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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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May 23, 1990
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Contents:
1) Would I Study My Bible If...? (Paul Johnson)
2) Everyone Needs
Encouragement (Bubba Phillips)
3) "Easier Said Than Done" (Greg
Gwin)
4) Where God Put Baptism
(David A. Padfield)
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-1-
Would I Study My Bible If...?
by Paul Johnson
William McPherson had a charge of dynamite go off in his face. He lost
his eyes and hands and the feeling in parts of his face. He realized
how much the Bible meant to him and he greatly needed its
strength. He could not read it in Braille because of his
artificial hands. He tired to place his lips on the dots, but they were
to decipher the Moon type system of dashes. The metal left his lips and
tongue bleeding and very sore, but he prayed to God to help him
continue to learn just one letter of the alphabet. In the 65 years that
followed, he read the Bible through four times with his tongue.
Would I study the Bible if the same thing happened to me that happened
to Mr. McPherson? Would I have the desire, the intense desire to know
God's will, that I would go through what he did to learn? I wonder if I
would not rather have decided, "I can't ever read the Bible again."
Would I study the Bible if I had to get up an hour earlier each day to
work it into my busy (?) schedule? Or miss my favorite TV program if,
at that hour I remembered I hadn't studied my Bible for the day and
wouldn't have time afterwards?
Would I study the Bible (I wish I hadn't heard of that McPherson
fellow) if I didn't feel just right, or if I had had a hard day at
work, or if I was just too tired? (I wonder how that fellow learned to
read with his tongue?) Or would I study even though I was a slow reader
and it took me all day just to read one or two chapters?
Would I study the Bible on occasions when the saints were assembled
(Sunday morning, Wednesday night, etc.) if I had to go without supper
till after services, or walk or drive several blocks to get there?
How many "if's" keep you from studying the Bible? Is this matter of no
importance to you at all? If it is, then do something about it. That
McPherson fellow -- I guess his example will haunt me the rest of my
life.
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Everyone Needs Encouragement
by Bubba Phillips
I believe the title of this article is something we as God's people
need to be reminded of. We know everyone needs encouragement and yet
sometimes we fail to encourage as we should.
The Ill Need Encouragement. Prayers, cards, personal notes
and visits help the sick more than we realize. We are so busy in this
hurry-scurry world that we forget to encourage the sick like we should.
New Converts Need Encouragement. The devil is after new
converts the day they obey the gospel. If they become discouraged, the
devil will use this tool to the new convert's spiritual destruction if
allowed to. Let's take the time to encourage new babes in Christ.
The Elderly Need Encouragement. They may feel they are not
contributing much to the Lord's work. They need to be reminded that we
love them and their example is what helps others stay on the straight
and narrow. Be sure and encourage older saints.
Mates With Non-Christian Spouses Need Encouragement.
Try to put yourself in their position. It must be very difficult to
attend services without the whole family present. Such ones deserve our
understanding, help and encouragement. Let's not be guilty of ever
being indifferent toward them.
Our Youth Need Encouragement. If we fail to encourage our
young people, we discourage them. The very attention we give them now
will help greatly to affect the direction they choose now and in later
years. May we take just a minute now and then to show our
interest in young people's souls.
Our Elders Need Encouragement. Being an elder is a very
thankless task. Far too often we take our elders for granted. When was
the last time you took the time to express your appreciation to your
elders for their work's sake? Why not do that soon? We would appreciate
it if we had their load to carry, would we not?
Why should we encourage one another? It's very simply, because
THE BIBLE SAYS SO (Heb. 3:12,13).
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-3-
"Easier Said Than Done"
by Greg Gwin
We often use the old expression that something is "easier said than
done." We know that it accurately applies to many different
subjects. It is possible, for instance, to talk at length about
sports, business, or world politics; but it is an entirely different
matter to effectively engage in such activities. Even the things of
day-to-day living are many times easier to discuss than to do. It is
easy to say that I love my wife, but it is more difficult to prove that
love by exhibiting genuine care and concern. I can talk about being a
proper father to my children, but I must work hard to be the kind of
parent that I ought to be. In all of these things, and a multitude of
others, we see that it really is "easier said than
done."
Living as God would have us to live is
this same way.
It is simple to claim a faith in Christ, and nearly as easy to say that
we really love Him. A majority of folks in our society make such
claims. But it is an altogether different matter to prove these
statements. The real proof is in our performance as His disciples.
Jesus put it most simply when He said, "If ye love me, keep my
commandments" (John 14:15). John added, "And hereby we do know that we
know him, if we keep his commandments" (1 John 2:3). Let us do more
than claim we are Christ's, that's easy. Let's prove we really love Him
by obeying His commands.
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-4-
Where God Put Baptism
Mark 16:16 -- Baptism BEFORE salvation.
Acts 2:38 -- Baptism BEFORE the remission of sins.
Romans 6:4 -- Baptism BEFORE newness of life.
Acts 22:16 -- Baptism BEFORE sins are washed away.
1 Peter 3:21 -- Baptism BEFORE salvation.
In every New Testament passage where salvation and baptism are
mentioned in the same verse, baptism always comes first!
-- David A. Padfield
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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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First published for the Tri-state church of Christ in Ashland,
Kentucky, at 713 13th Street.
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards
tedwards1109@gmail.com
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