You Will Be Like God (Part 1)
by Mike Riley
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In Genesis 3:3-5, the serpent tells Eve the following: “But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat of it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'” And the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God know that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Satan’s Plan
In the temptation of Eve, the devil said, “Ye shall be as gods” (Genesis 3:5), “knowing good and evil.” The New King James rendering of this phrase is more accurate, “You will be like God.” Behind this is the Hebrew word “Elohim,” which is the plural for gods. But, like in Genesis 1:1, it is here used of Almighty God, being the plural majestic reference (in respect to the three personalities of the Godhead). Also consider the verb bara (“created”) being joined in the singular number with this plural noun, demonstrating the unity of the divine “Persons” in the work of creation. As sin had not yet entered into the world (idol worship), Eve could not have possessed a knowledge of “gods” (just the one God). Therefore, “God” best represents what is meant here. The purpose of Satan was to entice (by eating the forbidden fruit) our first parents into believing that they would become as wise and powerful as God and thus be able to exist forever, independently of Him.
Eve’s Reaction
The imagination of Eve was stirred. In some way beyond her immediate human experience she could be like God. The devil is pointing her in the route he had taken. The devil had taken his eyes off of God and placed them upon himself. The devil became the devil, the father of liars (John 8:44). The rest is history. Even in the temptation of Jesus, the devil wanted to play the role of God (Matthew 4:9-10). Paul warns about falling into the same condemnation of the devil (1 Timothy 3:6). And so with mankind throughout history, it is not enough to be made in the image and likeness of God, men want to “be God” (Genesis 11:4; Isaiah 31:3; Ezekiel 28:2, 9; Daniel 4:28-30; Acts 12:22). The devil says, “Ye shall be as gods.”
An Ancient Concept of Dethroning God
“Ye shall be as gods” is seen in the ancient concept of the “divine right of kings,” emperor worship, and in the totality of the modern, socialistic state that replaces God to control the lives of its citizens from the cradle to the grave. This can be seen in apostate religious systems wherein a man would be called “the Lord God, the pope” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4), others being unduly exalted, and men arrogantly asserting themselves as determining the eternal destiny of their fellow mortals (i.e., Hitler’s regime). Then in saying that it doesn’t make any difference what a person believes, just so he is sincere, each person becomes his own god. Humanists in times past have subtly pushed religion aside in our society, but now dropping all subtlety, they have dethroned God with an intolerance that equals that of the radical religious zealots of the past.
To be continued next week.
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Elders
Leon Cort
Mark Craigwell
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Minister
Mark Craigwell
Assistant Minister
Denver Simmons
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Deacons
Raleigh Gallington
Anthony Johnson
Gregory Johnson
Carlfred Malcolm
Albert Martin, Jr.
Walter Maxwell
Richard Meuse
Barry Person
Jason Reid
In Memoriam
Gone, but never forgotten, our beloved brother,
James W. Wade, Sr.
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Sermon for Sunday, August 20, 2023
Title: The Last Laugh
Text: 2 Peter 3:3-4
Speaker: Bro. Mark Craigwell
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Jayline Torres was baptized into Christ on Sunday August 13, 2023. Let us welcome our new sister in Christ! |
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Effective immediately, and until further notice, we have temporarily suspended the requirement for attendees to sign up in advance to attend Sunday worship. We have also suspended attendance taking at our in-person services, classes, and events. Masking remains optional.
Remember that although COVID numbers are down, COVID has not gone away, and is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Please protect yourself and those around you by adhering to the guidelines below.
If you test positive for COVID after attending an in-person church event, please notify us by email at cocroxbury@gmail.com or by text to Sis. Gloria Gallington at 617-922-5987 so that notifications can be made as needed.
For up-to-date information regarding COVID in Massachusetts, click the link below:
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Upcoming Events:
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Third Sunday Fellowship, Sunday, August 20th, hosted by Bedford Street CoC, 3pm.
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Roxbury CoC International Cook Out: Saturday, August 26th, 11am-4pm. Details to come.
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Bedford St. CoC Summer Outdoor Concert, Saturday, August 26th, 6pm
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Men's Retreat, October 5-7, Rumney, New Hampshire. See Men Take Note for details and registration and payment links.
Mature in Heart
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Mature in Heart Pennsylvania Trip Payments: All payments are due by the end of June. Please see Bro. Gallington to find out how much you owe, and please submit any payments to Sis. Keitrice Johnson or Sis. Elizabeth Nagarajah. See details below.
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Don't Miss Out! Please scroll through the entire e-bulletin each week to be certain not to miss any important announcements or links. Many items are repeated each week, but there are also new announcements that you'll miss if you don't scroll through the entire bulletin.
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We will continue to offer two Sunday morning worship services to accommodate in-person attendees
The first service begins at 8:30 a.m. and runs until approximately 9:45 a.m.; the second service begins at 11:00 a.m. The weekly adult Bible class/devotional begins at 10:00 a.m. We will continue to livestream the 11:00 service on our YouTube channel, and we encourage members to utilize e-giving, even when attending in person. As noted under News & Notes, it is no longer necessary to sign up in advance to attend worship services in person.
