In This Issue

• CLEANSING THE TEMPLE
• YOU CAN BE JUST A CHRISTIAN...
• THE BIBLE: WHO NEEDS IT
• OUR ABUNDANCE
• UPCOMING GOSPEL MEETING SCHEDULE
• MORE INFORMATION...

"Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, 'It is written, "My house shall be called a house of prayer," but you have made it a "den of thieves"'" (Matt. 21:12-13). This event occurred on Monday before Jesus was crucified on Friday. A similar cleansing had been accomplished three years earlier as recorded in John 2:13-22. On that earlier occasion, Jesus had foretold His death and resurrection. Now, on this later occasion, His death is just around the corner.

These temple cleansings severely irritated those who were buying and selling, and the priests who made the temple courts available for such merchandising. In fact, Mark tells us that "the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him" (Mark 11:18).

Since our Lord, on two separate occasions, saw a need to cleanse the temple and drive out those who were transacting business there, we recognize that an important Divine principle is involved -- the distinction between the secular and the spiritual. It should be noted that the merchandising was connected with their worship. The animals being bought and sold were to be used in sacrifice. The money being changed was to facilitate those who had come from long distances with foreign currency, so that they might obtain the half-shekel needed for the "temple tax."

The problem was not the legitimacy of the need, nor the seriousness of the business being transacted. God had authorized the building of the temple as a house of worship. Even thought animals were necessary for sacrifice in worship, the temple was not the place to breed them, feed them, or buy and sell them. Those things were to be done on the farms and in the market places. God always made a distinction between the holy and the profane. See Lev. 10:10, etc.

A similar mistake was made by Christians in Corinth, 1 Cor. 11:20-34. The congregation was plagued with problems, overlapping and complicating each other. Division over favorite preachers even extended to the point of excluding one another from the Lord’s supper. Some were partaking at one time, others at another time. Some were overindulging. Others were apparently being excluded altogether. They had turned what should have been the Lord’s supper into their own supper. Their worship assembly had become a social gathering. In dealing with the problem, Paul made distinction between the spiritual and domestic realms. They should all assemble together for the spiritual feast, the Lord’s supper. If they wanted to eat common meals together, they should do so in their own homes as their Jerusalem brethren had done, Acts 2:46. Even today we need to be reminded that the church is a spiritual body, the church building a house of worship. Too often churches become social clubs, business ventures, and entertainment centers. Let’s let the church be the church.

--CRJ

Has it ever occurred to you that you can be just a Christian... nothing more nor less than a Christian? Yes, even in the midst of the religious confusion of our creedbound, denominational divided age, it is possible for you to be just a Christian.

What does it mean to be just a Christian? Well, being a Christian means so much more than merely being a good moral person... more than just giving mental assent to a certain belief... more than just having one’s name on a church roll.

Being just a Christian means trusting and obeying Jesus Christ just as Paul and Philip and the early disciples did in the first century after Christ. It means going back beyond all the distinctive Catholic or Protestant doctrines of today to find Christ as He is revealed in the inspired New Testament.

No Denominations In The First Century

The meaning of the word "denomination" denotes names, classes, kinds or beliefs. You see, there were no different denominations in the beginning of Christianity. The early disciples were all one body. They were not following different creeds, but guided by the "faith once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). The New Testament, first as the spoken word and later as written by "holy men of God" as they were guided by the Spirit.

We have this same New Testament today and we can reproduce the same pure Christianity which flourished in the first century after Christ.

The New Testament teaches that you will be added to this same body today when you believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, repent of your sins and are baptized for the forgiveness of your sins. (Acts 2:38).

Why not be just a Christian!! 

--Raford J. Petty, September 30, 1973

The Bible is often viewed as a piece of antiquated literature that has outlived its usefulness. The way most people tend to live their lives is a clear indication that they do not believe that the Bible has any relevance in their lives. A person’s life today is being measured by the wisdom of this world. Many choose to solve life’s problems with therapy, psychiatry, and even daytime talk shows. Gone are the days when people would rally around the sagacity that emanates from the word of God.

I want to encourage people to get back to the plain, practical truths of God’s words. To do that I will show why the Bible is needed by all who are interested in doing what is right in this life with the hope of attaining to the life to come.

Let me begin by looking at the practical benefits of the Scriptures from the apostle Paul’s perspective. 2 Tim. 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."

First, God gives all Scripture. The Bible is God’s book. We have access into the mind of the "Wisdom of the ages." Our Omniscient Creator has provided us with everything necessary to live a good life, 2 Peter 1:3.

Second, it is beneficial in four areas. (1) For teaching: it provides the body of principles and doctrine necessary to make one wise unto salvation and a child of the faith, 2 Tim. 3:15; Rom. 10:17. (2) For reproof: the word of God is an effective tool used to convince individuals about the will of God, 2 Tim. 4:2. The Bible is laid out in such a way as to clearly and adequately convict the intellect that what it says is true. (3) For correction: all that stray from the way of God can get back on the straight path, if they follow the Bible’s directives. No one who has ever followed the Bible’s carefully mapped out precepts was ever lost. (4) For instruction in righteousness: the Bible instructs anyone who is willing to follow it in the way of right living. When people’s lives seem to be a mess and things do not tend to go right, I am sure the Bible will say something to address their particular problem.

Third, the servant of God never has to worry about being without adequate resources to do God’s work. God created for Himself His own special people that would do His work, Eph. 2:10; Titus 2:14. What a tragedy it would be, to hold men accountable for works that they were not adequately and thoroughly equipped to perform. No child of God can claim that he did not know what to do or how to do it. He can search the Scriptures because they are complete and replete with instruction concerning God’s work.

Finally, the Bible helps to perfect men. Men are always falling short, stumbling, and making mistakes. The Bible helps men to become spiritually mature. A man can grow in understanding and wisdom, 1 Pet. 2:2. He can be everything that God wants him to be. However, he can never attain to the glory of God, if he refuses to follow the Bible.

Certainly, more can be added to help the reader be even more convinced in why he needs the Bible. Suffice it to say that, if he hopes to make it through this life with any semblance of hope for eternal life, he must follow the Bible. The Bible: we all need it!

--Charles N. Spence, Jr., Focus Magazine, April 2001

During of the time I worked with the church in Exton, PA, it was my privilege to get to know, and worship with Hal and Marge Lister. They now live near Tyler, Texas, and worship with the Rice Blvd. congregation there. I have always been impressed with Hal’s prayers. He usually says something to the effect that "of all those who have ever lived, we have been most blessed."

In the book, "Your Money or Your Life," John Alexander writes: "Did you ever wonder why old houses have so few closets? It’s mostly because people then didn’t have so many things. Remember how many closets you have. They are for storing things you aren’t using. In my house, we have six closets, and we’d like to add a coat closet. In addition to our six closets, we also have a basement. And a shed. And a pantry. All pretty full."

Such abundance should remind us of at least two Bible facts. (1) "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" (James 1:17). And (2) "...For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required: and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more" (Luke 12:48).

--CRJ

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