“EASTER?” For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the traditions of men

as the washing of pots and cups: AND MANY OTHER SUCH LIKE THINGS YE

DO. And He said unto them, full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye

may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7:8-9). Easter

EASTER is a man-made holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus

Christ. The egg is a symbol of a new beginning while the rabbit represents

fertility. Nothing is said of either in God’s Word. The word Easter (KJV) appears

only once in the Bible and is a mistranslation for passover, “And when he had

apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of

soldiers to keep him; intending after easter to bring him forth to the people” (Acts

12:4)

When we set aside the word of God in order to observe man-made

tradition, as stated above, it is sin (Mark 7:8-9). Likewise to bind man-made

tradition on others is sinful too, but to observe a man-made holiday or to thank

God for some act He has performed on our own, is not sinful, “One man

esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth everyday alike. Let every

man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it

unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it.

He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not,

to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks” (Romans 14:5-6). While Easter

observance isn’t found in the Bible, the importance of the resurrection should

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Floyd & Marcella Brown, Ron

Eagleman, Monna Farmer,

Melissa Givens, Larry Grisham,

Wayne Halford, Mary Henry,

Everett Johnson, Jim Lashley, May

Ann Legler, Kelly Marsh, Mary

Sue Marsh, Bettie Maxwell, Linda

Perry, Charles Riley, Gerry

Roberts, Eddie Robinson, Betty

Sage, Linda Ward, Leona Willard,

& Sibyl Wright.

BrookeHaven Sue Ellen Moore

National HealthCare Loeta Barr

Imogene Dold

Jackie Wells

Velnora Wilkening

Pleasant Valley Manor Leota Crawford Dorothy Luna

Pat McFarland Joe Powell

West Vue Louise Cook

Elsie Croney

Joann Eagleman

Bobby Jo Gish

Hazel Henry

Dennis Smithson

Lucy Tackitt

Charlie Ward

CHURCH OF CHRIST “I was glad when they said unto me; Let us go into

the house of the Lord” (Psalm 122:1)

111 South Curry St.

West Plains, MO 65775

417-256-3925

currycofc@centurytel.net

Office Hours 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. / T - F

COME JOIN US IN OUR

WORSHIP!

Sunday Bible Study 9:30 a.m.

Classes for all ages!

Morning Worship 10:30 a.m.

Evening Worship 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday

Bible Study 7:00 p.m.

KJV Requested For Pulpit, Classrooms & Scripture Reading.

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5

Those We Love

In Need Of

Prayer

Nursing Home

Residents

Volume 30, No. 12, March 27, 2016

www.cschurchofchrist.church

Room 201

Room D13

Room A14

Room A13

Room C-12

Room 206

Room 405

Room 505

Room 404

Room 327

Room 425

Room 404

Room 412

Room 713

Room 411

Room 602

Room 808

Continued on page 3

prepared for the dev

“STRENGTHENING YOUR

MARRIAGE” CLASS

Thursdays at 7:00 p.m.

Ivie Powell – Instructor

6th

WEEK: The Fight is On!

“Conflict Management”

March/April

Birthdays &

Anniversaries

27 - David & Joyce Stewart

Rondia Wood

28 – Jack Hammond

Charles Riley

31 – Norris Cozort

Tim Redburn

April 1 – Caitlin Green

2 – Brent Roberts

A Warm Welcome

To Our Visitors!

We want to welcome each and every one of

you to our worship services today! We hope

you will stay after services, so that we may

become better acquainted with you! If you

would, please fill out an attendance card located

in the pew in front of you and drop it into the

collection plate, so that we may have a record of

your attendance.

Our next quarter begins April 3rd

. See

Lance Shipley if you can teach.

Ladies Bible Study will meet on Tuesday,

March 29th

, 2016. We will eat at 6:00 p.m. with

bible study at 6:30. Please bring finger foods!

Brother Gene Bench will be starting a class

entitled: Problems of Everyday Christian

Living” Wednesday evening, April 13th

.

OTHER AREA

MEETINGS (See Bulletin Board )

Fordland church of Christ

Annual Ladies Retreat

April 1-2, 2016

“Let the Beauty of Jesus Be Seen In

Me!” Guest Speaker: Cindy Colley

Crider church of Christ Gospel Meeting

April 10-13, 2016 lectures

Bill Dillon

Annual Ladies’ Day East Oakland church of Christ

Saturday – April 16, 2016

Mammoth Spring church of Christ

3rd

& Bethel

April 17 – 20

Billy Bland Instructor at Memphis

School of Preaching

Fill in the Blank 1 John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we _______of him, because we keep his ____________ and do those things that are _________ in his sight.

Congregational News

Answer from Last Week:

elements; works; burned up

In Sympathy

Our love & sympathy

to Wayne Halford at the

passing of his sister, Wanda Slater of

Atascadero, CA.

