6:10). ------- Frank Richey, via The Elgin Hills Examin- er, Vol. 4, Nos. 4-6, April -- June, 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090611/46a7ace6/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Thu Jun 11 03:20:06 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:20:06 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) JESUS CHRIST IS MY ROCK 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: JESUS CHRIST IS MY ROCK "The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my delieverer, the God of my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation; my stronghold and my refuge; my Savior. You save me from violence, I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies" (2 Sam. 22:2, 3). Ever since Jesus Christ died and rose again, He is the found- ation stone for every child of God, and for everyone who will name Him as their Lord and Savior. How wonderful to be able to say, "Jesus Christ is my Rock!" Jesus is the chief cornerstone, the foundation of the church (1 Cor. 3:11; Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:7b). The rock of salvation is des- cribed as being the head of the church and the Savior of the body (Eph. 5:23). In Him we can all be saved. He accomplished this great work of giving His life on the cross so that we can be a part of Him and in fellowship with His Father in heaven. Throu- gh the resurrection of Jesus we are called out of darkness into His body or church (Col. 1:13,18). Truly, He is the rock upon which His church is founded and built (Matt. 16:16-19). Each child of God who is in His church can confidently say, "Jesus Christ is my Rock!" Jesus is the spiritual rock that led the children of Israel out of Egypt (1 Cor. 10:4); and today He is the spiritual rock who leads His church through His Word. We are built upon His sayings, and the storms of life will not prevail against us (Matt. 7:24). As children of God being led by Jesus, the spiritual rock, we are blessed to be able to lovingly express this personal truth, "Jesus is my Rock!" Jesus is also the rock of offense to all who do not believe (Rom. 9:33). To all those who believe He is the rock of salvation, but to those who doubt and disbelieve He is the "stumbling stone." Jesus brings hope, peace, forgiveness, and reconciliat- ion to a lost world. Yet, when the people of sin refuse to repent and turn to the Savior of the world, they will face wrath, indignat- ion and judgment (Rom. 2:5-11). How sad it is that people have within their grasp a Savior who will give them eternal life, but alas, they can not say, "Jesus Christ is my Rock!" So, allow Jesus to be the Rock of your salvation, the Rock of your foundation and the spiritual Rock from which you drink but not the Rock of stumbling. Then you can say, "The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer; the God of my strength, in Whom I will trust, my Shield and the Horn of my salvation; my Stronghold and my Refuge; my Savior." How marvelous it is that all who are saved can proclaim personally, "Jesus Christ is my Rock!" ------------ Ron Drumm. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090611/e5283837/attachment-0001.html From exhortingyou at gmail.com Thu Jun 11 18:50:29 2009 From: exhortingyou at gmail.com (Exhorting You) Date: Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:50:29 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] Exhorting One Another newsletter, Issue 77 Message-ID: <300d676a0906111650y3f0b4945x58fd3f6f45fd6e0f@mail.gmail.com> Issue 77 of the Exhorting One Another newsletter is now available. This issue features the following: - Taking Things For Granted - Garage Sale Grace And Flea Market Salvation by Brother Alan Turner - As For Me And My House by Brother Bubba Garner In order to access this newsletter, click on http://groups.google.com/group/exhorting-one-another/web/issue-77?hl=en - or if this link does not work, copy & paste it into your browser's address bar. If you would like to receive this newsletter on a regular basis, please email me at exhortingyou at gmail.com. "For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (II Tim 1:7) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090611/887cdb69/attachment.html From elkinsr at bellsouth.net Fri Jun 12 00:04:57 2009 From: elkinsr at bellsouth.net (Roger Elkins) Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:04:57 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] Q: Ephesians 5:4 "Coarse Jesting" Message-ID: I would like to receive any information, definitions, articles, sermons, etc. dealing with the term Coarse Jesting (NKJV) or Jesting (KJV) as found in Ephesians 5:4. Thank you, In Christian Love, Roger Elkins -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090612/2acc1a3a/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Fri Jun 12 00:45:46 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:45:46 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) "DON'T STOP THE PLOW TO KILL A MOUSE" 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: "DON'T STOP THE PLOW TO KILL A MOUSE" This is an adage. I saw a cartoon, showing two heavy turn- ing plows, two big mules hitched to each plow. Both teams were standing idle while one plowman held up a mouse he had killed and the other was looking on with much admiration. This is a good illustration on the subject of first things first. Let the less important things wait for the more important things to be done first. I have seen the time when killing a few score rats seemed of just about top priority. It was necessary to save what the plows had made. The gospel plow has been slowed by the tendency on the part of churches to spend "gospel money" on entertainment and fancy buildings. Spending thousands for fellowship halls, camp grounds, etc., wastes money sorely needed for sowing the seed of the kingdom. But a favorite complaint against us who insist upon close ad- herence to the Scriptures is that we "major in minors." Or, we "make mountains out of molehills." Or, we "stop the plow to kill a mouse." "A man who preached and who sprinkled water for baptism admitted to me that the Bible teaches that baptism is a burial. But he thought we should just preach to save souls and not to take up valuable time arguing about nonessentials. He thought I was stopping the plow to kill a mouse. That is what the brethren who introduced the missionary society and instru- mental music said. They thought brethren who opposed them were wasting time on very insignificant issues. Now that institutions of human origin have been built to take the place of the local church, and churches are engaged in recre- ation and entertainment, many make it a light matter. They do not consider them that important. I hear that some brethren are really opposed to these practices but just do not preach on them. Well, I can see no reason for neglecting preaching on them except that they do not believe they are serious enough to merit their attention and time. In fact, there is a trend now among many, many preachers to neglect "first principles" or opposition to false doctrines. They preach sermons, with very few exceptions, that any denom-inational preacher would endorse. They preach on moral issues they can become very excited when a vote on alcoholic beverag-es is coming up. They can preach fine, inspirational sermons. But denominational people would never see the differences in their errors and the simple New Testament plan. The preacher who gets down to the detailed errors of denominationalism is, to their way of thinking, killing mice. "O, that is such a small insignificant thing. Stop quarreling over non-essentials and join in the fight for the weightier matters of the gospel!" This is the refuge of all religionists who can not produce Scripture for their practices, whether denominationalis-ts or erring brethren. Even if departures from truth seem small, others will inevitably follow. We should be diligent to follow the New Testament in everything. And if we once assume an attit- ude that little errors are not worth bothering with, we are simply preparing ourselves to swallow big errors. --- Gardner S. Hall, 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/20090612/3f1681f2/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Fri Jun 12 00:45:55 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:45:55 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) ALEXANDER CAMPBELL AS A PREACHER (1) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the first installment of this study from my ancient files. Use to the glory of God. ALEXANDER CAMPBELL AS A PREACHER (1) Preaching is not for a lazy man, a sick man, or a tired man. Preaching the gospel is work. The greatest use which can be made of the human tongue is in the proclamation of the gospel of Christ. Effective preaching calls for a continued and intensive effort upon the part of the public proclaimer. The primary source of study, inspiration, and motivation must come from the Bible. The preacher is a messenger of the Will of God, and the Will of God can be found only in the Bible. However, it is interesting to note that many gospel preachers have received help from the study of great preachers from the past. To read for example, about a man who was loyal to the Truth cannot help but have some effect upon the reader. One of the most outstanding preachers of the Restoration Movement was Alexander Campbell. It is a gross mistake to imagine that Campbell was the only person seeking to restore New Testa- ment Christianity, and yet, it is a tragedy not to profit by his ex- periences and ideas. Alexander Campbell made many mistakes which should be recognized and condemned. Yet there are many great points in his life that should be appreciated. This art- icle and the one to follow will consider Alexander Campbell as a preacher. Two points will be developed: (1) Campbell's theory or belief concerning preaching, and (2) how well he practiced his theory. Alexander Campbell lived an intensively active life. He was an outstanding educator, farmer, social reformer, lecturer, writer, debater, and preacher. All of these activities were connected with his desire to restore New Testament Christianity. It was through the spoken word -- preaching and debating, that he achieved hsi greatest influence. He was an outstanding particip- ant in religious debates. In 1820, he held his first religious dis- cussion with John Walker in Mount Pleasant, Ohio. He next de- bated W.L. McCalla in Washington, Kentucky, in 1823. In 1829 his opponent was Robert Owen in Cincinnati. His fourth discu- ssion was again in Cincinnati with John B. Purcell of he Catholic Church in 1837. His last theological contest was in 1843 with N. L. Rice in Lexington, Kentucky. Henry Clay presided at this con- troversy, and a historical marker now stands in front of the Union Terminal in Lexington designating the site of the discuss-ion. All of these debates were with outstanding men, were well attended, and did much to establish Campbell as a speaker. He spoke in almost every part of the United States. A contemporary said, "People would come form far and near to hear him, some of them making a day's journey. Others would follow him from place to place." (Archibald McLean, Alexander Campbell As A Preacher (St. Louis, l908. (12). His chief difficulty was generally to procure a building that would accommodate his crowds. Man- y of his audiences numbered from six to ten thousand. In 1847 he made a trip to England, Ireland, and Scotland, and spoke to crowded houses in all the larger cities. He preached before sev-eral state legislatures, and in 1850 spoke before a joint session of Congress. He was also in constant demand as a lecturer to colleges, literary societies, and associations of various kinds. It is usually difficult to arrive at the philosophy of public spea- king which a given great speaker of the past has held. Campbell was generous to posterity in that, though there is no evidence he had formal training in public speaking, he formulated some rather definite principles. While he was a student in the Universi- ty of Glasgow he wrote in one of his notebooks "qualifications necessary to attain excellence in the composing and pronounc- ing of sermons." In 1836 he wrote to J.R. Howard, the editor of the Christian Reformer, and gave some rules for writing in a relig- ious paper. These two constitute a good index to his theory of public speaking. I should like to give them to you, and then to examine the evidence to see how well he measured up to his standard (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/20090612/a27d3631/attachment-0001.html From mike1616 at juno.com Fri Jun 12 08:14:16 2009 From: mike1616 at juno.com (Mike Thomas) Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:14:16 GMT Subject: [Biblemat] A) Mega Preaching Message-ID: <20090612.081416.27648.0@webmail04.vgs.untd.com> MEGA PREACHING A man was walking in the country one day when he came across a field crowded with people. They were gathered around to hear a man preach the gospel on a novel new invention called the microphone. It was being broadcast over an equally new device called speakers. The people could not believe their ears as the man?s voice was clearly heard by every member of the audience. The passer by, being greatly alarmed by this change of tradition, quickly ran home to get his good-old-fashioned megaphone and came back to the field and started shouting. ?This microphone and speaker invention is not how people taught the gospel in the Bible. You are all violating scripture by listening to the gospel on such devious devices. All of you should be withdrawn from for participating in such heathenism!? This zealous preacher caused some in the crowd to scratch their heads and wonder, ?You know, he has a point. There were no microphones and speakers in the Bible, so maybe we shouldn?t be listening to this!? Just then, a young man raised his hand to address the man on the megaphone. The angry preacher stops his sermon to acknowledge the inquirer. ?Mister preacher, sir?? ?Yes, son, what is it?? ?I hear your points and see that you are having an effect on some in the crowd, so maybe you have the truth on this matter. But I was wondering, did Jesus and His apostles use megaphones in preaching?? ?Why that?s a ridiculous and unintelligible question, you simple-minded child. Your question is what is called a dialectic infraction in the ranks of human logic and professional speaking, and is an inappropriate use of scripture. I have been studying the Bible for years and am well aware of what is scriptural and what is not, and as far as I can tell the church never used microphones and speakers to preach the gospel. To do so is a sin!? ?But sir,? the child responded, ?you?re using a device just like the microphone and speaker. The megaphone was designed to project someone?s voice, which is why you use it. The only difference is the microphone and speaker reach more people than the few who can hear you.? The preacher shot back, ?This is why I?m thankful to be a preacher! What kind of shape would the church be in if we relied on faulty reasoning like yours? The megaphone is not the same as the microphone, and the Bible makes no mention of the microphone, so those who use it are sinning. Case closed!? Thus marks the tale of those who use various mediums to condemn various mediums used by brethren to preach the gospel. ?The only organization God permits to preach the gospel is the church,? writes the apologetic in his email to his online discussion group, ?and any deviation from it is sinful. It is okay for me to work with other brethren in a business for profit, be it religious book publication or some other venture, but it is not okay for other brethren to do so in a lectureship. I have scripture (somewhere) that authorizes me to own and engage in a business that publishes gospel preaching, but you brethren are sinning by using your business to host a lectureship. This is contrary to God?s design for the church!? Alas, let the church do her work and let the individual meet his responsibilities, without either group combining their treasuries or oversight to accomplish their work. If you prefer a megaphone, use it. But don?t condemn others for using a microphone and speaker when God hasn?t specified how the individual is to speak to people in a field. Mike Thomas Beaver Dam, KY ____________________________________________________________ Hit it out of the park with a new bat. Click now! http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2131/fc/BLSrjnsL78tzJQ0GA3JCTjLgzSbitO4mHWhEipQ8ptpcf3jH60oVgFDeYWs/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090612/b1da94b9/attachment-0001.html From thornhill1 at frontiernet.net Fri Jun 12 08:34:30 2009 From: thornhill1 at frontiernet.net (thomas thornhill) Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:34:30 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] The Buckhorn Teacher - 6-14-09 Message-ID: <00016CD0BE9140D887B2A53EAA2C0E34@your4dacd0ea75> 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 June 14, 2009 No.2 REVERENCE FOR GOD, WORSHIP TOWARD GOD, OR BOTH? (Take time to think about the title) Jesus said, "You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve" Matt.4:10. He further stated, "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" Jn.4:24. An inspired writer later wrote, "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear" Heb.12:28. These verses teach the necessity of rendering proper worship and reverence to God. When was the last time you really thought about the manner in which you worship God? Have you considered the difference between worship and reverence? Some may worship God who do not reverence Him. Such are described in Matt.15:7-9 and Col.2:20-23. Reverence is a requisite to true worship, and without it our worship is unacceptable to God. Note that our worship must be "in spirit" (reverence) and "in truth" (service). Let's take time to examine some thoughts concerning worship and reverence toward God. Even though the thoughts in this article will be directed primarily toward the public worship services in our assemblies many of them are also applicable in our private worship to God. Before one can properly worship God, one must come prepared to do so. Attending the services should not be seen as a matter of habit or burden of duty. It should be viewed as an opportunity to get away from the world and into contact with God and our fellow Christians. Proper worship begins by preparing the heart for worship, "for as one thinks in his heart, so is he" Prov.23:7. It is written that Ezra prepared his heart "to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it ." Ezra 7:10. God gave the children of Israel a day of preparation before the Passover Matt.27:62; Jn.19:14. Today, many come to the worship services totally unprepared to worship God. Their heart is not ready. They come in late, leave early, with the mind fixed on other things. Is this showing reverence for God? When Peter came to the house of Cornelius to teach him the Word of God, Cornelius exclaimed, "Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God" Acts 10:33. Is this why you came today? Outward signs are indications of inward feelings. One that gives scant attention during the singing, praying, partaking of the Lord's Supper and the lesson is not prepared to offer proper reverence and worship to God for they reflect the attitude of an unprepared heart. If God were present would you act that way? He is, you know! Matt.18:20. The way some approach the worship of God is described by the prophet Malachi. He indicates what happens when people worship God with a lack of reverence. "But you profane it, in that you say, 'The table of the Lord is contemptible.' You also say, 'The table of the Lord is defiled; and its fruit, its food, is contemptible.' You also say, 'O what a weariness!' And you sneer at it" Mal.1:12-13. The "weariness" with which these people worshipped God is so characteristic of many today. They do not have their heart in it, nor do they demonstrate much faith in what they are doing as they go through the motions. Malachi, speaking for God asked, "If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence .? Yet you say, 'In what way have we despised You?' By saying, 'the table of the Lord is contemptible' " Mal.1:6-7. With this attitude, Malachi cried, "O for someone among you who would shut the doors, so that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you,' says the Lord of Hosts" v.10. A loss of spiritual appetite contributes to the attitude of "weariness" in worshipping God. People who no longer desire to be fed spiritual food will not find much comfort in worship. A desire to be somewhere else also produces "weariness" in worship. Some find it difficult to sit two or three hours in church services, but have no trouble spending twice that amount of time at some sporting event or on the lake fishing, or some similar activity. Some can't even make it one hour on Sunday. Some have this "weariness" because they know they are not doing their best. Like the people in Malachi's day they are not offering the best they have. Dear reader, I hope this is not your attitude. Another thought concerning worship to God is the casual way it is approached by some. Because of a pre-occupation with the casual, informal lifestyle and a desire to be comfortable, some have developed a flippant attitude toward God and His word. I am not advocating mere formality and ritualism, for we have already seen one must first reverence God from the heart before proper worship can be performed. Yet, we should give some consideration to the way we dress and act. I have observed in places that some dress in attire they would not wear to a funeral or a wedding, or some business interview. A tie is not required to serve the Lord, but one should give some thought to appearance when we approach Him. Are the clothes you wear when you come to worship and serve God of little concern? Do we not sometimes reflect the importance of an event by the way we dress? A fellow preacher told me of an occasion where one came to the services wearing a tee-shirt with a large beer can emblazoned on front. Who do we dress to please? Casualness seems to reflect more on an effort to please self than God. We seek to make things convenient, comfortable and unrestrained so that little will be expected of us. We need to know that God is the object of our service, and it is His approval we should be seeking 2.Tim.2:15. God knows our hearts, we cannot deceive Him. After we realize that our worship must be reverential to be proper, we will come with a prepared heart ready to be participants and not spectators. In this way we not only receive, we give of ourselves to others. Some say, "I've quit attending services because I don't get anything out of it." The reason for this is, they haven't given anything to others. If we come only with an attitude of what we can get we will in the end get nothing. When we share our blessings and privileges with others all benefit. Assembling to worship is not just getting some people together, it's a matter of getting hearts, minds, and needs together, so that all are prepared to reverence and worship God. