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BulletinGold
#80 Paul had often stood at
death's door. Reflecting upon those experiences he wrote to his
faithful friends at Philippi, "For to me living is Christ and dying is
gain" (Phil. 1:21). To the Corinthians he described the many
hardships endured as often taking him to the brink of death (2 Cor.
11). At Lystra, two decades before, he was stoned and left for
dead (Acts 14:19-20). The apostle's view of death is dramatically
displayed as he wrote to Timothy, in one of his last letters, as we see
Paul victoriously standing at death's door. |
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__________________________via BulletinGold
by: Edward Thomason A
boastful voice may say, “I could have told you... ...if you care about
people, you
risk being hurt and disappointed.”
The voice comes to taunt, “I could have told you...” But brethren, it
is not the voice of God that says, “sit and do nothing out of fear!” He
did not give us “a spirit of fear” (2 Timothy 1:7). The Lord’s business
is risky business in the eyes of the materialist. But to those who love
and
trust God, there is no risk, only reward. We see our goal ahead and not
the pebbles of the roadway!...if you teach someone the Bible, you will risk being misunderstood, misquoted, or even embarrassed at times.” ...if you share your prosperity with others in need, you will risk being taken, thought a fool, and you may even go broke.” ...if you take the lead in some good work, you risk making mistakes in judgment and taking the blame for the failures.” The apostle Paul not only stumped his toes traveling with the gospel, he was stoned, beaten with rods, shipwrecked (2 Corinthians 11:25), despised (1 Corinthians 4;10), forsaken by those he helped (2 Timothy 4:16), and considered by many to be foolish (1 Corinthians 4:10). Someone in his generation probably said, “I could have told you...” But Paul knew all the risks, and still chose to be active in the Lord’s work. James 4:17 still reads, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” When we know to do good, but fail because of lack of effort, it shows our lack of faith in God. Those who do nothing may brag that they never stumped their toes, but they also never got anywhere in the Lord’s work. Study carefully the scene in Matthew 25 regarding those who did nothing and hear the voice of the Lord say, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire...” (v.41). Now I ask, dear reader: Who really is foolish and who really runs greater risks - those who bury their talents and stand still doing nothing, or those who, like Paul, “press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). - via Ed Thomason, co-editor of BulletinGold and minister of the New Madrid church of Christ, New Madrid, MO. He may be contacted through one of his websites, preachtoday.com, a great resource for on-line Bible study materials. __________________________via BulletinGold Expand Your Thinkingby: Joe Chesser
It was a wondrous event when God became
flesh, and the world will never
be the same again. The possibilities of humankind can now connect with
the eternal. Not only do we have the opportunity through Christ to live
forever in the presence of God, but even before that, while still in
the flesh, we have been given the opportunity to expand our thinking
beyond the limitations of those still "of the world." __________________________via BulletinGold We Need To Do More!by: W. A. Martin
We need to do more than
move;
improve. More than change our address; change our lifestyle. We need to
do more than get; give ourself in behalf of some lost and needy
soul. We need to do more than regret; we need to repent because
"the axe is laid unto the root of the trees; therefore every tree which
bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire."
(Mat. 3: 10) We need to do more than sympathize; help the
helpless before it's too late for both of us. We need to do more
than attend church; worship in Spirit and truth (John 4:24). Our
worship will be no better than our lifestyle the past week. We
need to do more than build a house; make a home that honors God and His
Will, that God is proud of.
We need to realize that no brain is stronger than its weakest thought. We cannot expect to rise above our thoughts. "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Pro. 23:7) "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things." (Phil. 4:8) What we think of the Bible does not affect it - just us. A weak character cannot support a strong life. A clean body does not necessarily mean a clean life. "Create in me a clean heart, O God; renew a right spirit within me." (Psm. 51:10) A praying mouth does not always signify a praying heart. "Thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee." (2 Sam 7:27) We need to work daily to keep the garbage out of our heart! Some wisely change their ways; others give up their religion. "From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with him." (John 6:66) What we need to do we may not want to do, but there is still time to change. If we have left our first love, there is one thing we must do: CHANGE! - W. A. Martin preaches part-time for Scurry church of Christ, Scurry, Texas and is editor of a booklet that is distributed to many churches and individuals. He may be contacted by e-mail at wagmartin@sbcglobal.net __________________________via BulletinGold Pursuit of Happinessby: Rick Woodall In the pursuit for happiness there is a thought out there that if one can attain financial security and social poise that everything is going to be all right. They begin their quest and raise the sails high on their vessel to begin the exploration to find the secret of euphoria. A long time ago one of the greatest kings of Israel composed his thoughts in the Bible book entitled Ecclesiastes. He was a young man blessed with great wisdom. There was just one question. Where does one find contentment in this life? He researched this question. As he did time was passed before him. “I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly--my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives. I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees.” - Eccl 2:3-6 He centered his life on himself and all his accomplishments. He associated with all those who would stand elbow to elbow with him and wallow in his business enterprises only to come up on the short end of the stick. “Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” - Eccl 2:11 My gift reminds me never to chase the wind. It is far better to let the creator of the wind reach down and wrap us in His eminence than to chase something we can never perceive. