Birdwell Lane
Church of Christ
Big Spring, TX


Weekly Thoughts - November 2006
<----   October 2006    --    December 2006   ---->
05 - "THE HOLY SPIRIT - PART 3"
12 - "WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM OUR MEETING?"
19 - "THANKS GO OUT TO ALL OF YOU"
26 - "THANKFUL"
 
 
November 5, 2006
"THE HOLY SPIRIT - PART 3"

THE OPERATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE WORD
OPERATION   BY HOLY SPIRIT   BY THE WORD
Convicted   John 16:7-8   Acts 2:37; 7:51
Begotten   John 3:5   James 1:21
Born   John 3:5   I Peter 1:23
Washed   1 Corinthians 6:11   Ephesians 5:26
Sanctified   1 Corinthians 6:11   John 17:17
Justified   1 Corinthians 6:11   Romans 5:1; 10:17
Saved   Titus 3:5   James 1:21
Cleansed   Purifies (1 Peter 1:22)   Thoroughly furnished
2 Timothy 3:15-17


HOW THE SPIRIT HELPS THE CHRISTIAN IN THE WORD
Fills with Knowledge, Col.1:9; Rom. 15:14   Establishes you, Romans 16:25-26
Dwells in richly, Col. 3:16   Effectually works in, 1 Thess. 2:13
Gives Patience, comfort, Rom. 15:14   Produces fruit, Col. 1:5-10
Reveals Gospel Mystery, Eph. 3:4   Produces growth, 1 Pet. 2:2
Builds up, Sanctifies, Acts 20:32   Reveals Christian walk, 2 Jn. 4
The Holy Spirits message is only in the Word    


YOU SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Acts 2:38-39   Had received the Word - Acts 2:41
Acts 5:32   Whom God hath given to them that obey
Romans 5:5   Holy Spirit which was given unto us
1 Thess. 4:8   Who giveth His Holy Spirit unto you
1 John 3:24   By the Spirit which He gave us
Galatians 4:6   Sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts
James 4:5   The Spirit which He made to dwell in us
Romans 8:9   The Spirit of God dwells in you
2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5
Galatians 3:5		   God gave us the Spirit in our hearts
Philippians 1:19   Supplies the Spirit (Lavishly)
Look at these additional passages   Ephesians 2:22;
1 Corinthians 3:16
1 Corinthians 6:19
1 John 4:13
      We will finish this study next week by looking at: THE SPIRIT HELPS OUR INFIRMITY, BY THE SPIRIT YOU SHALL PUT AWAY THE DEEDS OF THE BODY, and THE HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE.

See ya Sunday,
Ralph

 
 
November 12, 2006
"WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM OUR MEETING?"

      Our fall meeting is just days away. The meeting starts this Sunday at 9:00 a.m. and will go through Wednesday. Preparations are being made by Clark Tatum, to encourage and challenge us in our Christian development. From the titles sent to us by Clark this promises to be one of the best meetings in several years. What can you expect to receive from the weeks efforts?
  1. You will receive lessons from the Bible by Clark which have been carefully prepared just for you. They will be scriptural and motivating.
  2. You will receive spiritual renewal. We will provoke one another to love and good works, as we are told to do in Hebrews 10:24. You will be among the best of Christian people during the week. The fellowship enjoyed will be of lasting value to you.
  3. You will receive recreation. Look carefully at the spelling of that word. It is literally "re-creation," or "creating again". You will discover that Bible Study and its related activities are a joy. The idea of joy is no stranger to the New Testament; joy is one part of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:220. We are to expect joy in our practice of Christianity. You will discover it is an important part of our Meeting.
  4. There are special rewards for those who serve. There is a sense of fulfillment in the giving of our selves in service to others and to the Lord. Your support will be an encouragement to others.
      We are really just getting started at this time. Clark has prayed, studied and prepared. Advertisements are out, area congregation notified and flyers ready to be handed out. All we lack at this point is your personal commitment to be here ready to study God's Word and encourage one another. Please clear you schedules and plan on supporting this effort. I'm really looking forward to our meeting. It will be exciting, challenging, and a glory to God.

