Changes in the Caribbean

This picture, taken in 1994 or 5 in Antigua, captures the transformation taking place in the islands--the blending of the old and the new, the past and the modern.

Donkeys are much less common than they were even 15 years ago. They used to be tied up along the road grazing in Dominica frequently but I've only seen one the last couple of visits. Now everyone has access to transportation--if they don't have a car there are taxi buses, which are very reasonable. Even farmers have their truck to carry produce back home. Picture an older man (70's) and a donkey with one half of an aluminum extension ladder and a burlap bag full of root crops, with a machete sticking out tied on to its back. 10 years ago that would not have been uncommon in say St. Vincent, but those days are past.

The house in the background departs from tradition in two aspects. First it is set on blocks, not rocks. I figure this change is agreeable to everyone--blocks keep the house a lot more stable than rocks can. Also it is of plywood, which is only a temporary house--the kind you build so you can move on to your land and stop paying rent while you build your permanent house out of blocks. If a hurricane comes you know this house is gone, but people take that chance because they have to--you can't get a mortgage to build a house, so you have to cut corners everywhere you can to get the house built.

The "good old days" are passing in the Caribbean, just as they have in the States. As Dana's Grandmother used to say, "You can call them the good old days, and I guess they were, but I don't want to go back to them." Ecclesiastes agrees with that--"Do not say, 'Why were the former days better than these?' For you do not inquire wisely concerning this." (7:10) How often do we long for "the good old days", when things were better. No doubt they were in some areas but in other areas we are much better off today.

Sometimes we get stuck in the glory years of the church of Christ--the 50's and early 60's, when we were the fastest growing church in the USA, when people would still attend Gospel meetings, learn the truth and be baptized. When we do this Solomon says we are not wise. We cannot live in the past, whether it was good or bad, but must live today. When we fail to adapt our methods of teaching or making contacts to today, the local church must eventually die.

Tol

"It doesn't count if . . . "

I commend this article about sin by our brother Greg Gwin.

You've no doubt seen those tongue-in-cheek diet guides that allow a person to eat anything and everything if certain conditions are met. For instance: If you eat something and no one sees it, it has no calories! If you drink a diet soda with a candy bar, the calories in the candy bar are cancelled out by the diet soda. Calories don't count if you eat standing up. Cookie pieces contain no calories; the process of breaking the cookies causes ‘caloric leakage!’ Foods that are the same color have the same number of calories; example: spinach and pistachio ice cream.
This "diet plan” is an obvious joke. No right thinking person would eve rbelieve that eating like this could result in weight loss. Yet some folks try to reason this way when it comes to sin. They seem to think that: An act is not sinful as long as it is unknown to others. A thing is not sinful if everyone else is doing it. You are not guilty of sin so long as you can identify others who are doing things that are "worse.” If you like something, then it is not a sin. Sin only involves things that you don't personally like.
The Bible, on the other hand, says that sin is transgression of God's law (1st John 3:4). If a thing is contrary to God's will, it is a sin. It is a sin even if it is hidden from others, accepted by the majority, or considered less "serious" than other acts. Sin is always wrong. Think!

Prospecting in Caracas, Venezuela

Gerardo, who preaches for the church that meets in downtown Caracas, recently came into contact with a lady who is in the management of the police of the city of Caracas who seems to be very interested in studying the Bible. How did he meet such a high official?

Fortunately, he did not meet her in her official capacity, but rather as he and 5 other brethren were handing out tracts and invitations on the streets one Sunday afternoon. While I recognize that door knocking and other "cold calling", where you don't know the contact and they don't know you are probably the least productive way of finding prospects to study they do produce some results. If you have more than enough prospects to keep you busy, attend to them first, but if you run out, or should I say when you run out, there is always door knocking.

A radio program and a booth at some kind of fair or exposition are probably in the same category--you are not likely to see quick results and you may never see results at all, although if His Word has been preached there will be results. You may not see them and they may not come all the way back to God, but His Word will influence them for good.

Let's see who we can find to teach the Scriptures to, whatever method it takes.

Tol

What happened to the church?

I am visiting in an area that 20 years ago was a “must visit” for preachers seeking support—there were many large churches that had the money and the mind to support preachers in other places. But as always happens over time, the situation has changed—a great deal and not for the better.

Of the churches that were here in the 80’s probably 1/3 have either ceased to exist or have merged with another struggling church just to barely survive—buildings that would hold 200 now have 15-25. Half of the churches have shrunk to the point that they are unable to provide outside support, some of them barely paying their bills. Of course there are some that have not only grown but are thriving. What happened to the “church” in this area? I would never claim to know all the answers but there are some things I have observed.

1) Many brethren retired and moved to smaller towns. This has been the salvation of some of the smaller churches in these towns—churches that were on the verge of dying are now prospering with good elders, young couples with their children and have grown to the point that they can offer outside support. To be sure they don’t have the money that the bigger churches used to, but part of the reason the big churches are no longer big is that many brethren have shifted to other locations. They are still as active as they used to be, (health permitting) they are just more scattered out.

2) Other churches were in neighborhoods that became “bad”. Some of them had the foresight to relocate to other areas and most of those are doing well. Some of them sat there lamenting what was happening, but doing nothing about it—these were the ones that have already ceased to exist or will shortly, even though they merged with another struggling church.

3) But something common to all those that ceased to exist or that have dramatically shrunk is that little personal work was done. The truth was preached (and still is in those that still exist) and if anyone showed up at the church building wanting to study the Bible they studied with them. I visited several of them in the late 80’s & 90’s and the preaching/teaching was good, the contribution was good, but the median age was around 70. Their children had moved out to other areas are left the faith, leaving the now elderly alone. With the young people leaving for jobs etc. and no one being converted the end of these churches was only a matter of time—it was when would they die, not if.

4) Among some of the largest churches there was an attitude of contentment—they had a nice building, good, well known preacher, and money to not only pay their bills but do a lot of outside support. If they didn’t grow, they at least maintained themselves, as people moved in from other areas, or even other churches. Again there was little effort to reach out to the lost at home—“they won’t listen”, “nobody cares anymore”, or “it never works”. Yet with the death or move of a few key members these churches are now mere shadows of themselves.

My point in writing this is not to lament “what used to be” (Eccl. 7:10), nor to condemn these brethren but rather to ask, “What can we learn from this?” Brethren, the secret to not only church growth, but even church maintenance is simple: Proactive leadership that looks to the future. Without concerted efforts to reach the lost a church will eventually die. The experts say that a church must grow by 10 % a year just to break even—to replace those who move, fall away, or die. But such efforts will either not ever happen or will be spasmodic without effective leadership. God’s ideal is that there should be elders in every church, but even where there are no elders there must be leaders. Are you willing to be a part of that leadership, knowing that it will require you to serve others more than you’ve ever served before? Young men, you need to prepare yourself to serve as an elder at some point in time. Both men and women of any age can lead—not necessarily as elders, or even preachers, but you can stand up and encourage others to do what’s right. You can keep things going.

What happened to the church? The same thing that has always happened where there is a lack of leadership and planning for the future. Let us learn from these things so we won’t repeat them.

Tol

"Jesus is a verb"

I was listening to the radio yesterday and a song with the title, "Jesus es un verbo, no un sustantivo" came on. I'd never heard it before and although most of the song was the usual "I'm a good person, so God won't send me to hell will he?" the title got me to thinking--"Jesus is a verb, not a noun". Obviously the name Jesus is a noun, but the point is being like Jesus demands action.

There are many Christians to whom Christianity is something you say, not something you do--as the old saying goes they talk a good religion. They may be very knowledgeable in the Scriptures, even be able to teach eloquently, but if they don't put into practice what they know it does them little good. And rather than bringing others to Christ they tend to run them off with their hypocrisy and selfrighteousness. Matt. 7:21 comes to mind here, "Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father which is in heaven." To put verse 22 into our language, "But Lord I preached many sermons, taught many Bible classes, set many people straight on the Bible and yet I'm lost. How can this be?"

The age old battle between salvation by faith only and salvation by works still rages among us today. Must we study the Bible and stand for the truth? Without a doubt!! But God also demands that His children act--demonstrating our love for one another, for the lost, even for our enemies. Love can only be shown by our actions!

Jesus is a verb, not a noun. What He taught He himself put into practice. May we ever do the same.

