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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" (Matt. 28:19,20).
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January 17, 2010
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Contents:

1) Recipe for a Good Day (Donnie V. Rader)
2) The Majesty of God (Jason Cicero)
3) News & Notes
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Recipe for a Good Day
by Donnie V. Rader

Have you ever had a bad day? Do you ever have those days when nothing seems to go right? Does it ever feel like the pressures of life pile up some days? If you haven't, you're unlike the rest of us. We all have those days. However, Peter said something that will help during those times. "For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it" (1 Pet. 3:10-11).  

We can make our days good. If we determine to have a good day -- we will! This doesn't mean that we won't have some bad days. There will be some days that we won't feel so good. There will be times that we are sad and even depressed. We will be sick some days. Things will not always go right or the way we expect them to.  This doesn't mean that when we have such days that it is always our fault or that we have sinned. Yet, we can make even those days better. We have some control.  

Life is too short not to enjoy living and having good days. The Bible gives us the recipe for having a good day. The following are some things that I have thought upon for some time. They have helped me a great deal. I believe that I have better days and am a better person as a result of adhering to these points. Every one of the rules is a part of eschewing evil, doing good and seeking peace.  

1. Begin your day with prayer. What better way can you think of to start the day off right? Jesus taught that men "ought always to pray" (Luke 18:1). The reasons are obvious. How refreshing it is to spend some time with God in prayer in the morning.  

We have so much to pray for when we rise to begin a new day. We ought to thank God for the night's rest and another day. We should pray for God's protection and care throughout the day. We will need his help in overcoming temptations that we will face (Matt. 6:13). We should pray for strength and help to make it through the day (1 Pet. 5:7). I realize more and more each day how much I have to depend upon God and his power. I need and want to begin my day with prayer.  

We also need to pray for God's help in our following the recipe for a good day.  

2. Look at life through Heb. 13:14. When we awake we should put on the glasses of faith and view the world through Paul's statement, "For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come." Then, we will realize that nothing in this world is continuing or abiding. All is temporary. All that really matters is being right with God. Everything else is not all that important. Whether or not I have a fine home, a late model car, the latest fashion or a sizeable bank account doesn't matter. Whether or not I have a good education, am popular, have a lot of abilities or am successful in business doesn't really matter. So what if I have little or no money, fewer talents than others or wear second-hand clothes, that's not going to ruin my day.  

3. Realize that mistakes and inabilities are not failures. If we let them, such can look like monumental failures. We are human; we will make mistakes and even sin (1 John 1:8). That's true of all. Even men like Paul, Peter and James made mistakes.  

We must realize that some of us just have less abilities than others. This is quite clear from the parable of the talents (Matt. 25). 

We must also understand that we will make mistakes, but those mistakes are not failures. If we serve God faithfully, we are a success (Josh. 1:8). Learn not to dwell upon those past mistakes, but rather look to the future (Phil. 3:13).  

4. Realize that there will be problems; all have them.  Everything is not going to be as I want it. There will be disappointments and changes of plans. There will be those times when things just don't fall in place. Everyone shares in these experiences. Job faced problem on top of problem. We sometimes could wish as David did that we had "wings like a dove," for then we would "fly away and be at rest" (Psa. 55:6-7). The words of Anne Johnson Flynt say it well:

"God hath not promised Sun without rain, Joy without sorrow, Peace without pain.  But God hath promised Strength for the day, Rest for the labor, Light for the way, Grace for the trials, Help from above, Unfailing sympathy, Undying love."

5. Exercise patience throughout the day. Patience is bearing with the problems and trials without complaint. We must add patience to our faith (2 Pet. 1:5-10).  

We need to be patient with ourselves, our mistakes, failures and inabilities. Patience is needed in dealing with the problems of life (Jas. 5:11). We must be longsuffering in overcoming sin and weaknesses. No case is hopeless. With God's help, we can overcome our problems and sins (Phil. 4:13).  

6. Be temperate. Temperance is self-control. It is easy to let our tempers get out of hand and "fly off the handle." Self-control doesn't come easy. We must continually work at it. Nevertheless, God requires it (2 Pet. 1:5-10).  

When we are temperate things will go better throughout the day. We will get along with others. It just makes for a better day.  

7. Don't worry. Some folks can ruin their day worrying about things that don't really matter anyway. We worry about what did happen, what could have happened and what is going to happen. However, worry doesn't do one bit of good. Jesus said that a man cannot add one cubit to his stature by worrying about it (Matt. 6:27). If you can do something about the matter, do it and quit worrying. If not, what will the worrying accomplish? We need to learn to cast our cares upon God (1 Pet. 5:7). The trusting spirit is seen in this poem:

"Said the robin to the sparrow. I should really like to know why the anxious human beings, rush around and worry so. Said the sparrow to the robin, Friend, I think that it must be, that they have no heavenly Father, such as cares for you and me!"

8. Don't let life get you down. Too many let the affairs of life bother them. It keeps them wound up and uptight. When this happens, they become fretful about life in general. Again, we must learn to talk to God about our problems. Also, our thoughts must be redirected to dwell on the good and pleasant (Phil. 4:6-8).  

9. Be happy. Some apparently think that happiness is something that just happens to you. If you're not happy, you can't help it. However, God commands us to "rejoice" (Phil. 4:4). We must work at it. It is something we have to learn to do. We must try to be happy in spite of any problems and trials we may have.  

10. Be content. When one is discontented he is unhappy and thus has a bad day. Sometimes we complain if we don't get our way. That not only ruins our day, but it messes things up for others as well. If we could only learn to be satisfied (1 Tim. 6:8), we would have good days. Paul learned to be content in whatever state he was (Phil. 4:11). The Hebrews were told to be content with such things as they had (Heb. 13:5).  

