. ____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER ____________________________________________________ "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ September 27, 2009 ____________________________________________________ Contents: 1) A Challenge to Saints (Joshua Gurtler) 2) Our Need of Reverence (Gilbert Alexander) 3) Questions About Church Benevolence (Greg Gwin) ____________________________________________________ -1- A Challenge to Saints by Joshua Gurtler Another year has come and gone. In fact, another century has come to pass and what has man done to the glory of his Lord? Before the foundation of the world, our Creator desired that his creation would accomplish great things thus glorifying his majestic name. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10). In this new year what are our intentions for achievement? In Romans we read of man exchanging the glory of our Father for that of corruptible man (Rom. 1:25). Without thought, Christians behave the same with their carefree absorption into the pagan environment around them. The United States is a country which has excelled like no other known civilization in the history of man's existence. Americans are masters at work, productivity, and efficiency in the secular realm. Oh, if the myriads of Christians in this great land would but transfer these invaluable talents, immeasurably blessed to us, into the service of the King (Matt. 25). Dear friends, this coming year we will be visited by two great forces. To which will we pledge our allegiance, our diligence and our talents? The Visitation of Satan Through Christ, Peter received this warning, though it was left unheeded: "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers" (Luke 22:31,32). The man who doubts the presence and power of the Tempter is truly a naive and disillusioned individual (1 Pet. 5:8; Eph. 6:11,12; 2 Tim. 4:17; Eph. 4:14). Though the power of the evil one may be great, the man of God is not defeated but is reminded of the Greater Power from above (1 Cor. 10:13; 2 Pet. 2:9; Jas. 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:9). Be prepared for the visitation of Satan, for his eminent presence is just as sure as the inevitable consequences of his captors. The Visitation of the Lord Our Father with greater fervor and an assured love also desires our submission. This is manifest by innumerable opportunities for repentance and continual longsuffering on his behalf. Paul said, "Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?" (Rom. 2:4). While one might argue that the way of the cross is a difficult road to find, there are undeniable proofs and truths God has laid before us. When presented with the love of God, we can but accept or reject the Lord's directives. Stephen, in Acts 7, told the Jews they were turning a blind eye to such. "You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did." Moreover, Saul of Tarsus resisted the Lord unknowingly until confronted with the truth. "And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads'" (Acts 26:14). The course is set before us. Will we kick against the righteous chastening hand of the Lord? In this new year God desires to make you what you can and will be for him if you will but comply. Jeremiah 18:1-6 describes the potter making and remaking the clay. We then read, "Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does? Declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potters hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel." This is our challenge. Not just for the new year, but until the Saviour's return. From this beautiful text, Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Williams penned the corresponding hymn: "O Lord, you know my strength indeed is small, Lest thou should lead I'm prone to slip and fall; Guide and direct, o'er evil help me stand, Make me as clay in the potter's hand. "Thou art the Potter, I am the clay, Make of my life as pleases Thee each day; Weave into beauty as You have it planned, Make me as clay in the potter's hand. "Father, we pray for power to be strong, Let not our lives be marred by sin, and wrong; Lead to Thy throne, by love take full command, Make us as clay in the potter's hand. "Mold me, make me, as You'd have me be, Take me, use me, that the lost may see; Guard me, guide me, thru this pilgrim land, Make me as clay, in the potter's hand." -- Via Guardian of Truth, Vol. XLVII, Jan. 2003, No. 1 ____________________________________________________ -2- Our Need of Reverence by Gilbert Alexander Reverence toward God is the only proper way for us to draw near to Him. "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear" (Heb. 12:28). "Holy and reverend (awesome -- NKJV) is His name" (Psa. 111:9). It is because of reverence for God that we can love Him and walk humbly with Him (Mic. 6:8). Reverence also helps us to worship in spirit and in truth (Jno. 4:24) "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those who are around Him" (Psa. 89:7). "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?" (Psa. 8:3, 4). "By the Word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth" (Psa. 33:6). "It is He Who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture" (Psa. 