Woodland
Hills Church of Christ
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Sunday, September 16, 2007 Volume 51, Issue 36 A Dog To His Own Vomit Peter describes in a very graphic way the end of one who escaped spiritual pollution only to again become entangles therein and overcome. "For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: A dog returns to his own vomit, and, a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire." (2 Peter 2:20-22) THE ESCAPE THROUGH CHRIST. Sin entangles and enslaves and the only escape is through Christ. "For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ..." These had escaped the pollutions of the world through Christ. "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:15-16) Man is concerned about this which pollute water, air and land. Our concern should be for those things which pollute heart and soul. THE ENTANGLEMENT AGAIN. "...They are again entangled in them and overcome." The world pollutes and defiles. It is sometimes difficult for some to make that break with Satan without wanting to go back -- "Again entangled." Our own lust leads us to sin. (James 1:12-15) Demas is a good example of those again entangled. "For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world..." (2 Timothy 4:10) THE END IS WORSE THAN THE BEGINNING. "The latter end is worse for them than the beginning." Jesus gave a grave warning about looking back. "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62) Peter used the illustration of the washed sow and the dog and his vomit to describe the "End" of this person. "For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: A dog returns to his own vomit, and, a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire." (2 Peter 2:21-22) There could be no greater tragedy in life than this -- escaping sin through Christ -- returning to sin and being in a worse condition than before you ever heard of Jesus! Stay faithful! By Charles Box
AREAS OF SERVICE FOR OUR DEACONS
FAMILY NEWS OUR SICK/HOMEBOUND (Please help us keep up-to-date our sick/homebound list so we do not leave anyone off) WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS (We have an attended nursery during the morning and evening services on Sunday, and for Bible classes on Sunday morning and Wednesday night. OUR RECORD COMMUNITY WALK REMEMBER IN PRAYER THANK YOU CAN YOU HELP?
THE WORLD IS NOT MY HOME! It is so easy for us to get caught up in the mindset of the world, regarding our existence. We need to understand, as Abraham did, that we are "...strangers and pilgrims on the earth" (Heb. 11:3). Some of our religious neighbors teach that there will be an eternal paradise on earth. Others claim that Jesus will return to earth to set up His kingdom. What does the Bible say? 1. Jesus will never set foot on earth again. When Jesus ascended into heaven, as recorded in Acts chapter one, two angels appeared and told the apostles, "...Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11). Paul gave further and specific details regarding Christ’s return when writing to the church at Thessalonica. "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Thess. 4:16-17). Instead of Jesus returning to the earth, as some men teach, the Bible here clearly states that the faithful will meet the Lord in the clouds, in the air. 2. Following the return of Jesus, the earth will be destroyed. When Christ returns to claim his own, and to pronounced judgment on the wicked, the earth will have served the purpose for which it was created. "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (2 Pet. 3:10). 3. The eternal dwelling place of the righteous will be in heaven. Consider Jesus’ words shortly before his death. "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am there ye may be also" (John 14:1-3). Those who serve God faithfully will be claimed by Jesus on the last day (John 6:39ff), and will be taken to a heavenly abode for all eternity. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Pet. 1:3-5) Are you living only for the here and now, or are you prepared for eternity? Remember, you’re "just a passing thru"! Blake Nichols - Foote Street Church of Christ - Corinth, MS
For Husbands Only I was vacuuming the den recently and remembered how I used to vacuum before I was properly trained. I used to go for the big stuff only - you know, the black strings, Oreo cookie crumbs, paper clips and the like - and leave the rest of the carpet untouched. I figured if you couldn't see it, it wasn't there. Then I was told that it wasn't the big stuff that shortened the life of the carpet; it was the stuff you couldn't see. I learned to tend to the entire floor, not just the stuff that cried out to be sucked up. So now when I vacuum, I cover the whole floor, even behind the doors and in the corners and especially the edges that aren't even walked on. No telling what lurks in those hidden places, right? Believe it or not, vacuuming is a lot like being an attentive husband. Both require that you be aware that there are destructive elements hiding in unseen places. A man's tendency is to respond to his wife only when she insists on his attention, when she lets him know that his inattention has gotten out of hand. When she finally does get his attention, he might respond. But if she never said anything to him, he'd go on as if things are just fine. The truth is, our wives generally know when our marriage is in trouble long before we do because we think we can get by with just tending to those "urgent" or "emergency" situations. Preventive care means that we constantly have our finger on our wives' emotional pulse. Too many wives come to my office alone. Why? Because their husbands don't get it; they are oblivious to the concerns their wives have about their marriage. Husbands think, just because they're content that their wives are also, or should be. Too many husbands respond to their wife's cry for help by saying, "It's your problem," or "That's just the way I am," or "Get over it!" Being an attentive husband, like parenting, takes courage. It's too easy, even cowardly, to let things rock along in our marriage until it gets to the point of breaking. It doesn't have to be that way. Real men pay attention to the whole relationship, not content to respond only to the cries for help. (No telling what lurks in those hidden places, right?)
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