As they were untying the colt, its
owners asked them, "Why are you untying that colt?" They
replied, "The Lord needs it. " (Luke 19:33,34). Jesus
had sent two disciples into Bethany to get the colt for what
we call today the triumphal entry. He told them where to
find it and what to say to the owners: "The Lord needs it."
In one sense, the Lord needs nothing of
ours nor of us. To an Israel addicted to formal religion he
declared: "I do not need to take a bull from your household
or goats from your sheepfolds. For every wild animal in the
forest belongs to me, as well as the cattle that graze on a
thousand hills. I keep track of every bird in the hills, and
the insects of the field are mine. Even if I were hungry, I
would not tell you, for the world and all it contains belong
to me" (Psalm 50:9-12). He wanted sincere worship from
Israel, not because He needed it, but as adoration of the
heart on the worshipers' part.
There is nothing I can do for God. He has
no personal need that I can fulfill. As God He is
self-sufficient and complete. In another sense,
however, the Lord has seen fit to use our lives and acts for
His kingdom. Jesus told the Twelve: "You did not choose me,
but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit,
fruit that remains, so that whatever you ask the Father in
My name He will give you" (John 15:16). What Jesus
says to the Twelve here is also true of every Christian. By
His graciousness, He has made man a part of His work to save
others.
In this sense, then, it is appropriate to
say, as Jesus did of the colt, that He needs us.
So when a mother is discouraged about her
children, the Lord needs you to cheer her. When a
child is frustrated or sad or hungry in this world, the Lord
needs you to care for him. When you meet someone who has yet
to obey the divine commandment, the Lord needs you to teach
that person.
When false teachings creep into the
church, the Lord needs you to stand up and speak the truth
clearly and lovingly. When funds are in short supply
to do the work, the Lord needs you to be generous.
When tempers flare and harsh words begin
to fly, the Lord needs you to act as a peacemaker. In
the family, the Lord needs you to fulfill your role.
In society, He needs you to be salt and light. In the
church, He needs you to be a pillar for truth and platform
for peace.
To be coworkers with God, as Paul said in
2 Corinthians 6:1, is a humbling and glorious thought.
To have been chosen by Him to go and bear fruit in this
world as a part of His great mission leaves our heart in
great awe, gives speed to our feet, and strength to our
hands when we hear Him say, "The Lord needs you."
- J. Randal Matheny edits and writes UPLift, an
inspirational ezine. He
may be contacted here: <http://randalmathenycom/>.
When reprinting this
material, please include the following:
Copyright (c) 2012 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.
By Ty Nichol
One general perception of the Bible is
that the Bible is merely useful for moral guidelines and for
minimizing emotional and ethical damage in life. That
perception is similar to that of an auto manual. “If
we want to keep the car running, we’ll eventually need to
refer to the operation and maintenance actions.” This
kind of perception continues to be perpetuated.
While there are different kinds and
models of automobiles, they all possess a brake, a gas
pedal, a steering wheel, etc. Biblical truths have
been reduced to commonalities also. While there are
many different convictions, styles and practices of worship,
generally all Bible believing people profess a belief in
Jesus. The differing, though, is so pervasive it
defines the culture we live in. Differing is the norm.
One community of believers makes a
certain profession: “We baptize by immersion (as opposed to
sprinkling or pouring) because we believe it most closely
fulfills the biblical form. The term ‘baptize’
literally means to immerse or plunge.” This community
of believers grasps the concept of what the word baptize
means. They understand that to baptize a person, that
person must undergo an immersion or plunge in order to
fulfill the biblical form (which they refer to as a burial,
found in Romans 6:1-4). They insist that they will not
perform baptism in a different way. This group also
claims that “while the immersion mode best illustrates the
work of Christ, the Bible does not mandate how much water
should be used.” Perhaps if they listened to what they
just explained as biblical practice, they would know that
the Bible provided an answer to the question of “how much
water should be used?” How much water is necessary to
immerse? They also mention, “We will not argue with
those who believe they have a valid baptism in another
form.” While this statement might convey a
non-confrontational spirit, it also denies the biblical
authority and belief they just attempted to establish.
