VOLUME XXII April 18, 1999 NUMBER 15
HOSPITAL NEWS: We are happy to report that sister JOHNNIE B. MENDHEIM was released from SAMC on Monday, April 5, and went to her daughter's house for recovery. She continues to be in our prayers, as do several others who have been sick at home lately.
MONTHLY MEAL: Our monthly meal for April is to be hosted by JERRY AND PAT GANT, and is scheduled for SUNDAY, APRIL 25, after the morning worship. All are invited to come and bring a covered dish and enjoy the good company!
YOU CAN HELP: A good way for anyone to assist in the work of the Lord here at Enon would be for one to take one of the new directories and look through the membership therein listed and find 5 families or individuals and track their attendance. When you notice that they are not present, call them and tell them that they were missed. Be kind, be prompt, be brief, but be active! Many times people just need a kind word from someone who cares! You may be able to offer that word.
THIS EDITION WAS PRINTED EARLY, PLEASE REFER TO SERVICES FOR CURRENT SICK & ETC.
WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED? Hear the Gospel (Romans 10:17), Believe the Gospel (Hebrews 11:6), Repent of Sins (Acts 2:38), Confess Faith in Christ (Acts 8:37), be baptized (Acts 22:16), and remain faithful, even to the point of death (Revelation 2:10). May we assist you in becoming a faithful Christian?
THE LOVELINESS OF LEARNING
PSALM 119:66, 68c "Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments...Teach me thy statutes..."
The loveliness of learning, as concerns the Holy Word of God, is a lesson the world desperately needs to learn! We are indeed an advanced society, and our knowledge of medicine and mechanics far surpasses that of any generation heretofore seen; but our knowledge of that which is right, that which will see us safely through eternity, does not seem to have kept up. It just may be that we have less desire to know of God and His Ways than of medicine and mechanics, but whatever the reason, we must examine the scriptures in order to establish the importance of studying and the benefits of applying the knowledge we glean therefrom to our daily lives. In the two verses cited as our text we see David, the psalmist whose words we are considering, uttering a prayer certainly to be imitated by all those who would please the Lord in any age. He asks that God teach him 'good judgment and knowledge' and the 'statutes' of the Lord. This means, simply, that David sought a knowledge of what the Lord required and an ability to properly use it to his own benefit.
The New Testament, as well as the Old, finds God being concerned with the knowledge His people had concerning the Truth. Paul wrote to the young preacher as follows: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (II Timothy 2:15). This passage tells us to be diligent (ASV) to present ourselves in an acceptable condition before the Judge of all mankind, handling aright the Bible. How may we do this? It may only be done by studying and learning the information of the Scriptures. Peter encouraged (commanded) his readers to do likewise: "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" (I Peter 3:15). How is it that we are to 'be ready to give an answer'? We are to 'sanctify the Lord God in our heart'. How is this done? Since the 'answer' concerns the truth, the only way for us to give the 'answer' is to know the truth. How may this be done? By studying! Paul said as much to the young preacher again: "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also" (II Timothy 2:2). When Paul spoke the gospel it was by the inspiration of God (II Timothy 3:16-17, I Corinthians 2:1ff), therefore to hear and repeat what he said was to hear and repeat (learn and teach) the Word of God. They had to learn from Paul, and so do we; they learned by listening, we learn by studying.
Learning the Truth will help to avert a great many sins in our lives. A little later in the psalm under consideration David wrote: "Through thy precepts I get understanding, therefore I hate every false way" (Psalm 119:104). He learned what to love and what to hate by the Word, (precepts). Jesus called the Jews of His day, saying: "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me" (John 5:39). Had they searched the scriptures and learned what He was trying to teach them, I wonder, would the disastrous effects of their rejection have been averted? We shall never know for sure, but we do know that those who investigated and arrived at the truth and abode therein were saved: "He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:11-12). That man who knows the Word is able to see his way clearly to please the Lord: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105).
The gospel of Jesus Christ is spread by preaching
(cf. Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-16). Paul encouraged the young
preacher to remember what he had formerly been taught and to teach it to
others. Timothy had a wonderful upbringing, having been taught the
truth by his mother and grandmother. He could remember that, add
to it Paul's instruction, and go about to do the work which was given him
to do. All of us need to consider and heed Paul's counsel:
"But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been
assured of, knowing of whom thou hast 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 in Christ Jesus. All scripture is
given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of
God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. I charge
thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the
quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom: Preach the word;
be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering
and doctrine...But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the
work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry" (II Timothy 3:14-4:5).
Essentially we are to learn the truth well enough to understand it ourselves,
and well enough to teach it effectively to others.
The truth is inspired (II Timothy 3:16), given
by the Lord to man for our good. It is sufficient to all for which
it was sent: "According as his divine power hath given unto us all
things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him
that hath called us to glory and virtue" (II Peter 1:3). Notice the
words, "all things". What is excluded from this? Do we not
learn of God's great love for us (John 3:16), of the desire of the Father
to save all men (II Peter 3:9), of the willingness of the Son to give himself
for us (Luke 19:10, Romans 5:6ff), and of the plan of salvation (Hear -
Romans 10:17, Believe - Romans 10:10, Repent - Luke 13:3, Confess - Matthew
10:32, Be Baptized - Mark 16:16, and Be Faithful - Revelation 2:10)?
What more could we ask? Sin is our greatest enemy, it being the only
thing powerful enough to separate us from happiness and bliss with God
(cf., Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 3:10, 23; 6:23). The truth, the Word
of God, is powerful enough to free us from this terrible condition of perdition:
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John
8:32). James, the Lord's brother, was more specific still:
"Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and
receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls"
(James 1:21). This is why Solomon, the wise preacher of the Old Law,
placed such a value on the knowledge of the truth: "Buy the truth,
and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding" (Proverbs
23:23).
The loveliness of learning! With the
knowledge of the truth we are able to thwart everything the devil throws
at us (cf., Ephesians 6:10-17). We are able to be made pure from
all the imperfections and flaws of life (cf., I Peter 1:22). We are
able to be born again (cf., I Peter 1:23). It furnishes us fully
unto every good work (cf., II Timothy 3:17). Have you learned the
truth? Are you walking in the loveliness of the greatest story ever
told? If not, call on us!
Tim Smith 1272 Enon Road Webb, AL 36376 (334) 899-8131
* DON'T FORGET THE SINGING
CLASS *
* EACH SUNDAY
AT 5:30 P.M.!!! *