Month: November 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) God is a Prayer-Hearing God (Mike Willis)
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God is a Prayer-Hearing God

Mike Willis

Prayer is “an earnest entreaty addressed to God” (Webster). In order to pray, man must have certain concepts about His God. The recent surveys which I have read about the prayer life of Christians and the personal contact which I have had with Christians lead me to believe that Christians are not spending very much time in prayer.

I am convinced that some of this is caused by an erosion of our faith in God. Have we over-reacted to Pentecostalism’s teaching that God is presently working miracles to such an extent that we are convinced that asking God to heal a sick man is useless at best, and at worst an ignorant disregard of His expressed statements that miracles have ceased? We pray for the doctors and nurses who are attending the sick, but rarely do we ask the Lord to heal someone among us who is sick.

We may be approaching the deistic concept of God. Deists incorrectly say that God’s relationship to the universe can be compared to a man who wound up a clock and set it on a shelf to run down. Have we a deistic concept of God? Do we imagine Him so far removed from the day-to-day operation of the universe that He will not intervene in the affairs of man? Do we conceive of Him as being willing to change His planned course of action as a result of our prayers?

In order for man to pray effectively, his concept of God must be such that he believes that praying makes a difference. If man reaches the conclusion that prayer will do no good, that he prays out of duty but with a sense of futility, he will not pray in faith. Because of these misconceptions about God’s reaction to man’s prayers, let us explore these attributes of God which make prayer reasonable.

The Prayer-Hearing God

David addressed God as follows: “O thou that hearest prayer” (Psa. 65:2). Even as Jehovah is described as the Almighty (Gen. 17:1-2), the God who provides (Gen. 22:14), the God who sees, and other names, He is also known as the God who hears prayer. The Lord is immutable; the psalmist wrote, “. . thou art the same” (Psa. 102:27). Even as God has not changed in other aspects of His character, He is also unchanged in respect to hearing prayer.

The belief that God does hear prayer demands the following concepts to be accepted:

1. That God exists. There is no use to pray if there is no God. Prayer is not soliloquy — man talking to himself. Prayer is man addressing God. If there is no God, there is no reason for man to pray. Some men do not pray because they have become atheists and agnostics. Before a man prays, he must believe that God is and that He is the rewarder of them who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6).

2. That God hears. Not only does man believe that God exists, he also must believe that God can and will hear prayer. The concept that God will hear my prayer demonstrates man’s faith in God’s omniscience. Millions of people from various places on this globe are lifting their voices to God in prayer. He hears every individual’s prayer. My concept of deity must be one that believes in a personal God who hears man’s prayers. An impersonal “force” or power does not respond to prayer.

3. That God cares. To believe that God will answer my prayer, I must believe that God cares for me. Jesus taught, “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Lk. 12:6-7). “. . . for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things” (Matt. 7:32). The Lord in heaven is aware of you and your needs; “for he careth for you” (1 Pet. 5:7). Why would I cast my petitions on God unless I was convinced that He cares for me?

Frank E. Graeff (1860-1919), Methodist preacher, wrote “Does Jesus Care?” while experiencing severe despondency, doubt and physical agony. The words of this song reassure us that Jesus does care for us, a thought so essential for one to be habitual in prayer.

Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press,
And the cares distress,
And the way grows weary and long?

Does Jesus care when my way is dark
With a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades
Into deep night shades,
Does He care enough to be near?

Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong,
When for my deep grief
There is no relief
Tho’ my tears flow all the night long?

Does Jesus care when I’ve said “goodby”
To the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches
Till it nearly breaks,
Is it aught to Him? Does He see?

O yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary,
The long night dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

4. That God is able. For me to pray to God, I must believe that He is able to do s6mething to relieve my need. This implies that God is omnipotent, the Almighty. Paul assures us that God is “able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Eph. 4:20). To take my petitions to one who has no ability to answer my needs is useless. In that case, about all one can do is to have sympathy and pity. My friends can extend sympathy and pity. However, God is able to act to change my conditions and situation.

