The Reporter   
 Volume 54 # 13  --  April 13, 2014

Archives - Past Issues

Amazing Statements About God

      The word “God” is in our King James Version of the Bible in more than 3,900 verses. The fact that God exists is so obvious that one would be a fool to deny otherwise. “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” (Psalms 14:1) God is real and He is active in the affairs of men! Paul said, "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19) God is the ever present, all power­ful Creator of the universe. (Genesis 1-2) A saving knowledge of God is the basic need of every human being. The scriptures begin by simply stating the existence of God and the power of God. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1) In Deuteronomy 6:4 we find one of the most important declarations in all the Scriptures. The text says, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord." It is the affirmation of the Scriptures that there is only one true God. God is the Great Creator of heaven, earth and all of humanity. “Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein.” (Isaiah 42:5) The Bible reveals many characteristics of God. God is holy. (1 Peter 1:16) God is righteous. (Acts 17:31) God is merciful and loving. (Ephesians 2:4-5) God is opposed to all sin and He judges it. (Psalm 5:5) God also offers forgiveness through Jesus. (Hebrews 2:9) Our great God has several unusual things.

      God has a Bottle. David wrote, “Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?” (Psalms 56:8) David was afraid and hard pressed, but he trusted in God for deliverance and help. “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” (Psalms 56:3-4) He knew that our great God was aware of every step he had taken as his enemies pursued him. Sometimes in life, we may be so hard pressed with the burdens of life, that we can hardly remember where we are or where we have been. However, our Heavenly Father remembers all the details. David’s sorrows were so great that God put his tears into His bottle. David knew the tears would be in God’s book and that He would remember them, but he also wanted the tears to be put in God’s bottle so God could look on his grief and that this would move His heart to help and that would accomplish more than just a written record could. Oh, how God cares about His faithful people as they go through their struggles! God is merciful and He remembers our tears.  

      God has a Book. Moses spoke of God having a book in that very fervent prayer that he prayed for Israel. “Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.” (Exodus 32:32) He knew both that the faithful were written in God’s book and that if a person became unfaithful he could be blotted out of that book. These faithful people feared the Lord. They had enough reverence for God that it caused them to shun evil. They spoke often one to another. They exhorted, encouraged and strengthened one another in the Lord. They thought on God’s name. The name of God is a most powerful thought. God so approved of their actions that a book of remembrance was written before the God. Malachi wrote about God’s book of remembrance. “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.” (Malachi 3:16) This book encourages all the faithful with the fact that they will be rewarded by God for their faithful services. No good thing will be forgotten by God. 

      God has a Body. God does not have a flesh and bone body. He is a spirit and a spirit does not have flesh and bones. (John 4:24, Luke 24:39) There is one of those BIG words that none of us would ever use that might help us here. The word is “anthropomorphism.” Anthropomorphism is “the attribution of human characteristics to nonhumans: the attribution of a human form, human characteristics, or human behavior to nonhuman things.” Remember, it may be only an Anthropomorphism, but the Bible says God has eyes (Psalm 11:4-5), arms (Deuteronomy 33:27), hands (Hebrews 10:31), ears (1 Peter 3:12), feet (Habakkuk 3:5), a voice (Matthew 3:17) a face (Psalm 27:9), and a back. (Exodus 33:20-23) God is pictured in this way so that we can better understand Him and be more aware of His loving actions on behalf of mankind. God wants to bless us here on this earth and He wants to save us in eternity. Our view of God should be like that expressed by Isaiah. We need to see God “sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up.” “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.” (Isaiah 6:1-3) A proper view of God leads us to reverence and daily service. When Isaiah saw the Lord, he became aware of his transgressions and of his need to surrender to God. The nearer a man gets to God, the more aware he becomes of his own shortcomings. Abraham said, "I am but dust and ashes." (Genesis 18:27) In the presence of the Almighty Job said, "Behold, I am vile." (Job 40:4) Ezra said, “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.” (Ezra 9:6) Peter “fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (Luke 5:8) God’s greatness humbles us!

      In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus promised that God would give good things to those that put Him first. (Matthew 6:24-34) God does so many wonderful things for His Children. He is the giver of every good and perfect gift. (James 1:17) God is literally our help, strength and refuge. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (Psalm 46:1) Our allegiance must be to God and to Him alone. He will not share first place with another. (Exodus 20:3) God is the Most High God. There is none like the Lord our God. "For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me." (Isaiah 46:9) If you believe in God and in His Son Jesus (Hebrews 11:6), then repent of your sins (Acts 2:38), confess Christ as Lord (Matthew 10:32), be baptized into Christ (Romans 6:3-5), and stay faithful to God in order to go to heaven. (Matthew 10:22)  

---- Charles Box        

News & Notes

1. Prayer List: In Need of Prayer: Haley Acree, Elease Brown, Douglas Butts, Amanda Charles, Terry Claunch, Johnny Cole, Camren Coleman, Lisa Cook, Paul Cotrell, Tim Croley, Trina Croley, John Curry, Nell Daughtry, Richard Harrell, Michael Hartin, Devin Hawkins, Austin Herring, Sue Hunt, Allan Jackson, Ann Jackson, Charlie Jones, Felice Kendrick, Barley Newton, Ruby Norman, Alice Padgett, Bill  Perry, William Pierce, Linda Reynolds, Peggy Scribner, Johnny Sims, Evelyn Smith, David Stallings, Mary Tatum, Andy Taylor, Dusty Taylor, Mary Lou Terrell, Alice Thompson, Leroy Waller, Barbara Woods, and Betty & Wayne Young. Crowne Health Care: Dorothy Buck, Jewel Cauthen, Gladys Childs, Arlene Coletrane, Ruth Davis, Betty Findley, Davis & Ruth Hester, Kathy Johnson, Sarah Knight, and Annie Ruth Tetter. Pine Needle: Lydia Ann Raybon and Elizabeth Perdue.

