About our Bulletion

I am a Christian.

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 20:35:14 -0400

From time to time, Christians take the opportunity to talk with others about being a Christian. A Typical question (Q.) and answer (A.) discussion might sound like this:
What are you religiously? A. I am a Christian.
No, no. I meant, what kind of Christian are you? A. Just a Christian. I strive to be a faithful Christian.
But, you must be a Baptist, Catholic or something? A. No. I am a Christian.
What do you mean? How can you be just a Christian? A. Well, the Bible tells us that disciples of Christ were first called Christians in Antioch, Acts 11:26. And Jesus told believers, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine” John 8:31–32. So you see, a Christian is a believer who becomes a disciple by following the word of Jesus.
All denominations follow Christ; don’t they? A. No. How can they teach and practice different doctrine and all be following Jesus? Galatians 1:6–10.
Don’t you meet with some group? A. Yes. I meet with other Christians to worship and work.
So you do belong to a church after all. Which one? A. There is one church, Ephesians 4:4 and 1:22–23. This is the body of Jesus. “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:27. Disciples of Christ, Christians, belong to Jesus. They are His people. His people make up His church.
There is a crying need for people to go back to the Bible for answers to these questions; for eternity hangs in the balance. When someone asks, ‘What are you religiously?’; it is not the same as asking, ‘What kind of ice cream do you like?’ Yet, most people approach religion with less interest and care than they use in deciding what to eat. Have you ever heard this? ‘It really does not matter what you are religiously.’ Can you picture someone standing before Jesus in judgement and saying that? It is about time that people stop playing at religion.
Do you want to be a Christian? Abide in Christ’s word. Now, you cannot do that without opening up the Bible and studying His word. If you do, then someday you will also answer, ‘I am a Christian,’ when asked: ‘What are you religiously?’
Skip Paquette
Scripture thought for the week
“But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.” 1Peter 4:13-16

Seeking God amid life’s problems

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 20:32:02 -0400

“O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water” Psalm 63:1.
David writes this psalm on the run from Saul in the wilderness of south Judah. How sad and unfair! In this dreary desert, note his spiritual priority. Despite suffering an unjust exile, he is thirstier for a relationship with God in this parched land than for a drink of water. How thirsty is our soul for God amid our problems?
Listen to this description of thirst by a WWI soldier in the Negev desert: “Our tongues began to swell…our lips turned to a purplish black and burst…The desperate force battled on to Sheria. There were wells at Sheria, and had they been unable to take the place by nightfall, thousands were doomed to die of thirst. We fought that day as men fight for their lives….The first objects which met our view were the great stone cisterns full of cold, clear drinking water…I believed that we all learned our first real Bible lesson on that march from Beersheba to the Sheria wells. If such were our thirst for God and for righteousness, for His will in our lives, a consuming, all-embracing, pre-occupying desire, how rich in the fruit of the Spirit would we be” (McArthur, Kingdom Living, p. 93).
David learned in his depressing problems that when all is stripped away, and that we have nothing left, we then discover that God is all we need. In this faith, He drew closer to God and triumphed over his unjust sufferings. We must learn to be preoccupied with God instead of our problems. “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth” (Psa 73:25). Only He who made the human knows how to satisfy it. He alone can quench our spiritual thirst (Matt 5:6). Indeed, “God made the human machine to run on Himself” (C. S. Lewis).
So, in our problems, God can then help us cope and rise above them. We trust that God is not the cause of all problems but He is the master of all circumstances. David shows us that problems are opportunities to draw closer to God. “For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me. But those who seek my life to destroy it, will go into the depths of the earth.” Ps 63:7-9.
W. Frank Walton
Scripture thought for the week
“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:10-14

Inspired by God.

