12/1/13

From Mark Copeland... The Comfort Of Christ's Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

"THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS"

The Comfort Of Christ's Coming (4:13-18)

INTRODUCTION

1. In previous studies we've noted that Paul makes frequent mention of
the second coming of Christ in this epistle to the Thessalonians...
a. In every chapter there is some reference to this great event
b. So far we have seen the following references: 1Th 1:10; 2:19;
3:13

2. In our text for this lesson, Paul discusses "The Comfort Of Christ's
Coming"...
a. How we ought to be comforted by the "fact" of His coming
b. How we should be comforted by the "events" of His coming

[Our text is 1Th 4:13-18, a well-known passage often read at funerals.
And rightly so, for it deals with...]

I. THE PROBLEM OF SORROW (13)

A. THE LOSS OF LOVED ONES IS GREAT...
1. The sorrow is great, the grief is so hard to bear
2. It is the most stressful event that one can endure

B. THE CHRISTIAN IS NOT IMMUNE TO SORROW...
1. We experience the sorrow of separation - e.g., Ac 20:37-38
2. But we need not experience the sorrow of desperation
a. The despair of having no hope
b. The despair of not ever seeing a loved one again

[What can alleviate the problem of sorrow? It is knowledge concerning
the events of Christ's coming; and so Paul does not want them to be
ignorant concerning...]

II. THE PROMISE FOR THOSE ASLEEP (14-15)

A. GOD WILL BRING THEM WITH JESUS...
1. Just as He raised Jesus from the dead, so He will bring those
who "sleep in Jesus"!
a. In this text, he limits his discussion to the righteous dead
b. Elsewhere, we read of the of resurrection of the wicked
- e.g., Jn 5:28-29
2. What do the terms "fallen asleep" and "sleep in Jesus" mean?
a. The scriptures often speak of death as a "sleep"
1) Mt 27:52 - ...bodies of the saints who had "fallen
asleep"
2) Jn 11:11-14 - Jesus says of dead Lazarus, "our friend
sleeps"
3) Ac 7:60 - As Stephen is stoned to death, it is said "he
fell asleep"
b. Some believe these passages support the doctrine of "soul
sleeping"
1) That souls are unconscious between death and the
resurrection
2) Not to be confused with the doctrine held by JW's, who
teach there is no consciousness until the resurrection
because the dead cease to exist
c. Yet the following points should be carefully noted:
1) Nowhere do the Scriptures say that the soul of the
departed one fell asleep
a) It was the person who "fell asleep"
b) Thus it can have reference to the body, not the soul
2) The term "sleep" is a figurative reference, and a very
appropriate one:
a) For sleep implies REST...
1) When one sleeps literally, there is rest from
one's labor
2) So it is that the dead also "rest from their
labors" - cf. Re 14:13
b) For sleep implies a CEASING OF PARTICIPATION...
1) In literal sleep, one ceases in the activities
pertaining to the sphere in which one has been busy
during the hours of wakefulness
2) So it is with the dead, they are no longer active
in the world which they left
c) For sleep is generally a PRELUDE TO AN AWAKENING...
1) In literal sleep, it is followed by an "awakening"
2) So it is with death:
a/ Though the souls may be conscious during the
intermediate state...
b/ ...at the resurrection there will be the
"awakening" of the glorified and transformed
bodies in which to house our souls
3) The term "sleep" became a euphemism for death because of
the sleep-like appearance of the body
3. That God will bring "them with Jesus" implies they are with
Jesus now!
a. As stated later in this epistle - 1Th 5:10
b. As stated elsewhere in the Scriptures - 2Co 5:8; Lk 23:43;
Php 1:21-23

B. THEY WILL PRECEDE THOSE WHO ARE ALIVE...
1. It seems some in Thessalonica feared those who had died would
miss out on the blessings of Christ's coming
2. Paul reassures them (and us) that such is not the case...
a. God will bring them with Jesus! - 1Th 4:14; cf. also 3:13
b. Therefore, "by no means" will those alive precede those who
are dead! - 1Th 4:15
c. This assurance we have "by the word of the Lord" - 1Th 4:15
1) The same "word" which foretold and brought about the
flood - 2Pe 3:3-6
2) The same "word" now tells of Christ's coming - 2Pe 3:
7-13
3) This "word" lives and abides forever! - 1Pe 1:23-25

[To reinforce the promise for those asleep in Christ, Paul next
describes...]