5. That God will act. For me to pray, I must believe that my prayer will have an impact on God, motivating Him to act in my behalf. Jesus said,

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him (Matt. 7:7-11).

In response to Israel’s cry because of the oppression in Egypt, God raised up Moses to deliver His people (Ex. 3:9). In response to Elijah’s prayer, the Lord withheld rain from Israel for three and one-half years; in response to another one of his prayers, he sent rain to Israel (Jas. 5:18). In response to Hezekiah’s prayer, God added fifteen years to his life (2 Kgs. 20). In response to the church’s prayer, Peter was released from Herod’s prison (Acts 12). God heard these prayers, cared about the plight of the people, and acted to relieve their suffering. I must believe the same God cares in the same way about me and will act in response to my prayers. If this is not true, why pray?

6. That God has infinite wisdom. I come to God in prayer, like Jesus who said, “Not my will but thine be done.” I recognize that I do not always ask what I need. The God to whom I pray will exercise the wisdom to decide how to answer my prayers, not always giving me what I ask, but always giving me what I need.

This was scribbled almost a century ago by an anonymous soldier of the Confederacy:

I asked for help, that I might do greater things. I was given infirmity that I might do better things.

I asked God for strength that I might achieve. I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I asked for — but everything I hoped for.

Despite myself, my prayers were answered. I am among all men, most richly blessed.

Conclusion

When Jesus gave the parable of the unjust judge (Lk. 18:1-4), He was teaching us that “men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Lk. 18:1). When He concluded the parable, He said, “Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Lk. 18:8). Men will not pray unless they have faith.

My brethren, if we are not praying, we lack faith. We need to go back to our fundamental concepts of God and reaffirm our commitment to them. Let us not be so subtly influenced by the infidelity around us that we reach the conclusion that prayer does no good and quit praying.

Having faith in God, let us join together in offering our petitions to him in prayer. “Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 18:19). “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (Jas. 5:16). Do you believe these statements? If so, should we be spending more time in prayer and less time worrying?

— Via Guardian of Truth XXIX: 15, pp. 450, 470, August 1, 1985

https://www.truthmagazine.com/archives/volume29/GOT029205.html

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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
Wednesday (all but the first): 7 p.m. Bible Classes 
 First Wednesday of the month: 7 p.m. Congregational Song Service (about 45 minutes of singing, followed by a short talk)

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) David’s Charge to Solomon (Bill Moseley)
2) Cast Your Burden on the Lord (Richie Thetford)
3) Sword Tips #22 (Joe R. Price)
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David’s Charge to Solomon

Bill Moseley

“Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die: and he charged Solomon his son, saying, ‘I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest and whithersoever thou turnest thyself'” (1 Kgs. 2:1-3).

King David had reigned for 40 years, and now he is about “to go the way of all the earth.” Knowing of David’s impending death, Adonijah at first tried to assume the throne. This is reported to David by Nathan and Bathsheba, whereupon David then appointed his son Solomon to succeed him. While doing this, he gave Solomon the charge which we have quoted. Basically, the charge and the obligations within it are the same ones imposed upon us today.

“be thou strong”

First of all, David says, “. . . be thou strong, and show thyself a man . . .” The same command was given by Paul to the Corinthians (I Cor. 16:13). One mark of a mature Christian is strength — moral and spiritual. If we remain children, we are weak and easily “carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4:14). Christians are to “grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord” (2 Pet. 3:18). Some of the Hebrews were still weak; unable to bear meat (Heb. 5:14). This was also true of the Corinthians (I Cor. 3:1). But the Hebrews and the Corinthians did not compose an exclusive group, for many members of the Lord’s body today are just as immature and weak. They are lax in their duty to God, and as such cannot be classified as strong or men.

