From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Thu Feb 1 06:31:51 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2007 07:31:51 EST Subject: [Biblemat] A) WHAT DO YOU THINK? Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Thursday morning to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. Well, we have our first snow of the season and it is not very much. Here is an article from my files: WHAT DO YOU THINK? "What's on your mind?" I can't even count how many times I've been asked that question. But what it proves is that there is no way for you to know what I'm thinking unless I declare it, explain it, make it known. And if it is an impossibi- lity to read each other's minds, how much more to know what's on the mind of God, to know what He's thinking? Un- less He declares it, explains it, and makes it known. The Bible makes a claim about itself that the words written on the pages thereof are not the result of human interpretat- ion or will, "but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God" (2 Pet. 1:21). That means that we can know what is on God's mind, because He has revealed it to us through this God-breathed message. He has eliminated all the guess-work and communicated His thoughts to us, "so that we know the things freely given to us by God" (1 Cor. 2:12). In other words, the mind of God has been fully declared, explained, and made known. Some people think that a relationship with God is depend- ent upon your emotions, how you feel about something. Others will tell you tht it's whatever their parents or grand- parents have taught them. And some will stand behind what their preacher believes or teaches from the pulpit. But each of those approaches to religion are questionable and renders the Bible as irrelevant and unnecessary. You never have to open it up and read it for yourself, because you do what feels right to you. Or you follow your family's beliefs, thinking they wouldn't lead you the wrong way. Or surely your preacher has to be right, right? Jesus said the words that He spoke would judge a man on the last day (Jno. 12:48). That identifies the Word of God as the standard for the judgment. Not your feelings. Not your family. Not your church. Not your preacher. And if our obed- ience to those words will ulitmately decide our eternal destiny doesn't that imply that we ought to take some time to read and study what they say? What good is it to have access to the mind of God if we continually keep our mind closed to it? What do you think about that? Actually, the important question is what does God think about it? And if you make a commitment to start reading into His mind and seeing what He thinks, I'll make a promise to you. You'll start thinking like God thinks and seeing things the way He sees them. Think about it! -------- Bubba Garner via Gospel Power, Vol. 13, No. 51, Dec. 17, 2006. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070201/bcd450f8/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Thu Feb 1 06:32:05 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2007 07:32:05 EST Subject: [Biblemat] S) "WOULD YOU ALSO GO AWAY?" Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is a study from my recent files. Use to the glory of God. "WOULD YOU ALSO GO AWAY?" Jesus had been giving some "hard teaching" to His discip- les. That is, teaching which was hard for them to understand and some of which called for difficulty in obeying. We can read: "Upon this many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him. Jesus said therefore unto the twelve, Would you also go away? Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the Words of eternal life" (Jno. 6:66-68). The Lord usually had hundreds of disciples following Him during His ministry, and "many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him." So far as we know, only the twelve remained at this time. And it is to them that Jesus directs this question: "Would ye also go away?" Can you just imagine the heartbreak in His voice as He asked them this question? The apostle Paul wrote later that some would fall away, "But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron" (1 Tim. 4:1,2). And John wrote of some who had turned away, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they all are not of us" (1 Jno. 2:19). And we are even given the exam- ples, with names, of some that turned away: "Holding faith and a good conscience; which some having thrust from them made shipwreck concerning the faith: of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I delivered unto Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme" (1 Tim. 1:19,20). The scene when Jesus asked, "Would ye also go away?" is indeed a sad picture. Why would disciples -- many of whom had been with Jesus for months, maybe even years -- turn back and forsake Him? But that scene is still being re- peated today! Disciples of Christ are still turning away from Him and His Will. But why? When we consider what He has done for us, why would anyone turn back? Remember that He said, "No one cometh unto the Father, but by Me" (Jno. 14:6). If we turn away from Him, "There remaineth no more sacrifice for sins" (Heb. 10:26). Yet some do turn away. But where do they go? Let us see: Some Go Back Into A Life Of Sin: -- Jesus Christ came to set us free from sin, but some leave Christ and go back into sin. "Take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the Living God" (Heb. 3:12). The Bible says that we are "saved by grace" (Eph. 2:5), but it also says to some, "Ye are fallen away from grace" (Gal. 5:4). That is the reason for the warn- ing, "Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor. 10:12). To follow Christ, we have to make a commitment -- we will follow, no matter what the cost! There can be no waffling, for Jesus said, "He that is not with Me is against Me" (Matt. 12:30). And look at the words of 2 Cor. 5:14,15, "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, that they that live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto Him who for their sakes died and rose again." The apostle Peter paints a dismal picture of one who turns away from Christ: "For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them. It has happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog turning to his own vomit again, and the sow that had washed to wallow- ing in the mire" (2 Pet. 2:21,22). To be cleansed from sin, and then leave Christ and return to a life of sin is to be just like that "sow that was washed to wallowing in the mire." Some Go Into Materialism: -- On another occasion, the Lord asked the question, "What shall a man be profited, if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" (Matt. 16:26). Yet some, not satisfied with the promise of eternal riches, turn from Christ to seek the things of this world. Like Judas, for thirty pieces of silver, he betrays the Lord. The Lord said, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasure in heav- en, where neither moth nor rust doth consume; and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where thy treas- ure is, there will thy heart be also" (Matt. 6:19-21). Disciples of Jesus should learn what is really important. It is true that "every good gift" comes from God (Jas. 1:17), but we need to know what is the best gift. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ...In Whom we have our redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph 1:3,7). But some go away from Christ in order to seek the things of this world -- riches, power, presti- ge, pleasures, etc. The apostle Paul shows the perspective of the true follow- er of Jesus: "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. 4:18-5:1). If we live for this life, and this world, we will lose eternity in heaven with Christ. "Would ye also go away?" Some Go Away Into Legalism: -- The Pharisees were stick- lers for keeping the exact "jot and tittle" of the law. And they insisted on their "right" to bind their ideas and traditions of what God required upon others (Matt. 23:4; Mk. 7:1-13). As the Lord told them, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mer- cy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone" (Matt. 23:23). They thought that by "keeping all the rules" they would gain the approval of God. But they forgot that service to God must be from the heart, or He will not accept it. Just "keeping the rules" is not enough, our hearts must be right, we must have the right pur- pose in such obedience. Some of those who "go away" from Jesus are trying to be "good enough" to go to heaven. But, friend, if any of us could be good enough, we would not need Christ and His mercy! Everyone who goes to heaven will go there by the grace of God. There is no other way. Jesus explained this carefull in an illustration He gave of the slave who did just what his master said, "Doth he thank the servant because he did the things that were commanded? Even so ye also, when ye shall have done all the things that are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which it was our duty to do" (Lk. 17:9,10). You see, if you perfectly obey God, in everything, He still owes you nothing, for that was your purpose when He gave you life! Some Go Away Into Denominationalism: -- One of Satan's most effective sermons is, "One church is just as good as another." Christ never said that, and He never taught it. Jesus said, "I will build My church" (Matt. 16:18). He purchas- ed the church with His own blood (Acts 20:28). On the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), people were told, "Repent ye, and be bapt- ized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins" (vs. 38). We then read: "They then that received his word were baptized" (vs. 41). And then: "The Lord added to the church daily those that were being saved" (vs. 47). That was simple. It still is. Satan tries to complicate it with unscriptural choices -- of ways to be saved and "join the church of your choice." But what the Lord re- quired was simple: people heard the gospel preached, they believed it and were baptized, the Lord Jesus then saved them and added them to His church. Why would anyone go away from that? Every denomination stands in competition with the church that Jesus built. His church is His body (Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:22, 23), and "There is one body" (Eph. 4:4). That church is the bride of Christ, married to Him: "For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the Head of the church, being Himself the Savior of the body...Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself up for it...For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great: but I speak in regard to Christ and of the church" (Eph. 5:23,25,31,32). How many wives does the Lord have, anyway? He is married to His church, it is His body, and "there is one body." How could that be any more clear? Jesus prayed that there would never be any denominat- ions: "Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, are in Me, and I in Thee, that they also my be one in us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me" (Jno. 17:20,21). And when there was found a church with division (almost exactly like denominationalism today), the Lord had Paul to write: "Now I beseech you, breth- ren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment...Is Christ divided?" (1 Cor. 1:10-13). Many "go away from Christ" into denominations, because they are convinced "one church is as good as another" or "one savior is as good as another." Denominations divide believers, and such division is sin (1 Cor. 1:10-13; Eph. 4:1-6). All Go Away Into Hopelessness: -- When anyone "goes away" from Christ, he goes into hopelessness. For Christ is our hope, our only hope (Col. 1:27). In Heb. 10:26-31 is pict- ured the state of one who turns away from Christ: "There re- maineth no more a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful ex- pectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire...hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hat done despite to the Spirit of grace...It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by Me" (Jno. 14:6), and the apostle later said of Him: "And in none other is there salvat- ion" (Acts 4:12). To go away from Christ is to go away from salvation and to go away from God. There is no other means of access to heaven. Christ is it. Only in Christ, and in His blood, is there hope for us: "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 Jno. 1:7). The same apostle writes later, "The witness is this , that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son...These things have I written unto you, that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 Jno. 5:11,13). To go away from Christ is to go away from eternal life, for that life is "in His Son." Christ is still asking each one of us, "Would you also go away?" Our lives give our answer to that question. How will you answer that question? Eternity awaits. ---- Clem Thurman in Gospel Minutes, Vol. 56, No. 4, Jan. 26, 2007. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070201/748aa17c/attachment-0001.html From kthomas at ntslink.net Thu Feb 1 09:22:01 2007 From: kthomas at ntslink.net (kenneth Thomas) Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2007 09:22:01 -0600 (Central Standard Time) Subject: [Biblemat] Poem, Corrected copy Christ's Blood & Our Salvation Message-ID: <45C20599.000003.02492@KENSCOMPUTER> Please notice the corrections made in the last two lines "believers" was believes" and I changed the wording in the last line. Sorry for the mistake. Kenneth E. Thomas Christ?s Blood & Our Salvation By Kenneth E. Thomas Christ blood and our salvation, are inextricably linked together; Without the shedding of His blood; There would be no salvation ever! Many who accept this Biblical truth; And even teach the same to others; Won?t tell them how to reach that blood; No, never, never and again I say, never! Believers are "Baptized into Christ?s death;" This is where His precious blood was shed; Those not baptized "for the remission of sins;" Will of necessity remain spiritually dead! All spiritual blessings are found "In Christ;" A Biblical fact that Paul so clearly stated; But penitent believers are "baptized into Christ;" That?s when spiritual life is then reinstated! (Matt. 26:28; Heb. 9:22; Rom. 6:3-6; Jno. 19:34; Acts 2:38; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 3:26-29; Col. 2:10-12; Matt. 1:18-23; Eph. 1:3; Acts 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:20-22; Jno. 3:3-5; Acts 3:19; Titus 3:3-5; 1 Pet. 1:22-25). Please read each Scriptural reference! Kenneth E. Thomas Pekin church of Christ 1451 Valle Vista Blvd. Pekin, IL 61554 1 (309) 347-3582 - Office 1 (309) 347-5645 - Home -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070201/7ce5335c/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 251 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070201/7ce5335c/attachment-0003.