They insist that the Bible teaches one way, but will accept
“other forms.”
Continuing to stress the importance
of baptism and the necessity of being baptized as soon as
possible, this community decides that there will only be two
dates per year available for people wanting to enter the
water.
It is apparent that the group
referred to above recognizes that people have differing
views of the Bible and that they anticipate people joining
their worship community with a diversity of beliefs.
The question then needs to be asked, why make any profession
of beliefs at all? If certain biblical beliefs can be
compromised, why convey a firm stance regarding any? Why
purpose to teach one way while expected to accept many ways?
Maybe the vacillating is part of the reason some reduce the
Bible to being merely a set of morals and a
chicken-soup-for-the-soul.
The Bible states that God is not an
author of confusion. The Bible is God’s book…or is
that a matter of concession
also?
- 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 through the congregation's website:
http://www.arthurchurchofchrist.com
The Bible teaches that “every one
of us shall give account of himself to God” (Rom. 14:12).
This is a clear declaration that each individual bears a
responsibility in regard to his salvation. Ezekiel
proclaimed, “the soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son
shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the
father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of
the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the
wicked shall be upon him” (Eze. 18:20). No one will give an
account to God for someone else. Since God demands
accountability, it is only logical to understand that God
has given us the Law to which we will be accountable. Jesus
says, “he that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words,
hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the
same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48). All men,
therefore, shall be responsible for obeying the Truth that
is the New Testament of Christ. Paul states that the Gospel
of Christ is the only power that can save man and that the
plan to make man righteous is found in that Gospel (Rom.
1:16-17). Thus, no man can be saved without the Bible. The
Bible teaches how one can become righteous in God’s sight –
hear (Rom. 10:17), believe (Heb. 11:6), repent of past sins
(Luke 13:3), confess that Jesus is the Christ (Rom.
10:9-10), and be immersed in water to have those past sins
washed away (Acts 22:16; Rev. 1:5).
The Bible also teaches that once an
individual has obeyed God’s plan to save, he has the
responsibility to remain faithful. “For if after they have
escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of
the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled
therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them
than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to
have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have
known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto
them. But it is happened unto them according to the true
proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the
sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire” (2 Pet.
2:20-22).
Each individual with the capacity
and ability to give account for his actions will do so on
the Day of Judgment. “For we must all appear before the
judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the
things done in his body, according to that he hath done,
whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10). Isn’t it wonderful
to know that if we simply obey God’s plan of salvation and
remain faithful to Him, when He opens the book of our deeds
on the Last Great Day, our sins will be covered by the blood
of Christ, “blotted out” (Acts 3:19), as if wiped clean from
the pages of history. Have you had your sins washed away?
“Why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away
thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).
- via the Belvedere
Beacon, the weekly bulletin of the Belvedere Church
of Christ, Belvedere, SC. Ken Chumbley preaches for
this congregation, and he may be contacted at their website:
http://www.belvederechurchofchrist.org
By Bill Brandstatter
Too many folks look upon church
attendance as being secondary to anything else on their
schedule. They are not opposed to religion. They may even
look upon it as a vital part of life. But they have no
conscience against neglecting it. Perhaps the attitude is:
“I’ll go to church if nothing comes up, or if I am not too
tired.” But to stay away because we have so many other
engagements or because we have so little strength left is
like staying away from the dinner table because we are to
weak from hunger to go to the table.
The Bible tells us that this was
not uncommon in the first century. The writer of Hebrews
notes ”Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,
as is the manner of some” (Heb. 10:25)..
What then does the church have to
offer that a person cannot get anywhere else? One man said,
“I do not go to church anymore because I can get what the
church has to offer in better form elsewhere.”
When the church gets into the
business of offering the world what the world already has,
it is in the wrong business, and is not the church of the
New Testament.
The mission of God’s church is to
save souls. God’s power for saving souls is in the gospel of
Christ. It is the mission of the church to preach the
gospel.
