Hello Everyone!

Our desire has been and continues to be that the bulletin (and its various and sundry contents) be a blessing to each one who reads. At one time or another, I used three words beginning with ??Ǩ?i??Ǩ to summarize what we wanted to achieve in this work: information, instruction, and inspiration. I suppose that is why the internet version is called the ??Ǩ?iBulletin.??Ǩ Each week, as I consider what might be an encouragement in our walk of faith, what might exhort us each to love and good deeds, and above all, what might exalt Jesus Christ, I pray that we have accomplished these aims for all of us, and in particular, for you.

Just now it is ??Ǩ?back to the drawing board??Ǩ to ??Ǩ?brain-storm??Ǩ solutions for new circumstances. I must admit, it is always easier to continue as we have, than it is to alter course or make a mid-flight correction, often through trial and error (and what a comedy that is at times!). But if we don??Ǩ?Ѣt, we will not only miss the bulls-eye of God??Ǩ?Ѣs will, we won??Ǩ?Ѣt even hit the rim of His blessing. I have found it much more difficult than I thought it would be to re-work the contents of our bulletin for the greatest benefit. I don??Ǩ?Ѣt think we achieved full potential yet. But, with your prayers, a little more elbow grease (O.K., lots of polish), and the Lord??Ǩ?Ѣs enabling and guidance, I am hopeful that we will again hit our stride. We??Ǩ?Ѣll keep trying until we do. (I wish now I hadn??Ǩ?Ѣt read that article on the origin of clich?ɬs).

At least for this time, I couldn??Ǩ?Ѣt find a home (actually, the space) for the little feature we began this year, the Bible Reading Insight, just one of the many fine pearls of wisdom and Truth Pastor Rigsby presents in preparing us for our Bible reading each week. So that you wouldn??Ǩ?Ѣt miss out, I have included it here.

Exodus 20
Quick! Name each of the Ten Commandments? Did I catch you off guard? Our inability to express these instantly, with haste, is not necessarily an indication of disinterest or inability, but maybe a lack of sufficient repetition. Repetition is a wonderful aid for our memories. Maybe that is why the Bible is filled with repeated concepts, ideas, and even phrases. Did you know there is a repeated phrase in the Ten Commandments? Well, actually it is only repeated in the first five commands and is not even hinted at in the final five (the subject of another insight, sometime). You can find it in verses 2, 5, 7, 10, and 12??Ǩ?see it?

Here??Ǩ?Ѣs a hint??Ǩ?the phrase reminds us Who gave the Law in the first place. God??Ǩ?Ѣs Law was not given to show man that he can be saved from his sin and misery by keeping it. Rather, God??Ǩ?Ѣs Law was given so that man would come to understand he can??Ǩ?Ѣt be justified by keeping The Law or doing any other good works. Maybe your mind connected with Titus 3:5-6 from those childhood Sunday School (or AWANA) days. See, repetition does work!

But you are still stumped about what is the repeated phrase in five of the Ten Commandments? It is: ??Ǩ?the LORD thy God.??Ǩ Go ahead??Ǩ?check it out! Then remember, only One perfectly kept all of God??Ǩ?Ѣs Law in order that ??Ǩ?we might be justified by the faith of Christ??Ǩ (and this might seem contradictory, but it is not): He is none other than Jesus Christ, God incarnate, God made flesh, ??Ǩ?the LORD thy God.??Ǩ

As always, your input is valued, welcomed, and appreciated (sorry, but with all the previous alliterations and those annoying clich?ɬs, I wasn??Ǩ?Ѣt up to coining another phrase). Your prayer for the Lord??Ǩ?Ѣs work and His Church in and around Bell Gardens??Ǩ?we are humbled, and grateful.

Until next time.

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