David preaches both services today Am topic is Leadership & Church Government. Sunday nite continuing Acts 4.
Altho the special election is still a little over a week away we need to remember to vote on November 8, 2005 as we will have a chance to vote regarding Proposition 2 on the ballot (The Marriage Amendment) stating that marriage in Texas is between a man and a woman. This is a special election and turnout is expected to be low. Each of us needs to weigh in on this important election to help insure that God's standard for marriage is the law of the land.
Next Sunday is Building Fund Sunday. If you are able and have made plans you may contribute on that day. Thanks.
Some of our men and young boys conducted the Wednesday evening service, presenting a lesson on "Humility." Each one who participated did a great job and the training for the young is important.
Thanks.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the Pantry Drive Saturday afternoon. Lots of fun and lots of pantry items.
Also, thanks to Brian and Joe Ferrell for the fish fry at the lake Saturday at noon. Great fellowship.
Billye Campbell continues to improve, according to Gene. He says she seems to be walking better. She still needs our prayers and would appreciate your continuing cards.
Tim & Linda Jones have grandchild No. 7, born to Kevin and Angela Jones of Roanoke, TX. Melody Fay Jones was born at 12:42 p.m. Monday, October 24, 2005 at Denton Regional Medical Center, weighing in at 7 lbs. 12.9 ounces and was 18 inches long. Congratulations to parents and grandparents.
Edson Reynolds (brother of JoAnn Miller) has been diagnosed with malignant cancer of the bladder, but had not gone through the first lining of the bladder and everyone is optimistic for his recovery. Continued prayers on his behalf would be appreciated.
Julia Terrell's son, Larry Terrell, is back in ICU at San Antonio, Texas. He recently had heart surgery and some of the stitches broke loose.
No update at the printing of the bulletin on Iris Ramsey, who paid a visit to her doctor this past week. She got a good report.
Edith Shiflet's sister-in-law (of Seagoville, TX) passed away last week. No further details at the printing of this bulletin.
Brandi Flores (25 year old daughter of Rick and Becky Reichman) passed away Oct. 26, 2005. (Brandi worked for Jim Duncan.) Her funeral was conducted at 2:00 PM Friday with burial at Liberty Hill Cemetery.
Zenith Hargrove was admitted to ICU Thursday and passed away early Thursday nite. Her funeral is scheduled for 10:00 AM Mondaygraveside at Masonic Cemetery. Visitation is tonite at Bates-Cooper-Sloan Funeral Home from 79 PM.
There can be no real freedom in any realm without rule of law. True freedom demands the responsibility of law, otherwise anarchy results from everyone doing that which is right in his own eyes, as the book of Judges so repetitively points out (Judges 17:6, 21:25). When anarchy reigns, only "might makes right," and the biggest, the meanest, and the strongest rule. If my weapons are more powerful than your weapons, then I get to make the rules, and I get to say what is right and wrong.
If there is no absolute moral law, man is in trouble, because he has no standard by which to judge right from wrong. What made Hitler's extermination of six million Jews wrong? It certainly wasn't national law, for Hitler did not break Germany's laws, nor was he amenable to the laws of other nations, since his crime was not perpetrated under their jurisdiction. However, at the Nuremberg trials it was rightly argued that the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis during the Holocaust were wrong because they violated a higher law -- the moral law of God.
One great freedom we enjoy as Americans is relatively unrestricted travel. We can get in our cars and drive from coast to coast, without asking permission of anyone, and without being stopped without cause and asked for "papers" at checkpoints along the way. Of course that freedom is the result of law, which states you must be a licensed driver and must obey all the traffic laws as you travel from place to place. The freedom to travel would be worthless without law, because none of us would be able to drive very far before colliding with a driver, who determined it is right for him to drive on the left side of the road, or to proceed through intersections where the traffic light is red.
The Bible clearly states we find true freedom only in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (Jn. 8:32, 36). One of the great themes of the book of Romans concerns the freedom that can be ours in Christ Jesus (Rms. 6:7, 18, 20, 22, 7:3, 8:2). In Romans, Paul describes the Christian's freedom from the Law of Moses, and the law of sin and death, but he does not even begin to imply that our freedom in Christ is a lawless freedom. Rather Paul describes how our Scriptural divorce from these other laws allows us to be married to Christ, and thus under His law (Rms 7:3, 8:2, I Cor. 9:21). That's why Peter wrote, "as free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God" (I Pet. 2:16).
Freedom in Christ does not give us license to do as we please, but rather frees us from slavery to sin and licenses us to do as Christ pleases. Freedom allows us to do only that which is right in God's sight. However, God's laws are not arbitrary restrictions intended to make us miserable, but like traffic laws are given for our own good, so we can truly enjoy and profit from our freedom. As our Creator, God knows what's best for us, and like a loving parent, His restrictions are only intended to keep us safe from harm, so we can grow up in peace to live a happy life. In that light, the motto of my alma mater, Harding University, makes a whole lot of since as it enjoins, "Freedom is found in doing right!"
As one travels the streets and highways of America, he often sees automobiles with bumper stickers bearing these signs: "In case of Rapture this car will no longer have a driver." Many religious leaders identify with such a message, but millions remain puzzled by such wording. Actually the word does not exist in the Bible, and the teaching that goes with The Rapture is anti-Biblical. Dr. Robert Strong once gave this definition of the doctrine:
By the Rapture is meant the sudden and
possible secret coming of Christ in the
air to catch away from the earth the
resurrected bodies of those who have
died in the faith and with them the living
saints.
However, according to Revelation 1:7, we learn that every eye will see the Lord when he comes even the wicked ones who pierced his side! Nothing secret about the matter! Also, as I Thessalonians 4:16 affirms, there will be plenty of noise to acclaim the Lord's return (II Peter 2:10).
Dispensationalists proclaim that the Rapture period is of seven years duration. During this time the saints are at peace, while the sinners are in great Tribulation on earth. But the Lord taught in two parables of Mathew 13 that there is no separation of good and evil until the end of the world. Read carefully the scintillating stories of the tares and the fist net. Our Savior emphasized that the righteous and ungodly would dwell side by side until separated for all eternity into either heaven or hell. In John 6 Christ mentioned three times that such would take place in the last day.
The gospel is to be preached by the children of God till the end of the world (Matt. 28:20), but this would be impossible if the saints are raptured seven years prior to the world's end! There are just two many problems with such a teaching for Bible believers to accept such anti-Scriptural matters.
