____________________________________________________ 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). ____________________________________________________ June 13, 1993 ____________________________________________________ They "Did Not Know The Lord" by Tom Edwards We can never minimize the need to bring up our children in the ways of the Lord. One reason for this is seen in Judges 2:10: ``And all the generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel.'' This was said after the death of Joshua, Moses' successor, who passed away at the age of 110. After having wandered in the wilderness for forty years, under the leadership of Moses, God's people had finally crossed over to receive the territory which the Lord had promised them. It was Joshua who had led the children of Israel into the Promised Land. The waters of the Jordan were miraculously parted, just as at the Red Sea, so that the children of Israel could pass safely through. This and numerous other miracles were to follow as God's people began to settle in the Promised Land and conquer their enemies by the help of the Lord. Even many of the heathens became aware of the God of Israel, for they, too, heard and saw of some of His great miracles. However, when Joshua's generation finally died, we are told that another generation arose who did not know about God nor yet the work He had done for Israel. Where did this lack of knowledge lead them? Notice Judges 2:11-14: ``Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals, and they forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods from among the gods of the peoples who were around them; thus they provoked the Lord to anger. And the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He gave them into the hands of plunderers who plundered them, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies.'' Without God on their side, Israel became a defeated nation. But how could a generation grow up not knowing about the Lord? By those of the preceding generations not doing their part in passing along that knowledge and striving to instill God's principles in the hearts of their fellow man. May we not be guilty of the same today. Those of us who are Christians have a responsibility to teach God's truth with everyone whom we can that the way of the Lord may be fully known and faithfully responded to (Matt. 28:19,20; 2 Tim. 2:2). As we can infer from Israel's idolatrous practices, it is not enough to be merely religious; we must know the Lord through an understanding of His word and by our faith and obedience to Him. ___________________________________________ A NEED TO STUDY by Tom Edwards I think it was Bob Waldron who ran across these following remarks by people of various ages--especially children--who had given them as answers to Bible questions. Though many of them are humorous, they help us to see the need to instill a complete and accurate knowledge of the Scriptures into others. Let us now look at these responses: A deacon is the lowest kind of Christian. The greatest miracle in the Bible is when Joshua told his son to stand still and he obeyed him. Solomon had 300 wives and 700 porcupines. Who was sorry when the prodigal son returned? The fatted calf. The tower of Babel was a place where Solomon kept his wives. Abraham was the father of Lot and had ten wives. One was called Hismale, and the other Hagar. He kept one at home and the other he sent into the desert where she became a pillar of salt in the day-time and a pillow of fire by night. The Mosaic law was a law compelling people to have their floors laid with colored stones. Moses died before he reached Canada, but he saw it from a mountain. Jacob, son of Isaac, stole his brother's birthmark. Naaman was healed when Jesus told him to bathe in the river Rhine. These ideas were actually expressed by those who were trying to show their ``knowledge'' of the Bible. Many of them were made by children in religious schools. Their answers should convey to us the need to help one another in learning God's truth accurately. Far too often, however, the Bible is treated as in the following poem, entitled, The Dust-Covered Book (author unknown): They read the ``Journal'' and the ``News,'' The ``Green Book'' and the ``Red.'' They kept the serials of the month Securely in their head. They went through books both old and new, Best sellers, too, they thought; They read the jokes and studied styles; No item went for naught. They read the sporting page; they knew Each athlete by his name; They read of baseball, football, golf; Familiar with each game. They looked the funny paper through; They watched the mails to seize The magazine they liked the best, Whose columns most did please. But in their home there was a book With pages never turned, Whose message of truth and hope Was still by them unlearned-- The Book that tells of Him who came To earth that we might know The beauty of a sinless life, Lived here so long ago. Let us turn to God's word this day, examine it for ourselves, and learn of those divine truths that He would have us to know; and not be like those whom we considered in the previous article who grew up not knowing the Lord nor what He had done for His people. Yes, there is a need to study. ___________________________________________ "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified" (Acts 20:32). ____________________________________________ A Most Crucial Choice by Tom Edwards Throughout your life you will be faced with various decisions that will cover a wide spectrum from the trivial to the momentous. Perhaps some of the more important will concern where you we live, whether you will marry or not (and if so, whom you will marry), where you will work, and other such choices. By far, however, the most important decision you must make pertains to your relationship with God; for the answer will lead to one of two eternal places--heaven or hell. The Lord, therefore, wants each of us to give some serious thought to this. Through Isaiah, God states, ``Come now, and let us reason together....'' (Isa. 1:18). Becoming a Christian involves a ``reasoning process.'' As the late Kelly Ellis used to show: ``No one ever became a Christian by accident or merely stumbled into the kingdom of God.'' Jesus taught in John 6:44, 45 how one is ``drawn'' to Him. It is not by some inexplicable power, but rather it is by hearing and hearkening to the Scriptures which can ``draw'' one to Christ. In this passage Jesus states: ``No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him...It is written in the prophets, `And they shall all be taught of God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.'' Often the beginning of this passage has been quoted to assert that redemption is TOTALLY up to God; that is, that it doesn't matter what you believe or how you live--rather, your salvation is completely up to the Lord; and He will arbitrarily draw whom He wants. Of course, the word ``arbitrarily'' is not usually used by those who would hold to this belief, but it does accurately describe this method of showing partiality or favoritism--if this method be true. Actually, God does not select anyone arbitrarily to salvation, but it is based on the individual's compliance--by his freewill--with the one gospel that has been given for all people until time is no more. God shows no partiality. It is up to the individual whether he will side with God or not, and no one can make this decision for him. As Joshua told the people of his day, ''...choose for yourselves today whom you will serve....'' (Josh. 24:15). The Bible is clear as to what choice the Lord desires man to make. Because God loves mankind so intensely (John 3:16), He says, ```Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,' declares the Lord, `rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?'...I have no pleasure in the death of anyone...Therefore, repent and live'' (Ezek. 18:23,32). It is God's desire that each lost soul be saved from sin and enjoy eternal blessings in the endless realm of heaven (2 Pet. 3:9). 1 Timothy 2:4 states that God ''...desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.'' Our choice to follow after Christ is a continual process. Day in and day out we are confronted with temptations that can lead to only sin and a separation from the Lord, so we must, therefore, choose wisely, not yield to temptation, and remain on the road to everlasting life. Now is the time to choose Christ and follow by your faith and obedience, for you won't have a choice in the Judgment Day! By then, it will be too late if you have not made Jesus the Lord of your life. As the song tells us, ``Now is the time to prepare, my friend...What will your answer be?'' ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 1314 Montgomery Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________