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Tuesday, 21. May 2002
What It Means to Be Thankful neale, May 21, 2002 at 4:53:00 AM BST
by A. A. Neale I tried the dictionary and came away unsatisfied. It threw thankful and grateful back and forth between entries. I consulted the Bible research tools, and they did better. But their definitions were dry and lifeless. Then I found the perfect definition. "Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan" (Luke 17:15-16, NASB). Perhaps I may do this definition no violence by taking it in parts. First, the lone leper saw that he had been healed. Being thankful means noticing that something good has happened. Something very good. Second, he turned back. Sure, he was off to see the temple priest to be declared clean, but some things were more important than getting reintegrated back into society. Like appearing before one's Benefactor. Third, he glorified God. With a loud voice. Now, I'm the silent type. But I'm trying to get loud. Gratitude amplifies the voice with joyful singing and heart-felt praise. Fourth, he fell on his face before Jesus. The dusty feet of this traveling Teacher must have been the most glorious sight in the world to this man. Fifth, he knew who he was, a Samaritan. He knew he didn't deserve his cure. Perhaps the other nine, Jews all, thought they had it coming as God's chosen people. This man understood that he had just been blessed for no earthly reason. And that took him to see a heavenly motive. There you have it. The best definition of gratitude I could find. Now to just live it. Monday, 20. May 2002
The Giving of Forgiveness randal, May 20, 2002 at 5:43:00 PM BST
by Randal Matheny In those depressing, despairing moments when I have seen clearly my sin, I wonder, how can God forgive? Why would he even want to forgive me? How can I be worth forgiving? My friend Francisco Bezerra, editor of Edificação Magazine, mentioned to me last week that in several languages he checked, among them English, French, Portuguese, and Latin, the word "give" inheres in the term for forgiveness. Literally, God gives forgiveness. GOD'S GIFT IS REALLY FREE Indeed, God's forgiveness doesn't mark "Paid in Full" after we have settled all accounts, but gives what we can't possibly pay off. Free. God (for)gives with no strings attached. Take a gander at these verses: "[All] are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3.24, NIV). "We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us" (1 Cor. 2.12). ". . . To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life" (Rev. 21.7b). ". . . Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life" (Rev. 22.17b). So it's not a cute coincidence that giving inheres in forgiveness. For it is a free gift. GIFTS MUST BE ACCEPTED Gifts can be and have been refused. God respects our free will. He doesn't force forgiveness upon us. He extends it to all, so that John the Baptist can say, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1.29). The offer is good to anybody, anywhere, any time. That's why Paul will say that the living God "is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe" (1 Tim. 4.9). He is the Savior of all, potentially, and of those who believe, actually. God awaits the acceptance of his gift. Scripture describes our acceptance of God's gift in various ways. One is "to receive" Jesus (John 1.12), the Spirit of God (Gal. 3.2), or God's grace (2 Cor. 6.1). In the latter passage, Paul even contemplates the possibility of receiving grace in vain. And John laments that "his own [people, the Jews] did not receive him" (1.11). The Word also describes this acceptance process as obedience. Jesus is the source or cause of salvation to those who obey him (Heb. 5.9). In his message, Peter call upon the witness of "the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him" (Acts 5.32). Thus, there is the offer, the acceptance (receiving, obeying, etc.), and the actual giving. Receiving and obeying are general terms. They include the hearing, believing, repenting, confessing, immersing and faithful living necessary for salvation. (Another time,we'll delve into these.) A GIVING GOD God enjoys giving. (Check out Jas. 1.5, for example.) It seems the first thing he did after creating man was to bless him and give him food. Again, in Christ, God gives forgiveness. To those who will accept and receive it. Best of all, he gives forgiveness to those of us who still shake our heads in wonder when we see the enormity of our sin. We get a glimpse then of the size of the gift. Sunday, 19. May 2002
Innocent Blood efsmith, May 19, 2002 at 1:47:00 PM BST
by Emmett Smith According to some sources, an ancient Chinese curse was invoked by the phrase “may you live in interesting times”. It’s my contention that we certainly live in interesting times these days. As just one example, let’s look at the recent history of abortion, or “choice” as some insist we call it. Lord willing, we’ll examine some more examples in weeks to come.There was a time when Christians might have been able to justify (rationalize, if you will) abortion. In 1973, when Roe v Wade was handed down, there was much discussion regarding just when life actually begins. Some (including me, I’m ashamed to say) found that they could justify the excision of a simple early-term “lump of tissue” as opposed to a full-term baby. The language we use in these discussions is also interesting: fetus or embryo rather than child or baby; choice rather than abortion or, more properly, murder. But today, with late-term abortion common, I submit that we as Christians have no remaining rationalizations regarding this issue. I don’t really think we ever had. According to Proverbs 6:16-19, “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” Note the phrase in red. I’d hate to be an abortionist, wouldn’t you? One of the more interesting tactics of certain anti-abortion groups lately is the publication of graphic depictions of actual aborted fetuses. The resulting uproar in the media by so-called “pro-choice” advocates has been interesting, to say the least. They recognize that if people ever actually see what they so zealously advocate for what it actually is – butchery – then public support for such policies will evaporate. Even they must be disturbed by graphic evidence that their little “choices” actually have fingers, toes, ears, hair, and blood. Another scripture of interest is Psalm 106:37-38, “Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.” Amazing isn’t it? The Israelites, in the depths of their moral decline, actually offered their own children as sacrifices to idols. And the land was polluted ... What idols do we sacrifice our children to? That extra paycheck, that new car, or boat, or time to yourself, or (you fill in the blank)? Think about it. The slaughter of literally millions of unborn children each year since 1973 isn’t the only travesty of our times, is it? The casualties of abortion are deprived of physical life here and now. But what about the casualties of parental negligence? What if we gain those material extras, but lose our souls? What if we sacrifice the souls of our children? Mark 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Saturday, 18. May 2002