E-giving link
Livestream link
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Scan the QR code or click anywhere in the announcement above to pre-register. |
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Our monthly community outreach will resume in September. |
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Remote & In-Person
Class/Meeting Schedule
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Wednesday Night In-Person & Dial-In Bible Study
Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. in-person and via freeconferencecall.com.
Dial in number: 978-990-5000
Access Code: 261232#
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REMINDER: Please remember to mute your phone or computer when joining any of the above conference calls to avoid interrupting the class or service you are entering, particularly if you are joining the call after the event has started. |
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The Choral Ministry will not meet on Thursday, August 24th or Thursday, August 31st. Rehearsals will resume on Thursday, September 7th at 7:30 p.m. at the church building.
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COUPLES' MINISTRY MEETINGS WILL RESUME IN THE FALL via Zoom the second and third Fridays of the month at 7:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
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This month's Women's Class will be held on Sunday, August 27, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. at the church building, and via Free Conference Call for those who cannot attend in person.
Dial in: 978-990-5000
Access Code: 261232#
Or, join the class online at
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August 2023
Visitor Thank You Letters - Sis. Veronica Tejeda
Visitor Gift Bags - Sis. Sharee Farley
Baptistry -Sis. Cora Morrison
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2023 Mature in Heart Pennsylvania Dutch Country Excursion: Our 2023 trip is scheduled for Thursday, September 14th through Friday, September 15th to see a production of “Moses” at the Sight & Sound Theater in Lancaster at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 14th. The cost for bus, hotel, dinner and show is as follows:
- $340/person for quad occupancy (families)
- $358/person for triple occupancy (families)
- $393/person for double occupancy
- $514 for single occupancy
- $830/couple for grand king room
Sign up is open now and a $75 deposit is required by to hold a spot. The number is limited by bus capacity and hotel availability. If you have not already done so, please get your deposit in ASAP to secure your spot so we can finalize the theater seating. Seats can only be assigned for purchased tickets.
Payments can be made via our e-giving link at:
https://www.churchofchristinroxbury.org/e-giving. Please follow up any payments with an email to cocroxbury@gmail.com with the subject line "Pennsylvania Trip Payment" and your name and payment amount in the body of the email so that your payments can be properly recorded.
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Our monthly Men's Class will be held on Sunday, August 27, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. at the church building.
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Young Adult Ministry (YAM) |
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Date of next meeting will be announced. |
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Monthly Ministry Meeting
1st Sunday of each month at 1:00 p.m.
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Meetings & Events
8/7 - Ministers/Elders/Deacon's Meeting
8/13 - Deacons' Meeting following 11:00 service @church building.
8/13 - Young Adult Ministry event, 1-3pm in church parking lot
8/20 - Retention Ministry Meeting following 11:00 service @church building.
8/20 - Third Sunday Fellowship at Bedford Street CoC, 3pm
8/26 - Youth & Family Ministry International Cookout at Houghton's Pond, 9am-4pm.
8/26 - Bedford Street CoC Outdoor Summer Concert, 6pm
8/27 - Men's and Women's Classes, 5pm @church building
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Ministry Meetings - Please contact your ministry coordinator for remote meeting schedules.
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- Sunday New Converts' Class, 10:00am @church building
- Sunday Bible Class (children) Sundays at 10:00am @church building
- Sunday Adult Devotional/Bible Study, 10:00am @church building
- Sunday Worship Service 8:30 and 11:00am in person and 11:00am via livestream on YouTube. See above for details.
- Men's/Women's Classes, 5pm (4th Sunday of the month) @church building
- Youth & Family Ministry (1st Sunday of the month at 2pm)
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Mature in Heart Women's Prayer (Tuesdays @ 10:30am) VIA TELECONFERENCE (connection info above)
- Prayer Meeting (Tuesdays @ 7pm) VIA TELECONFERENCE (connection info above)
- Mid-Week Bible Study (Wednesdays @ 6:30pm) in person and VIA TELECONFERENCE (connection info above)
- Mid-Week New Converts' Class (Wednesdays @ 7pm) @church building
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Healing Hearts (Thursdays @6:15pm) VIA ZOOM
- Couple's Ministry (2nd & 3rd Fridays @ 7 pm)
- Women's Prayer (Saturdays 9:30am) VIA TELECONFERENCE (Connection info above)
- Ministers/Elders/Deacons Wives Meeting, (3rd Saturday @10 am) @church building
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Bro. John Kurpiel, minister for the Lawrence congregation, hosts an international radio program, “Soul Food,” on Mondays and Tuesdays from 11AM until 3PM. The program airs on Ignite Radio Broadcast via Mixlr, an interactive internet radio platform. Use the link below to tune in to listen, or to participate in the conversation. Always free to listen. https://mixlr.com/ignite-radio-broadcast.
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Church of Christ in Roxbury
81 Walnut Avenue
Roxbury, MA 02119
617-442-5826
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