Sun, 8 Mar 2009 20:28:44 -0400

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for...” 2 Timothy 3:16. Have you ever stopped to consider what the inspiration of the scriptures should mean to you? The skeptic will not agree that the scriptures are inspired by God. Many others would not be able to explain inspiration. Worse yet, many who accept the inspiration of the scriptures do not live in a way that reflects their belief.
The word ‘inspired’ literally means God-breathed. The scriptures come from, or are, “breathed from God.” The scriptures are the word of God. Peter writes: “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’ own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” 2 Peter 1:20, 21.
This is true of the Old Testament writers. The New Testament writers were also moved by the Holy Spirit to speak from God. The scriptures are not the interpretations of men. Jesus promised His apostles that He would send the Holy Spirit to guide them into all the truth, John 16:13. As we read the scriptures we can have every confidence that they are the truth.
Some suggest that the New Testament writers were only given the thoughts or ideas that God wanted man to have. They claim that the New Testament writers were free to express these thoughts in their own words. This, they claim, resulted in inspired thoughts and uninspired words.
But Paul claims the following, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. ” 1 Corinthians 2:12, 13. Yes, the Bible contains the thoughts of God for man. Yes, these thoughts were expressed in words chosen by the Holy Spirit.
When you read the Bible, you are reading those things that God has freely given to man. Let God speak to you through His word.
Skip Paquette
Scripture thought for the week
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” Psalms 1:1-2

Do we have all of God’s word?

Sun, 1 Mar 2009 20:25:16 -0500

With this article we end our study of 2 Timothy 3:16–17. We have learned that the Bible can profit us so that we will be complete as God’s workman. Since the Scriptures are capable of making people complete workman of God; the Scriptures must be complete. But many do not believe that we have all of God’s word. The New Testament writers tell us that we do have all of God’s word. Let us look at a few examples of this.
During our Lord’s life on earth, He made a number of promises. For example, He told the Jews: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” When Jesus was raised from the dead, this promise was fulfilled. When Jesus promises something He keeps His word. Jesus promised the apostles: “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth;” John 16:13. Did Jesus keep His word to the apostles? Listen to one of them. Peter wrote: “…seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” 2 Peter 1:3 The christians of Peter’s day had everything needed for life and godliness.
The apostle Paul told the elders of the church of Ephesus: “Therefore I testify to you this day, that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.” Acts 20:27 Paul said that some nineteen hundred years ago. Can we not read the writings of Peter, Paul and the other New Testament writers confident that God has provided for their completeness?
God appeals to us: “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” Jude 3 The faith was once for all delivered. This includes all people to the end of time. Why would anyone in the light of what God says in the Bible contend for any other revelation? Men can claim all the new revelation they want. The person who believes God knows better.
God’s word, the Bible, is what people need to hear. The Bible is the word of Christ. It is the only rule of faith man can follow and be pleasing to God. Let God be found true, though every man be found a liar. Yes, the word of God is complete. What is there to keep you from picking it up today so that you can start receiving profit from God that will go with you into eternity?
Skip Paquette
Scripture thought for the week
“Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.” Psalms 119:1-2

Handling accurately the word of truth.

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 20:19:54 -0500

We have learned that the scriptures equip the man of God for every good work. The christian is God’s workmanship. As a workman for God, Timothy was told: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 God promised us profit from His word. But we have a responsibility toward God and His word. We should no more want to come before God with cause to be ashamed than would Timothy. We need likewise to be careful to handle accurately the word of truth.
God is very clear about those who would go beyond the teachings of Christ. “Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.” 2 John 9 There are two things mentioned as needful in order to have God. We must be satisfied with the teaching of Christ and not seek more. We must abide (live) in the teaching of Christ. A Bible that sits on a table collecting dust is of no profit to the owner. Scripture that is studied and not put into practice is of no profit to the student. The teachings of men (even those taught by churches and their leaders) are not the teaching of Christ. One needs to study and practice what is in the New Testament in order to have God. If we do this, John writes that we will have both the Father and the Son.
A similar thought is found in Revelation 22:18–21. If anyone adds to the book, the plagues written in the book will be added to him by God. You and I should also heed this warning as we study, believe, and practice. We dare not add anything to God’s word. We find also a companion warning. If anyone takes away from the book, his part in the tree of life and holy city will be taken from him by God. We dare not take anything away from God’s word. We need to believe and practice all that God has said.
In the days of the apostles there were some who wanted to distort the gospel of Christ. Galatians 1: 6–9 Paul warns christians: “But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” He repeats this warning twice. You and I are responsible to turn away from those teaching a distorted gospel. If possible we can teach them the truth.
In order to handle accurately the word of truth we need to study and practice it. Only the word of truth! All the word of truth!
Skip Paquette
Scripture thought for the week
“But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:16-17