The church offers a family
atmosphere to believers not found elsewhere. The early
church was said to be “together and had all things common.”
(Acts 2:42).
Each member of the church is
important. The church offers assistance to the believer in
need (1 John 3:17).
The church is where the saved are
.(Acts 2:47). Their names are enrolled in heaven (Heb.
12:23). Where else can men have fellowship, communion with
God and associations that they have in the church? In what
other institution can we find the same assurance? Where else
is offered the hope of everlasting life? – Bill Brandstatter preaches for the Marion
Church of Christ in Marion, IL. He may be contacted through
the congregation's website: http://marionchurchofchrist.com/
Few realize the horrendous danger
in the nature of a stumbling block. Many years ago, as
a youth in both age and service to the Lord, I witnessed the
effects of such when a dear friend’s father came forward as
the invitation hymn was sung one Sunday morning. After
a few moments, the preacher arose and said, “Mister Smith
has come forward to confess his faith in Christ and be
baptized for the remission of his sins. But, before he
does so, he wants to address the audience.”
Slowly, the 50+ year old man rose up and
explained, “Most of you know who I am. I’m Mrs.
Smith’s husband and I’ve been coming here with her for over
15 years. I’m not a Christian and I’m sure that many
of you thought that I was. Why I haven’t been baptized
into Christ before now is what I want to explain.
About that long ago, a member from here had some work done
at my lawn mower shop down the street. After the work
was done, he didn’t want to pay for it. There arose a
serious disagreement between us and he did not treat me like
a Christian should have. I thought to myself, ‘If
that’s what a Christian does, then I didn’t want to be
one.’ So, I was determined not to be a member of the
Lord’s church. It has taken me all this long to
realize that I was also wrong. Finally, I have
realized that I could not afford to wait any longer to obey
the Lord. I was wrong.” He began to weep, even
sobbing incessantly through his confession.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the
congregation. Several more were given the courage that
day to make that step as well. Brother Smith was
faithful until his death. His son and I were the best
of friends and used to play upstairs at his house on rainy
days. I often look back at that event and have never
forgotten that lesson. This man had had a stone of
stumbling placed in his pathway by a sinful and uncaring
brother. It almost cost him his eternal destiny.
Therefore, may the Lord help us all to
see how easy it is to cause a person to reject salvation and
how easy it is to lose our promised inheritance because of
the thoughtless actions or comments of others.
Remember that God sent His only begotten Son to save our
souls simply because He loved us (John 3:16). That
love must be reciprocated in our obedience to Him.
And, it must be continually shown to our other brothers and
sisters in the Lord, and to all men, if we ever hope to
enter Heaven’s portals on that day (1 Peter 1:22;
Philippians 4:5). May God help us all to care enough.
By Jeremy Spouse
After 70 years of captivity, God
graciously allowed the Israelites to return to Jerusalem to
rebuild the Temple. In Ezra 3:10, the work began with great
joy. Soon afterwards however, the Israelites let adversaries
stop the work, and the Temple of God remained barren and
desolate. The message God sent through Haggai was: “Consider
your ways!” (Haggai 1:5).
They were saying the time wasn’t
right to build God’s house (Haggai 1:2), but they were
building their houses. They were not just building bare
bones shelter either; they were building paneled houses -
elaborate, decorated houses (Haggai 1:4). They were willing
to put in the effort for themselves, but not for God. They
needed to consider their ways.
Are we like the Israelites? Where are our
priorities? Are we spending more time on our houses, lawns,
and/or cars than we spend on God’s work? Jesus made it known
upfront we cannot be His disciples unless we make Him first
in our lives (Luke14:25-35). Often we are baptized with
great rejoicing and are on fire for God. Soon, however, the
worries of life and the desire for our comfort cause that
fire to dwindle to nothingness.
It is important we are not just
good starters, but good finishers. We need to consider our
ways.
