Bulletins
VOLUME I
If you would like to view or receive previous copies of our bulletin, please email us and we will email you a pdf formatted issue or if you send us your mailing address, we will send you our previous issues.
FEATURED ARTICLES:
DYNAMIC WORSHIP
A sign advertising a local church’s worship service read “Two DYNAMIC Worship Services.” While it is not uncommon nowadays to see such words used to describe a worship service, should such even be a consideration for our worship to God? Does God want “dynamic worship” or does He seek spiritual and true worship? The Lord directly answers this question when He says, “But the hour is coming and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24).
“Dynamic worship” is obviously being advertised in contrast or comparison to some other kind of worship. Typically, those who desire “dynamic worship” are tired of what they consider boring, dull or “old-fashioned” worship. They want energetic, contemporary worship that they can relate to. They want exhilarating worship that is in keeping with the times. They want emotion filled worship that appeals to them. They want uplifting worship that makes them feel good. So, local churches are making changes to provide such worship for their worshipers. The problem is two-fold.
First, such worship is worshiper-oriented, not God-oriented. Is not our worship for God and to God? Why then are we innovating our worship to God to meet the desires of the worship? Should not the worshiper’s concern be for the desires of God (cf. 1 Thess. 4:1)? Are not God’s ways of worship satisfying enough for us? Are not the approved methods of worship demonstrated by the first century Christians good enough for us? Are we not to imitate them?
Second, such worship might engage a man’s spirit, but it fails in regard to truth. Is not God’s word truth (John 17:17)? Should not God’s word be our authority in all spiritual matters, to include worship (cf. Col. 3:16-17)? Should not our worship then resemble and conform to first century worship? It can be confirmed that apostolic worship was approved worship, spiritual worship and truthful worship (cf. Acts 2:42; 20:7; 1 Cor. 1:21; 11:23-27; 16:1-2; Eph. 5:19). Can we prove that “dynamic” worship rises to that mark established by the Lord ?
You see, we can have spiritual and truthful worship that is “dynamic.” However, not all “dynamic worship” is in spirit and truth (cf. Rom. 8:8). The dynamics of worship are not based on externals that appeal to the flesh. The dynamics of worship are based on internals that appeal to the spirit and truth. Thus, when worshipers emphasize spirit and truth in their hearts, the dynamics will be where God expects them to be.
- – Jonathan Perz (edited)
THREE THINGS EVERY MAN SEEKS
Man has certain needs and wants. Here are three things that most every one seeks after in life.
1. Success – Every man wants to be successful in life. Not only in his business and work, but also in his home. To be able to achieve and accomplish certain goals in life is what gives us ambition.
2. Security – Every man seeks for security in this life. Having a nice comfortable house and material things give us a sense of security. Having a savings account with a “cushion” and a retirement plan is something we are told is necessary by financial advisors. This gives us and our families comfort knowing we are prepared for tomorrow.
3. Satisfaction – Every man knows what it feels like to do a good days work. Knowing you have done your best on the job and accomplished your task gives you that feeling of complete satisfaction. Then as we achieve our long range goals such as receiving a promotion, becoming the boss, attaining a significant raise, we feel good about ourselves.
These three things are important in life. However, the Bible teaches us these things must be kept in proper perspective. Besides that, the spiritual fulfillment of each of these is far more important than what we can acquire in this life.
1. Success – There is nothing inherently wrong with being successful in things that pertain to this life. “Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor” (Eccl.2:24). The rich fool in Jesus’ parable (Luke 12:16-21) was not condemned because he had to “pull down his barns and build greater”. Neither was he condemned because he wanted “to eat, drink and be merry.” God gives us these things to enjoy (Eccl.3:13). But this man was called a “fool” because he failed to recognize God as the source of his riches and failed to put spiritual things first. Jesus said, “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (vs.21). Real success of a man is measured not by what he has of a material nature, but what he is doing spiritually.
2. Security – The parable of the rich fool teaches us that the material riches he had, even though abundant, could not give him security in death. “But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?” (Lk. 12:20). Only a right relationship with God can give us real peace, comfort and security. This is an inward sense of security that relies upon our faith and hope in God. Heb.6:19
3. Satisfaction – This again, is a good thing to enjoy (Eccl. 5:19). That we can look back on the day or even a lifetime and have a sense of satisfaction in what we have earned, achieved, or accomplished. But real joy and satisfaction can only come in eternity in heaven, when we free from all the toils and hardships of this life we can enjoy that heavenly rest. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on….that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them” (Rev. 14:13).
