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EldersJohnny Davis . 307‐4232*Dan Fuller . 478‐3755Jerry Hopkins . 434‐4188Phil Porter . 575‐4782Richard Watson. 307‐2608*Chairman for the Month of JuneEvangelistsDan Jenkins . 744‐4559David Sproule . 301‐2230Josh Blackmer . 319‐1418DeaconsMike Archer . 422‐2995David Brown. 972‐7608Novel Brown . 848‐6988Chuck Clark . 627‐4132Victor Colage . 719‐1490Lance Collier . 793‐2718Kirk Crews . 339‐9283Cam Cro s . 214‐3114Jim Davis . 248‐3310Mike Erickson . 310‐9916Tim Fry . 373‐9121Jeff Goodale . 261‐1188Rick Hall . 622‐5131Bob Higbee. 303‐386‐6405Bill Ingram, Jr. . 772‐341‐5463Gary Jenkins . 889‐3585Dick Kelley . 968‐1799Jeff Leslie . 744‐3444Paul Metzkes . 736‐9086Buzz Nelson . 627‐4890Nate Nelson . 801‐9456Jerry Pi man . 793‐2725Lawrence Richardson . 772‐336‐4989Shaun Tyson . 615‐513‐2045Ivan Villard . 422‐5041Kevin Weeks. 386‐4108Church OfficePhone . 561‐848‐1111Fax. 561‐848‐1198Website . www.pblcoc.orgE‐mail . office@pblcoc.orgVol. LVIIIJune 9, 2019No. 23

What if ? What if ? What if.?Mordecai told Esther that there wasWhat if Joseph had taken the path of vengeance onno way she could know for sure that she (ahis brothers when they came to Egypt? What if he had decidedJewish young lady) had become queen of thethat he would just ignore them, send them away and spendPersian Empire so that she could, by her ac‐the rest of his life as one of the great rulers of Egypt? What ifons on just one day of her life, change thehe had failed to save the children of Israel and had not broughthistory of the na on. He simply said, “Whothem into Egypt?By Dan Jenkinsknows whether you have come to the king‐What if David, having heard the challenges from Goli‐dom for such a me as this” (Esther 4:14)? He understood thatath, had responded as every other man in Israel? What if heif she refused to do the right thing, God would usehad not stepped out of his comfort zone, ignoring thesomeone else in some other way to accomplish His Then take me mockery of his peers and simply returned to the safe‐purposes. Have you ever thought about how historyto think about ty of his father’s house? What if he had not led thewould have been changed if those who knew Godarmy of Israel to defeat the Philis nes on that day?who you are andfailed to do right? Consider the following.What if ? What if.? What if ? Go throughWhat if Noah had refused to build the ark? how God wantstherestofthe Bible and see how the ac ons of oneWhat if he had begun the work and then just quitindividualchangedthe lives of those around them.to use youbecause what God expected of him was just tooThen, take me to think about who you are and whatmuch? What if he had not obeyed God’s instruc onsishappeningin your life. What if you, having been given aand designed the ark the way Noah thought was best?“Samuel” did not lend him back to the Lord? What if you, as aWhat if Abraham had decided not to leave Ur? Whatmember of the church, refused to teach our children in theirif he, having been told by God to leave Ur, just kept silent andclasses? You do not know who you are impac ng; what if youhad stayed in Ur? What if he had thought the journey to anthought it demanded too much of you? Make the applica on.unknown land was just long and dangerous and had stoppedWhat if you failed to give your all as a church leader? What ifbefore arriving in Canaan? What if he had departed from Uryou made no effort to reach out and impact the lives of oth‐and then decide he knew of a be er route and a be er des ‐ers? What if ? What if ? What if ?na on for his journey?Biblical Faith in God Involves Obedience to God (Part 2 of 4)While various men may define faithdifferently and while various groups mayseparate faith and obedience in God’s planfor man, the first ar cle in this series foundthat both the Bible and lexicographers em‐phasize that true faith involves convic on,By David Sproulesurrender and obedience. Is there furtherBiblical evidence that can offered in this ma er?It may surprise some Bible readers to learnthat the New Testament actually uses the terms andconcepts of (1) true, saving faith and (2) obediencesynonymously and interchangeably. Consider thefollowing passages that make a dis nct contrast be‐tween one who “believes” and one who “disobeys.”s rred up the souls of the Gen les ” To believe is to obey. Tobe disobedient is equivalent with not believing.Romans 10:16 states, “They have not all obeyed thegospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed what he hasheard from us?’” To have believed is to have obeyed. To notobey is equivalent with not believing.Do you think that God wanted Bible readers to makethe clear and direct connec on between believingand obeying Him? In God’s eyes, one cannot trulybelieve without obeying! These texts empha callyaffirm that!True faith andobedience areused synonyIn a similar way, those who obeyed the Lordinthebookof Acts were said to have “believed.” Inmously andActs 2, individuals believed the message (2:37), re‐John 3:36 states, “He who believes in the interchangeably pented (2:38) and were bap zed (2:41). Luke sum‐Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey theSon will not see life.” To believe is to obey. To not obey isequivalent with not believing.Hebrews 3:18‐19 states, “And to whom did Heswear that they would not enter His rest, but to those whowere disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enterbecause of unbelief.” To not believe is to not obey. Disobedi‐ence is equivalent to unbelief.Acts 14:1‐2 states, “A great mul tude both of Jewsand of Greeks believed. But the Jews that were disobedient2marizes what they did by saying they had“believed” (2:44). In Acts 16, the jailer and his householdheard the Word (16:32), believed (16:31), repented (16:33a)and were bap zed (16:33b). Luke summarizes what they didby saying they had “believed” (16:34). The terms that involvetrue faith and obedience are used synonymously and inter‐changeably in the Word of God.Take me to mark these verses in your Bible. Wehave now learned that by defini on and by clear and repeatedusage in Scripture, Biblical faith involves one’s obedience.(more next week)

