Wednesday, September 26, 2007

A couple of good men

In translating a report from Nino Estevez, who preaches in Venezuela, recently I was struck by something that occurred. As some of you may know Nino is my age and recently had surgery to remove a very large stone from one of his kidneys. The stone was large and had been there some time so the kidney was very inflamed and his recovery has taken longer than "normal". During this time period a man from a denomination came to see him and Nino began talking to him about the Gospel. Well, they spent some time talking about the differences between the true church and the denominations as well as God´s plan of salvation. The man came back later to visit, but also to demand baptism--he was not leaving Nino´s house until he was baptized. While Nino couldn´t baptize him, there were other brethren who could and did.

Here is where 2 good men met--Nino in spite of his physical weakness taught this man. He in turn was serious enough about the truth to not only listen but then obey it. May we all manifest the attitude of these two good men.

Tol

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Want to be wise???


Everyone wants to be wise. Not only are fools shunned and humilated, but their actions bring trouble and pain. My band director used to say, "Dumb people must suffer". His context was people who mouthed off and therefore got punished, but the statement is true in many aspects of life.
Yes, everyone wants to be wise, but how does one become wise? The wisest man, Solomon, gives us the answer in Prov. 13:20, "He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed." Should this advice surprise us? We all understand Paul's point when he writes, "evil companions corrupt good morals"--our friends will rub off on us, whether for good or for evil. Isn't that what Solomon is saying? So, if you really want to be wise, you must associate with those who are wise and learn from them. There are several applications of this that I want us to think about.
First of all, this principle makes our choice of friends incredibly important. I'm not talking necessarily your neighbors, or the people you work with, or the other parents of the kids on your son's ball team. While you have a relationship with them, they may or may not be your close friends--we're talking about your best buddy, or your best girlfriend, those you're really close to--your compadre or comadre. If they are wise people, that wisdom will rub off on you too. If they are wise enough to realize that the things of this world are only temporary they will encourage you in that same wisdom. If they are greedy for things, they will point you in the same direction. Your choice of close friends is so very important!
This is also something a young man should consider when he looks for a wife. Does he want a young lady whose only "advantage" is her outward beauty? Not if he wants to be wise! What other person should you be closer to than your spouse? If your spouse is wise it will benefit you in many ways, not the least of which is that it will help you grow in wisdom. The virtuous wife of Prov. 31 is commended for her wisdom more than anything else and where is her husband? At the city gates, with the rest of the wise men. Some young men are intimidated by a wise young lady, so they choose a wife that is not as wise as they are. It is hard for most young men to admit there wife is right (I know that first hand) and is wiser than they are. But her wisdom will not only save them from many problems but will help him to become wiser himself. Most of us need to be pushed to reach our full potential--seek a wife who will help you excel, not one who will drag you (and likely your children as well) down.
The last application is one I heard years ago that is so obvious once you see it, but difficult to see on your own. Another proverb says that foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction will drive it far from him. Children can be so foolish at times. Someone was telling of two 10 year old boys who were playing with the pixie sticks. For those of you not old enough to remember these, they were like sweet tarts powder in a straw. Anyway, one of the boys suggested they could "snort" the pixie sticks, like people snort cocaine. He then pretended to do it, at which the other boy took a good snort of it--his nose and sinuses were burned so bad he had to go to the doctor. Children can be foolish.
Now, what do you have when you get a bunch of children together? In any group of kids you have smart kids, dumb kids, kids who have no moral training, etc. In such a group, which behavior do kids typically adopt? They don't usually rise to the level of the wiser ones, but rather fall to the level of the more foolish. If a child, even a wise child who has been trained in God's Word and truth, spends most of his time in the company of other children will he be influenced for good or for evil? To ask the question is to answer it. Yet how many parents, even strong Christians, allow their children to spend so much time with other children that their foolishness MUST rub off on them? When YOU, the parent, are your children's peers, your influence over them is incredibly strong. When what the other kids think of them is more important than what you think, you are fighting an uphill battle that more than likely you will lose. Is it important for kids to play and be with other children? No question! But if parents spend little or no time with their kids it should not be surprising that their children don't adopt their parents morals. If you want your kids to be wise, you need to help/make them associate with the wise--grandparents, other older people and adults.
Do you want to be wise? You can be--make friends of those who are wise themselves and you are well on your way.
Tol

