Posts by Graeber Road Church of Christ (Page 11)
On Conspiracies, Fear, and Christian Behavior
When tragedies and disasters occur—like our present pandemic—conspiracies abound. The temptation to believe them is strong because they make sense of an otherwise senseless event. They grant us the power to place blame at the feet of someone, rather than remain a victim of confusion. They provide comfort in the calamity by legitimizing themselves with partial truths and creating a common enemy (usually a corporation or government). Our present culture is rife with false news stories that appear legitimate. We…
Philippines Mission Letter: April 2020
Dear Brethren, May the Almighty and Merciful God in heaven continue to help you in all you do and keep you all in your well-being. The enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in our area has been extended until May 15, 2020. A quarantine pass issued to one person per household with a valid ID should still be shown at the checkpoint area in buying food and medicines at the market. Policemen and barangay officials are walking on the street to arrest…
Our Strength
There are a number of interesting scenes presented in the book of Nehemiah. One, often overlooked, is found in chapter 8. People were gathered in an open square to hear God’s word read to them. Ezra was the reader and it was an extensive reading, to say the least. All morning long he read. And, people listened attentively (Nehemiah 8:3). With reverence, people stood. Careful explanation was given to be certain the hearers understood the meaning of what was read (Nehemiah 8:8). …
Philippines Mission Letter: March 2020
Dear Brethren, It is my prayer that you and your family and the church family there are in good health and that you are all safe in the hands of the Lord. We were able to study with our new brethren for their spiritual growth during the first two weeks of March and also visited those who were sick and in need of edification because of some struggles and hardships in life. We were also able to gather for church…
God and You
Your attitude and behavior in any and all circumstances ought to be governed by your relationship to God. Paul had been in a ferocious storm on the sea for nearly two weeks (Acts 27:27). His relationship to God, however, enabled him not only to endure the stress, but to comfort and encourage the others on board: “And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For…
Meditation
Psalm 1 shows the blessed (happy) man is one who, among other things, meditates on God’s law (2). Later, the ungodly are shown to be the opposite of the godly (4). One of the differences would be their failure to ponder over God’s great truths. Is meditation really important? Are thoughts? Remember that the material things that surround us, our houses, cars, clothes, etc., were first a thought before they became a reality. God has blessed humans with a great…
Philippines Mission Letter: February 2020
Dear Brethren, We give God all the glory and honor for the baptism of four precious souls added by the Lord to our congregation last month. Their names are Felicidad Javier, Annaliza Gutierrez, Abijah Noshka Ricario, and Juvilyn Javier. Felicidad and Anna are the mother-in-law and sister-in-law of Clemente Lazaga, a brother in Christ who works with me. We have been teaching them for several years. Whenever they had to go to the doctor or hospital and need a ride,…
Good Advice for Choosing Friends
Friends are a wonderful blessing from God – a gift given to help us become better people (Prov. 27:17). Yet they are only a blessing when we have chosen the right ones. “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed” (Prov. 13:20). “Evil companionships corrupt good morals” (1 Cor. 15:33). Therefore, we should try to surround ourselves with companions who are wise enough “to turn [you] away from the snares of…
Who May Abide
David asked two questions in Psalm 15:1. “Lord, who may abide in your tabernacle? Who may dwell in your holy hill?” Important questions, to be sure. And, the way they are answered says a lot about those who are answering. You could think about them in their original setting, David’s day, but they ought to be considered in a broader way in order to get the full benefit of them. The words “abide” and “dwell” suggest an atmosphere of fellowship…
Philippines Mission Letter: January 2020
Dear Brethren, With the Lord’s guidance and blessings, we continue to plant and water the seed of the kingdom into the hearts of the people. We keep on studying with the friends, neighbors, relatives, and acquaintances of our brethren whom they have referred to us for Bible studies. Almost all of these prospects were raised in Catholicism. We are glad and thankful that they are open minded to hear and study the Scriptures with us. As we invite and encourage…
Keep Your Heart
The word “heart” appears more than 800 times in the Bible. A few of the references actually relate to the physical heart. I Sam. 25:37 tells us Nabal’s “…heart died within him…” But, the majority of references in the Bible deal with the spiritual heart. Prov. 4:23 admonishes us, “Keep your heart with all diligence.” The spiritual heart is what motivates us to do what we do. Think for a few moments about keeping your heart. It has to be…
Sounding the Alarm (Clock)
Last week in this bulletin we read about an alarm clock. Remember? It was a personal writing by our minister, Andy Baker. The article concerned his oldest daughter, just nine years old. The account should make each member of Graeber Road church of Christ stop and consider the use of their own alarm clock. We need to take this very minute, bow our heads, and tell God that we are going to get our alarm clocks and set them to…