Let us learn there is no real success, security, or satisfaction in this life or the things of the world. The wise man in Ecclesiates summed it up by saying, “all is vanity and grasping for the wind” (Eccl.1:14). He concluded that the only thing that really counts in this life is to “Fear God and keep His commandments. For this is man’s all” (Eccl. 12:13). To hear the Lord say at the judgment, “Well done “ will be the most rewarding and successful words a man could ever hear. This will give a man eternal security and complete satisfaction.
—- Jim Bell
FAMILY TIME TOGETHER IS ESSENTIAL
Children In creating a strong family life centered on God, there must be shared time together. Moses commanded Israel: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up” (Deut 6:5-8).
Moses’ timeless advice is the foundation for Biblical spirituality in the home. Time together is the bonding mortar that brings us together before God in love. You never know when you are making a memory.
For God to be first in our lives, His will must be regularly discussed and applied in our daily home life. With this, we must spend time together. The daily “family hour” needs to be kept in homes. Family traditions and shared activities need to be instituted and kept. Working at such togetherness can be memorable and enjoyable! “When you lie down” refers to bedtime. Kiss your children goodnight. Read to them or listen to them read from the Bible or a Bible devotional. Ask them, “How did things go today?” “When you rise up” is beginning the day with God. Besides giving thanks at breakfast, give your child a Bible verse for the day, like from Proverbs: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov 9:10).
The family meal time is a good way to be together “when you sit in your house.” We thank God for our blessings (1 Tim 4:4-5). We pray for our needs and cares (Phil 4:6). By family prayer, it affirms that God is most important in our lives and central to our family’s purpose.
Turn the TV off! We can read the Bible together and discuss its meaning and application to our lives. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge Hear my son, your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching; Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head and ornaments about your neck” (Prov 1:7-9). Proverbs are pithy and memorable sound bits that children can remember.
Despite Americans’ hectic schedules, a recent article, “The Importance of Family Dinners,” reports: “The number of teens who have regular family dinners drops by 50 percent as their substance abuse risk increases sevenfold, according to a survey of 12 to 17 year olds released by Columbia University. “The survey finds that the more often children have dinner with their parents, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use illegal drugs,” said Joseph A. Califano, Jr., President of The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia. “It is a tragedy that family dinners decline as teens get older.” “It is vital that frequent family dinners become a permanent fixture for children, not only when they are young, but throughout their teenage years,” said Dr. Wade Horn, Assistant Secretary for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “The frequency of family dinners decreases significantly as children enter and go through high school- and that’s just when the benefits of family dinners may be needed most.”
A survey showed: Compared to teens that have family dinners twice a week or less, teens that have dinner with their families five or more nights a week are:
32 percent are likelier never to have tried cigarettes.
45 percent likelier never to have tried alcohol.
24 percent likelier never to have smoked pot.
Parents will wisely invest time to be with their children to positively influence them. “Give me your heart, my son, and let your eyes delight in my ways” (Prov 23:26). So, it is important for children to know that the family has to spend some time together. If they know this is required to enjoy other privileges, they can grow to accept it and even like it.
— W. Frank Walton
WHAT IT LEADS TO
I hate to admit this, but a man once told me he did not like my sermons, and wanted me to change the subject and content of my preaching. I asked him to identify my errors, and he said I was preaching the truth, but he was afraid of “what it might lead to.” (I was preaching on the work of the church, and congregational independence.) I replied that I realized one might make a “hobby” of truth and “beat to death” a subject (he did not accuse me of this), but that I could not see how TRUTH, properly balanced, could lead to anything but that for which it was given, viz., to make men free from error and sin (John 8:32-32).
On the other side of the coin, we frequently find timid souls who hibernate in inactivity, and equate doing nothing with soundness in the faith. They may acknowledge that the work proposed is in keeping with the scriptures, but if it calls for some unaccustomed activity — a change from the status quo — they fear “what it might lead to.”
Life itself is a movement — we exist in a state of flux — and direction is influenced by every facet of life. Change (even in that which is good) will affect attitudes and viewpoints, and could involve new temptations.
BUT REMAINING AT REST ALSO AFFECTS ATTITUDES AND VIEWPOINTS, AND COULD INVOLVE NEW TEMPTATIONS. The monastic life is no guarantee of sinlessness. It may BE sin in itself.
