Wednesday, December 17, 2008

It's what you're accustomed to

This morning when we woke up it was cold, why it must have 68 degrees, with a 10 MPH gale out of the NE. Now I know most of you are realing feeling sorry for us--yet right, you think I'm crazy, but when you live year round in the mid-upper 80's day and night a wind chill of 64 degrees is cool. On the one hand I'm looking forward to being in the States next week as it will be nice to see real cold weather, but I'm also dreading it for the same reason--being cold. To most of you 68 would be warm right now, but that's because the high is probably in the 40's or 50's. Your body is accustomed to the cold, so it feels "right".

They say you can put a frog in a pot of room temperature water on the stove, then turn the burner on under it, the frog will stay in the pot until it dies. Supposedly the gradual change doesn't alarm it enough to cause it to save its life.

Is sin any different? If you begin to "dabble" in sin, just a little, it doesn't seem so bad and before long you're accustomed to it. What was uncomfortable in the beginning becomes a little uncomfortable some of the time, then eventually you don't even think about it. But like the boiling water, the wages of sin is death.

Here in Puerto Rico the fashion is for women to have some part of their breast exposed as well as their belly showing. If a young lady sees that all around here she can easily become accustomed to it--her Father can also become accustomed to it, so that both fail to realize that such dress is not modest. If where you work everyone curses and uses foul language frequently, you will become accustomed to it, unless you work on it. In a business climate where so many have no ethics, it is easy to become accustomed to it, even though it is wrong.

Do we have to go out of the world to avoid sin? No, in fact Lot is called a righteous man even though he moved his family into Sodom. But the same context that tells us he was righteous tells us he was vexed by their evil deeds. When you cease to be bothered by the sin so rampant around you, you know you've become accustomed.

Tol

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Mr. & Mrs. Faithful



We all know Abraham was a man of great faith--he is called the Father of the faithful, but I'm seeing that many people don't view his wife Sarah in the same light. Why she lied twice, saying she was his sister, when she was his wife and got the Egyptians and the people of Gerar in trouble because of her lie. Then when God promised she would have a child, first she "helped" Him out by giving Abraham Hagar to have a child with, then laughed in disbelief when told that within the year she would have a child.
So was Sarah a woman of faith, or not? Heb. 11:11 says, "By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised." Why was Sarah able to have a child? Because of Abraham's faith? No, but because of their faith--his and hers. Did she laugh in disbelief? Yes, but so had Abraham already (Gen. 17:17). If all we had was what Heb. 11:11 said of Sarah, it would be enough to prove that she had great faith--a woman 90 years old, who had NEVER been able to have children, who had finally gone through menopause with a child, would now have a child with a man 100 years old. Yet Sarah believed this and it came to pass.
"But what about her lies?" Obviously she did lie, but Abraham asked her to, "Please say you are my sister , that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you." As a submissive wife she followed the lead of her husband.
Both Sarah and Abraham sinned--in the lies, in his relationship with Hagar, and their laughing, but both of them are described as persons of great faith, even set forth as examples of faith and faithfulness. And the Bible presents them as they were, "warts" and all. The Bible never shows us sinless people, but rather shows the good and the bad.
When we examine ourselves we must acknowledge our sins and frequently we despair--how can I make it to heaven? The father of the faithful also sinned, yet is recognized for his faith. This gives us hope that we too can be seen by God as faithful.
Tol

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Black & White People

Fairy tales fascinate children--the hero/es do battle against evil, usually a villain and save another person, the nation, the world, perhaps even the universe. Is there a certain amount of hero worship involved? No doubt, but I think children also love fairy tales because it matches their view of people--people are either black or white, good or evil. Children view everyone as either a good person or a bad person--there is very little tolerance for mistakes or sin. In their world good people don't do bad things and bad people don't do good things--you're either one or the other.

As we mature we come to see that good people make mistakes, sometimes mistakes that affect many people very dramatically, and that bad people can do some good things. We realize that good people have their faults or weaknesses and aren't perfect and that even the worst people usually have at least a few redeeming qualities. I know a few very bad people, but Jesus acknowledged that worldly people do some good--"do not even the Gentiles love those who love them?" There are very few people who are all black or all white--we all have at least a little gray.

Understanding this should help us be more compassionate with others. If I recognize that I need God to forgive me of my sins and shortcomings, I must also recognize that I must forgive others who wrong me. Jesus addressed this very point on more than one occasion. Why? Could it be that we have a problem with this?

Interestingly, the Bible does not portray even our heroes in this light. It records 2 occasions when Abraham repeated the same lie that Sarah was his sister: she was his half-sister, but she was also his wife. We are also told that Abraham laughed when promised a son at 99 years of age. David, the man after God's own heart, was not a very good father and was guilty of fornication and murder to cover that up. When I see their sins I have hope--if they could make it, so can I. How about you?

Tol

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Work or study?

I read somewhere that John Adams, the 2nd President of the United States, was not a particularly eager student and when he finished the preparatory school that existed in his time, he didn't want to go on to college. He enjoyed the outdoors--hunting, fishing, etc., not sitting behind a desk. When he told his Father this, he agreed that John did not have to go if he didn't want to, but that if he was not studying he must work on the farm. John agreed to this, no doubt thinking that anything outdoors would be preferable to studying books indoors. As time passed though, he changed his mind and when it was time to register for the next term he was quite ready to enroll in Harvard.

I believe John's Father was a wise man--he didn't argue, cajole, or even force John to go to college, but neither did he throw his hands up and allow his son to become a lazy bum. His actions showed John the two roads ahead of him--he could work with his back or with his brain. He believed his son needed to be busy in something useful, either work or school.

As citizens of the Lord's kingdom, no matter our age, health, or abilities our King expects, even demands that we be busy in His kingdom. To use the analogy of John Adams, you will either study and prepare yourself or you will begin working without such preparation, but you must be busy.

"But I can't preach or teach publicly" you cry. I don't question that, but what CAN you do for the Lord? Your health may not permit you to do as much as you used to in the Lord's service, but is there not something you can do? I tire quickly of those who are continually giving excuses as to why they CANNOT work for the Lord, rather than finding a way around their obstacles to fulfill the Lord's commands. I suspect the Lord does too, especially since He KNOWS whether they're excuses or reasons.

Tol

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

A way that seems right to a man

I'm in St. Croix this week--the island where we worked and lived for 8 years. Toward the end of that time (around 1996) legislation was passed to permit up to 4 casinos to be built on St. Croix. The casino or casinos were to be the economic salvation of the island--it would bring more tourism, which would support the restaurants, bars, shops, etc. on the island. At least that was the argument the majority believed in approving this legislation.