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090612/e5604437/attachment.html From shewemail at earthlink.net Fri Jun 12 18:24:44 2009 From: shewemail at earthlink.net (James) Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:24:44 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [Biblemat] Q: Ephesians 5:4 "Coarse Jesting" Message-ID: <29308256.1244849084503.JavaMail.root@elwamui-huard.atl.sa.earthlink.net> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090612/5a9e4d57/attachment-0001.html From shewemail at earthlink.net Fri Jun 12 19:03:58 2009 From: shewemail at earthlink.net (shewemail at earthlink.net) Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:03:58 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] Human Invented Arbitrary Definitions Message-ID: <4A32ECEE.1070804@earthlink.net> Brethren, There are several places in the NT scriptures both in the book of Acts and in the Epistles where brethren apparently traveled together. On one occasion, nine brethren appear to have traveled on the same ship. (The seven named in Acts 20:4 plus Paul and Luke (if he is the writer) set sail from Philippi in Acts 20:6.) Have you ever wondered whether they each paid for their passage separately or not. To those of us who believe in generic authorization it does not matter what their "business arrangements" were. But to those who arbitrarily decide what does and what does not constitute a "private organization" the travel arrangements of Acts 20 are a "life and death" matter. You see their argument survives or falls over the question of whether or not the "business arrangements" of individuals working together in the vineyard has been SPECIFIED or whether it is GENERIC. But, they can not even decide among themselves what constitutes a "private organization." The reason that they can not is because God has not made this distinction. It is a "Touch Not, Taste Not, Handle Not" which perishes with their using - it certainly has a show of wisdom - but because it is dependent upon demonstrating that individuals never "organized" in order to pay for their travel passage, it is a fallacy which is doomed from the get go. Furthermore. they come very close to making the local congregation into a member unit of the universal body. The New Testament teaches that the individual is a member of the universal body but there is no passage which authorizes speaking of "a church of the church." The local church in the scriptures supports the work of individuals who evangelize and edify. But these inventors of arbitrary distinctions teach that it is the local church which evangelizes and edifies . They do this by forcing an improper definition upon I Timothy 3:15. They teach that anyone who says that the word ekklesia in I Timothy 3:15 refers to the universal body and that the upholding of the truth is the work of those individuals who defend, proclaim and teach the truth is a false teacher and a "neo-institutionalist. But they are the real "institutionalists" for they argue that individual members of the universal body must co-ordinate any work which is done together through the auspices of the ecclesiastical entity of the local church. Thus they turn the local church into a miniature model of Catholicism and all religions which say that "The Institutional Church" stands between the individual and the work of the Universal body. Those of us who believe in generic authority believe that Nine brethren from Derbe, Berea, Thessalonica, Asia and Tarsus can work together as individuals without ecclesiastical sanctioning by a local church nor being overly concerned about whether or not the bookkeeping arrangements offends some brothers arbitrary definition of a word which is not found in the scriptures. Agape, James Shewmaker From shewemail at earthlink.net Fri Jun 12 19:48:31 2009 From: shewemail at earthlink.net (shewemail at earthlink.net) Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:48:31 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] Repost of my Comment on Jesting in Eph. 5:4 Message-ID: <4A32F75F.7030201@earthlink.net> Brethren, Apparently my email service failed to include the text of my response to brother Elkins' request. This is a "copy and Paste" of that post: Brother Elkins and brethren, This is one of those places in the Bible where some brethren fail to go back to the source and instead rely on the human filters of the past which produce a misunderstanding of the truth. It has been a common practice for centuries for those who engage in debate to try to get their audience to laugh at the opponent. The American political system, for example, tries to get the politically less sophisticated to view a politician from the opposite party as a buffoon. One tactic which is employed by those who use this strategy is to "twist" the words of the person who they have targeted and try to make a mockery of their opponent's words. This is the idea behind the Greek Word "eutrapelia." It is from a greek root meaning to turn and a prefix meaning "good." The use of the word good here is similar to the use of the word "bon" in "bon mot." It basically means to respond to something which was said by "turning the words" into a witticism. We should use the demonstration described in I Corinthians 2:4 to confront error and not rely on earthly repartee. Leno and Letterman are not models for emulation for those who fight for the gospel's cause. Agape, James Shewmaker From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Sat Jun 13 03:09:46 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2009 04:09:46 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 When a Christian sees the world around him crumbling and becoming chaotic, what is he supposed to do? If he lives in Zim- babwe, in Vietnam, in China, or in the United States, he may face changes and challenges to his safety, his moral principles, his religious practices, and his faith in God such as he has never be- fore experienced. How is he expected to deal with the challeng- es of bad government, a licentious society, deceit, and untrust- worthiness? Can he rise up against his enemies, fortify himself with arms, and seek to overthrow the powers that be? Hear the Word of the Lord. Christians must put their trust in the Lord, who alone can deliver us (Prov. 3:5-8; Psa. 4; Heb. 2: 13). Christians must be Christians, living as Christians, acting as Christians, talking as Christians, and maintaining attitudes as Christians should. Submission to civil authority in all that is right, service to others with good will, honesty and integrity to- ward all, diligence in labor, prayer and doing good to one's ene- mies, returning good for evil, uncompromising steadfastness in faith, maintaining one's own sanctification, fervent prayer to the true and living God in whom we trust for physical safety and well- being and for eternal salvation -- these things are fundamental to the Christian's reaction to a wicked world (Rom. 12:13). Christ- ian's are not military revolutionaries, but are zealous soldiers of Christ, armed only with truth and righteousness, and holding faith capable of defeating every enemy of truth (Eph. 6:10-20). We must not languish and agonize over things beyond our sphe- re of endeavor, but we must be true and diligent in that which has become our assignment from God, and we must put our trust in Him that all will be well (Heb. 13:5,6). ---- Gilbert Alexander. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090613/81e2fb8f/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Sat Jun 13 03:09:54 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2009 04:09:54 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) ALEXANDER CAMPBELL AS A PREACHER (2) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the second installment of this particular study from my ancient files. Use to the glory of God. ALEXANDER CAMPBELL AS A PREACHER (2) Campbell's Rules For A Preacher And Preaching: -- 1. The preacher must be a man of piety, and one who has the instruct- ion and salvation of mankind sincerely in his heart. 2. A man of modest and simple manners, and in his public per- formances and behavior must conduct himself so as to make people sensible that he has their temporal and eternal welfare more at heart than anything else. 3. He must be well instructed in morality and religion, and in the original tongues in which the Scriptures are written, for without them he can hardly be qualified to explain Scriptures or to teach relgion and morality. 4. He must be such a proficient in his own language as to be able to express every doctrine and precept with the utmost sim- plicity, and without anything in his diction either finical on the one hand or vulger on the other. 5. A sermon should be composed with regularity and unity of de- sign, so that all its parts may have a mutual and natural connect- ion, and it should not consist of many heads, neither should it be very long. 6. A sermon ought to be pronounced with gravity, modesty and meekness, and so as to be distinctly heard by all the audience. Let the preacher, therefore, accustom himself to articulate slowly and deliver the words with a distinct voice, and without artificial attitudes or motions or any other affectation, (Robert Richardson, Memoirs of Alexander Campbell, 2 vols, (Cincinnati, 1897, I, 138). Campbell's Rules For Writing: -- The following are the tenets which he sent to J.R. Howard: -- 1. Introduce nothing into you pages that is not of obvious practi- cal utility. 2. Remember, many readers have minds. Therefore give a reas- onable variety. 3. Avoid the appearance of dogmatism. Be independent, but not disdainful of the views and opinions of others. 4. Be not too fond of analogies, new ideas, fine sayings and smart repartees. 5. Be assured that moral influence depends upon moral good- ness; and therefore our reputation for moral goodness is essent- ial to moral usefulness. We must show a good spirit as well as good arguments. (J. R. Howard, The Christian Reformer, Paris, Tennessee, 1836, April 1, 1836). (More will be posted on this sub- ject Monday, the Lord willing, JWS). -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090613/7e17d184/attachment-0001.html From wswalker310 at juno.com Sat Jun 13 09:33:29 2009 From: wswalker310 at juno.com (Wayne S Walker) Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2009 09:33:29 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] "Ring Out the Message" Message-ID: <20090613.093717.2988.0.wswalker310@juno.com> Wayne Walker here with another weekly hymn study "RING OUT THE MESSAGE" "...Christ hath made us free..." (Gal. 5:1) INTRO.: A song which exhorts us to sound forth the gospel of truth which makes us free is "Ring Out the Message" (#374 in Hymns for Worship Revised, #282 in Sacred Selections for the Church). The text was written by James Rowe (1865-1933). Rowe was a prolific hymn text author whose best-known song is perhaps "Love Lifted Me." The tune (Message True and Glad) for "Ring the Message Out" was composed by Samuel William Beazley (1873-1944). A native of Sparta, VA, Beazley first worked with the Ruebush-Kieffer Music Co. but later started his own music publishing firm in Atlanta, GA. Then, after moving to Chicago, IL he sold his business to Anthony J. Showalter but continued to furnish songs for other companies, most notably the Stamps-Baxter Co. Rowe and Beazley also collaborated on other songs, such as "After the Shadows." "Ring Out the Message" was first published in 1911 and after the copyright was renewed in 1939 it was owned by the Stamps-Baxter Music and Printing Co. Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord's church during the twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, the song appeared in the 1978 Hymns of Praise edited by Reuel Lemmons. Today it may be found in 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 1978/1983 Church Gospel Songs and Hymns edited by V. E. Howard; and the 1992 Praise for the Lord edited by John P. Wiegand; as well as Hymns for Worship, Sacred Selections, and the 2007 Sacred Songs of the Church edited by William D. Jeffcoat. The song emphasizes the importance of all Christians' doing what they can to spread the gospel message of salvation. I. Stanza 1 refers to the message itself "There's a message true and glad For the sinful and the sad: Ring it out, ring it out! It will give them courage new, It will help them to be true: Ring it out, ring it out!" A. There is a message that brings gladness because it is the truth that makes men free: Jn. 8:32 B. It is for all mankind, but it is especially for the sinful and the sad because it is the gospel of salvation: Rom. 1:16 C. It will give people courage new and help them to be true because it furnishes us to every good work: 2 Tim. 3:16-17 II. Stanza 2 refers to the means of spreading the message "Tell the world of saving grace, Make it known in every place: Ring it out, ring it out! Help the needy ones to know Him from whom all blessings flow: Ring it out, ring it out!" A. We tell the world of saving grace by preaching the word everywhere we go: Acts 8:4 B. We strive to make it known in every place by supporting others who will preach it to the whole world: Phil. 3:16, Col. 1:23 C. We help the needy ones to know Him from whom all blessings flow by teaching others also: 2 Tim. 2:2 III. Stanza 3 refers to the purpose of spreading the message "Sin and doubt to sweep away Till shall dawn the better day, Ring it out, ring it out! Till the sinful world be won For Jehovah's mighty Son, Ring it out, ring it out!" A. One purpose of spreading the message is to sweep sin and doubt away by preaching the gospel so that people can believe, be baptized, and be saved: Mk. 16:15-16 B. Another purpose of spreading the message is to call people to be prepared for the dawning of the better day when Christ comes again: 2 Pet. 3:10-14 C. But the ultimate purpose of spreading the message is simply that the sinful world might be won to Christ and become His disciples: Matt. 28:18-20 CONCL.: The chorus, with a bass lead, simply encourages each of us to do what we can to spread the word. "Ring out the word o'er land and sea; Still far from Jesus many live in sin and doubt. Ring out the news that makes men free; To all the lost of every nation, Ring the message out." Christians are simply sinners who have been saved, not only to be right with God themselves and go to heaven, but also to work that others might be saved also. Therefore, in everything we do, one of our major goals in life should be to "Ring Out the Message." 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. ____________________________________________________________ How much is your personal injury case worth? Click now to find a lawyer. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/fc/BLSrjpTOh2TWvTIARUr009QKOaCGJ7d6pIVnWogMS3S9eu5zaPbg4ouVjuY/ From crxtra at gmail.com Sat Jun 13 18:25:13 2009 From: crxtra at gmail.com (Steven C. Harper) Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2009 16:25:13 -0700 Subject: [Biblemat] A> The Disciples' Denial Message-ID: <000001c9ec7e$36c4c770$a44e5650$@com> From: TRUTH & REASON, a bulletin of the Glendale church of Christ, Glendale, AZ. Editor: Steven Harper June 14, 2009 Hearing Test Jesus told the apostles, not long before He was to be taken away to be tried and crucified, that they would all be made to stumble that night because of Him; Peter, in his impetuousness, told Jesus, ?Though they all fall away because of You, I will never fall away.? It was then that Jesus told Peter, in particular, that he would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed (Matt. 26:31-34). Peter then vehemently denied that he would deny Him, as did all the others [talk about irony!], but we also know that Peter did deny Jesus three times ? just as Jesus predicted he would (vv. 69-75). As sincere as he and the other disciples might have been in their belief that they would never do such a thing, the fact remains that they ? the disciples closest to Jesus ? did deny Him. We are certainly far removed from that scene ? in several ways ? but we are most certainly not so far removed that we can begin to think we would never do what they did in denying Jesus. Disciples today can deny Jesus just as surely ? and just as easily ? as did the disciples of that day. Lest we think we would never deny Jesus, let us remember that all the disciples then said as much, yet stumbled just as Jesus said they would. The problem for us, though, may just be that we do not recognize [or maybe want to admit] what constitutes denial. I am confident every true disciple would vehemently deny the possibility of denial ? just as the twelve did ? but since they did, we must admit there is certainly a possibility that we might also be guilty. We need to take an honest look at how we can and do deny Him ?because I am afraid some are already in denial of their denial. Denial By Word. We are all probably very familiar with the statement of Jesus in Matthew 10:32, 33, when He said, ?So everyone who acknowledges Me before men, I also will acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies Me before men, I also will deny before My Father who is in heaven.? From these words, we may see that a denial of Jesus in word is a serious matter, for it will ultimately lead to the denial by Jesus of us before the Father. We know that this is a matter of what we say because Jesus uses the word ?acknowledges? [?confesses? NKJV] ? the original Greek word being homologeo [hom-ol-og-eh?-o] which, by definition, means "to say the same thing as another." Speaking out to acknowledge belief in, and obedience to, Jesus Christ is, therefore, required. This passage has often been used, though, by some who are overly zealous in their effort to create some formal process of salvation, and say this text demands a confession before the congregation immediately before the potential convert is taken away to be baptized. While a confession of belief before baptism is certainly Scriptural (cf. Acts 8:37), the confession of which Jesus speaks is the daily confession of our belief among those in the world. [Paul also writes of the need for confession in 2nd Tim. 2:12.] You see, it is easy to vocally confess belief in, and a willingness to be obedient to, Jesus in a crowd of people who are already believers, but may not be so easy when surrounded by a crowd of what may even be hostile unbelievers. Peter and the rest of the disciples all heartily confessed they would never deny Jesus when it was only them, but when the mob came for Jesus [a hostile crowd, to say the least], that is when they fled. Later, when Peter was amid those who had brought Jesus to trial, he vocally ? and just as vehemently ? denied he even knew Jesus. We may be in similar situations today, though often not so hostile, where we are surrounded by those who do not believe in Jesus as we do, and it may be then that we are tempted to deny belief in Jesus, or at least make it seem like we kinda-sorta-believe-but-I-don't-want-to-force-my-beliefs-on-you-so-I-don't-r eally-believe-that-strongly. It is important that we understand that when we fail to boldly and clearly state our belief, we are leaving a lot of room for an interpretation of our words as a denial. When we point the questioner to someone else [as did the parents of the blind man who was healed, John 9:20-22] or simply say nothing [as did the rulers, John 12:42, 43], we have, in effect, denied our belief in Jesus. But one way of denying Jesus in word that is often ignored is how we deny Him when we teach doctrines that do not originate with Him. The fact is, when we teach that Jesus really didn't mean what He said about divorce and remarriage (Matt. 5:32; 19:9), belief and baptism being necessary for salvation (Mark 16:16), discipline (Matt. 18:15-17), or on any other subject, we are, in effect, denying Jesus by denying His plain teaching. At the very least, we deny Him the sole position of having all authority (Matt. 28:18). Before we speak, then, let us make sure that we are not denying Jesus by our words. Let us also make sure that we are not denying Him by our silence. Denial by Our Actions. But beyond our words, what we do as disciples of Jesus Christ must also be considered as a possible means of confession or denial. Paul wrote to Titus of those who ?profess to know God, but they deny him by their works? (Titus 1:16). He went on to describe them as ?detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.? The actions of these men ? men who professed belief in God ? were actions of denial! That being true, we must take an honest look at ourselves to see if maybe we deny Jesus or God by the things we do [or fail to do]. If, by our actions, we negate our words of confession, then we are, at best, ineffective disciples and comparable to the salt that has lost its savor (Matt. 5:13). When we profess belief in Jesus but follow after the creeds or traditions of men, we deny belief in Jesus. Such was the case of the scribes and Pharisees, who Jesus said had honored God with their lips [vocal confession] but in their hearts were far from Him, for they followed the traditions rather than the word of God (Matt. 15:8, 9). Anytime we elevate the words of mere, uninspired men above those of Jesus Christ, we deny Him, no matter what we say. Disobedience, one of the identifying marks Paul noted to Titus, is a means of denying Jesus. When we plainly disobey ? or simply ignore ? the commands of Jesus, we deny belief in Him. It matters not how "little" or "unimportant" a command we think it is, there is none that we may ignore and be pleasing to God, and not one that we can ignore and not be guilty of denial. Disobedience ? even as we claim belief and obedience [as King Saul did, 1st Sam. 15:13] ? is a denial of the authority of God and Jesus Christ and of our professed belief in Jesus as our Lord. But let us also note that we may deny Jesus by simply being unfit for good works. The word translated as ?unfit? is a Greek word that refers to a metals testing, and it is a failure of that test. When we fail to live up to the tests that we face, when we fail to live up to the godly example we must be, and when we fail to give our lives completely over to the Lord, we deny Him. If we arbitrarily decide that we may give less of ourselves in service, are we not, in effect, denying Jesus? If we confess belief in Jesus as the Son of God and as our Lord, yet do not live and serve Him as such, doesn't our failure to prove that by our lives deny whatever we may say? Yes, it does. No matter how vehemently we may argue, actions speak louder than words. I am sure no disciple would want to be found guilty of denial, but let us make sure that we are not saying ? or doing ? the things that effectively deny the One we claim to serve. ?? Steven Harper -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090613/b94cfd0c/attachment-0001.html From crxtra at gmail.com Sat Jun 13 18:29:50 2009 From: crxtra at gmail.com (Steven C. Harper) Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2009 16:29:50 -0700 Subject: [Biblemat] CORRECTED TITLE for last article posted Message-ID: <000a01c9ec7e$d99784b0$8cc68e10$@com> From: TRUTH & REASON, a bulletin of the Glendale church of Christ, Glendale, AZ. Editor: Steven Harper June 14, 2009 The Disciples? Denial Jesus told the apostles, not long before He was to be taken away to be tried and crucified, that they would all be made to stumble that night because of Him; Peter, in his impetuousness, told Jesus, ?Though they all fall away because of You, I will never fall away.? It was then that Jesus told Peter, in particular, that he would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed (Matt. 26:31-34). Peter then vehemently denied that he would deny Him, as did all the others [talk about irony!], but we also know that Peter did deny Jesus three times ? just as Jesus predicted he would (vv. 69-75). As sincere as he and the other disciples might have been in their belief that they would never do such a thing, the fact remains that they ? the disciples closest to Jesus ? did deny Him. We are certainly far removed from that scene ? in several ways ? but we are most certainly not so far removed that we can begin to think we would never do what they did in denying Jesus. Disciples today can deny Jesus just as surely ? and just as easily ? as did the disciples of that day. Lest we think we would never deny Jesus, let us remember that all the disciples then said as much, yet stumbled just as Jesus said they would. The problem for us, though, may just be that we do not recognize [or maybe want to admit] what constitutes denial. I am confident every true disciple would vehemently deny the possibility of denial ? just as the twelve did ? but since they did, we must admit there is certainly a possibility that we might also be guilty. We need to take an honest look at how we can and do deny Him ?because I am afraid some are already in denial of their denial. Denial By Word. We are all probably very familiar with the statement of Jesus in Matthew 10:32, 33, when He said, ?So everyone who acknowledges Me before men, I also will acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies Me before men, I also will deny before My Father who is in heaven.? From these words, we may see that a denial of Jesus in word is a serious matter, for it will ultimately lead to the denial by Jesus of us before the Father. We know that this is a matter of what we say because Jesus uses the word ?acknowledges? [?confesses? NKJV] ? the original Greek word being homologeo [hom-ol-og-eh?