James Gunter’s sister, Roberta Goss had a

heart attack last week. Please keep her in

your thoughts and prayers. She had a stent

put in and is home now.

Joe Powell sends thanks for all the visits,

cards and calls and asks for our prayers.

Word Search 2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER NINE

T A H T E W O S O Y E D N I M D

S S O N W O S O N N Y T E A R A

A F T E W Y O A D O T U S E S E

O V A N T A M I N T S R Y E I R

B E A N I O N T U R N A O I L B

S Q U I D A N T O U R S T H E N

R O B I N I S O B P L E E N X O

B E D A O R B A A B A A S E P E

B L A C K E R A E R O F E B D O

T O A D T U G C O H E R E O N E

A O F H Y O E H P E A L S T H E

H E G L S U M A O N B V S O Y Y

T I C P A L O I O A B I I R O L

M Y E A R H C A R A R E E N O P

C L E A R S E A T H E V L A G A

T R A E H G A B C H E E R E D H

ABLE HAVING ABOUND HEART ABROAD

LEST ACHAIA MANY BEFORE MIGHT

BEHALF MIND BOAST POOR BOUNTY

PRAYER BREAD READY CHRIST SAINTS

COME SEED EVERY SOWETH EXHORT SOWN

GOSPEL THAT GRACE VAIN HAPLY WANT

Gospel Meeting At

Curry Street

April 3 – 6, 2016

Allen Webster

Topics Sunday 9:30 am

“Little Known Facts about the Bible”

Sunday 10:30 a.m. “Were You There When They Crucified

My Lord?”

(A Trip Back to Calvary)

Sunday 6:00 p.m.

“Up From The Grave He Arose!”

Monday 7:00 p.m.

“Jesus Loves Me, This I Know”

Tuesday 7:00 p.m.

“Five Views of Mark 16:16”

Wednesday 7:00 p.m.

“Words Written on an Asylum Wall”

But if ye have respect to persons, ye

commit sin, and are convinced of the law

as transgressors. James 2:9

never be overlooked. It lies at the hub of Christianity itself. Paul wrote to those

of Corinth, “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how

that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1st Corinthian

15:3-4), and, “For if the dead rise not then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be

not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins” (1st Corinthians 15:16-17).

It is sad that the Sadducees rejected the doctrine of the resurrection for

without a resurrection there is no hope, “For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both” (Acts

23:8).

However; we are not told to commemorate the resurrection, but rather the

death of our Lord, “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered

unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took

bread: and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, take eat: this is my

body, which is broken for you; this do in remembrance of me. After the same

manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the New

Testament in my blood; this do ye, as off as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come” (1st Corinthians 11:23-26). This is the Christian’s Passover and is

to be observed the first day of every week, “Purge out therefore the old leaven

that ye may be a new lump, As ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: (1st Corinthians 5:7), and, “and upon the first day of the

week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto

them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight” (Acts 20:7).

To neglect this ordinance is indeed a grievous sin which may cost many there

eternal salvation, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to

good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner

of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day

approaching. For if we sin willfully after that we received the knowledge of the

truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries” (Hebrews

10:24-27).

THE RESURRECTION I Corinthians 15:12-20

In Matthew 22:23ff, “…the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection…” came to Jesus and asked him a question concerning the resurrection. Their attitude and influence was still prevalent during Paul’s time. Paul asked the question in I Cor. 15:12, “…how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?” Paul continues (vs. 13-19), to give several arguments against those that did not believe in a bodily resurrection. First, he says, “…if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen, (vs. 13, 14). As we search the Gospel accounts, we know that Jesus arose from the dead. The eyewitnesses that saw him: the women, the disciples and apostles, and over 500 saw the risen Lord prior to his ascension. Even the Apostle Paul testified to the fact of the resurrection of Jesus. He had been with Jesus. Paul continues his reasoning by stating, “…if Christ be not risen, then our preaching is vain (empty).” This results in his conclusion that vain/empty preaching would depict himself and all preachers of the Gospel as being false witnesses, i.e., they would be preaching a fabricated message that God had raised Jesus when He actually had not done so. This type of preaching would then produce within listeners, who had placed their trust in a preacher of the Gospel, a false sense of hope and trust – a vain/empty faith. Next, Paul states probably the most severe concern of all, i.e., those who have placed their faith and trust in the resurrection of the Christ, have no hope because they “…are yet in their sins,” (v. 17). What a tragedy, to know that you do not have any hope of a resurrection and an opportunity to be with the Lord in eternity and for all eternity! “If…” as Paul states, “…only in this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable,” (pitiable – NKJV). He further reasons in the last part of verse 32, “If the dead do not rise, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die’ To think that we are only living for today, is depressing to say the least; that after we die, that’s it…it’s over. In verses 12 thru 14, Paul stated a proposition followed by his arguments against those not believing in a bodily resurrection. Then in verses 20-23, he gives us the facts – the real facts, the truth. In verse 20, he emphatically states, “But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” As we learn from Leviticus 23:10-16, under the Mosaic Law, the offering of the firstfruits were a pledge of the full harvest yet to come. Christ, being the firstfruits of the resurrection, is therefore the pledge of the full harvest (the general resurrection) to come at the end