Monday, September 10, 2007

Expecting the best


As I talk to preachers, elders, and other leaders among churches we sometimes lament over "the brethren", especially how little they will do. I have worked with at least my share (I feel sometimes like maybe more than my share) of complacent brethren who don't want to do anything beyond attend at least one service. To be sure there are those who would look down on "Sunday morning worship brethren", but the only difference in their lives is that they attend every service of the church. These later brethren don't do anything else except attend all the services--their daily lives don't reflect Christ at all.


But how often have I heard "nobody wants the truth here" or, closer to home, you can't get the brethren here to do anything. While that may be true of some, there are those who just need to be asked, or just need to know something needs to be done. Too often I believe we expect the worst from people, not the best. And just like the child who is constantly told how troublesome they are, brethren from whom little or nothing is expected usually produce as is expected.
At one place we were told "you can't get anybody to help with Bible classes" but 30 or more ladies helped cut out, laminate, put together, etc. the activities for vacation Bible school. At another church I encouraged the brethren to invite their friends to a Gospel meeting and over 50 personal invitations were made. We have taught more than one person who was in an adulterous marriage and a number of them left those unions and are faithful still today.
Yesterday I suggested beginning a Wed. night Bible class again and to my surprise everyone was excited about that. I did not expect everyone to be excited--it's been more than 5 years since they had it and nothing had been said about it in the 3 months we've been here, so I thought some saw it as "too much". Only 2 live close to the church building, the rest of us will have to drive 20-45 minutes to get there because of traffic on Wed. evening, we're all busy, etc.
Brethren, the whole point of my rambling today is to expect the best of people. If they are taught what they should be doing many of them will respond. Some, perhaps even many, won't, but some will. Let us not judge who will or will not respond to the Gospel.
Tol

Saturday, September 08, 2007

Christianity without the extras

3 months ago we left a church of 260 to move to Puerto Rico, where I preach in English to 12 people (including me) and then in Spanish to 4-6. That's quite a change, especially when you include how many other churches there are in Middle TN, where we moved from. There are two other churches in Columbia, plus 5-7 in Murfreesboro, more than 3 in Franklin, plus many others within one hour of where we lived, many of them large.

There are some Sundays we only have 4 people in Spanish--my wife and I and 2 older saints. As the number of those Sundays continues it gets a little discouraging. Needless to say there are no children's classes because there are no children. We still don't have Bible class in Spanish at all. But we do have an adequate meeting place, a house that was converted many years ago but will seat 60-70 easily.

I was translating a report the other day from a brother who is now preaching in the park each Sunday--they were meeting in the home of one of their members who liked to drink alcohol. When he was taught what the Bible says about that he made a change--he left the faith. So now they are meeting in the park, under a tree, and yes, even when it rains.

This made me think about being a Christian without some of the "basics" that most Christians in the South take for granted. Ask yourself the following questions:

1) How long would I continue meeting with a church that didn't have its own meeting place?
2) If you have small children would I worship with a church that didn't have the best classes for my children? There is not another faithful church within driving distance.
3) What if my children had only 2-3 other children to play with?
4) What if the meeting place wasn't cooled/heated that well?
5) How long would I be faithful if the church of Christ was one of the smallest churches in town?

Unfortunately, I already know the answers from too many brethren because I have seen their actions.

1) Not having a meeting place makes coming together too inconvenient, so they stop doing it.
2) Some have gone to liberal churches, or even denominations, for "good" Bible classes for their kids.
3) This excuse has also been given for leaving the truth for error.
4) It's just too uncomfortable, so they stop attending.
5) If being a Christian is an impediment in business they join the "right" church, whatever it may be.

Brethren, being a Christian is not a bed of roses, no matter what culture you live in. But when I see Christians raised in the Bible belt who move away and then drift away from the truth, it tells me there was a problem when they lived in the Bible belt.

Why are you a Christian? Because that's what's expected of you? Can you tell someone else why we worship the way we do? If not, there's a problem. There is also a solution, but it takes time and effort. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." (Rom. 10:17)

Tol