The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
July 12, 2009
In
This Issue:
God's
Media Coverage
by
Steve Klein
The
Pearl of Great Price
Richard
Thetford
God's Media Coverage
A friend of mine commented this past week that it is a shame that God and our military don't get the media coverage that Michael Jackson does. To which I say, "Yea, verily!" But then, we shouldn't expect worldly people to give God the attention and honor He deserves. And let's face it, if they did, we probably couldn't trust what they reported. As someone who has been misquoted more than once by newspaper reporters, I am pretty skeptical about the accuracy of anything I read in the newspaper, hear on the radio, or see reported on television.
Thankfully, God has not called on CNN or Fox News to tell humanity about Him. He has called on us - those of us who are His children. We are to EVANGELIZE!
Evangelism means "to bring good news, to announce glad tidings" (Thayer's Greek Lexicon). The word evangelize comes from a Greek word (evangelizo) that is found many times in the original language of the New Testament. It is frequently translated "preach" or "preach the gospel," but that translation might be a little misleading to some folks. Those who think of preaching as speaking in front of a large audience might get the idea that evangelism is only a job for the preacher. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Of the fifty five times the Greek word "evangelizo" is used in the New Testament, consider how it is used on five occasions in Acts 8.
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In this chapter we are told that the early church was scattered by persecution (verse 1). Acts 8:4 states "Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word (evangelizo)." Note that those who were evangelizing were not the apostles, for according to Acts 8:1 the apostles were not among those who scattered; they remained in Jerusalem.
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In Acts 8:12 we learn that those in Samaria believe Philip "as he preached (evanglizo) the things concerning the kingdom of God." Later, both Philip and the apostles "preached" (evangelizo) in other villages in the region. (Acts 8:25, 40). In these references, evangelism could refer either to sharing the good news with large groups at one time, or to sharing it on a more personal level, or both.
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But notice Acts 8:35. Here Philip had just met up with the Ethiopian eunuch on a deserted road. The eunuch was reading from Isaiah, and he asked Philip a question about the text. "Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached (evangelizo) Jesus to him" (Acts 8:35). Philip isn't preaching to a crowd. He is out in the middle of a deserted wilderness speaking person to person.
A lot of the most successful evangelism is one-to-one evangelism. We serve as God's news media by delivering the good news of salvation to one and all. If the world is not getting the message, don't blame the news media. As Michael Jackson might say, take a look at "the man in the mirror!"
-- Steve Klein
In Matthew 13:45-46 Jesus is trying to emphasize to us how precious the kingdom of heaven is. He says "the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it." That is how precious heaven should be to every one of God's creation! We need to realize that Jesus came and died for us and in so doing left us that great pearl. When we find it (His word and love for Him), then we should want to have our minds set on selling everything we have to be able to possess this great pearl - the opportunity to live with Him forever! We should have the attitude that we want to "seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matt 6:33).
What Makes This Pearl of Great Price So Valuable?
This pearl is so valuable because when we can possess it we
realize that it gives us wealth. The apostle Paul said "For ye
know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich,
yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might
be rich" (2 Cor 8:9). Jesus gave all He had for you and me so
that we can become rich with all "spiritual blessings" (Eph
1:3) which includes HEAVEN! This pearl also gives us great happiness.
Jesus said: "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they which are persecuted for
righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt
5:3,10). When we possess this pearl we should be so very happy. As a
result we certainly would not mind being "persecuted for
righteousness' sake" because we realize the great treasure that
we hold. A Christian with this understanding would never give up this
kind of happiness and wealth! This pearl also gives us honor (John
12:26). In addition it gives us freedom. Because when we know the
truth of God's holy word, it is through that truth that we gain our
freedom - freedom to live for Christ and die believing on His name
(John 8:32). When we find this pearl of great price it makes us now
feel useful when at one time we may not have. In 2 Timothy 3:17, Paul
says: "That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished
unto all good works." When we possess the treasure of God's
words to us we now can feel good about ourselves because we have the
guidance that we need that will now lead us into eternal LIFE with
Jesus! The pearl of great price also gives us light (Col 1:13; 1 Pet
2:9), peace (Rom 5:1), immortality (2 Tim 1:10), hope (Heb 6:9), and
rest with our Lord (Matt 11:28). We can certainly understand the
importance of possessing this pearl of great price - the kingdom of heaven!
How Can I Obtain Such A Valuable Pearl For Myself?
To obtain this valuable pearl you must first have faith in
Jesus Christ. Paul said in Romans 10:10 "For with the heart man
believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation." You must truly believe that Jesus is the son of
God, fully understanding that you are now set on serving Him the rest
of your days here on earth. When you make this commitment then you
will be ready to repent of your old ways and be determined to follow
Christ (Matt 3:2). Then in front of witnesses you will proudly say as
the Eunuch did "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of
God" (Acts 8:37). And then to fulfill all righteousness and the
commandments of our Lord and Savior you will want to be buried with
Him in baptism in the likeness of His death, burial, and resurrection
as we can read in Romans 6:3-4. Jesus Himself was baptized to fulfill
all righteousness (Matt 3:15). Therefore, you must also be prepared
and willing to do what Jesus commanded and left an example for you to
do. Peter said on Pentecost "Repent, and be baptized every one
of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins"
(Acts 2:38). Once you have done this you then need to live a faithful
life for Jesus until death (Rev 2:10). Are you willing to give all
for "The Pearl of Great Price?"
-- Richard Thetford