It took several years for the casino to be built, but rather than bringing an economic boom to the island the reverse has been true. We were here in 2004 and noticed the number of restaurants, shops, gas stations, etc. that had closed and wondered why. Several people assured us that it was just the "shuffle"--restaurants move from here to there, change their name, a shop closes on one street but another opens a block away. St. Croix is an expensive place to live and an even more expensive place to own a business, so more new businesses than in the States don't make it. And there has always been a lot of shuffling. But one man revealed the real problem--the casino. He had just finished his house and as is customary here, he paid the workers every Friday. When they came back on Mon. morning they needed to borrow money for gas and lunch--after receiving anywhere from $500-800 on Friday. When he asked them about that money, you guessed it, it had all been spent at the casino, which sent it all to Mobile, AL, to headquarters.

Instead of those paychecks being spent on gasoline, food (groceries, restaurants, convenience stores) and K-mart it left the island completely. The number of vacant buildings is double or triple what it was before the casino came to "save" the islands economy. Do we always know what will be best? Often we don't--we think we do, but we turn out to be wrong.

Is it any different when we try to "outguess" or "be smarter" than God? If He is the Creator (and He is) and sustainer of the universe, can we ever be smarter than He is? If not, then why don't we follow His instructions? His commandments are not burdensome--they're for our benefit. Remember, there is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the ways of death (Prov. 14:22)

Tol

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

What do we do???


It has certainly been an interesting couple of days on the financial front--with the stock market up and down, banks failing and being bought by other banks, warnings of impending recession or even depression. What are we to do?
I don't mean to minimize the problems we face, but God has NOT changed and He has promised to provice for our needs. I think this is something too many Americans, even Christians, tend to forget. If you thought government could "control" or "take care of" you, I trust you've been disabused of that notion by now. The economists can't even agree on what should be done to solve the problem, even when they agree on what the "problem" is. Our government has thus far shown us "politics as usual".
What is the answer? The only one we can depend on is God. Men may lie, or be mistaken, but God cannot do either. He is the only true ONE. Some people will be "forced" to turn to God, to grope after Him, although He is not far from each of us; for in Him we live, and move, and have our very being."
Are you willing to, having done all you can do, let God handle things? He WILL take care of us, no matter what may happen in the world around us.
Tol

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Sermon illustrations

One of the hardest things about preaching in another culture can be sermon illustrations. I'm probably more aware of this than many because I've seen more than one brother from the States use an example from everyday life (in the States) that falls flat in the Caribbean because they're not familiar with it. Wolves attacking a flock is foreign here--there have never been any wolves and flocks of sheep are uncommon. To be sure we have sheep (not wool sheep, but hair sheep) and goats, but they are generally tied out singly, or with a baby. In fact, the goat or sheep is more often the problem when they get loose and get into a garden.

Jesus used lots of illustrations when He preached--the parables are simply longer illustrations. As the master teacher, He knew people don't remember what they don't understand, so He used examples and illustrations to help them understand. Our audience today is no different. Think back to when someone gave you directions to get somewhere. Most people will give you landmarks along the way, especially if street signs are unavailable. If you're familiar with the area, the landmarks are easy to remember and help confirm you're on the right road (or not). But if you're not familiar with the area you will most likely forget many or all of the landmarks--you don't "understand" them, so you forget them. Rom. 6:1-5 uses the figure of death, burial, and resurrection to help us see the relationship of repentance, baptism, and salvation. In repentance we put to death the old man of sin, who must then be buried in baptism, and we are then raised to walk in newness of life.

Illustrations have gotten a bad name because some preachers misuse them. We've all heard preachers who tell so many stories, jokes, etc. that you forget the point of the sermon and that is certainly wrong. The Word of God is to be the source of authority, not man's books, poems, etc. But there is a real need for illustrations, especially when it comes to application of God's Word to my life. Sermons dealing with marital relations, raising children, relations with co-workers, become real when real life illustrations are used. People who don't want to see a principle can hardly help from seeing it when a good illustration is used.

I find telling the Bible stories works for me. I try to either quote or read key phrases from the text, but will also use the language people today would use sometimes. Do some preachers "jazz it up" too much? No doubt; and others play fast and loose with the text, which is also dangerous. Working in St. Croix I realized that in the Old Testament we would read the account, then I would retell it so people understood it, which amounted to a double reading. I finally decided to just tell the story, letting them read it at home before we studied. Like everything else telling the story well takes practice--it can't be too long, but you can't leave out too much of the detail either. I think some of the Bible stories are funny--the man born blind of John 9, for example, but the point of illustrations should not be get people laughing.

Now going back to my opening point--make sure your illustrations are understood by your audience. I once heard a preacher say, "Sister ______ was the only one in the ladies class that understood my barnyard illustrations." I immediately thought that if only one person in the class understood those illustrations he obviously needed other illustrations. You might be amazed at the impact local illustrations have--some years ago I was preaching in Mexico and while at a meal something was said about unexpected company coming for a meal, so "I just added more water to the beans". In the South someone might say "I put another bean in the pot" or "I peeled another potato". Later that week I preached about Jesus feeding the 5,000 and made the point that this was not "just adding more water to the beans". From the comments afterward it was obvious they understood the point--after feeding 10,000-20,000 people Jesus had more left over than what He started with. And isn't that the whole point?

Tol

Monday, September 22, 2008

Using Words


Having spent time in 3 widely separated Spanish speaking areas this summer, I've been amused at the words that are different. To the left you see an orange tree (I hope), a "naranja" in Mexico or "china" here in Puerto Rico. This is true especially of foods--"mani" here, "cacahuate" in Mexico (peanut in English). Avocado is aguacate here, "palta" in S. America. Car tires are respectively: llantas (Mexico), gomas (PR) and cauchos (Venezuela). So even though everyone is speaking the same language, some words may not be understood in one area, although common in another.
The Bible employs a huge vocabulary, using the most appropriate word in each place, and many of those words are not used in everyday conversation--when was the last time you talked to someone about "propitiation" or "omnipotent"? Then some of these words have little or no meaning to non-Christians. In Caribbean politics, a favorite campaign phrase is "keep the faith". If the candidates actually have positions (or a platform) this might have some application, but usually they are running solely on their personality (as well as free food and liquor) so just what "faith" are their followers to keep?
Sometimes we use Bible words without defining them, leaving others wondering what we mean. Brother Hardeman said, "Never underestimate the ignorance of your audience". Too many times we use words our friends don't understand and are then surprised "they didn't learn anything". I'm not suggesting we use other words, although sometimes there are synonyms that are better understood, but that we define our words as necessary.
Tol

Saturday, September 13, 2008

"Conservatives are mean and liberals are stupid"

Don't know whether you've heard this quote before, but I think there's a lot of truth to it. Liberals (in my view) tend to think they live in a perfect world, where each person will do what's right if you just have enough patience and give them _____________ (fill in the blank with whatever YOU think they need. Because of that, they tend to enable bad people, which is often stupid. On the other hand. conservatives think everyone should pull themselves up by their own bootstraps and so at least come across mean spirited (some are downright mean, not just mean spirited). So which one is right/better?

