Nile Street Notes

Anna Church of Christ

104 Nile Street, Anna, Illinois 62906

833-5815

Website: www.annachurchofchrist.com

 

Vol 22.                                                    Issue 33                                       Aug. 17, 2008

 

                          More Than Love

Probably all of us remember of the story of Abraham's  intercession on behalf of the city of Sodom (Genesis 18:16-33).  Not only was Abraham unable to find fifty righteous souls within the city, he was even unable to find ten righteous people within the city, so God's judgment was unleashed.

With a slight variation, if I were to ask the question, "Can you find 100 people in your city who love God?" I think you could answer in the affirmative and have little problem finding them.   But now, what if I were to ask, "Can you find 100 people in your city who hate sin?"  Now that may be a different proposition altogether.

I think we could easily find 100 people who love God, but I'm not sure we could find 100 people who hate sin.  Today, our problem may not be so much a problem of "love," but a lack of properly directed "hatred."  Paul said that we should "abhor that which is evil..." (Romans 12:9). 

Friends, learning to love God is easy because of who He is.  Learning to hate sin takes a little more work, but it's work in which we must grow and mature.  Give it some thought.

 

Steve Higginbotham via MercEmail

 

 

SERMON TOPICS

A.M. – “Have You Been Converted?”

            (Acts 3:19-21)

P.M. – Song Service at 5 p.m.

 

Those For Whom We Are Praying:

Kathleen Ritchey 

Loren Eddleman

Rosemary Dillow’s mother & Son–in-law

Jerry & Betty Ward

Rodney & Nikki Lingle

Bill Whitnel

Sheilah Whittington 

Paul Frailey – Carolyn’s father. 
Veda Pryor
Virginia McIntyre 
Carlos Wright 
Dustin Dillow – Had knee surgery last Thursday. Facing several weeks of recovery.
Sara Wilkins’ father – Receiving follow-up treatment after cancer surgery.

Lowell Karraker

Fred Hillman – (Margaret’s brother)

Kayla Dillow – Will have kidney stone surgery Tuesday.

 

*Welcome back, Vacationers! We missed you!

 

Wisdom From Proverbs: “For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: (4) But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword. (5)  Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell” (Prov. 5:3-5).

 
Quotable Quote: “ If a man hasn’t discovered something that he would die for, he isn’t fit to live.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

*We will meet in the Jonesboro Park tonight after service.

*Our Ladies Day will be Sept. 13th with CindyColley.

*We have invitation letters to our services to mail out. If you’d like to be a part of this, see R.W.

*Feel free to drop any Bible questions in the Question & Answer box in the foyer.

*Men – Be sure to sign up for a Wednesday night in August if you’d like to offer the invitation.

*Food Pantry needs canned fruit.

*Disturbing News: McDonald's donated $20,000 to the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce in exchange for membership and a seat on the group’s board of directors. The NGLCC lobbies Congress in support of same-sex marriage (source: American Family Association). More news concerning McDonalds’ activities on the bulletin board. Do we want to give our financial support to a company engaged in such? Please sign the boycott.

Hearing assistance for any service is available upon request.

 

BIBLE QUESTION/ANSWER:

Last week’s answer: The Jordan River (I Kings 5:9-10)

 

New question: To whom did Jesus say, “Peace. Be still?”

 

 

Sentence Sermon: God wants us to lose our tempers – for good!

 

Birthdays & Anniversaries

Tony Ward – 8/19

Renee McAlister – 8/21

Susan Schultz – 8/22

John & Margaret Shelton – 8/22

 

 

Saved By One Thing, Or Many Things?

 

            One of the most prominent teachings among various religious groups is that man is saved by one thing in particular. For example, many believe that faith is Jesus Christ as the Son of God is all that is required for salvation. Others believe that good works alone will save us. Still others believe that God’s grace alone will save us. There’s even a group who believe that man can do nothing to gain or lose salvation because God has already chosen who will be saved and who won’t. So, what about it? Are we saved by one thing only? More importantly, what does the Bible say?

            Many things figure into the salvation of a man’s soul, some of which we often overlook or fail to consider. Please bear in mind that man is saved by:

 

1) God – “...we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men...” (I Tim. 4:10 – see also Isa. 45:22; Ps. 3:8; I Tim. 2:3-4).

2) Christ – “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11 – see also Acts 4:10-12; Luke 19:10; Matt. 1:21).

3) Blood of Christ – “...Christ died for us. 9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Rom. 5:8-9 – see also Col. 1:14; I John 1:7).

4) The life of Christ – “...Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (I Peter 2:21 – see also Rom. 5:10; Heb. 4:15).

5) Grace – “For by grace are ye saved through faith...” (Eph. 2:8 – see also Titus 3:7. “Faith only” is only mentioned when it is condemned! – Jas. 2:17).

6) Gospel – “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation...” (Rom. 1:16 – see also I Cor. 15:1-2).

7) Preaching – “...it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe” (I Cor. 1:21 – see also Mark 16:15).

8) Words – “Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved?” (Acts 11:14 – see also Acts 2:41; Acts 15:7).

9) Hope – “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?” (Rom. 8:24 – see also I Cor. 15:19).

10) Faith – “...if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:24 – see also Heb. 11:6; Rom 5:1).

11) Repentance – “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out...” (Acts 3:19 – see also Luke 13:3&5; Acts 2:38).

12) Confession – “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Rom. 10:9 – see also Acts 8:37).

13) Baptism – “...baptism doth also now save us...” (I Peter 3:21 – see also Mark 16:16; Acts 22:16; Gal. 3:27; Acts 2:38).

14) Our own actions – “...be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (Rev. 2:1- see also Acts 2:40).

 

            Recall that Noah and his house were saved, but not by just one thing. This is a principle that carries through to the New Testament. Noah and his house were saved by:

1) God (II Peter 2:5).

2) Faith (Heb. 11:7).

3) The Ark (Heb. 11:7).

4) His own actions (Heb. 11:7).

5) Water (I Peter 3:20).

 

            In our time, even as in Noah’s, many things must come together in order for a soul to be saved. It’s unfortunate that so many false teachers are “running around” lying to the masses – convincing them that they need put forth little (if any) effort toward their salvation. I pray that we’ll consider “all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:7) as we contemplate our eternal destination. May New Testament Christians always be “set for the defense of the gospel” (Phil. 1:17) and “earnestly contend for the faith” (Jude 3) when false teachers try to alter any part of it.

 

- R.W.

 

                                   

You are always welcome at the Anna church of Christ!