III. THE PROCEDURE FOR CHRIST'S COMING (16-17)

A. THE LORD WILL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN...
1. Note what is said about His coming - 1Th 4:16
a. It will be with a "shout"
b. It will be with the "voice of an archangel"
c. It will be with the "trumpet of God"
2. This is not describing some silent rapture!
a. This very passage is used to teach the premillenial concept
of the rapture
b. Yet Paul ties the coming of the Lord and our gathering
together into one event - cf. 2Th 2:1-2
1) In which Jesus comes for His saints - 1Th 4:13-18
2) In which Jesus brings judgment upon the wicked - 1Th 5:
1-3; cf. 2Th 1:7-8

B. THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST...
1. Their souls will be coming with Jesus - 1Th 4:14
2. But their bodies will be raised from the grave - 1Th 4:16; cf.
Jn 5:28-29
-- This will happen first, so we who are alive will not precede
those who are dead

C. THOSE LIVING WILL BE CAUGHT UP WITH THEM...
1. Those alive will be transformed - cf. 1Co 15:51-53
a. Their mortal bodies will put on immortality
b. Their corruptible bodies will put on incorruption
2. The righteous living will then join the righteous dead - cf.
1Th 4:17
3. Together in the clouds we will meet the Lord in the air - cf.
Ac 1:9-11

[In this wonderful way we shall come to be with the Lord forever (1 Th ! As Jesus said, "that where I am, there you may be also" (Jn
14:3). What a blessed hope! As we consider our final point, it should be obvious what is...]

IV. THE PURPOSE FOR THESE WORDS (18)

A. TO BE COMFORTED...
1. The wonderful promise in our text certainly provides comfort
2. Comfort that can sustain us in times of great loss
-- While we may sorrow when a fellow-Christian dies, it is not the
sorrow of those who have no hope!

B. TO COMFORT ONE ANOTHER...
1. Comforting others in their loss of a loved one is a common
human trait - cf. Jn 11:19
2. Certainly Christians are to "weep with those who weep" - Ro 12:15
3. But for those who are fellow Christians, we can do more - we
can provide comfort!
a. Comfort them with the comfort we have in Christ - 2Co 1:3-4
b. Especially the comfort provided by the hope we have in
Christ - 1Th 4:18; 5:10-11

CONCLUSION

1. Paul will have more to say about the coming of Christ in the next
chapter...
a. In which he writes about the timing of Christ's coming
b. In which he writes about the preparation for Christ's coming

2. But in a passage that addresses...
a. The problem of sorrow
b. The promise for those asleep
c. The procedure for Christ's coming
d. The purpose for these words
-- We are reminded that death need not be "good bye", but only "good
night" (relate the story of the father who on his death bed told
all his children "good night" except the one unfaithful son to
whom he said "good bye")

When the time comes for our loved ones pass on, will we be able to find
comfort in this passage? Will those who survive us be comforted by its
promise when they grieve over our death?

From Jim McGuiggan... Righteusness and Electronic Banking

Righteusness & Electronic Banking

I heard an experienced preacher say, “I am not a righteous man but God regards me as though I were righteous.” He went on to explain that Christ’s personal righteousness was laid to his account—that it was “credited” to him. This meant, I think, that when God looked at him he really didn’t see the preacher’s moral character or state but the moral character or state of Jesus.

It would appear that crediting Jesus Christ’s personal righteousness to this preacher made no moral difference to him because he assured us he wasn’t righteous. That suggests that he was still in the same moral state now that he belonged to Jesus Christ as he had been when he didn’t belong to him.

And it would appear that it makes no difference to God whether the man was righteous or not for God credited Jesus personal moral record to the man.

It was also appear that God’s central concern is with quantitative righteousness; that is, with a certain amount of good performed and evil avoided. I say that because it wasn’t the moral character that was credited to the man—it was Christ’s moral achievement. For if God had transferred the moral character of Jesus Christ to the preacher, the preacher couldn’t have insisted that he was not a righteous man.

It all comes back, I fear, to this judicial and legal view of our relationship with God. God’s law needed to be sinlessly met, we didn’t meet it, Christ did and satisfied its demands and then God transferred Christ’s perfect record to preachers who are morally unchanged. It’s a bit like electronic banking with sin and righteousness in the place of money.

Hmmm.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Ben Fronczek... Love One Another Deeply

Love One Another Deeply

Love One Another Deeply 1 Peter 4:8 By Ben Fronczek

Introduction:

Can you remember times in your life when you really felt loved?

