____________________________________________________ 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). ____________________________________________________ March 30, 2008 ____________________________________________________ Contents: 1) The Innocence of Jesus (Bill Cavendar) 2) Peer Pressure (Bob Waldron) 3) A-C-T-S (David McPherson) ____________________________________________________ -1- The Innocence of Jesus by Bill Cavendar The Bible records six different trials that Jesus endured after He was seized in the Garden of Gethsemane. There were three Jewish trials: (1) Before Annas (Jn. 18:13,24); (2) Before Caiaphas, aided by a group of priests and the Sanhedrin (Mt. 26:57-68; Mk. 14:53-65; Jn. 18:14-28); (3) Before the Sanhedrin, near the dawn of day (Mt. 27:1-2; Mk. 15:1; Lk. 22:66-71). Then there was the first trial before Pilate (Mt. 27:1-2; Mk. 15:1; Lk. 23:1-7; Jn. 18:28-32). Pilate acquitted Jesus; the Jews made further charges against Him, so Pilate sent Jesus to Herod upon learning that Jesus was of Galilee (Mt. 27:11-14; Mk. 15:2-5; Lk. 23:3-7; Jn. 18:33-38). Before Herod, Jesus was mocked but not condemned as being guilty (Lk. 23:6-12). Before Pilate the second time, Jesus was sentenced to death at the instigation of the Jewish rulers, and was taken away to be crucified. During the two trials before Pilate, Jesus was proclaimed to be innocent seven times by Pilate, in Pilate's words and action. Consider these, please: 1. After his first conversation with Jesus, Pilate said, "I find no fault in this man" (Jn. 18:29-38; Lk. 23:4). 2. After Jesus returned to Pilate from Herod, Pilate said, "Behold, I, having examined him before, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him: No, nor yet Herod . . ." (Lk. 23:6-15). 3. After offering to release a prisoner to the Jews, and offering to scourge Jesus and then release Him, Luke records, "And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him . . ." (Lk. 23:22). 4. When he washed his hands before the multitude, declaring the innocence of Jesus, Pilate said, "I am innocent of the blood of this just person" (Mt. 27:24). 5. After Jesus had been mocked, whipped, and the robe put on Him, Pilate said, "Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him" (Jn. 19:4). 6. When Pilate gave permission for His crucifixion, he said, "Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him" (Jn. 19:6). 7. After Pilate learned of Jesus' claim to be the Son of God, he talked with Jesus for the last time. John records, "Upon this Pilate sought to release him..." (Jn. 19:7-12), thus declaring, in fact, the innocence of Jesus for the seventh time. Yet this moral coward, whose name has lived in infamy for, lo, these many centuries, delivered up to a felon's death the only truly innocent man who ever lived on earth, the only one who truly and legally deserved to live and not to die. But what of those moral cowards, men claiming to follow Him and to believe His claims and words, what of them? What is the difference between Pilate, the Roman, and John Doe, the Christian, who crucifies the Son of God afresh and puts Him to an open shame by sin, ugliness, bitterness, hatred, arrogance, transgression and apostasy (Heb. 6:4-8; 10:26-31)? What of them? -- Via Guardian of Truth XXIX: 3, p. 67, February 7, 1985 ____________________________________________________ -2- Peer Pressure by Bob Waldron Much of God's covenant with Israel of old dealt with human relations. Various and sundry laws pointed out how the Jew was to conduct himself among his peers. One of these admonitions was, "Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil" (Ex. 23:2). This was a very important decree; it showed the danger of peer pressure and pointed out very explicitly the dangers of being led astray by evil men. Peer pressure was an important factor in their lives; it has been from that time to the present. And perhaps as never before, peer pressure is an issue we have to wrestle with. A leading educator noted that peer pressure is the strongest influence exerted on young people today. He stated that in most cases it is twice as strong as the influence of home and family, and yields a far greater influence than religion. I share this educator's convictions. All young people want to be accepted by their peers. And if to do so means disobeying parents and selling out personal convictions, some are willing to do so just to be a part of the bunch. In dealing with young folks and their problem of peer pressure, we often quote and expound on 1 Corinthians 15:33 -- "Evil companionships