“keep the charge”

Next, David tells Solomon to “keep the charge of the Lord . . .” We are not exempt from this charge today. We also have a charge to keep—several in fact. God has charged his people to be as shining lights in the world (Phil. 2:15). They are to be the “salt of the earth” (Matt. 5:13). We have the charge to preach the word (2 Tim. 4:2; 2:2). These are but a few “charges” that we have to keep today. Are we fulfilling them? Some are, but most are not.

“walk in his ways”

David also tells Solomon to “walk in his ways . . .” How often man needs to be reminded to walk in the ways of God! Years later, Jeremiah made this same plea to the people of God, only to be rejected (Jer. 6:16). And just as Israel rejected the plea of the prophet, so many reject it now. Men are determined to walk in their own ways, even though they lead to death (Prov. 14:12). Paul exhorted the Ephesians to “walk worthy” of their vocation (Eph. 4:1). He further says to “walk in the spirit . . .” (Gal. 5:16). The ways of God seem difficult at times, but ultimately they are the safe ways.

“keep his statutes …”

Next, David says to “keep his statutes, commandments, judgments and testimonies.” To “fear God and keep his commandments” has always been the “whole of man” (Eccl. 12:13) For Solomon, these commands were found in “the law of Moses.” For you and me they are found in the law of Christ. The testimonies which the apostles wrote at the direction of the Holy Spirit are just as binding on you and me as the writings of Moses were on Solomon. We have the responsibility of searching, reading and studying these things to determine what our duty is. Once we have found it, we are to “keep them.”

“that thou mayest prosper”

Finally, the result is “that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest. . . “ God has promised that our obedience to his law will cause us to prosper. Lest some misunderstand, God has not promised us material prosperity, but spiritual. If you are serving God for material gain, you will be disappointed; for the prosperity of God’s people is spiritual and eternal in nature. All else will succumb to time, rust, moths and thieves (Matt. 6:19-20). We see that David’s promise to Solomon was kept. “Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father: and his kingdom was established greatly” (I Kgs. 3:12). We are recipients of this promise just as surely as was Solomon. Paul said a “crown of righteousness awaited him” (2 Tim. 4:8). It is “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Pet. 1:4). John records for us the promise of a crown of life based upon our faithfulness (Rev. 2:10). Peter also speaks of receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls” (I Pet. 1:9). These are the promises held out to those who would keep the charge of God.

— Via Truth Magazine, XVI: 4, pp. 12-13, November 25, 1971
https://www.truthmagazine.com/archives/volume16/TM016060.html

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Cast Your Burden on the Lord

Richie Thetford

David wrote in Psalms 55:22, “Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” Burdens come to all; rich or poor, young or old, saint or sinner, and there is no escaping them. For the child of God, however, there is a place to leave them. We cast them on the Lord.

Our burdens can become the source of temptation. Sometimes temptations associated with a burden is worse than the burden itself. For instance, there is the temptation to think that God is not caring. However, 1 Peter 5:7 tells us: “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” There is often the temptation to try to escape life’s responsibilities, and even to try to hide from God. David recognized the futility of trying to hide from God and told us in Psalms 139:7-10 that it was useless to try.

We should never try to deal with our burdens alone. We should anchor our souls in the Lord and as David said, “He shall sustain you.” Notice that the promise is not to remove the burden, but to help us bear it. He may choose to remove it, or He may not. Either way, we will be blessed during our burden. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” If a care is too small to be made into a prayer, it’s too small to be made into a burden.

What are your burdens? Are they pressing heavily upon you? Why not follow the counsel in God’s word and rest your burdens in the hands of the compassionate Savior?

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

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

Sword Tips #22

Joe R. Price                                    

“For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

The Christian measures life by unseen things. Unbelievers live for the things they can see, taste and feel. Faith is not blind. Faith trusts the path Jesus sets before it in the Scriptures.

Faith takes God at his word and does everything he says!

Christian, you are on a journey to heaven. Your faith rests securely upon the evidence of verifiable truth, not on baseless fables.

Do not lose sight of heaven; be strong and walk by faith.

