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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" (Matt. 28:19,20).
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February 15, 2015
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Contents:
1) The Power of God's Providence (Gary Henry)
2) "Once for All" (Billy Norris)
3) News & Notes
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-1-
The Power of God's Providence
by Gary Henry
God's "providence" is the fulfilling of His promise to "provide" for
His faithful people in all of their needs: "Now to him who is able
to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according
to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in
Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen"
(Eph. 3:20,21). In the outworking of His purposes, much of what God
does in the world is beyond the scope of our knowledge or
comprehension. But just as I do not need to know how my cell phone
works in order to benefit from its use, we do not need to know the
details or the mechanics of God's providence to be encouraged by His
promises. It is enough to know that He is active in the world and
that all will be well in the end.
This confidence makes a difference in the way we think, obviously,
but it should also make a difference in the way we live. If we
couldn't be sure that God will provide, we would bog down in a sea
of uncertainty, helplessness, and fear -- but armed with trust in
the goodness of God and His power to govern the world, we are able
to take the simple steps that lie before us each day. Between where
we are right now and where we will be in eternity, the path may take
many unexpected turns, but it is enough to know that He is waiting
for us at the end of the journey, and in the meantime He will
provide.
Our Work in the Lord
All of us are involved in the Lord's work in one way or another.
Each of us has something to do in the body (1 Cor. 12:14-20), and we
ought to have no higher priority than to serve faithfully in the
work that is ours to do, whatever that may be. But most of us are
plagued with questions about our individual work in the Lord. Will I
be able to do what is expected? What if my abilities are too small
to meet the need? What if the responsibility is greater than I can
bear? Will the nature of my responsibilities change in the future?
All of these questions, and many more, are answered by the promise
of God's providence.
Paul would have had the same questions that we do, but his
confidence was exactly what it should have been: "I can do all
things through him who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13). There will
never be a time when we are faced with an impossible task in the
Lord's work. Whatever He expects us to do, that is exactly what He
will enable us to do. We may not know how He will do so or be able
to predict the source from which the help will be provided, but our
trust in His providence keeps us working, one day at a time.
Problems
In this world, broken as it is by sin, problems come in many shapes
and sizes. On an average day, we spend a great deal of our time
doing things that wouldn't need to be done in a problem-free world.
Some of these problems are trivial ("The hot water heater is
leaking"), but many of them are of great consequence ("My son is
lost and alienated from God"). We could make a long list of words
that describe what we have to deal with: difficulties, troubles,
dilemmas, complications, sorrows, pains, heartaches, obstacles,
temptations, persecutions, etc. The list is long, and we wouldn't
disagree with Eliphaz the Temanite who said that "man is born to
trouble as the sparks fly upward" (Job 5:7).
We have only two basic choices: (1) bury our heads in the sand and
pretend the world is in better shape than it is, or (2) deal with
the brokenness of the world honestly. But if we choose to deal with
it honestly, how can we keep from being overwhelmed with despair?
Individually, we don't have what it would take to solve these
problems; and if we're realistic, we have to admit that the human
race is not solving these problems either. For every step forward we
take, we create several problems that weren't there before. All
things considered, the world is getting worse.
But, as the song says, "though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is
the ruler yet." This is our Father's world, and He is guiding it
toward an ultimate conclusion that will be the fulfillment of His
love and wisdom. Even now, He is working toward those purposes as He
guides the course of human events providentially. Based on His
proven trustworthiness in the past, we trust that what He is doing
will overcome the threat of His adversary, Satan, and solve every
problem that has ever arisen. If we are found in Christ at the
resurrection, we will see that our personal problems were solved
along with the problems of the world around us. This is our
confidence and our hope. This is how we face our problems.
Uncertainties
Most of us demand a good deal more predictability from life than God
ever promised we would have. We want to know what tomorrow will be
like, but all that we have is today. As for tomorrow, Jesus said,
"Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for
itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Mt. 6:34).