100:3). "The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein" (Psa. 24:1). "All things are of God" (2 Cor. 5:18). "In Him we live and move and have our being...We are the offspring of God" (Acts 17:28,29). "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him Who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matt. 10:28). We show reverence for God when we use His name only with the greatest respect. "Hallowed be Your name" (Matt. 6:9). It is irreverence to use His name as a by-word or in any other empty fashion. We also show reverence when we respect the authority of God and of His Son. We show respect for His authority when we study diligently to learn what He wants us to do, and when we then obey His instructions without murmuring or disputing with His Law (Phil. 2:14). Humility demands that we "consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness" (1 Tim. 6:3-5). All of us should be able to see that reverence is a learned disposition of mind and behavior. Children must be taught continually in order that they learn to show reverence to God in a PROPER way. Cain's, Nadab's, and Abihu's offerings were not displays of true reverence, regardless of how "reverently" they offered them. We as adults must also be reminded of these lessons. We should prepare our minds as the time draws near to offer praise and worship in the assembly of the saints. We can (but should not) set a wrong example for children by acting indifferently and frivolously as worship is offered to God. Our quietness and reverence and our hearty singing of praise to God, plus our teaching our children to participate and our restraint upon them in requiring respectful behavior, will show them the way until they are able to understand why we are behaving this way. No person of understanding expects little children to understand the depth of meaning in songs, in prayers, and in the Lord's Supper; but we have every reason to expect proper discipline to be exercised in order to train children in the ways of righteousness. All of us must learn the greatness of God and our complete dependence upon Him so that we may live in awe of His power, in respect of His holiness, and in love for His love and mercy offered to all who will obey Him (Heb. 5:9). -- Via The Bulletin of the Church of Christ at New Georgia, August 16, 2009 ____________________________________________________ -3- Questions about Church Benevolence by Greg Gwin We received the following questions about church benevolence . . . "How do you argue that Galatians 6:10 is talking about an individual (other than the argument that the context is talking about an individual)?" *** Well, that's really the only way you can ever tell who a passage is talking to -- you have to look at the context and make that determination. Beginning at verse 1 of Galatians 6, it is clear that the text is addressing individuals. Read it and see that it repeatedly says things like "a man", "every man", "his own", "let him". Look at verses 7-9 which talk about individual accountability and judgment. This leads right up to verse 10 which says, "as we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men. . ." There's no way it could be discussing congregational activity. "Also, where do you prove that the church is only to help Christians in physical need?" *** It's the whole question about how we establish Bible authority. If the church is authorized to help non-Christians from the collective treasury, then there must be one of these methods of proving it: 1) a direct command for the church to do it, 2) an approved example of a church doing it, or 3) something implied in the New Testament which would force us to the inescapable conclusion that the church must do this. Of course, none of those three things is present in the New Testament. There is no direct command for the church to do it (remember that there is a difference between what individuals are commanded to do and what the church as a collective body is commanded to do -- that's why Gal. 6:10 is a point of contention). There is no example of any New Testament congregation ever helping a non-saint from their collective treasury. And, there is nothing implied that would force the conclusion that the church should do this. Bottom line: there is no authority for it. But in discussing this, we want to be sure to point out that as individual Christians we believe that we can and should "do good unto all men" as Galatians 6:10 says. -- The Beacon, December 16, 2008 ____________________________________________________ CHURCH OF CHRIST 201 Rushing Road (at the Hampton Inn) Denham Springs, LA 70726 Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520 tedwards@onemain.com http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go DIRECTIONS: Take the Denham Springs exit (exit 10) off of I-12. At the end of the exit ramp, turn north. Go about a stone's throw to Rushing Road. (You'll see a Starbucks, Circle K, and two other gas stations; with each on each corner.) Turn left on Rushing Road, and go less then 0.3 of a mile. Hampton Inn will be on the right. We assemble in its meeting room, which is very close to the reception counter. ____________________________________________________