____________________________________________________ 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). ____________________________________________________ November 3, 1996 ____________________________________________________ "But God Wants Me To Be Happy!!" (Mantras #6) by Warren E. Berkley What is the happiness that God wants us to have? To a lot of people in this world happiness is defined in terms of having every desire fulfilled. Is that the happiness God wants us to have? There are people who would define happiness as a life of wealth, pleasure and constant fun. Is this how God defines happiness? God wants us to be happy, but I believe God has His definition of happiness and it may not be the same as ours. ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS, WHEN PEOPLE ARE ON THE MOVE, AWAY FROM GOD, you'll hear them say: ``BUT GOD WANTS ME TO BE HAPPY!!'' Here is a man who is drunk more than he is sober. He has lost several jobs, destroyed his family, has no credibility with anybody but the bartender. And as he sinks lower and lower into decadence--you can hear him say, ``God want me to be happy.'' Or, here is a woman who shuns her responsibility as a mother and wife; she throws herself into worldly success, runs off with another man; and as she pursues this new life somebody approaches her who cares--and her response is: ``But God wants me to be happy.'' A young Christian--your parents have brought you up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and you've had every advantage to know the Lord and discern between right and wrong. Yet, in spite of the advantages and the warnings you let yourself become vulnerable to the sexual immorality that is so constant in our society. Caught up in inordinate sexual activity--you become pregnant, or you get someone pregnant...And are you going to say--that God wants you to have this kind of happiness? Well, of course God wants us to be happy. But what does that mean? What does He Mean? What kind of happiness does God have in mind for me? And isn't it true: God's concept of human happiness is not the same as the world's concept of happiness? The God of the Scriptures is a holy God, terrifying in greatness...utterly awesome in wisdom...who transcends human understanding--and is unknowable, except by divine revelation. Our problem is--the tendency to reduce this God of glory to more manageable proportions; we trivialize God, and make Him into our own image. We want to re-fashion God, to make Him fit our expectations and serve our desires. We want to invent our own projects for our purposes, and then sign God on as a junior partner. We have lost a sense of awe before God. We want to do whatever we want to do, and then call upon God to help us...to justify us and serve us, and make us happy. So, we imprison God within the structure we have built for Him--we live however we want to live, then when we are confronted with some portion of truth or law or some rebuke to awaken us ---> OUR REPLY IS, ``Well, God wants me to be happy!'' Well, God wants us to be happy, but THE HAPPINESS HE DESIRES FOR US IS SPIRITUAL, AND IT IS BASED ON HOLINESS NOT THE FLESH. YES--God wants us to be happy (See Eccl. 2:24; 3:12-13,22; 5:18-19; 9:9; 1 Pet. 3:10; 3 Jno. 2). There is no debate about this--God wants us to enjoy life here on earth, and be happy. He wants us to live joyfully, to see good days, and enjoy the rewards of our labor. But--if we really want to pay attention to what God wants, LET'S OBSERVE THIS---Not only does God want me to be happy, HE ALSO WANTS ME TO BE HOLY!! (2 Cor. 7:1; Eph. 1:3-4; Heb. 12:10; 1 Pet. 1:15,16; 1 Pet. 2:5,9; 2 Pet. 3:11). And, we can do it! We can be happy (as defined by God), and at the same time we can be holy (as defined by God). If we take our definitions and concepts and values from God--regarding both happiness and holiness, it is possible TO BE HAPPY AND HOLY AT THE SAME TIME. GOD DOES NOT WANT US TO BE ``HAPPY'' IF IT INVOLVES SIN, false doctrine, causing another to stumble, fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, or the pursuit of personal lusts. Real happiness is a product of being right with God (1 Pet. 3:8-12). ___________________________________________ Fall of the Roman Empire The great historian, Gibbons, who wrote The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, gave five reasons for the empire's fall. FIRST: Rapid increase of divorce, with the undermining of the sanctity of the home as the basis of society. SECOND: Higher and higher taxes; the spending of money for bread and celebrations. THIRD: The mad craze for pleasure--sports becoming every year more exciting and more brutal. FOURTH: The building of gigantic armaments, when the real enemy was within; the decadence of the people. FIFTH: The decay of religion; faith fading into mere form, losing touch with life, and becoming impotent to guide it. A review of these principal factors in the decline of the Roman Empire can easily be related to our time, and may portend our own decline from the status of a prominent world power. ``Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people'' (Prov. 14:34). Again, ``Blessed is the nation whose God is Jehovah'' (Ps. 33:12). -- Via Gospel Truths, 7/15/85 (author unknown) ___________________________________________ "There are some whose faith is not strong enough to bring them to services, but they expect it to take them to heaven" (selected). ___________________________________________ Before WE Fall by Steve Klein The article in the left hand column (Fall of the Roman Empire, tte) should give every American Christian cause for concern. But rather than drown ourselves in despair, let us each determine to renew our efforts to be ``the salt of the earth'' and ``the light of the world.'' We can make a difference! History does not have to repeat itself. FIRST: Let us live with the conviction that ``Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled'' (Hebrews 13:4). SECOND: Let us refuse to live like the prodigal son who ``wasted his possessions with prodigal living'' (Luke 15:13). THIRD: Let us realize that those who live in pleasure are dead while they live (1 Tim. 5:6). There is more to life than having fun! FOURTH: Let us identify the real enemy within us. ``For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts...All these evil things come from within, and defile the man'' (Mark 7:21-23). FIFTH: Let us ``walk by faith'' (2 Corinthians 5:7). -- Via The Exhorter, October 20, 1996 ___________________________________________ The One-Time Wednesday Night Visit Of a Young Person Have you ever thought about how your Wednesday night attendance (or lack thereof) might affect someone else? Consider the following hypothetical experience of one young person (adapted from Pulpit Helps). ``I refused a date to the movies, choosing rather to go to the Wednesday night Bible class. I looked for several people who were important to me. ``I looked for my Sunday Bible class teacher, but he wasn't there. I looked for the familiar faces of a couple of deacons whom I know, but they were not there. I looked for several of the members who seemed to be real spiritual and who had greeted me warmly at the Sunday morning services, but they were not there. ``Perhaps these Christian friends do not think the Wednesday night services are so very important. I guess next Wednesday night I'll go to the movies.'' Could this young person be someone you know? Jesus said, ``Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea'' (Matthew 18:6). -- Steve Klein (via The Exhorter, September 1, 1996 ___________________________________________ News & Notes Douglas Lykins of West Liberty, Kentucky, passed away recently. The funeral service was last Monday; and by observing those present, it is obvious he will be greatly missed by many. Let us pray for the family and friends. (He was an uncle to Darrell Lykins, Susie's husband.) Let us also continue praying for those mentioned on our sick list last week: Karen Fix Baize, Mr. and Mrs. Earnest Hamm, Christine Stambaugh, June Music, and Juanita Ratcliffe. Not counting last Wednesday, we had 20 different visitors for last month. Write today for a FREE Bible course. We are currently offering three different ones that may be taken in the convenience of your home--and at your own pace. Greetings Visitors! We are always glad to have you here with the Tri-state church of Christ. Please come again soon. Live nearby and need a ride to our services? Call today. ___________________________________________ He Was A Member Of The Church by Foster Ramsey He was a member of the church. He said so whenever he was questioned as to his religion. He was a member but he rarely attended the services. His work kept him away part of the time, part of the time he used God's day to take pleasure trips; in fact, if he attended more than two or three times a year, it was unusual. He was a member of the church, but he gave little of his prosperity to further the cause of the Lord. Buildings were built, but not with his money. Benevolent work was done, but not with his money. He had none to spare for the Lord, even though he was known as a ``good spender'' to his friends. He was a member of the church but he gave none of his abilities to the Lord. He never helped in the song service. He never went to a home where sickness was placing a burden on those who needed assistance. He never asked the elders what he could do to help the cause of the Lord. He never spoke a word of encouragement or offered a helping hand. He never taught a sinner the way of salvation, either by word or example. Yes, he was a member of the church. He brought shame and reproach on the kingdom of Christ. Hell will be populated with members of the church like him. -- Via Gospel Truth, August 18, 1996 ___________________________________________ ? ? Attend Church ? ? Attend church? Of course, we do--like all others of our set, Except days that seem too cold, or hot, or stormy, or wet. And then, of course, in summer, just to keep up to par, We take the kids on Sundays for a joy ride in the car. Sometimes in spring or fall we take Sundays off, And will go to the country club, to have a game of golf. But all other Sundays, you will find us in our pew, For we always go to church when there is nothing else to do. -- Selected ___________________________________________ First preacher: ``We discontinued Sunday night service.'' Second preacher: ``What did the members think about it?'' First preacher: ``Some didn't know about it for a year.'' -- This, and the above, selected from The Old Path II, June 16, 1996 ___________________________________________ "But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thess. 2:13-14). ________________________________________ 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 Tom.Edwards@juno.com ________________________________________