Bulletin Articles

Timothy (Timotheus) disciple who was “The son of a certain woman who was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was Greek: which was well reported on by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.” (Acts 16:2)

Timothy was well reported of by brethren that were of two cities, because he was well-trained and taught by his grandmother, Lois, and his mother Eunice.

“When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.” (2 Tim. 1:5)

“but continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and has been assured of know of whom thou has learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim. 3:14-15)

As a result of the teaching and the example of faith he observed in his mother and his grandmother, the Bible says in Acts 16:2 that Timothy was well-reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. Timothy understood that “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.” Proverbs 22:1 This observation was made before Timothy was further taught by Paul (2 Tim. 1: 13-14) and elders (1 Tim. 4:14) and others. Having a good name is important in that many things about each of us are noticed by our brethren: Do we have the proper role models in our lives? Are we studying to show ourselves approved? Timothy was a young man who loved the Lord, and he studied God’s word in that other brethren saw it in him. Are we entangling ourselves too much in the affairs of this life, which hampers our service to the Lord? Are we honest and respectful in showing our love to our brethren?

Timothy was well-reported of by the brethren because of his love and service to the Lord.

As we continue in our spiritual growth and development, let us be reminded of the importance of fundamentals. The fundamentals of the faith are Divine pillars upon which rest the Christian religion. The religious division which exists today represents departure from the fundamentals of the faith. The Lord’s Prayer for the unity of all believers in Christ can be answered only by teaching and defending the fundamentals of the faith. Jesus prayed, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me” (John 17:20-23).

THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

Basic to the establishment of a relationship with Deity is an understanding and appreciation for the church of Christ. Jesus in Matthew 16:18 promised to build the church. In Acts 2, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit upon His chosen apostles and through the preaching of the gospel the church was established. Obedient believers were added to it (Acts 2:47). It was in reference to the church of Christ that the apostle Paul said, “There is one body” (Eph. 4:5) and “there is but one body” (1 Cor. 12:20). Anyone who does not understand the nature of the church of Christ needs to be grounded in this important fundamental of the faith.

THE PLAN OF SALVATION

The gospel plan of salvation is another vital element of saving faith. This plan was devised by God, The Father from eternity past (Eph. 3:11). The Holy Spirit of God revealed the plan to a lost humanity (1 Cor. 2:9-13). And, Jesus Christ, the Son, carried out the plan. Elements crucial to the plan were the virgin birth of Jesus (Isa. 7:14, Matt. 1:21-23), the incarnation of Christ (Phil. 2:5-8, Heb. 2:14-18), the sinless life and atoning death (1 Pet. 2:22-25, Jn. 3:16, Col. 1:14), the bereaved burial (Matt. 27:55-61), the triumphant resurrection (Rom. 1:1-4), the ascension (Acts 1:9-11), the coronation (Acts 2:14-36), and the officiation of Christ as the head of the church (Eph. 4:7-16).

Obedience to the gospel includes: Hearing the gospel (Eph. 1:13), believing (Acts 15:7-9), repenting of sins (Lk. 13:3), confessing Christ (Rom. 10:9, 10), and baptism into Christ (Rom. 6:3-5). “Believest thou this?” (John 11:26).

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, “Who would like this $20 bill?” Hands started going up. He said, “I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this.” He proceeded to crumple the bill up. He then asked, “Who still wants it?” Still the hands were up in the air. Well,” he replied, “what if I do this?” And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. “Now who still wants it?” Still the hands went into the air. “My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value in God’s eyes. To Him, physically dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless. God has given us the gift of His only begotten Son (John 3:16).

The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know but by WHO WE ARE! As members of the church of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27), we are stewards of God (I Cor. 4:1-2). It is required in us to be faithful.