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 289 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070201/7ce5335c/attachment-0004.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 17991 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070201/7ce5335c/attachment-0005.gif From disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Thu Feb 1 15:59:04 2007 From: disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com (Ethan R. Longhenry) Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2007 16:59:04 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] S:> The Parable of the Sower: The Rocky Soil Message-ID: http://www.deusvitae.com/faith/outlines/index.html The Parable of the Sower: The Rocky Soil Base text: Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23 I. The Parable A. Parable: "true-to-life" story expressing spiritual truths B. An extended metaphor C. Discussion of sower and seed and soil (Matthew 13:3-9) 1. Sower refers to one preaching 2. Seed is the Word, the Gospel 3. Soils represent different persons hearing the Gospel D. Interpretation is sure-- Jesus Himself explains it (Matthew 13:18-23) E. We saw general truths regarding the parable 1. Expectation that Christians go out and sow the seed 2. Seed sown everywhere-- not prejudging people's receptiveness 3. We just cast the seed F. Previously looked at the seed cast on the road (vv. 4, 19) 1. Those who do not believe 2. Do not believe for different reasons 3. May respond in different, mostly negative ways to hearing the Gospel 4. It should not discourage us G. Let us now consider the rocky soil (vv. 5-6, 20-21) II. The Rocky Soil A. Rocky soil, as is described, has little depth; little room for roots (v. 5) 1. To compensate, the roots must disperse widely 2. Regardless, plant is temporary and can easily be dried up B. Compared to a particular type of believer (vv. 20-21) 1. Notice that this person does convert 2. In fact, he receives the word with joy (v. 20)! C. Difficulty: not well founded in the faith 1. He endures for awhile... 2. ...but if he endures resistance, he stumbles and falls away (v. 21)! D. Let us consider this further III. Causes of Stumbling A. What are types of stumbling blocks that can lead to one so stumbling? B. As Jesus mentions, "tribulation or persecution" (v. 21) 1. If one is not fully converted at baptism, making a great sacrifice for God would be difficult indeed! 2. One has to be extremely committed to Christ to suffer greatly and even die for Him (1 John 3:16)! 3. Historically, when great persecutions have arisen, many have apostatized to save their skins! 4. Furthermore, when we suffer various trials in our lives, it is tempting to question God and His goodness and thus apostatize 5. We must not be as Job's wife (Job 2:9), but more as Job (Job 2:10)! C. Other Forms of Resistance 1. We today have little to fear in terms of major persecutions, but such does not mean that we should not expect resistance! 2. Family and friends may tempt you to return to your former life (Matthew 10:21-22, 34-38; 1 Peter 4:3-4) 3. Even if it is not temptation, it may be difficult to put Christ above all these others! 4. There is also general resistance from the world (1 John 2:15-17) D. All Christians are in danger from these attacks; how much more, then, one not well rooted in the faith! IV. Importance of Good Foundations in the Faith A. Jesus' illustration of the seed in the rocky soil presents many truths 1. First of all, it explains why some fall away-- they were not well founded 2. It also serves as a warning, however, that we should take care to not be as the rocky soil! B. Remember, those who are the "rocky soil" do convert-- "they" could be us! C. How can we make sure that we are well-rooted in the faith? D. Well-Rooted in the Word 1. 2 Timothy 2:15 2. Being grounded in God's Word will help us weather the storm 3. Jesus says as much in Matthew 7:24-27 E. Well-Rooted in Righteousness 1. As Jesus says in Matthew 7:24-27, it is not just hearing Christ's words, but also doing them that leads to stability 2. Hebrews 5:14: maturity defined by having powers of discernment trained through constant practice to distinguish good and evil 3. By constantly living according to Christ's will, we will root ourselves in Him F. Well-Rooted in Your Own Faith 1. It is necessary for us to have faith (Hebrews 11:1, 6) 2. The faith, however, must be our own (cf. Romans 1:16-17; Habakkuk 2:4) 3. No one will be saved because of their father's faith or son's faith! 4. If you do not own your faith as your own, you cannot be as deeply rooted as will be necessary for it to survive! G. Full Commitment 1. Perhaps one of the often-neglected aspects of the faith is the level of commitment required 2. While we take people where they are and help encourage and strengthen them to become what they should be in Christ (Galatians 2:20)... 3. ...commitment to Christ must not be lukewarm or mediocre! 4. Jesus establishes strong statements in Matthew 10:37-38: one must be committed to Him above all others! 5. We must seek the Kingdom and His righteousness first, and He will add to us (Matthew 6:33) 6. Would you die for it (1 John 3:16)? 7. If these statements do not reflect your current commitment level to Christ, be warned-- you may turn out like the rocky soil! 8. God forbid it! H. While there can never be guarantees, we can reasonably establish that the better grounded you are in your faith, the less likely you will be to fall away! V. Conclusion A. We have looked at the image of the rocky soil B. As plants in rocky soil have no root and can easily dry up, so some Christians have little foundation and can be easily caused to stumble C. We have seen that there are many occasions for stumbling D. We have seen ways that we can be rooted in the faith to be less liable to stumble E. Let us strive to be well-founded in our faith in Christ Jesus and our salvation! F. Invitation/songbook Ethan R. Longhenry/ disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Evangelist, church of Christ in Norwalk, Ohio (http://www.norwalkchurch.org) Website: http://www.deusvitae.com AIM: Deus Vitae / ICQ#: 28317056 MSN Messenger ID: deusvitae at hotmail.com Yahoo! Messenger ID: discipuliiesus Subscribe to Good News for Norwalk! goodnewsfornorwalk-subscribe at norwalkchurch.org From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Fri Feb 2 05:00:08 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2007 06:00:08 EST Subject: [Biblemat] A) ABRAHAM'S OBEDIENCE Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Friday morn- ing to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. Here is an article from my files: ABRAHAM'S OBEDIENCE Have you considered what God said to Abraham and how Abraham responded? God told Abraham to leave his native land and to go to a land that God would show him. Abraham obeyed (Gen. 12:1-9; Heb. 11:8). God told him to look in all directions in that land and to walk in it through its length and width, "for", He said, "I give it to you." Abraham believed what God told him, and he built altars to the Lord in the plac- es where he sojourned (Gen. 13:14-18; 12:7,8). God told Abraham that his descendants would be as the stars of heav- en in number. Abraham "believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness" (Gen. 15:1-3). Abra- ham was childless and growing old, yet he believed in the pro- mises of the Lord. God even gave Abraham a sign to assure His promise of Abraham's possessing the land (Gen. 15:7-21), a promise that would not be realized until the fourth generat- ion. God repeated His promises and made a covenant with Abraham with this condition: "Walk before Me and be blame- less" (Gen. 17:1-9). Circumcision was given as a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham, and Abraham and all of his males were circumcised that very day (Gen. 17:23-27). God had confidence in Abraham's continued obedience -- the basis of the covenant. "For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him" (Gen. 18:19). A great test of Abraham's faith was given in command to take Isaac and offer him as a burnt offering (Gen. 22:1,2). Abraham rose early in the morning and set out to do as he was commanded. He did not falter, even though all human reasoning would cry out against his taking the life of his heir. He believed that God could raise Isaac from the dead, if nec- essary (Heb. 11:17-19). Now hear God's word to Abraham: "By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son -- blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven...In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice" (Gen. 22:16-18). "Do you see how faith worked with his works, and by his works his faith was made complete?" (Jas. 2:21-24). Hence, Abraham was justified when he by faith obeyed God. What is your state before God? ---- Gilbert Alexander via, Gospel Power, Vol. 13, No. 48, Nov. 26, 2006. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070202/5ab6571d/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Fri Feb 2 05:00:17 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2007 06:00:17 EST Subject: [Biblemat] S) A LETTER TO A SEARCHER FOR GOD (1) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is a study from my files. Use to the glory of God. A LETTER TO A SEARCHER FOR GOD (1) From the very beginning of time men and women have be- gun the quest to find God, to know His Truth, and to gain favor in His sight. "...Then men began to call upon the name of the Lord" Gen. 4:26. You're not the first person to begin such a search and neither will you be the last. In the Bible we encounter a long list of "searchers", people who were seek- ing to find God, His Truth, and His acceptance. "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God" Psa. 42:2. "And many peo- ples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to...the house of.. God...that He may teach us concerning His Ways..." Isa. 2:3. "...in those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew saying, Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you" Zech. 8:23. "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest" Matt. 11: 28. "that they should seek God..." Acts 17:27. "...And He is a rewarder of those who seek Him" Heb. 11:6. I write this letter, because like the people in these passages, and yourself, I once started that search for God. I write this letter hoping to give you guidance in this search, for the Bible reveals that many sincere souls, like yourself, that have begun the quest to find God, have become sidetracked and have failed. Some have failed because they began this task with false expectations: "...when affliction or persecution arises be- cause of the Word, immediately he falls away" Matt. 13:20,21. Others have failed because they weren't prepared for the God that they found: "But when the young man heard this state- ment, he went away grieved..." Matt. 19:22. The truth is, Jesus Himself said, that many would fail: "...Many will say to Me on that day...And then I will declare to them, I never knew you..." Matt. 7:22,23. In fact, some who were searching for God, because of the religious people that they became involv- ed with or trusted or listened to their advice, actually ended up in worse condition: "...For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves" Matt. 23:15. It is my hope that you can avoid the pitfalls that are all along the road to finding favor with God. I write as one who been along that road, who has seen the narrow and the broad way (Matt. 7:12,13), and who has seen the various counter- feits of the truth that the devil has set up (2 Cor. 11:13-15). I write as one who can give guidance (Acts 8:31) and warning (Ezk. 3:17ff). YOU CAN FIND... Friendliness In All Religious And Non-Relig- ious Groups: -- So don't make the mistake of assuming that a religious body is teaching the right way to God, just because they happen to be "nice and friendly people." Religious cults are notorious for practicing what is known as "lovebombing", i.e. where a potential member is hugged by members, fed, given the impression that everything is pleasur- able, involved in endless initiation discussions and receives constant attention. Someone has rightly called this practice, "heavenly deception." In addition, those who have been in the world can attest that you can find some very friendly peo- ple in the "party-crowd". (1 Pet. 4:3,4). Support And Encouragement In All Groups: -- At times even Christians will complain, "I found a lot more among sinn- ers than in the church." The truth is that you can find supp- ort, encouragement, a listening ear, a pat on the back, finan- cial help, etc...in virtually every group of people that exists, religious and non-religious. So don't make the mistake of thinking, "these people supported me, therefore, God auto- matically approves of them." God has revealed that even sinners can be very encouraging and supportive. "Who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who prac- tice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but but also approve of those who practice them" Rom. 1:32. King Ahab in the Old Testament, had a very wicked wife, and yet no one can say that she wasn't "supportive" (1 Kgs. 21:4- 7,25). Our society is filled with various support groups, and people do benefit from them, but realize the fact that "support" is a quality that lost and saved, saint and sinner, right and wrong can both give. Even the devil can be very "supportive" (Gen. 3:4 -- "You surely shall not die!"). We need to realize something about "support and encour- agement". While the Bible commands Christians to "Bear one another's burdens..." (Gal. 6:2), it also reveals that there exist certain "loads" that only the individual can and must bear for himself "For each one shall bear his own load" (Gal. 6:4). In addition, God also commands