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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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December 14, 2014
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Contents:
1) What Will Your Obituary Say About You? (Ken Weliever)
2) God Warns Us (Steven F. Deaton)
3) "I Will" (R.J. Evans)
4) News & Notes
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-1-
What Will Your Obituary Say About You?
by Ken Weliever
One morning in April of 1888 Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite,
woke up to read his own obituary.
His brother, Ludvig, had died. But a newspaper reporter mistakenly
thought it was Alfred and carelessly reported the death of the wrong
brother! Anyone would be disturbed under those circumstances to read
their own obituary. However, the headline was even more
disconcerting to Nobel. It read:
"The Merchant of Death is Dead."
The article called him "The Dynamite King" and stated: "Dr. Alfred
Nobel, who became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster
than ever before, died yesterday."
Alfred Nobel was horrified and overwhelmed. For the first time this
great inventor and industrialist who amassed an immense fortune from
explosives saw himself as the world saw him -- "The Dynamite King."
Nobel did not want to be remembered as "the merchant of death," so
he resolved to do something about it.
On November 27, 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his final will and
testament at the Swedish-Norwegian Club in Paris. When Nobel died on
December 10, 1896, it was discovered that according to his will, his
vast wealth was to be used for five annual prizes: physics,
chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace. The
first prizes were awarded 113 years ago on December 10, 1901.
The prize for peace was to be awarded to the person who "shall have
done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for
the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding of
peace congresses." Just before his death, he confided in a friend,
"I want to be remembered for peace, not destruction."
When Alfred Nobel actually died he held 355 patents, had built
companies and laboratories in over 20 countries and left a nine
million dollar endowment fund to award the prizes. Nobel literally
changed his legacy. Today we remember him for the Nobel peace prize.
While most of us will not leave behind inventions, world-wide
success or a 9 million dollar endowment, we are leaving a legacy.
Consider the legacy of some of the great Bible characters. King
David is remembered as "a man after God's own heart." Abraham is
known as the "Father of Faith" and "the Friend of God." John is
called "the apostle of love." We remember Paul as the persecutor who
became a great preacher and writer of epistles. The great leader of
Israel, Moses, as "the meekest man in all the earth."
Job is pictured as a man of great patience. Esther is esteemed as
the beautiful, but courageous Queen. Hannah, the mother of Samuel,
and as a woman of prayer. Ruth, the faithful daughter-in-law. And
Mary, the mother of Jesus, virtuous, humble and highly favored by
God.
How will you be remembered? What kind of reputation are you
building? What legacy are you leaving?
It's possible to live under a delusion. To think you're kind when
you're really inconsiderate. To think you're gracious, when your
personality is actually grating. To think you're generous, when
others regard you as cheap. To believe you are loved, when you are
merely tolerated.
The wise man wrote, "A good name is to be chosen rather than great
riches, and favor is better than silver or gold" (Prov 22:1).
Alfred Nobel said, "Every man ought to have the chance to correct
his eulogy in midstream and write a new one."
How will your eulogy read?
-- Via The Preacher's Word, December 11, 2014
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-2-
God Warns Us
by Steven F. Deaton
"And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His
messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had
compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked
the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His
prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till
there was no remedy" (2 Chron. 36:15,16).
The above passage ought to send chills down our backs. The
Israelites were decimated by their enemies. They suffered horribly
from starvation and war, as well as being taken captive. Zedekiah
was forced to watch the death of his sons then had his eyes gouged
out (2 Kgs. 25:7). What would it do to you or me if our last sight
was that of our children's murder? Do you think that would sear an
image on your brain?
The suffering and pain experienced by the Jews was not merely the
doing of man. They were facing the wrath of God Almighty. His anger
at their sin and rebellion was no longer restrained as in years
past. Yet, it was not in its fullness. If God desired He could have
annihilated the Jews from the face of the earth after an extended
torturous experience.
Has God's nature changed? Does He not still have a law by which He
expects men to live? Is He now deaf or blind to our doings? Has He
lost the power to move against His enemies?
Our nation is saturated with sin, much like ancient Israel. We have
few who bow down to wood, stone, or gold statues. However, idolatry
abounds. Multitudes continue to worship pleasures, possessions, and
power.
