Month: April 2024

“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” (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB).
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Contents

1) Gleanings from a Walk on a Country Road (Tom Edwards)
2) Called to Be Like Jesus (Bryan Gibson)
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Gleanings from a Walk on a Country Road

Tom Edwards

NOTE: The following article (with the exception of some slight editing) was written back in early November 2003.  Joe and Blanche Thompson had flown me up from Louisiana to their home in Pennsylvania because 86-year-old Joe was in very poor health and nearing death and wanted me to do his funeral, which I was honored to do. Joe was the kind of guy that easily made you feel like his best friend.

While the others were away, and just Joe and I were in his home, and he in a hospital bed in their living room, I did my funeral sermon for him so he could hear it. A few weeks later in December, Joe passed away, for which again they flew me back up. 

So perhaps that gives a little more of the emotional setting for the following article of the comfort we can have in God.

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While staying with the Thompsons up in Cochranville, Pennsylvania, for about a week recently, after my morning Bible studies, I would often then walk about 5 miles down a country road, where I could also spend that time in prayer, in praise, and in meditation upon God and spiritual things. Though this is good for the body and the mind, it is even more beneficial for one’s spiritual soul.

God’s handiwork is often a delight to me, a reminder of the reality of His existence, and physical blessings to be thankful for. To see the rolling and elongated hills, where cows and horses grazed on their grassy slopes; to behold the immense sky with its varietal shapes of clouds drifting by and the v-shaped patterns of geese, honking their way across the blue; to hear and watch the gurgling brook; to see the wind making tall grass undulate like endless waves of the sea; and to observe the towering clumps of woodlands in the distance and those that were near and overshadowing the road and forming “tunnels” for the pedestrian or those in vehicles to pass under, all evoked thoughts of God, the Creator. For how can we not think of the Lord when we see His various wonders abounding everywhere? (cf. Rom. 1:19-20.)

God’s reality is no less real than that of His creation. And actually, His existence is even “more real,” in the sense that He never changes nor wears out as creation does. Therefore, compared to the “durability” of God, creation itself seems to be (in a manner of speaking) gauzy, shadowy, so temporal, a fading reality that will vanish with the wearing down of time. But God, and His spiritual realm of heaven, will never become even one second older, nor diminish in quality to the slightest degree. Instead, God and heaven are eternally “new.” The radiance of heaven will never wane. Its brilliance will never become dulled. There will be no rusting, no tarnishing, no decaying, nor no perishing in that perfect place called heaven where nothing grows old, wears away, nor weakens. Corresponding to this, the Hebrew writer states in Hebrews 1:10-12:  “And, ‘YOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINNING LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH, AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; THEY WILL PERISH, BUT YOU REMAIN; AND THEY ALL WILL BECOME OLD LIKE A GARMENT, AND LIKE A MANTLE YOU WILL ROLL THEM UP; LIKE A GARMENT THEY WILL ALSO BE CHANGED. BUT YOU ARE THE SAME, AND YOUR YEARS WILL NOT COME TO AN END.'” And as he says elsewhere, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8).

God’s “years” do not come to an end; but ours do — the physical part of us, that is. It is a “going the way of all the earth,” as David (1 Kings 2:2), as well as Joshua (Josh. 23:14), refers to it.

As I continued on my morning walk, taking in the sights, I soon entered a small cemetery at the corner of Faggs Manor Road and 926, with an interest in finding its oldest grave. Thinking that the first person interred in that burial ground had probably wanted to be laid to rest under a large, shady tree, I walked to what appeared to be just that: the oldest tree in the cemetery. Though there were many tombstones that had been so weathered with the corroding years of time that their inscriptions were no longer legible or only partly so, yet I found one rather large slab that was clearly readable. It lay flat and long, covering the grave site; rather than being an upright headstone. Its inscription said:

“Here lyeth the body of
Jane the relict [widow] of
James Creswell who departed
this life the 17 of August, 1749.
Aged about 85 years.”

That means that this woman was born around 1664. Below this inscription, it then read as follows:

“Death thou hast conquer’d me.
I by thy dart am slain.
But Christ hath conquer’d thee
And I shall rise again.”