Christians to care for their own families (1 Tim. 5:8; Eph. 5:22 - 6:1-4). Hence, I need to realize that God is telling me, it's unrealistic (and un- scriptural) for me to demand that Christians be at my every beck and call. (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/20070202/872b4061/attachment-0001.html From kthomas at ntslink.net Fri Feb 2 11:43:13 2007 From: kthomas at ntslink.net (kenneth Thomas) Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2007 11:43:13 -0600 (Central Standard Time) Subject: [Biblemat] Poem, In Christ Message-ID: <45C37831.000003.00440@KENSCOMPUTER> "In Christ" By Kenneth E. Thomas In Christ all spiritual blessings reside; He is the way, the truth, and the life: His word as God's final answer to man; When accepted puts an end to all strife! Never had man spoken like Jesus spoke; Said an officer who returned empty handed; Because He was the very Word made flesh; He always did what his Father comanded! Are you "in Christ" my dear friend? Are you "washed in the blood the Lamb"? Have you been "baptized into Christ"; Where all spiritual blessings are found? (Eph. 1:3; Jn. 14:6; Heb. 1:1-2; Jn. 17:17; Jn. 7:46; Jn. 1:14; Acts 22:16; Rom. 6:3-4.) Kenneth E. Thomas Pekin church of Christ 1451 Valle Vista Blvd. Pekin, IL 61554 1 (309) 347-3582 - Office 1 (309) 347-5645 - Home -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070202/6557d908/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 18861 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070202/6557d908/attachment-0005.gif From rkkrwolf at knology.net Fri Feb 2 13:17:34 2007 From: rkkrwolf at knology.net (Ryan & Kristi Wolf) Date: Fri, 02 Feb 2007 13:17:34 -0600 Subject: [Biblemat] H> Trying to get in touch with Bob Dodson in Hemet, CA Message-ID: <45C38E4E.7030307@knology.net> Brethren, I am trying to get in contact with Brother Bob Dodson in Hemet, CA. I can't find the card I had and I could use any help I can get. My wife and I are leaving today for a funeral in CA and we would like to worship with Him this coming Lord's Day. Thanks, Ryan Wolf PS - If you know of a sound congregation in the Riverside County area that I may be overlooking and have contact information for them I would appreciate that also. From donmcclain at sbcglobal.net Fri Feb 2 18:46:26 2007 From: donmcclain at sbcglobal.net (Don Mcclain) Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2007 18:46:26 -0600 Subject: [Biblemat] The Greatest Danger Facing The Church Today References: <004b01c74714$ca62d060$0301a8c0@JOHN> Message-ID: <001601c7472c$bd37c3b0$0301a8c0@DESKTOP> The Greatest Danger Facing The Church Today By Don McClain Division is a terrible thing - and whatever causes division should be abhorred by those who love God. God hates those who sow discord, (Prov. 6:16-19), therefore - discord is something we should also hate. There is absolutely no doubt that pride and inflated egos are clear indicators of an evil spirit and the cause of much division in the church. Bad attitudes are just as sinful as any sin you can think of. - In fact - it can be rightly argued that almost every sin has its root in a bad attitude. There is no excuse for sinful attitudes, (Eph. 4:1-3). There is no justifiable reason for rudeness or mean spiritedness. A bad attitude certainly does unity no favors - however - there are several ways that men can be guilty of sowing discord besides exhibiting bad attitudes! What about those who promote error and false doctrine among God's people??? The false prophets in the Old Testament destroyed God's people through their false teaching, (Jer. 23:9-36). The Scribes and Pharisees turned people away from the truth by teaching the doctrines and commandments of men, (Mat 15:1-20). The Judaizing teachers in the New Testament endangered the early church by binding certain requirements in the Law of Moses upon Christians, (Gal. 5:1-15). The false prophets, Scribes, Pharisee's and Judaizing Christians all caused discord because of the error that they preached. How should false teachers among us be treated? Some false teachers put on an air of humility while in confrontation and attempt to label any and all who confronts them as being un-Christ-like. This has been an effective tactic - for many have been led to believe that anyone who attempts to expose a false teacher in the church is merely legalistic, a gnat strainer, and doesn't possess the love of Christ. There are some among us who apparently would have rebuked Jesus for being "too harsh" with the Scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23. I once heard someone say that if Stephen had not been so harsh with those to whom he spoke, (Acts 7:51-60), he would have not been stoned to death and might have converted some of them. Paul stated in Gal 5:12 that he wished that the Judaizers would mutilate themselves, (NOW THAT'S HARSH!!). Was Paul wrong for what he said? Was Paul wrong for not putting up with their error, not even for an hour (Gal. 2:5)? Friend - too many want to pet and caress the 'poor abused' false teacher! The idea that gentleness and kindness somehow cancels out rebuke and the need to expose false teachers is not Biblical is it? Gentleness - YES!! Love - YES!! Kindness - YES!!! - But what about being militant (2 Tim 2:3)? - What about being zealous (John 2:17; 2 Cor. 7:11)? What about being clear instead of beating around the bush, (2 Cor 7:4; Titus 2:8)? What about being bold (Acts 9:29; 13:46; Eph 6:20)? Can we be a loving people and hate error at the same time? Yes, and true love demands it!! God requires that we preach and defend the truth, (Jude 1:3), as well as expose, rebuke and denounce error (1 Tim 5:20; Titus 1:13; 2 Tim 4:2-4). Exposing a false teacher is not a loveless act!! It is in fact demonstrating ones love for truth and for God who revealed it. It also demonstrates a love for the souls of men who could be "led away with the error of the wicked." (2 Peter 3:17,18). After a false teacher rejects the truth - the Bible teaches that we are to mark that person (Rom. 16:17,18). The false teacher is a REAL trouble maker among God's people! When we close our eyes to a wolf in sheep's clothing - we surrender ourselves to become his next meal!! In my view - brethren's desire to compromise and refuse to identify and expose error and those who promote it is the greatest danger facing the church today! "The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained." --George Washington Don McClain 65th Street church of Christ 7115 West 65th Street Little Rock AR 72219 donmcclain at sbcglobal.net http://w65stchurchofchrist.org/Home_page.htm AIM: tel: mobile: Skype ID: SkypeIn #: 501-568-1062 501-749-6928 Add me to your address book... Want a signature like this? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070202/525f8b32/attachment.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Sat Feb 3 05:31:49 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2007 06:31:49 EST Subject: [Biblemat] A) SUPER BOWL SUNDAY Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Saturday morning to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. Here are some thoughts concerning the use of the Lord's Day, Sunday: SUPER BOWL SUNDAY In our local newpaper yesterday, Feb. 2, was a byline from the AP in Miami. It stated: Churches use Super Bowl Sunday to teach new people: -- "Football's faithful will file into house parties, bars and, of course, Dolphin Stadium on Super Bowl Sunday to observe their holiest of holy days. But they'll also turn out in force at churches across the country, which are tapping the popularity of sports in hopes of saving souls. "Organizers of church-sponsored Super Bowl gatherings see the events as a departure from the formality of organized religion -- the type of events that could make someone who doesn't typically attend services feel more at home. "It's a way of reaching out into our community in a very informal, low-key way where we show people we're regular Joes like they are without the pressure of Church, said Pastor Luis Acosta of Pines Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist con- gregation north of Miami in Pemproke Pines. "Pines Baptist has been holding Super Bowl events for a few years and expects about 300 people, mostly men, at its flag football game and watch party this year. The church drew about 250 people to a block party Jan. 13 which featur- ed NFL-themed games, former Dolphin players signing auto- graphs and giveaways including a plasma television. "Acosta said the church doesn't take a heavy-handed appr- oach to nonbelievers who join in such events. There won't be so much as a prayer at the Super Bowl Sunday event. If a guest enjoys himself, a member might invite him to a church social group meeting, then maybe a Bible study, then perhaps an actual service. We just follow God's lead, Acosta said." Satan knows how to do his work well. He guides the organizers of the Super Bowl to present it at the very time the people of God usually are having their evening church services. So, the leaders in many churches rearrange their schedule to meet the occasion or they just simply bring in a large TV set and use the whole day for fun and frolic. Even as the "pastor" said, "We don't have anything religious on that day, not even a prayer." He closed out his statement by saying "We just follow God's lead." No, they are not following God's lead in this matter they are following Satan's. They have given the Lord's Day over to Satan. The Bible tells us that a person caught up in the pleasures of this world will be choked out and not bear any fruit for the glory of God. His heart is where his treasure is. His treasure is a sport's event. (Matt. 6:19-21; Lk. 8:14; 1 Tim. 5:6). Most of the denominational churches, and even some that call themselves churches of Christ, cater to the flesh, they supply food, fun, and frolic for anyone that comes their way. They spend millions of dollars to build large buildings to house gymnasiums and banquet halls. They spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy and maintain Silver Eagle Tour busses to transport their membership to venues of recreat- ion and sightseeing. So, the fulfillment of the desires of the flesh has come between man and his God and therefore has become an idol to worship. The nation has become so caught up in the desires and pleasures of this world that they shunt God to the very background and even commandeer His special day, Sunday, to engage in highly advertised super sports, and boating, fishing, hunting, playing golf, watching sports on TV and partying. Some, spend themselves out on Saturday to the extent that they wear their body down to a nub and then they sleep most of the morning on Sunday. When they do finally get up and fix them something to eat for lunch, immediately the TV beckons to watch sports all the afternoon. Such a nation has forgotten God, and such a nation will be turned into hell, Psa. 9:17. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070203/2238cff6/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Sat Feb 3 05:31:59 2007 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2007 06:31:59 EST Subject: [Biblemat] S) A LETTER TO A SEARCHER FOR GOD (2) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the second part of this particular study. Use to the glory of God. A LETTER TO A SEARCHER FOR GOD (2) Eloquent/Enthusiastic/Entertaining/Charismatic Speakers: - >From the beginning of time, many have fallen into the trap of being enthralled with the messenger without paying much att- ention to the real message he/she was bringing. In the Bible we learn, as hopefully we have already learned in life, that some of the most charismatic speakers, are found on the side of evil. From Gen. 3 and Matt. 4, we learn that the devil is a very persuasive and smooth talking speaker. So was Jonadab in 2 Sam. 13:3. In the New Testament, Christians are warned about a class of men who "by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspect- ing." (Rom. 16:18). In contrast to human religious leaders that look "polished", we find some individuals in the Bible who wouldn't fit such a mold. "...He has no form or comli- ness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him." (Isa. 53:2). And basically the same type of things were true about the apostle Paul "And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom..." (1 Cor. 2:1). "but his personal presence is unim- pressive and his speech contemptible" (2:3,4; 2 Cor. 10:10). The warning is clear, don't be overly impressed about a man's appearance, presentation, or delivery, but really listen to what he is saying, is it the truth? Fun/Games/Recreation Are Found Everywhere: -- Some religious groups seek to lure people in by a flurry of social activities. Church sponsored potlucks, ski trips, bowling part- ies, dances, etc...The truth is, all groups, religious and non- religious offer these types of things. Why, even in the Old Testament, being a prophet of Baal during the reign of Ahab, meant that your meals were free (1 Kgs. 18:19). Recently someone gave me a flyer which outlined the events being offered by the Humanist Community that serves Stanford University. Among the activities that this group of atheists offers, were listed "Sunday School" 'our charge is to make Humanis come alive for grade schoolers and high schoolers' "Potlucks"; "Sunday morning events" 9:15 a.m., small groups; 10:45 a.m., "forum", after which they gather for lunch in the cafeteria. But when we open the Bible, we find the New Testament church refuses to use "fun and games" to draw or keep mem- bers. In fact, Paul rebuked the Corinthians for turning the Lord's Supper into a potluck and said, "What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink?" (1 Cor. 11:23); "If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you may not come together for judgment" (11:34). It makes you wonder. What would Paul say about a congregation of people who wants to build a place of worship with the Lord's funds that can be quickly transformed into a gymnasium or dining room 15 minutes after the worship of God is over? Have twentieth century religious bodies found a loophole in Paul's teaching? Preaching That Doesn't Require You To Change: -- If you're looking for a religion that doesn't require much of you, involves little sacrifice and small change (personal or monet- ary) on your part, then you will find plenty of religious