-o] which, by definition, means "to say the same thing as another." Speaking out to acknowledge belief in, and obedience to, Jesus Christ is, therefore, required. This passage has often been used, though, by some who are overly zealous in their effort to create some formal process of salvation, and say this text demands a confession before the congregation immediately before the potential convert is taken away to be baptized. While a confession of belief before baptism is certainly Scriptural (cf. Acts 8:37), the confession of which Jesus speaks is the daily confession of our belief among those in the world. [Paul also writes of the need for confession in 2nd Tim. 2:12.] You see, it is easy to vocally confess belief in, and a willingness to be obedient to, Jesus in a crowd of people who are already believers, but may not be so easy when surrounded by a crowd of what may even be hostile unbelievers. Peter and the rest of the disciples all heartily confessed they would never deny Jesus when it was only them, but when the mob came for Jesus [a hostile crowd, to say the least], that is when they fled. Later, when Peter was amid those who had brought Jesus to trial, he vocally ? and just as vehemently ? denied he even knew Jesus. We may be in similar situations today, though often not so hostile, where we are surrounded by those who do not believe in Jesus as we do, and it may be then that we are tempted to deny belief in Jesus, or at least make it seem like we kinda-sorta-believe-but-I-don't-want-to-force-my-beliefs-on-you-so-I-don't-r eally-believe-that-strongly. It is important that we understand that when we fail to boldly and clearly state our belief, we are leaving a lot of room for an interpretation of our words as a denial. When we point the questioner to someone else [as did the parents of the blind man who was healed, John 9:20-22] or simply say nothing [as did the rulers, John 12:42, 43], we have, in effect, denied our belief in Jesus. But one way of denying Jesus in word that is often ignored is how we deny Him when we teach doctrines that do not originate with Him. The fact is, when we teach that Jesus really didn't mean what He said about divorce and remarriage (Matt. 5:32; 19:9), belief and baptism being necessary for salvation (Mark 16:16), discipline (Matt. 18:15-17), or on any other subject, we are, in effect, denying Jesus by denying His plain teaching. At the very least, we deny Him the sole position of having all authority (Matt. 28:18). Before we speak, then, let us make sure that we are not denying Jesus by our words. Let us also make sure that we are not denying Him by our silence. Denial by Our Actions. But beyond our words, what we do as disciples of Jesus Christ must also be considered as a possible means of confession or denial. Paul wrote to Titus of those who ?profess to know God, but they deny him by their works? (Titus 1:16). He went on to describe them as ?detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.? The actions of these men ? men who professed belief in God ? were actions of denial! That being true, we must take an honest look at ourselves to see if maybe we deny Jesus or God by the things we do [or fail to do]. If, by our actions, we negate our words of confession, then we are, at best, ineffective disciples and comparable to the salt that has lost its savor (Matt. 5:13). When we profess belief in Jesus but follow after the creeds or traditions of men, we deny belief in Jesus. Such was the case of the scribes and Pharisees, who Jesus said had honored God with their lips [vocal confession] but in their hearts were far from Him, for they followed the traditions rather than the word of God (Matt. 15:8, 9). Anytime we elevate the words of mere, uninspired men above those of Jesus Christ, we deny Him, no matter what we say. Disobedience, one of the identifying marks Paul noted to Titus, is a means of denying Jesus. When we plainly disobey ? or simply ignore ? the commands of Jesus, we deny belief in Him. It matters not how "little" or "unimportant" a command we think it is, there is none that we may ignore and be pleasing to God, and not one that we can ignore and not be guilty of denial. Disobedience ? even as we claim belief and obedience [as King Saul did, 1st Sam. 15:13] ? is a denial of the authority of God and Jesus Christ and of our professed belief in Jesus as our Lord. But let us also note that we may deny Jesus by simply being unfit for good works. The word translated as ?unfit? is a Greek word that refers to a metals testing, and it is a failure of that test. When we fail to live up to the tests that we face, when we fail to live up to the godly example we must be, and when we fail to give our lives completely over to the Lord, we deny Him. If we arbitrarily decide that we may give less of ourselves in service, are we not, in effect, denying Jesus? If we confess belief in Jesus as the Son of God and as our Lord, yet do not live and serve Him as such, doesn't our failure to prove that by our lives deny whatever we may say? Yes, it does. No matter how vehemently we may argue, actions speak louder than words. I am sure no disciple would want to be found guilty of denial, but let us make sure that we are not saying ? or doing ? the things that effectively deny the One we claim to serve. ?? Steven Harper -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090613/8fc15b51/attachment-0001.html From tssullivan at charter.net Sat Jun 13 21:56:32 2009 From: tssullivan at charter.net (T. Sean Sullivan) Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2009 21:56:32 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] The Messenger Vol 004 Iss 023 Message-ID: <4E85EFBEB4FD4CFA98594A7E4DCF142D@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 023: June 14, 2009 This Week's Article: Baptism and Salvation "You mean I have to get wet to go to Heaven?" was the only and only question I was offered. As I studied with his wife he stared out the picture window; only this once spinning around in his chair and asking this question. My clear response was "yes". To which he responded with silence and returned to his window view. Baptism is one the most misunderstood subjects. There are a tremendous variety of beliefs associated with baptism and just as many doctrines. Some teach that baptism is pouring and some say sprinkling. Some teach that baptism is for infants, some say adults. Others consider baptism non-essential and disregard its practice. Whenever there are differences and varied opinions we must go to the truth to know the truth. When we run into a topic as important as baptism, and the answers are so varied, we have turn away from man's ideas and seek God's direction. The Bible is clear on the subject of baptism. Unmistakably clear! With a little searching through the words of God, we will come to the truthful conclusion. What Is Baptism? This is the greatest point of confusion on the whole subject. Confusions that should have never have happened. The translators failing to "translate" the Greek term into a true and literal English word has opened the door to many false conclusions. The word baptism in our English language Bibles should be "immersion" and this proper translation would clear up many misgivings; but those false thoughts continue so let's deal with the problem a different way. Is it pouring? Is it sprinkling? Or is it immersion? First, let's look at the word 'baptism' with some comparative sentences to see if we can determine its meaning. The word 'baptism' is a verb (an action word), so fill in the word that best fits this blank, "Last night Zeke was ____________." We cannot take the action of pouring Zeke. We cannot take the action of sprinkling Zeke. The only verb that correctly fits the sentence is immersion. We can immerse Zeke, can't we. From that list of options the word itself must mean immersion. What about the actual word baptism: It is from the Greek "baptisma". That word was a common term meaning to bury. I could say in Greek, "I have baptized (baptisma) my treasure in the field." I am not a Greek scholar but those who study the Greek language agree. Bagster says, "To immerse". Bloomfield says, "to immerse, to sink". Greenfield says, "to immerse, to submerge". Liddell and Scott say, "to immerse, to sink". Robinson says, "to immerse, to sink" Sophecles says, "to immerse, to sink". The Bible example verifies that immersion was the practice intended. Romans 6:4 "Buried with Him through baptism". Acts 8:38 "Both Philip and the Eunuch went down into the water". Why Be Baptized? The "why" is simple. There is no other way to be freed from sin. Peter declared that we are baptized for the remission of our sins (Acts 2:38). Having our sins remitted is a must. We cannot enter Heaven with sins against us (Revelation 21:27). There is no other way to be saved (Mark 16:16), there is no other way to get into Christ (Galatians 3:27; Romans 6:3), and only those in Christ are made acceptable (Ephesians 1: 3-10). One point of clarification before we move on: According to the example of Acts 18:24-26 and Acts 19:3-5, baptism for the remission of sins is the only baptism. Any other purpose is apparently unacceptable and does not qualify for being that "one baptism" (Ephesians 4:5). Where Can One Be Baptized? Is there a special place? The Bible doesn't order a specific place. The right place is any place wherever there is enough water (Acts 8:36 ".see here is water'). The scriptures speak of some being baptized in the wilderness, in a river, etc. The place of baptism is our choice. We are commanded to be baptized in water, but not specific water. You could be baptized in a pool, a lake, a river, a large horse-watering trough. Because we are allowed to do it anywhere; we have a baptistery tank right here in the building. We even heat the water for your comfort. The place where you are baptized, for the remission of sins, is the least significant part. Who Should Be Baptized? This has been, and is, a controversial subject. Many would teach that baptism is for infants. I simply ask, "Where is the Bible authority?" There is none! Many others teach that at a set age (10, 13, 15) when baptism is to be enforced. Again, I ask, "Where is the Bible authority?" There is none! The Bible does, however, clearly tells us "who" should be baptized-those who are capable of belief and do believe (Mark 16:16). The example is also clear in Acts 2:37-41 as Peter finished his sermon and those who believed were "cut to the heart". This demonstrates their true understanding. Then one additional example is found in the record of the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:37). Philip told the Eunuch "If you believe with all your heart, you may." be baptized. All these examples sum up the fact that understanding is essential to being baptized. This excludes the very young or those who are not capable of understanding. This also excludes any thought of a set age since we all develop at different rates. When Should I Be Baptized? Again, there are those who have set an age in their doctrines. We know that the scriptures do not set an age. Nor can a "set-age doctrine" line up with the true requirements. There are some guidelines that may help to determine when you are ready. When you are convicted of your own sins like those in Acts 2:37. When you are convinced that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and your only hope (John 14:6). Then you are ready. In the first century, when the gospel was preached, people were saved through obedience and baptism. The same day they were taught, they believed, and they were baptized (Acts 2:31-41). In another place we are told in the same hour they believed (Acts 16:33). There is no time for hesitation when we are dealing with avoiding eternal condemnation. There is no bad time for helping one make their life right with God. There is a certain and absolute urgency with it. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3; Mark 16:16). Conclusion: Do you have a soul? Are you included in Romans 3:23, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"? These are questions with easy answers."Yes" and "Yes". Here are some questions that are more difficult; and you must answer for yourself. Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Will you confess that belief? Will you repent of you sins? Will you be baptized in water today-for the remission of your sins? Do not let another day go by-the opportunity to make your life right is 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... 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Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 7811 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090613/0595ee72/attachment-0003.gif From richard at thetford.dot5hosting.com Sun Jun 14 17:29:49 2009 From: richard at thetford.dot5hosting.com (Richard Thetford) Date: Sun, 14 Jun 2009 16:29:49 -0600 Subject: [Biblemat] Walking in the Light (6/14/09) Message-ID: <001b01c9ed40$00e75420$02b5fc60$@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) June 14, 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: "Gaining A Deeper Faith" (Richard Thetford) "Being A Good Listener" (Glen Young) "SENTENCE SERMONS --- GAINING A DEEPER FAITH Richard Thetford John wrote: "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" (John 20:30-31). If you desire to have a deeper faith (belief) in Jesus Christ then you must be determined to know about Christ. In order to know of Jesus you must read of Him. The only way that we can gain faith is to hear the Word of God and that comes by reading and studying (Romans 10:17). Those individuals that John addressed in chapter four stated: "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world" (John 4:42) Faith Comes By Hearing Throughout the pages of the New Testament we find example after example of people being converted to Christ as a result of believing in Him. In order for us to be truly converted to Christ we too must first believe and then have that belief strengthened through continuous study of His Word. Faith cannot be produced in the absence of testimony. All agree that one must have faith, or be lost. Man is saved by faith, but Christ is the Savior. It follows, then, since Christ is the Savior and we are saved by faith, that Christ is the author of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). I would like to encourage all of us to open our Bible on a regular basis and read about our blessed Savior, Jesus Christ. The more we read, the more we study, the greater our faith will be in Him, and the more dedicated we will be in the service of His kingdom. May we all strive to gain a deeper faith in our Lord! --- "BEING A GOOD LISTENER" Glen Young Have you ever tried to have a conversation with someone who did not listen to what you were saying? Frustrating isn't it? We have all had conversations where we were asked to repeat ourselves because the other person was not listening. Preachers see it in the eyes of their audiences more times than they want to admit. True conversation can only be experienced if both parties listen to one another. When one participant does not listen to what the other says, the conversation becomes one sided. Any attempt to share information is lost. The non-listener will miss important information necessary for their well being. When that information comes from God, it becomes imperative that we listen. When Jesus was teaching daily in the temple, the chief priests, scribes and principle men of the people wanted to kill Him, "and they could not find what they might do; for the people all hung upon him, listening."(Luke 19:48). This implies that Jesus had the undivided attention of the people. Their minds were upon Him and on what He was saying. They were deadly serious about hearing what was said. They were not going to let anyone or anything come between them and hearing the words of this man who spoke like no other they had ever heard before. Jesus proclaimed John the baptizer to be the greatest man born of woman, thus assigning him a place in God's scheme of things. Jesus then said, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."(Matthew 11:15). After introducing the parable of the seed and the sower, Jesus said, "He that hath ears, let him hear." (Matthew 13:9). John writes of the sea beast and those who worship him in the book of Revelations. Once John has introduced this image, he writes, "If any man hath an ear, let him hear." (Revelation 13:9). There are many other places in Scripture that we could site. These will suffice to illustrate the point of how necessary it is to be a good listener, especially to God's word. At this point, we shall address the problem many have with listening to a sermon. It should go without saying but least some doubt the validity of preaching, consider this, "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10:14). So it is that God has established for men to hear His Word''s via preaching. In my preaching experience, I have seen people nod sleepily, play with babies, talk among each other, look aimlessly around the room and get this glazed look in their eyes which indicates they are deep in thought. Thoughts which I doubt seriously have anything to do with the subject of the sermon. We all realize there will be distractions, babies crying and older children being restless. With such incidentals, I do not have a problem. However, I acknowledge there is a problem when people are consistently poor listeners. Practice being a good listener. Your soul depends on it. --- SENTENCE SERMONS Anger is the wind that blows out the light of reason. Circumstances don't make a man; they serve him. We may not know what a day holds, but we know who holds the day. You are truly poor if you have more dollars than sense. Life's greatest failure is failing to be true to the best you know. There is no free tuition in the school of experience. A God-forsaken man is a man who has forsaken God. --- SERMON THE DAYS OF NOAH (with PowerPoint Charts) 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/20090614/ea2961e4/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text 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/20090614/ea2961e4/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/20090614/ea2961e4/attachment-0003.gif From disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Sun Jun 14 20:54:08 2009 From: disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com (Ethan R. Longhenry) Date: Sun, 14 Jun 2009 21:54:08 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] Good News for Norwalk: Volume IV, Number 24: June 14, 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 24: June 14, 2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gods of This World: Money "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24). As Jesus preaches the Gospel of the Kingdom to His disciples and listening Jews, He shows them that a man cannot have more than one master. He cannot please two masters with different goals at once! While the principle may hold true in many circumstances, Jesus has one strong concern in context: service to "mammon." "Mammon" is the Aramaic word for "riches." Some speculate that the pagans served an idol they called Mammon, but there is no substantive evidence for this. If Mammon is not one of the gods of the pagans, about what does Jesus speak? Paul helps us to understand in Ephesians 5:5 (also Colossians 3:5): For this ye know of a surety, that no fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Paul considers the covetous man to be an "idolater." In so doing, Paul is not attempting to say that people who are covetous actually bow down before the object of their desire. Instead, Paul is saying that the man who is covetous is, in effect, committing the same sin as idolatry! Idolatry is a sin because it represents the exaltation of some aspect of creation into an object of devotion. In the end, it does not matter if one is exalting or "deifying" an actual object like the sun, moon, or some statue, or some desire or idea, like money, sex, or philosophy. If it is something that gets in the way of serving God, it is an idol, and must be removed! This is what Jesus means when He says that man cannot serve both God and mammon-- not that mammon is an idol to which you prostrate yourself, but it does represent the powerful force of money. Even though America does not have an official religion, one could easily say that the unofficial religion of America is the worship of the "Almighty Dollar." Many people are in constant pursuit of it. Lives are entirely consumed with the attempt to obtain more and more money. As recent conditions have proven, people are willing to take all kinds of risks and cross all kinds of moral and/or ethical boundaries if they can make money by doing so. Oftentimes other forms of cost are not considered: as long as the practice or service makes money, that is all that is important. Sadly, many reap what they have sown. They may make a lot of money, but it does not make them happy. Their pursuit may cost them their family, their friends, their identity, and their relationship with God. Other lives may be damaged because of the pursuit of money. Therefore, Jesus and Paul are quite right to condemn covetousness as idolatry, as a god of this world that ultimately cannot satisfy. It is not as if money is inherently sinful; one can be materially wealthy and yet not enslaved to it. In order to do so, one cannot trust in the uncertainty of riches, but instead use that material wealth for God's purposes in order to obtain spiritual wealth (1 Timothy 6:17-19). But it is the love of money that leads to all kinds of pain and difficulty (1 Timothy 6:10). Few are the rich in this world who enter into God's Kingdom-- it is too easy for them to trust in that idol rather than the true God (Luke 18:23-27)! Idolatry takes place when we take something that God has created as good and turn it into the ultimate purpose in life, and so it is with money. Money represents the ability to purchase items for use. We must use money for godly purposes, and not allow ourselves to become servants of our money. We must respect the strong temptation that exists toward covetousness and avoid it strongly. We must learn to be content with the blessings with which God has already blessed us (Ephesians 5:4, 1 Timothy 6:6-8). When we do make money, we must use it to first provide for our own, and then have some left over to give to those in need (1 Timothy 5:8, Ephesians 4:28). Let us use money to serve our Master, and not make money our master! 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. Good News for Norwalk is a publication of the church of Christ in Norwalk, Ohio, for the promotion of God's truth in our world. For more information about the church of Christ in Norwalk, please visit our website at norwalkchurch.org. Thank you for your interest, and have a nice day! 