Bulletin Articles

When the apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, he told them plainly, “For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:22-24).

It is interesting to note that even in the first century there were those who were not content with the plain preaching of the Word of God, just as people today are not content with a “thus saith the Lord.” The simple preaching of the gospel no longer seems to suffice. Instead people want to be entertained, or they want to be told how to feel good about themselves. The biblical commentary on this generation would rightly be, “For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:43).

How sad it is when those in the world and even in the church today ridicule those who choose to preach the Bible, (i.e. those who choose to preach God’s plan of salvation.) It is my prayer that sermons in pulpits today continue to close with the simple steps of salvation, because that is what will truly save someone’s soul.

It is disturbing to realize that people do not want to hear scripture. They would instead prefer some lesson in philosophy or psychology, or perhaps some lighthearted talk which has little or nothing to do with God’s Word. It is frightening to think that there are pulpits where little to no scripture is being used.

“My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

May we continue to look for the truth!

An honest and sincere answer to the question of “how much time do I have left?” may just be one of the most important thoughts you could consider at this time. It might be of great benefit for you to switch your mind from the affairs of this life and think a little on the life that is to come. Calm and deliberate reflection on the next life may make a tremendous difference for you in that life.

Consider:

1. You should realize that THERE IS MORE TIME ON THE OTHER SIDE OF LIFE THAN THE MIND OF MAN CAN FATHOM and that eternity stretches far beyond the time that you spend here on earth. Your time may be running out here but it will never run out in eternity. Actually, the clock is ticking for all of us, but some have more time than others. It is certainly not wise to spend the balance of your time as if you were in an endless summer. Time will run out at some point for every person (Hebrews 9:27).
2. You should realize that NO ONE KNOWS JUST HOW MUCH TIME REMAINS for you (1 Thessalonians 5:2). It may run out today or tomorrow or perhaps years from now. We just do not know! Since we do not know how much time may remain on my calendar, is it not wise, then, for me to prepare myself for the next life? (Matthew 16:26) 
3. You should realize HOW FINAL IT WILL BE WHEN YOUR TIME DOES RUN OUT. Do not be deceived by false doctrine which would try to convince you that there is plenty of time left. Men admonish “to live it up because you only go around one time.” How true it is, that we only go around one time; but how foolish the advice to live it up. If you’re “living it up” when your time runs out, then, unfortunately, you will have lost your soul. The risk is not worth it. As you leave this life, so will you be for all eternity.
4. You should realize that you ARE WRITING YOUR LIFE’S HISTORY, page by page and day by day. You never know how many pages remain in your book. You certainly will want your last page and chapter to be your best. The wise person is prepared to close his book at any time. He looks for the end and the coming of the Lord.
5. You should realize the SERIOUSNESS OF BEING LOST IN ETERNITY.If you lose something here you may well have the opportunity to recover it. You may lose a five dollar bill and find another one just like it tomorrow, but this will not be true in regard to your soul. You have but one soul created in the image of God, so please don’t lose it (Ezekiel 18:20).

It is important to note the wonderful benefits we have in Christ. Paul states in Ephesians 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places IN CHRIST. One such blessing is the forgiveness of our sins” (Ephesians 1:7). As we have discussed, we will have to discipline members of this congregation in due time, but may we ALL understand that we ALL make mistakes (sin) and need to get things right while we have the time.

When we are baptized for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38), in order to be saved (Mark 16:16), God takes away every sin we have ever committed (Acts 22:16). He wipes our slate clean (1 Corinthians 6:11). He gives us a new beginning and we are born again (John 3:3,5) and we are raised to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-4).

But after we have been baptized and God has taken away all of our sins, what do we do when we commit other sins? How do we get forgiveness of these sins? For the answer to this let us look at the Epistle of First John. First John was written to Christians who had been baptized for the forgiveness of their sins, just as you and I have been.

