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BulletinGold
#134
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February
2011
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Vol. 11
Num. 12 |
Editors:
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David
Bragg
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Edward
Thomason
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| BulletinGold |
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In This Issue:
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Articles
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Nuggets
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Poems
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Quotes
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- “Jesus Loves Me” by
Clifton Angel
- What Really Changed Paul's
Life? By Dan Winkler
- What is Faith? By David
B. Smith
- “I Like Your Christ, But
Not Your Christians” by Eddy
Gilpin
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- Five Links of Fellowship
- "What Would've Happened
If ..." by Gary Knuckles
- He Has Plans
- No Matter How Much
Wealth the Rich Young Ruler Had,
He Could Not....
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- “Every Day”
- God's Embrace and Mine,
by Gerald Cowan
- What Have We Done Today?
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quotes & sayings for
bulletins and signs
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| Editorial by David Bragg |
Welcome to the February issue of
BulletinGold.
Your input regarding
BulletinGold is always welcome.
Please let us know how we can better
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David
Bragg
http://davebragg.blog.com/
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| Panning
for Gold Feature Articles: |
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“Jesus Loves Me”
by Clifton Angel
Jesus loves me, this I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is
strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me;
Yes, Jesus loves me;
Yes, Jesus loves me;
The Bible tells me so.
We often
call it a children’s song, and certainly
it is a favorite of the children.
However, let us direct our minds to the
necessity of such a song in the life of
every adult as well.
At least 7 very
important factors can be found within
the first stanza and chorus:
1. The song teaches (Col.
3:16).
2. The song encourages
confidence in knowledge (This I know).
3. It references the Bible as
authority (2 Tim. 3:16, 17).
4. It references the importance
of studying the Bible (2 Tim. 2:15).
5. It encourages humility
(James 4:10).
6. It encourages trust in Jesus
(Phil. 4:13).
7. It encourages positive
thinking (Phil. 4:8).
The
principles found within this “children’s
song” definitely need to be applied to
the life of every adult; and
furthermore, every adult should endeavor
to teach them to their children.
Most of
“Christendom” would agree that Jesus
loves us; however, many do not know how
we love Him:
If you love me,
you will keep my commandments (John
14:15).
- Clifton Angel preaches for the
Coldwater church of Christ in Coldwater,
MS. He may be contacted through that
congregation's website: http://www.coldwatercofc.com/
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What Really Changed Paul's
Life?
By Dan Winkler
All of Jerusalem was
disturbed (Acts 21:30). Paul had been
seized, dragged out of the temple,
almost beaten to death, and falsely
charged with desecrating the temple
(Acts 21:30-32, 35).
Of interest, when he
was finally allowed to defend himself,
he talked about—of all things—his
conversion. He spoke of
- His
“education” at the feet of Gamaliel
(22:1-3)
- His
“convictions” relative to the
strictness of the law (22:3)
- His
“dedication” as a zealot,
persecuting the church (22:3-5)
- His
“immersion” for the remission of
sins (22:16); and
- His
“commission” as one sent to the
Gentiles (22:17-21).
Question:
What really changed Paul’s life? What
turned him from one religion to another?
What directed his energies? Why was he
converted?
Answer: He saw Jesus!
On the road to Damascus his associates
saw the same light Paul encountered, but
only Paul was temporarily blinded.
Why? Paul was the only one actually to
see the Lord in His glory, and it
changed his life forever (Acts 22:6-9;
9:7).
Even so, when you and
I study the Old Testament, we are
encouraged to anticipate a Savior.
When we study the New Testament, we are
introduced to Jesus as that
Savior. If we are baptized into
Him (Galatians 3:26-27) and allow Him to
live in us (Galatians 2:20) like Paul,
it will make all the difference in our
lives…and our eternity.
- Dan Winkler, Huntington, Tenn., via THE SOWER,
a weekly publication of the Arthur
church of Christ, Arthur, IL. Ron
Bartanen, who serves as minister and
editor, may be contacted through the
congregation's website: http://www.arthurchurchofchrist.com
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What is Faith?
