• January 5-7 — Douglass Hills

• Remember the kid’s bulletin in the foyer.
• Today’s speaker is Cloyce Sutton. Copies of his sermon notes are available in the literature rack in the foyer.
• Workbooks for the new adult classes are now available. See Reggie or Cloyce for your copies.
• If you want to participate in a Bible-Reading Program for 2007, please sign up. Check off which program you want to participate in: 2-Year Through the Bible; 1-Year Through the Bible (chronological or canonical order); 1 Year Through the New Testament; 1 Year Kids. The sign-up sheet is on the Bible Reading bulletin board. All of the Bible Reading Schedules will be available by Wednesday night.

• Transportation: R Wilson, Durbin
• Lord’s Supper: B Crowder, S Neal
• Meals: M Feldman, R Woosley
• Deacon: R Wilson
• Usher: B Price
• AV: B Blain, M Durbin, A Woosley
• Snow Removal: T Price, B Price, J Price, S Boatright

Peace On Earth, Can It Be?
By Reggie Robarts

Why is there continual conflict among men? Cain could not abide his brother Abel so he killed him. This seemed to set the precedent for humankind in their relations with one another for all time in this world. Abraham and Lot, relatives, had to separate to avoid conflict between them and their herdsmen. Jacob created animosity between his brother Esau and himself by stealing his birthright. Joseph’s brothers hated him because he was their father’s favorite and as a result of their jealousy sold him into slavery. Aaron and Miriam conspired against their brother Moses and brought God’s judgment upon themselves. Saul cultivated a hatred of David and for most of the last part of his life sought to destroy him. Rehoboam and Jeroboam set up separate kingdoms that warred throughout their history.

Have several thousand years of history changed this? It is obvious to the most casual observer that things remain pretty much as they always have been. All of history is rife with wars and conflicts, with arguments and discord, which often involve brutality and bloodshed. Even today the extreme demonstration of man’s inhumanity to man can be seen in the violence in Iraq. Those who share national kinship and a common religious belief destroy each other with impunity. All over the world the strong prey upon the weak and the intellectually gifted take advantage of the dull witted, and so “there’s nothing new under the sun.” What ever happened to the “peace on earth” that Jesus came to bring?

No doubt God looks with sympathy and concern on the condition of man here on earth. The Bible makes it clear that God is concerned about the things that trouble man. Physical disease, pain, suffering, immorality, child and spouse abuse, injustice, hunger, etc. all touch God’s heart. God’s interest in such things is evident because he commands us to pray to Him for relief of such conditions. He expects those who wear His name to do what they can to relieve the suffering of their fellow man. But several other things I think take precedence over those things that affect the physical well being of us humans.

God’s deepest concerned, I believe, is for those who are spiritually sick, who have turned aside His offers of grace and mercy, and have rejected the sacrifice of His Son for their sins. This life is only for a relatively short time and then the trials common to this world will be gone forever. What man seeks so desperately, peace and relief, can be his because of God’s grace extended through His Son. John, in the book of Revelation, describes a place, to which man may aspire, where there are no more tears, no crying, no misery, for all these former things “have passed away.” God gave the gospel to His people to save themselves and to proclaim it to a lost and dying world. There should be a sense of urgency on the part of every Christian to share the Good News with everyone they meet so all can live their lives with untroubled hearts (John 14:1-3).

There is another area of conflict that concerns God, and that is the discord among those who make up His spiritual body, the church. James asks those Christians of his time, “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?” (James 4:1) Warfare is an essential part of the Christian life. We are encouraged, no, commanded, to put on the armor of God that has been supplied to us and stand toe to toe with Satan in a continuing struggle for truth (Ephesians 6:10-20). But this combative stance is not to carry over in our relationship with our brethren. James conclusion is that most of the difficulties that arise in the Lord’s body is caused from internal, ungodly desires in the heart of the Christian. When you see discord and fighting among brothers and sisters in Christ you can be assured that it is an outward manifestation of trouble inside, in the heart. Behind every strife will be selfishness, pride or jealousy or some other such perverse motive. These unholy emotions will be motivated by a desire for power or recognition, or a lust for pleasure, or some other hidden agenda. These kinds of dissention in the body are not motivated by the wisdom from above. James says the wisdom that comes from God is “pure, peace loving, considerate, submissive (humble), full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. It is sown in peace and raises a harvest of righteousness” (James 3:17,18).

We love the story of Jesus birth at this time of the year. In Luke 2:14, the angels announced “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth, peace, good will toward men!” Peace is promised to men of good will. The peace that is of supreme importance is the peace that man will have with God when he has the right relationship with his heavenly Father. When one has that peace with God by loving Him and keeping His commandments he will also have a peace with his fellow man. We can ask for nothing more than he assurance of God’s love here and the promise of His eternal presence in the world to come. My prayer is that our little spiritual family here at Eastland will make this the best year yet in our service to God and to one another. I pray we will all have the peace that passes understanding and that guards our hearts and minds through Jesus Christ.

Just One
By Cloyce Sutton II

For some time, I have been wondered how many people have ever lived. (What? You mean you don’t sit around wondering about this? Hmmm…)

At any rate, I recently found a website devoted to population growth issues, and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but this very question! The article originally appeared in Population Today in February 1995.

It goes into some detail about the mathematical approach and assumptions that are made. For my purposes, I’ll just accept the numbers as they stand. The article “guesstimates” that 106 billion people have been born. Wow!

But think about this:

• The sin of just one changed human history forever.
• The death of just one changed human destiny forever.
• Your one life is as precious to God as any of the other 106 billion.
• The only way we know any of this is that the Bible tells us so.