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 bgreen at tycom.net Sun Jun 14 22:33:34 2009 From: bgreen at tycom.net (Bill Green) Date: Sun, 14 Jun 2009 22:33:34 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] Need help with church website? Message-ID: <5DD9D0EF1F2E43BD870C022574AB130D@your4105e587b6> I am thinking of building a website for the Lord's church here in Bruce, Ms. I have NO experience making a website, any help would be gladly appreciated. I am not looking to make anything fancy, but I would like to put sermon audio, our bulletin, and some correspondence courses on it. Again any help would be appreciated, maybe there is a good program to walk you through the process. Thanks for your time and help. Brotherly, Bill Green Bruce church of Christ Bruce, Ms -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090614/ce4713aa/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Mon Jun 15 02:08:45 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 03:08:45 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) POWER OF A FEW 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 arti- cle from my files: POWER OF A FEW God often accomplishes great and powerful tasks through a few not so powrful people. In this way He is glorified and man is humbled. These victories can only be credited to His power and direction. Shamgar (Jdgs. 3:31), for example, had nothing to rely on but his ox goad and the Lord. The goad was a long pole with a point on one end that was used to prod oxen. This, however, did not deter him form the job at hand. With trust in God, he won a tremendous victory, killing 600 Philistines. During the time Noah was building the ark, he was only one man but through him man was able to repopulate the earth. When Joseph was sold into Egypt by his brothers, he was only one but because of him his family survived through which Israel descended. When Gideon and his 300 followers went up against the Midianites, they sent them running. They were only a few but won against an enemy "as numerous as locusts...and as the sand by the seashore in mulititude" (Jdgs. 7:12). We too are just individuals, but we can be a mighty power for good. We may think we don't have much to offer, but God can use us if we will yield ourselves to His Will. Christians must not be discouraged or question our humble position or talents. Remember, great things are done by those who depend on God and His might. (It is said that one man and God become a majority). ---------- Shane Williams in The Lilbourn Light, Vol. 10, No. 1, May, 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090615/242a2af4/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Mon Jun 15 02:08:56 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 03:08:56 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) ALEXANDER CAMPBELL AS A PREACHER (3) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the third and final in- stallment of this particular subject. Use to the glory of God. ALEXANDER CAMPBELL AS A PREACHER (3) In Addition To The Aforementioned Principles, it is well to recog- nize that Alexander Campbell did not believe in textual preach- ing. In an article headed, "Texts And Textuary Divines", he fully explained what he meant by the term "text." I would rather derive the term directly from the Greek verb tix- to, beget or bring forth, from whcih texos or textus might be ingeniously formed, and this might be translated an egg., or something pregnant with life, whcih by the laws of sermonizing becomes a full grown sermon. (Christian Baptist, pg. 145). Particularly in the Christian Baptist, Campbell made war against what he called "the textuaries." Often times he would rid- icule the using of texts in the following manner: ...a certain textuary did take for his text the words of a wicked man, found in Matt. 25: the false accusation of the wicked servant who told his lord..."You are an austere man." This was the text. The preacher could not spell well, and he made it "You are an oyster man." But the misfortune was, "he raised his whole doctrine" on the word oyster. In his exordium, for he too was an orator, he told his audience that his object was to show how fitly the Savior was compared to an oyster man, or oyster- catcher. Accordingly his method was -- First, To show the coinci- dence or resemblance between his Savior and an oyster-man. Second, To point out how suitably oysters represented sinners. Third, To demonstrate how beautifully the tongs which the oyst- er-man uses to take up oysters, represented "ministers of the gospel." Fourth, To prove that the oyster-man's boat was a fit emblem of the gospel and of a "gospel church," into which the oysters or sinners are put when caught or converted. His fifth head I have forgotten; but perhaps it was to show how the cook- ing and eating of oysters represented the management and discip-line of those sinners vaught by those ministers of the gospel. He concluded with a few practical hints according to custom (Christ- ian Baptist, pg. 203). Numerous other examples of the same type of ridicule are found in Campbell's writing; he was continually objecting to those whom he designated as "scrap doctors." Campbell had a serious reason behind such criticism, for he believed that textual preaching limited the speaker too much. He thought there was too great a tendency to discuss the sub- ject from the point of view of the speaker rather than from that of the Bible. Campbell thought that subjects should be discussed, instead of texts. It was his practice to speak on topics such as "The Suffering of Christ," "The Law," "Jesus Christ is the Son of God," and "Salvation." As a rule, he did not read a text, but an entire chapter or a portion of it, for the basis of his lesson. This type of preaching undoubtedly had an influence upon his debating, for there is every reason to believe that the subjects on which he engaged in controversy had been his sermon sub- jects on numerous occasions. Thus, we have considered Alexander Campbell's theory of preaching. It was not worked out over night, nor a static group of principles as perhaps is suggested by setting down rules. Campbell was a master preacher and one of the reasons is the excellent ideas that he had upon preaching. In the next article we will consider how Campbell carried them out. ---- Carroll Elis in The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 11, September, 1952. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090615/519eac8d/attachment-0001.html From Pappy01 at suddenlink.net Mon Jun 15 11:37:07 2009 From: Pappy01 at suddenlink.net (Terry Sanders) Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:37:07 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] S>Show Me Message-ID: <001101c9edd7$861d52b0$4463c24a@mccru59fc7f4na> Pasted below is a recent sermon outline. Updated website today. URL at end of this email. ++++++++++ Show Me 2 Timothy 2:15 Introduction: The State of Missouri is called "The Show Me State." Former President Harry Truman used to make capital of his Missouri roots. There is the accompanying expression, "I'm from Missouri, show me." "Show Me" would be a good motto for every Christian. Jesus asked the Jews, "Show Me the tax money" (Matt. 22:19; Lk. 20:24) to illustrate a lesson. James challenged his readers to "Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works" (James 2:18). What are some areas in which Christians ought to use the expression "Show Me?" I. Show Me The Scripture. A. This was the attitude of the Bereans (Acts 17:11). 1. It was encouraged by Jesus (Jn. 5:39). 2. Implied by Paul (2 Tim. 2:15). B. Even false teachers show their error (Matt. 7:15-16; 1 Jn. 4:1). C. Signs (miracles) show us that Jesus is the Son of God. II. Show Me Faith And Works. A. This combination is necessary. They work in conjunction in revealing each other (James 2:14-26, esp. v. 18). B. We show the depth of our faith by doing God's will (James 2:22). III. Show Me Obedience. A. "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you" (Jn. 15:14). 1. Knowing to do good is not enough (James 4:17). 2. Believing what is right is not enough (Heb. 11:6). 3. We must keep His commandments in addition to these. B. We show we love Jesus when we keep His commandments (Jn. 14:15, 21, 23). 1. Believe (Jn. 8:24). 2. Repent (Lk. 13:3, 5). 3. Confess (Matt. 10:32). 4. Be baptized (Mk. 16:16). IV. Show Me Love. A. For each other (Jn. 13:34-35). 1. Should not bite and devour each other (Gal. 5:15). 2. Should show bonds of fellowship (Col. 2:2). B. "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 children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth" (1 Jn 3:17-18). V. Show Me You're A Christian. A. By bringing forth fruit (Col. 1:3-6). B. By "always abounding in the work of the Lord" (1 Cor. 15:58). C. By "making your calling and election sure" (2 Peter 1:10). D. By "set(ting) your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (Col. 3:2). Conclusion: Let us practice the idea of "Show Me" and be what God would have us to be. Terry Sanders 108 Dandridge St. Tuckerman, AR 72473 Home page: http://duezzy2.brinkster.net/home.html Church page: http://tuckermancofc.com Blog: http://thecondorsnest.blogspot.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090615/556e467d/attachment-0001.html From ZekeFlores1 at cs.com Mon Jun 15 11:59:14 2009 From: ZekeFlores1 at cs.com (ZekeFlores1 at cs.com) Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:59:14 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S> Remember Lot's Wife Message-ID: Here's a lesson I hope you can use. Zeke Flores Kiber Street church of Christ Angleton, TX www.angletonchristians.com **************************************************************************** Remember Lot's Wife! Gen. 19:12-26, Luke 17:28-32 Zeke Flores Intro. Most are familiar with story of Sodom & Gomorrah A. Gen. 18 - The LORD appeared to Abram & told him that Sodom was filled with sin. 1. Abram knew He intended to destroy the city. 2. Abe pleaded with God not to destroy the good with bad. a. Began with 50, then 45, 40, 30, 20, 10. b. Came down to only 4! B. Tho the angels were explicit in their instructions, Lot's wife perished. 1. Became pillar of salt. 2. Sad ending for someone who was "almost saved"! C. Jesus reminds us that we can learn from her example. 1. Luke 17:28-32 2. Whether Jesus is talking about the destruction of Jerusalem or His return, words are timely today D. Many things we can learn, will take a look at a few. I. Tho she was wife of righteous man, she still perished. A. Lot was torn up by the sinfulness in which he lived. 1. 2 Ptr 2:7-8 2. "Vex, Tormented" - Gr. "basanizo" a. To test (metals) by the touchstone ... by rubbing it with either metal b. to question by applying torture 3. Lot was appalled by the things going on around him. B. Not enough for Mrs. Lot. She couldn't be saved by someone else's life. 1. Bible is clear that we are each responsible for our own sins. We are accountable. 2. Several times in Ezek 18: "The soul who sins shall die!" C. John the baptist reiterated personal responsibility. 1. Matt. 3:5-9 2. Pharisees & Sadducees were seen as spiritual "giants" D. Today some still think that because someone in the family is "good," they are also by extension. 1. Usually when I tell someone I am Christian, they invariably tell me of wife, brother, or grandma who is religious. 2. They look at me expectantly! What to say? II. She perished tho she was warned. A. Angels explicitly spelled out the warning 1. "Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stay in the valley; escape to the mountains, lest you be swept away." Gen. 19:17 2. Not only was she warned about the consequences, she was told what to do to be saved from them! B. Hundreds of years prior, Noah also was warned of impending judgement. 1. Heb. 11:7 2. Noah called a "preacher of righteousness" (2 Pe 2:5) a. No doubt he told others of what was to come. b. Yet only Noah & 7 others saved. C. Bible abounds with warnings for us today. 1. 1 Cor. 10:1-10 describes God's judgments on disobedient a. 1 Cor. 10:11 b. God does not will that any perish - That's why He warns us! 2. He warns the wicked... a. Acts 17:30-31; 2 Thess 1:6-9 3. He warns the saved... a. Jesus' messages to 7 churches Rev. 2-3 Ephesus: "Left your 1st love...repent or I will remove your lampstand" Smyrna: "Devil about to cast some into prison. Be faithful until death..." Pergamum: I have a few things against you...repent" Thyatira: I have this against you, you tolerate the woman Jezebel..." Sardis: "Wake up ..repent" Philadelphia: "I am coming quickly, hold fast what you have." Laodicea: "Because you are lukewarm I will spit you out of my mouth!" "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." IE; Be Warned! III. Though she did try to save herself, she didn't finish. A. She started the journey but didn't continue. She looked back. Gen 19:26 1. The word implies "to regard with care" 2. Obviously some things in Sodom she would miss! B. Many today start well but don't go far. Many reasons for this. 1. We think too much of our "stuff." a. Gen 45:20; Luke 12:15 2. Truth is, there is something lurking around the corner for everyone just waiting for the chance to make you stumble. a. Matt. 13:19-22 b. These types are scattered in churches everywhere. Some of the lowest lows a local church experiences are seeing the newly converted revert back to sin. c. How often do we still let things in the past cloud our vision? C. The would-be disciples in Luke 9:57-62 had the same eye trouble. 1. Note Jesus' response a. Luke 9:62 2. Reminds us that the glorious future lies ahead, NOT behind! 3. Paul reminds us to keep pressing ahead. a. Phil. 3:13-14 b. Paul had a great past as a Jewish rising star. c. Not near as great as what Jesus had planned for him! Conc. We've got to set the goal, then keep our eyes fixed on it, and follow through to the end! A. We can't expect to be saved by our spouse, parent, etc. 1. WE have to buck up to our responsibility! B. We must recognize the danger of ignoring warnings. 1. Warnings not meant to condemn, meant to save! C. We can't look back, look ahead! 1. ".. let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Heb 12:1-2 D. INV -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090615/cbb07eaf/attachment.html From kerux at bellsouth.net Mon Jun 15 15:41:07 2009 From: kerux at bellsouth.net (Kent Heaton) Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:41:07 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] A>You Are Beloved (Kent Heaton) Message-ID: You Are Beloved (Kent Heaton) To be a child of God is to enjoy the immeasurable blessings of a heavenly Father who grants gifts of mercy and grace to His children daily. Because of the sacrifice of the "only begotten Son," (John 3:16) Christians embrace the warm relationship of salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul declares the wondrous majesty of God's people when he calls them the "elect of God, holy and beloved" (Colossians 3:12). The Lord looks upon His people as said of Israel in Zechariah 2:8 - "For thus says the LORD of hosts: "He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye." The elect of God are His own special people. "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy" (1 Peter 2:9-10). Christians are the chosen people of God and the priesthood established under Christ. As a nation of holy people we are to be that special gathering of mankind that enjoys the eternal blessings of the heavenly Father. Transformed from the power of darkness we are translated to the kingdom of light to show forth the praises of Him who called us out of darkness (Colossians 1:12-13). The feelings of the Father toward His children are described as "beloved." The Greek word "beloved" is the word 'agapao' or "love." This word is used as a nobler form of love beyond the simple affectionate love 'phileo.' To be the "beloved" shows a deeper and constant love of the Father to His children. Ezekiel expressed in the description of God toward His people the loving care of God - "When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine, says the Lord GOD." How can man compare the blessing of being the "beloved" of God with anything in this world? Not even the binding relationship of loving parents can instill the depth of love and the measure of peace given to the "beloved" by the Father. There is no measure. There is no confidence in the flesh. There is no thought that can transcend the essence of being under the wing of God and to know that a covenant exists where God says, "you are Mine." With this kind of love we can dismiss the cares of the world and live with the peace of God every day. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7). The elect of God enjoy the blessing of being the beloved of God. Our lives should reflect daily the respect for His name, the honor of His covenant, the privilege of being called the children of God. "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!" (1 John 3:1). "How precious is Your loving-kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light" (Psalms 36:7-9). 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 REGISTRATION NOW OPEN July 26 - August 1, 2009 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090615/efb0fa7d/attachment-0001.html From disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Mon Jun 15 14:29:56 2009 From: disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com (Ethan R. Longhenry) Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:29:56 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] S:> 1 Peter 1:8-12: Faith and Salvation Message-ID: 1 Peter 1:8-12: Faith and Salvation I. Base Text: 1 Peter 1:8-12 II. Understanding the Text A. 1 Peter 1:1-7 1. Peter writing to "elect exiles"-- Christians 2. Blessings of God through Jesus Christ 3. Born again to living hope through resurrection of Jesus 4. Inheritance imperishable, undefiled, unfading 5. Believers rejoice in this despite trial 6. Tested faith results in praise, honor, glory at revelation of Jesus Christ B. Love, Belief, Joy (1 Peter 1:8) 1. Peter indicates how the believers love Jesus, believe in Him, are filled with joy on account of Him 2. Yet they have not seen Him! 3. John 20:29 4. Furthermore, the joy they feel is "inexpressible," "filled with glory" 5. Further evidence of Peter's greatly encouraging message, fervent joy of believers C. Outcome of Faith (1 Peter 1:9) 1. Through this love, belief, joy, testing of faith, we have the outcome 2. The salvation of souls! 3. Faith a critical component of salvation (Hebrews 11:1, 6) 4. But it is not just any faith-- it is the faith that is tested by trial, full of the love and joy of Christ (1 Peter 1:6-8) D. The Prophets and Our Salvation (1 Peter 1:10-12) 1. Peter then moves on to speak "concerning this salvation" 2. Prophets who prophesied: prophets like Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, etc. 3. They prophesied about the "grace to be yours" 4. Inquired, searched carefully 5. The "Spirit of Christ" in them a. the Spirit belonging to Christ, Spirit regarding Christ, or Christ's spirit? b. Based on 2 Peter 1:19-21, Romans 8:9, likely the Holy Spirit c. Holy Spirit as belonging to Christ as much as the Father! 6. What person/time Spirit was indicating when Christ would suffer, obtain glory a. Passages like Isaiah 2/9/11/53, Daniel 2 under discussion b. Grand culmination of God's plan (Ephesians 3:10-11) 7. Revealed to them that they were serving Christians through message of prophecy now fulfilled in the Gospel a. How actively did they know that they were serving us? b. They knew that the great "day of the LORD" and the reign of the Messiah were in the future c. Thus, the message they predicted of more value to people after them than for themselves d. Message "announced" through those preaching the "good news" by the Holy Spirit e. Such indicates divine origin of the message (cf. Galatians 1) 8. Angels seek to look into message of Gospel a. Seems to indicate that God kept truth of Gospel hidden even from the heavenly host b. Written to show to us the great value of its message! III. Application A. Belief, Love, and Joy Without Seeing 1. One of the great challenges of believers today is that they are called upon to believe in Jesus despite not seeing Him 2. We feel deprived-- after all, people fortunate enough to live in the first century could see Jesus or His Apostles! 3. Yet, despite the challenge, we are called upon to have faith in that which cannot be seen, and if we have that faith, we are blessed (John 20:29) 4. Even in the first century, believers who had not seen Jesus loved Him regardless, believed in Him, and rejoiced in Him! 5. It may be almost 2,000 years later, but the message remains the same and is still preached, and we can still love Jesus, believe in Him, and take great joy in salvation without needing to see! 6. It is all there for us to consider in the Bible! B. Great and Inexpressible Joy 1. Peter again takes up the idea of joy (cf. 1 Peter 1:6) 2. Again, he indicates that such is the present reality of the believers: they are rejoicing with a joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory 3. The source of that joy? Jesus Christ the Lord, salvation through Him, forgiveness of sin, the peace of Christ, and the hope of future redemption (1 Peter 1:1-7, Philippians 4:4, etc.) 4. Such things are not limited to the first century-- we can enjoy all of these things as much as they did! 5. Do we, therefore, rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory? 6. If not, why not? What can we do to manifest this joy? C. Value of Gospel 1. Peter goes through in great detail the wonderful value of Gospel 2. It is the grace that is shown to us, a message that the prophets diligently considered, seeing that they were providing blessings for us, things concerning which angels want to learn! 3. Peter is attempting to help us understand the great value of the message of salvation! 4. Jesus does the same with His disciples (Matthew 13:16-17) 5. Also akin to the Hebrew author's message in Hebrews 11:39-40 6. The Gospel is the greatest message of good news that man can hear! 7. Do we stand amazed at the Gospel and its power, or do we treat it casually? 8. If we really understand the power and value of the Gospel, what will we do with it (Matthew 28:18-20, Romans 1:16)? IV. Conclusion A. Peter continues his greatly encouraging message B. The great value of salvation 1. Love, belief, joy in the unseen Jesus 2. Salvation of souls through faith 3. The Gospel, God's great message, heralded by prophets, preached by Apostles, things angels want to understand! C. Let us be saved or cherish our salvation, and serve God through faith! 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 Jun 16 01:37:09 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2009 02:37:09 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) THE WORKS OF THE FLESH (1) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the first installment of this particular study on this subject. Use to the glory of God. THE WORKS OF THE FLESH (1) We live in perilous times. Morals have degenerated to an abysmally low level. One could be tempted to say that the situat- ion has reached its nadir. Reminiscent of the days of old, men are today calling evil good and good evil (Isa. 5:20). But sadder still, as far as the pattern of life for some is concerned, the distinguishing marks between the children of God and those "fathered" by the devil have been reduced to zero. But Paul says those who practice the works of the flesh "shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal. 5:19-21). This is another way of say- ing they will be lost and will be lost eternally. What Is The Flesh? -- In the Scriptures, the flesh (sarx) is used in various senses. It is taken for living men and even animals in general (Gen. 6:13; 7:15,16). It may also be used to refer to a re- lation or one of the same kindred (Gen. 37:27). In 1 Cor. 15:50, "the flesh and the blood" that cannot inherit the kingdom of God has reference to the quality of corruption to which our bodies are subject in this life. When Paul speaks of living in the flesh or abiding in the flesh in Phil. 1:22,24, it is obvious from the context that he has in mind the estate of this present life. Moreover, that Ishmael was "born after the flesh" is an allusion to the fact that he was born according to the course of nature. However in Rom. 7:18; 8:1,4-7, the flesh means not just the physical body, but that capability of wrong which may include both body and mind. We should take cognisance of the fact that the works of the flesh in Gal. 5:19-21 include both sins in which the human body is active (e.g. fornication and drunkenness) and also those that involve attitude of heart (e.g. hatred, emulation, envy). Contrary to the thinking of some, man does not inherit deep- dyed perversity from Adam. When he was created, God's pron- ouncement on him was "good" (Gen. 1:31). Nevertheless, he be- came a sinner essentially because of transgression of God's Will (1 Jno. 3:4). He was not forced to transgress God's Will, but he fell because he was "drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then when lust has conceived, it bringeth forth death" (Jas. 1:14,15). By nature, man is neither carnal nor spiritual. But he choos- es to be either. He has the capacity of choosing which way he wants to go. This leads to the inescapable conclusion that the flesh which "lusteth against the Spirit" (Gal. 5:17) and of which "they that are in the flesh cannot please God" (Rom. 8:8) repre- sents the perverse desires that hijack our hearts from God. These perverse desires are "your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate ambition; evil concup- iscence and covetousness, which is idolatry" (Col. 3:5). These desires must be mortified. Viewed from this perspective, the flesh must be crucified with the affections and lusts thereof (Gal. 5:24). Is crucifying the flesh an easy task? No. Indeed, it is a pain- ful exercise. In order for us to subordinate our own will to that of God, there must be a kind of suffering and self-denial. There is a cross to bear daily (Lk. 9:23). The body must be kept uder and brought into subjection (1 Cor. 9:27). Every thought must be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). We must endure hardships (2 Tim. 2:3). As a matter of fact, we cannot cease from sin unless we are willing to suffer in the flesh (1 Pet. 4:1). But the pain will be assuaged by the enjoyment of eternity with God. (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/20090616/fb262d60/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Tue Jun 16 01:36:46 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2009 02:36:46 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) OUR OWN YARD 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: OUR OWN YARD What would you think of a business establishment if you passed by everyday and saw the same thing: grass needing to be mowed, weeds taking over, the color is not a uniform green, and maybe there were dead spots scattered about? You might not think too much about it or maybe you would. However, IF the place of business was home to a lawn care company, you would probably take notice. The irony would be too great. You probably would not accept an excuse that they were too busy or didn't have time to showcase their talents on their own place. (Speaking of this type of circumstance, I passed by a house a few weeks ago. The grass and weeds must have been a foot tall. Right in the middle of the front yard was a sign, "This Lawn Is Cared For By Buddy's Lawn Service". I thought to myself, what a joke. What a slam upon the company whose sign was right in the middle of the unkept lawn. JWS). Throughout history, the people of God have been in a similar position. They have always been on display, representing the true and living God. Unfortunately, as the apostle Paul pointed out, many professing Christians have been a poor example for the Lord. The Jewish Christians thought themselves better than the Gentiles, even