____________________________________________________ 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). ____________________________________________________ April 14, 1996 ____________________________________________________ Forgiveness, A Mark Of Maturity by Dwane Derrick Someone has said that forgiveness is ``man's deepest need and highest achievement.'' All of us sin, and if we are ever to be clean, we must be forgiven. Forgiveness is defined as ''...to give up resentment against or the desire to punish; to stop being angry with; to pardon...'' One of the blessings of being a child of God is the knowledge that God has forgiven our sins. When we were baptized into Christ, we were cleansed by the blood of Christ and ready to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:3-4). When, as a child of God we sin and then turn to God in repentance, asking for forgiveness, the blood of Christ cleanses us of all sin (1 Jn. 1:7, 9; 2:1-2). When God for gives He forgets about what we have done (Heb. 8:12). What a blessing: to be forgiven of sin and the sin be remembered no more. We must be willing to forgive each other, as our Father is willing to forgive us. ``For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses'' (Matt. 6:14-15). Jesus is not saying that we should overlook the sins of others, but that when one sins against us we should be willing to forgive him as God is willing to forgive us. When God forgives men of sin, the sin is never again charged to their account. This should be our attitude, but often it isn't. We want ``to bury the hatchet with the handle showing'' so it will be easy to bring up at any time. This attitude is wrong and contrary to the teachings of Christ. When we forgive we should never again charge the sin to the person who committed it. Forgiveness is a matter of showing mercy. Jesus said, ``Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy.'' Mercy is related to the idea of forgiveness. All of us need mercy because our lives are imperfect. We must never forget that if we had to stand before God on the basis of justice alone, we would not stand a chance. Jesus told a story about a servant who owed his master a great sum of money. When he was commanded to pay the debt, the servant fell at his master's feet and asked him to be patient. The master was moved by compas sion and forgave him the debt. This same servant then went out and found a fellow servant who owed him a small sum of money. When payment was demanded, he said, ``Have patience with me, and I will pay you all. And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt'' (Matt. 18:29-30). When the master heard of this servant's harsh action, he ``delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him'' (Matt. 18:34). Jesus ended His story with these words: ``So my Heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.'' Each of us have been forgiven a great debt by God--the debt of our sins. It is a much greater debt, by far, than we will ever forgive of any other human. When our hearts are not open to forgive others, we are less than what God wants us to be. We must be mature enough to be able to forgive. -- Via Stand, April 1996 ___________________________________________ GOD'S SALVATION 1) HEAR the word of God (Rom. 10:17; 1:16). 2) BELIEVE in the deity of Christ (Jn. 8:24; 3:16). 3) REPENT of sins (Luke 13:5; Acts 2:38; 17:30). 4) CONFESS FAITH in Christ (Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 8:36-39). 5) BE BAPTIZED into Christ (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3,4; 1 Peter 3:21). 6) REMAIN FAITHFUL throughout life (Rev. 2:10; Heb. 10:36-39). ___________________________________________ Is Heaven A Leap of Faith? by Bill Robinson, Jr. A TV documentary examined how different cultures deal with death. The researcher and narrator, after dis cussing the positive contributions that the concept of Heaven has on people, concluded by saying, ``I hope there is a heaven but so far in my life my heart has not been able to make that leap of faith.'' Let me address three things about that. God never intended our faith in Him to be a blind leap. He provided overwhelming evidence to prove that He exists and that the Bible is in fact His divine and infallible will. Secondly, the obstacle to this researcher's faith is as he said, ``in his heart.'' The truth is, he makes the leap of faith about heaven, in his disbelief that it exists. The will to believe, based on the insurmountable evidence, precludes the concept of Heaven from being a leap of faith in the heart. Jesus made it clear, ``If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine...'' (John 7:17). Finally, there is a distinguishing characteristic be tween man and animal that man knows he is going to die, animals don't. Thus, animals are content in this world for it is the only world they'll ever know. Yet, in man we observe the discontent, the frustration and the despair in this world. Why? Let me answer this way, for every innate desire of man there