How true that is. Because Jesus died, was buried, and arose from the grave, we, too, can have hope in a better resurrection (Heb. 11:35). One for which we will be changed “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet….” When “the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (1 Cor. 15:51-53). And it makes no difference in what year we have been laid to rest. The important thing, however, is that we are ready to meet God so that it will be a “better” resurrection. For all shall be raised from the dead and exist forever; but only those who belong to the Lord will receive, as Clarence Johnson refers to it, “the quality life.” This is what Jesus came to give, as He Himself states in John 10:10, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” And the Lord also states of this great universal resurrection in John 5:28-29, in which to those who are the saved it will be a “resurrection of life”; but to those who are the lost, it will be a “resurrection of judgment.”

Christ conquered death by His own death and resurrection (Heb. 2:14-15). Going along with this, Paul states to the Corinthians: “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:20-22). Jesus truly is “the resurrection and the life” (Jn. 11:25); and He continues in this verse by saying, “he who believes in Me will live even if he dies.”

The inscription on the tombstone also reminded me of the words of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:55-57: “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Yes, the Christian knows that not even death can separate him or her from the love of God (cf. Rom. 8:35-39). Therefore, the child of God need “…not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul…” (Matt. 10:28); for they cannot separate one from God’s goodness and care. Ultimately, the faithful Christian will triumph even in death and arrive in a place more blissful than ever could be imagined.

Christ can take the “sting” out of death. For in Jesus, death leads to Paradise and heaven, rather than to Tartarus and hell. But whether we die with that “sting” or not is a choice that only the individual can make. God has shown His great desire toward the salvation of all by giving His Son Jesus to die for every sinner (Jn. 3:16; 1 Jn. 4:9-10; Rom. 5:6-10), but we must avail ourselves of the power in Christ’s atonement by humbly submitting to the gospel plan of salvation (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 8:36-38; Rom. 6:3,4; Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10).

Yes, it was a good walk I had that morning; and as I spoke to God through prayer, He also “spoke” to me in these various ways: through His creation and through His words of truth that are found in the Scriptures and can instill within each of us the faith we need, along with hope, comfort, and numerous other spiritual blessings. So let us, therefore, take the time to listen to God and to lovingly respond to His gracious call, so that our walk may always be with Him in our hearts, having His word to lead our way, and our final destination being in heaven itself.

NOTE: All Scripture is from the New American Standard Bible (1995 Edition)

— Via Gospel Observer, November 9, 2003

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Called to Be Like Jesus

Bryan Gibson

“He who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk just as He walked” (1 John 2:6).

“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

“Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).

“For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15).

“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…” (Romans 8:29).

“And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us…” (Ephesians 5:2).

“Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34).

“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).

“By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16).

— Via Plain Words from God’s Word, April 21, 2024

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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 Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; John 3:18).

3) Repent of sins.  For every accountable person has sinned (Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10), which causes one to be spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). Therefore, repentance of sin is necessary (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).  For whether the sin seems great or small, there will still be the same penalty for either (Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Cor. 5:10) — and even for a lie (Rev. 21:8).

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; 1 Pet. 3:21).  This is the final step that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27).  For from that baptism, one is then raised as a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), having all sins forgiven and beginning a new life as a Christian (Rom. 6:3-4). For the one being baptized does so “through faith in the working of God” (Col. 2:12). In other words, believing that God will keep His word and forgive after one submits to these necessary steps. And now as a Christian, we then need to…

6) Continue in the faith by living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Matt. 24:13; 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: 9 a.m. Bible Classes and 10 a.m. Worship Service.   Congregational Song Service: 5 p.m. for every first Sunday of the month.

Wednesday: 7 p.m. Bible Classes

evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com

https://thomastedwards.com/go/all.htm (This is a link to the older version of the Gospel Observer website, but with bulletins going back to March 4, 1990.)

“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” (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB).
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Contents

1) What Happened to My Zeal? (Bryan Gibson)
2) Jealousy in the Heart (Michael Baker)
3) Sword Tips #17 (Joe R. Price)
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What Happened to My Zeal

Bryan Gibson

We’ve all seen it happen—people on fire for the Lord one minute, only in the next to become very weak or possibly even fall away. It sure would help to know why this happens, for two reasons: to keep it from happening to us (if it hasn’t already), and to help others avoid the same fate.

