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This issue Start digging! Editor's
comments Panning for more
Gold:
Nuggets
and Quick
Riches Hearts
of Gold Gold
Mines *Donna's
tips Archives: *Explorations
Archives
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Please
keep Donna Richmond, the founding editor of
BulletinGold, in your
prayers during this time of transition as she moves from California to
Texas and returns to the classroom.
Many of you have expressed appreciation for
BulletinGold, the
credit goes to the vision and dedication of Donna.
We all wish her the very best. David
Bragg, co-editor PS
- Just a note regarding my personal website address is now www.davidbragg.org
You are invited to visit this site to learn more about my most recent book, Memoirs of a Martyr, a study of the life and letters of Simon Peter. __________________________via BulletinGold Panning for more
Gold by: Lance Cordle
I
believe the average person has a hard time grasping the scope of the
term “lord.” After all, we live in the “land of the free; the home
of the brave.” We choose the place we will live and the type of car we
drive. We are subject to certain laws, but by and large, we are free. We
may be aware of the dictionary definition of “lord,” (a ruler by
hereditary right or preeminence to whom service and obedience are due”—Merriam-Webster), but we do not really encounter it outside
religion. When
God revealed his will to us in the New Testament,
he used a word for “lord” that was
already in use in the public domain. It had reference to a ruler
who had authority over others by possession of title, land, or the
persons themselves. Throughout history, “lord” has carried with it
the idea of obedience on the part of
those under the lord. During medieval times, people understood lords to
be holders of land and rulers over those who were “lesser” by birth
and social class. Now, with so much emphasis on personal freedom, it
seems that the implications of “lord” are lost on the average
American. (Partly because of a general disdain for history, they have no
frame of reference.) They are “free” and “don’t have to answer
to anybody.” They don’t see obedience to most laws as an
infringement upon their freedom (at least, not yet). My point is
this: when
God spoke of
“Lord” in the
New Testament, the
people knew what that implied because they were familiar with the
concept. Now, however, some people resent even the demands of God
because they recognize only
one complete authority: themselves. American
church-goers of all affiliations are confounding theologians in one
major area: they want to “come to God” on their own terms. People
want to be seen as “Christian,” (and really, any other religion they
find appealing), but want only minimum indoctrination—a sort of
“give-me-the-old-time-name, but-not-the-old-time-religion!” This, of
course, is an oxymoronic state of affairs—you cannot sincerely
call Jesus “Lord” and refuse to serve him. But, oh how men try! This
very circumstance is the reason for the multiplicity of religious bodies
throughout America and the world. A serious study of the implications of
“lordship” in the light of the New Testament would help all of us
see the gravity of the confession that “Jesus
Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:11). No wonder, then, the burning
question of Jesus, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do what I say?”
-- Lance Cordle preaches for the Calvert City Church of Christ in Calvert City, KY. __________________________via BulletinGold Life Happensby: Mitchell Skelton
Life
is never easy. Life on this earth will introduce you to a myriad of
emotions. In the course of one day, we can experience boredom and
excitement, elation and desolation, life and death. Whether your outlook
on life is positive or negative, life is filled with diversity. Just
when we think we have it figured out and know what to expect, life
happens. The past few days in my life is a good example of the range of
emotions life will throw your way. Tuesday found me conducting the
funeral of a young Christian woman who died of cancer; Thursday dawned
with the birth of a daughter to a good friend and fellow gospel
preacher; Saturday ended with joining a young couple in holy matrimony.
Contemplating this whirlwind of events, I could not help but think that
there must be a learning opportunity here.
A
humanist would simply say that I had just witnessed the "circle of
life." One life ends while another begins with some living in
between. This "circle" idea may seem all neat and orderly, it
may fit perfectly into the secular world, yet it fails to address the
needs of man who is created "in the image of God." The essence
of being created in the image of God is that we have an eternal soul.
Instead of the "circle of life," we more aptly resemble an
infinite line. Sure, we have a definite point of origin but when it
comes to our soul there is no end.