- via the weekly bulletin of the Harrisburg Church of Christ
in Harrisburg, IL. You may visit their website at
http://www.harrisburgchurchofchrist.org
By Adam Faughn
"Work" is a word that many people
do not like to see. We like to think that we can get certain
results without work, but such is not the case.
Only in the dictionary ...
Does "love" come before "work."
Does "trust" come before "work."
Does "growth" come before "work."
Does "heaven" come before "work."
These are just four examples of
things people want to achieve without really working for
them. Obviously, love is is an emotion, but real love takes
a lot of work to build and maintain. We only gain trust from
others when we put forth the work necessary to build that
trust (which usually takes some significant time, too). A
relationship, business, effort, or congregation will not
grow unless there is a great deal of work involved.
But, what about heaven? Can we go
to heaven without working? When we preach that one must be
baptized in order to be saved (cf. Acts 2:38), we are often
told that we are preaching a "works salvation." It is said
that we are preaching that one can earn his or her way into
heaven.
Nothing could be further from the
truth! God's grace saves, but He still requires us to do
certain things (cf. Philippians 2:12). Most of those who
state we preach works salvation will teach that one must
believe in order to be saved, and some will teach that one
must repent of sins. Are these not works, too? They may not
be quite so obvious outwardly, but they are just as much a
work as is baptism.
And, when we think about it,
baptism is really passive compared to the others. I believe.
I repent. I confess. But, I am baptized. Someone must
baptize me!
The Bible also makes it clear that
we must continue to work for the Lord throughout our life if
we want to be found faithful in the Day of Judgment (cf.
Revelation 2:10). We cannot "pile up" enough good works to
ear heaven, but we must humbly submit to the commands of God
to be found faithful. "Heaven" only comes before "work" int
he dictionary!
- Adam Faughn serves as the pulpit minister for the Lebanon
Road Church of Christ in Nashville, TN. He may be
contacted through the congregation’s website at:
http://www.lebanonroadchurchofchrist.org
In 1847 Sir James Simpson of Edinburgh
discovered the use of chloroform as an anesthetic in
surgery. Some have claimed that this was the most
significant discovery of modern medicine.
In his later years, Sir James was
lecturing at Edinburgh University and a student asked, “What
do you consider to be the most valuable discovery of your
lifetime?”
Sir James answered quickly, “My most
valuable discovery was when I discovered myself a sinner and
that Jesus Christ was my Savior.”
Similarly, at age 82, near death, almost
blind, and with fading memory, John Newton, author of the
timeless song, “Amazing Grace”, wrote these words: “My
memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: I’m a
great sinner and Christ is a great savior.”
The book of Romans makes clear these
significant truths that Simpson and Newton articulated.
The problem is sin (Romans 3:10,
23). The penalty for sin is death (6:23). The
power of God unto salvation is the Gospel (1:16). The
provision for sin is Christ’s death (5:8). The price
paid for sin is His blood (5:9). The process by which
we contact that blood? By placing our faith and trust in
Jesus (5:1), confessing Christ (10:9-10), turning from our
sins in repentance (2:4), and being buried with Christ in
baptism (6:1-4). Then we are to dedicate the rest of
our lives in service to Him (6:12-18; 12:1).
The most valuable discovery that YOU can
make is your Savior too! -
-Alan Eldridge & David A. Sawyer, House to House/Heart
to Heart; 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 through the congregation's website:
http://www.arthurchurchofchrist.com
By Bart Warren
Some time ago I read about a man
who was traveling down a path that he knew well. He had
traversed it many times before. One day, there was a sign on
the road that read:
BLOCKED! DO NOT PASS! DIFFICULT TO TURN BACK!
The man read the sign. He understood each word.
Nevertheless, he continued on the road anyway.
It wasn’t long before he came
across a tree that had fallen at a point at which the road
was extremely narrow. It took him several minutes to finally
get turned around and headed out. When he got back to the
sign that had warned him of the problems ahead, he noticed
that the back part of it had a message as well: TOLD YOU SO!
Why did he ignore the warning?
Maybe because he thought he knew better. Maybe he had been
there enough times before that he felt too comfortable.
