____________________________________________________ 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). ____________________________________________________ September 12, 2004 ____________________________________________________ Contents: 1) The Widow's Mites (P. J. Casebolt) 2) Beware of Normal (Larry Walker) 3) "Second Death" Implies Reincarnation? (Jim R. Everett) ____________________________________________________ -1- The Widow's Mites by P. J. Casebolt Comparing the widow's two mites with the gifts of the rich men, Jesus concluded, "Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all" (Lk. 21:1-4). Rich men are condemned, not because they are rich, but because they trust in riches (Mk. 10:24), bestow gifts to be seen or praised of men (Matt. 23:5), or because they fail to "be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate" (1 Tim. 6:17-19). The gifts of the rich can be used for good, but so can the widow's mites. Too often, we fail to "bestow more abundant honour" upon "those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble... And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable" (1 Cor. 12:22,23). We need to remember that God has "set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him," and that all members of the body, the church, "are necessary" (1 Cor. 12:18,22). In our public assemblies, the preacher may be the most visible member in that assembly, because of the emphasis placed on preaching in the edification process, and the time set aside for such teaching. But that is not to say that the preacher is the most important member of a congregation, or that either he or the congregation regard him as such. If so, we need to rearrange our thinking. Though invisible, Christ needs to be the central figure of our lives, and in our public assemblies. Christ "is the head of the body, the church" (Col. 1:18), and has promised, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20). We need to give honor to the elders who oversee the flock at all times, and not just during the public assemblies of the church. Teachers need to be commended and appreciated for the many hours of time which they have devoted to study, class preparation, and actual teaching done. We pause from time to time and express our appreciation for "all those who have taken a public part" in the assemblies of the church, and well we should. But we need also to recognize those who go about quietly in their daily lives ministering to the Lord and the needs of others, and may just as quietly come and sit in the public assemblies of the church, though they may not be seen in some public capacity. But they are there, they are seen, and without them, those who take an "active" part couldn't be very active without an audience. The widow's mites are needed as are the gifts of the rich, though the mites may only "seem" to be less honorable. During my stay in the hospital, and during recuperation from surgery, I received hundreds of cards and other expressions of well-wishing from concerned people. No two cards were alike -- some were large and elaborate with flowery decorations and verse, some were of medium size, and some were small with simple expressions of sincere words on my behalf. And the most appreciated cards were those where the sender took time to write a personal note. One of the smallest cards I received was from a brother and sister of few worldly goods, who themselves had suffered in the flesh. There was a short, handwritten note inside the card, written by an unsteady hand in slanted lines, and a misspelled word or two. All of the cards served their purpose, and I was moved and humbled by such an outpouring of love and prayers on my behalf. I pray that the Lord will remember all for their good deeds, long after I, because of human frailty and forgetfulness, have forgotten the names and messages attached to each card. But I cannot forget that one small card, containing the full expression of someone's heart. Like the widow's mites, that card has an honored place in the treasury of my heart. And if some of us can give no more, we can give our hearts and ourselves to others and to the cause of Christ (cf. Rom. 12:1; 2 Cor. 8:5). -- Via Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 2, p. 9, 1/21/93 ____________________________________________________ -2- Beware of Normal by Larry Walker According to a humorous television commercial, one of the first signs of termite infection in your home is that "everything looks perfectly normal." It is their way of convincing us that a lot of damage can be done before you even notice it. The ad might serve to remind us of problems that can occur in our spiritual house if we do not take protective measures. The very foundation can be destroyed while everything on the outside seems to be normal by the standards of our day. When our lives are comfortably blended into the society we live in, when there is nothing unusual about our moral or religious principles, when our priorities are the same as the great majority of our neighbors, then things are dangerously "normal." The problem is that "normal" is a term that is determined by man's standards, and though measuring up to it may provide a degree of comfort here, it falls far short when it comes to laying up treasures in heaven. Paul warned the Corinthians of some who "measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding" (2 Cor. 10:12). It is God's yardstick that matters, not that of the "mainstream of society." God has always required His people to be separate (Isa. 52:11; 2 Cor. 6:17 - 7:1) not physically withdrawn, but distinct in conversation and conduct, not fashioned according to the world (Rom. 12:1,2). It is a sobering Biblical truth that few will be saved; the majority will enter the broad way that leads to destruction (Matt. 7:13,14). It is strange, then, that we should be satisfied with attaining a status accepted by society. What value is it, if we lose our souls? Friend, if your life seems "normal" enough by man's standards, it may be that your spiritual house is caving in. It will not be shored up by man's money or man's tools, but by the Word which framed the worlds (Heb. 11:3). The answer is some honest, objective study of it, for it is the standard which will judge us (John 12:48). -- Via The Bulletin of the Church of Christ in New Georgia, April 25, 2004 ____________________________________________________ -3- "Second Death" Implies Reincarnation? by Jim R. Everett To the Western mind that has some respect for the Bible, Eastern mysticism and the doctrine of the transmigration of souls has a greater chance of winning the victory for the mind, not by fabricated stories of claimed previous lives, but by an appeal to scripture. The appeal of the advocates for belief in reincarnation to scripture is not surprising since Satan himself, as man's adversary, knows and uses scripture (Matthew 4:4-6). But, does the phrase "the second death" found exclusively in the book of Revelation, lend credence, in any form or fashion, to this belief that souls are recycled from lower forms of life to higher forms or from one human body to another? When Jesus spoke to the church at Smyrna (Revelation 2:10) and warned of looming trials he encouraged them to be "faithful unto death," that is, possess the martyr spirit that was essential to their being victorious with the Lord (note Revelation 6:9-11; 7:13-15). Jesus assures them that the ones who overcome will not be hurt by "the second death." Notice that the associated word "hurt" necessarily says something about the meaning of "second death." The "second death" here is not suggesting that there will be another chance, just in case you don't get it right the first time. It is identifiable with what "hurts" men as some sort of punishment -- not what is beneficial to man. The phrase does not appear again in the book until ch. 20:6, 14. Observations in this short article are not designed to give a detailed interpretation of the chapter but to focus on how "the second death" is used with reference to punishment. This time it is identifiable with the eternal state of the enemies of Christ -- death (the enemy of man -- 1 Corinthians 15:26) and Hades (the unseen abiding place of the dead) are cast into the lake of fire as are the beast (the corrupt, persecuting political power) and the false prophet (false religion) -- note v. 10. Then in Revelation 21:8 -- "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." Those who believe in reincarnation really do not want to use this verse, because it clearly speaks of "the second death" as a place of irrevocable punishment -- the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. Whether or not I am able to refute every claim for previous, life experiences, the simplest answer to the concept of the transmigration of souls is Hebrews 9:27 -- "...it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." "Once" (Greek word, "hapex") has the significance of "once and only once" (cf. Hebrews 9:24-26). Man dies physically only once. "The second death" does not deal with man's physical death but with the eternal punishment of the wicked. There is not the slightest hint of any recycling of souls in these passages. Contrariwise, qualifying statements identify "the second death" as eternally, assigned punishment at the final judgment. At which time, there can be no hope for coming back to life to make amends for sins committed in a previous life. -- Via bulletin of the Cedar Park church of Christ ____________________________________________________ "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep" (Jn. 10:11). ____________________________________________________ MYRTLE STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST 1022 Myrtle Street Denham Springs, LA 70726 (225) 664-8208 Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM Wednesday: 7:00 PM evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520 e-mail: tedwards@onemain.com web site: http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go ____________________________________________________