---------------
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).
--------------------
August 9, 2015
--------------------

Contents:

1) Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things (Jerry D. Curry)
2) 21 Reasons Why You Should Be Scripturally Baptized (Kenneth E. Thomas)
3) The Sum of God's Word (Frank Himmel)
4) News & Notes
--------------------

-1-

Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things
by Jerry D. Curry

God's people have always been called upon to take action. As Joshua made his farewell speech he exhorted Israel, "Choose you this day whom ye will serve" (Joshua 24:15). Haggai exhorted Israel, "Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house" (Haggai 1:8). Jesus, our ultimate example of a servant, says, "My meat is to do the will of Him Who sent Me" (John 4:34). Many times we are hesitant to accept difficult challenges, consequently, opportunities to render great service to God are lost. God has not always looked to great people to serve in great ways. Be encouraged to accept great challenges as we notice how God has used ordinary people to do extraordinary things.  

Moses was asked by God to appear before Pharaoh and demand that he let the people of God leave Egypt. As Moses contemplated this extraordinary challenge he demonstrated his ordinary character as he made the following excuses: "Who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh? What shall I say unto them? But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice. I am not eloquent" (Exodus 3:4). Moses was able to rise above some ordinary traits and successfully meet the extraordinary challenges of confronting Pharaoh, leading Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness for forty years.  

God spoke to Joshua and said, "Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them" (Joshua 1:2). After wandering with the murmuring nation of Israel for forty years, Joshua is given the extraordinary challenge of leading Israel into the Jordan and across to the promised land. Following Israel's defeat by Ai, Joshua demonstrated an ordinary lack of trust as he stated, "O Lord God, wherefore hast Thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us?" (Joshua 7:7). God calms the ordinary fear of Joshua by saying, "Fear not, neither be thou dismayed; take all the people of war with thee, and arise and go up to Ai; see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai" (Joshua 8:1).  

David demonstrated an extraordinary faith as he went out to the battlefield and defeated the giant Goliath with a sling and small stones (See 1 Samuel 17:17-51). He is paid the extraordinary compliment in Acts 13:22 where God says of David, "I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart." Yet, what painfully ordinary traits were exhibited as he committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed in the heat of battle. Please take time to read II Samuel 11:1-17.  

We could write further of 1) Esther, though afraid of death, appeared before the king to ask that Israel be spared (Esther 4:16). 2) Abraham, who left his homeland and later raised the knife to offer his son upon the altar, yet earlier lies about Sarah as he feared for his life (He- brews 11:8, 17-19; Genesis 20:9-13). Or 3) Peter, who walked on water and was with the Lord at Gethsemane, yet later cursed and denied Christ (Matthew 14:27-31; 26:69-75). May we be encouraged to accept great challenges as ordinary people striving to do extraordinary things.  

-- via The Sunny Hill Bulletin, Vol. 5, No. 8, April 15, 2001
--------------------

-2-

21 Reasons Why You Should Be Scripturally Baptized
by Kenneth E. Thomas

1. Because God commands it. Acts 10:48

2. To fulfill all righteousness. Matthew 3:15

3. To be a friend of Christ. John 15:14

4. Because you love God. I John 5:3; John 14:15

5. Lest you reject the council of God against yourself. Luke 7:30

6. To COMPLETE the "new birth." John 3:3-5; Titus 3:5

7. To enter the kingdom. John 3:5

8. For remission of sins. Acts 2:38

9. To receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38

10. In order to be saved. Mark 16:16

11. To wash away your sins. Acts 22:16

12. To get into the death of Jesus where blood was shed. Romans 6:3

13. To be buried with Christ. Romans 6:4

14. To be raised with Christ. Romans 6:4; Colossians. 3:1; 2:12

15. To rise to walk in the newness of life. Romans 6:4

16. To be a child of God by faith. Galatians 3:26-27

17. To get into the body, which is the Church. I Corinthians 12:13; Colossians 1:18

18. To have a good conscience. I Peter 3:21

19. To get INTO Christ. Galatians 3:27

20. Because "baptism doth also now save us." I Peter 3:21; Mark 16:16

21. To be "reconciled unto God in one body by the cross." Ephesians 2:13-16

-- Via Articles from  La Vista church of Christ
--------------------

The Sum of God's Word
by Frank Himmel

Do you remember math class? We were taught that in multiplication the answer is call the product; in division it is called the quotient; in subtraction it is the remainder; in addition it is the sum.  