groups that will be very eager to accommodate you. Again, the Bible warns us concerning preaching that "sounds too good to be true". And be informed, this isn't a "small" percentage of the religious world. The people of God in both testaments had to constantly battle those who preached a "religion of convenience". "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil" Isa. 5:20. "Speak to us pleasant words, prophesy illusions" 30:10. "And they have healed the brokenness of My people superficially. Say- ing 'Peace, peace', But there is no peace" Jer. 6:14. "But wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires" 2 Tim. 4:3. "to suit their whims" (Goodspeed). Religious groups will always exist, which are only too eager to inform you that in "coming over here, we don't re- quire that you submit to baptism (Mk. 16:16); give up your sinful ways (Acts 17:30); attend faithfully (Heb. 10:25), etc. In fact, God reveals that religious teachers even existed in the first century, who not only allowed but defended and encour- aged "members" to remain in sinful practices "...they entice by fleshly desires...those who barely escape from the ones who live in error...promising them freedom" (2 Pet. 2:18,19). Goodspeed says: "They utter arrogant nonsense and use physical cravings to lure...". "Ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness..." (Jd. 4).Hence don't be surprised when you find that certain religious bodies per- mit and or defend sex outside of marriage (fornication), homo- sexual relationships, idolatry, drunkenness, profanity, and even murder (abortion/suicide). And yet, God doesn't! (1 Cor. 6:6-10; Eph. 5:4-6). And when you are tempted to follow a messenger that says, "we only preach positive and uplifting lessons" remem- ber this fact: Many of the greatest sermons recorded in the Bible didn't end on a positive note. The Sermon on the Mount, (Matt. 7:27) Peter's sermon on Pentecost, (Acts 2:36) Stephen's sermon, (Acts 7:51-53), Paul's sermon on Mars Hill, (Acts 17:30,31). When searching for God and the way to acceptance with Him, the most important and only consideration must be, "the truth" (Jno. 8:31,32; 14:6; 2 Thes. 2:1-12). Because acceptance with God is linked with, did we "do" what God "said"? (Matt. 7:21). Hence, first priority must be in finding the church that teaches accurately and truthfully what God has said in His Word. ----- via. Know Your Bible, Vol. 5, No. 1, Jan. 22, 2006. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070203/8921f36b/attachment-0001.html From harperwest at yahoo.com Sat Feb 3 08:22:55 2007 From: harperwest at yahoo.com (Steven C. Harper) Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2007 07:22:55 -0700 Subject: [Biblemat] A> CENI? Message-ID: <000601c7479e$cf5bc010$7cf9f004@Steven> From: TRUTH & REASON, a bulletin of the Glendale church of Christ, Glendale, AZ. Editor: Steven Harper February 4, 2007 CENI? In the realm of discussions about Bible authority, there are some men who are now complaining that anyone who demands "book, chapter, and verse" for what is taught or practiced is merely a "traditionalist" who is either following or attempting to defend some human-derived method of establishing authority that is [according to one recent assertion] "not found anywhere in the New Testament" and anyone who is using that method to establish authority is merely following recent traditions and is binding where God has not bound. Yes, that's right; some are now boldly stating that we do not need Bible authority for anything we say or do in religious matters! But we should not be surprised. First, this man says, "a Church of Christ person [sic] cannot escape CENI's influence; that is, if they're really committed to the 'restoration' approach to Christianity. If one is dedicated to the 'restoration' of the NT church, then CENI is the only logical means by which to accomplish this task. If the goal is to do church [sic] exactly like church was done in the first century, then CENI is the hermeneutical tool to use." This man believes CENI is proper if we are trying to follow the pattern of the New Testament church, but he then says, "CENI's accompanying doctrine of 'patternism' is just as illegitimate as the rest of CENI's hermeneutics," and, "I'll simply affirm that such an approach to Christianity is nowhere found in the text of the NT." In other words, using CENI is wrong ['illegitimate' means not sanctioned by law] and the whole concept of CENI is human-derived and unBiblical. That is a serious charge and assertion! Is he correct? Is the CENI approach human-derived and not of God? Is this method of establishing authority "nowhere found in the text of the NT" as this man asserts? By now you might be thinking, "What is CENI, and why should I care?" The acronym CENI simply means Command, Example, Necessary Inference and it refers to the basic method of establishing authority when considering spiritual matters. It is also often referred to as "book, chapter, and verse" when speaking particularly about the basis for authority. Some have been arguing of late that this approach when attempting to determine right or wrong on any subject is either out of date, human-derived, or - more boldly stated - 'illegitimate.' But these assertions are often made without proof - and we are supposed to simply accept their word? Let us instead take a look into God's Word and see if these spurious claims are true, or if they are off-base and blatant lies. Commands. The first method of establishing authority is by direct commands or statements. We find that the apostle Paul said God "commands all people everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30); are we to believe that this command of God does not apply to us today because some man now says that using commands to establish authority is "nowhere found in the NT"? [If I am not mistaken, the book of Acts is in the NT!] The apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonian brethren and commanded that they withdraw from any disorderly brother (2 Thess. 3:6); did they have to obey Paul's command or not? Paul himself said just prior to this, "And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command" (v. 4). Paul expected that they would obey his commands, yet we have brethren today who are saying disciples today do not have to obey those same commands? Consider also that Jesus Himself spoke directly to His apostles and said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:19-20). He also stated [in Mark's account of the same occasion] that the one who "believes and is baptized will be saved" (Mark 16:16); is this not binding on men today? Note well that Jesus told the apostles to first make disciples of all nations and that they should then teach those disciples to observe "all things that I have commanded you." If we claim to be disciples of Jesus Christ, it should be clear that His commands are binding! Examples. We should, in all reality, narrow this down to divinely-approved examples, for there are clearly some examples that are not binding upon disciples because they are contrary to the will of God. [Ex., The rich, young ruler's behavior should not be followed, Matt. 19:16-21.] That said, let us note that the apostle Paul told the Philippian brethren that they should "join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us" (Phlp. 3:17). He had reminded the Thessalonian brethren of how he and the others had lived amongst them "to give you in ourselves an example to imitate" (2 Thess. 3:8-9). He had told the Corinthians, "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1). He could say this [by inspiration of the Holy Spirit] because Jesus is the example that we should be following! Jesus Himself gave an example of humble service before His apostles and then said, "I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you" (John 13:15). Jesus - the head of the church and He with all authority - left us an example that we should follow in His steps (1 Pet. 2:21), so it should be clear that certain examples certainly are binding. [These examples are all found in the NT.] Necessary Inference. Let us note that not all inferences are necessary inferences. If any other conclusion may be drawn from a text when no direct command or statement is given, then the inference is not necessarily true. However, we find that Jesus used this method of interpretation when answering His critics. Once, the Sadducees presented a theoretical situation that they presumed would stump Jesus because they did not believe in the resurrection (Matt. 22:23-33). He, however, referred to an Old Testament text and drew a necessary conclusion that God was God of the living and not the dead [inferring Abraham was then living, or existing]. Was Jesus wrong to use necessary inference and to expect that the Sadducees should have known this? Was He wrong in condemning them (v. 29)? Jesus also cited Genesis 2:24 when answering the Pharisees about the cause for divorce and drew a necessary conclusion: "What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate" (Matt. 19:6). Was Jesus wrong in drawing a conclusion from that text and binding its meaning upon them and us? I don't think anyone would say Jesus was wrong in doing this, so we must conclude that necessary inference is approved of God. [And note that these are in the NT!] Now, having explained CENI and having proven that it is indeed found in the New Testament as a legitimate means of interpretation and of establishing authority, we must now conclude that this man - and any other - who claims CENI is 'illegitimate' and 'nowhere found in the NT' doesn't have any idea what they are talking about and all subsequent arguments should be eyed with great suspicion. Exactly what is their point? What are they trying to do? Why are they trying so diligently to discount this method of interpretation and means of establishing authority? The sad fact is, this man and others are trying to [re]introduce errors into the teaching and practice of the church by circumventing the authority of the head of the church Himself, Jesus Christ, and saying we do not need authority for anything! Many men before have acted in this way, and they, too, were proven wrong (cf. 1 Sam. 13:8-14). It is only through the revealed Word of God that we may know His will (cf. 1 Cor. 2:9-13). When we appeal to anything else, we cannot know that God approves. -- Steven Harper -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070203/d2d2be23/attachment-0001.html From wcoc at bellsouth.net Sat Feb 3 08:51:05 2007 From: wcoc at bellsouth.net (westside) Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2007 08:51:05 -0600 Subject: [Biblemat] R: Tax Question 2 Message-ID: <005301c747a2$bc8b5370$0202a8c0@westsidecoc> I know you probably do not like answering my tax questions any more than I like asking them, however, I have another question. The church here has already issued me a 1099. They show my total salary including the housing allowance. How do I handle the housing allowance with a 1099? Thanks Dennis "If you make a mistake, learn from it. If you do something brilliant, get over it." D.T. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070203/2985df01/attachment.html From wswalker310 at juno.com Fri Feb 2 16:29:00 2007 From: wswalker310 at juno.com (Wayne S Walker) Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2007 16:29:00 -0600 Subject: [Biblemat] hymn study, "We Shall See the King Some Day" Message-ID: <20070203.092102.2100.0.wswalker310@juno.com> Wayne Walker here with another weekly hymn study. "WE SHALL SEE THE KING SOME DAY" "Then we...shall be caught up together...to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Thes. 4.17) INTRO.: A song which looks forward to the time when we shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air is "We Shall See the King Some Day" (#532 in Hymns for Worship Revised, #6 in Sacred Selections for the Church). The text was written and the tune (Jones) was composed both by Lewis Edgar Jones (1865-1936). The song was produced in 1906 when Jones was general secretary for the YMCA in Ft. Worth, TX. He sold the manuscript to Charles H. Gabriel, who published it in his 1907 hymnbook Praise and Service. The copyright was originally owned by Edwin O. Excell, but after it was renewed in 1934, it was owned by the Lillenas Publishing Co. Jones is perhaps best remembered as the author and composer of "There's Power in the Blood." Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord's church during the twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, "We Shall See the King Some Day" appeared in the 1921 Great Songs of the Church (No. 1) and the 1937 Great Songs of the Church No. 2 both edited by E. L. Jorgenson; the 1935 Christian Hymns (No. 1), the 1948 Christian Hymns No. 2, and the 1966 Christian Hymns No. 3 all edited by L. O. Sanderson; the 1959 Majestic Hymnal No. 2 and the 1978 Hymns of Praise both edited by Reuel Lemmons; the 1963 Abiding Hymns edited by Robert C. Welch; and the 1963 Christian Hymnal edited by J. Nelson Slater. Today it may be found in the 1971 Songs of the Church 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 and Sacred Selections. The song is a joyful expression of our hope of seeing Christ and being with Him forever. I. The first stanza emphasizes the time when we receive our hope "Though the way we journey may be often drear, We shall see the King some day; On that blessed morning clouds will disappear: We shall see the King some day." A. Our physical lives on earth are often pictured as a journey in which we travel a path that leads to a goal: Matt. 7.13-14 B. Sometimes the way we journey may be drear because man who is born of woman is of few days and full of sorrow: Job 14.1 C. However, there will come a day when the clouds, representing all the sorrows of this life, will disappear because Christ will return and raise us up to be with Him: Jn. 5.28-29 II. The second stanza emphasizes the contrast of this life with our hope "After pain and anguish, after toil and care, We shall see the King some day; Through the endless ages joy and blessing share: We shall see the King some day." A. In this life, we often suffer pain and anguish: Rom. 8.22 B. Also, in this life we must have our share of toil and care: 1 Pet. 5.7 C. However, the Christian can look forward to sharing joy and blessing through the endless ages because God gives us the promise of eternal life: 1 Jn. 2.25 III. The third stanza emphasizes the victory involved in our hope "After foes are conquered, after battles won, We shall see the King some day; After strife is over, after set of sun, We shall see the King some day." A. Our journey on this earth will be filled with strife as we seek to fight the good fight of the faith: 1 Tim. 6.12 B. However, we can have victory over the world through our faith: 1 Jn. 5.4 C. Then, we can focus our minds upon the final victory that God will give us when the Lord returns: 1 Cor. 15.50-57 IV. The fourth stanza emphasizes the blessings that we shall receive from our hope "There with all the loved ones who have gone before, We shall see the King some day; Sorrow past forever, on that peaceful shore, We shall see the King some day." A. This stanza, included in almost all of our books, was omitted by Ellis J. Crum in Sacred Selections, probably because it contains a reference to "all the loved ones who have gone before" being in heaven, and Lillenas Publishing Co., which held the copyright at the time, would not let him change it to "saved ones." The fact is that I know that I shall be reunited with the redeemed of all ages: Matt. 8.11. Among those will surely be some of my loved ones who were in Christ, and all the saints will be my "loved ones" in the Lord B. Sorrow will be passed forever: Rev. 21.4 C. And we shall dwell with the redeeemed of all ages on the peaceful shore of the river of life: Rev. 22.1-5 CONCL.: The chorus reminds us that the center of our hope is that of seeing Jesus Christ: "We shall see the King some day, We will shout and sing some day; Gathered round the throne When He shall call His own, We shall see the King some day." In our lives here on earth, we walk by faith and not by sight, so there are many things which pertain God and our relationship to Him that we cannot see with our physical eyes. However, God has promised us that when this life is over, if we have truly lived by faith, "We Shall See the King Some Day." Brotherly, Wayne S. Walker 9024 Amona Dr. Affton, MO 63123 home phone: (314) 638-4710 office phone: (314) 544-1612 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 if you would like to receive a similar daily hymn study by e-mail, you can join the Hymn of the Day list by sending a blank e-mail to hymnoftheday-subscribe at yahoogroups.com or subscribing from the Web at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hymnoftheday/ . From kthomas at ntslink.net Sat Feb 3 12:56:47 2007 From: kthomas at ntslink.net (kenneth Thomas) Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2007 12:56:47 -0600 (Central Standard Time) Subject: [Biblemat] Poem, Agape & Phileo Love Message-ID: <45C4DAEF.000003.01248@KENSCOMPUTER> Agape & Phileo Love By Kenneth E. Thomas Poets have tried to describe them with words; Philosophers have tried in vain to be heard; The artist have tired to capture it on canvas; The BIBLE itself uses words to demand it! Agape love is not an emotion but an attitude; Wishing no ill toward the one to whom extended; This is why it?s possible to "love one?s enemies"; Even wishing them well with all life?s amenities! This agape? love does not rule out self defense; For we are commanded to "provide for our own;" If not we deny the faith being worse than an infidel; And the infidel cannot hope for that heavenly home! Phileo, love springs indeed from one?s emotions; It?s how we feel about our mate it?s about devotion; It?s that mushy gushy feeling within one?s breast; It too is most difficult to find the words to express! Jesus said "if you love Me, keep My commandments;" Surely this is how true "love" is properly expressed; If we love Jesus Christ with all of our heart and soul; We will always be found trying to serve our very best! (1 Cor. 13:1-13; Rom. 12:17-21; Jno.14:15, 21; Jno. 18:36; 1 Tim. 5:8,16; Rom. 13:1-7). Kenneth E. Thomas Pekin church of Christ 1451 Valle Vista Blvd. Pekin, IL 61554 1 (309) 347-3582 - Office 1 (309) 347-5645 - Home -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070203/0cc5b81b/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 251 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070203/0cc5b81b/attachment-0003.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 289 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070203/0cc5b81b/attachment-0004.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 18861 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070203/0cc5b81b/attachment-0005.gif From List at bible.ca Sat Feb 3 14:27:31 2007 From: List at bible.ca (Steve Rudd) Date: Sat, 03 Feb 2007 15:27:31 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? Message-ID: <7.0.1.0.2.20070203152455.04882360@bible.ca> Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? Ps 78:19 The Miracle of the Red Sea Crossing and the 40 years in the wilderness. Introduction: Exactly what was the geographic boundaries of Egypt in the time of the Exodus? When did Israel escape from Egypt? In the end, all the discussion about Egyptian territory in 1450 BC is unimportant. As we will see, a detailed study on the phrase "out of Egypt" is no help in determining the actual territory of that the Pharaoh controlled and what he considered within his power and domain. From a strictly language point of view, they were already out of Egypt while sleeping in Goshen before they left (Gen 50:7-8; Ex 9:25-26). They were already "out of Egypt" the first night they slept, 25 miles from Goshen. (Ex 12:51; 13:3; Deut 16:6) This of course, doesn't make any sense for those who press for the Bitter Lakes or the Gulf of Suez, since both of these areas are still clearly within Egypt in every sense. The Bitter Lakes are only 25 miles from Goshen and the Suez was only 60 miles. There was also a major Egyptian shipping port 5 miles from the proposed crossing point at the north tip of the Gulf of Suez. No one would rationally suggest that this was "out of Egypt". So it is clear, that from a civil point of view, they had "left Egypt", their civil residences, the moment they started walking. But we believe that the most important moment they were free from Egyptian control is at the crossing of the Red sea. Arguing over Egyptian Territory in 1450 BC is irrelevant considering the fact that even the Straits of Tiran at the Gulf of Aqaba was within striking distance for Pharaoh. Egypt had a migdol "military watchtower" permanently manned with lookouts at the three way intersection of waterways at the Straits of Tiran. While Pharaoh's lookouts watched, Israel marched past "Midgol" to Etham, only to be boxed in and turn back again and camp right in front of the military watchtower (the migdol). Word was sent to Pharaoh that Israel was shut into the wilderness and they were trapped by the mountains and the sea. Pharaoh sent his army to their watery destruction while Israel escaped to the shores near Midian and on to Mt. Sinai five days later. The Bitter Lake's were so close to Goshen that it was likely the Hebrew's fishing hole on their days off. And the North Suez crossing is equally unlikely since the Hebrews would not waste any time rejoicing on the far side, they would keep running at full speed. After all they were only 10 miles away from one of Egypt's largest shipping terminals and only 60 miles from Goshen. You would not rejoice, you would run! To the average Hebrew, freedom from Egypt only came when they entered modern Saudi Arabia which was the only crossing point that provided geographic security from Pharaoh. 1. The term "land" designates the local town where they slept at night in their own houses: Gen 50:7-8 "So Joseph went up to bury his father, and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household and all the elders of the land of Egypt, and all the household of Joseph and his brothers and his father's household; they left only their little ones and their flocks and their herds in the land of Goshen. " ; Exodus 9:25-26 "The hail struck all that was in the field through all the land of Egypt, both man and beast; the hail also struck every plant of the field and shattered every tree of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, there was no hail." 2. "So the Lord shifted the wind to a very strong west wind which took up the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea [Gulf of Aqaba] not one locust was left in all the territory of Egypt. " Exodus 10:19 3. Quite often in the Bible the expression "land of" denotes local towns within the same country: The "land of Goshen" and "land of Egypt" are both within the Country of Egypt and under Pharaoh's control: Gen 50:7-8; Ex 9:25-26, Num 32:1. In these three verses "land of" denotes local "states or provinces" within the country of Egypt. Today we would say, "He left the land of Tennessee to live in the land of New York. 4. In the same way we notice that the land of Goshen was a city suburb within the country of Egypt. The Hebrews and Egyptians were living in two distinct city areas yet both were called "lands". The Land (local district) of Goshen was within the Land (Country) of Egypt. But the term "land of Egypt" also denotes the local city suburbs where the Hebrews did not live, as opposed to the land of Goshen. So the terms here are used to designate local tribal type boundaries not distinct countries. 5. This verse shows that three days in the wilderness was not within the land of Egypt. But even here "out of Egypt" means, away from the visual presence of the Egyptians when they do their sacrificing. "Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God within the land." But Moses said, "It is not right to do so, for we will sacrifice to the Lord our God what is an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice what is an abomination to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not then stone us? "We must go a three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God as He commands us." Pharaoh said, "I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Make supplication for me." " Exodus 8:25-28 6. "'I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and Egypt pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. " Joshua 24:6 7. "And on that same day [the day the left Goshen] the Lord brought the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts." Exodus 12:51 8. "but at the place where the Lord your God chooses to establish His name, you shall sacrifice the Passover in the evening at sunset, at the time [the day the left Goshen] that you came out of Egypt. " Deuteronomy 16:6 9. "Moses said to the people, "Remember this day [the day the left Goshen] in which you went out from Egypt, from the house of slavery; for by a powerful hand the Lord brought you out from this place. And nothing leavened shall be eaten. " Exodus 13:3 10. ""You shall tell your son on that day, saying, 'It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.' "And it shall serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder on your forehead, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand the Lord brought you out of Egypt. " Exodus 13:8-9 11. "They baked the dough which they had brought out of Egypt into cakes of unleavened bread. For it had not become leavened, since they were driven out of Egypt and could not delay, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves. " Exodus 12:39 12. "Then they said to Moses, "Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? " Exodus 14:11 13. It is possible, but unlikely that this verse says they were still in Egypt at the Red Sea. More likely it says that while in Egypt proper (Goshen), then later after they left the suburbs of Egypt at the Red Sea, they did not believe. "Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; They did not remember Your abundant kindnesses, But rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea. Nevertheless He saved them for the sake of His name, That He might make His power known. " Psalm 106:7-8 14. "'You shall also observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day [the day they left Goshen] I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a permanent ordinance. " Exodus 12:17 A. It was entirely by God's power that a city of 100,000 - 2 million survived in the desert for 40 years: 1. "Moses said to the people, "Remember this day in which you went out from Egypt, from the house of slavery; for by a powerful hand the Lord brought you out from this place." Exodus 13:3 2. "and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with great terror and with signs and wonders " Deuteronomy 26:8 3. "Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, 'I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. 'Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians." Exodus 6:6-7 4. "but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the Lord brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. " Deuteronomy 7:8 5. Not just the miraculous ten plagues, but also direct continuos supernatural help for 40 years. B. Non-Hebrews joined them in the exodus: 1. "A mixed multitude also went up with them, along with flocks and herds, a very large number of livestock. " Exodus 12:38 2. The gentiles could see God was with the Hebrews and wanted to join them. 3. Rahab joined Joshua. C. They took their flocks, being expert herdsman who Pharaoh wanted tend his own herds: 1. "Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, "What is your occupation?" So they said to Pharaoh, "Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers. ... The land of Egypt is at your disposal; settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land, let them live in the land of Goshen; and if you know any capable men among them, then put them in charge of my [Pharoah] livestock." Genesis 47:3,6 2. ""Therefore, our livestock too shall go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we shall take some of them to serve the Lord our God. And until we arrive there, we ourselves do not know with what we shall serve the Lord." " Exodus 10:26 E. Their clothing and shoes and body did not grow weary: 1. ""Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. " Deuteronomy 8:4 2. ""I have led you forty years in the wilderness; your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandal has not worn out on your foot. " Deuteronomy 29:5 3. ""Indeed, forty years You provided for them in the wilderness