2) Where is Your Hope? (Stephen Rouse)
3) Distractions on the Road (Greg Gwin)
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The Chief of Sinners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Frank Himmel<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief\u201d (1 Timothy 1:15, NKJV). Paul considered himself the chief of sinners prior to his conversion. Have you ever thought about the world\u2019s number-one sinner?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The chief of sinners was a religious man.<\/em><\/strong> That might surprise some. We would more likely expect him to be an atheist, or at least one who, if he believed in God, couldn\u2019t have cared less about Him. No, Saul (as he was known in those days) was a well-trained Jew (Acts 22:3).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The chief of sinners was a fervent religious man.<\/em><\/strong> He wasn\u2019t the half-hearted kind, whose affections are really elsewhere. He wasn\u2019t the hypocritical kind, one who goes to church on Sundays but the rest of the week is arrogant, foul-mouthed, a drunkard, a womanizer, or a scoundrel. No, Saul was a stickler for moral uprightness and more zealous for what he believed than most (Galatians 1:14).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The chief of sinners was ignorant.<\/em><\/strong> He later admitted it: \u201cI was formerly a blasphemer and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief\u201d (1 Timothy 1:13). That should forever destroy the notion that it doesn\u2019t matter what we believe as long as we are sincere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The chief of sinners was presumptuous.<\/strong><\/em> This often goes hand-in-hand with ignorance. Saul just decided for himself what he ought to do in God\u2019s service instead of following God\u2019s revelation. \u201cSo then, I thought I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And this is just what I did\u2026\u201d (Acts 26:9-10). As is often the case, his assumptions proved to be dead wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The chief of sinners was teachable.<\/strong><\/em> To Saul\u2019s credit, despite his misguided religious zeal he was not too entrenched or too stubborn to be taught. Jesus\u2019 appearance to him on the road to Damascus made him realize he had been wrong about the Lord. And when Ananias came and instructed him to be baptized in the name of Jesus to wash away his sins (Acts 22:16), he did so immediately (Acts 9:18).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The chief of sinners was saved.<\/em><\/strong> This was his point in our opening text. Despite Saul\u2019s atrocities, the Lord\u2019s mercy was sufficient to forgive him once he abandoned his sinful ways. Saul could only think of one reason why: \u201cHowever, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life\u201d (1 Timothy 1:16, NKJV). If the Lord could save the chief, He could save anyone!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether we profit from studying the chief of sinners depends on whether we respond to the gospel as he did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Via Pathlights<\/em>, December 25, 2016 \u201cUntil I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching\u201d (1 Timothy 4:13, NASB). -2-<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stephen Rouse<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSome trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.\u201d \u2014 David (Psalm 20:7)<\/p>\n\n\n\n We live in an increasingly unstable world. Locally, nationally, internationally \u2014 there has been much in the news lately to show us just how quickly our stability can crumble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the things that we lean on begin to crumble, we quickly find out where we are really putting our trust, our hope. As David wrote, \u201csome trust in chariots and some in horses\u2026\u201d There are a host of different things we might put our trust in, or hope for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Some hope for a place where all people are accepted and treated equally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Some hope for protection from outside terror for themselves and their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Some hope for a place to flee when their home becomes a place of hostility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Some hope for leaders who will bring justice and peace to their people and the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fact is, if our hope is in any of these things happening in this world, we will often be disappointed, even disillusioned. Jesus Himself said, \u201cIn the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world\u201d (John 16:33).<\/p>\n\n\n\n We should pray for our communities, our families, our nations, and the world (1 Timothy 2:1). We should pray for our leaders, and those who would become our leaders (1 Timothy 2:2). But we should not put our hope in any of these things (Psalm 118:8-9).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The amazing thing is, God offers all of these things that we might hope for, but in a spiritual way:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 In God\u2019s kingdom, all people are accepted and treated equally as they turn from their ways to God\u2019s ways (Isa 2:2-4).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 In God\u2019s kingdom, we find protection from our great enemy, Satan, who seeks to destroy us eternally (John 17:15; 1 Peter 5:8-9).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 In God\u2019s kingdom, we can find refuge when the whole world might turn against us (John 16:33).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 In God\u2019s kingdom, we have the Creator of the Universe as our leader, who will ultimately bring justice and peace to the world (Luke 18:7; Rom 16:20).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lord, help us to seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, for in You we have all we need and all we long for. Help us to put our hope completely in You, not in the things of this world, whatever they may be. You alone must be our strength, our shield, and our unshakable hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Via The Auburn Beacon<\/em>, January 1, 2016 -3-<\/p>\n\n\n\n Greg Gwin<\/p>\n\n\n\n Surely you\u2019ve seen them \u2014 those drivers who are so busy talking on their cellular phones that they sit through a green light or ignore some other important traffic situation. The \u2018topper\u2019 to this is when you see a driver talking on the cell phone AND eating a sandwich \u2014 all while driving a car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Driving is a serious activity that demands our devoted attention. Things like cell phones and sandwiches tend to distract us, making driving even more dangerous. When two or more such distractions are added together watch out! The likelihood of an accident is significantly multiplied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, make a spiritual application. Living life in this world is a very serious activity. It demands our undivided attention. The problem is that we too often allow ourselves to be distracted by the things of this world. When that happens, a spiritual accident is sure to follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And, we\u2019re not just talking about the sinful things that can distract us. Certainly, there are plenty of those. Wickedness abounds in our society, and we are confronted with multiple temptations every day. Constant vigilance is necessary. But, more than this, there is the danger that we will get so busy with our day-to-day affairs that we might forget what our main pursuit is supposed to be. Our jobs, our families, our recreation and a host of other things \u2014 not sinful in and of themselves \u2014 can crowd God out of our lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Add two or three such distractions together and you are simply a spiritual accident looking for a place to happen. Be careful! Stay focused. \u201cReach forth unto those things which are before\u201d and \u201cpress toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus\u201d (Phil. 3:13, 14).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Via Bulletin Articles from the Collegevue church of Christ, March 19, 2017 1) Hear <\/strong>the gospel, for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30,31). Tebeau Street \u201cGo therefore and make disciples of all the nations\u2026teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age\u201d (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB).\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013 Contents: 1) The Chief of Sinners (Frank Himmel)2) Where is Your Hope? (Stephen Rouse)3) Distractions on the Road (Greg Gwin)\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013 -1- […]<\/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-626","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\/626","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=626"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/626\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":627,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/626\/revisions\/627"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhere is Your Hope?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nDistractions on the Road<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
2) Believe <\/strong>in the deity of Christ (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent <\/strong>of sins (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith<\/strong> in Christ (Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized <\/strong>in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3,4; Gal. 3:26,27; 1 Pet. 3:21).
6) Continue in the faith,<\/strong> living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
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CHURCH OF CHRIST
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Sunday<\/strong> services: 9:00 AM (Bible class); 10 AM & 5 PM (worship)
Wednesday:<\/strong> 7 PM (Bible class)
evangelist\/editor: <\/strong>Tom Edwards (912) 218-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
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