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TGOC ANNOUNCES
LESSONS FIVE AND SIX IN ITS
NEWLY REVISED TRUTH SERIES
We are pleased to announce in this newsletter the availability of the fifth and sixth lessons in our newly revised Truth Series by Ben Bailey. In his lesson on "The Truth About Homosexuality," Ben begins by referring back to Genesis 1:27, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." Ben then notes, "God made man and woman. That was the ultimate design in His plan. Man and woman can cohabitate, reproduce, and be fruitful and multiply as the Scriptures teach regarding God’s laws of marriage." Ben also examines various portions of Scripture that speak directly to the sin of homosexuality, such as Leviticus 18:22 ("You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.") and Leviticus 20:13 ("If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.").
Ben then moves to the New Testament where, in Romans 1:26-29, the apostle Paul wrote, "For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due." Ben also points out such passages as 1 Corinthians 6:9-10—"Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." Fortunately, however, as 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 points out, no one has to remain in such sin. As Paul put it, "such were some of you."
As Ben begins his lesson on "The Truth About Gambling," he makes the following observation: "The lottery. Casinos. Blackjack tables. Christianity. The Bible. Righteous living. Are these images that go together? Should a Christian be involved in the practice of gambling?" Ben then examines several principles found in God's Word as he answers his two questions. As James 1:17 ("every perfect gift is from above") and 1 Peter 4:10 ("As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God") both point out, Christians must be good stewards. When we "gamble away" the things God has given us, we are not good stewards. Additionally, Christians should not gamble because gambling ruins our example. Christians are commanded, " 'Come out from among them and be separate,' says the Lord. 'Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,' says the Lord Almighty" (2 Cor. 6:17). Gambling is not an activity in which any faithful Christian should ever be involved.
Both of these new lessons are now available on our Website, where you will find them in video, audio, and written transcript formats. We invite you to examine them for yourself, and to share them with others.
TGOC PROGRAMS
NOW AIRING IN
MONROVIA, LIBERIA!
Shortly before this newsletter went to press (so to speak), we learned that TGOC programs are now be aired on radio station ELBC 89.9 FM in Monrovia, Liberia (with a potential audience of 1.7 million people) on Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. This was the result of a minister from Pennsylvania who took a set of our CDs to Liberia and introduced them to the people there. We truly appreciate his help in helping us reach our goal of "taking the whole Gospel to the whole world." How about you? Are there any radio or television stations in your neck of the woods that might be willing to air TGOC programs? If you need help in contacting them, please contact us. We will be more than happy to assist you.
NEW NEW NEW
"BIBLE NUMBERS" QUIZZES
NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
As most of the readers of our newsletter already know, in the past we have had sections in the "Bible Quizzes" portion of our Website on such topics as the Old Testament, the New Testament, History and Geography, and Prophets/Prophecies/Miracles. In this edition of our newsletter, however, we are pleased to announce the addition to our Website of an entirely new section of Bible quizzes—Bible Numbers. These new quizzes can be found on our Website at www.thegospelofchrist.com/quiz. Take a look at them. We think you will find them as instructive as they are intriguing.
TAKE A LOOK AT OUR
FIRST-QUARTER
2008 STATISTICS!
Now that the first quarter of 2008 is over, we would like to share with the readers of our newsletter some rather intriguing beginning-of-the-year statistics. By the time 2007 had come to an end, our Website had received more than 3,518,934 page-hits (an average of 293,245 per month). However, in just the first three months of this year alone, the Website already has received 1,568,871 hits (for an average of almost 522,957 hits per month)!
We also learned from a review of our first-quarter 2008 statistics that visitors to our site are staying longer and doing more while on the site. In all of 2007, the total bandwidth downloaded from our Website was 130 gigabytes. But in just the first three months of 2008 it was 505 gigabytes (that's over half a terabyte!).
Plus, in all of 2007 we received a total of 2,515 media requests (for CDs and DVDs) through the Website. However, during just the first three months of this year, we already have received 752 such requests! Also, during the months of January, February, and March of this year we have sent media into 39 of the 50 states in America, and into 16 different foreign countries (Australia, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Cuba, Germany, Ghana, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Liberia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay, and Zimbabwe).
Needless to say, we are overjoyed at these results—which is why we wanted to share them with you. With each passing day, we are striving to carry out our goal to "take the whole Gospel to the whole world." Please join us in this task by sharing the news about our work (including our Website and our newsletter!) with neighbors, family members, or friends. We would appreciate it. And, we think, so would they!
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