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all come to this conclusion? “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” - Eccl 12:13 It’s a short life. Don’t waste it being a wind chaser. Have a great week. - Rick Woodall is the minister for the Yorktown Road church of Christ in Logansport Indiana. His weekly devotional message, Life Thoughts, can be found through this address: http://mysite.verizon.net/yorktownroadchurchofchrist/ __________________________via BulletinGold Memorizing Scriptureby: David R. Miller Before a number of summer interruptions, I began a series of articles on promoting spiritual growth in the home. In the first article, we noted that most Christian parents know that they have primary responsibility for teaching their children spiritual and moral values, but they feel poorly equipped to provide that training. In the next article, we showed that parents do not need to be experts in Bible knowledge, but that simply reading the story portions of God’s word for a short time every day with an attitude of faith and respect will provide the framework for a God-centered worldview. Finally, we noted that the purpose for knowing God’s word is not merely to know Bible facts but to reprogram the thoughts, feelings, and wills of our children so that they actually help our children resist temptation. In order to accomplish this latter goal, we must move beyond Bible history and begin instilling in the hearts of our children the thoughts and attitudes commended in Scripture. There are several tested and proven ways to instill godly attitudes in the hearts of our children. One tested way is memorizing portions of Scripture. The Psalmist said that he had “treasured” God’s word in his heart so he would not sin against God (Psalm 119:11). Here are some suggestions for treasuring God’s word in our hearts and the hearts of our children. Set a goal of memorizing a new verse every week. Choose verses that are meaningful and speak to the heart (that deal with faith and attitude issues). Repeat the verse aloud several times during your daily devotional period. Write the verse on a card or piece of paper, and carry it with you during the day so you can review it occasionally. Think about what the verse means to you each time you look at your card. Have your older children do the same. Review the previous four verses once a week (Saturday or Sunday). Do not be super critical over exact wording. Aim more at instilling godly faith and attitudes. The first Psalm pronounces a blessing upon the person who delights in the “law of the Lord” and “meditates” on it “day and night.” May you and your children enjoy those blessings as you begin memorizing portions of God’s word. - David R. Miller, BULLETIN DIGEST; 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 __________________________via BulletinGold The
Personal Touch 1. People feel most comfortable and respond most favorably and lastingly to a friendly Bible study where the Bible is the only equipment. 2. Manipulative methods lead to resentment and dropouts. 3. Mere transmission of facts leads to little or nothing. 4. A study between friends accomplishes more in the long run than any other approach. 5. Growing churches emphasize the personal, friendship aspects of evangelistic methods. 6. Stagnant churches do little besides give out information in an impersonal manner. 7. Some of the churches that seem to be growing really aren’t because they have high dropout rates due to their use of manipulative methods. All of the principles Flavil Yeakly has validated by his exacting research methods were to be expected. They all have supreme validation from the Bible. The personal touch is huge—God, after all, sent His Son to live with us in the flesh (John 1:1, 14, 18). Additionally, impersonal, exploitive means are clearly ineffective and unethical. Friends don’t treat friends with detached, manipulative techniques. God does not deal with us that way. There is a reason why integrity, compassion, concern, and friendship work—they are from God. Accept no substitutes! - Edwin Jones; 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 __________________________via BulletinGold |
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by: Ron Thomas The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot (Proverbs 10:7) Having gone to many funerals, it is easy to tell what kind of legacy the deceased left. You can tell much about a person’s legacy when you consider the kind of life that person lived. What are some things that make a person’s legacy good? To name a few, consider: Wisdom that transcends
generations
The life lived was morally upright The treatment of people, all people, was with respect and decency Always had regard for the well-being of his neighbor Raised children that reflect these same qualities And, most importantly, became a Christian and lived to God’s glory. It is better to have a good name than to be rich. One’s wealth comes and goes, but a good name reflects the quality of one’s life. It will always last, but a person’s possessions will deteriorate. Legacy is more than just leaving positive influence with others. - Ron Thomas preaches for the Highway church of Christ, Sullivan, IL. He may be contacted at rthomas1@one-eleven.net or via the congregation's website: http://highwaycofc.com/sullivan/ __________________________via BulletinGold Twenty-One “More Thans” To
have a winning day, here are twenty-one “More Thans”
you must do: You have to listen more
than you
talk.
You have to smile more than you frown. You have to give more than you get. You have to think “we” more than you think “me”. You have to agree more than you disagree. You have to laugh more than you cry. You have to clean up more than you mess up. You have to be more positive than you are negative. You have to be fascinated more than you are frustrated. You have to walk the walk more than you talk the talk. You have to be accepting more than you are rejecting. You have to see the cup half full more than half empty. You have to help more than you hinder. You have to believe in self more than you doubt self. You have to work more than you whine. You have to do more than you don’t. You have to act more than you react. You have to save more than you squander. You have to care more than you ever have before. You have to love more than ever. - Via The Reminder, Huntingdon , TN; 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 __________________________via BulletinGold A Time to
Speak, to Share the Truth Fifty million people die each
year without
obeying the gospel. Of the hundred million born every year we are not
converting one tenth of one percent world wide. 1. Plan to attend all the
meetings.
