Author: Tim

By Edd Sterchi – Via Bulletin Gold

 

In Acts 18:24-28, we are introduced to a Christian
named Apollos. He was a great example in spreading
the word of God.

We can certainly learn from His ways. Notice for
example:

* He was mighty in the Scriptures (v.24). He knew the
Word of God, but it is also important to note that he
was always willing to learn them more accurately
(v.26).

* He was eloquent (v.24). He spoke in a manner that
people wanted to hear what he had to say.

* He was fervent in spirit (v.25). He was always
excited about telling God’s truths.

* He spoke boldly (v.26). He was courageous in
presenting the Word of God. He never backed down
from the truth.

* He always proved his point (v.28). He used the
Scriptures to establish that what he was speaking was
from God.

By Joe Slater

 

Hosea wrote during a low point in Israel’s history. While the
nation prospered materially, the people’s spiritual condition was
deplorable. Hmmm. .. sound familiar?

Despite everything the Lord had done for Israel for centuries,
the unthankful nation was “bent on backsliding from Me” (Hosea
11:7). They actually believed their prosperity came not from the
Lord, but from their alliances with pagan trading partners. “For
she did not know that I gave her grain, new wine, and oil, and
multiplied her silver and gold – which they prepared for Baal”
(2:8).

God repeatedly warned His wayward people that He would
take away their blessings and they would suffer (2:9-13).
Because of their false swearing, lying, killing, and adultery,
therefore the land will mourn, and everyone who dwells there
will waste away” (4:2-3). In addition, Israel’s idolatry (spiritual
harlotry against God) would result in severe punishment:
“Therefore people who do not understand will be trampled”
(4:14).

In loving mercy, the Lord pleaded with Israel to return to Him.
“Come, and let us return to the Lord (6:1). “O Israel, return to
the Lord your God” (14:1). *But they do not return to the Lord
their God, nor seek Him for all of this” (7:10). “They return, but
not to the Most High” (7:16).

Does this sound like horrible news? Only for those unwilling
to repent and returm to God! “I will heal their backsliding and
love them freely” (14:4). Jesus cures us from the fatal disease of
sin: “(He) bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we,
having died to sins, might live for righteousness – by whose
stripes you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

Via Bulletin Gold

By Joe Slater

 

Not even the Roman Catholic Church can decide with certainty
which (if any) of three candidates is the real “Saint” Valentine.
One popular view is that he was a “bishop” who kept on
solemnizing marriages despite Roman emperor Claudius II
supposedly banning marriage of soldiers in his army. This
Valentine, so the story goes, was arrested and eventually
martyred. Historical evidence is lacking; even referring to this as
“legend” might be a stretch.

More likely, “Saint Valentine’s Day is yet another attempt to
“Christianize” a pagan holiday. In this case, it’s the feast of
Lupercalia, a fertility festival honoring Faunus, the Roman god
of agriculture. It was celebrated on February 15. Our calendar
puts Valentine’s Day on February 14. Oh well, close enough!

As with Christmas, Easter, and Halloween, celebrating
Valentine’s Day doesn’t make you a pagan. Go ahead, give your
sweetheart a box of chocolates! When people’s minds are
focused on the birth of Christ, it’s a great opportunity to teach t
truth about it. Ditto with the Resurrection. So let’s use this
holiday to teach the truth about marriage!

In American Society Biblical marriage has fallen on hard
times. Currently, 60% of all marriages are preceded by
cohabitation” (foryourmarriage.org/cohabitation/). Hebrews
13:4 says, “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed
undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” Folks,
we have much teaching to do! Let us have the backbone to reject
political correctness, “speaking the truth in love (Ephesiar
4:15).

Via Bulletin Gold

By Joe Slater

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to
Abram and said to him, T am Almighty God; walk before Me
and be blameless'” (Genesis 17:1). God had great plans for
Abram. He would make a great nation of his descendants and
give them the promised land of milk and honey. Eventually the
Savior of mankind would appear through the lineage of Abram.

With such great promises came great expectations. The Lord
wanted Abram’s faithful, obedient behavior. Since Christ is the
fulfillment of the promise, and Christians are heirs of the promise
(Hebrews 6:17), God also expects us to walk before Him and be
blameless. The Lord sees all that we do and knows all we say or
think. Knowledge of His presence should encourage us to be
confident and motivate us to refrain from sin, knowing we cannot
hide from Him.