1 John 1:7 says, “But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Here this verse says we must be doing two things so that the blood of Jesus Christ will continue to cleanse us of all our sins. 1) We must “walk in the light”, that is we must be following God’s word in the Bible. 2) Also must “have fellowship one with another”, that is we must be regularly worshipping God in His church and working with other Christians. The original Greek word that is translated “cleanses” in this verse means that there is a continual cleansing going on. Herein lies the problem with those who have become unfaithful in their worship. Because they are not having fellowship one with another, they are nt longer receiving forgiveness of their sins.

Then we continue to read the next verse 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We must repent and ask God to forgive us, and He will. When we stand before the Lord on Judgment Day we will have no sins and we will go to Heaven. This is very comforting to know that we are being continually cleansed.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart; These, O God, You will not despise (Psalm 51:17). One of the hardest truths for us to remember is the importance of true penitence. Even when we’re conscious of a desperate need for God, we often seek His favor by offering Him nothing more than the outward actions of worship. But what God is more interested in is the condition of our hearts, and if our hearts are not truly given to Him in godly sorrow, then there is nothing else we can offer Him that will be acceptable.

However, when David said that the sacrifices God desired were those of a contrite heart, he did not mean that the physical acts of worship which God had commanded could be disregarded. It would be a mistake to use this text to support the view that it does not matter how, or even if, we worship God outwardly as long as we love Him in our hearts. The familiar “not . . . but” construction in the Scriptures simply means that the “not” is less important than the “but,” and that the former has little meaning apart from the latter. For example, when Jesus said, “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life” (John 6:27), we do not understand Him to mean that working for our physical food is wrong or unimportant; rather we understand Him to be saying that our efforts in the physical realm are far less important than those in the spiritual and that the former has very little significance if it is not connected to the latter.

Similarly, David is teaching us in Psalm 51 that the outward aspects of worship are relatively meaningless by themselves. If these deeds don’t come from a humble heart that is conscious of its own sin, then God is not pleased by them. This, as we have said, is not an easy truth for us to remember. The temptation is always to give God this or that physical “offering” and suppose that He surely must look upon us favorably for having worshiped Him as we were commanded to do. But such “worship” does not honor God. The thing that He desires us to offer Him, far more than anything else, is “a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart”.

The world ending its “season of giving and thanksgiving”; Miami Gardens let us not forget our responsibility to honor God with our hearts and the first fruits of our labor in 2024!

Give me a pure heart — that I may see thee,
A humble heart — that I may hear thee,
A heart of love — that I may serve thee,
A heart of faith — that I may abide in thee.

The word “intentional” was used quite often from the pulpit in hopes of encouraging saints to stop speaking in generalities and to speak and act with greater purpose. The word intentional is defined as: deliberate, meant, planned, or purposed. In other words, I KNOW what I am doing or planning to do.

Miami Gardens cannot grow without intentionality! To help us ALL resolve to do better in this New Year, here are some suggested intentional actions (resolutions):

• Sincerely and humbly praise the Lord (Psalm 42:5; Psalm 43:5; Psalm 71:14; Psalm 89:1).
• Look forward to attending every worship service (Psalm 26:8; Psalm 27:4; Psalm 122:1; Hebrews 10:25).
• Love our brothers and sisters in Christ with an un-feigned (sincere) love (Romans 12:10; Hebrews 13:1; 1 Peter 1:22).
• Be more diligent in Bible study and be ready to give an answer to every man that asks for the reason of the hope within us (Acts 17:11; 2 Timothy 2:15; I Peter 3:15).
• Gladly bring our offerings to the Lord without grudging or stinginess (Deuteronomy 15:7-10; 2 Corinthians 9:7).
• Use kind words when dealing with our fellow man (Proverbs 15:1; Proverbs 31:26; cf. Genesis 50:14-21; 2 Chronicles 10:6-7).
• Pray more often (Mark 14:38; Luke 18:1; Ephesians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:17).
• Send some cards or perhaps prepare a dish to carry to the sick and lonely (Matthew 25:35-36).
• Discipline our bodies (1 Corinthians 9:27).
• Bring captive every thought to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).
• Confess our faults one to another and help one another conquer them through Christ (James 5:16; Galatians 6:1-2; Philippians 4:13).
• Develop whatever talents God has given us for His glory (Matthew 25:14-30; 1 Corinthians 10:31).
• Ask the elders for a job and do it to the best of our ability, becoming a laborer together with them and God (Matthew 20:1-16; 1 Corinthians 3:5-9).

