What The Bible Says
“What The Bible Says - Vol. 7 / No. 3”
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What The Bible Says
Vol. VII - No. 3 / June 16, 2024
THE TIMING OF JESUS
How Was Jesus’ Life An Example Of God’s Perfect Timing?
The Hebrew people had been longing for the Messiah for centuries, yet God sent Jesus to earth at just the right time. We may not fully understand why it was the right time but it was God's plan and timing.
Ephesians 1:10 - “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:”
1 Timothy 2:6 - “Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. This is the message God gave the world at the proper time.”
1 Timothy 6:15 - "Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;” If Jesus' first coming was on time, we can be confident that His second coming will be right on schedule.
Galatians 4:4 - “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,”
John 7:30 - “Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.”
Romans 5:6 - “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”
Christ came at the right time and died for us sinners.
Isaiah 55:8-9 - “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD." For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
God's timing is God's timing and His alone. Let us wait patiently on it. —David Maddox
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
There can be no doubts concerning the second coming of Christ. "...this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11). There is much speculation concerning when Christ will come again but let us rest assured that no man knows (Matthew 24:36 “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”). What our concern needs to be focused on is whether or not we are prepared to meet Him when He comes. "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." (Matthew 24:44).
Ideas abound concerning what will take place at Christ's second coming. The only source for the truth of what will take place can be found in the Scriptures. When Christ returns, HE \VILL NOT SET UP A KINGDOM! Though this is a most popular idea, it is nowhere supported in the Scriptures. In fact, 1 Corinthians 15:23-26 says at the end He will return the kingdom BACK to the Father thus making the kingdom ALREADY IN EXISTENCE NOW. “But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” You cannot deliver something back to someone that you do not already have. Contrary to prevailing belief, Jesus did establish His kingdom when He was on earth the first time. That being true we can understand how the Scriptures point out that in the end Jesus "shall have delivered up (not set up) the kingdom to God”.
When Christ returns, HE WILL NOT GIVE A SECOND CHANCE. Hebrews 3:15 says, "Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.” "Today" is all we have assurance of with no promise of tomorrow. In 2 Corinthians 6:2 we are told, "... behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” "Today" and "now" is the time we have been given to prepare. If we are waiting for a second chance at Christ's return, we are going to be in for a rude awakening! When Christ returns, HE WILL NOT DEAL WITH SIN. He came the first time to atone for it. "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." (Hebrews 9:28). All the provisions we need to have our sins forgiven are for us now to avail ourselves of . We have the remedy for sin now and now is when sin needs to be dealt with.
When Christ returns, HE WILL JUDGE THE WORLD. "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:" (Matthew 25:31-32).
When Christ returns, HE WILL REVEAL THE SECRETS OF MEN. "In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” (Romans 2:16). —E.R. Hall, Jr.
DO YOU ACT OR REACT?
I walked with my friend, a Quaker, to the newsstand the other night, and he bought a paper, thanking the newsie politely. The newsie didn't even acknowledge it. "A sullen fellow, isn't he?" I commented. "Oh, he's that way every night," shrugged my friend. "Then why do you continue to be so polite to him?" I asked. "Why not?" inquired my friend. "Why should I let him decide how I'm going to act?”
As I thought about this incident later, it occurred to me that the important word was "act." My friend acts toward people; most of us react toward them. He has a sense of inner balance which is lacking in most of us; he knows who he is, what he stands for, how he should behave. He refuses to return incivility for incivility, because then he would no longer be in command of his own conduct.
When we are enjoined in the Bible to return good for evil, we look upon this as a moral injunction - which it is. But it is also a psychological prescription for our emotional health. Nobody is unhappier than the perpetual reactor. His center of emotional gravity is not rooted within himself, where it belongs, but in the world outside him. His spiritual temperature is always being raised or lowered by the social climate around him, and he is a mere creature at the mercy of these elements. Praise gives him a feeling of euphoria, which is false, because it does not last and it does not come from self-approval. Criticism depresses him more than it should, because it confirms his own secret shaky opinion of himself. Snubs hurt him, and the merest suspicion of unpopularity in any quarter rouses him to bitterness.
A serenity of spirit cannot be achieved until we become the masters of our own actions and attitudes. To let another determine whether we shall be rude or gracious, elated or depressed, is to relinquish control over our own personalities, which is ultimately all we possess....The only true possession is self-possession. —Sidney Harris
SENTENCE SERMONS
Immodest clothing reveals more than one might think. It reveals disrespect for the Word of God and a rebellious heart as well as a spirit of disobedience.
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When science discovers the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to find out they are not it.
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Every man has an equal chance to become greater than he is.
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A fault once denied is twice committed.
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Most of man’s inventions have been time savers – but then came television.
"What The Bible Says” is e-mailed twice a month. If you know of others who might benefit from the articles contained in this bulletin, we would be glad to have you submit their e-mail addresses and we will include them in the next mailing. If you are receiving this bulletin and do not wish to continue to do so, please e-mail us with your desire to be removed from the mailing list and you will be removed promptly. Continue to the bottom of this page for further instructions as to how you may contact us.
--- E.R. Hall, Jr.
SCHEDULE OF SERVICES
For The East Albertville Church Of Christ
meeting at
4777 U.S. Highway 431
Albertville, AL 35950
Sunday
Bible Classes …………..….…………… 9:30 AM
Morning Worship ……..…….….……… 10:30 AM
Evening Worship …………………........ 5:00 PM
Wednesday
Bible Classes …………..………........... 7:00 PM
Radio Program
Sunday
WBSA 93.5 FM/1300 AM ………………………….. 8:30 AM
Monday - Saturday
WBSA 93.5 FM/1300 AM ………………………….. 11:15 AM
Website: www. EastAlbertville.org