is a corresponding reality (e.g. where there is thirst and hunger there is water and food to satis fy). Also, we see in man a desire to achieve, acquire and control and yet after reaching the summit of their fame, fortune and power many plumb the depths of despair and some even commit suicide. Why? The answer is, man has an eternal nature (Ecclesiastes 3:11) that cannot be satisfied by the temporal things of this world and only the reality of heaven, revealed in Christ, can fill that void (Colossians 2:9-10). -- Via Power Talk, March 3, 1996 ___________________________________________ -- Write Today for a FREE Bible Course -- ___________________________________________ QUANTITY or QUALITY? by Richard C. Halverson These two words indicate two ways of thinking about social life. One man thinks in terms of quantity. He judges everything he touches by how big or how much or how long. He's generally happy if he has more of something than others. He watches how much time he puts in--rather than what he puts into that time. His criterion for everything is materialistic. He has little sense of the moral or the spiritual. He usually satiates his body and neglects his soul. He deflates eternal values only to inflate temporal values. What he produces becomes less important than how much he makes for producing it. He becomes increasingly acquisitive and possessive, and less loving, less considerate and less altruistic. And with it all he inherits increasing insecurity, mistrust and fear. This is the raw material of ulcers, divorce, generation gaps and heart attacks. The wise man views life qualitatively! Priority is given to spiritual, moral and eternal values! What he is is infinitely more important that what he has. His relationships with his wife, his children, his friends and his peers take precedence over his possessions. He is interested in what he produces, not just in the profit he makes. He worships God, not idols! ``I count everything as loss compared to the posses sion of the priceless privilege...of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord'' (Phil. 3:8). -- Via The Old Path II, March 24, 1996 ________________________________________________ A Merry Heart by Connie Adams ``A merry heart doeth good like a medicine; but a broken spirit drieth the bones'' (Prov. 17:22). Some of the most pleasant people I have ever known have been serious ly handicapped. Yet, rather than allow themselves to be broken in spirit by their adversities, they have learned to smile through the pain, maintain a sense of humor and can see the happier side of life. They possess merry hearts and these do good ``like a medicine.'' It is unpleasant to be in the company of those who are always lamenting their hardships, ailments or disap pointments. While God does not intend for us to be giggling idiots, he has placed within us a sense of humor. This is for man's own good, when properly exercised. One of con stant downcast countenance does nothing to adorn the doctrine of Christ. Aren't we all doleful creatures at times? A fretful, anxious, dejected outlook on life will ruin health, destroy the genuine joy that ought to come from living, and render one so possessed all but helpless in bringing the lost to Christ. -- Via The Old Path II, March 3, 1996 ___________________________________________ "He was led as a sheep to slaughter; and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so He does not open His mouth" (Isaiah 53:7). ___________________________________________ THE JOY OF ACCOMPLISHMENT by Foster Ramsey ``And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more'' (Matthew 25:20). The servant who had gained five other talents be sides the ones that had been entrusted to his stewardship was commended with the words: ``enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.'' This was a joy that was to be added to the joy of accomplishment which he had already experienced. Too few people find happiness in accomplishing that which is worthwhile. They are content to do just enough to ``get by.'' That which is true vocationally is also true in the church. Too many Christians never experience the joy of accomplishment. They do little more than sit in a building during a worship period, and they seldom enjoy that. They never convert a soul to Christ. They never reach a goal in giving. They never have 100% attendance in a Bible class for a year's time. They never have the contentment that comes from teaching God's word at home or in a Bible class. Have you lost the joy of accomplishment? Why not set an individual goal, and then work to reach it? The Lord demands workers, not shirkers, as citizens of His kingdom. Without the joy of Christian accomplishment, the joy of heaven cannot be gained. * * * * * -- Editor's Note: Thanks to Jim Lee who sent this short, but provocative article to me. ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 713 13th Street, 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@wwd.net ________________________________________