By David B. Smith
No small number of
false religious concepts can be traced
to some basic misunderstanding or
disregard for the true nature of
“faith.” Many believe that faith is
blind or that faith should be perceived
as a leap in the dark. Of course this is
formulated upon another basic
misunderstanding - that the Bible cannot
be understood alike by all men. As a
result, people are regularly guilty of
defining faith as simply that which they
believe (regardless of whether that item
is biblically true or false). But, faith
is not blind and no step made on the
basis of faith is a leap in the dark.
The Sacred Text is
clear that biblical faith is derived on
the basis of the word of God (Romans 10:
17). And coupled with other passages (e.
g., John 8: 32; I Thessalonians 5: 21),
evidence discernment and knowledge are
all fundamental components of faith.
No man can have
faith without first having evidence of
what is true, but man must also exercise
his own mental faculties and make the
correct discernment from the available
evidence and act accordingly. Hence one
cannot have biblical faith in something
that the Bible does not teach or
authorize.
And, still,
faith is manifested by the appropriate
response to the word of God (James 2:
14- 26). “Work” or “obedience” is
essentially connected with faith, since
James writes of demons to show that some
do possess inadequate belief, but that
such is not real faith (James 2: 19).
Obviously, faith alone cannot save
(James 2: 24). After all, who could
profess faith in what God has said
without performing what God has
required? So, faith is more than
“belief.” It is based upon the word of
God, involves discernment and the
acceptance of the evidence, is the firm
conviction of what is true, and
manifests itself in the appropriate
response to what the Bible says is true.
- David B. Smith, Calhoun, GA; via the Belvedere
Beacon, the weekly bulletin of
the Belvedere church of Christ,
Belvedere, SC. Ken Chumbley
preaches for this congregation, and he
may be contacted at their website: http://www.belvederechurchofchrist.org
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“I Like Your Christ, But Not
Your Christians”
By Eddy Gilpin
The statement
is attributed to Mahatma Gandhi
(1869-1948). Actually, the statement in
full reads: “I like your Christ. I don’t
like your Christians; because your
Christians are not like your Christ.”
Although Gandhi’s religion is a false
one, his tireless efforts to help the
down-trodden and his wise sayings are
legendary, especially among the Indian
people. Even though we cannot agree with
his religious teachings, there is much
truth in many of the things he
said-among them, this statement.
What is a
“Christian?” He is a follower of Christ.
Christ is his leader (I Pet. 2:21), and
he is His follower. Some 16 times in the
gospel records Jesus made the statement
(either to an individual or to a group),
“follow Me.” Paul commanded the
Corinthians to “Be ye followers of me,
even as I also am of Christ” (I Cor.
11:1). Among the statements Jesus made,
He stated, “Whosoever will come after
me, let him deny himself, and take up
his cross, and follow me” (Mk. 8:34).
One who follows another as Christ
commands us to follow Him will become
like his leader. One who is truly a
Christian, then, talks as Jesus talked,
acts as Jesus acted and lives as Jesus
lived. Unlike Jesus, however, we will
make mistakes, we will sin (I Pet.
2:22). That being true, we will also
seek always to walk in the light of His
word (I Jn. 1:7), seeking forgiveness of
our wrongs (I Jn. 1:9) and the kingdom
of God first (Mt. 6:33).
One who claims
to be a Christian, yet whose life is not
patterned after His is a hypocrite, a
word from the Greek hupokriteis, meaning
“an actor under an assumed character”
(Strong’s). That is, he is one thing in
name and quite another in action. As one
on a stage assumes a role that is not
truly himself, so it is with one who
plays the role of a follower of Christ
on occasion, but not consistently. Jesus
revealed that every follower of His must
“take up his cross daily” (Lk. 9:23). He
cannot be “double minded” and, thus,
“unstable in all his ways” (Jas. 1:8).
The church at Sardis portrays such an
individual. They had “a name that thou
livest, and art dead” (Rev. 3:1). Their
reputation among men did not equal their
character with God.
Gandhi was/is
not the only one to notice that many who
claim to be Christians
are not actually followers of Christ.
Could that be said of you? Are you “one
person” on Sunday, but “another person”
every other day of the week? Are you “an
actor under an assumed character” (a
hypocrite)? The Lord had condemning
words for the hypocrites of His day (cf.
Mt. 22:18; 23:13-27; etc.). His words
will be no less condemnatory on the Day
of Judgment for those who merely
play-act at being His followers (Lk.
