Nile Street Notes Anna Church of Christ 104 Nile Street, Anna, Illinois 62906 833-5815

Website: www.annachurchofchrist.com

Vol 24. Issue 5 Jan. 31, 2010

“They’re All Nuts!”

Surf through the cable TV channels and you’ll find dozens of modern-day preachers expounding their personal interpretation of Bible passages, making wild claims, farfetched suppositions, and contradictory conclusions. These men seem to have one common motive…“How can I display my genius in discovering some new way of filling the text with an extreme idea that compels and draws an audience unto myself?”

Men of this ilk seem to be driven by the limelight, feeding their ego, popularity, and ratings, making merchandise of their followers (2 Peter 2:3), and confusing the masses to the point that the average man and woman is led to believe that the Bible is something that simply cannot be understood by everyday people.

That is what the Devil, and many of these so-called preachers want you to believe. Satan hasn’t been able to prevail against the church (Matt. 16:18), nor has he been able to destroy God’s word (Mk. 13:31). He knows the Word (Matt. 4:6), and has learned that creating confusion in the heart of man through these so-called preachers (2 Tim. 3:1-7, 13; 2 Peter 2:1-4, 12-15) is a powerful way to keep man in a lost state (Matt. 15:14), leading to spiritual death (Rev.20:6).

The evils resulting from this confusion can be called legion, for they are many. Men and women are led into the belief that the Bible is some kind of combination of metaphors – some splendid riddle, and only a few select men have the ability to interpret it. Then the masses watch as these men march through their outlandish interpretations, all of which are a false demonstration to the masses that the Bible is contradictory unto itself, and cannot be trusted; therefore, if the Bible can’t be trusted, it is a false light, doing more injury than good, and is finally thrown aside, because truth cannot disagree with itself.

Friend, step out of the confusion. The Bible does not contradict itself, for it is the mind of God in human language. The Bible is not to blame for the evil and ambitious desires of man. It’s not to blame for man’s erroneous interpretations, nor for his false teachings. God gave us His word with the sole purpose to guide man in all righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16-17). It is to be understood and used as the true light to guide our path (Psalm 119:105).

Approach the Bible using the rules that you would apply to any other book of law, medicine, or industry. The Bible requires us to employ common sense and mental industry, but it also requires us to approach it with an honest heart (Lu. 8:15). Those who truly seek the truth are promised to find it (Matt. 7:7), and that might be one of the most important characteristics found in the follower of God…a love for the truth! Yes, the TV preachers might all be nuts, but you don’t need to be.

In Love,

Michael Shank

(via the Metropolis Messenger)

SERMON TOPICS

A.M. – “A Christian Invitation”*

P.M. – “Coming To Himself”*

* Ryan Thornsberry speaking

Those For Whom We Are Praying:

Kathleen Ritchey

Rodney & Nikki Lingle

Bill Whitnel

Mitchell Shock – Grandson of Rosemary’s cousin.

Bonnie Mangum

Virginia McIntyre

Rose Wright

Michelle Ashby (friend of the Driskills) – Has inflammatory breast cancer that has spread to her ribs, liver, lower spine, & right pelvis.

Carroll McCommons

Garrett Driskill - Jamie &Carolyn's grandson

Quotable Quote: “Remember that what happens in you is more important than what happens to you.” –John Maxwell

Wisdom From Proverbs: “A man shall be commended according to his wisdom: but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised.” (Prov. 12:8).

Welcome! If you're visiting with us, we extend you a special welcome and invite you to come back at every opportunity. If our worship seems unusual to you, please let us know what you find different. We endeavor to worship "in Spirit and in truth" (Jn. 4:24) and do only what scripture authorizes (Col. 3:17, Deut. 4:2; Rev. 22:18-19).

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES/MEETINGS

* Please remember to mute or turn off cell phones.

* Thanks to bro. Ryan for preaching today. - RW

* The elders are considering moving every Sunday evening service to 5 p.m. during the Winter months and would like your

input.

