____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER "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). ____________________________________________________ July 2, 2000 ____________________________________________________ God Belongs in Government by Jere E. Frost LONG BEFORE there was a United States or any other government, there was God. The Almighty made the world and all that is in it, including man. He ordained spiritual and moral laws Himself. He ordained ``civil'' government to enact civil laws (Romans 13:1; I Peter 2:13). Civil government, by definition, rules in civil affairs. It has no religious authority at all. It is, by nature, a political process. Politics in the broadest sense is ``the total complex of relations between people in society'' in their ``competing interest for power and leadership'' (Webster). There is nothing in politics that is over God, or that can rightfully contradict God's spiritual and moral directives. Regardless of what man or men obtain the reins of civil leadership and power, they have obtained no authority over God, or over the clearly stated laws of God--keep politics out of religion! Conversely, spiritual and moral principles are above civil power. Governments may only rightfully enact civil laws, being ordained to do so by God. But those civil laws could well be said to be under God, implying that they cannot be in contradiction to the higher laws upon which they are based. The conclusion is clear--keep God in politics. This distinction is the root of the difference between a republic and a democracy. In a democracy the will of the people is the basis for the law, and the majority rules. Thus in a democracy, a vote can legalize homosexuality and murder, or anything else the people want. Thus all it takes is one generation of utterly corrupt people and leaders to destroy a democracy. John Adams, one of the founders of our republic and the second president, observed: ``Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.'' In a republic, the laws of God are expressly understood to be beyond man's right of self-determination. They cannot be changed. The law book frequently cited by the founders (Blackstone's Commentaries) explained and illustrated the practicality of how a republic differs from a democracy. ``To instance in the case of murder: this is expressly forbidden by the divine. If any human law should allow or enjoin us to commit it, we are bound to transgress that human law.'' In a republic, there is a looking to a higher power that no vote or majority can rightfully displace. And if a vote is ever held that does in fact contradict those higher laws, it is expressly understood that divine law still prevails and the honorable citizen is obliged to ``transgress that human law.'' But just what is the ``higher law,'' and who determines what it is? The higher law on which our republic was founded was explained by the celebrated Noah Webster: ``[O]ur citizens should early understand that the genuine source of correct republican principles is in the Bible, particularly the New Testament, or the Christian religion.'' This accounts for why the founders and our early courts often cited Scripture. Be it right or wrong in the reader's eyes, wise or unwise, this is the rock on which the republic (and not democracy) of the United States was founded. If this rock is removed by the will of a profligate generation, we shall have ceased to be a republic and shall have become a democracy. Are we there already? Can you, or our Courts, recite America's ``pledge of allegiance'' with emphasis as noted here? ``I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.'' -- Via The Bulletin of the North Courtenay church of Christ, May 30, 1999 ___________________________________________ ``Do Not Grumble One Against Another'' by Wayne Greeson The Israelites in the wilderness illustrate the tragic results of grumbling. I have often thought they simply grumbled about water or food. But the scriptures say they constantly grumbled against Moses and Aaron. After enduring much, Moses pointed out to these complainers, ``Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord'' (Ex. 16:8). Because ``They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the Lord. So he swore to them with uplifted hand that he would make them fall in the desert, make their descendants fall among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands'' (Psalm 106:25-27). Paul warned Christians about following the sins of the Israelites: idolatry, fornication, testing the Lord; and Paul includes grumbling in this list, ``And do not grumble, as some of them did--and were killed by the destroying angel'' (1 Corinthians 10:1-11). This sin is serious enough that Peter and James also warned against it. Peter wrote, ``Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling'' (1 Peter 4:9); and James wrote, ``Do not grumble one against another'' (James 5:9). Few things are more destructive to the peace and well-being of a family or a congregation than grumbling. A church with grumbling within is like a foundation eaten up by termites or a body wasted away by parasites. Grumbling will drive away old members and hinder new members from the church. Those who grumble think they are hurting those they grumble against, but in the end they only destroy themselves. Listen to the Lord and ``Stop grumbling among yourselves'' (John 6:43). -- Via Truth in Love ___________________________________________ The Pattern.... by Tim Arthur It is a Biblical fact that man has often departed from the pattern God has given. In the Old Testament we have such examples as Cain (Gen. 4:2-5), Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10:1,2), Jeroboam (I Kings 12:23-33), etal. In the New Testament we have warnings of man departing from God's pattern (Acts 20:28-31; I Tim. 4:1; I John 4:1, etal.). Today, men are still departing from God's pattern. They