The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
April 30, 2006
In
This Issue:
Are
You Stubborn?
by
Steve Klein
By
Way of Remembrance
by
Tim Johnson
Are You Stubborn?
Crops need moisture. They need it shortly after planting so that seeds can germinate and grow, and they need it as they grow in order to produce a useable harvest.
Crops need moisture. People need crops. But only God can provide the rain. We must rely on Him to provide it. Long ago, Zechariah advised his people to "Ask the LORD for rain in the time of the latter rain. The LORD will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyone." (Zechariah 10:1)
In Deuteronomy 11:13-14, God promised the Israelites that He would send both the early and the latter rain on their crops if they would obey His commandments. He said, "And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil."
Many years later, after much disobedience on the part of the Israelites, the Lord was still willing to provide this blessing for His people if they would repent and turn to Him with all their "heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning" (Joel 2:12). If they would repent they were told that they could "Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully, and He will cause the rain to come down for you- The former rain, and the latter rain in the first month." (Joel 2:23).
So then, God's willingness to provide the early and the latter rain demonstrates His patience and longsuffering with mankind. But it also teaches mankind a lesson about trusting in the Lord to provide for us, and patiently waiting for Him to do so. James 5:7-8 says, "Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand."
The blessings that we enjoy in Christ today are the early rain. The greater blessings of the latter rain and the fruitful harvest are yet to come. Be patient. Trust the Lord. Serve Him faithfully day by day. Grow. Be productive. The clouds that will bring that latter rain are building on the horizon. The coming of the day of the Lord is at hand.
-- Steve Klein
We just concluded a series of gospel meetings during which brother Jeff May presented scriptural lessons from the Word of God. As we read in II Peter 3:1, we hope to stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance by reviewing each lesson presented by brother May.
The "Hands-On" God
On Monday evening, Bro. May reminded us that we serve a "hands-on" God. His Hands are on me when I am born (Psalms 139:13-18; Colossians 1:15-16). His Hands are on me when I am reborn (Colossians 2:11-13; Ephesians 2:4-6). If you are only born once, you will die twice, but, if you are born twice, you will only die once. If I will yield to God, He will keep me secure in His Hand (John 10:27-28). However, if we choose to leave this security, he will let us go (Psalm 106:41; I Corinthians 5). His Hands are on me when I stray from Him (Psalm 32:3-5). His Hands will touch me everyday on the Potter's wheel (Isaiah 64:8; Romans 12:1-2). How will God change me? Through Truth and trouble (James 1:19-21; Job 19:21; James 5:11; I Peter 5:10). His Hands hold me up during these trials (Deuteronomy 33:27). His Hands are there for me as I leave this earth (Luke 23:44-46). What better place for us to be than in the Hands of God!
Why Marriages Fail
On Tuesday evening, Bro. May gave us several reasons normally given for failed marriages: (1) Incompatibility - men and women were created to be different, but, they were made for each other (Matthew 19:4; I Peter 3:7; Colossians 3:9); (2) Money - can cause difficulties, but the love of money is the real problem (Proverbs 22:7; I Timothy 6:9-10); (3) In-Laws - a man should leave his father and mother (Genesis 2:24), but we should follow the example of Ruth (Ruth 1:11-17); (4) Sexual Problems - God created man and woman with certain needs and He saw that His creation was good (Genesis 1:31), the bed also is undefiled (Hebrews 13:4), and neither the man or woman has the right to defraud his spouse of their needs (I Corinthians 7:5); (5) Kids - Again, in creation, God commanded man and woman to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:31), and parents are to lay up for their children, willing to spend and be spent for them (II Corinthians 12:14-15) so that the children will call their parents blessed (Proverbs 31:28); (6) Trials and Grief - the example of Job and his wife shows great trial and grief and how each spouse handled it, Job looking to God, his wife forsaking God (Job 2:9-10), but their marriage remained intact. All of these are given as reasons why marriages fail. But Bro. May pointed out that the real reason marriages fail is Selfishness. The marriage relationship should be the same as the relationship between Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:25-33).
The Holiness of God
The text for Wednesday evening's lesson was Hebrews 12:14: "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." Bro. May showed us how to see God's Holiness in three ways. (1) We can look upward to see God's Holiness - at the burning bush (Exodus 3:4-5), at the Red Sea (Exodus 15:10-11), at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:12-26), at the tabernacle and the temple (Leviticus 16:2), with Jesus on "the holy mountain" (II Peter 1:16-18). We saw that God will always defend His Holiness in the examples of Uzziah (II Chronicles 26:16-21), Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:3), and Uzzah (II Samuel 6:6-7). (2) We can look inward to see ourselves - our total unworthiness. Examples were given of Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-5) and Peter (Luke 5:8). But God makes us holy in three phases: holy by POSITION - justification (I Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:27), holy by PRACTICE - sanctification (I Peter 1:13-16; II Peter 1:5-11) holy PERMANENTLY - glorification (Philippians 1:6; I John 2:2-3). (3) We can look outward, desiring the same holiness for others (Isaiah 6:8).
Just As I Am
To conclude our gospel meeting on Thursday evening, Bro. May presented a powerful lesson reminding us that we can come to God "Just As I Am," basing his lesson on the familiar invitation song (#330). We can come to God just as we are, full of sin, and He will accept us (Luke 7:36-48; Titus 3:3; I Timothy 1:12-17; I Corinthians 6:9-11). "Without one plea" - we come to God "without one plea," because we all are guilty of sin (Romans 3:19,23). "But that Thy blood was shed for me" - the blood of Jesus is all we can bring before God, but it is sufficient, for by one offering he has perfected us (Hebrews 10:11-15). "And that Thou bidst me come to Thee" - Jesus is offering the invitation, begging us to come to Him just as we are (Revelation 3:20; Revelation 22:17). "Waiting not" - We should not put off our response, but follow the example of the Ethiopian eunuch and of Saul, who responded immediately (Acts 8:36; 22:16). "Thou wilt receive, wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse and relieve" - Just as the prodigal son was gladly received by his father after he had wasted his inheritance in riotous living, so our heavenly Father will welcome us if we will but come to ourselves and humbly come to Him just as we are (Luke 15). "Because Thy promise I believe" - God has promised to be the anchor of our soul, and all we must do is grab hold and hang on (Hebrews 6:18-20). "O Lamb of God, I Come" - Will you come to God, just as you are?.
--Tim Johnson