Author: Tim

By Bob Prichard Via Bulletin Gold

“Cogito, ergo sum”I think, therefore I am” is perhaps the most
famous philosophical statement ever made. Scientist and philosopher
René Descates wrote these wvords in his Discourse on Method (1637).
He reasoned logically that since he was able to think, he knew he
existed. He continued to reason from this point that God exists.

Louis XIV had a different philosophy: “1’etat, c’est moi””I am the
state.” It is not surprising that he would come to this conclusion in view
of the fact that he reigned as king over France for seventy-two years.
His absolute monarchy set a pattern followed in several other European
countries. No doubt his style of tyrannical behavior contributed to the
bloody French revolution of 1789.

Anna B. Warner penned a philosophy for all of us, however, with
her words, “Jesus loves me! This I know, For the Bible tells me so.” In
her 1860 hymn we find words of comfort and strength! This hymn isa
favorite with children, but all of us can benefit from the words written
for her Bible class of West Point cadets.JG Dilh 2i5 oies

Even if you missed every other doctrinal point in the New
Testament, surely you could not miss this one. “For when we were yet
without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely
for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some
would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in
that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8).

*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).

“Jesus loves me! He who died, Heaven’s gate to open wide; He will
wash away my sin, Let his little child come in. Yes, Jesus loves me;
Yes, Jesus loves me; Yes, Jesus loves me, The Bible tells me so.”

Edd Sterchi Via Bulletin Gold

Oftentimes a prayer will begin this way: “Let us pray..” Since Paul
was one who imitated Christ in his life (cf. 1 Cor. 11:1), maybe we
should alter the phrase to, “Let us pray like Paul did.” How did Paul
pray? There is a good example of how he prayed in 2 Cor. 12:8 where
he himself prayed pertaining to an affliction, “Concerning this thing I
pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.” To
pray like Paul did we must pray …

. . . specifically. Paul prayed “concerning” that particular infirmity
(.e. the thon in his flesh, 2 Cor. 12:7). We would do well in our
personal prayers to be very personal. We should pray concerning
specific matters in our life. Our personal prayers are just between us
and God. That is why we are to go to a very private place when we pray
(cf. Matt. 6:6). Personal prayers are not the time to generalize.

. . . entreatingly. Paul “pleaded with the Lord.” It is important that we
pour out our hearts and emotions before the Lord. With our innermost
feelings we should let our “requests be made known to God” (Phil.
4:6).

. . . repeatedly. Paul prayed “three times.” Too many times, we pray
for something once (if even that) and let it go. Pray about it over and
over again. We need to remember that Jesus Himself taught the
importance of persistence in prayer (cf. Luke 18:1-8). Indeed, let us
“pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17).

. . . purposefully. Paul prayed concerning this burden “that it might
depart.” We should also pray with great purpose and intent-with much
resolve and determination. We should always “continue earnestly in
prayer, being vigilant in it” (Col. 4:2).

Paul’s prayer was answered, albeit not the way he initially desired.
But his prayer was heard and answered with what was best for him. Let
us all takea lesson from this great man of prayer and resolve to improve
our own prayer lives. Now, “Let us pray…”

By Glen Elliott Via Bulletin Gold

People cannot change truth, but truth can change people.” Truth
has always been one of life’s most precious commodities.
Solomon, the wise king of Israel, advised his son to buy the truth
and not sell it (Proverbs 23:23). What is so special about truth?
It doesn’t change. It abides forever. It can be relied upon.

In this world, deception is the order of the day. We are well
advised to examine everything carefully. The misrepresentation
and distortion of truth leads to tragedy. We hear of some losing
their life’s savings because they believed a lie. Truth is precious
because people can be deceived.

In the spiritual realm, dependence on truth carries eternal
significance. The word of God is our only reliable guide to
heaven. The psalmist says, “The sum of Your word is truth and
every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting” (Psalm
119:160). Sadly, there are many who misrepresent the truth. For
this reason, we must test all that we hear by comparing it to the
word of God (Acts 17:11). We cannot risk our eternal well-being
by blindly accepting the words of men. Instead, our faith must
rest on the teaching of our Lord.