- Maybe when your mom and/or dad went to your school concerts, ball games, or other activities you were involved in, and they cheered you on. You could see how proud of you they were and it didn’t matter if you dropped the fly ball hit right to you, or if you messed up as you sang or played an instrument in the school concert, or messed up a little at whatever you were doing. They were just there for you and cheered you on and loved you despite you failings.

- Maybe you felt loved when that certain guy or gal tried to express their love by giving you a gift, and whispered sweet words in your ear. Maybe the first time you kissed and really meant it. Maybe even when they declared that they wanted to go out steady with you or asked you to marry them. You couldn’t help but feel the love. It was like you could do no wrong in the other’s eyes.

- Maybe you felt loved when you children cried when you left them behind, they didn’t want you to leave. Maybe you feel loved when your children or grandchildren kiss, hug and want to snuggle close to you. Likewise in their eyes you are just so very special and can do no wrong.

- Maybe you feel loved when your whole family gathers together just to be with you and celebrate your birthday, anniversary or some special event.

- Maybe you felt loved from a friend because one day when you were sad they came over to your house with a hand full of wild flower to cheer you up.

There are so many times in our life we feel loved by others, even when we don’t feel like we deserve that love.

I don’t know about you but each time I think about what Jesus did for me by going to the cross, and suffering and dying for me, it reminds me how much I am love by Him and by God despite all that I have done and will do wrong in the future. I feel loved by God each time I think about Jesus suffering for me.

What precious times they are – when we feel loved and special even when we don’t feel like we deserve that love.

Last week I presented a lesson from 1 Peter 4:7. We began to look at what Peter had to say and discussed the advice he gave to those early Christians just prior to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman army.

Their way of life was about to be turned upside-down; their city would be destroyed, the Temple and the Jewish Levitical system would be destroyed, and many would lose their life due to persecution in days to follow.

Peter wanted them to be prepared, but not with spears and swords, rather with weapons that would bless them and would prove far more powerful in the long run.

First of all he told that that they needed to be clear minded and be self controlled. Why; so that they could pray. As Christians, we have to be careful not to get caught up in things that distract us from what is really important.

We talked a little about the importance of prayer; how even in the most difficult situations a clear mind, having self control and prayer can strengthen us and our faith, and give us a peace of mind that goes beyond normal understanding.

In the lesson today we will look at more advice Peter gives in this text as he prepares them for the coming events. Read 1 Peter 4:7-8:

“⁷The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. ⁸Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

Did you notice the first thing he said there in verse 8? He said, “Above all.” Not just one more things, not just above certain things, but rather, “ABOVE ALL love each other deeply.” In Peter’s mind, as he speaks for the Lord, this is no little matter.

The original Greek word translated, ‘deeply’ here is the word. ‘ek-te-nes.’ It means ‘to stretch out.’ It can also be translated, ‘to love fervently, earnestly with intent.’ It denotes the idea of making an effort, to make an effort to love others deeply, To stretch yourself to do so.

As they enter this period of change, persecution, and hardship if anything is going to define who they are and what they are all about, it should be their love for one another, it should stand out like a beacon.

And it should be the kind of love that

“covers over a multitude of sins.”

That is you love so much that you have no problem ignoring wrongs done against you and you don’t count sins and error against the person.

Proverbs 10:12 says,

“Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.”

As Christians we have a choice; we can hate those who persecute us and be filled with bitterness, or choose to love these individuals despite their actions. Do you remember, what did Jesus do? We all know the answer to that.

Jesus put it this way in the Sermon on the mount: Matthew 6:38-48

“³⁸“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. ‘ ³⁹But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. ⁴⁰And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. ⁴¹If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. ⁴²Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

⁴³“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

This kind of Love is powerful on two fronts.

#1.This kind of love strengthens and protects the Christian’s heart; because bitterness and hatred are like poison or a cancer, they destroy a man from the inside out.

#2 Sometimes, true Love can also change our external circumstances. For the Romans it would be easy to kill or harm someone who hated them, but what about someone who genuinely loved them? Isn’t love and mercy honored and respected by others more than bitterness, cruelty, vengeance and hate? It will have a positive effect somewhere down the road.

Before I even get to the end of this lesson I am sure you already know what I am going to challenge you to do; to develop this kind of love for others.

But contrary to popular opinion, loving like this is not an easy to do. There may be a reason why Peter uses a word that stresses the fact we need to make an effort, or stretch ourselves to love others deeply like this.

