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Once Defiled, Now Blessed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Noah Diestelkamp -2-<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mike Johnson -3-<\/p>\n\n\n\n 121<\/sup>I have done what is just and right; do not leave me to my oppressors. 1) Hear\u00a0<\/strong>the gospel — for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31). Tebeau Street “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) Once Defiled, Now Blessed (Noah Diestelkamp)2) Commit Your Way to the Lord and Trust Him (Psalm 37:5) (Mike Johnson)3) […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","post-preview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3623","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3623"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3623\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3627,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3623\/revisions\/3627"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
In the summer of 1834, a Mr. Nimrod Murphree posted this advertisement in a Nashville, Tennessee, newspaper: \u201cTo all Nations, Languages and People, Greeting\u2014Know ye, that I, Nimrod Murphree, of the City of Nashville, and the State of Tennessee, have discovered perpetual motion.\u201d<\/em> In a subsequent issue, another paid for an ad in reply to Mr. Murphree, quipping, \u201cProbably Mr. Murphree has succeeded in handing himself over the Cumberland River, or a barn yard fence, by the straps of his boots.\u201d<\/em> Almost 200 years later, we still have not achieved perpetual motion, and I suspect Mr. Murphree did not manage to hoist himself over the fence.
While the phrase \u201cpull himself up by his bootstraps\u201d is often used to communicate a need to \u201cfigure it out\u201d and \u201cdo something unassisted,\u201d we know that the phrase describes a physical act which is literally impossible. No amount of pulling on our shoes will do the trick! The post-exilic Jews found themselves in a somewhat similar situation during the time of Zerubbabel. By God\u2019s grace, they had been allowed to return to the land and had begun the work of rebuilding the temple. But by the time of Haggai, that work had stopped and the people said, \u201cthe time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord\u201d (Hag. 1:2). God sent the message to the people via Haggai that their lack of diligence and respect for the temple of the Lord was something worthy of repentance and gave them clear direction, saying, \u201cConsider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified\u201d (Hag. 1:7-8). Just a few verses later, we are told with beautiful simplicity that, all together, the leaders and people \u201cobeyed the voice of the Lord their God\u201d (Hag. 1:12). However, what at first might sound like a nice \u201ccomeback\u201d story wherein the Jews just needed to \u201cput in a little elbow grease\u201d and \u201cpull themselves up by their bootstraps\u201d takes a turn in Haggai chapter two.
In chapter two, God called upon the Jews who had seen Solomon\u2019s temple before it was destroyed, prompting them to compare the two. \u201cIs it not as nothing in your eyes?\u201d asked God. The people\u2019s work, though admirable and obedient, could not bring back the glory of Solomon\u2019s temple. God pointed this out to help them understand a very important truth: the true glory of the temple was the presence of God. \u201cBe strong,\u201d He told the people, \u201cWork, for I am with you\u2026 My Spirit remains in your midst\u201d (Hag. 2:4-5). With this He promised that this temple would indeed be filled with His glory, to the extent that \u201cthe latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former\u201d (Hag. 2:9). The Jews could take heart in the work they were doing, not because they did such phenomenal work, but because God would bless their work and fill the temple with His glory.<\/em>
In the following section of chapter two, God commanded Haggai to inquire of the priests regarding laws of cleanliness and defilement. Haggai was to ask the priests whether holy meat could, by physical contact, make other food holy. The priests answered that it could not. Haggai\u2019s second question asked whether a person who was unclean could, by physical contact, make food unclean. This time the priests answered it would, indeed, make the food unclean. The point God was making through Haggai was \u201cSo it is with this people\u2026 and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean\u201d (Hag. 2:14). The Jews were defiled, so their offering\u2014and even their work on the temple\u2014was defiled. Yet, just as God\u2019s glorious presence could fill even an unimpressive temple, so, too, could He offer blessing to a defiled people. In Haggai 2:15-19, God observed that these defiled people had been without His blessing for some time. Yet, in response to the people\u2019s obedience, God said, \u201cFrom this<\/em> day on I will bless you\u201d (Hag. 2:19).
