THE BEACON - Electronic Edition - 1/10/06 Some Resolutions to Consider for the New Year v Read the entire Bible from Genesis through Revelation in the coming year. v Spend more time each day studying God's word than watching television. v Go to God in prayer at least three times a day besides meals. Pray about every need and trial before discussing it. v When ill feelings develop towards others, pray for them by name every day. v Make the changes necessary in scheduling to be five minutes early to every worship service. v Come to each Bible class prepared -- having read and studied the material to be covered, answered the questions and ready to participate in discussion. v Before leaving home for the day, look in the mirror to see if my dress shows the characteristics of modesty and shamefastness or needs to be corrected. v Each day, express love and appreciation, in words and actions, towards every member of the family. Show and voice honor rather than disrespect. v Make at least one call a week to encourage a fellow-member of this church. v Arrange at least one home Bible study this year to teach someone the gospel. v At the end of each day, examine self by asking this question: "How did my words and conduct lead someone closer to Christ today?" - Selected ___________________________________________________ Popularity Without Principle Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! For so did their fathers to the false prophets." (Luke 6:26, KJ) "You are in trouble when everyone says good things about you. That is what your own people said about those prophets who told lies." (Luke 6:26, NIV) People do not characteristically want unpleasant truths. They prefer comforting lies. The false prophet understands this, and like his political counterpart he seeks out that message he believes most people will approve. Politicians do it by polls. They actually pay people to take samples of what positions and platitudes people most want to hear, and then they go out an say those very things. It is shallow in substance but profound in effect. Preachers do the same thing, except that they do not need polls. Truth unsettles us. We may be comfortable and satisfied, and then truth rebukes us and "unsettles" us. A man of conscience will repent and change his life. But sin-loving, self-willed men will oppose that truth. However, they want to appear to love truth, so they seek out preachers who will preach what they like. As Paul said: ".. [A]fter their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears." (2 Tim. 4:3b) It is a "self-feeding" process. There are plenty of preachers and politicians who want to say what people want to hear, and there are plenty of people who will reward the preachers and politicians who do it. So the reality of it is that they are actually looking for each other! It is therefore no compliment to a preacher or politician to be particularly popular, and certainly such should never be the goal. Consider Jeremiah's comment about his generation: "The prophets prophesy falsely and my people love to have it so .." (Jeremiah 5:31) The empowerment and credibility of the false prophet (and politician) is in the fact of his popularity. "Look at his following!" they say. "That many people cannot be wrong!" "He must surely be doing something, or a lot of things, right!" So it goes! It is once again a "self-feeding" situation where preacher, politician and people make each other feel good, all kinds of sin, corruption and abuses notwithstanding. But do not altogether blame the preacher or the politician. It could not happen if the people did not "love to have it so." Or if it was not for the fact, as Jesus said, that "men love darkness rather than light." (John 3:19) Whatever else is true, popularity is more of a sign of desertion of duty than a rendering of right. Remember, Jesus said, "Woe unto you when all men speak well of you." - by Jere Frost _______________________________________________ Flying Off The Handle "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city." (Prov. 16:32) The expression, "Fly off the handle," is used when one quickly loses his temper. The original expression comes to us from the use of tools. After tools have set in the shed for months, the wooden handle becomes dry and shrinks. When various tools such as an ax are used, the iron can easily fly off the handle because of the shrunken wood. When the blade of an ax flies off the handle, it is very dangerous to the user and everyone standing nearby. Similarly, when one, "flies off the handle" (has a violent explosion of anger), it endangers everyone. Let us learn to rule our spirits - by David Riggs ____________________________________________ Inherit The Earth? Discussions with Jehovah's Witnesses often center on a few common passages. One of them is Matthew 5:5, "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth". This verse is presented by them as a proof text for their theory that the earth will exist forever and that the majority of righteous folks will receive an earthly inheritance rather than an heavenly one. Most commentators will mention that "inherit the earth" could have been translated "inherit the land". It seems that this was a proverbial Jewish expression denoting any great blessing. It refers back to the promised inheritance of the land of Canaan which was anticipated for so long by the patriarchs, and which was considered to be an ultimate blessing of God to His people. This type of usage of the phrase is found in Isaiah 60:21 ("Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land ...") and four times in Psalms 37: a.. vs. 9 ".those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth." b.. vs. 11 "But the meek shall inherit the earth ." c.. vs. 22 "For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth ." d.. vs. 29 "The righteous shall inherit the land ." (note that the translators used "earth" and "land" interchangeably, even though the same Hebrew word is used in each verse.) Some additional insight to the meaning of Jesus' statement in Matthew 5:5 might be gained by remembering that the land of Canaan was and is regarded as a "type" of heaven. Thus this verse could be properly viewed to indicate that the meek individual will be received into the heavenly kingdom and receive blessings there. And so "inherit the earth" or "inherit the land" was a common expression of the day, which Jesus used to express the great spiritual blessings that belong to those who are meek. This interpretation is necessary in order for this verse to properly harmonize with other plain passages like 2 Peter 3:10,11 which teach that the earth will be destroyed. - by Greg Gwin ____________________________________________ Trends . . . Do you agree or disagree that Christianity is under attack in the United States today? Agree 59% Disagree 37% Unsure 4% Do you agree or disagree that the courts have gone too far in taking religion out of public life? Agree 77% Disagree 17% Unsure 6% - via Fox News/Opinion Dynamics Poll, 11/30/05 John 15:18 "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you." _____________________________________________ Some quotes worth pondering . . . "May we never let the things we can't have, or don't have, or shouldn't have, spoil our enjoyment of the things we do have and can have." "Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least." "The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it." ______________________________________________ News from Collegevue . . . January 8, 2006 Please accept our sincere thanks for your presence here today. We're glad you came, and we are encouraged by being able to join together in worship and Bible study. We are particularly grateful for our visitors. We hope you will come again at your earliest opportunity. Continue to pray for those who are sick, including: Alvin Lunn, Tina Overton, Hubert Morrow, Ellon Quillen, Jane Collins, Suzette Haley, Joyce Calahan, Margaret Hood, Libby Tate, Clem & Norma Goodman (both to have surgery soon), Eloise Andrews, Francis Howell, Pearl Kincaid's sister, Jeremy Fralix's father, Lynn Keeton's father, Jane Collin's granddaughter, Leigh And Shelton's grandmother, and others. Kenny Wells has sent a year end report on the benevolent help that Christians in our area sent to help hurricane victims. Nearly $20,000 was donated. His report is on the bulletin board. Remember "The Virtual Bible Study" on Thursday nights at 8pm. Go to www.TheVirtualBibleStudy.com or www.Collegevue.com and follow the link to listen to the live program. We have a number of yard signs that advertise the program. Get one or two of these - put one in your yard or in another good spot. Figures for the week of 1/1/06: Sunday, Bstudy, 131; AM, 147; PM, 132; Wed., 123; Contrib., $3801 ______________________________________________ "The Beacon - Electronic Edition" is sent out weekly from Columbia, TN, and contains articles and information taken from the most recent "paper" bulletin of the Collegevue Church of Christ. We hope you will use this material in any way you can that will glorify our Father. Please give proper credit to the respective authors. ______________________________________________ Visit our website at: www.Collegevue.com email us at: collegevuecoc@bellsouth.net contact the editor (Greg Gwin) at: greggwin@bellsouth.net