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| Volume 23 Number 10 October 2021 |
Page 12 |
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| Volume 23 Number 10 October 2021 |
Page 12 |
Raymond Elliott
The “angel of the Lord” declared to Joseph, “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21 NKJV). The apostle Peter, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, declared, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). There is a beautiful hymn entitled “There’s Something about That Name,” with these meaningful lyrics: “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, There’s just something about that name. Master, Savior, Jesus like the fragrance after the rain; Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Let all Heaven and earth proclaim, Kings and kingdoms will all pass away, But there’s something about that name.”
In our secular society, we often speak of politicians and especially do we mention the names of great athletes. Our children learn the names of entertainers, television celebrities and movie stars; however, it is on rare occasions that you hear the precious name of Jesus. There is a possibility that we might be classified as being extremist if we did. We should not be hesitant to speak of Jesus because He gave His life for us on Calvary so we could be saved. The apostle Paul wrote how the Heavenly Father exalted His Son as found in Philippians 2:9-11, which reads, “God also has highly exalted Him, and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Christian parents are to teach their children of Jesus. One of the first songs they often learn to sing is “Jesus Loves Me.” If children are taught to speak the name of Jesus, they will not be embarrassed to mention His precious name to others as they mature to adulthood. Please observe the truthfulness found in the following: “Before your child has come to seven, teach him well the Way to Heaven! Better still the truth will thrive, if he knows it when he is five! Better yet, if at your knee he learns it when he is only three! Best of all is when you have begun to teach of Jesus before he is one!”
Reaping What Is Sown
Eddie Cooper
The Bible says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7 NKJV). This is true physically. One cannot sow potatoes and from that planting reap beans. This principle of reaping according to what is sown is also true spiritually. The Bible says the seed of the kingdom is the Word of God (Luke 8:11). If this seed (the Word of God) is planted in the 21st Century, it will produce the same thing it produced when planted in the first century – Christians and Christians only.
When something other than the Word of God is sown in the hearts of people, something alien to the Word of God will be reaped. When the doctrines and the traditions of men are sown in human hearts, the result will be plants that the heavenly Father has not planted (Matthew 15:9). One cannot teach only the Word of God and produce anything except New Testament Christians. The seed of the kingdom will produce neither anything more nor less than members of the kingdom. The reason there are so many different churches today is because something other than the Word of God has been sown.