Family News and Notes
Visitation Team No. 4 will meet after evening services today.
Vacation Bible School June 07 thru June 11. Monetary donations are being requested to help purchase refreshments. If you can help please contact Veleta McFerrin or Lee Moses.
First Summer Youth Series begins on June 01, 2004.
Ben McCain responded last Sunday morning asking for the prayers of the church that he might be a better example to others. Your comments of encouragement are important.
There will be a get-together honoring graduating Senior, Devon W. Phillips, on Sunday evening May 23 in the Multi-purpose Room. Everyone is invited.
Bill Jones was in Titus Regional Medical Center early last week but was able to return home on Thursday. He is not doing well. He and Amy expressed their appreciation for the many cards and phone calls he continues to receive. Bill enjoys reading the cards.
Darrell Cooper met with his doctor in Tyler last week for tests concerning his heart.
Annah Brown did not have surgery last week due to other problems that need attention. The surgery will be rescheduled at a later date.
Juanita Crabtree passed away last week. Her funeral was conducted at Bates-Cooper Chapel on Thursday with burial at Coopers Chapel Cemetery. Thanks was expressed to the ladies who took food for this family.
Raynelle Benson, niece of Weldon and JoAnn Miller, passed away last weekend at her home in Longview. Services were held at Sam Harvey Funeral Home in Mt. Vernon on Tuesday at 10:00 AM.
THANK YOU "Thank you for the phone calls, visits, flowers, cards, and food you all provided during my recovery from surgery. Most of all thank you for the prayers on my behalf. It is truly wonderful to have such a loving and caring church family.
I love you all, Alice Freeman"
FAMILY FUN DAY "You are invited to a fun day of fellowship May 29 on the front lawn of the Talco Church of Christ beginning at 3:00 PM. There will be a good time for all ages. We will enjoy a meal together as some of the men will fire up the fish fryer; there will be games for those interested and the evening will conclude with an ole fashion gospel singing. Singing will begin at 6:00 PM. You might want to throw in your favorite lawn chair. RSVP not later than May 26 for the planning of food by calling: 903-379-2007 or 903-860-7020."
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PRAYER LIST
Louis Bell, Winell Blackard, Sue Browning, Josephine Cooper, Perry Cooper, Barbara Duncan, Alice Freeman, Howard Horton, Bill Jones, & Amy
ALSO: Diane Johnson, Kelsey Meyers
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Rhodney's "Funny Bone"
After years of experience, I've come to the conclusion that there is a basic rule that applies to all household appliances: Nothing breaks down until the service department is closed
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"Jesus Wept."
By David McCain
John 11:35. We all know it as the shortest verse in the Bible. Just because it's short doesn't mean it's unimportant. God didn't put those two words in the Bible just to take up space, nor that man might later delineate them as the Bible's shortest verse. No, there must be a reason why God wanted us to know Jesus wept on that occasion. What does John 11:35 tell us about Jesus? What does it tell us about the divine personality, of not only Christ, but also our heavenly Father, since Jesus is the express image of God's person (Heb. 1:3)?
The Jews at the scene thought Jesus wept because of the personal loss he felt at the death of His friend. They said, "Behold how he loved him!" However, since Jesus knew He was about to raise Lazarus, it seems fairly obvious Jesus wasn't weeping over any personal loss He might have felt. Perhaps as some scholars suggest, Jesus wept because He was about to recall Lazarus from Paradise back to this old sinful world where he once again would be subject to all the frailties and trials of the flesh. However, from all we know about the personality of Jesus, what seems most likely is that He was weeping as a result of His compassion for the suffering of Lazarus' sisters, Mary and Martha, and the other mourners. The context bears this out, for the text says, "When Jesus therefore saw her (Mary) weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled" (11:33). The sympathy and love of Jesus for their suffering is clearly evident, as we find Him "weeping with those who weep" (Rms. 12:15).
Over and over again throughout the Gospel, we see the picture of a kind, loving, compassionate, merciful, tender, sympathetic, and empathetic Jesus. As He had the opportunity to alleviate human suffering, He unselfishly used His power to do so. He rejoiced with those who met success, and wept with those who suffered defeat. He then, as the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, left us a perfect example of compassion , mercy, and love to follow (I Pet. 2:21-25).