Walking “after God emphasizes faithful obedience a bit
differently. God, through Moses, told Israel: *You shall walk
after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His
commandments, and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and
hold fast to Him” (Deuteronomy 13:4). They were to follow
God’s leading, not that of the false prophets in the previous verse.
Likewise, we must walk after God, rejecting the false ideas of
men. None of this is new! People who love God have always
endeavored to do His will. Scripture gives credit to two men who
“walked with God” – Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Noah (Genesis
6:9). They lived in harmony with God’s will and enjoyed close
fellowship with Him.

Walk before God! Let the knowledge of His presence
courage and motivate you. Walk after God! Follow the leading
of His word. Walk with God! Live in harmony with His will and
enjoy His fellowship!

By 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

By Brian Mitchell – Via Bulletin Gold

Prayer is something that develops within each of us as we grow in our faith
and understanding. The stronger our belief in God and the more we come to
understand Him and His Word the more prayerful we will become. There are
some childlike elements to prayer that we must never lose, and yet there are
some childish and immature aspects of prayer that we certainly want to
outgrow.

Listen to some of these prayers of children and see what insights you can
gain from them. Debbie, age 7 writes: Dear God: Please send a new baby for
mommy. The new baby you sent last week cries too much. Dear God: Who
did you make smarter? Boys or girls? My sister and I want to know. Jimmy,
age 6. Dear God: How many angels are there in heaven? I would like to be the
first kid in my class to know the answer. Norma, age 8.

Dear God: Thank you for the nice day today. You even fooled the weatherg
man. Hank, age 7. Lois, age 9: Dear God: Please help me in school. I need
help in spelling, adding, writing, history, and geography. I don’t need help inE
anything else. Natalie, age 7: Dear God: Do you have any helpers in heaven?
I would like to be one of your helpers in heaven when I have summer vacation.
Diane, age 8: Dear God: I am saying my prayers for me and my brother, Billy,
because Billy is six months old and he can’t do anything but sleep and wet hist
diapers.

There is a childish misunderstanding of prayer represented here but they get
so much right about God that we sometimes forget about. So much could be
said and should be said about prayer, but for our purposes today I want to say
three things: Prayer is EXPECTED, should not be EXHAUSTED because it
is EFFECTIVE.

If you are like me, then you don’t need to be convinced of the place and
power of prayer. But what I do need to be reminded of often is to make prayer
a priority. I need to be careful to carve out time for prayer and to guard that
time for all of its worth. In order to be more faithful in prayer, I want to suggest
three things to do. First, set a time and a place for prayer. Prayer must be
intentional. Second, remove the things that interfere with prayer. Third, pray
with faith, persistence, and the right motive. And then see what happens!!!

By Seth Myers Via Bulletin Gold

Popular doctrine claims that the Lord will return “secretly” to
take away the saints. As seen on TV, a certain number of people
will simply vanish from the earth! While “the Rapture” may be
exciting, it is simply not scriptural.

Here is what the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) says
will happen “when the Son of Man comes” (Matt. 25:31):

1. When the Lord returns, the entire world will know (Matt.
25:31,32a; 1 Thess. 4:16).

2. “AI|” the angels and faithful dead will be with Him (Matt.
25:31; 2 Thess. 1:7; 1 Thess. 4:14b).

3. The bodies of the dead will be raised [to be reunited with their
spirits] (Jn. 5:28,29a; 1 Thess. 4:16b; 1 Cor. 15:52; cf. Jas.
2:26a).

4. The faithful then living will join the Lord and His saints in
the air” (1 Thess. 4:17).

5. “Earthly” bodies will be “changed” from mortal to immortal
(1 Cor. 15:51,52).

6. Every human being since the beginning of time will stand
before God in judgment (Matt. 25:31,32; 2 Cor. 5:10a; cf. John
5:27; Rom. 14:10; Heb. 9:27).

7. The entire physical Creation will be utterly and permanently
destroyed (2 Pet. 3:10-12).

8. Jesus will “deliver the kingdom,” which He had received and
established after His resurrection/ascension, over to the Father (1
Cor. 15:24; cf. Acts 2:30,3 1 a; Dan. 2:44).

9. Each person will be consigned to one of two eternal destinations-
chosen for themselves while in the body” (Matt. 25:33,41,46; John
5:29; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; cf. 2 Cor. 5:10b).

