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Learning from Hebrews 12
We need to Strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.
Our lives will be hampered by bondages. God is well aware of this fact.. Let's run this race anyway.
How?
1. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.
2. Jesus is aware. He endured when sinful people did such terrible things to him, so that you and I don't become weary and give up.
3. take a new grip with your tired hands and stand firm on your shaky legs.
4. Mark out a straight path for your feet.
Then those who around you, though they might also be weak and lame, will not stumble and fall but will become strong.
5. Try to live in peace with everyone, and seek to live a clean and holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
6. Look after each other so that none of you will miss out on the special favor of God.
What to watch for:
1. Watch out that no bitter root of unbelief rises up among you, for whenever it springs up, many are corrupted by its poison.
2. Make sure that no one is immoral or godless.
We are made righteous with God. Don’t give it up like Esau. He traded his birthright as the oldest son for a single meal. And afterward, when he wanted his father's blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he wept bitter tears.
3. See to it that you obey God, the one who is speaking to you. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, how terrible our danger if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!
Let's remember:
28 Since we have received a Kingdom that cannot be destroyed [i.e. the church], let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.
29 For our God is a consuming fire.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Hebrews 12 is a good place to seek God’s will in our lives as true Christians. There is one other chapter in the Holy Scriptures that will be of great value to Christians as they seek to ”walk the walk“. Please also read and contemplate Romans 12 [ASV - 1901]:
”12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. 12:2 And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, and ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 12:3 For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think as to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to each man a measure of faith. 12:4 For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members have not the same office: 12:5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and severally members one of another. 12:6 And having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of our faith; 12:7 or ministry, let us give ourselves to our ministry; or he that teacheth, to his teaching; 12:8 or he that exhorteth, to his exhorting: he that giveth, let him do it with liberality; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness. 12:9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 12:10 In love of the brethren be tenderly affectioned one to another; in honor preferring one another; 12:11 in diligence not slothful; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; 12:12 rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing stedfastly in prayer; 12:13 communicating to the necessities of the saints; given to hospitality. 12:14 Bless them that persecute you; bless, and curse not. 12:15 Rejoice with them that rejoice; weep with them that weep. 12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Set not your mind on high things, but condescend to things that are lowly. Be not wise in your own conceits. 12:17 Render to no man evil for evil. Take thought for things honorable in the sight of all men. 12:18 If it be possible, as much as in you lieth, be at peace with all men. 12:19 Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath of God: for it is written, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord. 12:20 But if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him to drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head. 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.“
Posted October 16, 2006 by glc ...
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THAT WHICH IS UNCHANGEABLE
Each person in the world has the innate ability to choose between good and evil. This characteristic is possessed by all races of man and extends into each area of man's environmental circumstance. That is, in whatever situation a person finds themselves, whatever human relationship (i.e., husband-wife, boyfriend-girlfriend, parent-child, friend-enemy), a work relationship (i.e., either employee or employer), governmental relationship (i.e., as the governed or those that govern), a religious relationship (i.e., un-churched or churched). In all of these situations (i.e., named above), the personal must establish a mode of personal morality and ethics in their conduct - this applies to both men and women of accountable age and capabilities (i.e., the mentally handicapped excused).
The ability of every person to make a choice about his or her personal morality and ethical standards is important to understand as a first step to acquiring and accepting personal responsibility for our actions. Each person must come to terms with the personal responsibility that they have in each fact of existence here in this world. Once the individual understands this fact about themselves they will then be in a position to adapt themselves to a personal thought out standard of morality and ethics or to adapt their actions and attitudes to some other acceptable standard. The Biblical standard of right is unchangeable for eternally!
ANARCHY DEFINED:
"Anarchy,
1. Absence of governmental authority or law.
2. Disorder and confusion,
Greek, [< anarkhos, without a ruler.]"
The American Heritage Dictionary, THIRD EDITION.
