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New Jersey Police Department Officers, Robert Sobocinski and Ben Fox

Help! I'm Stuck!

Four-year-old Yasmeen "Nina" Saleh got stuck in her doll stroller. If you
see the video clip that her mother took, you'll wonder how she got it stuck
around her waist. But stuck it was, and Nina's mother couldn't get her out
of it, so she called the police for help.

Two Paramus, New Jersey Police Department Officers, Robert Sobocinski and
Ben Fox, arrived at the scene. Nina's mother videoed the officers while
they looked at the stroller to see how they could remove it from around the
little girl.

Nina got scared a few times as the officers looked at the stroller from
different angles. She feared that they might hurt her in the process of
removing it. The officers spoke calmly with her, telling her not to be
afraid.

After carefully examining the situation, the officers determined that if
they could break a particular piece of plastic on the stroller, then they
could remove it from Nina. They broke the piece of plastic, splitting the
stroller into two parts, freeing the relieved little girl. "Thank you so
much!" Nina exclaimed as she stepped away from the stroller.

The officers left, but one of them would return later. On their lunch
break, Sobocinski and Fox went to Target and purchased a similar stroller
for Nina. Sobocinski returned to Nina's home to present her with the new
stroller. Nina was elated! *

Nina's predicament when she was stuck in the stroller pictures our dilemma
in our sins. We've made some wrong choices, and we're stuck. We can't get
out; we need help! When it comes to our sins, our situation is grave
(Romans 6:23).

Nina's release pictures our salvation from sin. Jesus, the Son of God, came
to our rescue. He "gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us
from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father"
(Galatians 1:4 NASB).

We must simply cooperate with Jesus as He "does His work" of delivering us
from our sins. He accomplished our redemption on the cross when He died for
our sins (Ephesians 1:7). He has promised to wash us from our sins when we
accept His offer of salvation and a new, eternal life, on His terms (Romans
6:23).

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust
in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts
17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will
continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His
Word (1 John 1:7-9).

And what should be our response to God's amazing grace that frees us from
sin and death? Like Nina after her release and receiving her new stroller,
it should be overwhelming gratitude! Christ not only frees us from the
bondage of sin; He also gives a new life and eternal life to come!

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have
passed away; behold, all things have become new." - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Won't YOU accept the liberating gift of God's grace on His terms?

-- David A. Sargent

Information gleaned from "New Jersey police officers rescue girl from doll
stroller, buy her a new one" by Ann W. Schmidt, www.foxnews.com

Sweet Bonnie

Sweet Bonnie

We don't see as many smiling faces these days due to the Covid masks, but we
can still see "smiling eyes."

Bonnie Crabtree had those "smiling eyes" with a beautiful smile to match.
Her smiling eyes were the kind that squinted because her smile was so big.
She smiled most of the time.

"Sweet" is a word that is often used to describe Ms. Bonnie. She was one of
the sweetest people I have ever known.

Her smile would often turn to laughter as well. She had a wonderful sense
of humor. On one occasion when I was visiting with her, I asked her about
some of the early members of the Fairview church of Christ, many of whom are
now deceased. Bonnie and Edward Crabtree were some of the first members of
the congregation. Ms. Bonnie told me about some of families that comprised
the Fairview church. Then she stopped and with a big smile on her face said
to me, "You must think I'm old because you keep asking me about a lot of
dead people!" We laughed together. That became a running joke with her. I
would call and say, "In our next visit, I want to ask you some questions
about Abraham Lincoln (or some other historical figure)." She would laugh
and her laugh would bring a big smile to my face. Just thinking of Ms.
Bonnie makes me smile.

About a month ago, Ms. Bonnie's daughter Lynda was sitting by her side. Ms.
Bonnie was hurting in her chest and she thought that her time of departure
was near. Lynda tried to console her by telling her that she didn't want
her to go, but that it would hurt her much more to see her suffer. Lynda
told her mother that she knew she was looking forward to seeing her loved
ones again, like her Mother, her Daddy, and her beloved Edward. Ms. Bonnie
replied that she was looking forward to seeing them again, but the one that
wanted to see the most was the Lord Jesus.

Ms. Bonnie's words reminded me of some lyrics in a song entitled "When All
My Labors and Trials are O'er" by Charles Gabriel:

"When, by the gift of His infinite grace, I am accorded in heaven a place,
Just to be there and to look on His face, Will thro' the ages be glory for
me.

It isn't difficult for me to imagine on that glorious day when Jesus
returns, to see Ms. Bonnie rise from her grave and when she sees Jesus, her
beautiful smile will light up her smiling eyes.

That is the hope of a Christian. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a
living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an
inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away,
reserved in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:3-4).

We are born again to a living hope when we place our faith and trust in
Jesus who died on the cross for our sins (Acts 16:30-31), turn from our sins
in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10),
and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts
2:38). God will continue to cleanse us from sin as we continue to walk in
the light of His Word (1 John 1:7-9), until the Day when Jesus returns to
take God's children to their eternal home.

Yes, sweet Bonnie, when by His grace to look on His face, that will be
glory, and it will be. sweet indeed.

-- David A. Sargent

P.S. In loving memory of sweet Bonnie Allsup Crabtree, August 5, 1927 -
November 25, 2020. Until we meet again.

David A. Sargent, Minister

Good Thanks

Good Thanks

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for
this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV

Keith Wishum writes about one family that sat down for a meal, and the
father asked his son to say a blessing.

"It won't do any good," the boy replied.

A little surprised, the dad asked, "Why not?"

"Because Mom made broccoli!"

Wishum ponders: "Of course, even for a kid who doesn't like broccoli, there
were things at the table for which he could have been grateful. Somebody
cooked dinner. He had a table at which to eat, and a house in which to sit.
Perhaps most importantly, he had a mom and dad with whom to share the
broccoli."

Wishum notes that the words that precede "Give thanks" in the Scripture
above are: "Be joyful always" (1 Thessalonians 5:16). Thanksgiving and joy
go together.

"Happiness doesn't bring gratitude; gratitude brings happiness. We won't
experience the joy unless we express the gratitude. Give thanks and feel joy
today," writes Wishum. *

For what are you thankful today?

Give thanks to God, the Giver of all good things. "Every good and perfect
gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who
does not change like shifting shadows" (James 1:17).

Of all of the blessings that God has given and continues to shower upon us,
the Greatest Blessing is the gift of His Son Jesus.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16 ESV).

