THE POUND PROCLAIMER

 

 


Volume VI

November 2011

Number 5

 

Sing to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Psalms 96:2

 

 


SCRIPTURAL MARRIAGES

Not long ago, I saw a chart that was supposed to be an argument against those of us who believe in traditional marriages. By traditional marriages I mean a marriage between a man and a woman where each has the scriptural right to be married. I shall address the false premise promoted by the chart in this article and then look to God’s word for the answer to the question: What constitutes a scriptural marriage?

The chart depicted eight different types of relationships as being marriages. ONE was the union of one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24). TWO was the union of a man with his brother’s widow (Genesis 38:6-10). THREE was the union of a man, a woman and a concubine (Abraham, Solomon). FOUR was a rapist and his victim (Deuteronomy 22:28-29). FIVE was a man, a woman and her property (Genesis 16). SIX was a soldier and his female prisoner (Numbers 31:1-16; Deuteronomy 21:11-14). SEVEN was a man, a woman, a woman, etc. (Solomon). EIGHT was a male slave and a female slave chosen for one another by the master (Exodus 21:4).

Well, what do you know! The promoters of ‘anything goes’ in marriage have finally found scripture (?) to justify their sinful, ungodly unions. I don’t think so! Please keep reading.

The above mentioned chart was posted by an Episcopalian priest on his Face book page. Because he and I have a history of discussing the Episcopal Church’s acceptance of practicing homosexuals, I am qualified to state the purpose for his post of this chart. The premise of the chart is that there is justification for same sex marriages. Furthermore, the chart implies that God does not have a set standard for a scriptural marriage. The rest of my comments will be to show that this premise is false.

There is no better place to begin than with the words of Jesus Himself. On an occasion when Jesus was at the coasts of Judea beyond Jordan; “And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, ‘Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?’” (Matthew 19:3). To this question Jesus replied, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together let not man separate.” (Matthew 19:4-6)

There you have it my friends. Jesus the Christ who was God in the flesh tells us what God intended to be a scriptural marriage. The first human beings that God created were a man (male) and a woman (female). In the beginning there was one man and one woman. Jesus tells us that God intended that one man should take unto him one woman and the two would become one flesh. I really don’t see how anyone can misunderstand such a plain statement as this.

But I can hear someone saying; “What about the chart and the biblical examples it shows?” Again, let us go to the words of Jesus to answer this question. “They [Pharisees, JGY] said to him, ‘Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?’ He said to them, ‘Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.’” (Matthew 19:7-9)

What Jesus says in response to the Pharisees’ second question is extremely important. He says, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives.” The apostle Paul says something similar when he was speaking to the Athenians on the Areopagus. He said, “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,” (Acts 17:30). While Paul is speaking of idolatry specifically, his inspired statement speaks to the incomplete knowledge and sinful actions of those people who lived before the completed revelation of God (2 Peter 1:3; cf. 1 Corinthians 2:10-13). Therefore, when we read of the so called marriages depicted in the chart, we must consider that men like Abraham, Solomon and David were either ignorant, sinful or both in their actions toward women.

This brings us to our last point. Do we really think that we can justify our sinful actions by pointing out the sins of others? It reminds me of a story I once heard. A mother left her two year old son and his puppy in the play room while she cleaned her house. Suddenly, she heard the puppy give a blood curdling yelp and rushed to see what had happened. The puppy was sitting in a corner rubbing its ear with its tiny paw. The boy was crying as well. She inquired as to what happened to which the boy replied, “He bitted me first!”

We cannot justify personal sinful actions on the sinful actions of others, even those we find in the Bible. Scriptural marriage is between one man and one woman. It is not polygamy, concubinage, forced marriage for whatever reason and certainly not same sex unions [I refuse to degrade marriage by referring to same sex unions as a marriage]. Let us not turn our back on God’s commands lest He turn His back on us.

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The Editor’s Page

 

DO WE MOURN FOR OUR SIN?

God said of David, the son of Jesse, “I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.” (Acts 13:22; cf. 1 Samuel 13:14) Although David was a man after God’s own heart, he sinned. The case of David’s sin with Bathsheba is well documented in the Old Testament scriptures. (2 Samuel 11:1-5) Not only was David’s sin a sin of adultery but also a sin of murder, because he sent orders to have Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, placed in the forefront of the battle then withdraw from him so he might be killed. Who can deny that David was guilty of despicable sins?

David’s sin was not hidden. God sent the prophet, Nathan, to David and confronted him with his sins. (2 Samuel 12:1-12) Once David was shown his sin, he reacted in an acceptable way for he “said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the LORD.’” (2 Samuel 12:13) This is not, however, the whole lesson we should learn from David’s action. There is something for us to learn about true repentance.

