Getting accustomed

The fact that we live in a city of 224,000 people, on the edge of two other cities that together total about the same limits the wildlife we see, even though we are in the Tropics. Because our house backs up to the drainage canal we do see iguanas fairly regularly, plus the smaller lizards that predominate on the islands. We hear a few water birds as well the coquis (tree frogs) but haven't seen many birds other than doves. About a month ago we started seeing a couple of bananaquits (the "yellow bird" of the well known Jamaican song), which was nice. They've since built their nest less than 5 feet from our front door. Dana was sure they wouldn't even complete the nest--after all it's right next to the front door, but they did and seem to preparing to raise a family.

I'm a little surprised they chose our house, but they don't have a lot of choices in this area. They seem to be accustomed to our coming and going--they don't leave the nest most of the time. Of course this could lead to their capture and/or death over time--the more they're in close proximity to people, the more accustomed they become. The more accustomed they are, the less they perceive the danger.

Lot was like the bananaquits--he moved his family into Sodom. 2 Pet. 2 tells us that he was a righteous man who was vexed by the wicked conduct of his neighbors. Rather than becoming accustomed to their immorality it disturbed him. One has to wonder about his family, particularly his wife. Did she become accustomed to these things, so that in spite of the angel's warning not to look back, she looked back anyway? And what about his daughters who decided the only to preserve their Father's seed was to get him drunk and sleep with him? His family became so accustomed to the immorality of their neighbors that they repeated it.

We live and work and study in an increasingly immoral society. Immorality that used to be "in the closet" is now paraded down the street, literally. In the interest of "not hurting anyone" society at large at least pretends that however people live is okay, "who am I to judge?" If we're not careful this attitude rubs off on us and rather than call sin what it is--sin, we choose to ignore it. While this may not affect us, it does affect others--others who are looking to you for moral guidance. There is no justification for crude, rude comments about the sins of others, but speaking out against such may be the only time some around you hear that such action is wrong. By keeping silent we assist in society getting accustomed to sin.

Tol

Caesar and God

Today is April 15th, the dreaded day. Everybody here in Puerto Rico is in the midst of getting it done, including me. We have to pay some this year, which brings us to the point of this blog--the relationship between God and government.

In the States we have lived without government interference in religion since almost he beginning. But as government seeks to intrude more and more into every aspect of our lives it must meddle in the churches as well. The first area has been in the marriage/divorce arena. In the 1980's we went through a spate of lawsuits against churches for publicly marking members, particularly in regards to divorce & remarriage. Those seemed to end when one "victim" lost and paid not only her lawyer fees but those of the church as well (her lawyer also went before the bar).

It seems that "hate speech" will be the next likely area of conflict. Is homosexuality a sin? According to the Bible yes. Is it "hate speech" to say this? NO! If you go to the doctor and he tells you you have cancer, is that "hate speech"? Do you want to hear that you have cancer? No, that's one of the most frightening words in the English language, but better for him to tell you the truth, even if there's nothing that can be done about it, then lie to you to "spare your feelings".

In the same way, we need to call sin sin, so that those in sin may recognized their need to change before it is too late. Will sinners reject such teaching? Most of them will. Do they like to hear it? Obviously not, but again who wants to be told they have cancer? We might argue there's a way to say it and that some brethren are crude about it, but that doesn't change the truth. A doctor with a poor bedside manner doesn't change the fact that you have cancer--could he have been kinder in the way he said it? Probably, although there is no nice way to give someone a death sentence.

God's truth doesn't change to fit the wants of society, any society of any time period. Neither can we change the truth to please those around us, even the government.

Tol

Becoming all things to all men

Today is "Good Friday" you know and in the Caribbean it is one of the days of the year you MUST go to church. For the past 6-7 years the church in Dorado, Puerto Rico has had a service on Good Friday, with lots of visitors. You see most of the 40 + that were present today--25 of them were non-Christian visitors. If you subtract the 7 of us who came from other churches you see that the members were way outnumbered by the members. The good thing about the non-Christians is that many of them are family of the local brethren, so there is a point of contact to study in the future.

I know some would pale at the idea of "celebrating" this Roman Catholic tradition, which cannot be found in the Bible. If they were celebrating it like others do I would agree, but they are not. People here are looking for a place to "go to church" today, so why not use it to teach them the truth? In 1 Cor. 9:22 Paul says, "I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some."

Think about what you can take advantage of to preach the Gospel.

Tol