For answers, let’s turn to 2 Corinthians 8-9. Paul was encouraging various churches to help relieve needy Christians in Jerusalem (Romans 15:25-26; 1 Corinthians 16:1-4). Some had already given liberally and willingly (2 Corinthians 8:1-5), and here Paul urges the church at Corinth to do the same. Because these two chapters speak so often of zeal or diligence, let’s see what we can find to help us better understand how some people’s zeal can wane, or even disappear.

Their zeal, or diligence may be more style than substance, more talk than action. That was the very thing Paul didn’t want to happen in Corinth. These brethren were eager to help, had even promised to do so (8:10-11; 9:1-5), but it was time now to “complete the doing of it” (8:11), to “show…the proof of your love” (8:24). Zeal is not just what you’re eager to do, or promise to do; it’s about what you actually get done.

Their zeal, or diligence, may be more of the self-serving type. For these people, it’s not about bringing glory to the Lord (8:19; 9:13); it’s about bringing glory (or maybe happiness) to themselves. The churches of Macedonia were praised for their zeal, for giving so willingly and liberally (8:1-5), but they did so because “they first gave themselves to the Lord” (8:5); and they did that because the Lord had given Himself for them (8:1, 9). Could it be that the zealous person who fell away was in it more for himself than for the Lord?

Their zeal, or diligence, may not be well-rounded. Look carefully at what Paul said to the church at Corinth: “But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also” (8:7). His desire was that they show the same zeal in giving they had shown in these other areas. We’ve all seen Christians who were all fired up for various aspects of service, only to fade very quickly. A more well-rounded zeal may just be the antidote for that.

Their zeal, or diligence, may be mostly out of compulsion (“because I have to”). These brethren in Corinth needed to give, but notice the approach Paul uses in various passages: “I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love…” (8:8); “that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation” (9:5); “not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” (9:7). When we can move beyond the “because I have to” stage to the “freely willing” stage (8:3), our zeal will remain strong.

Their zeal may have waned or died because they didn’t realize how much good God had done through them. To make sure that wasn’t the case with these Christians, Paul wrote, “For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you” (9:12-14). Please don’t grow weary—diligent service in the Lord’s kingdom accomplishes more good than we can sometimes imagine.

“And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Hebrews 6:11-12).

— Via Plain Words from God’s Word, April 8, 2024

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Jealousy in the Heart

Michael Baker

Jealousy is an emotion that can easily affect anyone. Jealousy can be defined as the desire for something that someone else has. While we may not typically think of it in this way, jealousy is a very serious emotion that can take control of us. Yet some folks may not believe jealousy is all that serious. Let’s look at a time where jealousy was not dealt with and it manifested turmoil for those involved.

Genesis 37 shows us that jealousy begins to root itself in our hearts. Jacob loved his son Joseph more than any of his other sons. He did not hide his favoritism, but rather broadcasted it by making Joseph a coat of many colors. Genesis 37:4 reveals that the brothers took note of Jacob’s adoration for Joseph over them. Feelings of jealousy may not cause damage at first. But once it is allowed to fester, it produces hatred and envy, which is why it cannot be permitted in our hearts. How do you feel when you think about your friend’s income, possessions, or relationships? We must be honest with ourselves if we do feel jealous of others, because if we’re not, it will cause more damage later on.

Jealousy doesn’t just lead us to feel displeased within ourselves. It ruins our relationships. When jealousy entered the hearts of Joseph’s brothers, it led to the point that they could not speak to him peacefully. As Joseph receives dreams from God they not only mock him, but they “hated him even more” Genesis 37:8. When we begin to feel jealous of someone else, our relationship begins to change immediately. Family relationships are not immune to jealousy either. If brothers turned on one another here, it surely can happen today. So, let us see that nothing good comes from allowing jealousy to mature.

Like many other emotions, if allowed to grow they will be seen both inwardly and outwardly. Jealousy once it grows to maturity will only lead to bad decisions in the dark side of envy and hatred. One day Joseph approaches his brothers in a field and they immediately plan to kill him, Genesis 37:20. However, they do not kill Joseph but instead they cast him into a pit, before eventually selling him into slavery. Jealousy spares no expense to fulfill its desires. It can be manifested in our own lives. When it becomes our motivation, we may go to great lengths to satisfy our feelings. People murder others over possessions and love. But are there any actions that could really satisfy the feelings brought about by jealousy? The only emotions one feels after acting upon jealousy is hatred and sorrow.