We commit to mortgage companies for 30 years and auto finance companies for 5 years, but whom will you commit to for eternity? The work of the church at Miami Gardens is the responsibility of the Christians at Miami Gardens (I Cor. 16:1-2). The church must not count on the world to deal with the Lord’s business. The Miami Gardens church of Christ MUST be a beacon in this community through ongoing community programs and never-ending evangelism (James 2:14-16; Luke 19:10)

As you give today, commit to God as you have prospered. Do not be lukewarm in your giving. Your commitment to God and His work will last for eternity. Do not let life’s “problems” prevent you from giving to the Lord.

If you are here today for our Friends and Family Day and have not committed to God, TODAY is the day… You MUST 1) Hear and Believe the gospel (Acts 15:7), 2) Repent of your sins (Luke 13:3,5), 3) Confess Christ as the Son of God (Acts 8:37), and 4) Be Baptized (buried) in water (Col. 2:12, Acts 22:16, I Cor. 12:13, Gal. 3:27). 5) Live Faithful until death (Rev 2:10) When one obeys the gospel, you become a child of God-Don’t ever forget it! Count Your Blessings Not Your Problems!!!

Commit to God today!

Mankind has always been accustomed to the various titles available in the employment sector and even in religion. We go to college to earn our degree in order to gain a job with a nice salary and an important title. People have even gone as far as to request a bigger title rather than accepting a little more money on their paycheck.

Prestige, status, power, or in other words, feeling important, is something that many seek in this life. Some even go so far as to elevate man to the level of God. This should not be so. Regardless of a person’s educational level, we are human beings created by God in order to serve God (Gen. 2:7, Eph. 2:10).

So where does the term reverend come from? The word reverence is translated in the Hebrew as follows: Shachah: to bow down (as to royalty). (2 Sam. 9:6, I Kings 1:31) Bathsheba and Mephibosheth showed reverence to King David, but Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev. 19:6, I Tim. 6:14-15).

And in the Greek: Phobos: to fear (Eph. 5:21-33). A wife shows reverence to her husband. A husband and wife must first submit to God and should fear what God will do to them if they fail to uphold their commitment, trust, and respect for one another. Entrepo: to respect (Heb. 12: 9, 28). Our parents correct us and we give them reverence respect. How much more shall we respect and be in subjection to our Heavenly Father?

Just like in the business world, in the name of religion, men and women wear the title Reverend with man following who do not realize that this title was never meant for man.

The word reverend is used only ONE time in the King James Version of the Bible in Psalm 111:9 “He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant forever: holy and reverend is his name.” In other translations, the word awesome is used in place of reverend. The designation is still the same-it is in reference to God and not man.

So who is your “Reverend”?

Since some say it makes no difference how we worship God, then why should it make any difference whether we worship God? Yet, Jesus said, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24). Further, Jesus spoke out against man satisfying himself in worship and not God: “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:9).

The apostle Paul warned men that give little regard to what the word of God teaches concerning the worship that they had better be careful or else they could actually be worshipping the devils instead of God! He said, “But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils” (I Cor. 10:20).

Since some say it makes no difference how we are organized, then why should it make any difference whether we are organized? Yet, the New Testament church was organized by duly appointed representatives of Christ called apostles: “Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed” (Acts 14:22-23). The writer of Hebrews pointed out the reason for elders to have a position of supervision or oversight within a local congregation: “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you” (Heb. 13:17).

Seeing the difference in the name we wear in religion, what we believe, the church of which we are a member, how we are baptized, our giving, our attendance, how we worship, and how we are organized are vital to our acceptance before God and our spiritual maturity. Whether we are saved or lost eternally and whether those we love are saved or lost hinges on whether or not we truly can see the difference.

What about you? “Can you see the difference?”

• For part 1 of this epistle, check out Can You See the Difference? (Part 1).

The prophets said God would place salvation in Zion: “I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory” (Isa. 46:13). Ezekiel wrote, “And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all” (Ezek. 37:22).

Significant proof that they were talking about the church of Christ emerges in Hebrews: “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect…Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Heb. 12:22-23, 28).