Tol

"It's okay for me because . . . "

Frequently we try to justify sin in our lives by our situation or the circumstances we’re in. While fornication is sin for everyone else it is okay for me because “we love each other”, or “it was just momentary weakness” or whatever. Yes, lying is wrong, but it was okay for me because “I didn’t want to hurt their feelings” or “it really wasn’t my fault” or “it wasn’t really a big deal”. Can such reasoning turn sin in our lives into something less than sin, or is it still sin?

Gen. 19 records the departure of Lot and his two daughters from Sodom, then from the small city of Zoar, to live in a cave. Lot’s two daughters decided that they would preserve their Father’s seed by each sleeping with him, thus committing fornication as well as incest. What terrible sins, but they had several reasons why they had to do this: 1) “Our father is old”—he can’t have a son from any other source; 2) “There is no man on the earth to come in to us”—there is no one else for us to have sexual relations with; and 3) “that we may preserve the seed of our father”—it’s not really about us, it’s about preserving our father’s seed. They proceed to get Lot drunk two consecutive nights and take turns sleeping with him. Their plan is successful and they both give birth to a son.

Lot’s daughters justify their actions in their own minds, but God did not justify them. It was not an accident that God chose Israel as His chosen people, not Moab or Ammon. When a course of action begins with sin it usually winds up there also—both Moab and Ammon were idolaters by the time Israel reached the Promised Land. Yet they know they are wrong—why else did they have to get their father drunk before putting their plan into action?

Did these women’s supposed necessity justify their sin? Not at all! Brethren, it is no different today with you and me. Sin is always sin, no matter what the circumstances or situation. The Scriptures acknowledge that some sin is understandable—stealing out of necessity (Prov. 6:30-31), but it is still sin and the consequences of sin do not change because of circumstances. If God says something is sin, it is sinful in every circumstance. No matter how hard we try to justify it, or how eloquently we argue, or how loudly we may yell, sin remains sin and the wages of sin are death.

Let us never try to justify our sins—only God can do that and He will not be deceived by our reasoning or supposed sincerity.

Tol

"Here am I, Send me!"

When the Lord needed someone to warn Judah to turn from their evil ways Isaiah volunteered--he wasn't drafted nor was he forced to. We know God doesn't force anyone to obey Him. But, seeing the need he chose to prophesy and preach the Word of God to his nation.

There are many places, near and far, where the Word of God has still not been preached. Not long ago a brother who preaches in Toronto listed all the major cities in Canada where there is not a sound church. The same kind of list could be made of churches in the northern part of the States. There are entire countries like Paraguay, Uraguay, and Guyana in South America where to our knowledge there is not a Gospel preacher. And the list goes on and on.

Where are the Isaiah's of today, who are willing to carry the Word of God, not only to places far, but also near? We live in a county of 65,000 people where there are 52 (count them) churches of Christ, yet we still find people who are looking for truth and obey it. No matter how many Christians there are in an area there are still more people who are seeking the truth. Will you volunteer to take the Word of God to them?

Tol

Joe Carrasquillo

Dana and I went to the airport last night to pick up Jose or Joe Carrasquillo. Joe has preached for the church that meets in Dorado, Puerto Rico full-time for a couple of years now. The photo is of Joe and his wife Mayra and sons Jose Francisco and Angel Gabriel.

Joe is here for 10 days to meet with a couple of the churches that support him. He is still in need of more support, but he does what he can. He needs at least another $700 a month to scrape by, so you can imagine how his lack of support restricts not only the work, but their life.

Joe has done a good work with the church in Dorado--they themselves acknowledge that they've learned more in the last 4 years than in the 30 years that went before. This knowledge of the Bible has led them to greater faith, which has brought forth fruit--10-12 have been baptized there in the last couple of years.

Although Ed and I will not be actually working in Dorado, we will be working with Joe, encouraging and teaching him. Even though he's been preaching 2 years full time there is still training and teaching he needs. Please pray for him and his family as they labor in Puerto Rico.

Tol

French speaking Christians needed

Guadeloupe and Martinique are departments (think states) of France. They both have over 300,000 people and there is no sound church on either one of them. There is an institutional church on Guadeloupe that I know of, but I don't know of anything at all on Martinique.

Since they are still part of France there are more facilities, and therefore more work, on these two islands than on the surrounding, now independent islands, like Dominica and St. Lucia. Marie Galante can be seen from the northside of Dominica on a clear day and people from Vielle Case go there occasionally.

If anyone out there would like to correspond with one of the brethren in Guadeloupe, I have an e-mail address. He speaks some English, but I'm sure is more comfortable in French. I'm bilingual, but it's English & Spanish, not French, so I'm limited in what I can do personally, but I can put you in touch with someone there.

Tol

6 baptized in Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela

With the 6 recently baptized in Puerto Ordaz the number of brethren has doubled to 11. Brother Jose Barros and Carmelo Fricano are working here and have been working here for close to 3 years.

They worked one full year before any were baptized, but that is not surprising as the church of Christ is unknown in this city. People must first see that a preacher is serious about not only starting a church there, but also in staying to keep it going. How foolish you will look if you join some brand new church that no one has ever heard of, only for it to fold up and disappear within a couple of years. For the first couple of years we lived in St. Croix (before we got “crucianized”) we were frequently asked “how long are you staying?”

Please pray for the church in Puerto Ordaz. Carmelo is in his late 20’s, so is still young and Jose is 5-6 years younger so these young men need wisdom in teaching the Gospel. Both of them have been Christians less than 10 years, but they are seasoned veterans compared to the other brethren in Puerto Ordaz, 3 of whom have been Christians for a little over a year and then the 6 who were baptized last month. The nearest church is over an hour away, so they are really alone in many ways and need your prayers.

Tol

Help with VBS in Dominica

In July of this year we did our 3rd vacation Bible school in Vielle Case (at the top of the map). The average number of kids this year was 67, most of which are from the community. We had 8 teachers/helpers, which was not enough, as we had 5 classes. We had so many that we had to "rent" the school this year. It is rewarding to see some of the same kids that we began with 3 years ago growing in their knowledge of God's Word. The photo below is of one of the sessions together that we begin and end each day with.

We expect as many kids, perhaps a few more, so this year we would like to have 10-12 people. The guest house we use will accomodate 12, so that's not a problem. We will do VBS from around 9-11:30 each morning and will not be preaching at night this year, as the church has a Gospel meeting planned for the next week. We will tour a little bit a couple of afternoons, but will still have time to invite people for the Gospel meeting, have Bible studies, etc.















The dates for next years VBS (2007) are the 16-20th of July in Vielle Case. The cost of the guest house should be $15 a person a night, which apart from your airfare will be the biggest expense. I will rent a vehicle, so you don't need to worry about that. To get an idea of the price of airfare go on aa.com and check the airfare from your city to Dominica (DOM is the airport code). We will also ask you to bring some of the food with you, as we have a place to cook there. If you're interested, contact me at tdburk@cpws.net or tolburk@gmail.com.

In 2007 we will also be doing a second week of VBS in La Plaine (on the map find Rosalie--it is about 5 miles south of there). It will begin the 23rd and run through the 27th of July. We will also have preaching each night, so it will be a busy week. This will be the first effort like this, so I'm expecting 25-35 kids this year. Since the church doesn't have a building, we will also meet in the school building here. We really need 8-10 here as well. The costs will be similar: the airfare will be the same, housing will be 3-5 in a house, which will cost $100 for the week, so each persons' share will be about $35 for the week.

Dominica is very safe, they speak English, and we are always well received, so if you are willing to take 10 days or so to help us with this effort please let me know.

Tol

"What does Jesus look like?"

With the approach of the Christmas season more emphasis is put on Jesus, particularly His birth. I was listening to a christmas song the other day titled "Some children see Him", of which the main idea is that children see Jesus as they look--white, brown, black, etc. and having lived in the Caribbean I've seen many "black" Jesus pictures. I suspect if I traveled in Asia I might see pictures of an "asiatic" Jesus. So what did Jesus really look like?

Fortunately the Bible tells us very little about His appearance. I say fortunately because the worship of His image would undoubtedly be even greater if we had a picture or photo of Jesus. The Scriptures emphasis is not on Jesus' outward appearance, but rather on who He was (and is)--the Son of God, God made flesh who dwelt among men and was tempted in all points as we are.

We are to honor and glorify Him, but what His temporary, earthly body looked like is of no importance to us--He lived in it even less than most people do. New Testament religion puts the emphasis on the inward, not the outward. So what did Jesus look like? Does it matter?