The thing that we call "worry" is usually nothing more than the fear
of what might happen. When there is uncertainty, there is fear --
fear that what is going to happen might be painful, unpleasant, or
difficult. But God's answer to our fears is not to tell us exactly
what is going to happen so that we can make human preparations to
deal with it. Instead, He promises that He will provide. That is, He
will work providentially in the world and in our own lives to bring
about the very best ultimate outcome. It is our trust in the
providence of God that takes the worry out of our uncertainties.
Prayer
All of this should make a difference in the way we pray. As I grow
older, I find myself making fewer specific requests of God and more
often simply praying that He will do whatever is best -- and that He
will help me defer to His wisdom in the accomplishment of His
purposes.
As a Father, God certainly wants us to make our heartfelt requests
to Him; and it is a wondrous thing that, at times, He yields to our
requests and says, "Yes, My child, I will grant your request. I am
willing for the problem to be solved in the manner that you desire.
I grant your wish." But more often, I am learning to pray, "Father,
I might have my preferences about what will happen, but more than
that I simply want you to be glorified. I trust Your wisdom and Your
power to guide everything to the goal that You desire. My prayer is
that You will intervene in the situation that I am praying about,
and overrule the sinful designs of your adversary, Satan. I will
give thanks for whatever outcome You deem is best."
If we did not believe in the providential activity of God in the
world today, as some do not, petitionary prayer would be pointless.
For my part, I trust that God is at work in the world today, even
though I know little of what He does or how He does it. This
confidence encourages me to keep doing what I can in the Lord's
work, it helps me put this world's problems into a larger
perspective, it releases me from worrying about the uncertainties of
tomorrow, and it makes a huge difference in the way I pray.
"Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present
you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to
the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory,
majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and
forever. Amen" (Jude 24,25).
-- Via WordPoints.com, January 4, 2015
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-2-
"Once for All"
by Billy Norris
"Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our
common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you
to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered
to the saints..." (Jude 3).
The original Greek word "hapax" translated "once for all" means that
it is "of perpetual validity not requiring repetition" (Vine, pg.
819). The faith delivered to the saints is of such quality that it
is complete ("perfect" James 1:25) and will not tolerate repetition
or alteration. This means that any "revelations" since the faith was
given "once for all" have not come from God but from the inventive
minds of men. It further means that those who claim the revelations
and those who believe them are condemned. The warning is clearly
given: "Whoever transgresses (goes ahead) and does not abide in the
doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine
of Christ has both the Father and the Son" (II John 9).
We must recognize and respect the significance of this word
translated "once for all." Christ was offered "once" [hapax]
to bear the sins of many (Hebrews 9:28). His sacrifice was of such
quality as to never need repetition.
-- Via Gospel Guide, Vol. 27, No. 12, December 1995
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-3-
News & Notes
Due to fluid buildup in her lungs, Jewell Wilson was taken
to the hospital last Thursday. Since then, much of the fluid
has been eliminated; but she is still needing medical care.
Let those of us who are Christians also be remembering the following
in prayer: Myrna Jordan, Melotine Davis, Mary Vandevander,
Danielle Howard, Pat Seif (cancer), Penny Medlock
(glaucoma), Marie Turner, Jim Lively, Cheryl Corbitt
(seeking employment), Rex and Frankie Hadley, Jesse Bailey (cancer),
Deborah Medlock, Shirley Davis, Dexter Roberts (cancer), Sue
Wooten (at nursing home), Dolly Moody (weak from cancer
treatment and low white blood cells), Collen Henson, and
A.J. Joyner (shingles).
The church of Christ in Hoboken, at 5101 Main Street, will be having
a time of congregational singing this coming Saturday (2/21)
and beginning at 3 PM.
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Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA 31501
Sunday services: 9:00 AM (Bible class); 10 AM & 5 PM (worship)
Wednesday: 7 PM (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 614-8593
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
http://www.tebeaustreetchurchofChrist.org
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/go
(Gospel Observer website)
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html
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