though they were guilty of the same sins. "There- fore you are without excuse, every man of you who passes judg- ment, for in that you judge another, you condemn yourself, for you who judge another, practice the same things" (Rom. 2:1). "And do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment upon those who practice such things, and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?" (vs. 3). "For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you" (vs. 24). Today, as we call ourselves Christians, we have a name to live up to. People naturally watch us, just as we do others. They want to see if what we claim to have is really working -- right in our own yard. Are we consistent? Or do we blaspheme the Holy Name of God because of our claims vs. our actions? ------- Shane Williams, in The Lilbourn Light, Vol. 10, No. 1, May, 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090616/565965b3/attachment.html From mike1616 at juno.com Tue Jun 16 15:43:59 2009 From: mike1616 at juno.com (Mike Thomas) Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:43:59 GMT Subject: [Biblemat] A) Christians in Bikinis Message-ID: <20090616.154359.28347.1@webmail05.vgs.untd.com> Here is this week's newspaper article. Perhaps you can use it. --mtChristians in Bikinis A man got out of bed one morning and went outside to get the paper. The neighbors who saw him could not believe their eyes. The man had nothing on but his underwear! In his haste, he had apparently forgotten to put on his robe before leaving the house. So there he was, sporting nothing but a pair of Hanes and house slippers, and a red face to match.This fictitious story is a sad reality this time of year. There are many people walking around in their underwear in public at swimming pools and beaches. The only difference is the name of the clothing has been changed from underwear to swimwear. And instead of frowning at the thought of being seen half-naked, people given to immodesty find it liberating to wear such attire. There are even Christians who think it is okay to wear bikinis in public. Is it even possible for those professing godliness (1 Timothy 2:10)? When Adam and Eve discovered their nakedness and tried to hide it with fig leaves, they were still considered inappropriate to God, who made more clothes for them to wear (Genesis 3:21). This illustrates well the fact that man?s standard of modesty often differs from God?s. He expects us to avoid things that promote the exposure of the flesh, whether it is in wearing things too skimpy or too tight. A Christian is not to be given to lewdness and lascivious behavior (Romans 13:13). This can definitely be accomplished through the way we dress?and undress in public. A prostitute dresses in a special way when advertising her body (Proverbs 7:10). This same motive is seen by many in water parks and beaches. They may not be advertising their bodies for money, but they advertise their bodies for sexual attention nonetheless. This is lewdness. Shame on them. And shame on those who can take their family to such places and act like it won?t have an effect on them. People in underwear are always going to get attention! Mike Thomas Beaver Dam, Kentucky ____________________________________________________________ Click here for great quotes from top international movers! http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2131/fc/BLSrjnsKdC6mjN8oFExcttN8bsU9MTmrhqvPnVBA9RaPLsN2SGaimjd9YKs/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090616/542a1a81/attachment.html From exhortingyou at gmail.com Tue Jun 16 20:52:58 2009 From: exhortingyou at gmail.com (Exhorting You) Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:52:58 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] Exhorting One Another newsletter, Issue 78 Message-ID: <300d676a0906161852v75dd631eq1224cc3764b7bdd5@mail.gmail.com> Issue 78 of the Exhorting One Another newsletter is now available. This issue features the following: - The Purpose of Trials - How Do You Treat Your Spiritual Family by Brother Brian Yeager - A Richly Blessed Family by Brother Bill Hall In order to access this newsletter, click on http://groups.google.com/group/exhorting-one-another/web/issue-78?hl=en - 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. "Praise ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation." (Psalm 111:1) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090616/5e0287c4/attachment.html From disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Wed Jun 17 20:03:16 2009 From: disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com (Ethan R. Longhenry) Date: Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:03:16 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] S:> How Can a Loving God Send Anyone to Hell? Message-ID: How Can a Loving God Send Anyone to Hell? I. Introduction A. A difficult and challenging subject for believer and unbeliever alike B. How can a loving God send anyone to hell? C. For many, a reason given to doubt God 1. Many have a particular view of the way God must be 2. The idea of hell and eternal punishment does not fit that view 3. Leads to great doubt D. Even for many who believe, a stumbling block 1. How can God show love and yet condemn some to hell? 2. Very challenging ideas indeed E. The question is serious and deserves serious consideration F. Therefore, how is it that a loving God can send anyone to hell? II. Understanding "Hell" and "Loving" A. As we begin, we must work to understand the matter of discussion B. Hell 1. Hell is described in different ways in Scripture 2. Gehenna: the Valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem, place where garbage was burned; place where worm does not die, fire unquenched: demonstrates hell as unpleasant location (cf. Matthew 5:22, 29, 10:28, Mark 9:43-49, etc.) 3. The Outer Darkness: demonstration of complete separation from God; place of "weeping and gnashing of teeth," indicating great torture, misery (cf. Matthew 8:12, 22:13, etc.) 4. Hell as inflicting of vengeance upon unbelievers, those disobedient to Gospel, suffering eternal destruction away from God and His power (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9) 5. Hell also seen as the "second death," a "lake of fire and sulfur," a place of perpetual torment (cf. Revelation 20:10, 14-15) 6. It is also clear who will be sent there: those who do not believe in God, do not obey Gospel of Jesus Christ; those who have done evil; those involved in sin without repentance (Romans 2:5-10, Galatians 5:19-21, 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9, Revelation 20:12-15) 7. Hell, therefore, is a very real part of the Scriptures, something concerning which Jesus speaks often, and a place no one should want to go 8. But how could a loving God send anyone there? C. Loving 1. Before we consider the question any further, we must consider what "loving" means 2. Many times, "loving" is considered as something completely "positive" 3. Yet Scripture indicates what love is in 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 4. Love cannot rejoice with unrighteousness 5. Hebrews 12:5-11: part of God's love demonstrated through discipline 6. Love seeks best interest of the one beloved! D. Even so, if God loves everyone, how could hell possibly be in the best interest of anyone? III. Considering the Question A. Thus we are still left with the question: how can a loving God send anyone to hell? B. If we change the question slightly, perhaps an answer will be more evident C. How can a loving God send Adolf Hitler to hell? 1. Or, perhaps, Joseph Stalin, or Osama bin Laden? 2. After all, God loves them too, right (John 3:16)? D. For most people, the idea of such terribly sinful people being in hell does not pose much difficulty E. Why is that? What makes it more palatable to think that Adolf Hitler is in hell, or that such will be the destination of Osama bin Laden if he does not repent? IV. A Sense of Justice A. The reason why people have little difficulty with the concept of Adolf Hitler being in hell is because everyone recognizes that he has sinned greatly 1. After all, he caused the death of at least 12 million people and the suffering of countless more! 2. How could such a person be rewarded for that type of behavior? 3. In the eyes of most, he deserves eternal punishment for what he has done! B. What motivates this understanding is the principle of justice 1. Justice: "The virtue which consists in giving to everyone what is his due" (Webster's) 2. When we perceive that wrongs are not "made right," that is, when there is no justice, that such is a travesty! 3. If wrongdoing goes unpunished, it both cheapens doing what is right and encourages further wrongdoing! C. This concept of justice, of course, is not lost on God! 1. Psalm 33:5: God loves righteousness and justice 2. Isaiah 61:8: God loves justice D. God, therefore, is a loving God-- and that love is not just for mankind, but also justice 1. God cannot allow unrepentant sin to go unpunished and yet love justice 2. Hence, the day of judgment, and every one obtaining based on what they have done (Romans 2:5-10) 3. It is an affront to everything that is good, right, and holy to believe that God will let transgression go without due punishment (cf. Romans 12:19) E. A source of hope for the oppressed, downtrodden 1. It may not be as easy for us to understand since we, in general, live with wealth and do not suffer oppression 2. Yet a major hope in the New Testament focuses on God's righteous judgment against those who oppress, wrong the Christians (2 Thessalonians 1:6-9, Revelation 6:9-11) 3. Such believers were not excited about the prospect of people going to hell as much as fervently hoping that justice would be accomplished! F. We can see, therefore, that God can send Adolf Hitler, and, thus anyone, to hell, when and if they violate His justice! V. Love, Justice, and Grace/Mercy/Compassion A. While most people will understand that some people will be condemned to hell, and rightly so, on account of God's justice, challenges remain 1. Some believe that eternal punishment is too severe a penalty for temporal sin-- in their minds, such is not really justice, because they are getting more than their due 2. Others have difficulty with the idea that God would save some who sinned rather grievously yet repented, while those who sinned less terribly without repentance would be condemned-- a repentant serial killer being saved while one of his or her victims might be hell bound! 3. Many more certainly can understand why hell would be for those really "terrible" sinners, but cannot imagine themselves or their friends and associates who are not "that bad" going there! B. To face these challenges, we have to keep some very important Biblical truths in mind! C. Sin is Sin 1. While we humans have a whole series of criteria of how "bad" various sins are, it does not seem that God has such a view 2. Galatians 5:19-22, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10: murder, adultery, homosexuality on the same level as rivalries, sectarianism, outbursts of anger, lying 3. Showing partiality, not doing the good seen as sin, leads people to be transgressors (James 2:9; 4:17) 4. Therefore, if sin is transgression against God's purposes (James 2:9, 1 John 3:4), and any sin is as much transgression as any other sin, any who sin fall under the sentence of condemnation (Isaiah 59:1-2, Romans 3:9-23) 5. Thus, it does not matter if we murdered or lied or had an outburst of anger or simply failed to show proper love to one another-- in so doing, we transgress God's will, and without repentance, will reap the eternal consequences! D. God's Justice vs. God's Mercy 1. We also must remember that according to God's sense of justice, we all deserve condemnation for our sins (Romans 3:19-23; 6:23, Isaiah 59:1-2) 2. Yet God has shown us undeserved favor (grace) and mercy by providing the payment for our sin through the blood of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:24ff; 5:6-11, Ephesians 2:1-10, Titus 3:3-8) 3. That sacrifice satisfies God's justice, but only if we accept the terms of that sacrifice: obedience to the Son, God's purposes (Romans 6:17-22, 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9, 1 Peter 1:22) 4. Therefore, we must remember that the fact that anyone is redeemed from the sentence of hell is a sign of God's great grace and mercy toward us-- we do not deserve it! E. God's Ways Greater Than Ours 1. It is also essential for us to remember that we are the creation, God is the Creator, and He is greater than us! 2. Isaiah 55:8-9, Romans 9:19-21 3. Thus, even if things may not seem right or just or fair to us, we must keep it in mind that God's perspective is greater than our own, and the creation is not likely to have the understanding that the Creator has! F. Challenge: Penalty for Punishment Excessive 1. We do not know precisely how hell is set up and how punishment is inflicted 2. But we do know that there is punishment and that it is eternal (2 Thessalonians 1:6-9, Revelation 20:10) 3. Thus, is it "just" to punish someone eternally for earthly sin? 4. If God is a God of justice, and He declares it just, who are we to say that it is unjust (cf. Ezekiel 18:29-31)? 5. Does anyone complain about the idea of receiving eternal blessings for earthly obedience (cf. Romans 8:17-18, Revelation 21-22)? 6. Thus, who are we to argue? Is the argument worth losing so that our very souls end up in the eternal torment that we would seek to challenge? G. Challenge: Some Saved, Others Not 1. It may be that someone whom we believe has sinned "more grievously" might be saved while one who sinned "less grievously" will be condemned 2. That is because sin is sin, and if there is no repentance and obedience, there is no forgiveness; likewise, there is no sin beyond forgiveness (1 Timothy 1:12-16)! 3. All have received the chance to come to the knowledge of God and will be judged justly at the Judgment (Romans 1:19-20; 2:5-10) 4. While this may offend our sense of "fairness," we ought to know that no one ever promised that life would be "fair"! 5. "Fairness" is in the eye of the beholder anyway-- God has been more than fair, allowing us to live and breathe and be redeemed despite our sin, and every moment that anyone lives without accepting His grace through faith represents an affront to Him! H. Challenge: Hell for "Terrible" Sinners 1. It is not surprising how many people believe in hell and yet how few believe that they are going there! 2. The chilling and sobering truth, from Scripture, is this: those who die without having obeyed Jesus Christ and repented of their sins are going to hell (2 Thessalonians 1:6-9) 3. While that may include "terrible" sinners like Adolf Hitler and Osama bin Laden, it does not exclude "not so terrible" sinners! 4. There is no passage of Scripture that gives the idea that everyone will be saved, that good people will be saved by their own merit, or that there is somehow some last-minute exception clause for the majority of people 5. Instead, Jesus seems to recognize that the majority will not be redeemed (Matthew 7:13-14) 6. Let none be deceived: hell is not just for terrible sinners-- it is for every unrepentant sinner, believer or unbeliever (Matthew 7:19-21, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21, Hebrews 10:26-31)! 7. This is just, for those who transgress God's will deserve condemnation! 8. It is only thanks to His grace and mercy that any are saved! VI. Conclusion A. How can a loving God send anyone to hell? B. A loving God can send people to hell because He remains a holy and just God 1. All that sin and transgress His ways really deserve hell 2. Some will be saved, but not by their own merit, but because they believed in God and obeyed Him, recognizing that His grace and mercy allowed them to be saved from their futile ways 3. Despite human definitions, God considers all unrighteousness (and the lack of doing righteousness) to be sin, and all who continue in such paths without repentance will be hell bound! C. Where do you stand today? D. Let us remember that while God has provided the way of salvation, we are the ones who choose our fate, whether we will be obedient and live, or be disobedient and condemned (Romans 2:5-11)! E. Let us be obedient to God and not one of the "anyone" who goes to Hell! 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 J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Fri Jun 19 03:02:10 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:02:10 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) THE WORKS OF THE FLESH (2) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the second installment of this particular study. Use to the glory of God. THE WORKS OF THE FLESH (2) Why Do Some Choose To Walk After The Flesh? -- Many are carr- ied away be the glamorisation of carnality that is so prevalent around us so much that be the time they realize it, they are already captured by the adversary. Remember, "each man is tempted whenhe is drawn away by his own lust and enticed. Then the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin, and the sin, when it is full-grown, bringeth forth death" (Jas. 1:14,15). We are not to admire sin in any form. Rather, we are to hate it (Jude 23). "Ye that love the Lord, hate evil" (Psa. 97:10). The Yorubas ahve a saying that you do not have to smell something you are not prepared to eat. To avoid drunkenness, for example the word of inspiration says, "look not thou upon the wine when it is red, whenit giveth his color in the cup, whe it moveth itself aright, at the last it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like ay adder..." (Prov. 23:31-35). Old habits die hard, people say. Perhaps because of this, some have not found it easy to discard entirely the practices of the flesh. Like the proverbial dog, they turn to their own vomit again (2 Pet. 2:22). But when a person decides to become a Christian, he becomes "a new creature; the old things are pass- ed away; behold, they are become new" (2 Cor. 5:17). We should say together with Paul, "I am crucified with Christ, never- theless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2:20). On the other hand, as a result of forgetfulness, some others have lapsed into fleshly lusts. Peter tells us of the possibility of forgetting that we have been purged from our old sins, resulting in barrenness or unfruitfulness in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 1:8,9). Moreover, we are commanded to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18). But it should be very obvious to everyone that when growth is not evident or it is stunted by ina- dequate spiritual nourishment, the result will be a life saturated with the practices of the flesh. (More will be posted on this sub- ject, tomorrow, the Lord willing, JWS). -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090619/816a4db1/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Fri Jun 19 03:02:01 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:02:01 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) HOW OLD ARE YOU? Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Friday morning to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. Its good to be back at the computer after spending nearly three days in the cardiac department of the hospital. Hopefully, everythng has been taken care of and I am able to once again post some helpful articles and other materials for your perusal. Here is an article from my files: HOW OLD ARE YOU? Hebrews 5 was addressed to Christians who should have been mature enough to teach others but they were still babes in Christ. They were like infants, lacking spiritual growth and in danger of discipline from the Lord. They were urged to get with it and grow up! The writer said, "Leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection" (Heb. 6:1). He is talking about "maturity." The recipients of this letter were to get beyond the milk stage and grow up to be mature (5:14) by feed- ing on the solid meat of the Word. "But sold food is for the mat- ure, who because of practice have their senses trained to dis- ern good and evil." Many churches today have this same problem. They should be strongholds of faith but instead they are just nurseries for infants. There's nothing wrong with a "nursery" for new Christ- ians, but how sad it would be for the babies to not grow up. You would be a terrible parent if you only fed your baby milk for years and years. It's unnatural. The baby would suffer and you would also. "For though by the time you ought to be teachersf, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God and you have come to need milk and not solid food" (Heb. 5: 12). How long have you been a follower of Christ? How much have you grown? The apostle Peter challenged us to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 3:18). We must not settle for where we are but rather aim to maturity! ---------- Shane Williams in The Lilbourn Light, Vol. 10, No. 1, May, 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090619/bae2cf03/attachment-0001.html From tedwards at onemain.com Fri Jun 19 09:40:37 2009 From: tedwards at onemain.com (tedwards at onemain.com) Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:40:37 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] B> Gospel Observer 6/14/09 Message-ID: <4A3B5D15.7008.AABFDA@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 14, 2009 ____________________________________________________ Contents: 1) Only 144,000 in Heaven? (Walton Weaver) 2) Christ -- The Living and Precious Stone (Bill Moseley) 3) News & Notes ____________________________________________________ -1- Only 144,000 in Heaven? by Walton Weaver According to the Jehovah's Witnesses the number of the elect has been set by Divine decree at 144,000. "The church of Christ consists of Jesus Christ the head and the 144,000 members of his body."(1) Only the 144,000 will go to heaven. "These are the only ones whom Jehovah God takes to heaven with the Son. All others who gain life in His new world will live in Paradise restored here on earth."(2) This position is more fully developed in the following quotations: "Those who are called by God to share in such heavenly service are few in number. As Jesus said, they are a `little flock'. Years after his return to heaven, Jesus made known the exact number . . . `a hundred and forty-four thousand . . . who have been bought from the earth' (Revelation 14:1, 3)."(3) "However, the `little flock' who go to heaven are not the only ones who receive salvation. As we have seen, they will have happy earthly subjects. Jesus referred to these as his `other sheep,' of whom `a great crowd' are even now serving God faithfully. -- John 10:l6; Revelation 7:6, 15."