Posts by Graeber Road Church of Christ (Page 6)
The Darkest Day of Prophecy
Many of the prophecies concerning Christ are encouraging and uplifting such as His names (Isaiah 7:15; 9:6), His reign (2 Samuel 7), and His work (Psalm 110:4). Yet the night and early morning that Jesus was arrested, tried, and murdered, was a day that God looked on with painful anticipation (Matthew. 26:39-42; cf. Isaiah 53; Psalm 22; Hebrews 10:5-7). On this particular day, at least twenty-two prophecies concerning Christ are painful, lonely, and full of sorrow. Even on the darkest…
Burning Hearts
Our attitude toward God’s word affects every facet of our lives. Those who see the Bible as dense and confusing will likely be inconsistent in our living. Those who think the Bible is stale and dry will inevitably seek meaning from “more pleasurable” endeavors. Those who view God’s word as living and life-changing are the very ones whose lives ARE changed by the gospel. Which are you? The word of God is powerful (Rom 1:16), and hearts are changed when…
Convictions that Taste Like Orange Juice
Until I was nineteen years of age, I lived in Patrick County, Virginia. Moonshine liquor was a part of the business landscape. Involvement in this product had terrible consequences for several family members. I could see the horrible effects and never allowed it to touch my lips. When I accepted a quality control managers position at a Taipei, Taiwan plant, the managers and engineers did not know I did not drink alcohol. Shortly after arriving in Taiwan, there was a…
Philippines Mission Letter: December 2022
Click to download the letter. Dear Brethren, Happy New Year! May we all be blessed with many more opportunities to love and be loved. “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2). We praise and thank God for His unending love, incomparable mercy, and abundant blessings despite all the struggles and difficulties we all faced in 2022. Indeed, God is good all the time. As He…
Think Souls
The inner part of the person – the soul – is such an important element to who we are. God made us as body, soul, and spirit (1 Thes. 5:23). Yet the concept of the soul is so broad in God’s word that we could spend a year just studying its various nuances! Even in the book of Acts, the word takes on a variety of meanings. It is a synonym for person (Acts 27:37), while other times it refers…
7 Reasons We Will Be in Worship on Christmas Day
1. Worship is Commanded by the Almighty. Our Lord does not make worship something to be chosen by His followers. Hebrews 10:25 makes it clear that we are not to willfully forsake being together for worship. This is not a suggestion, and it does not have caveats for special holidays. 2. God is More Important than any Holiday. If I am going to say that “God is first in my life,” then there is no holiday that can take His…
The Trinity of Christian Character
Three times in God ’s word do we see the three words “faith, hope, and love – these three words form a tri -unity that centers our character development around God. Faith, Hope, & Love Initiates Our Response to the Gospel For three weeks in Thessalonica, Paul and Silas preached from the Old Testament scriptures reasoning that the Christ must suffer and rise from the dead. Some Jews, and many devout Greeks would be persuaded during this time. When wicked…
Philippines Mission Letter: November 2022
Click to download the letter. Dear Brethren, May the Lord’s love, blessings, and protection be upon you and your loved ones always. We continue to be grateful for the opportunity to teach moral values using the Word of God on a weekly basis to our municipal employees through the moral recovery program of our national government. We taught at the Assessor’s office for the past several months, and they were thankful for our time and for all the good lessons…
Philippines Mission Letter: October 2022
Click to download the letter. Dear Brethren, May the goodness and blessings of the Lord continue to abound in you and your family. The Lord continues to use us for the implementation of the moral recovery program using the Scriptures at the different departments in our town. Lord willing, we will be assigned to other offices this November. Our partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as volunteers to conduct Family Development Sessions (FDS) to the parents…
What if Your Candidate Loses?
Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. – Proverbs 14:34 Something I have heard many election seasons since the mid 90 ’s If “we” don ’t win this upcoming election, the nation will be destroyed. Read carefully again Proverbs 14:34. We live in a nation that is not above reproach. Yet, for many, this nation is still recognized as the greatest nation with the most freedom to worship God than any other nation on earth.…
“Contending for the Faith”
The book of Jude is addressed to Christians who needed to wake up to fight against some ungodly people with ungodly ideas among them (Jude 3 -4, 12, 16, 19). The key statement of Jude exhorts these endangered Christians to, “Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). “Contenders” are interested in building up other Christians (20) “…building yourselves up on your most holy faith…” Those who would contend earnestly for the…
Philippines Mission Letter: September 2022
Click to download the letter. Dear Brethren, May our merciful Father in heaven bless you always with His love, His grace, and His peace. We are so thankful to the Lord for opening more opportunities for us to share His Word with more people in our town. The Lord is accomplishing this through our brethren and local government. Our brothers and sisters in Christ continue to give us prospects to teach God’s love, His justice, and His offer of eternal…