The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
April 4, 2004
In
This Issue:
Away
from Home
by
Steve Klein
You
Have Two Choices
by
Jacob
Gwin
Away From Home
My friends Jim and Tonya Bogle recently lost their house in a fire. Their familiar and comfortable abode is now irretrievably gone. They and their nine children are staying with Tonya's parents in a triple-wide mobile home. They are coping well, but certainly miss their big old comfortable house. The stress is made somewhat more bearable because the situation is only temporary; they are hoping to have their house rebuilt within six months.
Personally, I do not enjoy being away from home. I have a great appreciation for the comforts of familiar surroundings, the company of loved ones and my own bed to sleep in! When I am away traveling, the desire to go home is often with me. Yet, as the years pass, I have a growing sense that I am never really at home in this world. In this life, I am away from home. But it is only temporary.
Solomon described death as a process in which "man goes to his eternal home..." (Ecclesiastes 12:5). And in 2 Corinthians 5:1-2 Paul said, "For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven." While we are away from our heavenly home, we too should be "earnestly desiring" it.
Looked at in this way, the end of a good life is a lot like the end of pleasant vacation. The trip may have been enjoyable, the sites worth seeing and the people worth meeting, but in the end, there's no place like home.
This world is not my home I'm just passing through
my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
the angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
and I can't feel at home in this world anymore
O Lord you know I have no friend like you
if Heaven's not my home then Lord what will I do?
the angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
and I can't feel at home in this world anymore
by Steve Klein
Throughout our life, we are forced to make many decisions. Some decisions that we must make are relatively insignificant, while others will have life-long consequences. Without a doubt, the most important of the decisions that we face is the choice of whether or not to serve God. This is a decision that every individual must make and one that will have life-long as well as eternal consequences.
God has always given humans the choice of whether or not to serve Him. He has made the options clear and has outlined the consequences of the decision that is made. The decision that we face (and the decision that all others have faced before us) is whether to serve God and be blessed or serve the devil and suffer. God placed this decision before the Israelites in the Old Testament many times. In Deuteronomy 11:26-28, the Israelites were given the following options: "Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods you have not known."
Today, we are given the same two options. Jesus illustrates our two choices by comparing them to two possible paths that we can follow. He says, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Matthew 7:13, 14). Here our options are clearly stated as well as the consequences for the decisions that we make. The correct decision is obvious. Who would want to follow a path to certain destruction? No one! Yet, often we travel the path that will ultimately lead to eternal punishment. Why? There may be many reasons for making the wrong decision, but often it may be simply because it seems so difficult to do what is right. The Bible, however, gives us help in making the right decisions.
First, the Bible tells us that we can live like we should by renewing our minds. Romans 12:2 says, " And do not be conformed to this world, by be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." This verse tells us that we will not be conformed to the world (or do the evil things people of the world do) if we renew our minds. One way to do this is by diligently studying the Bible (Colossians 3:10, II Timothy 2:15). As we learn more about God's will for us, we will be less likely to make the wrong decisions and do things that are against His will.
Secondly, the Bible instructs us that it is important to associate with people who will influence us to do good instead of evil. I Corinthians 15:33 says, "Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits." This verse says that if we associate with evil people then we will be affected negatively. If you think you can associate with those who are evil and still live like you should, you are "deceived." On the other hand, if you associate with good people, you will be encouraged to do what is right (Hebrews 10:24, 25). In our effort to do right and make the right decisions, we should make sure that our associates will be a help and not a hindrance.
Life is full of choices. Making the right choice may not always be the easy choice. In fact, the right choice often is the more difficult choice. As we make decisions everyday, we need to understand the eternal impact that our decisions have on our soul. Determine today that you will serve God to your greatest ability. You'll never regret it!
by Jacob Gwin