THE REPORTER: Walnut Street Church of Christ, 306 Walnut Street, Greenville, Alabama 8/17/2014 Service Times: Sunday Morning 9:30 & 10:30, Sunday Evening 6:00, Wednesday Evening 7:00. Please accept our invitation and attend our services. Truths From James One Concerning God’s Word The Bible is the world’s greatest book. It is the most unusual book that has ever been written, because it is the word of God. The Bible contains the world’s greatest message. The message contained in the Bible is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul wrote by inspiration that the gospel is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. (Romans 1:16) Salvation is available to all who learn, believe and obey the gospel of Jesus Christ. Before salvation can ever become a reality, one must be willing to learn what God says and to do it. If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. (John 7:17) To do the will of God is to obey God’s commandments; to yield our hearts and lives to His requirements. A disposition to do the will of God is a readiness to yield our intellects, our feelings, and all that we have entirely to Him. Our life must be governed and guided by the good pleasure of God’s will. Only those who want to know what God says and are willing to do His will can please Him. In James 1 we are instructed concerning the purpose of God’s word. James wrote, Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. (James 1:18) The purpose of Gods word is to bring about the salvation of our souls. It was by Gods will that salvation has been made possible. Peter wrote, Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever. (1 Peter 1:23) We are born again by the doctrine of the living God, which remaineth forever. God’s message or his doctrine will never change. The obvious reason for the unchanging nature of this message is that it is “the word of God, which lives and abides forever.” By following Gods will, Christians are a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. In James 1 we are instructed concerning the power of God’s word. The word of God has the power to save our souls. So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:19-21) Let everyone know that conversion is brought about by the power of Gods word. In dealing with Gods word let us be swift to hear because it is Gods word. Until Gods word is properly understood, be slow to speak concerning it and always be slow to wrath in religious matters. Any sinful thing must be removed from human hearts so there can be a reception of the word of God which is able to save your souls.” In James 1 we are instructed concerning the practice of God’s word. James wrote, But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this ones religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. (James 1:22-27) The key expression is, But be doers of the word, and not hears only. One is a foolish man who hears Gods word and fails to practice it. “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:24-27) Nothing is accomplished if we only read the word but do nothing about what is read. We must continue to hear and do the perfect law of Liberty. In James 1 we are instructed concerning specific areas of obeying God’s word. First, James spoke of controlling our tongue. He wrote, “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this mans religion is vain.” (James 1:26) Second, James wrote of being benevolent to widows and orphans. “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction…” (James 1:27) Third, James wrote about personal purity in daily living. “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” (James 1:27) Pure and undefiled religion involves something on our part. From James 2, we easily conclude that a religion that is not a practicing religion is a dead religion. Those who believe in God should practice their religion. Paul wrote, “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.” (Titus 3:8) Our religion is nothing unless it is pure, undefiled and separated from the world. Christians are required to do good unto all men. (Galatians 6:10) We are to help the sick, minister to those who are in prison, seek to support those who are discouraged and downtrodden, realizing that in so doing we are actually helping the Lord. Our hands are doing His work. (Matthew 25:31-46) There are some great sayings that we must remember. One thought says, “Talk little and work much.” Another says, “The righteous speak little, and do much; the wicked speak much, and do nothing.” It is not enough just to hear the truth. One must also practice what he has learned. Jesus said, Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but who does the will of My Father in heaven. (Matthew 7:21. Are you a doer or a hearer only? Have you heard the gospel (Romans 10:17), believed in Jesus (John 8:24), repented of sins (Acts 17:30), confessed faith in Christ (Romans 10:9-10), been baptized into Christ (Romans 6:1-4) and practiced pure religion? (James 1:26-27) The person who learns and does what God says will be blessed in this life and in that which is to come. The person who fails to be a doer will regret it for all eternity. ---- Charles Box News & Notes 1. Prayer List: UAB Hospital: Wayne Stallings. In Need of Prayer: Betty Alford Laura Bagents, Roy Bender, LeRoy Boutwell, Baker Bozeman, Hilda Cauthen, Camren Coleman, Bonnie Croley, John Curry, Nell Daughtry, Nell Davis, Evelyn Duke, Mary Falkenburg, Micah Godwin, Mary Goodwin, Melissa Gunter, Richard Harrell, Donnie & Sherrie Hilliard, Charlie Jones, Patricia Kennemore, Claudia Labriola, Peggy Lassiter, George & Evelyn Lewis, Mildred McCann, Carson O’Connor, Bill Perry, Margaret Phillips, Bob & Ann Rainey, Terry Reaves, Linda Reynolds, Dianne Salter, Ernest Sellers, David Sessions, Mary Tatum, Bobby Taylor, Patrica Taylor, Mary Lou Terrell, Alyssa Tucker, Charles Turner, Leroy Waller, Barbara Woods, and Betty & Wayne Young. Crowne Health Care: Dorothy Buck, Jewel Cauthen, Gladys Childs, Arlene Coletrane, Ruth Davis, Betty Findley, Davis & Ruth Hester, Kathy Johnson, Sarah Knight, and Annie Ruth Tetter. Pine Needle: Lydia Ann Raybon & Elizabeth Perdue, 2. Special Prayer Request: Please pray for Alyssa Tucker, 10 year old granddaughter of Trina & Tim Croley. She has cancer and is undergoing some very difficult treatment. 