The Jews were a defiled people building a defiled temple in a defiled land. In such a situation, there is no \u201cpulling themselves up by their bootstraps,\u201d there is only defilement and despair. The only remedy to their situation was God\u2019s presence and blessing. In the time of Haggai, God offered His presence to the Jews when they obeyed Him in reverence (Hag. 1:12-14). Under the new covenant, we experience the fulfillment of this! Through Jesus, we\u2014who were<\/em> defiled\u2014are now<\/em> blessed. We are temples of His Spirit, purposed for His glory! Did we<\/em> accomplish this? Did we grab our bootstraps? Thank God the answer is \u201cNO!\u201d Along with the Jews and their temple, our lives are privileged to be a testament to the glory of God<\/em> who blesses penitent and obedient hearts.
— Via Think on These Things<\/em>, Vol. 57, No. 4, October-November-December 2026
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nCommit Your Way to the Lord and Trust Him<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
(Psalm 37:5)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Psalm 37:5 says, \u201cCommit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.\u201d <\/strong>Psalm 37 is an admonition to followers of God to retain their confidence in Him and not be discouraged when facing hardships in life. Among other exhortations, they were told to commit their way (course of life) to God and trust in him. Similarly, Proverbs 16:3<\/strong> says, \u201cCommit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.\u201d
Consider the meaning of the Hebrew word translated \u201ccommit.\u201d The root meaning involves the idea of \u201croll<\/strong>\u201d and refers to the \u201crolling of a stone.\u201d Consider the following definition: \u201cIt can also describe abstract concepts, such as reproach being rolled off (removed) from someone (Ps 119:22) or one\u2019s ways and works rolled onto (committed, entrusted) to someone (especially God)\u2026\u201d (The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testament<\/em>). Thus, it might be said we are to roll off the burdens of life onto the Lord. Consider 1 Peter 5:6-7<\/strong>: \u201cTherefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.\u201d<\/em>
We must commit our lives to the Lord and trust Him to take care of us.\u00a0 Further, as we handle the burdens of life, we give God credit. Have you committed your life to the Lord? Do you trust in Him? If not, you should.
\u2014 Via Seeking Things Above<\/em>, Volume 1, Number 1, April 2020
——————–<\/p>\n\n\n\nPsalm 119:121-128<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ayin<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
122<\/sup>Ensure Your servant\u2019s well-being; do not let the arrogant oppress me.
123<\/sup>My eyes fail, looking for Your salvation, and for Your righteous promise.
124<\/sup>Deal with Your servant according to Your loving devotion, and teach me Your statutes.
125<\/sup>I am Your servant; give me understanding, that I may know Your testimonies.
126<\/sup>It is time for the LORD to act, for they have broken Your law.
127<\/sup>Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold, even the purest gold.
128<\/sup>Therefore I admire all Your precepts and hate every false way.
\u2014 Berean Standard Bible
______________<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
2) Believe\u00a0<\/strong>in the deity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent\u00a0<\/strong>of sins.\u00a0 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).\u00a0 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\u00a0<\/strong>in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized<\/strong>\u00a0in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21).\u00a0 This is the final step that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27).\u00a0 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 \u201cthrough faith in the working of God\u201d (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\u2026
6) Continue in the faith <\/strong>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).
——————–<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA\u00a0 31501
Sunday:<\/strong> 9 a.m<\/strong>. Bible Classes (except for last of the month Song Service)
and 10 a.m. <\/strong>Worship Service
Wednesday:<\/strong> 7 p.m.<\/strong> Bible Classes\u00a0
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evangelist\/editor: <\/strong>Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com<\/a>
https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/go\/all.htm<\/a> (This is a link to the older version of the Gospel Observer website, but with bulletins going back to March 4, 1990.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"