Jesus said, “everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin”
(John 8:34), The question of slavery had been introduced earlier,
when Jesus said: If you abide in My word, then you are truly
disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth
shall make you free” (vv. 31-32). Insisting on the truth and
adhering to it is essential because only the truth sets us free from
the bondage of sin.

We cannot change the truth. We can exchange it for a lie; but
that lie will not set our souls free from sin. We cannot change the
truth, but we can let the truth change us as we earnestly seek Its
teachings and follow its precepts.

By Edd Sterchi Via Bulletin Gold

Zechariah’s prophecy of Jesus in chapter 9 and
Verse 9 is most interesting: Rejoice
greatly…behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he, humble and
mounted on a donkey…” (ESV)

First, we must note from this that Jesus is king!
He is above all else. He took part in the creation of
everything. He is not only a king, He is THE king.
He is all powerful. And He can become our personal
king.

Next, we must notice that Jesus is humble and
righteous! While upon the earth, He never sinned
and was always going about serving others. He was
concerned about all people and always put them
above Himself. Also, He obeyed the Father’s will
perfectly.

Finally, we must see that Jesus brings salvation!
It could come no other way. He had to be sacrificed
for us to have the opportunity of redemption.

If I was to glean one main thing from this passage,
it would be this: The thing about King Jesus is that
He is perfect and He can make us perfectly fit for
heaven!

Edd Sterchi Via Bulletin Gold
 
Did you know that our English words think”
and thank” come from the same root? I believe
that brings forth an important concept. Our
thankfulness is based upon our think”fullness.
In other words, we can always give thanks if we
just give it some thought.
 
That’s what David seems to be doing in the
103rd Psalm. He begins by saying “Bless the
LORD” (v.1). That phrase in the Hebrew means
to express gratitude. He then states, “And forget
not all His benefits” (v.2). David then goes on to
list a few “benefits” of knowing the Lord, like
forgiveness and healing (v.3), protection and
blessings in life (v.4), food and revival of spirit (v.5)
on and on he goes.
 
As David thought upon the benefits that God
gives, his response was to thank Him. We should
be no different. No matter what circumstances
the world puts in our life, we can always thank
God- if we’ll just take some time to think on
Him! Think on what He has done and has
promised to do. So give it a try – think and you
will thank!
 

Via Bulletin Gold

I am the flag of the United states of America. I was
born on June 14, 1777 in Philadelphia. There the
Continental Congress adopted my stars and stripes as
the national flag.

My thirteen stripes, alternating red and white, with a
union of thirteen white stars on a field of blue
represented a new constellation, a new nation dedicated
to the personal and religious liberty of mankind. Today
fifty stars signal from my union one for each of the
fifty sovereign states in the greatest constitutional
republic the world has ever known.

My colors symbolize the patriotic ideals and spiritual
qualities of the citizens of my country.

My red stripes proclaim the fearless courage and
integrity of American men and women and the self-
sacrifice and devotion of American fathers and mothers.

My white stripes stand for liberty and equality for all.

My blue is the blue of heaven, loyalty, and faith.

I am the flag. I symbolize all that is uplifting and good
about our country.

David Bragg Via Bulletin Gold

The HOP Shops Food Marts and Truck Plazas in northern
Kentucky is a popular destination for visitors. Specifically.
their restrooms! Select locations feature a button on the
bathroom wall with a “Do Not Push This Button” sign.
Those who push it are bathed in bright colorful lights
reflected in a mirror ball with upbeat disco music playing
over the PA system. The “Home of the Famous Disco
Bathrooms,” HOP Shops boast online of their status as
“America’s Cleanest Restrooms” (hopshops.com). Their
attraction is built on the proven strategy that the best way to
get some people to do something is to order them NOT to
do something.

