Nile Street Notes

Anna Church of Christ

104 Nile Street, Anna, Illinois 62906

833-5815

Vol 23. Issue 27 July 5, 2009

“Risen Up as an Enemy”

The Lord says, as recorded in Micah 2:8: “Lately My people have risen up as an enemy--You pull off the robe with the garment from those who trust you, as they pass by, like men returned from war.”

For some time God’s people, Judah, had been acting more like they were enemies of God instead of His children. Micah declares their sins and the coming punishment if they do not repent and change their ways!

Judah surely did not think of themselves as God’s enemy even though they worshipped idols. They thought they could worship both God and an idol at the same time.

Enemies are often found within the ranks of the group which is supposed to be against the enemy. Some who appear to be allies may indeed be bitter opposers! This even happens in the church. Consider Hymenaeus and Philetus of 2 Timothy 2:16-18.

Surely no right thinking person would ever declare himself as an enemy of God. We want to be on God’s side! Simply saying I’m with God does not mean we are united. Saying you are saved does not mean it is so unless you have obeyed the gospel of Christ. Then, like Judah, we must put away everything that

separates us from God and worship Him faithfully.

Like Judah, it is easy for us to become like the world around us. We say we believe God and even make attempts to worship Him when it is convenient, but then allow pleasure, money, pride and such like, to keep us separated from HIM. This explains why some in the church are always dependable while others make

no real attempt to attend every meeting and cannot be depended on for any work.

- Bob Coburn, Harrisburg, IL

SERMON TOPICS

A.M. – “Upon This Rock...”

(Matt. 16:18)

P.M. – “The Great Commission”

(Matt. 28:19-20)

Those For Whom We Are Praying:

Rodney & Nikki Lingle

Bill Whitnel

Ken and Gilda Snell

Lowell Karraker

Mitchell Shock – Grandson of Rosemary’s cousin.

Austin Detering

Carlos Wright - Cancer has spread.

Charles Dillow – Freda’s brother-in-law

Paul Etherton - Sara Wilkins' father. Cancer in lymph nodes.

Jean Brown – Kris’s aunt.

Wisdom From Proverbs: : “When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting” (Prov. 11:10).

Sentence Sermon: “Live as if Christ died yesterday, arose this morning, and is coming back tomorrow.”

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

* Men’s Business Meeting this afternoon.

* Our VBS begins July 12^th. Invite your friends!

* Men’s Bible class Mon. night at 7 at the building * Ladies' Class breakfast at Cracker Barrel in Cape July 18^th at 9:00 a.m.

Ladies' Day will be discussed.

* Ladies' Bible class 7/21 at Renee's - 7 p.m.

* Let’s remember to contact those we haven’t seen in a few weeks.

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

* Also continue boycotting Pepsi products as they support the homosexual agenda. If you haven’t signed the boycott, why not?

Is it right for a Christian to financially support sin?

* Carlos Wright is needing a wheelchair (presumably electric) or scooter if anyone has one they’d like to part with. Call him

(833-6103) or let R.W. know if you have one.

Hearing assistance for any service is available upon request.

BIBLE QUESTION/ANSWER:

Last week’s answer: Moses. II Cor. 3:7, 13

New question: Who soothed the troubled spirit in king Saul? How?

Quotable Quote: “.If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error. ” - John Kenneth Galbraith

Birthdays &Anniversaries

Kathy Capel - 7/11

Helping The Ungodly

A Christian is in a unique position being in the world, but is commanded not to love the world or live like the world. In Colossians 3, verse 1 beginning, the Bible says, “If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. ²Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth. ³For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory. ⁵Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry; ⁶for which things’ sake cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience.” James said that to be a friend of the world is to be the enemy of God (James 4:4). In light of this, can it be right in the sight of God for a Christian to divorce himself from the Lord’s Way and financially support a company who is supportive of ideology that destroys righteousness and holiness?

I’m talking about the support that some of this country’s leading manufacturers have placed behind the homosexual agenda. Pepsi and Frito-Lay are just two. Campbell’s Soup is another one.

I realize that some are going to roll their eyes at this and claim that one person won’t make a difference, so why bother? Or perhaps, one might argue that if we’re going to boycott one company, we would have to find out where everyone stands from whom we buy our goods and then boycott them all, and that’s just too impractical. Besides, we can’t control what they do with our money anyway, so again, why bother? I submit to you that this is the wrong way to view such a situation.

Recall that Jehu rebuked King Jehoshaphat for his alliance with the idolatrous Ahab and asked, “Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD?” (II Chron. 19:2). Ask yourself that very question: “Should I help the ungodly?”

Granted, there are some things we cannot and do not know – such as a company’s stance on moral issues, but when we know the truth of the matter, the Christian has an obligation to act, and to act like a Christian. Do we not have an obligation to “earnestly contend for the faith” (Jude 3)? What of the Christian’s obligation to “...hold fast what is good. ²²Abstain from every form of evil?” Clearly, the Christian should only support those things of which God has approved and which don’t violate what He has designated as sin. Specifically, for example, homosexuality, a sin (Rom. 1:26-27). To support this evil in any way is to be a party to that sin.

Consider the principle taught in II John. Beginning in verse 9, John writes, “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: ¹¹For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.” When John says, “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ,” He’s talking about false teachers. To transgress is to go beyond the boundaries God set. That’s what false teachers do; they claim to have new light and teach doctrines that God has not revealed in His word. They don’t stay within the bounds of God’s revelation, or abide in the doctrine of Christ, meaning the teachings which Christ Himself brought. The apostle emphasizes in verse 9 that a false teacher may claim to know God, but if he doesn’t believe in the absolute deity and humanity of the Lord Jesus, he does not have God at all. God can only be known through His Son. “No one comes to the Father but by Me” (John 14:6).

Verses 10 and 11 are the heart of this passage. They give us important advice on how to deal with false teachers who come to our door. John doesn’t refer to casual visitors but to anti-Christian propagandists. Should we invite them in? Give them a cup of coffee? Help them financially? Buy their literature? Buy their wares so they can propagate their sin? The answer is that we should not receive them or greet them. These people are enemies of Christ! To show them hospitality or support is to take sides with those who are against our Savior. We’re instructed not to bid Godspeed to anyone of this stripe. Godspeed simply means “success” or “good fortune.” Anyone who claims to be a Christian shouldn’t do anything to help others perpetuate sin.

Think about your actions in light of the coming Judgment: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (II Cor. 5:10). We will be held accountable for every choice we made and every action we took in this life. Give that some thought the next time you’re in the grocery store reaching for a bottle of Pepsi to go with the Campbell’s Soup and bag of Frito’s you just placed in your shopping cart.

- R.W.