In This Issue

• SHEPHERD STRICKEN, SHEEP SCATTERED
• DID JESUS DIE FOR THIS?
• CAN WE LEARN A LESSON?
• THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOMICIDE AND THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE
• WALKING, TALKING BIBLES
• MORE INFORMATION...

SHEPHERD STRICKEN, SHEEP SCATTERED

After Jesus instituted the Lord's supper, He and the apostles left the upper room where they had gathered for the Passover feast, and they went out to the Mount of Olives. "Then Jesus said to them, 'All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: "I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered." But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.' Peter answered, and said to Him, 'Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.' Jesus said to him, 'Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.' Peter said to Him, 'Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!' And so said all the disciples" (Matt. 26:31-35).

There are three things of special interest in this paragraph. Note that Jesus plainly foretells that the apostles will forsake Him and that Peter in particular will deny Him in the next few hours.

Another interesting aspect of this chapter is Jesus' promise: "After I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee." Apparently they completely missed the significance of that promise at the time it was made because they had not yet accepted the fact that He was about to be crucified. And after He was crucified, they did not expect Him to come forth from the dead. Once they were aware of His resurrection, however, they remembered this promise. Most likely it was this gathering in Galilee at which, as Paul records, "He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once" (1 Cor. 15:6).

Now, let us look at Jesus' quotation of Zech. 13:7, in which His crucifixion was foretold. Zech. 13:7 is approximately in the center of one of the longest Messianic passages in the entire Old Testament Scriptures. The prophet Zechariah prophesied about 520 years before Jesus was born, yet he foretold many events concerning the ministry and reign of Christ. In chapter six of his writing, Zechariah correctly foretold that the Messiah would be a king and a priest at the same time. In chapter nine, he foretold Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem as fulfilled in Matt. 21:1-5. In chapter 11, the prophet foretold the amount of money the Lord's betrayer would receive for his treacherous deed. Then the whole of Zechariah chapters 12-14 are Messianic. In 12:10, he foretells the piercing of Jesus. In chapter 13, he indicates the sacrificial nature of Christ's sufferings -- a fountain opened for the cleansing of sin and uncleanness. In chapter 14, he foretells that Gentiles will embrace God's anointed One and come into the family of God. A marvelous evidence of the Divine inspiration of the Scriptures!

--CRJ

DID JESUS DIE FOR THIS?

The following news item appeared in the January, 2002 edition of Christian Chronicle under the headline, "Hair Care 101 in Honduras." This is perhaps the most outrageous activity I have seen as a "work" of the church. By what stretch of the imagination could ANYONE think that this is a work of the Lord’s church? Dateline, Tegucigalpa, Honduras. We quote:

"Lather, rinse and repeat were on the final exam at Clinica Amicus as 13 women graduated from a six-month hair care class Dec. 7.

"Part of the nutrition program at the clinic, sponsored in part by the Westover Hills church, Austin, Texas, the course taught the women how to cut, shampoo and style hair, enabling them to secure better jobs or to start small business in their homes. They also learned to give permanents and use color.

"They took their studies seriously. One student scored 100 on her final exam, nine made in the high 90’s, and three scored in the high 80’s, according to a report from the clinic.

"Students got to practice their skills on about 150 soldiers at an Army base. ‘After getting over their initial nervousness, they did a fine job,’ the report said.

"’It was a good experience because, after all, if they messed up, they could always give a burr cut and no one would mind. But that wasn’t necessary.’"

End of quote.

--CRJ

CAN WE LEARN A LESSON?

The Ohio Dept. of Rehabilitation and Correction has a list of rules governing those who visit inmates of their institutions. I want to share the rules they list about appropriate clothing to be worn when visiting. They are very instructive.

1. No see-through or tight fitting clothing.

2. No Shorts (Shorts will be permitted for children 12 years of age or less).

3. No Skirts or Dresses higher than the middle of the knee.

4. No clothing with gang/club insignia or obscene gestures and/or language.

5. No tank tops, Tube tops or Muscle Shirts and no Bare midriffs.

6. Shoes and Shirts must be worn.

7. Appropriate undergarments must be worn (example: Bra, Slip, underwear).

8. Any other attire found to be potentially disruptive, or offensive may result in the termination of the visit.

In other words, dress modestly and sensibly. Often, Christians need to learn this lesson. You won’t learn it from TV or the movies, but you can learn it from God’s Word. 1 Tim.2: 9-10.

"And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do." NLT

The officials who operate Ohio’s correctional institutions know what is immodest and enticing. So do we, if we are honest with ourselves and with God’s word.

-- Larry Devore

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOMICIDE AND THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE

Recent news accounts have related the story of a young unmarried couple charged with killing their newborn child before putting it into a trash bin. The prosecution is seeking the death penalty, reflecting society’s outrage at such acts.

What news accounts fail to point out is that for all their lives, this young couple has been part of a society in which millions of women have killed their children whenever their children would have been an inconvenience to them. This couple simply waited a few minutes too long for the killing of their baby to be acceptable. If they had hired a hit man with a medical degree to kill the child before he left the womb, the young lady would simply have been exercising her precious "right to choose."

In fact, the child could have been virtually born, having only his head remaining within the mother, and killing him would have been acceptable. To criminalize such a "partial birth" abortion would be an infringement on the mother’s "reproductive rights." But after the baby had moved a few inches farther, killing him became a heinous crime. Those few inches made the difference between a homicide and the woman’s right to choose.

It is amazing what a premium pro-abortionists place on location. Whether or not one has the right to kill a child depends on where the child is located -- whether inside the womb or outside it.

Those who wonder how parents could kill their newborn should ponder the social climate in which that young couple’s morals and values were formed. A society that has condoned the legalized killing of millions of babies should not be shocked when some develop a callousness toward the lives of infants.

Anti-abortionists have long warned that the killing of children before birth would lead to an acceptance of killing children after birth, and that is virtually what is occurring in partial-birth abortions. It is a short step from devaluating the lives of babies in the womb to devaluating the lives of babies who have just left the womb. Those who have learned to accept the practice of killing the unborn for the mother’s convenience will have fewer qualms about killing their newborn for the mother’s convenience, for there is no logical difference between killing a child in one location and killing him after he has moved to a different location.

--Johnny Stringer, Guardian of Truth, Jan. 16, 1997

WALKING, TALKING BIBLES

Members of churches of Christ were once known for their knowledgeable acquaintance with the Scriptures.

Years ago a court convened in West Tennessee and the time came for the first witness to be sworn in. The swearing in called for him to place one hand on a Bible, lift the other in the air and repeat the oath to tell the truth. But no one could find a Bible. The judge was not fazed at all. He asked if there was a member of the "church of Christ" in the courtroom. A man on the jury raised his hand. Quick as a wink the judge instructed, "Then have the witness place his hand on the head of the man and take the oath. Members of churches of Christ know the Bible from cover to cover. This fellow-citizen will be our Bible until a real one is found."

True story? Maybe so; maybe not! But the very appearance of the story tells us something. It tells us that there was a time when "we" knew the book. Yes, even from cover to cover.

Would there be occasion today for such an event to occur or is our reputation such as to suggest even the making up of such a story?

H-m-m-mmm.

--Max Johnson, Biblical Messenger, October 30, 2001

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