— Via Sword Tips (Daily tips from God’s word for God’s people.)

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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
Wednesday (all but the first): 7 p.m. Bible Classes 
 First Wednesday of the month: 7 p.m. Congregational Song Service (about 45 minutes of singing, followed by a short talk)

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 Problem of Suffering (Mike Willis)
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The Problem of Suffering

Mike Willis

In the past few months, I have been faced with meeting and knowing more people than normal who have had more than their share of suffering. I know of at least two women much like Dorcas of Acts 9 who have met an untimely and premature death. One child in the congregation with which I am working is suffering with cystic fibrosis (an incurable lung disease) and my sister recently adopted an infant who later was found to be hopelessly blind. Another faithful member of the congregation here is presently going through a siege of heart trouble. The list could be lengthened by preachers with more experience than myself, but this is sufficient to pose the problem of why must the righteous suffer so much on this earth? This is the same question as found in

The Story of Job

To quickly relate some of the main points of the problem of Job, let me give Job’s spiritual condition. The book opens with this description of Job: “. . . that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and turned away from evil” (1:1). Verse 5 of that first chapter stated that Job even offered burnt-offerings for the sins that his children might have committed. This was not done on sporadic occasions, since that same verse emphasized “Thus did Job continually.”

In spite of all the righteousness that Job had done, notice all the sufferings he endured:

1. He lost all his material possessions (1:13-17).

2. He lost his sons and daughters (1:8-19).

3. His body was afflicted with boils from head to foot (2:7).

4. His wife rebelled against God (2:9).

5. His suffering was so great that he wished that he had never been born (3:11).

Yet at this point, on two occasions the scripture said that Job sinned not with his mouth (1:22; 2:10).

When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, came to comfort him, they failed to even recognize him because he was so disfigured by his affliction (2:12). They sat 7 days and said nothing because they could think of no words of comfort (2:13). From then forward in the book, Job spoke and then was answered by his friends in turn as together they grappled with the problem of suffering.

Sin and Suffering

As each of Job’s friends spoke they accused Job of severe sins as the cause of his great suffering. Zophar reached the peak of accusation when in 11:6 he told Job, “Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.”

In answer, Job pointed out that suffering must not be connected with sin in a causal relationship as evidenced by the fact that the wicked prosper and are of good health (12:6; 21:7-16). Jesus verified that sin and suffering were not related when on one occasion his disciples asked “Who sinned and caused a man to be blind?” Jesus then replied that neither the man nor his parents sinned (John 9:1-3).

When Job could not understand the cause and problem of his suffering, he became very despondent and made some rash statements which later had to be corrected. On one occasion he charged God with not caring about the righteous (9:22-24) and wished that he might have an opportunity to complain face to face with God (9:33-10:8).

Later, Job reached the conclusion that there was no hope for the righteous when he compared the suffering of man with the tree which was cut (14:7-12). He saw that the tree had hope of budding again after being cut down but Job thought that man was without hope.

Time after time Job was faced with the same old problem — why was he suffering? Who caused it? Was there any hope? Why try to serve God if both the wicked and the righteous suffer the same?

Before coming to the conclusion reached in the book of Job, let me bring in two other similar situations to that of Job.

Habakkuk

The book of Habakkuk opened with the problem of why Jehovah had not punished the wicked of Judah. Habakkuk was perplexed because “Justice doth never go forth” (Hab. 1:2-4). When Jehovah told the prophet that he was going to punish the wicked of Judah by raising up the Chaldean nation to destroy them (1: 5, 6), the problem was only magnified.

Anyone could see that, despite the fact that Judah was guilty of sin, they were still much more righteous than was the Chaldean nation. So the inspired man wrote this complaint in 1:13:

“Thou that art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and that canst not look on perverseness, wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy peace when the wicked swalloweth up the man that is more righteous than he.”