A social conservative can be/come across as uncaring about those who are in need. While a social liberal is much more attuned (at least so it seems) to human suffering, often their solutions accomplish little real good. While God expects each of us to do the best we can, He made provisions for the needy--through the church, as well as through individuals. His plan doesn't involve governments or setting up institutions to do the job, but rather is on a small scale. God does care for those in need (orphans, widows, disabled, etc.) but He also said "He that will not work, neither let him eat." The trick for us is to stick to God's plan (be conservative) but not become mean spirited. Do some people take advantage of the "system"? Of course! But let us never become cynical because of that--we must continue to think the best of a person until they prove otherwise.

Many have said, "I'd rather go to hell for doing something (unauthorized) than for doing nothing.", the idea being that while liberals may go beyond what God authorizes at least they are doing something, while conservatives are doing nothing. Sadly, there are many conservatives who are doing nothing, but at the same time there are many liberals who are only making token efforts. If you analyze what "liberal" churches give to "good works" then divide the total by the number of members you will frequently find that each member is "doing good" to the tune of 50 cents a month. What a sacrifice.

Brethren, I am going to great lengths to be in heaven throughout eternity, not hell. The fact that I did many "good works" while alive will be no consolation in hell. The rich man of Luke 16 wasn't thinking of his riches in Hades

I believe that God demands our obedience, which makes me conservative--careful to follow His commands. But He commands that I love my neighbor as myself, which means I can't be hard hearted to the needs of others. If you do it right, people (especially your enemies) will not know which "label" fits you--you're obviously conservative in regards to His Word, but you're liberal in your caring for others. Confusing them can be a good thing.

Tol

September 13 & Hurricane Ike

Sept. 12th or 13th will take on new significance for many along the upper Texas coast--the day Hurricane Ike hit. Things will be dated in life by Ike--"Was that before Ike, or after?" By now you've seen photos of Houston/Galveston/Port Arthur/etc. and the destruction of Hurricane Ike. With the Lord's help your family and friends in that area are well and you've heard from them.

The passage of a major hurricane is life changing, even if you and your house suffer little or no damage. Unlike a tornado, which usually affects only a small part (or path) of a town, a hurricane destroys infrastructure that affects everyone. Even on the mainland, where supplies and work crews can arrive by truck (not by boat as must be done here in the Caribbean) it takes time to replace the thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of power poles. Once this is done the power lines must be run, then reconnected to houses, or neighborhoods, etc. The same is true of telephone and cable lines, unless they're underground. Potable water is usually a problem--not only because of power issues, but frequently the treatment plant is at best contaminated, at worst damaged or destroyed.

Transportation is snarled because of downed trees and power lines, potholes, washouts, rock or mud slides, etc. Even cell phones don't usually work during the first few days--they took the satelite dishes down so they must be put back up.

We are thank God that the loss of life seems to be minimal, but the loss of quality of life will continue for awhile--3-4 months or longer. Please keep these brethren in your prayers.

Tol

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Culture versus the Bible


In Puerto Rico cock fighting is legal and most towns have at least one public arena where it takes place--it's part of the culture and goes way back, probably to the early 15oo's. And not only is there the cruelty to the roosters: gambling and drinking are part of the "fun". When people here eat a meal, alcohol, especially wine is frequently present--they follow the European customs in this (and other) areas.
Virgin Islands culture includes Carnival (think Mardi Gras) and dancing that one brother described as sex with clothes on. Other cultures practice abandonment of unwanted babies, polygamy, etc. Many cultures make sausage with blood, the one food the New Testament reminds us we cannot eat. When the Bible and a culture disagree what should a Christian do?
I've heard Christians say: "It's our culture--there's nothing wrong with that". God's Word is for all cultures, of all times. "God commands all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30). The fact that a culture approves of something is not the final judgment on whether something is pleasing to God or not. God calls us to rise above sin and worldliness, not just remain in the status quo. The fact that a whole nation, even nations, approves of a particular action does not mean God does.
Fornication of every kind was an integral part of Greek and later Roman culture. Polygamy was, and is, part of many different cultures. Idolatry has frequently been tied to this or that culture. If the fact that something is "cultural" makes it right, then could we condemn fornication, polygamy, or even idolatry, if it is "a part" of some culture? Yet our Heavenly Father wants what's best for His children, so He forbids these things. Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly".
Culture does not legislate truth--it may obey the Truth or it may disobey it, but man is not the source of authority, no matter how many generations have done. But the only way you'll know that is if you study God's Word.
Tol

Monday, September 08, 2008

Politics as usual

Labor Day weekend seems to mark the beginning of the political season here in Puerto Rico. Our backyard backs up to a major thoroughfare, all six lanes of it, so we've already had two political trucks this evening. I didn't see them--the trees on the other side of the drainage canal prevent that, but I heard them loud and clear.

Since everybody has their windows open--it's only 84 degrees right now, you hear the music whether you want to or not. They each had their catchy little song extolling their candidate and depending on the traffic and the traffic lights you can get to hear the song through several times with some of them.

The political caravans will probably not start until next month--the candidate gets as many cars together as he/she can, stopping at strategic points to pick up more followers. Of course there is at least one, frequently several trucks with loud speakers blasting music to keep things lively--just imagine having one or two of these parked across the street from your house for half an hour or so. Usually at these stops there is also plenty of liquor, so "lively" is the word to describe this whole nonsense.

It's amazing what people will do for monetary gain, all the while ignoring their spiritual welfare. Just like Esau traded his birthright (the right to be the patriarch after Isaac died and receive a double portion of the inheritance) for a bowl full of lentil stew, in the same way many are trading their eternal soul for something that won't last more than a few short years.

What about you?

Tol

Giving up

I was in Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico last week preaching. Agua Prieta is a town of 70,000 or so in the middle of the desert. As we approached the brother driving said, "I don't see the usual cloud of sand hovering over A.P--it's been raining lately." And everywhere you go there is sand on everything--in the few paved streets, on cars, even inside the houses. Women will clean in the morning and by afternoon it's sandy again. The preacher told me he had given up on keeping his car clean--it was impossible.

