Race supremacist groups who claim to be religious, are quick to condemn mixed race marriages, by saying the bible prohibits them. These people quote such scriptures as Deut 7.1-3. Jos 23:11-12. Ezk 9:12.12.
However, by studying the text, one can see that God wasn't prohibiting the intermarriages because of race. He prohibited them because the life style of those nations would influence the Israelites to follow false gods. 1Kings 11:1-10. Deut 7:4. Jos 23:5-8:16. Ex 23:32-33. Ex 34:11-17. As for interracial marriages, God has not condemned them. Heb 13:4. However, this is a evil world and the couple needs to be sure that they can withstand all the nonsense that some people will direct toward them. They also should take into consideration the pain that their children will have to endure being mixed race. The different races are the good and beautiful work of Almighty God. Gen 1:31. Psa 104:24. Acts 17.26. For God to teach the Israelites to hate some of the work of His own hands, simply because of race, is to dishonor His own creation. 1 Sam 16:7. Acts 10:11-17:28:34-35. Gal 3:27. t's too bad that some spouses get mad because the other makes more money and this is especially true when it concerns some men. There have been wives complaining about husbands who detest their ability to earn more. But as long as the wife is doing her duty as a wife and not neglecting the husband or the home and the money goes to help everyone; what is the big deal? Pro 31:10-31
I'll tell you what the big deal is! Some people just have to be the main event. Some people are jealous of anyone who is more successful and that is just plain wrong. Gen 4:3-7. Gen 37:1-11. 1 Sam 18:5-15. Matt 2:1-18. Matt 27:18. Mk 15:10. Rom 13:13. Rom 1:29.1 Cor 13:4. Gal 5:26. 1 Pt 2:1. Tit 3:3. Jas 3:16. Phil 1:15. 1 Tim 6:4. Two working persons in a marriage will not make the same wage. Someone will earn more and the other less. Everyone should accept that and be thankful at the success of the combined incomes which help both persons live a more comfortable life. Stop being jealous, because such is wrong! When man is born, he is helpless and needs 24 hour care. Ex 2:1-10. As man grows into his teens and adult hood, he will not be ashamed to say that he doesn’t need anyone and he will do what he pleases. Gen 6:1-7. Yes, the middle of life looks nothing like that cute, little humble bundle of joy, which was rocked to sleep in a crib. What is seen in the middle of life is a “know it all” “I don’t need you” “don’t you mess with me” person. Sound like anyone you know? At the end of life, man returns to a helpless soul who again needs help and care. It comes to that because the body ages and cannot remain healthy anymore. Eccl 12:1-8. 1 Kng 1:1-4.
All the living are going that way some day, so let us not be mean and ugly in the middle of life. Be good to those around you and especially if they are younger, because they are the ones who will probably have to take care of you. Pro 23:22. In Gen 4:9, Cain's reply to the Lord's question was. "Am I my brother's keeper?" In other words, Cain was telling God, "it's none of my business where he is, or what he is doing." This was the origin of, "I don't want to get involved." This attitude is still being practiced and that is why a man did nothing, after seeing a little girl being murdered in an casino bathroom several years ago. In the last episode of Seinfeld, the four stars were sent to prison for not helping a man who was being robbed. They felt it wasn't their problem so why concern themselves? Though the TV program was fictional, it still showed a strong message. The bible teaches people to care and not be like the two guys who refused to help a injured man as he lay in the road. Lk 10:30-37. Ezk 3:16-21. 1 Sam 3:13. Pro 21:13. Deut 22:1-4. Gal 6:1-2. Matt 25:26-28. 1 Cor 10:24.
This lesson isn't teaching one to play super hero and rush up and fight an armed thug. But there is something we can do. We can call the police or provide some other type of information, publicly or anonymously. We must take the time to cheer the sad, give food to the hungry, visit the sick. etc. Gal 6:10. Jas 4:17. Jas 1:27. 1 Tim 5:9-10. Acts 9:36-43. Singer, Sheryl Crow has a lyric in song which is, "If it makes you happy it can't be that bad." Such is typical of the thinking of many people, they don't care what they do or who they do it to, as long as they have happiness. "I gotta be happy" they say. Now man isn't put on this earth to obtain his own selfish happiness, but to do the will of God. Matt 7.10. Acts 10.35. Phil 2.21. But when one obeys the will of God he will walk in the way that is righteous and that will automatically produce happiness in that persons life. 1 Pt 3. 8-14. Psa chapter.1. Gal 5.22-26. Phil 4.4. In the bible, we read of two Kings who committed evil in order to make themselves happy. These sins cost one king his life and the other king was driven from his empire by his own son. 2 Sam 11 & 12 chapters. 1 Kings chapter 21. But we can avoid the fate which these men suffered, if we learn to please others as well as ourselves.