corrupt good morals." I contend this is a very important verse dealing with this subject. This admonition does caution against the dangers of peer pressure being exerted by those who are void of spiritual convictions and virtues. Let us continue to warn our young people of the dangers of their associates that rob them of their virtues. But is all peer pressure centered in young people? Does this pressure cease when we become adults? Well, certainly at all stages of life there are peer pressures put on us by those with whom we mix and mingle day by day. The Bible is not silent on this matter. Men and women of God have always faced immense pressures in dealing with their peers. And when God has spoken, He has always done so with a stern warning against letting our associates rob us of our moral integrity. One of the most striking examples of this occurred in the life of Peter. Peter is one of our favorite Bible characters. He was truly one of Christ's most ardent followers. We hear him saying, "Even if I must die with thee, yet I will not deny thee" (Matt. 26:25). We hear him declare, "Lord, with thee I am ready to go both to prison and death" (Luke 22:33). But on that fateful night of the arrest and mock trial of the Lord, Peter "followed afar off" (Matt. 26:53); he stood with the wrong crowd, the enemies of the Lord (Matt. 26:69). And upon being asked of his allegiance to Christ, he cursed, swore, and denied that he even knew Him (Matt. 26:69-74). Peter, when alone in a crowd of unbelievers who were the enemies of Christ, relented to peer pressure. What a lesson for the Christian today. I contend that when we are alone, with the wrong crowd, those with no regard for the Lord nor spiritual values, we are at the most vulnerable moment of our spiritual life. And so often, like Peter, the pressures from our peers lead to our downfall. There are numerous other examples in the New Testament on this subject. Peer pressure played a leading role in the rejection of Christ by the rulers of the synagogue (John 12:42, 43). The Scriptures tell us they believed on Him, "but because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue. For they loved the glory that is of men more than the glory that is of God." Likewise, peer pressure was the deciding factor in the heinous crime of Herod (Matt. 14:1-12; Mark 6:23). Herod feared and respected John, but his oath, along with "them that sat at meat with him" (his peers) prevented him from backing down on his promise, and resulted in the vile deed of having John the Baptist put to death. In this we see the influence and power of wicked men and the insidiousness of peer pressure. But there is another side of the coin of peer pressure. Not all the characters of the Bible collapsed under the pressure of their associates. Many stood, often alone, in the face of severe pressures put on them by others. Let us ever be aware of the immense pressures put on us by our peers, especially those with no regard for God and spiritual values. And let us profit from the mistakes others made and redouble our efforts to not yield to these peer pressures as they did. -- Via The Bulletin of the Church of Christ at New Georgia, February 24, 2008 ____________________________________________________ -3- A-C-T-S by David McPherson Christians are to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thes. 5:17). Some have trouble doing this simply because they forget what to do in prayer. The acronym "A-C-T-S" is one way to remember. A -- Adoration. Prayer is a time to adore/praise God. David prayed, "Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty..." (1 Chron. 29:11). Don't just ask things of God, acknowledge His awesomeness. C -- Confession. Prayer is also a time to confess sin. John wrote, "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins..." (1 Jn. 1:9). One whose iniquities have separated him from God should exercise this privilege. Admit your wrongs! T -- Thanksgiving. In prayer, we should express our gratitude to God. It is "with thanksgiving" (Phil. 4:6), that our request are to be made known to Him. Do you appreciate the good things you have, love, and hope for? Tell God "thank you." S -- Supplication. This is where we make our requests. There are many things for which Christians ought to ask -- wisdom, peace, patience, opportunities to teach, etc. Brethren, don't forget to pray. -- via The Beacon -- Electronic Edition -- 1/24/06 ____________________________________________________ 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 ____________________________________________________