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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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October 2, 2016
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Contents:
1) Beatitudes: The Strength of "Weakness" (Paul Earnhart)
2) Hope for Eternity (Frank Vondracek)
3) Anger (selected)
4) News & Notes
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-1-
Beatitudes: The Strength of "Weakness"
Paul Earnhart
The second basic statement of the beatitudes is that the kingdom of
God does not yield itself to the "mighty" who seek to take it by
force, but it is easily accessible to the "weak" who yield their
cause patiently to God and abandon their own rights for the sake of
others. The world in which the beatitudes were first spoken was not
a hospitable place for such an idea. Seneca, a prominent
first-century Stoic philosopher and brother of Gallio (Acts 18:12),
gave expression to the sentiment of his times in the following
words: "Pity is a mental illness induced by the spectacle of other
people's miseries....The sage does not succumb to mental diseases of
that sort" (Arnold Toynbee, An Historian's Approach to Religion, p.
68). Wholly outside the spirit of His age, Jesus announced the
blessedness of the meek, the merciful, the peacemakers and the
persecuted. It was not an idea "whose time had come." It still is
not.
"Blessed are the meek" (Matthew 5:5, KJV). In a world of harshness
and cruelty, meekness would appear to be a quick way to commit
suicide. The violent and self-willed prevail. The meek are summarily
run over. The truth is that in the short run this may indeed be so.
People that are drawn to the kingdom of God must face this. The
gentleness of Jesus did not save Him from the cross. But,
ultimately, Jesus teaches us, it is meekness alone that will
survive. The challenge for us is to understand what true meekness
is.
Meekness is not a natural disposition. It is not an inborn mildness
of temperament. It is not the obsequious behavior of a slave whose
powerless station forces him to adopt a servile manner which he
despises and would abandon at the first opportunity. Meekness is an
attitude toward God and others which is the product of choice. It is
a disposition held by a steely moral resolve at a time when one may
have the power, and the inclination, to behave otherwise.
Meekness is not an indifference to evil. Jesus endured with much
patience the assaults made on Him, but He was strong to defend His
Father's name and will. He hated iniquity as much as He loved
righteousness (Hebrews 1:9). Moses was the meekest of men when it
came to abuse offered to him (Numbers 12:3), but his anger could
burn hot against irreverence offered to God (Exodus 32:19). The meek
man may endure mistreatment patiently (he is not concerned with
self-defense) but he is not passive about evil (Romans 12:9). There
is in him a burning hatred for every false way (Galatians 1:8-9;
Psalm 119:104).
Meekness is not weakness. There is no flabbiness in it. The one who
had 72,000 angels at His command (Matthew 26:53) described Himself
as "gentle and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29). The depth of
meekness in a man may indeed be gauged in direct proportion to his
ability to crush his adversaries. Jesus was not meek because He was
powerless. He was meek because He had His immense power under the
control of great principles -- His love for His Father (John 14:31)
and His love for lost men (Ephesians 5:2). It would have been far
easier for Him to have simply annihilated His foes than to patiently
endure their abuse. He took the hard road.
The meekness of the Son of God is powerfully demonstrated in His
attitude toward the privileges of His station ("who, existing in the
form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing
to be grasped, but emptied himself," Philippians 2:6-7 ASV), and in
His submission to His Father ("though He was a Son, yet He learned
obedience by the things which He suffered," Hebrews 5:8). He came
into the world as a servant. He emptied Himself for the sake of
others.
Although kingdom meekness derives from a new view of oneself in the
presence of God ("poor in spirit") it's primary emphasis is on a
man's view of himself in the presence of others. "Meekness" (Greek,
praus) is found in the constant company of words like "lowliness,"
"kindness," "longsuffering," "forbearance," and "gentleness"
(Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:12-13; 2 Timothy 2:24-25; Titus 3:2; 2
Corinthians 10:1). Even when applied to our Savior the word seems to
speak to His relationship to men rather than to His Father (Matthew
11:28-30; 2 Corinthians 10:1). "Meekness" (praus) had a special use
in the ancient Greek world. It was applied to an animal that had
been tamed (Barclay, New Testament Words, p. 241). The meek man is
one who has been tamed to the yoke of Christ (Matthew 11:29) and,
consequently, has taken up the burdens of other men (Galatians 6:2).
He no longer seeks to take by force even that which is rightfully
his nor attempts to avenge the injustices done him -- not because he
is powerless to do so, but because he has submitted his cause to a
higher court (Romans 12:19). Instead he is concerned to be a
blessing, not only to his brethren (Romans 15:3), but even to his
enemies (Luke 6:27-28).
The meek man has had enough of himself. He has felt his own ultimate
spiritual emptiness and yearned for a right relationship with God.
Self-righteousness has become a disaster and self-will a sickness.
The very ideas of self-confidence and self-assertiveness have become
a stench in his nostrils. He has emptied his heart of self and
filled it with God and others. Like his Master, he has become the
ultimate servant. And for this very reason the future belongs to
him.