13:23-28). If you are not a faithful
Christian every day, you are not a
faithful Christian any day; and you are
not like Christ.
-Eddy Gilpin; via The
Encourager, the weekly bulletin
for the Calvert City church of Christ,
Calvert City, KY. Lance Cordle
preaches for the congregation. He
may be contacted through the
congregation's website: http://www.calvertchurchofchrist.com
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| Nuggets
& Quick Riches - misc. goodies |
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Five Links of Fellowship
Gathered TOGETHER
“For where two or three are
gathered together in My name, I am
there in the midst of them.” (Matthew
18:20)
Knit TOGETHER
“that their hearts may be
encouraged, being knit together in
love, and attaining to all riches of
the full assurance of understanding,
to the knowledge of the mystery of
God, both of the Father and of Christ”
(Colossians 2:2)
Perfectly Joined TOGETHER
“Now I plead with you,
brethren, by the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that you all speak the
same thing, and that there be no
divisions among you, but that you be
perfectly joined together in the same
mind and in the same judgment.” (1
Corinthians 1:10)
Striving TOGETHER
“Only let your conduct be
worthy of the gospel of Christ, so
that whether I come and see you or am
absent, I may hear of your affairs,
that you stand fast in one spirit,
with one mind striving together for
the faith of the gospel” (Philippians
1:27)
Caught Up TOGETHER
“Then we who are alive and
remain shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air. And thus we shall
always be with the Lord.” (1
Thessalonians 4:17)
- Selected; via the weekly bulletin of
the Harrisburg church of Christ in
Harrisburg, IL.
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What Would've Happened If ...
By Gary Knuckles
...Noah had decided not to build the ark
to the saving of his family? Would his
family have been saved or would they
have perished in the flood?
...Abraham just didn’t “feel like”
leaving Ur with his family? Would he
have become the “father of many
nations”?
...Moses had decided that leading the
children of Israel out of Egypt was
going to be too big a job for him to
handle? Would he have gone back to the
“pleasures of sin”?
...Elijah had not challenged the
prophets of Baal at Mt. Carmel? Would he
have been considered a faithful prophet
of God?
...Naaman had not followed Elisha’s
instructions to dip seven times in
Jordan? Would he have been healed of his
leprosy?
...Paul had resisted the call of God to
be an apostle? How long would it have
taken to get the gospel “into all of the
world”?
...21st Century Christians refused to
get involved in the work of the church?
Would anything ever get done? Would our
children grow up to be strong Christians
taking their place in the leadership and
work of the church? Would the gospel be
taken into local communities so the lost
could believe and obey?
One of the
leading factors in the success or
failure of any congregation is the level
of membership involvement. We cannot put
the burden of work on the elders,
deacons, preacher or Bible School
teachers. We cannot sit back and believe
that “someone else will do it”. If the
church is to grow, mature, gain
strength, and be strong in the future,
all of us MUST be involved in its work.
What would
happen if...the work of the church
depended solely on you?
- Gary Knuckles; via The
Central Message, the weekly
bulletin of the Central church of Christ
in Paducah KY. Jim Faughn serves
as an elder and preacher for the
congregation. He may be contacted
through the congregation's website at: http://www.centralchurchofchrist.org
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He Has Plans
“Thus says the
LORD, ‘When seventy years have been
completed for Babylon, I will visit you
and fulfill My good word to you, to
bring you back to this place. For
I know the plans that I have for you,’
declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare
and not for calamity, to give you a
future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:10-11).
Most of us think we
know what is best for us. We want
the best and easiest path, and we want
it right away. Often the best for
us involves a difficult journey with
trials and tribulations. God’s
people thought their captivity in
Babylon was all wrong for them, but God
had a plan. Babylon was God’s way
to help them and get them back on
track. Like the whale for Jonah,
it was more of a new opportunity than
punishment. Let’s not fight the
chastening of the Lord. He has
plans for our welfare too. He
wants to give us a future and a
hope. Go with Him.
- Grace
for Your Spirit, via THE SOWER,
a weekly publication of the Arthur
church of Christ, Arthur, IL. Ron
Bartanen, who serves as minister and
editor, may be contacted through the
congregation's website: http://www.arthurchurchofchrist.com
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No Matter How Much Wealth the
Rich Young Ruler Had, He Could Not....