Our actions committed upon the basis of jealousy will only hurt ourselves and those around us. Reuben tore his clothes in mourning, for he blamed himself that Joseph was sold into captivity, Genesis 37:29-30. Jacob was deceived by his sons when they told him that a beast had killed Joseph. Jacob said he would mourn the loss of his favorite child until the day of his death, Genesis 37:35. When we allow jealousy to manifest in action, we hurt those who we did not intend to.

It is hard to avoid acting on our jealous feelings. But those who live in jealousy will not enter the kingdom of God, Gal. 5:20-21. How can we deal with jealousy? We can overcome jealousy by being grateful for our current status. We have never been promised anything in this life and to think we are entitled to anything in this life is wrong. We must rid our hearts of jealousy and fill them with gratitude for what we do have so that we may enter the kingdom of God. 

— Via Glad Tidings, July 7, 2019

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“And take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17).

Sword Tips #17                 

Joe R. Price

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

 Being a Christian means making tough, consistent decisions to refuse and reject the devil’s enticements to sin against God. We may think being a Christian comes without sacrifice, as if there is no price to pay for following Jesus. This is not true. The devil will overwhelm you unless you “submit to God” in everything. Count the cost, and pay the price to be right with God. Effective resistance against the devil occurs as you completely surrender yourself to God’s will. The devil will flee from you when you obey God.

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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 Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; John 3:18).

3) Repent of sins.  For every accountable person has sinned (Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10), which causes one to be spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). Therefore, repentance of sin is necessary (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).  For whether the sin seems great or small, there will still be the same penalty for either (Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Cor. 5:10) — and even for a lie (Rev. 21:8).

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; 1 Pet. 3:21).  This is the final step that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27).  For from that baptism, one is then raised as a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), having all sins forgiven and beginning a new life as a Christian (Rom. 6:3-4). For the one being baptized does so “through faith in the working of God” (Col. 2:12). In other words, believing that God will keep His word and forgive after one submits to these necessary steps. And now as a Christian, we then need to…

6) Continue in the faith by living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Matt. 24:13; Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
——————–

Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA  31501

Sunday: 9 a.m. Bible Classes and 10 a.m. Worship Service.   Congregational Song Service: 5 p.m. for every first Sunday of the month.

Wednesday: 7 p.m. Bible Classes

evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com

https://thomastedwards.com/go/all.htm (This is a link to the older version of the Gospel Observer website, but with bulletins going back to March 4, 1990.)

 

“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” (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB).
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Contents

1) The Dimensions of DNA (Tom Edwards)
2) Thinking More of DNA (Tom Edwards)
3) Harsh Words (Doy Moyer)
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The Dimensions of DNA

Tom Edwards

Recently, I was very impressed by the following statement:

It has been estimated that if all of the DNA in an adult human were placed end-to-end, it would reach to the Sun and back (186 million miles) 400 times. (Lesson 3 “The Existence of God — Design”; Apologetics Press, https://apologeticspress.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/hsc0103.pdf).

Another source had put that number of trips of DNA to the Sun and back at 600 times, while another did so at 300 — but even the shorter distances are still astronomical and amazing!

If you wonder how this can be so, when thinking of cells as being so microscopic, read on.

What are the dimensions of DNA?  You might find this truly amazing if you do not already know — and even still amazing if you already do know. For how can it ever be anything but amazing! 

Though DNA is said to be only about 2 nanometers in diameter (which is just two-billionths of a meter or two ten-millionths (0.0000002) of a centimeter, yet it has a length when stretched out of about 2 meters!  So, in other words, its length is about 1 billion times longer than its diameter.

And even putting the DNA slightly shorter at 6 feet (as some do) will result in a total distance of 914,400,000 times longer than its diameter!

Yet, the nucleus in which DNA is stored is said to be only about 5.5 to 6 microns in diameter.  Six microns is the equivalent of 6 millionths of a meter, or six ten-thousandths (0.0006) of a centimeter.  So DNA, which has been tightly coiled and packed in the nucleus, has been likened to “packing about 24 miles of very thin, double-stranded string into a tennis ball.”

In thinking of this, I am reminded of what David declares to God in Psalm 139:13-16:

For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.  (NASB)

So the next time you think about your DNA, imagine all of it being stretched out and placed from end to end, and making 400 trips from you to the Sun and back!  For DNA is an awesome part of you! 

