July/August 2008
 
In This Issue

 

The Teaching of the Twelve    Apostles  "Didache" 

  

Your help is needed  

  

Those Who Mocked God  

 

New email address? 

   

We Recommend: (Books & CDs)  

  

Jesus is Coming  

  

Wisdom  of Sirach          

  

Let there be light! 

   

Bible Translations    

  

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Let There Be Light! 

   

  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
   Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
   Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.      

(Mathew 5:14-16)

 

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Wisdom Of Sirach

 

Do not be so confident of atonement  

That you add sin to sin  

Sirach 5:5 (Septuagint)  

  
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One of the most challenging books on Christian discipleship ever written! William Law writes with vivid insight on what it really means to live the life that Jesus taught. He uses lots of illustrations to help the reader see how Jesus' words apply in everyday life situations. The book is particularly powerful because William Law lived out everything he wrote.

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Let truth  

be well seasoned  

with meekness  

and Christian charity

 

"Didache"   

The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles    

Translation by Tim Sauder    

    

Chapter One   

      There are two ways: one of life and one of death; and the difference between the two ways is great.      

      The way of life is this: first, you should love God, who made you; secondly, love your neighbor as yourself; and whatever things you do not desire to be done to you, do not do them to someone else.     

      Now the words of this teaching are this: Bless those who curse you and pray for your enemies, and fast for those who are persecuting you. For what credit is it if you love those who love you? Do not the Gentiles do the same thing? But love those hating you, and you will not have an enemy.     

      Keep yourself from fleshly and bodily cravings. If anyone hits you on the right cheek, turn the other one to him also. And you will be acting maturely. If someone should force you to go one mile, go with him two. If someone takes your coat, give him your shirt also. If anyone should take from you what is yours, do not demand that he give it back, for you cannot.      

      Give to everyone asking you and do not refuse, for the Father desires to give to everyone from His own gifts. Blessed is the one who gives according to the commandment, for he is innocent. But the one who receives without need shall account for his receiving. Furthermore, being held, he shall be examined concerning what he has done, and he shall not be released until he has given back the last cent.      

      It has been said concerning this, "Let your money sweat in your hands until you know whom you should give it to."  

 

Those Who Mock God 

 

Death is certain! Reflect on this . . . 

 

"Be no deceived: 

GOD is not mocked: 

For whatsoever a man soweth, 

That shall he also reap." 

(Galations 6:7) 

 

Here are some who mocked GOD: 

 

John Lennon (Singer) 

During an interview for an American magazine, he said: 

"Christianity will end. It will Disappear. I do not have to argue about that. I am certain. JESUS is ok, but His subjects were too simple. Today we are more famous than Him." 

Sometime after saying that the Beattles were more famous than JESUS CHRIST . . . he was shot to death. 

 

Tancredo Neves (President elect of Brazil) 

During the presidential campaign, he claimed that if he got 500,000 votes from his party, not even GOD would remove him from the presidency. He got the votes. 

He also got sick the day before his inauguration . . . and died.  

 

Cazuza (Bi-sexual Brazilian singer, composer and poet) 

During a show in Canecia (Rio de Janeiro), while smoking a cigarette, puffed out smoke into the air and said, "God, that's for you." 

He died in a horrible way at the age of 32 ... of LUNG CANCER. 

 

The Titanic 

After the launching of the worlds largest passenger liner, a reporter asked the man who built her, "How safe would the Titanic be?" With an ironic tone he said, "Not even GOD can sink it." 

On her maiden voyage, the ship was sunk by and iceberg. 

 

Marilyn Monroe (Actress) 

During a presentation of her show she was visited by Billy Graham. He said that the SPIRIT of GOD had sent him to preach to her. After hearing what he had to say, she responded, "I don't need your JESUS."  

A week later, she was found dead in her apartment. 

 

Bon Scott (Ex-vocalist of the music group AC/DC) 

In one of his 1979 songs he sang, "Don't stop me. I'm going down all the way; Down the highway to hell." 

 

On February 19, 1980 he was found dead, chocked by his own vomit. 

 

Christine Hewitt (Jamaican journalist and entertainer) 

She said, "The Bible was the worst book ever written." 