If we hope to escape or avoid God's wrath, our nation must change;
slim chance for that. The best we can look for, perhaps, is to keep
ourselves pure and help individuals change their wicked ways. Even
if we do live righteously, however, let us not kid ourselves that we
will escape the pain and suffering. Even righteous Jews suffered
because of the sin of the nation at large. The thing is, though we
may face the consequences of living in an immoral country, we will
avoid God's ultimate wrath -- torture in hell.
God has sent us warnings in His Word, the gospel. He continues to
use His people to warn us. Will we heed? Will
you?
-- Via the Hebron Herald, March 2014, volume 38, number 3
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-3-
"I WILL"
by R.J. Evans
If I counted correctly, the phrase "I will" is used twenty-three
times in Psalm 119. In this short article, let us give
consideration to some of these passages in this Psalm. By
doing so, we can grow and develop in our service to God.
THE "I WILL" OF OBEDIENCE. "I will keep Your statutes; Oh,
do not forsake me utterly" (Psa. 119:8). We must realize that
keeping God's statutes includes all of His commands. There is
no place in this passage, or in any other passage throughout the
Word of God, which allows us to be selective in our obedience.
Again, under what circumstances did the Psalmist plan to be
obedient? The answer is quite simple--under every circumstance
at all times. Notice what the Psalmist said at the very
beginning of Psalm 119: "Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
Who seek Him with the whole heart" (V. 2). The Apostle Paul
commended the Romans when he told them--"But God be thanked that
though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that
form of doctrine to which you were delivered" (Rom. 6:17).
Thus, obedience to God's will is so important, that we cannot have a
relationship with the Lord without it. The Apostle John
clearly stated: "Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep
His commandments. He who says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep
His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 Jn.
2:3-4).
THE "I WILL" OF RIGHT THINKING. "I will meditate on Your
precepts, And contemplate Your ways" (Psa. 119:15). This means
that the Psalmist would think properly. He would do his own
thinking and not wait for someone else to do it for him. He
would fully exercise his mind. Not only would he think, but he
would think about the right things. He would not clutter his
mind with worthless, evil, vain thoughts. God's precepts would
be "food" for his mind. Filling the mind with God's Word helps
purge the heart and leaves no room for evil thoughts that corrupt a
person's life (Jn. 15:3). The Apostle Paul stated it this way:
"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are
noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever
things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is
any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these
things" (Phil. 4:8).
THE "I WILL" OF EFFORT. "I will run in the way of Your
commandments, For You shall enlarge my heart" (Psa. 119:32).
Note carefully the word "run." Any jogger knows that running
involves effort. A person might take a light stroll without
much effort, but not so with running. We have to exert
ourselves when we run; it takes earnestness; it involves an
objective or purpose in mind when an individual runs. Note
also that the Psalmist would restrict his running to "the way" of
God's commandments. He was not going to just run to and fro or
take a wrong path. He was determined to run in the way of
God's commandments. Again, the words of the Apostle Paul come
to mind: "Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty..." (1 Cor.
9:26a).
THE "I WILL" OF AN EVANGELISTIC ATTITUDE. "I will speak
of Your testimonies also before kings, And will not be ashamed"
(Psa. 119:46). Here is an example of one who believed that men
in high positions of authority needed to hear and know God's law
just like everyone else. He was determined to look for an
opportunity to talk to others about God's Word. Think of John
the Baptist who spoke so boldly to King Herod, even though it cost
him his head on a platter (Mk. 6:14-29), or when the Apostle Paul
spoke to men like Felix the Governor and King Agrippa (Acts 24:24-
27; 26:24-29). Surely, this is an "I will" that proclaims
God's gospel plan to all men today. (See Rom. 1:14-15)
May the "I WILL" statements of Psalm 119 help us in our service to
God as Christians in our own generation today.
-- Via The bulletin of the Southside church of Christ (Gonzales,
Louisiana), December 7, 2014
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News & Notes
Let those of us who are Christians continue to remember the
following in our prayers for their health and physical condition:
Myrna Jordan, Jim Lively, Danielle Howard, Jonathan Abbot, Marie
Turner (Mark's wife), Penny Medlock, Ronnie Davis, Rex and
Frankie Hadley, Jewel Wilson, Mary Vandevander, Deborah Medlock,
Shirley Davis, Sue Wooten, Mandy Strickland, Dexter Roberts, Dolly
Downs Moody, Steve Vista, and Colleen Henson.
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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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Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA 31501
Sunday services: 9:00 AM (Bible class); 10 AM & 5 PM (worship)
Wednesday: 7 PM (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 614-8593
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/go
(Gospel Observer website)
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html
(audio sermons)