DNA is just one of the many intricate and intelligent designs which makes our lives possible. Try making a list of all the other things, too, that you are made of that is necessary for your very existence — such as a brain, a heart, at least one kidney, a liver, blood, a circulatory system,  a respiratory system, etc. How vitally important they each are!  Not having even one of these would be fatal.  But how would a source that is non-intelligent know of the need for these things and also develop them, along with everything else that is necessary for our existence?    

How can one not believe in an Intelligent Designer when considering all of the facts that reality reveals!

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Thinking More of DNA

Tom Edwards

In doing Google searches, you can easily run into different figures as to the number of cells in the human body. NOVA online, on “Cracking the CODE of LIFE,” put the total number of all kinds of cells at “about 100 trillion.” Lesson 3 in “The Existence of God–Design,” which I had cited in the previous article, concerning the 400 round-trips DNA (if stretched out and placed end to end) could make to the Sun, also gave that same number. For it states: “A body is composed of over 250 different kinds of cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, nerve cells, etc.) totaling approximately 100 trillion cells in an average adult.”

But even if the total number of cells were much lower, DNA would still be an amazing part of us, and its length when stretched out and placed end to end could still make numerous round trips to the sun. For consider the following chart:

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-3-

Harsh Words

Doy Moyer

Somewhere along the line, it seems our culture has been convinced that insulting people is the way to win others to their way of thinking. Harsh words that disparage intelligence coupled with character-destroying insinuations have become embedded in our arguments and disagreements. This is the way of the world, a path lacking grace and mercy and which can only lead to further division and hatred.

In leading up to the point that we need to take on the mind of Christ, the apostle Paul argued, “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose” (Phil 2:1-2, NASU). Notice the terms: encouragement, consolation, love, fellowship, affection, compassion, joy, united. These are produced by the Spirit. How could this be accomplished? The answer is given: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (vv. 3-4).

The mind or attitude of Jesus is what we are aiming for (v. 5), and this was demonstrated by His self-emptying act of dying for us. And as John would say, “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16).

For the child of God, we are to speak with grace (Col 4:6), love (Eph 4:15), and kindness devoid of bitterness (Eph 4:31-32). We don’t revile or insult in return when such is hurled at us (1 Pet 2:21-23). And Jesus is our example in this.

I am aware that there were times Jesus spoke more harshly, calling out hypocrites for what they were (Matt 23). Yet Jesus knew hearts in ways we do not. He can judge what we are not capable of judging. Be very careful in trying to justify hard language, especially that which is graceless and insulting. We can be direct and straightforward and still be respectful.

We can do better, can we not? I can, and I intend to. If we have arguments to make, make them without rancor and insult. Whether we are talking with unbelievers or fellow saints, we gain nothing by harsh rhetoric that requires us to know the hearts of those with whom we have our discussions. Let the truth be spoken so it can do what the Lord intends for it to do, and let us avoid speaking in a manner that gets in the way of that truth.

— Via Doy Moyer’s Facebook site, April 13, 2024 (Doy had no title for this article, so I thought “Harsh Words” would be a good one.)

——————–

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 Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; John 3:18).

3) Repent of sins.  For every accountable person has sinned (Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10), which causes one to be spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). Therefore, repentance of sin is necessary (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).  For whether the sin seems great or small, there will still be the same penalty for either (Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Cor. 5:10) — and even for a lie (Rev. 21:8).

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; 1 Pet. 3:21).  This is the final step that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27).  For from that baptism, one is then raised as a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), having all sins forgiven and beginning a new life as a Christian (Rom. 6:3-4). For the one being baptized does so “through faith in the working of God” (Col. 2:12). In other words, believing that God will keep His word and forgive after one submits to these necessary steps. And now as a Christian, we then need to…

6) Continue in the faith by living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Matt. 24:13; Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
——————–

Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA  31501

Sunday: 9 a.m. Bible Classes and 10 a.m. Worship Service.   Congregational Song Service: 5 p.m. for every first Sunday of the month.

Wednesday: 7 p.m. Bible Classes

evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com

https://thomastedwards.com/go/all.htm (This is a link to the older version of the Gospel Observer website, but with bulletins going back to March 4, 1990.)

“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” (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB).
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Contents

1) Philip the Evangelist (David Watson)
2) The Resurrection — Proof that Jesus is the Son of God (Doug Roush)
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Philip the Evangelist

David Watson

Philip (Acts 6:5) is easy to skip over because we usually focus on the people he dealt with—Simon the magician and the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8).  But there are 3 things I want us to notice about Philip and his work that will inspire us to become better Christians.

