____________________________________________________ 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 26, 1994 ____________________________________________________ Labor Not In Vain by Jarrod Jacobs Many times in our busy schedules it seems like the work we do is in vain. No matter what our occupation, we can sometimes get frustrated with our jobs and our lives. The apostle Paul assures us that our ``labor is not in vain in the Lord'' (1 Cor. 15:58). What kind of labor can you and I do that will not be in vain? 1) Preaching The Gospel. The work of preaching the gospel is one work that is not in vain (2 Tim. 4:5). The reason is that this work is done in the Lord. A preacher's work is to preach the gospel of Christ (2 Tim. 4:2). When a preacher is doing the work he is supposed to do, regardless of how many or few the responses, his work is not in vain. Looking at Paul's life we see that he endured much for Christ (Ac. 20:31; 2 Cor. 11:23-28). The work he did for Christ was not in vain! 2) Your Faith. Are you aware that your faith is a work? If you were not aware, please read 1 Thessalonians 1:3 and John 6:29. These passages teach that our faith is a work. Not only is it a work, it is a work of God! The Bible has much to say about faith. In Hebrews 11:6 we learn that faith is something necessary for pleasing God. In Mark 16:16 we learn that faith is essential to being baptized and saved. Did you know that your work of faith could do so much? 3) Our Love Among the Brethren. Many times the Bible refers to brotherly love or brotherly kindness. Loving one another is something we often have to work at. The Thessalonians had to work at their love (1 Thess. 1:3). At times our fellow Christians may be in need, and our duty is to show our love in helping them. Paul told the Romans to love each other without hypocrisy, or dissimulation (Rom. 12:9-10). The Hebrew writer suggests the same thing in Hebrews 13:1-2 and alludes to Genesis 18:2 for our example. We learn in 2 Peter 1:5-8 that brotherly kindness is to be added to our faith. How are you doing along this line? Are you lacking? We may never receive payment in this life, or a special reward, but rest assured that God knows your works, and will reward (Eccl. 12:13-14; Rev. 20:12-13). 4) Living A Faithful Life. Living a faithful life is hard work. Yet, the Lord said that it is not in vain. ''...Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life'' (Rev. 2:10). As long as we live our life for God the problems we endure and the work we do will not be in vain! Remember the words of Christ on the Mount? ``Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it'' (Matt. 7:13-14). May we all strive to live a faithful life, so as to please God. ___________________________________________ The Hollywood Versions by Tom Edwards It's funny how that we can sometimes read certain things again and again, and at the same time, continue to overlook certain points or detail. For example, how often have you read the account of God parting the Red Sea? I've read this numerous times myself. But did you know that this miraculous event all took place at night and not during the daytime at all? Perhaps many people overlook this or view it as having occurred in the daylight hours because of Cecil B. Demille's 1956 epic drama of The Ten Commandments, which has it all happening during the daytime--even the drowning of the Egyptian army. Actually, though, the Bible says that ''...Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided. And the sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land....'' (Exod. 14:21,22). Later that night, the Egyptians pursued Israel and began crossing the parted sea, but were soon engulfed and drowned by the water that moved again into its former position. God had ordered Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea so that this would happen (v. 26), and the scripture declares that ``the sea returned to its normal state at daybreak'' (v. 27). Thus, this all occurred during the nighttime hours. Hollywood had to use a lot of ``fillers'' to make this 3-hours-and-40-minutes movie. Much of which is purely non-Biblically based. In one of the movie versions of Jesus, Judas Iscariot is made to look as if he is doing the Lord a favor by turning Him in to the authorities--as if Judas did this to merely afford the Lord with another opportunity to make His power manifest through miraculous signs and wonders in the presence of these people; and, in turn, vindicate His good name. But this is not the Bible's version for why Judas turned Jesus in. Rather, Judas BETRAYED his Lord--and did so out of greed for a measly thirty pieces of silver. Even prior to this time, Judas had been guilty of covetousness and theft (John 12:6). During the Mosaical Age, thirty pieces of silver was the amount paid to compensate for a slave that had been killed by another man's ox--the amount being given to the deceased slave's master (Exod. 21:32); and it was also the price for buying a bondslave (Hos. 3:2). In view of this, wasn't it another mockery in simply setting the Lord's betrayal money at this same amount? Another misinterpretation that Hollywood has pictured is in the act of baptism. Some film makers of this genre have John the Baptist simply sprinkling a little water on Jesus, when the Bible shows baptism to have been ``an immersion.'' This is seen in the definition of the Greek word itself (baptizo), which is transliterated as ``baptize.'' It actually means ``to dip'' or ``to plunge.'' The need for ``immersion''--and not merely sprinkling--is also seen in other terms that describe this act, such as when baptism is portrayed as being a burial or, in other words, the means in which someone is ``buried'' (Rom. 6:3,4; Col. 2:12). And it is also seen in the examples of both the baptizer and the one being baptized going down into the water together (Acts 8:38,39). Surely, there would be no need for the baptizer to get himself wet, too, if baptism could merely be sprinkling. These are just three of the many misrepresentations Hollywood has made concerning the Bible. For those, therefore, who think they can learn all they need to about God's word from simply renting videos and watching these films rather than going to the Scriptures in earnest study, you had better think again. The best story of the Bible is the Bible story itself. Let's all be in the habit of reading it daily! It has the best Writer, the best Director, the best Producer, the best script, and some of the best characters this world has ever known--and that's for real! ___________________________________________ The Hands of God by Everett Hardin Vengeance is in the hands of the Lord, and not matter what the "No-Hellers" have to say, He is a God of vengeance. "For we know Him that hath said, vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord" (Rom. 12:19). "...And again, the Lord will judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb. 10:30,31). God is a faithful paymaster, and will bring every person to a full settlement at the last. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Gal. 6:7). We are in the valley of decision now, choosing daily how we will meet Him. We will meet Him as penitent persons having done His will and thus expecting mercy, or as rebellious sinners knowing that we will receive everlasting punishment (2 Thess. 1:7-9). We will fall into His hands humbling trusting Him, or screaming with terror at our eternal prospects. We are now choosing how it will be with us at the judgment and forever. ________________________________________ 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 ________________________________________