Northeast Family Update

“Above all, love each other deeply” (1 Peter 4:8)

 

March 20, 2005

 

GRACE, AND WORKS OF FAITH

By Frank Chesser

 

Naaman was a leper. He was instructed by Elisha the prophet to dip seven times in the river Jordan. When he complied with the specified condition, "his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean " (2 Kings 5:14). Was it not essential for Naaman to submit to the prophet's instructions in order to be healed of his leprosy? Did not Naaman's obedience involve human effort? Was the power to heal in the water of Jordan? Did Naaman's obedience of faith repeal God's grace and transform his gift of healing into human merit?    

Initially, Naaman refused to comply with God's instructions through the prophet his refusal left him a leper. Of course he had to obey God. He was not healed until his faith became visible in action.  "Show me thy faith" (James 2:18). The water of Jordan was impotent as far as Naaman's leprosy was concerned. The power to heal was God's alone. In his obedience of faith, Naaman was not attempting to nullify grace, he was cooperating with grace. His trust for healing was not in the Jordan, nor his dipping therein, though both were necessary. His trust was in God, in His grace, and in His power to heal. However, it was Naaman's obedient faith that enabled him to appropriate the blessings of God's grace and power to his disease-ridden body.

It is imperative that we discern the distinction between works of merit and works of faith. Works of merit have man trusting in himself and in his own efforts. Such an attitude nullifies grace and leads to self-righteousness. The Pharisee of Luke 18:10-12 is a classic example. It was this very kind of works that Paul had in mind when he said, "Now to him that worketh is the reward of grace, but of debt "(Romans 4:4); again, "Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:9).

Conversely, works of faith have man trusting in God, His grace, and the provisions thereof in Christ and the cross. Though acknowledging the necessity of submitting to such divinely ordained works, man's trust is not in himself, nor his performance of works. God is the sole object of his trust. These are the works of James 2:14:26.

 

Wednesday Bible Class

“Golden Rules”

@ 7:00 P.M.

Make plans to attend

 

 Lack of Knowledge

I heard about a preacher who was talking with a man, and he asked him, "Do you know the Bible?" The man said, "Yes, sir." He said, "What part of the Bible do you know the best?" The man said, "The New Testament." The preacher went on to ask him what part of the New Testament he knew the best. The man said, "Well, I suppose I know the story of the Good Samaritan best of all." The preacher said, "Tell me that story." The man said, “Well, as best as I can recall, there was a good Samaritan traveling down the road from Jerusalem to Jericho and he fell among the thorns and they sprang up and choked him and left him half dead. “But a man came by feeding his swine and he said to the man, ‘I will arise and go to my father.’ So he took up his bed and walked. But while the soldiers were chasing him through the forest, he got the hair of his head caught up in the trees and he hung there 40 days and 40 nights, and the ravens fed him. “Just then, Delilah came along with a big pair of shears and she cut off his hair and he fell on stony ground. But the good master of the house resurrected the man and he journeyed on his way. “All of a sudden, he came to the wall of Jericho and there’s Jezebel sitting on the wall and she mocked him. And he said, ‘Chunk her down to the dogs.’ And they chunked her down 70 times 7, and great was the fall thereof, and of the fragments that remained they picked up twelve baskets full, and whose wife shall she be in the resurrection?”

I would hope that no one's Bible knowledge here this morning is quite as bad as that, but I think it's safe to say that few of us know the Bible as well as we should. Contrary to popular opinion, when it comes to spiritual matters, ignorance is not bliss. In Proverbs 19:2, Solomon said, "It is not good for a soul to be without knowledge." God has always stressed the fact that his people need to know his word. In the days of Hosea, God said, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being priest for me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children." (Hosea 4:6).What was the problem? It wasn't that they didn't have access to God's Word. They just simply didn't care enough about it to listen to it. Does it scare you just a bit to realize that God could possibly say the same thing about us – “my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge"? Thom Rainer was accurate when he said, "Almost every home in our nation has one or more Bibles, but our citizens are biblically illiterate.” We need to be known as a people of the book, a people who study and know and love the Bible.

Alan Smith

 

Sunday Evening Sermon Series

Thessalonians

 NORTHGLENN,CO "Come on Christians. WAKE UP, the anti-Christians have come out of the closet and are attacking everything Christian. Pushing us into the closet. We do not have the resources nor cohesion to fight back. However, we are not lost; we can fight back if we stand together. If we fail to fight back, IT IS DEATH FOR CHRISTIANITY."

Via Marquerett  Smith

 

 Ladies ThursdayBible Class

Each Thursday @ 9:30 A.M.

“Esther”

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  Upcoming Events

Singing Practice

March  27, 2005

@5:30 P.M.

In the Auditorium

Everyone is encouraged to attend!

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Youth Wednesday

March 23, 2005

@6:30 P.M.

To make this effective it is essential that everyone invites and brings as many young people as possible.

__________

Super Saturday Day Camp

K-3rd Grade

April 9, 2005

Quartz Mountain Christian Camp

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Christian Service Camp

“Low Element Challenge Course”

April 22-24, 2005

High School & Adults

Quartz Mountain Christian Camp

 

Christian Plan of Salvation

 

Hear the Gospel - Rom. 10:17; Jn 6:45

 

Believe in Jesus - Heb. 11:6; Jn. 8:24

 

Repent - Acts 2:38; Lk. 13:3

 

Confess Jesus as Lord - Ro. 10:9-10; Mt. 10:32

 

Be Baptized - Mk. 16:15-16; 1 Pt. 3:21

 

Lord Adds To Church - Acts 2:47

 

Live Faithful - Gal. 5:16-26; Rev. 2:10

 

 

Our Elders: Junior Blanton (674-3987), Otis Martin (393-4936)

                                    Leland Womack (666-2243)

 

 

Our Deacons: Curtis Chandler (393-2167), Tommy Hagen (393-4542),

Ron Morris (486-3574), Bud Robinson, (393-4560),

Jackie Todd, (393-4383), Robert Whinery (674-3463),

 

 Our Minister: John E. Werhan (393-4898 office) (393-2264 home)

 

 Our Address:

Northeast church of Christ

1111 E. N. Boundary

P.O. Box 357

Sentinel, OK 73664

[email protected]