How
we live while on earth and our response to the cross of Christ will
determine where we spend the majority of our existence. Job summed up
human existence by saying, "Man born of woman is of few days and
full of trouble" (Job 14:1). Job was beginning to understand that
life on this earth is insignificant when viewed in light of eternity.
This life we are experiencing is only a tiny portion of our whole
existence. Job seemed to understand this as he said, "If a man
dies, will he live again. . . I will wait for my renewal to come. You
will call and I will answer you; you will long for the creature your
hands have made" (Job 14:14-15).
Let
us not get so caught up in the happenings of life that we forget why we
are here. We are the only one's who can let life get in the way of
salvation. God has promised that no matter what happens in your life it
will not stand in the way of your salvation unless you allow it.
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor
demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither
height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord"
(Romans 8:38—39). --Mitchell Skelton preaches for the Midway church of Christ in Lawrenceburg, TN. He may be contacted through the congregation’s website at www.TheLordsWay.com/Midway __________________________via BulletinGold Are Your Hands Clean?by: Todd Clippard
Pontius
Pilate is the most famous hand-washer in all of human history. Despite
warnings from his wife that Jesus was innocent (Matt 27:19), and his
firm belief in the same following an examination of Jesus (Luke 23:4,
14, 22), Pilate delivered the Son of God and Savior of man to be
crucified (Matt 27:26). Before so doing, Matthew records, "he took
water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent
of the blood of this just person: see ye to it" (Matt 27:25).
Why
did he do it? How could he do it? How could he knowingly send an
innocent man to such a horrible death? The Bible gives us a couple of
glimpses into the psyche of Pilate. In Mark 15:15, the Bible says that
Pilate, "willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto
them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be
crucified." John records Pilate's concern regarding his standing
before Caesar should he release a man who claimed to be a king (John
19:12-13). So, in a feeble (not to mention vain) attempt to absolve
himself of any wrong or guilt, he conducted his now-famous hand washing
scheme.
As
we noted, Pilate's action in no way freed him from any wrongdoing or
guilt in the matter of Jesus. All the soap and water in the world
couldn't do that, for the prophet Jeremiah wrote, "For though you
wash yourself with lye, and use much soap, yet your iniquity is marked
before Me," says the Lord GOD" (Jer 2:22 NKJV). The wise man
wrote: "Who can say, "I have made my heart clean, I am pure
from my sin"? (Prov 20:9 NKJV). Simply stated, man has no remedy
for his sin. Ezekiel was also a man concerned about bloody or guilty
hands. In Ezekiel 3:18, the Lord said, "When I say to the wicked,
'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn
the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man
shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your
hand" NKJV. A similar warning is given in verse 20 concerning the
righteous man who forsakes the way of God. However, in verses 19 and 21,
when the watchman faithfully delivers God's warning, it is said of him,
"you will have delivered your soul." One might accurately say,
'his hands will be clean, free from guilt.'
The
Lord alone can cleanse a man's hands of sin. Only a man in a proper
relationship with God can "lift up holy (clean) hands without wrath
or doubting" (1 Tim 2:8). In James 4:8, the inspired writer penned,
"Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands
ye sinners, and purify your hearts ye double-minded." The only way
to draw nigh unto God is through the blood of Jesus Christ: "But
now in Christ Jesus ye who were sometimes afar off are made nigh by the
blood of Christ" (Eph 2:13).
So
many today are as the Jews of Paul's day, going about to establish their
own means of righteousness, and in so doing have not submitted
themselves unto the righteousness of God (Rom 10:1-3). Nothing we can do
can cleanse our sins. No amount of good deeds. Nothing. Only through the
obedience of faith can we trust in God to cleanse us of our sins. To the
Colossians, Paul described baptism as the means by which we receive
"the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of
the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ" (2:11). In
baptism there must be faith "in the operation of God" who
raised Jesus from the dead (v 12). "Operation" is from the
Greek energeia, meaning "a working." Thus, God does something
to the believer at the point of baptism! Peter described our obedience
through baptism as "an appeal to God for a pure conscience" (1
Peter 3:21). It is an appeal to God to "cleanse our hands" (cf
Ps 51:7). And by walking in
the light, God continually keeps our hands free from guilt by the blood
of Christ (1 John 1:7).