If we as Christians will put these suggested (and challenging) resolutions into practice in 2024, not only will we as members become more useful in the Lord’s church, but we will experience spiritual growth as well (2 Timothy 2:19-21; 1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 3:18).

When God found that the children of Israel were becoming disobedient to Him, He spoke to them through Moses and warned them that He would bring forth a man like Moses to speak to them. Whoever disobeyed His word would perish Deuteronomy 18:15-19. This promise to the children of Israel was fulfilled by the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ Acts 3:19-26. He was born to redeem the world. But He was rejected by the children of Israel among whom He was born and grew up.

One day during His earthly ministry our Lord took three of His disciples and went up into a high mountain “. . .and He was transfigured before them. And His raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. And there appeared unto them Elijah with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid. And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear Him” Mark 9:2-7.

What was the meaning of all this? Moses stood for the Law. People should no longer follow the Law of Moses as a system of worshiping God. Sabbath-keeping, tithing, animal sacrifices, and instrumental music are no longer required. Elijah stood for the prophets who spoke about the coming on earth of a Saviour from the seed of David. Now that the Saviour has come, men should not go back to the Law and the prophets, but obey the words of Jesus Christ! Whatever Christ said was not of His own, but words from God the Father. “And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 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 at the last day. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, He gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that His commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak” John 12:47-50.

Many people do not obey the words of Christ. Even many religious people have turned away from the words of Christ and substituted their own thoughts. They do not think that Christ was right when he said: “I will build my church” Matthew 16:18. “My” indicates ownership. It is completely wrong for a man or a group of people to form their own denomination and worship the Lord there. Jesus said: “Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” Matthew 15:13-14. The founders of human denominations are blind leaders. Those who worship therein are blind followers.

This is why Jesus warned: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work in iniquity.” Matthew 7:21-23.

At the Judgment, Jesus will deny certain ones, not because they did not worship Him, but because they did not do it according to His will. God promised to build a house Isaiah 2:2-3. This house is what Christ called “my church.” Jesus bought this church with His blood, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood (Acts 20:28). No one has a right to form any other church or call it by any name of his own choosing. Let us respect God’s authority! We must not add to the things which God has commanded! We must not subtract any of the things God has commanded (Revelation 22:18,19). If we do not respect God’s authority in the Bible, we cannot be saved (2 John 9-11).

“The Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). Only those who are saved according to God’s instructions are in the Lord’s church. But how many churches does the Lord have? Jesus says in Matthew 16:18, “Upon this rock I will build my church.” The word “my” shows possession and that the church belongs to Jesus. The word church is singular not plural. The Lord only promised to build His one church.

In Ephesians 4:4-6 we read, “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all, and in you all.” Just as there is only one God, there is only one body. What is this one body? In Ephesians 1:21-22 we find out what this one body is, “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body.” Here we see that the Bible says the church is the body. So the one body is the one church which belongs to the Lord. One might as well believe in more than one God as to believe that the Lord has more than one church.

Today we hear the sincere but mistaken plea to “attend the church of your choice.” Why not attend the church of God’s choice; the only one that Jesus “purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). Christ did not shed His blood to purchase any denomination. The one church that Christ purchased with His own blood belongs to Him and the name it wears must honor Him. We read in Romans 16:16, “The churches of Christ greet you.”

We read in Ephesians 5:23, “Christ is the head of the church, and he is the savior of the body.” Christ is only the savior of His one body, His one church. The Lord only adds the saved to His church (Acts 2:47). In the Lord’s scheme of redemption, He has only planned to have one church. He is only going to save His one true church.