-- Via Articles from the Douglas Hills church of Christ, January 1,
2016
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-2-
Hope for Eternity
Frank Vondracek
Hope is defined by Webster as -- (1) a feeling that what is wanted
will happen, and (2) to want and expect. When we hope, we are
counting on our desires becoming reality. Something hoped for is not
yet come to be reality. The apostle Paul wrote, "For we were saved
in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one
still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not
see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance" (Romans 8:24-25).
All of us have wishes, desires, dreams and hopes. It has been said
that "life void of all hope would be a heavy and spiritless thing."
Hope helps to stimulate us on in life. We are refreshed by the
expectation that tomorrow hopefully will be a day for us to enjoy
being alive. We hope for the pleasant welfare of ourselves and
others. We have high hopes for our children's lives to be better
than ours have been. We hope for the recovery of a sick loved one.
We hope that our world will be at peace more often than at war. Hope
takes a priority place in our days of living. It is as a fuel which
feeds the fires of life.
Do you have a capacity for hope beyond this life? Do you look
forward to the time when time will be no more and we will be
enveloped by eternity? The Bible teaches us -- "And as it is
appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews
9:27). Each person will be in eternity someplace. Jesus Christ said,
"And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the
righteous into eternal life" (Matthew 25:46). Where does your hope
lie for eternity: in everlasting punishment because you are yet in
your sins, unforgiven by God, or in eternal bliss because the Lord
has found you faithful in all things? I believe that everyone
reading this article has hope of spending eternity in life with God
and not in eternity separated from God. What have you been doing NOW
with your life to have the confidence that your hope will become
reality in eternity?
Jesus Christ declared -- "you shall know the truth, and the truth
shall make you free" (John 8:32). God's word is truth (John 17:17).
The truth of God's word is that "all have sinned and come short of
the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). The truth of God's word is that the
saved (those whose sins have been forgiven by God) are saved "by
grace through faith" (Ephesians 2:8). You cannot forgive or remove
your own sins, only God can do that (Mark 2:7). And yet, some people
tend to live in careless and reckless lifestyles which put their
souls in jeopardy for eternity. Living in such a manner and saying
at the same time, "God will forgive me," is folly.
But to learn God's will and see His expectations for man's life
(Ecclesiastes 12:13-14) is a much better way to go through life.
With repentance (changing ones mind about how one is living and
living in God's way) is the safest way. Remember, if you really want
to have true hope for eternity, it can only be found in God's Son,
Jesus Christ. That's why God sent His Son to find the lost. To bring
them to God for all eternity. Is your hope in Christ? Unless it is,
one does not have much to hope for in eternity.
-- Via Articles from the Gallatin Road church of Christ, July 1,
2014
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Anger
A short-tempered man is a fool. It's in the Bible, Ecclesiastes 7:9,
Proverbs 19:11, and 16:32: "Don't be quick-tempered -- that is being
a fool." "A wise man restrains his anger and overlooks insults. This
is to his credit." "It is better to be slow-tempered than famous; it
is better to have self-control than to control an army."
Get over anger quickly. It's in the Bible, Ephesians 4:26-27: "If
you are angry, don't sin by nursing your grudge. Don't let the sun
go down with you still angry -- get over it quickly; For when you
are angry you give a mighty foothold to the devil."
Don't fight back when wronged. It's in the Bible, I Peter 3:9:
"Don't repay evil for evil. Don't snap back at those who say unkind
things about you. Instead, pray for God's help for them, for we are
to be kind to others, and God will bless us for it."
Anger produces strife. It's in the Bible, Proverbs 30:33: "For as
churning the milk produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces
blood, so stirring up anger produces strife."
-- selected (via The Beacon, May 10, 2016)
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News & Notes
Let us who are Christians keep the following in our prayers:
Shirley Davis is now healing from recent surgery she had on
her toe. She is also waiting on an appointment November 11
concerning knee surgery.
We were glad to see Deborah Medlock back with us, after her
recent absence due to some painful trouble with her back.
Let us also remember in our prayers those with cancer: Raylee
Metts, Lexi Crawford, Camp Tatum, and LaDonna Andrews.
Cedell Fletcher, who has long had a blood problem, is now
doing better.
Bennie Medlock, who recently had a procedure on his lower
back, due to an infection, will continue going to the hospital every
day for treatment on that, until the 26th of this month.
Prior, he had been going twice a day.
Also, we want to keep Jim Lively and Ray Richards in
our prayers as they both continue to heal from open heart
surgery.
Wordpress version of this bulletin:
https://thegospelobserver.wordpress.com/2016/10/12/the-gospel-observer-october-2-2016/
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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, living for the Lord; 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)
Tuesday: 7 p.m. (Ladies' Bible class)
Wednesday: 7 PM (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 614-8593
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
http://thegospelobserver.wordpress.com
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http://thomastedwards.com/go
(Older version of Gospel Observer website without pictures, but
back to March 1990)
http://tebeaustreetchurchofchrist.org/
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