Psalm 119:160 says, "The sum of Your Word is truth, and every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting." The emphasis is on totality. Everything God says is right. Every one of His ordinances is binding. And the truth about any subject is determined by adding up all He says about it.  

The principle of adding together all God's revelation is vital in Bible study. It is easy to err if one teaches a conclusion before weighing everything the Scripture says on a topic. Consider a few examples:

Some folks act as though Matthew 7:1 says everything there is to be said about judging: "Do not judge so that you will not be judged." They seem to think this verse prohibits any and all judgments that one might make about another. However, I Corinthians 5:12 requires churches to judge their members with reference to fellowship. Jesus Himself said, "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment" (John 7:24). The fact is, there are a number of situations in which we must assess one's character, position, or conduct.  

If one reads Jesus' teaching about divorce only in Mark 10:2-12 or Luke 16:18, he would conclude that divorce is not allowable for any reason. Any remarriage following a divorce would constitute adultery. Matthew's account however, reveals one exception: divorce for fornication (Matthew 19:9).  

When the Philippian jailor asked Paul and Silas what he must do to be saved, they replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). Is that all there is to it? Many think so. But when the Jews on Pentecost asked Peter the same question, He answered, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins" (Acts 2:38). Further reading in Acts 16 implies that Paul went on to tell the jailor the same thing. Neither Acts 16:31 nor John 3:16 nor any other verse contains all that God says about salvation. The sum of God's word is truth.  

-- via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 25, June 22, 2008
--------------------

-4-

News & News

Jewell  Wilson was taken to the Hospice House Friday.  Let those of us who are Christians be keeping her and all her family and friends in prayer.  

Let us also be praying for the following:

Steve Vesta's health is very poor. 

Rex Hadley was taken to the VA Hospital (8/6) due to pains in his arm.  They performed an EKG and then sent him to Shands for a heart catheterization (8/7).  He has had bypass surgery before.  It was detected that one of these bypasses on the front of his heart was blocked.  But they will first try to medicate it for the next couple weeks, while he is now back home.  He has also been experiencing some extreme pain in his side, below his ribs, which will need to be checked out with a sonogram for a possible stone. 

Eleanor Roberts has been suffering from Alzheimer's and also not able to do the work around the house as she once did.  So her husband Henry has been doing that for her, but it has been difficult for him being in his 80s with pain in his back and feet. It is their son, Dexter, whom we have also been mentioning, who has been undergoing treatments for cancer.  

Brittany Crosby Royals, who recently had surgery for a broken hip, has been progressing well.

Pat Joyner will soon be having surgery for breast cancer.  

We were glad to hear that the spinal tap for Judy Daugherty showed no signs of cancer.  She is also now doing better in getting around, though it does  require using a walker.   

Shut-ins: Mary Vandevander and  Sue Wooten

It was also good news to hear that a scan for Dolly Downs Moody showed again that she is cancer free.  But in overdoing it with exercise while recuperating, she had fractured a bone and is to take it easy for the next six weeks.  

Others to remember in prayer: Benny Medlock, Sunny Nichols, Jean Beach, Michelle Rittenhouse, Raylee Metts, Lexi Crawford, Betty Miles, Buddy Gornto, Colleen Henson, Donell Wells, Dexter Roberts, and Kelsey Williams
--------------------

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).
--------------------

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)
https://thegospelobserver.wordpress.com/
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html
(audio sermons)