10. This is called “the last day” (John 5:39,40,44,54; 12:48) and “the
end” (1 Cor. 15:24a).

By Joe Slater

 

Road signs used to urge is to reduce our speed in construction
zones: “Slow! Men At Work!” Political correctness forbids such
gender-specific signs nowadays, but using “slow” to describe the
men instead of our driving (several men leaning on their shovels
while one actually works) still brings a smile to our face.

Usually, we can perceive when men are working. But what
about God? Yes, God works! He worked in the six creation days,
though no human was there to observe it (Genesis 1). He works
in sustaining His creation (Hebrews 1:3). Our five senses don’t
perceive that either.

God works when a sinner obeys the gospel, being “buried with
Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through
faith in the working of God who raised Him from the dead'”
(Colossians 2:13). That’s a spiritual operation not seen by eyes
of flesh.

Does God continue to work in lives after we become
Christians? “It is God who works in you, both to will and to do
for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). Once again, His
working may not be outwardly obvious.

Sometimes we might think God is slow in His work. Job
suffered at great length before God delivered himn. Joseph spent
many years as a slave and a prisoner before God exalted him a
governor of Egypt. But be assured, God knows exactly what He
is doing, and His timing is always impeccable. He always acts in
our best interest!”The Lord is not slack concerning His promises,
as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not
willing that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

By Joe Slater

What do you suppose God’s people were doing on New Year’s
Day roughly 3500 years ago? Would you believe they were
putting up the tabernacle? “On the first day of the first month,
you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting” (Exodus
40:1). “And it came to pass in the first month of the second year,
on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was raised up”
(40:17).

Earlier in Exodus (chapters 25-31) God had given Moses
explicit and detailed instructions about the tabernacle and all of
its furnishings, beginning with this exhortation: “According to
all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the
pattern of all its furnishings, just so shall you make it” (25:9).

The Lord repeated this command several times as He specified
the dimensions, materials, design, etc., of the tabernacle and its
furnishings. “And see to it that you make them according to the
pattern which was shown you on the mountain” (25:40). “And
you shall raise up the tabernacle according to its pattern which
you were shown on the mountain” (26:30). “As it was shown
you on the mountain, shall they make it” (27:8). SO Moses and the Israelites took 

God seriously!”Thus Moses did: according to all that the Lord had 

commanded him, so he did”
(Exodus 40:16).

The tabernacle and things associated with it were a shadow of
the better things Jesus Christ established in the New Covenant.
The Hebrews writer taught that we ought to be even more
diligent to be faithful in the New Covenant than Moses and the
Israelites were in the Old Covenant (Hebrews 2:1-4; 10:28-31).
In this new year, let us renew our determination to follow God’s
pattern set forth in the New Testament!

David R. Ferguson – Via Bulletin Gold

One of my favorite passages of Scripture comes from the pen of the
Psalmist who declared, “FO the Lord taketh pleasure in His people: He
will beautify the meek with salvation” (Psalm 149:4). What a great
statement of love and hope is found within these words!

It’s hard to believe the very Creator of the universe can be moved
with such great emotion by us that we are told “He takes pleasure in
His people,” but He does! The fact of the matter is, the Bible is chock-
full of such wondrous themes of God’s love for mankind, His desire to
be close to us, the joy He wishes so desperately to share with us, and
the great riches of His boundless grace that He so longingly wants to
bestow upon us, that we are really without excuse not to access all of
these.

Let’s take a few moments to consider just a handful of these
wondrous, uplifting passages of Scripture. Do all things without
murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless,
the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse
nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; (Philippians 2:14-
15). Did you hear that? We are sons of God! We are to be His lights in
a dark, dying and desperately-lost-in-sin world!

But the Apostle Paul tells us God recognizes those who come to Him
through His Son in obedient, saving faith as His children! What a great
delight that is to know! It’s also worth noting that God expects His
children to “do all things without murmurings.” Does that really
describe us, or are we individuals who constantly go around looking at
other people and things to complain about and criticize?

When Jesus came to the Earth, Light was found in the world again!
That Light was coming from a manger in Bethlehem when our Savior,
Jesus, was born. He is the Light of the world. He has brought spiritual
Light to this very dark, dying world. This spiritual Light must be
received to be seen. With an obedient faith we believe, and God saves
us and gives us eternal life. The darkness is thick, but the Light of Jesus
can penetrate anything. Even your hard heart if need be.