When we were perishing because of our sins, Jesus died on the cross to pay
the price for our redemption. "In Him we have redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Ephesians
1:7).

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust
in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts
17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will
continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His
Word (1 John 1:7-9).

During this Thanksgiving Holiday and every day, let us give good thanks -
especially for the salvation and eternal life that is found in Jesus!

"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" - 2 Corinthians 9:15

-- David A. Sargent
* From "Give Thanks to Feel Joy" by Keith Wishum in A Word from Williams
Road, provided by the Williams Road Church of Christ, Americus, Georgia.

David A. Sargent, Minister

List of things the Bible does not say

 

WHERE DOES THE BIBLE SAY . . .? 

 

1. That the fruit Eve ate in the Garden of Eden was an apple? 

 

2. That there are many ways to heaven? 

 

3. That baptism is a work of human merit?  

 

4. That baptism is not essential to salvation?

 

5. That sprinkling and pouring are acceptable "modes" of baptism?

 

6. That any preacher was ever addressed as Reverend?

 

7. That all churches are acceptable to God and that one is as good as another?

 

8. That there were three wise men who visited the child Jesus?

 

9. That one is saved by faith only?

 

10. That all one has to do to be saved is to say the Sinner's Prayer?

 

11. That once a person is saved he/she is always saved?

 

12. That one should just let his conscience be his guide in religious matters?

 

13. That as long as one lives a good moral life he/she will be saved without being a member of the church?

 

14. That women served as apostles, preachers, and elders in the church?

 

15. That preachers should be called pastors?

16. That babies should be baptized?

 

17. That the bread and fruit of the vine on the Lord's Table become the literal body and blood of Christ when blessed by a priest?

 

18. That it is alright for Christians to be divided into various denominations?

 

19. That there is nothing in a name and that it does not make any difference what name one wears religiously?

 

20. That one can be a good Christian without attending the services of the church and engaging in specified acts of worship?

 

21. That the early church used instrumental music in its worship?

 

22. That one can marry and divorce for any reason and for as many times as one may desire, and the subsequent marriage(s) will still be acceptable to the Lord? 

 

23. That the Bible cannot be understood?

 

24. That we can all interpret the Bible differently because it says different things to different people?

 

25. That Christianity is a constantly evolving thing, and people may change and "adjust" the Bible to meet the changing opinions, attitudes, and actions that take place in the world down through the centuries? 

 

Like the Bereans, we need to search the Scriptures daily to see if these things are so (Acts 17:11).

 

Hugh Fulford

The Simple Gospel Plan of Salvation

What Must I Do To Be Saved?
The Simple Gospel Plan of Salvation
 
Hear the truth                                       —  Romans 10:17
Believe the truth                                   —  Hebrews 11:6
Repent of sins                                     —  Luke 13:3
Confess faith in Jesus                          —  Romans 10:10
Be baptized for the remission of sins    —  Acts 2:38
Live & serve faithfully                           — Revelation 2:10
 

Dr. John Goetsch

Dr. John Goetsch had spoken at a youth rally in Norfolk, Virginia and was
ready to fly home. A youth minister drove him to the airport in Norfolk to
catch his flight which would include a stop in Philadelphia and then on to
Baltimore.

Goetsch told of his experience: "When I arrived, there were no lines at the
ticket counter, whatsoever. I proceeded to the kiosk where I checked in
without a problem, and then I headed for Gate A-11. The terminal was
amazingly desolate. I breezed through security in about fifteen seconds!
Gate A-11 was at the end of the terminal, and when I arrived, the flight was
scheduled to leave in about forty minutes at 7:50 pm, but there was not a
soul in sight! After checking my emails and phone messages, I made my way
back down the terminal to see if I could find someone - anyone.

At about Gate A-6, I spotted a US Airways agent and asked her about my
flight. She quickly checked the computer and said, 'Oh, yes, that flight is
on time, and you are checked-in and ready to go.' I made my way back to the
gate and was pleased to see that another passenger had arrived - a
college-aged young lady, who smiled and said: 'It doesn't look like many
people are going to Philadelphia.' I jokingly remarked, 'Well, I just
checked, and they said that you were flying the plane and I'm serving the
peanuts.'

An agent appeared about ten minutes before our flight was to leave and
called us to the gate - both of us! We were the only two passengers on a
plane that easily could seat over one hundred people.

We climbed the stairs to the plane and were met by a very friendly
stewardess and our pilot and co-pilot.

We were informed that our pilot and co-pilot together had over forty years
of flying experience, and our flight attendant had been doing her job for
over ten years. It was amazing to realize that these three people had been
trained and were being paid to fly just the two of us to our destination.

During that one hour night flight, my heart was saddened as I thought about
what we were experiencing. Many people were involved in making that flight
possible. The pilots, the flight attendant, the air traffic controllers,
the baggage handlers, the ticket agents, the crews that had fueled the plane
and did the maintenance - hundreds of hours of preparation all for just two
people!" *

Then Goetsch thought about this application: "My mind thought about Heaven
and all of the preparation that has gone into making that destination
possible."

That preparation included a plan that preceded the creation of the universe
(1 Peter 1:18-20), God sending His Son into the world (John 3:16), the cruel
death of Jesus on the cross (1 Peter 2:24), the resurrection of Jesus from
the grave (Matthew 28), the inspiration and preservation of God's message of
salvation in the Bible (Galatians 1:11-12), the institution of the local
church to proclaim the message (Acts 2ff), and preachers and teachers
faithfully proclaiming the message (Romans 1:16). In addition, the Lord
Jesus ascended back into Heaven saying, "I go to prepare a place for you"
(John 14:1-3).

Goetsch pondered: "I wondered how many people have a ticket and are
checked-in to that destination?"

Are YOU onboard?

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust
in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts
17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will
continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His
Word (1 John 1:7-9).

Please "get on board" by trusting and obeying Jesus. He is the way to life
eternal in heaven (John 14:6).

-- David A. Sargent

* Adapted from "Empty Seats" by Dr. John Goetsch as quoted in Ministry 127,
https://ministry127.com/resources/illustration/empty-seats

Who Is First?

Who Is First?

In her book My Memories of We, Mamie Eisenhower revealed some of the reasons
why General Dwight D. Eisenhower was such a great leader. He was able to
inspire others to serve and sacrifice because of his deep love and loyalty
to his country. Mrs. Eisenhower said, "I learned early in our married life
about his single-minded devotion to America."