depart from His pattern for the organization of the church, His pattern for the worship of the church, His pattern for what man must do to be saved, etc. The reason denominationalism exists is because men have departed from God's pattern. Where God has given the pattern we dare not deviate from it in the slightest. For it is written, ``Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus'' (II Tim. 1:13). -- Via The Old Path II, May 21, 2000 ___________________________________________ He Hurt My Feelings.... by H. M. Phillips ``Yes, I know that I ought to come to the assembly, but do you know that he hurt my feelings?'' I realize that offenses will come, but that is no grounds for staying from the services of God. Offenses were heaped upon Christ, Peter, John, Paul; but they did not give up. The reason was that they were rooted and grounded in the faith. If your feelings were anchored in the Lord, and not floating around in the air, you would be more stable and active in the service. Did that person intend to hurt your feelings? Was it really anything to hurt much, anyway? In fact, were you not a little sore beforehand, anyhow? Do you enjoy being offended? Well, if not, quit being offended so easily and be able to stand and be strong in the Lord. Your feelings are no better than anybody else's. You need to feel more for the Lord and less for your own selfish purpose. -- Via Gospel Advocate, 1938 ___________________________________________ To Christians Who Smoke by Dan Shipley As a former smoker, I know how easy it is to ignore messages from the news media and the pulpit that discourage smoking. It is difficult for most of us to be objective in considering that which condemns what we want to practice. As someone as well noted, ``Affection is a briber of the judgment; and it is hard for a man to admit a reason against the thing he loves, or to confess the force of an argument against an interest.'' Convincing Christians to give up tobacco wouldn't be nearly so hard if they could first be convinced to face the issue objectively and with an open mind. And yet, of all people, the Christian should recognize the difficulty of dealing with prejudiced and closed minds. As a follower of Christ, he knows that personal preferences must be subordinated in seeking to please the Lord. The smoking Christian owes it to himself and to the Lord to consider the evidence relative to smoking. When he does, he will certainly consider such facts as those recently released by the Surgeon General's office in The Health Consequences Of Smoking. In the forward section of that report, Dr. E.N. Brandt, Jr., Assistant Secretary for Health, writes: ``Cigarette smoking is the major single cause of cancer mortality in the U.S. Tobacco's contribution to all cancer deaths is estimated to be 30 percent and cigarette smokers have total cancer death rates two times greater than do nonsmokers. Heavy smokers have a three to four times greater excess risk of cancer mortality...There is no single action an individual can take to reduce the risk of cancer more effectively than quitting smoking...'' According to statistics released from the Public Health Service research, lung cancer, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and coronary heart disease are the principal causes of death attributable to cigarette smoking, but they are not the only ones. They have concluded that the rate of early death from all causes ranges from 40 to 120 percent higher for smokers than nonsmokers, depending upon the amount smoked daily. It is not without good reason that the word ``WARNING'' appears on the cigarette package. Those who are told to glorify God in the body (1 Cor 6:20), should seriously consider the health hazards of smoking. Equally important for the smoking Christian to consider is the possibility of enslavement to tobacco. To be brought under the power of a habit is to violate the principle of 1 Corinthians 6:12. For the smoker who wants to know, ``What about the glutton, the coke-a-holic, the coffee-holic?'' The same principle applies equally to them! With Paul, every Christian must resolve, ''...I will not be brought under the power of any.'' Rather, ``I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage...'' (1 Corinthians 9:27). Finally, the Christian smoker must consider the possibility that smoking may hurt his influence. Shouldn't every Christian be ``an example to them that believe, in word, in manner of life...'' (1 Tim 4:12)? Justified or not, many are offended by the smell, the pollution, and being forced to inhale second-hand smoke. Honestly now--everything considered, wouldn't it be better if Christians didn't smoke? -- Via The Exhorter, 10/3/99 ___________________________________________ Who Is Sitting In Your Seat? A preacher met a lukewarm Christian on the street Monday morning. The man knew he was in for a lecture because the preacher had often talked about failing to attend the worship services. Thinking he would beat the preacher to the punch and take the sting out of the rebuke, the man began his greeting by making a frank confession. ``Well, my seat was empty again yesterday,'' he said. ``Oh, no!'' exclaimed the preacher. It wasn't empty at all!'' ``What?'' asked the absentee. ``Who was there?'' The preacher replied, ``Satan was there in your seat, leering at me and saying, `I've got him again, preacher!''' The careless member repented and was in his seat the next Sunday. -- Author unknown (Via The Exhorter, 10/17/99) ________________________________________ Avondale CHURCH OF CHRIST P.O. Box 421 1606 Glen Willow Rd., Avondale, PA 19311 (610) 268-2088 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 11:00 A.M. Worship 6:00 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:00 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (610) 925-3567 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/avondale ________________________________________