Even the best of us are difficult to love sometimes, not to mention those who want to hurt us.

Fredrick the Great said, “The more I get to know people, the more I love my dog.” Although it may be true, God has commanded us to love people, not dogs.

A story is told about two gifted attorneys who had a lot of professional animosity towards one another. Even though they were both distinguished members of the same firm they were constantly criticizing and made life miserable for one another, because they hated one another.

Eventually one of the men became a Christian and later had to talk to the minister for some counsel concerning the relationship he had with this other attorney. He told the minister, “I have hated and criticized my partner for years,” he said, “and he has been equally antagonistic toward me, But now that I am a Christian, I don’t feel right about continuing our warfare. What should I do?”

“Why not ask your partner to forgive you and tell him that you love him?” suggested the minister.

“I could never do that he exclaimed. “That would be hypocritical. I don’t love him. How could I tell him that I love him if I don’t?”

The wise minister explained that God commands His children to love even their enemies and that His agape, supernatural, unconditional love is an expression of our genuine Christianity, if we exercise by faith.

The attorney and the minister knelt down to pray and the attorney asked for God’s forgiveness for his critical attitude towards his partner and then accepted God’s love for him by faith.

Early the next morning, the attorney walked into his partner’s office and told him, “Something wonderful has happened to me. I have become a Christian. And I have come to ask you to forgive me for all that I have done to hurt you in the past, and I just what to tell you that I love you.”

His partner was so surprised and convicted of his own sin that he responded to this amazing confession by asking his partner to forgive him as well. And not only that, to his surprise his partner also told him, “I would like to become a Christian too. Would you show me what I need to do?”

Over the years many of us have heard sermons and lessons telling us that we should love one another. We should treat others the way we want to be treated. We should love because Jesus commanded us to love one another the same way He love us (John 15:12).

But then we go home and bark at one another and do just the opposite when people rub us the wrong way. So what do we need to do to love others like this?

First of all I believe that we need to change some of our attitudes and get down on our knees and ask God to forgive us if we have a hard, unforgiving, unloving and unmerciful heart.

In this story isn’t that what the lawyer had to do; he had to choose to change his attitude, then he took it to the Lord and asked for forgiveness and help. You may need to pray about these and repent of these bad attitudes daily for a while until you allow God to change your heart.

Next, we need to submit to God’s will by faith. If it is His will that we should love one another deeply,

then by faith we need to do our best to do just that because of our faith in God.

It is that kind of love that will overlook and cover over a multitude of sins.

Can you do that? Will you do that?

This day I challenge you to become like Jesus here and choose to love one another to this degree, in this manner, as He did.

In doing so you will be happier because you know that you have done the right thing and you will also bring glory to our Lord when others learn where the source of strength and how you are able to love like this.

For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566

From Gary... "Can I really change"?

When I was a teen, I looked at the world differently. I felt that I could do ANYTHING I wanted, all I had to do was want it badly enough. No obstacle was too high, absolutely NOTHING could stand in the way of what I wanted. Boy, was I deluded!!! Then, during my last couple of years of High School, I spent a total of 18 months on crutches and things looked different to me. For one thing, my girlfriend, who carried my books between classes, had become my steady and soon my life just wasn't about ME anymore!!! I had to improve; to be a better person- for her!!! Years later, we were married and along came three daughters and very quickly we understood that life was no longer about US, but rather THEM!!! So, I (we) did the best we could and worked hard at being parents!!! But, I was still looking for something, but had no idea of what it might be. Then, I started reading a Bible, given to me by a co-worker. Then, I really started to change. I began to realize that my standards of "GOOD" were not what God had in mind. Eventually, I became a Christian and in the late seventies, and began looking for a way to serve the Almighty. The rest is history- but, it began with a question: Can I really change? And the above picture reminded me of that question and its relation to the following Scripture...

1 Timothy, Chapter 1

8 But we know that the law is good, if a man uses it lawfully, 9 as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for man slayers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine; 11 according to the Good News of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. 12 And I thank him who enabled me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he counted me faithful, appointing me to service; 13 although I was before a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent. However, I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 15 The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 16 However, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ might display all his patience, for an example of those who were going to believe in him for eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

We all have faults, but its what we strive to do about them that really matters!!! If you think you are too bad to change your life- look at the list in the picture!!! Even someone like Paul (who murdered and/or imprisoned Christians) could change. Really takes away excuses, doesn't it??? I remember my neighbors in Valley Falls laughing at me when I announced that I wanted to serve the God of the Heavens, but that was long ago and far from here. No one is laughing about this now. Why? Because I am not the same man I was in my twenties- I have changed for the better. OK, I still have things to work on, but, God will help me with those. Searching? Looking for a change? The Bible has the answers all through it. Next step is up to you... "Can I really change"?