At their first home - a small apartment near Fort Sam Houston in San
Antonio, Texas - young Eisenhower kept his gear packed at all times. He was
ready to go anywhere when called upon to do so. After they had been married
only a month or so, Ike was given a new assignment that would take him away
from home. He came in and announced to Mamie that he must leave her for
awhile. She said to him, "Ike, you are not going to leave me this soon
after our wedding day, are you?"

Ike put his arms around his young bride and said, "Mamie, there is one thing
you must understand. My country comes first and always will. You come
second."

Mamie Eisenhower was shocked! She was a nineteen-year-old bride who had
been married only one month and now she had just heard the sobering words,
"You come second." *

We may disagree with his priorities, but Eisenhower was right in the fact
that we must determine who or what is going to be first in our lives.

In order for our lives to be lived the way God intends, Jesus says we must
put Him first. "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and
all these things [the necessities of life] shall be added to you" (Matthew
6:33). An expert in the Law of Moses once asked Jesus, "Teacher, which is
the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the
LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your
mind.' This is the first and great commandment" (Matthew 22:34-38).

First things first. That's a statement of priority, and it's the way that
we live life properly - if we put GOD first.

Jesus showed us the way. He said, "For I have come down from heaven, not to
do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me" (John 6:38). Following the
will of God took Him to the cross where He died for the sins of the world,
including yours and mine (Philippians 2:5-8). He did this to pay the price
for the redemption of our sins (Ephesians 1:7).

God will save and give eternal life to those who put Him first by placing
their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turning from their sins in
repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confessing Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10),
and being baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts
2:38). He will continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in
the light of His Word (1 John 1:7).

Let's "get it right." Let's live life the way God intended. Put God first
and follow Him faithfully. Won't YOU?

-- David A. Sargent

* As quoted by Rick Lance in "Discipleship: Following in His Footsteps,"
www.preaching.com.

Guilty, But Forgiven

Guilty, But Forgiven

On the morning of December 2, 2011, Gerrard Machin left his home in
Bournemouth, England, to take a walk to purchase the morning newspaper. His
wife, Patricia, grew concerned when he was gone for an extended period of
time and went to look for him. As she traced the steps that her husband
would have taken, she saw a young man standing with a policeman next to an
ambulance. She thought, "Oh my goodness maybe Gerrard has witnessed an
accident." But then she saw Gerrard's familiar blue bag containing his
newspapers leaning against a wall. She knew it was her husband that needed
the ambulance.

The young man that stood with the policeman, Brian Williamson, was extremely
troubled. He was driving his car around a corner when he accidentally
struck Gerrard who was crossing the street. Informed of what had happened
and still in terrible shock, Patricia stood with Williamson, trying to
comfort him in her arms, as the ambulance took her husband to the hospital.

Nine weeks later, Gerrard Machin died due to the injuries sustained in the
accident.

Williamson was tried in Bournemouth Crown Court. He was found guilty of
causing the death of Gerrard by careless driving. Speaking after the guilty
verdict, Williamson said that not a day went by when he did not think about
the crash, adding: "My heart and thoughts go out to Mr. Machin's family."
He added that as difficult as it had been for him, it had to be "10 times
worse for [Machin's] family." Following the hearing, Williamson sobbed in
sorrow.

Before Williamson's sentencing, he was given a letter that Patricia Machin
had written to him. It was a letter of forgiveness. Patricia wrote:

"Dear Brian. Today is a very important day and I will be in court to
support you. On the day of the accident, however bad it was for me, I
realize it was 1,000 times worse for you. Neither Gerrard, if he was here,
nor I feel any sense of condemnation towards you. Will you make me a
promise; that you will get on with your young life, knowing that you will
always be supported by my prayers?"

Patricia told the Daily Echo in 2013, "I don't feel any ill thoughts or
grudges towards Brian, not for a single moment, and I know Gerrard wouldn't
either. It was the worst day of my life and, no doubt, the worst day of
Brian's life as well. I've only ever felt sorry for him because who hasn't
made a mistake when driving? I've had to get on with my life and I hope he
can now do the same."

Before sentencing Williamson to a three-month prison sentence suspended for
12 months, Judge Wiggs told him: "I read the extremely moving letter from
Mrs. Machin. You are very fortunate to have been forgiven. There is no
doubt that what happened on that day was a tragedy for everyone, including
you. Nevertheless you were responsible." *

Yet Brian Williamson will always know that the wife of the man that he
accidentally killed has forgiven him.

You and I are responsible for the death of the Son of God. It was for our
sins, not His own, that Jesus died on the cross. Yet He died on the cross
so that we can be forgiven of our sins and receive the gift of eternal life.
"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous,
to bring you to God" (1 Peter 3:18).

God will forgive and give eternal life to those who place their faith and
trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts
17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will
continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His
Word (1 John 1:7-9).

It's not "good fortune" to know that we can be forgiven by God. It's called
"GRACE." You can receive it, if you'll only accept it through your trusting
obedience.

-- David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from "It was 1,000 times worse for you: widow's
astonishing words to driver who killed her husband" in the Daily Echo (18
February 2013) of Bournemouth, England, www.bournemouthecho.co.uk.

The Other Side

The Other Side

Cecil May, Jr. recently wrote about a conversation that his son, Cecil III,
had with his mother when he was a child:

"Cecil 3, now a preacher with his own grandchildren, when he was still
pre-school, before seatbelts and car seats, he was lying in the back of the
car, looking up through the back windshield at the sky, blue with cumulus
clouds. He asked his mom who was driving, 'When I die, will I go to
heaven?'

She answered, 'Well, Cecil, I certainly expect you to.'

Cecil said, 'The underside of heaven is so pretty; the other side, where God
is, must be really beautiful. I think I will lie down in the street in the
front of our house so I can get run over and go to heaven!'

His mother watched him especially closely for several weeks after that
conversation." *

Unbelievers scoff at the doctrine of heaven saying it is a vain hope for
some "pie in the sky." Dictionary.com says that the idiomatic phrase, "pie
in the sky," refers to "an empty wish or promise, as in His dream of being
hired as a sports editor proved to be pie in the sky. This expression was
first recorded in 1911 in a rallying song of a union, the International
Workers of the World (or "Wobblies"): 'Work and pray, live on hay, you'll
get pie in the sky when you die.'"

But believers do not view heaven as some wishful "pie in the sky" but as
something to actually look forward to "in the sweet by and by" (in the words
of the hymn by Sanford Fillmore Bennett).