3. Sympathy Expressed: Our love and sympathy is expressed to: (a) Martha Whittle and her family in the death of her husband, Carlton (209 New Searcy Road, Greenville, AL 36037), (b) Frances Powell and her family in the death of her husband, Billy (195 Boswell Blvd., Georgiana, AL 36033), and (c) Hunter and Hannah Owens in the death of their great-grandfather, Paul Cottrell. 4. All-Age Devo: Tonight, after evening service, there will be a devotional for youth of all ages. Young people are asked to bring school supplies (glue sticks, crayons, Clorox/Lysol wipes, etc.) for a service project. Please bring finger foods as well. 5. Birthdays: Celebrating a birthday this week: August 18th Gettie Leger and August 23rd Justin Burnett, Jessica Gibson and Joel Hunt. 6. Ladies Bible Class: The Wednesday morning ladies Bible class will restart on September 3rd. The class meets at 10:00 a.m. The class will be studying from Granville Tyler’s book “Old Testament Lessons Vol. 6”. The class will have a salad luncheon after class. All ladies are invited to participate in this class. 7. Notes of Thanks: (a) Thank you for the kindness that you’ve shown! May God’s blessings be upon you! Thank you for loving us and expressing that love as we celebrated our anniversary. Charles & Janice Box, (b) Dear Walnut Street Family, Thank you for your phone calls, cards, and prayers during my recent health problems. Also thank you for the beautiful plant. I am so thankful to be a member of such a caring church family. Please continue to pray for me as I undergo more tests this week to try to determine what caused the problem with my eye. In Christian Love, Evelyn Duke, and (c) Thank you for your friendship, for your kindness, your love, and prayers while I was in the hospital. May God bless each of you. Love, Bobby Taylor 8. Challenge for Walnut Street Church: Challenge # 1 Each Walnut Street family is challenged to purchase a copy of “Muscle and a Shovel” each month and share it with someone. Challenge # 2: Each member of the Walnut Street Church of Christ is challenged to extend two serious invitations each week for people to attend our services. Challenge # 3: Each member of the Walnut Street Church of Christ is challenged to call two other Walnut Street families each week in order to spread love and encouragement. Challenge # 4: Each member of the Walnut Street Church of Christ is challenged to attend Bible class on Sunday morning and on Wednesday night. 9. Area Events: (a) September 5th – Area Wide Singing – University Church of Christ – Time: 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. and (b) September 6th – Ladies Day – L Pond Church of Christ, Brewton – Speaker: Ashley Holladay – Theme: “Sonflowers” – Time: 9:30 a.m. The Propitiation For Our Sins Let’s be honest. There are some words in the Bible that we read, and maybe that we’ve read over and over, that we do not know the meaning of. I John 2 contain one of the more commonly over looked words, and it’s such a shame because the word carries such weight. John is concluding a section about the continual forgiving power of Christ’s blood and he says “I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (I John 2:1) Then, he writes that Christ is the “propitiation…for the sins of the whole world.” (vs. 2) The beauty and depth of this word, “propitiation,” is so profound. The word carries the basic idea of appeasement, or satisfaction, specifically towards God. It’s the principle that Christ, by enduring the cross, satisfied God’s demands of justice for our sins. The penalty for sin is death. (Romans 6:23) But Jesus chose physical death SO THAT we wouldn’t have to pay for our own souls with OUR spiritual death. Here are two things this means for followers of Christ. One, it means that JESUS already did the one thing that would appease the wrath of the Father, and nobody or nothing else is needed or acceptable in order to accomplish that. When a person is converted to Christ (Acts 3:19), submits to His will (James 4:7), and chooses to strive to “keep His commandments” (I John 2:3), he is simply accepting the atonement that the Savior has already provided. You, nor anything that you do, can “atone” for even one single sin. Two, Christ as our propitiation means that God loves us. And if He loves us, we should love one another. (I John 4:9-11) In fact, it’s our love for one another that “perfects” God’s love in us (4:12) Most of us know that the second greatest command is to love one another as we love ourselves. This desire for us was at the pinnacle of why Christ sacrificed Himself for us. Are you making Him proud by the way you treat others? God taught us mercy by paying for our sins Himself. It’s our turn to reciprocate that love by loving one another. ----Darrell Powell “My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God”
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 13:12:36 +0000
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