Birdwell Lane
Church of Christ
Big Spring, TX


Weekly Thoughts - September 2008
<----   August 2008    --    October 2008   ---->
07 - HOW'S YOUR WALK?
14 - THE RESULTS OF THE BLOOD
21 - FAITH ANALYZED
28 - TEACHING TRUTHS
 
 
September 7, 2008
HOW'S YOUR WALK?

      The Tennessee Walking horse and the Lippizaner horse are famous for their beautiful walking technique. Man is known by his walk as well.
      In the Ephesian letter, Paul devotes much of the letter to a reflection of the Christian's "eternal vocation" writes G. Campbell Morgan in his volume "The Analyzed Bible." A simple outline of Ephesians is remembered by using the words "wealth" and "walking." "Wealth" describes the blessings we have in Christ, while "walking" denotes our duties.
      The following is a list of different New Testament walkers:
  1. Faith Walkers (Rom. 4:12; 2 Cor. 5:7);
  2. New-Life walkers (Rom. 4:6);
  3. Spiritual walkers (Rom. 8:1; Gal. 5:15);
  4. Honest walkers (Rom. 13:13);
  5. Manly walkers (1 Cor. 3:3; 16:13);
  6. In the flesh walkers )2 Cor. 6:16);
  7. Good-works walkers (Eph. 2:10);
  8. Worthy walkers (Eph. 4:1);
  9. Nocturnal walkers (1 Jn. 1:6);
  10. In-Christ walkers (Col. 2:6);
  11. Wise walkers (Col. 4:5);
  12. Disorderly walkers (2 Thess. 3:11);
  13. Truth walkers (3 Jn. 4);
  14. Lustful walkers (Jude 17);
  15. Idolatrous walkers (Rev. 9:20);
  16. Shameful walkers (Rev. 16:15)?


See ya Sunday,
Ralph

 
 
September 14, 2008
THE RESULTS OF THE BLOOD

      First, it redeems – 1 Peter 1:18-22: Not only are we redeemed from the hands of the devil, but, praise God, from the hands of the law! Christ’s death on the Cross brings me out from under the law. The law condemned me, but Christ satisfied every claim.
      Second, it brings us nigh – Ephesians 2:13: When we were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promises, having no hope and without God in the world, Jesus Christ brought us nigh unto God. “There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.”
      Third, it makes peace – Colossians 1:20: The world will never know peace until it finds in the Cross of Jesus Christ, the salvation of the world and the slain Lamb of God.
      Fourth, it justifies – Romans 5:9: It changes men’s standing before God. It is a change from guilt and condemnation to pardon and forgiveness. The forgiven sinner is not like the discharged prisoner who has served out his term and is discharged from every punishment, but with no rights of citizenship. The repentant sinner receives back under his pardon, through the blood of Jesus, the full rights of citizenship.
      Fifth, it cleanses – 1 John 1:7: The key word in this verse is all – not part of our sins, but all of them. Every lie you ever told, every mean, low-down dirty thing that you ever did, your hypocrisy, your lustful thoughts – all are cleansed by the precious blood of Jesus.
Just as I am, without one plea
But that Thy blood was shed for me
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O! Lamb of God I come, I come

      So goes the words of Charlotte Elliot in her famous song.

See ya Sunday,
Ralph

 
 
September 21, 2008
FAITH ANALYZED

HEBREWS 11
1.The Nature of Faithv.1-2
2.The Knowledge of Faithv.3
3.The Worship of Faithv.4
4.The Translation of Faithv.5
5.The Preciousness of Faithv.6
6.The Testimony of Faithv.7
7.The Obedience of Faithv.8
8.The Walk of Faithv.9
9.The Aspiration of Faithv.10
10.The Fruit of Faithv.11-12
11.The Vision of Faithv.13
12.The Confession of Faithv.13-14
13.The Devotedness of Faithv.15-16
14.The Trial of Faithv.17-19
15.The Blessing of Faithv.20-21
16.The Remembrance of Faithv.22
17.The Secrets of Faithv.23
18.The Choice of Faithv.24-25
19.The Estimate of Faithv.26
20.The Flight of Faithv.27
21.The Means of Faithv.28
22.The Boldness of Faithv.29
23.The Victory of Faithv.30
24.The Salvation of Faithv.31
25.The All-Sufficiency of Faithv.32-35
26.The Suffering of Faithv.36-38
HOW GREAT IS YOUR FAITH?

See ya Sunday,
Ralph

 
 
September 28, 2008
TEACHING TRUTHS

      What does it take to be a teacher? Most of all it takes desire, but there are five demands made of every person who agrees to teach. These demands, however, soon evolve into characteristics of the Christian who has absorbed Christ.
  1. If you teach you will be emotionally mature. How often was Christ heckled and tempted to respond in like manner? He understood that as a teacher He was to understand the student rather than immaturely expecting the student to understand the teacher.
  2. The mature teacher can predict the conduct of students. This is the essence of teaching: to envision a type of conduct and then to train students to experience that same conduct.
  3. To be a teacher you have to listen to your students. Honestly, actively, enthusiastically listen! It is estimated that 70% of students are sending out signals to see if the teacher is interested in them or the lesson.
  4. The real teacher is himself - he doesn't concern himself with what "they" will think of him but exerts all his energy on the task he knows he can do. He is positive, frank, and honest with the class as well as with himself.
  5. The mature teacher is genuinely interested in other people. Someone has said that you can make more friends in a day by being interested in others than you can in a month trying to get them interested in you.
      I guess really it could be summed up this way. The mature teacher realizes this, but he doesn't need to have people interested in him for he has learned the blessedness of giving, of giving himself. Thanks to all our teachers.

See ya Sunday,
Ralph

 
 

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