(4) This view of the 144,000 and their relationship to Jesus Christ and the rest of mankind may be diagramed as follows: The purpose of this article is to show that Rev. 7:4 and 14:1-3 do not teach that only 144,000 will go to heaven, as the Witnesses claim. Other passages cited in the diagram, such as Rev. 5:9, 10 and 20:6, are not within the scope of this review. It should be noted in passing, however, that these passages are also grossly misused in their argument. The "first resurrection" of Rev. 20:6 is the resurrection of the cause for which the martyrs of Rev. 6:9, 10 have been slain. The reign of those mentioned in Rev. 5:9, 10 is a present reign upon the earth and has no reference whatever to a reign of the 144,000 from heaven over the rest of mankind. The "little flock" of Lk. 12:32 refers to the then small band of disciples of Jesus who were about to receive the kingdom of God (see Mk. 9:1; Lk. 24:48,49; Acts 1:4, 5; Acts 2:1-4). The "other sheep" of John 10:16 are the Gentiles, since the gospel was first preached to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matt. 1:6; Rom. 1:16). Without getting into a discussion of whether the 144,000 in both Rev. 7:4 and 14:1-3 refers to the same subjects, we need to give some attention to the matter of where they are. Are they on earth or in heaven? The Witnesses claim that since 1918 all of the 144,000, except a very small remnant, have gone to heaven. They also say that the "great multitude, which no man could number" (Rev. 7:9) is a separate group and represents all the other saved people who will remain on earth. But a careful reading of the verses in chapter seven will show that the multitude is in heaven and is contrasted with the 144,000 who are yet on earth. The 144,000 represent God's elect on earth. These are sealed for protection against the tribulation about to be brought against the earth (7:1,2). Their sealing does not protect them against martyrdom, for they are to be martyred by the beast which is to rise out of the sea (11:7). It only protects them against the "hurt" about to be brought upon the earth. This "hurt" is held back until the sealing is completed (7:3), or until the church on earth has been fully prepared for the coming judgments against the earth. In addition to the 144,000, John sees "a great multitude, which no man could number. . . standing before the throne and before the Lamb" (7:9). Two factors in particular suggest that this multitude is in heaven. First, these subjects are not sealed, indicating they have passed beyond the need of protection because they have already passed through the tribulation (7:14). The 144,000 yet face the tribulation and are sealed for protection against it. Second, the multitude is "arrayed in white robes, and palms in their hands." The white robes symbolize their righteousness, while the palm branches in their hands symbolize their victory. They now appear "before the throne and before the Lamb" with the angels, elders, and four living creatures (7:11,13). But we are told by the Witnesses that the multitude stands before the throne, and since the earth is God's footstool the multitude is yet on earth. The fact that this multitude stands before the throne, however, does not in itself tell us whether it is on earth or in heaven. But other factors do strongly argue against the possibility of this multitude being on earth. For example, the angels, elders, and the four living creatures also appear "before the throne" (7:11). That the multitude is with them is made clear by the question asked by one of the elders: "These that are arrayed in the white robes, who are they, and whence come they?" (7:13). The elder is told that they are the ones who came out of the great tribulation (7:14), and this is the reason given that they are now "before the throne of God" (7:15). Now notice that this multitude has come from somewhere to appear before the throne. They have come out of the great tribulation, but they have also come "before the throne." That is where the angels, elders, and four living creatures are (7:11). There is nothing to suggest that the multitude who now stands before the throne is yet on earth, while the other members of the heavenly host who also appear "before the throne" are in heaven. In fact, all the evidence is contrary to such a view. If the multitude standing before the throne means the multitude is on earth, why does not the angels, elders, and living creatures before the throne mean that they too are on earth? We also see in Rev. 8:2 seven angels standing "before God." In 8:3, a golden altar is "before the throne," and the angel takes fire from it and pours it upon the earth. Are the seven angels, the golden altar, and the angel who takes fire from the altar on earth because they are all before God or the throne? The fact that the multitude is standing before the throne does not change the matter. The angels in 7:11 and 8:2 are also standing, but they are in heaven. How are we to identify the multitude? Is it the same as the 144,000? Some think so. But whether it is or is not, if it is in heaven, as we maintain, the view that only 144,000 will go to heaven is definitely wrong. If it is the same as the 144,000, John says it cannot be numbered. If it is a separate group (as I believe), then there will be the 144,000 plus the great multitude in heaven. The 144,000 is not to be taken literally. The number simply suggests completeness. In Rev. 7:4, it represents all of God's elect on earth, or spiritualized Israel (see Jas. 1:1; 1 Pet. 1:1; Lk. 22:30; Matt. 19:28; Gal. 6:16 and Phil. 3:3). In particular, the number refers to those saints in John's day yet facing martyrdom, who after death will join those saints already in heaven (the great multitude). Endnotes 1. J. F. Rutherford, The Harp of God (Brooklyn, N. Y.: Peoples Pulpit Association. 1921), p. 279. 2. From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained (Brooklyn, N. Y.: International Bible Students Association, 1958), p. 153. 3. The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life (Brooklyn, N. Y.: International Bible Students Association, 1968), p. 77. 4. Ibid. -- Via Truth Magazine XIX: 26, pp. 410-412 May 8, 1975 ____________________________________________________ -2- Christ -- The Living and Precious Stone by Bill Moseley Christ is referred to by many terms in the Bible. One such reference is that of a "stone." Peter called him a "living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but, chosen of God" (1 Pet. 2:4). The Psalmist looked down through the ages to the future when he would be the "stone which the builders refused" (Psa. 118:22). Note that Peter says concerning this stone, "to whom coming...." Before one can come to the stone, there are other things he must lay aside, and these are dealt with in First Peter 2:1 -- things such as "malice, guile, hypocrisy, envy and evil speaking." Only when these are put aside can one have an appetite for the "sincere milk of the word" (v. 2), which will finally free him to come to the living stone which is Christ. But why is Christ looked upon as a "stone?" The term "stone" is one expressive of great strength and power. Jesus claimed that "all power" had been given to him (Matt. 28:18). God has given him a place above every other power (Eph. 1:20-23). His power was demonstrated over the elements, for he calmed the sea. He had power over disease, for he healed many people. He had power over Satan for he was raised from the clutches of death itself, the ultimate weapon of Satan. Indeed, he is able to "save to the uttermost" (Heb. 7:25). A stone is also expressive of firmness and durability. Time has worn down the marble columns of Rome; it has undermined the great foundations of Babylon and Nineveh. But the "stone" of God has outlasted them all. Why? Because he is a living stone! In First Peter 1:23 we find that God's word is a "living word"; it abides. Jesus said that in him was life (John 5:24-26), and he claimed to be the "resurrection and the life" (John 11:25). This also shows the feelings of Christ. He is not an insensible object, but is living and vibrant. He feels for us, and knows our weaknesses (Heb. 4:15). The tragic side of this matter is that he was "disallowed of men." The term is one meaning to "disapprove; reject, or repudiate." His own people denied his Messiahship; for he came to his own, and they "received him not" (John 1:11). They despised his miracles, disdained his service, and spurned his person. Why such a reaction? It was not for lack of evidence, for he appeared precisely as the prophets had predicted. But he simply did not fit their idea of a Messiah. He was "disallowed" of men for the same reasons. Unbelievers do not admire his doctrine, and the worldly will not sacrifice for him or to him. The term "to whom coming" in First Peter 2:4 is not a reference to one's primary obedience to the gospel. The tense and voice of the verb indicates a personal, habitual approach, resulting in an intimate association. He is the stone that the child of God can ever turn to and come to. Do you flee to this stone in time of trouble? Do you turn to him when downcast and in need of comfort and solace which no man can supply? He is there; his arms are open, and he will receive the weary saint in need. In spite of his being "disallowed of men," God has respect to this stone, for he was "chosen of God." Through the prophet, God said "I will lay in Zion a stone..." (Isa. 28:16). This would be done in spite of the attempts of wicked men to thwart God's work and purpose. He was precious in the Father's eyes, for he was given a name above all others (Phil. 2:9-10). God respected what Jesus taught, for at the transfiguration of Jesus, he said to "hear ye him" (Matt. 17:5). God willingly and gladly accepted his sacrifice, for it was superior to all others (Heb. 9). The sinner as well as the saint can benefit from this "living stone." First, he must come to him, for there is salvation in no other (Acts 4:12). He must be willing to be taught by Jesus, for Jesus called upon men to "come learn of me" (Matt. 11:28). The sinner needs to learn what Christ would have him do and be. An honest heart will move him to obey God's plan of salvation, and his subsequent life will be in harmony with Christ's will. Like David who viewed God as his "rock" and his "redeemer" (Psa. 18:2; 28:1; 31:3), we too should look upon Christ, among other things, as a rock providing a sure and safe haven. There is none other that can do what he can. All other "havens" are built upon shifting sand, where the muddy and slippery foundations of man can offer no security. Only Christ is the safe and sure stone. -- via Putting the Brethren in Remembrance, January 1996 ____________________________________________________ -3- News & Notes Let those of us who are Christians be praying for the following people: We have a few elderly members who have not been able to be with us for some time because of health reasons, and two of these (Maxine Pine and Luther Shuff) have conditions that are causing them to remain bedridden. Lou Pitman's daughter, Deborah Beveau, has been recently diagnosed with cancer in various parts of her body, including her bones, lungs and liver. She went into the hospital June 15, feeling very weak, and began receiving radiation treatments. Let us be praying for all these people, as well as for their family and friends. ____________________________________________________ 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 Jun 19 16:02:11 2009 From: jerry at eldorable.kscoxmail.com (Jerry Blount) Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:02:11 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] The Christian, the Bible, and the practice of abortion Message-ID: <8D57751BC8F147C18E9DBB75E1D16152@dadsdell> Jerry Blount to the list. The Christian, the Bible, and the practice of abortion. I am certain virtually everyone has heard of the murder of Dr Tiller here in Wichita. This one strikes close to home for us. Our new congregation meets right around the corner from his infamous abortion clinic. What a thing for a community to be known for! We are the abortion capital of the world. People literally come here from all over because you can get away with things here that you just cannot do elsewhere. He would do things that no man of conscience could do. Here is a link to an undercover video made of him bragging about his procedures and complaining about the born alive protection act. You'll have to sign in and confirm you are over 18 if you wish to watch it because of a couple of his photos he shows at the beginning of the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpr_sN04j_0 Dr Tiller was giving a speech while being honored by the National education association as a hero. After said speech he was interviewed by some that he perceived as friends and appears not to realize he is on tape. He speaks rather freely of his monstrous trade. There are a couple of rather important quotes in that video. "Let's say you have 15 or 16 and you had one slip out with a heartbeat, that is not a viable fetus, but that is born alive or has a heart beat. Then you have to take that non-viable fetus and rush it to the hospital against the woman's wishes." "If the baby is born alive it is sloppy medicine and it shouldn't be done." ""I have done (them) up to the day before delivery." The Word of God addresses this callous behavior directly, "They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, 'Peace, peace,' But there is no peace. Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; They did not even know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time that I punish them, They shall be cast down," says the LORD." Jeremiah 6:14-15 The news media is making a mass murderer. 60,000 murders into a kind, compassionate man. He became a millionaire by killing babies. personally. Adolph Hitler ordered the killing of millions. Dr. Tiller rolled up his sleeves and did his killing up close and personal, up to one day before the baby was born. and Dr. Tiller was proud that he was not sloppy in doing it. Dr Paul McHugh reviewed Dr Tiller's files at the request of then attorney general Phil Kline and found these late term abortions were actually done for social reasons. "couldn't go to the prom." Etc. Here is a link to that interview. He says that he did not find one case that could be substantiated even under the guidelines of Kansas law.. As lax as said law is. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mviFMpy_sBU &NR=1 This argument has been going on since ancient times. For example Ancient Egypt had it's version of the "morning after" pill. It was called Penny Royal oil. Sometimes they used a concoction of Colocynth powder. They found abortionist's tools in Pompey. they think. They were found with no point of reference. The behavior has always been here but it was a dirty little secret. From ancient times this practice has been beneath the dignity of the medical profession. It is relatively new to hold this in high regard. For example, the original Hippocratic Oath (5th century BC) includes, "I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel; and in like manner I will not give to a woman a pessary to produce abortion. With purity and with holiness I will pass my life and practice my Art." So much for the Greeks, but what about the Jewish understanding? The oath of Asaph (6th century AD) is the oldest known Jewish standard of medical ethics. "[2] Do not attempt to kill any soul by means of a potion of herbs, [3] Do not make a woman [who is] pregnant [as a result of] of whoring take a drink with a view to causing abortion," Note that it is the second and third item out of 57. It is virtually the worst of the things forbidden to a doctor. But I am a Christian. So, what does the Bible say? What is that "thing" in the womb. Genesis 25:22-23 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If it is so, why then am I {this way?}" So she went to inquire of the LORD. The LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger." Today we can actually see what they described and asked God to explain to them. God described it accurately. Here is a sonogram of my granddaughter punching my grandson in the nose as he peacefully sucked his thumb. It is a picture of the very thing described in Genesis 25. True science enhances rather than contradicts. Today we can witness what once only God could explain. Notice that whether in the womb or out. God's designation is the same. They are children. There is more to be gleaned from this Bible passage however. Note that God is also seeing the potential of those two young men and has their destiny planned. The loss of that human's potential is one of the incredible areas of damage done by this barbaric practice. What might the 60,000 human beings Dr Tiller allegedly slaughtered (some the day before they were born) have become? These are enough in one generation to establish a pretty fair sized city! I live in a town of only 13000. I have obviously made this connection. but the more important question is, "Does God make this connection?" Actually yes, He does. Note.. Jeremiah 1:4-6 "Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations." Then I said, "Alas, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth.." So, God forms a baby. and He knows you, before you were ever born. Is this a fluke? Consider also Psalms 139:12-17 12. Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike {to You.} 13. For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. 14. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. 15. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, {And} skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; 16. Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained {for me,} When as yet there was not one of them. 17. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Have you noticed that while men stumble and stammer . . . the Bible is very consistent on this subject? It's a Baby. God oversees the matter. These Babies are precious and have incredible potential. Ok, So. It is a baby in the third trimester, but is it simply a fetus or something else in the first and second trimester? The Bible gives you an example to clear that question up. Consider if you will the aborting of the baby Jesus. In our country such is legal. but is it right? Literally the most dangerous place in the US for a child to be is in his mother's womb. Let's use the most obvious and most important example of all. The Lord Jesus. as a baby. The encounter between Mary and Elizabeth. Luke 1:26-56 Because of the length of this passage. I'll put it at the bottom of the article and only use parts of it here. (Note: In case you are reading this article in an office, and don't have access to a Bible. you will be able read the entire passage pasted immediately following my signature.) Note first Vs 26 "Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent" i.e. the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy (John the Baptist's mother). Again in Vs 36 "And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month." Note second Vs 39. Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry Note third Vs 56. And Mary stayed with her about three months So the story involving visions and angels and the birth of both Jesus and John has dated points of reference. When Mary arrives at Elizabeth's home she is incredibly early in her first trimester carrying the Baby Jesus. Elizabeth is at the end of her second and beginning her final trimester. Mary leaves as John when due to be born. Now. note on Mary's arrival at the end of Elizabeth's second trimester. Vs 41. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; Elizabeth is then filled with the Holy spirit and comments under inspiration, 42. And she cried out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed {are} you among women, and blessed {is} the fruit of your womb! 43. "And how has it {happened} to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? 44. "For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. 45. "And blessed {is} she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord." Note these undeniable specifics for all Bible believing Christians; 1) It was a baby that leaped for joy. 2) This baby heard, perceived, understood, and then felt Joy vs. 44. (Note; I recall that Ronald Reagan once said the fact that convinced him abortion was wrong. was when science proved by using brainwaves that the baby could feel pain. including the pain of an abortion!) 3) Early in the first trimester. that was already a person in there. "It" was the Lord! Vs 43. "IT" is more aptly described as "whom." 4) By all definitions early in the first trimester. Mary is a mother! Vs 43. Jesus is here described as the fruit of the womb. 1st trimester. Does any passage call the fruit of the womb a child? Actually yes, they are one of the same. Psalm 127: 3. Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. This child was a blessing to the entire human race. Consider the legacy of our generation. Since Roe v Wade changed the law and the onslaught began. Millions upon millions have died. Well, over a million per year by all accounts. Compare with this legacy of scripture. Matthew 2:16-18 6. Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. 17. Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: 18. "A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH, WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING, RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN; AND SHE REFUSED TO BE COMFORTED, BECAUSE THEY WERE NO MORE." After nearly 2000 years the all the building programs and all the achievements of Herod's reign lie forgotten. His entire legacy is the slaughter of a few babies.. A few is enough to go down in infamy. How will we be remembered to history? Never before has there been such a wholesale slaughter of so many. Jonah was instructed to "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me." Jonah 1:2 What shall we do? Can such a slaughter of the most helpless not "come up" before our creator? The truisms of life are described in the book of proverbs. consider this one. If you are slack in the day of distress, Your strength is limited. Deliver those who are being taken away to death, And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold {them} back. If you say, "See, we did not know this," Does He not consider {it} who weighs the hearts? And does He not know {it} who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work? Proverbs 24:10-12 I once watched a video put out by the right to lifers of a sonogram of an abortion. (Thankfully it was when once the sonograms were much fuzzier than they are now.) I saw a peacefully contented child fight for his life and try to get away but there was nowhere to run! It was horrible. We can choose not to know. but as noted above, God says that He knows you know! It is important to acknowledge that the Bible reveals what man at that point in time could not know. Today we can see it through technology. We can look right down inside and see what is there. So.. If you really think that the rhetoric fails and that those are not babies inside the womb. as the Bible and the ancient world together have said. Here is a link to that video. You can watch it impersonally on a sonogram as the child literally tries to fight for his life. He cannot win, but he must try. He does. http://www.silentscream.org/ As a people we cannot afford to fail to cry out and speak up for those who scream out in a pain that no one other than their loving creator can hear. Dr Tiller is not the real martyr today. those innocent children are. Their only real crime is that of being in the way. Revelation 6:10-11 They cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until {the number of} their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also. 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 Luke chapter one, The encounter between Mary and Elizabeth. 26. Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27. to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28. And coming in, he said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord {is} with you." 29. But she was very perplexed at {this} statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 30. The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31. "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32. "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33. and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end." 34. Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" 35. The angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. 36. "And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 37. "For nothing will be impossible with God." 38. And Mary said, "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. Mary Visits Elizabeth 39. Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40. and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42. And she cried out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed {are} you among women, and blessed {is} the fruit of your womb! 43. "And how has it {happened} to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? 44. "For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. 45. "And blessed {is} she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord." 46. And Mary said: "My soul exalts the Lord, 47. And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48. "For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. 49. "For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name. 50. "AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM. 51. "He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered {those who were} proud in the thoughts of their heart. 52. "He has brought down rulers from {their} thrones, And has exalted those who were humble. 53. "HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS; And sent away the rich empty-handed. 54. "He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy, 55. As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever." 56. And Mary stayed with her about three months, and {then} returned to her home. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 21298 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090619/e02cbf9a/attachment-0015.jpe From wsasser at tds.net Wed Jun 17 09:11:41 2009 From: wsasser at tds.net (Whit Sasser) Date: Wed, 17 Jun 2009 09:11:41 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] Jim Sasser Message-ID: Hello BibleMatters list, As my father, Jim Sasser, is such a faithful contributor to this list, I thought I would inform you that he is in the hospital with some heart irregularity concerns. Hopefully, it will be a short stay and he will be back. Go well. Whit Whit Sasser 3601 E. Newberry St. Appleton, WI 54915 920.733.5009 wsasser at tds.net www.appletonchurchofchrist.org Join my free e-list: "Exhortations & Stuff" -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090617/0a4e6bb1/attachment.html From wsasser at tds.net Sat Jun 20 13:54:26 2009 From: wsasser at tds.net (Whit Sasser) Date: Sat, 20 Jun 2009 13:54:26 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] Jim Sasser update Message-ID: Dear list, So many of you have been so kind to send notes of concern for my Dad, Jim Sasser and his recent stay in the hospital, that I thought it good to update you. He is home now and has been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation which they are treating with medication. He is feeling a lot better. Go well. Whit Whit Sasser 3601 E. Newberry St. Appleton, WI 54915 920.733.5009 wsasser at tds.net www.appletonchurchofchrist.org Join my free e-list: "Exhortations & Stuff" -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090620/9f38e69a/attachment.