Mt. Vernon Church of Christ Newsletter 01-27-2019: Help us spread the word--Subscribe Today!; Newsletter archives; Last Weeks Issue; Social Media; Contents; Even the Snow; Some Thoughts On The Holy Spirit - ELP; Digital Library; What Does The Holy Spirit Do Today - Franklin Camp; Golden Thought; You Ain't Nothin' - ELP; Bible Question of the Week; Weekly Bible Reading Schedule; Weekly Memory Verse; Featured Video - No Man Can Mock God - Thomas B. Warren; Featured Audio - Open Forum Questions - Robert R. Taylor, Jr....If you like it, please share it. Thank you!
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This was written in 2013. Since the theme for this week's Bible reading is the Holy Spirit, I thought it would be appropriate to run this again. Please let me know what you think.
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Can you imagine being in the first century on the day of Pentecost? You probably have either seen or heard of Jesus of Nazareth, a man who performed great miracles–healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, even raising the dead. You have either seen or know of His followers, the apostles, who have performed similar fantastic feats. Then, on the day of Pentecost, these same apostles begin speaking in languages they had not learned and everyone there is able to be spoken to in their own native tongue. These apostles stand up and preach that what everyone there is seeing is in fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy that the Spirit would be poured out (a metaphorical expression signifying the obvious influence of the Holy Spirit on others), resulting in prophecy, etc. In what sense, then would you take it, when Peter says that you, too, will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit? Would you or any other person think, given these circumstances, that Peter meant a non-miraculous, literal, personal indwelling? I cannot see it.
The Spirit came in the first century to reveal the word and then confirm it (John 14:26; 16:13; Mark 16:15-18; John 20:30,31; Heb. 2:1-4). That word, being inspired by the Spirit (II Tim. 3:6,17; II Pet. 1:19-21), is sufficient to guide us in all things pertaining to life and godliness (II Pet. 1:2-4). We do not now need the Holy Spirit to guide us, except as He does it through His perfect Revelation (Eph. 6:17; Rom. 12:1,2; James 1:22-25). . .
The Mt. Vernon Church of Christ is building a digital library to aid serious Bible students in their study. When possible, we will be adding new volumes. We are grateful to the many sources from which we draw these volumes for making these available. We take no credit for them ourselves. We do not necesarrily endorse everything in every volume. We simply provide them as aids to Bible study. This week:
The Holy Spirit was promised to Christians, and especially Gentile Christians, to prove that they were acceptable by God. Spiritual gifts in a church established two things: 1) the credibility of the apostles that imparted the spiritual gift, and 2) the genuineness of the church as being one approved by God. This appeal to spiritual gifts in the church is made by Paul in answer to Judaizing teachers that denied that he was an apostle of Christ and that the churches he established were churches approved by God. We do not need to receive the Holy Spirit today to establish the credibility of the apostles or the church being acceptable by God. We use the written Word to establish the credibility of the apostles and to prove that a church today is a New Testament church. . . .
The grass may be greener on the other side, but it's just as hard to mow.
YOU AIN'T NOTHIN'
You ain't nothin' but a peice of clay,
Embued with life by God.
Take away His spirit,
You ain't nothin' but the sod.
You ain't nothin' but a little worm,
That crawls and eats the dust.
A worm and not a man, I say,
Unless the Lord you trust.
You ain't nothin' but a puff o' smoke,
A vapor in the air
A blast from His nostrils
And you're no longer there.
You ain't nothin' but a shadow spot,
Against the garden wall
If God is not your source of light
You'd not be there at all
You ain't nothin' in this whole wide world
If God ain't in control
Like all the rest, you are at best,
Just another poor, lost soul.
Eric L. Padgett, January 25, 2019
Bible Question of the Week
(All questions come from the Scripture readings.) How does the Bible say the Holy Spirit was given?
LAST WEEK'S QUESTION AND ANSWER
What was written on the thigh of the Word of God?
ANSWER: Revelation 19:13-16 - And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God...And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
WEEKLY BIBLE READING SCHEDULE (Theme: Jesus Christ)
(Theme: Holy Spirit) Monday, January 28 - Gen. 1:1,2, 26; Job 26:13; 33:4; Psalm 104:30; Is. 40:12-14 Tuesday, January 29 - Matt. 3:16,17; Matt. 28:19; II Cor. 13:14; Heb. 9:14; I John 5:7,8 Wednesday, January 30 - John 14:15-17; 14:25,26; 15:26,27; 16:7-15; Acts 1:1-9 Thursday, January 31 - II Sam. 23:1,2; II Tim. 3:16,17; I Cor. 2; II Pet. 1:20,21 Friday, February 1 - John 7:37-39; Acts 2:4, 14-21; 8:18; I Cor. 3:16; I Cor. 12:1-11; Mark 16:17,18; I Cor. 13:8-13
Weekly Memory Verses
II Timothy 3:16-17 - 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 perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