As he said that I realized that was really all you could do, but then I thought about the spiritual application. How many Christians "give up" or "give in" to the pressure of the world around them? When all your friends are drinking, how does a young person not give in? When everybody else at work is pilfering, or just doing the minimum who do you "work as unto the Lord", especially when they begin to put on the pressure? When you are one of only 10 or so Christians in a town, when even your own family is at best indifferent or at worst antagonistic to your efforts to serve God, how do you keep from "giving up"?

In order to overcome the constant pressure you must rely first on God, and then on your brethren, few though they may be. As Rom. 8 points out, "if God is for us, who can be against us?" But in order to keep that always in mind, we must be reading and studying His Word daily. If faith comes by hearing the Word of God (and it does) there is only one way our faith can grow.

Our closest companions will have a great impact on whether we overcome or give up, so they must be Christians too. I know a brother whose wife is not a Christian--she's not antagonistic toward the church, she just doesn't care. What a tragic situation and what a burden it is for him. Our brethren can be a great help to us, if we will make the effort.

There's not much you can do about the sand when you're in the desert, but with the Lord's help we don't have to give in to the world.

Tol

Friday, August 22, 2008

"El estado Grande"--Chihuahua


For the next few days I'm in Chihuahua, "the big state" of Mexico. It's still kind of amazing that I can leave Puerto Rico one afternoon and 24 hours later be in N. Mexico, having spent the night in Arizona. I'm preaching a Gospel meeting in Nuevo Casas Grandes.


The church here is different from many in Mexico--they have around 100 in attendance on Sunday and have 3-4 generations of the same family as members. Brother Angel Palomares preached here for 50 years or so, before health problems forced him to "retire". I was concerned what would happen once he could no longer preach, but the brethren have stepped up and although they're in something of a transition, so far it seems to be working. Several take turns preaching, a month at a time, which has pushed them to mature. Others have risen to teach classes, etc. So far this year they've had 7 baptisms.


Let us continue to pray for these brethren as they work together.

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Privately funded fellowship halls

Now that I have your attention--"privately funded fellowship halls" is not a household phrase, let me explain. I've encountered several situations through the years where some of the members of a local church, ranging in number from 1 to many, have pooled their money and built a fellowship hall. Someone in the group, whether many or few, was not comfortable with building such a building with money from the church treasury. Is such a building scriptural or unscriptural? After all, the "Lord's money" was not used to build it, or in one case even to maintain it.

I do NOT believe the church is in the entertainment business, whether it's a simple potluck or a full blown gymnasium, with all the paraphanalia that goes into a gym. If that's true, then obviously the church could not spend it's money to build and maintain such a place. I'm not going to address the old argument that "Christians need to fellowship, so anything that helps with that is okay". Certainly Christians need to spend time together, but is that the work of the church?

In the neighborhood where the church meets (Caparra Terrace) the houses were built in the 50's. They were all built with at least one carport, even though almost no one had cars back then. What do you do with a carport when you have no car? In the tropics it becomes outdoor living area--most of them now have a TV, chairs or couches, etc. Once the carport became the family room people seemed to forget it was once supposed to be a place to park your car--now that everyone has a car, all of them parked on the street, it's hard to drive down the street, much less find a parking place. We've finally got most of our neighbors to leave the 2 parking spots in front of the building for us on Sun. and Wed.

I find the same thing happening with "privately built fellowship halls". In the beginning everyone remembers that they are NOT the work of this particular local church, but rather of various members. But as generations pass what they were supposed to be, like the Puerto Rican carport, is forgotten and not only does the church maintain them, but it expands or replaces them with a much larger one. After all, "we've always had a fellowship hall".

Tol

Monday, June 23, 2008

Crossing the Equator

I've been in Bolivia a few days now and it´s been an adjustment. It has been cloudy ever since I got here, with temperatures in the 50's. Since I forgot to pack a jacket I had to go shopping for one right away and I've had it on most of the time I've been awake since then. I'm not accustomed to being cold in 2nd world countries--quite the opposite. A southern system blew in Sat. AM which here is cold, not hot.

I have spent 3-4 hours at least every day with the 1 or 2 brethren there are, studying as their knowledge is very basic. There were 11 of us for worship Sunday, including the 2 kids. They need lots of prayers, as they begin meeting again after 4 years or so. There are a couple of young ladies who are contemplating baptism. Please remember the church in Santa Cruz, Bolivia in your prayers.

Tol

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Who's in charge????

I'm in the Miami airport. I should have arrived in Bolivia about 8 hours ago, but many flights to/from Miami were cancelled yesterday, so instead of arriving here last night I arrived at 5:30 this morning. Miami had really bad weather yesterday, so at least 3 flights to San Juan were cancelled. From the reaction of my fellow passengers, I got the impression some were thinking, "Who's in charge here, anyway?" As Christians we know who's really in charge, and it's not mankind. God is the one who not only created us, but the one who keeps it all going.

When we really come to understand that God is in charge, it makes it so much easier for us. We have all heard that "our job is to sow the seed. God will give the increase." yet if we're not careful, when someone rejects God's Word we take it as a personal rejection. When we fully accept that God is in charge, we understand that it's not me they're rejecting, but Him.

We can also give our best and let it go at that. It is said that during the darkest days of Martin Luther's break with the Roman Catholic church that he became very depressed. It got so bad that one morning his wife dressed all in black and went about the house obviously mourning. When Luther finally inquired who she was mourning, she said it was God. "What do you mean, you're mourning for God?" She replied that since he was so depressed because his efforts to reform the church didn't seem to be having much success, she assumed that God MUST be dead, since the success or failure of truth depended solely on Luther's efforts (or so he seemed to think).

This dramatic gesture had the desired effect--Luther remembered that God was still in charge and he let God defend His Word. Brethren, we need to remember the same thing. By the way my flight to Bolivia is now delayed 40 minutes, but I won't worry about that--God is in charge of that, not me.

Tol

Sunday, June 01, 2008

Telling the "truth"????

CNN exclusive exit polls of voter in Puerto Rico were broadcast today and since I live in Puerto Rico I was curious to see what they would say. They did get right that Hillary would win the primary, which she did handily. From there on out it was very interesting.



According to those polled, 40 % attend church once a week and another 47 % attend regularly. If you add these numbers up, that means that 87 % of all those surveyed here attend church at least once a month and half of that number attend every week. We live on a typical street in a typical neighborhood in Puerto Rico, in Bayamon, a city of 224,000 that is part of the San Juan metro area. Our street is small--only 35-40 houses, but out of those 35 houses we are the only ones who attend church regularly, much less once a week. From my dealings with others in the urbanization (neighborhood to you) I don't think the numbers would be much different on other streets. So according to my unscientific, but real observations, I would say that only 13 % attend church even regularly, which is the opposite of the polls.