Care for the Fatherless GATidwell, May 18, 2002 at 3:38:00 PM BST
A Growing Crisis Sometimes a child is left fatherless through the tragedy of death. Increasingly, however, children are fatherless because of a breakdown in parental responsibility. Since 1970 in the United States, for example, the rate of divorce has doubled and out-of-wedlock births have tripled. These figures reflect sinful and selfish choices on the part of one or both parents. As a result, fatherless children are the victims. Much of the teaching of Scripture concerning the fatherless deals with social justice. Indeed, even in an affluent nation this is still the case. According to a 1996 study by the National Center for Children in Poverty, young children in the United States living with unmarried mothers are five times as likely to be poor and ten times as likely to be extremely poor than children with both fathers and mothers. The benevolence outreach of the church of Christ must be sensitive to these needs. Giving Yourself A greater need, however, is the spiritual need of children for a father’s influence in their lives. This need is especially acute for boys seeking a pattern to follow as they grow to become men. While no other man can truly be a father to a fatherless child, the men of the church must do what they can to fill this spiritual void. The mature men of the church need to be more involved in the teaching of children and of teenagers. Far too often the involvement with children, especially with the very young, has been totally left to women. The church’s work with teenagers is frequently conducted exclusively by men and women scarcely out of high school themselves. While I applaud the great work done by these women and young men, something more is needed. The mature men of the church need to make a contribution as well. Beyond the Bible classroom, the men of the church should seek ways to help single mothers provide for the spiritual development of their children. Volunteering at summer youth camp, hosting a youth activity in your home, or inviting a fatherless child to help you with a service project are just a few of the ways men of the church can reach out and help. God has revealed Himself as a defender of the fatherless. If we want to be godly, we must follow His example and reach out with His love to these children in need. Thursday, 16. May 2002
Seven Popular Lies Satan Tells PhilSanders, May 16, 2002 at 7:03:00 PM BST
by Phil Sanders
Satan has always been a liar (John 8:44), and we must realize that he is out to get our souls by leading us away from the truth to a lie (1 Pet. 5:8; Eph. 4:14). We must measure everything we hear by the word of God. Satan wants to appear like an angel of light, but his message is really darkness (2 Cor. 11:3-5, 13-15). The devil can quote Scripture (Matt. 4:6), but he is selective in what he quotes and ignores the rest of Scripture. Just because something is true does not mean it is the whole truth. So let me suggest:
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Update on FMag Forthright Magazine continues, more dynamic than ever! We have groups created for FMag on Facebook and the Churches of Christ Network. Announcement blog is up and going on Preachers Files. Email lists about FMag and FPress are available both on Yahoo and GoogleGroups. And, to top it all off, we're twittering for both on Twitter.com. by randal @ 1/20/09, 11:55 AM How to Make Sure That Your Judgment Is Flawless by Don Ruhl Read the Bible in a Year This evening read John 5:24--47 How to Make Sure That Your Judgment Is Flawless Yes, it is popular to say that we are not supposed to judge, but the truth is we all make judgments about many things daily. Otherwise, we would never succeed in life. The real question is what is our guide for judging. Why can we not simply follow the example of our Master and Lord? He said, 30 "I can of Myself ... more ... by diane amberg @ 5/18/05, 5:08 AM Do You Ever Feel Like Just a Name? by Don Ruhl Read the Bible in a Year This morning read First Chronicles 1--3 Do You Ever Feel Like Just a Name? Think on the manner, in which the Book of First Chronicles begins, 1 Adam, Seth, Enosh (1 Chr. 1:1). In this way begins the longest genealogy in the Bible. The names continue to the end of the ninth chapter! Were these just names? Adam; who is he? You know there is more in the Bible than the mere mention of his name in ... more ... by diane amberg @ 5/18/05, 5:05 AM ...
by Don Ruhl Read the Bible in a Year This evening read John 5:1--23 Jesus healed a man. Praise God! However, Jesus healed him on the Sabbath. Uh oh. Some people were ready to kill Jesus for this perceived violation of the Sabbath Law. 16 For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath (Joh. 5:16). Jesus did a good thing. Yet, people criticized Him severely for it. And they were not people ... more ... by diane amberg @ 5/18/05, 5:03 AM They Were His Servants by Don Ruhl Read the Bible in a Year This morning read Second Kings 24 and 25 They Were His Servants As the writer of Second Kings explains whom the Lord sent against Judah, the writer said that this was 2 ...according to the word of the LORD which He had spoken by His servants the prophets (2 Kin. 24:2). Those great men we have honored for centuries were nothing more than servants of the Lord God. What does that make us? Do you do something ... more ... by diane amberg @ 5/18/05, 5:01 AM ...
by Don Ruhl Read the Bible in a Year This evening read John 4:30--54 The disciples went into a town to buy food while Jesus remained out of the town. There He engaged a woman in conversation. When the disciples returned, here is what happened, 31 In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." 32 But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know" (Joh. 4:31, 32). As you read the Gospel According to John, watch ... more ... by diane amberg @ 5/18/05, 4:59 AM Having a Tender Heart by Don Ruhl Read the Bible in a Year This morning read Second Kings 22 and 23 Having a Tender Heart When Josiah heard the word of God for the first time, he tore his clothes, knowing of the wrath that was upon Jerusalem for the idolatry of his forefathers. Therefore, he sent messengers to a prophetess to inquire of the Lord. He did have a message for Josiah. God said through the prophetess, 19 "...because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before ... more ... by diane amberg @ 5/18/05, 4:56 AM
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