Upon what basis is the hope for heaven founded? God promised it. There are
many evidences that the Word of God, the Bible, is divine in origin.
Considering those evidences, many have come to accept that "All Scripture is
given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16).
Believers conclude: the Bible is from God and it can be trusted. God can be
trusted.

God's Son said to His troubled disciples, "Let not your heart be troubled;
you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many
mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place
for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and
receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also" (John
14:1-3).

God promised heaven to those who will accept His offer of salvation and
eternal life. And our hearts yearn for heaven. We look at the trials of
this life and say, "There must be something better than this." God says,
"There is. It is a place where I will wipe away every tear from your eyes.
There shall be no death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more
pain" (Revelation 21:4). That, my friends, gives us hope for tomorrow and
strength for today.

God gave His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins so that, one day, we
can go to heaven (John 3:16).

God will save from sin and give eternal life in heaven to those who place
their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in
repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and
are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).
He will continue to cleanse from sin and make ready for heaven those who
continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7-9).

No, don't lie in the middle of the street so you can get run over to try to
get there more quickly. But do consider "how beautiful heaven must be" and
the price that God paid to make it possible for us. Live your life in view
of heaven, by trusting and obeying Jesus.

God says there is something for which to look forward. I believe God.
Won't you?

-- David A. Sargent

* from "Beautiful Heaven" by Cecil May, Jr. in Preacher Talk (Vol. 36, No.
1; Winter, 2020), a publication produced by Faulkner University in
Montgomery, AL

David A. Sargent, Minister

Donald Grey Barnhouse

What Do You Hear?

Donald Grey Barnhouse once wrote: "Some years ago, musicians noted that
errand boys in a certain part of London all whistled out of tune as they
went about their work. It was talked about and someone suggested that it
was because the bells of Westminster were slightly out of tune. Something
had gone wrong with the chimes and they were discordant. The boys did not
know there was anything wrong with the peals, and quite unconsciously they
had copied their pitch." *

Barnhouse made this application: "So we tend to copy the people with whom we
associate; we borrow thoughts from the books we read and the programs to
which we listen, almost without knowing it."

The Apostle Paul admonished, "Do not be conformed to this world" (Romans
12:1). "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world" (NIV). The
New Century Version states, "Do not be shaped by this world." Using
Barnhouse's analogy above, the truth of Romans 12:1 could be stated, "Don't
listen to the wrong music because it will make your life out of tune."

Now consider the rest of Romans 12:1 - "Do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is
that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

The best way to have our minds transformed is by filling them with the Word
of God. The Psalmist said, "Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I
might not sin against You!" (Psalm 119:11).

Barnhouse added: "God has given us His Word which is the absolute pitch of
life and living. If we learn to sing by it, we shall easily detect the
false in all of the music of the world." And, we will know what is true!

The Truth is: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans
3:23). We listen to the wrong people, conform to the wrong ideals, make bad
decisions, and we sin against God. We are heading down the wrong road
(Matthew 7:13-14).

The Truth Is: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16
ESV). God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith
and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts
17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized into
Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will continue to cleanse
from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7-9).

The world will lead you astray and ultimately to destruction (Matthew
7:13-14). But God's Word is true and it will lead you to eternal life.

To whom or what are you listening? "Therefore consider carefully how you
listen" (Luke 8:18).

-- David A. Sargent

* From illustrations about worldliness in www.sermonillustrations.com

Constants in a Changing World

Constants in a Changing World

"The only constant in life is change." - Heraclitus, ancient Greek
philosopher

Who could have ever imagined the changes that COVID-19 and the pandemic have
brought into our lives? One wonders what additional changes lay ahead.

Living in a constant state of change, it is good to be reminded of some
things that do not change.

God is still God. "For I am the LORD, I do not change" (Malachi 3:6). The
psalmist praised God saying: "Of old You laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will
endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will
change them, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years
will have no end" (Psalm 102:25-27). God is still God and is infinite in
all of His attributes such as holiness, omnipotence, omniscience,
omnipresence, and love.

Sin is still the world's greatest problem. COVID-19 is a terrible problem
in the world today, but it is not the greatest problem. Sin is the greatest
problem because it separates us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2) and dooms one to
eternal destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).

The Gospel still saves. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for
it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew
first and also for the Greek" (Romans 1:16). The Gospel ("good news") is
that although every person has sinned and falls short of the glory of God
(Romans 3:23), God loves each and every one of us and wants to save us from
sin (1 Timothy 2:4). He loves us so much that He gave His one and only Son
to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

God will save those who obey the Gospel by placing their faith and trust in
Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turning from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31),
confessing Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and by being baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will
continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His
Word (1 John 1:7-9).

Heaven awaits the faithful child of God. An eternity in heaven where "God
will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor
sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have
passed away" (Revelation 21:4), is God's promised inheritance to His
faithful children (Romans 8:15-18). Please remember: earth is not heaven,
so we cannot expect heaven on earth. Christians, however, can look forward
to "an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away,
reserved in heaven for" them (1 Peter 1:3-4).

In a world that is ever-changing, it's good to hang on to those things that
do not change. God invites each of us to cling to Him and trust His
promises. What God has promised, He is able to perform (Romans 4:20-21).

Won't YOU cling to the Rock which shall not be moved through your trusting
obedience?

-- David A. Sargent

Helen Kehn

Never Alone

Helen Kehn told of how all her life she had been sheltered and somewhat
pampered by her family. She was the youngest of five children. She had
never known what it was to be alone. Her family was always together, did
things together, worked together, played together, sang together, and
worshiped together.

But she found herself at a time in life when her parents, her brother, and
three sisters had all been taken from her, the last two dying exactly one
month apart. She suddenly found herself in an empty house. She had never
had a key, for there was always someone there to let her in. Now there was
no one.

For a few weeks a niece stayed with her. But the time came when her niece
had to leave. Helen drove her to the station, drove back home, and sat in
the driveway for a while dreading to go in. Finally she steeled herself,
and for the first time in her life she walked into the house all alone. As
she walked up the steps, she prayed, "O God, help me."

The first thing she did when she got inside was to turn the radio on so
there would be sound in those silent, empty rooms. She walked to the
wardrobe to hang up her coat, when over the radio she heard,

"No, never alone; no, never alone.
He promised never to leave me,
Never to leave me alone."

It was the Old Fashion Revival Hour Quartet singing. Helen said, "To me it
was the very voice of God in answer to the cry of my heart. I realized as
never before that my Lord was there with me, and that I was never alone.
All my life I had depended on my family for companionship. From that moment
I learned to depend on Him."