Let's try to eliminate those bad days. We can purposely have many good days. Serve God faithfully and you will see good days.

-- Via Searching the Scriptures, October 1985, Volume 26, Number 10
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The Majesty of God
by Jason Cicero

"The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The LORD has clothed and girded Himself with strength; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved" (Psalm 93:1).  

The GOD we worship and adore is majestic. There are many synonyms for majesty: Beauty, comeliness, excellency, glory, glorious, goodly, grandeur, honor, magnificence, ornament, splendor. Majesty has to do with having an imposing form and appearance and carries with it overtones of superior power and position. When used of GOD it evokes a sense of amazement in the mind of the one beholding Him. Simply stated, GOD's majesty is his "greatness" (Vine). GOD would have us see His majesty, respond to His majesty, and magnify him in our lives.  

See His Majesty

Moses requested to see GOD's greatness: "Please, show me Your glory" (Exodus 33:17 - 34:7). What Moses saw at Mount Sinai we are to see by faith! See GOD's greatness through the eyes of faith! Gaze at His glory, majesty, and dominion. Grow in the grace of seeing Him: "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened..." (Ephesians 1:18). Each of us needs our own Mount Sinai experience. Wisdom unsearchable. Purity unspotted. Years unending. Strength undaunted. Love immeasurable. Glimpses of the majesty of GOD!

Respond to His Majesty

"So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped" (Exodus 34:8). The proper response to GOD's greatness is worship! To worship is to prostrate oneself (literally or figuratively) in reverence to the great I AM. The externals (reading, prayer, singing, the Lord's supper, giving, and preaching) are important, but our hearts must be engaged in order for GOD to be glorified! In worship, GOD longs for you to turn to Him "with all your heart. So rend your heart and not your garments..." (Joel 2:12-13).  

Magnify Him in My Life

To magnify is to make great, to enlarge (Vine). GOD is great; but is He great in your life? Have you made these words your own: "...in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death" (Philippians 1:20)? Magnifying GOD in every aspect of your life glorifies GOD!

The GOD we worship and adore is worthy of our praise because He is majestic! See His majesty. Respond to His majesty. Magnify Him in your life. He is worthy. "...to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen" (Jude 25).  

--   Via The Exhorter, Elliotsville church of Christ, Alabaster, AL
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News & Notes

We rejoice in the baptism of Trevis Williams at the Park Forest church of Christ in Baton Rouge.  He was baptized into Christ last Sunday.   Let those of us who are Christians pray for his spiritual development, as he is beginning his new life in the Lord.

Let us also be praying for Sheila Watts who has been having some back trouble;  Gene Calloway (Donna Gail St. Clair's mother) who is now on medication to try to eliminate 4 pounds of fluid buildup to avoid the need to be hospitalized again and receive other treatments; and Eloise Craver who continues to undergo therapy and heal from her recent hip surgery.

I received today the following from R.J. Evans (who preaches in Gonzales):

Dear Friends,

One of our members here in Gonzales, LA, Angel Lombrage, is from Haiti.  Angel is a fine, faithful Christian man.  Some of his family lives in Miami, FL, but a good number of his relatives live in his native country of Haiti.  He has received bits and pieces of information concerning some of his brothers and sisters (a total of seven).  Late yesterday afternoon, he received word that a building had collapsed on two of his uncles (his dad’s brothers) -- one was killed and the other is in critical condition. Also, he learned yesterday that his youngest sister (age 25) was killed. At present, his dad lives in Miami, FL.   Angel’s mother has made contact with his dad in Miami.  It appears they have all lost their houses.

Angel told me he would like to get some funds together in order to help some of his family in Haiti. (I, along with some others, have given him some funds.)  His father has made arrangements to wire money from Miami to his relatives in Haiti.   Angel’s wife, Jasmine, is from the Bahamas.  She has a brother who is a college student in Port-au-Prince.  She has not heard from him either.

Angel would like to make a trip to Haiti, but that is not possible.  He and Jasmine have a daughter, Gabrielle, who has been in the hospital for seven months -- ever since she was born.  Gabrielle was born premature and has undeveloped lungs.  Prior to her birth, Jasmine was in the hospital for two months.  So for the last nine months, this couple has spent every spare moment at the hospital -- every day and night.  Angel is a chef and a partner in a restaurant chain here in Louisiana.  Angel and Jasmine have been under a tremendous amount of stress.  Please remember this family in your daily prayers.

Individually, if you would like to help Angel raise some financial assistance for his family in Haiti, his address is as follows:

Angel Lombrage
14138 Pinehurst Ave.
Baton Rouge , LA  70817

Once again, Angel is a wonderful Christian who is a very active member of the Southside church here in Gonzales.  He speaks with a strong accent.  I sometimes kid him by saying, “Angel, you are an ‘Angel.’”

Sincerely,
R.J. Evans

P.S.  Angel does not know that I am sending this e-mail.  Please feel free to pass this on to others.
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

1) Hear the gospel, for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17;  John 20:30,31).
2) Believe in the deity of Christ (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized 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; 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
201 Rushing Road (at the Hampton Inn), Denham Springs, Louisiana 70726
Sunday services: 9:15 AM (Bible class); 10 AM & 4 PM (worship)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520
tedwards1109@gmail.com
http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go

Directions:

Take the Denham Springs exit (exit 10) off of I-12.  At the end of the exit ramp, turn north.  Go about a stone's throw to Rushing Road.  (You'll see a Starbucks, Circle K, and two other gas stations; with each on each corner.)  Turn left on Rushing Road, and go less then 0.3 of a mile.  Hampton Inn will be on the right.  We assemble in its meeting room, which is very close to the reception counter.
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