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Sat Jun 20 05:11:19 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Sat, 20 Jun 2009 06:11:19 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) THE WORKS OF THE FLESH (3) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the third and final in- stallment of this particular study. Use to the glory of God. THE WORKS OF THE FLESH (3) How To Crucify The Flesh: -- Let us now shift our focus and reflect on how to crucify the flesh. Surely, the flesh could be crucified. Paul says those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts (Gal. 5:24). How? First, if we fear the Lord and fear Him sufficiently enough we are going to overcome the flesh. The word of inspiration says: "...by the fear if the Lord, men depart from evil" (Prov. 16:6). When questioned by Abimelech, king of Gerar, as to why he did not disclose that Sarah was his wife, Abraham replied that "because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place and they will slay me for my wife's sake" (Gen. 20:11). Moreover, what prevented Jos- eph from committing adultery with his master's wife? The fear of God. Period. Listen to Joseph: "how can I do this great wick- edness, and sin against my God" (Gen. 39:7-9). Oh yes! "the fear of the Lord is to hate evil..." (Prov. 8:13). As a corollary to this, if it is our heart's desire to overcome the flesh, we should not naively associate it (the flesh) with glam- our. Rather, we should abhor and detest it. Remember, the fear of the Lord is to hate evil. Joseph did not have to look on that woman whether she was glamorous. He had a strong determin- ation, rooted in the fear of God, not to give in and he did not. The Word of God says, "Ye that love the Lord, hate evil" (Psa. 97:10). Still drawing from the example of Joseph on the ways of overcoming the flesh, we read that when the woman got hold of Joseph and asked him to "lie with me," Joseph "left his garment in her hand and fled and go out of the house" (Gen. 39:11-13). The Bible says: "flee fornication" (1 Cor. 6:18). Joseph did just that! The apostle Paul warned about youthful lusts and suggest- ed a way of overcoming it: flee (2 Tim. 2:22). Indeed, we are to abstain from every appearance of evil (1 Thes. 5:22). The trouble with many is that instead of paying attention to these admonitions and fleeing from the works of the flesh, they prefer to see how close they can get to sin. And in doing that, they are caught in the web of the flesh. Do you want to overcome and crucify the flesh? One good way of doing that, according to the Scriptures, is to flee, to abstain. Fourth, develop optimistic attitude. Know assuredly tht you can conquer the flesh. Paul says, "those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh..." (Gal. 5:24). It is the promise of God that He "will also make a way of escape" out of every temp- tation for His children (1 Cor. 10:13). Remember, "God hath not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and love and of a sound mind" (1 Tim. 1:7). Fifth and perhaps most importantly, be prayerful. We should realise that of our own selves we do nothing (Jno. 15:5). Peter learned this the hard way. He denied his Lord three times (Matt. 26:75). But this was the very Peter who had boasted a while ago that "though I should die with Thee, yet will I not deny Thee" (Matt. 26:33,35). Could it be that Peter was basking in the "arm of flesh?" Was he relying on his own power to stick to his Lord? Perhaps. In contrast, Paul says he can do all things. How? "Through Christ that strengtheneth me" (Phil. 4:13). The Lord Jesus shortly before He ascended up to heaven left a prom- ise behind that "lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world" (Matt. 28:10). "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us" (Rom. 8:37). So, let us be thankful to God who causes us to triumph in Christ (2 Cor. 2:14). In conclusion, consider the fact that life is short and death is sure. Many tings are uncertain in this world, but by inspiration, we know judgment is certain. Sooner or later, we shall appear before the great tribunal and give account of ourselves to the righteous Judge. Surely, heaven will be worth whatever price we many have to pay. ------- Sunday Ayandare in Words Of Life, Vol. 16, No. 1, Jan-Mar. 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090620/2eae68d8/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Sat Jun 20 05:11:05 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Sat, 20 Jun 2009 06:11:05 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) GOD HAS SPOKEN Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Saturday morn- ing to each and every one. May God bless you and yours. Here is an article from my files: GOD HAS SPOKEN Some of our brethren spend a good deal of time condemn- ing something they call "legalism", even bemoaning their own upbringing in this concept that they now reject. Do they regret being taught that obedience is essential to salvation (Heb. 5:9)? Do they regret believing that faith in Christ, repentance of one's sins, confession of faith in Christ, and baptism in the name of Christ for remission of sins is God's instruction to alien sinners for their salvation from their past sins? Jno. 8:24; Lk. 13:3,5; Rom. 10:10; Matt. 10:32; Acts 8:37; Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38 still read the same as they did when we were children. Was the author of the book of James being a legalist when he wrote the following: on hearing the word and continuing in the law of liberty in order to be blessed (Jas. 1:21-25), on the nec- essity of the works of faith (Jas. 2:14-26), on saving souls from death by restoring the erring brethren (Jas. 5:19,20)? Brethren, are people whohave never obeyed the first principles of the gos- pel saved anyway (2 Thes. 1:6-10)? Who has the right to the tree of life and may enter the eternal city (Rev. 22:14)? Brethren, was John a legalist in teaching the necessity of obedience (1 Jno. 1)? What does "the Word of His (God's ) grace" teach people in (Acts 20:32; Titus 2:7-14)? Was Paul being a legalist when he corrected the understanding of some men who had received John's baptism, but had not been baptized in the name of Christ (Acts 19:1-7)? Was he splitting hairs and being divisive when he taught one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God (Eph. 4:1-6)? Brethren, if we approve and have fellowship with those who are obviously transgressing the law of God, does that make us "illegalists", and is that the course God approves (1 Jno. 3:4; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1)? ----------------- Gilbert Alexander. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090620/abbb7c18/attachment-0001.html From tssullivan at charter.net Sat Jun 20 10:57:57 2009 From: tssullivan at charter.net (T. Sean Sullivan) Date: Sat, 20 Jun 2009 10:57:57 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] The Messenger Vol 004 Iss 024 Message-ID: <74E9A1ADF5754372BC5C96C3C44970DD@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 024: June 21, 2009 This Week's Article: Why We Don't Have Mechanical Instruments Introduction: One of the most well-known facts about congregations of the Church of Christ is our lack of mechanical instruments in our worship. Often is has been said, "The church of Christ doesn't believe in music". Certainly that is a misconception seeing that we involve ourselves in the practice of music during every worship service. Why do we stand opposed to the use of mechanical instruments in worship? Not because we don't like them. Not because we can't afford them. Not because we just like to be different. Our opposition is stemmed from study of God's word. We must do God's will; and these "devices", as we will prove in this lesson, are not found in the New Testament pattern of worship. This one point of difference has caused many people to automatically reject the idea; this leads one to wonder if: some must believe that the mechanical instrument has always been part of worship, even though the truth of the matter is that most "denominations" refused the instrument until well into the 19th century. We must get to the Scriptures and seek to answer these questions in order to increase our understanding. Let's open our Bibles and consider: Why we sing? Why we do not have mechanical instruments? Why it matters? Why Sing? First, and most importantly, God authorizes us to sing. The earliest record of singing comes from the Old Testament. In Exodus 15:1-18 Moses teaches the people a song after the deliverance from the Egyptians. The entire collection of the Psalms could all be sung. The children of Israel we continuously singing praises to God (Psalms 30:54). Singing was also part of the worship of the early disciples: In Matthew 26:30 Jesus and the disciples sang hymns together. Beautiful singing is part of the scene in Heaven (Revelations 15:3). We are commanded to sing in our pattern of worship. There are two key passages that we need to examine: Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16. In Ephesians 5:19 we are instructed to talk to one another in psalms: sacred odes, hymns: songs of praise and adoration, and also spiritual songs: song of a spiritual focus. We are to use all of these types of songs in making melody in our hearts to the Lord. Further in Colossians 3:16 we are instructed to use the same list of song types. Through the word we gain wisdom and through singing we teach and admonish our brethren--with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Why Not Use Mechanical Instruments? The type of singing God expects requires a closer study. A further study of the two key New Testament passages will reveal the use of instruments as unauthorized. Again both Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 give us the same list: Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. One of the main arguments that are used to support the use of instruments is the word Psalms. The original language for this term is psallo. Some believe that by the definition of this term: a set piece of music. i.e. A sacred ode (accompanied with the voice or harp or other instrument; a "psalm" (Strong's Definition) that their case is made for mechanical instrument use. So, why doesn't this word "psallo" authorize instruments? The word "psallo" does not contain direction of instrument it is dependent upon the context from which it is used to prescribe the instrument. For example this is similar our word "dig". If you were told to, "dig." You have no idea of the tool with which you are to dig. Further direction must be given in the context of the request: "Please dig with a shovel" or "Please dig with the yellow-handled shovel". Understanding this question; return to our subject and ask this question, "What instrument is prescribed by these scriptures?" The context in these passages ascribes the "voice" and the "heart" as the instruments. There is also another point to consider. There is a key grouping of words in Ephesians 5:19 that help us clarify this matter. If the word "psallo" does authorize mechanical instruments; then we, by a proper understanding of the words "one another" in Ephesians 5:19 would have to supply each member with an organ, or piano, or whatever instrument was chosen. Whatever action is commanded by Ephesians 5:19 is by force of language to be done "to one another" (135 members therefore 135 organs). We also need to understand there is a difference between an "aid" and an "addition". An "aid" is that which further enables the authorized practice. As an aid to singing we have written the songs in a book so that we can sing as we should-decently and in order. These hymn books do not change the action of singing they only aid our action of singing-just like the lights that help us read the hymns for singing. An "addition" that which is done in addition to the authorized. Any playing of a mechanical instrument would be an additional action. When reading from a hymn book we are only singing. When using a mechanical instrument we are no longer just singing: we are playing and singing. When considering the approved actions we must also consider what is able to fulfill the requirements of the New Testament teaching on singing. There are seven passages that speak of our singing; considering each one and how it can be achieved will teach us what God expects. We are to "sing to God" in Romans 15:9-our voices can a piano cannot. We are told to "speak in song" in Ephesians 5:19-our voices can a piano cannot. We are told to "make melody in your heart/ teach" in Colossians 3:16-our voices can a piano cannot. We are also instructed to "admonish in song" in Colossians 3:16; "sing with the spirit" and "sing with understanding" in 1 Corinthians 14:15); "praise God" in Hebrews 2:12; "give thanks" in Hebrews 13:15; and "sing psalms" in James 5:13-all of which can be accomplished by our voices but a heartless mechanical instrument cannot teach, admonish, understand, or praise. Why Does It Matter? It matters because worship is not for self or of self-it is for God and to God. It is God's will that must be done (Matthew 7:21-23). It matters what we do in worship because God has directed us with His scriptures. We are not to add to or take away from His will (Revelation 22:18-19). The truth of the matter is that mechanical instruments are not simply a choice that we have chosen not to have. They are unauthorized in the New Testament. Conclusion: We are here to do God's will (Ecclesiastes 12:13; Acts 17:27). He has supplied the directions we must study and follow them. Some things are very apparent others require a little deeper look. All authority is clear and understandable (1 Corinthians 14:33). When is comes to our singing we have clear instruction to sing with our hearts and our voices. Today's religious world has chosen the addition of the mechanical instrument. We do not have the right to add such and therefore we will not. ~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/20090620/b7495b6e/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 7811 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090620/b7495b6e/attachment-0003.gif From wswalker310 at juno.com Fri Jun 19 17:09:10 2009 From: wswalker310 at juno.com (Wayne S Walker) Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:09:10 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] hymn study, "When He Comes in Glory By and By" Message-ID: <20090620.153805.2756.1.wswalker310@juno.com> Wayne Walker here with another weekly hymn study "WHEN HE COMES IN GLORY BY AND BY" "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout...then we...shall be caught up...in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thess. 4:17) INTRO.: A song which looks forward to that day when the Lord shall descend and we shall be caught up in the clouds to meet Him is "When He Comes in Glory By and By (#473 in Hymns for Worship Revised, and #342 in Sacred Selections for the Church). The text was written and the tune was composed both by A. A. Westbrook. Nothing is known of this person other than that he obviously lived in the first part of the twentieth century. One book erroneously gives his birth year as 1911, but the fact is that the song was copyrighted in 1911 by The Trio Music Co. The copyright was renewed in 1939 by G. H. P. Showalter, then editor of the Firm Foundation. Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord's church during the twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, it appeared in the 1938/1944 New Wonderful Songs edited by Thomas S. Cobb; the 1944 Gospel Songs and Hymns and the 1952 Hymns of Praise and Devotion both edited by Will W. Slater; the 1959 Majestic Hymnal No. 2 and the 1978 Hymns of Praise both edited by Reuel Lemmons; and the 1965 Great Christian Hymnal No. 2 edited by Tillit S. Teddlie. Today it may be found in the 1971 Songs of the Church, the 1990 Songs of the Church 21st C. Ed., and the 1994 Praise for the Lord all edited by Alton H. Howard; and the 1992 Praise for the Lord edited by John P. Wiegand; in addition to Hymns for Worship, Sacred Selections, and the 2007 Sacred Songs of the Church edited by William D. Jeffcoat. The song encourages us to remember and thus be ready for the second coming of Christ. I. Stanza 1 says that it will be sweet to meet the Lord "O how sweet 'twill be to meet the Lord, When He comes in glory by and by; What a song of praise will be outpoured, When He comes in glory by and by." A. It will be sweet to meet the Lord and go with Him to judgment because there we shall hear Him say, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world": Matt. 25:31-34 B. Even now we should sing songs of praise to the Lord: Heb. 13:15 C. But when He comes, the song of praise that will be outpoured will be like that of the angels around the throne: Rev. 5:11-12 II. Stanza 2 says that we must have our robes white as snow "We will have our robes all white as snow, When He comes in glory by and by; O be ready with the Lord to go, When He comes in glory by and by." A. Having our robes all white as snow symbolizes having been washed in the blood of the Lamb: Rev. 7:13-14 B. But to have our robes as white as snow, we must make sure that we are ready for His coming: Matt. 24:42-44 C. And if we are ready, then when He comes, we can go with Him in the resurrection of life: Jn. 5:28-29 III. Stanza 3 says that we should be longing for that happy day "I am longing for that happy day, When He comes in glory by and by; For with Him I hope to soar away, When He comes in glory by and by." A. We should be longing and waiting for that happy day: 1 Thess. 1:9-10 B. This is the hope by which we are saved: Rom. 8:24-25 C. Our hope is that when He comes, we shall soar away with Him and hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant....Enter into the joy of your Lord": Matt. 25:21 CONCL.: The chorus reminds us of how great it will be for the righteous when Jesus returns. "How sweet! How sweet! When He comes in the sky! What joy! What joy! When He comes in glory by and by." Jesus came to this earth once to offer His life as an atonement for our sins. He went back to heaven to sit on His throne and rule over His spiritual kingdom, the church. Someday, He will come again to raise the dead, bring this physical existence to an end, judge all mankind, punish the wicked in hell, and take the righteous to their eternal home in heaven. Therefore, we need to make sure that we are ready to meet Him "When He Comes in Glory By and By." 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. ____________________________________________________________ Free information - Learn about Criminal Lawyers. Click here. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/fc/BLSrjpTOVoLKvZ6vLHnUYwKsQIx0XC6v297ZH5pRV5GhsFizeyP8A4COKp6/ From crxtra at gmail.com Sun Jun 21 02:29:59 2009 From: crxtra at gmail.com (Steven C. Harper) Date: Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:29:59 -0700 Subject: [Biblemat] A> When God Does Not Hear Message-ID: <000001c9f242$16dceb30$4496c190$@com> From: TRUTH & REASON, a bulletin of the Glendale church of Christ, Glendale, AZ. Editor: Steven Harper June 21, 2009 When God Does Not Hear I am sure we have all experienced the frustration of not being heard. As a parent, I wonder sometimes if I am talking to the walls because things I say seem to not be heard by anyone but myself and I have to repeat some things numerous times before the words are actually heard by the intended audience. Maybe you have experienced this or other occasions where no one seemed to hear you. Maybe you had 'hard of hearing' employees when you sat at a table in a restaurant waiting to order; maybe you couldn't get anyone to listen to you when you tried to explain what was wrong with your car when you brought it in for service; maybe you couldn't get anyone in the school to listen when you asked about your child's troubles; maybe you couldn't get anyone in your office to hear your solution to the problem at hand and you could only sit by and watch things get worse. Whatever the case, though, it is indeed frustrating to have something to say, only to have no one to hear it. [Preachers can tell you they often wonder if anyone hears what they are saying or writing.] And have you ever been in trouble or distress and were calling out for help or looking for a helping hand, only to find no one was listening or no one cared? It is then that our frustration turns to desperation and, sometimes, despair because we aren't just looking to be heard - we're looking for help! When no one seems to be listening when you need help the most, what do you do? To whom do you turn? It is in troubling times that many men finally begin to look up and desire the ear of God. In troubled times and in desperate situations, men sometimes realize that they cannot do it alone and they need someone bigger than their problems to help. Sometimes, men who have never given God a thought begin to think about one who is bigger than all and capable of conquering anything and they seek His help. But will He hear us? And what if He doesn't? Before we wait until it is too late to appeal to God for help, we should seriously consider these very questions because if you know anything about God at all, you know it would be a terrible position to be in to know that God would not hear you in your darkest hour - and that very well may be a possibility, for there are times when God does not hear. For our good, let us consider such situations and strive to never be the one whom God does not hear. When Man Refuses to Hear Him. It is amazing, but sadly tragic, that men believe they can refuse to listen to God and yet expect God to immediately and fully hear them when they come to Him in desperation. But a short study of the history of God's people in the Old Testament teaches us that it is a mistaken concept. After the Israelites had for so long forsaken God and gone after the false gods of the surrounding nations, and after He had allowed them to go into captivity, He also brought the faithful few back to the land after the prophesied 70 years. It was only after the return that some could look back and realize that their captivity had come because their forefathers "shrugged their shoulders, stiffened their necks, and would not hear" (Neh. 9:26-29). It should not have been such a surprise, for God had said He would do just that (Deut. 31:17, 18). Friends and brethren, surely we cannot expect a different result if that is what we, as individuals or as a nation, have done! For long years now, men have turned their ears away from listening to the evidence God has left for us to know He exists (Acts 14:17) and have long refused to hear what He has said within His written word; it is abominable, then, that some will now run to Him in desperation, wondering why He does not now hear! God's own word tells us, "If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination" (Prov. 28:9). It cannot be said any stronger than this, and to expect that God will for some reason treat us differently is but a false hope and a lie. When We Call On Him While Walking in Sin. It is no less foolish to believe that we can continue in sin and call Him and expect an answer or help. Again, considering God's people of the Old Law, we find that they eventually came to a point when God said to them, "When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen" (Isa. 1:15). With these people being God's people, we might expect He would readily hear them, but He did not, and it was because their hands were full of blood, they practiced evil, and they oppressed the weakest among them (vv. 11-17). Yet they still expected God to hear! Friends and brethren, let us not also fool ourselves into thinking that we can continue in sin today and have God's ear. The words He spoke to them are just as true today when He does not hear us: "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear" (Isa. 59:1, 2). They had gone so far into sin that God specifically told Jeremiah to not pray for them, because He would not hear (Jer. 7:13-16). What was true for God's people then is true for all men now: "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to Him" (Prov. 15:8). When Sin is in My Heart. The psalmist was knowledgeable of God and