11/30/13

From Gary... Being a criminal...

As we are led towards a progressively socialist society, I have been thinking about how I would fare in the future. A good place to start is with a famous socialist country, so I thought about Germany and its short, disastrous experiment with National Socialism (Nazism). I have seen pictures like this before, but until today, never knew who the circled individual was. So, I looked him up on Wikipedia and that information is listed below...

August Landmesser

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Detail of the famous photograph in which one man, believed to be August Landmesser, refuses to give the Nazi salute.

August Landmesser (born 24 May 1910; missing and presumed dead 17 October 1944; declared dead in 1949) was a worker at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, best known for his appearance in a photograph^[1] refusing to perform the Nazi salute at the launch of the naval training vessel Horst Wessel on 13 June 1936.^[2]

Biography

August Landmesser was the only child of August Franz Landmesser and Wilhelmine Magdalene (née Schmidtpott). In 1931, hoping it would help him get a job, he joined the Nazi Party. In 1935, when he became engaged to Irma Eckler (a Jewish woman), he was expelled from the party. They registered to be married in Hamburg, but the Nuremberg Laws enacted a month later prevented it. On 29 October 1935, Landmesser and Eckler's first daughter Ingrid was born.

A now-famous photograph, in which a man identified as Landmesser refuses to give the Nazi salute, was taken on 13 June 1936.

In 1937, Landmesser and Eckler tried to flee to Denmark but were apprehended. She was again pregnant, and he was charged and found guilty in July 1937 of "dishonoring the race" under Nazi racial laws. He argued that neither he nor Eckler knew that she was fully Jewish, and was acquitted on 27 May 1938 for lack of evidence, with the warning that a repeat offense would result in a multi-year prison sentence. The couple publicly continued their relationship, and on 15 July 1938 he was arrested again and sentenced to two and a half years in the concentration camp Börgermoor.

Eckler was detained by the Gestapo and held at the prison Fuhlsbüttel, where she gave birth to a second daughter Irene. From there she was sent to the Oranienburg concentration camp, then the Lichtenburg concentration camp for women, and then the women's concentration camp at Ravensbrück. Their children were initially taken to the city orphanage. Ingrid was later allowed to live with her maternal grandmother; Irene went to the home of foster parents in 1941. After her grandmother's death in 1953, Ingrid was also placed with foster parents. A few letters came from Irma Eckler until January 1942. It is believed that she was brought to the so-called Bernburg Euthanasia Centre in February 1942, where she was among the 14,000 killed; in the course of post-war documentation, in 1949 she was pronounced legally dead, with a date of 28 April 1942.

Meanwhile, Landmesser was discharged from prison on 19 January 1941. He worked as a foreman for the firm Püst, a haulage company. The company had a branch at the Heinkel-Werke (factory) in Warnemünde.^[3] In February 1944 he was drafted into a penal battalion, the 999th Fort Infantry Battalion. He was declared missing in action, and presumed killed during fighting in Croatia on 17 October 1944. Like Eckler, he was declared legally dead in 1949.

The marriage of August Landmesser and Irma Eckler was recognized retroactively by the Senate of Hamburg in the summer of 1951, and in the autumn of that year Ingrid assumed the surname Landmesser. Irene continued to use the surname Eckler.

The thing is, this man seemed to be quite ordinary, but in his society, he was a criminal, however. His crime was a race crime. Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? All he did was to try to innocently marry a woman who was Jewish (and they didn't even know it). He must have loved her greatly, for he was willing to go to a concentration camp rather than break it off. Eventually he was released and later drafted into the army and subsequently died in Croatia.

For some, history is boring. Many people will simply not care about someone who died about 70 years ago. However, when a person understands what is correct to do and does it for the right reasons, is he a criminal? Technically, that is defined by the laws of the nation- so yes, he was a criminal. But, what if the laws are simply WRONG? Consider- just because someone is in prison, does that automatically make them an evil person? Let the Scriptures speak for themselves...