"For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you'" (Hebrews
13:5).

Denis Lyle wrote that he heard about a little old lady that was listening to
her preacher preach on Hebrews 13:5. The preacher noted that in the Greek
text of Hebrews 13:5, the word translated "never" is a double negative.
Reflecting the double negative, the text could be translated: "I will not, I
will not leave thee; I will not, I will not forsake thee." As the old lady
left the auditorium, she shook the preacher's hand and said, "God may have
to tell you Greek scholars twice that He will never leave you, but He only
has to tell me once." *

Only sin can separate us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2), and because of our sins,
we all have been separated from Him (Romans 3:23).

But God loves us so much that He doesn't want us to be separated from Him.
He gave His one and only Son to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16; 1
Peter 2:24). Those who accept His offer of salvation and eternal life are
reconciled to Him through Jesus, and He will never leave them alone.

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust
in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts
17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will
continue to cleanse from sin and continue to abide with those who continue
to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7-9). And when this life is
over, He will gather His children into His presence for eternity.

"No, never alone; no, never alone.
He promised never to leave me,
Never to leave me alone."

-- David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from a sermon by Denis Lyle entitled "The Giant of
Loneliness" in www.sermons.pastorlife.com.

Steve Daniel

Just to Be With You

 

In early 2013, Steve Daniel seemed to be confused.  His loving wife, Mary, took him to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, for tests.  The diagnosis: early-onset Alzheimer’s.  Steve was 59 years old.

 

In the summer of 2019, Steve’s Alzheimer’s had progressed to the point where she couldn’t adequately care for him.  After an agonizing decision, Mary placed Steve in the memory care unit at Rosecastle Assisted Living and Memory Care facility at Deerwood in Jacksonville.  She cried as she headed home, knowing in her broken heart that it was the right thing to do.  Mary visited with Steve regularly.  One of the routines that they shared was Mary helping Steve get ready for bed and then for a while she would stroke his hair while he lay on his bed with his head in her lap.

 

Enter the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March, 2020.  Visits had to cease to protect the vulnerable patients at the facility.  Mary tried Facetime calls and two visits at his window.  Steve found these extremely frustrating.  For 114 days, Steve could not embrace his loving wife.  "He is a dementia patient,” Mary explains, “and dementia patients need love and care.  They need touch.  They need companionship.  Their brain, without it, will just wither away."

 

Then Rosewood called Mary with a job offer that would enable her to spend some time with her husband.  “They told me that they did have a part-time job available if I was interested,” Mary reported.  “I said, ‘I am definitely interested.  What is it?’  And, they said it's a dishwasher.  So I said, ‘Well, I will be a dishwasher then.’”

 

It’s not that Mary needed a job.  Her full-time job “day job” is working as the chief executive of a small company that helps patients with health care bills.  She didn’t need another job; she needed to be with her husband.  The part-time job at Rosewood afforded the opportunity.

 

On July 3, Mary began working 2-nights-a-week as a dishwasher at Rosewood.  After her shift, she is able to go to see her husband for a couple of hours.  The couple gets ready for bed together “just like [they] used to.”

 

"Even though it's only two days a week, he now knows I'm there and I’m coming back.  And, until that, for 114 days he did not know that; I was not there," Daniels told Fox & Friends host, Steve Doocy. *

 

We are separated from God.  It’s not due to a virus, but it is due to our sins (Isaiah 59:1-2).  Because of our sins, we are separated from Him and from wonderful blessings that He longs to give us.  Our condition is fatal and has eternal consequences (Romans 6:23), unless something can be done to remedy the situation.

 

God provided the remedy.  He loves us so much that He doesn’t want us to be separated from Him.  He loves us so much that He wants each of us to spend an eternity with Him in a beautiful place called heaven.

 

But sin has to be punished.  So how can a loving God save sinful mankind?

 

Look at what God did just so He could be with us and we with Him: “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 ESV).

 

Jesus, God’s Son, paid the price for our redemption so that we can be reconciled to God and spend eternity with Him in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:17-21).

 

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  He will continue to cleanse from sin and keep close to Him those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7-9).

 

God made this amazing Sacrifice just so He could be with us and we with Him, for an eternity.

 

Won’t YOU accept His offer on His terms?

 

-- David A. Sargent

 

* Information gleaned from “Florida woman gets job washing dishes at nursing home to be close to husband: 'Isolation can kill'” by Julie Musto, www.foxnews.com, and WVTM 13 Rick Karle’s Facebook post of July 14, 2020.

 

New York police officer saves 4-year-old from drowning in backyard pool" by Robert Gearty, www.foxnews.com

To the Rescue

Carly Shaffer and her four-year-old daughter, Ella, were attending a
birthday party for a friend's daughter. While at the party, Shaffer heard
her daughter yell.

"From far away, in the noise and chaos of many kids happily playing and
adults laughing and chatting, I heard her cry out. [It was] not much
different than a cry of annoyance that told me maybe her brother took her
shovel, or her sister took her ball. [You] know, the usual yells. But I
just knew. I KNEW something was wrong," explained Shaffer on a Facebook
post.

Ella had been standing on the stairs of a backyard pool, promising not to
leave the ladder. Then she saw a beautiful doll in the middle of the pool.
She dove in to get it. Ella, who doesn't know how to swim, was literally in
over her head. She yelled out. Her mother heard her and came running.

"My heart was in my stomach as I was running to her, watching her bob up and
down in the water, choking," Shaffer wrote on Facebook.

Before her mother could get to her, a man dove into the water to rescue
Ella. Shaffer described the man and his heroic actions: "A man I briefly
met, 5 min[utes] prior had made it to her first. She was taking in water
and surely would have drowned. He drove in, fully dressed, shoes and all,
over the side of the pool for a kid he didn't even know. A kid he's not
related to. A kid he's never met. He saved my kid's life."

The man was Paul Munding, an off-duty police officer for the Clarkstown
Police Department. Shaffer - and many others - are calling him "a hero." *

We are much like Ella. We get enraptured with the things of the world and
end up "getting in over our heads." We are drowning in our sins in
desperate need of rescue.

But Someone we did not know came to our rescue. He was "fully dressed" as a
man, but our Rescuer was actually God in the flesh (John 1:14), Jesus. Our
salvation required His death on the cross for our sins (1 Peter 1:18-19).
This He did for you and me so that we can be saved and receive the gift of
eternal life (Ephesians 1:7).

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust
in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts
17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will
continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His
Word (1 John 1:7-9).

