Know Your Bible
VOL. 5                           February 12, 2006                           NO. 4

 Three Ways Young People Destroy Their Lives

    I speak from personal experience and from reflections of others I have known and still know in prison. I have spent most of my life in prisons of one sort or another.

    The first way young people destroy their lives is by seeking the wrong kind of place to belong when there seems to be no support at home. They are searching for attention, support and acceptance by anyone. Many times this comes in the form of gangs. The influence of gangs is very rarely positive. Gangs have reputations of trouble and those involved with them usually pay a dear price for belonging to one through death, prison, or physical and psychological harm. Proverbs 18:24 says: "A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." I found that my "friends" left me when I got into trouble just as the Bible says they will, but God was at my side all the time waiting for me to call for His help (Acts 17:27,28).

    The second way I found young people destroying their lives was by greed. They see something they want and take it at the cost of another's injury in many cases. They have not been taught that the way to get things honestly is by hard work and education. They see others steal and rob on TV and think that it is cool or okay. The one who steals always pays a heavy price. The Bible speaks about greed, too. Please read Psa. 17:12; Prov. 15:27; Isa. 56:11. Greed is the downfall of many good people and their families. Yes, their families suffer along with them from shame and reproach.

    The third way that many young people destroy their lives is by lust of the flesh, eyes, and desires. What a person dwells upon will soon become actions. If a person reads or focuses on pornography, illicit sex, and such like, he will instill impure thoughts into his or her mind and heart. The more one thinks about these things the stronger the urge and desire becomes until they become uncontrolled actions. Read the story of David and Bathsheba. David looked, lusted, and such led to the actions of adultery, deceit, and murder (2 Sam. 11).

    I had to come to prison to learn the truth about my actions, but you can learn the truth right now where you are. You don't need to come to a place like this to learn. It is a very hard and lonely place. John 8:32 says: "And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." I now belong to and hang with Jesus. He provides my needs, desires, and keeps my focus on His kingdom (Matt. 6:33) and on the needs of those around me that I may not fail.

---Mark A. Kennedy

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Preaching And Science

    Do not worry about science. It has its legitimate field, and in its field it has done wonderful things. We reap its benefits and are glad. The average preacher knows little about science, and the average scientist knows less about the Bible.

    The claim that science and the Bible do not agree should disturb no one. What is called "science" it not static. Each generation brings new light; most of the old theories have been exploded by scientists themselves. Yet, each generation of scientists boldly announces that science has disproved the Bible. But it can as easily be proved that science has disproved itself. With all their dogmatism about the Bible and science, there are few theories that real scientists are willing to take their stand on and say: "Here is the ultimate truth; no future discoveries will contradict this." So long as they cannot afford to affirm that they have arrived at ultimate truth, how can they with honor say that science disproves the Bible? Besides if the Bible fully agreed with the scientific theories of one age, it would not agree with theories of the next age. The Bible is unchangeable and cannot keep up agreement with that which constantly changes .

    Some of the foremost scientists recognize the limitations of science and are firm believers in the Bible.

    Preach the word! No known truth contradicts the Bible.

—R.L. Whiteside

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LOOKING FOR THE NUBBIN

    Let us suppose I say I am looking for a field of corn to buy. I travel around seeking for a field which contains good corn. Finally I see a field which strikes my fancy. The owner says that he will sell it. I then enter the field to see if the corn suits me. As I pass down the rows, the stalks are tall and strong. Almost every stalk has two massive ears hanging from it. However, I pay them little attention. I am looking for something else. Finally I find it. Over in a low wet corner I find a scrawny little stalk with one little nubbin on it. I pull up the stalk, nubbin and all. I take it to the owner and say, "This is very poor corn. Just look at that nubbin! Why, I have better corn than that, and I have none at all. If your corn is not better than that, then I want none of it."

    Anyone can easily see that I wasn't being fair. I wasn't really looking to see what the field of corn was like. I was just trying to find fault with it. It would seem that I was not really interested in buying the field. I was just looking for the nubbin. In my search for the nubbin, I overlooked all of the corn, which made it a fine field of corn.

    The church of Christ contains many fine, noble, zealous Christians. When one opens his honest eyes he can see them. If one is looking for the church that Jesus built he will see it. If he is looking for Christianity in action, it is before his eyes. If he really wants to be a Christian, he has found what he wanted.

    However, if he is looking for the nubbin, he will find it too. If he is looking for an excuse to stay out of the church, he can find someone who isn't faithful to the Lord. He can point to that one and say, "I am just as good, or better, than that person". Well, so what! Is it something marvelous to be better than a hypocrite, whose portion is hell? Why not take an open--eyed look at the whole church and then become a member like those who are faithful?

---via Gospel Messenger

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HOW MUCH DO YOU WORRY?

    How much do you worry about each of the following? Do you worry about that a lot, a little, or not at all?

 A Lot     A Little     Not At All

"That you will not have enough

money to live comfortably".                30%       39%          31%

"That you will not have enough

health insurance to pay for large

medical bills".                                     29%       31%          39%

"That you or someone in your

household will lose your/their job".     17%       29%          53%

"That you will not live long".               10%       31%          59%

"That you will go to hell".                    10%       18%          70%

                                                                ---via The Harris Poll

Luke 12:4,5 "And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him."

—Selected

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      "Know Your Bible" is e-mailed weekly by the church of Christ which meets at 112 Roberts Avenue in Wise, Virginia. If you know of others who might benefit from the articles contained in this bulletin, we would be glad to have you submit their e-mail addresses and we will include them in next week's mailing. If you are receiving this bulletin and do not wish to continue to do so, please e-mail us with your desire to be removed from the mailing list and we will remove your address promptly. Continue to the bottom of this page and further instructions will be given as to how you may contact us.

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