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 The Cornerstone 

This is the Stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the Chief Conerstone." Acts 4:11

Pulbished to Support the Work of the West End Church of Christ, Richmond, Virginia

Volume 6 *   Number 11*   March 12,  2006

All Things that are Written Shall be Accomplished

"Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished." Luke 18:31

It is above all probabilities of time and chance that all things that were written hundreds of years before the coming of the Messiah would be one hundred percent accurate and right.

In a very pictorial manner Isaiah recorded the death of our Lord.

"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." Isaiah 53:3

"And they spit upon Him, and took the reed , and smote Him on the head." Matthew 27;30

"But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities." Isaiah 53:5

"Have nothing to do with this just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of Him." Matthew 27:19

"He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter, and as a Sheep before Her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth." Isaiah 53:7

"Then said Pilate unto Him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against Thee? And He answered Him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly." Matthew 27:13-14

All things that were written by the prophets concerning Jesus were accomplished. Not one thing that was written failed. There is only one conclusion that can be drawn. God is the Author, Whom knows all and is not subject to probabilities of time and chance.

Stacy Crim

INFLUENCE

Chuck Durham

There is an old adage that says, "Actions speak louder than words." And that is the truth. We call it "influence." The power one has to sway other people along certain courses of action because of his wealth, position, or ability. Influence, either for good or evil, follows in the wake of one's actions and not of what one says he will do or not do. One of the first places I fully came to be aware of this power was in the parent-child relationship. I would see parents warning their children not to smoke. In between their admonitions that smoking caused halitosis, hacking coughs, and lung cancer would be a puff from a cigarette and this feeble rebuke, "Now, don't do as I do but do as I tell you to do." Given man's propensity toward evil, I knew how far that advice went for the betterment of mankind.

What makes influence such a powerful tool is the fact that each of us possess it. There are people who watch us, who admire something about us, who imitate our actions. If put to its proper use, influence can be a great means of leading someone to obey Christ. Listen to Jesus, "For I have given you an example, that ye also should do as I have done to you" (Jno. 13:15). Jesus spoke of actions. Paul wrote, "Be ye imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ" (1 Cor. 11;1). Another apostle of Christ wrote of deeds, Peter said, "For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow His steps" (1 Pet. 2:21). To follow anyone's footsteps, we must walk. The word "example" as used by Peter literally means "an under-writing." It refers to teaching children the alphabet. A copy of the letters of the alphabet would be distributed to each child. They would write underneath the example of the letter as it should be drawn, trying to reproduce it as closely as possible. We must pattern our lives after Jesus. We must do our best to live as He lived, "to be holy as He is holy." Thus, "by their fruits ye shall know them."

Influence Begins With The Heart: Only as we keep the seat of our intellect, emotions, and will unmixed with evil, can we expect to wield the silent power of influence for good. Solomon wrote, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life" (Prov. 4:23). In the ASV, "with all diligence" is footnoted "above all that thou guardest." We must see the necessity of keeping our heart right with God. We must see the danger in letting our thoughts aimlessly wander from sin to sin, of toying with its pleasures in our mind, of calculating our pursuit of it. We must heed the Lord, who was tempted like we are tempted, yet without sin, for He said, "For from within, out of the heart of men, evil thoughts proceed, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, covetings, wickednesses, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, railing, pride, foolishness: all these evil things proceed from within and defile the man" (Mk. 7:21-23).

Influence Is The Result Of Doing Good: If influence is sought for its own sake, then it is a matter of selfish pride and not an attempt to glorify God. The Pharisees were guilty of seeking their own glory above the glory of the Father.

They loved to spread their influence for the sake of spreading their influence (cf. Matt. 6:1-5). Jesus said, "Ye are the salt of the earth...Ye are the light of the world...so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 5:13,14,16). The reason we do good works and influence others to do good works is not "to be seen of men." Rather, that being seen, others may understand that we serve God to glorify Him. We are the light of the world. We must penetrate the evil world and show forth the excellencies of Christ as surely as the light of a burning star pierces the darkness of night. We must preserve from corruption by giving life to people who are spiritually dying as surely as salt gives protection to meat that would decay and become rancid without it (cf. Phil. 2:15,16).

And above all things we must be steadfast, unmovable, constant in our endeavor to serve God. We cannot fellowship evil and expect our influence to be good. We must not fraternize with the enemy. Our teachings and deeds must be consistent. Surely we can see this in the life of Jesus. "He that is not with Me is against Me; and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad" (Matt. 12:30).

-via Gospel Power, Vol. 11, No. 40.

Why Send For Peter?

Robert Turner

An angel appeared unto a man named Cornelius. This devout, God-fearing, alms-giving man was praying to God -- as was his custom -- when an angel of God appeared to him in a vision. (You can read it for yourself -- Acts 10)
 

According to popular conceptions this could mean hallucinations, latter-day revelations, or special divine appointment. An even greater number would say this proved that Cornelius was saved from his sins -- had experienced a "work of grace." I have heard of people "voted into the church" on far less evidence. But the angel was none of these things to Cornelius.
 

The angel told Cornelius to send for Peter, who shall "tell thee what thou oughtest to do;" or "tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved." (See Acts 11:13-f.)
 

Prayers, alms, and devoutness not- withstanding, this man still needed to be saved. Christianity is far more than good citizenship, moral upright- ness, or even respect for God. A Christian has all of this, and more; but these things are found among many who have not yet become followers of Jesus Christ and hence have neither salvation from past sins nor hope for Heaven. This lesson is especially needed by those who have placed their hope for Heaven in the "Great Architect" and welfare work of a lodge.
 

But why send for Peter? Could not the angel tell Cornelius all he needed to know? Or the Holy Spirit -- did not this miraculous out- pouring do all that should be done for him?

When Peter began to speak (11:15) the Holy Spirit was indeed poured out upon these Gentiles --- a marvelous thing for Peter and those Jews with him to behold. Until recently they had thought the gospel was for Jews only. (See 10:9-16, 25-29; 11:1-4) It took this demonstration of divine acceptance (as subjects of the gospel) to convince the Jews that the gospel was for all nations. (10:44-f.11:15-f)
 

But now that they were proven proper subjects of the gospel, there remained the task of preaching: to them, and urging those who would to obey. People must be taught of God; so they may hear, learn and come. (Jn. 6:45) We draw nigh to God through the word of reconciliation. (2 Cor. 5:17-f.)
 

What the angel or Holy Spirit could do was hedged about by divine regulations. God had placed His truth in "earthen vessels" (2 Cor. 4:7) that its divine origin might be the more apparent. It was not His will then or now that heavenly messengers deliver the story of salvation to the world. It was "once for all" delivered to inspired men, and through them to the written form in which we now find it. (Jude 3, Eph. 3:1-f. 2 Pet. 1:14-f.)
 

Peter did exactly what God intended he should do. the preached the good news of Christ to Cornelius and his household, and baptized those who gladly received the word. Note, He commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord." (Acts 10:48)

Plain Talk Vol. 1, No. 7 July, 1964

 

 

 

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