Jesus "gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age,
according to the will of our God and Father, to Whom be glory for ever and
ever. Amen" (Galatians 1:4-5).

Won't YOU allow Jesus to save you by placing your faith in Him through your
trusting obedience?

-- David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from "New York police officer saves 4-year-old from
drowning in backyard pool" by Robert Gearty, www.foxnews.com.

David A. Sargent, Minister

A CHRISTIAN, BUT NOT A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST?

Is it possible for one to be a Christian (what some often speak of as a Christ follower), and not be a member of His spiritual body, the church?  Most people would say no, if one is a Christian that person is also a part of the universal spiritual body of Christ.  At the same time, many people would say that one can be a Christian without being a member of the church of Christ, or, as they would likely write it, the Church of Christ, or the Church of Christ church or the Church of Christ denomination.  This indicates that in the minds of many people two different things are under consideration when one speaks of “the one universal spiritual body of Christ” and when one speaks of “the church of Christ.”  In the case of the latter, they are thinking of and viewing the church of Christ as a denomination, only a part of the much larger universal spiritual body of Christ.  But is this in fact the biblical concept of the church of Christ?  Is this the view of biblically informed members of the church of Christ?  Let us study and think together on this vital question.  Please note that the title of our essay is not an affirmation, but a question. 

 

Christ established His church (Matthew 16:18).  He purchased it with His blood (Acts 20:28).  It is His spiritual body (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18).  There is but one body (Ephesians 4:4; I Corinthians 12:20, 27), therefore, there is only one true church.  In New Testament times, when people heard the message of Christ, believed it, turned from their sins in true repentance, and were baptized for the remission of their sins, they were saved and added to the one church (Acts 2:47).  While they had human weaknesses and sinned, and while the church in New Testament times faced both internal and external problems, still all Christians were members of just the one church.  Christ prayed for all of His followers to be one (John 17:20-21).  When parties began to arise in the church at Corinth, Paul severely rebuked the congregation and urged the members to “all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (I Corinthians 1:10).  Those who caused divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine of Christ were to be marked (noted) and avoided (Romans 16:17).  Those who preached a “different gospel” were under heaven’s anathema (Galatians 1:6-9).  Those who went beyond the doctrine of Christ did not have God (II John 9).  Those who would add to or take from the word of God would experience severe and eternal consequences (Revelation 22:18-19).  (Yes, I know the context has reference to the book of Revelation, but the principle extends to all of God’s revelation to mankind [Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs 30:6; I Corinthians 4:6]).

 

The one spiritual body of Christ in New Testament times was not divided into a multiplicity of denominations.  Denominationalism did not arise until many years after the close of the New Testament, and came about as a result of men corrupting the original doctrine and practice of the church as set forth in the New Testament.  In this connection, the following passages need to be carefully read and thoughtfully considered: Matthew 7:15; Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 15:8-9; Acts 20:28-30; II Thessalonians 2:3-11; I Timothy 4:1-5; II Timothy 4:1-5; I John 4:1).  In short, denominationalism (both Catholic and Protestant) is a perversion of original, apostolic Christianity, and as such, it is severely condemned by the word of God.

 

But, what happened in the first century of Christianity is still happening today.  When people today hear the message of Christ, believe it, turn from their sins in true repentance, and are baptized for the remission of their sins, they are saved and added to the one church of which we read in the New Testament, the church Christ established, the one He purchased with His blood, the one of which He is the head, the one of which He is the Savior (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38; Acts 2:41-42, 47). This is precisely what members of the church of Christ have done down through the ages since the first century and are still doing here in the 21^st century—nothing more, less, or else!  The seed is the word of God (Luke 8:11), and still produces today what it produced in the first century—Christians only, Christians without denominational membership or affiliation.

 

If one has not obeyed the gospel plan of salvation, that person has not been saved and added to the one church.  One may very well comply with the conditions for being a member of a denomination (the Catholic, the Baptist, the Methodist, the Lutheran, the Nazarene, the Episcopal, the Disciples, a Community church, etc.) and still not obey the gospel.  In such a case, one has met the conditions for membership in a particular denomination but that person has not obeyed the gospel, been saved from his/her sins, and added to the one church of the Lord.

 

If one only says the so-called “Sinner’s Prayer” that person has not been saved and added to the Lord’s church (Matthew 7:21; Hebrews 5:8-9).  If one has only had water sprinkled or poured on him/her, that person has not been scripturally baptized, and therefore has not been saved and added to the one church (Matthew 3:16; Acts 8:38-39; Romans 6:3-4).  If a person was not baptized “for [in order to] the remission of sins” (or some biblically synonymous reason) but baptized only to “join the church,” that person has not been saved and added to the one body (church) of Christ (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; Galatians 3:27; I Peter 3:21). (We must remember that God does not lie; it is impossible for Him to do so [Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18]). In other words, one may have become a member of a denomination, and still not have obeyed the gospel of Christ, been saved from sin, and added to the one church that Christ established! 

 

Sadly, with the passing of time, many who obey the gospel and are added to the one church remain untaught (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:42), fail to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (II Peter 3:18), buy into the religious pluralism of the age, come to believe there is nothing wrong with denominationalism, defend denominationalism, and come to view the church of Christ as just another denomination.  When this happens, these people become easy targets to leave the church and join a denomination.  This is happening on an increasing level today, and some preachers, elders, and congregations have bought into this kind of unbiblical thinking about the church. In so doing, they have become traitors to the cause of New Testament Christianity, every bit as much as Judas Iscariot betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ!

 

Some schools, colleges, and universities associated with the churches of Christ now proclaim the church of Christ “a denomination among denominations.”  A Bible professor at one large university has said that many of the professors no longer hold to exclusive “Church of Christ-isms.”  Such an expression itself manifests a rank denominational view of the church and is a repudiation of New Testament Christianity.  This same university now has a Center in which it trains Baptist preachers, instructing them in Baptist history and Baptist polity, and helping them find Baptist pulpits!  Faithful Christians resist such perversions of the “one faith” (Ephesians 4:5) and speak out against it. Baptist doctrine and practice and Bible doctrine and practice stand in stark contrast on a number of points, and no person or institution can maintain the slightest degree of integrity and teach and/or defend both. This university (and others like it) has betrayed the very principles upon which it was founded and has become a disgrace to the cause of Christ and undenominational Christianity!

