Author: Tim

By Rob Albright

When the women came to the tomb of Jesus, an angel met them and said “He is not here” (Mt. 28:6). Jesus was not in the tomb. It was empty. Even though a large stone was blocking the entrance and even though the tomb was guarded, the fact is, the tomb was empty. So, what happened? Luke states the truth in Acts 2:24 when he said, God raised Him. That message of Jesus’ resurrection must be preached. The resurrection verifies Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God.

This truth was confirmed when Jesus appeared to His disciples (John 20). Paul said that Jesus even appeared to over 500 people and most were alive in 56 AD (1 Cor. 15:6) The resurrection benefits us. It gives us a living hope (1 Peter 1:3) and if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, burial, and resurrections, we shall be in the likeness of His resurrection (Romans 6:1-5).

Via Bulletin Gold “Christ the Lord is risen

By Ron Bartanen

Among the many witty and thought-provoking bits of wisdom that has come my way on the Internet recently was this observation: “The truth is that most of us decide what lies we want to believe.” Prejudices abound in such realms as politics, culture and religion. True objectivity in separating fact from fiction is hard to find. We are universally affected by our backgrounds, friends and environment. A truly subjective seeking after truth in a multitude of areas of life is difficult, if not entirely impossible, to find. The result is a divided society, often resulting in chaos and even war. Life, thereby, becomes a burden upon mankind as each seeks his own way. The natural inclination of man is to seeka way that will harmonize with his own prejudices and preferences. The problem is rooted within our own degenerate hearts, which the Bible describes as deceitful in all things, And desperately wicked” (Jeremiah17:9).

God’s answer to man’s predicament is a person-His own Son, Who declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Through Jesus, God has reconciled believers to Himself, through the crucifixion of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18-21), uniting us with Him who is the embodiment of truth. While our minds and hearts seek to feed us an assortment of lies, in Christ we are afforded the totality of truth, as He declared to His disciples: “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:32). (continued on inside of bulletin)

That truth affects every facet of the believer’s worldview and conduct. We open our hearts to Satan’s lies if our hearts are not guarded by this truth, as Paul declared of those who did not love the truth, “For this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12). The choice is ours.

(Via Bulletin Gold)

By Ron Thomas

 

None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to Goda ransom for him (For the redemption of their life is costly, And ii faileth for ever), (Psalm 49:7-8, ASV) We live on this earth with the prospect of making our lives pleasant and easier than the generation before us. We know that we don’t always achieve what we set out to accomplish, but it does not stop us from trying. In this trying there is hope of success.

None of this is new to us. Unfortunately, as we set about to do this, we come nearer to the end of our individual lives before we accomplish it or think that we do. We then think about how we have lived our lives and wonder if we were (are) a blessing, a help, or a hindrance to others in the way we have lived. More than that, we think about our lives and wonder about the Lord’s response to the way we lived. “Have I done enough to be pleasing to the Lord?” and Will He receive me into His kingdom?” eternal Some of us are fortunate to have accumulated some means, some wealth. “Surely, if the Lord was not with me, I would not have what He gave me we think.

We transfer that thinking to “It must be the case the Lord is pleased with me, for how else can my wealth be explained?” never thinking it might be from the world (cf. 2 Cor. 4:4) this of god The passage in Psalm 49 is a reminder that no matter what a person accumulates, there is no wealth available to a person that is satisfactory in redeeming (purchasing) a person from the throngs of Hell.

Equally important on this theme is: no matter how gracious a person is, how charitable to others a person is, without the Lord Jesus directing their life in faithful obedience to His will, all is lost, even one’s soul.

Via Bulletin Gold

By Greg Gwin

At your weakest moment, that’s when Satan will tempt you to sin. Our adversary is no fool. He’s not going to waste time and effort by working against your strengths. He will attack you when you are the weakest and where you are most vulnerable. Here’s an example: Someone has had harsh words to say about you. They have assumed the worst. impugned your motives, jumped to false conclusions, spread rumor and innuendo about you. How will you react? You are angry. hurt, insulted, disgusted. The strong temptation is to strike back, to get even, to put this person “in his place”. But. you must not submit to the temptation.

God’s word says. “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone… Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:17,21), It’s hard to follow this instruction at the moment, because you are weak and vulnerable. But this course of action is best- the Lord says so, and our Own experience bears this out.

During such times of weakness and vulnerability, we should pray as David did, “Set a guard, 0 Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice deeds of wickedness with men who do iniquity; and do not let me eat of their delicacies” (Ps. 141:3,4). We’ve been warned that Satan has many “devices” (2 Cor. 2:11). Chief among these is his ability to detect our weaknesses and attack us there. Please realize that you must work hardest during your weakest moments, because that is when Satan is at work against you.

Via..Bulletin Digest

Joseph D. Chase

It really is up to you! You can see the myriad of problems that plague us in this world and worry about them. You can complain about them, You could curse them or many other actions. However, there is only one way that we, God’s family, ought to respond to these troubles…

God has given us the opportunity to shine our lights before men and so glorify the God of heaven (Matthew 5:16). I can decide to work for the Lord and right wrongs that I see, lift up the broken and hurting. I can become a part of God’s solution for a lost and dying world…”Go out and make disciples..”, visit the poor, the widowed, the orphan (James 1:27), offer a simple cup of cool water in the name of our Lord Jesus. When we do the Lord’s work it makes the world a better place. We bless and are blessed when we view problems as opportunities.

