The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
June 29, 2003
In
This Issue:
Two
Men Pass From This Life
By
Steve Klein
The
Bible Is Understandable
By
Dwight McGee
Self
Examination
by
Lynn Headrick
Two Men Pass From This Life
He was born the son of godly parents. A pleasant child with a good mind, he was from infancy nurtured in the ways of God and in the religion that His parents held so dear. He could have been just about anything he wanted to be. He could have accomplished great things in almost any field of endeavor. But at a relatively young age, it was plain that he had decided to be about the business of serving his Father in heaven. It would be hard to count the number of people he directly impacted with his life. There were so many acts of compassion and kindness, so many friendships, and ever so many souls with whom he shared the gospel of the kingdom. In his early thirties he determined to give himself fully to the public proclamation of the gospel. He did so fervently and with joy. But at about age thirty-four, he was taken from this life.
Who was he? Do these words describe the earthly life of Jesus of Nazareth, or of our brother Bruce Hall? They could, perhaps, be describing either man.
Bruce's life was a lot like the life of Jesus for a reason. He was an imitator of Christ. In the similarities between the lives of these two men we see the purposes of God at work. For God has determined that we be "conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren" (Romans 8:29).
It is my impression that in Bruce's life, and in the lives of many saints who have gone on before, we hear the echoes of Paul's words long ago, "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1). What a glorious thing it would be if we would all heed those echoes.
-- by Steve Klein
The multitude of different church buildings downtown in every city stands as a sad reminder of religious division and confusion. In man's loss of unity, he is tempted to blame God and His word, the Bible. Men conclude that since we do not understand the Bible, then the Bible cannot be understood. This is a most serious and fundamental error. Furthermore, it is a personal attack on either God's goodness or His ability to communicate to men. The Bible declares plainly that it can be understood.
The Bible gives a man all the truth that he needs to please God: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Even though we do not have the complete record of what Jesus did on earth, we have what we need to understand, believe and be saved. "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name" (John 20:30-31). It is the truth that will make us free as Jesus said, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31,32). Jesus has provided that truth for us today in the pages of the Holy Bible.
It is clear from the Bible itself that God intended for us to understand and obey it. Paul said, "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is" (Eph. 5:17). He also made it clear that God's revelation of the Bible through Him could be understood upon reading. "... How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)" (Eph. 3:4).
Some parts of the Bible are more difficult than others. Peter said, '...Even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; as also in all his epistles speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction' (2 Pet. 3:15-16). Even though it takes more study to understand some of the scriptures, you will notice in this passage that God neither condoned or excused the error that was taught because of Bible misunderstanding. He rather pointed out that the misusers of the Bible brought their own destruction. People will be lost in hell because they misuse the scriptures to teach error.
In a time of flooding religious error and misunderstanding of the Bible let us not blame God and His word, but with great determination find the truth revealed within the pages of the Holy Bible and unite on that truth to salvation. May God richly bless our efforts to know and do His will.
by Dwight McGee
God said, "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith," 2 Corinthians 13:5. Doctors urge us to examine our physical bodies in order to detect anything that might need correction. How much more do we need to examine ourselves whether we are in the faith! Leroy Brownlow in his book, The Christian's Everyday Problems, lists the following questions to help us in the examination of our spiritual status:
1. Have I spoken evil of any person this day? "Speak not evil one of another, brethren," James 4:11.
2. Have I taken the name of God in vain? "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain," Ex.20:7.
3. Have I been a gossiper? "Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people," Lev.19:16
4. Have I this day been quick to speak and quick to wrath? "Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath," James 1:19.
5. Have I been a peacemaker on the job, in the school, in the church and in every walk of life? "Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace," Romans 14:19.
6. Have I been unselfish in all my dealings? "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others," Philippians 2:4.
7. Have I this day been free of malice and hate? "For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another," Titus 3:3.
8. Have I been compassionate and sympathetic? "Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another; love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous," 1 Peter 3:8.
9. Have I refrained from being retaliatory and vengeful? "Not rendering evil for evil or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing," 1 Peter 3:9.
10. Have I been cooperative in the home, on the job, and in the church? "We then as workers together," 2 Corinthians 6:1.
11. Have I been tolerant of the faults of others, considering myself? "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye," Matthew 7:3?
12. Have I been industrious? "Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger," Proverbs 19:15.
13. Have I been easy to entreat? "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated," James 3:17.
14. Have I followed the Golden Rule? "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them," Matthew 7:12
-- by Lynn Headrick