 

When one talks about being a Christian (a Christ follower) but not a member of the church of Christ, he and I have two entirely different things in mind by the term “church of Christ.”  We are not at all on the same page, and until we get on the same page, effective communication between us will not be possible.  Most seriously, when one speaks of being a Christian but not a member of the church of Christ he is at odds with the New Testament concept of the church, and has instead bought into a denominational view of the church.  In this case, he is at odds with the Lord Himself—terribly so!

 

I have not the slightest hesitation in affirming that one can be a Christian without being a member of any denomination.  But in making such a declaration I am not saying that one can be a Christian and not be a member of the blood-bought church of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  A denomination and the church of Christ are two entirely different things!  All who have obeyed the pure gospel of Christ and been saved from their sins have been added to the one church by the Lord Himself (Acts 2:47).  All who have not obeyed the gospel and been saved from their sins are not members of that one church, even though they may be members of a denomination.  All truly saved people, all who have become Christians (according to the New Testament definition of such) are members of the church of Christ!  Those who have left the church, thinking it to be a denomination, and have joined, what to them, is “another denomination” to keep peace in the family or because it better “suits” them or meets their “felt needs,” need to do some deep, serious Bible study, some sober, biblical thinking, and some deep, sober soul-searching! 

 

Rather than being a straying sheep, one needs to stay where the Lord puts a person when he/she is saved from sin by obedience to the gospel (Acts 2:47).  Instead of joining a denomination, one needs to obey the gospel, be saved, and added to the one church that Christ established and the only one of which He is the Savior (Ephesians 5:23).

 

Hugh Fulford

 

Tammy Harris began searching for her biological mother

Reunited

On the day after her 21st birthday, Tammy Harris began searching for her
biological mother. When she was two-years-old, she and her brothers were
taken from their mother (who had a serious drinking problem) and were
adopted by separate families.

Tammy wanted to know the identity of her mother. "I felt like I was
incomplete," she said. "I didn't know whose eyes I had. I didn't know where
my big feet came from. I wondered who I looked like."

"I knew they [her parents] were out there, and I wanted to find them before
they died."

Meanwhile, Joyce Shultz had been looking for her biological daughter for
almost 20 years, to no avail.

Harris and Shultz worked at the same convenience store. One day, Harris was
talking with another co-worker about her search for her mother. The
co-worker asked if she was having any luck. Shultz, overhearing part of the
conversation, asked, "Luck about what?"

Harris told her about her search and produced her birth certificate to show
to her. Upon seeing it, Shultz immediately knew that Harris was her
daughter. Shultz did not immediately reveal her identity; she didn't know
how Harris would react. Instead, she told Harris, "I might know somebody
who can help." She asked Harris for a baby picture. She took the picture
home and compared it to a baby picture she had; they were a match.

Shultz did not reveal her identity to Harris for three days. She wondered,
"Will she like me?" She told her boss, Ron Lynch, about the discovery.
Lynch brought the two into his office, so that Shultz could reveal her news.

When Harris walked into the office, she saw Shultz standing by the two baby
pictures. "Are you my mother?" Harris asked. Shultz said, "Yes."

"When she said 'yes,' I just fell into her arms. It felt so natural. We
held on for the longest time. It was the best day of my life.″ *

You and I are "the offspring of God" in that God created us; He created all
mankind. But because of our sins, we became lost and estranged from Him
(consider the Prodigal Son in Luke 15). But God never stopped loving us and
wanting us to "come home."

In order to "come home," our sins had to be "paid for." God paid the price
for our redemption by giving His one and only Son to die on the cross for
our sins (1 Peter 1:18-19). The means of reconciliation was accomplished
when Jesus died for us.

In order to "come home," we must accept God's offer of redemption. We must
place our faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from our sins in
repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and
be baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).
Then, as we continue to walk in the light of His Word, the blood of Jesus
continues cleanse us from sin and keep us in fellowship with God (1 John
1:7-9).

Our sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2), but God still loves us and
wants us to "come home." If we'll humble ourselves and accept His offer of
redemption, we'll find that He's been lovingly, patiently waiting for us the
whole time. When we obey the Gospel, He will warmly say, "Welcome home."

It will be the best day of your life.

-- David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from "Daughter Finds Biological Mother is Co-Worker"
by David Reed in www.apnews.com, March 5, 1991.

How much do I need to know before being Baptized?

Concerning one’s knowledge before baptism. . .
How Much Is Enough?

How much should a person know before being baptized into Christ? It’s a good question, and one we need to consider as we teach people the gospel.

On the one hand, some accounts of conversions in Acts seem to imply a very introductory understanding of the facts about Jesus. Cornelius (Acts 10) and the Philippian jailer (Acts 16) were baptized at their first hearing of the good news, apparently without any in-depth discussion of all that discipleship requires. At least, no such discussion is recorded.

On the other hand, biblical teaching about repentance and the costs of discipleship needs to be made clear to the prospective Christian before they make an ill-informed commitment which they may not be inclined to keep. Obviously, they cannot be fully advised of every difficult spot in the road to heaven that they will encounter. But they need to be aware that “we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God’ (Acts 14:22), and that anything less than total devotion to Christ is useless.

This seems to be the point of some of our Lord’s teaching. Please read Luke 9:57-62 and 14:25-35, where Jesus bluntly insists that one must be prepared to give up everything to follow Him. Repentance itself involves change — something that many people are simply not intending to do. Unfaithful Christians are sometimes Christians who didn’t make this fundamental commitment at the start, only to find somewhere down the road that Christ demands more than they are willing to give.

The rich young ruler (Mk. 10) might have made a ‘good” lukewarm Christian. But Jesus saved him the trouble. We do no one a favor by watering down a message that will face them, undiluted, in judgment.

- by Jim King

 

Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

In Remembrance

President Abraham Lincoln was not the primary speaker at the dedication of
the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on November 19,
1863. Edward Everett gave the primary oration at the dedication ceremony.
Everett spoke for two hours.

President Lincoln had been invited to come by the committee who organized
the event to officially dedicate the cemetery. One of the committee's
members, David Wills, in his invitation to the President, wrote: "It is the
desire that, after the Oration, you, as Chief Executive of the nation,
formally set these grounds to their sacred use by a few appropriate
remarks."

Those "few appropriate remarks" given by President Lincoln comprise one of
the best-known speeches in American history. Many recall studying the
opening lines of his address: "Four score and seven years ago our fathers
brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and
dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

Lincoln's entire address was given in just a few minutes in only ten
sentences and 271 words. Yet, it is his "Gettysburg Address" that is
memorialized as one of the greatest speeches ever given.