2. Baptized Into Christ: James Bozeman was baptized into Christ on Friday, April 11th. His information: Address: 510 North Perry Street Apartment A2, Phone: 334-368-4293, and Birthday: August 25th. Please welcome James to Walnut Street.

3. Sympathy Expressed: Our love and sympathy is expressed to Annie Webb and her family in the death of her mother, Elnora Ray.

4. Easter Egg Hunt: On April 19th there will be an Easter Egg Hunt at the home of Marty and Alicia Sexton at 2:00 p.m. This fun event is for children of all ages and anyone else who would like to attend. Please bring finger foods to the egg hunt.

3. Strengthening Our Family: The Walnut Street Church of Christ will host our yearly, “Strengthening Our Family” Day on Sunday, April 27th. Jesse Claunch, from the Century Church of Christ, will be our speaker. Members are encouraged to be present for all three lessons and visitors are welcome!

4. Vacation Bible School Planning Meeting: Vacation Bible School – Walnut Street Church of Christ – June 22nd – 26th – 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. “Happily Ever After…The Salvation Story” is the theme for this year’ VBS. There will be a Vacation Bible School planning meeting on Sunday afternoon, April 27th at 5:00 p.m. This meeting is for all those who volunteered to work at a story-themed station (story room, refreshments, or crafts). Please read the text of your story and come prepared to brainstorm ideas for developing your story. If you have not yet volunteered for a job but would like to participate, or even if you volunteered for another job but think you might have ideas to contribute, please join us!

5. Wedding Invitation: God has led two lives to take one path. Brittany Renay Olive and Bryan Matthew Brown together with their parents invite you to witness their vows as they begin their joyful journey of Friday, the twentieth of June two thousand and fourteen at six o’clock in the evening, the Grand on Foster 170 North Foster Street Dothan, Alabama.

 6. Birthdays: Celebrating a birthday this week: April 14th Donna Hoffman.

 7. Anniversary: Celebrating an anniversary this week: April 13th Randy and Lisa Bagents.

 8. Guyana Mission Trip: Charles Box is making a trip to Annai on May 8th – 22nd. If you are interested in going please contact Charles right away.

 9. Thank You: Walnut Street Church of Christ, Thank you for the phone calls, visits, cards, words of encouragement and especially for your prayers before, during, and after my surgery. They were much appreciated. I am much better than I was before the surgery, but still have a ways to go. Please continue to pray for me as I will be going back to work. David Stallings

 11. Area Events: May 3rd – A Young Ladies Day – Decatur Highway Church of Christ – Time 9:00 am to 1:30 pm – Classes for junior high, high school and college-age.

Worth It All In The End

      “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12) The primary goal of every faithful Christian is to live for God and inherit eternal life. Temptations are strong, coming from every angle, but God is stronger and is everywhere!

      I believe that one of the keys to overcoming temptation is to get to the bottom of some of the misconceptions about sin and about living for God. The devil paints a pretty picture of sin. We are tempted, James said, when we are, “drawn away by our own desires and enticed.” (James 1:14) But the truth of the matter is that “sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death.” (James 1:15) Paul put it this way, “What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death…For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 3:21 & 23) Sin is something that seems irresistible before it is in our grasp, but after, it is a life-draining cancer that we would give anything to be rid of.

      On the other hand, godly living is also often misunderstood. Is living for God burdensome and boring, robbing us of the pleasures of life? The world asks, “How can one be happy when they are burdened by all of God’s demands?” But the child of God knows that true happiness can only result from a right relationship with God and the ultimate hope of heaven. It is possible to become “weary while doing good,” but the inspired words of Paul assure us that, “in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” (Galatians 6:9) If we can learn the truth about these two things, it will be so much easier to let Christ be Lord of our lives.

      The greatest help for me in the battle with sin is to imagine the glory of the reward that God has promised. Jesus said, “He who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:13) Saved! “He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)                ----Darrell Powell  

 

Reverence for God takes away all human pride.

 

Service Time:

Sunday

Morning:                                              Evening:

    Bible Study 9:30                                 Worship 6:00

    Worship 10:30                               

Wednesday:

Bible Study 7:00 pm

 

Here To Serve:

Elders:                                              Deacons:

    Mike Bagents                                      Bruce Cauthen

    Wayne Garlock                                  Wheeler Chance

    Bobby Terrell                                     Jason Holladay

Minister:                                                   Dennis Lowery

    Charles Box                                         Jim Till

Youth Minister:                                     

    Darrell Powell