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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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August 9, 2015
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Contents:
1) Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things (Jerry D. Curry)
2) 21 Reasons Why You Should Be Scripturally Baptized (Kenneth E.
Thomas)
3) The Sum of God's Word (Frank Himmel)
4) News & Notes
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-1-
Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things
by Jerry D. Curry
God's people have always been called upon to take action. As Joshua
made his farewell speech he exhorted Israel, "Choose you this day
whom ye will serve" (Joshua 24:15). Haggai exhorted Israel, "Go up
to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house" (Haggai 1:8).
Jesus, our ultimate example of a servant, says, "My meat is to do
the will of Him Who sent Me" (John 4:34). Many times we are hesitant
to accept difficult challenges, consequently, opportunities to
render great service to God are lost. God has not always looked to
great people to serve in great ways. Be encouraged to accept great
challenges as we notice how God has used ordinary people to do
extraordinary things.
Moses was asked by God to appear before Pharaoh and demand that he
let the people of God leave Egypt. As Moses contemplated this
extraordinary challenge he demonstrated his ordinary character as he
made the following excuses: "Who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh?
What shall I say unto them? But, behold, they will not believe me,
nor hearken unto my voice. I am not eloquent" (Exodus 3:4). Moses
was able to rise above some ordinary traits and successfully meet
the extraordinary challenges of confronting Pharaoh, leading Israel
out of Egypt and through the wilderness for forty years.
God spoke to Joshua and said, "Moses My servant is dead; now
therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people,
unto the land which I do give to them" (Joshua 1:2). After wandering
with the murmuring nation of Israel for forty years, Joshua is given
the extraordinary challenge of leading Israel into the Jordan and
across to the promised land. Following Israel's defeat by Ai, Joshua
demonstrated an ordinary lack of trust as he stated, "O Lord God,
wherefore hast Thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to
deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us?" (Joshua
7:7). God calms the ordinary fear of Joshua by saying, "Fear not,
neither be thou dismayed; take all the people of war with thee, and
arise and go up to Ai; see, I have given into thy hand the king of
Ai" (Joshua 8:1).
David demonstrated an extraordinary faith as he went out to the
battlefield and defeated the giant Goliath with a sling and small
stones (See 1 Samuel 17:17-51). He is paid the extraordinary
compliment in Acts 13:22 where God says of David, "I have found
David, the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart." Yet, what
painfully ordinary traits were exhibited as he committed adultery
with Bathsheba and had her husband killed in the heat of battle.
Please take time to read II Samuel 11:1-17.
We could write further of 1) Esther, though afraid of death,
appeared before the king to ask that Israel be spared (Esther 4:16).
2) Abraham, who left his homeland and later raised the knife to
offer his son upon the altar, yet earlier lies about Sarah as he
feared for his life (He- brews 11:8, 17-19; Genesis 20:9-13). Or 3)
Peter, who walked on water and was with the Lord at Gethsemane, yet
later cursed and denied Christ (Matthew 14:27-31; 26:69-75). May we
be encouraged to accept great challenges as ordinary people striving
to do extraordinary things.
-- via The Sunny Hill Bulletin, Vol. 5, No. 8, April 15, 2001
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-2-
21 Reasons Why You Should Be Scripturally Baptized
by Kenneth E. Thomas
1. Because God commands it. Acts 10:48
2. To fulfill all righteousness. Matthew 3:15
3. To be a friend of Christ. John 15:14
4. Because you love God. I John 5:3; John 14:15
5. Lest you reject the council of God against yourself. Luke
7:30
6. To COMPLETE the "new birth." John 3:3-5; Titus 3:5
7. To enter the kingdom. John 3:5
8. For remission of sins. Acts 2:38
9. To receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38
10. In order to be saved. Mark 16:16
11. To wash away your sins. Acts 22:16
12. To get into the death of Jesus where blood was shed.
Romans 6:3
13. To be buried with Christ. Romans 6:4
14. To be raised with Christ. Romans 6:4; Colossians. 3:1;
2:12
15. To rise to walk in the newness of life. Romans 6:4
16. To be a child of God by faith. Galatians 3:26-27
17. To get into the body, which is the Church. I Corinthians
12:13; Colossians 1:18
18. To have a good conscience. I Peter 3:21
19. To get INTO Christ. Galatians 3:27
20. Because "baptism doth also now save us." I Peter 3:21;
Mark 16:16
21. To be "reconciled unto God in one body by the cross."
Ephesians 2:13-16
-- Via Articles from La Vista church of Christ
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The Sum of God's Word
by Frank Himmel
Do you remember math class? We were taught that in multiplication
the answer is call the product; in division it is called the
quotient; in subtraction it is the remainder; in addition it is the
sum.