In his brief speech, Lincoln proclaimed that it was not those present who
could dedicate those grounds. "In a larger sense, we can not dedicate - and
we can not consecrate - we can not hallow - this ground. The brave men,
living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our
power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what
we say here, but it can never forget what they did here."

Lincoln noted that It was those who "gave the last full measure of devotion"
that consecrated that ground. *

On the first day of every week, members of the church of Christ engage in a
memorial. It is called "the Lord's Supper." It was instituted by Jesus
when He met with His disciples and observed the Passover feast just hours
before He would be taken away by an angry mob and nailed to a cross. Read
Matthew's account in 26:26-29. Read the Apostle Paul's instructions about
the proper observance of the Lord's Supper (when it was being abused) in 1
Corinthians 11:20-30.

The Lord's Supper is a memorial. "Do this in remembrance of Me," Jesus
said. We are instructed to remember what Jesus did on the cross for us as
we partake of the Lord's Supper. "He Himself bore our sins in His body on
the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His
wounds you have been healed" (1 Peter 2:24). He shed His blood for the
forgiveness of our sins (Matthew 26:28). On the cross, Jesus paid the price
for our sins, for our redemption (1 Peter 1:18-19).

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust
in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts
17:30-31), confess Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will
continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His
Word (1 John 1:7-9).

Then those who have accepted His offer of salvation and eternal life on His
terms have the opportunity to remember the One Who "gave the last full
measure of devotion" in obedience to God and for our salvation. We remember
what He did for us in the observance of a weekly memorial. It was the Price
that was paid for us that hallows and consecrates the memorial of the One
who died for us so that we might live. We must never forget what He did for
us on the cross.

-- David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from Wikipedia's entry for "Gettysburg Address."

Is the Bible just a Tedious Fairy Tale?

 

Why is the Bible so long? A whole 66 books. One book has 66 chapters! And it’s mostly too good to be true!

 

Most life stories are long. The Bible is the story of our life and for our life. It’s God’s story of real life – from the creation to the final judgment, with so much in between, and even beyond into eternity. It’s a story of families and tribes and how they lived and struggled and sometimes prospered in various countries and widely spaced centuries. How a Great King was working a plan for all people. But if you just glean a few isolated highlights, you miss this story. For example, Abraham’s life is far more than a couple of promises God made to him in a few verses in chapters 12,15,17 and 22. It spans 14 chapters (12 – 25) from his call to his death, including his interaction with angels and other humans, and many other references throughout the entire Bible.

 

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ Acts 17:24-28

 

God made people to live all over the face of the earth, and He made them not only to live, but to seek Him and find Him – to find the real meaning of life that He intended when we finally live happily ever after. “And they lived happily ever after.” That’s how fairy tales end, isn’t it?

 

Yes, and that’s the whole point! It is a sort of fairy tale: a story from God that includes wars and struggle, miracles and wonder and love and living forever. Of kings and queens, of angels, seraphim and cherubim, of thrones, thunder, lightning, fire, floods and power. Of a devil and evil spirits. A story where the goodie defeats the baddie and, like kids at a Saturday afternoon matinee, we cheer when the goodie arrives to save the world. A story in which the star is Jesus Christ. And in the end Jesus is victorious, and all the co-stars and extras join in the victory.

 

But too many have become too cynical and lost their sense of wonder and hope - that in the end it will all turn out good. That life can actually have a happy ending.

 

The Bible is a real fairy tale. A true story that is meant to give us hope! It’s about how life actually was and is for millions of people, and how the hero – God – plans for it to never end. It’s entrancing, spell-binding, fascinating – even scary in parts – but always capturing your attention! And God makes it never end in heaven. Like little children we should look forward to reading it

at bed-time – again and again and again – our sense of excitement never waning or wavering.

No … death is not the end of life. It needn’t have the final say. You thrill at the excitement of that

final galactic battle, in which love triumphs over evil, and lasts forever in the eternal City of God.

 

Yes, we can live happily ever after with King Jesus in Wonderland. Our dream can come true.

“The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 

And you have to believe the story to benefit. But Oh, what a story!

 

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. Revelation 22:1-5

 

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. Revelation 22:17.

 

 

Work out Your Salvation with Fear and Trembling to Inherit God’s Magnificent Promises (Yippee!!). Thus You Avoid the Unfortunate, Irrevocable, Fateful Pain of Eternal Separation from God in Hell (Yuck!!)

 

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Philippians 2:5-13

 

And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. 34 And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” 35 And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Mark 14:32-36

 

Notice that the distressed and troubled soul of Jesus  is yet committed to obeying His Father’s will (Philippians 2:8; Mark 14:33-36) as  he dies on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for all sins, but that it will secure nothing for us sinners unless we too “work out our own salvation with like fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). Obedience is not always easy, but it is always right. 1 Peter 1:22-23

 

Basically the same truth is found here:

 

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated

by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 5:7-10

And just as the exhortation in Philippians is speaking to Christians already saved, so the

Hebrews’ truth goes on to warn the saved of the danger of losing the salvation their

obedience has thus far brought them:

 

    About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of

hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach

you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.  6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits. 4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. Hebrews 5:11-6:6

 

But the Hebrew writer does not remain pessimistic, since he goes on to add:

 

Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. 10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. 11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Hebrews 6:9-12

 

And again:

 

But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. 35Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; 38but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” 39But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. Hebrews 10:32-39. Compare 12:25-29 for another picture of the ugly end when all created things are removed and only the heavenly kingdom will remain: that place prepared and promised by Jesus. John 14:1-3

 

Notice the contrast in verse 39: we either “shrink back” in our faith (compare “drift away” in 2:1), and are destroyed, or we maintain faith and preserve our souls. The Hebrew writer is confident they will choose the latter option. Jesus had said earlier that we must “fear God who can destroy our body and soul in hell,” Matthew 10:28, after which separation from God and all good, for the wicked, will be eternally complete. 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10. This, of course, refers to the resurrected body and soul after the final judgment, which you read about here: John 5:24-29; Acts 17:30-31; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5; Hebrews 4:9-13; 9:27; 1 Peter 4:17-19

 

Essentially, in 2 Peter 1:1-15, we find the same truth about inheriting God’s “precious and magnificent promises” when we work out our salvation by adding to our faith, knowing that the Lord will reward us. Isaiah 40:10.    Why not read it and see? Here’s part of it:

 

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11For in this way there will be richly provided for

you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:8-11

 

David Carr