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"...Shepherd the flock of God which is among
you, serving as overseers..." (1 Peter 5:2)
Elders
Morris Bass, Rick Holt , Joe
Price |
"...let them serve as deacons,
being found blameless..." (1 Tim. 3:10)
Deacons
Aaron Bass, Rich Brooks, Mike Finn
John Hague, Dan Head |
"And take...the sword of
the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Eph. 6:17)
In this issue:
Back to School
Does God Accept Me
"Just As I Am?"
Everything I
need to know about life, I learned from Noah's Ark...
Back to School
Joe R. Price
It is a time for new
beginnings and a time to renew old friendships. With school starting
tomorrow (at least for some), it is a good time to think about how you
can “let your light shine” before your friends and classmates
(Matt. 5:16).
Remember to always tell
the truth. Jesus
never told a lie, even a “little white lie.” Being honest with your
teachers and your friends will always be the best way to deal with every
situation at school. If you forgot to do an assignment, be truthful
about it to your teacher (and your parents). If you have a disagreement
with a friend, your truthfulness can help you make up with each other.
The Bible says not to lie, but to “speak truth each one with his
neighbor” (Eph. 4:25).
Guard your language and
keep it pure.
There is a lot of vulgar and bad language spoken by children, and you
will hear it at school. You may even be tempted to join in and talk
like the other children: Don’t do it! I was always told that
when someone used vulgar and indecent language it was because they were
not able to think of anything intelligent to say. Think before you
speak, and use your tongue wisely (Jas. 3:1-2). The Bible says, “Let
no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth” (Eph. 4:29).
Don’t join in with others
to do what is sinful.
Be careful to treat others the way you want to be treated (Matt. 7:12).
Avoid dirty jokes which only fill your mind with evil thoughts (Eph.
5:4). Don’t be a bully. Be kind to everyone, even if they are not kind
to you (Eph. 4:32; Rom. 12:20-21). That is what Jesus did.
Talk to others about the
gospel of Christ.
You can help teach others the truth, too. Use your opportunities to
share the gospel with your friends. Don’t be ashamed to talk about
Jesus and to live for Him (Mk. 8:38). He was not ashamed to die for
you.
So, as you go back to school,
live for Jesus. School is a wonderful chance for you to be a good
example of godliness to those around you.
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Does God Accept Me
"Just As I Am?"
Joe R. Price
Occasionally I hear or read it said that God accepts us “just as we
are.” I am not entirely sure what is meant by that statement. I would
very much like for someone who says, “God will accept me just as I am”
or “God has accepted me just as I am” to explain what that means, using
the word of God to establish the sentiment (1 Ths. 5:21-22).
The
Scriptures teach that God will not accept me “just as I am”…
1)
If I refuse to believe in Jesus Christ. “To Him all the prophets
witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive
remission of sin” (Acts 10:43). The unbeliever will not be accepted
by God “just as he is”, but the lake of fire will accept him in his
unbelief (Rev. 21:8). To think that Christ will save you “just as you
are” while you refuse to live by faith is to be self-deceived. (Jno.
8:23-24)
2)
If I refuse to repent of my sins. “I tell you, no; but unless
you repent you will all likewise perish” (Lk. 13:5). Paul preached
that sinners “should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting
repentance” (Acts 26:20). So, God will not accept the liar “just as
he is” – he must repent of his lying and “speak truth with his
neighbor” (Eph. 4:25). God will not accept an adulterer “just as he
is” – he must repent of his adultery and stop his sinful relationship
and conduct (Rev. 9:20-21). Some brethren teach people that they should
continue to live in their unscriptural (sinful, adulterous, Matt. 19:9)
remarriage relationship when they obey the gospel. The words of the
Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 7:24 are twisted to support this
encouragement, convincing sinners they may remain in an unholy
remarriage that they believe has been sanctified by baptism. But, this
passage describes people who are “with God”, and does not
describe the adulterer before baptism nor does it rightly describe him
if he continues to commit adultery after baptism. No, Jesus will not
receive you “just as you are” if you refuse to repent of and cease your
sin. One cannot continue in sin and be accepted by the Lord. (Rom.
6:1-2)
3)
If I refuse to confess my faith in Christ. “…if you confess with
your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised
Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes
unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation” (Rom. 10:9-10). Do you see the conditional nature of
Jesus accepting a sinner “just as he is”? If the sinner will not
confess Jesus before men, then Jesus will not confess him before
the Father in heaven (Matt. 10:33). He will not be accepted “just as he
is” without confessing faith – he will be lost in sin.
4)
If I refuse to be baptized for the remission of my sins. “He who
believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mk. 16:16) – not the one
who believes but refuses to be baptized. Many souls will be lost
because they comfort themselves believing God will accept them “just as
I am” in spite of their rejection of the Lord’s commandment to be
baptized to be saved.
5)
If I refuse to be faithful to the Lord. “But why do you call Me
‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” (Lk. 6:46)
That warning should resonant in the ear of every Christian who thinks
the Lord will accept him “just as he is” even when he is living
unfaithfully. Faith without works (of faith) is dead; while faith
working through love avails in Christ (Jas. 2:17; Gal. 5:6-7).
Christian, the Lord will not accept you “just as you are” if you are
living unfaithfully.
What
is your spiritual condition before God? Will God accept you “just as
you are?” Not if you do not believe Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ,
the Son of the living God; not if you believe Jesus is the Son of God
but you will not confess your faith before men; not if you have
confessed your faith but will not repent of your sin and remove it from
your life (Rom. 6:1-2); not if you reject baptism as essential for your
salvation from sin (1 Pet. 3:21; Acts 22:16); and not if you are a
Christian yet are not being faithful to Jesus in your daily life (Gal.
2:20).
God
will accept you (save you) when you surrender to His will and do what He
wants instead of remaining “just as you are.”
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit
within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take
Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
and uphold me by Your generous Spirit. 13 Then I will teach
transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You. (Psa.
51:10-13)
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Everything I need to know about life,
I learned from Noah's Ark...
One: Don't miss the boat.
Two: Remember that we are all in the same boat.
Three: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
Four: Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do
something really big.
Five: Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be
done.
Six: Build your future on high ground.
Seven: For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
Eight: Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the
cheetahs.
Nine: When you're stressed, float a while.
Ten: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
Eleven: No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow
waiting.
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