Tol

"Get out of the boat"

You probably remember the occasion when Jesus walked on the water and approached the boat where the apostles were. Upon seeing Jesus they were afraid, assuming it must be a ghost. At some point Peter said, "Lord if it's really you, command me to come walk on the water." Jesus told him to come and Peter got out of the boat and started toward Jesus. You also remember that as Peter looked around at the waves and the wind he began to sink and cried out for help. Jesus took his hand and saved him. But today I want us to think about Jesus command to get out of the boat.

Peter had lots of reasons NOT to obey Jesus--we all know men can't walk on water, it was really stormy, maybe it wasn't Jesus at all, etc. But Peter was willing to get out of the boat and begin walking on the water--it didn't last all that long, but at least he got out of the boat. Frequently the point made is Peter's lack of faith, but obviously Peter had enough faith to get out of the boat. No, I think the problem was when he took his eyes of Jesus, not his lack of faith. But what about you?

When the Lord tells you to do something you find difficult, or that seems impossible, what is your reaction? Do you start listing all the reasons you can't or do you get out of the boat? Some years ago we moved our family to St. Croix almost blindly. We made a number of mistakes in the moving process and stumbled our way through what little we did. We did it on a shoestring because the amount needed was so large. We could have given all the reasons not to leave Texas but we got out of the boat and the Lord took care of us. You can do the same--"if God be for us, who can be against us?" He also says, "The cattle on a 1000 hills are mine"--do you really think He can't provide the money you need to do His work?

Are you willing to get out of the boat?

Tol

"Did I get all that's coming to me?"

The story is told a little boy who had the only bag of marbles in the neighborhood. There was in the same neighborhood one little girl who had a bag of candy and one day they decided they would exchange them the next morning. That night the little boy was looking through his marbles and found the "best" one, his very, very favorite. After a little while he took it out and hid it under his pillow--after all, she would never notice. The next morning the exchange took place as agreed, but that night the little boy tossed and turned all night--he just couldn't get something out of his mind. No, it wasn't the withheld marble he thought about--his thought was "How do I know she didn't keep some of the candy?"

Aren't some Christians just like this little boy? They sing heartily "All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give." but there is that pet sin that they just can't give up. Or there is football, Nascar, work, etc. that always comes before G0d. Yet they are always wondering, fretting, and worrying about whether God or the brethren are giving them everything they "deserve".

God has promised to provide everything His children need, but we don't become Christians only to receive. As Jesus sacrificed everything to purchase our salvation we must be willing to sacrifice everything for Him. That includes the comforts and conveniences of the States, a big church, etc. if necessary.

What about you?

Tol

Those "dirty politicians"

It is about this time in the campaign cycle that I've had it up to the eyeballs with slimy politicians and their mudslinging. As a group politicians are one of the least trusted groups in the nation, and with good reason. The last few years have been filled with scandals involving so many politicians it is disgusting. I think I speak for all of us when I say how turned off I am when a person in a position of trust is involved in blatant immorality or even criminal activity--we expect better of them, after all, they are our leaders.

Brethren, is it any different when a Christian sins publicly? Don't misunderstand me, I know Christians sin (I know I do) and many times such sins are public. We are weak and sometimes slip up. But such slip ups give not only our reputation, but the reputation of the other Christians, the church, and even religion a bad name. Whether we realize it or not, the abuse of young boys by Catholic priests, at least in the eyes of some, besmirches gospel preachers too--after all, a preacher/priest is a preacher is a preacher, they're all the same (in their eyes).

The church in some communities has been sorely wounded by the sins of some members. I know a man who was studying and began attending services until one Sunday he saw a fist fight at the church house door. That was more than 20 years ago and he just began attending again a week ago. In one town I preached in there were more Christians out of the church than there were in it, because of the ungodly attitudes and actions of some brethren.

Non-Christians have enough excuses not to serve the Lord already. Let us not live in a way that gives them more. So the next time you are condemning the politicians examine yourself as well. We really don't expect much more from politicians, but we do expect more from Christians.

Tol

Gospel meeting in St. Croix

As you see from the map St. Croix is set off by itself from the rest of the Virgin Islands. The church there stands out in many ways from the churches in the other Virgin Islands. It is the only one that has already taken a stand against liberalism and institutionalism--the one in St. Thomas and Tortola are on the road, but they're not there yet. The church building in St. Croix was built with their money, not money from the States.

The meeting this week went well. We had right around 20 every night, with 3-4 non-Christians every night. 2 non-Christians brought other non-Christians, which is unusual. I know the brethren were encouraged and we pray that God will give the increase of the seed that was planted.

One particular visitor was very welcome to me. Of course every soul is precious in the sight of the Lord and should therefore be to us also, but Gordon Gurley's presence meant a great deal to me. Gordon's wife Agatha was a Christian who passed away about 15 years ago. They were also our landlords for some months--living upstairs while we lived downstairs. He is a good man who made 80 years, as they would say, this year. I don't think Gordon came twice in all the 8 years we lived in St. Croix but he came twice this week. Please pray that he will obey God before it's too late.

Tol

Rainy season

There are basically two seasons in the Eastern Caribbean--rainy and dry. This photo was taken last Nov. after a particularly rainy season. I have seen this same hill brown--it burned one April and the ash drifted up for close to a month.

The rainy season can begin in July or August and runs until Oct. or Nov. By the middle of Nov. the "Christmas" winds begin, which dries things out some and blows away the mosquitoes. It is hot and humid right now, so people are wishing for the winds to start.

During the dry season the grass gets brown and it doesn't take much to start a fire. Since there are water lines only on a couple of the main roads they are forced to let fires burn until it threatens a house. They don't lose many houses, although I wasn't so sure ours wouldn't be the first one time.

Rain affects people here more than it does in the States--most of them grew up when most work was outside, so when it rained they slept in. That's not the case anymore, but old habits die hard. Rain just before time to leave for a Gospel meeting can drastically reduce the number of visitors and even weaker members. So far it has rained during the day, off and on, so attendance continues good--29 & 19 on Sunday, then around 20 every night since then, with 2 denominational preachers in attendance so far. The women preacher wants to come back another night--well that's what she said last night, but I don't know whether she'll want to when she hears from one of her members about tonight's lesson--1 Cor. 14:34 was expounded upon.

Tol

The church building

This is one of the many places the church in St. Croix met before they got their own building--the Estate Diamond school. The US Virgin Islands were originally divided into sugar cane (and out west sea island cotton) estates and property still retains the name of the old estate. This school building is Estate Diamond and is now kind of a community center, although it "belongs" to the Boy Scouts.

Before this the church met in a private school building and when it lost its roof in Hurricane Hugo they met in the afternoon at a Methodist church building. A year after the hurricane we moved to St. Croix and the Methodist were asking us to leave--they thought it was only temporary. We moved to the Boy scout building which we shared with the Masons, the Metaphysical Society, and who knows who else. Sunday was usually okay, except every other Sunday morning, when the Metaphysical society met at 11. We weren't good about starting on time, so we weren't that good at quitting on time either. They would stand on the porch, laugh and joke, jingle keys, etc. to let us know we were keeping them back.

After about a year we bought a 20' X 40' tent and a friend allowed us to pitch it on his chicken farm. We were so happy to have our own place, as temporary as it was. We made sides to put down when it rained or was cold (it gets down into the upper 60's sometime in Jan. and with a 10 MPH breeze it can get cold), a small platform that the rolling pulpit fit into, and had 2 classes behind the partition. At first the kids met under a shade tree, but when the rainy season came it was quite muddy there.

The road to the tent was a dirt/mud road, depending on the weather. We had to take literally the injunction to "tarry for one another"--not before starting but when leaving. We would all leave together, so that if anyone got stuck in the mud on the way out they would not be stranded. Do you know how much mud tires can spin back on you????

The foundation for the new concrete building is almost ready to pour, but with the rains it will have to wait a little before it can be treated for termites, then poured. Please pray that it may be finished in good time.

Tol

Off to St. Croix

If the Lord wills, I will leave for St. Croix, in the US Virgin Islands, tomorrow morning. I am to start a Gospel meeting with the church there Sunday and go through Friday. This will be like going home for me, as we worked with this church for 8 years.

The attendance in St. Croix is still around 30, where it has hovered for some years. People are converted and baptized, but some go back to the world, some go back home to the Down Islands, and some go on to the States. This is an old picture (1995) but most of those pictured are still there. The church building is not much by stateside standards, 24 feet by 48 feet--a little more than half is auditorium and there are 2 classrooms and a bathroom. But the first time we met in it (1994) we couldn't have been prouder--it was ours free and clear and we were paying on the land. Besides it was much more comfortable and easier to set up each service than the tent we had been meeting under for over a year.