and they were not in want; Their clothes did not wear out, nor did their feet swell. " Nehemiah 9:21 E. They were given supernatural help crossing the sea so as to not even trip going down or up from the sea: 1. "Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided. The sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. " Exodus 14:21-22 2. ""You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, And heard their cry by the Red Sea. "Then You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, Against all his servants and all the people of his land; For You knew that they acted arrogantly toward them, And made a name for Yourself as it is this day. "You divided the sea before them, So they passed through the midst of the sea on dry ground; And their pursuers You hurled into the depths, Like a stone into raging waters. "And with a pillar of cloud You led them by day, And with a pillar of fire by night To light for them the way In which they were to go. " Nehemiah 9:9-12 3. "Then His people remembered the days of old, of Moses. Where is He who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of His flock? Where is He who put His Holy Spirit in the midst of them, Who caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, Who divided the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name, Who led them through the depths? Like the horse in the wilderness, they did not stumble; As the cattle which go down into the valley, The Spirit of the Lord gave them rest. So You led Your people, To make for Yourself a glorious name." Isaiah 63:11-14 4. "Then He brought them out with silver and gold, And among His tribes there was not one who stumbled. " Psalm 105:37 5. On the other side of the Red Sea they grew weary: "Remember what Amalek did to you along the way when you came out from Egypt, how he met you along the way and attacked among you all the stragglers at your rear when you were faint and weary; and he did not fear God." Deuteronomy 25:17-18 G. God gave them supernatural food and drink: 1. "So the people took their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls bound up in the clothes on their shoulders. " ... "They baked the dough which they had brought out of Egypt into cakes of unleavened bread. For it had not become leavened, since they were driven out of Egypt and could not delay, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves. " Exodus 12:34,39 2. "The angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched Elijah and said, "Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you." So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God." 1 Kings 19:7-8 3. "So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom; and they made a circuit of seven days' journey, and there was no water for the army or for the cattle that followed them. ... He said, "Thus says the Lord, 'Make this valley full of trenches.' "For thus says the Lord, 'You shall not see wind nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, both you and your cattle and your beasts. 'This is but a slight thing in the sight of the Lord; He will also give the Moabites into your hand. 'Then you shall strike every fortified city and every choice city, and fell every good tree and stop all springs of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.' " It happened in the morning about the time of offering the sacrifice, that behold, water came by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water. " 2 Kings 3:9,16-20 H. Christ, the cloud and pillar of fire, went led them like a shepherd who guided, fed and protected them. 1. "The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people." Exodus 13:21-22 2. "and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. " 1 Corinthians 10:3-4 3. "He spread a cloud for a covering [from heat of sun], And fire to illumine by night. " Psalm 105:39 4. "The angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. " Exodus 14:19 5. "At the morning watch, the Lord looked down on the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud and brought the army of the Egyptians into confusion. " Exodus 14:24 6. "and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, O Lord, are in the midst of this people, for You, O Lord, are seen eye to eye, while Your cloud stands over them; and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. " Numbers 14:14 7. "When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning, then the Lord will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy. There will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain." Isaiah 4:4-6 8. "Then He brought them out with silver and gold, And among His tribes there was not one who stumbled. Egypt was glad when they departed, For the dread of them had fallen upon them. He spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to illumine by night. They asked, and He brought quail, And satisfied them with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock and water flowed out; It ran in the dry places like a river. " Psalm 105:37-41 I. The Red Sea crossing was the actual point of deliverance from Egypt: 1. It is our conclusion, that the Bible describes Israel as being "out of Egypt" in three senses: 1. The day they departed. (civil residential sense) 2. The day they crossed the Red Sea. (theological and practical sense) 3. The day they crossed the Jordan and entered the promised land 40 years later. (final sense) 2. Just before crossing the Jordan, Rahab came to Joshua and stated the general opinion of the gentile world: "For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt." Joshua 2:10. In other words, the Gentiles saw the Red Sea as when Israel left Egypt and was totally free. Even the Gentiles viewed that from the "practical" human perspective, the Red Sea was the specific point at which Israel formally escaped Egypt's control. 3. In the "final" sense, Joshua confirms they hadn't fully made the transition out of Egypt until after they crossed the Jordan. Joshua 5:5 says "but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised." This verse proves that even those born after the crossing of the Red Sea were still coming out of Egypt because they had not yet entered the promised land. 4. From a "theological" point of view, the Bible clearly states that it was precisely at the crossing of the Red Sea that God delivered Israel from Egypt. Ask a Hebrew when they were free from Egypt and they will say after crossing the Red Sea. 5. "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'I brought Israel up from Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the power of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.' " 1 Samuel 10:18 6. "'I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and Egypt pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. 'But when they cried out to the Lord, He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them and covered them; and your own eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness for a long time. " Joshua 24:6-7. 7. "Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. When Israel saw the great power which the Lord had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses." Exodus 14:30-31 8. "So Jethro said, "Blessed be the Lord who delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. " Exodus 18:10 9. "but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the Lord brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. " Deuteronomy 7:8 10. "Now this came about because the sons of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up from the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and they had feared other gods " 2 Kings 17:7 11. "For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. " 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 12. So theologically, the Red Sea was their deliverance from the bondage of Egypt. This is reinforced by Paul's statement in 1 Cor 10:1-4 that the Hebrews were "baptized into Moses" at the sea, which was a figure of the Christian's full immersion water "baptism into Christ" (Gal 3:27). The Jews were saved from the slavery of Egypt when they were immersed in the Red Sea. Christians are saved from the slavery of sin when they are immersed in water in the name of Jesus: Mk 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet 3:21. Conclusion: 1. It is possible, but unlikely that this verse says they were still in Egypt at the Red Sea. More likely it says that while in Egypt proper (Goshen), then later after they left the suburbs of Egypt at the Red Sea, they did not believe. "Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; They did not remember Your abundant kindnesses, But rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea. Nevertheless He saved them for the sake of His name, That He might make His power known. " Psalm 106:7-8 2. "Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness. Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play." Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. " 1 Corinthians 10:5-13 3. "He divided the sea and caused them to pass through, And He made the waters stand up like a heap. Then He led them with the cloud by day And all the night with a light of fire. He split the rocks in the wilderness And gave them abundant drink like the ocean depths. He brought forth streams also from the rock And caused waters to run down like rivers. Yet they still continued to sin against Him, To rebel against the Most High in the desert. And in their heart they put God to the test By asking food according to their desire. Then they spoke against God; They said, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? "Behold, He struck the rock so that waters gushed out, And streams were overflowing; Can He give bread also? Will He provide meat for His people?" Therefore the Lord heard and was full of wrath; And a fire was kindled against Jacob And anger also mounted against Israel, Because they did not believe in God And did not trust in His salvation. Yet He commanded the clouds above And opened the doors of heaven; He rained down manna upon them to eat And gave them food from heaven. Man did eat the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance. He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens And by His power He directed the south wind. When He rained meat upon them like the dust, Even winged fowl like the sand of the seas, Then He let them fall in the midst of their camp, Round about their dwellings. So they ate and were well filled, And their desire He gave to them. Before they had satisfied their desire, While their food was in their mouths, The anger of God rose against them And killed some of their stoutest ones, And subdued the choice men of Israel. In spite of all this they still sinned And did not believe in His wonderful works. So He brought their days to an end in futility And their years in sudden terror. When He killed them, then they sought Him, And returned and searched diligently for God; And they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer. But they deceived Him with their mouth And lied to Him with their tongue. For their heart was not steadfast toward Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant. But He, being compassionate, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them; And often He restrained His anger And did not arouse all His wrath. Thus He remembered that they were but flesh, A wind that passes and does not return. How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness And grieved Him in the desert! Again and again they tempted God, And pained the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember His power, The day when He redeemed them from the adversary, When He performed His signs in Egypt And His marvels in the field of Zoan, And turned their rivers to blood, And their streams, they could not drink. He sent among them swarms of flies which devoured them, And frogs which destroyed them. He gave also their crops to the grasshopper And the product of their labor to the locust. He destroyed their vines with hailstones And their sycamore trees with frost. He gave over their cattle also to the hailstones And their herds to bolts of lightning. He sent upon them His burning anger, Fury and indignation and trouble, A band of destroying angels. He leveled a path for His anger; He did not spare their soul from death, But gave over their life to the plague, And smote all the firstborn in Egypt, The first issue of their virility in the tents of Ham. But He led forth His own people like sheep And guided them in the wilderness like a flock; He led them safely, so that they did not fear; But the sea engulfed their enemies. So He brought them to His holy land, To this hill country which His right hand had gained. He also drove out the nations before them And apportioned them for an inheritance by measurement, And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents. Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God And did not keep His testimonies, " Psalm 78:13-56 Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? Ps 78:19 1. When you reach your "Ethan" (boxed in with nowhere to go) and are under the devil's Migdol (military watchtower) fear not. God will provide the way of escape. 