Anna Church of Christ
833-5815
Website: www.annachurchofchrist.com
Vol
22. Issue
31 Aug. 3, 2008
Know Your Enemy
Having
coached track before and in coaching FFA competition teams, I’ve learned to
appreciate the value of knowing the opponent.
Knowing who your opponent is and what his or her objectives are is
essential if we’re to be victorious in any situation. Some of us have physical
enemies, but there is a greater enemy that tries to destroy us spiritually.
That enemy of course is Satan.
What are Satan’s objectives? Simply put, the devil has
only one primary objective: to keep the souls of mortal men from entering
heaven. The question with which we should be concerned is, “What methods will
he use to achieve that end?” In Matthew chapter 4, Satan tries to tempt Jesus
by misquoting and misrepresenting the scriptures. This practice is still
popular today. Just look at how many religious bodies have taken the Bible and
the one church that Jesus established and created systems of beliefs that have
no scriptural authority! By using this device, Satan has led and is leading
countless souls to eternal damnation. Jesus was able to avoid this fate because
He knew the scriptures and knew how His enemy would distort them.
“Have you obeyed the gospel?” “Have you been baptized for the remission of
your sins and are you fighting Satan daily?”
If not, then you’re allowing Satan win the battle for your soul!
Secondly,
Satan isn’t always subtle in the ways he uses to lead us astray. In I Peter 5:8, the Bible says, “Be sober,
be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh
about, seeking whom he may devour.” Clearly, the Devil is out to devour or
to consume our souls. Jesus gives a
similar warning in Matthew chapter 7 verse 15 where He says, “Beware of
false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are
ravening wolves.” You see, these “ravening wolves” are agents of Satan, the
one who, as a serpent, told Eve what she wanted to hear in the Garden of Eden.
As a result of listening to Satan, Adam and Eve were barred from paradise.
There’s
a lesson in that for us: if we allow
Satan to infiltrate our lives and if we choose to obey him, we will not be
allowed into paradise after this life is over, just as Adam and Eve were barred
from their own
Know
your enemy and let faithful Christians help you fight against him. Your soul’s salvation
depends upon victory.
-
R.W.
SERMON TOPICS
A.M. – “Not Even One Hour?”
(Mt. 26:36-41)
P.M. – “Will We Get Away With It?”
(I John 1:8-10)
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 PryorVirginia McIntyre Carlos Wright Dustin Dillow – Suffered knee injury recently and will need surgery to repair torn ACL & meniscus.
Sara Wilkins’ father – Came through surgery fine.
Fred
Hillman – (Margaret’s brother)
Bill Brandstatter – Father passed
away recently.
Kayla
Dillow – will have kidney stone surgery soon.
*Remember our many vacationing members
as they travel.*
Wisdom From Proverbs: “Ponder the path of thy feet, and let
all thy ways be established” (Prov.
Quotable Quote: “ The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.”
– Benjamin Mays
Note: Brother Ryan will be speaking at both services next Sunday as our family will be out of town.
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES/ANNOUNCEMENTS
*Today’s Potluck
has been canceled.
*Men’s Bible
class for August has been canceled.
*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 information and a boycott form is on the bulletin
board. There is new 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 king would extend
his scepter to the visitor (Esther 5:2).
New question: What was the name of Elisha’s servant?
Birthdays & Anniversaries
George
Lackey – 8/6
Kody
Travelstead – 8/9
Sentence Sermon: You can't get to heaven if you don’t start.
NOBODY CAN WALK ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD
It is quite likely
that moderatism – not extremism whether liberal or conservative, but moderatism
– is one the most serious dangers confronting the church today. Moderatism is
not the same as moderation. Moderation is a sound biblical principle which
simply means to avoid excess and extremes. But moderatism is something else. It
masquerades as a “middle of the road” position. The moderatist really tries to walk on both sides of the road on any
issue, being inclusive enough of all positions to be accepted by everybody
without posing a threat to any. His creed is, “Do not be righteous
overmuch...do not be wicked overmuch” (Eccl.
The moderatist preaches a doctrine of peaceful
coexistence. He prides himself on his tolerance. “Why should I condemn anyone?”
he says. “God did not make me a judge. Let people do as they please. I can get
along with all of them.” But he mistakes his badly stretched conscience
for a broad mind.
By refusing to mark anything as right or wrong,
good or bad, black or white, the moderatist tries to smudge everything into an
indiscriminate gray. In religion he may try to convince us that the Lord’s
sheep are really all gray, not white – because nobody is really perfect, you
know. What is the reason for his efforts? Perhaps he is looking for a place to
hide, and a black sheep is certainly less conspicuous among gray sheep than he
could be among white one.
The moderatist is a dangerous person. He is
moderately righteous and moderately wicked. He is equally at home with the
saint and the sinner. He stands with the multitude at
–
Gerald Cowan via The Encourager