The land has been paid off now and the foundation should have been cast for a concrete block building by now--progress has been made in physical things. But even more important is the progress made in spiritual growth. The growth in the children is striking--one boy was less than a year old when we moved there--now he is 16. The spiritual growth may not be so obvious but it is there too.

Tol

"God Wins"

The book of Revelation is probably the most misunderstood book of the Bible. We are again in a period where speculation about the "end times" is rampant--any time there is trouble in the Mid East such speculation seems to multiply. But what is the message of this book?

If we understand the theme of Rev. it will help us unravel the book. As I understand it, the whole point of the book can be summed up in our title--"God wins" We have a series of visions showing God's judgment on the oppressors--repeated, not because they are successive (one after another historically) but rather to emphasis the certainty of God's judgment. The book ends with the ultimate defeat of God's enemies and where both sides will spend eternity.

As we are faced with seemingly overwhelming odds we need to remember that our God still wins.

Tol

"One Night with the King"

Dana and I went to see a movie titled "One night with the King" Friday night. I recognized Esther's famous line, "If I perish, I perish" from the TV commercial so thought it might be the story of Esther and after further investigation found it was. It was almost 2 hours long and almost as exciting as the truth. It is rated PG and I was impressed--the most sexual scene is a kiss and there is no violence or suggestive langauge.

For a Hollywood movie it was pretty good. Of course there had to be some political intrigue involved (which the Bible left out) but what was striking was how obvious they made it that God was behind all this. You may already know that the book of Esther never mentions God, but in the movie He is mentioned more than once. In fact Mordecai's message to Esther, "if you don't act, a deliverer will rise from somewhere else" is quoted, "if you don't act, God will raise up a deliverer . . ." They "fleshed out" the story, making it more of a historical romance, but all in all it was good.

I would urge you to go see it for a couple of reasons. The main one is to encourage movie producers to produce more movies like it--nothing convinces them to make a movie like $$$. The more people who buy tickets to it, the more likely it is to be repeated. The second reason is that I can see that it would make a good conversation starter with non-Christians. If you have to study the book of Esther with them, to then study the church and salvation, why not? It's a fascinating history and will hold an audience today as well as it always has.

Tol

Moving to Puerto Rico

An Untapped Field


In September 1990 we moved our family to St. Croix, in the US Virgin Islands to work with the church and stayed 8 years. The Lord blessed our efforts there—more than 80 were baptized during that time, most of whom remain faithful. The majority of them have left St. Croix and have gone back home or moved on to the States. Throughout those years I also preached on other islands in both English and Spanish.

More than 25 million people live in the Eastern Caribbean and presently there are only 4 full time preachers. The number of sound churches is also small—20 or so on less than 10 islands. This means that there are more than 30 islands where there is not a sound church at all and since each island is its own little world, these people have little access to the pure Gospel. My wife Dana and I have again felt the need for more full time workers in the Eastern Caribbean for over a year now and after much prayer, thought, and preparation have decided to move to Puerto Rico in the spring of 2007—sooner if the support can be raised. Puerto Rico itself has 4,000,000 people. Because I am fluent in Spanish and we have lived in the Caribbean before we have many contacts there already, as I have continued to visit and follow up on them.

There is one solid church and 2 others we have been working with; a total of less than 50 Christians in all. Our plan is to work with the churches in the Caparra Terrace neighborhood in San Juan, a metro area of 2 million. The Spanish speaking church is down to 4 members and the English speaking church that shares their building has only about 10. A family of 3 Christians will be moving from NJ to the west end of the island where there is no sound church so we are hoping this can be a beginning to work in this area. People in Puerto Rico have been leaving the Catholic Church for at least a generation and as the economic situation becomes more precarious many are realizing that God is the answer to their problems, not man. Joe Carrasquillo has been preaching full-time for the church in Dorado for a couple of years and they have baptized 5-6 each year. Edward Rangel, who presently preaches in Trafalgar, IN is also planning to move and work with us—with Edward there the work should not be affected when I travel to the other islands. This will also allow us to preach in other churches on Puerto Rico as we have opportunity.

Our goal in moving is not only to work in Puerto Rico, but in the other islands as well. The Dominican Republic is a country of 9 million people less than an hour away--the opportunities are almost limitless. As the liberals get farther and farther from the Bible some liberal brethren are now open to us. In the Dominican Republic there are NO full-time preachers, so it is imperative that Ed and I spend as much time with them as possible. We were there in May and had some openings among the liberals that are promising. And while the numbers on the other islands are not as large as they are in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, there is still much to be done among them as well. I first went to Dominica in 1992, to the only sound church; now there are 3. In St. Vincent the people are not only are receptive to the Gospel, but they also will make time to study--you can walk down the street setting up Bible studies. The churches in Georgetown and Owia accept me readily and although they have not cut their ties with the liberals they are making progress. We need to follow up on contacts in St. Lucia, St. Maarten, and Aruba. The church in Tortola and 1 in St. Thomas need more teaching concerning liberalism—they’re both making good progress, but need encouragement as well as further teaching. I recently came into e-mail contact with a couple who are Christians in Guadeloupe, a French speaking island. Brethren, there is so much work to do among the English speaking islands--we need workers who can come to help us follow up.

I have been to Venezuela 5 times and the work there is going very well. The first time I was there I visited 8 of the 12 churches in the country in 2 weeks. It would take a month now as there are at least 25 churches. Most of the islands can be easily reached from Puerto Rico in a few hours—even Caracas, Venezuela is only 3 hours away. My plans are to spend 7-10 days a month (8 months out of the year) working in the other islands. With Edward Rangel working there with us the work in Puerto Rico should not suffer during my absences.

The cost of living is high in Puerto Rico. We are expecting to pay about $1800 a month for rent and $600 for utilities. Food is also much higher. I will be providing all my own office supplies, long distance, computer supplies, etc. that are frequently provided by the churches here in the States. Social security & taxes will be over $1000 a month. Overall, we expect our expenses to be about 35 % higher than here in the States. We would appreciate any support you can give and your help in getting the word out to others.

Tol

"All the answers"

No doubt you have been in Job's situation--a calamity has befallen you, whether illness, natural disaster, death in the family, etc. and friends come to comfort you. But instead of just being there with you, they have to talk and not only talk but explain why it happened, or how you could have prevented it, or their Grandmother's cure for your illness, etc. Job's response is recorded in chapter 12, verse 2: "No doubt you are the people, And wisdom will die with you!"

Job's friends had all the answers. Job asked "why has this happened to me?" and they answered, "Obviously you're a sinner!" Never mind that they didn't know of any sin he had committed and didn't even have a reason to suspect him, but when people have all the answers they don't let little things like facts stand in their way. Job goes on to say that he has as much wisdom as they do--God later on reprimands them saying, "My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has."(Job 42:7-8) My wife Dana suffers with severe asthma and usually her attacks send her to the hospital for at least 5 days. We have heard so many remedies for asthma, none of which has worked yet. At first it can be very aggravating but you finally get tired of it and eventually it just gets funny.

So the next time you are tempted to share your "wisdom" with someone stop and think before you speak. Are they looking for an answer or just venting? If they are looking for an answer, what do you have to back up your answer? Remember Prov. 10:19, "In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,But he who restrains his lips is wise."

Tol

Making merchandise of the Gospel

Several months ago I visited with a church for the first time and the preacher gave a lengthy speech on all the monetary needs of that congregation. I was to speak next so I told them I certainly couldn't promise any money but that we would be glad to continue to teach and encourage them as time and opportunity permitted. I am very careful about money, as many brethren have been corrupted by it through the years. It also seems to draw people to "church" for all the wrong reasons and as soon as it's gone, so are they.

I tried to put a good face on this event, but one of those with me thought it was a problem. A couple of months later some other brethren visited this same church and not only did the preacher repeat all their "needs" but told them I had promised to send money but had sent nothing--boy was I wrong about that one.

American brethren, in an attempt to "help" brethren in other countries often do more harm than good with their money. Our goal cannot be to bring brethren in other places to a financial equality with Americans--there's not enough money in all the churches to do that, but even if there were the Gospel, not money, is God's power to save.

One brother requested (and received) a small fryer so he sell fried plaintains to support his family. Of course Sunday was about the best day to sell so he "had" to miss services to sell. How did this gift help him spiritually? And there is so often jealousy when one brother or family receives help from the States and another does not, or receives less.