2. Invite others to attend with you. 3. Pray for the visiting preacher. 4. Pray for all who will attend. 5. Pray for all who take public part. 6. Participate enthusiastically. 7. Pay careful attention yourself. 8. Talk about the lessons to others. 9. Be ready with an answer when others ask about the faith – your faith and hope – and the church. 10. Put into practice all you learn. - 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 __________________________via BulletinGold Jewels of Wisdom “A
FRIEND is one who can put a finger on your faults
without rubbing
them in.” __________________________via BulletinGold
by: J. Randal Matheny It's better to wear out shoes than sheets, For sloth brings ruin, by work you reap. A lion-led army of sheep defeats An army of lions led by a sheep. The manner of giving outweighs the gift, The spirit trumps intrinsic worth. Avoid the tongue that's harsh and swift; Give angry men a spacious berth. Though no one cares, the singer sings, For honor, true to self, compels. The skilled in work will serve before kings, And diligence rides the ocean's swells. While others carp, the heart believes And forges on to win the race. The mind conceives, the hand achieves, And muscled legs give tireless chase. If tides delay your ship's arrival, Then swim out to it, you need not wait; Don't bet on luck for your survival; For good or bad, you choose your fate. - J. Randal Matheny, missionary and minister, is the publisher of Uplift, an on-line and e-mail devotional. He may be contacted through this website: http://randalmatheny.com/doku.php?id=uplift [When reprinting this material, please be sure to include the following: Copyright (c) 2007 J. Randal Matheny All rights reserved. You may forward the email to friends as is. You may not alter it in any way or remove any text or attributions. On my Cloudburst Poetry list in March I published the poem "Wisdom." The positive feedback inspired me to write a second one on Wisdom, but I thought I'd share this one, today's offering, on the UPLift list. Many of the thoughts above come from wise quotes as diverse as Jonathan Winters and the Bible. I hope you enjoy it! --Randal] __________________________via BulletinGold The Bibleby: Damon Beaver Although it is ridiculed and
viewed with much doubt, It will give you wisdom to walk that strait, narrow way, __________________________via BulletinGold The Yearsby: H. L. Gradowith There is so much pain in the world and so many of our friends are hurting even as I type these lines. The following lines acknowledge a bit of that pain and seek to reach out to those feeling it and let them know that people, while busy and often inattentive, do care. We need each other second only to our need for Him. HLG I write these lines And pass my time With my work, my books, TV and the ceiling; As my soul bleeds Nobody reads Or understands what these lines are revealing. Nobody sees I used to be Much more than I am or am likely to be; They smile and say, "For you we'll pray." And I am glad, for it means so much to me. But late at night Pain's at its height And it's not only outwardly that I ache, I sit and think As my heart sinks And often I wonder how much I can take. What's done is done, What's gone is gone But sometimes I think it's still going, you see? For bit by bit I'm losing it. And, oh. how I long for how things used to be! I sit and sigh And wonder why Things are as they are and if they will improve For me in life. O, wretched life, O, miserable life with so little love. Whine and complain About the pain Until people are weary of hearing it, But the pain stays And stays and stays And ever eats at my spirit, bit by bit. So things are now, Someway, somehow I struggle along for a way to get through The briny tears And weary years Until at long last He will make all things new. And may He grant the strength we all need to get there safely. - H. L. Gradowith For more information on H. L. Gradowith and GRADOWITH POEMS e-mail group visit http://www.geocities.com/fp5699/ - the website of Tim Smith, minister of the Enon church of Christ in Webb, AL. __________________________via BulletinGold And They
Say There is No God! The moon at night and the sun by
day, __________________________via BulletinGold Gold
Mines A
million dollars and a bale of hay
Will be worth the same on Judgment Day! - via Bulletin Digest. "Freedom is not the right to do as you please, but the liberty to do as you ought." - Sword Scrapbook; 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 "ONE
humiliating thing about technology is that it is gradually
filling our homes with appliances that are smarter than we are."
(Anonymous)
"THERE is no better exercise for your heart than reaching down and helping to lift someone up." - 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 at - ron33dor@yahoo.com You may also visit their website at www.arthurchurchofchrist.com "If
you can’t sleep, don’t count sheep. Talk to the Shepherd."
Light
but True
On
the other hand, you have different fingers.
You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted then used against you. - via The Lantern, Highway church of Christ, Sullivan, IL Visit their website as www.highwaycofc.com "More
people would live to a ripe old age if they weren’t so busy
providing for it."
"No one is paid for having brains but for using them." "Conceit is a disease that makes everyone sick except the one who has it." Minnie Pearl once said of a certain person, "He wasn’t really a failure. He just started at the bottom, found he liked it, and was content to stay there." - 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 "The
best way to spend today ... is to invest it in eternity.
- via the weekly bulletin of the Harrisburg church of Christ in Harrisburg, IL. Edd Sterchi serves as one of the congregation's ministers. He may be contacted at sterchi@midwest.net You may visit their website at www.harrisburgchurchofchrist.org
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