... ride in a car or fly in a plane, get
a shot of penicillin, get a flu shot or
take any of a multitude of patent
medicines, have surgery, turn on an
electric light, wash dishes in heated
running water, sleep on an inner spring
mattress, listen to stereo music on
record or an iPod, talk on the telephone
– you can extend the list. There is
much, much more.
Dear Lord, if
he was rich, what am I?
- via The
Encourager, the weekly bulletin
for the Dongola church of Christ,
Dongola, IL. Gerald Cowan serves
the congregation as minister. He
may be contacted at Geraldcowan1931@aol.com
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| Hearts of
Gold
- poetry |
“Every Day”
Every day I need you, Lord,
But this day especially;
I need some extra strength
To face whatever is to be.
This day more than any day
I need to feel you near,
To fortify my courage
And to overcome my fear.
By myself, I cannot meet
The challenge of the hour.
There are times when humans help,
But we need a higher power.
To assist us bear what must be borne,
And so, dear Lord, I pray—
Hold on to my trembling hand
And be near to me today.
- via THE
SOWER, a weekly publication of
the Arthur church of Christ, Arthur, IL.
Ron Bartanen, who serves as minister and
editor, may be contacted through the
congregation's website: http://www.arthurchurchofchrist.com
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God's Embrace
and Mine
By Gerald Cowan
I wish the world could be a friendly
sort of place
Where smiles instead of frowns would sit
upon each face,
And every heart would feel the warmth of
God’s embrace.
I wish that all could share the faith of
God’s dear Son,
Redeemed and joined together perfectly
in one
Great body by his cross, to share in
what he’s done.
His blood cross has made us able to be
free
From failure, guilt, and shame for what
we’ve come to be.
We now can walk with him, and heav’n we
yet may see.
But wishing that the world could share
the Savior’s grace
Will not enable one to see the Father’s
face,
Nor will it help one soul to find his
proper place.
No one saves another’s soul. Each one
must save his own.
By walking true within the path the Lord
has shown
We show the way to others. No one
walks alone.
The Lord is always with us. With
His perfect love
He binds us all. Each will
continue drinking of
God’s Holy Spirit ‘til we’re safe in
heav’n above.
I want to make the world a friendly sort
of place.
And so I’ll try to keep a smile upon my
face
And hope folks feel the love of God in
my embrace.
- Gerald Cowan preaches for the Dongola
church of Christ in Dongola, IL.
He may be contacted at Geraldcowan1931@aol.com
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What Have We
Done Today?
We shall do so much in the years to
come,
But what have we done today?
We shall give of our gold in a princely
sum,
But what did we give today?
We shall lift the heart and dry the
tear,
We shall plant a hope in the place of
fear,
We shall speak the words of love and
cheer,
But what did we speak today?
We shall be so kind in the afterwhile,
But what have we been today?
We shall give to truth a grander birth,
And to steadfast faith a deeper worth,
We shall feed the hungering souls of
earth,
But whom have we fed today?
We shall reap such joys in the by and
by,
But what have we sown today?
We shall build our mansions in the sky,
But what have we built today?
'Tis sweet in the idle dreams to bask,
But here and now do we our task?
Yes; this is the thing our souls must
ask,
"What Have We Done Today?"
- Gospel
Digest, July, 1960; Submitted
by Mark McWhorter. Mark may be
contacted at mtmcvb@concentric.net
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| Gold Mines ---- quotes, sayings & sign
messages |
"Under
conditions of tyranny it is far easier
to act than to think." (Hanna Arendt,
1906 - 1975)
Noise proves nothing. often a hen who
has merely laid an egg cackles as if she
had laid an asteroid. (Mark Twain)
THREE OF THE MOST OVER-WORKED LIES IN
USE TODAY:
(1) The check is in the mail.
(2) My wife doesn't understand me.
(3) I'm from the government, and I
am here to help you.
Change of self is needed more often than
a change of scene.
Conscience is that still small voice
inside that makes you feel smaller.
- via The Encourager, the
weekly bulletin for the Dongola church
of Christ, Dongola, IL. Gerald Cowan
serves the congregation as
minister. He may be contacted at
Geraldcowan1931@aol.com
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