Author: Tim

Ron Thomas Via Bulletin Gold

In the parable of the invitation, the king sent out his
invitations to his subjects, bidding them to come to the
wedding feast. Those special invitations were refused. The
king took great exception to this slight. It is a matter of good
judgment to accept the king’s invitation; when he is refused,
the effect of this is mockery, saying he is not worthy of the
invitee’s time. The response of the king was wrath.

This parable refers in application to Israel. They received
the Lord’s invitation (the King of kings), but they refused
His offer of salvation. They knew not they were lost, though
the King did. Instead, they were comfortable in their
environment, and they wanted no upheaval in their lives or
time, even for a few hours. The King deemed them
unworthy; thus, He sent His invitations to people the
originally invited guests disdained (cf. Acts 22:21-23).

Lesson: invitations from others are not to be summarily
dismissed as unworthy of your time, for the one who invites
will not forget. When an invitation comes from the King of
kings, and this invitation is rejected, He who invited will not
forget. It was Jesus who said, “Come unto me, all ye that
labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my
yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in
heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is
easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30, ASV).

We are all tired, and the Lord offers rest. The King is
inviting us to come to Him. Wisdom will take Him up on
the offer.

Ron Thomas Via Bulletin Gold

In our Bible class discussion on Wednesday night, I gave
attention to forgiveness and the Law of Moses. Let me elaborate
on that a little more. Forgiveness is always a matter of God’s
declaration; it is His gift to those who obey Him. Since it has
always been the case that one is justified by faith, then those
justified by the Lord receive the forgiveness of sins.

But, in the context of the Levitical setting, there is something
much different. The Lord brought a nation (Israel) from out of
another nation (Egypt). The new nation formed by the Lord was
to be to all people God’s kingdom of priests (Ex. 19:6). The Lord
brought them from Egypt and placed them in Canaan (Palestine)
to be His shining light in a dark world. Before He led them to the
land of promise, He gave Israel His covenant law, the foundation
being the Ten Words (Commandments). As a nation they lived
according to that, and all other laws were built upon that
foundation.

From Hebrews 10:4, we learn the blood of animals can’t
remove sins, but in Leviticus we learn the men (males) offered
blood sacrifices, a sweet aroma to the Lord. Women did not do
this. In fact, regarding women, when they offered sacrifices, this
was in relation to childbirth and their menstrual cycles. Were the
men only ones forgiven? Not hardly! If that were so, then in what
way was there atonement (Lev. 1:5), or forgiveness (the word
“forgive” is only used 10 times in the book of Leviticus (ASV),
and it is always in relation to sacrifices)?
Since the blood of animals could not remove sin, but one was
forgiven with the blood of animals in specific sacrifices, what
gives? The forgiveness granted was not a personal application,
but one that was “corporate”, or, in other words, forgiveness was
granted to the individual family through the head of the house.
With this being the case, sacrifices in the national context
perpetuated the nation of God’s people, meeting the principle of
Exodus 19:6.


When the nation was loyal to the Lord, they were effective
in their mission work. When they were not loyal to the
Lord, the Lord warned them His protective barrier was
going to come doWn. They refused to listen, and they paid
the price for their disobedience. Finally, the Lord brought
Israel to an end (Mt. 23:37-39; Rom. 15:8) and established
a new Israel, the church of Christ (Rom, 9:6).

Bill Brandstatter Via Bulletin Gold

Too many folks look upon church attendance as being
secondary to anything else on their schedule. They are not
opposed to religion. They may even look upon it as a vital part
of life; but they have no conscience against neglecting it. Perhaps
the attitude is: “Ill go to church if nothing comes up, or if I am
not too tired.” But to stay away because we have so many other
engagements or because we have so little strength left is like
staying away from the dinner table because we are too hungry to
go to the table. The Bible tells us that this was not uncommon in
the first century. The writer of HebrewS notes “not forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some…”
(Heb. 10:25a).