Why, you ask would people lie about something like this? At the risk of being annoying, let me say that "It's a Caribbean thing; you wouldn't understand". Very few people in the Eastern Caribbean will refuse a Bible study--they may not "have time" or "I'm a bit busy right now" but you just don't reject God or "church". The poll question was quite impolite in the first place, so do you really expect most people to acknowledge something that is culturally inexcusable. I don't remember the exact setting last week, but I was in a group of people discussing "church" and "christianity" when a lady remarked to me, "We're all Christians, aren't we?" Only in the sense that "we all" acknowledge there is a God. Years ago I asked a woman in Mexico if she was a Christian. Her reply is still with me, "What do you think? That we're animals? Of course we're Christians." She wasn't, but her definition of Christian was all those who acknowledge there is a God, no matter how they live.

We laugh about people "lieing" like that, but haven't you lied to yourself about your actions? I say to yourself because God knows what the real reason for our actions are. We can justify our actions, dress them up pretty, or even flat out lie about them, but the God of heaven is not deceived. He will judge us fairly, knowing the truth.

Tol

Monday, May 12, 2008

Politics as usual


I know you´re all ready for the Nov. election to come, but you just think you have it bad. Here in the Dominican Republic not only is the TV saturated with political ads, so are the radio and the streets--everywhere you look there are billboards, signs on posts, signs on walls and fences, even signs on drain pipes (they´ve been there so long they´ve been painted over several times now--at least 2 years that I know). Each political party has their own color, or set of colors, harking back to the days when many were illiterate, just mark the color of your party and that brings up a whole array of other political propaganda--banners, T-shirts, hats, even buildings painted the purple of the governing party.



Of course no political campaign in the Caribbean would be complete without the political caravan. The candidate gathers together as many cars, trucks, and other vehicles as they can (here they even pay them so much a head to be in their parade) at various points and over the course of 3-4 hours drives around collecting them all, so they end up with a caravan stretching several miles long, which can tie up traffic for hours. In the Virgin Islands they drive from one end of island to another, here they drive from one side of the capital to the other. Of course there must be music in the caravan--this truck is one of many and some suggest that liquor is also involved at every stop.



Dominicanos were glad when the president was elected with 53 % of the vote--that meant there would be no runoff, which would have meant another 45 days of this nonsense. Yes, the morados won.



I am fascinated where people will turn looking for a purpose in life, or just some excitement. The president of a country has an effect on the lives of the citizens, but the most far reaching consequences can only affect us while we live on this earth. People will turn out in droves to watch their candidate pass by but don't "have time" to study God's Word.

Do we have our priorities out of whack, or what?

Tol

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Depending on the circumstances

I was just in St. Lucia with one of the largest churches in the lesser Antilles—counting the children of members, they number 200, with 165-170 most Sunday mornings. When Brother Solomon began this work some years ago he made the decision to work primarily in areas in and around Castries, the capital. His goal was to have one strong church, rather than 4 or 5 small churches that were barely hanging on and it has turned out well. Besides the brethren with their personal vehicles who pick others up for services, they hire a taxi bus ($375 a month) to bring the rest.

This week I’m in the Dominican Republic, a country of almost 9 million people. The capital, Santo Domingo, is home to over 4 million, so you can imagine what the traffic is like. As brethren move farther away from downtown, to be able to afford housing, it can take them an hour or more to get to services downtown. The obvious result is that big downtown churches are losing members to what were once smaller churches on the outskirts and new churches are being started often. In the area where I’m staying there are at least 20 brethren, who presently attend 3 or 4 different churches. They now have a Bible study on Mon. night and are discussing whether to begin a church in this area. This is the norm here, where transportation is always an issue—not only the money, but even more the time.

Some people would be very upset, because if there’s only one way to do things right, one of these two methods is wrong. But these two different methods both work in their respective cultures, because the circumstances are different. As Christians we need the flexibility to do whatever is scriptural first, and then whatever works best in a particular situation. What works in St. Lucia may not work nearly as well in Santo Domingo, and vice versa.

Is it any different with people? Jesus condemned the Pharisees harshly yet was gentle with the woman taken in adultery. Why? He knew one was a hypocrite and the other was weak. Did the woman not know that adultery was a sin? Didn’t she realize that she could be killed if caught?

Today it’s tempting to let brethren who are weak “have it”. “They should know better than that. I KNOW they’ve heard that before.” Maybe they should know it, maybe their body was present when it was preached, but their mind was out golfing, or fishing, or working. If they didn’t get it in a group setting, why not try to teach them one on one? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told, “they know that” only to talk to “them” and realize, no “they” don’t know that.

When dealing with those who are weak we need to look beyond the symptoms and get at the heart of the matter—their faith is weak. Since faith comes by hearing what they need is study, not necessarily lectures. On the other hand those who are strong, but rebellious need another kind of treatment—they need to be reproved so they will change.

We all have methods and ways we’re comfortable working with others. But those methods may not work with everyone. We have to adapt ourselves to them, not force them to adapt to us—“I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.”

Tol Burk

Friday, May 09, 2008

Santo Domingo--The way we were




Every time I return to Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic I’m reminded of the “good old days” as some are wont to say. Every morning the water truck comes through the neighborhood—it has about a 2,000 gal. tank of purified water and will sell it by the gallon. A little later come a couple of different vegetable trucks—local potatoes, carrots, cabbages, tomatoes, some kind of peppers and of course plantains—the saying goes, “In Santo Domingo they’re never short on plantains.” On the main roads you’ll see horse drawn wagons with produce, mangos, cherries, bananas, etc. Many go to the supermarket for their major grocery shopping but every block or two there’s a little grocery shop that stocks the basics— rice, beans, coffee, salt, milk, etc. Some of them still sell on credit, although most of them now require a deposit. And yes, there are still vegetable markets as well as some meat markets like that in the picture.

I don’t remember those “good old days” but I remember well some of the other joys of island living—the power is off at least a few minutes every day and last night we ate supper by candle light—no romance intended. We ran out of water today before the water truck came, but it was only for a few hours. The “joys” of bathing out a bucket, flushing the toilet with a bucket take me back to St. Croix. Here you know your neighbors—they come to visit, or you go there.

Yet it’s not all “old” most people have cell phones, at least one TV, there are internet shops everywhere, and many have their own car. In a strange mix of old and the new yesterday I saw a horse pulling a wagon and noticed the “blinders” it had were Styrofoam food boxes. And of course they were on the highway with the rest of us—there are not too many bridges across the River Ozama.

