“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) “My Eyes Have Seen the King” (Bryan Gibson)
2) Is Our Love for the Lord Sincere? (R.J. Evans)
3) Psalm 119:33-40 (Berean Study Bible)
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“My Eyes Have Seen the King”
Bryan Gibson
“Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5).
What exactly did Isaiah see? He “saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of his robe filled the temple” (Isaiah 6:1). I’ve seen some impressive trains before, particularly on wedding gowns, but nothing that could fill the dimensions of the temple. Above this elevated throne he saw “seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew” (Isaiah 6:2). Even more significant is what he heard, from one of the seraphim, in a voice so loud that “the posts of the door were shaken”: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isaiah 6:3-4).
Can you see now why Isaiah reacted the way he did? Isaiah couldn’t bear what he saw in himself, and in his people, because of what he saw in God. In some measure, Isaiah could now see himself the way the Lord saw him, and he knew he was in trouble.
But then a wonderful thing happened: “One of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged’” (Isaiah 6:6-7). What a relief this must have been to Isaiah, to feel that heavy weight of sin, and to now have it removed. Not just relieved, but also deeply grateful.
And perhaps that explains Isaiah’s eager reply to the Lord’s request. “I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me’” (Isaiah 6:8). Isaiah was eager to do whatever the Lord asked, yes, because of who He is, but also because of what He had done for Isaiah. Isaiah had been forgiven, and He was happy to do whatever the Forgiver asked.
What exactly did the Lord send him to do? Preach to people who won’t listen, and keep on doing it until they’ve received their just punishment (Isaiah 6:9-12). No easy task, to say the least, but Isaiah made a commitment to the Lord, and he honored it.
The details may be different, but I’ve experienced the same things Isaiah did, at least in principle. I, too, was once “undone,” “a man of unclean lips.” I understood the awfulness of my sin, because “my eyes have seen the King,” not in a vision, but in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I felt the full burden of my sin, but thanks be to God, my sins were cleansed by the blood of Christ, when I obeyed the gospel (Acts 2:37-38). And so when the Lord asks, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” my eager reply is, “Here am I, send me.” No way I’m saying no to the King, especially a King who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20), a King who cleansed me from all my “old sins” (2 Peter 1:9), a King who enables me to come into His holy presence (Hebrews 10:19-22). His presence is no longer “filled with smoke” (Isaiah 6:4); in fact, my hope is that one day I “shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).
— Via The Weekly Bulletin of the Prattmont church of Christ, May 12, 2024
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Is Our Love for the Lord Sincere?
R.J. Evans
A scribe once asked Jesus which was the first commandment of all. Jesus answered by telling him “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment” (Mk. 12:28-30). There are many scriptures which speak of the blessings that come to those who truly love the Lord.
But, as Christians, are we sure that we love Him? The Apostle Paul ended his letter to the Ephesians with these words: “Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen” (Eph. 6:24). Please notice the word “sincerity.” This indicates that one could think or pretend he loves the Lord when he really doesn’t. In this short article, let us consider five ways we can tell if our love for Jesus is sincere.
1. Is serving the Lord a joy? Some who serve(?) leave the impression that the Lord’s yoke is difficult to bear—the burden of service is heavy. But Jesus tells us it is just the opposite in Matthew 11:30. If our love for Christ is truly sincere, observe what the Apostle John tells us: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 Jn. 5:3).
2. Do we thirst for the Lord? Often we find David reaching out for more and more of the Lord in his life. Hear him as he prays, “O God, You are my God; Early will I seek you; My soul thirsts for you; My flesh longs for You; In a dry and thirsty land where there is no water” (Psa. 63:1). Again, we hear him say, “I spread out my hands to you; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land” (Psa. 143:6). Jesus pronounces a blessing upon the ones who “hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled” (Matt. 5:6).
3. Do we love the world more than we love Him? Jesus said we can’t serve two masters (Matt. 6:24). John wrote: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 Jn. 2:15). If our love is strong for the ‘flashy’ things of this world, we can be sure that a sincere love for Jesus is not in our hearts.
4. Is the Lord with us? Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” (Jn. 14:23). The Lord has promised: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). To enjoy His spiritual presence by faith in our hearts (Eph. 3:17), we must continue to obey by walking in the light of His word (1 Jn. 1:7-10). What a thrill it is to have a close, abiding fellowship with Christ!
5. Will we love His appearing? John anxiously looked forward to the Lord’s coming (Rev. 22:20). Paul spoke of the ones who have “kept the faith” and “loved His appearing”—how they will “receive a crown of righteousness” (2 Tim. 4:7-8). Surely, he must have been speaking of those who love the Lord.
Now that we have taken a closer look at ourselves, do we sincerely love the Lord? The answer can be summed up by the simple words of Jesus— “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (Jn. 14:15).
— via the bulletin of the Southside church of Christ, Gonzales, LA, March 15, 2020
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Psalm 119:33-40
He
33Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, and I will keep them to the end.
34Give me understanding that I may obey Your law, and follow it with all my heart.
35Direct me in the path of Your commandments, for there I find delight.
36Turn my heart to Your testimonies and not to covetous gain.
37Turn my eyes away from worthless things; revive me with Your word.
38Establish Your word to Your servant, to produce reverence for You.
39Turn away the disgrace I dread, for Your judgments are good.
40How I long for Your precepts! Revive me in Your righteousness.
— Berean Study Bible
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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 (except for last of the month Song Service)
and 10 a.m. Worship Service
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.)