This past weeks has shown just how evil man can be all over the world. Just look at the amazing increase in murders though out the globe. Life in the eyes of many people is cheap, and just like stepping on a bug. People will kill over here, they will rape over there, and steal down the road. Back before God sent the flood upon the earth, He observed the evil which men were dishing out on each other, and it sadden God to see this kind of behavior. Gen 6:5-7. The evil of man still sickens the Creator and just because it may seem that He isn’t around, you can be assured that He is. Pro 15:3.
We now have been blessed to enter a new week and there is no magic stick to wave and make evil go away. Evil is stopped when a person comes to his or her senses, and realizes that a sinful life isn’t right. Luke 13:3. Luke 15:17-19. Acts 2:28. We invite you to study the Bible with us and learn what the word of God has to say in order to change from a sinful life to one which pleases God. The way of God isn’t popular, but it is the only way which will make life better. John 14:6. Matt 24:35.1 Cor 6:9-11. Karma it isn’t. Karma isn’t real and it sure isn’t a personality. Pay back is from God. Rom 12.19. You reap what you sow. Gal 6.7. Pro 26.27. Matt 26.51-52. Rev 13.10. There is a lot of killing and shootings in neighborhoods and that isn’t the police fault. Police do what they can with what they have. The problem is the person or persons out there shooting. This problem is individual has to be solved individually. Each person with a weapon must repent. Each person with a weapon must accept the gospel of Jesus Christ and allow the message of God to save them from their sins. Rom 1:14-17. Mark 1.15. Roman 10.8-15. Col 1.5. Isa 1.16-20. Each person with a weapon must realize that maiming or killing someone is a sin because it is murder and that isn’t following the golden rule. Matt 5.21. Matt 7.12. 1 Pt 3.10. Gal 5.14. The way to stop the killing is stop sinning. We are now paying the price for human behavior to exist and not believe in God or His holy word. Man does as he pleases and if that means killing someone then so be it. Jer 16.12.
There has been a lot of good people killed in the violence; but I also believe that some of the dead were criminals and they simply reaped what they had sown. Years ago in Hartford CN, an elderly man trying to cross the street was injured by a hit and run driver. The unbelievable thing was, a street camera caught people observing him lying in the street and they just passed by and did nothing. It is incredible that others can see someone in need and feel no responsibility to help. But in about five minutes, someone finally stopped and gave assistance to this poor man. The story made headlines on several major TV and cable news shows, and it just proved how self centered man is.
In the Bible, Jesus told of a man who also suffered in the same way, after he was attacked by muggers on a road to Jericho. That man was beaten, robbed, and left lying on the road, ignored by other travelers. Luke 10:30-35. But the lesson Jesus gave us from this account of the “Good Samaritan’ is to not be self centered, but to go and give help if you can, and where you can. Luke 10:36-37. We hope after reading this that you will visit the Mt. Airy church of Christ; and now to our lesson.
Coming to God requires us to empty ourselves of everything that we believe and allow God to fill our minds with what He would have us to know. Acts 9:5-6. Man cannot come to God holding on to human reasoning, because God doesn't see things as man. 1 Sam 16:6-7. Isa 55:8-9. Pro 21:2. So, man must, and it?s not open for debate; adapt to God's ways and be like Him. Isa 2:2-3. 1 Pt 1:14-16. That?s not fair! Someone may say. But get this; God is inviting man to spend eternity with Him. Man cannot invite himself, the Lord does. John 14:2-3. So, man has to do what God wants if he expects to go to heaven. Matt 7:21. Besides, God has commanded men to repent, that means give up our ways. Acts 17:30. If you want a relationship with the Lord. You must become like the Lord. God isn't going to be with anyone who isn't like Him. He will not listen to the prayers of anyone who isn't like Him. John 9:31. Man must accept the fact that he must learn what God demands and walk that way, so that the Lord will be with him. John 6:45. We invite you to come and study the bible, not human creeds or today's dogma. Acts 10:33. You are looking at this bulletin and probably wondering what it is. Well, it is the weekly published by the mt airy church of Christ in Philadelphia. Our goal is to let people know about the local church
and provide some food for thought from the word of the Lord. We also hope that interested people will follow up by going to our website and viewing the material we have posted there. We also have people visiting our Sunday and Tuesday services after getting one of these and we surely want that to continue. Our God given mission is to share the word of the bible with all who have the desire to learn and we hope it?s you. We are also aware that some may not be interested and of course we respect a person right to be so. But if you have no need for our material; would you kindly leave it for someone else who might be? For it is a shame that the wonderful words of the bible should end up in a trash can. Jeremiah 36:22-32. |