Maybe he felt as though he could overcome any challenge.
Maybe he didn’t believe the sign.
This situation reminds me of the
way many people treat spiritual warning signs. In spite of
Biblical warnings, many act as if they know better than God.
They get too comfortable with this life—as if this life is
all that there is to our existence. They become prideful and
feel as though they can handle any situation on their
own—without the aid of anyone else. There are even those who
choose not to believe the message contained in God’s Holy
Word.
Let us all heed the warning:
Be on guard, keep awake. For you do
not know when the time will come.
It is like a man going on a
journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in
charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to
stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when
the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at
midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning—lest
he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you
I say to all: Stay awake. (Mark 13:33-37)
Don’t ignore the plain warning
signs our God has left us for our own benefit and
well-being. He wants us to arrive at our destination
(heaven) safely!
- 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
By Bob Winton
“So when they had dined, Jesus
saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me
more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest
that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs” (John
21:15). This is a good question for us to ask ourselves.
Do we love the Lord more than we
love our relatives? If we do, we will not let them hinder us
from obeying the Lord or worshipping Him. The Lord taught:
“Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I
confess also before my Father which is in heaven” (Matt.
10:32).
Do we love the Lord more than we
love our money? If so, we will cheerfully and liberally
support the Lord’s work. “But this I say, He which soweth
sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth
bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according
as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not
grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful
giver” (2 Cor. 9:6-7).
Do we love the Lord more than we
love entertainment and pleasure? Indulging in pleasure at
the expense of Christian living and serving God is sinful
for these things have taken over God’s rightful place (cf.
Luke 12:15-21). Sinful pleasure is always wrong. “But she
that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth” (1 Tim.
5:6). “Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been
wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of
slaughter” (James 5:5).
Do we love the Lord more than the
praise of men? If so, we will be willing to obey God even if
it means we must incur the rejection of men. Some Jewish
leaders believed on Christ but would not confess him because
they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God
(John 12:42-43).
The Lord must be the supreme object
of our affection. We must be able to sing with meaning, “O
How I Love Jesus!” -
via the Nile Street Notes,
the
weekly bulletin of the Anna Church of Christ in Anna, IL; R.
W. McAlister preaches for the congregation and may be
contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.annachurchofchrist.com/
We live in a time dominated by secular
humanism. Religion is dismissed as being of little
value and only useful for the weak-minded of society.
In the mind of someone who has no sense of humility before a
Higher Power, self is king, and the pursuit of personal
desires is all that such a person has to occupy his
time. So many people seem to believe that the key to a
happy life is to choose success as defined by the secular
humanist culture. We, as Christians, know that a life
built on that foundation will never lead to true joy.
We know it, but do we believe it?
The only true joy to be found in this
life comes from full self-denial. When we bring our
lives under submission to what the Lord wants for us, we can
remove the fear and stress that plague so many in this day
and age. Brethren, we must keep this in mind when we
prioritize our lives. Do we allow entertainment, work,
sports, education or any other personal activities to take
first place in our lives over discipleship? We can see all
throughout the Bible, and especially in Luke’s Gospel
(9:57-62; 18:18-22) that God doesn’t ask us to follow Him
part-time.
One of the biggest problems evident in
the church today is the fact that we have become
distracted. We must each examine ourselves to see
where we have allowed our own comfort to come between us and
God. If we truly want to be happy we will put Christ
first in our lives and spread His love to all those around
before concerning ourselves with selfish priorities
first. It’s time to remove the distractions and focus
on the purpose for which we’ve been called.
- 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 through the congregation's website:
http://www.arthurchurchofchrist.com
By Bryan McAlister
What has it cost you? Her
world is defined by room numbers, meal times, therapy,
events and activities all of which are scheduled for her by
nurses, coordinators, and therapists. Her job is to live, to
come and to go. Her purpose, some might say in the cynics
view, has passed from this place. The Lord's Day came, and
she was there with the others gathered. It was time to "lay
by in store" as her soul had prospered. Her sacrifice, not
of legal tender to settle all debts public or private, but
of paper "money" (you might call it Monopoly Money), used to
"purchase" things in her defined world. It meant one less
thing to her, but was worth it for Him. That's what it cost.