understood, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear" (Psa. 66:18). That is, if I have a love for sin, a desire for sin, and an intent to sin in my heart, He will not hear me when I come to Him in prayer. And why would He? If I have a love for the very thing He said I should hate (Psa. 97:10), why would He waste time hearing me? What should I expect when I go to ask favor of the one against whom I have transgressed, with the transgression still accounted to me and with no remorse, but a love for it? Here is where we may fall short when we approach God in prayer. If we have not truly eliminated sin in our lives, repented of it and confessed it for what it is, then it is then that we may expect God to not hear us. It would be foolish and without any sound reasoning to expect otherwise. Who could honestly expect God to hear if we have a love for sin, have no remorse for past sins, and intend to sin again? While these are times when God said He will not hear, let us also acknowledge there may be times when we think God does not hear, but He actually does. The psalmist prophetically wrote of the Messiah in His time of grave distress, who cried out, "O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest" (Psa. 22:2). Some have mistakenly applied this to Jesus before and during His crucifixion, falsely teaching that God had to turn away because Jesus took all the sins of man upon Him. Let us read on from the psalmist and hear what he learned: "For He has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and He has not hidden his face from Him, but has heard, when He cried to Him" (Psa. 22:24). God heard! He heard and looked down on His Son during His darkest time and did not abandon Him, for He was doing the very thing which pleased Him (cf. Isa. 53:10). And He will hear the prayer of the righteous today, too. God hears those who seek Him (cf. Acts 10) but turns away from those who turn away from Him, who walk in sin, and who have a desire for it in their heart. When you call on Him, will He hear you? -- Steven Harper -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090621/29000c33/attachment-0001.html From disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Sun Jun 21 13:26:17 2009 From: disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com (Ethan R. Longhenry) Date: Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:26:17 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] Good News for Norwalk: Volume IV, Number 25: June 21, 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 25: June 21, 2009 ------------------------------------------------------------ Understanding Prophecy Prophecy is an important part of the message of God as understood in the Scriptures. Unfortunately, the nature of prophecy is often quite misunderstood. Many think that prophecy always involves things that will happen in the future. When the word "prophecy" is mentioned, many start thinking maybe of Elijah or Isaiah, perhaps the Revelation to John, or even people like Nostradamus or Edgar Cayce. What, then, is prophecy? Who spoke them? What were the messages spoken through prophecy? Prophecy, in its basic meaning, involves "a foretelling, prediction, a declaration of something to come," according to Webster's dictionary. In the Bible, however, prophecy is the message of God through the Holy Spirit as communicated by a prophet or some other person whom God chose (2 Peter 1:20-21, Jeremiah 2, Hosea 4, etc.). That message, many times, does involve the future, either in terms of future consequences that will arise on account of the sin of the people, or the future promise that God has in store through Christ and His Kingdom (cf. Isaiah 7, Jeremiah 31-34, Isaiah 2, 53, etc.). Yet the message can just as easily involve current events and condemnation of present sinfulness (Isaiah 1-3, Jeremiah 2, etc.). Prophecy, therefore, does not always involve the future! The Bible demonstrates that God normally speaks through prophets. There are examples of others who prophesy by God's power (e.g. Eldad and Medad, Numbers 11:26-27; Saul, 1 Samuel 10:10-11; Caiaphas, John 11:50-51), but, in general, the prophetic message was spoken through men whom God chose. Many such men were called directly by God (Elisha, 1 Kings 19:16-21; Jeremiah, Jeremiah 1, etc.), although there does seem to be a class of prophets, at least during the days of Elijah and Elisha ("the sons of the prophets;" cf. 2 Kings 2:15, 2 Kings 6:1-2). These men were called from all sorts of backgrounds, everything from shepherds (Amos, Amos 1:1) to priests (Jeremiah, Jeremiah 1:1). All that was required of them was to present the message of God through the Holy Spirit to the people. They were not involved in the interpretive process-- their messages were directly from God, and were not of their own invention (2 Peter 1:20-21). This set them apart from the false prophets who dared to speak as if God spoke to them, yet, in reality, they were speaking from their own imaginations (cf. Hananiah; Jeremiah 28). God would communicate through these prophets in different ways. Many times they were to stand and present a direct message to the people or to the king (cf. Isaiah 7, Jeremiah 7). Sometimes God would communicate through them with signs: God would use an example for instruction (the potter and clay, Jeremah 17), events in the lives of the prophets for instruction (Isaiah and Maher-shalal-hash-baz, Isaiah 8; Hosea and Gomer, Hosea 1-4), or command the prophets to act in certain ways for instructive purposes (Isaiah 20, Ezekiel 4:4-17). To others God would provide visions (Daniel, Daniel 7-9; John, Revelation). In the Old Testament, the message of the prophets was rather consistent, as Zechariah indicates in Zechariah 1:4: "Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets cried, saying, 'Thus saith the LORD of hosts, "Return ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings:"' but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD." All the prophets from Moses to Zechariah warned the people to cease from sin and follow God according to the Law. Many of the prophets would go on to inform Israel of the consequences of their continued sin. This usually involved the prediction of great destruction and devastation, both from natural forces like pestilence and famine and from invading armies of men. The defeat and exile of Israel at the hands of the Assyrians and the defeat and exile of Judah at the hands of the Babylonians validated all of these warnings of the prophets (cf. 2 Kings 17, 2 Kings 25). While the main audience of the Old Testament prophets was Israel, many times prophets would prophesy regarding the upcoming condemnation of other nations around Israel (cf. Isaiah 13-20, Jeremiah 46-51, etc.). The messages of Jonah, Nahum, and Obadiah entirely focus on the fate of other nations. All such messages, however, are designed to glorify the name of the LORD and demonstrate His power over not only Israel but also all the nations. Many of the Old Testament prophets also did speak of the glory that God would bring back to His people after His judgments. These prophecies involved the upcoming Messiah and the Kingdom that would be established. These are the classic predictive, or Messianic, prophecies concerning which many are familiar. Some include Isaiah 2:1-4; 9:1-6; 53, Jeremiah 31-33, Ezekiel 41-48, Daniel 7-9, and a host of others. While prophecy ceased from Israel between Malachi and the days of Jesus' birth (ca. 420 BCE - 4 BCE), the New Testament also features many prophets. These prophets were believers given the gift of prophecy by God (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:10). Some such prophecies involve messages regarding future events, including Agabus' messages, along with God's revelation to John (cf. Acts 11:28; 21:10-12, Revelation). Much of the work of the New Testament prophets, however, involved encouraging the brethren (Acts 15:32, 1 Corinthians 14). In the days before the written New Testament, the prophets played the vital role of communicating God's message to the believers, strengthening them in their faith and exhorting them to follow God's purposes for their lives. Prophecy, therefore, certainly involves the prediction of future events, but fundamentally involves the message of God delivered to man. If we will properly understand God's prophetic word, we must understand to whom the prophecy was first spoken, whether it involves only the immediate audience or also people in the future, and the referent of predictive prophecies. If our interpretation of a prophecy makes no sense in light of the original audience of the message, that is a clear warning that our interpretation may not be accurate. If we take heed to this, we will do better at escaping the "tyranny of the present," presuming that all prophecy actually involves our own day. God spoke the word through the prophets to encourage His people to do the right thing and to comfort them, establishing what would come to pass to show them that He indeed was the One True God, the Creator, and Lord. This is as true for the New Testament audience as much as the Old Testament one! The gift of prophecy, of God specifically inspiring an individual to provide a message, passed away at the end of the first century (1 Corinthians 13:8-10). Nevertheless, there is a role even today for those who would speak in the prophetic tradition. Christians need to be told to repent of sin just as Israel did (1 Corinthians 10:1-12). America many times acts in similar ways to Babylon and Rome of old (cf. Isaiah 13-14, Jeremiah 50-51, Revelation 17-18). Let us properly understand prophecy and promote God's truth! Ethan R. Longhenry evangelist at norwalkchurch.org ------------------------------------------------------------ Prophecy Concerning which salvation the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what time or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did point unto, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that should follow them. To whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto you, did they minister these things, which now have been announced unto you through them that preached the gospel unto you by the Holy Spirit sent forth from heaven; which things angel desire to look into (1 Peter 1:10-12). And we have the word of prophecy made more sure; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts: knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation. For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:19-21). ------------------------------------------------------------ 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. Good News for Norwalk is a publication of the church of Christ in Norwalk, Ohio, for the promotion of God's truth in our world. For more information about the church of Christ in Norwalk, please visit our website at norwalkchurch.org. Thank you for your interest, and have a nice day! 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 Jun 22 05:10:02 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2009 06:10:02 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] A) DID JESUS USE CARNAL METHODS TO ATTRACT CROWDS? 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: DID JESUS USE CARNAL METHODS TO ATTRACT CROWDS? Many religious groups use a variety of carnal appeals to draw prople to their assemblies. For instance, there are suppers and ice cream socials, ball games and entertainment events, etc. When asked to justify these activities they will commonly refer to the episodes where Jesus fed the the multitudes. Some have said, 'if you first feed a man's body, then you'll have a chance to feed his soul.' Let's see if their reference to Jeuss' activities will reall support their practices. There were two separate instances in which Jesus miraculously fed huge crowds of people with small quantities of food. One time there were 5000 men, plus women and children (Matt. 14:15-21; Mk. 6:30-44; Lk. 9:10-17; Jno. 6:1-14). On another occasion there were 4000 men, plus women and children (Matt. 15:32-38; Mk. 8:1-9). In both instances, the people had followed Jesus to hear His marvelous teaching and to see His amazing miracles. There had never been a promise of food to draw them. In fact, both episod- es show the people following long distances and for a long time before they were offered food. For axample, in Matt. 15:32 we read "Then Jesus called His disciples unto Him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest the faint in the way." Do you see it? The people were not lured to follow by an offer of food. The food came AFTERWARDS, as an act of compassion to fulfill a need at the time for food for those who had not eaten in days. The people had NOT come in anticipation of being fed. We have one reference where Jesus suspected that the peo- ple did, indeed, come with a desire of receiving food (Jno. 6:22ff) On that occasion He DID NOT feed them! Those who would use the example of Jesus feeding the mul- titudes to justify their carnal practices today are simply wrong! ----------- Greg Gwin via Gospel Power, Vol. 16, No. 23, June 7, 2009. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090622/703e3af3/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Mon Jun 22 05:10:13 2009 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2009 06:10:13 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S) LESSONS FROM TWO DEAD MEN (1) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the first installment of this particular study. Use to the glory of God. LESSONS FOR TWO DEAD MEN (1) Please take time just here to read Lk. 16:19-31. This story of the rich man and Lazarus is a familiar passage of Scripture to most of us. It is often used as a Scriptural reference, and quite often is completely misapplied. There have been long argumen- ts as to whether this was a parable or an actual event of history which Jesus relates. It has become so traditional that the rich man has been given a proper name, "Dives," which means "rich man." But whether or not it was a parable will not affect our study of a few things from the two men in the story. First, Notice The Contrasts Between These Two Men: -- The rich man was independent, holding a position which men would recognize and respect. Lazarus was dependent, and God recog- nized him. The rich man was blessed with much of this world's goods, but Lazarus was existing in extreme poverty. The rich man fared sumptuously every day, but Lazarus begged for crumbs, adn seemingly attended by none save the dogs who licked his sores. The rich man died and was buried, probably with great pomp and ceremony, and Lazarus also died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man awoke in torment, far from Abraham, Lazarus was seen by him in the bosom of Abraham. Now the conditions of the two are re- versed. Lazarus is comforted and at peace. The rich man is in anguish, in torment. Let us look at some principles set forth in this lesson, which are also stated in other portions of the Scriptures. And in so doing, we want to notice how false doctrines are completely ann- ihilated by the plain teaching of Jesus. Death Awaits Us All: -- It is impossible for us to escape the com- mon denominator of us all -- DEATH. It awaits the rich and the poor, with no favoritism shown. Death is no respector of persons. "It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this cometh judgment" (Heb. 9:27). The Bible speaks clearly of the brevity and uncertainty of life, "What is your life? For it is as a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away" (Jas. 4:14). The apostle Peter addresses this idea, also: "For, All flesh is as grass, And all the glory thereof as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower falleth: But the Word of the Lord abideth for ever" (1 Pet. 1:24,25). I doubt that the rich man thought of what might lie beyond the grave. But the thread of life is too fragile to trust. Prepare for death, for it is on its way even now. Trusting In Riches Is Foolishness: -- Since we cannot stay in this present world forever, it is then extreme foolishness to place our trust in riches. As Jesus asked, "For what doth it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his own soul? For what should a man give in exchange for hsi soul?" (Mk. 8: 36,37). The gathering up of the world's riches cannot suffice whin deth beckons us. As the apostle Paul wrote: "We brought nothing into this world, for neither can we carry anything out; but having food and covering we shall be therewith content. But they that are minded to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in destruction and perdition" (1 Tim. 6:7-9). We leave this world with exactly the same bank balance as when we entered it! So why waste our lives on laying up riches upon this earth?! The Terrible Consequences Of Being Lost: -- We don't have all the evidence, which God had, of all the sins of this rich man. But there is no indication of any sin of his except that of the neglect of God and His will. Selfishness leads to neglect of God. Such neglect had probably made this man so selfish that Lazarus was spurned. What a lesson for us! "How shall we escape, if we neg- lect so great a salvation? which having at the first been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard" (Heb. 2:3). The anguish of lost souls is only intensified by the acute con- siousness that is retained after death. Notice the faculties that remained to torment the rich man. He could see, for he saw Laz- arus and Abraham. He recognized the terrible gnawing of thirst, and even the lost state of his brothers in the world. He still re- tained his memory, for Abraham said to him, "Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things: and Lazarus in like manner evil things: but now here he is comforted, and thou aret in anguish" (Lk. 16:25). But what the rich man had in this life did not assuage his thirst after death! He retained his de- sire, but had no means to satiate it. He desired the kind of com- fort Lazarus had. He wanted salvation for his brothers. He begg- ed for mercy for himself. He had the power to speak, but his re- quest was not granted. This story teaches us some important truths about modern religious doctrines. In our next segment of this study we will look at some of these. (More will be posted on this subject tom- orrow, the Lord willing, JWS). -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20090622/c4982139/attachment-0001.html From kerux at bellsouth.net Mon Jun 22 15:50:31 2009 From: kerux at bellsouth.net (Kent Heaton) Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:50:31 -0400 Subject: [Biblemat] A>Those Who Tremble At His Word (Kent Heaton) Message-ID: <7DDB11B3A55449E296845C4F13EF9530@D2381J91> Those Who Tremble At His Word (Kent Heaton) Standing on the beach is such a beautiful experience. Gazing across the water stretching beyond the horizon with the sun dancing playfully along its waves can bring a sense of calm. The lapping of water upon the shore feels sweet on bare feet. The soft breeze reminds one of the grandeur of God's creation and His awesome power. It does not suggest a time of fear when viewing the tides rolling in and out. From the pen of the prophet Jeremiah comes the stern warning of the Lord when He inquires: "Hear this now, O foolish people, without understanding, who have eyes and see not, and who have ears and hear not: Do you not fear Me?' says the LORD. 'Will you not tremble at My presence, who have placed the sand as the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass beyond it? And though its waves toss to and fro, yet they cannot prevail; though they roar, yet they cannot pass over it" (Jeremiah 5:21-22). While there is a feeling of calm repose enjoying the splendor of the oceans ebb the other side of reality is a reminder that the Creator has established laws that will not allow the waters to go beyond their habitation. There are many things man can look at of his creation and marvel at the ingenuity but how can man compare with the workings of the Almighty when he determines the boundaries of the waves? The Lord suggests to all men the need of fearing Him who is able to establish such things. More than just a realization of the power of God through acts of nature man must also be in awe of another creation of God that is incomparable to the greatest works of man. "'For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist,' says the LORD. 'But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word" (Isaiah 66:2). Few regard the word of God as a fearful book anymore. The pages of holy writ were held in honor and reverence by God fearing people who believed every word of its pages and sought to live under the grace of the message of God. The moral fiber of society has eroded the interest in the Bible to where it is seldom quoted, often neglected and impugned in character as a book out of touch. The apostle Paul described the character of Jehovah in Romans 11:22 - "Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off" (Romans 11:22). The righteousness of God and the wrath of God is revealed in the word of God (Romans 1:16-18). The trembling of man's heart is brought about by his recognition of how great Jehovah God is (the "earth is my footstool" Isaiah 66:1) and how dependent man is for everything (Psalm 96). Trembling before the commands of the Lord is respecting the sacred message of the Book. "And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up" (Nehemiah 8:5). The purity of the message must be honored. From the pages of God's word is grace, mercy and truth. Our eternal destiny is bound in the pages of God's word. Jesus Christ 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). Ezra pled with those who trembled at the commandments of the Lord to put away their unlawful wives (Ezra 10:3). "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction" (Proverbs 1:7). 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/20090622/b95d55d5/attachment-0001.html From ZekeFlores1 at cs.com Mon Jun 22 16:12:55 2009 From: ZekeFlores1 at cs.com (ZekeFlores1 at cs.com) Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:12:55 EDT Subject: [Biblemat] S> Joseph's Dilemma Message-ID: Here's a lesson I hope you can use if you don't already have one like it. Gen 39 is a great story that teaches wonderful lessons. If you like, you can download the audio at our website from the "Sermons" page. Zeke Flores Kiber Street church of Christ Angleton, TX www.angletonchristians.com **************************************************************************** ********** Joseph?s Dilemma Gen 39:1-20 Intro. Lots to learn from this well-known story. A. Egyptian society not so different from our own. 1. Historians record: ?Egyptian females, even though married, were distinguished for licentiousness and immorality, and were not condemned to live in seclusion, but were allowed freely to mix in promiscuous society.? 2. Letter to Ann Landers written by girl abut her 15 year old brother?s distress over being seduced by woman on his paper route. She wanted to know how to help him get over his guilt. Landers responded that many boys his age were no longer virgins and he should chalk it up to experience and go on with life, implying that he should count himself lucky for the experience. 3. Gallup poll in the 80's concluded that although religion was on the upswing, so was crime and immorality. Poll concluded that there was little difference in ethical behavior between church goers and those who aren?t; the levels of lying, cheating, and stealing are remarkably the same.? B. Joseph could have taken the worldly view & ?rationalized? it 1. ?I?m a slave, it?s my duty to obey my master?s wife.? 2. ?If I don?t do what she says, I?ll offend her.? 3. ?There may be some advantages to doing what she says.? 4. ?I?m away from my family, my friends and my culture. Who?s to know?? C. Let?s learn some lessons that please God in any society. I. How Joseph dealt with temptation A. Vs 8 - ?he refused? 1. Simply said ?NO!? a. ?Just say ?No?? campaign actually did some good in reducing drug use. b. ?My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.? Pr 1:10 2. Recognize that YOU have the power to refrain from sin a. Eph 5:6-11 b. Rom 6:12-14, Gen 4:7 B. Vs 9 ?How could I do this great evil and sin against God.? 1. Certainly it would have been against Potiphar as well. a. Most sin affects others as well as ourselves. b. Israelite children suffered consequences of parents' sin (1) Num 14:33, Lam 5:7 c. How many today suffer because of their parents sin? (1) Divorce, Drugs/Alcohol, Sexual immorality, Crime, etc 2. Joseph recognized he was ultimately responsible to God. a. Since all sin is a transgression of law (1 John 3:4), it is an offense against the Lawgiver. (1) Psalm 51:1-4 b. Mans biggest problem is recognizing it! (1) Man calls sin an accident; God calls it an abomination. Man calls sin a blunder; God calls it blindness. Man calls sin a ch