From the Pen of Paul: Guest Editorial
Note: Shirley and I have taken our vacation at Dauphin Island near Mobile, Alabama several times. When we do, we always enjoy worshiping with the Church of Christ South Side in Mobile. They have an excellent preacher who also writes some really good articles for their weekly bulletin. I would like to share a couple of them with you, one on the subject of being thankful and one on the subject of loneliness.
Thoughtful Words
from your servant, Ulysses E. Johnson
The Bible warns us that in these last days we will have perilous times marked by a lot of bad attitudes and character defects. One of those flaws is “unthankful,” which is listed right next to unholy and disobedient to parents (II Tim. 3:2). Of course that is manifested greatly in the “me” generation. Why are people so unthankful? God says that they are “lovers of themselves.” Naturally, men get that way when they do not acknowledge God Almighty, when we feel that all that really matters is “whatsoever is happening to us.” Therefore we are not thankful for our blessings. When we are all wrapped up in “self,” we do not consider the fact that nobody has to do our bidding and desires. We feel that people are there to serve our purpose if we can take advantage of them just as if we were hunting or fishing wild game. No one stops to thank the cow for her milk, nor the chicken for her eggs. No, we rightly just help ourselves to their products. Well, our relationship with God and men is different. We should express our gratitude to men when they do us good deeds. We should thank the Lord for all that we have and receive. It is He that provided all good and perfect gifts (James 1:17). We are required by God to be thankful (Col. 3:15), and it is spiritually healthy to be humble enough to express thanks for all things. When we do that, we give proper respect to God (Eph. 5:20-21).
It is so wonderful to know that we are following in holy footsteps when we are truly thankful. Jesus Christ gave thanks (Luke 10:21), and Paul gave thanks to God on a regular basis (II Tim. 1:3). So then, we must surely believe that God will be pleased with us if we are people who are thankful also. Be as the Lord intended! Be ruled by Heaven in 2011! Amen!
Have you ever felt totally alone? Have you ever felt that there was nowhere or nobody to whom you could turn? If you have, then you truly have a very good idea what it is like to be without God walking through life with you. The Lord made you to dwell with Him. He delights in those who walk with Him and we have Enoch as an example (Gen. 5:24). Because of their close relationship with the Lord, great people of God are recorded in the holy Scripture forever. Their testimony is that they pleased God (Heb. 11:5). The Lord shows us their example of walking in faith with Him that we might learn how to follow Him. We now know that without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6) and our walk with Him is not by physical sight but by faith in Him and His Word (which shall never pass away) (Mark 13:31). It teaches us how to “walk” or conduct our life. He refers to these directives as paths of righteousness (Psalm 23:3). They are clearly marked spiritual roads mapped out by the word of God that direct us to God’s purpose. When we allow the Lord to direct our steps we may stumble on the way. But we know that we are walking in the right direction toward the right goal. Though we fall, we are not utterly cast down because God will uphold us with His hand and supply all of our needs (Psalm 37:23-25).
Praise the Lord that He would take the love and the time to walk with all who would come to Him! Many are foolish enough to think that the Lord will walk with them in any path they choose as long as they invite Him to do so. But blessed be those who seek the truth and walk therein with God. Be ruled by Heaven in 2011. Amen!
All of God’s saved are “ruled by Heaven”. God’s only way to be saved is: Hear the Gospel, the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again the third day (I Cor. 15:1-4). Believe it (Mark 16:15-16), and repent (Acts 2:38), confess Jesus Christ is God’s Son (Rom. 10:9-10), then be baptized for remission of sins (Acts 2:38), and live faithfully unto death (Rev. 2:10). Call on us at anytime to assist you in being saved. Amen.
—Ulysses E. Johnson
From the Preacher's Viewpoint: The Second Coming
“When will Christ come again? Does anyone know?”
The exact coming of Christ is not known by man. But as we consider this question there are a number of things we would like to notice.
First, Jesus is coming again for sure. The Lord Himself said, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:1-3)
Paul said: “for this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of god: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (I Thess. 4:15-17). We may rest assured then that Christ is coming again.
When is Jesus coming again? As I said at the beginning, no one knows except the father. “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” (Matt. 24:36) The second coming of Christ is sometimes alluded to as a “thief in the night” (Matt. 24:42-43; I Thess. 5:1-2).
When Christ comes again, everyone will see him. It will not be a sneak attack. Some have said that He has come but no one saw Him.
Notice what the inspired writer John said, “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him” (Rev. 1:7).
Notice the fact that “every eye shall see him.” All people of the earth shall be affected by His coming. Not just a few in a certain place but all kindreds of the earth.
Jesus said such would be true in Matt. 24:37-42. “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field, the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”
This reading shows that the second coming of Christ will reach around the globe. In some places, Christ’s coming will be early in the morning; for, women ground their meal at sunrise in Palestine. But He said two would be in the field when He came. Hence, His coming would be up in the day for some. In Luke 17:34, Jesus said when He comes again two shall be in bed. So, when Christ comes again it will be night in some parts of the world.
But when Christ comes again, we will have the end of time. Time shall be no more because eternity will have begun.
Peter tells about the second coming of Christ. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (II Pet. 3:10).
We may conclude for sure that nothing will be left in the world when Christ makes His advent for the second time. All things shall be destroyed and men will be changed into spiritual beings. Some shall go into life eternal, and some shall be sent to hell for eternal punishment.
The thing which should concern us most is how we will be found when Christ comes again. Every man should ask himself the question: “What would be the verdict should Christ come today?” Are you prepared to meet the Master in judgment? If not, then obey His gospel and set your house in order before it is too late.
—Malcolm L. Hill