What then does the church have to offer that a person cannot
get anywhere else? One man said, “I do not go to church anymore
because I can get what the church has to offer in better form
elsewhere.” When the church gets into the business of offering
the world what the world already has, it is in the wrong business,
and is not the church of the New Testament. The mission of
God’s church is to save souls (Luke 19:10; Markl6:16; Acts 8:4).
God’s power for saving souls is in the gospel of Christ (Rom.
1:16). It is the mission of the church to preach the gospel.

The church offers a family atmosphere to believers not found
elsewhere. The early church was said to be “together and had all
things common.” (Acts 2:42) Each member of the church is
important. The church is to offer assistance to the believer in need
(1 John 3:17). The church is where the saved are (Acts 2:47).

Their names are enrolled in heaven (Heb. 12:23). Where else can
men have fellowship, communion with God and associations that
they have in the church? In what other institution can we find the
same assurance? Where else is offered the hope of everlasting
life?

It is with heavy hearts that we share that Betty Ann Gray, a founding member of our congregation and wife to a beloved school principal, Cecil E. Gray Middle School’s namesake, passed away February 8th.

Mr. and Mrs. Gray left a legacy of love and kindness, especially towards the students of Cecil E. Gray Middle School.  The family is requesting that in lieu of flowers, that donations be made to the Gray Family Student Needs Fund.

Gray Family Student Needs Fund

Bill Brandstatter Via Bulletin Gold

There are times in our Iives when we must trust other
people. As a small child, I trusted my parents to provide for
my needs. When I started working, I trusted my employer
to give me a paycheck. When I have medical needs, I trust
a health care professional. Sometimes, I may question a
decision that is made. I might decide not to take a
recommended procedure. I might decide to refuse treatment:
but, ultimately, I have to put my trust in someone else.

What about our spirituality? I must trust what God says.
I might not like what He says. I may decide not to do what
He says, but, ultimately, we will all stand before Him (2 Cor.
5:10). We will be judged by what we knew and what we
obeyed (John 12:48). Many people trust themselves for
spirituality. They make up their own rules and ideas about
what it means to be spiritual.. Often those ideas are far from
God’s. The apostle Paul described some who “Became
futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were
darkened” (Rom. 1:21). He also mentioned that they did not
like to retain God in their knowledge (Rom. 1:28).

I must trust God for any information about heaven. God
is the source of all information about Himself, Jesus, the
Holy Spirit, Christianity, Heaven, and Hell. God says not
everyone is going to heaven (Matt. 7:21-24). God says just
professing Him will not get a person to heaven (Matt. 7:21).
God indicates that just prayer will not save (John 9:21; Isa.
59:1,2). God tells us that baptism is a must to be saved
(Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3:2). God tells us that
baptism is a burial (Rom. 6:3). Whom do you trust regarding
these matters?

By Bill Brandstatter Via Bulletin Gold

I was talking to a lady once about the second coming of
Christ. She stated, “I am not ready yet.” I thought about
what that statement revealed and what it can tell us.st
First, being ready is not on my terms, but on Christ’s.
I must do what He wants me to do. His word will be the
basis for judgment (Jn. 12:48). I cannot get ready by my
own merit or standard. Jesus warned us to be ready and
on the alert. To be ready means I have made the proper
preparation. Preparation requires effort. To the
persecuted Christians in the first century, Peter
encourages them to “add to your faith (2 Pet. 1:5).


Second, being ready being watchful. The Bible uses
the term “watch” to describe the day of the second
coming of Christ. He will only come back once. We
don’t know when, only the Father knows. If I am
watchful in anything, I am on guard. I watch those items
which will damage me. I watch to make sure the items
I need are the ones I have. Watching for the second
coming of Christ works the same way. Jesus used this
term. Watch means to be on the lookout or to be aware
of what is going on around us.

Third, being ready doesn’t mean we wait till the last
minute. Too many people have a lot of “baggage” they
want to get rid of before Christ comes back. I am
convinced that if the Bible gave us an exact time the
Lord would return, there would be some who would
wait untila split second before to get things right; but
we are not told the time; therefore, any minute we wait
could be the last minute.