Noa Without a LifeboatLegally, she didn't have to tell herstarved herself to death. She died on June 2, 2019. Those thatparents what she was about to do. It is legalshould have protected her, even from herself, stood by as shein Holland at age 12 but needs parental con‐wasted away. Her frail hand was slipping below the surface ofsent up to age 16. Noa Pothoven was 17 andthe water with no one to save, no lifeboat.wanted an assisted suicide. She had alreadyWe could discuss the legality of allowing physicallymet with two independent doctors that con‐healthypeopleto die. We could discuss the humanity of stand‐By Josh Blackmerfirmed her suffering was indeed unbearableing by and watching the life of youth slip away. Both of theseand without hope of recovery. She had suffered sexual abuseare unimaginable. It is my fear that this will become moreand rape since age 11. Those events had thrown hercommon. Depression, anxiety and stress are skyrock‐into dealing with depression, post‐trauma c stresse ng among youth while coping skills and sound rea‐syndrome and anorexia. She wrote an award‐winningsoning are fading. That coupled with a more progres‐autobiography tled “Winning and Learning” where Will you be a life sive “you do you” paren ng style, acceptance of allshe disclosed the abuse for the first me, tooideals, and no moral anchor. There is a storm coming.boat?ashamed to have spoken about it earlier. In a finalMany are adri . Will you be a lifeboat?Instagram post she wrote, “A er years of figh ng andThis is not to say that we each must be men‐figh ng, it is finished. Love is le ng go.”tal health professionals. This is a call to recognizeSo much pain. I can’t begin to imagine what she wentpeople that are struggling. Help them get the help they need.through all those years. There are things that happen in lifeHelp them to see the lifeboat. Most are not in the dire situa‐that require professional counseling and guidance. The goal ofon that Noa was in. Most need someone to take an interest,that kind of treatment is to get to a place where life is beara‐to care, to listen and to show compassion. “Seeing the people,ble. There should be wise counsel that helps people cope withHe [Jesus] felt compassion for them, because they were dis‐the unbearable (Gal. 6:2). In Noa’s case she was adri withouttressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd” (Ma .a lifeboat. Everyone failed her. She went through years of psy‐9:36). Be on the alert, “there are souls to rescue, souls tochological treatment with no success. She was denied her re‐save.” If you are in need of a lifeboat, call or cry out. Noaquest for an official assisted suicide, however her parents andsuffered alone for so long. You don’t have to.government agreed that they would not intervene as sheArticles Published in PBL Family News Emails Last WeekGod can and will forgive you!Inten onal remindersWhen you read through the Bible and come across a womannamed Rahab, the first thing you learn about her is not themost favorable in the eyes of God. We learn in Joshua 2:1 thatshe was “a harlot.” Why does the Bible choose to tell us that?God could have le that par cular detail out and the rest ofthe story would s ll remain the same (or so it would seem).When the Israelites crossed the Jordan River, Joshua com‐manded that twelve stones be taken from the river and set upin Gilgal as a reminder to God’s people of the power of God,when they “crossed over this Jordan on dry land” (Josh. 4:22).Reminders can be a powerful thing!In Joshua 2, we learn something else about thiswoman—she had a faith in God which she con‐fessed to the spies (2:11) and acted upon (2:12‐21; 6:22‐25). In fact, she is held up as an exam‐ple of faith in Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25.Addi onally, there are only five women men‐oned in the genealogy of Jesus (in Ma hew 1:1‐17), and Ra‐hab is one of them (1:5).So, why did God tell us that Rahab was a harlot? He didn’t doit to scorn her, nor did He do it to jus fy pros tu on. SurelyHis purpose was to teach us that He is ready to forgive anyoneof any sin, if they will truly repent and follow Him! What amuch‐needed lesson for us to learn! – DSWhat sort of reminders can we establish todayto help us to remember God’s will for our lives?The wedding ring is a great reminder—it notonly tells others that we’re married, but itshould be a daily reminder to us of the vows wemade to our spouse and to God. One churchmember bought a s cker (like you would put onyour mailbox) of the le er “C” and put it on the door leadingto his garage, which he would walk through every day as hele the house. Why a “C”? As a reminder, when he saw iteach morning, to see (“C”) souls everywhere he went that day.Some mes we need visual reminders to prompt our minds tothink on things of eternal importance and to move us to ac‐on. What reminders can you set up for yourself today? – DS3