Later, she was found in her motor vehicle, burned beyond recognition. 

 

In Campinas, Brazil 

A group of intoxicated young people went to pick up friend. The friends mother accompanied the girl to the car, and was so worried about the drunkenness of the friends that she said to her daughter, who was already in the car, "My daughter, Go with GOD; and may He protect you." The daughter responded, "Only if He travels in the trunk, because inside here it's already full." 

Hours later, news came that there had been a terrible accident. Everyone had died. The car was so damaged that it was unrecognizable. But surprisingly, the trunk was intact. The police said, "There was no way the truck could have remained intact." And, to their surprise, inside the trunk was a crate of eggs . . . Not a single egg was broken! 

 

Most have forgotten (Or never knew) that there is no other name under heaven given so much authority as the name of JESUS. 

 

So many have died. But, only JESUS died and rose again; and He is still living. 
 

Jesus is Coming  

 By a brother in Loveland, CO    

    

        Jesus said, "Behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work." (Revelation 22:12)
        Jesus is coming for a church that is not conformed to this world, (Romans 12:2) that loves not this world or the things in this world. (1 John 2:15) Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.  (James 4:4)
        Jesus is coming for a church that stores its treasures up in heaven, not here on this earth. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Mat 6:19-21)  So, set your mind on things above, not on the things that are on the earth. (Col 3:2)
        Jesus is coming for a church that walks in the Spirit, not in the flesh. For the flesh sets its desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for they are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. (Galatians 5:16-17) If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. (Gal. 5:25)
        Jesus is coming for a church that loves Him, far more than father, mother, wife, children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even ones own life. And he must carry his own cross daily, giving up all his own possessions. (Luke 14:26, 27, 33)
        Jesus is coming for a church that walks by faith, for without faith it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). The righteous man shall live by faith. (Rom 1:17)
        Jesus is coming for a church that says, "Oh Lord, not my will but Thine be done. (Matthew 6:10); For not every one who says to Me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My father who is in heaven, will enter.  (Matthew 7:21) The one who does the will of God lives forever.  (1John 2:17)
        Jesus is coming for a church that walks in obedience. By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him; the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.  (1John 2:3-6)  If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.  (John 14:15  You are my friends if you do what I command you.  (John 15:14)
        Jesus is coming for a church that loves not money - for the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil. (1Timothy 6:10)  No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. (Matthew 6:24)      Jesus is coming for a church that is holy. So put on the new man which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. "Be angry and do not sin." Do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:24-32) Therefore be imitators of God and walk in love (Ephesians 5:1,2) and be holy, for I am holy. (1Peter 1:16) Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. (Heb.12:14) Jesus is coming for a church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing (Eph 5:27) . . . . A church Holy and blameless.   

      

 JESUS is coming!
Is He coming for you?  

 

Bible Translations   

        There are ongoing debates about which translation of Scripture should be used.  Some say, "The Authorized King James Version is the correct version." Others contend that, "Modern translations are better." Still others claim that, "We should return to a version with the Septuagint Old Testament, since it was used by the New Testament writers and most early Christians."  The 1611 English revisers had some light to shed on this controversy. They wrote:    

    "We affirm and avow, that the very meanest translation of the Bible in English, set forth by men of our profession . . . . containeth the Word of God, nay, is the Word of God. As the King's Speech which he uttered in Parliament, being translated into French, Dutch, Italian, and Latin, is still the King's Speech, though it be not interpreted by every translator with the like grace, nor peradventure so fitly for phrase, nor so expressly for sense, everywhere. . . No cause therefore why the Word translated should be denied to be the Word."    

From: The Translators to the Reader: Being a Reprint of the Original Preface to the Authorized Version of 1611 (London, England: the Trinitarian Bible Society, 1911, 1998), p. 20.)       

    What the translators of the Authorized Version stated in answer to those who opposed their work of translating the Bible into English, they and many throughout the centuries have also recognized regarding translations into other languages: that the Word of God in translation is still the Word of God. This was true of the Authorized Version; it was also true of one of the first translations of the Old Testament ever done, the Greek Septuagint.      

From: The Septuagint: God's Blessing on Translation   By D. E. Anderson