The Psalm of Asaph

The 73rd Psalm likewise had the same problem presented when Asaph was faced with the prosperity of the wicked (v. 3). This man became so disgusted that he wrote the following words when he saw that the wicked prospered just as well as the righteous:

“Surely in vain have I cleansed my heart, And washed my hands in innocency; For all the day long have I been plagued, And chastened every morning” (vv. 13, 14).

The Conclusions of the Writers

Asaph accepted the problem better when in vv. 16, 17 he discovered:

“When I thought how I might know this, It was too painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God, And considered their (the wicked’s — MW) latter end.”

Habakkuk reached much the same conclusion by prophetically stating that the “just shall live by faith” (2:4).

Job, after much pondering, was revived when in 19:25-27 he said,

“But as for me I know that my Redeemer liveth, And at last he will stand up upon the earth: And after my skin, even this body, is destroyed, Then without my flesh shall I see God; Whom I, even I, shall see on my side, And mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger.”

In summation, our three writers all reached the same conclusion in regard to the problem of suffering — that the righteous shall be rewarded and the wicked punished, though at the present the reverse might be true.

Application

The problem still exists today since Jesus said in Matt. 5:45 that it would “rain on the just and unjust.” While in this world, God makes no distinction physically between the righteous and the wicked in regard to suffering and blessing. But the Christian has more comfort while facing these problems than does the wicked person, as shown by Paul as follows:

“And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered: and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:26-28).

From this we learn the following:

1. That the Spirit helps us with our infirmities.

2. That all things work together for good — even sufferings.

In other passages we learn that God will reward the righteous and punish the wicked in the day of judgment (2 Thess. 1:7-9).

Thus, we face and accept our sufferings with faith in God while as brothers and sisters we do our best to aid and comfort one another (I Cor. 12:26; 1 Thess. 4:18).

—Via Truth Magazine, XVI: 1, pp. 6-8, November 4, 1971 

https://www.truthmagazine.com/archives/volume16/TM016006.html

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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
Wednesday (all but the first): 7 p.m. Bible Classes 
 First Wednesday of the month: 7 p.m. Congregational Song Service (about 45 minutes of singing, followed by a short talk)

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).
——————–

Contents:

1) “His Eye Is On The Sparrow” (Wayne S. Walker)
2) What I Learned from Reading Psalms (Bryan Gibson)
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“His Eye Is On The Sparrow”

Wayne S. Walker

The Bible teaches us that God is omniscient. His eyes behold everything that occurs in this world. Jesus once said, “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore: you are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:6-7). The point that Jesus was making was that if His eye is on the sparrow, then His eye is surely on us as well. What should this mean to us?

First, it means that God knows our needs and provides for them. “…For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8). He provides for our physical needs. “Nevertheless, He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:17). Indeed, all good and perfect gifts come down from God above (James 1:17). He has promised in a special way to meet the needs of His people, for if we seek first His kingdom, what we shall eat, drink, and put on will be added to us (Matthew 6:33). However, the truth is that these blessings are indiscriminately given to all mankind (see Matthew 5:45).

But He also provides for our spiritual needs in Christ. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). He sent Christ to die for us that if we believe on Him we might not perish (John 3:16). He offers salvation through the gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16). He revealed the Scriptures to guide us (2 Timothy 3:16-17), And He ordained heaven to be our eternal reward (1 Peter 1:3-5). Whose are these spiritual blessings? Even they are available to all mankind because God does not want any to perish but wants everyone to come to repentance (Titus 2:11, 2 Peter 3:9). But the benefit of these blessings can be received only by those who obey Christ (Hebrews 5:8-9).

Secondly, God sees our troubles and wants to help us. In Genesis 16:1-13, Sarah was impatient for God’s promise of a son for Abraham and so gave her husband her handmaid, Hagar, to be his concubine and bear him a child. But as soon as Hagar conceived, Sarah became jealous and drove Hagar out into the wilderness. But God found Hagar and promised to bless her. She called the name of that place “You-Are-the-God-Who Sees.” From our temptations, He offers escape. “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13). It is a great source of comfort that my God wants to assist me in overcoming temptation.