2. We escape the slavery to sin when we are baptized. Now, as the church we are in the wilderness. We await the time when we will cross the Jordan. Steve Rudd, Feb 3, 2007 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070203/bbe961d0/attachment-0001.html From GLClair at aol.com Sat Feb 3 15:19:04 2007 From: GLClair at aol.com (GLClair at aol.com) Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2007 16:19:04 EST Subject: [Biblemat] HILLIARD BULLETIN for February 2007 Message-ID: HILLIARD BULLETIN Published by the church of Christ 4840 Cemetery Road - P.O. Box 96 ? Hilliard, Ohio 43026 Phone: (614) 876-4089 http//:hometown.aol.com/glclair/myhomepage/index.html Preacher: Garreth L. Clair Phone: (614) 850-7252 Email: glclair at aol.com Web-Magazine: Considermagazine.com ============================================================ Volume 9 Number 2 January 2007 ============================================================ REACHING OUT TO YOU! Those of us that make up the church of Christ here at 4840 Cemetery Road in Hilliard, Ohio encourage you to come and visit us during our regular assemblies. There is always an open door to you that receive our monthly bulletin in the mail. Whatever we can do to assist you to a better knowledge of the Lord's Church will be a joy for us to provide. Some facts about the church are: The churches of Christ had their origin approximately 33 AD in the city of Jerusalem in what is now the nation of Israel in the Holy Land. The originator of the churches of Christ is Jesus Christ, see, Matthew 16:13-18, 13 Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Who do men say that the Son of man is? 14 And they said, Some (say) John the Baptist; some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But who say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. ASV The first congregation of the churches of Christ began meeting in Jerusalem about 33 AD, please read the 2nd chapter of the book of Acts, notice especially verses 27-47. Churches of Christ do not have a creed, the only rule of faith and practice we recognize is the Written Word of God (i.e., the Bible). Churches of Christ have no earthly headquarters, the headquarters of the churches of Christ is where the Lord Jesus Christ resides, see Colossians 1:13-18, 13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love; 14 in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins: 15 who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him; 17 and he is before all things, and in him all things consist. 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. ASV 6. The churches of Christ meet for communion and to lay by in store upon the first day of each week, note the following Biblical references, Acts 20:7, 7 And upon the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul discoursed with them, intending to depart on the morrow; and prolonged his speech until midnight. ASV 1 Corinthians 16:1-2, 1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I gave order to the churches of Galatia, so also do ye. 2 Upon the first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come. ASV NOTE: Churches of Christ also pray, sing, and teach/preach whenever they come together in the assembly to worship God anytime. The communion and the contribution are limited by the Bible to the first day of each week. The congregation here at 4840 Cemetery Road invites you to attend any of our scheduled services: SUNDAY: Bible study for all ages ???. 9:45 AM Worship ???. 10:30 AM Worship ???. 6:00 PM WEDNESDAY: Bible study for all ages ???. 7:30 PM See you in service brethren, friends, and neighbors! All of the members of churches of Christ have been born again, they have been added to the church by our Lord, notice Acts 2:47, 47 praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added 48 to them day by day those that were saved. ASV All the members of churches of Christ have become members the same way: 1. They have heard the gospel Romans 10:17. 2. They have believed the gospel Mark 16:15, 16. 3. They have repented of sin Acts 2:38. 4. They have confessed with the mouth Jesus Romans 10:9, 10. 5. They have been baptized Acts 3:38. A. Baptism is for "remission of sin" Acts 2:38. B. Baptism is a burial and resurrection in water Romans 6:3-5. C. Baptism "now saves us" 1 Peter 3:21. D. Through baptism one puts on "Christ? Galatians 3:26-27. Churches of Christ worship God in spirit and in truth because that is the way that God wants His people to worship Him, John 4:23-24, 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth. WON'T YOU JOIN US IN OUR QUEST TO HAVE A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD? FREE WILL {i.e., man's ability to choose between right and wrong} One of the important factors that man must take into account as he considers his relationship to other people, the government, his family, his relationship with God, etc. is his built in capacity to choose between right and wrong. Every person has the ability to choose between good and evil when they reach the age of accountability - cf., Ezekiel 18:20-21, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. <> But if the wicked turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die." ASV -- The two verses listed here indicate that everyone will be responsible for their own personal conduct some day as they stand before God to be judged. Since everyone will be personally responsible for their sin it is imperative that each person seek and do whatever is essential so that they will be pleasing and acceptable to God when their life ends here on this earth - see Revelation 2:10 following, and notice especially the last part of the verse, "Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer: behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life." ASV At some time in our life we need to get serious about the reality of God and our need to make that personal decision about our sins. Sins do not just go away, we must decide to eradicate them ourselves from our life - we must be born again (i.e., become a Christian). The choice to become a Christian or to remain in our sins is our personal decision to make, how long do you intend to delay before you do what you know you need to do about sin in your life? God tells us via His Written Word that "Today is the acceptable day, today is the day of salvation." - cf., 2 Cor 6:2, "(for he saith, at an acceptable time I hearkened unto thee, and in a day of salvation did I succor thee: behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation):" ASV --- Will you make that personal decision? I know that there are many of you that are reading this bulletin that know that you should serve the Lord, I know that you intend to do what is right some day but please, don't wait too long. You see, we do not know when the last day of our life will come so let us be wise and make things right with God today. DON'T WAIT TOO LONG TO MAKE THE DECISION ABOUT YOUR ETERNAL STATE. GOD IS INDEED VERY PATIENT, DELAY NO LONGER! GOD LOVES YOU. John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life." ASV Yes, God does love mankind and this great love is sometimes misunderstood, some people think that God's wrath (i.e., judgment of the wicked) is inconsistent with the concept of God's love. The Bible clearly states that God is a God of Love but to suggest that God's love excludes responsibility and consequence as it relates to God's instruction is without Biblical support. Please read the following Biblical references in this matter: John 14:15, 15 If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments. ASV John 14:23-24, 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my words: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's who sent me. ASV John 15:10, 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. ASV Heb 10:24, 24 and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works; 1 Peter 3:10-11, 10 For, He that would love life, And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips that they speak no guile: 11 And let him turn away from evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and pursue it. 1 John 5:3, 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. ASV 2 John 6, 6 And this is love, that we should walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, even as ye heard from the beginning, that ye should walk in it. ASV REMEMBER THIS: John 8:32, ?and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.? ASV -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070203/6ceac4ff/attachment-0001.html From seansullivan at charter.net Sat Feb 3 17:35:01 2007 From: seansullivan at charter.net (T. Sean Sullivan) Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2007 17:35:01 -0600 Subject: [Biblemat] The Messenger Vol 002 Iss 005 Message-ID: <001b01c747eb$eeec03c0$6466a8c0@sean1a4c1f786> The Messenger Published Weekly by Main Street Church of Christ 306 West Main Street, Newbern, TN 38059 731-627-3514 bibleanswers at charter.net www.mainstreetchurchofchrist.org Bulletin Editor: T. Sean Sullivan VOLUME TWO::ISSUE 005::February 04, 2007 ARTICLE ONE: Our Independence Day ARTICLE TWO: Some New Things Our Independence Day Only once a year we celebrate our country's declared independence. In the preamble to our country's "Declaration of Independence" we are told why it was, that as a people, we looked for deliverance from the oppressing government of Great Britain. "Prudence, indeed, will dictate, that Governments long established, should not be changed for light and transient Causes; and accordingly all Experience hath shewn, that Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while Evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the Forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long Train of Abuses and Usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a Design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future Security." Those words are two hundred and thirty years old and perhaps are not understandable without the use of our modern day English. The meaning is this: The founders of this nation understood that Government is important and not to be thrown away on a whim. They knew that mankind was typically willing to suffer under the constraints of "the system", just because he knew "the system" was necessary. They knew, however, that a greater right of freedom, security, and expression could not be long refused. It was only when the government over them continued to hinder their rights through a series of tyrannical abuses that they determined to be set free from the oppression. Now, this is not intended to be a history lesson, there is something more to consider in our spiritual lives with these words in mind. What do those things have to do with our spiritual focus today? Consider the parallels that we have in this life as we seek our own independence from oppression. We have been given the opportunity of freedom-through Jesus Christ. We, however, are not much different than we have ever been. We will typically rather keep suffering than to seek freedom. However, when the recognition of betterment is known and the frustrations of the oppression hinders, we will seek the change that is necessary to be freed. The Oppression of Sin The truth about sin: Do you remember the children's story about Hansel and Gretel? The house in the woods was covered in candy. Inside was certain death at the hands of a kid-eating witch. The witch knew how to make a dangerous thing look good. In much the same way the devil works his way with sin to "sugar coat" the death it holds (1 Peter 5:8 "seeking whom he may devour"). Sin is usually candy coated. The Prodigal son looked across to the far-off country with dazzled eyes thinking, I am sure, that life would be so much better there (Luke 15:11-18). The devil tempts with pride and lust (1 John 2:15-16). Both of which are based on our own desires-things we want and like-so that we are blinded to the certain death that lies beneath their surface. Sin can only offer slavery (John 8:34) and death (Romans 6:23). Sin is a hopeless situation. Sin alienates us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2) and the only way back to God is through His Son Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Man has not changed. We are still willing to be oppressed until the recognition of betterment is known and the frustrations of the oppression hinder our achieving that betterment. For the sake of our own understanding and reasonable thinking we need to expose sin for what it really is and ultimately does. The Suffering of Sin: Sin is the root cause of all distresses. We know this since the words of righteousness are designed to result in a life of: joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). These beautiful things are proof of walking according to the word as delivered by the Spirit. Anything else is from sin (whether sin of omission or commission). Examine the main problems in today's world: Broken homes, infidelity, and premarital sex, rebellion in the young and the older, all types of chemical abuses, humanism and atheism. All of these sins and sinful attitudes result in the modern predicaments of anxiety, depression, guilt, frustration, anger, selfishness, and disease. All of our predicaments are symptoms of these sins. Let's look at Galatians 5:19-21-"The works of the flesh". Just taking the time to look into verse nineteen make note of just some of the problems that result from these sins: Adultery: Leads to broken marriages and homes, rebellious children, generational repetition, disregard for God. Fornication: Sexual sin, leads to: Unwed-mothers, teen pregnancies, STD's, depletion of self-worth, the destruction of the sanctity of marriage. Uncleanness: Immorality, leads to: immodest dress, language, and behavior, contributes heavily to the first two sins on this list. Lewdness: Leads to: inappropriate gender roles, the loss of God's design in the role of male and female, the home foundation disdained. Truly, life without God is set for disappointment because the world and its lusts will come to nothing (1 John 2:15-17). Life without God is aimless; without direction because man is incapable to finding his own way (Jeremiah 10:23). Life with God is without foundation because we have nothing sure or certain without God (Ephesians 2:12). These hopeless frustrations are the end awaiting all those who refuse to fear God and choose rather to serve themselves in sin. It is when the oppression of this hopelessness continually burdens us that we will seek the relief that is available to us through change. The Freedom from Sin We can have independence or freedom from our sins. Through Jesus Christ we can be freed/saved. John 3:16 says, "He that believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Also Mark 16:16 reads, "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved". What did Jesus do to make this work? God demands sacrificial atonement for sin. Under the Old Covenant God designated the blood of animals as a measure of atonement (Hebrews 9:22; Hebrews 10:1-3). Under the New Covenant God saw fit to have one ultimate sacrifice-the perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 10:4-12). The declaration of our independence from sin was "written" with the blood of Christ. In order that we might live, free from the oppression of sin and with the security of a certain hope, Jesus Christ shed His blood and died (Matthew 28:1-6; 1 Peter 1:3-4). How do we apply Christ's hope-giving sacrifice to our sins? This the question