March 3, 2013-Dowagiac Church of Christ bulletin

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March 3, 2013

WELCOME!
WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE

We are a group of believers who simply try to follow the Bible as a guide for all we do. Everything done in our worship service is something for which we have a Bible basis. You are welcome to participate as much or as little as you wish. We will sing hymns together and we will observe the Lord's Supper or Communion together. We will also have an opportunity to give to the work of God in this area. This collection is for the members here, and if you are visiting you should not feel and pressure to give. Our lesson time will be divided into two groups. The young children will go to our classroom area in the basement where they will be taught the Bible at a level they can understand. The adults will stay in the auditorium for a lesson at an adult level. We do try to serve the community, and if you have some needs that we can help you with, mention it to one of the members. Thank you for worshipping with us.

FAMILY NEWS

POTLUCK TODAY — February only has 28 days, so the end of the month comes up quickly. Today is our potluck for March, so plan to stay and enjoy good food and a great time together.

NEXT SUNDAY — Our lesson for today will be continued next Sunday as we will take a look at the subject of demon possession and exorcisms. Can you be taken over by a demon against your will, and caused to do something that is beyond your control and yet consigns you to hell for all eternity? What does the Bible teach about this subject? There is a lot of error being taught on this subject, and it is a unique part of the material on the paranormal that we are discussing today. Plan to come and be a part of this vital study.

PLANS — We are planning to buy a recording system to produce copies of classes and sermons. Interest in our Wednesday night study of the book of Revelation has prompted this, but the system we are looking at will also allow us to put sermons on our website so when people cannot make it to services they can still study the lesson on line. See Karl if you have questions.

TODAY'S LESSON

THE PARANORMAL AND GOD

1 John 4:1 – 53

DEFINITION: Experiences that lie outside the range of normal experience or scientific explanation.

EXAMPLES:

Occult	Psychokinesis	Mediums	Ouija
Exorcisms	Shadow People	Poltergeists	Psychis
Cryptids	Ghosts	Aura	Ecotoplasm

WARNINGS:

Exodus 22:18	Deuteronomy 18:10 – 11	2 Chronicles 33:6
Micah 5:12	Exodus 9:11	Galatians 5:20
Leviticus 19:31	Isaiah 19:3	Daniel 2:10

REASONS:

1. Puts faith in things other than God.
2. Diverts your energy.
3. Puts you in the path of dangerous people.

BIBLICAL TRUTHS ON REJECTING THE PARANORMAL

1. We are free moral agents — Philippians 2:12.
2. We have a purpose in existing — Ephesians 6:12 & 3:9 – 11.
3. Our experiences are “common to man” — 1 Corinthians 10:13.
4. All experiences are turned to good — Romans 8:28.
5. Jesus destroyed the works of Satan — 1 John 3:8.
6. Jesus was tempted in every way as we are — Hebrews 4:15
7. Fakes and scams exist — 1 Samuel 28:8 – 12: Acts 19:13 – 16.

WE ARE TOLD TO USE SCIENTIFIC TOOLS

1. 1 John 4:1
2. 1 Timothy 4:1 – 4
3. Examine the Claims

a. Eric Von Daniken — Genesis 1:26 – 27; Ezekiel 1:4 – 28 and chapters 10 – 11.
b. Betty & Barney Hill
c. Amityville Horror
d. A castle near Glenrothes, Scotland
e. Queen Mary
f. Roswell, NM, aliens

4. Human causes for sightings, experiences
5. Understand some things are not testable — miracles.

CHECK OUT doesgodexist.tv — especially programs 13, 14 & 15

THE BACK PAGE

OUR COLLAPSING MORALS

In this morning's lesson we are looking at the paranormal and God's Word. Our society has decided that taking the Bible literally and living by what it says is a sign of ignorance and naiveness. There are many results to such beliefs. One is a willingness to accept any substitute for belief in God. The success of paranormal claims is a demonstration of that acceptance. It has been said that “those who do not believe IN something, will believe anything,” and that is true.

Another place we see the result of the discarding of God and his word is in the morality of our culture. Last weekend my wife and I went to see a program at the Morris Performing Arts Center titled “Rock of Ages.” The Morris has been a center of good theater in the more than 50 years I have lived in this area. I have seen everything from Louis Armstrong to Brad Paisley to the “Nutcracker” in that theater, and the quality of the performances has been excellent.

I went to “Rock of Ages” knowing it was a show concerning the musics of the 1980s and having a weak story of the pure country girl coming to the big city and falling in love with an aging rock star. I lived through the 1980s and know the music and the culture of the 1980s. I taught high school through that time period, and I know the moral struggles and the language of the day. This show was nothing like the 1980s, and had very little redeeming value. The singers were good and the musicians were talented and I enjoyed hearing some of the old music and appreciated how loud it was then and now.

What I was not prepared for was the nudity, foul language, and vulgarness of the production. The F-word was used over and over and was unnecessary to the story; and while it is a common vulgarism in mixed company in today's world it was not in the 1980s. I have expressed my disappointment to the Broadway Theatre League who presented the show. Christians need to stand for moral principles, no matter what the culture around us promotes.

— John Clayton