It won’t be easy, but I assure you it will be worthwhile.

Via Bulletin Gold

C.S. Lewis was born in Belfast, Ireland in 1898 and became a prolific Irish writer and scholar. He is best known for his ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ fantasy series and his pro-Christian texts, especially his collection of radio talks that were published under the title “Mere Christianity Following his graduation from Oxford he was given a teaching position at Magdalen College where he formed friendships with other intellectuals. It was through conversations with this group that he was re-introduced to Christianity.

He would become famous for his work as an apologist, explaining his beliefs through logic and philosophy. Lewis defines four types of love derived from these Greek terms: Agape is the highest form of love unconditional and all encompassing, the love of God Eros is romantic loving, a bond common to the celebration Valentine’s Day Storge is affection and familial love, such as the deep bond for a child Philia represents the love of friends and intertwined relationships Lewis said, “Agape is all giving, not getting…Giving money is only one way of showing charity; to give time and toil is far better and (for most of us) harder.”

Paul said, Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

(special thanks to Biography.com Editors)

Grand Blanc church of Christ

A churchgoer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. “1’ve gone for 30 years now, ” he wrote, “and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one of them. So, I think l’m wasting my time and the preachers are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all.”

This started a controversy in the “Letters to the Editor column, to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

I’ve been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals but I do know this: They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!”

Via Bulletin Digest

Foy E. Wallace, Jr.

The idea that one is first saved by some mystical or mystified. unintelligible or intangible process, and afterwards joins some church” is a common religious delusion. Yet, there is no truth more plainly emphasized in the Bible than the fact that the process of being saved is the process of entering the church (Acts 2:47).

1. It is affirmed in Acts 4:12 that salvation is in Christ. Then, to have salvation, one must get into Christ. But Paul, by analogy, in Ephesians 5:30, teaches that as husband and wife are one, so Christ and the church are one. “I speak concerning Christ and the church,” he said. Christ and the church being one, how can one be in Christ and out of the church?

2. Paul makes the fact that Christ is “the saviour of the body” (5:23) the ground of his exhortation to the Ephesians concerning the church as the bride of Christ (5:25). He washed it and sanctified it, cleansed and saved it, purchased it with His blood and redeemed it, reconciles us to God in it, and adds all the saved to it. Therefore, out of the church there is no cleansing, no blood, no redemption, no reconciliation to God, no salvation.

3. The relation between Christ and the church is the same as that which exists between God and Christ. Christ is the “fullness” of God (Col. 1:19), and the church is the “fullness” of Christ (Eph. 1:22). Therefore, no man can come to Christ and ignore the church for the same reason that no man can come to God and ignore Christ.

We exhort the unsaved to come to Christ, “gladly receive the word,” be “baptized into Christ,” and the Lord will add you to His church.

Via Bulletin Gold

By David Bragg

A condemned house filled with junk in St. Cloud, FL was being demolished in April 2014. Clearing the debris, they realized that the crumbling chimney was in danger of collapsing. That’s when a worker heard a metallic sound. The ensuing investigation quickly turned into a hectic treasure hunt as jar after jar stuffed with old coins were pulled from the rickety chimney. In the end they had recovered over 2,000 coins that had been stored for decades in old glass pickle jars. The oldest of the coins dated back to 1917. (Orlando Sentinel)

Who would have thought that an old dilapidated house, an unstable chimney, and dusty glass pickle jars would contain anything of value?

That’s how many look at the Bible. To many people today, some who may have never opened the cover to look inside, the Bible is an old, outdated book that has nothing to contribute to our modern, enlightened society.

They see God’s Word as out-of-touch as those who believe it. They fail to realize that the Bible is just as relevant today as it was on the day it was written. The Bible is … Eternal (Isaiah 40:8); Truth (John 17:1); Saves (1 Corinthians 15:2); Inspired (2 Timothy 3:15-17);: Living and powerful (Hebrews 4:12); Implanted in the heart (James Enduring 1:21); (1 Peter 1:22-2:3).

You may never find an old chimney filled with a pickle jar treasure trove, but you can hold in your hand God’s inspired and saving Word. By reading it you will be blessed. By living it you will become better. By following it you will be saved.

Via Bulletin Gold

Ron Thomas

The greatest battle a Christian has to engage in is the battle with self; it’s never-ending. There is knowledge about what to do, how to do it, but weakness in making it happen.

The Christian knows what to do because the Lord revealed it, the Christian also knows how to get it done because, again, the Lord revealed it. Yet, the application is difficult when the person engaged in the battle struggles with the weakness of the flesh, it’s such a powerful warrior. When Paul used the expression he counseled the preacher, Timothy, to prepare himself for the battle ahead. Herein was how he was to engage.

First, he had God’s gift (1:18).

Second, the faith he had was to be fully in place with a good conscience (1:19).

Third, he was renminded of those who threw away their first love, using their failure as an example of what not to do (1:20).

We can learn from this.

Via Bulletin Gold