the Jews asked of Peter and his answer was clear (Acts 2:37-38). This is also what the Eunuch wanted to accomplish and he did-through obedience of the truth (Acts 8:34-38). Conclusion: If you are not a Christian today then the opportunity is yours to realize that sin is oppression, hopelessness, and certain failure. The time for you to see the hope that is available through Jesus Christ our Savior, is now. Today is the day to make the changes in your life in order to have the burden of your sins taken away. As a country, we certainly continue to holdfast to our Independence. Even more so, as Christians, we should be holding fast to our freedom from sin. If you are a Christian today then rejoice in the fact that you have found your freedom from sin through Christ. Let others see you rejoicing so that they may desire the same. The hope of freedom is for all who are willing to obey, is today the day? Today you can make your life right with God. Today you can be freed from the bondage of sin. Today can be your Independence Day. ~tss Some New Things There is a lot to be said about some old things like, comfy shoes or an old ball-cap. Arguably, those old reliable house slippers or that ball-cap cannot be replaced with new. New would not be better. It is hard for me to keep my old comfortable clothes, and such, when my wife sees them. Just the other day my closet was pared down and many of my things were tossed. I suppose that I was satisfied to have the old but she was not. Many individuals act that way when it comes to religion. There are not many satisfied with "old" ways. They feel the "old paths" need some remodeling. They want a new spiritual feeling so they try to implement changes for the sake of that "feeling". They are bored with the "plain" way of worship so they dim the lights for better religious feeling. They want to rearrange or put extra emphasis on certain parts of our services and try to make the simple elements of worship seem more spectacular. Sometimes they have gone as far as setting apart certain elements of worship from the common member allowing those parts of the service to seem mysterious. The problem with this desire for change is that it is misdirected. We have a set pattern to follow. God's will must be done in these and all matters (Matthew 7:21). The misdirection is that those who are bored try to change the pattern instead of the person following the pattern. A New Life When we become apathetic or bored with services the problem does not lie in the pattern-it lies in the person. We can change the person with a new life. The new life at first comes through becoming a Christian. When we are baptized we, "rise and walk in the newness of life" (Romans. 6:4). We are given a new life in Christ. A new life freed from our past sins that enslaved us (John 8:34). A new life that is a life of joy and hope (Acts 8:36-39). If for some reason the novelty of our new life has worn off we only have ourselves to blame. As Christians we are to grow up in Christ being rooted and built up in Him through the study of the word (Colossians 2:6-7). We should be enjoying our new life realizing that our inner man is renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16). Perhaps, the reason we have become apathetic is that sin in our life has bogged us down. When we sin we need to make it right and have our life renewed before God through repentance and prayer (Acts 8:22). If you are a Christian and this is your condition stop reading this article and pray for forgiveness right now. Make the decision to repent and put whatever sin you are facing out of your life. We must seek and trust in God's forgiveness. We will be forgiven if we repent and bear fruits of that repentance. In our new life of hope we must use every day as a brand new day in which to serve God more. A New Faith We can renew our faith. I am not calling for you to change the direction of your faith unless you faith is not founded on God's word alone (Romans 10:17). There is only one faith that saves (Ephesians 4:5). I am calling for a renewed fervor and renewed zeal. It is just too easy to allow our fiery zeal to burn down to just a glowing ember. We need to stir up the coals and add some fuel to the fire. How do we get the fuel? How do I go about renewing my faith? Start with prayer. Pray for the strength and wisdom that you will need to carry out God's will (James 1:5). Then go to the source of faith. The source of faith is the word of God (Romans 10:17). If you feel your faith becoming weak ask yourself, "When is the last time I read my Bible?" Read those old familiar passages like the ones from Genesis 1:1 - Revelation 22:21. If you haven't been reading, start. The Bible is God's will for your life. Read every day, know more, trust more, do more. Another way to boost your faith is to question the things that you do. Do not be afraid of finding out the truth. We certainly practice the truth because we can find all that we do in the scriptures. When you find yourself doing God's will correctly and acceptably you will be more faithful working with more assurance. Also, become involved in this congregation. There is work for each of us, just ask. There are lots of things that will renew your faith in God. A New Perspective. One of the greatest advantages a Christian has in this life is the perspective that the word of God gives. We are able to look at many things differently than the world because of the knowledge God has delivered to us. We, however, can sometimes lose sight. We may start to let our "good soil" begin to grow some "thorns" (Luke 8:14). We may need to realign our priorities (Matthew 6:33) and renew our understanding and our perspective-the way that we look at all things. A new perspective would result in our being able to look at others in the world as souls in need drowning in a sea of perdition (Romans 3:23). We will see them as souls whom we can help (Romans 6:23). We will look at the trials of life as necessary for strength (1 Peter 1:6-7). We will see the narrow way as the only way (Matthew 7:13-14; John 14:6). We will consider death as a necessary end to life and the way to see the glories of heaven (1 Corinthians 15:42-45). Then we will also consider Heaven as our obtainable home (John 14:1-6). Conclusion: We all like new things. God's word is able to renew us everyday. Through His word we receive new life, new faith, and a new perspective. We do not need to change God's pattern. We only need to change the person following the pattern. ~tss If you are enjoying The Messenger and you know someone else who would like to receive it. Please forward it to them or send me their email address and I will add it to the list. Sean -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070203/65d2afdb/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 3247 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070203/65d2afdb/attachment-0001.jpe From jhdeason at bellsouth.net Sun Feb 4 14:54:19 2007 From: jhdeason at bellsouth.net (Jim Deason) Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2007 14:54:19 -0600 Subject: [Biblemat] Where ARe The dead Message-ID: <000001c7489e$a45169a0$6101a8c0@D6L8S3B1> Does anyone have a "Where Are the Dead?" Chart they would share? Thanks, Jim Deason P. O. Box 2667 Cullman, AL 35056 jhdeason at bellsouth.net Home - 256-775-9954 Bldg - 256-734-0249 Cell - 256-590-2627 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20070204/eb29fc52/attachment-0001.html From richardthetford at bresnan.net Sun Feb 4 15:44:28 2007 From: richardthetford at bresnan.net (Richard Thetford) Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2007 14:44:28 -0700 Subject: [Biblemat] Walking in the Light (2/4/07) Message-ID: Walking in the Light "For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light." "The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple." "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another...." (Psalm 36:9; 119:130; 1 John 1:7a) February 4, 2007 www.thetfordcountry.com --- INFORMATION: My WEB Site www.thetfordcountry.com has just been updated to include the articles and sermons listed below. All the sermons posted each week to my web site are in .pdf format. The PowerPoint charts are also included with ALL the sermons that are posted to the web site. To access the sermons page, visit the site and click on "Richard's Page" and then click on "sermons." Please visit the "Reference Works" links page for updated links to various Bible study resources. If you are a newcomer to the area or wanting information concerning the Valley church of Christ here in Grand Junction, Colorado, then click on the Valley church of Christ Web Site, www.valleychurchofchrist.net. Thank you for visiting my web site and as always, your comments are welcome. If you know of someone that would like to receive the "Walking in the Light" electronic bulletin each week, please send an e-mail message to Richard at Thetfordcountry.com with their name and e-mail address and I will add them to the list. --- CONTENTS: "One Sinner Destroys Much Good" (Ron Daly) "The Stranger" (Keith Currie) "What Must I Do To Be Saved?" (Richard Thetford) --- ONE SINNER DESTROYS MUCH GOOD Ron Daly The title of this article comes from a statement of the writer of the book of Ecclesiastes in chapter 9, verse 18. It conveys a thought that each of us must consider. It tells us that a sinner wields a lot of influence, but it is the wrong kind and it is destructive! Notice that the text doesn't say that "many sinners destroy much good," but "one sinner destroys much good." Many times one sinner does more harm to the cause of good, than one righteous person does to a stampeding herd of ungodliness. A preacher may be a very effective pulpiteer and he may have a firm grasp on the truth of scripture, but if he doesn't believe what he preaches enough to live it, he is himself a sinner who destroys any good that he achieves (1 Timothy 4:11-12). An elder may have tremendous leadership skills coupled with a broad knowledge of God's word, but if he doesn't practice what he requires about honesty, controlling the tongue, moral purity, and all else, he isn't fit for the position of overseer. He will destroy any good that he accomplishes (1 Timothy 5:20; Titus 1 :7). A bible class teacher may be kind, knowledgeable, and very practical in his application of scripture, but if he is a gossiper, quick tempered, listens to slander, and never asks forgiveness from those against whom he has sinned, any good that he accomplishes will be destroyed by his sins (Romans 2:19-24). If one hundred people obey the gospel every week and gather for worship and if they see people in the assembly who also claim to be Christians, but frequent drug houses, strip clubs, bars, prostitution and gambling houses, receive and conceal stolen property, and swindle others out of their belongings, any good that is accomplished by the congregation will be destroyed (Hebrews 10:26-29). We should promote good instead of destroying it. If our lives are not what God says they should be we are destroying the good that we or other saints seem to be achieving. We must repent of our sins and start anew. Grieving in sin isn't the answer. We've got to get over the "self-pity complex." If there is sin in your life, stop it and turn to God. Then and only then will the good that we and others are trying to do will not be destroyed. --- THE STRANGER Keith Currie A few months before I was born, my Dad met a stranger who was new to our small Tennessee town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer, and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around to welcome me into the world a few months later. As I grew up I never questioned his place in our family. In my young mind each member had a special niche. My brother, Bill, five years my senior, was my example. Fran, my younger sister, gave me an opportunity to play "big brother" and to develop the art of teasing. My parents were complementary instructors - Mom taught me to love the word of God and Dad taught me to obey it. But the stranger was our storyteller. He could weave the most fascinating tales. Adventures, mysteries, and comedies were daily conversations. He would hold our whole family spell-bound for hours each evening. If I wanted to know about politics, history, or science, he knew it all. He knew about the past, understood the present, and seemingly could predict the future. The pictures he could draw were so life like that I would often laugh or cry as I watched. He was like a friend to the whole family. He took Dad, Bill and me to our first major league baseball game. He was always encouraging us to see the movies and he even made arrangements to introduce us to several movie stars. My brother and I were deeply impressed by John Wayne in particular. The stranger was an incessant talker. Dad didn't seem to mind but sometimes Mom would quietly get up -while the rest of us were enthralled with one of his stories of faraway places - go to her room, read her Bible, and pray. I wonder now if she ever prayed that the stranger would leave. You see, my Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions. But this stranger never felt obligation to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our house - not from us, from our friends or from adults. Our longtime visitor, however, used occasional four letter words that burned my ears and made Dad squirm. To my knowledge the stranger was never confronted. My dad was a teetotaler who didn't permit alcohol in his home - not even for cooking. But the stranger felt like we needed exposure and enlightened us to other ways of life. He offered us beer and other alcoholic beverages often. He made cigarettes look tasty, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished. He talked freely (probably much too freely, about sex). His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing. I know now that my early concepts of the man-woman relationships were influenced by the stranger. As I look back, I believe it was the grace of God that the stranger did not influence us more. Time after time he opposed the values of my parents. Yet he was seldom rebuked and never asked to leave. More than thirty years have passed since the stranger moved in with the young family on Morningside Drive. He is not nearly so intriguing to my Dad as he was in those early years. But if I were to walk into my