By Joe Slater Via Bulletin Gold

Do you look like God? Every human is made in His
image, yet people’s physical appearance varies widely.

If we had lived while Jesus walked the earth, we
could have pointed to Him and truly said, “There goes
God!” Jesus Himself told Philip, “He who has seen Me
has seen the Father” (John 14:9). But the Bible says
precious little of how He looked except that He was
ordinary (Isaiah53:2).Fast-forward past the Renaissance
painters who depict Him as an effeminate,stringy-haired,
blue-eyed European!

Facial features, height, weight, and skin tone don’t
make you look like God anyway! Such characteristics
may indicate that you have your parents’ genes, and that
may become more obvious as the years pass.

But the passing of those same years ought to make
us, as God’s children, look more like Him. We are to be
transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans
12:2). That transformation is what makes us a reflection
of God in His glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Look at Jesus! I don’t mean His physical attributes;
those aren’t the point. Look at His attitude; see His love;
ponder His purpose; observe His selfless sacrifice. You
ought to be notably more like Him than you were a year
ago… five years ago… ten years ago.
Do you look like God?

Joe Slater Via Bulletin Gold

While salary is obviously important, job hunters know hat
benefits can be equally or more important. Health insurance, paid
vacation, retirement, sick days, and other considerations may tip
the scale as to whether one accepts an employer’s offer.

Becoming a Christian isn’t a perfect parallel to being
employed, so don’t make more of this illustration than you
should, God doesn’t “owe” us anything for working for Him!
Nevertheless, by His grace He provides valuable benefits to Hlis
willing servants. That was true even under the Law of Moses.
David exclaimed, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all
His benefits” (Psalm 103:2). Psalm 116:12 rhetorically asks,
“What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me?”

Do we recognize and appreciate the benefits of being a
Christian? Let’s start with the most obvious one: forgiveness of
sins, God washed us completely clean in the blood of the Lamb.
Our debt is paid in full!

That naturally results in eternal life. We have a new life in
Christ now, and we know that when our physical life ends, we
will continue to live with the Lord.

In the meanwhile, we enjoy the privilege of prayer. Through
our mediator, Jesus Christ, we can approach the Father’s throne
of grace boldly, knowing that He will hear and answer ín
whatever way is best according to His infinite wisdom and love.

These benefits are but the beginning of a virtually endless list
of advantages Christians have. And remember, we earned none
of them, Our loving Father provides them by His grace.

What other benefits can you list?

Dan C. Balley Via Bulletin Gold
(This is part two of two)

It is beneficial to make good resolutions for the New Year.
When we reflect upon the past and plan for the future,
resolutions are very helpful. How could we ever improve
ourselves without resolving to do so? Here is another
resolution which will help us all to have a happy and blessed
New Year.

Let Us Resolve…To Teach Others What We Know

Jesus gave the great commission to the apostles. “And Jesus
came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto
me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am
with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen”
(Matt. 28:18-20). Now think about it for a moment. If Jesus
commanded His apostles to teach the lost, and then
commanded them to observe all things which He
commanded them, then Jesus by implication has given the
great commission to the disciples who were taught by the
apostles. Then, they in turn taught the great commission to
others whom they taught. So today, as Christians, we are to
teach others the gospel and then baptize them in the name
of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. In a parallel
passage we read, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the
world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that
believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15-16).

Dan C. Bailey Via Bulletin Gold

(This is part one of two – part two will be next week)

It is beneficial to make good resolutions for the New
Year. When we reflect upon the past and plan for the
future, resolutions are very helpful. How could we ever
improve ourselves without resolving to do so? Here are
some resolutions which will help us all to have a happy
and blessed New Year.

Let Us Resolve…

To Read The Bible Daily…
This is a simple resolution, and one that all Christians
should make. If not, then why not? The Bible is the
inspired and inerrant Word of God. It will strengthen
our souls, guide our feet, and help us to have the best
year possible. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a
light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). “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” (II Tim. 3:16-
17). “I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as
much as in all riches” (Psalmn 119:14).