What has it cost you? She was
always good with music and children. She taught them
melodies and techniques, theory and style, pitch and
harmony. But one day she decided her occupation would
expand. She would still teach above all, but she would also
become a nurse, an executive, a counselor and confidant. She
mastered art and sciences, and could always find the best
places to hide and never be found. She would still do all
these things and more for children, but only two, her two;
our two. It meant one less accolade from the world, one less
paycheck for the home, one less recognition of prestige. But
it meant two more souls for Him. That's what it cost.
What has it cost you? His vision is
dimmed and his hearing has dulled. His smile is still bright
and his handshake still bold. The therapy takes so much
energy and strength, irony of the aide to battle the
illness. He continues to work, to pray, to push, to press,
to place his feet at his post, the corner, you know the
corner, in the foyer, by the doors. His was the first
hand I ever shook, probably you could say the same too. It
means one less moment to rest, one less hour to sleep, one
more day to push, just to shake your hand; your son's hand,
who when he hears the words "Mr. Al is sick" instantly says,
"He's the one who shakes my hand." That's what it cost.
Can you find another meaning for
sacrifice? Maybe there is one that does not become so
personal, is not so pervasive and will not be so pricey.
Sacrifice has become so invasive, so insistent, and so
inconvenient. Surely service without sacrifice is more
appropriate in a modern world. At the heart of the word
sacrifice you find the formula, "ifi" more appropriately,
"if-i." If I surrender what would supply my soul for the
moment, just so I could sacrifice that moment for Him...If I
share my talent exclusively for others, just so I could
sacrifice that talent for Him...If I stay my course here, no
matter the pain or the pressure, the distress or the
discomfort; just to sacrifice myself for Him, what has it
cost? One less possession, one less paycheck, one less
passing nap? What has it cost? I hope you know.
- Bryan McAlister preaches for the Centerville Church of
Christ, in Centerville, TN. He may be contacted
through the congregation's website:
http://www.centervillechurchofchrist.org
“Are you listening?”
was the trademark of brother V. E. Howard, one
of the great radio-evangelists of the church in
the last half of the twentieth century. When
brother Howard made a point that he wanted his
listeners to pay particular attention to, he
would drive that point home with this question:
“Are you listening?”
Most preachers who
stand before the church week after week
expounding upon the words of life often wonder
if their audiences are listening. It is obvious
that some (many) are not listening as is
evidenced by some who are clipping fingernails,
others who are asleep, and still others who make
frequent trips to the restroom at critical times
in the lesson.
Faithful elders of the
church who are charged with overseeing the flock
of God (Acts 20:28), as Paul by the Spirit
instructs them to do, no doubt often wonder if
the flock is listening. It is obvious to them,
too, that many in the flock are not listening
because they do not heed the call to faithful
attendance (Heb. 10:25), nor do they heed the
call to godly living (Titus 2:11-12). In spite
of the pleas to flee worldliness, many continue
in sin (2Cor. 6:17; I Cor. 6:9-11).
Listening, simply
defined, is the mentally processing of what one
is hearing--as he is hearing it. It is a most
important process because “…faith cometh by
hearing….” (Rom. 10:17). Jesus said to his
disciples, “If any man hath an ear to hear, let
him hear” (Mark 4:23). He further warned them to
“…take heed what you hear” (Mark 4:24)
It is significant that
God gave this imperative to his people in the
Old Testament numerous times “…Hear the word of
the Lord.”
To each of the seven churches of Asia, Jesus
gave this imperative: “He that hath an ear, let
him hear what the spirit saith to the churches”
(Rev. 2 - 3).
GOD IS SPEAKING!
FRIEND, ARE YOU LISTENING?
- A. C. Quinn preaches for the West Main Church
of Christ in Wolfe City, Texas. He may be
contacted at acuen30@netzero.net
