The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
January 16, 2005
In
This Issue:
Test
Your Soil
by
Steve Klein
The
Complete Admonition
by
Jim Ward
Water
Shortage
by
S. Scott Richardson, Sr.
BACK
TO INDEX
Test Your Soil
One of the first things the agricultural extension service recommends to prospective gardeners and farmers is to have their soil tested. Once the chemical and physical make up of the soil is known, the proper fertilizers and amendments can be added, making it much easier to grow crops successfully.
The Parable of the Sower teaches us that the good seed of the word of God produces different results in different soils. The wayside soil, the rocky ground, and the thorny ground all failed to produce a crop (Luke 8:4-8, 11-15). But the "good ground" yielded a crop ranging from 30 to 100 times what was sown (Matthew 13:8).
What made the "good ground" good? Well, obviously it was free of rocks, thorns and foot traffic. But it also contained the proper elements for producing a fruitful crop. In Luke 13:6-9 we learn that some soil needs to be fertilized in order to accomplish that.
He also spoke this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, 'Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?' 8 But he answered and said to him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.'"
The soil of the human heart must contain the proper mix of elements in order for the word of God to take root and produce fruit. Among these elements are a love for God, a love for the truth, and meekness (cf. James 1:21). Some folks have the word of God sown into the soil of their hearts regularly by listening to the preaching and teaching of God's word. Yet, they do not bear fruit for Jesus in their lives -- there is no personal obedience, no spiritual service, no evangelizing of the lost. If this is the situation in your life, may I make a suggestion? Test your soil.
-- Steve Klein
In the closing admonitions of the first Corin-thian letter, Paul said, "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong" (1 Cor. 16: 13). How complete was this exhortation and how thor-oughly suited to Christians of every era!
Many scholars feel that perhaps "Watch ye" has a military derivation. That is, a Christian is to be awake, to be vigilant, in much the same way that a sentry is to guard the camp. We must not let Satan catch us unaware. "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness, of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Eph. 6:11f). Not only must we watch to guard against Satan, but we must watch for the coming of Christ. In Matthew 25: 13, Jesus said, "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh."
"Stand fast in the faith" necessitates first that we know the faith, the gospel. Then, knowing the faith, we must hold tenaciously to it and defend it. "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3). "Stand there-fore, having your loins girt about with truth..." said Paul in the first part of Ephesians 6: 14. There can be no yielding to the enemy; the stand must be unwavering.
The word translated "quit" occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It is, defined "to make a man of" (Vine) and means, therefore, to be brave, or, negatively, not cowardly. Christians are to behave like men and not like children who fear the darkness and quake at whispering winds. Cowardice is, not of Christians! The eleventh chapter of 2 Corin-thians records the courage of Paul and should serve as a fitting example to you and me.
"Be strong" calls to mind Ephesians 6:10: "&ldots; be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." Weakness, be it moral, doctrinal, or spiri-tual, has no place in God's child. Strength in Christ should be the essence of the Christian's character. We must learn that we "can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth" us. We should pray for ourselves and others "to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man."
-- Jim Ward
Most parts of the world have experienced droughts at some time in history. They are a source of great distress and discomfort. While almost everyone is aware of and talks about this lack of moisture, very few people are interested in a much more serious water shortage - a self-imposed shortage of the "Water of Life."
The Gospel of John, chapter four, finds Christ speaking with a Sa-maritan woman at Jacob's well. There was a shortage of Water in this woman's life so the Saviour explains to her the "living water," the "water springing up unto eternal life" (vv. 10, 14). The woman learned, as can anyone who reads this passage, that to obtain the Water that eternally quenches thirst, one has to come to the source-Christ.
Today there are many who want Water, but refuse to come to Christ and instead choose their own way. This is nothing new, as we can read in John chapter six. Upon learning to obtain eternal life it was necessary to come to Christ through belief and obedience, many turned and "walked no more with Him." Turning away from Christ-His love and His teach-ings-creates a water shortage that will end in dehydration of our souls and even to death.
Read, study, learn of Christ's love for mankind and then obey his commands that are found in the Bible. Develop the attitude of the woman at the well, "Lord, give me of this water that I thirst not..."
-- S. Scott Richardson, Sr.