While many things are different the brethren are the same. I was received as a family member, even by those I’ve never met. To those I know I’m more like a long last family member. Everyone wants to feed you, or at least give you juice or coffee. They want to know about “the family” and the church where I preach. Some brethren are very serious about the Gospel, while others are just there. Some sing well and some not so well. There are good brethren and there are some not so good.

The Gospel works just as well in Santo Domingo as it does anywhere else—it fits in every culture and every time.

Tol Burk

Sunday, May 04, 2008

A matter of perspective

On your right are some of the most famous landmarks in St. Lucia--The Pitons. These two mountain peaks run straight down to the ocean and are quite impressive--I've seen them from the north side of St. Vincent 20 or more miles away (I thought I would see them on my trip to St. Lucia, but it didn't happen. I was promised that next time we would make sure.) From this photo can you guess the distance between the two pitons?

In reality they're something like 10 miles apart, with a large bay in between them--if you were to take a land route from one to the other it would be well over 20 miles. But from this perspective they don't look that far apart.

The fairly obvious application is that often times our perspective causes us to misjudge things--other people's motives, actions, etc. Even more damaging spiritually is our tendency to overvalue the things of this world and under value heaven. We must be in the Word so we keep our perspective clear.

Tol Burk

Sweet but short

I was in St. Lucia a couple of weeks ago and the mangos were just ripening--there's nothing like a good, tree ripened, native mango. It's a taste like no other--sweet, kind of creamy, the only thing near its taste is kenep, which doesn't help most of you, since you don't know it either.

I noticed on one of the trees the remains of a mango--it has a huge seed and that was about all that was left, but it was still hanging there. The birds had gotten to this one before the people and it had been picked clean. I've seen hornets do the same thing, although it takes them a couple of days.

Now what's the point, you ask. There is nothing sweeter than a mango, but it doesn't last long--someone will eat, whether man or beast. It's "life" is only a few days once it matures. In the same way James compares our life to a vapor--here today, gone tomorrow.

Are you ready to meet God today?

Tol

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

The greatest temple of all




Above are renderings of the inside of Solomon's temple, as well as the outside of the temple of Diana (at Ephesus). Both of them are acknowledged to have been magnificent structures, but which was the greatest? Although there were other temples, these are certainly among, if not the most beautiful. Diana's is better known--it wasn't destroyed until travel was easier and more people had seen it, but Solomon's must have been awesome--everything overlaid with gold, of the finest woods, decorated to the n'th degree.
But in spite of the great beauty of these and other houses of worship even today (think of the "crystal cathedral" there is a temple that eclipses them all--the church of the Living God. No, I'm not talking about the building, of course, but rather the people. The people that Eph. 2 describes as "growing into a temple". The people called from every nation, tribe, and tongue under heaven. The people from every culture you can imagine and probably some you can't. The old, the young, the middle-aged (like me); the rich, the poor, those who travel extensively, those who've never been more than 50 miles from where they were born.
Together we all make up the mosaic that is the temple of God. Would you want to damge the beauty of Solomon's temple? Of course not, so why should we not then preserve the purity and beauty of the temple of God?
Tol

Saturday, April 05, 2008

What makes a good prospect?


In Grenada, the Isle of Spice (that's cinnamon bark drawing in the photo), particularly in Mt. Granby, it is not hard to get Bible studies. We spent 2 morning and another aftertoon and had all the studies we had time for. That has happened consistently, so after I got home I tried to analyze why people there will so readily listen--after all, if honest people will study the Bible the majority will become Christians. So if we can identify "what" we're looking for in prospects, it would make our job simpler.
What I noticed in Mt. Granby were several points:
1) They had time to at listen for 30 minutes to an hour. Some of them were older, but others had small children, work to do, etc. But they didn't have 2 appointments for themselves, soccer practice for one kid, piano lessons for the other, and . . . This is not true in all the islands--you couldn't find that much in Puerto Rico or Barbados, but in the more rural islands it is still common.
2) They believed God was important, whether or not they went to church. Some of them attended a church regularly and most had at some point been "faithful" to their church. If God is important, then one can always spare a little while to study His Word. Now this means they accept all comers, so may study with the Jehovah's witnesses one week, the Adventists the next, etc. Are you surprised when I tell you they're a bit confused?
3) They were not lazy people. Yes, they took the time to listen, but it wasn't because they had nothing else to do. One of the ladies we studied with worked spices the whole time we talked--one day the nutmegs and the next tamarind. Others had to shush the kids, give them a snack, etc. Lazy people see quickly that the Gospel is too hard, so most never begin, but if they do, they don't usually last.
4) They were not wrapped up in materialism. If you want things, you don't stay too long in the islands--you go on to England, Canada, or the US so you can work and buy "things". If you're still in Grenada you are satisfied with less--you'll have clothing, food, and housing, but you won't have your own car, many clothes, etc. God cannot be second to things and to so many Americans He is second. We're looking for people who realize God is more important than things.
Tol

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

"The simple life"

I preached Sunday in Mt. Granby, Grenada—33 present in the morning, 18 that night. As I drove back to the hotel after 8 PM people were sitting on the side of the road the entire way. They were groups of young boys, men, women, women and children, all just liming (relaxing).

They were on the road because outside is cooler than inside, but also because the road is “where it’s happening”. You see your friends there, the taxi buses pass, a friend may pass in his car, etc. The highlight of their day is the evening, relaxing with friends.

During the day life is also simple—working in the garden or cooking and caring for the children. Most people will take the time for a Bible study. You know when the bus comes up and who got on it, who got off, etc. We passed the granddaughter of a man we were going to see and our “guide” knew he had gone to town, but that the bus had come up and he should be home—he was. The granddaughter wasn’t sure whether he was home, but our guide was.

Now on the flip side, you must realize that this kind of life also means you have a few clothes to wear, enough food to eat—mostly what you yourself can grow in your garden, and not much cash money. You don’t have your own car, so you must wait for the taxi bus and squeeze in with the other 15 people already inside it. Travel is to the city in your parish, or maybe to the capital. It may be an easy life, but it has its drawbacks.

If this life is too boring for you, sooner or later you will immigrate to England, the US, or Canada. You know what that rat race can be, but the physical rewards are quite attractive to many. How many people work long, hard hours to have the cars, the house, and all the other trimmings?

There is a third life—a life in which, yes you must make a living, whether in Grenada or the US, or anywhere else in the world. In this life, the most important thing to you is whether or not you make it to heaven—everything else revolves around that. What you have of this worlds goods is not so important, but rather what treasure you have in heaven, “where moth does not corrupt, nor thieves break through and steal”.

Which lifestyle are you pursuing???

