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 The Cornerstone 

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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 9 *   Number 38*  September 23,  2007

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 Fishers of Men

 At the fulfilled time, Jesus began His work to proclaim the good news of His gospel call.  On a given day as Jesus walked the shore line of the sea of Galilee he spotted Peter and Andrew casting their fishing nets into the sea.  Catching fish was their livelihood, but at the bidding of Jesus they forsook their nets and followed Him.  His call unto them was clear “Come ye after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.” Matthew 1:17.  The same calling was extended to James and John a little further up the shore.   

The Master was going to change what they were fishing for.  They were no longer going to catch fish, but men.  Their bait would no longer be a net, but the good news of salvation from sin.   

Peter, Andrew, James and John would become Jesus’ closest friends and Jesus would teach them how to fish for men.  Some three years later, they would stand before thousands of people on the day of Pentecost and herald forth the good news of Jesus.  Their proclamation would be very successful as nearly three thousands men and women would obeyed the gospel call.  (Acts 2) 

There was no time to revel in all the men whom they had caught.  There was work to be done and the gospel went forth from Jerusalem to Judea, to Samaria (Acts 8) and then the gospel reached the utter most parts of the world. (Colossians 1:23)   Truly they had become fishers of men.  

The same gospel call catches men today…”Let’s go fishing!” 

                                                               Stacy Crim

Blessed is the Man
Allan McNabb

In one sense, "blessed" means to make happy. This is a universal desire of every man, woman, and child. Who doesn't want to be happy?

Who is Happy?

God, through King David, communicates the state of a man who is happy. "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its seasons, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper" (Ps. 1:1-3).

David expresses happiness first in the negative and then in the positive. Happiness is:

·        not walking in the counsel of the ungodly.

·        not standing in the path of sinners.

·        not sitting in the seat of the scornful.

·        delighting in the law of the Lord.

·        meditating on God's law day and night.

Happiness: Not Walking in the Counsel of the Ungodly

All men are born into this world, innocent and without sin. But through the weakness of our flesh, we all sin (Rom. 3:23). When we sin, we heed the counsel of the ungodly, whether it's the counsel of false religious teachers or worldly lusts.

Happiness: Not Standing in the Path of Sinners
When we heed ungodly counsel, we sin. Unless we quickly repent, we adopt an ungodly lifestyle that becomes our walk of life, rather than walking in the Light.

Happiness: Not Sitting in the Seat of the Scornful
If we walk in the path of sinners, we eventually sit in the seat of the scornful. Darkness hates the light; therefore, it is scornful toward people walking in the light. People who harden their hearts against God are scornful of the righteous, God's children.

Happiness: Delighting in the Law of the Lord
Notice that happiness is a state of mind, not a state of affairs nor a station in life.

We are happy because we delight in the law of the Lord --- we do not delight in sin. We have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness; we abhor evil and cling to good; we abstain from every form of evil; we avoid evil companions.

Because we delight in the law of the Lord, we don't participate in sin. We don't even entertain evil thoughts.

Happiness: Meditating on God's Law Day and Night
Since we delight in the law of the Lord, we meditate upon His law day and night. We think about the things revealed in God's word, and live the way He commands.

Paul expresses these thoughts like this, "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you" (Phil. 4:8-9).

Result of Godly Happiness

Because we delight in the law of the Lord and mediate in it day and night, we are like a planted tree, not a wild tree. We are chosen of the Lord, a special tree that He cares for, cultivates, fertilizes, prunes, and loves.

Jesus describes this relationship as a vine and branch. "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. . . . Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing" (Jn. 15:1, 4-5).

As God's tree, we are planted by the rivers of water. There is an overabundance from which to drink from the Lord. Therefore, we grow in the Lord, standing strong in this present age against sin, and in the age to come, obtaining eternal life.

Because we are God's tree, planted by the rivers of water and strengthened by Him, we are fruitful. We are filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, walking in a manner worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him in all respects, and bearing fruit in every good work (Col. 1:9-10).

Therefore, we prosper in everything we do. Godly men, doing godly things, always prosper, judging success based on the spiritual rather than the fleshly.

We are like Paul, who says, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me" (Gal. 2:20).

Prescription for Happiness
To be happy:

·        Don't walk in the counsel of the ungodly.

·        Don't stand in the path of sinners.

·        Don't sit in the seat of the scornful.

·        Delight in the law of the Lord.

·        Meditate on God's law day and night.

 

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