Genesis, Chapter 39

20 Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were bound, and he was there in custody. 21 But Yahweh was with Joseph, and showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

1 Kings, Chapter 22

26 The king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son. 27 Say, ‘Thus says the king, “Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.”’”

Jeremiah, Chapter 37

15 The princes were angry with Jeremiah, and struck him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe; for they had made that the prison. 16 When Jeremiah had come into the dungeon house, and into the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days;

Ephesians, Chapter 3

1 For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles,

Philemon

23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,

Colossians, Chapter 4

10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you received commandments, “if he comes to you, receive him”),

Revelation, Chapter 2 (to the church at Smyrna)

10 Don’t be afraid of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested; and you will have oppression for ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. He who overcomes won’t be harmed by the second death.

Daily, I see our freedoms being eroded and our government becoming more antagonistic towards Christians. It seems to me that it just a matter of time before a Christian becomes a "criminal". If that does happen, it happens- so what? Look at the above list for a few of your companions. The highlighted portion of verse 10 tells of your reward. Believe it, because it is true!!!!!

From Ben Fronczek... Are You in a Fog (1 Peter 4:7)

Are You in a Fog (1 Peter 4:7)

Are You in a Fog? 1 Peter 4

By: Ben Fronczek

This past week I read a story of what it was like for a resident of Poland when the Nazis came in and occupied their land. Someone interviewed a man by the name of Charles Pierce. Here is a section of that article:

“In 1939, Pierce was teenager looking to start his life as an adult. His father, a successful businessman, wasn’t overly concerned when the Nazis first invaded Poland.

“My father was comfortable. No one expected things to change so quickly or so horribly,” Pierce said.

It took Germany eight days to occupy Poland. It wasn’t long before Pierce’s hometown fell under Nazi influence. Soldiers marched prisoners down the town’s main street, right past his father’s shop.

Soon, the Nazis came for Pierce’s family. Armed teenagers ordered them out onto the streets, stripping them of their material possessions and handing the family business over to a Nazi. The family moved into a newly established ghetto where 20,000 people lived in a few square blocks.

“They saw us as sub-human. Soldiers used us for target practice,” Pierce explained. Pierce would be transferred through multiple ghettos, forced-labor camps and death camps throughout Poland and Germany…”

This man would go on to talk about horrible things to follow that he saw and experienced that I don’t even feel comfortable talking about in our setting here today.

I thank God that so far none of us have ever had to experience such cruelty by and occupying force. But if that were to happen. What advice would God want to share with us. How would He want us to live and treat one another.

To put it into a historical context, as Peter wrote his first letter, we need to remember that, as Peter wrote these words, it was on the eve of the destruction of the Jewish state by the Romans. Although the Romans had already occupied and controlled the Holy Lands, soon the Temple along with the Levitical system, and the Jewish economy, and many Jews would come to a brutal end with the destruction and fall of Jerusalem. Unfortunately the Roman persecutors would not distinguish between the Jews and Christians. They would also suffer the consequences of the doom soon to befall the Jewish state. And what we have next is what Peter writes to prepare and advise fellow Christians concerning the end. Think about that as we look at what he writes here.

^“7The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. ⁸Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. ⁹Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. ¹¹If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

We may not be entering into an age of persecution as these people were, but Peter’s advice is just as relevant for Christians of any age.

In the next few lessons I would like to look at the advice Peter gives here in this text and make it practical for us today. First of all let’s look at what he suggests in verse 7:

#1. Be clear minded

I’d like to ask you, what fogs up your brain? Are there things that mess with your mind, that distract you, that get you off track? Maybe you let certain people or certain events or circumstances get the best of you and you let it mess with your judgment. There are all kinds of things that mess with our mind.(for example, worry, work, fear, fatigue, entertainment, loneliness, a bad relationship with someone, and so many other things, It’s all about focusing on the wrong priorities in life).

So how does one clear up their mind? Well first of all we may need to clean up our act (it’s like cleaning a dirty window or lens). There may be things in our life we just may need to get rid of; maybe a sinful practice, maybe you need to stop watching certain programs on TV, or stay away from certain people, whatever is having a negative influence on how you look at things. And then we need to focus on the right things. Get our priorities right and do what is right. In Philippians 4:8

“⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

How often do you think about or focus on good things like this? Do you look at the cup ½ empty or ½ full? Balance is also important. Getting proper rest and having a healthy diet also makes a big difference on how clear we can think. That leads to Peter’s next recommendation….