* Men’s Bible Class Feb. 1 at. 7 p.m.

* Freed-Hardeman Bible Lectures begin Feb. 7.

* Mark your calendars and watch for more info about Inspiration 2010—the Dexter Youth Rally. Dates have been set for March

5-6 and Joe Wells will be speaking.

* Please clip “Box Tops For Education” & put them in the box in the Preacher’s office.

* Please continue to drop any Bible questions in the Question & Answer box in the foyer.

* Please continue boycotting Pepsi & Frito-Lay products as they support the homosexual agenda..

* Congratulations to Renee McAlister. She has worked part-time at Kent Library at SEMO University for the last 4 years and

has just been hired for a new full-time position there. She begins Jan. 4, 2010.

* 2010 is just around the corner! Be careful as you travel these next few days.

* Hearing assistance available upon request.

BIBLE QUESTION/ANSWER:

Last week’s answer: Joseph (Gen. 37:3).

New question: Who bought Joseph from the Ishmeelites?

Sentence Sermon: “No one ever choked to death swallowing their own pride.”

Birthdays &Anniversaries

None this week.

I Just Don’t Get Anything Out of...

It’s a fact of life that there are some things that just aren’t beneficial to us. Would you agree? You can probably think of a few ways to finish the title of this article. Maybe you don’t get much out of staff meetings at work. Maybe you don’t get much out of your health insurance plan. It could be that you don’t get much out of a political speech, or something else entirely.

Sadly, for too many people who attend churches of Christ – including its members, the sentence, “I just don’t get anything out of...” often ends with, “...the sermons” or “...Sunday morning Bible study” or “...Wednesday night Bible study” or even, “...the Sunday evening service.”

The Bible has something to say about this. Scripture teaches in Gal. 6:7, “...whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Think about that in terms of how much you feel you get out of study and worship.

“I just don’t get anything out of the sermons.” Granted, there are some speakers who tend to “ramble,” that is, they don’t progress from one clearly defined point to another in any kind of logical order. Maybe they tend to spend the whole sermon “rehashing” the same point, or they might not be an exciting speaker, but even so, isn’t there something we can learn from them? When a preacher rambles, does he never make at least one Biblical, worthwhile point? When a preacher goes over and over one topic (as frustrating as that is), but you see it’s Biblically sound, did you get nothing out of the sermon? When the preacher is not very exciting, how hard did you really try to pay attention? Did you take notes? Did you follow the outline he passed out or put up on the screen? Did you search the scriptures as best you could as he cited or read them? Did you try to think of other applications for what he said? In other words, if you claim you get nothing out of a sermon, then the question must be asked, “How much did you put into it?” We reap in proportion to how we sow.

“I just don’t get anything out of Bible study.” Maybe the teacher isn’t the most “in-depth” fellow you’ve ever seen teach a class. That doesn’t mean you’re destined to “get nothing” out of the experience. If you know you’re going to begin Acts 2 next Wednesday night, then read Acts 2 before then – take your workbook home if you have one and work ahead. Use a reliable commentary to help you understand difficult passages. You say you don’t have one? No problem. The church library can loan you one. Better yet, buy a good set – save the money if you have to, or buy a volume at a time. You could call a more seasoned Christian and ask for help to understand the passage. Write down questions you don’t find a satisfactory answer for and bring them to class and ASK THEM! Class discussions aren’t very effective if there’s no discussion! (For what it’s worth, no teacher likes to feel as though he’s the only voice in a room full of mutes). Who knows, asking a question may prompt someone else to do the same. Maybe someone else had the same question you had, too. If you claim you get nothing out of Bible class, then the question must be asked, “How much did you put into it?” We reap in proportion to how we sow.

R.C. Sprowle has said, “If people find worship boring and irrelevant, it can only mean that they have no sense of the presence of God in it.” I would say that it’s impossible to find Bible study and worship irrelevant – impossible to say we don’t “get anything out of it” – if we understand that God is there. Consider that. Consider how much you’re putting into study and worship. “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

- R.W.