No man steps twice in the same flowing stream. The stream is moving, and his second step is into water that was yet above him when the first step was taken. We may begin to do something in good faith, and with ample authority; and find later that circumstances are now such as to make the continuation of our work wrong. It takes a good man to face this, and let divine authority, rather than his own traditions, guide his life. Many will let tradition overrule the application of God’s word to his life. BUT FEAR OF WHAT MAY HAPPEN (when no scriptural principle is violated, nor scriptural warning ignored) MAKES FOR “FALSE SOUNDNESS.”
Truth never “leads to” error, and right is not the father of wrong. This is the point of James 1:13-18 and 1 John 3:6-ff. We sin when we quit following God and follow Satan.
Although “times change” and new circumstances constantly arise, we have an unchanging standard, suited to all ages. We are faithful only when we ACT upon its teachings. The church is the “pillar”, not the “pillow” of God’s truth (1 Tim. 3:15).
- by Robert Turner
A CORRUPT WORLD
Though no one can predict the future of our nation, we can say with confidence that God is in control, His cause will triumph, and He judges nations. ‘The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17). ‘Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).
Gibbon’s famous work, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, lists five reasons for the fall of Rome. There are several parallels between ancient Israel and Rome, and even more disturbing, between Rome and America……
1. The rapid increase of divorce; the undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home, which is the basis of human society. American families are under attack by humanists, homosexuals, and Hollywood. Some don’t even know what a family is any more (Matthew 19:4-9).
2. Higher and higher taxes: the spending of public monies for free bread and circuses or the populace . America is on the greatest spending binge in history. Many have forgotten how to work; they expect the government to support them (2 Thess. 3:10; I Timothy 5:8).
3. The mad craze for pleasure: sports becoming every year more exciting and more brutal . Many Americans are so obsessed with sports that they have no time for Bible studies or attending the worship services when the saints assemble together. (2 Timothy 3:4; Hebrews 10:25).
4. The building of gigantic armaments when the real enemy was within – the decadence of the people. Babylon’s wall, water, and wealth could not prevent the Persian invasion (Daniel 5). No armament can protect a nation that has rotted from within – not even America’s.
5. The decay of religion: faith fading into mere form; losing touch with life and becoming impotent to warn and guide the people. Most churches have become social clubs, pursuing entertainment to attract bigger crowds. Many audiences no longer expect to hear book, chapter, and verse (2 Timothy 4:1-4). They have replaced the house of prayer with food, fun, and frolic (Matthew 2 1:12-14).
Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it. — Rick Duggin
THINGS THAT ARE PRECIOUS
There are very few things in life that we might consider to be “precious”. A new car with all the latest options might be nice and luxurious, but it is hardly precious. A new house a family has been anticipating moving into might be beautiful, but even a new home is not thought of as being precious. However, when we see a new born baby being held in tenderness, that is something we would all say is “precious”.
The word “precious” is an adjective which means “of high price or great value; very valuable or costly”. There are very few things in scripture that is spoken of as being precious. This word is unique in the writings of the Peter as he refers to those things that we as Christians should view as “precious”.
1 Peter 1:18-19 – “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” The blood of Christ is precious because it is the only thing that could save us from our sins. All the gold and silver of the world could not buy a man the forgiveness of just one of his sins, much less, the numerous deeds he has done contrary to God’s Will. It took something more precious that all the material wealth of this world to redeem us to God. It took the precious blood of Christ, the Lamb of God. He was the perfect lamb without spot or blemish that went to slaughter for us that we might be saved. See also I Peter 2:7
I Peter 1:7 – “that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Our faith is precious. It is of great value because it is that which can sustain us through the fiery trials of this life. Without a genuine faith, we could not survive the testing that we face. God makes us a promise that we will not be tempted above what we are able to bear (I Cor. 10:13); but He allows us to be subjected to the trials of life because these can produce endurance and spiritual maturity (James 1:2f)
1 Peter 1:4 – “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” In Christ, we have many wonderful promises. These promises are precious. They are of tremendous value to those who stand upon them by faith. Such promises as: “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (I Peter 5:7). …” he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised (James 1:12). I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish (John 10:28). These promises are sure because God cannot lie and He alone has the power to grant these unto us. However, these promises are not for everyone but only those who appropriate them by faith and seek to be obedient to Him. In other words, these “precious promises” are conditional upon us and our response to His Will.
Let us as Christians come to have a greater appreciation for the things which are more valuable and important that the material things of this world. Let us cherish the things that belong to us in Christ that are “precious”.
— Jim Bell