In Romans 12:15, true disciples of Christ are enjoined to prove the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God, by "Rejoicing with them that do rejoice, and weeping with them that weep." Time and again, the Scriptures exhort us to fill our hearts with compassion and mercy, as we do good to all men, but especially to our brethren (Phil. 2:1-4, Col. 3:12-14, I Pet. 3:8-9, Gal. 6:1-10). Paul summarized our responsibility towards one another in I Thessalonians 5:14-15, with this beautiful admonition, "Warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men."
With the example of Jesus, and the Bible's exhortation in mind, why do we sometimes hear "Christians" gossiping against one another? Why do we get mad at our brother, but then run tell the preacher, or the elders, or someone else, who may be totally unrelated to the brother's supposed wrong, rather than doing what the Scriptures say, by first telling the brother (Mt. 18:15)? Why do we listen to only one side of a character assassination story, never bothering to consider there might be another side, or to give the accused a chance to defend herself? Why are we sometimes jealous over a brother's/sister's success, talents, income, possessions, or good fortune, while at the same time we rejoice over another brother's/sister's suffering and misfortune? Why do we sometimes try to destroy one another with the hurtful things we say behind one another's back, or even to their face? Why are we not more caring, concerned, merciful, loving, sympathetic, and empathetic? The only answer I can come up with is, we don't yet possess the spirit of Christ, to the degree Christians should.
May God be merciful to our shortcomings, and may He create within us all, more kind, merciful, compassionate, forgiving, loving, and gracious hearts.
David McCain
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Failure to Correct (Part II)
By Lee Moses
Last week, we began to consider why Christians so often fail in their responsibility to help others correct themselves. We saw that many Christians have a complex about conflict, thus hindering them from approaching those in need of correction. Two more reasons for our failure to correct will be examined this week.
Apathy to Error
The majority of the world has always followed error. The twenty-first century world is a world marked by so many differences and shades of error that it can be easy to become tolerant of the "lesser error." When a Christian is surrounded by those who are members of denominations, and then comes in contact with a member of a liberal church of Christ, there tends to be a bond formed. When a Christian is surrounded by those who deny the Deity of Christ, and then comes in contact with a denominationalist who believes in the Deity of Christ, there tends to be a bond formed. When a Christian is surrounded by those who have no regard for moral living, and then comes in contact with a Muslim who lives morally, there tends to be a bond formed. There is nothing wrong with forming such bonds of friendship, but if a Christian is led to believe that the importance of this friendship prohibits him from helping to correct his friend's error, he is bound by an "unequal yoke" (II Corinthians 6:14). As well, he is really not being much of a friend at all: "Open rebuke is better than secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful" (Prov. 27:5-6).
Some have a fervent desire to combat what they consider serious error, but they are willing to spiritually team with those who are in lesser error in order to defeat serious error. Those who are in error are in darkness, and Christians are to "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Ephesians 5:11). Can one be apathetic about error when fellowshipping it and refusing to correct it violates the commandments of God? Can one be apathetic about error when the one following error stands condemned? There is certainly a wise, kind, and judicious way of correcting error; but it must be done.
Indifference to Iniquity
There is nothing in the world more serious than sin. By sin man's perfect fellowship with God was destroyed (Gen. 3:23-24), by sin death has become the lot of every man and woman since (Rom. 5:12; Heb. 9:27), and by one's own sin will one condemn himself to eternal torment (Matt. 25:41-46). Sin is most certainly not to be taken lightly.
Oftentimes people who are in sin are at least tentatively conscious of their situation. This puts others in a position where one who cares about that person's situation can truly help him, but those who are indifferent to iniquity can greatly harm him. Once a formerly ignorant person's conscience is better instructed, it can motivate that person to remove himself from sin. However, if a person's conscience is instructed that his sin is acceptable, it is much more difficult to correct later. What do we tell people when they ask us about the sin in which they are involved? Do we help themor harm them? As brethren J.W. McGarvey and Philip Pendleton wrote, "Conscience is one of God's greatest gifts, and he that destroys it [e.g. telling someone he is O.K. when he is not, LM] must answer for it" (The Fourfold Gospel, p. 76).
We spend time in God's word so that we will not be indifferent to iniquity in ourselves (cf. Psalm 119:11) neither let us be indifferent to iniquity in others.
(To be concluded next week)
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