So,
how clean are your hands? –
Todd Clippard preaches for the Burleson Church of Christ outside
of Hamilton, Alabama. He
may be contacted at toddrow@ala.nu __________________________via BulletinGold Wash!by: David A. Sargent
In
1818, Ignaz Phillip Semmelweis was born into a world of dying women. The
finest hospitals lost one out of six young mothers to the scourge
of "childbed fever."
A doctor’s daily routine began in the dissecting room where he
performed autopsies. From there he made his way to the hospital to
examine expectant mothers without ever pausing to wash his hands. Dr.
Semmelweis was the first man in history to associate such examinations
with the resultant infection and death. His own practice was to wash
with a chlorine solution, and after eleven years and the delivery of
8,537 babies, he lost only 184 mothers-about one in fifty. He spent the
vigor of his life lecturing and debating with his colleagues. Once he
argued, "Puerperal fever is caused by decomposed material, conveyed
to a wound … I have shown
how it can be prevented. I have proved all that I have said. But while
we talk, talk, talk, gentlemen, women are dying. I am not asking
anything world-shaking. I
am asking you only to wash … For God’s sake, wash your hands!"
But virtually no one believed
him... Doctors and midwives had been delivering babies for thousands
of years without washing, and no outspoken Hungarian was going to change
them now! Semmelweis died insane at the age of 47, his wash basins
discarded, his colleagues laughing in his face, and the death rattle of
a thousand women ringing in his ears. "Wash
me!" was the
anguished prayer of King David (Psalm 51:2).
"Unless I wash you, you have
NO part with me," said
the towel-draped Jesus to Peter (John 13:8)* Without our being washed clean, we ALL die from the contamination of
SIN. The ONLY thing powerful
enough to wash away our sins is the blood of Jesus Christ, for He
died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins (Matthew 26:28). He has promised to wash way our sins when we believe
in Him (Acts 16:31), turn from our sins in repentance (Acts
17:30-31), confess Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized
(immersed) in His name (Acts 2:38; 22:16).
He will CONTINUE to cleanse us from our sins as we CONTINUE to
walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7). 'And
now why are YOU waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins,
calling on the name of the Lord.' (Acts 22:16 NKJV)
Our SIN condition is 100%
fatal. For your OWN
sake, wash! --
David A. Sargent is a minister of the Church of Christ at Creekwood in
Mobile, Alabama. You may
visit their website at: www.creekwoodcc.org __________________________via BulletinGold A Real Goalby: Rick Woodall
This past week gave me the opportunity to reflect back on the past as we
took some time to visit family and just relax in the mountains of George
Washington National Forest. Sometimes it’s good to get away from the
busy roads and population and just spend a few days listening to the
wildlife celebrating spring. On these thousands of acres of authentic
wilderness untouched by developers and bull dozers the land remains
preserved for future generations. The rock cliffs and mountains reach to
the sky with powerful splendor. The bear and deer run free on hundreds
of miles of rough country that can only been seen by the human eye on
foot or horseback.
Life
sure gets busy. Life should never get so busy that we never take the
time needed to show respect and love for those who snuggled us in their
arms and held their hands out as we took our first steps. Life should
never get so busy nor should we allow anyone to make our lives so
demanding that we permit those closest to us to go unloved or
unattended. __________________________via BulletinGold A Covenant of Purityby: Bryan McAlister
“I
have made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I look upon a young
woman?” __________________________via BulletinGold
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Nuggets and Quick Riches by: Ron Bartanen
Have you ever heard the tale of old Shep? Near where our daughter
and family live in Montana, overlooking the Missouri River and the Great
Northern Railroad, is a monument erected to pay tribute to old Shep, a
collie dog that had belonged to an old shepherd.
Wherever the man went Shep was
always at his side.
