The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
March 8, 2009
In
This Issue:
Severe
Trial and Temptation Preparedness
by
Steve Klein
The
Strange Story of the Sacrificed Son
by
Phillip Mullins
Severe Trial and Temptation Preparedness
The week of February 22nd was severe weather preparedness week here in Alabama. Each year during this week the National Weather Service tries to inform citizens about how to stay safe during the inevitable thunderstorms, wind storms, hail, flooding and tornadoes that we experience every year.
Preparing for the inevitable is wise. It saves lives. When it comes to spiritual matters, being prepared can save souls.
Trials and temptations from Satan are inevitable in the lives of Christians. Are we prepared? Here are some handy tips from above on how to be prepared:
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Keep a watchful eye. The devil can strike at any moment. Just as storm clouds can pop up quickly on what begins as a clear day, temptations can arise from unexpected places, and trial and hardship can appear in forms that we never expected. When the weather is potentially bad, we'll keep an eye on the television radar screen and an ear out for the warning sirens. Spiritually we must also "be vigilant" -- the devil can strike at any time (1 Peter 5:8)
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Take shelter in a well-built structure. If our lives have only flimsy temporary shelters, like money or pleasure, we have no refuge when hard times come. An economic downturn, health problems, or age can leave us unprotected and vulnerable. But lives constructed on the words of Jesus have the strength to withstand the storms. Jesus said that "whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock" (Matthew 7:24-25).
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Be aware that dangerous conditions can be deceptive. We frequently hear of occupied vehicles being swept away in flood waters because drivers attempted to drive through water that didn't appear to be that deep. The devil is deceptive (Revelation 12:9). He'll try to make you think that a sin is not really all that dangerous. We must be aware of this. We must not be "ignorant of his devices" (2 Corinthians 2:11). Sin, like the water on the road, may only appear to be inches deep, but it can carry us away and drown us. In 1 Timothy 6:9, Paul warns us about "many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition."
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Wear protective clothing. Very cold weather can and does kill people, often because they are not properly clothed. While we don't have a lot of that kind of weather here in Alabama, any hunter can tell you the importance of wearing clothes that protect from the elements. The Bible says, "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Ephesians 6:11).
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Trust your rescuer. The Coast Guard and other emergency response agencies have personnel trained in rescue. Flood victims must trust their rescuers. When you are on top of a house or vehicle surrounded by water, you've got no other choice. God is our rescuer. He knows how to pull us out of temptation. "The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations" (2 Peter 2:9). We should trust Him and call on Him to "deliver us from the evil one" (Matthew 6:13).
Like storms, trials and temptations will come. Are you prepared?
-- Steve Klein
Though its bizarre nature may cause some to think that it is fictitious, the following story is true. It is historical Biblical fact.
Abraham and his wife Sarah were central figures in the Old Testament. Unfortunately, they had never conceived a child together. When Abraham was one hundred years old and Sarah ninety years old, God blessed them with the birth of a son. It was one of the most incredible and joyous miracles in all the Bible.
Then, the story of Abraham and his son takes an unusual twist. In Genesis 22:2 God said to Abraham. ". . . Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you. What? Sacrifice his own son on an altar as he would an animal? What kind of God is this who would require a man to do this to his own son?
The story unfolds in Genesis 22 with Abraham and Isaac journeying to Moriah. Abraham builds an altar, he places the wood on it, he ties up his son, and then lays Isaac on the altar. He draws back his knife to slay his only son when the Lord speaks to him and tells him to stop. It was a test to see how much Abraham trusted and loved God, and he passed.
This was a strange story. Yet, here is one that is even more so. This one is found in the New Testament. It is also about a Father and His only begotten Son. It is also about how the Father led His Son to the land of Moriah, now called Jerusalem. It is about this Father offering up His Son to be a sacrifice too. Yet, it does not end with the Son being spared at the last minute, but with the Son actually dying.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
What kind of God would ask a man to slay his own son? Well, God didn't make Abraham go through with it. A greater question is, "What kind of God would sacrifice His own Son?" A God who loves us more than we know. What a bizarre thing that God would value and love us that much. What a strange thing that we would ever refuse to believe, serve, and love Him in return.
-- Phillip Mullins
Via The Manslick Road Speaker, Vol. 35, No. 1, January 1994