Tol

"There is a way . . . "

Grenada is an island 21 miles long and 12 miles wide—not very big as countries go, but a typical island in the Eastern Caribbean. There are only a few main roads, with reasonable signs—there are those junctions or roundabouts where there is nothing, but generally speaking you can figure it.

David and I set out this morning to a certain place. We got on a road we’ve traveled one other time, so that part was easy. From our previous experience on this same road we’d learned that the map was only a guide—what it showed as a “main road” might look like a street, be closer (or farther) than it appeared, and might have no sign at all. So when we got to Grenville we headed north and quickly came to a roundabout. Two of the roads were obviously not the one we wanted, but that left two other choices. One of them led in the direction we wanted to go, so we took it. Within a couple of miles it brought us back to the road we had been on earlier. Now we could have asked directions—there were plenty of people liming (relaxing) on the side of the road, but we had time. So we went back to the first roundabout and took the 4th road. In a mile or so we reached another intersection and before all was said and done we traveled on all 3 of them, only to circle around (one a 5 or 6 mile circle) to some point on our original road. On several of these false paths we felt fairly confident because they seemed to be going in the direction we were seeking. After about an hour or this, we retraced our steps on one of the first roads we’d taken, made a left (away from our destination) instead of a right and very quickly reached our destination.

As I was reflecting on our journey, I remembered the passage in Proverbs (14:12 & 16:25), “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” There were a number of roads that seemed right, but weren’t in our search today. Interestingly enough, those that felt “wrong” usually turned out to be right. Although they didn’t lead where we wanted to go, they didn’t lead to death, or even damage.

But such is not true of false doctrine or moral decisions. To borrow a phrase from an old song, “It feels so right, it can’t be wrong” is used to justify things from fornication to alcoholism, but this way “that seems right” leads to death. Emotional pleas against plain Bible statements fall into the same category: “I don’t believe God would send someone to hell for such a little thing.” “I don’t see anything wrong with it”.

The only sure path is the one God has commanded—I may not understand why, but the fact that God has said it should be enough. We may later understand why or in this life we may never understand why, but the fact remains “there is a way that seems right unto a man, but its end is the way of death.”

Tol

Thursday, March 06, 2008

Those "Christians"


To the right you will see a costume for Carnival in Trinidad, and I can tell you this is NOT one of the more revealing ones. Usually in Feb. Trinidad has their equivalent of Mardi Gras and everything you associate with Mardi Gras is there double.
When slavery was outlawed in the British Empire many from India were brought to Trinidad as indentured servants--they worked for X number of years, then were freed. Today the population of Trinidad is about half Indians and half West Indians--Trinidad is the largest concentration of Indians outside of India itself. Most of the Indians are nominally Hindu and the West Indians are nominally "Christian"--you know what sense I'm using Christian here.
On many levels the 2 cultures have mixed and coexist more or less peacefully--curry and roti are now endemic in West Indian food. But there is always a contrast drawn between the two cultures and one of these areas is in religion. In reality most of the people on both sides are not anything religiously--they don't attend worship, pray only occassionally, but if asked would acknowledge being ________ .
In talking with Hindus and former Hindus, frequently they bring up the disconnect between "Christian" morality and Carnival, which usually lasts a couple of weeks and is a time of hedonism--drinking, partying, dancing, prancing nearly naked through the streets to the accompaniment of music, liquor, and open sex. These "Christians" claim to be the moral ones, who worship the one true God, but look how they act.
In contrast, the Hindu festival of lights, Divali, which takes place in Dec. is quite different. It is touted as the largest alcohol free party in the Caribbean and is well organized with fashion shows, flea markets, etc. None of the debauchery associated with Carnival is part and parcel of Divali.
What a sad commentary on "Christianity"--it is known for it's immorality while Hinduism is known for the lack of alcohol. Is it any wonder most Hindus in Trinidad won't even consider Christianity? With what they see of it, why would they? Like many others all over the world they reject Christianity, without having ever seen the real thing.
It's no different in the United States, or anywhere else for that matter. As people see the hypocrisy or just the simple foolishness practiced in the name of Christianity, it's no wonder they reject it--I do to. I was talking to a lady yesterday whom I see about once a week. Something came up that I was studying with our neighbors, whom she also knows and something was said about "church". Dana and I have been trying to find an opening to talk to her, but nothing, until yesterday. "I'm liking what I'm hearing about your church more and more" she told me, then related why she stopped going to the Roman Catholic church--the priest was falling asleep during his sermon, drunk from the "wine" of the Lord's supper. And she is not alone--people just like her are everywhere. They're looking for fulfillment, know they need God, but haven't found Him in "organized religion".
There is nothing we can do about other churches, but let us never be the one someone points to as the reason they've rejected Christianity. The devil provides them with enough excuses, let's don't give them any more.
But we also need to understand where people are coming from and approach them from this point of view. When people tell me about abuses in other churches, I will agree with them that that is not right and talk about that we try to do ONLY what the Bible says. At least in the Caribbean most people feel you should do what the Bible says, so we get away from "churchanity" and get back to real Christianity.
Tol

Monday, March 03, 2008

Signs of Spring

Ah yes, the signs of Spring are everywhere in Puerto Rico--the sea almond tree is losing all its leaves, the mosquito fogging truck was out tonight, and the bugs are crawling. Living in the tropics you're much closer to nature--too close Dana would say. We don't have window screens and we're getting sweeps on the bottoms of the doors, well one of these days, so bugs don't have too much trouble getting in. We spray for them, so the roaches never make it more than about 10 feet inside before they turn on their backs, but the dead bodies are still there. I was at the neighbors tonight around twilight and they had to turn the lights off--the flying termites swarmed in. We don't have lizards in the house, as is sooo common in St. Croix, which is not always a good things--at least they ate some of the bugs.

Is this not what you think of when you think of Spring? People in the deep south probably have much the same feeling we do--"Is winter already over? Here comes the hot weather!" The next 3 months are probably the hottest of the year--it's hot, humid, and sticky, but it does get slightly better in June or so.

I still look forward to Spring, but I just wish it would wait a few weeks more.

Tol

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

20 babies


About a month ago a member of the English speaking church at Caparra invited some friends, co/workers, in-laws, etc. for the next Sunday morning's service in Spanish. Well about 20 of them showed up and most have been there for the last 3 Sundays. This is a photo of the 2nd Sunday they were there. In one Sunday our attendance jumped from 6 to 30.
Of course we are very excited, but also a little concerned. Most of these visitors didn't even own a Bible, much less know anything about how to get around in it. Imagine 20 babies and 3-4 Christians (one of which is preaching) to help them find the Bible passages. We gave them all Bibles, so they all have the same Bible, which simplifies finding the Bible books--the preacher gives out the page number, then the chapter and verse.
Singing is another thing--since most of them's exposure to religion has been the Roman Catholic, they don't know many hymns, so you have a room full of people, but only 4-5 who are really singing.
For me the thing I'm most concerned about is handling the problems that babes in Christ so often bring. Yet I'm confidant the Lord will provide all that we need in this area as well. He gave us the contacts, He will also give us the means to teach and ground them.
We thank God for these contacts and ask for your prayers on their behalf as well.
Tol

Friday, February 01, 2008

Global warming, 2--or will man destroy the world?