Psalm 119:160 says, "The sum of Your Word is truth, and every one of
Your righteous ordinances is everlasting." The emphasis is on
totality. Everything God says is right. Every one of His ordinances
is binding. And the truth about any subject is determined by adding
up all He says about it.
The principle of adding together all God's revelation is vital in
Bible study. It is easy to err if one teaches a conclusion before
weighing everything the Scripture says on a topic. Consider a few
examples:
Some folks act as though Matthew 7:1 says everything there is to be
said about judging: "Do not judge so that you will not be judged."
They seem to think this verse prohibits any and all judgments that
one might make about another. However, I Corinthians 5:12 requires
churches to judge their members with reference to fellowship. Jesus
Himself said, "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with
righteous judgment" (John 7:24). The fact is, there are a number of
situations in which we must assess one's character, position, or
conduct.
If one reads Jesus' teaching about divorce only in Mark 10:2-12 or
Luke 16:18, he would conclude that divorce is not allowable for any
reason. Any remarriage following a divorce would constitute
adultery. Matthew's account however, reveals one exception: divorce
for fornication (Matthew 19:9).
When the Philippian jailor asked Paul and Silas what he must do to
be saved, they replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be
saved" (Acts 16:31). Is that all there is to it? Many think so. But
when the Jews on Pentecost asked Peter the same question, He
answered, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ for the forgiveness of your sins" (Acts 2:38). Further
reading in Acts 16 implies that Paul went on to tell the jailor the
same thing. Neither Acts 16:31 nor John 3:16 nor any other verse
contains all that God says about salvation. The sum of God's word is
truth.
-- via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 25, June 22, 2008
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-4-
News & News
Jewell Wilson was taken to the Hospice House
Friday. Let those of us who are Christians be keeping her and
all her family and friends in prayer.
Let us also be praying for the following:
Steve Vesta's health is very poor.
Rex Hadley was taken to the VA Hospital (8/6) due to pains in
his arm. They performed an EKG and then sent him to Shands for
a heart catheterization (8/7). He has had bypass surgery
before. It was detected that one of these bypasses on the
front of his heart was blocked. But they will first try to
medicate it for the next couple weeks, while he is now back
home. He has also been experiencing some extreme pain in his
side, below his ribs, which will need to be checked out with a
sonogram for a possible stone.
Eleanor Roberts has been suffering from Alzheimer's and also
not able to do the work around the house as she once did. So
her husband Henry has been doing that for her, but it has
been difficult for him being in his 80s with pain in his back and
feet. It is their son, Dexter, whom we have also been
mentioning, who has been undergoing treatments for cancer.
Brittany Crosby Royals, who recently had surgery for a broken
hip, has been progressing well.
Pat Joyner will soon be having surgery for breast cancer.
We were glad to hear that the spinal tap for Judy Daugherty
showed no signs of cancer. She is also now doing better in
getting around, though it does require using a
walker.
Shut-ins: Mary Vandevander and Sue Wooten
It was also good news to hear that a scan for Dolly Downs Moody
showed again that she is cancer free. But in overdoing it with
exercise while recuperating, she had fractured a bone and is to take
it easy for the next six weeks.
Others to remember in prayer: Benny Medlock, Sunny Nichols, Jean
Beach, Michelle Rittenhouse, Raylee Metts, Lexi Crawford, Betty
Miles, Buddy Gornto, Colleen Henson, Donell Wells, Dexter Roberts,
and Kelsey Williams
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation
1) Hear the gospel, for that is how faith comes
(Rom. 10:17; John 20:30,31).
2) Believe in the deity of Christ (John 8:24;
John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9,10; Acts
8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water for the
remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3,4; Gal.
3:26,27; 1 Pet. 3:21)
6) Continue in the faith; for, if not, salvation
can be lost (Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
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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://ThomasTEdwards.com/go
(Gospel Observer website)
https://thegospelobserver.wordpress.com/
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html
(audio sermons)