First, Philip is a great example of loving our neighbors.  Due to Saul’s persecution, Philip leaves Jerusalem and goes—of all places—to Samaria and starts proclaiming Christ to them (Acts 8:5)!  Most Jews wouldn’t be caught dead with Samaritans (John 4:7-9; 8:48; Luke 9:51-56); but there Philip is, preaching the good news and baptizing men and women (Acts 8:13).  That shows us what the gospel of Christ will do for us—it will open our eyes to the value of a soul.  It will raise us above racism and bigotry and prejudice.  “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).  Let’s fix that worldview into our minds—that each person around us (friends, family members, complete strangers) has a soul!  Like Philip, I should be willing to share the gospel with anyone as an act of love.

Second, Philip shows us the power of the gospel.  He is later called “the evangelist” (Acts 21:8).  Evangelist means “one who declares the good news.”  After declaring the good news to the Samaritans, Philip preaches Christ to the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-39).  Many religious people today teach that in order to understand and accept the gospel and be saved, the Holy Spirit has to miraculously affect you in some way (“irresistible grace”).  But notice that’s NOT what happened here.  Interestingly, you have an angel (v. 26) and the Holy Spirit (v. 29) directly involved in the conversion of the Ethiopian, but what did they do?  They got the preacher of God’s word connected to the person in need.  That’s what happens all through the book of Acts—preachers present the evidence and build a logical case for Christ—sometimes reasoning and explaining things over a period of weeks and months and years, and as a result of that, people believed and obeyed.  That’s what Philip did for the Samaritans (Acts 8:5, 12) and what he does now for the Ethiopian (Acts 8:35, 36).  Christianity is not based on blind faith or on a subjective feeling in my heart.  It’s based upon the inspired word of God!  No wonder Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).  May we learn to trust in the power of the gospel!

Third, Philip shows us that we can grow older without growing bitter.  Acts 8:40 mentions that he ends up in Caesarea.  He disappears from the record until a brief reference in Acts 21:8-14, where Paul and his companions stayed with him for several days.  It is here in the record where he’s identified as Philip the evangelist (one who declares the good news), about 20 years after the events of Acts 8.  Let’s appreciate that Philip is still at it years later.  It’s one thing to start with a bang, and maybe to have a zeal fueled by the events in Acts 7-8, but what about when the newness wears off?  Philip’s longevity serves as a great example to us.  Can I do that?  Can I live for Christ through the years?

But even more than his longevity, notice that Philip has not grown bitter during this time, even though he had plenty of reasons.  Remember that Stephen was one of the seven men chosen in Acts 6:5.  Thus, if Philip didn’t know Stephen already, he surely got to know him as they worked together.  Then Stephen is stoned (with Saul’s approval (Acts 7:58), and it’s very likely that Philip was one of the men who buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him (Acts 8:2).  And then Saul continues the persecution, which is the reason Philip gets run out of Jerusalem to begin with (Acts 8:3-5).  And then lo and behold, 20 some-odd years later, who knocks on the door wanting to spend a few nights at Philip’s house?  Saul, now called Paul.  Imagine that!  Imagine what feelings Philip could have harbored!  “You killed my friend, Stephen!  You threw my brothers and sisters in jail!  You ran me out of my home city!”  If Philip had been harboring hatred and planning revenge all these years, now was his chance!

But no, he’s not called “Philip, the grouchy old man who gripes all the time about how he was treated poorly and cheated out of a life in Jerusalem and all his friends were killed or thrown in prison.”  He is Philip the evangelist.  Philip, the proclaimer of good news.  In fact, he is probably included in the “local residents” trying to keep Paul safe (Acts 21:12).  Let’s follow his example.  Are you an old curmudgeon?  If somebody does you wrong, are you going to be sure that everybody and their dog is going to hear about it for the next 20 years?  Instead of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, do you spend your time developing traits like irritability, grudge-holding, gossiping, revenge, and bitterness?  Lots of bad stuff happened to Philip, too, but he didn’t spend his life in his rocking chair plotting revenge.  He became Philip the evangelist—Philip the proclaimer of good news!

May we imitate Philip, whose love for souls caused him to spread the good news about Jesus to whoever he could for as long as he could.