Human beings seem to love disasters, are more properly the hanging specter of impending disaster. How else do we account for the recurring dates of the "end of the world", our fascination with the "effects of overpopulation", The Weather Channels what if disasters--I forget the name, but what if a major tornado struck downtown Dallas, another major earthquake struck San Francisco, etc.? I think our sudden fascination with global warming falls into the same category.

Is the world warming? The evidence is clear. Why is it warming? Is it a natural cycle of the globe, similar to the Little Ice Age, or is it the product of man's burning of fossil fuels, etc.? Since climatological records only go back 200-300 years, they aren't much help as to if there have been similar "warmings" before. Whatever you believe the cause is, your conclusion is based on faith to some extent. We cannot prove that greenhouse gases caused the hole in the ozone layer--we can theorize from certain experiments, but it cannot be proved.

What I really want us to think about though, is whether man can destroy this world? I believe that mankind, as stewards of God's Creation, should use wisely what God has entrusted to us. I recycle and even have a hybrid car, but that said, does mankind have the power to cause the end of the world?

The Scriptures state clearly that such knowledge and therefore the power needed to accomplish resides only in God. Man can no more destroy the world than he can create it. This is a humbling thought for many people, who think mankind can do anything. Such is not the case, and we would do well to remember that. God is not only the Creator, but also the Sustainer. He did NOT create the world, then walk off and leave it. He set in place the cycles of nature, whether the yearly seasons or the multi-year periods of "good" weather as well as those of "bad" weather.

Tol

Global warming???

There is no doubt the world is getting warmer--the evidence is in and is clear. What is not so clear is the why? Is it just a normal cycle that we're going through, or is it caused by man and his activities? Is it like the "Little Ice Age" that occurred from the 1500's to early 1800's?

While the jury is out as to its cause, at least in the scientific community, there is one thing I AM sure of. The Bible predicted long ago that the world would suddenly get warmer, in fact so warm it would actually be burned up.

One of the many places this prediction is made, and probably the most easily understood is 2 Pet. 3:10, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat: both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up." At some future point the world will be burned up, along with everything in it and all mankind's efforts will not change that.

Since this is true, what should our response be? Should we stand around wringing our hands? Or perhaps set up something to "put out" the fire? Again Peter advises us, "Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God . . . " (2 Pet. 3:11-12)

Tol

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Becoming all things to all men

Any language, in any area, has its idioms (modismos en espanol)--things that don't mean what they seem to say, or ways of saying things that are unique. I've never heard "you'un's" anywhere but in E. Ky, and the only ones who know what "I'm fixin' to do _____" means are usually Texans and some Tennesseans. In Puerto Rico, there are some things you can't commonly find here--like brisket, hominy, etc. When you ask for it, they will tell you, "no trabajamos esto aqui", which would be translated literally "we don't work that here". Obviously, the idea is better stated "we don't sell that". Where ever you are, the language is a little different from other places.

Of course the differences extend beyond just language--the way some things are done, what is polite or impolite, the food they eat, how people can be reached with the Gospel, etc. When a person moves to a new culture it can be very uncomfortable at first. You have 2 choices--to adapt to your "new culture" or to refuse to adapt.

The apostle Paul traveled into many different cultures in just a few years, spending a couple of years in Galatia, then returning to Antioch, only to leave again to travel through Galatia into Macedonia, then Achaia, not to mention later Asia, and even Rome. Paul was raised a proper Jew, which involved not only religion but his way of life, his dress, what he ate, etc. In 1 Cor. 9:19-22 he talks about how he became "as a Jew" when around Jews, but "as a Gentile" when in their company. He sums it all up by saying, "I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some." Was Paul a hypocrite? No, I understand this to mean that he tailored his speech and perhaps clothing, his mannerisms, and actions to reach those he was with.

We must learn to do the same thing. Illustrations about racoons, wolves, bears, and buffalo mean little to people in the Caribbean--many have never seen them, not even on TV, so by the time you explain the illustration, the point you wanted to make gets lost. When you learn that a certain phrase means a certain thing here, use it that way. Dana tells me that when I preach in Spanish I'm much more animated, speak louder, and use my hands even more than usual. My only defense is that's the way you're supposed to preach in Spanish. "I have become all things to all men".

This extends to many areas--the way we dress, the food we offer others, etc. But the point of all of it is "that I might save some". Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone to save others? The apostles were.

Tol

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

"Todos somos satos"

This is the slogan of the Humane Society of PR and can be translated roughly, "we're all orphans". Sato is the word for a mixed breed dog as well as an abandoned dog, obviously more the idea in this phrase. The idea seems to be, since we're all misfits, or really all imperfect, they we should take pity on a dog who is not "purebred" too.
This phrase seems to me to be very applicable to us as Christians and our relationships with others. Too often we look down on people in the world as "inferior" because "can't they understand the Bible?" or "they don't try to resist sin", etc. When we pause to remember that we also sin, then we can have more compassion on them. They are still in sin and the wages of sin is still death, but instead of condemning them as ungodly, we should rather see them as our Savior did, as sheep without a shepherd, needing someone to guide them. Remember "todos somos satos"--we all sin and all need God's forgiveness.
The same is true of brethren whom we view as "sinners", whether it's because they're weak and fall short often or whether it's brethren who we view as strong, who commit a "big" sin (big in our eyes--we know God views all sin as damning). While we cannot tolerate or encourage sin, we can recognize that we also are human and can fall. We can "restore such a one in the spirit of meekness". "Todos somos satos".
Our Lord's attitude when dealing with sinners should be instructive. When confronted with a woman who had had 5 husbands Jesus was gentle, patiently teaching her, even though she "didn't get it". When presented with a woman taken in the very act of adultery, rather than condemn her, Jesus forgave her and cautioned her to sin no more. He knew her heart and knew her repentance: we can't read minds, so we should take people at their word until they show us otherwise. On the other hand Jesus condemned the Pharisees harshly and on more than one occasion--since in their own eyes they were guiltless they had no patience with "the people".
So the next time you are ready to recoil from a "sinner", whether a Christian or not, remember "todos somos satos".
Tol