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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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March 12, 2017
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Contents:
1) The Value of Bible Study (Frank Himmel)
2) That You May Not Sin (Heath Rogers)
3) Are You Getting Better? (Greg Gwin)
4) News & Notes
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-1-
The Value of Bible Study
Frank Himmel
Years ago I heard someone observe that we too often set aside what
is actually more important for what seems more urgent. A ringing
telephone illustrates the principle. To be sure, some folks have
mastered ignoring telephone rings...to the point that it is hard to
get hold of them! But for many, that ring (or notification) demands
immediate attention. We will stop whatever we are doing (maybe even
worship!) to see who is contacting us.
Is this perhaps one of the reasons we might let an entire day go by
without opening a Bible? We know it’s important, but there is so
much else going on that calls for our attention. The morning routine
is already rushed, days are full of work, evenings bring more work
at home or activities elsewhere, and before we know it the day is
done.
Take a moment to reflect on the value of Bible study. Surely you
will agree it needs to be a part of your day.
The sacred writings are able to give us the wisdom that leads
to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy
3:15). That is a wisdom that comes from no other source, and
it is the best kind of wisdom to have. Being knowledgeable about
money or sports or movies or fishing or any other worldly matter
won’t be worth a thing on judgment day!
The Scriptures make us complete, thoroughly equipped for every
good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Moses told ancient Israel,
“Man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that
proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Deuteronomy 8:3). Without God’s
word we are woefully incomplete and ill-equipped for life.
Faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). In our
daily interaction with the world we encounter many influences that
seek to undermine our faith. We must fortify it, and hearing God’s
word is the primary means of doing so.
Treasuring God’s word in our hearts helps us not sin against Him
(Psalm 119:11). It enables us to know what is and is not
sinful. It helps us see through temptation. It reminds us how
short-lived sin’s pleasure is and how far-reaching its consequences
are.
The things written are for our instruction, that through
perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have
hope (Romans 15:4). All of us face discouragement from time
to time. Bible study cheers us. It reminds us of our hope. It
comforts us with accounts of God's people of old, seeing the
struggles they faced and the outcome of their faith. It puts things
back in perspective.
Not knowing the Scriptures results in erroneous thinking (Matthew
22:29). God’s thoughts are not man’s thoughts. We dare not
assume that because we see something a certain way, He sees it that
way. Men devise all sort of error. God’s word is truth (John 17:17),
the truth that makes us free (John 8:21-32).
The word of God lives and abides forever (1 Peter 1:22-25).
Men’s judgments and philosophies are constantly changing.
Yesterday’s wisdom is today’s folly. This simply proves how little
we really know, how foolish we are apart from God. His word, in
contrast, is constant. His plan works in all times and places. His
way is best. Those who want to adapt the Bible to modern thinking
have it just backwards; we must conform our thinking to His timeless
revelation.
The words of Jesus will judge us at the last day (John 12:48).
In school, we always wanted to know what would be on the final exam;
what do we have to know to pass? To successfully pass through the
judgment, we must know God’s will, His plan for our salvation, His
requirements for our lives. The only place we can learn those things
is the Bible. In the end, God’s approval, not man’s, is what
matters.
Won’t you make a place for at least a little Bible study each day?
-- Via Pathlights, January 17, 2016
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-2-
That You May Not Sin
Heath Rogers
“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may
not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for
our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1
John 2:1-2).
This passage presents some great truths regarding the blessings that
we have in Jesus. For one thing, Jesus is our Advocate with the
Father. When we sin, Jesus speaks on our behalf before God as we
seek forgiveness. He is a merciful and faithful High Priest,
sympathizing with the weaknesses which have resulted in our sin
(Heb. 2:17-18, 4:15).
Second, Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. A “propitiation” is
that which appeases or satisfies. God’s law states that the penalty
for sin is death. When Jesus died on the cross, He made a way for
God’s righteous law to be satisfied without us having to personally
pay the penalty for our own sin (Rom. 3:25-26).
While these are great blessings, I want us to notice the instruction
which was given prior to these blessings — “that you may not sin.”
God has made a way for Christians to receive forgiveness for the
sins that they commit, but His will is that we not sin. I wonder,
how many of us are careless about sin and temptation, feeling as if
we are “covered” if we do sin? God’s grace should never be viewed as
a license to sin (Rom. 6:1-2,15). Instead, God’s grace calls
us to a higher standard of living (Titus 2:11-12).
Brethren, let us “awake to righteousness, and do not sin…” (1 Cor.
15:34).
-- via Articles from the Happy Hill church of Christ
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Are You Getting Better?
Greg Gwin
Here's a challenge for you: Try to find a single place in the
Scriptures where the Lord ever encountered a person and encouraged
him to stay as he was. You can't do it, can you? The Lord always
encouraged people to change; to become better than they previously
were.
We know, of course, that some were already morally purer than
others. For instance, Cornelius was "a devout man who feared God ...
gave alms liberally ... and prayed constantly" (Acts 10:2). But then
there were folks like the Corinthians who had been immoral,
idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, greedy, drunkards,
revilers, and robbers (1 Cor. 6:9-11).
But, regardless of their existing condition, they had to change.
Why? Paul answered that question for us: "There is none righteous,
no, not one" (Romans 3:10).
There are too many people who call themselves Christians who have
never gotten serious about making changes and improvements in their
lives. They still want to act like they used to act, dress like they
used to dress, talk like they used to talk, etc. The heart of
the problem may be that we have failed to see ourselves as real
sinners. After all, it is reasoned, we aren't nearly as bad as
many others in our society.
We need to stop deceiving ourselves by such useless comparisons (2
Cor. 10:12). Unless the stats have changed, it still remains
true -- "there is none righteous, no, not one." That
being the case, we need to be changing -- improving -- for the Lord.
— via bulletin articles from the Collegevue church of Christ,
January 29, 2017
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News & Notes
Let those of us who can pray be praying for the following:
There will be a gospel meeting at the Hoboken church of Christ
March 16-19. Services will begin Thursday through Saturday at
7:30 p.m, and Sunday services will begin at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m.,
and 5:00 p.m. The guest speaker will be John Gibson
from Athens, Alabama. The church meets at 5101 Main Street, Hoboken,
Georgia.
Misty Thornton has been back in the hospital. She has
been having trouble with her heart, blood pressure, and
dizziness. She also recently had a seizure, but it is not yet
known if the cause is also heart related or from something else.
Also to keep in prayer: Lexi Crawford, Kay Byars, La Donna
Andrews, Mary Vandevander, Tanya Terrones, Shirley Davis, Charles
Crosby, Jim Lively, Doyle and Joyce Rittenhouse, Lawrence Anthony
Montero, Brianna Mackey, James “Buddy” Gornto, Billy Lowe, Tom
Haney, Kelli Fleeman, Randall and Linda Hickox, and Ray
Richards
WordPress Version of this bulletin:
https://thegospelobserver.wordpress.com/2017/03/14/the-gospel-observer-march-12-2017/
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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 (Gospel Observer website with
pictures in WordPress)
http://thomastedwards.com/go (Older version of Gospel Observer
website without pictures, but back to March 1990)
http://tebeaustreetchurchofchrist.org/
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html (audio sermons)