Another brother, a preacher, has two houses--the nicer one he and his family normally live in and the small, sparsely furnished one they live in when the American preachers come. Or the preacher who had a Jaguar that he garaged several blocks from his house and that he never used when the American brethren were there.

There is a place for benevolence but we need to be careful to help, not hurt. If someone approaches you with a need, first make sure it is a need, not a want. Then confirm with someone knowledgable, preferably local, that the need is indeed legitimate. Let us in this area be as wise as serpents also.

Tol

Just do your part

I got an e-mail from a younger sister today telling us of a friend who should be at services with her Sunday morning and of another person she thinks may come soon. In closing she said, "I don't have any trouble inviting, but I'm not good at setting up studies".

Of course I was happy to share her news but it also got me thinking about how important each member of the church is. Her husband does not attend and her baby is still quite a handful so she usually doesn't get to sit through the whole service. She's young and while she knows the Bible somewhat is not comfortable to study with a non-Christian. But in the beauty of God's plan she doesn't have to be able to do it all--that's what others are here for.

Our philosophy is that someone who visits "church" is indicated that there is some interest in spiritual things, so we will visit them in their home very shortly. We go and won't even come in unless they insist, but this shows them we're interested in them. While she may not be confident enough to try to set up a study, we are. But without her efforts in inviting them, we have no point of contact.

Each member has a vital part to play in the growth of the body of Christ. Are you doing your part? Never mind whether others are or not--just do your part and leave the rest to God.

Tol

Antigua

The only sound church on Antigua is in the small village of Liberta, so named because it was the first settlement of the newly liberated slaves. On the map, it is between All Saints and Tyrells.

Attendance is in the 60's, with a good mix of ages and lots of children. They don't have a "full-time preacher" but several of the men take turns--Milton, Hilroy, and others. Yes, they've had their problems (as all churches do) but things are looking better than they have in some years. Transportation is a problem so a couple of the brethren have vans and pick up those who need it.

Tol

Going "backwards"

A larger congregation where a friend preaches recently decided to "swarm" rather than build a new building, so about 70 left, including the preacher. The next time I saw him I playfully chided him about his decision. I told him, "You've got this all wrong. You're supposed to go from a small church to a larger church, not vice versa. What will this do for your "career"?" We both laughed because obviously he's not too concerned about his "career". I know an older preacher who recently left a self supporting church to work with a church that is not and never has been, but needs a good solid man to work with them. Their former preacher is leaving to dedicate himself to the work in India.

What's wrong with these preachers? Don't they know what this can do to their "careers"? I believe they know very well and realize that their career is not simply to preach the Word, but to preach where it is needed the most. Preachers are just like everybody else--sometimes our emphasis is on the wrong thing, money and the things of this world. There is a world dying in sin out there and many of us are busy in the office and working with our "number", forgetting those whom we need to reach out to.

How many Christians are not willing to make the sacrifices to really serve the Lord? They may attend most, if not all, services, give money to the Lord, but their real emphasis is on the things of this world. A friend was telling Dana and I that her Bible class of 4 students frequently had 1 or 2 in attendance, occasionally 3 but never all 4. I don't know why, but I doubt these families were missing services for something sinful, but the fact is they missed a great many. Why? Again, I don't know all the circumstances, but obviously Bible class is not a high priority.

Being a Christian requires to go "backwards", at least as far as the world is concerned. Our Lord said as much. When you read the beatitudes it is clear that His idea of what a person should be is diametrically opposed to what the world thinks. Yet He says such "losers" will be truly happy, not only in heaven but here on earth.

So which way are you going, forward or backward?

Tol

"If I had known"

I have a friend who is will be donating a kidney to another friend next week. This decision was made several years ago--when he had to have a kidney transplant he would do it. As the actual surgery has neared and more details have come out the donor told someone, "If I had known all this involved I might not have done it."

Many of us can look back and say "If I had only known". Many of us put off surgery for many years, only to after it's all done, say "If I had know it would be this much better I would have done it long ago". I know several who now wish they had become a Christian much earlier in life. There is much truth in the idea presented in several popular songs--"I hope you dance" and "The Rose"--that we should make the attempt since we don't know how it will out. You don't know until you try.

But on the other side I believe the Lord protects us from the future, knowing that many times we wouldn't know what to do with it. If you had told Dana and I that we would lose 2 houses and everything in them, I don't know if we could have faced it, but we have. If parents knew they had a genetic disease that they would pass on to their children, would they have children? And yet, not knowing, they do and they all make it. Like the Apostle Paul who was able to overcome his thorn in the flesh, with the Lord's help, we too can overcome the obstacles in our lives with His help.

At times we tend to not do anything for fear of doing something wrong. How mad do you get when the car in front of you can't seem to make a decision--changing lanes, slowing down to 10 miles an hour, etc.? Everything about their actions says they don't know what to do, so they do nothing. My favorite refrain in such situations is "Do something, even if it's wrong". We don't know the future so once we have gathered the facts that we can and prayed for guidance we need to take action.

Tol

Are children's classes important?

This is the "classroom" for the kids at El Mamon near Santo Domingo. No, it's not much, but this church is not rich and the rest of the building is about the same. The important thing is that they built it. In most churches outside this country there are no children's classes. As a result most churches lose their teenagers--maybe half are baptized and even remain active until they get married, go to college, or otherwise move out of the family home. It is sad to meet young men who are leading singing, prayer, even preaching a little and 2-3 years later come back to find them gone.

But that is beginning to change as churches realize that children are the church of the future. Both of the churches we visited in San Isidro were working on a classroom. Vacation Bible school in Dominica had almost as many kids as are enrolled in the village school.

How seriously do you take children's classes? Are they just something you have to do to keep the kids occupied so their parents can have study? Having children in a classroom for 30 minutes does not necessarily teaching them and does not guarantee their learning. Remember, children are the church of the future.

Tol

3 years in Valencia

July 2003 was the beginning of the church in Valencia, State Carabobo, Venezuela. During the first month services were held 3 times a day Monday through Friday so by the end of that time the church consisted of 6 new members plus Nino and Chela. A couple of months later Gustavo, pictured to the left moved with his family and Nino moved back to Barinas. Since that time 22 have been baptized in all--8 have fallen away and 5 have moved away, so with Gustavo's family of 5 they number 12-14. Most of this growth has occurred in the last 6 months so things are progressing.

Another exciting development is the beginning of a second church in another area of Valencia, a city of 1.5 million people. A few months ago a man showed up with his wife and son at services. It turns out he was a Christian but had fallen away. In fact, he had taught some 20 others and the whole church had been scattered--some back to the world, some to the denominations. Out of this group of Gypsys (Roma I think they call themselves) a church has begun meeting again, 14-17 in number. They are excited about serving God and thankful that Gustavo is there to teach and encourage them. The downtown church meets Sunday morning while the other meets Sunday afternoon. One meets on Wed. night while the other meets on Thur. night.

Are there any prospects for growth in other countries? I don't know many places where you can go from 0 to 28, with only 5 moving in, in 3 years.

Tol

Grenada--the Spice Island

Grenada is another undeveloped island--like St. Vincent and Dominica. There is tourism there but spices, particularly the nutmeg is a big industry. Nutmeg produces several different spices--nutmeg, allspice and mace. Cinnamon, cloves, and West Indian Bay leaf grow there as well.

There are 2 churches in Grenada that receive us readily--St. Georges and Mt. Granby. Godfrey Edwards preaches for the church in St. Georges, the capital, but works as a policeman to support himself. This group is small--less than 20.

Mt. Granby is inland from Gouyave. On the map it is between Mt. St. Catherine & Gouyave. I don't know what the altitude is but it's uphill the whole way. When I was much younger we walked up each morning (about 45 minutes) worked all day in the village then they drove us down after the evening open air preaching--it was dark you know. The church here is about the same size, but fluctuates more because there are more young people who are emigrating off island, or moving to St. Georges, etc. for work or study.

There is presently no full-time preacher there, but there may be soon. Please pray that all may work out for this to happen.

Tol

All is well

I had a stent done last Tuesday and all went well--that artery was blocked 95 %. The worst part of it is the recovery--I had to lay on my back and not move one leg for 12 hours so my back is giving me more problems than anything. But I thank our God that all went well and I should be back to normal by next Tuesday.

I thank you for your prayers. I should be back now to more consistently blogging.

Tol

It's a great world we live in

On Tuesday I'm scheduled for an angiogram and probably 1 or more stents. If they have to do a stent I'll have to stay until Wed. morning, otherwise I'll go home Tues. afternoon. What advances medical science has made. I had a stent done 4 years ago and it took about 15 minutes and in 2 days I felt 100 % better.

