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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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July 7, 2013
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Contents:
1) Should Our Reactions Always Be Like the Lord's? (Tom Edwards)
2) Which Ones Have You Encouraged? (David Thomley)
3) "Limping Between the Two" (James Hahn)
4) News & Notes
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-1-
Should Our Reactions Always Be Like the Lord's?
by Tom Edwards
It is true that Jesus is our great example (cf. 1 Pet. 2:21,22); and
we see in Him many virtues that we are to also possess, such as in
the love He showed to others -- even His enemies (Rom. 5:10; Luke
13:34; Matt. 5:43-48) -- and in being merciful and forgiving (Luke
23:34; 5:32) and to remain faithful to the Father (even if it would
lead to ridicule, hardship, and death -- Heb. 3:1,2; 12:1-3).
We need to also continue to develop all of the fruit of the Spirit
(Gal. 5:22,23), which Christ perfectly embodies. And the list
could go on with other qualities and deeds that Jesus exemplified
during His life on earth that we, too, should pattern our lives
after -- but are we to act and react as Jesus would in every
situation?
Consider, for example, this scenario (which might have actually been
a reality to you) of a childish, heartless, and malicious prankster
who sent over the Internet a computer virus that made its way to
your computer and destroyed important documents and files, including
those of sentimental value (such as messages and pictures of friends
and family); and, in addition, had caused your computer to crash and
to remain inoperable -- thus producing more frustration, due to
those soon-to-be-needed documents that you are now being hindered
from completing on time.
What would your initial reaction be? Would you not be strongly
tempted to retaliate? Would you be wishing that the same
annoying problem would also happen to whomever the culprit was --
or, in anger towards that one, maybe even something worse?
Would you even pray for such to happen? In other words, would
you instruct the Lord as to what type of wrath you think He should
outpour on that individual for his evil behavior? But is that
even the Christian's job?
There was a time when I thought someone had me targeted to try to
bring trouble to me by sending computer viruses zipped up and
attached to various emails. I just went ahead and deleted them
without opening the files; but for a short while I finally became a
little peeved; and seeing myself develop some thoughts, stemming
from that, which I believed I should not have had, I was soon
praying something like, "Lord, help me react to this the way that
You would." But then I realized and blurted, "Wait a
minute! I take that back, Lord. I am not You and do not
have the right to react as You would in all situations. For it
might be Your will to bring your wrath down (through Your divine
providence) upon this one who is trying to bother and bring trouble
to me, and punishing this one in that way is certainly not for me to
do. For Your word says, 'Never take your own revenge, beloved,
but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance
is mine, I will repay," says the Lord'" (Rom. 12:19).
In order to best obey this instruction, I also try to not even
desire to see the Lord take vengeance on any who would do me
wrong. If He does, He does. But I'd rather not have even
the vindictive desire in my heart or I would feel as if I were
retaliating vicariously through the Lord. So I strive to
maintain the proper attitude toward the wrongdoer, praying for those
who do me wrong (as Jesus has taught), and never give the Lord any
"advice" as to how He should specifically punish anyone. My
prayer is that the culprit will come to his senses, realize his
wrong, repent, and make his life right with God. So just like
a burden or care that the Christian is to cast on the Lord because
He cares for His people (cf. 1 Pet. 5:7), I do a similar thing with
those who treat me wrongfully (who either are anonymous or do not
repent) -- like for the person who, several years ago, stole my air
conditioner before I arrived home from church one night. I
have no idea who did it -- but the Lord knows exactly. And in
praying for the guilty one, we can also give that problem to the
Lord to take care of in His own good way. Doing that can be a
relief. And it is also good to realize that it is better for
one to have a crime committed against him, rather then he being the
one committing the crime.
In thinking of those who have been wrongfully treated, how can we
not think of Jesus? He was spat upon, beaten, slapped (Matt.
26:67), mocked (Luke 22:63), scourged (Matt. 27:26), and crucified
(v. 35) -- all of which was wrongfully done to not only an innocent
man, but one who was also our Creator and part of the eternal
Godhead! Yet, how did the Lord respond? While on the
cross, He prayed, "...'Father, forgive them; for they do not know
what they are doing.'..." (Luke 23:34).
That is one of the characteristics that we should each strive
to develop, even as Stephen did, who could be forgiving toward the
very ones who were stoning him to death. For his very last
words were not for himself, but for his persecutors. As Acts
7:60 shows, when he looked into the heavens, which had "opened up,"
and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God, Stephen prayed with
a loud voice, "...'Lord, do not hold this sin against them!'"
These thoughts, of course, do not negate the right the civil
authorities have to carry out punishments for crimes
committed. For God has given them that right to do so; and
they are, therefore, even referred to as being "a minister of God,
an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil" (Rom.