It is significant that the New Testament closes with a dire
warning to not twist and transfigure God’s inspired word
(Rev. 22:18-19). It is a huge “Do Not Push This Button”
sign that is ignored by many professing Christians in a
multi-denominated religious world.

Biblical Christianity is under siege in a modern world that
rejects God’s truth for human desires. This is the very thing
Paul warned about in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, For the time will
come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but
according to their own desires … they will heap up for
themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away
from the truth.” Jude recognized our need to possess,
proclaim and preserve the one, only and forever “common
salvation” (Jude 3) presented in God’s inspired word. That
is the truth God wants us to preach and practice.

Bob Prichard by Via Bulletin Gold

Greek philosopher and teacher Plato used his real life
teacher Socrates to share his philosophical views. In The
Republic, he records a scene of Socrates describing a cave
where a group of men are tied down so that all they can see
are the shadows reflected on the wall as objects are held up
before a fire behind them. They see the shadow of a book,
and think they see the real thing. When a man escapes from
the cave, he is at first blinded by the bright sunlight, but soon
realizes he is seeing the real thing for the first time. When
he tries to tell the others, they reject him and hold to their
own shadow reality.

Paul encouraged the Colossians against the Judaizing
teachers, telling them that as Christ gave his life for us, he
was “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was
against us, nailing it to his cross” (Colossians 2:14). Since
they were no longer under the Law of Moses, Paul said, Let
no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect
of an holyday, or the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of
Christ” (Colossians 2:16-17).

The Jews thought that their holy days, new moons and
Sabbath days were the real thing but they were in fact only
shadows of the greater reality of the New Covenant and the
heavenly kingdom. “For the law having a shadow of good
things to come, and not the very image of the things, can
never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year
continually make the comers there unto perfect” (Hebrews
10:1). How privileged we are to live under the new covenant
of Christ, and to look forward to being in the heavenly
kingdom! We have not the shadow, but the real thing.

Edd Sterchi Via Bulletin Gold

The nation of Israel had escaped slavery from Egypt.
But now they found themselves being pursued by their
former captors. At the shore of the Red Sea they felt that
they were trapped. Many of them thought about going
back to Egypt into slavery. Others were bemoaning
their current dilemma. The LORD then said to Moses,
“Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to
go forward” (Exodus 14:15). Other Bible versions have
God saying for them to “move on.” God has always
wanted His people to trust in Him and keep moving
forward.

This got me to thinking about God’s people today.
Many seem to have the same mindset as the Israelites.
Some desire to go back to their life they had before
Christ (of living in the bondage of sin). Others do not
look to the future with hope and bewail their current
problems. But we need to be people who trust in God
and keep moving forward. Don’t look back – keep
moving forward in faith, trust, hope, service, spiritual
growth, love, forgiveness.

“Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to
them, that your progress may be evident to all.”
(1Timothy 4:15)

John Gipson Via Bulletin Gold

If I read the signs of the times correctly, we consider
tolerance to be the greatest sin imaginable. Tolerance,
on the other hand, has been exalted to the chief of all
virtues. And woe to that person who would speak out
against any religion or claim that Christ is the only way
to the Father. Such intolerance!

Forgive me ifI have the sneaking suspicion that there
are those who are willing to tolerate everything because
they believe nothing. If everything is innocuous,
toleration is easy

Apparently, the only exception the tolerant are willing
to make is intolerance to those whom they perceive to
be intolerant. In that case, no quarter will be given, and
toleration vanishes.

But what if Caballero was right when he said, “Error
tolerates, truth condemns.”?

What if Jesus was speaking the truth when He said, “I
am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one comes to
the Father but by me'”? Where is your toleration now?

Preachers would do well to heed the words of
Elizabeth Achtemcier: “As preacher, your job is to
preach the text, not apologize for it.” And that goes
for all of us who seek to share the gospel of Christ.