At times like these I guess I really reflect on the advances that have been made. I remember a preacher (Roy Foutz, for those who also may remember him) who was nearly blind because of retina tears in both eyes. I too have had retina tears in both eyes but thanks to advances made after he passed away I still see--in fact my new lens from removing cataracts have given me pretty good vision.

Things that used to be life threatening are not as much anymore. There is always some risk when you're dealing with the heart, but stents are done routinely in most hospitals day in and day out. Recovery time is minimal. Maybe the human body can live forever??

No, there are limits on how long the body can continue to function. In spite of the medical advances (and I'm very thankful for them) we must all still die and that's not a bad thing, really. As beautiful as this world is and as convenient as it is today, heaven is still so much more that it is beyond our imagination.

Tol

Who are we working for anyway?

In 2 Corinthians the Apostle Paul addresses a situation common to most of us at one time or another--a lack of appreciation of our efforts. It may be that no one seems to notice all that you do for the Lord. Or even worse, after all you have done for "the church" a person or group of people oppose you, cricize you, etc.

When you feel like you are in this situation first realize that you're not alone. Our Lord was rejected by the very multitudes that He had healed, taught, and fed. Paul was constantly followed and persecuted by not only the Jews but also judaizing teachers, who both tried to turn Paul's converts away from Paul (and Jesus). Apparently in Corinth they met with some success. Remember Jesus warned the apostles specifically (and you and I as well) that the world would hate them. Worldly brethren will reject you if you are not worldly. Some will reject you because of envy or jealousy--Phil. 1 records Paul's mention of some who preach out of envy.

Or you may be like Elijah, who thought he was the only one left in Israel when it was not the case. 7000 had not bowed their knees to Baal. Sometimes the perception that nobody cares is just that--a perception, but not the truth. Although you may not know it others are probably working for the Lord as well.

But with all that said does what men think of you really matter? We are not working for men but rather for God and God takes notice of all that we do. Does no one seem to appreciate your efforts? God does! And that's what it's all about, isn't it?

Tol

The British Virgin Islands

As the map shows the British Virgin Islands adjoin the US Virgin Islands. The BVI are a territory of Gt. Britain with about 22,000 inhabitants. Although there are over 50 islands of various sizes less than 20 of them are permanently inhabited. The majority of the population is on Tortola (about 17,000). The church on Tortola has an attendance of around 30 on Sunday morning, less on Sunday, Mon. and Wed. nights. One family lives on Virgin Gorda and comes by ferry on Sunday ($15 a person roundtrip) and another lives on Jost Van Dyke, the island just above and to the left of Tortola in his Boston whaler. Most of the people are from other islands; the church is made up mostly of people from St. Kitts and St. Vincent. They speak English, although with a different accent and inflection. The islands live off of tourism, mostly boaters, as the islands are perfect for day sailing or just anchoring at a different island each day. This of course has an effect on people's willingness to hear the Gospel--in a society where pleasure is king it is easy to go along with the world. Yet the church has stood for some years even in this society.

Tol

Examine yourselves whether you are in the faith

As I mentioned earlier our title was the theme for the Gospel meeting in Tortola (the photo is the outside of their building). This theme leant itself to 5 lessons very easily (Mon.-Fri.) The first night I preached about the possibility of falling away and thus our need to examine ourselves from time to time to make sure we are still in the faith. I also set forth 4 ways we can stray away from the faith, each of which Nick or I preached on in greater detail the following nights.

Our series expounded upon: 1)The world becomes more attractive than the things of God, 2) If we reject Christ and His Word, 3) If we allow false doctrine to lead us away, and 4) If we forget the importance of the church--after all, Jesus died to purchase it.

I thought the series really worked out well and plan to use it again--you don't have to use the same 4 things I did, but we all need to be reminded that we can indeed fall away and be lost.

Tol

Tortola, BVI

Dana and I were in Tortola, BVI the middle of August for a week. The brethren chose as the theme for this Gospel meeting "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith", with the aim to encourage and motivate those brethren who were weak or had fallen away.

Attendance grew throughout the week--Mon. night we had 16, then 23, 26, 25, and 21 on Friday night. This photo was taken on Friday night and I asked everyone to move over to the same side. Nick Alejo is the young man in the lower right corner--he flew from around Chicago and met us there. Nick preached Sunday morning and Wed. night of this series. I know the brethren were encouraged and several weaker brethren attended at least one night. We also had 3 studies with Shirley, who visited 3 nights. Her daughter and fiance also visited another night.

Please pray for the church in Tortola--as you can see they are small and do not presently have a full time preacher, which hinders the work. Shirley had been studied with once but although the brethren meant to follow up sooner, that had been 3 months earlier.

Tol

A second chance

A song I know tells of a young girl who falls in love with an alcoholic, moves away from home, has 3 children, whom she is left with when he dies at an early age. She is left alone, far from family, working at some mundane job to eke out a living. She complains, "a young girl doesn't get a better chance".

We have all been young and should remember how smart we thought we were, but in looking back later realized we were not so smart. How many young people make foolish choices and ruin their lives? All to often, if they had really thought about things they would have made better choices, but now the deed is done and the consequences follow. They begin to use, then later to abuse alcohol or drugs. Before long they're on a one way street headed the wrong way and while they may wonder "how did I ever get here", the damage is already done. Or perhaps, like the girl in the song, they marry without knowing the person and rather than being heaven on earth it becomes a living hell. Maybe there is a child born out of wedlock. In all these cases, the dreams and hopes that this young person had will not come to fruition. Oh why did they make such foolish decisions, spoiling all their hopes and dreams?

"Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction will drive it far from him." (Prov. 22:15) As parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles, even mentors we have a chance to guide young people away from their foolish notions. "But they won't listen" is the refrain from many, but at least at times they WILL. Rather than face possible rejection we sit by saying nothing of their wrong choices. Let us instead take the chance--say something. The dreams you say may also be your own.

Tol

Dorado, PR

Dana and I worshipped with the church in Dorado, PR today. Nick Alejo, a younger brother from Elgin, IL taught the Bible class and I preached. There were 28 present, which was good since 6 were out sick and 1 was off island. It is so encouraging to see the church in Dorado continue to grow. They have had their ups and downs, most recently when a liberal element chose to leave, rather than continue to agitate for "their" way. Even though they are not so large, they continue to study and stand for the truth, baptizing 2-3 every year.

May we each continue to study and speak to others about God's Word.

Tol

The Beauty of the Baths

Contrary to our usual custom, Dana and I took a half day today and played tourists. We went to “The Baths” in Virgin Gorda, an area of huge boulders that are strewn haphazardly over a beach area there.

I had seen photos of The Baths before, but was unprepared for the majesty of the rocks. Even the photos cannot do justice to them. There are several “caves” where the rocks rest on each other and people seem so small. These rocks have been in these positions for who knows how long (no doubt some would tell us at least millions of years) and seem impervious to everything—the weather, the efforts of mankind, even earth tremors (there was a small one on Mon. morning on Tortola).

Yet as strong as these rocks seem to be, there is a Being even stronger and greater—God. He is still in control of all things, including the wonders of nature, which He has created for us to enjoy.

Tol

Saving by Many or by Few

In 1 Sam. 14, Saul and his army are encamped opposite the Philistines. Among all the army of Israel only Saul and his son Jonathan have swords. Finally in verse 6 we are told that Jonathan decides to go up against the enemy with only his armor bearer, “For nothing restrains the LORD from saving by many or by few." His great faith in the Lord led a victory as the Lord allowed them to kill 20 Philistines in a small area, which, along with the earthquake, confused the Philistines so that they killed one another.

Where we worshipped yesterday morning there were 12 people present. Last night in Tortola we were 16. When a church is this small it is easy to get discouraged, after all, “nobody cares about God or truth anymore”. But let us remember what Jonathan said, the Lord can save by many or by few. If the Lord is for us, who can be against us? With the Lord’s help we will be able to accomplish His work and the church will grow.

Remember when Elijah told the Lord, “I alone am left; and they seek to take my life." (1 Kings 19:14) What was the Lord’s reply? “Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him." (v. 18) Brother, Sister, you are not as alone as you think. First, God is on your side and second, you have many brothers and sisters throughout the world who not only believe like you, but go through the same struggles that you do.

Don’t let the numbers get you done. The Lord promises that “My grace is sufficient for you”—He will give you the strength to accomplish His will.