#2 Being Self Controlled

How much self control do you have? And you might say ‘Well it depends on what you are talking about. Certain things I can resist but other things, well, I struggle with’.

You want to know something, I hate being a slave to my own desires. And I go on these rants where I decide I am not going to eat this or do that. Sometimes I can do it and other time I’m too weak and give in and that frustrates me.

I’m not quite sure if that’s what Peter is talking about here, rather, I think Peter is emphasizing having a sound mind and a sober disposition because of that which is about to befall them (trials and severe persecution). Why? Because he tells that they need to be clear minded and in control….

So that they can pray. Minds that are foggy, preoccupied, and out of control have a hard time focusing on Prayer. Believe me I know. When we become self absorbed by so many different things it’s hard to pray. But prayer is important, very important. Talking to our Lord and our God is necessary if we are going to remain strong. Prayer is something that we can do to help us keep our strength up, our faith strong especially when those storms hit.

Do you remember what the apostle Paul wrote the Philippians while in prison? In Philippians 4:4f he wrote,

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Isn’t that what we want; some peace of mind no matter what the circumstance? The question I have for you today is, ‘Have you been Praying? Have you been talking to God enough?’’

So what are some things that we can do to improve our prayers life? Here are just a few suggestions:

a) Have a regular time and place of prayer. For each of us that time and place will be different, with the exception of those times when we pray together. Paul said that we should pray without ceasing. But I think that’s more like being in a prayerful spirit at all times. But I also believe there are times that we should set aside for some specific prayer.

I‘ve heard how some people pray in the shower in the morning after they get up. Others take a cup of coffee sit in a favorite chair read some scripture and then pray. You can pray in the barn, or on the drive to work each day. I think it’s important to have specific times to pray; preferably more than once a day.

For many of us if we don’t make a plan to do something we won’t. Next:

b) I think it’s also important to have a list of specific things we are going to pray for.

- A time for praise and thanksgiving.

- We also need to express repentance and ask for forgiveness

- We need to ask for insight, help and guidance

- And of course pray for others and their specific needs

Maybe you can follow certain formulas to remember what to pray for like ACTS:

A = Adoration C = Confession, T = Thanksgiving, S = Supplication

In praying we also need to remember that we are talking to God and not just doing an exercise. It is important to strive for a relationship with God in prayer and not just develop a ritual.

If we can learn to clear our minds and get a little self control so that we can pray like this on a daily basis, I can’t help but believe we will have the peace of mind that Paul promised those early Christians; even when trials come our way.

Challenge: After hearing a sermon, the president Lincoln companion asked, “What did you think of tonight’s sermon?” “Well,” Lincoln responded, “it was brilliantly conceived, biblical, relevant, and well presented.” “So, it was a great sermon?” “No,” Lincoln replied. “It failed. It failed because it did not ask us to do something great.” Inspiring communicators always expect a lot from their listeners.

My challenge for you today is this:

#1 Honestly ask yourself if there is anything that is getting to you, that is preventing you from having a clear mind and do something about it.

#2 Think about some things you personally can do to improve your prayer life.

#3. Decided where and when you plan on praying

#4. Decide what you are going to pray about and keeping it fresh

#5. Don’t let your prayers become just an exercise; use your prayers to talk to God to develop a closer relationship with Him

If you actually make a personal commitment to do this I promise you, you won’t be sorry. You will be blessed by God Himself.

For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566

From Jim McGuiggan... Media Hypocrisy

Media Hypocrisy

The hypocrisy of the media hardly knows bounds. AOL goes on and on about parental control and protection of the minds of children from sexual predators and yet when we open the welcome page they have raunchy headlines and pictures of and about football “babes”. There for kids to check out are scantily dressed women tugging at the precious little clothing they have on so that they can show more flesh while looking at the viewer with looks full of sexual suggestion . Children already caught up in a sex-obsessed culture are offered more by AOL. They’re so concerned about the children. Yeah right! It isn’t really the showing of the pictures that guts me (you come to expect that muck, don’t you?) it’s the oily hypocrisy of the company that turns my stomach.

Then there’s The Sun, a UK daily newspaper that attacked the former wife of Paul McCartney. It told of topless photos she had made and called them “obscene” and “pornographic”. Topless photos are a steady diet dished out by The Sun. Again, you expect nothing better from these sheets—it’s the moral outrage they show, it’s the way they present themselves as the defenders of public decency, that’s what makes you want to throw up.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.