CONSIDER GOD'S INSTRUCTION:
Jeremiah 10:23,
23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. Since man cannot direct his own steps in the matter of human and divine relationship and in his interaction with other humans and his environmental circumstance without Divine assistance. Every person is doomed to fail in establishing order without Divine guidance - "Fact!" It is of the greatest importance to understand this principle as the only way to avoid anarchy (i.e., "disorder and confusion") in human interaction and division between God and mankind.
WRANGLING, ANGER, WARFARE:
All of the problems of the human family reside in man's unwillingness to accept the instruction from God. There are many different religions in existence today, most all of them are at variance with each other and yet they all claim to be from God or from some Divine source. Yet, God is not a God of disorder, anarchy, etc.
Malachi 2:10,
10 Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?
Mark 12:30-32,
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
Romans 3:30,
30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
1 Corinthians 8:6,
6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
Ephesians 4:1-6,
1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
1 Timothy 2:5,
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
James 2:18-20,
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (KJV)
glclair@aol.com
Considermagazine.com
DISPUTES
The normal interaction of humans will invariably include disputes between them over many and sundry points or items that are common to all. Perhaps we may better point this out by showing that this has always been true of man from the beginning of God’s creation. From a personal point of concern, I have continued to pursue God’s way in spite of opposition several times in my life as a preacher [i.e. teacher] of God’s Word. There have been many times as I have presented God’s Written Word to an audience, that after the study I have been ask to clarify [i.e. or defend] my teaching on a certain point, this is a normal interaction with an audience under normal circumstance. In my early years as a teacher of God’s Written Word I was impatient with those who would question what I had taught. This impatience often led me to improperly impugn the motives of everyone who questioned those things that I was teaching.
There are many instances where examples of disputes are revealed in the Holy Scriptures sometimes the disputants were honest and sometimes one [i.e. or more than one] of them was dishonest, please note some of the references:
Eve and the Devil [i.e. the Devil disputed with Eve about God’s instruction] --- 2 Cor 11:2-3, ”2 For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy: for I espoused you to one husband, that I might present you (as) a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ.“ ASV
1 Tim 2:13-14, ”13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not beguiled, but the woman being beguiled hath fallen into transgression:“ ASV
EVE LOST HER WAY BECAUSE SHE DID NOT STAND FIRM WITH THE TRUTH THAT SHE HAD RECEIVED FROM GOD - Gen 2:16-17, ”16 And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.“ ASV ... Garreth L. Clair
PROCEDURE:
ORDAINING OF ELDERS
July 8, 2007 church of Christ 4840 Cemetery Road
Hilliard, Ohio – P.O. Box 96 – 43026
SETTING IN THE CONGREGATION TWO ELDERS
John Buchanan and Gary Brewer
Preacher: Garreth L. Clair --- glclair@aol.com
BIBLE REFERENCES USED:
Acts 14:23,
”23 And when they had appointed for them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed.“ ASV
Titus 1:5-11,
”5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that were wanting, and appoint elders in every city, as I gave thee charge;
6 if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children that believe, who are not accused of riot or unruly.
7 For the bishop must be blameless, as God's steward; not self-willed, not soon angry, no brawler, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre;
8 but given to hospitality, as lover of good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled;
9 holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict the gainsayers.
10 For there are many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision,
11 whose mouths must be stopped; men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.“ ASV
STATEMENT BY GARRETH L. CLAIR:
In keeping with the afore read Divine Instructions …
CONCLUSION:
PRAYER FOR THE ELDERS AND THE CHURCH
John Buchanan --- for wisdom, understanding, and personal soundness
Gary Brewer --- for wisdom, understanding, and personal soundness
Garreth L. Clair --- for John and Gary, for the congregation, ”for unity of the spirit in the bond of peace“
Ephesians 4:2-3,
”2 with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.“ ASV
Hilliard, Ohio --- July 8, 2007
Consider Magazine is an independent work by Garreth L. Clair
Garreth has over 50 years experience as a preacher, and is currently the preacher for the church that meets at 4840 Cemetery Road, in Hilliard OH.
http://www.cemeteryroadchurchofchrist.org/
Copyright 2005, All Rights Reserved. (Please contact us for permission to reprint.)
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