From our anxieties, He offers peace through prayer. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). I do not have to spend my time worrying about my troubles; I can “take it to the Lord in prayer.” And from our cares He offers relief. “Casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). “Does Jesus care when my heart is pained Too deeply for mirth or song, As the burdens press, And the cares distress, And the way grows weary and long? O yes, He cares, I know He cares, His heart is touched with my grief; When the days are weary, The long night dreary, I know my Savior cares.”

Thirdly, God is aware of our sins and shows His mercy. We could never hide any of our sins from God. David said to the Lord, “O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off” (Psalm 139:1-2), We shall be judged by the deeds of our lives, the words of our lips, and even the thoughts of our hearts. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). If at that time we have any sins in our lives that are unforgiven, we shall suffer eternal punishment, for the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Should such be the case, we shall “be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

But the good news of the gospel of Christ is that forgiveness of our sins is available. Jesus promised that “every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men…” (Matthew 12:31a). When such occurs, God has said, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Hebrews 10:17). To be thus, the alien sinner is told, “…Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). To receive forgiveness, the erring Christian is commanded, “Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you” (Acts 8:22). Those who have been redeemed should say every day, “Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15).
Yes, God sees and knows. When dedicating the temple Solomon said to God, “…For You, only You, know the hearts of all the sons of man…” (1 Kings 8:39). God’s eye watches over us every minute, every day. He is cognizant of each action, each word, even each thought. Of course, this truth should be somewhat scary to the lost sinner. But it should provide great comfort and encouragement to the faithful Christian. “I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free, For His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me” (Civilla D. Martin).

— Via Search for Truth, Volume XVII, Number 14, November 3, 2024

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What I Learned from Reading Psalms

Bryan Gibson

On the Subject of Prayer

Constantly—morning, noon, and evening (55:16-17), as long as I live (116:1-2), that’s how often I should pray—when I desire to give thanks (68:19; 107:8), when I need forgiveness (32:1-5; 51:1-7), when I’m persecuted (142:5-6; 109:1-5), when I’m burdened with grief and anxiety (61:1-4; 147:3), when I’m in need of boldness and courage (138:3), etc.

Psalms confirmed for me that God has great power (33:6-9); that He has infinite knowledge, even of every single individual (147:5; 33:13-15); that He is longsuffering, compassionate, merciful, righteous, and faithful (86:15; 121:1-8; 143:1); and that He shows great lovingkindness (36:7). What I learned from studying these attributes of God is that He is both willing and able to answer prayers.

One sobering revelation, confirmed in the New Testament, is that God does NOT answer the prayers of everyone, but of the righteous (18:20-24; 34:15-18)—the prayers of those who fear Him (145:19), who call upon him in truth (145:18), and who come to Him with a broken and contrite heart (34:18).

About the Burden of Sin and the Blessing of Forgiveness

From the powerful poetry used in this wonderful book, I learned that no heavier burden exists than the burden of sin, that the greatest anguish I can experience is knowing I’ve sinned against God, and that His wrath is against me, even as one of His children (25:11; 31:9-10; 32:3-4; 38:3-8, 17-18; 40:12; 41:4; 51:4).

But, I also learned there is “hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption” (130:7). The anguish over my sins can be replaced with “joy and gladness” (51:8)—if my heart is broken and contrite (34:18; 51:17), if I acknowledge my sins to Him (32:1-5; 51:3-4), and if I repent (51:10-15).

God is “ready to forgive” (86:5), and so if I meet these conditions, “as far as the east is from the west” (103:12), He will remove my transgressions from me. Thank you, God, for this precious blessing.

— Via Plain Words from God’s Word, October 15 & 17 (2 articles on prayer combined)

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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
Wednesday (all but the first): 7 p.m. Bible Classes 
 First Wednesday of the month: 7 p.m. Congregational Song Service (about 45 minutes of singing, followed by a short talk)

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.)