13:4) -- and that wrath can extend even to capital punishment when
the crime deserves that, which can be inferred from the beginning of
this verse: "for it is a minister of God to you for good. But
if you do evil, be afraid; for IT DOES NOT BEAR THE SWORD FOR
NOTHING..." (emphasis mine). In addition, the apostle Paul
declares, "If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything
worthy of death, I do not refuse to die..." (Acts 25:11). So
not only do we see from this that some crimes are "worthy of death,"
but also, again, that the death penalty is sanctioned in God's
word. For certainly Paul would not consent to something, as he
is doing here, if it would be sinful in God's sight. And
though God can forgive even the murderer on death row (if that one
will submit to God's plan of salvation) and save his soul for
eternal life, that will not save his body from the lethal injection
that the judge had decided upon and handed down in his final
sentence.
So, while on earth, Jesus manifested many virtues and performed
various deeds that we should pattern our lives after. Yet, in
what we have considered today, one way in which we are not to be
like Him is when it comes to carrying out vengeance. For we
are not to be vigilantes, seeking personal revenge; so we should not
even entertain the thoughts of such in our hearts, which God sees
just as well as our external actions.
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-2-
Which Ones Have You Encouraged?
by David Thomley
The Lord's church is composed of both strong and weak members.
Each one needs encouragement at times, but certainly the weaker
brethren need a greater amount of special attention. Also,
there are some members who are not necessarily weak, but who have
special physical problems, causing them to need special
attention. The apostle Paul taught that the responsibility of
helping the weaker members rested upon the shoulders of those who
were mature, full-grown Christians (Romans 15:1; Galatians
6:1-2). In the minds of some, this type of responsibility is
the work of the elders, deacons, or preachers. Indeed it is;
but the instruction is given to all Christians. Sometimes
elders and preachers are negligent. Sometimes there is simply
more work to be done than a limited number of men can
accomplish. Which ones have you encouraged?
Some members are forsaking the assembling of the saints.
This sign of weakness is obvious to any mature Christian. It
takes no special training or skills to make a phone call, write a
note, or drop by for a short visit to say, "I've missed you."
Would it be presumptuous to say almost all Christians could render
service in this area?
Some members are attending without the support (perhaps with the
hindrance) of their spouse.
A mother rises early on Sunday morning to prepare breakfast and
dress the children to get them to Bible class; and they leave home
with the father still in bed. Sometimes the fathers have the
same problem, leaving the mother at home. All recognize the
special problems faced by such parents, admire their effort, and are
encouraged by their faithful attendance under less than ideal
circumstances. Are we not obliged to reciprocate some type of
encouragement to these faithful parents?
Some members are presently experiencing family problems.
There are parents who are struggling with a rebellious child.
There are married couples who are experiencing serious problems,
perhaps resulting from an immature spiritual life. There are
adults who have aging parents who are sick or confined, and demand
much of their time and attention. In many cases, an
encouraging word may be all that can be offered. Who offers
it?
Some members are facing problems associated with aging.
The elderly and widows find it more and more difficult to do the
basics, such as driving to services, shopping at the market,
visiting with others, etc. Many live alone, without the
encouragement or support of a faithful companion.
Encouragement may be extended both verbally and actively.
This list could go on and on, but the initial question would remain
the same, namely, "Which ones have you encouraged?" As the
members of a congregation consider one another, the opportunities to
serve are abundant. Christians may avoid the question for the
present, but one day all will stand and give an answer. What
will it be?
-- Via The Beacon, 3/27/12
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-3-
"Limping Between the Two"
by James Hahn
When Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal at Mt. Carmel he also
presented a challenge to the children of Israel. He said, "How
long go ye limping between the two sides? If Jehovah be God,
follow him; but if Baal, then follow him" (1 Kings 18:21). God
has always expected His people to declare themselves. This
same challenge needs to be presented to those who would identify
themselves as the people of God today. If we are going to
serve Jehovah then let's do so. There is no room in the
kingdom of God for half-hearted, lukewarm service (See Revelation
3:14-19). To those members of the body of Christ who are not
faithful in their service to the Lord, we ask, "How long go ye
limping between the two sides?"
-- via The Beacon, June 18, 2013
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-4-
News & Notes
Let those of us who are Christians be remembering the following
people in prayer:
Virginia Fontenot, who is dealing with stage 4 cancer,
will be having a bowel resection this coming Tuesday (7/16).
Her daughter has informed me that the doctor "will try doing it with
a laparoscopy and no colostomy, but told her that was still a
possibility if he couldn't re-anastomoses the bowel because of the
location of the tumor."
Bill Barfield (Virginia Fontenot's
brother) had a setback. His niece writes that Bill is now back
on a ventilator, which they believe is due to an infection.
And, right now, he is not responding as well as he did prior to this
incident.
Let us also be remembering those who have been continually mentioned
in the previous bulletins.
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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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Park Forest
CHURCH OF CHRIST
9923 Sunny Cline Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70817
Sunday services: 9:00 AM (Bible class); 10 AM & 6 PM (worship)
Tuesday: 7 PM (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/go
(Gospel Observer website)
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html
(audio sermons)