Since some say it makes no difference how we are baptized, then why should it make any difference whether we are baptized? Yet, the voice of inspiration insisted, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). In addition to that passage Colossians 2:12-13 says, “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses.”

Since some say it makes no difference what we give, then why should it make any difference whether we give? Yet, faithful giving is the proof of the sincerity of our love for Christ. Paul made this plain when he wrote, “Praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God…I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love” (II Cor. 8:4-5, 8).

Since some say it makes no difference if we forsake some of the assemblies of the saints, then why should it make any difference if we forsake all the assemblies of the saints? Yet, forsaking the assembly of the saints is a willful sin against God: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins” (Heb. 10:25-26).

• For part 1 of this epistle, check out Can You See the Difference? (Part 1).
• For part 3 of this epistle, check out Can You See the Difference? (Part 3).

Today, specifically, there is a lot of discussion about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I want to help you understand the significance of this blessed event. Here are Five important points to remember about the significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead:

Each spring, millions of people around the world acknowledge, in some fashion or another, that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead some twenty centuries ago. Modern society calls it “Easter.”

The origin of this term is commonly thought to derive from Easter, the name of a Teutonic spring goddess. The term “Easter,” is found once in the King James Version of the Bible (Acts 12:4). The Greek word is pascha, correctly rendered “Passover” in later translations. In fact, though pascha is found twenty-nine times in the Greek New Testament, it is only rendered “Easter” once, even in the KJV.

Christians are not authorized to celebrate “Easter” as a special annual event acknowledging the resurrection of Christ. Faithful children of God reflect upon the Savior’s resurrection every Sunday (the resurrection day – cf. Jn. 20:1ff) as they gather to worship God in the regular assembly of the church (cf. Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2).

We ought to be glad, however, that multitudes – usually caught up in pursuits wholly materialistic – will take at least some time for reflection upon the event of the Savior’s resurrection. It is entirely appropriate that Christians seize this opportunity to teach; we should be both willing and able to explain to our friends and family the significance of the Lord’s resurrection.

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the foundation of the Christian system (cf. 1 Cor. 15:14ff). If there was no resurrection, Christianity is a hoax, and we are wasting our time. But the truth is, the event of Jesus’ resurrection is incontrovertible. This being the case, just what is the significance of Jesus’ resurrection? Think about these matters:

First, the resurrection is one of the major evidences that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Paul affirmed that Christ is “declared to be the Son of God with power … by the resurrection from the dead” (Rom. 1:4).

Second, Jesus’ resurrection represents an assurance that we can have forgiveness from our sins. Paul contended: “… if Christ hath not been raised, our faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins” (1 Cor. 15:17). The reverse of the apostle’s affirmation would be this: If Jesus was raised, sins will be forgiven when we obey the gospel – Acts 2:38; 22:16.

Third, the resurrection tells the world that the kingdom of God is ruled by a living sovereign. The founder of Islam is dead and his bones lie dormant in the earth. But the founder of Christianity – sixty years after His death – appeared to John on the island of Patmos and said: “I am the first and the last, and the Living one … I was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore …” (Rev. 1:17-18).

Fourth, Jesus’ resurrection proves that physical death is not the termination of human existence. God is the giver of life (Gen. 2:7; 1 Tim. 6:13). Christ’s triumph over the grave is Heaven’s pledge to us that we too shall be raised. This is why Jesus is referred to as the “firstfruits of them that are asleep” (1 Cor. 15:20, 23).

Fifth, the Lord’s resurrection previewed the ultimate victory of Christianity over all its enemies. In the book of Revelation, Jesus is depicted as a lamb that had been slain, but was standing again (Rev. 5:6). This same Lord was “the lion of the tribe of Judah” that had overcome His foes (Rev. 5:5). Christians too will overcome as a result of the Lamb’s sacrifice and victory over death (cf. Rev. 12:11).

The resurrection of the Son of God should be a constant reminder to us of these wonderful biblical truths. We honor our Master’s victory over death – not once-a-year, but every week!

Why not obey HIM through the gospel today?