Bulletin

Home Email About Us Services Articles Bulletin From God's Word Area Events Announcements Calendar Prayer Requests Plan of Salvation Audio Sermon Library Photographs	The Priority of the Spiritual 03/11/2001 We live in a physical, time-bound world. Our real existence, however, is spiritual and unending. There is a part of every man, which cannot be seen and will never die. It is his "soul" or "spirit." We do not think about this reality as much as we should. Our bodies are only our physical temporary home of the soul. They will one day decay and time will some day end. Our real spiritual selves will continue to exist throughout eternity. This world is not our permanent home. Our spiritual existence is often forgotten because we have become so involved in the physical. Our eternal existence is of men crowded out by time-bound activities. This is folly. The physical will pass away and time will be meaningless when we die, but we will continue to exist. The plight of our eternal existence will be determined by our life in the physical present. Jesus was speaking of these facts when He said, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26). Douglas L Post
	God's Solution for Division *"The denominational divisions which accentuate the problem are perpetrating* an image of a divided Christ to the community in which we live. Such an image is at variance with the unity of the body into which we were all baptized. The same arguments that Paul used to deal with the factions and personality cults of the Corinthian church are applicable [here and now]. We can not hide behind some concept of "spiritual unity" which has little or no embodiment in structure or institution; for, not only does it drive an unnatural and unbiblical wedge between the physical and the spiritual, it is also nonsense to the world to which we are called to be in mission, and thereby denies the very basis of the unity for which Christ prayed." The above quote is from Ian P. Cundy. I don’t know if Mr. Cundy has a proposal to solve the divisions he so laments. Usually, our denominational friends tend to either recommend the ecumenical movement as a concrete, visible means to unity or, like Juan Carlos Ortiz, to weakly urge an awareness that one's specific Protestant group is part of a wider community of faith. Neither, however, take seriously Cundy's charge of division which "denies the very basis of the unity for which Christ prayed." So many religious people live in a dilemma of wanting to be united to other people of faith while remaining tied to party names, groups, and creeds. Is there a solution? Yes! If the human names, groups, and creeds are the obstacles, which form barriers to obedience to Jesus, then I must do away with them in order to share in that Spirit-created unity. The seven "Ones" of Ephesians 4 are a great start. One commitment to obey the Lord; One source of authority for faith and practice, the Scriptures; One expression of worship to the only true God. Do we give up our freedom to embrace such a proposal? Friends, we must! The freedom to call the shots, the freedom to elevate opinion to the level of doctrine, the freedom to insert into faith our personal preference. Human freedom is sacrificed on the altar of submission to the divine will, and as a result spiritual freedom is given, surpassing every worldly pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. This is not just a human proposal. Biblically speaking, it is the only alternative given by our gracious Lord. He calls us to abandon our own wisdom, tradition, and discernment to follow him into a true profession of fellowship with God through the cross. And we do so, not just because of our witness in the world, but because it is RIGHT, it is his will, his plan. Having done that, I can follow Jesus as a real Christian, nothing more, nothing less. And I can call other followers of his my brothers and sisters in the faith; with no sectarian names or tendencies to defend - only the name of my Lord and Savior. (Doug Post)
	God Gives... God gives milk - but not the pail. God gives wood - but not the nail. God gives earth - but not the spade. God gives wheat - but not the blade. God gives fish - but not the hook. God gives food - but not the cook. God gives the horse - but not the cart. God gives the head- hands and heart. The rest is up to you!