Then in
1936 Shep's master
died. Shep accompanied him
the
Are we, as Christians, as faithful as was old Shep as we look --
Ron Bartanen, minister, Arthur Church of Christ, Arthur, IL. __________________________via BulletinGold Controlby: Ron Adams
Every time a catastrophic storm hits, we are once again reminded
that we have no control over the weather. Experts can forecast,
inhabitants can be warned, and people can prepare, but no one can stop
or control a storm. Our power to control external forces is practically
non existent. This includes the actions of others. We have no control
over what others think and do. However, we have complete control over
how we think, act, and react.
The Apostles, after being beaten for
speaking in the name of Jesus, "... went on their way from the
presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy
to suffer shame for His name. And every day, in the temple and from
house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the
Christ." (Acts 5:41-42) They had full control over how they
reacted.
Paul and Silas were in chains in the inner prison in Philippi
with their feet fastened in stocks, "But about midnight Paul and
Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God." (Acts
16:25). They were confined--but in heart, mind, and conscience they were
free.
Remember, we will be judged, not by what others do to us, but by
what we do. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,
that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to
what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10) We have full
control over how we think, act, and react. --
Ron Adams is editor of Thursday's Thought, a weekly inspirational
message. To learn more
visit: http://thursdaythought.homestead.com
__________________________via BulletinGold A Minister's Bold Momentby: Keven Rayner
A rather meek looking minister arrived at the pearly gates, and was
greeted by St. Peter. "Welcome to heaven!" said St. Peter.
"You may go anywhere you like -- except on the pink clouds. Those
are reserved only for those Christians who did something truly
exceptional for their Lord." The minister was dumbfounded.
"But I DID do something exceptional!" he protested. "For
fifteen years every Sunday my services were disrupted by violent
motorcycle gangs. I was too timid to do anything about it. Then,
finally,
in a holy rage, I walked out from my church in the middle of the service
and kicked all their motorcycles to the ground!" "Hmm ... and
just when did that take place because I don't have THAT story in my
files" asked St. Peter. The minister looked at his watch. "Let
me see. Well, it couldn't have been more than two minutes ago." --
Kevin Rayner Oak Tree church of Christ Rochester, MN For more
information: http://www.geocities.com/otchurch
__________________________via BulletinGold Hearts of Gold by: Rose Ann Noey Whispers,
whispers pop into my brain. Of
what kind? And of what
strain? Some
good, some bad, but 'pon which to dwell? Do
I, the evil thinking quell? Whispers
of evil nurtured in the heart Get
planted firmly and thus becomes a part Of
you, but these you need to toss!! Beware!
Beware! These
thoughts have cost. As
man thinks, that's what he'll become - To
sin, that man becomes just numb. Appeal
to Christ the Lord for aid To
help those evil thoughts to fade. Make
Christ your Lord, even of your thoughts. This
is a fight worth being fought. To
Jesus' Will if you'll conform, Your
sin-sick soul He will transform. __________________________via BulletinGold The Grandest Placeby: H. L. Gradowith The
floor’s not dirt, marble neither, I
dine not on life’s richest fare, I’ve
got a mansion up on high My
clothes came off the rack, you see, That’s
not a “Lincoln” in my drive, While
my stuff ain’t the very best,
-- If you would like to subscribe to GRADOWITH POEMS, simply send a note to gradowith@yahoo.com with the words SUBSCRIBE POEMS in the subject line or body of message. __________________________via BulletinGold Gold Mines "Happiness
doesn't depend on what we have, but it does depend on how we feel toward
what we have. We can be happy with little and miserable with much."
- via The Encourager, Calvert City, KY "Smile!
The world looks brighter from behind a smile."
-via The Voice of Truth International "What
one does, one becomes." (Spanish proverb) __________________________via BulletinGold Your
input regarding BulletinGold is always welcome.
Please let us know how we can better meet your needs through this
valuable resource. We also
encourage you to support us by contributing your brief bulletin
articles, poems, etc. to share with others. To
submit items for future issues of BulletinGold email BibleTeacher01@yahoo.com
or editor@bulletingold.com
Your email address is never shared and will remain private.
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