Tol

Help needed in Puerto Rico

Dana and I worshipped with one of the two English speaking churches in Puerto Rico yesterday. Counting us and a young man who was home for the summer, there were 12 of us, which means beginning in Sept. there will be a maximum of 10 people (1 member was away). It was quite a mixed group—3 West Indians, 5 from the States, and one Puerto Rican extended family of 4. The Spanish speaking church they share the building with did not meet yesterday—the man who does much of the preaching was working, so neither he nor his daughter attended, nor did 2 of the others who are elderly--74 and 92 years old. The 5th one works late on Sat. night and it is hard for him to get up.

Puerto Rico has 4 million people and close to 1 million live within 30 minutes of this church building. Why are these churches so small? Much of the reason is that there is no one there to work with them—to encourage them, to study with those who have fallen away. There is only one full time preacher in Puerto Rico, working with the church in Dorado. There is a great need for more workers—men (and their families) who are willing to preach in Spanish and take advantage of the opportunities that are there. It will not be cheap—Puerto Rico costs at least 30 % more to live in. But with the Lord’s help, it can be done.

Tol

Safety in Numbers

If you’ve ever seen a herd of zebras, buffalo, etc. react to a predator attack; you know there really is safety in numbers. The same is true of schools of fish and flocks of birds. Not only do they look out for one another, at least to a limited extent, but it is harder for the predator to focus on one individual among the many.

God, knowing the same is true of people, put into place the local church. Not only are we edified by the teaching we receive there, but the very fact that there are others of like precious faith strengthens us as well.

Do you take full advantage of benefits the local church offers, or is it only something you “use” when you need it, showing up only when you need help? Or do you attend every Sunday, but only at the morning worship service? Perhaps you are one of those who even attends Sunday morning Bible study, but then you’ve put in your 2 hours for the Lord for the week? Let me see if I understand this—Salvation costs Jesus His life but all He requires from you is 2 hours a week?


Tol

"Is there no security in this world?"

The United States and Europe, to a lesser extent, are having to deal with the uncertainty that much of the world has always lived with. Although Columbia, Tenn. is still safe enough that some people don’t lock their doors and the police force seriously enforces the speed limit (they don’t have much else to do) our lives are becoming more uncertain.

Dana and I arrived at the airport 3 hours early and were inside the secured air within 10 minutes--of course if we had waited an hour it probably would have taken us 1 ½ hours. But the very fact that you cannot bring any kind of liquid or gel on board an airplane emphasizes the uncertainty of our times. In times past you boarded a plane without much thought of whether you would arrive alive—your only concern was if it would be on time. In contrast, people pray before they set out on a car trip in Dominica. And this insecurity of “what if”—even local festivals like the World Chicken Festival (London, KY) or Mule Days (Columbia, TN) or Bonaroo (Manchester, TN) are at least theoretically possible terrorism targets. Not to mention the weather is more extreme (no, it’s not global warming, just a new cycle) so agricultural output is more uncertain. The workplace is not much better—gone are the days of working for only one company all your working life. “They” say the average worker will change jobs 5-6 times before they retire.

All of this uncertainty in our everyday lives highlights the lack of control that mankind has over our lives. The government is unable to eliminate or even prevent terrorism. For all our scientific knowledge we still cannot control, or even modify the weather. Great advances have been made in medicine but people still die.

But even when everything around us is uncertain, there is still one constant—God. As the Psalmist reminds us, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psa. 27:1) Or as Romans 8:31-32 says, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” As children of the most High God not only can we count on Him to provide for our needs, but when this life is over, whether sooner or later, ample entrance will be provided into that which the ASV translates “life indeed”.

Tol

Setting ourselves up to sin

You probably remember the incident recorded in 2 Sam. 6 when King David first tried to moved the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. Instead of moving the ark as God commanded (4 Levites carrying it by the poles, once it had been covered by the High Priest), David placed the ark on a new cart. In doing so, they set themselves up to sin. As the oxen pulled the cart the sons of Abinadab, Uzzah & Ahio, are walking beside and in front of the ark, respectively. When they came to the threshing floor of Nachon the oxen stumble and the ark seems to be falling. Without thinking, Uzzah puts out his hand to steady the ark and God strikes him dead for his irreverence.

When did the sin begin? Not when Uzzah touched the ark. No, it began when they failed to follow God's orders as to how to move the ark. In doing so, they made it almost impossible not to sin.

Are we any different today? How often do we set ourselves up to sin? We know that certain friends influence us to sin, yet we continue to spend time with them. You know yourself well enough to know that when we're in a situation where everyone else is drinking it is hard for you to resist the temptation to drink, but you still put yourself in that situation. You know that certain brethren can't stop gossiping and you know you will be soon be joining in, yet you still keep their company. When you marry a non-Christian you are putting yourself in a situation that has great potential to lead you away from God.

The Scriptures tell us to avoid evil, to flee the very appearance of evil, etc. We are told to pray that we may be delivered from evil. If we pray this, should we consistently put ourselves into compromising situations?

Tol

Back to the Dominican Republic

Because of opportunities that were presented on our trip in the first part of June Nino and Ruben A. will be arriving in Santo Domingo today and tomorrow, respectively.

Liberalism in the Dominican Republic has until very recently put undue emphasis on the social, while much of the doctrine remains true to the Bible. With the coming of a "church planting team" to Santiago another element has been introduced into the mix. The team, 3-4 couples and a single man, are all from the Baxter Institute, a very liberal preacher school in Honduras. They have rented a meeting place, spent a good bit of money fixing it up (they have a "decoration ministry") and have already had at least one meeting with members from the other churches in the city. A number of brethren in the other churches have become quite concerned--they had been told liberalism would lead to this, but didn't really believe it would ever go this far. They asked us for studies on this subject, which is the purpose of this trip. Please pray that the truth may prevail over error there.

Tol

street preaching

We preached in front of Brother Wilson Brumant's house Tues.-Frid. nights and you can see the brethren gathering. I usually stood near the porch, where the 2 brethren are standing so I could be near the light. We had 5-8 people who came up to listen, plus who knows how many listening at home (you must have speakers to preach on the street).

With a microphone in one hand it is almost impossible to turn to the Scriptures or read anything for that matter, so usually you have to preach from memory. I did have Adam read for me the night we discussed spiritual gifts--that's a lot of reading and I don't know those by memory. It slowed the pace of the preaching way down, but the subject required it. Street preaching demands that you preach in a way that will hold people's interest--they are free to come and go, so if it gets boring, they go. It has to be provocative enough to keep them listening, without being ugly.

There's not much place for street preaching in the States anymore, but it still works in the Eastern Caribbean, although not even there as well as it used to--TV has arrived there too.

Tol

The gospel is God's power to save

Sunday night in Dominica I preached from Luke 15 about the parables of the lost things--a sheep, a coin, and a son. During the invitation song a sister who had been out of the church at least 4 years came forward to be restored, for which we thank God. In the closing announcements the brother talked about how we all know these parables, but yet there were new points taught that evening.

One of the points we cannot forget, yet often do is that the Gospel is God's power to save. Since this is true several points follow from it:

1) If the gospel is God's power to save, then recreation is not. Whether eating or playing, recreation will NEVER save a single soul--only the Gospel can do that.

2) If the gospel is God's power to save then it doesn't depend totally on me. This is not to minimize the importance of each Christian reaching out to everyone they come into contact with, but rather the point is "I" don't have to win them. If the gospel will not win them, then I can't. This takes a great deal of pressure off of us. I've taught quite a few who have been converted but taught the same thing to others and they were not converted. What's the difference? It wasn't the teacher or the teaching, but rather the heart of the student. If a person is seeking truth, when shown it they will accept it. If a person is NOT seeking truth, the will not accept it even when they see it. Our job is to spread the gospel; God will do the rest.

3) If the gospel is God's power to save and we withhold it from the lost we are condemning them to eternal torment--what a responsibility we have to get the word out.

Tol

VBS in Dominica

We had vacation Bible school in Vielle Case, a village in Dominica. We had 55 kids the first day, then jumped to 66, 67, 71, and 69 the following days--there were 6-9 teenagers included in those numbers. Since the elementary school enrollment is 65 you can see that we had most of them in VBS. It was rewarding, but also challenging as there were only 8 of us teaching 5 classes. 2-3 more teachers would have really been helpful, as several of the classes had 14 + students.

VBS was basically two hours in the morning, followed by an hour in the afternoon to prepare for the next day. Since we also preached each night in the street it was a long day. Open air preaching is expected to be at least 45 minutes plus 5-6 songs and concluding remarks, so it starts around 6:30 PM and goes until 8:30 or so.
One sister was restored on Sunday night and didn't miss a night of the preaching.

