Keep Believing the Good Old Book

Source

I heard the old-time preachers speak without one reference to the Greek.
This precious Book within my hand, is God’s own word on which I stand;
But then the “scholar” came along, and said, “The preacher got it wrong,”
Conflations here, recensions there, and scribal errors everywhere.
So, in despair I bowed my head, “We have no word of God,” I said.
If parts of this old book are wrong, pray tell what else does not belong.
Will still more manuscripts be found which make us go another round?
How many “versions” must we make, how many changes can we take?
Must more discoveries come to light, before we finally get it right?
Will precious doctrines fade away because of what the “scholars” say?
Then to the Book again I fled, to find out what my Father said!
“Forever settled, never fade”, this promise God the Spirit made.
“A thousand generations hence”, that seems a mighty strong defence.
A perfect book, then it must be, you can’t improve what God gave me!
We have a book completely true, instructing us in all we do.
Preserved by God, not found by men; inscribed by God, the Spirit’s pen!
So, let the “scholars” go their way, ignore the things they have to say.
Don’t give their junk a second look, just keep believing this old Book!
-Heard in a Sermon by R.B. Oullette

Showing Meekness to All Men

 

This is a study that we are going to be doing tomorrow at our men’s breakfast.  We have been studying the book of Titus.

Titus 3:1-2 “Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.”

Definitions:

• Brawler – a person who quarrels, squabbles, or fights, a brawl is a noisy fight or argument
• Meekness – patient, mild, humble, gentle; a calm temper of mind that is not easily provoked; power under control.

We are to be meek, gentle, and peacable unto all men.

• Romans 12:18 “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”
• 2 Timothy 2:24 “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,”
• Meekness is not weakness.  Some of the strongest men in the Bible were meek: Jesus (Matt 11:29, 21:5), Moses  (Num. 12:3), Abraham (Gen 13, 16:5-6), David (Zech 12:8, 2 Sam 16:10-12, and Paul (1 Cor. 9:19)
• Proverbs 16:32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

We should be patient with all men because…

• We remember how we used to behave and God was patient with us. (Titus 3:3)
• We are saved and have new life. (Titus 3:4-5)
• We have the Holy Ghost changing us. (Titus 3:5)

How are we to show meekness to all men?

• By putting on the new man which is renewed in the knowledge that we find in God’s Word of who we are in Christ. (Colossians 3:8-14)
• By working to flee the old life and to follow meekness. (1 Timothy 6:11)
• By seeking the Lord and spending time with the Lord we will become like Him. (Zech 2:3, Matt 11:29)
• By being filled with the Holy Spirit. (Gal 5:22-23)

Relevent

Yesterday I was thinking about how there seems to be a big push these days for the church to be relevent.  Over the last few weeks, as we have been preaching and planning for messages on relationships, depression, anger, abuse, men, women, purpose, meaning, etc., it has amazed me to think that the most relevent thing we have is the Word of God.  Even after thousands of years, it still speaks to the deepest needs of people and answers the greatest questions.  I stand in awe of the awesome power of the Word of God to address, convinct, and change the hearts of men and women after all these years.  My desire is that nothing I do would make the Word of God appear to be irrelevent, unpowerful, and unhelpful, because truly it is an amazingly book that has the answer to all of life’s problems.