See ya Sunday,
Ralph

 
 
November 19, 2006
"THANKS GO OUT TO ALL OF YOU"

      Our fall meeting is now history. The lessons were well prepared and delivered by our Brother Clark Tatum. To his elders I say thank you for allowing him the time off to be with us at Birdwell Lane. To our elders, thank you for having him for this series of lessons. To all of you who attended both the lunch devotionals and the evening services words are not enough, I am thankful to each and every one of you. To those who fed us during the meeting, your generosity is really overwhelming.
      We started out with over ninety at Bible class Sunday morning. Clark did a splendid job of challenging us to develop "Spiritual Passion." This was followed by a great lesson on "Something to Celebrate " a journey from discouragement to encouragement. One Hundred and twenty were present for worship service Sunday morning. This was followed by seventy something coming out for service at 5:00 p.m.. What a great lesson from John 4 on "The Man Who Understood A Woman". A lesson on going "From A Mess to a Miracle."
      Monday at 12:00 p.m. we met for a brown bag lunch at which time Clark spoke on The reality that God is always ready to hear our prayers and that we can at all times be in communication with Him through our prayers. He doesn't drop our call or loose our signal. He is always there for those in Christ. Monday evening we were challenged to let God "Revive Us" according to His loving-kindness. Our attendance was down but the excitement did not waver at all.
      Tuesday we again met in the fellowship hall for brown bag lunch and a lesson on continuing steadfastly in prayer. Tuesday evening a great lesson on "Crossing The Finish Line of Faith." A challenge from 2 Timothy 4 and Hebrews chapter 12. The attendance was low but our spirits were high. There were only 60 in attendance but the singing made it seem as though there was a great deal more.
      As I write this article I am looking forward to the brown bag lunch devotional and hearing tonight's lesson on "The Greatness of God's Grace." Sub-titled "The Vineyard Workers and Grace."
      To all of you from area congregations, I want to express my "thanks" to you for your support of our gospel meeting. To those who were not here, you really missed a chance to grow in the grace and knowledge of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
      To Clark, THANKS for the time you spent in prayer and preparation to be with us, for the excitement and power with which you delivered the Word of God. We thank you from the very depth of our hearts. To your wife and daughter who were separated from you by miles we appreciate you letting you be with us and we wish that you could have made the trip also.
      Again THANKS to all of you who contributed in any way to making this meeting a success by your prayers, attendance and the excitement with which you received Clark and his messages from God's Word. To Robert, you did a great job of leading our singing at each service. Thanks.

See ya Sunday,
Ralph

 
 
November 26, 2006
"THANKFUL"

Ephesians 5:20
      giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, NKJV
  • Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
  • Be thankful when you don't know…it gives you the opportunity to learn.
  • Be thankful for the difficult times… during those times you grow.
  • Be thankful for a new challenge… it will build strength and character.
  • Be thankful for limitations…they give opportunities for improvement.
  • Be thankful for your mistakes… they will teach valuable lessons.
  • Be thankful when you are weary…it means you've made a difference.
  • Be thankful for the taxes you pay…it means you are employed.
  • Be thankful for the clothes that fit a little snug… it means you have plenty to eat.
  • Be thankful for the lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing… it means you have a house.
  • Be thankful for the spot you find at the end of Wal Mart's parking lot… it means you are capable of walking.
  • Be thankful for all the complaining you hear about our government… it means we have freedom of speech.
  • Be thankful for the one who sits behind you in church service who sings off key… it means you can hear.
  • Be thankful for the piles of laundry and ironing… it means your loved ones are nearby.
  • Be thankful for the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours… it means that you're alive.
  • Be thankful for weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day… it means you have been productive.
      It's easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.
      Instead of whining and complaining about our own petty problems, which usually consist mostly of slights, imagined insults and self-made difficulty, we need to spend more time in prayer counting our blessings.
      Jesus told the parable of a steward who was muchly rewarded because he was faithful over the "little things." It is quite likely that when we are grateful for the many overlooked "little things" in life God will see to it we have many "great things" to thank Him for, too.

See ya Sunday,
Ralph

 
 

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