Tol Burk

Some things never change

This old house looks today just like it did when I first saw it 14 years ago. In fact much of Dominica looks just as did back then. This is not to say that there is not change--new concrete block houses, new names on buildings, etc. but most things remain the same.

It is interesting that some of the churches remain almost the same too. Some of the older members have passed away and some of the younger ones have emigrated to other places for work, but most of the brethren are still there.

Is it much different in the States? Many churches change only when the older members die and younger ones move away for work. Eventually such churches will cease to exist. The experts say a church must grow by 10 % each year just to maintain itself. How much is the church where you are a member growing?

Tol

"Real" Life

A song I like alot contains a line that probably sums up life for most of us: "Mill work ain't easy, mill work ain't hard. Mill work ain't nothing but an awful boring job."

I think most of us can relate to this song. No matter how much you may love your job, there are parts of it you don't like. And while there may be highs (and lows) in your labors, for most of us, much of it can be downright boring--doing the same old things day after day. There is nothing like the exhilaration of baptizing someone into Christ, but the teaching that leads up to that moment is almost 2nd nature to me now. Even the questions that people ask have been asked and answered many times before. The follow up necessary to convert a contact to a prospect, to set up the study, the cancelled studies because "they forgot" can at times seem pointless and all too often prove to pointless (at least for now) but when that moment comes and they say they want to be baptized it's all worth it.

So what's the point here? Even though it seems that no one notices or responds to your efforts to encourage another to study, or to teach someone may seem boring or mundane they are part of the process of conversion. So much of converting others isn't easy, or hard, but rather awful boring. There are two main reasons we fail to teach others: 1) we never approach them and 2) we don't follow up--it gets boring and we move on to other more "interesting" things. One Brother in St. Croix had studied the Bible for more than 14 years, off and on, before he was baptized. Since that time he has never looked back and even though his wife refuses to attend with him (she was a "Christian" before him) he continues going forward.

No, life ain't easy, life ain't hard, but life can be an awful boring job. Don't let that get you down--keep plugging along and you will sooner or later see results.

Tol

Vacation Bible school time again

If the Lord permits, next Wed. I will be leaving for Dominica to get things ready for vacation Bible school in the village of Vielle Case. We still don't know whether we will have it at the church building, which is too small, or at the school just below it. Hopefully, I can get this finalized when I get there--that's why I'm going early.

What we do know is that when we begin on the 17th that we will have at least 50 kids and probably more. Some of them are children of the members but most of them are not, which gives us an opportunity to talk and try to get a study with the parents. Since some of the children live 2 miles or so away I go bring the smaller ones while the teenagers and older ones walk and yes, it IS uphill both ways.

Brethren, please pray for these efforts. Also please prayerfully consider if you could help us with such an effort in the future. There is good potential in the Eastern Caribbean, as there are still countries where people not only have more time, but more interest in God. These trips usually last about a week (Sat.-Sat.) and would cost around $1500 a person and only require that you speak English.

Let me know if you're interested in going and I will keep you posted for next year.

Tol

Life (and death) without a God

At the grave of his brother one of the earliest champion of atheism in the United States, Robert Ingersoll, made the following statement: "Life is a narrow vale between the cold and barren peaks of two eternities. We strive in vain to look beyond the heights. We cry aloud—and the only answer is the echo of our wailing cry. From the voiceless lips of the unreplying dead there comes no word. But in the night of Death Hope sees a star and listening Love can hear the rustling of a wing."

What is like to live without a belief in God? According to Ingersoll it is just a journey from one cold, barren mountain peak to another equally cold and barren peak, with no idea of what lies beyond either of them. We want to know where we are going after we die, but there is no answer except the echo of our own voice. If this is all life (and death) really are, then what is the purpose of life? If we are born only to live 100 years or less in this world of sorrow and sin, why would we want to live at all?

Our Heavenly Father, who put us on this earth, has not left us to wander aimlessly through this life nor to enter into eternity without a clue as to where we are going. He has given us "all things that pertain to life and godliness" (2 Pet. 1:4) in this world as well as the road that will lead us to heaven, where there is life indeed. Those who believe God and His Word know why they are on this earth--to serve Him. They understand that this earth is not our final home, but merely a proving ground, to prepare us to enter our final, eternal home, heaven.

Which group do you belong to?

Tol

No whining (part 3)

As we have thought about whining or complaining, we noticed that our problems are never unique to "only me"--there are others who have the same problems, often times worse than we do. We have also seen that God classifies complaining as a sin and repeatedly punished Israel for it.

In these final thoughts we also should remember that no matter what is happening to us or around us, God is always with us and He will give us the strength to either overcome or endure. Paul the apostle asks the Lord 3 times to take away his thorn in the flesh, but the Lord only told him, "My grace is sufficient for you." In other words, don't worry about it, I'll take care of you. Brethren, do we really believe that, or will we turn to God only when "my" way has miserably failed?

Tol

No whining! (part 2)

Contrary to what we think, our problems are not unique--others not only have the same problems but often to a greater degree than we do. This fact alone should help us control our whining, but there is more. The Bible condemns whining in no uncertain terms.

The word whine may not occur in the Bible, but its equivalents do--complain, murmur, grudgingly. Do you remember how many times the Israelites were punished for murmuring? Off hand I seem to recall that the fiery serpents were sent after one of their bursts of murmuring (Num. 21:5-6). In chapter 16, in the incidents surrounding Korah, there are 3 separate mentions of murmuring. God's response on this occasion was to threaten to destroy Israel for their complaining. In fact, the reason all the adults who left Egypt died in the wilderness was this constant complaining and murmuring--would YOU have died in the wilderness too?

The New Testament even says murmuring is wrong, "Do all things without murmurings and disputes" (Phil. 2:14). "Neither murmur, as some of them murmured, and were destroyed." (1 Cor. 10:10). Murmuring is one of the obvious characteristics of a false teacher according to Jude 16.

Brethren, not only do we have no real reason to whine or murmur, but such is sinful and will be punished by God. Stop whining!

Tol Burk

No Whining!

I'm sure you've seen a bumper sticker or sign somewhere that shouts "no whining". Call it whining, murmuring, complaining--it's all the same message, "poor me". In our own mind we have been badly treated or at least haven't gotten "what's fair", so we begin to feel sorry for ourselves. I'm not sure the word whining even appears in the Bible, but the sentiment certainly is.

When we have problems or tragedy strikes us, we tend to think we are the only ones who have ever had such problems, or such a problem, or our particular tragedy, but that is seldom the case. The first part of 1 Cor. 10:13 says that no temptation that is not common to man will come our way--in other words, others have had the same problems we're having and some of them even worse.

Dana and I have lost two homes--one in St. Croix to hurricane Marilyn in 1995 and the one we still live in, in Columbia to a fire. In both of them we lost almost everything we had, but no one was even injured and God provided all we needed to rebuild and begin again. When I've been tempted to think "poor me" I remember another couple we know who have lost 3 homes--2 to floods and one to a fire. Even more tragic was the loss of 3 children in the fire. Thank you Lord that we were all safe during Marilyn and were not in the house when it caught on fire--the firemen told us our fire was the kind that killed people.

"But my husband left me to raise my children all alone." I have not personally experienced that, but I think I can imagine many of the trials and the hard work this brings--working one or two jobs to pay the bills, while still making time to talk to, teach, etc. your kids. The not knowing where the next meal is coming from and having to seek help with practically every aspect of life, from child care, to finances, to home repairs, car repairs, etc. But I know, not 1, but 2, sisters who got married and left their homes to seek work in a far off place. While still in their early 30's their husband died, leaving them with kids. Both of them later remarried and had more children, only to have that husband leave them for a younger woman. Neither one of them had much education so one worked as a cashier at K-mart while the other worked as a waitress. Oh did I mention that one of them had a son killed at school (high school) and the next son turned up with mental illness at around 20. The other sister has a son who left home and the family at about 16 to live in the drug culture.

I trust you get the picture. Not only are our problems not unique to us but most of the time there are other people just like us who have even worse problems. Let us rest on the promise God has given to not allow us to be tempted above what we are able to bear and forgetting the things which are behind, let us press on toward the high calling of God without whining.

Tol

Are you worthy?

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20.00 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this. He proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air. Well, he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now, who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air. My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who DO LOVE you. The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE and WHOSE WE ARE. You are special- Don't EVER forget it."

borrowed

Tol Burk