“EASTER?” By Larry Yarber

By Randy Carr

of time when everyone will be raised to stand before Him in judgment. “But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming,” (v. 23). What further meaning would there be for us today if Christ had not risen from the grave? Our very foundation of who we are as Christians would be undermined and meaningless. God’s Word would be just another novel written to entertain mankind rather than being the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible’s laws, commandments, judgments and statues would be meaningless and useless. As pertaining to the church (God’s people), we would be mocked and ridiculed. The ‘church building’ would only be a gathering place like any other social club. There would be no need for worship for what would that accomplish. Sin would run even more rampant than it is today; no forgiveness and no deliverance from sin. And as Paul said in chapter 15, there would be no hope; no anchor for the soul, (Heb. 6:19). Heaven would only be a casual dream. But, we have God’s Word; we have the Lord’s Body-the church; we have every opportunity for worship; we have hope; AND, we have Heaven waiting for us – the faithful, for Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people, because CHRIST IS RISEN!

Spiritual Stenosis Jesus said, “Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that

leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait is the gate and

narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matt. 7:13-14).

Luke’s record of this teaching reads, “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say to

you, will seek to enter in and shall not be able” (Lk. 13:24). In both passages the Greek word

stenos is used and translated as strait (narrow NKJ). We get our English word stenosis from

the same word. Webster’s says of stenosis, “A narrowing or constriction of a bodily passage or

orifice.” There is carotid artery stenosis, renal artery stenosis, spinal stenosis, etc., etc.

Matthew’s record of Jesus using this term is in what we call the Sermon on the

Mount. Immediately following verses 13 and 14 we have a warning against wolves in

sheep’s clothing (Matt. 7:15-20), a reference to those whom Jesus “never knew” (v. 21-

23), and His teaching on what it means to truly be wise (v. 24-27). Luke’s record of this

teaching was in response to a question: “Lord, are there few that be saved” (Lk. 13:23)?

Luke, by inspiration, used the word strive which means, “a wrestling or fight.” Both

passages indicate that the search for spiritual life is indeed narrow. Jesus was “narrow-

minded!” That is hard for people in our time to comprehend. In our tolerant, non-

judgmental society narrow-mindedness is frowned upon. For many, truth is subjective.

“You can’t say I’m wrong in my beliefs and I cannot say you are wrong in your beliefs”

is the cry of many. Yet, Jesus still says, “Many will seek to enter is and shall not be able”

(Lk. 13:24).

Jesus’ teaching in the above mentioned verses goes hand-in-hand with something

else He said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No cometh unto the Father but by Me”

(Jn. 14:6). Jesus taught these same truths to His apostles and promised them that, when

He left the earth, He would send the Holy Spirit to guide them into all truth (Jn. 14:26;

15:26; 16:13-14). After the establishment of the church, the message of the apostles was,

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given

among men whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The church began to be persecuted

for her “narrow-mindedness” (Acts 7:51-8:3; 9:1-2; 12:1-4). It was during this

persecution that the church began to be referred to as “the Way” (Acts 9:1-2; 19:8-10, 23;

22:4; 24:14, 22). Is there any significance to this terminology? Did the Holy Spirit use

this description for a reason?

When studying the book of Ephesians it becomes clear as to why the church

became known as “the Way.” The Christians to whom Paul was writing in that letter had

heard the gospel from him (Acts 19). Paul had to first correct some teaching in Ephesus

that had been put forth by Apollos on the baptism of John (Acts 18:24-28). Once those

disciples heard the truth, “they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:5).

So, what about Ephesians, the Way, and narrow-mindedness? No less than 28

times Paul, in Ephesians, uses phrases such as in Him, by Him, and through Him. 9 times

he uses the word church and 9 times he uses the word body. The body is the church

according to Paul. “And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head

over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all”

(Eph. 1:22-23). He then states that there is one body (Eph. 4:4). Many would be shocked

and would say, “That is too narrow-minded Paul!” Yet, Paul goes even further with this

thought. Ephesians 5:23 reads, “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is

head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body (i.e. the church).” Ephesians is all

about being in Christ and having access to all the spiritual blessings therein (Eph. 1:3).

Paul also stated that salvation is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 2:10) and that baptism is the way

to get into Christ (Gal. 3:27). If we want the promise of the abundant life now and

eternal life later, we must come to God on His terms. Remember the words of

Christ: “Many seek to obtain it (salvation), but will not be able” (Lk. 13:23-24).