— Via Focus Online, May 6, 2019

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The Resurrection – Proof that Jesus is the Son of God

Doug Roush

Romans 1:4 states that Jesus Christ was “declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” The resurrection of Jesus, more than any other single event, is the ultimate evidence that Jesus of Nazareth was, and is, the Son of God.

Although we have the Bible record of other people being raised from the dead, it certainly was not an everyday occurrence. Jesus raised Lazarus, the widow’s son at Nain, the daughter of Jairus, and perhaps others (John 11; Luke 7:11-15, 22; 8:49-56). Peter raised Dorcas from the dead (Acts 9:36-41). In the Old Testament, both Elijah and Elisha raised people from the dead (1 Kings 17:22; 2 Kings 4:32-35; 13:20-21). However, none of these resurrected individuals were thought to be “gods.”

The case of Jesus is different. As the body of Jesus lay alone in Joseph’s new tomb, no one took Him by the hand and commanded Him to rise. The tomb is sealed and closely guarded. No one stood outside the tomb and called for Him to come forth. No one even witnessed His actual resurrection – the angel rolled away the stone and the guards “became like dead men” (Matthew 28:4). The resurrection of Jesus was accomplished by the direct power of God. The fact that “God raised up” Jesus is declared many times in the Book of Acts (2:24, 32; 3:13; 4:10; 10:40; 13:30, 37). His resurrection is the ultimate evidence that identifies the historic Jesus of Nazareth to be, in fact, the Divine Son of God!

There was physical and testimonial evidence that confirms the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Consider the following details:

• The tomb was new. No one had been lain there before (Matthew 27:57; Mark 15:43; Luke 23:51). There was no possibility of confusing the body of Jesus with the remains of another.
  
• The tomb entrance was closed with a large stone, sealed, and guarded. (Matthew 27:60- 66). No one could have taken the body away.
  
• The grave clothes were left neatly in the tomb. When Peter and John went into the tomb after the resurrection, they “saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself” (John 20:6-8). No one stealing a body would take the time to unwrap it and neatly fold up the clothes! Only a person who would never have use of them again would leave the expensive grave wrappings behind!
  
• The scars of Jesus’ resurrected body were examined. On the very evening of the day of His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples and “showed them His hands and His side” (John 20:20). Wounds in the hands and feet could be observed on anyone who had been crucified, but the wound in the side of Jesus was unique. It offered gruesome evidence to His identity, and also to what His body had been subjected.
  
• Many people saw Him alive. The number of witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus is overwhelming credible evidence. In a court of law, facts can be established on the basis of two or three reliable witnesses. In addition to the apostles, many, many more saw the resurrected Christ, including Mary Magdalene, Cleopas, James, 500 brethren at once, and finally the apostle Paul.

The detailed nature of the evidence provides overwhelming proof, validating the authenticity of the resurrection of Jesus. His resurrection is the ultimate proof that validates His claim that He is the Son of God, the Way, the Truth, and the Life; the only way to the Father (cf. John 14:6). The detailed and reliable evidence we have for the resurrection of Jesus validates our belief of it. Believing in the resurrection of Jesus is the key to our salvation. “Knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus” (2 Corinthians 4:14).

— Via Articles from the Knollwood church of Christ, March 2024

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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 Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; John 3:18).

3) Repent of sins.  For every accountable person has sinned (Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10), which causes one to be spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). Therefore, repentance of sin is necessary (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).  For whether the sin seems great or small, there will still be the same penalty for either (Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Cor. 5:10) — and even for a lie (Rev. 21:8).

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; 1 Pet. 3:21).  This is the final step that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27).  For from that baptism, one is then raised as a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), having all sins forgiven and beginning a new life as a Christian (Rom. 6:3-4). For the one being baptized does so “through faith in the working of God” (Col. 2:12). In other words, believing that God will keep His word and forgive after one submits to these necessary steps. And now as a Christian, we then need to…

6) Continue in the faith by living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Matt. 24:13; 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: 9 a.m. Bible Classes and 10 a.m. Worship Service.   Congregational Song Service: 5 p.m. for every first Sunday of the month.

Wednesday: 7 p.m. Bible Classes

evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com

https://thomastedwards.com/go/all.htm (This is a link to the older version of the Gospel Observer website, but with bulletins going back to March 4, 1990.)