The fifty-first Psalm gives us insight into the repentance of David. It reveals to us a man who is truly devastated by his sins. “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.” (Psalms 51:1-4) Who can read this Psalm and not recognize a contrite spirit that manifests true mourning for sin? (Matthew 5:4) Can anyone deny that David is motivated by a godly grief which produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret? (See 2 Corinthians 7:10)

What is the lesson for you and me today? We must be like David when repenting of sin. The flippant, arrogant attitude of the world toward sin must never be the attitude taken by the Christian. Those who are not broken in spirit when they sin will not come to true repentance. Going through a pretense of a public display of penitence does not reflect true repentance. As David of old, let us recognize that we have sinned against our God and have offended the only pure and holy God of creation. Without this mortification of our bodies, we shall continue in a reckless life until the end when comes eternal punishment.

“Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.” (Revelation 3:3) “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” (Revelation 3:19)

 


WORKING FOR THE MASTER

 

HAVE YOU OBEYED THE GOSPEL?

By Wallace Whitehorn

What do you mean; “Have you obeyed the gospel?” Notice what we are told in God’s word about when Christ comes again. “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;” 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9. We can realize the seriousness of it when we read in Revelation 20:10 & 15 about those who will not obey God that they will be cast into the lake of fire, with the devil and his followers forever and forever.

People of the denominational churches speak of “joining the church”, but we do not read in the Bible about people joining the Lord’s church. After people have qualified by obeying the gospel of Christ, He will add them to His church. (Acts 2:47) He never adds them to man made churches. He only adds to the church He said He would build; His church. (Matthew 16:18-19) The Lord did not build His church on Peter, but on the confession Peter has just made in Matthew chapter sixteen and verse sixteen, namely “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Now to those who do not obey the gospel, they will not be added to the Lord’s church and will be lost and punished forever.

 

How Do I Obey The Gospel?

Obedient Faith: Mark 16:16; Revelation 22:14; Hebrews 11:6

Repent of Past Sins: Luke 13:3 & 5; Acts 2:38; Acts 8:36-38

Confession of One’s Faith in Christ: Matthew 10:32; Acts 8:37; Romans 10:10

Baptism: Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-4; Acts 8:36-38; Galatians 3:27

My friend, baptism is the “new birth” that Jesus spoke of in John 3:3-5 and Jesus said it “must” be done to enter the Kingdom of God (the Lord’s church). Paul, the great apostle, inspired by the Holy Spirit of God, tells us how to do the new birth in Romans 6:3-6. “Buried with Christ in baptism” and raised to “walk in newness of life”. Paul also said in Colossians 1:13 that by the act of baptism, we are “delivered from the power of darkness (Satan’s kingdom) and translated into the Kingdom of Christ” (His church).

The new birth is the door to Christ’s church and anyone wanting to get in any other way is the same as a thief and a robber. (John 10:1) It is not obedience until we do it the Lord’s way.

After doing these, the Lord will add you to His church, the church of Christ. (Acts 2:47) you will then be a member of that church the Hebrew writer speaks of in Hebrews 12:22-24. You will then be in company with “the general assembly and church of the first born who are registered in Heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant”.

If we can help you, please call on us.

All the churches of Christ greet you. (Romans 16:16)

 


THE LAST WORD

 

It is with heart felt love for our brother Wallace Whitehorn that I write the following. This past September 14th he had his 90th birthday. It was on a Wednesday and at the evening service he gave the invitation. He said he wanted to make an appointment to do it again in ten years when he had his 100th birthday. We hear at the Pound church are lucky to have such a dedicated servant of our Lord. As all can see from his article in this issue, he is still active and involved in the Lord’s work.

 

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WHAT MUST I DO

Hear: Rom 10:17

Believe: Heb 11:6

Repent: Lk 13:5; Ac 17:30

Confess: Matt 10:32; Ac 8:36

Be Baptized: Ac 2:38; 22:16

TO BE SAVED?

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AUDIO SERMONS & RADIO PROGRAM:

If you would like to hear a sermon you can access our Audio Sermons page. Also on this page is a place to access our radio program [WALKING BY FAITH]. Place your cursor over the title, WALKING BY FAITH radio program and click. This will take you to a page where you can download a program. The program is a weekly so there will be a new program uploaded each week. We also keep the sermons updated as well.

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The Pound church web site = www.poundchurchofchrist.org/

 

 

WALKING BY FAITH

9 AM

102.3 WDXC Radio

 

 

 


The Pound Proclaimer is published monthly by the Pound church of Christ 9517A Orby Cantrell Hwy. Pound, VA 24279

All articles by the editor unless otherwise stated

Editor: Glen Young

Phone: 276-796-5767=Office

804-365-8694=Home

Time of Services

Sunday: Bible Classes—10 am

Assembly—11 am

Assembly—4 pm

Wednesday: Bible Classes—7 pm

E-mail: gyoung47@comcast.net

All questions or comments regarding the content of this bulletin should be directed to the editor. He may be reached at the e-mail given above or at P. O. Box 802 Pound, VA 24279-0802.

 

 


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